He's Got the Devil In Him.
Chapter 2: Savior.
There was a surprise waiting for me the next morning as I walked out for school. Shoto, my older twin, was walking with me! Of course normally Dad would take him early but what he greeted me with is basically the long and short of it.
"Fuyumi wanted me to walk with you to school." he states, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "Seems like she's really angry with you."
"Makes sense. I did get beat up." I reason with a wide smile, pulling my brother into a side hug, grinning widely.
"I really missed you!" I exclaim, "So, is Dad just as brutal as usual?"
"Yes." Shoto says, "Also try not to get into so many fights. Fuyumi can't keep on patching you up."
"Well, I don't know if I can just stop. Too used to it." I shrug and he laughs at my cavalier attitude about it all. My phone dings and I get it out, seeing a message from my best friend. It's probably about that new video game that came out but then I see a screenshot. It's of Tweetser, a blurry photo of me in my Daredevil suit is being reacted to by many comments. The text itself says:
Looks like Daredevil's trending!
Of course Juzo was one of my most trusted friends and it was hard to even hide the fact I was a vigilante from him. I look at the comments however.
This guy is Daredevil? Looks more like Batman.
He's still making a good difference.
Vigilantes are better than Heroes!
Still, it's dangerous.
I sigh and text Juzo back that I appreciate the post. Of course it's more and more common the more I go out. Shoto and I walk towards the station and wait for the train. While we do he watches me calm as can be.
"You're shaking something off, Ryusuke." he says.
"No, just… ggh… lopsided from sleep." I groan, "Don't mind me."
He nods and when we get on the train I sit down and watch the city go by. It's not a bad commute, all things considered. Even if I'm a little raw from last night with cuts that'll scar over. I lean against the pole, thinking of how my worry stone is in Shiozaki's hands. She must've been really worried when I bailed on her like that. I sweep my hand through my hair in thought, trying to parse out how I felt last night about her. Maybe I should apologize for leaving her alone.
But then Juzo would probably smack me for even trying to bring someone like her into this. Daredevil is supposed to not have too many close connections. That much I established. The train slows down and Shoto gets off with me in tow. It's the guilt that ties me. Keeps me locked in place. If I had only stayed with her I wouldn't be torn to shreds by the Slit Mouthed Slasher. If I had stayed the slasher would've gotten away without some kind of damage to at least slow her down.
We get into school and I sigh, the fact of the matter is that I'm still green at being a vigilante. Juzo rocks up to me, his teeth exposed and almost skeletal features led the both of us to be- The other students move away from us, and I sigh. Of course they ostracize us because I can hear everything they do and Juzo looks like an old Halloween Decoration. He wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"So?" he asks.
"So what?" I look away towards the wall, just liking the latticework between the cinder blocks. He just leans against me. This half of Corusan Middle School was more of a normal school. The other half was clearly where they'd show off their biggest fishes for hero schools.
While me and Juzo were here, mostly to be shuttled off to some normal school. This is the other side of Coursan Middle. The side where the non flashy and weird looking students go. In short, I'm here because I don't have fire or ice.
"Come on man, spill about this!" he lightly pokes my cheek and I wince.
"Just a slasher." I say, seeing a few girls stop by and Juzo wiggles his eyebrows at me.
"Oh my god, Todoroki, are you okay?" one of them gasps.
"Yeah, yeah, just a little beat up, thanks for your concern." She smiles and nods but I just think of that girl that cut me to ribbons and shudder. There's some really fucked up people out there in the world.
Juzo and I sit next to each other, more of the girls checking on me and Juzo still giving me that look. But then right as we were about to get started with the day there's a bit of a commotion going on outside. A fight broke out in the yard between the two halves, two students are duking it out. There's thrown chairs, and they're going absolutely ham. A bigger kid with a muscle quirk is kicking the other kid's ass.
The better half of the school just goes about their day and here we are watching a poor kid getting his shit kicked in. I walk out of the classroom and out of our half, untying my tie and binding it around my hand. I crack my neck as the muscle kid is ready to knock the other kid out.
"Hey!" I call, "How about you calm down before the real top dog gets ya laid out?!"
The muscular kid halts, "Eh? Whaddya want? You wanna die too?"
"No, just drop my classmate." I reason, "Simple. Either drop him or I drop you."
The kid visibly hesitates. The temperature around us drops to freezing and I see my brother on the other side of him. I pluck the beaten kid from the crater he ended up in. His uniform was torn up and blood all over the remains.
"God…" I breathe. The kid's matted silver hair and weird bone-like growths around his eyes give him a fierce quality. His arms were pure metal. The thing is with this school is that this is terrifying and common.
Sometimes the better half just wholesale beats up my half. I half-drag-half-carry this kid down to the infirmary on our side. He mumbles something.
"Mmrgh… thank…" he groans.
"Don't mention it." I say, laying him down on one of the beds with the nurse checking him out. He looks at me with one eye, his other one swollen shut.
"Tetsutetsu…" he grunts, I bow my head a little.
"Todoroki." I answer with a smile, "Once you're healed, come find me and my friend Honenuki at lunch."
He nods and I leave, making sure my fellow students are okay is par for the course. It's the closest thing I have to a duty. I walk back to class and see nothing much in the way of fighting. Which is a blessing in disguise so I don't open my wounds from the slasher.
I sit next to Juzo and he leans on his hand, "So what's the damage this time?" he asks.
"Seems like the kid was metal, he's pretty beat up. Name's Tetsutetsu." I state, "I also ran into another person last night, a girl."
Juzo gets excited, "No way! You sly dog!"
"She was about to be assaulted, but I saved her and took her to a police station. She wanted me to come in with her but…" I point to my forehead where my horns would've been.
"Right, right, stuff." he nods with a happy look in his eyes. Juzo's quirk made him look skeletal but he wasn't a bad guy. His almost blond hair is longish and goes down to his neck. He pats me on the back.
"Was she pretty?" he wonders.
"Yeah, she… she had vines for hair." I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I don't know why but I was already thinking of her. Well, not all the time but still it occupied a good amount of time. For the rest of class I sit there, paying attention and focusing on what I have to do. At lunch, Juzo and I sit at our own table. The boy from earlier parks himself across from us with a big smile.
"I owe you one, Todoroki!" he exclaims.
"No, it's all in a day's work. Why'd you go after that kid anyway?" Juzo asks, still in a good mood despite the stares. I hear their whispers.
"He's creepy…"
"He looks like a Gashadokuro…"
"That guy's the recommended Poor Side Student?!"
If I wasn't so raw I'd beat the shit out of them. Nobody bad mouths my friends. I turn back to Juzo and Tetsutetsu.
"So anyway he challenged me and I wasn't gonna take it lying down! But he broke most of my steel!" Tetsu explains with a peppy grin. I smile and Juzo nods. We're not too bad about quirks given my background and how Juzo is treated behind his back.
"Just don't make it a habit, I can't really fight as well as I usually can." I laugh with Tetsu laughing back. I always pull that joke out whenever I meet someone I met after breaking up a fight. Still, it makes me happy that at least I have a new friend. I still wonder what the hell I'm doing being Daredevil but I'm still having a sort of effect on the crime rate. And judging by the Tweetser posts a small band of followers.
"So, what's the deal with the bandages?" Tetsutetsu asks.
"Yard work accident. Sometimes my Dad makes me do yard work." I blurt. Tetsutetsu squints just a little but accepts it. I sigh to myself as Juzo takes up the rest of the conversation. I think more about my future as Daredevil.
I just hope it isn't too much or too bad for me in the end. I mean surviving a bloody slasher with about five knives tossed near or stabbed or cut into me. Then that kiss just fucked me over. I leave the lunchroom with Juzo and Tetsutetsu.
After school, I noticed something odd. Well, not odd but familiar. The soft rustling of vines passes through my ears and I keep walking with Tetsu and Juzo. Mainly keeping to myself. She didn't go here, I know she didn't. Mostly because we'd already know each other. But at the same time I know that sound. Turns out that Ibara is here but I don't think she'd remember my face from last night. Or the stone. At least that'd be lowballing it but as we pass her she notices me.
I hear her soft gasp and she whisks into the crowd behind us. Juzo peeks over his shoulder with a nudge.
"Dude, she's totally following us."
"I know, just act natural." I hiss back. Her steps sound closer and closer until she taps my shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you Todoroki Ryusuke?" she asks, her voice sweet and almost as soft as it did before.
I turn and smile, "Yep. What can I do for you?"
"Can I walk with you for a moment?" she asks.
"Sure."
Juzo and Tetsutetsu both giggle like schoolgirls and move off. Ibara falls into step with me and all I do is match her with a soft smile.
"I guess the cat's outta the bag?" I ask.
"Well, it's not hard to remember your face, and… well, your voice." she takes my worry stone out, "This was useful…" she passes it to me but I stop her.
"Keep it," I close her hand over it, "It's better with you instead of me." I let go of her hand and she rushes to catch up to me.
"Ryusuke! Another question, if you don't mind me asking!" she exclaims.
"Hm?" I ask.
"Well, this Sunday, I was… wondering if you'd like to come to church with me?" she blushes and looks down at her feet, "I know it isn't much to thank you for your assistance, but it's really all I could think of!"
I chuff a little and nod, "Then I'll come with. Sunday at…"
"Nine."
"Nine, okay." I turn and walk away, with Ibara happily muttering something.
"Oh blessed be the Lord!" she muttered.
I grin and head towards the train station, getting onto the train just in time to head on home. When I get there I notice that Dad's car is gone as always. Shoto walks in next to me and drifts off quietly to his side.
Fuyumi peeks out from our side, "How was your day? Are you feeling better?" she whispers.
"Why are you whispering?" I hiss.
"Because I think I'm losing my voice." she whispers, "So how did it go?"
"It went well, I have a new friend named Tetsutetsu, saved him from being pasted by some kid with a strength quirk. I didn't get hurt." I explain.
"Oh…" she continues.
"Also, I'm going somewhere on Sunday with my friend, Shiozaki Ibara. To her church." I explain and Fuyumi brightens up with a happy smile.
"Aww! Yay!" she exclaims, "I'm so happy for you, Ryu! That's a huge deal!"
"Haha… yeah." I say, rubbing the back of my head. Sunday is the day I spend with Ibara, I just hope nothing gets in the way! I start to go towards my room but then the heat ratchets up behind me.
"Ryusuke." Dad growls.
"Dad." I acknowledge him with my body getting me ready to run away. Fuyumi darts in, saving me the trouble. I don't waste time and hurry off to my room, sliding the door shut behind me and going over to my desk, bubbly with excitement over the thought of spending Sunday with Shiozaki.
Ibara and I arrive at the chapel. It's not a big chapel and it's somewhat designed after her house being white and with the steeple pointing up towards the sky with greenery climbing to the sky as well. Of course her finding me again wasn't that hard to figure out but the congregation streaming in has me a little on edge.
She leads me up front, "It's alright, Ryusuke." she assures me, "Just sit with me." I plunk down beside her and the pews behind us all have people coming in. I see her father in his priestly uniform being a bright white robe and with a nice yellow sash, smiling at the congregation and shaking hands. Being personable and even friendly to the congregation, hearing his deep and resonant voice thunder and rumble through my ears.
"Oh! Mr. Tanimura! How's y' little gel? Good? Ah, that's a shame."
"Miss Fumikara, lovely tae see ya again. Yes, yes, I enjoyed yer katsudon. No, Ibara doesn't eat meat, I'm afraid."
"Oh, little Yumi! I know you've been workin' hard at the pianah, I hope you can play it someday, I'd love to hear it!"
I adjust my red lensed sunglasses, sometimes my quirk makes my eyesight too sharp so I need sunglasses or blue light glasses to cut the glare. Mister Shiozaki strides to the front, seeing me and holding out his hand.
"And you are?" he asks.
"Todoroki Ryusuke, sir. Your daughter invited me." I say, his green eyes soften and his lips upturn in a smile. He's a massive man, about as tall as my father or maybe taller. Long golden hair falling to his shoulders and a slash from jaw to eye on the right side of his face. He doesn't have any discernible quirk right now. But I did hear creaking as his arm reached out to take my hand in his. His hand was roughed with callouses, and even more scars. His smile is kind and his voice is thick with rugged age. An accent was littered throughout his Japanese, although it was clear.
"Oh, I see. Hope you enjoy the service." he says, "It's an honor tae have y' here. Didn't take a Todoroki for a prayin' man."
"Just here to have new experiences." I chuckle a little. Ibara smiles, her serene expression soothing my nerves. Mr. Shiozaki notices, gaining a broad smile on his face.
"Ah, I see. Mah daughter's interested in you. Maybe one day I'll get to live my dream of marryin' my daughter off in this chapel!" he chuckles.
"Father!" Ibara yells.
"M-marry? Me?" I wheeze, "She seriously has so many bett-"
He looms over me, "Lad. Mah daughter saw somethin' in ya. Don't waste it." he growls.
"Right! Yes sir! Aye aye!" I squeak, bowing, "Please don't take that the wrong way!" he chuckles and goes to the lectern, Ibara and I sitting down together. The service starts with the choir singing and the hymnal book open to the songs.
I listen with my eyes closed, listen to the words of hope, praise, gratefulness and exaltation. Arias, Sopranos, Tenors, no matter what. Young or old, sick or healthy. All of them raise their voices to the God they believe in. But I focus on Ibara's clean, almost bell-like singing voice. The soft, ringing voice that carries with it such conviction. Almost like she was standing before her patron and singing to him herself. A sort of calm peace overtakes me as the song ends.
"Friends, we are here today in the Good Lord's presence to speak of his good will and blessings. One such blessin' came to mah daughter an' I." he pulls something up on a projector screen, the same blurry image of me as Daredevil.
"Now I know what you all are thinkin' but we must remember that Jesus had sat with the most downtrodden people of his time. The undesirables, the hated, and the lost. But this brave young man descended from the heavens to save my daughter in the clothes of a devil." he smiles and continues, my ears picking up on the emotion in his voice. Sadness, maybe even reverence?
Ibara squeezes my hand, my eyes on him as he continues.
"Heroes are sometimes not the vain ones on television. Be this child a hero or a good samaritan, I hope ta see him reach greater heights, and may the good Lord see fit to make it so, Amen."
A chorus of Amens go up, including Ibara's. But all I feel is a sense of lightness. Of happiness even. I am having an effect. Just the thought of it all makes me jitter in excitement. It's just the idea that I'm finally doing something right and good. Helping people like I always wanted to.
Ibara and I left the chapel together, her hand still in mine. Her father stayed back to clean things up and get it ordered for the evening services. But for me and Ibara we went out somewhere I knew to eat. A greasy little spoon in midtown where Natsuo works. Paying off medical school is hard enough but his status as Endeavor's son helped him a little. So did mine. Dodging flames actually helped my quirk get better.
Ibara and I enter the small joint with the booths and barstools around a humble bar. Natsuo perks up at the front seeing us come in.
"Bro!" he exclaims, getting out from behind the bar and jogging around to me, his height and almost squishy looking body betraying how strong he is, bear hugging me tightly and almost swinging me around if not for Ibara.
"Yeah, hi!" I exclaim, hugging him back and being let down. He grins and looks over at Ibara.
"Oh! Hey, I'm Ryusuke's big bro, Natsuo! You must be that girl my sister told me about, Shiozaki… right?" he bows to her hurriedly, "Anyway! Make yourselves at home, get something to eat!"
We sat down across from each other, Ibara looking over the menu. I watch her closely, her soft green eyes scanning it intently, the silky rustling of her vines singing sweetly through my ears. I knew what I wanted, but Ibara went up to order for herself. I silently regard the whole situation. Just listening to her. She's a vegetarian, something I picked up from earlier in her father's chapel. So this might be a good idea or a really bad mistake in some way shape or form.
Sometimes silence is better than talking. And talking is better than silence. But when it comes to her I have no idea what to talk about or even what to do. She looks up at me.
"Are you alright, Todoroki?" she asks.
"I'm fine, it's just… I never felt like that before." I say, "Just so at peace."
"That's the effect belief has, whether it be belief in yourself or in a higher power." Ibara says, "My father says belief is what directs us to greater heights."
I smile, "I think it's more of the drive to achieve what you desire most." I look down at my food, "The determination no matter what to see your goals realized."
"What are your goals, Ryusuke? Why do you do what you do?" she asks.
"I… I guess it's because I feel so powerless. Just my situation alone and…" I close my eyes, "I don't like talking about it too much."
Ibara reaches across the table, squeezing my hand, "Regardless, I do wish you the best of luck in achieving it."
"I hope I get it too." I state.
Silent, the warehouse trundling along inside, the outside littered with the guards I knocked out with my sticks. All I needed was to get photographic evidence to the proper authorities, the Trigger Trade is the most destructive illegal racket in Japan second only to the Catalyst Trade in the USA. Except here we don't have a Star and Stripe to crack down on them and be the hero for the people. There, they have votes. Here? We have whoever wants to take them down. I sneak into the facility, hearing the five guards patrolling the halls.
I dig in my utility belt, pulling out a few bladed weapons. Illegal but handy for what I might have to end up doing to these guys. The brutality is something necessary. Something to tell them that even a guy with an enhanced senses quirk can hurt them. Move. Throw. Knock out. Move on. Repeat ad nauseam. The five guards, because of my darkly colored suit, couldn't even see me coming. All I did was take them down. No death, a little blood. But here we go.
The main event. Five last guys and their boss in one long hallway to the main refinery. A classic Daredevil situation if I ever heard of one. Right before I could drop in and deal out some devilish justice there was a moment of silence, calm, some of the guys turning their backs to me. I advance towards them with a practiced vengeance, anger thrumming through my body like a lightning pulse. Remembering why I don the horns. So that I will never be powerless again. I'm not Ryusuke Todoroki…
My body goes into an autopilot state, flowing through the motions, bashing them with my sticks, their quirks scathing my body and throwing me around. The entire raid went sideways the moment the metal doors caved in with Hell Flames blasting through them, sending me and the main man hurtling backward, my cowl cracking and my ears ringing like crazy.
Pain throbs through my body, my fireproofing from the quirk I should've gotten kicking in. The broken arm, broken ribs, and the ragged but soft breath echo through my muffled ears. My father strides in, flames aglow and sees the main man laying on the floor, twitching slightly from the impact. I support myself on the wall, my senses trying to come back as best they could. I drag myself along it, knowing I have to get out. I have to go get help. A hospital, not going home. My hand fumbles for the window, pushing it open with a raw scream from my broken arm.
I have to get going. My body swings down, dropping down as best as I could and lurching away from the scene. Lurch, shuffle steps, leaning against my bo staff that I made from my sticks. Barely able to keep my head on straight. My eyes fill with flaming red, my mouth fills with metal, my ears stuff with cotton, and my touch muffles and dies. Sensory Overload. I lope into the night, knowing only one place I could go to because the hospital was too far away.
There's a quiet, a silence as I come upon the chapel. My only safety. My only place to go since the hospital was too far away and my father would be too busy cleaning up my mess. I lurch toward the double doors, forcing one of them open and lurching towards the altar. Making a lot of noise because my hearing kicked back in first, hearing the soft rustling of the vines I found so calming. I stumble to my knees, blood in my mouth and seeing Ibara standing there.
Her green eyes widen, "Daredevil?!" she gasps, running forward and gently catching me with her vines, kneeling and bringing me close to her chest.
"I… I had…" I whisper.
"Shhh… shhh, don't speak." she says, "You're badly injured."
Heavy footsteps and creaking sound out as Mr. Shiozaki, or Father Shiozaki, comes charging in. His eyes wide as he takes in Ibara cradling me. He gets all business.
"Ibara, get in th' car. I'm takin' yer friend here ta yer Aunt's." he states.
My awareness fades, along with the thought of my father seeing me. I just wanted to help. I just… When I dream, I see her. My mother. Long white hair, gray eyes full of resigned acceptance, but a warm smile.
Her hand grabs mine, cool and soft, and creased with palm markings, feeling every divot and crease, every sacrifice she made. All I want is to help. Days of watching her beaten up, thrown around with my brother, weeks of my father's verbal abuse hurled at all of us, not just me.
"Why don't I have a quirk like you or Dad's?" I ask, my mother blinking and smiling.
"Because Ryusuke, you're so much more than flames and ice. You're something more than that."
"I don't deserve that…" I mutter.
Mom hugs me, the cool feeling spreading through my body, the soft rustle of vines calling me out of the dark and into the morning. My body is bound with bandages and I feel someone's arms around me. The dream fades away and I try my best to regain my bearings. My ears still ring and my eyes are a little blurred. There's blurry green, and soft breathing. A heartbeat sounds in my ears muffled. The motion and the soft groan as whoever is sharing my bed with me is awake.
"Ryusuke?" she asks.
"Who's there?" I ask, trying to blink my overloaded eyes free of the splotchy shapes. My hearing clears and there's a warm, soft hand on my cheek.
"It's Ibara, Ryusuke." Ibara states, "You're in my aunt's clinic. Just rest."
"What happened?" I mumble, feeling something weave gently around my burnt body. Ibara wraps her arms back around me, laying against my chest. I was injured. I know that much. Just one big fireball before blacking out. What was I doing before that? My body is heavy with tiredness, barely able to muster enough strength to move. I'm done. That's… that's it for me as of now. My arms can move at least, and my ribs feel okay. Just… I'm glad my body is cooperating with me.
I close my eyes, Ibara laying on me, humming Amazing Grace. There are worse ways I could wake up.