POV: Undercover Hero Public Safety Commission Agent. Cover: Special Investigator Kaito Sakamoto.
The child was very reluctant to speak, that much was obvious by the fact he spent two hours in near complete silence. The child didn't look like much, a little bit more muscular than a child his age should be, a bit smarter too, but overall not very strange. Most would not assume that he would be a high priority person of interest for one of Japan's most influential governmental organization.
Every second of footage regarding the incident with the child was carefully reviewed by a dozen agents of the Commission. Every twitch of his eye, every hitch of his breath, every breath he took was carefully combed through to build a budding psych profile, that still provided painfully little information.
I tried to warn the higher ups that the son of two parents with powerful Quirks was unlikely to be Quirkless, yet I was ignored. Told I was being "too paranoid." I pushed for the initial psych eval, and was responsible for the delay caused by waiting for the second one. The results where very extreme, but not entirely unexpected for someone who developed a powerful Quirk at a significantly older age than most. The real shocker came in the interview.
Perhaps if we had more time to build his profile I would have been better prepared. Unfortunately the police had already done irreparable damage to their relationship with the boy in their hasty detainment. This made initial conversation stagnant when following his secondary assessment.
Professionals had made the assumption that his Quirk had enhanced strength, durability, and speed in addition to flight. Speculated was a possible increase in intelligence and enhanced senses, suspected from what the cameras picked up his reaction. A near seamless blend of the best of both his parents' Quirks without any of the drawbacks. Truly a marvel for the scientists studying Quirk Evolution Theory.
Regardless, his initially hostile attitude was slowly put to rest over the course of our conversation as I built rapport.
Children are not as stupid as people believe they are. Its easy to frustrate them with overly complex words, yes, but they also liked to think they're smart and mature, even when they're not. Using words that sounded complex and formal might throw them off a bit in the beginning, but they could adapt in a shockingly short period of time. This tactic worked like a charm against the subject.
Soon shackles and cuffs came off, he was fed his favorite food, and our conversation slowly became more casual.
Every word was carefully reviewed, every movement he made studied under the highest scrutiny without his knowledge.
What really helped was when I picked up on a tick he has, one I doubted he was aware of. When he was nervous his left eye would blur for a split second, likely twitching at super speed.
Eventually we reaches the selling point I was after, the deal we would offer the child to ensure he remains with us. First, the stick.
"I'll be blunt with you Julian" I said, "you're looking at twenty-seven counts of illegal Quirk use. You're also looking at four counts of Assault and Battery with a quirk and vigilantism." I waited for the information to sink in before continuing.
"Each count of Illegal Quirk use comes with a one year sentence." That was a blatant lie, illegal Quirk use on its own was punishable by a maximum of one year and a fine equal to the damages caused and came with a minimum of one month and or a fine.
"While assault carries a minimum five year sentence and up to twenty." That much was true but only for adult offenders, juveniles could have their time lowered significantly, especially in his particular case given he was acting to help others. Not that the Commission would let him off with anything short of the harshest punishment if he didn't agree one way or another
"You're looking at a minimum of forty-seven years in a high security prison if we go to trial and you are found guilty." Fear flashed across his face. Julian tried to protest but I cut him off with
"While you might be able to argue self defense, the evidence is stacked against you. We have video evidence, a dozen witness testimonies, and enough forensic evidence to tell the judge what you ate for breakfast." That part was mostly true, which was the beauty of it.
HIs perspiration increased, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes darted like a caged animal. That was the stick, now it is time for the carrot.
"There is, however, another option." I said, reading off the list of terms prepared.
"I have a deal prepared for you, one that would let you avoid prison, and still be eligible for a hero license. You would instead spend the next ten years on probation, free to live at home without having to see the inside of a cell. In addition you will have to partake in and a pass a mandatory two-year Safe Quirk Use course, and complete twenty thousand hours of community service, and have meekly meetings with your probation officer and a court-approved councilor. You must complete one-quarter of your community service hours and complete the course before becoming eligible to apply to a Hero Public Safety Commission Hero Course. You may compete the remainder of your hours working as a civil servant like a policeman, firefighter, or Pro Hero."
There it was, the perfect sell, a text book example of the perfect stick and carrot.. Harsh enough to ease any suspicion of a set-up, light enough to make it his only viable option. He would practically be forced to become a Pro Hero, having such a powerful hero properly "educated" at such a young age would be a boon we sorely needed.
I could see the gears turning in his head, considering my proposal. Marveled at how great of a deal he received. Suspicion directed at the situation, excitement, likely at the thought of becoming a Hero, and a dozen other emotions crossed his face.
I gave him plenty of time to process, the now casual smile on my face becoming a beacon of support for the child.
Finally, he responded.
"I accept." He said, his voice small.
Perfect.
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A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was hard for me to write from first person perspective so this will probably be the first one. I would greatly appreciate if anyone still reading leaves a comment (even if its negative), it helps me with motivation even if I don't always respond or say it.