Chapter 42: Internships, Day 1
"Here we are," Izuku said, looking up at Ryukyu's agency, a billboard advertising Ryukyu's clothing line on display.
Izuku could hear Ddraig shudder in a mix of worry and fear when they arrived. He was tempted to say something to calm the dragon down, but decided against it since he might make things worse.
"You doing okay, Yukimura?" Milia asked.
"I'm fine," Fuyuko answered. Izuku and Milia weren't sure they believe her or not.
"Let's head in," Izuku suggested, leading the way as the three walked into the hero office. The inside was predominantly red with a Chinese feel, with columns decorated with golden Chinese dragons and statues of guardian lions.
The receptionist looked up and flashed a smile with far too many sharp teeth.
"The U.A. kids, right? She's in the middle of an important call, once she's done she'll see you. In the meantime just wait right there."
The receptionist pointed to a waiting room.
"Thank you." The three quickly shuffled over to the room and waited.
"Wow! It's the first years!" A cheerful voice called out. A girl a little older than them with long flowing periwinkle hair, wearing a skintight, royal blue and pale mint green costume, appeared in front of them. "I saw both of you at the Sports Festival! I saw what you did!"
She appeared next to Milia, and pulled her arm up, closely inspected her hand. "How does your Quirk work? Do you have to file your nails? You're kinda like that wolverine guy! You have great skin. What kind of moisturizer do you use?"
"Umm…"
She quickly turned around and focused on Izuku. "Why did you pick Ryukyu specifically? Are you a big ugly lizard or a cute little lizard? Hey, you are kinda cute. Do you eat crickets like a lizard? Oh wow, that'd be weird. No judgment, tho. Why were you late?"
"Uhh…"
The blue-haired girl then turned to Fuyuko. "Who're you? Are you a new sidekick? Why's your hand cold? I really like your eyes!"
"Er…"
"Nejire-chan, enough," a blond woman dressed in a red qipao, with a large claw-shaped ornament in her hair, lightly scolded the girl.
"Oh, alright, Ryukyu." The girl, Nejire-chan, took a few steps back.
"Sorry about her," Ryukyu smiled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. "Nejire can get pretty excited. Though I am curious," she glanced at Fuyuko. "Who is she?"
Fuyuko looked away as Izuku answered. "This is Yukimura Fuyuko. We met her on our way here at the Kachirho Bridge."
"She… tried to jump off, but we saved her," Milia added. "We couldn't leave her, so we brought her here."
Ryukyu blinked in surprise as Nejire began asking questions again. She had several herself. What could've driven this girl to attempt suicide?
"Midoriya, Takamaki, go get changed into your hero costumes. Nejire, do you mind showing them around and introducing them to everyone?"
"No problem!" Nejire replied. "C'mon you two! Changing rooms are this way!" With that, she quit literally dragged Izuku and Milia away. Fuyuko was tempted to follow, but Ryukyu gently placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Can we talk?" The 9th ranked hero asked. Fuyuko weakly nodded.
Ryukyu led the girl to her office but stopped short of the door when she noticed that Fuyuko's anxiety seemed to get worse. "It's okay. Just take a deep breath," Fuyuko did so, "now exhale, slowly," Fuyuko exhaled as instructed. "Feel better?"
"…A little."
Ryukyu smiled regardless. "Is it okay if I ask a few questions, Yukimura?"
Fuyuko nodded.
"Where do you live?"
"An apartment here in Shinjuku."
"Where's your family?"
"Long gone."
"What school do you attend? I'm guessing by the uniform you go to Shujin Academy?"
"Yeah," Fuyuko confirmed. "But I wish I didn't. Truth is, I hate that school, one person in particular. Our school's volleyball coach, Uchishiba."
Ryukyu noticed how much hate was in Fuyuko's voice when she said the man's name.
"People think that we're dating… that I've even slept with him… but that's completely wrong," Fuyuko muttered out. "After I started attending that goddamned school last year, all kinds of rumors about me started spreading, like how I sleep with my teachers to get good grades. When Uchishiba told me he could stop those rumors, I was happy. I thought I finally found someone who cared for me. But I was wrong. At first, he simply asked me to hang out with him, like at a park, or pick me up from my apartment. I didn't think much of it at first, but it wasn't long before I saw Uchishiba's true colors."
Fuyuko began to shiver in disgust. "He made me his personal 'maid'. He groped me, had me do stupid stuff that you'd see in a nightclub, carry his stuff around… you get the idea."
Ryukyu did, and her normal calm expression showed a clear rage. "Did you report his… advances to the principal?"
"I tried, but the principal brushed me off, and threatened to suspend me if I tried to 'slander' Uchishiba's name again," tears started to build up in Fuyuko's eyes. "All that fat bastard cares about is the school's reputation, so he won't help. When I tried to get help from my classmates, they either didn't believe me or kept quiet, either saying they needed to focus on their studies or because Uchishiba threatened them. And this morning… Uchishiba, he… he told me to go over to his place today… You know what that means…"
Fuyuko shuttered at just the idea of becoming so intimate with the perverted man. "I just… couldn't handle it anymore! I thought if I just up and died, I could finally get away from that demon! Maybe even get the police to investigate that worthless excuse of a school! What else was I supposed to do!?" Fuyuko pleaded, her emotions spilling forth.
Gently, Ryukyu wrapped her arms around the teen. "It's okay. You can stay here for as long as you need to, Fuyuko," Ryukyu reassured. "And I promise, I'll do what I can to make sure Uchishiba get's punished for this."
Fuyuko smiled, tears streaming down her face as she embraced the hero. "Thank you."
Bakugo silently fumed as sat in his seat on the train. He should've been at Best Jeanist's agency. Instead, he was heading for a completely different city with some no-name agency. And worst of all…
Bakugo turned to glare at his quote-unquote companion for the week, Monoma, who returned with his usual arrogant smug grin.
"[Attention, we are arriving at Yokohama Station.]"
At the announcement of the intercom, Bakugo and Monoma readied to leave the train. "I can't help but find the humor in this," Monoma said as the two got off the train. "Someone from the illustrious Class 1-A isn't interning with a hero? Maybe they're not as grand as they believe?"
"Huh? That's funny coming from a guy who didn't receive any offers and is also not interning with a hero!" Bakugo growled back, the two not noticing someone was pushing their way through the crowd to meet them.
"Excuse me?"
"And yet out of everyone who did receive offers, you received the least," Monoma said with his usual smug grin, appearing to be on the verge of a breakdown.
"SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I DESTROY YOU, YOU CONDESCENDING BASTARD!"
"Uh, excuse me?"
"WHAT!?" Bakugo exclaimed, causing the guy who was trying to interrupt to jump back.
He seemed to be around the same age as them, a few years older at least. He had light gray hair, pale skin, and is of average height with a slim build. His eyes had two colors, being purple on the top half of his iris and yellow along the bottom curve of his pupil. His hair is short and swept forward in loose spikes with a lock left long on the right side of his face, with a prominent black streak. His attire consisted of a white button-up with the sleeves pushed to his elbows, a loose black tie, black pants, black fingerless gloves, suspenders, and a long black belt that resembled a tail.
"Uh, I'm Nakajima Atsushi," the guy muttered as he slowly recomposed himself. "I'm with the Armed Detective Agency. I came to pick you two up."
Bakugo knew him for barely a minute, but he could already tell that this guy was just like Deku.
"Ah, hello good sir," Monoma greeted, immediately trying to suck up Atsushi.
"There's no reason to call me 'sir'," Atsushi said. "I only joined the Armed Detective Agency recently. Anyway, follow me."
"Of course," Monoma smiled, following Atsushi as Bakugo grumbled behind them. "I cannot wait to outshine this Pomeranian during our internship."
"Go to hell, Copycat!"
'Will someone please explain to me how these two are hero students?' Atsushi silent asked, totally baffled.
It didn't take long for Atsushi to lead Bakugo and Monoma to the office of the ADA. It was a reddish-brown brick building, the Agency office situated on the fourth floor.
For the most part, it looked like a regular office, complete with several desks covered in field, bookshelf's, a little lounge, and even several plants for decoration. Though, one thing did stand out. "The hell?" Bakugo blinked, surprised at all the broken windows and bullet holes in the walls, and how nonchalant everyone seemed to be at cleaning it all up, except for one guy wearing a stereotypical detective outfit, with a brown hat and a matching shawl over his shoulders, who was sitting on a desk drinking soda.
"What happened here?" Monoma asked.
"Oh, the Port Mafia attempted to do a raid yesterday," Atsushi answered.
"What." The blondes both flatly said.
"Yeah," Atsushi nodded sheepishly. "Apparently, it happens sometimes."
"Back already, Atsushi," a young woman said upon noticing their presence. She had black hair in a bob cut, with a golden butterfly hairpin. She wore a white blouse and plain black skirt. The look in her eyes was attentive, but Bakugo could tell that something in them was sadistic.
"Y-Yes, Dr. Yosono," Atsushi replied.
"Sorry about making you do it. Normally Kunikida is the one who shows any hero interns we take the ropes, but he's currently apologizing to our neighbors for the recent ruckus," Yosono said. "Haruno, could you tell the president the two U.A. students are here."
"Right away," a woman with brown hair and red-rimmed glasses replied as she entered a small hallway. A couple of seconds later, she returned. "Monoma, the president wishes to speak to you first."
Monoma gave Bakugo his typical arrogant smirk as he entered the hallway, Bakugo grinding his teeth in anger. Before he could explode, though, Yosono walked up to him.
"You got time on your hands?"
"Yeah. So?" Bakugo asked. He got his answer when Yosono handed him a broom.
"Then start earning your keep."
Reluctantly, Bakugo took part in cleaning the office. 'Why the hell did I listen to that black-winged bastard?'
After a few minutes, Monoma walked back out, though his usual smug grin was gone. Bakugo would've laughed at the change in deposition if Haruno didn't call for him.
"The president would like to speak to you now, Bakugo."
Bakugo huffed in response and headed for the back to the president's office.
As soon as the aid let him in she closed the door. Sitting at the desk was a tall man with a stern expression on his face. His hair was long and silver, ending just above his shoulder, his eyes were metallic blue and there appear to be wrinkles under them. He wore a green yukata under a black haori with golden borders with a zigzag pattern, and zori sandals with white tabi socks.
He was reading a report. A report with Bakugo's name and face on it. "Bakugo Katsuki," he read aloud. "Age,16. Birthdate, April 20th. Quirk called Explosion, where you sweat and ignite a nitroglycerin-like substance from your palms. Before U.A. you attended Aldera Junior High, along with Midoriya Izuku, who you've known since before primary school, Milia Takamaki, and Shiozaki Ibara. In the U.A. Entrance Exam, you scored 2nd in the written exam and 5th in the practical. During the Sports Festival, you made it to the third event before being eliminated by your own actions."
That reminder caused Bakugo to growl like a dog in anger. "Why the hell does any of that matter!?" Bakugo demanded.
"We would be a poor excuse of a detective agency if we didn't investigate any potential new members, temporary or not," the president replied. "My name is Fukuzawa Yukichi, and while I may not be a hero, you will be under my care for the week. As such I'm obligated to help you improve both in skill, and as a person. Of course, I didn't need to investigate your past to know what kind of person you are. I can tell from a glance: An egotistical little boy who spent his entire life getting everything that he wanted."
That struck a nerve. Teeth grinding together in anger, Bakugo stomped forward. "That's not true! You don't know a damn thing about me, old man!"
*Swosh!*
In less than a second, Bakugo felt something sharp pressed against his neck. He quickly realized it was a katana, drawn by the president. Bakugo's eyes widened in shock, both at the fact a katana was at his throat, and how fast the president moved. 'I didn't even see the fucker move!'
"Which brings us to arguably your biggest flaw: your belief that you're the strongest. It's true you're incredibly skilled, possibly good enough to become a sidekick, but the moment you believe someone is looking down on you, you react violently. And while you are driven to prove yourself as the strongest, it's just as much as your biggest weakness as it is your greatest strength. You focus so much on being the strongest that you overlook everything and everyone around you. Put simply, you're a mad dog who can focus only on one thing."
Fukuzawa pulled the blade back, causing Bakugo to stumbled forward. "If you can't even get control of your anger and can't keep your pride in check, then you'll never become a hero," he added as he sheathed the katana.
Bakugo turned to glare at the president hatefully.
"'If your enemy is choleric, seek to anger him,'*" the president continued. "It's a tried and true tactic on the battlefield, deception wins as many wars as superior strength and numbers do."
"Sounds like a damn coward's trick to me," Bakugo huffed.
"Is it a coward's trick if it lets a general spare his men's lives from being obliterated?"
"I just need to be better than the villains, my Quirk is already great," Bakugo rebuked.
"Maybe," the president said. "But there will come times where your Quirk won't be enough," the president sat back down at his desk. "Like what happened a moment ago. Had I been a villain, you would've been dead long before you could use your Quirk."
Bakugo gnashed his teeth in anger, knowing that the silver-haired man was right. This will be a long week.
Tenya marched down Hosu City streets in his hero costume, the Normal Hero Manuel in front of him. Manual was a man wearing a blue and white skintight long sleeve shirt that tucked into his large yellow gloves and his dark gray pants. In addition to this, he wore both white boots and a helmet with a fish-like fin and visor design on it.
"Normally, we're mostly just waiting for calls from clients, but recently, you know, Hosu's been kind of hectic," Manuel smiled as he showed Tenya around the area.
"And these street patrols help suppress crime while also reassuring the public…" Tenya deduced.
"That's right, it helps ease everyone, even if just a little bit," Manuel smiled as he waved at a few kids waving at him. After a few seconds of silence, Manuel chuckled. "But man, to think that Ingenium's little brother actually decided to intern at my agency, I'm so lucky! I'm sure you had so many better offers from other heroes, but I'm more than glad that you decided to come to my agency," the Pro said cheerfully.
Tenya walked silently as he went deep within his thoughts. Based on everything he knew, it was likely Stain was still somewhere within Hosu. After he had nearly killed his brother, Tenya had been filled with nothing but a silent rage. But then, Yuuto opened up to him, while Ibara and Rosalba managed to help Tensei heal. While there was hope Tensei could walk again one day, his heroic career was over. Apparently, the Hero Killer had split the engines in Tensei's arms, making it impossible for him to use his Quirk again.
Tenya squeezed his fist. He had come here to kill Stain and to avenge his brother. But now he was beginning to have second thoughts. He wasn't even able to focus on his schoolwork. And he was conflicted on whether he should report to the police and heroes that Yuuto killed someone. A detestable person from what he described, but still.
This may be a long week. And if he were to stumble upon Stain… he just hoped he could keep his anger in check.
The moment Momo and Tsubasa stepped into the Fat Gum agency, they were assaulted by the smell of food cooking, specifically something being fried in oil. "That smells good," Tsubasa said.
"Yes," Momo agreed.
"Ah, you must be Yaoyorozu and Yura!" A giant yellow and white matryoshka doll said as it entered the room, several sticks of what looked to be dango in his hand. Behind him was a guy a little older than them peeking around the corner in a blue, gold, and white costume. He ducked away when he realized they saw him.
"Don't mind Tamaki, here. He's just shy," the man replied. "I'm Toyomitsu Taishiro, by the way, otherwise known as the BMI Hero: Fat Gum," with that he offered them dango sticks.
The girls graciously took the offered treats and bowed.
"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, the Everything Hero: Creati."
"And I'm Yura Tsubasa, the Absorption Hero: Osmosia."
"Welcome to the Fat Gum Agency. I was happy to see that there was a fatty to help out in U.A. this year."
Momo's smile cracked, "F-fat?"
"I didn't mean it like that! I meant you also use fats. Fatty! It's what I call people like us."
"He means that your Quirk uses your fat cells like his Quirk does…" Tamaki quietly explained, from the doorway, only his hooded head visible, dark blue hair jutting out.
"And you are?" Tsubasa asked.
Tamaki seemed to sulk even further. 'No matter how much I pretend they're potatoes, I can't look them in the eye. Girls are scary…'
"Enough with your shy act, Tamaki," Fat Gum lightly reprimanded. "He's Amajiki Tamaki, a student at U.A. like you, only a third year."
Momo and Tsubasa both did a double-take. 'He's our senpai?'
"Like I said, Tamaki's shy. He'll warm up to you two eventually," Fat Gum reassured. "But for now, I want to see you two out in the field and get you acquainted with the city," he informed, quickly downing the remaining dango, "that means you too Suneater, you haven't been here since your second year, and there are some new food stalls I want you to try for your Quirk. Oh, yeah, Creati, Osmosia, if either you get hungry just grab something from a stall and tell them to put it on my tab."
They simply nodded as the hero headed out the door, Suneater hurrying after him with a soft greeting tossed their way.
"Oh, cool!" Setsuna giggled as she and Liana arrived at the Black Knight agency.
"Lia, Tokage, over here!" Liana's half-sister, Cynthia, greeted them. Her hero costume was a full-body suit that looked similar to a scuba diving suit and scale-like body armor placed around her shoulder blades, her chest, and knees and elbows, which showed off her curves, especially around her hips and legs. The suit's base coloring was black while the scale-like armor was red. There was also a tank on her back, with tubing leading from her shoulders to her palms.
"Fenette-senpai," Setsuna greeted.
"Please, call me Cynthia," she replied as she led the two into the agency.
They were soon greeted by the heroes in charge of the agency: Guren and Zero.
Guren was a woman with spiky red hair, and wearing a red motorcycle suit that was skintight, with silvery protective padding on her shins, shoulders, wrists, and sides, and how the suit was zipped up the entire length of her front, from her crotch to her neck.
Zero's body was draped in a black cape with spikes along the shoulders and back. It clung around a dark purple suit with golden outlines and a white cravat. He also wore a pair of black gloves. But his most startling feature was his mask. He wore a black spiked mask; the top spikes gave it the impression as though it were a type of crown, with a round indigo sphere for the face. All in all, his costume somewhat looked more fitting for a villain than a hero. Likely why Zero was voted number 1 among heroes who look like villains.
"Mother, father," Liana greeted.
"Lia, there's no need to be so formal," Guren said, ruffling Liana's hair.
"Mother…" Liana pouted.
Cynthia and Setsuna giggled at the sight. "That's enough Kallen," Zero lightly repined. "Girls, this way," the masked hero led through the agency.
Setsuna looked around the shared office of Zero and Guren, taking it all in. Liana was unfazed, due to seeing it thousands of times before. As Setsuna looked, something on the desk caught her attention. It was several files, reports, and photos. One file was titled 'HPSC Investigation'. "What's all this?"
"Oh, just a side project me and Guren have been working on," Zero replied, putting the various files away. "Now then, let's get started. Tokage, what does being a hero entail?" Liana's father asked.
"Stopping crime, right?"
"Yeah, but there's a bit more," Guren nodded. "Pro Heroes are, technically speaking, government employees. With the abilities that we have, we're a bit different from ordinary workers."
"When a crime occurs, the police contact the heroes. Their requests come in all at once and are filtered out by a district. More often than not they focus on rescue operations and assisting with arrests. Once everything is done, we file reports on our services," Zero added. "Surprisingly, being a pro involves a hell of a lot of paperwork."
"Which you always dump on ME!" A voice yelled out from outside.
"Shut up, Tamaki!" Guren yelled back while Cynthia giggled.
"Aren't heroes allowed to do more than that, though?" Itsuka asked, trailing behind the hero she was interning with, in her hero costume. "Like the teachers at U.A.? Or how Present Mic does that radio show?"
"They are," Sanada Akihiko, better known as the Boxing Hero: Thunder Fist, answered. He had short silver hair, gray eyes, and two white band-aids on his face (one above his left eye, the other on his right cheek), and stubble. On the left side of his head, there was a cross-shaped scar. His hero costume, if it could be called that, was a pair of worn brown pants (with the left thigh bandaged while the right had several tears), reddish-brown mixed-martial-arts gloves, and a matching cape. He also had a large knife holstered by a brown belt. Akihiko also wasn't wearing a shirt, exposing three scars on his chest, and a few scars on his arms.
"There was a great deal of controversy surrounding that topic when the occupation was first being established. However, heroes proved to be more popular than expected and the public came to demand it." Akihiko added. "But enough with that," he stretched a little before facing his intern. "Time to start training."
"Huh?"
"Heroes are constantly practicing their abilities in order to keep sharp, even while on patrol. Show me what you can do, Battle Fist. Try to keep up," before Itsuka could question exactly what he was talking about, Thunder First dashed off.
Eyes widening, Itsuka ran after her mentor.
Mizu let out a sigh, leaning back in her chair as she went over the piles of paperwork she was given. "I need a break."
Getting up, Mizu left the faculty office and made her way to the teacher's lounge. Once there she prepped a packet of cup ramen and some green tea. As the noodles heated up, Mizu glanced outside at the sunset, the sky a beautiful orange color.
As she looked out the window, Mizu began to wonder how Ochako and the other students were doing. But her mind couldn't help but wonder about another subject. 'Stain… what are you up to right now?'
Stain looked around, taking careful note of his surroundings and exit while keeping an eye on the two men that had 'invited' him and the woman to have a talk. These three, the one with the hands all over his body, the humanlike black smoke cloud behind the counter, and the large blond man with a fake eye, were clearly villains of some sort. He recognized the blond as Imasuji Gouto, alias Muscular, a notorious A-Rank villain who's killed dozens of people, including several fake heroes. While Muscular was far too bloodthirsty to see his ideals, he supposed the other two, along with the woman, Lailah, might be useful in his crusade.
"I see, so you're the ones who attacked U.A.," he mused. "And you want me to join your group."
"Yeah. Come on, you've got so much more experience as a villain," pleaded Shigaraki with a rather monotone voice. Stain could pick up a hint of sarcasm in it, too.
"What are you after?"
"For now? I just want to kill All Might. I want to break everything I don't like. Damn kids like those… everything. Especially the dragon brat," Shigaraki growled, holding a photo of someone Stain recognized as the boy who had won the Sports Festival. But that was secondary to what he had just said.
Stain narrowed his eyes, "I was foolish to be interested. You're the type of person I hate the most." Both Kurogiri and Shigaraki looked at Stain in confusion while Stain continued on, "You want me to go along with your childish tantrum? What meaning is there to killing without conviction?"
Kurogiri looked at the scene in worry, as they had brought Stain here on a spur to help Shigaraki grow. But with how the situation was going, he couldn't help but voice his concern. "Master, should I step in?"
["Let it happen,"] the Master replied. ["It's possible this is the only way he'll learn anything. He needs to think about the ways he must grow. How he can mature! Only then will he reach his potential. And Muscular?"] the blond villain looked to the tv. ["Be sure not to get involved. This is Tomura's fight, not yours."]
Muscular let out an annoyed groan. "Fine…"
Stain narrowed his eyes at the television screen behind the man-child. "Who are you supposed to be?"
["Oh, I'm just an observer for Tomura. Pay me no mind."] He chuckled.
Stain didn't know why, but he could sense how dangerous this man was just from the voice alone. Regardless, he decided to act. In an instant, Stain already threw two knives, wounding Kurogiri on the arm and drawing blood. Then, with a burst of speed, Stain stabbed Shigaraki in the shoulder, toppling him over. Before Kurogiri could even attempt to do anything, he felt his body suddenly seize up, unable to move. Kurogiri looked around as best as he could to see what could've frozen him but was unable to ascertain just what it was. He did notice that the knife that Stain and nicked him with was right next to Stain.
"So, you want me to be a part of your crumbling little league," hissed the Hero Killer. "But you won't accomplish anything if you don't have conviction and desire. Without those, you'll always be an aimless weakling. Achieving nothing. That's how you got here."
"Owww… that hurts, you jerk," Shigaraki growled. "Kurogiri, take this guy back."
Kurogiri struggled to move. "I'm sorry. I can't move. It must be the Hero Killer's Quirk at work."
Shigaraki peers over to the other end of the bar. "And what's your excuse, Muscular?"
"You heard the boss. He told me not to interfere," the blond villain answered. "Believe me, I really want to get involved, but even I know better than to disobey him."
"And you, Lailah?" Shigaraki spat at the spider-woman, who watched with glee.
"I haven't officially joined," Lailah pointed out. "That, and sometimes it's more fun to watch."
"The word 'hero' has lost all meaning in this society. The world is overrun by fakes and criminals like you who chase petty dreams. They must all be purged!" Stain brought the blade closer to Shigaraki's neck, its edge near the severed hand on the decaying villain's face.
Without hesitation Shigaraki grabs the knife by its blade, the teeth cutting into his palm. "What do you think you're doing? If you touch this palm…" The blade had then cracked under Shigaraki's hold, the sound reverberating off of the bar's walls. "I'll kill you."
For a brief moment, fear appeared in the Hero Killer's eyes.
"You sure talk a lot, Hero Killer. Conviction?" Shigaraki continued, the metallic blade starting to rust. "Maybe I don't have anything as loaded as that." With the blade so rusted, Shigaraki was easily able to crush it into dust. "If I had to choose a desire, though… Yeah, it'd be killing All Might. If this world wants to worship trash like him, I'll destroy their beloved Symbol of Peace and then crush them while they're in shock."
Stain managed to jump back before Shigaraki could get a grip on him. The leader of the League of Villains stood, his shirt briefly sticking to the floor because of the bloody puddle that had formed underneath him.
"Damn you! The last of my injuries was finally about to finish healing, and you go and stab me," Shigaraki hissed as he started to scratched at his neck, blood dripped from his wound and down his arm. "We don't have a healer in our party, you know. I'm going to make you pay for this!"
"So, that's who you are…" Stain replied as he sheathed his other knife.
"Huh?"
"We may differ on what we want in the end, but how we get there is the same. The destruction of this world we live in now," Stain said, somehow finding common ground with the villain.
"Stop messing around. Go home and die. I'm the kind of person you hate the most, right?"
"I was testing your true motives. People show their true colors when they are on the verge of death. It's different with you, but there's a warped sprout of conviction living inside you. How will you bud? It might not be too late to wait until after I've seen that to dispose of you…" Stain replied, outstretching his arms.
"You think you could get rid of me?" Shigaraki questioned in a mocking tone.
Kurogiri was finally able to move, his body relaxing as whatever spell held him had finally broken away. "I'm free."
"Kurogiri, I don't want someone as crazy as this guy to be a party member."
"Please reconsider," Kurogiri said, trying to reason with Shigaraki. "This man will be a great asset if he joins us. I'd say this was a success." No one else made a move to agree.
"My business here is done. Now, return me to Hosu City," the Hero Killer then licked his lips with an unspoken thirst for blood. "There are still several false heroes I must attend to there."
"It feels a little strange not having them here," Yuuto noted.
"Yes," Rias sighed. "Oh, it's going to be a long week without Izuku and the others."
"Oh, cheer up, princess."
"Yeah," Rias muttered before she quickly glared at Gran Torino. "And why the hell are you still here?! I thought you were gonna leave when Izuku and the others went for their internships?"
"I figured I stick around a little longer, give that dunderhead Toshinori some actual tips on teaching," the old pro answered, eating some sweets.
"…Those are my sweets," Koneko pouted.
"Not anymore."
Rias let out a loud groan in frustration. 'This old man is really getting on my nerves. I wonder if Izuku would be angry if I vaporize him?'
"Hey, Rias," Xenovia spoke up. "Does Gran Torino know…?"
Rias filled in the last unsaid words.
About them being devils.
"I haven't asked," she whispered, hopeful that Gran Torino was too busy eating Koneko's sweets to notice. "Just continue as normal for now."
"Hey, what're you two talking about?" Gran Torino asked.
"Oh, nothing," Rias quickly replied. "Just wondering what my club activity report should be about."
"Club activity report?" Xenovia asked.
"It's something of a requirement I need to do every once in a while," Rias answered.
"Why not something about devils?" Gran Torino suggested.
"D-devils?" Rias stuttered.
"Yeah," Gran Torino ate another of Koneko's sweets. "You're an occult research club, ain't ya? So do some actual research on the stuff instead of lazing about here."
Rias stared at the old pro slack-jawed. 'I can't tell if he knows about us or not!' She screamed internally.
"What's with that look? You better stop before your face freezes, turning you into an ugly hag early," Gran Torino teased, which got a small chuckle out of Yuuto.
'I am SO glad Kudelia isn't here to see this,' Rias winced inwardly. She then imagined a nightmarish scenario in which Kudelia and Gran Torino met and became fast friends.
It turned out Hadou Nejire was also a student at U.A., a third-year and one of the 'Big Three'. Izuku had heard of them: the most promising students at U.A., said to be comparable to some pros. He also had no idea how this girl could function.
"This is where you'll be staying, Milia. It is okay for me to call you Milia, right? Your room is right next to mine, while Fuyuko's is across the hall, and Izuku's is further down. Isn't that great? We should totally morse code across the walls! Wait. Do you even know the morse code? I should teach you! A is-"
"Senpai, please stop!" Milia begged.
"Is she always like this?" Izuku asked.
"No. Sometimes she's worse," Ryukyu's eyes showed sympathy for the poor kids, likely having dealt with her fair share of Nejire ever since the girl began interning with her.
"Wait, now that Milia, Izuku, and Fuyuko are here we can totally have sleepovers without adult supervision! We're gonna watch movies, eat popcorn, gossip about guys, experiment-"
"I've never been to one," Fuyuko admitted.
"Neither have I," Milia added.
"Same here," Izuku sheepishly said.
Nejire gasped so hard, Izuku was scared she would explode like a big balloon. She did three loops in the air to calm herself down and declared that the four of them would make up for all the years of sleepovers they missed. Fortunately, they were saved by the Dragoon Heroine.
"Anyway… Midoriya, Takamaki, we will need to determine your skill levels, then we'll go patrolling tomorrow."
"Why tomorrow?" Nejire asked, sounding a little disappointed.
"I need to start investigating Fuyuko's school," Ryukyu answered.
[So far she hasn't noticed me.] Ddraig nervously chuckled. [Maybe we got lucky and she has no idea who we are.]
Izuku sweat-dropped at Ddraig's irrational fear of Ryukyu's mom. There's no way she could be that bad, could she?
Chapter 43: A Sick Gym Coach
After introductions to the rest of Ryukyu's Hero Office, she had told Izuku and Milia to meet her in the training area.
After changing into their hero costumes, Izuku and Milia pushed open the doors and found themselves in a massive room: high ceilings, large spacious walls, and equipment all pushed to the side in a separate area. In the center of the room, Ryukyu and Nejire were waiting. Fuyuko was on the side.
"Before I can really take you out in the field, I need to get a better idea of your abilities and where you stand. The Sports Festival was a start, but it's…limited."
She pointed at Nejire, "So that's why I want the two of you to fight with Nejire."
"Um, Ryukyu, are you sure?" Milia asked.
"Positive. Take a moment to plan and we'll start."
The two stared as their senior began to cartwheel around the floor, without care.
"Izuku-san, do you have any ideas?"
"…She wouldn't be part of the Big Three or be interning with the ninth rank hero if she wasn't skilled and powerful," Izuku rubbed her chin, "I think our best plan of attack is to double team her. I'll keep her distracted and you'll try to sneak up on her."
"…Okay."
"Are you ready?" Ryukyu asked.
Bright yellow energy began to form around Nejire's hands, twisting around her gauntlets. "Ready when you are!" Nejire called, her expression faltering slightly as she focused.
"Is that her Quirk?" Izuku wondered. "Seems to be some kind of energy-based Quirk. Where does the energy come from, then? And how does she Mumblemumblemumble…"
"Izuku, please stop," Milia sweetly said.
"Yeah, we're about to start," Nejire added.
Izuku flinched, chuckling nervously while Ryukyu smiled in amusement. Shaking his head, Izuku Izuku summoned his Boosted Gear and took on his dragonic appearance. "Ready," he said, Milia nodding.
"Alright then. Begin!"
Nejire whipped her hands forward as a massive, twisting vortex of energy came blasting towards them. In response, Izuku took to the air, hoping to avoid her attack. Her yellow energy surged forward only a few seconds later, crashing into the back wall.
Izuku spared a glance back, noting with a degree of pride that Milia had dodged out of the way, before turning his vision back on Nejire… Only to find her right in front of him, having kicked off and taken to the air, small pulses of energy from her feet keeping her airborne.
'She can fly?!'
"Tag, you're it!" Izuku cried out as he was blasted with her twisting energy, pushing him toward the ground with irresistible force. Once he slammed into the ground, Izuku bounced off the floor a couple of times before skidding to a stop.
"Ow…" the green-haired teen groaned.
"Sorry about that," Nejire apologized. "Where's your friend?" She got her answer when she felt something sharp pressed against her back. "…oh, there you are." Nejire expertly flipped herself upside down, avoiding Milia's claws while pointing both of her hands down, ready to unleash another blast of energy…
"Dragon Shot!"
Only for Izuku to blast her from behind.
"Ow!" Nejire screamed, falling off balance. Taking this chance, Milia aimed her claws above Nejire, preventing her from taking to the air again. "Oh, that's a good idea!" Nejire commented.
"It is," Izuku added, before he talked Nejire, pinning her to the ground with him on top. "Gotcha!"
Nejire smiled. "Think so?" She scrunched up, energy collecting in her hands. "I haven't tried this one before…"
"Uh oh," was all Izuku could mutter before a spiraling burst of energy shot out, engulfing her and Izuku. The force pushed Izuku off of Nejire, and before he could register what happened, Nejire quickly armed both of her arms at him
Two massive bursts of energy shot out of each arm and made their way toward Izuku. Before he could dodge, the two bursts picked up speed and slammed into Izuku, knocking him into a wall. He slumped down onto the floor, his appearance back to normal.
"He turned back?" Nejire asked.
"Izuku-san!" With a yell, Milia aimed two of her fingers at Nejire, two claws shooting out toward the blue-haired girl.
But Nejire easily doge them and fired another wave of spiraling energy that shot through the air and smashed into Milia. She was smashed into the wall before she collapsed to the floor.
"…Ryukyu, did I overdo it?" Nejire asked.
"…Maybe a little, I think you knocked them both out," Ryukyu replied.
"A little…?" Fuyuko deadpanned.
"You two performed better than I expected," Ryukyu told the now bandaged-up Izuku and Milia, going over their performances. "It wasn't bad, overall. But you still have a lot to learn."
Nejire bowed slightly. "Sorry about earlier."
"It's ok," Izuku replied.
"Just…. Go easy next time," Milia added.
"I was going easy," Nejire happily said.
"Eh!?"
"Anyway, get something to eat and get some rest. We'll start patrolling first thing in the morning," Ryukyu stated. "Nejire, why don't you take them and Yukimura somewhere?"
"On it!"
"Change into your civilian clothes first."
"Almost on it!"
Hiraoka Yukio, the current principal of Shujin Academy, a morbidly obese man wearing an ugly orange-brown suit, and having the head of a warthog, was looking over several papers, each having the names, faces, and Quirks of his school's students. Sighing, the warthog-headed man took out a red pen and proceeded to cross out the names of several of them before placing them in a small pile.
Hiraoka's work was soon interrupted as his cell phone started ringing. The principal reached for his phone to see who was calling him. He nearly had a panic attack at whom the caller ID showed. With a flick of his thumb, Hiraoka answered the phone and brought it up to his ear, "Miss Kizuki. What do I owe the honor of your call?" He asked, his voice calm and a small smile on his face. "If this is about my next report, I will have it ready by the end of the week."
There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line, "{As punctual as always, Hiraoka. But that's not why I called. See, one of my sources recently told me a juicy piece of info regarding your school. Apparently, a student wearing a Shujin uniform was seen entering a hero agency today.}"
His calm and collected face quickly disappeared. "What!? One of my students was seen entering a Pro Hero's office! Are you sure?"
"{Oh~? Are you doubting my intel, Hiraoka?}"
"I'm not, ma'am. I just want to be sure," Hiraoka replied, keeping his voice calm and polite as best he could. He was talking to a superior, after all.
"{Oh I am very sure. This is one of my most trusted contacts, one who has given me some of my biggest scoops. They told me a girl in a Shujin Academy uniform with pale blue hair wearing a light purple hoodie entered a hero agency with two U.A. students.}"
"I see. Give me a moment," Hiraoka opened his desk and pulled out several files. Looking them over, he soon found what he was looking for. "I do have one student who never attended school today who matches the description: Yukimura Fuyuko."
"{Yukimura? I seem to recall her name coming up before in one of your reports. It said her Meta-Ability is pyrokinetic in nature, correct? Yet she was not included in your list of potential candidates. How come?}"
"Her Meta-Ability does have potential, I admit, but it was because of it that her family abandoned her. According to her files, anyway. And she never showed much aptitude with it, to begin with. I figured she wouldn't be a good candidate for our cause. But this is getting off-topic. Which agency was she seen at?"
"{Ah, yes. It was quite a bit of a shock to me as well when my contact said it was the ninth-ranked hero.}"
"Ryukyu!?" Hiraoka exclaimed. "Why would she go there?"
"{That's why I called.}"
"R-Right. My mistake, ma'am," Hiraoka started sweating buckets. "I'll investigate this matter personally."
"{Oh please do. And remember, even if she doesn't have much potential, the fact she has potential connections with both Ryukyu and U.A. could be very beneficial to our cause, if given the right kind of direction.}"
"Yes… yes, I understand, ma'am."
"{Good. Good. Now, I have some other business to take care of, so I'll let you go. Some of my contacts have let me know of a potential story brewing. Ohoho, it's getting me excited! Goodbye.}"
With a click, Chitose hung up and Hiraoka put his phone down, carefully. "That little bitch," he grumbled. "What the hell is she thinking, going to Ryukyu? Why would she even go there?" That's when he remembered how Fuyuko tried to speak to him about one of the teachers. "This couldn't be about Uchishiba-san, could it? If word gets out, it could expose everything!" The principal of Shujin wallowed at his desk, trying to think of what he could do to salvage the situation.
"This is some of the best noodles in all of the Shinjuku!" Nejire said, she, Izuku, and Milia were in their school uniforms, as they arrived at their destination.
"A Simple Wok Noodle House?" Izuku read the name curiously.
"What's a wok?" Milia asked.
"It's a Chinese frying pan," Nejire asked, having asked the staff here when she first visited. It didn't take long for the four to be seated at a table.
It didn't take long for them to place their orders, with Nejire offering to pay for it. "You don't have to pay for it by yourself, senpai," Izuku said. "At least let me pay for some of it."
"It's fine," Nejire replied.
"Uh, Takamaki-san, can I ask a question?" Fuyuko spoke up.
"Sure," Milia nodded.
"Why does your Hero costume expose… so much of your chest?" The pale blue-haired girl asked, causing Milia to blush a little.
"I've been wondering that myself. Doesn't it get cold exposing your boobies like that?" Nejire asked.
Milia covered her chest defensively. "I-it wasn't my choice. I originally wanted a mesh to cover that area," she said. "But I guess I wasn't specific enough in my designs, since the Support Company didn't include it."
"Is that the same for some of your classmates?" Fuyuko continued. "When I saw what happened at the USJ on the news, I noticed some of your costumes. Some are pretty cool, like those girls in martial arts outfits, but some were… just off. The worst was that little guy with the purple balls. Why in the world is he wearing a giant diaper?"
Milia and Izuku both snorted, the former covering her mouth in an attempt not to laugh. Nejire blinked in surprise. "Is there really a first-year wearing a diaper?"
"Well, yes and no," Izuku said, smiling at the thought. "You're talking about Mineta and his costume is supposed to look like a bowl of grapes, but…"
"It does look like an armored diaper!" Milia snorted again. "Calling it a diaper is so fitting since he's a total crybaby!" Milia laughed. "No offense, Izuku."
"Hey!" Izuku jokingly took offense with a small smile, Nejire and Fuyuko giggling a little. "Why so interested in our costumes, anyway?" Izuku asked once he calmed down a little.
Fuyuko blushed a little, turning her head to the side as she answered. "I… like to cosplay," she admitted. "I enjoy making any outfit from scratch. I even draw up my own designs sometimes, some original."
"Ohhh~!" Nejire seemed very interested. "Can we see?"
"Uh… Okay," Fuyuko reached into her hoodie's pocket and pulled out a light purple Campos brand notebook.
"Huh? Isn't that the same brand you use, Izuku?" Milia asked.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded, pulling out one of his hero analysis notebooks. "Weird coincidence."
Fuyuko muttered something as she opened her notebook, showing the contents to the three. The designs on the pages were highly detailed, showing the basic design along with various poses, along with details on certain areas of the costume.
"Oh wow," Izuku looked in slight awe at the designs, along with Milia and Nejire.
"This is pretty cool," Milia said.
"Hold on… Is this based on Ryukyu?" Nejire asked.
"Y-Yeah," Fuyuko answered. "I have designs based on a lot of heroes here. Like here," she flipped a few pages, showing another cosplay design, one Izuku recognized right away.
"All Might's original America costume?!"
"Only for a girl?" Milia asked, surprised by the very feminine design and figure.
"Pfff! A Lady Might!" Nejire giggled, unable to get the image of All Might wearing a dress out of her head.
Fuyuko nodded. "It's not that surprising. The other day at Yoyogi Park, I saw at least ten guys cosplay as either female characters or pro heroines, like Mirko or Ryukyu. I often go there because of the cosplay events, or if I need time to myself. Anyway, since I don't have access to the same kinds of materials Support Companies do, I have to make changes to the designs so they would work, some minor, some major. But I always enjoy doing so. I even have my own original designs, too."
Fuyuko spent the next few minutes showing the three the drawings of her costume designs and outfits she had drawn, Izuku occasionally asking advice for his own notes, until their waiter returned with their meals.
They all began to dig in eagerly, consuming the noodles at a fast pace.
"Mmmm, so good~!" Milia said in bliss.
"You were right, Senpai! These noodles are amazing," Izuku said.
"Please, call me Nejire-chan! It's my Hero name, after all!"
Fuyuko giggled at the hero students' antics, having fun for the first time in a long while.
Rias giggled as she help Eri wrap herself in a blanket before sinking into the cushions of the couch. Eri held the remote, flipping through the channels before finding the cartoons the girl liked to watch; CNJ, a channel that aired reruns of old pre-Quirk cartoons and anime, along with modern ones.
"Oh, why can't you ever be a princess?! Ice-o-pede, attack!" The ice creature does that… by biting its master. "Ice-o-pede, no! Aaah!"
Eri let out a small giggle along with Rias. While she would've preferred an anime, Rias still watch the American cartoon with Eri. "Hey, Izuku, can you-" Rias stopped herself, remembering that Izuku wasn't home, and won't be home for a week. "Right…" she sighed sadly.
Eri looked up to Rias. "Are you okay, Rias?"
"I'm fine, Eri. I just… miss Izuku and the others," this WAS the first time they'd been so far apart for so long. 'I wonder how he's doing?'
"I brought cards and popcorn and my laptop with movies!" Nejire was downright giddy. As soon as they got back to the agency, Nejire practically forced them into the room she stayed in. She even grabbed some snacks and lit some scented candles in advance. Once they had all changed into their nightwear (Izuku having gone to his room to change into a plain white shirt with 'kimono' written on it and black shorts, while Milia was letting Fuyuko borrow her dark green nightgown, with the succubus wearing light purple sweatpants and a dark blue shirt).
Izuku could only watch in worry at how excited Nejire was for their impromptu sleepover, the third year wearing a bluish-green cotton shirt one size too small, stretching around her orbs and stopping a little bit above her belly button. And she also wore a bluish pair of shorts that barely covered her curvy-
'Wait, why am I staring!?'
Shaking his head, Izuku cleared those thoughts out as Nejire continued. "So, what do you want to do first? We can watch a movie, play dress up, do cards, talk about boys, or-"
"Uh, senpai, you do know we have to be up and ready at 6 am tomorrow, right?" Milia pointed out.
"Yep!"
"Isn't it 10 pm now, though?"
"Don't worry about it. Fuyuko, what do you want to do?" Nejire asked.
Fuyuko, who was opening her school bag, let out an eep at being called out, unintentionally dropping her bag, and spilling the contents on the floor.
"Oops! Sorry," Nejire apologized.
"It's fine," Fuyuko said as she started picking up what was dropped, with the others helping.
One item that Milia picked up was a book, red in color with a black splotch on the cover. "Meta Liberation War?"
"Oh, I heard about that," said Izuku. "Wasn't that written by Destro?"
"Yeah," Fuyuko sighed, taking the book from Milia's hand. "It's a required read at school. Don't know why I have to read this propaganda garbage, though. All it does is talk on and on about how the free use of Quirks is a human right. If that was true, my family wouldn't have abandoned me because of my Quirk."
Izuku's eyes widened. "What?"
Nejire was deathly quiet.
Milia stared at Fuyuko in shock.
"Uh, I…" Fuyuko stumbled with her words, acting like a little kid who said something they shouldn't have. Seeing she probably wouldn't be able to avoid the subject, Fuyuko sighed. "You see, my family… wasn't happy when I developed my Quirk, put simply. They practically disowned me, dumping me off at the nearest orphanage they could find."
"Your family… abandoned you?" Milia said in shock, unable to understand why they would do something like that.
"Yeah," Fuyuko nodded. "The orphanage wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either. When I was old enough, the orphanage staff sent me here to study at Shujin. I'm sure they had good intentions, but…" Fuyuko paused, but the others knew what she was going to say.
"What… is your Quirk?" Izuku asked, wanting to change the subject.
Fuyuko looked somewhat hesitant, but she reached her hand out toward one of the candles. The flame of the candle rocketed away from it and into her palm, the others in awe. "It's called Flame Control," Fuyuko explained. "I can control any fire near me, but if I want to make it do something I need to concentrate really hard, or it'll sputter out," to demonstrate, Fuyuko tried to make the flame fly in a circle around her hand, but it couldn't finish halfway before it vanished. "I also can't control the temperature or put the fire out. Not that great of a Quirk."
Izuku, not noticing her sunken expression, instead said in awe "Are you kidding?! That kind of Quirk is amazing!" Fuyuko let out a gasp of shock and a completely stunned look on her blushing face. "That kind of Quirk sounds extremely powerful and versatile. You could clear a path in a burning people to get anyone trapped inside out Mumblemumblemumble…" Izuku suddenly pulled out his notebook from seemingly out of nowhere, along with a pen, and started writing down his thoughts and analysis over her Quirk.
Milia could only watch in slight amusement at Izuku's Quirk analysis hobbit while Nejire watched curiously. Fuyuko, however, stared at him in awe and wonder. 'He…He likes my Quirk?' The girl thought. 'N-No one… has ever told that to me before…'
Fuyuko could hear the voices and jeers that she has heard all her life start playing in her head.
'Seriously, your Quirk is like a cheap knockoff of Endeavor's! Heh, that's so lame! Haha!'
'How dare you bring dishonor to our family with a Quirk!'
'You're no child of ours!'
'It's such a useless Quirk when there's no fire. Even if there was, you're a walking fire hazard!'
But soon, the voices started to fade away. The jeers and cruel laughs were replaced by the kind and encouraging thoughts of the boy in front of her. Her blush became harder as she smiled, a cute, dazzling smile that seem to make the darkness in her heart fade away.
Before Izuku could mumble out any more analysis over Fuyuko's Quirk, she rushed over and hugged him, tightly. Izuku was snapped out of his mumbling, eyes widened, face heating up, and jaw dropping at the act, his body shivering for some reason. Milia stared in shock, her eye twitching. Nejire merely tilted her head.
Fuyuko quickly pulled away, looking away shyly as she blushed hard. "Sorry, it's just… no one has ever said anything so positive about my Quirk before. Thank you."
"It's fine," Izuku smiled, still blushing a little himself. Then he noticed how Milia still seemed a little upset by what Fuyuko did. "A-Anyway, how about we watch a movie now?"
The change of subject was welcomed, with the first film Nejire played being an old pre-Quirk one about Caribbean pirates and a cursed black ship. They then spent the next couple of hours having fun. Nejire's idea to play strip poker was immediately shot down, to the relief of the others, instead, they played dress-up. Izuku was the unfortunate victim, despite his protest at doing this "again", he was forced to dress in Nejire and Milia's clothes and makeup. Surprisingly, he made a very convincing girl.
The girls tried to surpass their giggles as Izuku stood mortified, being very glad no one in their classes was there to see this, unaware that Milia had taken some pictures with her phone. It wasn't until it was close to 2 am that they went to bed, Ryukyu having asked them due to how they had to wake up early to patrol.
Izuku woke up groggily due to a lack of sleep. 'Ugh, so tired,' he thought as he glanced at the clock on the wall. It was currently 5:48. It was just the beginning of the second day and already he wanted to go home.
How the heck Nejire managed to function with, according to her, four or five hours of sleep was beyond him. Then again Nejire wasn't the sole reason he wasn't able to sleep. This was the first time in a while that he had gone to bed by himself since Rias and at least one of the other girls would sleep with him.
He had gotten so used to their presence after all of this time that it was a little hard to sleep by himself. Heck, he could almost imagine that one of them was right here, sleeping next to him and hugging his arm. '…wait a minute.'
Looking down, Izuku nearly screamed when he found Milia, sleeping soundly beside him, dressed in nothing but an unbuttoned shirt and underwear, hugging his arm in between her breasts.
"Wha-wha-wha-WHAT!?" Izuku shouted, nearly jumping out of bed. "Wha… Why? How?!"
The girl slowly stirred, her big, beautiful purple eyes cracked open, and looked at him lazily… wait, had he always noticed her eyes to be so gorgeous? Why was he thinking that now? Milia blinked a few times, and her mind started to become lucid again when her eyes widened. After a quick screech, she scrambled off the bed. "Um… g-good morning," she stuttered, clumsily buttoning her shirt.
"M…Morning…" Izuku replied, trying and failing not to stare at her chest. "Um… why are you in my bed?"
"I… sleepwalk sometimes," she replied. "I must've wandered in here somehow. I-I'll be going now."
Before Izuku could say anything Milia got up and left, leaving Izuku alone. "What just happened?"
It wasn't long until Izuku and Milia were fully dressed in their hero costumes and went outside, Nejire and Ryukyu already waiting, the former eager to start on their patrol. Fuyuko was also present but for different reasons.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah," Fuyuko nodded. "I need to get back to school, or I'll get into even bigger trouble with my regular teachers. Don't worry, I have ways of avoiding Uchishiba at school."
"If that man tries anything, call us. We'll be there as soon as we can," Ryukyu reassured, having given the girl their numbers earlier.
Fuyuko nodded before she looked at Izuku. "See you later," she waved.
"Yeah, see you," Izuku waved back.
A man sat in his car, driving towards Shun Academy for work. He was wearing a white sports T-shirt and black sports pants with double white stripes. His skin was tanned and he had red hair. He appeared to be in a very bad mood. "Damn that girl, how dare she stand me up," Uchishiba growled, referring to Fuyuko.
Did that pathetic orphan not understand who the hell she was dealing with? He managed to get their school's volleyball to nationals! Even though that damned IHSC took the spotlight, he still earned the school recognition because of his skills. That little bitch was one of his women! She should be kissing the ground that he, a man far above her station, walked on.
And that's when he saw her. Fuyuko was right there, walking up to Shujin's gate. His car screeched at the sudden stop, which alerted her and made her run in. Uchishiba was tempted to take her here and now, but hesitated. There were too many witnesses, and he doubted Fuyuko was dumb enough to get anywhere near his office or the gym.
Uchishiba smirked regardless because he had a plan. He pulled out his cell phone and called a number. After the first ring, he said, "Ah, hello Makigami-san. I have a favor to ask you. You know Yukimura in Class 2-D?"
Fuyuko let out a long sigh as classes finally ended for the day. After receiving a long lecture from her homeroom teacher and the principal, one thing she hated nearly as much as Uchishiba, she had to endure the usual class routine.
As soon as school ended for the day she left, making sure to avoid Uchishiba. The one glance she took at the man told her that he was in a very bad mood. She just hope he didn't take it out on any of the other girls in his little circle.
Leaving the school grounds as fast as she could, Fuyuko wanted to meet up with Izuku and the others. She didn't know, but she felt safe with him.
As she continued down the street, without warning, a hand reached out from the shadows of an alleyway, grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth, and pulled her in.
Fuyuko struggled as hard as she could as a teen stepped out in front of her. From the clothes, she knew that the teen went to Shujin, but there was a medical mask covering his lower face.
"We're sorry, Yukimura," the black-haired student said. "He made us do this. It's just business. Just come with us quietly and it'll all be over."
Fuyuko immediately knew who 'he' was: Uchishiba. Panic immediately filled her veins. With a muffled shout, she lifted his legs off the ground and kicked the teen in front of her in the chest, sending him stumbling backward.
Thanks to the force of the kick, the second teen that held Fuyuko from behind stumbled backward and collided against the wall hard enough to loosen his hold on Fuyuko's body. The girl quickly tried to run, but the first teen had made it to his feet and pulled Fuyuko back by her jacket and slammed his fist into the back of Fuyuko's head, sending her to the ground.
The second teen walked and picked Fuyuko up into a full nelson and said. "We don't like this any more than you do, Yukimura. But he said he'll do something far worse to us if we don't bring you to him, so we don't have much choice. Just stop fighting it!"
"Easy for you to say!" Fuyuko shouted before she adjusted his leg and reared it backward sharply, nailing the second teen in the balls hard, causing the teen to loosen his hold and wail in agony. Fuyuko stumbled forward and was about to run again when the first teen's arm dart forward, grabbing her arm. "Just… leave me… ALONE!" Fuyuko shouted frost gathering in her hair as a huge amount of ice enchased the two boys, nearly freezing both solid.
When Fuyuko calmed down some, she realized what she had done. "Oh god…" she muttered. "I… I'm so sorry!" She quickly defrosted the two teens, making sure they would be okay before running.
"I think this is the third jewelry store we've stopped at so far," Milia said.
"Fourth," Izuku corrected. Ryukyu, as it turned out, had an eye for jewelry, which makes sense given her clothing line, and often stopped by jewelry stores to admire what they had, and occasionally purchase some.
"'Kay, we're done," Nejire announced as she and Ryukyu left the store.
"I'm sorry for making you two wait for so long," the heroine said.
"It's fine," Izuku replied, Milia nodding.
"Then let's continue on our patrol." She and Nejire walked side by side while Izuku and Milia trailed the pair.
"Is it usually this quiet, ma'am?" Izuku asked.
"Yes, it is," she answered while slowing down, letting her interns catch up a bit. "My office, along with the Black Knight agency, are in the area, so criminal activity is somewhat rare here. That's why I enjoy patrolling often." Ryukyu looked to her right as they passed by a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. She reached out and took a petal between her fingers as more blossoms fluttered by her. "When people see heroes walking amongst them, they feel at ease. They take our presence as a promise that we'll always protect them. Heroism may bring fighting to mind, but something just as important is making the public feel safe. Do you understand, Viridian, Yari?"
"Yes," Izuku answered. "We protect their peace of mind as much as their bodies, right?"
"Correct," Ryukyu said.
"Speaking of, do you think Fuyuko is doing okay?" Milia asked.
"I feel bad about leaving her on her own," Izuku said.
"We gave her our numbers so she could contact us if something happened," Ryukyu reassured them. "But I understand. I don't like the idea of leaving her at that school with Uchishiba anymore than you. All we can do is-"
Ryukyu's phone suddenly rang. "Yes?" Ryukyu answered. "A disturbance near Shujin Academy?!"
Izuku and Milia gasped.
"I'll be there soon," Ryukyu hung up. "Let's go."
It didn't take long for them to reach the school. Two police cars and two ambulances were present outside the gates. Two badly beaten boys were being loaded onto the ambulances. Several students wearing the Shujin Academy uniform were gathered around, some taking pictures and chatting amongst themselves over what was happening.
The police were talking with the staff, the principal included, who seemed rather nervous, even more so when he saw Ryukyu present. Ryukyu approached one of the officers. "What happened?"
"We're still getting the details, but apparently two students from the volleyball team were burned and beaten," the officer explained. "We haven't found a suspect yet, but one of the teachers suggested it may be a student named Yukimura Fuyuko."
"Fuyuko?!" Nejire gasped.
"That can't be right," Milia protested.
"Which teacher told you that?" Izuku asked.
"The volleyball coach, Uchishiba."
Ryukyu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And where is he now?"
"He wanted to check on the students who were injured, as they were part of his volleyball team, and left."
"We need to find Yukimura," Milia said.
"But where would she go?" Nejire asked.
Izuku hummed in thought for a moment, until he remembered a detail Fuyuko mentioned last night. "I think I have an idea on where to start."
Fuyuko let out several deep breaths after she stopped running. Maybe she shouldn't have gone to school after all. The pale blue-haired girl looked out over the edge of a small hill that was overlooking a lake in Yoyogi Park. She always came here when she needed to relax and escape it all.
'I should probably call Izuku,' she thought. She needed to tell them what happened, and fast before Uchishiba tries something again.
"Well, well, well," she heard a voice, one that filled her with dread. "Alone again, huh, Yukimura?" Fuyuko spun around and saw the gym teacher, Uchishiba.
"Uchishiba…sensei?" Fuyuko backed away from the grinning teacher. "Why are you here?"
"You know, it's funny what kind of card life deals you," he said as he approached her, grinning lecherously. "We went on so many great dates together, then you suddenly stood me up."
"Those weren't dates, that was sexual harassment! I only agreed to that one date because you were taking advantage of me," she defended.
"Well, nobody's going to believe you anyway," he said. "I mean it's a teacher's word against a student's." He finished, "That's why you were hiding, and now you're doing the same thing." He then lunged at her and pinned her to the ground. She struggled against him.
"Let me go!" She demanded.
"Oh, don't be like that, my little snow angel," he licked his lips. "Just let me do whatever I want and I'll put in a good word for you. How's that?"
Fuyuko's eyes were filled with fury and with a sudden burst of strength, she threw the man off her and into the lake. Standing up, Fuyuko was about to run when something grabbed her by the ankle and pulled. She screamed as she was being pulled towards the water when she was lifted into the air, the skirt of her uniform falling, exposing purple and white stripe panties. "My, those are some cute panties," Uchishiba commented, his arms had turned into octopus tentacles because of his Quirk.
"HEL-Gah!" Fuyuko tried to call for help, but a tentacle jammed into her mouth, gagging her.
"Y'know, I was going to give you a chance," Uchishiba sneered as his tentacles restrained Fuyuko further. "But now, after you burned and beat those poor students, it looks like I'm going to have to punish you." His tentacles then began to caress her body, moving underneath her clothing to do so, Fuyuko letting out muffled screams as they did so.
Tears began to well in her eyes, the hopelessness of the situation sinking in. "Now then, let's start with the clothes," he smiled lecherously, when…
"SMASH!"
Something hit him in the head hard enough to send him flying, letting Fuyuko go.
She would've fallen onto the ground, but Izuku quickly caught her. "Yukimura, you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Midoriya-san?" She questioned.
"How dare you…" Uchishiba growled as he got up. "I don't care if you're some hero wannabe, you'll never get away with this!"
"You're the one who won't get away!" Izuku shot back, gently putting Fuyuko down. "You beat your own students, blaming Yukimura for it, and you nearly raped her!"
"Heh, the brats deserved it for not bringing her to me like I asked!" Uchishiba snorted, not denying a word. "Heck, I deserve her. I'm the reason Shujin has prestige despite not being a hero school!"
"That doesn't mean you can take advantage of her or the other students!"
"Well, who cares?" Uchishiba said confidently. "Even if you're a hero, nobody is going to believe a student over a teacher! Not without hard evidence."
"Oh really?" Izuku questioned. "Yari?"
Out from a bush, Milia grinned, holding her phone, with a red light blinking indicating it was recording. "Here, Viridian!"
"You got everything?"
"Sure did, the confession and everything."
Nejire then appeared. "And the police are on their way! I wonder how they'll react to seeing this?"
Uchishiba's eyes widened in horror and he lunged for them, "GIVE THAT TO ME!" However, he didn't get far as Izuku grabbed him by his tentacles. "Let me go!"
"I don't think so," Izuku said. Ryukyu, in her dragon form, then slams down into Uchushiba, pinning him to the ground.
"Uchishiba," Ryukyu said to the pinned man. "It's over."
Not long after, the police escorted Uchishiba away. "I haven't done anything!" Uchishiba screamed in denial. "You're all gonna be hearing from my lawyer! How dare you treat me like this!" He let out as the officers forced him into the back of the cruiser.
Fuyuko could only stare as the cruiser drove off, struggling to make sense of it all. It almost didn't feel real. "You okay, Yukimura?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, I just… Don't know how to act is all," she replied. "I know one thing, the school won't be able to cover this up, not with the ninth-ranked hero involved."
"Indeed," Ryukyu nodded. "The Ministry of Education will start investigating the school soon. They may shut it down to do so, though I'm not sure."
"If they shut it down, what will you do Yukimura?" Milia asked.
"I… I think I'll transfer," Fuyuko answered. "Whether the school is shut down for good or not, I can't stay there. Too many bad memories."
"Then come to U.A.!" Nejire said, glomping onto Fuyuko. "It's so much better than that Shujin place!" Nejiire then went into a spiral about all of U.A.'s good qualities. As she did Ryukyu began conversing with some reporters who had just arrived.
After Nejire finished, she went off to use the bathroom real quick, with Ryukyu telling them that they'll leave soon. As they waited, Fuyuko asked, "By the way, Midoriya, Takamaki, can I ask you two something?"
"Sure," Izuku replied, Milia nodding.
"Are you… both devils?"
Izuku and Milia's eyes widened at Fuyuko's question.
"I thought so," Fuyuko smiled. "Don't worry. Truth is, I'm not human either. I'm a Yuki-onna."
"A Yuki-onna?!" Izuku repeated, surprised. 'Wait, why am I surprised? I'm a devil with dragon ancestry.'
"That's an ice Youkai, right?" Milia asked.
"Yep," to prove it, Fuyuko's hands became large claws of ice.
"Wow!" Izuku looked in amazement at the claws before Fuyuko dispelled them. "Is that why your body seems so cold?"
"Yeah," Fuyuko nodded. "And the reason why my parents abandoned me. See, most Yuki-onna don't have Quirks, but the few that do are ostracized, believing that having a Quirk makes one unnatural."
Milia and Izuku were shocked. "I'm sorry," Milia said.
"Don't be," Fuyuko shook her head. "I should be thanking you two. You helped me so much. And I'd like to thank you again for saving me, Izuku," she hugged him, causing Izuku to shiver.
Milia frowned, not liking how Fuyuko was hanging off of Izuku, but she knew that Izuku was like that, so she allowed it. He was just too nice sometimes.
Izuku, however, was shivering as his teeth chattered due to Fuyuko hugging him. He would become a popsicle if this went on.
Hiraoka rushed around his home as fast as he could, taking anything vital and putting it into a bag. 'I need to hurry!'
It had been a couple of hours since Uchishiba's arrest. When Hiraoka learned of it, he cleaned his office at Shujin, rushed home to his apartment, and started packing. 'It's only a matter of time before the higher-ups learn about this! If word gets out about us, they'll blame me! I need to get to the police and heroes! They'll protect me!'
"Oh, you seem to be in a rush."
Hiraoka froze at the voice. Looking up, he saw a Pro Hero with a purple, green, and black costume standing at his door: Slidin' Go. "You also shouldn't leave your door wide open," he added, closing the door behind him.
"Tokoname-sama," Hiraoka stammered. "I… wasn't aware you were here."
"Yes, while I don't normally patrol this part of Tokyo, Skeptic asked me to check on you," Slidin' Go said with his usual smile. "As well as tidy up any small matters. After all, small matters could become a loose end if left alone too long."
"D-did he?" Hiraoka gulped nervously. "W-Well, I'm glad you came. I already cleared out my office at the school of any incriminating evidence against us. I just need to finish cleaning out my home and…" Hiraoka stopped rambling, realizing that Slidin' Go wasn't at the door anymore. Instead, he had slid to the kitchen. "Uh, Tokoname-sama?"
Slidin' Go didn't say anything as he picked up a large knife.
It was at that moment Hiraoka realized what 'small matters' Skeptic told Slidin' Go to tidy up was: Him.
Out of options, Hiraoka threw a lamp at the hero and ran for the door. But the lamp simply slide off Slidin' Go due to his Quirk, who proceeded to slide in front of Hiraoka, stopping him from escaping, and hit the principal of Shun Academy in the face with his fist, knocking him to the ground.
Groaning, Hiraoka tried to crawl away from the pro, a wetness overtaking his pants. "Please, sir! I can still be useful to our cause!" He begged pathetically as Slidin' Go readied the knife. "Please! PLEASE!"
*SHINK!*
Slidin' Go jammed the knife into Hiraoka's chest.
"Please…" the principal weakly muttered as the light left his eyes, blood starting to pool on the floor.
"Coward…" Slidin' Go said in contempt. Once he made sure the principal was dead, he carefully arranged his body to avoid leaving any evidence of his involvement, and took anything related to the Meta Liberation Army from the apartment. Once that was finished, he left the apartment, being careful not to be seen by anyone. Slidin' Go slide out of the building before sliding to an alleyway a few blocks away.
Once there he took his phone and called Skeptic. "It's done."
"{Good,}" the voice of the man codenamed Skeptic answered. "{You made sure to make it look like suicide, right?}"
"Of course, sir," Slidin' Go nodded. "I also took anything related to us from his home. He had already done the same at the school."
"{That'll make things a little easier on my end. That'll be all for now.}"
At that, Slidin' Go's superior hung up. The traitorous Pro Hero made his way out of the alley, smirking as he heard police sirens in the background.