And it all starts with you, Bravura's voice rang in the back of my head.

I shook my head, trying to focus on what was in front of me. The green surface looked so rough compared to the fifteen numbered balls that clustered together in the middle. My fingers wrapped around the cue stick as I focused in on the white ball with black scuff marks worn onto it. Pool was never exactly my favorite game, but it was something one of my older brothers taught me before he left.

To think when I was younger, I would always be upset with my siblings who left home, never coming back to see our dad. Sure, I would still see them if Mom or one of my other siblings who were still living at the house would go visit them, but it still didn't mean I didn't feel resentment for the longest time. It wasn't until halfway through my first year of high school that I realized they weren't the ones in the wrong. They were right.

As I knocked the cue ball with the stick, I couldn't help but wonder what life would've been like if I had just listened to some of their words of warning beforehand, the ones where they begged me not to listen to dad or to take a night off from training to visit. I wasn't sure I could imagine a life where I didn't strive to become a Pro Hero, but maybe I would be better at this game. None of the balls rolled into the pockets. Maybe they would've if I had taken that more seriously.

Hey, Valiente, can you hear me? Sicarius' voice echoed into my ear.

It felt strange hearing her voice inside my ear, but it was our best bet for communication. The earpiece wasn't that big to be seen, and even if it was, it could've easily been mistaken for an earring. I wasn't sure how people could pierce their ears for that. If Sicarius had it her way, she would've given me some actual piercings to help with my disguise. Luckily, Lento Lure and Bravura were both against that, giving me some fake ones instead to be worn on that ear.

"Mhmm," I answered in a low voice, so no one would hear. Not that it mattered. The bar was empty, and for a reason too. Had I not come here for a mission, I wouldn't have stepped ten feet within this place. Had Tami been by my side, I would've made sure we were miles away from it. The owners didn't even care to patch up the shattered windows or bleach the carpets that reeked of a smell I knew wasn't just alcohol.

Somehow, I doubt that Tobias was going to be waltzing in here when there were better places to be.

Any word on Tobias? Bravura asked.

"Nope. Three other people outside the man behind the bar. None of them are him," I muttered, sliding the stick through my fingers before I hit the ball once more.

At this point, it would just be best if we searched the city for him, followed him, and then broke into this dog fight. Things would've been easier if we did it that way.

As if hearing those thoughts, Bravura gave a sigh. Patience. I'm sure he'll be there soon. In the meantime, relax. Imagine you were here with some friends and move around rather than acting still because you're on a mission, he suggested.

Easy for him to say, I thought. I didn't respond as I just kept my eyes focused on the rough green fabric that was stapled onto the pool table. My boss had no idea that I was acting far more casual than I would back home with my friends. How could people even relax when wanted criminals were walking down the street, plotting their next attack? Hell, I was trying to catch one of them just so I could stop him and other abusers from committing their heinous acts.

My grasp tightened on the stick as I jabbed it on the scuffed white ball, only this time, I heard a crack. Looking down, I could see my muscles expanding. It wasn't much, but it didn't take much for it to splinter the stick under my thumb.

I sighed.

"Damn, that's one tight grip yuh got theah," a strange voice came from behind. "Might wanna ease up a bit, not break the stick next time."

I turned my head, seeing the man I was looking for this whole time. Here, I thought I would have to find him and think of a way to get this guy to talk. Never did I take this guy to come up to me and start the whole interaction.

In one thick hand, he held a cue stick, almost as if he was going to play a game of pool himself. Seeing the stick in his hands, it didn't take long for me to realize why he was here. All the other pool tables were broken. One had the pockets ripped out of them while others had the green fabric ripped apart, making it uneven. The only reason why I chose the pool table that I did was because I could see the entire bar from where I stood.

How I missed this gigantic man, I wasn't sure.

"Thanks for the tip," I said, dropping it to my side and resting my hand on the top. "Want to join?"

Tobias Jones squinted his eyes. He barely looked like he had any when he did this as it just looked like more scales and wrinkles that scuffed his face.

"Is tha' an accent?" he questioned. "Whuh you from?"

Damn it! I heard Sicarius cuss on the other end. I didn't think this guy would be able to catch onto that!

It's alright, Bravura reassured. Play along. Not many people know about Raiden yet, so as long as you are open and stay calm, it'll all work out.

Bravura was right. As long as I gave this man no reason to be suspicious, everything was going to be alright.

"Japan. I wanted to get as far away from my old man as possible," I explained as I took a step to the side. Meanwhile, Tobias leaned his stick on the table and started to rearrange the balls. Anyone might've been peeved to ruin their game. I know my friend, Kaito, would've, but I didn't care. Not because of the mission, but because this was a pointless game.

"Sounds like a real piece of wohk," he noticed. "At least heah, yuh got yah freedoms."

"Yeah," I pretended to agree.

Freedoms? Was that why Amy and so many others felt the need to be so rude? Not that I could ask since Tobias was asking me whether or not I wanted to claim the striped or solid balls. He then took his stick and lined it up to the cue ball, eyeing it and everything in front of him.

His eyes might have been focused on the balls in front of him, but mine were studying the points that lined up on his head and ran down his back. Unlike the picture that was shown to me earlier, they were worn down, no longer keeping their honed look. It was strange to see against his spiked choker wrapped around his neck, but I wasn't going to say anything about it.

No. What I needed was an in.

"How long yuh been heah?" Tobias asked as he repositioned himself to knock the ball with his stick once more. Glancing down, I realized just how short this game was going to be seeing that he had already knocked two of his striped balls into the pouch, ready to go for another one.

"Two months," I lied before hearing Sicarius's voice offer a piece of advice I wasn't sure but took anyways. "I just bought a house up the mountain not far from here."

Hearing my answer, the man accidentally nicked the cue ball, causing it to slide an inch away from where it was. He muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't catch what he had said. Even if I did, I doubt it was a word I knew.

I took a step towards the table, looking down at the setup, trying to look for an easy ball to knock into a pouch. The tricky thing was making sure it didn't hit one of the stripes or the number eight, which should've been easy since there were a lot more solid balls than stripes.

Which meant I was losing.

"A house neah up the mountain side?" Tobias repeated. "Them's ain't cheap."

Must be expensive, I realized. I made a mental note not to look for a house like that when I got my first paycheck. Though, a house far away from the city would be nice. It was no wonder why people wanted to live there so much that the prices skyrocketed. The only thing I really wanted was a place away from Tami's cousin, maybe closer to where she went to college, so I had an excuse to see her more often.

In order for that to happen, I needed to complete this mission.

I shrugged. "Guess you could say I make more than I know what to do with. My girlfriend says I should get some sort of pet, but those things are useless," I claimed, hitting the ball so it knocked onto the solid green one that barely made it into a pouch. Surprised, I repositioned myself to try for another one, all while trying to get to know this guy some more. "Best a dog can do is earn you some money if it's good enough. Otherwise you just put it outside and throw some food out every now and then... do all Americans think those monsters are cute or something?"

Tobias laughed. "Take it theah's not many pets in Japan, hah? I say just buy her somethin' pretty, and she'll forget the whole thing. Most women are dumb that way."

Tami isn't dumb, I wanted to retort, but I couldn't. Not when I was setting it up to make her look that way as a disguise. No. Tami wasn't like most women I knew. She wouldn't be fine if I just bought her some fancy new necklace or frilly dress. That would've worked on her best friend, but not Tami. Her mind would've been so focused on the reasoning behind it that she would make herself worry.

But this woman I was talking about wasn't Tami. I was pretending to be some awful person who was horrible to his girlfriend. Hopefully, no one ever had to deal with a person like that, but seeing Tobias leaning towards his stick with his eyes watching the balls spread across the table, I knew that wasn't the case.

Besides, there were people out there like my dad.

"True," was all I could say even though I didn't truly agree. Instead, I just knocked the cue ball that hit another solid. That ball stopped just inches away from the pocket I wanted it to land in. I let out a frustrated sigh. I just didn't understand pool. Maybe I should've paid more attention whenever my siblings would play.

While I wasn't so happy with my last move, the criminal smiled. He twirled his stick into his hands, stopping it when it got into position for him to strike again.

You need to get him to talk again, I heard Sicarius's voice urge from the other side. You can't let him leave without him telling you where this place is!

Easier said than done, I wanted to respond, but I didn't get a chance to even say a word when I heard the clacking noise of two balls crashing into each other. Snapping my head down, I saw that Tobias didn't even make any balls into the pockets, signaling that it was my turn again. I drew in a deep breath as I pulled my stick and tapped it on the ball. The cue ball spun to the right.

Unfortunately, Tobias was there to see the ball spin, meaning I couldn't deny what had happened.

"Damn, yuh don't know how to hit the ball?" Tobias teased.

I shook my head, wanting nothing more than to slap that smile off his face as he laughed. This guy was easily the most annoying person I had ever met, and there were plenty that stuck by my side in U.A.

"Just need to get a drink," I claimed. "You want anything?"

"Sure man," the man answered, wiping a tear from his eye because he was laughing too hard. "I'll have whaever yuh havin'."

I waited until I turned around to roll my eyes. Was Sicarius right when she said that this was the guy that was supposed to get me into this dog fight? There was no way. This guy was so rude! And dumb.

As I walked closer to the bar, I heard Bravura giving me a piece of advice in my ear.

You're doing great, Valiente. I know it seems frustrating, but you've got to stay calm. By the sounds of it, you've almost got him wrapped around your finger.

"Easy for you to say," I muttered. "I don't even know what to even say to this guy."

No kidding, Siccarius commented. Luckily for you, this guy is surprisingly a lightweight, so if you get yourself two beers for yourself and him–

Elle. He's not twenty-one, Lento Lure, for the first time that night, interjected. He'll get in trouble.

No he won't, Bravura contradicted. I gave him a fake ID before he left. He'll be fine.

A fake–you know, I shouldn't even be surprised anymore, Lento Lure sighed.

While they said that, I could hear Sicarius cheering and gloating on how she was right and Lento Lure was wrong.

Looks like even when I was away from the idiots from U.A. and that criminal, I still felt like I was surrounded by idiots. I groaned, wishing this night didn't have to go by so slowly. Sure, I was glad that I was actually on a mission to shut down illegal activity, but going through all this undercover stuff to actually get to that part? I just wanted it to end.

Apparently, it showed too. When I walked up to the bar, the man behind commented on how rough I looked and asked if it was a long day. It was all small talk. It was all useless. The moment I left, he'd forget all about running into me. All he'd care about was the fact that he was making money.

The man didn't even ask for the ID when he handed me the two drinks. Not that it mattered. I was certain that if the ID came from Bravura, it was convincing enough for anyone to believe it. All I had to do was give the man my card for the payment and walk back to where Tobias was.

Which meant I was going to deal with the same problem again.

"What am I going to even say?" I asked.

Just follow my lead, Sicarius claimed.

Her words weren't very reassuring.

As much as I wanted to say something, I couldn't. The criminal lifted his head and smiled. "Hey, just in time. It's yuh turn again."

I handed him his drink, grabbed my cue stick that was leaning against the pool table, and laid my drink on the ledge. It was strange seeing the glass filled with golden liquid sitting there. My siblings always snuck me a drink whenever we had gotten together, but this was different. I was on a mission and needed my mind to be as sharp as ever. A drink or two wouldn't hurt, but I knew I needed to be careful.

Just like when playing this game, both at the pool table and trying to get an in on this dog fight.

Leaning down so I could level myself with the cue ball, I drew in a deep breath. This game wasn't far from finishing. There was only one striped ball left for him to knock into a pouch before he could go for the eight ball. Of course he'd be better at this than me, but that just meant my time was running out if he could easily end the game the next time it was his turn.

Is pool a quick game, or did he cheat while I was away? I wouldn't be surprised either way since he was a criminal, but I was still curious. Just not as curious as I was about completing my mission. Luckily, Sicarius seemed to have noticed this as she gave me a few pieces of advice on what to ask this guy.

"America is very different from Japan," I noted, twisting the stick in my hands. "There are some things back home I can't seem to find going on here."

"Oh really," Tobias mused. "Like whuh?"

"I don't know where to begin. It's just everything is babied here and so...closely looked at," I explained. "So much stuff I can't even do here because it's frowned upon. I say one thing about what I want to do, and my girlfriend just yells at me like I'm in the wrong. It's really annoying. I just need a break."

After saying those words I hit the cue ball, barely knocking another solid into a pouch. It was probably the last ball I was going to get in seeing how far away the other ones were and how close the last stripe was. The good news was that it was enough for the criminal to take the bait.

While I walked to the other side to try to hit the ball once more, Tobias pulled his glass from his lips, letting out a satisfying sigh. "Whuh's that girl of yuhs doin' tonight?"

I shrugged. What was Tami even doing tonight? At this time, I could imagine she was probably having dinner with her family or maybe even giving her little brother a phone call before he went to school. Strange to think that at this time, everyone back home would just be waking up.

"Not really my problem," I claimed. "Get a night not hearing her whine, so I'd like to enjoy doing something she wouldn't try to make me feel guilty for, you know?"

Sicarius praised me from the earpiece I wore, but it didn't make me feel any better. If talking bad about my girlfriend, or I guess, this pretend persona of one I had created for Tobias, was enough to get him to invite me to this thing, then I didn't want to see what other types of people were going to be there. All I knew was that it wasn't going to be what I was used to back home.

"If yuh don't have any plans, I may be able to show yuh something worth your time," Tobias explained as I hit the cue ball, missing it once again. It didn't matter though because looking at Tobias's crooked smile, I had a feeling I had ended this game just on time.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, even though I was fully aware as to what was to come.

I just hope this whole thing would be worth it.

Author's Note:

I'm just realizing how this book is at about at the same point as What Makes a Villain, but it seems like this book is taking off in a more faster pace. I hope it doesn't seem like that on your end, and that if you're reading both books, you're enjoying each one.

In the meantime, lets move onto the chapter question! In this chapter, Raiden and Tobias played a game of pool. If you have an OC, what is their favorite type of games? Do they enjoy a certain kind of sport, or would they rather play a board game? If you don't have an OC (or, if you prefer to answer this question for yourself instead), what is your favorite type of game to play?

That's all I've got for now. Sadly, I don't see an update happening until December, but I will try my hardest. I hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Character Spotlight: Denzel
Quirk: Rage
Likes: Baseball

Song: To Be Added later...I wanted to make sure this chapter was uploaded before October ended in my timezone.