Endeavor stared.
For several long seconds, the rooftop remained silent.
The flames surrounding Aoyama crackled softly in the night air.
They weren't ordinary flames.
Endeavor could tell that much immediately.
The heat output was impressive, but what truly caught his attention was the complete transformation.
The boy's body itself had become fire.
No protective coating.
No external equipment.
And no visible mutation that could have indicated this this ability beforehand.
One moment he had been standing there with web-like abilities.
The next—
He was a living inferno.
Endeavor's eyes narrowed.
"What did you just do?"
Aoyama glanced down at his burning hands.
The sensation was strange.
Yet natural.
As though this body had always belonged to him.
He flexed his fingers.
Small tongues of flame danced between them.
Then he looked back at Endeavor.
"Transform."
Endeavor wasn't amused.
"You know exactly what I mean."
The hero's gaze shifted toward the translucent slot machine that had already vanished.
"What was that thing?"
Aoyama smiled slightly.
"Part of my Quirk."
A lie.
Or at least only partially true.
Endeavor folded his arms.
"And this form?"
Aoyama looked at himself again.
The flames reflected in his eyes.
"Also part of my Quirk."
The Number Two Hero studied him carefully.
Most people looked away when he stared at them.
Aoyama didn't.
Interesting.
"A transformation ability?"
"Among other things."
The answer only made Endeavor more suspicious.
"Among other things?"
Aoyama nodded.
"I've got a growing list of Quirks."
The rooftop became very quiet.
Endeavor blinked once.
Slowly.
"A growing list."
"Yeah."
"You mean multiple Quirks."
"Pretty much."
The hero's expression darkened.
That wasn't a statement someone made casually.
Multiple Quirks were practically impossible.
The only confirmed cases in history belonged to extremely rare individuals.
Yet Aoyama stood before him casually discussing it as though it were normal.
Endeavor's eyes narrowed further.
"How many?"
Aoyama started listing the abilities he had displayed so far.
The more he named the more Endeavor began to think the boy was mocking him.
Yet the expression on Aoyama's face remained completely serious.
Webs.
Healing Powers.
Cloning.
Enhanced strength.
Energy constructs.
A Rifle Quirk.
And now—
Fire.
Endeavor slowly exhaled.
The more he learned about this boy, the less sense he made.
"You're telling me all of those abilities belong to you?"
Aoyama tilted his head.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"No."
The answer came immediately.
"Nothing about you is obvious."
Aoyama laughed.
That only made Endeavor frown harder.
The hero looked out across the city.
Then back at the teenager.
For the first time since arriving, he found himself genuinely curious.
Not about the villain.
Not about the damage.
About the boy standing in front of him.
"Show me."
Aoyama blinked.
"Show you what?"
"Everything."
Endeavor's gaze sharpened.
"Because if what you've said is true..."
The flames around the Number Two Hero intensified slightly.
"...then you're either one of the most gifted people I've ever met."
He paused.
"Or one of the most dangerous."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Aoyama grinned.
The flames around his body brightened.
"Why not both?"
Endeavor's eyebrow twitched.
For some reason, he was already beginning to regret continuing this conversation.
—
First Person POV
The conversation didn't last much longer.
Before Endeavor could press me for more answers, a new problem arrived.
Reporters.
Lots of reporters.
News vans began pulling up around the district.
Helicopters circled overhead.
Camera crews rushed past police barricades the moment officers opened designated media zones.
Apparently, a villain attack involving Endeavor, Kamui Woods, Ingenium, and a large-scale evacuation was exactly the kind of story journalists dreamed about.
One reporter spotted Endeavor standing on the rooftop.
Then another.
And another.
Within minutes, the Number Two Hero was surrounded.
Microphones appeared from every direction.
"Endeavor! Endeavor! Can you comment on tonight's battle?"
"Was the villain connected to any known organizations?"
"Is it true the suspect targeted civilians specifically?"
"What information could you give us on this new villain?"
I took one look at the growing crowd and new if I stayed I'd just be overlooked and I wanted absolutely no part of that.
So how would I make an impression.
By making a stylish exit that would make them ask about me.
The flames around my body intensified.
I slowly floated upward.
This cought a camera man's attention, as one of the cameras turned toward me.
The reporter immediately pointed.
"Wait!"
Every camera in sight swung in my direction.
"...thanks again for finishing of that villain." I smiled, "he was to much for me to handle tell you three got here"
With that my first apprance should cause a wave.
The reporter's eyes widened.
"Who is that?!"
"Was he assisting Endeavor?"
"Is he a sidekick?"
"Is that a new hero?"
"Endeavor! Is that your apprentice?!"
I didn't stay long enough to hear the answer.
The flames beneath my feet exploded outward.
WHOOSH!
I shot into the sky.
Behind me, I could hear reporters practically attacking Endeavor with questions.
For some reason, imagining his expression made me smile.
A few minutes later, I landed near the police perimeter where the Midoriyas had finally finished giving their statements.
The moment my feet touched the ground, several officers glanced in my direction.
Most immediately relaxed after recognizing I wasn't the villain.
Izumi looked over.
Then frowned.
"...Who are you?"
I blinked.
Right.
I was still on fire.
The flames surrounding my body collapsed inward.
My appearance shifted.
Within seconds, Johnny Storm disappeared and I returned to normal.
Izumi's eyes widened.
"Aoyama?!"
"Hi."
"What happened to you?!"
"Long story."
Izumi stared at me for several seconds.
Then shook her head.
Somehow she'd already reached the point where weird things happening around me felt normal.
I walked over to them.
"Are you two okay?"
Inko smiled weakly.
"We're alright."
Izumi nodded.
"Thanks to you."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
She folded her arms.
"If you hadn't bought us time, who knows what would've happened."
"Well," I said, rubbing the back of my head,
"it worked out in the end."
"I could only hold him off and run away, the pro heroes are the ones you should be thankful too"
Inko's expression softened.
"No."
She shook her head.
"I don't think or thankfulness is in the wrong place. You were the one who protected us before anyone arrived after all."
Her voice carried a sincerity that made me slightly uncomfortable.
Especially not by someone looking at me the way she was now.
As though I had done something genuinely heroic.
I closed my eyes, briefly, taking it in even though I didn't deserve her gratitude.
I glanced toward the damaged apartment building.
"What are you going to do now?"
Izumi's shoulders dropped slightly.
That question clearly wasn't one she wanted to think about.
"We'll figure something out."
She glanced at her mother.
"Maybe grab a few things if the police let us."
"Then spend the night in a hotel."
"And after that?"
She shrugged.
"Mom says we'll see where things go from there."
I frowned.
Hotels around this district were expensive.
Especially the decent ones.
I looked between the two of them.
Then made a decision.
"You could stay at my place."
Both of them blinked.
"My place has plenty of empty rooms."
I shrugged.
"Seriously. More than enough."
Inko looked surprised.
"Oh, Aoyama-kun, that's very kind, but—"
"I'm serious."
I crossed my arms.
"If you don't accept, I'm probably not going to sleep tonight."
Izumi laughed.
"What kind of reason is that?"
Inko smiled despite herself.
"You're a good kid."
I immediately felt suspicious.
That was usually the sort of thing adults said before rejecting an idea.
Sure enough—
"But where we'll stay is something I need to worry about."
She gently shook her head.
"That's a grown-up problem."
"You don't need to burden yourself with it."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
Arguing with Inko when she used her mom voice felt impossible.
Eventually I gave up.
A few officers allowed them to retrieve some belongings from the apartment.
Most of what they carried fit into a handful of suitcases.
I helped load everything into a taxi waiting nearby.
The driver looked mildly terrified by the amount of police activity surrounding him.
Can't blame him.
The city looked like a war zone.
Once the luggage was packed away, Inko climbed into the back seat.
Izumi followed.
Before closing the door, she looked back at me.
Her expression had finally relaxed for the first time all night.
"I'll text you when we get there."
I nodded.
"Good."
The taxi door closed.
A moment later, the vehicle pulled away from the curb and disappeared into the traffic.
I stood there watching until the taillights vanished.
Only after did I finally let out a long breath.
The night was over.
Carl was dead.
The Midoriyas were safe.
And somehow...
Tomorrow already felt like it was going to be even more complicated.