Dragon on the Rise

Chapter 1 (Revised)

Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) officers and several cops congregated outside a nondescript six-story office building and awaited the forthcoming signal. PSIA Officer Kozue, in particular, was eager to start.

The imminent plan was three months in the making. The Ministry of Justice added the Spirit Dreamers on the watch list. The PSIA was given the task to infiltrate and investigate the doomsday cult. Every action, every transaction, every piece of conversation was recorded and forwarded by undercover operatives to their superiors. By now, the leader, his lieutenants, and their brethren had all their information scoured through, with investigators looking for ways to get at them on any charges a prosecutor could press with absolute certainty that would hold up in court.

Some of the high-ranking officials engaged in tax evasion; a few brandished their quirks in public, violating the quirk usage law. The cult also sheltered a few fugitives from the law and the prosecution had been ecstatic at the chance of finally bringing them to trial.

The plan was carefully cultivated. All the pieces fell into place. Today would be the day this cult would meet its end and join Aum Shinrinkyo in the ash heap of history.

Their undercover operatives recommended this day for a certain reason. The cult would conduct a ritual to summon their patron saint, the cult's unifying centerpiece. Every member would be in attendance. Once the ritual was complete, and bound to fail, the PSIA and police would storm the building and catch them by surprise, minimizing the chances of them fleeing or resisting arrest.

The officer checked his watch. He had it down to the exact minute and second for the signal to be given. The ritual should be done about now...

And then the screams began to pour out from the cracked-open windows. Flashes of bright green light flickered from a few windows on the fourth floor.

He stifled the curse in his throat. In one second, the buck was forcibly passed from the officers in wait. There was no way in hell a police officer had anything in his arsenal to counter the light of the summoned being.

One of the cops clutched the walkie-talkie off his utility belt. "This is the Nakano Ward police. We request a professional hero to come immediately."

Ryuko Tatsuma, known to most as the Dragoon Hero Ryukyu, was the first professional hero to hear the request. The app on her device located the call to an office building in the Nakano Ward, which she happened to be patrolling.

She put the device to her ear. "Ryukyu here. I am heading over to the scene right now."

The police on the other end responded. "Copy that. ETA?"

"Two minutes."

"See you there."

Ryuko began her flight northwards to the scene, and as she did so, she began to reflect on her career.

It had been years since she started. Her specialty revolved around subduing large villains as her quirk enabled her to transform into a large dragon, which evened out the battlefield considerably. In many, if not all, of her fights, she bested her opponents easily.

She soon landed on the road and transformed back to her human self. The cops filled her in on the details and cobbled up a plan. A minute later, the cops broke down the front doors and began to dart up the stairwells. Ryuko and the PSIA officers followed suit.

The arrival of a professional hero and the PSIA further added to the shock the weary cult members had. A solid amount of them were incapacitated from their summoned quarry. A few even looked dead, but a quick pulse check proved otherwise.

The cops cleared the first few rooms but stopped short of the fourth. Ryuko looked into the room and gasped.

A young boy with brown hair stood in the middle of the room, petrified. His eyes widened and his lips quivered. His body shook and his arms trembled. He was also hyperventilating. She saw one of his arms, clad in a red, draconic-like gauntlet of foreign origin. The circular green jewel on the back of his gloved hand had caught her eye.

Her intuition began to scream at her. No ordinary human would be powerful enough to knock out the majority of the cult's followers. She looked at the gauntlet again. Did he have a dragon transformation quirk?

Her eyes turned to the boy's expression. Tears began to well in his eyes and he sniffled. She approached him, heart-stricken by the display. The boy looked up and then backed himself to the wall. She carefully approached him and let out a gentle smile.

"It's okay, little one. Everything will be alright," Ryuko said.

She proffered her hand to him. The boy stared, whimpering, his body tense. His eyes darted over to the unconscious people in the room. He squeezed his eyes shut and collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

She watched him, the feeling in her chest growing heavier. She moved over to the boy and crouched down to his height.

She repeated her words and began to soothe him as his tears continued to fall.

Meanwhile, Officer Kozue and his fellow cops had finished clearing the rooms. The majority of the cult members had been accounted for, except for the few top-level executives. The mystery was soon answered by a huge, smoldering hole in the corridor's sidewall. He looked through to see several melted-through sidewalls, stopping short of another wall. He vaulted through the holes to see another hole burrowing through the floors and underneath the surface.

"Shit," Kozue said.

The leader and his closest lieutenants had taken advantage of the chaos to make their escape, and it would be impossible to chase after them. Kozue sighed. More money and manpower had to be put in finding their new whereabouts.

Kozue brought up his walkie-talkie. "Alright, start taking them down to the police cruisers."

"Copy."

"Thanks."

The Nakano cops began escorting the members downstairs. Kozue entered the room and stopped as he saw the two. He lingered in place, unsure on how to handle the situation. Comforting someone was beyond his pay grade, and there were others better suited for the task.

The sobs soon died down somewhat, and Ryuko had finally managed to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ryuko whispered something soothing to the boy, then stood up and turned to the officer.

"I apologize if I didn't respond right away," Ryuko said.

"No, it's fine! I understand you had pressing matters to deal with." The officer cleared his throat. "Anyway, on behalf of all the officers, we'd like to thank you for your assistance."

Ryuko smiled gently. "It's not a problem, officer. The operation seems to have gone smoothly for the most part."

Kozue nodded. "Yes, but a few managed to get away, though."

"You'll get them eventually."

Kozue sighed. "Yeah... thanks for the kind words." The officer turned to the boy and winced. "Unfortunately, we'll have to bring him to the station."

Ryuko nodded. "I see. If I may, can I come with you guys?"

"I'll have to talk to the police chief, but it's a good idea. Might be better that way since the boy didn't do anything wrong. It's that damn cult's fault... but we still have to take him in for questioning."

Ryuko nodded. She looked over to the boy and extended a hand. "Come, little one." The boy looked up at them, tears still rolling down. He wasn't willing to move. "It'll be okay, little one. They're not going to punish you. They just want to make sure you're alright."

The boy eventually stood up and traipsed over to the two. The two escorted him down the stairs and took him outside. Kozue went over to a burly man who observed the scene before him. They spoke in hushed tones and the conversation lasted a few minutes.

The officer soon turned to them. "The chief said it's okay."

"Thank you," Ryuko said.

The trio boarded the police car. The cruiser soon eased out of the line of police cars and sped off to the station.

In the meantime, Ryuko's thoughts turned to the boy. She recalled the incapacitated followers and how shocked and horrified the boy was at what transpired. If he was already this powerful at his age, she could only imagine how powerful he'd be when he had fully matured.

Based on the information she'd received from the cops, the boy would not exist on paper. She winced at the thought that the authorities would send the boy to an orphanage if they didn't find him in the registry. From past experience and hearsay, the foster care system was lacking. Even if the boy was adopted by loving parents, she wasn't sure if they would be able to handle him and his quirk.

Before the question would even be asked, she was already making plans, committed to the only sensible option.

The sun's rays from a window illuminated the bare-bones interrogation room. The boy sat at the small table designed for two, facing the door. He was still shaking and his eyes darted all over. Ryuko had taken a seat at one of the chairs placed in the corner.

Officer Kozue had excused himself after he brought them here, citing other business. Thirty minutes had passed since then.

The door creaked open, snapping Ryuko out of her reverie and scaring the boy out of his wits. A tall man with short black hair, dressed in a suit had entered the room and assumed the seat opposite of the boy.

The man fixated his gaze on him. "Greetings. My name is Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, and I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Ryuko let out a sigh of relief. Out of all the detectives she'd interacted with, Tsukauchi was trustworthy and a stickler for the rules. All her dealings with him had been pleasant, if a bit dry. He had an innate talent for detecting lies, derived from his "Lie Detector" quirk.

She relaxed, satisfied that the detective would be fair and sympathetic to the boy in front of him.

Tsukauchi looked at the boy with warm eyes. "Actually, before we begin, would you like anything to drink?" The boy continued to shake, but nodded. "What would you like?"

He was slow to respond. "C-Calpis."

Tsukauchi nodded. "I'll get that for you."

Tsukauchi came back a few minutes later with the soda he got from the station's vending machine. He gave it to the boy and watched as he picked up the opened can and took a sip.

"Are you ready to begin?" Tsukauchi said. The boy nodded. "Alright. What is your name, first of all?" The boy's lips moved. "Can you please speak a little louder?"

"H-Hyoudou Issei."

The detective recorded the answer on his notepad. "How old are you?"

"T-twelve, sir."

"Where do you live?"

"K-Kuoh, sir."

"Where is Kuoh at?"

Hyoudou paused. "It's... um... it's in Ibaraki Prefecture, by Tsukuba."

The detective nodded and pulled out his phone. He soon showed the screen. Tsukuba was highlighted on the map.

"Can you point out to me where Kuoh is?"

Hyoudou stared at the phone. "U-um... what is that?"

"What do you mean, Hyoudou?"

He raised a shaky finger at the phone. "The device you're using."

The detective furrowed his brow before relaxing his expression. "Ah, this is a smartphone. It's a phone that has all these nifty features and tools. It's of great use to me as a detective. Do you not have any smartphones?"

Hyoudou shook his head. "N-no sir."

"You said Kuoh is by Tsukuba, right? Can you show me where it is?"

Hyoudou eventually leaned forward and tentatively tapped on one area, only to frown. "I-I don't see Kuoh anywhere. N-none of these streets are familiar."

The detective nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the year?" Hyoudou paused, then spoke softly. "Can you please repeat that for me?"

"2004."

The detective winced. "I hate to break it to you, but 2004 has long since passed. The current year is 2068."

Hyoudou gasped. "R-really?"

The detective shook his head. "Yes, unfortunate it is to say... Tell me, Hyoudou, what happened back at the building?"

Hyoudou froze. "I honestly don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I...It all happened in a blur. I only know that I had the urge to deal with the threat in front of me... and I followed my instincts."

The detective nodded. "I see. Well, I only have a few more questions before I'll let you go." He glanced at Hyoudou. "Do you know what quirks are?"

Hyoudou frowned, then shook his head.

Tsukauchi sighed. "Well... Quirks are common to humanity in this day and age. They're basically—for the lack of a better term—superpowers, or abilities ubiquitous to each human. For example, there is the number one hero in Japan, All Might. He has a quirk that gives him super strength and can defeat most villains in one blow. There's also Endeavor, the runner-up, who's able to use fire." He looked at Ryuko. "Then there's Ryukyu, whose quirk is being able to transform into a dragon."

Hyoudou nodded, wide-eyed.

"Do you have any parents, Hyoudou?"

Ryuko jerked and leaned forward. "You shouldn't ask him that."

The detective looked at her. "I'm sorry, but I need to ask this question."

Hyoudou became rigid. He lowered his gaze, tears welling up. "T-their names are Miki and Gorou Hyoudou."

Tsukauchi looked at him with sympathy. "Alright, that's all the questions I need to ask. Sorry for the inconvenience." The detective began to get up from his seat.

"A-Actually, can you answer one question for me?"

Tsukauchi paused. "What do you want to ask?"

"Is there anyone... or anything out there that could take me home?"

Tsukauchi sighed. "That's difficult to answer. There are people out there who have teleportation or warp quirks, but they're not strong enough to reach out to parallel worlds. Technology that would be able to do that would be quite dangerous, since it could wreak havoc if it was in the wrong hands, so no one is rushing to invent it anytime soon... Maybe I'm wrong and there's something in the works, but I have to be realistic in saying that you're here to stay for the most part."

Issei remained still and began to sob.

"I'm sorry, Hyoudou. I know this is difficult." Tsukauchi said

Ryuko got up and moved to Hyoudou. "It's okay, little one. We'll find you a way home." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and remained there for a few minutes.

When the boy was calm enough, Tsukauchi got up from his chair and opened the door. He ushered Ryuko to follow him.

As the door shut behind them, Tsukauchi turned to Ryuko. "Honestly, this is one of the hardest cases I've ever taken. I knew it'd be when the PSIA reached out to me and requested my presence..."

Ryuko nodded. "You tried your best."

Tsukauchi shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't even know how I could console someone who went through a major upheaval like that."

"I think you did fine. So what happens next?"

Tsukauchi sighed. "We're going to try to search for Miki and Gorou Hyoudou, although the chances of finding them are pretty much nil. His relatives aren't going to exist, either. So we'll have to put him in an orphanage and hope it doesn't take long for a family to adopt him."

Ryuko frowned. "Could they handle him?"

"What do you mean?"

"The cops told you what happened at the building, didn't they?"

Tsukauchi nodded. "Yeah, I know he incapacitated the lot of them. But what other option is there? Unless something changes, we'll have to follow standard procedure in cases like this."

Ryuko shook her head. "I have a better suggestion."

Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"I'll adopt him."

Tsukauchi stopped in his tracks, slackjawed. "Are you sure about that? Wouldn't it interfere with your work?"

Ryuko shook her head. "It won't interfere. He's twelve after all, so he won't need much."

Tsukauchi sighed. "If you're really sure about this, I'll get the paperwork for you to start on. The PSIA will speed it through."

"Thanks, detective."

"You're welcome. I'll leave it to you to tell him about the new arrangements."

"I will."

The detective nodded and went to another room. Ryuko returned to the interrogation room and assumed the seat opposite Hyoudou.

"Hey... Would you like me to adopt you?" Issei stiffened, and Ryuko could understand why. Adoption was stigmatized in Japan, and the past sixty years hadn't done anything to change it. He averted his gaze from her, blushing, before he brought his tear-stained eyes back to her. A few seconds passed before he nodded. A smile grew on her lips.

The door opened as Tsukauchi approached the two. He placed the paperwork down on the table. "Here you go, Ryukyu."

"Thank you, detective," Ryuko said.

"You're welcome. Now, if you can please excuse me." The detective left the room.

Ryuko continued to smile as she looked at her future adopted son.

Ryuko finished the paperwork as fast as she could, and then faxed it over to the proper authorities. For the birthplace, she decided to write Tsukuba, Ibaraki-ken on the form. Approval was to come faster-than-expected. Tsukauchi mentioned that the PSIA would remedy the situation the best they could. A lot of strings were going to be pulled for Issei to have a paper trail. It also helped that there were no biological parents to object to the pending adoption, clearing the most difficult legal hurdle.

Another option she had to decide on the paperwork was whether her adopted son would take on her surname or retain his original surname. It didn't used to be a choice. The koseki—family register—used to be strict. Back then, all adoptees had to assume the adopter's surname. All that changed with the advent of quirks, pro heroes, and villains. Since pro heroes weren't anonymous, they could be at great risk of having their biological or adopted kids kidnapped by villains just so they could get back at the hero. As a result, reforms were made in the koseki system and now there was the option for their kids to have different surnames to create distance and plausible deniability, which was convenient for heroes who weren't wealthy enough to afford their own security.

There was one pro hero she knew that had all four kids take on his surname. Endeavor was able to do this for two reasons. His prominence and fierce reputation served as a deterrent to villains willing to entertain the idea of kidnapping his children. The second reason was he had several of his sidekicks assigned to guarding his residence.

As for Ryuko, she could afford private security, but she thought it to be a waste of money and there were better things to spend money on. In addition, she only had a few sidekicks in her hero agency (unlike Endeavor, she preferred quality over quantity in her staff).

The choice was easy, but she left it up to Issei to decide. Given the choice, he was quick to keep his own surname. She ticked the respective checkbox.

The two parted ways with Tsukauchi after the police chief allowed them to go. They sauntered out of the five-story police station.

The sun was beginning to set and the sidewalks were much calmer than they were a couple hours ago. The clock at the police station stated it was 9:20 PM.

Ryuko looked at Issei. "Issei, don't be alarmed if people approach us. I'm a popular heroine and there will be many out there who will want my autograph or a photo... Thankfully, rush hour has passed and there aren't many out here at this hour. Still, if you don't want to be swarmed by the crowd, you should keep a bit of distance as you follow me."

Issei nodded. Ryuko began to walk on the sidewalk with Issei in tow. They immediately hanged a right into the Shin-nakano Station entrance. Passersby glanced at the pro hero as they descended two stairwells to the underground Tokyo Metro platform. The train schedule hanging overhead stated the next eastbound train on the Marunouchi Line would arrive in three minutes.

As they waited behind the yellow line, the people around them began to stare and speak in hushed tones.

"Whoa, is that Ryukyu?"

"She is!"

A few enthusiastic fans made their way to the heroine. "Can we get your autograph?"

"We love you! Can you please sign our autographs too?"

Ryuko smiled. She opened her leg bag and pulled out a pen. With the click of her pen, she wrote her signature on the fans' notepads.

"Can I get your photo?"

"Sure," Ryuko said.

One of the fans walked to her side and posed with the heroine. Another fan snapped a photo of the two.

The station's intercom chimed. "The local train bound for Ikebukuro is arriving at track two. Please wait behind the yellow warning lines."

Ryuko nodded and smiled at the fans. "I'm sorry, but my train will arrive soon."

"It's not a problem! Thank you for letting me get your autograph!"

"You're the best!"

Ryuko chuckled. "Thank you guys."

Issei looked at her. "D-does this happen all the time?"

Ryuko smiled. "Not all the time. They won't bother me if I'm in my civilian attire. It only happens when I'm wearing my hero costume. Honestly, if you get a lot of praise, then you're doing something right, so I don't mind."

Issei nodded. "I see."

The train rumbled into the station and stopped precisely at the platform screen doors. The two gave way to the disembarking passengers, and soon boarded a nearly empty car. After an eighteen minute train ride, they alighted at Yotsuya-Sanchome Station in Shinjuku and climbed the stairwell to exit number four.

Issei and Ryuko were hit with the cool night air and the plethora of lights within the city. The two trekked northwards alongside Route 319 until they reached the Kappa-zaka Hill signalized intersection. They approached the nine-story condominium building at the northeastern corner. The signpost at the front entrance read, in Latin lettering, "Rouge Rivage."

"This is where I live," Ryuko said. "Akebonobashi Station is just a few meters down the road, so it's pretty convenient, and it's not too far from my hero agency in Shinjuku."

The two entered the building. Issei was taken aback by the lavish lobby. The condo even had a counter on the left manned by a employee, whom Ryuko greeted. The two took the sleek elevator to the top floor. They turned left into the resulting corridor. Second door down on the right was Ryuko's apartment.

If Issei was taken aback by the lobby, the penthouse apartment had him drop his mouth to the floor. The walls, the windows, and the wooden flooring all had a sparkling shine. If he had to guess, there was not a single dirty spot to be seen in all fifty-four square meters.

Issei turned to Ryuko. "H-how rich are you?"

Ryuko laughed sheepishly. "Enough to afford a lot of things."

Issei meandered to a closet and opened the door. Inside was a collection of shiny stuff. He looked back at her. "T-that too?"

Ryuko nodded. "Yes, that too."

Issei began to check every nook and cranny of the apartment, constantly astonished. To someone who had been used to living in a run-of-the-mill upper-middle class two-story house in the suburbs of a smaller city, this was a significant upgrade in his living accommodations. He didn't even know where to begin.

"Issei, let me show you where you'll be sleeping," Ryuko said.

He nodded and followed her into the guest bedroom. The room had already been prepared for someone to live in. It had a comfortable king-size bed, a desk with a computer already plugged in, and a clothing drawer laid adjacent to one of the walls. The connected bathroom was supplied with toiletries.

"W-was someone here before?" Issei said.

Ryuko shook her head. "Nope. I just didn't want an empty room so I added the furnishings in case there ever would be a time for someone to come live here. Now all that effort has paid off."

"T-thanks?"

Ryuko smiled. "You're quite welcome, Issei... Now, what kind of takeout do you like?"

After dining on takeout, Issei took a long shower and reflected on the ordeal. The inner pain was still raw and he found it difficult to get rid of the images of the unconscious men, women, and children knocked out by his own hand, complete with the one-two punch of being unable to return to his old world.

He shook himself out his train-of-thought, stopping himself from crying any further. There was no need to further reminisce tonight.

Issei headed straight to bed after his shower. He stared at the ceiling for a while, but the exhaustion soon overtook him and he began to sleep.

Afterword: I'd like extend my thanks to those who took the time to read this story. I appreciate it!

I also like to thank the reviewers for providing me constructive criticism. I took their words to heart and decided to make some revisions. It was mostly trying to make Issei react more believably to the circumstances he was in. I also tweaked some dialogue and took out a major piece of foreshadowing to be added in a later chapter and at a better moment.