(Two days later)
(Riku Shindai)
The morning felt slow. This feeling intensified with Riku's early rise, as he stood in the kitchen and prepared breakfast.
*Tchak, Tchak
The rhythmic tapping of a knife on a cutting board resonated through the apartment, a few fruits being cut into pieces, before being added onto the large plate filled with bread, bacon and eggs.
Then, followed the sound of running water, as the blade of extermination was rinsed from the sticky feeling on it.
'...why the hell do i have to feel my blade.'
The Mutant's tail swung from side to side, as irritation bubbled. His blade, was a protrusion stemming from his own bone and while it was slightly numb, he still felt whatever was on it.
As to why he used it then? Because the blade was large and and got into the way of his movements and most importantly, because Riku was right-handed.
The blade being on his right hand, meant that holding another knife was not only dumb, but unwieldy. The blade reached further than his hand after all.
So, Riku had a solution. Just get used to the thing.
It worked so far. Great for cutting fruits or vegetables. Less good for bread but it still worked.
'But this feeling...'
It was uncomfortable. Verily so.
With such thoughts swirling around in his head, the Mutant-teen picked up his plate and stomped over to the table. It was quiet, with mother and father still asleep, as any normal person would at 5 in the morning.[1]
On the topic of his parents, they had been understandably stressed out. Although less than he had expected. Both mom and dad had been worried, asking for injuries or more details, which he Riku did not lie about. And both had been shocked at what he did.
At the same time, worry far surpassed their fear or shock, something he appreciated. They couldn't exactly understand why Riku had acted the way he did, they had not been there after all. But despite that, they found themselves trusting that he had not acted so without reason.
'Now... i just need to get more people to realize that.'
Today would be the day he'd return to class. And yes, he was nervous about it. Slightly.
He didn't know his classmates all that well. And while they seemed like nice people, he was fundamentally disconnected from them, due to many reasons, from Mind to body.
Tokoyami was far more understanding, but he also was the compass Riku used to guess his classmate's opinion. And Tokoyami too, was shocked by his actions. He chalked it up to it being Riku's quirk, saying that Riku didn't really any control over his actions. That no-one should blame him for it.
'...i don't even think i deserve any blame.'
They may not have been his conscious actions, but he was a bit of a hardliner when it came to life or death situations. If your life was in danger, and self defense led to death... who was to blame? Lets just say that he wouldn't really pick up the blame.[2]
But if Tokoyami already thought that what he did was bad, Riku could already guess what the others thought. Or felt.
His thoughts strayed to other topics as he started to eat, chomping down on his food with all the elegance of a ravenous monster, before finishing the meal and heading out to his favorite place: The Gym.
It was cold outside, but Riku barely registered it as he walked. Whether the weather would be good or bad today, he had no idea. He wasn't capable of seeing the Sun or clouds.
'...i wonder if it already rose.'
The thought was set aside as his wings twitched in light irritation. It had been 15 years since last seeing the sun, the moon or the clouds. Anything in general.
'Bad thoughts today. Probably the stress.'
Despite feeling he had done nothing wrong, it was not as though he enjoyed it. Especially the aftermath, which was now known as the present.
Soon enough, his favorite emotional signature flared up in the distance and minutes later, Riku entered the Gym.
-
-
(Pov: Fumikage Tokoyami)
His feathers glistened with sweat as he re-racked the barbell into place. His biceps ached from the Curls, but that feeling was literally the point of the exercise, so he embraced it.
Fumikage's breath was slightly ragged as he looked around, a natural consequence to a long workout. Despite that, the annoying muscle known as the "Latissimus Dorsi" refused to carry any feeling despite numerous adjustments of his Lat-Pulldowns.
'Perhaps asking All Might might be the correct choice for this matter. His back truly is one of his most impressive aspects.'
And given the fact that the Number 1 Hero was now accessible as a teacher, it'd be foolish not to.
If the Hero did not know, then there was always Riku. The problem was just that he was bad at explaining things. He was the kind of person who adjusted until it felt right and then stuck with that.
'...speaking of the darkness.'
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the gym, accompanied by distorted voice and reciprocated greetings as the Mutant known as Riku Shindai entered. There were not many people present in the gym at this time, but the few who were there did not flinch at the greeting, long having gotten used to it.
Riku was well known here, either through familiarity or rumor. A monstrous teenager who had walked up to the front desk, asking if the gym could procure heavier weights, because these weren't enough.
A light smile graced Fumikage's face at the thought, before he suppressed it. Meanwhile Riku made a beeline towards the lockers, throwing in his stuff keeping nothing but a towel and water.
"GNINROM. ER'UOY YLREA."
(Morning. You're early.)
Fumikage reciprocated the greeting as his friend walked past him, towards the "Special weights" in the corner.
"Something stirred within me. Training has helped me quiet it."
It was not a lie. Fumikage was worried, especially after having talked to Aizawa about Riku's situation. Worried was not the right word, Aizawa had assured him that as things stood, he could stay at UA.
No, he was frustrated, because the reason as to why no measures would be taken against Riku Shindai, was due to him needing to gain control over his Quirk. This was possible under UA or other governmental institutions. Basically, if Riku Shindai, with his dangerous Quirk was not at UA or another Hero school, he would be with the QSB or HSPC.
Essentially, he along with his Quirk was being treated like a risk to the public.
Was it unjust? Logically, no. If Fumikage knew one thing, that was how overwhelming Riku's strength was and how game-changing his Quirk could be. Unlike Dark Shadow, it had no exploitable weaknesses.
'But what if he'll never control it?'
A single line of doubt, leaving him wondering about the consequences of such a fate.
"T'NOD KNIHTREVO OS HCUM."
(Don't overthink so much.)
The Line snapped him out of his momentary daze but resulted in his expression contorting to a frown.
"You may consider other people's thoughts and emotions, but you do not apply the same standard to yourself."
The Mutant did not react, with the exception of a light swing of his tail as he stood in front of his barbell. He did not pick it up yet, seemingly struggling to get a comfortable grip with the blade on his arm clashing with the simply motion of picking up a weight.
A sigh escaped Riku as he switched to an underhand grip, his fingers pointing upwards. His blade clattered against the rack, but he managed to take out the weight, promptly starting the exercise.
Fumikage just waited a little, following common gym-etiquette by allowing him to finish his set before speaking.
"Does the blade bother you?"
Riku just shrugged, shaking his head a little.
Fumikage's frown deepened as a result. 'Why does he always act like nothing bothers him.'
Violence didn't bother him. Prejudice did not anger him. Mistakes, fear, injustice, Riku's reaction to all of these could be portrayed with that shrug. As if every single one of these things could be discarded.
"How about your parents? How are they?"
He intently stared at his friend as he asked, probing to see any sort of reaction.
"A TIB DEIRROW TA TSRIF, TUB ER'YEHT ENIF WON."
(A bit worried at first, but they're fine now.)
With that, he started his next set.
"I see. That is a good thing i suppose."
Riku turned his head to face him, his expression contorting to what he'd consider a smile.
"UOY MEES DEIRROW. DERACS ROF EM?"
(You seem worried. Scared for me?)
Fumikage stared for a moment, fixated on the grin of his friend who was seemingly careless as he immediately refocused onto his weights and training.
Still, Fumikage deigned himself to answer.
"Concern is not the same as fear."
'...though i am uncertain you are familiar with either.'
-
-
(Pov: Riku Shindai)
The time at the gym flew by quickly, his workout more focused on routine than actually lifting before both he and Fumikage returned to their respective homes, preparing themselves for school.
Riku's way there was uneventful. As always, strangers turned from time to time, their emotions bubbling up, but this was another thing he had long gotten used to.
However, as he stood in front of the gates of UA, his movement ceased. Then, his Cursed Energy Sensor expanded forwards, enveloping the main buildings of school ground.
'...huh. I got better. Nice.'
The action felt a little bit easier than before, although it might have been due to the calm state he was in. Regardless, he did not dwell on it and quickly filtered through the students, soon locating his classmates and teachers.
And what he wanted to know was confirmed.
'Looks like everyone is there already. And all seem stable.'
With this weight off his mind, Riku stepped through the gates and headed towards the classroom.
He did not hesitate as he found himself in front of the large door of Class 1-A and simply opened it and stepped in, making a beeline for his seat.
But whilst ignoring his classmates would have been preferable, a certain ability of his made it impossible not to notice the emotional shift in the class as he entered.
'This is awkward. Like, its literally the feeling.'
Not just for him, for pretty much everyone. Honestly, his own worries lifted a little, sensing his classmate's feelings to be less accusatory or afraid than he expected, but that did not change the fact that everyone had gone silent and now stared at him.
Now followed the question, how to resolve this tense atmosp-
"Oi, Extras. Stop being SO DAMN AWKWARD. ITS PISSING ME OFF!"
'...Bakugo to the rescue...?'
A surprise, but a welcome one.
In an instant, the atmosphere froze even more. Bakugo's angry statement forced both Riku and his classmates to acknowledge each other and no-one knew how to do it.
But once more, the social butterfly knows as Katsuki Bakugo worked his magic.
"He ain't special, he is just a shithead like the rest of you extras. You're crying over a villain getting wrecked during their own attack?? GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!!"
With that, the explosive teen violently pointed towards Riku, momentarily catching him off-guard.
"AND YOU! If you go all crazy again-" A manic grin spread on his face as he spoke." I'll just BLAST YOUR ASS! NOW QUIT. THE. DAMN. WHINING!!"
The second half of his statement was seemingly addressed to the class as a whole, who reacted with dumbfounded silence.
Then-
"Who lit up his ass?"
The statement left Hanta Sero's lips as he awkwardly scratched his neck, a small grin on his face.
"YOU- THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Bakugo's roar and ensuing assault was held back by Kirishima while the class reacted with a collective deadpan and exasperated chuckles.
'Way to lighten the atmosphere.'
Just as the Murder Explosion God threatened to escape Kirishima's grip, the door slid open and the figure of Aizawa walked through.
"Quit being noisy."
The class quit being noisy and everyone promptly found themselves at their seats.
Aizawa scanned the room with his eyes for a moment, his gaze momentarily pausing on Riku.
"You all seem in a good mood. But its way too early for that. The fight isn't over yet."
The previously lightened vibe soured at their teacher's prophetic statement and murmurs broke out.
"Shit, more villains?!"
"You don't mean..."
Aizawa's expression turned dead-serious.
"That's right. The UA Sport festival is approaching."
"THATS WAY TOO NORMAL!"
"...isn't that dangerous? What if villains infiltrate again?"
But Aizawa dismissed these claims with a wave of his hand.
"On the contrary. Presence of the Police is going to be 5 times as big as usual and a lot of Heroes are going to be present. UA is confident in their security.
And Security is not your concern right now. Instead, focus on what the Sport Festival means for you."
For a moment, the class remained silent before understanding.
"We're going to be on TV!"
"This is our Debut!"
"Its an opportunity to be scouted by agencies!"
Excitement welled up around him and chatter broke out as the students eagerly launched into the topic.
'Oh, its the big deal festival i never saw.'
Riku's wings twitched a little in amusement, thinking back to Fumikage's excitement whilst watching the past festivals.
'Too bad i can't see.'
Festivals with battles between students with quirks. Basically Gladiator events with Superpowers. Who wouldn't like to see such a thing.
But in exchange for not seeing them, he'd at least get to participate! He didn't really know the details of the festivals, but if there was battle, he'd be able to adapt to something!
' I just have to put my sights on someone's quirk at the start... then expose myself to them and boom!'
"Shindai. There will be certain conditions for you. If you don't meet them, you won't participate.
'What the fuck.'
Silence settled over the classroom once more, this time more tense. Glances were thrown towards both Aizawa and Riku, but these remained ignored by either.
Riku broke out of his stupor.
"TAHW ERA EHT SNOITIDNOC."
(What are the conditions.)
"Your adaptation. You're going to learn how to resist it. The festival is in 2 weeks, you have until then. You fail, you don't participate.
'...Refuse Adaptation?'
A light irritation bubbled up within him. It wasn't as though he didn't understand what the school wanted or why this condition made sense.
He... just didn't want to refuse a perfectly good Adaptation.
Two weeks training, meant access to Resources. Resources, especially in the form of Quirks were exactly what he needed in order to adapt and get stronger.
Until now, for most of his life, he simply hadn't been allowed to fully exploit his Quirk. For multiple reasons. Natural Adaptation required decent amount of Stimuli. Sticking your hand in fire, fully knowing it wouldn't do shit wasn't enough.
Another reason was simply the fact, that it was illegal to use your Quirk in public. Not just for him, but for others. That meant, he simply couldn't expose himself to battles. Unless going full criminal or vigilante.
Had he tried? No. Why? Because he had two loving Parents and he preferred not to play hero by fighting crime organizations without anonymity or protection for his family. Even if he somehow managed not to die at young age and adapt till strong enough to win against criminals, his parents weren't.
And Riku didn't know much about crime, but he knew it wasn't exactly an honor-filled profession.
There were other ways to get stronger and the gym and literal Hero school were in fact the way.
Well, they were the way he had thought, to be best. Now, regret welled up in him. But it receded moments after.
'I guess he has a point. I don't think i ever even tried refusing an Adaptation. They are way too rare for that.'
But well. Not participating in the Festival was far worse, so...
"DOOTSREDNU. YAM I SSUCSID SIHT HTIW UOY RETAL?"
(Understood. May i discuss this with you later?)
"I... yes. Although i suggest you just go and talk to the principal. He'll probably be more helpful."
'I can just do that?'
Looking past his teachers attempt at Delegation, talking to the principal was definitely better if he wanted to participate at the Festival. So he just nodded, then leaned back in his seat. His ever-existing grin stiffened a little as his Cursed Energy located the office.
'...what even is that?'
In the office of Japan's best Hero school, sat a rodent-like being, skimming through a mountain of papers.
'...i guess i shouldn't judge, huh?'
-
-
CHAPTER END
Sorry, for the time. I'm trying.
[1] Waking up at 6 or 5:30 in the morning is probably my favorite time. Just makes one feel so productive and less like a lazy bum. The feeling of superiority accompanies me through the day.
[2] I'll put this here, but when i write stuff like this, its not really my true opinion. I am a bit aimless when it comes to opinions, because many people have good points, whether they come from safety, morality or just emotions. An example is m'murica with their police being racist. From a moral point of view, its bad to generalize ethnic groups. At the same time, i think that the officers act by emotion, usually fear due to the bad rep of ethnic groups. So its a cycle of police being brutal because they fear for their life, and ethnic groups doing the same with the same line of thought. Remember that emotions play a role. Not always rationality.