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|An hour later, at BurgerQuirk…|
...
-Munch, munch…-
"You know, not to complain, but I kinda expected a Pro Hero to bring me somewhere more classy."
Mirko lifted her head, giving Suzaku a confused look.
"Why? You don't like BurgerQuirk?"
Suzaku scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It's not that, but… you know. I always imagined Pro Heroes eating at fancy restaurants, having their own chef waiting for them after work, or following some super strict diet to stay swole and shiny for the cameras."
Mirko waved him off. "That's too much trouble. Good ol' BurgerQuirk always does the job after beating someone up."
"Well, we can agree on that." Suzaku nodded, taking a bite off his burger with a satisfied face.
As he did, Mirko gave him and his burger a weird look.
"You say that, kid, but you casually picked the most expensive one on the menu… Are you a rich kid or something?"
Suzaku sighed melancholically, running a hand through his hair. "Sadly, no. I'm merely someone who has ascended above the common folk."
"…Well, you sound like one, at least." Mirko raised an eyebrow upon seeing his attitude, but ultimately shrugged it off and kept eating.
While Suzaku was in the process of taking another bite, he remembered what he was really here for, and went to the point.
"So, I'm kinda new to this whole internship thing… What am I supposed to do for the next week?"
"Beats me." Mirko shrugged, eyes still on her burger.
The redhead's mouth twitched in disbelief. "What?"
"Honestly, I only offered you an internship because the HPSC wouldn't stop pestering me about it. Figured if I had to pick someone this year or the next, might as well be the only kid with guts and skill I've seen in a while." She scratched the back of her head, looking vaguely annoyed. "But honestly? No clue what I'm supposed to do with you for the next week."
Suzaku took another bite, almost finishing his burger. "Well, our teacher said something about getting experience and all that stuff. So maybe that."
Mirko leaned back, grabbing her chin in thought. "Right… When I had to do my internships, they made me stay at the back and watch while they beat up villains… Though, most of the time, I didn't stay back and joined the beating too."
Suzaku sweatdropped at her words but chose not to say anything.
In the end, Mirko just grinned and shrugged. "Well, I'll figure out what to do with you once we get to work. For now, let me get my energy back up—" With that, she began devouring her burger.
Suzaku did the same, not minding his manners at all.
But as he was about to take another bite, Mirko threw a question his way.
"-Munch…- But honestly, I really didn't think you'd pick me. You probably had, what, 5,000 offers?"
"Only 500."
Mirko looked at him confusedly. "Really? I thought first-rankers usually got offers in the thousands. How come you got the cold shoulder?"
"Beats me." Suzaku shrugged, finally taking the last bite of his burger. "Maybe they just couldn't handle my style."
Mirko nodded faintly, looking displeased as she glanced to the side. "Well, there are definitely a lot of heroes out there who could use some guts."
Then, she turned back to Suzaku, her curiosity still not sated. "Still, why the heck did you pick me out of all those other offers? I could certainly have been doing fine without having to be a babysitter."
"Just 'cause you were the highest-ranked solo hero who sent me one," Suzaku replied nonchalantly as he sucked his fingertips, enjoying the leftover flavor of the burger on them.
Mirko sneered, looking at Suzaku like he was some kind of amusing spectacle. "What's with that? You want to go solo?"
Suzaku shrugged.
"Sounds like the least troublesome way to work as a hero. Plus, I prefer to depend and be responsible only for myself."
"Huh, and here I thought you were gonna take the coward's way like the others and join a team. Guess I underestimated you, kid."
Suzaku crossed his arms and smiled. "People tend to not be able to see all my greatness right away, so don't sweat it."
"You're kinda annoying, though."
"Just one more person who can't handle my—"
…
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|The next day…|
…
After a day of showing Suzaku around—explaining things like the usual schedule for hero work and free time, where they'd be staying while in this city, and when they'd be moving to the next—Mirko finally took him out for patrol the next morning, giving him a chance to wear his hero suit for the first time in a while.
They walked through the city streets, on the lookout for potential dangers or muggers in need of a good kick.
Though, after barely five minutes of walking, Mirko's patience seemed to reach its limit.
"Ugh… This'd be way faster if we moved at my usual speed."
Suzaku looked at her strangely as he walked beside her with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "And why aren't we?"
Mirko rolled her eyes. "Because you wouldn't be able to keep up, obviously. And since I'm supposed to be showing you the ropes, I can't just leave you behind."
Suzaku yawned, waving her off. "I think I'd be fine."
For a moment, Mirko shot him a serious look, both of them stopping as an unspoken challenge passed between them.
Then, a devilish grin spread across Mirko's face.
"Let's see that, then."
With those words, she kicked off the ground with ferocious power, shooting forward like a cannonball and leaving a slightly startled Suzaku behind.
"…Never mind. This might be more of a challenge than I thought."
Despite his words, it wasn't long before he kicked off the ground as well, launching himself after her.
Their speed was similar—though Suzaku was a bit slower. However, he easily made up for it with his agility, weaving through the crowded and uneven cityscape like it was his personal playground. Meanwhile, Mirko surged ahead with raw speed, bulldozing through obstacles without hesitation.
Thanks to that change in pace, it wasn't long before they finally came across a situation that required a hero's touch.
On the sidewalk, two men were confronting a salaryman. One of them had a tight grip on the man's collar, shaking him aggressively.
"Hey, you think you can just break my arm and walk away?!"
The salaryman winced but held his ground. "What the hell, dude? I barely bumped into you."
The thug staggered back, flailing his arm dramatically. "Ow, ow, it's broken! Look at what you did! Now you're gonna have to pay up!"
The salaryman's patience ran out. "What? Fuck off!"
Hearing him snap, the two thugs exchanged glances and grinned.
"So you don't wanna pay, huh?" one of them sneered. "Then don't blame us for teaching you a lesson."
With those words, their bodies began to change. One transformed into a hulking, green, aquatic-looking monster. The other's muscles swelled unnaturally, his skin turning a faint shade of pink as steam hissed from his mouth.
The salaryman took a step back, his confidence quickly crumbling.
The thugs smirked. "Oh no, you're not running away now."
However, just as the pink-skinned thug lunged forward to grab him—
—THUD!
A figure dropped between them, blocking their path.
"Who the hell—?" The thug blinked in confusion—then his face drained of color.
"Oh shit."
His partner, despite his green skin, somehow managed to look even paler. "... It's Mirko."
The Rabbit Hero grinned savagely. "I remember you two. Didn't I put you behind bars last month? Don't tell me those kicks weren't enough."
"Y-you…" The two thugs instinctively took several steps back, panic flashing in their eyes. But after exchanging another glance, their fear twisted into anger.
"We're not going back to prison, you bitch!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Mirko's grin widened. The moment they charged, she launched herself forward to meet them head-on.
The fight erupted in a brutal clash.
Even though they weren't All Might-level threats, the thugs' Quirks packed a punch—at least when they worked together. Cars flipped through the air, concrete cracked under their blows, and the three figures blurred across what had quickly turned into a battlefield.
And while chaos unfolded…
Suzaku stood off to the side, casually ordering a smoothie from a street vendor who hadn't left the scene.
"Yes, raspberry, please."
The sounds of battle raged behind him as he waited.
After a moment, he received his smoothie, took a sip, and strolled over to a nice spot to sit down—watching the fight unfold like it was just another morning entertainment.
From time to time, one or two chunks of rubble—moving fast enough to send any normal person to the hospital—flew in Suzaku's direction while he enjoyed his treat. Though, ultimately he always dodged them effortlessly, barely needing to move from his spot.
—At least, until Mirko noticed him sitting on the sidelines, enjoying himself.
Midway through finishing his smoothie, a massive shadow suddenly loomed over him.
"...?"
Startled, Suzaku glanced up—his eyes widening as the straw slipped from his mouth.
"—the fuck?!"
One of the thugs was plummeting straight toward him.
With barely any time to react, Suzaku rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being flattened. The thug crashed into the ground where he had just been sitting, sending dust and debris flying.
Pushing himself up from his roll, Suzaku turned to Mirko with an indignant glare—only to find her smirking savagely.
"You didn't think you'd be doing nothing while under my care, did you, kid?!"
Suzaku stared at her, speechless. Then, with a sigh, he glanced at the thug beside him, who was already groaning and pushing himself upright.
Mirko cracked her knuckles. "Since I'm supposed to show you the ropes of being a hero, why not get you some experience fighting villains while we're at it?!"
The thug, now fully standing, noticed Suzaku nearby and suddenly grinned. "A hostage!"
Suzaku exhaled sharply. "Why did you have to say that…?"
Resigned, he popped the lid off his smoothie and downed the rest in one gulp before tossing the empty cup away.
—It landed cleanly on a nearby trashcan by the way. Don't litter, kids.
With his hands now free for business, Suzaku took a ready stance, his eyes locking onto the thug.
"Alright," he muttered. "I guess this is why I'm here."
And without another word, he lunged forward.
The thug blinked in surprise. His hostage—his supposed hostage—was charging straight at him.
For a moment, he was overjoyed, the kid was making it easier for him! However, when he noticed Suzaku's hero suit, the joy turned into bafflement.
'Wait… is he actually—?'
-BAM!-
His thoughts were cut short as Suzaku's fist smashed squarely into the bridge of his nose, snapping his head back.
Saliva and blood flew through the air, and the thug's head ringed like he had been hit with a metal pole.
'What the—?'
Sadly, he didn't even have time to process that blow, before another one came right after.
-BAM!-
A foot slammed into his face, knocking him back even further.
The thug stumbled, stunned by the sudden onslaught.
But his Quirk wasn't just for show. Even though Suzaku's strikes hurt, they weren't enough to take him down yet.
With a growl, he forced himself to stand upright. Steam hissed from his mouth, his muscles bulging even further as he finally got serious.
"So you were that bitch's sidekick, huh? Then DIE!"
With a ferocious roar, the thug threw a powerful punch, stirring the air around it.
But Suzaku had been expecting it. He simply ducked, then launched a brutal and clean uppercut. His fist slammed into the man's chin with a nasty crack.
The thug's brain rattled in his skull, but despite that he still fought through the daze, his eyes quickly searching for Suzaku—only to see a hand stabbing straight toward his throat.
"Arghk—!"
Muscled up or not, buffed up or not, the throat was one of the weakest spots in the body. The layers of muscle and skin were too thin to cushion the impact. Even with his enhanced physique, the thug couldn't just shrug off that kind of hit.
But what really sent a chill down his spine was Suzaku's muttering as he retracted his hand.
"Almost cut right through it… I should be more careful."
"You—Ack…! A damn kid won't beat me!"
Fueled by rage, the thug forced himself through the pain and lunged, cracking the concrete beneath him.
But just like before, Suzaku danced around him. Using the man's own momentum against him, he hooked his foot under the thug's ankle and sent him crashing to the ground with a well-timed throw.
As the man groaned, struggling to rise, Suzaku took out his staff, wincing a little.
"Sorry about this, but you ain't a kid for me to be holding back."
And without hesitation—
–CLANG!
—delivered a swing right to the lower back of the man's head, sending him straight into the land of dreams.
The metallic impact rang out across the street, sharp and jarring. Any spectators dumb enough to linger despite the danger winced at the sound, some instinctively clutching their heads.
And just like that, one of the thugs was no more.
Unconscious. Not dead… Fortunately.
"Well, that was easy." Suzaku sighed as he patted his hands clean, turning to check on Mirko—only to find her already glancing at him while sitting atop the thug she had just knocked out.
Noticing that Suzaku had finished as well, Mirko hopped off her opponent and landed right in front of him.
"You're pretty good, kid. Thought you'd take a lot longer than this, but you already move like an expert."
Suzaku crossed his arms, looking completely unfazed. "Well, I've had my fair share of fights against ruthless guys like these."
"Huh? Aren't you just a kid? Where the hell could you have fought guys like these?"
Suzaku opened his mouth to answer—but immediately shut it.
Yeah, uh... It was probably best not to mention the fighting clubs. The ones he had been making money at weren't exactly… legal. And neither was the fact that he was way underage to be in them.
So, instead, he quickly backpedaled. "Nevermind, that was my first time fighting. I was so scared~"
Mirko deadpanned. "Seriously kid?"
Suzaku shrugged. It was worth a shot.
Mirko sighed and shook her head, but didn't press further. Just from what he had said, and the way he fought, she had a pretty solid guess already of where he might have acquired experience. After all, back when she was younger, she used to beat people up in those same types of places for fun.
These days? She had all the fights she could ever want and got paid for them too. No need to hit up underground rings anymore.
…Still, it did make her a little nostalgic.
'Maybe I should drop by one again…?'
As Mirko reminisced about the good old days, neither of them noticed the growing number of people gathering around them.
"Kyaaa! It's Mirko!"
"I can't believe I ran into her on my way to work!"
"Did you see how she handled those guys? That's a real hero right there!"
"Mirko, sit on my fa—"
The excited crowd was getting louder, but one voice stood out above the rest.
"Mirko! Mirko! Can we get a word?"
A reporter, microphone in hand, pushed through the gathering spectators, a cameraman following closely behind.
Mirko clicked her tongue and turned to glare at the source of the voice. "Tsk… Press is already here?"
Ignoring the obvious annoyance on her face, the reporter immediately began firing off questions.
"Was this a villain takedown? Do you think crime is increasing in this area?"
Rolling her eyes, Mirko prepared to jump away—she wasn't about to waste her time with interviews when there were still villains out there waiting patiently for their regular ration of kicks.
However, just as she was about to leap, she heard the reporter's attention shift.
"Hmm? And who's this? Another hero?"
The camera panned to Suzaku, who wasn't wearing his helmet today, so his face was in full display.
"Wait a minute… Aren't you the Sports Festival winner?!"
A few people in the crowd gasped at the realization.
Suzaku, ever the showman, simply gave the camera a thumbs-up.
Seizing the opportunity, the reporter immediately turned their full attention to him. Within seconds, a microphone was shoved in Suzaku's face.
"Can you tell us why you're here with Mirko?"
Suzaku looked mildly annoyed but ultimately decided to answer truthfully.
"Cause I had to."
"And why did you have to?"
"Cause I was told to."
"By whom?"
"The school."
The reporter blinked before their eyes widened in realization. "Aha! That means you're interning under her?!"
Another thumbs-up from Suzaku.
The camera quickly zoomed in on the unconscious thug at Suzaku's feet, then panned to his bloodied knuckles.
"I see that you took care of one of the villains…" the reporter commented with a grin.
Suzaku nodded.
The reporter's grin slowly morphed into a smirk. "That's strange… Isn't it illegal for anyone without a hero license to use their Quirk in combat or similar hero work? Is Mirko-san perhaps breaking the law? How shocking!"
Gasps spread through the crowd, and all eyes turned to Mirko.
She scowled, looking about two seconds away from kicking the reporter in the face.
But before she could act, Suzaku spoke up.
"Uh, I didn't use a Quirk." He raised his fists, flexing his fingers. "Just good ol' self-defense."
The reporter's smirk faltered. "…You say you beat this villain with only your fists?"
"Well, it was a mix of fists, legs, and fingers, but yeah. Just an old-fashioned beatdown."
The camera turned to the thugs once again, capturing their terrifying size, and then focusing on Suzaku, who certainly looked like a little kid compared to them.
"…If you don't mind me asking, what is your Quirk?"
Suzaku smirked slightly and flicked his fingers against his glasses. As a result, the lenses quickly went all RGB.
The reporter went silent.
"…Well. That's certainly… something." He scratched the back of their head before quickly shifting topics as he cleared his throat. "Ahem. Well, if that's the case then it's fine. Tell me, since you're interning, can you tell us your planned hero name?"
Suzaku's face turned serious, his expression tightening as if he were about to reveal an ancient secret.
Though, if one paid close attention, the corner of his mouth was twitching faintly, barely holding back from turning into a full-on smirk.
"You can call me… Sussy Baka."
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: The university is clapping me hard, there would have been a chapter mid-week otherwise.
Also, in case you're bored, I began uploading chapters of another fanfic I'm making, called "Fairy Tail: My Edgy System."
Basically, a dude dies and wakes up in Fairy Tail with a system, the only detail is that the system acts like an edgy teenager, and constantly clashes with our protagonist, who is way more laid back.
Yes, it's a talking-system fanfic, you've been warned.
Back to the chapter, I figured that it'd be in Mirko's character to make Suzaku fight too, unlike most the other heroes did in the anime with the main cast, making them not participate actively in the fighting. With this Suzaku can show off properly to the public, while also showing what Suzaku can do when he is not holding back from hitting the weak spots of most people.
Of course, he could have offed his opponent with his Sus abilities, but where's the fun in that?
Let's leave that for the real menaces.)