Learning

I met Rumi at least twice a week as she showed me how to be a hero (usually by kicking some tree's into splinters), she also brought me some Japanese language books and since I actually had someone to talk with now I was making decent progress. She'd brought along basic math, science and art books too. Now they weren't difficult by any means but I used them more as language practice since they were all in Japanese too.

She'd convinced me to join her in the city once with the reasoning being that if I wanted to be a hero I'd eventually have to stop being so reclusive- I'd agreed and while meeting a few others with mutant quirks had been rather heartwarming (I met an older woman who looked like a komodo dragon), it was massively outweighed by the negative response. I mean Rumi would kick the ass of anyone saying vile obscenities but there were simply too many to kick leaving us with a very short trip.

We'd also had a few chats that I think created even more misunderstandings.

"So how old are you anyway?" She'd asked. "Don't know, didn't count" I only had a rough estimate, over a year I think? "Wait, you remember being born?" she looked at me with a brow raised. "No, first memory is being in box" A rather kind gesture in hindsight. She actually looked kind of mad while asking her next question- "Alex… what happened next?". "I break box and dig until see sky, then see parents". It was hard to articulate my great escape with my crappy language skills… though I think she got the picture.

"Wait, you saw your parents? What were they doing?!" I didn't leave her in suspense for long- "Saw man, I think he parent because look similar, couldn't see mother but saw hole… buried hole?" I tried to think of the Japanese word for grave, it wasn't coming to mind but- "A grave?" She helpfully filled me in. She rubbed her face in clear frustration- "So you saw the man, what'd he have to say?" she probably thought it was a serial killer scenario… better clear this up- "Unalive but sitting in chair, there no tools but could tell man dug hole since arms injured. Don't worry, me bury him in hole, also got name from wood marker!".

She took a moment to digest that information… "And you've been in the forest since then?" I'll tell a half truth here since I don't wanna get deported- "No, travel around for new home, bad people hurt Alex with loud sticks and metal monsters" Now this seems to perk her up a bit- "Where are they?" I know I'm near Hiroshima so I'll just vaguely allude to north korea and let her piece it together- "Across water" I stopped and entered a thinking pose- "Have blue and red sheet with star. Not know name but ran away and ended with Alex here".

I can clearly see the gears turning in her head- I doubt anyone would want to send me 'back' to that shithole once my potential is discovered let alone under normal circumstances… though I'll not reveal it to anyone I don't trust. Speaking of potential, I'd let Rumi in on it as a way to disperse the depressing mood. I figure telling her she has a perfect punching bag should cheer her up! "Big sis Rumi (I'd called her Aunty and instantly ended up in a headlock), wanna show you power!" She let the more depressing topic drop in favor of humoring me- "What power kid?". "This!" I said while snapping my index finger.

To her credit she didn't flinch… but she still looked unnerved- "Don't worry, had worse, not forever see?" I brought my finger in front of her and showed her it fixing itself within a few seconds… and a few seconds after that where all my fingers glowed red and upgraded… They were in need of an upgrade anyway so turning it into a demonstration was just efficient. "You have a healing quirk?" she asked. "Got 2 powers (I'll tell her about death nullification when I figure out a way to show her that isn't traumatizing), Can heal and get better"- and I showed her my inability to break my upgraded fingers- "See? Now am stronger".

She asked me a few more questions relating to my powers, my age and my experiences- I told her about all the changes to my body adaptation had made (she was surprised when I told her the only reason I was bigger was due to it), I made a guess about my age which when she heard she kinda short circuited for a minute and telling her about the torpedo (edited version where I barely survived) almost made her mad enough to cross the sea and attempt to solo a dictatorship… and as much as I think she may actually be able to cause quite a few headaches for them, I still calmed her down to the best of my abilities.

She didn't seem keen to use me as a punching bag after learning my abilities either (I wouldn't really mind as I'd become rather tolerant of pain in this new life and she wouldn't be doing it out of malice), still, she'd told me to 'grow up' to be big and strong and she'd kick my ass when such a time came- a shame since if I sparred with her I'd probably have minor invulnerability by the time the main plot started. I'd also found out some details about her though!

She was currently 18 and close to finishing her time in a nearby Hero school (still obviously younger than the one I remember). She actually quite likes carrots, her favorite color is red and she rather enjoys classical music (Shocking I know, something about it helping her focus). We went back and forth with the Q&A until the sun started setting, Rumi went home and I made myself comfortable while using my new tablet she had bought me to read… I hope she's okay, she seemed as fired up as usual but I could tell she was putting up a front.

Rumi Usagiyama POV

Jesus fucking Christ! The kid had been through a damn meat grinder- Dead parents, buried alive, lack of food, water, oxygen and company on top of being shot at and attacked with tanks and fucking warships! He was a trooper for sure, and usually this kind of bleak situation would be the kind of thing I'd find thrilling… but that was me, if he was to be believed he was barely more than a year old!

With his quirk I was inclined to believe him, it was monstrously strong with potential that couldn't be rivalled… but each step of progress would have to be covered in blood, sweat and tears… majority of it being blood! Just the way he'd so casually broken a finger to show me… displayed how used to pain he'd become. Were he quite a bit older I'd be happy to face such an opponent… but someone who was meant to be in diapers still? I like a good fight but it'll be a cold day in hell before I beat up an infant… even if he's as strong as Alex is.

It's a wonder he hasn't ended up as a villain! If I found a regular child in the woods I'd just take them to an orphanage and that'd be the end of that… but with Alex… it simply wouldn't work. He was way too big and spiky! He was a gentle giant but even without meaning to hurt others I could see others being hurt regardless… Now it wasn't his fault he was covered in spikes but I could already see the problems arising.

Still… he didn't deserve to be all alone in the middle of nowhere, I'd already planned to make my own house out in the middle of nature but I think I could just crash with him for now. Tonight though I needed to blow off some steam, vigilantism had already backfired on me in the past so I settled for partially destroying a local gym's punching bags.