Beta'd by Dragon_ANGl
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Gentle Criminal
The silence was deafening, the darkness weighing upon the crowd like a weight. The words Gentle Criminal flitted through all their heads with the force of a bomb going off. It wasn't long before the shouting began. People panicking and security calling for calm, it was a wonder that a stampede hadn't started.
"Now, now…! There's no need for that…!"
The man's voice echoed around all of them, the high ceiling of the hall making the sound resonate enough that it cut through the yelling with ease. It also made him impossible to locate.
"I have no intention of harming any of you…!"
True or not, one doesn't announce themselves as a villain without expecting people to panic… Which sent Izuku's mind rushing through a multitude of thoughts and theories. What was the man here for, if not—
The Pearls…!
Pushing forward as best she could, the blue-haired teen struggled to approach the stage with all the frightened people jostling her around. She had to stop whoever this was from taking the pearls. They didn't belong to him, they belonged to her—
"Now, I must bid you all adieu…! Regrettably, the show today is brief. Already over, in fact, so the Star must leave."
The lights returned suddenly, leaving several dozen people to blink away spots from their eyes. Izuku paid that little mind, her vision adjusting quickly as cat slit-eyes locked on the podium. The podium which no longer had a tarp upon it, or any contents within. Instead, a lone playing card hung from nothing, suspended in the air above them all.
"Thank you all for attending…!"
Eyes tracking upward, Izuku caught a glimpse of the so-called 'Gentle Criminal' as he gave an elegant bow, standing upon the air far above the card like his own private stage, swaying up and down slightly… from the wind?
"Ta, ta…!"
With a smirk and a wave, he pushed off the air, flying out a small window in the sloped roof of the building. Instantly, the world flashed green and Izuku was in costume mid-air, the crowd staring at her with wide eyes.
"The name's Star Blazer, everyone," she found herself saying with a wink. "I'll handle this bozo, so don't worry, okay?"
Without waiting for a reply she zipped through the window, determined to catch up before her quarry got too far away.
'Woo-hoo…!' Ryoko cheered in the back of her mind. 'I've been waiting for this, little sis!'
Truthfully, Izuku, no Star Blazer, was looking forward to this as well. It had been close to a week since her last named villain. She'd taken out a few more F-ranked small-fry since her debut as Elite Plus, but something told her this guy would be more than that.
"Oho…? Who might that be, nipping at my heels…?"
Gentle Criminal was leaping through the air, a conspicuous lacquered box in hand. He was bounding off seemingly nothing dozens of feet above the rooftops of Mustafu. It sent the blue-haired vigilante's mind awhirl as she tried to solve the mystery. What was this man's quirk?
"Nipping…?" she laughed. It mirrored Ryoko's own, a band of tinkling bells carried by the wind. "Who's nipping…?"
Flying felt more natural after her time as Shiny Chariot, even if it felt a little different as Star Blazer. Pumping more energy into it, she shot forward like a rocket, overtaking Gentle in seconds. Hovering just ahead of him she stuck out her tongue at the man childishly, arms splayed wide in a mocking gesture.
"Boo…!"
Gentle's eyes widened for an instant… only for him to smirk.
Somehow he pressed off the air with his free hand, sending his body into a spin that carried him up and over Star Blazer's shoulder. It was an astonishing feat of acrobatic control, leaving the teenage vigilante to gape for the scant few seconds it took him to cross over her. As he passed, his hand reached for her face, but she narrowly leaned out of the way, his palm only grazing her as she somersaulted backwards to avoid the strike.
"Excellent reflexes, Madam!"
Gentle had landed on another of his invisible platforms, watching her with an interested look as he bobbed up and down. Holding the lacquered box beneath one arm, he stroked his beard with the other in contemplation.
"You wouldn't happen to be one of those new Vigilantes, now would you…?"
Hovering in place, Star Blazer placed a hand on her hip and pressed a finger against her lightly freckled cheek, Ryoko's voice egging her on excitedly.
"What gave me away?"
She wasn't actually surprised, but she was in the flow now, and it felt like the right thing to say.
"Your age, for one, young lady," the man chuckled. It was a friendly sound, full of all the same charisma he'd exuded on stage. "Most heroines have at least a few more years on them."
"Aw, poo…" she pouted. "...And here I thought I had you fooled!"
Gentle's hand slid into his coat, coming out a moment later with… a playing card? He flung it at her with remarkable accuracy, but it didn't move particularly fast. It lacked any kind of aggression, so it was only with a little hesitance that the girl snapped it out of the air. It had a logo on it that looked remarkably like the man ahead of her, and some text on the other side—
"That's a copy of the clue I left at the museum."
The vigilante raised an eyebrow.
"Why give it to me?"
"Because having heroes after me is a bigger spectacle, of course!" the man exclaimed. "I can see the headlines already! Gentle Criminal escapes the Hourglass Heroes yet again!"
The eyebrow went up several more notches.
"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself a little there…? Assuming you'll even have another chance, much less get away again?" she countered, animalistic eyes flashing. "What's the plan here anyway? Serial robberies and a retirement in Hawaii…?"
The dandy sighed dramatically, dragging a gloved hand down his face.
"You wound me, madam!" he exclaimed. "Surely you don't think I committed a Jewel Heist for the money…! No! Money alone is no reward! I seek greater things…!"
"I will not rest until my name goes down in the annals of History!"
The museum was in chaos. It was fairly normal, really. A villain debut, followed by another of the new Vigilantes? It would be strange if people weren't losing their minds. At least they weren't quite rushing for the exits now. Didn't make his job any easier, unfortunately.
"Please! Remain calm!"
It was no use. No one could hear him over the clamor. The beat cops and security guards fared little better, and Detective Tsukauchi was on the verge of throwing in the towel. It wasn't his job to manage excitable crowds. His job was to solve crimes, and a massive lead was running away right this second.
Suddenly, there was an explosion, a body sent flying into the air and landing on the stage. No, not a body, his analytical mind corrected, a boy.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, ALL OF YOU…!"
If the blast hadn't caught everyone's attention, the lungs on this kid certainly did.
"Got your attention, have I…?" the blonde went on. "Good. Now, you're all going to form orderly lines and listen to what the guys in uniform tell ya to do. Got it?!"
There was a sea of intimidated nods.
He's going to do well in school, Tsukauchi thought to himself. Takes charge effectively and with minimal fuss. Could use a bit of work on the attitude, though.
"Right! You heard him…!" The Detective called. "Form lines and vacate the premises! This is now a crime scene!"
Somewhat cowed, the assorted mix of students and adults began to listen to the directions of security. Palming his hat, Tsukauchi ignored the rest of the process as he made his way onto the stage, eyes locked on the card floating in the air.
…Gentle Criminal and Star Blazer, huh?
The blue-haired vigilante zoomed through the air, narrowly dodging a street-light as she flew above vehicles and pedestrians alike. The chase had shifted below the rooftops they'd been above before, and Gentle seemed determined to make use of every obstacle he could to throw her off…
"Hello!" "Yes, I am a villain…!" "Bwahahaha…!"
…Or maybe he was just determined to make as big of a scene as possible now that he had someone on his tail, catching every single eye they passed.
"You're not getting away…!"
Bounding off the top of a passing sedan, the man flashed a grin at her and gave a little salute that she took to be an invitation to try and make good on that statement. She took the bait without hesitation, rocketing forward in another burst of energy—
*SMACK!*
—Only to face plant into a rubbery wall and be flung backwards at nearly the same speed she'd impacted it with. Crashing into a stop sign and then through it, the vigilante bounced and tumbled on the concrete for another few moments before she could regain control. Returning to the air and shaking out the dizziness, she immediately locked her gaze on her quarry… But failed to see the wall she'd crashed into.
That has to be another aspect of his quirk… Invisible walls…? Is that it…?
Something like that would certainly explain how the man moved through the air. It looked quite different to proper flight or levitation, almost like he was freerunning over invisible obstacles and objects that sent him flying with disproportionate force.
…But if that's the case, why would I be flung backward so far?
"Figured it out yet…?" the man asked, standing upon the air in the middle of a four-way intersection and ignoring the blaring of horns below with ease.
Narrowing her eyes, Star Blazer hovered towards the man slowly, testing the limit of his patience. He would need to do something eventually, else she would get close enough to capture him.
"Invisible objects, right?" she asked casually, tapping her foot midair as she inched closer. "No other reason for you to be vaulting over nothing like you keep doing."
The man tutted, shaking his head in disapproval.
"Close but not quite, I'm afraid!" he replied warmly, as if he was the host of a variety show. Juggling his precious cargo from one hand to the other, he went on. "...Care to try again?"
'Wow, he's a confident one,' Ryoko chimed in cheerfully. 'You gonna take him up on that, little sis?'
The answer was obvious.
Another burst of energy carried her forward in a blur, rapidly closing the distance. Gentle seemed unconcerned, playing the part of matador like it was second nature. She was nearly upon him, mere feet away, when she hit another wall—flinging her back just like before.
'We can phase through things, you know,' the spirit in her head suggested once she'd pulled herself up again. Dim orange light gathered around the scrapes she'd accumulated from her painful introduction to asphalt, injuries rapidly fading in the face of this body's nature.
I know… Just… Testing a theory.
It felt almost… stretchy. Whatever barrier he was creating resisted her like rubber. Or perhaps gum. That was how it worked, wasn't it? They weren't invisible objects or walls, but an almost membrane-like substance that couldn't be seen, yet acted like an elastic band, stretching when put under stress until it either snapped or its potential energy outweighed the force it was resisting.
"Oho…! That's quite the look in your eyes there, Madam…!" Gentle grinned fiercely. "Care to try again? Perhaps it'll be different the third time around?"
They had an audience now, the glint of camera-phones reflecting off cracked windshields and dented telephone poles. It was different from any of the other times she'd been recorded. Before there was always a sense of tension in the air, a general sense of fear that bystanders would cross into being casualties. Here? It felt like they were street performers.
…And Star Blazer felt like putting on a show.
"Don't think you're going to catch me again…!" she laughed, zooming up into the air. Orbs of orange light formed from the divots in her wrists, Star Bursts glowing brightly in her palms as an almost feral desire began to build. "I've figured you out!"
Rocketing forward, the orbs remained in her hands, peppering Gentle with bolts of energy as she closed the distance. The thief was forced out of his position, bouncing between the street and buildings alike. The chase was on once again, and she could feel her sync rate climbing as Ryoko laughed maniacally in her mind.
"Arrogance doesn't suit a lady, Madam!" Gentle called, springing off a lamp post just in time to dodge another blast of energy. "You've merely got me moving again! I'd hardly call that 'figuring me out!'"
Somehow, the man seemed to be having more fun than she was… though Ryoko's childish declarations about 'burning it all' reminded the vigilante that the spirit was in the lead for that particular race.
"Really…?! Only have you moving, do I?!"
In a burst of motion, she rocketed forward, the orbs of light in her hands smoothly transitioning into rods of pure energy that she carefully tempered. A Star Saber that was dense enough to hurt, but not enough to cut. Before the man could get another word out she'd crossed half the distance between them. A blink, and there was only a quarter left.
The look on Gentle's face when she effortlessly passed through his barrier was priceless, and she dearly hoped it had been caught on camera.
"Gotcha…!"
***WHAM…!***
The man went flying, spiralling through the air and several street lamps. Burning up even more energy, Star Blazer shot ahead of him once again, already moving to slam him into the ground—
Gentle recovered, pressing off the air and flinging a barrage of playing cards in the same motion. It was the best thing he could have done, the projectiles forcing her to dodge and give him the chance to regain some distance… or it would have been, if she didn't phase through them the second they approached, flying forward and smacking him once again with her Star Sabers. The batons of light found purchase in his gut, and the man went flying once again. This time he hit pavement, crashing through the front of a store window and out of sight.
"What was that you were saying…?" she called after him, quite sure he wasn't done, "Something about 'arrogance,' I'm pretty sure…!"
Cameras flashed as the man stepped gingerly over broken glass, dusting himself off before straightening his collar and wiping some blood off his lip.
"Pardon me," he coughed, straightening up and strapping the box to his back, freeing both his hands for whatever came next. "I do believe I underestimated you!"
His charming smile returned as he palmed his chin contemplatively. It was the perfect pose for a photo, and Star Blazer was quite sure he knew it.
"It won't happen again…!"
What the hell am I doing…?
One of the nearby extras startled at his sudden growl, the sound of his fists clenching and unclenching only serving to punctuate his frustration.
I'm just sitting here…!
It felt wrong. There'd been a villain, just in front of him, and he'd not moved a muscle until after the fact. Oh, he'd wanted to do something, of that there was no doubt, but doubts had held him back. Was he recovered enough to make a difference? Would he still get into U.A. if he got into another unsanctioned fight like this?
…Did the vigilante girl even need his help?
"This is stupid," he declared, standing up and glaring at the nearest police officer, "Is there any reason for us to be here, 'cause I sure as hell ain't waiting any longer."
The man stuttered out a reply, caught off guard by his volatile demeanor.
"Thanks," he said, not even paying attention to what the man had said as he brushed past the police tape sectioning off the museum from the crowd. Making his way back inside and ignoring the calls for him to go back where he was supposed to be waiting like an invalid, he barged back into the scene of the crime. There was already a team of forensic specialists there, unpacking their gear and analyzing the area. There was also a good number of normal police too, sectioning off places and searching the area like good little soldiers. He didn't care about them, though.
"Yes sir, the Pearls are actually gone." "But that doesn't make any sense…! The announcer he replaced didn't have clearance for handling them! They never even had a chance to leave the vault when he was on stage…!"
The blonde stepped up to the man in a detective outfit and cleared his throat. Loudly.
"Yes?" the man asked sharply, clearly expecting some random underling to have come to bother him, only to raise an eyebrow at Bakugo's presence. Turning to the people he'd been speaking with, he went on, "Give me a minute. Check the vault again, see if there's anything else he took."
The officers each gave a salute before walking off.
"What do you want, kid…?" Tsukauchi sighed. "As you can see, I'm kind of busy, here…"
God, he hated doing this. Following the rules was such a pain in the ass.
"I… I want to help…" the blonde forced out, feeling every bit the bootlicker as he stood there with his gelled hair and polite words. "Let me do.. something. Anything's fine, just don't make me go back and sit with all the idiots out there. You know I've had experience with villains before, and you clearly don't have any heroes available to help, otherwise you would have one here already… "
The man pinched his nose in frustration, letting out a groan and several muttered curses about the HPSC, police department, and dick-measuring contests.
"...I should have you arrested for interfering with a police investigation, you know that, kid?"
Bakugo grinned smugly. He'd won.
"But you won't."
The man sighed again. He seemed to do that a lot.
"...But I won't," he stated, palming his hat. "Be happy. You're about to get your first on-the-job experience well before your first-year internship."
That angry feeling in his gut loosened just a bit, and Bakugo's smirk gave way to the beginnings of a smile.
I ain't gonna lose to you, Pinky…!
The sound of bells ringing hung in the air as Star Blazer laughed, ducking under a volley of playing cards before phasing through another rubber-wall the moment she felt a hint of resistance. She felt incredible, resonating with Ryoko's spirit as she exhilarated in the thrill of the chase. Her sync rate was the highest it had ever been, settling somewhere into the thirties as the fight went on.
"Quite the little minx, aren't you?" Gentle said with a laugh of his own.
The fight had shifted once again, now occurring in the midst of a freeway. Her quarry had found a place atop a large truck, letting it do the work of carrying him along while ensuring passersby would catch a glimpse of their altercation.
"I try," Start Blazer replied, sticking out her tongue as she let another card phase through her face.
They were at something of a stalemate now. She could move faster than him, and could seemingly hit harder, while he hadn't managed another blow against her since she'd begun phasing… but the same could also be said for her, as well. The man had excellent control of the battlefield between his powers and playing cards, and he seemed to have figured out the right balance between entertaining his 'audience' and ensuring she didn't get too close for comfort. It was maddening, but the blue-haired vigilante refused to let it show.
"Unfortunately, I only have so much time to play… Who knows when other heroes will start arriving, after all…! So perhaps we should step it up a notch?"
Star Blazer opened her mouth to speak—
A sudden force yanked her forward, pulling her through the air at speed before she could react.
***CRACK…!***
Head spinning, the vigilante saw stars as she spun through the air, only to get snapped forward a second—
***SMACK…!***
A tooth flew out this time, and she finally regained the presence of mind to go intangible. Glaring at the man, she crossed her arms and stared silently, unable to voice her thoughts without risking another attack from… whatever he'd just done.
"Oho…! Confused, Madam?" Gentle chuckled. "Well, you won't be receiving an explanation from me. I'm no two-bit performer that explains their tricks, you see. A magician mustn't reveal their secrets!"
Secrets indeed… What did he do…?!
"It sure felt weird…!" Ryoko chimed in. "Like your face was magnetized to his fist!"
It certainly had felt like that, but… That didn't make any sense. Quirks weren't that varied in theme. Rubber walls was one thing, but something akin to magnesis, or perhaps telepathy, on top of that…? No, it had to be something else…
"Pouting, are we…?" the man teased. "Well, if you're simply going to float there, I'll take my leave…"
If he thought she was going to let him get away just because she hadn't figured him out yet, he was dead wrong. Unfortunately, that meant returning to tangibility. Flying at speed while phasing wasn't really something she could maintain for long—her little trick of passing through his barriers already pushed the limits.
As she struggled to decide on a course of action, the man was already running. Telephone poles and street lamps bent beneath his step, turned into rubbery launch-pads that flung him away at speed. Gritting her teeth and hoping Gentle couldn't tell the difference between her two states, Star Blazer returned to tangibility and shot after him.
Thankfully the man didn't use whatever aspect of his quirk he'd shown off moments prior. Instead, the villain continued his bouncy leaps through intersections and streets, getting more and more evasive to try and shake her off his tail. It didn't work, though Star Blazer began to notice an entirely different problem.
She was slowing down. More than that, she felt… heavy. It was a feeling akin to running too fast for too long, and the point where she couldn't keep going was quickly approaching.
Ryoko… What's… What's wrong with me…?
It felt different to when her transformations were on the verge of ending. Those just felt like typical exhaustion; shortness of breath, aches in the muscles, and so on. This? It felt like she was on the verge of simply stopping altogether.
"You've been using your powers a lot, little sis… And they're all rather costly," Ryoko lectured. "We're not human, remember? We don't replenish energy the same way. You're a bit of a cheat, since you always start with some when you change, but the point stands. Did you think that exhaustion would feel the same in a body that doesn't tire? That doesn't need air or food? That doesn't age?"
Then… Then how did you get energy back…?
"I..." Ryoko trailed off, and instantly their sync rate began to drop.
"You're quite persistent, Madam…!"
For once, Star Blazer was happy to be distracted from a conversation inside her mind, since it distracted Ryoko as well. They were in an alleyway now, out of sight of the crowds her quarry seemed so enamored with. Gentle had positioned himself upon a stack of boxes, and he was idly fiddling with his mustache.
"I very much enjoyed our little game, but this has dragged on far more than I can tolerate, my dear. A shame it has to end like this; I would have preferred something… flashier."
What was he—
"Ash, if you would…?"
Gray swarmed her, dusty bits of detritus cutting off her line of sight faster than she could react. A sandstorm made of ash had erupted, restricted entirely to the little alley. Like sand, it went everywhere immediately, getting into all the cracks of her costume and making her eyes water. It was impossible to breathe, and Star Blazer felt terribly lucky to be immune to that particular problem… but that didn't mean that getting the stuff in her lungs wasn't an issue.
Coughing and hacking, she barely registered Ryoko shouting something in her ear until—
***WHAM…!***
…
…
…
She was… on the ground. Face mushed into something slick and oily. There was something weighty holding her down, and the vigilante distantly registered that she was still in the alley. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds that she was out, but those precious seconds had cost her.
"...Was knocking her out truly necessary? We could have simply left while she was preoccupied with your Quirk, my dear."
The weight atop her lifted, but it meant little. Her body refused to move, the last scraps of her energy already at work healing her head trauma and maintaining the transformation.
"What can I say, Gentle…? I'm a jealous woman, and you were spending so much time with her~" a new voice purred.
Blinking hazily, Star Blazer managed to focus her slit eyes enough to make out the silhouette of a familiar woman approaching Gentle. She had long white hair, pulled into a wild ponytail, and a jet black domino mask. Her clothes were… minimal, clearly the minimum required to carry the tools of her trade and cover her unmentionables, but nothing more. All of it was in similarly dark hues to the domino mask… except the most notable feature. A metal gas-mask covered the lower half of her face. It was of clearly impressive make. Not the sort of thing you could find just anywhere.
The woman from the museum…?
Her thoughts were cut off.
"I take it you succeeded on your end…?" Gentle replied, either ignoring or not noticing the woman's coquettish tone.
"Of course…!" the woman scoffed, slinging a large black sack off her shoulder. Reaching in, she said, "There were a few other things that caught my eye… but there's no need to worry your handsome head. I nabbed the main target."
…And out from the bag, she withdrew three jade spheres, each glowing softly with their own inner light.
Star Blazer's heart stopped.
"Ryoko… What have I…" a cold voice echoed through her mind. "You… Let me examine…"
Everything faded to black.
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She awoke to pain. A dull throb that echoed throughout her whole body. The table she was laying upon was cold and hard; metal, she dully realized. The operation must have been a success…
Like always, then.
Sitting up, she donned her clothes and looked around, disappointed but not surprised when she didn't see her lone companion. He didn't allow her on board normally, and today wasn't an exception, it seemed. Shaking her head at herself—she knew the rules, so why was she acting like this—she made her way out of the lab. There wasn't much to do but wait. Wait for him to come find her after she'd taken her leave early. She always did, and he was always upset when he found her. It was the little things that she prided herself on, the small ways she could rebel.
…It never made her feel any better about the rest of the ways she couldn't.
"Crap, why am I being such a downer today, huh…?"
Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she met the gaze of her glowing cat-like eyes and tried to force a smile.
"Come on, chin up…! You'll get him one of these days…"
The smile dropped.
"...One of these days."
Hard-soled shoes clacked ominously on the metal floor, and she knew her time for moping was over. Her expression went blank as she turned to face her lord and master.
"Ryoko…"
The man's voice was a sibilant hiss, eyes thin and lidded in a way that brought to mind serpents. His elegant green robes and slender appearance only reinforced that impression.
"...What have I told you?" he went on, eyes flashing with irritation, "You must let me examine your body after every operation. It is imperative that any problems or maladaptions to the adjustments you receive are discovered without delay. Else…"
A white-gloved hand slid from his baggy sleeves, latching onto her forearm and tugging it out into the open such that it showed off a subtly glowing jade orb… embedded in her wrist.
"...Else the gems may reject you."
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Izuku's return to consciousness was sharp and sudden, bits of ash spewing from his mouth and nose as he struggled to fill his lungs. Gentle and his partner were long gone, and Izuku was back to his normal self. Staggering to his feet, he held himself upright against the brick wall of the alleyway and coughed up the last of the dust.
What… What was that…?
It felt like more than a dream. For the brief moments it had lasted, he was Ryoko. Like he was living through… Living through her memories…
"...Oh."
—
AN:
Another chapter! Woo-hoo! Less than a year off, too!
I kid, but I'm happy to have maintained a rate slower than molasses. I've got a beta helping out with notes as well now, so that's been helping a lot. Actually being able to keep track of what's happened whenever I have to take time away from the project is very useful. They beta'd this chapter, too!
That's all this time, though. See you all next time ^^