A Hero's Quest

Chapter 6

Katsumi was too impatient to wait for the next bus, so he decided to follow one of the many trails and hopefully stumble upon some ruins.

It was natural for Katsumi to ditch his colleagues and venture on solo. He preferred to work alone and it helped give him space to revamp.

Katsumi held high-standards for what a true hero was like. And UMA would morph him into that very image. Katsumi did have a hot temper, but he never meant to harm anyone. Izuku and Olivia just knew how to push his buttons.

Even though Katsumi detested the whole idea of a vacation, Klafgate Island was indeed magnificent. The forests were lush and humid, but not dreadfully hot. And the air had a placid feel to it.

Katsumi was smart to choose hiking boots for his trek through nature. The trails were fairly steep and coarse.

" Ah, sweet!" Katsumi hurrayed. He spotted the rough edges of what use to be a castle.

All that was left was two slanted archways accompanied by a single set of mossy stairs and a pile of languished stones. Dense trees circled the ruins and bounteous greenery masked the rest of the trail. Just beyond the archways was another set of matching stairs and a lonely turret.

Katsumi was amazed for the first time, since they arrived on the island. He'd always dreamt of being rich and famous and living in his very own castle.

" Hey Dumbhead! Get away from my castle!" Yelled a chubby kid with red hair. He stood proudly on the top step of the ruins in front of Katsumi. The kid put his hands on his hips and yelled again. " I said—get away from my castle! Don't you have ears?"

Katsumi was mocked, teased, and beaten during his childhood. He wasn't about to let anyone belittle him ever again, especially not a puny twerp. Katsumi attitudinized, tightening his muscles and displaying his hands as explosive bursts sent a rain of sparks.

" I don't think you've been put in your place, you, Irritating Brat!" Katsumi snarled. He lunged, using his explosions to propel him forwards.

The kid's pupils dilated and he shrank back in fear. Katsumi was inches from the boy, when he recalled the incident at Hisaki Docks. All those onlookers pointing fingers and gossiping about him. Would a hero really attack an unarmed kid?

AAARRRRRR!

The forests quaked and trees snapped in half. Katsumi slowed his thrust, but a hulk of a man knocked him out of the air, and into one of the stone archways.

" Mister! Are you okay? Please, you gotta get up!" The boy implored. He ran to hide, but was yanked back by the collar.

Katsumi's vision blurred. His entire spine burned with pain and he couldn't tell what was sprained and what was broken. He caught a whiff of the little boy's plead and forced himself to stand.

Towering atop the pile of stones was a brusque man with wide shoulders and a thin waist. His gorilla hands clutched the squirmy redhead.

" Ll—" Katsumi spewed dirt. " Listen Half-Wit, I'm only gonna say this once. Drop the kid, or else." He staggered, digging his boots into the ground to steady himself. A twinge seared the left side of his skull, but Katsumi refused to play weak in front of a villain.

The man laughed. " Who you calling Half-Wit? The name's Detlef Sochantus and you reek of a hero." His grin shifted to a snarl. Detlef saw perseverance in Katsumi's eyes, but he was reluctant to strike. " Not so tough when a life is on the line, huh pretty boy?"

Katsumi knew Detlef was taunting him and wasn't foolish enough to fall for such a translucent act. If the jerk wouldn't release the kid, Katsumi would pry the two apart.

" You lose, MORON!" Katsumi shouted. His jaw jutted forward, his eyebrows scrunched together, and his lip curled inward. He was ready to fight. Katsumi timed his movements to the dot in order to spare the kid's life.

He had no idea what his opponent was capable of, but what other choice did he have. Katsumi kicked off the ground, sprinting straight at Detlef. Halfway, he spun to the right, using the archways as a runway, and carried himself around Detlef until he stood directly behind the man.

Katsumi's heart rate increased and he could feel his chest pounding. He grabbed for the kid's jacket, while simultaneously igniting an explosion in his other palm.

" Ha, nice try Twinkletoes!" Detlef spat. He threw the pudgy redhead to the dirt and whirled around to meet Katsumi. Startling the young man, Detlef blasted his Art: wind construction, into Katsumi's rib cage.

Detlef's Art allowed him to shape wind into a pair of unbreakable gloves. These particular gloves felt like a wall of bricks on impact. And with superior focus, Detlef could create a pair of matching boots.

Katsumi lost his footing, floundering backwards, and relying on quick fire bursts to stable him. Pain swelled in his stomach, but luckily nothing was fractured. And on top of that, the twelve year old was safe, for now at least. Katsumi had to protect him from Detlef.

" I miss judged you, Blondie. You're pretty tough. That punch has brought down hundreds of foes." Detlef bragged, popping his knuckles.

Katsumi snickered. " Is that so? Then prepare yourself for another surprise, MONSTER!" He bellowed, shaking with resentment. Katsumi bent his legs slightly, leaned forward, and launched into the air.

Usually, Katsumi would brutally bash his enemy to a pulp, but he was concerned about the kid. After all, a real hero saved everyone no matter the circumstances.

Katsumi flew over Detlef's head, skidded along the ground, and scooped up the boy. He was about to use a giant burst to drive himself through the forest canopy, but Detlef intercepted.

Katsumi's opponent delivered a sloppy roundhouse kick, but followed through his a precise jab to Katsumi's lower back.

Katsumi yelped, dropping the little boy and falling onto his hands and knees. His breathing was strained and his muscles screamed for relief. Katsumi couldn't simply walk away, someone was counting on him.

Detlef loomed over Katsumi. He slammed the sole of his shoe into Katsumi's shoulder blades repeatedly. Each blow increased in force.

" No! Pp—please, stop!" The boy wailed. He ran at Detlef, swinging weak punches at the man's thigh.

Detlef found the whole thing amusing. He gave Katsumi one finally stomp, then dropkicked him into the ruins once again. The little boy collapsed, weeping in his hands.

" Ha! Pathetic brat, there's your hero. Crippled and bleeding. Nobody's gonna save you now!" Detlef cackled, tossing his head back in triumph. He didn't think the brawl would end so quickly. Detlef enjoyed dirtying his hands.

Katsumi lay, bruised and bloody. He had a horrible cut on his forehead and his right leg cramped. Katsumi heard Detlef's threat and the kid's crying.

Those sobs motivated Katsumi to stand back up and fight. If a nuisance with a flawed Art could defeat him, then how did he ever hope to prove himself to the world?

The redhead was relying on Katsumi, he needed a hero. Katsumi shook aside the affliction, spit a glob of blood, and climbed to his feet.

" I'm the one who's gonna be laughing and you're gonna be the one groveling at my feet. Got it! Now watch closely as I pulverize you! BASTARD!!" Katsumi raged. This time his hair stuck up on end, his eyes sparked, and power seeped off his body. An ominous red light enwreathed him as he slammed his fists together.