Fragmented Memories
"Okay, I accept. Just tell me more about them."
...
"I can't see them? Why not?"
"You will meet them sometime in the future. Just be patient, child."
The constant thoughts juggled through my mind. I knew of a story, of a life, of another person. Someone whose life was far worse than mine. I was told I could only visit them after I pass the exam in UA High, the most prestigious Hero School that I'm aware of. Well, if it's for the sake of someone else's, then I may as well give it a go.
"You've been learning how to handle offense and defense with real, minor villains, yes?" The voice in her phone asked, silence in the room as they did. She responded with an "Mm-hmm" before checking outside her window, the rustling leaves on the tree by her house aiding in to keep the awkward atmosphere from feeling too imminent.
"I learned how to solidify my shadows. I just need to be able to control them at a wider range... and to do more than just 3 at a time." She said as she looked at her hand, crossing through the barrier between her room and the outside, her shadow right on the surface of the exterior wall. She looked at it closely before it lifted off the surface, like paper molding into a shape caused by crafting. "Ensure you make a spot in Class 1-A. Don't disappoint me, Iku." The voice said, before hanging up.
She took a deep breath as she watched her shadow rise up and tangle around her arm, a soft but subtle smile perking on her face. Her eyelids, half-opened, her dark brown pupils, focused on her quirk's ability, and her free hand tapping the edge of the window.
Just then, she heard a yell nearby. "Help! Villains!" The scream of an old lady, she feared. Her eyes widened and her brows furrowed before she placed her other hand's fingers on her chest, shadow forming and covering her, like a hero costume. She took a few steps back from the window before sprinting and leaping out, the shadow by her right arm stretching all the way to a branch of the tree in their backyard. She switched to her left hand and swung to where she overheard the screaming.
"Bastard, we're here to steal her stuff, not end up killing her!" One of the thugs said, knuckling the thin thug on the head as he had made the lady unconscious. "I didn't expect her to be too weak for my quirk, okay?!" He panicked but attempted to maintain a calmer form, his breathing pacing up. Suddenly, Iku finally dropped down.
She did not hesitate. She clawed the air with her right hand, and two tentacle-shaped shadows arose from the two thugs and tightly wrapped around them both, nearly causing them to choke and suffocate. They looked at her, still covered in the shadows that she sprouted off around herself. All they could see were her eyes, fierce and determined.
"What the- Damn it, Hook, use your quirk and get us out of here!" The bigger thug said, squirming to get out of the tightly-wrapped shadows around him. "I'm trying, man! I can't move my hands-" As Iku overheard this, she tightened the shadow's grip harder around the thin thugs, nearly causing him to fall unconscious. "Fuuuc- this brat's quirk is unbelievably strong." He said, his voice creaking by the end of the sentence.
The two thugs shivered, their hearts palpatating and their eyes quivering with fear and anxiety. She slowly stepped closer to them, as they were by the streets, before a group of dark red feathers flew through and halted the entire incident. "I'll take it from here, kid." That voice...
She lost focus momentarily to look up, the shadows' grip loosening. The thin thug took this opportunity and gnawed off the shadows, a scratch appearing on Iku's left cheek. That made her alert again. She tried to tighten the grip on the thugs, but it seems as if the third male who caught her off guard managed to help out a bit more.
...
"Shit, it's Hawks!" The two thugs yelped in unison before they got attacked by the Number 3 Hero's Quirk- Fierce Wings. The feathers he controlled aided the shadow quirk Iku still had around the two, before he struck some of it through vital areas of their bodies, causing them to pass out. He looked at the shadow-covered girl, before clearing his throat.
Iku looked back at him before blinking profusely and bowing her head. "Um... thank you for the help." She said silently. Hawks simply chuckled lightly before holding both villains with some of his feathers, lifting them off the ground. "Hey, kid, no problem. If ever, I should say thanks to you for being here before me. They might've run a bit sooner without you." He complimented her for her reaction time and quirk's strength. "Although.."
"Don't do this often." Iku tilted her head upon hearing that final statement. "What do you mean by that?"
"It isn't obvious? You'll get yourself in real trouble if you do what you did earlier, losing focus like that." He pointed at the small scratch that stayed on her cheek. "Dunno what you wanna do in your life, kid, but if you wanna help save people, you should know how to keep yourself protected at all given times." He said before flapping his wings, flying back up.
"Aaanyway, see ya around, kid." He then flew away with the villains flying right behind him, as quick as flash. "Wait, the lady." She looked at the civilian and unwrapped any bindings around her. Seeing as how she was still unconscious, she looked around and tried to determine where to bring her at. "Oh wait... maybe I can... learn something new with my quirk."
