We are at USJ, which was fun to write this time. I posted a new crossover btw, and it's super fluffy but also super dark, too, so go check it out! Enjoy~
A few seemingly normal days passed. It was weird. How things could go from hero oriented to normal school classes so quickly. It would take a bit to get used to. But it was fun. Aizawa really was a guy who wasn't very positive, and always looked tired. He seemed suspicious of Luffy, but he couldn't really do anything about it besides act normal.
And he did act like a human just fine. Aizawa didn't see his quirk for the week, as he only used it with All Might in their hero training classes. He made friends with plenty of the people, and Sanji was ecstatic to find he was popular with the girls. He was so happy it was hilarious.
He was popular because he got Mineta to stop being a pervert when he did. Kicking him or pulling a ball of his head and sticking it to his own face. They didn't know why the balls didn't stick to him, but there was really no way for anybody to find out.
Zoro napped a lot. He fell asleep during the boring parts of class and kept getting in trouble for it. It was funny, too. Luffy really liked Kirishima the most out of the new people he'd met. He was a fun guy, positive and excited about everything.
Luffy wasn't the only one hiding things, though. It was lucky he had his horns wrapped since Sanji and Zoro did get hurt in training. Little cuts and bruises that healed over instantly. They kept saying they just barely dodged when their clothes were ripped but their skin wasn't. All three of them had secrets that only they knew. Well, besides the Whitebeards.
And having all three of them found out to be able to heal over quickly, it could be messy, with a lot of questions and the spot light shining on them uncomfortably. But Luffy knew they'd never tell his secret, the one they'd shared for almost a decade. Luffy absolutely knew they were the best friends he could ask for, and would never say a word that would even make it seem like Luffy was different.
On Friday of the first week, the class was to choose a class representative and vice representative. Since Midoriya had shown his intelligence many times, he got the most votes. Luffy voted for Iida. He seemed responsible. The monster trio hadn't wanted to be elected at all, so they didn't raise their hands when everyone else did.
The three had not been in the crowd when there was an alarm that said there were intruders, which had everyone in a panic and jostling around, pushing against one another. The trio had been walking back from the bathroom where Zoro wiped up some blood on his arm under his clothes from accidentally stabbing a pencil into it deeply.
Nobody noticed as he hadn't cried out at the pain at all. It was nothing compared to Luffy's slashes and hits. So they just leisurely flew out the window, both of them holding onto one of Luffy's arms easily. The two had been flown places too many times to count. They went out to the field like they were supposed to to wait.
There were already plenty of people there. So they didn't see Iida taking charge of the panicked mass of kids who couldn't get through the hall and calmed them down to walk slower and so everyone could get out. It was pretty responsible, and he did seemed like a responsible guy.
So, with Midoirya shaking up on stage, it was clear he wasn't the one for the job, and nominated Iida. So, the loud guy happily took the position. Luffy smiled, since that was who he voted for. When the former one sat down, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Luffy snickered and heard one from Zoro as well.
When Aizawa came back after lunch and the nomination of Iida, he told them that hero basics class would be different that day. Instead of just All Might teaching them, they would be working with a third person doing rescue training. Luffy grinned, knowing he'd be good for rescuing multiple people, he could easily hold onto one arm on each foot and carry someone in his tail.
It was off campus, which made sense since Luffy didn't think there was anywhere that would be good for that on campus. Everyone was excited, and Luffy heard Sanji say he hoped he got to save ladies.
"You have the option of wearing your costumes today, since some parts of them could hinder your performance. We're taking a bus, so after you're changed, meet there. Hurry up," Aizawa said and left.
"Why would anyone get costume props that make their performance worse?" Luffy wondered in the training room. Zoro helped him with his wing clips again, and Luffy brought his visor just in case it was needed, hooking it inside it's carrier in his belt. Sanji shrugged and Kirishima said he had gone simple for that reason.
Sanji added, "I think Bakugo, Iida and Aoyama have the clunkiest outfits."
"I have to look beautiful," the laser navel kid said, Aoyama. He seemed like a weird one. But funny. Bakugo told them to shut the fuck up about his costume, and Iida said he wasn't hindered at all.
Kaminari joked, "Not all of us can look awesome all the time." Luffy shook his head. He was the one who seemed the most fascinated with Luffy's appearance. Zoro agreed, still, after all these years, thinking Luffy looked badass. He was sure that would never change. His horns were wrapped in black again, like they always were in public.
It was nice he didn't notice the tape at all. Nobody else had either and asked him about it. When they made it to the bus, Iida attempted to make it nice and neat, but it didn't work out how he thought it would. A for effort, though. They crammed inside, Luffy taking a big seat of it with his wings. Zoro napped, as well as Todoroki, on the same seat side by side, Zoro snoring lightly while Todoroki was quiet even in his sleep.
They all talked to one another, the bus full of conversations of all sorts. Sanji talked to Nami, swooning over him. When Mineta sat next to Yaoyorozu, Sanji went into "chivalrous mode" and shoved him into another seat.
"Why do you keep doing that?!" Mineta demanded.
Sanji looked down on him, both literally and figuratively. "Because you make them uncomfortable. I won't let anyone make them uncomfortable." Mineta called Sanji a hypocrite. "I'm not lewd," he replied simply. He turned around and asked if the girls felt he was making them uncomfortable, and that he would stop if that was the case. They shook their heads, saying he was fine how he was. Sanji looked back at Mineta with a cruel smirk and sat back down next to Nami.
Luffy laughed at the whole thing. He was happy for Sanji, though.
Luffy was laughing again when everyone but Midoriya was teasing Bakugo. He didn't join in, but it was truly entertaining to watch him get flustered and irritated with multiple people making fun of him. It was truly a joy to watch. So, the bus ride was pretty pleasant for Luffy, and Sanji who was telling the girls about his dream to be a chef while also a hero.
He told them about Thatch and how he longed to be like him. Luffy would tell the cook about that later. He'd be so happy.
When they got off the bus, they were met by Thirteen, the Space Hero who could create black holes in her fingertips. She was in a sort of space suit as her costume. She was skilled in rescuing. Everyone was excited, but not as excited as Midoriya. Oh well, that wasn't very surprising. Usopp stood next to Luffy, looking excited but also very nervous.
"Don't worry, it'll be fun!" Luffy assured him with a grin. Usopp smiled back and said, "Better not let Aizawa-sensei hear that." Luffy laughed and agreed with that.
When they finally walked into the huge building, they saw it was even bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. There were specific areas that all looked like different disasters. One was all fire, another seemed to be rockslides, there was a water area, broken buildings, and a couple indoor buildings that Luffy wasn't sure what they were. Everybody was in awe.
Thirteen then explained what they were, and Luffy was proud he was right about all of them besides the windstorm one since it was inside. It was silly to be proud of, he knew. The place was called the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, USJ for short.
Aizawa walked up to her and asked where All Might was. He was supposed to be there, too, after all. And he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Had he not even told Aizawa he would be late or couldn't come? Thirteen whispered something that Luffy couldn't hear. He didn't have super senses unless he was in his full demon form.
After Aizawa said they would begin, Thirteen had more to say. And what she said was very serious. Her power was used to save people, but it could kill easily. And she pointed out that many of their quirks could kill easily, and they needed to be aware and prepared. They'd already learned how dangerous it was to fight against each other (ehem, Bakugo and Midoriya). Luffy knew he could kill with his, which was why he never went for the head and some parts of the abdomen.
It didn't count on Sanji and Zoro, they would heal. But unlike them, he never went for their heads, knowing he could possibly, easily decapitate someone if he was reckless. His strength, claws and tail were more dangerous than he telekinesis was. By far. And he never really fought with his demon form. His full demon form.
Marco had brought him to a big forest, once. To let him roam in his full demon, beast form and get used to moving in it. Everything was different in that form. His senses were at least 100 times more sensitive and he was stronger, able to slam trees down with minimal effort. Which was why turning his hands and feet into claws made them stronger.
Marco told him that it was important he knew how to use that form if he was in an absolute emergency. He wouldn't ever use it in front of others besides his best friends and family. Nobody else knew about it or would know about it.
So Thirteen's speech ended with telling them good luck and to be safe. Everyone cheered. Besides the trio, who just clapped lightly. "Alright, let's get started-" Aizawa started to say before he froze, all of them noticing the purple cloud at the fountain after the power in the building went off. It was still light enough to see through the clouded windows.
But then creepy looking people came out, and Luffy sensed extreme danger. Since they were in the back, Zoro saw him first. He punched his shoulder, looking worried. "Lufy, put your visor on, now," he mumbled, and Luffy did so, asking why. "Your pupils and irises turned slitted." Luffy blinked twice, that never happening before.
"It's probably because I can tell there's danger," he whispered. Sanji was too far to hear. Luffy made sure his tinted visor was clipped to his horns. They were just tinted enough to not see his eyes so easily. Hopefully nobody would notice.
Aizawa told the students to stay in a group and for Thirteen to protect them. Where the hell was All Might when you needed him?!
The others didn't seem to realize they were villains. "What, the exam has already started?" Kirishima wondered. Luffy stayed silent, knowing Aizawa would tell them they were villains. And to not move from that spot.
Then, out of the portal, a monster came out. Huge, muscular and blue. It had a beak with sharp teeth and an exposed brain. Luffy gripped his two friends' arms tightly. "Do not fight the monster one. At all. Okay?" They both trusted what he was saying, and nodded. Usopp looked over and asked why, having been the only other one to hear. "It's bad news. I can just tell, and I usually have good senses."
Usopp said, "We shouldn't fight any of them, though." Luffy nodded, saying that would definitely be the best case scenario.
Aizawa said, "So the trespassers the other day were these scum." Luffy was suddenly having one string of thought pass through his head. Protect them, protect them, they're mine, protect them. He made to stand in front of Zoro and Sanji. It was almost like they knew what he was thinking.
Both of them took his shoulders and forced him to turn around. "We can protect ourselves," Zoro said. Sanji nodded, saying he didn't need to worry. The string of thought was still there, but he could think around it and shook his head.
"Yeah, yes, I know," he said, though his brows were drawn in worry. Fear that they'd get hurt and he wouldn't be with them. Zoro grinned.
"Besides, this could be some good practice, right?" Sanji nodded. Kirishima asked what the hell they were talking about. Did they really want to fight the villains? "Ah, no. I was kidding," Zoro said awkwardly. Luffy snickered, feeling much more confident in his friends. They were strong, and could heal. Luffy would always be protecting them with that.
Midoriya was shaking intensely, and Luffy put his hand on his shoulder with a light squeeze. He froze, and turned to look at Luffy, who shook his head. "Don't panic." Midoriya tried nodding, but he was still panicking, not that Luffy expected any different. He couldn't control his quirk without hurting himself, after all.
The others were wondering how they got in with the sensors, but knowing there was someone with a warp quirk, maybe a portal. That was definitely what it looked like. It didn't look like they came from doors or through the walls since the purple mist hadn't been there before and was what the villains were appearing from.
Aizawa told Thirteen to start the evacuation and call the school, since the sensors weren't working in the slightest. Unless they got someone out to get help, nobody would know. And Luffy wouldn't be the one to go, he'd fight with his friends. He wouldn't let anyone rip him away from them. They were his. My pack. Luffy gulped, not liking the weird thought she was having.
He'd never once heard that in his mind, calling them his pack. Weren't packs for wolves? He wasn't an animal, he was a demon. Well, it didn't matter. He'd think about that at a later time and talk about it to Marco.
Aizawa told Kaminari to try and contact the school with his accessory, with Midoriya asking if Aizawa was going to fight all of them by himself. There were too many. His quirk wasn't suited for fighting so many. Luffy abruptly lifted all of the villains with one hand, high, and slammed them down. "There, now there's less," he said, unable to help himself. Everyone was quiet, and Aizawa sighed, actually not getting mad at him.
He said, as if Luffy hadn't just done that, "You can't be a hero with one trick." He then jumped down, the weird wraps he could control out and his goggles on. Many of the villains, who didn't have broken legs, got up and Aizawa started fighting. Luffy felt his claws come out, on his shoes and hands.
But then they were forced to leave, and Luffy had to be carried by Zoro as he wanted to stay and fight, his brain telling him to fight them until everyone was safe. "We're not fighting, Luffy. The teachers will get here." Luffy thrashed around, so Sanji grabbed his head while Zoro had his feet over his shoulders. "C'mon, get control of yourself."
"This has never happened before, I feel weird," Luffy confessed. "I have to fight, I have to protect everyone."
"No, you don't. You won't need to protect us if we're all safe," Sanji said calmly. They were in the back so no one saw their weird actions. Luffy calmed at this, and told them they were right. He was put down and ran with them, his claws no longer out. Though his tail was flicking around in agitation.
But then the warp guy suddenly appeared in front of them, saying he wouldn't let them leave to get help. Zoro and Sanji said nothing this time, letting him shield them, even if he was shorter. But he put his wings up in front of them, spread out. They could see over them just fine, so the two taller teens didn't tell him to put them down.
The warp guy started talking. "Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains." Then he said they'd just invited themselves into the school, easily. Their goal there was to kill All Might, who wasn't even there for that, dooming the students. The warp man said it was his job to kill them. Then, Bakugo and Kirishima launched attacks. Luffy didn't. He was going to protect Sanji and Zoro.
The attack did nothing, and soon they were all surrounded by the purple mist, the creature saying he was to scatter them. Luffy grabbed onto Sanji and Zoros arms, his wings no longer out, and tried to fly them out of the purple mist, but it was so uncontrollably windy that he couldn't get out. The three of them were thrown out of a portal and onto the landslide area, scrambling to not slide down it. Luffy flew them up safely, both holding onto one arm.
Zoro said, "Well, now we definitely get to fight," in a light voice. "Alright, whoever gets the most wins." He looked to Luffy. "Are you okay?"
Luffy replied, "I'm not sure. I feel weird. Like, I want to rip apart anyone who touches you two."
Sanji said, "Awww, how sweet. But you should know we're strong. Plus, you're always protecting us. We'll be just fine. But you need to control yourself, okay? You can't give away any hints or it's gonna be hell to pay later." Luffy nodded knowing he was telling the truth. He brought out his claws and took off his boots.
They turned around to see Todoroki in ear shot. Luffy's eyes widened. "I won't ask any questions or say anything. I promise," he said in a serious voice. Luffy nodded and Zoro said he'd better not tell anyone or he'd regret it. Luffy put his arm on his shoulder.
"Don't threaten him, he said he won't tell anybody and I believe him," Luffy said. Then he grinned. "Let's kick some ass." The other two grinned as well and went off to find some villains. When they got to the first group, Sanji kicked so many in the head that they fell unconscious immediately while Zoro sliced and diced, not deep enough to kill, but deep enough to cause them to falter, where Luffy slammed his tail into their back, shattering their spines as they screamed.
The three of them went all out, never having people to fight against like this. But they made sure not to kill. Just permanently damage or incapacitate. Some fell to the ground with their eyes open when Sanji kicked them, showing he'd damaged their brains. Well, they were villains, and they weren't killing.
Sanji got a cut to the arm by a nail being thrown at him, but it healed over. Luffy saw red, but Sanji yelled he was fine. But Luffy was thinking about protecting them. And he could feel the evil coming off of the monster. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. He was sure it wasn't like him, but it definitely wasn't human.
And why have an exposed brain? What if somebody hit it? The three decimated all the villains in their path, Luffy not using his wings or telekinesis. Going hand to hand. Well, claw to claw, using his tail as well. His body was in harmony and working perfectly. He didn't get a scratch, but did sustain a bad burn that healed over.
Villains dropped like flies when they passed. He flew up to look around and saw the monster behind Aizawa. He shouted his name, but he didn't turn fast enough. Luffy's heart was pounding, but when Aizawa's head was slammed into the ground, he acted. He couldn't control it. It broke Aizawa's arm, crushing it and making him scream.
He flew at him at a high speed, the monster slamming his head down again, and snarl ripped through Luffy's throat as he slammed his tail as hard as he had ever done into the side of its head, tearing it off of the beast, spraying blood everywhere. The battlefield went silent, but Luffy picked Aizawa up and flew.
"Protect, protect, protect," Luffy said. He couldn't stop and knew Aizawa was awake. He landed him at the top of the stairs. "Are you okay?" he asked, heart beating frantically. Aizawa could clearly see his eyes. But Luffy wanted to make sure he was okay. He may not be fond of the man, but he was still his teacher.
"Y-Yeah. You saved me," he said, and stood up. Luffy told him he couldn't fight anymore. He probably had a head injury and his arms were not in good enough shape. "I can't leave the students to fight on their own," he replied in a strong voice.
Luffy turned around to see the villain with hands all over himself crouching by the monster. "Wh-What was that thing?" Luffy asked, still worried about it coming back. "It wasn't human."
Aizawa said he had no idea what it was. "My nomu! What have you done?!" the leader screamed. He stood up and started to walk forward, wobbly in his fury. Luffy asked Aizawa what his quirk was.
"He dissolved my elbow," Aizawa said, showing his arm, the raw and cracked skin.
"So, not a long distance fighter. That's easy," Luffy said and raised his hand, slamming him into the ground and pinning him. "Is All Might coming soon?" he asked. He was calm now, even though his heart was still thudding in his head. The villain was screaming angrily, trying to get up. Luffy pressed him tighter to the ground, unable to move.
"Kurogiri, kill that one!" he shouted, and the warp guy disappeared. He ended up behind him. Luffy used his other hand on this one, forcing him to the ground as well. When the purple portal moved towards Luffy on the floor, he flew up, his hands still up, and crushed his feet into the ceiling, hanging upside down.
"Kill him, now! All villains, kill that one!" the hand guy screamed.
"I don't think so, fuckers!" Zoro shouted and sliced open any villains making their way to Luffy. Some of them could jump, but Sanji could jump, too, and slammed them into the ground, breaking bones. He landed.
"We won't let you get in his way!" Sanji declared in a booming voice, one of his legs raised and ready to go. All three of them didn't have a scratch on them. Not a single one, nothing. Zoro turned his arms into snipers and shot all of the villains who weren't in sword range in the knees, blowing some of their legs off.
The two of them were absolutely merciless. Luffy asked where All Might was. He was having trouble holding both of them while also hanging upside down. The blood was rushing to his head and he was starting to get dizzy.
Someone shot a nail that tore through his ear and distracted him. The leader vowed that he would kill him alongside All Might. Kurogiri disappeared from the spot he'd been at and appeared behind the leader villain, both of them disappearing. Luffy dropped down and laid on his back, panting.
His face was hot and his head fuzzy. Zoro and Sanji ran to him. "We were awesome," Luffy said with a tired smile. Sanji asked if he was okay. "Yeah, the blood rushed to my head, I need a moment."
Aizawa walked up to him, and Luffy was feeling much calmer, his eyes back to normal and thoughts clear. He crouched down and said, "This might not be the time to ask, but are you human, Luffy?" Luffy's face went pale. "If you aren't, I will come up with a cover story for you so nobody else knows," Aizawa said very quietly.
Luffy searched both eyes for any trace of a lie. "No. I'm not."
Aizawa nodded. "I suspected something when I tried to erase your quirk awhile ago and nothing happened. I won't tell a soul, but you need to be more careful and control yourself." He pointed to his eyes. "Those were a dead give away."
Zoro and Sanji were glaring. Zoro said, "If others find out, you'll have the full force of the Whitebeards to face." Aizawa said he swore on his life that this would stay between the four of them. "So if you tell someone, you give us permission to kill you?" he asked darkly. Aizawa looked shocked. "You just swore on your life," Zoro pointed out.
Sanji shoved his shoulder. "Stop being stupid. It's an expression. Besides, there's no way you'd kill him, idiot." Luffy started laughing, and Aizawa shook his head and said he swore on his job as a hero and teacher. Zoro said that was better to say than on his life.
"C'mon, we need to get you three checked for injuries and gather everyone else." The three didn't say they were uninjured. "All Might didn't even come before it was resolved. It's lucky you live with the Whitebeards, Luffy. Nobody could keep you safer." Luffy beamed at the roundabout compliment.
They were all gathered by the time the pro-heroes and teachers arrived. All of the students were exhausted or still shaking from the ordeal. Even Luffy was a bit shaken, still. Zoro and Sanji were stoic, though Zoro's arms ached from the force of the snipers. He didn't like using strong guns because they jarred his shoulders and biceps.
Zoro snapped, "Took you long enough!" angrily at the heroes that just left them there. And All Might was so late it was pathetic. The trio weren't happy with him coming so late. But everything was fine now. The students all took out the villains, who were all going to be arrested. The ones the monster trio went after were unable to move anymore. Or at least at the moment. It would be easy to arrest those ones.
Luffy turned to his friends. "Thank you, for dealing with me so well. I'm sorry if I made you worry." Zoro grinned and said it was fine. It had been an interesting experience. He said his eyes made him look even more badass, if that was possible. Luffy and Sanji laughed, laying on their backs.
"Our first fight against villains was a success. You guys were so cool," Luffy gushed, proud of them. They heard Aizawa explaining what had happened, as Thirteen was out of action. When All Might looked at the three, he looked surprised for once, no longer smiling. He was angry at the villains and that he hadn't been there when he should have.
He walked to the three. "So, you three defeated the leaders?" he asked in an impressed voice. Sanji pointed out that Luffy did most of the work for that part. "Aizawa said that the nomu was as strong as I was. And you decapitated it."
"My tail is the strongest part of my body. I thought I would just stun it," Luffy replied honestly. "I wasn't expecting the whole head to come off. I lost control of it a bit when I was scared and angry." All Might turned to the other two. They said they had supported him, but had not fought any of the leaders.
The pro-hero nodded and said he was impressed, and apologized for having them clean up the mess instead of him, who should have been there. Luffy agreed with that, but didn't say so. "Come, we must check for injuries after a fight like that." Luffy's eyes flicked to the others. He took his visor off finally.
Sanji looked over himself and said he'd gotten blunt attacks but nothing that cut him. The other two said the same. Luffy said his tail and back ached, so that was the worst part. It was a lie, of course. He felt fine, if not a bit tired everywhere. Nothing a long nap couldn't fix. And a huge meal.
They saw many of the others had cuts and were limping. Midoirya had broken a couple bones again, but nothing too major. Just some fingers. The strongest of the class weren't hurt. Including Todoroki, Bakugo and Kirishima. Those three seemed like the monster trio's fellow powerhouses. Nothing compared to the trio, but still strong.
Todoroki walked to them while the teachers all talked, angry that the villains had gotten away after making such a big show. They looked to Luffy and his "pack" in impressed eyes. They thanked him for killing the nomu, and that they would be researching it. Luffy's face turned pink and he awkwardly said they were welcome.
"I can't believe the students did our job for them," Snipe said as they walked past. Once they were out of earshot, Todoroki told them again that he didn't know what they were talking about, but that he wouldn't press. Luffy smiled and thanked the half and half student. Zoro apologized for threatening him.
Todoroki said he held no grudge. They walked out of the building and into a crowd with all of the other students, with a police officer in front of them, counting them. Nobody was really hurt badly. It was a success and lucky for the trio, so being unharmed wouldn't be too out of the ordinary.
Some went up to the three and asked how they had been so awesome when fighting together. Todoroki said he saw their teamwork and it was perfect. "We always trained together, so it's like reading each other's minds, I guess? Just instinct." Luffy was asked about his tail.
"That was scary! You used your tail against me and I was fine and here you decapitated a monster as strong as All Might!" Kirishima asked. Luffy scratched the back of his head and said he didn't know he could actually use it that hard.
"I've never killed with it. I'm just happy that I haven't hurt anybody else ever with it. It was just hurting Aizawa-sensei so much that I just spring out. I think I'm the most in danger now, though." He laughed. "The leader wants to kill me! Ha, but I won't let him," he said with vigor. "Besides, I live safely with the Whitebeards. They would never let that dude harm me at home. I just hope the school is more protected now," he said. "It was scary."
Tokoyami said that he hadn't looked scared at all in the beginning. "I was pumping adrenaline from the start. I was scared of the nomu, though. And the hand guy wasn't a long distance fighter, so I was able to contain him. It's so unlucky I lost focus for just a second and they got away," Luffy said, sounding ashamed.
"Dude, you're a student, it's not your job to catch the masterminds," Kaminari said, clapping Luffy on the back. Zoro and Sanji nodded, though Zoro said it would have been fucking awesome to capture everyone in one go, only using the students.
"We would be seen as the strongest class ever. It's a shame, but not Luffy's fault." The others nodded.
The detective - not the police officer, Luffy was mistaken - told them they should go back to class. Tsu asked how Aizawa was. He'd passed out when the heroes came. "He'll be okay. He had a broken arm and one that has damage from the villain leader, and he had a fractured skull, but he will be fine with rest and treatment.
"It's just lucky he was saved without further damage. Any more and he could have had permanent brain damage." Luffy sighed in relief that he'd gotten to him in time. But he could have died. Normal people… they can die so easily. They weren't strong heroes like those he was surrounded by. They weren't his best friends who shared a bond that let them use Luffy's regeneration ability.
They were weak. Weak and in danger all the time. Tripping and hitting their head could kill them. So much could kill them. Luffy had never really thought about how weak humans actually were, and he was suddenly glad that he wasn't one.
Thirteen had been hurt, too, but was in better shape and Aizawa was.
He had been feeling a heated glare the whole time, from Bakugo. He was probably furious that Luffy, Zoro and Sanji were in the spotlight about this. That they'd done more damage than Bakugo had. Todoroki was the next in line for how many villains he'd defeated on his own. So those four were all the talk and focus.
It was a bit awkward, being praised like that, but Sanji was soaking up the girls attention while Zoro was grinning like a madman at people acknowledging his strength.
When they were back on campus and walking to the classroom, Luffy was worried. He felt he'd been so close to completely losing control. The stress was so overwhelming. His eyes reacted immediately when he sensed real danger. His eyes turned slitted in his full demon form. Would he have shifted?
Then what would have happened? He'd always been perfectly in control of his other form, playing with string toys in it when he couldn't sleep as a toddler. He'd never hurt a fly in that form, and he still didn't, even if he was stronger. But… he was unknown. There was nothing to compare himself to.
He was all alone, with nobody to ask for help. Nobody to ask what would happen next. All alone.
On their way out of school, Sanji and Zoro noticed his change. They pulled him aside where nobody else could listen. Zoro asked if he was okay. Luffy looked down, hair shading his eyes. "I'm all alone. I don't have anybody to ask what will happen next. Nobody to help me learn to manage. I'm just feeling pity for myself. I just… there's nobody else like me. I love you guys and my family, but you're learning alongside me.
"I'm just scared. My eyes changing really scared me, and I got really possessive of you both. I was thinking of you as my pack. I don't know what that means. Is that best friends? I just don't know what'll happen next. If I lose total control in front of everyone and ruin everything," he explained honestly.
Zoro and Sanji looked at him sadly, understanding what he meant. "There's nobody to ask, you're right. But you're not alone. I know it probably doesn't help to hear we're with you right now, but we are and always will be," Zoro said softly, a rare show of comfort. Luffy nodded, saying he was so thankful for them being there for him. Having always been there.
"Are you angry, about me being all possessive and freaky?" Luffy asked quietly.
"Nah, it's nice having a super friend like you. After all, it's thanks to your presence we could fight how we did. Nobody else can practice chopping somebody up. Or kicking them to where someone could die. I think I speak for both of us when we say you're not a freak, and we're glad you trusted us to know," Sanji said sincerely. Luffy wiped his eyes and thanked him.
He expressed worry over Aizawa knowing. Zoro said he felt the man wouldn't say anything to anybody. Then he grinned and said maybe he would kill him if he spilled the beans. Sanji shoved him again. "Stop saying that or somebody might take your dumbass seriously."
"What did you just say?" Zoro asked coldly. Sanji smirked and they got into a tizzy. Luffy smiled at the normalness of the moment. He sighed, knowing he'd have to tell everybody back home about the day. "Message us with their reactions, okay?" Luffy promised he would, and flew off.
