Shard’s Warning

Christopher sat at the head of a polished conference table. He was dressed in his hero costume, hat on his lap, and goggles hanging from his neck. Hitomi was in her favorite necklace form snuggled against his throat. To his left was a lawyer with a Rubik’s cube for a head, he’d introduced himself as Satoshi Ise. He was some big-shot defense attorney the blonde from the bank’s family hired. Wavy white text floated above his head. It read:

Next to Ise was the blonde from the bank. She’d been introduced as Kei Kanata. She was dressed in a black dress suit. Her hair was dyed black and tied in a bun. She had smiled when she’d seen Christopher walk in but now avoided looking at him at a whispered word from Ise. White text floated over her head.

Seated across from the defendant and her lawyer was the prefecture’s best prosecutor. She was old grey-eyed woman whose expression could’ve passed for granite. She was Yama Higa. Christopher’s dad had warned him to be as respectful as possible when speaking to her. There was no shimmering white text above her head. She was famously quirkless.

At the other head of the table, opposite Christopher was a petite young woman wearing cokebottle thick glasses. Her hands rested upon a dull grey stenotype. Over her head, the shimmering white text displayed her quirk.

“Thank you for coming Mirror Devil.” Ise began. His head shuffled to show a genial smile. The stenographer’s fingers were a whirlwind of clicks as the silence was broken. “I’d like to begin with a few establishing questions.”

“Alright.”

“Your legal name is Christopher Cain is that correct?”

“Yes,” Christopher answered.

“You were one of two heroes that responded to the incident on, November 23rd, is that also correct?”

“Yes.”

“Who was the other hero?”

“Smokin’ Sexy.”

“What is your relationship to said hero?”

“I’m his intern.”

“Can you describe, for the record, what happened that day?”

“We received a request for assistance from the local police precinct at approximately 11:30 am. The Inspector on scene informed us they had an active hostage situation at the branch near us. This being peak banking hours Smokin’ Sexy and I assumed there would be enough hostages to turn this into a complex situation. When we got there, the police had already established a cordon. After being briefed on the situation, I was able to get eyes in the interior through the use of my quirk and support items. With the information we gathered, we devised a plan to affect ingress through the bank’s business area. I was instructed to stay on the upper level and provide support through my quirk while Smokin’ Sexy infiltrated the floor. The situation escalated when one of the hostages was pulled to her feet with a gun to her head. She retaliated.”

The blonde flinched.

“We intervened. After that, Smokin’ Sexy was able to neutralize the armed subjects and I was able to evacuate the civilians, minus Kanata-san who was held at gun point by another subject. Smokin’ Sexy was able to rescue her by neutralizing her assailant. After the subjects were neutralized, Smokin’ Sexy collapsed and I prioritized providing aid.”

“Did her retaliation cause your intervention?” Higa asked.

“No, I believe intervention was warranted the moment she was dragged to her feet.”

“This opinion is formed from your years of experience?” Higa asked sarcastically.

“I am somewhat of an expert when it comes to having a gun to my head.” Christopher shot back. While his naked vigilantism against the Five in August wasn’t a matter of record, his first encounter against Desolator was. As was the incident that happened when he was a child.

Higa’s eyes narrowed. Christopher realized he hadn’t been as polite as he should’ve been a split second before Ise saved his bacon. “In your opinion, was Kanata-san’s life in danger when she was dragged to her feet?”

“Yes.”

“Was lethal force necessary to, potentially, protect her life?”

“Yes.”

“On what grounds?” Higa asked.

“Her assailant had an enhanced strength quirk. I don’t think anything short of quirk use would’ve been a deterrent.”

“Do you think her quirk use endangered the surrounding civilians?”

“…”

“Mirror Devil?”

“Yes,” Christopher answered reluctantly. Anything can go wrong in a fight, Christopher knew that better than most. Her target could’ve twisted away at the last moment. She could’ve pointed her hand in the wrong direction. Instead of melting her assailant’s face, some poor civilian bastard could’ve gotten an acid bath.

“In her position what would you have done?” Ise interrupted. “The same thing?

“No, after disabling my initial assailant, I’d’ve moved on to the next target.”

Ise’s face shuffled to display a rapid blinking motion before he pressed forward. “As a hero of course, but what about as a civilian?”

“I’m not an actor sir, I don’t know what I’d do if I were a different person.”

Ise’s Rubik’s cube shuffled to display a stone face. Kanata clenched her eyes shut as if the conversation was back to that moment.

Higa merely nodded as if she expected that answer. “After the assailants were neutralized, she had a confrontation with police?”

“Is that what the report called it?”

“You have a different interpretation?”

“It was a communication issue, I think. She tried to put her hands up, but given the nature of her quirk, police were understandably on guard.”

“Did the police order her to put her hands up?”

“No.”

“Shouldn’t that be interpreted as a threat then?”

“… may I speculate?”

“Based on what expertise?”

“As a witness to the incident.”

Higa raised an eyebrow, before nodding slightly. “You may.”

“I believe she was doing what we’re all taught to do when police show up. Show our hands. It’s just the unfortunate nature of her quirk that makes that gesture open to an unfortuante interpretation.”

Kanata pressed her palms flat against the table.

Higa nodded and jotted down a few notes. Christopher swallowed. He wasn’t sure if he’d helped or hurt Kanata’s case. He’d come in here hoping to help… but as a hero, as a citizen, he was supposed to give an accurate account. The objective events neither helped nor hurt Kanata to his mind. They seemed to leave her in a horrible sort of limbo, one entirely at the mercy of the courts.

“I have no more questions.” Higa declared. She glanced up at Ise. “You?”

“No,” Ise answered, his face shuffled to a smile. “Thank you for your time young man!”

“Thank you for your time Mirror Devil.” Higa echoed bowing slightly. “Please send Smokin’ Sexy in next.”

Christopher, taking that as permission to leave, stood. He spared one last glance towards Kanata. The woman was staring at her hands resting on the table in front of her. Her palms were flat against the table’s surface. She was trembling.

Christopher wanted to say something, say he understood why she did what she did, maybe offer some small comfort. He couldn’t, not here. Not in the middle of a deposition where a Kyoto prosecutor was trying to figure out what deal to offer. Not when he may have just fucked up her chances at walking. Here, all he could do was walk out the door.

---

Christopher found Smokin’ Sexy sitting in the handsome waiting room. He held an unlit cigarette between his teeth. Faint white text trembled over his head.

Ryusei was fully recovered from the injuries he sustained during the robbery. His chest rose and fell with the natural ease of an athletic man. The waiting room was painted with a soothing blue. Beige carpeting covered the floor and the walls were lined with leather chairs. At the far wall from Christopher stood the anonymous steel doors of an elevator. The room was abandoned save for the two heroes.

Ryusei looked up at his intern’s approach. “Am I up?”

“Yeah.” Christopher nodded.

Ryusei stood. “You look like shit, that good in there huh?”

Christopher shook his head, “It wasn’t bad, I just… don’t know.”

Ryusei nodded knowingly and began to walk past his intern. He paused next to Christopher and elbowed him in the side.

“Ow.” Christopher protested weakly.

“This ain’t a funeral kid, shit part’s over.”

“Right,” Christopher mumbled as Ryusei walked away, to give his deposition.

Christopher sat on one of those handsome leather chairs. He rolled his hat in his hands. Had he said something wrong? He ran through his deposition a hundred times. He’d done nothing but tell the truth. So, why’d it feel like he’d screwed a victim over in there?

Hitomi formed a claw. She reached up from her necklace form and patted Christopher on the cheek.

“Thanks.” Christopher smiled.

Hitomi chirped a soothing, ‘You did what you should’ve,’ before immediately disappearing back into the necklace. Christopher raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t usually so quick to hide--

The elevator dinged. The doors opened.

Christopher looked up.

Out of the elevator strode a rotund man with a waxed mustache. He wore dark sunglasses. He smiled as he saw Christopher. Christopher’s breath caught.

“Saraki-sensei.” Christopher breathed.

“Cain-kun! What a pleasant sur--” Cain’s eyes wandered up, towards the ghostly white text fluttering over Saraki’s head.

“Oh!”

“Please don’t read my quirk.”

Christopher blinked, but his eyes wandered back to Saraki’s face. It’d be hard, not reading something that was right there, but it only seemed polite to try.

“May I ask why?”

Saraki smiled broadly. “People treat me differently when they find out about my quirk.”

Christopher frowned… he could understand that.

Saraki sat next to Christopher with a solid thud. The leather chair groaned as he slammed into it. Christopher shifted away from him on instinct.

Saraki was unperturbed, “have you found Search Eye useful?”

“I haven’t had the chance to field test it yet,” Christopher admitted. It’d only been a few days since Smokin’ Sexy had gotten out of the Hospital. “But the tactical implications warrant keeping it around.”

“I thought you’d like it! I’ve always been curious does someone with quirk mimicry have favorite quirks?”

“Y-yeah,” Christopher answered. Last time he’d been in the same room as Saraki he’d had the feeling that he only held about a quarter of the man’s attention. To be the subject of Saraki’s undivided attention was… disconcerting.

“Oh! Which ones?”

“Well, uh, there’s a teleportation quirk I like.”

“Oh! Takeda-kun’s?”

Christopher blanched. He’d intentionally avoided naming the wielder of that quirk.

“I also understand you enjoy your classmate Chang-chan’s quirk?”

Christopher nodded. His skin crawled. He got the feeling that he hadn’t been asked a real question yet.

“Ah, true psychokinesis. Much like your mother’s quirk. It used to be rare too you know.”

“Why are you here?” Christopher managed, he was scared Saraki had only come because he knew he’d be here.

“Oh, I’m here as an expert witness to some deposition.” Saraki waved a hand. “This is 90% of my job truth be told. Telling prosecutors whether a person’s quirk is too dangerous for them to be released into the general populace. Etc. Etc.”

“… what happens if their quirk IS too dangerous?”

“They go to my hospital!” Saraki answered cheerily. “We condition them to place mental limits on their quirk, counsel them on proper quirk use and, if they adjust appropriately, we release them back into society!”

Christopher flinched at the word ‘condition.’ Saraki smiled at his reaction.

“It’s not a pleasant calling, I admit, but it’s necessary. People with truly dangerous quirks are, at the end of the day, people. They can live long and fulfilling lives without hurting anyone… but some quirks are so dangerous we can’t take the risk. Take that girl you and Smokin’ Sexy captured. The one with the quirk called ‘0.’ Theoretically, she could’ve, at any moment, decided the number of people on Earth equals 0 and that would be the end of the human race. Instead, because we conditioned her properly, she did things like set the weight of heavy bags to 0. Or set the pain her companion was feeling to 0. She was one of my great successes.”

“Was?”

“Figure of speech my boy. Her recent criminal activity means I have more work to do with her, but I’m quite proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far. Quite proud.” Saraki smiled gently.

Christopher had to resist the urge to run out the window at the sight of that smile.

“Anyway! What do you think of your other classmate’s quirks?!” Saraki changed the subject.

“I—”

“I understand you’re quite fond of your friend Myoga-kun’s quirk?”

“Uh—” Christopher hesitated. He felt Hitomi smile.

“Hrm?”

“It’s okay.”

“I see,” Saraki whispered as if he were barely paying attention. “Y’know, I admit, I’ve been beating around the bush. There’s one quirk I do want to know your thoughts on.”

Christopher shifted uncomfortably. “Which one is that?”

“What do you think of Owari’s quirk?”

Christopher’s eyebrow raised. Sandatsu’s? Why the fuck was this old man asking about Sandatsu’s quirk? “Why do you ask?”

“I noticed you didn’t attempt to copy it during the Shiketsu tournament.”

The tournament! Christopher suppressed a shudder at the memory. The sight of his classmate’s still-standing skeleton walking towards him as fat and sinew melted from his frame… he’d had nightmares.

“Well?”

“I don’t think I can say.”

Saraki’s face darkened. “Pleas—” A razor-sharp spike shot from Christopher's necklace and stopped a centimeter from Saraki’s throat.

---

Saraki blinked rapidly. This was unexpected. Christopher yelped, grabbing for his necklace. “Hitomi! What’re you--?” Eyes formed on the side of the young man’s necklace. They were angry eyes. They were eyes that knew what Saraki had been about to do.

That shouldn’t be possible! He was certain he’d gotten the order off in time! … unless the dragon was not subject to his order. Unless... she could use Search Eye too!

Saraki gazed into Hitomi’s eyes and grinned maniacally. ‘Stupendous!’

---

Christopher grabbed his necklace. He felt Inigo’s mirror tremble as he grappled with his wayward construct. “Hitomi! What’re you--?”

“It’s alright, I won’t say the ‘p’ word.”

The invectives died in Christopher’s throat at those words. He looked at Saraki, his vision trembled. Had he been about to do something to him? Hitomi’s spike retracted vanishing back into her form. What had Hitomi just protected him from?

“Would you mind,” Saraki began. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “telling me what you think of Owari’s quirk? It may be important.”

“Why do you want to know?” Christopher replied, his guard rigid.

“He’s the child of a colleague of mine,” Saraki answered. “She’s rather cagey about his quirk. Even I don’t know what it does! Recent events have led me to… worry. I wondered if you might give me a clue?”

“I don’t think--”

“Tell you what, if you tell me what happens when you copy his quirk, I’ll tell you something about your mother.”

Hitomi bristled.

Christopher studied the man. That’s right, he’d said he knew Mom from when she was in high school. “Tell me what?”

“Whatever you want to know.”

Christopher debated a moment longer. There was no grand secret to his mind. No reason to withhold what happens when he tries to copy Sandatsu’s quirk. No confidence to be upheld. He had hardly spoken to his classmate and there was so much to gain from answering a harmless question. So, he answered. “I’m able to copy it, but I can’t make it do anything.”

“Is that all?”

Yes, but not quite. “… I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like it?”

“The quirk freaks me out. I can’t explain why, it’s just… cold.”

Saraki nodded solemnly. He looked as if Christopher had just revealed something profound about Sandy’s quirk. Maybe what Christopher had revealed was how his quirk worked.

Christopher bit his lip.

“I can ask whatever I want to know right?”

“Absolutely.” Saraki waved his hand absentmindedly.

“What… what was she like?”

Saraki raised an eyebrow.

“In high school I mean.”

Saraki pursed his lips as if he were about to ask another question. Then he narrowed his eyes at Christopher. Christopher met Saraki’s gaze without flinching. He needed to know.

“I believe the word that would best describe your mother was ‘genki.’”

“… genki?”

“Yes, she was extremely energetic, annoyingly social, and cloyingly optimistic. It was difficult for me to be in the same room as her for long periods. She also had a disastrous competitive streak. I blame her for really starting the Shiketsu-UA rivalry that’s on display every provisional license exam.”

“Really? How?”

“Oh, she and a Shiketsu student failed their first try at the exam because of each other. Your mother was going through a chuunibyou phase as a freshman and as an ‘avatar of justice’ she objected to ‘delinquent behavior.’ It was cute unless you were a delinquent.”

Christopher smiled. All the discomfort he’d felt during this conversation suddenly felt worth it. To hear his mom so candidly described. It was like he’d found a piece of his memory.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me.” Saraki shrugged. “I believe I received the better end of this exchange.”

“Huh?”

Before Saraki could answer, a door opened.

Ryusei walked out of the conference room rubbing the back of his neck. “Damn, that was brutal-- oh!”

Ryusei blinked at the sight of Sarkai. “Are you Saraki-sensei?”

Saraki stood, smiling broadly. “Are they ready for me?”

“Yeah, guess so, they asked for you anyway, be careful in there, the old lady’s a real charmer.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Saraki nodded genially. He glanced at Christopher. “Thank you young man for the conversation.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Saraki left the waiting room.

Ryusei studied Christopher for a moment. It looked like he was about to ask any number of questions. ‘What’d you two talk about?’ ‘Do you know him?’ ‘Why the Hell are you smiling? It’s weird!’ Instead, he just shrugged.

Ryusei walked towards the elevator. “Ready to get back to the dojo?”

Christopher stood. “Yeah,” he sighed, he wasn’t looking forward to getting back at Ryusei’s PT regimen. But, before he ruminated over his coming fate, he had to know something.

“… what do you think will happen to her?”

“First-time offender? I’d be shocked if she sees the inside of a jail cell. Most likely, she’ll plead out. Probably cop to assault and get off with probation. But, if she goes to trial, she’ll probably go to jail.” Ryusei pressed the call button.

“She was defending herself!”

“She was, but her quirk makes things messy. Could’ve hit the people around her. Her ‘victim’s’ face makes you want to vomit. It’s just a shitty situation.” The elevator doors opened. Ryusei entered. Christopher followed. He frowned.

“Don’t beat yourself up, kid.” Ryusei comforted. The elevator doors began to close. “Just because things are fucked, doesn’t mean you fucked up.”

The doors clanked shut.