The Hero and the Genie

Chapter 11: Twitch and Vinegar

Midoriya was walking through Scuttle Town when he heard the sound of metal hitting wood. Curiously, he walked over the source of the sound and saw Bolo swinging a strange weapon at a wooden post. It looked like a small ball-and-chain on a gauntlet.

What's he doing? Midoriya wondered. Is he practicing fighting? Makes sense since he wants to be a hero. I should study his moves and see if I can help him improve a little.

As he observed his friend, Midoriya noticed a few things that needed fixing. So, with a notebook in his hand, he began to jot down notes.

"Midoriya?" Said a voice. "What are you doing, dude?"

The green-haired boy looked up at the wannabe hero and smiled slightly. "Hello, Bolo. I was studying your fighting techniques. I remember how you want to be a hero. So, I figured I could help you out."

"You can help me?" Asked Bolo with a curious stare. "How?"

"Well," answered Midoriya, "back home, I study heroes and figure out how they can improve their gear and techniques."

Bolo looked at his friend with an astonished expression. "Wow! Well, whatever help you have for me, I'll gladly accept it! So, what's first?"

"Well, your footing," said Midoriya. "Your feet are too widespread and out of balance."

Bolo looked down and saw that his friend was right! "Wow. So, how do I fix that?"

Midoriya took a stance and positioned his legs and feet. "Try this," he said.

Bolo observed the stance and tried it out, making sure his footing was exactly the same. "Like this?"

Midoriya looked and smiled. "Almost," he said before bending down to help adjust Bolo's footing. "Like this."

"Oh, I got it," said Bolo.

"Good," said Midoriya. "Now that you got your footing right, let's improve your back. As you were fighting, your back was slouched. You must keep your back straight and shoulders squared. That way you can let in an attack with ease."

Bolo nodded in understanding. Then, he straightened his back and squared his shoulders. As soon as he did that, he felt like he could win a fight more easily.

Midoriya smiled at his friend. "So, you fight with that weapon, huh?"

"Yeah," said Bolo. "With this baby, I can smash big blocks of rock, grapple onto hooks, and even hit bad guys."

Midoriya smiled as Bolo explained how his weapon worked. "Wow," he said in awe. "It's so cool that something so small can also be so powerful!"

Bolo laughed at the green-haired boy's enthusiasm. "So, what else can I do to improve?"

Midoriya was deep in thought for a moment. But before he could answer, Shantae came running.

"Midoriya," she cried, making the boy turn to face her. "We've got a big problem! Come on!"

Before Midoriya could protest, he was dragged away by his lovely friend. Bolo stood with a blank expression. "What the heck just happened?"

*****

"Shantae? Wait! Hold on!" Midoriya had been trying to get Shantae to stop as he was dragged to her house. When they finally stopped, Shantae tossed him his hero costume.

"Midoriya, put on your suit quickly," she cried. "It's an emergency!"

"What's wrong?" Asked Midoriya as he put on his costume.