Chapter 2: Issue #2: “From Zero…”

"I… I did it… "

I watch excitedly as my index finger disappears on the tree I've been practicing, for 2 years now. I get it out and watch it, it's not broken, no blood, no deformations, it hurts a bit but this is the first time I've succeeded in applying the 'Finger Pistol' into a tree, I had to practice on wet dirt, then the ground and now…

"I DID IT!" I scream with joy "Oh my god, I'm so happy"

I've been having some sort of streak with each technique I've practiced. They take a lot of time to develop, but they all end up becoming a reality, which means if I manage to land on better weights for my leg training I could eventually gain enough strength in my feet for the 'Storm Leg' technique.

The set is almost complete, but not ready.

While I'm able to successfully execute techniques such as 'Shave', 'Moonwalk', 'Iron Body' and now 'Finger Pistol' there's no real mastery behind them. Let's say a young adult punches me while I'm using Iron Body, the hit would be reduced to what I believe would be a slap in terms of pain, but if someone with the strength of a Pro Hero or a Villain not holding anything back i would become a smear on the pavement.

At least that's what I think it could happen if it was All Might, his strength is insane.

I try using the 'Finger Pistol' one more time and managed to land the same result again. This means I finally have an offensive technique at my disposal.

Now that I can use the technique, I can do it with all of my fingers. Right?

CRACK

"AHHH! SHIT SHIT FUCK UGHH! WHY DID I TRY WITH MY PINKY?"

---

 

My camp looks so different since the first time I arrived at this clearing, a small hut made of sticks and hardened mud is at the side, still up after a year and a half since I made it. I didn't remember much about wood and I didn't feel like getting the proper tools to cut and treat wood so I could make a cabin, it would be such a waste of time I could be using it on training.

This isn't the first clearing I've been staying at. I had to run off a few times after encountering hikers or a bigger threat such as bears snooping around, drawn by the smell of cooked food. I'm strong, but I don't feel confident enough to test my luck against one of the strongest animals next to hippos and whales, not counting the fact that this world's animals could be stronger than my world's counterparts.

I sit in a stump next to my hut and start a small fire. Life became a bit easier once I learned how to efficiently start a fire, turns out there's a specific type of rock that creates sparks when you use a knife against it. Thank god I managed to steal one.

'Borrowed' I correct myself.

As I start to skin the animal, a small glimpse of my original parents appears in my mind. I wonder if they moved on. I hope they did.

Nobody should be alone on Christmas. Come downstairs and pass the time with us son.

Fresh tears start to run down my cheeks.

I miss them.

I miss them a lot.

---

Being able to kick off the ground ten times in order to move at incredible speeds should be impossible, but after years of training I was able to achieve it, not only that but after running around with rocks and tree stumps using the sole of my feet and then my toes made me faster than anything I could accomplish as an adult on my old life.

'Shave, Iron Body' I recite in my head. As I direct my whole hardened body against a tree.

CRUNCH

It should be impossible, the strength and weight of my body shouldn't be enough to break a tree in half.

The fact that I'm actually standing in front of the fallen giant blows my mind. This should be impossible.

I lightly jump and move my leg at lighting speed in a horizontal direction towards my next target.

'Storm Leg' a compressed air blade is released from my movement and slices through my target. I'm starting to get the hang out of this.

I also need to stop saying the name of the techniques in my head. If someone listened to my thoughts I would be so embarrassed.

As the tree falls I get to a horrible realization.

"If I use this technique on a regular person I could kill them wouldn't I?" If my technique is able to slice a tree so easily, a normal human doesn't stand a chance against it. Should I use less strength so I could be able to do a weaker version to push people around instead?

A memory of a kid with green hair destroying a giant robot comes to mind.

No. Actually I need to increase my training. I can't let a kid that only trained for 10 months and got a powerful quirk as a gift get ahead of me. I don't need a quirk.

A Quirk won't define who we are.

I pick one of the tree logs and get it close to the clearing, then I do the same with the other one. As I collect 2 more, I bring up some rope I borrowed from a store with terrible customer service, mind you. Once all the logs are tied together I lift them all up and place them on my shoulder.

It's a beautiful day, perfect to increase my overall training. I was getting used to it anyway.

Starting to run across the forest with one goal in mind. Use my Shave while holding this weight. If I want to be a hero, I should be able to hold as many people as I can, you never know when it's going to be necessary.

I need to be ready.

---

'I should have investigated a little before starting to grow my own food' I think, trying not to shiver while doing handstand pushups with a big log strapped to my back. This is my 3rd winter in this world. Normally I would train, hunt for my food, save berries, catch fish in the cold water or sustain myself with whatever I could find. I still remember my first winter, I was so desperate for food that I started to eat bugs when I couldn't catch anything all day. Desperation for survival was a powerful thing, I never could imagine myself eating something like that.

I'm just glad they weren't poisonous.

I sigh. Halting my training, I get on my two feet and start to unstrap the Log off my back. Dropping it to the ground, I walk towards my small garden. It's not much, just a few tomatoes, apples and basically any seed I could get from the food I sto- i meant borrowed. I move a bit of the snow from my plants. If this keeps going, I might not be able to grow anything in this weather.

Maybe I should investigate if there's dried nuts and fruits around, those would last me a few days.

Picking my hunting knife from a tree stump I bring it up and examine it.

"We are going to be 8 very soon" I say, almost nostalgic. I don't really know the date or year, I could be 8 for all I know "Really soon I will feel confident to visit the city, not as someone who steals to survive, but as a Hero" my reflection looks at me with a sad face, I wonder if he would be sad of the things I do to survive.

"You wanted to be a Hero, right?"

Making up my mind I turn back to the forest, some of the trees marked with a big X so I don't get lost after my morning runs.

Today, I'm hunting a predator.

---

Closing up the hoodie I just sto-… ah… borrowed. I perch myself on top of a big building.

'This is it. My official debut' I think while adjusting bandages in my hands. I don't want to hurt myself if I accidently punch a wall. I'm confident I could dent it but I haven't tried it yet.

I take a long and shaky breath. I haven't tried jumping off a building. I've been jumping from tree to tree and used Moonwalk to stop the falls, but it was in a controlled environment, never from a place I could die if I'm not careful.

I take another long breath, then release it.

I close my eyes.

Heroes are so cool… i wish i had a quirk so i could be one

Quirk doesn't define who we are

I'm going to become a Hero

I jump with all the strength I could muster.

It feels like I'm flying through the sky. I see the next building approaching.

Starting to descend I realize I won't be able to reach it.

In an instant I kick the air 10 times and it feels like I'm jumping from a solid surface.

I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding, as my feet touched the surface of the next building.

'That was scary'

Was it scary because I'm no longer in the comfort of the forest I'm so used to at this point?

'God, I hope not' I think running across the concrete roof then jumping again without hesitation to another building. I wonder if it's more effective to run through the alleyways looking for trouble than using the high ground.

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I feel the air as I jump from building to building. The hood of my hoodie gets blown away as I keep jumping through the city. My hair moves with the wind. The feeling is incredible.

This reminds me of the first time trying to tree jump. I was so scared of falling that I had to stop and train doing parkour before even attempting it. Certain fears never change… but the feeling of freedom they give...

I laugh with glee as I backflip in the air.

It's amazing.

At the corner of my eyes I catch the sight of a large villain with a Gigantification Quirk causing havoc a few streets away. He's huge.

'If I sneak on him I think I could hit him with a Storm Leg at his back before he notices' I think, he has his back turned. But before I decide to put my plan into action, the villain starts to fall, it seems like a Pro Hero came before I could do anything at all.

I stop on the top of a building and release a sigh of relief. Even if I had the intention of going and helping I'm glad that I didn't have to. I don't think I'm 100% ready to clash heads with villains, not even counting the fact that vigilantism is illegal for some reason.

"... please… somebody... help me"

Surprised I look below from where I'm perched and see three people harassing a young woman, no police in sight. All of them have guns.

The 'science' of the 'Moonwalk' technique is basically the same as 'Shave' but in the air. The force of kicking 10 times with any leg would create enough pressure to move your body in any direction you're kicking against. The only drawback is after a long use it leaves a strain in the legs. It's why I keep increasing the strain on my body by walking with weights such as rocks or logs.

Which brings me to the situation at hand.

'Shave, Moonwalk' if 10 kicks with one leg in an instant can propel me into any direction at great speed and if I use it in the air it lets me 'jump' in the air… What would happen if I do it with both of my legs at the same time?

'Hrgh' I struggle not to make a sound as the muscles of my legs contract, they feel like I just ran a marathon.

My body flies much faster than before. The feeling is completely different than using 'Shave'. It feels like I'm teleporting.

I appear in front of the lady.

"What the fuck!?" "A hero!?" "Oh shit!"

'Iron Body' my body tightens as I hear two gunshots, the first bullet hits my shoulder blade, bouncing against it, the second bullet gets stuck in my chest halfway through. I ignore the pain, they're distracted.

I blur towards them. Before they knew what's going on I struck the shoulder of the one closest to me with 'Finger Pistol'. I propel myself with 'Shave' to the next one and kick his solar plexus with all my strength. I hear a faint 'crack'. Broke a rib.
Two simultaneous screams broke the trance of the unscattered mugger, who started to aim his gun at me but I'm already moving. With the use of Shave I'm already in front of him and before he can even pull the trigger I hit it with all my strength on his lower half.

"AGHHH! YOU LITTLE FUCK!"

Ah, guess I aimed too low.

All this screaming is making me uncomfortable. I kick his head and the guy slumps unconscious. I move to the first one who's trying to reach for his gun with his other hand. I punch him in directly in the face, breaking his nose.

The last remaining mugger is trying to control his breathing while holding the place I kicked him.

"Ah… a… a fucking kid beat us?" he gasped after looking at my features, the hood having been blown away after the first jump.

I need to get my hands on a mask.

"Fuck, ah… look, kid, Im sorry… we were just, uh, trying to get some, uh easy money and-" I interrupt him by punching his chest cracking more ribs in the process. The mugger spits blood and slumps the gun in his hand drops.

'Like hell I'm going to let you reach for your gun. I'm not that stupid'

I breath out, man that was nerve wracking. I shouldn't have done that to begin with! Putting myself in front of their bullets? What the hell was I thinking?

With a sigh I start to go through their things, I can't keep stealing from stores and fruit vendors all my life
'Maybe i can sell their guns?'

"Ah… T-Thank you"

I jump in my position. I was so into steal- I mean, borrowing from these bad guys that I totally forgot about the woman I saved.

"... Mm, t-that's oK, i guess…" I lamely say.

Oh man this is horrible, my voice just cracked there. Ugh, I don't want to be here anymore.

Before the lady can say anything I jump away, ignoring the pain my legs are feeling after the stunt of pulling 'Shave' and 'Moonwalk' at the same time.

So into my shame that day.

That my mind didn't register what my heroic deed helped me into unlocking.

The next stage of my training.

---

'That was terrible. Jumping in front of them? Using my body against bullets? You have hunted before Gurē. What were you thinking?' I reprimand myself while cleaning my clothes next to a river a few miles away from the clearing I stay at. Better to clean yourself as far away from the place you drink your clean water.

I sigh. I could have done so many things differently. I could have dropped behind them and disarmed them instead of breaking their bones. If the last guy doesn't receive proper medical help then those injuries could prove fatal.

'Aw man, my first heroic act and I ruined it' This wasn't how I envisioned it. I also tried to mug them back didn't I?
As I finish squeezing my now clean hoodie I reflect on my 'night' of 'heroism'.

'I only jumped around and stopped a crime by accident and then i… ran away' ugh now that I think about it the lady could report me as an illegal vigilante. I hope she forgets my face.

I need to work on my people skills. I can't freeze when people talk to me. All these years alone are affecting how I talk to people.

Son, why don't you come downstairs and greet your uncle? He's been asking where you are

Do you want to go out with us, there's going to be pizza, what do you say man?

Your grandma is worried about you, you haven't visited in months.

Hey man, want to go to see a movie? I have two tickets.

Are you feeling ok?

I quickly put my free hand on my face. I want to cry. I'm getting overwhelmed again.

I haven't thought of them in a while. The people i left behind.

"It was your first time, man. It wasn't your fault"

I keep breathing in and out for a while. Once calm I look at my own hand. It's the real proof of all my years of training. A hand filled with callouses, cuts and hard.

I close my hand into a fist.

But it's not enough.

I can beat normal people no problem and I know if i keep training in the future I'll be able to defeat all types of villains and help people like me. Like Gurē. But beating bad guys is never enough.

I need to learn how to communicate again. Spending years alone can damage your social skills or that's what my mother used to say.

The question is. How do I do that?

---

A/N: Man, writing is hard… but sometimes it can be so rewarding. I don't think I've written like this since 2010, and let me tell you, you don't want to read those fics.

If you haven't noticed it already, the time is before canon, I wanted to say it in the first chapter but I forgot I guess. That's what I get for being so eager to post my work.

Even though Gurē feels disconnected from the events of canon for now, his journey and actions will create ripples through the story. While training and growing in strength, he's going to encounter familiar faces, being by passing by, saving them without knowing or even interacting with them.

Gurē will not recognize everyone, after all he didn't watch the series beyond a few clips and wiki searches.

I could keep going but i guess i'll save it for later, if you want to know more you can always PM me.

Thank you for reading!

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