A Different Path

Chapter One - A Random Act of Kindness

Tenko Shimura had been wandering the streets for three days. For three days, he suffered. He was hungry, cold, tired, and scared. He desperately wanted someone to stop and help. Anyone. Anyone at all.

But no one did.

A couple people tried to ask him if everything was alright, but had been scared off by his off-putting appearance. Not to mention the blood. They pushed him off to the heroes and policemen that never came.

It was a cold, rainy day. Tenko, by this point, was too tired to continue walking, so he sat down by a gated sakura tree along a busy road. Many people passed him by, but no one paid him any mind. It was as if they didn't see him at all.

That was, until someone did.

Mei Sato was a quirkless elementary school teacher who worked nearby. She was rather plain looking, with nothing about her appearance particularly standing out. Her hair was long and brownish in color. Her eyes matched her hair almost perfectly. On this particular day, she was wearing a black sweater with a matching long black pencil skirt that went down to her mid-calf. Around her neck dangled a delicate gold chain with a small heart-shaped locket. The locket contained a picture of her young daughter who was only three years old at the time.

Anyone who knew Ms. Sato regarded her as an especially kind soul, one who would always stop to help when someone was struggling. This day was no different.

She was taking her usual route to work when she spotted the most peculiar site. A young boy was sitting slumped against a gated tree along the road. His face was covered by a thick head of scraggly light blue hair. Concerned, Ms. Sato stopped and bent down to talk to the child.

"Hello little one, are you alright? What are you doing out here all alone?"

At first, Tenko didn't move, but eventually he slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze. Admittedly, Ms. Sato was taken off guard. Tenko wasn't exactly the prettiest sight to see and this was made even worse by the fact that he was filthy and soaking wet. To anyone passing by, he could be mistaken for a corpse.

Ms. Sato stood up quickly and took a couple steps back out of fright. It was here that she also noticed the blood on Tenko's hands. For a second she considered walking away. She thought, surely, a hero would come to save this boy. That inclination was fleeting though and she became ashamed it even crossed her mind. The more she looked at him, the more her heart ached. It was obvious this boy needed help and she would be damned if she left a poor, blooded child on the side of the street. Only a true villain would do such a thing.

She bent back down to meet Tenko's gaze, giving him a warm, but concerned, smile. Tenko was confused. Why was this woman still here? Why didn't she run off like the others?

"Honey, what's your name? What happened to you?"

Tenko didn't respond, he felt too weak to do anything but stare. The women grew even more concerned and even began tearing up. Tenko didn't understand. Why did she care so much? Why was she trying to help someone she didn't know?

"Ok darling, well I am going to call you little blue for right now. After all, that gorgeous head of hair of yours deserves some recognition."

Tenko felt his soul warm at the site of her comforting gaze and her kind words. Her eyes were so kind. Tenko wasn't sure he had seen eyes as kind as hers before.

"Ok little blue, I am going to pick you up now and take you somewhere safe. I am going to need you to hold on"

Tenko felt a shot of fear go through him. She can't touch him. She might crumble just like his family did. Her warm gaze would go cold under his touch.

He began to cry and shake his head violently, holding his hands under his arms attempting to hide them. She can't touch him, she just can't.

Ms. Sato's concerned gaze grew.

"I know it's scary little blue, but you can't stay here. It's not safe. I promise everything will be ok"

Despite his terror, he allowed himself to be picked up by her. He was careful to keep his hands hidden in his arms though, to protect her. He leaned his chest against left shoulder, gripping his chin over the crook of her neck to keep himself upright. She felt so warm against his drenched, freezing body. He didn't think he ever wanted to let go.

Ms. Sato carried him in her arms all the way to the police station. All the way there, she hummed the first lullaby that came into her mind: Baby Mine from the movie Dumbo. She watched it for the first time with her daughter the previous night and the song had been stuck in her head ever since. She hoped the melody would comfort the poor boy.

It did.

Once she got to the police station, Ms. Sato explained everything she could to the officers. Where she found him, what condition he was in, and the fact he had blood on him. What she didn't know was that the police were looking for the boy as well, as he was the only member of the Shimura family not found crushed among the ruins of his family home.

As she turned him over to the officers, Ms. Sato gave him one last hug and a kind smile before leaving him with a final kind sentiment,

"You're safe now, little blue. I promise, everything gets better from here"

Eventually, the police pieced everything together. Luckily for Tenko, there were laws in place to protect children when their quirks spiral out of control, so he didn't have to worry about facing legal punishment for the things he did. Tenko's case was taken over by Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi when it was discovered he was the grandson of All Might's predecessor. With nowhere for Tenko to go, the detective called the #1 hero himself to update him of the situation. Without a hint of hesitation, All Might vowed that he would take this boy in as his own and raise him to the best of his ability. He owed it to his previous master, his friend.

Because of this one random act of kindness, Tenko's life was changed for the better and a whole new future blossomed before his eyes.