[attr="class","header2"]APPEARANCE

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Hyousuke was born to one of the Tokyo hero scene's most prominent power couples - Raijin and The Amazon. With one being a lightning-slinging sniper master of the storm, and the other a towering behemoth that could tear any man to shreds with her bare hands, it was no surprise that great things were expected of him. However, while tests confirmed he wasn't Quirkless, in his parents' eyes, he might as well have been. The one he was "blessed" with was so utterly dull that it dashed any hope they had had of him following in their illustrious footsteps.

While the possibility of him being something else that put him in the limelight, the two were vain enough that it didn't matter to them. The child showed no potential of being as strong as they were, and as such, he was given only as much care as was needed to not cause a public scandal. They returned to the field so that they could bask in the praise of their adoring fans, while their son was left in the care of whoever they had hired to look after him during their trips around the capital.

He attempted to gain their love and attention, of course. At first, he tried through his schoolwork. However, his grades were middling at best - and usually poor. He tried through athletics, but while he did better there, his underwhelming Quirk left him behind when it came to real competition. He tried a great many other things - but failed at all of them too. So, bereft of options, he turned instead to lashing out. He got angry, he got aggressive, he got outright violent. Fights were picked, threats were made, lessons were skipped... and it worked. Their attention consisted of admonishment and lectures about how he was disgracing the family name, but for once in his life, they were actually talking to him.

So he continued to lash out, and in turn, continued to get worse. It was only natural, then, that he ended up with a group of delinquents. Though hardly the best of influences, they gave him some semblance of companionship, even if it came in the form of using him as muscle for their petty crimes. It was the first time in ages that he felt like people truly appreciated him, and so despite the knowledge that what he was doing was wrong, he stuck with them and did their bidding, lest they kick him to the curb.

It all went awry when they attempted to mug an old man they thought was an easy mark, though. It turned out that he was a retired hero, and without so much as breaking a sweat, he sent them all scurrying away - all but one, left as a distraction so the others could make a quick escape. Hyousuke. Cornered and unable to fight back, he was at the man's mercy... and it turned out he had plenty to give. After threatening to hunt the boy down should he return to a life of crime, he let Hyousuke go, promising not to tell the police anything. Hyousuke did return to the group - but not to be a part of them once more.

Angered by his supposed friends, he demanded an explanation, and threatened the leader if he didn't get one that satisfied him. The response he got was a sound thrashing. Tough as he was, Hyousuke couldn't take on several of his peers at once, and he was left broken and bloody on the floor, barely able to drag himself out of the building before collapsing into a crumpled heap on the floor. The last thing that he saw, before his vision faded to black, was a familiar silhouette bending down to check his pulse, before calling an ambulance.

When he woke up, it was in a hospital bed, his body wrapped in bandages. He glanced around, hoping to see something - or someone - that might bring him comfort, but there was nothing. Just the other patients and staff, going about their business in the cold, sterile, environment of a hospital ward. He wasn't surprised that his parents hadn't shown up, of course. He would have been more surprised if they'd cared enough to ask a doctor if he was going to be alright. But to know they hadn't even done that... it was galling for the boy.

That familiar silhouette, however, did pay him a visit. It was the old man, who introduced himself as Osamu - the former hero Shadowstalker that he had tried to mug. He apologised for not having shown up earlier, having had to speak with the police and pull some favours to keep Hyousuke from being embroiled in something bigger. When asked how he knew what would happen, however, he took on a lot more sombre a tone, saying that the look in Hyousuke's eyes was one he knew well. It was anger, pure and simple - hatred distilled down into its purest form. Knowing he'd never stop Hyousuke from going back, he tailed him instead, but arrived at the hideout too late to keep things from escalating.

Osamu could leave Hyousuke to his own devices, however, Hyousuke demanded something of him - a chance at something better. A chance to train, and become a hero like Osamu had once been. He wouldn't go back to the gang, even if he could. The scar cutting across his eye served as a reminder of his "reward" for his loyalty, after all. But he couldn't go back to his parents, to his school, and to everything that he'd put up with all those years before. It was a place he didn't feel like he belonged. He knew it was desperate, of course. He didn't know what the old man could even do to help him. But Osamu had proven that he cared more than anyone else in his life had, and Hyousuke hadn't many other options.

Once again, Osamu saw something in Hyousuke's eyes. But it wasn't just anger. Frustration festered in the corners of his gaze, but more than that, there was determination. Grit, blazing in his eyes, flowing in his veins as the boy clenched both his fists and his teeth. He was rough, he was dumb, and he was reckless... But Osamu saw something that every master lived to see in a pupil - raw, untamed, potential. That conviction would be dangerous if left unchecked, but if honed and directed? Given purpose, and given pride? He could scarcely begin to imagine. Even as he warned that training would be gruelling, and he would demand that Hyousuke excel in both body and mind, the boy didn’t falter once. His conviction was absolute - he would be a hero, or die trying.

True to his word, Osamu put Hyousuke through hell. Even his superhuman stamina regeneration was pushed to its absolute limits, with his body verging on breaking seemingly every other day in the pursuit of strength. His mind was not spared the torture either. A good hero was more than just a pair of fists and some handcuffs, after all, and Osamu would not allow an idiot to inherit his legacy. But despite the harshness of his teacher, and the exhaustion wrought by his lessons, Hyousuke persevered. He could take it - he had to, after all, lest he fall back into the life he'd led.

Their efforts, though long and arduous, bore fruit. Hyousuke passed both the practical and written exams - perhaps not with flying colours, as smarter or stronger applicants had done, but it was a pass nevertheless. Hyousuke was ecstatic when he received that letter declaring his acceptance into those hallowed halls, and Osamu was moved enough that he almost shed a tear. For once in his life, Hyousuke's efforts had paid off. He had a shot at a better life, one free from the grasp of criminals and vainglorious parents. Finally, he was free. Even if the challenges that faced him seemed daunting, he was determined to meet them head-on, knowing what awaited him if he failed.