Chapter 6
*A few hours later*
The sun had already set.... The firefighting was coming to an end, but smoke from the facility where the fight had taken place earlier was still visible. Eron was meditating calmly under a tree. Several police officers were watching him closely. They were waiting for Detective Tsukauchi.
Eron could feel their fear. If they could, they would handcuff him... but they wouldn't because they were afraid. The surviving mercenaries and students told them what had happened.
It was decided that for at least a few days, the girls from the camp would stay at the Wild Wild Pussycats residence. Their families would pick them up.
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Tiger sat leaning against the wall and looking through the open window at Eron. Ragdoll, who had taken part in the girls' interrogation, said.
"All the girls are in shock. Some of them don't want to talk at all. One fainted when I asked what happened."
End of Chapter 6
Tiger answered her calmly, trying to maintain his macho figure.
"And what were they saying?"
"They said he came out of the fire like a ghost. They said the mercenaries were shooting at him, but he just kept walking forward, deflecting the bullets. One of the girls kept quoting the Bible when I asked her what happened. All the girls are in shock. Another girl told me how he cut a hole in the wall with his sword and saved them from the burning building."
Mandalay stood with her arms folded. Somehow she managed to put her nephew to bed. She was tired. In the past two weeks she had forgotten that a young boy who had fought in a brutal war for 3 years lived under her roof.
"The police want to arrest him. The prosecutor here has charged him with multiple murders. So far, none of the police have dared to arrest him.... They're counting on All Might to do it."
Ragdoll turned her head sharply in her direction.
"But he saved people!"
Tiger looked at her from the side. His voice was hoarse.
"It doesn't matter to the prosecutor. He didn't have a license, he didn't have permissions, he didn't have supervision. He used his quirk... even if it's not a quirk, that's how it's viewed here."
Pixie-Bob clenched her fists, stood up, and began to pace nervously around the room.
"So what are we supposed to do? Let them take him? Put someone who risked his life to save those girls behind bars? What if those mercenaries came here? They'd kill Ragdoll and Kota!"
Tiger chimed in.
"I think we all know... that Eron won't go willingly. He won't get arrested."
The door creaked. All four of them turned to the entrance.
All Might stood in the doorway. His smile was... anyone who knew All Might knew that it wasn't a smile at all.
"Young Eron is in trouble... I..... the police want to arrest him"
Mandalay narrowed her eyes.
"We know, All Might... we know"
Tiger stood up. His voice was as hard as steel.
"If they attack the boy, they'll die."
"I know... that's why I want to talk to him... I want to convince him to surrender voluntarily..."
Pixie-Bob stopped and looked at All Might.
"Surrender? I don't see it well... I won't fight Eron. The boy just stopped looking at me crossly every time I raise a knife at the table to butter a slice of bread"
Mandalay looked at All Might hard.
"Don't count on our help if you try to arrest him. We will defend the people, but we will not attack Eron."
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Eron used the force to sense the intentions of the people around him.... they were hostile... but they did not attack... they were waiting for backup..... he decided to flee. He stood up. Immediately, one of the policemen put his hand on the gun that was still in the holster.
"Stop!"
Eron calmly turned towards him. He was surrounded by six policemen. Eron was furious. So this was his payment for saving the innocent. He looked this policeman straight in the eye.
"If you're going to use your weapon, you're going to die."
The policeman froze, his hand still resting on the grip of his gun, but he didn't dare make another move. With a trembling voice, he said.
"You're under arrest.... Surrender!"
The other policeman, the older one, decided to support his colleague.
"We have orders, boy... We don't want to hurt you."
This particularly poor choice of words, stabbed Eron in the heart... an order...
"Recently, some people wanted to kill me because they were simply following orders... then the mercenaries shot at me because they were following orders too. You're no different from them in any way. That's why I'll give you a choice, just like I gave them. Leave me alone."
One of the younger policemen took a step back. He wasn't ready. Neither of them were. He pulled out his gun.
"Stop or I'll shoot!"
A red lightsaber lit up the area.
'YOUNG ERON! STOP PLEASE!'
All Might landed between the policemen and Eron. He was turned towards Eron. The members of the Wild Wild Pussycats ran out of the building. Eron didn't even flinch....he knew what that meant.
"Ah...so the great All Might decided to arrest me personally for his failure?"
All Might didn't answer right away.
"What do you mean...failure?"
Eron started screaming. Every word was soaked in venom.
"The Wild Wild Pussycats were on patrol, fuck knows where. Instead of BEING HERE ON THE SITE, THEY DECIDED TO GO BLOW UP, INSTEAD OF DOING THEIR BLOODY DUTY! A DUTY THAT I TOOK ONTO MY SHOULDERS TO SAVE PEOPLE! I DID NOT EXPECT ANY THANKS, BUT I WAS A STUPID ONE NOT TO EXPECT ANOTHER BETRAYAL!"
The policeman aimed his gun at Eron. The boy didn't hesitate and ripped the gun out of his hand with the force. The rest of the policemen aimed their weapons at Eron.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK!? THAT YOU ARE AN IMPOSSIBLE OBSTACLE FOR ME? I'VE LEAD THOUSANDS OF CLONES TO ASSAULT FORTIFIED POSITIONS! I COULD KILL YOU AT ANY TIME!"
Eron took a deep breath... he finished his speech, no longer shouting....
"I can kill you at any time... but I'm still giving you a chance. If you point a gun at me again, you'll die."
All Might stood calmly, although his figure was shaking. Not because of fear. Because of the weight of the situation.
"Young Eron... please... don't do this."
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Behind the open window in one of the rooms, several girls huddled quietly, watching what was happening outside.
One of the girls, petite and pale, whispered with fear.
"Will he... kill them all? Like... the villains?"
Shiori shook her head.
"No... definitely not... he... he saved us..."
Ibara, standing next to Shiori, clasped her hands in prayer. Her eyes were full of tears.
"Lord... guide the one who has strayed not through evil, but through pain.
Wipe away from his soul the blood and wrongs that were not his fault.
Give him faith, hope and love so that he will leave the dark path.
Be his shepherd so that he will not be afraid to walk towards Your light.
Amen."
Shiori had a risky idea.... she grabbed the phone and dialed the number....
"Hello? Grandpa? Yes, it's me again...yes... Grandpa, I need your help. I told you about the boy who saved me.... the police want to arrest him.... can you help him.... please...."
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The Vice President of HSPC hung up on his granddaughter and immediately dialed the number of the Prosecutor General.
"Hello Hidachi-san. There's a matter. That young prosecutor you sent him.... he wants to accuse that young gentleman who saved my only granddaughter... I can't let someone like that get arrested.... he has a Provisional Hero License.... how long has that been? From today.... Eron acted on my direct orders to protect those in the camp. Thank you. Give my regards to your wife..."
Nagamine-san hung up.... He wouldn't let that young man get arrested for saving his granddaughter. As a man of honor, he would repay his debt.... and he'd be happy to see what kind of hero Eron would become.... someone so powerful would be worth having on your side.... just keep him away from that recruiting bitch.... he wouldn't let him be turned into a muscleman for the HSPC.
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The man in the suit approached the policemen. He looked at All Might and the kid with the red sword.
"Why isn't this criminal in handcuffs yet?"
One of the policemen asked.
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
"I am Matsuda Reiji. The assistant prosecutor in this prefecture. I order you to arrest him immediately!"
Matsuda pointed at Eron. There was no turning back now... but no one obeyed the order. Matsuda turned to All Might and the Wild Wild Pussycats.
"All Might! Arrest him!"
All Might looked at Matsuda with a stony expression on his face. Silence lasted for several long seconds. Only the wind rustled through the trees... the birds had long since flown away from this place because of the smoke....
"No."
Matsuda's eyes widened.
"How dare All Might! You are the NO. 1 pro hero! You have an obligation to obey the law!"
All Might turned his back on Eron... to stand in front of Matsuda.
"This boy... this young man... has saved more lives in one day than you will ever save in your entire career. And he did it not out of duty... but out of choice. From the heart. Because he had the courage to react when other heroes were gone. This young man dared to step into the fire to save the innocent... I do not support his actions against the villains..... but if it were not for him... there could have been many more victims. In my opinion, the mercenaries would have killed the rest of the girls to keep their identity a secret."
Matsuda looked at All Might, more and more confused with every word the best pro hero in Japan spoke...
Tiger threw the handcuffs at Matsuda's feet.
"You want to arrest him? Then do it yourself."
Matsuda began to blush with anger... and just then the phone rang. He answered it without looking who was calling him.
"I SAID I WAS BUSY!!!!!"
After a moment... he went pale... his eyes almost popped out of his sockets, and his mouth was open like a fish on the surface, fighting for every breath...
"Hi...Hi...Hi...Hi...Hidachi-sama..... sorry....no....no...yes...there's Hidachi-sama.....I'll do it right away...."
The caller hung up first. Matsuda took a deep breath.
"The boy has..... Provisional Hero License issued today..... he acted with the consent of HSPC..... all charges are officially dropped...."
He turned on his heel...
"It's not over yet...."
Eron turned off his lightsaber. He passed All Might, who tried to stop him. Eron used the force to prevent that. He approached the prosecutor.
"You're wrong. It's over. Don't ever threaten me again."
Matsuda looked at the boy like he was some kind of monster.
"Do you hear that!? He's threatening me!"
Eron shook his head.
"No. That wasn't a threat."
Eron turned to the policeman who had previously pointed a gun at him.
"Hey you. If you ever point a gun at me, I'll kill you."
He turned back to the prosecutor.
"THAT was a threat. Do you see the difference now?"
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All Might clenched his fists, but didn't take a single step. He knew that at this point he no longer had any influence on the boy.
Matsuda slowly backed away, not saying a word. The handcuffs were still lying in the grass. No one bent down to pick them up.
Eron approached the members of the Wild Wild Pussycats. He glared at them.
"Where..... Were you....."
He said roughly.... Ragdoll wanted to say something, but Eron cut her off by raising his hand.
"Not you. You wouldn't have done anything by yourself. They would have killed you. I ask again. WHERE... were you...."
Tiger lowered his head. Pixie-Bob cringed slightly... Mandalay as the leader of the group, answered.
"We were interrogating... certain people."
Eron lifted his chin. He was in officer mode again.
"So... instead of being here on the spot and patrolling the area like you said, you were actually somewhere who knows where.... interrogating.... which I suspect you didn't have to be at at all..."
Tiger opened his mouth to say something, but Eron beat him to it.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PATROL THE AREA! AS THE NEXT PERSON IN THIS FUCKED UP COMMAND HIERARCHY, I TOOK THE INITIATIVE! IF YOU'D GOT TO THE CAMP EARLIER, THERE WOULD NOT BE SO MANY CASUALTIES! TWELVE PEOPLE! THREE GIRLS BURNED ALIVE IN A WOODEN BUILDING THAT THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF! NINE CARETAKERS! AWESOME PATROL! IN THE 336TH I WOULD HAVE HAD YOU SHOT!"
Tiger looked at Eron with pain and shame. His voice was quiet.
"You're right Eron... we failed... I..."
"Don't you dare fucking apologize to me..... People died because of your mistake. If you had told me right away that you were going to some interrogation, I would have reacted accordingly. I would have gone to Ragdoll and informed her of what I saw... she probably wouldn't have let me go alone, but I wouldn't have given her that choice. I would have gone anyway. With you or without you. It makes no difference. I would have gone in without all that license and other crap, because people needed help."
Eron looked at the few ambulances standing in the yard. He nodded at them.
"There are twelve civilian bodies there, Tiger. Go beg them for forgiveness... their silence will be your answer..."
Pixie-Bob began to cry quietly, covering her face with her hands.
Eron walked around the group and entered the mansion. He went straight to his room.
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Behind the open window, in the room on the first floor, there was a deathly silence. None of the girls dared to speak first. Their faces were pale, eyes wide with fear.
"He... really came to save us..."
"Did you see how All Might wanted to touch him? He stopped him..."
"Yes... he must have a powerful quirk."
"And this sword? Red?"
Ibara knelt silently by the wall. Her hands were clasped in prayer, but she didn't say a word. When she raised her head, there were tears in her eyes. Not from fear, but from compassion. She heard a male voice.
"Ibara...."
She looked around the room. The girls were talking to each other... but there was no man here. The door opened slightly... on its own... Ibara felt someone's presence... the girls paid no attention to her. She slowly stood up and left the room.... she went out into the corridor and walked forward....she felt as if something was guiding her....
"Ibara...."
Ibara turned to one of the branches of the corridor.... and saw a transparent figure, bathed in smoke.
"Don't be afraid."
And she looked at him.... A man in a long, sandy robe. A pale, gentle glow surrounded his figure. He had a beard, calm features, and in his gaze there was something infinitely warm and at the same time deeply painful. Ibara trembled. Her hands automatically folded in prayer, her eyes filled with tears. She fell to her knees.
"Je....Jesus....?"
The man, or rather the spirit, smiled gently. His voice was exactly as Ibara imagined Jesus Christ. Calm. Pure. Warm.
"I am not the One you call Master... but I understand your faith. And I do not reject it."
Ibara froze....
"Then... who are you?"
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I was once a Master in the Jedi Order. Now... I am one with the 'Force'... and you are sensitive enough to it that you are able to see me."
Ibara asked in a trembling voice...
"Why... do you appear to me?"
"Because I am unable to appear to Eron... as if something is preventing me from speaking to a Padawan."
"What is... a Padawan?"
Obi-Wan looked at her gently. He spoke calmly, in a warm tone that soothed her fear.
"A Padawan is a Jedi apprentice. Someone who is just learning the ways of the Force, learning courage, compassion, and discipline.... Although Eron had strayed from the teachings of the order with each month of the war... we were too blind to the pain of him and thousands of other Padawans... Jedi Knights... and billions of other beings."
Ibara blinked rapidly.
"War?... Eron was in the war?"
Obi-Wan nodded slowly, as if each memory was a needle piercing his nonexistent heart.
"Yes... As a young Padawan, Eron had become a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic at the age of 12, like most Padawans... I was a General... and my apprentice, who was a Jedi Knight, had also become a General... It was a terrible war... a war that had torn down our order... and the Republic."
Ibara stood up and took a step back. With trembling fingers, she reached for the silver cross around her neck.
"This...this is inhuman. Why did you allow this?"
"Because we believed we were serving the good. That it was our duty. But we didn't see that we had become tools of politics. The Order was blind. I was blind. And Eron...paid a price for it that no child should know. It is because of our ignorance that Eron is who he is now."
Ibara managed to ask...
"So...who do you think Eron is?"
Obi-Wan looked down, as if weighing each word, and then raised his gaze, which was full of fear but also hope.
"Eron...is a shadow of what he could have been...but also a spark of what he could become. He no longer trusts the Jedi Council, he no longer trusts the Republic, he no longer trusts any structure. Because all the ones he knew...have failed him."
Ibara lowered her gaze...she thought about how much this boy had to go through...how much evil he had to see and suffer.... Obi-Wan continued.
"Despite all this...he still fights to save people he doesn't know. He still believes, if only that no one should suffer as he did. And that makes him stronger than many Jedi Knights I've known. Eron is also more susceptible to the dark side of the force. You had a chance to see it today."
Ibara looked at Obi-Wan as if she could barely comprehend the weight of his words. Finally, her voice trembling, she asked.
"The...dark...side...of the force?"
"The Dark Side of the Force is a path of anger, fear, and hatred. It feeds on the pain of oneself and others. It gives strength quickly... but at the cost of one's soul. It promises justice, but breeds vengeance. It promises order, but breeds tyranny. Those who succumb to it often believe they are acting in a just cause... but in the end, they always lose."
"Eron... is on this path?"
"He is at a crossroads. When we did not help him, he turned his anger into strength... but it is then... that the Dark Side whispers that only it fully understands you. And that no one else deserves your trust."
"So... what do I do now?"
Obi-Wan fell silent for a long moment... he spoke quietly.
"You have to be careful, Ibara. I know your heart is pure. That you want to help him. But know that the red lightsaber that Eron carries... is not just a weapon. It is a sign of those on the dark side."
Ibara held her breath.
"Does that mean that Eron is... one of them?"
"No. Not yet. But that sword is a signal. He could have found it or worse, gotten it.... And I already know that it is not him who is blocking me. There is something here... or someone... much more powerful. Something... that does not want me to reach Eron..."
Ibara shuddered. Obi-Wan finished quietly.
"Do not fight his anger. Do not deny his pain. But do not let him be alone with that voice from the darkness... because that voice is waiting for it"