Chapter 2: Tusk Act 1
"Aaargh!" a vicious roar echoed out of a one-lane street, half on fire, buildings torn inside out, and the pavement cracked apart and heaved into many different angles as if an earthquake had just passed by. And standing in the middle of the street was a young blonde haired youth almost covered completely head to toe in murky sludge. Explosion after explosion blasted out of the boy's hands as he continued on with his devastation, but it was not by his choice. Rather it was the sludge creature, the thing that now possessed his body, who danced him around like a puppet.
People were screaming for their lives as they ran in different directions while those who were too slow were forced to endure the brunt of the boy's awesome power. Thankfully heroes had arrived to prevent any deaths from happening, carefully pulling civilians out of fires or under slabs of pavement. Yet despite their combined efforts, they couldn't do a thing about the boy who was being held hostage inside his own body.
"A single-lane street? I can't get in there!" Mount Lady, a new giant sized hero who just recently made her debut, declared as she carefully stepped around the civilians who gathered around the protective ring of policemen who blocked off the entryway into the street.
"Explosive fires are my weakness!" Kamui Woods exclaimed as he carried two junior high school students and a young lady out of the danger zone. "Someone else has to take this one!"
"Thanks, but I got my hands full too!" yelled out Backdraft as he blasted a torrent of water at roaring flames spreading out into the street. "Where are the firefighters? How's it looking over there!?"
"He's too slippery to get ahold of!" Deathgoro answered as he jumped back from another vicious blast from the vile villain, using his hostage's powerful Quirk to its fullest effect. "But his hostage with the explosive Quirk is resisting! It's like a minefield out here, but we can't do anything against him!"
As to emphasize his point, the sludge monster villain let loose a barrage of explosive blasts, causing debris and hot pavement to shoot out in all directions. More buildings caught fire and some even had portions of their walls burst apart as the carnage continued. The heroes manages to shield the populace behind them with their bodies and Quirks, keeping the already incredible damage down to a minimum. Yet as every second passed by, the explosions became more powerful and more precise in their aiming. The boy's resistance was starting to falter as the vile creature gained more control over his body.
"No good!" said Kamui Woods as he went back into save more people. "There's no one here who can stop him!"
"Just gotta wait for someone with the right Quirk to show up!" a hero with a beak like mask shouted out as he dodged a slimy tentacle aimed for his head.
"Until then, keep the damage to a minimum, someone'll come!" Backdraft said as continued to control the spread of the fire.
"We need that kid to hold on just a bit longer!" one of the Backdraft's sidekicks said as he carefully lifted debris out of the way so more civilians could flee out of the street.
"Shoot!" Deathgoro thought furiously to himself as he clenched a fist in rage. "If only I had the power to blow him away!"
While the heroes tried to figure out what to do and save the young hostage without hurting him, the crowd that had gathered cheered on without a care in the world. "Some sort of hardcore villain?!" a black haired youth said he watched the fight intensely.
"Go get him, heroes!" a young lady yelled out encouragingly followed by more enthusiastic shouts by the crowd.
Yet one person didn't join in the cheers. Instead he wheezed heavily, clutching at the left side of his chest as he stared in complete horror at what he was seeing. "I lost track of time!" the skeletal true form of the greatest hero of all time, the Symbol of Peace, All Might, thought furiously to himself as his eyes were still glued to the carnage in front of him. "Dealing with that fan led to this! Pathetic…" He squeezed his old wound painfully as he could nothing but watch the fight play out like a mere bystander. "Pathetic!"
Midoriya let out a depressing sigh as he walked down a street aimlessly, holding his burnt hero-notebook in his hands. He'd been wandering for some time now, not paying attention where he was heading, as he simply let his mind play back the crushing words that haunted him for a while now.
"You need to be realistic."
"Even as a third-year, he still can't face reality."
"It's time to start thinking seriously about your futures!"
It had been only a day since his encounter with a villain and yet things seemed to only take a turn for the worst. First he was laughed at by his classmates and even his teacher when they found out that he tried to play hero and save a stranger's life. Then his childhood friend partially burned his research notes without a care in the world. Then he got attacked and almost killed by a sludge monster before finally he met his favorite heroic idol, whom signed his notebook, much to his initial delight, and told him that he needed to be realistic about his goals. He was, at first, a little disturbed about All Might's true form and the circumstances behind it, but his words, though polite and kind, had replaced all thought in his mind as they officially crushed whatever spark his dreams had left.
"Even… the best of the best said it…" the fanboy muttered out as he wiped unshed tears from his eyes. "Don't cry! You already knew, right? This is reality… It's because I knew… that I tried so damn hard… So hard not to see. Too ignore real—"
"…Thank you for saving me."
Midoriya stopped in his tracks as his mind flashed back to the young American from the day prior. While his efforts had only led to his own capture by the rock-skinned villain, he still had saved Johnny Joestar's life. Though he didn't really feel like he contributed much, heck, Gyro was the real hero in the end, the cripple still thanked him. For a moment, the boy felt the rising despair he felt diminish a bit, but suddenly his mind wandered back to what else the young foreigner had said. Specifically how he was going to ride a horse again and learn Gyro's ability by becoming a hero. It was a desperate plea to be sure and Midoriya would have thought that Johnny was like him, denying reality in order to feel better about their pathetic, Quirkless existence, but the look in Johnny's eyes made him pause.
Seeing the determination, an iron resolve that wouldn't back down from a challenge, in his eyes made the curly haired youth wonder if perhaps he too could follow his dream, to become the greatest hero like All Might. If someone who was literally in a worst position than himself could show such resolve despite impossible odds, then why couldn't he?
Yet before he could answer his question, a loud explosion roared across the street from where Midoriya stood, snapping himself out his thoughts as he turned to see a huge crowd around an entrance to a one-lane street. Apparently there was another Hero vs. Villain fight happening. "I'm so used to gawking…" he muttered to himself. "Just stop it. I'll just make myself feel like a loser." Despite the despair once again gaining ground within his being, Midoriya walked over anyway, but paused mid-step when he spotted something beyond crowd.
It was the sludge monster who attacked him earlier!
Pushing up against the crowd, Midoriya couldn't believe what he was seeing. How did that villain escape All Might? Suddenly dread started to well up in his soul as realization dawned upon him. "This is my fault!" Midoriya exclaimed, his eyes widened in horror, but no one seemed to pay him any attention at the moment.
"Why're the heroes just standing there?" a middle-aged man asked impatiently, causing the curly haired boy to blink.
"Seems the villain grabbed a middle-schooler," answered a younger man with black hair.
"Grabbed…?" Midoriya thought silently as he covered his mouth in horror as he remembered all too well what the villain did to him not too long ago. "So he's enduring the same pain?! Unbelievable…"
"Hey, isn't that the villain All Might was chasing?" asked a bystander.
"All Might?!" a man with sharp teeth gasped excitedly. "No way! He's really here?!"
"I saw him earlier," answered a girl with her haired tied into a bun.
"Then what's All Might doing?!" demanded a salaryman. "I want to see him fight!"
Even as the crowd grew more anxious about the lack of the world's best hero, Midoriya could only feel more despair crushing down on him. "It's my fault that All Might can't do anything at the moment!" The poor boy wailed internally as he remembered that All Might's limit had run up only minutes ago. "This guy can't be caught. We have to wait for someone with the right Quirk to show up!" He then spotted the sludge-possessed youth passed the crowd, flailing madly around as he tried to resist the villain's control. "Hang in there… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Someone will come to save you soon… A hero's bound to come…"
Suddenly the possessed middle-schooler turned towards the crowd, giving everyone a good look at his face and Midoriya's eyes were bulging as he spotted a familiar wild, ash-blonde hair.
It was Katsuki Bakugo, otherwise known as Kacchan to Midoriya. And he had tears in his eyes as the sludge monster engulfed the entirety of his mouth. For a moment, Midoriya's mind flashback to Johnny Joestar, how his own expression looked just like Kacchan's.
Before he knew it, he was dashing past the crowd, the police, and the heroes keeping their distance from the villain and his hostage, shocking everyone who was watching the fight.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU FOOL! STOP!" Everyone yelled out as they couldn't believe what just happened as much as the curly haired youth did. The heroes tried to jump after him, but they were too slow to react as Midoriya was already half way towards the sludge monster.
"It's that kid!" exclaimed All Might as he was stunned, more so than anyone else, at seeing the fanboy he just met rushing forward while everyone else continue to keep their distance.
"You!" yelled out the sludge villain, as he turned to fully face the charging youth.
"Deku?" Bakugo's eyes widened in surprise as he continued to struggle against his captor.
Yet Midoriya paid none of them any heed as time seemed to slow down as he continued to run headlong into danger. "Why am I running?" he thought in shock as his feet practically skipped off the ground. "What am I doing? Why!?" It was just like before, when he saw Johnny being attacked by that rock-skinned villain, his body moved on its own before he could comprehend a single thing. Was it impulse? No, that it wasn't it. If that were the case, then he would have fled in the opposite direction the moment he saw the villain.
"You're dead," the sludge villain said simply as he pulled back his slimy, tentacle-like appendages, ready to strike down the would-be hero.
"Eep!" Midoriya tried to think of what a hero would do in a situation like this. Suddenly the image of his research notes flooded his mind and a plan started to form. Quickly slipping off his backpack midstride, the curly haired youth threw it at the sludge monster.
For a moment, the sludge monster hesitated as the backpack flew right at him, its contents flying out of it and slamming right into the dark murky goo that covered Bakugo. Just like Kamui Wood's own Quirk, the villain's power was weak against multiple objects attacking it at the same time. This gave Midoriya the opportunity he needed to jump up and latch onto his childhood friend's sludge-covered form. Without wasting any time, he clawed at the grimy slime, tearing off chunks and flinging them aside. "Kacchan!" he yelled out before he managed to clear the sludge from explosive boy's mouth.
"You!" Bakugo exclaimed before inhaling as much air as he could. "Why?!"
"My legs just started moving!" answered Midoriya, his voice carrying over to the crowd behind him. "Why? I dunno!" There were a number of reasons for why, of course. Some which he blamed himself for. But at that moment, the black and green haired boy had only one true answer. "You… You liked you needed saving!" Though tears started to fill his eyes and his body shook in fear, Midoriya still forced a smile to grow on his face.
Back among the ground, the bystanders continued to look on as if the kid was crazy, some of which yelled at him for his reckless behavior and endangering Bakugo, but All Might had a very different response. He had heard the fanboy's words and a fire burned within his chest, clutching it with a hand as he continued watch the kid risk his life while he sat on the side lines.
"Just a bit longer," the villain roared out as he raised a hand, which grew in size till it was a least as big as Midoriya before swinging it at him. "So stop getting in my way!"
"Does he have a death wish?! He'll die for nothing!" Deathgoro exclaimed as he and his comrades tried to rush in and save the fanboy. Yet as fast as they were, none of them could reach the boy in time.
Seeing the gooey hand coming straight at him, Midoriya closed his eyes and braced for the impact. But it never came. Instead he felt something grasp his arm in a firm grip.
Blinking his eyes open, he saw All Might standing before the villain in his powerful, muscular form, his left hand grasped around both Midoriya's and Bakugo's arms, as steam fumed off his body in heavy wisps. To say the fanboy was shocked to see his favorite hero once again and defying the limit his body had with a strained smile would have been an understatement. "The lesson I left you with…" All Might said as he clenched his right hand into a fist. "I should practice what I preach!" He then raised his fist high into the sky, every muscle and vein on his body bulging against the skin as blood spurted out of his mouth. "A pro should always be ready to risk his life!"
"Detroit…..! SMASH!" Like a raging comet, All Might slammed his fist into the ground, causing a thunderous shockwave to blast apart the sludge monster. Puddles of sludge flew everywhere while Midoriya and Bakugo were flung around in the greatest hero's grip. So powerful was the air current, it blasted the heroes, policemen, and the bystanders to fall onto their backs as a hush fell over the once explosive atmosphere.
Standing in the middle of the street was All Might, with the two middle-schoolers limp in his grasp, as the first drops of rain started to fall down from heavens above. It was an incredible sight and the once calm silence was soon replaced with thunderous cheers from the crowd. "He changed the weather with a single punch! Amazing. That's the power… of ALL MIGHT!" They roared out while the heroes, finally out of the awed stupor they found themselves in, quickly started to pick up the gooey remains of the knocked out sludge monster.
Yet All Might paid the cheers or the heroes any heed. Instead he remained silent as he turned his head towards the barely conscious, curly haired youth, whom he gently let go from his grasp along with his friend. This boy… there was no mistake of it. He was the one he was looking for all this time…
"Ok, now carefully lean your body along with your horse," Gyro instructed atop of his treasured Valkyrie as he watched his student carefully ride his horse, Slow Dancer he called it, around the pen they rented out. Ever since yesterday, the young cripple did nothing but ride his horse from morning till noon until his body fell off the saddle due to exhaustion. His leg injury was quickly treated by both the blonde haired jockey and the two stable hands, who lost their previous mirth they had for him, instead their expressions were replaced with ones of admiration. For the rest of the evening he rested up and let himself recover before returning to the ranch the next day. "Don't let your body stay stiff or still, move it along your horse. Rotate with him and always keep that motion."
"Thanks, Gyro, it's like I never ridden a horse before," Johnny said dryly, but followed the Italian's advice none the less.
"Well in your current condition, it's different from how you used to ride. Don't want you to throw yourself off your horse when you're making a turn."
"I'm pretty sure that I can manage." And that was the simple truth. Despite Gyro's initial worries, Johnny still was a genius jockey who managed to ride Slow Dancer well enough so far. Though mainly he was just riding in circles at different paces at the moment, getting a good feel of how his horse ran, its habits, and everything else about it. After all, he didn't want to get flung off his saddle in case Slow Dancer decided to go wild again. "I rather be focusing on how to learn your Spin though. You only gave me one lesson and I quote, 'Don't get any foolish expectations'."
"Hmph. Well, since you are feeling pretty lively, why don't we move on to the next stage?"
For a moment, Johnny blinked at Gyro. Was it finally time to start his true training? A confident smile crept onto his face as he stopped his horse right in front of the Italian. "Of course. I'll show you what I can really do!"
"Good!" Gyro then grasped ahold of his left wrist before rotating the hand around in a circular fashion. "Lesson two is 'To work those muscles'!" Johnny blinked, but his gaze grew intent as he focused on the movement of the blonde haired youth's muscles along his wrist. "You ready? For example, if I grasp my wrist like this, holding it tightly, the muscles automatically know to bend. The flesh instinctively protects the body by wounding the muscle. And that's nature for you."
He then let go of his wrist before grapping one of his steel balls and pressed it into his left arm. Holding it firmly, the green sphere started to spin and with it, the flesh underneath rotated alongside it. "The steel ball won't let you do that. Only on the skin. Control the skin! If the skin is under an unusual situation, the muscle won't act upon it." He holstered the steel ball before grabbing something from his pocket and hurled it Johnny. The American's reaction was instantaneous, his hand catching the small object before it could hit his face. Looking down he saw it was small cork, probably from a bottle of wine. "I got that from a going away party I went to last night. My jockey friends wanted to celebrate my last official race before I start preparing for U.A. in ten months. At any rate, wanna give the spin a try? If you're not scared that is… The cork is already revolving. Try placing it on the right side of the base of your horse's neck. Just be ready for what will happen next."
Blinking at his words, Johnny did a double take at the little cap in his hand and was surprised to see that it actually was rotating. Though he was amazed by the sight, Johnny quickly got to work before the spinning died a way. Carefully, he leaned down to place cork against Slow Dancer's neck, the appaloosa nickering at the strange sensation, before the flesh immediately started to twist backwards. While he didn't know what to suspect from the action and braced himself for anything, he was still taken back when his horse's entire body shifted causing him to fall over the side. Yet before he could hit the ground, Slow Dancer's right leg bent back upwards and gently caught its owner before letting Johnny roll safely off onto his front.
The American looked up in awe at what just happened while Gyro merely laughed as he slowly got off Valkyrie, though in a more normal fashion than his student did. "That's how you get off a horse. The horse's muscles isn't acting upon it. It won't let it do that. Even if you don't have a weapon, the spinning strength is your weapon." Suddenly the Italian blinked as he placed a finger to his chin as he bent himself forward till he crotched down beside Johnny. "That reminds me… we need to think of how you're going to get into U.A. They only take the cream of the crop for their hero courses and I would lose any credibility I have as a teacher if my student didn't get in alongside me."
Johnny snorted at that, but did admit that Gyro had a good point. From what he read about U.A., it was the best school in the world for creating heroes. Anyone who succeeds in there basically is set for life in whatever department of the hero business they specialized in. "Hmph. Don't worry, I'll get in alright. With the spin, I'll climb to the top one way or another."
"Nyohoho! That's good, but there is a bit more to it than just getting into U.A." Gyro grinned, revealing his grills, as Johnny blinked at him. "Despite how difficult it is to get in, that is the easy part. The really super hard and dangerous things you got to worry about… are designing your hero costume and thinking about your hero name!"
"…" The American's expression was completely blank as he stared at the blonde haired jockey. "Jeeze, when you put it like that, it looks like that is my only real major concern about attending a school filled with people who have incredible super powers and have to compete with them."
"I know right? What's more, we have to submit all this information and the designs before we even attend school. Talk about charging you everything, but the kitchen sink, and then providing no warranty if we fail to get in." He then let out a laugh as if he made a hilarious joke. Johnny, however, only gave him a completely blank stare.
"Ha, ha, ha. That was an incredibly funny joke, Gyro," he said dryly, but the Italian only looked pleased as soon as he heard Johnny's words.
"Heh, ain't it, though?" He let out another laugh before standing up and walked over to grab Johnny's wheelchair. "Come on, we'll talk more about the costumes when we head into town."
"Why do we need to head into town?" asked Johnny as he climbed up onto his chair as soon as Gyro pushed it over. "Aren't we going to continue practicing?"
"We are, but open spaces can only do so much for you and I don't know how the entrance exam for U.A. will go down. So it's better to be prepared for anything than walking around with your pants down. Besides, this will be a good exercise for you to get used to lesson two. Nyo Ho Ho!"
"Whatever, let's just get going already."
"That's the spirit, Johnny. You'll be a hero in no time with that attitude!"
The city of Musutafu was still bustling with people, either moving around quickly for something important related to their jobs or simply idling around and enjoying the sights. Though both the young horse racers could tell that the crowds around certain streets they passed were thinned or just plain empty. From what they could gather, there was apparently another villain attack somewhere east from they were and everyone went to go watch the heroes beat the crap out of the villain who disturbed the peace.
"You would think that they have better things to do than go see people kick the shit out of each other," commented Johnny as he watched yet another group of people run passed him, just barely avoiding his wheelchair as he rolled down the sidewalk alongside Gyro. "Actually a better question is, why would anyone be stupid enough to cause trouble if the rumors of All Might being in town are true?"
"There are plenty of weirdos out there, Johnny, some of which can't control themselves when they cause mischief," Gyro shrugged before revealing his grills. "Besides, I bet the villains are doing this just to get All Might's autograph."
"Yeah and he'll charge them one punch in the face at a time."
"Nyohoho! Look at it this way, if we do run into a hero vs. villain fight, we can at least get a few pointers on how heroic teamwork works. Or better yet, we run into All Might and maybe we can get tips on how to become better heroes in the making." The Italian let out another laugh before turning toward Johnny. "At any rate, this looks like a good spot as any for you learn how to properly use the spin."
The American raised an eyebrow at that, his eyes looking left and right to see just a normal street with barely anyone it. "I still think we could have done this at the ranch…"
"Ah, but then there wouldn't be any distractions to stop you now, would there? Sometimes it's best to learn with stuff that might otherwise disrupt your concentration in order gain a heightened focus… You still have that Cork I gave you, right?" Johnny nodded before taking out the cork from his pocket. "Good. Now the first thing you need to know about the spin is that you need an image of it. An image in your mind of a rotation that constantly spinning. Yet that isn't all. For most people they need to visualize something in that rotation, spinning with it." He then unhooked one of his steel balls from his holster before holding it in the center of his palm. "For me, it was the spinning of a ball—this ball in particular. You can use that image if you wish, but I think you should make one of your own."
Johnny stared at Gyro for a moment before turning his attention to the cork in his hand. "An image, huh…?" Just what kind image would fit with a rotation? Suddenly his eyes widened as he realized just the image he was looking for. A picture of a dancing ballet dancer floating and spinning just like a leaf on the wind. Yet creating it in his mind was the difficult part.
True to Gyro's words, there were plenty of distractions that disturbed the image he was forming. The sound of cars moving up and down the street. The light hum that came from a bright neon sign nearby. Even the soft caress of a breeze intruded on his thoughts. Yet the American was determined. He wouldn't be bested by such simple things.
Closing his eyes for a moment, the crippled youth concentrated intensely until he felt something twitch in his hand. Blinking, Johnny saw the cork moving slightly. Awed at the sight, he cupped his hands together and the rotating plug started spinning wildly in his hand. He had done it! "It's… spinning, Gyro!" He let out a victorious laugh at his accomplishment, but it was quickly silenced when the cork soon got out control. Bouncing up and down his hands, it traveled up his left arm before shooting onto the sidewalk as if were a rock flung from a sling.
Blinking in astonishment, Johnny looked down at his hands for a moment before letting a grin cross his lips. "I can do it… even for a split second, I can get it spin! Did you see, Gyro? I made it spin!" He looked up only for his grin to become a flat line as he noticed that his mentor was examining at a pair of Gucci boots behind a store window. "You weren't watching, were you? Why weren't you watching?! It was great! I got the cork to spin and everything!"
"Why do I have to watch? It's not like you need me to confirm if you spun it or not…" He took one last glance at the nice looking boots, before turning to Johnny. "You really did it, huh? Well do it again, then. You only touched the Spin's potential, now you need to refine it."
Johnny gave the Italian a simple nod before wheeling himself over to where the cork had landed, which was about twenty feet from where they were. When he finally reached the little plug, bending down to pick it up, the cripple felt something slam into his wheelchair, knocking him over to the side. "What the hell?" Johnny yelled. As he pushed himself up, the American saw a chubby looking salaryman lying down beside him with several large, brown packages scattered all over the sidewalk. "Watch where you're going, you ass!"
The fat man blinked before panic started to stretch across his face. With surprising agility, he jumped to his feet and quickly started to pick up each box that he dropped. "I have no time for talk," he said as he stacked each box till he could barely see straight. "I'm terribly late! Oh so late!" With that said the man fled up the street, leaving a fuming Johnny still on the cold floor.
"Get back here and apologize!" Yet the man was already far away before taking a turn down another street, once again surprising Johnny with how quick a man of his girth could be.
"What the hell was that all about?" Gyro asked as he gazed at where the salaryman fled to. "He seemed to be in awful hurry for something."
"Probably forgot his wife's anniversary and is buying a shit ton of stuff so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch…" Johnny grumbled as he turned back to his chair and started to crawl towards it. Yet he paused midway when he noticed something underneath his wheelchair. It was a small, brown package with a huge tear running along its side. Apparently the jerk forgot one of his gifts before he had left. Yet as he examined it closer, there was a golden gleam coming from within it. Curious, the American pulled the thing out from under his chair before tearing the rest of brown wrapping off.
It was a golden arrowhead with a spade-like hole in the middle of its center.
Blinking in surprise, Johnny held the arrowhead in his right hand, careful not to grab the sharp ends. There wasn't a hint of any scratches on it nor did look old, but the cripple felt like that there was something odd about. Never the less, the thing must have been worth a small fortune. Yet that raised the question, why did a simple salaryman have something like this?
"Hey, did you find something, Johnny?" Gyro asked as he walked over to his pupil.
"Yeah," answered Johnny, turning his head to meet the jockey's gaze. "This was in a package that guy left behind."
Gyro gave him an amused smile. "You know, it's considered impolite to tear open another man's gift."
"Call it compensation for knocking me over. Besides, if he really wanted it then he should have—OWW!" Johnny cried out as he suddenly felt something pierce his left arm. Turning back he saw the arrow digging into his flesh. "What the hell?!" Why was the arrowhead in his arm?! He was sure he had it in a firm grip within his right hand. When did it escape his grasp? Or better yet, how did it impale itself into his arm?
"That's what you get for not paying attention when you're handling sharp objects," chided Gyro as he bent down to examine the damage down to the cripple's arm.
"It's not like I was trying stabbed myself intentionally… fuck, it stings." He also felt a strange, tingling sensation coming from the arrowhead, but the youth thought that was merely the pain getting worse. Johnny then let out a grunt as Gyro grasped his arm, before yanking the arrowhead with one swift motion. Gritting his teeth to hold down a yelp, he quickly covered up his wound with his right hand before too much blood leaked out while the Italian tore off a piece of cloth from his cape. "What I want to know—Ugh!—is how the hell it escaped my grasp…"
"Maybe it slipped out your fingers," Gyro speculated as he wrapped the brown cloth tightly around Johnny's gash.
"Gyro, do I look clumsy to you? If I can hold onto a stirrup without getting my neck broken by Slow Dancer, then I sure as hell can hold onto a simple arrowhead."
"Yeah, well, what's done is done." Gyro then finished tying the knot for the makeshift bandage before helping the American onto his wheelchair. "Just don't make any sudden moves with your arm until we get back to the ranch so I can stich you up properly." His gaze then turned towards the now bloody arrowhead that sat on the ground beside him and Johnny. "Still, it's a sharp, little sucker… Why would anyone carry it in a small wrapped package instead of a protective case or something?"
Johnny leaned down from his wheelchair and grabbed ahold of the arrowhead again, this time making sure it was firmly grasped in his hand with no way for it to slip out of his fingers. "Either way, I'm sure it will cover my medical bi—!"
"Oh where the hell is it?!" An anxious voice called from behind the two youths. Turing their heads, they saw that it was the same fat salaryman who ran into Johnny. He was currently going up and down the street frantically as if he were searching from something, ignoring the two horse riders. "If I don't get it back… I'm going be in deep shit…" He then blinked when he finally became aware of Johnny and Gyro who stared directly at him. Yet his gaze soon traveled downward until his eyes grew wide as he spotted the arrowhead in Johnny's hand. "You! You have the arrowhead! And it has blood on it… oh crap… oh crap… Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" He then grabbed his head as started to shake uncontrollably.
"Hey, chill out man before you have a heart attack from sheer stress," Gyro told the chubby man, but he barely paid any heed to the Italian, as he now grasped his hair, pulling it till it threaten to tear off his head.
"If there is blood, then that can only mean one thing… The boss is going to be furious… but I can fix this… yeah, I can fix this…" He suddenly let go of his hair before fixing his gaze on the two youths, who were getting a little uncomfortable at the weirdo's sudden mood swings. His expression was utterly calm and his eyes held a harden steel in them as his licked his lips. "I can fix this…"
It was in that moment that Johnny felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as a menacing aura filled the air between him and the salaryman. His eyes briefly flickered to the side, before blinking in surprise when he realized that other than Gyro and himself, the fat man was the only person in the street. Everyone else was either in doors or had left to go watch the heroes fight against the villain in the east part of the city. His mistake, however, was taking his eyes off the salaryman.
Before he could return his gaze to the chubby weirdo, the business man was already halfway down the street. Johnny barely had a moment to widen his eyes as a steel knife raced for his face. Yet before the dagger could reach its target, the cripple's wheelchair was pulled back by Gyro, whose free hand quickly unhooked a steel ball from its holster.
Like a bullet, the green sphere flew across the sidewalk, aiming to smash into the man's chubby face. However, the salaryman continue to stun the two youths as he merely leaned his head to side while never losing his pace as he was now a mere ten feet away from them. Letting out a low curse, the Italian jockey grabbed ahold of his other steel ball before blocking another knife aimed for his neck. "Get out of here, Johnny!" Gyro ordered as the knife fell to the floor with a clatter while catching his other steel ball after as it came back to its owner. As he did this, the salaryman did an impressive backflip and put some distance away from the blonde haired youth.
"Your Quirk is rather strange…" said the fat man, placing a hand on his hip while crouching down low. "But I will fix this…"
"Dude, how we talk this out over a bowl of spaghetti?" Gyro barely had time to finish his sentence as the villain made his move. The fat man pulled back a hand before shooting it forth into the air, the fist separating from the rest of the arm. The Italian narrowed his eyes at the flying fist that rushed for his face before jumping to the side and into the street itself. "Thank god that there isn't any traffic today otherwise I would be a cartoony pancake right about now…" Yet Gyro wasn't allowed a moment to catch his breath as another hand came right for his side, a cruel looking meat hook held tightly in its grasp. "Where the hell you get this stuff anyway?!"
The villain didn't answer as his hand continue to glide towards the youth's unprotected side with his Separation Quirk. Yet he blinked in surprise when the Italian threw his remaining steel ball into the pavement. The metallic sphere dug into the street like it was soft dirt, kicking up chunks of concrete up and smacking the hand back, causing it to drop the hook. The fat man let out a cry of pain as he held up a stump of an arm, apparently he could still feel pain even when his hand was disconnected from him.
As for Johnny, he hadn't fled as per Gyro's instructions. Instead he watched the fight between his mentor and the crazy, fat man in stunned silence. Just what the hell was going on? Why would the chubby salaryman be willing to attack the both of them with the intention to kill? Was the arrowhead in his hand really that important? Yet his thoughts were soon disrupted when he noticed something creeping along the street. "His other hand is coming from your left, Gyro!"
The horse jockey immediately spun his head to where the hand was, a steel ball at the ready. Yet he let out a sudden grunt as the other hand, the one his he thought he dealt with, smashed against his cheek. The thing felt like a thrown brick and Gyro tasted a bit of blood within his mouth as he stumbled back a step. His troubles, however, were only getting worse as the creeping hand that distracted him flew at his throat before grasping it tightly.
Letting out a choked gasp, Gyro raised a steel ball to the hand at his throat before using the spin to relax the muscles in the floating appendage. However he didn't pay attention to the other hand as it once again smashed into his face, causing him to stumble another step until his back hit a railing. The street they were on was a higher terrace of a small hill, with the lower terrace being was about fifteen feet apart from each other. The Italian's eyes widened as he realized exactly what the villain was planning, but it was too late as both floating hands pushed him over the side.
"Gyro!" Johnny exclaimed as he watched the blonde haired youth fall over the other side. "No… No, no, no!" If he was dead then his bright hope of walking again was extinguished. Tears started to build up in his eyes, but he paused when he noticed the villainous salaryman staring directly at him now. A cold sweat started to form on his brow as the floating hands returned to their owner with each of them holding the knife and the meat hook he dropped earlier.
"You're next…" said the fat man, taking a menacing step forward. Panicking at the sight, Johnny grabbed ahold of the wheels of his chair before rolling himself back as quick as he could. Thankfully, since he was on the peak of the hill, his wheelchair was able to gain speed rather quickly, though not by much as the hill's angle wasn't very steep to begin with. However he couldn't see where he was going and the villain was already chasing to after him.
Suddenly Johnny heard a loud rip just below him and looked down to see a knife sticking out of the cushion of his seat, just barely missing his crotch. "Holy fuck!" he exclaimed before putting all his strength into rolling away from the villain, who pulled out a small mallet from his coat. The young American didn't have much of a plan other than trying to reach the end of the street and hoping that someone, anyone, could help him out. Yet it was the best he could come up with at the moment.
Johnny then heard a growing whistling sound in the air, causing him to look up just as the fat man's meat hook came sailing at him. Reacting without any thought, Johnny jerked his body to side just as the cruel looking weapon flew past his head, missing his ear by a thread before impeding itself into a nearby mailbox. Yet the sudden shift from the youth caused the wheelchair to spurn wildly out of control until it tipped over, throwing Johnny out into the street. Letting out a pained grunt, Johnny pushed himself up before noticing the fat salaryman standing in front of him. "I can fix this…" he said before raising the small mallet high above Johnny's head.
For a moment, Johnny thought this was the end. His dreams and hopes gone forever as some random lunatic was going to cave his skull in. Suddenly he caught a glint metal from the corner of his eye. It was the arrowhead. Apparently he still had it on him when he was trying to escape. Seeing that there were no other options, the crippled youth grabbed ahold of the gold-colored arrowhead and threw it at the man's face.
Blinking in surprise, the villain slammed the mallet down at the arrowhead, which shattered upon impact. As the pieces scattered all across the street, miraculously missing Johnny, the fat man's eyes widen in sheer horror as he realized just what he had done. "Noooooooo!" he exclaimed as he dropped his mallet before getting on his knees to pick up the tiny fragments from the arrowhead. "This can't be happening! The boss is going to kill me! I'm so dead. Oh fuck, I'm so DEAD!"
As the man continued to panic wildly, Johnny realized that this was his best chance to escape while he could. Slowly he crawled towards his fallen wheelchair, but unfortunately for the youth, the fat villain turned furiously to face him. "You! This is all your fault! Because of you, I'm fucked!" The chubby salaryman then licked his lips as if he were a predator about to finish off his prey. "But if I'm going down… so are you!"
He took a menacing step forward, both of his hands separating from his harm once more, and Johnny turned himself over and braced for the pain he was about receive. Yet the villain stopped mid-step as his eyes widened considerably, confusing the American.
"Why does he look so shocked?" Johnny thought silently as he was at the villain's mercy, but for some reason the fat man hesitated before he could finish him off. Suddenly the cripple felt something pulse from his left arm, causing him to look down. His eyes grew like saucers as he suddenly realized what astonished the villain.
Materializing and pushing past the makeshift bandages that wrapped around his arm was a small purple creature. It was about three feet tall and its head was about as big as the rest of his body. Its arms were short and inarticulate and had four little fingers on each of them, which were also arranged to look like a star, while its bottom half was a tail in place of legs. Alongside the tail was four stem-like appendages that had that heart-shaped fruit-like ends on each of them. Two big, floppy ears stuck out the side of its head. Dozens of yellow stars ran down its back and arms while one big star rested comfortably on its forehead, with a strange silver-colored antenna coming out its center and reached all the way to the tip of its nose. The nose itself looked like yellow metal horn that seemed bolted onto its face and the eyes it had were beady-looking and of a black and yellow stripped-colored pattern. There were eight small appendages sticking out of its head. Two just above the big yellow star and the rest going down the side its face until it reached the chin. If anything, the creature looked like a miniature elephant.
So shocked by the small being's sudden appearance, Johnny didn't know how to react even as it crawled up the side of his arm. Slowly it moved until it started to float the rest of the way. Hovering just above the right side of his face, Johnny watched as the little purple elephant-like creature lifted one hand to its horn. "Chumin~in!" it chimed in a sad tone before turning to jump down the American's body. Confused, Johnny cocked his head down as the strange miniature elephant examined his left boot.
"You…You acquired it…" The villain said in shock as fear laced his tone, causing Johnny to turn his head towards the fat bastard. "You gained a Stand!"
"What…?" What the hell was this lunatic talking about? A Stand? Before he could continue that line of thought, however, he saw the little purple elephant-like creature touch his boot. Suddenly something burst through the tip of his boot and shot right for the fat villain. The man didn't have time to even blink before his right cheek was torn apart while something impeded itself into his arm. As blood gushed out the hole in his cheek, the villain cried out in agony as he clutched at his face to stop the bleeding.
Awed by what he just saw, Johnny looked down where the little being still floated around his left foot and noticed that two of his toenails were missing. "My… My nails..." he muttered out, "they shot out… my nails shot out my lame foot!" Yet that wasn't all, he could have sworn he could feel something coming from his legs. That they moved, if only for a moment. He turned his head towards the little creature who now floated back to his face. Why was it helping him? That bastard said this thing was his "Stand", but what did that mean? Was it his power? It wasn't a Quirk like the fat salaryman had. If anything it felt almost like the Spin that Gyro was teaching him, but not exactly that either. Just what kind of power did he obtain anyway?
"You… You crippled bastard…" Johnny blinked before turning his attention back the villain who now held the small mallet he had dropped earlier in his left hand. "You're really screwing up my life, you know that? You may have obtained a Stand, but you are like a newborn, barely able to control it. While I have been practicing with my Quirk for years! There is no way you can beat me!" To emphasize his point, the hand that carried the mallet separated from his arm once more, but the other was forced to hold onto his cheek least his crimson essence started to leak out once more.
"Wanna bet?" Johnny said as he pushed himself up into a semi upright position, the elephant like creature floating over his right shoulder. He didn't know why, but having that creature beside him made the crippled youth feel confident, powerful even. He then raised a hand up towards the fat bastard almost like he was holding a gun. If his Stand could shoot out his toenails, then why not his fingernails?
"Die, you punk!" With that the man's floating hand flew right for the American's head.
Taking a deep breath, Johnny steadied his aim to where exactly he wanted to shoot before allowing the strange power from his Stand to fill his being. Suddenly, glowing yellow stars started to appear on his hand and the fingernail from his index finger started to tremble before spinning wildly as a mini blue hurricane formed right underneath it. Without a second thought, Johnny fired the nail.
Shooting forth like a bullet, the nail sped past the villain's flying hand before hitting the man's left arm, causing the floating appendage to jerk back in the air. Just as the light-brown haired youth suspected. Since the man was still able to feel pain when Gyro hurt his hand, then the opposite should be true if the arm that the hand connected to was also damaged.
"This ability, this Stand, has surpassed a simple nail…" declared Johnny, his eyes utterly calm as he once more took aim. "It's a Tusk. From now on, I will call this Stand Tusk…"
Not letting up, Johnny shot another fingernail into the man's right leg and then another into his left arm. With incredible accuracy they hit their marks and the villain dropped to a knee as he continued to howl out in pain.
Blood gushed from the fat man's wounds, though not by a whole lot, yet he tried to stand back up again. Though he was amazed by the salaryman's stamina, Johnny aimed his aim at him once more. Before he could shoot, however, a steel ball collided with the man's unprotected side. Letting out a groan, the chubby man collapse into an unconscious heap while the steel ball return to its owner.
Blinking in disbelief, Johnny turned his gaze towards where the steel ball came from and saw Gyro, looking a bit disheveled with a few twigs sticking out of his hair, standing near the railing of the terrace. "Gyro!" Johnny cried out in relief as he lowered his hand. "How'd you survive the fall?"
"Used my steel ball to tighten up my muscles till they were hard as metal," Gyro answered as he holstered his steel ball before carefully pulling the little twigs out of his locks as he started to walk over to where Johnny sat. "I was able to create a makeshift ladder to climb back up the terrace to have round two with that fat asshole, but it looks like I was a little late in that regard. Still, it felt like I got kicked in the back by my Valkyrie when I landed on a nearby bush. I was going to throw my steel ball at that bastard's family jewels for throwing me off, but after seeing what you did to him… I think he already suffered enough… Speaking of which, I thought you said that you didn't have a Quirk?"
As Gyro stopped right in front of his pupil, Tusk floated up until he was mere inches away from the Italian's face, starling him in the process. "Chumin~in!" it made that chiming sound again as it curiously examined Gyro's patch-like sideburns.
"I don't… I just gained this power a moment ago…" explained Johnny. "That fat bastard called it a Stand… I don't know how I got it, but I'm calling it Tusk."
"You gained a Stand?" Gyro asked incredulously as he stared at the little, purple elephant creature.
"You know about it?"
"I'm surprised that you don't." He then looked to side as a guilty flush formed on his cheeks. "Then again… I don't really know that much about Stands to begin with either. My education was… a little focus on other subjects at the time. But I do know that they are the second greatest natural wonder in the world, right behind Quirks. From what I read, Stands are like Quirks, but are not physical in nature, not entirely anyway, and those who have them are extremely rare. Almost as rare as those who are Quirkless these days. No one truly knows how to gain a stand, but those who get them wield incredible power that is borderline miraculous. Or so I what little I read about it anyway. I never seen one before… until now…"
"Miraculous, huh…?" The American muttered before looking down at his legs. Did they really move when he used his Stand or was it his imagination? No, he did feel them move, just like when he touched Gyro's steel ball the day before.
"Yet what I don't understand is how you gained one." Gyro scratched the back of his neck as he cocked his neck to the side. Johnny too was more than a little curious about that as his eyes drifted to the metal fragments of what remained of the arrowhead. He stared at them for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned on him.
"The arrowhead… It was the arrowhead!"
"What are you talking about?" Gyro asked as he gently pushed Tusk out of his face when it tried to examine his grills.
"The reason that fat man went crazy was because we saw the arrowhead, right? Maybe it has the powers to grant Stands! When it impaled my arm, I felt a strange tingling coming from it. That's got to be when it gave me my stand…"
"If that is how you gain a Stand then I think I can settle without one…" He then turned his head left and right. "Hey… where is the arrowhead anyway?"
Johnny guiltily looked to the side. "…You're standing on what remains of it."
"Oh…" said Gyro as he spotted the metallic fragments. "Well… nothing we can do about it now."
"I wanted to know more about it though… Gyro, I felt my legs move when my Stand came out of me. If it could help me out then…" Johnny then let out a frustrated sigh as Tusk floated back over to him, gently patting his head before phasing into his body.
"…Well, at least something good came out of this entire mess." Gyro said as hewalked over to Johnny before sitting down beside him.
"And what's that?"
"Now you have a better chance of getting into U.A. with me. I'm just saying, with your training for the Spin and with a bit of practice with Tusk, there is no way we can't reach the top of the entrance exam in ten months. Nyo Ho Ho!" The Italian then let out a grin as his grills shined brightly in the sun light.
Johnny blinked at Gyro for a moment before a slow grin started to form on his lips as a determined flame filled his eyes. The two rested together on the street for a bit before the police and paramedics finally arrived, informed by a few shop owners who watched the entire fight within their establishments. The fat villain was quickly put into restraints, his weapons confiscated, before having his injuries looked over by the paramedics. The policemen questioned the two youths about the whole event, while they were getting treated for their injuries, and after determining that it was lawful self-defense they let the two of them be.
Both Gyro and Johnny were treated for minor bruises, though oddly enough the cut the American received from the arrowhead was already completely healed without even a scar to show that his arm was impaled at all. Not that he cared too much about it at anyway. When the paramedics were finished mending their wounds, both of them decided to retire for the day. They said their goodbyes before going their separate ways, but not before promising that they would continue their training the next day in preparation for the long road ahead of them.
"I never asked for you to save me, Deku!" Bakugo exclaimed furiously as he angrily stared down the curly haired boy. It was getting late and the sun was starting to set, giving a golden glow to the sky above, and Midoriya was just heading home after getting chastised harshly by the heroes for his reckless behavior once again. By the time he was finally let go, All Might was completely surrounded by reporters who wouldn't let anyone close to him as they tried to get a quote or interview with the greatest hero of all time. He thought to simply return home and leave a message on his website, but was quickly stopped by Bakugo about halfway there.
"As if you could! Huh?! Well?! I could've beaten him myself." Bakugo was practically twitching as he growled out every word. "How dare a Quirkless failure like you pity me. Trying to win me over? Don't you dare mock me! Stupid nerd!" With that said, he spun around and started to walk off in the opposite direction, leaving Midoriya alone in the street.
"What a tough guy," the fanboy thought quietly to himself, as a bit of sweat rolled down the back of his head. Though he knew Bakugo was right. He couldn't do a thing when he tried to save him. "I couldn't change a thing. Just like with what happened yesterday. But still… I'm glad. Now I can focus on a more realistic fu—."
"I AM HERE!" All Might declared as he grandly made his way into the street, posing as he did so, cutting Midoriya's thought off before he could finish it.
"Huh?! All Might!? Why are you here? Weren't you surrounded by reporters?" asked a shocked Midoriya as he wasn't expecting to see his heroic idol ever again.
The muscular hero let out a hearty laugh. "Shaking them off is nothing to me! After all, I'm All Mi-KOFF!" A torrent of blood blasted out of All Might's lips as he reverted to his true form, causing the young fanboy to panic for a moment, but the hero waved off his concerns. He wiped the blood from his lips before straightening his posture, his expression became serious as turned to fully face towards Midoriya. "Kid. I've come to thank you and revise what I said earlier… and I also have a proposal." This caused the curly haired boy to blink, but All Might continued with what he had to say. "Without you… If I hadn't heard your story… I'd been nothing more than fake muscles and insincerity! So I thank you!"
"That's… No." Midoriya dejectedly said, looking down as he was able to meet All Might's gaze. "I mean, it was my fault from the start! I got in your way… Even though I'm Quirkless, I dared to ask if…"
"Exactly!" The boy blinked as he looked back at the Symbol of Peace. "Of all the people at the scene… It was you, timid and Quirkless, who acted! You spurred me into action!" As All Might's words sunk into his mind, an awed expression slowly started to dawn on Midoriya's face as his body started to shake uncontrollably. "Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children... Many of them claim that their bodies moved before they could even think!"
While All Might continued to speak, Midoriya's body continued to shake even more uncontrollably as a memory from his childhood forced its way into his mind.
"I'm sorry, Izuku," his mother cried sympathetic tears as she held onto her little boy. "I'm sorry!"
"That's what happened to you back there, yes!?" All Might asked while Midoriya couldn't hold back the tears any longer and let them leak down his face as he dropped down till he was on his knees.
"Yes!" he cried out. It was in that moment, All Might then said the one thing he wanted his mother to say to him when he first learned he was Quirkless.
"You can become a hero!"
Midoriya cried out as all his fears, hopelessness, and despair left his body as if the dam that bottled them up for so long was finally destroyed. All Might didn't say word as he let the young, brave boy continue to let his emotions run their course. There were no words need to express how grateful the youth was for hearing All Might, no, anyone tell him those five simple words. It was like a dream come true, but this was no fantasy. This was reality. A reality where the best of the best told Midoriya he could be a hero. Could he wish for anything more than that?
Finally, after Midoriya finally stopped crying and regained a bit of composure, did All Might speak. "I believe you're worthy of inheriting my power!" he declared, sweeping his arms wide before the youth.
"Huh?" The curly haired boy blinked before looking up at All Might with a perplexed gaze. He must have been hearing things, right?
All Might let loose hearty laugh at the boy's expression. "What's that face for? It's a proposal! The real work begins here. Listen, my boy…" He then dramatically pointed a finger directly at Midoriya. "I'm asking you if you want to try accepting my power?!" As his finished his sentence another gush of blood escaped his lips, but he didn't seem to care, too caught up in the moment as he was.
"Your power…?"
"This concerns my Quirk, kid." The skeletal man explained as he wiped the blood of his lips again. "The tabloids like to guess that it's 'Super Strength' or 'Boost Power' and I avoid the question in interviews by making jokes. Because All Might, the Symbol of Peace, has to come off as natural-born hero." He took a moment to lean his head back as he spread his arms wide once again. "But my Quirk… It was passed down to me. Like the Olympic Torch!"
"Passed… down to you…? Really?!"
"Yes. And now it may be your turn.
"H-Hold on a second…" This was simply too much for the fanboy all at once. So overwhelmed by the revelation that he didn't realize that he started to mutter out loud his thoughts right in front of his Idol. "To be sure, All Might's Quirk is one of the seven great mysteries of the world, and there's been endless debates over what it might be. There isn't a day that goes by without some new theory on the internet. But… well… Now he says that it was passed down to him. Naturally I have no idea what he means… But more than that, that's not even a theory that anyone proposed before. And that's mostly because we still know so little about what Quirks really are in the first place. I mean, we used the term 'Quirk' to begin with because each power or characteristic is so very particular to a single person…"
"You really doubt me that much?" All Might asked as he held up his hands in disbelief. Shocked by the question, Midoriya quickly tried to deny the skeletal man, but he didn't get a chance to say a single word. "I have many secrets, but I never lie!" All Might then held his hand out to the curly haired youth, whom felt a powerful aura coming from it. "I have the ability to transfer power… That's the Quirk I inherited. It is called One For All."
"One… For… All?"
"The first person cultivated the power and then passes it on to another. The next refines it and passes it on again… In this way, those crying out to be saved and those with brave and true hearts link to form a crystalline network of power!"
"But all this, why…?" asked Midoriya. "Why me?"
"I've been searching for a successor for a while now… And I believe that you are worthy!" All Might then pointed another finger at the kid. "You may be Quirkless, a mere hero admirer, but… back there, when you rushed to help that middle-schooler, you were more heroic than anyone else! But of course it depends on you! What do you say?"
Midoriya sniffed as he felt tears starting to form once again. Raising his head back so that All Might couldn't see such an embarrassing expression, he wiped his unshed tears with a sleeve. "He's told me so much." He thought silently to himself. "He divulged his greatest secrets to me. Do I have a reason not to accept? No…! Not all! I have no reason to refuse!"
When he pulled his sleeve back, Midoriya turned towards All Might, his gaze filled with burning determination and resolve. "Yes… I accept!"
The Symbol of Peace raised a hand to his head as a grin formed on his lips. "A quick answer. I expected nothing less…"