---The Caped Crusader ---
"The Batman?" I asked.
"He's like Superman but way cooler." Made me frown. "He's a vigilante in Osaka; he dresses up like a bat and fights crime. And he's super-rich; from what I heard, he got these high-tech gadgets that even the Pro Heroes don't have access to."
I leaned forward. "So, what's more?"
"And here's the main thing: HE got a signal! A Bat-Signal! How cool is that?"
"And guess what? He's quirkless." Made me turn my head at light speed.
I blinked, processing his last statement. "He's... quirkless?" My voice was barely a whisper, the annoyance about the "cooler than Superman" comment completely forgotten.
He nodded, seemingly oblivious to the shift in my demeanor. "Yeah! That's the craziest part, right? A guy with no Quirk, going toe-to-toe with villains, even some with powerful Quirks, and winning! It's insane. He uses all these gadgets and his martial arts skills. It's like... he proves you don't need a Quirk to be a hero. He's inspiring a lot of people, actually. There are even rumors of a few other quirkless vigilantes popping up, trying to emulate him."
A quirkless hero... Not just someone who lived a normal life, but someone who actively fought against the darkness, against people with abilities that could level buildings or control minds.
I stared at him. "Where exactly in Osaka?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.
"Mostly in the Namba and Dotonbori districts, from what I've heard. The really rough areas where even some Pro Heroes don't patrol regularly." He pulled out his phone, scrolling through what looked like social media posts. "Look at this—someone caught footage of him last week."
The video showed a dark figure in what unmistakably looked like a bat-themed costume, moving across rooftops. No flashy Quirk abilities, no supernatural speed or strength and here he was moving like a goddamn ninja or something.
"How does he do it?" I whispered, more to myself than to my friend.
"Training, apparently. Lots and lots of training. And money—did I mention the money? Word is he's got connections to some major tech companies or he himself is a very rich man. Custom armor, vehicles, and surveillance equipment. It's like he built himself into a one-man army."
I leaned back, my mind racing.
'This is much more important than a cover-story.'
---------------------
The rest of the day passed in a blur of mundane assignments and forced normalcy. I wrote a piece about a minor villain incident in District 3, fact-checked some hero statistics, and pretended to care about the office coffee shortage. But my mind kept drifting back to Haruki's words about the Batman.
A quirkless hero. The concept shouldn't have been as revolutionary as it felt, but in a world where power was literally everything, where your worth was often measured by your Quirk registration, the idea of someone succeeding without any supernatural abilities was... inspiring wasn't quite the right word. Validating, maybe.
Not that I needed validation—I had more power than I knew what to do with. But there was something about the principle of it, the sheer audacity of deciding that circumstances wouldn't define limitations, that resonated with me.
"Earth to Ken," Ren's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to find her standing beside my desk, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "You've been staring at that same paragraph for twenty minutes."
I glanced at my computer screen, realizing she was right. The cursor blinked mockingly at the end of an unfinished sentence about traffic disruption patterns.
"Sorry, just... thinking."
"About Batman?" She raised an eyebrow. "Haruki mentioned he told you about our caped crusader in Osaka."
"You know about him too?"
Ren pulled up a chair, lowering her voice. "Ken, I'm an investigative journalist. Of course I know about him. I've been tracking his activities for months." She pulled out her phone, showing me a collection of photos and news clippings.
I studied the images more carefully. The Batman's costume was impressive—clearly custom-made, with what looked like military-grade armor plating. His cape seemed functional rather than decorative, and the utility belt around his waist suggested serious preparation.
"I operate within certain... moral boundaries. But Batman, from what Haruki described, he sounds more... intense."
"That's one way to put it." Ren scrolled through more images. "Last month, he left three villains hanging upside down from a bridge with a note pinned to their jackets. The note just said, 'Think twice.' No permanent injuries, but they were so psychologically shaken they confessed to crimes the police hadn't even connected them to yet."
I frowned. "That sounds like intimidation."
"Effective intimidation. Violent crime in his patrol areas has dropped by thirty percent since he started operating." She looked at me seriously. "But here's the thing, Ken—he's not just fighting random street criminals. He's going after organized crime, corrupt officials, and people with real power and resources. The kind of people who can make vigilantes disappear permanently."
"And he's doing it without any powers."
"Just skill, preparation, and apparently unlimited funding."
"Osaka?" I asked.
I shook my head. I needed to see him in action and understand his methods. It was more than just curiosity; it was a revelation, a different perspective on heroism.
"Kentaro! What are you doing instead of doing your work?! Where's your passion gone, young man?" Kenji scolded.
I looked down. "Sorry, Kenji, but I was working, unlike what it seems. I'm working on a story on another vigilante, the Batman, credits to Haruki." I told him.
He raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of him; My sister told me about how he saved her one time... What about him?" He asked me.
"Uh, there's been relatively less news about him in Tokyo. So, I thought maybe we can educate the people about him, and the rumor is he's quirkless. I can see that being a source of inspiration and confidence to quirkless people; it can have a very positive outlook." I told him.
Kenji's expression shifted from mild annoyance to genuine interest. He crossed his arms and leaned against my desk. "Go on."
I straightened up. "Think about it—we're constantly covering Pro Heroes, their rankings, their Quirks, and their latest victories. But here's someone operating completely outside that system, and he's making a real difference. It's a human interest story with real social impact, just like Superman."
"And you think people will care about some vigilante in Osaka?" Kenji's tone was skeptical, but I could see he was listening.
"I think people will care about him definitely." The words came out more earnestly than I intended. "How many quirkless citizens feel powerless in our society? How many think they can't make a difference because they weren't born with flashy abilities? This Batman proves otherwise."
Ren looked up from her own work, clearly eavesdropping. "He has a point, Kenji. The quirkless demographic is underrepresented in hero media. It could be a really compelling angle." She said, stretching the really.
"Plus," I continued,"there's the mystery aspect. Who is he? How does he afford all that equipment? What drives someone to take such extreme risks without any superhuman backup? Our readers love that kind of investigative piece."
Kenji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What kind of access are we talking about? You can't exactly interview a vigilante like him; he's not like Superman, and he's in an entirely different city."
"Maybe not directly, but I can interview the people he's helped, the police officers who've worked cases he's influenced, and even some of the criminals he's apprehended. I can map his patrol routes and analyze his methods. And if I'm persistent enough..." I shrugged. "Maybe I get lucky and make contact."
"Kentaro, we're already under enough heat for supporting Superman by the Hero Public Safety Commission."
"Free speech, Kenji," Ren told him.
"And what if we don't get permission from the HPSC?" I pressed, seeing Kenji's hesitation.
"Then we run it anyway," Ren interjected, closing her laptop with a snap. "This is journalism, not hero propaganda. We have a responsibility to tell stories that matter, not just the ones that make the Commission comfortable."
Kenji sighed deeply, running a hand through his graying hair. "You two are going to be the death of me." He paused, looking between us. "But... the quirkless angle is very compelling. And if this Batman character is as effective as you say, then maybe the public deserves to know about alternative approaches to heroism."
My heart rate quickened. "So you're green-lighting it?"
"I'm giving you a week in Osaka. Expenses covered, but keep them reasonable. And Ken?" His expression grew serious. "Be careful. If this Batman is targeting organized crime and corrupt officials, you'll be walking into dangerous territory. The people he's fighting back against don't follow the same rules as the villain-of-the-week types we usually cover."
"I can handle myself," I said, perhaps a bit too quickly.
Kenji's eyes narrowed slightly. "Can you? Because if you get yourself killed chasing this story, I'll never hear the end of it from your mother."
Despite the gravity of his warning, I couldn't help but smile. "I'll be fine, Kenji. I promise."
"Take Ren with you," he said suddenly. "Two perspectives will make for a stronger piece, and she's got more experience with investigative work."
Ren perked up. "I'm in. I've been wanting to dig deeper into this story anyway."
As Kenji walked away, muttering about insurance premiums and liability waivers, Ren turned to me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"There's something you should know before we go to Osaka," she said quietly. "Batman isn't the only unusual thing happening there."
I turned to her, "Such as?"
"The whole city is filled with evil masterminds, the crime rate there is atrocius, no wonder Batman had to come into play." She told me.
A villain?
I'd been Superman for a year, but I hadn't really went to other cities, so I don't really know the status there.
"The Joker," Ren said grimly. "He's been terrorizing Osaka for almost as long as Batman's been active. Some say he showed up specifically because of Batman—like he's drawn to the chaos and challenge. He's completely insane, unpredictable, and somehow manages to stay one step ahead of both Batman and the local Pro Heroes."
I frowned. "How does a quirkless person become such a major threat in a world full of people with superpowers?"
"Intelligence, resources, and complete disregard for human life." She pulled up more articles on her phone. "Look at this—last month he poisoned the water supply of three city blocks just to 'make people smile.' The toxin caused uncontrollable laughter that lasted for hours. No one died, but dozens were hospitalized."
"That's..." I searched for the right word. "Terrifying."
"And that's just one incident. There's also someone called the Penguin running weapons trafficking, a woman named Poison Ivy who's been using plant-based toxins—though she might actually have a plant-related Quirk, the reports are unclear—and something called the Riddler who's been leaving elaborate puzzles at crime scenes."
My mind reeled. "It's like Osaka has become some kind of... criminal playground."
"Exactly. And that's why Batman emerged. The local Pro Heroes were overwhelmed dealing with traditional Quirk-based villains. They weren't prepared for criminals who relied on psychology, strategy, and pure malice rather than supernatural abilities."
I sat back in my chair, processing this information. As Superman, I'd dealt with straightforward threats—bank robbers with strength Quirks, villains who could fly or shoot energy beams. But psychological warfare? Elaborate schemes designed to break people's minds rather than their bodies? That was a different kind of evil entirely.
"There's something else," Ren continued quietly. "The crime families in Osaka aren't just running traditional operations anymore. With all these new players stirring things up, they've had to adapt. They're recruiting people with specific Quirks for very particular jobs, and the violence has escalated dramatically."
"And Batman is fighting all of this? Alone?"
"Appears so..."
I admired him now. He doesn't have powers, but I did. Fighting a whole city like a regular person—he's better than me, he's something else entirely.
"Ken?" Ren's voice broke through my thoughts. "You've got that look again."
I turned back to her. "What look?"
"Like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's the same expression you get sometimes when we cover hero stories."
I forced a smile. "Just thinking about how brave someone has to be to do what Batman does. No backup, no powers, no official support—just walking into that nightmare every night because someone has to."
"There's something almost... reckless about it," Ren mused. "Or maybe it's the opposite. Maybe it's the most calculated thing in the world. He knows exactly what he's up against, and he's decided it's worth the risk."
"What do you mean?"
She leaned forward. "Think about it—you operate in broad daylight, and have the backing of the public. You're a symbol of hope. But Batman? Batman operates in the shadows because that's where his enemies live. He uses fear as a weapon because that's the only language some criminals understand."
I nodded slowly, processing her analysis. "Two completely different approaches to the same goal."
"Exactly. And maybe that's what makes this story so compelling. We're not just writing about another hero—we're examining what heroism means when you strip away everything except pure will."
The next morning came faster than I expected. I met Ren at Tokyo Station, both of us carrying overnight bags and the kind of nervous energy that comes with walking into unknown territory. The bullet train to Osaka would take us less than three hours, but it felt like we were traveling to another world entirely.
"I've been thinking about what you said yesterday," I told her as we settled into our seats. "About Batman using fear as a weapon."
"And?"
"I wonder if that's really sustainable." I shook my head. "Fear is temporary. What happens when criminals stop being afraid?"
Ren pulled out a tablet and showed me more research she'd compiled overnight. "Maybe that's the point. Maybe Batman isn't trying to permanently solve crime—maybe he's just buying time for the system to catch up. Look at these statistics."
The tablet showed crime statistics, police reports, and what looked like academic analyses. "Since Batman started operating, not only has violent crime dropped in his patrol areas, but police effectiveness has actually improved. Criminals are so rattled by his methods that they're making mistakes, leaving more evidence, and some are even turning themselves in rather than risk encountering him."
"So he's not just stopping crime—he's making the existing system work better."
"Exactly. And there's something else." She swiped to another document. "I reached out to some contacts at Osaka PD yesterday. Off the record, they admit they're grateful for Batman's intervention, even if they can't say so publicly."
I leaned closer to read the report. "Detective Inspector Yamada says, 'We've been able to close more cases in the past six months than we had in the previous two years. The Batman may operate outside the law, but his results speak for themselves.'"
"Now look at this," Ren said, switching to another screen. "Pro Hero effectiveness ratings for Osaka."
The numbers were sobering. Most of the city's Pro Heroes had middling to poor ratings for dealing with organized crime, corruption, and psychological villains. They excelled at handling straightforward Quirk-based threats, but struggled with the complex web of criminal enterprises that had taken root in the city.
"They're not trained for this," I realized. "Hero schools teach you how to fight villains with flashy powers, how to rescue people from disasters.
They don't teach you how to dismantle criminal organizations or fight enemies who attack your mind instead of your body."
"Ready for this?" Ren asked as we stepped onto the platform.
I looked around at the Osaka station, knowing that somewhere in this city, a man without powers was fighting a one-man war against forces that had defeated trained heroes and overwhelmed the police.
The Batman, huh?