Detective Tsukauchi tried to maintain his composure and calm facade as he stared at the scene of a family's home that was reduced to nothing but broken pieces of rubble and ash.
Just hearing about what happened leaves a bad taste in the detectives mouth, apparently a villain was on the loose and the home of a civilian was caught in the crossfire. However he has a few problems with that story, for starters the villain that started the attack had a Quirk that allows him to create illusions by emitting a steam from his skin. It's a useful ability, one that he used for evil, but it's not something that can destroy a home like this.
A Quirk that could burn a building down however was in the possession of the hero that put a stop to the villain was one named 'Pyroball' a hero who can create balls of fire that he can aim at his opponents. After questioning 'Pyroball' Tsukauchi caught him blatantly lying about his involvement and recklessness in stopping the villain which is something that Tsukauchi questioned further about which caused the hero to get defensive and he refused to answer any questions that the detective asked him.
It's one thing to cause an accident which resulted in the death of a boys only family but its a whole other to avoid taking responsibility and act in such a way when a hero is meant to uphold the law and enforce fairness in society. How can you enforce rules if you aren't going to follow them?
Tsukauchi was going to report Pyroball and have his licence revoked, given his behavior and actions that was too harsh in the detectives opinion, however... his hands are tied.
The HSPC is extremely against publishing anything negative about heroes to the point where they ruin people lives for trying to step out of line. He'll likely lose his position if he let's out that a heroes recklessness resulted in the death of a civilian.
It's unfair, it's unjust however it can't be helped. People like him give the heroes a bad name, people who actually want to help like Toshinori.
Just thinking about his friend worries Tsukauchi, it's been a few months since All For Ones death and despite having a hole in his guts the blonde refused to stay down, refused to not be the symbol of peace.
Just thinking about what All For One dis to his friend is enough to make Tsukauchis blood boil, Tsukauchi doesn't believe that murdering another human being is ever justified but All For One stopped being a human years ago, he is the sole exception to Tsukauchis ideology.
A Quirk that steals Quirks, how such an existence even came to be is beyond Tsukauchis understanding but the rumors of All For One's exploits are enough to make him shudder, an existence like All For One just doesn't have a place in this society. A Quirk like that should never have existed in the first place.
Tsukauchi shook his thoughts out of his mind and walked away from the crime scene and towards the teenage child that had his home destroyed just hours earlier.
He looked dead inside, like someone took a vacuum cleaner and just sucked the life out of him leaving behind just a hollow shell of the old kid, just looking at him was enough to make the detective pity the boy.
White hair and red eyes. The kid actually looked a little familiar in a way.
I'd the boy noticed his presence then he didn't show it, simply taking an interest in the ground bellow his feet.
Tsukauchi was about to ask if the boy was alright but that was a stupid question. Of course he isn't.
"How are you holding up kid?" He figured that wasn't much better but he couldn't think of much else to say to a boy that just lost his family.
The boy ignored the question and looked up at Tsukauchi whilst keeping his head down." Who did it?" His voice was raspy and hoarse, like he'd swallowed a spoon of cinnamon.
Tsukauchi knew what the boy was thinking." Look kid revenge is-"
"I'm Quirkless, do you really think I can get revenge on someone that can destroy houses."
Tsukauchi fell silent at that. The Quirkless were a rapidly decreasing population with a frighteningly high suicide rate for the intense discrimination they receive from the Quirked population which outnumber them. There's also the fact that the boy was a Foster child, Tsukauchi doubts the two facts are unrelated.
Tsukauchi can't properly sympathise with them, given that he is among the lucky one that do indeed receive a Quirk, however he does find it a sad fate for the boy. Though Tsukauchi also doubts the boy wants pity.
Having a lie detecting Quirk isn't particularly powerful but it is extremely convenient, though always knowing when somebody is being dishonest can be a weight on his shoulder, he's been through a number of relationships because of that fact be it familial or something more, he is grateful for the fact that he never had or has to face such discrimination.
Tsukauchi can't exactly go telling the kid a hero technically killed his mother though." Well these things just happen sometimes, it's regrettable but at least the both of you-"
"It was a hero wasn't it?" The boy sharply cut across him with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Tsukauchi is surprised by the white haired teens words, the boy is actually questioning what goes on around him and what he's been told.
The boys face went from dead to furious in a second." Your buddies told me that the villain had am illusion Quirk, that can't destroy houses, I doubt that he had any allies with him, that can only mean a hero did it, right?"
Tsukauchi wasn't sure how to respond to the boys words and after ten seconds of silence the boy got up with a smile of his face and grabbed the detective by his collar. He had a few tears in his eyes.
"So what are doing lying to my face? Do you honestly think I'm that dumb?! Why aren't you trying to serve actual justice?! Why won't you punish the one who killed my mum?!" The boy was yelling at this point right in Tsukauchis face with his red eyes burning at the injustice of the situation.
Tsukauchi partly agrees with the boy, the hero should be punished for what he's done, to pay for his actions, but seeking retribution on one man isn't worth risking the entire hero society falling apart like a house of cards. Sometimes in life you just have to let things slide.
He tries to keep his face neutral at the situation." Sometimes in life these things just happen. It isn't worth-"
The red eyed teen snarls at his words and yells out, gathering the attention of those around him." What makes you decide what's worth getting mad about?! Why should you get- Why should you get to decide if my mum was worth risking some of you heroes losing some fucking reputation." By the end the kid just looked a mixture of sad, angry, outraged, bitter and furious.
Tsukauchi didn't know what to do when the kid fell to his knees and started crying, he was clearly outraged at the situation, that his mother wasn't worth getting mad over, that the heroes put their image of altruism above the lives of the people they're meant to protect, however Tsukauchi can't help him, his hands are tied.
"I'm sorry." Is all Tsukauchi had to say to the boy before he started yelling for everyone to just leave him alone.
Tsukauchi complied with his wishes and let the boy stay alone. He would mourn and he would get on with his life, they all did. The teen was simply dealing with his grief.
Looking back Tsukauchi should have done something to stop what was created that day.
I'd long since become numb to the feeling that looking for another Foster family brings however yhat didn't mean I enjoyed it. My next family, which would be my sixth, is of a family with five children, one of which was my age.
The pained cries of Annie are all I hear when I'd try to close my eyes so I generally try not to sleep and I've grown eyebags over these months that make me look eternally tired. Which I was.
"I'm assuming your Ryoto?" A rather fat looking man questioned. This was Hayato from what the file I read told me and his Quirk is Wind Manipulation. It essentially allows him to control air in may different ways. It sound pretty powerful if used correctly.
"Good, now the file said your Quirkless right?" I just nodded picturing in my head exactly where this was heading.
His face morphed for a second in disgust but evened out though the lines still remained." Just don't try and go neat my real children, yeah." It was an order not a request.
Feeling tired and too mentally exhausted to give him any sass I just nodded again and headed to my room.
Honestly... this is probably the second best place I've ever stayed at in all my years as a Foster child.
Pathetic. That is the only word that comes to mind when I think about how best to describe my life.
Sure I might get a pitious glance from Tsukauchi who was telling me to let my mothers death go unjust, my Foster mother Annie loved me but she had a little in her heart for everyone now that I think of it, however in the end I'm just the same. A nobody. In a world of somebody's.
Staring at the centre of my palms I felt a massive itch in their centres that no matter how hard I scratched wouldn't go away. Probably just dry skin.
I was walking down the streets, to go to my final day of junior highschool. I had no idea what I was going to do in the future, no idea what fate held to make my life even more miserable. I've died once so if I die again will I just be reborn as-
I shook my head. No point in thinking such thoughts, they're not helping anyone.
"Somebody, help me!" A feminine cry cut me from my thoughts.
Turning my head to the left down an alleyway I was met with a sorry sight.
There were three men with perverted looks on their faces, two of them were holding down a woman with purple hair who had tears running down her cheeks as she tried in vain to struggle out of their grasps.
The third man was saying disgusting things to the woman as he unbundled his belt. It took no genius to see what was going on in this scene.
I should just move on, this woman probably has a Quirk of some kind that could help her, she should just use it in self defence, I don't want to help anyone, that's nor who I am-
My eyes met hers for a second and seeing the sheer terror and fright at the thought of being violated in such a way made something inside me just snap.
That's the moment that changed me.
My legs started to move as I leaped into action. The man that was holding her left arm down barely had time to register what happened as my boot met his cheek and I saw a tooth be sent flying.
The woman had enough common sense to use their moment of being stunned to break out of the other man's grip when my fist met his cheek.
With her arms free the woman began to run, uncaring of how several pieces of clothing that she was wearing were hanging loosely from the men attempting to violate her as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
With my objective of freeing the woman being completed I knew what my next course of action should be. To get the hell awa-
My legs were suddenly pulled out from under me when the animal that wanted to rape that woman's arms suddenly stretched out and yanked the back of my foot out from under me.
I could do little as a second arm grabbed my left forearm and held me suspended in the air.
"Where do you think your going boy?" His voice was as disturbing as the situation and the intense itching in my palms increased to unbearable levels as fear and dread washed over my mind at the realisation of just what I'd gotten myself into.
The other two thugs joined with their leader, looking between enraged that I killed their chance at having their way with that young woman against her will, and delighted that I was trapped and they could do with me as they pleased.
Prying the hands off me proved a difficult task given the uncomfortably tight grip they had on me. Must be a side effect of his Quirk.
He suddenly contorted his arms in a strange way to draw me close to his disgusting face.
He smiled in a way that made my skin crawl." Oh boy, you ruined our fun here, you should know that there's always a price for saving someone. And your life will do just fine."
If this is his attempt at being poetic I must say that it's really shit.
The uncomfortable itching in my hands reached a critical max when the disgusting lowlife thug moved his hands painfully slowly from my body to my neck.
The choking felt extremely painful as his tight grasp fell on my throat causing me to squirm and violently try to pry my hands off my neck to no avail. The itching in my palms evolved to full blown agony as I screamed much to the thugs amusement and delight.
Eventually the lack of oxygen got to me and dots clouded my vision. Is this how I die? Choked out by some two bit thug in an alley at fifteen? Am I going to die for a second time.
A burst of strength and hatred awoke in me at the thought and my blood red eyes glowed at the hate hate hate that I felt for this world in that moment. For all its done to me- is doing to me- I couldn't endure it anymore.
No I refuse to die like this!
With a burst of strength my palms both grabbed the man's face and something deep inside me pulled at the man's soul with all my might as holes opened in my palms and a red aura surrounded the two of us much to the thugs confusion.
I felt so much pleasure in that moment, like a massive weight had been lifted off my chest, like I was finally on top when I'd been at the bottom my whole life!
I allowed a sadistic smirk of satisfaction to worm its way onto my face as the man's arms shrunk and his Quirk factor was destroyed and assimilated into someone much more deserving. Me.
The degenerate fell unconscious with how violently I ripped his Quirk out of him and after taking a moment to appreciate my handy work turned my gaze away at the hollow Quirkless shell the man had become.
My eyes glowed red as the two thugs suddenly weren't enjoying themselves so much anymore. My eyes scanned and judged the two.
Minor superstrength: A Quirk that gives the user a boost in physical ability.
My eye flickered to the other now scared witless coward.
Inept: Allows the user to make a person that they see have a slightly lower IQ.
Their Quirks were weak but I had little care in that moment as I used the Quirk I'd just stolen from the ring leader to swiftly grab both their faces and enjoyed the sheer ecstasy of stealing the souls away of two undeserving pigs.
They tried to resist however my newly awakened power stopped their Quirks from functioning the moment that my palms met their faces. That same beautiful red surrounded us all and my body grin stretched in absolute glee at the sensation that stealing away a Quirk brought.
The two, now Quirkless, pieces of trash fell to the ground without strength at having their Quirks forced into another greater being and I allowed my laugh to fill the alley in my moment of insanity and joy.
My laughter went on for several minutes as the thugs who were still conscious could do nothing but listen to my mad cackles of happiness at the state I'd left them in.
Powerless. I have the power to make somebody completely and utterly powerless. I have the power to permanently affect their lives forever.
Maybe this world isn't as unfair as I thought, it did reward me for my suffering. It responded by giving me strength.
And what's stronger than a Quirk that steals Quirks away.
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