The next few chapters will be a bit of a mix between Hero work and Endeavor going out to interact with strangers, and continuing the family drama. I realized writing actual hero work, action and patrols was a lot more difficult than I assumed. I hope the chapter is halfway okay :D
On Patrol
He was oddly calm when he left the hospital and drove back to the Agency to change into his hero costume and start his first patrol in what felt like forever. When Rei had said that word – 'divorce' – it had felt like a punch to the gut at first, but now… maybe this was meant to happen.
Maybe it would be easier that way. Like a stone falling off his chest. In a way, he knew, they had both been locked in that marriage, both unhappy, and now Rei's words might have liberated them both.
He looked down at his phone before he pressed the green button and waited. Natsuo didn't need long to pick up. But he didn't say anything. No 'Hello', nothing. By now Enji was almost expecting that silence. He didn't call Natsuo often. Phone conversations with Natsuo were always unpleasant. Even now after his apparent kidnapping, when Natsuo didn't just ignore his calls or hang up on him as soon as he knew it was his father on the other end, they were still some of Enji's least favorite calls to make. It was so bad Enji tried to call as little as possible, and maybe that had been Natsuo's goal from the start.
It was just awkward to talk to Natsuo. The boy made no secret of the fact that he didn't want to talk to him, nor did he have anything to say to him and that the only reason he didn't hang up was so Enji had no reason to assume he'd been kidnapped again. For a teenager who had just found himself in the hands of a notorious group of villains not too long ago, he was oddly nonchalant about it, nor did he seem to have any concerns for his own safety. Maybe that was, because in Natsuo's own mind, Enji guessed, he hadn't really been kidnapped.
"Hi, Natsuo," Enji started talking into the oppressive silence Natsuo left him in, "it's me. I want to meet you soon. Tomorrow, if you have time." On Saturdays Natsuo didn't have any classes.
"What?" His son's voice sounded incredulous. "If this is because of your publicity stunt today, I've seen it, but there's really nothing we need to talk about."
Enji rubbed his temples annoyed. Of course, Natsuo would decline. Still it bugged Enji that Natsuo stepped so casually on what had felt like a big step for Enji himself. He hadn't called to get some recognition for 'having apologized' or anything. Really, he hadn't! And he would have been just fine if Natsuo had never mentioned it. Even if he hadn't watched the interview on TV at all. He might have felt disappointed… maybe a bit, but still fine. He knew there was still a mile to go, and he had only barely made his first step. If Natsuo had just ignored it, fine… but did he have to scoff about it, trample all over it? It left Enji without words for a moment.
"Fine, if that's all—" Natsuo was about to hang up.
"Wait, it's not. It's not about the interview. It's about your mother," Enji hurried to say.
"About mother?" Now Natsuo seemed worried and suspicious, but at least Enji had his attention.
"I told her about Touya." Enji admitted.
He could hear Natsuo breath in sharply. "You did what? When?" The question tumbled out of his mouth leaving Enji no time to answer. "Why would you…? Just now? How did she-?"
"Calm down!" Enji demanded and although Natsuo would normally do his best to do exactly the opposite of whatever Enji told him to do, now he actually shut up abruptly. "I just came from visiting her and…"
"What did you do?" he hissed.
Angrily, Enji snapped back: "What do you think I did?" For a second he waited for an answer, then he decided he actually didn't want to hear it. "Wait, don't answer! Your mother is fine. But there are some things I need to discuss with you, Fuyumi and Shoto."
"Okay?" Natsuo said a bit distractedly. He was moving on his end of the line. Enji could hear him shuffle around in his room. "Ah damn, it's too late to visit now." He muttered and Enji knew he was talking to himself. "You just had to visit so late." He huffed into the phone a bit reproachful. "What do you need to talk about?"
"I want to tell you in person." He didn't really need to, if he were completely honest. If they were a normal family, he assumed telling children that their parents would divorce would be a serious enough issue that you first had to sit them all down in a hopefully peaceful environment where they could all talk freely. They weren't a normal family, though, and part of him was pretty sure, Natsuo's day specifically would even improve with this message. Still, he was selfish, again. Earlier today he had selfishly visited Rei because he wanted to see her, arguing nobody else could or should tell her about Touya. Now he finally had a good excuse to see Natsuo again. And he had wanted to talk to the boy eye-to-eye since he had woken up in the hospital and found out Natsuo was back at the University and apparently 'very busy'.
Of course, he also had to tell Shoto and Fuyumi, but Shoto had his second Provisional License Exam tomorrow and he didn't want to distract him. And Fuyumi…
Maybe he was just looking for an excuse not to tell Fuyumi. He feared her reaction more than anybody's.
"If it's really necessary," Natsuo muttered on his end. "When do you want to meet?"
Enji was relieved the boy didn't argue. Saying it had something to do with his mother, had apparently done wonders against his reluctance to meet his father.
"I thought tomorrow morning," Enji hurried to say. "We could meet at the hospital. Then you could visit Rei just after. I think it would be good for her, if you could answer some of her questions." If Rei had questions about Touya, Natsuo would be better suited to answer them than even Enji himself. He really thought it would be best for Rei. And as an added bonus, the hospital was 'neutral territory'. He could get a private moment with Natsuo in the hero anteroom. Natsuo would probably not like to visit Enji – at least not if Fuyumi wasn't around – and would be even less likely to invite Enji into his small dorm room. But in the hospital… Never mind that it was a public enough space that they would both try to avoid screaming at each other.
Natsuo probably thought along the same line when he agreed. "In the hospital sounds good. But Shoto has his Exam tomorrow. Shouldn't he be there too, so you can tell all of us together whatever it is you want to say?"
"No," Enji answered quickly, "just you and me. I'll tell Fuyumi and Shoto on Monday. Or you tell them," he added because that selfish part of him still didn't want to see Fuyumi's reaction. "But I just think you and I should talk first. Because of Touya. Your mother will have some questions."
"Huh," Natsuo muttered under his breath, "yeah, I see. It would probably not be good if Fuyumi were there and try to convince Mum it's just one of your lies." That too, Enji thought, although it hadn't been his reason. "Ah, Fuyumi will be furious, that you told her."
Enji wanted to ask Natsuo, if he had tried to tell her, that Touya was really alive and with the League, or rather, why he didn't tell her. But the words stuck in his throat. All those things he could ask tomorrow, if he got the chance. So, he just nodded. "Yes," he said, "so…"
"Tomorrow is fine. Eight?"
Endeavor agreed and before he could properly say 'good-bye', Natsuo had already ended the call.
He stared at his phone, then he put it back into the pouch on the belt of his costume and looked outside the window of the Agency. It had started to rain outside. 'Time to start his patrol,' he decided, pressing the button to call the elevator, while simultaneously activating the flames on his costume, boots and face.
He still needed to concentrate a bit more to use the fire, even if it was for such an easy task. Normally, this would all go subconsciously. Instead, he was once again reminded of the fact that he wasn't the same hero. He had become weak. Pathetic, what Hero – never mind Number One – couldn't accurately use their own quirk. His flames flickered shortly, and he wasn't even sure himself if that was his quirk giving out on him for just a split second or if it was the slight breeze when the elevator doors opened in front of his face.
He had a weird feeling when he started his patrol. Not a bad feeling, per se, not the precognition before a catastrophe… Just… It was like during his first days as an intern, when he was still a UA-student. It was as if he had to learn everything anew. For a moment he felt helpless and clueless and pathetic and fearful of screwing up and just a bit excited in a way he hadn't felt for 30 years.
When he stepped out of the elevator at ground level, he could already see Avalanche and Silent Tracker coming back from their patrol shift. A bunch of the younger sidekicks waited for him. Despite how many had left his agency recently, he was reminded that the agency was still a big one.
"So, if you're ready to take over," Silent Tracker said in a hurry, already taking off her gloves and hood, "I need to go. I promised my wife that we'd eat out tonight. Haven't had time for her recently." Akemi Uchida was a tall young woman with short brown locks. "Avalanche will write the report today. After your statement, there was another outbreak of petty crime." She spoke in a casual tone as if she spoke about the weather and not about an increase in crime that was Enji's fault. There was also no accusing undertone in her voice. "I gotta go," she shouldered past him and prepared to leave, before she turned at the elevator to look back at Avalanche. "Want me to take you home, Wataru?"
"Sure," answered the man who still stood next to Endeavor. With his 31 years, Wataru Yasui was a bit older than Uchida. His hero-name was Avalanche – which also happened to be the name of his quirk. He still wore the boots, mask and fur jacket that were part of his hero costume, that only barely concealed his dirty blond hair. He gave a half-hearted shrug. "Just give me a second. I need to get out of costume first."
Silent Tracker scrunched up her pointy nose in a show of both impatience and amusement. "You really need to get your car fixed soon. I can't keep driving you around." She threw a hasty wave in Endeavor's direction. "Don't get into any trouble, boss. See you tomorrow." With that she left with Wataru hastily hurrying after her.
Enji looked after them for a moment, then he looked back at the two young sidekicks remaining.
He had to pull himself together, he knew. Whatever stress he had in his personal life, he couldn't afford to let it spill into his professional life. He knew himself, that was easier said than done. "You two, with me," he ordered and found their loud responses entirely too enthusiastic.
Five minutes later he was out on the streets again. It was already late into the evening, but not so late that the streets were empty. Instead, there was still a steady stream of people, who were going home from sports activities, or school, or a late workday, or some others who just left their houses to go visit a friend, family or – like Silent Tracker – take their partner out to dinner. The streets were still alive, but they weren't buzzing the way they did during rush-hour.
Endeavor was quite thankful for that, as even the few people that were out and about stared at him with open mouths, whispering to their friends. If there had been more, he assumed, they might have ganged up on him, bombard him with insults or questions and hinder him from doing his job. He had no doubt about it. The way it was, however, it seemed as few as they were, they were lacking the courage to directly confront him. Maybe the cold late November drizzle was also a reason they didn't linger too long to talk about or stare at him.
Some of the whispers filtered through to him, as they always did.
"Hey, that's Endeavor!" – "Yeah, I can see him. Don't stare!" – "Did you watch the news today?"
"Does he really think he can just go about his life, now that we know what he did?"
"Do you think it's true? That he burned his own son?"
"I heard he paid his kids off, that they wouldn't talk to the press!" – "Nah, I heard he beat them until they agreed to it." – "What? Horrible!" – "No, what? He didn't even leave his house all week." – "Then they are afraid that he would beat them. Or he threatened them. I don't know, but why else wouldn't they go public." – "Maybe they don't want to…You know how it is. Emotional attachment to the abuser. That's almost like… Stockholm Syndrome or something like that, you know." – "Horrible! I can't even imagine…" – "Nah, it's not Stockholm, idiot!"
"You think he killed his wife?" – "What? Who said that?" – "Someone on the internet." – "Don't believe everything they say. I heard he put her into the hospital." – "Yeah, the guy said she died there!" – "Hah?" – "He beat her comatose and then she died, and now he's covering it up!" – "That's ridiculous. We'd know about that." – "And how would we know? We didn't know anything he did before."
When he was out on patrol, he always kept his mind and perception open and aware. Nothing would go past him. Not a word spoken in his vicinity would go unheard. It was necessary to be one step ahead of a potential attack. Now, it also meant he could hear every word they spoke.
"How can he just show himself on the street!" – "I don't mind." – "What? You think it's fine they let him keep his license?" – "No, but if he's on the street, we can show him. If the guys up high don't want to punish him..." – "What?" – "Now that he's not protected by his security."
Up until now, Endeavor had more or less succeeded in ignoring the whispers. Over the years he had gotten a lot of experience walking down the streets and ignoring the fact that he stuck out like a sore thumb and everybody knew him. A few months ago, it had mostly been admiration and hero-worship with the rare open critic out on the street. Then there had been increasingly distrusting voices thinking he couldn't fulfill his new position. Now, the whispers and glares had turned increasingly hateful and insulting, but, really, blanking them out wasn't much harder than the others. It hurt a bit more, of course, but the same principle applied. So, he just walked on, trying not to react and not to give them any new reasons to dislike him.
Now, however, that the voices turned increasingly hostile he stopped suddenly and turned around to glare at a group of young men, who seemed only a bit older than Natsuo. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see his two young sidekicks becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"I bet we could take him!" One of them declared convinced looking at his two comrades. "What's he supposed to do? We're not villains, he can't just go and use his quirk on us."
"That's not how it works," a slightly smaller boy replied. "Of course he can use his quirk when we attack. He's a hero, and he's on patrol. That would be like attacking a police officer."
The three men didn't even look at him anymore instead they were focused on each other, with the biggest of them trying to convince the others to join in his attempt to take Endeavor down.
"But he deserves it! That would be different!"
It was only now that one of the men, who had hardly spoken before looked up and saw Enji glaring at him.
"Yeah, but we'd still—"
"Guys," interrupted the third looking wide-eyed at Endeavor. "Shut up." He nodded jerkily in Endeavor's direction. Immediately the other two whirled around, staring at him too.
"Ah! Eh- I…," stuttered the one who had just been interrupted, but Endeavor didn't really look at him, instead he looked almost challengingly at the biggest of the three who had so openly proclaimed his will to attack Endeavor.
Now, the stranger shrunk in on himself, as if he suddenly lost a third of his body height, with his head hunching down between his shoulders. "E-eh…, I did… didn't… eh," he muttered stuttering haltingly. Then one of his friends grabbed his sleeve and dragged him away.
Endeavor turned away to continue his patrol wishing something would happen, only so he could get his mind off the whispers. He had hardly patrolled the streets for a quarter of an hour, and he already felt as if he wanted to cut his obligations short and leave four hours early.
As if the gods had mercy upon him for once in these last weeks it was right then, that he heard the telltale beeping of a car alarm.
Normally he would maybe leave these kinds of cases – when there was nobody in real danger – to his sidekicks or interns if he had them with him, or the police, but now he immediately started sprinting in the direction of the noise, if only to find something to occupy his mind with.
Indeed, as he turned around the corner away from the main street, he could already see the origin of the noise. It was a silver Toyota. One of the newer models, but already with a thick layer of dust on it. The alarm signal was blaring loudly across the street. The culprit stood hunched at the front door, trying to get it open.
He wasn't successful. At least not in the time Endeavor needed to be at his side, grab him at the shoulders and drag the thief away from the car.
There was a loud yelling, the young boy obviously surprised by the sudden assault as he landed hard on his side skidding a bit over the wet pavement. For a second Endeavor considered if he had used too much force and seriously harmed the kid, when the boy already jumped back on his feet. He looked ready to fight at first, but as his eyes landed on Endeavor, that fighting spirit seemed to die out immediately.
"End-!", the kid yelled scared. He didn't look much older than Shoto. "What are you doing here?!" He screamed as if he was really shocked to see Endeavor, then he whirled around and ran.
Endeavor blinked once in surprise, then he sighed in annoyance. Of course, the kid had to run! That was just his luck. Endeavor made to run after him, with the sidekicks only now arriving at the scene and remained with the car to inspect it for any damage.
The kid was fast, Enji had to give him that. But Endeavor was much better trained. Still, the kid managed to get down the street, around a corner and then turned left into a smaller alley, before the hero managed to catch up to him. Admittedly, he could have caught him faster, if he had used his quirk to propel himself forward, but he didn't. Maybe he feared his quirk would once again act up and he would needlessly embarrass himself, or he simply didn't want to scorch the pavement. It didn't really matter; he was fast enough on foot.
"Stop!" Enji commanded, his long strides catching up fast, now that the kid had unwittingly maneuvered himself into an area where he couldn't jump around like an agile little rabbit anymore. Endeavor made to grab for the kid and almost caught him at the shoulder, but the kid ducked under his arm and got away again. Annoyed, Enji flared his flames in a way that would be harmless but impressive.
"AH!" the kid screamed in shock and made a diving jump away from the fire landing flat on his belly. Endeavor grabbed his arm before he could think about getting away again.
"Let go of me!" screamed the boy wiping at him with razor sharp claws.
Endeavor jumped back on instinct, before the claws could rip into his skin, but he didn't let the boy go, instead dragging him forward, so that he fell over right into Endeavor's arms. He doused his flames immediately to not hurt him needlessly. The kid wasn't much older than Shoto after all.
"Let me go!" The kid screamed the same demand again, but by now, Endeavor had a firm grasp on him, and his struggles didn't do much apart from one of his claws weakly scraping over Endeavor's costume making a small cut into the fabric at his forearm.
"Calm down," Endeavor commanded annoyed, "or I'll have to properly subdue you."
"How you did your wife, huh?" Came the sudden response. Enji froze immediately. "Yeah I know! Let me go!" The kid tried to rip free of Endeavor's still steady hold. "How do they even still allow you to be a hero, huh! I didn't do anything!"
"You tried to steal a car!"
"It's my brother's car!" was the immediate stubborn response.
"Then you can wait with me, until the police arrive, explain this and go home." Endeavor suggested, not believing for a second that the boy spoke the truth.
"No! Let me… You can't just…! You did much worse than me!" At least at this point, the boy seemed to have given up on his futile struggles.
Endeavor grunted in what felt like admission even if he wouldn't say so out loud. Indeed, he felt like a petty car theft was peanuts in comparison to his own deeds. Still, he didn't let the boy go. In a few minutes, the police would arrive. His sidekicks would have already alerted them.
"Please!" the boy now begged. "I can't… My Dad will kill me if he finds out." Those words were muttered so low under the kid's breath, that Endeavor didn't think the words were meant for him. Now that the fight had drained out of the boy's veins, it seemed like the aggression had only thinly concealed deep-rooted despair.
"Don't be stupid," Endeavor admonished pulling the boy with him, as he left the alley to get back on one of the bigger streets. "Nobody is going to kill you." He looked down the street waiting for the telltale red lights of a police car.
"What's your name, kid?" he asked, feeling awkward. Normally, he didn't talk much with the villains or criminals, he captured, unless he needed more information to solve a case. Interviewing suspects was – generally speaking – the job of the police. Now, however, he felt awkward and lost.
After the energy had drained from the kid, he had slumped in on himself and now he looked almost miserable as he was still held by Endeavor. The hero didn't quite dare to let go of him yet, fearing it might just be a front, and he'd have to chase him again, if he just gave the kid a chance to escape, but if Endeavor was honest, the boy didn't look as if he still had the energy to run. Instead he looked as if he was about to cry.
"What's your name?" he repeated, annoyed that the kid didn't answer but instead only squirmed a bit with his arms, that Endeavor held tightly restrained, as if he was hurting him. He loosened his hold just a little bit.
"Udon," the kid said.
"Like the noodles?" Endeavor couldn't help but ask. What a ridiculous name! He almost felt sorry for the mocking question as the kid ducked his head a bit lower. "Sorry," he added quickly and only half-heartedly, not really thinking he had said anything too bad. "So, Udon… what? What's your surname?"
Udon didn't answer, instead he just looked at him with fear in his eyes.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you," Endeavor promised. He even doused his flames until they were almost gone apart from a soft flicker that lit up the street. "We're just going to wait for the police and then you're rid of me."
And Endeavor was also rid of Udon. Part of him couldn't wait for that moment. The kid's words still rang in his ears. What had he implied as he said Endeavor had 'subdued' his wife? 'Subdued'…the word sounded simultaneously harmless and damning. But Enji hadn't, …right?
There was a tiny little voice in his head, that wouldn't shut up. Whatever Enji had or hadn't done… 'subdued' was certainly a fitting word to describe Rei's behavior during the years before her mental breakdown.
"I didn't…," Endeavor had started trying to explain himself to the kid, when he suddenly realized that this had really nothing to do with Udon here. For now, he wasn't Enji Todoroki, but Endeavor, and when he donned his costume, Enji's problems were unimportant. For now, he was just a privately acting public servant so to speak. This whole business with Udon and the attempted car theft had nothing to do with his wife. So, he cut his explanation off and shut his mouth again.
Udon looked at him in confusion. Then, as he apparently decided Endeavor wouldn't say anything else, he started with his begging again.
Endeavor listened to the kid for a moment, then he glanced down the street waiting for the police with the kid's words going in one ear and leaving the other. This was really annoying. And the whole business had taken much longer than he would have liked. He should go back on patrol and not waste his time with this whiny little teenager. Was he really as old as Shoto? He threw another cursory glance at the kid. Surely, Shoto wasn't that whiny! Pathe-!
Stop it!
Make an effort! You wanted to be a better person!
He glanced back down at the kid, trying to listen to his fears.
"Your father won't kill you," he said decidedly. Because that fear was ridiculous and unwarranted, right? Because what father would kill their own child?
A different question came into his mind unwarranted: And what son would kill their own father?
He pushed all thoughts of Touya out of his mind, focusing on the kid in front of him.
"Hey, calm down!" he commanded gruffly, but somewhat satisfied with himself that he at least didn't sound completely unkind. "It's not going to happen, I promise."
"But you don't know!" The kid screamed at him in almost panic. "What would you do, if your son…" Udon glared at him, then he humphed angrily. "Oh, yeah, I know what you would do! It's all over the news!"
'Hardly,' Endeavor thought, angry that the kid again had decided to attack him personally.
He looked at Udon again, crouching down a little. "Is your Father hurting you?" he asked to make sure.
There was a sudden pause. Udon looked at him with wide eyes, then he shook his head. No. Endeavor's eyes tightened scrutinizing. No?
"Then why do you think he's going to hurt you now?" he asked further.
The boy looked at him, then down at the ground, then up at him again. His eyes were guarded now, closed off. "It's nothing," he said decidedly, "just forget it."
Endeavor looked him over, suspiciously, but then he let the topic slide as he saw the red lights of the police car around a corner. What else was he supposed to do? If the kid was telling the truth or lying… How old was Udon? Surely too old that Endeavor could just tickle the answer out of him. So, he simply nodded, and turned away again.
That had been odd, he thought. People normally didn't beg him to let them go, or for mercy in general. He wasn't known to be merciful. It wasn't like he was cruel or anything in his work, but Endeavor had always been professional. And that was his reputation. It was his job to stop and catch villains and criminals, to protect the public. If the police or the judges decided to let them go, that was their job, not his.
As the police car arrived, he turned Udon over to one of the officers, then he turned to the other, as soon as they put Udon in the back seat of the vehicle.
"Did he resist?" the officer asked, notebook in hand.
"He ran," Endeavor said, "but didn't fight me." It was technically a lie as the kid had turned his quirk against him, but it felt right to just let that one slide. Using his quirk against a hero to resist arrest would put Udon's acts into a completely different category. As far as the law was concerned that was the difference between a petty thief and a villain. The kid hadn't hurt him, and in the moment, Endeavor didn't feel like ruining his life.
"Anything else?"
"You found the car?"
"Yes," the officer replied looking up at Endeavor, "your sidekick…uh… Brazen showed us."
There was something in the officer's eyes. Disapproval? Maybe even resentment? Of course, the police would think worse about him too, now that the truth about his private life was out. He should have expected that. Still…
He decided it was best not to ponder on it any longer.
"When you bring him home, can you take a look at his parents?" He added after he gave the details of how he caught the boy. "Make sure there's no abuse going on." He felt awkward as he said that.
The officer raised an eyebrow at him, as if he found that last comment almost amusing in its irony. Endeavor could relate.
"Why would you say that?"
"The kid said something. He was afraid his Dad might hurt him for this."
"Might just be a nervous kid, trying to worm his way out of this by applying to your soft side," the officer responded.
"Maybe," Endeavor relented, "but people normally don't think I have a soft side." He activated the flames on his costume again, brightening the night. "Just look into it."
"Alright," the other man agreed closing his notebook. At that moment his two sidekicks, a young man with red and black hair by the hero-name Brazen, and a blonde woman, fresh from Shiketsu, who went by Shrinking Girl came running toward him; and Endeavor resumed his patrol.
There were two more thieves. One trying to steal money from a couple leaving the cinema, and somebody breaking into a liquor shop. Both were easily taken care off. Then there was a drug dealer. Brazen took care of that one. Endeavor prevented an accident involving a bicycle and two cars, and Shrinking Girl was kind enough to help a lost drunk find his way home.
If anything, he realized, there was a definite increase in petty crime. Still, he had expected more villains out and about. Just as he thought that, his instincts flared up.
He was still a bit out of shape and practice, so that was maybe the best excuse for his delayed reflexes. He just barely managed to raise his arm to guard his face in time, but the liquid still splashed all over his face and neck. The flames on his beard were almost completely extinguished.
What was it? For a moment he panicked, that it might be acid or something, but the confusion only lasted for a second. 'Just water,' he realized. Still, that was inconvenient enough.
He turned around to a villain in a dark blue costume standing in a small alleyway. An actual costume, he realized with some surprise. This wasn't just some renegade, who felt left out of society and turned to crime for lack of a better option. Instead, this one seemed to have put almost as much thought into his villain persona as heroes put into their hero name and costume. An actual supervillain, or at least somebody who fancied himself one.
"And who are you?" Endeavor asked, not recognizing the attacker. His beard flickered back to life as soon as the water had steamed off his heating skin.
"The Raining Man," the villain introduced himself. White gloves and boots, blue trousers with sturdy looking suspenders, several bottles of water attached to his bright orange belt. He had a mask that looked suspiciously like swimming goggles. The costume was clearly homemade, but there was some creative thought put into it, that he didn't normally see with the everyday villain, but rather with the infamous villains of for example the League of Villains or other smaller gangs.
He didn't know this one, however, neither his face nor his costume nor the name… Raining Man. Not a very intimidating villain name, Endeavor thought.
Intimidating or not, he was definitely bold, if he dared to attack Endeavor in the middle of the street. Normally, he was used to finding the villains while they were attacking innocent passersby. He wasn't used to them coming directly at him. Endeavor looked around to make sure nobody was in the close vicinity and could get hurt. There were a few trees on the other side of the street, so he couldn't use his fire to its full potential. He hoped he wouldn't need to. The only two bystanders, an old couple, were already escorted away from the scene by Shrinking Girl. Brazen, who came on the scene a little after Endeavor, ran in the direction the villain had come from to look if he was as alone as he seemed.
"Never heard of you," Endeavor mocked, blocking another attack with ease now that he was prepared.
The Raining Man used intrinsic hand movements to control the water he carried around in his bottles and the small puddles the rain from earlier had left on the pavement.
Better not let the fight move closer to the coast, Endeavor decided. Or to waste so much time, that the rain would start again.
"Shame, because I have heard about you," the villain responded preparing another attack. Endeavor's flames flared up. "You're the reason I'm here. I will continue Stain's work and purge Hero Society of-"
While he declared his motivation into the world, the Raining Man had shot another thick stream of water into Endeavor's direction. This time, however, Endeavor immediately retaliated. He was glad the villain apparently wasn't as strong as he himself obviously thought he was, because Endeavor's Hellflame had still not regained its original power. For this fight, at least it wouldn't be necessary, he knew, as he shot a burning fist, sure that the fire would be strong enough to not just evaporate the Raining Man's attack, but also engulf the villain himself in flames and likely injure him at least a little. Not enough to do more than a few superficial burns, Endeavor suspected.
That was, however, only because he calculated that his own flames would be weakened by the water before hitting the villain. But instead of the two attacks meeting in the middle, suddenly the water seemed to lose its energy flopping uselessly to the ground, the burning fist racing unchallenged towards the villain, who in his confusion about his failing quirk just watched wide-eyed. Somebody moved behind the villain.
"Ally!" he heard Brazen's loud voice, so he didn't turn to attack the newcomer.
"Endeavor!" somebody else screamed almost simultaneously. There was a shadow moving in Endeavor's periphery view. But Endeavor didn't have time to look who was joining the scene, as he struggled to get control over his flames and weaken them enough so they wouldn't kill the villain.
He panted in relief, as the villain sacked down to the ground just after the fire evaporated right in front of his face, before it could melt his skin off. Where before there was a bolstering young villain, now he looked as if he had just seen his life pass in front of his eyes.
Endeavor whirled around to see a man in dark clothes with a white scarf around his neck and something blinking golden on his face rushing towards him.
"What are you doing here, Eraserhead?" he asked annoyed that the UA teacher had interfered in his fight.
"Sorry about the interference," the erasure hero answered as he bound the villain in his capture weapon. "I've been following him from the University. He attacked two students there."
Endeavor nodded, although he didn't think this answered his question. "And why did you interfere?" His voice was rough in his annoyance.
Eraserhead shrugged. "It's faster that way. And you don't know him. He can control the steam too, so that might have been a bit tricky."
"You think I would have trouble with him, HUH?" Endeavor's temper stirred as his flames surged in indignant embarrassment. As if he couldn't take a little steam!
Eraserhead looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Endeavor glared back. One second, two… after five seconds, Enji realized he had behaved embarrassingly childish. Eraserhead hadn't even indicated that Endeavor couldn't have dealt with the villain by himself. It had just been easier that way. He shook his head slightly. "Sorry," Endeavor apologized.
"Never mind," the other muttered.
"So, who is he?" Endeavor wondered nodding in the direction of the securely tied down villain.
"Former Banking manager called Steven Tsukishima. Villain-name: the Raining Man. He's one of many new villains who popped up after your son's diary was sent to the press." So, that was the reason Endeavor didn't know them. It also explained why the villain apparently had been out for his head specifically. Enji looked at Eraserhead waiting for more information. "They think the new information regarding your person is proof that Stain was right from the start."
"So, did they start a new villain group," Endeavor asked, "or are they all just individual lone perpetrators."
"We're not sure," Eraserhead admitted. "So far, there were no coordinated actions, but they all share their ideas on the internet. We know the League of Villains tried to recruit them. Without success."
"Without success?" Endeavor repeated surprised. "I thought all those Stain fanatics would join the League in an instant."
Eraserhead was about to answer, when they were suddenly interrupted by the captured villain who had remained quiet until then. "The League?!" he bellowed angrily. "They are just murderers who abuse his name. What happened in Kamino and Fukuoka were pure massacres! Stain wanted to reform society! They just want to destroy it!" He spoke loud and passionately as if he was preaching in a temple not sitting tied hand and foot on a dark and almost empty street. "Their actions in Kamino and Fukuoka even helped increasing support in this rotten system!"
Endeavor wasn't so sure about that, but he wouldn't stoop so low as to defend the League of Villains in the eyes of this man.
He turned to see Brazen already on the phone with the police. Shrinking Girl was still a bit away with the elderly couple and two other people who must have come out of their houses just to see the battle.
"EH! Endeavor! Fuck off!" he heard a sudden screaming from one of the houses. Brazen and Eraserhead whirled around to see the middle-aged man who drunkenly leaned out of his window, waving an angry fist in the air. "Take that piss-poor villain and leave!" Endeavor saw multiple lights getting turned on in the windows in the surrounding houses, some windows were wrenched open.
"Shut up!" screamed a woman from one of the opposite windows towards the drunken man, "some people have to work tomorrow."
"Just shut your fucking window!" the man bellowed back, grabbing behind himself and then hurling an empty beer bottle towards the woman on the other side of the rather small alley. Immediately Brazen used his quirk to jump high into the air to catch the bottle.
"Get lost, Fucker!" the man insulted the young hero as his bottle was caught mid-air. "Endeavor! Ay, asshole, get your whole fucking Agency out of here! We don't need you! You're the reason shit like that are everywhere now."
Some of the neighbors muttered their consent though none as loud as the villain bound on the ground.
"You heard him! Heroes like you are the reason there are villains like me!"
"Police will be here in a few minutes," Brazen stated a bit red in the face at the fact that he had just been insulted. "What should we do about him?" He glanced upward at the drunken guy, unsurely.
"Leave him," Endeavor answered, turning back to Eraserhead. "You said he attacked the University?"
"That situation is under control. One minor injury," the other teacher answered glancing around the angry neighborhood.
"Can I leave you with him?" Endeavor asked next. He didn't want to leave Eraserhead alone, but he felt his presence would only worsen the situation.
In fact, Eraserhead seemed to agree willingly. "Yeah, sure. It's probably better to appease them as much as possible. I can deal with him." As if to prove his words, he tucked on his capture weapon, making the villain huff in discomfort.
"Okay." It wasn't exactly an expression of gratitude as Endeavor waved his sidekicks to leave, but before he turned to leave himself, something else came to mind. "Oh, by the way, what are you doing here?" He glanced back at Aizawa who gave him an unimpressed glare. "UA teachers normally don't patrol that far away from the school, if I'm correct." At least, last he remembered increased security in UA had demanded that all UA teachers would stay close-by to the school, in case there was another major incident - unless there was a good reason to make an exception.
"New situation," Eraserhead simply responded. "Increasing danger in the city demanded a response."
That was all he said to that, but Endeavor understood him well enough. UA was making up for his slack. He didn't know if he was more embarrassed at the fact that he was apparently not enough to keep Musutafu safe anymore, or at the fact that they didn't even properly inform him. Then again, he could hardly complain, he had not been active at all for over a month now.
But that was about to change.
Next, we'll meet Natsuo again. Finally.