MHA: Jigsaw Reborn

Chapter 7: A Battle of Ideologies

(A/N: This has probably been my favourite chapter to write so far, so enjoy it!)

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[1 Week Later]

[Narrator's POV]

The typical bustle of the city had subsided to a soft murmur on the chilly and quiet night in Musutafu. Other than a few stray animals and the distant sound of a police siren reverberating down the narrow alleyways, the streets were vacant. Tucked away in the shadows of an abandoned building in the heart of the city, one man was invisible to the outside world.

With a calculated gaze, Okazaki Yuudai — or rather, the man known as Jigsaw — observed the screen in front of him. Already, his keen intellect was at work, analyzing every little detail of the information regarding a certain hero and one of his acts.

The story was rather interesting even though it didn't garner major media coverage when the event happened. The article's heading, written in bold letters, read as follows:

'Hero's Misstep in Hostage Crisis Leads to Tragedy: Flames Claim Father's Life After Rescue Attempt Goes Awry'

Below the title was the photo of the hero in question. He was a man with messy brown hair and black eyes, with his hero costume consisting of a blue and white, skin-tight, long-sleeved shirt that tucked into his orange gloves. To top it off, the hero sported dark pants, white boots, and a sports signature helmet that featured a fish-like fin and a blue visor.

He was none other than a Pro-Hero who went by the name Manual, a relatively new and upcoming hero in Japan, who graduated only a few years ago.

Right below the image of the hero, there was a small section that gave a brief synopsis of the hero's quirk, which was prevalent for most heroes with the key exception of All Might. His quirk was 'Water Control,' allowing him to manipulate small amounts of water with his fingers.

"Despite his best intentions, this hero seems to bite off more than he can chew, leading to occasional lapses in judgement..." Kramer muttered to himself, the blue light from the screen hitting his eyes in the dimly lit room. He scrolled and read more of the article, ignoring the occasional ad pop-up to the side that subconsciously irked him.

The article highlighted how Manual was called to a domestic dispute that had escalated to a hostage situation. The perpetrator, an emotionally unstable man with a minor fire-based quirk, was holding his wife and child at bay after finding evidence that she was committing adultery and the child wasn't his, threatening to burn the house down if anyone intervened.

Manual, recognizing the danger, attempted to resolve the situation without calling for backup, believing that his water manipulation could subdue the threat. Kramer couldn't help but snicker, noting down the details on a personal notepad of his. "Irresponsible..." he muttered under his breath quietly before he resumed scrolling.

As Manual tried to use his quirk to douse the flames and calm the situation, his limited control over water backfired. The small amounts of water he could manipulate were not enough to fully counter the fire quirk, and in the chaos, the criminal's quirk went out of control, resulting in severe burns to the wife and child, with the eventual death of the perpetrator.

The Jigsaw leaned back on his swivel chair, crossing his arms and resting them on his chest. "Good intentions," he started. "But he underestimated the consequences of his actions and the limits of his abilities. Reckless actions lead to endangered lives..."

It was at this moment that Kramer heard the door creek behind him. "Must be the wind," he said to himself, as he got up and turned around to close the door properly, but was met with something else.