InsaneJournal

Thomas was finding that he didn’t have enough time in the day. Between plowing through his school work, investigating a series of murders, and attempted murders, trying to understand a parallel dimension, the powers it granted, stay in shape, and research everyone on the Persona team to see if any of them could be the killer, he was certainly swamped. Recreational learning had gone completely out the window, and even trying to reduce the amount of sleep he got wasn’t helping.  He’d had to pause the murder investigation for the time being, and he was getting into less fights simply because he didn’t have time to go looking for them anymore.
Thomas was forced to conclude that Shadowknights ability to be on the Heroes Society of Earth, capture super criminals, and patrol the streets for regular crime all the while maintaining his secret identity was very likely a fabrication made by comic book creators, similar to invulnerable people who could fly, and love interests.

The lack of fights was exactly why he was out and about. Schoolwork finished, and dead ends on the murder investigation. And as for the Persona users… there was too much confusion there. The things some of them said and the way the acted. Even more then that the way Tom felt talking to them. That group of people twisted his world upside down and he tried not to think about it.
It’d left Tom thinking about how many delinquents like Shirai were running rampant because he wasn’t out there keeping an eye on them.  He’d returned to the spot where weeks ago he’d chased away that group who were picking on people heading to the train station passed the local shrine.  He heard the boys laughing, and the sound of a young girl begging them to stop.
That was more then enough for Tom to get involved. Tom grabbed one, and threatened him, reminding the younger boy what happened last time him and his friends came down here and picked on kids. Tom had promised them hell if they’d come back, and since they’d come back he would deliver.

There were four of them, which worked out for Tom. It was true, unlike TV, groups didn’t attack one at a time, which worked out even better for a lone opponent. When everyone attacks en mass, it was much easier to get them to get in each others way.  He’d managed to take down two of them right off the bat. That was costly though.
Taking out the first two meant the other two could double-team him. Two opponents don’t get in each others way, and they’re very effective, especially when their target is ignoring them in favor of making sure their friends won’t get up again.
He was bruised and bloody before he even saw an opening to strike back, but it wasn’t new for him. In fact it was a more well-known and welcome sensation then the whole being nice thing people had been on about these days. He worked through the pain, and just when they thought he was down, he saw a chance to end the fight.
Once the last two boys where down, Tom knew now was the moment to really sell it. While the four of them rolled on the ground, stunned and trying to recover, Tom stood. He crossed his arms and grinned at them as if he hadn’t even been touched.

“Come on, get up. I’m just getting started.”

At the appearance of an opponent who could take their full pummeling and still be eager for more, the four bullies thought better of staying in their position. They got up and hobbled away as fast as they could.
Tom called after them as they went, again warning them against coming back, but as far as he was concerned, they couldn’t go fast enough. He held his defiant stance until they were out of sight, and then let the injuries wash over him. He collapsed against the shrine’s fence, and spit out a mouthful of blood. Finally he slid down to the ground, and just sat there for a moment. Soon he would grab his first aid kit and patch his wounds, soon he would try and get back to the dorm without being seen, but for just this moment, he needed to sit on the ground and hurt.