Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series
Chapter 29
Yusuke pushed the door open to Madarame's room, a platter of tea and vegetables in his other arm. He lingered there for a moment, the room only lit by the hallway light. Peering inside, he saw his 'master' lying in bed, curled up under a blanket. He could see him shiver under the covers, whispering incoherent babble.
Yusuke hated this. Living under the same roof as Madarame. Watching over the man who allowed his mother to die and ruined the lives of others for personal gain. Only a few more days, he hoped, before Madarame would finally confess.
Yusuke cleared his throat. "Sensei. I've brought you tea and something to eat."
"I-I don't want it... "
Yusuke let out a sigh, trudging over to the nightstand by Madarame's bed. "You'll waste away if you don't eat, Sensei. Come, get up."
You're not allowed to starve until you've admitted to your crimes.
Madarame retreated further into the blankets. Yusuke fought the urge to scowl at the shell of a man before him. He maintained his plastic smile and gently gripped Madarame's shoulder.
"Come now, Sensei. You need to eat something." Yusuke tugged him forward, Madarame resisted for a moment, but sat enough, the covers still wrapped tightly around his shuddering form. Yusuke pulled the entire nightstand over so that his food and beverage were sitting directly in front of him. "I will not leave until you've taken at least a bite and a sip from your meal, Sensei. Please."
He lorded over Madarame, waiting expectantly for him to begin. It took several moments for his former teacher to finally move.
"If… If it will make you happy…"
Yusuke raised a brow. He wouldn't let this soften his heart. "Yes. Now please, eat."
Madarame gingerly reached for the plate in front of him, picking up his chopsticks and putting a small chunk of steamed lettuce in his mouth. He then reached for the tea, his hands trembling as he slowly brought it to his lips.
"Good. I'll be back later to take your dishes away. Make sure you finish it all." Yusuke said, giving a curt nod before turning around to leave.
"Yusuke…"
His lips turning into a thin line before he turned back to Madarame. "Yes?"
"I… I'm sorry… I'm so s-sorry…" Madarame's bottom lip tucked in as he held back his weeping.
Yusuke's nails dug into his palm as he battled the urge to pity the man he once called father. Whatever internal conflict raged within Madarame was long overdue. Still, seeing him in such a pathetic state couldn't help but appeal to Yusuke's better nature.
But that pity was soon erased when he thought of the Sayuri. The real Sayuri. Before it was defiled by Madarame.
"Make sure that you finish your food… Sensei." With that, Yusuke turned away and shut the door behind him.
Izuku wasn't normally welcomed by Justine into the Velvet Room. More often than not, Caroline was there to usher him in with a swift kick to the rear. But this time, her sister was the one waiting by the entrance. It was a nice change of pace from the physical abuse he was subject to on a regular basis. She did stop him with a warning before letting him inside.
"Be quiet as you enter, inmate. Caroline is practicing something important for your arrival."
He wasn't sure what that meant, but decided against doing differently. After all, he wouldn't be surprised if Caroline snapped at him for interrupting her duties.
So, Izuku was silent as he woke up in his striped jumpsuit, standing from his bench without a word as he peered through the bars.
"Okay, okay… the next time I see him, I'll say… 'stupid inmate! You think you're cool?!' or something…" He heard Caroline's voice, blinking as he easily guessed she was referring to one of their 'talks'.
What is she… practicing…
Izuku puckered his lips, leaning forward but making sure not to touch the bars. Just off to his left, he could see the dual bun haired warden facing the other way, tapping her electric baton on her shoulder.
"No, no, no… something meaner… I want him to know who's in charge! Something like 'Don't get cocky over little things! You've got a long way to go!'. Yeah… yeah..."
Is she… practicing being mean to me..? His brow twitched at the implications. I don't even think Kacchan tries to come up with insults for me…
"But… maybe that's too mean… I mean, we are supposed to praise him for progress…"
Izuku jaw fell when he heard the slightest bit of vulnerability in her voice.
"B-But I don't want the inmate to think I'm going soft on him! But still… maybe hold back a bit more..?" Her eye drifted to the floor while her toe tapped the ground
So… does she just act tough? Or…
"Caroline."
Izuku and Caroline jumped, their heads snapping around to look at Justine. The stoic twin had a rare smirk on her face. Her molten gold eye hid no amount of amusement.
"W-What?! Y-You scared me!" Caroline sputtered. "For a second, I thought the inmate… had… come…" Her voice trailed off, her pupil dilating as she saw Izuku behind the bars.
"I was only informing you that the inmate had come in." Justine said as casually as possible.
"H-Hi…" Izuku uttered without thinking, his lips pursed as he struggled to look casual in any sort of way.
Caroline stared back silently for a moment, her face slowly beginning to turn a bright shade of red before raising her baton and pointing at him with it. "H-How long have you been there?!"
"N-Not long!" Izuku answered, raising his hands in surrender.
"How long is 'not long'?!"
"I don't know!"
"What did you see?!"
"Nothing! I saw nothing!"
"You better not be lying, inmate!"
"I-"
"Ahem."
Once again, their heads snapped over to Justine, who wore a small, smug grin of satisfaction "I believe the inmate came here with a purpose, Caroline. Perhaps it would be better for us to move on?"
Her sister's one good eyelid twitched, her face still fuming from embarrassment. She turned her gaze back to Izuku and shoved her finger in his face. "You better be careful, inmate."
Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat. He watched them return to their usual positions outside his cell, Justine looked as pleased as ever while Caroline refused to look him in the eye. Her hands were busy bending her baton until it creaked and groaned in her grasp.
"How can we help you today, inmate?" Caroline ground out, her teeth knit tightly together.
"Um… I-I could always come back later…"
She slammed the bars hard enough to rattle them. "You're not going anywhere until you do something, inmate!"
"Okay!" He yelped, raising his arms to shield his face in fear of her wrath.
"I imagine this is about the task that we gave you?" Justine asked, seemingly back on task. "We are aware that you finished making the Persona, but you were quick to leave before we could discuss its completion."
Izuku quickly remembered that had, indeed, been the reason he came to the Velvet Room. "Yes. I-I just wanted to make it official."
"Hmph. It was about time," Caroline huffed, crossing her arms over her chest before looking away."
"Yes. Still, it is commendable that you were able to think of your task while also focusing on your target," said Justine. "Your commitment to your rehabilitation is evident."
She looked at Caroline expectantly, the more boisterous of the two trying to keep from meeting her eye. As the silence continued, she finally let out a groan before looking back at Izuku. "I guess it shows that you're willing to do some work. There, happy?!"
"Th-Thank you..?"
"You completed the task with surprising ease. Though your past diligence would show you're quite adept when it comes to combining Personas when you wish to." Justine continued, ignoring her sister.
"Yeah. I guess you're not a complete waste of our time…" Caroline mumbled, looking to the side again. "Now hurry up and give him the next task on the list, Justine…"
"Of course," her sister replied, flipping the pages back on her clipboard. "I have your next task listed here. So that you know, these tasks will increase in difficulty. Are you prepared to fulfill them?"
"I'll… I'll do my best." Izuku answered, brushing aside his awkwardness for a moment to speak with confidence. "If it'll help me grow, I'll do it."
"How admirable." Justine gave him a gentle smile in return. Caroline sighed, straightening back out to look at Izuku. Despite Justine's little prank, he continued to feel thankful for their help. Things might have been a bit rocky, but the twins were nonetheless continuing to build up their relationship as well as he was.
*SMASH*
Strength Confidant: RANK TWO
"We would once again like to bestow a new privilege upon you. But it is extremely powerful, and wish for you to complete a task for us before doing so." Justine said.
"Yeah! Don't think we're gonna make this easy for you, inmate!" Caroline snickered.
He pumped his fist in front of him. "Right, of course. I'll complete it soon!"
"Don't try and act cool, inmate!"
Izuku stared at her for a moment before his eyes trailed to the side. "R-Right…"
Caroline seemed to catch on, her cheeks dusting red before pointing her baton forward. "I-If that's all you had to do, then get out already!"
"O-Okay!"
"Oh, before you go. Bring us a Matador with Magaru when you get the chance."
"R-Right!"
Izuku was hurled back to reality, blinking as he found himself standing in Mementos' entrance with the others close by.
"So you really do just begin to stand off alone and zone out when you enter that other world…" Makoto muttered, holding her chin in thought.
Ryuji laughed. "We told you! It's pretty funny but kinda weird, right?"
Ann giggled. "I'm glad he explained it. I kept thinking he fell asleep in place or something."
"I thought he was having a moment of clarity before the heists. Though, I guess in a way, he was." Morgana said, tilting his head to the side.
"Your face takes on this enchanting idleness when you go into that other world. Next time you go into this 'Velvet Room', please inform me first. I wish to draw you in that state," Yusuke said, framing Izuku between the imaginary lens of his fingers.
"G-Guys…" Izuku laughed awkwardly while tugging at the collar of his jacket. "W-We should head for the target, now."
"Good point. Alright, everyone. I'll go transform!" said Morgana, skipping ahead of the others. Everyone followed suit, with Izuku trailing behind.
I wasn't really expecting that kind of visit… but at least I'm making progress.
Izuku stepped forward before coming to an abrupt halt again.
Wait… I have a Matador with Magaru… He felt sweat trail down his face. But… maybe I should wait a bit before going back… yeah...
"It's not my fault! They didn't stand up for themselves!"
Izuku hopped over a ball of ice hurled his way. Today's mission was to subdue the Shadow of Daisuke Takanashi. Apparently, Takanashi was a bully at their school who forced kids to fork over money by threatening to beat them senseless. A rather typical bully, but one that Izuku and the others refused to let stand. They had come together as a team, expecting the worst. Instead, his Shadow took the shape of a simple Jack Frost.
A strong Shadow. Perhaps in the first Palace, at least. But the team was more than equipped to deal with a single, slightly stronger Jack Frost.
"Using force to keep people from complainin' ain't givin' them much of a choice!" Ryuji huffed.
"Yeah! And now you're about to know how it feels! Dance, Carmen!" Ann shouted. Her Persona whipped the air to unleash a barrage of fireballs upon the Shadow.
"GRAAAGH~!" It cried, the blaze causing serious damage. It didn't have the effect it would have on a normal Jack Frost, but it was certainly strong enough to stagger it.
"I'll take it from here!" Ryuji called out, running ahead of the group before getting down in a sprinter's position. Electricity crackled around his legs, but sparks fizzled around his damaged knee.
"Wait, Skull! What are you doing?!" Izuku asked.
"This guy's a piece of cake, don't sweat it!" Ryuji flashed a wild grin and tightly gripped his new weapon, a bat covered in nails and barbed wire, with his right hand. "I've been wantin' to try out this move I thought of anyway…"
"Don't do something stupid, Skull!" Ann called out in worry, moving to his side to try and stop him. But Ryuji took off, leaving the ground crackling with lightning in his wake. The distance between him and the Shadow vanished in an instant. The next thing anyone heard was the crack of the bat across the Shadow's head. The Shadow fdid a complete flip in the air like an old comic strip character and landed flat on its belly as Ryuji flew past it. That's when the burning pain in Ryuji's knee became too much to bear, and he tumbled along the ground until he crashed into the closest wall.
"Skull!" Ann was the first to move, running past the Shadow that laid there, completely defeated. She rushed to his side, kneeling next to him. "I told you not to do something stupid! What the hell was that?!"
"J-Just tryin' out a super move like a real Hero. Heh…" Ryuji grinned despite his scuffs, slowly sitting up and hugging his knee. "Looks like this knee ain't quite ready for that, yet."
"No kidding. Idiot." Ann sighed, raising her hand and casting a Dia on him. The pain and bruising soon vanished as the light washed over him. "Next time, I'll let you limp back."
"Come on, don't be like that. But… thanks for healin' me up."
"Is Skull okay?" Izuku asked, running over while Makoto, Morgana and Yusuke had their guns trained on the now human-shaped Shadow of Takanashi.
"I'm cool, dude. Thanks to Panther," Ryuji answered, pushing up to his feet. "Let's go make this guy change."
Izuku watched him carefully for a moment before nodding his head, walking back with the three and surrounding Shadow Takanashi.
"C-Come on! You can't blame me for all of this! I-I was just doing what I was told!" Takanashi whined with wide, terrified eyes. "Y-You've gotta help me! I-I was gonna get hurt if I didn't take people's money!"
"Someone else is coercing you, too?" Makoto asked. She and the others lowered their guns now that it was powerless.
"Y-Yes! I didn't want to get hurt anymore! I can't take it, I can't!" Takanashi cried, hunching over and hugging his right arm.
"So there's an even bigger bully making him do the dirty work, huh?" Ann said, looking at the others in thought.
"Hey! Weren't you the one who just said that it's everyone else's fault for not standin' up for themselves?!" Ryuji barked, causing the Shadow to wince.
"I-I mean… er…"
"It's fine. Don't worry." Izuku said, walking up to the Shadow. "If you're being harassed too, we'll help you. But you have to make it up with those you've hurt, too."
"Y-You mean it?! Oh-thank you! Thank you!" Takanashi said, suddenly prostrating himself before them.
"A real fickle guy we've got here, huh?" Morgana said, tilting his head to the side in minor disbelief.
"Please help me… you promised, right?" Takanashi's Shadow said as it faded into light.
"Well don't forget your side of things too!" Ryuji reminded him, watching as the Shadow disappeared completely. A 'treasure' appeared before them, Izuku swiped it out of the air, revealing a bog-standard protein bar.
"What a 'treasure' that turned out to be," said Makoto while leaning over his shoulder to look at it.
"I was certainly expecting a more difficult foe when you told me we would be dealing with a person's Shadow," Yusuke suddenly said, crossing his arms and leaning to one side. "He took a bit of damage, but the six of us handled it rather easily."
"And I got to pull out my sick move to finish him off!" Ryuji pumped his fist, grinning in triumph. That grin soon fell when Ann slapped him on the back of the head. "H-Hey!"
"That was reckless! Don't do something like that again!" Ann snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "You said yourself that your knee can't take it!"
Ryuji waved her off. "Come on, I wouldn't use it on some big guy. He was cake!"
Makoto crossed her arms. "It was still a dangerous move, Skull. Had you missed or had he reacted somehow, you might have been in huge trouble."
"Honestly, I thought the attack was good," said Izuku, surprising the others until he continued, "But you really have to warn us first when you do something like that. That way we're prepared to help if you need us to."
"Agh…" Ryuji chewed on the inside of his cheek, finding it difficult to argue with Izuku.
"You might have a hard head, but we don't want to have to worry about you getting caught just because you wanted to look cool, Skull," Morgana huffed.
"A-Alright, I get it! I get it… Sorry," Ryuji breathed out, scratching the top of his head. Izuku gave a small smile, going forward and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged. Even though I would have liked a warning, you did deal the final hit. And your move was really cool, if reckless with your knee like that." Izuku said, trying to raise his spirits. "In fact, it reminded me of something I wanted to talk to everyone about, anyway."
"Hm? Did we do something wrong?" Yusuke asked, holding his left elbow in his right hand.
"No, nothing like that. But ever since we took down the Palace, I've been wondering about how we could keep improving before we get our next target. Then I remembered we have Mementos to work with," Izuku explained, turning to face the rest of the team. "We can tackle the Shadows roaming here and take down smaller targets. It really is a perfect place for us to strengthen as a team."
"What's that have to do with Skull's blockhead move, though?" Morgana asked, causing the faux blond to flinch.
"Well, I think that on top of improving our overall fighting ability, we could also work on our teamwork." Izuku explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "If we combine our Personas and some of our Quirks, though mostly Skull and Queen's, we can make for group attacks in pairs or more."
"I see. Coordinated attacks that utilize our skills to the fullest," said Yusuke. A small smirk played on his lips. "What an interesting idea."
"Aw, dude! That's totally like what Heroes do! They always got some sorta special move!" Ryuji grinned like an idiot.
"Some people are really compatible together as a combo, so I think it makes a lot of sense. Not bad, Hero," Morgana smiled at their leader. He turned to Ann, puffing his chest out. "I can't wait to see what kind of combo we make together, Panther."
"Of course that's your first thought," Ryuji rolled his eyes.
"What did you say to me?!"
"Alright, alright. Enough," Makoto stepped between them. "But I agree. Spending time in Mementos training to improve our teamwork and Quirks is a good idea. I haven't been able to use mine since my first visit to the Palace, so this is a great opportunity."
"I think that if I keep workin' on mine, maybe my knee will start to get used to it," Ryuji said, wiggling his hurt leg around a bit. "I'm startin' to run normally just fine, but usin' my Quirk still needs work."
"Skull, you can't just muscle through your Quirk's damage like that. You could make it worse instead of making it better." Ann shook her head. "We need you in one piece, Quirk or no Quirk."
"I-I know, it's just…" Ryuji sighed, looking down at his leg with a somber look. "I feel like I could be so damn useful if this thing worked right, you know?"
"The damage done to it. Was it truly that terrible?" Yusuke asked curiously.
"It didn't heal right after it happened. Now it's just… busted for good, I think." Ryuji sighed, scratching the top of his head. Izuku felt a frown cross his lips, sharing a small look with Ann. The twin tailed blonde looked just as sympathetic, but neither knew what to say.
Ryuji looked up at the others, seeing their quiet expressions before putting on a grin. "Ah, it ain't nothin'. I still got my Persona and all, right? Not like our leader has a Quirk, anyway," he said, slapping Izuku on the shoulder before swinging his arm in a circle. "Well, I'm up to keep goin' around! How 'bout you guys? Might as well get a good workout in with our Personas, right?"
Izuku smiled as Ryuji tried to bring their spirits back up, giving a nod of agreement before looking around at the team. "Come on. We can fight a few more Shadows, right? We can discuss team strategies while we drive."
"Sounds good to me! Let's roll!" Morgana said, skipping ahead of the others before transforming into a van.
"I'm still getting used to that." Makoto giggled sheepishly, jogging up to the front to drive. Izuku let the others move ahead of him, whipping out a notebook as he wrote down everything he knew about Ryuji's Quirk..
I wish there was something we could do for him. Medical braces would just tear from the force of his Quirk and Dia spells don't do anything either. If only we had some Hero-grade material... Izuku thought, touching the tip of his chin with his pencil. That's when it dawned on him. Oh! That's right! Hatsume-san!
"What are you doing, Hero? Come on!" The cat bus called out, causing him to jump.
"S-Sorry! Coming!"
"To think I was able to get you back for another test so soon! I'm so excited~!"
"Y-Yeah… me too…" Izuku put on a weak smile as he faced the bubbly inventor. He made sure to contact Mei soon after he left Mementos. To his delight and dread, Mei was able to secure the space for his visit the very next day. He assumed that meant she worked well into the night, as it was close to eight when he had texted.
"Alright! I'm going to figure out which baby I would like to test out today!" She gave him a thumbs up before rushing off to her workbench. It was littered with gadgets and gizmos that she sifted through like a pile of dirty laundry. But even that paled in comparison to the ever-growing mountain of scraps and broken prototypes in the corner.
"U-Um, Hatsume-san, before we get to that…" Izuku started, causing her to pause in her search to look back at him. "Can we discuss what I want first?"
"Ah, right! Of course! Quid pro quo!" Mei nodded fervently, turning back to her pile and continuing her search. "Tell me what you want while I look for a baby!"
"Okay then…" Izuku sighed, realizing he might not be able to delay her test as long as he would have liked. "I was… wondering if you can make something like a… a knee brace."
"A knee brace? You have a problem with your legs?" She asked, tossing some gadget overhead. Izuku had to side step it at the last second wincing as it hit the ground with a hard clank.
"I-It's not for me. It's for a friend…"
Mei froze, her head whipping around to look at Izuku again. "A friend? Are you trying to sell my babies?"
Izuku felt as though he was staring down the barrel of a sniper rifle. "N-No! Not at all! M-My friend j-just has a really bad knee, a-and it hurts how his Quirk works!"
"Is that right?!" Mei instantly closed the gap between them, their faces nearly touched as she examined every bead of sweat that rolled down his face. "Then tell me, what's their name?!"
"R-Ryuji Sakamoto!"
"What year are they in?!"
"S-Second year!"
"What school?!"
"S-Shujin Academy!"
Mei blinked for a moment and took a step back. "That's not a Hero School. At least not one I've heard of."
"Y-Yeah, he goes to a different school than me…" Izuku breathed out in relief, glad that she gave him space again. "It's for general academics."
"If that's the case, then why doesn't he just get a medical brace?"
"The problem with his knee relates to his Quirk. He can run regularly now, but his Quirk used to let him run at super speed. After an incident, he can't use it without hurting himself."
Her eyes narrowed again, but this time there was a glimmer of curiosity instead of malice. "If he doesn't go to a Hero School, why does he want to fix it? If his knee functions fine without using it, there should be no problem."
"Yeah, but… his Quirk is still a part of him," Izuku explained, his lips forming into a frown. Despite its more practical use when facing Shadows, Izuku had thought past that. About how Ryuji felt. He saw him try to use his Quirk even outside of the Metaverse, just to test if he could. "Ever since the… the incident, his knee and Quirk haven't been the same. And I can tell it bothers him. I want to help him, and… I think you're the only one who can."
Mei watched Izuku for a long moment, her expression neutral and intent as she stared at the green haired teen. Izuku might have lost hope, but she soon placated that feeling. "Alright. I'll do it."
Izuku's face lit up, a smile spreading across his face. "R-Really?!"
"Yup! I'll need his measurements before I can start, but you're going to have to prove you mean it!" Mei suddenly turned back to her work bench, digging through her tools. "Ah, here it is~!"
She pulled out what looked like a pair of gloves, causing Izuku to raise a brow in wonder. She walked back over to Izuku, holding them out to the green haired teen. "Here! Put these on!"
"Okay…" Izuku slipped them on, both gloves surprisingly comfortable. Across the palm and the fingertips were metallic pads of some sort, and on the back of it a dial with an arrow pointed at a bar labeled 'weak' to 'strong'.
"I proudly present to you one of my older babies, the Magnet Mitts!" Mei said, grinning ear to ear as she took his hands, completely ignoring the heat rising on Izuku's face from the close contact. "I made these babies a while ago, but never got a proper test done with them! They're used to scale any building with metallic infrastructure. they'll prove invaluable during rescue operations!"
"W-Wow, that's amazing!".
"Sure! If you have good upper body strength!" Mei said, causing Izuku to blink. "The shoes and knee pads that came with them blew up after a mishap, so I tossed those aside to look at later. Bu~t since you're so eager to give a baby to someone else, I figured that you can help me test these before making their siblings!"
Izuku stared at Mei, looking at the gloves for a moment before seeing the problem. "A-Ah, okay… s-so what do I need to do?"
"I want you to climb the wall of the garage and reach the very center of the ceiling! That way, I can fine tune the strength of the electromagnets so they won't blow up in someone's hands." Mei pointed at the metal panel wall before pointing to the light implemented in the ceiling. "Do that, and I'll make your friend's knee brace!"
Izuku felt his jaw slack, suddenly realizing just how difficult his new test was going to be. T-This is going to be more than just taking a hit like the last ones! He looked at the walls and the ceiling, the metal plated walls at least a few meters in height with the ceiling sharing a similar diameter.
"Feel free to start when you're ready~! Adjust the dials accordingly if you need to! Those are a big part of testing for me, as well!" Mei said, pulling out a notepad and a pen. Izuku felt sweat trail down his face, looking up at the wall and swallowing his spit. Taking a breath, Izuku shook the tension out of his arms and stretched them out as best he could. Looking down at the gloves, he flipped a small switch on the back next to the dial, hearing the gloves hum to life. He then raised his arms to put them on the wall.
Until he felt the magnets pull him forward.
"Agh!" His hands were glued to the wall before he'd gotten within arms reach of it. "Th-The magnet's strong!"
"They sure are! What setting are they on?" Mei asked while jotting something down on paper.
"I-It's at the center on both."
"I see, I see. Can you move your hands?" Izuku tried to pull himself away, but it was like trying to peel something out of dried cement. He'd lose his hands before he would make the magnets budge.
"No, not at all!"
"Well, that's in need of obvious calibration…" Her eyes darted between him and the page she was writing on. "Pull your hand out of the glove and set it to low! See how strong the polarity is after that."
Izuku did just that, huffing as he struggled to pull his right hand. Finally tugging it free, he moved the dial on both hands to low. He put his hand back in the glove, thankful to find that he could lift his hands off the wall again. He had to slowly peel each one off, but that just meant he was firmly secured to the wall. "Okay. That seems like a good setting for climbing…"
"Great! Now get climbing!" Mei said, grinning at him with sparkling eyes. "Don't worry. If you fall, you'll hit the padded floor!"
Izuku pursed his lips, knowing full well by now that the padded floor only absorbed so much impact. With a deep sigh, he faced the wall again.
This is for Ryuji-senpai. I can do this.
Izuku rolled his shoulders and neck before placing the gloves against the wall. With a hard tug, he grit his teeth and raised his left arm as high as he could. Once it was secure, he pulled his right arm up to meet his left and slowly started pulling himself up. His arms and shoulders were already starting to burn by the time he made it halfway off the floor. Using these gloves felt less like rock climbing and more like being stuck to a wall by two sheets of flypaper. But he refused to give up. He focused on peeling his arms off the wall one by one. One hand, then the next hand. Then the next hand. Then-
He lost his balance. Izuku's left arm got into a weird position trying to crane him up and he hissed as all of his weight was put on his other arm. He wobbled in the air trying to get his left arm back on the wall, but his frantic movements ripped the other glove off the walli.
"Agh!" He fell on his rear with a hard thud, panting and sweating. Luckily, he hadn't gotten too high, so the padded floor at least helped him here. "D-Damn, that really is harder than it looks…"
"That's why I had a pair of boots and knee pads to go with it!" Mei explained with a shrug. "But~ if you really want to get something for this friend, then you have to help me finish testing this baby!"
Izuku bit his bottom lip, seeing little room for him to complain on the matter. He was asking for something a bit more outside of their deal. If this is what Mei wanted, he was willing to work for it. He leapt to his feet. "Okay. I'm going to try again! I can do this!"
I don't know if I can do this…
It had been an hour since he started working on Mei's test. Izuku's arms were beyond sore. He'd slipped off the wall more times then he'd care to say. After the half-hour mark, Izuku had finally muscled his way to the ceiling. He wanted to celebrate, but he soon found that clinging to the ceiling while moving was a task of its own. He'd be left hanging as soon as he pulled one hand off the ceiling and he'd fall not long afterward. Trying to up the magnetic force in the gloves just made it even harder to find his balance. He could feel his back bruising from all the times he fell and the padding never seemed to make things better..
"Well~, I think that's about enough," said Mei. She'd been lost in her own little world during his struggle, focused on the data she gathered from watching him squirm and fall over and over. "We'll have to call it a night. It's getting late."
"A-Ah… but… okay…" His head thudding against the mat as he decided to let it go. "I-I'll try and… finish it next time…"
"Oh, no, you don't need to do that." Mei waved him off. "I've gathered all the data I needed! Aside from recalibrating the dial, they still work as good as ever! The next time you come, bring your friend!"
Izuku's eyes lit up, forcing himself to a sitting position. "Really?!"
"Yup! I'd say you proved your commitment enough for one day!" Mei said, giving him a thumbs up. "Plus I got what I needed, so fair's fair!"
He wobbled to his feet with a tired smile on his face. "Thank you, Hatsume-san…" He bowed in gratitude before almost falling over in place.
"Careful, now! I need you in top shape for the next baby I need you to test!" Mei said, helping him to his feet. "But to build your friend the proper baby, he needs to come with you next time! I won't know what to make him otherwise!"
He nodded fervently. "O-Of course, I'll let him know!"
"Good! Thanks for the data as always, Midoriya!" Mei said, grabbing the Magnet Mitts off the ground and taking them over to her table. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as she spared him from further pain,. It showed a bit more understanding on her part, and Izuku felt he understood her a bit more as well.
*SMASH*
Fortune: RANK THREE
"Ah, you're back. Perfect timing, I've got another clinical trial I'd like to run."
Izuku stared at Takemi in mild exasperation. "T-Takemi-sensei… I um… just came by for some medicine today…"
"Ah, I see. Well, we can get to that after a clinical trial," Takemi said, smirking as she turned away from Izuku. He opened his mouth to protest, only for her to head for the door on her side of the office. "We'll speak further in the examination room."
"But…" Takemi closed the door behind her, causing Izuku to slump his shoulders in disappointment.
"Looks like you have it pretty rough, today," said Morgana as he popped his head out of the bag. "Want me to come with you this time?"
"No… it's alright. Hopefully she doesn't give me something too potent today…" Izuku sighed, setting the bag down for Morgana. "Thanks for asking, though."
"Of course! I'm always ready to help out when you need it, leader!" Morgana puffed his chest out after hopping out of the bag. "But uh… it'll be hard to do that outside."
"It's okay. I'll see you soon." Izuku said, picking the bag back up before entering the next room over.
"You took your time. I thought you might have left instead." Takemi chuckled, crossing her legs before turning in her chair toward him. "So, what's bothering you?"
"Nothing severe today. Just some muscle pain and a few bruises after a… really hard physical test in P.E. yesterday…" He winced as he laid his bag down next to the examination table. The soreness from Mei's latest test had diminished during the ride back, but he still felt tight and tender all over when he woke up that morning. His insistence on going at it without any breaks certainly didn't help.
"I see. Sounds like usual muscle tearing after a workout." Takemi folded one leg over the other and leaned forward on her knee. "Take your shirt off for me."
Izuku's eyes became owlish, staring at the doctor with shrunken pupils. "Huh?"
"Come on. I'm giving you a physical examination." She sounded professional, but her face gave away her obvious amusement. "I just want to make sure there isn't anything else wrong so I can prescribe the right medicine before we move onto the clinical trial."
Izuku felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Perhaps more than he should. After all, she was an older woman, so it shouldn't have been a problem, right? Of course, he knew her well enough by now to know she'd tease him whether he did it or not.
He slowly peeled his blazer and his school shirt. He was already imagining the jokes Takemi would be making at his expense when he met her eyes again. "I-I'm ready…"
To his surprise, the doctor was staring at him like he'd grown a second head. Izuku's eyes darted side to side, waiting for her to say something as blood continued to rush to his face. "T-Takemi-sensei..?"
Her surprise morphed into her usual sly amusement. "I knew you said you worked out, but I didn't expect you to hide all of this under your clothes."
"T-Thanks…" Izuku laughed quietly, scratching the back of his head as he looked away from the doctor. "I've, um… been exercising for a while now."
She laughed as she got up to walked up to him. "Come on, be a little proud of yourself. Most guys your age would kill for a body like this. You'd have the pick of the litter if you actually knew how to talk to women."
"Takemi-sensei…" Izuku whined, wrapping his arms tighter to his body.
"Oh, alright~. Don't go back into your shell on me now." She placed one hand on her hip. "Come on, move your arms and I'll begin my examination."
Izuku let out a hesitant sigh before following her instruction, allow the doctor to get closer. He felt nervous at first as Takemi began to put a hand on his biceps, but lost that nervousness when he saw her eyes.
Takemi's gaze quickly shifted from amused to critical, looking over his body with the utmost care. She touched his muscles where most tender and listened to his breathing for abnormalities, letting out a hum as she finished. Izuku saw the professional doctor in Takemi come out. Despite her typical demeanor and her modest location, Takemi worked as strictly, if not more so, than most other doctors Izuku had met.
"Alright. Aside from the bruising on your back and arms, it's nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." She sat back down in her chair. "You said you got these bruises in P.E.?"
"Y-Yeah. I slipped during the rope climb."
"Is that so? You look the part of an athlete, at least. Go ahead and put your shirt back on."
He didn't need to be asked twice, snatching his shirt up and pulling it on. As he did so, he heard the phone ring.
"Hello, Takemi Medical Clinic of Internal Medicine. How can I help you?" She answered it while he slipped his blazer on. "An emergency, huh? But we're not a designated hospital." Izuku saw her expression darken. "Besides… the lead physician here is Tae Takemi."
She blinked, the tone on the other end going dead. "How rude. Hanging up on a lady like that," she huffed, slamming the phone back on the receiver.
"Is everything okay?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, nothing for me to worry about, at least. A paramedic just called the wrong number." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "He was looking for an alternate line since all the big hospitals seem to be full up. Must be new though if he called me by accident… He seemed to at least know my name, though."
Izuku's lips pressed into a line, but found the courage to ask. "Did this have something to do with what happened before?"
Takemi's gaze fell to the ground, scratching the back of her head. "... Yeah. I've been blacklisted in medical community. They call me the Plague due to a grave medical error I made."
Right. That cop mentioned that before. Izuku thought. "What happened?"
She spared him a small glance, as if to assess whether to tell him or not. But after a moment, she gave in. "This goes back to my old job. I used to work at a university hospital in the city. I was never actually convicted of anything, but I'm still considered a pariah in the medical community."
She locked eyes with him, putting on a half-amused smile. "So, does that scare you? Participating in medical trials run by a doctor like that?"
Izuku felt a pang in his chest as she finished, . One mistake, however grave, ruined her career. Just like one mistake shifted the course of his life. He didn't know the details behind her issues, but he felt a deeper connection buid between him and the disgraced doctor.
In the end, he let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head as a thought came to him. "I mean… you already scared me before finding that out. I don't think knowing that changes anything, Takemi-sensei."
The doctor's brow rose a bit, but she flashed a small smile before letting out a soft chuckle. "You're such a strange kid… Though, for someone so awkward, you know what to say sometimes."
Izuku shared in her laughter. "I've been getting that a lot lately."
As strange as this arrangement was, Izuku felt that he was beginning to connect with her on a deeper level.
*SMASH*
Death Confidant: RANK THREE
"Alright, well, that aside… being ostracized does have its own benefits. I'm allowed to pursue my own research and development now that most others will leave me to do as I please." She turned back to her laptop to punch some more information in. "I'll give you I'll give you some pain medication and Vitamin K cream to reduce your soreness and reduce the severity of your bruises. And… I'll add a bit more to the catalogue of things you can purchase. Just for you, my little guinea pig."
Izuku beamed and was about to thank her until he remembered why she brought him here. "A-Ah… that's right. You still…"
"Yup~," Takemi popped the 'p', turning her chair back to him with a beaker with a mysterious yellow liquid sloshing around inside. "Now come on, take a sip. You'll get your medicine once we're done."
Izuku's shoulders slumped in resignation. He clasped both hands around the beaker and opened wide.
To be continued…
Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for his help in cleaning up my work!
Guess who's back, baby!
Sorry that this chapter's a bit short, but I wanted to cover the final few things that needed covering before this arc's end. Because next chapter is the big one. The real finale behind the Madarame arc, the confession! And trust me when I say that we have a FEW things that will be going on all together when it happens! I'm going to make sure not to waste a moment, and hope to create a chapter that will get everyone hyped for the future!
Anyways, that aside, I did still enjoy writing this one out. I took quite a bit of enjoyment in making some more original interactions for these confidant links as well as establishing the possible training and movesets that might be covered when working in Mementos for the group. It will definitely prove important in the future, and should add a bit more flavor to certain fights, hopefully.
With that, I believe that's the end of the chapter! Please feel free to leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind! And while you're at it, check out the TV Tropes page for the story and maybe add to it a bit yourselves! I always like reading what people put up for that as well. Peace!
