The beach smelled like shit, most likely due to the heap of trash piled on it. The lack of wind was notable, as was the sunnier disposition of today's morning workout. Takuma waited for Midoriya again, this time with some more fun accessories to use for his next assassination attempt. He was hoping the bean wouldn't fall for it two days in a row, but he was ready to beat this lesson into him if he had to. So, with this in mind, he took his spot next to the stairs, kneeling just enough to avoid being seen by an inattentive mop of green hair when he showed up. Also, he had left his very cute girlfriend alone in bed to join him for his training. Takuma did not feel merciful today.
Minutes went by before Midoriya showed up. Immediately, he noticed the lack of sleep and the unaware state of mind as the heir to One For All willed himself forward for his morning training.
"This kid," Takuma groaned with irritation as the bean took a path straight toward his ambush.
Patience was a weapon like any other, and his prey wasn't much of a threat even well-rested, so without much trepidation, he waited for him to walk straight into his arms. He was glad he had found some rope. Wielding his Quirk, Takuma made sure to match the bean's breathing before he made it to the sand, and as soon as his feet hit it, he was behind him, matching him step for step and breath for breath as he became like a second shadow to the shorter boy who was walking head down toward their meeting point. He followed him like this for about fifty steps before Midoriya stopped and started looking around for him or maybe one of his two teachers.
"Time to strike."
Wrapping the rope around the bean's leg, Takuma pulled, sending the mop of green hair crashing to the ground with a cry. Right after, he tied the other leg, landing a knee on the bean's back that pushed him back down with a second cry, this time of pain, as he wasn't too gentle. Takuma then grabbed Izuku's left arm, twisted it, and added it to the bundle of limbs he was making as the boy finally had time to look back and realize who was assaulting him. Still, he didn't stop; he tied the wrist and did the same to the other hand as the bean tried to free himself without success. Takuma made sure the noose was secure before getting up and admiring his work.
"Ta-Takuma, is that really necessary?!" Izuku said as he realized the assault was over.
"Nah, I was just bored," he replied. It wasn't untrue, but he wouldn't have done it if the bean had even pretended to pay attention. "And you were distracted, so I decided to remind you why I want you alert and WELL RESTED!" he added the last two words in the accusatory tone they deserved, because again Midoriya hadn't taken care of himself properly.
"I-I am not—" Midoriya tried to say before Takuma raised one eyebrow that dared him to finish his sentence. "I-I tried, but I had so many ideas!"
"Baby steps."
Takuma sat in the sand next to the hog-tied heir to the symbol of peace. "And what ideas did you have that couldn't wait for a good night's sleep?"
His Quirk whispered to him that Midoriya's focus was on his back pocket, where Takuma noticed a folded notebook hanging.
"I ju-just thought about everything you told me ye-yesterday, and I-I wanted to write everything I ha-had in mind be-before today in case I forgot anything," the bean revealed as he again tried his restraints in vain.
"I can understand why you did it. Still, you aren't in a situation where you can afford not to be at the top of your game. Rest isn't optional, and if you don't take this seriously, you'll just throw your chance to join U.A. out of the window before you even have the chance to take the exam," he lectured with a severe tone. "I am just going to warn you now, if you aren't well-rested tomorrow, I am going to do something drastic, and both of us are going to hate it. So again. Take. This. Seriously." Takuma warned him as he grabbed the knife he had brought with him and threw and sunk it into the ground next to Midoriya's head.
"What is that for?"
"Free yourself. We can continue with your lesson after, unless another one of your mentors shows up and has a better thing for you to do, of course," he explained as he started his own stretching. "Be careful, it's sharp."
To his credit, Midoriya didn't even hesitate before rolling on his side and pawing around for the knife. Takuma had made sure to tie him up at the wrist so he had enough range of motion not to hurt himself too badly in his struggle for freedom. Meanwhile, he decided to stretch and make sure he was warmed up for the training he had in mind for this morning. Nothing too dramatic since he wouldn't turn an untrained Quirkless boy into a killing machine in just a few lessons, but today he wanted to keep working on the psychological aspect of fighting. Yesterday he wanted to make sure the bean had the right idea about how to fight, and now he was about to make sure he could actually fight, even with the boy's meager skill.
Halfway through his warm-up, Midoriya succeeded in freeing himself.
"It's done," the boy sighed as he rubbed his reddened wrists. "Do I...?"
"Warm-up, then we're going to start the lesson," he told the bean, who followed his words without complaint. "Do you know if Gran Torino or the big A is going to come here today?"
"All Might is busy today. Gran Torino might come by to see you, though."
Takuma internally sighed and dearly hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the older hero prying into his personal life.
"Stretch."
They did, and after a short amount of time, when the bean's overworked muscles started to ache less, Takuma decided it was time to start training.
"We're going to spar first. No sticks this time; just try to land a good hit," he told the bean, who nodded eagerly before falling into a stance.
The stance was good, undoubtedly due to Izuku's research on the subject—flexible and low to reduce the risk of being thrown to the ground. Takuma would be lying if he said having an eager student wasn't a delight.
"Hopefully this one would make it."
Izuku closed in, and Takuma met him halfway, receiving a punch to the forearm before pushing the two follow-ups out of the way. His strike was not a punch but a push with an open hand as he probed his student for weaknesses. Stability was good, as was his footing. The bean weathered his push and probe with a strong defense and an attempt at pulling his feet from under him admirably, despite the fact that his punches were like a cat taking a swipe at you with retracted claws—endearing for some, but useless nonetheless.
"Your punches are too weak; put some strength in them," he chided the boy, who nodded and armed his arm in the most telegraphed punch of the century.
Hips, core, and shoulder. It was going to be a good hit coming straight for his face. Takuma could have done any number of things to dodge or block the punch. Hell, he could have sent two kicks between the time it had taken the bean to bring his arm back, but it was a needed part of what he wanted to teach the boy today. So he stood still, lowered his arm, and allowed the hit to land. Takuma's head snapped back to the side as pain bloomed on his cheek and the bean's knuckles.
"I-wha—" the bean stammered in shocked surprise.
Right before Takuma socked him in the stomach for his trouble. Midoriya folded instantly and fell to his knees as he nearly threw up from the pain and shock. He retched painfully with tears in his eyes.
"Alright, breathe. Take your time," he told him as he took a step back and looked away. "We'll go over what happened when you feel better."
The mix of anxiety and fear permeated Midoriya's thoughts, intensifying as he internally panicked, searching for any reason why Takuma had hurt him that way. Overthinking things again, he feared the worst-case scenario—that Takuma somehow hated him for whatever reason. Overthinking anxious things like this made him really hope that U.A. would be good for him because, damn, that was sad. Still, it was necessary, just for today.
It took him five more minutes before he could focus on something other than his upset stomach.
"Good, now tell me what you understand from what happened," Takuma asked.
"I—you...punched me," Midoriya said with an accusatory tone that was well-earned. "And you let me punch you."
Takuma nodded. "I did. Why?"
"You wanted to show me you can take a hit—no, I already knew that..." the bean started to say as he focused on his question with a frown. "You... let me hit you so you could punch me. It's not hard since you know how to fight and with your Quirk, of course. The question is why. My punch landed and barely did anything while yours...still hurt. You wanted to show me the difference between punching and hurting someone?"
Takuma had to stop himself from smiling. "Exactly. If you had punched me with the same intent I used to smack you in the gut, I would be in the middle of a nice nap right about now," he confirmed to the shorter boy. "You want to be a hero, Midoriya. Saving lives is part of the job as much as taking villains down. To do that, you have to be willing to hurt that person until they give up or can no longer fight. What I just did to you isn't easy. I enjoyed it about as much as you did, but I needed to show you that if we were to fight, ignoring the experience, the training, and everything but the punch, I would win for the single reason that I am ready to hurt you, and you are not."
A dose of reality—that was the point of today's lesson.
"You won't take me down unless you are ready to actually hurt me," Takuma stated.
Izuku swallowed thickly as he digested his words. "I can do it. Maybe I can't hit you just yet, but the next time I get a clean hit, you will feel it."
"Good. Now we are going to work on the hitting part," Takuma said, right before a speedy missile entered the range of his Quirk. "Looks like Gran Torino is joining us this morning."
Barely a second later, the hero in a yellow cape and boots landed right next to them.
"I see you zygotes are hard at work."
"Good morning, sir!" Midoriya was happy to greet his mentor.
"We've been making progress," was Takuma's non-committal answer.
"What are you two working on?" Gran asked as he walked closer. "I've heard from All Might you are a decent teacher. Mind if I look for myself?"
"Do what you will," he shrugged as he refocused his attention on the shorter boy. "Now we're going to spar again. This time, though, I'm going to let you choose how you are going to go about taking me down. There are no surprises this time, so don't worry about getting hurt for now."
He noticed Izuku looking toward Gran Torino for answers, and when the older man nodded, the bean raised his guard again, still following the one he had come up with after yesterday's bout. "Ready."
"Ready," Takuma replied.
The bean walked forward and sent a straight that Takuma blocked as he kept protecting himself from the bean's body shots. He dodged less in an attempt to let him get used to hitting someone and busied himself with covering his vitals and pushing and probing at his balance in case Izuku decided to forget yesterday's lesson. It was a brawlier fighting style that he did not particularly excel in but one he could handle with an opponent that barely knew how to throw a punch. Not that he wasn't doing any damage—Takuma was still getting punched even if he blocked and parried most of the strikes. The bean was putting strength in each and every one of those, and he was starting to feel it. Still, he did not slow down from his own onslaught, prodding at an open guard, tapping him on the jaw with two fingers to show him where a punch could have broken it. It wasn't ideal, but he could take this sort of beating without too much trouble.
Takuma knew his stamina wasn't the best, and a protracted fight against a real opponent would have been far worse than what he was going through. But since Midoriya wasn't in the best shape himself, the bean was the first to flag, and after just a minute of sparring, he raised both hands up to signal the stop of the bout. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he took the time to breathe and massage his forearm, which had taken a beating, while Midoriya took a seat, already showing signs of exhaustion.
"You let him wail on you while making sure he didn't overextend himself during the fight. It takes some confidence. You kept poking at every opening and made sure he didn't lose his balance once," Gran Torino commented idly. "I can see why the oaf agreed to let you teach him this week," he added with an appreciative nod.
Takuma wasn't sure how to react to the unsaid praise, so he simply decided to ignore it.
"Takuma has been teaching me a lot," Midoriya added as he grabbed his notebook from his back pocket with a pen stuck in it.
Takuma noticed the book was named 'Hero Fighting for the Future.'
'Well, at least I'm not the only one with a terrible naming sense.'
"I'm helping him build a good foundation for now. He's still going to need to train in martial arts to make the best use of what I've been teaching him, but until then, I can help him get his head on straight," he explained to the older hero.
"I can see you prefer going to the brass tacks. Midoriya won't be able to take much more," Gran Torino noted as the still form of his mentee continued furiously writing things down in his notebook.
"Well, that's what happens when a certain someone decides not to rest properly after overworking himself," he chided the boy again, who winced at his words.
"Sorry."
"Heh, Toshinori was quite like him when I was training him. More heart than sense, those two," the hero groused as he shook his head with a grin. "How about I take over for a bit?"
Takuma nodded and took a seat on a nearby microwave. A piece of sharp steel stabbed him in the ass.
'Ow.'
"So what is it going to be today?" Gran Torino said as he scratched his beard. "How about this one: How would you go about negotiating the release of hostages for a bank robbery that turned bad?"
Takuma blinked owlishly at the question. It was a simple one, really, but there were so many ways to answer you couldn't go wrong with either one.
"I would ask what the villain wants and from there try and see if we can come up with an agreement. Maybe exchange a few hostages for a getaway vehicle or a way to get them in a situation where other heroes could act depending on their Quirk. I might try to either keep them inside the bank or invite them to leave to change the place of the confrontation," the bean mumbled at high speed as he went into a trance of some sort.
"Nerd power activated: Wisdom +6, Intelligence +10," Takuma idly commented as he tried to keep following the words coming out of the shorter boy's mouth.
His quip earned him a short laugh from the older hero, who shook his head with good humor. "Is this your answer?"
"Yes," the bean stated with an affirmative nod.
"Not bad. Understanding the reason behind someone's actions is a good start to resolving a situation. Taking into account the force at your disposal and their Quirks is also an important point, even if most heroes lack teamwork and would probably be hard to work with. Do you think you have what it takes to lead them?"
The bean's stomach dropped at the question, and anxiety rose like an old friend as the boy swallowed thickly. "M-Maybe not yet?"
Gran Torino guffawed. "We'll have to work on that spine of yours, but good work," he told the boy before helping him up. "And you, what would be your answer?" he asked, turning to Takuma.
Takuma sighed. "Where do I even start? It can't be a small gang since no one in their right mind would try to rob a bank without some serious power on their side, not to mention the local gang wouldn't allow it. So I'm going to assume it's a villain or at least some well-established crime syndicate. Then, like Midoriya, I'm going to want to know what's the point of the robbery—is it money, attention, or just a bunch of thugs trying their luck hoping for a nice payday? Depending on the answer, I would either negotiate using my Quirk to feel out what the hostage-taker really wants and pave the way toward a peaceful resolution if possible. On the other hand, if negotiation isn't on the table, I would goad the hostage-taker, push on their worst impulse, and push them to make a mistake. I would have to be ready to push this advantage in that case, but let's not lose ourselves in the what-if. I would try and learn who the attackers are and have the police run a quick background check. I wouldn't really need it with my Quirk, but better safe than sorry. Also, I would try to make use of other heroes, but unlike Midoriya, I would rather not have them act if possible since it adds complexity to the problem, and I am at my best when I'm in full control of the situation. I guess that's more or less how I would go about it."
He felt a whirlwind of emotion behind his mental wall as Gran Torino digested his answer. Takuma felt the sharp mind of the elder hero focused solely on him for the first time. Not blinded by nostalgia and grief, it felt like he was seeing him for the first time. Takuma now realized he had just made a mistake.
"A really well-thought-out answer," Gran Torino commented. "I have the feeling you're used to difficult situations, am I wrong?"
'Idiot, I just showed some acumen on the politics of the underworld,' he chided himself as he prepared his defense. 'Of course, the veteran is going to pick up on it. Pro heroes are a pain in my ass.'
"I do, didn't grow up in the best of places," he answered with a shrug, acting as if it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. "I had to figure a lot of things out to keep myself safe."
"Is that why you went to an online school?" Gran Torino asked.
The question was too bold to be a coincidence. He'd shared his schooling with All Might and Midoriya yesterday. That meant either one or both of them had tattled, or this knowledge came from someone else. Either way, it offered him an avenue to counterattack.
"In part," he answered with a frown, acting as if he was surprised by the question and sending a weird look toward Midoriya, who blinked in confusion.
So it was either All Might or an outside force. Or maybe it was Gran Torino's own research on him. The old hero had access to the police database. He wasn't in any of them yet, but besides that, he probably had contacts in the underworld that could find who he had associated with at the very least. He wouldn't be able to find anything that he was ashamed of. No, the feeling that the yellow-clad hero was too genuine for it to be a trap. So either All Might or an outside force. He had to lay the groundwork to keep the old hero off his back and hopefully uninterested in his past. This was going to be a lot harder than he liked.
"There weren't many options for someone like me. No school wanted me because of where I lived, and the lack of a flashy Quirk didn't help me with it," he explained, bullshitting his way to an answer that would be good enough. And all good lies contained a hint of truth. "So I graduated from the worst online school I could find and got a job that would pay the bills. I went and got my P.I. license, and it has served me pretty well since then."
He saw the surprise in Gran Torino's eyes. "I didn't know you needed a license in Japan to work as a private investigator."
"You don't. You only need one for a sensory Quirk or any that helps you on the job, really," he answered gleefully, thankful for the opening the bean gave him.
The intensity lessened, but he could still feel the sharp mind of the older hero boring through him.
"Are you working on a case?!" Midoriya asked with too much excitement. "Wait?! Were you working when you fought the eteromorph?!"
"I don't think we have the same definition of what a 'private investigator' is. And why would I take a job that puts me in danger?" he asked, overplaying his confusion while hammering his point where he could. "I usually just find people. With a Quirk like mine, it's easy to learn what someone wants from me and, more importantly, the person they want found. Sometimes it's just looking for a pet. As long as it's not too illegal or immoral, I take the job."
"Yeah...since you can sense feelings through walls, I guess it makes it easier to find someone if you know who to look for," the bean commented.
"Are you working then?" Gran Torino asked with an interested, if bored, tone that didn't match his true intent.
"I am, as of yesterday. It's more of a personal matter since a friend of mine asked me to take the job, but I think it should be done within this week," he answered noncommittally, allowing room for one of the two to prod further.
"And what is it, are you looking for someone?" Izuku asked, probably unaware of how much trust and reputation was placed on the discretion of such jobs.
"Technically, yes, but I can't say much more before the case is closed," he answered the shorter boy. "I'm going to go there this afternoon to start combing the area and maybe find out the person I'm looking for."
Takuma kicked himself for not bothering to look up the sheet Nova had given him. He'd been so distractedly lovesick yesterday that he hadn't found the strength to bother, and the evening hadn't been much better with Mei revealing her work to him.
"I could come with you if you want. I have nothing on my plate today," Gran Torino offered, even if Takuma could tell he didn't believe he would accept.
"I'd rather work alone. Not that a hero wouldn't be useful in case there is trouble, but again, I'm not going there looking for a fight, so I'll pass. But thanks for the offer," he answered diplomatically, meeting the old man's expectations.
He could tell the veteran wasn't quite satisfied with his answer, but hopefully, it would be enough to get him off his back. Takuma would have to act as if he was constantly watched today. Hopefully not by Nedzu.
'Please, world, anything but that,' he begged into the void.
"Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. It wouldn't do for Midoriya to lose his training so soon after getting one," Gran Torino offered with a hint of worry that threw him for a loop.
"You still don't have a phone?" Midoriya asked.
"No, but I'm used to doing things alone, so I doubt it will be useful," he countered quickly. A phone would make him easier to track, and he couldn't yet afford the security risk, not when he was so close to the decisive moment that would bring him to U.A. or back into the street that would sooner or later swallow him whole.
"What a world we live in when a youngster doesn't use a phone when an old fart does," Torino guffawed loudly. "My point still stands. If you need help, don't hesitate."
Takuma gave the old hero a nod of acknowledgment, and it seemed to be enough as the flying hero turned his attention toward the bean.
'I really need to get used to people wishing me well. This is getting ridiculous,' he groused internally as he let the discomfort of the gray-haired hero's words wash over him.
"I believe Midoriya had enough for today," he said as he quickly checked on his condition. The sore muscles were aching painfully, and any more exercise would be detrimental to his recovery. "Same time tomorrow."
"Wait, I can still keep going?!" the bean retorted, unwilling to stop now when he still had an hour to go.
"You could, yes. However, someone hasn't been resting properly, and until he does, the time I'm going to spend training him will only grow shorter," he reminded the boy, who deflated.
"Ah, just like Toshinori, this one," Gran Torino stated with a hefty slap on the bean's back. "Go on, I'll make sure he goes home without more bruises and muddleheadedness."
"See you tomorrow, Midoriya," he waved before walking off.
This time, Takuma went straight back home. He barely resisted the temptation of catching Mei before she went to school, but he had a long road ahead of him. A quick shower later, he was strapping on the jacket and combat pants his girlfriend had made for him. He decided to leave the breastplate behind. The jacket offered enough protection on its own, and Takuma preferred not being seen wearing armor for now. The breastplate wasn't that eye-catching and could pass as a normal, if bulky, shirt to an untrained eye, but he had no reason to take any risk for now. He was going on a recon mission first, and it would take him making a mistake of epic proportion to end up in a fight on his first day on the job. When he was ready, he made sure his jacket's stealth mode was activated and everything was working properly. He had his first-aid equipment, knife, and some money—enough for a day or to grab some more specific supplies if the need arose. Right before leaving, Takuma finally took a look at what info Nova had garnered on the case.
He sighed after reading. "Nova, you absolute bitch, why didn't you tell me three of the corpses were HEROES?!"