Chapter 9: Interlude of a Stalker and his Cousin
"Nari-kun, sweetie how long are you going to look for that vigilante?" A woman voice called out from the kitchen.
"As long as necessary, mama."
Shiranui looked at his cousin, as he swipe his dark hair out of his face. It had been dirty blond since when they were kids, paired with his own platinum blond hair that is now white from Marie Antoinette syndrome, until Ienari decided to dye his hair black to avoid standing out and giving his bullies more ammunition to use against him along with the fact of him being quirkless.
He watch from the couch while Ienari typed and scroll down his laptop. He's been researching obsessively about the vigilante that saved him when he helped a girl from a villain for a while now.
The vigilante, Azrael, is a unique individual in the age of quirks. He has a short frame that make him appears to be a child or a teenager, charismatic and such. He also has a uniquely strong and versatile quirk based on the reports and of what his cousin told them. His quirk would take him to the top of the hero rankings if he had decided to be a hero.
Which raises the question, why he isn't a hero?
A flashy offensive quirk with a healing aspect like that will sure take him to places normal people should normally wouldn't be able to, yet he decided to be a vigilante of all things.
That said, that was not the reason why he called him unique.
Azrael is by any right shouldn't exist.
Don't get him wrong, he is thankful that he had saved his cousin from the villain that attacked him, but he was so sure that the vigilante Azrael didn't, and shouldn't existed since last year.
He should know, he saw it after all.
His quirk, [Side Glance]; allows him to know the posibilities on what will happen around him in the span of five to ten seconds.
…At least that what he told to everyone.
True, he could do just that if he wants to but the true nature of his [Side Glance] is different.
It allows him to peer in to the Alternate Universe to a certain extent. However, it wasn't strong enough to peer far away from his root of origin.
for example, he is not capable of seeing a reality where he wasn't born or a reality where magic is real instead of quirks or a reality that he has a different gender. He is only capable seeing a branch of world that has started branching the moment that he was born, not before.
It informs him automatically of various alternate possibility of what happened, what is happening and what will happened around him about major to minor things. It took a toll on his body though, he could barely go to school since the time he developed it when he was four and decided to stop all together from going to school when he became more weak and when the stress and sensory overload became too much for him, which was the cause of his Marie Antoinette syndrome.
It make him learn things that he wish he didn't, most of the time. It was one of the reasons that he lied about its true nature to the quirk registry. He didn't want the Government or worst, All for One of all people gunning after him.
He doesn't want to end up like Hawks or the poor Shirakumo who is now called Kurogiri, thank you very much.
Now, the reason for his distress about Azrael is that he didn't saw him. Never, not once he had saw anything about him in the world's original timeline.
Every single alternate futures has been whacked and crushed since last year for some reason and he didn't know why.
Which is pretty alarming, he bet other people with seer and foresight quirks and such like him are now panicking. He would too, but he's too weak and insignificant to do something about it.
His connection with the parallel worlds is still in shamble and isn't possible to make a full preview of them like he used to (he doesn't know if he will go on full panic or be thankful about it is still up to debate) but he could do a little snippets here and there, though it is foggy or static but it will return to normal after a while.
He learned that The Hope bringer, Deku, is missing. He's been seeing mostly static about him ever since. He also keep seeing something blurry about some Entity of Mischief, a Entity of Contradiction and Chaos, and something also came about Madness, Fostering and Second chances for some reason.
Weird and foreboding, he doesn't like that at all.
Many people whose role has always been insignificant to the scheme of things takes a major role all of a sudden.
Its absurd, It's as if the world has been a story all along and the Author had decided to recast the characters and change the plot altogether. The same could be said about the alternate worlds connected to this one.
(Soon, in the future, he'll learn the truth about reality and wished that he hadn't and has to say good bye to his poor sanity and join the chaos thriving, clinically insane gremlins, willingly. Who will more or less take over the world if left unchecked.)
The emergence of the vigilante Azrael is connected if not one of the reason of the complete revamp of the alternate timelines along with the Hope bringer, Deku missing. The same with that Majin, he's sure of it.
He turn to his cousin scribbling some things to a small notebook reminiscent to the one a detective used before returning typing something to his laptop. He sighed, he couldn't really stop his cousin when he started doing something, all he could do is support him and make sure that he wouldn't be in danger and do something that will bite his ass sooner or later in the future.
Ienari started mumbling to himself, Shiranui sweatdropped. Ienari is somehow starting to act like what would Deku would have, when thinking about quirks. Ienari isn't really that smart when it came to academics, maybe researching for Azrael did do something good for him after all.
Ienari or Nari for short, search through the net about Azrael.
His Hero has been a hot topic on the Social media along with someone called 'Majin' (魔神- Demon God), who has a same looking mask as Azrael just with horns on his forehead and red eyes instead blue like him.
Their so similar, he wondered if they knew each others.
Azrael-san has been seen in multiple cases and has been the one to solve them before the heroes or the police even manage to get on the scene. Multiple footage of him fighting villains has also been scattered on the net.
He was soo COOOOOL!!!
He move so skillful the villains never manage to hit him even once. He also did that without using his quirk! He kept beating up villains without his quirk and win unscratched. He only used his quirk for escape and immobilizing villains or when it was necessary as well as helping and healing people.
…Could he be like that? Fighting villains without a quirk? He always wanted to be a hero ever since his… father had taken his older twin brother to Italy for some reason. He tried studying martial arts but he was too much clumsy and slow which made it hard for him. Also, no one wants to had a quirkless kid in their hands, much less teach them how to fight.
He's too 'fragile' they said to him, 'He wouldn't be able to keep up with the other kids with quirks' they say, the 'he's useless' part went unsaid, but painfully obvious otherwise. A teacher did accept and tried to teach him martial art from the start but the other students kept on bullying him. Naturally him being a kid at the time of course gave up on learning.
Though he did do physical exercises, push ups, curl ups, jumping jacks (never jogging, he'll kill himself by tripping if he do. Believe him, he tried. He's only alive because a hero was patrolling in the area) and toe touch and other stretching exercise. He's clumsy but not useless, his brother and his cousin, Shiranui, had always drilled that to his embarrassingly hard and stubborn head.
The image of his twin and Shiranui's disappointed stare, arm crossed on their chest directed at him whenever he slipped and called himself 'No good', flashed to his mind. So because of that, he is reasonably fit even if he would probably kill himself by accident because of being clumsy if he so much attempt to throw a punch.
He close his laptop.
He has been participating in numerous hero forums for hours for information about Azrael-san. Naturally, he only found few things that he didn't already know about him, but he'll take what he can get.
Mama's voice rang out from the dining table, reminding that the food is ready and that he shouldn't make the food wait.
Call him crazy but, he wanted to meet Azrael-san again.
He doesn't think that he had properly thanked him after he saved the life of someone like him.
He he set aside his laptop along with his notes then go to the dining table for lunch.
A figure wearing a hoodie in bisected black and white colors and a white bony mask with blue pupils could be seen jumping across the building. Running ahead of him is a hulking toad like villain that is too fast despite what his appearance may implied.
The hooded figure manage to catch up and suddenly levitated in the air. He extend his right arm at the toad villain and the villain suddenly found itself suspended in midair, unable to move to his own will.
With a flash of shimmering light, they vanished.
They appear in the middle of the road with the same flashing light. Rope shot out of the the masked person's black sleeve and entangled the villain with the toad mutation. He is dropped in front of the police officers in the scene.
"There you go"
The police take the villain, but not without pointing a gun at the mask person. The masked person sighed, he feel bad for the police force, they barely being recognized despite their hard work.
"AZRAEL!!!" The newly identified Azrael turn to the source of the sound just as a massive wave of fire engulfed him.
Endeavour lowered his fist and ordered his sidekicks to secure the perimeter, to ensure that the vigilante wouldn't be able to escape if ever that he survive the attack.
The flames cleared and revealed Azrael unscathed by the immense fire. Endeavor clicked his tongue in annoyance, of course it wouldn't work, that would be too easy.
Azrael chuckled, "As much as I liked your very warm welcome, I need to go home now Indie-san."
Endeavor growled at the nickname, Azrael really made his blood boil. Almost the same with All Might and that Majin freak, he has no doubt that Majin and Azrael are connected with each other. "You won't be getting away with your crimes"
"Huh? Funny, I suddenly feel like I'm talking with a hypocrite for some unknown reason." Azrael statement was met by a fist full of fire on his face.
He them dispersed in a cluster of shimmering light.
Endeavor heard someone whistles behind him, "whew, that was intense! Should definitely lessen the anger issues though, Indie-san"
Again, he was met by violence as a volley of fire projectiles came at him from various direction, courtesy of Endeavor's sidekicks that are on stand by. He raised his white sleeve arm and pointed his finger in the sky in a finger gun pose.
"[Regen des Litch]" (Rain of Light)
Shimmering rays of light suddenly rain down around Azrael, giving him an uncanny ethereal appearance.
The rays of light struck down all the incoming projectiles like they were nothing but an annoyance, which couldn't be that far from the truth in Azrael's perspective.
"Tsk… tsk… tsk…" Azrael snickered and grin under his mask, not that anyone could see, but everyone feel like he does. He began to float in mid air, hands resting carefree in his pockets.
"My, my, you people sure are feisty.
He then turn to Endeavor.
"I really like to hang out some more but I really really need to go home right now, may be next time perhaps?" Azrael chuckled and did an elaborate bow.
"Auf Wiedersehen,"
"[Beugen Litch]" (Bending Light)
There is a massive flash of light that blinded everyone. By the time the light dissipate, Azrael is nowhere to be found.
Endeavor, expectedly exploded in anger.
Ienari is practically vibrating while watching the latest footage of Azrael fighting the Number Two Hero, Endeavor.
Shiranui doesn't know at whether to be fond or exasperated at his cousin's antics, …probably both.
"He's soo COOOOOL! Did you see that? Did you see that -?!"
"Yes Nari, I saw, I'm practically lying at the couch beside you."
"-he just- Endeavor didn't stand a chance!"
Yes, It's concerning.
The fact that he could lead Endeavor around with his nose is a scary thought. Because with the exception of All Might, Endeavor is Japan's most strongest hero. Regardless of all of his misgivings, no one could deny that fact.
Shiranui tune out his cousin's ramblings about the vigilante at the footage. Seriously, he could go on for hours on talking about him and not be exhausted. It's like Deku rambling about All Might from the original Timeline.
The parallels is seriously scaring him to be honest.
Now, back with Azrael. He knew that Azrael is anything but normal, considering that he literally just appeared out of nowhere and started curb stomping almost literally everyone, but he didn't really expect that he is strong and skilled enough to toy with Endeavor, the Number two Hero, like a kid in a playground.
The same with that Majin person that also appear out of nowhere like Azrael, which is, to everyone's horror, is a whole different kind of issue.
If Azrael is messing with the Hero Association due to him being a vigilante, then Majin is much more worse as he was messing with the very Japanese Government and Society it self.
He just brought down an entire corrupted Orphanage that was mistreating children on his own and take every single orphan under his wing and dared the government to prevent him from doing so.
He's been also picking up every homeless people around his territory, buying nearby lands, giving them jobs and a place they could go and call, home.
He also now owns almost half of all Mustafu.
And last time he heard, he took ownership of the Dagobah public beach.
He's dangerously charismatic, if the sheer devotion of everyone that he had helped showed towards him is anything to go by (there are rumors that he bribed them with cookies of all things. Whether it was true or not, he don't know, in fact, he doesn't wanna know either).
(Converting people to your side with nothing but cookies is a scary thought. It's like the meme "Come to the dark side, we had cookies" in real deal and cranked to eleven)
He also had a couple of new rising figures in almost every field following him, like the Pro-Hero Metamon* (yes, like Pokémon, he doesn't know how the hero managed to excaped law suits with that name to be honest. Though everyone did find it amusing that he was using a Pokémon name as his hero name) and the Prodigious intern sensation, Hakui.
And if he's anything like Azrael, then he will most likely be an overpowered man with an equally broken and overpowered Quirk to match his reputation.
It's terrifying how S rank figures that could possibly go toe to toe with the likes of Endeavor, All Might, All For One, Re-destro and Future Meta Liberation Shigaraki Tomura appear out of nowhere.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"-he's Quirk is also cool and- eh? Shiro, are you okay?" He is snapped out of his thought by his cousin who is now looking at him in concern.
"I'm okay dude, just a headache." Ienari frowned.
"Is your Quirk acting up again? You should rest then"
"It's nothing I'm telling ya-"
"Mama! Shiro's quirk is acting up again!"
He twitched, "seriously, I'm oka-"
"Really?! Just wait a moment okay sweetie, Shiro-chan! Maman will finish this!"
Shiranui, sighed. Such a loving Auntie and cousin he had.
Sometimes, Ienari wondered if he was cursed or something along the lines of one.
"Don't move or I'll blow your brains out!"
Considering how unlucky he is, he might be.
The ski mask wearing robber pointed a gun at him and the others.
"I said don't move!"
Why? Why?! He was just going to buy something at the convenience store! Why does it have to be robbed?!
"You!" He pointed at the cashier.
"Please don't shoot me, I'm pregnant!" Ienari felt dread all of the sudden, his knees started trembling.
The robber grinned and put the gun at the cashier's head, "then you better listen ya hear me?"
The cashier nod, terrified.
"Good, now put the money in this bag."
The cashier didn't move for a moment, unsure on what to do. The robber didn't like it and moved and point his gun to the woman's stomach, the color on the cashier's face drain.
"I said, PUT THE MONEY IN THE-!" And before Ienari knew it, his body already started moving on its own. He tackled the robber to the floor, (the only thing that he knew how to do seeing as he didn't know how to throw a punch and don't even get him started on kicking) the gun that the robber was holding fell on the floor. Ienari put the robber in a basic choke hold move that he learned when he was young before he gave up on martial arts all together.
The robber tried to grab the gun but he managed to fling it away from their reach. He turned to the other people who were frozen and stuck at their feet at the store, "Call the heroes!"
That snapped them out of whatever stupor they were in. One of them moved while the other pulled out their phone. Suddenly there was a click and a cold metal touching his back. Everyone freeze, still holding the robber in a hold, Ienari slowly turn his head to the source of the cold metal.
Towering above him, is another man wearing a ski mask. Ienari feel the color drain from his face in horror. His sweat is cold, his body tensed and started shaking.
The robber has an accomplice.
"Don't move, brat." Naturally, Ienari did just that.
"Get off him and put your hands in the air and don't do anything funny" reluctantly, Ienari obeyed as he doesn't have any other choice. The robber's accomplice clicked his tongue in annoyance and glared at his partner.
"You idiot, letting a kid sneak up on you."
The first robber stood up from the floor, he glared back. "It's not my fault that the brat look like a wimp to be a treat!" The other just rolled his eyes, "whatever" he said before shooting Ienari at his shoulder.
There was a scream before Ienari dropped to The floor. He clutched his shoulder and curled to the floor, blood gushed uncontrollably from the gun wound. Tears rushed from his eyes and flowed to his face.
It hurts.
Blood started to make a pool at the floor, his ears are ringing, he could see the other people panicked and screaming.
Why does it always end up like this whenever he tried to help?
He felt cold, his sweat felt cold. His breathing started became erratic.
He felt useless.
He sees the two robber point the gun at the crying cashier who was putting the money to the bag that the robber provided. The cashier keep on glancing at Ienari in varying degree of horror and concern.
Ienari struggled to move.
Somebody… help…!
The robbers take the bag and point the hundred at the woman's stomach, he could see everyone gasped.
Help… please…!
The firsy robber grinned while the other just sighed and rolled his eyes.
Help… Azrael-san…!
Then there was darkness.
Ienari closed his eyes, waiting for the loud bang. It didn't came however, instead he heard the robber yelped and the sound of the gun dropping to the floor.
Ienari opened his eyes.
The robbers were tangled and were dangling in the air courtesy of a shimmering inky darkness emerging from the robbers very shadows.
Those darkness felt familiar for some reason…
The tendrils of darkness moved and fling the two robbers at each other, knocking them out. They fell to the floor, a rope suddenly appearing out of nowhere emerges and restrained them, preventing any movements.
Suddenly, a pool of the same darkness appeared at the floor. Like some kind of portal, a person emerges. It is a kid with a curly black hair, wearing a gakuran* and a bony mask with a lunar arc like horns at the side of its head.
"And here I thought I could have a break since its day time, stupid villains" the person grumbled.
"Guten tag, Azrael at your service."
I-I-I-I-Its A-Azrael!!!
And he's wearing a gakuran! And he looks younger than him! Does this mean that he's a student and a minor?!
Now he knew why the darkness felt familiar, those ethereal looking shadows looks practically the same with the light that he emitted when they first met. Except that it was darkness ant is not light that he is using.
Azrael pull out a black umbrella and kneel in front of him. Covering and shading them from the lights at the convenient store. There is a tingling feeling at his wound and he winced. The bullet that was inside fell to the floor. Azrael-san put his hand over his shoulder and is engulfed in shimmering light that he was known for.
His wound started healing and Ienari feel a little tired, "My bad, I can't heal when its day time so I normally patrol at night. The shade is to weak so I can't heal others properly. You will feel a little exhausted because of that."
Ienari almost blank out for a moment, thankfully found his voice to speak and avoid making fun of his self in front of his idol, "I-I-Its okay- uhm, i-its not like it was your f-fault o-or anything!" Too bad he stuttered, too much for trying to show a good first impression.
Azrael stared at Ienari for a few second, he chuckled, which confused the heck out of Ienari "Looks like you're always in trouble whenever we meet."
Ienari felt his cheeks flared up from embarrassment, but it quickly vanished when he realize what Azrael just said.
"Y-you remember me!"
Azrael laughed, "Of course I do! you're the first one I helped you know? Also, you're pretty heroic that time, saving a girl from a molester and now a pregnant woman! You're a cool dude you know that!"
Ienari visibly blushed at the praise, "t-thank you…"
"There, you're healed. You'll need to take a rest after this." Ienari wriggled his arm as if testing it.
"W-whoa…"
"Anyway, call the police to pick up this guys here, I still have home work to do." A pool of darkness started to spread at the floor, Azrael slowly sink in to it. He turned to everyone at the store.
"Oh! One thing, could you please not tell the authority that about my age and that I wear a uniform? Thank you!"
"W-wait!"
Azrael turn to Ienari and Ienari swore that he somehow saw the mask blinked at him. Ienari stood up shakily from the puddle of blood at the floor, he straighten up his body and bow.
"T-t-thank you for saving me for the second time! Azrael-san!"
Azrael laughed good heartedly,"No problem! I got a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time that we will meet. I just wish that it won't be anything as extreme as this…"Azrael mumbled the last part but Ienari heard him anyway. He raised his hand in a lazy wave.
"Auf Wiedersehen!" Azrael sink to the portal like darkness and vanished.
Ienari stared at the spot where Azrael had vanished. He's been taken hostage, shot in the shoulder and almost watch someone be killed. He's been also saved, healed, praised and held a conversation with the person that had saved him now, twice.
He feels like he was dreaming… maybe he is? He slapped himself in the face to test it out.
"Oww!"
Nope, not dreaming.
"W-wow, this is real…"
Ienari sprawled on his bed.
Mean while, his white haired cousin is playing Pokémon beside his bed. He's playing Sun version, he thinks? They've been just remaking Pokémon games throughout the centuries since the emergence of Quirks so he doesn't know what remake he's playing is. He did see a lion and a sun icon, so he's probably right.
Shiranui and his mother almost had an heart attack when they were called to the police station for the second time. Mama kept in fuzzing over him while Shiro was massaging his temple from the headache. He felt guilty.
He stared at the ceiling and release a sigh. The encounter at the convenient store is still fresh to his mind. He was scared and… starstrucked.
Yes, starstrucked. That's the word he is looking for.
He still can't get over the fact that he met and had a conversation with his idol. Regardless if he's a vigilante or not. He already knew that Azrael-san is cool from his first meeting and from the various footage about him that he watched, but meeting him in the flesh and having a real conversation with him feels a lot more different than what he imagine.
It's almost the same with meeting All Might in person.
"Just how long are you going to day dream about your vigilante idol?"
He is snapped out of his daze by his cousin, who is giving him a deadpan expression.
"Uhhh, I wasn't?" Shiro rolled his eyes.
"Sure you aren't" Shiro has always been wary of Azrael-san. It's because of his seer quirk, he said that he wasn't supposed to exist. A little harsh if you didn't know that he could see parallel worlds. Though Ienari thinks that regardless, he is thankful because he would have died the first time if it weren't for Azrael-san and Shiro knew that.
"Ne Shiro, what do you know about Azrael-san with your quirk?" His cousin blinked, not expecting the question thrown at him.
"What brings this up? You don't normally ask his kinds of things." Yes, he normally wouldn't asked this things since he doesn't like taking advantage of his cousin's quirk while he was suffering from his drawbacks.
"Well, yeah… but I'm just curious. You said that you have never saw him in with your quirk, what about now?"
"The truth?" Ienari nods.
Shiro closed his eyes, concentrating "It's… a little blurred. He appeared out of nowhere, and has the ability to go toe to toe with Endeavor. I haven't seen him crossing paths with All Might so I don't know."
"His quirk is a complicated one, a variant mix of photo and umbra kinesis and telekinesis, I'm not aware of the drawbacks or if there is in the first place."
"His age is twelve…? yes twelve or eleven, give and take, potentialy two years younger than us. The rest is blur and static."
Ienari frowned in concern, "Static?"
Shiro sighed, "To be honest with you, ever since last year, my quirk suddenly went haywire."
"H-haywire?!!!"
"Yes, everthing is a blur after that. All my visions had been all nulled, everything has been a complete white wash. My connection with the parallel worlds has been restoring it self right now. I don't know when it will be finished but I know it will with time."
"I see…"
"Even though I couldn't see the parallel worlds in full preview twenty four - seven, I could still see glimpse and do what my quirk do in the quirk registry, so there's that."
"I-I… thanks…" Ienari said, closing his eyes, still lying on his bed. Shiro looked at him in scrutiny.
"You just figured out something didn't you?"
Ienari looked away from his cousin, "Maybe…? I just remembered something."
Shiro sighed, "You know, your really intuitive for someone so slow"
Ienari grinned, "Thanks! Wait-what does that supposed to mean?!"
Shiro just laughed before returning to playing Pokémon.
The bell ring, students starts packing up their belongings as the teacher pick up his lesson plans and leave the room as the students did the same.
Ienari sighed, he doesn't liked school. He pick up his things and went out the classroom. He stood up and take a step.
He immediately tripped and kissed the floor.
Everyone laughed. Someone had tripped him, as if being clumsy isn't already enough for him.
Yes, understandably Ienari doesn't like school.
"Look! It's Koiro!" Someone yelled looking outside the window.
"Really?! Where?!"
"Kyaaah~! I want to see Hakuzumu-san!"
"Me too!"
Every one went outside of the classroom and went to the hallway, leaving him sprawled on the floor.
Hakuzumu Koiro, he is a middle school freshman, two years his junior and the school idol. He is famous for being handsome, intelligent, athletic along with having a powerfully flashy quirk that is no doubt hero worthy.
He is charismatic, everyone flocked around him, everyone want to be around him. He could virtually do anything that was asked of him from physical to academics and to mundane and senseless things normal people normally wouldn't give effort to.
Though he doesn't liked it that much when people followed him like a fly to a thrash because they wanted to be on spotlight and to stuck up with him when he finally made a name for himself in the future.
Ienari stood up from the floor, he picked up his things and dusted himself. He see Hakuzumu-san past the classroom with unwanted followers in tow. Curly black hair bouncing every steps he made, striking blue eyes, fair skin and a handsome face. It's certainly no wonder why he was famous.
Ienari look out with hope, he had seen enough, the resemblance is uncanny.
Koiro walk at the road from school. School, as usual is boring. His peers are irritating, they flocked around him just so that they could ride at his fame in the future that they are so sure that he would have.
He can't wait to go home and rest so he could get ready for his patrol later night. Maybe he could bug Indie-san again? He has a short fuse, its so hilarious.
Just like his stalker, It's cute how they think that he doesn't know that he's been following him since at school. He taked a turn to an secluded alley and stop.
"You know, stalking other people is creepy" Koiro called out to his stalker. The stalker let out an 'eeep' and the sound of him crashing to the trash bin to the ground is a little amusing.
A few Awkward and embarrassing moments later for his stalker (and a lot of satisfaction and amusement in Koiro's part), his stalker finally decided to show himself to the world and reveal that- okay, that may be a little dramatic, but you get the point.
Koiro blinked when he saw the identity of his stalker, the familiar black haired teen with fluffy hair and caramel brown eyes that he had saved a handful of times before, on his first vigilante run and the one he did last week in daytime when he pass by a convenient store that was being robbed.
…Now that he thinks about it, they go in the same school and the teen in front of him is two year his senior, one on the graduating year.
Damn… he doesn't know his name- Wait, oh right, he's called Mu Kosei* Nari right? Verdamnt, talk about bullying, why is he here though?
"…Senpai? You're my senpai right? From the graduating class." The senior immediately light up like a Christmas light in fluster.
"Eh? H-hai! Hakuzumu-san" Koiro sweat dropped, aren't you supposed to be the older? Why does it feel as if they switched places?
"…you don't need to call me 'san' sempai, I'm okay with 'kun'"
"Er-I-I can't do that H-Hakuzumu-san!" For someone who looked so wimpy, he sure is stubborn.
Koiro sighed, "Sure… now sempai, can I know why you are following me? I don't think that I done anything to you" please don't let it be a confession, he has enough of them from girls and love letters from both gender, he doesn't need a confession from both.
Senpai's embarassed expression became slightly neutral, (he still looked flustered, both he no longer looked like a cherry tomato) he looked around the area as if scanning if there are camera or other people around. He rubbed his elbow a little flustered.
"I knew who you are" Koiro squint his eyes at him in scrutiny at the words, that can't be what Koiro is thinking could it?
"I… " sempai suddenly bowed and borderline dogeza* on the ground.
"T-thank you for saving me!!!"
Ha?
"I don't think that I could actually repay you from saving me, but I'll take what I could!"
Koiro stare at him for a moment, he laughed. "You're sharp for someone who everyone think is a dumb as rock" sempai return to being a cherry tomato with how red his face is.
"Also, you don't really need to thank me multiple times for saving you, you know? I just did what I want most of the time because I do, no other motives or so." Yes, he became a vigilante just because he was bored and that helping is fun. Plus, he got to annoy Pro-Heroes so there's that.
"I… I'm Quirkless."
Koiro's turn his attention to the other black haired teen, admitting that your Quirkless in this Quirk filled society is not something that could be taken lightly considering the stigma that comes with it.
"And I always wanted to be a hero, so seeing you fighting Quirkless, somehow gave me hope."
Actually, Koiro just forgot sometimes that he have a quirk when he was fighting, when he remembered that he has one, the fight was almost finished. Though he is somehow glad that he could become a inspiration for someone.
"I tried learning how to fight when I was young, but no one wants to teach a Quirkless student." He heard that some dojos don't less Quirkless people for 'their own good' they said, he thinks that they just don't want Quirkless to drag their name to the ground, seems that his assumption was true.
Also, why are you spilling your life story to him? Koiro doesn't remember using Talk no jutsu.
"I don't think that I could be a hero I stay the way I am, I feel like I'm overstepping my bounds but c-could… could you…" suddenly, sempai went into dogeza and kneel in front of him.
"Could you please teach me how?!!!"
What?
Wow, who ever said that this person has no backbone was probably blind or dumb. This senior is practically demanding that he teach him how to fight, him a vigilante, how to fight while doing dogeza. If that isn't brave and dumb then he don't know what.
He stared for moment at his kneeling senpai at the concrete, something flash in to his mind, reminding him of something.
"Please take me as your apprentice M̸̼̞̟̖̣̄̿a̻͟s̻t̘͏ẹ̸r̠͘ Ļ̵̴̨̡̨͍ͧͭ̍͘͘͢͜͡͠͝͞͝u̸̷̧̨̧̺ͣ͗̓̕͘͢͢͢͜͞͠͞ç̶̶̵̢̢̧̨̖̏ͣ̆́́̕̕͟͞ȃ̴̵̸̵̵̢̡̛̮͊̎̀͘͜͟͢͠͝ṣ̵̨̧̧ͧͥ̾́͘͘͟͟͝͠͠͠͠!!!"
He looked at the begging teen in front of him, he raised an eye brow.
"And pray tell me why should I?" The teen looked devastated for a moment
"I…"
"Then, no."
...
"Master L̸̵̷̴̵̷̵̵̸̷̵̶̶̷̵̨̢̡̨̡̖̹̂̀́́̀́́̀̕͟͜͜͜͢͜͢͞͞͠͠͠͠͠͡͏̡u̶̴̡̜̰̒́͞͏̸̀͏̶̸̵̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̴̸̷̸̶̡̢̨̡̧̡̧̨̀̀́̀̕͘͜͠͝͡͞͏͏̴̢͞͞c̸̶̷̶̨̨̢̠͕ͬ̀́́̀͘͢͟͢͡͝͞͠͏̷̸̶̸̸̨̛̛́́́̕̕͘̕͜͢͜͜͢͜͢͢͠͞͝a̵̶̷̶̴̶̶̴̶̴̢̢̢̢̛̛̛̛̛̛̰̯ͣ́̀̀́̕̕͘͘͜͢͢͜͟͠͝͠͠͠͝͡͠͠͏͏̕͘͘s̴̴̷̴̴̷̢̧̨̡̡̨̧̛͓̙ͮ̀́̀̕͘͜͢͢͜͢͡͝͏̸̴͠͞͏̶̷̵̴̢̡̧̢̢́̕͟͜͠͝͞͠!" He turn around and found a familiar black haired teen with a natural almost squinting dark eyes.
"Please take me as your apprentice!!" He stare at him for a moment before giving him an answer.
"I'm busy, so no."
"Will you take me as your apprentice if I help?!"
"…No."
"Please let me help!"
"It's paperwork"
"…then I'll still gladly help!"
"…I sense a pause there"
...
"Master L̸̵̷̴̵̷̵̵̸̷̵̶̶̷̵̨̢̡̨̡̖̹̂̀́́̀́́̀̕͟͜͜͜͢͜͢͞͞͠͠͠͠͠͡͏̡u̶̴̡̜̰̒́͞͏̸̀͏̶̸̵̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̴̸̷̸̶̡̢̨̡̧̡̧̨̀̀́̀̕͘͜͠͝͡͞͏͏̴̢͞͞c̸̶̷̶̨̨̢̠͕ͬ̀́́̀͘͢͟͢͡͝͞͠͏̷̸̶̸̸̨̛̛́́́̕̕͘̕͜͢͜͜͢͜͢͢͠͞͝a̵̶̷̶̴̶̶̴̶̴̢̢̢̢̛̛̛̛̛̛̰̯ͣ́̀̀́̕̕͘͘͜͢͢͜͟͠͝͠͠͠͝͡͠͠͏͏̕͘͘s̴̴̷̴̴̷̢̧̨̡̡̨̧̛͓̙ͮ̀́̀̕͘͜͢͢͜͢͡͝͏̸̴͠͞͏̶̷̵̴̢̡̧̢̢́̕͟͜͠͝͞͠!"
"Master L̸̵̷̴̵̷̵̵̸̷̵̶̶̷̵̨̢̡̨̡̖̹̂̀́́̀́́̀̕͟͜͜͜͢͜͢͞͞͠͠͠͠͠͡͏̡u̶̴̡̜̰̒́͞͏̸̀͏̶̸̵̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̴̸̷̸̶̡̢̨̡̧̡̧̨̀̀́̀̕͘͜͠͝͡͞͏͏̴̢͞͞c̸̶̷̶̨̨̢̠͕ͬ̀́́̀͘͢͟͢͡͝͞͠͏̷̸̶̸̸̨̛̛́́́̕̕͘̕͜͢͜͜͢͜͢͢͠͞͝a̵̶̷̶̴̶̶̴̶̴̢̢̢̢̛̛̛̛̛̛̰̯ͣ́̀̀́̕̕͘͘͜͢͢͜͟͠͝͠͠͠͝͡͠͠͏͏̕͘͘s̴̴̷̴̴̷̢̧̨̡̡̨̧̛͓̙ͮ̀́̀̕͘͜͢͢͜͢͡͝͏̸̴͠͞͏̶̷̵̴̢̡̧̢̢́̕͟͜͠͝͞͠!!!"
He turn around to face the teen, his left eye twitching in irritation"What?"
"I'm just saying hi!"
Beside him, Vii-chan chuckled.
"Hi Master V!!!" His older cousin grinned and wave at the teen. He let out another chuckle, "He reminds me of you in your teens"
He twitched, "I'm not…"
His cousin laughed, "Ah, yes, I remember you being worse."
He turn to his cousin with an indignant whine,"Vii-channnn…!"
...
"Master L̸̵̷̴̵̷̵̵̸̷̵̶̶̷̵̨̢̡̨̡̖̹̂̀́́̀́́̀̕͟͜͜͜͢͜͢͞͞͠͠͠͠͠͡͏̡u̶̴̡̜̰̒́͞͏̸̀͏̶̸̵̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̴̸̷̸̶̡̢̨̡̧̡̧̨̀̀́̀̕͘͜͠͝͡͞͏͏̴̢͞͞c̸̶̷̶̨̨̢̠͕ͬ̀́́̀͘͢͟͢͡͝͞͠͏̷̸̶̸̸̨̛̛́́́̕̕͘̕͜͢͜͜͢͜͢͢͠͞͝a̵̶̷̶̴̶̶̴̶̴̢̢̢̢̛̛̛̛̛̛̰̯ͣ́̀̀́̕̕͘͘͜͢͢͜͟͠͝͠͠͠͝͡͠͠͏͏̕͘͘s̴̴̷̴̴̷̢̧̨̡̡̨̧̛͓̙ͮ̀́̀̕͘͜͢͢͜͢͡͝͏̸̴͠͞͏̶̷̵̴̢̡̧̢̢́̕͟͜͠͝͞͠"
He looked up at the teen standing in front of him from his desk, he had matured a little.
"Yes?"
The teen bowed "Please take me as your apprentice!"
"…Very well"
"Please reconside- huh?"
"I'll take you as my apprentice." The teen looked at him as if he hunged the sun and moon.
"Thank you! Thank you! I promise you won't regret this decision!"
"Now, introduce your self"
"Huh? But Master L̸̵̷̴̵̷̵̵̸̷̵̶̶̷̵̨̢̡̨̡̖̹̂̀́́̀́́̀̕͟͜͜͜͢͜͢͞͞͠͠͠͠͠͡͏̡u̶̴̡̜̰̒́͞͏̸̀͏̶̸̵̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̴̸̷̸̶̡̢̨̡̧̡̧̨̀̀́̀̕͘͜͠͝͡͞͏͏̴̢͞͞c̸̶̷̶̨̨̢̠͕ͬ̀́́̀͘͢͟͢͡͝͞͠͏̷̸̶̸̸̨̛̛́́́̕̕͘̕͜͢͜͜͢͜͢͢͠͞͝a̵̶̷̶̴̶̶̴̶̴̢̢̢̢̛̛̛̛̛̛̰̯ͣ́̀̀́̕̕͘͘͜͢͢͜͟͠͝͠͠͠͝͡͠͠͏͏̕͘͘s̴̴̷̴̴̷̢̧̨̡̡̨̧̛͓̙ͮ̀́̀̕͘͜͢͢͜͢͡͝͏̸̴͠͞͏̶̷̵̴̢̡̧̢̢́̕͟͜͠͝͞͠ didn't you know my name already?"
"It's just to make it official"
"I see," the teen straighten his spine, "My name is Lei, Yun Lei, and I'm going to be your apprentice!"
He grinned at his new apprentice that exuding the presence that he is finding at him from the very beginning, "One more thing, call me L͓͐u̖̚č̣a̮ͬs͉̍-̣̏s͔̾å̭ḿ̹a̟ͭ"
"Yes! Lucas-sama!"
...
"Stand up sempai"
"H-hai!"
"Tell me your name."
"M-my name?"
"Yes, your name"
Koiro watch his Senpai straighten and stand still, "I-I'm-My… My name is Ienari, Hamagure* Ienari, desu…"
"You want to be a Hero? Hamagure-sempai?"
"Hai Hakuzumu-san, a-also, please call me Ienari…"
"Then call me Koiro"
"Hakuzumu-san"
"No, call me Koiro" what a stubborn clam this kid is.
"…Koiro-sama?" Koiro-sama sound a little wrong in Koiro's ears for some reason. The same with his own name, it suits him because of his quirk but it still felt wrong.
"I'll take you as my apprentice" Ienari-kun, yes he's calling him that, looked as if he hunged the sun and moon for him, its a little nostalgic for Koiro to be honest.
"Wait! Y-you don't need to take me as yor apprentice! Just t-teaching me how to fight is enough for me!"
"Nope. Also, I'm teaching you, thats practically the same thing"
"…it is?"
"Fundamentally? Yes"
"Oh… but-"
"Look, do you want it or not?"
"I-I do" Koiro grinned,
"Then don't expect me to go easy on you"
"H-hai!" Ienari-kun shrieked straighting his body.
"One more thing, call me Lucas-sama"
"Hai! Lucas-sama!"
"Now follow me to the abandoned lot at the north of the city"
"Hai!" Koiro walk as Ienari-kun followed him.
Then Ienari-kun tripped on nothing but air.
Koiro stare, "…"
Ienari-kun is silent, "…"
What the fuck.
"…Are you still alive there, Ienari-kun?"
His new apprentice groaned, still sprawled at the concrete "Haiiiiiii…"
Looks like it would be a lot of work.
Koiro grinned, this would be fun.
Shinsou Hitoshi is called a villain, everyone except his father think so.
There always been a rift between them and his mother before he manifest his quirk so when it manifest, she took the opportunity to leave him and his father alone blaming him for his quirk.
His Dad didn't blamed him, their relationship has always been fragile and his quirk was just the final nail in the coffin.
No one liked him, they were afraid that he would control them with his Quirk so no one talked to him either. His only solace is his father's hugs when he came home from work, he was content with that.
Then his Dad died.
It was a villain attack. Everyone was panicking, children were crying, including him, the establishment was shaking.
Then it collapsed.
The heroes managed to evacuate the children and the elderly. His dad raised him uo so that he could be picked up by the hero doing the rescue.
The villain was defeated
But the collapsed building collapsed further, burying his father alive.
The villain died from overdose. Apparently, he was high on trigger.
Having no relatives except his mother who want nothing concerning about him, he was put in to foster care. The one taking care of him didn't like him so he was passed to the next person to another. Eventually, they grew tired of him and just put him in an orphanage.
It was worst.
Some of the care taker are abusive, some physical, some are verbal. The food was scarce. The children shared clothing with each other they contract sickness in some occasion.
He is eleven, abused and tired. Then suddenly, it all stopped.
One normal day, a man in black suit with bandage covering his skin and a white horned mask with stricking red eyes came.
He looked like a villain, with his get up, they thought.
The snake caretaker talk with him, convincing him to adopt one of them. The mask man loomed over him and the care taker was startled.
He stared straight at the man's eyes as his masked eyes glowed red, "I'lltake them all"
The snake did a double take, "Pardon?"
"I said, I'm going to take them all" he repeated then the air became heavy.
The snake started sweating "I-I'm afraid thats not possible"
"It seems that you have misunderstoond what I have said," his eyes glows intensified.
"I wasn't asking."
After that, they thought that they will end up in the hands of another abuser, selling them one by one or turning them in to slaves.
They didn't expect to live in a large, beautiful mansion.
So imagine their surprise when they did.
"You children won't need to suffer unnecessary anymore." The man said before removing his bandage over his face and hands along with his mask and revealed a breath taking red eyed black haired man.
Everyone began to adjust to their knew predicament. The older orphans decided to take care of the chores at the mansion even when the man and sometimes the green haired child in Hitoshi's age with a hair almost reminiscent to him told them that they doesn't need to. Regardless, they still did the chores despite their assurance.
Other kids in Hitoshi's age along with him, started to roam the large mansion, committing every part to their memories.
They were surprised one day when they learned that the man that saved them from the hellhole that is the orphanage and the green haired child that is named Mikumo is one and the same.
They shouldn't have been surprise, even if they thought that two were Father and Son with how similar they are, they should have suspect something when they act almost like the same person and the fact that they had never seen the two together at the same time.
Instead of freaking out, every one took it in stride and became more attached to him. The older and the younger orphans (including Hitoshi himself) took turns in having to cuddle and hugs with him in both of his adult and child form.
They saw how strong he was when he trained the orphans that already in his care far before they came in learning how to fight and to use their quirk. Every one, including him, was awestricken at their saviour.
They asked him if he was a Hero.
He said that he wasn't, but he could be one for them if they needed.
It was then that Hitoshi decided that he wanted to be a Hero. He wanted to be like him, someone that is a true hero despite not looking the part.
He wasn't alone.
Some of the older children that came from the orphanage thought the same.
One time, the older orphan that came before them, Amehiko-nii-san, he reminded himself, accidentally called Mikumo-san, 'Tou-sama'. Amehiko-nii-san was flustered at the slipped of tongue while Mikumo-san san looked a little dazed (unknown to them, Mikumo was busy having an existential crisis and debating with himself).
They thought that Mikumo-san would be mad but, he just smiled and gave Amehiko-nii-san a pat in the head and ruffled his hair.
Then it became stuck to everyone after that and Tou-sama didn't forbade them nor said anything.
Hitoshi adjusted his bandages, on his arms, chest and his neck. Reminiscent to how Tou-sama cover himself with bandages when he first came to their lives.
Tou-sama corrected his stance and the bandage untangled and hit his target with precision. Tou-sama ruffled his hair.
Hitoshi is Eleven, formerly abuse and tired.
Now, Hitoshi is Eleven, loved, content and happy.
And he wouldn't exchange it for anything in the world.
A/N:
Words: 7533
I feel like I have been making so many OC but I can't really help it with how I made this story.
Koiro/Lucas, Mikumo's cousin from his past life had been given more context and screen time.
Also, Mikumo know had an army of adorable chaos gremlins who adores him. Hitoshi Shinsou made a debut and everyone calls him Father much to his horror.
Auf Wiedersehen - fare well/ goodbye
Metamon - Japanese name for the Pokémon Ditto
Gakuran - school uniform for boys, often with stand-up collar, long jacket and loose trousers
Guten tag - good day
Mu Kosei (無個性) - no individuality /Quirkless
Dogeza - kneeling down on the ground, prostrate oneself
Hamagure or Hamaguri - common orient clam (Meretrix lusoria)
Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading, also Schwarz out.