"C'mon, Midoriya! That's pussy shit! Keep moving!"
Maria Hyll's voice echoed out as Izuku held his ground. He grunted heavily as he pushed against the bright emerald disk of light emitting from his fist. His focus wavered for a split second as he dumped more power in, inching forward, fighting against the inferno that was pushing him back.
The fire-proof testing room he was in held four robotic assailants, currently blasting him with gouts of fire that would make Endeavor impressed. But despite all of his power, Izuku was struggling against the onslaught.
"Damn it, Midoriya, what did I tell you?! Stop pussy-footing around, and MOVE!" Maria ordered again.
Of course, Izuku noted, she was behind a foot of ballistics glass and nice and comfy, not currently being assaulted by prototype flamethrower security bots. Izuku looked up and glared through the space between the bots at the glass wall, right at Maria, who returned his glare.
"Don't fucking give me that look. I told you, if you wanted Aegis, you had to work for it, just like I did! NOW FUCKING MOVE!" she yelled through the speakers again, punching the console in frustration. His grunts grew more intense as he pushed harder. The shield flickered and pulsed as he dumped more power into it, the bright light flaring up for a second or two before the shield extinguished entirely as Izuku faltered.
"Fuck! Kill it."
The fire died before the flames reached Izuku, but he still felt the blast of heat wash over him. Panting, sweating more than he could ever remember, he collapsed on the scorched tiles of the training room, catching his breath. The bots powered down as a team of medics dressed in heat resistant gear opened the blast doors and trudged over.
"I'm fine," he huffed, waving them off before rolling over and pushing himself up. One of the techs handed him a towel, which he took gratefully. He watched as Maria walked up, turning around as he wiped his brow and hair. She stopped a couple of feet away from him, giving him a glare that he could almost feel.
"So? What the fuck was that?" she spat.
Izuku looked back at her, over his shoulder.
"I d-"
"Bullshit. What. The Fuck. Was. That?" she repeated.
Izuku glared at her.
"Nah, no no no. Don't you glare at me," Maria barked, waggling a finger at him. "You're the one that wanted this. You're the one that pushed for this. I told you. I told you before you copied my quirk. I specifically said, 'It's going to be hard. It's not like other quirks.'"
Izuku sighed, letting his shoulders sag, and nodded.
"Did you think I was joking? Did you think I was underselling it?" Maria asked, waving her hands indignantly.
Izuku shook his head, glancing up at her. "I just thought I-"
"That you could just copy it and use it? Just like that?" she demanded, staring at him intensely.
"Well, yeah," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, you thought wrong, didn't you?"
Izuku hesitated and then nodded.
Maria harumphed and folded her arms, before turning to look around. The normally white ceramic tiles of the training room were scorched black by the heat blast, several of the tiles needing complete replacement. She glanced back at him, and noted that he seemed fine, albeit sweating and tired.
"Sit down, Midoriya," she ordered calmly.
"I'm fine."
She glared at him, "I said. Sit. Down."
He complied, crossing his legs as he took a place on the floor.
"Kid, you're strong, I'll give you that, but hoolllyyy fuck. You have got so much to learn," Maria spat, taking Izuku aback. "If you don't wise up and get serious, people will die." He stared up at her as she took a step back.
"Now, I'm going to show you again. Watch me," she said, taking a wide stance, her arms close to her chest.
"The shield is an expression of energy from within. It is your will, made reality." She swept her arms forward in a pushing motion. Electric blue lines traveled down her arms in a lightning pattern, and erupted from her palms, spiraling out to form a disc of blue light about a meter across in front of her.
"You need to focus on maintaining the shape, as well as durability. Maintain the flow."
She dropped her arms, extinguishing the shield, and turned to look at him. "You have so much power that durability won't be a problem for you. The problem you have is focus. You are trying too hard to extend the shield or change its shape. Start small, then work your way up. Now, try again."
There was a squawk from the loudspeakers as Izuku stood up.
"That's going to have to wait, I'm afraid." David Shield's voice rang out.
They turned to look at the viewing booth, where David, Toshinori, and Melissa were standing. Melissa waved excitedly.
" Fuck. He's gotta practice, Dave, come on!" Maria called out indignantly, gesturing back at Izuku.
"And he will, but right now, I need him for some more tests. He can come back after these are done."
Maria sighed and shook her head. "Fine. Kid, go, but as soon as you're done there, you come right back here. You are mastering Aegis or so help me, I will end you."
Izuku smirked and nodded as he pushed himself to his feet, before jogging out of the room quickly, lest he incur more wrath from his teacher. He could almost feel her eyes on the back of his head as he ducked into the observation booth.
Maria glanced back at the charred floor panels as Izuku and his entourage left. Designed for space-ship reentry, these were damaged beyond repair. And her young pupil handled the heat like it was a warm summer's day. She shook her head dismissively as she exited the room.
"Overpowered idiot," she muttered before signaling the techs to reset the training room. "Gonna get someone killed if he doesn't fix his shit."
"Looking good so far, Izuku," Melissa said as she looked over her charts. "Your vitals look normal and steady. How do you feel?"
Izuku grunted slightly, "Fine." He pushed the bar back up, trying to ignore the creaking of the metal as it resisted his efforts to lift the load.
He relaxed, letting the bar fall to his chest and then lifted again, feeling more resistance this time, grunting against the strain.
"Keep going, you got this," Melissa said encouragingly. "Papa, be sure to set the calibration to step up by three instead of two for the next set," she said to Dave, who was standing on the other side of Izuku, watching him work against a weight machine of massive proportions.
A tech walked up as Dave pressed a couple of buttons on his tablet, both of them watching as the magnetic resistive coils inside the machine whined in protest as Izuku lifted the bar again.
"He's doing very well," Dave remarked, glancing up from the tablet at Izuku.
"Power consumption has increased by thirty-two percent over the last hour," the tech stated, "and the cooling system is just now kicking in," he noted as the liquid helium cooling plant activated behind the machine.
"He's definitely testing the limits of the machine now," the tech said, glancing up from his own tablet, "It's fascinating really. He's always getting stronger, always improving. It's-"
"INFURIATING!"
Katsuki's yell blasted through Izuku's mind and the memory of their fight slammed into him, breaking his focus. His right arm slipped and the bar came slamming down, right into Izuku's chest, knocking the wind out of him as multiple tons of magnetic force fell down on him.
Izuku heaved, eyes bugging out for a second before he slipped out from under the machine, down to his hands and knees on the floor, coughing and heaving. He waved off Melissa and Dave, who had both shouted and jumped to his aid.
"I'm- fine-," he gasped, slowly getting his diaphragm back in rhythm. "Just need a minute," he wheezed, pushing himself to his feet, putting his hands on his head. He started walking around the room, letting the pain subside. The memory, though… That still haunted him.
He glanced back as the tech and David looked over the machine, while Melissa was watching him.
You made them worry.
The thought shot through his consciousness faster than he could contain it. The next one to follow was almost as elusive.
If you make people worry, how can you be like All Might? He makes people feel safe.
He turned and kept walking, his mind going a mile a minute.
Your father's power was unrivaled, and everyone loves him. Will they love you, when you are so much… more?
The doors to the training room burst open, as Telekinesis activated automatically. Izuku kept walking, ignoring the calls behind him.
David is worried. Kacchan is worried. Ochako is worried. How can you make them feel safe and comfortable when all you do is take? Their quirks, their friendship, even their future. When will the taking stop?
"SHUT UP!" Izuku bellowed, slamming into the doors to the courtyard with enough force to pull them off their hinges, sending them flying.
Did you even feel that? Does destroying things make you feel better? How will you gain their trust if everything around you turns to dust and echoes?
A flash of Junko's distrustful grimace when he rescued her and her sister. Kacchan yelling at him. Endeavor's glower as he trained with the twins.
Maybe they're right to be worried. Their fear is natural and growing.
Izuku collapsed to his knees as the thoughts kept coming, his face screwed up as he fought the rising tide, tears leaking down his cheeks.
"Izuku?"
He caught his breath and wiped his eyes before looking back to see Melissa in the doorway, looking at him with concern.
See?
He flinched.
"What's wrong?" she asked, taking a couple of steps toward him, reaching out cautiously.
"Sorry. I'm fine," Izuku said, pushing himself up and stretching his back. "Just stressed, I guess. Let's get back to it."
He strode passed her back into the building. Melissa watched him go, worry etched on her face, before glancing at the two doors that were sticking out of the concrete walls at odd angles. She sighed, shaking her head before queuing a repair order on her tablet.
After coming back into the training center, Izuku continued his testing, reaching higher limits on the heavy lift machine, and even putting David's latest inventions to the test against his energy output, much to the detriment of the devices. Most of them ended up slagged from the sheer amount of power. The one that seemed to work best was the chest mounted heat dispersal system. It actually managed to funnel a ton of waste heat before it ultimately succumbed to Newton's Laws of Thermodynamics.
Still, the day's testing had been rather successful, and the only thing left was to go over the results. David flicked his finger across his tablet as Izuku sat on the bench, his leg bouncing mindlessly.
"Well, now that things are settled, let's go over the numbers," David said, turning to face Izuku. He glanced up at him, his calm, reassuring smile set, before turning the pad around to show Izuku.
"You topped out at around seventy-five tons on the heavy lift machine. We'll have to calibrate it again, see if we can give it more tesla to work with. I estimate that you'll be able to max out the machine within a couple of weeks, so I'll keep working on ways to improve it to keep up with you."
Izuku nodded as Dave scrolled through more data points and numbers.
"Our latest flight test topped you out at mach seven, but I suspect that we could push that even further as well. I'm working with some friends in America to see what they can do about shrinking your mach envelope. You're fast, but you're not very aerodynamic, and we need to improve that.
Izuku smirked as he remembered the silly pointy hat one of the techs had spec'd out for him. While grateful for the man's effort, Izuku wouldn't be caught dead with something that looked like a dunce cone on his head.
"Up next, we have your energy transference stats. These haven't changed much, but since you destroyed most of the testing equipment, we can't really confirm most of it."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, the harness worked the best right?"
David smiled and nodded, "Yes, that was probably one the better ideas I've had so far. I'll keep working on it, see if we can make it work better. As for the actual numbers, we registered a peak output of one hundred and seventy-eight terawatts, and an average output of eighty-three terawatts on your…" David gave Izuku a sideways glance.
"Impulse Cannon… as you so call it."
Izuku grinned widely, sharing a chuckle with his uncle.
"At any rate, your power output is continuing to climb, as we suspected. As your quirk absorbs more and more energy, your output will increase as well." Dave looked thoughtful for a second, before scribbling a note down.
"I'm also going to be looking into ways of storing your waste power. It's not enough to just channel it, but being able to store the excess for later use would be immensely helpful in prolonged fights."
Izuku cocked an eyebrow up and nodded, curious what David had in mind.
"But we'll get to that later. That needs more research." He turned back to face Izuku.
"So, you have some new numbers now. Keep those in mind for bench marks. I'll be sure to send the data along to your gear technician so she can make adjustments if needed," David explained, giving Izuku a sideways glance, who had a small smile on his face.
"You know, she won't shut up about you. When we talk, and we talk often, Ms. Hatsume always asks about you. Is there something going on there?"
Izuku blinked, a slight blush rising up. "Uh, I don't think so. Ochako and I are pretty sure that's just how Mei is. She's been hanging out with Ochako for a while now, so if there was anything, Ochako would mention it."
David gave him a serious stare for a couple of seconds, but said nothing, before turning around. "If you're sure. Just be careful, Izuku. A girl like Mei is trouble. And I don't just mean for your peace of mind."
Izuku blinked, entirely confused by what his uncle meant, watching as the man packed up his tablet, and got up to leave. "Be sure you know what you are getting into, Izuku. That's my only advice," he finished as he reached the door. "See you later, kiddo."
Izuku stared at the door as it closed, not entirely sure of what to do with that info.
The next couple of months passed without incident. Izuku mastered Aegis with Maria's help, and Dave's hero tech was refined. Then it was December and it was finally time for Izuku to head home. His two year tenure on I-Island had come to an end. Based on information from Nighteye and Tsukauchi, he was free and clear to come home. The media had all but forgotten him, and only the crazy conspiracy theorists even mentioned his light show anymore.
After packing up his apartment, he and Toshinori met up with David and Melissa at the airport for final goodbyes.
"...and don't forget to give me a call if you run into any issues with the gauntlets. I told Mei everything about them, but if something breaks or needs tweak-"
"Melissa."
"I just don't want anything to happen, after all, the tech is still really new, and if something happens, it's my reputation on the line."
"Melissa."
"Just promise-"
"MELISSA!" Izuku barked, finally interrupting his cousin.
She stopped and stared at him. His smile was wide as he shook his head.
"I'll make sure to let you know the very second something happens, don't worry," Izuku said, leaning down to give his cousin a hug.
"Yeah, well. I just want to make sure you are safe," Melissa said softly, squeezing him tightly before letting go.
Izuku nodded and turned to David, who gave him a big hug as well.
"One thing before you go," David said, pulling away, and putting a large steel case into Izuku's hands. Izuku noted a tag on the handle, which read 'Do Not Open Before Dec. 25th'.
Izuku gave him a curious look. David smiled. "Your Christmas present. Be good, Izuku."
Izuku bowed and thanked him before turning to Melissa and thanking her for the last two years. Toshinori called out to them from the jet, so Izuku gave them one last hug before jogging over to the jet. As the plane taxied away, Izuku couldn't help feeling sad at leaving them behind, waving to them from the window.
Toshinori watched his son, a small smile on his face, "Don't worry, Izuku, you'll be back before you know it."
Izuku smiled and nodded, sitting back as the plane lifted off.
"Besides, with school and your friends, time will fly faster than you'd imagine," Toshinori stated as he flipped open a book and started reading. Izuku glanced down at his phone, checking the time before turning it off as the plane climbed.
"Is everything set for tomorrow?" he asked, glancing up at his father.
Toshinori chuckled, "Yes, my boy, the party is all planned out, don't worry. She will be very surprised. Your mother is running interference and is keeping Young Uraraka busy. But don't forget, you're helping me with the deliveries beforehand."
Izuku's smile broadened, and he nodded again before settling back into his seat to sleep off the long flight ahead.
"Place the potatoes there, dear, thank you," Inko smiled at Ochako as she placed the large bowl of mashed potatoes on the table, near the center. "And I think that's everything!" Inko exclaimed, clapping her hands together, her eyes shining with joy.
Ochako looked over the spread on the large table, smiling as she gazed over all of the hard work she, Rei and Inko had put into the Christmas dinner. Inko glanced up at the clock and nodded, "Just in time too. Why don't you go get everyone and we'll get situated. Toshinori should be home from his deliveries in a couple of minutes."
Ochako smiled and nodded, and bounced out of the dining room of the Todoroki estate, walking into the large sitting room where Mei, the Todoroki head of house and children, Bakugo's, and her family were all conversing and being merry.
"Dinner's ready!" Ochako called out above the din of the conversations, gesturing for everyone to migrate to the dining room. She kept her smile up as everyone got up and moved to the other room, giving a hug to her mom and dad, before glancing around the room. A pang of longing hit her in her chest, making her smile falter. It had been months since she had seen Izuku in person, and him not being here on Christmas just made it feel worse. She turned and reset her smile, joining the others standing around the table in the other room.
Inko and Rei walked in with plates and cutlery, and after setting them down, Inko smiled and bowed. "Thank you for your patience. Everyone, please help yourselves! Buffet style dinner tonight!" she exclaimed happily, watching as plates were handed around. She laughed heartily as Mitsuki grabbed the back of Katsuki's shirt, preventing him from jumping the line.
She watched with Ochako next to her, as everyone made their way through the extensive spread of food, both of them bowing and smiling as thanks was given. Inko glanced at the clock after a while and frowned.
"He's supposed to be back by now. I hope nothing happened," Inko said, worry crossing her face. "Well, let's not wait around too long. The food won't stay hot. Let's dig in." Inko gestured to Ochako, signaling for them to join the line. Ochako fell in behind Mei, who gave her a wide smile and a hug.
"Wish Zuku was here for this. He's missing out," Mei whispered to Ochako as she picked up her plate.
Ochako nodded sadly as she picked up her own. "Wish it could have been like last year," she said forlornly.
Mei glanced back, "You guys had Christmas at the Island last year." Her smile turned to a pout. "I'm still salty that I couldn't go, that would have been amazing! All that tech!" Mei's face turned wistful as she daydreamed about the Island.
Ochako gave Mei a sideways glance with a smug look. "Only the tech?" she teased lightly, "I can't imagine there wasn't something else on the Island that you would be interested in."
Mei's face turned a subtle pink as she glanced back at Ochako, who laughed and patted her friend's shoulder. "Yeah, I thought so," Ochako said, giggling slightly.
Mei's face turned down for a second. "I guess…yeah, I really do miss him," she said quietly, turning away from the table after she had finished loading up her plate.
Ochako looked up as Mei walked away, her face a mix of emotions. When Inko poked her in the back, she started and glanced back before finishing loading up her plate.
"You should talk to her," Inko said softly, as she put a couple of rolls on her own plate. "I think you two need to figure things out."
Ochako didn't say anything, but stared at Inko, who had a knowing smile on her face. Inko glanced up at her and winked before turning away from the table, leaving Ochako to her thoughts. With everyone else spread out across the kitchen and sitting and dining rooms, she had some quiet to process. After a minute, however, she set her plate down and went to find Mei, who had disappeared down a different hallway.
She didn't get far when the doorbell rang, a series of small chimes, prompting Rei to quickly go and see to the door, as everyone else continued eating. A minute later, she came back, smiling brightly, followed by All Might, dressed in his winter costume, with a huge fake Santa beard and hat.
"HO HO HO! SANTA MIGHT IS HERE!" he bellowed, waving to the raucous cheers of his friends and family. "I hope everyone's been good this year! Otherwise I hauled all of these presents for nothing!"
With that he slung a huge sack from over his shoulders and set it down on the ground as he stepped into the dining room. He smiled brightly at everyone as he walked around the buffet table, but stopped when he didn't see Ochako.
"Hm… seems we are missing some people," All Might said, glancing around. Inko walked up and pulled him into a welcoming kiss before whispering in his ear. He nodded, still smiling. Inko disappeared around the corner for a second, before pulling Ochako and Mei out with her.
"Ah, there you are! I was beginning to worry I wasn't the only one late!" All Might let out a raucous laugh with everyone else, before kneeling down so he was eye level with the young ladies. "I have something special for both of you. A very special Christmas present indeed!" All Might said warmly, before turning to the hallway he had come from.
A messy mop of green hair and a smile to rival sunshine walked around the corner, silencing everyone. Ochako's eyes went wide, her smile growing even more while Mei started vibrating with excitement.
"Hey, Ochako. Hey, Mei," Izuku said, giving a small wave. "Merry Christmas!"
Both Mei and Ochako's faces lit up with megawatt smiles. Ochako launched herself at him into a flying hug attack, with Mei hesitating for a split second before following suit.
After almost getting knocked through the wall by the meteor that was Ochako, followed by the bulldozer of Mei, Izuku fought to catch his breath, the laughing and impact from his girlfriend and friend making it hard. They picked themselves up and smiled as everyone cheered and celebrated Izuku's return.
Dinner progressed after Izuku had joined them, and conversation drifted from school and work, to hero news and random politics and debates. As he ate, he listened to his uncles debate issues within the Hero Association until he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked over at Mei, who had an intense look on her face.
"Can we talk?" She asked, looking at both Ochako and Izuku.
"What's up?" Izuku asked as he stood up straight from his spot in the kitchen.
Mei cocked her head a bit, and thought for a second. "It's… kinda personal," she said simply. Ochako glanced at Izuku, and just from her look, he could tell this was important. He nodded and gestured for Mei to lead the way. They left the kitchen and disappeared around the corner. None of them noticed Shoko watching them, or her following a couple of meters back.
After they had turned a couple of corners, Mei stopped and looked down for a second, collecting her thoughts before she turned around to face both Izuku and Ochako.
"I know I'm not the most… understanding… of social things," Mei started, waving her hands slightly, "so can I ask you a couple stupid questions?" She looked between her friends, who smiled and nodded.
"Great! Okay, so we're friends, right?" Mei asked.
Both of them stared at her for a minute, taken back by her question.
"Uh," Izuku started, "yeah, Mei, we're friends." He chuckled, glancing at Ochako, "I'd say we've been friends for a while now. We've known each other for years."
Mei smiled, "Oh good. I just figured because I made your HUD that we might have just had a professional relationship. I didn't want to assume anything, because I've done that before with others and… well, it wasn't nice," she finished, with a frown.
"Okay, but Mei," Ochako jumped in, "what about all of the time that we spent together? Going to the mall, watching movies, and with the twins? That's stuff friends do."
Mei looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I know, and I really enjoyed all of that. I'm just…" She paused, an unusual and admittedly concerning sight to both Izuku and Ochako.
Just as they opened their mouths to voice their concerns about Mei, the inventor continued. "You know I have a lot of thoughts, all the time, about everything I'm passionate about. You two get me like no one else ever had, and that's really, really nice, but I've been having more thoughts about things that I don't… That I hadn't understood before." She looked into Izuku's eyes. "When you think too hard, your thoughts spill out of your mouth, but it helps us understand what you're thinking. Maybe if I do the same, it'll make sense." Her eyes snapped onto Ochako, an unspoken plea for validation hidden deep within the crosshairs.
Ochako refused to look away from Mei, even as Izuku's concern-filled gaze drifted onto her. "That makes sense to me," the brunette said diplomatically. "Izuku has a tendency to ramble." Izuku rubbed the back of his head, grinning bashfully.
Relief and excitement flooded Mei's expression, and she couldn't help but grin. "Awesome! So, I get that we're friends, maybe even best friends, but you two are more than that to each other. You two do things that you wouldn't do with the others like Shoko and m-myself, kissing and dates and sharing clothes and a bunch of other stuff I never paid attention to before. But what makes you two different from me? Wait, let me ask a different question first: Ochako, how do you feel when you're with Izuku? Same to you, Izuku, but when you're with Ochako."
Izuku and Ochako looked at each other for a second, blushing heavily as they thought about Mei's question.
"Well… it's… uh, " Izuku began, his head cocked to the side as he thought. Ochako smirked, and looked back at Mei with a warm smile.
"'Zuku will have a hard time finding the words, but it's kinda like a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, but also tingling?" She finished, a finger on her chin as she looked up, trying to find the right word herself.
"It's really hard to describe, but it is almost addicting," Izuku said, before shaking his head "Well, no, not addicting, more like…"
"Craving?" Ochako offered, looking up at him.
"Yes, but more important than that," Izuku said, nodding thoughtfully, before starting to look frustrated. "It's like… when you go a while without drinking, and then you get that first sip of cold clear water, and you immediately want all the water."
Ochako snorted and giggled, nodding. "That's a bit simple, but yeah, something like that," she confirmed.
Izuku looked back to Mei, "Like I said, it's hard to describe. It's a warmth unlike any other, and that just makes you want it more. But let's back up for a second," he gestured with his hands. "What did you mean, before?"
"Well," Mei started, looking nervous. Izuku noticed that her hands were twiddling her thumbs, rubbing her jacket nervously. "You know, before. Before you all were my friends, you two and Shoko and Shoto and Katsuki. After my parents… ya know, all I had were my Grandpa and my babies, and I liked it that way. I didn't get people, and people didn't get me. I was fine with that, 'cause nothing mattered but my babies." She huffed out a laugh, a small self-depreciative smile blooming on her face. "You could argue that not even I mattered, with how often I skipped out on eating and sleeping."
Ochako smirked, while Izuku had a nonplussed look on his face. They glanced at each other, both of them remembering having to drag her away from the shop under protest.
Mei's expression softened as she stared at something none of them could truly see. "When you came into the shop, Izuku, you changed everything. You gave me a project unlike anything I'd ever done before, a baby I could be proud of forever. But you didn't stop there. You're smart and you're strong, and you… you get me. We could talk about anything and everything, and you wouldn't be left behind. You weren't weirded out by me being me. Hell, even when you laugh at me, you're not really laughing at me, but laughing because you're happy that I'm me. Mei Hatsume, mother of so many irreplaceable babies."
Her eyes snapped onto Ochako, and something within her gaze caused the blush on Ochako's face to grow. "And you! You're right there with him! Especially in the last couple years, you've been here with me, not as a replacement for Izuku, but as someone else that gets me. Our conversations about space, the things we say about Izuku together-"
Izuku glanced at Ochako, but she just kept her smirk as she glanced at him, her eyes sparkling.
"-all the girl stuff you don't let me talk about with Shoto and Katsuki, and so much else. And just like him, I can be as me as I want to be, and you don't judge or frown or laugh in a bad way. You… you two really like that I'm me , and…"
Mei's eyes fell to the floor as an almost uncharacteristic blush formed on her cheeks. "I like that. I like that a lot. Before I met you two, I didn't know anything about making friends or anything more, and I honestly didn't care. These days, I can't stop thinking about it. I think about how handsome Izuku is, how beautiful Ochako is."
The couple before her blushed harder at the compliments.
"I think about how you two hug and kiss and how happy you both look when you do that. And… I want to feel that happy, too. I get this… this feeling in my chest when I look at the both of you, and I wonder all the time if you two felt the same, if you two felt it even stronger than I did."
The inventor's golden eyes watered slightly as everything she had been keeping locked up in her heart welled up and spilled over. "I don't know anything about how relationships work. I don't know if there's any rules that I'm breaking, or if this entire talk was a massive mistake, but honestly?" She looked up at the two amazing people in front of her and a huge smile erupted on her face. "I don't fucking care! When inspiration strikes, you strike back as hard as you can. So here I am, giving this baby all I've got." She huffed out a laugh and ran a hand through her hair. "So, one last question. Two, really. Is this what love feels like? And how do I get more of it?"
Ochako tilted her head in thought before glancing at Izuku, who had a confused look on his face. He turned to look at her, opened his mouth and then shut it again. Ochako let out a chuckle before looking back at Mei.
"I'm really glad you talked to us, Mei," Ochako started, "I noticed something was up earlier, and I'm glad you took this leap." She stepped forward and took Mei's hands in her own.
"I think you are feeling love, and I think we have a solution for getting you more," Ochako said brightly. Ochako's brown eyes were locked on Mei's golden crosshairs, watching as Mei studied her face. Ochako's hand reached up and cupped Mei's face, and Ochako leaned in, bringing her lips to Mei's for a long and passionate kiss.
When she pulled back, Ochako shared a giggle with Mei, who was flushed a shade of pink that neither Ochako or Izuku had seen before. Ochako and Mei both looked up at each other and smiled brightly.
"That was… yeah… I really liked that," Ochako said softly. "It feels right. Kinda in the same way that Izuku and I feel," she glanced back at Izuku, her smile growing softer, more tender. Izuku's blush and smile deepened slightly.
"But also different, in a good way," Ochako continued, looking back at Mei, staring into her eyes. "I think that all of these years being friends have really helped me understand where I stand, and I really like what you said, about wanting more. I want more, and I'm going to give it all I got, too," she finished, smiling brightly.
Mei's own smile matched Ochako's. "I can't wait to see what we can make together." Something flashed behind Mei's eyes, and her smile faltered. The crosshairs flicked between Izuku and Ochako. "Wait, what about you and Izuku? Where do I stand there?"
Izuku hesitated for a moment as Ochako glanced back to look at him and held out a hand, beckoning him forward, but Ochako's smile and eyes held nothing but acceptance and trust, so he took the plunge. He took a step forward and took her hand, before reaching for Mei's other free hand. He held up her hand, noting the scars from her many accidents as he collected his thoughts, before looking up at her. He matched her gaze, his emerald green eyes staring into her goldenrod crosshairs.
"I think…" Izuku started, "that we changed each other's lives." He glanced at Ochako, who nodded, her smile growing.
"And not in ways that we expected, at first," he continued, returning to stare at Mei. "We have grown, made each other better, and helped each one of us in our own unique ways. I know that I wouldn't be who I am without you or Ochako in my life. So, it makes perfect sense to me for each of us to continue growing, together, and see what we can do, what we can make, together."
Izuku's smile grew as he leaned down, closer to Mei's face. "Do you remember when you first took the measurements for the Interface?"
Mei blinked and slowly nodded, her blush intensifying ever so slightly as she recalled their first interaction, now cast in a new light.
"Well, here's what I have always wanted to do since then," he said softly, closing the distance between them, putting all of his feelings into a searing kiss. Ochako couldn't help but let her smile grow even further as the two people she loved most in the world expressed their feelings. She watched as Izuku broke the kiss and stood up, before he glanced her way, as if confirming that it was really okay. She beamed at him and nodded before pulling both Mei and Izuku into a bone-crushing hug, practically giddy with glee, her heart fit to burst with joy.
The same couldn't be said for Shoko, however. Just around the corner from her friends, she turned back to go to the kitchen, tears falling down her face. Turning the corner, she bumped into Katsuki as she wiped her eyes.
He looked down at her, concern filling his eyes as they stared at each other.
"Let's talk," he said shortly, gesturing her away from the families. She nodded as more tears were shed.
"This reeks to high heaven."
"I agree. Something's not right about these jobs."
"Robbing a store in broad daylight is a stupid thing to do. Robbing a store in All Might's turf is fucking insane. No one in their right mind would do that."
"You got a robbery? Mine's an assault. Some rich asshole in need of a beat-down, looks like."
"Wanna trade? Mine's arson. Old folk's home, at that. Really fucked up, personally."
"I gotta take a couple hostages. I'll take the arson, if you want."
"Yeah, well, at least you assholes don't have to kidnap a kid. I don't want to deal with a fucking brat, let alone the charges if I get caught. That's a lot of prison time."
"I always figured you for a bitch, dude."
The snickers and jeers from the group of villains around the table echoed out in the empty bar. The TV on the wall was on, but a 'No Signal' sign was bouncing around the display. The bar itself was clean, almost meticulously so, like the bartender had nothing else to do but clean.
"With all the respect I can muster, shut the fuck up, all of you," a cold female voice rang out from the bar entrance. They all turned to look at the newcomer. Slim form, with glistening, crimson hair with eyes to match, and her face hidden behind a bandana embroidered with teeth and bone shards, giving her a wide toothy smile that could have been pulled from a horror story.
"It doesn't fucking matter what your job is. All that matters is that you do it," she spat as she walked in, stopping at the head of the table, staring down each of them in turn.
"Y-Yeah, but All Migh-" One of the villains tried to butt in.
"All Might is getting weaker," she declared, ignoring the rude interjection. The group of villains shared cautious and disbelieving looks.
"Don't believe me?" she asked, before tossing some papers onto the table. A couple of the villains picked up the pages; cut outs of articles and reports on All Might appearances, as well as some typed notes with plenty of statistics about the Number One Hero. "It would take a serious hero nerd to track him, but if you pay attention, you can see he's definitely slowing down. These days, he's only been seen for, at most, four hours at a time. Something happened to him," she explained.
"He's dodgy as hell lately, appearing in random areas, before vanishing again. But that's not the point," she continued. She gestured to the note cards in front of each villain.
"The point is that doing these jobs wastes his time," she explained.
"What fucking for?" Another villain barked. "I ain't doing shit if all I'm doing is getting into a pissing contest with All Might himself." The other villains murmured their agreements, the fragile solidarity they felt with each other bolstering their resolve against the crazy bitch in front of them.
Behind her mask, she laughed maniacally. Each of the villains felt a chill run down their spines, and an odd copper taste on their tongues as she held up a picture of All Might and held a finger to it, right above his neck. She chuckled softly as a crimson line extended from her finger, forming a needle-point danger. Madness danced in her blood red eyes as her smile grew under her mask.
"If we do our jobs right, no one will ever have to worry about All Might ever again," she said with a finality that made the atmosphere feel thin and frigid. With a swipe of her finger, the picture was cut in two, a perfect, precise cut across All Might's neck. She let out another sadistic chuckle as everyone recoiled just a bit as the bottom half of the picture fell to the floor.
Having made her point, she stood up straight and turned, walking away from the table towards the door. "Don't fuck this up," she called back over her shoulder.
"Hey wait!" one of the villains called out, standing up from the rest, "Who in the hell are you?"
She stopped when she reached the door, pulling it up and glancing back over her shoulder, a dark red glint in her eye as her blood red bandana smiled for her.
"Malice."