To say that Takuma brought his A-game to the beach the next morning would have been a mild understatement. From his appearance to the way he moved, everything needed to work together to sell the act he was about to perform for the bean mentor. He expected both of them; if only one showed up, he could assume that word of his deeds hadn't reached the Heroes' ears, and he would use today as one of the many building blocks needed to make his story stick. The only problematic thing was the risk associated with his less-than-heroic deeds from the night before. Magong wasn't a risk, but the many gang members he had jumped and dealt with during the night might tell them he had been more proactive than he let on. The problem with Pro-Heroes was that some of them weren't dumb and could put two and two together, realizing he was behind some of the most gruesome injuries of the night. He only needed enough trust for them not to push him on that little tidbit.
That's why he had to play up his injuries a little. The neck wound was hidden and covered with bandages, but they were peeking out from his shirt just enough to attract attention and raise questions about how he got it. His back was a purple mess, and his right forearm much the same, but it would be harder for him to use them for the pity points he so badly needed. A few bandages showing would be good enough; another on the right leg would align well with the injury the Asuis had seen him receive, even if it was under his pants, which would somehow rip during his act. If he appeared unharmed after receiving a shard of crystallized blood in the leg, it might raise other questions, and he needed them to stay focused on what he needed them to.
He arrived first, as always, sat on a tire, and waited for the bean and whoever else he would bring with him to arrive. He went down his mental checklist while he still had time: limp, exhaustion, maybe show a deep distrust toward Heroes if it felt like the right thing to do. With how sappy All Might seemed to be, it might work in his favor. If he was honest with himself, his connection to Nana Shimura was the only reason he thought this might even work in the first place. He would need to do some research on her at some point.
Pain flared up in his side as All Might and Midoriya entered the range of his Quirk, followed shortly by Gran Torino, as they all landed a second later on the beach right next to him. It was a brief instant, but he had all the information he needed to proceed. The number one Hero was worried, for him, which still irritated him to no end but would be useful for now. Gran Torino was on high alert; whatever information he had stumbled upon made him see Takuma in a new light. Despite this, there was still some hint of worry, though Takuma expected him to be all business this morning. And then there was Midoriya, who was oblivious to anything happening. Nice.
Before the trio could say anything, Takuma stood up and walked toward them. "Are you going to get that checked at any point?" he groused, holding his left side, right where The Symbol of Peace's injury lay.
He was never one to let go of the initiative without a fight. Even as the three in front of him cataloged his injuries in less than two heartbeats, he could feel their gaze taking in the bandages and bruises. It was a violating feeling he could do nothing against, even if it worked in his favor.
"Ta-Takuma, are you okay?!" Midoriya asked, alarmed as he jogged the distance between them, concern fully visible on his face.
Gran Torino didn't stop him, even though Takuma thought there was an inkling he might want to.
'So that means he hasn't chosen what to do with me yet,' Takuma thought. The Pro wouldn't have allowed the supposed heir to One For All to be in danger, meaning he wasn't a threat yet. It was a good tidbit of information to have.
He flashed a micro-expression of annoyance, just quick enough for Gran Torino to catch before replying.
"Oh, please, I don't look that rough, Midoriya," he said while waving his concern away. "At least you finally understood what resting meant."
Behind the bean, All Might was stock-still as an emotional flashback played in his mind—grief, loss. The number one Hero's PTSD was rearing its ugly head, and Takuma didn't yet know if it would help him or not.
"Those are some very serious injuries you have there," the older Hero commented as he got closer to him to look him up and down. "May I ask where you got them?"
This was a demand, not a question, even if it was phrased to allow for a non-committal answer.
"Remember the job I mentioned?" he asked, and they both nodded. "It didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but nothing to worry about," he offered, downplaying the event as he pulled up his shirt in an attempt to hide the bandage better. "So, what do you have in mind for today?"
"W-Wait, you can't train if you're wounded!" Midoriya interjected before Gran Torino could push him on his injuries; Takuma knew it was coming.
"I have some cuts and bruises; that's not much of a wound," he denied, downplaying his injuries even more, which in turn made the bean even more worried. "Unlike someone, I know my limits."
His counter didn't sting as much as he expected, as his shorter friend simply disregarded his comment.
"You shouldn't train with bandages on; you might worsen your injuries," Midoriya continued, unfazed.
'Stupid Hero brain. Of course, Midoriya found his spine when anyone else but himself was in trouble.'
"Ah yes, the poster child of overwork is telling me to rest; that's ironic," he deadpanned while catching the eyes of the bean, who still had a glint that said he wasn't about to give up just yet.
"Your job—did it take place near Tsutada Middle School by any chance?" Gran Torino asked.
He could have denied everything outright; it might even work in the short term. But he needed this problem resolved and dealt with. So he flashed a micro-expression of surprise to the older Hero before changing his demeanor to a more guarded one, in contrast to the fake openness he had displayed until now, even Midoriya noticed the change.
"And if it did, what of it?" he questioned back.
"There's been a rise in gang activity in this part of the city for the better part of a month. The local Heroes failed to do their job or even sound the alarm, and it came to blows two days ago," Gran Torino revealed to Izuku's confusion. "One interesting detail is that many of the civilians caught in the middle of the fighting mentioned someone helping them to safety."
"I don't see what that has to do with me," he replied neutrally.
The bean quickly grasped the idea as his eyes grew wide, and he gave Takuma's injuries a second look with a new perspective.
Gran Torino took a step forward, meeting his gaze with a sharp glint in his eyes. "One such group, a family of five, even mentioned being escorted by someone who called himself Takuma and could guide them to safety due to his ability to feel the pain of those around him. Takuma is not a very common name."
"I've met enough Takumas to know that's not true," he countered immediately. "And also, the ability to feel pain isn't as rare as people think it is."
Curiosity sparked in Gran Torino's eyes; he hadn't mentioned anything related to the least heroic events of the night—not yet, at least. What interested him was why Takuma was so against taking any credit for the good part of it.
"It... ki-kinda is ra-rare," Midoriya stuttered, earning himself a glare from Takuma that made him flinch.
"What worries me most is that the family saw their guide engage a Villain right before they left him behind, with a wound to his right leg. And I couldn't help but notice you have a limp," Gran Torino pointed out.
Takuma had been favoring his left leg the entire time since they had arrived. It was working surprisingly well so far.
"I took a bad fall," he shrugged, feigning nonchalance and frustration. "I don't think you should reveal details about an ongoing investigation so candidly."
The fact that he refused to take any credit for saving those lives was what stopped Gran Torino from making any hasty judgments. His fate was still in the balance, but he had worked out a good enough equilibrium for now.
"I think it would be safer if Recovery Girl checked your injuries," All Might said as he slowly came out of his torpor. "I can take you there."
"So you can run even more tests without my consent? No, thanks," he replied while shaking his head. He noted some surprise from Gran Torino, which meant Yagi hadn't explained how he had acquired the material needed for the DNA test. It was an opportunity. "If you want to stick me with another needle, then you better be ready to strap me to the fucking bed."
He let some anger leak, enough to show he was serious, and a little bit of fear, just enough to get noticed. Real heroes, the true ones, tended to pick up on fear more easily than the average spandex-clad wannabe. Fear grabbed their attention like nothing else, and Takuma hoped this would push Gran Torino to focus more on his old student.
Midoriya blinked in surprise, glancing panickedly between his mentor and Takuma as All Might approached, failing to notice the withering glare Gran Torino sent his way.
"I'm sorry, Young Takuma, but for your own safety—" Takuma cut the Number One Hero off, slapping away the hand that was about to land on his shoulder.
"Get your fucking hand away from me!" he roared, jumping back and shifting into a defensive stance that made it clear he was ready to fight.
A flash of fear toward the Symbol of Peace was all it took to stop All Might in his tracks. Takuma was glad he bore such a striking resemblance to Nana Shimura; it gave him an easy way to deal with the biggest, most bullheaded problem he could encounter. Grief and loss bloomed anew at the edge of Toshinori Yagi's thoughts. The arguably strongest being in the world was too scared to act because he didn't know if he could handle seeing a face so reminiscent of his long-lost master. It felt like his heart would break if he did.
'Good. One down.'
"Takuma," Midoriya said slowly. "It's All Might," he added with some confusion, as if that alone was an argument in itself.
"Sometimes, heroes are just a step removed from villains," Takuma countered, staring straight at his friend's best friend. "If you think being the Symbol of Peace is enough for me to lower my guard, then you've lived a kinder life than I have."
"Is that why you ran?" Gran Torino asked. "A hero received help while fighting a trio of middle school children responsible for a series of murders in the area. They received extensive first-aid treatment that allowed them to survive until they could be brought to the nearest hospital. They might make it, which is more than anyone could have expected, given the severity of their wounds."
The gray-haired hero was prodding deeper, but Takuma couldn't drop his pretense just yet. He needed to keep fighting, allowing just enough hints to slip through.
"That wasn't me," he denied slowly. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad she might have a chance."
He saw Midoriya's eyes widen as he caught the hint Takuma had laid in his response. Gran Torino noticed it too; it was a fairly obvious one.
"How did you know it was a heroine and not a hero?"
Takuma made a show of biting his tongue with an annoyed frown before hissing through his teeth. Doing anything more would be detrimental to his plan.
"Am I under arrest?" he asked slowly. Midoriya's eyes widened as he turned to All Might, who remained statue-like, watching the scene as if witnessing the slowest-moving train wreck in history. Then Izuku looked at Gran Torino, who had yet to pass judgment, with concern.
Takuma knew he was gambling on the veteran's answer. A "yes" would be a dead giveaway that someone had snitched. Whether it was one of the surviving gang members who got caught or one of the people he saved, anyone could have reported the jacket-clad stranger running around that night. It was inevitable that he'd be caught once he revealed his identity to the Asuis to ensure their safety. If they had, it would be easy to link him to the few places where fights had occurred, leaving a few bodies behind. The man who had been pierced by a bone projectile came to mind. He didn't feel responsible for his death, yet it could be attributed to him in some way. A "no" would mean they didn't have enough proof or were unwilling to charge him with anything due to his ties to either Nana Shimura or Izuku Midoriya. It was a gamble based on relationships, and he wasn't entirely sure it would work. If it didn't, he would have to resort to more active use of his Quirk to make them see reason. He dearly hoped he wouldn't have to.
He felt the old man thinking—a jumble of thoughts and ideas, nothing certain since he didn't peek into his mind for the answer. It felt like someone had put a gun to his head.
"No," came the answer. Takuma didn't visibly react, even though the knot in his chest relaxed slightly. "But I will need you to answer some more questions about that night."
His entire body language was guarded; he couldn't afford to let his guard down just yet. "I don't see why I should tell you anything. I got in, I got out—there's nothing much to it."
Midoriya made a choking noise, as if he couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. "But Takuma, he's a hero. You can trust him."
This time, Takuma didn't glare at him. At the end of the day, he still needed the heir to One For All on his side, so he changed his expression to one of sadness and exhaustion, ticking every box in his shorter friend's hero complex.
"You need to understand that being a hero is more of a job description these days. You shouldn't trust someone blindly just because they run around in a flashy outfit," he told Izuku with a heavy sigh. "Once burned, twice shy, and all that."
Again, he was playing on the sensibilities of those around him. He could feel the weight of his words hitting the three men and the way their view of him shifted with every word. Even All Might was silently listening, the slow-burning rage in his gut growing as he witnessed someone so alike to his departed mentor speak of heroes—the society he represented—as a threat. The Number One Hero was plagued with a heavy sense of failure, one that weighed him down every time he looked at Takuma.
Gran Torino wasn't as touched by his words, but the knowledge and half-admitted distrust toward heroes in general raised even more questions about Takuma's past. The older hero would undoubtedly start digging deeper into his history, more than he probably already had. It would reveal some unsavory parts of his past, but luckily for him, Takuma doubted they'd find anything that would put him in jail. Two days ago notwithstanding, Takuma wasn't foolish enough to go after targets far above his pay grade.
Midoriya was confronted with a worldview so contrary to his own that he was fumbling over what to say or do. Part of him wanted to argue and deny Takuma's view of heroes, while the other was burning with the need to understand why. So he could learn, so he could help. So he could do anything to change the way things were.
'Funny how he can fight for others but not for himself.'
"Telling us what happened to you that night would be a great help to our investigation," Gran Torino pressed, still unwilling to drop the subject.
Takuma didn't expect him to, which is why he pulled the trigger on the perfect solution to his problem.
"How about we make a deal," he offered, shifting to a less guarded stance even though he remained alert. "I remember telling Midoriya earlier that he had a week to make me eat sand. How about a fight? If he wins, I'll tell you everything. If he loses, you drop the subject."
It was a ridiculous plan; no one in their right mind would accept a deal like that. It was bound to fail—except for one thing. Izuku Midoriya saw someone in need. Someone he could help. And that trumped everything, even common sense.
"I agree!" the bean declared without thinking. "Let me do it!" he added, looking straight at Gran Torino and All Might for confirmation.
"Young Midoriya, I do not believe—"
"Please, All Might, I can do this." Midoriya cut him off uncharacteristically. "I know I can do it. Please!"
Takuma could already tell All Might was leaning toward giving his pupil a chance, while Gran Torino was taking a measured look at him, again trying to see beyond the surface. His mind was at war with itself—between the hope of connecting with Takuma and his duty as a hero. It still felt strange that the old man hoped for a closer bond with him in any way. But Takuma wasn't against using it to his advantage.
"Let the boy try, Toshinori," Gran Torino said. "And let him read his notebook in peace. I'm sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve just for this opportunity."
Takuma wasn't surprised to see Midoriya nodding vigorously as he grabbed his notebook and started flipping through the pages. "I've been thinking about how to take him down all week, and I think I can—mrmph—"
Gran Torino was quick to put a hand over Midoriya's mouth before he could mumble his entire plan of action.
Takuma shook his head. "Call me when he's ready," he told the older hero as he began to put some distance between them.
Takuma sat on a half-broken-down washing machine and breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't convinced his plan would work, but so far, everything had gone smoothly. First, he needed to ensure they viewed him as a victim rather than a perpetrator. Gran Torino was the most problematic in this regard, as he wasn't as swayed by Takuma's appearance as All Might. Then, once this was done, he needed to give enough rope to hang himself. It wasn't a question of if, but when they would interrogate him about that night. He needed to make sure the interrogation happened far away from the only man he knew had a truth-telling Quirk. Being reluctant to answer any and all questions was just a show for the last two steps. Getting a fight with Midoriya meant he could play into his act of unwillingly sharing information. And as for the last step—losing against an untrained boy with more brains than sense and the survival instinct of a lemming. It was going to be a hard sell, which is why playing up his exhaustion and wounds had been paramount from the start.
Now, he just needed to get his ass kicked, sell his sob story, and he'd be home free. Hopefully, he wouldn't mess it up so badly that he couldn't let Midoriya win. After a five-minute break that Takuma used to breathe and center himself, the trio returned from their impromptu brainstorming session. Somehow, they all seemed sure of themselves. Whatever was in Midoriya's notebook had brought them enough confidence in their champion that they felt they had a decent chance of winning. It hurt a bit, but whatever they had in mind was actually working in his favor. He'd have to remind the bean who the real threat was when everything was done.
"Are you ready?" Takuma asked Izuku as he stood up, having taken the time to limber up.
"Yes." Midoriya said as he moved and took position on the other side of Takuma, leaving the two mentors behind him. "Good luck."
Takuma raised an eyebrow. "Good luck? You're going to need it."
Never give up the initiative. Takuma struck first. Still playing on his injury, he raised his right leg to kick at Midoriya's head, slowing just enough for him to see it coming and respond by backpedaling. The kick missed by a hair's breadth, but Takuma followed up with a spin and a jump, landing his right foot squarely in Midoriya's chest and sending him sprawling. He felt the oxygen leave Izuku's lungs as he struggled to catch his breath, but the boy got up faster than he ever had in training.
"It's not even close to a fair fight, Midoriya. Give up," Takuma drawled as he lazily closed in on him. "You're outmatched. There's no shame in knowing when to quit."
Give up, stand down, quit—words Izuku had heard countless times before. He had never listened to them, and he wasn't about to start today. The expression of pure focus on his face grew even sharper.
Right before Takuma could make another move, Midoriya threw a handful of sand at his face. Takuma could've dodged it; he saw it coming from a mile away. But he had to close his eyes and didn't bother wiping the grains away.
"You know, with my Quirk, I don't need my eyes to know where you are, right?" Midoriya asked rhetorically as he pushed forward, swiping at Takuma's leg, followed by an axe kick. Both attacks were dodged as Takuma focused on evasion. Midoriya threw another handful of sand at his face.
"You're not going to take me down with just sand," Takuma said, irritation creeping into his voice. Midoriya kept backing up, leading him to a more cluttered part of the beach where piles of rusting appliances—fridges, cars, and dishwashers—rose to heights of three to five meters. Takuma didn't miss how the two mentors watched the fight intently. He could have peeked into their heads to see what they were thinking, but he preferred not to. It would make it easier to sell his act.
Now that he had recovered his sight, Takuma resumed his offensive. He grabbed a broken mug and hurled it at Midoriya, who ducked just in time. The mug shattered on the side of an oven.
"Could you stop running? My leg is screwed up enough as it is," Takuma groused, upping his pace. He pushed Midoriya to backpedal faster, trying to keep his distance. Takuma felt like he was being led into a trap.
'Damn, I hope he's not planning to bury me under a pile of trash,' he commented internally, still failing to see the overall plan behind Midoriya's actions.
He walked into a more open area as Midoriya grabbed another handful of sand and threw it at him again. This time, Takuma dodged most of it, raising his hand to cover his eyes to avoid blindness.
"You're going to need to think of something else," he said with increasing irritation as Midoriya slipped between two washing machines and into another part of the landfill. "If all you're going to do is run, save us both some time and give up."
Takuma jumped over the trash and landed in the sand. Midoriya was now wielding a large tube like a spear. His stance indicated he wasn't planning to run anymore—he was making a stand.
"Come."
There was something in Midoriya's tone that made Takuma's blood boil. A rictus of rage crossed his face before he started walking toward his pupil. Just because he had to lose didn't mean he couldn't teach Midoriya a lesson in the process.
Click.
"Huh?" Takuma's voice escaped in surprise as he looked down and saw a strong steel rope wrapped around his ankle. Before he could react, Midoriya used his improvised spear to push a fridge precariously balanced on top of other large appliances over the edge. It toppled, crashing down on the other side of the scrap wall.
"Oh, you've got to be—" RWARGH!
Pain exploded in his leg, as much from his wound as from the rope digging into his skin. He slammed into the wall of scrap, the line pulling him up and flipping him head over heels. The weight kept pulling him, and then it stopped, leaving Takuma with only his head touching the ground, his leg propped up in the air. Blood pooled under his bandage as the rough treatment reopened his wounds.
"Fuck."
"Are you okay?!" Midoriya asked as he ran up to him, looking concerned. "I—uh… that might have been rougher than I expected."
"Fucking really," Takuma deadpanned, still upside down. "Do you mind—"
A blink. That was all it took for him to find himself free from the trap and back in the less cluttered part of the beach. All Might was carrying him in his arms, an expression of concern on his face.
"Put me down," Takuma demanded.
"I hope your fight hasn't aggravated your injury too much—"
As soon as he could, Takuma jumped off and landed on the sand, letting out a groan as a sharp pain shot through his right leg. This one was genuine.
'Bullshit Quirk,' he groused internally. 'How the fuck is anyone supposed to act against someone who can move faster than a fucking bullet?'
Being a baseline human in this world sometimes felt like bringing a knife to a gunfight. This was one of those times.
Izuku came running from the fortress of scrap he had led Takuma into. "A-Are y-you o-okay?!"
"I'm fine, jeez," Takuma sighed as he dusted himself off. He noticed his pants leg had been torn open, revealing some of the scars on his legs. It wasn't ideal, but it could be useful. "I didn't expect that to happen."
It stung a bit that he hadn't reached the part of his plan where he was supposed to let Midoriya win. He hadn't anticipated the bean setting a trap, nor that it would be in place before the fight... somehow.
"Well, I guess this is a good opportunity to remind you never to underestimate your opponent," Gran Torino chuckled before giving Midoriya a hearty slap on the back. "Don't let it go to your head!"
"So, Midoriya," Takuma said, turning and walking closer to the shorter boy, who stood still, unsure of what was about to happen. "Care to explain how you made this trap? Because I don't remember you leaving to set anything up during your little 'tête-à-tête.'"
He noted All Might and Gran Torino's barely held back disbelief mixed with some amount of pride, meaning Midoriya had indeed not set it up during their brainstorming session.
"I-I was thinking of a way to take you down. I knew standing my ground wasn't going to get me anywhere, not with how you proved you were more than ready to take me down. So, I started searching for anything I could use, thinking outside the box, you know," Izuku mumbled. "Mei mentioned making capture tools, and that's when the idea came to make a trap. I made multiple during the week, and, well, you walked right into one of them."
Takuma stared at Midoriya with wide eyes. "So what you're saying is you made booby traps on public land, where almost anyone could stumble into one, just to get me?"
Midoriya's mouth fell open, and he immediately facepalmed while his mentors sighed or snorted in Gran Torino case.
"I-I didn't think of that?!" Midoriya exclaimed, panicking as he started looking around, undoubtedly going through his mental checklist of traps. "I have to take them down!"
He ran off to deal with the traps. Takuma couldn't help but laugh.
"I can't believe this guy just took me down," he chuckled as he sat down on a nearby stove. "And you're telling me he's about to awaken his Quirk? That doesn't sound fair in the slightest."
"Toshinori was lucky to find him; he's got a good head on his shoulders," Gran Torino agreed. "He might need more tempering, but he's been doing better than I would have expected from anyone else."
"If by tempering you mean thinking ahead and not losing sight of the bigger picture, then I can only agree," Takuma said to the older hero. "He's full of good will, but that won't help him much in a fight."
"I think he's going to be just fine. He did just beat you, didn't he?" Torino commented with a shit-eating grin.
Takuma glared at him but said nothing.
"Your wounds," All Might pointed out. "I have a first-aid kit in my truck if you wish to redress them."
'I'm really exhausting that poor guy,' Takuma thought, noting the unsure state of the Number One Hero, who in other circumstances was a decisive figure. Here, he barely managed to speak without fearing he might irk Takuma by mistake.
"I'm good. My wounds have already stopped bleeding. I'll change them when I get home," Takuma informed him with a grateful nod, signaling that he wasn't upset.
It worked as expected, though it still felt strange to have two powerful individuals caring about their relationship with him. It wasn't something he was used to.
A heavy thud sounded from where Midoriya had run off to, followed by two more. Takuma started back toward the noise.
'Nerd do be scary.'
A few seconds later, Midoriya reappeared with a sheepish expression. "I took e-everything down," he said while looking at the ground.
"In that case, Takuma, it's time to hold up your end of the deal," Gran Torino demanded as he took a seat in front of him on a nearby microwave.
"Right. I didn't expect to have to," Takuma lied as he stretched his shoulders. "But I am a man of my word. Though you might want to keep yourself sharp, Midoriya. This is the last time I ever underestimate you." He declared, glaring at Midoriya, who surprisingly didn't flinch at the challenge. Instead, he smiled back with a wobbly smile that could be seen as 'fearless' if not for the obvious lack of confidence Midoriya still struggled with.
'Baby steps.'
"So, if you were sent to help find who was committing a series of murders around Tsutada Middle School, how would you go about finding the killer?" he asked Midoriya, noting the surprise from the other two heroes. "What, might as well make it a teachable moment, don't you think?"
Midoriya looked like a deer caught in headlights for a second before grabbing his notebook and starting to think about the subject. He was relieved that the two were willing to humor him; he'd rather not deal with an exasperated hero right now.
"I would start by collecting any information about the case—how many are dead, where, and when," Midoriya began explaining his thought process. "Then, I think working with the local heroes and anyone well-known and trusted in the area."
Takuma nodded. "That's a good first step for the information you can gather that way. Three of the victims were heroes with Quirks ranging from combat, stealth, and escape. All were underground heroes. The killings have been going on for about a month, and there seems to be no logic behind them—no theme or anything linking each target. Also, there are no local heroes; since it's a poor part of town, no limelight heroes bother patrolling. Most people are barely scraping by, making it hard to sell merch to them. Oh, and during your search, you also found out that the local gangs have been at each other's throats for a while now and are more than ready to work things out, and a chapter of the C.R.C is responsible for a number of murders and assaults in the area."
Midoriya blinked owlishly. "A chapter of the C.R.C?"
Takuma turned his head toward Gran Torino, inviting him to explain. The old man nodded.
"The Creature Rejection Clan is an old organization known for spreading anti-mutant sentiment. They are considered a terrorist group in every country on the planet," Torino informed the bean. "Their presence in the area is extremely problematic since slums are usually where most of the mutant population is found, if not in the countryside."
"Even if there were few mutants in the area, you could still expect a wave of home invasions, murders, and assaults wherever they set up shop," Takuma commented idly to Midoriya's horror. "Everyone hates the C.R.C for a reason, Midoriya. You need to understand that the only reason they haven't been dealt with by the local criminals is because they are too busy being at each other's throats to take out the trash."
He spat the last word with venom. He missed the satisfaction of making them suffer, almost as much as he had hated doing it to people like Satori. Takuma noticed his three interlocutors staring at him and decided it wasn't the time to get lost in his own thoughts. "Go on."
Midoriya fumbled for a moment before continuing. "Then, I guess calling for help is the only thing I can do. If the C.R.C is as dangerous as they are, then making sure the right people know is the first priority."
Takuma shook his head. "And that would be your first mistake. There's a reason why the C.R.C is still here today. They have thousands of everyday people willing to look the other way due to their beliefs. No help is coming because, first, few heroes care enough to operate in this part of the city. Keep in mind three of them are dead, so there won't be a rush to replace them. Not until word gets out that underground heroes are falling like flies and a heavy hitter decides to take care of the problem. Limelight heroes are more focused on building their brand and selling merch than fighting any real crime, so you won't find much help there either. And that's ignoring the fact that you have a long list of experience with heroes and you know that asking for help has never gone well. Ever. You're alone. So what do you do next?"
His admission shocked both All Might and Midoriya. Gran Torino only nodded with a hint of grief in his thoughts.
"B-But—" Izuku tried to counter, stumbling over the words.
"You're not fighting villains on the main street, Midoriya," Takuma cut him off gently. "You're gathering intelligence against an opponent you know nothing about while surrounded by the worst of the worst. There's nothing to gain for most heroes—no fame, no respect, only thankless work. You're down in the muck, and nobody is coming to save you."
Midoriya had a thoughtful expression on his face. Takuma could tell part of him refused to acknowledge that heroes wouldn't help due to something as basic as fame. You couldn't build a brand and reputation by working in an area with little media coverage. No hero would rise through the ranks by working here, so close to no one came. Finally, he watched his shorter friend look to All Might for confirmation. The Number One Hero could only nod with the weight of his years behind the movement.
"You need to understand, my boy, that not every hero you cross paths with is as heroic as you. Some simply find the position and the power enjoyable. Nothing more. For them, it's another job, saving lives yes, but as a backdrop to another career altogether."
"I see," Midoriya simply commented, disappointment visible on his face.
Takuma felt that the green-haired boy already knew this; he just hadn't been willing to acknowledge it until now.
"So what are you going to do next?" Takuma asked, returning to their previous discussion.
It was a small thing to notice, but to Takuma, it was plain as day. The way frustration gave way to anger was well-known to him. Midoriya turned it into focus. Rubbing a hand over his face as he mumbled at high speed, searching for his answer, Takuma couldn't help but appreciate his tenacity and determination to make a difference, even in a theoretical exercise. It would have been so easy to give up.
"I would keep gathering information," Midoriya said after a longer-than-usual mulling period. "I don't have enough information to start looking for the serial killer. Without any heroes around to give me a head start on any leads, I just have to wait for an opportunity. I would start scouring the surroundings at the times when the killings take place, hoping to stumble upon the killer."
"Great minds think alike," Takuma commented idly, giving up more information. "Though it would have been easier for me since I can feel the emotions of every living being around me. And I would have seen the local gang's movements as they prepared for a fight as soon as the sun went down."
The three around him were now listening intently. If they knew he was responsible for the night's events, he didn't expect them to react nicely.
"So, at first, you were here to find information on a local serial killer, but barely a day in, you are now fully aware that the local gangs are about to tear each other apart in the streets," he explained with a faraway look. "What do you do then?"
There was no hesitation in the way he spoke or the fire behind Izuku's eyes as he answered, "Then I fight." He said in a low tone that wasn't meant to be a boast or a threat—just a simple statement of fact. "If criminals are fighting, then there might be innocents caught in the crossfire. If no one else is willing to help, then I have to, even if I have to do it alone."
Takuma had known all his life that Midoriya was going to inherit One For All; it was the first time he had witnessed a whisper of why All Might chose him.
"And that's how your night would go," Takuma said. "Fighting to get people out of the way, kicking a thug's shit in before getting a child back home after he snuck out to play at a friend's house, directing a couple to safety after a Quirk melted down their car engine, entering an alleyway and beating half a dozen people just to get a homeless man hiding behind a dumpster to safety." He paused, each example earning a concerned expression from the three men around him. "Funny thing is, with an Empathy Quirk, you can always pinpoint who is scared the most. It's hard to miss someone in need when you can feel the terror and pain shaking their very bones."
He took a second to gather himself before he went into the darker part of his Quirk. "Then, of course, you also have to go through the pain of every bastard out there tearing each other apart with Quirks and blades, steel pipes and fists. Sure, you could leave, but then nobody else is out there keeping an eye out for the little guy, so that's not really an option," he explained, the horror of his audience growing slowly. "You clear the place, but the local thugs are still murdering each other. No one innocent is in danger, so you move on. You're alone, and you have a lot of ground to cover. Still, so far, everything is going well for you. Until you meet your first Villain of the night."
The declaration earned him an even more concerned look from Midoriya. Takuma took another breath, his entire focus on stopping his hand from shaking. He only needed to set this one lie to make sure he wouldn't be linked to the more un-heroic murders that happened that night.
"You know what it feels like to experience someone die," he spoke slowly, letting his words sink in as even Gran Torino's aloof demeanor melted into a tense, controlled readiness, like a coiled spring. "There's an infinite number of ways to die, and some like to make it a game. This guy, on the other hand, made it an art. Cuts and misdirection, all done with blade and fist. You're good in a scrap, but Villains are far above your pay grade, so you leave," he told them with a shrug. "But he follows. How? You don't have a clue, but one thing is sure: he's onto you, and his dagger is inside your throat before you have time to blink."
He felt them stare at the wound on his neck; he had used more bandages to make it that much more striking.
"You can't fight him, not when he only has to flick his wrist to slit your carotid, so you make him talk. Dig in for anything that wouldn't lead you to bleed out in the next minute or so," he chuckled drily as he recounted the event with a spin to it, clasping both his hands together to stop them from shaking. "And that's when you get lucky because this isn't just any Villain but a pro, paid to thin the ranks of the local gang and nothing else. So when he starts sniffing around for an allegiance and doesn't find any, he's more than happy to leave. With the threat to murder anyone you love if you talk, of course."
So far, they all seemed to believe his story. Gran Torino was the one Takuma was more worried about, and he too seemed to believe him. With him on his side and All Might, he could expect no one else to come digging about that night. That was what he needed the most.
"So you patch yourself up and keep going; the night is still young after all," he commented in an attempt at humor that felt flat even to himself. "And that's when you notice a family walking right into the fire, so you decide to warn them, only to realize they are mutants, so you don't really expect them to be ignored if they are spotted by the wrong kind of people. You look like hell, so you give them your name and try to build some trust as you guide them toward their car so they can leave the area. Then someone gets shot, and you are in a lot of pain. But it isn't the first time it happened to you, so you hunker down and deal with it as best you can until the poor sod is put out of his misery."
The blank tone he used to recall the event seemed to rattle Midoriya in some way. He didn't know exactly why, but he needed to continue.
"After that, you move on, keep dodging thugs until you are just about to get the family to safety," he continued, with somehow more difficulty than he expected. "Then you meet your second Villain of the night who immediately stabbed you in the leg as a warning shot."
Takuma felt like he was struggling to get the words out.
"So you let the family go and face the Villain yourself," he said after some time. "And again, it's not even fair. You're outmatched in every way that matters, and funnily enough, you learn she's been following you the entire night. The only reason she didn't kill you is because one of the people you helped is one of hers."
Now that he was saying it out loud, he realized how close he had come to dying. It wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world, but he still had some fight in him, and Mei would have been sad if he had died, so he couldn't just do that. He realized he must have stopped talking for a while because Midoriya was growing worried at an alarming rate, and he didn't feel like dealing with whatever this state of mind would entail.
"She's not too bad for a Villain. Even has some honor. She asks you what you might want, and you tell her where you can find the killer. The Villain gives you a way to find them because she already knew who they were; she just didn't care enough to deal with them," he continued his retelling. "And you find them, with her help. Just in time to stop a Hero from getting murdered. The Hero kills the one who had a Quirk that could immobilize even Heroes, and then you trigger the S.O.S. built into her earpiece, patch her up as best you can, and run away before a bunch of Heroes can add you to their body count. There's not much to it really."
Takuma found himself exhausted after recounting his version of the night's events. It was close enough to the truth that it would hold up to passing scrutiny. Then he could only hope some goodwill from the two Heroes present would do the rest. Asui's testimony might also help, and those of all the others he had helped. Hopefully, he had done a good enough job.
His Quirk felt like it was going through mud as he had trouble feeling the minds around him. The three around him were still there; he just had a hard time reaching them. Trying to focus back on the present felt like an impossible task until he succeeded.
"Takuma?" Izuku called him, far closer than he remembered him being.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" he asked, confused. "So now that this theoretical exercise is over, how about we start our morning workout?"
He felt mildly insulted when the bean looked at him like he was a fish who had just gone out of the water and already knew how to tap dance. Takuma felt slow and had a hard time keeping up with the rapid-fire exchange of words between the three men.
"We don't have the time; we've been at it for a long time, you know," Midoriya said, sounding like a liar. Takuma wasn't born yesterday; he could tell the bean wasn't up for more exercise. Maybe his story had rattled him more than he had thought.
"Didn't see the time pass," Takuma said numbly. "I'll be going then," he added, trying to give an unsteady nod to the other two Heroes before walking away.
"W-Wait!" Izuku shouted as he jogged up to him. "You can't go back alone, not when you're like that!"
"What do you mean?" he demanded, confused.
"You're covered in bandages and we can see some blood on them. You're going to create a fuss if anybody sees you walking around like that," Gran Torino added helpfully. "This one has a truck parked nearby. He can bring you home faster than you would if you took the train," he then added before slapping All Might on the back.
It felt like he was missing something. He didn't really think Torino was lying, but he didn't trust him either. Still, if they were willing to bring him home and not to the closest police station, then that meant he had done something right.
"Only if you can make it quick. I'd rather not feel like eight people are having their insides ripped from their chests right next to me for too long."
Surprise brushed the thoughts of every single one present. Takuma felt like he had made a mistake but wasn't quite sure where.
"Young Takuma... can you feel Quirks?" All Might asked slowly, even if it still felt too fast for Takuma's liking.
"Yes, but I've never met one quite like yours. I don't really understand it," he answered. "It hurts."
Takuma was struggling with something; he wasn't quite sure what.
"Let's get you home, Young Takuma. I believe being quick about it will do you wonders."
He liked the sound of that.
"Lead the way."