❧
"Wake up! Wake up, we're here!"
You open your eyes, and they're immediately met by an excited Shinimi.
"What?"
"You slept the whole time," Midoriya snickers, "now we're in Tokyo."
"I even slept through the take-off?" You marvel. You must've been tired, but for good reason; you don't recall sleeping that well in a long time.
Shinimi nods enthusiastically. "I threw up three times!"
"Woah," you blink, leaning up, "are you okay?"
Midoriya answers. "He's fine now. He just ate way too much and it was his first time on a plane, so I wasn't surprised."
You look over at Shinimi, who seems to be just as happy and not even tired, despite throwing up three times and not sleeping a wink.
"Look!" He points out the window, "There are lights everywhere!"
As you all walk out of the plane, you marvel at the city of Tokyo, lit up in thousands of lights and colors. Advertisements are alight, along with every building you can see.
"Wow," you say, "this is . . . beautiful."
The night sky is buzzing with chatter and the hum of cars' engines. It's loud, but in a comforting way, just like your home city.
"So," Midoriya chimes, "what's the plan now?"
You both look at Shinimi. He purses his lips, looking innocent.
"Don't worry," his gaze hardens, "I know how we can find him."
❧
"Are you sure this is a good plan? You won't get hurt?"
Shinimi nods, smiling at you. "I was one of the best fighters back at home. I'm not stupid, either. I know the Agitator will catch on."
You and Midoriya hide in the alley as Shinimi walks onto the sidewalk. His plan seems solid, but you're still worrying.
He can control frustration and fear, you remind yourself, this is fine.
Shinimi starts to shout at the people passing by, screaming nonsense and random blabberings. He looks like a maniac as he stands there, still as a stone, being louder than the traffic.
But as you look at his face, you realize he's holding back a smile.
Is he having fun?
When a boy that looks a little older than him stops in the middle of walking, you know he's done it.
He scared the people around him, then chose his target.
You look at the boy he chose: he has plain features and black hair, but as you look closer, you notice the tattoo of a cobra on his neck.
Shinimi was right. These kids must be everywhere.
Your heart pounds as you watch from the shadows, the teen's words re-playing in your head.
" . . . I know there will be a kid he chose somewhere around here," he had said to you and Midoriya, "someone who is heading to meet the Agitator. They usually get tattoos as soon as they're invited; it's like an honorific. Pride. Tradition. My brother had gotten one, too."
"But won't he be a good fighter if he was one of the chosen?" You had asked him. He nodded.
"Of course. But surprise attacks are my specialty, so don't worry. I'll find them, take control, and we can interrogate them afterward. It's that simple!"
At that moment, you realized that Shinimi is not a normal kid. He was raised to fight. To survive. There's no reason to worry.
And like he said, you're starting to realize he doesn't think like a normal kid, either.
The Cobra Boy under Shinimi's control is frozen, his face wrinkled in terror. His body eases though, and he starts to walk to the alleyway where you're hiding with Midoriya.
Midoriya chuckles. "This is easier than I thought it'd be."
"I brought the rope, too," you say quietly, "so once we're out of the public's view we can restrain him. We don't know this kid's quirk, which also means we don't know how dangerous he is."
"Here, hand it to me. I probably have more experience with this sort of stuff than you do."
You oblige, laughing a bit. "Oh, yeah. I can't say I've ever tied up anyone before."
Midoriya holds back a laugh. "Sorry. That just sounded weird."
"Y-You're weird!"
He takes the rope, barely visible in the shadows. You turn back to Shinimi, who's walking over with the Cobra Boy like they're best friends.
A smile is plastered on the boy's face, while Shinimi's holds one of genuine amusement.
"Here, meet my friends," the red-haired boy says to his captive when they reach the alley, "we don't want to hurt you. Just have a little chat."
You can see the boy shaking.
Perfect, you think, the more scared he is the more control Shinimi has.
Midoriya stands, securing the boy's hands with the rope.
"Alright, let's go to the hotel," he says when he's finished, "we can talk there."
He puts his jacket around the Cobra Boy, covering the fact that he's restrained as to not alarm the public.
"So," you start as you all walk down the sidewalk, "what's your name, kid?"
"Horyo," he mumbles, still looking down at the concrete, "My given name is Horyo."
Midoriya laughs. "Wow, what a coincidence."
"Well, Horyo," you smile, "as long as you answer all of our questions at the hotel, you won't be hurt. It that okay with you?"
Horyo nods, choking back a sob when he answers. "I understand."
❧