『ARC ONE: BEGINNING』

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There are two things that Tomohiro despised more than being in the spotlight: hospitals and meetings.

The atmosphere in a hospital always left him feeling a twinge of pity and sadness in the depths of his chest. He never did like seeing bedridden citizens suffer, whether it be by an illness or injuries. He would always keep his eyesight on his shoelaces, never truly wanting to lock eyes with a patient to see the anguish dancing in their irises. Plus, the walls were lifeless, the lights hurt your eyes if you stared at them too long, no entertainment, and the food was pretty crappy.

Tomohiro slumped in the metal chair he sat in, hands in his lap as Shishi decided to make a home out of his jacket. The zipper was pulled downward halfway, the shiba inu's head peeking out as it sat on his stomach. The hero tugged his cap downward like he wanted to hide his inky locks. He stared boredly at the table. Sometimes his eyes would dart to the door, hoping a nurse would come by and inform him of the twin's conditions.

The click of a door entered his ears and the illustration hero instantly perked up. To his disappointment, only a person in the form of a detective strolled inside. Tomohiro nearly rolled his eyes and scoffed. Great, a meeting, interview, whatever this was going to be.

"Inscribe, no animals are allowed in the hospital unless they are service animals." the detective with slick apple green hair stated as he took a seat on the other side of the table. The man appeared to be in his late forties, donned in a suit with an olive tie and a black trenchcoat. He placed a briefcase on the table as quietly as he could.

Scoffing, Tomohiro scrunched his nose up. "Shishi is a dog made of ink. He can't make anyone have an allergic reaction because he has no fur. Plus, he doesn't breathe so he isn't living. And if your concern is him biting someone, he has no teeth."

To further prove his point, the white-eyed male stuck his fingers in his dog's mouth and opened it. Not a single tooth was shown, not even gums.

"Nonetheless, get rid of him," the detective barked with steeled green eyes.

Shishi whined softly in retort. If it did not look disrespectful, Tomohiro would have thrown his head back and groaned. He settled for a glare and delicately took Shishi out of his jacket. Holding the dog in one arm, he took out a notebook and opened it. He tilted his head toward a blank sheet. With reluctance, the ink animal tapped the sheet with a paw. In a flash, the page had acquired a sketch of a shiba inu.

Spreading his fingers out, Tomohiro said with spite, "there you go,"

The detective did not respond to that movement. "My name is Detective Osamu Naoki. I have been dispatched to get your word on the matter of the twins."

The inky-haired man hummed in response. "I see, Naoki-san."

Tomohiro was still slightly peeved that he had to return his dog.

Detective Naoki flicked the silver lock on the briefcase open, a shine of the metal momentarily blinding the hero. He placed a few pieces of paper on the metal table, two sheets thrusted in Tomohiro's direction.

His forehead creased at the harsh way that the papers were given to him. Tomohiro snatched the two sheets in his grasp and began to skim them over.

Name: Akihiko Yama

Gender: Male

Age: 5

Family members: Kiyoko Yama
Souta Yama
Tanami Yama

Quirk: Reflective Crystallization

Name: Tanami Yama

Gender: Female

Age: 5

Family: Kiyoko Yama
Souta Yama
Akihiko Yama

Quirk: Sugar Crystallization

"Akihiko Yama's registered quirk is known as Reflective Crystallization," Detective Naoki began, straightening a few documents. "He does not have the ability to form crystals out of thin air. Instead, he can convert objects such as glass or mirrors into crystals. Another option that appears to be efficient is using his sister's crystals and then amplify the strength of the material. Depending on how much material he has, he can either create something as strong as diamond or as weak as talc. If this quirk is used for a long period of time, cracks will begin to form on the skin and leak blood."

Tomohiro grimaced in remembrance. The cracks of skin peeling apart only to gush out red bodily fluid. A kid was the one to sustain such a horrid injury. A child should not have to suffer nor be used as profit. Unbeknownst to himself, his fists clenched until his knuckles had turned a ghastly white.

"Tanami Yama's registered quirk is known as Sugar Crystallization. Her quirk works by depending on her sugar intake. The more sugar that runs through her veins, the stronger the crystal she can emit and create and the amount she can produce. Similar to her brother, if it is used for too long, the same drawbacks will occur."

Nodding, the white-eyed male placed the two sheets on the table and shoved his hands into his pockets in irritation.

"The two adults I had detained had been sent by the parents. If the two Yama twins are returned to them-" Tomohiro commented before he was rudely cut off.

"Rest assured, Inscribe. Once we had learned of those two's surnames, the parents had been arrested and are currently in the police station for questioning. Although the likely situation is that they will be put behind bars for a long time." Detective Naoki explained, interlacing his fingers and resting his hands on the table.

The tenseness locked into his shoulder muscles suddenly loosened at the words strung together to form sentences. With a relieved sigh, Tomohiro had decided it was high time he slunk further into the chair.

"Do not put the cart before the horse yet, Mr. Mochizuki,"

White eyes flickered upward in confusion before they narrowed. "Why do you say that?"

The green-haired male rolled his shoulders. "To simply put it, it is a troubling thought to place those two in a normal child care system. From what the medical staff have informed me, Tanami has been suspecting every little thing. She refuses to speak to anyone and refuses to allow anyone to even enter the same room as them. It was only when you had entered the room earlier that the nurse was able to cleanse the wounds and wrap Akihiko's arms in bandages. Those two children do not trust anyone and will not warm up to anyone anytime soon."

"So placing them in an orphanage or foster system is not the brightest of ideas. What are you suggesting would be the best in this situation?" Tomohiro questioned, suddenly finding himself more intrigued from the vague speech.

Detective Naoki had stared him right in the eye. "They need someone they trust to adopt them. They will not willingly go with someone who they believe will use or harm them. As of this moment, the only person they trust is you."

If Tomohiro's flabbergasted expression did not give it away, then his stressed tone of voice did. "Excuse me? Did you suggest that I, a hero that is only twenty-three, adopt children? I understand your reasons to do so but-"

"Think it over, Inscribe," the detective said without a second thought. "Your job as a hero is to make life easier for others."

"I- no, I... I have to think things through. Excuse me, Naoki-san." Standing up from the chair, Tomohiro quickly strode out of the room. He quietly shut the door behind him before taking a deep breath.

His shoes squeaked on the sleek marble tiles of the hospital hallway as he shifted to lean onto a crisp light blue wall. His palms connected to the wall, beads of warm sweat transfering from his skin to the paint. The hero blinked in confusion. His palms were sweaty? Why is that? He was not nervous or frightened by anything.

The white-eyed male pursed his lips and stepped away from the wall. Shaking his head, he took a quick glance behind his shoulder to see the door he walked out of. Wiping his damp palms on his pants, he strode down the spacious hall. The ink-haired man watched as nurses calmly walked passed him, chattering quietly amongst each other.

"Me? Adopt a pair of kids? Unfathomable. My line of work is dangerous and the possibility of being killed is a big risk. If I somehow did consider that option and I died soon, what would happen to those two?" he questioned himself.

He came up with nothing but the image of a pair of depressed children. He sighed heavily and pulled at one of his inky locks.

Unexpectedly, Tomohiro felt a chill run down his spine. His strides came to a halt, his muscles tensing at a strange feeling gnawing at his bones. The medical staff around him apparently sensed nothing wrong as they carried on with their specific duties. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Tomohiro fished out his notebook and flipped it to a blank page. Taking out his calligraphy pen, a thought dawned on him.

Those two twins can create gemstones. This strange feeling is not normal... perhaps...

In an instant, Inscribe bolted down the corridor, slamming a door open that was in his way. Nearby nurses screeched and jumped at the loud noise of a door colliding with the wall but Tomohiro could care less. If his thought process was certain, it meant that nothing good could be occurring in this exact moment. Sprinting right past the elevator, he practically leaped up the staircase. At the same time, he would glance frequently at the sheet, sketching as fast as he could.

Despite the fact that his body was moving, his hand was firm and steady. The drawing was sketched perfectly, like he was sitting at a desk and not scaring the living daylights out of the staff. Shoving the calligraphy pen in his pocket, Tomohiro tapped the drawing and it leaped out with ease. Firmly grasped in his calloused hand was a weapon that deeply resembled a gun of some sort. Fitted in the barrel and picking out of the muzzle was the sharp point of a needle.

It was not a special item of course. The drawback of his quirk is that he could not draw out a substance such as anesthesia to put someone to sleep. He could draw out a painkiller but it would have no effect. However, if someone did swallow it, most likely they would get ink poisoning. So his needle handgun would inflict pain and cause ink poisoning if it entered the bloodstream but the effects would not take hold immediately. Nonetheless, the pain caused would give him enough time to assess the situation and act accordingly.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Tomohiro quickly turned a corner, nearly slamming into a forgotten cart of medical supplies. He circled around it before he came back to it. Taking a deligiant look at the supplies, a frown settled on his face before he began to sprint once more.

"I should have known they would not leave a bottle of anesthesia or medication unattended with no staff where a patient could find it. Wait-" Tomohiro grumbled before his breathing hitched.

It had just occurred to him that the corridor he was situated in was void of life. It was a strange sight to see the hallway empty of any staff scurrying around or having mindless chit chat. Usually there were at least a few nurses or doctors loitering the premises. That alone made him even more suspicious.

After running a while longer, Tomohiro had finally arrived at the hospital room where the twins were currently housed in. It did not take a genius to feel the tense atmosphere oozing out from the cracks of the closed door. Bringing his arm to his side, Tomohiro braced himself before slamming his upper arm and shoulder into the hard piece of wood. The lock and hinges cried in anguish before it bursted apart, and swung the wooden door coated in a slick material open.

The first that registered in Inscribe's mind was the sight of the twins. Unconsciously lying in the bed was a fragile Akihiko. The boy's arms were bundled and wrapped expertly in bandages so thick that if there was still blood leaking out of the wounds, it was not enough to bleed through. His crystal hair had lost a bit of its shimmer and his nose was slightly scrunched and eyebrows knit together. His face was contorted in pain although he was not awake.

Tanami fearfully wrapped her thin arms and legs around Akihiko in an attempt to act as a human shield. Her small body trembled like a leaf, small tears pricking the corners of her eyes as her lip quivered. Her fingers carefully clung to her brother's saturated hospital gown.

The next thing he witnessed was a feminine person who might have been around the same age as him standing a little ways to his right. She had unruly, frazzled curls of dark purple cascade down her body like a waterfall. Clipped neatly to the sides of her head were golden bells that were in threes. Her wide eyes glowed blue, almost taking an aqua hue to them with sliced irises which made her slightly dark colored complexion stand out. Her lace collar had covered the beginnings of her chin, a dark blue bow with a small bell placed near her collarbones. She was adorned in a light green undershirt with puffy sleeves, a boysenberry vest with mulberry pants, and wine high heeled knee highs to top it off.

Floating around her were slightly translucent, almost apparition like body parts with an array of blue colors. It consisted of large eyeballs, spheres that were cut open to reveal a mouth full of sharp teeth with a lizard-like tongue sticking out, and severed hands. They all glowed a faint teal as they drifted slowly around the room.

Apparently she had just noticed his presence despite the loud sound of him crashing through the door. Her head tilted quickly, a crack resonating from her spine as she eyed him eerily as the bells in her hair chimed. Her lips parted and she stared at him with an unknown emotion dancing in her irises.

Tomohiro did not dare creep closer to the twins in fear that she would use one of those floating hands to attack them. Instead, his finger trailed down to the inky trigger and jutted it down so the muzzle would stare at the tiles.

A few seconds ticked by before the woman began to speak. "Oh?" she murmured in a breathy tone. "Not everyone has left this portion of the vicinity?"

The purple-haired woman did not move nor did the apparitions move in a dangerous way. "Why have you come? Who are you?"

"I'm a hero. It's in the job description. How did you infiltrate this hospital and who are you?" Tomohiro questioned, taking one step toward the twins.

Glowing blue eyes stared at the ceiling as the woman tilted her head back with a satisfying crack. "Hero...?" she asked in confusion.

"Heeerrrooo..." she stretched out the word, the letters rolling off her tongue. Her bony fingers curled in an odd manner, like she was trying to claw at something. She turned her attention back to Tomohiro. "...is that important? I do not know the meaning of that word."

Tomohiro's face scrunched up. What is wrong with this lady? How does she not know the term hero?

"Give yourself up, villain," Tomohiro ordered, eyes never leaving the strange woman.

She took a step forward, her two legs nearly collapsing from her own weight. She teetered for a bit before she regained stability. "Villain? I do not know that either. Are you referring to me? Please refer to me as Ukiyo Kensho."

The hero clicked his tongue. "Why are you here?"

Ukiyo rolled her head, bringing her hands to her neck only to tug harshly on her hair. "I do not know. Reina told me to take the two children who can create crystals."

"Well you better give up on that thought," Tomohiro stated with a stern tone.

"Huh...?" she hummed. "I guess so. I do not want to trouble myself with such tedious and terribly troubling work. I suppose I will retreat for now."

Without another word leaving her lips, Ukiyo blinked. Instantaneously, the body parts fused into one sphere of glowing light. The woman stepped into it and the ball dispersed.

The hero's gaze lingered on the space where the woman resided before he stepped forth to inspect the twins. By the time he reached the bed, Tanami had already begun to sob. She wailed, big droplets of tears dribbling down her pale cheeks. Both her arms reached toward Tomohiro with her fingers spread out. Awkwardly, Tomohiro wrapped his arms around her small frame as she cried into his shoulder. He felt a squeeze at his hand.

Glancing downward, he saw the creak of blue as Akihiko gently wrapped his thin, bandaged fingers around his own.

His white eyes darted in between the two before he gave in. Promising himself and them, he said, "I assure you that nothing will ever happen to either of you again."

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Author's note:

And that wraps up the prologue of the story. The actual story will begin in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.