Out, Damned Spot [Daiki]

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Damn, life was good.

Well into the afternoon Satou would be in one of a surprising amount of indoor by the books classes. This one in particular wasn't even really related to Heroism in an obvious way. It had ties and that's why Daiki kept an ear open, but for the most part with his elbow perched on the rim of the window his attention was on that everlasting blue sky. What class in particular it was didn't really matter for the context of just about anything, one of many that 1-A went in and out. He had to make a note of visiting Fu-chan later after School and bring her some of the stuff they learned and that she missed, but that was alright. He'd overcome that summit, he was no longer really held back by the guilt he imposed upon himself. After that common knowledge around UA was that there was some coop going on. UA was a school to make a lot of exceptions if the stars lined up, because Hero work experience is tenfold better than any course would ever be. So it would be that earlier in the week it became common knowledge that 1-A student would be taken up on a coop opportunity offered by Pleiades. Humbled Daiki would've been a fool to decline such an extended offer, to have that kind of record to catch the attention of an agency and having not even reached the Sports Festival was... Nice, to say the least. It reduced the stress and reminded him that things were okay. He was doing good.

Then his phone vibrated in his pocket. He'd glance towards the teacher in the middle of a lecture. Though more importantly he looked at the person spending their time for his self improvement and their own livelihood. He liked to see people as more than what they did, who they were. Teachers were a prime example of this, thrown in so many stereotypes and so confined by curriculum that it's easy to forget they're all people as well. This was especially true when he was a kid, then again kids are like a natural disaster. He could barely remember some of his childhood memories but a week never went by when his parents didn't in comedic hindsight recount a disaster of his own doing back then. Painting walls, flying over a hill during Winter on a turtle shell toboggan, among other things. Though on the other hand it was just a single text, he'd be quick about it. Sliding up his phone he'd let the thumbprint scanner identify his signature, it was a text from Isamu. They never really talked much and he felt a little bit of that same feeling he felt from Jun. A little bit of... Distaste for the appearance he put on. He understood that, but it's also why he was surprised to be getting a text from him. Glancing over towards the person in question likely at another desk in the same room, he gave a nod and tucked away his phone back in his pocket. He could've gave a response... But the teacher deserved the respect of all ears.

The class as all do, eventually did come to an end though. With the sky still blue but not for long at the current hour he had a little bit of a trip to make. It's not like the Grounds were a short walk like the track field or the gym, it was kind of like USJ. Taking half an hour on one of quite a few routes immediately after school he'd briefly stop by the hospital to see Fu for the day. After that taking about fifteen minutes it gave cause for Isamu to be there first and have to wait for a little. Though in no time at all Daiki showed up at a jogging speed. It was a massive area, lots of buildings and had Isamu not wanted to have been found he likely wouldn't have been. Still, likely in a more open area Daiki would wave over to his classmate and slow down as he made his way forward.

"Hey, Suzuki-san. What is it?" Daiki would ask, just finding a place to take a seat and lean forward, elbows resting over his thighs.

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After hearing what Isamu opened up with he'd pause for just a brief moment before brushing off Suzuki-san's apologies like dust in the wind. He didn't seem all too bothered with the news that Isamu gave him, what reason would be have to be worried? It was apparent given how his fellow classmate started off that he had some sort of preexisting knowledge of this Akuma. How deep it went was another story, but even the worst case scenario was alright in Daiki's books. He wasn't naive enough to think there weren't horrible stories among the members of their class. UA attracts extremes, extremes that go far enough to make it through that entry exam both good and bad. And if he couldn't handle some sensitive conversation what sort of morale support would he be for the rest of the class? It didn't matter at any rate, since he really didn't have an issue. At least as far as Isamu could tell. He'd speak.

"Hey hey, first don't worry about it Suzuki-san. I'd like to think I'm your friend, if something's important to you it's important to me. I suppose you have ties to this Akuma then in some shape or form, so I can understand why you'd want to be involved. You can just ask me, I'll tell you whatever's happening. It wouldn't be right for me to exclude you from something important in your life. Either way I appreciate you taking the initiative to talk to me, I want to help however I can but it's hard to help when everyone is quiet haha." He'd say, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"It means a lot that you want to help out, and I'm open to whatever information you might have. And honest, swear to god this conversation goes where you want it to and that's it. If you want this to stay between you and me it does. Privacy's important, I get that too. So what's the brief, then?" He asked before shifting once more. Sitting on one of the metal pipes he leaned back into a structure and relaxed a little. Suzuki had his full attention. He was taking this seriously. If not his words, the focus he was displaying was a show of just how much he valued this. Isamu made a good choice in contacting him, from the looks of it.

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Daiki raised a brow at the quick and pointed response. Though that was the extent of his direct confrontation of that in an obvious light. If Isamu was quick to catch on subtlety Daiki also had a look to him. He wasn't joking around or goofing off. He was just looking towards Isamu, not expecting to hear anything but he gave a moment of silence. As if a queue that if there was something Isamu really wanted to get off his chest, now was the best chance. Regardless, he couldn't bring a window of opportunity into an awkward dialogue so he'd begin speaking after five or so seconds unless Isamu... Took the window to just lay out whatever it may be.

"Akuma, Vanish and Oni. Plus an entire gang. I can't say it's something a first year ends up doing under ordinary circumstances, the amount of trust placed in me is high, being chosen for this. Maybe it had something to do with me being strong enough to take out the number four guy or whatever. I genuinely appreciate it, with that context it's a bit easier to piece together what I'll be dealing with. He's a strategist, not a warrior in itself. He likely plays to peoples desires and has a good eye. People have a tendency to overlook my wisdom, so I'm going to count that he does the same thing. My quirk is flashy, so it pulls attention away from the person that uses it. If I thought from his perspective, a first year UA student with a powerful quirk just running around and beating up his henchmen... That'd be something I would want to exploit, use their confidence and 'stupidity' as an advantage. When the moment's right if that moment comes, it might come to him as a shock that I actually have a brain." He'd say while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly along with a small laugh.

"What I'm more wondering is why he'd settle in Musutafu of all places, the home of Heroes. I don't see why any villain- especially one with his level of calculation would even give this city the light of day unless they had an ulterior motive. I'm thinking they're here because of UA. A lot of powerful kids? Some of us have traumas that could be twisted and used to change our views. I don't need any greater reason, but just for the cherry on top that reinforces how important it is that I put this guy behind bars."

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Listening to what his classmate had to say, it was eye-opening to say the least. Regardless of Isamu's approach to try and partly thread the needle with talking about the reality of his previous circumstances, Daiki connected the dots before he even got to the meat of things. Simply folding his arms, he remained quiet and let him continue with everything he had to share. When he had started with the sideways look and the words that partly warned him of what to come there was almost a partially satisfied look on his face. It meant a lot to him, regardless of the reason that someone would open up to him apparently. Just shifting his gaze to a random rock on the sidewalk. Then he went on to explain his affiliation with the gang. At that point to Daiki there was no doubt in his mind that despite Isamu's attempts to word it in a way that made himself look better given the circumstances, he was in fact part of Akuma's gang. The reaction over his expression? Nothing really. He just respectfully listened, shoulders hanging relaxed at his sides while his hands clasped together to rest in his lap when he leaned forward in his seat.

Then he went on to give a reason for why he's sharing this. Though simply to justify future questions seemed like a minor reason if it was something so tightly sealed. He mentioned Akuma outsourcing for help, and he assumed the better of the two possibilities on whether Isamu helped or not. He had faith in his classmates, after all. Then came a lot of meat in the message on the Villain themselves. It added up to a pretty recognizable picture for the blond haired student. Even if twisted, it's some internally rationalized attempt of correcting Heroes. Even he had his own opinions on the very same topic that he'd share in just a moment. Then came some information on the Civilian identity; even if that information was that there was little to no information. Daiki simply nodded to acknowledge what was said, but otherwise really wouldn't comment further on that.

With the conclusion of what his classmate had to say, Daiki just gave another nod and shifted his position. Bringing a hand up to press against his right thigh while his left cupped the opposite side of his cheek. A portrayal of being deep in thought. After musing and considering his response he'd open his mouth. Maybe the words would come as a surprise to Isamu, but more likely than not it was what had become expected of Daiki at this point.

"Since we met at the start of the school year, we never really did talk much. I understand why if nothing else, we're opposites in our approach to the world. This part I know as fact; I approach the world a day at a time, putting my best foot forward in hopes of making the next better. I react emotionally to the environment around me and I'm always looking to try and make others happy. Then, and I could be wrong there's you. You're a logician at heart, I take it you plan out activities weeks in advance and find yourself considering ways to tackle problems long before they'd come to pass. You often don't allow your emotions to interfere with that logic and strategy, because you think that would undermine the strength of those plans. In that sense you're not wrong, if your plans are made logically, suddenly becoming emotional would throw them into chaos. But that being said you're going to have to bear with my emotional crap here."

"Regardless of the weight you bear from what you've done in the past, I couldn't care. Of course I care about the things you've been through, but I don't consider you as anything other than the man you are today. While you might weigh the good and evil a person's done as two weights on a balance scale, needing to be net-good or at least neutral, I think it's important to cut off that past weight to be able to live a better and more fulfilling life as the person you are now. So, I would never judge you for anything you've done. Regardless of if it was just the only possible route you figured possible, I still appreciate you overcoming the who knows how many reasons you'd thought of to not talk to me. I'm sure there was a few at least. Your secret's safe with me. Whether you decide to trust me when I say you can trust me, is your choice. You can however trust me, for this and for anything else you want to talk about."

Shifting his position again, he leaned back and rested his elbows on the top of the backrest of the seat he was sitting on. He'd continue.

"Though to the topic at hand, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse yet to empathize with where a Villain's coming from, but I can see what he's doing come from a very twisted and misguided, but good place if what you're saying is true. Who knows what happened in his past, but even I agree that there are a lot of Heroes in society that do what they do because they want to be stronger than others and show it off, they want the money, they want the fame. It's more common than you'd want to believe, none of the motivations I gave were to save others and stop villains. And while you might think the ends justify the means, at the end of the day they're still stopping villains. A lack of passion for what they're doing just for what they're receiving can lead to recklessness, collateral damage, and what I'm suspecting to be the case... An accidental death in this 'Akuma's' family. It would explain some things you said. Specifically the inclination to philanthropy. Maybe he could've been a Hero if he approached it through the system, since I agree that for an ideal world it needs to be fixed. Just, breaking the law to do so isn't right. You need to make it from the top and only then do you have the capability to make changes. Even then, it takes a long time. That being said as he is now, yes. I'll be cautious of him and I'll take him down. I'm not going to put me and my teammates at greater risk just to try and talk him down. With what he's done thus far he's clearly set in his way. No simple conversation on an even playing field will change his mind. I'll ask you something important;

Do you care if he knows you told me this? I imagine you would, but just in case you don't I wanted to ask."

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A smug look? Suddenly Daiki's expression changed into that of an 'oopsie' akin to a deer in headlights for having accidentally portrayed the wrong sort of reaction. Though more than likely it was simply Isamu being Isamu. Nonetheless he proceeded to let Isamu explain some things further. Raising his brow as Isamu mentioned he quite literally couldn't afford to be emotional, he naturally attributed it to some sense of not biological need, but mental need to not show emotion. As just like everyone else, how could he possibly make a connection like that without some sort of implication beforehand. Though as such and as he saw it in such a way, learning from Jun it was best not to pry into the minds of others when they aren't willing to share in the first place. He chose to not comment at all but instead just give an acknowledging nod.

Then came the part where Isamu mentioned it being easy for him. No matter how he put it to try and justify his classmate wasn't wrong. He had it all, a healthy family, a popular school life and a solid quirk. To say that comes with some sort of baggage would just be belittling the unspoken privilege of getting this far in life without a severe sort of trauma from somewhere. Though he would say one thing, "You're right on me. I never really did doubt my future. Luckily I have the philosophies I have, because even if I didn't my quirk obligates me to become a Hero based on everything that it means. Sort of the 'use the power you were given, as it was meant for good' type thing. I never really worried about my future, just the future of the world as a whole. That's a privilege I'll never take for granted. That's part of why I want to and try to be there to help when others need it. To be an ear at the very least for those that want someone to talk too. It's the least I can do right now, since I can't do active Hero work yet. Just this one mission for now; maybe more later before I graduate."

He then addressed the rest of what Isamu had said, that response flowing into another. He shifted in place again, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. "Motivations never justify actions, I agree with that. Even the on paper best goal cannot write away causing harm to get there. I'm just trying to empathize in a way I figured might sit with Akuma, because while we're not Villains and our mindsets are different, it's possible to sort of see things how they do if you put yourself in their shoes. While difficult, I try. You can rest assured that it's ending then and there. I'm not going to let him get away. I don't know the specifics of your past with him, but maybe some day you might want to talk to me about it. I'll make sure to let you know as soon as it wraps up, the news will take a little while to be broadcast. I'll make sure all of them face justice for their crimes, if I can talk sense into them to lead a better life when they're released, I'll try. Though I won't let him lead me on as an attempt to lower my guard." He'd say, as if addressing a concern he assumed Isamu might have before he even conveyed it.

"You don't have to worry about it from here on. I'll make sure that all of us get in and out safely. Just do your best where you can, and that's with classes right now. Sports Festival is coming up, after all. Oh- and, I'm not letting them split this time. They made a bad call setting up so close to our home. I uh... I don't think I have any other questions. If you have plans, feel free to head off. I'm going to think for a bit here."

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