A/N: I'm trying to think of something witty and/or funny to say, but I got nothing this time- possibly because I'm working on this at one in the morning, but who knows? Enjoy the chapter, and as promised, prepare for shenanigans with Akarui's name slapped on 'em!
Or was that next chapter? I dunno, enjoy!
Phase 4: Chapter 9
Next in Line
It had finally happened; everyone in Class 1-A had a provisional hero's license. After months of supplemental classes, Bakugo had finally come into his own as fledgling hero alongside his classmates, and he was eager to prove that no matter how much longer they had been licensed, he was still better than them.
Well, most of them, anyway.
"Just you wait, Saiyaman," he growled as he walked past Kurai's desk for their homeroom assembly. "You're gonna eat my dust this coming semester."
"In your dreams, Blasty McSplode." Kurai delivered the rebuttal without looking up from his notes concerning their next lesson's quadratic formulas.
Before the blond student could rail against his rival, Aizawa walked in the room, immediately resulting in everyone being in their seats with their heads turned forward. "I've been tasked with giving all of you news that I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear," he said with his usual lack of enthusiasm. Each of the students braced themselves for his trademark delivery of extra assignments that would keep them glued to their textbooks well into the night, but instead he said, "The Hero's Safety Commission has reached out to multiple schools in the last few weeks, and they've requested our aid- or rather, the aid of the hero course students who have provisional licenses."
He paused as he clicked a button on a remote, which in turn caused a map of an island to appear on the blackboard behind him. "Due to crime being on the rise, the government is racing to relocate heroes who can better handle villain attacks from other areas, but places with low crime rates still need heroes to help them get by," he went on to say, not missing the looks of excitement that were starting to infect some of his students. "That's where provisionally licensed heroes like you come in. The big wigs want you to be stationed at this place for one month: Nabu Island, off the coast of southern Japan. It's a place with a small population and a very low crime rate that used to have one hero assigned to it. He's retired, and the Safety Commission has yet to find a hero who is willing to take over for him permanently. Normally they'd put in someone closer to retirement, or someone who was looking to start a new agency, but these are unusual circumstances."
He looked out over them as he said in a grave tone, "You will be on your own, with no pros or teachers to back you up if something goes wrong. You will be responsible for each and every action you take out there. You won't be treated as interns or even sidekicks- as far as this assignment goes, you will each be acting as pro heroes in your own right. Again, this is something we would normally never even consider, but the truth is that the demand for heroes is starting to outweigh our nation's supply."
The classroom was positively buzzing with excitement now, but Aizawa still wasn't finished. "You'll be set to leave in a few days, and you'll be back a week before Christmas. Concerning your final exams, you will all be receiving marks equal to your total average over the semester for each class. Subjects that we intended to cover in the coming month will be worked into next semester's schedule."
"Sir!" Iida said as he raised his hand. "This is no doubt a great opportunity that is being given to us to demonstrate our worth as heroes and as UA alumni! However, I cannot help but feel as though this is a very sudden matter! May we know why this has not been brought to our attention until now?!"
For a moment, their teacher seemed to be deciding whether or not to tell them something, but eventually he said, "Principal Nezu didn't want to risk your lives unnecessarily. He held out until the Safety Commission agreed to send you to a place beyond even the League of Villains' influence. Since Nabu has no strategic or great economic value to exploit, it's unlikely that they would have any holdings there. Truthfully, he's been against this for quite a while, but the higher-ups have been putting a lot of pressure on us to do what they consider to be our part for the communities at large. So, here we are. Any further questions?"
"None, sir!" Iida said as he lowered his arm. "Thank you for humoring my inquiry!"
"All Might will be in soon to discuss the particulars of your assignment, including an orientation compiled by the hero who has chosen to retire," Aizawa said as he pulled his sleeping bag out from his podium. "I have more paperwork to attend to, so consider this a free period until he shows up."
Kurai's eyebrow went up as he watched their teacher exit the room. Why would he need his sleep sack to do paperwork? he thought with traces of amusement. Eh, I suppose he's gotta take his sleep when he can get it.
Already, the other students in the room were talking in clusters with barely contained excitement. Before Kurai knew it, Mina, Izuku, Ochaco, Iida, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu had formed one such group with him.
"This is gonna be awesome!" Mina said exuberantly. "We're gonna be real heroes!"
"Yes, and it will be the perfect chance to show that UA has more to offer than troubling villain attacks!" Iida declared.
There was a brief silence among them before Kurai said, "Uh, was that meant to be inspiring? Cos-"
"Yes, I realized it sounded much worse than I meant it to out loud," Iida sighed. "I'm simply elated that we can finally do something good without risking the interest of the League!"
"That didn't sound much better, man."
"You know what I meant!"
"I know," Kurai grinned as he clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder. "What do you say we call up Tensei tonight and tell him the news?"
"Yes!" Iida said, his expression lighting up again. "A splendid idea! I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear about this!" Witnessing this interaction got the others to smile, glad to see the two of them behaving more like they had during the beginning of the year.
"It'll be nice to not have to worry about active combat for a little while," Yaoyorozu was now saying.
"Yes, please," Kurai groaned as he hung his head, as if tired. "A whole month without having to blast a villain? Might as well call this thing a vacation."
"I wouldn't go that far," Todoroki cautioned his friend. "We will be there to represent the next generation of heroes, as well as our school. That said, I also hope that this will be a month without incident."
"I'm kinda nervous," Ochaco admitted. "There's gonna be all those people depending on us, and we won't be able to ask anyone to help us… It's a lot to think about, you know?"
"Indeed it is!" Iida said quickly. "It's perfectly all right to consider the enormity of what is being asked of us."
"We'll be up to it," Izuku said confidently as he gave everyone a big smile. "We're UA students. We've been through a lot together, and we can get through this, too."
"Get through it?" Kurai snorted. "Nah, forget that noise, man. We're gonna crush it, plus ultra style. Who all is with me?" At that, everyone in the group gave their own affirmation, bolstering each other's spirits as it began to truly sink in that they were about to achieve their lifelong dreams of being actual pro heroes.
*So, you're going to be acting as pros for a whole month?* Akarui asked as he moved his wheelchair to rest against the coffee table in the teacher's lounge. All Might, Kurai, Izuku, and he were all gathered for a private meeting concerning the latest development of One For All. It would also be an opportunity for Kurai to spend some time with his brother before he left for Nabu Island. Several students had asked for and been granted permission to visit their families before they set out, but since Izuku had wanted to speak to Akarui in a secure place, it made sense for him to be allowed on campus at the behest of All Might when he appealed directly to the principal.
"That's right," the retired pro said to answer the paralyzed boy's question. "I have no doubt that these two and their classmates are more than up to the task."
*Provided that Midoriya's quirk doesn't explode again, you mean.*
"Yeah, something like that," Izuku admitted with a slight wince. "I've tried to get Blackwhip to activate again, but it hasn't happened. Kurai even tried to enhance my power with energy from Giving Heart, but nothing unusual happened."
Akarui seemed to think for a moment before he typed out, *You said that when you activated Blackwhip, you were pretty angry. You're sure that's not the trigger?*
"If it is, I don't know that there's much I can do to train myself," the greenette admitted. "I wasn't just mad, I was completely furious with Monoma. The fifth user did say something about anger making the quirk work for me, but he also said that it can be dangerous to rely on that. He wanted me to 'master my heart', or something to that effect."
Akarui was still for another few seconds before saying, *We might have you look into studying chakra centers like Kurai. If there are things clogging your spirit up, it might very well be hampering your ability to manifest One For All like these vestiges are trying to have you do.*
Kurai and Izuku exchanged a look before the former nodded and said, "It's worth a shot, I guess. That something we can probably work on while we're out on Nabu."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," All Might cautioned them. "It's one thing to experiment here, where you're in a controlled environment. But out there, where people are looking to you to be the heroes they need? You can't risk shaking their faith in you, especially with circumstances being the way that they are."
Kurai and Izuku exchanged a more disgruntled look this time, but they were forced to concede that their mentor was right. It was tempting to experiment when they were so clearly on the cusp of something enormous, but the people of Nabu Island would have to come first. "We'll hold off on experimenting until we get back to school," Izuku promised All Might.
*In the meantime, I'll do what I can to research the previous users of One For All,* Akarui added. Turning slightly more toward All Might, he then asked, *Do you happen to have the names of any of them? That would help my search a great deal.*
"I only knew my master's name; Nana Shimura," All Might replied, a wistful look coming into his eyes as he said her name. "Her quirk was called Float, and it allowed her to stay up in the air for pretty much however long she wanted."
"She could fly?" Kurai asked, unable to help his intrigue.
"Not after she gave me One For All," All Might said with a shake of his head. "Still, she could definitely use it to get around- she would use it like she was stepping on invisible platforms in the air, triggering it for only a second at a time whenever she needed to take a 'step'."
*If Midoriya could manifest her quirk the same way he did with Blackwhip- that is, a more powerful version of the original quirk, I think it's safe to say that he'll be able to fly when he masters it,* Akarui commented. *Wouldn't that be something?*
"I'll say," Kurai agreed. "I would have killed to have a flight quirk when I fought that Nomu in Fukuoka- would've saved me a lot of trouble on the return trip to the ground."
*In any case, I'll look into your master and any of her known associates that I can find,* Akarui told All Might. *I'll start by looking for anyone who matches the description of the man who passed One For All on to her. Maybe I'll be able to pick up on a trail that'll lead back to All For One's brother.*
"I'll have Tsukauchi and Gran Torino do some digging as well, if they can spare the time," the retired pro said. "I'll be in touch with you so we can all compare notes. In the meantime, Young Midoriya and Young Hikari, focus on your upcoming mission."
"We are, sir," Kurai replied readily. "We've been studying maps and their economy as a class in our spare hours, so we're getting familiar with the topography and the areas that are more likely to need our help. Iida and Yaoyorozu are already working on a preliminary schedule for patrols and the like."
All Might smiled at them, suitably impressed by their efforts. "Sounds like you boys know what you're getting into," he told them. "As long as you remember that your actions will have a lasting impact on their community, I'm sure you'll do great. You may only be on Nabu for a few weeks, but you should act with the thought in mind that these people will remember you after you've gone. At the end of your visit, what will they say about you?"
*If Kurai is in the mix, nothing good.*
"Does that speaker come with a mute button?" Kurai muttered as he scowled at his brother, who was affecting to smile mischievously.
About an hour later, the elder brother was showing his sibling what he had been able to do with his newly unsealed chakra. "True Speech: Rasenshuriken!" At his command, a large ball of rotating energy appeared above his hand with rapidly spinning blades that he then hurled at a column that had been left over by Cementoss in gym gamma. The blades slashed through the rock like a hot knife through butter before the ball made contact and resulted in a terrific explosion that reduced the pillar to dust.
*Impressive.* Akarui had to admit. *I always thought that technique required too many moving parts for you to keep track of.* It was very overcast outside, and the weatherman had predicted the season's first snowfall.
"In my normal state, yeah," Kurai admitted as he turned to his brother, his Adam's apple glowing sky blue. "But with this ability, any object that I speak while infusing energon into the word will appear exactly as I've envisioned it. Here, check this out." Stepping a few paces away from his brother, he then said, "True Speech: Naginata!" Just like that, the weapon that he had imagined appeared in his hands, though it was a little disconcerting to him that the normally-heavy instrument of violence weighed almost nothing.
*So what's the tradeoff?* Akarui asked as his brother willed the spear to vanish, which it quickly did. *Everything else has cost you something in exchange for the power. What is it this time?*
"No super strength or speed while it's active," Kurai answered as he released the power and rubbed his neck on reflex. "Sore throat if I use it for too long, but it's not as bad as the headaches that I get with Divine Eye. Also, anything that I conjure while using it dissipates when I turn it off."
*So a useful tool for long-range attacks, but not much help in hand-to-hand.*
"Only if you keep up that attitude," Kurai teased him. "I thought you of all people wouldn't be discounting the fact that we learned to fight without quirks from the time that we started kindergarten. Even without my super strength and speed, I can conjure up any number of things to assist me in close-quarters combat."
Akarui nodded and made a concessional gesture with his hands before he typed out, *What's the activation and dropout time? If it's like Endless Resolve, that's not something you want to use if someone is pressing for close-quarters. You rely heavily on the enhanced speed and strength factors of your quirk.* The body shield that Energon created when Kurai focused on his Manipura chakra had an instant activation, but required a full five seconds to come out of and allow for movement.
"Pretty much instant on both counts," Kurai informed him. "The switch isn't much of a factor- it's actually been one of the easier ones to figure out in terms of timing."
*You're sure?*
"I used it to beat the crap out of Bakugo the other day when he challenged me to a match."
*He had to hate that.*
"On the contrary," Kurai smirked. "I think it got him even more fired up to try and beat me in the future."
*So are you two friends now?*
"No, but I think you might say that his rivalry with Izuku and I has shifted in a more healthy direction."
Akarui smiled a little before he said, *Glad to hear it. Side bar, are you gonna visit Aunt Sakura and Shukin before you go? You only have a few days left, and you haven't given them so much as a phone call in months.*
Kurai's smile faded to be replaced by a more uncertain look before he said, "I don't know that… It doesn't seem like a good idea. I haven't seen either of them since…"
*Since you arrested Mom?*
"Yeah, that," Kurai sighed as he moved to stand next to his brother and put his face in his left hand. "I mean, how do I even go about interacting with them when that was the last time I saw them? I can't even imagine how awkward that would be."
*You don't have an issue talking to me.* Akarui couldn't actually sound accusatory, but Kurai recognized his brother's irritation in the way that he was more smacking his fingers against his tablet instead of simply tapping them.
"You're my brother, it's a little different," he tried to say, but Akarui held up a hand to indicate that he wanted silence.
*Shukin is our cousin, and Sakura is our aunt. They're no less family than you and I.* Akarui paused and then resumed his irritated typing to say, *I haven't said anything for a while because you've needed time to process quite a bit.*
"You mean the part where All For One used me as a human experiment to propagate Nomus, I nearly got pulped by another Nomu on the same day I found that out, and then the teachers set me up to fight all of my classmates because they needed to be sure that I could be contained on the off chance that I ever turned into a villain?" Kurai deadpanned.
*Yes, that.*
"Also, Mina and I unofficially got engaged."
Akarui's fingers stopped just short of his tablet as he flicked his eyes to look up directly at his brother in utter surprise. "You… what?" he managed to get out with his actual voice.
"That part's a good thing, mind you, but it's still a big thing," Kurai said with a nervous grin. "This is also not how I had planned on telling you, but here we are."
Akarui blinked as few times before a broad smile broke out onto his face and he said, "Congratulations… I'm… happy for you."
"As am I."
"Gah!" Kurai yelped as he spun around to see Iida standing a few feet away, Mina right behind him, wearing a mischievous smile. "Iida, how are you always here whenever stuff like this comes out?!" he gasped. To Mina he added, "And you told him?!"
"Yup." She gave him a wink before saying, "I knew that if you had any time alone with Akarui, you'd end up telling him, and I figured that it was only fair that your other brother be let in on the secret, too."
"I am glad that she did," the class rep said as he approached his friend and extended his hand. "I know that we aren't as close as we used to be, and I still have my misgivings about the speed at which this already-questionable relationship is moving-"
"Tenya," Mina said with a warning note. The change in tone told Kurai that they must have had some words before Iida was won around to their side of things, but he didn't care about that right now. He was just glad to have Iida be a part of this large event in his life.
"Yes, sorry," Iida apologized before Kurai grinned and reached out to shake his friend's hand. "My own feelings on the matter itself aside, I do want for you to be happy, Kurai. I've seen that Ashido does that for you, and in turn, how happy you make her. If you are both committed to this course of action with your whole hearts, then I will not bring myself to oppose it- no matter how many reasons I can easily list why this is-"
"Tenya!"
"Glad to know that you'll always be around to keep our heads on straight," Kurai laughed as he pulled his friend in for an embrace. "And thanks for supporting us."
"Of course, I'm the class rep; it's my duty to support everyone to the best of my ability," Iida said as he returned the hug. Before Mina could reprimand him again, he added, "And I'm your friend who is genuinely happy for you."
As Kurai allowed the happiness of the moment to wash over him, he realized that deep inside, there was still one spot that could not feel as the rest of his spirit did. He also knew that if he didn't address it soon, it was going to eat away at his conscience. So, in spite of the smile on his face and the laughter in his throat, he had the thought, I guess it may be time to face the music.
A couple of days later, he was pulled aside by Aizawa after homeroom period finished. At first he assumed that he was about to get another lecture concerning his performance during his fight against Monoma, but it turned out that he was in for a much worse time than that.
"No way," he said as he shook his head rapidly. "You can't throw me to those circus monkeys!"
"It's not my call," the ragged man shrugged. "Principal Nezu has already agreed to their request. Given your actions in the public eye during recent events, you would have been wise to foresee something like this coming to pass."
"Under normal circumstances, I would," Kurai complained. "But I live on one of the most secure school campuses on the planet! What good are those giant walls if you're just gonna let guys like that in and out whenever they feel like it?!"
"It's out of my hands," Aizawa said with an air of finality that Kurai knew he would be unwise to test further. "They'll be setting up in the common space right after classes, so make sure that you're cleaned up by then. It won't be a live show, so they'll take a few weeks to edit the footage together before they release it to the public."
"Yes sir," Kurai grumbled as he started to walk away.
He stopped when his instructor told him, "Hikari… For better or worse, your actions have singled you out as the rising star for your generation of heroes. People will be watching you from now on because they have seen what you can do on their behalf."
"I don't want to be under the spotlight," Kurai said as he turned back to look at his teacher. "I've never set out to be a hero who amasses fame and fortune through their exploits. Men and women like them have their place in society, but I don't want to be one of them. I want to do my part for society without having to worry about which tabloid is watching out for a scoop or which interview I'm going to have to catch while I'm busy saving lives. I want to be like you."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow at his student before he shrugged again and said, "Whether or not you go through with this interview is ultimately up to you. The only question I would have you ask yourself is if ignoring the media will do more harm than good."
"I don't take you meaning, sir."
"Endeavor is the new number one hero," the older man told him. "And while he did a fine job in Fukuoka, his actions were undeniably overshadowed by your own efforts. People want to know what they can expect from the hero who seems to be destined to surpass him. Can they hope for a better future than one led by the Flame Hero? Or can they expect the same indifference to their struggles when you come into your own?"
Kurai made a face and turned away to resume walking as he grumbled, "I have to get to English, sir."
"Wha-?! Channel Five wants to do an interview with you?!" Mina squealed excitedly as she sat down at the lunch table with her friends. "That's so great, Kurai!"
"Yeah, 'great' isn't the word I'm looking for right now," he muttered as he started to garnish his soup.
"Why not?" Ochaco asked as she tilted her head in confusion while Mina sobered her expression along with Izuku. "Isn't publicity good for hero students like us?"
"Kurai's family never had a good relationship with the media, and after his father's reputation was ruined, it got worse," Izuku reminded his girlfriend, who immediately reddened with shame.
"Oh my gosh, Kurai, I'm so sorry!"
"Don't worry about it," he sighed. "It's not your fault."
"Your family may not have a good relationship with the news, but that hasn't been the case for you since you came to UA," Mina pointed out, though Kurai was already shaking his head in the negative.
"My first interaction with the media was the same day that the League broke onto campus," Kurai reminded her. "I hit their equipment with an electromagnetic burst from a device that Yaomomo had made a couple days before that so that they'd stop heckling me."
"She gave you an EMP grenade?"
"It was the same one that we used against Jiro and Kaminari during fight training."
"Oh, now I remember," Mina nodded thoughtfully. "Still, everything after that has been good. And the forums have had nothing but good stuff to say about you ever since you and I worked with Gang Orca."
"That still doesn't help me to shake the feeling that somehow my dad is gonna come up during the interview," Kurai muttered as he poked his food dispassionately.
"I kinda doubt it," Izuku said, appearing thoughtful.
"Why?"
"Media channels bank a lot of their success on which heroes they can get to attend interviews with them," he began. "The more successful the hero they host, the more viewers that they'll have. If you're already showing this level of success before you even go pro, any news station would be lucky to interview you. If they build up a good working relationship with you, their own viewership will increase as they follow your career. On the other hand, if they do something to alienate you, and another news channel that's more accommodating to you starts to get you on their show regularly, they'll lose views to that rival network.
"At this point in time, they can't afford to offend you because of the level of success you'll probably attain after graduation," Izuku finished. "If the interviewer has done their homework, they'll know that bringing up your dad would be negative press, and you'd probably never want to do business with them again."
Kurai thought for a moment before he asked, "Did All Might ever burn any news stations like that?"
"No, because everyone wanted to be on his good side," Izuku said with a shake of his head. "Just like you."
"Hmph," Kurai muttered before he started eating his soup.
"You know, most people would take it as a compliment to be compared to All Might," Mina said as she nudged him with her elbow. "This is a good thing that's happening, Kurai. People are being inspired by you and what you did in Fukuoka, and even before that."
Kurai swallowed his food before he answered, "I know all that. It's just… I never saw myself as being like All Might- I never prepared myself to become this kind of hero."
"But aren't there other things that you haven't prepared for that turned out really good?" Ochaco asked him. "You never expected to meet Mina, and look how that's turned out."
In spite of himself, Kurai couldn't stop a smile from spreading on his face as he felt Mina's familiar grip work its way into his hand. "Alright, fair enough," he conceded. "I still don't know how I feel about this interview, though."
"Why?" Mina asked him.
Kurai hesitated before saying in an uncharacteristically small voice, "Every time I've been on camera, there's been someone with me. The first time, I was with Iida, then Gang Orca, and then this last time, I had Tsukauchi."
"You were by yourself right after you survived crashing into the ground from the sky," she countered.
"That was for like ten seconds, and I'm pretty sure I was concussed. It doesn't count."
"Why not ask if you can bring a guest speaker?" Izuku suggested. "If they're giving you short notice on this interview, it's only fair that they be accommodating to you."
Kurai perked up at that idea, so he nodded and said, "Good idea. Any volunteers?"
"Thank you for humoring us today, Mister Hikari," said the lady who was apparently going to be conducting the interview. "We appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us."
"It's not a problem," Kurai lied through a smile as he shook hands with her. "Do you mind if we go over topics of discussion before we get the cameras rolling?"
"Of course, of course," the lady said with a friendly smile. Behind her, a camera crew was setting up in front of one of the common room's couches so that Kurai would have a comfortable seat for when the talk began. He was dressed in his school uniform, and Mina had made sure that his hair wasn't completely messed up from their time during combat practice earlier in the day.
"Mostly, we'd just like to talk about your experiences and interactions at UA concerning your classmates, though as I'm sure you're aware, people will want to hear about your battles since becoming a provisionally licensed hero," the reporter informed him as she looked down at some of her notes. "My bosses also wanted to see if you would care to comment on your, er-hem, physical changes since you were seen at the Sport's Festival, the first time that you addressed national television." She had the grace to look a little embarrassed as her eyes wandered toward his metal hand, which had come up to unconsciously brush the strands of his silver shock on the right side of his head.
Kurai glanced over at Mina, who nodded with an encouraging smile from where she stood next to Iida, Izuku, Ochaco, and Todoroki. Turning back to the reporter, he gave a single nod and said, "I'd be willing to provide a brief statement on the subject."
"Thank you," she replied, looking a little relieved. "Given your family history, we weren't sure that you would be willing to sit down with us at all."
At that, Kurai's eyes narrowed with irritation. Before the lady could really take note of this, however, he simply said, "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not discuss my family on camera."
"Oh?" she asked, apparently realizing that she had somehow annoyed the young hero. "Are you sure? We did want to ask about-"
"Ma'am," Kurai said to cut her off with a blunt tone. "My family's history and current affairs are a sensitive matter, and not a topic I'd like to discuss. I'll be willing to accommodate questions pertaining to the subjects we've already mentioned, but as you can imagine, the losses my family has had to suffer is not something that I'd like to reflect on in front of your viewers."
"Alright, that's fine," the woman said as she jotted down a note on her paper. "I'm sorry if I came across as intrusive."
"Bit of a requirement in your line of work," Kurai answered with a slight grin to show that he would not hold this against her. As long as she doesn't bring it up again or try to pull a fast one on me, he thought as he put his hand in his pocket, where his phone lay, recording the entire conversation. It wouldn't hurt to have some insurance, just in case the media tried to edit the following conversation into something less-than-flattering for his school.
"We'll be getting started in five minutes, do you need anything before we begin?" the reporter asked him as she finished scribbling in her notepad.
"Actually, yes," Kurai nodded as he moved toward the couch. "I would prefer it if I could have two of my classmates sit in for the interview."
"Perfect!" the reporter smiled as she put her notepad down on the couch that she would be occupying, across the coffee table from Kurai. "As I said before, we wanted to get a look at your relationship with some of your classmates if at all possible. We'd be happy to have them sit in with you. Did you have someone in mind?"
A few minutes later, the cameras were rolling, and Kurai was sitting in the middle of the couch, with Iida on his left side, and Mina sitting closer to his right. The reporter, whose name was Hayori, started the interview by addressing the three students after explaining to the future audiences that they were filming on UA's campus.
"We have with us today three students from class 1-A," she began. "Tenya Iida, hero name: Ingenium. Mina Ashido, hero name: Ashid Queen. And of course, the young man who needs no introduction, Kurai Hikari, hero name: Kai. Thank you so much to the three of you for taking the time to talk with us."
"It's our pleasure to do so!" Iida said quickly.
"Super pumped to be here," Mina said with a charming smile.
"Thank you for having us on your show," Kurai replied politely.
"Kai, our station has been flooded with requests in recent weeks for a closer look at the hero who has already garnered more attention in less than a year than many pros will achieve in a lifetime," Hayori said as she glanced down at her notes. "You've each had impressive starts to your hero careers. All of you survived the initial attack from the League of Villains, and less than a month later, went on to place quite high in the Sport's Festival. Ingenium, you ranked in the top eight, correct?"
"Yes, indeed!" Iida nodded. Looking at Kurai, he added, "In fact, it was by none other than Kurai that I was stopped in my tracks. I gave it my best shot, but his training and tenacity enabled him to overcome me at that time."
"You didn't make it easy for me," Kurai snickered, the two of them sharing in a brief laugh.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the two of you knew each other from before UA, correct?" Hayori asked.
"Yeah, we attended the Sommei Private Academy together for junior high," Kurai replied, turning his attention back to the reporter. "We've been friends pretty much since elementary school, though."
"So did the two of you decide to become heroes together?"
"I suppose we did," Iida nodded as he and Kurai shared another look. "I wanted to become like my brother, the original Ingenium, a man whom we both admire a great deal, even unto this day. My family has been heroes for generations, but it is because of my elder brother's example that I strive to become the best hero I can possibly be."
"Yeah, Tensei's influence was a big factor in me deciding to become a hero," Kurai agreed.
"I would say that the world is much better for his influence on the two of you," Hayori said with another smile. Turning slightly to address Mina, she then said, "Ashid Queen, you also made it to the tournament bracket, but were defeated by Kai in the first round. Though if I'm not mistaken, you two worked together during the cavalry battle event?"
"That's right," Mina chirped, maintaining her friendly attitude. "Kurai and I actually met during the entrance exam, and we've worked pretty well together ever since. It was a bummer losing to him during the fighting part of the tournament, but I guess if I had to lose to anyone, I'm glad that it was him."
"We also worked together for Gang Orca's raid during our internships in the first semester," Kurai reminded them. "She helped get a lot of the captives to freedom while I was busy getting my shoulder dislocated like an idiot, so honestly, she was the real hero in that situation."
"You dislocated your shoulder during that raid?" Iida asked, turning to his friend in surprise.
"Yeah, didn't I tell you about that?"
"If you did, I can't recall."
"Well, when we were getting started, Gang Orca has me break down the door to the bad guys' lair, but I got a little carried away and ended up crashing through the wall to find a bunch of guns pointed in my face from all directions," Kurai said as he grinned sheepishly. "Next thing I know, I'm up in the rafters trying not to get shot while I take out the gunmen on the walkways. I shoot out the supports to make the bridge collapse, and only then do I realize that some of our guys are in the line of fire." He had actually almost dropped the metal structure on a cage full of children, but he decided that it would be better to be vague with his wording concerning this part of the narrative. "It's moving too fast for me to make a laser that'll push it off-course in time, so I just did the first thing I could think of and shoulder-checked it so that it missed everyone. In the process, however…" He shrugged and mimicked a cracking sound as he patted his right collar.
"Well, at least no one was permanently injured," Iida offered, to which he nodded.
"And how was it, getting to work with a classmate in the field?" Hayori asked, addressing the question to both Kurai and Mina. "Did you find it reassuring to have someone you were familiar with beside you?"
"Well…" Kurai hesitated, so Mina took over.
"Our interaction during the raid was pretty minimal," she told the other woman. "He was on the team that beat up the bad guys, and I helped rescue the captives. We probably only saw each other for less than a minute while the whole thing went down." As she spoke, she noted that her boyfriend seemed to be holding up well so far. The last time he had sat down for a formal interview, he had been under the close eye of his then-mentor, Gang Orca. Now that he was more on his own, he had seemed apprehensive about being put in the public eye again, but it appeared as though he was doing well for the moment.
"I see," Hayori nodded slowly in response to Mina's recollection of the slavers' raid. "The two of you seem to be rather close for a couple of students who have known each other for less than a year. Even if you didn't interact much during the raid itself, would you say that experience brought you closer together?"
"Yeah," Mina answered quickly, while Kurai nodded silently. "It was dumb luck that we wound up working the same assignment since we were with separate agencies, but I would say that facing the same villains definitely made for a sympathetic experience."
"Not to mention that it's happened, what? Three times now?" Kurai turned to Mina for confirmation, and she gave a nod of her own in response.
"The USJ, Animod's gang, and I-island," she confirmed.
"Didn't you both survive the second League attack during the summer together?"
"Eh…" Kurai shrugged as he held up his mechanical arm and made a face.
"Unfortunately, Ashido and I were unable to assist Kurai when he came under attack by the villain known as 'Moonfish', who is responsible for his current condition," Iida said grimly as he adjusted his glasses. "Thanks to the quick thinking and capabilities of some of our other classmates, Kurai continues to live and breathe. But I cannot look back on that night without remembering how helpless I felt when I learned what had happened to him." He shifted his gaze to look directly into the camera lens as he went on to say, "I never want to be powerless to use my quirk to help others again. That's why I worked so hard to gain my provisional license- so that the next time I hear that there is trouble, I can be ready to assist as hero."
"Ditto," Mina said in an uncharacteristically somber voice. "Kurai has inspired a lot of us in Class A to do better than we ever thought we could. I'm pretty sure he's inspired people outside of our classroom, too."
"You'd be right," Hayori said as she indicated a small display screen that had been set up on the side of the coffee table, out of the lens shot. When the three students looked at the dark screen with intrigue, the reporter went on to say, "We spent a few days before this interview asking people what they thought of Kai, particularly the younger crowd. Here's what a few of them had to say."
The screen flickered for a second, and then the trio was greeted with the sight of a young couple with their baby girl in a stroller, both of them smiling as they looked into the camera. The man then said, "If you're getting a chance to watch this, Kai, then I just want you to know that we think you're the coolest hero out there today."
"We were both super bummed when All Might said that he was gonna retire, but then we saw your fight the other day, and we both just started smiling," his wife said as she beamed at the camera. "Because we both knew that even though All Might is gone, the world still has a hero like you in it."
"We're grateful to you for your efforts, and we look forward to seeing our little girl grow up in a world where you're protecting us," the man added before they waved at the camera, with the mother assisting her unknowing child in waving along with them as they laughed.
The next clip showed a group of grade schoolers- mostly boys- who were clamoring over one another to send Kai the message that they were his number one fans. Following that was a pair of university students who wished him well on his career, then a high school girl and her younger brother saying that the League of Villains was done for with him around, and so on. For three minutes, the students watched as people from across the country spoke nothing but well wishes for the rising young hero. Throughout all of this, Kurai kept his expression blank, with his mouth hidden behind his metallic hand, even when his friends kept checking on him from the corner of their eyes to see how the montage was affecting him.
For the final clip, Hayori said, "Now, this last group was not spoken to at random, but I think you'll be interested in what they have to say."
Before any of the students could ask what she was talking about, the TV changed to show a group of twenty-odd children of all ages. They didn't look familiar to any of the young heroes, but it didn't take long before Kurai and Mina's hands found each other and locked on tight.
"Thank you for rescuing us, Kai," the group said with one voice.
"These are some of the children who you rescued alongside Gang Orca," Hayori confirmed for the young heroes before they could even ask.
"I was super glad to see you beating up that monster, jus' like you beat up the bad guys with guns," said a little boy near the front.
"You're amazing, Kai," added an older teen toward the back.
"I'm gonna be a hero like you when I grow up," declared a small girl with fire for hair.
"I still like All Might better, but you're awesome, too," chirped a four-year-old with a shark's fin and sharp teeth.
There were other comments from the children, but at that one, Kurai burst out laughing. He was actually holding his sides as he started to wheeze painfully while he desperately tried to reign himself in, with Iida giving him a stern look while Mina appeared more concerned. "Sorry," he gasped once he had a modicum of control. "The little guy doesn't know how to hold back- I like him."
The class representative went to reprimand him for an inappropriate reaction, but he stopped when he saw that there were tears running down his friend's face, too many to just be from laughing.
"Kai, are you alright?" Hayori asked Kurai as the monitor blinked off, who quickly nodded through his smile.
"Yeah, sorry," he said as he continued to stifle his chuckles. "I just wasn't expecting all of that."
"Your actions have reached out across a nation," the reporter said warmly as Mina began to rub her boyfriend's back. "We thought it might be nice if you could see just how much you've already done for everyone in a world that seems so uncertain in recent days."
"Thank you for sharing that," Kurai nodded as he wiped at his eyes, his laughter finally having subsided. "After that fight in Fukuoka, I said that I was ready to stand my ground, but I never expected to see so many people who wanted me to stand for them."
"We're just glad that you get to see it, too," Mina said with an affectionate smile that finally caught Hayori's attention.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask, Kai," she said a little slowly, as if testing the waters before wading all the way in. "Rumors have circulated for some time that you were romantically involved with a fellow classmate. Is that true?"
Mina and Kurai exchanged a look before the pink girl grinned and said, "Rumor confirmed." She gave the camera a wink and added, "Sorry ladies, but this one's all mine."
"I think I just heard a lot of shattered hearts," Hayori laughed, causing Kurai to turn redder than Yaoyorozu's costume. She then checked her watch before she sighed and said, "Since we unfortunately only have time for a short interview, do the three of you have any closing statements you'd like to give?"
"Yes!" Iida said as he sat up even straighter than before. "I wish for all those out there who once depended on my brother to know that I am on my way! I know that I could never take his place, but Tensei entrusted the name 'Ingenium' to me, and so I shall do my best to live up to the expectations that come with it!"
"I'ma just say that once I hit the streets, it's gonna be stomp o' clock for any villains dumb enough to commit a crime where I can reach 'em," Mina grinned roguishly.
"Very nice," Hayori smiled before she turned to Kurai. "And how about you, Kai? People all over are saying that you're next in line to lead the heroes of today. Any comment?"
"Yeah," he said as he nodded slowly. "Like that kid said, I'm not All Might, and honestly, I've never aspired to be like him. That might seem strange, coming from one of his students, as well as someone on the receiving end of so many compliments from people who seem to be hoping that I'll take his place soon, but it's the truth. With that being said, I've started to realize that whoever holds the number one spot doesn't need to be exactly like All Might to inspire others to be better. So, I won't try to be him, or a stand-in for him. I'm going to be me, because I don't need to be anyone other than Kai to become the best hero I can be. Also…"
Kurai grinned as he glanced over his shoulder for less than a second before he added, "I'm not the only one that people should be on the lookout for. If they're not careful, folks might just miss the view when one of my classmates flies past me and turns out to be the next number one that everyone's been waiting for."
Late that evening, Kurai sighed as he shut off his laptop and rubbed his tired eyes, having just finished updating his journal with the week's events. Mina had fallen asleep on his bed with her face planted firmly on her math textbook and a pencil held loosely in her hand, and since he couldn't find it in him to wake her up, he decided to head down to the common space for a warm drink before he would crash for the night.
Even though his girlfriend was a heavy sleeper, he made sure to move silently as he exited his room and shut the door behind him before making it to the elevator. When he made it to the kitchen, he was a little surprised to find that it was already lit and occupied by another one of his friends.
"Can't sleep?" he asked Todoroki as he approached. As the other boy turned to see who had addressed him, he added, "You and Bakugo are usually the first ones in bed."
"I had something I needed to think about," his friend shrugged as Kurai went for the tea drawer. "Unfortunately since I started, I can't seem to stop thinking about it."
"Everything okay?" Kurai asked with a slight frown.
"My father wants me to work with him if and when our work studies resume," Todoroki said blandly. "It seems as though my decision to work for Hawks during the last semester was not enough to deter his efforts in pursuing me. My personal feelings about him aside, he is the new number one hero for society; there are things that I could learn from him if I were to agree to the proposal."
Kurai took a moment to think on what his friend had told him before he moved to start the kettle and say, "I guess the real question is whether or not you'll be able to keep your personal feelings aside while you're working with him- while you're advancing the beginnings of your hero career. Are you sure it's a good idea to add that level of stress to such an environment, especially with the way things are right now?"
"Maybe not, but there was one other thing I should have mentioned," Todoroki murmured as he looked down at his phone. "He wanted me to extend an offer to intern under him to you."
Both of Kurai's eyebrows went up at that piece of news. "How'd he even get a message to your number?" he couldn't help but ask as he tried to process what was being offered to him. "I thought you blocked him."
"I decided to let him through after your fight in Fukuoka, so you wouldn't have to be used as a go-between again," the other boy shrugged. "I haven't said anything back to him yet, but he's persistent with his offer."
"I'm guessing your answer will depend on whether or not I also accept?" Kurai inquired with a dry tone, to which Todoroki nodded once. "I dunno, man. It's a good opportunity on paper, but we both have some glaring issues with the guy that would more than likely translate into a poor working relationship. It wouldn't be good for his public image, or ours'. I also don't trust his motive."
"What do you mean?"
"He just made his debut as the number one hero and incinerated a Nomu capable of speech and thought, which was pretty damn impressive if we're being honest," Kurai said a little begrudgingly. "However, the only thing everybody seems to be talking about is the first-year student hero who fought a monster of similar strength, and came out on top with fewer casualties and collateral damage by comparison." The people who had been mutated by the Nomu that Kurai had destroyed were all returning to their normal states, as the 'infection' caused by the spore quirk turned out to be temporary.
Knowing that, the boy went on to add, "My bet is that he didn't like being upstaged by the kid who everyone is saying will basically be the next All Might. If he takes me into his agency, it'll be a chance for him to take credit for anything that I do from here on out."
Todoroki seemed to mull that over for a moment before he shrugged and said, "You're probably right. After all, his obsession with surpassing All Might is what drove him to abuse my mother, me, and my siblings. If you remind him of All Might, he may be trying to keep you from rising above him."
Kurai allowed a brief silence to ensue before the kettle started whistling, so he turned off the stove and said, "You don't sound entirely convinced."
"I believe it was you who told me that people can change," Todoroki answered. "Are you going back on that thought?"
"No, but I also have a hard time letting go of well-established personal biases," Kurai admitted dryly. "Exhibit 'A' being my vendetta against Needle Mouse, followed by my grudge match against Monoma."
"But you were able to let go of your anger in favor of doing the right thing when you were confronted by your uncle's killer," his friend reminded him. "Even if you'll never be rid of your hatred for the man, you were still able to take the course of action that led to the path of virtue."
Kurai scowled a bit before muttering, "I hate it when people use me against me. It makes it too hard to argue a counterpoint."
"Sounds like we both have some thinking to do, then," Todoroki said as Kurai poured the steaming water into a mug with strong-smelling tea.
"I'm still leaning toward asking Fat Gum or Gang Orca to take me on again, but we'll see," Kurai sighed. "Thanks for letting me know, either way."
"You're welcome," the heterochromic boy replied. "I hope you get some rest."
"Me too," the other student sighed again. "Not exactly looking forward to tomorrow if I'm being honest."
"Why, what's happening tomorrow?"
Kai: Even on a slow chapter, you can't resist with the cliffhanger, can you?
Mataras: Let the record show that I have given you guys at least two chapters without cliffhangers as the ending in this story.
Kai: Out of seventy chapters- what do you want, a medal?
Mataras: It's my personal best, so maybe.
Deku: You're planning on doing one more filler chapter before you start our adventure on Nabu, right?
Mataras: Correct, though again, I wouldn't exactly call this a filler segment, nor is it quite exposition. It's more of a chance to take a step back and look at where you guys are while not involved in some sort of combat or major drama.
Kai: Or major combat drama.
Mataras: True. Next chapter will see you guys getting ready to leave for Nabu, but as for any other details... Well, you know the drill.
Deku: Next time- The Real Deal
Kai: We'll be ready to Go Beyond.
Mataras: Plus Ultra!
Next time on Your Hero Academia...
"You didn't worry this much when we went to I-island together," she pointed out.
"We weren't going on assignment to work as heroes," he countered. "We're gonna be all on our own, and that's kind of a daunting thought. Whenever we've had questions, we've been able to talk to our teachers, but where we're going, we're gonna be the ones who are supposed to have all the answers. Oh crap, is this what being a teacher feels like all the time?" He paused, a look of mild panic in his eyes.
"Kurai!" Mina said before she pulled his face in and kissed him for less than a second. "You gotta calm down, dude. Those are tomorrow's problems, and if we're being real, Iida and Yaomomo probably have it covered. We have enough to think about just with us tonight, so let's worry about this, first."
"…Right," he said as he shook himself. "Sorry about that."
"I love you, dork."
"I love you, too. Thanks for coming with me to this."
"Of course," Mina said with a smile before she gave him another kiss that landed on his cheek. "Let's do this."
