Melissa sat on the bench the transforming teen had been resting on before she came along and scared him off. She'd done it again… Pushed someone else away with her love of quirks and science. It was something she was, unfortunately, rather used to by now. Making people uncomfortable was never her intention, but it always seemed to be the result when she… got excited.
Even the other teens in her classes back home left her alone. Either they couldn't keep up with her smarts or they were… scared off by her father's reputation and influence. Being the daughter of David Shield came with certain consequences, and solitude seemed to be one of them. Who would want to be friends with the girl whose father could get them kicked out of I-Island Academy at the drop of a hat?
It was one of the reasons she was here in Japan right now. A… Well, calling it a 'fresh start' was probably a little too over the top even if it wasn't inaccurate, but still… She loved her father dearly—saw him as her role model and the embodiment of what she wanted to become, even—but she wanted to see what it was like to be Melissa, the support student chasing her dreams, not 'David Shield's Daughter.'
It was rather ironic that, to follow in his footsteps of being an innovating genius, she would need to be herself first.
"...Shiny Chariot is here…!"
…And then there was the other reason she had leaped at the chance to join the academy's exchange program with U.A.'s Support Course… Well, besides getting to visit Uncle Might, anyway…
"Fascinating…" she murmured, staring down at her higher-than-normal tech smartphone.
These new vigilantes that were popping up here had caught her eye, if for no other reason than analyzing their quirks and equipment. More of them had sprung up in the past few days, though none of them had attracted as much attention as Shiny Chariot's magical debut… but that didn't mean she hadn't noticed. Particularly the shared hourglass symbol they all seemed to have on their costumes.
There was some theorizing online that they were actually a group, and Melissa couldn't help but agree. It was the most likely conclusion, though the fact that none of these new heroines had mentioned it at all in their debuts was enough for some people to doubt it.
Besides arguments over the 'vigilante team' idea, the only thing more common to see on the forums—besides political arguments, at least—was people arguing about who their favorite of the new vigilantes was. Already, people had split into little fan clubs and groups online.
For Melissa, the question was rather simple to answer. Though she liked them all to some extent, Shiny Chariot stood out from the others in her mind. It was a rather bland opinion to hold, she knew, since the showiest of this sudden generation of vigilantes was without a doubt the most popular right now, but… She just couldn't help it.
From the energy with which the witch-themed heroine carried herself, to her infectious smile and cheesy laughter… It all reminded Melissa of her favorite hero, the man she was proud to consider an honorary member of her family: All Might.
Honestly, she was curious what the man thought of the vigilantes, but she hadn't been able to arrange a visit with him quite yet. He was the Number One hero, after all, even if she was lucky enough to call him her 'Uncle Might.'
…And, maybe, if she was lucky… She might be able to meet the heroine that had taken Japan by storm. It was probably, no, scratch that—definitely—not a good idea… The girl was a criminal, even if Melissa didn't believe for a second that Chariot would harm her. No one that reminded her so strongly of her uncle could possibly be a bad person… Even if they skirted the letter of the law.
What will I do if I see her, though…?
Impulsive as she was, Melissa hadn't… really considered that little detail quite yet. There were enough other reasons to come to Japan in the first place that she hadn't felt the need to think this one through too much, though that was coming back to bite her now that she was exploring the city in the hopes of finding some clue as to the heroine's location. It was a long shot, obviously, but until more information made its way onto the internet, hoping to get lucky was the best she could do.
"Melissa, do you see this costume of mine…? Not a single scratch…!" Her Uncle's words rang through her mind, all the way back from when she was a disappointed child that had just discovered she was quirkless. "It's all thanks to your father, young lady. Without him, I couldn't do my job! In other words…"
"He's my hero…!"
Shaking her head, Melissa felt a frown come to her face.
No. I can't do that… I still haven't graduated, nevermind that she's not licensed herself…
Unfortunately, the thought wouldn't leave her alone. A hero partnership was rare for Support Technicians—who usually just received work orders from Hero Agencies en masse—much less a partnership with someone important; someone that stood out in all the right ways and actually cared. Even with her father's connections, which she was hesitant enough to rely upon in the first place—it felt like it would be a fake partnership—she would be lucky to get a lasting contract in the entirety of her career. Particularly because most technicians managed it around her age, or not at all. Being part of a hero school's secondary courses was a unique opportunity to make lasting connections with up-and-comers in the industry, and the best chance to find a partner… and she'd yet to accomplish it despite only having a bit over a year and a semester left in her schooling.
Fisting her hands on her knees, she let out a frustrated sigh.
Who am I kidding, anyway…? Even if Chariot miraculously gets away with all of this, there's no way she'd work with me…
Standing up, she put away her notebook and—
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
"PFA-HA-HA-HA-HA…!" A villainous voice cackled.
Instinct and reflexes built front years of self-defense and villain survival training kicked in, spurring Melissa to rush to the nearest form of cover she could see: a short concrete barrier that marked the edge of the park she was in. Only when she was safely ensconced against the wall did she dare try and look around for the source of the fireworks that filled the air above.
"Oh, this is just wonderful…! Today is just absolutely dreadful! It's perfect for some fun!"
Where is he…?
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Another volley arced through the sky, this time crashing into the earth of the park and sending chunks of concrete and dirt flying. People yelled and panicked, rushing away to a safe distance as they finally realized that a villain had arrived… Though the fear wasn't likely to last. People were too used to things like this nowadays. Already some of them were recording the event from 'secure' vantage points, aiming their phones at—
There…!
Defying gravity by standing sideways on a nearby building was what could only be described as a madman that had escaped wonderland. He wore a patterned dark coat over a checkered blue vest and an oversized bowtie. A thin sash crossed over his torso, a multitude of buttons and bottle caps sewn onto its surface, while psychedelic strips of cloth hung off the back of his waist—pinned to his coat with comically large sewing pins. His neon orange hair stuck out frantically from beneath his top hat, starkly contrasting his alabaster white skin and blood red lips.
What do I do…?!
Melissa was painfully aware of the fact that she was quirkless—a liability—but there weren't any heroes around yet, and his fireworks were dangerous. If no one did anything soon, the man was going to seriously hurt someone.
Hands shaking from adrenaline, Melissa reached into her bag, fumbling through the loose parts she kept with her all the time to tinker, searching for something… anything… that could let her make a difference in—
"Now, now, children, there's no need to flee!" he cried, launching another volley of explosive fireworks at the people on the streets. The shots flew out of the colorful toy-like canons that rested on the wall next to him, defying gravity in the same way he seemed to. "The fun's just begun!"
The madman's fireworks flew forward, headed straight towards several bystanders that had tripped as they fled—a young couple that had been enjoying a simple walk through the city before his arrival. Their eyes widened as they stood there, frozen by terror.
NO—!
Steel blurred through the air, lancing through the fireworks and detonating them early.
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
"Are you okay?" a gentle voice asked the couple.
Standing protectively in front of the two was a young woman, a hero if her costume was any indication, with several long dagger-like spikes held between her fingers defensively. Melissa's eyes darted across the newcomer's form instantly, categorizing and analyzing her appearance.
The heroine was of average height, with black hair in a hime-cut that trailed as far as her upper back. She wore a sleeveless green vest, with dark knuckle-plated gloves extending past her elbows and a tattered yellow scarf hanging from her neck. Dark pants extended from below a lilac skirt, a long pouch strapped to one thigh, before feeding into black sandal-like boots. Finally, she wore a festival-style fox mask, its porcelain surface leaving her mouth and chin exposed even as it obscured her face.
The thing that caught Melissa's eyes above all else though was the hourglass symbol etched into the metal plates on her knuckles and emblazoned in a repeating pattern across the capelet.
Is she one of them…?
"Then please escape quickly. It's dangerous here," the ninja girl requested politely.
The frightened couple didn't need to be told twice, scrambling away instantly.
"Oho! I was wondering when one of you heroes would show up!" the villain exclaimed, either not noticing or not caring about the fleeing bystanders. "You're earlier than expected! I thought I'd have time to chase a few more hares into their rabbit-holes!"
"...Do you mind coming down from there…? You really shouldn't be doing this…" the girl replied, sounding almost… shy?
But that was ridiculous. What hero was shy?
"Someone's nervous!" the man chuckled. "First time on stage, chickadee?"
Pulling a cane from nowhere, the villain spun it around dramatically until it came to rest on his shoulder.
"Well, it's not like it matters! We'll have plenty of fun together on this beautifully bad day!"
Fireworks shot off like the rockets they were, aimed at the newcomer's feet. Whatever nervousness had been there briefly vanished in an instant as her hands blurred, flinging the spikes held between her fingers at the incoming projectiles. She was already running before they exploded, her arms hanging in the air behind her as she charged at the building the villain was standing upon.
"How rude!" the villain pouted, launching another wave of—
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
They all exploded before they'd managed to cross half the distance between themselves and their target, metal spikes lodged in—
"Oops! Did you think that was everything…?"
Melissa's eyes widened as she saw the singular firework that had been launched after the others. Her analytical brain instantly caught the fact that this one was different, shaped unlike the others with a psychedelic paint job to further accentuate its differences.
KRA…KOOOOOOMMMM!
Melissa's glasses darkened automatically—an upgrade she gave them years ago for the sake of her work—blinding her for a moment but saving her eyes from the overcharged flashbang that lit up the world in front of the hero.
"AGH…!"
Once the light had faded and Melissa could see again, she saw the aftereffects of the special explosive. The ninja girl was on the ground, hidden from the sight of most by the treeline a few meters away from where she'd been a moment prior, and was cradling her head in her hands—clearly in pain.
Her eyes…!
Before she could even think, Melissa's hands went to her bag, fumbling for the tinkering kit she brought with her everywhere. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as a single thought repeated in her head over and over again:
I can help…!
She knew she shouldn't be feeling so excited about a hero having trouble like this, but the blonde couldn't help the eager grin coming to her lips. She'd never felt so alive before…!
I can be her hero…!
Agony lanced through Izuku's skull, twin icepicks stabbing through her eyes and into her brain. The concussive force of the blast had flung her away, bouncing across the dirt and gravel and no doubt causing a multitude of abrasions, but it simply couldn't compare to the horrible sensation of the Byakugan being overloaded with light.
'You need to fight through the pain Izuku…!'
I know…!
The vigilante forced herself to flip into a standing position, biting her lip below her mask in a vain attempt to distract her nerves from the pain in her eyes.
She'd gotten unlucky this time, it seemed. The other villains she'd fought recently had either been uniquely weak to the powerset she had on hand, or a neutral matchup at worst. This time, however… It looked like she was going to have some trouble, even though Hinata's sync rate was the highest it had ever been. Resting comfortably at twenty nine, it was second only to Izuku's compatibility with Chariot.
If only she'd thought to include tinted lenses in her new costume!
'Turn off the Byakugan for now, it's not helpful,' Hinata continued in the clipped tone Izuku had come to expect when the girl got 'serious.'
Having made the same connection herself, Izuku cut the flow of energy to her eyes, letting out a quiet exhalation of relief as the pain dulled notably. She would still need to avoid other flashbangs like the plague, but at least they wouldn't reduce her to a trembling wreck if one caught her off guard again.
"I know my little toys are pretty, but there's really no need to be so shy…!" the villain called.
Izuku's fingers twitched towards her senbon pouch, but she knew they wouldn't help until she got closer to the villain. He was too far away, up on the building as he was—and how was he doing that anyway? Was it his quirk?
Unwilling to let herself go down a tangent and get distracted, Izuku started running forward again.
"Cat got your tongue? How sad! I didn't take you for a mouse!" the man rambled. "Or maybe you are, shy little thing!"
Fireworks shot off haphazardly, the villain seemingly giving up on any semblance of order. One after another they came, firing as fast as the canons seemed to be able. In exchange, though, he gave up on any kind of accuracy, directing them all in the general direction of his opponent.
"...Why would a cat bother to take a mouse's tongue…?" Izuku countered, launching senbon at the fireworks as best she could without the Byakugan's perfect accuracy, dodging those she couldn't, and desperately hoping that he hadn't hidden any other flash—
There…!
Closing her eyes and angling her head away, Izuku barreled forward past the flashbang's trajectory.
KRA…KOOOOOOMMMM!
Grinning, Izuku's eyes opened as she turned to look at her target… Who wasn't on the building anymore? Where had he—?!
"Missed me, missed me, now you've gotta kiss me…!"
WHAM!
The villain's cane slammed into Izuku's head, spiking her into the ground with enough force to cause a tiny crater.
W-when did he…?
"Awwww…! Poor girl! You thought you were clever!" the man taunted. "You'll have to be faster than that, kitty cat!"
Rolling to the side, Izuku narrowly managed to dodge the lazy kick that would have knocked the air from her lungs. Pushing off her hands, she shot to her feet and wiped a bit of blood away from her mouth.
"...So I'm the cat now…?" she bantered, Hinata's gentle tones not particularly suited to it. What mattered, though, was that she was trying to buy herself a moment to breathe… and more importantly, a moment to think.
Hinata, do you have any idea how he moved around so quickly…?
'Unfortunately not. My senses are limited to what you can perceive, Izuku-san,' the girl replied quickly.
Great. So that was a bust.
"No! No! No…!" the villain exclaimed, banging his cane against his head with every word. "You're right! That's all wrong!"
Well, if she couldn't figure it out with the information at hand, then she would have to keep as close an eye on him as possible.
"If anyone's the cat here…" he trailed off, the twisted parody of a smile coming to his face as he lifted a hand to point at Izuku, "It's me!"
A tiny flashbang shot out of the man's sleeve, exploding the instant it cleared his skin. It happened so quickly Izuku didn't even have the chance to blink before—
"GAH!"
The pain had returned, definitely not worse than before but completely refreshed in its intensity. This time, however, Izuku had the presence of mind to quickly step away. The ringing in her ears blocked out the sound of it, but she felt the air being displaced by the man's next swing, proving that her decision had been the right one.
"Oh, silly me! I missed!"
By the time her eyes opened again, the villain was gone.
Where—?
"Looking for little old me…?"
…How?
He stood there on the side of a completely different building than before, waving excitedly as he bounced from foot to foot…
Wait… He's jumping… but he's not falling.
Was he somehow controlling gravity…?
"Oh! You've got it!" the villain shouted happily, somehow reading her like a book… "Whatever you're thinking, you're right!"
…Or maybe he'd just gotten a lucky guess.
"'Topsy Turvy' lets me adjust the direction gravity goes! It's really quite handy! Oh! That reminds me! I've got this one friend, Mandy, and she goes on the best deathly adventures! You should really look her and her brother up—"
Izuku tuned out the man's rambling, focused more on figuring out how to turn the fight around.
He's managed the flow of the fight the entire time… I need to take back control… What should—
Oh.
It was obvious.
How had she forgotten…? It had taken forever to get them right, and she only had a few of them because they were so hard to make in present circumstances, but… Well, Hinata was a ninja…
…And what ninja was complete without smoke bombs…?
There…! It's done…!
Melissa grinned eagerly at her work: a simple set of goggles that would automatically adjust their tint to protect the wearer's eyes. Unlike her glasses, however, it would never get so dark that it couldn't be seen through. Even if that cost them a bit of protective value it was probably worth it for practical reasons in a fight… Assuming she was thinking this through properly, anyway.
The goggles themselves were a hastily put together piece of work and it showed. Multiple different colors and materials torn from other small projects she'd had in her bag were evident across their surface, with two different colored lenses ripped from the camera she'd been intent on modifying to have a night-vision function. It didn't matter, though. They would work.
…Now I just need to get them to her…
Attention returning to the fight, Melissa looked up just in time for—
P-TSSCHHHH!
—a smoke bomb to explode at the ninja girl's feet.
"Ooh!" the villain cheered. "Are we playing Hide and Seek…? What a fun idea..."
Suddenly, his entire demeanor shifted, an annoyed frown replacing his manic grin.
"...Is what I'd say if it wasn't boring!"
The man crossed his hands in front of his chest, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Come out young lady…!" he ordered imperiously, sounding far too much like an angry parent at the moment. "I'll count to three, and if I don't see you, there will be consequences…"
Melissa's eyes darted left and right, searching for the hero.
"One!"
The smoke dissipated, and the ninja girl was gone. It wasn't unexpected, but still…
"Two…!"
She… She hadn't run away, had she…? All of the recent vigilantes may have had a different flavour to their presentation, but they all acted the part of heroes… Was this one an exception…?
"Thr—"
The count was cut off by the heroine's sudden reappearance just above the villain, her hand stabbing forward towards the small of his back with pinpoint accuracy as she fell from the roof above. It was incredible that she'd managed to sneak up on the man so easily.
"Woah…!"
Twirling out of the way, the villain managed to avoid a direct hit, only to be struck in the arm instead.
"Gah!"
Recoiling in pain, the man lashed out with his uninjured limb, his cane dropping from his other hand and clattering onto the surface of the building instead of falling several stories to the ground below. The hero twirled around the panicked blow easily, somehow attaching herself to the side of the building in a manner similar to the villain… though the way her hair and capelet dangled towards the ground suggested it wasn't quite the same.
The villain raised his one hand suddenly, flicking his wrist—
Without hesitation, the ninja girl turned away, taking her eyes off the man just long enough that he had time to grab onto his other arm and raise that sleeve up. When the heroine returned her gaze to the man, it was just in time for—
Kra-koom!
—another flashbang to explode out of his sleeve.
Taking advantage of the opening, the villain went flying, his equipment following him as he shot towards another nearby building. Landing on the side of the bricks, he cradled his now limp arm—expression absolutely thunderous for a moment…
…before sliding back into a demented smile several seconds later.
"Now that was just rude!" he shouted, an underlying note of anger evident in his tone in spite of his efforts to mask it. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hurt your playmates?"
Using his foot, he kicked his cane into the air and caught it with his uninjured hand, using the crook of the instrument to puppeteer his limp limb around in a 'no-no' gesture.
"I don't think flashing your 'playmate' is polite either, mister…" the heroine replied as she worked past the temporary blindness.
"Oooh…! Naughty…! I would never do such a thing!" the man countered. "Frankly, I'm offended by how low you think of—"
"T-that's not what I meant…! I didn't mean—" the heroine interjected, audibly embarrassed, only to be cut off with something far less humorous.
"Mommy…! W-where are you…?!"
Melissa's breath caught in her throat as the sound of a child in distress caught her ear… and then she gasped in horror as she realized the villain had noticed too. Sitting in the center of the park, clearly confused and afraid, was a young boy—no more than four or five years old…
How no one had noticed before now was beyond her, but he could not have picked a worse time to start crying.
"Really, the nerve of some people…!" the villain whined. "Here we are, having a jolly old time, and some silly woman left her brat behind to interrupt our fun!"
No… He couldn't…! That was too horrible to imagine!
The heroine was too far to do anything! The combatants were literally on opposite sides of the park, with the toddler between them! If the villain launched his fireworks…
"Why, I ought to teach her a lesson! Fair's fair, after all!"
The sound of wind filled her ears before Melissa even realized she was running, self-preservation all but forgotten as she pushed her quirkless body as hard as it could go. Her bag smacked against her hip, newly made goggles hanging from her neck, but would it be enough…?
The whistling of fireworks launching pressed her on faster, desperation flooding her body as she lunged towards the child, arms wrapping protectively around—
Kra-koom!
Izuku had not been idle when the villain noticed a new target. No, the second he'd focused on the child the temporary girl had launched forward as quickly as she could, infusing her energy into her body as much as she dared so as to increase her speed. Even then, it wouldn't be enough for her to grab the child, but—
'Izuku!' Hinata called, drawing the teen's attention to the familiar blonde girl charging towards the little boy. 'The Kawarimi…!'
Pumping her legs even faster, Izuku focused on the incoming rocket, her hands on the cusp of slipping into a simple pattern. She'd yet to manage the Replacement technique in training, but wall-walking had been near impossible in her last session too… And that had worked alright a moment ago. Her sync rate was higher than the last time she'd tried either technique, so it should work…
It had to.
The second the explosive firework was within range, Izuku's hands blurred through a series of patterns, their names echoing quietly from her lips without any conscious thought.
"Tiger—Boar—Ox—Dog—Snake—!"
The world seemed to flicker, and then she was somewhere else, standing a mere meter in front of the two civilians. Letting out a heavy breath as she felt the swell of energy that had cost her, she glanced behind her to make sure they were fine.
Well behind them all, exactly where Izuku had been a moment prior, the blast went off.
Kra-koom!
She'd done it.
The blond girl—Izuku never caught her name—had a death grip on the child, her whole body trembling as she sat there. The little boy reciprocated the hold, burying his face into the protective stranger's neck as he sobbed. None of that was ideal, obviously, but neither of them were hurt, which was what really mattered.
'They look okay, Izuku-san,' Hinata interjected. 'Good job!'
"...Hey, it's gonna be alright, okay?" she said aloud, offering them a gentle smile. "I'm going to take out the bad guy, so don't worry!"
A notable amount of tension left the girl's shoulders, and the boy's sobbing diminished greatly, shaky smiles spreading across their faces. Seeing that only bolstered Izuku's resolve, the pleasant sensation of a job mostly done settling into her stomach with the knowledge she'd already helped them.
Unable to delay any longer, the teenage vigilante went to leave—to advance on the villain in the hopes of keeping his attention on her, but was caught off guard by the blonde girl behind her speaking up.
"T-take these…!" she whispered urgently, shoving a pair of patchwork goggles into the pale-eyed teen's hands. "They'll protect your eyes from his explosives…!"
Beneath her fox mask, Izuku's eyes widened. She still wouldn't be able to use the Byakugan's omnidirectional perspective… but everything else was fair game now. This would make a big difference.
"Thank you…! I'll return them, I promise…!" she whispered back quickly, hanging the goggles off her waistband. With her free hand, she gestured to the child that had attached himself to the blonde in his terror. "Please get him out of here…!"
Before the other girl could say anything else, Izuku had taken off.
"I'd appreciate you focusing on me, mister…!" she shouted up at the villain.
"Aww…! Are you mad? I hope so…! Heroes are so much more fun when they're mad!" he replied.
As expected, another wave of fireworks shot down from the building, though thankfully they were all aimed in Izuku's direction. Unlike before, however, she didn't bother with any of them. Instead…
P-TSSCHHHH!
Smoke enveloped the ground where she'd stood, granting her the opportunity to strap her new acquisition on over her mask—awkward as it may be—and charge off into the cover of the few trees surrounding the predominantly concrete park.
"Oh, don't be so boring…!" the villain complained. "We've already played that particular game, little mouse!"
There was an art to misdirection, as Hinata had explained it. Young ninjas where she came from would spend years learning the basics, and even then there was always still something else to learn. Directing the opponent's attention where you wanted it was a task of such varied complexity that it boggled Izuku's mind… but it was only as difficult as you made it out to be. Plans within plans within plans weren't necessary if you made good use of the basics…
"Hey! Over here…!" Izuku shouted from among the trees of the park, making 'great use' of the related art of subtlety to misdirect her opponent.
It worked. It worked perfectly.
"Did you give up on sneakery, little mouse?" the madman demanded. "Well, if you're keen on a new game, allow me to indulge you!"
Predictably, fireworks shot towards her… Exactly as plan—
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra—!
An army of flashbangs exploded in a move that Izuku had distinctly not planned for.
They were probably there to stun her before she could do anything to escape the explosives that were just behind them, but this was a bit much, surely? Until now the villain hadn't used more than one at a time, and this was just… overkill. Clearly she'd pissed him off if he was going this far.
It would have worked, too… But the goggles over her mask had stopped that. They'd saved her.
I'll need to make sure to thank that girl…!
With a grin, Izuku's hand blurred through familiar motions—
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra-koom!
Kra—!
The sound of explosions went on for another few seconds, the fireworks that bombarded Izuku's position eradicating the greenery of the area.
"PFA-HA-HA-HA-HA…!" the villain guffawed, staring down at the decimated flora. The park was nothing but concrete now, the vigilante reduced to nothing but—
"'Missed me…!'" Izuku quoted cheekily, standing where one of his cannons had been.
A burst of energy flooded her eyes as her hand shot forward, the Byakugan showing her the exact position of the man's Tenketsu… Most specifically the ones that controlled his quirk. She'd gotten lucky before with his arm, but this time would be perfe—
"Not so fast…!"
One of the canons at his feet launched a flashbang in an instant. In a fraction of a second it had escaped the barrel, the villain dodging desperately to the side in the same instant.
Izuku simply grinned and lashed out with her other hand.
Kra-koom!
The light washed over her, sending a piercing squeal into her ears… but it didn't matter. The goggles had dealt with the worst of it and…
"Ooooh…" the villain groaned as he dangled from Izuku's grip.
Her unbroken assault had gotten through his desperate defense, nullifying his quirk for a while and leaving him at the mercy of normal gravity once again. Of course, Izuku wasn't going to let him drop, so she'd latched onto his lapels—leaving him hanging perilously above a multi-story drop.
"Woo hoo!"
"The Ninja girl did it…!"
"That was awesome…!"
Was it weird that she was starting to get used to this…? That was probably bad, right? This would only spell more attention, more trouble, but…
"What's your hero name…?!"
'It's okay to enjoy being praised for a job well-done, Izuku-san…!' Hinata interjected, her tone glowing with pride.
The teen's smile widened a bit at that, adrenaline giving way to a hazy kind of giddiness.
Life's coming up Izuku, huh…?
"An introduction…?" She asked the audience, grinning all the while. "Okay…!"
Pulling out some wire—a pale imitation of proper ninja wire according to Hinata—the teen rapidly wrapped it around the semi-conscious villain before hanging him upside down from a nearby balcony.
"My name is Oversight! I like ramen and helping people, dislike bullies, and my dream is to make people smile…!" she shouted for the crowd's sake. "I-It's nice to meet you all!"
The flash of cameras and the sounds of general enthusiasm was… starting to get a little intimidating, but between the euphoria of victory and the remaining smoke bombs in her pouch she didn't let it get to her all the much.
"Let's all get along, okay!"
In the aftermath of the villain attack—people were already starting to call him the 'Mad Hatter'—Melissa slowly let herself come off her adrenaline high. Handing off the child that she'd leaped in to save to his tearful mother, she'd slipped into the crowd as the normal authorities started to arrive.
Oversight had already left by the time the licensed heroes showed up, much to the latter's frustration from the grimaces she saw at a distance. They didn't really have any right to be mad, though. They should have gotten here quicker!
"If you aren't hurt, please move along! The villain has been captured by local authorities!" A tall man called, his multi-colored spandex catching Melissa's eye.
They didn't do anything…! They shouldn't be taking credit…
The blonde exchange student was surprised by how much that annoyed her. It was an unreasonable feeling, since she was certain that the heroes had arrived as soon as they could, but… The feeling remained.
In an effort to distract herself, she started analyzing the recent arrivals equipment, but… her heart just wasn't in it. No, all she could think about was—
"Excuse me."
Melissa's heart leapt into her throat as the subject of her thoughts appeared right in front of her!
Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my—
"Thank you for the goggles," Oversight said with a light bow, offering the aforementioned item in a two-handed grip.
It was things like that that reminded her she was in Japan. Wait, no, that's so incredibly unimportant right now! What was she think—
"Y-you're welcome…?" Melissa stuttered, her usual confidence abandoning her in her time of need.
What is she doing here…?! Doesn't she know there's official heroes right over there?! How has no one noticed her yet…?! Is she an actual ninja…?!
"I-I just wanted to help… I saw you were having trouble with the flashbangs and assumed you had some kind of ocular quirk—"
She hadn't actually, the stress of the moment robbing her of that particular realization, but it made sense in retrospect. The flashbangs were nowhere near strong enough to cause the violent reaction the heroine had exhibited initially, though that left the question of how she'd stood on the side of the building…
"—so I tossed these together as quickly as I could.. I-It's not my best work, but—"
"You made these in a few minutes…?!" Oversight exclaimed quietly. "That's incredible…!"
Stop blushing, Melissa! Stop it! You're trying to make a good impression!
Wait, why was she trying to make a good impression…? Whatever this was wasn't going to go anywhere…
…Right?
"W-well… I'm pretty good at making Support equipment…" Melissa explained. "I'm actually working to be a Support Technician!"
"That's great!" the vigilante nodded. "I hope you do well! You've clearly got talent!"
When the other—shorter, now that they were side by side—girl didn't say anything else, Melissa realized something…
"O-Oh, you can keep them, don't worry!" the blonde declared, pushing the heroine's hands back gently. "You can give them to whoever makes your equipment for improvements…?"
Although whoever is doing it is either a complete amateur, doesn't have a workshop, or both, judging by her gear. Now that I see them up close, those weapons of hers look like they're made out of nails and her other tools are just as bad! The only decent work is her costume, but even that isn't all that durable!
Melissa wasn't one for disparaging comments, but when it came to her craft she couldn't help but be blunt. Being up front could and would save lives.
"I… make my own gear…" Oversight replied hesitantly, hooking the goggles on her belt.
Oh.
That… explained a lot, really. Though, from that angle, it was impressive that the girl had anything at all—
"Wait, aren't you one of those new vigilantes…? Do you all make your own equipment…?"
On one hand, that would explain Miss Samurai's shoddy grapple hook and Cypher Blade's… 'swords…' But… Shiny Chariot's weapon was far too advanced for something like this. Wait, if they worked together, then…
…Could… Could she meet Chariot if she made a good impression with Oversight…?
"I… Um… I really shouldn't talk about that…" the heroine replied.
Wonderful. Way to go Melissa, now she's clamming up…!
"Anyway…!" Oversight interjected, cutting through the sudden awkwardness with distinct effort. "I just wanted to thank you before I left… Your goggles, tossed together or not… They really helped a lot—No, they saved me…"
The girl gave a quiet giggle, looking away a bit as she laughed at whatever she was thinking.
"Honestly, I think you were the real hero today… Well, my hero, at least."
Melissa's breath caught in her throat, eyes wide beneath her glasses as she struggled to get a word out. Thick emotion precluded that, forcing her into silence even as a confusing mess of feelings pooled in the pit of her stomach.
"...A-anyway…" The shorter girl went on, coughing awkwardly at the sudden silence. "Have a good day…!"
With that said, she turned on her heel and disappeared, a… small log falling to the ground in her place? No, that didn't matter. There was something far more important to worry about right now.
W-what do I do…? I can't… I can't let that go…!
That was it. That had been her chance… A once in a lifetime chance to follow her dream. To be someone's hero…
…And she'd blown it.
Pulling off her glasses, Melissa wiped away the wetness in the corner of her eyes, cleaning off the lenses on the hem of her shirt as—
…Wait a minute…
Staring at her glasses, a thought occurred to her.
"The goggles…!" she mumbled.
Whipping out her high-tech phone, she scrolled through her applications at breakneck pace, searching for—
"YES…!" she shouted, pumping her fists in the air in victory.
…
…
…
Laughing a little sheepishly, she noticed the nearby people giving her weird looks and started walking away quickly. Attention returning to her phone, a giddy feeling settled into her gut.
I'm gonna do it, papa! I'm gonna be someone else's hero, just like you!
Omake:
Midnight's response to Lady Hel
"You can call me Lady Hel…!"
Midnight raised a lone eyebrow imperiously as the video ended, before turning to face the man that had interrupted the paperwork she'd been doing to show it to her.
"Isn't she a hoot?" Present Mic laughed. "Definitely seems up your alley with those vibes of hers!"
"She's an amateur, Hizashi," the woman denied. "She wouldn't know sex appeal if it gave her a lap dance. You can tell just from looking at her! No follow through!"
The irritating man gave her a knowing look.
"Mhmm… Sure, sure," he replied. "Did you know that she's already started getting a fanbase? They're quite rabid!"
"All fanbases are rabid," the heroine scoffed.
"A lot of them are saying she's either your secret lovechild, or the next big thing in sexy heroines…" the man went on leadingly, clearly trying to tease her. "Some are even pointing out how much younger—"
"I am not old!" the woman shouted, shooting to her feet and grabbing her whip. Marching to the door, she gave him one backward glance before leaving. "Get me a patrol route, Hizashi! I'll show them what real sex appeal is! No one beats the 'R-Rated Hero' at her own game!"
Slam!
The door slammed shut behind her as the radio-themed hero snickered to himself.
"I told you she'd get upset about it, Shota!"
Nearby, a dark-haired lump, sticking out of a sleeping bag, gave a discontented groan.
"Yeah, yeah, I know you thought she'd be 'more rational,' but a bet's a bet, man!" Present Mic continued. "You owe me a drink, and you don't get to bring your sleeping bag this time!"
Another groan, this one crossing the gap between 'discontent' and 'I swear to god, why do I have to deal with this buffoon…?'
The man was shockingly effective at conveying such complex emotions with simple grunts.
"This is why you aren't popular with the ladies, Shota," the blonde laughed. "It's not just because your name only attracts milfs with weird fetishes…"
The latest groan somehow managed to convey the even more complex utterance of 'it was one time, idiot!'
"Yeah, but I still have the photos to prove it! I never would have thought you'd let a woman snuggle you like her newborn in public!"
'I swear to god, if you don't shut up…' the next groan managed to convey. 'Besides, it was comfortable, and I wanted to nap without you talking my ear off about your latest girlfriend. Stop bringing it up everytime you want to annoy me…'
Really, it was astonishing how much Aizawa managed to convey with his grunts…
"Dude, you let her put a bonnet on—"
Slam!
"WHERE THE HELL IS MY PATROL ROUTE, HIZASHI?!" Midnight shouted.
"Ah, sorry, must'a been the internet being weird again! I'll get it sent right over, Kayama!" the blonde declared hastily.
"I am not old!" the woman grumbled as she left again.
"No one said you are!" Present Mic called after her. "Well, except Lady Hel's fans!"
"GRAAAAH!"
Smirking to himself, the man leaned back in his chair.
"God, I love this job…"
Detail Diatribe:
Another chapter, another villain with his ten pages of fame!
This one is, as I'm sure you surmised, loosely based upon the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, particularly the Johnny Depp version's aesthetics. I've never read the book, nor seen the movie (though I probably should at some point) so I'm sure my portrayal isn't all that similar, but that wasn't really the point. He was just meant to be fun for a one-off battle, and I hope he was!
Now, to discuss Izuku's latest debut!
The outfit is, once again, taken straight off of DeviantArt (Artist name is Qsanart):
.com(slash)qsanart(slash)art(slash)Anbu(dash)Hinata(dash)212950138
The costume is based on the idea of Hinata as a member of ANBU. I liked it, and thought that this artist's particular interpretation (plus my minor modifications) was a more fitting 'hero outfit' for Hinata than her classic hoodie.
As for her Hero Name, I simply thought it fitting given the Byakugan, much like Cypher Blade was inherently fitting for 2B (who I forgot to cover in last chapter's DD. Oops!)
AN:
So, you're probably wondering why this chapter is shorter than the recent ones, huh?
Well, that has a very simple answer that I'm going to be unnecessarily in-depth about per usual, but as a TLDR:
Chapters will be shorter from now on so I can keep a better upload schedule. The next chapter will be out next week.
Now, to expound:
I've found that one of the biggest reasons I've struggled to maintain a weekly upload schedule is my target chapter length is, to put it bluntly, stupidly big when compared to my writing speed. Depending on how well a scene is flowing, a single page can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour, and most of my chapters are somewhere between sixteen and twenty-two pages… Nevermind the thirty-page outliers.
I'm sure you can see the problem.
Unfortunately, it gets worse when you consider the fact that forcing myself to write this much every week kills my motivation and enjoyment of the story, dropping the quality, and the fact that I try and cover so much in every chapter makes it significantly harder to juggle plotlines and planning, making the process far more work than it has to be because I need to double-check information so often. Once it's uploaded, after all, I can only make minor edits while maintaining artistic integrity, so that makes me quite paranoid to make sure everything in such large chapters is accurate.
On top of all of this, I also made the realization that shorter chapters will help with the pacing issues I let myself get worried about in recent Author's Notes. Spacing out content like this will notably mitigate my problems with how quickly the story is moving.
So, for all of the above reasons, I've made the decision to split chapters in half, and upload on a roughly weekly basis. Barring any sudden realizations or real life issues, I should be able to be far more consistent moving forward with this approach.
Thanks for bearing with me despite all of these changes. I know it must be frustrating, but I appreciate your patience.