Heroes and Horrors (Izuku x Kendo)

Chapter 2: What Lurks in the Dark

Itsuka idly tapped her fingers against her leg as she observed her patrol area. Dressed in her hero outfit, Itsuka resisted the urge to check her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. It was late on a Saturday night, and here she was camped out in a dirty alley watching for crime. With no contracts or jobs to bring in a payday, Itsuka was back to the basics. It sure as shit wasn't as glamorous as taking down crime syndicates or doing community outreach programs, but nightly crime patrols were a reliable way to make some money taking down petty criminals. If she was lucky, one of the thugs she arrested might have an outstanding warrant or bounty that could sweeten the reward. Plus it also helped remind the public that pro-heroes were still out protecting them.

While this area of the city certainly was not as rough as some of the other areas, there were always enterprising thieves and criminals lurking around. Especially around the high-end nightclubs and bars. It was a tried and true method for criminals to make some money if they knew how to do it right. Wait outside any popular establishment for a drunk or otherwise impaired victim, stalk them as they stumble away from the crowd, mug them in the shadows, then leave. Any decent thug worth their salt could mug a rich drunkard in under two minutes if things went well. It was a relatively low risk crime that had the capacity to net the criminal a decent chunk of cash if the victim was loaded.

Itsuka's musings were interrupted as her trained eyes caught some suspicious movement. A lone man in a nice suit had just left the trendy bar across the street and was swaying heavily as he texted on his phone. Apparently done texting the man began to wander away from the well-lit boulevard. Right on cue, two shady-looking individuals wearing jeans and cheap jackets left their hangout spot on the corner of the street and began discreetly following the lone man. Feeling confident that this was a mugging in the making, Itsuka slowly began inching out of the alley. Her eyes tracking the two suspected muggers while staying out of their sight.

Slightly stumbling, the man in the suit turned down a sidestreet and disappeared from view. Hot on his tail, the two stalkers turned down the street as well. Exiting her alley, Itsuka jogged across the street and peeked around the corner of the building that made up the entrance to the side street. Sure enough, Itsuka's intuition had been correct. As the oblivious man in the suit meandered down the empty street with his eyes glued to his smartphone, the two thugs nodded to each other. One of the thugs snapped his fingers, and all the lights on the street suddenly turned off. As the light-manipulating thug kept watch, the second one pulled out a switchblade and grabbed the bewildered businessman.

"Keep quiet or you get a knife in the gut." Growled the knife-wielding man. "Hand over your wallet and phone and you don't get hurt."

"Am I being robbed?" The man in the suit said with a slight slurring of his words.

The armed mugger growled in annoyance as the businessman wobbled around unsteadily. "Yes you fucking dumbass! Now hand over your shit!"

Well that sealed it, Itsuka had undeniable proof and needed to act quickly. Waiting until the lookout was facing the other way, Itsuka silently dashed forward.

"But I need my phone." The businessman said dumbly.

"I dont fucking care!" The mugger snarled. "Hand it over or you get stabbed!"

Activating her quirk, Itsuka enlarged her hands and grabbed the lookout by the neck.

"Hey!" She shouted at the knife-wielding mugger as the lookout struggled in her grip. "Drop the knife and surrender!"

With his concentration broken, the lookout's quirk deactivated. As the streetlights blazed to life, the armed mugger looked back at Itsuka in shock.

"Fuck!" The mugger shouted in frustration as he looked at his friend struggling against Itsuka's tight grip. He then glanced at the confused businessman and snarled in anger. "Two can play that game bitch!"