Internships were, so far, progressing. Not necessarily smoothly, but they were progressing. Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo had been interning together under one hero, and that was probably fun. It was interesting to Alarice any way.
Still, as each day of it ticked by, she wondered if she'd be staying for the next semester, or, if she'd be going home as soon as she was done.
There was also her inability to fully relax since Mic had been put into the hospital for being poisoned. She wasn't really proud of that but no one seemed to have questioned it to much. She had enough things to be tense about that this one thing seemed really sink into her skin.
"Hey." Jiro's voice came through, but then she was leaning very close in.
"Hey yourself." Alarice responded, a nervous smile on her face. "What's up, I'm gonna have to head out soon for my internship." She gave a less than convincing shoulder shrug.
"Thought I'd come bother you, since you know, you don't look nervous at all." The other teased, causing Alarice to frown. She fiddled with something Alarice couldn't see behind the couch back. "You could always ask to stay, couldn't you?"
"I did, I messaged Sunshine this morning, and she just said ' I know ', I don't know if that means she's already working on it or what." Alarice gave another shoulder shrug and the faint sounds of Present Mic came out of her earbud in her hand. "I hope I can."
"Same. It'd be a lot harder to have any kind of session over the internet." Jirou commented, giving her own shoulder shrug. "But we could, I mean, if we had to, right?"
Alarice looked at her blankly for a second and red dusted her cheeks for a moment. "Y-yeah I mean, I'd do my best... Can I share something with you?" Alarice said, finally getting up from the couch. "I mean, if you don't mind."
"I don't. What is it?"
"Its uh, it's up in my room. I have it on my computer.. It's a Mix I made." Alarice couldn't keep the nervous ticks out of her voice. "Just, don't judge me for my room okay?"
That got a look from her friend, but the two punk-esque girls headed up to Alarice's room. Jirou, being graced with the gift of being the only one of her classmates specifically, to see her room. A step or two below Midoriya's in fandom heavy decoration, and of course, for a different hero. She took a few seconds after quickly shutting the door, to pull up a file on her computer, plugging in a headphone splitter, and then two sets of headphones. Her good over-ear ones, and the pair of earbuds. She gave the headphones over to Jirou, and used the earbuds for herself.
"I made it.. It's a remix I've had for awhile, but I ended up using one of our songs as a base, and some of Hiz—Mic's sound bites in it... and some other stuff." Alarice couldn't help but hope her friend liked it. It was finally at a state she was happy with. Finally, she also wasn't thinking purely about loosing something. Or Someone.
000
Alarice still found it difficult to keep the thoughts of her teacher's health out of her head. Even though she was sure he was probably going to be released soon. She let out a huff of air and put herself into her work and started people watching.
"Are ya still worried about yer teacher?" Fatgum asked casually having apparently heard and noted the huff.
"... Maybe." Alarice defensively tried not to admit to much. She was at this point a little ashamed of how worried she was. This wasn't a normal amount of worry was it? "Is that bad?"
"No. Not really." He gave a big shoulder shrug. "Just seems like ya have too much worry, are ya that fond of him or somethin?"
"Don't be weird." Suneater hissed at Fatgum.
Alarice's cheeks immediately flushed with embarrassment. "Not like that!." She put her braid in front of her and fought down the urge to fiddle. "It's not that kind of... He just means a lot to me, I didn't realize how much till recently, I guess. It's kind of embarrassing to talk about actually."
He nodded his head and patted hers, startling her a little bit but she didn't resist. Suneater looking desperately uncomfortable watching this go down."So a childhood hero then."
"Yeah. I think he'd be really surprised about the old stuff I have."
"Ya got some hero debut materials huh?" Fatgum teased, "Those are rare."
"Nothing that old! But I have a really old poster my dad got for me on ebay. It's him. Like a couple costume iterations ago." Alarice laughed a little. "He has a different hairstyle, and there's like a million more studs."
Fatgum had a little laugh at that, Alarice was smiling along side, And Suneater back to silently observing others. Their walk pausing as a person on the street stopped them to ask for some help finding a store. A small, tiny thing, but Fatgum knew where every place you could get a good meal was, and coincidentally, their adjoining stores.
Much like when she had been stabbed, it happened very quickly, but unlike that, she was allowed to react appropriately.
To her surprise it was another Hell-hound, whose fangs had been going for her neck. Her quick transition and throwing up her arm to guard her throat spared it. Suneater's octopus tentacles launching out to wrap around the front leg of the monsterously large hell-hound helped slow it.
"Everyone! GET BACK!" Suneater hollered out with that hidden ferocity of his. People shocked by the sudden attack backed up, while the hound snarled, ripping into Alarice's arm, blood dripping down her arm and along the hound's jaw line. Her tail hand came about, gripping at the top jaw, while her free hands went for the bottom, forcing the hound's jaw open.
Just in time for for Fatgum to throw a hard punch into its gut, Suneater to jerking it back. The hell-hound being forced away. Bouncing on the concrete and recovering quickly before it hit a stopped car. Where it put its head down, and the spines on its back were revealed to be glowing white hot. Before launching off in all directions at the three Heros.
Alarice went full giant, using her Adaption enhanced hide, to protect herself and a few onlookers in the way of the launched spines. They bounced off harmlessly though a few became stuck, before falling off as she moved. Suneater had dodged mostly out of the way, shifting part of his entire arm into a gigantic clam shell to use as a shield. Fatgum just had to dodge and take a few. He hissed in pain but his fat absorption largely protected him from any real damage.
Stray spines landed scattered, igniting anything flammable they came in contact with. The Fire-spined hell-hound's body turned red, and a growl truly worthy of hell came out of it. The spines left became erect and ready for another launch. He charged at the same time Fatgum went for a offensive attack.
Instead of going after Alarice he went after Suneater. Who leapt to the side, dodging a clawed swipe, and going for a grab on the hellhound, his tentacles only two large, thick tendrils, protected in hard shell, and strong looking scales. "Chimera Grab." Wrapping around the Hound's middle, though Suneater hissed in discomfort.
There was a definitely smell of something burning as he tossed the hell hound away from them. The Hell-hound recovering not unlike a large cat, before snapping and running from a few swings from Fatgum. The few taken burning his gloves, his hoodie actually had quite a few little burns here and there on it. Alarice serving to keep the Hell-hound blocked in, as he snapped at her and she with her larger and more imposing jaws snapped back.
He launched another quill attack, before attempting another attack on Alarice specifically. Going for her already bleeding leg, which despite her large size, she was able to move away from in time. Suneater taking the opportunity, to slam a clam fist into the lower jaw. Knocking the Hell-hound hard into the air and back. Before Alarice slammed him back down with her own large paws.
Knocking the wind out of the hell-hound who struggled for a second clawing at her. Only tearing at her flesh where it had already been opened up by his previous attack. Before his form gave up and the Hell-hound was naked red-haired, red eye'd man.
"Got him, Arariel?" Fatgum asked, beginning the process of calling it in, while bystanders watched. She nodded her big head, but kept her focus on the attacker. Suneater nodded as well, making a face about the man's nudity. Grabbing a dropped jacket and throwing it over the man's legs. Alarice was keeping him pretty well-pinned down. He ceased struggling, still growling as a man somehow. Grabbing at her furr or claws as he glared back up at her.
"You're a betrayer! Turning your back on your real family!" The hell-hound quirk user beneath her foot barked up at her. Her twitching ears the only indication she was even acknowledging him. The Police showing up to take him into custody.
"If you don't join with Manticore then you're better off dead!" he continued to spit at her, "You giants are supposed to protect us! Not them!" She only lifted her foot when he was dragged out from under it, by Fatgum and Suneater. He was wrapped in the octopus tentacles as well as Fatgum's strong hands, while he was fitted in proper restraints. He was still hurling insults, throwing a fit, trying to get free despite his situation.
Eventually though, he was gone, packed away in the vehicle, and the nearby folks being treated for the wounds. Thought thankfully there was few, and those were exceptionally minor. Highly destructive though he was, his main targets had been the Heros. A medic took to treating Suneater's burned hand, and Fatgum's burns as well. Another was treating Alarice's bite, though she didn't seem remotely bothered. Sitting there while they applied stitches after flushing and cleaning the torn flesh and bloody pits left by long fangs.
"There you go, all stitched up, just hold still a little bit while I wrap it!" The chipper male paramedic stated, while they got out the gauze wrap. Seemingly ignorant to the blank look on his patient.
"Ya did good not reacting to what that guy was sayin'." Fatgum started, looking at her with a definite bit of concern. "an that reaction time from both of you! Whew, lightening fast and cool as cucumbers!."
"please stop." Suneater responded, looking at the soft gauze bandaging on his hand. The burns hadn't massively severe, but he would need to recover.
"All I did I was put my foot on him." She responded, a little dull in tone. Suneater despite his silence looked at her a little concerned.
"That's not all you did! You kept him blocked in so we could keep him on his toes! Led to him getting desperate and messing up, leaving himself open for Suneater's attack! Excellent team work from both of ya!' ." Fatgum despite his own burns was very animated in going over what his two interns had just done. Suneater was busy observing Alarice's lack of response to even that. "And you protected others! You did really well."
Alarice just sort of looked at him, at the ground and then thanked the medic as he finished up wrapping her arm. "I'm just.. bothered."
"By what he was sayin'?" He asked her, as she pulled her sleeve down. She nodded not really looking back up when she explained more.
"Are you okay, Arariel?" Suneater asked quietly.
"I think I do know who Manticore is." She stood up from her spot and just kinda stood there. The sinking feeling from the start of the verbal berating she'd taken was bothering her.
"Well... Good thing, apparently a detective wants to talk to you about what he was sayin' " Fatgum's voice was booming despite being quieter than normal. Alarice could kinda tell he was a little bit concerned for her. She wanted to be comforted but instead she just felt guilty. She looked over to the soft pat on her shoulder, as quickly gone as it had come, from, Suneater. "it...it'll be okay." He said.
They were moved from the incident site, most people involved were gone or had already given statements. For the most part people had returned to their lives' responsibilities, now that the villain and hero fighting was done and it was all boring again.
Arriving at the police building, and walking in, a rather kind faced Detective greeted them. Soon she was in a room quietly with them explaining that she was pretty sure, Manticore, was her sister. Following up that, she was unaware of anything else, learning afterwards, that she had to wait there for her escort.
Her internship she found, was now over, something Fatgum wasn't any happier about than she was. Though he did at least state that he'd take her back on when the opportunity presented itself if she still wanted to learn from him. Something she gratefully accepted.
000
Once Alarice was back in the dorms, everything had calmed down. The sound of heels on the tiled floors dominated the hallway. Aizawa's steps were dead silent as he came up behind the golden woman.
Quick as could be, the gray cloth of his capture weapon had her bound tightly, and jerked violently backwards towards the wall. She let out a grunt and then an annoyed sigh as her instinct to defend herself with her quirk failed to respond.
"Aizawa, really?" Sunshine asked, a fairly irritated look on her face. Aizawa was a picture of exhausted fury. Despite the fact he closed his eyes, releasing his erasure, hair flopping back down around his head, his fist was still tight around his gray capture weapon. Rather it tightened, just a little bit on the opposite hero. "Isn't this a bit forward, even for you?"
"There are no cameras in this section." Aizawa growled out. His dark eyes were penetrating. "I want to know the real reasons, right now, for bringing Stone here. I'm done being a pawn for whatever game you're playing."
"Is this about that Hell-hound attacking her?" Sunshine raised only an eyebrow at him, He jerked at the cloth and she winced. "Hard for me talk if you crush my ribs with that thing."
He narrowed his eyes, and released it only a bit. Watching her carefully, as if she was a Villain herself. His trust for her had been eroded away, and he was ready for her behave in any manner of ways.
"Fine, I'll tell you the truth, since you're so desperate to know." She said with some heat in her voice. "I'm working with international police, to break up and stop the killings of hell-hounds globally. My lead suspect, for awhile, has been Parasus Stone, whom I now have confirmation is Manticore."
She shuffled-off the weapon from her arms anyway, as she continued. "They have been massively elusive, and difficult to catch for numerous and complicated reasons. I needed a way to prove my theory that Manticore is Parasus, and draw her out. Alarice is her half-sister and while I was pretty sure she had interfered with Alarice's schooling after she left, I never had any proof or was able to catch her. So, since her schooling was failing, and I needed a way to draw Parasus out enough, to prove she was Manticore..."
"You brought here to use her as bait?" Aizawa hissed between his teeth. His anger was not getting any better.
"Of course." Sunshine responded, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Either UA would catch her sister, and/or we'd be able to confirm her as Manticore. Or even find where they've been hiding themselves."
He knew he was gripping the cloth too tightly, but it couldn't be helped. " Are you not aware of the danger you're putting her in!? She could be killed by this game you're playing!"
"I know." His stomach felt cold, as she continued. "Would it matter? UA was perfect for this. It really is safer here, than her previous schools, her sister would come for her one way or another; that was always the case. Her chance of living is better here, than elsewhere, and if not? Then, her last months of life are her learning to do what she wanted, getting to be around her favorite hero, and either way, do the rest of the world a service in stopping the mass murder of others like her. She'd be-"
"Shut the fuck up. Don't you dare." He was struggling to keep his voice down in the hall way. Sunshine seemed unphased by his glare. "She's your goddaughter, how can you justify putting her life in danger like this, and the lives of the people around her in danger!"
There was suddenly pain in her eyes, not guilt or shame but just pain, pure and simple. "I can because she is my goddaughter. It's just one life, to potentially save more lives. Isn't that what we do? Every day?"
For a brief moment Aizawa didn't think she was asking him that question. He was the only one to respond, however, so he did. "So you lost your friend, and that makes it okay to sacrifice her kid? Is it easier for you, because of her quirk?"
"I don't know why your having such a problem with this Aizawa, it's a completely logical plan." Sunshine countered, her gaze still distant and not quite looking at him. He just glared at her for it, unable to deny that, as cold-hearted as her plan was... it was working. Manticore was now confirmed to be Parasus Stone. Who was still in Japan, she hadn't let left at all, but she hadn't been caught yet, either. It was a plan that was getting results. "Are those the answers you wanted?"
Aizawa didn't answer, stepping back, allowing her to walk away from him.
"Well, if you're done attacking your fellow hero, I have paperwork to do." Sunshine managed to sound curt despite the situation. Picking herself up mentally as they'd only had a minor squabble. The golden rose had thorns, and she had already drawn blood on those around her.
"Sunshine." He barked after her as she started to walk away. She turned around to look at him, as he managed to look intimidating with his weapon gathering back up onto his shoulders. "Stay away from 1-A while you're still here."