Chapter 92: Drug DenAuthor: Geraint
Ichika and Ryukyu were surrounded—guns aimed at them from every angle.
"Shoot them!"
At the command, Ichika immediately shielded Ryukyu with the bulky form of his armor, taking the brunt of the incoming bullets.
"Huh? What's with this ugly fat ass?!""The bullets aren't working!""It must be his Quirk!"
Suddenly, Ichika ejected from the back of the armor, launching into the attackers with a flurry of strikes.
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"Argh!""Guh!""Aaah!"
Four crooks dropped in an instant.
"That's—!""That pink hair—he's All Might's son!""It's that little brat—Captain Falcon!"
One of the thugs raised a rifle—but it suddenly flew out of his hands.
"What the—?!"
Then he levitated, slammed into the ceiling, and fell with a dislocated arm.
"Gyaaah!"
Another clutched his throat, gasping before collapsing unconscious.
The remaining men began to panic, unaware of what was happening. Then, they turned—and saw Ichika approaching with a menacing smile, cracking his knuckles.
"No... no... no..."
Bang! Ichika tilted his head, dodging.Bang! Bang! Bang! He effortlessly avoided all the bullets.Click! Click! Click! They were out of ammo.
"Wait! Let's talk—""Ugh!"Slam! One was sent flying."Please, wait—" Another passed out from lack of air."Listen!""Aaaaah!" Another disappeared, yanked into the shadows.
Only one crook remained, trembling in fear.
"No... please..."
Ichika squatted in front of him.
"Now… would you care to tell me who's in charge of this place?"
"I don't know! I swear!" he cried, shaking.
"So, you're saying... it's a waste of time to ask?"
"I really don't know! Please spare me!"
Ichika placed his left hand on the man's face, extracting information using the Mind Stone.
"Waaaahhh!"
The crook passed out, foam bubbling from his mouth.
"So the leader's hiding there... too bad. He's heading straight to Tartarus."
Ichika tapped his armor. It glowed, dispersed into particles, and returned to his wrist device. He turned to Ryukyu, still unconscious on the floor.
"Strange..."
He sniffed the air. The sweet scent didn't affect him—but he realized none of the male crooks were affected either.
"So... it only works on women..."
He gently lifted Ryukyu in his arms and carried her outside for fresh air, hoping to lessen the drug's effects.
Shortly after, the police arrived. Still wearing his black armor, Ichika reported everything. The authorities raided the base, arrested the leader, and rounded up the remaining crooks.
"Uuuu..."
Ryukyu stirred awake on the office couch, sitting up slowly.
"Ugh..." She remembered what happened.
The lingering warmth from the drug made her wince.
Depression washed over her. She felt useless—burdened by her own failure. Ichika had done everything: fought off the crooks, rescued her... all while she was incapacitated.
The door opened.
"You're finally awake."
Ichika entered, carrying a tray with a glass of cold water and medicine. He placed it on the table and sat beside her.
"Are you okay now? Still feeling the effects?"
She looked away, embarrassed.
"...A-A little."
"The hospital gave this for your condition. Take one pill a day for the next three days."
She drank the medicine in silence, then sighed deeply.
"What's wrong?"
"...I'm sorry, Falcon. I wasn't any help."
Ichika gave her a soft smile.
"It's fine. You were caught off-guard by the drug."
"I feel like... I don't deserve to be a top 10 Pro Hero. I feel like I don't even deserve to be a hero at all."
Ichika leaned back with a sigh.
"People who don't deserve to be heroes? I've already removed them from the rankings. You're still here. You're doing your job. That means I've approved of you."
He glanced at her, serious.
"Don't lose confidence over this. Learn from it. If you quit, I'll be in trouble as the acting president of the Hero Public Safety Commission. We don't have enough good heroes. That's why—I won't approve if you quit. Just make it up to me next time, alright?"
"Why do you think I pushed for paired patrols? So if something goes wrong, the other covers. It's my job, as your partner, to protect you."
Ryukyu's eyes widened.
He was trying to cheer her up—but his words rang true. If she quit now, it'd only place more burden on him. She still had something to prove... something to fight for.
"...Thank you, Ichika."
Ichika blinked.
"Heh... I'm glad you're feeling better."
Ryukyu's heart fluttered. His smile—warm and sincere—made her cheeks flush. Her pulse quickened. Despite being ten years younger, Ichika's calm maturity and strength made him seem older.
She now understood why Mirko fell for him—and she couldn't blame her.
A new feeling bloomed in her heart... one she had buried long ago.
"Hey, Ichika."
"Hm? What is it?"
"If Mirko ever ends your relationship... would you consider dating me instead?"
...
Ichika froze.
"What?"
"I'm serious. I like you, Ichika. I wouldn't mind marrying someone... if it's you." Ryukyu's tone was firm.
Ichika stared at her, stunned. Then, slowly, he grabbed the medicine bottle and read the label, convinced the doctor had made a mistake.
He broke into a cold sweat.
"...There's no side effects...?"
Then he remembered Sir Nighteye's warning.
"Oh no. It's happening."
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix my mistakes later, even though everything is a mistake. Hahahahaha! 😅