I don't own One Punch Man, nor do I own My Hero Academia. Each Franchise is owned by their respective owners. Enjoy!
Aldera Junior High, The School Yard..
Tatsumaki crossed her arms while walking with Toshinori. He then turned his head to her, "Hey, if you don't mind me asking...you don't happen to be skipping school right now, aren't you?"
Tatsumaki raised her brow, before replying, "Hmph! Not a problem. Besides, I got good grades there. That shitty place won't expel me from a day of absence." She then looked away.
"Ah, I see..." Toshinori said while sweat dropping.
Tatsumaki was tempted to tell him the reason why she skipped school, but well... she's not ready yet.
And I've made a breakfast for lil sis...hope she likes it... Tatsumaki thought.
"Well, do try not to skip school in the future, Tatsumaki-chan." Toshinori suggested. Tatsumaki shook her head, "School is about to end anyway. U.A is my main focus."
"Hmmm.." Toshinori rubbed his chin, before asking, "Why do you want to become a hero again?" Tatsumaki flinched at the question, before replying, "Oi! That's none of your business!" She yelled.
Toshinori laughed nervously, "S- sorry! I was just curious, you know? Usually, people do it for fame, money, some stuff like that, I just...well, that kind of reason isn't that noble but-"
Tatsumaki had enough of this. Might as well tell him, "To protect my little sister."
"Huh?" Toshinori asked again. Tatsumaki let out a heavy exhale, before saying, "You heard me right. These days, we aren't allowed to use our quirks in public without a license," She continued before whispering, And thank goodness for those meta liberation dicks for standing up against that awful, awful rule.
She then cleared her throat, "Ahem, so, anyway, since I can't use my quirk, freely, then I won't be able to protect my sister to the fullest. There'll be restriction. I don't want that, I want to keep my sister safe at all times, that's why...I want to be a hero."
Toshinori stared at her for a moment, making her uncomfortable, "Did I said something bad, lame face?" She insulted a bit, which agitated the poor blond-haired teen.
"Ah, no, no." He scratched his head, "It might not be the best motive, but that's still a noble goal. I support you on this one, Tatsumaki-chan."
"You're not judging me or something? I mean, I don't do this because I want to help people." Tatsumaki retorted. Toshinori shook his head, "I completely understand your situation, Tatsumaki. There's no need to fear my judgement. I know how you feel..well, I myself have someone to protect too."
"And that person is...?" Tatsumaki asked. Toshinori replied, "A friend. A close one actually. Sad thing is, everyone hates him for being a 'quirkless weakling'. Poor kid became a subject of ridicule..."
Tatsumaki looked at him for a moment, before saying, "I'm not saying this to ridicule the quirkless, don't get me wrong, these people who ridicule this friend of yours are fucking awful, but maybe there's some truth." She then spoke with a serious tone, "You probably should drive him to strive to be stronger than he is right now. That's how this world works, right? The strong culls the weak."
Toshinori wanted to respond so badly to this,
However, the bell quickly rung. Toshinori stood straighter than a pole, preparing to enter his classroom.
"Well, class started. Good luck then, blue-eyes." Tatsumaki gave him a good luck talk, smirking.
Toshinori still didn't like the nickname, but he brushed it off, before saying, "Heh, you're saying that as if we're separating. Meet me in Class 3-A after homeroom, thirty minutes from now. Today is a free day, so we aren't studying, and all the activities in the school at the moment are only extracurricular."
Tatsumaki's expression softened a bit, before replying, "Oh, that's.. that's good.." At least I won't be lonely...in another thirty minutes, "Well, see you later. Looking forward to it." She finished, before looking back.
But before Toshinori can walk, suddenly, a familiar voice called out. The figure grabbed Toshinori by the shoulder, "Where do you think you're going...hmmmmm?!"
Toshinori sighed in exasperation, "Masashi...Mezo..." He then looked back, "What do you--" He was interrupted when Masashi slashed him across the face with his claws, "You fuckin' cheater!"
Toshinori was completely unaffected by this. Mezo chuckled, before putting his hand on his brother's shoulder, "That's not how it works, bro. That guy literally tanked all that our dad has thrown at him. As much as I hate to admit it, he's fuckin' impervious to everything we throw."
"Then what the fuck do you suggest?" Masashi asked, yelling at his brother. Mezo smirked, "If we can't break his body, we break his pride."
He then cleared his throat, before saying, "This...this is how you do it." He then raised his hand up in the air, "EVERYBODY, LISTEN UP!" Mezo then shouted, earning a look from nearby passing by students.
"Are you going to walk by, whilst a criminal who fooled the teachers on U.A walks among you? Look at him!" Mezo then pointed at Toshinori with a wide grin, his snake-like tongue sticking out of his mouth, "He's quirkless! Yet he somehow outperformed all of us in the exams! Isn't that suspicious? IS IT?!"
The students began rambling amongst themselves, contemplating whether to confront Toshinori about it or to report it to the teachers.
"What if he's using some sort of tech?! A hax equipment?! A weapon from the dark market?! So many possibilities! But all we know is that this teen, this despicable quirkless mistake, cheated his way through the entrance exam." Mezo finished, snickering.
Everyone knows Toshinori as this one quirkless person who couldn't do anything at all, it only makes sense if they got suspicious at him outperforming a well known quirk users such as Masashi and Mezo.
Every last of the students began conversing,
"Is that true?"
"Well, I kinda overheard some teachers from Yuuei saying something about a 'Toshinori' kid."
"Fuck, what do we do then?"
"We have a freaking cheater among us!"
Masashi looked at his brother in wide-eye, clasping both of his cheeks, "You..you did it!"
Mezo then stared at Toshinori in the eye, "You should give it up, now that your secret is exposed to every single last of them. What do you say, guys?!" He then cheered for the students to break him, break Toshinori to the point of no return, "Do you think he should give up?!"
"Yeah! He should!"
"Cheater!"
"What a spoilsport!"
"You won't make it in the hero course that way, idiot!"
"Moron!"
"GIVE IT UP, TOSHINORI!"
Mezo then shouted along, eyeing Toshinori again, "GIVE IT UP!" chanting it repeatedly, before a horde of students followed him along.
"GIVE IT UP!"
"GIVE IT UP!"
GIVE. IT UP.
GIVE. IT. UP.
GIVE. IT. UP
GIVE. IT. UP.
Toshinori looked at him with a blank stare, completely unaffected by all the chanting.
While all the crowds were chanting, Mezo asked in a mocking tone, "So? Ready to quit as a hero, Toshinori?! Ready to get out of our way of becoming the greatest heroes ever?!"
Toshinori chuckled, "Okay, gotta get to class then. I don't got all the time in the world."
"O- Oi!" He grabbed Toshinori by the shoulder again. Toshinori sighed, ready to swat him away. But suddenly, Mezo was completely enveloped in a green aura.
"W- what?!" He asked himself in confusion. He couldn't move. Not a single muscle could he budge, "Who the fuck-"
Amidst the chanting, a low, feminine voice growled, "You all should stop." She spoke with authority, "And that includes you too, scrawny reptilian." She continued, glaring at the eyes of Mezo.
Her eyes glowed green, the power of her esper is spreading through her body. "H- hey! GET YOUR STINKING QUIRK OFF MY BR-" As Masashi was about to approach her, Tatsumaki forced him into the ground with her quirk, pinning him to the very dirt of the ground.
"W- what the fuck are you..freak...never seen you..before..." Mezo said in a choked voice.
One Punch Man - Saitama's Theme {Ballad/Sad Ver.} - PLAYS.
"Leave the guy alone. He's not cheating. I saw him. It's purely from him." Tatsumaki said in a low tone, "Nothing about him gives us a vibe of a liar. He's a good person, a true hero, hell, a better hero than you both are."
She then continued, "I only see a glimpse of you two and I can already tell that you're the type to pick on those whom you look down. You're not a hero." She clenched her fist, causing both of the bullies to be crushed by the intense pressure of her esper quirk, "YOU'RE NOT A FUCKING HERO AT ALL!"
She then looked at the crowds, "The one you're telling to give up...IS A TRUE HERO! I know it, I've seen it. I was there, I was one of the participants in that exam..." She spoke to them, earning some of their widened shocked eyes. Tears began to came out of her eyes, "I antagonized him, MULTIPLE DAMN TIMES. I belittled him, called him names, annoyed the shit out of him. But when I was facing what I thought as a certain death.. " She closed her eyes, sadness overwhelming her, "HE SAVED ME! You hear me?! He fucking saved me! He didn't even think of his own safety when he did that! And I don't even know why! Not a reason! One of the reason I could make out, is that he's a hero..a true hero."
She wept, sobbing as she let her esper quirk fade away, almost falling to her knees, her body felt like it was..weak. "I don't know why you worship those heroes out there, who doesn't give a shit, who doesn't give a fuck about the common folks, like me, like all of you! All they care about is the compensation, the fame, all of those bullshit! Heroes these days... aren't heroes at all! And yet, you...you fucking underappreciated a guy like him, a guy like Toshinori, who goes about his day like a normal person and wants nothing but to help people...WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!" She yelled, falling to her knees, her tears are already falling out of her cheeks, dropping into the ground as a droplet.
Memories began flashing through her mind...
Tatsumaki were sitting besides Fubuki in an alley, feeling her stomach rumbling in extreme hunger. She then took a look at her little sister, who was eating what's left of the scraps of food.
She sacrificed her food just for her, her sweet, innocent little Fubuki, who doesn't deserve any of the things that's happening to her right now. She would do anything for her. She would DIE just for her. She's all that Tatsumaki's got left. She would be damned if she lets her own needs get in the way of her sister's nourishment.
But suddenly, she heard a crowd cheering for a pro-hero just a few meters from the alley. She raised her brow in happiness, feeling a ray of hope. A pro-hero! Maybe he could help her sister, who was starving to death at the moment. She couldn't bore the suffering of her sweet little sister any longer.
She took a peek, seeing the pro-hero flexing his muscles and signing autographs on each of his fans. She smiled, as she felt that the pro-hero was a nice guy.
In her homeless get-up, she ran towards the pro-hero, who was waliing away grom the scene, "Mister! Mister!" She called out.
The pro-hero didn't seem to hear her, but she still ran towards him, a ray of hope blossomed throughout her heart. "Mister pro-hero! Wait!"
The pro-hero didn't stop. She then jumped in front of him, bowing in front of the pro-hero, "Mister pro-hero... I'm sorry for the sudden interruption, but I have a sister! We really can't afford anything, so I...was just wondering.." She then looked up, "If you could help me! My sister is starving you see, and we're kind of...homeless. I'll do anything! Anything so that you can take her in and help her! You don't need to take me in if you're troubled, but please, just her is en-"
The pro-hero interrupted her, "Out of my way, brat. I got somewhere else to be."
Tatsumaki was surprised by this answer, before begging him again, "Please! I'll pay you back! I promise! Please!" Her eyes let out a few good tears.
"No. I got no money on me, so bugger off, homeless brat." He was about to walk away, but Tatsumaki clutched to his legs, "Please! Pl-"
He flicked his wrist, causing Tatsumaki to fall into the ground. Facing inevitable rejection, she can only let out a few tears, "B- But you are supposed to be..." She stopped...
"Just find a job or something. I don't have time to babysit you homeless brats." He then walked away, "If you bother me again, I'll label you as a villain, got it?"
As he walked away, disappearing out of sight, all Tatsumaki felt, was a sting of rejection...from a hero, of all people.
"I'm sorry, Fubuki-chan... I'm so sorry.." She began weeping into the ground, feeling helpless, feeling like she couldn't do anything to change the situation.
The memory was painful enough for her to just let out a distressed cry, facing the dirt and crying out loud. "DAMN YOU ALLLLL!!!!" She cursed them, as she wept even louder.
Suddenly, a breeze of wind swept by her. A hand was placed in her shoulder. Tatsumaki was surprised, and looked up, to see Toshinori, crouching to her level, smiling at her.
"Hey...you don't want to cause a scene in here, don't you?" He said in a soft voice, "Let's get out of here. A canteen might be good enough for us to speak. You're not looking so good there.."
He stretched his hand, offering her a help for her to stand up. She grabbed his hand, standing up. She took a deep breath, before looking at the students, who were clearly looking at both Mezo and Masashi.
She noticed what that look is. A dirty look. A disgusted look. Toshinori interrupted her, "No point in dwelling in this. Let's go." he gently pulled her, as she walked with him.
Genos, unbeknownst to Toshinori, was watching the whole thing unfold. He smiled, You really are a true hero, Toshinori-kun..that quality of yours will attract a lot of people...
The Canteen...
Toshinori sat with Tatsumaki, who's eyes were still crimson red. He looked at her in concern, before asking, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, it's nothing, I just..let my emotions get the better of me. If this was my school, I would've never.." She stopped herself from saying it, putting a hand on her mouth.
"So that's why you skipped school..." Toshinori said, piecing it together, "And I have a feeling that you think that I'm the only one who will accept you for being who you are, instead of this...'tough girl' act you're putting on in front of everyone."
"N- no! That's not it!" Tatsumaki denied, looking away in embarrassment, "Let's just stop already. Don't you have a homeroom to attend?!" She yelled.
"Nah, it really is not important." Toshinori replied, "However, seeing if you're okay or not is important."
"You don't need to... I'm sorry if I've been a bother, I caused a scene and probably ruined your reputation by now... I'm so so-" Tatsumaki was interrupted when Toshinori softly interjected, "I don't give a damn about my reputation, and you have nothing to be sorry about. I can always spare a lot of my time to help people, including you. If you need my companion, so be it. You're clearly facing a big problem right now, and that's understandable."
"But.."
"But nothing. I don't want voices singing praises of my name, or a stand ovation. I'm just me, a normal, human being who doesn't stand out above anyone else. You don't have to worry about ruining my reputation, Tatsumaki." He reassured.
"Well..." Tatsumaki paused, before continuing, "Even if everyone stands against you, I'd still see you as a true hero..even when you don't get a plastic card plastered the title 'hero' all over it. You're still a hero. I wish.." Tatsumaki wept again, "I wish all heroes are like you.."
Toshinori's expression softened, before saying, "You're clearly have been hurt by one of the pro-heroes..please, tell me, get it off your chest..you don't have to keep it all to yourself."
"..are you sure? I don't feel like taking a bit of your time though.." Tatsumaki said, reluctantly trying to accept his offer.
"I'll be here as long as you like, Tatsumaki-chan. Tell me..." He replied, smiling.
"I used to be homeless.." Tatsumaki admitted, which shocked Toshinori to the core, "You...you were what?!"
"Homeless. No parents, no nothing. I'm just with my sister alone, going through the streets, scrounging for scraps. She didn't deserve it though.." Toshinori could notice the hurt in her voice, "She didn't deserve it at all..I tried my best to nourish her, to give her food, but..it was not an easy feat."
She then continued, "Even pro-heroes rejected to help us. They..they completely abandoned and ignored us. We had no one to help us. I had to rely on myself to protect and keep my sister safe at all times. No one was there. Not even what you guys call a PRO-HERO."
She then looked over the table, "I just want my sister to be happy, a happiness of her own, even if it costs mine. I want nothing more than that...I really don't..."
Toshinori only gave her a look of sympathy, before saying, "I know it hurts a lot to be abandoned by someone you thought of as a hero, but don't let it get to you too much. As much of a jerk they are, they play an important role on keeping society intact. What happens if they disappear? Chaos will ensue. Again, I'm not justifying their action, I've met a share of pro-heroes who don't live up to their title, and I used to hate them, a lot, but I realise, that these heroes are really what holds society together. I'm not asking you to forgive them, but... don't let your emotions get the better of you, okay?"
Tatsumaki could only stay in silent. The teen made a good point, and she hated it so much.
Toshinori then leaned to the table, bringing himself closer to her, "...let me ask you something though, are you struggling financially?"
"I am. I rented a house and I haven't paid in like...a few months.." Tatsumaki replied, her eyes gazing on the floor, "Ah...I believe I've made this too depressing. I-"
"I can help you with that." Tosbinori interrupted.
"W- what?! No, you moron, no! Keep your money to yourself, I didn't come here to be a girl scout and fuck you up financially, please just-" She was interrupted when Toshinori replied, "No, seriously, I'm kind of rich right now, I didn't ask to be, and I would be thrilled if I can share my wealth with someone else."
Toshinori didn't want the money the Yaoyoruzu family gave him, but he shouldn't throw them away aimlessly. He was planning to give some of them to charity, or to every homeless people he would come across. One more person wouldn't hurt.
"Oi, Yakult, just drop it." Tatsumaki sternly said. Toshinori insists, "You're struggling. What kind of hero I am if I let you be? AND MY NAME IS NOT YAKULT, DAMMIT!"
Tatsumaki exhaled, "FINE, JUST-"
"Yagi Toshinori." The voice of his homeroom teacher suddenly came by. Toshinori looked back, and in his horror, he didn't look very pleased at all.
"I see that you're the one who caused all that commotion, along with that girl. The principal demands you in his office. Come with me." The homeroom teacher sternly said, glaring at the both of them.
Toshinori looked at Tatsumaki, who shook her head. "Shit.." Was all Toshinori could say.
THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY'S CHAPTER! HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT! (There's a bit of an error in this chapter so I fixed some of it.)