The police arrived just in time to miss the action. The ambulance showed up just in time for the end credits— patching up the wounded and wheeling them into their large white vehicles. Thankfully, Aizawa and Present Mic’s injuries weren’t anything life-threatening, which at least made everyone’s life easier.
The woman, on the other hand, performed the neat trick of transforming herself into liquid and back to remove her wounds. The paramedics had deemed her completely uninjured, so they allowed her to head home on her own.
“Black overcoat, metal armour, padded steel knuckles…” a police officer muttered to himself, furiously scribbling in his notebook. “Alright, that’ll be all. Thanks once again, Zero Hero.”
Hiro took a small step back in surprise, wondering why the police had addressed him so. Realisation dawned on him. Right, the media and their nicknames…
“We don’t need you here right now, alright?” Another officer walked up to the vigilante, blocking him from the cameras that were snapping crime scene evidence. “Thanks for all your help, but we can’t help you if you’re caught. My son’s a fan, too. Wouldn’t want him looking up to a guy with a criminal record now, would we? Run along, Zero Hero. As far as the public is concerned, the police were unable to catch you.”
“Can I at least check on her?” Hiro gestured to the woman standing motionlessly by the side of the road.
“Sure, we’ve already recorded what we needed from her,” the policeman said. “Though we didn’t really get much. The poor lady’s probably still in shock. It would do her some good if she had someone to talk to once she’s calmed down.”
He looked around before lowering his voice. “And it could do us some good as well if we received an anonymous tip from a certain civic-minded civilian trying to do the right thing.”
Hiro nodded stoically and walked towards the woman. Questions buzzed in his mind. Who was that mysterious villain? Where did she get her training and gear from? It didn’t seem like she was just fighting heroes like a normal villain, either. It looked more like an assassination attempt. But who would be so bold as to order a hit on a pro-hero?
“Jelly Girl. My name is Hiro— Zero Hero.” He held the woman’s arm gently to support her. “I’m here to help.”
She remained frozen for a while before turning slowly to look at him.
“I… I can’t move.” Her voice trembled. “My quirk… My legs have turned into jelly. I can’t maintain a solid form… I can’t calm my emotions…”
Hiro glanced down. She was right. Two translucent stilts were glued to the ground in place of her legs, and they quivered slightly in the wind. Hiro furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought. If he had remembered his hero infographics correctly, Jelly Girl’s liquid form was extremely flexible yet maintained its coherence. Which meant…
He fumbled around the jelly leg and plucked it from the ground carefully. Sure enough, it dislodged with a soft pop but still maintained its form. Hiro breathed a sigh of relief. If the leg broke into two pieces instead, he didn’t even know how to start apologising.
“What are you doing?” Kanna asked as Hiro removed her other leg and manually moved it forward.
“Helping you get home, one step at a time.”
“What? No, there’s no need—”
“Ma’am, I insist. You’re in no condition to move—”
“No, I mean, there’s no need to move me like this. Do you have a bottle?”
Hiro blinked a few times in confusion, before fishing out an empty bottle of tea from his pocket.
“Yup, that’s the perfect size,” Kanna said wryly.
“Just give me a moment to liquify myself.”
~ ~ ~
An unfamiliar blonde lady greeted Hiro with a polite smile when he finally reached Kanna Shimizu’s quaint-looking residence. The summer heat had mostly evaporated at this time of the night, leaving the evening breeze in charge of cooling the small town. Cicadas chirped merrily in the distance while a brown cat brushed against Hiro’s legs, leaning lazily on him.
Hiro took out his bottle and poured its contents gently on the ground. The pinkish-white liquid sloshed around for a few seconds, before reforming itself into a woman.
“Melissa! I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight,” Kanna said, brushing her clothes nervously. She was still dressed in the skimpy hostess clothes and was looking positively uncomfortable.
“Kanna, glad to see you’re doing well.” Melissa Shield smiled warmly and handed her an opaque syringe. “Here are the dopamine shots you ordered. There’s more than just dopamine in this, of course. But it’ll help you regulate your emotions to help you transform on a dime. Cooper Incorporated thanks you for your heroism.”
A small sob broke the silence.
Hiro glanced at Jelly Girl in alarm. The sobs grew louder and louder until the female hero fell to her knees and completely broke down. He reached for her instinctively, but Melissa was already holding her up.
They quickly moved into the house.
The door closed gently as Hiro quickly turned his attention to Kanna again. Melissa was sitting calmly by her side. She had not uttered a word yet, but Hiro could see the disturbed expression on her face.
It wasn’t a look that described mere professional concern. It was a look that only close friends shared. A look that asked, “Who did this to you?”; a look that said, “I’ll make them pay.”
“I… I don’t deserve this.”
Kanna gripped the coat that Melissa had draped over her.
“He was right. I’m a stupid, useless woman,” she sobbed. “I can’t be a hero. I can’t be a villain. I can’t even fix my own mistakes. I’m so useless, useless, useless!”
Melissa held Kanna’s hand away from the wooden floorboards before she could bruise her own knuckles further.
“I can’t protect anyone. I can’t even protect my children—” Kanna inhaled sharply as panic flashed in her face. “Oh my god, what if he goes for them instead? Geshi, Touji… I need to find them!”
The woman tried to scramble to her feet but only fell hard as her jelly-fied legs failed her. She released a desperate groan and forced herself up, only to fall again.
And again. And again. And again—
“Hey, hey, lady! Calm down.” Hiro held her down. “Let’s try calling them first.”
“They’re probably on their way back from their daycare centre,” Melissa added. “You put them there whenever you’re on duty, remember?”
“Right, right…” Kanna wiped her tears and fished out her phone. She put it to her ear, waiting anxiously for them to pick up.
Her face broke into a relieved smile after a few seconds.
Hiro released a held breath as well while waiting for the anxious mother to finish speaking with her children. A twinge of pain stung him as he recalled his own parents practically disowning him for being useless and quirkless. But this was no time to dwell on unpleasant memories; someone else was in need.
“They’re alright… They’re on the way home now.” Kanna slumped against the wall as her legs regained their regular form.
“If I may, who was that back there?” Hiro asked. “That woman—or man—assassin, villain, whatever—was strong enough to hurt two veteran pro heroes. Why is she after you?”
“I…” Kanna’s eyes flitted nervously, almost apologetically, even. “I can’t tell you. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. I won’t put you in danger, especially not after you saved my life.”
“All I did was show up.” Hiro put his hand on his head sheepishly. “Eraserhead and Present Mic, they’re the real heroes. I’m just a vigilante who happened to be in the right place at the right time. And besides, I directly interfered with that assassin’s business. You can’t put me in any more danger than I already have myself.”
“And have you forgotten how many heroes I know?” Melissa chimed in. “Don’t worry about me. You’re a good friend, Kanna. I want to know too. Who did this to you?”
Hiro listened intently as Kanna recounted her experience from her slip-up with the tracker up to the moment she ran into Aizawa’s limousine. She had really only intended to run into a public area to shake off the assassin, though. The fact that she had actually run into two pro heroes was a coincidence, and a very fortunate one too.
“I can hardly believe this… Senator Yamato Gouma is the head of the Yakuza? There wasn’t even a single rumour about that,” Hiro breathed. “Anyway, is this ‘Kusanagi’ still after you? Does she know where you live?”
Kanna shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t think so. This house isn’t public knowledge; the government still has my old address. Only a select few trusted individuals know that I live here with my children.”
“That means your family is safe for now, right?” Melissa suggested.
“Yes… Yes, you’re right.” Kanna nodded. “I’m sorry for freaking out just now. Some hero I am, losing my nerve just like that.”
“You’ve been through a lot, Jelly Girl. Don’t blame yourself.” Hiro nodded firmly at her.
Kanna put her head in her hands. “I just… I don’t know what to do now. I’ve failed Hawks. And if I show my face in public as Jelly Girl again, I risk running into that assassin again. But I can’t hide forever either. How am I going to earn a living for my kids?”
Melissa’s face lit up.
“Say, aren’t you pretty good at making desserts?” She gestured at the kitchen. It was small and simple, but confectionery equipment was clearly displayed and tucked neatly away.
“Huh?”
“Remember the annual hero charity event last year?” Melissa piped. “Literally every single dessert you made was amazing! Why not pick that up as a side hustle while you lay low for the moment?”
“A dessert business?” Kanna shook her head furiously. “I— I can’t do that! I have no idea how to run a business!”
“I can help you. I’m working for a very successful businessman, remember?” Melissa smiled.
“You would?” The woman looked like she was about to burst into tears again. “But… I have nothing to give in return. I… I don’t deserve this—”
“Nonsense. How many people have you helped as a pro hero yourself? It’s only fair that you get some help in return, isn’t it?”
Kanna threw her arms around the woman, bawling loudly this time. “Thank you… Thank you, Melissa! You’re such a great friend…”
“Uh… I don’t mean to break a tender moment,” Hiro interjected abruptly. “But do you still have the tracking device with you?”
“Yes, why?”
“I want to continue this thread in your place,” the vigilante said truthfully. “The quicker we find evidence of Yamato Gouma’s crimes, the earlier you can resume your normal life. I’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”
“Are you sure? It’s dangerous.” Kanna held out the device hesitantly. “You saw what happened to me.”
Hiro received it. “I’ll be careful—”
The sound of the door opening shut Hiro’s mouth as he turned around. Sounds of childish laughter filled the house as two children entered the house and ran into their mother’s arms.
Hiro raised an eyebrow with an amused smirk. Twins, huh? Cute.
“Mummy has something to tell you.” Kanna smiled warmly at her children. “Mummy won’t be working as a hero for a while. Mummy will be opening a dessert shop. Will you be mad at Mummy?”
The girl blinked adorably. “Does this mean Mummy will be home every day now?”
Kanna nodded.
“Yay, yay! We get to see Mummy every day!” The boy cheered, and his sister joined in immediately.
Hiro gave the family a small smile, before taking his cue to leave the house.
“Takehiro Kazuma.”
The vigilante turned around, hiding his surprise yet again. There have been way too many people uncovering his identity lately.
“If you don’t already know, I am Melissa Shield, Mister Cooper’s aide.” Melissa shook his hand firmly. “Don’t worry, I am aware of your partnership with him. In fact, I have a hand in designing the equipment that he’ll be letting you try out soon.”
Hiro kept his silence.
“But in all good conscience, I want to remind you to be careful during your missions—”
“I will be,” Hiro insisted, pocketing the tracking device. “If things go well, I’ll be following Jelly Girl’s thread in my own spare time. So don’t worry, I won’t let it affect my partnership.”
“You misunderstand me.” Melissa shook her head. “Although I assisted in the design, Mister Cooper’s gear is still mostly made by the man himself. And he has a little… inclination to take big risks. Don't hesitate to refuse if he asks too much of you.”
Hiro pursed his lips, deep in thought. Melissa Shield appeared to be a nice lady, which probably meant her warnings were genuine. But if he wanted to be a proper hero, playing it safe was as good as not playing the game at all. And he’d be damned if he gave up before he saw the end credits.
He nodded slightly at the woman before turning away.
“Thanks for the warning, but Mister Cooper is my partner. So I’ll choose to trust him. Have a good day, Miss Shield."
ns216.73.217.69da2
and then Add to home screen.