My Hero Academia: Split Path

Chapter 10: ABC's of Villainy

A short distance from where Sora and Ryuko are doing their shopping, there exists a large bank. Rendered, grey walls and multiple floors with glass windows surrounding the building alongside the surprisingly green scenery surrounding the building makes the bank give off a very rich atmosphere. This bank, as anyone in the area could tell you, is the largest bank in the prefecture. Inside the large bank, a multitude of busy civilians go about there business taking out loans and deposit or withdraw various amounts of their hard earned income. Helping these people are the staff, working hard to earn their own income and putting up with the influx of customers and sporadic annoyance.

The bank itself continues like it always has, a well oiled machine. It's what lies on the outside that's currently important. In the parking lot, lies a plain, white van. In the alleyway across the street sits another plain white van. Finally, behind the bank there is one last van, parked in the shadow of the large building. Inside the suspicious trio of vehicles, men and women dressed in black, full-body kevlar armour and black masks covering the lower portions of their faces. "Final check." A male voice echoes over their earpieces. "A-team, ready." The sole female in van behind the bank responds. "B-team, ready." A male member of the group within the parking lot van responds. "C-team, ready." The sole member of C-team responds, sitting in the drivers seat of the alleyway van dressed in casual clothing with a hood covering his head. "Overwatch, ready. Get going." The voice in their earpiece ends transmission before team A and B move out.

                                 ~~~~~

Ryuko and Sora have continued their shopping spree for a short time since buying the bag of marbles for the white haired boy. Both Sora and Ryuko have their fair share of shopping bags in either arm, mostly filled with groceries and other foodstuffs, though Ryuko spent a surprisingly large amount of money on a fist-sized, fake diamond, citing that it was so shiny that she had to have it. walking along the street, the two soon come across a large building with a plethora of lights and machines unfamiliar to Sora. Ryuko soon notices the boy's awe and lightly taps his shoulder. "That's an arcade. It's around 100 to 500 yen per game. Do you want to go inside?" Unable to take his eyes off the bright lights and smiling faces of the young men and women inside, Sora simply nods in confirmation, earning a short chuckle from Ryuko who seems glad that Sora is starting to look more like an ordinary child.

Ryuko pulls out her purse one more time and hands the boy a large collection of coins. "Thanks..." The uncomfortable expression on Sora's face gives Ryuko a cause for concern. "What's wrong?" "I'm supposed to give you something in return, aren't I?" The question startles Ryuko until she remembers exactly who she's talking to. "It's fine. Just go and have some fun." "But-" "If you want a trade, then I'll give you this money and in exchange, you go and have fun. Try talking to one of the other kids in there. Who knows? Maybe you'll make a friend or two." Ryuko smiles sweetly at the boy who reluctantly gives in, thanking her before turning around and entering the arcade.

The moment Sora enters the arcade, it feels like he has stepped into an entirely different world. Strange lights and machines, people everywhere enjoying themselves with large smiles or gritting determination as they rapidly mash the buttons in front of them. Two larger machines with a multicoloured platform where a boy and girl dance with sweat pouring off their bodies. Two grown men in collared, button-up shirts and long black pants with controllers shaped like handguns aimed at the enemies on-screen. As Sora takes in the amazing stimulus, a group of machines catch his eye. A machine with two screens, one with the action taking place and the other at the same level as the buttons with a yellow and blue screen and five cards placed across it. The words on the sides of the machine read 'Card Heroes: S3'.