—...
Mt. Lady maintained her triumphant smile and dramatic pose for several rather awkward seconds. Beneath her, water flowed casually, iron sand gathered and disappeared into the palms of the black-haired boy, and a cocoon of that same sand audibly contorted.
The children below looked up at her with deadpan expressions before turning back to the sand cocoon, ignoring her completely.
A blush began to color the heroine's white cheeks and her smile began to falter.
The approaching police sirens snapped her out of her lapse and she shrunk back down, her shoulders slightly slumped.
—Uh, guys, what happened here?— she asked as she returned to her normal size and approached the duo at the scene. —I was informed of a battle between Quirks and I saw a dense cloud of darkness floating in the air.
—Villains. Specifically, the League of Villains. An ugly bug with a pretty potent fire-type Quirk and this muscle-head knocked on our door and tried to kill us— the boy explained naturally, as if reporting the weather.
Mt. Lady nodded twice before her eyes widened.
—W-what!? Are you two okay!?— she panicked, checking the reddish-brown haired girl for injuries.
Finding no visible damage, she sighed in relief and turned to the boy, trying to confirm his state, but a jet of water hit her hand before she could touch the black-haired boy.
Mt. Lady turned back to the girl, who remained impassive, with a casual and polite smile. When she tried to check again, another jet of water was fired at her.
—Stop doing that!!— she yelled at the brat.
—Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about, miss— Mei tilted her head, her expression one of pure confusion.
Suddenly, more sand erupted from the shinobi's hands and reinforced the cocoon, which had begun to expand as if it were about to explode.
—What is that?— the heroine asked.
-The muscle-head. He has a Quirk of some kind that increases his strength and reinforces his body. He is quite powerful and very difficult to contain— Tetsumaru replied as his sand coffin exerted greater pressure.
—Oh... Can you hold him until more Heroes arrive?— Mt. Lady asked.
Tetsumaru nodded. The blow he landed on the guy's head clearly left him stunned, and once imprisoned in the sand coffin, getting out would be difficult.
The pressure exerted by this technique was insane, and were it not for his exhausted state and the thousands of spikes poking him inside, slowly bleeding him, Muscular would have broken free long ago.
Normally, containing this villain would be something a mere student couldn't do. But neither Tetsumaru nor Mei were mere students.
—You are UA students, right? Hero Course, Class 1-A?— Mt. Lady suddenly asked.
—That is correct, miss. I am Terumi Mei and he is my brother, Tetsumaru— the girl nodded as she threw another ball of water at the Heroine's hand, which had tried to touch Tetsumaru for the third time.
—Hey!— she growled, frowning. —I'm checking that he doesn't have any injuries, don't interfere!
—He's fine, miss— Mei said, her smile unmoving.
Mt. Lady scoffed.
—By the way, using your Quirks in public without permission is against the law— the blonde retorted.
—It was either that or die at the hands of these maniacs. I prefer breaking the law— Tetsumaru shrugged, wisely ignoring the real reason why the woman was saying this.
After a few minutes, Kamui Woods and some other local Heroes, along with the police, arrived at the scene.
Just in time, Muscular's struggle had just ceased and Tetsumaru could stop exerting pressure.
After some preparations, the Heroes surrounded the floating coffin, one of them turning to the black-haired boy with a nod.
Tetsumaru, who had positioned himself several meters behind the patrol line, released the technique.
What the heroes found was not a rampant and furious villain, but a pale man bathed in blood, with perforations everywhere and glassy eyes, about to pass out.
Suddenly, not-so-small quantities of Iron Sand escaped from his ears and mouth.
Yes, Tetsumaru did not contain Muscular with pure pressure and bleeding. That would not have been enough for him. He also introduced sand inside him, blocking his airways, and slightly shaking his ears from within.
The pressure was simply to restrict his movements and suffocate him, not to injure him.
Incredulity struck everyone present, giving Mei the opportunity to discreetly enter the house, soak herself from head to toe, dry off, and apply some deodorant, as the battle had made her sweat and acquire a bad odor.
Tetsumaru noticed her entering the house, but didn't know why. He didn't care either.
The paramedics reacted first, quickly tending to the man and putting him in an ambulance.
—Kid, you'll have to come with us to the police station— an officer said severely and Tetsumaru was put into a patrol car.
By the time Mei came out of the house, she was approached by other Heroes and was also taken away.
***************************
Fortunately, Muscular's presence made the heroes order reporters to move away, and Tetsumaru himself took care of destroying all the drones in the vicinity, so there was no media scandal this time. More or less.
Their parents were contacted, and UA was notified of the incident. Nezu made some calls and managed to have Eraser Head be part of the interrogation, as Tetsumaru's actions crossed the line.
Subduing a villain with force was one thing, but this was no different from an attempted homicide, or so some officers painted it. At the very least, it was considered torture.
Mei, who had changed into a more casual shirt in her stealthy escape and applied deodorant under her arms, gave her testimony of the events.
—According to the Heroes and officers on the scene, you were wearing a blue dress during the incident. Where is it?— a detective with a stern face questioned.
—Hmm, I changed at home while they were freeing the muscular guy— she said casually.
—Why?— the man pressed.
—Because I wanted to, officer. Isn't it my right to wear whatever I want?— she retorted with a sardonic smile.
—Child, this is a serious matter. Your brother committed a crime and it could cost him dearly. I need you to help me make sure that doesn't happen, and you'll only do that if you're honest with me.
—Tsk, and what the hell does a dress have to do with it? That thing got wet and was sticking to my body! Did you want to see me in that state or something!? Pervert!!— she exploded, catching the man off guard and making him drop the subject.
In moments like that, she was thankful to have become a girl. She could make such outbursts to cover up embarrassing things and everyone would take her word for it.
Mei discovered another of the universe's great mysteries in that instant. One that would make life a little more complicated for her other half.
Meanwhile, the conversation with Tetsumaru did not go in such a pleasant direction. The black-haired young man's eyes widened in disbelief, something strange for a half-soul with almost no emotionality in it.
—A-are you kidding me?— the shinobi questioned his Sensei and the detective who were interrogating him.
—These are the consequences of your actions, kid. Defending yourself against a villain is fine, but taking things to the extreme will bring you trouble— the man said in a solemn tone.
—This is the medical bill. It's only the beginning, as long-term treatment is still pending. But since you're a minor, you won't be responsible for it, your parents will— said Aizawa, handing a piece of paper to Tetsumaru.
—This son of a bitch tries to kill me, and I have to pay his hospital bill!? Are we in Japan or Spain!?— the shinobi exploded.