The Gunslinging Creed

Hey There Partner, Are You In Search Of Power? Wealth? Notoriety? 

Shin hesitated as he looked at the floating panel. There were two options, yes or no. 

He stepped forward and raised his hand, and pressed 'no'. 

"Nah, I'm good...partner." Shin rubbed his chin. 

What!? Are You Sure?

Again, there were two options and Shin clicked 'no'. 

Well...That's Unexpected...If You Choose No Then You Will Die! So Are You Sure?

"Fine, fine! I'm interested in whatever," Shin raised his hands in surrender. He pressed 'yes'.

Wonderful! 

"So… uh, now what?" He stood with his hands resting on his hips, his brow furrowed. "Where's all that power, wealth, and fame I was promised, huh?"

You Will Get It...But It Comes With A Price.

"Knew it," Shin muttered, clicking his tongue in irritation. "You roped me into some deal, didn't ya?"

Your Pocket Watch. You Can Use It To Access The User Interface When You Open It. Close It, It Will Disconnect The Interface. The Button At The Top Of The Watch. Clicking It Will Shift The Content Of The Interface. You Can Access The Shop, Your Stat Page, Skills, Inventory, And The Map.

Shin sighed, "I can't remember all that." 

Your First Mission:

[Stop One Villain]

Or

[Stop One Hero]

The Choice Is Yours...

Rewards:

[Lasso]

[Dead Eye] 

Shin flipped the pocket watch shut. He stood straight and headed up the stairs, his shoes knocking on the hard wooden floors. 

The next morning Shin rode into the school grounds on his bike. Students entered through the main entrance. They buzzed with unusual energy and joy. Stuck with their friend groups and grinning from ear to ear. 

He entered his classroom, last to appear as usual. Everyone was discussing and mumbling amongst each other. Shin found his seat and kicked his feet up on the desk. 

"Alright, everyone, you're all third-years now. It's time to start thinking seriously about your futures!" The teacher smiled mischievously as he the papers into the air. "I would pass out these career aptitude tests, but why bother? I know you all want to go the hero track!"

The class erupts in excitement. Students start showing off their quirks in celebration.

"Yeah! We're all gonna be heroes!"

"This is gonna be awesome!"

"Yes, yes, you all have wonderful quirks," the teacher chuckled. "Ah, speaking of amazing quirks, Bakugo, you're aiming for U.A. High School, right?"

"Whoa, no way! U.A.?"

"That school's super tough to get into! Only the best of the best get accepted!"

Bakugo grinned smugly, "Heh, don't lump me in with these extras, Teach! They'd never get into U.A., but I ace the mock tests. I'm the only one at this school who stands a chance at getting in."

He slammed his hands down on his desk, explosions popping from his palms as he talked. "I'm gonna surpass All Might and become the #1 hero!"

"Yeah, Bakugo's definitely going places!"

"He's the real deal!"

"Oh yeah, you've got impressive test scores and a strong quirk." The teacher glanced down at his clipboard. "Oh, hey, Midoriya… you're planning to go to U.A. too, right?"

The room fell silent for a moment. The students looked at Izuku in shock. 

"Wait… Deku? Go to U.A.?"

Laughter erupts throughout the classroom.

"You? Get into U.A.?!"

"Yeah, right! That school's not for people without quirks!"

Midoriya clutched his notebook tightly. 

"Hah! You've gotta be kidding me, Deku! You don't even have a quirk!" Bakugo laughed harshly. Then he snapped. "Listen, you nerd, you'll never get into U.A. without a quirk! You think they'd let someone like you in when they've got me?!"

Bakugo aggressively slams his quirk-ignited palm onto Midoriya's desk, causing a small explosion. Sparks flew in Midoriya's face, but he didn't move. "You'd better give up right now. It's the only chance you'll ever have."

The teacher interrupted, "Shin, you're going to U.A. High?" 

The blonde stopped his assault on Izuku. The class nearly fainted from the onslaught of news. 

The foreigner leaned further in his seat. "Yup, that is correct." 

"What!?" Bakugo raised his voice, "What are you two planning?" 

"Don't go gettin' all worked up. Ain't no schemes or plans here. Just doin' what needs to be done."

Once the last academic day was over, Izuku and Shin walked out together. 

"I didn't expect you to be interested in hero work," Midoriya said. 

"I didn't expect it neither," Shin said, his tone casual, almost reflective. "Life's got this funny way of draggin' you down roads you ain't planned on travelin'."

The nervous kid asked, "What made you choose U.A.?" 

"Didn't really choose it. Just seemed like the next step." Shin got on his bike and saluted Izuku before whipping out of the parking lot. 

Out of nowhere, Bakugo snatched Izuku's notebook from his hand. "You're seriously pissing me off! You think you'll get into U.A. just by studying? Hah! You'll never be a hero, Deku. You're nothing!"

Shin rode through the city, stopping at a traffic light. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young boy staring at his motorcycle while his mother chatted on the phone. The kid waved his hand, gesturing for Shin to rev the engine.

Shin smiled and twisted the throttle, the bike growling loudly in the street. The boy's face lit up with a wide, toothy grin.

Just then, Shin heard a faint noise and felt a vibration from his pocket. He pulled out the watch and flipped it open. The interface appeared, something rising on the display.

Morality: 0 (+1)

"Wonder what that does?" 

He put it away and headed toward a tall building. The rider got off his bike. Shin spun the key chain around his finger. A door greeter welcomed him into the skyscraper. 

The spacious white interior echoed with his footsteps on the shiny tiles. He approached the front desk. There sat a woman busy with a call. 

She talked on the phone, "Yes yes, we will be waiting. Thank you!" She hung up and addressed him. 

"How can I help you?" 

"I am here for Mr. Takahashi."

"You must be..." She typed on her keyboard. "You must be Shin. Yes, he is expecting you on the 121st floor." 

Shin walked to the elevator without a response. He pressed the call button and it dinged. Upon entering he saw a bald man with a tiger face tattoo and a striped dress shirt. The foreigner made eye contact with the elevator man. 

The man was a little taller than Shin but also thicker. The student inputted his destination into the console. It was a mute ride up. 

Surprisingly, Shin exited first, leaving the tattooed man behind. 

He saw a set of double doors, wide in size. They were locked but there was a small radio on the side. Shin held it until a voice answered. 

"Who is it?" 

"Shin." 

"Oh! Welcome!" 

There was a buzzer noise and the set of doors unlocked. He entered inside, it was a dark brown wooden furnished floor entrapped in glass windows. 

Unique artifacts and items were displayed on glass pedestals. An older gentleman was hunched over cleaning and observing a familiar object. 

"Shin!" He called out. 

The student was nearby, "Howdy." 

"This revolver you sent me," he adjusted his glasses. "I have never seen something so authentic." 

"How so?" Shin put his hands on his waist. 

"It is the real deal. Carbon dated a few centuries back. That isn't even the special part. This revolver hasn't suffered any damage, whatsoever." 

The foreigner scratched his head, "So what?" 

"So What?" Mr. Takahashi repeated after him, "You have the eleventh Iron Viper." 

"And? I'm not following." Shin raised an eyebrow. 

"There were only supposed to be ten of these in the whole world." 

"Oh, so it's rare, that's what you're sayin'?" The clueless student said. 

The old man closed his eyes and breathed deeply, "What I am saying, is that this is beyond 'rare'. This revolver is worth more than a small fortune." 

Shin opened his mouth and nodded, "Power, wealth, and notoriety. Makes sense." 

Mr. Takahashi was ready to respond but a deafening alarm permeated the building. 

"What is going on Mr. Takahashi?" Shin questioned him. 

"This is bad, this building is stuffed with the most expensive auction artifacts and antiques in Japan. They must have discovered intruders."