Chapter 38 - Far From Perfect
Somewhere outside of Kyoto a crime scene was overflowing with investigators and Police, dissecting and analyzing the small, almost invisible village that not many would bat an eyelid toward upon passing, not even heroes moved through the area, which is what brought such a large-scale sweep to the Police force's attention.
The houses were fine, say for broken doors, windows, and the interior of most smashed to pieces. Streets were flailed by long, sharp grooves, as if something had been whipped into the tarmac, the same could be said for most cars, twisted at odd angles or spilt in two. Fires had clearly broken out in several buildings and communications were cut by the wire by force.
What had everyone's blood chilled to the point goosebumps never faded, even in the summer heat, was the fact blood-stained walls, ceilings, anything that wasn't reduced to debris, yet not a single body could be salvaged, not even a body part of any description. There was a roar of an engine above, alerting some of the men on duty to a silver figure coming into land, a civilian in their arms.
"I found a survivor!" Valstrax declared, folding her wings while another hero in a black and white ninja gi, the Marital Art Hero, Jin, approached from the shadows, an item in her hands. Her eyes softened behind her helmet. "Well, about as good as a 'survivor' can be, he's barely said a word."
It was a middle-aged man, bald, wore a bandana, and seemed to tend to woodworking judging by his apron and tools akin to that of someone of the same craft. He was escorted to an ambulance nearby to treat his small wounds, Jin approaching with her arms behind her back, eyeing Valstrax.
"Nothing to say," She held out her hand. "Just this, strange as it may be," Valstrax took the item, wiggling it between them as they chimed. A black, almost char chain with a curved hook attached to the end. "Can you feel it?"
Valstrax's frown deepened with her fangs bear. "I can smell it, blood, and... flames?" She looked to where smothered fires were, again, baffled. "No, not a normal fire, almost... what's the word?"
"Cursed?" Not the word she was thinking of but yeah, it had that feeling to it, even though her gauntlet she could feel how the chain's surface rubbed her the wrong way. "This is not the first time, nor the last, things are in motion."
"Tell me something I don't know," Valstrax grumbled, tossing the chain away. "Useless for investigation, even with the blood there's no other scent, just like the other crime scene."
Jin hummed, looking up from under her hood with emotionless eyes. "Think 'It' is involved?" Hearing the term made Valstrax's tail smack off the ground. "Apologies, do you think 'He's' involved?"
"Maybe, not directly but... he might know who is behind this," It wasn't a far cry but there were so many gaps in this crime she couldn't piece together, not without key evidence
"Valstrax, Jin!" An office approached them in a hurry. "S-sorry, it's the man you helped, he wants to talk to you." Both looked to one another, then followed the man to the ambulance, medics working to patch the now less frightened man up. "He started mumbling when he saw that chain you were carrying, then he said he wanted to tell you something important."
"Anything's helpful," The three came to stop before the man, his eyes glossing over them all. Stepping closer, Valstrax took off her helmet, holding it under her arm as she placed a comforting hand on the man's own, shaky palm. "Hey, are you okay? What's your name?"
"I'm fine, sorta I guess, the name's Toru," The man replied, scratching his head. "Glad heroes are here, believe me, even those here with Quirks, they... they didn't stand a chance."
"Why's that? Who exactly attacked you?" Then she saw it, so did Jin, the look of unparalleled terror in his pupils
"'Who'? Heh, it all happened so fast I... I-I was out back, working on some frames and-and-and the screaming started, thought it was just an accident so I went to help... then the blood, and, oh God..." He cupped his mouth, running the hand up and over his head. "People started running from this... thing, big, moved like a ghost, like-like a panther, cut anyone in its way down like ribbons, then... the chains."
"Chains?" Jin inquired, herself stepping closer, some other officers listen too, and the man just chuckled with a whimper
"No one survived, he just ripped them to pieces with chains, they caused the marks, that... that bastard just laughed, he laughed as he killed children, murdered anyone that so much as looked at him funny... he had me wrapped around one," His hand rubbed his throat. "But... of all the people he viciously cut down, took these flames from their chests as their bodies just... vanished, like dust, he-he-he looked at me..."
"Did he say anything?" Valstrax pushed, and again, the man shook his head, looking down at her hand as she cupped his, that was the only thing keeping him calm right now. "Trust us, there's no trace of him, not yet."
"He just said, 'If you... see a hero... tell them I...'," He gulped, forcing himself to eye the two women. "'I can see you'." And with that, Valstrax stood tall again, staring down at the man in fright, her ears flicking to every sound the world made
"He's playing with us," Jin huffed, keeping her fingers against her katana's handle
"No," Valstrax turned to her right, seeing that the officer that told them to come to see the civilian was gone without a trace, her wings expelled a small jet of red wind angrily, blowing the locks from her jaded eyes. "He just did."
[UA Grounds]
It was the day of the Quirk Training Camp, the event that had been hyped among the class of 1-A for weeks, even during their time at I-Island, ignoring the rampage set upon by Ravage, a Nightmare much like Viral that nearly tore the institute apart. It was a bright day and along one of UA's large roads were two friends strolling side-by-side.
"I still don't see how fighting me would help?" Shoto questioned the mute girl that walked in tandem beside him, seeing that competitive sparkle in her eyes like at the Festival
'Because I not only get to fight you after losing to that cheap shot of yours during our internship but it allows SIVA to build up new frost and flame resistance augments!' She prodded her finger against his cheek, though his cool expression never once wavered at the perplexing girl's antics. Then she grinned slyly. 'Aww, is sweet ol' Shoto worried about hurting me?' The more her finger poked the less his resolve could hold firm
"She's completely unpredictable," Sighing, he let out a tiny smile. "Fine then, but only if you do one thing..." He motioned for her to come closer, not seeing the coy glint in his heterochromia eyes as he murmured his request, and gradually her peachy complexion deepened into a shade of scarlet
"W-W-WHAT!?" It was a stupid and completely unexpected request of her neutral friend, his once calm and orderly expression depicting traces of mirth at her flustered reaction, that only encouraged further embarrassment as their classmates spotted them from the bus. "Oh, thank God, he's not-"
"Hey, Yuki!" She screamed internally at her meek boyfriend waving to her and Shoto, one glance between them and her scowl struck his face
'I hate you sometimes, next time it's you and Yaomomo, and I will tell your sister aaaall about it' She shoved the note into his chest, handing over her blue suitcase while she steeled her nerves and approached the greenette with haste. That was when Izuku's smile turned to confusion at her B-line toward him
"Y-Yuki? Are you okay?" Stopping just before him she gave the others a quick smile and wave then put her hands on his shoulders. Now he was nervous, staring back into her light blue orbs while a faint, pink tint dusted her cheeks
'Morning, Zuzu' Was all he could read before his eyes widened as she planted her lips on his own tentatively, practically everyone in the class gasped with shock at her bold move, some of the girls squealed in delight at the cute moment while a few of the guys chuckled happily for the two
"THEY'RE SO CUTE!" "DAMN, MIDORIYA, YOU LUCKY MAN!"
Pulling back with a half-lidded smile Izuku blinked widely, his face pure crimson with a dorky smile. "W-w-what was t-t-that f-for?" Not that he minded the sweet sensation of her lips against his own but he wasn't used to it being so public, especially since neither had done so in public before
Her eyes rolled, following with Shoto's wicked planning. 'Just wanted you to know how much you mean to me, Izuku' She gave a toothy smile and wink, causing his heart to skip before the moment was torn away, literally
*Snatch!*
"Save your intimate moments for closed doors..." Mr. Aizawa grumbled, pulling Yuki back with his bindings while she struggled to break free, glaring at the dark hero with her tongue sticking out, flicking a larger note up for all to see while she fought the bindings, biting down on one of them
'Don't get jealous just because you won't freakin' make a move on my Mom, Shota!' That news only caused several surprised murmurs and the bindings to tighten around her mouth, holding her rigidly
"SHE SAID MR. AIZAWA'S FIRST NAME!?" The whole class gaped at the scene, Izuku unable to properly aid his girlfriend as she struggled
"I don't know what you're talking about, Yuki." He glared back, eyes glowing dangerously red
"HE SAID HER NAME TOO!?" This was all too much for the class in such a narrow window of time.
Yuki just rolled her eyes, knowing the many times she had to... 'comfort' a drunken slur of her Mother as she rambled on about not being good enough, and never being noticed, the list went on-and-on, the startling revelation that Yuki might have reacted this way too when it came to facing her growing feelings for Izuku made her cringe. "Mom's such a weirdo..."
"Just hurry up and get your stuff in the bus, or else," He glared before undoing his binds on Yuki, herself flopping to the ground in a heap as he returned to the bus. Beside her Izuku helped her stand, smiling comfortingly down at her while her own returned
'Sorry about that surprise, I had... loose ends to tie up' She shot the red-and-white-haired boy a look that he promptly turned away from. Seeing this, Izuku blinked then smiled at Yuki's continuous antics, he really did wonder if any of this was just some sad dream he'd inevitably wake from but feeling her warm hand interlocked with his kept that dark mindset at bay
"N-no, it's fine, I... I um," He suddenly went all shy, dipping his head lower. "I don't really mind... k-kissing you that is." Hearing this perked up her already bubbly self, pecking his cheek before spotting the approaching, skeletal figure from the entrance to UA
'Ditto, Green-Bean, one sec' She patted his shoulder and slipped back toward the school, seeing All Might in his baggy uniform wave to her with a smile. 'Hey, All Might!'
"Ah, Young Azuru, I'm glad you got my message," All Might sounded eased by this, though the lingering question as to what exactly he needed a favor from her for continued to elude her. "I know this might be alot to ask of you, but given our history, I think you'd be the most capable."
Her brow quirked, then she immediately shot back with a sweatdrop as All Might shot his head down with a sturdy bow. "I must request you aid in Young Midoriya's training while at camp - gak!" She paled with a silent scream as blood spewed onto the ground
'Jesus Christ, I told you to keep a cloth with you when you do that!?' She berated her teacher while he rubbed his mouth, looking toward her with a little more seriousness, her own brow creased. 'Why do you want me to train him? Sure, I don't mind but is this about his improvement since I-Island?'
All Might was surprised she brought that up, especially given the circumstances that she was entangled in, but he nodded anyway. "Why yes, from what Young Midoriya has told me he's able to draw out twenty percent with some strain but otherwise no risk to his body, meaning his new wall would be around twenty-five to thirty percent," Yuki nodded while he spoke, absorbing all the information
"This is why I ask of you, please aid in Young Midoriya's growth in my absence, and help him obtain new heights once more," He realized the weight of this responsibility was on his own shoulders, but since he was unable to go to the camp he had to guiltily ask his trusted pupil for aid. "I have given it thought, and ever since the incident at I-Island I realize that I will not always be there to protect all of you."
For several seconds the words echoed in her eardrums, contemplating it all with diligence. Softly, she flashed All Might a smile, giving a playful salute. 'Like you had to ask, leave everything to me, All Might, just you watch, Im'ma get that cinnamon roll up to fifty percent, no sweat!'
His smile formed soon after, nodding while ruffling her hair as she smiled brightly at the gesture. "Sometimes I wonder if I push you too far... but clearly I was worried for nothing!" His eyes then drifted to his successor, his eyes lingering to the ground bashfully as Kirishima put his arm around him, laughing as Kaminari seemed to beg him for something. "You both have grown so much since meeting one another."
After handing over a few notes for Yuki to inspect and catalog she made her way back to the bus to join her class for the week-long training camp. Blissfully unaware of the dangers that were in motion.
"Well, this is fun." Akio blinked, observing the racket with a bright smile as Kyoka rubbed her ears, clearly suffering from the many forms of chatter she had to tune out while Yuki and Izuku sat ahead of them both, the girl resting her head on his shoulder while poking at his freckles, smiling softly at his little blush from her prodding. "But in conclusion Harbinger's not the worst Nightmare you'd ever come across,"
Yuki hummed, lifting her head to peek between the seats at the faux-brown-haired teen. Poking her note through, 'Then who is?' He gave that some thought, Izuku, and Kyoka turning their heads to listen to the cheery teen's reply
He pursed his lips, eyes squinted. "Hrm... probably Chaser, maybe Gambit if you get on his bad side," The two names didn't mean much to the trio so he elaborated. "Chaser's like a super scary bounty hunter, I've never seen him but Viral says he's terrifying even just watching, and Gambit... well."
"Come on," Kyoka nudged eagerly. "You can't just bait us along without an answer, dude?"
Yuki could see it though, he was reluctant. "He's... the second smartest being in the Multiverse, period." "Even I never want to see that jack o' lantern smile of his ever again." Viral shivered though no one else heard him
None of them dared to utter a word, the news was... startling, sure, there were smart people, heroes, and villains alike, but to hear someone's as smart as that was almost unbelievable, "You're serious?" Kyoka was met with a slow nod, sitting back on her seat. "You know, after actually facing a Nightmare I don't think that surprises me anymore."
"True." 'True' The duo nodded in unison, then someone tapped Yuki's shoulder. Swiveling around she came to meet Shoto's gaze while he jabbed a thumb to the seat behind him, more specifically, to the tied up Ochaco and Bakugo as the latter glared daggers of fire toward the mute who stuck her tongue out
"I'm almost afraid to ask this... what happened?" At Shoto's inquiry Izuku, Kyoka, and Akio listened in as the note materialized to tell the tale
It was a few hours before Class 1-A were to arrive at the front of UA to venture forth on their camp training. Yuki sat on her bed, flicking through her phone while cuddling herself into the sheets. Her mind wandering here and there until a new alert appeared on her phone. "Ocha?" Popping the text open she read slowly with a half-lidded stare
Ocha: Heeeey, Yuki! So, quick question, are you... still mad?
Hearing this didn't register with the mute for a moment, she mind trying to contemplate what exactly she'd be mad at Ochaco for. Her fingers were going to text 'No', then she recalled it thanks to SIVA. A certain photo added to her wall's collection of her arm wrestling Kirishima and Bakugo, and winning... for the moment
Yuki: About what?
Ocha: Oh, it's nothing! Forget I asked! Seeya at school
One thing Yuki sighed about was the girl's horrible sense of defusing a situation she brought upon herself. Smiling devilishly she sat up and stretched for the rising sun. "Say, SIVA, how strong of a copy can we make of Mr. Aizawa's scarf?"
Depends | How long do you wish to tie them up? | I suspect twenty minutes to an hour at most
'-She tricked me during that match and I lost my grip before Bakugo slammed my arm through the table, I applauded her on deception, she's got guts, but it was to the wrong girl' Smiling with a chill that made half the bus tremble she hopped up and approached the two, clicking her fingers to remove the binding on Ocha's mouth. 'So, ready to apologize?'
"I'm sorry~!" She wept cartoonishly while Yuki laughed silently with a boisterous posture, hands on her hips. "Please forgive me... I really don't know what came over me!?" Unbeknownst to the girls, Viral's shadow slowly slipped away into Akio once more, chuckling darkly
Kyoka burst out laughing, wiggling Akio's shoulder back and forth. "Holy crap, Uraraka, I didn't know you had it in you!? Hahaha!"
"Yo~You a~ar~are cr~azy fo~oor, me~e-ss~ing wi~th Y~Yu~ki!" Akio dizzily replied, holding up a thumb
'Oh I will' Her note brought a sigh of relief to the brunette, then she flicked it around with a mischievous smirk. 'Once we're at camp, or you both confess your undying love to one another, whatever comes first, ta-ta~' She left with a wave and sat back down to nuzzle against Izuku's side with a content smile, freezing him back in place like a statue while Kirishima worked on keeping Bakugo from exploding with rage
'Oh yeah, those two are so gonna be married in the future, I can feel the stars aligning as we speak!' It was too easy even Mina would agree with her, though she kept that note between just their small group, the last thing she wanted was to have to spend all camp evading explosions, not that it wouldn't be fun
Shoto then gave Yuki a curious look, a tiny smirk gracing his lips. "Would you say you and Midoriya are-" A long, silver blade was now pointed between the two, aimed at his throat
'I dare you to finish that, and your hair won't be the only thing that's half-and-half' That message while the sword disintegrated before Mr. Aizawa saw it, and the sweet smile on the now rosy cheeks of Yuki put the fear of God in all those that watched. Iida began to berate her brash actions while Izuku smiled fondly to himself, attempting to keep his face from displaying his embarrassment
It wasn't long before the bus came to a stop, granting the class time to stretch their legs as Yuki took in the view from the cliffside. A massive forest stretching far and wide while she stood with Izuku, adjusting something within her mask with her tongue poking out to the right side of her lips.
While she did her eyes took keen notice of the lack of Class B's bus and the fact that the scene was just... too perfect. Slipping her mask over her face entirely Yuki's eyes became narrow with suspicion, enough to warrant Izuku's gaze. "You're tense," She blinked, seeing that his hand was still coiled with hers. "What's wrong, did you forget something?"
She shook her head, motioning to the world. 'It's too quiet, and Class B aren't here' Upon realizing this, a few others began to notice the suddenness of their stop
"You don't think this was planned?" Izuku whispered, but their answer came in the form of their Homeroom teacher
"You don't think we stopped here just so you can stretch your legs, did you?" Mr. Aizawa murmured, hand in his pocket.
"Heya, Eraser." From the black car came two figures while he bowed his head formally
"Good to see you again." With a dazzling performance and cat-like charm, the two Pro heroes signed off with their signature pose of pink and blue. It was the Wild-Wild Pussycats, and upon seeing them, Yuki's reaction was to immediately turn to Mr. Aizawa with twitching eyes
'Are you... serious?' The reaction from the girl who would otherwise adore cute things came as a shock, seeing her grasp her head, swirls animated in her mask. 'I already had to deal with them before thanks to Mom, but you... you knew how much it grated me, you freakin' planned this to get back at me?' She pointed a finger shakily at their teacher, his face having remained stoic
"I don't know what you're talking about," Her eyes slit, so he shrugged. "It was Valstrax's suggestion." Yuki's world crumbled as she slumped against Izuku, weeping. "These are the Pro Heroes you will be training with at the Summer Camp,"
This was when her support vanished to fanboy, leaving Yuki exposed to the blue one's eyes, her expression lighting up as she zipped across the ground, arms snagging Yuki as she desperately reached out for Shoto's aid. "Aww, Yuyu, it's been so long! And you've grown so much... and in all the right places it seems, fufufu." Her leer had Yuki attempting to shuffle back, but Pixie-Bob already grabbed her, poking, prodding, and touching Yuki to inspect her figure
No one could see it, and some were blushing at the rather touchy-feely seen, but Yuki's face was red while attempting to escape the blonde's clutches. "Pixie-Bob, please stop harassing my student." Mr. Aizawa was to her rescue as the woman sighed
"Okay..." But she smiled either way. "You look so grown up, even with that mask."
'Thanks... it's... good to see you too' Much as was a pain in the past, she didn't hate them, just that Pixie was... alot to manage, even by her standards
That was when she eyed Izuku as he talked, then Yuki realized why, he was bringing up 'age'. In a heartbeat she was on him like a bear, pinching his cheeks with rage while Mandalay pinched her nose, shaking her head as she murmured, 'every time'.
"I'm eighteen at heart!" She growled, suffocating his face while he sweated nervously
"Understood," Izuku's muffled reply sounded
"That's so sad..." Kirishima, Akio, and Kaminari thought
While everyone greeted the pair, Yuki couldn't help but notice the kid with them, swearing she's seen him before but never quite put her finger on it. "Have I met him before? I don't remember Mom mentioning him?"
That child is Kota | Judging from his attitude and heartrate | He seems to despise us
"We own this whole stretch of land out here, all that you can see," Mandalay explained with a smile, pointing ahead of the cliff. "The camp where you'll be staying is there at the base of the mountain."
"That's far!" Everyone agreed, then eyed Yuki who was standing very close to Izuku to keep herself safe from another of Pixie's attacks, then her eyes flashed with question marks, tilting her head
'What? I've been to the camp before, it didn't really occur to me that's where we'd be heading' She shrugged, pointing to the Pros. 'My Mom's an old friend of Miss. Mandalay so when she went to visit her I'd come along, it's why I know them' Then her eyes curved. 'Sorry, just never really came up'
Slowly, Yuki stepped back from Izuku, stretching her legs and arms. "Yep, she used to train here too so she's already aware as to the reason you're up here." The air grew taut at Mandalay's words, her claw poking toward the students that grew nervous, seeing Yuki suddenly prepare herself
"That can't be right?" Sato denied, but by then Akio too looked to be steadying himself beside Kyoka, her own eyes wide with fright hesitance
"Y-you're kidding me, right Akio?" He just offered a giddy smile. "THAT'S NOT HELPING!"
"Hehehe, um, back on the bus, quick, let's go..." Sero craned his arm back, but Yuki shook her head
'You guys screwed up by thinking training hasn't begun' Her words cut them short, offering Izuku a small bow. 'Good luck, everyone ;)'
"Y-You're joking, right, Yuki?" Kaminari smiled warily. "Come on, everyone, load up." He patted Kota's shoulder with most of them agreeing, denying the truth that came from the one who's experienced the hell of training within these mountains when she was learning to control SIVA
They are all going to die up here | Should be fun to watch | Though I wish to avoid fighting until my scans are complete
Yuki sighed. "Very well, next time I suppose." Yuki couldn't refuse, maintenance is maintenance after all
"The current time is nine-thirty in the morning," Mandalay grinned wickedly, tail wagging excitedly. "Yuyu's time the last she was here was roughly eleven-forty-six, if you're fast about it you might make it there by noon."
"No way... guys!" Kirishima backed up, Mina freaking out beside him
"Holy Crap!" She shrieked as the majority retreated for the safety of the bus
"SAVE YOURSELF!" Kirishima's cry was too little too late, Akio and Yuki both prepared for the attack at the war cry
SIVA | Enhance | Twenty Percent
It was far too late for the others, Yuki wanted to stay back and help but in terms of realization, she knew they had to endure this trial without her aid. Upon arriving here for the first time ever, she understood the shock and awe, and it was their turn. "Sorry guys!" She made a mad dash for the railing, pressing her foot to the bar before bounding over the cliff-edge to escape the ensuing tsunami of rock behind her
A younger Yuki threw herself over one of the massive mud monsters, bringing her left leg through another's forearm as she rolled across the dirt, evading its other hand's punch as a tree was toppled. The young girl's eyes blared with early warnings as her jagged hands latched to the tree, swinging her up its length before one of the serpent-like beasts could chomp her.
Targets Inbound | Left and right | Evade
Squinting the girl's small frame slid under a fist, hopping from the falling tree and over a claw, using it to propel herself high above the treeline, safely from the grasp of the abomination of the earth while scrapes, bruises, and dirt covered her body. For once, she could see the sun at its peak with wide, red eyes.
"SIVA, Augment-!" Her clusters hidden in her pockets came to life, attaching themselves around her body as they consumed her, and thanks to Professor Howard Lock's device and Ravage's virus she was able to use her own body to replicate dozens of new, baseless forms of clusters, converting the dead metal into a small thruster between her shoulder blades, the armor plating stretching over her arms and legs narrow and sleek. "-Blackbird!"
With a whirl inside her, red lighting fizzled and burst forth from her back, turning her into a red streak across the roof of the trees, zipping higher than any of her classmates could possibly achieve as of this moment. In this camp, they had to push to go beyond, and this was Yuki's first step, not only to achieve complete control of SIVA but to find the real limit of her enhancements.
"Race you to the end!" Akio giggled, flinging himself over the treeline while starling Yuki, the girl's eyes narrowed at his challenge while Viral's tattered cloak split in two, configuring to a pair of jagged wings for Akio to keep himself in motion while using streams of black smoke as a propulsion mechanism
"Incoming~!" Akio landed face-first in the dirt, having had his wings clipped by Yuki while, she disengaged her thruster, converting it back to black clusters while landing with a heavy roll, sliding down onto her palms. From a dust cloud, Akio lifted his fists. "Woo! That was scarily awesome!" He blinked. "I may have also developed a fear of flying!"
Dusting herself off, Yuki rolled her eyes while flicking her mask onto the right side of her head. 'You and Viral okay to help me prepare lunch, my treat?' Upon hearing this both Akio and the Nightmare sprung forward, the one eye behind the hood broadening before her, much to the mute's surprise at their actions
"We get try your food!?" Her mouth was ajar at the sparkle in their eyes, but eased with a smile, nodding her head. The duo pumped their fist together. "Kyoka says it's awesome, five stars!"
"To think I have lived centuries for this moment!" Viral then brought his arm down, looking back at the forest. "You really think it'll take them longer?"
She nodded, although she suspected this. 'It took me until the sun was setting to get here the first time, and I only had SIVA as my guiding hand' Yuki wasn't going to play it cool, Pixie doesn't pull her punches, even on a twelve-year-old. 'These guys are really nice but damn they can put you through the wringer'
With a hand place to her hip, she gave the boys a wink. 'Now then, let me teach you both a few things I picked up in my life'
"Hm-hm-hm-hmm..." The only sound Yuki could make kept her rhythm alive while she worked tirelessly after lunch, Akio and Viral were flat out in their seats, content with the food they described as 'so divine it could kill a Nightmare', to which she assumed was referencing Viral's weakness to holy weaponry and attacks so it was a compliment
"Oh wow, you've already started, Yuyu?" Jolting from her trance, Yuki turned away from the chopping board to find Mandalay standing by the kitchen's doorway with an impressed smile, Kota looming beside her with a fixed expression of scorn toward Yuki
Wiping off her hands Yuki quickly embraced the older woman tightly, herself returning the gesture as affectionately. It's been a while since Yuki had seen them, between training, school, Kovik, it's all just been a blur. Eventually, they broke apart before with a giggle. "You've grown alot, hardly the little 'Cute-Mute' Akame was gushing about." Hearing this made Yuki's face tint pink, scratching her cheek
'M-Mom could have warned me... I nearly had a heart attack' That note made Mandalay chuckle, ruffling the blue-haired girl's aforementioned locks. Looking back at her cooking Yuki smiled. 'I may have gone overboard in prepping for my friends, but there's still enough for lunch if you want?'
That brought a sly smirk to the Pro, crossing her mittens. "Oh? Have some of Akame's old tricks finally rubbed off on you?" That forced her to dodge a pan as it struck Akio in the head, himself passing out as Viral cackled as Yuki silently cursed. "Seems your throwing arm is as shotty as I remember."
Rolling her eyes at the jab, Yuki knelt down to level her eyes with the unamused third party. Kota's frown hadn't changed, nor did the fierce glare behind those black eyes. Yuki knew the face well, she wore it once a very long time ago, funny how she's seeing it now. "What do you want?" His snappish tone was also a good reminder
"Kota..." Yuki put her hand up to stop her, smiling gently at the ill-tempered boy, putting out a note
'Pleasure to meet you, I'm Yuki Azuru, and you're Kota, meaning 'Sparkling Water', right?' She didn't receive a vocal response but did see his subtle surprise at knowing his Kanji. 'Sorry if my notes are a little off-putting, being mute and all that :p'
"Why should I care? And stop trying to be my friend," Yuki wasn't going to let him get off the hook that easily
'Oh? And why's that? Come on, tell me the truth' Kota could almost hear the tone of voice she would use asking him that, and his blood was already boiling, she just kept smiling and it bothered him, her being here was a waste of time itself
"I hate you, all of you UA brats, you're all just training to be Heroes, when all you'll do it kill yourselves," He sneered back at her. "All you do is talk about Quirks, and how great they are, it's pathetic."
For the longest time, Yuki contemplated his words, each one just like her. It's what honestly kept her smiling, worrying Mandalay at how calm Yuki was and the toxicity of her cousin's son. Finally, he received a note from the blue-haired girl. 'I used to hate Quirks too, I almost hurt alot of people with mine, and a number of people saw me as a monster, others wanted to lock me up, and one... wanted to use me'
The agast look in his eyes and softened facial features gave Yuki her opening, smiling toothily with her eyes closed. 'I'm a monster who doesn't want to be a hero, but, a person who can offer their hand to people, that's why I'm here, sorry for the confusion'
"Kota," Both he and Yuki peered up at Mr. Aizawa as he entered the kitchen, passing Akio who mumbled in his sleep, Viral slipping away before Eraserhead saw him. Addressing the trio he continued. "Azuru here has been through more than any hero or person should, having a Quirk that could make the world believe she's a villain, and one day she almost became that fear,"
She puffed out her cheeks, holding up a note with a deadpan face. 'Oh sure, bleed all my secrets that won't totally scar a kid, now I see why you've not married yet-' Her face was immediately bound in his scarf, hands flailing while trying to breathe, but she managed to flip him the bird. Kota just coughed back a small laugh at the scene. 'You know I'm right! Can't breathe~!'
"If anyone knows what you've been through, Azuru is someone to listen to, even if you hate her," Mr. Aizawa let her breathe as she smirked
'You a fan of strangulation, wonder if my Mo-' She crumpled her note at his hardened glare, waving her hands in defeat. 'You're no fun today, atleast ask her out, God!'
"Well, I think introductions are out," Mandalay smiled, putting one hand on her hip. "So then, Kota, you sure you want to pass on Yuyu's cooking, she seems to be pretty confident in her abilities?" Her knowing look traveled to Yuki
'If it turns out horrible you can punch me, deal?' Upon receiving this notion his callous mind was fought by child-like curiosity, and from the smells coming from the kitchen it was hard for his stomach to ignore
Crossing his arms he huffed, hiding beneath his hat. "Fine, but it's gonna suck." Without his eyes to the trio, the adults saw the fond smile play at Yuki's lips, hand brushing something from her eye as she turned to the kitchen while cracking her knuckles. This was to be the toughest lunch in her life
To Be Continued...
Pretty big chapter, but lots are to come for this arc, between fluff, action, drama, and developments this week is going to be intense for Yuki! I also didn't want to beat around the bush and got straight to the camp, Akio and Yuki are vastly more experienced. This is also the season that forced me to turn on the Mature rating, all I'll say is that things are about to get dark. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter heroes!
Next Chapter: Steamy Perfection
Yuki: Okay, that took longer than I thought...
Kota: They're all idiots...
Akio: *Whispers* Is this a bad time to mention there was a shortcut?
Yuki: Oh boy, tonight is going to be interesting
Akio: Next up, Steamy Perfection!
Yuki: Go Beyond - Come ooon, Kota~!
Both: Plus Ultra! Kota: Tch, whatever...