ZabuzasGirl: ahah thank you so much (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)
Bluishapple: thank you ~ ! ❤
LadyAmazon: hhmmm, i don't know ~ (¯▿¯) was that a confession? eheh stay tuned!
AntonBlake: thank you very much ❤ i can't ignore how great of a hero Endeavor is despite him being a jerk, too. aha (⁀ᗢ⁀) honestly i'm kind of losing my sanity too with these two sksksk
DoesNotCompute: THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤ you're most welcome ~ , and i'll try not to stress too much, thank you for those kind words ~ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc) sending you a big hug. thank you so much for reading ! i write because of people like you ~
Vienna22: ❤❤❤(｡- ω -)
AugustRrush: ❤( ◡‿◡ ) next chapter for you ~
Oblivious IJ: (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)
winddemon199: they had extremely nasty quirks! the amount of time i spent just trying to come up with them was crazy ahaha. happy Taru was able to pull through ~ ～('▽^人)
Lavi-hime 4E -3: THEY ARE THE BIGGEST AIRHEADS IN THE WORLD I SWEAR ! someone just needs to spell it out for them LMAO ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡
pinkpaladin: AAHHH ~ ❤❤❤ you're so freakin' sweeeet ~ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc) thank you so much ! i was blushie writing that scene lol it felt nice to be able to write some affection finally ! omg i love that thought of Akito becoming her Kota ! that may just happen eheh stay safe and healthy ! sending you all my love ~
shethoughts: me too honestly LOL
Frost: omg thank you so so sooo much ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡❤ that means a lot i'm really happy you enjoyed it ~~
FutureTrunksFan94: thank you so much ! ❤
Emocean: aaahh! thank you lots ! ~~~ cheers ! ＼(￣▽￣)／
Guest: DON'T BE SAD ! please accept this new chapter ~~ (｡- ω -)❤
magmag34: awwee, thank you so much ~ they really are such pure and smol beans
totallynotobsessedwithfiction: I 100% AGREE
ReallyLazyReader: ahah sorry about that cliff hanger ~ ! thank you so much for reading c; and i wonder, are you right? ❤
TheShapeH31: OMG HI HELLO HEY, thank you so much for joining me on here and reading this story aahhh T_T ❤ your words truly mean so so much thank you for everything ～('▽^人) i hope you enjoy this chapter
loligang: new chapter for you ~~ ! thank you for reading ❤
•○●○•
hello, everyone ~ ❤
hope you are all still staying safe and healthy. i apologize for the wait again i've been drawing a lot more these days so that's to blame aha. i've also started to write my other stories i've been neglecting so that's been taking time, too. T-T . i'll try to get a schedule going so updates are more frequent and consistent ❤
there are new drawings of Hotaru on my instagram and deviant art, that is my under my username, cherryblossomx6. you'll be able to find her new hero costume illustrated, too ~ i also tend to post additional sneak peeks in my insta story so if you want access to that feel free to follow me ❤ and for those of you who already followed, thank you so much ❤ it's really fun being able to talk to you guys, eheh ~
anyways, i wanted to get this chapter up before university starts on monday. my schedule may be getting quite busy, but as always i'm going to try my best for you all
i hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
i apologize for any errors, as always. ya'll know by now that i'm a misspelling machine (ノ_、)
(｡ﾉωヽ｡)ﾟ
- Cherry
•○●○•
Friendship's Pledge
•○●○•
The burning and fatigue of her muscles that she was complaining about days before has turned into something oddly satisfying. It's an invigorating sensation that she wants to douse herself in forever. She doesn't want it to end, just like she doesn't want this to end.
She stares ahead at Sir Nighteye, wiping sweat from her brow with a heavy breath. The lenses of his glasses glow brightly and his hyper-density seals reside between his fingers, a sheen traveling over their sleek design. He takes a single step forward and she tenses in anticipation.
With the simple strong swing of his arm, he sends those seals soaring in her direction. She takes off into a run instantly. A faint cyan glow along with sparks adorn her as lightning ignites within her. Her lightning flows much differently than before. Even she's much different.
She moves gracefully like morphing clouds and as fluid as a forest stream, able to change direction as swiftly as a streak of lightning. High temperatures don't feel as suffocating to her anymore. Her tolerance is improving along with everything else. Although, she's still far from where she wants to be.
One of the most valuable things she has learned thus far is that a little bit often goes a long way. She doesn't need to use as much lightning as she originally thought to move as quickly as she wants, and she needs to let it follow an unrestrained path.
She lets her lightning flow in a lazy manner just like the power lines Daichi told her about. When desperate times arrive she heightens the voltage only where she needs it most, just like Togata-senpai told her. And, as for what Sir Nighteye told her… Slowly, she smirks.
She'll just demonstrate.
Sir Nighteye's hyper-density seals are approaching her quickly. She pushes her feet strongly against the glossy floor, leading herself through an aerial cartwheel to dodge the ones closest to the ground while extending her arm towards another within her reach. Lightning extends from her fingertips.
The moment the seal comes in contact with her lightning, she's the one in control of it. It's a perfect conductor. She twists her body, leading the seal through the air with her streaky bolt like a ribbon dance. She launches it back in his direction just as her feet touch the ground. Although he evades it easily, that doesn't stop her from continuing towards him with the same confident poise.
"Those marbles I gave you," He begins, running sideways. "You're about to use them even though you refer to them as 'dumb.'"
"Now that you said that, I'm not going to use them." She retorts.
"If I didn't use my Foresight on you before this spar, I would have believed that."
"Don't underestimate me, Sir." Hotaru grins in challenge, her eyes morphing into a luminous cyan.
She spoke so vigorously and is obviously getting more serious than before. However, Sir Nighteye fights against an emerging smile. That girl is so set on proving to him that the future isn't set and stone, and that his Foresight isn't so "omnipotent" to result in his future visions being unalterable. She isn't doing this for the sheer satisfaction, but rather something much more fathomless.
All while she works to better herself as a person and hero, she's trying to save him from his own fear and ambiguity revolving around his own Quirk. He's not sure when exactly she put the pieces together, but that ultimately doesn't matter. Either way, it would be quite remarkable for someone to alter the future in some shape or form, and would console him in more ways than one. If he had to guess of someone capable of doing that, he would answer with her name;
Hotaru Aihara.
She closes in on him hastily and extends her lightning outwards. It's easy for him to get out of her Quirk's range. Since he has used his Foresight on her, he knows exactly what moves she's going to make and even has an idea of her mental state. However, what she's thinking isn't as apparent as he would like. She's constantly shifting, and right now she's gazing at something he can't quite discern.
With rather shrewd movements, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a metallic marble. She smirks and holds it behind her back, even sticking her tongue out at him in a mocking manner. He almost wants to laugh at how much she's changed. Or, perhaps this was her true self all along—a mere whimsical child.
"You're going to flick that at me," He states as she does just that, easily maneuvering out of the speedy electrical marble's path and as she drops another behind her. "Then, you're going to drop one behind you to use for a later attack."
"You really do know a lot, Sir." She speaks in a tone just as assured as his own, returning his own taunts and bluff. "But, there's something you don't know."
"Oh?"
"Mhm," She hums, aiming a swift kick at his side that unfortunately doesn't make contact. "You don't know what I had for breakfast today!"
He doesn't respond to that, due to the fact that he really has no clue what she ate this morning. Is she trying to get inside his head? It's an honorable effort and something she's adept in, but it's not enough. He's unfazed.
Hotaru frowns slightly when he ducks under another kick of hers and even evades her lightning once more. He really does know exactly what she's going to do before she does it, and her bluffs are essentially ineffective against him. She doesn't really get it.
There's no possible way that he can know everything. She's sure there's some things that he can't foresee like those little details she mentioned before. It was kind of a punch to her gut when he already knew that she planned to drop that marble. She wonders if she should divert from her original plan regarding that, and she also wonders if that's something else he foreseen.
Should she try using her mother's crazed and erratic fighting style? She's trying to not rely so much on imitating her parents these days, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She lets out a huff. How disappointing. As always, he's a step ahead. He starts to move before she does, and that's when it hits her. Can't she use that to her advantage?
"It won't work." He tells her, seeming to read her thoughts. That makes her back off in her assault and stare at him with an even deeper frown. "You cannot overcome my foresight."
"Why do you think that?" She counters. "Is it because you failed to change the future yourself? Is it because nobody is audacious enough to change it themselves? Or, is it because you have yet to meet someone who is capable of changing it for you?"
His eyes widen a notch at her rather crucial words, and she suddenly smiles at his sudden surprise. She crouches slightly and the voltage of her lightning reaches new heights. A hopeful laugh escapes her lips, especially at her next words. Somehow, everything seems to tie back to that certain someone who's very dear to her.
Shoto Todoroki.
"Sometimes you can't change the future on your own." She starts back up, now holding glistening marbles between her fingers. "Someone changed my future for me a long time ago. Every little thing adds up, you know. And now," Her eyes glow bright. "I will change this future. Sir Nighteye! Today is the day I will take a picture with you!"
"I only agreed to take a picture with you if you make me laugh, which is truly something you will never be successful in."
"Today is the day!" She repeats as if he said nothing at all, and he shakes his head in amusement.
She sprints towards him with speeds nothing like before, and his eyes glaze over in deep concentration. Her agility is something to not be underestimated. He deems it one of her greatest traits and advantages. On top of that, her stamina is also improving. She's improving all around and will continue to. Despite knowing what movements she will perform, he knows that dodging isn't an easy task.
He ducks under her spiralled kick promptly and jumps out of range from her abrupt electrical discharge. The air grows warm in a flash and glistening sweat splats onto the ground. She throws her hand forward and marbles emerge instantaneously like falling rain. He sidesteps in a refined manner to evade.
Not once do Hotaru's eyes falter from Sir Nighteye. Her expression is fixated and calculating. She's testing him. Still, he's avoiding everything she throws his way. There's something she noticed, though.
Those bright orbs of his that are behind polished lenses aren't so covert. His stance is consistently prepared for what comes next. She glances down at the positioning of his feet, the positioning of his hands, and even takes note of the angle of his hips. Her pupils dilate like a cat getting ready to pounce, and Sir Nighteye doesn't even bother to hold back a subtle smile.
Now she's the one who's a step ahead. This was supposed to be her next lesson, but she has already taken notice. It's important to study your opponent and analyze them. One must search for a weakness and create a strategy that leads to victory. To do that, one needs to predict their opponent's moves. That's exactly what she's doing right here and now. Regardless of that, it's futile. His foresight is never wrong.
She lunges forward just as he foresaw, and he sidesteps nonchalantly. The tip of her index finger suddenly glows bright and is angled towards that lone marble on the ground. The metallic sphere starts to move with an electromagnetic force.
She's aiming to hit him with that from behind, then after her failed marble attack she will discharge lightning again with extensive range. After that, his timer will go off and signal and end to their three minute spar. It will be another loss for her.
The sparking marble approaches him from behind sloppily and even slowly, which is something he would've expected without even using his foresight on her. He only just gave those marbles to her yesterday and urged her to try creating magnetism with her lightning. It was something he admittedly wasn't sure would work, but it worked out in the end to his pleasure and hers.
He evades her attack yet again and his eyes enlarge instantly afterwards. Instead of discharging lightning, her body briefly resembles a glitching television screen before vanishing from his sight, something he recalls seeing her do before in the sports festival.
"Gotcha!" Her voice sounds out from behind him, and the door to the training room flies open along with the ringing sound of his timer.
"Sir, Aihara-kun, I…!" Togata begins to say from the doorway before trailing off.
Sir Nighteye is standing in a daze and Hotaru is latched onto him. She's hugging his side with happy sparkles adorning her, even having a single leg bent and raised behind her. It's a comical scene. Togata blinks a few times and realization dawns on him instantly.
"Wow, Aihara-kun! You were able to beat Sir?" Togata grins from ear to ear, merrily walking into the room. Sir Nighteye adjusts his glasses before looking over at his other pupil.
"My timer went off before this happened." He informs, prying Hotaru off of him with ease by pushing against her head. "It's another loss for the books."
"I don't know," Hotaru begins, embracing him yet again and shamelessly. "I think it's a win for me. At this rate, I should be able to hug Aizawa-sensei, too!"
"Why is it that you are so fixated on hugging people more than anything else?"
"I'm not fixated on hugging just anyone." She argues with a bashful grin. "Just those who I'm indebted to. I'm really thankful for everything you've done for me, Sir. So very thankful…" Suddenly, her expression becomes serious. "That I could jump like a koi fish."
Sir Nighteye stares down at her blankly at that mediocre joke. The one thing that she's not improving is her sense of humor. Not only that, every single joke she tells is tied to a fish somehow. It's ludicrous. However, he cracks a smile.
He isn't smiling because of her poor joke, but rather the fact that she went against his foresight. Although the end result was still a loss, the "little details" leading up to that were indeed different. He wonders, do those things really add up?
"Somehow, your sense of humor is worse than it was when you first arrived." He pats the top of her head before moving past her, resulting in her pouting.
Togata moves over to Hotaru energetically and with a grin. This is his first time back at Sir Nighteye's agency since their spar. Only a few short days have gone by, yet Hotaru seems so much different.
Just by a glance he can tell she has grown much stronger and learned so much—as expected from Sir Nighteye's incredible teaching ability. Not only that, she also smiles a lot more. She has also brought out Sir Nighteye's true smiley self that he never shows to the public, which means she must have won him over somehow.
"You really are a tsundere, Aihara-kun!" Togata states as a matter of fact, making her glare at him.
"No, I'm not!" She retorts, shifting her weight. "I thought I made it clear that I'm not that fabricated."
"But, you really are." He points at her innocently, and Sir Nighteye lets out a suspicious cough. "See, now you have your guard up again because I'm here!"
"T-That's not it…" She grumbles with darkening cheeks, and he laughs loudly. "You misjudge me."
"I think you're the one who's misjudging yourself." He waves her off, then holds out his fist. "You've grown a lot already! Before your internship is over, let's fight again."
She stares at him through her lashes with a tiny frown. Now that she thinks about it, Mineta told her she was misjudging herself before, too. She begins to wonder if that's true. Whatever. Letting out a heavy breath, she smiles and forms her own fist. These days, she's been feeling quite different.
"Maybe." She admits, and he beams brightly when she bumps her fist against his. "It's a promise. I'll beat you for sure."
"I can't wait!" His beady blue eyes shine with challenge. Suddenly, his jaw drops. "Oh! That's right. Eraserhead told me to give you something."
"Aizawa-sensei?" Hotaru perks up in an instant, bringing her hands together.
She watches as Togata runs back over to the open door. He disappears for a short couple seconds before moving back over to her with a suitcase. Instantly, her mouth forms an "o" shape and she holds out her hands eagerly, meeting him halfway.
"Yeah." He nods as she grabs a hold of the suitcase. "I think it's your new hero costume since your old one was damaged."
"No way, they made a new one that fast?" She whispers in awe, her head tilting.
"Yup!" Togata gives her a thumbs up. "Our Support Department is Togatally amazing!"
"...Right."
With a sheepish bead of sweat rolling down her face at his usual puns, Hotaru drops onto her knees and lays the suitcase down flat on its side. After the kidnapping incident, U.A. was naturally informed of what transpired. She had also requested for a new costume since there was damage done to hers.
Although the damage was just a small tear, she has been wanting a new costume deep down. She wanted something that can accommodate more of her needs and make things a bit easier on herself. This new costume is also something much more meaningful to her. As she proceeds to open the suitcase, she smiles.
Her first costume was just a costume, nothing more. She didn't help with the design or anything. In fact, she didn't care what it looked like. This time around it's much different. She was able to play a role in the overall design. Although, she had a little help.
"It looks just like Daichi's sketch!" Hotaru lets out a happy laugh as she removes her new suit from the case. She's like a child on Christmas morning. "The metal pockets you suggested look cool too, Sir!"
As she looks over it joyously, Sir Nighteye walks over. Once he's near, she hands it up to him so he can inspect it as well. The moment he grabs onto it, she notices a folded piece of paper drifting to the ground.
She stares at it curiously and with a head tilt. With pursed lips she takes it between her fingers and unfolds it. Familiar handwriting greets her and she instantly smiles the biggest smile yet at the scribbled words.
"Don't mess this one up, problem-child."
Her cheeks begin to hurt from her growing smile, but she just can't keep it at bay. She hugs the note from her beloved teacher against her chest, instantly deciding to keep it as a good-luck charm. Eventually, she lowers it into her lap and shuts her eyes.
The overwhelming happiness she's been feeling these past few days is weird. She doesn't think she's ever been so high up on cloud nine. Never did she think she would be living like this, she thought her old dream would never progress, and never did she think there would be so many people looking out for her. All of her troubles and the things that used to haunt her are so far away.
"I'm happy!" She declares stupidly, making Togata and Sir Nighteye look down at her. They are surprised by her state of euphoria that miraculously doesn't have anything to do with fish.
She springs onto her feet gracefully, taking her new costume back from Sir Nighteye and twirling around him. With yet another happy smile, she throws a playful two-fingered salute his way.
"I'm going to try this on. I'll be back! Oops—!" Hotaru squeaks in surprise at the person she almost ran into. She offers an apologetic bow. "Sorry, Centipeder!"
"It's nothing to apologize over, Aihara-san." Centipeder holds up his gloved hand to signal its no big deal. "Please, don't worry."
"Alrighty." She salutes again before continuing on her merry way.
Once she disappears, the three men exchange astonished glances before staring after her.
"Are we sure she's really Lightning Beast's daughter…?" Centipeder inquires, not seeing any similarities between them at all.
"She's like a kitten, isn't she, Sir?" Togata looks over at his mentor with a smile.
"She is a special case." Sir Nighteye admits.
Hotaru jogs down the hallways with an ecstatic bounce with each step. She now knows her way around this agency like the back of her hand. It doesn't take her long to approach the changing room, and as she does, she hears someone else's running footsteps.
She looks ahead to see a panicked Bubble Girl. She's still wearing her pajamas and looking as if she just rolled out of bed. Hotaru can't help but sweat-drop. Bubble Girl takes notice of her instantly and cries out.
"Did Sir say anything about me being late?!"
"Not a word." Hotaru answers as they come to a stop in front of the changing room. She holds the door open for the Pro Hero.
"He's definitely going to fire me..." She sulks, dragging her feet into the room with a quiet thanks. Hotaru follows behind her with raised eyebrows.
"Isn't him not saying anything a good thing?" She inquires.
"It's a bad thing."
"I don't think so." Hotaru laughs. "Sir Nighteye thinks very highly of you. I don't think he'll ever fire you or anyone."
Bubble Girl pauses before she takes her shirt off and looks over at Hotaru with pursed lips. There's a happy glow surrounding her. That glow has been present ever since the kidnapping incident. It's almost like she's a completely different person. She didn't think the daughter of those two nasty villains could be so… childlike?
Hotaru pulls her shirt up and over her head, and Bubble Girl's eyes widen a notch at a now visible scar. It's below her left breast, most of it being covered by her athletic bra. Her eyelids lower slightly.
It's none of her business, but she can't help but wonder how she got that scar. It looks like something sharp was responsible. Down in that sewer when her memory was rewound, she was clutching at that spot like it had just happened.
"It's not nice to stare, you know." Hotaru affirms, turning away from her slightly so that small portion of her scar is no longer in her sight.
"Sorry." Bubble Girl mutters, the atmosphere now awkward between them. Before she looks away, Hotaru offers her a small smile from over her shoulder.
"My mom." She says, leaving it at that.
"Your mom did that?" The older girl can't help but repeat. "That's… unexpected."
"Really? My mom always hated me. Not that I care, though. Sure, her love would have been nice, but at least she was honest about her feelings."
Bubble Girl looks up at the ceiling, staring at the round light over her head. There are a lot of things she doesn't know about her and she really isn't what she seems at all. Was that why Sir Nighteye sent out an offer to her?
"You really are a mystery, Aihara-san." The Pro muses aloud, and Hotaru lets out a laugh.
Once the two girls finish changing, they face each other with a smile. Bubble Girl's jaw slackens just enough for her lips to part. She openly points at Hotaru's new costume in awe, being an instant fan of the redesign.
"I didn't know you were getting a costume upgrade."
"Mhm." Hotaru nods, looking at herself in the mirror with a smile. "What do you think?"
There are three metal rings around her right bicep, and a bell-shaped piece of fabric that covers her right wrist. On her other arm is a long fingerless glove with a single metal ring attached to the end. It's an interesting design.
Her bodysuit remains the same gray color, although it now resembles a fitted romper that stops at her upper thighs where triangular metal armor pockets reside. That same armor is also present on her thigh-high boots, along with metal rings around her foot. The patterns that glow when she uses her Quirk are now more geometric.
"It's cute!" Bubble Girl beams brightly as Hotaru gathers as much of her hair as she can into a ponytail. The older girl moves closer to her to get a better look. "What does that wrist sleeve do?"
"It's supposed to help lessen the recoil from my higher voltage strikes." Hotaru answers, bringing her hands to her hips. "I can't wait to try it out. I want to see how it handles a billion volts."
"It looks much more handy than your previous one." Bubble Girl nods in approval, and the two of them leave the room. As they walk, Hotaru hums a soft tune and Bubble Girl can't help but to speak on it. "You seem a lot more happy these days."
"I am." Hotaru smiles blithely, her cheeks becoming rosy as she brings her hands over her chest. "My best friend finally likes me again. It's like everything has returned to as it was before, but somehow even better. I'm really happy that we're together again and even more happy that we're working to become heroes together. It's all I ever wanted."
A soft smile overtakes Bubble Girl's face. The aspiring hero beside her spoke so pleasantly and in a relieved manner. It's cute, especially how she referred to that certain someone as a friend. It seems she's more cautious about her relationship status compared to her boyfriend.
"You don't need to hide it, Aihara-san. Although, I can understand why you would want to keep it a secret. If it was made public, I'm sure it would make headlines." The Pro Hero smiles in understanding, and Hotaru feels as confused as ever.
"What do you mean?" She mutters with furrowed brows. "What would make headlines?"
"That you're dating."
"Dating…?"
"Yeah. You and Endeavor's son. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Hotaru's walk gradually slows down until she is rooted in the same spot. Bit by bit, the world around her falls away. She's standing in a bright world of emptiness that makes her squint. Those words replay over and over in her head. No way. She must've heard Bubble Girl wrong.
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I think I heard you completely wrong." Hotaru laughs nervously, fiddling with her fluffy ponytail.
"I was just saying that I won't tell anyone that you and that Todoroki kid are together." Bubble Girl raises a brow, now feeling a bit dazed.
"I knew it." Hotaru breathes out, relieved. "I think I had too much coffee this morning."
With a smile, Hotaru clasps her hands together behind her back and skips past a bewildered Bubble Girl. A crease forms in her brow when Hotaru turns around and faces her with her hands situated on her hips.
"Why would you have to keep it a secret? It's not like we are being so secretive about it." Suddenly, she brings her finger to her chin. "Maybe we haven't been making it very clear, though. We didn't like each other for a while, after all. But, now we like each other and are together again. We're best friends. Is that really something that needs to be kept a secret?"
Many different algorithms run through Bubble Girl's mind, and she finds herself pointing at them aimlessly. She feels like she missed something. Something isn't adding up. Even as Hotaru continues ahead, she remains rooted in the same spot.
The other day Endeavor's son said him and Hotaru were together. Hotaru just confirmed that but in an entirely different context. Is this one of those situations where someone likes another romantically, but their romantic interest only views them as a friend? Did that Todoroki kid lie? Was Hotaru just dodging the question? Or…
"Are they both airheads?"
•○●○•
Hotaru leans back in Sir Nighteye's chair, making it spin by simply pushing her feet against the ground. She stares at the spiralling ceiling with a small pout. For some reason, she can't stop thinking about her and Bubble Girl's earlier conversation. Her eyelids lower as she whispers to herself.
"Where did she get that from?"
There's no way she heard her wrong. Just thinking about it is making her cheeks grow excessively warm and causes the organ in her chest to pulsate profoundly. Seriously, where did she get that from? Her and Shoto are only friends. It's not like they kiss or—she imagines it.
Just as the door opens, Hotaru starts choking comically and pounding on her chest. Sir Nighteye stands there and gives her an odd stare. The door shuts behind him and by some miracle, Hotaru manages to pull herself together.
"H-How did training Togata-senpai go?" She asks quickly, stuttering through her occasional coughs that still emit.
"Fine." He answers as he makes his way over. His brow raises at her red face. "Are you ill?"
"No. I just had one of those 'choking on air' moments." She explains with a false smile, waving her hand back and forth through the air. "You know sometimes when you inhale too deeply and it kind of makes you gag?"
"Yes."
"It's like that." She beams with a thumbs up, then pointing at his large All Might cut out. "Anyways, where did you get that? Do you think they make some of those for Eraserhead?"
"That is a discontinued item, and I wouldn't think so. Now, get out of my chair." He sighs, adjusting his glasses. "You really have made yourself comfortable here, haven't you?"
"Well, I do like it here." She admits, standing up like she's told. As he takes his seat, she studies the almost empty table just behind his desk. "It's fun learning all of these hero things and new techniques. Your agency is pretty homey, too. And," She grins. "You're really cool, Sir Nighteye."
"I'm glad everything is sufficient for you."
"Why did you say that so dully?" She frowns, facing him with her arms folded over her chest. "You should be really happy."
"Because I've gained your approval?" He inquires.
"Yup!" She places her hands over his chair, leaning to the side and gazing at him with gleaming silvery orbs. "Now, what about you? Have I gained your approval?"
"You won't gain my approval until you gain a sense of humor." He answers, smiling when she whines dramatically.
"Seriously? Well, whatever." She huffs, turning around and leaning against the back of his chair. She stares at that same empty table in thought. "Humor really isn't all that important. I'm sure I can gain your approval without it. Watch, I'll get you to laugh eventually."
"You can't make someone laugh without humor." He affirms, and she shrugs idly.
"Guess we'll find out. Anyways," She peers over her shoulder at him. "Why is this table back here empty?"
"It's not empty. It's organized." He argues, looking over at it.
She supposes he has a point with that. There are neatly aligned books towards the ends of it. Either way, there is a lot of extra space on it. Her eyes start to light up. It's the perfect size, too.
"I bet you can fit a forty-five gallon fish tank right here." She states, clasping her hands together. "You should get a fish tank, Sir! They say people who have fish tanks are often more relaxed. So, not only will it be beneficial for the fish to have a new home, but it'll be beneficial to you, too!"
"I'm not interested in fish." He shoots that idea down, and she glares at him.
"Why not?"
"I just don't think that there is anything special about them. You aren't slacking off, are you?" He faces her with narrowed eyes. "While I was working with Mirio, you were supposed to be training yourself."
"I wasn't slacking off." She huffs, moving in front of his desk while pulling a marble out of her pocket. "You happened to just come in when I decided to take a break. Electromagnetism is really weird."
She lets the marble roll out of her palm just as it becomes covered in sparks. The spherical conductor levitates beneath her hand. The metal marble is lightweight and hollow. It is designed specifically to not do major damage even if it is thrown full force at an enemy. It is only capable of shocking others with a twinge. A hilarious weapon. However, she also has another weapon that's more perilous, and it plays a great role in a special move she's been trying to perfect.
"You seem to be growing used to it." He affirms, taking note of how already she has better control over it.
"A little."
She jerks her hand up, making the marble fling into the air. Just as gravity starts to bring it down, she catches it effortlessly. She puts it back in her pocket before looking at him curiously.
"Are we not going to go on a patrol today?"
"No. It's too late." He answers. "We will do that tomorrow. I wanted to use today to focus on improving your technique."
"Then, I'll keep working at it." She rotates her shoulders and performs a brief stretch. "I'll continue in the training room. Working on this other new trick will probably fry your All Might merchandise."
He watches her as she spins around on her toes and starts making her way towards the door. Her ponytail swishes with each step, and his gaze gradually shifts over to his hanging wall clock. His eyes narrow the tiniest bit. The timing is off by at least an hour. He wonders if she was right all along.
"Aihara." He addresses her as she grips the doorknob.
"Yeah?"
She looks at him from over her shoulder, awaiting what he has to say. He doesn't utter a single word. She faces him with a frown at his silence, confused and even a bit skittish at his deliberate expression. Is she in trouble or something? Just as she opens her mouth to question him, her phone in her pocket vibrates.
She spares her pocket a glance. Someone clearly just texted her and she's curious about who, but she can't possibly look now. Not when Sir Nigheye is staring at her like something's wrong. Like something… is about to happen. Now she can't not look at her phone.
Quickly, she pulls it out of her pocket with sweat forming on her temple. There's this churning sensation in the pit of her stomach, and her eyes enlarge at Midoriya's name on her screen.
"Midoriya-kun…?" She whispers to herself, opening up his message. Her brows furrow instantly. He sent this message through the group chat and there are no words displayed, only a location. Just that alone is alarming enough and a very clear sign. Her breath gets caught in her throat.
He's in Hosu City.
"My friend is in trouble." She speaks quickly, looking up at Sir Nighteye with a slightly pale face. "I need to go."
"You can't." Sir Nighteye shakes his head before she bolts out the door. "You don't have a hero license yet, so you can't act rashly."
"Can you come with me?"
"This isn't something you should get yourself involved with."
"Please, Sir Nighteye!" Hotaru's grip tightens on her phone as she gazes at him with pure desperation. "I told him that I would be there for him if he ever needed help. If it wasn't for him, I would've walked away that day. I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for him! I can't ignore this message. A hero should go to those who need help, right?!"
He gazes at her severely and with narrowed eyes. At the start of this internship, she would have been glaring at him right now. Instead, she's pleading with every fiber of her being. She's altering before him quickly, and he adjusts his glasses with a burdened sigh. He knows what's to come and it's dangerous.
"I have to refuse."
"Then, I'll go by myself!"
"That's what I'm refusing. Let's go." He asserts. "I'll help you save this 'friend' of yours."
As he stands, Hotaru can't help but be overtaken by surprise. She didn't expect him to allow her to go or him to even go along with her. Sure, she went ahead and asked anyway despite knowing she would get shot down. She was even prepared to go against him if needed, but it's still so hard to process. He was against it just seconds ago. Did he decide on a whim?
Her eyelids lower slightly in thought. What exactly is going to happen tonight? Whatever it may be, he said it's not something she should involve herself with. Initially, she wasn't interested in knowing of her future. The future scared her for the longest. But, she's not scared anymore.
She wants to know. If she knows, she'll be one step ahead. She feared her death before, and now she finds it irrelevant. She already has and experienced more than she could ever dream of, and now she's satisfied. All she wants to do is continue to live in this moment.
"Can you tell me who we are up against?" She asks, hurriedly following him out the door. They run side by side down the hall.
"Stain." He answers without hesitation.
"A-Are you serious?!"
The blood flowing through her develops a biting chill, and she can't stop a shiver from shooting down her spine. Stain? That's the worst possible person to encounter. Multiple beads of sweat form over her face. How did Midoriya get tangled up with that guy? There's no way it was intentional, and Midoriya isn't the type who would just go after someone. Realization dawns on her.
Iida-kun.
That's it. He must have gone after him even after her warning. Her teeth grit and she brings her hand over her face. She understands and she really can't blame him. His brother was attacked and that's not something that can be shaken off easily. She recalls her own resentful emotions when Daichi was attacked. Yeah, that's something that definitely can't be overlooked. However, there's also no overlooking how dangerous Stain is.
Sir Nighteye easily takes notice of her frightened expression. This is his first time seeing her so unsettled. That makes it clear that she is well aware of how formidable Stain is. Is she having second thoughts?
"I understand." She says, staring ahead intensely. Any fear she was showing has vanished. "Alright."
"That was a quick turnaround." He expresses.
"What?"
"You looked frightened seconds ago, but now it's as if you don't have a single care in the world."
"I'm still scared." She admits with a slight smile. "But, I'm more terrified of other things than some villain. Which reminds me," She looks over. "You clearly decided to go with me on a whim. Why?"
He smiles softly and in a way she's never seen before. She's caught off-guard once again and her head tilts ever so slightly. When he answers her, her jaw slackens.
"Those 'little details' you were going on and on about," He begins. "I want to see how much more they can alter things. So far they seem to be rather auspicious."
"'How much more?' Does that mean that…?!" She trails off, and he nods.
"I've been noticing some differences. They are small, though distinct nonetheless."
Hotaru grins widely with sparkling eyes, reaching outwards and punching his arm in a playful manner. His index finger finds the bridge of his glasses, covering the majority of his face as he lets out an airy cough.
"Let's change the future together, Sir!"
"Let's."
•○●○•
"It's like I'm in an action movie!" Hotaru grins from ear to ear as Sir Nighteye speeds down the street in a luxurious black car. "How are you dodging all these other cars?! I would've crashed by now!"
"If you don't put on your seatbelt, you'll go crashing through the windshield." He mutters blandly.
While she moves to put on her seatbelt with a pout, Sir Nighteye resists the urge to rub at his temples. Somehow, this girl is turning into quite the handful. He glances down at his GPS that displays the location her friend sent out. They are growing closer to their destination.
This is an event he wasn't supposed to be involved with. He originally foresaw Hotaru encountering Stain by herself with a few other classmates. In his vision he told her no, but she snuck off anyway.
He's not sure how much he can change. Despite the different occurrences that have been making themselves known, the end result is still the same. However, surely these little changes will add up overtime.
He only hopes they will be enough to reverse the two things he's been dreading.
"There's a fire." Hotaru points ahead at the immense clouds of smog drifting skywards, contrasting against the red glow that's approaching quickly.
"It doesn't look like we can continue down this road." Sir Nighteye speculates, and Hotaru's jaw locks.
"We don't have time to take a detour."
"You're right." He acknowledges, the lenses of his glasses glowing brightly. "It would be best to continue on foot."
The tires of the car let out a screeching noise as Sir Nighteye brings it to a quick stop, and in that moment Hotaru is glad she put on her seatbelt. Swiftly, he puts the car in park and steps out with her following suit. They sprint down the sidewalk and towards the chaos.
The heavy smell of burning material fills Hotaru's nose, and the sounds of screams fill her ears. There are many people running in the opposite direction in panic and there's flashing lights almost everywhere she looks. Even a helicopter is hovering nearby. She's never been amidst a scene quite like this. It definitely keeps her on her toes. Her fists clench as she runs.
She hopes she makes it to her friends on time. Her and Sir Nighteye got here relatively quickly, but she's still uneasy. Stain must be where Midoriya is. With that thought in mind, what's up with this chaos before her? Last time she checked, Stain was the sleathly type. Are there other villains nearby?
Movement overhead catches her attention. Even though she's not looking at it head on just yet, she can instantly conclude that whatever it is isn't a helicopter. It's far too unsteady. She looks up.
Her irises shrink in size at the large creature that's flying towards them. Old memories rise to the surface and flash before her. She sees a bloodied Aizawa, an eerie Shigaraki, and even feels the tortuous memory of pain.
"N-Nomu?" She breathes out, faltering in her step.
This isn't the same one All Might fought. It looks different. It has paler skin and even a set of wings. Regardless, it's ultimately the same. There's more than one? This revelation makes her blood curdle. This isn't good at all. She needs to get to Midoriya, but she can't let this thing just flutter around either, and there's also no way she'll leave Sir Nighteye to take this thing on by himself. If a Nomu is here, does that mean Shigaraki is here, too?
"How disappointing."
"That's one thing I can agree with." Sir Nighteye says, pulling out his hyper-density seals. "It's unfortunate, but this is an obstacle that can't be ignored. Tempest, get ready. Now would be a good time to practice that move you've been working on."
"'Practice?'" She quotes, reaching into her pocket. "No… I'm going for the kill on this guy. In other words," Her eyes glow bright. "Plus ultra."
She heightens her speed with a flash and darts forward, tiny sparks being left behind. The Nomu locks onto her and lets out a loud howl of challenge. It begins diving towards her and she draws in a deep breath to calm her nerves. This time, the outcome will be different. She won't let anyone get hurt again.
She crouches down briefly and the concrete beneath her becomes fractured. Her form glimmers brightly as she heightens the voltage of her lightning in her feet. With a determined grunt, she launches herself skywards with a loud thunderous sound.
Air rushes at her face as she shoots past Nomu, barely missing the swipe of its claws. Even though she evaded that strike, it results in a villainous aura to roll off of her form. She rotates her body that is now higher up in the sky, facing the nasty creature that is flying up to meet her halfway. It's unfazed by her nefarious intent and coming at her quickly. She grins improperly at how it's in the perfect position.
"How unfortunate for you," She begins, reaching into her pocket and feeling something sharp. "That you had to run into me—eh?"
Her words are cut short when a blur of yellow moves past her. The sight of an old and short man kicking Nomu into the ground with tremendous force, and so effortlessly, results in her eyes becoming beady. She blinks rapidly. Did she see that right?
"What the—?"
Before she can even finish that, she squeaks when someone grabs a hold of her in the middle of her free fall. She was so dazed that she wasn't even focusing on her landing, so perhaps it looked like she was in a pinch. It's understandable until she looks over and becomes aware of warm flames.
"Endeavor?! Put me down!" She growls out, and the Flame Hero merely scowls at her annoyed form squirming in his arms. "I can land by myself…!"
Any other words she wants to say are sucked right back down her throat. Flames burst from beneath his feet as he lowers them both to the ground steadily. She stares down at the sight in wonder. It's like he's flying. Is that due to the heat of his flames or the sheer pressure or their release? For a split second she wonders if she could do something similar—he drops her without warning.
Luckily, her reflexes are quick. She manages to land on her feet although staggering as she does. She turns around and faces him with a glare. He's not even looking her way, but rather at the Nomu beneath the old man's foot.
"You're not that bad, honored elder." Endeavor compliments. If Hotaru wasn't irked, she would've snickered at that nickname.
"Tempest." Sir Nighteye runs over to her quickly. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm—"
"Look out!" The old man yells, and she turns just in time to see a long tongue whipping in her direction.
Sir Nighteye takes action by throwing one of his seals into it, detaching the muscle from Nomu. It hits the ground while blood splatters around it. She stares in disgust before turning her attention back over at Nomu who screeches, it's bulging eyes locked onto her. It's mouth begins to bubble as regeneration starts to work it's magic.
"This thing..." The old man starts up again, looking over to her. "Seems to be interested in you."
After that statement, surprise crosses his features. He recognizes that child in an instant. Her silver eyes and dark hair, and even the blue sparks that still adorn her are easily discernible. She looks just like her parents. However, there's something different, too.
He looks over at Sir Nighteye next, finding it odd that he's working in Hosu and this late in the night. Wait a second. Did he accept this girl as his intern even though he's been working hard at training Mirio?
"Seems like it." Hotaru notes, making his thoughts come to a halt.
Her eyelids lower for a short moment, before she looks at all the heroes before her desperately. She now feels comfortable enough to do what she previously didn't. Sir Nighteye isn't alone now. More Pros are here. Surely they can handle this, especially Endeavor. When her silvery orbs reopen, something hopeful flickers within them.
"I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds or acting in a way I shouldn't, but I really need to go. I can't afford to let anymore time slip by while I'm not there. I'm leaving this to you." She expresses while bowing. Just as she turns, Sir Nighteye calls out to her.
"Tempest!"
At his voice, she looks over her shoulder. He doesn't say anything else right away and takes a short moment to think deeply. Once he seems to come to a conclusion, his expression becomes severe to the point she becomes skittish.
"I'm going to give you full permission to do whatever is necessary to defend your friends and yourself." He grants as Nomu starts to strengthen. This way, there won't be consequences for either of them. "I will catch up with you."
"Thank you." She smiles.
She disappears with a blinding flash, surfing quickly over the powerlines. Her hand moves over her chest and where her jittery heart resides. She hopes there isn't too much damage. She hopes that there isn't any damage at all. Looking at it realistically however, all she can do is hope that she makes it to them on time.
Quickly, she pulls her phone out of her pocket and looks at the location Midoriya sent. He's closeby. In fact, he should be in that alleyway just ahead. She knows better than to charge straight in, though. Stain isn't someone that should be taken on head on.
She performs a high jump, her feet touching a rooftop. She runs across the horizontal structure, staring over the edge as she does. It's dark staring down. That's when she thinks maybe she should've just ran straight in. However, that changes when she notices fire and ice, and a sight… that makes her face grow darker than the night.
•○●○•
"Todoroki-kun!" Midroyia yells from the ground. He tries to push himself up, but his body is frozen stiff. "You can't let this guy see your blood! I think he controls his opponents' actions by ingesting their blood orally. That's how he got all of us!"
"He sucks blood to keep people from moving?" Shoto whispers to himself as he stares ahead at the Hero Killer. "That's why he uses blades, huh?"
Instantly, he thinks back to how Hotaru mentioned this guy doing something similar. Standing before him now, he can easily see how just talking about him seemed to unsettle her. He's armed with more blades than he can count. It's obvious just how dangerous he is, but it shouldn't be a problem. He can hold out.
"I can keep my distance and—" He murmurs to himself, and just as a knife grazes his cheek.
He can feel the fresh cut and even the trail of blood gliding down his face. He threw a knife that quick and stealthily? That guy is incredibly fast. Just as he thinks that, the Hero Killer closes in on him. His teeth grit.
"You have good friends, Ingenium!" The Hero Killer seethes, slashing a jagged knife at Shoto.
Quickly, Shoto creates a wall of ice to shield himself. It works, but it doesn't work to counter the sword that has been thrown over his head. His eyes enlarge. He threw the sword at the same time he attacked with the knife? He didn't even notice him—
He lets out a silent gasp when Stain's fist tangles into the collar of his jacket, yanking him forward. His rough tongue that's coated with saliva makes its way towards his open wound. Instantly, he's overcome with a sense of panic. He habitually begins to ignite his flames just as an additional malicious intent makes itself known.
Stain looks up, his eyes enlarging at the sight of serpentine lightning over their heads. The source of that lightning shows itself not even a second afterwards. Silver eyes are glaring down at him murderously. The owner of those eyes reaches out and grabs his sword that's twirling midair.
Quickly, Stain releases Shoto and jumps back. Flames erupt and a loud sound of thunder follows afterwards. His own sword is shooting towards him like a lightning rod, and so quickly that grabbing it is out of the question.
He leans to the side to get out of it's path, but not quickly enough to prevent it from grazing his cheek in a similar way he has just done to the boy ahead. Along with the pain of an opening cut, there's the pain of a shock.
His sword embeds itself in a dumpster that's not too far behind him, resulting in it toppling over. His expression darkens and his teeth bare. The person responsible lands on the ground in front of the fire and ice boy in a crouch. She slowly straightens up with sunken eyes, glaring at him brutally. He recognizes this girl.
"You…!" He bites out.
"Me." Hotaru says, holding her arm out to the side as if to act like a barrier to those behind her. "You chose the wrong people to mess with, Stain."
"A-Aihara-san!" Midoriya exclaims, shocked yet a bit relieved at the sight of her.
"N-Not you too…!" Iida breathes out from the ground, his face twisting in frustration.
"Taru!" Shoto quickly runs towards her.
He places his hand on her shoulder, and she looks over at him with a smile. Although, that smile falters at the cut on his cheek, and fades away entirely at the sight of Midoriya and Iida on the ground. She looks over, gasping to herself at a familiar Pro Hero. She met him once before on the night she made to most stupid decision to be a villain. He's staring at her uneasily, and she offers him a smile.
"I'm sorry I'm late." She speaks softly, her smile returning. She redirects her attention ahead and at the villain before her. "I ran into some trouble on the way here. But, the Pros should be here soon. I didn't realize the situation was this bad."
She smirks, tucking some strands of hair behind her ear as she steps forward. He looks just as creepy as ever. She needs to buy as much time as possible. The situation here is bad. There are three people down and Shoto was about to be next. Even though he is outnumbered, he's still much stronger.
"You should back off. If you keep this up, I won't hesitate to kill you."
"Are you sure a 'Hero' should be using those words?" He growls as he retrieves his sword, easily taking note of her hero costume.
"Probably not. But, this hero has no problem saying them." She retorts, an eerie smile on her face. "What about you? Should someone with a goal like yours be going around trying to kill students? Your ideology seems to be slipping, but it was dumb from the very beginning if I'm being honest. As stupid as ever, I see."
"Taru don't piss him off…" Shoto pulls her back at the obvious change in Stain's composure at her words.
"Normally people's moves become sloppy when they're pissed." She mutters. "Besides, if I can get him to target me then you and everyone can—"
"No." Shoto instantly shoots that down, and Stain lets out a daunting chuckle.
"Ingenium…" He begins, pulling out a knife that glistens beneath the moonlight.
He begins making his way towards Shoto and Hotaru slowly, moving like a stalking lion. It becomes evident who the true prey is. The two of them tense and ready themselves. A chilling breeze blows from behind them that creates a groaning sound. Stain lunges forward with a vicious grin.
"It seems like you have one bad friend after all!"
~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:
•○●○•
Stain
•○●○•
"I get it. I made more mistakes than I can count." Hotaru whispers. "But, is it wrong to chase your dreams? Is it wrong to try and do what you think is right? That's what you're trying to do too, right? Seriously... what's the difference? You just don't think I'm in the right because my ideals don't match your own. Beliefs are circumstantial."
She reaches up and grabs onto his blade embedding her. She yanks it out, causing blood to spill onto the ground. His eyes widen at the sudden unwavering emotion in her own. It's an unexpected change.
"Your beliefs always contrast against another's, and because of that, here we are. Hero and villain. Two sides of the same coin. It's only natural at this point." She sighs, tossing his knife aside. "Don't you think we all are a little self-centered?"