I'm packing up my belongings at my desk, preparing to leave work for the day. After shutting my computer off, I look up and see Shoto.
"Hey," I greet. "How are your wounds from Hosu doing?"
"I'm practically healed," Shoto replies. "It's just minor cuts that need to heal."
"I'm glad. Today was your last day interning here at your father's agency, right?"
"Yes."
"How was your week here?"
"It was very enlightening. Despite my strained relationship with my father, I admit I'm learning a lot from him as a hero."
"That's great," I smile.
We make our way down the hall to the elevators. Shoto presses the button to summon one. Once it arrives, we enter.
"I'm sure your classmates will wanna hear all about your encounter with Stain," I say.
"I hope they ask Midoriya and Ida all the questions," Shoto says.
"You're coming toward the end of your term at school, right?"
"Yeah. Final exams are soon. I'll be studying for them."
"I'm sure you'll do well."
"Akira...you were once working under the Hero Public Safety Commision, right?"
"What about it?"
"I'm curious as to why you left it and ended up working at my father's agency. Surely a law enforcement agency is far different than a hero agency."
"I spent my whole life with the Commission. I guess you can say I grew tired of it," I give him a brief answer.
Shoto sees I don't want to get into further detail. The elevator door opens and we head down the lobby of the main level to exit the building. Outside, Enji is waiting for Shoto beside their limousine.
"Good luck back at school," I tell Shoto.
"Thanks," he replies.
Shoto ignores his father as he enters the limousine.
"We can drive you home," Enji offers.
"No thanks," I politely refuse. "I don't mind walking."
"Then please be careful."
I give him a nod. He enters the limousine and it drives off. I make my way down the block, gazing up at the now darkened sky.
"A drink wouldn't hurt," I say to myself.
I make my way down the block. After walking for some time, I arrive at a local bar, the bells on the door ringing as I enter. It's fairly empty with a few people inside. I take a seat on a stool at the bar counter.
"A vodka cocktail, please," I tell the bartender.
He nods and begins to work on my drink. On the television mounted up on the wall, the news station is showing images of Stain. The audio on the television is muted in my favor.
'There they go again…' I think to myself. 'All the media is doing is feeding into this craze by showing Stain over and over again.'
The bartender sets my drink on the counter in front of me. I grab it and take a sip. After some time, the bells on the door ring as someone enters. This person sits a few stools away to my right.
"Can I get you something?" The bartender asks.
"Just a beer," the man replies. "Your pick."
The bartender hands him an ice cold bottle after opening it. I keep my gaze up at the mounted television as I read the news headlines about Stain, now growing annoyed at it.
"It's crazy that they got him, right?" The man to my right asks me. "Didn't think he'd get caught."
"That's expected of a criminal, I suppose," I reply.
I take a sip from my cocktail. My eyes glance over at the man to my right. He's wearing a black jacket with the hood over his head. The collar of the jacket covers his face just below the nose. His black spiky hair sticks out from under his hood. His eyes are covered with a pair of pitch black sunglasses. He wears regular black jeans with a pair of black shoes. His attention is up on the television.
"Heroes must be scrambling after his ideology became public," the man says. "They can't let that kind of mind rub off on people, huh?"
"Ideally no," I reply. "But now that it's out, there's no doubt it'll resonate with some people."
"You gotta admit, Stain makes some good points."
"Many of his points are valid, but that doesn't necessarily make it right for him to murder people."
"I wonder what the League of Villains thinks of him. Would they recruit him?"
"He's too much of a wildcard. I don't see him working well with the League...Though I don't think it's impossible."
"Hn."
I keep my gaze in front of me the whole time I'm talking to this man. My mind is still on Stain and his ideology. The man continues to take a swig from his beer.
"What's your take on the League of Villains?" The man asks after a moment of silence.
"They're a league of villains," I lightly laugh. "What else is there to them?"
"Right."
"What's your take on the League?" I sip from my drink.
"They sound like a buncha whack jobs."
"That's a nice way of putting it," I can't help but laugh.
"Ya think so?" He's amused.
"Even so, a group of whack jobs combined with Stain's ideology can be dangerous."
"At least the League has a goal in mind."
"Which is?"
"I don't know. But I'm willing to find out."
The bells on the door ring as a group of drunk guys walks in. I immediately think my peaceful time here has come to an end as they are boisterous. The group flocks over to the bar counter on my left side. I gaze at them from the corner of my eyes in annoyance.
"Listen, you wanna take this conversation somewhere…" I turn to the man on my right.
To my surprise, the hooded man is gone. I guess because of the loud group of drunks I didn't hear him up and leave. I stare at his empty beer bottle on the counter with cash sitting underneath it.
'What an interesting guy…' I think to myself. 'Our talk was so smooth...As if we were old friends.'
I keep my gaze at the bottle in thought.
"Hey, beautiful," a drunk guy leans on the counter next to me. "Care for a drink?"
"No thanks," I stand up. "I'm done here."
I gulp down the rest of my drink and leave cash under the empty glass. I make my way out of the bar and head down the street.
'It would've been nice to talk to him more…' I think to myself.
I let out a sigh as I make my way down the block toward my apartment. For some reason, I sense a presence in the alley I'm passing. I glance over at it for a moment, peering into the darkness. Seeing no one there, I continue on my way home for the evening.