Mr. Manual's sidekick was a tall, blonde and slender young heroine. She wore a red scarf around her neck and a white-green hero costume. I remembered her from the last time I had interned with Mr. Manual. Her hero name was Arrow. She had the ability to aim her body and fling it like a projectile at a target from a distance. In many ways, her quirk was similar to mine - a form of enhanced speed.
When I had interned under Manual, I had been far too occupied with whether or not I would catch the hero killer to pay her any attention. I had vaguely understood she was there, had taken in her existence, but had not truly seen her. Now she was standing in Mr. Manual's main agency room with her arms folded, glowering at me.
"So you're giving him a second chance," she muttered to Mr. Manual.
"I'm giving him a trial," he corrected her. She turned to face me, and I could easily see her anger.
"You caused us a lot of trouble last time, kid. You want a second chance here, believe me - you're going to have to earn it."
"Arrow..." Mr. Manual cautioned her, but I was prepared for this. I bowed deeply to her.
"I apologize deeply, Miss Arrow. I was misguided before. I made mistakes - I truly acted wrongly. All I wish for now is a chance to make it up to both yourself and Mr. Manual - to repay your kindness in taking in a reckless and foolish student by contributing to your agency in whatever way I can."
She was silent, then shrugged. "Words are nice, kid, but you'll have to show it if you want me to believe it."
She turned away from me to Mr. Manual. "Trouble areas in the downtown turf. There's an issue warning. We'll have to take control."
"Understood. Ingenium? Now that you have your hero license, you may accompany us regardless of employment."
"Yes, sir!"
The patrol area around Hosu we walked through was the same one Mr. Manual had taken me through before - I recalled, even though I hadn't been paying close attention at the time, every detail. However, he and Miss Arrow took a detour through an alleyway - triggering some unpleasant memories in me - and into an unfamiliar neighborhood. This part of Hosu was far less upscale than the ones we had patrolled before. I had the distinct impression that Mr. Manual had on our first internship been keeping me, an inexperienced student, away from any real danger while his sidekicks took over patrol.
Now we were headed through a darker, more deserted neighborhood. The late summer heat here had fried all grass to brown. Nobody was bothering to come outside if they couldn't help it. I could see a few vagrants, people walking down the street who looked rather suspicious.
"Sir," I asked Mr. Manual quietly as we passed a group of shifty looking people, "are we here to clean up this district?"
He looked at me, and his expression wasn't impressed - on the contrary, it was almost appalled. "The people we're passing, you mean? They're not refuse, Ingenium. Just because they're out on the streets doesn't make them criminals."
"Spoiled rich kids usually make that mistake," said Arrow, who was ahead of us but clearly hearing every word. I felt distinctly horrible.
"Apologies, sir."
"It's ok. Just remember, you can't go after someone until they've committed a crime. Innocent until proven guilty. That's an important lesson of hero work."
We continued heading down towards 'the area', and I watched Mr. Manual and Miss Arrow's every movement from behind, hoping to pick up some secret of their patrolling. As far as I could tell they were headed rather aimlessly towards some particular point.
And then we heard it - BOOM -
and smelled it. Smoke - deep, thick, intense smoke and ash falling all around us. A row of buildings had caught on fire.
"Arrow! Ingenium!" said Manual, running towards a fire hydrant and directing the water. "You two focus on evacuation and rescue!"
Of course. Manual has a water quirk - so he manages fires...
"Kid!" said Arrow. "Here!"
She tossed me a smoke mask and strapped one on herself. "I have some protection in my mask already, ma'am!" I told her, preparing to use the basics of my quirk. "Just give me my directions!"
"That building on the end has it the worst! We start there. I'll take the top floor, you take the bottom. Evacuate and take care!"
She moved faster than I, leaping into the air towards the top floor. I followed suit, speeding - not using up any special moves early, but simply going faster than average - into the bottom floor.
A family of about five people, dressed rather like the ones I'd passed on the streets before, were trapped behind fallen debris. My suit would isolate me from the fire, but how to get them out with no protection?
Best find a way to move the debris. Was there a way to do so without spreading the fire?
Well, first priorities first.
"Citizens! The Manual Hero Agency is here to put out this inferno. And I am here to evacuate you to safety!"
"Help, please!"
"Hurry, we can't move, the smoke is just horrible!"
I nodded and looked over the flaming debris. With my insulation I can move it myself, and quickly. But toss it into a corner and it will merely spread the flames.
Best part the ways. A simple trick. At thirty miles per hour, I seized each piece of burning debris and moved them - delicately - to the side, providing a passage. Then in between the rubble to the cowering citizens, whom I could easily carry. Four, perhaps, but two of them children.
"Breathe carefully!" I instructed, and moved through the infero out to the street.
Miss Arrow had already evacuated the top floor as I placed the citizens in a safe location.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Took you heroes long enough..."
"Hurry, kid!" said Arrow. "Plenty more to save!"
I nodded. "Understood!"
Though the grumbled words 'took you long enough' stayed in my head as I moved to the next location. Those rumors that faith in heroes is starting to wane...are they actually true?
Stay focused. this is your trial by fire, Ingenium. Rescue services, the most essential operation of a hero - the one you failed in at your first trial. You must not fail again, not if you wish to bring honor to the name of Ingenium.
Save as many as you can.