Takamura was in Arthur's arms, breathing slowly, she really seemed to have fallen asleep, her face somewhat peaceful which brought ease to Arthur's weak heart.
Arthur carefully adjusted his grip, making sure she was secure before he moved.
He gracefully jumped off the building, his enhanced abilities allowing him to control his descent perfectly despite the considerable height.
The wind rushed past them as they fell, but Arthur absorbed most of the impact as he landed amidst the police cars, ambulances, and news vans that had gathered below like vultures around a scene of potential tragedy.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Arthur was moving again. He quickly opened the nearest ambulance door, gently placing Takamura's unconscious form on the stretcher inside.
He accomplished this transfer in the span of a single second, his movements so fast that most of the gathered crowd hadn't even realized what had happened.
And at that moment, a police officer finally noticed what had transpired, his eyes widening as he registered the vigilante's presence among them.
"Kid, wait," the officer called out, his hand instinctively moving toward Arthur.
Arthur paused, turning slightly to acknowledge the man.
"She needs someone who'll listen to her," Arthur replied quickly, cutting the man off.
The officer nodded slowly, perhaps understanding more than Arthur had expected. But before either of them could say anything else, Arthur felt it, the distinct sensation of being watched by someone.
Which should have been weird since he was used to having people gaze at him, however this one felt.. different.
His head turned, scanning the crowd of, police officers, and emergency personnel until his eyes found the source. Standing slightly apart from the main group was a man whose appearance was as distinctive as it was disheveled.
A long, gray scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders like a cocoon, and yellow goggles with narrow slits covered his eyes. He honestly looked pretty tired.
Arthur honestly had no clue who he was but it was most likely a hero.
Arthurthen felt the police officer's hand reaching out to touch his shoulder, the man's fingers extending in what might have been an attempt to detain him or simply to continue their conversation. But just as the officer's hand was a mere inch from making contact with Arthur's shoulder, the vigilante's body flickered with contained energy.
In an instant, Arthur dashed away at supersonic speeds, his sudden acceleration creating a miniature sonic boom that rattled windows throughout the immediate area and sent papers, debris, and loose objects swirling in a chaotic whirlwind that marked his passage.
The sheer force of his departure left several people stumbling and covering their ears, while car alarms began wailing in response to the sudden pressure wave.
"That kid really is fast, huh," Aizawa muttered, mostly to himself, his tired eyes following the streak of displaced air that marked Arthur's trajectory across the city skyline.
"Yes sir," the police officer replied, still recovering from the sudden departure and the ringing in his ears. "We really don't know how to stop him from his vigilante activities. Whatever we throw at him, the kid just shrugs it off. It's like he's always three steps ahead of whatever plan we come up with."
Aizawa turned his head slightly, his expression deadpan as he regarded the officer with the kind of look reserved for people who had missed an obvious social cue.
"I was speaking to myself," he said in a voice that could have frozen water.
"Oh, sorry sir," the officer replied, his face flushing with embarrassment as he realized his mistake.
"No need to apologize," Aizawa replied with the same flat tone. "I should have just thought it rather than saying it aloud. Though I suppose after this many years of dealing with overeager students and well-meaning but misguided civilians, I should expect people to respond to rhetorical observations."
The officer nodded somewhat awkwardly, clearly unsure whether the hero was being understanding or subtly criticizing him further.
Aizawa turned his attention back to the ambulance where Miss Takamura had been placed, watching as the paramedics began their preliminary assessment. Through the open doors, he could see that she appeared to be sleeping peacefully, her vital signs strong and steady according to the quiet conversations of the medical personnel.
"At least he hasn't gotten anyone killed yet," Aizawa observed, this time clearly speaking to himself but not caring if others overheard. "That's more than can be said for some licensed heroes when they were starting out."
"Umm, sir," the officer said, his voice tentative as he worked up the courage to voice something that had been bothering him.
"Yes?" Aizawa replied without turning around.
"Do we actually have to catch him? It isn't like he's doing anything particularly wrong aside from using his quirk in public without a license, and he's saved a lot of people while doing so. I don't know, it just feels a bit wrong to be hunting down someone who's genuinely trying to help people."
The officer was honest with his words, he really didn't think Arthur was doing anything wrong. He himself had joined the force to protect people, and watching someone who was clearly committed to the same goal being treated as a criminal didn't sit right with him.
"So?" Aizawa asked, his tone giving nothing away about his own thoughts on the matter.
"I don't know..." the officer said, his voice trailing off-
"He's a vigilante and needs to be caught, no matter how much good he does," Aizawa said firmly. "Vigilantism only leads to worse outcomes in the long run. Arthur may inspire other people to also begin acts of vigilantism, and who's to say they'll be as effective or as restrained as him? While his feelings are in the right place, he needs to understand this isn't how things are supposed to be done. There are proper channels, legal frameworks, and oversight systems for a reason."
"So we have to arrest him," the officer said, his voice carrying more conviction this time, though it seemed forced.
"Yes, we do," Aizawa confirmed. "The law doesn't make exceptions for good intentions, and society depends on people following established systems rather than deciding for themselves what's right."
"And sir," the officer continued, "how exactly are we going to do that? Because we can't catch him. He's faster than anything we have, stronger than our restraints, and smart enough to stay ahead of our strategies."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Aizawa replied, and for the first time since the conversation began, there was something that might have been amusement in his voice. "We have someone working on that case."
At that exact moment, a sonic boom resounded from somewhere above them, the sound wave rolling across the city like thunder from a clear sky.
"It seems she finally caught up to him," Aizawa added with what was definitely satisfaction.
Arthur (POV)
I landed on another rooftop, the familiar impact of concrete beneath my feet grounding me after the chaos of the rescue scene.
Turning my head back toward the direction I'd come from, I could see the lights of the emergency vehicles still clustered around the building where Takamura had made her stand against despair.
"You have to be kidding me, she's still chasing me," I muttered to myself, letting out a long sigh.
Who was chasing me, you might be wondering? Well, that's simple enough to answer, though the reality of it was anything but simple. A bunny woman was pursuing me across the rooftops of Musutafu.
And no, before your mind goes to strange places, she wasn't a woman in a bunny costume, that would have been much weirder and considerably less problematic.
The person who had been chasing me with sonic booms and cracking concrete was a literal bunny woman, quirks are interesting like that I guess.
The Rabbit Hero: Mirko, currently ranked fifth in the professional hero rankings and known throughout Japan for her aggressive fighting style and complete lack of patience for anything resembling subtlety or negotiation.
I looked to my sides, noting the familiar landmarks that told me we were almost at the border of Musutafu. Just a bit more distance and I would slow down enough to let her catch up to me properly.
There was no point in dragging this chase through populated areas where civilians might get hurt by the collateral damage from our inevitable confrontation.
Two seconds later, we had crossed out of the city limits and were running through the dense forest that bordered the urban area. Here, surrounded by trees that could absorb the impact of our conflict and far from any innocent bystanders, I came to a complete stop.
Behind me, another sonic boom resounded through the forest, the shockwave tearing nearby trees from their roots and sending them crashing to the ground with thunderous impacts.
When the dust and debris settled, she was standing directly in front of me, having used her momentum to position herself between me and any possible escape route back toward the city.
Mirko was exactly as the reports had described her, a tan-skinned woman of average height with an athletic build that spoke of countless hours of intense physical training.
She had narrow red eyes framed by long, and long eyelashes. Straight white hair reached down to her waist, with bangs that extended to the left side of her face. But what drew immediate attention were her arms and legs, which looked especially powerful, wether because of her own quirk or her training I had no clue.
"So!" Mirko yelled, her voice carrying the excited edge of someone who had been looking forward to this confrontation. "It seems like you aren't as fast as everyone says you are!"
"It looks like I'm not," I replied calmly. Everything about her posture suggested coiled energy ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. "So why were you chasing after me?"
"I have to bring you in, after all," she said, though something in her tone suggested that wasn't her primary motivation. "We can't have a vigilante running wild through the city, can we?"
"So they sent the number five hero," I replied back. "I'm quite honored that they think I warrant that level of response, though I'm sure you could be used in more urgent situations."
"Sent?" Mirko laughed, the sound carrying genuine amusement and perhaps a hint of disdain. "Nobody sent me, you brat! I came here looking for a challenge, and you looked strong enough to provide one. Bringing you in is just a bonus on top of what I'm really here for."
"So you want a fight?" I asked, scratching my hair as a tired sigh escaped my lips. This was exactly what I had been hoping to avoid, but it seemed inevitable now.
"I do!" she confirmed with enthusiasm that bordered on bloodthirsty.
"Good thing I lured you out of the city then," I muttered under my breath.
"What'd you say!" she demanded, her enhanced hearing having caught my words despite my attempt at keeping them quiet.
"Is that an actual question, or do you just want me to reiterate myself?" I replied. "Because I was pretty sure your bunny ears gave you hearing capabilities that surpass most heroes, so I know you heard me the first time."
Mirko didn't bother replying with words. Instead, she launched herself at me with explosive force -
BOOM
The sound of her leap breaking the sound barrier filled the forest as I moved slightly to the left, just enough to avoid the devastating axe kick that smashed into the ground where I had been standing. The impact created a crater several feet deep and sent cracks spider-webbing outward through the earth.
Before the fissures had finished spreading, another kick was already coming toward my head with the same devastating force.
I opened my palm and caught her foot, receiving the full brunt of the attack and feeling the incredible power behind it. The force was enough to have pulverized concrete or cut through steel, but it only managed to move me back about three inches, my enhanced durability and strength allowing me to absorb the impact without significant damage.
"Look, I'm sure we can talk this out so I can be let go," I said, still hoping to resolve this without serious violence.
"We've done enough talking, don't you think?" she replied, and I could see a maniacal grin spreading across her face that promised pain and destruction. At that exact moment, she spun her free leg, using the leverage of the one I had caught to generate additional force as she kicked me straight in the gut.
The impact made me skid backward several feet and forced me to release my grip on her leg.
"NOW FIGHT!" she shouted, her voice carrying a kind of wild excitement like a kid in a candy store.
I felt a slight sting where she had kicked me, but the sensation faded in less than a second as Avalon immediately began repairing any minor damage.
"Look, I'm sure I can convince you, and then you can let me go," I tried once more, still hoping against hope that reason might prevail.
I received no reply as I saw her charging at me again, this time with another devastating kick that carried enough force to level a home. I dodged it easily.
But as I watched her attack patterns and saw the genuine joy of combat in her eyes, I realized that words weren't going to be enough.
Mirko wasn't here because she had been ordered to capture me, and she wasn't driven by a sense of justice or duty to uphold the law. She was here because she wanted to fight someone strong, and she had identified me as a worthy opponent.
There was only one way this was going to end.
"I'm really sorry for this," I muttered, genuinely regretful about what I was about to do.
"Sorry for what!" she yelled, launching into another powerful kick that would have been devastating if it had connected.
At that moment, I activated Mana Burst, feeling the familiar surge of energy flow through my body as my already considerable physical capabilities were amplified beyond my abnormal limits.
Instantly, I was moving at speeds that made my previous velocity look sluggish, closing the distance between us faster than even her enhanced reflexes could fully track.
I lifted my fist, and although her body seemed to react on its own, some primal instinct telling her to back away from the incoming danger, it was already too late.
Mirko herself hadn't even consciously registered the threat yet.
My fist met her stomach with carefully controlled force, enough to incapacitate but not to cause permanent damage. She doubled over the impact, her eyes widening in shock and pain as the air was driven from her lungs.
Before she could recover, I followed up with my other fist to her head, rendering her unconscious and hoping I had controlled myself enough not to cause serious injury.
Mirko's body went limp, and I caught her before she could fall to the forest floor.
"Again, I'm really sorry."