The One Eyed Bandit
rotworm
This is a spin-off of sorts set in the Boku Hero Academia Fandom RP, Peace Sign Academia. It follows a potential future, after the cast graduates, of one of my characters there, Shiri Itami. Basically, it's a fan fic of a fan fic 
. Part 2 intended but inbound who knows when?
Thank god he’d gone on this little expedition of his alone. And both the rumbling of the engine and the rules of the road ensured it’d stay that way for now. There’d be nobody telling him to eat a salad or dress cute again so long as he could help it.
Not that he’d be able to enjoy that lovely privacy any longer, though. If he wasn’t mistaken his destination was only twenty odd minutes further out, and he couldn’t be any less thrilled about it. This had been his own idea but he’d admittedly not actually thought much on it until the trip here. Some tiny village of a town beset by some tiny villain or another, he’d probably spent more on gas getting here than what he’d get paid for this, and that wasn’t even the issue. This was either going to go unnoticed, overblown, or turned against him. Nothing, “Big Hero Helps Small Village”, or “Shuten, or Slacker?”. Personally, he didn’t mind that part. A bit of bad press would probably make his life easier, if not for a certain someone probably talking his ear off about preserving his career or something.
Uh, not that he was complaining.
Shiri took a deep breath of the fumes around him, indulging in that nostalgic tingling sensation of his body coming to life a little as he did. He actually, really wasn’t complaining. Sure he had a new set of grievances nowadays, but at least he wasn’t quite as bitter about everything anymore, compared to that younger self of his, even this current bout of introspection was distinctly lacking the haze of frustration that would’ve covered it in the past. If anything, it was a great time killer during trips like these.
As if on queue, his destination peaked out from behind the hill nearest to him, a veritably ancient little town running up the length of a river that split the countryside. When he was even greeted by a rickety old watermill as he turned off into the town, even he had the thought that the place was lovely. Which admittedly only made him feel worse about his choice of transportation. The town proper, too, lived up to the tranquility of the surroundings. Traditional Japanese housing intermingled with the odd western home built, presumably, by the odd grandchild or two oozed the sensation of community that the city always lacked. Each house an individual that represented each and every one of its inhabitants. He couldn’t say that it was the type of place he’d want to live, but the peace and quiet of the place made him a little jealous nonetheless.
As he finished his venture to the town center and finally let his bike slow to a stop, he definitely felt a little weight lift from his shoulders as a result. Sidling from his seat, Shiri’s eyes wandered the area yet again. Not a person in sight, this really was a different beast than the city. There’d hardly be any briefings or elaborate battle plans out here, something which he was frankly relieved about. There’d be more legwork involved than the norm, sure, but it was a price he was willing to pay. Rustling through the bike’s trunk, Shiri, or as of right now, Shuten, produced a few things from the vehicle's depths before he set about his work. A handful of vials were stuffed into his pocket a few moments later, and the rustling of paper was followed by the crunch of lettuce as he explored his surroundings.
Somehow, it still tasted fresh as hell. The thought passed him by that he really hoped Kaoru wasn’t experimenting with this thing or something. That, though, was brushed away by the refreshingly light breeze that ever rolled through the town as he wandered his way about. On foot and getting the lay of the land, the quaintness of the place stood out with even more strength. It was a cliche, but he really had a hard time imagining there was anything sinister going on in a town like this, like the atmosphere was strong enough to make even a Villain want to leave it be. Naturally, he was aware that sort of thing was just wishful thinking.
He took another bite from his sandwich, and noticed a figure meandering its way in his direction. An old man, by the looks of it? Pushing the last of his meal down his gullet, Shiri moved with a short jog to meet him.
“Ah, excuse me? Could a grab a moment?” Was that really his voice speaking those polite-sounding words? He didn’t know if he was ashamed or proud of himself. “I’m a Hero, Shuten-” Still sounded awkward. “-I stopped by to investigate those Villain rumors someone’s been posting online about. Any way you could lend a hand?” The man didn’t speak a word, but judging by the way he’d stopped walking and started staring it was clear that he’d gotten the message, his gaze showing that at least a little spark of familiarity had been sparked by ‘Shuten’s’ words. After a moment’s thought his lips began to part, before slowly drifting back together as the man took the surprisingly modern action of fishing a cellphone from his pockets and beginning to type. A few strenuously sluggish button presses later, and he was holding an address to Shiri’s face.
The two nodded each other thanks and farewell, and were back on their own separate ways.
He’d not looked bothered by it, but most all of what Shiri was able to think about as he navigated his way to the place was how awkward the exchange had been. Though it certainly wasn’t as awkward as he’d felt when he finally found the cozy looking house on the hill, knocked on the door, and his explanation of presence had resulted in a mother calling down her eight year old to chat.
“So you’re the one who was making those posts?”
“Yeah!” Eyeballing the hero toys and other merch that littered the dining room table and the pair of seats hugging it, Shiri couldn’t help but feel like he’d made a mistake coming out here. Judging by the scent of cooking wafting through the air, he also couldn’t help but feel like the kid really needed to tidy up.
“Well. Aren’t you the outstanding neighborhood watchman?” Judging by the way the kid grinned, he was pretty sure his doubts didn’t worm their way into his words. “I’ll be quick so you can get back to your duties, okay? You were talking about seeing scary guys wandering around at night right? Anything else?”
“Nope!” Shiri had to try really hard not to look disappointed. “Actually… One of them was really tall, and the other one was really big!”
“Big?”
“Yeah, big!” At least that was something to go off of other than the old ‘suspicious persons’ shtick.
“Mmm, okay. You’ve been a big help. Can you tell your mom I’ll see myself out?” A nod, a smile, a wave, and the boy was already off, and Shiri was promptly out the door. Now, if his gut was right, then he’d been baited here by some kid’s fantasies, should just head home, and take whatever the dynamic duo had in store for him on the chin. But he was still going to stay. Even if this was a bust, the place was nice, and he could definitely splash a hotel room for the night.
Headed back in the town center direction, Shiri elected to find somewhere to eat, then somewhere to sleep, and to head home tomorrow. Though he felt a little guilty, again, as he heard the faint sound of a “Honey, I’m home!” as the child’s home vanished behind the crest of the hill.
. Part 2 intended but inbound who knows when?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At this point the gaseous stench of the exhaust that bellowed along behind him was more comforting than almost anything the world else could offer. It rang of true freedom. Unlike the fresh air that he felt like he should be enjoying right now, the smell of gas was liberating, like being with an old friend who you could trust to always be by your side. All that considered, Shiri couldn’t help but feel guilty. Here he was surrounded by some of the most scenic landscape the country had to offer and not only was he stinking it up with his gas guzzler of a bike, but he was all but ignoring it too. There were way too many people in his life he could see lecturing him for something like this.Thank god he’d gone on this little expedition of his alone. And both the rumbling of the engine and the rules of the road ensured it’d stay that way for now. There’d be nobody telling him to eat a salad or dress cute again so long as he could help it.
Not that he’d be able to enjoy that lovely privacy any longer, though. If he wasn’t mistaken his destination was only twenty odd minutes further out, and he couldn’t be any less thrilled about it. This had been his own idea but he’d admittedly not actually thought much on it until the trip here. Some tiny village of a town beset by some tiny villain or another, he’d probably spent more on gas getting here than what he’d get paid for this, and that wasn’t even the issue. This was either going to go unnoticed, overblown, or turned against him. Nothing, “Big Hero Helps Small Village”, or “Shuten, or Slacker?”. Personally, he didn’t mind that part. A bit of bad press would probably make his life easier, if not for a certain someone probably talking his ear off about preserving his career or something.
Uh, not that he was complaining.
Shiri took a deep breath of the fumes around him, indulging in that nostalgic tingling sensation of his body coming to life a little as he did. He actually, really wasn’t complaining. Sure he had a new set of grievances nowadays, but at least he wasn’t quite as bitter about everything anymore, compared to that younger self of his, even this current bout of introspection was distinctly lacking the haze of frustration that would’ve covered it in the past. If anything, it was a great time killer during trips like these.
As if on queue, his destination peaked out from behind the hill nearest to him, a veritably ancient little town running up the length of a river that split the countryside. When he was even greeted by a rickety old watermill as he turned off into the town, even he had the thought that the place was lovely. Which admittedly only made him feel worse about his choice of transportation. The town proper, too, lived up to the tranquility of the surroundings. Traditional Japanese housing intermingled with the odd western home built, presumably, by the odd grandchild or two oozed the sensation of community that the city always lacked. Each house an individual that represented each and every one of its inhabitants. He couldn’t say that it was the type of place he’d want to live, but the peace and quiet of the place made him a little jealous nonetheless.
As he finished his venture to the town center and finally let his bike slow to a stop, he definitely felt a little weight lift from his shoulders as a result. Sidling from his seat, Shiri’s eyes wandered the area yet again. Not a person in sight, this really was a different beast than the city. There’d hardly be any briefings or elaborate battle plans out here, something which he was frankly relieved about. There’d be more legwork involved than the norm, sure, but it was a price he was willing to pay. Rustling through the bike’s trunk, Shiri, or as of right now, Shuten, produced a few things from the vehicle's depths before he set about his work. A handful of vials were stuffed into his pocket a few moments later, and the rustling of paper was followed by the crunch of lettuce as he explored his surroundings.
Somehow, it still tasted fresh as hell. The thought passed him by that he really hoped Kaoru wasn’t experimenting with this thing or something. That, though, was brushed away by the refreshingly light breeze that ever rolled through the town as he wandered his way about. On foot and getting the lay of the land, the quaintness of the place stood out with even more strength. It was a cliche, but he really had a hard time imagining there was anything sinister going on in a town like this, like the atmosphere was strong enough to make even a Villain want to leave it be. Naturally, he was aware that sort of thing was just wishful thinking.
He took another bite from his sandwich, and noticed a figure meandering its way in his direction. An old man, by the looks of it? Pushing the last of his meal down his gullet, Shiri moved with a short jog to meet him.
“Ah, excuse me? Could a grab a moment?” Was that really his voice speaking those polite-sounding words? He didn’t know if he was ashamed or proud of himself. “I’m a Hero, Shuten-” Still sounded awkward. “-I stopped by to investigate those Villain rumors someone’s been posting online about. Any way you could lend a hand?” The man didn’t speak a word, but judging by the way he’d stopped walking and started staring it was clear that he’d gotten the message, his gaze showing that at least a little spark of familiarity had been sparked by ‘Shuten’s’ words. After a moment’s thought his lips began to part, before slowly drifting back together as the man took the surprisingly modern action of fishing a cellphone from his pockets and beginning to type. A few strenuously sluggish button presses later, and he was holding an address to Shiri’s face.
The two nodded each other thanks and farewell, and were back on their own separate ways.
He’d not looked bothered by it, but most all of what Shiri was able to think about as he navigated his way to the place was how awkward the exchange had been. Though it certainly wasn’t as awkward as he’d felt when he finally found the cozy looking house on the hill, knocked on the door, and his explanation of presence had resulted in a mother calling down her eight year old to chat.
“So you’re the one who was making those posts?”
“Yeah!” Eyeballing the hero toys and other merch that littered the dining room table and the pair of seats hugging it, Shiri couldn’t help but feel like he’d made a mistake coming out here. Judging by the scent of cooking wafting through the air, he also couldn’t help but feel like the kid really needed to tidy up.
“Well. Aren’t you the outstanding neighborhood watchman?” Judging by the way the kid grinned, he was pretty sure his doubts didn’t worm their way into his words. “I’ll be quick so you can get back to your duties, okay? You were talking about seeing scary guys wandering around at night right? Anything else?”
“Nope!” Shiri had to try really hard not to look disappointed. “Actually… One of them was really tall, and the other one was really big!”
“Big?”
“Yeah, big!” At least that was something to go off of other than the old ‘suspicious persons’ shtick.
“Mmm, okay. You’ve been a big help. Can you tell your mom I’ll see myself out?” A nod, a smile, a wave, and the boy was already off, and Shiri was promptly out the door. Now, if his gut was right, then he’d been baited here by some kid’s fantasies, should just head home, and take whatever the dynamic duo had in store for him on the chin. But he was still going to stay. Even if this was a bust, the place was nice, and he could definitely splash a hotel room for the night.
Headed back in the town center direction, Shiri elected to find somewhere to eat, then somewhere to sleep, and to head home tomorrow. Though he felt a little guilty, again, as he heard the faint sound of a “Honey, I’m home!” as the child’s home vanished behind the crest of the hill.
