We've got a slightly longer chapter this time, so that's fun. Speaking of fun, there's something fun in the post-chapter Author's Notes so make sure you read those if you usually don't.
Review Time:
ProjectIceman, Batmarcus: Thank you for your understanding and support regarding my slowed production schedule.
ProjectIceman, Batmarcus, Constipated Genius, Inquisitor Fenharel, The Incredible Muffin, Aerithmo: A couple of interesting theories regarding where AFO knows the name Midoriya from. I can't say if any of them are correct or not, for obvious reasons, but all will be revealed in time.
ProjectIceman, Batmarcus, Dragon Man 180, The Keeper of Worlds, Gako959, Constipated Genius, Eramis8, The Incredible Muffin, Ooobserver, The 0bservanc3: As usual when I have LoV scenes, people are enjoying them, which is good, because I enjoy writing them!
Ramses II, D3lph0xL0v3r: The cameraman's identity will be revealed in due time. He is indeed a named character and not some one-off guy.
Dark White Fang: It's interesting that you thought to bring up Kaminari's internship...
Malchior: You are completely right that Shigaraki's argument for not going after Deku is a bit weak. This is on-purpose and will be revisited later on.
Gako959: Izuku's actually performed what you might call a pseudo-rasengan a couple of times now. Once against Shoto and now against Stain. It helps if you think of it as the "stage 2" rasengan that just explodes on impact instead of grinding through stuff.
tacktician: These are both excellent points that will certainly be addressed. Possibly as soon as next chapter!
Inquisitor Fenharel: Is Hero Class Civil War the one where he leads the Villain team and gives everyone codenames, like Larceny for Shinso? If so, yes and I enjoyed it very much.
Impostor1427256: I haven't come up with a concrete method for the final exams as of yet. In canon they state that they paired up students/teachers in such a way that they would be appropriately tested, but some of the canon pairings don't work as well here (Izuku and Katsuki would love to be paired together, for instance). I'll give it some more thought and I might end up randomizing it if I can't come up with enough good pairings. Hell, I'll probably reach out to you guys for inspiration in this regard, since that's worked out well in the past.
The 0bservanc3: The found footage portion was a fun challenge to write, since I also wanted to drop hints at who the cameraman was and show a bit more of the Celsius vs Stain portion of the fight, since Izuku never really got to see it. AFO does occasionally just sit back and tune in to whatever is going on in the bar when he doesn't have anything else to do. He does make it a point to stay apprised of any significant Hero developments, though in this case he had Kurogiri doing the research for him. Good delegation skills and all that.
Isamaru, Scarease, Firewolfslayer, Shiranai Atsune, Digitalreaper360, shadowmaster3324, Guestdoraemax, Chucklebot3000, FairyJuice, Shoytahn, WouldYouKidnapA, queen of wolfs, webzayne717 and everyone else: Thank you and I hope that you continue to enjoy!
I've just gotten word that there's a robbery in-progress! Let's go to the scene!
Chapter Sixty-One: Advice
A group of men in various thrown-together disguises were in the process of robbing a jewelry store. It was a tried and true setup of the type that had been used for centuries: one was in charge of handling the employees and customers, though there were relatively few at this time of night, while the others were doing all they could to grab as much merchandise as they could as quickly as possible before making their getaway.
In other words, a smash-and-grab.
"Thirty seconds!" the timekeeper called out, signaling that it was time to wrap up and begin their escape. Adrenaline was pumping and they were going to have to haul some serious ass to get away from the police, but there weren't supposed to be many Heroes on patrol in the area, so they were more or less home free after that.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Quite a show you've got going here." the radio speakers that usually played music for a touch of gentle ambiance crackled to life, "It's a shame I've got to put a stop to it, but I'll at least give you the chance to drop the goods and come out with your hands behind your head."
"Who the fuck is that?!"
"The cops?!"
"Since when can they do that?!"
"Doesn't matter, just go!"
The leader took charge and ordered their retreat. It was time to leave anyway. They all began a mad dash towards the door.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
This warning went unheeded as the first of the men exited the building, frantically looking from side-to-side for the telltale signs of the police.
It became apparent to him, in the fraction of a second between when the fingers impacted his temple and the electric charge they carried rendered him unconscious, that he had been looking for the wrong thing.
The young man who had been responsible for this ambush had gone unnoticed for a few reasons. For one, his jacket was zipped up, hiding the bright white shirt underneath it which, together with the hood that concealed his blond hair, helped him to blend better with the unlit area next to the door. His positioning was also a factor, as he had been crouched low in the shadows, meaning that unless the robber had thought to look down, he wouldn't have seen him.
Of course, now that he had left his cover, the time had come for him to settle back into more comfortable habits.
"I did warn you guys, but it looks like I'll have to stop this show by force now!"
"It's just some kid!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" the burliest of the men dropped his bag and charged towards his opponent, his fists growing and taking on a metallic sheen.
"Weren't you paying attention? I'm the Showstopper!" electricity began to crackle around his body, extending to the baton he carried in his right hand, "And I make for one hell of a distraction, don't you think?!"
"Ninja Art: Thousand Sheet Pierce!"
In an instant, it was all over. The remaining three were pierced by what appeared to be a thin, red string and went stiff before slumping over, unconscious.
Shortly thereafter, the string began gathering next to the last of the men to be pierced before shifting into the shape of a man who was dressed like a ninja, albeit slightly more colorful than was traditional with a blue robe over a red shozoku, a red scarf, white forearm sleeves and a gold demon mask attached to his right shoulder. His gray hair was styled into three sharp points along the right side of his head, one of which hung in front of his face, obscuring one of his piercing gray eyes and giving him a very striking appearance.
This was Shinya Kamihara, also known as the Number Five Hero: Edgeshot.
"Between you and me, we're tailor-made for knocking guys out, huh?" Showstopper grinned as he tossed his hood back, "This whole stealth thing is actually kind of a rush, huh?"
"The theatrics defeat the purpose of going unnoticed." Edgeshot sighed beneath his mask, "Though it went smoothly enough, so I suppose I can't complain. Your skill with that radio is significant for you to be able to latch on in such a short amount of time."
"What, this thing?" the intern fingered the device he wore over his right ear, "It's honestly just a hobby that I figured might be good for a laugh or two. There's not a whole lot that went into my costume so I figured why not, you know?" this earned him a small 'hmph' that sounded dangerously close to a chuckle.
"Of all people, a ninja is well aware of the potential utility of seemingly-innocuous items. Should you still have energy to spare after the day's training is over, remind me to tell you about how the first among us used gardening tools."
"Huh? We're not done? It's already like...late!"
"We were interrupted by the silent alarm from the store. You are still expected to complete your normal regimen in spite of whatever else may occur. Discipline, after all, is a fundamental aspect of both Heroics and ninjutsu."
"I thought you weren't going to train me in ninjutsu?"
"I can still attempt to instill the fundamental principles within you." Edgeshot finished binding the criminals with the wire he carried with him and rose, "Come, the police are on their way. They can handle things from here."
Denki grumbled halfheartedly as he followed, thinking back on how he had managed to find himself under the tutelage of a Hero who, if he was being honest, didn't really mesh with his style.
It had started shortly after he had found out he had received no fewer than one thousand five hundred forty-nine internship offers and was faced with the prospect of having to go through all of them in order to choose the best one for him. His first instinct had been to ask Midoriya for help, but the other boy had his own small pile to sift through and he was so beat up that it didn't feel right. Iida would've helped, but he didn't want to ask him either on account of the situation with his brother.
He had almost panicked for a moment before he remembered that he had one more person he could ask, who would have a pretty easy time choosing an internship to boot since she had gotten six offers. So it was that Jiro had agreed to have a look at his offers with him...
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"Seriously? Sweet! Thanks a bunch, Jiro, you're a lifesaver!"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't get all mushy on me. I owe you one anyway what with, well...you know. So where are we doing this?"
"Huh?"
"Why does your face look like the visual equivalent of a record scratch? I'm asking where we're holding this little jam session of ours. It's gonna take a while to go through that many offers and I don't feel like being at school that late."
"Uhh..."
"My dad would be a pain if I suddenly brought a guy over without saying anything first. Hell, he'd probably recognize you and that'd make it worse, so my place is out. What about yours?"
"I, uh, got an apartment. Family lives in Akihabara, so it's doable by train, but it's like a two-hour ride, which would be a pain."
"Just you then? Perfect, I'll just go home with you today. I'll tell my folks I'm doing homework at a friend's place. Not even a lie, really."
Denki . exe has stopped working. If this problem persists, please contact your local service provider.
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Denki's body moved more or less on autopilot for the next short while they made their way to the train station as his mind raced with all sorts of questions and worries. Was his place presentable? He wasn't a slob by any means, but he was still a teenage guy who lived on his own. The process would probably take a while, so they would probably want to stop for a meal. Did he have enough or would they need to order out?
What if the opposite happened? What if his choice was a no-brainer, so it ended up going quickly and he ended up wasting Jiro's time? She'd probably be pissed. Her opinion of him would drop for sure.
Denki didn't want that. This was the first time he was having one of his classmates from U.A. over (even if it had been completely unplanned) and he really wanted it to go well, especially since it was his place. The fact that it was Jiro only added to the pressure, though it wasn't really her fault.
It was just that he felt that he had really managed to bond with her during his time in the Hero Course, more even than with his other classmates. They had each other's backs through some really intense situations and they had seen each other's vulnerable sides. You couldn't help feeling closer to someone after stuff like that.
She was his best friend, he realized as they boarded the train and managed to find an empty bench. He felt like he could relax around her and just be himself, or whichever version of himself he was at the moment, and she'd see him the same way.
He didn't want to lose that. The idea that he might do something to sour her opinion of him was terrifying. When he came to his senses a minute or so into their ride, he found himself glancing at her phone as she scrolled through her expansive list of music until she found the song she wanted, Earphone Jack plugged into the audio port.
"What, you want to listen too?" she asked as she noticed his gaze. He nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to do, "Hang on." she started fishing around in her backpack before taking out a pair of earbuds that looked as though they had almost never been used, "Honestly have no idea why I bothered hanging on to these. They came with the phone." she muttered as she removed her Earphone Jack and plugged in the earbuds, putting one in her right ear and offering the other to Denki.
He took it, putting it in his left ear and stiffening slightly as Jiro shifted closer so she could still move her head, causing her shoulder to rub his.
"Hope you like metal, 'cause that's what I'm in the mood for." she quipped as the music started anew, all rapid drums and heavy bass that very nearly matched the tempo of his heartbeats.
"How long did you say the ride was again?"
"About half an hour, give or take."
"Gotcha. In that case-" she turned a bit so that her back was against his arm, scooted so she was flush to him and leaned her head back, "I'mma catch a nap. Don't leave me on the train, yeah? I don't feel like going on tour."
Only the Pulse-Pounding Heroine could fall asleep with metal blasting into her ear. Still, whether her calm attitude was infectious or he was just growing numb to his situation, Denki found himself gradually relaxing as the ride went on. By the fourth or fifth song, he was more or less back to normal and had even started to bob his head to the beat.
He didn't notice the Earphone Jack that was lightly resting on the left side of his chest or the small smile that momentarily appeared on the face of the supposedly-napping Jiro.
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"Well, here we are," Denki announced as he opened the door to his fifth-floor unit and gestured Jiro inside, "not the best view in the building, but it's alright."
Denki's apartment was modest, though not quite as small as some city units at around three hundred eighty square feet. The entrance led into his kitchen and turned right into the small dining room (which he used as a TV room, having a small couch and coffee table), which in turn led to his bedroom and the balcony beyond that.
"Uh, tour, right." Denki coughed awkwardly as he closed the door and took off his shoes, placing them next to hers, giving his head a quick shake to help clear it and loosening his uniform's tie to help him feel more casual, "Well, there's soda and tea in the fridge, munchies are in the pantry over there, garbage is there, sink is…moving on."
"Now, this is supposed to be a dining room but I figured it'd work better as a TV room. You've actually seen some of it already from the video call before, now that I think about it. Oh, you can hang your jacket in that closet if you want." he said as he proceeded to do just that with his own uniform jacket and waited a moment while she tucked her tie into one of the pockets and handed it over, "That table in front of the couch is pretty all-purpose, so feel free to use it for whatever."
"Then last we have the bedroom, which is where the computer desk is and…other stuff."
"Is that a leopard-print blanket?" Jiro uttered her first words since she had entered the apartment, having been content to take it all in during his tour.
"Well, yeah. I thought it looked cool and it's pretty comfy."
Denki watched as she stepped into the center of the room and turned, looking around for a few moments before starting to laugh.
"What?"
"It's just, so far everything's looked so normal that I thought I'd have to change my view of you a bit, but this is way more your jam!"
Denki couldn't tell if he was supposed to feel offended or not. He stood next to her and followed her gaze, trying to find what was so funny. There was his dart board, computer, violet tiger-print curtains, framed shirt that was signed by a band he liked, hat collection that he never wore because hats weren't his thing, some miscellaneous stuff hanging on the wall, dresser with a lightning bolt slapped onto it, snowboard that was being used as shelving, a couple of license plates on the wall and some stone thing that might have been modern art or something (it was a gift).
No, on closer inspection everything seemed par for the course.
"I don't get it."
This only made Jiro laugh harder.
After the few minutes it took him to fish out his list of offers and spread the pages out on the coffee table, then find a pen, then find a pen that worked, then get them some drinks because he really should've done that first, they were ready to begin.
"So, start by crossing out the ones that are no-go's?" he suggested.
"With this many, that's probably a bad idea. How about we put a tick next to the ones that seem good? Maybe we'll get lucky and find a few pages that we can toss."
"Works for me."
Denki had gotten through his first two pages with only a few ticks between them, with Jiro having gotten through about three, before he next spoke.
"Should I feel bad that all these Heroes decided to give me offers, but I don't know who, like, half of them are?"
"Nah." she shook her head immediately, "It's like fan mail; people don't expect that they'll get a reply just 'cause they sent something in and the only ones who complain about it are the ones who stalk the lead singer or something."
"I guess." a few more moments passed in silence, "So, what about you?"
"What about me?" she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Your offers. Any interesting ones? Do you know who you're going with?"
"Yeah, actually. Death Arms sent me an offer and he's pretty rockin', so I figured why not?"
"He's pretty cool, yeah. I've seen him around once or twice I think."
"He mostly sticks to the main Musutafu area, but I think he branches out occasionally."
"You a fan?" she responded by waving one of her Earphone Jacks in a noncommittal way before elaborating.
"I'm not groupie-level or anything, but I did a bit of research on him during class."
"So you-"
"-asked Midoriya, yeah. I swear if he didn't want to be a Hero, he could make a mint opening, like, the Hero info version of a record store. Whoa."
"What?"
"Look at this!" she thrust her page at him, pointing to one of the names, "You know who that is, right?"
Denki did indeed know who that was. Any Hero Course student who didn't at least know the top ten ranked Heroes probably needed to look for a new career path.
And this was Number Five.
"That's gotta be some kind of mistake."
"It's right there, dude."
"Why me though?"
"What are you talking about? You made it to the final round and more people heard that number of yours than just me, you know? You showed some serious guts out there."
"Seriously though, Edgeshot? Freaking Edgeshot?! He's literally a ninja!"
"And?" Jiro looked at him incredulously, "I figured that'd tick your cool boxes."
"It does! He does!" Denki insisted, "But…let's be real for a moment." he set down his page and looked at Jiro seriously, "You know me. You know how I work. My style doesn't mesh with his like…at all. I'm about as far from stealthy as you can get."
"Doesn't seem like he cares."
"I can't keep up with a Hero like him!" he protested, "Here, look." he showed her his selections so far, "Not too low, not too high. Nice, respectable, folks who I can learn good stuff from and not make them feel like I'm a complete waste of space."
One of Jiro's Earphone Jacks smacked the papers out of his hand, taking a small chunk out of the pages before she wordlessly showed him her list.
"Chart-toppers." she said after a moment, "Headliners. Rock stars. That's who you want to be, right?"
"Eventually, sure, but I'm nowhere close to that right now! I'm not like Todoroki or Bakugo with their freakish level of talent! I'm not like Tokoyami or Midoriya with their insane Quirks! I'm not like Kirishima or Sato with the ability to just plow through anything in front of them! I'm not even smart like Iida or Yaoyorozu! I'm not special, Jiro!" he hadn't realized that he was shouting or how hard he was breathing. He didn't remember standing up, "I'm…not special." his voice had dropped to nearly a whisper, "I'm just a guy who was lucky enough to land a spot in 1-A because robots are weak to electricity. Be real here; if I hadn't done as well as I did in the practical portion, I wouldn't have made it. Out of everyone in 1-A…I deserve it the least."
"You beat Kirishima." she responded calmly, "And Tokoyami. You even gave Bakugo a scare in the end. As for not being a genius, who cares? There's more to being a Hero than getting straight A's." she stood up and frowned at him, "As for the rest, do you think the other band members are stupid or something? We elected you as our front man. Out of everyone else that could've had it, who wanted it, you're the one who got it."
"But-"
"You're small-time, I get it. You don't think your sound can compete with the big names and the trend-setters. You don't think your work is worth anything compared to the masterpieces you grew up with and still hear every day. If you only listen to a single thing I say, Denki, then listen to this: There's one thing that's exactly the same between music and Heroics. One single piece of advice that will never, ever steer you wrong."
She gestured to the scattered papers and then held up one particular page one more time, Earphone Jack tapping Edgeshot's name for emphasis.
"Listen to your fans. To the people who want to see you succeed. To the ones who believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself."
Denki reached out and took the paper, staring blankly at it before he saw a pen suspended in the air, held up by an Earphone Jack.
"To you, you mean?" there was a pause and for a moment, he wondered if she would answer.
"To me."
That, more than anything, was what caused him to grasp the pen and, guided by Jiro's extra appendage, circle Edgeshot's name.
After all, what sort of showman would he be if he let down his number one fan?
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The memory brought a smile to his face every time he recalled it. He had still been nervous as hell when he had first reported to Edgeshot's agency on day one of the internship, but he had quickly discovered that not only was his host Hero aware of his tendencies, he was fully prepared to account for them.
"Do not worry. Even if you were a viable candidate for the ways of the ninja, it would take far longer than the single week at our disposal for me to teach you anything meaningful regarding those techniques. Instead we shall focus on certain principles and a basic training menu that you can continue even after you leave, should you desire it."
This had, so far, entailed exercises designed to improve his balance, reflexes and overall physical abilities with a focus on speed. He was also being tutored on basic anatomy with an emphasis on areas that would make choice targets for his Quirk. Once Edgeshot had discovered that he carried a baton with him, he had added one-handed weapons training to the menu as well, citing that a baton was simple enough that he could teach him a thing or two in the time they had.
Now, nearing the end of his fifth day under Edgeshot's care, Denki had grown considerably more comfortable around the Number Five Hero. The man was personable enough, if not exactly a chatterbox.
"You know, there's a classmate of mine who would take to your teachings like a fish to water, I think." he remarked on their way back from thwarting the robbery, "His name's Tokoyami."
"I know. I sent him an offer as well."
"Whoa, for real? I wonder why he didn't take it."
"I can only assume that he found an offer that was more to his liking." Edgeshot shrugged, "I am by no means offended; you've certainly kept me busy enough on your own."
Denki gave a sheepish laugh before his attention was caught by his phone alerting him that he had a new message. It was from Shoji and it simply said "You should see this." followed by a video file.
"Huh, wonder what this could be?" Denki pondered aloud as he downloaded the file and began to play it.
What he saw was footage depicting part of what had been dubbed the Hosu Incident. Edgeshot had gone over the public footage with him as a sort of lesson on large-scale ambush tactics and crisis situations, so the initial seconds of flames and violence didn't really shake him. It quickly became clear as the video proceeded, however, that this was not part of the footage that had been released to the public.
"Hang on, that's the Hero Killer! And…Midoriya? What the hell?"
He watched with growing horror as Midoriya was disabled by Stain, only to make him watch while he killed another Hero before Todoroki showed up and began the fight anew. Eventually, Midoriya did something that caused a big enough explosion to damage the camera and the video stopped.
"Who sent you that?" Edgeshot inquired, having been watching the video over Denki's shoulder once he realized what it was about.
"A classmate of mine, Shoji."
"He must have worked quickly to get a copy of that. The government is trying to keep it from circulating."
"…You're not going to report him, are you?"
"Hardly. Intel is valuable, as are the sorts of people you can count on to get it to you. As long as you don't go waving your phone around and showing everyone you meet, it should be fine. I'll want a copy for myself though, if you don't mind. Video footage of the Hero Killer in action is difficult to come by."
"Sure, no problem." Denki answered automatically as he considered why Shoji had send that to him of all people. They weren't on bad terms by any means, but the ones he hung out with the most were Bakugo's gang of him, Midoriya, Kirishima, Uraraka, Iida and the man himself.
Well, let's think about it logically, like Aizawa-sensei would say. Obviously, Shoji already knows since he sent the video. Midoriya knows because he was in the video. Uraraka's tough, but she's also the sort to worry, maybe to the point where it'd distract her from her internship. Bakugo would probably go on a rampage if he found out, given how protective he is of Midoriya sometimes. Iida's really by-the-books, so he'd probably get mad at Shoji on principle and Kirishima's a great dude, but he's probably not the best at keeping secrets. Given all that, and since Midoriya's the Class Vice-President, I guess the next logical step would be the Class Presi…dent.
Oh.
"Hey, Edgeshot? I know I've still got training to do, but I need to make a call when we get back. It can wait, but…it probably shouldn't."
The ninja eyed him for a few moments before nodding.
"As long as you get back to it afterwards and finish it all today, that's fine."
True to his word, Denki retreated to his quarters after he returned and immediately opened his contacts, dialing the number he needed. The phone rang a few times and he wondered if maybe the recipient was asleep already, but then it was picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Midoriya. This is your President speaking."
"K-Kaminari-san! Sorry, I had to dash for the phone and didn't really see who was calling before I answered."
"No problem, man. Anyway, I'm calling because I saw you were involved in some pretty heavy stuff and, well, I just wanted to check in and see how my V.P. was doing, you know?" there was a brief pause.
"Well, thank you for that, Kaminari-san. I honestly appreciate it. There's nothing to worry about though; it really wasn't all that-"
"No, I mean I saw that you were involved." Denki emphasized.
"…Oh."
"Yeah. I'm assuming that there are certain parts of what happened that the public report probably left out and my gut told me that I should probably reach out and just…see how you were holding up."
"I understand and…yes. You're right about some things not being made public. It was bad. It could've been much, much worse, but it was still really bad. I'm not at one-hundred percent yet, but I will be by the time class is back in session, so you don't need to worry about me not being able to keep up my responsibilities or anything like that."
"Midoriya." Denki said, a hint of iron in his voice, "I know I'm not part of your inner circle or whatever, and that's fine, but we both know I've vented to you often enough after those boring-ass Student Council meetings, not to mention right after we were first elected. I just wanted you to know that, if there was a case where it, uh, might not be a good idea to go to any of your usual confidants, you can talk to me, you know? Might not be your first choice, but I can guarantee less explosions, hand-waving and talks about manliness."
There was a significantly longer pause then, but the background noise told Denki that the call was still connected.
"…I appreciate that. I'm…dealing with it."
"Have you talked to anyone? Really talked?"
"…Not like you're saying. No. Before the event was made public, I made a few calls, texts and what have you, just letting certain people know that I was alright. But then…"
"Then the latest viral sensation started sweeping the nation?"
"More or less."
"Let's be real, man; people are gonna see it. They're gonna come to you once they do and if you haven't dealt with whatever you're dealing with by then, it's gonna suck. I think we can both agree on that, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want my advice? You'll be getting more than you want soon enough. Hell, you probably already are, so I don't want to make it any worse."
"No, I mean, yes, I mean…What do you think I should do?"
"Well, it just so happens that I got some pretty good advice myself recently that more or less boils down to making sure you remember that you've got people who care about you and that it's okay to turn to them when you're in a rut. I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm one of those people for you, but you have to know who I mean, right?"
Midoriya didn't respond with words, only making a sound of assent.
"Pick one of 'em. Talk. If that's not enough, pick another one and talk again. I know you're the sort of guy who doesn't want to inconvenience anyone, but trust me, they won't see it that way. Hell, if they find out that's the reason you didn't talk to them, they'll probably get pissed."
"You sound like you know from experience."
"Well, I wouldn't compare my situation to yours exactly, but…something like that."
"…Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
"Alright. See you in class."
"See you."
Denki ended the call and let out a long sigh before opening his contacts one more time and sending a text.
Lightning Bolt: Thank you.
Speakers: ?
Speakers: Weirdo.
That ended up being a lot more feels-heavy than I planned. I knew that Denki would resist going that big initially, but for some reason that scene really made me dig deep and, well, you see the result.
By design, every creator ends up putting something of themselves into their work. It's unavoidable and it's what makes the work uniquely theirs. I'm aware of that, but I try to avoid it just becoming me as the author talking to the reader. I've struggled with that a few times, particularly when there's a scene or issue I feel strongly about and this time in particular, I think I might not have been able to avoid it entirely. Because of that, I apologize if anything comes off as being particularly out-of-character, but at the same time I still feel like they were important things that needed to be said and I couldn't think of a better way to say them.
If you like what I do and would like to support me in a more direct way (as well as getting access to some extra stuff), consider supporting me via my Pat_reon, Fires of Creation. You can find it easily by googling "Fires of Creation Pat_reon" with the underscore removed.
Special thanks to The 0bservanc3, Fallenasgardian, Hyper and all of the others who are already supporting me in this way.
Next time: Izuku takes Denki's advice. Who does he go to? YOU DECIDE!
That's right, I'm taking advantage of my currently slowed-down production rate to do something I haven't done in a while: open up a poll!
In your review, cast a vote for who you think Izuku should go to next chapter. To be clear, he will end up talking to multiple people about this over the course of things, but this is about who he goes to FIRST, while everything is still fresh and he needs it most. Is it a member of the Bakumafia? His mentor? His mom? His host? Whoever it is, I can figure out a way to make it work as long as it's not something crazy like...Stain or something.
Each reviewer may vote for up to TWO characters, though they can vote for just one if they wish. The character with the most votes wins. The deadline (since I still need some time to actually, y'know, write the thing) is Sunday, March 15th. Cast your votes!
And as always, thank you for reading.
