My Shinobi Academia: Naruto x ATLA x HxH x MHA

Chapter 31: The Sound Five's Mission

The Police Department had set crime scene markers to demarcate the sites of the attacks. As some of the villains were still at large, several low level pros patrolled the streets, fearing that those who got away would try again to terrorize the city. The chatter regarding Endeavor's sidekicks failing to defeat the escaped villains had been spreading through the streets though, and served to unnerve many of the lower-ranked heroes. However, most of them understood their presence was meant to calm the civilians, allowing them to go about their day without worry.

Pitter-patter was one of the lower-ranked heroes who was on patrol duty today. He had been assigned the Shopping Mall District, along with several of Endeavor's surviving sidekicks and couldn't be more excited. In his decade patrolling the street, this was the first time he'd even shared a block with a top ten pro-hero, much less number 2. Well technically, they were his sidekicks. But still, Endeavor was bound to show up sooner or later. It was a chance to prove himself and catch the attention of one of the Ten.

Pitter-Patter couldn't lie to himself though. Standing at the bottom of the stairs to the shopping mall and looking around, each movement that stirred in the many alleyways and nooks in the district made his heart jump a little. Unlike most of the others patrolling, his quirk provided him a unique surveillance method that many wouldn't see coming. He could accurately hear the sound of every footstep within a certain radius of focus. On his good day, his range was up to 1km. But a good day was when he wasn't nervous. And today, he was very nervous.

He had patrolled these streets with Glacier and the Jailer were one hell of a team for the work. And Pitter-Patter loved working with them. He'd suss out any troublemakers and those two would take them down quickly with minimal casualties. He still couldn't believe they were really gone. He shook his head, clearing his mind and trying to return to his mission. Glacier and Jailer may have fallen, but Kido and Burnin, Endeavor's sidekicks, would be able to deal with any villains. He had to believe that. He had heard that another pro-hero also died in the skirmish. But the JHA had not said who.

Pitter-Patter focused his ears, listening for the slightest sounds around him. People had always believed his quirk useless. What was the point in being able to hear very well? They mocked him. They underestimated how much one could learn from something as seemingly insignificant as how a person walked. The cadence, the stride length, and even the emphasis placed on each foot revealed so much information about people.

For example, the woman who just passed, pulling her stroller along. The way she dragged her feet across the ground, the way her steps crushed the ground despite her effort — she had probably had a long day, her whole body exhausted from the effort. The way her legs quickly hinted of some pain in her stride — and judging from the toe roll, probably from her abdomen.

But that was an easy one. A block away — in the park across the mall, a man was tapping his feet. He'd pace, sit, stand and then tap his feet. He was nervous. But was it good or bad? Only Pitter-Patter could tell. All he needed was...

Pitter-Patter's eyes widened. He felt ten feet disappear from close by. From their speed, they couldn't be regular civilians. Were they other pro-heroes? Maybe he should go check it out. He turned. They had landed in the nearest alley, where Glacier and the Jailer were murdered. He almost moved. He hesitated. What was he thinking? He needed to get the others first. He wouldn't be of any use against five villains. He focused again to try and find them. He would then tell the others.

Pitter-Patter listened again. Two. Four. Six. Eight. Ten? Where's ten? There was no ten. One of them disappeared. Where'd they go? He began to look around, his eyes darting frantically. There were too many sounds and he was not focused enough.

"Looking for me?" a voice whispered into his ear.

Pitter-Patter took in a deep breath. He had to alert the others. "They're..." he choked. He choked. But how was he choking? He looked down. It was his own hand. He was choking by his own hand. This strength... he didn't have this strength and he knew it. What was happening? He could barely move his head. He rolled his eyes to the left to see. That malicious face, that deathly stare... was it... the devil?