Title: ウィルトライラック - Wilted Lilac
Rating: T
Summary: "Pl-please don't run away! Don't b-be afraid of me!" In the winter, flowers must wilt in order to survive and blossom once more when the next spring comes. Tetsuya wanted to be a Hero deemed worthy. It was his dream. But how could he be one when all he could do was suck out the warmth and life out of the people he wanted to protect?
Current: Followers: 68, Favs: 55, Reviews: 23, Communities: 7, Views: 5353
Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, or any other material used within this story. Boku no Hero Academia is written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi-sensei. Any other materials used are owned by their respective owners/creators. There was no profit was made in the writing of this fanfic.
Beta: Ana-DaughterofHades
Now To Answer Some Reviews:
Ossslot - Well, I'm happy that you've found it now. (After almost a year of not writing anything... ^^'' Ahahaha...) I'm glad you've enjoyed everything so far and just know I have not abandoned this story at all. I have a faint idea on possible pairings on who and Momo is one of them, but I have a few others so keep an eye out for any others. ^^ Thank you for the review. I hope you like the chapter.
Vedahzii- XD Ahahahahahahah! Oh god! This is why I love reading your comments, they can be so amusing! Yeah, they're quite cute together. Momo or Jiro, huh? An obvious choice and an interesting choice? I see. I see. Hmmm... Thank you for the review. I hope you like the chapter.
rainfallMyth- Yes! He shall become (if he isn't already, lol) the cinnamon roll of Class 1-A that'll they all do anything to protect only for them to see he can literally kick your ass if he wanted too. ^^ Momo take care of the precious bean! \^0^/ We'll see more of Hitoshi soon. Hopefully, it is for the better. Thank you for the review. I hope you like the chapter.
Chapter 11
Marigold
Marigold (Calendula Officinalis): This flower is very well known and is very widespread with it being found internationally. It's pleasing to the eye, loving to be out and open when the sun is out. It comes in several different colors, belonging to a genus of about fifty-six kinds of species. They are often used as antiseptic and antibacterial to ease the pain from bee and wasp stings, being known for wound healing properties. It's often associated with the sun due to its bright yellow and gold colors, being called the 'herb of the sun'. Once called Mary's Gold, it was named that due to it being used as an offering to the Virgin Mary in the place of gold coins. In Mexico, they're used for solemn ceremonies during the holiday Day of the Dead where it celebrates lost loved ones, family, and friends. It both symbolizes strong passion and courage, but it also represents cruelty, grief, and jealousy.
Location: Front Entrance of U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu Ward, South of Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 11, 20XX – Wednesday
Tetsuya let out a deep sigh, downtrodden as he made his way to school. Another day without being able to find Hitoshi - don't get him started on the cold shoulder he was still receiving over the phone - and worry began bubbling in the pit of his gut at the thought of his first friend not wanting anything to do with him anymore. Maybe he should just give him some space? He could not contact him for a week or two and just try to find out where Hitoshi was so he could plan on what to do next. He sighed again, shoulders slumping, when all of a sudden, the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Looking up, he let out a squeak, shoulders stiffening. He was ambushed by a horde of reporters hounding questions at him left and right, microphones constantly appearing in front of their mouths before being shoved right into his face. They were blocking the entrance, making it difficult and uncomfortable for students to get on campus.
"How does it feel to be taught by All Might?"
"Tell us about your thoughts on All Might's turn to becoming a teacher for the next generation."
"What do you think of the classes All Might teaches?"
"Has All Might told you what his favorite food is?"
"Who do you think will become All Might's prodigy? "
"When will All Might be coming in?"
Cameras peered down at him, catching every single minuscule reaction he made. "I-I-I... I-I-I-I... uh..." He began to break down, unsure of what to do as his mind snapped to silence. Tetsuya began to shake, closing in on himself as he felt his Quirk beginning to react to the situation. Suddenly he felt that connection unravel just like threads pulled from a sweater as something wrapped around himself and pulled him past the gate, away from the reporters - from the problem - causing him to fall on his butt. Yellow-gold eyes widened in dumbfounded surprise as Sho-chan's back was to him. He was waving the reporters away who simply criticized his unkempt appearance.
"The man is off duty right now. You are disturbing our students and interfering with our lessons here," Sho-chan told them bluntly, waving his hand as if to shoo them away. "I need to ask you to kindly vacate the premises."
Tetsuya, unable to really function as he got his bearings back, simply watched on autopilot when a female reporter moved forward, shoving past her fellow reporters with a cameraman right behind her, to confront the teacher, exclaiming she and the public had the right to know. She tried to get past the infamous 'U.A. Barrier' (a high-tech security gate), but their attempt failed, and she almost got smashed by the gate.
"Are you alright?"
A tall, muscular shadow loomed over Tetsuya. The sunlight shaded the face's features when he was forced to look further up. He craned his neck back so much it hurt. In the panicked state he was already in, this didn't help him much at all.
"Kurosawa?"
He managed to get out after gulping down whatever was stuck in his throat, "H-How... d-do you know m-m-my name?" Gathering up whatever courage was inside him, he squinted his eyes to get a better look at the person when a mouth at the end of a flesh-colored ball thing came into view. "Uhhh..."
"I'm your classmate... Shoji. Mezo Shoji."
He was finally able to get a clear image of the tall, muscular shadow as it bent forward with a hand stretched out. He had pale gray hair swept forwards, covering most of his face, black angular eyes (that were friendly which was strange. There wasn't an ounce of the usual wariness or hidden fright.), and there was a blue mask that covered the bottom half of his face and the base of his neck.
"Shoji-san?"
Shoji-san nodded. "Just call me Shoji or Mezo if you want. Are you okay?"
He took a few deep breaths. "Oh... I... I guess." Now that he'd managed to calm down a bit. He hesitantly took the hand, getting pulled up quickly as he swiftly let go and muttered thanks, glancing at the other worriedly. When he saw nothing out of the sort, just a small dip in the other's brow, he looked around for his bag.
"I've got your bag right here, Kurosawa." Tetsuya turned and saw that one of Shoji-san's hands was holding his bag.
"Th-thank you..." He grabbed it.
"No problem." He gave him an eye smile. "Are you heading to class?"
"I-" The bell rang. "-am..." Tetsuya huffed at the coincidence, a bit amused.
Shoji-san chuckled before motioning him to follow. "C'mon then or else we'll be late."
"O-okay..." Tetsuya followed after him.
Location: Classroom 1-A, U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu Ward, South of Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 11, 20XX – Wednesday
As they entered the class, Tetsuya saw that everyone was more or less already there as he separated from the other - who had been surprisingly chatty despite his appearance. He had learned that Shoji-san liked takoyaki and squid ink pasta, was not a real big fan of the heat, his favorite color was the same blue as his mask, he was younger then Tetsuya, and his favorite animals were bats. With a pat on the shoulder, golden eyes widened as he stiffened, momentarily stopping before forcing himself to sit down at his desk.
Finally able to take a breather, he placed his bag on the ground to the left of his desk before softly pushing it under his desk with his foot.
"Good morning, Tetsu-kun," Momo greeted him with a smile that turned into a frown when he returned it with a small one. "Are you okay?"
"Did something happen, Tetsuya-kun?" A voice asked to his left, making him jump in his seat. Uraraka-san looked at him with concerned chocolate eyes and a tilt of her head. Near her was Iida whose gaze was fixated as they surrounded Midoriya-san's desk.
"Kurosawa-kun, what happened?"
"Did someone hurt you?" He turned back to Momo as she looked over him a few times, noting the small patches of dirt he had forgotten to brush off. "Who hurt you?!" She looked ready to draw blood from the look in her eyes and that oddly touched Tetsuya's heart.
He shook his head, trying to calm her down in hopes he wouldn't have to bail her out of jail later. "N-no one h-hurt me! I-I'm fine, Momo! I was j-just overwhelmed by the um... reporters outside... I'm not u-used to that... attention." He honestly didn't like that kind of attention at all. He'd have to find a way to get around them if that happened again (which he felt was going to. Maybe he should just become a hermit...)
"They were rather in-your-face, today," Midoriya-san agreed, scratching his cheek.
Uraraka-san nodded, laughing. "Totally! It was my first time having that kind of attention and it was kinda fun talking to them!"
"They kept asking me all kinds of questions that I was almost late for class!" Iida raised his glasses, scowling.
The trio went back to talk amongst themselves as Tetsuya turned back to converse with Momo until a very tired looking Sho-chan came into the classroom, yawning as he placed a stack of papers on the desk before standing in the front of the class. "Hope you're rested from yesterday's Battle Trial. I took the liberty of looking at your marks and evaluations." Tetsuya could practically feel the collective surprise and anxiety that slowly enveloped the class the longer Sho-chan stared at them. "Bakugo," he began, sharp eyes falling on the glowering blonde. "Stop acting like a seven-year-old. You're wasting your own talent."
Bakugo-san grumbled, glower deepening. "...I know..."
"And you," he said, eyes boring into Midoriya-san, who jumped in his seat. "Are you always planning on destroying your arms, Midoriya?" Sho-chan gave him a warning look. "If you keep going with 'I can't adjust my Quirk, so I have no choice' then you'll never get terribly far. I've said it before. Don't make me say it a third time. Once you've cleared that hurdle, you'll be much more flexible, so I need to see some sweat out of you, Midoriya."
Midoriya-san replied, nodding hurriedly, "Yes, sir!"
"Now let's get on with the homeroom notices... I'm sorry to have to spring this on you all, but..." He trailed off; the class seemed to tense up a bit as he let out a long and large yawn unashamedly. Tetsuya couldn't help but grimace, knowing this feeling all too well. Sho-chan really did like drawing things out. "We need to pick a Class President," he concluded, sounding more tired than he looked.
Why was there a 'DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN!' playing ominously in the background?
Tetsuya wisely decided to not question it and just go along with it.
Tetsuya looked all over the class. The whole class sprung up, raising their hands, and enthusiastically offering themselves to be the president of the class.
"Finally, something school-like!" Hagakure-san exclaimed, waving her arms around as she cheered with Kaminari-san.
"Ooh! I wanna be Class President!" Kirishima-san shouted, pumping up a fist continuously. "Pick me, guys!"
"That's like a leader position!" Ashido-chan jumped up eagerly. "I'll do it- Me! Me!"
"Oh, you mean the position that exists for me." Aoyama-san winked, smugness radiating off of him in pails.
Jiro-chan simply raised her hand. "I wanna do it, too."
"Let me do it! Damn it! I'll lead all of these extras into the next century!" Bakugo-san slammed a hand on the desk while Midoriya-san awkwardly raised a hand.
It felt like he was the only one not interested in the position (even if Sho-chan glanced at him expectedly for a second). He didn't want to have that type of responsibility on his shoulders, and he really wasn't cut out to be Class President, anyway. Golden eyes looked at Momo, whose eyes shined brightly with interest, and decided to vote for his friend.
"Be quiet!" He froze at the sudden outburst, eyes widening as his shoulders hunched over when he heard Iida shout. Tetsuya guessed the incident with the reporters still had him on his toes... He'd calm down fully as the day progressed. Finally turning, he watched the tall glasses-wearing teen begin his speech. "This is a task laden with responsibility where you must carry and pull everyone else's weight! Just because you'd like to do it doesn't mean you can! It is a holy office that requires the great esteem and trust of those around you! The only truly worthy leader will emerge from a democratic choice reflecting the will of the people!" He raised his hand dramatically, shaking impatiently showing how much he wanted the position as well. "Which is why this must be settled by a vote!"
"He's really bein' a little lofty, ain't he? With that proposal and all?" Sero-san rebuked halfheartedly, grinning from the middle of the class.
"It's still too early to have developed any trust in each other," Asui-san added.
Kirishima-san declared, "And everyone will just vote for themselves, anyway!"
"And that's precisely why the person who does manage to earn multiple votes will be the truly appropriate person for the job," Iida said reassuringly. He turned to Sho-chan, who had already slipped into his sleeping bag during the whole commotion. "Is that all right, sensei?"
"As long as you all decide by the deadline, anything's fine. I don't really care." He fell onto the floor. "Just do it before my nap's over."
"Thank you for your trust," Iida said with a quick bow.
It was all agreed to do a vote. It was made anonymously so no one could be signaled out. By the end of twenty minutes, everyone had voted; they were tallied and then written on the blackboard. In the end, Midoriya-san was the Class President with four votes and Momo got to be the Vice Class President with three votes.
People held different reactions to the votes. Most were disappointed but content with the results except for Bakugo-san who exploded over Midoriya-san's many votes. The said boy was pale and sweating a mile away, shaking excitedly as he had stepped up to the front of the class with Momo.
"So close..." Momo sighed. "How'd this happen?" Tetsuya gave her an innocent look when she glanced at him. (He was very happy to not have gotten any votes. It showed that no one expected him to do things like this.)
"This may not be so bad."
"Damn, things are heating up for Midoriya!"
"Yaoyorozu was really cool during the training analysis! I can get behind both of them!"
It was shortly after this that the bell rang and classes began.
Location: Cafeteria, U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu Ward, South of Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 11, 20XX – Wednesday
They had all been kicked out of the class to go eat elsewhere. Sho-chan wanted silence while he napped.
"Tetsu-kun! Are you coming?"
Tetsuya glanced to his left at the group of girls from his class gathered around a smiling Momo; they had a mix of trays filled with food from the cafeteria and bento boxes like the one in his hand. There was about a foot of space all around him, people avoiding him unconsciously. He wasn't fazed - he was used to it even if he never liked it, but he still wanted to be close to people, to have friends. And he did. He saw how Momo had begun to get used to his presence and quickly too. She must have a strong will. She'd always be affected by his Quirk, but it'd likely be like how it still affected Sho-chan and Hi-chan just a bit.
At least when the part where he needed to eat... happened when he touched others...
He could see the wariness the other girls held though and while he could go with them, he didn't want them to be any more uncomfortable than they needed to be. They were trying though even barely knowing him and that made him happy. Plus, there was all school year to eat with Momo again. One lunch wouldn't change anything. There was also something else he wanted to try and do though it was likely going to not bear any fruit...
Tetsuya shook his head, giving her a soft smile. "N-no... There's actually someone I-I wanna find..."
Ashido-chan asked, a grin appearing, eyes narrowing, "Oh! Are they a student here too?"
Tetsuya nodded. "He's uh... part of the G-General Department. "
She came a bit closer, waggling her eyebrows for some reason. "Ooooooo! He?"
"Uh, yes?" Tetsuya tilting his head, confusion in his voice unknowingly causing some of the girls' hearts to melt at the cuteness as they compared him to a confused kitten.
"Well, why don't-" Ashido-chan had begun before Momo had put a hand over her mouth, smiling at him.
"We'll see you back at class then, Tetsu-kun," she said as he smiled again and nodded as she began pulling Ashido-chan away for some reason. He gave them a small wave before turning and went off to try and find Hitoshi.
Roaming around, passing by table after table filled with people of all sizes and kinds, he had found a few people with purple hair, but none were his... friend... Lunch was already halfway over as his shoulders sagged, having passed his classmates every so often and watching them eating and having fun. Iida had asked him to join his group when he passed by, but he declined. It wasn't that he didn't want to join because Iida was there and hestilldidn'treallywanttobearoundhimthatmuchorthatwhathehaddonestillhurtandhewasgoingtopushdownthosethoughtsdeepdeepdeep, but he saw how quickly Midoriya-san and Uraraka-san had become friends with the taller teen and they looked like they were having so much fun and he didn't want to get in their way. When he had passed by Momo, she had asked if he had found Hitoshi and when he shook his head, she frowned but he wasn't going to give up!
He wasn't going to...
Really... He wasn't.
Hitoshi was his first friend here!
He couldn't find him though... Tetsuya really wanted to eat lunch with him too. Maybe he was getting on the other's nerves trying to constantly find him? Maybe that was the reason he didn't want to eat with him? Or be near him... Or answer his messages... They were read, the one about lunch he had sent right when he had left had been read so Hitoshi knows... He wouldn't do this! Hitoshi wasn't that kind of person! So-
Lunch was going to end soon so he should eat something. He could catch up with Hitoshi when school ended.
Tetsuya found a corner far off in a rather secluded area that only had a few people at the six or seven tables there. As he made his way to one of the last few empty tables, he heard a slurping sound to his left and glanced to see... uh... To... Todoroki-san staring at him. Tetsuya froze, shoulders hunching a bit as he felt his voice get stuck in his throat. A bead of sweat slipped down the back of his neck down his back. He forced his voice out. "Uh... H-Hello?"
Todoroki-san grunted in between the sips of his soba, continuing to stare at him. It wasn't cold or even in disgust or discomfort. It felt... lifeless... Like he could care less about anything.
Tetsuya didn't really want to be alone... Maybe this could... It didn't hurt to try and ask. "Do you um... C-Could I... uh... sit with... you?" He couldn't help but get quieter at the end, biting his lip as he looked down.
"Do what you want," he heard Todoroki-san say as he looked up fast enough to see the other shrug nonchalantly, going back to his own food. "Not like I can stop you."
Golden eyes blinked as he tilted his head. "Okay..." Moving around the table cautiously, he stopped before the seat in front of Todoroki-san. "..."
"Are you going to sit or not?" He was suddenly asked, making him jerk into action.
"Oh, uh, yes..." Tetsuya sat down quickly and opened up his bento box, finally beginning to eat his food.
They sat in silence, the only sound was the background chatter of the cafeteria, the slurping from Todoroki-san, and the sound of whenever his chopsticks made contact with the bento box. Glancing upward, he didn't see any change from the duo-toned red and white-haired teen. Did his Quirk not faze him? It was rare for someone to be as unfazed as he was or was Todoroki-san naturally poker faced?
Well, he'd figure it out later.
They ate in silence. It wasn't an oppressive silence. It wasn't a fully comfortable silence, but Tetsuya relaxed after a bit, shoulders he hadn't known were stiff lowering, and began to eat a bit slower. While there wasn't much time left, he wasn't going to scoff everything down like a wild animal. They didn't talk at all. Tetsuya was unsure of what to talk about and he could only assume that Todoroki-san was either someone who didn't talk while eating, didn't know what to say either, or wasn't going to say anything in the first place.
It was a change, not an unwelcome one but it was a change to a time he'd usually be chatting away with someone, to say the least.
He let out a squeak - he'd never admit to it - and stood suddenly in surprise, chopsticks flying from his grasp when a loud sound of electronic wailing filled the cafeteria. The chattering sound of the student body came to a screeching halt.
"Security Level Three has been breached," a feminine robotic voice repeated in the intercom, "I repeat. Security Level Three has been breached. Students, please promptly evacuate."
Sound, from everyone standing and shouting from every direction, erupted all around him, making him flinch and causing him to cover his ears. Feet stampeding against the tile floor filtered in, echoing inside his already shaken head. It was too loud. His heartbeat steadily rose. This was strange. It felt... wrong. He wanted to get away. He wanted to get away. He wanted to get away. He wanted to get away.
It was too much too suddenly. It felt like ants were crawling all over him, causing goosebumps to appear. Somewhere dark and safe.
He'd be there.
The corner. The dark corner.
He didn't know where he was going.
Why was this happening?
He felt his body move on autopilot either to follow or get away from the noise as he scrunched his eyes closed subconsciously. He felt something broad and sturdy wrapping around him.
"Take a deep breath. It's fine. You're okay," a voice whispered through his panic, and he listened, repeating it until he realized where he was.
School.
U.A.
Food.
Cafeteria.
Alarm.
He had been eating lunch with... Todoroki-san.
Golden eyes opened wide, and he snapped his head to look upward right into grey and blue heterochromatic eyes as the voice continued to repeat the same thing in the background. "Uh... Um..." He felt himself grow hot as he realized he was up against Todoroki-san's chest, his arms wrapped around him, and all he could manage was let out a high-pitched squeak - that he'd also never admit to - of, "Wh-What?!"
"You had gotten up and were about to be run over. Apparently, something happened to trigger the alarm for Security Level Three."
He took a step back from Todoroki-san the second he let go, looking away. He finally managed to get out, voice still high, as both had gathered up their lunches, "Wh-Wh-What's a Security L-Level Three?"
"Apparently, it means that someone had infiltrated the school grounds. From the looks of it, it was actually the press," Todoroki-san answered evenly as he began to follow the now very less dense group of calming students after throwing away the food and placing the dishes and tray on the stack beside the trash bin. Tetsuya quickly gathered up his bento box and found his chopsticks and followed after the other man. Todoroki-san side glanced at him when he caught up. "Do... you need to go to the infirmary?"
He shook his head quickly, not really trusting his voice at that moment or looking at him.
As they began to get close to their classmates, he stopped a few feet away from the group that stood outside Class 1-A's classroom and mumbled out a soft, "Thank... you..."
He felt a hand press on his head and Todoroki-san walked past him.
Tetsuya stared at his retreating back as a worried Momo - "Tetsu-kun!" - walked towards him, and Sho-chan finally arrived and let them back into the classroom, eyes wide. He touched the area where Todoroki-san touched. Why did it feel so warm?
Location: Classroom 1-A, U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu Ward, South of Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 11, 20XX – Wednesday
After everyone had been corralled (and to stop Momo from fretting over him anymore) back into the classroom and had taken their seats, Momo stood at the front of the class with a nerve-wracked Midoriya-san.
"All right, president, start us off," she explained, waving a hand in his direction for the class to pay attention to.
Midoriya-san almost seemed to sweat buckets worth of bullets before he took a deep breath and rattled off, "Okay, uh, so, um, let us initiate the ceremony for the new Class President! But! There's something I wanna say first!" The tension left his shoulders as he stood straight. "I thought about this a lot, and in the end, I think Tenya Iida would be better for the job as Class President after all!" He grinned, brightening up the further he explained. "You proved yourself when you were able to unify the people who were panicking so coolly! So, I believe that he should be the one to lead our class from now on!"
"Yeah! He's got a point!" Kirishima-san was pumped up, standing. "Iida made a great showing back at the cafeteria! I wouldn't mind Midoriya either but if he says so then I can totally get behind him! Iida manned up and took charge in such a manly way!"
"He reminded me of that warning sign you see on emergency exits!" Kaminari-san pointed out, chuckling.
Others began to rally and agree around him. Tetsuya glanced at Momo, and with a smile, he was put to rest. She didn't seem to mind the idea, so he had nothing against it.
Midoriya-san looked at the blue-haired teen. "What do you say, Iida?"
Iida rose from his seat, head bowed. "If Midoriya nominates me and the class does not mind..." He held his head high, eyes opening, shining with determination and raising an arm high, the other bent behind his back. "Then I humbly accept! I will do my best to carry out the responsibilities as the Class President!"
Well, Tetsuya knew Iida would be fine. Iida had a good head on his shoulders even after all that's happened.
"Sounds good, Emergency Exit!"
"Yeah, Emergency Exit Iida! Don't let us down, man!"
"..." Tetsuya pulled out his phone and pressed it on, unlocking it with a few clicks. With another, he had opened up his contacts where it was much fuller now with all of his classmates and not just Sho-chan and Hi-chan and a few others (he paused for a millisecond over his mum's and dad's numbers, the silence deafening and time almost freezing as a shiver went down his spine. It passed as quickly as it had lasted.). Scrolling, he stopped upon Iida's number, and with a few edits, he was now known as Emergency Exit.
Location: Shota's Apartment, Fifth Floor of Sakura Apartments, South-Western Hachiōji Ward, Southern Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 11, 20XX – Wednesday
Sho-chan had arrived much later than Tetsuya thought as he heard the front door creak open slowly right when he finished up serving out the miso soup. "I'm home..." a voice grumbled gruffly.
"Welcome home, Sho-chan! Dinner just finished cooking. We're having Miso soup and fish." Tetsuya leaned backward to peek around the wall corner and down the hallway that led to the front door and a very obvious tired Sho-chan getting out of his shoes and into a pair of house slippers - black fuzzy ones with an angry chibi face Hi-chan had gotten for him as a gag birthday gift last year - hunched forward. "Where's Hi-chan?"
Yoru walked from her original spot on the tallest bed near the roof height cat tree Sho-chan got her for Christmas last year that she had jumped down from and rubbed her side against Sho-chan's leg as he stepped inside. He let out a hum as he picked her up, letting her rub her fluffy furred face against his. "Paperwork."
Tetsuya let out a noise of understanding. "Ahhh… Should I bring the leftovers tooo...?" he trailed off.
"He has his own food." Sho-chan raised an eyebrow at him between a face full of fur as he continued his slow journey inside, making Tetsuya giggle.
"True."
Sho-chan let Yoru jump off of him as she landed easily on the ground with the grace of a dancer and wander off to who knows where as they both sat down. After both of them muttered a soft "Itadakimasu," they began to eat.
"Were you able to get everything done that you needed to?" Tetsuya piped up after eating some Miso soup and a bit of fish.
"Yeah..." He scowled. "Damn reporters... They just had to make extra paperwork..."
"Was it that bad?"
Sho-chan began after finishing a piece of asparagus from the grilled asparagus side. "If you thought this morning was bad -" which Tetsuya really did "- then lunchtime was at least triple that."
Tetsuya felt his cheeks heat up before shaking his head and giving the other a light frown. "How did they get in? I thought you needed an issued key card if you aren't part of the staff or a student?"
Black eyes silently stared at him, contemplating something, as Sho-chan set down his chopsticks, a serious gleam entering his eyes. "Something happened to the gate; however, we are unsure what. That is all I can say."
"Okay," Tetsuya said, understanding fully. That didn't stop his mind from theorizing on what could have caused it- his top theory was that it had been some kind of Quirk that could make something disappear or could have disintegrated the gate.
"It'll be fixed by tomorrow and stricter security from now on."
Tetsuya nodded.
"Don't worry. We will protect you so all you need to worry about is school and keeping up with your training so you can become the Pro Hero you want to be."
"Un!" Tetsuya grinned at him and went back to eating.
"On that subject..." Sho-chan began, "have you finished your homework yet?"
Tetsuya paused mid-bite and glanced upward. "I've finished it..." he said before stuffing whatever was in his chopsticks in his mouth, eating it nonchalantly. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his cheek as he felt the weight of Sho-chan's deadpan stare.
"Have you really?"
"Maybe?"
"Tetsuya."
"I started it!"
He was answered with a raised eyebrow.
Tetsuya's shoulder slumped, admitting defeat. "No... I got... distracted..." He continued when Sho-chan raised an eyebrow again. "Cat videos..."
"Mmmmmmmh hmmmmm..."
"I'll finish it after I do the dishes..."
"Hmm."
Yoru meowed from her perch - when did she get there - and Tetsuya knew it was full of amusement. The look in her eyes said everything and Tetsuya knew she took delight in watching him squirm. When did she become so sadistic? He blamed Sho-chan.
Location: Classroom 1-A, U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu Ward, South of Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 12, 20XX – Thursday
The day started out like usual, but nothing happened during lunch this time. Tetsuya still searched for the boy who had yet to message him again after eating a bit with Momo and some of the other girls like Jiro-chan, Ashido-chan, and Hagakure-san. Asui-san wouldn't come near him unless it was absolutely necessary, and he thinks it's because she had an animal-based Quirk as she seemed like a very nice person. People with animal-based Quirks always took a lot longer to get used to him. It didn't bother him as much as it used to (one gets used to it after so long...) but he hoped he could become friends with her and everyone... mostly everyone in the class.
Golden eyes glanced at the angry blond-haired explosive boy before he shook his head to rid it of his thoughts. Tetsuya turned his attention back to Sho-chan who stood behind the teacher's desk. "For the Foundational Heroics skills, we'll study today, it was decided you'll be supervised by a three-man team, composed of me, All Might, and one other teacher."
Sero-san raised his hand up high. "Sensei! What'll we be doing!?"
Sho-chan pulled out something from his sleeve and raised up a small card labeled 'RESCUE' in a much less flashy manner than All Might had done during their Trial of Battle. "To be the hero everyone needs, whether for a flood or any other disaster. It's the Trial of Rescue!"
People began chatting to each other, wondering if it was going to be difficult or how they were better for one environment over another. Tetsuya scratched the back of his head, worry beginning to fill the pit of his gut. He hoped he'd be able to do well in the Trial...
If it was during a fire...
Tetsuya chose not to think anymore and just continued to listen to Sho-chan when he glared at the class to quiet down. "Don't get ahead of yourselves," Sho-chan grunted, pressing a small remote to an empty wall that had started making a hissing sound as tall drawers containing cases with bold bright numbers - it must be their Hero Costumes - in them began to open. "As I was saying, this time it's entirely up to each of you whether or not you wear your costume. Some of your costumes probably aren't adapted to the task at hand, after all. The training area is fairly far away, so we'll get there by bus. That's all. Go get prepared."
With that, everyone began to gather around the cases, grabbing the one assigned to their seat number before moving to the boy's and girl's changing rooms.
Location: Unforeseen Simulation Joint, East of U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu, South of Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 12, 20XX – Thursday
On the bus ride over, Tetsuya sat alone in the back, browsing the internet for whatever caught his interest - mainly cat-related stuff but who needed to know (and if he happened to send a few cat costumes and toys to Sho-chan for Yoru, so be it, and a request for something for Sho-chan to Hi-chan was between him and Hi-chan...) - while half-listening to the conversation that had happened. His nerves were starting to get to him and were beginning to affect what little control he had over his Quirk and didn't want to bother anyone...
It was easier that way.
He didn't notice the worried look Momo - or Iida - had sent him a few times.
After filing off the bus, the group entered the large dome-shaped building made of glass. When he first saw it, it looked a lot smaller than originally assumed from the outside so when he saw all the different environments, glancing right over the flame-filled city in the back and moved over the other eight main sections - like a land-slide area or a water area with a whirlpool and a large slide of gushing water - of the USJ or the Unforeseen Simulation Joint - a practical training area that was designed to simulate any kind of accident or disaster.
Tetsuya couldn't help but be amazed at the sheer size of the place. It was like a giant theme park.
Just deadlier.
"Amazing! Is this USJ* or something!?" Kaminari-san cried out in amazement.
"Flood wrecks... Landslides... Fires... Etc. Etc.," a mic-fide voice said, coming from their right from a person in a large white space-suit-themed outfit stuffed in a pair of yellow boots. "This is a practical training area I created to simulate all kinds of accidents and disasters, and its name is... The Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"
Tetsuya was in the back group and could peek around the cracks of his classmates to see the person before them as he tried to remember who that voice belonged to that he heard a few dozen times on the TV over the years and was answered with Midoriya-san fanboying with Uraraka-san. The mysterious person was the Pro Hero - Space Hero: No. Thirteen. They were well known for helping out with disaster relief due to their black-hole type Quirk. It really was different seeing them in real life as opposed to seeing them on the screen.
They had a quick, quiet exchange with Sho-chan before returning their attention to the class. When they were finished, the Space Hero turned to them, holding up a finger. "Before we begin, just one thing... Or two... Or three... Or four..." They raised a finger each time they spoke, feeling the same confusion as his classmates. "I'm certain you're all already quite aware, but my quirk is called 'Black Hole'. No matter what material gets sucked into its vortex, it will turn to dust."
"That's a quirk that's perfect for removing wreckage and saving people injured by disasters!" cheered Midoriya-san, arms waving up and down by his sides as his eyes sparkled. Uraraka-san nodded vigorously beside him.
"Yes... That is true that it can help people..." Thirteen's voice gained a sinister edge. "However, it is a power that could also easily be used to kill people."
Tetsuya felt something unknown stir inside him. He didn't know what it was, but it felt like he understood personally what that statement meant.
"And in that way, it's no different from the quirks of everyone here." They lowered their arm, staring intently at the class. "Naturally, in this society of superhumans, Quirks are strictly regulated, and the requirements for their lawful use enforced. We can tell at a glance that that is the makeup of this world. That being said, please don't forget that each of you possesses a quirk that can go awry. One wrong step is all it takes to kill someone else by accident."
Something nagged at him in the back of his mind - like he should remember something but all it brought up was a vague feeling that someone had shouted at him to put something down and then something had happened, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember whatever it was.
"During Aizawa-san's physical strength test, you learned your power's true potential."
There were a lot of elements to his Quirk; some he felt he hadn't fully explored even if he'd been training with it his whole life. He didn't want to think about the time at that center... He didn't want to remember the cold rooms or the blank faces of the people there or the news... Tetsuya shook his head.
Nope.
Not going there.
"And during All Might's Trial of Battle, I think you took away a true sense of the danger of brandishing those powers against each other."
He had shown the class what he could do, showed his strengths could be used for Heroism even if he had played as the Villain in that scenario. It wasn't like the other though.
The sinister edge their voice had had slowly changed to a much lighter one. "This lesson will serve as a fresh start! Let's get to studying about how to wield our Quirks for the sake of human life. Your Quirks do not exist to hurt others. Please leave this exercise having fully understood that your quirks exist to help people. That is all. You have my gratitude for listening so intently and patiently!" They concluded with a bow.
As people began to clap and thank Thirteen for the rousing speech and Sho-chan had begun to say something, Tetsuya frowned when he felt something shift in the air. Something inside him said something very, very wrong was about to happen. Golden eyes turned to Sho-chan who had previously been leaning against the railing when he had turned and shifted into an action pose and began shouting. "Huddle together and don't move!"
A strange swirling black mist formed some kind of vortex portal over by the water fountain and grew as people began to trail out of it and fill up the plaza area. "No. Thirteen! Protect the students!"
"What is it? Is this like that training pattern we had at the Entrance Exam?" Kirishima-san asked curiously, peering from the front of the group.
"Don't move!" Sho-chan commanded, putting on his trademark goggles, "Those are Villains!" He had let out a hiss about something being their fault as he pulled at his capture scarf. Tetsuya was able to connect the dots with the incident on how the media was able to get through the front gate. Finally, a hand shot out of the portal and a guy with scraggly hair and... was that a severed hand covering his face?!
Sho-chan kept pulling at his capture scarf, readying for action as some of his classmates began to panic.
"V-Villains?! Get out of here! What kind numbskull could think honest-to-god Villains would be able to just waltz into the Hero home base!?" Kirishima-san exclaimed.
"Sensei! What about the intruder alarm sensors...?!" Momo exclaimed, a bead of nervous sweat dripping down her cheek.
"Of course, we have some setup, but...!" Something dawned on the Pro Hero as they questioned it as well. "Is this the only campus they've infiltrated, or are they attacking all the others too...? If the sensors aren't responding, then that just means they must have one amongst their numbers who has a Quirk that can jam the single. An isolated space away from the school building at a time when there's a class scheduled... It may seem out of the question, but... They must have some solid objective. This isn't an ambush without some carefully planned scheme behind it."
Tetsuya kept glancing around from Sho-chan - strands from his capture weapon beginning to float a bit off his neck like his hair - Thirteen, and his classmates.
"Thirteen, do the evacuation procedure and try calling the school. These Villains know how to get around the sensors! I wouldn't be surprised if there was an electro wave-type guy who'll try and interfere!" He turned and looked at Kaminari-san. "Kaminari, you too! Try contacting the school with your Quirk!"
"A-Ah!" Though shocked by the sudden order, he nodded. "Yes, sir!" He put his hand on the radio device next to his ear.
"Sh-Sensei!" Tetsuya called out, voice raised. "You're going to go fight then all alone, aren't you?!" He took a step near him. "There's too many of them here, even if you suppressed all of their Quirks."
Don't get him wrong, Sho-chan was strong. A lot stronger than he led others to believe. After so many years as a Pro Hero, Tetsuya had seen the man go through so many ups and downs, but he still got back up. He trusted the man to be able to handle many Villains at once. But there were so many down there - and who knew when more were going to show up - he couldn't help but worry.
If... If Sho-chan...
Tetsuya gripped his hand, determination and fright mixing together as he began to resolve to go down there after Sho-chan.
"The battle style of 'Eraserhead' is to capture villains after erasing their Quirks. Meaning..." Midoriya-san added, worried.
The man slicked back his hair as red eyes pierced through his goggles "A Hero always has more than one trick up their sleeves."
Tetsuya felt his heartbeat beginning to pick up. Biting his lip, he couldn't move from the look that Sho-chan's eyes had given him. With a "Thirteen, I'm counting on you.", he hopped down the stairs and went into action and within seconds he had taken out at least five Villains with ease.
Tetsuya muttered, hand clenching, "Sho-chan..."
People began moving but Tetsuya couldn't, he... he...
"Tetsu-kun!" A hand reached out and grabbed onto his upper arm and swung him around. "We have to go!"
Tetsuya looked at Momo's hardened eyes. "Bu-but he can't do this alone!"
"But you won't be able to help him either!" Momo looked down at the fight below, Sho-chan easily moving around Villains and taking them down left and right, before she turned him back around to face her. "Don't go running off before thinking. Please..." Her voice softened at the end.
"I..."
"I don't want you getting hurt either." She took his hand and his heart started to beat so much quicker, and when he was about to pull it away, her grip tightened as she sucked in her breath in quick succession before squaring her shoulders.
"Momo, l-let go-"
"So, trust in Sensei," she interrupted him. No! No! nonononononononono- she had to let go or he'd hurt her! He could feel warmth beginning to pull in the pit of his gut. "He's got this! He'll give us time so we can be somewhere safe-"
"Go! We've got to evacuate! Now!" Iida shouted at them, startling Tetsuya as he whipped his head to the class running towards the exit, Thirteen in the front. Without thinking, he gripped Momo's hand harder and pulled her along after the class.
The class made for the door, but they stopped dead when black-purple swirling mist materialized in front of them, blocking the exit. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," the Villain began, his voice low and icy, a silent promise of pain if they didn't follow along. Yellow eyes, smokey along the ends, appeared and looked down at them. "Greetings. We are the League of Villains. I do so apologize for the presumption, but we took it upon ourselves to enter UA, the school of Heroes, in order to engage with All Might, the Symbol of Peace."
Wh-what?!
"We were wondering if we might be allowed the opportunity to extinguish him, you see. Wasn't All Might meant to be in attendance right now? Has something been altered?" His tone was light like they were engaging in everyday conversation as he tilted his head that had formed on top of the black swirling mess. "Well... No matter, settling that aside... This is my role." The fog began to circle around them.
BBefore Tetsuya even had time to think, he felt himself shift the quickest he ever had and was already jumping over the class, hand, and claws extended behind him as he slashed at the Villain's face, landing behind him. He turned to swipe at it again, noting from the side of his eyes that Bakugo-san and Kirishima-san had been right behind him, a cloud of dust clearing from Bakugo-san's explosion. But it happened so quickly...
"That was quite perilous. To be expected, you live up to your school's reputation even if you are just students after all. But... that is just what you are. Children!" The black smoke intensified, causing Tetsuya to cover his face as it began to block his vision. He felt the wind begin to pick up around them.
"Run, you three! It's no use! Run!"
"You will be scattered..."
"Tetsu-kun!"
The fog was beginning to envelop all around them!
"...And tortured..."
"No!"
"Fuck!"
Tetsuya tried to jump back and to the left, moving around when the fog tried to touch him and then getting around the swirling purple-black fog when there was an opening, a hand stretched out nearby.
"...And slain..."
That was all it took. He had gripped onto the hand without thinking, pulling whoever was there near him, pulling them close before they were wrapped up in the cold darkness.
He held onto the body close to him, their grip tightening against his cloak as they were tossed around like a sock in a laundry dryer. His sight blurred with sweeping colors - shifting from black to colorful. He heard voices and screams echoing in the distance before falling through holes, the colorful openings closing seconds after.
It all happened in a matter of seconds before a speck of color entered his vision. It grew larger, pushing the darkness away before he fell through it high above the area of their apparent destination. It felt like he was suspended in zero gravity in slow motion; his heart was beating against his ribcage.
Then blue was all he could see as they were falling.
Location: Flood Zone, Unforeseen Simulation Joint, East of U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu, South of Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 12, 20XX – Thursday
As they hit the water, his grip loosened on the person holding onto him before he had to quickly realign himself. Catching and holding his breath, he looked around and saw Midoriya - he must have been the one he had grabbed onto in that mad scramble of chaos - about a foot from him when he screamed underwater, white foam sprouting from his mouth. Golden eyes widened when he saw an underwater Villain with a shark-like Quirk with long teeth and a wide... open mouth... going straight for Midoriya.
Tetsuya, in all his brightness, swam in front of Midoriya and activated his Quirk, stunning the Villain - and most likely Midoriya behind him - in fear before he moved to kick the other but someone had beaten him to it. A green-haired girl easily moved through the water and used her legs to kick the Villain down deeper into the water. She swam past him so quickly, an arm around his waist as he was dragged along, and before he knew it, they had broken through the surface of the water. Grasping for breath, next thing he was tossed in the air and onto the ship nearby with Midoriya.
Before he could hit the hard ground, he caught himself in midair and activated his floating ability, easing his fall as he landed in a crouched position. He fell back onto his butt as he felt the disorientation hit from all the sudden movement, vision spinning as he heard Midoriya-san cough up water. He felt himself shift back into his human form. Shaking his head, he righted his vision and crawled over to a crouched Midoriya-san, still hacking up whatever water he swallowed earlier.
"Y-you okay?" A bit hesitant, he then gently patted Midoriya-san's back.
"Yeah..." Rubbing his throat, relieved green eyes glanced at him with a nod. "Thanks... for saving me..." Midoriya-san began to shake, causing Tetsuya to stop patting him and step away as they both stood, both of them dripping wet.
"It's... uh... no problem..."
They both looked up as they heard something climb up making both tense until they saw it was only Asui-san.
"Thank you, Asui..."
"Th-thanks for saving u-us... Asui-san..." As she stepped over the edge, he could feel her eyes on him for what seemed like an eternity before she nodded. Tetsuya wasn't sure why, but he felt like he had passed some kind of test...
"Call me Tsuyu. And boy are we in a pickle..."
Midoriya began to mumble to himself, a serious look in his eyes as he tried to figure out the Villains' plan to kill All Might. Asui-san added her two cents to his mumbles as Tetsuya looked over the edge, eyes widening as he saw Villains begin to move in on them, heads popping up from the water.
"Hey, guys..."
"Shit..." Midoriya-san cursed, running to the rail, and gripping it hard as the Villains tried to taunt them to jump into the water and fight them.
"What a-are we going to do?"
"Looks like they're all about underwater battles," Asui-san pointed out
"T-then do you think they must have known a-about the layout of um... USJ beforehand and had gathered p-people because of t-that?"
"Exactly!" Midoriya-san nodded. "They stocked up information for the attack! But for a bunch of guys who prepared so meticulously, there's something awfully off about their behavior..." The green-haired teen looked at the only girl there. "In the underwater combat zone, Asui, you-" her usually blank eyes microscopically narrowed "-ah-Tsuyu, you... you're able to move freely in the water! It's your strength! So why would they put you here?"
He stared at her, an awkward silence overcoming them.
"Th-they might not know what our Quirks are..." Tetsuya summed up quietly.
They both looked at him as realization dawned on them. "It's true. I'm a frog so I know getting tossed in the Fire Zone wouldn't have looked fun to me."
Tetsuya added, "It uh... wouldn't have been g-good for me e-either... I c-can't handle bright l-lights that easily..."
"Right! They don't have intel on the students' Quirks so they're trying to overwhelm us with sheer numbers! That's why they separated us!" Midoriya looked back at the Villains. "So, they've got us beat with both numbers and experience. We have only one key to victory! Our one advantage is that they have no clue what our Quirks can do! They haven't tried coming aboard the ship yet. That also substantiates my hypothesis."
They then gathered together, crouching down.
"As I said when we introduced ourselves before, I can do pretty much what a frog can do," Asui-san began. "I can leap fairly high. I can clamber up walls and my tongue can lash out up to twenty meters. I can also inflate my stomach outwards - it's lined with poisonous mucus... Well, not really poisonous so much as somewhat stinging... I can also... secrete it. The latter two are probably near useless so you can forget those."
"I half expected all of that but... you're pretty strong..." Midoriya-san complimented her, Tetsuya nodding alongside him. "If you both don't remember, my Quirk enhances my physical abilities a lot... but my bones crack and fracture when I use it... I can't fully control it yet but think of it as some kind of... glass cannon."
Looking at him to go, Tetsuya fumbled over his words before taking a deep breath. He could see them shaking as he looked at him. It was slight but still there, more so in Asui-san than Midoriya-san. "I know you-you're feeling my Q-Quirk already... It basically m-makes anyone around me f-f-fear me... It can paralyze others if I d-direct it at them... It happens m-more with an-animals..."
"Ribbit..." Asui-san let out.
Tetsuya nodded. "When I t-transform, I can control it b-better... I do other things like float around and uhm... can blend into shadows... and make a mist appear... and uh..." He wasn't sure how he should explain he could 'suck' the joy out of people via touch. "I also have s-some capture tape..."
He felt their stares on them and looked away, feeling beads of sweat go down the back of his neck. Tetsuya really wanted to crawl under his blanket and cuddle Yoru right now. "T-That's it..."
"You're rather cute, ya know," Asui-san commented.
"Wh-what?!"
Midoriya-san blinked. "Eh?"
"Like a fawn," she added. "Or maybe a little baby kitten."
"I'm not little!"
"But you are like a kitten!"
"Asui-san!"
"Call me Tsuyu," she added on reflex, letting out a small giggle at the flustered smaller boy among them. She knew she had been scared due to their own Quirk - she still was but now she knew, and she would with it as she knew this boy would not use his own Quirk to his own advantage in a bad way. He was like a little kitten. An adorable little kitten or like her siblings. An adorable younger sibling. She felt a smidge of protectiveness at that comparison as she wondered absentmindedly when his birth was. "Or Tsu-nee. Whichever is fine."
"I um..."
Tsuyu gave him a simple smile and patted him on the head, causing the kitten to blush. She could see what Momo-chan meant now. As she was about to tease him a bit more, a powerful surge came at them, cutting the ship in half. They gripped onto the railing to keep from falling. "What insane power... He split the ship so easily!"
Tetsuya took a deep breath and let the usual heavy, black smoke come from his mouth.
Midoriya-san clenched his fist as he stared down at the water below filled with Villains. "The moment your enemies are confident of their victory, that is your chance. All Might said that once on Jounetsu Tairiku. We need to go in-"
"-and fight?" Tetsuya finished as he stepped forward as the black smoke cleared and stepped on the railing. "I-I'll distract them. Punch the water when you can!"
"Kurosawa!"
Tetsuya jumped off the railing and launched himself forward, grinning as he let himself go wild. He landed on the nearest Villain's head, pushing them underwater to jump up to dodge a trident another had. They cursed as Tetsuya gripped onto the trident and floated upwards to swing it and its user around, letting go after he had gained enough momentum sending the Villain off. He skittered across the water surface before falling under it.
Gaining the attention of the Villains in the water had been rather easy in the end as they got more and more exasperated when their attacks were either unable to hit him or went right through him. He jumped from Villain to Villain when he could, touching them and taking some of their energy to weaken them a bit along the way.
When he heard Midoriya-san shout "DIIIIEEEEE!", he floated upwards, using the momentum and force he had gained to spin as he got out the capture tape, letting it spread out around him. Midoriya-san powered up, green electricity surrounding his left arm as his right gripped onto his left wrist and punched the water's surface. Asui-san stretched out her tongue and grabbed him, wrapping it around his waist to swing him around even quicker, the very sticky capture tape following him.
Releasing his grip on the capture tape, he opened his arms and grabbed onto Midoriya-san before he fell into the water. The hole in the water made by Midoriya-san's punch began to converge into the center, pulling the Villains inward and in the capture tape, sticking everyone together and pulling them under. Asui-san landed on the underbelly of what was left of the overturned ship before jumping off again. She gripped onto the back of his clothes, pulling them along as he tightened his hold on Midoriya-san, careful not to fully touch him.
"When you strike the surface of a body of water with sufficient force, it'll spread out and then converge back into the center," Midoriya-san mumbled as they got away.
"Quite the roundup arrest," Asui-san quipped. "For the time being, we've toppled the first hurdle. And you two were great, by the way."
Tetsuya felt his cheeks heat up at the compliment. "Y-you too..." he mumbled under his breath, not seeing the quirk of her lips.
Location: Central Plaza, Unforeseen Simulation Joint, East of U.A. High School, Northern Musutafu, South of Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Date: April 12, 20XX – Thursday
They were in shallower waters now - waist-deep, well... more chest level for Tetsuya but that was beside the fact - as they began to move towards the shoreline, nearing the Central Plaza. He glanced back at the wrecked ship and the Villains bound together. Asui-san released her grip on him as Tetsuya let go of the now mumbling Midoriya-san, muttering a million words per second as he clenched his wreaked fingers.
"Stop that mumbling Midoriya, it's scaring us," Asui-san said as they walked through the water. "Anyway, shouldn't we decide on what to do next?"
He was going to help Sho-chan now. Sho-chan was nearby so he was going to help him with the Villains. He was strong but he couldn't hold off all of them forever and would need the help.
"You're right..." Midoriya-san stated. "I suppose for the time being, our number one priority should be calling for help. If things go our way, we can just follow the waterside to the exit, avoiding the Central Plaza altogether."
He mumbled, "S... Sensei... H-He's holding off all those Villains..." Tetsuya was going to help Sho-chan. He had made his decision. "There's a lot of 'em there."
The taller boy nodded. "He's naturally planning to keep them under control, but... It's not a stretch to think he flew into action in order to protect us and is overextending himself as a result."
"So, you are saying..." Asui-san trailed off.
He shook his head. "I'm not saying we should jump into the fray, if that's what you're thinking."
Tetsuya could slip past his classmates while they made their way to the exit. He could use the excuse of being a distraction to help. But... "..."
"I-If they have any openings... You two get away and join the others and I'll help him-" Tetsuya had started to step out of the water when the back of his cloak was gripped suddenly, and he was pulled back into the water and pulled between his two classmates. He was about to say something when Asui-san placed a hand over his mouth. Tetsuya took a moment to see how white the other two had gotten, and with a confused frown, he looked in the direction they were looking.
There was a large, black humanoid monster - Nomu, the hand-on-his-face Villain called it - that had bulging muscles and scars on its forearms; its brain was exposed on the top of its head. It had sharp teeth, yellow and thick, in a beak-like mouth. It let out a grainy laugh-like noise that hurt Tetsuya's ears. The site of this thing made his hackles rise, shoulders hunching as it squatted over...
"Sho...chan..." he managed to get out. He stood there frozen at the drowned man who had taken care of him for so long, who had loved him like he was his own flesh and blood, who had given him an opportunity that others hadn't, who had seen Tetsuya for Tetsuya and not some monster.
Sho-chan was on the ground, wounded. Golden eyes took it all in. Broken arm twisted back in the Nomu's arm. His body stiffened as his breath quickened. He heard a snapping noise, Sho-chan's other arm breaking as simply as snapping a spiny twig you step on without thought. Head smashed into the ground next.
He felt his heart beat against his ribcage, threatening to get out as he tasted something coppery in his mouth. Fire licked inside his veins. It felt like there was something sharp - like needles - piercing through his lungs and the world was too bright and his head was pounding, and everything was starting to blur together as it became too much and too loud for him to handle.
Hungry...
Danger...
Out...
Kill.
Everything began to distort.
Around Tetsuya, the air began to drop almost dramatically cold. Midoriya and Tsuyu, who had released her hand on Tetsuya as if he was made of hot iron coal, began to shake, both of them unconsciously moving away from the glaring boy. They could hear his teeth grinding, bits of black fog seeping from the open edges. A mist had appeared and crept around him as the water started to gain a frosty film over the top.
Tsuyu felt weak against the cold, moving further away when she whipped her head around. "Let's take the..." and a hand was inches from her face. "... the Symbol of Peace's pride down a notch!" The Villain froze, the tip of his fingers touching her face, but nothing happened. He was about to say something when suddenly the smallest boy in her class let out this inhuman screech.
Tetsuya's mind screamed, heated ice and cold heat burrowing all throughout his body. He could distantly hear screams but that didn't matter. He was moving. This happened before. This thing.
It was always there.
It was him. It wasn't him.
It was all that he was and yet it could be the farthest from what he was...
There was a lock. He had the key.
He pushed the key forward.
It was crawling to get out.
He would be okay in this darkness. He didn't know why he trusted this thing - this him - but he could feel it would protect him no matter what. His mind was calm.
Blank.
To hunt.
There was someone nearing him – enemy, danger, protect, feed, cold, hunger... – reaching out a hand.
HuNGer.
It wanted to eat.
It wanted out.
They hurt Sho-chan.
So, he let it out.
First, he felt pain...
Then a searing cold engulfed him...
Then welcoming the darkness that comforted him...
The hunger - pRotECT - was all-consuming...
Finally, blissfully sweet nothingness...
*USJ: Universal Studios of Japan - I looked up pictures and wow! It seriously looked like it so much!
Author's Note: So, it is finally done and while I was going to spilt it in half, I decided to just have it all together since it's easier that way and you guys get a longer chapter to read. With everything that has been happening it is more or less the same thing – school has just started (since it's only the first few weeks I was able to find time and the drive to finish it), the lack of motivation, choosing to between drawing or writing, etc. But basically, I was able to finish this chapter up and while it may be a bit rusty in the end, it ain't as bad as I originally thought it was going to be.
I am very thankful for all of those who have stuck with me and putting up with the overlong wait… and I welcome those who are first-time readers. I hope you all have enjoyed the last chapter of this arc and hopefully, the next one will appear soon and months later (one good motivation from what I've seen is to leave a review.)
Drawing Time! (Just remove the spaces and it should work. ^^)
Link: www._deviantart._com/_nightmarezanez/_art/_Tetsuya-Kurosawa-To-The-Future-849793363
Link: www._deviantart._com/_nightmarezanez/_art/_ Tetsuya-Kurosawa-2020-Halloween-859820533
Link: www._deviantart._com/_nightmarezanez/_art/_ BNHA-Collab-with-StarAmulet-Wintertime-865718594
Link: www._deviantart._com/_nightmarezanez/_art/_ BNHA-Collab-with-StarAmulet-Tokyo-Mew-Mew-882301953
Up next: The aftermath of the USJ incident and the start of the Sports Festival. What do you think is gonna happen? What will the class think now that they've seen how the more dangerous side of Tetsuya Quirk? Who do you want to see confront him? How will things be now? Who will he end up fighting in the Sports Festival? Will he manage to pass it and win, or will he end up not even passing the first round? What will happen between Hitoshi and Tetsuya?
Leave a review with your thoughts, theories, wants/desires, ideas, headcanons, or anything else.
Until next time.