A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long for me to post, guys. This delay was all due to other commitments that I had both on this site, on other fanfic sites, and in real life.
If you've been following my profile, you'll realize that I've been hard at work trying to update my "Angel Beats!" fic, and I kept experiencing issues with going forward. I have been so focused on "My Hero Academia" and having lots of fun with coming up with a multitude of ideas for other fics (I'll explain those later) that I realized I have been neglecting my other fics. Because of that, I had to steel my resolve in order to update my "Angel Beats!" fic so it doesn't look like I forgot all about it.
In addition to that, I've been experimenting a little with Archive Of Our Own (AO3). For those of you who don't know, it's another fanfiction site, not too different from this one. I joined a couple of years back but haven't had the chance to fully try out. Until now, that is. Right now, I am simply cross-posting old fics that I have in my roster, but I could start cross-posting fics that are still ongoing.
And now I have to contend with the fall semester that's now upon me. Four classes, four days of the week, untold hours of homework and studying, zero joy. Oh, boy...
Anyway, about those fic ideas I mentioned...oh boy, I've got a trove of them! I know I said I was working on a crossover between "My Hero Academia" and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I know I also mentioned in Chapter 6 that another fic focused on Izuku and Class 1-B is currently in the works. To be perfectly honest, you guys, I'm juggling between them and a third idea (the details of which I can't divulge in case I really get invested in it as my next project), while I've got a whole bunch of other ideas bouncing around in my head, waiting to be unleashed in a blaze of perfect fanfiction glory. So yeah, I'm not kidding when I say I've been so focused on "My Hero Academia" and having fun with its fanfiction.
What do you think, guys? Do you think I should do an MHA/MCU crossover? A fic about Izuku and Class 1-B? Something else entirely different? Let me know in your review! But, of course, I'd appreciate it if you don't make your review solely about what you want to see from me next. I want to know your thoughts about this chapter too! Plus, this is not meant to be a poll. Maybe I might be inspired to pursue what a majority of you will tell me to do, but maybe I might not. I just want to get into your head-space a little, to see what direction I probably should take. :D :D :D
Okay, I think I'm done explaining all of this stuff. It's time to get on with this long-awaited chapter! ENJOY!
P.S.: Are you enjoying the fourth season of the MHA anime as much as I am so far?! I actually haven't been fully caught up on the anime yet, but I'm intent on following the fourth season regardless. :P I'm hearing good things about the Shie Hassaikai arc and hopefully won't be disappointed by what I see in animated form.
P.P.S.: WARNING! This chapter contains a graphic scene that might be a trigger to those who have dealt firsthand with people suffering from schizophrenia. It occurs somewhere in the middle of the chapter. Please proceed with caution if you wish to continue reading.
While walking home, an eight-year-old girl somberly looked down at the tattered remains of her manga. During lunch, a group of bullies started picking on her for reading in the far corner of the cafeteria, and despite her attempts to stand up for herself, they were able to tear up her manga volume.
She sighed sadly and tossed the book into the trash-can...which she noticed was next to a life-sized cardboard figure of someone. Intrigued, the young girl took a closer look and recognized the figure as that of Power Loader, a character in one of her top favorite anime, Constructiborgs: Cyborg Builder Warriors.
"Wooooooow..." she breathed out in awe.
Then, she noticed the storefront window behind the cardboard figure, which was displaying a variety of cosplay related to a multitude of anime. She immediately glued her face to the glass, admiring each and every costume in turn.
A glint suddenly caught her eye, and she noticed the steampunk-style goggles on one of the costumes.
The next day, she wore the goggles during lunchtime. When the same bullies tried to tear up her manga again, she was able to intimidate them into leaving her alone. As the days went by, she realized wearing the goggles granted her some kind of power that allowed her to stand up for herself.
So, she continued wearing them every time during lunch. The girl and the object had become inseparable from then on.
"Okay, why are you guys following us?" Hanta asked.
"Yeah," added Denki. "What's up with the squad you've got there, Midoriya?!"
Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, Denki, and Hanta stopped to look at Ochako, Tenya, Yui, Momo, and Shoto, all of whom were right on their trail. In fact, this was something they were persistently doing ever since they all left the classroom.
"We're all watching you closely," Tenya replied ominously, with his eyes narrowed into slits behind his shiny lenses. "That way, none of you will be able to do anything horrible to Midoriya."
"So don't even think about picking on him," added Ochako.
"Today's not the day you and your cronies get to relish on harassing others you believe are below you!" declared Momo.
Eijiro's eyes expanded slightly. "W-Wait, wh-what?!" he exclaimed before raising his hands. "Guys, guys, we're not here for that, okay?! You can trust us!"
"Look, I don't know about the others, guys!" Izuku cried. He rushed forward to clasp Tenya's and Momo's shoulders. "But Kirishima's alright, I swear!"
"Well, I know he's a friend," Ochako said before glaring at Mina, Denki, and Hanta, "but I still don't trust you three!"
"Y-You don't trust us?!" Denki exclaimed, looking absolutely insulted by Ochako's words.
"Yeah!"
"Whatever happened to Four-Eyes' mumbo-jumbo about us seeing the error of our ways?"
"Your current attitude and your continued use of that disrespectful nickname has made me doubt your stated intentions, Kaminari!" snapped Tenya with a pompous wave of his hand.
Denki rolled his eyes. "Blah, blah, blah! Gosh! So wordy!"
"Plus you just jumped into this without asking any questions!" Ochako cried. "I don't think you even know what is going on here!"
"I don't know what's going on? I could say the same for you!"
"Yes, I do. Midoriya told me everything that happened between him and Hatsume, but he didn't tell you anything. I think that's a good indicator of your level of trustworthiness."
Denki blinked. "Jeez Louise, girl! What the hell did we ever do to you?! Did one of us dump you or something?"
"Did one of you dump-?!" The chestnut-haired girl stopped herself before she could express her outrage, and she pressed her fingertips together for a moment. Then, she replied as calmly as she could, "It's...It's not a question of what you did to me, Kaminari. It is more of a question about your character. And that goes for all of you! Kirishima, Ashido, Sero, you have all been such terrible people to so many of my friends and classmates and just plain-out everyone else in school!"
"Specifically those who do not live up to Bakugo's idea of the 'in crowd'," Tenya added gravely.
"Especially Midoriya!"
"Hey, hey!" Eijiro exclaimed as he stood between Denki and Tenya. "Can...Can we lower the temperature, you guys?" He looked from his friends to Ochako's group apprehensively. "Th-There's a place we need to be at, remember?"
"Well," Hanta replied, "it wouldn't be a problem if these guys didn't act so high and mighty-"
"I do not appreciate the tone you're using, Sero," Momo interrupted suddenly. "You and your group have a very troubling record of harassing and assaulting students. Many live in fear of you and are too afraid to defend themselves."
"And don't forget taking advantage of the culture of apathy on the part of the teachers to do whatever you want without consequences," added Tenya.
"Well, we've put all of that behind us!" Denki exclaimed.
"Just like that?"
This time, it was Shoto who spoke. A cold energy had suddenly filled the normally stoic boy, surprising everyone around him, even his friends. His eyes were narrowed to slits, and his pupils were piercing Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta in their stare that it made the hairs on their body stick upright.
"Y-Ye-Yeah..." replied a hesitant Hanta.
Shoto blinked slowly before looking at Izuku. "Look at Midoriya. Read his body language. He is clearly distrustful of your intentions."
"Okay, how the hell are we supposed to know that?" Denki asked in disbelief. "And how the hell are we even supposed to read body language?!"
"I didn't even know our bodies had a language..." remarked Eijiro.
"Hey!" Hanta suddenly cried, his eyes now sparkling with an air of self-assigned genius. "We should invent our own body language!"
"Will you idiots just frigging pay attention?!"
Everyone's stares, especially Izuku's, turned towards Mina. She had stopped walking, and her fists were closed so tightly that it looked like it hurt. Her face was lowered, allowing her dyed hair to obscure her eyes. The rest of the group simply stood there, aghast at the sudden and uncharacteristic outburst.
"A...Ashido...?" Eijiro asked, his voice slow and careful.
"I know you're taking this seriously, Kirishima," the ganguro said. "But what about you, Kaminari, Sero?"
"What the?!" Hanta cried, his voice almost cracking from his shock.
"O-Of course we're taking-" began Denki.
"No, you're fucking not!" Mina snapped, silencing the blond boy. "You and Sero have been talking nonstop about it! Ever since the incident with those crooks weeks ago! Y-You guys gush about how Midoriya's moves were so awesome and-and how much you wanna learn about 'em! But..." She started to relax, and her fists started to unfold. "You guys never, ever even thought about Midoriya's feelings..."
"What the hell are you talking about, Ashido?!"
"Look at him!" Mina pointed at a shocked Izuku. "He's clearly uncomfortable having you guys with him on this!"
"You're one to talk!" exclaimed Hanta. "He's probably as uncomfortable about you as he is with us, Ashido!"
The dark-skinned girl crossed her arms. "Well, if you two are gonna learn something from him, maybe the first step is for you to understand he has opinions of his own! And that you need to respect them and him!" She took a cursory glance at Izuku's direction. "That's what his friends are trying to get at."
Tenya blinked with surprise at Mina. Then, he quickly cleared his throat and reverted back to his usual demeanor.
"Th-Thank you, Ashido," the class representative said, "for being respectful to Midoriya." He latched his hand on her right shoulder. "I admit, I did reserve some doubts about you as well, but now, I can see you have decided to atone your ways and take this seriously. I appreciate your effort and dedication-"
Mina suddenly tore away from his grip. "Get your hands off me!"
Tenya blinked with befuddlement. "E-Excuse me?!"
But she didn't say anything any further. Instead, she resumed marching down the hallway. Everyone else watched her go for a moment before following after her. The awkwardness appeared to have been broken, for Ochako, Tenya, Yui, Momo, and Shoto walked beside Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta without protesting against their presence any further.
"Jeez," Hanta said under his breath, though Izuku could overhear him. "What's her big deal?"
"Dunno," Denki whispered back. "Ashido's been acting strange lately..."
As for Izuku, he was just as shocked as his former bully. "W-Wow... I...I didn't expect Ashido to speak up for me the way she did... I wonder why she's treating me so amicably all of a sudden. It...It can't be because I saved her."
"S-S-S-St-St-Stop it... L-L-L-Le-Le-Lea-Leave him a-a-al-al-al-lo-lo-lone..."
"She was willing to save me when I was fighting that man. But...But why? I-I didn't do anything to help her beforehand, unlike..."
Izuku looked at Eijiro and noticed how absentminded the redhead looked. Then, he remembered his earlier confrontation with Katsuki and slowed down a little so Eijiro could catch up with him.
"Ki...Kirishima...?" he asked hesitantly.
"H-Huh?" Eijiro was brought back into reality, and he looked at Izuku. "Y-Yeah, Midoriya?"
"If...If you feel uncomfortable..."
"God, I can't believe I'm saying this..." Izuku thought before pressing on.
"You should...g-g-go with Ka- I-I mean, B-Ba-Bakugo..."
Eijiro blinked twice before replying, "Ah, gee. I-I appreciate the gesture, Midoriya, but..." He gave him a halfhearted grin and jabbed a thumb at his chest. "I'm sticking with you on this till the very end. You saved my ass back then, and I gotta find a way to repay you."
"L-Look, th-there's no need to-"
"Hey, man." Eijiro's voice was determined and forceful. "For the past year, I treated you like absolute shit. But that didn't stop you from protecting me from those goons. It takes a whole new level of man to do that. And if I realize I'm not the man that I thought I was..." He hesitated briefly. "Then...it's my responsibility to make up for everything that I did. And I can only do that by putting myself in your shoes."
"But...I can see you want to-"
"Ah, screw baseball practice, Midoriya!" Eijiro's eyelid twitched, but he continued on. "There's always next year! But this thing we're doing, there's no goin' back. If there's one last piece of the puzzle we have to put in place, then we'll look for it and solve it together. Besides..." He looked ahead with a distant smile. "Now I can see why you're always having your nose in manga."
Izuku blinked with surprise. "You...You do...?"
"Of course! You wanna be a manly man like those characters! Now, I don't know much about what you like to read, but I can't blame you if you're super-into it!" He looked at Izuku again. "Besides, we can help each other."
"Help...each other?"
"Well, ye-yeah! I mean, you can help me be the man I want to be but never was, while I can help you be the man you've always wanted to be!"
Izuku looked over his shoulder and realized Ochako and her friends were staring back at him, observing. Ochako looked surprised and even a little intimidated at Eijiro's friendliness, but nevertheless, she discreetly gave him a thumbs-up. As for the others, they were smiling proudly, but whether those smiles were directed at Eijiro or himself, Izuku didn't know.
"Look, man," Eijiro continued, attracting the smaller boy's attention again, "I understand if you're still a lil'...ohhh, what's the word again...?"
"Distrustful," Momo suggested.
"Mistrustful, yes!" Eijiro failed to notice Momo's face-palm. "I understand if you still feel that way about me. I...I honestly wouldn't blame you. But I swear, I'll do all I can to prove myself to you! I'm not asking for anything in return, Midoriya. I wanna do it! No tricks, no nothing!" Then, he looked at Denki and Hanta. "Oh, and don't worry about Kaminari and Sero. I'll take care of 'em if they're gonna continue to be problems for us."
"I-It's okay, Kirishima!" Izuku replied with a nervous chuckle. "You...You don't really have to-"
Eijiro's attention was suddenly diverted. "Oh, hey Shoda!"
At that moment, Izuku realized he and his group had just approached the other members of Mei's club. Nirengeki, Paula, Manzo, and Toru were congregated around the doorway of a classroom, which appeared to be closed.
"Mi-Midoriya?" Nirengeki asked. "Ki-Kirishima? What're you guys doing here?" Then, he looked over Izuku's shoulder and noticed the others, prompting a bead of nervous sweat to break out on his forehead. "W-Why'd you bring you friends, Ki-Kirishima...?"
"Don't mind us, everyone," Tenya announced with a raised hand. "We're here for Hatsume."
"H-H-Ha-Hatsume?" Toru asked while she retreated behind Paula.
"Well, get in line," said Manzo. "We haven't seen her since lunch."
"You haven't?" Izuku asked, surprised.
"Yep. We've been waiting for her for minutes."
"Doesn't sound too bad," Ochako remarked. "She's probably late."
"She's never late to any club meetings," replied Nirengeki.
"Perhaps today is an exception-" began Tenya.
"Nope," Paula interrupted. "When it comes to this club, there is never an exception for Hatsume."
"Speaking of which," said Manzo, "have you seen her, Midoriya?"
"N-No," the green-haired boy replied, still reeling with confusion. "N-Not really... Not since lunch-"
"Hey, guys," interrupted Eijiro, "I heard her mention something about wanting to finish what we started. That was at the cafeteria. Any idea on what that could mean?"
"Who the hell knows?" Manzo asked. "Hatsume says nonsensical stuff like that every day."
"Finish what you guys started?" Ochako questioned with confusion.
"Y-Ye-Yeah..." stuttered Toru.
"What did you guys start?" Hanta asked.
"An investigation into Minoru Mineta's arrest for stolen girls' underwear," Tenya replied formally.
"Oh, yeeeaaahhh!" exclaimed Denki. "I heard 'bout that! Lucky bastard-"
"Hey!" Momo snapped. "I heard that! And this is why we still don't trust you!"
"W-Well," Nirengeki said, "w-we hit a dead end on that, r-remember, Midoriya?"
"Y-Yeah..." replied Izuku. Then, all of a sudden, something reentered his memory.
"Okay, you know what, Hatsume?! If you're so freaking convinced of Mineta's innocence, then why don't you investigate all by yourself?! You, you've got that Hero fighting spirit! You've got your-your inner Yamikumo! Why don't you do it?!"
"Oh, no..."
Everyone looked at Izuku.
"What do you mean 'oh, no'?" Eijiro asked.
"I...I told Hatsume to keep trying to prove Mineta's innocence..." the green-haired boy replied.
"You did?" Manzo asked.
"Yeah...b-but I was irritated...a-and angry...and I just wanted to get her off my back..."
"Knowing her," said Paula, "she's definitely doing that right now."
"And that puts her on a crossroads with Mustard," Nirengeki added with realization.
"Mustard?" Hanta asked. "You mean that guy who was suspended for having some of Mineta's stash?"
"Yeah. If she still thinks Mineta's innocent, then Mustard is her first person to go to."
"Yaoyorozu?" a voice suddenly asked. Everyone looked behind their shoulders and saw...
"Oh!" Momo replied with a smile. "Gr-Greetings, Shiozaki!"
The serene-looking girl walked up to their group, flanked by two members of her Bible Club. In an instant, Izuku and the others noticed the concerned expression on Ibara's face.
"Is something wrong, Shiozaki?" Tenya asked.
"My friends and I just spotted a boy trespassing on the school grounds," Ibara replied. "We just wanted to inform you all to be on the lookout."
The class representative blinked. "A boy trespassing?"
Ibara nodded. "I recognize him as the boy the school suspended earlier for his involvement in Minoru Mineta's crime."
"You mean Mustard?" Izuku asked.
The Christian Japanese girl looked at him with confusion. "I do not remember his actual name, nor any nickname that he is using...but I would assume so. He has hair as gray as the Devil's bones."
"Yep, that's him, alright," Eijiro responded.
"Why would he come back here?" Shoto asked. "He'll get himself in further trouble if he's caught."
"Whatever his intention is," replied Tenya, "we'll get to the bottom of it once we find him. Unwelcome students pose a big risk to order in this school, even if it's after-hours, and it should be our responsibility as diligent students to prevent him from causing any trouble."
"As usual, Four-Eyes has to be a controlling know-it-all..." Denki remarked bitterly, only to be intimidated by a glare from the class representative in question.
"Shiozaki," Momo said, "do you remember where you saw this boy?"
"He was headed for the locker rooms," replied Ibara.
"Oh, Shiozaki!" one of Ibara's friends cried. "Don't forget that girl!"
"Girl?" Izuku asked, a sense of dread filling him. "What girl?"
"Oh, yes," Ibara said with a small nod. "This boy was being followed by a girl who was...not being so discreet about it. I believe her name was Hatsume."
Izuku's blood immediately ran cold at the response.
"Okay, you know what, Hatsume?! If you're so freaking convinced of Mineta's innocence, then why don't you investigate all by yourself?! You, you've got that Hero fighting spirit! You've got your-your inner Yamikumo! Why don't you do it?!"
"The Hero Club is stupid."
"Because I was actually being smart about it, unlike a certain someone who treated all of it like a game."
"Then go have fun without me. I'm done playing your stupid, childish game, Hatsume. I am not a Hero, and you are not my Sidekick. We're supposed to be ordinary people. But I guess you're too crazy to realize that."
"You heard me, Hatsume! You're crazy! You're a crazy, crazy girl and a defenseless otaku!"
"Stupid Midoriya... You understand a thing... Me, crazy? HA! At least I'm not the one in denial here! At least I'm fucking honest with myself! ...Stupid Midoriya..."
Mei sniffled and wiped her eyes as she stepped out of the school building and onto the track field. She was able to see it for a couple of seconds before her vision suddenly became blurry again. With an irritated growl, she wiped her eyes with her elbow, but realized the tears would not stop coming.
"Ah, darn it..." Then, something in Mei's mind snapped like a twig. "DARN IT!"
With all of her might, Mei kicked a small rock that was beside her foot, causing it to skip across the ground until it finally came to an uneventful stop near the track field. Then, with a quivering lower lip, she leaned against the wall and buried her face in her palms, allowing her sobs to take a hold of her. The normally hyperactive, excitable, eccentric female otaku slid down on the ground, reduced to a sobbing mess.
"Goddamn it! Goddamn it, Midoriya! How the hell were you able to make me feel this way?! ...Why the hell do you make me feel like this?!"
Mei clutched her head as she felt certain memories invading her mind. She immediately responded with her usual coping devices.
"Believe me, no matter what anyone says, being different is a good thing."
"Being different is a good thing. Being different is a good thing. Being different is a good thing."
"WOOOOOW!"
The five-year-old Mei's eyes shone and sparkled as she watched a pair of enormous robots engage each other in an epic clash within her television screen. Inside the chassis of the robots, the human pilots shouted at each other valiantly, both laying bare the essence of their hearts.
"Do you not understand, Nakamura?!" the pilot of the red robot cried. "The Cube won't purge evil from this world! There is nothing that can defeat evil itself! And it will most certainly not bring back your wife and daughter!"
"Shut up, Midorikawa!" the black robot's pilot snapped. "How could you bear to live in a world where pain and suffering is a way of life?! Why must you willingly restrain yourself to the confines of the natural world?! Is it not our duty as Knights to protect this world from the forces that bedevil it?!"
Mei didn't understand much of the intricate dialogue, but it didn't matter. The colorful fights and flashy moves made it up to her in spades. She looked up at her mother, whose lap she was sitting on, and smiled at her. The woman smiled back.
"Mommy?" Mei asked.
"Yes, Mei-chan?" the woman replied.
"Why did Daddy leave?"
"Because he couldn't understand me. I was different."
Mei blinked and tilted her head. "But I understand you just fine, Mommy."
"Then...that means you're different too."
"I'm different?"
"Yes, sweetie." The woman smiled. "And believe me, no matter what anyone says, being different is a good thing."
"Being different is a good thing..." Mei repeated softly.
"That's right!" Then, Mei's mother raised her head and gasped with awe. "Ooh, look at the robots, Mei-chan!"
Mei looked back at the TV screen and gasped with delight. For the next few hours, the mother and daughter indulged in the anime marathon. It did not matter what kind of anime they were watching. As long as she was with her mother, Mei always had fun.
The otaku girl nodded to herself. "That's right. Being different is a good thing."
Mei smiled determinedly and stood up on her feet. The slightly manic look had returned to her yellow contact lenses, and the female otaku stared ahead at the track field.
"Screw you, Midoriya!" she thought. "I'm gonna solve this crime, and I'm gonna prove to you that you're just being a KJ! HAHAHA!"
She started walking, or rather skipping, towards the locker rooms. However, she only got a couple of feet when she saw someone emerging from the bushes near the perimeter fence. He had a familiar mat of bone-gray hair.
"Mustard?" she whispered. "Now then, what're you doing here when you're supposed to be suspended?"
The otaku girl watched as Mustard approached the door to the boys' locker room, his path calculated and purposeful. He clutched the doorknob, turned it a little...and then forced the door open with ease, allowing him to gain easy access. Mei felt her intrigue shoot up through the roof, as if it hadn't already.
"Oooooh!" she thought. Her lips curled into a giddy smile as she procured her steampunk goggles from the side pocket of her backpack and put them over her eyes. "Now things just got interesting!"
Without a single ounce of hesitation, Mei started walking towards the boys' locker room. Once she approached the open doorway, she stuck her head inside and saw Mustard conspicuously disappearing between two rows of lockers. Running her tongue across her lips, Mei tiptoed inside the room and peeked her head out from behind one of the lockers.
To her surprise, she saw Mustard cutting a small section of the wall open with a silver utility knife.
"Well, well, well," Mei whispered to herself, "someone's being a bad boy today..."
She watched Mustard carefully place the knife on the floor and removed the section of the wall he cut up. Much to Mei's surprise, he was able to remove it with ease, like had recently been placed there. Like lifting a curtain, Mustard revealed a set of black wires, embedded within the wall like a foreign worm. The gray-haired boy started pulling them out quickly, looking as if his life depended on it.
Then, what Mei saw next made her gasp...a little too loudly for her own comfort. Mustard twirled around and spotted her in an instant.
"W-What the hell?!" he cried. Then, his eyes narrowed in recognition. "You! You're the one with the teddy bear panties!"
Mei grinned manically again and pointed a finger at him. "HA! Caught ya! You ain't getting suspended on this one!"
Mustard didn't waste any time. He picked up the utility knife and charged at her as fast as he could. Mei tried to make a run for it, but she managed to get an inch out of the doorway when Mustard grabbed her by the strap of her goggles. He angrily tugged at the goggles with all of his strength, quickly snapping the strap in half and causing the goggles to fall to the floor.
"MY GOGGLES!" Mei cried, suddenly stricken with anguish.
Then, Mustard grabbed her by the shirt and violently yanked her back inside the locker room. He closed the door behind him all the way with a resounding bang.
"Please be alright, please be alright, please be alright..."
"Midoriya! Wait up!"
"Why're you running, man?!"
"Hey, slow down!"
Izuku didn't have an answer for that. Instead, he allowed instinct to guide his body as he dashed out of the building and towards the locker rooms. Once he approached the doorway to the boys' locker room, he spotted something familiar on the ground.
"No..." he moaned. "No, no, no..."
"What're we doing here again, Midoriya?!" Manzo cried as he and most of the others caught up to Izuku.
All of a sudden, Toru gasped with horror and pointed at the ground before Izuku's feet. "Is...Is that...?"
Izuku bent down and picked up Mei's goggles. Everyone saw the strap, which had been snapped in half. Upon seeing the damage done to them, his eyes widened with horror.
"No..." he thought.
Then, everyone heard a yelp of pain coming from inside the locker room, followed by indiscernible shouting.
Mei yelped upon being slammed against the wall. She collapsed to the floor and looked up at Mustard, who was wearing an expression that bordered fury and panic.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" he snapped, flecks of spit flying out of his mouth.
"I am here to catch you red-handed, Villain!" Mei replied while flashing him a triumphant grin. "And it looks like I caught ya with your hand in the cookie jar!"
Mustard's eyes widened even further in dread. "FUCK!" He clutched his head with his unoccupied hand. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, I should've never come back here! I should've waited till the suspension was over! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Mei cackled. "Just admit it, Villain! You're finished! Once the principal sees what you've got in that-"
"SHUT UP!" Mustard aimed his utility knife threateningly at Mei. "You're not gonna tell or reveal jack-shit!"
Mei was about to retort when the glint of the blade caught her attention. Her yellow pupils gravitated towards its razor-sharp metal, as if they were hypnotized. Before she could control herself, a certain memory began to leak back into the forefront of her mind...
"AGH!"
A five-year-old Mei was violently slammed into the wall. As the young girl began to weep, she slowly looked up...only to see a glass bottle hurtling towards her.
"EEK!"
She ducked just in time to avoid the bottle. It shattered against the wall, showering the helpless girl with tiny shards of crystal glass. Then, she fearfully looked up at the towering figure roaring at her, like a monster.
"YOU DEVIL!" the monster screeched. "YOU HELLISH SPAWN! YOU WON'T GET THE BEST OF ME, I SWEAR YOU WON'T!"
"MOMMY!" Mei cried back through her tears. "I don't understand! What's wrong?!"
The woman roared like an animal at her, her once-beautiful face conquered by an expression that was a mix of complete rage and indescribable anguish. It was an expression Mei never saw before, even when her father had to deal with what he said were Mommy's panic attacks. Then, she left for the kitchen...only to return wielding a kitchen knife.
"I WILL CUT OUT YOUR FOUL TONGUE, DEMON!"
Mei screamed as the woman ambled towards her...
Mei's scream was what prompted Izuku to act. With the hairs on his forearms sticking up, the boy tried opening the door using the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.
"Oh, my God!" Paula cried, her hands clasping her mouth as she and the others listened to Mei's screaming. "Wh-What's happening in there?!"
Izuku tried turning the doorknob again, but was met with the same result. "GODDAMN IT!" he cried uncharacteristically, his voice even cracking.
"Okay, stand back, Midoriya!" Eijiro cried. The green-haired adolescent did so, allowing the redhead to start slamming his body against the door. Realizing what he was trying to do, Izuku joined in.
"W-Wa-Wait a minute, y-you two!" Tenya shouted with a raised palm. The class representative looked both terrified and confused. "L-Let me find th-the groundskeeper-"
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME, IIDA!" Izuku interrupted as he slammed his shoulder into the door again.
When the door still refused to open, Shoto approached the two boys, a faint hint of concern dashing his normally neutral expression. He cleared his throat, catching their attention.
"Stand back," he said. "Allow me."
Izuku and Eijiro reluctantly acquiesced, allowing Shoto to walk up to the door and take a cursory glance at the doorknob. Then, he took a deep breath...and delivered a single, powerful kick near the knob. It was enough to force the door open, and Izuku immediately dashed inside.
The first thing he saw was a confused Mustard towering over a cowering, wailing Mei, utility knife in hand.
"ILL-ILLEGAL WEAPON!"
Izuku felt his heart stop beating as Tenya dashed past him and tackled Mustard to the floor. The gray-haired boy growled angrily and punched his attacker in the face, stunning him momentarily. Split-seconds later, Eijiro and Nirengeki dashed forward to pin Mustard's arms to the floor. When Mustard's legs began flailing, Shoto and Denki pinned those as well. An outraged yell came from Mustard's mouth as he continued resisting.
"QUIT IT, MAN!" Eijiro barked. "IT'S OVER!"
"FUCK YOU, KIRISHIMA!" snapped Mustard. "I AIN'T GOING DOWN FOR THIS!"
"Agh, damn!" Denki exclaimed as he struggled to keep Mustard's leg in place. "He won't let up!"
"I-I'll go get s-some tape..." Hanta suggested before departing in a rush.
Meanwhile, Izuku quickly attended to Mei, who was now curled up in a fetal position.
"Hatsume!" he cried. "Hatsume, are you okay?!"
The moment he touched her shoulder, he received a punch to the face, strong enough to knock him to the floor.
"Midoriya!" Mina and Ochako both shouted in concern.
Through his blurring vision, Izuku could see Mei running towards the bathroom as fast as she could. Ignoring the pain on his cheek, he stood up and followed her.
Mei made a run for it, just in time to avoid getting stabbed by her own mother. She ran up the stairs, crying and hearing her mother crying and wailing pathetically.
"COME BACK HERE! COME BACK, YOU DEMON! I WILL NOT BE DISGRACED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!"
Another glass object was hurled at her, missing her by a couple of inches and shattering in front of her. However, in her desperation to get away, she stepped on one of the glass shards.
"AGH!" Mei squealed.
She fell to the floor and gazed at her bloodied sole. Then, she looked up and saw her mother advancing towards her, the bestial expression still infecting her features. There was no maternal concern at all, not even a subtle glimmer in the two wide, whitening shells of eyes.
"MOMMY!" Mei cried again.
But there was no stopping the woman. She lunged at her with the knife, forcing the girl to scramble away to avoid being stabbed. Then, the woman yowled like a wounded dog and collapsed to the floor, shards now protruding from her soles. Using all of the energy she had left, Mei got up on her feet and limped as fast as she could to her room, leaving behind a trail of blood.
"Mei?" a voice whimpered behind her. "Mei?!"
But Mei was too frightened to stop and respond to her mother. She made it to her room and closed the door behind her with a resounding bang. Once she locked it, she retreated to a corner and covered her eyes. Taken with grief and blinded by the pain in her feet, she wept and ignored the frenetic banging and eldritch shrieking.
"MEI?! MEI! MEI!"
"Mei?! Mei! Mei!"
Izuku reached the doorway of the bathroom and easily saw Mei's legs in one of the stalls. Then, he heard her weeping.
"M-Mei...?" he asked beseechingly. When all he got was more weeping, he glared at Mustard. "What'd you do to her?!"
"Nothing, goddamn it!" the gray-haired boy snarled. "I just pointed a knife at her and she lost it, like the crazy bitch she is- AGH!"
"Hey!" Tenya snapped sternly. "You frightened her with a weapon! Anyone would react the same way. Now quit struggling and accept your present circumstances!"
"Hey, guys?" Momo called. "There's a hole to the girls' locker room in this wall...and there's a camera lying over here!"
She picked it up and showed it to the others, allowing Izuku to recognize it as a spy camera. Upon putting two and two together, Tenya glared at Mustard.
"So, you've been spying on the girls in the locker room?!" he cried. "How shameful of you! Your deviancy is comparable to that of Mineta! And to think everyone thought you were an innocent bystander caught up in that pervert's underwear-stealing scheme!"
Something within Mustard seemed to have snapped. "Oh, really? My deviancy is comparable to Mineta's? My deviancy?! HA! HAHAHAHAHA!" He sneered proudly. "You retard. I stole the underwear too."
"You are a-" Tenya paused for a moment. "Wait, what?"
"Heh heh heh, yeah, that's goddamn right! Not only have I been spying on all of you lovely little ladies in the lockers and recording every last precious second-" Mustard shot a lascivious grin at Mina, Ochako, Yui, Momo, Paula, and Toru, most of whom recoiled in disgust and horror. "But I was the one who stole all that underwear a few days ago! Me, and no one else!"
"You and...no one else...?" Shoto repeated, confused.
"Wait, I don't get it," Denki said, an eyebrow arched with perplexity. "What's Mineta's role in this, then?"
"He didn't have a role, you dumbass, except for that of the fall guy!" Pride filled Mustard's face as he started to pour his heart out, clearly relishing in the fact. "And everyone fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! Including all of you fucking idiots!"
"So..." Nirengeki said slowly, "so you're saying...Mineta was innocent all along...?"
"Hell, yeah!" exclaimed Mustard. "And if it weren't for that stupid little otaku girl, I would've gotten away with it too! My whole plan to get off to your girls was ingenious!"
Izuku felt as if the entire world stopped revolving. "I...I don't believe it... I...I was right..."
"I can't believe it..." Tenya breathed out with disbelief. "I...I cannot believe it... You..." He narrowed his eyes. "You are a despicable, horrendous, insidious human being! No, you're subhuman!"
"And proud of it."
"And proud of-?!" Tenya's eyelid twitched. "You...truly have no shame..."
"Well, the cat's out of the bag, anyway. It doesn't matter." He made a sideways glance towards the girls again. "At least I have all of your bodies memorized now."
Mina suddenly jerked forward with a horrendous cry, her arms outstretched. Reacting just as quickly, Ochako and Momo sprung forth to hold her back.
"YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" the ganguro screamed shrilly. Her normally captivating eyes were wide and bloodshot. "YOU-YOU FUCKING- I'M GONNA KILL YOU, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
"No, Ashido!" Momo cried while tugging with all of her strength. "Y-You're gonna get expelled if you assault him!"
Mina resisted angrily, prompting Paula and Toru to join in. Meanwhile, Mustard started laughing maniacally, and the boys holding him down had to contain their own urges in retaliating. As for Izuku, he watched on with a mixture of horror and validation.
"Mineta was right..." he thought. "He didn't do it... And Hatsume proved it... Hatsume..."
"You heard me, Hatsume! You're crazy! You're a crazy, crazy girl and a defenseless otaku!"
Izuku took a deep breath and glanced back at the stall Mei was hiding in. He could still hear her soft weeping, and every time he heard her hiccup with grief, the boy could feel a stab of pain in his heart.
He took a step forward.
"Mei?"
The weeping didn't stop. Izuku hesitated.
"Think, Izuku. Think, think, think. She's clearly traumatized. Whatever she's re-experiencing, it will be hard to bring her out of her shell now...unless it's something she's really comfortable with. It's the very thing she retreated to every time things got scary for her. What would it be...?"
But the answer was already obvious to him. He cleared his throat...and after some quick deliberation, he spoke again.
"Gadget Master?"
Izuku heard her crying ease into a soft whimpering. "Great! She's listening!"
"It's Yamikumo." He smiled gently and slowly approached the door to the stall. "We caught the Villain. You did it, Gadget Master. Your trap worked." He stopped. "You can come out now. It's over."
He heard her fidgeting nervously inside, but otherwise, there was nothing to indicate she was acquiescing. However, the whimpering seemed to have stopped.
"She's not convinced," he thought. "But I'm close. I just need to guide her a little further..."
Then, Izuku remembered something...and he put on the boldest, most heroic smile he could muster.
"It's okay, Gadget Master. You're safe now. You know why? Because I am here."
A few seconds passed. Then, he heard Mei standing up, which was followed by the stall door opening up slowly. Izuku's eyes widened upon seeing the otaku girl: she had removed her yellow contact lenses, revealing sapphire-blue pupils.
"Please don't talk to me like that, Midoriya..." she said in a broken voice. "I'm...I'm not crazy, you know."
"You heard me, Hatsume! You're crazy! You're a crazy, crazy girl and a defenseless otaku!"
"Oh, no!" Izuku thought, perturbed. "That wasn't the way to go about this! How am I gonna make it up to her?! How am I gonna...?"
Then, the boy remembered something important.
"You have to understand that Hatsume loves what she does. Watching anime and reading manga are her hobbies- no, they're a whole lot more than hobbies, they're essential components to her life! Sure, she may get a lil' carried away, but that does NOT give you the right to call her crazy or anything else like that. In fact, it makes things even worse in your case, because if anyone knows what it feels to be called those names, it's you, Midoriya.""
"Uraraka's right... In fact, she's more than right..."
Then, Izuku said gently, "No...you're not crazy. Anime and manga are just things you seek out whenever times are very tough for you."
"Very tough?!" Mei's eyes widened with outrage. "Very tough?!" She shoved Izuku away. "You...You don't know anything about me! So don't pretend that you do!"
"I'm not pretending about anything, Hatsume! It's just...just..." Izuku lowered his head. "Yes, you're right, Hatsume. I...I don't know what exactly happened to you, or what is happening in your life right now, but I...I know how you feel about them, Hatsume. Anime and manga. I'm sure they mean everything to you because they provide you with an escape from your present circumstances. I understand completely because I...I feel the same way..."
He clenched his fists as he continued, "I hated reality, I hated being me, and watching anime and reading manga helped assure me that there are worlds where I truly belong...even if they are contained behind a television screen or within the pages of a comic book. Thinking about all these worlds were the closest thing to them being real, but of course that was never enough for me. No, I needed more than just thoughts. I wanted to fulfill the true purpose of anime and manga: to escape this reality...only, I wanted a literal escape, not a figurative one." Izuku relaxed his fists. "That is why I strove for many unrealistic goals, such as becoming a real-life superhero.
"You wanted to do the same thing, didn't you, Hatsume? Escape this reality? That is why you changed your appearance, your mannerisms, your outlook on life...you became a different person. One who looked like she came straight out of an anime or the pages of a manga. I get that. In fact..." He chuckled with slight realization. "I'm...I'm a little jealous of you, Hatsume."
"J-Jealous...?" Mei asked, astounded.
"Y-Yeah..." Izuku scratched his cheek. "You've...You've done what I always wanted to do: be someone who felt like they mattered. You...You were able to do it, and on top of that, you didn't care about what others thought of you. As for me, I've tried for so long to do something to change my reality, yet I always find myself back in the place where I started. It didn't help that I had so many people holding me back, putting me down, dismissing my dreams as being childish... And I guess that's why I snapped at you back then. I couldn't handle how successful you were at being this other person."
"No," replied Mei, "you were worried about us getting in over our heads with Hero Club."
"That's what I thought at first, Hatsume, but..."
"I know you wanna embrace your otaku side again, Midoriya! I can feel it!"
"You were right. I was using the Hero Club as an excuse to live out my dream of being a...a real Hero. Like Yamikumo. I may not have known it then, but I know it now..." Suddenly, Izuku chuckled again, feeling as if some unbearable weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "It...It feels good to be so honest with myself..."
"I'm glad you're feeling better..." Mei deadpanned while looking away glumly.
Izuku's face softened again. "Hatsume, what I'm trying to say is...I should never have called you crazy. It was wrong of me to say that. I'm so, so sorry I said that. You're not crazy, Hatsume. You never were. You're just different."
Mei suddenly looked at him with awe, her brain reeling. Suddenly, Izuku's words triggered a memory she didn't know she had.
"How are you, Mommy?"
"I'm fine..." A small, infinitesimal cough echoed in the room. "Thank you, Mei-chan..."
A six-year-old Mei watched as her mother ambled towards her and sat down in the chair next to hers. Both could feel the judgmental stares of the nurses and Mei's grandparents. Though she was still young, the woman's face was already very wrinkled and her once-glazed eyes looked strangely lifeless. A year may have passed since her involuntary confinement, but Mei felt as if ten years had passed instead.
"So..." Mei said awkwardly, "was it really true, Mommy...?"
"What's true?" the woman replied.
"That Daddy left because of you...?"
The woman hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes, honey..."
"And that you're..."
Mei hesitated, prompting her mother to reply, "Yes, Mei-chan. I'm...I'm crazy..."
The girl sniffled and held back her tears.
"Daddy couldn't handle taking care of me anymore," the woman continued. "That's why he left... I...I don't know why he didn't take you with him." An alarming glint suddenly passed through her eyes. "He was probably a weak little coward."
The nurse noticed her personality shift, and his arm twitched in preparation. However, everyone relaxed once the woman settled down again, a serene smile gracing her features.
"Mei-chan?" she asked.
Mei lifted her face as tears started to drip from her eyes. "Yeah, Mommy...?"
"It doesn't matter what anyone says, or what has happened between us. You have to remember this, sweetie: no matter what, you've always been different."
"Different?" Mei felt a pang of worry inside her, and she squirmed slightly. "Like...Like you...?"
"No, no, not like me! How can you be different if you're just like someone else, even Mommy...?" The woman shook her head. "Mei-chan, what I'm trying to say is...you've always been different, and I loved you for that. And I'm asking you to continue being yourself. No matter what."
"But..." The girl looked down at the dirty tiled floor. "Isn't it a bad thing to be different...?"
"No. No, it's not..." Her mother suddenly hugged her, and Mei could feel the comfort of her warmth. "Being different is a good thing, Mei-chan. Don't you ever forget that."
"Being different is a good thing..." repeated Mei.
The woman smiled happily, perhaps for the first time in ages. "That's right, honey." Then, she broke the hug and smiled even more widely at her. "Now then, what kind of anime have you been watching lately?"
"And being different is a good thing..." Mei recited.
Izuku blinked with confusion, but he replied, "Yeah. Being different is a good thing." He took a deep breath. "Hatsume..."
Mei focused on him again. "Y-Yeah, Midoriya...?"
"You were the first person who believed my theory that Mineta was innocent. And...And you kept believing in me, e-even when everyone else stopped believing me... Even when I stopped believing myself..." He gritted his teeth in anger. "You showed me compassion and friendliness, even if you had your own way of going about it.
"But...But all I did...to show my appreciation was...to shun you and call you crazy. Me, calling you crazy! How pathetic of me. How selfish of me. I...I thought I was just trying to be normal. Instead, I was just being stupid...and in denial..." He clenched his fists again. "I should've never, ever said that to you...especially 'cause I, of all people, should've known how it feels to be made fun of like that."
"Midoriya..." Mei replied with shimmering eyes.
Izuku closed his own eyes and bowed his head. His unruly green hair hung like a rag, gleaming in the dim, gloomy light of the bathroom.
"I know I hurt you, Hatsume," he continued, "and I know I touched something raw in your heart that can't heal so easily, but...can you forgive me?"
"For...Forgive you...?" Mei repeated.
"I want to be your friend, Hatsume. We both share something in common, something that is precious to us. I don't think I've ever met anyone who's understood how I feel till now. I-I want to be in the presence of someone who understands. I want to learn how to take control of the reality around you and make it your own." Then, Izuku sniffled. "But...if...i-if you don't want to, then it's-"
"You..." Mei's low voice was filled with shock. "You want to be my...my friend...?"
Izuku lifted his head and gave her a kind, gentle smile. "I want to, Hatsume. I want us to hang out and talk about anime and manga. I want us to do all sorts of things together. And, most of all, I want to understand you, just as much as you understood me." He placed a hand over his chest. "I mean it with all my heart."
"You..." Tears suddenly started to drip from Mei's eyes. "You want to be my...my friend..."
"Uh-oh," Izuku thought. The green-haired boy started to sweat nervously. "D-Did I touch a nerve again?"
Just then, Mei propelled herself at him...and nearly tackled him in a hug as the bathroom was filled with her wails.
"No one's ever wanted to be my friend before!" she cried between sobs. "Not even Shoda and everyone else in the club!" She hiccuped awkwardly. "You're...You're the only one who actually asked, straight up! The only one in my entire life! It's so weird, but...but I don't think I've felt like this before!"
Izuku was initially stunned and even embarrassed by Mei's tight embrace. He could feel his shoulder blades being stained by the tears dripping from her face. Then, as soon as he heard her admission, he settled down and returned the hug.
"It's okay, Hatsume," he replied soothingly. "It's okay."
"Thank you so much, Midoriya! Thank you so much! I..."
Izuku could hear the smile forming on the girl's slips, and he knew what was coming next.
"I do! I forgive you!"
"You do?"
"Yes! I wanna be friends too, Midoriya! I...I wanna be the bestest of friends!"
He smiled fondly. "Okay then, Hatsume. Let's be friends. We can help each other."
"Thank you, Midoriya! Thank you for understanding!"
"H-Hey. It's what Heroes do best, am I right?"
As Mei continued to wail in happiness, Izuku felt a presence in the doorway of the bathroom. He turned his head and saw Ochako, Tenya, Eijiro, Nirengeki, and Momo standing there, observing with respectful silence and approving grins. Mina, Denki, Hanta, Manzo, and Paula were peering over the others' shoulders, all trying their best to take a look at what was unfolding inside the bathroom.
Ochako nodded happily, and Izuku nodded back with a thankful smile. Then, he resumed hugging Mei, her joyous crying a strange but welcome melody in his ears.
A/N: And this marks the conclusion of this chapter, as well as the little story arc about proving Mineta's innocence! Now that Izuku and Mei have made amends and officially started their friendship, this means good things for the Hero Club! ;)
Also, this officially marks the first chapter in this fic that is not completely shown through Izuku's viewpoint! This was an interesting change of style for me, since I obviously spent the past eleven chapters exploring Izuku's head-space. But of course, this fic isn't just about Izuku, in case you guys didn't notice, and I had to branch out to other characters at some point. Now that Izuku is becoming more and more familiar with the people around him, and the true Hero Club is finally about to get started, we will be learning more about the AU versions of the characters we all know and love. And believe me, we are about to see more compelling backstories like Mei's. In a couple of chapters, this fic's direction will undergo a change in course, and this is the point of no return (for the better).
Now, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:
-TheBlackDagger456:
1) Thank you so much for loving the IzuMina development! I know it's not much so far, but I promise you, we'll get there once the true meat of the fic gets underway.
2) Well, Kacchako will be a secondary focus in the second half of the fic. As for how it's going to play out, well...let's just say everyone in this AU is going to have some form of character development down the road. P.S.: Just because certain aspects of the fic that have been advertised in the summary aren't being fully fleshed yet doesn't mean you should lose all hope just yet. ;)
-Raizen1125:
1) I'm glad you're getting pumped up at the same time as this fic. Trust me, I am too. XD XD XD
2) Wow, I'm glad you like the transitions! I honestly don't pay too much attention to those; I just do whatever seems to be natural in letting the chapter flow. I guess that's what they feel so organic to you.
3) Well, there are two reasons behind the lack of descriptions for the school. One: you downright nailed it in your review. It's pretty clear we're still at the school, so any descriptions beyond the basics seems pretty redundant to me. Two: I am actually implementing the stuff I learned from a creative writing course at college, which all boils down to keeping details to a minimum and including them only when it's necessary. It's why I focus a lot on Izuku's thoughts too; an omniscient third-person narrator (a point-of-view I tended to use in previous works) can get really mechanical and leave the author detached from his or her work.
4) YAY! Us students do not have to toil in the murky waters of their academic suffering alone! :D
-Red Riot (guest reviewer):
1) Hey, looks like there's a Kirishima fan in the review box!
2) Is that all you have to say for your review? Please, next time you review, I want specifics. What did you like about the chapter? What did you not like? Any comments or beliefs that I should know about? Any questions? Please, I'd like to be in the loop about these things so I can keep improving the story into something you love reading.
-Mr. Albatross (guest reviewer):
1) I had to Google "Sturgeon's Law" in order to understand it, but thank you for the comment!
2) Great character analyses for Izuku and Mei! Well done! And it looks like you were a little on point with the latter if this chapter is anything to go by. As for Izuku, his situation is about to get more complicated for him as he eases up with how he views a life of normalcy and re-embraces his otaku side.
3) Yes, I have. In fact, I believe I mentioned it as one of the influences for this fic in the first chapter. Believe me, you'll be seeing more "Fight Club" references in the next couple of chapters too. ;)
4) I actually don't find Bakugo that hard to write. I've always pegged him as a guy who is using his aggressiveness and arrogance to cover up insecurities. Deep down, he can't afford to be proven wrong or put back in his place. Now that he's been stripped of his Quirk in this AU, all he has to supplement his self-worth is his popularity, which he can lose a whole lot more easily compared to a superpower. As of now, he is in a pretty...interesting position, I'll say... ;)
5) Continue I shall! Hope you enjoy! :D
-negativeGinger: I'm really sorry you're not enjoying this fic because of that. But have you read any further? I do start to make the Bakusquad's characterizations more canon-accurate, especially with Kirishima. I also left a disclaimer at the start of the first chapter saying the OOC behavior will last only for the first few chapters.
-Gomizia:
1) Thanks for leaving behind the multiple reviews! I hope the binge-reading was worth it. :D
2) I'm glad you're catching on to Mineta's innocence despite his usual reputation, both inside and outside the canon.
3) Yes, yes, YES! I absolutely LOVE writing Mei Hatsume! She's quite a character, isn't she? Her ditzy, crazy personality is so easy and fun to write, and I especially love having her interact with Izuku!
4) Yeah, I know I seem to be pushing for IzuMei right now, but trust me, their relationship will simply be a platonic one. IzuMina is what I advertised and I'm not backing out of it now.
5) As you can see, there was a part of Mustard that Izuku and his friends have completely overlooked. The fact that Mei decided to continue snooping around proved to be Mustard's downfall in the end, though.
6) Izuku was just trying to break the tension before it could escalate, that's all. XD
-xnickyx123:
1) Is that all you have to say for your review? Please, next time you review, I want specifics. What did you like about the chapter? What did you not like? Any comments or beliefs that I should know about? Any questions? Please, I'd like to be in the loop about these things so I can keep improving the story into something you love reading.
2) Also, don't beg me to update. Hopefully as you've read in the beginning of the chapter, life put up so many roadblocks for me at the time. I don't expect that to change anytime soon, either. I need you to be patient with me on this, please.
Don't forget to share your feedback on what kind of "My Hero Academia" project you want me to pursue next, everyone!
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!