Hello everyone and welcome back to my story! I hope you all have been enjoying your free time! I know I certainly have! Anyways, like I said, I plan on releasing a couple more chapters of this before I move to work on my other stories. This is the first one! After this, I'll make chapter ten, and then I'll move on to updating my other stories (Edit: Since I've been forced to discontinue BE, one of my other stories, this story will be moved to being my number one priority. So, if you're following this story and can't wait for the next chapter, there you go!). So, please, pick up a chair, get comfortable, and enjoy! I don't really have anything to say, so I'll just go ahead and close this off here for the AN at the end.
Disclaimer: I don't own -man or BNHA, all rights go to their respective owners.
Chapter Nine: Understanding
Metal Meister frowned as he made his way into the barren husk of an apartment. Walking alongside him were a pair of policemen, a detective, and an analyst from the city's crime lab. "So... this is the place?" He asked the detective, who proceeded to frown and nod.
"Yeah, their landlord reported it just last night. He said that he smelt soot and smoke coming from their apartment. Eventually, the firemen showed up, and when they opened the door they discovered this grisly scene." The detective said, his voice hoarse, as Metal Meister carefully scanned over the late-family's living room. It only took a few moments for him to find the corpses.
"Poor bastards were burnt to a crisp." One of the policemen chimed in as Metal Meister kneeled over and rubbed some of the ashes in between his fingers.
"I've got to admit, Mr. Eiichi, this isn't the end I expected for you." The corrupt hero thought as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "This part of town is a hellhole, sure, but I know that you and your family always strived to make the most of it." Even though he was taking advantage of them up until recently, he couldn't deny that he cared somewhat for the slum's model family. "You and I had a deal to help develop this gutter with Walker's help, and now you aren't going to be able to hold up your end of the bargain. What sort of half-baked business are you running?"
"Sir, we've got a couple of witnesses who claim that they saw someone suspicious leaving the scene a few days ago. The chief is going to question them soon." The analyst told him as he hung up his mobile phone. "Once interrogations start only authorized personnel will be allowed in here. So, if you're going to look around, I recommend that you do it quickly."
"Got it, I promise that this won't take long." Metal Meister sighed. Technically speaking, as he wasn't a member of the police, he had no right to be here in the first place. However, he knew all of these men from past deals, and he treated them well. So, now they were just returning the favor. "Dammit..." he mumbled as he rubbed his aching eyes, "What in the world am I going to tell the kid?" Since this scene was discovered quite recently the media hadn't caught wind of it yet. Most likely, after taking a few hours to draft an official statement, the city's chief of police would inform the public. Even in this day and age a brutal killing like this was rare. He didn't doubt that it would probably make international headlines. After all, if there was one thing the modern media loved, it was a good murder.
"Ugh... I'm going to be sick." One of the policemen groaned as they carefully inspected the charred bodies which were strewn across the premises. "These kids weren't even in middle school, right? What sort of twisted bastard would do this to them?" Metal Meister shrugged, over his years he'd seen more villains than he could count, but even for him, with all of his experience, this was a bit much. The killer had incinerated his victims' bodies, however, it was painfully clear that the children suffered greatly before expiring.
"Look at this," the detective started as he pointed to a deep gash in the boy's right arm, "Our perp must've tortured him, poor kid." Metal Meister scoffed when he heard that. The children's bodies were so mangled that they were practically just piles of flesh and bone. Hell, they were only able to identify them because of the necklaces they were wearing, it should've been obvious that they'd been tortured.
"Do we know of any villain that's done something like this in the past?" Metal Meister asked. It was a standard question that probably didn't have a satisfying answer, but he asked it nonetheless. "If we're lucky, whoever killed this family might have a criminal record that we can cross-reference." In response to his suggestion the detective accompanying the group flipped out his phone and dialed in a few numbers.
"I'm certain forensics is already all over that, but I'll double check." The detective mumbled as a soft ringing filled the somber atmosphere. As the man talked with his superiors, Metal Meister started to inspect the rest of the apartment. The vast majority of the evidence had been reduced to cinders. That said, this was far from being a perfect crime. Whoever did this to the Eiichis wasn't a God, and as long as that was true, Metal Meister was certain that they'd be able to catch their killer. However, while they were all slipping on their gloves in preparation for the inspection, Metal Meister's phone started to buzz.
"Trouble back at the office?" One of the policemen asked as the hero scowled and turned off the alarm.
"Hmph! I wish it was that," the corrupt hero mumbled as he flipped out his phone. "It's a reminder to call someone." He continued as he frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be hard.
"Oh, is it your wife?" The policeman's partner chimed in as they dug through the rubble. Yet again, Metal Meister shook his head.
"No, it's worse..." he started as he cracked his knuckles and looked up at the apartment's burnt ceiling. "It's the kid."
When it came to telling a person that someone near and dear to them had died, a certain level of tact and empathy was required. No hero could be called truly great without having at least a little bit of these two traits. However, sometimes, no matter how hard a hero might try to smile and put on a happy face, there would always be situations that could overwhelm them emotionally. After all, heroes were human. Many of them had spouses and children. Therefore, depending upon the nature of a case, certain heroes might be called in to take the psychological-fall for their comrades. These tasks were usually outsourced to rookie-heroes or sidekicks from partnered agencies as a sort of "initiation" into the business. Sadly, Metal Meister had no such persons on hand. So, he was forced to do the deed himself. "Yeah, we're not sure who did it..." he started, the words haphazardly falling out of his maw like gravel, "Last night, some villain broke into the Eiichis' home and set it ablaze. All of them died as a result, and there are signs that some of them were tortured before they perished." The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. "Did you hear that, Mr. Walker?" There was something so surreal about telling a high schooler such heavy news. Almost as if he were lecturing a babe on the horrors of war. However, much to Metal Meister's shock, when the boy spoke, his voice was steady and calm.
"Have their bodies already been cremated?" He asked, which caught Metal Meister off guard. Usually, in these sort of situations, the recently-informed party would start asking a barrage of questions pertaining to the deceased and the suspect. That was just the normal reaction. People wanted to know how close the police were to catching the villain who killed their loved ones, after all. They'd break out in tears, get angry, and start yelling. Especially if said party was a youth. At such a tender age, most simply weren't mentally-capable of handling such a difficult concept as death. Even the famous upstarts Walker had as his classmates would be devastated if they were put in a similar position. However, despite all of that, this boy was taking the news in stride. It was a reaction that not only disturbed Metal Meister, but worried him as well.
"Uh... yeah..." the corrupt hero continued as he struggled to come up with something to say. Even though he was technically a hardened crime boss, this entire sequence of events was enough to catch him off guard. "Because of the overwhelming deterioration and poor condition of the bodies the autopsies didn't take long. If I'm not mistaken, their ashes were sent off to a burial ground just a few hours ago. None of the victims had family here in the city, so the government was practically rushed to bury their remains." Yet again, these vivid details failed to get so much as a whimper out of Walker.
"I see..." the boy mumbled in a mute and emotionless tone. "Are the police planning on releasing an official notice of death to the public anytime soon?" Walker added after a few seconds of crushing silence. Metal Meister sighed, he was waiting for that question to pop up.
"They're waiting to do that until after we've gathered enough evidence to make a profile for the perpetrator. Based on witness testimony, all we know at the moment is that the killer was male and Caucasian. Obviously, that isn't even enough to draw up a forensic sketch. So, they're delaying the announcement until then to avoid unnecessary panic. We can't just tell the media that there's a killer on the loose without having at least that much." Metal Meister told him. "A murder in the slums is nothing new. However, the butchering of an entire household is not. Especially if we're talking about a family like the Eiichis. One wrong move and we could both end up in serious trouble." In times like this it was easy for the two of them to forget their personal situations. Metal Meister had his feet dipped in more than a few villainous pools of activity, and Walker was an illegal immigrant. An official investigation, if the authorities looked in the right places, could spell disaster for the both of them. However, sadly, there simply wasn't anything they could do about that fact. The idea of losing everything he'd built terrified Metal Meister to no end. And, even though Walker didn't show it, he was certain that the boy had similar feelings on the matter.
"Are you worried about the police knocking down your door, Mr. Osada Shoji?" Walker asked him, his question made Metal Meister scoff.
"You're using my real name? Where in the world did you hear it?" He sure as hell didn't tell the boy when they first met. "Then again," the hero sighed, "Considering where you go to school, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know." At least now they could address one another properly. "Anyways, to answer your question, no I'm not. Most of the cops here in the slums owe me favors, so unless the Public Safety Commission gets involved, I should be fine. I'm more worried about you." Even though he acted unbelievably mature for his age, Walker was still a youth. People like him were known to be... unpredictable... in situations like these.
"Is there something you want to say?" The boy mumbled, his tone as flat and sharp as a razor's edge. Yet again, Metal Meister found himself taken aback at the child's words. The way he asked his questions just wasn't natural.
"Look, I just want to remind you of your place." Metal Meister started with a nervous cough, eager to get the conversation back on track. "Right now you're walking on thin ice. Ever since you killed that villain the media has painted a big red target on your back. And we both know the restrictions that were placed on you as a result. One of the administrators told me that you're banned from participating in any further internships. One more setback like that and you could very well be expelled! If that happens you can forget about reforming the slums! All of it would just become nothing more than a hopeless dream!" After that, Metal Meister took a few moments to regain his composure before continuing. "I just want to make sure that you don't do anything stupid." Now it was Allen's turn to scoff.
"What do you think I'll do? Throw away my future and hunt the man down myself?" Walker asked him, his voice quivering in frustration.
"For people in your position that's usually the first thought that goes through their minds." Metal Meister said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Before Walker first showed up at his agency, there were several cases where a hero or trainee would try to hunt down a villain on their own terms. Vigilante justice like that was all too common just a few years ago. In fact, thanks to his underground connections, he was even able to learn of one of Walker's classmates committing a similar sin when the hero killer Stain was still running amok. Of course, this little transgression was hastily covered-up and tossed under the rug, but the fact that it was a U.A. student who attempted this crime was a worrisome reminder of what could happen out in the field.
"Hmph... you should trust me more, Mr. Shoji. I'm perfectly aware of what consequences I'd face if I tried to catch the perpetrator myself. So, you don't need to worry about that." The boy said, his tone returning to its usual calm nature. "You mentioned that all the police know about the suspect is that the killer is a male Caucasian, right? Even if I wanted to personally chase them down, I'd need more information than that to start a serious search." In a town like the slums there were literally thousands of denizens scurrying about every night and day. Searching for a specific person in that mess would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Back when he served as an exorcist he never had to bother with hunting people. His job was always focused on identifying and destroying akuma, and even then he relied on his cursed eye to locate the demons for him. "To be perfectly honest, I'd love to help you chase Mr. Eiichi's killer down, but I'm simply not in the position where that's a feasible option." For now, all he could do was hope and pray that the suspect would get caught. It was a reaction that Metal Meister didn't expect, and one that he was overly-familiar with.
"What in the world did this kid do before Mr. Eiichi found him?" The hero thought to himself as an unmistakable-chill ran down his spine. In the past, Walker had said and done numerous things that suggested he was more than just a talented fighter. It was the way the boy carried himself, the way he spoke and reacted, which caused Metal Meister to question Walker's past. However, no matter how hard he searched for information, every trail of evidence would eventually dry up like a well in a desert. "I always make it a rule to research people I've done business with. And yet, even with my wealth of experience, Allen Walker remains a complete mystery to me." It was a miracle that the media hadn't caught onto this fact yet. The mainstream news had been so focused on the villain-killing incident that they completely overlooked the story that was sitting right in front of their faces. "I can't help but wonder, Allen Walker, who are you?"
Two hours later...
Throughout human history no expression has been more closely linked to happiness than a smile. It was such a simple expression, consisting of nothing more than a slight curvature of the lips, and yet this relatively-minor change was able to carry so much emotion. Like how eyes were the windows to a person's heart, an individual's smile could be seen as a mirror into one's subconscious. In the present day, the smiles of heroes served as symbols of peace. In fact, it could be said that some heroes lived and died on their smile. That feeling of unwavering courage and happiness was enough to appease a public assaulted by villains on a daily basis. However, perhaps because of the weight that these smiles carry, many in U.A's hero course found the simple task impossible to accomplish while in the thick of battle. Some, like Midoriya, made this expression one of their goals. Others focused on the strengthening of their quirks and bodies to appease the uneasy citizenry. But the vast majority agreed that a heroes' smile was one of the most difficult traits to obtain. But, for Allen Walker, this sentiment was completely backwards. "Oh, Walker, there you are." Allen heard All Might call out to him as he was making his way through the courtyard.
"All Might, it's a pleasure to see you. How've you been?" The boy asked his instructor, who simply shrugged and grinned. He must've been excited for the school festival that was right around the corner. Of course, to ward off any bad press, he wouldn't be participating, but All Might didn't need to know that. Allen knew that the retired hero and his classmates were both working hard to make the most out of this event. So, he didn't have the right to ruin that for them.
"I'm as well as I've ever been, thanks for asking!" The hero announced in a proud and ecstatic manner. As usual, All Might's presence was, for the lack of a better term, dazzling. Even though his body had been permanently weakened and exposed he was still able to face the world with a genuine smile. He had a positive outlook that pushed him forward no matter what happened. It was one of the hero's many traits that Allen found himself admiring, but also envying. "Anyways, have you and your classmates been getting along well? It must be hard fitting in, being a transfer student and all." Bless his heart, it was obvious that All Might was trying his best to be a good mentor. Maybe the hero noticed something off about his mood that morning, or maybe it was just something he did regularly. Regardless, All Might was doing everything he could to stir up his motivation. Sadly, Allen's problems weren't the kind that could be easily fixed with a simple pep talk.
"Ah, yes..." Allen started as he put on a happy face. "We're doing just fine. I'm just busy getting acclimated to this country. If you don't believe me, you can just go ahead and ask them yourself." Allen knew his classmates would lie to save face. They were all high schoolers, after all. All of them had yet to fully grasp the concept of taking responsibility for their actions. Which he couldn't blame them for. After all, back when he was still at the circus, the only thing he thought about was saving his own skin. Being selfish was just a part of growing up.
"Oh, I don't think there's a need for that." All Might announced as he gave him a pat on the back. "As long as you feel included everything's fine. A major reason we even hold these festivals in the first place is to close the gaps between you students. By working together towards a common goal I'm certain you'll be able to build up wonderful relationships which will last a lifetime." Spoken like a true number one hero.
"Thanks, I'll take that to heart." Allen said as his lips curled into a wonderful smile. All Might, who was easily fooled by his acting, returned the gesture before saying goodbye and heading into the main school building. Once Allen was certain the hero was gone, however, his expression completely changed. It was slow, at first, consisting of just a slight twitch of the mouth, but, after a few seconds, when the tears started to flow down his cheeks like rivers, his true colors came bubbling to the surface. "Well... it's nice to know that my poker face hasn't lost its charm even after all this time." He mumbled to himself as he wandered haphazardly to the edge of the campus. There, sitting alongside one of the bordering walls, was a small bench hidden behind the cherry blossoms. It was a quaint little place that students rarely visited, and one he'd been using to escape his classmates' glares for a while. He'd discovered it not long after he adopted Tim, and it had become a sort of refuge for him. A place where he could take off his mask and rest. For a second, he just sat there, taking in the ambiance and atmosphere of the place.
"Yet again you've lost someone who's important to you." A familiar voice spoke. "What? Has my idiotic apprentice finally given up?" They said again, which made Allen let out a sad chuckle.
"I really must be going insane," he mumbled as he gritted his teeth together. "I'm starting to hear voices." He knew damn well that there wasn't anyone else in this clearing. The only person there was him. And yet, even though he was all alone, the voice continued to speak.
"You're finally starting to realize just how heavy the weight of that smile is, my idiotic apprentice." The voice mumbled as the oddly-familiar scent of tobacco smoke filled his nostrils. "When you were training with me, and while you worked as an exorcist, you always wore that happy mask wherever you went. No matter what happened that peaceful visage never seemed to fade, but, then again, that's just how you are, isn't it?"
"You're nothing more than a figment of my imagination," Allen scoffed, "Shouldn't you already know that?"
"What's important isn't what I know, it's what you understand. After all, it's because you feel so confused and alone that I'm even here in the first place." The voice said as Allen heard it take a drag on its cigarette. "We both know that the Eiichis weren't the first family you've failed to protect. Hell, you barely knew them. Honestly, in the grand scheme of things, their deaths are just a drop in the ocean. When all is said and done, this isn't about them, it's about your own weakness."
"I know..." Allen whispered as he clenched his hands into frustrated fists. He sat like this for what seemed like minutes before the voice in his head spoke again.
"When Mana told you to never stop walking, did you truly understand the cruelty of those words? No, you were just a child at that time, so I doubt you did." The voice grumbled, gradually growing louder and more real with every word. "It's easy to put on a smile and say that everything is going to be all right. But life is rarely ever that simple. If the world was filled with angels instead of men, maybe you would be able to help and save everyone, but sadly your neighbors aren't angels, they're mortal just like you. And, unlike your classmates, you aren't able to simply ignore that fact. You've seen and done too much for it to be that easy. At this point you've fallen so far that I don't think either of us can save you. And, even if God did reach down to personally pull you back up to the surface, you'll never actually reach out to accept that hand of mercy. You're far too stubborn."
"Why do you say that? I'm just living the way Mana taught me to. To face each day with a smile and keep moving forward, isn't that an ideal everyone should strive to achieve?" Allen asked the voice, but really he was asking himself.
"Why?" The voice laughed. "You're asking me why? It's because that, in the end, none of this will change anything. Give it a day or two and you'll have bottled up these feelings deep within your heart, just like you always have. That's the only way you're able to get out of bed in the morning." The words stung like hot iron, but Allen knew they were true. "You cling to Mana's mask as hard as you do because it's the only raft you have in your ocean of loss. Even if it's concepts are flawed, without it, you'd simply sink to the bottom without a trace. You keep turning the wheel on this cycle of regret because it's the only path left to you, and you're afraid to stop its turn because you don't know how you'd live without it."
"So, basically, I'm stuck on an endless path of grief and tragedy. Heh, the idea's almost poetic." Just like the white-faced clown which chased after Auguste, the trail he walked would always be jagged and full of thorns. "When all is said and done I guess I really am just an idiotic clown." Allen thought with a sad chuckle. "Was that what you were trying to tell me, Master?" He asked, but, of course, no one was there to answer him. Once again, he was left all alone in that clearing. With nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company. Without something tangible driving him he was no better than a puppet dancing on strings. "I need to keep moving forward," he thought as he stared down at his left hand. "But... if that's the case... what am I even moving towards?" He was going to this school to become a hero, but was that really what he wanted to do with his life? Honestly, he wasn't that sure. If he wanted to help the people in the slums, which he did, he'd have to become an official hero. However, his motivations were simply too different from those of his classmates. He couldn't spend every day of his school life working towards such a distant goal. After all, he was a human, and a human's heart couldn't be filled on nothing but promises and ideals. He needed a distraction, something that could take his mind off of things for a while. Sadly, spending time with his classmates simply wasn't an option now, so he'd have to come up with something different.
It was then, at that moment, that inspiration struck him. He may not have had any friends at this school he could confide in, but there was one he'd brought with him that had always been by his side. "I guess, Crown Clown, it's just you and me again." He thought as he smiled and silently activated his innocence. As he stared at that familiar claw a strange feeling of nostalgia washed over him, and for the first time in a while it felt good to be alive again.
Author's Note
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading this chapter! It took a while, what with recent events and all, so I hope you've enjoyed it. As I'm sure you can tell I'm planning some pretty big things for this story, so I hope you'll be able to follow along as I go through it towards completion! Anyways, if you're a follower of my story Beacon's Exorcist, I'm sure you've heard that it's been discontinued. Sadly, I just don't have the time now to maintain a story of that size. However, I can promise you now that, even with my current pace, I can definitely complete this crossover and my other DGM crossover. Hell, if I start another one, I could finish that as well. As the main issue with Beacon's Exorcist was simply a matter of me making it too complex/time constraints per chapter. Now that I have a handle on what my average time per chapter is, chapters will be coming out on a much more regular basis, so look forward to those!
Anyways, since BE was discontinued, I have much more time to work on this story. So, trust me, even with this pandemic going on, I'll be able to release many more chapters for this story in the near future. So, with that out of the way, I'm going to go ahead and close this author's note off here, I hope you all have a good day! Stay healthy! And I'll see you in the next chapter of A Tale of Two Endlings!
Chapter 10: The Path of the Strong
P.S. Just cleared some life things up on my end, so expect more chapters of this within the next week!
