The thief whose name will be remembered.
Chapter 5.
A new home and a skinny dude.
Tim blinked at the index finger that was pointed in his face. The said finger belonged to one Inko Midoriya who has just finished giving him a lecture about how dangerous it was what he did. And let him tell you. For such a kind and good-hearted woman, Inko can sure as hell raise her voice.
"OW! OW! OW!" Tim`s thoughts were interrupted when a right thumb and a finger that was pointing at him started to pull on his hair. Making him cry out in pain.
"Are you even listing to me, young man!" Inko yelled at him again to which made the American boy flinch in pain he was feeling.
"OW! I heard ya- OUCH! Auntie! OUCH! Please let go." Thankfully his ear was released soon after he said that making him rub it gently in the hope to make the pain go away. Inko let out a sigh of frustration while Izuku was on the sidelines trying not to laugh at his friend's misfortune.
The two Midoriya`s came to visit him not too long after the detective and Aizawa left. While he was surprised by their visit it quickly dawned on him that these two were the only two people he had interacted with for good 11 years now. They are probably the only ones... Well. That knew he existed... Kinda sad now that he thinks about it.
After the two came in and asked the standard questions like was he alright. Did anything hurt? What did the doctor tell you? Etc. Inko then gave him a lecture which he will NEVER FORGET!.
After the situation calmed down a bit Inko went out to bring Tim some food. Since his stomach started to growl in demand for food. Leaving the two future rivals/nemesis alone in the room.
"Yo Izuku." Tim greeted him as Izuku sat down in the chair his mom previously was.
"Hi, Tim-Kun... You`re an idiot you know that." Izuku said suddenly with a disappointed and worried look on his face.
"Why does everyone keep telling me that! I swear I heard those words at least 15 times today!" Tim exclaimed in anger.
"You attacked an S-tier villain because of a T.V.!" Izuku stated the fact while Tim facepalmed himself.
"Izuku. Izuku... My good old pal... It wasn`t just a T.V. It was a seventy-inch. PLASMA screen TV..." Tim said with his right index finger raised and his eyes close. When he opened them up again, Izuku was shaking his head at him in disbelief before deciding to move with the talk. Since he knew Tim will only see it his way.
"So... What happened after?"
"After what?"
"After you woke up."
"Ahh..." Tim said realizing what Izuku meant with his question. "I had both the detective and a pro hero-"
"A PRO HERO! Who was it? What did they look like? What was their quirk? Wha-"
"Woah Woah Woah! Hold your horses there champ! He wasn`t anything special. Just some grumpy and pale-looking dude, who looks like he hasn`t slept in a year. I think he said his name was Eraser or Gazer, or something."
"Eraser? You mean Eraserhead! He is the underground hero who specializes in capturing and stealth. His quirk allows him to erase his opponent's quirk just by looking at them." Izuku said which made Tim blink at his whole rundown of the hero.
"Huh... You really are like a hero encyclopedia you know that." Izuku blushed at that comment while Tim smirked. "Well. They threaten me into getting information out of me. I either had to tell them what they wanted to know or be sent back to America."
Izuku`s eyes widen in shock at those words. "To America?"
"Yeap. Motherfuckers were not playing around." Tim said with a frown on his face, his hands tightening into fists at the mere thought of him going back. Especially at the thought of who was still over there. "I had no other choice but to talk. Throughout all of that, I felt I was negating one of their quirks. Must have been the detective."
"It must have been. I`ve seen in some of the private videos that Eraser's eyes glow red and his hair flotes when he is using his quirk." Izuku said to which Tim nodded his head.
"I`ve noticed that too when he was giving a glare with it. They learned about my weakness through that other guy I quote on quote saved." Tim told Izuku. Doing a quotation mark with his left and right index and middle finger.
"You mean that one where you can only negate one quirk at the time?" Tim nodded his head in confirmation.
"For some reason, however. It did not work. If his expression was anything to go by. Hehehe you should have seen how angry he was." Tim said chuckling as he thought back to the pro hero's angry expression.
Izuku sweatdropped at how calm his friend/nemesis was. Clearly showing he didn`t care about what Eraserhead could do to him.
"Anyways. After their big fail on double-teaming me. They proceeded to tell me what was going to happen to me now that they know I`m. Well homeless. They told me that either I will have to go to the orphanage, to wait for someone to adopt me. Or I will be sent back to America and be left for the government to do with me as they please." Tim leaned back onto his pillow after he finished explaining to Izuku. "You already guessed which one I picked."
Izuku blinked at Tim. He was going to go to the orphanage? To wait for someone to come and take him in. But then... He will no longer be able to see his friend. He will no longer be put in situations where he had to chase him around the town and return whatever he had stolen back to its owner. Even tho he kept on repeatedly insisting to his friend that he stops doing that. His everyday life wouldn`t be the same without that. So Izuku begins to speak the solution to his friend's problem.
"Maybe you don`t have to. I can tell my-"
"No! Stop right there!" Izuku jumped a little at the sudden rise of Tim voice as his nemesis was pointing at him. "I know what you are going to say! That your mom could adopt me into your family and solve all of my problems right?"
"Well, I-ugh..." Izuku begins but Tim interrupted him again.
"Izuku. You and your mom have been nothing but kind to me. You showed me hospitality in your home, warmth in your company, and most of all. You gave me back the small amount of happiness that I thought I will never experience again..." Tim said in a soft but yet firm voice. " And I am really grateful for that. But I will not let my problems weigh you down from becoming the hero you are destined to be. So don`t you worry about this asshole. He will have you chasing after him in no time." He flashed Izuku a cocky grin.
Izuku from his part was stuck between the shock and wonder. Wonder how Tim could be so calm about this whole thing. He was now the center of attention for the entire police force, an immigrant. But yet he still tells him he will be fine. This shocks him because he and his mom will gladly take him in and help him solve the majority of his problems. But he doesn`t wanna accept their help since he thinks he will weigh Izuku`s dream down.
Why? Why would he do think something like that? Did he really care about his dream that much? About him... Izuku`s eyes started to water at that thought. What did he do to deserve such a friend?
"Oh for fucks sake," Tim said seeing Izuku`s eyes begin to water, and reached for his back pocket only to realize he didn`t have his own pants on. Meaning he didn`t have a box of handkerchiefs on him. "Oi! You better not start crying! You hear!"
Izuku quickly wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood firm with a nod. But he still looked like he was going to break down into tears. Which made Tim laugh as he watched his friend try and hold himself together.
"What are you boys going on about?" Both teenagers jumped at the sound of Inko`s voice which made them turn towards the door, where Inko entered with a plate of scrambled eggs, sausages, and bread.
"Oh! Nothing important auntie. Just some random teenage talk between us." Tim said with a best shit-eating smile as he wrapped one arm around Izuku`s shoulder. Izuku mirrored Tim`s action and gave a nervous smile to his mom.
Inko seemed to buy it and gave Tim his food. After few nasty minutes of eating hospital food later. God that shit is awful. The three of them talked some more about some more pleasant stuff, cracked few jokes at Izuku`s expense. The poor guy was red the whole time from embarrassment.
Soon the time came for the two Midoriya`s to go home. Inko ruffled Tim`s hair and gave the injured boy a kiss on top of his head. Making the boy smile up at her while she returned it.
"Take care of yourself, dear," Inko said softly while patting his brown hair and moved some of his locks back when they fell on his face.
"You too auntie. See ya tomorrow." He said with a smile as Inko moved aside to let Izuku fist bump his friend.
"See you tomorrow Tim. Hope your recover fast." Izuku said with a smile.
"I`ll be out of here before you know it Izuku." After that the two Midoriya`s exit his room with one final wave towards their friend. Tim waved back at them and the moment they left his hand came down and his smile dropped.
Even tho he told Izuku that he was going to be okay. The truth was that he really didn`t know if he will be. This is exactly what he didn`t want to happen yet. Now he had too many eyes and ears pointed in his direction, waiting for him to make one wrong move and he will be on his merry way back to... Hell...
Maybe getting the revenge for the T.V. was a bad idea... Nah! What am I saying? Of course, it wasn`t it was a seventy-inch plasma. SEVENTY FUCKING INCHS!
But that doesn`t really matter now, does it? For now, he had to figure out how to get out of this shitty situation. He couldn`t really walk away from this, considering they will probably put a tracker on him the moment he recovers, to make sure he didn`t run off anywhere. Plus he doubts he will be allowed to leave the orphanage at all.
Hmm... This was really fucked up situation for him.
Knock Knock
"Hmm!?" Tim let out as he was broken out of his thoughts by the knocking on his door. His eye narrowed as he looked at it, wondering who the hell could it be. It wasn`t the detective nor the pro hero, since they would just walk in like they did last time. And both Inko and Izuku just left not even ten minutes ago. Who could this be?
Louder knocking!
Well, whoever they are. They sure are impatient. Letting out a ground of pain when he moved over slightly to his right. He got comfortable before saying. "Come in!"
The door opened slightly and a head poked through it. It was a face of a young woman with brown eyes and red hair, styled into three bangs that went across her face. His eyebrow rose at seeing the unfamiliar face of the woman as her eyes went to him. They seemed to widen slightly as a kind smile spread across her face.
She walked in fully allowing Tim to see all of her. She was dressed in a knee-length skirt, dark leggings, high-heeled shoes, and a red turtleneck sweater with a loose collar. Tim eyes narrowed as he watched her bow towards him.
"Hi." She said in a gentle and friendly voice when she stopped bowing. "Nice to meet you, young man. Do you know who I am?"
...
...
"Should I?" That response made the woman`s eyes widen slightly at how rude it sounded.
"Well... Kinda yeah." She watched him look her up and down his eyebrow going up in confusion as he focused back at her face.
"What you some kind of hero or something?" The question made the woman in front of him sweatdrop.
"Yes. I am a pro hero. My name is-"
"Oh great... Another one." The sudden interruption made the woman stop talking and look at Tim with wide eyes again. "Look if you are here to lecture me about my actions, then I will kindly ask you to turn around and don`t let the door smack you on the way out. I know what I did and I don`t regret it one single bit. So Ma`am! Do yourself a favor and go lecture some ten year old on how to stop eating the green shit from his nose."
...
...
The woman was silent for a good while, making Tim believe that she might have died.
"Uhhh... Ma`am, are you alright?" He asked but got no response. Did she break or something?
"Yo Ma`am you ali-"
"I`M FINE!" The sudden outburst made Tim jump in his bed. He looked at her with wide eyes wondering what the fuck was that all about. "(sigh...) Sorry about that... I just never had someone say stuff like that. Much less be as rude as you are, Aizawa was right about that at least."
Tim`s eyes narrowed at hearing the familiar name. "Aizawa? Like I look like I`m about to drop dead and sleep until the end of the world. That Aizawa?"
The woman chuckled at his description of Azawa and nodded her head. "Yes, that Aizawa. Let me introduce myself. My name is Shino Sousaki, but you can call me Mandalay. It`s nice to meet you, Tim... Even though your first impression is something."
Tim let a small laugh escape his lips. "Well, what can I say. I like to make sure I`m remembered. But now Miss Mandalay. I gotta ask..." He paused as he adjusted his pillow again to a more comfortable position. Damn those hospital beds and they're shitty pillows. "But if I may know. What business do you have with me? The last time I checked Aizawa and the detective had already made a deal with me. So what is a pro hero doing here?"
"First and foremost I wanted to thank you." She said with a heartfelt smile.
"Ugh... For what?" Tim said genuinely having no idea.
"For saving my family... The water hose heroes. The woman is my cousin and her husband is my cousin in law. They have a little kid... My nephew Kouta. If you haven`t been there then they might have..." Shino stopped talking when her mind went towards the dark thoughts. Her body shook in fear and sadness at picturing how Kouta would feel if his parents died.
"Uhh... You`re welcomed I guess... But I wasn`t really trying to save them. Just wanted to get revenge for my T.V. Plus I don`t know if you heard or not but I did say some things to him that were not something you expect to hear from a teenager." Shino`s attention turned back to Tim who was giving her a blank face after he finished.
"Yes... I heard from him what you said. Before I came here I was with them in their own room. Itoki told me everything that happened at the bank. From what I heard you must have really good reflexes in order to be able to dodge so many Muscular attacks. Not to mention quick too. He said you were incredible." Tim blushed slightly at the praise from the older woman and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, mama always did say I had to be quick. Wither it may be mentally or physically." Tim said with a small smile as he remembered his mom. However, it quickly changed to a sad frown as he remembered how she died. Shino saw his sad expression and decided to walk closer. She sat down in one of the chairs that Midoriya`s occupied before and sat at his bedside.
"I`m sorry... I didn`t mean to bring up bad memories." Shino said and watched Tim shrug his shoulders.
"Eh, it`s okay. It`s not your fault she is not here anymore. So no need to feel guilty." Tim then looked over at her. "Say... Shouldn`t you be back with your family and you know... Be there for them."
"Normally I would... But when I heard about your law problems from Aizawa. As the news of you being thrown into the orphanage and... About your family... I thought that... You could use someone by your side." She said in a voice that made Tim feel bad for how he first spoke to her.
"Thank you... I really appreciate it." Tim said giving her a smile which Shino returned. " So what is the other reason you`re here?"
"Well... That brings us back to your other problem. I wish to help with that as well." Tim`s eyes widen at that. She couldn`t mean what he thought she meant.
"Wait. Are you saying you want to adopt me?" His answer was a nod. Conforming his suspicion. "Why? I was an asshole to you not even ten minutes ago."
Her gaze fell to her hands as she fiddled with her fingers nervously. "I don`t know... I know it sounds wired but... I guess I`m just really grateful to you. For helping my family when no one else could. I... I really wish to repay you for putting yourself in danger like that. I believe you earned it." While she spoke those words Shino was mentally screaming at herself. She didn`t know how to raise a kid. Much less a rebellious teenager with a mouth as foul as this one. But she felt inclined to help him. Even if he was acting like an asshole.
Tim set there in silence after hearing her reason. While he didn`t really understand how him accidentally saving someone was such a big deal. He kinda did like the idea of getting easily adopted. And while the woman in front of him looks no older than in her late twenties. Maybe just turned thirty even. Getting adopted by her right away sounded way better than going to some stinking orphanage.
There were only two problems, however... One she was a pro hero. Two she was a pro hero...
(inhale... Breath out.) Guess he`ll have to swallow his pride and go with it.
"Okay... Sure. I`ll go with you." His answer surprised the woman as she looked at him with wide eyes before a smile came to her lips.
"I`m glad to hear it. I`ll be back tomorrow to talk to you some more. The adoption papers should be finished in two days. So we can have me officially became your guardian before you are released from the hospital." She explained in a calm yet joyful tone as she stood up from her chair. "I`m going back to see my family some more. Try to get some rest okay?"
"Sure thing miss." He said while giving her a thumb up. Shino scuffed at him making him narrow his eyes in confusion.
"Stop calling me miss, please. I`m not that old." She told him which Tim only raised an eyebrow at that. "She sensitive about her age or something?"
His thoughts went unanswered as he watched her leave. Giving him one final smile and a wave before closing the door. He let his head drop on the pillow behind him as a sigh escaped his lips.
"Man... What a fucked up day..."
Five days later:
Tim was seen walking through the streets again. Having been healed and cleared out of the hospital. The thief and his new guardian were informed by the detective that because he is a minor, he won`t be put on house arrest. However, he won`t be allowed to go anywhere outside the Musutafu. Which he was completely fine with, considering he didn`t go anywhere beyond it.
But that did prevent him from going to his ruined home base since it was just outside of it. So yeah... He wasn`t too happy about that one. Anyways after few more warnings to never do something like that again. And some more warnings for Aizawa, the two were on their way to the shopping district. Since he was released early in the noon yesterday. They still had plenty of time to go buy some clothes for Tim.
Once done. The two ate at a fast-food restaurant. Which Tim was glad for. All that hospital food started to make his stomach feel wired. They arrived in night time at Shino`s house and if Tim could say anything about it. It was that it looked... Simple really. A one-story house that you can find anywhere in Japan. The only thing wired about it is that it wasn`t in the neighborhood. Rather on the edge of the town with a big lawn behind it.
Tim settled in a guest room Shino had prepared for him and enjoyed some much-needed rest on a good quilty bed. That hospital bed was horrible. The next day Shino woke him up in order to come to eat breakfast with her. Since she came to visit him every day since their talk about her adopting him. The two got to know each other well enough to not be too awkward around one another.
But at breakfast, Tim found out another really bad thing about his guardian. She couldn`t cook for shit. Luckily for them, Tim knew a thing or two about cooking since he read about it in liberty. Just in case he ever needed to make something. So the two of them enjoyed some well-made waffles for breakfast.
You should have seen Shino`s face the whole time Tim was working on making them. She was terrified he will burn the house. After that Tim said I was gonna go take a walk, but not before Shino made him swore that he will not go and get himself in any more trouble.
"Damn for such a calm and kind person. She sure is paranoid. Than again. She might have a reason to since her cousin was almost killed back then." Tim thought as he went out of the main street and into his favored part of town for his pickpocketing. With a smirk on his face, he begins his usual case of stealing items from people. Unaware that someone was following after him.
The man was skinny in build. Wearing a plain white t-shirt, tan baggy pants that looked a little too big on him, and blonde hair with two bangs striking out. This was one other than the rank one hero All Might. In his skinny form of course. The mighty hero was on his way for another day of training with young Midoriya, then he noticed a kid who he assumed was the American boy known as Tim Storm.
At least he assumed it was, judging by the description his student provided him. His curiosity got the better of him and he decided to follow the youth to see what he dose. A soon as he got off the main street, he watched the boy "accidentally" bump into random people. Now while to normal people that would seem like an accident, but All Might saw exactly what the boy did.
He would quickly insert his hand inside the pocket where he assumed the wallet was at the first step of the impact. Then with some really fast hand movement, he would take the money out and quickly put the wallet back where he took it from. Making it seem like nothing had happened. This conformed to All Might`s suspicion about the boy but on the other hand. He was impressed at the speed he managed to pull the money out of someone. Made him wonder how long it took him to learn this despicable yer impressive skill.
He continued to follow the kid and after a few more bumps later the boy went to the nearest alleyway. Most likely to count his earnings. All Might followed after him in an attempt to catch him in the act but was surprised to find the alleyway empty.
"Huh? Where did he go?" All might think to himself while looking for around the alleyway. Which was littered with trash bins, bags, and cans. He looked behind the nearest bin, thinking the kid might be hiding behind them. Once he didn`t see him there, he was about to continue when a sound of something metallic hitting the ground was heard behind him. "Behind."
He quickly turned around only to get bulldozed into a wall behind him by a dark green blur. Letting out a pained groan when his back hit the wall, he soon felt pressure on his neck making him instinctively try to activate his quirk. However, he felt no energy channel through him which shouldn`t be the case since he hasn`t used up his time yet. He noticed then that the one who was pinning him against a wall was none other than Tim Storm.
The kid was glaring into his eyes while pushing his forearm against his neck.
"Why are you following me around old man?" He asked in a cold voice making All Might sweat a little bit.
"Busted!" All Might thought in panic as Tim increased the pressure when he didn`t answer. "Wait! Wait! Hold on, young man! I just wanted-AGH!"
He didn`t get to finish for he was headbutted in the nose by the young thief. Making him crumble to the ground while holding his nose in pain.
"Don`t let me catch you following me again! Next time I won`t be so nice." He heard the threat loud and clear before the sound of hurried footsteps was heard going away from him. He opened his eyes and saw that he was left alone in the alleyway. The kid ran off before he could do anything to stop him.
"Damn it! So he knew I was following him all along." All Might thought while holding his nose which thankful wasn`t bleeding but hurt like hell. "I didn`t expect he`ll attack me like that tho. Must have thought I was part of the police or something... Ugh, I`ll have to try to talk to the young lad again before it's too late for him." The great hero thought to himself as he rubbed his hurting nose. His mind trying to form a plan to talk with the American boy.
Beep! Beep!
But first, he had a successor to train.
With Tim:
Tim had run off as far away as he could from the spot he downed a guy at. He was glad he noticed that he was being followed as soon as he did. The guy could have been a policeman or a hero in disguise. If he saw what he was doing, he would no doubt try to take him in for stealing. And oh boy, he really didn`t want to meet up with any more police deputies this week. So he did the only thing it felt right at that time.
And if you ask him if he regrets it... Well kinda. The guy did look pretty old. So he might have not deserved to be hit like that.
Oh well. It's his flat for putting his nose where it didn`t belong. Anyways once he was sure he was far enough from that place. He walked into another alleyway, one where two buildings were slightly closer to each other. After making sure no one was watching or following him. He proceeded to jump from on the walk of the one building to his left and kicked himself off of it and managed to grab a hold of a metal leader that was placed on the right side of the building.
The ladder was raised up beyond his reach. Making him need to bounce off the other building in order to reach it. Once he had a firm hold of it with both hands he started to climb up towards the roof of the building.
"Woah!... Fucking hell..." Apparently, this was one slippery ladder since his right foot slide off one of its bars, making him almost fall. Luckily his right hand instinctively griped hardened on the ladder making it so he didn`t take a painful fall. Once he was able to regain his footing. He then felt like someone was watching him. Turning his head he saw a young woman looking at him through a window across from where he was clinging from.
The woman had tanned skin, long white hair, and was in the middle of... Changing her pants!? Giving Tim a clear view of her black panties. Realizing that this could make him look like something he wasn`t. He quickly begins to resume his climb up but not before catching the death glare the woman was giving him. He made it to the top and let out a breath of relief. Thankful he escaped something that would have lead to some real misunderstandings.
He walked to the middle of the roof and set down before pulling out a relatively big roll of money from his pocket. He smiled to himself at the sight of the thing that made the world spin and was about to count over his earnings.
THUND!
When the sound of something impacting the ground was heard behind him. Making his eyes widen and his head turn slowly towards the sound. There stood the same tanned woman with her hands crossed over her very ravishing-looking chest. Looks like she finished changing. But the thing she changed to was a sleeveless white leotard with dark purple trim around her shoulders and waist, a wide, yellow crescent moon design over its chest, and two thick metal plates on her midriff. She wore purple thigh-high boots to compliment her leotard, with more plating around the heel and toe areas, making her feet look like those of a rabbit. She also has a pair of thick white gloves on her hands with long cuffs, sporting small triangular protrusions around their edges.
Tim blinked at the woman and slowly put the roll of cash. Back into his pocket. Before rising to his feet slowly. The glare she was giving him made him think she was trying to burn him with it.
"Um... Greetings..." He said nervously with drops of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. The woman`s glare intensified as she uncrossed her arms and in a split second closed the distance with him.
Her right leg pulled back to deliver a high kick to his face.
A/N: There we go. Finished. Now I know that this chapter was... Anticlimactic to say the least. I know that Tim`s interaction with Shino and her adoption of him was lame and sudden. But trust me when I promise you. Their bond will be shown a lot over the course of the next few chapters as well as with the rest of Shino`s group of friends. Plus I feel like I kinda rushed everything both in the last chapter and this one. So sorry about that. Plus the All Might stuff was for my enjoyment.
Now don`t get me wrong I like the big guy. But I really wanted to write about him getting headbutted by a kid. Sorry if that angers someone.
I`ll try better in the upcoming ones.
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And I will see all of you in the next one.