Shahryar - Putting people in Tartarus in massive numbers. Let's just say that when he finally shows up in the fic, he is... terrifying.
(***)
"I have good news for you." Decay announces to Ibara Shiozaki while she was busy trying to shepherd the kids off Oka Mariner.
The kids started their short trip suffering from seasickness. Now half of them clearly decided that they are going to be sailors and refused to embrace landlubbery again, while the other half wanted off the ship very, very much.
Ibara Shiozaki at this point has realized (completely) how incredibly impressive single mothers were. Sure, she was a single mother for ten kids with traumatic backstories, but even 10% of that was a lot in her eyes.
Sometimes she thinks that without the years of combat training as a hero trainee, she simply wouldn't fight through all of that. Not enough stamina.
"Did the Prime Minister get drunk and fall from the window of the office, suffering grievous and hopefully lethal injuries in the process?" Ibara asks with all the dryness that someone already stoic like her managed to develop after becoming a villain.
"Alcohol is at best a mild poison." Decay replies. "I would be more worried about alcohol getting poisoned with her rather than the other way around."
He - somehow - developed a slight tan. He was on this island for like a day or two, preparing their flight to safety and their temporary accommodations for the rest of the day. How did he manage to do that?
Ibara smirks.
"So, what was it?" She asks, trying to ignore all the kids around, because God help her, she is this close from wrapping them all in her vines and starting to just carry them around.
"Yanagi woke up and chose violence as well." Tenko Shimura announces. Ibara's eyes shot wide. "Apparently follows the Ascending Path now. Warned me through Judgment that Monoma is going after you."
"Huh." Shiozaki really isn't sure how to summarize her reaction to that. She is happy that at least one more of her classmates saw reason, except… "When I hoped my classmates would find religion in their life, this isn't exactly the kind of religion I envisioned, but I'm happy for her nonetheless."
"Right." Decay replies before sighing loudly. "I really gotta go quickly now, because…" Her vines tangle around his ankles. "Please, don't do that."
"We're having a beach episode." Shiozaki announces. "And I need someone to keep an eye on the kids on the beach while me and Fireline look over those in the water. And Juggernaut isn't enough on his own. We have only a few hours to spend here, and this time won't be wasted."
"Please." Tenko looks at her with puppy eyes. "Don't."
"Kids!" Ibara says loudly, savoring the look of despair in Shimura's eyes. "We're going to the beach! With Uncle Tenko."
She has no idea why the kids like him so much, but hey, as long as it works.
(***)
"We have a problem." Eri announces after returning from the meeting with the faculty and grabbing her two (very) close friends before pulling them into one of the areas of the facility that wasn't covered by the surveillance system.
It's outside of the building, in a small forest used for picnics and shit like that.
They don't know what it was about, yet. Mahoro is still pouting internally, because she and her girlfriend (omfg Eri is her girlfriend she still can't believe her luck) were cuddling on the couch, watching a nice film and it was just goddamn brilliant. Then Eri was called out through the loudspeakers.
It was her turn. That's what they agreed upon. Or, well, that's what Eri decided. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are for Katsu, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are for Mahoro. On Sunday, they hang out together.
She was losing her time!
Then Mahoro notices Eri's face in detail, and she throws the thoughts out of her head. Things are serious.
"I'm supposed to be moved elsewhere." Eri says. Mahoro and Katsuma go OH SHIT in an instant. "Today."
"What?!" Katsuma is the first one to open his mouth. "Where? Why?!"
"Apparently for assistance in some quirk-related scientific work." Eri replies dryly. They both know about her backstory, this certainly explains the extent of her anger. "My money's on Chronostasis getting access to the Paragons' meta-abilities registry and realizing that it's me."
"Wait a second." Mahoro realizes something. "Shouldn't they know who your dad is then?"
"Yeah, it's bugging me a little." Eri admits. "But if they knew who I was, they would just snatch me to some super secret facility without asking questions, rather than… do that. There is a possibility that Chronostasis is playing his own game. Or that they simply didn't tell him that the war started again."
He was a part of the first Paranormal Liberation Front, after all. The worst case scenario for the government was him sabotaging the research out of loyalty to the old cause.
"The point is, we're capital f fucked." Eri says. "I don't know what's taking dad so long, but if we're moved before the attack, things are going to get pear-shaped pretty fast."
"So w-what do we do?" Katsuma says, his voice as shaky as ever.
Eri does her usual Eri stuff. So she promptly grabs him, pulls him closer and starts patting his head. It appears to be working as a good stress-relief way for her.
Katsuma seems to be enjoying the attention. Mahoro regrets the fact that it's not her, but ever since she got what she wanted (not like they went much beyond kissing, but STILL), she can actually more or less think.
Usually.
She can think right now, so it's time to speak.
"We can't exactly delay the transfer too much." Eri replies. "We have a lot of things prepared for the field trip…" She adds, still using their euphemism for mass break out. "... but if we use it as a means of delaying the move out, we'll just out ourselves. And unless dad is planning to waltz in today, we won't achieve much either way."
She is clearly thinking aloud. They are used to that. Katsuma is still enjoying the hug and headpats.
"For now I pretended to throw a tantrum, so they decided to appease me by letting me take someone for me for company." Eri continues. "Perks of being a cute little princess with a powerful healing quirk and perfect behavioral record."
Crap.
"Just one person?" Mahoro says. Eri nods, anger simmering under her eyes. "That's… you should pick Katsu."
"W-what?" It's Katsuma, who clearly didn't expect the vote of confidence.
"Look, I think that I know what Eri is going to say." Mahoro replies. Eri is looking at her without a word. "We need someone competent enough to keep the rest of the kids in line, and make sure that nothing goes horribly wrong when her dad shows up. Not to mention pointing out where to look for her."
She still didn't quite realize how to approach the fact that she was now officially dating the adoptive daughter of probably the most dangerous person in the country.
Mahoro Shimano was quite regularly being worried whether it was a good idea. Those doubts typically disappeared whenever their lips locked. Or whenever they both got… touchy. Yeah.
Those breasts alone were totally worth it, unless her father will literally murder them. And even then, Mahoro's last words were going to be 'worth it', even if she wouldn't really mean it, if only to piss him off.
also STOP GOING SIDEWAYS YOU STUPID HORNY BRAIN OF MINE
"And that probably will be me, because, well…" She sighs. "... we both know you aren't quite there when assertively commanding people is involved, Katsu."
Her brother - still held by Eri like a favorite plushie and being vigorously headpatted by his girlfriend - said nothing. But it was clear that the hit connected.
"You aren't much better, miss Too Horny to Think." Eri replies dryly. Oof, yeah, she was completely right about it. "You both should pack. Because I'm planning to take you both and I'm already planning my second fake temper tantrum to convince those asshats to let me take another person."
"What?!" That took Mahoro off-guard. "You can't be serious, you…"
"It's logical." Eri replies calmly. "I refuse to believe that my father is going to take more than a few days to locate and attack this facility. The other kids can make it for so long, and we had them drilled as to what to do when the attack happens. But I know nothing of the facility they are going to send me to, and having the two of you next to me is twice as helpful as having only one of you."
"So it's not that you just want us both next to you because you have bad memories associated with Chronost…" Mahoro replies, before realizing that her tongue began to dig an early grave to herself. "Nevermind!"
"Come here, Maho." Eri replies flatly.
She does so. Being slightly afraid. But Eri merely grabs her into a hug alongside Katsuma.
"I won't lie to you." Eri says while hugging them both. "I dislike the idea of seeing him again, and I really think that having you two next to me will be super helpful when I'll be planning another escape. But to be honest, I just don't want to be separated from you two, alright?"
Oh.
Mahoro hugs her back, and so does Katsuma. Then they stay like that for a moment, before Eri pulls back a little, and kisses them both one after another.
Then she looks at Mahoro.
"Also I absolutely love your tongue and all the things you can do with it, but if you keep flapping it around like that, you're going to lose it." Eri states dryly, before breaking into a wry smile when Mahoro starts stuttering out something that only vaguely resembles an answer.
Ha, take that Maho-chan! No one gets a word over Eri Midoriya and survives unscathed.
Aside from Izuku Midoriya, but he's her dad and it doesn't count. Besides, she is letting him have a word over her, to not make him feel bad that his daughter has outgrown him long ago. Yeah. Certainly.
He's a big dummy, especially when relationships are involved.
Eri would be the first one to claw eyes out of anyone who would try to call him a dummy though, because she is the only person in the world allowed to make fun of him.
She might bestow the same right to Maho and Katsu if they won't go too far, but they're still on probation.
"In the meantime, you have to go pack yourself." Eri announces, still holding them close to her. "Then you're going to relay my final instructions to the rest of our group. Alright? It's important."
"We'll do our best!" They shout almost in unison.
(***)
"I-I don't t-think that it's a good idea." Tsuyu states, his fingers clearly fidgeting uncontrollably. "R-ribbit."
Wow, even her ribbiting grew shaky. That's a new one, Izuku decides. She is clearly not taking it easily.
"Look, I'll be there with you." Izuku replies. Unawarely to Tsuyu, he knows what the results of the meeting will be for certain. "Nothing bad's going to happen."
He actually hopes that something very nice is going to happen, but he's leaving it for after the main course.
"Just trust me on this, alright?" He says, while extending his hands and grabbing her own. "Alright?"
She is mulling that idea over for a few long seconds. Eventually she ribbits. It sounds like an agreement, but Izuku isn't one hundred percent sure, and he doesn't want to make her accidentally angry at him, so he glances at her face for confirmation.
He finds it. Cloud warpgate envelops them in a heartbeat. A moment later, they found themselves under the Oka Mariner's deck, all the way to Verize.
Sirius is standing in front of them. Tsuyu's shaking (he is still holding her hand) grows worse.
"H-hi, S-Sirius." Tsuyu says nervously, before letting out a very shaky ribbit. "I-I'm s-sorry t-hat I…"
Izuku is ready to bet his kidney that her earlier agreement to do that was unilaterally revoked at the first sight of Sirius. Cloud (who retracted her clouds and decided to stand slightly behind and to the side of Izuku) probably thought something similar.
Sirius makes a step forward.
"I s-should go, ribbit." Tsuyu lets out. Izuku has a faint flashback to one of the antique videogame he once played alongside Tenko. One tried to be a Paragon, one tried to be Renegade. Tenko conceded Midoriya's point at The Citadel DLC, its Paragon playthrough was much funnier and more interesting. Good times. "We s-should go. C-Cloud, warp us b-back, p…"
Sirius gets close enough to suddenly hug Tsuyu. Who, clearly, didn't expect that to happen. The sidekick was courting death, in Izuku's opinion. She should be happy that Chameleon didn't put a knife in her stomach on instinct.
"R-ribbit?" Tsuyu lets out.
"If there is a single thing I've ever regretted in my life…" Sirius says. "... then it's the fact that the Oka Mariner was at sea when your family died. That me and Selkie didn't get at least a chance to try to talk you out of leaving. If someone should be sorry about something here, then it's me, Tsuyu."
Izuku can practically see something flinching on Tsuyu's face. Then tears start streaming off her face. It's like a dam broke, and now the flood is starting.
Midoriya is an exceedingly smooth operator, who always knows when and what to say to make everything as it should be.
Actually, no, he isn't. So he has no idea how to respond to the emotions in front of him, and instead grabs Cloud and pulls her out of the room, outside of Sirius and Tsuyu's effective range of hearing.
"I think it's a good idea to give them some space." Izuku says. He has a feeling that Cloud is pouting at him, she was always a sucker for such emotional moments. She was probably the only person whose happiness and joy approached his levels on the day when Eri actually called him her dad.
"You just don't know how to deal with it, so you've decided to run away from your feelings." Cloud announces.
"You know what happens to people who are too snarky and get an actual word over scary supervillains, Cloud?" Izuku asks dryly. "Tongue goes chop chop."
"Riiight." Cloud is visibly terrified of him. Or, so he hopes that he could say. "I must say that I didn't expect Sirius and Co. to, like, overlook the Marukane Ward massacre completely. It was close to ten thousand killed civilians, right?"
"Like many other unexpected coincidences and strange occurrences in my life…" Izuku replies, his face expressionless. "... that one thing was completely staged."
Cloud blinks at him. Or, well, that's how he ended up interpreting the moments when she says nothing for a second or two and the cloudy thing that covers her face starts swirling a little.
"Did you, like, bribe Sirius to do that?" She asks, clearly surprised.
"I'd probably do that, and then get yelled at if I didn't recently discover a thing or two about my girlfriend." Izuku replies honestly. Yeah, the discovery that she is a slight smell-based empath changed a lot. "But no, I settled for the second best thing to bribery. I just had Tenko tell her how Tsuyu is faring nowadays. Including the whole 'was a vigilante looking for death while saving people' and 'joined me because she wants a good death'. Oh and a side dish of 'told me to my face that she'll stab me to death if I pull an Entropy and start killing people for the sake of killing people'."
"Huh." Cloud seems to be digesting for a moment. "Sirius was always a nice person. And this sounds like something to change her mind a little. What about Selkie?"
"He's in agreement with Sirius." Izuku replies. "I think he's blaming himself and other heroes for failing us as a generation. He still told me that he's going to ignore my existence here, because if he was forced to admit that I'm in front of him, he'd be forced to try to kill me for Shiketsu High and the students from the remaining schools that I had my underlings kill."
They were working together to save a lot of kids. Not being alright with Midoriya killing other kids was perfectly understandable. Even if said other kids were being fast-tracked into being turned into more governmental lackeys.
Some part of Midoriya didn't care about their backgrounds or motivations. For some part of Midoriya, even joining the hero school at times such like this was akin to supporting all the fucked up shit the government was doing.
It was his inner Entropy, the part of himself that he wanted nothing to do with. But he was making concessions. His only saving grace was that his orders were to destroy school X or Y, not to murder the students.
Then again, he issued them to people like Momo Yaoyorozu. He knew she was going to murder most of all them, he just didn't care enough to stop her. The difference between him and Entropy was getting more and more academical the longer Eri wasn't with him.
"That's… understandable, I guess." Cloud hums quietly. "I guess I'll go hang out with the kids one last time. Good luck with your plans for the day. I'll be ready to take you back once you're done." God, he is already nervous just thinking about this.
And then, this evening, they are attacking the Paragon facilities. The last few hours without Eri.
(***)
Despite Tenko Shimura being his older brother in all but blood (in blood he was his older cousin, so not much of a difference), Izuku decided to not visit him again. They already said goodbye to each other, and the slight change of Midoriya's plans at the last minute didn't mean a lot.
Cloud was going to narrate him all the stupid shit Shiozaki apparently pulled him into later on.
In the meantime, he and Tsuyu are taking a rather scenic tour through the mostly empty part of the Verize island beach.
It's… nice. The rhythmic sound of waves in the background, the sound, Tsuyu in a flowing long dress and with a hat (one decorated with some fake flowers, but they looked really genuine) walking right next to him.
It really helped him forget that there was a war going on outside. For about twenty minutes, give or take. Then they'll end up concluding the circle around the isle and see the reinforced police checkpoint in front of the harbor when the Oka Mariner was docked.
The fact that the police was bribed to ignore them all (or, to be honest, ignore the Oka Mariner and its smuggling-children-to-safety operation, there was a reason Midoriya didn't approach them closely enough to be recognized) didn't change the fact that its presence there meant a reminder of what's going on with the country.
Tsuyu was quiet, but eventually she spoke.
"Thank you, ribbit."
They are holding hands. Izuku changed his signature business suit into a simple white shirt and a pair of dress pants. He feels a bit… wrong, considering the circumstances, but… hey, it doubles as a disguise.
"You don't have to, Tsuyu." Izuku decides that the place is nice and private enough, so he stops. "I promised you that I was going to do my best to make the rest of your life, however short it was going to be, as happy as possible. It was just a part of that."
She takes his sudden stop as an invitation to hug him. He hugs her back.
"You're always going plus ultra on everything, aren't you? Ribbit." She says into his shirt. Yeah, her abilities when analyzing people were involved were spot on. As always.
"Yeah, I guess." Izuku replies, scratching his chin nervously. She probably already knows that he is nervous from his smell alone, but…
Alright, move it.
He takes a step back, before speaking. Officially, or as officially as he can.
"Tsu." He says. The frog girl stares back at him questioningly. "I have a question to ask you. It's… look, before I say it, I need you to know that no, this isn't a part of me trying to make you change your mind, alright? So please don't misunderstand it."
"Ribbit?" She asks.
"I know that none of this will last for long, and… I would lie if I said that you wouldn't prefer it to be, you know, different." He says. "But it's your decision, and… honestly, if not for Eri, I would probably…" He takes a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't even imagine us not saving her today, but if she won't be there, we'll have to postpone the next, because I'm slightly scared of her reaction if she would end up missing out on that and, crap, now I feel like I'm raising some flags and…"
"Ribbit." Tsuyu announces, her finger by her lips. "I thought you were past the mumbling phase already."
Oops. He kind of didn't notice her first ribbit.
"Yeah, so did I." Izuku admits. "Guess my mumbling is like All for One and Entropy, it just refuses to take a hint and stay dead." Yeah, that's a perfect subject to joke about today, you stupid idiot. "Look, I…"
"Take it slowly, ribbit." And now she is trying to console him. Shit, this is really NOT how he expected it to play out.
Fuck it. You only live once, unless you're Hana fucking Shim… stop.
"Tsuyu." Izuku says, while falling on his knee and pulling the small box from his pocket, opening it in front of her. "Will you marry me?"
Wait, was it what he was supposed to say? Were there some additional steps he forgot to do? Not that he thinks about it, he didn't do any actual research, because even trying to think about it made him freak internally, and he kind of felt like that it was too much love drama for the middle of a war and…
Tsuyu is staring at the ring, her mouth covered in her hands, her eyes wider than ever. She wasn't saying anything. Izuku, naturally, freaked out again.
"L-look, as I said, I'm not trying to change your resolution, but, uhm, I just figured out that since we're already having a 'till death do us part' agreement, we could as well just make it official, and, err…" Wait, what is he even talking about right now? "It's alright to say no! We can totally just continue doing what we were doing, no issues on my side! I just kind of thought that you would enjoy having a wedding, even if it would be just us two and Eri and Uraraka probably, and I kind of decided to do all of that and…"
There is a constant stream of words coming out of his mouth, all while his mind is cursing Tenchan to hell and back for actually putting that idea in his head and Tsuyu will probably hate him now because she will - despite his repeated statements to the contrary - think that he is trying to change her mind despite her saying that she doesn't want that and it will be…
Tsuyu practically tackles him into the sand, her cheek being rather aggressively brushed into his own, tears streaming off her face and a neverending tide of 'yesyesyesyesyes' leaving her mouth, occasionally interspersed with loud ribbiting.
Wasn't she supposed to put the ring on her finger? Izuku isn't even sure where it landed, he'll pick it up in a moment, he just has to… yeah, he has no idea what to do, so he'll just keep hugging her until she's satisfied.
Then they'll go save their daughter together.
Days until the Second Battle of the Marukane Ward:
18
