Participate in a Death Auction
Shin grabbed the revolver off the examination table.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Mr. Takahashi asked urgently.
The student turned back, "This is the perfect opportunity."
"Perfect opportunity for what? Hey, hey, Shin comeback!"
The foreigner bolted out of the room and made a sharp turn toward the emergency stairwell. Red lights blared and spun wildly, casting erratic shadows on the walls. He glanced down the stairwell—it spiraled downward, seeming to stretch into an endless void.
He heard rapid stomping from above. The tiger tattoo man sped down the stairs. He held on to a black samurai mask with his left hand. Then a figure emerged and flew over a guard railing with an aerial kick.
Tiger man blocked with his right arm and stumbled backward.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted," Shin muttered as he landed, rolling his shoulders before cracking his neck with a sharp twist.
"Don't get in my way!" The tiger man warned.
Shin smirked, voice calm but laced with a hint of warning. "I wouldn't get in your way... but I've got my own interests to look after. And that changes things."
The tattooed man jumped with a punch to Shin's face. Shin narrowly ducked under the punch but was met with a flying knee.
He fell on his back. Tiger man came raining down with a stomp but the student rolled away. Shin jumped up onto his feet and raised his fists close to his face.
The tattooed man put the mask on and readied himself with a wide stance. They began brawling on the flights of stairs. Shin was always a step behind as he took strikes. Then he grabbed onto the tiger man as they tumbled down.
However, after taking a beating, Shin began countering and moving around his opponent. He was slowly gaining the upper hand. When the tiger man threw a punch he blocked and punched back. He caught kicks and threw them to the side.
The foreigner launched a barrage of attacks which stunned his opponent. Shin looked at his fists and smirked, "Guess my quirk ain't just for readin' in books."
Tiger man frowned, "You're going to regret this kid." He began secreting a jelly substance from all around his body. It covered him in a thick layer.
Shin wrinkled his nose, eyeing the sludge coating tiger man's body."That's real nice... Looks like someone spilled their lunch all over ya."
His opponent rushed at him but Shin was ready with a counter. He slipped a punch and struck him but his fist was trapped in the sludge.
The coating retracted from the man's fist and he landed on Shin's stomach. The student grunted. Tiger man had shifted the tides back in his favor. Shin couldn't land an effective blow on him.
He tried grabbing onto the sludge man but he slipped off and received a punishing attack.
"I'm getting sick and tired of this," Shin spit the substance out.
The tattooed man smirked when he saw the student rush at him. "I guess, you haven't learned your lesson."
Shin punched him in the face, unsurprisingly it was stuck. However, he pulled out his revolver with his other hand.
The sludge man laughed hysterically though it was muffled, "You think a bullet can reach me through this coating?" His laugh came to a halt when Shin pulled his hand out while taking a chunk of the sludge with him. He immediately stuck the barrel of the revolver into tiger man's mouth through the samurai mask.
Shin smirked, "Reckon it could reach from there. What about you?" The masked man's eyes quivered and the foreigner pulled the trigger. A loud pop echoed throughout the stairwell. The man collapsed onto his back. Large amounts of smoke puffed out of his mouth.
The brown-haired student breathed heavily as he sat on a stair.
He felt the pocket watch vibrate and took it out. He accessed the interface with a flip.
Mission Complete:
[Stop One Villain]
Rewards:
[Lasso] - Access Inventory
[Dead Eye] - Skill
Morality: 1 (+7)
Shin read through the panel.
"Young man! What are you doing?" a voice boomed from below.
Shin quickly hid the pocket watch and glanced down, his eyes meeting a towering, buff blonde man staring up at him.
"Just mindin' my own business. Same as you, I reckon."
The newly arrived man had a white T-shirt and flaring hair. He stepped onto Shin's floor. "What happened here?"
The student didn't look back, "Handled what needed handlin'. That's all you need to know."
"You may not recognize me without my costume but I am All Might!" He pointed his thumb at himself while a glistening smile grew.
Shin didn't even bother to look at him again, "Who?"
"You know, the Symbol of Peace, the strongest, the number one hero." The giant man said.
"Ohhh..." Shin finally glanced over. "You're a hero, huh? Nice, nice. So... where's the costume? Or do they not bother with that anymore?"
He continued, "But yeah, seems like your job was done before you even showed up. Took care of the bad guy myself."
"Young man! This is a serious matter. What actually happened here?" All Might asked, his voice firm but concerned.
"I don't like repeating myself," Shin replied in a low tone, eyes narrowing slightly. "You heard it the first time."
They fell into silence, the wail of emergency sirens filling the air. A minute passed before Shin heard footsteps behind him. All Might approached and sat down beside him.
"Are you really telling the truth?" All Might asked, his large hand resting gently on Shin's shoulder.
Shin smirked, turning to meet his gaze. "For the moment? Yeah. Yeah, I am."
All Might studied him for a second, then smiled. "You don't sound like you're from here."
"I come from America," Shin said, leaning back casually. "Texas, to be exact."
All Might let out a thunderous laugh, the sound echoing through the area. "How wonderful! I did some hero work in America myself, back in my youth."
Their conversation came to an abrupt stop when they heard a noise behind them. Both turned, watching as the unconscious man's body twitched. His mouth opened slightly, and a slick stream of sludge slithered out, writhing on the ground. The villain's eyes darted toward the towering figure of All Might, panicking as it hastily slid away.
"Stay here, young man," All Might said, his tone firm, before darting off after the fleeing villain.
Shin watched for a moment, then shrugged. "Not my problem." He muttered under his breath, turning to head down the stairs.
But just as he reached the next landing, the sound of coughing echoed behind him, making him pause.
He stood above the tiger man. Shin reached down and took the samurai mask off his face. The man looked at victor of their encounter.
"Stay down, partner," Shin muttered. "Don't know what kind of freakish snot you're packin', but trust me—best you give it up now."
The man's coughing grew more violent, each breath ragged and strained. Suddenly, with a harsh wheeze, something small shot out of his mouth. The foreigner's reflexes kicked in, and he snatched it from the air.
Opening his hand, Shin glanced down at the object—a white bullet. Its shape was familiar, but something about it was off. The surface was smooth, almost too pristine, and there was an unsettling weight to it.
He narrowed his eyes, studying the strange piece of ammunition.
"Hmm... so that's why your skull's still in one piece," Shin muttered, flicking the bullet into the air before catching it again. "Guess you got lucky this time."
"Shin!" The student turned to see Mr. Takahashi approaching with a group of policemen in tow. They moved quickly, surrounding the area.
"What happened here?" one of the officers asked, his tone sharp.
Shin let out an exasperated sigh, spitting on the ground. "Why is everyone so nosy today?"
"We ask that you cooperate," the officer said firmly. "You're dealing with law enforcement."
"Yeah, yeah, fine." Shin waved them off, holding up a samurai mask in his hand.
"This guy stole the mask, his snot decided to grow a brain, and some big blonde 'hero' went chasin' after it. That enough for you?"
The officers exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to make of the explanation.
"He's... uh, a client of mine," Mr. Takahashi stammered, forcing a smile and giving a nervous chuckle.
After a few hours of grueling interrogation, they finally let Shin go about his business. As he walked off, their radios suddenly crackled to life.
"All units, report! There is a giant sludge villain downtown. We need the area secured! I repeat, the area needs to be secured!"