Supercharged Beginnings Chapter 2
Light filtered in through the slight crack in the curtains, shining in my eyes, causing them to slowly flutter open. A loud yawn escaped from my lips as I did a big stretch across the bed with my arms and legs. Rolling on my side, I took a quick look at my alarm clock, which thankfully I didn't set last night. I was too tired to bother with that.
It currently shows 10:07 AM on the interface. I can't say that I exactly planned to sleep in that late, but I don't really care. It was a long flight, and I was exhausted. Pony is probably still fast asleep.
I sat up in bed and took in my surroundings. The unfamiliar, bare white walls and dark-gray curtains stare back at me, reminding me that I'm not back home in Austin anymore.
I let out a small sigh. "This is going to take some getting used to." I'm sure I will, in time. Though in the meantime, I'm gonna have to grow accustomed to my new environment.
Getting out of bed, I walked barefoot on the ice-cold wooden floor to the corner where I practically flung my suitcase last night. I scrambled through it and grabbed a change in clothing. Nothing too fancy. Just a pair of black sweatpants, a long-sleeved black t-shirt with a lightning bolt in the middle, and a brown coat with white fur along the collar. I briefly remember seeing snow along the ground on the way to the house last night, so this is probably necessary.
After taking a quick shower I went downstairs where Mr. and Mrs. Tsunotori were waiting in the family room. Mr. Tsunotori sitting on a love seat next to Mrs. Tsunotori, while she is reading a book. I can't really tell what book it is, though. It's probably by a Japanese author.
As soon as I walked in, Mrs. Tsunotori looked up from her book, giving me a warm smile. "Ah, I see you are finally awake, Luca-kun. I hope you had a good rest. We haven't had too many guests over, so we went shopping for a new bed when we found out you'd be staying with us."
I nodded, though I feel slightly bad they had to buy a new bed for me. "Yes, mam. It felt amazing after that long flight. I hope that I haven't caused you any inconvenience."
Changing the channel, Mr. Tsunotori gave a hearty chuckle. "No need for that. We were happy to accommodate you. Pony-chan has told us a lot about you during her visits in the summer. You've always looked out for her, so we are just returning the favor."
"Now why don't you have a seat." Mrs. Tsunotori suggested, gesturing towards a small, worn out tan couch. "I know you and Pony were planning on seeing the city today, but our granddaughter has always been a heavy sleeper."
"I'm not surprised considering all the times she's arrived late for school. If I didn't remember to text her every morning, she'd probably never get out of bed." I chuckled, taking a seat. Though new and unfamiliar, I can't help but feel relaxed, sitting in this room with Pony's grandparents. They remind me of my own grandparents, though I haven't see them in a while because they live a few states away. They are just so welcoming and kind. It'll be weird without my parents around, but perhaps it won't be so bad after all.
The three of us sat there in relative silence for around half an hour, making idle chit chat here and there while scrolling through some of the channels on television. Eventually, Pony finally came downstairs.
"Good morning!" she announced cheerfully. She is wearing a pair of tan pants and a cream-colored coat, similar to the jacket she wore yesterday. "Oh, you're up already Luca. That's great! We can head into the city whenever you're ready!" she said, making me shake my head amusedly with a small chuckle.
"How you just woke up and already have that much energy I'll never understand." I stood up, getting ready to leave. "I'm ready when you are. I'm excited to check out the city."
"I know the perfect place we can check out first!" she exclaimed, running over to her grandparents and giving them a quick hug. She then ran back to me and grabbed my arm, basically dragging me out of the house. She turned back to her grandparents for a second. "We'll be back before dark!"
A gentle snow was falling when we left the house. It is odd seeing snow fall in person and actually staying on the ground. I think I've only ever seen snow once or twice in my life, and it barely stayed on the ground for a couple of hours. It's...beautiful. There is something about the stark contrast between the usual green grass and colorful leaves and the pure, white snow.
In order to get to the shopping district faster, Pony suggested taking the train, so we boarded one at th nearest station. Although, one thing almost immediately stood out to me.
"There are a lot of people here." I said to myself, squeezed in between Pony and some other man in his late twenties. I had to force down the small blush at being so close to Pony. If mom were here right now, she'd be laughing.
"Well, of course. It is the fastest way of getting around. Walking is nice and all, but the city is pretty big. You'd be exhausted before you got back to the station."
"That makes sense. Anyways, where exactly are we going?"
"Considering we both woke up pretty late and didn't eat breakfast, I figured we could get something to eat first. There is this really great ramen place that's like a fifteen-minute walk from the next station. You've been eating the packaged stuff for too long. Time for the real deal!"
I nodded in agreement. If there is anything aside from UA that I was looking forward to when coming to Japan, it would be the food. It always looks so good on cooking shows or in pictures online.
After getting off at the next station, Pony's estimate was right. It only took us a fifteen-minute walk to reach the ramen shop Pony was talking about. I was partly expecting some big restaurant or something from the way Pony praised this place. Though when we got there, it was a small nook built into an even bigger complex of other businesses. It's a rather plain-looking shop, aside from the bright red print above the store's door that says "Ichiraku Ramen."
When we went inside, there were only a handful of customers. Behind the counter, we could see an older man wearing a white hate with some sort of red symbol on the right side. I believe it was the symbol on the front of the restaurant. Despite his old age, he is working quickly to get orders out to his customers.
As we walked in and saw the man, Pony's face twisted into a wide smile and her tail began to wag back and forth. "Hello, Teuchi-san!"
The man, who I'm assuming to be the owner of the shop, turned to look at us. His mouth stretched into a bright smile upon seeing Pony, momentarily pausing his work to wave at the horse-like girl.
"Ah, Pony-chan! It's been a while. I'm guessing you are here to take the UA entrance exam?"
She nodded exuberantly as we both took a seat next to the counter. "Yup. We take it tomorrow. Oh! This is my best friend from America, Luca. He's staying with my grandparents and I while we attend UA."
I bowed me head slightly out of respect for the older man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
He laughed heartily, starting to get back to work. "Just call me Teuchi, kid. I'm sure I'll be seeing you a lot from now on, given how often Pony likes to come and cause trouble."
I chuckled when Pony gave a small, fake pout. "Don't be like that. You know I'm one of your regulars!"
"I know, I know." he chuckled. "Anyways, what can I get the two of you? I know your answer, Pony, but what about you, Luca-kun?"
"He'll have the Ichiraku special!" Pony interrupted before I could even respond. Though considering she's been here so much before, she probably knows what would be good, better than I would.
Teuchi got back to work, and I was immediately impressed by his dedication. Though only a small shop, I can tell her puts all his effort into making his ramen. The way he smiles while working and moves as if by muscle memory.
"He's been running this shop for nearly 40 years now. It's not the biggest place out there, but you won't find a better bowl of ramen or a better atmosphere than this. His daughter Ayame is normally helping him out, but she's gone to business school to better run the place when she inherits it. I'd come by at least two or three times a week when I would visit my grandparents, just to make up for being gone for most of the year."
"Sounds like this place is pretty important to you, Pony." I said with a soft smile.
She nodded in response, looking as if to be in deep thought. "It's the first place my grandparents brought me when I first came to Japan when I was around five or six years old. At this point, Teuchi is like a third grandfather to me."
"Well, I guess I know where we'll have to stop by after school every now and then." I responded, resulting in Pony nearly knocking me out of my seat from the hug she gave me.
When we finally got our food, I immediately realized that she wasn't joking about this being the best ramen. The ingredients are what you would expect from a traditional ramen. Boiled eggs, seaweed, narutomaki or naruto for short. However, the overall quality is nothing I've ever tasted before. It is the perfect thing to eat on such a cold day.
Once we finished eating, we said goodbye to Teuchi before heading back out into the snow-covered streets of Musutafu. As cold as it is, I have to admit that it is very beautiful. Nothing against the views back home or anything, but this is just so…relaxing. Sure, there are a ton of people everywhere, and you've got to pay close attention so as not to bump into anyone. Though everyone seems to be so polite, making it a rather peaceful experience.
I must've been smiling, because Pony noticed and pointed it out to me. "You sure do seem happy. It's been a few weeks since I've seen you smile like that." she said with a bright smile on her face.
"I guess I've been too nervous over the past couple of weeks. With everything going on to prepare for my application to UA and now the entrance exam, I guess you could say my anxiety got to me." I responded, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. She suddenly clapped a hand on my back, making me jump in surprise.
"Well that's what friends are for. To make sure you don't stress out too much!"
And this is why I think Pony will become such a great hero one day. She genuinely cares about people and wants to whatever she can to help others and make them feel better. That is what is needed in a society full of heroes out for fame and money. To those who don't know her she might come off as a bit silly, but I know the kind of affect her personality has on people. Whenever I have doubts, her bubbly personality just makes them melt away.
"Thanks, Pony. You are the greatest friend I could ask for." I said gratefully, receiving a bright smile in return. "So, where to next?"
She showed me to a couple of places, including a little shop that sells different kind of boba teas. Looking at the menu, there are so many different flavors available. I almost went with strawberry, just because it is a familiar and comforting flavor. However, I've heard that one of the most popular flavors in Japan is milk tea.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was surprised by the creamy and delicious milk tea. The tapioca pearls themselves were chewy and delicious, the flavor heightened by the milk tea. I'd love to try the other flavors at some point, but this isn't bad at all.
We continued to walk through the streets of Musutafu with our delicious drinks in hand, making several stops along the way in the shopping district. Pony didn't really pick anything up aside from a few knick-knacks here and there. I, on the other hand, needed to pick up a few things. I've got this coat, but I wanted to pick up some more winter clothes. I picked out some new gloves, two pairs of wool pants, and a new coat. I also picked up some batteries in preparation for the entrance exam, just to make sure I'm stocked up on them.
After walking around the city for two or so hours, we decided to check out one last place before heading back to the house. It is a small comic shop called "Pro Comics" sitting on the corner of a street. There are several comics about popular pro heroes on display in the window, as well as some figurines and other memorabilia.
When we stepped inside, the first thing we noticed were the rows upon rows of comics lined against the walls and in the center of the shop. There are also small displays everywhere with more merchandise. Most of it seems to be All Might themed, which makes sense, given how popular he is in Japan. He's popular in other parts of the world, especially America, given his American themed costumes. However, Japan is where he is primarily stationed, so it is no big surprise that his merchandise is everywhere.
"And to think, comics and merchandise of us may be sold here once we finally become Pros!" Pony said excitedly.
I sweatdropped at her reaction. "That might be taking it a bit far. We've still got to make it into the academy before we can even think about what comes after graduation." She just waved off my concerns though.
"We can still imagine it, though. Oh! We can even make an agency together! What about Pony and Watts agency?" she suggested.
I laughed. It's probably far too soon to be planning out a hero agency, but I'll admit, the thought of working together as heroes makes me smile. "I doubt we'd actually use parts of our real names. Probably hero names."
We continued to talk about the potential future as we looked around the comic shop. Both of us picked up the newest All Might poster before calling it quits and exiting the store. We were about to make our way back to the train station, when suddenly the ground began to shake.
"Do you feel that?" Pony asked, looking around in confusion.
I just nodded in response, looking around to try and figure out what was going on. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed what looked like a giant fist made out of stone raise above a building across from us. Catching on to what was about to happen, I grabbed onto Pony and the two of us dove back into the comic store.
Moments later, there was a loud crash. The fist crashed into the roof of the building, sending debris flying across the street. There were several thumping sounds as debris crashed into the side of the building we are in, a window shattering several feet away from us.
Letting go of Pony, I made sure she was alright. Thankfully we managed to get inside the building quick enough, so the only injuries she has are a few scrapes from hitting the ground a little too hard. Though by the look on her face, I can tell she is still in shock from what happened.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"I-I think so. What was that?"
Looking out the window, I saw that coming out from behind the damaged building is a large golem-like creature made completely from stone. Aside from a few craters here and there on the head making the shape of eyes and a mouth, there were no other defining features.
Something that resembled a piece of wood suddenly wrapped around the villain's arm, attempting to hold it back. Though the villain simply lifted it, dragging the person attached to the wood high into the air.
"Hey look! It's Kamui Woods!" Pony exclaimed, pointing at the man dangling from the villain's arm. The wooden man in a blue jumpsuit swung off the villain landing on a nearby rooftop.
"He must've been pursuing him. Though as great of a hero he is, I don't know how good of an advantage he has against someone made entirely of rock." I replied.
The golem swung its giant fist at the pro hero, forcing him to jump off the building. However, the fist struck the rooftop where he was once standing, causing more debris to fall into the streets below. Kamui extended and latched his arm around the villain's leg, swinging down to attempt and catch all the debris, though some still ended up falling into the streets. People began to run away from the scene and out of buildings, though some had difficulty due to the falling debris.
"This isn't good. If this keeps up and no backup shows up, civilians are going to get hurt." I thought, clenching my fist.
The villain made several attempts to crush the tree-like hero, all void due to his sheer amount of mobility.
"Stay still!" the large villain yelled, the voice distorted by the large boulders.
"Like I'd do something like that!" Kamui Woods wrapped his wooden arm around the golem's wrist, dragging it down to attempt and contain the villain. Unfortunately, the villain caught on, and the rock that forming its hand separated from the rest of the body, crashing into the ground before slowly being levitated back to the colossal villain's body.
We continued to watch the hero and villain face off for several minutes. There must've not been many heroes in the area, because Kamui was left to face the villain by himself. He is trying to prioritize capturing the villain, but that is hard with civilians in the way.
Eventually, I had enough. I couldn't just sit and watch the fight anymore without doing something to help. I don't have a license, so I can't actually help him fight the villain. But there aren't any rules saying that you can't help protect citizens if they are in danger. I just can't use my quirk to actually harm the villain.
Reaching into one of my shopping bags, I pulled out a small pack of batteries and dumped a couple into my hand. Pony watched me do this, and she immediately grabbed my shoulder.
"I know what you are thinking. Are you sure about this? If you get caught-"
"I won't get in trouble if I don't harm the villain, Pony. That debris is threatening the people's lives in the streets, and Kamui Woods can't focus on capturing the villain while also dealing with the debris. If I can deal with the debris, then he can focus on the villain!"
Despite my explanation, Pony still looks unsure. "I understand that, but that doesn't mean this isn't dangerous, Luca. We haven't even started our training as heroes yet, and if the villain sees us, we'll just end up being in Kamui Woods' way."
As much as I want to help, I thought about her words. It's true. We aren't even students at UA yet. If we were to rush in and try to do something, what would we even do? Would I just run in and punch the debris? I have no plan whatsoever on how to stop the debris…yet, just sitting here makes me feel…
I was roused from my thoughts by the familiar chant of a certain ultimate move.
"DETROIT SMASSSSSSH!"
My eyes wide, I snapped my neck to the side quick enough to probably give me whiplash. Pony and I both stared in shock and awe as the fist of All Might connected with the villain's torso, creating a massive force of wind that began to knock off and destroy fragments of rock from the villain's body. After a few seconds, the rocks were all but obliterated, leaving nothing but a normal-sized, middle-aged man laying in a pile of shattered stones in the middle of the street.
"No freaking way." Pony said bewildered. I shared in her sentiments, absolutely stunned to see my idol, the number one hero in Japan, standing right there after taking down a villain with a single punch. He's wearing his iconic Golden Age costume, a fist held proudly in the air. His voice boomed across the wrecked street.
"There is no need to worry. Why? Because I AM HERE!" he announced triumphantly.
Almost as soon as the force from the punch began to diminish, a crowd began to form around the number one hero, taking pictures and cheering his name. Kamui Woods used his quirk to bind the villain until the police arrived to take care of him, and soon enough one of his teammates, Death Arms arrived to help with the villain extraction. Apparently, the villain had tried to rob a bank, but when he was cornered by Kamui, he transformed into that giant golem and ran off. Death Arms had stayed back to help with damage control there.
I just continued to stare in shock at All Might. To think, I was about to rush out there and probably make a fool of myself, only for All might to arrive several moments later. "See? There was nothing to worry about after all. How could your help ever compare to the help of the number one hero?"
I looked down at my feet, a frown forming on my lips. Maybe I just shouldn't take the entrance exam tomorrow. I'd probably end up just getting in the way of others more qualified to become a hero.
I felt something touch my shoulder. Looking up, I saw it was Pony, looking at me with a soft grin. "Are you alright?" I just shook my head in response, receiving a hug from the blonde-haired girl.
"I know how you feel. Honestly, after watching all of that, I felt useless too. But there's nothing to be ashamed of. Heck, we aren't even students at UA yet. Nobody would expect us to rush into danger like that. That's why we need to do our best tomorrow to ensure we get into UA, so that the next time something like this happens, we will be able to do something to help."
Her words comfort me a little bit, but words can only do so much. I want to believe her, but if I couldn't do anything now, then how will that be different in the future? As a hero, if you freeze up in the face of danger, people lose their lives.
Suddenly Pony grabbed my arm and began to drag me towards where All Might was standing. "I know what'll cheer you up! All Might is your idol! Maybe meeting him will help boost your confidence back up!" Though I highly doubted that would help. In fact, that would probably make me feel worse, right now. Meeting my idol after not being able to do anything except watch.
"Seriously, Pony? There was just a villain attack. How can you be so cheerful already?" I know that is just the kind of person she is, but how can she not be shaken up after that?"
"All Might took care of it, didn't he? It doesn't look like there were any severe injuries either, so it wouldn't do either of us any good to linger on the fact." Though, as much as she tried to hide it, I could see the trace of sadness in her smile and voice. She knows I wanted to do more, so she is trying to be strong so I don't beat myself up about it.
Honestly, meeting All Might is probably her way of finding some light in the situation. So I didn't try to stop her, knowing she needed this just as much as I did.
By the time we got there, the crowd was slowly starting to disperse, and All Might was getting ready to leap away. Though Pony wasn't going to let that happen without getting to meet him first.
"Hey, All Might!" she yelled, running towards him with me in tow. He turned towards us; his iconic smile plastered on his face. It is honestly surreal to see it in person.
"Ah! Hello children! I hope that you weren't caught up in the villain attack just now!"
Pony shook her head. "Luca noticed before any damage was caused, and he managed to get us to safety."
All Might turned his gaze on me, giving a big thumbs up. "You've got the instincts of a hero, shonen. You were alert at the first signs of danger and managed to protect yourself and your friend."
Hearing his praise caused a blush to paint my cheeks red. "T-thank you, All Might. Though I-I didn't really do anything. I couldn't even help those people get away from the debris." I replied, looking away from his smiling face.
I was half-way expecting him to scold me for thinking of rushing into danger. Instead, he did something I was never expecting to ever experience. Kneeling down in front of me, All Might gently place his large, strong hand on my shoulder, his eyes looking directly into mine.
"There is no need to feel ashamed of yourself, Luca-shonen. It is only natural for someone to feel like they could've done more in the face of a crisis. Even I have my moments where I feel like I could've done something more. However, despite not taking an active part, you still managed to protect yourself and your friend. In the heat of the moment, you made a split-second decision that prevented either of you from being seriously injured. To me, that is just as heroic as taking part in battle with a villain or rescuing civilians. Are either of you planning on becoming a hero?"
Pony nodded. "Yes, sir. We are both taking the UA entrance exam tomorrow." she responded, making All Might's smile brighten.
"Ah! I see! In that case, do your best to pass the entrance exam, and I guarantee that the both of you will make excellent heroes one day! I'd recommend not doubting yourself so much. You will be able to achieve great things by looking at things with a PLUS ULTA attitude! There is no doubt in my mind that, with the right attitude, you too can be a hero."
I looked at my idol in pure shock. I've heard people tell me I could become a hero before, but to hear it coming from the number one hero itself…I don't know what to think anymore. Here I am, comparing myself to such a great hero, yet he himself is telling me I can become a hero.
He stood up, getting ready to leave. "Unfortunately, I have to get going now. Evil nevers rests, after all, so neither can I! Haha. But before I go…would either of you like an autograph?"
…He was foolish to even ask such a question. Before he was gone, we had gotten our new posters signed.
"I can't believe it! I knew he has been doing work in Musutafu for about a year now, but I wasn't expecting to actually meet All Might!" Pony exclaimed in pure excitement. I couldn't help but agree. I never thought I'd get the chance to see All Might in person, let alone talk with him. "So, did that make you feel a bit less doubtful?"
I gave her a small grin and a nod in response. "I can't say I'm fully doubtless, but it did help. To hear the number one hero say we can become heroes…Well, I'd be a fool not to be inspired by that."
"Yeah! It's like we've got the strongest hero in Japan watching our backs! Now all that's left is to pass that exam tomorrow and prove him right! We should probably go home now, though. Once my folks learn about what happened, they'll probably start getting worried."
She wasn't wrong. When we finally made it home, her grandmother was worried sick, though she was glad to see neither of us were seriously injured.
"We're lucky All Might showed up when he did. You two could've been a lot worse off had he not arrived." Mr. Tsunotori said.
"Yeah! It was super awesome! He showed up and took down that golem villain with a single punch! He even stuck around afterwards, signed our posters, and gave us some encouraging words for tomorrow."
Her grandmother giggled. "That's the number one hero for you. Always saving people with a smile." She then turned and looked at me. "Did you get everything you needed while in the city?"
"Yeah. I got some more winter clothes and stocked up on batteries for the exam tomorrow." I also got some very useful advice. Advice that I will hopefully be able to make good use of.
"That's good. Well, you two should probably get ready for dinner. You need to eat and rest plenty before tomorrow. There is no use taking the exam exhausted."
I couldn't agree more. The four of us had a nice homecooked meal together, then afterwards Pony and I did a bit of cram studying for the exam. I'm fairly confident in terms of academics, though Pony asked me to help her with Japanese and Mathematics. I can't say I'm great with Japanese, but I was at least able to help her brush up on some of her pronunciations.
By the time we were done studying, it was nearly 10:00 PM. We decided to call it a night so that we could be properly rested for tomorrow.
I laid back in bed, thinking back to the day's events. For my first full day in Japan, it was pretty chaotic. Though I doubt anybody every really expects to be that close to a villain attack until it actually happens. Though what really stands out in my mind was meeting and talking to All Might.
His words still echo in my mind. "You too can become a hero." I still have my doubts, but if All Might says I have potential, then I should believe him, right? I need to stop doubting myself so much. If I keep saying I won't become a hero, then I won't. I have to do like he said and look at tomorrow with a Plus Ultra attitude!
"I'll prove to you that your words weren't wasted on me, All Might. I'll show you, Pony, my mother, everyone; that I have what it takes to be a hero."
AN: Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the portion with Teuchi. When I decided to write a part about a ramen shop, I couldn't help but add a little Easter egg in there. Anyways, next chapter is the entrance exam! I'm looking forward to writing that part, because it's been a while since I've tried writing a fight scene.
With all that said and done, I hope you all enjoyed and if you've got any ideas or advice you wanna give, please feel free to leave a review! Until next time! Have a good day/night everybody!