I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
The blonde kid gave a familiar smile as he walked forward, Eri following right behind him as though she was hiding. Mineta continued to stare at the sight before him. He then rubbed his eyes to clear any dust and exhaustion from them. But when he looked back again, the sight was still the same. There was a blonde kid with blue eyes in front of them that resembled Togata Mirio.
Actually… It's probably more accurate to say that it IS Mirio.
"Yeah, I've got a lot of explaining to do… But at least the mission's a success! Eri-chan's in our custody now. Come on, say hello Eri." The young Mirio said as he tried to coax the younger girl that stood behind him. Eri didn't budge. She simply bundled herself tighter in the cape and kept her eyes glued to one particular spot on the ground.
"Hey, it's okay... You don't need to be scared... Do you remember me?" Midoriya asked as he gave Mineta his flashlight and knelt before the girl.
It took a few seconds. But when Eri decided to look up, she saw him. Even in the overwhelming dark, Midoriya's gentle smile shone brightly. It was as though he was saying 'no matter what happens, everything will be okay'. And so, with those silent words, Eri quickly stumbled towards Midoriya and hugged him tightly. Tears began falling from her eyes as cries echoed all around them.
And Midoriya just sat there, cradling Eri as though she was his little sister.
The shorter boy continued to watch, his heart melting all the while. And while if some part of him wanted to be recognized too… Mineta won't mind it if Eri doesn't remember him. He didn't really stick out the way Mirio or Midoriya does. So, as long as she's kept as FAR away from Overhaul as possible, he's completely fine with all this. Just being here was more than enough for Mineta.
That opinion, however, quickly changed when Eri asked for someone very specific once her tears slowed down.
"W-Where's the purple one? The one who held my hand… He said he'd save me too…"
Midoriya looked up at Mineta, causing the little girl to turn around. Seeing as his partner had gotten Eri to focus in his direction, the shorter boy pointed the other flashlight at his face. He also did his best to make sure he didn't look too weird in the light and creep her out. But when the boy felt two arms wrap around his neck, those worries were put to rest.
"You kept your promise… Thank you…" Eri said, tears threatening to pour out again. Mineta stood there, taking in the gratitude emanating from the girl. And he couldn't help but smile. You know what, screw what Aizawa thinks, getting recognition was pretty great.
Eri broke the hug and went back to the young Mirio's side. The lights suddenly came on, causing the four to flinch and look around. However, once they saw it was just a few officers making electrical repairs, Mineta and Midoriya lowered their guard as Mirio began calming a startled Eri. When Mineta took a more detailed look at where the officers were working…
He saw the long slash that cut through the electrical box and the wall it was mounted on. It reminded him of Stain… But…
"Unless he's wearing an insulated suit and packed on pounds of muscle, I don't think he cut through that." Mineta thought. Those thoughts came to an end when Nighteye approached his now younger protoge and knelt down. Eri immediately hid behind Mirio, a reasonable reaction given how intimidating the lanky Hero was.
"Lemillion, I need you to report in. What happened whilst we were separated? How did you end up in your current condition?" He asked. Eri, for some reason, mutter an apology when Nighteye said 'current condition'. But once Mirio calmed the little girl down, he addressed his mentor. Though…
"Well Sir, I fought with Chisaki. Once I got Eri-chan away from him and his minions, I began laying the smack down on them. But then I got shot with a perfected Quirk destroying bullet–" Mirio began. However, anyone within earshot of Mirio and knew of his abilities rushed over, eyes completely startled. Hell, it took all of Mineta, Midoriya, and Nighteye's willpower to ensure their own surprise wasn't too great. It sort of worked…
"I know it's surprising, but there's more to it. Though could you guys take a few steps back before I go on?" Mirio asked as he gestured to Eri, who was tightly clinging to him the moment everyone crowded around them.
"Oh, we're sorry." Uraraka apologized as they all took several steps back. Once they were all a comfortable distance away, Mirio continued with his recollection.
"So yeah… They took a gamble by aiming a gun at Eri-chan and I didn't want to risk the chance that they've got a real bullet loaded. So I jumped to protect her and got shot. But even without my Quirk, I kept fighting Chisaki knowing you guys were going to come. And no matter how tired or bloodied I got, I stayed on my feet."
"So you're Quirkless now, senpai?" Tsuyu asked, finger on her chin.
Mirio shook his head before looking at Eri as though he was asking for permission. She gave a scared nod, understanding the silent words of the young blonde. Then with a reassuring smile, he sunk into the ground. That was surprising, given how he just said he was shot with the perfected bullet. However, things began making sense once he surfaced to explain… Which took a few seconds longer than usual…
"I got it back when I became like this. But… my physical control speed and precision reverted back to when I was 8 years old. I can only stop myself from falling through the floor, even if I still remember how to do the more complex stuff. Think of it like putting an experienced driver in one of those super old, manual cars. They know how to drive, but not with the equipment they have. So before they could drive it at full speed, they need to relearn all the nuances of the car." Mirio explained.
The more Mineta thought about that explanation, the more it made sense. No matter how experienced you are at driving, you would need to figure out how an old, manual car works before you could drive it well. And that's not even going into the various quirks an older machine would have with its functions.
However, that did lead to the next question… One that Nighteye asked right away.
"How did you become like this?"
"Can I tell them?" Mirio asked, turning to Eri. The little girl gave a nervous nod. However, even with his consent, she clung to the young blonde as though everyone would hate her once the truth was out. Mineta looked to Midoriya and found his partner looking back with apprehension in his eyes. Whatever their young Senpai was about to say, it was going to bring everything to light.
Overhaul's Quirk destroying bullets…
Why Eri was needed for it…
And why Togata Mirio was young once more…
"I eventually collapsed from exhaustion and my injuries when fighting Chisaki… He had broke down one of his minions and himself and transformed into a monster completely devoted to destroying me, who was still struggling without a Quirk. Unfortunately, my memories a bit hazy since I think I was dying… Everything was slowly getting darker, calmer, and I was getting sleepier… Next thing I knew, I like this." Mirio began.
He then put a comforting arm around Eri as she clung to him tighter, her red eyes threatening to spill tears again.
"I found Eri-chan profusely crying and apologizing, saying she was cursed and how all this was all her fault. After taking a long time to calm her down, I had her explain what just happened. Without understanding why, she wanted to help me, save me. So Eri-chan activated her Quirk, poked me for a second, and I became this. That's when I realized what her abilities was and why Chisaki needed her… She can rewind a person and return them to a previous state." Mirio continued.
Mineta mind hung on that last statement. Rewind… If one were to think about it, that meant she had control over a person's biological clock. Just like how people aged over the years, she can take them away. An old man can become a young man. A teenager could become a child. It may even be possible for little Eri to…
Rewind them past their conception… Making so that they were never born…
A chill ran up Mineta's spine as he thought about that. Even if records of him would still be around… The shorter boy found the possibility of being physically erased from the world horrifying. Everyone you knew would just assume you're just missing and go looking for you. But they would just be chasing shadows as there would be nothing to find.
It was a truly terrifying power…
A whimper brought Mineta's attention back to reality. He then saw the tears leaking out of little Eri's tightly closed eyes. And though the young Mirio was comforting her, she was refused to open them again. The shorter boy looked around and found everyone deep in thought about this information. But it wasn't looking good. They too thought Eri was terrifying, even if this was a little girl they were dealing with.
Well, everyone except…
"It sounds like you have a wonderful Quirk Eri-chan."
All eyes went to Midoriya as he stood up and approached the young girl. Eri opened her eyes just as Midoriya knelt before her once more; making sure his green eyes met her red.
"To heal someone so close to death… To make the pain go away in an instant… Out of all the ones I've seen, your Quirk is one of gentlest and kindest. You could help so many people in the future."
But despite these words, Eri looked away from the green haired boy. The fear and doubt that Mineta had initially seen was still tightly gripping her. What's more heartbreaking though were the words that came out of her mouth… To the shorter boy, it seemed as though they were second nature to the girl. Though given her circumstances…
It must've been thoroughly beaten into her.
"People get hurt because of me… I'm no help…"
Mineta thought about those words… Then, something deep down resurfaced. A memory of someone who understood the biases behind Quirks more than anyone… 'Aren't you tired of hearing that? All the prejudice leveled against you? All for something you had no control over?' was what Shinso said. And Mineta had sympathized with his plight. He even threw Shinso a lifeline to get his dreams off the ground. And yet…
Here the shorter boy was, judging this little girl because of her Quirk.
"What am I doing? She didn't ask for any of this…" Mineta thought, shaking his head. The shorter boy approached Eri and stood by his partner. The sound of his approach caused the little girl to snap up, clutching the cape around her a little tighter. But upon seeing the gentle resolve within Mineta's eyes, Eri calmed down a little.
"I know you think you're cursed… That people blame you for everything… That you'll never be anything more than a burden…" Mineta began. He then reached out to her and rested a hand full of emotion on her shoulder. Eri flinched to the touch. But as the moments passed, Mineta could feel her fears slowly wane.
"But I, no, WE promise that you're more than what anyone says. You are not a burden. None of this is your fault. Even senpai's condition isn't something you should blame yourself for. In fact, we wouldn't be here talking to senpai if you hadn't saved him. You helped him. You helped all of us." Mineta said, the flame in his heart radiating into his hand.
"I… Helped…?" Eri asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yes, more than you realize." Midoriya answered, his smile shining through. The girl's red eyes shined with new light as the tears came pouring out. And though she crying, Mineta could see how much lighter Eri's shoulders were. But while not all of it had vanished, both the shorter boy and his partner were satisfied. Even the stoic Nighteye and the critical Lock-Rock showed a modicum of tenderness at the sight…
But once the tears were wiped away, they've assumed their professionalism once more.
"With the child safe and sound… Lemillion, tell us about our other objective. If Eri is here, where is Chisaki Kai?" Nighteye asked. Mirio gently handed Eri off to Nejire as he continued his report. However…
"When I was at my limit and barely conscious, some guy in armor with a giant sword came through the ceiling. He saved me from an attack that would've finished me off before going on the offensive. He said something about Chisaki breaking the 'rules of the road'? But by that point, my body wasn't in the condition to pay attention to anything… Considering the state of this room and the lack of Chisaki, I think he drove him off." Mirio answered, frowning the whole time.
Before anyone else could say anything, a nearby rumble startled everyone. When all recovered from the shock, another sound echoed from behind a nearby wall. Mineta focused his senses on the noises in an attempt to make sense of it. But he's no Jirou or Shouji, so all the shorter boy could tell that there was one Hell of a fight going on.
Another rumble echoed from beyond as the noise began to become more distant…
"… Or he's still fighting him." Mirio said, correcting his last statement.
"Eraserhead, Ryukyu, Lock-Rock! We're moving out!" Nighteye said as he stood. The three other heroes nodded as they readied themselves. But when the UA students also began preparing, Nighteye stopped them.
"We can help!" Uraraka said.
"I know. But you're also needed here too. If we lose Eri-chan because we put too much into capturing Chisaki, we might not be able to get her back." Ryukyu said, resting a hand on the gravity defying girl. Any response Nejire, Tsuyu, and Uraraka had just died as they bit back the words. And while Mineta didn't doubt the Pro's words… Something about all this didn't feel right. Call it paranoia but…
"Besides, Eraser and I will be enough to take care of Overhaul and our little intruder. Can't have amateur's clogging up the field." Lock-Rock said as he began walking towards one of the holes in the wall. Aizawa looked at each of his students before heading off. However, behind his goggles, Mineta saw the words he communicated. And checking in with his friends, they saw it too.
"Eri's the priority. Trust us to take care of the rest."
And so, the four heroes left in search of Overhaul. But even with the words of his old master, Mineta couldn't shake the feeling he felt. Looking to Midoriya, the shorter boy could tell his partner was thinking the same. But he also wanted to trust their scraggly homeroom teacher. Tsuyu and Uraraka shared that sentiment as they worked with Nejire and Mirio to comfort Eri.
"Deku?"
"Yeah?"
"Do… Do you have a feeling something is off?" Mineta asked.
"… A little, though you just confirmed it. Togata-senpai?" Midoriya asked, turning to Mirio. The young blonde turned around and faced his older juniors. However, before they even said anything, he already gave them an answer.
"I don't know… And that scares me. I know Sir and the others are thinking the same thing. Whoever this guy is, he's strong and skilled enough to fight Chisaki to these lengths. If that's the case… Sir, Lock-Rock, Ryukyu, and Eraser know they won't be enough to stop both him AND Chisaki."
Tsuyu and Uraraka heard that and quickly approached.
"Then why did they go?" Tsuyu asked, her calm demeanor giving way to that disturbing news.
"To scout out the scene, possibly to jump in when necessary… But if someone could survive against Overhaul's Quirk for this long, then they're going to need help. Nejire and I, as well as the officers here, will be enough to look after Eri-chan. You four go support Sir. I'll take the responsibility for whatever happens next." Mirio said.
"A-Are you sure? You're not exactly… Uh…" Uraraka asked, doing her best to find the right word. But like the Hero he was, Mirio just gave a reassuring smile.
"I'll be fine. You guys just focus on getting out of this alive. So go, before they get too far away." Mirio said. Midoriya looked to Mineta. Mineta looked to Tsuyu. Tsuyu looked to Uraraka. And Uraraka looked to Midoriya. Despite the reservations that each of them has about this… The four of them nodded to one another. If their mentors were in danger, someone's got to be there for them. So, they took off through the hole the Pros disappeared behind.
"This way!" Midoriya shouted as he led them.
"It's unsettling to think someone could fight like this…" Tsuyu commented, quickly assessing the copious amounts of damage in each room.
"Could it be that he was toying with him?" Uraraka asked.
"No… The battle was just that tough…" Mineta replied, thinking back to his fight with Stain.
The guy didn't play around, even if he went around spouting misguided nonsense. And based on the mess, this person was the same. Though what was that about the 'rules of the road'? No matter what the shorter boy thought of, it just led to the same conclusion… Were they dealing with a traffic themed vigilante?
No, that's stupid…
Mineta did know one thing though… And that this man, whoever he was, fought with purpose and passion. Just like Stain…
"Wha–!?" Midoriya asked, suddenly coming to a stop. Mineta snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. However, what he saw made him wish he stayed in his head. They were in a rather large chamber, a place that anything large could comfortably fit in. On the floor of this chamber were Ryukyu, Lock-Rock, and Nighteye. And all three of them were injured to some extent that put them out of the fight.
Ryukyu's abdomen was heavily bleeding.
Lock-Rock breathing was shallow and he tried not to move.
And Nighteye had a broken leg and his eyes...
"I knew you kids wouldn't sit still... Help me!" Aizawa shouted as took out a small first aid kit from his belt. Midoriya ran forward first, followed by Uraraka and Tsuyu. However, Mineta just continued to stare at Nighteye as he clutched at his face. Blood was leaking where his eyes were… Did…
"Did his eyes get… Cut out?" Mineta muttered, a rather vivid image appearing in his head.
"Mineta-kun! Focus!" Midoriya shouted as he began examining Lock-Rock. The shorter boy shook his head and rushed over to Nighteye. He took out his own small first aid kit and began working on Nighteye. He took out rounded caps, large enough to cover the eye, and bandages before carefully applying and wrapping them to his eyes. And, as Mineta expected, there was a slash across both of them…
"What happened? You weren't even gone for a minute." Mineta asked.
"The armored man… He was far stronger and skilled than we realized… Our plan to catch both of them cost us greatly…" Nighteye said. Even with his leg broken and eyes cut out, the man was still remarkably calm. Still, this news brought a new dread in the shorter boy's heart. Even Stain couldn't take on this many Heroes at once… And one of them was the number nine who could easily transform in this space!
"Bastard's armor didn't lock up when I touched it…" Lock-Rock said with a heavy groan.
"His sword… Went cleanly through… My scales…" Ryukyu added weakly.
"Save your strength… Still, there's not much we can do about Chisaki now. We need to fall back and regroup with the others." Aizawa replied grimly. Mineta could feel Midoriya, Tsuyu, and Uraraka tense up. If that guy was still fighting Overhaul, he was after one thing… And if they were to leave now, then they would be condemning him to that fate.
Chisaki Kai might've been a bastard, putting little Eri through all that pain… But even he didn't deserve to die like this.
"But–!" Midoriya began. However, Aizawa's glare cut the green haired boy off. And Mineta could tell his old master wasn't even going to entertain what his partner was thinking. Of course, it wasn't without good reason. What could they do against someone who could fight off four Heroes and a monster of a Villain?
"Sen– Eraserhead, there must be something we can do. I refuse to believe you're someone who lets another person die…" Tsuyu said, turning to Aizawa as they all finished administering first aid.
"Froppy's right. And Chisaki still needs to answer for what he did to Eri-chan. So letting him die is like letting him go unpunished!" Uraraka added, shaking her head in agreement.
"Neither we or Chisaki could stop him! What could any of you do!?" Aizawa shouted, his voice sounding incredibly hostile. Midoriya, Tsuyu, Uraraka, and Mineta especially flinched to that. Their scraggly, lazy homeroom teacher never raised his voice like that. He was more of the silent threatening type… And, as though realizing this, Aizawa took a deep breath as his hair fell back down.
"Sorry… It's been a long time since I was in an unwinnable situation… Forgive me…"
"No… You're right… There's not much we could do if we stepped in…" Midoriya replied, shaking his head. Mineta heard shuffling behind him. And when he turned, he saw Nighteye sitting up.
"There is one thing actually… That man, he apologized to us before continuing his pursuit… And the injuries he inflicted on us were more out of reflex than any sort of malice or necessity… This means he isn't entirely unreasonable. Deku, Grape Shot… I want you two to meet with and question him…" He said. All eyes went to the blinded Hero. So startling was this suggestion that both Lock-Rock and Ryukyu tried to sit up.
Their injuries stopped them from getting far however.
"Meet wi–! Have you lost it?" Lock-Rock asked, wincing in pain.
"Right now, we don't know anything about this man. But to secure our chances of apprehending him in the future, we need information."
"If that's the case… Why not send in Eraserhead? He knows all the right questions and can get away if things get hairy…" Ryukyu asked, despite barely having the strength to speak.
"… It's to help Uravity and Froppy evacuate you three. After all, it's not a good idea to leave the heavily injured unsupervised with novices." Aizawa answered, his brows furrowing in frustration. Nighteye could only solemnly nod to that response. The Hero then, despite his eyes being injured, managed to look in Midoriya and Mineta's direction.
"Under no circumstances I want you two to engage, even if he has done the deed… Get information and then get out. Understood?"
"… We'll try our best." Midoriya replied after a long bout of hesitation. The shorter boy looked to his partner and saw the frustration in his green eyes. All he wanted to do was help people… Save them… But now he was asked to let someone die. Mineta reached out to Midoriya and put a hand on his arm. So with a deep breath…
"We'll do that, I swear."
With a nod, Nighteye laid back down. Aizawa immediately began putting Uraraka and Tsuyu to work. As for Mineta and Midoriya, they turned to the far hole in the wall, the sounds of battle echoing through it. The two looked at one another then back at their friends behind them.
"Good luck you guys, I know you can do it." Uraraka said, giving the duo a shaky thumb's up.
"We'll be waiting for you with open arms… So go get him." Tsuyu added with a nod.
And so, with a wave and an uneasy smile, Midoriya and Mineta ran off in search of answers.
In search of the armored man…
And that has been Chapter 104.
Things are happening and I don't have the brain power right now to describe any of my thoughts. I still have Xenoblade Chronicles 3 living in my head and I've gotten into the magic of playing Gamecube games on an emulator. But...
The show must go on.
Unfortunately, I will be going back to the once a month update as things are going to get busy for me. Hope you understand... Still, look forward to the next chapter and see if you can figure out where I drew inspiration for this mysterious armored man.
So...
Until Next Time. T1.
