It was a regular day on a quiet street.
The sun cast warm light over the pavement, and the gentle hum of distant traffic was the only sound.
An old lady stood at the edge of the crosswalk, clutching her shopping bag, her gaze darting left and right.
She hesitated, shuffling her feet but never taking that first step forward.
WHOOSH
In the blink of an eye, she found herself safely on the opposite side of the street, her breath caught in her throat.
A boy stood before her, taking a single step back as if to give her space.
His lips curved into an easy smile, warm, reassuring, almost as if this had been the most natural thing in the world.
"Oh, my!" The old lady yelled, looking around to make sure she had everything right before looking at the boy once more.
"What a quirk that was. You'll grow to be a fine Hero in the direction you're going. Thank you." The lady pinched the boy's cheek, smiling widely before slowly walking away.
"You're welcome." The boy, or rather, I smiled, waving away, my expression slowly turning flat as she left earshot.
I didn't say anything, only looking down at my hand, witnessing it shaking a little.
'Still, huh? It didn't feel like before though.'
It had only been around an hour since I saved Genya's sister from dying. After I did, I quickly sped out at super speed, an ability I also happened to have.
'I'd rather not go through all the trouble of the press, the heroes and the girl asking questions, staring and even reprimanding me for what I did.'
I had a long day, I chose not to make it infinitely longer by having Mom give me an earful when I got home.
But something told me she'd find out either way. I was just buying myself time.
As for now?
I was just wandering around, the previous reason I had for being out here seemingly...buried.
Maybe I tried to not think about it. Maybe I didn't want to face it. Either way, there was something blocking me that wasn't before.
'My hand...'
It hadn't stopped shaking since he beat the sludge villain.
I felt like there was something more to me I'd never known before and whether it was selfish or not, I wanted to know.
"I've finally found you!"
I paused as I looked back, snapped out of the trance I was in, only to witness a tired girl, hands on her knees and out of breath before me.
Despite the fact I could hear her heart beating so fast and see her knees shaking so hard they threatened to buckle, she never took her eyes off me. I was almost a little impressed. It didn't take a super person to know she was barely holding on.
I, of course, knew her.
How couldn't I?
From her white hair to the very person I knew her to be and the very obvious fact that I saved her life was more than enough.
"You…it took me all day to find you." She was barely able to let out between breaths.
"Uh…I can tell. Do you need some water or a chair…" I couldn't help but ask, scratching my head and unsure on whether I should wait for her to catch her breath or not.
"You saved my life." She finally let out, straightening her back as she stared at me with an expression that didn't suggest any emotion.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but…stare, eyes widening a little.
"I did."
"Why'd you run?"
I shrugged.
"I didn't do it for everyone to know that I did. I had no reason to be there after."
"So, why did you do it? It was dangerous. You could have died."
Why did I do it?
Before I could even ponder the question, my lips began to move.
"I don't know. I don't think I had much of a choice in the matter. My legs…they just began to move. Before I knew it…"
Before I could finish…
"You were in the midst of it all."
She finished, a faint smile now brandishing her face as her eyes turned soft and warm.
"Yeah, me too. I didn't even notice before I engaged in a fistfight with that thing. I had my own reason for that, but you? You moved just to save someone you'd never even met. You even said it yourself, you're a Hero!"
I said nothing upon her smiling brightly.
'No…that isn't true.'
She didn't know. She didn't know what exactly it was that really made him move.
"Give me back my brother!"
It wasn't the urge to be a Hero…just pathetic guilt.
"Yeah...I got to go. It was great meeting you, Rin."
I turned to leave as she paused.
"I didn't tell you my name…wait…it's you!"
I stopped midstep, still turned away.
"You went to the same school as my brother…as Genya. You were friends with him and Kacchan. Do you know what happened to him? He's been missing all day and he was supposed to meet me after school. That isn't like him."
She halted, whether she was expecting an answer or still exhausted unclear.
"Please, if you know anything…please tell me. I know he can be a delinquent sometimes but he doesn't deserve…please!"
She stared at my back, silence looming in the air.
"I…"
WHOOSH
BANG
In the same second, something akin to a boulder shot through the air above them, generating a whirlwind as it landed with a BANG right beside them.
Rin turned, hand over her face as the sudden commotion made her jump a little.
However, she froze as she witnessed a familiar large figure with bright yellow hair and a skin tight white shirt.
"N-No way…All Might?"
"Indeed…I AM HERE!"
All Might, pumped out his chest, fists at his hips, so big and towering over the two that he almost cast a shadow over them.
"You two…I witnessed first hand your Heroic actions and came to personally commend the both of you. No cameras, no Heroes to nag at what you did, just my gratitude. To the both of you."
"Thanks a lot."
Just as All Might said this, I replied, walking away as the two behind me turned to stare.
Rin wanted to speak up, but she turned to All Might, expecting him to be the one, only to witness the latter silent, staring with his usual smile, as though deep in thought.
As for myself, I continued walking until…
"Smile…"
I felt a touch on my shoulder that brought me to a halt.
"No matter what you're going through, no matter what has happened, you smile. Not for yourself. Whether you have the licence or not, you're a Hero. So you smile…for them. It stands for something. Hope. Not just for them, but for you too."
These whispers entered my ear. I didn't think about how exactly All Might could tell and how he knew exactly what to say to me in this exact moment, but I didn't care enough to ask, simply pausing for a second.
I remained silent, continuing in the next moment.
All Might and Rin watched my figure departing as the latter walked to stand side by side.
"Is he alright?" She asked, forgetting for a moment that she was casually speaking with the Number #1 Hero.
"His eyes…that boy…"
All Might muttered, remembering the expression he'd just witnessed.
Face shadowed, eyes void-like as if there was nothing inside.
"I've seen it before. That boy is carrying an immense weight on his shoulders…nothing a child his age should be."
***
In a familiar dark expansive room with a familiar putrid smell and a familiar foreboding darkness, I stood before the only source of light from the door, my shadow stretching across the horrifying scene that hadn't changed from before.
Well...that wasn't exactly true.
No, it wasn't, and my expression was enough to state this fact, wide eyed and my lips parted as though I wanted to say something but the words wouldn't come out.
"What...is this?"
My voice cracked, low and uneven.
WHOOSH
Without wasting a second, I darted forward so fast that the time around me failed to keep up, slowing as I closed the distance in less than a second.
Without wasting a beat, I dropped to my knees, wiping away the blood on the ground as my face neared it.
His hand traced over a small patch that had dried despite the pool of blood still currently soiling my clothes.
Then, I took a deep breath that lasted a few seconds, powerful enough that the blood almost went up my nose.
***
My eyes were closed.
My nose twitched slightly.
The blood. It never left my senses as if it were being wafted under my nose.
'Despite all the blood appearing to come from the same place, Genya's body, it was drying at different rates.'
Some patches, though spilled not far apart in time, held the moisture longer than others.
My enhanced vision caught subtle differences in color and texture I couldn't have seen before, my powers only a few hours old.
And the scent...oh, the scent was different. Sharp, metallic, not matching Genya's.
"Someone else was there...someone whose blood was spilled too."
As for the scent? No matter how much he tried to track it, it disappeared from the air, the only thing he had now being the memory of the scent.
I opened my eyes as I faced the scene before me.
A white sandy and rocky plane, darkness prevailing beyond and not a sound in the air...literally.
The specific patch of rock before me was piled onto each other.
'I'm sorry, Genya.'
Was I being selfish?
Maybe.
Was I right?
Maybe.
Did I have an obligation to find out?
Maybe.
I didn't really know anything other than two things.
If I really was innocent, I'd find who did this. And either way...
I looked up, beyond the darkness as I stared up at the blue earth a distance away from me.
'I'm more useful to that place alive...fighting...saving.'
I looked back, staring at the insignia I burned into the makeshift grave.
An S.
"No matter what you're going through, no matter what has happened, you smile. Not for yourself. Whether you have the licence or not, you're a Hero. So you smile…for them. It stands for something. Hope. Not just for them, but for you too."
I might not be able to smile at times...but that...
That will be their hope.
That will always remind them.
That will be the symbol all know across my chest...
'Across the chest of Superman.'