I've come to learn that sometimes, bad things happen to balance the good things in life. You get 90 points on your math test--You forget your lunch at home. You find a lucky coin on the ground--A bird takes a dump on your head. You win the lottery--You get hit by a car. You successfully evade some weirdo wearing a strawberry mask...
...You accidentally switch bags with some random person you bumped into on the street and end up having a bag full of stolen money, and now you may be guilty of a crime that you didn't even commit.
"Today on Shimaya News, a group of five villains wearing paper bags robbed the Eno Bank earlier this afternoon at approximately 2:13 pm."
In the background, I can make out panicked civilians rushing out of the door. Or at least, what remained of it. Glass was shattered everywhere. The brick wall was destroyed. One of the villains supposedly had an explosive Quirk that they used to blast into the bank. It cut back to live footage. Four robbers were getting handcuffed by the police. Their paper bags were removed, revealing their faces. They all were brimming with anger as they were seen explaining to the authorities about what happened.
"We were driving off in the get-away car when he did something. Next thing we know, the four of us are in a completely different place with no money in sight!" One of the robbers spoke. Without warning, he reached up toward the camera. His face was plastered on the entire screen. With a crazed look in his eyes, he said, "That kid set us up! I swear when I get my hands on that blond brat--" The police pulled him away and the video cut off.
The news anchor informed that the culprit was spotted in southern Shimaya. A blurry pictured popped up, and I immediately recognized where this photo was taken. It was where I dropped my bag. The robber's head was blocked by a red stop sign but you can see my purple backpack slung over his shoulder. "We will keep you updated as more information is passed."
I stared at the purple backpack that was sitting on my lap. The bottom of the bag was dirty, probably because it's been thrown around a lot, with the tattered straps having holes. On one side of the backpack was a faded image of a smug cat with patches of dirt on its face. The words underneath were peeling off, with the only legible letters left being "OW". Crumbled up green dollar bills were stuffed inside the bag. It looked like there was a fair amount of money in here, since the backpack was practically overflowing.
How is it possible that someone happened to have the same exact backpack as me? I won it as a prize at a cat-themed park in America last year! And just my luck that I bumped into them and switched backpacks. Well, at least it makes sense why that weird strawberry dude kept bugging me. He probably heard the news about the robbery and thought I was involved.
The man sitting next to me flickered his eyes at my backpack. He had very pale skin and a bony jawline. His eyes were sunken in his face. His dark eyes traveled to my face, back to the backpack, then back to me. He lingered not long, but long enough to where it was weird. It was like he knew that I had cash stuffed in the bag. How did he know exactly? I had no idea.
Thankfully, the train screeched to a stop and the doors opened. The man stood up and walked out without saying anything. People flooded in and out of the train like schools of fish. I made sure to close the bag shut so anyone wouldn't see the stash of money. As people came in, I noticed that those teenage girls get on. I mentally prayed that he wouldn't sit in the empty seat next to me. The train doors began to close, and I sighed in relief.
I'm safe. Now I can have a peaceful train ride.
I heard the sound of someone plopping down beside me and immediately felt the jealous gazes of teenage girls dig into my skin like a knife. Oh god... Why did he have to sit there? The train was about to leave! I peered over at the boy who was silently scrolling through his phone.
I never really took the time to look at him despite his tendency to sit by me. He has a nice face. Sure, there was a scar near his right eye, but it didn't detract from his looks. I also wonder how his hair was always perfectly split between red and white.
I gently pried open the backpack so I could take a peek inside. I should probably turn this into the police. Wearing a disguise, of course. It's embarrassing to admit, but I've garnered a reputation among the police because of my habit. Or maybe, I should throw it in the street. I don't want to talk to the police, especially since of my taxi fiasco and since my dad is the police. Also, if they don't believe my little story of crashing into one of the perpetrators and switching bags, I don't have to worry about getting accused of stealing either.
"Seems simple enough," I said to myself. I gazed down at the backpack that was loaded with cash. As long as no one finds out about this, then it'll be fine.
I heard the train car shudder. My body swayed back and forth as the entire train shook. Shortly after, a loud thud caused my backpack to fall from my lap. It fell down next to Peppermint Hair, leaning on his left leg. He immediately gazed over to see that my backpack was wide open and full of cash. Some money even slipped out and landed on his thigh.
Ah, crap.
"Excuse me..." I nervously said. I reached over to grab the cash that landed on his thigh. But as I did, my pinky finger slightly grazed over his crotch.
Ah, crap.
With a flash, I pulled my hand away. I shakily stuffed the money back into the bag. It started getting hot, and I started to sweat. Oh no. He must think I'm a pervert. I glanced over to the group of girls to see that their faces were flushed red. They were out for my blood. I should hurry up and grab my bag and leave before they break my fingers.
I went to pull the bag to my side when he suddenly grabbed it. We both ended up lifting the backpack, holding it up between us like we were in The Lion King. I swore I heard The Circle of Life begin to play. I awkwardly stared at Peppermint Hair. His turquoise and brown eyes stared back at me blankly. I sat there for a split second trying to process what the heck was happening. Is he going to let go now? What is he doing? I bet he thinks I stole all this money. He's going to report me. I'm a perverted thief.
"Um..." I started, breaking away from his unwavering gaze.
He seemed to get the cue. He let go of the backpack but because we were sharing the weight by holding one side, the backpack tipped over to him causing all the money...to spill out.
Woosh! Cash spilled over on his face and onto his lap. People immediately took notice of the brightly-colored green bills as they fluttered all over the floor.
Ah, crap.
It started to get really hot now, like I was in a sauna. "E-excuse me...." I said through my teeth. I stiffly kneeled on the floor and proceeded to silently gather up all the money. The boy next to me kneeled down and helped too. Seeing that, the girls who were stalking him immediately joined in as well. I'm assuming they just wanted to have an excuse to get close to him. One girl in particular was getting very comfy with him. Within the span of a minute, her shoulder was nearly touching his. It looked like she wanted to say something to him. She opened her mouth to speak when the boy cut her off.
"You have a lot of money."
I nervously chuckled. "Ahaha... Yeah..." I tried to avoid eye contact with him. It was really hard to since he kept on staring me down. Then he asked where I got it from. Hearing that, my hand froze midair.
I doubt he's gonna believe me if I tell him the truth. Who would believe such a story? I struggled to reply to him, as I grew hotter. "Uh... Well... I...the money... Um, I got it from...the bank!"
He, the girls, and nearly everyone in the proximity stared at me silently. I think I just made this situation even worse. I should've just told him the truth. If he doesn't report me then someone here will.
"Well, of course, you got it from the bank!" A booming voice said. Hearing a sudden voice, I flinched. I turned to the side to see that weird strawberry man kneeling on the floor. He stared at me through his cat-eye sunglasses while wearing a smile on his lips. Did he follow me? How the heck did they let him on wearing that?
"Uh...I gotta go." I stuffed any remaining bills that was close enough for me to grab into the backpack. Standing up, I quickly tried to get away when I felt his rubber glove land on my right shoulder.
"You got it from the bank because... You stole it!"
"I didn't steal it!" I quickly said, prying his hand off my shoulder.
He pointed his finger at me in accusation. "Liar!" he bellowed. "There was a robbery earlier today at the Eno Bank! One of the perpetrators had the exact backpack as the one you have on right now. Not to mention, your backpack is full of money!"
Everyone around him began to mumble to themselves. "Hmm, now that you think about it... He's right!"
My grip on the backpack's strap tightened. I could already tell that a big storm was coming if I didn't clear this up. "Well, maybe I did steal it but it wasn't from the bank," I replied. "I accidentally-"
"Enough of your nonsense!" the strawberry man interrupted. "Your villainy ends now!"
More chattering was heard from the people around. "I would've never suspected a middle schooler to commit such a crime..."
"Should we call the police?"
"Is that a hero?"
Hearing that last line, the strange man chuckled to himself. "Hehehe... You are correct, dear civilian," he began. With the swipe of his arm, his tacky-looking cape fluttered as a huge grin crossed his face. "There is no need to fear because I am a hero!" he announced confidently. "I am the hero: Strawberry Shades!"
His grand entrance was met with utter silence. The only thing heard was the sound of the train shaking. And someone coughing and sneezing; it was allergy season, after all. The hero just stood there with his arm out with an unwavering smile.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "...Huh?"
"Strawberry Shades?" the peppermint-haired boy asked, standing up. "I never heard of you."
A mixture of shock, horror, and offense flashed on the hero's face. It looked like he got stabbed by a knife as he dramatically clutched his heart. He cowered over in pain. "I-Impossible! You never heard of me?"
"Nope," Peppermint Hair and I simultaneously said.
He gasped. "H-how dare you!" he exclaimed, as a tear slipped down his cheek. "You kids have no taste whatsoever!"
Without warning, the train screeched to a stop. Strawberry Shades nearly toppled over me, and I had to stumble to the side. Shortly after, an announcement blared on the speakers. "This is the police! Stay where you are!"
"They're after me!" Strawberry Shades and I said in unison. Upon saying that, we both looked at each other. "Aha! I knew you stole the money! There's nowhere for you to run now!" he cackled boisterously.
"Uh, that's not what I meant! I told you, I didn't steal it," I quickly explained. "Hold on a minute. Why would they be after you?"
The train doors creaked open. I saw the police sirens reflecting off the surface of the pole next to the train door. "Strawberry Shades, walk out with your hands up!" the police ordered. "You are under arrest for illegal Quirk use!"
I squinted at the oddly dressed man in front of me. That bulging strawberry hat, those dark shades and bizarre outfit...
"Oh, I get it," I said. I pointed at him. "You're not actually a licensed hero."
He seemed to get offended at that because he scoffed. "Who says you need a license to be a hero?"
"The law?"
"We are going to ask one more time," the police called. "Walk out with your hands up in the air or else we will have to send in reinforcements."
I peeked out the train windows to see that we've stopped mid-route. We were well into the city now. Surrounding the train were police and police cars. Among them I saw Eraserhead, a famous Pro Hero, who looked absolutely thrilled to be here. Things are gonna get messier with him around. I suggested to Strawberry Shades that he cooperated to make it less complicated. However, the vigilante wasn't too keen on that idea.
"No way!" he barked. "I still have to turn you in for theft!"
"I already told you, I didn't do it!"
"Lies! Just because you're a little girl doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on ya!"
"Alright then. I'm afraid we are going to have to do this the hard way," the police suddenly said.
Before the police could do anything, Strawberry Shades's legs go flipping in the air. He face-plants to the ground, his body rattling the entire cart. Sensing that someone was here, my eye flickered ahead to see a woman standing in the distance.
She looked like a walking corpse with long, wavy black hair that fell over her face. Not to mention, she was covered head to toe with black. She didn't have much skin showing since her clothes covered most of it but through scraggly strands of hair, her skin was gray. Clutched in her left hand was a thin dark substance that came from Strawberry Shades's leg. Upon realization, I saw that she was holding his shadow.
Lifting his head up, he turned to look at the newcomer. "Unhand me villain, or face my wra--" Strawberry Shades didn't get to finish, because he got pulled towards her. I followed soon after, and I started zipping away too. It was really uncomfortable because my back was getting dragged on the ground. Not to mention, pretty disorientating. Bystanders began to scream and run, their moving bodies hitting me, not helping one bit.
"Hey, you can fight, right? Can't you do something?" I asked my companion.
"Indeed I can, little girl!" Turning himself the best he could, he faced the villain. Holding his palm towards her, a huge strawberry seed formed and came barreling at her. It hit her head on, causing her to let go of our shadows. We were much closer to her than before, so Strawberry Shades immediately sprung up into action.
"Your villainy ends now, villain!" he screamed. Another seed formed, this time on his fist. Instead of shooting it out, he let its form stick to him. With the harden shell on his fist, he gave the girl a good slug. It looked like it hurt, because spit flew out of her mouth. Despite that, she didn't let that stop her.
Kneeling down, she quickly swiped her foot on his shadow. That caused him to fall backwards, but he wasn't going down quite yet. With his left hand, he not only stopped himself from falling, but he also pushed himself back up. He shot a seed right at her with his other hand, which caused her to stumble back. Shortly after, droplets of blood trickled from her nose.
Strawberry Shades gave her a confident grin. "Heh. You cannot stop the hammer of justice, villain."
————- ————-
ꜱᴛʀᴀᴡʙᴇʀʀʏ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴇꜱ
Qᴜɪʀᴋ: ꜱᴛʀᴀᴡʙᴇʀʀʏ ꜱᴇᴇᴅ
ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴏᴍᴀᴄʜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴇᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴠᴀʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ꜱɪᴢᴇꜱ ʙʏ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʀᴀᴡʙᴇʀʀɪᴇꜱ.
ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴏᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴅʏ!
————- ————-
Despite his goofy attire, he was surprisingly good at fighting. He might even be on a Pro Hero level.
The train let out another screech and jerked again. There seemed to be a commotion outside, because there was a lot of yelling. Through the windows, I saw police scrambling towards the train, their efforts to stop it useless. Slowly but surely, the train began to move again, and they were out of sight. The people behind us began to shriek. Then on the intercom, a voice spoke, and it was definitely not the police. "Strawberry Shades, if you want everyone to make it out alive, give us the backpack."
Strawberry Shades pointed at the ceiling in opposition. "You're next, villain! Once I'm done with your friend, I'm coming after you!"
If this were a horror story, a violin string would've played. The lights began to flicker. The villain he was fighting was hunched over, with a dark aura reeking from her body. She began to whisper incomprehensibly to herself. Lifting her hand up, she wiped her bloody nose. Through the curtain of hair, a ghostly white eyeball stared at him in menace.
"Give...me...the...bag," a croaky voice emerged from her chapped lips. "Don't make me...hurt you..." She staggered forward with her bloody hand outstretched, sending a chill up Strawberry Shade's spine. He gulped.
What's with that response? He seriously can't be scared of her, right?
"Y-Your ghastly appearance will never break my iron will! Whether you're from this world or not, I w-will never give you this bag!" he proclaimed with a pointed finger. I noticed that it was trembling slightly. Not to mention, he was sweating a nervous storm. All I could do is let out a disappointed sigh.
The villain grumbled under her breath, probably complaining that she has to deal with this pesky vigilante. Then on cue, she grabbed the shadows of a handbag and suitcase and sent it soaring at Strawberry Shades. The two began to fight again as I watched from the sidelines.
They were really fighting over this backpack, huh? Maybe I should give the backpack to her. It'll make this whole ordeal end faster and probably stop the train from crashing. I can't count how many times trains have been hijacked and thrown into hyper overdrive. Also, I won't be accused of stealing if I give her the backpack. Besides, Strawberry Shades is wanted by the police. Who's to say he won't run off with the cash? With that in mind, I prepared to hand the backpack over when I felt a hand touch my shoulder.
Turning around, I saw a boy standing there. He was a few inches taller than me. His hair was curly, its color blond but almost white. Concealing his eyes was a pink sleeping mask that had the face of a cat. He wore an oversized sweater with jeans and sneakers. On his face was a friendly smile, despite the impending doom everyone on the train was facing.
"You found my backpack! Sorry 'bout the little mix up earlier! Who knew that somebody else had the exact backpack as me? Y'know, the one you win at that obscure cat-themed park in America, hehe!" he said, laughing to himself.
Right... Now I have another weirdo on my hands. I guess I should give this back to him, since he probably has mine too.
Strawberry Shades and the villain noticed me standing next to the newcomer. Seeing that I was about to hand the backpack over to him, Strawberry Shades shouted. "Handing that backpack over to someone else isn't going to make you less of a thief!"
"Thief? Oh, you got it all wrong, Strawberry Shades! You see, that belongs to me. We just had a little bag mix up, that's all," the boy chirped.
Despite him blatantly revealing that he stole the bag and not me, Strawberry Shades glossed over that. "I see that you recognize me," he said, with a dorky grin. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"Call me Mitsume!"
"Well Mitsume, you have fantastic taste! You have a keen eye at spotting greatness!"
"Shucks, you're gonna make me blush!"
While the two continued to casually chat, completely disregarding that we're going at hyperspeed, the villain turned to me. "You...give me the bag..." she said. "We need it...for something...important..."
"Uh..." I began. I looked at Strawberry Shades and his new friend, at the bag, then back to her. I scratched my cheek. "I mean, what are you planning to do with it?"
She hesitated for a moment. Then, she spoke. "...T-To buy...cookies."
What a horrible liar! Forget it, none of these people deserve the backpack! I'll just have to give it to the police myself!
Suddenly, the train jerks right. The people behind scream as many of them tumble over, the four of us included. The backpack, that slipped in the process, nearly tumbled out of the door. The backpack was deathly close to the edge. Each trembled caused it to inch closer and closer to oblivion.
For single moment, we stared at each other. Then on cue, all four of us scrambled for it. Mitsume was the closest. He would've grabbed it if it weren't for Strawberry Shades, who pulled his leg back. I watched as his muscular body climbed over Mitsume's thin one, and it looked like it hurt.
"I got it!" he said. Just as his fingertips grazed it, he face plants. The villain, who had took hold of his shadow, dragged him away while he shrieked like he was in a horror movie. With that done, she staggered over to me, who was an arms away from the bag. Just as she was about to pounce, the train shuddered. She tripped on my foot and ended up falling on top of me.
Oof! She was a bit heavy but surprisingly, soft and smelled like lavender and not like a rotting corpse.
There was another shudder and this time, it was enough to throw the backpack over the edge. We all watched as it slipped off.
"The backpack!" Strawberry Shades exclaimed.
Untangling myself from the villain's mess of hair and crawling out, I leaped. Stretching my arm as far as I could, I barely managed to grab the strap. The wind blew in my face as tall buildings whisked by. The air felt cool on my sweaty face, but it would've been nicer if half my body wasn't hanging off the train. Below the train tracks was bustling traffic, but it all looked like a blur.
Slowly pushing myself back into the train, I stumbled to my feet. My heart was pounding, and I was sweating like crazy. I managed to catch the backpack in time. Now, I had to worry about how the heck the train's gonna stop moving.
Without warning, the train yanks to the right again. Everyone in the cart was on the floor, so they didn't roll too much. But for me, who was still standing... It wouldn't be a villain attack if something bad didn't happened to me, right?
I go falling back-first out the door. It's like everything went in slow motion: The crowd shrieked, and Strawberry Shades called after me with an outstretched hand. Then, I heard the sound of ice crackling. That peppermint-haired boy from earlier suddenly appeared into view. Ice emerged from the right side of his body, first traveling through the floor and up to my left heel. It continued up my leg and spread to my torso and right leg, leaving my arms and face unfrozen.
And once again, I was saved from the perils of death.
Everyone was silent for a moment. The only thing heard was the rattling of the train. Strawberry Shades, the villain, and Mitsume all stared at me. The passengers in the train cart stared at me. The peppermint-haired boy stared at me. He was breathing heavily, and there was some sweat on his face. I don't know why he decided to follow me, but it was a good thing he did.
"...Wow. Uh... Thanks," I said. He didn't say anything. Instead, he gave me a slight nod. We stared at each other for another moment. Then peering down at my body that was frozen in ice and back to him, I spoke. "You have a nice Quirk. I would've been toast if it weren't for--"
Whoosh! Bills of cash flew in my face as the bag emptied. Strawberry Shades, the villain, and Mitsume watched helplessly as the very thing they were fighting over for fluttered away into the wind.
Oops.
I noticed that the train was slowing down. Up ahead were police and heroes. Seeing that law enforcement had arrived, Strawberry Shades, the villain, and Mitsume made their escape.
"You win...this time..." The villain croaked, retreating out of the train.
Mitsume beamed. "That was pretty fun, wasn't it?" he said, lightheartedly. "Sorry about your backpack! And your stuff. You can keep mine, if you want." Then letting out another laugh, he jumped out of the train.
All that was left was Strawberry Shades. Walking up to Peppermint Hair, he gave him a pat on the back and a thumbs up. "Amazing job, little boy! You have what it takes to be a hero. I look forward to working with you!"
Peppermint Hair gave him a blank look, unsure how to react. Then looking at me, he said, "And you, little girl--"
"I'm fourteen."
"--I misjudged you, but you also did well! Your efforts might've been for nothing..."
Ouch.
"...but I commend your fast reflexes!" The vigilante chuckled to himself. Then walking to the other door where the others left, he gave us a sparkling grin before leaving. "Strawberry Shades, out!"
After several seconds, the train slowed to a stop. Police boarded the train, escorting passengers out and searching for villains. The police weren't surprised to see me there. They also all agreed not to tell my dad about this. Peppermint Hair was questioned and got another praise from the authorities. Then they had to cut me out of the ice, since my savior couldn't reverse the effects.
While I was getting cut out, a man with messy black hair and tired eyes entered the train. Eraserhead's eyes immediately locked onto mine. His face visibly aged 10 years seeing me. He rubbed his temples and sighed.
Oh yeah. I have a reputation with heroes too, and it's definitely not a good one.