Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: QUIRK TROUBLE
In some ways, the streets of Japan were not much different than that of Seoul.
Since moving to Japan only a few weeks prior, he had found it to be comforting how much alike the two places were, in terms of population and density. Unlike the quaint and picturesque cities of Quebec, his usual home away from home, the Shizuoka prefecture gave him an easier time blending in.
Or so he thought.
One wrong move on a humid summer night had him sandwiched between a dead end and a couple of guys looking to get some extra cash.
In the days before Quirks were a normal occurrence, he would have easily taken the same guys out without any issue. The problem was that he didn’t know their powers, and he also didn’t know who else was watching. If he made the wrong choice in the moment, his quiet days would be over. But giving them what they wanted was not an option.
In an attempt to merely freak them out enough to get them to turn tail and run, he reached out and grabbed hold of a sword that he formed from a puddle nearby. The weight of it in his hand was familiar, but never comfortable. The surprise on their faces as he did so made him think his plan would work. Maybe I’ll get out of this afterall.
One of the guys, with blond hair mostly hidden by a beanie, started to laugh. “Should we be afraid of a little water sword?” He approached Shin further, no longer paying attention to the weapon he was holding.
“I really don’t think you want to find out,” Shin responded, falling into stance naturally with the sword balanced in his hand. The blue glow of it gave a bit more light to their surroundings. Someone else is here…
“Try me!” The blond yelled as he lunged at him. His body morphed and looked like it grew scales as he tried to make contact with his target, but was shocked when he had disappeared before his very eyes.
“Look, if you need the money that badly, I’ll just give it to you~” Shin reappeared in the space the man had once been occupying, weapon leaned against his shoulder. He kept a vigilant eye on the second guy, unsure of exactly what he was planning to do. “I’ve got plenty of it.”
“What kind of weird Quirk you got, old man?” the first guy mumbled. He looked at his partner and hoped he would get the clue to step in.
“What a joke…” the other man said with a laugh, hoping to catch Shin’s attention. As expected, he was able to look him in the eyes momentarily, and activate his Quirk. As long as he could maintain his focus, it wouldn’t take too long to get the desired result.
As soon as their eyes met, Shin could feel something wasn’t right. The sword dropped to the ground and returned to liquid as he fell to his knees. A pain unlike he’d ever felt before overtook him. He was barely able to register that the presence that had been lurking nearby made themselves known.
The Number One Hero, better known as All Might, stood between them in hopes it would break the connection. “I’ve been looking for you! A Quirk like yours being used for petty crimes, what a shame!”
As expected, the man lost his focus on Shin with All Might’s presence. He and his friend tried to escape, but were no match for the Hero. They were taken into custody immediately and taken away.
The pain slowly subsided, and confusion was left in its wake. At some point he had become aware that there was a Hero there, and the guys were no longer a threat, but it didn’t at all explain what had been happening to him in the first place. What did he do to me?
All Might returned once the men had been taken away so he could first survey that he was alright. “I’m sorry I didn’t step in sooner, I was a bit surprised.” He knelt down so he wasn’t towering over him, though it didn’t exactly make a big difference. “Are you okay?”
“What did he do to me?” Shin looked up at him and felt small. He had only seen the Number One Hero on TV, but next to news reporters and normal people, he was a giant. To see him in the flesh made him seem even bigger.
“That man has a Quirk that affects the physical appearance of the person he locks eyes with–Their age, to be more specific. They had been using it to alter people far enough back they couldn’t be seen as a threat.” Despite the weight of his words, there was still a slightly optimistic smile on his face. “Luckily I was able to stop it before it got too far.”
“Wait, my age ?” Suddenly the thought that he felt too small in All Might’s presence made sense. “I just had my body compressed to–what? How old do I look right now??” He fumbled to find his phone in one of his pockets to check his reflection. It was that action that made it obvious how ill-fitting his clothes had become. This has to be a joke.
“I’d say a high schooler, maybe?” All Might was a bit amused, but wasn’t exactly going to show it. He had looked to be about in his 30s before everything happened, tall and sophisticated. The unruly length of his hair suited his younger face better, but the high end clothes were out of place. “I hate to tell you this, but it's not exactly reversible.”
“...Are you serious?” Shin gave up his search and turned his attention to the other man fully. There wasn’t a hint of a joke anywhere on his face. I can’t believe this…
“I’m not sure if it’s absolutely permanent, or if you won’t naturally grow out of it eventually…” The Hero looked around and stood up, offering his hand to help the now younger man to stand as well. “That Quirk of yours… I’ve never seen anything like it.” Multi-faceted Quirks didn’t exist naturally in the way that the man had been using them. They were too different.
“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth,” Shin admitted and took his help to get back onto his feet. “But either way, I know there are consequences for what I did.”
“Not necessarily…Using your Quirk for self-defense is okay, as long as it’s not excessive. You didn’t even touch either of them…” All Might led him towards the entrance of the alleyway. “Unfortunately there’s an actual problem that would take a while to explain, and I don’t have that kind of time right now.” He reached into one of his pockets and held out a card. “Do you think you could come by this address tomorrow morning?”
Shin took the card and looked it over. His Agency? “Yeah, I guess?” He was relieved that he wasn’t going straight to jail, at least.
“Great!” All Might patted him on the back. “I’ll see you–oh, I guess I didn’t get your name?”
“Kim Shin.” The spot on his back was tingling slightly from the impact of the other man’s hand. His strength is really no joke…
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Kim Shin!” And like lightning, the Number One Hero was gone.
It only registered after he repeated it back that he gave out his real name. I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?