AN: I don't own HP or MHA
Chapter 4
A Wholesome Welcome
Darkness.
That's all that filled his vision.
Stain woke up, pain erupting in his chest, and his consciousness was beginning to return.
The burning, stinging sensation melted into Stain's mind. It felt like a blade slashed across his flesh.
Except there was no blade. He can only remember from a little.
What… What the hell happened to him?! How did he even get here?! When did he even get here?
Wait… Wait a minute… he couldn't move!
His arms were getting tighter with each movement in his muscles. That's when it hit Stain.
His body was tied with a rope. It got tighter the more he moved. It began to cause great pain for the Hero-Killer, irritated with the rope closing in on his injuries.
One second he was doing his job, purging the fakes in this cursed city. The next, he woke up in an empty room.
That's when it hit him… Last night, he was out, performing his good in the world when suddenly, his job was interrupted by someone.
That brat!
Mounting frustration began to process in Stain's mind. Stain remembers what happened that night. He… He was beaten.
His… quirk! What kind of quirk did he possess in front of his eyes?!
That power… he displayed earlier.
Stain didn't know what to call it but from what he could tell, it was like… energy being thrown in his face. Like some kind… of energy waves…
And his choice of a weapon was some kind of… stick in his hand. Did it come with his quirk?
Could that… brat be a multi-dual wielder? Did… he have more than one quirk?
It just spawned more questions than answers to the self-proclaimed vigilante. Where had he seen that man before?
Was he a lot like him… or did he belong with the rest of those frauds out there?
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A foreign voice spoke out, catching the Hero Killer's attention.
Stain's eyes widened, turning his attention towards a man wearing a dark cloak and a bright red and yellow scarf covering the lower half of his face and wearing glasses behind his bright green eyes.
What was a particular sight was a scar, shaped like some kind of lighting bolt.
"Ah, good to see you're awake." The man spoke with a semi-happy tone.
"Yo…You!" Stain muttered, struggling to move due to the movement of the ropes tightening around his ribcage.
The hooded man stretched his right arm, warning the Hero Killer not to struggle too much. "Hey. Don't move around too much. Your injuries are still recovering and that rope only helps put pressure on it."
Stain growled in response, his brow rising angrily towards his unknown assailant.
"What… What did… you do… to me?" Stain asked, his eyes looking up at the man with a particular expression.
"Nothing lethal. I did manage to stop the bleeding from drawing out further. You were close to death's door if I didn't intervene sooner." The hooded man in the shadows responded with a nonchalant attitude.
Stain slowly began to grit his teeth, his eyes rummaging for his equipment and armaments.
"If you're wondering where your weapons are, I hid them in my bag when you were unconscious. In case you tried anything to harm me."
Hmph, smart kid.
"Touche…" The wounded vigilante responded nonchalantly.
"So… what do I call you then? Stain? Hero-Killer? I don't know… Stendhal?"
Stain's eyes widened after hearing those words. How? Where? Where did this kid find out his old alias?!
"How… How do you know that name?!" Stain demanded.
"I have my ways. You still didn't answer my question. What do you normally go by?"
"Stain. Refer to me as Stain. The name Stendhal died a long time ago because I was clouded by my old, naive judgments."
"Very well. Stain it is then." The hooded man continued with the same nonchalant vibe.
"Kid?" Stain's raspy voice called out, catching the hooded man's attention, his eyes narrowing at him. "Who are you and why… did you save my life, especially to someone who was trying to harm you?"
Scratching his head in an semi awkward response, the hooded man narrowed his eyes at the former vigilante. "Well, it's a… complicated answer. I just didn't have the heart to leave you bleeding in the alley. And I had this problem with many people trying to end my life as I continued to live. What a bloody mess." The hooded man with the brightly colored scarf lightly jested in a foreign accent, a small chuckle could be heard in his voice. "But to answer your other question, I'm just like you. A vigilante in a way."
Stain's eyes widened, he was expecting that answer to be thrown in his face. Does that mean… he wasn't a fake?
"You're a… vigilante?" Stain asked, a sense of denial began to manifest in his tone.
"You could say that. Me, I just like to call myself a bloke not wanting to start a fight in the first place. But enough about that, I would like to ask you a question as well."
"Hmmm… Why would I tell you anything? In case you forgot, we… are enemies at this moment. Not to mention, I only got these injuries in the first place because of you! You and your… odd quirk did this to me…" Stain retorted.
"Okay, I get it. You're mad at me." The hooded cloaked man with glasses waved both of his hands.
Hmph, what was his first clue?
"Look, I'll make a deal with you."
"A deal… What… deal?"
"The deal is I'll answer your questions one by one if you answer mine. That way, we both get information without starting another fight." The green-eyed man implied, hoping to find an alternative.
"So what do you say, mate?"
"Hmmm, fine… I'll tell you what you need to know but if I find out you go back on your word, I won't waste your life in your sleep once I get a grip on my weapons."
"Charming. Well, I promise I won't go back on my word as well." The mysterious man gave his one word.
"Who the hell… are you then?"
"Well, to answer that question, it's with asking a question."
Stain frowns, and agitation begins to settle in his thoughts.
"Have you heard of the recent vigilante named The Magician?"
"The one… from the Sludge Incident?"
"That's the one. Yeah, I'm him." The mysterious man confirmed for himself.
Stain remained silent, gathering his next words. "So… you're just like me."
The hooded man shook his head in response. "That's where you're wrong. I'm nothing like you. You're a murderer who almost took the life of an innocent man. If I hadn't shown up to prevent that, you would have had another death occurring on your hands."
"Innocent man you say? You think that fake was… innocent?" The anger began to rise in the hunched Hero-Killer's tone of voice.
His teeth were beginning to grit, eyes twitching uncomfortably.
"That man is nothing but a leech to society. It's scum like him that are dragging everyone's hopes and dreams, burying the ordinary traits in this current humankind."
"Right. And what you're doing is supposed to make things better." The puzzling man in the shadows commentated on the Hero-Killer's actions."
"It is the only way to fix the problems in this society."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because… no one else is willing to do the same here.
"So… what do you want to know about my history?" Stain asked.
"That name you were given. The Hero-Killer. What do people call you that?"
"Because… it is a name, no, a title I earned when I became a vigilante. Once I gained a new sense of judgment, I knew what my calling was."
"And what was that calling?"
"To purge the fakes out from this city! End all the lives of those phonies and so-called celebrities who only use their title as heroes only for fame. They are simply trash, buried underneath the corruption of this society." Stain spat with disgust and vexation in his tone.
"Fakes." Stain's eyes narrowed at the hooded man's voice. "You keep calling them fakes. Like they weren't real heroes, to begin with."
"Yes." Stain agreed with the hooded man's choice of words. "That's because they are. They don't care about anyone but themselves and the selfish desires they gain once they become a "hero." Stain expressed in great disgust.
"Hmmm, I see. I know how that feels." The dark-cloaked man spoke those last words quietly to himself.
Stain's ears did pick up on it, his head snapping up on instinct. "What did you say?"
"Nothing." The hooded man shook his head, denying his words. "It's what you said that made me reflect on a few things."
Stain did grow a bit suspicious but said nothing nonetheless. The hunched man continued with his explanation. "So yes, I became the Hero-Killer, bringing true justice to those who end the lives of sham heroes, who are the root of society's problems. The only way we can truly live in a better world is to ignore today's laws and create one where people are free with no judgment of the way they were born. "
"So that's why your targets consist mainly of heroes. Because you believe them to be the source of humanity's current problems. Am I right?" The hooded vigilante assumed in a curious tone.
"Yes," Stain said simply, not doubting himself for one second.
"Well, thank Merlin, there's a logical explanation for your motives." The dark-hooded man spoke in a sardonic manner, a sarcastic note could be expressed in his tone of voice.
Stain did catch that notion, his face becoming irritated due to being insulted for his beliefs. Both of his hands started to clench in anger, his frown becoming more narrow and his teeth gritting at the same time.
"Are… you mocking my goals, boy?" The icy sharpness manifested in the Hero-Killer's voice.
"Frankly, to put it simply, your beliefs, no but your motives on handling it… Yeah, that's your main problem there." The answer was confirmed by the bandaged vigilante.
"How dare… YOU MOCK MY ASPIRATIONS!" The Hero-Killer shouted, his body began to thrash underneath the rope, and pain increased further on his chest as the grip of the rope tightened around his arms, causing little drops of blood to leak from his armor.
Blood began to cough up from his mouth, nearly choking on his vital fluids.
"Hey, easy there! Your injuries are only going to become worse if you keep it up."
"Episkey!"
The blood slowly began to evaporate, cleaning the red spots on the former vigilante's armor. A tiring sigh came out from the man in the dark cloak. "There. Bloody hell, you need to control your anger there."
The nerve of this brat. Even after what he did to him, Stain honestly couldn't help but be impressed by this boy's sense of morality.
It does make him wonder, maybe… maybe he… was trying to be noble in his way. Still, Stain couldn't let his guard down. The former vigilante was more surprised he didn't attempt to slay him in his sleep.
"Look, I'm gonna be honest with you. I get it… I get what you're trying to do. I knew people that had an egotistical sense of approach but committing murder just to prove a point doesn't make you the better person here. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."
Stain took a deep breath, taking in the man's words. "What you said earlier. That you are a vigilante, in a way just like me. You can keep denying it but it only proves my point. You broke the law and by default, it already makes you an outlaw in this city. And the only thing you can do is accept your role in this society."
"Roles… That's what you're telling me. Frankly, I find that to be a pile of rubbish."
"How so?" Stain said in a surprisingly calm voice.
"Well, think about it. You're telling me once a person is born, their roles have been rigged from the start. Once that person grows up, they don't even get a chance to choose what part they want to play. It was never meant to be how they envisioned their goals or dreams for the future."
Stain frowned at the hooded vigilante's logic. "What would you know, boy? You probably never experience the same hardships most of us had growing up in this city. To be judged and discriminated against by your "talents" and be branded off as an outcast in the lowest depths of this civilization."
"Well, that's where you're wrong. Since you just met me, you can't make false accusations just yet."
That somehow took Stain off-guard. "Wha… What are you saying… You're speaking from experience, aren't you?" Stain assumed.
"In a way, I suppose. But we're getting off-tracked." The mysterious hooded man waved it off.
"Look, I'd get it but I can't continue to pursue this misdeed. I knew this one man who had a similar perspective. He would have an old saying on the topic known as vigilantism."
"What happened to him?" Stain asked a bit curiously.
"He died. Killed by the same man who killed my loved ones when I was just an infant."
Stain stood silent, unaware of what to say. "I'm… sorry." A solemn voice spoke out from the former vigilante's mouth, catching the hooded man in surprise.
That was surprisingly unexpected.
"It's alright. At least he went out, doing what he aspires the most."
"Why are you telling me this?" Stain inquired in a gruff but curious tone.
"Because it was his paranoia that led to his downfall. And the same could be said about you if you don't stop what you're doing."
"Hmph, is that a threat?" Stain assumed.
"No, consider it a warning." The man in the dark cloak spoke with a deterrent example.
"Look, in this case, I'll make you another deal."
"Another deal?"
"Yes, another deal? And if you listen, it might work out for both of us in the end."
This better be good.
Harry knew this was a risky move.
There were two choices he could make in this situation.
The first one was the simple and realistic possible course of action is letting the authorities handle this man.
But at the same time, it was a high-risk move due to this man possibly breaking out of prison. The fact that past heroes in this world couldn't even touch him, let alone capture him already made him one of the most dangerous villains in this world.
But he certainly couldn't let the man go. Not for all the violent crimes he committed. Especially since Voldemort was still out there, the young sorcerer knew that he already had enough on his plate.
Truly, an unjust game was cast upon him.
From what this man was telling him, the reason he kills these heroes are due to their selfish motives such as gaining success and fame without having the attributes of your standard hero like putting your great powers for great responsibility.
It all sounded very hypocritical from Harry's perspective.
That only leaves the second option. And this was a dicey option coming from him.
"Yes. Another deal. And I might let you go on one condition."
"And what condition is that?" Stain questioned the mysterious man's words.
"If you promise me you won't harm another person ever again."
Silence in the room commenced, and a neutral look was spotted on the hunched vigilante.
"Why would I do that? You're telling me to give up my ambitions for fixing this society."
"Ambitions?" Harry let out, and a sense of indignation began to sink into the young wizard's tone. "Murdering these people… Innocent people. Going around dressed like a mummy and putting an end to their lives is not an ambitious goal and will not help fix this society. If anything, you're just creating a bigger issue than before." Righteousness was the emotion going through Harry's mind at this moment.
"That's where you're wrong, kid," Stain said.
"Really? What is that?" Harry inquired.
Stain let out a small chuckle, turning his gaze to face the raven-haired sorcerer. "Because… look out that window, boy." Stain nodded his head towards the open window in the room they were in. "Look out there and tell me what you see. I'll tell you what I see out there. It's a waste dump out there. Every day when I'm out there, in the dark streets, my blades ending the lives of those fakes out there, the smell gets worse every second." Venomous spew from the former vigilante's words. "In case you haven't noticed, this warped society of both heroes and villains alike is filled with hypocrisy and its vanity is nothing more than a scorn to each its own. No matter what I've accomplished, I won't stop until I have convicted those who are weak with the least noble desires."
"That's your excuse?" Harry spoke out of disbelief. "That's the same bloody excuse you used not too long ago when it came to describing your motives."
"I am not a bad guy." The hero-killer started to excuse his goals and beliefs.
Harry was beginning to have enough of this man's nonsense. "Yeah. Tell me then. Or better yet, tell that same logic to all the children or wives, or husbands of those fakes you're telling me about!" Harry argued back, his voice raising in heat.
"You think I'm some kind of villain? Is that what you're trying to tell me, boy?" Stain began to assume.
"Yes. If anything, your motives fit the title of a villain." Harry called out.
That was the last straw for the masked swordsman.
"Don't ever call me… THAT! I am not like those… SCUM!" Stain huffed out, and anger slowly began to leave his emotions. "Their goals are nothing but unachievable, nothing but immoral to insanity! They're the kinds of trash to go up against true heroes! True heroes like… All Might."
'All Might… That's the Number One Hero in this country from what I remember correctly." Harry thought to himself.
"I am not a monster…" Stain's voice spoke in empathy, snapping Harry from his thoughts. "There is something I realized about you, boy." Stain registered, turning his eyes to the stranger in the dark cloak. "You saved my life. You could have left me to die there. Leave me in the puddle of my blood… but you didn't. Why?"
Harry stared at the Hero-Killer, taking in his question.
"Because… it's right. Despite what you were going to do to that man, I just couldn't leave you to die in an empty street. It's not who I am and will never aim to be."
"Kid." The hunched man with bandages spoke out, struggling in his binds. "Let me ask you one question." Harry's head began to incline, upon hearing the vigilante's words. "What would you do if the whole world turned against you? Despite everything you have done for these people, one day, they'll loathe you… For your actions, your moral code, and your presence… What will you do?"
Harry stood silent, unaware of how to respond.
"Hmmm, that's what I thought."
"Another way." A voice spoke out, Stain's eyes narrowed to where the voice came from.
"What?" Stain questioned.
"I said I'll find another way. I'll find a way to make this right. A way to make amends with everyone. Even if the whole world, everyone who wishes to become my enemy, I'll fight and continue to find a solution to fix the situation for the better."
"But… what if you can't?"
"I will. There's always a way out as hope is the only thing that keeps me alive. And it's the same feeling that's gotten me this far."
Hope. That is one concept of emotions Stain couldn't process lightly. And Harry could tell just by looking at the bandaged man's facial expressions.
The former Hogwarts student knew he wasn't getting anywhere with this. Harry sighed at the complications, this was getting a bit out of control for him.
"Look, I'm going out to get something for a few errands. Do you… want me to bring you something? Food, water? A decent wardrobe to wear?"
"No…"
"Okay, well, I guess I've better make my way out, I suppose. But before I go, there's one thing I have to do first."
Stain piqued in curiosity, what did he mean by that?
"Sleep."
With a quick wave of his wand, Harry cast the sleeping charm on the hunched, oddly shaped
And with the Hero-Killer was knocked cold.
It's good to know that the sleeping charm still has its uses so far. Harry didn't even need to wave his wand for the incantation to work.
Well, that went better than what Harry expected.
"Just in case that rope isn't enough to hold him. Well, better be on my way then."
A loud crack emerges out of nowhere and with that, Harry had disappeared like there was no tomorrow.
Guess the Unbreakable Vow would have to wait for another time.
Well, this is what you call a day full of work.
In the headquarters of the Police Force, there was a tall man who had short, black hair, and his eyes were the same color as his hair, appearing more rectangular.
He wore a white long-sleeved shirt, a green tie around his neck with a matching pair of black pants and shoes.
Naomasa Tsukauchi called himself a man of justice.
He was a detective after all. Not a pro-hero but a cop. Not the career he was expecting to gain but hey he'll take what he can get.
Tsukauchi was currently at his desk, doing paperwork as usual.
Tsukauchi sat back up straight, stretching both of his arms, bones could be heard cracking due to his body barely moving for more than four hours.
Kami, he never thought he said this but he couldn't wait for this day to be over.
In the last four days, the black-haired detective had been writing paperwork, filing for the same cases every day.
One example was the death and disappearance of a pro-hero who was found dead behind a dumpster in a back alleyway. Another pro was found dead on a dock, near the harbor where a drug deal was going on.
The corpses of the pro-hero and Yakuza members were all found there in the same spot, murdered by an unknown individual.
Yeah, that's the uncomplicated part of his job.
If that wasn't bad enough, one week ago, a well-known pro-hero by the name of Ryukyu was found unconscious in a dark alleyway, along with an innocent civilian named Komari Ikoma and a former Ex-Yakuza member who was in the same area.
Tsukauchi remembers the day he went to visit the two in the hospital when he first heard about the news.
When Tsukauchi used his lie-detector quirk to ask the pro-heroine what happened back at the alleyway, Ryukyu was confused, unsure of how to respond since she didn't have a memory of what happened on her patrol.
His quirk confirmed the truth for him.
Tsukauchi knew she wasn't lying. His lie-detector quirk always picks up on the smallest hints of falsehood. Ryukyu was soon escorted out of the hospital and had a cab drive her back home where she could rest for the rest of the day.
Tsukauchi knew his job wasn't done yet. He still needed to ask the other woman who was there that day.
What do you know? The same result happened. The woman's name was Komari, and from what Tsukauchi could remember, said that she didn't have a clue about what happened.
The last thing she remembers doing was getting off a bus at work, and getting ready to head home where she took an alleyway for another shortcut, only to be woken up in the hospital. No injuries thankfully but didn't offer the information they were looking for.
Thus, they were back from square one again.
Even the ex-member of the Yakuza member responded the same way. Tsukauchi and a couple of other detectives arrived in the man's hospital room to interrogate him. The man confessed the truth as he was following the dark-haired woman named Komari, for his cruel reasons when his vision became black, and had no memory of when he woke up in the emergency hospital.
Other than a few curse words and a terrible attitude, the ex-member didn't have much of a memory when arriving there.
Besides his vulgar words and manners, Tsukauchi knew the man was telling the truth, thanks to his quirk filling him in.
Still, it didn't save the man from earning a seat in jail.
It was pretty odd in Tsukauchi's opinion. Nothing could be said in this situation. But there had to be something. A logical way to see what happened in that area.
Suddenly, he could hear a noise ringing, vibrating on his desk.
Tsukauchi grabbed his phone and placed it on his ear.
"Hello," Tsukauchi responded happily, despite his tired demeanor.
"Good afternoon, Tsukauchi-san." Toshinori politely greeted his detective friend.
"Greetings, All Might-san. How have you been recent?"
"Good. Been taking it easy. Haven't been pushing my limits recently." Toshinori jokes.
"Well, that's good to hear." Tsukauchi chuckled lightly. "At your age, superheroing isn't as easy as it used to be."
"He-Hey!"
Tsukauchi exchanged a laugh across the phone call. "I'm only kidding with you, All Might-san. But still, I'm glad you're in a better condition."
The Number One Hero chuckled lightly, knowing his friend can be poking sometimes. "Thank you, Tsukauchi-san. It's good to see you have a sense of humor in these times."
"Well, when you are cooped up in your office with nothing much to do, you better make the best of it. Kami, there have been a lot of cases on the streets these days." Tsukauchi said, rubbing his eyes due to working one's fingers to the bone.
"You are right about that. How's it been going with the missing hero cases?"
Tsukauchi shook his head, unable to find a few good sources. "Not good, All Might-san. So far we haven't gotten any leads on them. Or what was the cause behind it? The worst part about it is there are no witnesses who spotted them, likely to just be a ghost in some cases." Tsukauchi was beginning to finish his sentence. "Like the situation never happened at all. Not only that but once they are found, they have died at this point."
"Kami… You're right. That is scary. Villains these days have no clear motivations, other than just causing chaos and havoc in the city." Toshinori spoke solemnly. "Speaking of which, how is Ryukyu doing by the way?"
"She's doing good. Right now, she's resting at home. We had a cab escort her back to her residence."
"And the other woman?"
"The same. Two police officers from our forces escorted her home after discharged from the hospital. When I asked what happened on that day, she didn't have a clue or what happened to her when she was walking home from her job."
"That is unfortunate. Tsukauchi-san, that's what I wanted to speak to you about. A similar case if you call it."
"Yes? What is it, All Might-san?"
"Do you remember the Sludge Incident that happened a few weeks ago?" Toshinori asked.
The Sludge Incident? What did the Sludge Incident have to do with this? "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?" Tsukauchi questioned.
"Well, I'm afraid it's because of the intruder that was there before that day. I didn't have access to my quirk to save those two young men in the street. But then, a stranger in an odd outfit appeared, saving one of them from harm's way. I think you can guess who that was." Toshinori said, remembering the details of the man that saved both of the students that day.
"The Magician?" Tsukauchi asked.
"Yes, the very same one. I started this to Aizawa-san after the incident, describing that he had more than one quirk. Not only that but his abilities appeared different from other ones we've seen before."
"Okay. I think I'm getting the gist of what you're saying. So… he had more than… just one quirk?"
"Yes, that is correct. I'm worried that if a man possesses this much power, many will be after him."
"Understandable. Other than the Sludge Incident, there haven't been many sightings of him." Tsukauchi recalled.
"Hmmm, it is rather troubling to know… Oh pardon me, Tsukauchi-san, but I have someone on the other line. This shall be quick." Toshinori excused himself, taking the other call on the line.
"Yes, take your time as you need, All Might-san."
A few minutes passed, and Tsukauchi was beginning to get curious about the sudden intrusion in their phone call.
Once the other call was disconnected, Toshinori returned with some alarming news. "Tsukauchi-san, do you have a laptop or computer nearby?"
"Ah… yeah, why do you ask?"
"Because… It's about our fellow vigilante who's been making the headlines recently."
Tsukauchi grew more skeptical, grabbed his computer from the desk, and began clicking each video link on his laptop. The black-haired detective continued to type at the results that came up on the current subject he was looking for. Was it a bigger case than he originally thought? He was just going to have to see for himself. "Okay, I found the video."
"Good, now play the video."
Tsukauchi did grow a bit curious, wondering what the Number One hero wanted him to watch.
At the first glance, Tsukauchi noticed a dark view, set in an ominous location.
The area looked grim, and bleak even as it gave a somber vibe between buildings and structures. So far nothing odd was happening.
At an abrupt moment, a white figure wielding blades could be seen, drenched in the blood of his victim.
'That's… That's the Hero-Killer!' Tsukauchi stated to himself. 'What's he doing there?!'
Seeing the bleeding hero on the ground made Tsukauchi remorseful and shaken. So this is how the Hero-Killer executes his victims.
Before anything lethal could happen, a red light shot through, and a loud voice was heard at the same time when it occurred.
At that moment, the katana in the Hero-Killer's hand was disarmed, rendering the white-hunched man useless.
It… It couldn't be. It… It was The Magician.
Did he save him?
Afterward, the fight between the vigilantes occurs. Blasts could be seen, the Hero-killer dodging the attacks like child's play.
The Magician continued to shoot out his blasts, carefully aiming in the Hero-Killer's direction, hoping not to cause collateral damage to the environment.
Abruptly in the middle of the fight, the peculiar vigilante vanished out of sight, surprising Tsukauchi further.
Tsukauchi didn't want to admit it himself but his jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the mysterious man's quirk.
On another note, the same man from before reappeared, holding up the stick he had in his hand, attracting the trash cans behind the Hero-Killer's back.
It was a distraction of course.
The Magician teleported to where the injured pro-hero was, grabbing his body and vanishing out of sight before the deadly blade of the Hero-Killer could make contact with them.
Unbelievable. Instead of targeting the Hero-Killer, this… vigilante was more concerned with saving the pro-hero's life, safe from the Hero-Killer's hands.
So the rumors were true. This man had more than just one quirk. He can now understand where he got the alias, The Magician.
Still, this was all new in the dark-haired detective's eyes. Never had he seen this much action at night before. Not in a while at least.
A part of Tsukauchi was rooting for The Magician to win, knowing this man was risking his life to save another one's life. It doesn't excuse him to use his quirk without a license but still, Tsukauchi knew when he saw a man doing the right thing in his life.
The detective could see the Hero-Killer gathering all of his equipment, used for nothing but bloodshed.
Around the corner at the screen, The Magician reappeared behind one of the corners, prepping for his next move against the Hero-Killer.
Seconds passed, and the Hero-Killer noticed the Magician's presence, gathering his katana and quickly sprinting with killing intent against the other vigilante.
With no way, Tsukauchi thought this would have been the end of The Magician, dying as another victim in the hands of the madman.
Tsukauchi couldn't have been more wrong than that.
In a quick flash, a sense of force shot out from the Magician's stick, cutting the Hero-Killer's blade in half, rendering him useless. That wasn't the final touch of the attack as sounds of flesh tearing open, blood spattered all over the ground.
Tsukauchi was shocked at what just transpired. The Hero-Killer lay on the ground, choking on his blood, near the brink of death due to the immersive power that came from the Magician's quirk.
In a way, Tsukauchi felt a sense of relief but was a bit horrified by the result.
Sure, this man may have been a murderer but even this was a bit cruel for him.
Suddenly, Tsukauchi's eyes slowly began to wander on the screen, his view on the man with the odd quirk walking up towards the bleeding Hero-Killer on the ground.
This was where Tsukauchi got curious about what the next move would come from The Magician.
Was he going to finish him off? Even if the Hero-Killer has committed atrocious acts in his whole life, what gave the other vigilante a right to do the same as well?
The man held the wooden stick he had in his hands, expecting to deliver a killing blow.
Except only he didn't.
Wait, Tsukauchi didn't understand what was going on here. Tsukauchi squinted his eyes to get a good look at the man's actions on the screen. From what he could tell, his eyes spotted the drops of blood, being pushed back to the Hero-Killer's injuries, seemingly cleaning the blood everywhere from the filthy ground and the white armor of the Hero-Killer on top.
Hold on, this man… was healing him? Did this man have a healing quirk too?!
Even after what the Hero-Killer has committed, including trying to end the pro hero's life and the unknown vigilante's life included, still did the best he can to save his life.
Tsukauchi didn't know what to make of it but honestly, it was rare to see an outlaw act more in a noble manner than most pro-heroes these days.
It was sad in a way.
Sirens could be seen in the background, the authorities were close to where the conflict was being held.
From Tsukauchi's point of view, he thought this was where the clean track record of The Magician would end. How would he have a way out of this one?
At that point, Tsukauchi's question was answered.
The dark-hooded man and the Hero-Killer vanished out of thin air, disappearing in a trace right before the cops could get a chance to encounter both of them.
After it was all over, the video came to an end, further leaving the black-haired detective with a paused reaction.
"Did you finish the video?" Toshinori asked, wondering what his friend's reaction would be.
"Yeah, I did," Tsukauchi answered his friend.
"This happened recently? From Last night?" Tsukauchi asked.
"Yes, apparently, he and the Hero-Killer were spotted in the alleyway, it was stated by the pro-hero who survived the deadly counter, thanks to The Magician as most people have been referring to him. The pro-hero who survived this is in the hospital recovering from his injuries. I'm guessing no one has gotten a chance to ask his side of the story."
"Who recorded the video? Any sources on that?" Tsukauchi asked.
"Unfortunately no. Someone was a bystander on that day. They managed to post this with no leads whatsoever." Toshinori spoke with no follow-ups on the video.
Tsukauchi just stared for a moment, trying to understand what was even happening in front of his eyes. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. I can probably stop by the hospital tomorrow to ask the pro-hero's side of his narrative."
"Thank you, Tsukauchi-san. Take it easy on yourself too."
"I will. Thank you, All Might-san. You take care of yourself and have a good night."
After the call ended, Tsukauchi calmly set the phone down on his desk and began to rub his face, trying to wipe the stress away as if it were something physical.
How strange. This was coming from a man who lived in a world of strange.
Tsukauchi was mentally exhausted. Too much has happened in the past weeks. Still, this is what he signed up for.
Glancing his eyes back at his laptop, Tsukauchi took one more look at the screen, wondering if he could get more clues out of it.
Tsukauchi did have two questions on his mind. Who did record the video and how did they manage to post it without leaving any traces behind?
The second question was what were the motives of this peculiar vigilante?
Tsukauchi began to rewatch parts of the videos, wondering if he could find a clue about it. Memorizing the environment and the abilities shown in front of his eyes.
Was this all for a show? Were the Magician and the Hero-Killer in cahoots the whole time? Or was it a pure coincidence? Tsukauchi didn't know what to make of it.
Kami, he was going to be in the office longer than he originally thought. Tsukauchi was going to have to make another phone call.
Jeez, after all of this was over, he could go for a good night's rest. Maybe get a drink on the way as well.
Well, it had been a pain but it was done.
He honestly should have done this at the start.
Once Harry was able to trade his galleons, he got a grip on the currency in this country. Though it wasn't easy due to the different currencies since wizarding money is vastly dissimilar to muggle money.
That is if Harry could call them muggles since he thought he was the strange one here. Even so, Harry had done his job gathering the money he could in this world.
Yen was the correct name for this coinage from what Harry could recall.
After a week or so, Harry managed to become accustomed to this world's laws and how the regulations worked in this society.
In the first days of arriving here, right after his "little" fiasco on the news, Harry tried desperately to make contact with The Wizarding World. Sending countless red sparks in the sky, using the Two-way mirror he kept in his mokeskin bag to communicate with a friend or comrade in a different location. Even attempted to use his Patronus Charm to deliver a message to any wizarding name he knew of.
Nothing. Nothing was accessible at the moment. Not even The Resurrection Stone was in use at the moment.
That of course was before he found out he was in a different world from his. So it became official in Harry's view, he was a long way from home.
Harry won't lie, he was a bit paranoid on this occasion and it didn't help that that masked psychopath shared similarities to his Auror comrade, Moody, even his doppelganger for as long as he knew.
But even that was an insult to his friend's grave.
The same motto dubbed Constant Vigilance was imprinted in his head, confirming that the deceased war hero certainly began to rub on him. Him and his crazy influences.
How poetic. Merlin, may his vigilance soul rest finally.
Still, Harry knew he wasn't wrong. With new rules and logic here, anything can happen around his presence. And he needed to be careful around these parts.
Harry sighed to himself, dubious emotions warring in his head.
There was no Ministry of Magic in this city, let alone a magical community in general so it didn't help his case further.
Harry's main concern was staying out of sight and hopefully won't get caught for using his "quirk" in public situations. It was bad enough that he became an unwanted criminal for doing the right thing mind you.
Merlin, it gave him a headache just thinking about it. It was bad enough that thousands of people knew about his presence but the fact that he had another wanted criminal, another vigilante, in this case, a self-proclaimed one who thought killing these costume bobbies was the right thing for the right cause, was stretching it, to say the least.
Only because he saw them as attention-seeking frauds.
Bloody Hell. Imagine if this loony met Lockheart. Merlin, that man would have been long gone for good. While Harry never was in favor of that credit-seeking git, even that was a punishment that went a bit too far.
Of course, Harry wouldn't be surprised if he did have it coming one day.
Still, Harry knew the actions of the man he encountered last night weren't acceptable after all. But what Stain said early is what got the former Gryffindor's attention, was it a waste dump out here? Could it be corrupt as he made it out to be?
Even The Wizarding World has been criticized for corruption, particularly the Ministry of Magic due to their ignorance and incompetence with their unfair laws.
Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts was an excellent example of that. After being dragged through Hell in The Triwizard Tournament, the many times and warnings of Voldemort coming back and rising through power, the Ministry ignored it as if it were a fly on a nightstand.
Of course, it's what you get for hiring a bunch of idiots who were ineffective in a war against a dark lord for many years to come.
Harry did wonder one thing, was he doing the right thing? He knew that man committed horrible crimes and left people to die in his hands but he felt a reason that was the case was due to the discrimination and policies of this world.
At the very least, he needed a backup plan this time. A damn good one.
Maybe he could buy groceries. Whatever stores were close to his location.
Suddenly, he felt a bump on his left shoulder, nearly knocking the young wizard to his feet. Almost. Harry had managed to get a grip before he could fall on his behind.
"Hey, be careful where you're going." A tired voice called out.
Seconds passed in silence, and Harry narrowed his green eyes to where the voice came from.
A man, rivaling the dark mop of the young sorcerer's raven hair, however, his hair was tied in a bun. His eyes were half-opened, reminding him of the former potions professor, even the weary tone from the man screamed the sarcastic remarks he remembered in his earlier years in Hogwarts.
The man in front of him was holding a small bag of groceries.
Maybe Harry could ask this man for directions on where that was.
"Hey. Kid, are you listening to me?"
Harry snapped out of his nostalgic stupor. Even the tone and voice sounded very familiar to Professor Snape. "Yes, my apologies, sir. I should have been watching where I was going."
"Hmmm, manners. Rare to see that in this generation." The long-hair man commented on Harry's demeanor with a blank stare.
"Well, I was raised to behave like that, sir," Harry confirmed. If only that were true.
"Hmmm, you're not from around here? Are you, kid?"
Harry shook his head in return. He had to be careful what his next words were. "No sir. I'm… only visiting here on Holidays."
"Hmmm, I see. Well, I hope the city here has treated you well. We usually get a lot of tourists visiting here, mainly to do with the Number One Hero in the country."
"Yep. I remember hearing a few heroes from when I arrived in this country the first time."
"What's your name, kid?"
"Harry… Harry Black. Named after a family relative." Harry described.
"Hmmm, I see. And how long have you been here for?" The man continued to ask with the same expression he carried upon the conversation.
"I've been here for two weeks or so. It has been a nice trip so far." Harry said.
"Where did you say you were from, kid?"
"England sir. London in particular of course. It's like Tokyo's equivalent in Japan around this country."
The weary man with tired-out eyes delivered a small gruff, seemingly agreeing with the young Gryffindor's choice of words. "Yes, that makes sense. Heard interesting things about that country. Your Japanese isn't too rusty from what I'm hearing so far." He complimented in his way of words.
"Yea-Yeah. I get that a lot. Let's just say that learning the language wasn't as difficult as other people make it out to be."
Suddenly, a phone rang from the man's right pocket. A couple of seconds passed, the man's face becoming sterner as his right hand went into his pocket, grabbing the modern device.
Sighing in an exasperated tone, the long-hair man quickly placed the phone on his left ear, answering the call. "Yes. What? When? Okay, I'll be there soon as possible."
"Well, I don't want to keep away from whatever you were doing. I have errands to attend to." The man started to excuse himself.
"Y-Yes, of course, sir. I'd better get going too. Gotta pick up some groceries for a friend to feed. Oh, wait, excuse me, sir." Harry called out to the man.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if you knew where the closest grocery store was. You know, how else will I get there with no directions?"
"Ah. There should be one just five minutes away from here. Just keep going straight and then make a left at the end of this street and you should be able to find it. It's a building with a sign of fruits at the front." The black-haired man gave directions to the nearest store. "Do you think you can make it there on your own?"
"Yes sir. Just keep going straight and make a left at the end of this street and make a left until I see a building with fruits as the signs." Harry repeated the instructions out loud, in the same manner as the man in front of him.
"Alright. Well, glad I could help. Do what you need to do. Hope the city treats you well."
"Thank you, sir. I hope you have an excellent day as well." Harry spoke out, beginning to make his way to his next location.
The man couldn't help but commentate on the young man's posture. "Hmmm, strange kid."
Harry and the man walked their separate ways.
For now at least.
Picking up his cell phone again, Shota Aizawa placed it on his left ear to take another call.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Hello, Aizawa-san. Sorry to bother you on your day off, but something came up in the office recently." Tsukauchi called politely.
"Yeah, what is it?" Aizawa asked, slowly walking by a few apartment complexes on his way.
"Well, it can't wait. It's something you have to see for yourself."
"Is it something to do with the missing hero cases?" Aizawa asked, thinking about the past state of affairs that happened a month ago.
"Well, no, but this might be as big as that. It's about a lead we got. A suspect if you would call it."
"A suspect? What suspect?"
"Aizawa-san, do you remember who showed up at The Sludge Incident?" Tsukauchi asked.
That question got Aizawa's attention. "Yes, I do. Why are you asking this?" Aizawa asked calmly.
"Because we got a recent update on our friend from last night. He and another candidate on our list."
"Who might that be?"
"Remember the cases of fourteen dead heroes we have yet to solve? The Hero-Killer might be a part of this."
"The Hero-Killer?" Aizawa burst out with a calm demeanor, recalling the sightings of the deranged murderer, causing the death of pro-heroes in the past.
"Yes, Aizawa-san. We believe someone got to him first before any of us could. And that someone was the same vigilante who was at The Sludge Incident. You already know where I'm heading with this."
Aizawa nodded on the other side of the phone. "Yes, I believe I do. Look, let me drop off my groceries at my apartment. I'll be on my way to meet you and the others there."
"Right. Do what you have to do. I'll see you shortly. Take care."
Aizawa slowly sighed to himself, closing both of his eyes due to dealing with these troubling circumstances.
But what could he do about it? This is what he signed up for from the start after all. Aizawa knew the walk of life to be a hero came with its stakes.
He at least was hoping he could feed his cats before he left his apartment complex.
"Well then, this better be good then."
With that, Shota Aizawa continued to calmly walk where his next destination was.
Hopefully, it won't be too much on his plate.
AN: Hello Everyone! Thank you for reading Chapter Four of the fic!
Special thanks go to my beta, Meraj Alimi (King 101) for taking a good look at this chapter!
Sorry for the late update but things have been a hassle recently, with moving into an apartment and being sick in the past few days so a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.
But yeah, I'm back and I can continue to write more content for you guys! Yes, Harry has encountered everyone's favorite cat-loving, sleeping pro-hero we all know and love! As you can tell, Harry's definitely making a huge impact in the MHA Universe by creating a butterfly effect that will affect future arcs in canon.
And the Stain arc is one of them. So yes, canon will be diverging the more the story continues with Harry either going to U.A. or on the run as a vigilante. Maybe Harry encounters other characters before the start of their canonical appearance. The possibilities are never endless!
The next chapter should be the aftermath of Harry and Stain's conversation. As you can tell, the conversation between Harry and Stain was heavily inspired by the rooftop scene from the Marvel Netflix series Daredevil between Matt Murdock and Frank Castle. As well as the other rooftop scene between Spiderman and Green Goblin in the first Sam Raimi film. I think writing the dynamic and different morals between these two characters was definitely the highlight of the chapter and this won't be the last we see of this!
Anyway, feel free to PM me with any questions you have or if you're looking for future updates for the rest of my stories. You can follow me on Emerald Library on a Discord server with the link to my profile.
I also started a SpaceBattles account with the link in my profile if you guys are interested as well.
Please leave a favorite, follow, and a review to leave your thoughts. I'm also currently working on the next chapters of The Last Slayer, Hero's Hell, A Hero Among Avengers, and A Dark Messiah's Atonement so yeah, five fics to juggle at once.
Nevertheless, I hope you guys stay safe, stay awesome! Enjoy the beautiful weather depending on where you're from and I'll see you guys next time! Adios!