Phasing Through
Harry Potter teaches LeMillion
Togata Mirio, age twelve, groaned as his shoulder got stuck in the plyboard piece of wood. "I'm not going to pull it out again." This was accompanied by the sound of a bottle cap popping and a liquid being poured down a throat.
Concentrating, Mirio activated his quirk and his arm rushed out of the plyboard, but as it did so, Mirio found himself phasing into the floor; out of his trainers, underwear and jeans. He instinctively solidified himself and found himself flying through the air and landing painfully on the sand. This heralded a chuckling, from the person observing him.
Mirio instinctively plucked the incoming towel out of the air and went to find his underpants. "What you're asking me to do is impossible."
"Is it? Mirio, I'm not much older than you. I, possess a very similar quirk to you; yes I agree…it's a very complicated quirk to learn. But once you do, you'll be unstoppable."
"Are you, sensei? Unstoppable?" There was a belch and the bottle found its way into the bin.
"In a way. Although, I didn't have the luxury of learning how you are. I was thrown in at the deep end with villains trying to kill me; and they wonder why my special moves and finishers all refer to brutal crime punishments; like my 'Throat Gurgler' or even 'Phantom Crush'."
"I'm still finding it hard to believe that they're allowing well, a murderer running around free."
There was a wry chuckle "Murderer…no. Killer, yes. Every son of a bitch that I've killed Togata Mirio, tried to kill me without provocation and I'd bet my family fortune that if you chose to look beneath their murder attempt you'd find other crimes and say 'thank you, someone's taken them out'."
"As for free…the rodent knows exactly where I am at all times, aside from when I'm inside."
"I find it hard to believe Nezu allows you to call him rodent."
"Nezu and I…we're both heavily damaged from humanity. We stick together through our separate ordeals. Now, since you can't seem to move one limb through plyboard we'll try something else."
Mirio nodded, however he paled as he found himself looking at a bag of wrenches and knives "I'm going to teach you, the way I was taught. Phase through what I throw at you, or even better, catch and phase."
"Are you sure about this?"
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge anything." Sensei replied.
"I'm pretty sure it's 'if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.' Sensei."
"I thought it was 'if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a bazooka'…yes, I trained with bazookas. Be grateful I can't access my contacts sunny."
Mirio groaned, he was about to say 'ready', but remembered that sensei had kicked him between the legs when he first said that. He nodded and the deluge of wrenches descended upon him.
It turned out, during this exercise from Harry's alcohol induced point of view, that he and Mirio learnt via the exact same style. Physical encouragement, granted his was tuned down to 'day or two in hospital' in lieu of 'two weeks in ICU'. Oh, how his Uncle had been surprised when Harry had phased his hand into his Uncle's chest and threatened to kill him.
Harry chuckled, the Dursleys thought they could control him through fear. With their strength enhancers against his Geist. It was laughable. They'd left him alone after that incident. The sun was beginning to set, when Harry had drilled Mirio thoroughly.
"You've been under my care per payment from your father for two months. You've improved, you've improved a lot. Mirio, you do understand why I'm being so drastic with you?"
Mirio nodded "Stronger body, means I can go for longer. Mine requires me to hold…"
"Take up a horn instrument. Horn instruments help develop your lungs. Longer breath, longer quirk, more brutal you can become. Remember the other thing?"
"Keeping your guard up or I'll ring your head like a bell?"
"Close, but more about the fighting."
"The best heroes stop villains through conflict resolution; most just want to provide for their families. But if you can talk them down, the hostage is saved. But if I need to fight, then make it as quick as possible even if that means hitting them where it hurts; nothing is worse than losing a civilian if you could have avoided it."
Harry nodded "Third thing?"
"You can't save everyone. Saving everyone is idealistic and stupid. Saving as many as you can…that in your twisted opinion is better for everyone."
Mirio nodded, he'd bumped into one of the Underground Pro Heroes and in the fifteen minutes of time together; Mirio thought he'd managed to impress the hero.
"Sensei, UA Entrance exams…"
"No, I won't train you to pass the entrance exams. I'll train you to break the exam, have you submitted your request to use your hair in your clothing?"
"No…no I haven't. Also why hair?"
"You should, your hair stays on when you use your permeance…Also, it's better than using pubic hair."
Mirio blushed "Why are you so blunt about such things?"
"Because tact got taken out of me by the government and their quest for super-solider; then tact got removed in further after they found my arm detached from my body and in around the throat of my defence teacher."
Mirio went white "Why?"
"Guy was a paedophile and rapist. That was a tricky situation, considering I was twelve."
"You killed him?"
"No. Killed himself, caused a rockslide. No glamour quirk can repair you when your heads been pureed. Although, I didn't kill that one. That was my mate, Stratagem."
"Stratagem…he was the ginger was he not?"
"Yup."
"Athena was your surrogate sister, who is operating in America with her lover; one of the many heroes from the 'Arachnid' Programme."
Harry nodded "Considering how many Athena, burnt through…the latest seems to be keeping pace with her."
Mirio chuckled "The three of you had the short lived run as 'Wrecking Crew'."
Harry collapsed giggling at that "We were young, we were dumb. We wanted to stay 'F-U' you to the establishment. Weren't we in for a surprise when British Heroics…broke."
"And that's why you're a fugitive."
"Fugitive is a strong word…I prefer 'Home is not ideal right now'."
"And hanging out with a thirteen-year-old high schooler is?"
"Mirio, I know the way I swing and thirteen-year olds is below the barrel line of possibility. Think of this as…unorthodox heroic lifestyle training. Besides, I can't think of another hero with a quirk like ours…Now get. Your fathers here, I'll see you tomorrow."
So the next two months carried on, Mirio's natural complexion was now that of a living bruise but his skill was improving remarkably. His father had turned up with a few pro heroes to see how his son was progressing.
"Your fathers early."
"He saw the bruises."
"Which ones? The wrenches or the bricks?"
"The wrenches. You break bricks for snacks these days don't you?"
Mirio nodded "Mirio, practise your combat drills and try to infuse your quirk into it."
"Pros, Mr. Togata."
"Mr. Potter, you can guess why we're here?"
"Something about a wrench. I'm guessing."
"Can you explain to me, why hitting my son with a wrench is a good idea?"
"It's how I was taught. Honestly, my teacher shot me. Live ammo. Told me it was phase or die…I figured start painful and small. Sir, it works."
"He's telling the truth. Not the whole truth about being shot at, but he's telling the truth."
"Have you got a heroes licence?" Asked one of the pros.
Harry sighed "Since when do I need a bloody heroes licence to train a kid with a quirk that'll wreck his social life? It's somewhere, amongst the boxes of my crap that I brought with me as I escaped the burnishing rioting mess that is Britain."
"He's telling the truth."
"Any other stupid questions? Or can I go back to training…he's actually got a decent handle on his quirk. Now I'm trying to get him to infuse his fighting style with his quirk…" Harry trailed off as Mirio let out a yelp of pain.
"Mirio, what's happened?"
"My arm! I lost concentration and now it's stuck." Mirio manuevered his body around as the heroes rushed over.
"Please don't intervene…A hero might not have the luxury of…"
"He's a thirteen-year-old kid! This is the equivalent of torture." Roared one of the heroes.
Harry saw red, his shirt came off revealing the hideous mass of scorched, branded, stabbed, whipped and shot mass of flesh that were his arms and chest "If you think I'm torturing him, look what I've had done to me…I'm eightfuckingteen, you useless gobshites. Not one fucking hero came to bail me out when I needed you, hell some of them held me down as they injected me with stuff known as Basilisk…I was twelve. I'd just been fighting a body-jacker, who'd been stuck in a diary for 50 years. He stabbed me with a blade and I broke his neck. Next thing I know, I've been injected with this stuff known as Basilisk, my school nurse was tied up, unconscious and locked up in her storage closet as she'd have murdered anyone who tampered with her patients." Harry growled as he turned to Mirio.
"Mirio, you're six inches off to the left…" Mirio nodded, the words of his teacher washing over him.
"PHASE SHIFT: RUPTURE!" Mirio called as he phased his wrists and used the detached sensation to rip his arm out through the wing-chun mannequin Harry had brought with him.
Harry's eyes widened "Well…fuck. Fuck infuckingdeed, well done fuck nuggets…" Harry walked over to Mirio, dropped down.
"I…wasn't going to tell you this…"
"Not until I was older; you've never pulled that card on me often. Sensei, I…I'm…sorry. I'm sorry I've not been the best student, sorry that you had to push me to such extreme lengths to help me control my quirk. I don't deserve the chance…"
"Mirio Togata." Harry called, it was a voice that Mirio referred to as 'sit down shut up' tone, it meant no response. The pros, the policeman and Mirio's father joined him.
"There's a lot I've not said about me for many reasons. Far too many reasons to list, nor do I remember. But, Mirio…you possess something I lost long ago; the embodiment of being a hero, everyone COULD be a hero but not many CAN. Big difference. I…look at heroes, the ones that are running around and really…I don't have faith in them; they're more extra security keeping the population under tight control. But that's conspiracy theories. You and I, we're reflections you and I, reflections of what could be, what might be and what might never be. The reason I'm so harsh on you, turning you into a living bruise isn't because its cathartic for me…I get my kicks beating morons up with a crowbar dressed as a clown. You have the potential to be a hero that could put a smile on peoples faces and give them hope, possibly bring them peace. I had the potential; but through choices some of mine own choosing and others by design, I don't do that anymore; I'm closer to a villain. Heroes shouldn't have to kill, I find it easy to. Our quirk permeation and geist, it's more less the same accept I can bring people and don't lose my clothes; thanks for the Halloween idea. I want you to be better than I was, better than I could ever be, I NEED you to be that Hero. That's why I'm so harsh on you, yes me telling you this is psychological and emotional meddling; but it's what happened to me. I need you to prove to me that there are heroes in this degrading, putrid, shit-heap, dying ball in the vacuum of space that there are people who give a damn, not afraid to walk into the dark and bring those lost back."
Mirio nodded "I can't say I'll be able to save all of them. But I want to at least save a million people. Sensei, I do have a request."
"What is it Togata Mirio?"
"Who were you?"
"Who was I? I was the Phantasm Hero: Phantom, I was a specialist extraction, rescue hero. I specialised in light quirk usage shock tactics; tactics akin to military specialist forces. Not many could stop me, as I phased through walls, doors, people. When I was "good" I'd 'spirit away' grab my victim and phase him back to my back up team…"
Mirio and the heroes paled "You phased them apart…" Phantom nodded.
Harry looked at the heroes "Are we done? Because he has an exam to get to."
"You, sensei?"
"I'm phasing through, I phase into lives and out of lives. I'm a living ghost, a dead man who breathes. I'm the one who has everything and nothing; Mirio Togata, seek out Sasaki. If you don't find him, he'll find you. Anyway, if you meet tell him a 'Malevolent Phantom sends his creation'."
Mirio nodded "Sensei, Harry, Phantom…will I see you again?"
"Is that what you want?"
"I…want to save you. Even if it is just from yourself."
Harry looked at Mirio and tears began to fall "You…Mirio…You have, now it's me accepting it." With that they watched as Harry melded into the floor, then rocketed upwards and began to zip away.
(UA)
"Phantom."
"Principle."
"Find anyone, of interest?"
Harry took a breath as he lent against the door, a bottle of beer in his hand "Yeah…I've found one."
Nezu grinned "Don't tell me…this will be fun."
Harry turned to leave but he stopped "Nez…"
"Hazard?"
"Is that…offer open? The Teaching role?"
"But I thought you said you didn't know what you wanted to teach."
"I've changed my mind. I thought about phasing in, spying on a few and then phase out, just phasing through the school. But, something in my funny bone tells me the next ten years; are going to need a different kind of hero."
The principle looked at the worn out eighteen-year-old "What would you teach?"
"Hero Consequences." Then like earlier, as Nezu spun around the Phantasm Hero had gone.
Nezu smirked as the kettle boiled "I'll see you around…Phantasm."
