Midoriya and Tsuyu find themselves in a compromising situation, as the Beast Nemea lurks nearby…
Disclaimer: MHA is not owned by me. It is owned by Horikoshi. Characters not introduced in the manga belong to me.
Story: Into The Lion's Den
"Midoriya, are you there? You're muttering again, ribbit."
"Sorry, Asui."
"Call me Tsu."
Midoriya…at the moment…could be accused of having tunnel vision on his worst of days. It was a defense mechanism, even a stress mechanic, but Midoriya knew better the why. He also knew that he wasn't in a position to talk about it to just anyone: Getting a quirk gifted to you and accepting the responsibility (some might say 'debt') that went along with that quirk made Midoriya a little too proactive. It had gotten him into UA. It had gotten him the respect and camaraderie of his classmates and idol. It had gotten him a future, one might even say, and a path to his dreams.
Although no one outright said it to him, it was also wearing him into the ground.
He instinctively knew this. All Might had encouraged him to try to enjoy himself, but his words were tempered, at times. The fight against All for One was still ongoing, and all was silent on that front. But the pains and exhaustion from doing this didn't matter if he failed once. Surely not!
He had not objected to Tsuyu asking to accompany him. It was…unexpected. He liked Tsuyu, and admitted that in terms of support, no one was better to have at their back. But…Midoriya was out on business, and had openly volunteered to help when Aizawa sensei brought the subject up in class.
Aizawa did not sugarcoat the situation. He admitted, with a scientist's precision and detachment, that the situation was insular. This wasn't All for One trying to bring down a government. More likely than not, this was a murderer who kept eluding heroes with impressive stealth.
Six houses. Six families. Victims varied from ages, professions, quirks, health…even location. Endeavor had been called out after the fourth, as the scene of the crimes seemed almost the same, in blood chilling detail.
"Aizawa-sensei, what do you mean no bodies?"
"Just what I said." Aizawa pulled up an image on the projector for reference, showing the rooms. There was blood all over the floors, but there was no sign of a body in any of the cases. "There's been a bounty put up by the government to see this person captured and brought to trial, so we won't be the only ones looking. But we're heroes, not mercenaries. As long as this scumbag's out there, more innocents will die. Normally we wouldn't ask for students to go looking, but you've already been through enough as it is. I don't expect you to actually engage whoever this is. Nor can I necessarily tell you to do this. But its likely if you have an internship, you will be running into this. So…" Aizawa reached behind him, pulling out a box of coms. "The support class generously decided to hand these out."
Midoriya volunteered immediately. Thoughts of Eri invaded his mind when Aizawa said it was men, women, and children disappearing.
Aizawa had looked down on him the moment he grabbed his device, muttering 'problem child' under his breath, before simply shaking his head. Both pupil and teacher knew nothing was going to keep Midoriya from trying to help.
"Midoriya."
"Hmm…"
"I'm going to mandate you to have a partner for this." Aizawa said.
"B-but why?"
Aizawa looked at him with an expression that just shouted 'dude are you serious asking me that?'. That moment of deadpan neutrality faded a bit before he humored his student.
"Name one time you haven't gotten yourself injured when you tried to pursue a villain by yourself."
Midoriya opened his mouth to protest before he realized while there might be exceptions-Gentle Criminal first flew to his mind. However, with Muscular, the League of Villains, the attack on the USJ, the attack on I-Island…whether Midoriya wanted to admit it or not, he was either experiencing serious bad luck to counter balance his fortune of getting a quirk, or he was as injury prone as an out-of-shape football player.
"I can be careful!"
"I sincerely doubt that."
Admittedly, Midoriya couldn't deny that. His track record spoke volumes for it. Other students came up to claim their comms, while Aizawa continued his dressing down.
"Midoriya, we don't know much about this villain except that its hard to find and its deathly efficient. We don't even know what its quirk is. I understand you want to do this, but this time, we'll be taking precautions."
"Ribbit, Aizawa-sensei, I'll do it."
Aizawa had turned as Tsuyu Asui claimed her comm. The painstaking neutrality still painted his face as he looked over the frog girl. Midoriya had shrinked like a rabbit at the request, but Aizawa nodded after a few minutes.
"Ok. Asui, you're responsible for the problem-child."
That had been how everything started. Tsuyu had been surprisingly proactive on this, Midoriya realized. She had asked her own internship if she could split some nights to help Endeavor's. Ryukyu had agreed on the condition that Endeavor send some of his interns to help in the future, to which Endeavor, distracted with his own obligations of trying to crack this case, blindly agreed.
Midoriya was just trying to figure out why his amphibious friend stepped up. He expected Ilda, Uraraka, Todoroki, but the first two had their own obligations and would be canvassing other parts of the city. Todoroki would be working with Endeavor but closer to his father. The six houses were heavily canvassed with cops and heroes alike, so it would be people running into each other at that point.
It led to this moment, of Midoriya and Tsuyu actually venturing further out, away from the crime scenes and the city proper. If there were no bodies, it meant that either they had been completely disintegrated (possible, due to a quirk), or more likely carried away somewhere. Midoriya put it more likely on carrying away the captives, though as to WHAT remains to be seen-
"Midoriya. You're muttering again."
"S-sorry!"
Which brought them to now.
"Endeavor mentioned that there was one constant at each of the crime scenes."
"Besides the missing persons, the complete absence of theft as a motive, and a lot of blood, ribbit?"
"Uh…yeah. He mentioned there was also golden hair. Like a cat or something?"
"Maybe the culprit owns a cat?"
Midoriya shrugged. Endeavor perhaps already considered that, but that would've made it more reasonable, right? If the culprit was associated with golden hair, surely they would've found someone whose appearance lended itself to that?
He stopped, reviewing all the data from the dossier. All of the attacks happened at night, after dusk. At what time exactly differed, save it was always at night. Blood traces gave different accounts of timing according to forensic scientists. One of the homes had a security camera, but whatever snuck in, it only gave itself away by a pair of glowing orbs reflecting the light. For whatever reason, the camera couldn't pick up what it was, save its eyes.
For minutes it had sat there…and then it rushed out of sight.
The next minutes showed another camera, where the frame shook, and plaster and lumber went flying. People started running, but whatever attacked them never appeared on screen. Either it had moved fast, or it had a quirk to help it.
Needless to say, that had creeped the hell out of Midoriya. Was it All for One? Did Shigaraki recruit someone else?
"Midoriya, if you keep muttering, I'm going to slap you, ribbit." Tsuyu huffed in exasperation.
He opened his mouth to apologize again, but Tsuyu's knowing look told him she was already ahead of him. He sighed.
"Ok. We know that he or she or whatever this guy is, he's got to have a hideout to go back too. So…where would I want to hide, if I wanted to hide the," Midoriya gulped as he struggled to find the words. "-bodies?"
"Why would he need the bodies anyway?" Tsuyu asked. She prodded her hip with her finger in her typical Tsuyu pose. Midoriya though, barely heard her, instead looking forward.
"...Tsuyu…maybe we're going about this wrong. What would be a good place to be secluded, where nobody would bother you? Not…not find you, like if you were sleeping, but…if you had to do something," Midoriya tiptoed around the what, specifically what he was thinking about, "something you need privacy for…where would you go, that you'd be absolutely certain no one would walk in on you?"
Midoriya stopped, and looked around the city. Tsuyu, within arm's reach of him, stood a zip code away, as he focused on the killer in question.
—-
He was blind.
Tsuyu Asui was a bit more perceptive than people gave her credit for. Maybe it was her froggy nature that made people forget that she was still a girl at the end of the day, but she had watched Midoriya several times. She could deduce that he had boundless courage, a kindness born from his past, and a determination to save everyone he could. Unfortunately, he was also too perfectionistic. His quirk legitimately hurt him, and only recently had he started to gain control of his power.
But…Tsuyu had her reasons for coming with Midoriya. There was the big one, the one that she kept under her pillow and away from her friend Ochako, the guilty pleasure that she vowed never to reveal. To reveal it, express it, passionately declare it from the rooftops of the dorms…she feared the consequences more than facing down Shigaraki again. And Shigaraki still gave her nightmares.
Now, the nightmares have changed. Instead of her crumbling to dust, it had been another. A freckled boy with a dazzling smile, green hair, and the kindest heart she would ever know.
She tried vainly to smother that secret in her pillow. Right now, in Midoriya's shadow…that was as close as she could get. The temptation was there…her eyes roved around him when she was certain he wasn't looking. Those stolen glances became easier as the days passed, but while Tsuyu appreciated the eye-candy…she found it troubling that Midoriya was so…distracted.
She honestly didn't know where it started with her, but something urged her to help him. Maybe it had started all the way back at the USJ? She happily and selflessly supported Ochako in her many endeavors. Could she…do the same for Midoriya?
You stayed behind when he went to save his rival. What does that say of you?
No. She couldn't. At his greatest moment of need, she had toed the line. When even the class president decides to break the rules, you don't have much to fall back on.
What would Ochako think if she found out? What kind of friend are you to take her boy?
But…she could see that while his eyes were wide open, they were also blind. He tried to see everything, and because of the overload, he saw nothing, save which already agreed with. Tsuyu listened to him mutter again, citing logic to a problem sheathed in shadow, before she did what she said she was going to do.
Her tongue fired out and slapped him.
"Tsuyu! What-"
"Midoriya, talk to me." Tsuyu tried to bring his attention back. "We have time to look around, but we'll have to be extra careful after dark. You don't have to do this alone."
"...right…right…" Midoriya said.
"Midoriya."
Tsuyu reached out and innocently took his hand.
Ok, maybe not innocent. Maybe she had a bit of a selfish desire. But Midoriya kept drifting, untethered, like a balloon her little sister got a lot. What was she to do?
"Do you think its something…a little more obvious? I mean, where would we expect someone to be completely quiet?"
"A library?"
"I doubt the librarian is hiding a fetish, ribbit." Tsuyu jested. He wasn't looking at her, but elsewhere.
"Tsuyu…"
"Why did we move to the dorms?"
"Ribbit, so we wouldn't get attacked."
"And the school is considered heavily guarded, right?"
"...yeah…?"
"So you see where I'm going with this?"
"...wait, are you saying that he might be hiding on the campus? Wouldn't he be seen in the daytime?"
"Well, yeah…but I'm not saying he's there during the day. I'm saying this guy is there AT NIGHT."
"...that's…gonna make the faculty look dumb."
Midoriya's wild guess did have its points though. Most of the faculty were gone shortly before sunset. There was usually a faculty member on surveillance at the night time, but they were usually watching the cameras, and it was just one pair of eyes. The culprit in question had already demonstrated it could hide surprisingly well from cameras, so maybe it was sneaking around the campus when everyone else was asleep?
The idea ran a chill down her spine.
"Midoriya, even if you're right, the campus grounds are huge. Where would we even start?"
Midoriya looked over, gazing at the campus in the distance. Tsuyu tightened her grip on his hand to draw him back in.
"Midoriya, at least call it in first."
"Ok…but let's go!"
His conservatism was gone. He knew exactly where he was going, but Tsuyu hopped desperately after him as he effortlessly slipped through her fingers. He was blindly dashing to the next objective, enshrouded in the rage of the situation. It was all that Tsuyu could do to keep up, lest she be regulated to his growing shadow.
—-
Tsuyu's wide eyes told him that she agreed with him. At least he was getting that right.
Ground Beta: He had been here plenty of times, so often that he found it shameful he hadn't considered it before. Square miles of rubble, abandoned buildings, and hidden pathways…perfect for someone if they wanted to hide. How often had the other members of the class trained in stealth and ambush using this privately owned land? The skyscrapers built and rebuilt by Power Loader, the streets effortlessly remolded by Cementoss, everything mention to replicate the city landscape and what problems an urban geography would bring…save one.
People. Any city in Japan teemed with civilians on a regular basis. One could hide easier among the mob than behind anything else. Yet here, in Ground Beta, silence reigned. There were cameras, of course- Aizawa proved that by catching Midoriya and Bakugo engaging in their brawl. But for the most part, unless a class was actively using Ground Beta, no one was here…
…which made it perfect if someone was trying to hide and was really good at it.
"Ok, ribbit…lets say this is right." Tsuyu started, "Where exactly would he be?"
At this, perhaps due to him basking in the glow of his deduction, of actually getting it right this time, Midoriya felt his feet stagger at the finish line. Where exactly would this guy hide? Even in a facsimile of a city, it was still a city, and there were plenty of places to hide.
"Midoriya…why do you think he's taking the bodies here?" Tsuyu asked, breaking his concentration. Midoriya turned his head away, trying to focus, trying to find the culprit.
"Midoriya, ribbit-"
Tsuyu reached and grabbed both of his hands and the distance between them evaporated. In the afternoon light, he could see her clearly. They were far, far from others, and for a moment, Midoriya was able to focus on her, here and now.
He blushed, and the temptation to turn his head, because of the uncomfortable proximity, because of the cute girl giving him undivided attention, because she peered into his soul and he was a terrible liar to start anyway. As he stood there, both her hands holding his, her face looking up at him, he felt a thought, a suggestion, a wisp, quietly walk into the hearth of his rickety mind and the gymnasium of his heart.
She's…really…cute.
Midoriya was a red-blooded teenager on the fast track of becoming a man. He knew that girls were pretty, and that he liked girls. But…girls…never entered his mind that much. It was awkward, and complicated, and he worried he would say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. He felt his fingers caress hers, as she softly held his, anchoring him to now, to her. Tsuyu was cute. Maybe even beautiful. It took every amount of willpower to keep himself from mumbling, but while he didn't know what she saw, looking into him as he struggled to maintain a straight face, he could see into her brilliant emeralds. Her hair flowed like a river, and he imagined it was soft and fluffy. But her eyes…
He also felt himself becoming a little turned on at the contact. He looked down, breaking the contact. He…wasn't sure what Tsuyu was to him. Would he protect her? Sure, but that included anyone that needed saving? How was it different than Uraraka, or Hatsume, or any of his other classmates, or the victims?
Because they aren't staying with you right now, a voice chided him. He didn't pull away.
"Midoriya…Its okay, ribbit." Tsuyu tried to reassure him. In a way, her hands massaged the weights on his shoulders from All for One, from Shigaraki, from the ambition to be the No. 1 hero, "We'll find this guy. Just…trust in me. I've already commed the others, so they at least know where they are."
"Are they happy we're so far away?"
"Nope!" She said with a smile, and Midoriya couldn't help but laugh at her croaks.
"So…what now?" She asked. It struck him, for just a moment, that Tsuyu, despite her impressive reliability, never seemed to take the lead. She stood as the perennial support member, always ready to offer advice and go where she needed to help, but never ever in the front. Yet…why would he ever not want her watching his back?
"Well…he's got to be somewhere in one of these buildings. We'll go store by store," Midoriya concluded, looking at each building. "If its unlocked, then maybe the culprit's been here. If there's some form of forced entry, then yeah, we can try them.
Tsuyu nodded, agreeing with this for now. She seemed a bit more…frolicky? Was that the right word? Midoriya wasn't too sure, but certainly, maybe if she seemed a bit more at ease, they would be…
Eat this! I bestow upon you my quirk!
The chains of his responsibilities tightened, on his arms, his shoulders, his legs. His movements felt…free and yet not free. Did he deny that he wanted to be here? To actually do something?
No…he wouldn't trade that at all.
His eyes lingered on Tsuyu as she came across the door to an old, fake supermarket.
No. Not a chance.
—-
Tsuyu knew they hit paydirt, as they walked out into the fourth building. Unlike the others, which were left very specifically, this one, a diner, had been moved around. Tsuyu saw tables, chairs, even the little glass display where cakes usually were kept, pushed aside to accommodate a single, massive space in the middle.
To further their suspicions that they actually got the right place, they saw the tell-tale golden hair strewn around…as well as dried blo-
"Yeah…that can't be good." Tsuyu bluntly admitted as she saw dried blood on the ground. The presence of it being indoor, and presumably sloth or arrogance in not cleaning it, told Tsuyu that the culprit most likely had been here.
The gold hair wasn't the source of her dread however, latching into her throat as she took in the fake eatery. She saw gashes in the wall, as if something had tried to make the plaster bleed. She saw bullet shell casings littered on the ground, as if emptied in a furious flurry. She saw divots in the tile walls next to the slashes, with more flecks of dried blood, as if something of considerable impact created the crater.
Midoriya put his fist next to one of the divots, and noticed how easily his hand was engulfed by it. He measured his head next, and it more or less fit.
There was a smell too…honey, candles, but under it…it smelled sickeningly sweet.
"Midoriya…what's that?"
In the center of the room, trying to draw as much attention as possible, was an orb, a mechanized orb not too dissimilar to what the support course would create in their spare time. Tsuyu deduced it was a drone, that much was obvious. Had the support course built it and left it behind? Were they already thinking like them? If so, why not reveal this with the other pro heroes?
Tsuyu shrugged, before recalling a key point, as she looked over the spherical drone. Whatever could be said of Mei Hatsume's legitimate quirkiness, she was a proud inventor who openly showed off her wares like a vendor. If she had something ready to help the heroes in a moment of crisis, Tsuyu bet Power Loader at least would've brought it to their attention. Hatsume…not so much. That meant either she was testing it (unlikely, given the disaster and clear hints of danger in the room) or that it was someone else's handiwork entirely.
Midoriya bent over behind her, looking at the floor, testing his foot against it. Unlike the walls, which Tsuyu could tell had taken considerable damage, she could see that the tiles seemed…almost new. Not connected together like the old construction, but shuffled around, scattered, as if cast aside.
Someone had been here. THAT was obvious. No one would've hidden this orb in Ground Beta without some reason. However, there was no obviousness, apart from the sickeningly sweet smell.
Midoriya stood by, thinking and muttering again. The act of dissociation spurred Tsuyu to his side, as he weighed in the options. She could hear 'All for One' on his breath several times, but as clever as this might be, she figured this WASN'T him.
She poked him on the cheek, drawing his attention.
"Oh, Asui-"
Tsuyu gave him a sterner look, which made Midoriya turn a bit as he realized his gaff.
"Tsu, sorry."
"So, what do we do? "That…might be dangerous." Tsuyu had a feeling that this drone was placed their for a reason. The why eluded them, but they knew it was there for a reason It was just too deliberately placed.
"Take it with us? You said the others are upset. Maybe if we have that it will take the edge off?"
Tsuyu shook her head and pointed to a pair of cables running into the wall., "No. That drone's tethered pretty tight. The only way we're moving this drone is if we rip it out of the wall, and I don't think whoever planted that wants it to be moved."
Midoriya looked at the orb, and both pairs of eyes loomed on the button. A determined look fell on his face, and he extended his hand out. His eyes focused at the orb, fully anticipating something bad to happen. Yet his hand stayed open.
Tsuyu instinctively reached out before pulling back, acting before realizing what he was even going to say. She ribbited in surprise, but what ultimately COULD she say?
Was she falling for Midoriya?
Well, yes, that was a given, at least low-key. Certainly liked him. Certainly enjoyed his company. Certainly thought that he was cute and handsome and hot all in one gift wrapped package that she dared not open. The truth bubbled presently more and more in her mind, whether she wanted to or not. He invaded her dreams unwittingly, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. Exhilarating because she could feel her heart swell when she thought of him, of what he was, his kindness unseen and his bold determination in public.
Terrifying because she fully anticipated he was going to break himself faster than a Pocky.
He kept finding new ways to hurt himself that it was almost like he was a masochist, and instead of taking inventory of what he was actually damaging, he just leapt to the next problem, intent on solving it in spite of his broken bones. Seeing him break…it clawed her heart. Even in close proximity, he felt far away, his shadow smothering her there.
"Tsu," He remembered, and Tsuyu smiled, "I am going to activate this. If it triggers, I'll jump out of his with my quirk. I should be able to get out in time if its a bomb. Take my hand."
The nervous, anxious boy shed his skin for a dynamic hero. Tsuyu momentarily wondered which was actually the real one, but he spoke with such conviction that she couldn't deny him. She took his hand, opening her mouth to help with her own tongue if things went a different way.
Midoriya slowly, but cautiously hit the button.
The orb flipped up quickly, showing of all things, a screen. Midoriya instantly turned on Full Cowling, and bent his knees to hop off, his hand a vice over Tsuyu's. However…
A strange, absurd looking face of a man in a pink cowboy hat and a ridiculous chin popped up from the screen. From the audio, a single mechanized voice, shrilled in announcement:
"Mr. Smiley!"
Prismatic waves enveloped both teens as they looked at the absurd face on the screen…and then…
Tsuyu, in spite of the slaughterhouse scenery, in spite of the feckless flecks of blood, in spite of the dread and anxiety and her own concerns about her crush that she couldn't admit, felt her stomach and lungs contract and flex. She laughed. She laughed and guffawed as if she had heard the funniest joke of all time. And…in spite of the macabre scenery…she couldn't stop. Her free hand clasped at her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably. Next to her, she felt Midoriya laughing in spite of himself as well, his eyes shut and himself on his knees. His quirk deactivated as he felt to his knees, giggling at the stupidity of the man's face…
Tsuyu joined him, the thunderous peals of laughter bringing her to the ground. The face of the pink cowboy remained illuminating the entire room, and with it they inhaled the smell of fresh meat. It was so hilarious and yet…Tsuyu couldn't stop laughing, no matter how serious she tried to compose her thoughts.
They could feel the ground giving, even as they laughed, even as they realized their predicament. But the act of raucous jest held them in place as the tiles beneath them gave away with a click. One moment they were laughing on their knees- the next, they fell still laughing as debris collapsed underneath them, with more rubble falling in waves after them from the pitfall. Tsuyu mentally chided herself stupid, even as she kept giggling at the absurdity of it all. It was all she could do just to keep her hand interlocked with Midoriya's, who was equally helpless in the gaggle of giggles.
She heard a noise above her, looking up just in time to see a metal beam dislodged and falling after them. Tsuyu pulled Midoriya to her, but the action, saving Midoriya's cranium, doomed hers. The metal smashed onto her temple. She blanked, and for a moment the laughter stopped from her. It bubbled again, but she felt the metal beam, followed by other bits of rubble, plaster, wood, and masonry, press on her back.
She felt Midoriya keep her close, as she faded to unconsciousness, lulled to it by a hard metal bell and Midoriya's melodious laughter…
—-
The trap had opened faster than Midoriya could react. He blamed his teenage hormones and his growing attraction to his close amphibian friend on his failed perception, but he honestly didn't think that danger would've come from underneath AND from a laughing trap. Who the hell made a laughing trap anyway?
And now he was falling, with an semiconscious frog girl in his arms and laughing uncontrollably. He couldn't summon One for All in this desperate of times, and he plummeted with debris hastening in front of him.
That Tsuyu was sandwiched between him and a flood of construction parts equal bit horrified him.
Even laughing uncontrollably, he pulled her waning form tight to him. It was enough, but then he hit foundation, slamming the breath out of him and pain again as the weight of the debris rained around them. He tucked in his head, his laughing mouth a death sentence if anything managed to get inside. He squeezed his hand tight on Tsuyu, feeling something soft, but trying to hold her to him to minimize the area. The metal beam slammed down on Tsuyu's back, but his hand, still holding her, was now wedged between metal and frog girl. He was fine with having a little bit of a shield for her.
He felt dirt under him. Had he heard a turning before? In his haste, he had tripped something, and while he was sitting in the middle of this space, Tsuyu had been hearing a winding noise...like a clock, or something. Two grinding cogs, one from above...and the other..
His thoughts tried to make sense of things as he still laughed. He couldn't stop laughing, even now, even with the extra weight pressing down on him, but he could still think, and he tried to do that…
He perhaps had been struck so much by trying to nail the dirtbag responsible that he didn't heed Tsuyu's words to stop. So maybe, just maybe he could blame that on his lack of concentration. But he could see Eri in this situation.
Tsuyu…a moment later and Tsuyu would've been a flat toad.
Both of them huddled into each other, trying to protect their vitals. The rubble shifted, looking for the path of least resistance, settling now under a new, load-bearing point…and then…silence, save the thumping of wood, rock, and metal and Midoriya's own furious laughter..
It was a botch, plain and simple.
He didn't know exactly how long he was laughing, but after what felt like an eternity, he breathed out, his throat hurting from the uncontrolled laughter. Midoriya breathed out, his eyes wide and wounded as he tried to make sense of the dim lights. He had taken Tsuyu as the metal slapped her down, held her close, and planted into the dirt.
I can't use One for All in such contained quarters. Maybe…but…my arms…
His vision was impaired, with but a single light from above, in that eatery, tinged pink, still up there. He couldn't quite see how far. Did they fall two floors? Three? Maybe more? How long hand he been down there?
He tried to move his arms, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He slowly let out the breaths he held. He had been used to getting pounded, but this was new. Something...did that stealthy beast deliberately lay that trap? Or was it All for One?
'Remember kid. Sometimes a clever distraction, even for a second, can kill the most powerful dragon. All you need is one shot.' Snipe-sensei had mentioned that during their class, but to actually encounter it this soon? He felt like a dumbass.
"Ribbit..."
He felt a shifting weight on his chest that at first, he assumed was just more debris pining him to the ground, but he realized that said debris was moving rhythmically on his chest. The obstruction on his chest was light, warm, and breathing, as he could feel something soft...pressing against his chest...
'Ohcrapyougottabekiddingme...'
Now, with his head clear of the giggles, he could recall a bit better. He had grabbed Tsuyu when everything started falling to shit. His primary thought had been to protect her at the cost of himself, as she got slapped down as if by a flyswatter. Apparently, several inches of metal thick hitting you out of the air can be a doozy. But as his eyes further adjusted to the dim light, his immediate vicinity was dominated by Tsuyu's adorably cute face. At some point her goggles had been knocked off, and her hair had been ruffled to a right mess in the fall. Midoriya looked above him, and saw the plethora of debris, the slabs of metal, pinning Tsuyu, which pinned her on top of him.
He couldn't tell if she was bleeding, but she could feel her breathing, as her chest...her chest...her chest...rose and fell against his. Midoriya tried to ignore that soft pair pressing against his own chest, given the situation. Guiltily, he admitted it felt damn good. Both of his arms were pinned down, and he was flat on his back looking up.
He needed his arms if he was going to use his quirk, so where…
His left fingers caressed fabric as he had his hand free, but his wrist pinned down by Tsuyu's leg. Maybe he could pull it out…but she was so tightly pinned to him, on top of him…he wasn't sure. His right hand was in a worse position. Because it was pinned between Tsuyu and the metal beam above him, he didn't have the space to jerk it out. However, his hand palmed something soft and firm, and when he squeezed on it-
Wait. That's…that's…that's…
Midoriya's face paled as he realized with a degree of horror that one of his hands literally was pinned on her butt.
OmigodyouhavegottobekiddingmeImeanIthinkTsuyuiscuteandhotandhasanicebutIdon'tthinkshe'sgoing-
"M-midoriya..." A soft voice breathed into his ears.
He flushed, as his heart emanated at the situation. She was alive! Thank goodness! He wouldn't have been able-
"Midoriya...you're muttering...again..."
"Tsuyu-"
"Call me Tsu..."
Midoriya smiled in spite of his pinned predicament. If she could say that, then she must be mostly ok.
"Tsuyu...are you ok? I saw you get hit..."
"Um...everything's spinning..."
Damn. Concussion, then?
"Anything else?"
"Midoriya...I...can't move much..."
" Yeah...we're in a bit of a pickle right now. From what I can gather...you had something holding you down, and that weight's on top of me, plus you. I could use my quirk to get up...but there's no guarantee I won't bring more debris down on us. Can you see anything? I can't really move that much."
"I feel something on my butt…" She muttered.
Midoriya looked behind Tsuyu's face as the frog girl, her own eyes a bit bleary, tried to make out things. Tsuyu's quirk might actually help them, if there were any frogs that could see in the dark. While Midoriya could power through, there's no telling what would happen to Tsuyu if he did. Until he had a better idea of what to do...
Also, it was getting really hard to think with Tsuyu literally on top of him. Even in the situation, they were in the best way, a compromising position- if the media got pictures of them like this, he'd never hear the end of it. But between Tsuyu's cute face just inches from his, her soft croaks as she tried to regain her senses, her lithe body pressed against his, practically molding against him, her chest squishing against him due to debris pushing them down...oh, yeah, and the fact his hand was literally pinned to her ass!
Tsuyu tried to move a bit, but Midoriya instinctively clamped down his hands to hold her in place. As she moved, the debris above her creaked. At least lumber was on her...but what else?
"Midoriya."
"Y-yes, Tsu?"
"Is that your hand on-"
"Yes…' He meekly admitted.
"...well at least its you and not something else, ribbit."
"Tsuyu. What is pressing down on you?"
"I have your hand on my butt, Midoriya, ribbit" Tsuyu bluntly said.
"S-sorry, Tsu…but I mean, what else?"
"Something metal…you realize how warm your hand is, right?"
"Tsu, can we not focus on the fact that my hand is pinned there and…wait, Tsuyu…what day is it?"
"...Tuesday?"
Crap, she got knocked silly. Definitely a concussion.
"Midoriya," Tsuyu asked. "Why...was there a trap there?"
Midoriya flushed in embarrassment. He hadn't even stopped to think, so full of fire as he was. He didn't even think to disarm that trap. He trusted in One for All getting him out, but could he even do it with his arms tied up? Besides who in their right mind would put traps there? This was an abandoned building, but someone had to know they were going that way. Endeavor maybe? Todoroki?
Wait, Tsuyu had already contracted them! I could reach my comms-
He looked, and saw the gravity of the situation. His comm was in his back pocket. Tsuyu's…was in her back pocket…on her other…
Oh you have got to be kidding me. At this rate I'm going to be Mineta Jr.!
For the moment, perhaps more scared of giving offense to Tsuyu than actually pulling them out of this compromising position, he let his hand rest. He felt Tsuyu's weight distributed on him-She was shorter than him, and Tsuyu's constant, stooping stature made her look shorter than she actually was. Still, Tsuyu's face was inches from his, so much so that he could taste her breath on him. She had a far better range of motion, and she still had access to her hands, at least…
Tsuyu, for her own sake, just looked deep into him, as if peering into his very core, but her head turned slightly, as she heard something, roping down…
"Midoriya…" She pointed, and Midoriya looked over with his head.
Slowly but surely, with his eyes growing more accustomed to the darkness, was a walkie, with a camera attached to it, dangling by a long piece of cable. With but a word, the walkie turned on, and a voice emanated.
"Hey, can you hear me? I can see you down there. This is on and live, so you're free to speak, over."
"Hey!" Midoriya all but shouted. "Who are you? We're trapped down here and-"
"I can see that…Lets see…" The voice interrupted, as the two young heroes waited. They were at a disadvantage, having no face to identify their rescuer, but Midoriya couldn't identify who the voice belonged to. The voice, perhaps due to the electronic device, was guarded and mangled. "You some funny looking people? I've heard of having weird dating sites, but…you sure you don't want to be actors in a slasher film?."
"Uh…uh…we're interns working with Endeavor's superhero agency. Tsu, stop moving for a moment…Deku tried to say as Tsuyu scooted closer on his abs.
"Who are you, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.
"Me? Call me Red. Its as good a name as you need."
"Are you with the other heroes?"
"Yeah…you could say that." He drawled out. "You two realize you've been down there for two hours right? Sun's starting to make its dip downward."
"We've lost track of time down here. I can't exactly get to my phone from…this position."
"I can see that." The cable holding the walkie-camera synthesis bobbed a bit, telling them that 'Red' was up there. He heard a light-hearted chuckle, as if appreciating their 'position'. "Well, you mind telling me why you are over here? Last I heard you heroes were investigating some murderer. This seems a far place from that."
His questions seemed too…on the dot. Midoriya knew the heroes were canvasing the city, but asking about the murderer was a bit direct.
And Midoriya had never heard of a hero named 'Red'. It was far too simple a name…
"Sir, which Superhero Agency are you with?"
"Not that it matters where I came from, but Gang Orca."
"So Pro-Hero Grape Punch and Cellophane, his sidekicks, were with Gang Orca?"
"Yeah. What about it? They were there with the fish. They heard about what was going on and sent me over here. They figured I was better suited for the job. Now, you wanna answer my question?"
"...Sir, I think you're lying."
"Hmm?"
"Grape Punch and Cellophane that work with Mt. Lady, not Gang Orca. So, that means you didn't meet with Gang Orca, and you aren't with the superheroes."
"...smart kid." The voice identified as Red conceded. "Good to see education dollars are going somewhere."
"So, who are you?"
"I told you, call me Red, if you are gonna call me a liar as well. And you aren't in a position to make demands."
"Sir…" Tsuyu cut in, "Endeavor knows we're over here, and if it's been two hours since we've contacted him…well, he's going to send someone this way."
"Scared that I'm the murderer?" A silence yawned between them as Midoriya racked his brain for an answer. "Not that I think you'll trust me, but I ain't."
"Then who are you?"
The device bobbed slightly, before settling. Even from above, they could hear the sound of a lighter flicking, poofing flame, and the smell of flavored smoke.
"...since you haven't seen me, I suppose I can be generous. I am a bounty hunter actually. I get paid to do…dirty jobs, lets say.. So when people put a bounty on this beast going around to supposedly eat people, well…I just had to plant a trap. Took some planning, but I thought she had taken the bait. Only I find a bunch of rookies in my trap. That girl's a cunning one. So, she's not gonna fall for this if she sees it once."
"What…what was that?"
"The screen?"
Midoriya nodded as best as his position would allow. He heard a satisfied laugh from him.
"Picked it as spoils from one of me jobs. Damn handy too. I'm surprised you're still alive down here. Laughing for 2 hours and surviving a pitfall should've killed a bunch of kids. That hack artist annoyed someone with deep pockets…but a job's a job. That screen would've slowed her down. Now, I have to set a new trap. Don't have to do too much work, though."
Underneath all that cutting and straightforward verbiage, Midoriya felt a degree of dread. There was an obvious, logical conclusion, if this man would so openly admit to his own subterfuge after being caught in a lie.
"You're not going to help us, are you?"
"Why would I do that when you sprung me trap?" He asked from the other line. "You cost me a lot of time and labor. I'll give you this-you are right. She is coming to hide out here. She's smart. But I just got this trap finished. So...you can do me a turn by being bait for her, when she comes back here. I think…you got until after sundown. Time's ticking…"
"What, you can't-"
"I thought saving people for free was your job. If you want to pay a ransom, by all means I'll save you. 3 million yen each…but I wanna see if you survive. Survive the night, and I might save you. After all, surviving tough situations is what heroes do, right?"
Rage bellowed deep from within Midoriya, as All for One sheathed itself in its green light. He felt he could power his way up, all he had to do was push-
"Don't do that, kid." The voice of Red chided from the other line. "I don't know what your power is, but you're a lodestone right now.. That kind of quirk…if you don't want the girl riding you squashed like a bug…That rubble isn't what's keeping you down though, and we both know it. Its that girl draped over you like a great night of sex."
Midoriya's face flushed at the statement, before Red continued, "I have no doubt you can get out of here with that quirk of yours, but you move with THAT kind of power, and all that wreckage will fall on her. You want that, hero?"
Midoriya seethed.
"So sit tight and be bait. If you're lucky, maybe someone will find you. You just better hope it ain't the lion, cause you're in her den."
"W-wait-"
"See you."
The walkie went dead, and Midoriya swore he could hear the phantom of boots up top. He could see the sun trying to cut into the building…but it wasn't as bright as before. Silence then, and nothing more. Rage filled the void, as Midoriya tried to fix his position.
The slow process of inching his way commenced. They needed to get out of there, now!
—-
He was losing track of time. All he knew was that the sun was getting dimmer and dimmer upstairs. Midoriya found it difficult trying to move and not upset everything on top of him. If he could safely use his quirk, he would've already been out of there, but the bastard Red had been right on that point. Everytime he moved too fast, the debris resting on his right and and the rest of Tsuyu's back groaned and shifted. He felt his hand turning purple and white from the lack of space. He could clench it of course, but was loath to do so, as every time he did, he squeezed his froggy friend's butt. As an added side effect, the blood in his body rushed, shall we say, elsewhere.
"Midoriya...you're...so...warm..."
Oh, and to add to his problems, he had a super, super cute frog girl that he's more than tempted to trade DNA with by mouth laying on top of him, probably with a concussion, probably looping out, probably still uncertain what the hell is going on right now. And he could feel himself getting...turned on.
Why was he getting turned on now? Did he have a danger fetish? As if to worsen it, he felt her nudge slowly up, as her legs squeezed at his side, and her head rested on his shoulder.
"Tsuyu-"
"Call me Tsu..." She said, the autocorrect practically ingrained in her head. He felt her nuzzle closer, with the debris above them creaking ever more. Panic mixed with arousal, as he could tell he was at full attention down there, with the perfume of her breath, the melody of her intermittent ribbits, the feeling of her body pressed against his own, the memories of him exploring those lips which were still inches away from him and the tempting taste of her mouth...it was raising the temperature all right. Even in this dangerous situation, he was still a young teenager, he still had this beautiful girl on his chest, or crotch, or whatever, and he still was getting hammered in his brain by the desire to just kiss her there
And why the hell am I thinking that?! I mean I like Tsuyu, but I…I don't think, that's not something…
"I like you too, ribbit." Tsuyu interrupted. It was obvious her own thought were-
Oh crap he said that out loud, didn't he?
"Midoriya? Well?" Tsuyu edged her head up. Midoriya's eyes met hers, but it was like she was peering into his soul, "Is there something…everything's spinning…"
"Asui-"
"Midoriya. Can I say something to you, right now?"She bore holes into his soul as she said this, steadying herself on his shoulders as she spoke. Midoriya couldn't tell if she was regaining her lucidity. "Because...I don't know what's going to happen."
"Asui…How many fingers am I holding up?"
"You have a deathgrip on my butt, ribbit. I'm getting turned on, and I need to say this. And call me Tsu." Tsuyu said this, her unemotive face blank before this admission of facts. Midoriya blushed at this, but he nodded awkwardly to try to get his attention.
"Midoriya…I think I like you."
"Well…um, I like you too."
"No. Midoriya. I think I like you."
"...Oh sh-" He caught himself as he stopped and thought about it. Did his amphibian friend actually confess? Concussion! It must be the concussion!
"I…I really needed to say that." Tsuyu continued to stare at him. Her breath mingled with his, and for a moment he worried about oxygen down here. But she, pinned as she was, didn't seem to be aware of that. For her, Midoriya right now was more important than even being in this dangerous situation. "I keep seeing you get hurt, and you just keep moving forward like a car losing its tires…and no one's stopping you, you aren't stopping yourself, and my brain's spinning…"
"Tsu…you're not thinking straight and I think you're adorable and I don't know what's going on and-"
"You called me Tsu, ribbit."
She inched closer, a smile on her face as she scooted on his abs. Danger apparently made one hell of an aphrodisiac cocktail, as Midoriya felt his left hand grasp at her thighs. His right arm still was pinned to her backside, but maybe he could get some room. Maybe he could do something from there…
"Tsu…are you really that…that worried about me?" Midoriya asked as her face neared with the certainty of time.
"Yes, ribbit. I keep seeing you get hurt…and I don't know why you keep throwing yourself out there…when your friends are worried…I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt again…and…we're right here, ribbit…It hurts, ribbit. Seeing you breaking down, seeing you get hurt, seeing you in the hospital…"
"Tsuyu…I'm ok-"
"No you're not. And you saying that's kind of dumb."
"Tsuyu…I'm sorry that I worried you and the others. Is that why you volunteered?"
"Yep, ribbit."
Midoriya wondered if this was the first time Tsuyu ever really lost her cool. In all of their training exercises, the teachers lauded her for her poise. Nothing riled her, nothing phased her. And yet he saw right in front of him a very emotional, very vulnerable, frog girl. Was she crying? Was she hysterical? Was she aroused? He didn't know. If his arms weren't pinned, he would've embraced her right now, just to comfort her. His problems split in twain. They had to get out, but Tsuyu with her potential concussion and now spilling her inner feelings out…it provided a new challenge of placating a girl that's clearly upset and scared and anxious..
"Tsu...I need you to focus," Midoriya stammered, trying to regain some sort of control. He could feel his resistance fading, as he wanted some release. "We…I mean…I…".
"Midoriya...you smell so good..." Tsuyu said. It was like she was there, and not. How hard did she get hit? She inched closer, allowing his left hand to reveal itself.
"Well...um...I would hope so." He realized Tsuyu might not be as useful as he would like. His free hand remained on her thigh, as he tried to figure something out. He couldn't reach his phone with Tsuyu on top of him. Would they even get a signal? "
"Tsu, its okay, we're getting out of here-"
"Midoriya. Look at me."
Something about what she said, the way she said it, and the fact she was still pinned to him forced him to comply. As he formed and cast aside strategy after strategy, Tsuyu looked at him- he was convinced she must've gotten hit harder than he thought. But what could he say to someone speaking profoundly? Inconvenient? Sure.
"Midoriya…just…I need…"
He didn't have much more time to think as Tsuyu closed the distance and started softly kissing him.
Admittedly, Midoriya had been through a lot in a short amount of time. Born quirkless, risked his life to save his childhood friend/bully, got acknowledged by All Might, given a quirk, met and made a lot of friends at the hero school he never believed he'd attend, and drafted in the fight against All for One and his minions...yeah there was a lot to cover. Being stuffed in a crumbled cellar with a cute girl pinned on top of you, confessing to you that she may like-like you and she takes the moment to start making out with you while you're trying to find a way out without bringing the whole thing down...that pushed his brain over the edge.
And yet while his mind dreaded the precarious position, his body dove into the deep end. Slowly, he slid his trapped left arm from under Tsuyu's body, inching it in spades. Tsuyu simply kept his trapped right arm on her bottom, as she continued to rhythmically kiss him on his lips. Plans decayed quickly in his mind as her lips and tongue roamed inside of him. She shifted, eliciting a few dangerous creaks as Midoriya felt his hips buck her. He felt him against her, and he was both embarrassed again and aroused at it. He felt a part of him surrendering to it...he started to kiss back, as best as he could, aware that he couldn't go full on because of their position. His right hand gained sentience, and kneaded the only place it could grab.
His brain flowed like Todoroki's fire, as he answered her own innocent and desperate passion as best as he could. He swam far from the shore now, hand in hand with Tsuyu as he received her worries and her heart. His mind replayed images of her, perhaps logically trying to figure out how Tsuyu even got to this point. Had she been watching him all this time, like she said, and he never noticed? He had seen the others- Uraraka, Ashido, Yaoyoruzu…but Tsuyu, despite being close, seemed to never be there in his vision.
He wanted to help her, but this wasn't just saving something. Heroics was EASY compared to this. He voyaged into uncharted waters, but he had to admit…honestly, kissing her might've been the best thing to calm her down. He wasn't going to deny it now. As he traversed her mouth with his own, he…was starting to drink it in. She tasted nice, and sweet, and it was open and welcoming, like a fireplace in a cabin to protect from the cold. Was the heat from him, her, both of them, the depths they were in? He didn't know.
He remembered in the middle of their dancing lips that they still had to get out.
He moved his hands up, slowly. Tsuyu kept his free hand on her backside, teasing him with forbidden fruit that maybe, in her right mind, she wouldn't have done. However, his other hand found its way to her waist, and started to push her up...
Keeping her distracted, while inching slowly out, he moved her with him, one hand holding her by her backside and the other holding her by the waist while his mouth kept her attention at least on him. He flinched a bit as he felt her legs squeeze him more, but just doing this idea was a bit crazy.
It took minutes, with each one dragging out to a day, it felt like. He could feel the debris shift glacially as he moved Tsuyu with him while they did their impromptu make-out session. He had heard of kissing people just to calm them down, but she had started this, honestly! He got his legs ready, managing to get just to the edge. He felt the metal debris's weight now fully pressing on his hand that was lodged on her buttcheek. He gave a squeeze to prep him, which Tsuyu jumped and ribbited in his mouth. The need to come up for air would be soon, and maybe he could time a burst of One For All and get them both out. If not...his legs would be pinned.
He felt Tsuyu finish, a few more miniature kisses to finish before she leaned back, and looked down at him. For a moment, his plan almost fell to dust as their eyes met, the dim light now acclimated to, and...was that longing he saw?
"Tsu?"
I want to kiss you again.
"So do I, ribbit!"
Whoops, said the quiet part loud again. Tsuyu, perhaps on a riddled passionberry ride, smiled at him, smiled at his verbal gaffe. He guided her back to his chest, again to the feeling of her chest against his. Another lesson from Snipe etched into his head, as he drew Tsuyu as close as he could.
'What the hell can you do, at your least? Arms tied? Mouth cut? What the fuck can you do? You kids sit at the top so long you've forgotten what it MEANS to fight up the mountain again. Anyone with half a brain will exploit that.'
"Hold on."
One for All flashed, as he readied himself. Keeping Tsuyu close to him, he shoved himself back. The metal pinning them down, fell, allowing them to see something a little more maneuverable. The rubble started falling, but with a deathgrip on Tsuyu, pulling her so close he was practically crushing her, he empowered One For All, and bounced his way back up the tunnel.
Awaiting them, back in that upper room, was more tufts of golden fur. The drone that had sent them down there was long gone, but he didn't remember the golden fur when they first got there. Midoriya cataloged that in his mind, as he pulled out his cellphone, now with a signal, and texted back up.
It took him a moment to realize he was still holding Tsuyu in his arms. He was still reeling from her passion, but she seemed...content to be held by him...for now.
"Tsuyu..."
"Just...a bit longer..." She pleaded. That she didn't object to him holding her up by her butt was not unnoticed by Midoriya, but he acquiesced. At some point, he would sit down and just...talk to her about what THEY were. But right now...he felt a degree of peace, of holding her in his arms, of her soft croaking in his ears. "You're okay…ribbit."
He eventually set her back on her feet, but held her hand due to her wobbly gait. Neither of them heard the camera snaps, even as other heroes of Endeavor's agency came by. Uraraka, scared out of her mind at not hearing from either of her friends, quickly rushed to them, barely registering Tsuyu holding his hand.
Nor did they see the golden beast lurking in the dumpster nearby…
—-
Stinger…
"Hey, This the Meta Liberation Army?"
"Who's this? This is a private number!"
"Put Redestro on the line. Its his most reliable bounty hunter."
"...Oh, Mr. Gorgon! I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"
"Just get him on the horn."
Silence over the phone call. Then…
"Ah…if it isn't my newly wealthy employee."
"I go where the money is, Re-destro. We established this."
"Indeed. But, right now, I don't have any jobs for you. I'm holding a conference for election. What is the purpose of this call?"
"I wanted to see if I could get some juicy tidbits to your reporter. Furious Bi-curious, or whatever?"
"Oh…and what do you have?"
"Something the media would like to tear apart and gobble."
"Even more than these murders your partner's doing?"
"Hmm…She's gone, mentally. You know that. But UA brought it on themselves."
"And what bait do you think would whet Curious's appetite?"
A smile on the other end of the phone. A hand cupping a flashdrive.
"Young love is the public's favorite chocolate, tough guy. How do you think the media will feast if they see one of their favorite up-and-coming blue chippers liplocking with another? I think she'll make bank. And that money helps your organization, doesn't it?"
"Hmm… I'm trying to see what you get out of this, Gorgon."
"A favor, maybe. Continued employment. You never know if you need blackmail, right?"
Redestro looked around, before gesturing for pen and paper.
"I trust a briefcase would be worth this?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Pleasure doing business with you again, Gorgon."
"Good luck with the election, Redestro. You shouldn't have any political enemies anymore."
The phone clicked as the exchange, the agreement was completed.
—-