Chapter 4 - Capture

The apartment building that Ankoku once lived in was blocked off by police tapes and police cars, stopping civilians from getting close to the crime scene.

A black car stopped at the blocked street as a tall man with short, dark hair and somewhat rectangular dark eyes stepped out. He sported a tan overcoat and matching hat, wearing a black suit underneath with matching slacks, a green tie, and dress shoes.

Walking towards the officer guarding the road, he reached into his overcoat pocket, bringing out his wallet and showing an ID card. "Detectives Naomasa Tsukauchi. I am here to look at the crime scene." He introduced himself, returning it to his pocket.

"This way, sir." The officer opened a path in the barricade, gesturing for the detective Naomasa to follow.

"Give me a brief run-through of what happened here." Naomasa began inspecting the rundown apartment building they were heading towards.

"Yes." The officer nodded, "This crime centers around two people, a wanted fugitive known as Ankoku Kijima and a child he calls Kuragari. It is still unknown if the child is his or not, but it is under investigation." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "This afternoon, at approximately 1:30, we received an anonymous call from a woman who calls herself Lady Dark.

"She explained that the child had a quirk that made them able to regenerate, and the man, Ankoku, used the child to get money by inviting scums who wanted to vent. According to her, the child has been subjected to torture and many other forms of maltreatment for many years."

"A quirk-related incident." Naomasa mumbled before asking, "Were the heroes contacted?"

"We called, but no one could arrive before they escaped." The officer replied, shaking their head. "They were occupied with other things, and those who weren't didn't have fast commuting."

"Good. Keep this incident under wraps. We police will take care of it." Naomasa said, putting his hands in his pocket. "Lady Night reported the incident, but how did she discover it?"

"I don't know." The officer shrugged, entering the building with Naomasa following after him. "She never explained anything, only told us the general information and for us to arrive at the location as quickly as we could before they got away."

"She was either working with Ankoku or one of his clients." Naomasa said, looking around the interior of the building, "Perhaps she gained empathy for the child after working with Ankoku for this long, or after being a customer, and decided to turn in Ankoku but not herself."

"That's what other cops speculated, but there is no proof." The officer agreed, walking up a flight of stairs, the detective following him. "Also, please be ready for what you are about to witness."

Naomasa nodded as he followed the cops to the room. Walking through the hallway that led to room 430, he noticed an officer with his head ripped to shreds, dead on the ground in front of the room.

Naomasa's lips curled, gesturing at the body. "What caused that? I doubt a quirkless man and child that can regenerate did that." The body was the first time he saw a head sliced up like this from all his crime scenes. Seeing crushed heads is nothing new to him, but not this.

"No one told me." The officer stopped, gesturing to the room. "Go inside, and the sergeant will explain the rest." With that, he turned and left.

Naomasa nodded, looking into the room. More than a dozen police officers lay on the ground with their heads ripped apart, the room painted with blood, bones, and brain matter.

A female forensic scientist with her protective equipment was taking samples of the crime scene, and two others were taking pictures. The police sergeant also wore similar protective equipment, looking through the room.

"This is horrendous." Naomasa mumbled with a crinkled nose. "Only one child caused this massacre?" He asked himself, removing his hat and holding it to his chest, praying for the dead officers.

"Naomasa, you are here." The sergeant said, noticing him by the door. The forensic scientists also glanced at him before returning to their work. "Wait there. I am coming." He carefully walked through the apartment and came out. "You arrived quicker than I expected."

"Let's drop the small talks and get right to business." Naomasa spoke, moving away from the room to keep their conversation from entering other ears. "What happened in that room? It won't look like something a quirkless man and a child with a regeneration quirk can do. Was it a third party?"

"No. My men that survived the attack informed me it was the child." The sergeant explained, noticing Naomasa's shocked expression. "They said he summoned something they call 'black phantom.'"

"...I was told his quirk is a mutation quirk that allows the child to regenerate?" Naomasa muses, lost in deep thought. "Now, you are telling me it is an emitter quirk that allows him to summon a phantom?"

"We aren't sure. It might be part of the child's quirk." The sergeant theorized, with Naomasa nodding.

"Similar to Enji's son, Shoto, who was just born." Naomasa mumbled, "He has a dual quirk, ice and fire. In terms of quirks, the child and Shoto might be alike. That means Ankoku isn't his father." He shook his head, "That's beside the point. What is this black phantom?"

"It stands more than 2 meters tall with a sharp claw, capable of ripping through military helmets and skulls like they were nothing." He said, gesturing to the body of the officer in front of room 430. "It took multiple rounds of 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition without any problem and survived a drop from the fourth floor. It is also fast enough to reach 195 kilometers per hour while being chased, carrying both Ankoku and the child, Kuragari."

"Such a powerful quirk for a child that young." Naomasa stated, turning to the sergeant with worried eyes. "If the child continues to live under these circumstances, he or she might grow up to be a B-Rank villain."

"That's exactly my thought." The sergeant nodded, still staring at the body. "We need to take the child out of Ankoku's hand."

"By the way," Naomasa said, putting his hat back on his head. "How did Ankoku escape the chase? No matter how the black phantom moved, you all shouldn't have lost him that easily."

"I feel disgraced saying this, but he escaped through the sewers." The sergeant explained with a light chuckle. "We chased him into Shikkearu, but he used the sewers to return to Thriller Bark street, leaving the sewers at 105 Thriller Bark. That's where we lost him. We assume he climbed the side of---"

"Wait. 105, thriller Bark?" Naomasa cut off the sergeant, asking for confirmation. "Next to the 'Healing Drink Clinic?'"

"Yes." The sergeant nodded, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Naomasa turned around and sped down the hall. "I found a lead where he might be hiding."

"And where is that?" The sergeant asked, catching up to Naomasa and matching his pace.

"He is in the healing drink clinic." Naomasa spoke with confidence, walking down the stairs while he continued speaking. "Everything that has been happening in Thriller Bark has been somehow connected to that clinic. The bank heist happened three days ago, with the robbers disappearing around that area. The--"

"You don't need to say more. I will send my men to support you, and I will call the HPSC for aid." The sergeant cut him off, looking down at his attire. "I need to change out of these."

"Right. Then I will be moving ahead." Naomasa, running ahead. "Also, get me a warrant!"

"Just don't do anything stupid. Wait for our support." The sergeant shouted after him, with Naomasa waving his hands to show he understands.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ankoku sat on a hospital bed, Kuragari standing beside him, staring silently at his still bleeding face. The room had no window and only had one entrance or exit, the door, with the only future being the hospital bed Ankoku sat on. The room walls were all painted white, with a surface-mounted light on the ceiling that lit up the room.

"Doctor! Where the fuck is the drink!" Ankoku shouted just as the doctor walked into the room, holding a clear cup half filled with a white liquid.

"Talk to me like that again, and I won't attend to you." He warned, handing the cup to Ankoku, who snatched it and instantly drank the whole thing.

He felt his body start to heal, all his stamina returning, the hole in his forehead closing, and his teeth knocked out by the officer growing back. In less than five seconds, he was back to normal, apart from the blood on his face and shirt.

"Haah~" Ankoku sighed, lying back on the bed. "I feel refreshed." He closed his eyes, basking in the feeling. He felt like he was about to die before, but now it feels like he just woke up from the most blissful sleep. "I forgot this feeling, Richthofen."

Dr. Richthofen. The only legitimate, board-certified doctor in Thriller Bark who also owns the only clinic. He is the lifeline of all drug dealers, rapists, villains, assassins, and many other criminals, who heals everyone without asking a question.

His unknown quirk to create white healing liquid can heal anything from near death to a superficial scratch, and he can also perform surgery if needed. The only things he can't heal are missing limbs or lost organs, but those rarely happen.

Dr. Richthofen took over this clinic after the former owner 'mysteriously' died when he was 25, changed its name to its current name, and has been the owner for eight years.

No one dares to mess with him, as all the gangs and criminals in Thriller Bark and nearby are protecting him. After all, he is the only reason most of them are still alive and their one and only lifeline.

"I can't help but wonder what your quirk is." Ankoku spoke, his eyes still closed.

"Trust me. You don't want to know." Richthofen mumbled, turning to Kuragari, who was still staring at Ankoku. "So, who is this child? I deserve an answer for healing you for free. No." he turned to Ankoku, "Think of your answer as a payment.

Ankoku sighed and sat up. He gestured to Kuragari to come to him, and it did. Picking it up, Ankoku placed Kuragari on his lap, stroking its black hair. "This child is Kuragari." He introduced the child before beginning his explanation.

He quickly explained the whole situation and what he had been up to for the four years he had been away from the field. He didn't keep anything from Richthofen as he knew the doctor was trustworthy. He holds enough secrets to bring down the entire Thriller Bark and multiple major companies with a criminal undertone, yet they haven't fallen. That was enough proof.

Richthofen knelt in front of Kuragari, staring at the child. "So, you are trying to make it yours?" He asked, looking at where Kuragari's eyes were supposed to be if its hair wasn't covering them.

"Doll?" Ankoku questioned, tilting his head. "I don't get what you mean."

"You were trying to make it only listen to you and unable to do anything without you, so I assumed you were making a doll." Richthofen explained, reaching for the hair covering Kuragari's eyes. "Like how 'The CEO' has the deadly seven protecting him?"

"Don't look into its eyes. I already told you what will happen if you do." Ankoku spoke, noticing what the doctor was trying to do.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Richthofen casually said as he pulled up Kuragari's hair to look into the hollow black eye socket.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Ankoku sighed, looking up at the light on the ceiling. "But turning Kuragari into a doll? I never thought of that. It can still think, so betrayal is possible even if the chance is less than 1%. If it becomes one, I will complete my two goals." He grinned ear to ear, "Breaking it to the point that therapy will be a waste of time and making it unable to live without me."

He laughed, mumbling quietly, "I am one crazy motherfucker." He knew how far he had fallen. He was too obsessed with Kuragari, and after seeing the black phantom quirk, his obsession intensified. Now, he doesn't only want Kuragari to earn money for him, but he also wants to keep it for himself.

The obsession was terrifying.

The room was silent for a while before Ankoku closed out, "Richthofen?" He looked to see the doctor still kneeling in front of Kuragari, kicking him. "Doctor! Are you deft!?"

Richthofen fell back to the ground, sitting on the ground and breathing heavily. He stared at the floor, sweat dripping from his forehead, and his body soiled as if he had just gotten out of a pool.

"What's wrong with you?" Ankoku snarled, wondering why he was acting so weird.

"You just fucking saved me." Richthofen cursed, something he doesn't normally do. "Fuck. What was that?"

Curious, Ankoku lifted Kuragari out of his lap, placing it on the bed. Getting off, he helped Richthofen to his feet, whose legs were quivering. "What happened?" He asked, looking at the doctor.

*Buzzzz* Before he could finish his sentence, a buzzing sound came, signaling Richthofen that someone had entered his clinic.

Richthofen quickly got himself together, looking to Ankoku. "Even though no sound can leave this room, keep your voice down." With that, he left the room, closing the door.

Walking through the clinic, he quickly reached the front desk, where a man with a tan overcoat and a black suitcase waited. "Good afternoon, doctor." He greeted with a smile, gesturing at the empty front desk, "Is there no receptionist?"

"No." Richthofen replied, going forward and shaking the man's hand. "Everything everyone needs treatment for can be treated quickly by my godlike skills, so I never have people waiting in the lobby or a need for a receptionist." He explained as they released each other's hands. "May I know your name?"

"Oh, silly me." The man chuckled, removing his hat. "My name is Detective Naomasa." At the mention of his name, Naomasa noticed Richthofen's eye twitch but kept speaking, "and I am here to ask you a few questions and then search your clinic."

"I see." Richthofen smiled, turning around. "Well, follow me to my office."

They walked through the eerily silent clinic, only their footsteps echoing through the halls. "Don't you find it strange working alone in this three-story building?" Naomasa asked, looking into an empty ER. "I know I wouldn't be able to work here."

"The lack of people gives me the chance to work on anything I want to without prying eyes." Once the words came out of his mouth, Richthofen knew he shouldn't have said that. Though he has been working as a doctor for criminals for four years now, this is his first time meeting someone from the police force. Therefore, he is a bit nervous.

"For example?" Naomasa asked, turning to Richthofen.

"Treating my patients." Richthofen spoke, not diving deeper.

They reached his office, which was as empty as the other rooms, as Richthofen sat at his desk, Naomasa sitting across from him. "Schneider Richthofen, a German who became a Neurologist when he was 24, but because of a scheme, he moved to Japan nine years ago and took over this eight years clinic."

"Sounds like a familiar man." Richthofen chuckled, folding his arm.

"Can I ask why you decided to work here?" Naomasa questioned, squinting his eyes. "With your degree at such a young age, you could become a wealthy doctor."

"Please, detective. Those are personal." Richthofen smiled, "Can we get to the point?"

"Right." Naomasa chuckled, getting serious. "Do you have a quirk?"

This question surprised Richthofen because it wasn't what he expected. He thought Naomasa was here to ask about Ankoku and Kuragari, not about his 'quirk.' He quickly recovered, shaking his head. "No."

"Really?" Naomasa reached into his briefcase, bringing out his files. "I scoured through the quirk registration record of every citizen in their 20s, 30s, and 40s and found nothing."

"So?" Richthofen was now even more confused but kept his calm.

"Normally, those without a quirk would register as quirkless, but you, nothing." Naomasa looked up from the files.

Richthofen cleared his throat, smiling. "I must have forgotten to register when I came to Japan."

"Then would you register as quirkless in three days? Of course, you will have to undergo a quirk medical exam." Naomasa smiled, returning his document to his bag and bringing a paper. After handing the permit to search the clinic, he closed his briefcase and stood up. "I will also search your clinic." He said. "I will be quick."

"Go ahead." Richthofen stood up, smiling. Although he was calm on the surface, he wasn't on the inside. He has a lot of things to hide, like the fridge filled with healing drinks created from his quirk. If Naomasa finds it, he might be sent to jail for using his quirk illegally.

He slowly reached into his pants but stopped once Naomasa turned to face him. "Please, wait here. I will be back." He didn't wait for Richthofe's response and left the room.

Once he did, Richthofen stood up and walked to the shelf in his office. Pulling one book, the shelf came forward and moved to the side, revealing the room where Ankoku and Kuragari were hiding.

Kuragari was still sitting on the bed, but Ankoku had his ears facing Richthofen like he was listening in on their conversation through the door. "Should we kill him?" He asked, moving out of Richthofen's way, who rushed into the room.

"I am sure the cops know he came here. If he dies, I will also become a wanted fugitive." Richthofen glowered, walking to a wall and placing his palm on it. "I would rather be convicted of using my quirk without a license than be a fugitive who assisted in the murder of an officer of the law. At least I will only have to pay a hefty fine for the former, while the latter would get me sentenced to prison."

The wall opened up like a door to an alleyway, and they froze up. Standing there were multiple SWAT officers with their guns pointed at both of them.

"Schneider Richthofen. You have been convicted of harboring Ankoku Kijima with the absolute knowledge that he has committed a crime." Naomasa spoke, now standing by the door to the room. "Ankoku Kijima. You have been found guilty of providing aid in the assistance of the capital felony of the murder of multiple officers, prostitution, kidnapping a child, sexual, physical, and mentally abusing a child, resisting arrest---"

"I already escaped once. Do you think I can't do that again?" Ankoku chuckled, looking back at Naomasa. "What in hell makes you believe you won't die right now? Your police are cocky---"

"Shut your mouth." A haughty voice came, cutting off Ankoku. He turned to see who it belong to, noticing a man walk up to stand beside Naomasa. He is a 6'7" dark-skinned man with a heavily built body, sharp red eyes, bald head, wearing a white polo shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. "Was it really required to call me for this little fly?" The man asked, looking straights at Ankoku with his pricing red eyes like a predator staring down its prey, causing a shiver to go up his spine.

This was the current No.2 pro-hero, Hypnotic.

Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject's ability to think critically or independently. This also allows the introduction of new, unwanted thoughts and ideas into their minds, and changes in their attitudes, values, and beliefs. That is Hypnotic's ability.

By saying the phrase, "I heard a rumor," those who heard it would enter this hypnotic trance state, allowing him to manipulate them to do whatever he wanted. Depending on the rumor he gives, it can last an entire lifetime or a few hours. The only down side is that it doesn't discriminate, so even his allies would be under his control. It is a powerful, villainous quirk.

Ankoku quickly went to cover his ears, but he was too late. "I heard a rumor," Transparent vocal rings came out his mouth and entered everyone's ear in the vicinity, including the SWAT officers and Naomasa, causing their eyes to turn pure white like they were blind. "That you are unable to manually move any part of your body." Their eyes returned to normal, as everyone remained still.

No matter how Ankoku tried, he couldn't move at all, even to blink. Hypnotic calmly walked up to Ankoku, whispering into his ear, "I heard a rumor, that you fall asleep." Due to him being the only one that heard, his eyelids became heavy as he fell to the ground, snoring asleep.

Kuragari noticed its father fall to the ground, fear building up in it. Black aura started rising from its body, causing Hypnotic to grin. "I heard a rumor," This time, everyone's eyes turned white, even the sleeping Ankoku. "You forgot how to use your quirk." The black aura disappeared from Kuragari body, as the black phantom stopped materializing. Leaning forward, he whispered into the child's ear. "I heard a rumor, that you fell asleep."

Kuragari fell to the ground, as Hypnotic just watched, not even bothering to catch the child. "This was a waste of time. I better be getting paid for this shit." He huffed, walking away, "Take them away. I am heading home."

"You don't need money do do hero work, Hypnotic!" Naomasa shouted after the man who cleaned his ears with his pinky and blowing it. "No. 2 hero my ass."

Chapter End~~

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Word Count: 3715

This MHA world is pretty dark, as you might have noticed. Brutality by villains is common place in this world, and I will touch on that more. Say hello to Hypnotic, a powerful hero with a powerful quirk. What do you think of him?