Chapter 4

Striped Hyena

Izuku woke to the smell of something good being made in the kitchen. It smelled like pancakes. When rubbed the sleep from his tired, green eyes, he got to his feet and got his stuff. He went to the bathroom and got ready for school. Once finished he made his way to the kitchen.

"- I just didn't know he would manifest such a dangerous quirk, let alone just a year ago."

"I saw him last year in the sports festival," Ritsuko said.

"Yeah, my little Izu was amazing!"

"He was."

Izuku walked into the kitchen, acting like he didn't over hear them.

"Oh, sweetie, try some of the breakfast that Ritsuko made!" Inko told him.

"She made it?" he asked. It was just some simple pancakes like he had smelled earlier. They had syrup on them, and they looked perfectly made. He went ahead and sat down at the table, picking up a fork. After cutting a small piece, he picked it up with his fork and placed it in his mouth.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" Izuku praised.

"Thanks," Ritsuko said with a monotone voice. Izuku quickly finished his food, and he went to go wash his dishes. However, Ritsuko took them from his hands and washed them herself. He tried to get her not to since she was a guest, but she just ignored him. After giving up he got his school bag and went to the door. He saw the light blue haired girl standing near it.

"Same time at the park?" he asked her. She nodded, and then he left for school. It didn't take too long to get there, and he was greeted by Uraraka and Iida by the gate.

"Hey, Deku!" she called, waving her hand at him. He waved back with a smile. The three quickly went into the school as the bell rung. They made it to their class a few minutes before the bell rang. As he waited, he had the feeling of being excited to see Ritsuko again. Thankfully, the school day seemed to go by pretty quickly. It was already lunch.

"Hey, we should go to the mall today!" Uraraka announced. Iida gave a nod in agreement.

"I have to go somewhere though," Izuku told them.

Uraraka slapped her hand down on the table next to his tray, causing it to bounce a little. With a bit of an excites tone she said, "We know you're meeting someone, so just bring her with us!"

"Wh- what makes you think I'm meeting someone?" Izuku said nervously. The two across from him paused for a second. Then Uraraka thought of an excuse.

"Your behavior has been peculiar, so I just kind of assumed it was because you're interested in a girl," she informed. He got a sense that she was lying, but he didn't say anything about. He sighed nervously before finally deciding what he would do. There was no reason for him to hide Ritsuko from them that he could see.

"F- fine! I'll ask her if she wants to come with us," he said.

"Yes! I knew you were interested in a girl!"

"I- I'm not 'interested'! I'm just f- friends with her; that's all!" Izuku protested. Then a throught ran through his head. 'At least I don't think I'm interested. No, I'm not into her like that!'

Just seconds after this thought, the bell rang. They cleaned up after themselves and got to their class. They were required to do some simple worksheets. Anything not finished in class was homework. Luckily, Izuku managed to finish most of the work in class before the bell went off. All he had left to do was one sheet of paper, front and back. He quickly packed everything up and walked with his two friends to the front gate of the school. Although, he quickly stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar light blue haired girl standing by a black motorcycle. She had on black jeans, her white winter jacket, and a black shirt underneath. The girl was wearing the same white boots as last time. Her dark grey eyes gazed at him. The other two hadn't noticed her yet.

"What's wrong, Midoriya?" Iida questioned.

"Yeah, why did you stop walking?" Uraraka asked. Izuku shook his head and brushed past them, running straight to Ritsuko.

"W- what are y- you doing here? How did you even know I attend UA? I never told you." Izuku saw her place the white helmet that was in her hands on the bike.

"You were wearing your uniform when you left," she explained to him.

"O- oh. Right." He had completely forgotten that fact for some reason. The boy shook his head, "Do you w- want to come with me and my friends?"

"Where are they?"

As if on cue, the two walked over to them.

"Hello, I take it that you're friends with Deku! I'm Uraraka!"

"I'm Iida! It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ritsuko." The blue haired girl turned to Izuku for a moment. "Are they nice?"

"O- of course!" Izuku told her.

"What about my bike?" she asked. He wasn't so sure about that.

"We're going to the mall, so why don't you just drive there and meet us by the entrance?" Uraraka suggested. Ritsuko seemed a little uneasy, but she nodded anyway.

"Okay." The three watched the girl get on her bike and drive off towards the mall.

"Hmmmm... Any feelings for her yet, Deku?" the brown haired girl teased.

"N- no! What makes you say that?!" Izuku said defensively.

"Hmm, are you sure?"

"Y- yes!" She studied his nervous and flustered stature.

"Alright, let's go!" the brunette said with excitement. Izuku somehow managed to get even redder than he already was as they started walking to their destination. While on the way there, Iida suggested that they finish their homework at some point while they were there. Izuku and Uraraka agreed.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the mall. When they got to the entrance, they didn't see Ritsuko right away. Although, after looking around for a few more seconds, Iida spotted her.

"She's over there!" he told them.

"Hey, Ritsuko!" Izuku called out to her, grabbing her attention.

"Hey," she replied simply, much like always. The girl followed the three onto the large building. They were talking to each other, and she was just listening.

"Then we should stop by somewhere to eat. There, we will do some of our homework together," Uraraka declared, and the two boys nodded. "Now, let the shopping commence!"

Ritsuko was near Izuku for almost the entire time. She didn't trust the other two as much as she did him, but she wasn't going to admit that. Yes, she was usually blunt and spoke her mind and opinions, but not with everything. This was one of those things. After all, they were his friends, and she didn't want to harm the relationship Izuku had with them.

"Hey, want to check out a shop with me, Ritsuko?" the brunette girl asked.

"Which one?"

"A shop that these two boys cannot go in," she said, pointing to a shop full of women's clothing and accessories. The taller girl looked to the boys with her grey eyes. Iida was standing straight, and Izuku was red in the face.

Ritsuko glanced down slightly, " I guess."

"Awesome!" Uraraka cheered. She was about to take Ritsuko by the hand, but she quickly pulled her hand back. The brunette stared for a moment, but then she led the way to the shop.

The shorter girl seemed excited as they entered. She sauntered over to a rack that had some dresses on them. Ritsuko followed behind her, but not as close as she would with Izuku. The girl in front of her pulled out a white dress that faded to a cyan blue towards the bottom. It was held out towards the blue haired girl, and her brown eyes went from the dress and then to her.

"I think you would look nice in this one!" Uraraka told her. Then she got a black dress that had three horizontal white stripes. One across the chest, one across the waist, and one at the bottom. "Or this one."

"I can try them I guess," Ritsuko announced, gently taking the two articles of clothing from her without her index fingers thouching them. She made her way into a changing room at the back and locked it. It took a minute for her to slip into the first dress which was the white and cyan one. It was rather loose on her and reached a bit above her ankles. After it was on she exited the small room and saw Uraraka.

"Wow, you look really pretty in that dress!" the shorter girl praised.

"I'll buy it then," Ritsuko said before going back into the changing room. She removed the dress and put on the other one. The black dress was much tighter and shorter than the previous one. This one really showed off her curves and chest, and it reached to her mid thighs. The girl left the room to show the brunette.

"That one really shows you off," she told her. "Although, you still look really pretty with that one too!"

"I'll get this too then," Ritsuko said. She went back into the room and got back into her original clothes. When she got out Uraraka took her place in the small changing room. She came out with simple outfits and dresses, and Ritsuko would either say 'pretty', 'looks good on you', or 'maybe not that'. By the end they both went to the counter to pay for their clothing. The brunette walked away with a few dresses and outfits she tried on, and Ritsuko just had the two dresses she tried.

"By the way, I really like that necklace, Ritsuko!" she suddenly admitted. It made her place a finger under the sparkly, dark blue heart.

"Thanks," she said. They went over to the two boys that were seated on a couch in the middle of the large walkway just outside the store.

"Hey, guys!" Uraraka said once she was standing beside the piece of furniture. "We were able to get some things."

"Perfect! Now let's go eat some food!" Iida confidently said as him and Izuku stood up. Ritsuko trailed them, being closest to Izuku. They went up an escalator to the floor above. The machinery led them right to the food court. It was Iida and Uraraka that picked which place to get the food, and they settled on one of the simple fast food places. It took only a few minutes for them to get their food before they found a table to sit at. Ritsuko saw Izuku sit down on one side, so she sat right beside him. After a few minutes of them eating and talking, she saw Iida be the first to get out the homework they had received from school.

"I think it is about time we begun doing our homework!" he announced. The other two got out a piece of paper from their bags.

"Alright, but we're using your textbook to save room on the table," Uraraka said, and Izuku nodded.

"That's fine with me," Iida told the brunette.

Meanwhile, Ritsuko was still just silently eating her food. By the time she was finished, which was after about five minutes, she was finally spoken to.

"Hey, Ritsuko, what school do you attend?" Uraraka questioned her.

"I don't go to school."

"Then where do you learn?"

"I learn whenever and wherever I can," she answered vaguely.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Iida asked her.

"I'm not home schooled either, so I have to teach myself."

"Alright, what is your best and worst subject?" the brunette inquired.

"My best is reading and writing, my worst is math."

"I can help you with math if you want," Izuku suggested confidently. She thought about it for a moment.

"Alright," she replied. It seemed to make the boy happy since he grew a smile. Ritsuko continued to watch them do their worksheets. From what she heard them say, she guessed it was something related to the rules a pro hero must follow. It was weird hearing it since both her parents are villians, and she was around villains all the time. Due to that, she considered herself one. She wasn't going to tell them that though, especially Izuku. He was pretty much her father's number one enemy. If he knew that he was his daughter, he would probably go against her as well.

"What time is it?" Ritsuko asked. Izuku got out his phone and looked at the time.

"It's 4:48," he answered before putting it back in his pocket.

"Do you have a phone, Ritsuko?" Uraraka questioned. The blue haired girl shook her head.

"Do your parents not allow it?" Iida asked, a bit puzzled.

"I never ask for one; I have no need for it right now," she told them. They looked surprised.

"How are you going to talk to your friends when you aren't with them?" Iida inquired.

"I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I only have one friend. I've never needed anymore."

Izuku shook his head, "But friends help you out when you need something. You can talk to them about troubles or worries you have."

"I figure it out on my own." Ritsuko took the last bite of her food. The four were quiet for a few moments until the subject was changed.

"Hey, how about we go to a few more shops before we head home?" Uraraka suggested. The others agreed since they had just finished all of their homework. They packed everything up, and the four went down the escalator. Just like nearly the whole time before, Ritsuko remained the closest to Izuku.

The group walked into a small store full of a mix of clothes, accessories, and stuff animals. They split into two groups, Iida and Uraraka, and Izuku and Ritsuko.

As they walked around the shop, her dark grey eyes landed on a stuffed animal. It was a medium sized striped hyena. She put a finger on its nose.

--

"This one!" a young girl said. She was only six years old. Her dark grey eyes were looking into a book. The picture her eyes were fixed on was one of a striped hyena.

"That's a striped hyena," a woman said with a smile. She had dark brown hair and the same dark grey eyes that the little girl possessed. "They are from Africa. They may look like a dog, but they aren't counted as one."

"So it's a cat?"

The woman chuckled a little, "No, they aren't a cat either. They're so unique that they have their own name." She turned back a page, starting at the beginning of the hyena information. "Their family name is the Hyaenidae."

"Can I have one?"

"Sorry, Ritsuko, but we can't get one."

"Why not?"

"They're expensive, and they are illegal to have without a license too." She saw the little girl frown from her statement. "Although, I can see about getting you a stuff animal, Ritsuko!"

The girl perked up at this. "Really, mom?"

"Yes, sweetie!" she said in a loving tone, "I'll look around and get one for you."

--

She removed her finger from the nose of the stuffed striped hyena. Then she picked it up and held it out in front of her.

"Do you want that?" she heard Izuku ask.

"Yes," she replied. It took the boy a second to realize that Ritsuko had a faint smile.

"Do you really like hyenas?"

"I do. My mom was going to get me a stuffed animal a long time ago," she informed to him. He heard her say 'was going to', and it peaked his curiosity.

"What do you mean by 'was going to'? Did she change her mind?"

Ritsuko shook her head, "She died before she was able to get one."

Izuku's eyes widened for a moment. Hearing that made him feel bad for her. He saw her put it back on the wooden shelf. "Don't you want to get it?"

"It's expensive, and I didn't bring that much money," she explained.

"I can get it for you," he offered.

"No, don't waste your money on me," she said before exploring more of the store. He stepped closer to the stuffed animal and read the price tag. She was right saying it was expensive, but he knew that he just enough for it. Izuku would have enough to get a cheap drink on his way home if he were to get it. He guessed that Ritsuko had a special love for hyenas thanks to her mother, so he wanted to make sure that she got it. Without caring if it would take up most of the cash he had left, he picked it up and took it to the cashier. After he payed for it, he went to search for Ritsuko.

"Ritsuko!" he called in an indoor volume. She turned her head towards him. Then he placed the striped hyena in her hands. Like always when he saw her holding or touching something, one of her fingers on both hands didn't touch it. This time it was her pinky fingers.

"I said I don't have enough for it," she said. Izuku smiled sheepishly.

"I know; I bought it for you." She was about to open her mouth to say something, but she stopped and closed it. Her dark eyes just stared into his green ones for a few moments. Then he saw her pull the stuffed animal to her chest and looked at it.

"Thank you," she whispered, another small smile appearing on her lips. Knowing that he was part of the reason she was smiling made him turn red in the face.

"H- how a- about we go f- find the o- others?" he stuttered out nervously.

"Alright," she answered.

The two walked around a little before they spotted them at the counter. They quickly went over to them just as they finished paying. The four then exited the shop. Uraraka had bought a simple keychain with an owl. Iida got a shirt that had the words 'When In Doubt, Study'. It fit him and his personality perfectly.

"Aw, that's a cute stuffed animal, Ritsuko!" Uraraka cheerily said with a big smile.

"Thanks, Izuku bought it for me," she told the brunette. The shorter girl turned to the green haired boy, a weird look on her face. It made Izuku blush again.

"That explains why he doesn't have anything," Iida pointed out.

"Well, she didn't have enough money, but she really wanted it, so I bought it for her," Izuku said a bit quickly. It made Uraraka laugh a little. Then she got out her phone and checked the time.

"Wow, we spent more time in there than I thought!" she exclaimed. "It's 5:30!"

"Right, well, we all should get home then," Iida voiced. They all went to the door that they entered a few hours ago. Uraraka and Iida said a farewell and left, leaving just Izuku and Ritsuko.

"I'll drive you home," Ritsuko declared, walking toward her motorcycle.

"O- oh, okay."

It took only a minute or so to get to her bike. Once they did, she handed him the same black helmet he used last time before she put on her white one. He placed it on his head before hesitantly getting on the bike behind her. Like last time she tensed, but she quickly relaxed. He heard her exhale through the helmet she wore before she made the bike go forward.

They quickly left the parking lot and got onto the main road. Izuku watched all the cars and people they passed. Being on the bike made him feel excited since he had never been on a bike until yesterday. This being his second time, it still gave him a rush of adrenaline. As they got closer to his house, she made a sharp turn. Out of instinct to keep himself from falling off he tightly wrapped his arms around Ritsuko's stomach. He didn't even register how much she tensed from his sudden hold. He kept his green eyes shut until he felt the bike stop. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"You can let go now," she told him. She hid it well, but he could tell that she was a bit uncomfortable from the way his arms were around her. Quickly, he released her, got off the bike, and handed her the helmet.

"S- sorry! I- I just got a l- little scared when y- you made that turn," he explained nervously with pink cheeks.

"It's alright," she assured. He let out a breath of relief.

"Um, m- maybe after I get out of school tomorrow we can meet like we have been," he suggested. "I mean, only if you want to."

Ritsuko turned her head to him, "I can't tomorrow."

"Maybe Saturday?"

"Not then either," she said. After a few moments she added, "Possibly Sunday."

"Oh, okay. That can work. Just come by, I guess," he told her. Izuku saw her nod before putting her helmet on and driving off.

The boy quickly went into his house. He said a 'hello' to his mom before going to his room. After closing the door, he went to his computer and turned it on. Izuku pulled up a map of the city and looked at the forested area around him. Recalling what the girl Ritsuko chatted with said, he went to the place that she had mentioned. The place with the giant fireworks display that happened last year. He made a mental note of how to get there and estimated that, from his house, it would take about two hours to get there on foot since the forest was on the other side of the large city. It was at midnight, so he would have to leave at around nine to get there sooner. That meant he would get there at about eleven. He didn't like lying to his mom in the slightest, but he would tell her that he was going to a party with his friends.

With all this in mind, he turned the computer off and layed down on his bed. He felt like he needed to go to whatever this race was. That was why he was going to go. Even if his mom told him he couldn't go anywhere, but he highly doubted that she would disagree with him going. Especially if he said he was doing something with his friends.

~~~

As soon as Ritsuko arrived at home, she went to her room. She gently placed the striped hyena stuff animal Iuzku bought her on the pillow of her bed. Her eyes glanced at the clock on her nightstand beside her bed. It was 7:48.

Ritsuko let out a sigh as she went back into the hallway. After going down a hall and then through a door, she ended up in the kitchen. The girl went to the a cabinet and got out a container of cookies. She ate a few as a snack before placing the container back where she found it. Then she began making her way to her room. On the way, the pain that was always present in her right hip spiked. It caused her to stumbled to the ground.

"Where the hell were you last night?!" It was a familiar angry blonde. This is one of the times she decided she should fight back. The outcome could be good or bad, but she had nothing to really lose.

Ritsuko stood up and turned to face Haze. She bent down enough to grab a switchblade from her boots. There was always a blade on her for not only self defense, but to let her use her other quirk. The quirk she got from her mother.

"What are you going to do with that knife?" he asked dangerously with a smile. Her answer was her pulling up her sleeve and cutting her arm. Instead of red blood, it was black. Without warning, she swiftly waved her arm, causing the liquid to land on Haze. Suddenly a sharp pain spread through his side. When his brown eyes opened, he saw a few thin spikes stabbing him from where she had cut her arm.

"I forgot about that quirk. You can harden your blood and use it as a weapon, right?" he questioned. She nodded and retracted the hardened spikes of black blood from his side. Ritsuko was about to use her quirk again, but a purple portal appeared in front of her. She ended up walking through, and she stepped out behind a mist guy.

"Enough fighting," the mist said. "There's no need to hurt each other; we're on the same side after all."

Haze let out a scoff, "Whatever." Then he just simply walked away.

"Sorry, Kurogiri," Ritsuko mumbled and walked back to her room. The pain in her right hip died down slightly, but it wasn't enough for her. It would be once it completely disappeared, but that was never going to happen. The injury and pain was permanent, and she was aware of that.

Doing her best to ignore it, she turned off the lamp in her room and layed down. Ritsuko held the striped hyena Izuku got her close to her chest. It made her feel a bit happier. She liked his kindness. By now she's gotten used the that weird feeling he made her have when they were together.

Ritsuko buried her chin into the head of the stuffed animal. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly so she could stop feeling the pain in her hip.

She was really looking forward to seeing Izuku again soon.

Word Count: 4319

Dang, quite a long chapter! It makes me a tiny bit more proud of myself.

Anyway, I would like to thank those who are giving the story reviews! I make sure to read all of them so I can make my writing better. It's also fun reading what you guys think about the story so far!

~ Posted October 6, 2018