Words that could cut like daggers were on the tip of his tongue, ready for the world to hear. The truth, something all were allowed to decide whether they wanted or not. Heroes had no right to take it away from them. Just as they had no right to tell people who could and couldn't be a hero. Based on one single mistake.
His mouth parts open, only for a material to wrap around it. Not only that, but multiple parts of his body was wrapped, to the point where he couldn't move. Whoever had done it was skilled. They focused on his joints.
'Smart.' He thinks, forcing his head to turn behind him, and seeing someone he didn't recognize. "Ah, so you are the perpetrator."
The man looked about as angry as one might, eyes furrowed and lips drawn in a frown. "No, that title belongs to you. You're under arrest."
"Oh, am I?" Almost in an instant, the capture tape flung off the man as he bounces off the ground as if he were on a trampoline.
"Damn, he could move?" Eraserhead exclaimed.
"Finally I can make my move!" Gang Orca exclaims before releasing a hypersonic wave at the soaring man. Despite seeing it, Gentle could do nothing in time as it hit him, depriving him of his senses and paralyzing him.
"Now, Eraserhead!"
The capture tape rears at him again, again capturing him but a strand wraps itself around his throat and squeezes.
'His trying to choke me out!' He thinks, choking as his windpipe gets restricted more and more every second that he's flying above the ground. 'But he doesn't realize my...' even in thought, he pauses, shocked. His Quirk hadn't activated. Just what in the hell was... shocked eyes forcefully turn down to red irises glaring up at him, clearly glowing brighter than they had before.
'Wait, that is Eraserhead! From the UA Staff List La Brava was able to get ahold of! I didn't prepare for this!' Still shocked, his body is snatched forward toward Eraserhead but before he could go all the way Gang Orca steps in between and slams his fist deep into his gut. Saliva shoots from his mouth, past the tape with a forced exhale of breath and he already feels lightheaded. He's grabbed and slammed on the ground before he could process what had even happened.
"Threat contained." Gang Orca says aloud for all to here.
"Knock him out." Eraserhead says, eyes red, dry and twitchy. "I want to close my eyes."
Gang Orca nods, and cracks his fingers to prepare them for the job. He only needs a single good hit.
"N-no, no, no this can't be happening. Please get out of there Gentle." Through blurry eyes, La Brava shakes behind the branch she's hiding behind. She's hoping, pleading for something to happen, a miracle that would allow her precious to escape.
'W-Wait, maybe I could use my...'
Her thoughts are stopped, as the second highest renowned Hero makes his entrance, using his quirk to levitate above the ground. The air was instantly hotter.
"I'll finish him since it is taking you both so very long!" His hands stretch out and fire circles around it before barreling down.
"Endeavor, wait!" Gang Orca called out, hand high as of that would stop the oncoming assault.
"Argh!" The heat felt searing on already bloodshot eyes, forcing Eraserhead to shut them and relieve the sudden burning sensation. Immediately, Gentle rockets off the ground, slipping past the slackened capture tape and lands further away, now even closer to the cameras and the massive crowd.
Gang Orca curses, but grabs Eraserhead and dodges the fire blast before it could hit them. When he lands on the ground, it caves a bit before shooting them up into the air, far away from where the battle was taking place.
'His quirk remains active even after he does it?' He wants to scream but settles with a curse instead.
"Not very gentleman, those two. And I know that is true of you as well, Endeavor." His gaze and a small smirk direct themselves to a fuming flaming face, complete with a nasty glare.
Despite the massive crowd blocking the way, Tenya and Shoto can see what is going on but still haven't made a move in actually doing something about it. While angry, Tenya knows he's going to do more bad than good even if he defeats Gentle. Todoroki knows as well, but is stuck on whether he wants to jump in or not if things really get out of hand. The man had too much of an advantage and he knows his ice would help tremendously in turning it into their favor.
"We have to remember the consequences of rushing in." Todoroki reminds him.
'I know.' He thinks, glad he doesn't say it. He doesn't want to come off as rude, but this man's uncouthness was really grating on him. It was like he didn't even care that lives were lost on this now sacred grounds.
"Ah," someone says from behind. Both he and Shoto look to see Aoyama. Tenya doesn't miss when he slips something that looked like an earpiece into his pocket but doesn't question it. "So here you guys are."
"Where did you run off to?" Shoto asks, turning back toward the battle that would begin in mere moments. "You've missed a lot. Someone is attacking the celebration."
"Ah," Tenya doesn't miss the way his eyes are even more surprised than even when they found out. He even shudders as fear passes over him clearly, like a veil. "A-are they he-here? The League?"
"No one knows if he's part of the League or not, but we hope he's the only one of those freaks that are here. Otherwise, this might turn ugly."
They all agree to that fact.
XxX
News of the encounter during the funeral spread like wildfire. The whole population of Japan was watching at this point, the situation escalating so quickly that headlines had made it around city to city in spans of only seconds.
The Commission were now on top of the situation, gathering more heroes that had the fire power to deal with the confirmed Quirk that Gentle Criminal had.
Walking into the control center, the President looked at her subordinates directing heroes already ground zero while others called in some that could do damage. She hadn't that much time to observe as one of her directors came to her, filing her in.
"Multiple heroes close to the area have been called in for crowd control as most of there Quirks are unsuited to handle Gentle Criminal."
"And who are the ones that you've called in to help deal with him? Endeavor is already there about to fight him and Hawks can't be bothered with this right now. He's seeing the boy currently."
"I've called in the rest of the top 10 and a few of the heroes from UA. They need to be of use if UA is shut down right now."
"And who exactly have you called?" Right now, the UA staff had done nothing but make repeated mistakes over and over. At this point, her ability to believe in their ability to succeed had dwindled, becoming nearly nonexistent.
"Eraserhead was our first clear choice because of his ability to nullify another Quirk but, as you saw, he's already down there fighting. So we've decided to call, Snipe, Cementoss, and Present Mic. They should arrive in 20 minutes. All of their abilities should change the battle in favor of us."
She knew their powers extensively. As the president, she knew most heroes, both renowned and those in secret with good Quirks like Aizawa. "I like those choices. Good job."
"Thank you, Madam." He says, bowing with a gracious smile.
Seeing the situation was being handled with care, she turned around and began walking back out the door. "I expect this to go smoothly. I'm counting on you."
"Yes ma'am."
'Now, if only I can get that little lamb to squeal.' She thought, the door closing behind her with a loud metal clang, a gray haired boy running through her mind.
XxX
"What a show." Sighed Shiguraki, watching the tv whilst sitting comfortably at the bar. To think that one man could cause so much commotion. It was like the spitting image of Blade all over again. But Blade was different. He not only caused commotion, he caused calamity only a very select few ever managed. He caused a change in how heroes and villains were depicted by the public. Villains were actually feared.
"Haven't seen something like this since that Blade fellow. I wonder what his motive is for doing this. You can't quite hear the audio."
Beside him, stood Dabi and the rest of his generals, watching alongside him as the every station now rest solely on an event not too distinct from the tragedy of Hosu.
"I wish I could've met Blade!" Cheeks red, Toga could barely get the words out past the saliva. "The way his blades sliced up those heroes was so hot!"
"Hmmm, this Gentle Criminal fellow doesn't seem half bad. A worthy rival to my looks no doubt." Mr Compress said.
"More like a worthy fight." Muscular said, cracking his fist, relishing on what he was seeing. Impressive speed, strength, and use of such a quirk could give him a good fight.
"I'd say he's more of a worthy addition to our team." The 7 League members turned around to see Kurogiri walking into the room. He went immediately behind the bar, picking up a glass atop it and washing it absentmindedly. "What do you say?"
Knowing who he was talking to, Shiguraki's eyes narrowed, watching as Gentle caused Eraserhead and Gang Orca to soar away.
"He's certainly skilled but he lacks a killing edge. He hasn't killed anyone yet. His power level is too low."
Dabi sent him a sideways glance, wondering why he had to keep referencing video games, though he didn't see it as he didn't pay anyone else much attention.
"Still, he might prove valuable." At least that what Magne thought, hand on his cheek as he looked at the screen. "I'd say it's more impressive to be able to fight them without killing."
"Well his name is Gentle Criminal! That changes nothing!" As usual, Twice was arguing with himself. In fact, the others had gotten used to it so much that they hadn't even bothered to give him a sideways glance.
"His skill is noted but he doesn't follow our modus operandi." Shiguraki said, standing up. "We kill the insects the public call heroes. Besides, we have more than enough to enact our next plan."
Kurogiri nodded, knowing that was the truth and turns back to look at the screen. Still, impressive he could fight off Eraserhead like that. Eraserhead. Eraser-
"Oi, Kurogiri! Give me another!"
Kurogiri blinks, a feeling he doesn't quite know coming over him briefly. "Of course." Without another second, he goes to work and can't help but think what exactly that feeling was, and where it was coming from.
XxX
Endeavor could not believe his own fury. He was an angry man, yes, but certainly he hadn't felt this much rage in a while. It was like this guy was able to get under his skin with his cunning, yet charming smirk. Knowing what was about to come out of that mouth only made it worse.
"The second most popular hero in the world, Endeavor. Just the man I was hoping to meet." Gentle's smirk becomes menacing right before his eyes, and part of him wonders what exactly he was about to do. "Do you know why you are such an honored guest?"
He barely finishes his words before Endeavor speeds toward him, keeping sure to stay off the ground using his Quirk. Gentle shows genuine surprise at being rushed so suddenly and dives out of the way, landing on the ground and bouncing further away from the effect his quirk still had upon it.
"Do you really think I'll be apart of this game of yours?" Endeavor asks, baring teeth as he turns to meet the eyes of the man. "You are disturbing this service, and I will take you down!"
The man doesn't take his declaration well, cocking his head with a glare so fierce it could rival his own. "So, now you start caring about morals, eh? Then what about your son? What's so moral about that? About the way you treated him?"
A crack formed in an metaphorical wall, holding back his rage. "Don-" he tries.
"Don't what." Gentle counters. "Don't tell these people what a true hero behaves like? Shouldn't these people know what heavens the ones protecting them really are?"
"What is this all about?" He spat and pointed furiously. "You keep going on and on about us heroes! Why?"
Endeavor had known terrifying foes, villains who were merciless and equally dangerous and strong. The feeling he'd gotten from them seeped from this man like water from a faucet, slipping through the cracks of his flamboyant facade.
"Just as you did, I attended UA High with a dream to become an aspiring hero." A chuckle slips from him as he relives his past. He seemed amused, as if he no longer cared.
Endeavor saw the exact opposite.
"Yet, from a mere single mistake, that dream was taken away from me. The hopes that I would become a hero of history, my legacy spanning generations became nothing but a broken destiny, forever out of grasp because of this society." Gentle's eyes finally open and his dead stare meets his own. "Then I see a hero like you. One who has made so many mistakes and was able to make it through the barrier and into the Top 10. Someone so underserving of such a rank. Someone who has yet to be exposed."
Endeavor can't keep the confusion off his face, his features scrunching to figure out his motive. "And you think telling the world about me will put you in the history book?"
Gentle chuckles again. "No, no, that is not why I am here. My presence here alone already puts me in the books. What I am doing now is solely for me." His mood changes once more, his face growing serious. "And me alone. If a hero needs to be perfect, the heroes have no need for imperfect ones like you."
Gentle takes a bow slowly, his eyes staying upon Endeavor's bulking form. "It is time for the climax of my show, and next the resolution."
Endeavor didn't miss the way his voice sounded when he ended his sentence and his flames intensified in response.
"First you, then this society! The world will know of Gentle Crimnal!"
His flames reached their highest point yet as Gentle rushed forward using his quirk to speed him up. But Gentle didn't even reach him. Halfway through his dash, quirks from every angle came in his direction. Surprised, he acted quickly, using his quirk to force the air itself to bounce him away rapidly, swerving through the attacks with every other attempt being more narrowly avoided than the last.
Finally, he escaped, landing on the ground safely, but as he looked up... not even he could put on a facade.
No longer was he surrounded by a crowd of civilians, but heroes. It looked as if it were a hundred of them, stalking him like starving wolves ready to tear him apart. They stood above him, high enough that he was forced to crane his neck. And yet, despite the facade not coming naturally, he forced it.
As always, the heroes stood on top. What they wanted being first priority above all, with only public image enough to ruin one.
He couldn't hold in a chuckle. This was the sight that further told him what heroes were truly about.
Preserving themselves. Anything to do with others was only second nature to them.
As if the occasion were special, he held his arms out aside him and dipped into a bow. "All this for the fiend that is Gentle Crimnal?! How truly honored am I to be bestowed the heroes that will put my name in the record books!"
The resounding boom sounded behind him. Turning around, he spotted chilling red eyes, glaring at him. Suddenly, he felt powerless.
"This charade ends here!" Eraserhead stated, barely being able to stand with his only help being Gang Orca.
Well, now it was truly over, wasn't it? Looking about it, without his Quirk, there wasn't much he could do against 100 heroes. Still, the sight was so amusing he wouldn't dare look .
"Gentle! Gentle, please don't give up!"
His breath hitched in his throat as he froze, his eyes only moving to confirm what he heard. La Brava was running at him, her round eyes spewing tears in her mad dash with her arm outstretched as if she could reach him from how far away she was.
He was about to speak up, telling her to go away but knew it would only bring more attention to her if he said her name. But she was still running at him, it would draw attention anyways.
"Do you not have the gals to face me heroes? Come on, then! Let's finish this!" He yelled, egging them on. The only way to end this without getting her hurt was the end it fast before she could even make it.
"What!" A hero yelled out indignantly, saying aloud what most of them were thinking. His face twisted into a horrid scowl.
"Tch, bring him down!"
"This ends here, Villain!"
Those words sent a tidal wave of emotion throughout his body. 'Me? A villain...' even the sound of his own voice saying it sounded unfamiliar. How could he been seen that way? No, it was those heroes. They saw any opposition to them as nothing but mere villains. He looked at the crowd of onlookers for justification, finding only looks of contempt on the face of the masses. D-did they too think he was nothing more than a villain?
How could they?
Heroes rushed forward at every angle, their quirks ready for release.
When he hadn't harmed a single person? How? How? How? How?
"Ah, Dammit! Those guys rushing forward broke my line of sight!" Shota yelled aloud, frustration filling his tone. What heroes couldn't keep their composure from mere talk. Clearly, he was outnumbered. He wouldn't win no matter what he said or did.
Red stained eyes didn't welcome the cloud of dust that seemed to have risen from the 100 human pile up in the distant. His insides suddenly felt hallow, as if he was shaking from the inside. But it was the ground underneath him that was shaking, a rumbling pebble across the ground told him as much. He shut down his eyes tightly, covering up as a giant force of wind blew the dust away in all directions, the force so great that he strained to stay on his feet.
La Brava had already sunken to the ground, skidding across the ground on all floors trying desperately to stay put. "Gentle?..."
Cries of pain echoed through the landscape and sounds of surprise from the distant crowd sounded soon afterwards.
A short, deep growl escaped Gang Orca's throat as he began to stalk forward only for Eraserhead to nearly stumble to grab onto his arm.
"No, stop. We can't rush forward if we don't know what he's capable of."
"He has to be weak at this point. That was huge. He's not physically capable of that, which means it came from his quirk. He has to be tired at this point."
"That may be, but that's only a theory. We should wait until he comes easy to spot. Then, with my quirk, we'll take him down with ease."
His massive fist clenched and shook more violently with each second. "Don't you think of how it'll look letting this go on any further? I understand being patient, but we won't get anywhere like this. We have to do something else. Something more. Something that will finish this now."
The wind finally slowed to a soft breeze and the debris started falling back down to the ground
"How it looks doesn't matter. We heroes looked bad the moment we allowed heroes in training to fight and kill villains."
Endeavor was the only amongst the many heroes that managed to stay on his feet through the shockwave. His flames burned intense, reacting to his feelings of readiness and slight fear. No normal man with a basic quirk could produce something like that. And he didn't know how hot he should make his flames. He couldn't risk needlessly hurting or killing when Heroes were already receiving enough criticism.
Blue eyes narrow when a hand pops out of the smoke and grasp onto the edge of the giant crater? His eyes widened in surprise upon seeing it and his fist clenched.
Gentle makes a slow, impactful entrance, the crater in the ground drawing attention from every eye watching.
"As you all stand before me, I ask of you this. Do heroes have the right to stand before the truth?"
Nothing but silence accompanies his question. No one speaks. Mouths open, but close, none having the guts to speak what they all thought.
He chuckled. "And so there in lies my issue. A world where heroes run it will never succeed. And that's why I no longer wish to be a hero. I wish to be above you all. I wish for my name to go down in the history books! I wish-"
The words never escape his mouth. Something nearly the speed of sound crashed into him from behind, and the ground shook violently as force from the attack pushed dirt upwards.
It didn't take long for the dust to disperse. In a small crater standing over Gentle Criminal was Mirko.
"Ha! Sorry to crash the party but I couldn't resist."
"M-Mirko!" Endeavor sputtered, stunned.
"Get off him!" Eraserhead yelled from behind her, his eyes barely open but no longer using his quirk. "His spin! You're on his spine!"
"Huh?" She looked down and just as he said, her foot was into his spin. But she didn't know just how much damage she'd done until she actually moved her foot off and saw the indent of her foot on his back.
He gaped in pain and shock, saliva running down his chin. He could no longer feel his legs.
"G-Gentle!" La Brava yelled out, running as fast as her feet could take her.
"Grab the child! Now!"
"Don't let her get close to the scene!"
Police Officers chased after her and easily caught her within seconds, tackling her to the ground and holding her down.
"Stop! Stop! Let me go!"
"We can't! Lie still! Stop squirming, girl!"
She continued, fighting as hard as she possibly could. She clawed at them and wrangled all across the ground, picking up dirt and dust. It was all to no avail. She couldn't escape. And when she realized it, she could no longer move her body. She could only cry.
"G-Gentle..." she whimpered.
"The girl is secure."
Heroes rushed to the crater where a dumbfounded Mirko stood over Gentle. She could barely even hear them approaching despite her super hearing. The softening breaths of the man underneath her drowns out her hearing. His crushed back drowns out her vision. She could only see him.
Until she was pushed.
"Get back!"
Her foot dragged along the ground as she caught herself, awakening from her daze as heroes and policemen alike arrived and began standing over Gentle.
"A medic! We need a medic here!"
"Bring a stretcher!"
"Anyone with a healing quirk!"
"His breaths are shallow!"
"We're losing him!"
Every voice echoed through his mind, but he could barely hear them. He could no longer feel, and darkness began to rise in his vision, covering it with a slow veil.
All of sudden, he could see. He saw himself. A version of himself much younger, much happier. Going to school and trying to become a hero. Then he remembered what day this was.
It was that day. The day it all came crashing down. The day he gained a criminal record. The day he lost everything. His parents, his friends, and his dream. Forever.
"Hey, Gentle?"
That voice. It was La Brava's. He knew that. But no matter where he turned, she was nowhere to be found.
"If you were given a chance to go back in time and stop yourself from saving that man, would you?"
The ground shook violently beneath him and a structure formed before him. A structure too familiar to him. And that same scream that haunted him for so long. That man was falling again, but it felt as if he were moving in slow motion. He saw himself leaping to save the man, and he also saw the hero. His eyes widened, this was his chance.
With a burst from his quirk, he leaped up to stop himself. He still wanted to become a hero. He knew he could. If only he didn't get in the way.
But he would never make it. Space bended and twisted, and suddenly he was no longer looking at his past. He was falling. He screamed as darkness took hold of him, his eyes filling with despair as he held a hand out to try and catch the rocky cliffs that surrounded him.
But suddenly he was no longer falling. He was on his back, a red haze surrounding him.
"You still want to be a hero, don't you?"
The voice of his father echoed loudly.
"Don't you!"
He squeezed his hands up against his ears to drown out the sound.
"Then why do you besmirch them? Why do you claim to want to be above them, when you're motivation is just as awful as any of theirs."
His hands were squeezing so hard that hair was beginning to fall down, falling below the dense mist.
"GENTLE!"
His eyes shoot wide open. The sky is moving and he can feel hands touching him but cannot see the faces of those surrounding him. It was like he was floating. His body lost even more feeling, his head flopping to the side, and he saw someone through the crowd surrounding him.
La Brava was crying for him, pink energy spilling out of her form as policeman struggled to hold her back. He mouth the words I love you and her eyes widening were the last thing he ever saw.
AU: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to come out. Many things happened between this chapter and the last and when I finally came back, I couldn't decide how I wanted to end this Arc. It wasn't until I saw how beautiful tragedy could be did I decide how this would end and I think if you look how I decided to write Gentle you'll see how this is in line with his character and the inner tragedy inside of him.
I thank you all for waiting so patiently for this chapter and now we're back to chapters filled mostly with Kakashi in the next arc I like to call a New Order.
Who will Kakashi choose? The League of Villains? The Hero Commission? Or Ryukyu?
Yaboyassassin, Out!