Hey Guys! Crescent Rider here and I am back with another chapter! But before we begin, there are a few things I need to say today first.
First off, I've seen the questions of the previous chapter and I want to clear something up. Though I assume that Neo's Semblance 'Overactive Imagination' is like One For All and Rewind doesn't mean I've considered it as one...
Not yet since I need a bit of confirmation from you fellow readers. But I do know that if her quirk is indeed copied, a considerable amount of experience is required before it is used proficiently.
That is all I have to say and enjoy the chapter!
Yukino Valentina nee Arakaki...
By day, she works as a local zookeeper rather than an officer worker. But that was her first job as Neo knew, her second job happened to be a Hero among the top twenties and remained within her rank as she preferred her first job better than the second.
Given her quirk, skills, and experience. Neo thought that she'd ultimately land a spot among the top ten heroes, especially when she said that she had worked with few heroes before. But Yukino remained adamantly stuck in the top twenty for a reason as she openly revealed her reason.
"Rei-senpai, she and I were close when we were in high school. She was known as the cold student while I was the wild student. Opposites yet she didn't mind," Yukino explained as her daughter was in the living room of their home, "After graduation, we rarely saw each other again... Until I heard got married a few years back and made a family of her own with Endeavor,"
"Then why were you mad at him?" Neo gestured with curiosity,
Yukino was silent as she took a sip of her soda can, then she placed it on the table, "From what I heard, she was sent to a hospital after an... Incident at home. I didn't want to pry into the matter, but I had a hunch that Endeavor had something to do with it. And wouldn't you know it... I was right,"
Neo looked concerned for her mother and wondered about her mother's friend. But after a short period of silence, Yukino stands from her chair, "But! that's all you need to know about me and him. Any questions you'd like to ask?"
Neo cupped her chin with one hand, then gestured the following question, "What about you and dad? How did you two meet?"
"Oh him? We met after I saved him. Downright asked me out on a date, and I accepted," Yukino replied with a much enthusiastic tone and expression, "That day will forever be the best day of my whole life,"
Neo giggled, or rather looked like she giggled, then gestured another question, "What was dad like?"
"A total goofball, but always so eager to prove his love for me. Admittedly, his attempts for my attention were always so cute. Back then, I considered him a stalker and was close to punching the living daylights out of him when he found me at a fast food joint," Yukino described and Neo couldn't help but sweatdrop when she envisioned her father as such, "But after some misunderstandings, I knew he was good at heart and then we just clicked it off, got married... And have you,"
Neo's expression softened just as her mother did, "He never felt any happier when the day I told him about our pregnancy... But he never lived to see it happen,"
Yukino turned to her shelf and stared at a few picture frames. The one she was most fixated on was her wedding photo where she looked happy and her husband was still the same goofball she remembered.
After a single sniff and wipe of a tear, she suddenly finds herself in Neo's arms as she walks over from her seat and comforts her with a hug. Yukino found herself chuckling, but she returned her daughter's embrace with her own before letting her sit on her lap rather than back on her chair, "You're his child, alright. Because he would do the same thing had I moped around the past,"
Neo seemingly giggled and figuratively asked more about her father than ever before, if not at all since she wanted to lighten the mood. Such a conversation led to various stories about her father and she couldn't help but feel amazed or amused by who he was in life.
Three Months Later...
It was time for the final exams and Neo remained seated as the papers were handed down to every student present.
"You have about half an hour to complete this part of the exam, once your half an hour passes I will collect your papers regardless of whether or not you've finished answering all the questions," The Homeroom Teacher announced, "You may start,"
The only sounds in the classroom were the sounds of pencils tapping away on their test paper. However, Neo would hear most of the tapping given how she heightened her other senses from her mother's martial arts training.
About fifteen minutes passed, and Neo finished the third part of the test even with all the subtle noises around her. From pencil-tapping, head-scratching, and tongue-clicking classmates, she was fixated on passing the test and nothing else.
But that didn't mean she had potential cheaters given the fact that some are a tad bit arrogant to even admit any faults in their work. A few even used their quirk in secret to acquire the right answers from her paper. In return, she used her quirk to conceal the right answers and project the wrong answers in plain view.
How she gets away with this is through the arts of deception such as hand covers or wipes on the paper, false actions like erasure and brief pauses, and great patience in hopes that she hears her classmate cheating or the homeroom teacher's sight lands on her.
When the clock reached the twenty-minute mark, Neo finished the last part of the test, stood from her chair, and walked her way to the classroom desk to pass it. But along the way, she undoes the illusions she conjured onto her paper and shows the true answers since she memorized the range of her cheaters' quirks.
"Return to your seat, Ms. Valentina," The Homeroom Teacher stated, and Neo bowed her head before walking back to her table,
Though she hardly showed any change in her expression, she was confident of her answers but wasn't confident to get a perfect score given the difficulty of their test. When the twenty-five-minute mark had passed, a few students went and submitted their papers to the desk and the rest followed after the thirty-minute mark.
With that done, the tests have concluded and their homeroom teacher dismisses his students from the classroom. However, Neo was halted by her teacher's voice, "Ms. Valentina. I'd like to have a word with you,"
Neo seemed calm while some of the students pondered on why the homeroom teacher called her, but they dropped the thought aside and went along with their friends to hang out.
"Take a seat," The Homeroom Teacher said as he gestured his pen at an empty chair. Once Neo sat down, he proceeded with today's discussion, "A few months ago, a student of another class approached me and asked about my intervention with a few bullies in school. Given that I wasn't there due to my schedule, and I was unaware of such rude behavior I thought of you when I recalled your Quirk,"
Neo wasn't nervous, even as she recalled that particular incident rather clearly. After a short period of silence, he soon continued by clasping his fingers together and leaning forward from his desk, "Would you be so kind as to give a demonstration?"
She blinks, then she stands up and focuses on the activation of her Quirk. In a matter of seconds, several particles gathered around and formed what looked like a replica of her homeroom teacher. From his exact weight and height to the clothes he wore today. After a moment or two, Neo deactivates her Quirk and returns to her original appearance.
"Quite a marvelous quirk you possess. It's no wonder you earned a place in this academy. Though both your quirk and heroic deed are accounted for, the results of today's test will determine the next step of your educational progress," The Homeroom Teacher remarked, stood from his desk, and collected the papers of today's exams, "Though I am certain you'll reach the top after you've graduated from this institute,"
Neo would stand from her seat, and leave with some level of pride over her teacher's words. But that pride is brief as when she leaves this institute, she is alone in her walk as everyone else has left on their routes and rides. This was something she had gotten used to for over a year now...
Passing through a few routes she memorized, Neo took the time to bend down and pet one of the alley cats that was resting on a wall. She was quite delicate with her rubbing and often poked the nose for a cheery note, but her stay in the alley was soon met with an unexpected encounter, "Hey,"
Neo recognizes the voice and turns to her right to see none other than Endeavor in the flesh. He still holds the very same expression when she first met him at the mall with her mother as well as the usual flames still burning as part of his hero costume.
She doesn't know what he wants from her, but she wasn't intimated by his tall stature especially when he examined her from top to bottom, "Hm... There isn't much resemblance between you and your mother. Though the way you stare down to your firm stature is indeed hers,"
Neo would pull out a notepad and pencil, or rather conjure them from her pocket, and write the following message, "Is there anything you want from me?"
"Nothing in particular... The reason why we met today is this area is part of my patrol route. So few of my employees patrol this area before they received information that the notorious serial killer passed through this area not long ago," Endeavor stated,
This led her to recall her unpleasant encounter with Himiko Toga. Though she may have gotten used to what she does to her victim, she hasn't gotten over her just yet. The mere thought of encountering her sent a few chills on her spine but she quickly recovered after taking a small breath.
"What serial killer?" Neo inquired in her notepad,
"Though you aren't a hero, let alone an intern of agency, I may as well tell you since I've heard you've encountered a villain yourself before," Endeavor stated, "His name is Stain, also known as the Hero Killer,"
That was a name she had never seen nor heard before, but Endeavor would stop there instead of troubling the little girl on the matter, "That is all I will say to you now... Until you've earned your place among the Pro Heroes, perhaps I will tell you more about him. So stay of trouble until then..."
Endeavor soon departs while Neo leaves the alley and watches him leave. As he was leaving, Neo looked down at her notepad and the words 'Hero Killer: Stain' appeared at her will. She then gazed back at Endeavor and walked home.
The Following Night...
With her phone in hand, she browsed the net for the Hero Killer: Stain, and learned that he was more notorious and brutal than Himiko Toga. His victims were primarily focused on Pro Heroes and there had been a total of thirty-three heroes who fell prey to his blade.
Sixteen of them were confirmed dead, and seventeen of them survived but beyond recovery...
To the average person, Quirk or Quirkless, they'd label Hero Killer Stain as a malicious villain that must be brought to justice. To Neo, something about his motives made her curious as she checked the heroes who fell prey to his blade.
She noticed that these heroes worked in well-known Hero agencies, and a few earned quite the reputations to the public and their respective hero agencies. They were also known in several advertisements and talk shows they volunteered and rose through the ranks with ease.
Such an upfront wasn't an act of heroism but mutual gain. This led to creeping suspicion that Stain murdered them due to their lives being treated as public celebrities rather than Pro Heroes as many would say. She learned this thought from her mother, who always preferred to stay out of the limelight of such heroes and help people even though she was given nothing in return.
Neo even checked her Hero Name, Polymorphia, on the web and learned that she was in the top twenty not because she was popular but because of her acts of heroism that overshadowed the popular ones below the top twenty. She even received a lot of criticism that Yukino Valentina outright refused interviews by leaving the scene after a job and intimidating reporters with her Quirk should they pester her long enough to reach her breaking point.
The sheer thought of her wrath made Neo smile since it wouldn't be like her to just let things be. Still, she has some measure of pride knowing her mother is a great Pro Hero on the field. But that led her to wonder about the future, if Neo were to graduate in her school as one of the five, what would she do next?
She may receive a letter of recommendation to UA Academy and become a Pro Hero under the best of teachers or set her sights elsewhere and see where that route will lead. Such a decision felt rather crucial in her mind, for there was no way of telling what lies ahead after she's made a decision...
After a glance at her clock, it was already nine o'clock PM and Neo put her phone onto her lamp table. There, she stares at the picture frame where she and Hagakure pose at one of her former school's events. She knows that Hagakure aims to be a Pro Hero by enrolling at UA Academy as the latter told her on multiple occasions. However. the thought of her being reunited with her friend was not enough of a push to pursue a career as a Pro Hero.
Until she finds the answer before graduation day, she shuts off her light and tucks herself in for the days ahead in school...
One Week Later...
After the board of the overall ranking students was posted, every student went and searched for their names. Some rejoiced in their success and some lamented in their failure. For Neo, she went and checked for her sake and found herself being placed third of the top five students in the academy.
And Neo showed no reaction whatsoever, instead, she accepted her place in the top five and walked away even as some students recognized and muttered about her position. If she were the old Neo of her former school, she definitely would've taken pride in it. Now, she's more modest and unsurprised by the results due to her mother's influence and training.
It's better to be level-headed over trivial matters like scores and rank. The only pride she'll consider having would be the love of her family and the bonds of her friends. Even though the latter doesn't fit the case in this academy, it's still a lesson she learned from her mother...
And as usual, Neo would walk home alone, and take on the same where she'd find the alley cat she pays attention to. After she walked under a green light of a crosswalk, she glanced to her right after hearing a child being cheery and hyper around his mother.
But that mood would soon get him into trouble when he ran towards the crosswalk under a red light and the running car was making a pass. Neo widened her eyes upon the sight of a potential accident, so her Quirk acted upon instinct and conjured a distance clone which pushed the child back to her mother while the clone shattered like glass upon impact.
The tires of the car screech against the pavement and everyone within that area's vicinity was alarmed by the sight while the Mother kept her child close at all times. Neo, on the other hand, was frozen in place then she snapped out of it just as the car driver opened his door and went to the car's hood.
Without any moment to waste, Neo strolls towards an alley to avoid attention and take a breath after she is far from the area. Though she did save a child, witnessing her illusion taking the brunt of a moving car felt like she was there in person, willingly sacrificing herself to save a child from danger.
It was enough to place her hand on her beating chest and focus on breathing. After a few minutes or so, she pressed her back against the wall, sat on the ground, and calmly breathed through her nose before comprehending the thought she had conjured.
However, her comprehension had to wait until she heard the faint noise rattling of metal and wood. Neo quickly stood up and turned towards the source.
"Such sharp senses... I assume you were trained properly," A rasped voice stated,
Neo maintained a firm stance, as well as, a firm expression as footsteps approached her way. Though she was prepared to guard against an opponent, she did not expect that to be another serial killer...
The Hero Killer, Stain...
In Neo's thoughts, she wondered why she had to encounter another serial killer in the area. Himiko Toga is someone she's prepared to face, but the Hero Killer is an opponent she wouldn't dream of beating so easily. From what she can see in his arsenal, Stain possesses a sword on his back, four sheathed knives, and spiked boots.
If that wasn't enough, she knows that the Hero Killer lives up to his notorious title and such experience to make things easier for him to dispose of her.
After a long period of silence between them, Stain was first to strike a conversation, "Is there anything you'd like to say now?"
At the moment, Stain didn't appear to be intimidating towards her. He just stood there and stared right into her eyes. Since Neo wasn't one of proper manners, she placed two fingers of her left hand over her throat and rubbed it a few times. Stain blinked once, then straightened his posture, "So you're unable to speak then?"
Neo lowers her left hand and gives a light nod before hearing Stain hum in affirmation, "In that case, I won't trouble you with my hunt. I've done what I came here to do, and from the looks of things, you aren't a hero. Not yet though,"
As Stain declared neutrality towards her, Neo seemingly eased down but kept her guard up in case anything occur between them.
"I saw what you did earlier. Though you weren't aware of it, you simulated a potential action in which you would risk your well-being to save a life today. I'd be impressed if you didn't run away like you did now," Stain remarked, then he turned his back on her but gazed at her with just a single eye, "Whether you are much like the false heroes or not has yet to be seen. But until that day comes you've mustered the courage to look into the people you save. I will decide whether I shall should purge you or not,"
Stain soon departs through the shadows while Neo just stares for a prolonged period. Then, she calmly sighed to herself unlike her encounter with Himiko Toga, and wondered why she had a knack for attracting notorious criminals...