Chapter 50: Leaping into Work Studies
Summary:
Work Studies begin!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ribbit, it's so beautiful…" Tsu said, holding Ochako's hand as they leaned back. The two of them were lying down on a hill looking at the stars.
"Yeah, it always puts everything in perspective for me," Ochako says. "It's so relaxing…"
"Second best thing I've seen today, ribbit," Tsu said. "The first being you in a bathing suit."
"Tsu-chan!" Ochako swatted at Tsu, only half-jokingly, as the frog girl began to ribbit in laughter.
"C'mon, ribbit, the water park was fun. Ribbit, and I'm sure I caught you staring too…" Tsu put a finger to her cheek, the bond and experience telling Ochako her teasing was playful.
Blushing deeply, Ochako said, "Guilty… And yes, I had a lot of fun. It's nice to be able to go out again…"
Tsu was about to say something when a phone alarm went off. "Darn, ribbit. Time to head back to campus."
Ochako nodded. With a bit of concentration, the two of them blinked out of the area with a POP and appeared back at the dorms. Specifically, they were in Izuku's dorm room.
Before them, Izuku was poring over anatomy textbooks and diagrams. He looked up when the POP announced their presence, and he smiled, brightening his disheveled appearance.
Before he could greet them, Tsu hopped over to him, "Izu-chan, you need a break."
Izuku's smile waned, "Tsu-chan, this is important. Recovery Girl wants to make sure I'm trained for this!"
"Nope, putting our feet down," Ochako said, moving in to pull Izuku's desk chair away. "Your eyebags are starting to match Aizawa-sensei's. You need a break, Izu-kun, and self-flagellation isn't going to help."
In a telepathic whisper, Ochako asked the vestiges, "You haven't been able to stop him?"
"In spite of our best efforts, no…" Nana said sadly.
"Little guy's too determined," Daigoro replied. "Even Yoichi's singing didn't stop him, and that had All for One screaming."
"Ribbit, Izu-chan, this is something we've been told is going to happen," Tsu rubbed his back as they moved to the couch. "We can do everything right, ribbit, and still fail."
"I…" Izuku looked down, "I just have to try…"
"You did try," Ochako said, placing an arm around him. "You tried your best, but it just wasn't possible. You can do so much, but you're not all powerful…"
Izuku looked like he was about to argue, but stopped himself. He sank further down, "You're right. I'm sorry." He seemed to revel in the two of them hugging, before asking, "How did your date go?"
As the two of them described their outing, the spark began to return to Izuku's eyes.
"So, then…" Momo addressed the common room, "We should attempt to determine our possible work-study placements."
"Maybe we should hold off on that?" Itsuka asked. "We're still dealing with the aftermath of Togata-senpai…"
None of the class was bruised, but they were all exhausted after dealing with the hurricane of POWER that was Mirio Togata. Several of them groaned at the reminder.
"Honestly, he was going easy on most of us," Izuku said.
"You call that easy?" Denki asked.
"Compared to the week I spent as Nighteye's intern alongside him and the time he was 'assisting' us at the training camp? Yes," Izuku said.
"I thought he ramped up against you guys," Itsuka replied.
Izuku winced, "Yeah. Yeah he did. Anyway, does anyone have any ideas where they think they'll go?"
"Ribbit, I texted Gang Orca-chan to ask if he'd take me on again. He agreed," Tsu replied.
"Which photo did you send with that?" Toru asked.
"Napping with the plush bunny, ribbit," Tsu replied.
"Nice," Toru said.
"There another picture you need to send to ask if you can bring a plus one?" Kyoka asked. "Gang Orca's sonar attack is something I want to try and replicate."
"I'll ask," Tsu said. "If need be, ribbit, you may have to teach Eri to play one of your instruments."
"A sacrifice I'm willing to make," Kyoka responded, throwing up the horns.
"I asked Tamaki-senpai about taking us to meet Fatgum!" Kirishima said, throwing an arm around Tetsutetsu.
Tetsutetsu nodded, before he seemed to realize something, "Wait, vice-rep, you have a connection there, and I don't know if there's a limit…"
Momo smiled and shook her head, "Thank you, but that's unnecessary. I'm thankful for the advice that Fatgum-sensei provided me, but with my Quirk Awakening and my new understanding of my Quirk's mechanics, I am far less reliant on my diet to fuel my creations."
Tetsutetsu sighed in relief, "Great! Glad I'm not stepping on your toes!"
Momo began to write on the board, "Does anyone besides Tsu-chan have a confirmed work-study mentor?"
"Mm!" Yui interjected. "Yu-senpai agreed. She formed a team. Said we'd be working with Kamui Woods and Edgeshot."
Ibara put her hand to her chin, "I shall ask Kamui Woods if he's willing to take me, then."
"And I have to at least attempt to get with Edgeshot!" Toru said, her refraction causing her to literally sparkle. "I've got the stealth possibility, who better to train with than an actual ninja?!"
"Ryukyu agreed to take me on as well!" Ochako said, pumping her fists.
"Sweet!" Setsuna detached a hand to give her a high five.
Reiko looked at Fumikage, who seemed to be uncomfortable for some reason. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but they were interrupted by Dark Shadow popping out, "So, Hawks actually contacted Fumi asking us to come to him for work-studies!"
There was a collective shudder. Izuku had told the class about the letter he received from Bakugou, and the warning he'd given about the Hero Public Safety Commission. Hawks had been a highly publicized trainee for the HPSC. For such a high ranking Hero to reach out to a student…
"You do not have to answer his call," Reiko said to him. "It may be nefarious."
Fumikage shook his head, "Perhaps it is. Still, if we know that interlopers lurk in the shadows, then we may be able to learn their intentions as well. Furthermore, if we do not accept this bait, the schemers may take more drastic measures to obtain one of us…"
"Just be careful," Izuku said.
"That was your order, was it not, Midoriya-kun? Return to the class safe and sound?" Fumikage asked, which brought a smile to the green-haired boy's face.
Momo recorded who had confirmed positions, as well as who was going to try for which Heroes. She turned to Tenya, "Iida-kun, since your elder brother has returned to Hero work, are you going to intern with him?"
Tenya shook his head, "While I could do so, I have decided against it. Despite Tensei-nii-san being an inspiration to me, I should strive to learn from multiple teachers! I… was actually hoping for possible suggestions…"
That set off a conversation where each of the students began to discuss their best options for the upcoming work-studies. Ideas and backups were presented. Several whiteboards were filled with ideas.
At one point, Mina turned to Izuku, "So, Midori! Are you heading back to Sir Nighteye? Can we expect to see you and Mirio-senpai reunite and kick some villain butt?"
Izuku shook his head, "No. I like working with Mirio-senpai, and I'm grateful for the guidance Sir gave me, but I'd rather not return to work under him. There's too much drama there."
Mina pouted a little bit, "Well that sucks. You were the closest one to beating him! The two of you together would be unstoppable!"
"And there's good money that you'd come back with another adopted daughter!" Setsuna said, grinning.
Ochako butted in as Izuku sputtered, "Well, Nejire-senpai and I are going to bring Izu-kun into Ryukyu's office for an interview! He almost went with us for the Internships, maybe we could do it together this time!"
"Is there a reason why he's going with you guys first?" Kyoka snarked.
"Rest of us got outvoted, ribbit," Tsu stated.
"Sorry not sorry!" Ochako said happily.
Izuku was, as usual, struggling not to geek out. He was looking around Ryukyu's headquarters with barely contained glee and a fair amount of nervousness.
Nejire shook her head, "Come on, Izu-kun, it's cool, yeah, but you've been to Hero agencies before…"
"One day, I'll be able to go into a Hero agency without my nerdiness going overboard," Izuku said. "Today is not that day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either."
"Better get used to it quickly, though," Ochako said. "It didn't take too long for this place to become old hat for me during the Internship."
"Really?" Izuku said, looking at the agency's more flamboyant decorations, namely the pillars with elaborate dragons painted on them.
Ochako rolled her eyes, "Okay, the decor's a little fancy, but still, at the end of the day, it's just a workplace."
Izuku nodded.
"Oh, darn!" Nejire said, frowning after checking in with the receptionist. "None of the Heroes are in! Ryukyu got called in for a villain attack, so she and her sidekicks are out at the moment!"
"Should we come back later?" Izuku asked.
"No need!" Nejire said. "C'mon, I'll show you to the lounge!" And, without warning, she grabbed her two underclassmen and dragged them away. The various agency staff shook their heads, used to the girl's exuberance.
Reeling slightly from being brought there at high speed, Izuku and Ochako got their bearings before Nejire said, "Oh, and since we have time before she arrives…"
The two of them looked at the glint in her eyes with some dismay, as Nejire wrapped her arms around the two of them and pulled them onto a couch. She was holding the two first years tight in her soft embrace.
"Mine~" she said possessively, kissing them both on the cheek. Despite having been more used to a physical relationship over the last few months, Izuku and Ochako couldn't help but blush. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep my hands to myself after we first clicked! You cutie-pies are just so dang sweet!"
"The bond gave us a bit of an idea…" Izuku said, accepting the affection.
"I had more of one during the Internship. You weren't subtle, Nejire-chan-senpai…" Ochako said, causing Nejire to squeal in delight at the honorifics.
The three of them stayed that way until Izuku noticed a presence coming. Someone incredibly tough, "We've got someone incoming!" he told them, at which point Nejire reluctantly let them go and they maintained a safe distance from each other.
Without knocking, a woman burst into the room, "Hey, Lizardbreath! I'm in the area beating on some trash and I need to use your…" She paused, and the three U.A. students looked to see a muscular woman with tan skin, red eyes, and long white hair. Despite only being a little taller than Ochako, her presence made her tower over them.
And, of course, the enormous rabbit ears rose above her head, increasing her apparent height.
"Miruko is here?!" Izuku squeaked out in surprise, not expecting this to happen at all.
Any response from the other two students had to wait, as Miruko looked at Izuku and grinned widely. Izuku flinched, reminded of Bakugou's smile. Only, this smile was less cruel and more excited. Danger Sense was going full blast in his head.
"You!" Miruko said happily. "We're gonna fight!"
"W-What?!" Izuku said, shocked, as Nejire began texting.
"What, your tiny little ears didn't hear me?!" Miruko said, looking displeased. "You and me. We're gonna fight. I wanna see how tough you are!"
"But you're the number seven ranked Hero! I'm just a first year high schooler! You're obviously stronger than me!" Izuku said.
"After that shit in Kamino, who the fuck knows? You were clearly sandbagging," Miruko said. "You're supposed to be All Might's apprentice, right? I need to know what competition I'll be facing!"
"I…" Izuku was unsure of his next step, until he heard a ding from Nejire's phone.
Nejire read it off, "Ryukyu's been made aware, and she's on her way. She says you can use the gym. And that she'd like you to keep destruction to a minimum, but she knows you too well to expect it."
Miruko began to cackle as the light left Izuku's eyes. "C'mon, kid! I've been looking for a challenge lately!"
"Do you need to record this?" Izuku asked telepathically, as he entered the gym in a set of his workout clothes.
"What, are you saying you don't want a video of Miruko kicking your ass?" Nejire said, causing everyone in his headspace to giggle.
"You're technically correct, but the way you phrased that is so very, very wrong…" Izuku said.
"Hey!" Ryouji interrupted. "That's no way to think about this! You've got the best fucking power there is and your determination will see you through this- I can't believe I managed to get this far," the second host of One for All descended into gut laughter. "Your ass is SO grass."
Yoichi sighed, "What my friend and savior may have accidentally tried to say is that despite knowing you're outclassed, you should put up the best fight you possibly can."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ryouji laughed.
"Point does stand, put on as good a show as you can, little guy!" Daigoro said, mentally smacking him on the back in a "go get 'em" way.
Steeling himself for battle, Izuku exhaled and faced Miruko.
"Oi, you finally ready to do this?" the Rabbit Hero said, cracking her knuckles.
"Ready? No," Izuku said, giving a shaky smile. "Let's do it anyway."
Miruko's grin got slightly more feral as she charged. Danger Sense allowed him to barely duck out of the way.
"Miskatonic Smash!" Izuku called out as Blackwhips surged out of his hand and surged forward towards Miruko, who simply hopped over them.
"Luna Ring!" Miruko twisted, kicking at the tendrils and driving them back from her as she leapt forward, ready to drive her knee into Izuku's face. He was able to bring up a Laser Disc in time to block the blow. He moved out of the way, but despite the shield exploding in her face, Miruko merely backflipped out of the blast radius and kept advancing on him.
Danger Sense flared, but even with the forewarning, Miruko was too fast to dodge. He braced himself to take the blow, Shock Absorption dulling the impact, but the force of her kick was enough to knock him back. She looked from her foot to Izuku, judging his reaction, and her grin widened.
"You can take hits like a champ, huh, brat?" She said. "Looks like I don't have to hold back!"
"Oh no," Izuku managed to get out before he braced for a much larger hit that actually sent him to the ground, before Miruko nearly got him in the head with a cry of "Luna Fall!" Luckily, the impossible movement granted by his Stage 3 Bond with Melissa allowed him to just avoid a blow that could decapitate someone.
Rocketing onto the ceiling using Fa Jin and Float, Izuku flew at Miruko crying out, "St. Louis Smash!" His axe kick attack failed to hit Miruko, but he managed to hit her with a Blackwhip growing from his back. In spite of the impact, she jumped out of the way before it could grapple her. He faced her again, crying out "Chicago Smash!" as he sent a barrage of Laser Discs at her.
"Luna Ring!" Miruko kicked at the cloud of discs coming at her. Despite grunting in pain, she used the explosive impact to launch herself upwards. "Luna Arc!" the Rabbit Hero countered with her own axe kick that Izuku was unable to prevent from hitting him right in the head.
As the force of the blow dazed him, Yoichi said, "Quirk Understanding, why isn't Shock Absorption stopping the force of the blows?! Shouldn't it be able to nullify the hits?!"
Despite being enhanced by ONE FOR ALL, there is still a limit to how much damage may be countered by SHOCK ABSORPTION, Shigaraki-sama. If not for SHOCK ABSORPTION, then Usagiyama-sama would have completely crushed Midoriya-sama's head with that last blow.
Not allowing that little tidbit to bother him just yet, Izuku blasted out a Smokescreen, hoping to get some distance. He increased the density so that Miruko would be as impaired as she would be if she were stuck in a tar pit.
Unfortunately, that turned out not to be much of an impairment. And despite having a Smokescreen up, that did nothing for her sense of hearing. She managed to leap up and with another cry of "Luna Fall!" dove right into Izuku's solar plexus.
His breath completely knocked out of him, Izuku was blasted through the wall. As he slammed into the next wall, his head hitting a pipe, he lost consciousness.
Izuku regained consciousness, realizing he was lying on something soft. His eyes fluttered open, and he saw the worried face of Ochako staring at him upside-down.
"Hey, Occhan," he groaned. "I had the weirdest dream where I was fighting Miruko."
"Yeah, that wasn't a dream," Nejire's voice cut in, and he turned his head to see she was holding her phone.
Izuku balked, "You're still recording?!"
"Hey, I stopped when we went to check on you!" Nejire said. "Once we realized you were going to recover, we decided to give you the lap pillow treatment!"
Here, Ochako began to blush, and Izuku realized that he was, indeed, resting his head on his girlfriend's lap, and he suddenly got up.
He regretted that decision, but only because he would have enjoyed staying there some more. He felt totally fine.
"Super Regeneration is so helpful," Izuku muttered.
The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted his musings, and Izuku turned to see Miruko seated before them. "This is very sweet and all, but kit, I've got some good news and some bad news for you."
Izuku smiled, "Well, any good news is welcome, so let's hear it…"
Miruko grinned, "Good news, that was one of the best spars I've had in a long fucking time! You can tank hits that I normally reserve for the heavy hitters, and you lasted longer than just about anyone save Lizardbreath!"
A sigh made Izuku realize that Ryukyu was present, and as he turned, he saw the Dragon Hero pinching the bridge of her nose, "Rumi, for the love of-"
Miruko barked out a laugh, "Yeah, yeah. Token protest…" She then turned to Izuku and her mirth evaporated, "Bad news, all the good shit I just said is entirely thanks to your Quirk. You suck at fighting. You take too long to figure out your next move and you telegraph wildly. You've got a fuckton of power, sure. But you don't know how to use it!"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm here. I came to ask Ryukyu for a work-study position so I could get the experience I need."
Miruko rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Tatsuma? You're gonna let more people weigh you down?"
Ryukyu sighed, "We agree to disagree on that, Rumi."
Miruko waved her off, "And you're gonna hire a dude? Aren't you usually the one who's all about making sure there's more girls in Heroics?"
Nejire and Ochako looked at each other, and Ochako said, "What, do you want to take Izu-kun instead?"
Miruko's gaze turned to Ochako, and the gravity girl had to struggle not to immediately quail at the intensity. "I don't do the thing where I hold a kid's hands and give them a gold star because they didn't go potty in their pants."
Feeling the pressure on Ochako made Izuku want to take the heat off of her. So, he channeled what he could from Ryouji and Daigoro, the uncles with the biggest mouths, as well as a heaping spoonful of Bakugou. "So, is that because you suck at teaching people?"
As Miruko's glare focused onto him, with much greater intensity, Izuku thought, "I picked the two worst vestiges to emulate."
"So, you think you're hot shit because you could go a couple of rounds with me?" Miruko said. "Remember which of us put the other through a wall."
"Remember which of us was effectively Quirkless before last February," Izuku replied, deciding that if his choice was going to kill him, he might as well see it through to the end.
Miruko actually snorted in amusement, "All right, brat, true enough. So, what? You think if I don't want to do something that means I suck at it? I could be an awesome teacher if I actually gave two shits!"
"All Might thought the same thing, but his advice would've gotten me killed in the U.A. Entrance Exam," Izuku said. "He had to work his butt off to be good enough to actually teach worth a damn."
Miruko seemed determined at that, "So, what, you think that you can fucking dare me into hiring you? Like I wouldn't take the opportunity to whale on you every chance I got?"
"As long as I get better at fighting, that's all that matters," Izuku said. "Besides, you don't want me as a regular sparring partner? I thought you'd be excited at getting a punching bag who'd get better at fighting."
"I could always drop in here and fight you when you're working for Tatsuma," Miruko scoffed.
"Midoriya-kun," Ryukyu interrupted. "If Rumi doesn't take you, I'll hire you. But I'll put it in your contract that you're not allowed to spar with her for any reason while you're working for me."
Miruko glared at her, to which Ryukyu responded with a smile.
Finally, the Rabbit Hero looked at Izuku and said, "You're going to regret this."
His confidence fading, Izuku said, "I-I already am. But I want to be the best Hero I can possibly be. I can't afford to take an easy work-study. I need to get better…" he gave her one of his wide smiles, "And, well, this can help your reputation as well…"
Miruko's eyes narrowed, "Explain how…"
"Well, I'm kind of a Hero nerd, and there's a lot of debate online about your refusal to team up," Izuku said. "Some people think that it's because you're not good at working with people. I know you probably don't care, but this is a way you can prove that you can! If anyone ever says, 'Oh, Miruko just says she won't team up or take sidekicks because she can't,' then someone else could always fire back with, 'Hey, she taught Kyuseishu! That proves she can do it if she wants to!' Your legacy will be secure!"
There was silence. For a moment, Izuku was scared he'd descended into mumbling. Finally, Miruko began to laugh.
"All right, kid," Miruko said. "You've got some stones at least! We're doing this! Gimme your phone!" Izuku complied immediately. As Miruko put her contact information in, she said, "So, I'm gonna get the forms and shit from the HPSC. I'll give you the proper address tomorrow. Training's gonna begin before the ink dries. Prepare for hell."
"I spent ten years as the only Quirkless kid in my prefecture," Izuku said. "That's basically hell's boot camp."
With another amused snort, Miruko left. Ryukyu looked at Izuku, "I literally can't believe that worked."
Izuku began to shiver, "I didn't think I'd get halfway this far."
"Be careful, Midoriya-kun," Ryukyu ruffled his hair. "Eri-chan would cry if anything happened to you. And there's a good chance this will end with her trying to kill you." She paused. "Or propositioning you."
"Um, consider me forewarned," Izuku said, blushing.
"Uraraka-san, let me get the paperwork for your work-study," the Dragon Hero said, leaving the gym for a bit.
Once she was gone, Ochako asked, "Where the hell did that come from?!"
"She got in your face and I tried to get her to focus on me instead," Izuku said, trying not to hyperventilate. "I think I got possessed by some kind of demon."
"Can you ask that demon to come back?" Nejire said. "That was pretty hot."
Izuku blushed, "Please, it's a bit much…"
Ochako hugged him, "It's okay Izu-kun…"
Nejire frowned, and said telepathically, "Okay, so I'm really happy with our situation, but right at this moment, I'm kind of disappointed you don't have a spare bond available for Miruko."
There was a pause, before both Izuku and Ochako reluctantly responded with, "Same."
On a rooftop, a bearded, white-haired man took out a handkerchief and wiped tea off a much shorter red-haired woman with pigtails.
"Apologies, La Brava, my darling. The last thing I wish to do is to stain your lovely outfit…" The man, Danjuro Tobita, more infamously known as Gentle Criminal, said.
"No need to worry, Gentle!" Manami Aiba, alias La Brava, replied. "That gust of wind merely ruined your signature trick with your tea! I'm sure if you made it work, our videos would be so much more popular!"
Gentle Criminal sighed, "Sadly, I fear that our recent slump is symptomatic of a greater issue. With All Might's retirement, villains have begun to feel their oats. Our escapades are being drowned out amid the chaff. If we wish to make our mark upon the world, we need to strike at larger targets!"
There was a slow clap from behind them. Gentle Criminal and La Brava turned to see a man in an orange trenchcoat, top hat, and mask facing them. He stood on the guardrail of the building.
"A wonderful speech, my colleague," the man said, jumping to their level with a flip. He produced a cane seemingly from nowhere and bowed. "I have a proposition for the two of you."
"And who might you be?" Gentle Criminal said, stroking his beard as he surreptitiously stood between this man and La Brava. The woman, for her part, looked between her partner and the newcomer with some worry.
"You may call me Mr. Compress," the man said. "Fellow entertainer, and great-great grandson of the Peerless Thief, Oji Harima."
The mention of one of the three most infamous villains in Japanese history made the duo's jaws drop in shock. Gentle Criminal recovered first, "An impressive pedigree. But why would you approach us?"
Mr. Compress, despite his face being unseen, seemed to deflate, "My ancestry is currently my only claim to fame. I seek to correct that. This society of Heroes has grown corrupt and indolent with All Might's presence. Endeavor's misdeeds make that very clear. While other villains might see this as an excuse to run wild without the threat of the Symbol of Peace stopping them, I have a different approach.
"I wish to commit thefts to highlight the corruption in our society, to show the world what crimes exist in the shadows of the so-called Heroes," Mr. Compress gestured to his audience. "The two of you clearly share the same goal, as evidenced by your library of work… Although, I will admit that your choice of targets have been… minor."
"That store was obviously corrupt!" Gentle Criminal said, affronted by that comment.
"They clearly tampered with the stickers on the tofu chips! The workers were taking all the ones that would give you a free bag and replacing them with those that said, 'Better luck next time!'" La Brava said, indignantly.
"Indeed," Mr. Compress nodded, acquiescing to their argument. "This is why I've come to you. Clearly, we are like-minded individuals with similar goals. I'm hoping that together, we may be able to take on greater targets than we could alone."
There was silence for a bit.
Finally, Gentle Criminal said, "Firstly, we will not target the innocent. I may be a criminal, but I will never be anything but a gentle one."
Mr. Compress shrugged, "Fine by me. Plenty of deserving targets. We can afford to be choosy."
"Next, I will not allow La Brava to come to any harm," Gentle Criminal's expression became fierce. "She is dedicated and brilliant, but she is not a combatant. I would sooner lose an arm than let any misfortune befall her."
"Gentle…" La Brava said, in awe, her eyes sparkling with love.
Mr. Compress nodded once more, "A simple enough request. Not all members of a criminal enterprise need be placed in harm's way, and from what I've been able to gather, your invaluable skills are more useful in other areas," he gestured to La Brava as he said this. The woman looked shyly at the praise.
"And finally," Gentle Criminal said, his voice hardening with resolve, "How do you take your tea?"
At this, Mr. Compress's stance fell as if in shame, "Alas, I will admit that I do not share your refined palate when it comes to tea. I try, but I am satisfied enough with blends you would find inferior. However…"
With a flourish, Mr. Compress produced a marble seemingly out of nowhere, and he flicked it onto the ground between them. In a burst of blue light, an entire pallet of Golden Tips Imperial Tea manifested in front of them.
"I hope that this peace offering will help smooth over any potential disagreement," Mr. Compress gave a theatrical bow, removing his hat as he did so.
Gentle Criminal smiled widely, "I believe this is the beginning of a fruitful collaboration