MY HERO ACADEMIA:NEXT GENERATION

Chapter 23: Winds of Fate

Kenji leaned against a cold brick wall, his breaths ragged and shallow. His side throbbed, the dull ache radiating out from the wound in his stomach where the villain had hit him. Blood soaked through his uniform, but he was more concerned about the guy who had saved him.

Felix, the stranger who had pushed him out of the way, crouched nearby, clutching his arm where he had been grazed by a stray blast. The injury was bad, but not life-threatening. Still, they needed to lay low for a bit before figuring out their next move.

"You good?" Kenji asked, trying to mask the pain in his voice.

Felix shot him a quick smirk, though his usual charm was dulled by the pain. "Been better, amigo. But I’ll live. What about you? You're the one bleeding out."

Kenji glanced down at his side, gritting his teeth. "I'll manage. We've got bigger problems."

They were hiding in the alley behind an old convenience store, its shadows offering them some cover. Kenji had used his jacket to apply pressure on his wound, while Felix kept a hand pressed against his injured arm. The air between them was tense, both from the adrenaline still pumping through their veins and the fact they barely knew each other.

“So, who the hell was that?” Felix asked, his voice still calm despite the chaos.

Kenji stayed quiet for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him. He didn't owe Felix anything, but the guy had just saved him from a potentially fatal hit. And then there was that damn feeling again—like maybe Felix had a right to know. After all, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt if it wasn’t for him.

“I don’t know,” Kenji admitted reluctantly, his voice low.

"You don't know. Seriously?"pushed felix.

“He’s been following me. Stalking me for months now. I thought maybe I was imagining things, but... it’s real. And it’s getting worse.”

Felix winced as he adjusted his position, leaning against the wall beside Kenji. "Months, huh? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Kenji gave him a look. "And say what? ‘Oh, hey, by the way, I’ve got a feeling someone’s been stalking me but I can’t prove it , I just have a feeling I'm in danger most of the time and I'm going insane’? I’m not even sure what they want."

Felix studied him with those sharp green eyes, his usual cocky demeanor softened by curiosity. “And you don’t have any idea why this guy’s after you?”

Kenji hesitated, his mismatched eyes locking onto Felix’s for a beat too long. The stranger had every right to ask that question. After all, he'd been dragged into this mess without even knowing why. With a sigh, Kenji shifted, wincing as the movement made his wound flare up again.

"Something’s been off for a while," Kenji muttered, almost to himself. "I keep seeing things—people in my dreams I don't know but feel like I should. It’s... confusing."

Felix raised an eyebrow. “People in your dreams?”

Kenji shook his head, feeling ridiculous even explaining it. “It doesn’t make sense. It’s like... pieces of my past I don’t know, but they’re important. And now this guy is following me. Feels like all of it’s connected somehow, but I can’t figure out how.”

Felix nodded thoughtfully, though the intensity in his eyes suggested he was taking this more seriously than his laid-back demeanor let on. "Sounds like you’ve got quite the storm brewing around you, amigo."

Kenji couldn't help but snort at that. "Yeah, no kidding."

Before either of them could say more, a sudden crack of noise echoed through the alley—the sound of a shot ricocheting off a nearby wall.

Kenji’s reflexes kicked in immediately. “Get down!” he barked, yanking Felix down behind a dumpster just in time to avoid another blast. The air around them crackled with energy as a powerful gust swept through the alley, stirred by Felix’s wind quirk.

“Dammit,” Felix muttered, his free hand glowing faintly as he summoned the wind around them, forming a temporary shield. “I don’t think we’ve got much time.”

Kenji pressed a hand against his side, ignoring the burn of his injury as he peeked around the edge of their hiding spot. The stalker was out there, but Kenji couldn’t see him—just the faint shimmer of movement in the distance. Another attack was coming.

"We need to move," Kenji growled. "If we get out in the open, maybe he’ll back off."

Felix nodded. “Stick close. I’ll cover us. Let’s get somewhere there’s more people," Felix finished, his voice steady despite the tension.

Kenji nodded. "Let’s go."

Felix extended his hand, the air around them swirling as he manipulated the wind to form a barrier. It wasn’t much, but it could deflect another hit or two. Together, they sprinted out of the alley, Kenji gritting his teeth against the pain in his side as Felix kept the wind shield steady.

Another blast hit the barrier, but Felix’s control held firm. "Almost there!" he shouted, pushing them forward toward the busier part of the street.

As they neared a crowd of people, the attacks stopped. Kenji could feel it—the presence that had been stalking him was gone, vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He breathed a sigh of relief but kept his guard up. Something about this didn’t feel over.

The two of them slowed, blending into the bustling street. Felix's quirk quietly dissipated as he shot Kenji a glance. "Looks like we lost him."

Kenji nodded, his mismatched eyes scanning the surroundings, still tense. "For now."

They kept walking, trying to make it seem casual, even though both of them were clearly on edge. After a few minutes of silence, they found a quieter corner near a park. Felix leaned against a tree, breathing heavily but keeping his charm intact despite the injury to his arm.

"Well, that was fun," he said with a sarcastic smile. "You’re gonna owe me for this one, Kenji."

Kenji shot him a look. "How do you even know my name?"

Felix grinned, his green eyes glinting with amusement. "I might be new around here, but I’ve heard things. Besides, you’re hard to miss, being the son of the number one hero and all."

Kenji frowned but let it go. He didn’t like the attention that came with his name, but Felix seemed harmless enough. For now. Still, the day’s events left him unsettled. Whoever was stalking him wasn’t just going to give up.

“Well, thanks for saving me back there,” Kenji said, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.

Felix nodded. "No problem." adjusting his injured arm with a wince. “Guess I’ll see you around.”

Kenji watched as Felix turned to leave, part of him relieved to be done with the conversation. But another part, one he didn’t want to acknowledge, wondered if they would cross paths again.

Little did he know, it wouldn’t be long.

The next day at U.A. High, Kenji walked into class, trying to shake off the lingering unease from the day before. He still hadn’t told anyone about the stalker or the fight in the alley. But as he took his seat, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Well, looks like we meet again, amigo."

Kenji looked up, his eyes widening slightly as Felix strolled into the room, wearing the U.A. uniform with that same cocky grin.

Felix winked. "Surprised?"