Sup' you beautiful people! Hope you've had a fantastic day! Welcome back to The Esper of UA! Here's a new chapter!
Once again, I would like to say a big thanks to a lot of you guys. The popularity of this fanfiction is growing a lot faster than my past self who started it could have imagined. It makes me hopeful to do that webcomic I promised.
For the reviewer 1jesus, thank you for continuing to read this fanfiction. Your request is great; however, I cannot give it a try. The problem is that I don't think I'm very good at writing Saitama's parts. I try my best; however, I look back and get this feeling that Saitama would have responded slightly different to this scene or one other scene. It's kind of one of the reasons I had Tatsumaki be the main character. She's much easier to write since her type is in a lot of anime.
Now then, let's jump right into this chapter!
Chapter 20: The Secret is Out
The Saitama building complex stood tall as usual. Though it wasn't called that way, it might get to that because of the news that propped up today. It was morning and at the hours where most workers and students got up ready for school. For two snooping reporters, this was a special day for them. Saitama's complex was close to a flyover bridge. In fact, the doors on the apartment were directly facing the place and gave anyone the chance to spy on them.
It shouldn't be too surprising then that two reporters used that vintage point to their own use. Satou Kamikaze held his microphone in his hand just in case. This moment wasn't meant to be a self-reporting unless necessary. His cameraman was with him. The both of them were ducked from any view of the apartment owners.
"Are you sure this is the place?" asked the cameraman nervously. "I know about the video, but…the post that mentioned her residence is just…too dangerous to live in, right? I mean, this is the infamous ghost town."
"I know about that." Satou said with a slight glare in his eyes. "But we have to be the one to confirm. If this was a normal residence, there'd be a ton of news crews here to find out for themselves. But because this is the town infamously known to have monster popping up more than regular, we have this chance." He then paused and peeked through their hiding place. He looked to a specific door. "Now get ready to video this. I see a door about to open."
"Okay."
Satou readied the regular news standard camera and aimed at the door. The door opened a few seconds and revealed the person behind it. Satou gasped, with his accomplice doing the same. They expected the green haired girl attending UA; however, they saw the third most popular hero in the world.
"Is that…Caped Baldy?" The cameraman asked. "It's true that his actual residence is kept a secret to the public, but…to think he would be here of all places."
"He must truly be confident to take care of any monsters." Satou said in addition. "Once people see this, there'll be no doubt that some residence would return, knowing that such a hero lives close by."
Saitama let out a yawn with his hand blocking it. The known hero-for-fun had just woken up when the door next to him opened. It turned out to be Fubuki who then closed the door behind her and saw Saitama. She was dressed in her school uniform and with her backpack on her.
"Off to school huh?" He asked. "Where's Tatsumaki?"
"She…um...she's still sleeping." Fubuki answered reluctantly.
"That can't be right. She'll be really late for school. Trust me; it won't be good to be late for school when it comes to UA."
"I guess…" Fubuki said. "But my sister is…not one to wake her up without getting some ringing in your ears. So can you be a dear and wake her up?"
Saitama paused for a moment and gave it a thought. He and Tatsumaki never got along. Their relationship could just be summarized as bad neighbors, which wasn't so bad unless she knew he was an actual Pro-Hero. Saitama didn't want to get anymore hate from the girl, thus he kept it a secret from. Genos and Fubuki knew about this and had agreed with him to keep it a secret.
"I'll probably regret this." Saitama said dryly. He then gestured his hand for Fubuki to leave. "Go to school. I'll go wake her up. Maybe she might be able to get there before the gates are steeled shut."
"Thanks, Saitama! You're the best!"
Fubuki waved at Saitama with a cheerful smile. She then activated her quirk and flew off, unaware of the men watching her. Their mouths were slightly open as they saw the girl fly and leave the area.
"She's an esper too?" asked the cameraman. "That online post never mentioned that."
Satou looked away and became focused. He pointed back at Saitama who he could see opening the door. "Publicly, it is known that the Caped Baldy has an apprentice. Demon Cyborg is the name the Hero Hunter called him in the battle yesterday despite the fact that he isn't an official professional hero. He is currently registered in a five-year apprentice-hero course in which when he completes it would make him an official pro-hero."
"Why did you bring that up?" The cameraman asked. He and Satou could see Saitama enter the other room.
"Think about it." Satou said. "Tatsumaki and her sister live next to a top pro-hero in a residence area many would be scared to go to. It's possible that she's another apprentice whom Caped Baldy enrolled into UA. It would explain how strong she was when she stopped that sludge villain months ago."
"What about the video of her clash with the Demon Cyborg?"
"That might be a dispute that arose between them." The reporter speculated. "I wouldn't imagine such a thing won't happen when working under a strong man like Caped Baldy. Their voices were mute, but it seems like Demon Cyborg was the one who started it. Tatsumaki might've just resulted to self-defense. However, it's best not to take my word for it. I am only…speculating."
That word was the last he said before he and his cameraman screamed. Saitama was flung into their direction, thus causing them to run out of the way. The Pro Hero crashed through the cement wall they hid behind and went across the street when he hit to the wall there. Satou and his accomplice quickly turned to Saitama who stood up without a single scratch and dusted his body.
"I guess that confirmed what I thought, not that I regret it. The kid has to get up for school." He muttered to himself. The Pro-Hero then noticed the cameraman and Satou. "Who are you –"
Saitama was cut off when he heard a loud bang. It attracted the attention of the Pro-Hero and the two men close by and were followed with a certain girl's scream.
"LOOK AT MY ROOM! THE TIME! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!"
Tatsumaki was in a short moment of desire. She didn't know she was heard from the outside. As for those watching, they just heard more ruckus until the girl came out of the room in her UA school uniform.
"Good thing I took a shower before going back to sleep again!" She shouted to no one.
Before anyone knew it, the esper activated her quirk and flew off. She caused a boom and a blast when she flew off and headed away from anyone's sight.
"She's…so fast." Satou muttered in mild shock.
"That's…just part of an esper's quirk." His cameraman added, feeling the same as his companion.
Saitama made a fake cough to get their attention. It worked and soon he met their eyes with his usual stoic ones. "You should stop that, you know." He said, pointing at the camera. The camera was facing him, but he didn't care.
"No, this is fine. We're from the media." Satou said with a nervous smile.
"That doesn't matter!" Saitama yelled. His outburst surprised the two men. "Film me all you want, but it's a step too far when you do it to a little girl! That's just lolicon-stalking! You could go to jail for going after a little girl!"
Satou and his accomplice were lost for words. The former stuttered, trying to come up with a good excuse. They were reporters, and going after celebrities was a norm. But this hero here wasn't concerned about himself, but their actual target. Now that they thought about it, they were kind of peeking on a teenage girl.
"W-We're sorry." Satou apologize and bowed his head. His cameraman followed suit and apologized.
Saitama was pleased with their apology. "Good. Just don't do it again, okay?"
"Yes, sir!" Both men exclaimed.
Just then a familiar female voice called out to Saitama. It came from below and attracted Saitama to walk to the edge. It turned out then that it was Mount Lady in her hero costume and facing his apartment building.
"It's Mount Lady." Saitama muttered. He jumped down without a problem and scared her in the process. The heroine had to take a few breathes to calm her heart.
"Don't just do that, dummy!" Mount Lady yelled. She looked up from where Saitama jumped down from and was surprised. "What happened there? Was it a monster?"
"No, it was just Tatsumaki." Saitama answered easily. He looked back to the broken cement barrier at Tatsumaki's apartment door. "That reminds me. I have to ask Genos to fix that."
Mount Lady looked at the exact place. It made her wonder what really happened. She knew about Tatsumaki living in the complex because of Saitama. The Pro-Hero felt it was best to tell her so she wouldn't get on the esper's bad side.
She sighed and looked away. "I feel like I shouldn't know."
Just then the female hero remembered her reason for being there. She dug her phone out and put up a picture. She then pushed it to Saitama to see. "By the way, what is this about? Genos and Tatsumaki fighting in the outskirt of the city!"
"Genos and Tatsumaki?" Saitama asked and looked at the picture. He could make up from the blurry picture that it was indeed the two individuals. "So that's how they looked when they fought."
"Saitama!"
"Huh?" Saitama looked to her. "Oh right. Sorry. It was actually a misunderstanding from what I got from Genos. They're cool now."
"B-But what about the part that she ripped his arm off?"
"I don't see that in this picture."
"It's a screenshot of a video!" Mount Lady yelled. "Everyone woke up this morning to a video uploaded on the internet. The whole fight was mute, but it was obviously Tatsumaki and Genos fighting. It looked like they were trying to kill each other."
"But they didn't."
"I know that!" Mount Lady shouted at his face. She put her phone down and sighed and put her fingers on her temples. "I swear you are still as oblivious as you were those years ago."
Saitama paused and contemplated about it. He then turned away and began walking back to his apartment. "You can come in if you want. Genos isn't in for some reason." He said.
"But what about yesterday?" Mount Lady asked.
"Yesterday?" Saitama stopped and turned to her.
Mount Lady was silent and held her left hand on her right arm. "Yesterday was with the battle against Garou. Some good heroes were beaten very badly like Kamui. He's fortunate to reattach his hand once it was found, but…it kind of scares me that a villain with the strength to pick me off so easily is still out there and could bring more harm. And then there's this stuff about a Monster Association. I…really think we should do something about it…like old times."
Saitama was quiet. The word 'old times' echoed in his head and made him recall many good times he had with Mount Lady and Psykos. It also brought some emotion to show on the once stoic face and an actual emotional response.
"Let's do it." Saitama said. He turned his head back to her. "We'll go on patrol to look for the Hero Hunter. But before then, I have to take a shower. You can have some tea while I'm at it."
"R-Right." Mount Lady nodded with a slight blush on her cheeks.
Soon enough, the both of them went into the building. However, they were unaware that the men from before had videoed the whole thing from their spot.
"Are you sure about filming this?" The cameraman asked.
"Nonsense! Both of them are adults, so this is fine!" Satou answered.
Another day in UA meant another day that a student could be ambushed by reporters at the entrance gate of UA. The prestigious education-based institution was no stranger to these kinds of people.
This meant the same for the present day. As for their reasons for being there, the first one was obviously because of All Might. The second reason had to do with a certain esper's secret mysteriously leaked out. Hence, the students were greeted by questions.
"What kind of lessons does All Might teach you? Has Tatsumaki displayed as psychic powers in any of them?" A reporter asked frantically.
"Eh?!" Izuku stuttered. The teen was taken aback by both questions. "Ah…I'm sorry, but I had to go to the nurses' office…"
Ochaco was attacked with a question too. She was fine with the question concerning All Might, saying that her thoughts on him were that he was muscly. It was the next question that really got her thinking.
"Then what about your thoughts on Tatsumaki?" The reporter asked. "Being in the same school, you probably got a glimpse of her esper-like quirk."
"Um…uh…" Ochaco muttered. Her mind flashed back to the Heroes vs Villains test that All Might made. "She's…someone really cool. I think her quirk is one of the best out there."
Tenya Iida was next. Unlike most students who probably answered, he gave a somewhat long speech about the Pro-Hero. The same was also about Tatsumaki when he was asked about his thoughts about her.
"I personally believe she is bright and clever when the situation calls for it. Being around her, I have witnessed that her quirk would be benefitting in all kinds of heroics and preserve the peace. It is possible that she has a long way to go due to her attitude. Thankfully, I believe UA can provide the building block that will expose her to being a hero."
Bakugou was different in his response. He either wasn't in the mood or just didn't care. When a reporter tried asking him, the reporter recognized him as 'the kid who Tatsumaki saved'. The blond teen simply answered that the reporter should drop it.
Aizawa soon came to stop the reporters by 'shooing' them by his hand movement. "The man is off duty now. You're interfering with our lessons here, so kindly vacate the premises."
They didn't comply. If anything, the media just became more vocal about their questions. Aizawa chose to ignore them and walk back inside the compound. There were more important things to address.
"We just want to speak with All Might and Tatsumaki directly!"
"Yeah, where is she anyway?! We haven't seen her!"
"And aren't a little too sloppy-looking?!"
Aizawa continued to ignore them. In a minute, Tatsumaki would be registered as late. He did know that the green haired esper was absent, but it wasn't like he would tell them. The fact that the esper's secret was out made him ponder about it.
Tatsumaki arrived at the scene, precisely on the sidewalk across UA. It had taken her some time to get to her present location. The reporters were a bother, but it didn't change one essential fact about school – she can't be late.
"WAIT! AIZAWA-SENSEI!"
Aizawa stopped and turned back. His dry expression stared at her with a raised eyebrow. Her shout not only got his attention but also the media. The reporters there were delighted to see the esper in question just a street across.
"There she is!" shouted one reporter.
Tatsumaki was surprised to see them running to her direction. It was true that she was famous, but it has been months since people fanaticized over her. Maybe if she bothered to listen to their mountain of questions, she would know their reason for coming for her.
'I don't have time for this!' Tatsumaki thought in frustration. She took a step forward and got ready for a single leap. 'In less than sixty seconds those gates are going to be steeled shut! Those reporters are in the way, but the gap right in the middle is an opening! If I can just pick up the right amount of speed that would just brush them away then I'll be –"
The esper activated her quirk and flew head-first through the press. 'I'll be able to make it!' She exclaimed in her mind. "Out of the way!" She shouted loudly.
Tatsumaki ended up pushing some of the men and women after her. She made it inside the compound before the gates then automatically closed by actual huge steel gates
"I made it!" Tatsumaki exclaimed in relief. She then noticed Aizawa in front of her and frowned. "Oh right, I did call out to you. You don't have to punish me for this. I came on time…sort off."
Aizawa said nothing back at first. He just gave her a sloppy look and turned away. "I'll let this one pass. Don't come at such a time again." He said.
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki snubbed at him with her arms crossed over her chest.
She knew she would follow the man to her homeroom. However, someone unexpected showed up. Tanktop Master arrived before the fellow Pro Hero, Eraserhead (aka Aizawa), with a strict look on his face.
"Aizawa-sensei, Mr. Principal has called upon you and Tatsumaki to his office." He announced.
"What for?!" Tatsumaki yelled in a mix of shock and anger. "I have a class now! I can't just –"
"We'll be there." Aizawa interjected. "Let him know that, Tanktop."
Tanktop Master nodded and walked away. The moment he was a few distance away, Aizawa turned his head to her. "Homeroom can wait; what I have for you and everyone else isn't very important in a sense." He said to her. "But I have to admit. I thought you were framing ignorance, but it looks like you don't know what's going on."
"I don't get what you're saying, sensei." Tatsumaki stated offensively.
"You're an esper, right?" Aizawa asked. His question was enough to shock the girl, but he continued. "Every staff member in UA knew for a long time. You aren't the first esper to attend this place, apparently. But it would seem the whole world knows about the fact that you're an esper and…that you fought Caped Baldy's disciple some time ago."
"EH?!" Tatsumaki uttered. Her eyes were widened as she tried to think of the best words to say. "W-Wait, how did you know about that? I mean, how did everyone know that I'm an es-"
"You'll see." Aizawa replied and began walking to the building. "I'll admit. When you met Genos in my class for the first time, I knew something was suspicious. You basically said you left him for dead. We better get going. I do have other important things to do."
Tatsumaki looked down to the ground. She was confused on what her next move should be. When she thought about it, the signs should've been clear. People were looking up and pointing at her when she flew through the sky. She remembered that some were taking a picture of her when she went by. However, these revelations only brought a set of questions in her mind. It would look like she'll have to meet the principal and figure things out from there.
Izuku was very concerned. This morning he woke up to find out that Tatsumaki's secret as an esper was out. His mother didn't talk to him about it since she never told him that she has seen the girl pick him up before. However, the teen knew that his class would likely be talking about the news.
He couldn't let the bothersome thoughts of his classmates stop him though. He pushed the door aside and was immediately greeted by his name being called. Mina Ashido, Tsuyu Asui, Denki Kaminari, Ejiro Kirishima and Akemi Toshi were in front of him.
"Midoriya, you heard the news right?! Did you know about it?!" Denki asked eagerly.
"You knew Tatsumaki before the entrance exam! That was obviously clear!" Mina added with an excited smirk.
"Well? Midoriya?" Ejiro asked.
"Come on, dude! Spill the beans!" Akemi urged him.
Izuku became nervous and underwhelmed. He stuttered and fidgeted to say a proper response. Fortunately, Tenya came to his rescue with Ochaco by his side.
"Everyone should settle down." Tenya said with his usual attitude. "Aizawa-sensei would be back soon. The principal called him to his office. Let's not cause any ruckus in his absence. We cannot afford to present ourselves as –"
"Out of my way!" Katsuki snarled and barged his way passed Tenya and Ochaco. He then went to his seat and sat down.
"Hey, Bakugou." Ejiro called. He went over to the hot-tempered teen. "You knew Tatsumaki since middle school, right?"
"Drop it!" Katsuki yelled.
Ejiro sheepishly raised his hands up to his chest level and backed away. Izuku didn't seem surprised by his former bully's attitude. The guy and Tatsumaki never saw eye-to-eye. If what Izuku was thinking was right, Katsuki was feeling somewhat cheated by the esper since she kept her status as a secret.
"This morning sure became this way huh" Ochaco said with a small smile. "I kind of figured it out when the foundational hero studies was over yesterday."
"You did?" Izuku turned to her surprised.
Ochaco laughed sheepishly with a smile. Everyone else was talking with the person they were comfortable with or people they were friends with. Kyoka didn't seem that much interested until she looked back and saw Momo writing down on a book. Out of curiosity she went over to the girl and stood next to her.
"What are you writing about?" She asked.
Momo stopped her writing. Her serious concentration on her note made her to almost jump. The girl was good at calming her mind, fortunately. She turned to Kyoka to respond. "Writing down some observant notes about Tatsumaki." She said. "It might seem out of place, but it is something I've been thinking to do since that day Demon Cyborg was introduced to the class."
"What about it?" Kyoka asked. She was finding some interest in this conversation.
"Tatsumaki once said she thought she left him for dead." Momo said exclusively. "It got me thinking. What if the video with her and Demon Cyborg fighting is why she said it? I'm surprised no one inquired her about it."
"You have a point there." Kyoka replied with a thoughtful look. "When she said it, I thought it was a little off. I guess I just didn't care enough to think about it. So what are you writing down?"
"Everything I've observed about her, from her attitude and the way she has displayed her quirk." Momo said. "Espers were mainly thought to be realistically impossible. People today either have a quirk or no quirk at all. But espers have one quirk which can seem like having different quirks all in one. It's like a tree which has many outreaching branches."
"Cool." Kyoka smiled a little. "I barely paid attention to her. She always seemed angry like a certain hot-tempered person we know. Well goodluck with it. I'll be going back to my seat."
"Alright." Momo said with a nod.
She watched the other girl leave. She then faced her notes and pondered about it. Her mind flashed back to times she had seen her. She never hung around the girl, but she had seen much about her quirk from the foundational studies. The look in Tatsumaki's eyes when she (Momo) told the class about Tatsumaki's fault in the heroes vs villains test then got her attention.
'Those eyes are not normal.' She pondered with her pen at her chin. 'Could they be the eyes of a girl who's just hot-tempered or the eyes of a cold blooded killer?'
Genos could sense Tatsumaki fuming. He couldn't blame her; he felt unease even if he didn't show it. Tanktop Master had informed him and the esper just recently that the principal had called off their meeting. The reason wasn't clear, but he could guess that it was for a good reason.
"Aren't you mad too?!" Tatsumaki yelled angrily. She stopped in front of him and pointed directly to his face. "This is your fault, you know! If it weren't for you back then, this wouldn't have happened! Besides, how am I sure you aren't the one who didn't put up that video?!"
Tatsumaki had a point about the whole ordeal. If it weren't for Genos's misjudgment at the time, they wouldn't have been in this mess. It was probably this reasoning that made the cyborg not to feel annoyed by the esper's bratty attitude.
"I did not put up the video." Genos answered in his robotic manner. "Whoever that did this had it done to harm us socially. As for the postponed meeting with the teacher, my guess is because of the school hours. All Might is presently off duty and right now lessons should be ongoing."
Tatsumaki reluctantly put her finger down. She felt conflicted in a way, trying so hard in her mind to find something to blame the cyborg on. But seeing that she wasn't getting to him, she just huff and crossed her arms over her chest.
Genos was unfazed with her attitude. He walked passed her with a place in mind. "I will take my lead. I will advise that you remember what we discussed earlier this morning with Child Emperor and Zombieman. We do not know when the enemy will strike."
"I remember." Tatsumaki replied.
The esper remembered every well. Child Emperor called her at the time of 3am to discuss important things concerning yesterday. Garou was part of the topic, with the same going about Psykos. The older esper herself hadn't been seen for years and it clearly worried the others.
Not Tatsumaki though; the esper wasn't so worried. Psykos was someone she looked forward to battling. The fact that she was alive always infuriated her just by the thought of it. Tatsumaki wanted to go to class, but she couldn't. A familiar voice called to her.
Recovery Girl arrived in the hallway. In front of her was the green haired esper herself.
"There you are. I was wondering where you went off too." Recovery Girl said calmly.
Tatsumaki turned to her with a slight suspicion in her eyes. "What do you want?" She asked.
"I just want to know how you are handling everything that has happened today." Recovery Girl answered and walked over to the girl. "I know it may seem like the staff just knew, but I can tell you that it isn't the case. Everyone knew that you are an esper since you got into this institution."
"Then why are they acting like this?"
Recovery Girl paused and turned away. Her eyes stared to the outside with a thoughtful expression in them. "Why indeed? I guess it's because the public is trying to get involved. You can say we are trying to help you."
"Hmph! I find that hard to believe!"
Recovery Girl turned back to the esper. "Is that so?" She paused. "Have you heard of the esper who used to attend here?"
Tatsumaki's eyes widened. The question came as a revelation and reminded her that Aizawa mentioned something about that. Recovery Girl could see she got the esper's attention, thus she continued.
"She was about your age when I met her. She was socially awkward and she wasn't the top in her class. In fact, she barely made it to the Heroics Department. Even the weakest person of the class had better scores than her. That didn't stop her though. She worked as hard as she could and she even gained a few friends. You would think with everything looking up for her would have a happy ending."
Tatsumaki could only stare. She could sense from Recovery Girl that she was withholding other information. The Pro-Hero paused for a second and sighed.
"I haven't seen her in years now. Something bad happened to her and it took the school sometime to recover. It was later ruled out that she and her family were killed in a monster attack at her residence. It's a pity really. She was really a great help in my office."
"But there's more to it." Tatsumaki said with a suspicious tone. "That girl…she didn't die from some monster attack, did she?"
"It depends on one's point view." Recovery Girl said and made eye contact with Tatsumaki. "There was a monster, but not one we could see physically. I think it was a monster that... dwells in our hearts, waiting to unleash its terror to everything in its part. A hero has to work hard to rid itself of that monster. If he or she cannot, then there are only two choices. You can either continue to tame it or…let its darkness swallow you whole until the 'you' that was good is taken away and gone forever."
Tatsumaki was quiet. Recovery Girl's words hit her deep. It made her think over something she asked Child Emperor in the morning's earlier hours. Recovery Girl saw Tatsumaki's eyes divert from her in thought. She then placed her hand on the girl's bicep.
"You shouldn't let the thought get to you." Recovery Girl said with caring eyes. "Her mistake was secluding herself from everyone else. If she had been open to the friends she made…if she had tried to make some attempt to reach out to them, then perhaps they could've saved her before it was too late…I am old and there isn't much I can do like in my younger years. But I can tell you this. We are concerned about you because we know you are a good kid. There are a few teachers that have their doubts about you, but can you blame them? Times like these moments should be put into holding your chin up and showing your potential. Do not forget what you have, Tatsumaki."
"But what about that video?" Tatsumaki asked.
"No one is perfect, Tatsumaki." Recovery Girl told her softly. "We could talk about what happened then, but we might forget that we are not a court. This is a highschool. You should be focused on making memories here." She then removed her hand and smiled warmly. "Cheer up, Tatsumaki. You'll be fine."
The esper moved her head to face the old Pro-Hero. There was something about her smile that lightened her mood a bit. Not surprising, she didn't admit it. She turned her back at her and began to walk away.
"I…I have class now. I guess I'll see you around, old hag."
Recovery Girl paused and maintained her smile. Seeing the esper the way she was didn't offend her in the slightest. She knew Tatsumaki meant only for good. Hopefully, there won't come a time that she would regret it.
"I guess we will." She muttered.
Homeroom was back in motion. Tatsumaki had arrived later than Aizawa; fortunately, the teacher pardoned her with a caution to not do it again. The esper was fine with the timing since it prevented anyone in her class from talking about the video. Recovery Girl was a good talker, but Tatsumaki still had her issues to deal with.
From the looks of it, class was just starting. Aizawa finished talking about the marks and evaluation from yesterday's battle trial (aka the heroes vs villains test), when he decided to drop something completely unexpected.
"We need to pick a class president!" He revealed.
Everyone was surprised. Some had speculated just a few seconds ago that he was going to bring up another pop up test. For a school filled with upcoming heroes, they were fine with having some normal school things in their lives.
That didn't change the enthusiasm from everyone though. Mina, Akemi, Ejiro and just about anyone were already raising their hands up for the position. The easily excited students were already standing and shouting their ambition. Tatsumaki was an exception to this, however. She just watched everyone with an annoyed look on her face.
'They're being so noisy.' She thought.
"Be quiet!" Tenya shouted firmly. His voice packed with a sense of authority and discipline was enough to silence his loud fellow classmates. "This is a task laden with responsibility where you must carry and pull everyone else's weight! Just because you'd like to do it doesn't mean you can! It is a holy office that requires great esteem and trust of those around you…! The only true worthy leader will emerge from a democratic choice reflecting the will of the people."
With that, Tenya did what would be expected of his character. He firmly raised his hand up with a strong conviction in his heart. "…which is why this must be settled by a vote!"
Tsuyu thought otherwise. Since she sat in front of Tenya, she turned back to face him. "It's still too early to have developed any trust in each other." She said.
"Yeah, and everyone will just vote for themselves." Ejiro added in agreement.
Tenya replied. "That is precisely why the person who does manage to earn multiple votes will be the truly appropriate person for the job, no?!" He then looked forward at Aizawa. "Is that alright, sensei?!"
Aizawa was already in his sleeping bag, standing up. The only visible thing was his face that never seemed to change its expression. "As long as you all decide by the deadline, anything's fine. Genos is off duty today, so try not to be careless."
Soon enough, the votes were made and passed. Tenya's situation bore some good results, but not in the way most people would've expected. The results were displayed on the board for everyone to see.
"I got four votes?!" Izuku exclaimed in shock.
"I had two…" Momo muttered with small disappointment.
Akemi jumped to her feet with her hands in the air. "Wow! I got three votes!" Before Izuku knew it, the girl grabbed his head in a hug and mashed it against her chest. "Congratulations, class president Midoriya! Let's do our best!"
Mineto was jealous. The shortest student in class could only envy Izuku's position – the green haired teen got to feel Akemi growing chest. Bakugou was angry and shock that Izuku won. Ochaco whistled innocently when he asked about who voted for Izuku. She was one of the four people who voted for Izuku, but it wasn't like she was going to tell him. The only conclusion then was that it was Tatsumaki.
"You voted for him, didn't you?!" Bakugou yelled in front of Tatsumaki. "You voted for him just to keep sucking up to him! Am I not right, esper?!"
Tatsumaki nonchalantly glared at the hotheaded teenager. "And what if I did?! Got a problem with that, hothead?!"
Bakugou was going to snap. Fortunately, Hanata Sero came to the rescue from behind the blonde teen. "That is to expect. The both of them are close friends."
For Tenya, he was depressed to see the result. His name was listed on the board, but it only contained one vote for him.
"One vote…I see how it is." He said with his head facing his desk. "Of course, since I insisted on the sacredness of the role…Only one person saw me fit for it."
"Wait, you voted for somebody else?" Momo asked.
"Even though you wanted the job so badly…" Rikido Sato said. "What are you doing, Iida…" He was just dumbfounded by Tenya's decision to not vote for himself. If Tenya had done it, then he would've been tied with Momo, not that it would've gotten him the position though.
So it was officially decided then. Izuku Midoriya would be the class president and Akemi Toshi would be his vice president. The former of the two was nervous, but that wasn't new. Tenya could overhear some of his classmates praising the two during his gloom. It turned out that Mina, Ejiro and Hanta had been the ones to vote for the girl because of her actions in the heroes vs villains test. However, this also brought a question about her. If she got three votes, then who did she really vote for?
Recovery Girl made it to her office. A student from the Support Department got into an accident. The injury wasn't bad and the student could walk it off thanks to her. However, she didn't stop herself from lecturing him about his action. No matter which department a student found himself in, she always saw it best to be careful.
There were other things to get to. Recovery Girl could already think about it when she opened her infirmary's door. But then the elderly woman was taken aback when she heard a female's humming and saw a tall feminine figure standing in front a medical cupboard at the side of the infirmary.
"No, this is certainly not meant to be there." The mysterious said to no one. Since her side and partially at back were facing Recovery Girl, it was almost hard to recognize her. "To think all these years she's still as careless. Old age is certainly getting to her."
Recovery Girl felt some nostalgia. Years had literally passed since she heard such a tone in her very office. Even though the voice sounded older, she could remember something about it. The wavy blue hair and the round glasses of the woman only seemed to closely confirm the elderly hero's suspicion.
At last, the woman finished the work she was during. Her identity became clear when she turned to Recovery Girl.
"Everything is sorted out the way it should be. Don't you think so, Shuzenji-sensei?"
"Psykos…?" Recovery Girl mentioned with clear shock on her face.
The villainess giggled with a smile. She walked over to the door and closed it right behind the Pro-Hero. "There. No one would have to know about our little chat while I'm here." She said.
Recovery Girl's mood slightly changed. Some part of her was relieved to meet the little girl she once considered a friend. However, there was also this conflicting feeling in her that made her drop her reaction.
"You're alive." Recovery Girl said with uneasiness. "When Saitama told me what happened, I feared the worst may have happened to you."
"And what is that?" Psykos asked. Unbeknownst to the Pro-Hero, the esper that a malicious grin on her face.
"I don't think I need to say it. You knew me better than most people."
"That is true." Psykos's grin dropped. She then went over to a chair and turned it to face the elderly woman before sitting on it.
Recovery Girl's attitude suddenly charged. She became bold in front of the tall esper and asked the question on her mind.
"Why are you here?"
"This is kind of unexpected." Psykos commented with a sly smile. "I figured we could talk about old times. How many years has it been since I stepped in this office? Nine years?"
"You should stop trying to fool me." Recovery Girl said with a serious face. She also had the boldness to walk directly to the esper. "No matter how you try to talk like her, I know that you are not her. The Psykos I knew would never be disrespectful to sit before her elders. She also wouldn't have a smile of a villain. You may have her voice, her body and face, but you are not the girl that I looked out for."
"Hmph!" Psykos smiled and stood up. She walked away to a table and took a file case from there. "Perceptive as ever, Recovery Girl. I was right to not underestimate you. To tell you the truth, I came here to find out something."
"Those files are not for you!"
"I'm not here for them." Psykos said. She skimmed through the names and was intrigued by the health records of the students in them. "Interesting." She commented slyly. "These students will make great heroes…if they are allowed to grow that is. Relax, old friend. I have no intention to touch them. I just want to know something."
"Well I hope you find it without causing any trouble."
"I wish I could." Psykos admitted. "However, Tatsumaki is in the building and I can't risk exposing myself while in her psychic range. You should count yourself as lucky. This will be the last time we see each other on mutual grounds. The next time – if there will be one – will end tragically bad for you."
Even though the Pro-Hero knew she was speaking with a villain, she could feel a squeeze in her chest. She was hurt and disappointed at what she heard.
"So…you intend on going down this path." Recovery Girl said with a frown. "You used to be…filled with so much promise…But I see now without a doubt that the girl I knew those years ago is gone, replaced by the very thing in front of me. Your anxiety, fears and insecurity has brought you down this path…You have allowed your visions of the future to twist your mind so bad that until now…" She passed and gulped some spit. It was getting hard to fight back the tears. "…until now you have become the very thing you swore to stop."
"You have some points there, old friend." Psykos said with a small grin. "But it all depends on one's view, for you see I have not changed; rather, I have grown from the clueless little girl I used to be. Unlike people that exist such as your that claim to serve and protect the weak, I have seen through the lies of the heroes and the government and I will fix everything wrong with this world…by wiping out humanity's existence."
A feeling of dread went through Recovery Girl's bother. She replaced her boldness with fear and shock as she opened her mouth.
"Y-You can't be serious." Recovery Girl said.
"Oh, I am very serious." Psykos claimed and stood back on her feet. "What do you think I have been doing all these years? My defeat by Saitama's hands made me realize that a new approach must be made. If you live long enough, perhaps you will see the result when it becomes reality."
"I won't let you!" Recovery Girl yelled. "I cannot let this –"
"Happen?!" Psykos stomp her foot at Recovery Girl's front. "What can you do, you pathetic thing of a Pro-Hero?! All you can do is heal someone and even that has its complication! You hid yourself in this place, knowing fully well that you can never be on the frontlines!"
Recovery Girl was kicked at the stomach before hitting the ground. She let out a groan as she tried to recover from what happened. The last thing she remembered was Psykos's high heel hitting her. But it didn't matter. Psykos walked over to the woman.
"I was always curious if you can heal yourself." Psykos said with an amused grin. "Maybe this is be a good time to see it for myself. You were like a grandmother to me, Recovery Girl, so for that sake I won't kill you right where you lie. In exchange, you must remember this."
Recovery Girl looked up to Psykos's face. Without her walking stick, she couldn't get up on her own, especially in the position she was in. Psykos became scary to look at, especially when her eyes flashed green and her grin became devilish.
"Just like you, you lot will know what it's like to lose…to feel so desperate that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless. You can fight it or dread it, run from it. But in the end…destiny arrives all the same. And it is with it that I say this. By the time I'm done not even half of the human race will survive. No one will be there to remember you."
Recovery Girl groaned. Psykos's intention was scary to think about. However, there was a switch that flipped in the Pro-hero and made her to sit up. Then, with a strong look in her eyes, she said. "I'm not afraid of you…not anymore. You have forgotten and underestimated the ideals of Pro-Heroes…and that would be your downfall."
"Then do us both a favor and die of old age."
Psykos finished her statement with a snap of her finger. Recovery Girl suddenly lost consciousness and fell on her back. The blue-haired esper then made her way to the door. 'It's a good thing I released that video.' She thought. 'With the mysterious circumstances surrounding it, Tatsumaki won't have her full concentration to sense what I just did. Goodbye, old friend. You think Tatsumaki can replace the girl you knew back then? Don't make me laugh!" She paused and opened the door. "Try as you can, heroes, Tatsumaki will fall, and when that happens, I will be there with a hand out to her. The best part is that it will be thanks to society's scrutiny."
With that, the esper went out and closed the door behind her. She was about to turn to her left, when she saw a familiar person standing there. The person was a teenage girl wearing the standard uniform of UA. She had wavy blue hair similar to Psykos and strikingly resembled the esper herself.
Psykos knew the identity of the girl. The girl was her all those years ago.
"So…you've finally shown yourself." Psykos said. "I was looking for you."
"You've found me." The younger version of her said with a stoic expression. "Are you really going to go ahead with this…? You have to realize that once you continue with this ambition then there's no going back to the life you once had."
Psykos suddenly laughed out loud. Her younger self was unfazed by it as she continued staring her. It was a few seconds later than Psykos calmed down and revealed a small grin.
"Foolish child, is that all you can say?" The esper asked rhetorically. "I figured I would find you here, lingering in my mind somewhere. I assumed you would put up a better statement than this. I'm kind of disappointed, or should I be disappointed in myself? I call Garou weak for keeping some part of his humanity intact…when someone like myself still have your pitiful existence."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"Of course, you won't be." Psykos went and went closer to her. "Despite everything I have done that would deem me a scorn in the human history, you still survive somehow. But you are getting weaker…It won't be long before you cease to exist. Now I could personally rid you of your misery, but there won't be any fun in it. Now that I know you exist, I'm going to enjoy watching you die with my own two eyes."
"Do what you want with me. It won't change the fact that he will stop you."
Psykos was amused. "Who? All Might? Caped Baldy? Or are you trying to mislead me from thinking that it could be Tatsumaki?"
"You will find out in due time." She said. "He will become the world's greatest hero and…your association's biggest threat."
Psykos was taken aback by the statement. Before she could ask, the bell suddenly rang. The doors to certain classrooms flung open for students to come in. None of them saw her though. The esper was gone before a single eye could be laid on her, and so was the younger version of her, a remaining instance of what the esper used to be.
_(CHAPTER END)_
Mysterious! Who is the person little Psykos is talking about? You're just going to keep reading to find out his identity – unless you already figured it out (Congratulations!).
By the way, who got some of Thanos's quotes? I brought them in this chapter because I thought they were cool and because I wanted to reveal just how dangerous Psykos is. She isn't going to be a villain that will be dealt with in one arc. She has a lot to bring since she's this fanfiction's number 1 bad guy.
I bet this chapter also brought a lot of questions. Originally, this chapter was going to extend more to another scene in the manga. But I felt that this could be rushing it without getting over another thing I wanted to bring up. Don't worry, the scene with Garou in the previous chapter will continue in the next chapter.
There was reviewer who brought up something important. It had to do with the fact that Tatsumaki, in class, kind of admitted she tried to kill Genos. Of course, it was originally just meant to be comedy. But I thought over what that reviewer said and decided to explore on the consequence of her action then. So if the reviewer is reading this, big thanks for criticizing over it.
Also, about the pairing of this fanfiction, it will remain the way it is. That means that the possibility of any male other character getting involved with Tatsumaki is zero. However, this does not mean that Ochaco will not have feelings for Izuku later on.
So before I end this, I just want to say about the vote in Class 1-A. Yes, the turnout must have been surprising. Akemi Toshi is an OC of a reviewer. She had a big role in Chapter 12. You can look back at that chapter to remember her quirk and other things about her. Please keep in mind that this does not mean I'm taking OCs. She has more roles to fill in the following chapters.
Well that's all for now. Thank you for reading this chapter. If you liked it then please review so I can know your thoughts about it. Also, follow and favorite this fanfiction if you haven't. We will meet again in the next chapter. Bye!