Chapter 18: Look cool
...
["Greatness is not achieved by having an extraordinary Quirk, but by doing extraordinary things with the Quirk we have"]
These words encapsulate the essence of current heroism: it's not simply about being born with an exceptional Quirk but about using that Quirk in the right way for a great cause, for the common good, to face the challenges that arise, and to defend the values one believes in.
There are many heroes who, with a simple Quirk, have surpassed the majority. Even today, several heroes with powerful Quirks are less recognized than others with simpler abilities.
The desire to be a great hero, to leave an indelible mark on the world, and to make a significant difference in the lives of others, is a deeply rooted aspiration in the hearts of young aspiring heroes and the heroes themselves.
It's a quest for meaning and purpose, a quest for transcendence that drives them to look beyond themselves and dedicate their lives to a greater cause.
Yes, the figure of the hero has fascinated and captivated humanity, serving as a beacon of hope in the darkest moments and as an example of virtue and nobility. It was every young person's dream.
But naturally, being a hero is not just a journey of glory and victory…
["The true hero is not the one who triumphs over others, but the one who triumphs over himself."]
Many say that this is the fundamental truth of heroism: the ability to overcome one's limitations and fears, to face challenges with courage and determination.
Well, Denki Kaminari is not so sure he can overcome his limitations or his fears, nor does he have any idea how to face a challenge that could lead to his death with that supposed courage and determination.
In fact, if someone were to ask Denki what motivated him to become a hero, he would probably only respond that he just wants to look cool like the other heroes who help others when they need it. Oh, and also to kind of prove to his father, who never believed in him, that he could be a hero too.
Well, all that and to flirt with girls, obviously... Umm, actually, this last one was the main reason.
But the idea of being actually able to die never crossed Denki Kaminari's mind.
Until this moment...
"Try anything and I'll kill him. Hands up. And no Quirks allowed," demanded the villain, known as Tesla, holding a Denki who had exceeded his wattage limit, causing a brain short-circuit... leaving him in a vulnerable state for an hour, with a goofy grin plastered on his face and his hands raised, thumbs pointed toward the sky.
"Kaminari...!" exclaimed Momo worriedly, thinking about what she could do without compromising her friend's life.
"He got him! Kid got careless..." commented Kyoka , frowning.
"Yay... Yayyyy..." was all that came out of a trembling Denki's mouth.
When Denki exceeds his wattage limit, he suffers a brain short-circuit, leaving him vulnerable and confused. Though aware of his surroundings, his ability to process information and respond appropriately is severely compromised.
So in the current situation, despite knowing the danger he and his companions are in, he can only tremble slightly in fear at the possibility of dying.
And it was at this moment that the beautiful image of being a great and cool hero was no longer as wonderful and attractive as before for him.
"Hey! Use your powers and I'll kill your friend here!" Tesla warned again, glaring at both girls and preventing them from doing anything.
"... Kaminari is defenseless," commented Momo, gritting her teeth as she saw how the villain had taken him hostage while they were distracted.
"Tch… he got us. We let our guard down," added Kyoka , equally frustrated and angry as her companion. "He was waiting to ambush us when we thought they were all down... How did we not see this coming...?"
"I feel a little brotherhood with other electric types, so I don't want to kill him, but I will if you make me," continued Tesla, showing how he absorbed Denki's energy and manipulated it in his hand, bringing it threateningly close to Denki's face.
Despite his state, Denki panicked at the idea of dying.
Momo and Kyoka surrendered and raised their hands to prevent him from doing anything to Denki.
"An electric type...!" Momo commented while her mind quickly analyzed the situation and finally understood several things. "He must be the signal jammer that Todoroki mentioned...!"
Another thing she didn't say is that the control the villain had over his Quirk was probably greater than Denki's, since Kaminari couldn't do anything against the interference the villains had caused in communications.
Although she saw that he needed to absorb electricity from Denki, she also concluded that it was likely that his Quirk couldn't generate its own electricity, so he depended on external means.
The villain, seeing that both had surrendered, started approaching them while still holding Denki in his left hand and maintaining the threatening electricity in his right hand close to Denki's face.
"Get over there and don't move a muscle," ordered the villain in a dry voice, still quite far away but continuing to approach step by step.
Momo remained silent with her hands raised, her mind working at full speed, trying to think of what to do in this situation.
On the other hand, Kyoka grimaced and looked at her own legs… an idea occurred to her.
"...I always thought this about Kaminari, but... You electric types. You're all natural-born winners, yeah?" commented Kyoka suddenly.
"What're you...?" Momo glanced sideways at her, not understanding her intention.
"Huh?" the villain stopped suddenly, looking at her as confused as Momo.
"Never mind being a hero. There are so many different jobs you could do. This might sound naive, but... Why become a villain? I just gotta wonder..." Kyoka continued, distracting the villain to buy time and connect her plug.
Momo got it—if Jiro can connect her plug, she can launch a surprise attack!
"Why would you become a villain in the first place?" finished Kyoka.
Momo, understanding her companion's intentions, followed her plan and looked back at the villain with a more serious gaze but still somewhat nervous.
"No problem… it's okay if you don't want to answer…" Kyoka commented with a slight smile, seeing that the villain remained motionless as she was about to connect her earphone jack...
"Stop!" ordered the villain suddenly, bringing his right hand with electricity threateningly close to Denki's neck, quickly scaring the two girls.
"Yayyy?!" came out of an even more nervous Denki's mouth. Denki might be extremely resistant to electricity, but if his neck were broken, he would still die quickly.
So naturally, the most panicked person was Denki himself, who practically saw his life flash before his eyes.
"Nice try. Thought I wouldn't notice what you're up to? Ha, really think you can distract me that easily…" said the villain, staring at Kyoka, who grimaced upon being discovered and quickly retreated from her attempt to connect her earphone jack.
"It'd take a real idiot to fall for a kid's stupid trick. Heroes in training should take hostage situations more seriously," added the villain, still pointing the lightning in his hand very close to Denki's neck. "Here's the new deal. If you two come quietly, I'll let this blockhead go, okay? So either this idiot is going to die or you are… how about that?"
The moment they heard this, both Kyoka and Momo shuddered, clenching their teeth in frustration and fear at the situation.
"What'll it be? Your lives or his?" The villain smiled wickedly as he continued to approach them step by step.
Seeing their hesitation, the villain's grin widened, certain they were just another pair of naive would-be heroines.
"Good. Now... don't move a muscle," Tesla ordered, his eyes filled with madness as he closed the distance between them. He wasn't there yet, but it wouldn't take long, and who knew what he'd do when he reached them.
Denki was frozen with fear. He didn't want to die. The very idea terrified him more than being caught by his aunt with a stash of adult magazines featuring exotic heroines—his greatest real fear until this moment. Well, there was also that one incident with the police a year ago, which was equally terrifying.
Kaminari had always wanted to be a hero, but in this situation, he couldn't help but second-guess every decision that had led him here.
Even in his precarious state, Denki found himself mocking his own helplessness. Ten days. It's only been ten freaking days since I started at UA's Class 1-A, and I'm already regretting my life choices, he thought bitterly. If I told someone that both my dad and aunt were pro heroes, they'd never believe it.
But a small part of him reasoned it wasn't entirely his fault. Sure, he had relatives who were recognized heroes, but that didn't automatically make him one. And now, facing a situation that literally threatened his life, Kaminari figured it wasn't all that strange to have doubts about his chosen profession.
After all, he was just a regular, everyday guy—the kind of kid who was scared of dentists and the dark, the kind who didn't have a girlfriend and only had his hand for company.
Yeah, Denki Kaminari was as average as they came in every possible sense for a hero-in-training.
He went to a regular middle school, had awesome friends, and scored awful grades.
He wasn't even that big of a pro-hero fanboy. For crying out loud, his favorite hero was Midnight, and let's be real, that was probably because she was ridiculously hot.
His favorite childhood toy? A tiny electric supercar. He'd spend hours playing with that thing—at least until he discovered his aunt's "adults-only" hero catalog. After that, well… he found something else to keep himself busy.
Oh, and his favorite song? He didn't like admitting it, but it was from a cheesy romance-action anime movie. Every time he heard it, it brought a tear to his eye.
Sure, he had a heroic family. His dad was a pro hero, though they barely spoke, and his aunt? She'd been raising him in Japan since he was seven. Nobody at school knew her true identity—that she was actually Lady Shockwhip, the pro hero ranked No. 69.
Her real name was Teru Kaminari, Denki's mom's younger sister. When she got married to Hiro Hikari, she took his last name, and even after his death, she kept it out of respect.
Denki's uncle, Hiro, had been a hero too. He died saving civilians from a villain when Denki was just six.
And now? Denki was sure if his uncle could see him right now, he'd be beyond disappointed.
Thinking about that made Denki feel even more pathetic.
Kaminari wanted to convince himself that everyone in his class would feel and react the same way he was right now. But deep down, he knew it was just wishful thinking. One look at the two brave girls in front of him, standing tall despite the danger, proved otherwise.
Even if Momo and Kyoka were scared, it wasn't about whether they'd do something, but what they'd do.
They looked nervous, sure, but also determined. These were people who'd keep pushing no matter what. They were brave—facing their fears head-on, like real heroes.
They were one step away from true heroism, while Denki? He felt like he'd taken several steps backward in just one day.
He also realized their reasons for becoming heroes were probably way better than his own, which boiled down to "Hey, I want to look cool" and "I want to flirt with girls."
Still, even in this life-or-death moment, Denki couldn't stop thinking that being a hero was great for attracting beautiful women. It was like the dream job for a guy like him. At least he wasn't alone—he knew Mineta felt the same. Heck, that guy probably had even more twisted motivations than Denki.
Denki's train of thought came to an abrupt halt when he noticed just how close he and the villain were to Momo and Kyoka.
And that's when panic set in. He had to wake up. Do something.
He'd tried before, and it never worked, but fear had a funny way of kicking the human body into gear.
For Denki, fear became his ultimate motivator. Pure, raw terror coursed through him, and suddenly, his eyes snapped open, electricity sparking across his body.
And just like that, everything changed.
He could feel it—like something new had awakened within him. His body hummed with energy.
Denki met the girls' eyes as his body tensed. Then, of course, he winked at them. Yep, even in a life-or-death situation, he wanted to look cool. Rationality? What's that?
With newfound confidence, Denki let the electricity surge through him like never before. He focused all his energy on keeping the current localized to affect only the villain holding him.
As this happened, the skies above the facility darkened ominously. Within moments, thunder boomed, lightning flashed, and bolts of electricity began striking the same spot repeatedly.
The training facility.
More specifically...
At Denki Kaminari!