My Hero Academia: Split Path

Chapter 6: From a Tank to a Cage

"Get out of my way!" Sora screams at the number one hero with a vicious tone. The number one hero elects not to move, instead, placing his hands out to the side in an attempt to placate the boy and protect the criminal from the boy's attacks. "Calm down, boy. He's beaten. It's over." The hero speaks calmly, never dropping his smile, though a bead of sweat runs down his forehead at the child's ferocity. "Over?" "Yes. Let's just calm down and-" "Shut up!" Allmight is taken aback by the boy's outburst. Had a child ever spoken like this to him before? "You people only show up when it's good for you. You wanna stop me but you couldn't get here in time to stop him!?" The boy points an accusing finger towards the unconscious gang member.

Allmight doesn't budge. "I got here late then. I'm sorry if you lost someone, but killing him isn't going to bring them back." "I know that! You don't get to be sorry! You heroes are never around when you're needed! You look good on tv but people like us are left to fend for ourselves! You have no idea what I've had to do just to survive and you want to tell me to calm down!? That it's over!? That you're sorry!? Screw you! If you heroes can solve anything then what the hell happened to me, huh!? Why was I torn apart, over and over...why didn't a hero show up!? Why can't you assholes do your job!?" Allmight didn't move a muscle during the boy's outcry of pain. He could see that the boy needed this. Whatever he had been through, it was hell to him. How could he tell? Because the crimson electricity had faded, leaving a crying boy. A child. Someone that this hero system had failed.

The hero's smile had faded. He reaches into the surprisingly deep pocket in his spandex costume, pulling out a phone. He quickly speed dials a certain friend, getting an answer after the first ring. "Tsukauchi. I need your help...I'm down on Hoth Lane. Yes, I know it's not your area. Yes, I understand...important?" Allmight looks over to the boy, now having fallen to his knees and breathing hard, tears cascading down his cheeks. "Incredibly so...Thank you." He hangs up the phone and places it back in his pocket before seemingly searching the area for something. He walks off for a moment but comes back with a small, metal pipe. He pulls the gangster from the wall, emulating the sight of a bandaid being ripped off and bends the metal pipe around the criminal's wrists creating makeshift handcuffs.

After propping the unconscious gangster up against the wall, the hero takes another look around, finally getting the chance to see the damage caused by the fight between a gangster and a child. The burnt camp, the unconscious bodies, the crater, it seems more like a war zone than a street brawl. This was the damage that could be done when quirk use is not properly monitored and the heroes failed to protect the citizens. He would have to check who was on duty in the area when he got the chance.

In the distance, Allmight spots a group of children accompanied by an elderly lady peaking out from behind a nearby alleyway. They seem terrified. One of the children walks out, attempting to come closer to them. "It's not a good idea for you to come over here, they could wake up at any time." The boy pauses, stuck between obeying the hero and wanting to come closer. "They won't wake up anytime soon." Sora speaks, seemingly having calmed down. His voice still trembles but no longer contains the level of emotion from earlier. "What do you mean?" "I attacked their nerves. Even if they did wake up, they won't be able to move. If I went further I could have fried their muscles or even caused serious brain damage." The hero is taken aback by the casual explanation from the boy. "I-is that so..."

The little boy from earlier takes this chance as the hero is distracted to run over to the white haired boy, followed closely by the other children and the old lady. "Um...where's gramps?" The innocent words cut through Sora's heart like butter. What could he say? That the man that had taken care of them for so long had sacrificed himself for a boy he had only known for a day? He couldn't do that to these children. He knows what it feels like and to have to bear such news to another, it was unfair. "He..." The boy chokes on his own words, fighting past the pain to get something, anything, out. "He was...is a hero." The little family of homeless children seem to understand what he means when his eyes betray him, glancing at the large crater behind them.