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|The next day…|
…
A man with the head of a dog sat on the other side of a metal table, his eyes locked onto the red-haired kid in front of him. Occasionally, his gaze flicked to the famous bunny hero beside the kid, who looked increasingly annoyed.
Kenji Tsuragamae, chief of police—someone Suzaku had already met before.
"We meet again, young Suzaku," Kenji said, his wrinkled canine face betraying no expression.
"Sup." Suzaku gave him a nod.
Mirko glanced between the two, raising an eyebrow before rolling her eyes.
With the greetings out of the way, Kenji leaned forward, his posture serious.
"Lad, do you understand that what you did was incredibly dangerous-woof?"
Suzaku looked away. "I mean, I'm not the one who ended up with all his bones broken…"
Kenji sighed. "That's not the point. You fought a highly armed psychopath with a history of killing and severely injuring multiple Pro Heroes. You don't have your Hero License yet, don't you think that was reckless?"
Suzaku scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Well… when I ran into the guy, I just thought he was some psychotic hobo. I didn't exactly know his full record."
Silence hung in the room for a few moments before Kenji let out a tired sigh.
"Seriously, you're just like Tatsuo—woof." He shook his head before turning his attention to Mirko, who tensed slightly under his gaze.
"What?" she asked, scowling.
"I believe this young man is your intern, correct?"
Mirko clicked her tongue. "Yeah…"
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why did you let him wander off and fight a serial killer?"
Mirko's scowl deepened. "Look, the brat scurried off before I even noticed! How was I supposed to know where or who he was fighting? I was busy dealing with villain shit!"
Kenji turned to Suzaku, who just shrugged.
"I dunno. I stopped for a second when I saw some weird stuff in an alley, and the next thing I knew, she was gone."
The chief's gaze shifted back to Mirko.
"Well, not my fault he's too slow…" she muttered.
"Mirko-san…"
"Alright, alright, my bad." She crossed her arms, clicking her tongue.
Kenji sighed, looking between the two problematic heroes in front of him.
"Normally, we'd have to ask young Suzaku whether he wants this incident to be made public or keep it anonymous. After all, the Hero Killer has been a major threat to society, and this case would normally be considered closed. However…" His voice grew heavier. "During the transportation of the Hero Killer, two of our officers were killed, and the Hero Killer got taken away."
"What?!" Mirko shot up from her chair, anger flashing across her face.
Suzaku, on the other hand, barely reacted, save for the small frown forming on his face.
Kenji pulled out a tablet and placed it on the table. "Here. Watch this."
The screen played a grainy CCTV video of a dimly lit road.
Suddenly, a dark mist swirled into existence, and two figures emerged from the portal, accompanied by a monstrous creature with an exposed brain.
The creature lunged at the police car like a wild beast, stopping it in an instant.
Before the officers could react, they were killed on the spot.
The unconscious body of the Hero Killer was retrieved and dragged into the dark portal along with the assailants.
The video ended there.
By the time it finished, both Suzaku and Mirko were frowning.
'Those two…'
"Who the hell are these punks?" Mirko was the first to break the silence.
Kenji shook his head. "We don't have their exact identities, but…" He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "We recently intercepted a large-scale villain operation before it could go into action. However, some of the criminals managed to escape during the raid—using that same mist-warping Quirk. We suspect these two are the ringleaders of a larger villain organization."
"The same raid the old man was involved with?" Suzaku asked, his eyes narrowing faintly behind his glasses.
Kenji was silent for a beat before giving a slow nod. "Yes."
Suzaku silently mulled over the situation, his gaze lingering on the frozen image of the two fallen officers.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
If he had just killed Stain right then and there, would those two officers still be alive?
If the Hero Killer had died on the spot, then the hand-fetish creep and the smoky guy wouldn't have come for him—meaning those police officers wouldn't have died in the crossfire.
Of course, with Iida and Native watching, if he'd done that he could have risked exposing his secret. Hence why he didn't do it.
But was his secret really worth that much?
If he had just thrown it all away, if he had ended Stain on the spot regardless of who was watching, two men might still be breathing.
Suzaku clicked his tongue—internally, at least. His face remained unreadable.
His eyes flicked back to the tablet. The image of Shigaraki and Kurogiri was frozen on the screen.
'If I get to see them again, then that'll be the last. Important to canon as they might or not be.'
…
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|Hours later…|
…
After what felt like an eternity of legal talk about the proper response to homicidal hobos appearing out of nowhere, Suzaku and Mirko were finally released. Both looked equally tired and fed up.
"Seriously, kid, next time, tell me before you decide to go fight a damn serial killer," Mirko grumbled, shooting him a pointed look.
"I'll try." Suzaku shrugged.
She scowled but ultimately just rolled her eyes.
With that, they both kicked off the ground and sprang into action.
After all, they still had work to do—only taking this little detour because the law demanded it.
As they moved swiftly through the city, Mirko occasionally threw glares at Suzaku, who followed just behind her.
'Talk about holding a grudge.' Suzaku smirked to himself but kept his eyes scanning the surroundings. Just in case.
Fortunately, no extra murderous hobo seemed to be lurking about, so their patrol continued uninterrupted.
—At least, until work called.
"A robbery!"
"Watch out, there are villains inside the bank!"
"Heroes! The heroes are here!"
As soon as Mirko and Suzaku landed at the scene, they were met with a crowd gathered at a distance, watching as a group of armed figures lurked inside the bank.
Mirko smirked, excitement flashing in her eyes as she cracked her knuckles. "Now this looks like a good fight. Just when I needed to vent a little."
Before rushing in, she turned to Suzaku.
"You make sure none of these idiots get hurt and try to get them out of here."
Suzaku glanced at the bystanders still standing around, some holding up their phones to record the event. He gave Mirko a nod.
She jabbed a finger at him, eyes narrowing. "And don't go wandering off."
"I'll think about it."
Mirko clicked her tongue but didn't bother arguing.
Then, with one powerful leap, she crashed through the bank's window, throwing the entire scene into chaos.
Suzaku stood behind, watching the scene unfold with a wry smile.
Then, turning to the crowd still glued to the scene, Suzaku let out a sigh.
"Why can't people have a tiny bit of self-preservation?"
Without waiting any longer, he moved toward the mass of bystanders, urging them to leave or at least step further back.
Most complied.
Some, however, stubbornly remained, phones raised, more interested in capturing the action than their own safety.
Unfortunately for them, Suzaku wasn't exactly the most patient guy around.
—Clang!—
He slammed his staff against the ground, the sharp sound cutting through the murmurs.
"I ain't asking again."
A few onlookers exchanged glances, some looking mildly annoyed—until whispers spread among them.
"Wait, isn't that the guy from the Sports Festival?"
"You mean the one who wrecked his classmates?"
"Yeah… Uh, maybe we should step back."
And just like that, hesitation turned into retreat.
Suzaku watched as the stragglers finally got the memo and began dispersing. Satisfied, he let out a huff, storing his staff back in its compartment.
But just as he turned to check how the fight was going—
-Swoosh!-
—A massive shadow came flying straight at him.
"...Again?"
With a resigned groan, he ducked. A woman with multiple eyes sailed over his head, landing a few meters away with a rough thud.
Suzaku turned toward the bank to see what the hell Mirko was doing in there—only to find her grinning at him, casually lifting a dazed robber by the collar.
"Since you're done over there, take care of this one for me too!" she called out. "You handled that guy yesterday, right? This one shouldn't be much trouble either."
Suzaku's eyebrow twitched. 'She's still at it?'
But rather than argue, he simply turned to face his new opponent.
The woman groaned as she pushed herself up, wincing as she wiped a bit of blood from her face.
"That damn rabbit… I think she broke one of my ribs," she muttered before glancing at Suzaku.
The moment her gaze landed on him, her expression twisted in disbelief.
"A brat?"
Suzaku raised an eyebrow. "A hag?"
"I'm still in my thirties, you little shit!"
"Whatever you say." Suzaku shrugged, pulling his staff out once again. "Anyway, let's get to it."
The woman scoffed. "Get lost, kid. Although I'd prefer not to injure children, I will if you keep getting in my way."
Without waiting for his response, she turned to bolt back toward the bank—
—Only to flinch as a pebble whizzed past her cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
She froze.
Bringing a hand to her face, she touched the stinging wound and looked down at her fingers, now smeared with a faint trace of blood.
Slowly, she turned back to Suzaku.
The redhead was smiling faintly.
"That's funny," he mused. "Someone told me the exact same thing yesterday… and he ended up with no teeth, a caved-in skull, and lying in a pool of his own blood."
The woman's expression stiffened.
Suzaku twirled his staff lazily before pointing it at her. His stance remained relaxed, but there was something in his gaze that made it clear he wasn't joking.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence," he said lightly. "But hey, wanna see if there's a pattern here?"
The woman scowled, her gaze falling on Suzaku's red suit. Her eyes widened.
"I see, so you're a damn Hero… In that case, don't blame me for killing you!!!"
In an instant, several long, sharp legs sprouted from her waist and back, lifting her several meters into the air.
"I don't know why a brat is working as a hero, but lament over the fact that you met Arach—!"
"Don't care."
"...Lament over the fact that you m—"
"Don't care."
"Lament ove—"
"I said I don't care. Take a hint."
The woman's face turned red with anger. Then—
"Raaaagh!"
She lunged at Suzaku.
…
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|Minutes later…|
…
"Once again, history repeats itself—except this time, no teeth scattered around, no caved-in skull, and no pool of blood. So be grateful I went a bit easier on you."
"U—ugh…"
"I'll take that as a 'thanks.'"
Suzaku sat on top of the defeated woman, storing his staff back in its compartment with a sigh. He traced a finger to his chin, where one of her legs had scratched him earlier during their brief fight, leaving a small cut.
He glanced down at her. "Hey, uh, you don't happen to have poison in those legs of yours, do you?"
"U…Uh…"
Suzaku pursed his lips, staring blankly ahead. "I'll assume that was a no."
With that, he turned toward where Mirko was still fighting.
"They're still at it, huh?" He raised an eyebrow, watching the shadows of people getting flung around.
With nothing else to do, he pulled out his phone and started playing some Quirkfruit Ninja to pass the time. At least, until—
"HELP!"
'Of course.'
Annoyed, he shut off his phone and shoved it back into his pocket. His gaze shifted to the source of the commotion.
A giant man covered in green scales was barreling in this direction some streets away, several police cars trailing behind.
Upon spotting the crowd still gathered outside the bank, the man scowled and sped up. Roaring like an oncoming truck.
"Get out of my way!!!"
It was clear he had no intention of stopping, even if it meant trampling people in the process.
"Oh, come on." Suzaku clicked his tongue before quickly getting to his feet and pulling out his staff again.
'Can't even catch a break.'
Then, activating Mirko Mode on his legs, he gritted his teeth, kicked off the ground, and shot straight toward the giant's head like a speeding bullet.
The man didn't even register Suzaku's approach—he just kept running. Until it was too late.
With all his speed and enhanced strength, Suzaku swung his staff, straight to the man's head. Delivering a strike that, added with the speed he gained using Mirko's mode, made it one of the heaviest hits he had ever mustered.
—CLANG!!!—
The impact shattered the man's scales instantly, sending him crashing into the ground. He skidded across the concrete, only stopping about a meter from the crowd.
Sadly, his scales weren't the only thing that broke.
"Dang, really, man?"
As Suzaku landed back on the ground, he let out a dry laugh—because if he didn't, he might actually cry. His staff had snapped in half. One piece was still in his hand, while the other had been sent flying who knows where.
Running a hand down his face, he let out an annoyed sigh before tossing the broken half away.
-Cling!-
By sheer coincidence, it landed perfectly inside a recycling bin labeled "Broken Staffs Only." No littering here.
"At least it wasn't Arata's. That would've sucked… Though, would it have even broken in the first place?" Suzaku scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and turned toward the crowd—who, for some reason, still hadn't left.
"Hey, you people suicidal or something? You got your fill of watching, how about moving somewhere that isn't dangerous?"
That finally snapped some of them out of their trance, especially those who had nearly gotten flattened. Many quickly muttered their thanks before leaving.
Of course, some still lingered, wearing stubborn expressions as they avoided Suzaku's annoyed gaze.
'How I wish hitting these kinds of people was legal…'
Suzaku sighed and turned toward the approaching police cars who had been following the giant guy previously. But just as he did—
A giant hand moved.
Not toward him, but toward one of the men in the crowd.
"What—ah!"
A middle-aged man barely had time to react before he was grabbed and hoisted into the air.
Suzaku spun around, eyes narrowing.
The giant had managed to stand up. His forehead was bleeding, and he looked dazed, but he was very much awake.
"You damn brat… You actually dared to hit me!"
His furious gaze flickered between Suzaku and the police, who had just stepped out of their cars.
Then, the man let out a booming threat.
"Back off, all of you, or this guy turns into paste!"
The officers immediately froze, hands hesitating near their holsters.
Suzaku groaned. "Why couldn't you just stay down after one hit?" His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching for his staff—only to remember he no longer had one.
The giant sneered. "I don't know how a brat managed to hit me that hard… But you know as well as I do, if you get close, this guy dies."
'Ugh, hostages.'
Suzaku clicked his tongue in irritation. He hated situations like this. They completely flipped the tides just because people had morals.
And, annoyingly, it worked.
The giant grinned, sensing his advantage.
With some effort, he started backing away, never turning his back on Suzaku or the police.
At least, until someone began running at him.
The giant's expression flickered with brief concern. He quickly glanced to the side, worried about an ambush from behind—only to realize the one charging at him was just a kid.
"Leave my dad alone!"
The boy ran up and started punching the giant's leg. His tiny fists barely made a sound against the thick scales.
"Ken, get the heck out of here!" the salaryman shouted, his voice laced with panic.
But his plea fell on deaf ears. The kid kept hitting, determined to protect his father.
The giant raised an eyebrow. Then, after a second, his lips curled into a wicked grin.
Without a shred of hesitation, he grabbed the kid as well, enclosing him in his massive fist just like his father.
Because what was better than one hostage?
Two.
Grinning, he turned back to Suzaku and the police.
"You know the drill. Don't follow me, don't think of me, don't even look at me. Or else, this guy and his kid will be tomorrow's top story—as corpses."
—Crack—
"AAARGH!"
The giant squeezed his grip around the father. A sickening, guttural groan of pain escaped the man's lips before the giant finally loosened his hold, letting him gasp for air.
"I hope that proved I'm serious."
Suzaku's frown deepened, fists clenching by his sides. But then—
The giant lifted the kid higher.
Holding him up like a prize for everyone to see.
He flashed a toothy grin. "If not, I can always put on a little show with this runt instead."
Something snapped inside Suzaku.
'That's enough.'
His crimson eyes locked onto the giant, his decision made.
Some lingering regret for Stain's situation might have affected his decision-making at that moment, but he made up his mind.
Guys like these didn't deserve a second chance.
Without hesitation, a gun made of bone sprouted from Suzaku's wrist, fitting perfectly into his grasp.
He lifted it, ready to end this.
But then—
"Hahaha, well, later sucke—"
—BAM!!!—
A blur dropped from the sky.
A brutal kick crashed down onto the giant's skull, followed by a loud crack.
His grip instantly failed as his body plummeted like a broken puppet.
As a result, the next second, the hostages began falling.
But the figure moved fast, looking like a white blur barely perceptible to the untrained eye.
With effortless agility, it snatched both the father and son mid-air before they hit the ground, landing safely.
Suzaku's frown lifted as his eyes sat on the figure, and the bone gun retracted as if it had never been there.
Mirko was back.
Quickly, the police retrieved the man and his son away from Mirko's arms and moved them to safety, away from the giant, surrounding the villain right after to ensure he wouldn't get up again.
As the officers handled the situation, Mirko made her way toward Suzaku, smirking.
"You looked like you were in trouble there, kiddo."
Suzaku stared at her for a moment before snorting. "Yeah, I suppose so… Hostage plays are pretty tricky to deal with."
Mirko snickered, then jerked her thumb toward the bank. "Good thing you and the cops distracted him long enough for me to sneak behind him."
Suzaku glanced over. Inside, a pile of unconscious villains lay scattered on the floor while police officers moved in to secure the scene.
Turning his attention back to the kid and his father—now clinging to each other, sobbing—Suzaku exhaled through his nose. "How do heroes usually deal with that kind of trick?"
"Usually, more heroes get called in to handle it while the villain's distracted." Mirko cracked her knuckles. "Or, you know, you can just be like me—too damn fast for them to react."
Suzaku chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense."
Before long, a police officer approached, notebook in hand, ready to take their statements.
After recounting their sides of the story, every now and then sparing shocked glances at Suzaku, they were free to go.
Mirko wasted no time. She signaled for Suzaku to follow and immediately broke into a sprint.
"Come on, we still got hours of patrol left. We're not stopping just 'cause of some bank robbery and a big guy with scales."
Suzaku groaned. "I'm starting to regret this."
"Quit whining and—pick up the pace!" Mirko accelerated.
Suzaku scoffed, but a small smile tugged at his lips as he started running after her.
Yet, as he picked up speed, his gaze flickered to his wrist. A hole now remained in his suit where the bone gun had sprouted, a contemplative look surging in his eyes as he bore his gaze on that spot.
"..."
Whatever he was thinking at that moment, no one knew.
...
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: Sorry for the wait, I was busy with university projects. I'm on recess week now though, so I'll probably upload another chapter in not too long.
Back to the story, what did you think of the chapter? There wasn't much canon stuff going on, but it was important nevertheless. There might be one or two chapters of the internships left, before passing to the next arc.
Let's hope I can build everything properly from here on until the climax of Suzaku's evolution, so everything feels natural.)
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