9: Musutafu Ghetto

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Disc: HrPrTeam

(Credit to quiltedbear for the Beta Reading Labor!)

-Story Start-

January 8th, 2234.

Midday.

"I see, I see... Indeed. This is quite upsetting." Aoi's voice echoed in profound wisdom, a thin line on his face.

His gloved fingers stroked his chin as he contemplated the epiphany he had reached.

Choso who stood to Aoi's right lifted an amused eyebrow as he snarked dryly, "Did that clue you in?" He lazily pointed to the sight before them.

There they were...

Standing on the edge of a towering cliff.

Overseeing...

The wide blue open sea.

Yuji who stood to Aoi's left deadpanned, "I'm guessing crossing that isn't going to lead us to Musutafu?"

Aoi chuckled, shaking his head matter of factly, "It is a large lake-"

Yuji and Choso cut him off simultaneously:

"That's the ocean."

"Semantics, my friends." Aoi shook his head, his confident grin hadn't left him.

"Just admit we're lost, bro." Yuji's shoulders slumped.

...

After running through some kind of main road, the three brothers managed to get the necessary information about their whereabouts from a passerby car:

Choso and Yuji scrutinized the map together with furrowed brows.

Whilst Aoi sat in a sulk, wrapping his legs with hands with a dead expression.

"Iwate Prefecture... We went the opposite direction." Choso announced nonchalantly.

"I AM DEEPLY SORRY! MY BROTHERS!" Aoi apologized sincerely, the manliest of man tears which cascaded from his eyes resembled waterfalls.

...

Yes, this was but the start of their journey.

Many hijinks and uncomfortable situations followed the Three Brothers on their road to Musutafu.

A tale for another time.

Our focus shifts to the settlement of the Brothers in Quirk Society.

-------------------------------

March 10th, 2234.

Early Morning.

Within a cluttered one-bedroom apartment.

The bedroom was bare, with only a desk and an unsafe-looking triple bunk bed crammed into the corner.

Beyond the closed door, sourcing from the living room, faint sounds of an idol show echoed through the walls.

At the topmost bed of the triple bunk bed, a pink-haired boy stirred awake at the noise.

Blinking his eyelids open, the boy sluggishly lifted his upper body as he let loose a yawn.

During the yawn, as he stretched his hands up, they hit the ceiling, eliciting a groan of annoyance from the boy.

Donning full All Might Pajamas, the boy who uttered the complaint of:

"Dumb low ceiling..." Was none other than Itadori Yuji.

Shaking himself awake, the boy hopped down from his top bunk onto the shaky floor, landing relatively softly.

Approaching the door with a noticeable early morning slouch, Yuji turned the knob of the similarly clanky door...

Only for the doorknob to fall on the floor with an audible clang.

Lowering his head to deadpan at the fallen knob, he didn't seem fazed from the broken door, knob.

Evidently, a usual occurrence in the Three Brothers' Household judging by his disappointed but not surprised expression.

Lowering himself to lift it and carefully attach it back, he turned it again to open it.

Revealing the... Small living room and the current occupant of it:

A tiny television screwed amateurishly into the thin walls of the Living Room with secondhand speakers connected to it, with audio that glitched into an unpleasant ring every so often.

At the corner, beside the door leading out of the apartment was a small candle shrine with hand-drawn portraits of deceased people.

While not exactly a traditional altar, it is the only means the Brothers have at the moment.

A formerly dirty, now clean, yet still torn sofa stood at the center of the Living Room, taking up most of the space.

The person partaking in the fine cinema that is...

[Takada-chan & Ali/en-chan & Phony-chan Early Morning Good Morning Show]

Was none other than... Todo Aoi, sitting on the sofa.

His face was chiseled solid, his eyes glued to the TV.

"Phony's voice compliments Takada-chan nicely... They are still inexperienced, however. I expect great things indeed." He nodded in keen understanding, as he juggled the cup of wine in his hand, not even noticing Yuji's approach with his intense professional concentration.

Note - It was cheap off-brand Grape Juice.

Extra Note - It was a Plastic Cup.

Yuji was used to this.

He knew better than to try and interrupt Aoi, so he acted like the good friend and brother he always was.

He sat silently beside Aoi with his All Might Pajamas and watched the show alongside him.

...

Yes.

Your suspicions are not outlandish whatsoever.

Matter of fact, they are quite correct.

As you might have inferred...

The Three Brothers are... Dirt Poor.

A good fifteen minutes passed by, and the Takada-chan show ended as Aoi with a profound smile of both satisfaction and disappointment turned off the TV.

"Ah, brother. Didn't notice you were there!" Aoi turned his head and addressed the silent Yuji who sat next to him all this time.

"She's getting better." Yuji pointed at the blank black screen of the tiny TV.

Folding his arms, Aoi nodded in agreement, "Quite so. I expect her very first concert to arrive within the next month. We must attend." He emphasized.

Yuji deadpanned, "Would we even have the money for it?"

Aoi nodded confidently, "Do not worry. Despite getting a good hand and starting off great, Takada-chan is still very much at the start of her career. Tickets should not cost much."

His eyes narrowed, "It is not an excuse to go work, Yuji. Choso has got us covered." He nodded resolutely.

Frowning, Yuji replied, "We can't have him carry all of the load himself. He hasn't come back yet, right?"

Aoi smiled, "He has no need for sleep. Do not underestimate our Elder Brother, Yuji. He is a man of patience much older than we can comprehend."

The origin and life of Choso rang loudly in Yuji's mind.

A moment later, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I get that, but that doesn't mean we should just slack o-"

"Studying for the U.A. Exams is called slacking off?" Aoi interrupted firmly.

Scratching the back of his hair Yuji grunted, "Ya know what I mean, dude!"

Aoi was wholly unconvinced, "And I stand my case, brother. Do not underestimate an Older Brother's resolve... It all comes full circle for us brothers, we shall repay him assuredly, even if he does not wish it."

Yuji was left in contemplative silence.

Sighing once more, Yuji brightened up, "Fine. I like that thought... Also, I appreciate you tutoring me Todo, but what'll you be doing? Aren't you planning on taking the Provisional Hero License Exam? I can study on my ow-"

Aoi snorted, "Of course not."

Blinking once.

Twice.

Yuji exclaimed his clear confusion, "Huh? Didn't ya say you wanted to be a Hero?"

"Undoubtedly." He nodded.

"Then why not take it?" Yuji pressed on with narrowed eyes.

Tilting his head, Aoi elaborated, "Isn't it obvious? I lack proper Hero Course Training to take the exam and pass it. The price for non-Hero Course Students to attempt it is very steep, so failing would be a tragedy." 

...

Yuji figured out Aoi's intentions. "Dude. I listened to you about trying to get into the Hero Course U.A. thing. But it's no guarantee that I'll stay there with you and won't quit it for the General Department if I don't like it there."

Aoi shook his head knowingly, "You are free to do as you wish, brother."

Truth be told, the thought of becoming a Hero had grown stronger and more vivid the longer he and his brothers spent time in this city.

The reasons being, quite literally under their noses and everywhere they go...

Blinking out of his stupor, Yuji lifted his head to question Aoi, "Wait... Aren't you 18? How will you attend with me on the 1st year roster?"

Huffing in great pride, Aoi's hand shot to his pocket, as he pulled an ID.

It was a familiar ID, a genuine forged ID that Aoi... Somehow managed to obtain for the three of them.

Allowing for a relatively smooth integration into this society.

Little to no eyebrow raises ever since their first shellshock of a town visit when they arrived here.

Yuji's eyes narrowed at a specific part - The date of birth.

His eyes widened, and surprise washed over his features:

"S-September 10th 2219?!" He echoed.

Aoi smirked, "Indeed. I am 15."

...

"You're 18."

"15."

"No, pretty sure you're 18."

"Fine. 16."

"...Still 18."

"Hard to bargain with you, my friend. 17."

"Add one more for me, will you?"

"15."

"GAH!"

A voice rumbled from beyond the entrance door to their apartment:

"QUIT YOUR NOISY BANTERING!"

Yuji immediately turned, yelling loudly with an apologetic expression, "SORRY FOR BOTHERING YOU! NAKARI-SAN!"

-------------------------------

March 10th, 2234.

Midday.

Musutafu was a grand city located in the Shizuoka Prefecture.

As large and populous as Tokyo even, there was no shortage of Villain Activity.

And, as the law of supply and demand dictated - More Heroes were needed to deal with the great number of Villains.

Home to the greatest Hero School In Japan and even the World - U.A High School.

Of course, such prestige and being the metaphorical hatchery of all the finest prospective heroes would discourage Villains from roaming the streets of the city, right?

If that thought crossed your mind...

You'd be wrong.

The city was much too large, much too dense.

In essence, there'd never be enough Heroes or Villains.

It was a careful balance, per se.

Only when All Might recently became active in the City did the crime rates drop significantly.

However, he was All Might.

A man worth a hundred heroes and then some.

Nonetheless, much like most modern cities in Quirk Society as of the 23rd Century:

There is a clear contrast between the poor, middle, and upper classes of wealth.

The reasons behind the wide division despite the rising numbers of Quirks and the strength of aforementioned Quirks being able to aid manpower, building, agriculture, and otherwise can be attributed solely to one source:

Human Nature.

...

On the outer edge of the Musutafu, one may even call the outskirts of the City itself, was an area filled with old buildings.

Dirty streets.

Injured, sick, and likely hungry homeless people - Both Quirkless and Heteromorph sat with listless, almost dead gazes along the rundown buildings.

This place was unofficially called the "Musutafu Ghetto".

Dirt-cheap prices, horrid conditions, and all the lovely noises and criminal activities that one would expect of such a location

It was where the apartment and current abode of the Three Brothers stood.

Echoes of two pairs of feet resonated along the filthy and tight streets.

Stepping on muddy water, and on other garbage, Yuji and Aoi strolled.

A sad frown always found its place on Yuji's face when he had no choice but to head out to these streets.

At the sight of both of them, the more troublesome and hooded figures scurried away quickly.

As always, Yuji lowered himself to speak with a few of the homeless Heteromorphs; a slug-faced individual and a man with crystals amalgamating his face and body respectively, "Afternoon! Bright day outside! Piero-san, Kianto-san!" He enthusiastically waved at them, with a bright smile.

Lifting their heads at the pink-haired boy's approach, Piero lifted his slug head, "Afternoon. Always a ray of sunshine in this shit hole." He chuckled with mirth.

"It's nothing really... Can I get you guys anything?" Yuji lowered himself to face the tired figures.

Aoi stood in resolute silence, a thin line on his face and folded arms.

Kianto shook his head, smiling, the crystals on his face glistening from the light from the looming sun above them, "No need. Your Older Brother came here earlier to give us some leftovers from his part-time job."

Nodding proudly, Aoi murmured, "Proactive as always."

Straightening himself, Yuji hummed, "Well... If ya guys need anything don't hesitate... You can even slee-"

Piero scoffed, waving him off, "While we appreciate yer efforts and are thankful for your help. You're wasting your time. Focus on yourself, kid. Maybe try and fix this shit hole once you're a Hero. The two of us and countless others are already hopeless." He pointed at his bloodshot eyes.

He turned to Aoi, with a knowing glint, "Say, "King Of The Ghetto." Ya got a Cig?"

Aoi shook his head, "I have no interest in that business." He smirked.

The terms flying over Yuji's head, he sighed and gestured for Aoi to follow, as he strode forward.

Waving goodbye to the two Heteromorphs, Yuji smiled, "Cya guys later!"

It was always a melancholic stroll for Yuji as they headed out of the Ghetto.

The arrival of the Brothers had rearranged the power dynamics of the Ghetto and Aoi's been keeping somewhat of a loose hand on the criminal activity of the Ghetto...

It did little more than somewhat lowering the issues at hand.

Villain activity was still going strong, and Aoi was not interested in dedicating his life to fixing or ruling the Ghetto's problems.

Neither was Choso.

And... Neither was Yuji.

He wants to help where he can and how he can, but he doesn't want to make it his entire life's purpose.

"Yuji you're a strong kid. So help others."

Yuji is not a cog.

Nor does he have a set role.

He's a fifteen-year-old kid with a lot of power.

If he does want to fix this though... Perhaps becoming a Hero would ease the effort?

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

A fat lil timeskip as you guys can see.

This'll be a small mini arc before the U.A Exams.

You'll be slowly figuring out the status quo of the Three Bruzzahs.

You can basically figure it out from this chappie alone, but ya get me.

Their current biggest problems are...

Poverty, Exams, and Purpose in that order lmao. (Purpose for Yuji).

Kinda relatable ngl. XDDDDDDDDD

Anywho hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment!

Love you and cya! Bu bye!

I'll also appreciate any and all constructive criticism and feedback regarding the characters that appear in this fic (Especially my representation of the Bruzzahs.)

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