Chapter Text
“Canyon Cannon!”
No. Not Again. Kamui Woods watched in awe as the mountainous heel of the Giantification-quirked heroine slammed against the side of the villain, sending him flying to the blocking building. The villain smacked on its surface with an audible grunt and a deafening crash before Mt. Lady towered over him, catching him on her hand after he slid down the building’s side like jelly. Squeezing, she licked her lips, her face a mixture of insanity and pride.
“You have been warned before,” she purred at him.
The crowds who were gathered around the scene cheered, happily yelling the victory of the hero as she waved the vulnerable villain with a smile and a laugh. This was the second time this happened to Kamui Woods, with the same woman taking the spotlight. Standing on the balcony of a close-by structure, he could only stand to see the victory that he might have achieved himself before Mt. Lady’s sudden interruption. Anger boiled, and Kamui decided to take the stairs down instead of use his quirk to bring himself to street level. He turned from the balcony and marched the opposite direction to the stairs of the office he was positioned in.
He was greeted by some of the workers, admiring his past actions and acts of heroism. He could only wave, the hero dwelling with a replay of emotions that he wished would disappear. Turns out that they were all still there, swimming in the back of his mind, only waiting to be awoken again.
There were twelve sets of stairs overall, but Kamui wasn’t tired even as he reached the bottom. Exiting the building, he was surrounded by the backs of reporters and fans, cameras flashing and microphones on stands, all trying to get the attention of Mt. Lady who have probably returned to her normal size. That, combined with the high-pitched squealing and fawning. Men were staring intensely at what Kamui assumed was Mt. Lady’s rear. If he weren’t responsible or mad at her, he knew he might’ve as well.
Only a few persons noticed him, both because he chose to pass by quieter areas, and because their focus were elsewhere. Once he left that stupid part of Japan, he miserably walked on, not knowing where to go, as long as it was far. Far from the scene of deja vu and that men-attracting woman.
“Kamui Woods!”
He stopped and turned to see a short and pudgy man carrying a set of brochures in one hand, and using the other to wave at him. The pro-hero crossed his arms, seeing the man’s expression bearing the face of the sort of person oblivious to the disinterest of those people around him . “Yes?” He answered, hoping he didn’t sound too impatient.
The clumsy man accidentally released a set of brochures onto the streets, making Kamui wish to point that out, but he remained silent. “There’s a new Souvenir Shop that opened, sir! Not too far away!” He spoke with a high voice, pushing one of the brochures to Kamui’s chest. Kamui eyed it as he unfolded the paper. “They sell all sorts of things! Tiny statuettes! Keychains! Stuffed animals, dream catchers, stationary, markers, magazines! Toys, wallets, coins with the face of George Washington!” He said those with so much energy, that Kamui felt slight jealousy. He wondered what it would have felt like to just stand on sidewalks with papers to give passerbys.
“Is it worth it?” He glanced back to the brochure, looking over the products they weren’t lazy enough to not add. If it were a souvenir shop, no one deserved to advertise it this much, not unless it wasn’t selling things well and not if it didn’t sell anything involving whatever it was enquiring in the first place.
But the man nodded enthusiastically. “Indeed! It is no disappointment whatsoever!” He dropped another set of brochures, this time Kamui leaning down to pick up for the poor advertiser. The man, on the other hand, resumed talking. “All Might visited once, and guess what! He bought a set of water-filled barbels! All six! In one--” he held out his pointer finger proudly “--pack!”
Kamui couldn’t help but smile under the mask. “He is everywhere,” he mused, handing the pamphlets to the man. “You’re proud to be advertising it, aren’t you? Have you bought anything before getting a job there?”
Another upbeat nod. “Yes, sir! A plastic ring! For my girlfriend!” He smiled, revealing teeth with braces. “I have one for myself too, sir. If you visit the store, you might get yourself one as well.”
Shrugging, Kamui handed the man another set of fallen pamphlets. He might visit, to be honest, after the incident with Mt. Lady, and the fact that he had nowhere else he could go. Besides, if there was something interesting, he might buy it to reward himself for effort. He knew he deserved it, at least. “Yeah, I don’t mind,” he said at last, causing the man to beam.
With a fist in the air, the man jumped, and the pamphlets spilled to the streets once more. This time, he noticed it, and grinned apologetically as he swooped low to get them. “I’ll handle this, Kamui Woods.” He reassured, waving.
Kamui almost protested, but stepped back. “Are you…sure?”
“Yes, sir,” was the only reply before his back faced the pro. He must’ve felt Kamui’s lingering presence, for he said in a loud voice, “Go! Heroes are always the best customers!”
Kamui released a low chuckle as he moved onwards, before clutching the given brochure and jogging, suddenly having a stronger yearning for a reward to his endeavors.
The store wasn’t too far. It was a small place, one storey, simple, and as the advertiser said, filled with numerous artifacts. A bell rang as Kamui opened the door, and was slightly blinded by the bright illumination of its interior. He hadn’t realized that it was already dusk, but for now it didn’t matter. Soft pop music played from speakers in the ceiling. The shelves were organized and in place, all the materials mentioned by the man plus more littered them. They were all over the place, some even hung on hooks on the cream-colored walls. Those were mostly dream catchers and masks that were sold in different designs and colors. Even on the tables displayed, the items were filling each space to the point there seemed to be no vacancy.
The most surprising part though was its lack of customers. When the small man spoke of it, the place sounded like a tourist's paradise. An addition to that is the mention of All Might, which might have attracted more people to the store. But in front of him, the place was void of them.
“I think the hero is impressed,” the man behind the cashier said. He was more laid back compared to the advertiser, but either way he still seemed friendly. “How may we help you, Kamui Woods?”
Baffled, Kamui glanced around. “We?”
“The short man,” replied the cashier guy casually. He looked up and revealed a snout, probably a result of his quirk. “He and I are currently the only workers. We didn’t have any customers all day until you came over, Kamui. Ha, you see, the only reason people even come here is because either A, they’re too easily persuaded, or B, they have nothing else to do with their lives because they feel a ping of depression.” He smirked, and Kamui groaned silently.
“Neither of the above,” He said. “There’s a reason C too: out of plain curiosity.” He lied, knowing that reason B was the true answer to the unasked question of the man at the counter.
The guy clicked his tongue amusingly. “Just have a look around.” He suggested, leaning back on the chair with booted feet on the counter.
Kamui Woods walked to one table, viewing the knick-knacks with curiosity. The leather wallets were displayed based on color, arranged like each color location in a rainbow. Different shades of the same color were still side-by-side, making the entire thing nicer to the eye. Beside the wallets were painting palettes, with oil or watercolor paints in tubes taped to each one. And next to those, postcards of different places in the world: the Great Wall, the Taj Mahal, the Sphinx, and more. It only broke his interest when he saw the picture of a mountain that he didn’t even bother to know which mountain it was anymore.
He walked to the other side of the table, where perched on top of it was a glass stand holding several different keychains. Some were shaped with All Might’s face, others of Endeavor’s (though there were a lot, meaning they didn’t sell too much), and others of Hawks and Best Jeanist. Others were typical backgrounds, others backgrounds with printed quotations on them: All Might’s “I am here”, a “Life is what you make of it”, “Remember to smile”, “Always be thankful.”
But one caught his eye: “I’m always a hero.”
Kamui picked it up, feeling its rubbery texture. It had a background of a very beautiful view of a forest. And as much as it was comfortable to the hand, it was comfortable to Kamui’s mindset, a reminder, at most. That Mt. Lady’s intrusions into his work won’t stop him from his job of saving the world. With the growing population, he didn’t need to worry about his loss of work in one area because he can move on to another. A villain’s mind wishes to explore his quirk to the negativeness to those around him, but as a hero, Kamui was one of those to stop them. Or even to help them, if he can. With that keychain, it served as a reminder to quit having an insecurity that now looked dominant when Mt. Lady enters the scene. Plus, heroism isn’t about fame. What was he thinking?
Carrying the keychain, he turned to the cashier. “Sir, I--”
Cling-cling!
Standing at the store’s entrance was Mt. Lady. She stretched her arms with a yawn as Kamui clutched the keychain in his fist, the cashier guy turning to the female with slight interest.
“Dang, paparazzi. In my face again,” she complained. “Glad I got away. This little store was the perfect escape route.” She put her weight on one leg until she seemed to notice Kamui there for the first time. She smiled lazily. “Kamui Woods.” She greeted.
“Mt. Lady,” Kamui responded, biting back the upcoming distaste.
She twirled. “This place looks nice,” she said, innocently peering at the displayed mementos. “Do you sell hair clips?”
“Yes, Mt. Lady, miss,” came the cashier guy’s response, returning to leaning back on the chair lackadaisically. “By the left wall.” Kamui was surprised that his response to the heroine held no admiration or affection that other countermen might give. Not even a faint blush
But Mt. Lady seemed to be unaware of that. She positioned herself a few feet away from Kamui, taking in the painting palettes. After a few seconds, she suddenly looked towards him, her eyes landing on his hands. “What’s that?” She questioned.
“Nothing!” He slammed the keychain down, and it sank underneath a set of leather wallets. He reared back before setting his arms at his sides, regaining composure with a sigh. “Nothing at all.” He felt like he was saying those to himself rather than to the 23rd pro hero.
Her head was tilted at the side before she straightened up. “Well then,” she said turning away. “Planning to buy anything, Kamui-kun?”
Feeling the rage rising, he clenched his fists. “No.” He said lowly.
“Ooh!” Mt. Lady held up a small statue carved into the shape of the Greek god Apollo. “How about this? This man is so dreamy, isn’t he?” She batted her eyelashes, as if the statue was going to respond.
Kamui Woods took a step back. “No.”
Mt. Lady lowered it and brought up a statue of Dionysus instead. “How about him? He can control vines, similar to you, Kamui-kun! And he’s into grapes, same color as my hero outfit, don’t you think?” She spun, her hair acting like a curtain around her as she did so.
“No!” Kamui said.
She pouted, but it was immediately replaced with a warm smile as she lifted the postcard with the mountain. “How about--?”
Kamui put his hands to the sides of his head. “No! I don’t want anything! Just…” he paused, knowing he was beginning to rage inside the store of that innocent but nice man. “…leave me alone.” He turned and stormed out of the store, the bell singing as the door swung shut.
Mt. Lady and the cashier guy watched him go in silence before the man whistled. “Reason B it is then.” He mulled.
All Mt. Lady did was glance back at the wallets and the sunken keychain.
Now Kamui chose to use his quirk for faster travel. His “Lacquered Chains Prison” mostly. The ends of his branches sprang out in quick paces, attaching themselves to structures before the man swings. Right now, he hated himself. He had fled yet again from a scene with Mt. Lady because of insecurity. That’s why he chose that keychain. But now that was lost too.
Kamui could only blame himself and his dumb conscience. The master of his emotions. The one in control.
The branches spread further as he moved longer distances. He heard some citizens crying out happily, “It’s Kamui Woods!” but he didn’t care. Not now anyway. He would be no help to them with his current state. First he had to teach himself to solve his own problems before learning to solve those of the world around him. Night had finally settled in when he retracted his wooden branches and landed on the sidewalk. He slumped tiredly, exhausted from the effort to take different turns to find himself somewhere else. He began walking once he decided on his next destination:
Home.
All day, he was cursed with Mt. Lady’s naive demeanor, now he just wanted to rest. Lie down on bed and have a nice snack while watching a movie. Be able to take off his hero costume and call it quits for the day. He had enough. He no longer wanted to go where he can’t enjoy peace and quiet.
“Kamui-kun! Kamui-kun!”
He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening in shock. He was scared of turning to reassure himself that his speculation was wrong, but when he did, he saw Mt. Lady, the size of a building, walking over to him. Her blonde hair shined in the moonlight, but he never let that swoon him over. Maybe he won’t ever.
When she was close enough, she shrank to her normal height--smaller than him--and ran over to his side, panting lightly. “You tired me out there, Kamui-kun.” She said. “For a while there I thought we were playing chase.”
“You followed me?”
“I didn’t see you immediately!” she snapped. “I had to use my quirk to find you.” She released a high-pitched laugh, one that would attract a ton of suitors. “It was funny how you looked like a spiderweb made of wood from a distance! So tiny yet so--"
"What do you want?" Kamui interrupted, patience running thin with the woman in front of him. As much as he disliked her, he knew he should still be a gentleman. But he felt he wasn't at his best as this moment. Maybe if it was Mt. Lady, he would never be.
Then unexpectedly, Mt. Lady smiled at him, her rose-colored eyes glittering in the moonlight. "I think you might have left something back there." She pulled something from her back, and clutched it in her fist. When she uncapped her fingers, the item revealed itself to be the keychain Kamui was admiring earlier.
He was speechless.
"You know what they say," Mt. Lady continued, toying with the item around her fingers. "Broken items need to be paid for." She stopped playing and handed the keychain to Kamui as his senses returned.
"Did I break it?" He said with worry, looking the item at every angle.
She scoffed playfully, waving her gloved hand. "No, it was perfectly fine. Something else was broken though. That something..." she trailed off, suddenly looking very interested in the ground.
Me. She's referring to me.
Though she wasn't too smart, she still was intelligent enough to read him. That or his stupid idea to drown the keychain underneath leather wallets made him obvious. Either way, he looked at the keychain, felt the rubbery texture of the souvenir in his palm. "Did you buy yourself a hair clip too? How much do I owe you for this? "
Putting her arms behind her back, she shook her head. "I'd rather not answer those, Kamui-kun." Following those words was a giggle.
So she didn't buy the clip. She spent the money she had to buy him the keychain, which he only realized now, he had no idea how much cost. He didn't ask the fat guy or the cashier guy if any of the items were expensive, for Kamui was too eager to get his own price for effort to care about reading the prices.
It hit him, why nobody wanted to buy from that store, and why All Might had. It was expensive, and not all items were worth it. The things there were beautiful, but not all were affordable. Being too caught up in his self interests made him miss the obvious. Now here was Mt. Lady, having bought something for who heck knows how much, because he was dumb enough to behave like an idiot in a shop ran by two people.
Yet, she still did so. She took the fame, but still decided that she wanted to do something for him, to make him feel better. She might not have even known what she unintentionally put him through, but she was still wise enough to do something to boost him. He liked that.
"Thank you," Kamui said, bowing. He admired the keychain once more as Mt. Lady grinned in front of him proudly.
"Whatever," she said, growing into her tall size again. She faced the opposite direction before adding, "Seeya the next time we meet, hero." Then she stomped off.
Kamui Woods continued to stare at her as she got further away, until he finally began walking back home, still clutching the keychain. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day for him, he thought, maybe less annoying. Maybe even reassuring. He smiled as he faced the sky, wondering where he can hang his brand new good prize of reassurance.