1 MUSUTAFU

It was around 9am. The city had long since come alive with a mish mash of people bustling about headed to one place or the other. Skyscrapers towered over pedestrian walkways playing a variety of advertisements while people went on their way. It seemed there were always people out and about the streets but the energy was completely different in the morning. People smiled more, grunted more, looked around more. Maru loved it. Some of his favorite daily life moments happened in the morning. People were a bit more patient, or at least he thought so, before the troubles of life got them ticking.

He maneuvered around the streets jumping from the road to the walkway at a moderate pace being careful not to knock into others and avoiding traffic on his dark blue-grey skateboard. The goofy grin on his face earning a few looks from those who passed him with some even smiling back. It was a Thursday. Most of the kids were already at school and the adults were probably headed for work. As the crowd thinned, he increased his pace his grin widening.

They had finally finished settling into their new place and he was free to roam around and explore for the day. He hadn't been in Musutafu since he was 5 and though a lot of stuff hadn't changed, a boat load had. Taking in the views, he skidded from one end to another nearing the location of his favorite noodle restaurant and instantly lost his smile. It wasn't there. He was a mature(in his opinion) 15 year old but he couldn't help his eyes watering. His slightly moist gaze hovered around his immediate vicinity but there was no sign of Teuchi jii -cough- the famous local shop he loved for its ramen. But how was that possible. Everyone loved the place. I mean, they had to if they were there right. Could something have happened to the chef, or maybe his daughter?

Maru slumped as he leaned on the now dry cleaner's wall trying to find meaning in his life once more since one of its highlights had practically vanished. Before he could properly mope and question the authenticity of his world aloud a crash from right by his side shocked him back to reality. Standing a few feet away from him was a juggernaut of a man cackling away like a Broadway performer trying to get his voice to be heard by the entire street.

"KEKEKEKE! I, THE GREAT GOLDBURGLAR HAVE RETURNED. WITH MY BALD HEAD AND BEAUTIFUL MUSCLE, THERES NOT A THING I CAN'T BREAK THROUGH," the man yelled then added deeply "…..and there's nothing I can't take."

"Oh my gosh, it's a villain."

"Don't worry, a hero will be here soon," said person a hanging up his phone.

"But that boy is in his way"

"Oi, shounen, get out of there"

Maru couldn't help but glare at the fool who saw it fit to yell at him. He was doing just fine getting out of there before Idiot A decided a hostage or deadstage from the look in the bald man's eyes was anything to go by. The Goldburglar's gaze had zeroed in on him at that moment and he stopped. Getting away without a scuffle seemed quite unlikely at this point.

"KEKEKEKE!! Frozen in shock eh!"

The irony of the statement was not lost on him as he turned to face the man in the crop top hanging of the circular bumps he called muscle. It looked nothing like muscle in his eyes.

"Aah…my bad my bad Goldburglar-san. I don't mean to get in your way. You go on ahead, hehe. I'll just move over there," he tried to shuffle away.

"KEKEKEKE!! YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY FROM ME SO EASILY?! GIMME ALL YOUR GOLD BOY!"

At this point, Maru was certain the villain's brain cells primary function was speech. He couldn't help the aggravated sigh that burst out. What would an ordinary Japanese boy be doing carrying gold around. Did he really break into a dry cleaner to steal gold? Sigh, is Musutafu becoming more retarded by the minute. First his favourite meal joint is gone, and now robbers stealing gold from dry cleaners? He might as well have stayed up in the mountains in Gunma where brains still function…mostly.

Seeing him sigh, tick marks started appearing on the villain's head. Did this dot just sigh? At him?

"HOOOH! YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME YOUR GOLD-EH!" Goldburglar lifted his arm high with his yell as his muscles bulged before appearing to compress further. Rearing back for a solid punch, he roared, "THEN DIIIEEE!!!!"

Before the hit could even come close to Maru's body, a rope had pulled him back while a red-haired man tackled Goldburglar. Maru looked back to see a blonde-haired man with arms covered in rope with a serious gaze looking over him. His white costume and yellow helmet pointed out his occupation instantly.

Gasp, "IT'S RESCUE HERO ROPELY AND CRIMSON RIOT."

The small crowd bristled in excitement as they pulled out their phones to record the fight. Crimson riot was duking it out with Goldburglar who surprisingly was holding out. Goldburglar didn't take a single step back. The skill difference was obvious to anybody watching. Crimson Riot was pummeling the man with repetitive blows but Goldburglar could take a hit. Whether it was thanks to his quirk or muscle mass, it kept him standing. But the end was inevitable. An accurately placed left hook to the jaw from the Crimson Riot hammered the man. The sound released so solid that a few people curled at the impact. Goldburglar's eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness and collapsed where he stood with his feet oddly still upright despite his body collapsing backward.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the police made there way to the villain with cuffs. A few people scoffed but no one outright criticized them. Ropely, Maru's rescuer, helped him to his feet asking him a few basic questions to confirm his situation and state of mind before letting him head off. He had been meeting Crimson Riot, an old friend, at a nearby café where they heard the loud crash. If not for their proximity to the crime scene, it would have taken longer for a hero to arrive. It was good they were there or who knew what would have happened to the kid.

"That guy seemed a bit easier to deal with than I expected," he said as he made his way to Crimson Riot who was briefing a few officers.

"Yeah. It's probably cause he didn't take a step back. Mobility can add a lot of variables to a battle but he stood his ground," Crimson Riot responded.

Before the conversation could resume, they had the police grunting while trying to move the goliath of a man. His feet wouldn't budge. Squatting to take a closer look and curious about the man's odd collapsed posture, one of the officers noted ice on the sole of the barely raised shoe. "It's frozen," he alerted his colleague as he then went about chipping the ice while others took of the man's shoes off before carrying him into the police cruiser barefoot. His toes looked kinda blue. Some medical treatment might be required, another officer thought as they closed the door before leaving for the station.

Ropely and Crimson Riot stared at each other for a moment before glancing around and looking for their rescuee. Naturally, he was long gone.