Chapter 6: Something Other Than Love

A bunch of villains gathered in a bar. It sounded like a lead up to a punchline or a comic book.

"I might need you."

"I know," Manami acknowledged it, "I'm ready to buff you whenever you say."

Well then...

Michael didn't waste anymore time and jumped through the window of the bar. From his roll he stood up and pulled the triggers of the guns in his hands.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three people dropped to the ground. Michael could've used his chemical grenades, but thar wouldn't fit his purposes. He needed experience and actual combat.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see someone's eyes beginning to glow. He had a solution for that.

Quickly throwing out a flashbang, it went off in a bright light and sound which he didn't experience. Shooting the man with Lazer eyes in the foot, making him collapse, he kicked his head into the leg of a table, breaking it, and having it collapse onto him. A burst of air suddenly shot out from the side of his boots, pushing him to the side and he spun around and pointed at the Villain who shot the adhesive substance. The man looked alarmed, and raised his hands.

Which Michael promptly shot him both in. He collapsed to the ground, putting his mouth to better use with his screams. He pulled his left shoulder back, dodging a punch.

Grabbing the woman's outstretched wrist, he then slammed the grip of his gun onto her elbow, snapping it like a wrist bone. The person collapsed to their knees which he then kneed him in the chin. Kicking her back, which made her tip over.

Stepping over the unconscious woman, he shot two more villains. Taking out eight of them within the span of forty-five seconds, the remaining nine looked hesitant to start anything. He didn't wait for them.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Each of his bullets hit the mark. The remaining five unanimously began running away. He managed to hit two, the other three getting away.

"Where are they going?"

"To the Heracles guy," Manami informed succinctly.

"Make sure to track them in case they run away."

"Already on that."

"Is this Heracles the one who owns this bar?" Michael asked, making idle chatter as he walked after the red dots on the hud.

"Yes."

"No reason to feel bad about wrecking the place then." It was probably a front to launder illegally gained money. He would destroy this building before he was done here, he swore that.

Walking into what seemed to be a large, lavish, and strangely tall office, he saw the three who managed to get away. He instantly shot them, and then the six foot eight behemoth, only his bullet didn't work.

The hearty middled aged man laughed, "Sorry, son, those won't work, they'll only leave a bruise at worse."

"Hm." Michael barely cared enough to respond, but saved the free information he gave him in his memory. The man shook his head, amused as he began taking off his tie and suit jacket. He slowly began unbottoning his white button up shirt.

Seeing Heracles taking his time, Michael holstered his guns and took out the one hiding under his leather jacket, in a holster of it's own. The Smith & Wesson 500.

"Son, I said guns don't work." Heracles said, pausing his buttoning. Michael ignored him, inspecting the magnum. The older man seemed quite annoyed at the teen for ignoring him.

Michael pulled the hammer back with his thumb and aimed it at Heracles. Though he waited before firing, wanting to hear what he'd say next.

"Son, have you ever heard about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome? Maybe you didn't hear me-"

"Muffle."

BANG!

The sound of a bullet being fired echoed within the room, resounding like thunder. Heracles looked down in disbelief at his knee. Michael looked on at it curiously too.

It spoke great wonders to his durability that the bullet got lodged in his knee instead of blowing straight through it. The older man seemed to be in shock, clearly not having expected it to actually work.

Michael pulled the hammer back.

"Wait-" He pushed the trigger again, the intense recoil throwing his hands back. The giant collapsed to his knees, not having even managed to use his Quirk.

Michael pulled the hammer, and walked a few steps, standing with the magnum pressed against his head. Heracles gulped, sweat dripping down his forehead from both fear and overwhelming pain.

"The definition of insanity is being unable to tell the difference between fantasy and reality. You really thought your actions didn't have consequences, huh? Don't get it wrong next time."

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Michael shot him six more times just to make sure he'd stay down. After he made sure all of them were unconscious and made them sleep if they were awake, he dragged their bodies outside.

Throwing in Ethylene Gas Grenades, he loaded an incendiary bullet, and watched as the entire bar exploded once the fired bullet burst open upon hitting the bar.

BOOM!

He watched it for a bit, before turning around and walking away.

"Oh my god," Manami gaped from the building she had watched the confrontation from. She had seen it from the drone, the camera in the Gas Mask, and the bar cameras.

"The next video is going to be a hit," she said simply, as if it were an undeniable fact. But she soon snapped out of her daze.

"Should I call the police?"

"Nah. They'll come eventually."

*****

Gas Mask vs Heracles

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[Anonymous8182: Gas Mask is quickly becoming one of my favorite Heroes.]

--> [Umactually: He's a Vigilante, not a Hero.]

--> [Chiles: The one above me, you just couldn't resist, could you?]

--> [Umactually: it's a curse.]

[Emily: While I do not agree with his actions, I am appreciative of the fact that he politely corrected Heracles by using the accurate definition of insanity. I have been trying to explain this to people for years!]

[Tortilla: I really like it! Blow up more buildings so I can imagine I'm the one doing it since it's illegal!]

[Andre: This was even more disrespectful than the last one! You come into this man's building, wreck his subordinates, then barge into his office, wreck him and his words, and then, finally, wreck his damn building!]

[Vacku: Three words. Badass.]

--> [Chiles: You think you're clever, don't you?]

--> [Vacku: I do, yeah.]

Any negative comment Manami saw and either responded or deleted it. His reputation and intentions were being put into question, she couldn't have that!

*****

A few months passed as Michael continued to hunt villains. He got more and more efficient with each encounter. Knowing he could take on a group of C and D Rank Villains managed to install a little bit of confidence into him.

Because he could do it, no, he WAS doing it. He can and would become a Hero. For the first time, knowing that he could do something wasn't an excuse to be lazy, it was a motivator as he achieved it after great efforts.

He would become a Hero that would inspire others to be more than what they thought they could be. While it still felt like a tall task, it had never felt more reachable than it did now.

He and Manami continued to train in her Quirk, Love now buffed him longer and could reach up to seven hundred meters. That was nearly half a mile. And then, something amazing happened.

*****

"C'mon Manami, you can do it!" Michael encouraged her. The short girl had a constipated expression on her face, as she tried her hardest, concentrating to her fullest.

'What can I do to push her over the edge?' For the past few days Manami had noticed something different about her Quirk. It felt different. But she didn't know how exactly.

'Should I tell her I'll kiss her if she does? No, that's a dick move, I don't want to lead her on,' he thought. But, then, eventually, an idea came to mind.

"Stop." She raised her eyelids, looking curiously at him with her big, pink eyes.

"Close your eyes." She did as told. He didn't know if this would work.

"It must've been terrifying, to step out of your room for the first time in years. I don't know what that's like," Michael said that, but he did in fact know. It was paralyzing. Rejecting the world had made it feel as though it rejected him in response.

"What made you step out the door? Out of your house? To a whole other country?"

"Love," she whispered. Even though she couldn't see him, he shook his head.

"It wasn't love. Love was the catalyst, you had something else, something other than love, Manami. What was that?"

"... Courage."

"No, what you did was definitely courageous, but that isn't it, though it is close. Think, what made you get over your fears?"

"I... I saw you, Michael. You were Quirkless, yet you wanted to do good. It was hopeless, your endeavor is hopeless! Yet, despite that... you still did it. That... inspired me. It made me realize that I've been wasting my life because of something so stupid. I built my life around love for a boy that didn't deserve it, and destroyed it when I got rejected. If that isn't pathetic, I don't know what is... but wouldn't it have been more pathetic if I did nothing to change?"

"..."

"I was... determined to change. Despite being scared, I had never felt more resolute in a decision than I had right then." Determination was the foundation for courage, you couldn't be brave if you weren't determined.

"Are you determined now?"

"Yes. I am more determined than ever, and... you're to thank for that."

The pink smoke emanating from him changed to a yellowish green. Manami still had her eyes closed. Michael looked down at his body, feeling an unbridled amount of energy. He felt like he could run a marathon and then back. His skin also felt... tougher.

He pulled out a knife, and without hesitation, slammed it down onto his arm. His skin compressed but... it didn't even leave a white mark.

'So do different Emotional buffs have different effects? I don't feel stronger, but I definitely have more stamina and durability.' Michael looked at the yellowish green smoke curiously.

"Manami, off the top of your head, what color do you think symbolizes determination?"

"I think of you, your gas mask, the lenses specifically..."

'So Manami's perception of an emotion relating to a color is what color that buff will be?' It was weird yet cool.

"You can open your eyes." She did, and her face brightened up into the widest smile he had ever seen. She jumped to hug him.

He reciprocated.

*****

They learned something else after testing her new ability out more. She could use it two times now. Both love and determination, each, once a day. It was a hell of a lot more useful.

Michael and her continued to fight Villains. It was a month before his fourteenth birthday, and the day after, he and Manami both decided they would leave for Japan. He'd attend a school there for the eight months leading up to the UA Entrance Exam.

In the time of his vigilante escapades, Michael only had to go Hysteric five times, not including his first usage of it, and he hasn't had to use Manami's buff once. He was sure Japan would be more dangerous, and that it would push him farther. He could only hope he wouldn't get caught there, especially since Manami would be forging his citizenship.

He trusted her, but even she herself had said she wasn't confident in it. He could only hope for the best. But he needed the experience of fighting with her buffs desperately. Lest he screws up in a dangerous situation.

*****

He had managed to complete the full body synthetic muscle suit. It increased his strength by fifty percent, and was very flexible. Comfortable too. He outdid himself here.

He also integrated kevlar into his leather jacket, and made his gloves capable of using Air bursts just like his All-In-One to further increase his mobility and potential damage. He made a few other inventions as well. His gloves and boots were now capable of absorbing the extra force so he didn't damage himself too.

All in all, he went from weakling, to medium-low, he figured. Not an unproductive year.