[Lunch Break - U.A. - Class 1A Homeroom - Toru's POV]
'There's too many names in here!'
Slam!
Toru's desk rattled as her invisible forehead slammed down onto it. After groaning in distressed boredom for a few seconds, she propped her chin on the wood surface and looked at the list in her hands.
'I'm getting dizzy just by looking at this, but I know someone who's immune to that!'
Letting out an enthusiastic hum, Toru sprung up from her chair, causing it to hit the desk behind her. She ignored the regular insult thrown at her and just strolled past Bakugo's seat in favor of reaching the spot behind him.
"Help me with this!"
The invisible girl shoved the paper right on Metal's face, resulting in it getting pierced by the robot's silver nose. The sheet slowly slid sideways until it hung upside down.
'Move very slowly aaannd....'
Toru clicked her tongue at her failed attempt. While she kept scheming about future plans, Metal grabbed the list and held it in front of him for a few seconds.
'What if I paint his cape pink? I'm sure Ashido would help me with that, hmm...'
"That's cool."
...
...
...
"Wait, run that by me again?"
The invisible girl's brain slowly took in the information, going through each word dozens of times. After considering various reactions, it settled for the most appropriate one for the current situation.
"KYAAAAAAA!!"
Everyone within a fifty-meter radius covered their ears at the high-pitched scream that swept through the classroom with enough force to make the windows rattle and Metal's lens glitch out. Thankfully, Toru ran out of air before anyone's ears started bleeding.
'AHH, I'M GOING TO FAINT, DEEP BREATHS.'
Ashido broke off from the small group surrounding Midoriya's desk at the back of the classroom and approached the quivering uniform while rubbing her temple with two fingers.
"Hagakure? Why are you screaming like that? I think you gave me a headache..."
Toru put her hands on Ashido's shoulders, then she leaned in so close that the pink mutant could almost see her eyes.
"EDGESHOT!"
...
"KYAAAAAAAA!!!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!"
The two girls didn't pay any attention to the raging Bakugo as they jumped in circles with their hands intertwined. Meanwhile, Metal's arm bent in an unnatural way as he picked a pen from the desk behind him, startling Mineta. The machine scribbled something onto the papers on his desk.
Aizawa, who was just entering the classroom after hearing the screams all the way to the teacher's lounge, was met with two sheets being shoved into his hands and an unconscious Jiro slumped over her desk.
---
[U.A. - Development Studio - Mei's POV]
'So all I have to do is replace the fuel tank...'
BOOM!
...
...
'Nothing like the taste of smoke to brighten up your day!'
"I wonder who's paying for all my damages..."
Mei instantly perked up at the sound of Metal's voice. She turned around with a smile on her face, completely unbothered by the scrapes on her arms and the black smoke clinging to her pink dreadlocks.
With a skip in her step, she walked over to the robot who threw aside the steel rod that almost impaled his head.
"Metal! I was just about to call you, take a look at this!"
Seemingly out of nowhere, a blueprint materialized in Mei's hands. She held it open for her creation to see a crude sketch of the insides of his arms alongside gibberish in a language only she could understand.
"Hello? This is perfectly understandable Kanji!"
"And then people have the nerve to ask why I don't do any layout before tinkering, hmph."
Mei rolled the blueprint on itself and threw it behind her without a care in the world. The girl let out a huff as she pushed her red and gold steampunk goggles up onto her forehead.
"So watchu doing here? Aside from insulting my amazing artistic skills."
"Huh?"
Metal stared at his mother's face as her own yellow eyes moved from his face to the clock on one of the walls of the messy workshop. Mei let out a whistle as she realized that almost half of the lunch break had already gone by. The slightly taller girl shrugged as she adjusted the workshop coveralls tied around her waist.
'Time sure flies by.'
"You know I'm a very slow eater I won't have time to finish my lunch, so I'm going to have to skip it this time, what a tragedy, right?"
"I don't wanna!"
"Wha—?! Hey! Put me down!"
Mei began squirming as Metal held her above his head with both of his cold palms pressing against her back. Suddenly, the robot's waist cape moved on its own and lifted a small envelope and dropped it on her belly, stopping her movements as she grabbed it.
"What's this?"
"I have no idea who that is."
"Ah! Booba's girl, you should have said it sooner!"
Metal walked out of the workshop carrying Mei above his head. He ignored the stares and laughs of the few passing students who weren't at the cafeteria. Meanwhile, the pink-haired girl was too busy ripping the black envelope to shreds to even notice the people around her.
"Okay, let's see..."
'Fancy word, fancy word, fancy word, another fancy word... "Feel free to visit the Yaoyorozu Estate between Wednesday and Friday after your lessons are over to discuss all of the details."'
"Metal, I know what we're gonna do today!"
"Rude!"
---
[U.A. Cafeteria - Kyoka Jiro POV]
'Why didn't I just sit on the floor? That empty corner over there looks very comfy.'
"I keep telling you, boobs are much better!"
Kaminari put his hands on the table as he leaned forward towards his shorter classmate.
"Thick thighs save lives!"
Mineta shook his head as he slammed his palms on the table, making the food trays shake.
'My uniform!'
The only girl present grumbled as she had to grab a napkin to try to clean the new stain on her skirt.
"Yaoyorozu's bazoongas!"
"Ashido's legs!"
"Asui's perky oongas!"
"Jiro's slend—"
Kaminari turned his head to the right as he felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine. Jiro was glaring deep into his very being with eyes completely devoid of any emotion. The boy, seeing the impending danger, chose to mutter an apology before sitting back down. At the same time, Mineta put his right hand on his chest as he kept preaching his ideology.
"Uraraka's round cannons! Hagakure's invisi-bonkers! Hatsum—Glknh!"
Mineta struggled to breathe as Metal's right hand clamped around his neck, lifting him off his chair. The short boy looked at his partner in crime for help, but his plea went ignored.
Jiro turned her eyes away from the satisfactory sight to glance at a table on the other side of the cafeteria where an enthusiastic Ashido and a hyper Hagakure kept talking loudly with each other.
Sharing the table with those two was Mei and Yaoyorozu, whose expression was all 'bouncy', but what Jiro was focusing on was the spiky blue head in the middle of the table.
"As much as watching the pervert suffer makes me happy, I think he's about to pass out."
Metal's clawed fingers pressed against Mineta's skin as he gave him a last squeeze before dropping him back onto his chair. The leader of the perverted duo gasped as the air rushed back into his lungs while he rubbed his neck.
"H... How... How can you hear what I say?! Your head is all the other way over there! And the cafeteria is loud as heck!"
"He can't answer you, dude."
...
♫I'm Miss Sugar Pink Liquor, Liquor Lips, I'm gonna be your bubblegum bi—♫
'I was sure I changed that!'
Jiro's hands snapped to the right pocket of her uniform at the sound of her ringtone.
She fumbled with the phone for a few seconds after taking it out before pressing the accept call button. She held the device against her ear and listened to whoever was calling her, then she put it down on the lunch table and tapped the speaker icon.
"'N.O.N.E'?"
"Ha! Imagine falling for the oldest trick in the book!"
Kaminari laughed while pointing at Mineta's annoyed expression.
"You're not off the hook, macaque number two."
"AUGhughAh!"
Jiro finished the last remaining contents of her juice box as she used one of her earjacks to deliver Kaminari's punishment.
"So why is your head all the way over there?"
"And how do you make sure she listens to you?"
...
...
...
"MY EYES!"
...
"Ashido got caught in it too..."
"Can't they hear you saying that?"
Mineta asked as he kept rubbing his neck while looking at the headless robot beside him.
"Ah..."
"I'm sorry, okay?! Stop bullying me!"
"S-So did you guys already choose who you're going to intern with?"
Kaminari—with his body still shaking slightly courtesy of Jiro—spoke up, saving his fellow man of culture from any further psychological damage.
"You already know I'm going with Mt. Lady!"
"Hehe... I knew you'll see things my way!"
'He's clearly being tricked, not like I give a damn.'
"Who are you going with, Kaminari?"
"I didn't read the list yet, I was too busy with this event on my gacha game."
Jiro facepalmed at her classmate's antics before letting out a sigh of resignation.
"Take a chill pill! I still have until Friday to decide, now stop judging me and tell us who you're going with."
"Ah, well... I think I'm going with Death Arms."
The girl said as she put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek against her palm. Kaminari and Mineta looked at each other before the grape boy spoke.
"I didn't know you liked muscular men, good for you!"
"Metal, if you would be so kind?"
"Glrk!"
Jiro let out a pleased hum as she watched the spectacle once again.
"Why did you choose him though? N-Not like I'm implying that you would only choose Death Arms because of his muscles, I wouldn't dare... haha!"
"He was just the highest ranking offer I got, you dunce."
"But his Quirk has nothing to do with yours..."
"Fair enough."
Kaminari said while nodding his head as if he was just told some incredible information instead of an entirely logical conclusion.
"Anyways, what about you, robo-bro?"
Metal dropped the blue-faced Mineta back on his seat. The boy gasped for air as he slumped onto his chair like he was made out of slime.
...
...
...
"WHAT?! NO FAIR! WHY DO YOU GET THE DRAGON BADDIE?!"
Jiro covered her ears using her hands as she felt her head start throbbing.
"Why don't you use a megaphone while you're at it?"
'I think it's time for me to start wearing earplugs all the time...'
---
[Afternoon - Metal's POV]
"Nobody told me it would be a two hour drive..."
Mei said as she remained face down on the plush black leather seat of Yaoyorozu's limousine. At first the girl was excited and jumping all around the interior, which was big enough to transport an entire class, but that wore off as the road stretched on and on.
"Reading is for nerds!"
"Let me win for once!"
Mei groaned as she shifted around so she would face the fur-covered ceiling of the vehicle. Yaoyorozu let out a sheepish laugh at the girl's restlessness before slowly reaching for the mini fridge closer to her.
"Would you like something to eat? Maybe that would help make the trip shorter?"
"No need for snacks then! Besides, we're close to our destination."
Yaoyorozu closed the door of the mini fridge and straightened back on her seat with her hands folded neatly on top of the grey backpack resting in her lap.
"So who's the maid?"
Mei asked as she pointed at the individual sitting at Yaoyorozu's left.
The maid was a woman with shoulder-length silver hair styled in wild layered waves and twin braids tied with green ribbons that fell towards her front. She sat with her hands neatly folded in front of her, much like Yaoyorozu's, her back perfectly straight and her expression as cold as someone Metal knew.
"She hasn't said a word since greeting us."
"Ah, this is Sakuya, Sakuya Izayoi. She's been our family headmaid for a long time, even before I was born. She's also in charge of security."
"A maid for security? Have you ever seen her fight at least?"
Yaoyorozu took a quick look at the slightly taller woman who remained immobile with her eyes closed before shaking her head. Simultaneously, Mei found a new place to rest the heels of her shoes—Metal's lap.
"How do you know she can protect you if you've never seen her fight?"
"Yeah, fighting is just like... ninety-one percent of it."
"To be truthful, she's more like my nanny. We consider her part of the family at this point."
The maid opened her eyes, revealing two glistening silver orbs that matched the color of her hair. She glanced at Yaoyorozu for a few seconds before focusing again on the window in front of her, just behind where Metal was sitting.
"Your words are deeply appreciated, Young Mistress."
"Please drop the 'Mistress' thing..."
"That would be against the maid servitude code, Young Mistress."
"Ugh..."
Mei tapped Metal's chest with the front of her shoe to get his attention.
"Should I order you a maid dress?"
"You cook, clean, do the laundry, buy groceries, and everything else a maid does! You're just missing the outfit!"
Mei let out a squeak as she fell sideways onto the rugged floor of the limousine. She lunged and clung to Metal's cold legs after scrambling around on the floor for a few seconds.
The girl looked up at her creation with puppy-dog eyes, but her expression turned flat as she realized the robot wasn't even looking at her.
"We do own an apartment complex in Musutafu, but after the villain attack my parents decided it would be best for me to remain home for a time. I hope that time is over soon, though—having to wake up two hours early is getting quite bothersome, if I'm being honest."
"Then you should accept your father's offer and use one of the helicopters, Young Mistress."
Yaoyorozu avoided looking at anyone as she spoke up in a meek tone.
"T-That's a bit too much... I don't want people to think I'm showing off..."
"I agree with the machine, Young Mistress. You'll do well to listen to it... him... she?"
"Him it is."
Mei looked over her shoulder at the maid and back at Metal's face a couple of times.
"Did you two just become friends?"
Sakuya stared at the way Mei was clinging to Metal's legs like a koala, then at the composed Yaoyorozu sitting beside her.
"I'd argue I'm having an easier time."
The small rectangular window in the wall separating the driver from the back of the limousine opened as a gruff voice informed the group that they were approaching their destination.
Not even three full minutes later, the sound of a heavy metal gate moving slipped into the vehicle's insides. While the car was guided inside, Yaoyorozu's bounciness came back as she started pointing out every little thing that surrounded the stone-carved path.
"You see that tree over there?! I planted it with my mother when I was five!"
Yaoyorozu said as she gestured through the window at one of the many trees along the road.
"Ah! Ah! Look over there at the pond! I made all the rocks using my Quirk, it served as training!"
Mei—now positioned on Yaoyorozu's right with her knees on the seat while grabbing the backrest with her hands—nodded along to every word that came out of Yaoyorozu's, meanwhile Sakuya and Metal stared at each other in complete silence.
The car slowed to a halt, and not too long after the doors opened upwards on their own. Yaoyorozu gave her driver thanks as she was the first to exit the vehicle, with Mei trailing behind her and Metal following last.
C-Crrrkk.
A quiet noise came from behind Metal as the limousine rose another inch when the machine stepped out of it. Fortunately, Mei was too busy staring at the looming entrance of the mansion in front of her to make fun of the robot's weight.
"Daaamn! I knew you were loaded but what the hell is this?!"
Metal's lens moved up and down, left and right as he tried to process the image of just the entrance—from the heavy door made out of black oak to the massive red-wine-tinted windows all over the facade, made out of various types of dark marble and rich dark wood for the trims around the many pillars.
"The style is very... uhhh... vampire thingy, yes."
"I was just about to say that!"
Yaoyorozu giggled at the duo while holding a hand in front of her mouth before leading the way to the door.
The moment she got close, the door was pulled open, showing three maids standing on the right side of a black carpet, all of them wearing the same uniform as Sakuya but black instead of navy blue. On the opposite side were three butlers equipped with pristine dark red and black suits. All of them bowed and spoke at the same time.
"Welcome, Young Mistress and company."
...
...
"Do they always do that?"
Mei asked Yaoyorozu, whose only response was a groan as she hid her face in her palms. Metal, on his part, was too preoccupied looking at the person standing in the center of the long carpet with the wide staircase just a few steps behind them.
"Shortcut."
One of the maids took Yaoyorozu's backpack off her once the girl stopped covering her face. Then Sakuya spoke again as she motioned to the big doorway at her left.
"Both the Mistress and Master are already waiting in the living area alongside a guest. Please go ahead."
"A guest? I thought father cleared his schedule for the day."
"The guest's arrival is related to your classmates' visit."
Sakuya took the lead, guiding the three students across the opulent mansion—halls with ceilings high enough to accommodate entire pine trees and wide enough for at least six people to walk side by side without issue.
Every three meters (9.8 ft), there was a rectangular opening carved into the walls on each side of the halls.
Yaoyorozu took advantage of the walk to point at the paintings on the walls while explaining their origin as if she was a guide in a museum.
"Over there is my great-great-great grandfather, Kagemori Yaoyorozu, alongside his wife Zakuna Yaoyorozu. They played a major role in what our family is today by acquiring countless companies that were in shambles after the arrival of Quirks!"
The improvised tour guide let out an awkward laugh as she glanced over her shoulder at her mechanical classmate.
"I-It sounds immoral when you put it that way."
"Forget morals! I'm very interested in learning stuff from your now dusty folks! Do they have any books on scummy business tactics?"
Mei asked as she caught up to Yaoyorozu, who gave her all her attention as she nodded enthusiastically, making her spiky ponytail bounce around.
[She's just going to ignore the "scummy" part?]
Metal kept his steady pace a few steps behind the two talking girls, taking in all the details in the long hallway—from the chandeliers made out of black gold hanging from the ceiling with candles that gave off a red glow, to the windows above the paintings with overly complex patterns engraved into the darkened crystals, resulting in bat-shaped shadows cast on the carpet despite the slowly fading sunlight.
But what stood out the most for Metal was the extreme resemblance in each of the males in all of the paintings—tall and sleek with skin as white as snow, piercing blood-red eyes, thin lips, sharp elongated jawlines, jet-black hair falling in spiky waves all the way down to the shoulders. Metal could have mistaken them for the same person if it weren't for the slight differences in posture, birthmarks, and details.
"We're here."
The tall door in front of Sakuya opened to reveal the massive space that served as the living room—numerous black leather couches positioned one in front of each other in a side-by-side order like multiple living areas in one. In the middle of the expensive seats was a rectangular table with a glass center and a frame made out of black marble.
Two giant screens hung from the ceiling, each one facing a different couch, alongside a bar at the far end corner where a butler was too busy cleaning the inside of a cup with his eyes closed.
The rest of the space was filled with decorations following the same Victorian aesthetic—red and black carpets, stone statues, bizarre paintings, chandeliers, oval-shaped windows, and other details that Metal ignored in favor of avoiding a system crash just by calculating the price of everything.
"—He went like 'My aaarm!' and I was like 'Cry me a river.' Poor bastard, though I'm glad he's doing better now."
"Mom?! What are you doing here?!"
Mei rushed over to the short-haired woman dressed in a red long dress and black heels, completely disregarding the couple sitting side by side on the other couch.
"Metal sent me a message saying my baby girl was about to try and scam one of the wealthiest families in the continent, so I made a call, got a chopper, and now I'm here to make sure nothing happens."
Metal's creator looked back at the robot with an expression that didn't promise anything good. Miku let out an amused giggle before talking again to save her grandson.
"Jokes aside, you can't just go around making deals like this without me or your father. You're still sixteen, so if you're going to do any extracurricular activities where U.A. doesn't vouch for you, then call me."
"Speaking of dad, where is he?"
"With your teacher. He was talking about new 'inspiration'—whatever that's supposed to mean... but moving on..."
The woman's eyes moved up and down as she took a look at her daughter's messed-up workshop outfit.
"What are you wearing? I bought you at least five sets of clothes for this kind of situation, young lady!"
"Ayayayayay!"
Mei's arms blurred as she moved them up and down in protest to the pain her mother was causing her by pulling on her ear.
"W-We didn't have time! It was all too sudden!"
"Snitches get stitches!"
"The only one getting stitches here is you, you little gremlin."
"AYAYAYAYAY!"
Miku let out a sigh as she freed her prisoner, finally allowing the girl to sit down at the woman's right side while rubbing her ear and pouting at the same time.
Metal also approached and sat down on Miku's left; to his surprise, the cushion below him didn't distend more than the ones holding the humans' weight.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hatsume."
Yaoyorozu bowed in greeting before adjusting her uniform skirt as she took a seat on the same couch her parents were on.
She positioned herself at her father's right, leaving him in the middle of his daughter and wife. Metal's lens scanned the woman's features in an instant, noting the sharp contrast she created with her husband.
In height she was smaller than her daughter, barely being a little taller than Mei, with a face of soft features and a small nose alongside onyx-colored eyes that sparkled despite the dark color, radiant blond hair that fell all the way down to her waist in thin curls, a dress similar to Miku's but in a blue color, and her most noticable feature: a set of shiny rainbow wings resembling those of a fairy.
"Look at your daughter, Kotone! All grown up and acting like a proper lady! I still remember when she was this tiny little thing..."
A small laugh came from the woman's lips, a sound that was soft with a slight high-pitched edge to it.
"Yours seems to have become quite the troublemaker, to think she was such a quiet baby."
Yaoyorozu and Mei stared at each other before turning towards their respective mothers, with Yaoyorozu being the first one to ask the question both of them were thinking.
"You two already knew each other?"
"We do. Your mother owns the company in charge of distributing my music. She's also the first one who agreed to work with me back when I had no track record."
Kotone pressed her right index finger against her cheek as she leaned her head to the side.
"More like you barged into my office and begged me to listen to one of your songs."
"Shhh!"
"So you're a musician? Could I listen to one of your songs?"
Miku took a quick peek at the bartender at the other side of the room. Seeing the butler distracted, the woman focused back on the youngest Yaoyorozu.
"You already did at the Sports Festival, sweetheart."
Yaoyorozu flinched as a tiny neon-blue musical note materialized in front of her face. The small thing hovered in the air and after a few seconds tapped the girl on the tip of her nose before disappearing, leaving behind small particles.
Kotone almost let out another laugh at her daughter's bewildered expression.
"Meh, it's not a national secret anyway. As long as those slimy vultures don't hear about it then we're fine. Kyosuke told me how big of a help little Yozu was when making this new body of yours, so I'm sure we can give her a token of trust, right?"
"Y-Yes! Of course! I will take the secret to my grave, ma'am!"
Mei stopped rubbing her ear while slightly leaning forward to look at the robot sitting on the other side of the couch.
"See? No snitching! Engrave that in your memory bank!"
...
...
"Don't ignore me!"
"Hmmm... Well, let's see..."
Miku stared at the big screen hanging above them as she used her fingers to count.
"There's Kimihito and Miia, Carl, the three Yaoyorozus, the staff at U.A. and a handful of other heroes, obviously you, Mei and Kyosuke... and lastly Sakuya. Hello by the way, sorry for not acknowledging you earlier, I have to say you look exactly the same as you did years ago."
Sakuya—who had moved during the conversation to stand beside the armrest at Yaoyorozu's side—shook her head lightly while adjusting her right palm to rest on top of the back of her left hand at the height of the white apron of her maid dress.
"No need to apologize, I am but a mere observer."
"As rigid as ever, but okay..."
Miku's gaze turned away from the maid to the stern-looking man dressed in a black suit with a red trench coat on top.
"Are you done dissecting my grandson with your eyes, Takayuki? Keep it up and your wife might get jealous."
Takayuki kept his bright red eyes fixed on Metal, then lifted his hand and motioned for the robot and Mei to come closer with his index finger. The duo stood up from the couch and approached. Even while sitting, the man was tall enough to be eye-level with the students.
"Hmm..."
Takayuki took hold of Metal's wrist with one of his pale hands. To everyone's shock, he pulled the robot into a hug, not caring as a small hole was made in his clothes due to the machine's nose, before doing the same with Mei, who let out a squeak.
"You brought our daughter back to us. I won't forget that."
After whispering those words, he turned his head to look at Sakuya without breaking the hug. He spoke up with a voice that sounded naturally devoid of emotion.
"Select a few guards for a small sparring session."
"As you wish, Master."
Sakuya vanished without a trace after receiving the order.
Takayuki didn't pay that any attention; instead, he focused back on the girl who was trying to break free from his arm, though she stopped when the man talked to her.
"We can do business, girl. But first there's something your little friend has to do."
"Hey..."
Takayuki shifted his gaze to the side and then downwards as his wife tugged on his trench coat.
"How come I don't get a hug?"
"Be serious for a second, woman."
---
[Nighttime - Yaoyorozu Estate - Training Grounds - Metal's POV]
Metal stood in the middle of an open space at the back of the mansion. The ground was nothing but packed brown dirt, compressed and smoothed, leaving it without a ridge or a trace of dust. Squared white lines were painted at the edges to mark the limits of the arena, with bright floodlights held up by tall posts to make sure the arena could be used at any time.
A few meters away from the arena was the rear porch of the house, consisting of two elevated platforms separated by the stairs going down in the middle. Both platforms were decorated with seats facing the arena and small tables in between, and a low railing made out of stone in front.
"So remind me why my baby is about to throw hands with your guards?"
Mei asked from her spot on a cozy armchair a few meters away from the limits of the arena. The girl stabbed her orange juice box with a straw before taking a sip, already making herself at home.
"If what you want is the full support of Yaoyorozu Enterprises, then there's an extensive list of investors that need to see where their money is going. The Sports Festival was a good way to make them listen to you, but Metal was still fighting against students—U.A. students, but students at the end of the day."
Mei let out a grumble of annoyance as she muttered something about 'stingy rich people.'
"We could do business only between us, but your eyes are full of greed."
"Damn right! Kick their asses, Metal!"
"Language."
Thwack!
Ignoring the pained expression on his mother's face, Metal turned his attention to the female triplets standing on the other side of the arena.
Sharing the same slim build and height (180 cm / 5.9 ft), crimson hair styled in ponytails that reached just an inch below their shoulders, obsidian-colored eyes, and white skin with a slight grey tone to it. Going by their features, Metal assumed they were around twenty-five to twenty-seven years old.
They wore identical black bodysuits made out of some kind of black fabric that covered their entire bodies, only stopping at the neck, wrists, and ankles. Their feet were covered with sturdy-looking combat boots along with knuckle-reinforced fingerless gloves.
"So this is why the boss wanted us here?! Ha! It'll be fun to fight the Sports Festival winner!"
Said the woman standing in the middle of the other two, a fierce expression on her face that struggled to hold back her excitement as she looked ready to pounce on her opponent at any moment.
"...I want to go back to sleep..."
The woman on the right stated with a bored look on her face, followed by a yawn.
"D-D-Do we have to? I-I-It looks scary..."
A high-pitched yip escaped the last woman's lips as Metal's glowing yellow lens focused on her.
"Have manners and introduce yourselves first."
The fierce woman glared at Sakuya, who was standing on the sidelines with a small camera in her hand. Just as she was about to open her mouth in retort, the maid met her glare with her own, silencing the woman who wisely chose to focus back on Metal.
"I-I'm Y-Y-Yu, Yu K-Kerberos. N-nice to meet you, a-and please don't take over the world! I-I swear I treat my roomba very well!"
Metal's screen flickered at the indirect comparison.
"Ki Kerberos! Remember it well, bolts for nuts!"
"...Na Kerberos..."
Paying no mind to the irritated robot, Sakuya raised her left hand while holding out three fingers.
"You can start at the count of th—"
"Countdowns are for pussies!"
Ki ran forward laughing like a maniac as she dragged Na by the back of her neck. Meanwhile, Yu stood all the way back with her hands pressed together in front of her chest, trying her hardest to look small.
[No data for me to work with. If they were selected for this fight, then I shall assume they can endure my attacks.
---
Flamethrower: Ready (20%)]
A small hole opened in the center of Metal's black palm, revealing nothing but a hollow dark space. It didn't remain dark for long though, since a bright orange light was already pushing forward as the machine lifted his hand.
Fwoosh!
"You're up, lil sis!"
"We were born at the same time..."
Ki held her sister up in front of her using the woman as a meat shield against the flames. The fire spread out to the sides as it met Na head-on. The maniac behind her didn't slow down and quickly closed the remaining distance, forcing the robot to cut out the attack.
Not caring about her sister's integrity, Ki threw Na's smoking frame to the side, which made a loud 'thud' when her face hit the ground. Metal held up his right forearm to protect his face as Ki aimed for it.
CLANK!
The sound of the woman's gloves and the newly engraved logo on the machine's forearm meeting traversed the arena and surrounding forest in an instant.
Metal staggered back as the shape of his opponents knuckles remained on his forearm as small dents. Ki took the chance and intertwined her fingers with Metal's, locking their hands together.
The ground around their feet started cracking as both of them pushed against each other, with the woman having a slight advantage due to her height. Despite that, her veins were already straining against her skin, but she just glared down at the student—who kept his head bowed—with a wide smile on her face as she listened to his body also creaking in protest.
[Activating Flashbang]
"I kept asking myself if I could also lift a giant arm after seeing your stunt at the festival! Now I know I can!"
[Ready]
THWOOM!
"FUCK! MOTHERFUCKER FUCKING FUCKER!"
Ki broke the strength contest as her hands went straight to her burning eyes. Seeing the opportunity, Metal reeled his left fist back before sending it straight at the woman's gut. The attack didn't find its mark though, as a crimson blur carried Ki away, leaving behind only a footprint made of red fire.
Metal shifted his body to the right to face the two women a few feet away from him. Ki's upper body was doubled over to avoid the floodlights while her timid sister rubbed circles on her back.
"A-Are you okay, sister?"
"Of course I am! Pain is for virgins!"
Said the woman with teary eyes.
"Small question tho... Where the fuck is Na?!"
A yawn came from behind Metal, making him turn around to find Na staring at him with sleepy eyes.
She looked completely unharmed by the previous attack aside from a few stains of dirt on her face and suit. The two of them held eye contact for a few seconds until Na decided to break the silence.
"...Should we kiss to break the tension?..."
Metal's response came in the form of a punch to the chin, sending the woman soaring through the air. Her limbs didn't put up any resistance against the wind as she reached the peak of her ascent before descending directly onto her back.
Suddenly, the HUD inside the robot's head glitched out for a moment as something collided with the back of his head, resulting in him kissing the ground. Once Metal's vision finally stabilized, all he could see was dirt and more dirt.
"Did we w-win?"
[Activating Back Thruster]
"Clearly! Duh! It got the knuckle sandwich special with the extra Ki tattoo for dedicated fans!"
"...Wasn't this thing able to work even without its head?... Also the thingy is spinning..."
"Oh, fuck me!"
[Back Thruster: Ready For Burst]
Metal pushed himself out of the way using his hands as Ki's foot smashed the floor right where his head was just a second ago. He quickly jumped onto his feet as his right hand turned into a fist.
[Forcing Localized Overcharge]
Both Yu and Ki hid behind Na as Metal was carried forward by the thruster on his back. The woman at the front didn't even bother blocking as the silver fist approached her chest, blue electricity coating the machine's fist at the last second, getting a reaction out of the sleepy sibling for the first time in the match.
Metal's attack found its mark, hitting Na right in the center of her chest. The woman was lifted off the ground while the electricity transferred into her body.
Her back pressed against Ki's body, and while normally the vulgar sibling would have the strength to stop her sister from flying off, she wasn't prepared for the sudden electroshock. Neither was Yu, who had her hand on Ki's shoulder.
The three women fell down in a sprawling mess of limbs on top of each other, with two of them groaning in pain.
...
...
"I-I... told you we s-should have asked for leather suits..."
"Ugh... Zip it, Yu! It's Na's fault for not warning us!"
"I just want to go back to sleep..."
Metal asked while looking down at the triplets with his arms crossed over his round torso. Ki glared at the robot before yanking her hand out of the human pile to give him the middle finger.
"There's still someone for you to meet, fuckface!"
The U.A. student had to jump back to put some distance as crimson flames engulfed the three sisters in a split second. The fire expanded upward in a spinning vortex bright enough to override the white lights shining upon the training grounds.
Within the firestorm, three figures appeared to melt away like candle wax, but after a few instants they pulled themselves together, merging into a singular being. Said being slowly rose to its full height, not caring at all for the flaming curtain around them.
"Feels good being outside! And I get a chew-toy?! You three shouldn't have!"
Even though the voice was the same one the sisters shared, it sounded like three people speaking at the same time, with two lagging behind the first. An ash-gray hand tipped with long coal-black claws tore through the flames, scattering the fiery pillar and revealing a feral-looking woman wearing a happy expression.
She easily reached 221 cm (7.25 ft) in height. Her hair was the same color as the siblings but with a waving outline that made it look as if it was constantly on fire. The strands had also turned much thicker and unruly, almost destroying the ponytail entirely. Atop her head rested a pair of fluffy wolf-like ears covered in crimson fur, along with a robust tail of the same color at the back of her waist.
"Name's Yukina Kerberos! Don't worry, you don't have to introduce yourself! I know everything my sisters do!"
[Humans are annoying on their own. Now there's three of them in one. Exactly what I needed.]
Yukina tapped the side of her head with her open palm, her deep red irises shining inside her black sclera.
"They're watching, you know?! Ki is screaming at me to beat you up, Yu is asking me not to go overkill 'cause she's just that much of a sweetheart, and Na..."
...
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...
"Yeah, I think we lost Na! But it's okay! The creepy maid is recording so we'll just show her when she wakes up!"
The terrain started shaking as the white lines at the edges of the arena separated in half. Walls made out of solid glass rose from underground, going high enough to tower over the surrounding forest.
"Now we can run the ones, little friend!"
[Activating Electromagnetic Soles]
Yukina rushed forward on all fours, closing the gap between her and the robot in seconds, leaving cracks on the dirt with every step. She lifted her left hand over her shoulder before bringing it down in a diagonal swipe aimed at her opponent's whole body.
[Activating Hover Soles]
Four deep lines were carved into the surface of the terrain as Yukina's slashes missed when Metal jumped over the hand that was big enough to cover his entire face.
Above the fusion, the machine held out both palms together, aiming them at the Kerberos' back.
[Lightning Projection: Ready (62.3%)]
Bolts of electricity came out from the insides of Metal's cone-shaped forearms, traveling across the silver back of his hands and gathering on the black underside. The attack shot down in a thin line once it had gathered enough power.
KRRRRZT!
Yukina exploded forward, leaving a trail of crimson flames behind her as the machine's attack missed, scorching the earth beneath it accompanied by a thunderous clap. Metal's torso rotated to look at the woman below his slowly falling body.
The fusion didn't slow down at all even when her face was about to ram into the reinforced glass. Instead, she used her claws as climbing tools, quickly gaining height. She planted her feet against the glass as a red glow reflected across the wall.
"I wonder how a robot tastes like!"
The woman rocketed through the air, appearing in front of the robot in the blink of an eye. Her jaw stretched wider than should be possible for a human, revealing rows of sharp canine teeth glistening with saliva.
Metal took hold of both of the woman's jaws as she tried to chomp his face off.
The fighters slammed down into the arena, breaking the ground below them with the force of the fall. They ended up in a struggle with the student on his back and the fusion's jaws trying to close around his face.
[Should I let go and hope her teeth aren't strong enough to pierce my plating?
...
No, hope is not something to rely on.
---
Forcing Localized Overcharge]
The strong electrical current surged across the massive woman, encasing her body in blue crackling tendrils. Yukina's already bulging muscles tensed even more against her bodysuit and skin, but rather than pulling away from the pain, she leaned into it as the saliva in her mouth evaporated, creating a layer of steam.
Deep from within her throat came a blazing crimson gleam that slowly pushed its way out. Seeing the first embers already raining down on his face, Metal pushed the woman's head down so her mouth would be in front of his torso.
A dazzling yellow light gathered on Metal's center as its core ring started spinning rapidly with a loud whirring sound.
[Uni-Beam: Ready (53%)]
...
...
...
...
"That's quite enough."
Metal's systems took a second to adjust to his new upright position before glancing at the maid standing on his left as the glow on his torso died down. Sakuya let out a quiet sigh as she wiped a drop of sweat off her forehead.
"Hey! No fair! It was about to get good!"
Yukina let out a whine as small flames left the corners of her mouth. The woman stood up from where she was and approached the maid and robot, completely towering over them.
"You were taking it too far. This was a sparring session, not a death match."
"We were just playing! Pinky prom— OUCH!"
Yukina rubbed the back of her head with her massive right hand.
"Ki's very, very, veryyy angry right now... owie..."
"If she has a complaint then she can take it with me once you split. Now go to the medical bay and get checked before returning to your post."
"Yes, boss..."
The fusion gave Metal a few head pats with her free hand before walking away as the glass barriers around the arena went down.
"I can use knives as stairs."
Sakuya didn't elaborate any further as she moved toward the mansion.
Metal stared at the retreating maid for a few seconds until a loud girl holding a camera caught his attention. Mei pointed at the device with a smile and gave Metal a thumbs up.
The machine's torso rotated again so his chest and head would be facing in the same direction. Then he lifted his left hand over his shoulder and made a thumbs up returning his mother's gesture.
[Ego Integration: 13% -> 16%]
...
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...
---
[??? - Doctor's POV]
"—I hope we'll start working together very soon, Doctor! Your Nomus are marvelous creations. I'm already getting hungry at the thought of what we can achieve, hahahaha!"
The tall red-skinned man stepped through the misty portal, which closed behind him, leaving the Doctor and All For One alone again in the dark monitor room.
The short, fat man shifted his body around to face his boss while adjusting his gear-shaped goggles.
"Master... are you sure about this? He seems..."
"Unpredictable? Unstable? Loyal to no one but himself? I know. But there's nothing to worry about. As long as you play along with him, he'll take care of our mechanical problem. After all, we can't afford to split our attention between Tomura's growth and this, can we?"
The Doctor nodded his head in agreement as he focused on one of the monitors showing the live feedback of Tomura inside a small training room, disintegrating everything around him.
"Still, is it wise to sacrifice a hideout for this?"
All For One waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Their research is done anyway. It serves no more purpose than wasting resources. At least with this we can gather information and take care of that subordinate that's been giving him trouble—two birds with one stone."
"What about the Hero Killer? Do you believe he'll join Tomura?"
The Symbol of Evil smiled widely.
"Does it matter?"
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---
Here's the height chart i'm using to write this, just in case someone wants it tho i'm sure most of you have seen it.
also if anyone's worried this is going to turn into a multiversal crossover (it kind of is but you know) or something, relax, that's not it, i just find it easier to get characters from other medias but most of them will be given their own backstory so they're fully integrated into the world so yeah, Sakuya didn't just appear in the Mha world through a portal or something
sorry for the very wacky schedule and all, not really apologizing because i feel it's my fault but more because i gave a date and then didn't meet it so i won't make promises of that type anymore, what i can promise tho is that unless i outright say that I can't continue this fic then it's not abandoned.