La Brava could only stare at the scene of what could be considered a meteor skidding on the ground with how deep of a gash it left in the ground. "Remember La Brava, we must always handle situations with grace and dignity. Since this is a child, especially a fan, we shall take it easy with the first move."
"Such a shame. He seemed like a good kid too." He was so nice to Gentle. "Oh well, there's work to be done." La Brava brought out her camera. "I'll edit out the rougher parts as always."
"I think you might have to edit out this whole fight, the boy carried a lot of force in that attack to launch himself so far." Gentle's eyes widened. "And now he's chasing us like a rabid animal."
She turned, seeing the kid look at them with fierce eyes, standing on all fours, sparking with bared teeth. "Quick Gentle, what should we do?" She asked her love.
"Isn't it obvious La Brava? We need all the strength we can get if UA is our target." That was pretty obvious. "So run like heck!" She nodded, following the man as they booked it as hard as they could.
"I really think we can talk this over!" Suzuki ran like an animal chasing them down. It looked like he was using that freakish strength of his to actually dig his fingers into the ground.
"You jumped at us with enough force to knock us unconscious!" She shouted back.
"Okay, it was a bit of an overreaction…!" He didn't have time to finish explaining himself when the ground he was running started sinking inward, before spitting him onto a nearby rooftop. "Why is bouncing not fun in this situation!? I thought it was always supposed to be fun!"
"Great idea my number two fan!" Gentle shouted, aww, still looking out for her. "Let us enjoy it ourselves!" He made the motion they worked out beforehand, getting herself ready as they bounced into the air. "Tata for now, student of UA." So dashing! She was glad she learned to always record.
"My name is Kettei!" The boy shouted, using the building as a leverage to jump after them mid air, positioning his hand for a … flick? Oh shit.
"Air blast!" She shouted too late, both herself and her love were thrown off course.
"That won't be enough to stop me!" Gentle repositioned himself in mid air. "I won't be discouraged!"
"Then neither will I! ROCKET MAN!" The kid…Kettei, shot himself at them and grabbed her darling. "My friends put a lot of hard work into their performance! I won't let all their hard work go to waste!" The shouting died out as the two of them crashed into a nearby construction sight.
"Great, just great!" Of all the people that had to run into before their latest performance, it had to be the crazy kid with bone shattering strength. Why couldn't it have been the electric dunce who got beat up by an invisible girl? She loved Gentle more than life itself, but this may be more than they could handle.
==
Koku Hanabata, better known as Trumpet to his close associates, just finished his meeting with the Hearts and Minds Party. Getting close to manipulating those guys into working to the advocation of more lenient quirk laws. Anything to the goal of absolute liberation. However, now he had the goal of playing 'check up' against a recent worry among the top brass.
"So, how've you bee-"
"Hikagi Shinomore is the FUCKING SOURCE!" … He looked at the piles of paper and red thread that dominated the littered room, along with empty coffee cups and piles of half eaten ramen cups. So, Curious was the first member to snap. Would have figured it would have been Geten.
"Curious, I know you're on a deadline trying to get something of use from the meta-traitor, but you can afford to actually, you know, sleep at least once a week."
"Who needs sleep when we have something so fascinating!" She ran up, pulling him into a chair, with something sticky on his but, great. "Look here, All Might, the number one hero, went to america, that's where he got his thematics!"
"We know, that's common knowledge." The man named his attacks after American states for pete sakes.
"But why did he go to america? That was what I couldn't figure out for the life of me. Was it someone there? I searched everything I could about the country, until I found this!" She slammed her hand on a picture. "Nana Shimura, Rising Hope! A small time pro was killed tragically in an exploding island incident."
"Sounds…tragic I guess…" He gave a shrug. "But why is this important in any form?"
"Because the island was destroyed in a strange way. Eradicated on an almost atomic level, and who do we know that has the plethora of quirks to leave no trace?"
"All For.." He paused. "Are you saying…?"
"And check out this little image, right here on the bottom corner, the civilian with the tall hair." He looked down, seeing familiar bangs that went up like a bunny as a blond man smiled with starry blue eyes.
"A young All Might?"
"Looked into everyone she was involved with, some guy named Gran Torino was my next source, and the only other person they had contact with regularly was a man named En."
"...En?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Just En. Because so much of his information was redacted or deleted, almost as if someone didn't want him found. Someone with power inside the government." She went on. "I mean it matches his obscure smokescreen power, but seriously? A man with a costume like this as his only image, a collar like BEST JEANIST!? I think not!!"
"Is there a point…"
"I'm getting there, I'm getting there!" She said with loony eyes. "Okay, so before him was a lone hero by the name of Lariat, someone that I confirmed met him a few times. He was a low time pro hero, but about ninety percent of his cases were against Villain Factory."
"That cheap trigger group a few years back with a bee girl taken down by a couple vigilantes?"
"The very same! It's been around for almost a century! Which is what leads me to the last name I was able to scramble, Hikagi Shinomore. And the three most interesting things about him was firstly, he was a recluse that rarely went out of the woods." Didn't see why that was interesting. "Second, he died of old age at the ripe old age of fourty!"
"Old age at forty?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No doctor can explain it! And lastly, most importantly, he had a connection to a rebel group … that was around during the chaos age of quirks." She growled. "And I can't get anything on anything back then because, as stated, it was an age of unbroadcasted chaos!"
"Okay, not that this isn't an….interesting history lesson, but is there actually a point to listing off the names of nobodies history practically forgot about.."
"Because they're not nobodies! Oh no, no, they're probably the most important people in history!" Curious looked at the chart with each photo, starting from Hikage and ending with Suzuki. "However, I'm at the end." She stabbed the board with violence, before taking a deep breath. "I need a lead … the most important of leads that exists." She turned to him with an innocent smile. "Trumpet, I need a favor." He didn't like where this was going.
"I feel like I'm about to fall down a rabbit hole I won't be able to climb out of."
"It's nothing too crazy, I just need an interview." He waited, and waited.
"Why the fuck do you need me for an interview?"
"It's with All For One." Shit! That was the definition of crazy!
"Now, let's think about this rationally." The door was five meters to his left. If he could distract her, he might be able to make it. "Do you really think I have the power to do something like that?" Just need to make a break for it during her response.
"If you don't want people to see the valentines video, go for it."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure this goes off without a hitch!" He'd die a million deaths at the hands of Redestro before that gets leaked publicly. He said way too much whenever he was drunk.
==
"Well this is a bit of a predicament." Gentle calmly observed. "It seems that your name fits you quite well, Kettei." He spoke as his coat was hanging on an iron pillar.
"Thanks, I really wanted something that represents what I want to be." His fan nodded. "You dress really nice too. I think someone in the other hero class copied your look, except he has clocks."
"Well imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." He nodded. "Now then, if you don't mind. I'll be getting down now and making my escape. I am on a bit of a time table."
"Same here, I need to use a rope so I can hold up my sparkling classmate as he becomes a living disco ball with ice being punched across the room." … He would have paid tickets to see the context of that sentence. "But if I let you go, something bad might happen. You might not mean it, but I won't risk it." The lad got on all fours again and began circling every possible opening Gentle could've taken.
"My my, you truly are an animal in combat." He smiled as La Brava came in with the camera. "However, you are fighting against a gentleman, not some average criminal!" He began bouncing up and down, the steel beam following as he was shot up, now bouncing in three dimensions compared to the boy's two dimensional running.
"You never actually stole anything from the videos I saw, and Bakugo said the only thing you're doing wrong is using your quirk, which is a dumb law to begin with." Kettei leapt at him again, though Gentle matched his speed, using the momentum of rubberized metal to evade. "So you can just leave, nobody has to get hurt!" Nobody has to … ah right, a hero student! This would be a bit dirty, but for his goal to be necessary.
After noticing a man, and preparing a 'net' of sorts, Gentle landed on a beam, beginning to bounce it. "Shall I explain to you my quirk Kettei?"
"I mean you already did, you make stuff bounce and bend."
"Yes, but there is another fact, that I can not turn off what I use my quirk on, only time will return it to normal." The screws began to creak. "So if I were to bounce this, leaving everything that keeps it in place normal, it will fly off. And hit anyone below it."
Kettei turned to the ground, and noticed the civilian. "Don't do this. If you actually try to hurt someone like this, that will make you a bad guy."
"As I said, I am a Gentleman first and Foremost! I don't indulge in violence and kidnapping like the League of Villains. I simply wish for the world to know I am a master criminal." He let the steel beam fly off. "So I can trust a hero such as yourself to do the right thing!"
"I'm not trying to be a hero, I just want to be a good person!" Kettei rushed to the beam as it returned to its normal state, keeping the boy occupied as he held it above his head. "Damn it! I should've refilled my leftovers!"
"For the record!" Gentle spoke, grabbing a crane as La Brava joined him. "I put a bouncing pad under you, it wouldn't have hit him either way. Remember this Kettei, as the day you almost caught Gentle Criminal!" He slinged himself and his lovely assistant far. "Was I amazing?"
"Incredible. Sheer determination incarnate!" La Brava cheered. "I almost got worried for a second, it was so close!"
"Thank you, I must admit, the boy had moxy. He might have caught further if he had-" He was forced to create a barrier mid air, being shot downward from the dent it made. Would have been better to the alternative of being IMPALED BY A STEEL BEAM! "Spite, shit, he has spite!" Now this mission would be five times harder!
==
Eri huddled in a corner, away from the people. There were so many of them. Who knew what they would do, or what they thought of her. So many new faces. None of them were bird masked, but she couldn't take the chance. She couldn't get in the way if she wanted nobody to get hurt.
"It's alright, Eri." Lemillion crouched down near her corner. "This is where I go to school, so I know where you can find the friendliest and kindest people around here." He gave her a smile. "As long as you're right next to me, nothing bad will happen."
Right, he was a hero. She would be safe with him around. She held his hand as he took her through the large and imposing gates. Guys and girls were shouting about 'free octopus' and 'shoot a gun, win a prize'. Why would you reward someone for shooting a gun if you weren't a villain!?
"So scary…" People were going to hurt her and she would hurt them! "Where's Wolfman? His arms are safe." She looked up at Lemillion.
"He's with his class preparing a super big performance. We get to see some crazy awesome stuff we're sure will make you smile bright." He grinned at her. "Don't worry though, anyone you think will hurt you, I'll knock their socks clean off, you could almost say I have a knack for knocking." She stared at him. "That's called a pun, you see-"
"I know, it just wasn't funny." She forgot how to smile, she didn't forget what made her laugh.
"Ah…" That made him go silent for some reason. "Hey, look over there, Nejire!" He waved to the spiral blue lady that she saw after Wolfman fell asleep.
"Oh, it's the cute little girl. Hey there Eri, how are you doing? Is this place fun? Is everything super awesome? Do you want to go flying? Oh, how about swimming? I'm sure we can get the school to let you use the pool? Wait, do you know how to swim? Ooh, we can have swimming lessons if you don't." So loud and weird sounding!
"Don't overwhelm her too much, Nejire, she's still getting used to meeting people." Yes, she's still on 'how are you doing' after the hundreds of questions the girl asked.
"Nejire, slow down!" Another girl shouted. "You might ruin your dress! It took hours to get that right!"
"Sorry Yuyu, but Eri's just such a cute and adorable little unicorn that I couldn't help myself!" Blue hair lady giggled. "I just want to gobble her right up!"
"She wants to eat me!?" She hid behind Lemillion.
"Dang it Nejire, use context clues." Lemillion sighed, leaning down to pick her up. "Now then, I'm going to take her somewhere calm and relaxing, like caramel apples." Oh yes, the best apples!
"Oh, I don't think they're serving any this year." The other girl said. "Apparently they triggered an allergy, so no apples are being sold within UA." … Lemillion lied? What else has he lied to her about? Was this place safe? Was Wolfman even here? Was she never going to smile again?
Was she a cursed girl just like everyone said she was?
==
Iruma tried his best not to get angry, he really did. Gentle Criminal seemed like a nice and cool guy with a smart brain, but he was really, really, REALLY pushing a few buttons he didn't know he had. It wasn't the same level of spite that he had with Nighteye and Overhaul, but it was getting close!
Even then, in a normal situation, he would have hesitated to throw something heavy at the pair, but that's where planning ahead came in. Gentle Criminal could make air bouncy to protect himself, so as long as he saw the beam coming, he would be safe. Now for part two of his amazing plan. If it's still bouncy even if Gentle wants to stop it, that means if Iruma decides to use it as a springboard, like he was now, he could get even more speed!
"Rocket man, Rubber Bullet!" Using Finger Pistol, he shot himself at one of Gentle's air patches, which flung himself right into the not-really bad guys, allowing Iruma to pin the two down by their backs. "Please…Please…stop this right now." He begged. "There are people who need this festival right now. There are people who need to smile!"
"Gentle …" The girl looked over to her partner. "It seems we need to use our trump card." She let out a teary smile.
"La Brava … are you sure?" Gentle asked. "We promised to only use that against pro heroes."
"I'm sure … I love you." He was waiting for whatever they planned, until Gentle started pushing himself up. Even with a solid twenty percent pushing against man, the criminal pushed harder.
"Do you know what happens when two gentlemen have different dreams?" The man shouted, standing with enough force to send Iruma flying back into a tree. Was this her quirk? Power up others like One For All powered him up? "They fight to the bitter end."
"I told you, fighting is just counter intuitive. We'll just be hurting each other for no reason." Iruma spoke, standing back up and getting into position.
"It is not a matter of power, it is not a matter of fun, and it is not a matter of reason! it is a matter of honor that can only be fulfilled by the determination of two men clashing!" He shouted. "I want something, you want the opposite. We may agree to a lesson or meet halfway at some future point, but right here and now our goals and determination, our love and passion, clash horrendously and violently!"
Iruma suddenly saw the man disappear within a blur, only to be struck back into a tree with Gentle holding his partner in his arms. "Ack!"
"I abhor violence, I truly do, but I won't allow anyone to get in the way of what I need to accomplish." The man held his partner close, the girl looking so safe and secure in his arms. Iruma suddenly got a brief memory flash of when he held Eri.
"You're fighting for someone. I get that. I really do." He forced himself back on all fours. "Disappointing them is the last thing you'd ever want." He let One For All flow all throughout his body. "So trust me when I say when this is going to hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you." The time for negotiations was over. Now was the time for … being a hero. Wow, that hurt a lot more than he thought it would.