I prevented a bullet train from derailing and managed to evacuate the passengers in the process. I earned their thanks. I stopped who knows how many crimes while looking for Stain. And I beat Stain himself without even having to fight in the first place!
And despite having accomplished all these feats in a single night, without anyone's help...
I'm being scolded by Gran Torino... How frustrating.
"One hour! I leave you alone for one hour and you appear on Japanese media asking people to evacuate! And if that wasn't enough! You come out saying you defeated Stain! Any other incredible feat you'd like to enlighten us with?!"
Well, looking at it that way... maybe I did go a little overboard. But hey! It was awesome, and there was no shortage of laughs... I think.
"Yes! I heard, I'm sorry, but this was really serious! Besides, one of my classmates could have died if I hadn't intervened!" I have to defend my position on this, although Gran Torino has every right to be angry.
"...Hey, what do you mean by Japanese media? I just spoke on a live stream from some weird social network."
"And what do you think happened after that? The filthy news outlets got clips of you asking people to take shelter. Congratulations, brat, you're famous now."
It doesn't matter too much. I'll probably be trending for a few days until some celebrity does something worthy of attention, and they'll forget about me. I'm just a hero student, after all, and...
"Gran Torino?" I called my mentor with some fear in my voice.
"What is it?" he returned my question in a more serious tone due to my obvious concern.
"How much was shown in the recording?" I hope I'm wrong about this, but I'm sure that's not the case.
"Enough. I know what you're referring to, and yes, brat, the Whips are visible in the recording. Let's go, we'll talk about this later."
Without further ado, we started to move away from the area full of officers and firefighters.
If the Blackwhips have already been shown, it means I've lost the element of surprise. Now I'll have to explain to the rest of the people around me why I have "another" Quirk. I also don't doubt that All For One will know the origin of my Blackwhips; he's been facing the different wielders of One For All for almost a century. I just hope this doesn't cause any significant change to the story I know.
.......
I just watched the video that has been shown on some major news channels, and everything is visible. From the moment the Nomu attacks the train to the end where I give my message to the public.
As expected, my phone was full of messages when I turned it on. My whole class was asking me to explain what the "strange" Whips I used to stop the train were. But all that paled in comparison to the fact that I had 27 missed calls... from Inko...
When I called her back... I didn't have a peaceful chat. Inko reprimanded me in every possible language, and the ones that weren't used, she'll surely mention when I get back from my internships. What I have to endure to be a hero... What a tragedy.
"Still thinking about that video, brat?" Gran Torino questioned me as he sat on the sofa in his living room.
"More or less," I replied, hesitating a little. The video wasn't the only thing that worried me.
"The Whips are no longer a secret to anyone, and that includes All For One. I'm a little worried about that, to be honest."
"Don't overthink it. That man may be powerful, but he's weak. Thank Toshinori for that when you have time," he replied calmly, offering me a takoyaki.
"Yes, but putting that aside, will we continue with the patrols tomorrow?" After the madness of stopping a train with Blackwhips, a normal patrol wouldn't be so bad.
"No, we won't be doing patrols tomorrow because of what happened tonight. Focus on training," Gran Torino answered my question.
"But shouldn't you be helping people? After tonight, it's very likely that there will be an increase in crime in Hosu, and they'll need heroes."
I wanted to go and help them. Maybe it's because no one got hurt or died since the internships began, but I feel capable of providing real help to people.
"That's right, and the heroes will take care of it."
"But we are heroes!"
"I'm an old man on the verge of his final retirement, and you're a teenager in training. Believe me, brat, there are more useful people than us for that."
"But that doesn't mean we can't help."
It's like the classic hero dilemma.
If you have powers, you must do something good with them.
As Peter said in Civil War, "When someone has the powers I have and people get hurt, it's one's fault."
Power, Responsibility, and all that.
Gran Torino is right, we're not the only ones with abilities capable of helping others, but we should still help.
If I hadn't been on that train, who would have gotten the people off? Who would have taken the trouble to put the train back on the tracks? Maybe someone would have, but what if no one did?
I can't take the risk and assume that someone else will do what I could do myself.
I did it at the U.S.J. and ended up ruining everything. And I'm still doing it to this day, but at least in this, I must help.
"You're right, but even so, do we have the right not to help the rest? I'm training and studying to be a hero. How can I do that if I consciously allow someone else to carry my problems?" I continued to insist on the idea so that Gran Torino would accept it, and for a moment, it seemed like he considered my words.
"Fine! We'll do patrols for the rest of your internships, but you won't stop training. You can use 30% of One For All without getting hurt; I want you to reach 32% by the time this is over."
Perfect! I didn't plan on getting stuck at 30% anyway.
"Thank you!"
"Don't thank me for anything. Now go to sleep, but not without turning off that phone of yours. It won't stop ringing, and it's annoying."
Oh right, I have to give explanations about my new "Quirk." I'll think of something... but tomorrow.
...
After getting a proper night's sleep and being woken up at six in the morning by Gran Torino, I started training.
Since we would be doing patrols at night, I should train in the mornings and sleep a little in the afternoon, so I don't collapse in the middle of a patrol.
A bit exaggerated in my opinion, but Gran Torino is the old man with wisdom and experience, not me.
The training focused exclusively on gaining greater mastery over One For All; the other two Quirks I've awakened took a backseat.
Blackwhips, because they are under Gran Torino's "acceptable" standards. According to him, I can still improve, but that will come with time.
On the other hand, the "Danger Sense" doesn't require as much control as the Whips. Once I managed to understand how it works through the various dangers around me, I set it aside. It's a great Quirk, but it doesn't need to be actively used to be fully understood.
So it's like going back to my beginnings, where the training only focused on increasing the percentage of One For All and nothing else.
I don't know how long it will be until I awaken another Quirk from One For All, so I'll just keep improving my control so that moment comes as soon as possible.
30% of One For All is a different story when it comes to training. Before, I could improve quickly because the energy output was lower, but now it's different.
The energy output is higher, which is why I haven't been able to reduce the unnecessary power consumption that is released every time I use One For All. I've thought about asking Mei to build some device to take advantage of this power in the form of lightning. But it's just an idea; when I get back to UA, I'll discuss with her how possible it is to do such a thing.
.....
"Alright, brat, are you ready? We don't know what we might see from here on out," Gran Torino asked as we arrived in Hosu.
"Yes, whatever happens, I'll be able to face it, you can be sure of that." I secured the mask on my face and gave him a thumbs-up.
It was seven in the evening, and things looked to be in order.
Of course, it's all superficial. Things like the bullet train are still not running.
It's been a day, after all, so it makes sense.
We had to get to Hosu using our Quirks. Fortunately, there aren't many heroes who can notice me while I'm moving at high speeds, and Gran Torino is not slow in the slightest.
"Then move it. The crimes won't come to you." Without wasting time, Gran Torino started jumping across the buildings.
Using only 15% of One For All, I started to follow him. I kept the Danger Sense activated at all times to be aware of any crime in my vicinity.
Jumping across buildings was incredible. Being able to feel the air hitting my face along with the adrenaline of moving at the speed I was is great.
I'd like to move through the buildings with my Whips like Spider-Man, but the idea of looking for crimes is that you don't attract attention in the first place.
Jumping across buildings isn't very discreet either, but it's the best we have.
My danger sense suddenly activated, causing me to stop my jumps.
This action caught Gran Torino's attention, making him land on the same rooftop as me.
"Where's the problem?" Gran Torino asked me.
"To the north, follow me." Resuming my jumps, I started moving, but this time in the direction I specified.
Upon arriving, we stopped on the ledge of a building, seeing a villain whose Quirk allowed him to generate a force field around him.
Like Susan Storm, only without turning invisible.
He was using said force field to avoid the attacks of a hero who could manipulate the water around him.
A mild hydrokinesis Quirk, quite useful.
I don't understand why a person who can generate force fields around him didn't become a hero, but I don't know his life, so I have no right to have an opinion.
"How would you deal with this villain if you were the hero down there?" Gran Torino asks me this all the time. I have to be able to hypothetically solve the situation.
"The villain can generate force fields, but we don't know if he's capable of completely surrounding his body or just a part. What this battle allows me to see is that at least the entire front is capable of protecting him... I would opt to attack his defense with brute force, as incoherent as that may seem."
"Why would you do that?"
"It's a Quirk. Every Quirk has a limit, and I can think of two limits right now. His defense may be able to absorb or disperse the damage, but eventually, it won't be able to absorb all the kinetic energy received from the attacks and will be destroyed, or it won't be able to disperse the received energy in its entirety, also being destroyed."
"And his other limit?"
"His other limit is that being able to generate force fields makes it clear that it's due to a possible mild telekinesis, and the best way to deal with that kind of enemy is by overwhelming them until their body suffers the consequences."
"Correct, but there is a much more efficient way than that, and it's the one you must apply at all times when facing villains." Gran Torino got into an attack position. "Defeat the enemy before they recognize you as one."
In a single leap, he kicked the villain with a speed that I could only reach by using a large amount of One For All's power.
The villain was knocked out instantly; he didn't see the kick to his head.
Gran Torino is impressive.
I quickly went down to hear what he had to say to the hero.
"Take the credit. Inform the police that you stopped him. I don't see anyone watching this except us." Without listening to what the hero had to say, he started to leave. "Follow me, Flashkicker, we have villains to stop."
Yes, he's definitely impressive.
...
The rest of the days remained the same: training in the mornings and patrols in the afternoon until night.
As Gran Torino expected, I managed to reach 32% of One For All.
Right now, we're about to return to Musutafu. After these internships, it's back to the usual routine of going to UA and then training at the gym.
I really miss that gym.
"Brat, before we leave, there's something I must warn you about." Stopping suddenly, Gran Torino turned to look at me.
"What would that be, sir?" It's not often he speaks to me so seriously unless it's patrols. This is definitely important.
"Now you've not only shown potential at that UA Festival, but you've also done so by saving those people in Hosu. You haven't noticed it, but you've been attracting the attention of both villains and heroes alike... But not all heroes are clean, as I've already warned you."
"You don't have to remind me. Endeavor already made that clear."
"If you ever, for any reason, receive an invitation from the 'Hero Public Safety Commission,' do not accept it."
Shit, could I have really caught their attention? I thought so much about the villains' attention that I forgot about those assholes.
I don't want to be the next Hawks on their list.
"You have Toshinori protecting you, and I highly doubt they'd seek to attract the attention of the Symbol of Peace, but you never know how they might act. So for whatever you hold dear, do not listen to their proposals or whatever they offer you. They are rotten to the core and have heroes on their side. I don't know exactly who is bought by them, but that Hawks guy is one of them."
"How do you know that?" How does Gran Torino have so much knowledge about this?
I, of course, already knew all of this, but I'm a reincarnator.
"Because they're not the only ones with double agents on the streets. I've made contacts over time, and they keep me informed of the parts that the public doesn't and shouldn't know."
How is it that this wasn't revealed in the canon? I remember that Gran Torino was part of an important operation to capture Kurogiri, but it's not mentioned that it was thanks to the Hero Public Safety Commission.
This shit gets more tedious with each passing day.
My internships had been going so well until recently.
"Just be careful, brat, and for whatever you hold dear, don't listen to them. You're too good to end up with those useless people in suits."
"Don't worry, Gran Torino. I've come too far, and I don't plan on selling out to the first group of corrupt people that approaches me." Although it never hurts to consider the offer. If I want to kill All For One and Shigaraki without having future repercussions, they could be useful to me.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
"Good. Just stay off their radar in the future." Without saying more, Gran Torino began to leave the room.
I wonder if they'll try to approach me when All Might retires.
I'll have to be careful with that in the future.
It seems that... one problem ends, and a new one begins.
Author's Note:
Hey.
What did you think of the chapter?
After five days, I've updated.
This is where I usually make some excuse for my delay in updating, but this time I have nothing in my defense.
My week was good and peaceful (unlike the next one where I'll be bombarded with exams), but I didn't update because I was focused on my other story and also because I bought Cuphead on Steam.
Yes, a little late to buy it, but I don't care. I saw it by chance and wanted to play it.
So I've been spending entire hours on that game.
Besides, I'm naturally lazy, so I tend to update during the busiest moments of my day.
The next chapter will narrate the return to UA, some explanations, and the beginning of the exams for the summer camp.
See you.