Disclaimer: The intellectual property rights to Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 belong to Atlus and its respective creative directors, as does the My Hero Academia series, with Kohei Horikoshi.
Author's Notes: A freebie for the new year. Don't get your hopes up though.
0.0
The recording started.
There was nothing at first, save for an empty chair against a plain white background.
A girl came into the video frame. Her light brown hair was kept short, in a stylish pixie cut that covered her left eye. Beneath her fringe, a white medical eye-patch was visible. She was dressed simply, wearing a school uniform with an oversized black bomber jacket tied around her waist.
She sat down, grinning widely into the camera.
"Do you know how you set yourself small milestones to get to where you eventually wanna be? Like… Let's say you were a boring child, and you decided that you wanted a boring job. You'd try to see which particular soul-crushingly boring job you'd be good at in school. You'd eventually find a niche; something you'd be boringly good at. So what do you do?"
She glanced at something off-camera, her predatory gaze slowly shifting from left to right.
"Study hard. Get extra tutoring. Work towards your qualifications. Find part-time jobs or internships related to that field, so that you'd gain some experience. Then, slave away for the rest of your natural-born life. It's all very cut and dry, isn't it?"
The girl paused, as if waiting for a cue.
"That's like, exactly my point. Yes, yes," she said, clapping her hands in tandem. "I know it's bonkers that this… this is where humanity peaks. It's shameful really. We live in a world where eighty percent of the population has evolved, gifted with mind-boggling abilities from birth, but only a handful of them use it. Meanwhile, Tomatsu Nobuzo over here is happy to grow up wanting to become an accountant."
She dragged her hands over her cheeks, mushing them together.
"My God, people… Why do we limit ourselves to be content with living life inside a societal cage? The only ones free are the villains of the world. Sure, it'd be easier to label them as non-conformists, but again, you're just seeing everything in black and white. These people are the only ones who remain true to the very core of humanity. And do you know what that core is?"
The girl sighed, brushing her bangs over her forehead.
"Self-destruction. I don't think it's something we crave consciously, but it's something that's hard-wired in every single one of us. I guess what I'm getting at is… We, as a species, are living in a fabricated world. I want to break down the walls that divide us from our true selves. The only way to do that is to break free from the shackles of society―by breaking society itself."
She hunched in closer to the camera, leaning her hands on her chin. She smiled, her cheeks dimpling.
"Welcome to the new world, everyone. My name? Well… it's Hachisuka Kuin, but you can call me Queen. I'm just a part-time villain for now; a girl's gotta start somewhere, you know? 'Sides, a good villain doesn't show her face, or reveal her abilities, or even her true goal, so… this incriminating manifesto of mine, it's not meant for anyone's eyes except yours, Stendhal… Oh! I guess, you're going by Stain now, right?"
She laughed.
"Well, I just wanted you to get to know me―"
The camera was knocked over. It continued recording, however; the angle captured nothing at first, except for the heavy thuds of footsteps. Then, another pair of feet entered the frame before leaving shortly.
She stomped her foot on the floor.
"Asshole!"
0.0
In that all-encompassing darkness in which he was the centre, Arisato Minato could feel no one, no presence, around him. He looked up briefly at the only source of light streaming in; a beam that shone directly above him.
It was instantaneous.
Something within him switched on.
Minato was painfully aware of how infinite his surroundings were; how small and insignificant his presence was as the centre. The inky darkness was like an ever encroaching parasite that began to consume him inch by inch ever so slowly. Every limb it consumed, it bound and restricted. If he struggled against its bonds, its vice-like grip deepened to the point that he saw white. It had crept up to his neck, his body remaining in his kneeled state, only because he could not fall over with it supporting him upright.
His vision was fading.
His head almost lowered to the ground, but a gloved hand, attached to a very pale forearm, gently lifted his chin up. The woman took his cheeks in both hands and smiled. Just like that, the pressure was gone.
Oh my… This is no place for you to be. Whatever is my saviour doing here in a state like this?
"Elizabeth…"
It was like he had been put under a spell.
She was just like he remembered―in his memories, in his dreams. The bewitching way in which she smiled was infectious, so much so that he mirrored it when he rested his head on her chest.
She was warm.
Alive.
However, that niggling voice in the back of his mind echoed that she was not. When she raised his head up, he made to protest; he didn't want to leave that warmth behind.
Now, now… That is unbecoming of you, Minato-sama.
Elizabeth made it so that their foreheads touched.
Why do you look so surprised to see me? Did I not say that I would remain with you throughout your journey? You're still very much on it. Don't start taking me as a woman who breaks her oath.
Lost as he was in her eyes, he couldn't escape how much he missed it when she laughed―it was light, whimsical.
I am never far away from you. You must remember that.
"Will you tell me why?"
My brave and noble soul. How could I ever rest easy knowing that the man who tore off the veil over my cage was imprisoned for such a time until the embers of humanity extinguished? I was simply returning the favour.
She stood up, offering her hand.
I know you're tired, but there are still people who need you. Will you join me, Minato-sama?
He took it.
"I choose this fate of mine own free will."
The last thing he remembered was her smile.
0.0
It was too soon.
When Arisato Minato came to, it was to the sight of a mess of black hair. There was an odd mix of strawberries and gunpowder that lingered long after he took a breath. Above him, Momo's features were creased in worry. Her eyes, large and slanted like that of a cat, were moist.
He blinked.
It ended too soon.
"Minato-senpai!"
He thinned his lips and squeezed his eyes shut.
He needed to go back. To find out what that was. That couldn't have been a dream.
It was real.
It was definitely real.
He needed―
"Senpai!"
His eyes snapped open.
There were others hovering nervously around them―classmates of hers. He couldn't really tell, but he recognised a few faces from the Sports Festival broadcast. One of them, a boy with spiky ashy-blond hair, seemed livid.
"See, the loser's fine! C'mon! Just leave him already! We got better shit to do than watch this pussy shit play out!"
"But Snipe-sensei ordered us to remain here!"
"I don't give a shit! My mom's in the stands somewhere! I'm not gonna wait here and see if a Pro Hero cared enough to see that she's safe. It's a fucking zombie apocalypse out there!"
"I will not allow it! As your class representative―"
"Fuck being benched!"
Their infighting continued; raised voices shouting their defiance, quiet pleas that went unnoticed. The one thing that was missing was the calm voice of reason. In the chaos of it all, Momo held out a dead bee to him. There was a tiny vial attached to its stinger, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
That explained the itch on his neck.
"I found you unconscious―with this nearby. Whatever you were injected with may have caused your blackout." Momo looked away. "Don't ask me how I know this, but it made your tongue black."
She was doggedly avoiding his gaze.
On impulse, he grazed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. There was an odd taste in his mouth that wouldn't go away; a weird mix of metal and ash. Aside from an ear-splitting migraine, he couldn't find anything wrong with him physically. Strangely, the only thing that registered in his mind was that he was lying down on something soft.
"Am I lying down on your lap?"
Momo reddened and squirmed in place. "You had a really weak pulse. We couldn't be sure if you were even breathing at all. One thing led to another and Kyoka―" she levelled an exasperated look at one of her classmates; he couldn't turn his head to look at who, "It―It's complicated! It just ended up like this!"
Slowly, Minato sat up. "Thank you. It may have helped … somewhat. " He took stock of his surroundings and frowned at the squabbling group of underclassmen. "Could you tell me what happened?"
Her face fell.
"It's happening again. UA is under attack , " Momo started, her voice shaky. "The villains … They're targeting everyone―not just the Pro Heroes." She motioned to the dead bee by his side. "I believe it has something to do with this. We've seen civilians and Pro Heroes lose control of their Quirks―have it erode their mental faculties. We even had to subdue one of the upperclassmen who lost control."
Minato snuck a peek beyond her, spying a second-year Gen Ed student he recognised when he made his way into the stadium. The boy was lying spread eagle on his back, unconscious.
He put two and two together. "And his tongue was…"
She nodded.
"Did I attack anyone?"
"I can't say for sure. You were unconscious when I saw you," she said. "Do you remember anything? Before it happened?"
Unconsciously, Minato stared down at his hands. He remembered plenty.
The fire that consumed his being before he blacked out.
The suffocating claustrophobia of being trapped in that boundless black void.
The warmth of her body—her touch.
Her smile.
Minato himself almost smiled at the memory.
"Senpai?"
But he quickly forced it down. "Nothing much," he said.
"Then, what should we do, senpai? Snipe-sensei told us to wait here." Momo gripped the front of her uniform, looking hesitant. "But what good are we as heroes if we're not allowed to act? And those bees—we have to warn them about it, right?"
"I think," he said slowly, "that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission?"
Her eyes grew wide. "Senpai!"
"Just this once." Minato rolled his eyes. "Try not to make it a habit."
"I can't―It's not right!"
He held back a sigh. "Momo… I can't make up your mind for you. I can't tell you what to do either."
Minato was aware how callous his words were, so it came to no surprise that his underclassman visibly flinched and bowed her head, averting her gaze.
Distractedly, he found himself on the receiving end of a simmering glare from a petite girl with a sharp bob, which was strange given how she stood at the opposite end of the corridor, near her squabbling classmates―there was no way she could have overheard him. He brushed it off.
Instead, he leaned in closer to whisper in Momo's ear, "But you're not wrong."
"W-What?"
"What's the point of staying here while everything burns around you?" he asked. "That's not heroic. That's not who you are. And I know that for a fact. Momo, you―"
Momo leaned away from him, catching Minato by surprise. Her cheeks coloured a deep shade of red as she idly touched her earlobe. "S-Sorry," she said. "Your breath… It's ticklish."
He blinked. "Oh."
She bit her bottom lip. "But I understand where you're coming from," she said.
With a heavy breath, Momo closed her eyes and straightened herself. She held her hands close as a chaotic mass of energy pooled in her palms. Slowly, she spread them apart, the energy refining into an elongated shape that gradually dissipated as it emerged from the palm of her hand. In its place was an elegant wooden sword.
Minato accepted it with both hands.
"You mentioned before that the bokken that you had was something cheap you picked up at a discount store." She rubbed at her arms, adding, "So, I may have spent a few days reading up on traditional swordsmithing. You'll like this better."
Lightweight. Perfectly balanced.
It was a gem.
"It's amazing," he told her.
"I don't deserve such praise." Despite her words, she looked pleased. But that quickly morphed into worry as she furrowed her brow. "You're not staying here either, are you?"
Standing, he shook his head.
"I suppose this is the part where I tell you that there is a fine line between heroism and just plain recklessness," she said. "We're not even sure what that serum did to you, senpai."
"Just a headache," he lied. "I'll walk it off."
Momo muttered something under her breath that he couldn't quite catch. Instead, she said to him plainly, "I know I can't stop you, but please … I'd prefer it if you had some protection."
Without sparing a glance at her surroundings, Momo unzipped the top of her gym uniform down to her navel. Minato was treated to a generous view of his junior's branded sports bra before he had the forethought to look away.
"Yaomomo! You crazy exhibitionist! W-What―What are you doing?!"
"That guy is a God!"
If Momo could hear them, she chose to ignore their outbursts as she handed him a tactical vest. He bowed to show his appreciation, not trusting himself to speak.
Momo was unfazed either way as she zipped up.
"You're right, senpai," she said. "We were warned not to interfere, but that doesn't mean that we can't help in our own way. We can't turn a blind eye to those in need―not in our position."
Minato smiled gently, clasping her by the shoulder. "I believe in you." He pointed at the dead bee. "And you're right. You might be onto something―something that our teachers and the Pro Heroes need to know. I'll do what I can to warn others as well."
"Leave it to m―" Momo caught herself. "―to us," she corrected, as she spared a hopeful glance at her classmates. "Leave it to us, senpai."
0.0
"Disaster Level: RED. I repeat, Disaster Level is RED. All Pro Heroes are to subdue and contain!" There were too many voices shouting over the comms to make sense of the chaos, but one rang clear; Takeyama Yu couldn't tell who it was though. "We have reports that the aggressors are civilians dosed with the Quirk-enhancing drug, Trigger! No excessive force unless absolutely necessary!"
Yu clicked her tongue lowly.
"Mount Lady en-route to the festival grounds! Stadium's a mess!"
What was it about stadiums and windows? Specifically, where the hell were the windows?! She needed a quick exit!
It was the one good thing about her Quirk; being able to survive an eight-storey fall. Still, manoeuvring around the inner stadium proved to be a much harder prospect than she realised. Her cries to direct the mass of bodies around her were not bearing fruit. A Pro Hero be damned when there were ten of thousands of people bum-rushing for the exits. As she was, she couldn't see over the crowd.
It sucked being small.
She dove into another corridor, cursing under her breath. Thankfully, lady luck was granting her a reprieve. Lo and behold, her meandering finally took her to an open ledge that led directly outside.
"Yasss!" Yu shouted to the high heavens, then at the civilians, "Please step out of the way!"
She squeezed and shoved her way through the crowd, right to the ledge. The view that gave way was to a scene of utter bedlam.
There was little to separate what remained of the festival grounds with that of an actual war zone, and it had only been a scant few minutes since the disaster call sounded. Scores of Quirks lit up the sky like a moving canvas. When there were so many Quirks being used in tandem, the chaos eventually synced up; the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Those who had escaped the stadium were merely fanning the flames before her, like lambs being led to the slaughter.
"W-What do we do, Mount Lady?" someone had asked her.
Yu looked over the small crowd that had gathered around her, as if being in her presence was akin to a protective embrace. She wasn't one to smile and lie. She held her back straight, and tried to convey the strength and authority that could only come from a Pro Hero.
"The situation is bad. You can see it right there. There's no point in lying to any of you," Yu said. "But this is why we're here―to protect you. God knows that I'm not perfect, but I will do everything in my power to protect each and every single one of you. That I can promise."
Their fears weren't assuaged. There were more angry murmurs amongst the faceless crowd. Words were hardly enough, not at a time like this.
"What good is a promise?!"
Yu shook her head.
"It's a free-for-all outside the stadium. I can't, in good conscience, lead you all out there." She gestured to the rooms that lined the cramped corridor. "It'll be safer here. I'd ask that you all hide inside and barricade anything you can find against the door. When this is all over, someone will come and lead you to safety."
"Please! There has to be something more you can do!"
"That's your plan? Screw this! Goddamn rookies like you are useless. Where's All Might or Endeavor when you need them?!"
Yu ignored the jibe and swallowed thickly; this wasn't the time nor the place to wallow in self-pity. "Rest assured… They're out there, trying to contain the situation."
"Then why are you here hiding?!"
"Sir, I'm not," Yu said, her words slow but terse. "Please, if all of you could just cooperate."
There were a few, families with children, who had branched away from the crowd. Some had listened thankfully, but there were more that didn't. By now, the group that had surrounded her resembled more of a mob than frightened civilians.
"We're better off looking out for ourselves! I'm not waiting for some rookie to swoop in and act like she saved the day!"
The stadium shook.
"Come in," the voice over the comms said. "We have confirmed reports that a known villain is approaching the school. Be on the lookout for Bo―"
Yu pulled out the comms device from her ear.
Some… thing was lumbering towards them.
It was a grotesque mass of sludge that had taken on a vaguely humanoid form. It had no discernible features, save for the random collection of waste that made up the bulk of its body. When it walked, parts of its jittery mass would slide off its misshapen frame, caking the ground in its noxious ooze. Its copious remains were enough to smother a man completely, such was its size.
"T-That's Bogi!… I've seen him on the news! Isn't he a villain based in Kyoto?!"
Yu bit the inside of her cheek.
If there ever was an indication that something bigger was at play here, the arrival of Kyoto's trash heap certainly heralded it in all its foul glory.
Bogi lurched to a standstill, raising an arm over its midsection. The sludge around it parted, regurgitating what appeared to be the tail end of a cement truck.
Her eyes went wide.
Yu didn't spare what remained of the mob another look; plenty had fled by now. "Go," was all Yu said to the stragglers before she jumped off the parapet. When she landed in a crouch, having activated her Quirk in mid-air, the ground quaked violently, more so than it did when Bogi first arrived. She stood up, smacking her fist into an open palm.
"Hey, meathead!"
The fight was on.
0.0
It was all too familiar.
Déjà vu crept in like an old friend.
Had he closed his eyes, Arisato Minato would have seen the reflection of an irradiated moon on glossy black and white tiles. The sickly moonlight would have peeked through the tall arched windows, casting long, spindly shadows of unseen enemies. But it wasn't to be. Instead, the ground beneath him was concrete, and all around him, pandemonium reigned.
The setting may have changed, but never the struggle.
He closed his eyes and reached for his well of power. In that all-encompassing darkness in which he was the centre, Minato summoned an angel; one that was rigid and unflinching in the pursuit of the righteous path. He called for a being who fought in the name of God.
None answered.
He asked for a warrior; one whose name was etched in the annals of history because of its renown in battle. He called for a being who would fight for his ideals.
None came.
He called for the personification of death; the one that dwelled within―one half of what made him whole.
There was a lowly growl.
Thanatos stood at the edge of the inky darkness, enough to sense that it was there, but never quite coming out into the light. It appeared for all but a moment before vanishing. Once more, he stood alone.
In reality, Minato jostled and jockeyed for space amongst the faceless crowd.
There was barely enough time to catch his breath when he emerged from the sports stadium unscathed.
He cursed lowly. There was little to do in dwelling on what had just happened. The collective unconscious had always answered his call, even in this world. The only reason why they didn't―or more likely couldn't―could only be due to the serum he had been injected with. If it directly affected Quirks, then its effects on him were unknown.
But hampered as he was, he still had his wits about him, and the reality of the situation took precedence.
He would not stand idle.
Unfortunately, he had come out to the festival grounds on a whim. He didn't have a concrete plan, or even one at all. The only thought he had was to link up with Yu again and relay the information he had about the attack. The one saving grace being that it wasn't all that difficult to find her in this chaotic spree.
Far above him, Yu was angling to fight the gigantic sludge villain whose name escaped him.
Minato followed after her gigantic footsteps as she stalked her adversary. From where he was, he could see that a number of Pro Heroes had banded together to intercept the villain; although their attempts weren't in any way effective in stopping it. They pulled a strategic retreat the moment Yu got close enough to mount an offensive.
As he was, Minato was hopelessly unable to keep up with Yu.
She had been able to cross the festival grounds unimpeded by virtue of her Quirk. He, instead, was immediately waylaid by a thick blanketing fog that had drifted in from parts unknown.
His sprint eventually gave way to a dead stop.
Dread seeped into his bones.
Minato was barely able to see more than ten steps ahead of him, much less the sky above. There was an eerie sense of isolation, where all he could hear were the muffled sounds of battle beyond the ever encompassing wall of white. He cautiously stalked forward, his weapon held at the ready. Inside that disorientating haze, he could sense someone running towards him, the fog seemingly amplifying the echo of rushing footfalls. It wasn't long before he came face-to-face with a frenzied charge.
Minato gripped his bokken, poised to strike. Yet, the look in the man's eyes, wide and delirious, stayed his hand. The man was injured, his clothes were bloodied to the point that it clung onto his skin like a wet napkin. He staggered past Minato, staring fearfully at something behind him.
"Run…" was all Minato heard him say.
An orb, thrumming with convulsing blue energy, came floating down towards his position. With a quick step forward and a forceful swing of his sword, Minato batted the offending orb into the air.
The resultant explosion consumed him.
Minato was blown back forcefully, impacting against the unyielding concrete as he scrambled to find purchase. When he finally rolled to a stop, sinking to his hands and knees, he stuck his chin to his chest as he tried, in vain, to take in that first shuddering breath; it had him gasping like a fish out of water.
That relief finally came.
With a violent choke, Minato spat out a glob of blood and hastily wiped it away with the back of his hand. It was still hard to breathe. Gingerly, he felt for his midsection, underneath the body armour Momo had thankfully supplied, and winced as he felt a displaced bone.
The explosion had thankfully cleared away the fog in his immediate vicinity. However, in the midst of that chaos, before his very eyes, stood a child.
She was wearing an All Might hoodie of all things, the one with the adorable bunny ears. The outfit wasn't as cute when it was caked in grime and dried blood. She was staggering on her feet, dazed and shouting for someone; it was hard to hear above the high-pitched whine still ringing in his ears.
The girl finally collapsed and cried to the heavens.
"M-Mama!"
Another battle nearby had gotten out of hand. In the corner of his eyes, something―a food stall or what remained of it―came hurtling her way. For a split-second, a misstep actually had him reach for something that wasn't there; the evoker that he normally had holstered at his side. Unbidden by the consequences, something guided him forward.
Before he realised it, Minato was running full tilt, teeth gnashed together to push past his injuries. There was no time to curse his inadequacies. On unbalanced feet, he dove at the girl, cradling her in his arms tightly.
He would have been too late had someone else not intervened.
Something shot up from beneath the ground, smashing the debris into pieces. A teenage boy, roughly his age, landed with all the grace of a seasoned gymnast. It was telling because he had the physique to go along with it.
Although, it didn't explain why he was naked…
His blond-haired saviour flashed him a wide smile and a thumbs up. "Nice save there, bud. Back up a bit and keep her safe, would ya? This guy's kinda troublesome."
Without any further prompts, he melded back into the earth.
Hissing, Minato sat up slowly to check on his ward. The girl, who couldn't have been more than five years old, was crying into his vest, refusing to pull away. She was hurt, it was plain to see, but she was alive and responsive.
He counted his blessings.
"I can't find my m-mama."
Minato brushed the back of her head, shushing her. "I promise we'll find her," he said gently, rising to his feet. "What's your name?"
"A-Ami…" She huddled closer, trembling in his arms. "I'm scared, mister."
"Me too."
He meant it.
The alienness of being helpless had been lost on him ever since his first incursion into Tartarus―the maddening, winding construct of the Dark Hour. Back then, every floor he had climbed, each new persona that had presented itself before him, all the shadows that he had brought to heel, had engendered this feeling of invulnerability. Here, as limited as he was, Minato had truly learned his place in the natural order. He thought that he had made peace with the knowledge that his strength was no longer needed. Unfortunately, that wasn't true.
After all, what could a wooden sword do against the likes of these monsters?
Minato looked around.
Scratch that… He couldn't find his bokken anywhere.
In his arms, long, ragged sobs wracked Ami's frail body. So Minato did the only thing he could think of. He held out his hand to her.
"Texas…"
In that brief moment, her anxiety melted away as she beat her tiny fist into his palm.
"S-Smash!"
There was the briefest hint of a smile, watery yet satisfied, but it was a first.
There was still hope.
0.0
Takeyama Yu wasn't a Pro Hero with the biggest repertoire of tricks.
In most situations, there wasn't a need for a twenty-metre tall woman with enough power to level a good portion of the city. That was why her costumed alter-ego was rarely considered for missions of a more subtle variety. Mount Lady fit a niche. She was the nuclear option. That was not to say she was reckless. Yu was well-aware of the stereotype the media and the general public had about her. However, incidental damage was still just that― incidental.
It wasn't entirely her fault. She was a victim of circumstance.
Whenever she was in her gigantified state, it was hard to reconcile the disparity in strength because to her, there wasn't much of a disconnect, both mentally and physically, between her two forms. It had something to do with… to do with…
Science?
To be fair, she was always better at the arts than science.
TL;DR. Smart people on the internet said that her strength underwent a proportional increase relative to her newfound size. Although, because the scales evened out in the end, that meant that her muscle memory didn't have to compensate for anything. As a puny human, a punch could bruise. As a giant, a punch could theoretically cause some extensive remodelling work because the roof had somehow collapsed unto itself.
Theoretically, of course. That case was still under litigation.
Then, that online thread just derailed into another circle-jerk about how perky her breasts were. The fact of the matter was that she was unfairly represented in the media as a negligent miscreant and a total hussy―which she wasn't!
Small mercies for 24-hour news cycles.
Far below her, the other Pro Heroes had begun herding the evacuees away as best as they could. Squinting, she could make out Death Arms signalling to an area that ate into the forested section of the campus.
Perfect…
She could actually let loose in there.
Bogi was still unresponsive as she closed in, but caution prevailed when she noticed that the cement truck was now firmly lodged in its hand, positioned like a bastardised hammer with the two ends of the vehicle poking out.
"I don't suppose you'd just surrender quietly?"
Moving at a speed that belied its unnatural body, Bogi whipped his hammer-arm, the appendage snapping and elongating like rubber. He aimed a towering blow on the ground, where there were still civilians trying to flee the area. Yu moved before he could. Cocking her arm back, she delivered a rousing haymaker that should have knocked its head clean off.
It didn't.
Instead, her attack punched through the elastic surface like she was striking a body of water. It offered minor resistance and her arm sunk through until it reached her elbow. Unconsciously, her other hand snatched at Bogi's hammer arm. It had been dangerously close to hitting its mark, but Yu's timely intervention had its appendage bouncing like a yo-yo.
Its pliable body had a very clear weakness. It had no strength of its own; Bogi generated its energy from momentum. She, on the other hand, had muscles―taut, fit muscles. That and sheer force of will.
Heh, science…
"Move!"
With an almighty cry, she used her trapped arm as a leverage, spinning Bogi around to gain momentum. She did her best impression of an athlete at a discus throw event, tossing the villain well across the festival grounds and into the forested area of the campus. At the height of her throw, Yu deactivated her Quirk, shrinking down fast enough to dislodge her arm from its head, and thankfully, not being carried along with it.
Unfortunately, that meant that she was now free-falling from almost ten metres in the air.
"Fu―!"
See, there was a well-documented phenomenon called the Quirk Factor.
This came in two parts.
First was the Quirk itself. Second was all the biological doohickey that allowed the body to function normally―that was why you don't see someone like Endeavor being burned alive from the flames he manifested from his body.
Second was either a glaring weakness or a peculiar aspect to one's Quirk.
Regrettably, Yu's weakness was that her transformation was based on a directional basis, depending on where both of her feet were placed. If she activated her Quirk with both her feet on the solid footing, she'd grow 'up'; same for when she deactivated her Quirk, and she'd shrink 'down'. If she was ever transformed in mid-air or off balance, she would reshape from the 'middle'.
Quirks were funny like that.
"―uuuck!"
That got her stuck in her current predicament. If she transformed back where she was now, Yu would probably end up crushing all the little ant-people below her. Thankfully, an escape route was made for her. A spindly tree root grew up from the ground before her, almost like a magical beanstalk. Yu hastily took hold of it, sliding down and controlling the speed of her descent. She landed in a spectacular crouch, right in front of her fellow rookie, Nishiya Shinji.
The Pro Hero, known as Kamui Woods, allowed the wooden tendrils to retract back into his arm with a hardy 'snap'.
Yu nonchalantly dusted off the grime from her gloves. It did little to hide the fact that her skin had been burnt raw despite her gloves providing some protection.
She thought she hid the pain well.
"Meathead should have just stayed in Kyoto," she said, smirking. "City ain't big enough for the both of us, amirite?"
"Enough," Nishiya chided. He then gestured to the group of evacuees who were huddled together in an enormous makeshift wicker basket; the handle was thick enough that she'd be able to carry the basket in her enlarged form.
"We've managed to set up a safe zone just outside the campus," Nishiya told her. "Help me transport these civilians there. They're our first priority."
"I'm not done with―"
Nishiya pointed at an airborne figure of Endeavor, who was rocketing towards Bogi's position. Even from afar, she could sense the scowl on Endeavor's face. "You'll only get in his way as you are. I won't be surprised if he burns down the whole forest with you in it if you decide to interfere."
Yu bit the inside of her cheek. Maybe a Disaster Level: RED wasn't the best time to think about keeping score―with Endeavor, of all people. "When you're right, you're right, Woodsy," she said, sighing. "I'll double back once I get this done. Oh, and do me a favour? Over there… You see that really wide open ledge on the fourth floor of the stadium? There are some people hiding out there. I promised I'd look out for them. Could you go and check on them for me?"
"It will be done."
Nishiya offered Yu a solitary nod before swinging off.
Save for small pockets of skirmishes, in which she recognised a few familiar faces―none of which were Minato―the battle was slowly winding down. The majority of the Pro Heroes and even students of UA were now attending to the casualties.
It had barely lasted twenty minutes…
In that painfully short time, the loss of life would be crippling. Yu could scarcely imagine the blow back this incident would have on their credibility as Pro Heroes. The shame of her actions, and especially inactions, burned her heart. She had barely acted during the disaster. Delayed ―because she chose to skive off her patrol on a childish whim. Brash―because she was riding a high after landing a hit on a well-established villain.
The 'what-ifs' plagued her mind.
She was barely heroic. She was just a girl play acting as one.
"Mount Lady?"
Still lost in a daze, Yu turned to regard the speaker.
It was an elderly woman who was supporting an injured man by the shoulders―her husband, she assumed. Without a second thought, she took hold of his other side, lessening the strain the woman was undoubtedly facing. She directed them to the transport-basket Nishiya had made, where there were still people climbing aboard.
"Thank you," the woman said softly. "Yet again, you've come to our aid."
"Sorry?"
"You saved us. We were directly underneath that villain's attack. Had it not been for you, we… we would have surely―"
Her husband cleared his throat. "I believe what my wife is trying to say is that Tokyo sure has some fine Pro Heroes," he continued for her. "All these heroes sprouting up in this city… Must be something in the tap water here in Tokyo, eh dear?"
"I, uh, I'm from Hokkaido, actually."
"You don't say?" The man looked surprised, saying, "We're from Okinawa ourselves. From one islander to another, can't thank you enough, 'Mountain Lady'. We came down here to pay our boy a visit. He teaches here, you know. Damn proud of him. Made use of what…"
Yu was only half-listening at that point.
No matter how much her conscience begged her to believe that some good had come out of her actions, that uncomfortable lump in her throat… Yu found it hard to swallow. The time for excuses was long past. She was a Pro Hero; paragon of justice and righteousness. She was held to a different standard once she took on the mantle.
One right didn't absolve her of her wrongs.
0.0
"Aainnng! Watch out!"
He did, which was why Arisato Minato ran sideways for cover. Ami screamed into his vest, and he was reminded that running with a five-year old in his arms wasn't how one avoided exacerbating an injury.
A bowling-ball shaped figure came barrelling past them, aimlessly knocking into whatever stood in its path of destruction. Each time the ball came into contact with something, it would ricochet, speeding up just a fraction more in a new direction and repeating the process.
An airborne girl, a UA student no less going by her uniform, was engaging the runaway human boulder. Whenever it came close to hitting someone, she'd rain down a spiralling beam of energy that would disrupt the 'triggered' civilian, sending him out of harm's way.
The girl was visibly strained. Her big blue doe eyes were scrunched almost into slits. While she was not outright gasping, it was her long, lustrous hair that gave away just how exhausted she was. It seemed to have a mind of its own. The longer she used her Quirk, the tighter the twin-tailed ends would coil and uncoil into spirals.
"T-Togata! I'm losing steam!"
To the untrained eye, her attacks seemed almost reactive, but she was actually corralling him into a certain area. It was only when Minato looked further ahead that he understood why.
A pitfall trap.
Diving in, the girl fired another flurry; it lacked speed but her aim was dead to rights. She pinged the man in a one-two-three salvo, bouncing off one attack after the other and diverting him straight into the path of their trap. Almost like a tense pachinko round, the man swirled around the opening of the pitfall trap before eventually slotting in―almost like a lego piece.
With her work done, the girl visibly wilted and started drooping to the ground. It wasn't quite free-falling, but considering her half-comatose state, it would be a rough landing.
Minato was prepared. Jogging lightly, he shifted Ami to one side and tried his best to cushion the girl's landing with his free arm.
This time, he was beaten to the punch.
The very same blond boy who had saved them earlier cannoned himself out of the ground, materialising in a flash of yellow. He caught the girl in mid-air, swooping her in his arms, and landed dramatically on one knee.
Minato had his first real look at his saviour.
"Hey, it's you again," the teen said, smiling.
Tall and muscular, he had very gentle features that belied how visibly scarred his body was. This was apparent, given how he remained naked. Minato was polite enough to point that out, as he covered Ami's eyes, and allowed the boy to hastily fix his state of undress.
It wasn't the greatest second impression.
"We seem to have a knack of showing up at the right place at the right time, huh? Introductions are a bit late, but the name's Togata Mirio." He pulled the dazed girl up onto his back and shifted her gently so that her head rested on his shoulders. "This is―"
"I'm tired." His passenger punctuated her statement with an audible yawn. "Night, night…"
She promptly conked out.
Mirio laughed lightly. "This is Hado Nejire," he said. "You two good?" Concerned, he did a double-take as he leaned in to examine Ami. "She's not too hurt, is she?"
Minato shook his head. The young girl in his arms scooched closer, burrowing her face in his chest. "Ami," he said simply. "We're looking for her mother."
"Ami, huh?"
Peeking at Mirio from the corner of her eyes, Ami nodded bashfully.
Mirio gave her a brilliant smile. "Well, little Ami! The three of us are heroes of UA. We won't stop at nothing until we find your mom! So don't you worry that little cute head of yours!" He turned to Minato, explaining, "Our best bet is to go to the safe zone just outside the campus. Most of the Pro Heroes have moved on to S&R, so it's a safe bet that we'll eventually find her mom there. What do you think?"
There was nothing he could do but silently agree. Although, his eyes lingered on Nejire.
"Is she alright?" Minato asked.
"Nah, she's fine. Hado's a trooper. She accidentally inhaled some kind of exhaustion vapour earlier in one of our fights. I'm surprised she lasted this long since some of the others were knocked out cold the moment they inhaled it." Mirio clucked his tongue. "Shame. I wish the two of you could have met under better circumstances." He gave Minato an odd look. "Didn't get your name by the way."
"Arisato Minato." Minato bowed slightly by way of an introduction, which was a stupid thing to do in hindsight as his injury flared up; he tried to keep it from showing.
There was an earnest look in Mirio's eyes as his new-found acquaintance regarded him. "Oh, cool. The rumours were true then. We do have someone new joining our class. Well, the way I see it, someone who throws himself head-first into danger to save people is a-okay in my books. You'll fit right in with the rest of us." Mirio barked out a laugh, motioning with his head. "Come on, let's make our way to the safe zone. I need to make sure Hado-san gets tucked in before I go back out there. Tamaki will have my hide if I don't."
"Shit…"
Tamaki.
His Tamaki.
In the heat of the moment, he had not given much thought to the well-being of his class representative. He looked back at the ruins of the festival grounds situated far off to his right; there wasn't much left except for debris and the dying embers of a forgotten battlefield.
He hoped she was safe.
"Mister, you said a swear!"
"Is something wrong, Minato-san?"
"I haven't found my friend," Minato said. "Black hair. Fair. Wearing a flowery yukata. When I left, she was manning our takoyaki stall at the festival grounds."
Sadly, Mirio shook his head. "I was there, in the thick of things. I'm not sure if this is a good sign, but I didn't notice anyone like that. I hope she got away safely. Do you want to look for her? I could take Ami and―"
The young girl tightened her grip on his arm, looking up at him with fearful eyes. He smiled thinly and patted her head to reassure her. "No, I made a promise," he said. "Let's go find her mother first."
0.0
In the centre of the makeshift triage centre, Takeyama Yu had never felt so lost.
And she had only been here for all of two minutes.
It was disorderly, but organised at the same time―if that even made sense. Medical personnel were bustling around the area, weaving in between patients and systematically categorising the level of attention needed. There were far too many civilians milling around. Cries of desperation and anguish seemed to blend together as they trawled the rows upon rows of bodies in the hopes of finding their loved ones. Most couldn't be separated from the area.
This wasn't her first brush with death, but in the face of overwhelming anguish, Yu couldn't help but look away. It was such a raw emotion. It felt like she was intruding with merely her gaze.
As it was, someone bumped into her.
It was a woman; a first responder by the cut of her uniform. She looked harried, trembling hands loosely holding onto a marker as she wiped away a thin sheen of sweat that marred her forehead. "Please… You're in the way," she said offhandedly, not even sparing Yu another glance. Her voice sounded hollow. "If you need something to do, help with S&R. You're impeding our work."
Yu mustered a nod, saying quietly to the woman's back, "You got it."
It was selfish of her, she knew…
She knew, but she couldn't let go of the hope that she would find Minato here. It pained her that the last thing she remembered of him was his look of utter grief when she pushed him away. Maybe it was better that he wasn't here. It'd mean that he'd be safe, right?
Her question went unanswered in her mind.
"Where are you?"
Duty first, Yu…
With a heavy heart and another longing glimpse back, she headed for the exit, only to be impeded by a man, who called her over.
"Mount Lady," he said, his voice soft yet firm.
The man was middle-aged, older even, going by the faint dusting of grey that lined his temples. He had bloodshot and swollen eyes. It made him appear haggard, like he hadn't slept in ages. He was cradling the hand of an unconscious woman, circling the ring on her finger.
The woman's face was bloodied, the visible parts of her body bruised with ugly purple welts. There was a 'P-2' hastily scribbled in red marker ink on the ground next to her head. Yu didn't know what it meant, but from what little she could glean, her breathing seemed normal despite how severe her injuries appeared to be.
Yu knelt down.
She hated this…
"Sir, how can I help?"
She hated dealing with family members in the aftermath.
His eyes were unfocused, mumbling, "I-I… lost track of my wife and daughter when we exited the stadium. We got separated, and I was herded here by another Pro Hero." He buried his face in his hands. "My wife was brought here after… like this… but I can't find my daughter anywhere. I tried to go back, but they barred the entrance." He took hold of her wrist, squeezing it as if it was a lifeline. "Please! She's only five years old! Please, you have to help me find her!"
Yu tried to brush him off gently. "Sir… Sir, I will, but I need you to calm down. I'll be part of the 'Search & Rescue' efforts. I'll make it my priority to find her. Do you, maybe, have a photo I could use?"
The man shook his head. "It's on my phone. I gave it to a personnel manning the entrance. He said he'd pass it to one of the Pro Heroes inside." He fumbled for the inside of his coat, pulling out a well-worn photo. It was small―small enough to fit inside a wallet. "This is the only photo I have left of her."
It was an old photo; the girl was still a baby, barely a few months old―gummy smile and all.
Yu hid a sigh. "This won't help, sir. What's her name? Maybe you could tell me what she looks like?"
"Ami. Her name's Akamine Ami. She has brown hair and eyes, just… just like my wife." The man stole a sideways glance, adding, "She was wearing her favourite All Might hoodie. The one with―"
Out of the corner of her eyes, a very familiar shade of blue drew her attention to the entrance. She almost smiled.
What were the odds?
"―bunny ears?" Yu finished for him. "Is that Ami, sir?"
The man followed her gaze and his eyes widened. He barely spared Yu a reply before he leapt to a running start, straight for the entrance. Yu followed him sedately, mindful of those still grieving around her.
"Ami!"
"Papa!"
There was a wave of emotions that flitted between father and daughter as Ami collapsed into her father's arms, bawling her little heart out. The man was no less composed, hugging her daughter tight in the crook of his neck as he whispered lowly into his daughter's ears.
Minato stood nearby, not wanting to intrude. She did the same. Their eyes met briefly, and Minato gave her the slightest nod of acknowledgement before being pulled into a conversation with Ami's father.
She caught the gist of it.
Minato downplayed his involvement, instead recounting the story of Ami's bravery. That was so like him. Despite being so reticent, Minato was surprisingly adept at handling such a sensitive situation. He had this unnatural ability to empathise, and when he talked, people just gravitated to him and listened. He even had this bland-looking kid nodding to his words. Whenever he bobbed his head, his whole body would move along with it; Yu was surprised the girl resting on his back didn't jolt awake.
"No words can express how grateful I am to you, Arisato-san, and to you as well, Togata-san." The man was ever effusive in his praise, adding, "If there's ever anything I can do for the both of you, please just ask."
Yu caught how Minato's eyes drifted towards the rows upon rows of those grievously injured. It looked like he had wanted to say something then, but then decided otherwise. His reply was quiet, but no less meaningful:
"We couldn't impose," he said, bowing. "Please take care of your family, sir. That is all we could ask for."
The unflinching display of humility was not lost on the man. Steeling his features, Ami's father bowed low and deep.
"Thank you," was all he could say.
The medical personnel had swooped in by now, dithering over Ami and the unconscious girl that Lemillion was carrying. The blond boy gave his well-wishes before jetting off with the staff. Before Ami could be carried away, she pulled back, holding her fist out to Minato.
"Mister!"
Minato smiled lightly, walking over with his palm facing out. "Texas…"
"Smash!"
He closed his hand over her fist. "Be strong, Ami."
Ami gave the cutest little 'Hm!', her eyes moist but earnest, before they took her away to be examined. They were still within earshot when they heard Ami ask her father:
"Papa, where's mama?"
Minato's lips thinned into a line. He looked at her and understood well enough when she shook her head. Her intern closed his eyes and let out a tired breath. She took him in fully. His clothes were tattered. His face―smeared in grime and dried blood. There was a wet blotch that covered his side, the red stain indistinguishable from his navy happi coat.
He was hurt, but chose to not let it show.
"Go get yourself checked out," Yu told him. "That thing looks bad. I don't want it to get worse because you're stubborn."
"I'm fine." Minato spared her a glance. "You?"
"Don't be difficult and change the subject. Go."
"Maybe later," he said dismissively. "I still need to talk to you―it's important. The first years found out something about the attack. It's―"
"The bees? Trigger victims having black tongues?" Yu pushed him by his shoulders, nudging him away from the entrance and towards the non-emergency station at the other end of the triage centre. "Yeah, I heard about it over the comms. UA's gonna turn on a massive bug zapper or something. Stop worrying so much. It's not your problem anymore."
Minato tried to double back. "Are you going back out? I'll come with. I need to find Tamaki. She might still be―"
"Minato," Yu said gently. "You need to stop." She took his hand. "Listen, we just started working together. There are times when I need you to listen to me―to trust me. Please."
He stared at her, his features unreadable. A slow, mute nod followed.
"Thank you," she breathed.
And she meant it.
Yu reached out and patted his cheek. "You've done all you can today. I know you're worried about your friends, but you gotta leave that stuff to the pros. I'll go look for Tamaki. You sit tight and let these nice people fuss over you," she said, almost teasingly. "I'm not kidding, Minato. You really need to rest. Don't sneak out the moment I leave."
"I won't," he punctuated his promise with a yawn.
For a brief moment, before he could cover his mouth, she thought she saw a blackened tongue, like someone had smeared paint over it. Her eyes narrowed.
"Stick your tongue out, Minato."
Suddenly alert, he clamped his lips shut and mumbled, "Why?"
Minato tried to pull away when she got in close, but her grip remained firm. "Holy hell," she cursed lowly. "Were you stung? Did you 'Trigger'?"
"It's nothing serious."
She glared at him, saying, "Stop deflecting. Show me where you were stung. When did it happen?"
"I'm fine," he reiterated, too much like a broken record. When she didn't let go of his wrists, he said, "Just gave me a migraine."
It was such a bold-faced lie and he made it look so effortless.
Yu felt aggrieved.
She knew Minato had secrets. He was the type that played things close to the chest. Still, a small part of her thought that she had gotten through to him―even just a bit. With a little bit more force than necessary, she dragged him along the remaining distance to the non-emergency station. Surprisingly, he didn't put up much of a resistance.
Yu called for one of the medical personnel. "Hey, we have a Trigger case here. Could you give him a once-over real quick?"
The staff, a woman with red short-cropped hair, eyed Minato for all but a second before returning to her work, sorting through a pile of medical supplies. "You're standing. That's a good sign. Hurt anywhere else?"
"Broke a rib," Minato mumbled, shrugging. "Migraine too."
"Feeling light-headed? Shortness of breath? Does it hurt to breathe?" The woman walked over, pressing a hand lightly over his abdomen until she circled the spot where Minato kept wincing. "Your vest might have taken most of the impact. That's good―smart of you. Probably didn't hit anything major."
She motioned to a corner of the station, where there were more patients waiting. "Grab some water and take a seat. We'll get Recovery Girl to see to you shortly. That headache of yours will pass. Happens to some people after an adrenaline rush."
"What about him being 'Triggered'?" Yu asked.
The woman sighed, saying, "Sorry, no experience dealing with that. He says he's fine and he looks fine. I'll ask one of my colleagues and see what he thinks. That's honestly the best that I can do for a non-emergency case right now."
"Oh… Alright, I guess. Thanks," Yu said. She turned to Minato, who looked like he wished to be anywhere else but here. "Listen, I gotta go back out there and help. It's gonna be a long day, but I still want to talk to you after. You have your phone with you?"
He nodded.
"Good… I'll update you when I find anything. I'll see you later."
For the second time today, Yu left her intern behind, though this time, she did get a small wave goodbye.
It was awkward. She hated awkward.
She intended to fix it.
0.0
It was in the wee hours of the morning.
The sounds of the shower―the steady trickle of water hitting the tiles of his bathroom floor―cut through the silence of his tiny apartment. Yet, Arisato Minato was seated on his refurbished two-seater couch in his bedroom cum living space.
He wasn't quite sure how it ended up like this.
He fiddled with his phone, scrolling through his conversation with Tamaki. Thankfully, his class representative had avoided the worst of it. Although, it would have eased his worries sooner had they just exchanged numbers in the morning. It was a mistake he corrected then and there.
Inevitably, he doubled back to his chat history with Yu. He didn't have a lot of contacts―only two. There had been a lot of messages from Yu yesterday in one very brief window. It was a stretch of deleted entries, her asking him his whereabouts and a few choice words in between. In his defence, checking his phone was the last thing on his mind.
Their last exchange was barely twenty minutes ago. It read:
My Hot Boss: Hey, you up?
You: Yes
My Hot Boss: Good… That's me knocking on your door. Open up
You: …
My Hot Boss: C'mon. You don't want me standing outside your door all night, do you?
My Hot Boss: Minato… (sad face)
My Hot Boss: Minato!
Minato relented eventually. Yu had arrived at his doorstep dressed in a simple dress shirt and cuffed jeans. With her, she carried a small overnight bag and a tall can of beer; the bag was a very telling indicator that she planned to crash here tonight.
He tried to close the door in her face.
Obviously, he failed.
She then commandeered his bathroom, citing that she was going to use his shower because she loathed having to go to a public bathhouse at this time of night. Apparently, her place didn't have a built-in shower.
With nothing else to do but wait, he switched on his antique CRT television. It had been a good deal despite being a near obsolete hunk of junk. He found it trawling in a second-hand goods store, like most of the furniture in his apartment.
There wasn't much on at three in the morning.
The various 24-hour news stations were still reporting on what was now sensationalised as 'UA's Massive Failure'. In such a short amount of time, the media had tore into the story with all the finesse of a sledgehammer. No one was spared; the school administrators, Pro Heroes, his fellow schoolmates and even the Trigger victims. Spliced with on-looker footage of the disaster, they had built upon that narrative purely on anecdotal evidence.
At the end of the day, more than a dozen people had died in the senseless tragedy, with hundreds more injured. The death toll was expected to rise over the next few days.
A body made its way to the empty seat next to him.
Yu had a towel draped over her head, methodically patting down her hair. The oversized t-shirt she wore had damp splotches that clung invitingly on her skin. He saw a hint of black shorts peeking out from beneath the hem of her t-shirt.
"See something you like?"
There wasn't as much sting as Yu would have normally put into her words. She must have been exhausted.
Minato didn't bother with a reply.
Yu popped open her drink and took a long sip. Her large violet eyes peered up at him from beneath the towel, asking, "You really wanna watch these idiots spewing shit they don't have a clue about? After the day we just had?"
He acquiesced, flipping through the channels. It was hard given how yesterday's disaster dominated the airwaves, but he eventually settled on one―an animal documentary.
Yu snorted into her drink. "Polar bears?" She stalled an impending argument, adding, "Relax… I never said I didn't like it. I like polars bears. Everyone likes polar bears."
The silence after lingered.
It made him restless. He was watching the show, yet couldn't keep track of what the narrator was saying. He must have been fidgeting in his seat, because Yu suddenly poked his leg with her feet.
"So uhm… Are you mad at me or something?"
Minato blinked. "Not at all."
Yu fiddled with the tab on her can. "That so? Must have been just me then. It's a bit hard to tell with you sometimes. Is… Is there anything on your mind? Anything you want to talk about, especially after what happened yesterday?"
"Not really."
"Ehhh, am I bothering you that much by being here? Sorry… Stupid me," Yu said, standing. The sheepish smile on her face looked forced. "I'll pack up my things and go. Should have just waited for tom―"
"I don't mind," he cut in. "You said you wanted to talk?"
She plopped back down on the couch. "Yeah, but you know… Saying I want to have a talk, and then actually having that talk is a pretty big jump for me, Minato. I'm not great at these things. You know that already."
"What about?"
"Us."
"I didn't realise there was a problem."
"There isn't, but I just want to know what you think about us―working together, the dynamics, and all that necessary hang ups." Yu sighed deeply, taking another swig of her drink. "I'm just worried, Minato. I've always worked alone. This is my first time working with someone, much less having to be the lead."
"You're doing fine, Yu."
"You don't need to mollycoddle me. I know there's a few things I have to work on. I didn't go to some fancy school to learn how to be a Pro Hero. When I was your age, I interned at a farm, herding cows. I hated every single second that I was there, except for the cows… They were good cows."
Minato covered a smile at the image. "Seriously?"
Yu attacked him with her legs.
"Don't laugh at me!" she said, huffing. "There weren't a lot of schools in Hokkaido that were willing to take in a student with a gigantification Quirk like mine. What I learned, I learned on my own. Everything I've accomplished, I've accomplished on my own. I thought you were the same," she pressed on quietly. "I thought it'd be easier working with you than some wet behind the ears firstie, or some straight-arrowed senior."
"What made you think that?"
Yu sat up straight and quirked a delicate eyebrow. "Because you were a vigilante? Before I set you straight with my womanly charms?"
"Not a vigilante. Never been one… except for that one time."
"Bullshit!"
"Why would I lie?"
"To save your scrawny little butt maybe," Yu said. "I dunno. I get this feeling that you know more than you let on, like with your Quirk." The look she gave him was coy, silently egging him to speak.
Minato saw two possible avenues.
One: Deny it. Doing this could fracture the trust between him and Yu. After all, the woman had showed up at his doorstep at three in the morning. He'd find it hard to believe that Yu would ever let it go.
Two: Just tell her; enough to placate her, at least.
"I know what it is, but I can't use it fully," Minato said.
"I knew it!" Yu kicked out at the air happily, grinning. "So you do have a Quirk?"
No.
"I have powers, yes."
Yu had inched closer, resting on her knees, towards him. "So, so… what is it? Don't keep me hanging, Minato. I thought you were a precog at first, but guess I was wrong. It's gotta be a combat Quirk. I've seen you fight twice and each time you pulled out something different."
"I'm adaptable."
Yu visibly deflated, staring at him through half-lidded eyes. "You gonna explain what that means?" She aimed a flick at his forehead, brushing his fringe aside. "Or do you get off on being mysterious all the time?"
He swatted at her hand. "It's hard to explain."
"Try me."
He sighed, saying, "I'm able to harness different… manifestations depending on the situation."
"You're some kind of funky mind summoner?"
"It would be easier to show you. But I can't. Not fully. I'm missing something."
"So by that you mean you have like, some kind of mental block that's preventing you from using it fully? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Minato shook his head. "I require a medium. It's hard to describe what it does, but…"
"But what?"
"I have to… accept death."
Yu blinked dumbly. "What the butt, edgelord?"
Subconsciously, he leaned away from her. "You wanted to know."
"Well, sorry. I mean it, honestly… But you came straight out of left field there! I'm not exactly sure what to say. I mean, it's not like I don't believe you, but it just got dark all of a sudden!"
"I'm going to bed," he said.
"No~~ No~~ Minato… Don't be like that, please! I'm grateful that you trust me enough to share that much with me!" Yu whined, tugging him back by his wrist. "This is the first time I ever got you to 'talk' 'talk! I don't think you're lying. It's just a lot for me to process. Is that why you never told anyone about your Quirk?"
"Brings about more questions that I don't feel comfortable answering."
"What are you gonna do?"
"I struggled yesterday. That drug messed with my powers. It made me realise I need to get back where I was. I'll find a way. There has to be."
"Shit, I can't believe that you actually got stung by one of those bees. Still, it's kinda strange that you didn't 'Trigger' like the rest of 'em; maybe it had something to do with your mental block?" Yu told him. "You're okay now?"
"Recovery Girl gave me the all clear. Just need to take it easy for a few days."
"That's good. To tell you the truth, I'm not happy with myself yesterday either. I feel crummy. Didn't give a good account of what a real Pro Hero should act like." She leaned back down, hanging her head over the headrest. Her violet eyes bore into the ceiling, and Minato could see them water just a bit. "I told myself that I'd learn from it. Be better than I was. That sounds a bit messed up, right? Me using a tragedy like this as a life lesson."
"When you fall short, it's natural to regret what you did or didn't do."
"Hindsight, huh?"
"You have a good heart. So be better, Yu. You still have a chance and the choice to act on it."
Yu covered her forehead with her forearm, turning closer to him. She smiled―it was a small but sincere one. "I really lucked out with you, Minato."
Minato gave her a non-committal hum and stood up.
"When a girl confesses her heart to you, you don't just go 'hn' and walk away, dummy. Learn to read the mood."
"I'm tired. You can take the futon. I'll use the couch."
Yu brought her legs up and occupied the space he just vacated. It wasn't a particularly long two-seater, so her feet dangled over the armrest. She stretched and yawned lazily, bringing her hands well above her head. In doing so, he caught a peek of the shorts hidden beneath her t-shirt.
It was anything but accidental.
"I'm crashing here, Minato. I can't take your bed. Besides, I'm used to sleeping on couches, so here's good."
Not seeing the need to argue, he threw her a pillow. A muffled 'thanks' followed, as she buried her face in it.
"Mind switching off the lights?"
Minato was already on it before she prompted him.
"Thanks. Night, night, Minato."
"Goodnight."
"Don't make it weird or anything."
Minato snorted, which elicited a small muted laugh from Yu. Letting his head fall back on his pillow, the only thought running in his mind as he closed his eyes was:
It had been a long, long day.
That night, his sleep was plagued by visions of a white-haired girl with amber eyes.
Minor Arcana: Page of Swords…
Side Note(s): I gave up on finding a beta. Response was poor.