This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental.

To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?

The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others.

A hero breaks through the norm, and shatters routines.


Thursday, April 20th 7:43 a.m.

It had been ten days since beginning his attendance at U.A. High, and Akutagawa Riku had slowly but surely become accustomed to the routine. His days comprised of spending time in class, exercise, enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances, and a small remainder of his time devoted to rest and relaxation. Although there were moments of deviation and excitement, the monotony of it all bored him.

Class would soon begin in under an hour, spurring him to climb out of bed and prepare for the day. An audible rumble bubbled from within his stomach, his body's indication that it requires sustenance. The cafeteria sounded good, but only after he had gotten ready. He had decided to settle for washing his face and brushing his teeth, seeing as how he had showered the night before. Lifting the covers off his body, he slid off the bed and lowered his feet to the carpet; which was cold to the touch compared to the comforting warmth of his bed. With a lackadaisical expression etched on his face, he sauntered towards the restroom, combing his semi-messy hair with his fingers.

With a splash of cold water to the face, he was nearly out of his stupor. The bristles of his new toothbrush still stung, although that would eventually fade away with more use. After a thorough brush, he spat out the remaining mixture of saliva, water and toothpaste into the sink.

All in all, a mediocre morning.

A quiet buzz emanated from his right pants pocket. Riku reached in and retrieved his phone, noticing he had received a message from his classmate, Morino Hide.

"Good morning Riku! Do you remember when Junko invited everyone to go shopping yesterday? I think I'm going to refuse her offer. I'd be too nervous shopping around with girls. However, I do have some free time today. Do you want to go hang out instead? I know of a great cafe nearby that we can go to after class. We could do our homework there or just talk or something."

The message looked too proper. With a huff, he brought both hands to his phone and typed a reply.

"yea ill let you know"

Riku considered the possibility that his response may have seemed lazy, but he quickly dismissed the thought. At the moment, he felt he couldn't commit to an answer. He donned his uniform, omitting the unspoken rule of sporting a tie, and accepted his decision of going to class without wearing one; not that he has ever worn one to class. Upon exiting the restroom, he reached for his backpack, settling for carrying it with a single strap, and made his way to the 1-B classroom.


Thursday, April 20th 3:00 p.m.

A short groan escaped Riku's mouth, as he rested his chin on his arms, sprawled out on his desk. Class had finally ended, after what seemed like an eternity. Other students like Rock had furiously jotted down notes during lectures, struggling to keep up with the material. It was comical to say the least, since Riku found the curriculum to be rather rudimentary. He could swear he saw steam flowing out of the ears of a few of his classmates.

Snipe had promised him that the year was just beginning, and the workload would soon be escalating in difficulty.

He couldn't help but notice Hide constantly glancing at him all throughout the day, as if expecting an answer to his offer during class hours. It was like a puppy begging his owner for food. A pink-haired puppy in this case.

Hide stood up from his desk and gingerly approached Riku, twiddling his thumbs while he processed his thoughts in his head.

"Hey, Riku? Have you decided whether you want to hang out today or not?"

Riku continued to sit, having to look upwards to meet the pink-haired boy's eyes.

He really is way too tall to be acting so sheepish all the goddamn time. Just lookin' at him kinda pisses me off...

"Ah... well," Riku trailed off, his indecision dissipating as Hide's demeanor pried at his hardy conscience, "Yeah, we can hang out."

The tall boy cheered, his eyes lighting up with excitement and relief. The rest of the class look towards Riku; who is currently wishing for an anvil to fall upon Hide's head. Aside from the pink-haired menace severely cramping his style, it had been a rather uneventful day, as he had expected.

Perhaps something interesting awaited him later this day. Either way, he wasn't going to find out by following the same routine. After agreeing to spending some time with Hide, they'd taken the time to get a change of clothes and meet on the first floor of the 1-B dorm.

Hide, perhaps a bit too considerate, made sure to remind Riku to double check that he had everything he could need. An aggressive click of the tongue from Riku was all that was needed to deter Hide's good intentions.

Endo waved from the living room couch to properly send the two on their way before going back to her studies.

As soon as Hide and Riku were out the door, Endo put on a tan trench coat and a black trilby. To add on to her inconspicuous disguise, she wore thick sunglasses and a fake bushy mustache. She now had her identity completely hidden, ready to execute her plan. With swift movement, she began tailing the two boys.


Thursday, April 20th 3:42 p.m.

After catching the earliest train they could, Hide and Riku were deep in the heart of Musutafu. The ride was more quiet than Riku had expected. He'd assumed that Hide was thinking of topics to discuss when they arrive at their destination. Unbeknownst to the two boys, Endo was keeping a close eye on their activities. A short ten minute walk from the station brought them to their desired location, The Grind.

Hide approached the entrance of the cafe and held the door open, facing Riku with a warm smile. Riku dug his hands into his pockets, and continued inside.

"Hello, welcome to The Gri-" uttered the hostess, immediately recognizing Riku from his last visit.

Hide tilted his head questioningly, unsure of what to say of her reaction.

Riku tucked his lips inward, pressing his mouth into a fine line, "...Hey... Been awhile..."

The hostess held a stack of menus to her chest, "I don't know if you're allowed to be here after what happened last time..."

"The damage was covered, wasn't it?"

Her head lowered slightly, a small groan escaping in the form of words, "That's not the point..."

Hide was completely lost, but Riku was too busy in his conversation with the hostess to answer his unspoken question. After a solid moment of contemplation, the hostess exhaled a weary breath, and gestured for the two boys to follow as she lead them to a vacant booth. The cafe was full of other people, yet the design of the interior allowed many individuals to enjoy themselves privately, given the generous amount of space they had access to.

She extended an open hand tilted at a slight angle, "Here are your seats, I trust you will be having a quiet, well-behaved experience this time around." After handing the two boys each their own menu, she forced a smile after informing them that she will return shortly to take their orders before walking away.

"What happened last time you were here?" Hide asked incredulously, eyes shifting from his menu to Riku.

"Almost got into a fight with Satou," Riku stated plainly, pursing his lips as his eyes scanned the cafe menu for anything appealing.

"Almost? Where did the damage come from?"

"Well, just a couple of plates and silverware fell and broke from the scuffle. Nothin' big," Riku murmured, his interest waning.

Hide's eyes widened to a moderate degree, his brain forming suspicions about his friend's possible violent tendencies.

The two boys eased into the comforting atmosphere of the cafe. The other customers agreed to an unspoken consensus of maintaining a hushed volume, allowing the cafe's playlist of soft piano to be heard clearly. In no time at all, the hostess had returned to their table and taken their orders, ensuring their food and beverages would be there shortly. It was never overwhelmingly busy at The Grind, making it easy for the hostess to wait tables and greet customers at the entrance. Hide and Riku continued their quiet conversation while enjoying their light sandwiches and warm drinks. Although it wasn't how Riku expected his day to go, the change in routine was not enough to spike his enthusiasm.

After a short period of spying on Hide and Riku through the windows of the cafe, Endo had decided to bring her investigation even closer. The hostess properly greeted her and escorted her to a vacant table suitable for one. Endo had successfully hidden her identity, but her gauche appearance only aroused the suspicion of most of the individuals inside of the building, including her targets of perusal. The two boys had decided to try their best to ignore the stranger, donning a disguise akin to one you would see in films, ironically conspicuous.

Riku had unintentionally garnered Endo's interest with his instant infatuation, and swift recovery from said infatuation. They were similar in regard to their distaste of everyday monotony, and tendency to become easily bored. She had unconsciously started to study him, from distances near and far.

From spending time with each other in their shared friend circle, to just glancing in his general direction during class. Eventually, she had discovered and surprised herself with her pursuit of knowledge.

Endo was not one to go into things half-hearted, leaving her with one thing to do. In order to gather more information on this interesting individual, she brought it upon herself to question his closest friends. Endo had received most of her details from Rock, just the basics of who Riku is as a person. Her curiosity was piqued to the peak, as she had discovered that Riku had no known weaknesses. The very next day, she'd decided to gear up and spy on him to see if she could notice an Achilles' heel. After all, what's more interesting to find out about a perfect person than their flaws?

Propping up a comically large newspaper to hide her face, Endo muttered "Does this count as stalking...?"

Hide retrieved an algebra textbook from his backpack, and began to work on some math homework while maintaining a conversation with Riku about the upcoming sports festival.

"So yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll finish in first this yea-" says Riku, stopping to take note of the pink-haired boy struggling to complete an assigned problem. He reaches over to Hide's notebook and effortlessly finishes the problem with a thin-tipped pen.

"Oh! Thanks Riku," Hide chirped, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Could you maybe show me how you did that?"

Suddenly, their phones vibrated in unison as they received a message simultaneously, along with a familiar notification sound blaring just a few tables away from them.

The notification sound was of Kotonoha slipping on a slick surface; a scream that went eek followed by a loud thud.

"Ah, we both got a message. I guess it's from the group chat, eh?" chuckled Hide, lowering his cup on to a small plate.

Before he could reach for his phone, Riku stopped him with a firm grip onto his forearm.

"Wait," Riku paused. "Did you hear that?"

"Er... the vibrations?"

"No, the notification sound from back there." Riku's voice grew quiet, in an attempt to hide their conversation.

"Oh, yeah I did. It sounded kind of... familiar, right?"

"It's the same notification sound that Endo uses. She's the only one in the world with that notification sound."

"Right, from that time that Kotonoha slipped on the juice Kazuto spilled..."

The two glance over to their right, watching the disguised individual squirm, fumbling to mute their mobile device, although it was already far too late. Hide and Riku scooted out of their chairs and made their way over to Endo's table, towering over her with their height. Nervously, she raised her newspaper to shield her face, another safety precaution to add on to her sunglasses and fake mustache.

Endo spoke in a forcefully deepened voice, "Y-yes? How can I help you gentlemen?"

Riku glanced towards Hide with an incredulous expression, and lifted the newspaper from the "stranger's" hands with his left hand, before swatting the individual's black trilby with his right, revealing a familiar view; platinum blonde hair with a light blue tint. All that remained was a startled Endo, sporting a tan trench coat, coupled with thick sunglasses and a fake mustache.

"Why are you here, Endo?" Riku questioned flatly, tossing the newspaper aside before crossing his arms.

She removed the sunglasses before speaking, "What, I can't relax at a cafe?" After taking the mustache off as well, the fake hair brushed against her nostrils, bringing her to sneeze.

Raising his arms to defend himself from the incoming germs, Riku continued in a tone that felt more tired than annoyed, "No, it's just that you're dressed like you're stalking someone or some shit."

Hide's lips spread into a thin line, arching slightly downwards. He raised his phone to where he could see the screen and decided to check the notification to distract himself from Endo's awkward reveal.

"Maybe this is just how I dress," she insisted insincerely.

Clearly indifferent in his reaction, Riku eyed her up and down, admittedly having difficulty in finding the reason she was dressed incognito.

"H-Hey guys?! Did you check your phones?" Hide jabbered, holding his phone to a position that would make examining the screen easy for Endo and Riku.


junko: HLP

junko: HELPP

junko: CHASSING THIEF

junko: TOOK ANZU'S PURSE


Hide was the only person to have read the message, indicated by the read receipts in the bottom right corner below the most recent message sent by Junko. The two other's eyes widened, recalling that Junko and Anzu had gone shopping today. Somehow, a thief must have made off with Anzu's purse.

Endo squinted as she spotted a suspicious event transpiring just ahead of her through the cafe's large window. A suspicious individual and familiar face engaged in a fierce chase.

"Waaaait!"

Everyone in the cafe within earshot turned to the window to identify the source of the muffled yet loud call. Junko's pursuit slowed to a crawl, reaching forward weakly with her right arm as Anzu pursued the thief, who was clutching her purse tightly. The red-haired girl collapsed to the sidewalk's concrete floor, and brushed the beads of sweat off of her freckled face.

"Is that Junko?" Endo intones, tilting her head slightly to the right with a puzzled look on her face.

Hide scoops all of his belongings into his bag, while Riku slings his pack over his shoulder.

Hide, Riku and Endo dash out of the cafe, and rush to Junko's side. The hostess of "The Grind" catch the three of them leaving out of the corner of her eye, her scan mostly fixated on Riku running out of the building without a care in the world. She bares her fangs and snaps the metal tray she was holding in half, much to the surprise and fear of nearly every person in the cafe. He dared to leave without paying? At that moment, she vowed to never forgive the boy who wronged her cafe twice.

Hide and Endo crouched, inspecting the fallen girl's condition. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were hazy. She was surrounded by several bags of clothes and accessories, and was most likely exhausted from having to lug around all of their purchases.

"Junko? Junko! It's us, are you alright?" Hide reached down and cradled her head with his left hand.

Panting, she managed to catch her breath to speak, "Hee... Hide...? Anzu's purse... you gotta... get it..."

Riku's eyes lit up, completely locked on to the thief and Anzu who was in hot pursuit. Without a word to any of them, he threw off his backpack, kicked off of the concrete, and initiated his own chase.

The hostess burst through the doors of the cafe, scaring the three students left behind. "Where do you think you guys are going?!"

Hide shook as her killing intent resonated through his bones.

Endo raised a heavy fog with her quirk, hiding them from the hostess.

"Run!" she cried, pushing Hide to his feet, and grabbing Junko's shopping bags and the boys' backpacks.

Hide carried Junko in his arms, scrambling to stand, following Endo as she led them out of the thick mist.

The hostess violently stomped the ground, barking and cursing as she watched the source of her anger sprint away. After expelling most of her rage, she calmly opened the door to the cafe and continued her shift.

Hide and Endo deflated, relieved to see the hostess from hell return to her lair. They maintained their pace, running towards the direction Riku and Anzu had gone.


"Stop! That is my purse!" shouted Anzu, breathing heavily, staying directly on the thief's trail.

Weaving through individuals on the sidewalk, the thief replies, "God, just fuck off already! You've been chasin' me for like five blocks, bitch!"

Despite the thief's efforts to shake off his pursuer, she remained strong, making use of stamina gained through months of intensive training.

Anzu gaped in surprise as Riku passed her, running at a high speed. Within seconds after her astonishment, the boy had landed a devastating tackle upon the thief, bringing him down like a falling tree. The wrongdoer cried out in pain, followed by more slurred cursing. Anzu slid to a quick stop, standing before a collapsed thief and classmate.

"You're... what are you... doing here?" she pondered, wheezing at a steady pace.

As both of the individuals rose from the floor, Riku assumed a fighting stance, preparing for a battle.

"I'm here to get your purse back, obviously! You know, hero shit," he announced, stretching out his fingers before retracting them to loose fists.

The thief chuckled, before widening his grin. After checking the watch on his wrist, he began to talk to himself in a low, hushed and manic voice. "I need it. I need it. I need it..."

Riku and Anzu froze, keeping a safe distance away from the crazed man.

His smile revealed his blackened gums and numerous gaps in his rows of teeth.

Riku snorted, and tossed Anzu his phone. "Anzu! Take a picture of this guy's fucked up teeth!"

"W-what?! Why?" she questioned.

"It reminds me of Rock! I gotta show it to him later!" He cackled, lowering his left fist to clutch his aching side.

Regrettably, she holds up his phone and takes a photo with the camera after zooming in.

"Last chance... my last chance..."

The man grew pale, the shadow of fear slowly creeping up and engulfing his expression.

"I'll bring it back for them... I can do it..."

"What is he saying?" questioned Riku, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to read the man's lips.

The man was shrouded by a metallic layer of skin, looking almost as if he had become silver itself. His hood slipped off from the speed of his dash, revealing a small horn poking through his forehead. As he charged at Riku, he threw a desperate fist aimed towards the boy's right temple.

Riku swayed to the left, effectively ducking away from the strike. Before he could retaliate with a blow of his own, he stood in place as he witnessed his classmate take action.

A bright beam emitted from Anzu's mouth and nostrils, wrapping the thief in its periwinkle light.

"You know we're not supposed to use our quirks in public, right?" Riku commented, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

Due to her quirk, the assailant was immobilized completely. Unable to even open his mouth, his screams were muffled behind his tightly wound jaw.

Riku sighed, before reaching for the girl's purse, locked in the man's iron grip. With a bit of effort, he retrieved her belongings through prying it out of the thief's locked fingers.

Anzu deactivated her ability, the light dissipating simultaneously. She fell to her knees, catching her fall with her hands on the concrete, gasping for air.

The thief did the same, disoriented, and ashamed. His metallic quirk faded away, revealing his naked skin.

Riku crouched next to his classmate, patting her back with his right hand. He passed the retrieved purse to her.

"Are you good? You're wheezing pretty hard."

She glanced to meet his eyes, "Yes, thank you... I can't breathe when... I use my quirk..."

"Plus, you were running after this guy for awhile."

Anzu nodded, leaning back to sit in an upright position as she caught her breath.

".. gnna killyou..."

Riku turned to face the thief, who was whispering to himself once again, his volume slowly increasing.

"I'll get it back. I need that. They won't kill me. I'm gonna kill you... I'm gonna fuckin' murder you all...!"

The gathered civilians felt a cold sweat as the thief declared his ill intent.

His enemy grimaced, his anger evident through his head's throbbing veins. Reaching in his coat pocket, he retrieved a small tube.

"A marker...?" muttered Anzu.

The tube was swiftly jammed into the thief's left arm, creating an opening with a sharp hidden needle. As he pressed down upon the top of the marker-like object with his thumb, a substance was released into his body. The thief's tongue hung out of his putrid mouth, displaying a disturbing sight as the tongue shifted from a pink hue to a sickly shade of black.

The thief brought his arms inward, as if squeezing an invisible pillow to their chest. Slowly, their physique began to increase in size.

Riku took a step back, "Trigger...?" he whispered, continuing to distance himself.

Suddenly, the thief screamed like a banshee, prompting others to quickly cover their ears with their hands in a poor attempt to mute the noise.

Krrench!

The sickening sound of bones crunching turned the stomachs of everyone witnessing the man morph into a grotesque figure. His metamorphosis progressed at a steady pace initially, and then erupted in a swift burst of change all at once.

His skin was bolstered by a metallic layer, the silver surface giving off a bright sheen. The layer protecting the man doubled, and continued to stack until the skin was thickly armored. The thief's bones groaned and creaked as they expanded violently, nearly piercing out of his hardened epidermis. After a short spell of gut-wrenching shifts of physical form, the man stood nearly three feet taller, reaching roughly eight and a half feet. His muscle and body growth tore through the clothes on his upper body, revealing an extreme surge in strength, evident in his barrel-chest and dense shoulders.

Shriik!

The small horn resting just above his eyebrows grew in width and length, pure black and menacing in its appearance.

Throughout the entire change, the man had not stopped screaming. Once he had ceased, everyone knew he had finished.


[Quirk: Silver Skin + Expansion + Sharp Horn]

Essentially, the skin becomes wrapped with an entire layer of silver! The layer is thin, and silver is known to be a soft metal, making this armor rather flimsy.

Expansion slightly increases the size of your body and everything within, a simple ability.

A small, retractable horn sprouts from your forehead, careful, it's pointy!

Even with all of these weak quirks combined together, it wouldn't make much of a threat. However, after the man took the drug, all of these quirks were amplified by several times.


Slowly, the hulking amalgamation of quirks released his flexed arms from his chest, and stood straight, looking down upon Riku and Anzu. He rotated his head, relishing in the terrified expressions of the civilians witnessing the event. He took a step forward, producing an audible thud.

Riku took a step back, continuing his wide-eyed gaze.

Anzu got to her feet, "I think we should lea-"

Without warning, the brawny man swung his right foot to the girl in an attempt to kick her like a football.

Riku dove without thinking, and scooped Anzu from where she stood, successfully avoiding the kick. Shielding her with his body, he absorbed the impact of the cold concrete sidewalk as they landed.

Avoiding a furious monster of a man who towered above everyone surrounding him was intimidating, maybe even terrifying, but Riku wasn't about to let anyone know that. In fact, he was almost excited at the challenge.

He pushed a flustered Anzu off of him, and dashed towards the thief. Aiming his left hand towards the midsection of the man, it began to glow a faint black light.

His hand shot a wide cone of black flame, producing a deafening crack that cut through the air.

This is more like it.

The man groaned as the dark fire engulfed his body. His voice sounded distorted and deep, further accentuating his monstrous appearance. As the blast dissipated, his uproarious bellow pierced the ears of everyone within earshot. He tilted his head downward to aim the black horn at Riku.

The horn extended instantly, moving at blistering speed like a missile.

Riku narrowly dodged the horn, taking a well-timed backstep. His face grew pale as the horn pierced through the concrete sidewalk, separating the solid stone in jagged fragments.

The man retracted his horn, and began to sprint towards his opponent. His frighteningly loud steps sounded like thunder, spurring the spectators to cry out in fear.

Raising his right arm, the man wound up, preparing to strike down the boy. With a powerful thrust, his fist dug into the concrete as Riku managed to escape by the skin of his teeth.

With every missed attack, the thief's rage continued to grow. His condition grew more unstable, with thick veins pulsating on the surface of his metal skin.

Okay, maybe this is getting dangerous. Better hit him with something harder.

Riku's fingers twitched as he flexed, gathering strength for his next attack. He dashed, attempting to get behind his giant of an opponent.

The thief accelerated, effortlessly keeping up with Riku's movements as he pivoted on his left foot.

Shit, is he getting faster?!

The boy froze, exposing his grit teeth as the man met his eyes.

Just gotta go for it!

He aimed his open left palm towards the man once again, preparing to unleash another jet of black fire.

The thief swung his hulking left arm in an attempt to chop down the boy. Riku responded by sprawling to the ground, in a prone position.

"Fffuck!" he breathed, his confident demeanor shattered.

Felt that on my hair that time!

"Riku, run!" Anzu cried, standing to her feet, clutching her purse.

The thief extended his horn once again, with the intent to impale the boy and finish him off.

Riku raised his stomach off of the ground using all of his fingers and toes, and pushed off with all of his might to hop away in the lowered position, landing just out of harm's way.

The ebony horn sunk deeply into the concrete once again.

Panic and adrenaline dictating the course of his actions, Riku rolled on to his back and wound up his right foot, bringing his knee to his chest. With all the force he could muster, he drove his foot into the man's black horn.

Snap!

With a nauseatingly audible crunch, the horn snapped at the point of impact, effectively separating the small portion buried in the sidewalk with the rest of the horn extended from the thief's forehead.

The man's horn swiftly retracted, blood streaming from the center of his wound. As the warm fluid trickled down his thick-veined, silver face, his scream of agony paralyzed everyone present. All except one person.

Akutagawa Riku stood tall, a wide grin growing on his face as the exhilaration of the battle made his heart race.

This is what I need. Fighting villains. I feel alive.

As the fight raged on, the man only became more and more furious. The drug coursing through his veins continued to make his power grow. With each blow that Riku landed, the thief's muscles expanded, his skin thickened, and his rage elevated. All of his wicked intention was now focused towards his opponent. He'd completely forgotten his objective.

Riku kicked off the ground, engaging in a full sprint towards his opponent, "Let's fucking go-augh!"

Suddenly, he was pulled backwards by the neck of his shirt, causing his feet to slide forward, landing him straight on his bottom. Confused, he swiftly turned his head to see the cause of his slip.

Standing before him was an upset Endo, and a frightened Hide holding an equally frightened Junko in his arms.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she barked, cutting into the battle. "There's so much wrong with this picture. Giant evil-looking villain, you fighting it for some reason, using your quirk in public of all things..."

Endo adjusted her grip on the shopping bags and backpacks, "This is too dangerous. Let's get out of here!"

Riku stared, mouth agape, completely dumbfounded. Snapping back to reality, he quickly grabbed Endo by the shoulders and began to push her away, despite her efforts in staying put.

"Wh-Riku! Get off me!" Endo spouted, flailing her arms, trying to pry the boy's grip off of her shoulders, dropping the items she held on to the ground.

"This is no time for a lecture, you gotta go, now." Riku trailed off, keeping his eyes on the thief, increasing the pace on evacuating Endo as the man prepared to attack.

The thief crouched low, tension gathering in his legs, before diving forward in a burst, reaching out to grasp Riku.

Endo's eyes widened, her surprise expressed in a fearful yelp.

As the situation spiked to extreme levels of danger, Riku's perception increased to a height that he had never experienced before.

His brain processed a response fast enough to allow him to react to the villain, reaching closer and closer, nearing inch by inch.

It was as if everything was moving in slow motion.

He could see the veins on the man's head, pulsating in an almost explosive cadence. His uneven, grotesque teeth jutting out of blackened gums. The menacing twitching of his spread fingers, resonating with glee, knowing that they would soon be clutching Riku in their powerful grip.

Crystal clear, high definition.

Riku spun, simultaneously forcefully pushing Endo backwards with his right hand, and aiming towards his enemy with his left hand. Being aware of his opponent's overall durability and increasing strength, the black glow in his hand grew brighter than it had ever before.

He fired.

An enormous jet of ebony flame erupted out of the boy's left palm. The bang was enough to make everyone's eardrums ring, like a powerful bomb detonating.

The force of the blast sent the hulk of a man tumbling backwards wildly, unearthing shards of concrete on his destructive path, finally colliding with a large parked truck.

The recoil from the attack sent Riku's hand flying backward, jerking him violently to the ground. The angle of his arm and the impact of the fall caused his left shoulder to dislocate. He laid on the ground, writhing in pain, clutching his left arm's wrist as the palm expelled smoke from charred skin and flesh. The searing sensation in his palm pierced into his tissue like a thousand needles. At the very least, his nerves weren't dead.

The thief remained sprawled against a large indentation in the truck he collided with, stunned and staggered.

The gathered civilians had mixed opinions conflating all at once into a loud din that echoed throughout the city.

Riku's classmates stared in awe after witnessing the boy's jaw-dropping feat, saving the life of himself and Endo.

"Holy... crap..." whispered Junko, unable to pry her gaze away from the scene of destruction, clinging on to Hide's button-up shirt as she laid in his arms.

"You took the words right out of my mouth..." breathed Hide, suddenly becoming flustered at having to carry his exhausted classmate.

Anzu stared at Junko and Hide, before clearing her throat to get their attention. "Hide, I'm extremely exhausted. Do you mind if I hitch a ride as well?"

"Whuh... what?" he replied.

Anzu quickly retrieved all of her belongings and laid them onto Junko's lap, essentially making Hide carry them, before climbing on to his back and clinging tightly like a koala.

"Whoa geez...!" bleated Hide, beginning to struggle from all of the added weight. All of the female contact added to his tribulations.

Endo quickly knelt to Riku's side, examining the boy's injured condition. "Jesus, Riku...! I almost had a heart attack... You... you saved us... You saved me."

"That was the idea..." he joked weakly, raising his head several centimeters to get a view of his fallen opponent.

"Are you well? Can you walk?"

Riku grunted in affirmation, pushing off the ground slowly with his right hand, accepting the assistance of Endo to raise him to his feet.

The severe burns on his left palm continued to bite away at him, bringing his face to twist in pain.

"Wha..? Let me see," Endo insisted, taking hold of his wrist to inspect the wound. Her eyes narrowed as the severity of the injury came to her attention.

"Guess I put too much into it," Riku admitted, gritting his teeth as the deep aching from his shoulder echoed throughout his body.

Endo slipped her hand into his, interlocking fingers with a gentle but sturdy grip.

The pain was lessened substantially, thanks to the cold alleviating touch of Endo's hand.

"Is that better? It's not much but... it should numb you a little."

Suddenly, a pang resonated within his chest.

Feelings were resurfacing.

Oh fuck. Not again.

"Yeah..." he replied, his eyes immediately darting to the side, to avoid her concerned gaze.

The immense growth of strength that surged within the thief had slowed. The silver armor layering on his face had melted from Riku's flames, exposing his bare, burnt skin. He reached outward with his large hand, grasping for the purse laying on Junko's lap.

"I.D... Give me..." he groaned.

Anzu twitched as the thief continued to demand for her belongings. This time he specified the item he truly desired.

The man grasped on to the edges of the dented metal on the truck, and began to pry himself out.

Riku's eyes narrowed, as he attempted to summon more strength from within for the second round. Before he could steel himself, he was yanked away from his position by Endo sprinting away, their hands still locked. The pain flared to unbearable levels, urging him to scream. Thankfully, he managed to swallow his yell.

"W-What are you doing?! He's getting back up! I gotta take him do-"

"No!" she interjected, chopping the injured boy in his damaged shoulder, bringing him to sputter and extremely painful howl. "It's too dangerous, leave it to the pros! We're not even allowed to fight villains! We've gotta get outta here before a hero or the authorities show!"

Perhaps it was all of the injuries he had sustained, or his inability to control the way his heart was banging. Regardless, he acquiesced and continued to follow her lead.

She makes a good argument.

Endo and Riku passed their classmates, as they dashed from the scene holding hands.

"Come on Hide, after them!" Junko demanded, gripping Hide's cheeks and shaking his head with her right hand.

Feeling like a mule, he obeyed her command and followed the others out of the area.

"Is he following us?" asked Anzu, her eyes tightly shut.

Riku looked backwards, his vision blurring from the sweat dipping into his eyes, as well as the lingering pain from his shoulder.

The man limped forward, continuing to raise his arm as if reaching for them desperately. The crowd of people around him dispersed, trying to distance themselves to a safe observable area.

Suddenly, a silhouette blurred into Riku's squinted vision. The figure shook its head in what appeared to be a disappointed movement, before clutching the thief's throat with its right hand.

Immediately, the thief's appearance had returned to his original form. No metal skin, no large body, no horn.

Riku's eyes widened as the thief began to crack and crumble, screaming in torment.

"PlEasE! I alMoST dId IT! i'M noOt UsELesS!"

His pleas went unanswered.

Slowly, the man disintegrated into nothing.

Nearby civilians had mixed reactions, from speechless to full-blown screeching.

Riku blinked, and rubbed his eyes at the unbelievable sight.

The silhouette had gone.

The thief was gone.

"Holy shit..." muttered Riku, before screaming as Endo took a tight right turn into an alleyway shortcut.

The sounds of sirens flared in the distance as the 1-B students successfully escaped the area.


Thursday, April 20th 5:56 p.m.

The five of them busted through the doors of the 1-B dorm, speed-walking towards the stairs.

Ryuji and Kazuto shared a couch in the living room, playing on an SNES they borrowed from Snipe.

Kazuto turned his head to the group, "Oh hey! You're bac-" He paused as he took in the sight of them all.

Hide drenched in sweat, carrying not only Junko and Anzu, but what appeared to be several shopping bags, as well as a few backpacks and a purse.

Junko staring upward with a blank expression.

Anzu's eyes still closed tightly, clearly rattled.

Endo and a bruised Riku... holding hands?

Something inside of Kazuto hurt a little.

Ryuji's jaw dropped, "What happened to you guys?"

The five of them answered with a quick and simple response, "Shopping."

Ryuji and Kazuto remained planted on the couch, dumbfounded and unable to come to a conclusion. The shoppers continued their crusade up the stairs, to the right wing of the fifth floor. After groggily trudging up the staircase, they had reached their destination. Junko dug into her pockets and handed Hide her room key.

"You... need me to open the door?" he asked incredulously, his stamina at the very limit.

"Do you really need an answer to that question?" Riku replied curtly.

The pink-haired boy sighed deeply, before inserting the key into the lock of Junko's door and unlocking it with a decisive turn.

The group shuffled into the modestly spacious abode, admiring the neatness of it all. Anzu hopped off of Hide's back, leaving him able to gently lay Junko on her bed. He will never forget this trial he underwent. Carrying two girls and their belongings as they fled from a crime scene, standing and absorbing the gazes of multiple people on the train home, and climbing five flights of stairs.

His stamina is without a doubt, unmatched among his peers.


Thursday, April 20th 6:07 p.m.

The sun had descended below the horizon, once again marking the sky with a myriad of warm colors. The glass door leading to the veranda was left un-curtained, allowing all of the current inhabitants of Junko's room to enjoy the sight.

Riku bit into a thick towel as Anzu set his shoulder back into place. A muffled groan escaped out of his throat and through the fabric.

Endo pat the boy on the back, while Hide removed the tags from the newly purchased clothes before folding them, and organizing the accessories.

"Ouch... Oh man, that fuckin' hurt..." breathed Riku, raising his newly set shoulder several times. After confirming it was properly relocated, he removed his shirt, exposing his toned physique.

Endo and Anzu quickly averted their eyes, still coming to terms with the fact that most of their classmates were in great shape.

Junko began to relax, laying in bed as Hide tucked her in with a blanket.

A warm white flame grew from Riku's palm and dimly lit the room, entrancing everyone witnessing its beauty. He raised the flame, smoothly pressing it against his exposed shoulder. The pain began to dissipate as his torn ligaments and tissue slowly healed. After a dozen seconds or so, he removed his hand from his shoulder.

"That'll be sore for about a week or two..." he huffed, catching his breath after using his quirk for a prolonged period of time. "Now... for the big one."

He raised his left hand, doing his best to fight off remembering how Endo's hand feels in his, and clasped it with his right.

Immediately, he groaned painstakingly loud.

Renka sat on her bed next door, jumping as she heard a boy moan next door.

Endo and Anzu quickly grabbed the thick towel he previously bit into, and pressed it against his mouth, successfully muting his pained noises.

"Keep it down, idiot!" Endo hissed, "People are gonna get the wrong idea!"

Riku would raise a middle finger if his hands weren't occupied. For now he settled with an aggressive stare.

Slowly, the pain began to fade away from his palm. Unfortunately, the extended use of his healing ability began to take it's toll. He was haggard, and dark bags grew just below his glassy eyes. Beads of sweat began descending down his face, and continued down his body. Riku was seconds away from passing out, but he knew he needed to fix his hand the most. He was left-handed! He could deal with a sore shoulder, but not an unusable dominant hand.

Just as his eyelids began to lower, he was jolted awake by Endo's cold hands pressing against his cheeks.

"Don't fall asleep now, you're almost there," she encouraged.

With a groggy but determined nod, he continued until his hand was completely healed. He grinned like he was drunk, before his head nodded back, exposing his rolled-back eyes.

Endo, Anzu and Hide stifled an uproarious laugh at Riku's silly appearance. Endo took a picture of him passed out, and sent it to the group chat.

"When should we wake him?" Anzu inquired, wiping a tear as she giggled.

"Let's give him like, twenty minutes?" Hide offered, "He's had a long day."

Endo tilted her head, "Yeah, I guess we can give him that." She saved the sleeping survivor to her phone.


Thursday, April 20th 6:30 p.m.

After several attempts of waking Riku up, they had finally managed to bring him back from the realm of slumber, using a feather to brush his ear. He gasped loudly, as his eyes gradually opened.

"Wha..t the fuh..." he murmured, looking around as he laid on the floor, his head resting on one of Junko's pillows.

Endo jumped as he came to, stuffing the feather she used to wake him up under Junko's bed, out of sight.

Riku slowly rose, putting more of his weight on his right side, blearily gazing upon his surroundings.

Hide, Anzu and Junko sat comfortably on the carpeted floor of the room. Once they had noticed him awakening, they paused their conversation to check his condition.

"You're awake!" chirped Hide, sliding forward with his proper knee-sitting posture.

"Do not be so loud Hide," said Anzu with a soft-spoken voice.

Riku rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, his condition unchanged. He leaned forward, propping his head on his right hand, while balancing his elbow on his right knee.

"Why did you wake me?" he drawled.

"We need to talk about what happened," Anzu answered. She retrieved her wallet from her purse, and dug out her U.A. I.D. card. "That thief was after this."

Endo's eyes narrowed as she studied the card, "It's the ticket into campus. Any villain would want that."

Junko cut in as she wrapped herself around with her blanket, "He... He wanted to get into the school? A villain hasn't successfully infiltrated U.A. in years..."

"Did you see his appearance?" asked Anzu.

"Yeah, giant menacing metal man. Kind of hard to miss," joked Hide, quickly shrinking as Anzu's nonchalant stare pierced into him.

"He stuck some sort of needle into his arm, injecting himself with some kind of steroid. He was just an ordinary-looking guy before that," Anzu replied.

Endo crossed her arms and huffed, "Ordinary-looking thief."

His quirks... It's impossible. It's like someone pasted a bunch of random abilities into one guy.

Riku thought to himself, and then opened his mouth to speak his mind, "That guy... he had multiple quirks. He had... a horn he could extend and retract, silver skin, and he grew in size." A small groan rumbled in his throat, as his fatigue peaked.

"What's so odd about that? Don't you have multiple quirks too?" Hide questioned, leaning against Junko's bed, resting from a long day.

"That's not-" Riku paused, shrugging off the conversation, "I guess..."

It's probably better if I don't mention that.

"By the way, I've been checking the top stories on the internet, and this incident hadn't shown up," said Junko, scrolling through the news on her phone. "After some more digging, I managed to find an article with a fair amount of hits. It only mentions that there was an unknown individual battling it out with a villain that went out of control."

"Shit... were there any photos?" asked Riku.

"Only of the aftermath," she replied.

The group managed a sigh of relief, afraid of the consequences of getting involved with such an event.

A cold sweat trailed down Riku's armpits as his thoughts began to connect. All of the information given to him, Rock and Kazuto after the entrance exam began to correlate with the events that had transpired earlier that day.

I'm gonna have to talk to them about this. Maybe tomorrow...

"So, me and Anzu had just finished shopping, and then out of nowhere, this thief comes and snatches her purse!" spouted Junko.

The group continued to discuss their hectic day, addressing the strangeness of it all. They had reached a consensus to not disclose any information about what happened today to anyone. Riku planned on telling two others, but for the most part his lips were sealed.

The background seemed to melt together as Riku's eyes narrowed into a squint, leading to a long yawn. He was thoroughly exhausted.

He managed to mutter just loud enough for the others to hear, "I think I'm gonna go to bed..." Riku breathed sharply as he slowly arose.

Hide attempted to stand to assist his friend, only to fall backwards onto Junko's bed. Although he had an absurd amount of stamina, it was not limitless.

Endo uncrossed her legs and stood, shuffling across the carpet, pausing next to a struggling Riku. Gripping his hips, the boy jolted at the cold touch. With one fluid and steady motion, she pulled him to his feet, and ducked under his right arm to provide support.

Although she was unperturbed by the sweat from his bare skin pressing upon her, she felt she had to speak up, "Riku, before I help you to your room, you should probably... put on a shirt. Holding hands is one thing, but lugging you around like this? I'm not trying to get that kind of attention from people."

With mumble of affirmation, he reached for his shirt, neatly folded next to Hide on Junko's bed. Taking a fair amount of time, he managed to properly slip on the clothing.

"Junko will bring you your backpack later," Endo promised, bringing the boy's arm around her shoulders once again.

The aforementioned girl quietly whined, "What?"

"Well, good night guys. I'll see you tomorrow," said the platinum-blonde-haired girl, waving a loose hand.

Riku grumbled half-consciously, the group generously accepting it as a good night.

The two sauntered out of the room, looking to the elevator sitting next to the entrance to the staircase.

Endo groused to herself, "Why didn't we take the elevator earlier?"

She made her way to the elevator, trying to keep Riku awake as his feet began to drag.

Pushing the button labeled with the number three, the doors of the elevator closed.

Riku looked to his left palm as an idea hatched in his head, "O-ouch..."

Endo turned her head curiously.

"My... my hand still stings... Ough, it's almost unbearable..."

She sighed, "Riku, are you trying to get me to hold your hand again?"

He froze.

"Nice try."


Meanwhile, Hide shifted forward on the bed, sliding his feet down to the floor, his bottom still resting on the comfortable mattress. He reached slowly for his backpack, managing to fit it properly onto his back.

He brought a finger to his cheek and scratched gingerly, "I should probably get going t-too... Thank you for letting me stay in your room, it's lovely. Well, here I go..."

Hide pushed off of the bed with his palms and rose to his feet, although hesitant to take a step, he brought himself forward slowly. His "miracle legs" shook like an old man's, bringing his trudging to a stop. Embarrassed at his legs' sorry state, he froze up.

Junko paused, "I'm going to go use the restroom. Have a good night you guys." She promptly took off and left for her restroom.

Hide watched in disbelief as Junko avoided the situation.

"Would you like a hand?" asked Anzu softly, approaching the pink-haired boy.

"You'd do that for me?" Hide perked up, a too-honest-for-his-own-good smile curling on his face.

She nodded, "Of course. You helped so much today. It's the least I could do."

Anzu attempted to mimic Endo's technique of supporting from under the arm, but failed to account for Hide's massive height. Taking a different approach, she stood on Hide's right side, and raised his arm with her hands. She lowered her right hand under his own, instructing him to firmly take hold. Afterwards, she faced his side and placed her left hand under his elbow. As they walked, he could press his arm down onto her hands for support.

"Alright, shall we go?" she asked.

With a nod, they walked out of the room, gently closing the door. Together, they proceeded to the elevator. Once inside, she raised a finger to the floor buttons.

"Oh, I'm on the 4th floor," he said.

She replied with a small hum of affirmation before pushing the button for the fourth floor. The doors of the elevator shut, and the small jump indicated they were moving downward.

"Hide, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why did you decide to refuse our offer to go shopping? I think you would have had fun with Junko and I. I would've had more fun if you were there."

Hide struggled to properly articulate his thoughts, but opened his mouth anyways to avoid a moment of silence, "Uhm... W-well, I..."

Anzu tilted her head, indicating he had her attention.

Unable to bend the truth, it seeped out of his throat, "I... thought I'd be too awkward around girls. I've never had an easy time talking or being around them."

The elevator decelerated to a crawl, before ceasing its motion.

"Hide, you carried Junko in your arms. You carried me on your back. You even spent quite a bit of time in a girl's room."

"Tha... that was the first time I was in a girl's room too..." he sputtered, his expression loosening.

"And Hide," she paused, raising his arm with her hold still intact, "I'm holding on to you right now, helping you walk. I don't think you are awkward at all."

Up until this point, all of the panic and exhaustion had caused him to ignore everything she had listed. He glanced to Anzu, and her gentle hands cradling his long arm. For a moment, he turned entirely pink to match his hair.

"Are you alright?" she exclaimed, further clinging to him.

The elevator door opened.

He quickly pried off her grip, and took her hand in his. With a surge of vigor, he shook her hand enthusiastically. "Thank you for everything! I really, really appreciate it!"

Using his final burst of strength, he leaped to his room's door with his quirk and unlocked his door in record time. Waving a flustered hand to the girl in the elevator, he quickly hopped inside of his room.

Anzu heard a small thud after the door closed, assuming he had fallen from fatigue. She smiled warmly, before pushing her dorm's floor button on the elevator.


Endo and Riku approached their stop, standing before a door with a panel to the left labeled "Akutagawa Riku."

"Well, here we are," Endo commented, slowly raising the boy's right arm so she could slip away from his hold. "You feeling okay?"

He lightly pulled at the dark bag under his right eye with his pointer finger, satiating a slight itch. "Yeah, thanks for helping me get here."

"... Thank you."

"For?"

Endo slowly approached the wall they faced, and leaned back against it, raising her eyes to the ceiling.

"You know, you got Anzu's purse and everything."

"Oh. That was no problem."

I completely forgot. I just wanted to fight that guy... I was ecstatic when he became that monster-thing, and I got to go head-to-head using my quirk.

Riku's thoughts paused, prompting him to look towards his feet with half-lidded eyes.

He... ended up dying. I don't think the rest of these guys looked back. That thief is gone now.

The boy wasn't sad, rather he felt slightly empty. Fighting that man made him feel alive. It made him feel good. It broke the usual routine.

He recalled being given a business card from Detective Naomasa, that rest comfortably in his wallet.

No... I don't think I'll call him.

Two boys crept into his mind. One with soft-fluffy hair, the other bespectacled and nerdy.

I'll tell them. Tomorrow.

A soft voice snapped him out of his stupor and prompted him to look up.

"Hello? You in there?" Endo joked with a smirk, gently poking him in the forehead.

Riku blinked, his attention successfully captured.

"Thank you."

He grinned, "You thanked me already."

"No, thank you for saving me."

"...Anytime."

Riku reached into his pocket, and unlocked his door with the room key. He turned to his friend, prepared to bid her good night.

She extended her hand, her eyes moving from her hand to his face repeatedly, not so subtly gesturing for a handshake.

"Oh, now you wanna hold my hand?" Riku joked, folding his arms.

"You're still salty about that?" she asked incredulously.

The two stared in silence for no more than a few seconds, leading to an short burst of shared laughter.

Finding a moment of opportunity in all of the amusement, she tugged him towards her by his shirt as she stood on her toes.

Riku was met with the alien sensation of a soft, chilled pair of lips pressing against his right cheek.

It was just a quick peck.

She wished him a good night as she departed.

The boy fell backwards, the door catching him.

He slowly slid down the door as he watched the icy maiden make her exit, content with the fact she had discovered a weakness of his.

Yep, that broke the routine.


Wow! Longest Chapter Yet! Wowie Wowie Zowie! Thank you for reading! I was struggling with this chapter for quite some time. It warms my heart to know it's finally complete. Coming next, the sports festival! It'll be hectic! Please leave a comment, I would appreciate any criticism. Thank you again!