I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
The fated day has finally arrived. Honestly, it came all too soon for Mineta. And yet… He felt more than ready. After yesterday's back alley training where he learned how to be the rat he always was, he could now fight with almost all of his abilities. Pitching at that range was still out of the question. But at least he has his trusty baton.
After training, there was the patrol. Nothing happened though, which was a relief considering Mineta still felt unnerved from THAT incident. And finally, the second day closed with a meditation session. But like the first, nothing revealed itself within the shorter boy's thoughts. It was frustrating, but he supposed this was just par for the course.
Now it was noon of the third day. And Mineta was back in the back alley for one last lesson before the hunt. He was in his UA gym clothes as Fenghuang's armorer was making an addition to his costume. Inspired by Kamishiro, he decided to place plates into his gloves and boots. Now, the forearms and lower legs will be armored and protected. He didn't do anything around the wrists though, fearing that it would affect his pitching.
Though that is unrelated to what was happening right now.
"Gah!" Mineta cried as he was thrown into a wall. His opponent, Soren the North, relaxed and apologetically looked towards the shorter boy. He turned to Fenghuang who was observing the two.
"Perhaps it's best if I restrain myself. Your student will end up unable to join your patrol for the Hero Killer." Soren said.
"No! I can do this!" Mineta shouted as he got back up. He didn't know what the Viking was talking about, he felt fine. If it was his old self from before, he would've surely been unable to do anything. Besides, this last lesson was important. He needed to know how to stop a strong attack.
"You heard him Master Soren, please continue. And young pupil? Remember to use your left hand to support your baton. You will need the extra strength. It is only when you completely stop the weapon that you can remove it." Fenghuang said. Both of the men nodded before turning to each other again. Soren swung his training short sword at Mineta's neck like he was going to decapitate him.
The shorter boy turned his body to face the blow, as he learned in Balintawak and met the strike. He immediately put his left hand behind his baton, locking both arms. He leaned his body forward a little as his feet pushed against the asphalt. He must have been pushed a few centimeters, since his angle changed in relation to Soren.
But as soon as the attack came… It stopped and Mineta found himself locked with the Viking. Like with Kamishiro yesterday, Mineta shot his left hand out and grabbed the exposed part of the sword's grip. And upon wrapping his fingers around it, he shifted his baton to be on top of the blade. With a pull and push down, the weapon was peeled from Soren's fingers.
The training sword clattered behind Mineta.
"Congratulations my young pupil, you blocked an attack and disarmed a foe stronger than you." Fenghuang said as she went to pick up the sword.
"That was hard… But really simple…" Mineta said panting.
"That it is. But once you understand body mechanics, you can do a lot of things. Disarms, dislocating joints, breaking bones, all those rely on understanding how human anatomy behaves." Soren explained, taking the training sword from the Heroine.
"And that's why the Dislocation and Fracture license is an uncommon thing amongst Heroes. One must first pass a knowledge test then a psychological and Quirk test, before they receive it." Fenghuang added. Mineta looked up at his teacher with eye brows raised. There was a license that allows a Hero to break bones? And as if to answer that question, the Heroine handed her student an ID card.
Taking it, Mineta saw that it was indeed real. The Heroine was indeed trained to misplace a person's skeleton. And thinking about it, Aizawa probably owns one of these too. Most likely in the case he needs to break something to stop a Villain.
"Okay… So what now?" The shorter boy asked, handing the card back.
"Now, you rest while Master Soren and I gather some information with the other masters. However, you will be needed in an hour at the Taiji hall. Consider it a meeting before we depart for our Hero Killer Hunt." Fenghuang answered, gesturing to the door back into the temple. That sounded reasonable enough, it was plenty of time to put things in order. So after a bow, Mineta headed back inside. He first went to get something to eat, just another pork bun and more tea. He then went to the shower room and quickly rinsed himself of the sweat and dirt. And finally, once he returned back to his room, Mineta took a nap.
It seemed strange how he couldn't sleep on night one but can one hour before the mission. But he supposed that only shows how much he's grown over the last two days. Alternatively, Mineta has simply accepted the terrifying reality he cannot avoid. Whatever the case was, it felt nice to have a moment of peace all to himself.
To bask in the calm before the storm.
A knock soon roused him from that stillness, the darkness of sleep clearing from his head. Mineta sat up and looked to the door as a monotonous voice called out to him.
"Mineta Minoru, it is time. Join us in the Taiji hall as soon as you can." Eclipse said. The shorter boy got up and stretched everything out. He threw on his UA gym uniform, seeing that there was still some mileage in it, and quickly headed out. And with one quick trip down the elevator, the shorter boy slid open the doors to place he's come to recognize. Though there are some people inside he doesn't know.
Upon the yin of the Taiji was Fenghuang. On the eight trigrams surrounding her were Soren, Eclipse, Kamishiro, and five others he doesn't know, one of which was a panda for some reason. And surrounding them were a several other people who either wore Hero costumes or t-shirts with the temple's name printed on it. If Mineta had to guess, those were other Pro Heroes and the senior instructors for the various styles taught here.
The shorter boy noticed his teacher gesture towards the yang, causing him to automatically go there. And upon sitting down, Fenghuang began speaking directly to him as if no one was around.
"Welcome to your first meeting among the Heroes, Masters, and senior instructors of the temple. If you have any questions, you are free to ask them. But before we start the main discussion, may I ask you to recall your second lesson here?"
Even without having several eyes on him, Mineta was finding it difficult to remember. Was she referring to the six point defense? Or was it something else? Really, he started his training on the second day of the internships. So what about day one? After arriving and being thoroughly confused, he met Fenghuang. She told him to not let preconceptions cloud his mind. Then there was cleaning the toilet…
No wait, there was something before that.
"Was it… Respecting and helping the 'backstage crew' to keep a place running efficiently?" Mineta replied, that memory a little hazy due to the emotional exhaustion he felt back then. His teacher simply nodded before gesturing to the people that surrounded them. This caused Mineta to follow, gathering the facial details of the fellow members of the temple. And soon enough, he'll be getting a name to match those faces.
"Great wisdom can come from anywhere. So during times like these, it is important to gain as many perspectives as possible. It is those who fail to heed the words of their peers who are the most ignorant. So take this to heart my young pupil, there is always something to learn. Now, let's begin this meeting." Fenghuang said before clapped four times in a particular rhythm.
The lights in the basement as well as the halls above them turned off, plunging everything into darkness. Then, from somewhere, projectors began to display several holographic screens before everyone. On those screens were various photos and reports on the victims of the Hero Killer. Mineta paled as a cold sweat seeped from his skin. From crime scene pictures to official autopsies, he can read up on Stain's twisted work.
And upon seeing Ingenium's file mixed in, his stomach began churning. What would Iida do if he caught Mineta reading something so personal?
"Do not avert your eyes my young pupil… For this is the grim reality of Heroics and Emergency Services. Behind every success and failure are unimaginable amounts of pain, blood, and even death. Recognize this and you'll find your heart better prepared for the road ahead. However, if this is too much and you wish to leave, you may do so. I, nor anyone here, will judge you for that." Fenghuang said sadly.
For this to be his, Midoriya's, and all of his classmates' possible future, it all made Mineta ill. He just wanted to run, hide in bed, and wait for the storm to pass. But he gripped the floor, reminding himself of the lessons learned since the very beginning. From Fenghuang's wisdom to his first meeting with Midoriya, the road of a Hero is fraught with danger.
"I'm fine… If I coddle and shelter myself, I'll never become steel." Mineta said, taking a deep breath. His teacher actually gave a small smile to that. Then, as quickly as it came, Fenghuang's face returned to that grim and serious expression. She then looked around the hall, nodding to her eight masters before gesturing to the air. 41 profiles of people appeared, a brief status summary listed right below them.
Some were dead… Others were crippled beyond recovery… It painted a very ominous picture of the Villain who caused all of it.
"These are the victims of Hero Killer's campaign of terror. They were found by police or other Heroes in alleyways not unlike the one we have behind the temple. We only have a vague idea of Stain's appearance, given the critical health of his survivors and his elusive nature. However, not all information has vanished with the Hero Killer. Through the injuries he has inflicted, we can piece together his combat methodology, martial prowess, fighting style, and, if possible, the nature of his Quirk. Allow me to begin by starting with general observations." Fenghuang began.
She made another gesture, an image of a human body appeared. Red lines and circles then began to appear on the image, marking areas of injury no doubt. Then the name of the victim appeared, causing Mineta to clam up as he stared on.
Iida would definitely pulp him if he found out about this.
"These are the injuries that the Turbo Hero Ingenium sustained. These superficial, yet well placed cuts suggest the Hero Killer is armed with blades and is well versed on how to use them. And to have overcome Ingenium's natural speed, the Hero Killer was either faster or had a special trick to slow him down. I believe it's the latter, seeing that Ingenium's lower back was damaged in a very precise way. Something that isn't possible when both are moving at incredible speeds and one of them is armored." Fenghuang began. She then made another gesture. The image changed to a blank human figure with several bubbles pointing to various parts of its body.
Some of it started to fill itself out. In the bubble pointing at the hands, the words 'uses blades' popped up. At the arms, the words 'skilled in blade fighting' appeared. At the legs, the phrase 'fast?' showed up. And finally, in a miscellaneous bubble not pointing to anything, 'has a special trick' was written within.
"With general details covered, let's move onto the specifics. Does anyone wish to contribute their observations?" Fenghuang asked, looking around. Soren raised his hands and the Heroine locked eyes with him. With a simple nod, the Viking made a gesture and put up high detailed photos of cut and stab wounds. Mineta felt his gut flopping around again. Seeing something so unsettling up close was not how he imagined this meeting would turn out.
"Based on the roughness of the cuts and the shape of the stab wounds, I propose that the blades the Hero Killer wields have a single edge and are serrated." Soren said, pointing at the wounds. The cuts were jagged instead of smooth. And for the stab wounds, one end was a little wider than the other. And as Mineta thought about that, it began to make sense.
Though it was sort of disturbing how quickly the shorter boy was getting accustomed to this. Fenghuang nodded to the man before noticing another had raised their hand. This time, it was from Eclipse who was visible for once. He still sounded completely unenthusiastic however.
"Those blades are likely to be a long sword and a long knife. Look at these images if you will."
The cloaked man made a gesture and several image scans of two torsos came up. Both of these sets had this highlighted streak on them. In the first set, the line ran directly from the lower abdomen to just beneath the shoulder blade. In the second, the line was parallel and started from the side of the ribs before stopping halfway in. And upon realizing that the line represented tissue damage, the nausea came back to Mineta's stomach.
"In the first set, there was complete penetration; only a sword long enough is capable of that. The second set was similar except in the opposite direction. There's also the fact that it's just easier to slip a knife in at that angle. To be sure, I've recreated the injury pattern using simulacrums. The results were remarkably similar." Eclipse said, bringing up images of two damaged test dummies.
Fenghuang studied the dummies, noting where the simulated damage was and how it looked. If it weren't for the transparent gelatin flesh, organs, and plastic bones, Mineta could've sworn that he was looking at a real body. But that wasn't the point of interest. What were are the lines of black ink inside the dummies. They mirrored the damage shown in the torso scan as he said.
"Excellent work Master Eclipse. Your tests in conjunction with Master Soren's notes have added more clarity to this mystery. Is there anything else that can be added?" Fenghuang said, bringing up the image with the Hero Killer notes. The 'uses blades' text disappeared and was soon replaced with 'uses serrated, single edged knife and sword'.
A young woman with light blue hair and dressed in lightly armored white clothes raised her hand. Her dignified posture reminded Mineta of Yaoyorozu just as her calm expression brought Tsuyu to mind. This, along with other features, drew Mineta towards this mysterious woman…
However, the bow that lay in front of her just as easily pushed him away. It was as long as she was tall and looked to be sturdy enough to take a blow or seventeen. The shorter boy didn't want to imagine what it would feel like to get hit by that, arrow or bow.
"Master Murakumo, please tells us your observations." Fenghuang said, turning to the woman. She nodded and waved towards the holographic screens. The images were of small cuts on a body clustered in a strange way, pictures of a wall with bloodstains, and several pictures of puncture wounds in an odd line.
"I'd like to raise the possibility of throwing and auxiliary weapons being included in his arsenal. The first image contains irregular stab patterns, quite unlike the precision of the other wounds. This suggests that the Hero Killer has used throwing knives to injure a distant target where precision is more difficult to achieve. The marks on the wall of the second image support this." Murakumo said calmly.
Mineta raised an eyebrow to that, what marks on the wall? Looking at the second photo set, the shorter boy ignored the obvious blood splattered everywhere. Instead, he looked at the spaces between the stains. And, as his eyes started to focus, he began to notice small, scattered dents in the concrete. Like something small briefly hit them...
"I was wondering about those, thought they were made with just the blade's tip. So what's this about auxiliary weapons?" Soren asked.
"I think I got it." The panda said as he raised his hand. Despite how soft and cuddly he looked, his voice had a biting edge to it. Kind of like Bakugou, but he didn't feel nearly as dangerous.
"Master Ping, what are your thoughts?" Fenghuang asked, turning to the panda.
"The thing she's talking about is the weird row of punctures in the third picture. Isn't that weird? The whole thing's in a straight line and it's not even that deep. It makes me think he has some sort of spiked gear on him, like boots or knuckles. It's like he wants to tenderize the people he's fighting... Eugh…" Ping answered, visibly shivering at that last thought. Mineta shared that sentiment, that wasn't a pleasant thing to think of.
"Your observations are duly noted Master Ping. And thank you for your observations Master Murakumo." Fenghuang replied. She brought up the notes and gestured towards the bubble pointing at the hands. Two extra lines of text appeared, 'uses throwing knives' and 'has spiked equipment'. But not long as the Heroine returned to a still position, did another master raise their hand.
This master had an incredibly lithe figure. They were also completely androgynous, so much so that Mineta couldn't figure out which pronoun to use. It was like looking at Thirteen, except you can see their physical features. Perhaps he should listen for what Fenghuang refers to them by.
"Master Kokyu, your thoughts?" The Heroine asked. Mineta mentally slapped himself, she mostly calls them by title. Still, he opened his ears to what the wisdom they are about to share.
"In all the alleyway photos, I found faint boot prints along the walls. And between the pools of blood, there are the same boot prints. It was difficult, but I found them to be well placed in relation to the Hero's prints. The Hero Killer makes full use of his space when attacking his target. So I can say he has an incredibly acrobatic and mobile style." Kokyu said, their voice neither deep nor high pitched. Fenghuang and the others nodded to that. The Heroine then brought up the notes again.
In the bubble pointing to the legs, the text 'fast' was replaced with 'acrobatic and agile'.
"Shifu, if I may contribute." A man with a strange accent said, raising his hand. He was dressed in what was a cross between a vintage noble and a bandit, complete with a black bandana around his eyes. In front of him was a rapier in its scabbard. And while it was in its scabbard, the wear on the decorated guard and hilt spoke volumes of his ability.
"Of course Master Vengador, you are always free to speak."
"Then I'd like to comment on our foe's mentality, as unlikely as that sounds. Due to the presence of shallow and mortal wounds, I'd say our Hero Killer is 'toying' with his targets. It is as if he has some greater purpose for them, like he wishes to teach them and the people who find their bodies something." He answered.
A hum went around the hall before things went into meditative silence. Mineta swallowed and dived into his thoughts on that point. What on Earth could a Hero Killer teach? Someone with blood on their hands would have nothing profound, let alone sane, to offer to the world. And even if he did have something legitimate, who would listen? The League of Villains?
"Honestly, I'd like to meet this guy just to see what bat shit lessons he has in mind." Ping said with a scoff.
"I wouldn't put much heed in it, Master Ping. There's no merit in insanity." Murakumo said looking towards the panda.
"Correction, COMPLETE insanity." Soren added with a growl.
"Masters, do not dismiss the ravings of a mad man so easily. Remember, great wisdom can come from anywhere." Fenghuang said, still in a state of meditative serenity. All eyes went to her, staring in confusion over her words. Mineta knew she was trying to teach them all something… But this still seemed a little counterintuitive even for a kung fu master.
"Uhhh… Shifu? You're willing to listen to that sort of crazy?" Mineta asked, finally speaking up. The Heroine opened her eyes and looked to each one of her audience members. They all looked on with anticipation, waiting for their next lesson about the world.
"Yes, because learning about one's perspective can tell a lot about a person's character. It tells me of their struggles, their achievements, and the events that lead them there. More importantly, it shows me the weaknesses in their thinking. By acknowledging their words, no matter how senseless it may be, it becomes open for debate. And when something can be debated, it can be refuted and turned against them. So if this Hero Killer wishes to 'teach' us something… We shall return the favor in full." She answered.
Silence took over the room again as they mulled over her words. The shorter boy tried to form an argument against that, thinking it can't always be like that. But for each scenario he came up with, he already imagined a counterargument to it. And now that his thoughts were on the subject… An effective argument comes from acknowledging counterpoints before deconstructing them with evidence.
Do that enough times and an argument will become irrefutable. A loss to whoever's against it.
"As always, your wisdom exceeds us all. We are humbled Shifu." Murakumo said, lowering her head. The others followed with Mineta doing so as well, though he was a little slower. They soon rose to face their teacher again just as Fenghuang looked to one of the masters. She had red hair, finely developed muscles around her lean body, and a heated glare that can break kneecaps. She was also a foreigner like Soren, Vengador, and Ping.
"Master O'Sullivan, would you like to add to something?" Fenghuang asked.
"Just the idea that our man can't be completely insane; he's beaten 41 Heroes after all. He'd also have the sense to know what he's getting into before picking a fight. I know if I was going up against a Hero, I'd want to know what they can or can't do." She replied.
"An excellent point, let's add that to our list along with Master Vengador's notes."
The Heroine pointed towards the bubble that pointed at the head. The text 'has a higher motive' and 'is knowledgeable of his opponents' appeared. Fenghuang then looked around for any others who wish to contribute. For a moment, she locked eyes with Mineta but he shook his head. The shorter boy couldn't even begin to think of something to add.
Especially not when many great points have already been brought up.
Fenghuang turned to the last master who hasn't spoken, Kamishiro, and waited for him. He was in clear thought about something. Not that it mattered since someone broke him out of his focused state.
"Kamishiro, Shifu wants your opinion." Soren said. The man's eyes looked up and saw all eyes were on him. He bowed slightly in apology before changing the images to the alleyways again. Was there another detail here?
"Because the Hero Killer's victims have all been found alone in alleyways, it makes me believe he wouldn't do well against groups. In that sense, he behaves like an assassin who eliminates any advantages his opponent might have. Whether that is the environment or numbers, the Hero Killer will make things favorable for himself." Kamishiro said.
"If he really was an assassin, he'd end things in one strike." Eclipse commented.
"I've been thinking about that too. Why cause so many shallow injuries only to deliver the coup de grace later? The answer to that might have something to do with the 'special trick' Shifu mentioned earlier. I believe those wounds are a requirement for his Quirk to activate." Kamishiro asked. Conversation spread around the hall as everyone began to examine that question.
Mineta himself dived into the memories involving Midoriya's Hero notebooks. If there was any information involving Quirks and how they behave, it would be there. However, while Blood Quirks weren't rare by any imagination… There weren't many Heroes who had used such a power. Like guns, blood based abilities have a heavy stigmatism surrounding them.
But that didn't mean there was nothing to work with. Vlad King had a blood based Quirk and is still an active Hero; he is even a teacher at UA. And if Mineta remembered correctly, his power was called Blood Control… He can freely manipulate his blood once it was outside his body. So if Vlad needs to draw blood to activate his Quirk…
Why can't the Hero Killer?
"I think Master Kamishiro is right." Mineta spoke up. All eyes latched onto him, waiting for his response. With a deep breath, he shared his reasoning with them. And as each word left his mouth, Fenghuang and the eight masters nodded to each point. Not long after Mineta finished did the Heroine made a gesture towards the notes. The 'has a special trick' text in the miscellaneous bubble changed to 'has a blood based Quirk'. And with the addition of 'stacks advantages in his favor', a clear idea of the Hero Killer was made.
"Now that we have the best possible profile, we may begin preparing in earnest. Young Mineta, please follow me after this meeting. We need to fit you with another piece of equipment before we depart. And everyone? Thank you for sharing your perspective, it was enlightening." Fenghuang said before bowing. All in the hall returned the gesture, all shouting the same thing.
"You're welcome Shifu!"
And that has been Chapter 45!
There's one thing I don't understand about how the Heroes approached finding Stain... Despite the amount of victims he left in his wake, they fought him like they didn't know what to expect. While the first few lost due to lack of knowledge, one would think others would start preparing themselves to engage a threat titled Hero Killer. Which is why we have this Chapter.
Also, it's important to always listen to the opinions of your peers. Right or wrong, more perspectives will give you the most information to work with. So be like Fenghuang and talk to as many people as you can about a problem.
I've got no other news for you... All I can say is to look forward to the next two updates, for we head into Hosu to track down the Hero Killer.
So with that said...
Until Next Time. T1.