Tooth and Claw
Issue 1
Eat.
It wasn't the cold that caused Taichi to sit up from his resting place, it was the hunger. The cold was always there, at least. Like an invisible knife to the stomach, the hunger would assault him whenever it so chose, doubling Taichi over with sharp pangs that burned and lingered like fire. How long had it been since he last ate? Two days? Three? He clutched his stomach, letting out a low growl.
Rain dripped down from above the pulverized remains of a concrete bridge. An empty bag of shrimp chips lay mockingly next to the pillar where the boy had spent the night. Weakly, Taichi swiped at it, only for it to float just out of reach. He thought back to the Inoues, to when there was food, even if it came once a day already cold. But they were all gone, buried under a pile of rubble after their apartment block collapsed. Good riddance.
Drink.
Taichi stepped to the edge of the overhang, opening his maw. The cool rain began to collect in his jaw, and he tilted his head back, gulping it down. Water. Finally. He'd gotten some out of a main broken open when that dragon hero slammed the blade man into the street a few days ago, but a lady almost saw him. He crouched down, his unusually large frame shivering. No blanket to shield him from the rain, just the rags that clung to his thin form as he drank greedily. The rain intensified, turning from a drizzle to a steady downpour. Taichi's wet scales shimmered in the muted light filtering through the clouds. For a moment, he felt a strange sense of relief. The water tasted raw, not like the dirty puddles he'd scooped from the street earlier. This was purer, cleaner, and it briefly pushed the gnawing hunger to the back of his mind.
The wind nudged the rain onto the edge of Taichi's claw, and instinctively he clutched it to his body. He recoiled, eyes widened as if expecting a strike. Taichi could still feel it–the rasp of Mama Inoue's brush against his scales, the stinging of the soap as she scrubbed until he bled. He'd cry, he'd struggle, but it never stopped. Gotta look presentable, like he wasn't the family's dirty little secret.
No bath...
Leaning back, the boy fell onto his butt. He hugged his knees, rocking slightly back and forth, seeking comfort in the rhythmic motion. His breath rose in visible puffs as the rain soaked through his ragged clothes, plastering them to his scaly skin. A few raindrops slid down his pronounced snout and dripped from the edge, tears from the heavens lost in the late afternoon.
He smelled the rat before he saw it. Plump from scavenging the abundant debris, it scampered across a chunk of concrete, sniffing the air. Taichi's eyes snapped to the rat, pupils narrowing into slits as he slowly began to rise to his feet. His hunger returned with a vengeance, roaring louder than the rain, louder than anything. His legs twitched, a peculiar sensation washing over him. It wasn't the first time this had happened.
Hunt.
In a sudden, violent burst, Taichi's legs convulsed. He gasped, vision blurring as his bones shifted, muscles contorting into a different form underneath his red scales. It was beyond excruciating, like being torn apart and stitched back together all at once. He fell to his knees, writhing in agony as his knees reversed and claws extended where once were toes. His legs, now resembling those of a velociraptor, scraped against the wet ground as he pushed himself upright. The pain lingered, pulsating through him like aftershocks of a relentless earthquake. He staggered toward the rat, his movements unsteady, resembling a newborn fawn learning to walk.
His head pounded, and he felt like vomiting, but the hunger eclipsed everything. The rat, sensing the danger, froze momentarily. Taichi could almost taste its flesh gnashed between his teeth, hear the crunch of its bones as it slipped down his gullet. The rain beat down on his scaled head, mingling with the beads of sweat as his instincts took over.
The rat twitched its nose nervously before darting away at top speed. Pitching forward, the boy gave chase, clawed feet thudding on the ground as he broke into a full sprint. There was no pain, no cold. Only him and the rat as it zigzagged through the debris. Hands outstretched, the phantom taste of meat propelled him ever closer to his prey. His fingers grazed the rat's tail, so close he could almost feel the warmth of its fur against his clawed fingertips. The rat darted left, then right, expertly navigating the treacherous terrain of the destroyed city. Taichi's raptor legs struggled to keep up, the unfamiliar limbs protesting with every step.
As he turned a corner, his legs finally gave out, sending him sprawling into a puddle. Mud mixed with rainwater stained his scaly skin as he struggled to rise. The rat, seizing the opportunity, disappeared into a crevice in a pile of concrete, slipping to safety under a piece of rebar. Taichi’s arms trembled as he tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs would carry him no further. He could feel the rough texture of the asphalt scrape under his hands as he began to crawl towards the pile, ragged breaths swallowed by the deluge. Everything hurt.
Keep…moving…
But Taichi’s body could move no longer. Finally giving in, he went limp, chest heaving with exhaustion as he gritted his sharp teeth in anger. The rat’s scent, the scent of victory, still lingered in Taichi’s snout. It mocked him with every breath, the same way the neighborhood kids would when he was allowed outside.
Mutie!
Lizard-boy!
What kind of dinosaur can’t even hunt? You’re pathetic!
His balled fist slammed into the pavement, cracks snaking out from the point of impact as he let out a roar. Born of pain, frustration, and frailty, the sound echoed through the desolate streets aimlessly. No one was going to hear him. No one was going to help.
He glanced around at the shattered remnants of buildings, at the memories of a life he could never reclaim. The city, indifferent to his struggles, stretched out above him like tendrils of some eldritch beast. Why was he born with this, this curse? A part of Taichi wished the rain could wash his imperfections away. Better yet, the rumble of distant thunder might silence the echoes of what he was, the same thing Mr. Inoue called him after he’d gotten bit.
Freak.
The temporary camp-taichi feels left out,
The once-bright neon sign, now flickering sporadically, emitted a feeble glow that struggled to pierce through the surrounding gloom. The sign, bearing the stylized silhouette of a grinning cartoon character holding a tangled mess of wires, hinted at the store's former vibrancy. The wires, however, now dangled precariously, a tangle of disconnected aspirations.
breaks into Gogo Electronics by brute force after he smells food, unknowingly tripping an alarm. He frantically searches the store to find it was only a passing smell. Sees a TV-never allowed to watch it at Inoues,
Scene of Taichi at the Inoues-comes out of his room to watch tv, smacked for it
almost breaks the remote trying to turn it on.
TV scenes-
Commercial with mom and child
watches pro wrestling until he hears a police car,
Police arrive, chase out Taichi who flees into the woods
"Probably just a wild animal"
Taichi can't even cry due to his condition.
"In a press conference just moments ago, the hero Cool Blue addressed the ongoing relief efforts in Nishinari Ward. Cool Blue, who's been at the forefront of the rescue operations, highlighted the urgent need for aid in the wake of the recent villain attack. With streets still smoldering, the hero spoke passionately about the importance of coming together as a community. He emphasized the necessity for donations, especially clean water, blankets, and non-perishable food-"
"Why'd you turn it off?"
The driver
"Aw, no, no, no, no, no, fuck!"
Saburo Watanabe
Mr. Watanabe-former NCAA wrestler who sees taichi eat from his garbage, leaves a meal out.
He sat up, wincing as his joints protested against the intrusion of time. Dr. Toda had said it was a side effect of his Quirk, but he knew better. There's only so many times a person can shoot for a takedown before their knees get busted up.
"Take it," he muttered, more to himself than whoever was out there
BONUS ROUND
"What a heater of a first round! But it looks like things are heating up even more as we enter Round 2