Chapter 22
Shirou walked into his little homestead with a lot of things on his mind. As mildly expected, once he had gotten all of the details out of Charming Clover he recognized her wishing for him to kill someone as an overreaction. Sure she and likely many of the sidekicks that Ingenium employed were feeling similar feelings having heard that their leader was crippled after having come into contact with the enemy but Shirou had given it little thought. To start with at least.
All it had been was that one of the heroes of this world had chased after a villain they were ill equipped to face. Shirou wasn't aware of all the details per say but if Ingenium had lost he could gain some layout of the villain. Ingenium had been a speed based hero which meant that if he had been bested then it was by somebody who was faster. To cripple though, also meant they were strong. Charming Clover had listed off numbers regarding how many people said villain had left hospitalized and how many heroes had ended up dead at his hand.
These were figures that Shirou cared little for.
Ingenium meanwhile had been someone in Shirou's life in this town, from having battled him atop the unit that he and Rin had shared to being requested to help his sidekicks upgrade their talents. Would he honor the request to kill someone? Probably not, he wasn't that kind of person. Would he try to save that person...well that is something only time would tell.
There was one other person he was planning on saving but in order to do so he would have to be away from the school for a while, which of course meant asking Rin for a favor. He'd give it a little while yet before telling her what he had planned, give her that little extra time to vent out any lingering frustrations she had. He knew that she would be coming over for dinner anyways so he simply had to wait for her to come to him.
Speaking of dinner, time had been creeping up and he needed to start planning what it was he was going to cook up tonight.
...
Bakugo stared at the ceiling as he lay on his bed, his hands tucked beneath his head. Downstairs he could hear his mother fighting with the kitchen equipment but as loud as it was, it wasn't what was on his mind. If he had to guess, not only he but everybody else who had witnessed the vision that now clouded his thoughts were likely thinking very similar thoughts.
The real world hadn't just been shown to them today, it had been forced in their face. Shirou's strength wasn't something that should be idolized by any stretch of the imagination. The strength was a necessity, brought about by a life of violence. Had he not been as strong as he was, chances were that he wouldn't have been standing with them there today.
Raising a single hand into his line of sight, Bakugo clenched his hand into a fist. He wanted to become the number one hero, the most coveted spot there was in the world. He had been told from a young age that he was destined for greatness with the strength of his quirk. He had been the first person from his school to have been expected into U.A, outside of Deku which of course didn't count.
At a young age it had all been a fancible dream, an impossible goal which was always theoretically just out of reach. Now though he knew that it was only difficult to reach because of what one needed to go through to get there.
He had been saved once in his life, against the sludge scum that had attacked him months before he had started his education at U.A. Deku might have been stupid to jump in but All Might had come to his aid and helped him get away from that slime bastard. At the time, that had been the closest thing he had come to defeat.
How many battles had Shirou suffered through by that stage? How many times had he suffered cuts, welts, bruises, broken bones and so much more? Were they all defeats or were some marks of victory emblazoned onto his body? Did he have the opportunity to flee or was cowardice never an option to begin with?
Then there was the terrifying thought which he couldn't shake from his mind. Having been bested by Shirou in several different circumstances now, he knew just how tough the bastard was. Even the fact that he refused to seek medical assistance after having a hole blown through his stomach was a testament to that. So how strong were the people that had left permanent marks on Shirou's body?
If every mark had come from a different opponent, how many villains out there were capable of going against Shirou in such a way that he would be injured so? How easily could such a villain wipe the absolute floor against any of the other members of his class? They were meant to be the next batch of heroes who would protect the city and it's citizens from harm, but they wouldn't last more than a few seconds at best.
It was the first time he was coming to the realization that for every strong hero, there was likely just as strong a villain. It was a terrifying thought but one which made sense. Every hero that was idolized had a single moment in the career which made them the star that they were. Whether it was a stellar debut or combating a foe which had bested a number of other heroes, every hero had at least one moment to their name which made them known by the populace. It also meant that there was a chance that just as strong a villain was feared throughout the land whose name was only ever mentioned in hushed whispers.
While Bakugo had been pushing himself hard to prepare himself for the tournament, now that it was over didn't mean that he was going to stop pushing himself. As he was, there was no way that he was ready for what the real world had in store. There was only a limited amount of time before he would be thrust out for the world to see. He had to make sure that none of that time went to waste.
...
Shirou sat in the dining room, watching the food he had presented go cold. It was well past the time that Rin should have arrived for dinner, even if she was still in a foul mood with him. If she was still fuming about what had happened earlier on, it was theoretically possible that she had tried to make her own dinner to spite him. Considering the last time she had tried to make herself something semi close to what he was able to whip up, the kitchen had looked like an absolute nightmare.
Allowing a sigh to escape his lips, Shirou stood up from the table and started to pack down the meal he had made, figuring out what he could save for later and what was destined for the bin. It was a bit of a waste but there wasn't much he could do for it. If Rin wanted to remain cooped up in her home then so be it. It wasn't his responsibility to look after her.
Placing the dirty dishes next to the sink, Shirou took a moment to look out the window to the darkness that was seeping over the city. Considering Rin wasn't going to be around to help him tonight it meant that he would have to get out of the compound himself. Hopefully Rin wasn't feeling spiteful enough to dob him in.
That was under the pretense that Rin was there in the first place.
...
Rin watched as the world around her zipped past her, the train sending her far away from Musutafu on the way towards Yokohama City. She had packed relatively light and had gotten out by blending in with the crowd. Considering she had used some of her magecraft to alter her appearance enough to draw attention away from her, she knew that nobody would be sending a second glance her way.
Was it childish to have left without a word? Some would honestly think so but then again, she didn't care about the opinions of the populace. She simply needed some time to herself, time far away from Shirou, the loveable idiot that he was.
Was what he did the right thing to do? Honestly, as much as the actual action and the eventual aftermath made her grind her teeth together, she didn't know. If studying at the Clock Tower had taught her anything was that no matter the path one travelled, one had to see it through until the end. Shirou had simply decided to go about getting to the end via a scenic route.
Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, Rin adjusted herself on the seat she was on. Like how Shirou had opted to change the path that he was one, she had opted to do the same. Shirou had found his place in the world, a little too easily for her liking but considering the world that they were in that was always going to happen. She however needed to find something in this world to push her forward, a goal to drive towards.
A scream from down the carriage caught her attention as two men wearing ski masks and brandishing pistols in the air demanded that everybody hand over their possessions. With Rin in the carriage however, not a single person lost a single belonging as both men collapsed to the floor with their consciousness temporarily gone. As the other patrons pondered what had just happened, Rin returned her viewpoint outside, watching as the flickering lights sped past.
Nobody needed to know that it was her who had rendered the men unconscious. She did her best work from the shadows after all.
...
Ryuko sat in the bar, the drink in her hand barely touched. With her spare hand she gingerly touched the spot she had been struck, the wound still stinging from where Shirou had hit her. Allowing a sigh to escape her lips, Ryuko had to admit that she had witnessed today strength, skill and pure grit in a teenager that wasn't present in most professional heroes.
And it scared her.
Shirou was still young but despite his young age he had clearly been through so much. Far too much. Despite the sufferings he had been through, she was aware that there were no known medical reports for Shirou which led her to believe that either he found assistance in unsavoury places regarding his health and wellbeing, or he dealt with it all on his own. Somehow she felt as if the second option was far more likely than the first.
Taking a sip from her drink, she could hear the chair next to her scrape across the floor as someone took a seat beside her. "You think you had it rough today," said Midnight as she joined Ryuko, noticing the slump she was in. "I got caught up in way too many of those fights. Those students need to learn how to keep others out of their battles."
"I know, I watched," said Ryuko, struggling to lift her eyes off of the table to look at the person opposite her. "These kids today..."
"I know what you mean," said Midnight, signalling for a nearby waiter to bring them a drink. "Give it another decade or so and we'll be in retirement."
"Provided he becomes a hero..."
Ryuko's words hung in the air, creating an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. Midnight knew where Ryuko was coming from. There was only one student who she could be talking about. Even being his teacher for Modern Art History, Midnight had been requested by the faculty to keep close attention to Shirou. In her class he barely paid any attention and from discussing with her fellow teachers, he seemed content to do enough to get by.
If he hadn't been strongarmed into joining the academy, it was scary to question just where he would be right now. That then brought about one other point which many of the faculty tried their best to ignore. He wasn't at the school by his own choice.
"You don't think..."
"Why wouldn't he?" said Ryuko, her hand clasping into a fist as she finally looked up at Midnight. "He is basically being kept there against his will. He and his friend would have preferred to be anywhere else than U.A and if they hadn't originally been discovered, they'd likely still be living a normal life somewhere."
"You've done your research," said Midnight as her drink was placed on the table.
"With that in mind, what's going to happen when he graduates? Is he actually going to become a hero when he had no interest in it in the first place? Do you guys have any sort of plan in place if he decides to go rogue?"
"Don't you even think along those lines..."
"Or what?" said Ryuko, slamming her fist on the table hard enough to silence the rest of the venue. "Face it, if he wanted to be anywhere else, he would have already left. He was able to fight off heroes in the street as if it was a walk in the park, do you really think that he would care if he left and was branded as a villain? He wouldn't even do anything! Judging by what I have seen, he would try and find work in a place where they have his wanted poster on the wall and he wouldn't care!"
Several seconds passed before Ryuko realized that there were no other sounds coming from those surrounding her. Using this opportunity to finish her beverage, she placed the empty glass down on the table before standing up and looking down at the professional hero sitting opposite her. "He is dangerous, I've felt it first hand," she said as her fingers reached up to touch at her injury. "If you guys aren't careful then I pray that there is someone out there who can stop him."
Midnight could do nothing as Ryuko walked away and she knew that while she hated to admit it, she had a point. The fact that the words were being said by one of the top ten heroes in the country made her message all the more devastating. Having had to stand at ringside while Shirou was wiping the floor against all those who stood against him she had seen first hand what he was capable of and even then there was a high chance he hadn't been going all out. With the power he wielded at his disposal, if he was tempted to turn to villainy he had the strength possible to decimate all but a few heroes she could think of. The kid could craft deadly weapons and send them off at a blistering pace with nothing but a thought.
Ryuko was right; Shirou's quirk was a dangerous one. Considering how well trained he was in utilizing it as well added to the frightening thoughts. Then there was the other part of his quirk, the part that they had had no knowledge of until the day and a part which had been heavily discussed behind closed doors after the tournament had finished.
With a quirk that could craft weapons into existence with a thought with no apparent consequences, what kind of weapon was he summoning that had made an entire stadium stand on edge? Not only their stadium, those in the other arenas had been thrown off their game as they too had been subjected to whatever power Shirou had been emitting.
Ryoku had definitely made some good points and bringing up some of those comments to the principal wouldn't be a terrible idea. Crafting any sort of contingency plan would likely be discussed as well as a consequence for speaking with the head of the academy. In those theoretical discussions the idea that her quirk could be utilized first and foremost in order to render Shirou unconscious would likely be brought up.
If he wasn't asleep instantly, his retribution would likely be swift, painful and full of vengeance. If this theoretical path was the one they went down, however unlikely it may be, she knew that her own life was in jeopardy.
...
Tensei awoke to the sounds of the machines surrounding him, monitoring his condition. His eyes could barely crack open the slightest of margins but he could tell from the darkness surrounding him that it was the middle of the night.
Which only made the fact that he could barely make out a shadow of a person standing at the foot of his bed all the more terrifying.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to put you out of your misery," they said, noticing his awakened state. In their hand they held a clipboard, analyzing the data written on there despite how difficult it was to see at that moment in time.
"W...Who..."
"Save your strength," they said, silencing Tensei before he worked himself up. "I can imagine when you heard that you'd never have use of your legs again it broke you more than the actual damage to your body. A hero who was able to rush to the aid of others, unable to walk again."
Tensei swallowed at a lump that had formed in his throat, knowing that the person sitting in front of him was speaking the truth. Hearing the extent of the damage that had been done, he had temporarily wished that Stain had had the decency to finish him off.
"You know Ingenium," said the stranger as he put down the clipboard and started moving towards the side of the bed. "I received a call from one of your sidekicks asking me to hunt down and kill the person who did this to you. Don't worry, I've scolded them for their words and I figured they were just running off the adrenaline."
"What...are you..."
"That I guess is the big question isn't it," they said as they stopped so they looked directly down at Tensei's prone body. "Tell me, Ingenium, what would you give to be able to walk again?"
Tensei's eyes widened at the words. Did the person in front of him have some sort of medicinal quirk that could heal such devastating wounds? "Anything," he said, hope riddled in his voice.
"Never say anything," they retorted, seemingly unhappy with the answer. "If I was a vindictive person, I could tell you that the cost of being able to walk again would be to kill your younger brother when next he visited. Now, try again. What would you give to be able to walk again?"
Tensei found his mind going into high alert. Not only did this person quite literally have every possible advantage over him but he knew of his brother. Someone had clearly done their research. "I...I would give...my life to my job...to still...be a hero...to help all...that I can."
Several seconds ticked by as the person standing above him contemplated the answer that he had been given. "Well said," they stated as they lifted their hand up only for something to materialize in their palm. "When I'm done, not only will you be able to walk again, but you will be able to run. You will be able to be a hero once more."
Chapter 23
Shirou looked out the window at the rain careening down outside, the dreary atmosphere completely opposite to the feelings of his peers currently in class awaiting their homeroom teacher. The banter they spoke amongst one another surrounded the fact of how they had been recognized by the populace for their performances regarding the Sports Festival. Had he actually stepped off the campus at any time that would be dictated as normal, he too might have been acknowledged for his actions. Since he only went out exploring through the cover of night, he was highly confident that nobody would have noticed him
The chaos in the room swiftly subsided as Aizawa stepped in, many of the students not wanting to get on his bad side so early in the morning. "Morning," he mumbled, paying little attention to the response that the students gave him in response. "This morning's hero informatics period is a little special. It's time to formulate your codenames, your hero names."
The students in the class exploded in enthusiasm and Shirou almost found himself covering his ears from the noise that assaulted him. It was understandable as to why they were excited. In this society it was evident that a hero whose name was recognized by the populace was a hero whom people could look up to.
Temporarily ignoring Aizawa as he continued, Shirou thought back to the names of the heroes that he had combatted against back in the Holy Grail War. While Berserker, Rider, Caster and the rest were the class they were assigned to and the title they were referred to as, it wasn't their name. Their names were still the ones that had been given to them by their parents. True it was a different dimension and a different time, but it was something that Shirou acknowledged as true heroism, simply to be known by their name and the actions they undertook.
"Now, the tally of nominations," announced Aizawa. "Typically the results are more balanced but this year it was clear where the attention was leading to."
Shirou couldn't help but scoff. There he was, at the top of the leaderboard with thousands of agencies wanting him to temporarily work under their wing. More likely than not it would just be to get some manner of prestige, to have the winner of the competition as part of their team even if it was for only a temporary measure of time.
Shirou allowed his eyes to drift to the bottom of the leaderboard where Midoriya sat with three nominations, despite the fact that he hadn't made it past the first obstacle. Clearly he had proven something in the brief period of time that he had had. There were some names missing from the leaderboard in general, students having missed out on making a statement to those watching.
"Based on this," stated Aizawa, his gaze drifting over the class. "Regardless of whether or not you received any nominations, I'll be having you go get some so called Work Experience. With that being said, the lot of you have already experienced far more than your peers and have taken a glimpse of the world of pros. But I think experiencing the activities of pros firsthand will be more fruitful training than before."
"And because of that we need hero names!" shouted Sato, pumping his fist.
Shirou returned his attention to the rain pouring outside of the window, barely caring as another member of the faculty entered the room and began pandering the importance of names. He really could not wait for this class to end.
...
Midnight continued evaluating the names the students of 1-A presented before her. Some had needed much alteration while others had been simply perfect. With the recently named Uravity returning to her seat, Midnight acknowledged those who had yet to present. "All that's left are Bakugo's revision and then the names of Iida, Midoriya and Emiya."
While Iida and Midoriya seemed to be overthinking their choice, she was worried to see that Shirou had yet to touch the whiteboard that had been handed out at the beginning. Ryoku's words from the other night rang in her mind once more. If he didn't have to be here, Shirou wouldn't be here. Why would he designate himself a hero name if he had no aspirations to become a hero?
The sound of a student standing up caused Midnight to shift her attention away from the student whom she was concerned about. Iida marched forward towards the front of the class in an almost robotic fashion. Once at the front, he turned to face his peers. "As many of you are aware, my brother, the hero Ingenium, was hospitalized from having faced a villain," he said, not showing his name just yet. "The initial reports indicated that he might never walk again and knowing such, he asked me to take his name. Last night I was left wondering if I could uphold such a legacy, to be the new Ingenium. Then this morning, we heard news from the hospital that a miracle had happened. My brother, who had had no feeling in his legs, was seen walking the hospital halls. We don't know how this happened, we don't know why and I don't know if I could have been able to take on my brother's name. With that being said, I will do my best I can be, as the Rapid Hero: Imperium!"
It was odd, far stranger than many of his peers who had stepped up before him to present their hero names. When a slow clap rang out however it was all worth it. Midnight herself had not even been aware that Ingenium had been administered to hospital, let alone with such devastating wounds. To hear that he was healthy once more was wonderful to hear.
Turning her attention back to the class, she watched as Midoriya walked forward having decided on his name. While he went on a spiel, explaining why he had chosen his name, her eyes focused once more on Emiya who seemed to be in his own little world. Chances were that he hadn't paid attention to a single name that had been delivered to the class.
As Midoriya returned to his seat, the name 'Deku' having been given for all to see, the rest of the class seemed curious as to what name would come next. A few curious glances were sent across the room as the students tried to catch a glimpse of what Shirou would produce. To see that he had yet to even touch his whiteboard which only caused some whispers to pop up.
"Hey man," said Kaminari, feeling the need to add a suggestion to Shirou. "What about Arsenal? I mean you're basically a walking armory."
This of course resulted in Kirishima chiming in. "Nah, Blacksmith would be much cooler."
"Please, he should be called Slice and Dice."
"What are you talking about? If Shirou is going to be called anything it's going to be..."
"Nothing."
"Nothing, see...wait, what?"
Mineta's current state of confusion was mirrored by the rest of those in attendance, whose curious glances were now direct stares at the person who had demolished the tournament the previous day. Allowing a sigh to escape his lips, Shirou turned his head so that he could address the students gaping at him. "The heroes I aspire to are known by the legend they left behind, heroes whose names will never be forgotten no matter how much time has passed," he explained. "I don't deserve to be acknowledged amongst the heroes of old and I will not sully their reputation by pretending to play hero."
His words struck like a knife and silence reigned supreme. There was a lot to digest out of what he had just said and it felt as if he was almost a different person, as if something had drastically changed in his life since after he had won the tournament. Then there was the mention of that despite his incredible power, he didn't even compare himself to the champions of a bygone era.
"Detention," declared Midnight, her gaze firm on the student in her line of sight. It was a harsh punishment in retrospect but she had her instructions from the higher up members of the faculty. She had been ordered to try and ensure that she, along with the rest of the members of staff available, would be able to break the news to Shirou in an environment where the rest of the students wouldn't be in harm's way. It was a worse case scenario but it was better to be prepared.
Now she had to brace herself for how Shirou would react to having been issued detention. Surprisingly he didn't act out, he didn't shout how unjust the punishment was and didn't even turn his attention back to the window. Instead, Shirou turned his attention to somebody else in the class. "Midoriya, you're in charge of training after class with Yaoyozoru's assistance in crafting anything you feel is necessary."
"Me? What? Why?" stammered Midoriya, clearly having not expected this in the slightest.
"You honestly think that you haven't been spotted mumbling after every training session?" said Shirou with a raised eyebrow. "It's time to stop keeping all of your notes to yourself and share some of your knowledge."
"Umm, yes, of course," said Midoriya, less than convincingly.
With that, Shirou turned his attention back towards the window creating a sense of unease amongst the students and faculty members. This of course was all shattered as Bakugo marched to the front and proclaimed that his hero name would be 'Baron of Explodo-Kills,' which understandably, didn't stick.
...
Stain was resting, perched atop the rooftop that he had been teleported to after negotiations broke down. Perhaps it had been for that reason that instead of finding himself back in his hunting ground of Hosu, he had been spat out here, wherever here was. It looked familiar but it wasn't as if he could wander up to the nearest travel guide and get some intel on the place.
This of course meant that he would get some information another way.
Scanning the horizon, focused eyes spotted another person standing atop a roof a little distance away. A female by the looks of things who looked as if they should have been sitting in class right about now. A wry smile spread across his lips as he started moving, curious how the woman he had spotted would react to his presence.
With speed and skill forged by determination and grit, the Hero Killer leapt from rooftop to rooftop with grace. Due to the layout of the city, he hadn't been able to take a direct route to his target but instead had had to circle around. Which of course meant that the following moments would be more entertaining as he landed on his target rooftop staring at the back of the woman whom had yet to move.
"Young lady, mind if I ask you a few questions?" he asked, awaiting the response he would get. It was oddly dissatisfying however that there seemed to be no sense of shock from the person that her personal space up here had been infiltrated. In fact, she only casually turned her head to acknowledge him and even then showed no signs of horror of the person standing upon the other side of the roof.
Maybe he was losing his touch.
"You may, however I don't know what answers I will be able to provide," they stated before turning their back on him once more. This of course, only served to annoy the person who had the blood of dozens of heroes on his hands.
Feeling irritated, Stain marched forward, the katana that he wielded upon his back now clutched in his hand. He wasn't going to kill the woman before him, she wasn't a hero who lacked conviction but some scare tactics in order to get the information he wanted seemed to be in order.
The blade of the katana thrust forward, deliberately missing her right shoulder by the smallest of margins. The speed of his thrust had blown several strands of hair away from the previous location and yet the woman didn't flinch nor tremor in fear from the weapon that so easily could have spilled her blood. Seemed that she had quite a bit of resolve.
"Now little lady, you will..."
That was all that Stain was able to say before pain surged through his body, every inch of his being feeling as if it was being struck by electricity coursing through his veins. The intense pain may have only lasted for a few seconds but he couldn't prevent himself from collapsing to his knees.
"Now that was rather rude of you now wasn't it," stated the woman who had not even turned to face him.
Grinding his teeth together, Stain tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand. He was feared throughout the land as one of the most terrifying villains out there. Nobody made a fool out of him! His weapon swung swift and true and as the tip of the blade threatened to pierce skin, his katana turned into sakura petals. His primary weapon, the steel he had utilized for so long, had turned into flower petals.
Still, he wasn't a renown villain for nothing and twin daggers swiftly found their way into the palms of his hands. Before he even had the chance to attack with them however he could only watch as the metal melted away, puddling at the ground just in front of him.
His mind swiftly went over a number of things that could be happening right now and divulged the theory that the person in front of him had a quirk that could reshape metal into anything they wished. It might have been a long shot and may have been well of track but in only a matter of seconds he had lost a good chunk of his arsenal and would likely lose more unless he got a handle on the situation.
Dropping the handles of his now useless weapons, Stain swung out with his fist just in the pure hope of dealing some manner of damage. In what seemed like pure luck, his attack struck true nailing the woman before him right in the lower ribs...only for him to retract his hand in pain, his knuckles feeling as if they had struck solid concrete.
"My, my, it seems you are out of tricks," they said, almost in a scolding tone before they moved, far faster than Stain had thought possible. A pair of arms found themselves wrapped around his waist before he was hoisted off of the ground, his torso still being clung to as he found the world revolving before his head crashed into the rooftop. A gurgled moan was all that escaped his lips before the Hero Killer found his consciousness slipping away.
The Hero Killer Stain, the man who had murdered seventeen professional heroes and crippled a further twenty three, had been defeated.
...
"I'm going to make the bold assumption this isn't how detentions usually go," said Shirou, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked at the members of the faculty standing before him. Had it been one, perhaps even two members of staff who were present it wouldn't have been surprising. Having half a dozen, including All Might, standing in line left him somewhat curious as to what he had done to deserve such treatment.
Standing atop the desk, Principal Nezu addressed the student standing before the faculty. "You're right, this isn't a detention in a traditional sense but we needed to speak with you privately," he said.
"You know you could have just come to my house and knocked on my door," said Shirou.
This only served to stir up Hound Dog who began to growl beneath his muzzle. Nezu spoke up again before his head of security did or said something foolish. "Be that as it may, we needed to discuss with you a couple of topics which would bode unwell to be heard by others."
Shirou's mind swiftly went into overdrive as he gathered some intel from the principal's comment that the diminutive figure likely hadn't intended to get out. "You think somebody's leaking details out into the public, or more specifically, villains," he said connecting dots together.
"That seems like a rather large leap in logic," declared All Might.
"Considering that attack that happened a few weeks ago, it really isn't," said Shirou before pointing at the number one hero. "The leaders even said that you were meant to be there according to the curriculum they acquired. Even on that day that the media got through the front door, they couldn't simply have wondered around the school for long enough to track down the exact piece of paper they were looking for. It got handed to them and you don't know who to trust."
"You were at the top of the list for a while," said Eraserhead, his gaze hardened on the person in front of him and prepared to activate his quirk at the first sign of trouble.
"I can picture that," said Shirou. "Sketchy background probably didn't help."
"Not to mention the fact that you clearly are more advanced than anybody your age," said Midnight. "Your skill with your quirk speaks of years of dedication to honing your ability to the best you could."
"Which is why we need to ascertain right now, just how strong you are," declared Ectoplasm.
"How strong I am," repeated Shirou. "Tell you what, why don't I show you? Tonight at eight in the gymnasium and I will show you just what I'm capable of."
The menacing smile that Shirou sent their way as he said that stirred some manner of fear into the heroes' beings.
"I'm sure that we will be there," declared Nezu. "On another bit of news, it would seem as if your friend missed class today and when we went to investigate her lodgings to see if she was unwell, it turned out that she wasn't there either. Would you happen to know where she may be?"
"Well we did have a bit of a falling out," admitted Shirou.
"Do you know anywhere she may have gone?" asked Midnight.
"If she has run off, then you won't be able to find her," declared Shirou matter of factly. "She'll return if she wants to but quite frankly if she wants to spend some time to herself I feel sorry for anybody who gets in her way."
"Regardless of where Miss Tohsaka may be right now, we have come to the conclusion that you will not be joining your peers working alongside the heroes in the weeks to come," declared Principal Nezu.
"Because I'm a flight risk," stated Shirou, reading between the lines.
"You catch on far too quick for my liking," said Eraserhead.
"If that is all, I might take this opportunity to see how Midoriya is running my class," said Shirou.
"I will accompany you," said Ectoplasm, the 'detention' effectively over and done with. Shirou merely shrugged his shoulders as he allowed the faculty member to join him. His mind meanwhile drifted off to Rin once more as he pondered just what she was up to right about now.
...
Stain came to slowly, blinking several times at the unfamiliar ceiling above his head. He tried to move swiftly but the aches and pains from his previous battle made his movements sluggish as he raised an arm to rub at the side of his head. This of course raised the very obvious point that he was unrestrained. Tilting his head to the side he found himself not caged in some prison cell, but rather a plain looking room desolate for everything other than the bed he was on.
He didn't know whether this was a good or a bad sign.
Pushing himself into a seated position, the door to his temporary accommodations opened up to reveal his captor, smiling sweetly at him. "Good, you're awake," they said. "I need you to tear down some walls, install a window, pick up some groceries..."
"Just who do you think I am!" growled Stain, his aura pulsating out as he tried his best to intimidate the person standing before him.
To absolutely no effect.
"Why," said Rin coyly, the smile not leaving her face, "You're my little errand boy of course."
Stain had a terrifying feeling that being thrown in prison would have been a better alternative to whatever it was this woman had planned for him.
Chapter 24
Shirou finished cleaning the dishes and wiping down the bench, ensuring that his workspace would be clear for the coming day. Dinner tonight had felt...off for lack of a better word. He had been feeling off all day to be honest and he knew that his reactions had been a touch harsh. Knowing now what had become of his confidant in Rin, he had been able to calm himself down.
The whole concept though of cooking dinner without her by his side was still something that would take weeks if not months or even years to get used to. Hearing her voice bickering about one topic or another to which he could banter with had been something of a staple in his life. Knowing that silence would be his companion for a while, it was an interesting concept for him to get used to.
There was always the television he supposed.
Checking the time, Shirou rolled his shoulders before making his way towards the exit. He had a deadline to keep after all. Heading out the door the first thing he could feel was the chill of the night air dancing across his skin. The second thing he could feel were the sets of eyes locked on his position.
Was he at all surprised by this development, not at all. If anything he would have been more shocked had there not been people watching his every move. His partner had left the premises after all without consulting anyone and as such there was a theoretical possibility that he would flee as well. Of course he had no intentions of doing so but they were wary of any possibilities.
"Are you guys going to keep watching from a distance or going to be social?" asked Shirou, looking over his shoulder at a nearby tree. There was momentary rustling before two figures leapt down.
"Your knack for knowing when you're being watched is frustrating," said Eraserhead, complete in uniform. Again, Shirou couldn't blame him for being prepped and ready for any situation. Also he could understand why Aizawa had been assigned to this position. They still thought that his ability to produce weapons was the result of a quirk as opposed to his magecraft. It made sense to send in the teacher who was capable of preventing people from using their abilities, even if his quirk was useless against him.
"Then you shouldn't be so obvious," retorted Shirou with a light smile.
Aizawa couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance, knowing full well that it wasn't that he was terrible at not being discovered but rather Shirou's situational awareness was ridiculous. Thankfully, Ectoplasm didn't rise to the taunts either and simply gazed at Shirou with a look of humour. "Truly, our future looks grand with you as part of it," he commented.
"Perhaps," said Shirou with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I bore witness to how you instructed your peers today," stated Ectoplasm. "Your methods may be unconventional but it is clear that they are benefitting from your teachings. Pray tell, were you taught in similar methods?"
Shirou allowed a thoughtful hum to resonate from his throat as he put his hands behind his head. Beginning his journey towards where he would be making his demonstration, Shirou answered. "To say my mentor was harsh would be an understatement. The first time I held a weapon against her she knocked her down within moments. Days would pass by and no matter how many times I stood up she would knock me down just as fast. Increasing my time combatting her by a single strike was a sign of improvement, by two was a miracle. It was brutal, yet effective."
"I trust such measures were done only due to necessity," declared Ectoplasm.
"The opposite actually," said Shirou with a chuckle. "She didn't want me fighting in the slightest despite what was happening."
"And she taught you why exactly?" asked Eraserhead.
"Because I wouldn't take no for an answer," said Shirou flashing a cheeky smile.
Aizawa could only respond with an elongated sigh.
"By the way, we should warn you," said Ectoplasm as they closed upon the gymnasium. "Word may have spread about your coming demonstration."
"I blame Midnight," Shirou swiftly accused.
Neither Eraserhead or Ectoplasm could deny the accusation.
"How many should I be expecting?" asked Shirou as the three of them closed in on their destination.
"While the number is quite vast," stated Ectoplasm, "I believe you should be more worried about the calibre of those in attendance."
"So some top tiers are here then," acknowledged Shirou as they stopped at the gym where he had a rough idea of what was awaiting him.
"I would implore you not to do anything reckless," said Aizawa as he gripped the handle. "However I know that you wouldn't pay attention."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Shirou as he opened the door and embraced what was before him. First thing that his eyes noticed was that the gym had undergone some serious renovations in the last few hours. Most likely for the protection of the school property, now hardened cement covered the floor whilst several pillars now stood tall creating some obstacles which he assumed were for viewing entertainment.
The mumbling that had been going on before his arrival was swiftly silenced with all eyes drawing to where he was standing. A quick head count had Shirou estimating that the number of people present was close to the triple digit mark if not a little over. The only member of the faculty that he was aware of not currently present was All Might. He did kind of drop this out of the blue so it wasn't surprising if somebody couldn't take time out of their schedule.
Many of those who had come were not people that he was aware of and he assumed that many of them were here to try and gain his favour in hopes that he would intern with them. There was a high chance that none of them were aware that he was forbidden from interning with any of them but if they didn't know that fact then when he failed to arrive at their base they would simply assume he went elsewhere. No point in bursting their bubble.
A few were heroes that he was aware of. Ryuko had come once again and she had a gleam of determination in her eye. It seemed as if their brief tussle from the other day had made her eager to witness what else he was capable of. Also here was Ryuko's friend Uwabami that he recognized from that night in the penthouse.
There was also one face that he was very familiar with. After all it had been someone whom he had launched a weapon at during the tournament, someone whom he hadn't actually been fighting against. Someone whom would likely agree if he was to ask for some assistance in showing off what he was capable.
Endeavour, the number two hero in the country behind All Might. He hadn't really paid much attention during the fight itself. Todoroki had an uncanny ability that could reshape a battlefield in the blink of an eye, hence there was little time to turn away. Had he had that little bit of extra time to realize just who it was that he had been adamant of launching a lethal weapon at, he might have rethought his actions. However, the man had disrupted his lesson so the punishment seemed just.
Shirou watched as every set of eyes in attendance followed his movements as he walked forward and stood before them. A vast number of those dubbed as heroes by society, and here he was standing before them. Yep, this wasn't quite what he had expected but he'd make do.
"Thank you everyone for being here," he started, clapping his hands lightly together. "I don't know how many of you found out about this but the fact of the matter is that you are all here I'm going to assume for the same reason. Tonight, I have been asked to demonstrate some of the possibilities of my power. You will be happy to know that during these times I will likely need a volunteer and if nobody wishes to join me I will have to choose blindly when asking for assistance."
Quite a few select individuals knew straight away that as soon as Shirou had set eyes on those in front of him that he already had selected whom would be joining him in front of the rest.
"A hero first and foremost, should be able to protect any and all that they are able, regardless of the impossible odds before them," said Shirou as he placed his hands behind his back. "It should not matter how difficult the challenge before them is, a hero will always be willing to put themselves at risk to protect those unable to protect themselves. As many of you are aware, my ability allows me to craft any weapon that I have seen and any abilities that go with it."
"Weapons don't possess quirks," said one random hero, skeptical of what Shirou was getting at. "How is one sword different from another?"
"Weapons don't possess quirks," repeated Shirou as he stroked his chin. "Tell me then, how was it that a single sword trapped in stone selected a single soul that was capable of removing it from it's entrapment? Would you consider that sword the same as one wielded by samurai of years long since past?"
"What you're talking about is a legend..."
"There, right there," said Shirou. "The sword in the stone is legend, one which has passed through the centuries yet even in this present day and age it is still well known. It is not the only legendary weapon by far. For centuries there have been tales of weapons that can split mountains, part oceans and even split the sky. Their strength is sometimes more well known than those who wielded them."
"Are you saying you possess such weapons?"
Shirou manifested two swords into existence, the twin blades looking only minutely different from one another. With a simple gesture of the hand he beckoned one of the heroes who had come to see him to step forward. At first they looked momentarily uncertain but knew that considering the amount of their peers beside them they couldn't really back down without being scrutinized. As they stepped forward, Shirou spoke. "Firstly, I want you to take this blade here and strike at the pillar behind me, then do exactly the same with the seconds. That is all."
Again they looked at Shirou questionably but knew that they weren't really in a position to not do as they were asked. While Shirou could have watched the hero he had chosen do as they were instructed, instead he focused his attention on those who were watching the display. They were still skeptical and rightfully so, to them he was still a student, someone who had barely gotten his feet wet in the terrifying world around them. He could hear the first sword clank against the concrete pillar that the hero he had selected swung true, the weapon ineffective against the hardened material.
Thankfully the second was far more efficient.
"Thank you for your assistance," said Shirou, allowing the weapons he had crafted to fade away into nothing. "I believe that demonstration has just shown that indeed, two weapons are not the same."
Looking over his shoulder, Shirou took a momentary glance at the clean cut that had sliced through solid concrete as if it had been nothing more than butter. "As I was saying before however was that a hero has to be able to defend those unable to defend themselves. Ryuko, for this I will need your assistance."
...
Ryuko could hear the hushed whispers from around her as she felt her teeth grind together. To protect those unable to defend themselves was what she was being brought up for. Many in attendance wouldn't have thought much of the wording but she knew exactly what Shirou meant. Nevertheless, she stepped forward before standing in front of Shirou. "How can I help?" she asked professionally, doing her best to ensure this teenager did not get further beneath her skin,
"All I'm going to do is have you stand behind me," instructed Shirou. "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," said Ryuko, composing herself. It seemed as if he was going to shield her from harm and it seemed as if that since he was aware of her status as a member of the top ten heroes that in the worst case scenario, she would be capable of protecting herself. Knowing those in attendance, there were very few whom she would consider at her level of strength.
"Endeavour, would you mind assisting in this next part?"
That however, was not something she had been anticipating. She also had hoped that Endeavour's pride would prevent him from assisting what he likely thought as trivial. Sadly as he stepped forward with something reminiscent of a smile upon his lips she could sense that he only had malice on his mind.
"Now, I am going to go over there, far away from the spectators," said Shirou, gesturing to a point opposite to where the masses stood. "Ryuko, as my lovely assistant, will stand behind me. I take it that your fire will reach that point Endeavour."
"Count on it," grumbled the number two hero.
"Excellent, come now Ryuko," said Shirou, beckoning for the number nine hero to follow him.
For her part, Ryuko walked with purpose in her steps while internally she was scared beyond belief. Not only for herself but for Shirou as well. He had demonstrated and spoke of legendary weapons but nothing was particularly coming to mind in regards to any sort of weapon that had the ability to shield the wielder from fire. That wasn't even including her in the mix, how was a weapon that Shirou held meant to protect her from harm?
Stopping at the designated point, Shirou turned to face Endeavour. As Ryuko walked past to stand behind him, he could hear faint words being almost whispered from Shirou's mouth. "Do not fear, I will protect you."
Had her senses not been on high alert, she may have missed those reassuring words. That was truly what they sounded like. There had been no cockiness or bravado, it had been a simple fact. He would defend her at all costs.
Having felt her resolve uplifted, she took her place a handful of feet behind where Shirou stood. "Whenever you are ready Endeavour," stated Shirou as he stood calmly.
A handful of seconds ticked by as everyone in attendance watched on with baited breath. It was only after tensions were at their highest that Endeavour unleashed his power, sending a torrent of fire directly towards where they stood. For Ryuko, time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched flames hot enough to melt skin from bone rush towards them faster than she had anticipated. Her eyes drifted to Shirou who raised an arm in front of him, directly at the flames which closed in on them.
"Rho Aias!"
In the last possible moment, she watched as a shield of light bloomed forth, the fiery destruction awaiting them crashing upon it and parting around them leaving them unscathed. Ryuko could only watch on in amazement, almost unable to believe what it was that she was watching as the flames continued to rain down upon the shield projected in front of them.
Eventually the torrent of destruction came to an end, revealing the pair unharmed to those watching on. Like the weapons beforehand, the beautiful shield too vanished from existence and Shirou was greeted with a round of applause from those watching. Endeavour did his best to not look insulted but Ryuko knew that a blow had been struck to his pride, even if Shirou had not meant it.
Ryuko watched on as Shirou stepped forward giving out his spiel for the next demonstration he was going to take, Ryuko couldn't help but look at the figure walking away from her. She may have just been sitting inside the top ten but with the future generations already making a stand, chances were that within a few years her ranking would plummet. Perhaps it was time that she spent some time to train once again and come up with some new ways to deal with any and all issues that stood in her way.
...
Shirou shook the hand of the last hero who had come to witness his demonstration, answering politely that he would consider their agency for the upcoming internships. As the doors to the gymnasium closed, Shirou turned to look at the last few people in attendance, namely the school faculty. "So, how did you think that went?" he asked modestly.
"I'd say you put on an admirable display," declared Snipe.
"If I may, I'd like to ask a few things about your power," said Nezu.
Shirou crossed his arms as he heard the wording that the mouse had said. Not once tonight had he said that his abilities in crafting weapons was the work of a quirk and Nezu had seemed to pick up on that. He sincerely doubted that it had been a simple slip of the tongue. "Go ahead," he said.
"Roughly how long does it take for you to look at a weapon for you to analyze it to such a point that you can recreate it?" asked the headmaster.
"As soon as my eyes lay contact on the weapon," said Shirou. "Though there have been some weapons that I have been unable to comprehend in the past."
"Oh, such as what?" asked Midnight genuinely curious.
"I cannot replicate firearms of any kind," declared Shirou. "There has also been a single sword my mind was unable to comprehend when I looked at it. No matter how long it remained in my vision, I couldn't grasp it's reality."
"Reality," repeated Ectoplasm.
"My second question," said Nezu bringing the train of thought back on track, "Is that when you mentioned legendary weapons you seemed almost defencive. Have you bore witness to any such weapon?"
"As Aizawa will attest, I have shown off one of Masamune's finest creations," stated Shirou. "When combatting Mirio, the stone axe I brought forth had been wielded during ancient times, well over three thousand years ago when humanity needed to be strong to survive."
"And you just happened to stumble across such a weapon?" asked Aizawa.
Well he had jumped in front of it and had nearly been cleaved in two by it but he felt no need to tell them that part of his history. "Stumble probably isn't the most accurate of words," he said sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his head.
"Alright then, one final question," said Nezu coming to the crux. "Why did you never describe your ability as your quirk?"
Shirou's eyes picked up the subtle gestures that the faculty members made, almost bracing themselves for what he might do in response to that question. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," said Shirou.
"I think we will be the judge of that," said Ectoplasm.
Shirou allowed a sigh to escape his lips before he turned to face his homeroom teacher. "Aizawa, would you be so kind as to use your quirk on me?"
Shirou watched as Aizawa's glare hardened ever so slightly and his eyes change colour, indicating that his quirk was in effect. Without hesitation, Shirou crafted a broadsword into existence and those watching couldn't help but allow their breath to get caught in their throats.
"I don't refer to my tracing as a quirk because quite simply, it's not."
Chapter 25
All Might watched on as Shirou gave out his final orders for the day, instructing the students to use what they have in their upcoming internships. Toshinori Yagi had made an effort to come to as many of these training sessions as he could over the past fortnight after having been unable to attend Shirou's demonstration.
He truly wished that other arrangements hadn't prevented him from showing up to witness Shirou's performance in front of the other professional heroes. What his peers had told him afterwards had been unbelievable and had made him wish that he had cancelled his prior plans. Alas he had had to deal with second hand information from predominantly Present Mic (who had more than likely overexaggerated everything) and Nezu (who likely had overanalyzed everything). Since then, he had made an effort to make as many of these after class sessions as he could in order to witness any of these feats for himself.
Sadly, it seemed as if Shirou had only ever intended on sharing the details of his powers with the members of the faculty, not once using anything that he was seemingly capable of in front of the other students. Likewise, he himself had been asked not to speak openly about what Shirou was capable of under orders from Nezu and unfortunately All Might knew why. If they simply went out of their way and announced to the world that there was a power outside of quirks that was untracked and unregistered with who knows how many people were capable of it, it could lead to panic.
So for now, it was held secret amongst the faculty. Toshinori felt that Nezu had another reason for this in being that there still was the possibility of a mole within the school. If the information leaked to the public, while it would be temporarily chaotic it would also show that the person leaking intel was a member of staff. It was a terrible thought to have but one they had to consider.
All Might's attention was drawn back to the children in front of him as Shirou dismissed them for the evening, sending the students on their way. For some reason he wouldn't feel surprised if he discovered that Shirou had assigned them homework to do during their internship. From what he had witnessed, while he was strict in his lessons he was never overly cruel, pushing them slowly past their limits but never sending them over the edge. In the short time he had been with them he had already acknowledged their strengths and weaknesses and consequently knew which boundaries required a gentle push in the right direction in order to better them as a whole.
"I must say, excellent work as always," proclaimed All Might as some students exited the gymnasium, their limbs sore from the day's activities.
"They are the ones who will defend this country who civilians will depend on one day, any mistake that they make then is a mistake that I made now," said Shirou, looking towards the top hero in the country.
"Everyone makes mistakes, even I have made errors in the past," stated the professional hero, making a clear internal note of Shirou's word choice regarding who the next batch of heroes were.
Shirou's eyes darted across the room quickly, taking note that a handful of students had yet to leave, watching All Might speak to him. He wasn't quite sure what they were waiting for but considering how things usually went, they wouldn't have to wait long. "In this position however, mistakes result in casualties."
"Those are only in extreme circumstances, I assure you..."
"Please," scoffed Shirou, cutting All Might off, something which caused the students still watching to take an involuntary gasp. "There's a reason the obituary page in the paper is never less than a double spread and as a general hint, it isn't old age. You may do everything you can in your power but people still die."
For the smallest of moments the ever present smile on Toshinori's face faltered ever so slightly. "You are far too young to worry about such matters," he said trying to steer the conversation away.
Easily catching on to what All Might was trying to do, Shirou ran his fingers through his hair before proposing a hypothetical question. "Tell me then, one man is keeping ten people hostage and nothing short of death will prevent him from releasing an attack that will kill them instantly. Would you be willing to kill one criminal in order to save ten innocent lives?"
All Might's eyes sharpened the tiniest of margins as he glared at Shirou. It was times like these that he had to recall that Shirou was indeed far different than any other student who had entered the hero course of this academy. His life before coming into the school was nearly a complete blank slate, something which might have been done with either his or his friend's powers.
The way Shirou acted, how he behaved on a day to day basis, was of someone who didn't simply know what he did through an internet search. He knew what he knew because at some point in his young life it had become essential to learn such life lessons. Or, and this was a terrifying thought, he had learnt such lessons through the heat of the moment.
"Did you save them?" asked All Might, silently hoping that he was misreading this in its entirety.
"Yes," declared Shirou resolutely as he started to walk casually towards the exit, straight past All Might whose hand had clenched into a fist.
"So you killed then," stated All Might, his head lowered to the floor.
"No," said Shirou, his back still to the top hero who looked over his shoulder at the boy slowly walking away. "I saved all of them, villain and all."
Toshinori released a breath that he hadn't even realised he had been holding, gratitude washing over him that Shirou had not sullied his hands with the lifeblood of another human being.
"At least the first time."
The door closed behind Shirou mere moments after his final statement had been made, causing the students who had remained behind to whisper nervously amongst themselves. All Might watched as young Midoriya made a beeline for the door, chasing after Shirou but he himself remained rooted to the spot.
While he may not have openly admitted it, Shirou had effectively stated that he had killed another person before. The more disturbing part was that he seemed so unfazed by the entire incident. All Might could merely hope that this was due to the reason as to why he had found it necessary to take a life. Had Shirou suppressed the guilt inside of him out of the belief that he had done the right thing?
Shaking his head, All Might knew better than to speculate about such matters. The fact that Shirou seemed to be opening up to him was a good sign, even if what he was opening up wasn't necessarily a good topic. A topic which now left him in an awkward predicament. A single glance over at the other members of Class 1-A showed that some had their phones in their hand and were possibly ready to spread such information out to their friend, most likely out of safety precautions. Now he needed to play damage control and do his best to convince teenagers that not spreading gossip was a necessity in this situation.
...
"Hold up," shouted Midoriya as he closed the gap between himself and Shirou, the other boy slowing down at the sound of his voice. The green haired hero in training was glad as Shirou halted and turned to face him, gifting him a small smile.
"What's up Midoriya?" he asked politely.
"How do you do it?" asked Midoriya.
"It?" repeated Shirou, unsure of where Midoriya was going with his question.
"How are you able to stand up to All Might like that?" clarified Midoriya, his body tensing as he mentally prepared for the answer given to him.
Shirou meanwhile observed the small change in Midoriya's stance. He was more than aware that Midoriya was, for the lack of a better term, a fanboy. His knowledge on the prowess and history regarding a number of the school's heroes was astonishing and it showed that he had spent years doting and admiring professional heroes. Shirou figured that his off handed comments before could have been seen as a spark of something in Midoriya's mindscape, that perhaps those that he worshipped weren't as untouchable as they appeared.
"Walk with me," said Shirou, turning around and resuming his journey back to his homestead, Midoriya swiftly joining him by his side. "Tell me, throughout the entirety of Japan, are there areas where no heroes work." Midoriya raised a thumb to his chin butr before he could put a great deal of thought into it, Shirou cut him off. "Before you overstress yourself, I'll let you know that there are areas where heroes don't patrol the streets. Whether the population is simply too small, or there isn't enough of a financial gain to be made working out in remote areas, I don't particularly know nor do I care. Fact of the matter is, there are parts of Japan where heroes don't exist."
Taking a quick glance over at Midoriya, Shirou could see that the boy was soaking up his words like a sponge. Likely he wasn't taking everything he said as if it were gospel but the fact that he was paying attention was a great starting point. "You can picture it can't you, trying to set up a hero agency in some far off corner of the country where the only potential crime would be a speeding ticket or perhaps a pickpocket, something which the police are more than capable of taking care of. Why would a hero set up his place of work somewhere where there isn't much work?"
"You grew up in such a place didn't you," stated Midoriya, reading between the lines. "A place with no heroes."
Shirou didn't particularly want to explain that the heroes that had existed in that world were from a separate plane of existence so he simply continued on. "When I was young there was a fire, a fire which devastated my home killing at least five hundred people. According to the person who found me, I was the only person to survive the inferno."
Midoriya's pace had slowed dramatically, the hero in training likely trying to get his head around the facts that Shirou was telling him. "I was five years old, unable to truly comprehend the desolation around me. My only instinct was to live, find some way to escape. I'd look to my left and find corpses so charred they were barely able to be recognized as humans. To my right I would find strewn limbs that had escaped being buried beneath rubble, which meant the rest of the person was. I was terrified but I kept walking, step by step with intense heat biting at my flesh and smoke choking at my lungs. Eventually, I no longer had any strength left to save myself, and I accepted my death."
"You accepted your death," said Midoriya slowly, the whole idea hard to grasp. Shirou didn't blame him, it was a tough train of thought to get one's head around. Again, he could have added how the fire had started in the first place but that wasn't something he needed to get in to.
"No hero saved me that night, I was rescued by the person who would become my adoptive father. From the wreckage, I was the only person that he could find who hadn't perished in the blaze," said Shirou, his eyes softening ever so slightly. Rubbing at the back of his head, Shirou opted to diverge from this path of thought before he said something that gave away the fact that he was far older than what he looked like.
Thankfully, Midoriya had him covered. "I'm so sorry," he said, bowing apologetically. "I had no idea that..."
"There's a reason why I don't talk about my past all that much," said Shirou. "It made me who I am today, just like how your past has made you into the hero in training standing right here, right now."
Lifting his head, Midoriya was able to see that Shirou was giving him a heartfelt smile, letting the boy know that Shirou meant every word that he said. That also continued on to the next lot of phrasing that Shirou made.
"Now, we need to talk about your technique."
"My technique?" repeated Midoriya.
"Yes, you're trying to emulate a style that is outside of your body structure," explained Shirou. "Taking away the self destructive strength of your power, your technique, whilst improving, is not too dissimilar from what you'd find in a bar brawl. Your ability to improvise on the spot is much higher than some of your peers but unleashing something that you have little to no experience with could end up putting yourself out of commission before your opponent."
Midoriya simply stood there, absorbing what Shirou was saying as he continued on his speech, pointing out flaws in how Midoriya entered each and every combat situation. Needless to say, there was a lot to be said.
...
Chizome Akaguro snarled at the customer in front of him, complaining about how the last batch of produce that she had purchased from the store had been foul by the time she had served it to her guests the following day. Pinching at the bridge of his nose, Akaguro couldn't help but be reminded of how much he hated the life that he was now living. Not by choice of course, the runes engraved onto his very body prevented him from returning to his prior residence where he could continue his work, ridding the world of fake heroes and changing society for the better.
So many better ways he could be spending his time other than being the errand boy for the witch who held him at her mercy.
The only grateful thing about being the slave for that wench was that he was effectively her guinea pig. Many would see that as a detriment and call him crazy for thinking otherwise. The boons from her experiments however were already starting to show. He felt lighter, could see further and more clearly, could carry far greater loads than what his body should be able and move faster than ever before.
As far as he could tell, all of these adjustments to his body had been made for the sole purpose of serving her as her bodyguard. He also knew however that if this was the case, then she expected to be targeted at some point by somebody incredibly powerful. When the time came for him to test out his newly acquired abilities, the world would know that Stain was merely taking a break from bettering the world. The purge was still ongoing after all.
...
Iida stood proudly at the place where he would be interning, his hero costume on and on full display in front of the people who worked at the facility. While it may have been unnecessary for him to be dressed as such in these opening moments, he had wanted to make a stellar impression with those whom he would call comrades for the time being.
"Hey kid, I know you haven't been formally greeted or anything but as you can see it's a bit chaotic," said one of the sidekicks, taking a moment to speak to Iida. The chaos he spoke of was evident as everyone scrambled about in order to make the place of business as clean and tidy as possible.
"I understand, I imagine it was a difficult time recently," said Iida.
"I think you of all people should know what we were going through," said the man sheepishly before offering Iida a handshake, lifting his arm up from where it had dangled near his knee. "Name's Ryudin or as I'm known about the office, Stretch."
"Tenya Iida," he said in return as he shook the offered limb. "This may be bold of me to assume, but I hazard to think that Stretch isn't the name you are known by when you are recognized by the populace as the hero you are."
"Yeah, Extendoarms is what I go by when doing hero work," said Ryudin as he rubbed at the back of his head. "That's out there though, in here I try not to take things so seriously."
Before Iida could respond, a new voice spoke forth, silencing everybody else in the room and making them freeze in place. "Ladies and gentlemen," they shouted, their voice carrying to every corner of the room. "It is my honour and privilege, to announce the arrival of our boss, freshly returned with a clean bill of health and ready to return to duty once more, Ingenium!"
The applause was deafening as the door to the room opened up to reveal Iida's older brother, ready and willing to return to active duty. "Alright guys," he said raising his hands up to try and quiet the commotion, to little success. "Thank you, thank you, I've missed you all as well. While there will be time to catch up on what I've missed out on, this is still a working agency and I need to be brought up to speed with what has happened in my absence."
Tenya could only watch with awe as his brother returned to the role he had been away from for so long. The hospital had prevented him from leaving their facility for far longer than necessary and when Iida had raised the idea that he would intern under his older brother, a deadline had been made. The hospital still were unable to explain why the professional hero had recovered the way that he had and after having effectively run out of tests to take, permitted him to return to his home and family.
Now though, now was the time to show the world that Ingenium was as fit as ever. Patrolling the streets with his brother by his side sounded like the perfect way to announce his return to the public.
Ingenium was back.