Work Text:
Pro-Hero Snipe enjoyed his free day. He was in civilian clothes and had a little shopping trip. At least that was what he had planned to do, but something changed his plans for the day. A notebook, that landed on his head. It didn't hurt much, even if he had let out a small „Ow!“ it was more the fact that the Pro asked himself, why the person who threw it didn't just put it in the garbage bin.
The Notebook seemed to be a standardized version, that you could get in every school supplies shop. The back and front were burnt, but it also seemed to be wet, as if it was dumped into water. There were small greenish-brown stains and the smell of Sewer. The hero could faintly read: „Hero Analyses for the Future Nr. 13“ and that title only confused the man even further, after all who would want to throw something away if it is at Number 13? Sure it was for some people an unlucky number. And sure it was burned, wet and smelly, but who knew how the other Notebooks looked like. The Pro opened a random page and began to read.
„Due to him using Revolvers it creates the image of him being a Cowboy, but that seems rather unlikely. While Snipe cares about his appearance, he likes practicality over everything else (Just like his Mask which functions as a Gasmask and possibly as Nightvision Goggles), it is far more likely that his Quirk can't cope with the high powered machine guns to be useful. Instead he chose his looks in turn to hide this fact, that fact shows him being able to work with his flaws and to find ways to hide or incorporate them.
[While it is unlikely to get a gun if you aren't a hero or police officer, is a gun still a very good Support Item that could help me. Even weaker versions like Painball Guns should help in Hero Works and will even ensure not to permanently harm the criminals. The paint can be created with different facts, like liquid tracking devices, smelly bullets with which a criminal can be recognized again even if he changes his clothes and showered. Nonetheless won't that help me in the entrance exam. It seems more and more like UA is just claiming equality while also ensuring that only children with powerful flashy Quirks are getting a chance. They may have lifted the Quirkless ban, which shouldn't have been there in the first place, but they are blocking weapons and support items as long as they aren't needed for the Quirk. That means if I would claim to possess a Quirk with which I can cut with a blade through everything I would be allowed to bring a sword, but if I would tell them, that I am Quirkless, they wouldn't allow me anything. Is this a Publicity Stunt of the Principal Nedzu? Or did someone do it behind his back to keep the bias? Wake Up Izuku, you won't get into UA either way.]“
Snipe closed the book, checked his options and then looked up at the buildings around him. It was thrown from above him or was dropped. By the weight of the Notebook and the force that it hit him, including the wind that comes from south... There. A small figure seemed to be sitting on the edge, legs dangling down. The Pro sighed in relief, when he realized that the person (probably a kid considering height and the talk about UA) had put his legs through the railing and wasn't about to jump or anything like that.
Snipe loved the Hero License. It let you access every building, that works with electric locking, like the one he just climbed the stairs of. The building didn't have an elevator, but that wouldn't stop a Pro who had made it his business to quickly scale a building to get the perfect Sharpshooting position. After all, a long time ago he had been part of the military... Not that many knew or would ever find out. (Psst, that's because I made it up!) The Hero opened the door to the roof, Snipe tried to be not too loud to startle the kid, but not too quiet to not be heard. But what he didn't expect was a shout of relief.
„Finally! And I thought I would never get down here!“ Green. That was the first thing that came to Snipes mind. The kid had green eyes, a mix of black and green hair, freckles and a happy smile on his face that seemed a lot more genuine then the most smiles the hero got when saving someone. Somehow many people believe that they should have been saved sooner... But maybe that was because he had often patrolled in regions where the rich lived, whose time money was.
„Why didn't you call someone?“ Asked Snipe the kid. He was small, definitely smaller than any students he had, his eyes also seemed a little bit red, at a second glance. The kid had probably cried... And the kid smelled, like Sewer. So he seemed to be this Izuku who wrote the Notebook. His School Uniform had small burn marks all over it and while the kid seemed to be happy to be able to leave the roof, he also seemed to try to make himself smaller.
„My phone was destroyed by a Villain Attack today.“ The kid sighed and looked up at the sky. „I am just happy, that it neither rains nor is a totally hot day.“
„How did you end up here?“
„Oh, this and that. The normal stuff, being attacked by a Sludge Villain that came out of the Sewer System, being saved by All Might, who seemed to have followed him. Getting my things vandalized by All Might, when he wrote down an autograph into my Notebook without even questioning me if I want it. Then holding onto said Hero when he jumped to ask him a stupid question, who in return got the bright idea to tell me to let go 100 meters above the ground...“ The kid didn't need to breathe, nor was he stopped by pauses. He seemed to just want to talk about everything to have someone who knew... And Snipe never backed away from a challenge, so he challenged himself to understand every last word the kid said. „...then he screamed at me for being a Stalker. I asked him if I could be a hero without a Quirk and he said no, since I would be a liability. What a fucking Quirkist. Then puff smoke and he was a meth addict, please forget that I mentioned that. After that he just said, someone will open the door if I knock loud enough and left. Did I mention that he tried to slap me awake, that he pushed the villain into a water bottle which is neither secure nor ethically correct. Oh and he completely ignored the fact that a Villain tried to kill me and force himself into my body to use it as if it would be his. So I have no idea if I am fine or not. And now I am happy that a stranger is alone with me on a roof even though I have no idea why he is here or what he will want to do with or to me, because I don't have to think about jumping anymore.“
Snipe won, he had listened to everything and had understood everything and now... How was he supposed to tell the kid that he could take him to Recovery-Girl without sounding like a pedophile kidnapper?
„Kid, are you alright?“ Asked the hero wary of saying something wrong. „You just said a lot of things, which raises many alarm bells in the mind of a responsible adult.“
„Huch? You are still here?“ Asked the kid surprised, did he seriously thought he would just leave? „Normally the people just go away and call me a freak, when I start mumbling... Actually, I would normally stutter as well, when talking to someone, that is strange.“
„Kid do you know the meaning of Emotional Detachment?“
„Sure! It is a condition that takes place through trauma or high level stress to cope better with the situation! I read about it in this article about the Pro-Hero... Oh.“ (I have no idea if that is actually true, so when you are interested in these sort of things don't trust me and when you know about it, please tell me how accurate it was.)
How could this kid be so… so, cute? He was somehow incredible intelligent and at the same time so... Naive? Ignorant?... No, Innocent. Most smart people often lose that trait early on, because they realize how messed up the world truly was, but the kid somehow was still intelligent and innocent at the same time. In his own notes he showed his intellect, while at the same time showing the child in him. He could have said Rubber Bullets or things like that, but instead he went with Paintball and then he started from that, to think about what kind of Support Projectiles could use... „Kid, it is fine. Especially from what you told me the reaction is normal. I am a teacher at UA, so I can bring you to our School Nurse Recovery Girl, to make sure everything in your body functions normal.“
„You are... You are a teacher at UA?“
„Yes, yes I am.“
„But only Heroes can become Teachers there.“
„You are a smart one kid, but I am not in gear at the moment, so please keep that info down, yeah?“
„The only Teachers who hide their faces behind masks or just stay away from reporters are: Eraserhead, Thirteen, Ectoplasm and Snipe. Eraserhead would never go out with his Capture Weapon especially since it is also looking like a simple scarf to the normal Person. Ectoplasm is wearing prostheses and you are wearing a T-Shirt and Shorts. Thirteen even when going as civilian still needs support gear to stop the Blackhole to go haywire.“ Izuku looked down at the notebook in the Heroes hand, a finger between the pages rather far at the beginning. „My fifth entry in my Notebook is about Pro-Hero Snipe, which you have read and stayed on said page. Who would have thought that you look so... Simple under the mask, Snipe.“
The Pro chuckled starstrucked. „At least I don't need to convince you that I am a hero... You are smart kid. And are able to think logically as well as quickly. That is everything that is needed, to become a hero in my opinion. How about it kid, do you want to become my student and learn the ways of the Gunslinger?“
„But I am Quirkless.“
„Do you need a Quirk to shoot a gun?“
„Um, no?“
„Do you need a Quirk to be able to hit a target?“
„No.“
„Did you use a Quirk to make all these analyses’ in your notebook?“
„No!“
„Then tell me, what is the reason that you need a Quirk to become my apprentice?!“
„There is none.“
„Then I will ask you again Izuku, do you want to become my apprentice and learn the way of the Gunslinger?“
„Yes!“
And this was the beginning of the Story of the Pro-Hero: Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III... No, just joking! His name was the Gunning Hero: C... ARGHHHHH, THERE IS A SPIDER!!! Damm it where was I? Oh yes, the hero with Paintball Guns and Explosive Items, his name was...
„Peacemaker the Colorful Hero!“ Interrupted Izuku the narrator laughing, while pointing his Painball Gun at the none existing Camera. „And while they may not be deadly, the pellets can still hurt like a bitch.“