Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series.
Chapter 18
(Persona 5 OST: Meeting)
Mishima wasn't sure how he got this far, but now that he stood in front of Shiho's hospital room, he could feel whatever bravery he had mustered begin to collapse like a house of cards. He could feel his knees wobbling and the nervous sweat moistening his brow.
After Takamaki had suggested that he visit Suzui, the idea had plagued him for several days. After what he'd done, he felt unworthy of even considering the thought. He didn't know what Shiho would say to him. He didn't know if she would even have anything to say to him. There were definitely things he wanted to get off his chest, but he wasn't sure if this was an appropriate time for it.
Relax, just relax… You can do this. I came here to apologize and beg for a way to make it up to her. I've made it this far, I just have to do it! Mishima reminded himself, taking several deep breaths as he reached for the doorknob to Suzu's room. His hand immediately froze halfway as his fraying nerves took over again.
O-on second thought, maybe I should come back later…
Mishima sighed in defeat, not quite as ready as he thought he was to face her so soon. He slumped his shoulders and began to slowly back away.
"I can't do it…" He mumbled to himself, beginning to walk back the way he came. But the sound of a sharp click caused the plain boy to tense up, snapping his head back to see the door opening. To his surprise, a familiar elderly woman stepped out of the room.
"R-Recovery Girl?" Mishima blurted out, drawing the Youthful Hero's attention to him.
"Hm? Oh, hello there, young man. Are you here to see Shiho Suzui?" Recovery Girl asked gently, a wrinkled smile stretching across her lips. "I've finished the latest round of her treatment, so she should be well enough to see visitors now. Just know she's a bit tired due to my Quirk."
"O-oh, um… okay…" Mishima replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. But before he could say anything else, he suddenly felt the need to show his gratitude to her, quickly bowing to U.A.'s resident nurse. "M-my name is Yuuki Mishima. T-thank you for everything you've done for Suzui-san! I'm glad to hear that she is recovering well…"
"Oh~! So you're Mishima-kun! I was wondering if I would get the chance to meet you," Recovery Girl replied with a small chuckle, slowly making her way over to the plain boy. "I have to say, I was quite moved by your petition. It was very kind of you to do that for your classmate. I was hoping I'd get to meet you before I completed Suzui-chan's treatment."
"Y-you wanted to meet me?" Mishima mumbled, feeling a burst of happiness spring forth. He became bashful, unable to stop from smiling as he scratched his head. "I-I'm nothing special, really…" Dark thoughts encroached his mind in an instant, his smile failing as he remembered his inability to stand up to Kamoshida. "I'm really not…"
"Nonsense, boy. You had the sense to act when others wouldn't," Recovery Girl dismissed, giving an encouraging smile. "Too often people give their sympathies to the injured without doing much to make things better. You were at least able to give Suzui-chan a chance to get back on her feet by bringing her to my attention. I think that's something special."
She gave him a small wink. "So why don't you go and pay her a visit? She's just about finished healing, so she'll soon be discharged from the hospital tonight."
"O-oh, um… okay," Mishima mumbled, giving a hesitant smile. "Th-thank you again… I'll never forget this."
"Neither will I. Perhaps we'll see each other again, Mishima-kun. Take care," Recovery Girl nodded, slowly trotting past him. Mishima smiled as he watched her go, now feeling proud of his decision to plead to her. Recovery Girl turned out to be a true Hero after all.
Just like the Phantom Thieves.
"Well… guess I can't turn back after that…" Mishima chuckled nervously to himself as he turned back to Shiho's room. Swallowing his fears, the plain boy reached forward and pushed the door open. Inside, he found Shiho sitting on the edge of her bed, rolling her arms to get feeling back in them. It took her a moment before she noticed her guest, as she looked up at Mishima in surprise.
"H-hi Suzui-san…" he forced out.
"Mishima…" Shiho replied, her voice a whisper. An awkward silence swiftly followed, neither Shiho or Mishima knowing where to go from there.
Mishima rubbed his arm and cast his gaze to the ground as he worked up his courage to speak. "M-mind if I come in, Suzui-san?"
"... Okay. Come in," Shiho slowly answered, giving Mishima some relief as he walked inside.
"Thanks… you uh-you look well. Recovery Girl really delivered, huh?" Mishima asked, hoping to clear the air with some small talk.
"Yeah. She is pretty amazing," Shiho nodded, looking down at her now functional arms. "What could have taken around a year to heal was fixed in only a couple weeks. And only that long because she was… seeing my progress."
Mishima noted the small trail off at the end of Shiho's sentence, but didn't put much thought into it.
"That's awesome, I… I'm really happy for you," He offered her a hopeful smile as he looked back up at her.
Another silence encumbered them. Mishima wrung his hands in front of him nervously as he worked up his nerve to continue.
Come on, I have to say it. It's why I came here in the first place!
"Suzui-san, I…" Mishima's words caught in his throat, feeling his eyes mist over as the reminder of his weakness overwhelmed him. "... I'm so sorry… I was too afraid to do anything. I was too much of a coward to ignore what Kamoshida told me to do and… and you suffered for it," Tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked Shiho in the eyes. "P-please… please forgive me for being so useless…"
Shiho didn't answer him immediately. Grief and understanding colored her expression. If he had come a few days ago, she would have definitely blamed him for his part in the pain she suffered that day. But watching Kamoshida's confession had reminded Shiho of who was truly responsible.
After taking deep breath, Shiho finally spoke: "You… have nothing to apologize for, Mishima. You were hurt by Kamoshida like everyone else on the team. I didn't speak up either. We… we were all too afraid to put a stop to it. You knew what would happen if you refused."
"I… would have taken a beating if it meant avoiding what… what happened," Mishima shakily responded, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve. "I should have…"
Shiho didn't know what more she could say. So she only offered what little inspiration was keeping her going right now.
"Well… Kamoshida is gone now. We can… we can at least rest easier knowing that," Shiho suggested, forcing a small smile to give Mishima some reassurance.
"Y-yeah… you're right about that…" Mishima nodded, her words managing to spread the beginnings of a smile across his face. "I uh… I wanted to talk to you about that as well."
Shiho blinked in mild surprise. "You did?"
"Yeah, if you're okay with it. Have you heard much from Takamaki-san how Kamoshida was taken down?" Mishima asked, pulling his shoulder bag off and unzipping the top.
"Well… I saw the confession for myself, but not really much else on how or why…" Shiho mumbled, not sure how to answer that. She remembered that Ann and Izuku had plotted Kamoshida's downfall together, but she never heard the details of how. All she knew was that whatever they did worked extremely well.
"I figured she wouldn't say much. After all, she probably had a hand in it," Mishima chuckled, his mood seemed to lighten immediately as he thought of the Thieves. He produced a small red card from his bag, a strange doodle on the back. Mishima walked over, holding the card out for Shiho to take.
"Before Kamoshida confessed, he randomly took over a week off from school. But before that, a bunch of these cards were posted on the school bulletin board."
Shiho read through the message, eyes lighting up in interest as she reached the end. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" She said the last inscription aloud, unable to discern the reason for sending the message.
"That's right. I'm sure it's because of them that Kamoshida confessed like he did. I don't know if it was a Quirk or something, but whatever it was, it worked wonders. To make him confess in front of the entire school like that was unbelievable! Whoever the Phantom Thieves are, they sure are amazing."
Shiho gave a small smile, his sudden change in mood was infectious. She was grateful to the 'Phantom Thieves' too, after all. "Yeah… I'm sure it took a lot of guts to stand up when no one else would. I wish I could return the favor, somehow."
"Well, I don't know if it's exactly returning the favor, but I think I have an idea of how to show my appreciation," Mishima declared, piquing Shiho's curiosity. "While people know that someone stood up to Kamoshida, most people believe that the calling card they left was just a hoax. But I don't believe that for one second. So I'm going to show that I'm a believer in the Phantom Thieves!"
"How do you plan to do that, though?" asked Shiho.
"Well, like a lot of things nowadays, I thought that taking to the internet would be the best way to make a name for them," Mishima explained, grabbing a chair by the wall so that he could sit at eye level with Shiho. "I'm planning to make a site devoted to the Phantom Thieves and those who believe in them. I want people to know who they are after what they did."
Shiho hummed in thought, finding the plan to be smart and well meaning. "I guess that makes a lot of sense, but… are you sure it will last long though? What if this was the only case the Phantom Thieves decide to take?"
"If it is, then at least they know that someone acknowledges what they did. They were the school's heroes when no one else could be," Mishima said, his grin spreading as he leaned forward.
"But to be honest, I want them to keep saving people like us. I'm sure there are a lot of people who are afraid to speak up about their suffering. The Phantom Thieves give hope to people like that. So maybe… maybe by doing this, I can help inspire them to keep helping people like that. I think it's worth a try."
Shiho took a moment to think. Even though she knew that Ann and Izuku were behind the calling card, she still felt the same as Mishima. They were her heroes. They were the heroes of everyone at Shujin who suffered because of Kamoshida.
Perhaps it was a bit much to ask her best friend to keep doing this for people, but how many people could use heroes like the Phantom Thieves? People trapped by fear and suffering like she was couldn't call out for help. But maybe the Phantom Thieves could free them from that burden. With that decided, Shiho looked back at Mishima, giving a hopeful smile.
"Can I help then?"
The moment he finished helping Sojiro open shop that morning, Izuku headed for Shibuya. After delaying his visit to Untouchable the day before, Izuku didn't want to waste anymore time. After all, there was no guarantee that the shop owner would even buy it in the first place. But in case the shady shopkeep stayed true to his word, Izuku also made sure to bring a sack full of the loot the Thieves had gathered during their heist.
"Some of this stuff should have some monetary value. I think we'll make a decent yen if this guy actually decides to buy all of it," Morgana said, peeking his head inside the second bag on Izuku's shoulder.
"I hope so. If not, we'll have to start tossing out the loot we gather. People will usually ask where and how we got it if we bring so much stuff at once," Izuku explained, a thoughtful frown lining his lips. "But it's worth a try."
"True. Considering how shady this guy seems, he may not ask too many questions, hopefully," Morgana guessed. He spared a look at Izuku, the green-haired teen looking a bit more distracted than usual. "So… about what you said yesterday..."
"Huh?" Izuku blinked as he looked up at the cat in question. "O-oh, um… which part?"
"You know what I'm talking about. The part when you said you still wanted to be a Phantom Thief!" Morgana swiftly reminded him, a feline grin spreading across his face. "I no doubt felt the same way, but I didn't think you'd say it so plainly! I was just hoping I could work the idea into your mind and then we could convince Lady Ann and idiot Ryuji later."
"So you were planning this from the start, huh?" Izuku muttered, realizing that the cat's scheme hadn't surprised him in the slightest. "W-well, even so, we don't know how Ryuji-senpai or Ann-senpai are going to react. What we're doing is risky. Both the law and the Shadows have it out for us.."
"You can't say they don't understand that at this point. After everything we did in Kamoshida's Palace, I'm sure they're fully aware of the risks," Morgana argued, earning a hum of thought from Izuku.
"I-I suppose you're right… I wonder when we should bring it up, though..?" He replied as he absentmindedly turned a corner to step into the alley leading to Untouchable.
"Hey, come on, Kaoru. It's just a few yen. Nothin' too excessive."
Izuku looked up to see several middle schoolers toward the end of the alley. Three surrounded one kid by himself. He was a young boy that looked only a year younger than Izuku.
The boy, apparently named Kaoru, had a simple bowl cut and wore square framed glasses. The others didn't look bigger or tougher than him, but were flexing their Quirks like a musclebound jock. They were nothing special, one of them flashing his long, edged nails and the other had an array of spikes covering his face. The one leading the bullies had a slightly enlarged hand that gripped Kaoru's shoulder, though Izuku knew that might not be the full extent of its growth.
"I told you, I don't have money. Now leave me alone." The boy, Kaoru if Izuku heard right, retorted with no hidden irritation, trying to push his way past the three.
"Hey man, what the hell? We're just tryin' to hit the arcade up! You don't gotta be so stingy!" One of the bullies in the back huffed as if Kaoru were the asshole in this situation. "Just show us what you've got!"
"Leave him alone!" Izuku quickly shouted, refusing to let this go on any longer than it had to.
"Ah shit, it's some upperclassman…" One of the punks cursed, looking at Izuku in irritation.
"We're just talkin' with our bud. Why don't you stay out of it?" The leader said, not backing down despite the attention they garnered thanks to Izuku.
"I-it doesn't look that way to me," Izuku retorted, gripping his book bag tightly. He didn't want to start a fight, but he had to be ready for one. Just because he was older didn't mean the kids would immediately back off.
"H-hey, Shouji…" The spike faced middle schooler said, tugging on the leader's shoulder. "We should just leave it," He said, pointing forward.
Izuku spared a look behind him, surprised to see a small crowd of people gathering up. He hadn't realized that raising his voice had actually caught some passerby's attention.
"Tch. Fine…" the lead bully conceded, looking back at Kaoru and letting him go. "We'll see you later, pal. Try to be more friendly next time would ya?"
Kaoru didn't answer, only frowning as he watched them leave. The three sidestepped Izuku, the green haired teen watching them cautiously as they walked by. He looked back up at Kaoru, walking up to him now that they were gone.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. You got here just as they started," Kaoru answered, giving a thankful grin. "Their bark is usually worse than their bite, but I appreciate the help. Thanks."
"I didn't really do much. I'm glad nothing came of it, at least." Izuku smiled modestly.
"I 'preciate it too."
Izuku and Kaoru turned when they heard a familiar voice, surprising the green haired teen when he saw the Untouchable shop owner walking up to meet them.
"D-Dad! How long were you there?" Kaoru asked, causing Izuku to do a quick double take.
Untouchable's owner is a father?!
"Just came out for the end of it. Was about to step in if it wasn't for Mumbles over here," the shop owner answered.
"Eh? Mumbles?" Izuku blinked owlishly at his new nickname, but the shopkeeper paid him no mind.
"Are you havin' trouble at school, Kaoru?"
"N-no, they're like that to everyone. I don't get singled out or anything. Plus, they're mostly talk," Kaoru reassured his father, speaking honestly. "B-but forget that. I wanted to come by and see if you needed any help today, Dad."
"I told you, my shop is runnin' fine. Don't worry about it, Kaoru. You've got some exams comin' up, don't you?" The shop owner reminded him, jerking a thumb back down the alley. "You should head home. Make sure you study up good, all right?"
"B-but dad, I-"
"No buts. Go home and study. Got it?" The rough shop owner cut him off, pulling several bills out of his pocket. "Here, get yourself some food while you're at it."
Kaoru opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself short of actually saying anything. With a hesitant nod, he reached out and took the money.
"I understand… see you at home," Kaoru turned to Shibuya's ever-bustling crowd. "Thanks again for your help," He said, giving Izuku a small bow before finally taking off.
"I keep tellin' him not to swing by this place. Maybe I worry him too much…" The shop owner huffed, though he seemed to be talking more to himself than Izuku. He spared a glance at the green haired teen, a small smirk edging at the corner of his mouth.
"I have to say though, I'm shocked. Didn't expect a mumbly, stuttering kid like you to stand up for someone like that."
"Huh? O-oh, well I… I know a thing or two about bullies…" Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Now that doesn't surprise me. But nevertheless, I appreciate what you did. We never properly introduced ourselves, did we? I'm Munehisa Iwai."
"I-Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you…" Izuku answered, though he wasn't sure if that was the proper response since they had talked several times, even if it was only briefly.
"Well, you obviously came here for a reason. Come on, let's see what you got," Iwai said, turning around and waving for Izuku to follow. Relaxing somewhat, Izuku followed him to Untouchable. Iwai assumed his usual position behind the counter, leaning on the glass as he waited for Izuku to make his request. "Bring me somethin' special?"
"H-how'd you guess I was selling something?"
"The random sack you're totin' around is a dead giveaway. Just hope you brought somethin' of value and not a bunch of random junk." Iwai said, reaching into his jacket and putting a lollipop in his mouth.
"A-ah, well, the main thing I was selling was this…" Izuku reached into the sack, producing the gold medal they received from Kamoshida's Palace. Iwai took it from Izuku, a critical eye examining the medal for a moment.
"Hm… well, it looks authentic enough. Feels like the real deal, too. Still, I'm not sure how much value I can get out of this," Iwai hummed, pulling a laptop out from the counter and opening it up. He took a few minutes to search online for a price. Izuku had done his research even after Ryuji told him the initial price, but thought it best to let Iwai see for himself. "... the hell? This thing is worth thirty thousand yen?"
Iwai spared a look at the medal before looking up at Izuku for a moment. With a huff, he nodded. "Okay. I'll buy it off you at full price."
Izuku's eyes widened, "B-but is that okay? Don't you need to dock off a percentage to make a profit, at least?"
"Normally I would, but I figure that this can be my way of payin' you back for what you did for Kaoru. I'll at least get my money back regardless," Iwai explained, "So you want thirty grand or not?"
"O-oh, um… okay. If you don't mind, I'll accept," Izuku agreed, feeling a bit awkward at accepting full price. He was expecting to get some money, but not this much from the medal alone. It was part of why he brought the loot in the first place.
"Good. Then I'll take that and you… get this…" Iwai reached under his counter again and pulled out a safebox. He tossed the medal inside and pulled out several bills, quickly counting them before handing the money over to Izuku. "So, is that all? Or do you have anything else to show me?"
"O-oh, yes. This was all much smaller stuff, but I wanted to see if you would take them too." Izuku explained, handing the entire sack over to Iwai. Taking a look inside, airsoft shop owner's expression lit up with surprise and curiosity.
"Where the hell did... Ehem," Iwai quickly caught himself, shaking his head. "Right. I shouldn't be askin' questions. That's my policy. But you're stranger than I thought kid," he chuckled.
Izuku gave an awkward laugh in return. Thinking about the contents of the bag, he realized that it was probably suspicious to bring their entire haul in one sitting.
"I can't believe you walked out of there with 50,000 yen!" Morgana said, feeling pride in the fact that Izuku was able to walk away with far more money than either expected. "I guess it really does pay to take a chance like that. It's a good thing that shopkeep is kind of shady. I doubt you would have been able to sell all of that so quickly anywhere else."
"He didn't ask for I.D. or anything. That's standard practice at a pawn shop," Izuku mumbled, feeling conflicted over their sale. "Iwai-san seems decent, but… I can see why Ryuji-senpai said he was shady."
"You're thinking too much. Besides, you were no less shady selling him all that stuff, you know," Morgana teased, Izuku wincing as he failed to come up with a counterargument.
He stepped through the gates leading to his train, looking up at the neon signs displaying the schedule. "It looks like several trains were delayed today… we might be here for a bit."
"Might as well tell the others that you were able to sell the medal. Now we can finally get our celebration underway," Morgana suggested, Izuku smiling in agreement.
"That's a good idea. Ann-senpai said she would check the prices, so it'll be good if she knows we got the entire amount," Izuku said, quickly pulling his phone out to text his friends.
"Shitty train with its messed up schedule… have to wait here just to get on my own damn line…"
Izuku felt his body tense as he heard the rowdy complaints not so quietly mumbled close by.
(My Hero Academia OST: Hero's Shadow)
Th-there's no way that's…
"Is something wrong, Izuku?" Morgana asked, concerned to see the green-haired teen so stiff.
Slowly turning his head to the left, Izuku felt his eyes widen as he saw a familiar face; One he had mixed feelings at seeing once again.
Katsuki Bakugou, Izuku's former best friend and longtime bully, was furiously mashing his phone with his thumb.
Bakugou still had his explosively spiky blond hair and blood red irises not unlike Makoto. He wore a gold-buttoned gray blazer with blue stripes around the cuffs and along the shoulders. Bakugou had also left his white dress shirt under it untucked and had forgone the use of a tie. A leather bag hung over his shoulder.
That's U.A.'s uniform… Izuku thought to himself. It didn't surprise him that even when everyone else was on holiday that the Hero Training Course would still be in session.
Of course, Bakugou had gotten in. With his grades, athleticism, and powerful Explosion Quirk, he was practically destined for it.
Bakugou must have felt Izuku's gaze, as the blonde's red eyes immediately turned to glare in Izuku's direction. But the moment their eyes met, both boys stiffened up. The two stared at each other for what felt like the longest moment in their lives. Izuku felt sweat start to build on his brow and gulped before finally breaking the silence between them.
"K-Kacchan…" He stammered out Bakugou's childhood nickname out of habit.
"Deku, you bastard…" Bakugou cursed, his eyes narrowing at the green haired teen in suspicion. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"A-ah, y-you see, m-m-my new school is in Aoyama-Itchome, s-s-so I uh-take the train over and-" Izuku struggled out the best he could.
"Oh, that's right. Heard you got a criminal record and shit," Izuku flinched at Katsuki's blunt response. Not even Kamoshida could make Izuku feel as terrible about his criminal record as Bakugou could. "The teachers at Aldera were total shit at keeping quiet about it."
That didn't surprise Izuku at all. None of his teachers were ever sympathetic to his plight when he was younger.
"I see…" he muttered back, his eyes soon trained on the ground. There was a lot that Izuku was expecting Katsuki to say to him. All of it insulting and degrading in some way. After all, once Makoto left them, that had become Bakugou's only interaction with him.
"What kinda bullshit is that, anyway? How'd a nerd like you end up with a criminal record of all things?" Bakugou huffed, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You don't have a Quirk or any of that shit. What kinda court shoveled up such a shitty conviction? We've all seen people do way worse for way less."
That wasn't the first thing Izuku was expecting out of Bakugou's mouth. He had expected some soul-crushing insults or reminders of his failure to get into U.A. But setting aside the explosive teen's usual lack of tact, everything he said was true.
Izuku hadn't been able to figure out why he received such a harsh punishment over a dispute that was minor compared to most assaults in this day and age. Especially for a teenager who was just about to graduate from middle school.
"I… I don't know. It just… happened that way," Izuku answered honestly, dejectedly rubbing his arm. "But… I'm sure that it had to do with the person I stopped… I don't know how, but… things happened way too fast. Before I knew it, I ended up with a criminal record."
Bakugou was silent, seemingly observing Izuku for some sort of lie or reason to pounce on him. Instead, he merely clicked his tongue and snapped his head away. "Tch. That's what you get for stickin' your nose in somethin' you shouldn'ta, like you always fuckin' did. Such bullshit… and I was lookin' forward to crushin' you myself at the U.A. Entrance Exam. You didn't even get a chance thanks to that shit..."
"Huh?" Izuku's eyes lit up in shock, looking at Bakugou in disbelief. That was nothing at all like what Bakugou had spat at him before his arrest. He specifically remembered him telling Izuku to not even bother taking the test. The way Bakugou was talking was throwing Izuku off. "K-Kacchan… did something happen?"
"Huh?" Bakugou grunted out, violently snapping his body to turn and look at Izuku. "The hell's that supposed to mean, bastard?!"
"A-ah! N-nothing! I di-didn't mean anything by it!" Izuku quickly said, waving his hands in front of him in surrender. "I-I'm just-you d-don't seem as… v-volatile is all!" Izuku went pale after his last statement, realizing that it was practically asking Bakugou to assume his previous role as his bully.
But despite Izuku's fears, Bakugou didn't retaliate with a slew of curses and insults. Instead, the fierce expression he often wore softened. His animalistic scowl became a passive glare, looking away from Izuku as he clicked his tongue.
"Whatever. I don't got the energy to waste on scum outside of U.A."
Despite his biting words, Bakugou's behavior was almost nice compared to how Izuku remembered him. Taking a moment to observe his childhood 'friend', Izuku noticed something different about him entirely. When he would follow Bakugou around as children, he would always radiate this air of superiority and confidence. It was part of what Izuku admired about the explosive teen despite his constant abuse.
But looking at him now, it was almost like someone had punched a hole in that. Something had wounded his pride and shaken his self-assurance that he would always be on top.
The last time Bakugou acted like this, it was after his first loss to Makoto.
Someone had beaten him.
"K-Kacchan."
"What?!" Izuku flinched when Bakugou snapped his head up to look at him.
"N-nothing important-I-I just… wanted to ask how things were going at U.A. for you," Izuku said, trying to determine the source of Bakugou's state. The question itself was enough to cause Katsuki to tense up, like the mention of it was enough to strike a nerve.
"H-how do you think it's goin', scum?! I told you I was gonna become the world's Number One Hero!" Bakugou answered, "That school is just another stepping stone! I'll be at the top again soon enough, so don't forget it!"
"O-of course, I've got no doubt about that!" Izuku quickly said, careful not to fan the flames further by digging any deeper into the subject. He had gotten his answer, anyways.
He's not at the top at U.A. So that means… someone beat Kacchan?
The station echoed with the sound of screeching rails, the two looking up to see a train arriving. Izuku quickly recognized it as the transfer leading to his former hometown. Bakugou huffed, tightening his bag against his shoulder as he lurched forward and prepared to get on.
"See ya, nerd," he murmured out, waiting by the edge of the platform for the doors to open.
Izuku opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Even though their relationship was as bad as it gets, Izuku still felt compelled to try and talk to him. Finally, as the train doors slid open, one subject came to mind.
"Um… I-I saw Koto-san again…"
That one statement was enough to freeze Katsuki in place. Craning his head back, Izuku was met with as intense of a glare as he had ever seen from Bakugou, subconsciously swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Huh?"
M-maybe telling him wasn't the best idea…
Izuku shuddered, a nervous sweat breaking out on his brow. "W-we… go to the same school now…" He admitted despite his reservations. "Sh-she's… doing well…"
Bakugou grit his teeth in irritation, brow hardening as he growled out, "Tch, like I give a damn how a quitter like her is doing. That bitch is the last person I wanted to hear about…"
"Kacchan…"
"Tell that quitter the next time you see her that she's a goddamn disappointment, Deku!" Bakugou barked, stomping into the train. Izuku flinched, a pang of guilt causing his stomach to knot. Perhaps it would have been better left unsaid, but Izuku felt he needed to tell him despite that.
"That bitch up and quits. You go and get arrested for some dumb shit. You're both morons!"
Izuku didn't say a another word, watching the train doors close as Bakugou refused to spare a single glance back at him. He continued to stare at the train as it departed, only looking away after he felt Morgana's paws tapping his shoulder.
"Who the heck was that?! I don't think I've ever seen such an angry person before in my life! Well, at least from anything I remember," Morgana asked, his voice laced with annoyance. "He was treating you like garbage, too. What's that guy's deal?!"
"That was Kacchan… we grew up together. He used to bully me until we met Koto-san. For a while, we actually got along, until she moved away," Izuku explained, releasing a tired sigh. "He went back to bullying me after that. Though to be honest, the way he acted was nothing like it was before. He… actually seemed kind of concerned."
"That's how he expresses concern? I can't imagine what kind of a bully he was…" Morgana muttered, grimacing as he looked back up at Izuku. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, it's just… I wasn't expecting to see Kacchan. Not like this, anyway," Izuku said, though his thoughts still lingered on Bakugou's somber state. Despite their differences, Izuku had full confidence in the idea that Bakugou would become the Number One Hero one day. Still, as strange as it was to say, Bakugou's subdued belligerence was concerning.
I… I hope things go well for you, Kacchan. I can't try for it, but I know you'll be the greatest Hero someday.
(Persona 5 OST: My Homie)
"Holy crap, this place is effin' amazin'!" Ryuji hooted.
As the final day of Golden Week approached, Izuku, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana—still hidden inside of Izuku's bag—started their long overdue celebration. Taking Ann's recommendation, the four had arrived at one of Tokyo's classiest hotel buffets.
A rich assortment of food far too extravagant for the average high schooler to enjoy was theirs for the taking. Prize cuts of meat glistened under the glittering crystal chandeliers. Venerated itamae were laying out freshly made pieces of nigiri sushi, glazed to shine like polished jewels, on individual porcelain plates. The intoxicating aroma of hand-crafted pastries, candies, chocolates, and cakes wafted through the aisles.
Even their seats exuded decadence. Instead of individual chairs, the teens were given velvety, satin sofas covered in gold leaf, the kind of furniture you would expect to see in an affluent mansion or villa. No one in the group had been in a restaurant like this before, at first feeling awkward as they seated themselves. But that soon passed as they collected their first plates, enjoying the random selection each of them picked out.
"Oh, this is incredible~! I'd never find anything like this in town!" Ann said through stuffed cheeks, skipping dinner and starting the meal off with a rich, multi-layered chocolate cake.
"Hey, miss model. Shouldn't you be watchin' your calorie intake?" Ryuji teased with a shit-eating grin, eliciting a glare from the twin-tailed blonde.
"Shut up and let me enjoy this! I could never afford sweets like this any other time." Ann retorted, digging her fork into her cake and shoveling it in her mouth.
"You're not much better, Ryuji. With all that meat, I'd feel greasy," Morgana pointed out, looking at the stack of juicy steaks, sizzling burgers, and fat sausages sitting in front of the punk. "Then again, at least you don't eat like a bird. Izuku over here barely filled his plate. You do know this is a buffet, right?"
Ann and Ryuji peered down at Izuku's plate, immediately agreeing with Morgana's assessment. The green haired teen had only picked out yakisoba, grilled chicken and mashed potatoes with a side of soup. As appetizing as they looked, it was was a modestly made plate considering the grand selection available to him.
"Come on, man! Live a little! You could get any of those things just about anywhere," Ryuji encouraged, shaking his head at the plate in disappointment.
"I-I know, but there's so many things I've never tried before. It's kind of intimidating…" Izuku admitted, flustered by the attention given to his food choices.
"That's why it's a buffet! Even if you leave some leftovers, it's no big deal! Try a bunch of stuff and find what you like," Ann suggested kindly, taking a spoonful of angel sponge cake she had sitting at the center of her dessert pile. "Oh god, that's even better than the chocolate~!"
"While I agree, try not to be so narrow-viewed in your choices. Now come on, let's go and pick out my food!" Morgana said, stuffing himself back into Izuku's bag. "We'll pick out a new plate for you to feast on while we're at it."
"Sh-shouldn't I at least finish what I got first?" Izuku asked, looking down at his half eaten plate.
"Dude, don't worry about it. They don't charge extra for stuff you don't finish here," Ryuji dismissed with a wave.
"See? It's fine. Now let's go! I'm starving watching these two pig out," Morgana urged, reaching a paw out and pushing on Izuku's arm. The green haired teen sighed, setting his silverware down and picking up his bag up. He zipped the top closed but left the edge open for the cat to peer through. "Now, to the fish dishes! You got to eat some already, so it's my turn first."
"If we're grabbing them at the same time, it might not matter which I pick first, Morgana-san," Izuku said with a sheepish chuckle, but nonetheless did as he was told. He picked up a plate and looked over the assortment of several grilled fish steaming inside silver platters. Barracuda, nurse shark, swordfish… he hadn't seen half of this stuff alive before, much less on a plate. "They have sushi too. Do you want anything from the grilled fish?"
"It all looks so good~!" Morgana purred in excitement, "I prefer raw, but this is too much to pass up. Get me a small piece of each and then we'll move onto the sushi!"
Izuku smiled at his enthusiasm, carefully picking out several cuts from each platter for the cat.
"Did you hear about the incident at the local high school? Apparently a coach recently came out as a sexual deviant."
Izuku paused as he heard someone talking about Kamoshida yet again.. He peered down the lane to find the source of the chatter: two older patrons, a man and a woman, were casually gossiping about it as they picked out their food.
"Yes, it was quite the scandal. I heard that he came out and confessed in front of the entire school, too. How strange. Do you think he was influenced by a Quirk?"
"Possibly. But even if that's true, a lot of the students have already come out and confirmed his actions. There's no denying the truth of it now."
"This is just a distraction, though. The police and Heroes should be focusing their efforts on solving the mental breakdown cases. Who knows what kind of Villain is causing such a disturbance."
"Still, my sympathies go out to the Shujin students. I imagine it was quite disturbing to have an instructor like that in the school."
Izuku had heard enough, picking at one last fish before moving onto the sushi table. He didn't want to say so, but he felt a shred of irritation at the way the woman dismissed the case so callously. Many students were hurt because of the ignorance of the police and Heroes. People needed to know that it happened.
"Don't let it bother you too much, Izuku," Morgana spoke up, drawing the teen's attention down to the cat. Apparently Morgana was becoming adept at picking up on Izuku's emotional cues. "What matters is that it's being talked about. Even if some people would like to ignore that it even happened."
"Y-yeah, you're right. Sorry for worrying you," Izuku agreed, smiling apologetically despite being unable to look at the cat. "Now let's get you some sushi."
"Yes!"
From there, Izuku stacked the plate with salmon and tuna nigiri, hoping to make it easier for Morgana to eat, as well as several rolls to add variety. With Morgana's plate picked out, Izuku moved onto his own. Not wanting to disappoint this time, Izuku selected several prime cuts of brisket, honey ham, and a single beef rib. Making sure to keep a balance in his palate, he added a small side of salad and spinach.
Returning to the table, Izuku and Morgana nearly dropped the plates they were holding the moment they saw Ryuji and Ann. Apparently they had both decided to double down on their already enormous meals. Each of them had twice the amount food they had when Izuku left the table. Ryuji's plate looked like he had taken a quarter of each meat dish and Ann's was a leaning tower of baked goods.
"How can you guys eat so much?!" Morgana asked incredulously, climbing out of Izuku's bag once the green-haired teen sat down. "Can you even finish all of that?"
"Yeah, of course!" Ryuji exclaimed as he took another look at the mountain of meat before him. "I think…"
"Careful, you're starting to sound like Morgana." Ann teased, her words drawing looks of disgust from Morgana and Ryuji.
"Don't even say that!" They both snapped, causing Ann to stifle a laugh while Izuku failed to stop an amused smile from spreading across his lips.
This is nice… I don't think I've ever sat around with friends like this.
Even when he was on good terms with Bakugou, he was rarely able to sit around and chat with the kids who were accustomed to following the explosive blond around. They often ignored Izuku's presence and Bakugou was never one for idle chat. Makoto was two grades ahead of them, so she rarely joined them until classes were over .
Realizing that his food was getting cold, Izuku pulled his thoughts out of the past and started to dig in.
"Thank you for the food!"
One bite of the brisket, made from perfectly aged A-5 Wagyu beef, was all it took for him to realize the allure of such an exotic restaurant. It was unbelievably juicy and tender. He didn't even need to chew it to get it to slowly dissolve onto his tongue. The sweet, well-marbled fat melded with the unending savoriness of the meat. Then he tasted the gentle seasonings, black peppercorns, Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper, and other spices he didn't recognize. Each added even more body and complexity to the already astoundingly delicious dish. It was unlike anything he'd ever eaten.
"S-so good…"
"Told ya! The meat is where it's at!" Ryuji laughed, grinning ear to ear as he stuffed his mouth with another slab of meat.
"Wow~! The tuna is to die for!" Morgana quite literally purred, sparing no decency as he nibbled away at his plate.
"I doubt we'll get to enjoy this again anytime soon, so try to take it slow." Ann suggested.
"Like you're one to talk. Look at how much cake you've already shoveled down your throat!" Ryuji once again teased, causing the twin tailed blonde to stick her tongue out at him.
"This is truly a reward worthy of our efforts," Morgana said, licking some sticky rice off of his lips. "Being Phantom Thieves certainly has its perks."
"Oh, speakin' of which, have you guys seen the site made for us?" Ryuji asked, setting his fork down as he began to fish into his pocket. "Someone went and made a site just for the Phantom Thieves!"
"What?" Ann asked, her, Izuku and Morgana drawing their attention up to Ryuji as he held his phone out. They leaned in, looking at a picaresque styled forum. "'The Phantom Thief Aficionado Website'… what exactly do people do on it?"
"It's a forum for people to chat on. A lotta people postin' on there are actually thankin' us! Ain't that crazy?!" Ryuji asked with barely contained excitement. Ann took his phone, looking through the comments people left there.
"'Thank you, Phantom Thieves. I finally had the courage to speak up because of what you did."
"You guys really saved us."
"'I'm finally able to relax thanks to what you guys did. Thank you."
A pleased smile edged across Ann's lips as she read the first set of comments on the list, her cheeks turning rosy as a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment bubbled up in her chest.
"W-wow, I don't know what to say. That's really cool! After all the rumors, I just thought that everyone assumed it was prank."
"Nope. It looks like some of the students were able to see us as real heroes. Nice to know, huh, Izuku?" Morgana asked, a feline grin across his face as he looked up at the green-haired teen.
Izuku was elated beyond belief, in fact. His eyes had already misted up, his lips trembling as he held back a sob of joy. "Y-yeah… it is…" He mumbled out, quickly trying to wipe any stray tears that escaped before he could stop himself.
"I get it. It feels pretty good to get thanked for that stuff, huh?" Ryuji asked, sharing Izuku's feelings over the discovery.
"I was so focused on my own problems that I… I didn't realize we helped as many people as we did," Ann admitted, scrolling through the list of comments. "This does feel good."
Morgana tapped on Izuku's leg with a paw, drawing his attention to him. The cat raised a brow, looking between Ann and Ryuji silently as he tried to signal Izuku. "This might be a good time, you know."
"Huh?" Izuku said, taking a moment to realize what Morgana meant. The words he exchanged with Makoto echoing in his ears. Looking up at Ryuji and Ann, Izuku bit his bottom lip, unsure how to even begin to ask them.
"H-hey guys," he began after a long pause, "What if… what if we kept being Phantom Thieves?"
That question immediately brought a stop to whatever Ryuji and Ann were doing, the two looking back at Izuku in surprise.
"W-wait… really? You want to keep being a Phantom Thief?" Ann asked, a small bit of disbelief in her expression.
"You know… I've actually been thinkin' the same thing," said Ryuji, the faux blond now looking down in thought. "I mean, look at how many people we helped. Bein' a Pro Hero never really occurred to me before, but after puttin' a stop to Kamoshida, it got me thinkin'..."
"Well, well. I have to say I'm surprised to see you were thinking the same thing, Ryuji," Morgana chuckled, looking up at Izuku. "I've wanted to suggest it for a while now, but I knew it wouldn't mean much until Kamoshida confessed. Izuku here admitted a few days ago that he had been thinking about it as well."
"Heh, after everything you've told me, that's not surprising," Ryuji smirked, reaching over and slapping Izuku on the shoulder. "Guess great minds think alike, huh?"
"W-wait, is this really okay, though? It was one thing to take down Kamoshida, but will we really be able to help other people out like this?" Ann asked, seeking some reassurance from the others.
This was no small matter. After all, they're discussing whether or not they were going to continue being Vigilantes. Legally, they'd be Villains, no matter how much good they did.
"I've always hated shitty adults who were lookin' down on others the way Kamoshida did us. Out there, we'll probably find tons of people sufferin' like we did!" Ryuji pointed out, leaning forward on the table as he spoke. "We can stop that kinda stuff from goin' down! If we can get the name of the Phantom Thieves out there, there's no tellin' how many people we'll be able to help!"
"... I… I agree," Ann declared, looking up at the others with newfound resolve. "I mean, with this kind of power, don't we have a responsibility to help? If I just ignored the problems of others just because they didn't involve me, I'll end up being no better than how I was before. I… I don't want to live like that."
"Ann-senpai…" Izuku muttered, his spirits rising as he saw that the four of them shared the desire to keep doing good. "You're right. I still think the method is extreme, but as long as we're careful and only use it to help people, I'm okay with with stealing people's hearts."
"Don't worry. So long as you're under my tutelage, I'll make sure we do things right." Morgana chuckled confidently, pushing up on his paws.
"One thing, though… we're going to have to keep fighting Shadows, aren't we?" Ann asked, her mind quickly going to the danger they faced in the Palace.
"That's right. There's no avoiding that, sadly," Morgana said honestly. "There's no doubt that going down this road will still be quite hazardous. You all need to be aware of the risks we will keep taking."
"You know, after everything we went through in the Palace, I think we'll be just fine. So long as we stick together," Ryuji said confidently, sparing a grin at Izuku. "You down to keep facin' danger like that?"
"If it means saving people, then I'm all for it. And with you guys there, I'll feel a lot more confident in our chances." Izuku agreed, the three now looking at Ann for her final word.
(My Hero Academia OST: You Can Become a Hero)
"... Well, I guess it's decided then," Ann declared, flashing a smile at the three. "The Phantom Thieves will live on."
"Alright then! It's settled!" Ryuji cheered, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "It's time to show this world what we're made of! We can't be Pro Heroes, but we'll save just as many people as any of 'em!"
"Who let these children in the restaurant?" The three paused in their celebration, looking back to see two adults looking down their noses at them. "They certainly can't be regulars."
"I suppose they can't turn away customers nowadays. Even if they're rowdy children."
"Hey, what's your problem?!" Ryuji huffed, glaring at the adults. The couple simply turned a nose up at him, turning and walking away. The faux blond clicked his tongue, resting back in his chair as he seethed in annoyance. "Think we could start with snooty adults like them?'
"Ryuji-senpai, we have to use our power against people hurting others like with Kamoshida. Not just on jerks who get on our nerves," Izuku quickly reminded him. "They're not nice, but they're not criminals as far as we know."
"I know, I know. Adults like that just tick me off, I guess…" Ryuji grumbled bitterly before sighing. "Sorry, didn't mean to let it get me down like that. Back to business! We're officially the Phantom Thieves now!"
"Keep it down!" Morgana hissed as he shot Ryuji a disapproving glare. "We want everyone to know who the Phantom Thieves are. We don't want them to know who we are!"
"Right… right… I'll keep it in mind..." the faux blond responded half-heartedly.
"So, Izuku. You okay with leading us again?" Ann asked, looking at the green-haired teen expectantly. "You did a great job of it last time. I think we'll be unstoppable if we follow your lead like before."
"R-really? Y-you think I can keep doing it?" Izuku asked in mild surprise.
"Yeah, dude. You were effin' amazin' when we were goin' through the Castle. You've got my vote, too." Ryuji reassured.
"I'd argue with them, but they're both right. You keep a surprisingly cool head under pressure and know how to draw out everyone's maximum potential. I have confidence in your ability to lead us as well," Morgana said, giving Izuku a smile.
The green haired teen looked at each of them in surprise, his cheeks flushing as he suddenly felt quite embarrassed. "O-okay… I'll do my best!"
"Heh, there we have it. And now we're an official organization. I hope you guys are ready to be put through the wringer. You might just be fledglings now, but I'll get you all in shape."
"Fledglings, huh? That's definitely an accurate way to describe us." Ann chuckled.
"Oh, should we come up with an official name? I just went with Phantom Thieves of Hearts before because it was easy, but we should put a real title on our group now that we're makin' it official!" Ryuji suggested.
"To be honest, I think Phantom Thieves of Hearts works well enough. I'm no good at naming stuff like that, anyways," Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"If you want to shorten it, we could also just call ourselves the Heart Thieves," Morgana helpfully suggested. "But I don't think either title is particularly bad in this case."
"I'm cool with whatever. I'm no good at naming stuff either." Ann said, offering a pleasant smile. "Phantom Thieves of Hearts is pretty straight to the point."
"Alright then. Let's raise a glass! To-" Ann and Morgana quickly hushed Ryuji, his volume stuck on high as usual. "Oh, sorry. To the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Let's teach the shitty people of the world hidin' from Heroes that they ain't safe!"
Ann rolled her eyes while Izuku simply laughed at Ryuji's enthusiasm, grabbing his cup and raising it as well. Ann soon followed suit, the three carefully clinking their glasses together.
Toasting to a future as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
"Ah man… I went a little crazy at the end there…" Ryuji groaned as he exited the bathroom. Izuku and Morgana waited for him by the door.
"There was really no need to start shoveling more meat after those first few plates you ate. You really are a special kind of moron," Morgana sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
"U-up yours…" Ryuji huffed, lacking enough energy to formulate anything better than that. "I can't believe they sectioned off the other bathrooms, though… I almost hurled right there."
"We should hurry back to Ann-senpai. She's waiting for us downstairs," Izuku said, turning to lead them back to the elevator. As he rounded a corner, he was suddenly knocked back by a black suited man, getting a faceful of shoulder. "Ack!"
"H-hey!" Ryuji blurted, catching Izuku as he fell back. Looking up, he saw that the black suited man was part of a larger group, all of them surrounding a bald man with a goatee and shaded glasses. "Hey, what's the big deal?! Watch where you're walkin' asshole!"
The man that bumped Izuku turned to look at the two, only for the bald man at center to grab his shoulder. "We don't have time to deal with brats. Ignore them."
"Yes, sir."
"Hey! Who're you callin' brats?!" Ryuji snapped in irritation, but was stopped as Izuku grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.
"I-it's fine. I'm okay," Izuku said, trying to diffuse the situation. "This isn't worth getting worked up over."
"Tch… still, though…" Ryuji growled, glaring up at the black suited goons.
"Hmph. Since when did this hotel start running a daycare?" The bald man sneered, he and his entourage quickly moving on.
For Izuku though, hearing that man's voice for the second time overwhelmed him with a strange sense of familiarity. Where… have I heard that voice before?
"You damned brat! I'll-"
"Talk about a real squad of dicks," Ryuji spat, chewing on his bottom lip before looking at Izuku. "Let's get outta here. I've had enough of this place."
"Y-yeah. Okay…" Izuku answered numbly, his eyes focused on the ground as he tried to recall the source of the memory.
"Are you okay? Did he bump into you that hard?" Morgana asked in concern.
"I-I'm fine, just… just a migraine." Izuku insisted, rubbing his forehead.
"If you say so, dude. Let's get goin'. Hopefully Captain Doucher and his crew are already gone." Ryuji huffed, taking the lead this time to the elevator. Izuku didn't move for a moment, trying but failing to place the man's voice again. With a resigned sigh, Izuku let the thought go.
It was almost like that guy from back then, but… I'm not sure…
To be continued…
Thanks goes to reppuzan for his hard work as the new beta of Thieves. He's gone out of his way to not only edit the story, but also make notes to help me as I write to improve on the quality of my my writing. I truly appreciate his help in this matter and am happy to learn more about what I need to improve on as a writer. Also, full credit goes to him for the food-porn scenes. He surprised me with the amount of detail put into the groups meal XD
Man, I was on quite the roll this weekend. Aside from a scene I had started previously, I wrote this entire chapter in four days. Nice to know I've still got the itch to keep writing. This chapter was a bit overdue, anyway.
As you saw, quite a bit was done this chapter. We got a more official bond with Iwai beginning to build, Bakugou made his official debut in the story and the Phantom Thieves have finally started their campaign for justice! I'm honestly excited to get this next arc kicked off soon enough!
… And here comes the bad news. While I had completed this chapter relatively quick, I'm still a bit burnt on energy when it comes to writing. Now originally, I was going to take a month off from writing, but I think instead I'll lessen that length to the end of May, perhaps a week into June as well. I just need a bit of a recharge. But considering I've got a lot of school coming up over the summer, I do want to get a chapter out for my main stories before then as well. So for now, I'll be taking a short respite. I'm sure you all understand, and know that I'll be back to work on these stories soon enough.
Thank you all for your continued support, please be sure to leave a follow, a favorite, a like and a review if you'd be so kind as to show your support. Have a good day!