I know its been sometime since my last chapter, but I'll admit its been a lot. with my spring semester, finals, and then moving back home. But I can say without a doubt that its good to be back, my first year in college was a lot to take in but I appreciate the patience you guys patience I truly do! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, stay tuned for more updates and upcoming chapters!
"What were you thinking Midoriya? Putting yourself through that has made the bones in your left arm completely shattered." Recovery Girl sadly said, All Might gasped silently, worried over Midoriya's wellbeing while the boy laid on a bed. The boy's arms were already bandaged and restricted from movement, but the pain was all still there, Midoriya couldn't even keep silent and better yet keep a straight face.
Shirou in the background stood silently, covering his mouth as he hoped All Might wouldn't see the concern he had for this boy. Had he been in Cementoss's place, he would've stopped the match the moment Midoriya was shattering his arms to the brink.
"But with those bone fragments in your arm, I'm going to have to perform surgery and remove them. Your other arm and leg will be okay once healed; however, your left arm won't be the same…" Recovery Girl finished, looking over to both All Might and Shirou concerned. She could tell even from Shirou that he was worried, frustrated over Midoriya's condition.
"You lit a fire in him All Might, now look at him, he's pushed himself too hard trying to make you proud. And with no clue over what the beast factor could do to his body or when, I'm afraid that this boy's life could be at risk, don't like it one bit…"
"MIDORIYA!" A small group of Midoriya's friends yelled entering the room, taking the staff by surprise. All Might yelped in surprise, not expecting such a thing while Shirou remained still. He already heard Michiru and her friends coming a couple halls away, so it wasn't surprising one bit that they'd come to check on Midoriya.
"Deku are you okay?" Uraraka approached Midoriya, taking notice of the scrawny man standing beside him.
"Oh. Hello there sir. Hey Mr. Ogami!" No one else knew it was All Might, it was best that Shirou and Recovery Girl played along that it wasn't. All Might had responded by greeting her and as did Shirou, All Might stood back beside him to let the group speak to Midoriya.
"H-hey guys… Shouldn't you be watching the matches…" Midoriya tiredly said, slowly opening his eyes to see his friends.
"The stadium was far too damaged from your brawl with Todoroki, they put the festival at a halt while they're taking time to repair it." Iida formally stated, chopping air with his hand.
"I'm being honest Midoriya, you really got me scared for your life! You have got to get more control of that power of yours! Or else no ones gonna scout you if you just keep breaking your arms!" Yoarashi said out of nowhere, only to receive a slap on the head from Asui's tongue.
"Now you're just rubbing salt on his wounds, take it easy on him." Asui told Yoarashi while he rubbed his head from the hit, becoming straight as a stick nodding.
"Right, sorry! Forgive me Midoriya, I meant well!"
"He's not wrong though, that match was brutal… had the teachers not stepped in, who knows how it could've turned out." Michiru said, arms crossed, still shaken from what she had watched earlier. She worried over what could've happened but was at least relieved that Midoriya was in one piece.
"You kids are too noisy, you'll have to see Midoriya later! I need to prepare him for surgery now."
"Wait surgery?!" The group gasped in shock while they were issued out, worrying even more than before.
"Is Midoriya going to be alright?!"
"Will his injuries be permanent?"
"Ribbit…"
"Don't worry he's going to be alright! You'll see him later now shoo." Once Recovery Girl had gotten the last of the students out she closed the door, tiredly sighing.
"I'm sorry All Might… I failed…" Midoriya was too tired to cry, but Shirou could tell how sad he felt even after being defeated.
"I know I was supposed to show the world who I was. But… when I saw Todoroki during the first match, he looked so sad, even much earlier in the festival. Like he was suffering, I just wanted to help. And look at me now, I got blinded and distracted to the point it cost me the match..." Midoriya whimpered, beating himself up despite the good he had done. He wanted to make All Might proud, but he felt that if he did, he was choosing to be selfish instead of helping Todoroki out of the darkness.
Shirou understood how the boy felt, it was in his nature to help, even if it meant sacrificing something he desired so badly. He wanted to say something, but it wasn't his place when All Might took the floor.
"Yes, the match didn't go the way we had hoped but we can't change anything now. But Midoriya, you made a choice not many people could make. You helped Todoroki realize something important that has now put him on a better path. Meddling where you aren't supposed to, is the essence of being a hero." Midoriya began to tear up, not from the pain but from the realization of the good he truly did. Recovery Girl still felt sad over Midoriya's wellbeing, but she couldn't worry now, there was work to be done.
Following the repairs made on the stadium, the matches finally reprogressed. The crowd cheered for Iida and Shiozaki to face off against one another, chanting the names of those they expected to win.
Iida stretched his legs while Shiozaki prayed for a moment until Midnight called out their names in preparation for the match.
"Students! Are you ready?" Midnight whipped her whip in the air, the two students responded immediately just before she signaled the start of the match.
"Begin!"
"Recipro Burst!"
Shiozaki's hair immediately shot towards Iida, only for the vines shooting out to miss him. Iida sprinted away from the vines with ease, the girl panicked when he was already behind her and was unable to react. Iida clenched both her shoulders, putting the power in his legs pushing her across the arena and towards the boundary.
The girl innocently yelped, Iida was running too fast for Shiozaki to react while being too scared to even try to move at such a speed. When she felt herself come to a halt she opened her eyes, seeing herself past the line sighing in disappointment.
"Shiozaki is out of bounds, Iida has won the match!" Iida bowed to Shiozaki for her effort, beginning to leave the arena.
"Ahh man Shiozaki lost?"
"It wasn't surprising I mean, her vines are strong but compared to Iida's speed it makes it a challenge to counter in time."
"That's true, just like Iida's first match he easily overwhelmed that other Class-1B student with his speed."
"I wonder if Kagemori can do the same against Tokoyami."
"Tokoyami's quirk is powerful, but Kagemori makes up for it with speed and agility, so this match will be an interesting one to see."
Because Iida finished his match immediately, there was spare time between the match for the audience to converse and wait while the next two contestants prepared. That being Michiru, all she could do was pace back and forth in her room. Many concerns went in and out of her mind, she didn't know why but she actually felt nervous facing Tokoyami suddenly. There was no explanation, it felt like this moment had rushed itself in an instant since their cold encounter.
'I don't get it, why? Why would you do this out of nowhere?... None of this makes sense… It's not like you to lash out, or… or even just…' She continued to ponder to herself and recall their previous encounters, conversations, hoping to find some sort of link or explanation. The growing frustration inside of her halted, when she realized something.
"Hey you did fine Tokoyami, if you want I can help you out you know? Practice some more!"
"That would be nice, I suppose doing something like this would be productive for me."
Although that short moment would've been forgotten easily, Michiru took it to heart as it was the first and only time she saw Tokoyami smile. He didn't seem cold or blank like Todoroki, but actually surprised and like he was happy, for the first time in ages. She gasped to herself, she knew Tokoyami too well, it was like looking at another version of Shirou, a boy who meant well but had a dark and conflicting past.
She wanted to save him from that darkness, the very thing he embraced just as Todoroki had been struck before Midoriya saved him. But was she willing to sacrifice everything to do it she thought, what about how everyone else would see them, but she didn't care when it came to her friends.
'Screw it.'
Tokoyami felt no comfort or reassurance after beating Yaoroyozu, he still felt empty inside of what he thought was a cold hearted soul. He thought maybe the stabbing guilt and overwhelming emotion would go away if he unleashed Dark Shadow onto her. He had hoped that being in a waiting room alone would clear his mind, and yet he sat there looking at the table, still conflicted, struggling to keep a quiet mind with Michiru's words echoing through it.
'I may not understand what you're going through, but I know what it's like to feel alone and lost. I'm not your enemy Tokoyami, all I want to do is help… heroes don't give up on anyone, they do whatever it takes to help them back up.'
"She's right, you know." Tokoyami was startled, he was so distracted that Dark Shadow appeared from his stomach, staring directly in front of him. However, Tokoyami kept his composure and calmly answered.
"I don't recall summoning you dark shadow…" The creature slowly circled Tokoyami like a snake, creeping up over him.
"You know that's not how we work, when you're not calm that is…" Dark Shadow teased, knowing it would provoke Tokoyami with a certain topic on his mind.
"Getting angry at Michiru isn't right you know, after everything she's done for us oh I thought you cared." Dark Shadow said in a dramatic voice, as the creature grasped the boy's shoulders and lowered itself just beside Tokoyami's head to whisper.
"Or is something else on that mind of yours you don't want me to see?"
"I know what you're trying to do and it wont work, so stop this pointless game of yours…" Tokoyami started to grow even more annoyed, he moved his crossed arms down to his legs as he attempted to calm himself.
"Or what? You're gonna try and shut me out like you are with Michiru?" Dark Shadow said to his ear, Tokoyami gripped his pants even tighter after hearing her name, trying not to feed into the creature's game.
"You can't ignore me forever, Fumikage." Tokoyami's tense face and sharp eyes began to relax, hearing everything Dark Shadow was saying slowly breaking it all away, as the boy looked down with a sad and depressed feeling heavily weighing over him.
"I… I can't get close to anyone, not like this. I have to be stronger so no one else dies, don't you understand… it's better this way, so we can protect people like her." Tokoyami's mind filled with memories he tried to forget, grasping his head with both his hands trying to clear his mind.
"By pushing people away huh. The only person you're protecting is us, now you're just being selfish and afraid." Dark Shadow let go of Tokoyami's shoulder, mocking the boy and his way of thinking, calling him in other words a hypocrite. Moving itself back to the boys side.
"You've been trying to do this for years, you say you want to be a hero and that you'll be stronger but you always hold us back. Why can't you just let go of the grief, the pain? Why do you cling to it?"
"Just stop… stop talking to me..." Tokoyami's voice grew deeper and bolder, begging for dark shadow to stop but the creature still pushed.
"Tell me Fumikage, I want to hear it. Come on, tell me what makes you struggle to sleep, what has driven you away from everyone around us, even our parents. What is always on that dark mind of yours. Tell me, now…" The creature hissed, pressuring him to answer as it creeped closer to him.
"Why are you doing this? Why won't any of you understand?" Tokoyami began to raise his voice, he was on the edge now breathing heavily not being able to stop himself when dark shadow yelled.
"The question is why won't you let go of our mistake? We could be better and be more than this! Michiru has helped us begin to see that and yet you still believe we're at fault for brother's death!"
"Just shut up Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami yelled, slamming his fists against the table. He was so out of focus and unstable to the point he was shaking. When he reopened his eyes, dark shadow was gone, and his surroundings finally went silent. The creature finally obeyed his wishes leaving Tokoyami alone to his thoughts and emotions.
'I…I can't go through it…Not again… why won't you understand?... I can't lose someone close to me again…'
A memory from his childhood flashed before his eyes, something that he tried to suppress for years. He was lying on the ground, struggling to get up from rubble that crushed him, he had already forgotten the cause of the destruction as he saw the bloody lifeless body of his twin brother lying in front of him.
"Hikari? No no no, wake up… We're ok, we can get out of here. Please, Hikari, please wake up! Hikari!" Tears began to flow down Tokoyami's eyes, refusing to believe what he was seeing. He kept calling out to his brother, begging him to get up only to receive no reply.
"I'm so sorry! This is all my fault, please don't leave me, remember our promise we made together? Don't leave me alone brother, I'm so sorry please get up! HIKARI!" He didn't know if it was the overwhelming emotion that fueled his quirk, or if it was the darkness that surrounded them, but the nightmare he had wished was a dream was far from over that night.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM!" Present Mic yelled, issuing for the audience to show their excitement for the next match.
"IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT MATCH TO SOON BEGIN, WITH CLASS 1A STUDENTS MICHIRU KAGEMORI, AND FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI!"
'Finally, it's about time.' Miruko thought to herself, taking a sip from her water while she watched both students enter the arena.
'She's not bad I'll give her that, she's got just as much guts as that Bakugo kid. But with a student like this bird boy, it'll be interesting to see how she'll try to overpower him.' When she witnessed Tokoyami's quirk be put into action, she was surprised to see how easily the female recommendation student lost. His quirk was powerful indeed.
"I'm surprised to see you here Miruko." The woman turned her head, raising her eyebrow at the sight of the number four hero calmly approaching her.
"Well well well if it isn't the angel himself Hawks, funny seeing you here. What made you fly outta that nest of yours?" Miruko said in an exaggerated tone, as Hawks smiled, approaching her while the surrounding audience watched in amazement of the top heroes.
"Heh well, it's not like I got anything exciting to do, I figured I'd come here and check out the new kids, and see if there's anyone worth scouting." Hawks adjusted his wings as he sat down beside her, putting up his feet against the seat in front of him.
"That's a first, last I remember you only take sidekicks."
"And last I remember you don't take either. So why are you here little bunny?" Hawks smirked.
"Well since you asked smartass, there is a girl I'm interested in scouting."
"A girl huh? No wait, don't tell me lemme guess, Michiru Kagemori?" Hawks jokingly said, only for Miruko to roll her eyes and respond in exaggeration.
"Oh how'd you know?"
"Wasn't that hard, she's literally the only girl left. And I'm planning on scouting her, along with that boy Tokoyami."
"Hey now keep your little red feathers away from her, you can have the bird boy for all I care but she's mine, I was here first after all!"
"Someones getting territorial I see, hmm if I recall correctly it's up to the students to pick their internships. So it doesn't mean she'll accept your offer."
"Huh? Well it's not like it's a guarantee she'll accept yours either! Her along with Endeavor's son and that hothead are probably attracting a bunch of different heroes as it is, I'm pretty damn sure that the other top ten heros are gonna try and scout them out too."
"Touche, but it doesn't hurt to try. Tokoyami's quirk is powerful but has more potential than just being used as a personal sword and shield. Kagemori on the other hand has a one of a kind quirk."
"Yeah, she does." Hawks looked over, her reply was surprising, seeing Miruko's eyes targeting the Tanuki girl in the arena, and quietly smiled to himself.
"I'll make a deal with you." Miruko looked over, raising an eyebrow, intrigued by the Hawks who offered his hand smiling.
"Since we both are tied with Kagemori, let's handle this like civil adults with a bet. If she wins this match, I'll leave you alone to scout her. But if Tokoyami wins, I'll scout both of them and you leave empty handed." Miruko's curious look turned to a stubborn one, she scoffed looking back at the arena when Hawks continued.
"Come on, I know you well to take risks, especially when it comes to something you want. So why waste an opportunity like this, you know you want to." It didn't take a lot of time for Miruko to think about it, afterall, she was one who'd take the more exciting and risky roads than others, it was in her nature. She laughed to herself and turned back to Hawks, almost throwing her hand into his as they shook in agreement.
"Oh it is on!" Following the two heroes agreement, elsewhere in the stadium students cheered and supported their fellow classmates in the arena.
"You got this guys!" Uraraka cheered to her classmates, wishing them good luck against one another.
"Give it your all you two I know you can do it!"
"Go get her Tokoyami!" Kirishima said.
"Yeah man good luck, you can do this!" Kaminari cheerrd. After hearing these comments from her male classmates Ashido stood up shouting with no regrets.
"Kick his ass Kagemori!" Ashido yelled, Yaoroyozu clasped her mouth in surprise, causing Iida to overhear and look over shocked over her choice of words.
"Ashido, watch your language, there are people here watching!"
"What? Kagemori is the only girl in there and I'm trying to show support for her! I don't care what you guys say but you better be ready cause Kagemori is going to win this!" Ashido waving her arms in the air, yelling.
"Show Tokoyami what you're made of! Girl power, ahahaha!" Hagakure began to jump waving, with Koda quietly pumping his arms upwards, copying the exact same action as Ashido had done, eventually Yoarashi got into it easily chanting.
"Now you guys are getting it!" Ashido excitedly continued while Iida protested.
"Don't encourage them!"
'So serious…' Uraraka struggled to keep herself from laughing, while the rest of the class just sat back and watched the chaos.
'Ashido seems pretty pumped for Kagemori to win… I should be too. She is my friend after all, I should at least cheer.' Jiro thought, although she wanted Michiru to win as well, she didn't have it in her to do exactly what Ashido was doing, but of course she was her friend, it was the least she could do.
"Go fight him Kagemori! Show that boy whose boss!" Jiro said aloud, Ashido looked over with sparkling eyes, happy to see her fan group growing.
"There you go Jiro! That's the spirit!" Jiro's cheeks became red, showing her embarrassment while Iida began to look pale as the surrounding audience began to look.
"Please stop, people are staring, let's just calmly watch our classmates…" From a distance Michiru looked over, seeing her classmates cheer for the two of them, tiredly sighing to herself not surprised by how Ashido is acting.
'Ashido… heh, why am I not surprised. But I can't stop it now, I gotta focus on him.' Michiru slid her hand across her hand, moving it up to see Tokoyami staring back at her. His eyes were sharp as daggers, his expression remained calm, cold but only conflicted and dark on the inside. Just like Todoroki, he was fighting with the wrong ideas and was going down the wrong path towards the darkness he embraced ages ago, which Michiru intended to help pull him out of.
"Don't expect me to hold back Kagemori. I have been waiting for this, now we'll see who is the strongest to progress forward." He spread his legs a bit apart, getting into a stance preparing to call out dark shadow.
"Same goes to you, then again. I have other ideas." Tokoyami thought back to their previous encounter, hearing her declaration echo in his head.
"Always the stubborn one aren't you? Why won't you just quit now while you have the chance." Michiru growled at Tokoyami's taunt, the two locked eyes, Midnight seeing the time has come to swing her whip in the air and shout.
"Fighters ready! Begin!"
"You're one to talk, I never quit!" Michiru's legs grew spots all over morphing into cheetah legs, shoes easily coming off sprinting towards Tokoyami.
"Go Dark Shadow!" The creature roared the second it appeared out of Tokoyami's stomach, heading towards Michiru. The girl gasped, trying to stop herself bringing her arms up to block, Dark Shadow struck her back to the ground. Other than the dirt and scratches across her arms she was ok, looking up to see dark shadow charging at her.
In defense, her tail suddenly enlarged around her like an airbag, Dark Shadow ended up crashing into it, failing to strike Michiru again. Tokoyami called the creature back to his side, Michiru's tail quickly shrunk back to normal size. The girl was already standing back up on her feet, ready to go another round.
"What's the matter Tokoyami? Didn't you say you weren't gonna hold back? Don't tell me you're lying to me again!" Tokoyami became tense from Michiru's taunt, she was trying to get him to lose focus he thought, so she could have the upper hand.
"You're a fool to believe that, I'll end this quickly! Dark Shadow, attack!" Tokoyami talked back, calling out Dark Shadow to strike back. Michiru swung her arm forward as it enlarged, muscle and skin growing all over her arm, practically the size of a Gorilla's. Dark Shadow took the punch head on, unfortunately recoiling back as it did not expect such a strong punch.
"OHH SHOOT, KAGEMORI SWUNG AT DARK SHADOW LIKE IT WAS A PUNCHING BAG!"
"Woah she could grow her arms too?" Kaminari said completely dumbfounded, Jiro rolled her eyes saying to him.
"Well duh you don't remember back in the physical tests at the beginning of school or doing the USJ?"
"Oh yeah she threw like it was a close overtime baseball game." Kaminari said, even Kirishima was nodding with how athletic she was.
"I gotta say with a thin and athletic body like that, that's definitely my type." Kaminari continued, resulting in Jiro rolling her eyes and Bakugo sternly threatening him.
"Keep talking about it and I'll blast you in the balls." Bakugo said, causing Kaminari to grab his crotch in fear while Kirishima laughed, Bakugo grew more annoyed over the commotion over the girl, he couldn't stand her just as much as Deku, both had so far beaten him alongside Todoroki.
"She is holding her own though against him, better than Yaoroyozu, no offense." Asui said as Yaoroyozu responded in disappointment and embarrassment.
"None taken, Dark Shadows' powerful and quick attacks caught me off guard. I was unable to process and plan a counter attack fast enough like Kagemori…"
"Have no fear! In time with training and hard work you and along with the rest of our classmates will improve! Failure afterall is our greatest teacher!" Yaroyozu felt comforted after hearing Iida's motivational words, determined to not give up hope on herself despite her embarrassing loss.
"Thank you…"
The creature grunted in pain, Tokoyami was surprised with how much power Michiru really had in her possession, the girl was capable of enhancing her attacks and abilities of any animal. She has even surpassed Bakugo and Todoroki during the Festival, her quirk and strong willed spirit truly were one of a kind.
Dark Shadow pressed on to attacking Michiru, it proceeded to slash at her before she could strike again. Causing her to duck to its side, uppercutting the creature, the creature looked back roaring as it quickly recovered from her attack. It grabbed Michiru's swinging arm, slamming it to the ground forcing her to her side.
'I knew it, Michiru's arms are indeed powerful in strength, but she lacks control and balance when using them.' Tokoyami thought as Dark Shadow swung its free arm downwards at Michiru, she enlarged her other arm forcing her to take Dark Shadows hit with her other arm. Dark Shadow's grip was strong, even at the angle Michiru was at she was in a terrible position to try and break free.
All she could do in those moments was continue to take Dark Shadow's hits, blocking them with her other arm taking the pain. Michiru looked ahead to see Tokoyami still approaching slowly, he still had the same cold expression as always.
"I told you Kagemori, you won't beat me. You think you're so much stronger than others, so determined, and overconfident. And here you are."
"You think you can stop me with your little best friend? You're the overconfident one!"
"You dare lecture me? After what you said to me?" Tokoyami got carried away, he admitted to himself that Michiru had indeed lashed out at him, but not as bad as he had done to her.
"I was angry! Everything you said to me made no sense, after all the time we spent together as friends I thought you were happy! I didn't think you went through so much tension with me!"
"Is that what you call happiness, waltzing into a stranger's life thinking you can change them? Jumping to conclusions as you felt sorry for me, when you're only doing it to make yourself feel better!" Tokoyami refused to listen to reason, trying to hold himself back as the ironic words he spoke hit Michiru. It felt like deja vu, like she was reliving the same memory except it wasn't with Nazuna.
"Don't think for a moment that you know an outsider like me! You don't know what I've been through!"
"I know you, Michiru. Always jumping to conclusions, thinking when something is wrong you take pity by trying to help, when all you're doing is making yourself feel better."
"That's not true Nazuna! I just don't want anything bad to happen to you!"
"There you go again, pressing your beliefs onto others. And yet you don't even realize it…" Was she making a mistake again she thought, she refused to believe for even a second, even after everything Nazuna changed for the better again. But it felt so similar, was it really her fault for pushing him away, was she going to lose another person she cared about?
Michiru was lost in thought, she let her guard down, giving Dark Shadow the opening to strike her directly. The hit was directly at the chest punching hard and fast causing Michiru to roll to her back and grunt in pain. The audience gasped, some surprised to see the girl get hit while others cheered for her opponent.
"SHE'S BEEN HIT! TOKOYAMI FINALLY GOT A SOLID HIT!" Present Mic stood up from his seat yelling. Meanwhile Shirou gasped silently, closely watching the two continue to fight.
'She let her guard down, she's never done this before, from the looks of it those two looked like they were arguing. What the hells going on down there?'
"Dark Shadow, strike her out!" Tokoyami saw the opportunity he had hoped for, ordering Dark Shadow to finish off Michiru before she could fully recover.
"Got it!"
'Shit! I got distracted!' Michiru's heart began to race, looking up to see the creature rushing her. Rolling to her side the girl morphed her rabbit legs attempting to escape on all fours, only to be caught by the creature holding one of her legs.
"You're not going anywhere!" Without thinking she turned herself back, side kicking with her other leg aiming directly at its head forcing it to let go. The moment Michiru's leg was free she jumped back as far as she could avoiding Dark Shadows' claws as they swiped only at air.
Michiru breathed heavily trying to calm her racing heart while sweat ran down her dirtied arms. Tokoyami, still unscathed, watched as the girl looked up and spoke.
"I get it, Tokoyami… we both lived completely different lives, I don't know what you endured up to this point. But that doesn't mean I don't see through you. Besides, you've already shown me that this is personal." Michiru looked up while talking back at Tokoyami, the cold stare she had made Tokoyami get chills. He had realized at this moment that she was now pissed despite coming to the realization that this was personal for him.
Dark Shadow roared, claws out heading straight for Michiru, but the girl wasn't hesitant with this attack. She aimed her arm again, only for it to enlarge bigger than her last attack, swinging as hard as she could, striking its head to the ground stunning it. Tokoyami was shocked Dark Shadow took such a powerful blow, leaving the creature dizzy for a few seconds.
"My head… What happened?..." Dark Shadow tried to press itself up trying to recover when Michiru's arms stretched outwards into wings, with Dark Shadow stunned Tokoyami panicked yelling.
"Grab her! Don't let her escape!"
"Huh, y-yeah got it!" Dark Shadow answered, still dizzy from the hit, moving upwards towards Michiru, causing her to scream and fly backwards before the creature could grab her legs. As soon as the creature missed its chance, Tokoyami called to it to retreat before Michiru could reach him, but it was too late. Shooting downwards like a missle Tokoyami was struck to the ground sliding on his back by Michiru seconds before Dark Shadow could reach them.
"JESUS THAT WAS A HELL OF AN ATTACK!"
Tokoyami's body was in shock from the hit he had taken from Michiru, his back feeling scratched and bruised meanwhile Michiru's hands were holding his neck and arm down. He struggled in that moment, he grasped Michiru's wrist trying to get her to let go of his neck, grunting and breathing heavily. Trying his best to bring his other arm up, both of them fighting for control of the other, meanwhile Dark Shadow was only seconds away from reach.
"You can't win Kagemori! I won't let you!" So many emotions going through their heads, both trying to win and at the same time holding back. But he wasn't thinking at first, wishing to do whatever it took to break free from Michiru, but when he was about to swing his arm catching her shocked eyes locking into his.
"I don't care about winning, I just care about you dammit!" Tokoyami stopped for a moment, his heart skipped a beat when he heard those words come out of her mouth. Dark Shadow roared once again, Michiru wasted no time surrounding herself and Tokoyami with her tail, practically sealing Dark Shadow out as he attempted to claw through the fur.
"Hey! What gives!"
"MICHIRU KAGEMORI HAS SEALED HERSELF AND TOKOYAMI TOGETHER! NOT ONLY HAS SHE GIVEN HERSELF THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK BUT REMOVING HER OPPONENTS ONLY WEAPON!" All the crowd could do was watch and wait, no one could see through the thick fur of Michiru's tail, but many knew this could be it.
Meanwhile in the darkness, Michiru yelled at Tokoyami, finally able to speak her mind to him with the privacy they had. But what Tokoyami should've realized was that they were still fighting, and as he asked for it. Michiru delivered, as she proceeded to throw the boy against the side clasping his shirt.
"Don't think you can play dumb with me and lie! I've known you long enough to know when you're telling the truth!" Tokoyami had not expected this comment from Michiru while she continued.
"I… no! Just stop it!" Tokoyami refused his emotions, still trying to fight it, he clenched his teeth throwing a punch blindly as it hit Michiru's cheek. The boy could hear her grunting from the pain, but the girl proceeded to throw him to the ground once more. Sweat drenched boys clothes who attempted to recover, breathing heavily.
'I can't see anything, it's too dark!' He felt a kick to his stomach, crying out from the pain as he was dragged up by his shirt, receiving a blow to his face that briefly made him dizzy, causing him to lose more focus. The girl was wasting no time giving blows, she didn't know what she was feeling at all but all she knew was that she needed to make him listen.
The boy was dizzy and injured, trying to keep standing when the girl grasped his shirt again pulling close to her.
"If you mean everything you said to me then say it to my face! Say everything that you told me earlier again!"
"What did you say?..." The injured Tokoyami said, confused.
"If you really meant everything you said to me, then say it now. And I will leave you alone! I'll let you win this stupid match and be out of your life!" The boy struggled trying to break free of Michiru, his arms shaking as they tried to break the Tanuki girl's grip.
"I… I…. I can't…" The boy bit his tongue, it pained him to say it and for some reason he couldn't, it felt so much easier before but now it felt impossible. The girl was speechless, continuing to yell at the stubborn boy as he pushing him to the side, with the boy sliding downwards to his knees.
"Huh? Why not? Why the hell is it so hard now for you to say it again!"
"I can't… " Flashbacks of his brother began to fill his head, memories of his childhood and the happiness he had from before caused the stabbing guilt to worsen. He tried to look away, closing his eyes, panicking, if Dark Shadow wasn't outside then the two would've been in trouble.
The girl stopped yelling for a brief moment, breathing heavily with the blood in her body boiling in frustration. The boy didn't get up, or try to fight back, he just laid there, struggling and fighting his inner emotions and memories when Michiru spoke again, being slightly calmer than before.
"I knew you couldn't."
"Everytime you've lied to me, you would look the other way, or return to that same sharp stern look you'd always give everyone else, the very same one you have right now." Michiru pointed at the boy, who gasped to himself trying to process everything.
'Wait, she knew that I was… was she really that observant? But how could I have…' Tokoyami was expecting another blow as Michiru would continue to lash out, only for his eyes to slowly adjust, seeing Michiru staring at him, as tears flowed from her eyes.
"I know you more than you realize Fumikage! That feeling of guilt, the denial, it just eats you from the inside doesn't it! Do you honestly think I don't know what that's like, to have suffered all alone?" The girl's voice felt uncontrolled and shaky, the boy was speechless, she was reading him like an open book. But the more she spoke to the tired and injured boy, the more he began to truly see Michiru.
"I didn't have anyone for a long time to help me when I got my powers! I was so scared of what my family would think of me the moment they'd see me like this, that they'd call me an animal, a monster! I hid away in my room for months, until I ran away. I didn't even say goodbye to them, and I haven't spoken to them since… I was alone for so long, but there were good people that took me in, including Shirou, and I finally found Nazuna." That name floated out of Michiru's mouth, she didn't even realize how open she had been with Tokoyami but she hadn't mentioned that name since Junior High.
'She's a runaway… but how, of all people, she has such a kind heart and outgoing. She was all alone and scared, like me. Yet she seemed so happy when we met ever since, the amount of pain she had been through, yet she endured it… Wait, Nazuna, I remember.' Tokoyami thought Michiru was in some way just like Tokoyami, but somehow she had found her way to be happy again, the same thing that she's been trying to show him. Something that he had refused to think was possible, and yet she was proof, maybe it was possible he thought.
"Your old friend… from when you told us on your first day back in Junior High."
"You remembered. I thought that… that, maybe I wasn't alone anymore, that finally one of the only people that understood me the same way and cared was back in my life, only to lose them again…it hasn't even been a year since I lost her. And I was all alone again..." More tears fell from Michiru's face as she continued her confession causing her to cover her face, Tokoyami couldn't believe it, of all people, he never even thought that she was a runaway and better yet grieving over loss, or so he thought.
"Did it hurt, you saying all of this stuff to me, yeah… But I know you don't truly mean any of it, I know you're trying to push me away, I just wished you could talk to me... I'm sorry for making you angry, for making you feel this way for whatever reason… I just wanted to help you…" Michiru fell to her knees holding her arms tightly looking down, the two silently sat there across from one another, tired and sweating heavily. However, Tokoyami felt the guilt and frustration inside him just as Michiru had proven, tiredly asking the same question as before without even a single thought.
"Why, why are you doing this? What has been driving you to go this far?…"
"Because I care about you, I can't lose anyone else again.…" Michiru wasn't lying, if it wasn't so dark Tokoyami would've seen the girl blush. Until now, he tried so hard to fight it, even though she tired him out in order for him to realize the error of his ways, he felt different.
There was no guilt, no anger, he felt his chest tighten but feel light at the same time. He had no words in those moments, but there was empathy and calmness between them. She was right about everything, Michiru had helped him open up again, and for some reason he had felt normal around her, like he was happy again.
"I'm sorry…" Michiru looked up, sniffling and wiping her tears away when he heard Tokoyami apologize. The boy looked at her with his saddened red eyes, showing now sign of aggression. The girl was surprised to hear him say those words, his voice was quiet and shaky saying one last set of words before he brought himself back up.
"I'm so sorry, Michiru…" He tried to keep himself composed, controlling his emotions in the darkness, but he was so tired, passing out completely . Luckily, the two were alone here, with everyone including Dark Shadow being sealed outside. She couldn't help but look away blushing, the two actually had a moment together, being more open than they've ever been, the two had forgotten the tensions they had moments ago.
"Hey! What's going on in there? Lemme in!" Dark Shadow yelled, clawing at the giant tail that encircled the two.
"WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG? COME ON WE WANNA KNOW WHO'S GONNA WIN!"The girl became embarrassed hearing Present Mic yell as well, realizing that they were alone while everyone else had wondered what was going up.
"Ah crap… the match." Even though she got to Tokoyami, she couldn't help but feel awkward in this situation now, she didn't even want to raise a hand at him while he stood up holding his bruised stomach.
"I yield." The boy was looking away from the girl, he felt ashamed of himself, for the way he treated her and practically lashed out. Even though she did too, it was his fault, but it didn't matter to her, the girl quietly asked the boy.
"Are you…sure?" The boy nodded, the two felt so embarrassed and nervous to even say a word, but as Michiru exposed them to the audience, shrinking her tail, everyone Present Mic shouted once again.
"WAIT WHY DID THEY STOP? MIDNIGHT WHAT'S GOING ON!" Tokoyami told Dark Shadow to stand down, causing the creature to retreat inside his master's injured body, while the boy looked to Midnight.
"I yield!" Shocked but accepting his surrender, Midnight swung her whip in the air and announced the completion of the match while he bowed to Michiru.
"Tokoyami has yielded to Kagemori, she wins!" The crowd cheered, but Present Mic groaned in disappointment.
"AWW MAN! I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, NOW I'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!"
"You don't have to know every detail, she beat him, plain and simple." Mr. Aizawa said.
"BUT COME ON! WEREN'T YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AT ALL? WEREN'T YOU THRILLED TO SEE WHO WOULD WIN THIS EPIC MATCH!
"The only thing I feel is respect for my students, and pain from my injuries."
'Jeez… way to ruin the mood, typical Aizawa.' Present Mic rolled his eyes but couldn't help thinking it was almost funny, with all his injuries and broken bones his personality is still intact.
Tokoyami walked away, taking one last look at Michiru before he continued down the tunnel. The girl had kept her face down, walking down the dark hallway only to see someone waiting for her.
"Shirou? What are you doing here?" Shirou approached the girl, calmly asking the troubled teenager.
"Are you ok? You looked like you were taking some things out on Tokoyami back there."
"What do you mean?" Michiru tried to hide it, but Shirou could see through her easily, the girl sighed, having no choice but to spill it to the concerned guardian."
"I'm… better than when I was in that match, I was just so frustrated at him, it's complicated. But to be honest, I don't regret anything, I'm just glad I got through to him." Shirou began to walk beside the girl, while the two continued their conversation.
"How do you know it worked?"
"I felt like I was practically talking to you, lone silver wolf." The man turned his head, a bit offended and shocked, giving a confused look that made the girl smile.
"Now what's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing at all. Hehe…"
"Haha! I told you she'd kick his ass!" Miruko grinned, Hawks sighing to himself as he stretched out his arms and spoke back.
"Oh well, I guess it was inevitable anyway, the boy was holding himself back. But still, it means he's got more work to do, and deals a deal. The girl is all yours." Hawks stood up from his seat, heading up the stairs when Miruko called out in confusion.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to my office, I got an offer to deliver, and with Pro Heroes all over Japan it's best to be the early bird, literally, you'd best do the same if you wanna scout Kagemori. See you around Easter Bunny." Miruko stubbornly turned back facing the arena, taking another drink from her water and sore underneath her breath.
"Tch… What a smartass, god he's good."
"There you go. Good as new!" Recovery Girl said to Michiru, after she finished kissing her cheek for a brief moment, she stated her short report to the girl who yawned with droopy eyes. Despite her earlier encounter with her guardian, Shirou had left her alone to Recovery Girl moments before she entered her office.
"I did my best to prevent my quirk from tiring you out, luckily all you have are a few scratches left. So it's good that you have time before your next match. Try to drink some juice and eat, gotta keep that blood sugar up."
"Thank you." Michiru thanked the nurse, gently smiling, watching the old woman walk away until the girl called out to her.
"Wait, so um… have you seen Fumikage? Has he stopped by here since the match?" Recovery Girls smile faded, she was troubled
"Not yet Kagemori, I am a bit surprised with how long it's taken him, even Todoroki arrived here sooner than he did. Is everything alright between you two?"
"I'm not sure…"
'I haven't seen Tokoyami since the fight, I honestly thought I was going to meet him here. I was so angry, and I told him everything that happened, why do I feel so stupid and guilty… I just hope he's ok.' Michiru looked down, sighing to herself, Recovery Girl spoke up to the girl trying to keep her in good spirits.
"Chin up young one, don't let this ruin your day, in due time things will get better. But don't forget to focus on what's important, afterall you are a semi-finalist now." The girl nodded, although she didn't get the comfort she had hoped, at the very least she would have to try her best just as Recovery Girl said. The girl stood up for her seat, heading for the door when the elderly woman asked one last question.
"But I'm curious, you used Tokoyami's first name, is there something I should know about?" The girl stopped instantly turning with a flustered look of denial.
"Oh what? No of course not! I guess I'm just so tired that I forgot to say Tokoyami, yeah that's right Tokoyami! Don't worry about anything, I'm absolutely fine, perfectly fine! Nothings gonna stop me from being A OK-" Michiru continued, attempting to dodge the question as she opened the door to rush out and save her the embarrassment. But little did she realize she hadn't paid attention to who was waiting for her.
"Kagemori!" Ashido yelled in joy to see her friend, without realizing she scared her friend to death.
"AHH!" Michiru screamed, so startled she jumped backwards falling to the floor causing everyone there to rush to the girl in shock.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry are you ok?" Michiru was breathing heavily, looking at the ceiling in an almost dead like state.
"My goodness young lady control yourself, you scared the living life out of her! Look at her for god's sake!" Recovery Girl scolded the girl, which led to Ashido clasping her hands apologizing in embarrassment.
"It's ok Recovery Girl, I'm fine… a ok hehe..." Michiru tried to speak in her previous tone, but still in complete shock it came out like she was depressed. Ashido frantically continued to apologize at the sight of her nearly dead friend and upset teacher.
"I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!" Ashido helped her friend up from the ground, while Recovery Girl issued the two out before they caused more commotion. After closing the door, the woman tiredly rubbed her eyes groaning to herself.
"This is why I never had kids…."
While Ashido congratulated Michiru until their friends joined them, Tokoyami however, had waited for them to leave as he watched from down the hall. The boy could've easily come into the office, but he felt after everything he did that led to the match, he was ashamed of himself.
Regardless, if it wasn't for Michiru, he wouldn't have realized his mistakes as well as how much he meant to her. For the first time in years he felt like he actually had a friend, someone he could talk to and be comfortable with and now he lost them he thought as he walked towards her office, only for a hand to grasp his shoulder from behind.
The boy turned around, he didn't hear anyone coming from behind him which caught him by surprise but relief came over him when he saw it was Shirou in his human form.
"Mr. Ogami, you startled me."
"Apologies, do you have a minute." Shirou calmly asked the boy who nodded, turning towards him and away from the door.
"Um yes of course, is everything alright."
"What happened between you and Michiru?" Shirou had wasted no time getting to this topic, causing Tokoyami to gasp in worry of what he caused, fearing that now he may face punishment.
"Please understand I didn't mean anything I sai-" Shirou raised his hand forward, silencing the boy and allowing him the chance to speak.
"I'm not here to punish you, but what I am here for is an explanation. I know something is going on between you two, even after I spoke with Michiru, but I want to hear it from you. Spill." The man finished, allowing the boy to nervously think about what he had to say to him. Shirou could tell from his body language that he was nervous, his hands slightly shaking and irregular breathing, he would know if he was lying if he continued like this.
But the boy thought of Michiru in his troubled mind, despite his guilt he had to come clean with everything he had done and admit the emotions he was feeling. His hands stopped shaking and he slowed his breathing, looking up at Shirou and explaining.
"I said things. Rude and horrible things to her that made her angry at me. And I was stupid because she had lashed out at me demanding the truth as to why I pushed her away."
"I believe that. Continue." Shirou noticed that Michiru made it physical, Tokoyami had the bruises to prove it. He wasn't surprised, after all she was one to take things very personally. He still remembered all the things she had said to him when she was upset back in Animacity.
"I just feel guilty and ashamed, I was so blind sighted to become a hero that I didn't realize how much I was hurting others, including her. I was selfish. Now I fear that I lost the only friend I had… that made me-"
"Happy?" Shirou practically finished his sentence, Tokoyami looked up surprised, the two really were the same in a way. The girl has changed both their lives completely, making them realize the good and happiness that there could be in their lives if they just open up.
"I may not know you like Michiru does, but I can see it in your eyes." Tokoyami's eyes widened in shock while Shirou stared directly at him, the boy was speechless.
"What?…"
"You're afraid to be happy, because you blame yourself for something you feel responsible for. Trust me when I say this, I know that pain more than anyone." The painful flashbacks of his past flooded his brain, he briefly looked away from Tokoyami to hide the frustration, only to hear a question from the boy.
"Has it ever gone away? That guilt?" There was a spark of hope in the boy's voice, despite those red eyes showing nothing but sadness there was that slight twinkle of curiosity. Only for it to fade away when Shirou's expression turned to sadness.
"No… But what did help me cope and let go of that guilt was her, because she never gave up on me. I don't know how, but she's never given up on anyone. No matter her lowest point, she would always worry about the well-being of others, just like you today."
Tokoyami's heart fluttered for a moment, thinking that all those times once again wasn't for attention or pity but it was selfless acts of her careness. His eyes teared up thinking about it, it all made sense, he was so stupid for not realizing any of it.
'Despite all the things I said to her, even hitting her. She still kept fighting… to help me see the light in the darkness. That if I can, let go of… no, it would always be there. But it doesn't mean I have to be alone.' The grief he had would always be there, but the memories of before would always be in his heart and mind, making him realize what he must do as Shirou finished.
"I forgive you for what you did, but you need to be open about your faults. If you truly want her in your life, then you must tell her yourself. Let her be here for you, not just as a classmate." Shirou issued him the door, Tokoyami nodded, turning himself towards it only to take one last look to thank the hero.
"Thank you Mr- Ogami?" Tokoyami paused, seeing the man he spoke to had disappeared. Even as he looked down both ends of the hallway he was nowhere to be found, the boy couldn't help but fanboy over him.
'Such wisdom and speed. How incredible…' He thought that this whole day was full of surprises, but not as much as all the help he needed. He used to do everything alone before, but today was the day things would change.
It wasn't going to be easy, but he needed to start somewhere, by fixing things, with her.
