A/N: Hey everyone! So I've had this idea running around my brain now for a bit. And thought I would give in to this rambling of my mind and start up this story.
I'm currently caught up on the Anime, still about halfway through the Manga but I'm getting there! For now I'll be going with Anime for most of the basis for this story...I'm just sorta running with scissors at this point. XDD
Anyways..I hope you guys enjoy it! I really had fun with this chapter...and I'm excited to finally see Suzume coming to life...
Disclaimer: Nope! I own nothing of My Hero Academia all the rights belong to Kōhei Horikoshi.
I do however own my original characters and would very much appreciate you asking before you use any of them! Thank you!
Chapter 1: A Bumpy Road
Early evening cast a dark shadow over the busy streets of Seoul South Korea. The street lights and office buildings illuminating the surroundings as people made their way too and fro.
One building among the chaos of the early evening rush stood out, tall and seemingly sterile. The quiet facade of the hospital gave off a calming energy.
Deep within the hospital walls, one occupant was still not aware of the normal hustle and bustle going on outside.
The lights in the hospital room were dimmed giving the white walls long shadows. Two figures were in the room.
One a young woman in her early twenties was seated across the room in a chair, her chin-length brown hair bobbed every so often as she moved her head slightly as she studied the tablet in her hands.
Anyone who walked in unexpectedly would likely stop and stare if they noticed the almost robotic slot machine action of her eyes as she read.
The only sound in the room was the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor that sat next to the hospital bed across from the young woman.
It's occupant seemingly asleep as she breathed deeply, she was a teen girl of fifteen. Her long navy blue hair creating a halo effect against the white of the pillows she was propped against.
Small bandages and bruises covered her face and exposed arms, a larger wrap going up her swollen upper left arm.
The beeping of the heart monitor was the first noise that registered in the fogginess of the darkness that the young woman noticed.
Her body felt so heavy as she slowly began to drift towards consciousness. The steady sound seeming loud in her ears and it caused her head to pound.
(W...where am I?) Suzume thought her brain finally starting to process the darkness she was in. She knew she'd been asleep that part was obvious.
And as she drifted out of the fog that was surrounding her she began to notice the simple fact that she felt like she'd been run over by a bus.
Slowly, ever so slowly she blinked open her pale blue eyes. Even the dim lighting of the hospital room caused her to instantly squeeze them back shut.
She felt a wave of nausea pass over her and she swallowed hard to force it back.
(W...what...is going on...am I in a hospital?) She thought as the wave of nausea passed through her head was still pounding as she tried to piece together the events that had led her here.
Flashes of memories started to come to her mind, she'd gone to her class. A specialized Hero Program for those in training.
It had been a normal class, she and her teacher had gone out on a patrol...just a normal patrol...
That thought, however, made her pause. Had it been a normal patrol?
She couldn't remember, she felt herself concentrate on the broken pieces of memories that were swirling in her still foggy brain.
No...it hadn't been normal at all...they'd been called to help with a situation...
She felt her head pulse with that thought as a series of images flashed before her brain.
A huge muscled man stood over her pinning her to the ground with his foot, the dim light of an alleyway glinting off the dark brown scales and armor that covered his body.
She felt fear as he moved a giant scorpion-like tail towards her, she could see a smirk on his lips as his green reptilian eyes glared down at her daring her to move.
A sudden flash caused her to look up and she felt herself grow cold at the sight before her, her teacher stood stiffly with her back to them.
A tall man with short-cropped white hair and blazing violet eyes was standing in front of them.
She couldn't make out exactly what was happening but whatever it was it wasn't good. She could see the man whisper something to her teacher who was twitching with both fear and pain.
In a split second the man jerked his arm back his hand wavering in the air as he did.
Suzume felt her heart squeeze in her chest as she watched her teacher sway where she stood before crumpling to the ground like a rag doll.
That last memory caused a jolt to go through Suzume's body where she laid.
She let out a sharp gasp as her eyes flew back open, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she sat bolt upright in the hospital bed.
The young woman was startled out of her reading by the sudden sound of the heart monitor going crazy.
She jerked to attention looking up to see Suzume sitting bolt upright in her bed, a frightened look contorting her now awake face.
"Suzume! Oh goodness..." She said as she quickly got to her feet and made her way across the room to try and comfort the younger woman.
"Hey...hey...it's alright..." She said as she enveloped Suzume in a hug gently running her fingers through her long hair.
She could feel the tremors running through the young woman.
"J...Jun-Li...I...I..." Suzume managed to stutter out her voice weak and trembling as she clung to the older woman tears pouring down her cheeks.
"I know...I know...it's alright, I'm right here sis..." Jun-Li said soothingly as she continued to comfort her sister barely aware of the nurses who were coming into the room at the sound of the heart monitor going off.
It took quite a while for Suzume to calm down from her initial awakening and for the doctor to be called and to check her over.
Jun-Li sat quietly beside the bed as the nurses and doctor who had been called were finishing their exam.
Suzume was seated up quietly much calmer than she had been, she seemed to be staring off blankly into space.
"H...how long have I been out?" Suzume finally asked still not looking up at the doctor.
The doctor gave her a sympathetic look.
"Three days, between the loss of your stamina from overuse of your Quirk. The injuries you received and the toxin from the sting you received by that Villain we had no choice but to keep you sedated to allow your body the proper time to heal and recover." He said giving her a gentle smile.
Suzume slowly nodded her head her hand gently coming to rest on the bandages that covered her arm.
Her memories had continued to play out in her mind even after they'd cut off at her initial awakening shock. She now understood exactly what had taken place.
She took a deep breath to meet the gaze of the doctor.
"And my teacher? Is Ms. Ryeo alright?" She saw the subtle look in the doctor's gaze as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"I'm afraid I'm not currently allowed to discuss her condition, however, your other instructors will be here soon and want to discuss the situation with you. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you her status then." He said kindly giving her a forced smile.
Suzume felt her heart squeeze in her chest but she slowly nodded her head as she once again lowered her gaze to her lap.
Jun-Li smiled kindly at the doctor as he made to exit the room telling her that they would be keeping Susume overnight for observation. With a thank you and bow he was out of the room.
Once he was gone Jun-Li turned to look at her sister a sympathetic look crossing her face as she forced a smile as she walked back over beside the bed.
"Hey...at least you'll be able to go home tomorrow. And Mom and Dad are on their way...they came down when you were first admitted but needed to go back home for somethings...but they hopped on the first train they could when I called to say you were awake." She said quietly as she looked at Suzume who was still staring down at her hands.
"Yeah..." Suzume mumbled as she continued to look down.
Jun-Li heaved a sigh at her sister's plight, she'd known this event would be traumatizing for her younger sister the moment she received the call from the program's supervisor director.
But she also guessed it was better that she learned now what she was getting herself into as a Pro Hero. That thought gave her little comfort however as she reached over to gently tuck Suzume's hair behind her ear.
The soft-touch finally seemed to break Suzume out of her trance-like state as she turned to look at her sister. She could see the worry and concern reflected in her eyes.
"I..." Suzume started to speak wanting to give her sister some form of reassurance despite the growing pit that was forming in her stomach. But she was cut off by the sound of a gentle knock on the door frame of the room.
Both women glanced up to see two men standing in the doorway.
One was much taller and more muscular with short-cropped red hair and bright almost glowing golden eyes. He wore a button-down shirt and a pair of dress slacks, his intense gaze would make most shrink away.
The other was a clean-cut young man with dark brown hair and kind light gray eyes. He wore a dark brown suit and appeared to be less strict than the man next to him.
Suzume instantly perked at seeing both men, specifically the taller. He was the director of the Hero Program she was apart of.
"I'm glad to see you've finally come around, Soon..." Director Maeng stated his intense look softening just the slightest. It was well known that his demeanor was much softer than he ever let on.
Suzume gave him a small nod in acknowledgment she could feel the pit in her stomach once again growing.
Jun-Li got to her feet giving both men a bow as they made their way into the room. She gave Suzume a glance before making her way to the door.
"I'll just be outside if you need me..." She said as she excused herself.
"I am also glad to see you are finally awake, you had us worried for a bit..." The other man stated giving Suzume a smile. If she'd been in any other mood she probably would have found the younger man charming.
"This is Investigator Kim, he's working with the police to try and determine exactly what took place the other night." Director Maeng stated as both men came to stand next to Suzume's hospital bed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Soon. Hopefully, we won't have to disturb you for too long...we just need to ask you a few questions." Investigator Kim explained kindly there was a relaxing warmth to his voice.
Suzume nodded her head, even though all she wanted to know at the moment was the status of her teacher. She couldn't help but wonder if they were trying to avoid telling her or not.
"So the basic police report and eye witness statements we were able to gather stated that you and you're instructor the Pro Hero Inhyeong were called to a disturbance. When the other Heroes arrived they found both of you incapacitated...and there were two deceased bodies found as well." Kim stated as he read from a small notebook he dug out of his pocket.
Maeng looked between Kim and Suzume clearly interested in what she would say next.
"Y-Yes...my memories are still coming back...but I remember most of what happened that night. Ms. Ry...I mean Inhyeong and I had gone out on patrol that night, we were only supposed to be out a few hours doing nothing more than making ourselves known to detour anyone in the area..." Suzume explained quietly.
Maeng nodded his head slightly as he crossed his arms listening to her story.
"We'd been out for a while...it was slow. But then Ms. Ryeo received a call on her headpiece there was a disturbance down an alley. She said it sounded like a couple of punk gang members causing trouble and she could probably handle it herself...it'd make a great training experience to show me how to break up something minor..." She said swallowing as the memory replayed itself in her mind.
"Once we got to the alleyway we were both surprised to find it quiet. Ms. Ryeo told me to wait by the entrance. We at first thought the disturbance had already occurred and had broken up on its own..." She said feeling a shiver pass through her body.
Both men exchanged looks before giving her a nod to continue.
"Ms. Ryeo continued down the ally...it was then that she noticed the first body. Apparently one of the gang members who was causing the disturbance, there were no outside wounds but he clearly wasn't breathing. The other man we found further down the alley...he too was incapacitated but still breathing. He had a wound similar to my arm on his leg..." Suzume stated as she motioned to the swollen area of her arm.
"She asked me to stay with both of the bodies as she called for assistance. I wasn't sure what was going on at that point..." Suzume stated swallowing hard as she paused knowing what she was going to have to tell next before she continued.
"Ms. Ryeo was calling on her headpiece to get back up...but she only got part of the message through before we noticed the third man who was standing at the other end of the alley. At first, we thought he was possibly a citizen or bystander coming to help...but she recognized something wasn't right about him..." She said quietly she could feel the fright she'd felt that night starting to seep back into her bones as she recalled what that man had looked like.
"There was an exchange between Ms. Ryeo and this man...he made to come after us. But she managed to stop him...there was a brief fight between them before she was able to use her Quirk and stop him. We had thought that would be the end..." Suzume stated feeling tears starting to well up at the corners of her eyes as she continued on with the story.
"Ms. Ryeo told me to vacate the area, to take the victim who was still alive back to the street and await the back up that should be coming. I began to do what she said...but..." Suzume trailed off as the tears she was trying to hold back began to slide down her cheeks.
"I...I don't know where he came from...but before I could even move there was another man. He...he was huge covered from head to toe in scales and plates. He looked like a giant walking snake with a scorpion tail. He was so fast...I tried getting away with the other victim...but he blocked my path..." Suzume stated sniffling as she shivered at the memory.
Director Maeng heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes, Investigator Kim looking sympathetically at the girl before him.
"Ms. Ryeo saw what was happening...but she was already using her Quirk to immobilize the first villain. She could only fight to an extent without breaking her concentration and losing her hold on him..." Suzume stated regaining her composure for the moment.
"So she gave you permission to use you're Quirk for protection?" Maeng asked quietly.
"Y...yes...I tried, but he was so fast...even with all the training I just wasn't a match for him. I tried so hard...but he just came through everything I had. I wanted to help Ms. Ryeo...help that other man...but all I could do was get beat around..." Suzume stated the tears once again starting as she covered her face and sobbed.
"Hey...you did you're best under the circumstances." Director Maeng stated sympathetically as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Suzume sniffled as she used her hand to roughly wipe at her eyes, pain, frustration, and anger burning in her eyes as she tried to gain control of her emotions before she continued.
"Ms. Ryeo could see what was happening, she could see how outmatched the fight was. She stepped in to help but with her concentration split..." Suzume sniffed again as she looked off into space for a moment.
"Her Quirk couldn't keep up...and the other villain she was trying to stop was able to break free. With both of them coming at us...and her Quirk needing time to recoup...it as only a matter of time before we were both spent..." She said her voice growing distant as the memory she had awoken to passed before her eyes.
"The scaled guy knocked me into one of the walls...he pinned me to the ground with his foot. I tried to use my Quirk...but I had already used all of my stamina. Both the villain and Ms. Ryeo saw this...the villain tried to get me...but she...she stepped in front of him to protect me. I...I don't know what he did...but it was something with his hand..." Suzume stated quietly as she stared off in front of her...
"Ms. Ryeo fell...I couldn't get to her...the other held me down. I remember him using his tail to sting my upper arm...and then pain...so much pain...before everything went black..." Suzume said her voice trailing off at where her memories stopped before she awoke in the hospital.
Both Maeng and Kim had unreadable looks on their faces after hearing this story.
Suzume had gone back to staring down at her hands in her lap as the two men asked a few more questions.
Asking for specifics on the two villains who they'd happened upon, Kim taking down notes on the descriptions Suzume supplied. Maeng couldn't help but notice the serious look upon the investigator's face as he talked with the young woman.
"And one last question...you've done so well, Soon..." Kim stated his voice still kind yet clearly shaken by this information.
"When these two Villains were talking...did they ever use any names?" He asked quietly giving her a very serious look.
Suzume nodded her head as she swallowed.
"The Scorpion one was called Mamushi, he referred to the other as Cintesis...he seemed to be the one calling the shots..." Suzume stated quietly.
There was a look that seemed to pass across Kim's face, one that Suzume didn't notice but Maeng did.
"Also...before I passed out I barely overheard their conversation. Mamushi was asking if what they had done was alright...Cintesis said it was time they made a stand. And that whoever their leader is would understand in time..." Suzume said finally turning to look at the two older men.
Maeng sighed audibly at this as he looked at her she could see the troubled look behind his normally stern gaze.
"I want you to know Soon, none of this was your fault. You acted like a true hero up until the end...I only wish the outcome could have been better..." Maeng said his voice heavy as Kim nodded his head in agreement.
"D-Director...I tried to ask the doctor earlier, but he wouldn't give me any information until I spoke with you. Please...is Ms. Ryeo alright? I need to know..." Suzume stated her eyes shining with intensity as she looked the older man in the eye.
Director Maeng let out a long sigh as he looked at the young teen before him, he knew becoming a hero was what she wanted but after everything today he had to wonder if this would detour her pathway.
"Yes, I suppose they would want me to be the one to have to tell you..." He said quietly his voice going into a soft tone that Suzume had never heard him use before. She felt her stomach drop as she also noticed the downward gaze of Investigator Kim as he stood beside the taller hero.
"I'm sorry...from what they tell me she was gone before the back up were on the scene. They're still working out exactly what happened..." He said his voice wavering slightly as he dared to look at her.
Suzume felt like the bed beneath her had dropped out from under her.
(Gone...she...she...no...I...couldn't do anything...) Suzume thought as her brain tried to process the news that her teacher of the last two years had passed away before her eyes.
She could feel the tears flowing down her cheeks but it was a distant sensation as images of her mentor flashed before her eyes.
Seeing the reaction Maeng turned and nodded to Kim who quickly made his way out into the hallway to retrieve Jun-Li.
Suzume barely noticed her sister's return as the two men quietly left the room. She was only aware of Jun-Li's presence as her sister yet again pulled her into a tight embrace as sobs once again began to rock her body.
And that's it for Chapter 1!
Things will be coming together in the next few chapters. I will be trying to update as often as I can...my work schedule depending. XDD
Anyways...tell me what you think so far! I really hope you guys enjoy this and want to see where it's going to go! I promise this is the beginning of the ride!
Anyways...I really do hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know!
Thank you so much for reading...please remember to Read and Review! I love hearing your feedback!