Live A Hero Chapter 1 Episode 2: Banished From Your Place In the World

We pick off a little bit after from last time, sighing or sniffing as you walk down the main street holding you bag. You are also holding a piece of paper your manager had given you earlier, a termination of employment notice. You've been given the pink slip. Flashback kicks in starting right after the big battle in the city and you went back to your workplace. Everyone is already talking about you being an Observer, looking at you in fear and disgust. Word spreads to the higher ups in no time, and days later you're called to an empty room where you're given your termination paper. The manager says that now that they know that you're an Observer, Someone Who Draws in Kaibutsu, they can't keep you there. He asks for your understanding, unable to disguise his terror. Flashback then replays the bit where the Broker advised you to not tell anyone that you're an Observer.

 

Back to the present, you wonder to yourself if this is the curse the Broker was talking about. The power you never asked for, a hex upon yourself. You wonder why this had to happen to you. What did you do to deserve this? Still, you think to yourself that you can't just sit there and seethe or be depressed. You have to think about how you'll live starting tomorrow, about finding new work and making a living. You wonder if you have any savings stashed away, think about how hungry you are, or sigh about your melancholy.

 

You open up your phone and use an app to check your savings, of which it turns out there isn't that much of. You'll need to find work fast, or else you'll end up homeless too. Your stomach rumbles, so that comes first. You check your wallet for how much money you have, then head to a nearby eatery.

 

The place you pick looks to be small from the outside, and the inside is rather packed. A waiter walks up quickly looking apologetic and informs you about how busy they are. Since you're on your own, the waiter asks if you're okay with sharing a table with a stranger. You either agree to this or think aloud on it. In A, you are brought over straight away. In B, you look around the restaurant for an open space. The place seems to be a place in a business district where well-paid people gather. Anywhere else around would probably be rather high class and out of your means, so you reluctantly take the waiter's offer.

 

Anyways, the waiter leads you to a seat and instructs you to use the terminal on the table when you want to order. In a surprise twist, the table you're sharing happens to be where Mokdai and Ryekie are sitting, who are both surprised to see you. You either turn to Mokdai and try to remember his name, talk to Ryekie and refer to him by his code name, or ask why the two of them are there. In A, Mokdai thanks you again for the other day and remarks on his surprise at seeing you here before he could show his appreciation. In B, Ryekie laughs about how you recognized him even if he's not suited up, though Mokdai points out anyone should be able to figure it out since he's still wearing his mask.

 

But in any case, Modkai explains that this restaurant happened to be close to the hospital Huckle was taken to, and now they're here to get something to eat since they got back from visiting. He's going to be hospitalized for a week due to the damage he took in that battle from before. You say that he really did get hurt badly, feel guilty for him protecting you and getting like that, and apologize.

 

Mokdai is surprised and tries to tell you you don't need to worry about it. They work as part of a hero agency, so it's natural for them to protect regular citizens. He's more concerned about you and says Huckle is worried about you as well. You initially try to say nothing's wrong before you admit something has happened. Mokdai thinks you're saying you've been hurt somewhere, but Ryekie says you seem physically fine and asks you if something came up. You decide to tell them about it.

 

After your offscreened explanation, Mokdai expresses concern for you losing your job and apologizes for not having checked to see if you were with some hero agency. He hangs his head low, sincerely apologizing for getting you involved. You either tell him it's not his fault, say you put yourself into the situation to begin with, or say nothing. Ryekie sadly notes that society still is harsh on Observers. Mokdai talks about how the thing about Observers drawing in Kaibutsu is just a rumor. It spread without proof, but it's true that a lot of people believed it. He gets indignant as he talks about how Observers act as Hero Operators so that they can fight and save people. Unfortunately, it's also true that there's no evidence to shoot down the rumor. You bemoan the state of things, say you weren't careful, or sigh about society.

 

Ryekie apologizes to you for getting you involved in their battle and your subsequent firing. But if there's anything they can do to help you, he suggests you tell them since it might lead to something. Ryekie repeats that he'll do anything if it's for your sake since you helped to fight for justice, but a loud voice interrupts your conversation to complain to the waiter about how they're being spoken to.

 

You turn to look at the source of the voice to see three thuggish looking guys talking to one old man, one guy in a uniform, and one guy you've seen before. Akashi scoffs at the thugs calling themselves customers, then points out that there's a sign saying line tickets are being given due to space being filled up. He makes the case that people who shove away people already seated and eating to steal their table do not count as customers, then demands they leave. You recognize Akashi, and narration says he is that guy you saw in your dream.

 

Mokdai asks if you know that worker, then notes the thugs are acting really threateningly. One of the thugs takes offense at Akashi for looking down on them, accusing him of trying to look cool. Mokdai recoils as he says his ears are ringing, and Ryekie says it's a delicate situation but feels like he recognizes the thugs from somewhere. The manager is intimidated into taking the thugs' side and tries to reprimand Akashi, but Akashi protests that he saw the thugs in the act and is against the idea of treating them like real customers. The manager insists, then tries to excuse Akashi as a new hire.

 

One thug disparages the store saying it can't be all that good if they can't train their workers right. Another demands that Akashi apologizes to them just like the old fart. Akashi refuses and turns it around to demand they apologize to the other customers. In response, the yellow thug pics up a glass of ice water and throws it at Akashi. Akashi manages to catch it and says they suck at control, though the water still splashes him. He flings the cup back, smacking the guy right in the nose and flooring him. The manager is aghast at this, and one of the thugs refers to the one knocked down as Mishima while getting angrier. The other refers to him as Shimizu, saying they see there aren't any Observers here so they can Do It. They suggest wrecking the store, and Ryekie says he recognizes the names they used. The thugs say they're part of the Ashitaka (Love Hawk if that means anything) Group and say they'll make the place an example of what happens when people cross them.

 

Akashi is surprised that the group are full blown villains, and the thugs transform like heroes do and summon their weapons. The other customers in the store panic and start running to the corners of the restaurant. You are either surprised they transformed, ask if they're heroes too, or repeat villain to yourself. Mokdai explains that they're villains, people who use hero abilities for crimes and are illegal heroes. He then is a little surprised and asks if you look at the news much. Ryekie recognizes the guys as lower level mobs for the Ashitaka Group, saying they're the bank robber suspects who got away from the Earth Sphere Alliance heroes.

 

The mobs somehow don't recognize Ryekie out of costume and ask if he's a policeman or a hero agency worker. Since they don't think much of him and figure he's a low ranker, they decide to fight him first before trashing the place. Mokdai is baffled they don't recognize Ryekie, and you either comment on their confidence, say it's a classic loss flag, or say you're afraid of them.

 

Anyways, Ryekie chooses to take the mobs up on their challenge and starts to call himself the S Rank Hero when Mokdai freaks out and stops him. Ryekie is surprised to be stopped pre-transformation, but Mokdai points out he can't transform without Huckle there anyway. He is taken aback at this upon remembering that fact. The mobs are confused that Ryekie isn't transforming after all, figuring he was bluffing and go back to their plan of destroying the restaurant. The manager attempts to get them to stop, only to be kicked away for his troubles as Akashi gets dismayed over him.

 

The mobs notice Akashi again and laugh as they dare him to try to stop them if he wants to so much. Akashi gets frustrated with his not being a hero, and Ryekie argues with Mokdai that he can't just let villains loose in front of him. Mokdai says it'd be fine if there was an Operator from some other business, but that's not the case now. They can't call up Huckle to do it either, even if they went with space Skyping. Mokdai then mentions that he's heard activating the hero transformation uses the Operator's physical energy, which he's reluctant to have Huckle do with him being hospitalized and all. Ryekie gets frustrated and asks if he's telling him to stand down until some other hero arrives, at which point you insert yourself into the conversation to Mokdai's surprise as you suggest helping again.

 

Ryekie realizes now that your being here means you could act as Operator. Mokdai protests, acknowledging that you can work as Operator, but last time was an emergency while under normal circumstances you doing so would be a big ordeal. The biggest problem he sees with the idea is that you aren't affiliated with an agency and are a regular citizen. You either ask if this doesn't count as an emergency, say this is the same as before, or say you refuse to let any damage just happen in front of you.

 

Mokdai doesn't come up with a response to your point, and Ryekie starts requesting that you fight with him. He understands if you aren't feeling up to it with the whole getting fired thing, and he's willing to stop fighting this battle if another hero gets here. You decide to agree, which Mokdai has some reservations about and starts trying to think of what to do if the police arrive. Ryekie orders him to get the camera ready for the battle, and Mokdai obeys and asks him to keep in mind the confines of the area and minimize collateral. He pulls a camera from his bag and gets it set up along with some lighting.

 

Akashi notices you by this point, and Mokdai says everything is ready. Ryekie asks you to transform him, so your Operator app or whatever chirps about finding a parallel world path for Zap the Justice and directions to press the OK button if you want to begin the operation. You go ahead and do so, and light flashes like lightning, leaving Ryekie transformed into hero mode when it fades and loudly announcing his presence as his cape flutters. The other patrons start cheering in relief while the mobs finally realize what they're getting into. When one of them suggests that they're screwed no matter how hard they fight, the lead mob threatens them to kill them if they won't fight, saying they'll lose when they think they'll lose. Ryekie tells you to get ready as he starts the episode battle with Akashi looking on in surprise. More story after that.

 

After the battle, the story picks up around the time Justice kicks all the mobs' asses, and a police siren blares outside. A crowd of policemen pour into the restaurant, and that one police dog/wolf starts announcing their presence before he notices and asks if Justice has already taken the thugs down. Justice confirms as much and asks the police to go arrest the villains. The police dog is surprised and disappointed it's over already since he was apparently looking forward to transforming and shooting at the evildoers. Before he says any more, a detective walks up and whacks him, calling him Barrel and reminding him to do his police job right. He nods and deflates a little, tail down as he approaches the thugs.

 

The detective sighs about how it's good that Barrel has the enthusiasm for the job but he has his shortcomings he doesn't say out loud. He then turns to Justice and thanks him for helping to apprehend the thugs. They got caught up in some traffic congestion on the national highway and apologize for being late. Justice laughs it off saying it's part of hero's work and calls the detective Ganmei. Ganmei laughs too and says Justice is motivated as always. At this point Ganmei notices that Huckle isn't here and asks if you're the Operator, which Justice confirms. He's about to say more on that when Mokdai cuts in to claim you're a temp Operator subbing in for Huckle. You turn to Mokdai in confusion.

 

Mokdai whispers to you to play along because things will get so much more complicated otherwise. He then claims that your papers for the management bureau haven't been sent in yet, but they'll get right on that. You nod along as best you can, still confused. Ganmei is a little taken aback at this but seems to buy it, telling you guys to get it done quick before they start nagging. The thugs are thrown into the police cars by this point, so Ganmei says it's time to go and orders the offices taking testimonies from the victims and crime scene investigations to stick around. The rest leave shortly afterwards.

 

Mokdai sighs in relief and thanks you. He has some things he needs to write out, so he asks if you'll wait a little bit since having you fight twice while not under contract is a legal issue. You agree and comment on that being a problem. Random people start talking in relief, and Akashi mutters to himself in his confusion, wondering what happened to you. On that note, the episode ends.