From Distant Lands - Juro's Return

Chapter Two

When I finally get back to my place after a catching up with my sister, I switch on the TV, ready to lounge around for a while before bed. I expect that Katsuki will probably be around after he's finished with his patrol, but as I'm rummaging through the cabinet for something to make for dinner, I hear sirens onscreen. I lean back, looking at the TV to see an unsteady helicopter image of a villain not far from here, terrorizing citizens. I pause what I'm doing, heart racing. The villain is pretty strong and it looks like his quirk is too seeing as the very earth beneath his feet is bending to his will.

"It's estimated that the villain has taken multiple hostages within the last half hour. It's unknown exactly how many there are or if they're okay. As you can see, the pods behind the villain are what he's using to contain civilians..." the reporter's voice fades to the background as they zoom in and my eyes widen. That's Katsuki.

All I can see on screen is Katsuki's familiar explosions and his body flying through the air as he fights. He's strong, stronger than almost anyone I know, but that doesn't stop the worry from making my pulse jump. I race to my room, tearing off my pajamas and changing into my hero gear as quickly as I can. It's gotten a few upgrades since high school of course, the black tank top and shorts switched out for a short one piece suit with a utility belt built in, thigh high boots with protective pads in place to support my quirk's more physical attributes and sleek metallic black arm bands that can absorb and redirect my energy without me needing to focus first. I even have a mask now, just a plain black one to cover my eyes, and I pull it on just before making my exit from the balcony off of my living room. I close the sliding door behind me, leaping over the railing without hesitation and absorbing my energy into my feet before I land. Once I hit the ground, I start running, remembering the exact street from the news, and I know I should be there within minutes.

"Hey look! It's Pulse!" I hear someone say in passing, but I don't have time to stop for photos today.

"Maybe she's going to help stop that villain!"

"Are you kidding? Ground Zero's got it covered"

I smirk at Katsuki's hero name used so casually. It took him forever to come up with one, not to mention the fact that he's still not satisfied with it. In fact, the only reason he ended up with it is because Kirishima picked it out for him when it finally came time to register with an agency and now, he's stuck with it. Ground Zero, the explosion hero. I shake my head, coming up on the building just before the street. Here we go. I focus all my energy in one foot, slamming it down once I get close enough to the building, and send myself skyrocketing towards the top. My adrenaline soars, heart already thundering in my chest as my pulse whips out of my hands, easily looping itself into strands around the top of the structure to direct my flight. Superman, who? I land atop the building steadily, boots digging into the soft gravel and hair whipping in the breeze as I survey the damage below. The villain roars, stomping his foot and sending out a vibration that causes the street to rip itself upward, pillars of rock hard earth throwing heroes left and right. I see Katsuki dodge, a dangerous smile on his face. It makes me smile too and without a second thought, I dive from the top of the building, soaking in the exhilaration as I fall through the sky. No one notices at first, not with the villain on the rampage, but by the time they do, it's already too late. When I'm close enough to the ground, I send out a big enough pulse to slow my fall and when I make contact, I slam my fist down into it, energy thrumming through my veins like white hot fire. The energy tears through the road, a precise attack that targets the villain in seconds and throws him backwards, pressing him into one of his own formations. Katsuki doesn't miss a beat, leaping over one of the demolished cars and driving the finishing blow into the villain's abdomen. I don't waste time making sure he's out though, trusting Katsuki with that as I rush to the aid of the hostages he's taken.