Hachisuka has failed us as a coordinator.

A figure could be seen matching his fists against a heavy punching bag. His fists flew at high speeds almost in the blink of an eye, striking the bag once, twice, thrice.

She underestimated the local vigilantes and was easily defeated.

Five times. The punching bag flew high before coming back down. Time slowed down to a crawl and the figure began to assault the punching bag as many times as he could, until…

In less than a second eight consecutive punches resonated with an explosion of power.

What’s more, her beehive has been exterminated as well, meaning all the current data she gathered has been lost.

The figure sighed, his scar, a diagonal one that marked his entire face glowed in the dark as he smiled.

“So you want me to pick up the pieces from where she left it, right boss?” he asked, his smile growing.

---

Manami watched the news with a grim expression for the third time that day. She was still in her pajamas, holding onto her legs, having not moved since she sat down on her chair. The first time she saw the report she was horrified, but it only took her a few minutes for everything to click in her head.

A report about corpses piled up in a storage unit which was torn open. A storage unit that was awfully close to the one Gu-Smiley and Knuckleduster were last night.

Last night…

She had tried to call for him, to get a response, but she only heard him scream and cry until the connection disappeared. Her heart clenched as tears began to form at the edge of her eyes.

Did her savior find the girl he was trying to rescue there?

“Oh, Gure…” she said, as tears began to slowly run down through her cheeks.

If only she could do something to make his pain go away. Those screams still resonated in her mind as she tried to get a hold of him from the other side of the line.

She covered her face as she stayed there, slowly crying.

She needed to do something. But she didn’t know what.

Manami wondered the possibilities, if only she was faster to catch that scoundrel, nothing would’ve happened to that poor girl.

Her fists tightened.

She needed to see him again.

---

The sun was beginning to rise, bathing the sky in light, as Tensei Ida huffed while he ran through the deserted and dimly lit streets of the shopping district of Naruhata. After the altercation he had with the kid he used to jog in the mornings, he began to seek him again every morning to no avail.

Name’s Gure, no last name. No relatives either. Lives in a crowded shelter he seemed to maintain with the help of a few teens and an adult who appeared to have severe mental problems. It wasn’t a place for a growing teen to be, but…

The words of the teen resonated in his mind.

We did it all on our own… no hero or policemen have helped us.

The least he could do without approaching him directly again was to send a few of his workers to deliver a generous tip after each meal and read the reports on the state of the shelter from time to time.

It wasn’t a real priority in the great scheme of things.

Until recent events threw his caution over the window.

He knew that the ward of Naruhata was a dangerous one, it was one of the reasons why he wanted to know about his situation at first, but yesterday's news proved to him that this ward was way more dangerous and terrifying than he previously thought.

Storage units.

Two in particular.

As soon as it was reported by a civilian, every single storage unit in the area was forcibly opened in case there were similar cases to be found.

The only similarity between both storages were that both contained corpses. One had what appeared to be the corpse of an instant villain without its head around broken chains, while the other was filled to the brim with corpses of adults, teens… and children. Some of them were recognized as missing people reported months or even years ago.

It didn’t help that the same civilian that contacted the police also contacted the press. Which brought another problem to the heroes and police present and made the whole ordeal public.

“He’s not here either,” Tensei muttered once he reached the vending machines, the place where the roads split. He took a few coins from his back pocket and got himself a can of coffee.

What a mess.

The last report mentioned that the kid was helping at the shelter last weekend, but since then he hadn’t been seen on the premises. Instead, the only ‘responsible’ adult, the one with a split personality disorder, was the only one there trying to fill the void. Going by the report he received, the food wasn’t as good.

He would have laughed if the situation wasn’t as dire.

“Hm, what should I do?” he wondered while slurping from his can.

There were a few options he could try, such as contacting his agency to mobilize and locate the boy. It wouldn’t be the first time they did that, a few cases of missing or found kids came to mind. There was also his own approach to find the teen himself by running through the whole city, but that would exhaust him and take away time he could invest in working as a hero. Last option was…

Smiling, Tensei began to make his way towards the van parked a few meters away from his ‘running route’.

Once inside, he started the car and pulled onto the street, headed towards the edge of Naruhata. As he drove, Tensei made a call to his agency through his earpiece.

*click*

Good day Mr. Ida, sir. How was your morning run?

“Not good,” he muttered, clearly displeased with the results. He idly went through the motions as he began to leave the shopping district. “It’s safe to talk.”

Maybe the teen doesn’t want to cross paths with us, sir?

“It’s a possibility,” Tensei agreed, remembering the way slapped his hand that day. “But I can’t shake this feeling that I need to do something. And the recent case…”

The storage unit killer?

“They’re giving a name to the ones responsible for the storage unit killings?”

It’s one of the most popular theories on the internet, it seems the media think so too.

“Ahh… forget it,” he said, taking another turn towards the highway. “Oh by the way… put me in line with Koichi, tell him I need a favor.”

---

“Appreciate the help, go take a rest,” Iwao said to the teen with spiky hair who remained seated in front of his daughter. While sporting a somewhat tired smile he delivered a can of juice which Soga took after a few seconds of silence.

“Where’s he?” he finally asked, still seated on the same spot while sporting an annoyed expression. An expression he was almost familiar with at that point.

“The life of a badass is often a tired one, you sometimes find yourself working without rest 24/7,” the retired hero said, fetching a can of coffee from the plastic bag he brought over. “The kid might return for the night shift, but I doubt it.”

“I had a few questions to ask him,” Soga replied, his expression souring.

“We all do kid, get in line,” Iwao muttered as he watched the teen get up and make his way towards the couch.

The retired hero took a few baby wipes and began to clean the arms of his girl. He hadn’t slept since the kid brought his daughter to the hospital last night. But his stamina was going to run out soon, so he might not be able to see his baby girl wake up.

In the end he decided to keep the Soga kid in the dark of the whole ordeal. He only knew the tip of the iceberg and it should stay that way.

He’s just a kid.

‘But so is Gure,’ he thought once he was done with the arms, then he took another baby wipe and began to lightly clean her neck and face. ‘Boy, how could everything go so wrong?’

The problem wasn’t that the kid was Smiley or that he helped save his little girl. But that darkness he managed to see creeped up on the kid every time he was overcome with rage, he could still feel the experience he got first hand and now…

The kid might be responsible for the death of an innocent victim.

Worst part was that the voice of the victim sounded young, too young for comfort.

Once finished with his task, he took the used wipes and threw them in the trash, then took the yogurts he bought from the store and put them in the nightstand beside the bed.

Iwao stared at the coffee he brought and opened it up before taking a sip.

He needed to have some serious words with the kid. It seemed that it’s time to stop hiding the past and warn him of what he was getting into.

---

‘I wonder how the boss is doing?’ I thought, considering the possibilities that would lead to the boss and the other clone to abandon their responsibilities so they could leave me as a guardian.

I watched with a calm expression as PopStep practiced the lyrics of the ‘Marumake whatever-store’ on the roof of the almost finished warehouse.

‘And speaking of the warehouse, shouldn’t the kids be here already to paint what’s left of it?’ I wondered while keeping a watchful eye on Pop, but not because she began to jump around to the rhythm of the music, giving me a show to what was below her skirt. ‘What a bunch of slowpokes.’

It had been a few days since I last got a hold of the boss, and lately it had started becoming worrying, especially since I was stuck here as a babysitter instead of doing my job and work as a hero.

‘No, wrong. Calm yourself, that’s just your concerns blinding you,’ I squash that thought before it could grow out of proportion. I began to play with one of the projectiles the boss left me with. They were just some regular rubber balls, from what I deduced he would get them from the old man. They were tied to a different costume and it made me wonder If I should go with a different motif instead of Smiley.

“Come on! Come on!” PopStep sang to her heart’s content as he jumped again, flashing me a large smile.

I smiled back.

Funny, I’ve never seen her this happy before.

In fact, I could say I have never seen anyone this happy before. A clone’s life is often short, my existence has only been for a few months, and my only job had been on the streets.

That might’ve been the first time I’ve met PopStep, or Kazuho if I was correct, but it felt like I had known her for longer.

Immediately after she finished her practice we made our way over the rooftops towards the department store. Once at our destination we walked in to find the rest of the assembly that the store owner put together with the help of someone who worked under some hero called ‘Captain Something’.

I really didn’t care.

What I did care about was that there was an invitation for local heroes to make an appearance.

And I really hoped that Eraser-dude wouldn't make an appearance.

As I drowned out the talks about their strategy, drills and the like my mind began to wander towards the shelter.

‘I hope Jin is doing alright,’ I thought, remembering his aversion to sharp objects. ’At least he got the kids to help him.’

I smiled at Pop as she threw a look towards my direction, she smiled back.

Just a few more days until the event.

---

“RAAAAAAGHHHH!!!” I screamed as my fist met trees with so much force that they exploded in bark, dust and leaves. I couldn’t contain my rage as I zipped through the forest decimating trees and rock formations with my fists and legs without stop.

I have not slept since the day I found Emiko’s hat.

Covered… in her own blood.

Days ago…

My legs moved in perfect sync to perform ‘Razor’ towards a rock formation. An instant before impact, every muscle in my body reflexively tensed. An explosion of debris destroyed the elevation in its entirely. Small droplets of blood began to fall from small cuts around my body.

But I didn’t care.

I huffed before performing the move again, shooting towards the sky until I was above the clouds then dropping downwards while kicking the air as many times as possible.

Gurē! You can kick the ground so many times, it’s not fair!

I sneered as I heard her voice on the back of my head. My hand formed a fist before it met the ground. Another huge explosion of rubble, rocks and debris followed suit, destroying what was left of the rock formation and creating a huge crater where it used to be.

I laid there in the middle, resting against the terrain, rage and sorrow warring within me

Yuck! Gurē~!! I don’t want veggies in my soup again!!

My body exploded into motion. I began to regulate my ragged breath and zipped again towards the trees.

“RAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” I screamed as I extended my arm. In an incredible feat of strength I started to destroy everything on my path again. My fingers extended and everything in front of me was cut in perfectly cut circles.

In harmony with ‘Iron Body’ I decimated a great portion of the forest, until I couldn’t anymore.

But deep down I felt that was a lie.

I laid down on the cold floor. Trees were torn open and destroyed from all sides. I looked at the stars and the stars looked back at me.

I-

I am a sham of a hero.

All that time, training, improving myself, fighting for justice.

And I couldn’t save a single girl.

My n-name is Emiko. My brother says I shouldn’t talk to you.

Tears welled on the side of my eyes as I remembered the poor little girl I lost. I grinded my teeth as I tried not to cry.

This world was no different than… than…

…

Why must this world remind me of his previous life?

…

A lone tear descended from my cut cheek.

I wanted to stand up.

I wanted to get up, to do something.

But I felt so tired.

Another tear felt from my left eye as more warm memories filled my mind.

When was the… last time I cried?

When was the last time that I felt so lost?

---

‘Why do I feel like I don’t belong?’ I thought as I watched everyone get ready for the show. PopStep seemed to be having a mental breakdown as every few minutes someone screamed the time before the show. Like any good bodyguard, I stayed by her side and gave her a look whenever I felt her gaze.

She extended her hand and I held it without thinking. We smiled at each other, but the moment was ruined by someone mentioning the time again.

The door of the backstage was thrown open and my eyes immediately shot towards the heroes who began to walk in, some of them had to present themselves considering their obscurity. I could recognize a few important faces but not everyone.

‘Janice, or whatever his name was. Death Arms, and that woman who smells like cheap perfume, uh… ‘ I thought as I noticed the only ones with big names around. ‘What was her name again?’

“Ah! Midnight, the R-Rated Hero!”

Ah, that was it.

They started talking among themselves and with the organizers of the event for their appearance at the end of the show. It seemed that the top rated heroes weren’t going to be able to make it for one reason or another, and there were talks about some Aizawa dude not making it either.

Not like I really cared. We were- I mean I was here to protect Pop so she could deliver her performance, enjoy our time together, and then go home, easy peasy.

Ten minutes before the show.

PopStep tightened her grip.

Then the ambience was interrupted again by the door being opened by what appeared to be a hero in a mix of armor and civilian clothes, he had a mask that hid half of his face and a head protector with two antennas. “Ah sorry! Ingenium couldn’t make it. So he sent me in his stead. I used to live in Naruhata too hehe.”

“Who are you?” the woman who worked under ‘Captain Something’ asked.

“I’m the mysterious hero who sticks to walls, The Crawler!” Once his piece was said, the man stuck to a wall on all fours. His costume and the way he stuck out reminded me of a cockroach. Then he looked at the coordinator with a sheepish expression. “Um… I also work under Ingenium, he told me to come.”

“Uh… not important, we can work with this,” she said before she took a stroll towards our area to deliver the last nail to Pop’s nervousness. “Ten more minutes guys! Oh, is she alright?”

“I think so.” I wondered if I was right on that one, especially with PopStep still trying to hype herself up in a chair while looking at the wall. “Pop, it’s going to be alright.”

“D-Don’t tell me what I want to hear, idiot,” she said, still holding onto my hand.

Well whatever.

“See? She’s fine.” The lady just nodded and moved towards the hero side to tune up the final details.

We stayed in relative silence as PopStep kept stealing looks towards me while we held hands. She murmured the lyrics of the song, at that point I believed she knew them by heart. I didn’t know why she would experience so much panic just for less than three hundred people.

Missing your lines in front of people while fighting a villain? Now that’s embarrassing.

“Ahh! It’s you!” I heard, my head whipped just in time to see the cockroach guy pointing directly at me from across the room. “I knew your face was familiar.”

Uh?

‘Who is this person?’ I thought as my face was assaulted by the last ‘hero’ to arrive. He looked at me with a face of recognition, but for me this was the first time we had crossed paths. ‘Did the boss meet this guy before?’

“You probably don’t remember me, but my name is Koichi! I’ve eaten at your restaurant a few times hehe.” This person really liked to talk. He also revealed a tidbit of information I didn’t know. Meaning that the boss or the other clone knew of this Koichi character. “By the way, where have you been? I haven’t seen you there all week”

All week?

He visited every single day?

My eyes sharpened, something’s up.

“Oh, just following PopStep. I’m her manager for the time being haha,”

“Who’s PopStep?” he asked, showcasing one of the most plain looking faces I’ve ever seen.

‘He knows me but doesn’t know Pop? I’ve stuck to her for days, she barely seems to leave our side. How does he not know her?’ I pondered while keeping a straight face. ‘I’m confused, should I be alarmed or not. This guy radiates nothing to me, it’s like he’s barely here.’

“Five more minutes!” Before I could answer, or calm Pop by the look of rage she had on her face, one person from the PopStep group approached us with the news of the time remaining. “Get in position, last call!”

“Pop” I said, ignoring the hero, who looked confused at my action. “Are you ready? It’s almost time.”

“Y-Yeah…” she muttered, face flushed as she stared at our connection one last time before she stood up and began to make her way towards the stage with me in toe. “I think I am.”

---

I held Emiko’s hat tightly in my hand. It wasn’t that I was scared of dropping it, but because it was all I had.

I had nothing else to hold onto. And as I approached the shelter sporting a grim expression, I decided to finally stop what I was doing and reveal the truth, even if it was a painful one.

I wasn’t sure if that was what Emiko would’ve wanted, but it was something I wanted to get off of my chest before it burst out like it did in the forest.

“Gurē?” “Oh it’s Gurē!” “Thank god!” “We can finally eat good food!” “Hey, be quiet you idiot!”

It took a few seconds before everyone started to make their way towards me, but stopped midway once they noticed the item in my hands. I tried to contain the tears that welled on the side of my eyes as Daisuke, Emiko’s brother, began to slowly walk until he was in front of me.

“I’m…” I stopped, words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. He looked at me then back at the hat. I needed to say something. “I’m sorry.”

He took the hat between his hands and hugged it to his chest like his life depended on it.

“Kid,” Salt said, a can of beer still in his hand but he sported a grim expression as he took a few steps towards us. “We saw the news… is she?”

He shut up when Daisuke directed his gaze to him, then back at me.

I remained silent. I didn’t know.

I didn’t want to find out.

My instincts told me that she was as good as dead, Her hat was in a massive pile of corpses. All hope I had died the moment the scent of her blood was confirmed that day.

And even if giving them hope would alleviate their state of mind. I didn’t want to give them that. It would only be more painful at the end of the day.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, looking to the side.

“Oh kid…” Salt said, approaching me. I could smell his breath, it seemed this was his second beer on the day. “It’s… It’s going to be alright.”

I appreciate the feeling of comfort. But, I wasn’t the one that lost a sibling here. Daisuke was. Who immediately began to shake and release small tears as the news of the death of her sister finally set in.

Others tried to give him hope, to calm him down, but Daisuke's only concern was staring at the ground while tears runned down through his cheeks.

It was at that moment that the door of the warehouse was opened by PopStep, she and my clone both entered the shelter while sporting content smiles.

My tired eyes connected with my clone and he immediately clue in that something’s up. Because the next action he took was to hold onto PopStep from her shoulder and silently told her to keep quiet.

Emiko was dead, and my life was worse for it.

---

A/N: Hey! Sorry for the angst on this chapter. I wanted to showcase Gurē’s emotional state and how he deals with it. Short answer, not good lmao. Some people deal with emotional turmoil and trauma differently than others, and in Gurē’s case, he prefers not to showcase much of his emotions in public. But alone oh boy, that’s another story.

I hope even though there wasn’t much progression in the story, that I managed to write a compelling chapter. Recently I’ve been struggling to write at the same fast pace I used to do. I even wonder when I’m going to post this chapter.

And another thing. Isn’t this chapter short? What’s up with that? I envisioned this chapter to be 6k, but ended up being 4k instead.