Chapter Text
Nightfall was not considered a big deal in the city of Tokyo. In the ever-awake metropolis, paper lanterns and neon signs lit up at twilight to illuminate the evenings of carousing students and unwinding salarymen alike, fending off dusk with a barrier of light pollution. Nevertheless, as one moves away from the populated squares, past the residential neighbourhoods and the back alleys, the lights start to dissipate, leaving room for shadows to lurk freely. In the remote docks by the outskirts of the city laid a thick layer of darkness that obscured everything in the area, except for the reflection of the glowing full moon on an ivory-white domino mask.
Joker sat perched on the roof of a warehouse, examining the open loading bay beneath his feet. He was patiently awaiting the arrival of tonight’s expected guests.
“Why did it have to be the docks? It reeks of fish over here!” He didn’t allow himself to dwell too much on the unfortunate stake-out location; he needed to focus on his current objective
According to the loose-lipped yakuza thug he interrogated two days ago, the local crime syndicate was expecting a shipment of human trafficking victims hailing form southeast Asia to arrive that day. Sadly, the snitch spared the specifics regarding the shipment’s estimated time of arrival. It seemed like the young vigilante still had a long wait ahead of him.
Joker decided to pass the time by admiring the view of the full moon against the starless night sky.
“How can anyone think those random spots look like a rabbit?”
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the incoming sound of a revving engine and splashing water. He activated his Third Eye ability to reveal what was concealed by the night, and saw a medium-sized boat approaching the harbour. The furtive vessel anchored by the dock closest to the warehouse, and from within two suited men emerged. Thanks to the heightened senses provided by the Third Eye, he was able to pick up their conversation.
“What’s next?” One of the men said.
“Bring the girls out and load them into the truck. The boss already has buyers lined-up for a couple of them. As for the others, I’m sure we can find some work to keep them occupied…” They both laughed as if that was the funniest joke in the world.
Joker suppressed his urge to gag. He had dealt with scum like this many times before, but seeing evil people taking advantage of the weak still made his blood boil every time.
One of the hooligans moved closer to the loading bay, where a small cargo truck was parked. Joker took the chance to pounce on him, taking the ruffian out instantly. The other yakuza reacted by pulling out his gun, but before he could fire it, Joker summoned his own pistol, Tyrant, and subsequently aimed and shot at his opponent’s gun to disarm him. He quickly followed by dashing up to the gangster to deliver a swift but powerful punch to his jaw, knocking him out cold.
“I can’t believe that with Heroes like All-Might around, there’s still rats like you thinking they can do as they please.” The vigilante said to his now unconscious adversaries, not caring whether they could hear him.
“Mmm… Didn't expect it to be so easy” Joker thought.
“The fuck is going on out there?” Said a rough voice from the interior of the boat.
A defeated sigh escaped his lips. “Always speaking too soon.”
Another man stepped outside the boat. He was 30 centimetres taller than Joker, at least twice his weight, and the tacky tattoos on his hairless head only made his appearance all the more menacing.
“Who the fuck are you? A Hero? You don’t look like any Hero I’ve ever heard of.” The newcomer said.
“I can’t help but being offended by the lack of recognition, I’ll make sure to give you something to remember me by.” Joker said while cracking his knuckles.
The bald man extended his hands and a strained expression took his face. He let out a grunt, and slowly, his fingernails started elongating into sharp bird-like talons. He adopted a fighting stance, proudly displaying his newly weaponised digits.
“That’s it?” Joker scoffed “Man, with a Quirk like that, I can see why you’d opt for a life of crime.”
“Fuck off.” The man curtly replied.
“Oh my, what a brilliant comeback! I sure hope your claws are not as sharp as your wit”. Joker lamented that his clever banter was going over the goon’s head. That is way he preferred fighting high-profile supervillains. They were definitely more mentally stimulating than lowly yakuza.
The brute’s right arm shot forward aiming for the place where Joker’s head was, but he rapidly dodged with a graceful backflip.
“Those are some cute claws you got there, but I must say, I’ve seen better. Here, let me show you…” The attacker was growing increasingly irritated by vigilante’s mockery. He lurched left hand first to retaliate.
Joker reached for his mask with a devilish grin.
“Arsène!”
The Pillager of Twilight heeded to the calling engulfed in azure fire. His obsidian claws intercepted the tattooed gorilla’s attack, who immediately attempted another frontal assault. Arsène kept blocking his slashing, trying to sneak a couple of his own in between, though they rarely connected; the burly criminal was a lot faster than one would expect. After another round of exchanging blows, Joker instructed Arsène to shove his opponent forward to create some distance.
“Time to finish this. Eiha!” He proclaimed.
Upon command, the demonic gentleman shot a pulse of dark energy that struck the taloned man, finally incapacitating him.
Joker took a moment to examine the scene. Three downed yakuza, no casualties. Perfect. It was now time to liberate the captive women.
Just before he could turn around, Arsène abruptly vanished with the same flash of blue flame he appeared with.
“What the fu—?!” His indignant confusion was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a gag in his mouth.
As he moved his hand to remove it, a secondary piece of cloth flew from out of nowhere to bind his whole arm. The source of the cloth yanked forcibly, pulling Joker face down to the ground.
Despite his disoriented state, Joker heard police sirens in the vicinity, as well as the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked up to find the imposing figure of a dark, long haired man hovering above him. The burning sensation of his penetrating glare could be felt even through his yellow goggles.
The man slowly took off his eyewear and spoke. “Mmm… Didn't expect it to be so easy.”
He counted the ceiling tiles 4 times before exasperation made his face plummet back against the table surface. It had been at least three hours since they hauled him from his cell and threw him inside a cold interrogation room. After his arrest, he had been taken to the jail at the police station, where he spent two weeks locked up awaiting trial. He was just beginning to get used to life behind bars when a couple of guards simply told him he had a ‘visitor’, before bringing him to where he now sat.
When Joker first decided to start a career as a vigilante, he knew it could only end up in one of two ways: Arrested, or six feet below the ground. Only he had hoped he’d meet his end after a valiant stand-off against the despotic authorities, not by being ambushed in the middle of the night.
He was finally saved from agonising boredom by the opening of the only door in the room. He recognised the man standing by the doorframe as the same man that apprehended him, though he was not wearing goggles this time, just a white scarf. Now Joker had the opportunity to closely peruse the brooding individual.
His face bore an enigmatic expression of immense fatigue. It was hard to tell whether he was tired of work, living in general, or just tired of everyone’s shit. Joker wondered what type of joke could make a man like that laugh, and then he wondered if such a man was even physically capable of laughter in the first place.
The man in question broke the silence. “Are you sure about this?”
“What?” Joker thought, utterly confused by the question. “Is he talking to me?”
“Don’t tell me you’re having doubts already, Eraserhead.” A high-pitched voice replied, exacerbating Joker’s confusion.
He looked around the room trying to ascertain the origin of the peculiar voice. Nothing on the corners, nothing behind him. He tilted his head to the side to look over the large table in the middle of the room. It was then that he spotted the new interlocutor, which did little to alleviate his puzzlement. Next to the man in the scarf stood a rodent-like creature. The mysterious mouse spoke again.
“Do you want me to go back?”
“No, never mind. Let’s get on with it.” The long haired man responded.
Both visitors finished entering the room and sat opposite Joker on the table. Before anyone could say a word, the boy in handcuffs was first to speak.
“What happened to the women on the boat?”
The man presumably called Eraserhead responded. “They’re fine, a bit freaked out, but fine. They’re upstairs now; the detective in charge of the case is waiting to take their statement. Most of them don’t speak a lick of Japanese, but a translator is already on their way. Don’t worry, we’ll get them home soon.”
Joker felt relief, but did not say anything. The man took his silence as permission to continue.
“And now, the reason we are gathered here today…”
He uncouthly dropped a folder on the table. He opened it to reveal a plethora of photographs, datasheets and handwritten reports. All detailing everything there was to know about Joker.
“Ren Amamiya, a.k.a. ‘Joker’. 16 years old. Wanted for multiple counts of vigilantism in the Tokyo prefecture. His activities began about two years ago. Starting out fighting petty crime, he eventually graduated to tackling organised crime, and even some supervillains. No matter the target, a calling card is always found at the scene. Not much is known about his Quirk, but witness reports confirm that his victims often display signs of burning, freezing, electric shock, or physical trauma. The press has given him the name ‘Joker’ after speculation of his Quirk being a type of ‘wildcard’ or ‘jack of all trades’ elemental power…” He spoke with a straightforward voice. “Quite the impressive record you have.”
“How did you find out my real name?” Joker, or more fittingly Ren, retorted defensively.
“We’ve had our eye on you for a while. Besides, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Sightings of the Joker started right after you were reported missing.”
“I’m surprised they noticed my absence at the orphanage.” The boy muttered to himself “If you’ve been following me then you knew what was happening tonight. And yet you still waited to intervene until after I was done with the dirty work. As expected from the police…” Ren spat with all the disdain he could muster.
“I’m not police, kid.”
“Then who the hell are you?”
“Right now, I’m the closest thing you have to a friend.” He said with an ironically unfriendly tone.
Ren was taken aback by the unexpected response. “What is that supposed to mean?”
The mouse-like man interjected. He seemed to have better interpersonal skills than his companion. “Hello, Mr. Amamiya. My name is Nezu. Let me ask you a question. Do you know what the penalty for vigilantism is?”
“Life in prison with possibility of parole after 30 years. In extreme cases, capital punishment.” Ren let out a small laugh as the severity of his current situation dawned on him. “Even if I’m a minor, I doubt they’ll show me any leniency. The prosecutor will probably want to make an example out of me.”
“That is correct. Under normal circumstances, that would be your immutable fate. However…” He took a small pause as if to collect his thoughts. “What if I told you there was an alternative?”
Ren did not react, his mind started to theorize what the proposed alternative could entail. Nezu carried on without waiting for an answer.
“If you wish, I’ll leave you to your own devices, you can try your own luck on trial. But you and I both know how that will play out. After that, you can enjoy the abundant amount of free time that comes with incarceration. Who knows? Maybe in 20 years you’ll get a reduced sentence for good behaviour. Either way, you won’t have to worry about me bothering you again. However, if you let me help you, I can show you a different path…” He leaned in and put on the most serious face an anthropomorphic rodent could.
“This is my offer. Should you choose to accept it, your sentence will be reduced to a 3-year probation period. In that time, you will attend U.A. High School in Musutafu under the supervision of my colleague here, Mr. Aizawa, as your homeroom teacher. During your probation, we’ll oversee your rehabilitation. You will learn how to be a Hero, and we’ll train and nurture your Quirk to better help and save people, all while abiding by the established Heroism laws. There will be no more vigilantism, no more rogue escapades, and no more lurking in the shadows. Of course, you will also be provided with suitable accommodation and a monthly stipend for expenses. We’ve cleared this deal with the prosecutor. If you complete the probation period without stepping out of line, your criminal record will be expunged and you will be allowed to become a fully licenced pro Hero.”
Ren’s immediate reaction was that the deal seemed way too good to be true. At one point in his childhood he did fantasize about studying to become a Hero, but that was many moons ago. Now, the idea of him being a student at U.A. was simply unfathomable! Their Hero course was one of the most prestigious in the world. The institution’s hallowed halls were the starting point of the likes of Best Jeanist, Endeavour, and even All-Might. Joker thought himself awfully out of place in that line-up. This offer was surely some type of bait. “Alright, what’s the catch?”
Nezu shook his head. “There is no catch. We simply wish to help you.”
Ren scoffed. “Right, now the Heroes want to help me. Where were you two years ago? I’d rather go to prison than work alongside people like you.”
Eraserhead interrupted, a strange combination of frustration and disappointment tainted his words. “Is that really what you want to do with your life? Rot away in prison because you don’t get to do things your way? Think about the reason you started doing this in the first place. Is your ego more important than those in need of help?”
Those words cut ren deeply. He remembered the first time he found himself in need, the desperate calls for help, and the ensuing disillusionment with Heroes after no one responded to his call. He swore that as long as he lived, he would never allow anyone to feel the despair he felt back then. He never cared about the status, the wealth, or the notoriety that came with being a Hero. He only wanted to help. Speak for the voiceless and fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Giving up now wouldn’t be fair for them, it would betray every one of his core principles. If he had the opportunity to keep fighting, he had to take it no matter what. Besides… the thought of having an actual bed was almost tantalising. It was now clear to Ren what he needed to do. He was going to become the Hero he needed all that time ago.
“I… I’m sorry” The boy spoke with sincere regret. “I’ll do it. I’ll take your offer. Please let me become a Hero. I need to keep helping!”
“Marvelous! I knew you’d choose wisely Mr. Amamyia. You don’t have to worry about the entrance exam, you’ll count with the recommendation of none other than yours truly, a.k.a. the principal himself! Based on your exploits as Joker, I can say for certain that you are U.A. material. The school year starts in two weeks, but we’ll get you to your new lodgings ahead of time so you can get settled.” The sentient mouse said with a genuinely cheerful tone. “Now, I’ll go fetch the keys to undo those handcuffs.”
“Oh, these? Don’t worry, I got it.” With a quick motion, Ren pull his hands together before immediately pulling them apart. As if by magic, the handcuffs detached from his wrists.
The principal nodded in approval. “Impressive. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the infamous Joker.”
Ren was overjoyed, it felt good to have found a new purpose. He did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth, still he needed to ask the question that would not leave his mind.
“Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but… why did you decide to give me this chance?”
Nezu gave him a warm smile. “You can thank Mr. Aizawa for that. He’s the one that interceded on your name at the prosecutor’s office. He said it wouldn’t’ be fair for the story of someone with your past and your potential to end like this. You still have a bright future ahead, you just need a bit of guidance.”
Ren felt a wave of gratitude, immediately followed by guilt. He had judged Aizawa harshly based on his own prejudice. And still, he still wanted to help him, even if he was an unrepentant criminal. He only saw a kid who needed help. He realised that perhaps they were actually more alike than he originally thought.
Eraserhead’s expression did not change at the principal’s words, but he slightly averted his eyes away from the boy in front of him.
“I see…” Ren bowed profoundly. “Thank you for this opportunity, sir! I promise I won’t make you regret it.”
“Calm down, kid. Save that enthusiasm for the classroom.” Aizawa and Nezu stood up and made a beeline for the exit. Ren quickly followed suit.
“Alright! Let’s get going then.” The newly-reformed vigilante said.
Eraserhead held up his hand. “Not so fast, kid. You’ll spend the night in the holding cell. Use this time to think about all you’ve done. I’ll pick you up tomorrow to take you to your new place.”
Ren simply shrugged “Yeah, fair enough.”