Haru's POV-
"It's raining today so make sure you bring an umbrella," my uncle told me while I was eating breakfast. "I'm heading out now!"
"Have a good day at work today!" I replied.
You should talk to him…
"About?"
You know what I mean…I can see, feel, and hear everything you do whether you're awake or not. Even if it's just a thought I have heard it.
"Then you also should know how hard it is to talk to him."
…
"That reminds me, how long have you been able to…I guess be me except without any control?" I finished my food and went to clean the dishes.
I've been like this…probably ten years now.
"Eh?! So you basically know everything about me!"
More than I want to.
I slipped on my gray blazer and a white rain coat that only went as far as my blazer. I wrapped a red wool scarf around my neck and pulled on my brown combat boots.
"Then…you must know if Todoroki-kun… If I've met him before."
You haven't as far as I know. Maybe you met him before we were united?
"Hm…maybe. He could just remind me of someone…" I grabbed my clear umbrella and schoolbag. "This has also been bothering me: how old are you? Judging by your voice you can't be that much younger or older than me."
Fifteen.
"Wow, just like me!" I remarked, opening my umbrella as soon as I left my house. "I guess it would be strange to call you Onee-chan since we're the same age…"
Will you drop it with the Onee-chan already?!
I laughed to myself. "Then I'll need to think of another name…"
After we got closer to the school, the voice began to talk again.
You…you keep telling people that Midoriya guy is your friend… So you do admit you have at least one?
Midoriya-kun…I would like to be friends with him, but sometimes I just say things and pretend they're alright when they're not… Why am I explaining this to you when you already know?
If you keep pretending to be normal then only you will be hurt in the end which means I'll be hurt.
Y-You care that much about it?
No you idiot, I feel the same crap you do so stop feeling so damn sorry about yourself!
Y-Yes!
"Sunny! Are you alright? I messaged you last night but you didn't answer…," Tokage said, weary to embrace me.
"Huh?" I pulled out my phone from my bag and sure enough there were a few missed calls and messages from Tokage and surprisingly enough even Kendo and a few of the other girls. They all centered around the same message "Are you okay?".
"Sorry Tokage-san! I put my phone on silent after the festival ended!" I said. "I'm really bad about turning the sound back on!"
"…I think you need a new phone, Sunny."
"I'm fine though. I was just a little shaken from the festival."
Liar.
"Really? I guess it makes sense. You looked really concerned for that boy. What was his name again? Midoriya?"
I nodded. "He comes into the nurse's office a lot."
"That makes sense. He has a history of getting hurt so you wanted to stop that from happening again."
I wonder how he's doing after our two days off…
"Today we will be choosing our hero names!" The class cheered in response. "This has to do with the pro hero drafts we were working on during the break and your up-and-coming internships with pros."
Everyone seemed pumped.
"Just remember that your hero names will be temporary. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take this seriously. Most pro heroes keep the names they came up with in high school. When you give yourself a name you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it. That's what it means to say that names and natures often agree."
"Sensei, can we see who got drafted?"
"Oh yes! I almost forgot," he said, hitting a button on a remote as names and numbers appeared.
"W-What is this?" I muttered, my eyebrow twitching.
AHAHA, YOU DIDN'T DO SHIT AND YET YOU GOT OVER A THOUSAND DRAFTS.
It's because I have a recovery-type quirk! Any pro would love to have a sidekick to act as a support.
"Wow, Sunny! A lot of people want you," Tokage said as boards were passed down the columns.
"You got a few too, Tokage-san," I told her, trying to make her feel better about the ten she received.
"True. It's better than Monoma at least."
I uncapped my marker and stared at the board.
A name…for what I want to be like in the future…?
Smart?
Confident?
Pretty?
Really…?
What? You don't think you're pretty so you would want to be pretty in the future.
These are just adjectives!
Some hero names are just adjectives…
This is a lot of pressure to have on the spot…
"Eh? You still didn't come up with a name yet?" Tsunotori asked as the girls migrated to the back of the room where I sat during break.
"What about Sunny?" Tokage suggested.
"I don't think that would fit me well," I replied.
"But I made it with your name in mind," she whined.
"Something that gives an idea about your quirk like Recovery Girl would be good," Kendo said in thought.
"Guardian?" Komori suggested.
"That makes me sound like I have defensive skills," I sighed, laying my head on the table.
"I mean it's just temporary, right? It shouldn't matter what you put now," Shiozaki said, trying to cheer me up.
"I've just…never thought of it before…you all already know what name you want…," I mumbled.
"G1B?" Kodai spoke up.
"Acronym? G2B sounds cooler though," Tokage remarked.
I liked my ideas. Baka…Dame…Yariman?
During lunch, I sat in the infirmary flipping through the pages of agencies my homeroom teacher gave me.
"Sensei, do you think I should go to an internship for disasters, rescues, or fighting villains?"
"I told you not to call me sensei," she replied to me, handing me a sheet of paper. "These came in my mailbox today."
"Hospitals?" I questioned.
"Even hospitals can have specialties whether it's because of who is working there or the environment the hospital is in."
"I see…it would be wiser for me to go where my quirk would get the best form of growth…" I turned back to the pages of hero agencies before my eyes landed on a familiar name. "Endeavor…? Why would he send a draft for me?"
I felt uneasy about seeing his name on my list, but I pushed it off as my hate for heroes like him who are selfish.
"I'm not going to choose for you…but if you want my opinion on the best hospitals to have an internship at…"
It's been going through your fucking head all day. Will you just go to him and fucking see how he is doing?!
It's too weird to walk into his class and it's not like I see him around school normally.
That's why you get his phone number so you can ask him to meet up with you!
I barely use my phone though…
Does it sound like I give a damn?
Yes. You wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't care.
You're so frustrating!
"Ah, Todoroki-kun," I said, seeing him when I picked up my umbrella from the bin. "Hello…"
"Hey," he said flatly, but it was a better response than I anticipated.
"Are you heading home now?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want to walk home together?"
"…do what you want."
Well he didn't say no…
You should have been pushy and just say you're walking home together.
I'm not going to take advice from you!
"Did you decide on where you're going for your internship yet?"
"Yeah."
"Better than me…I didn't decide on one…"
"What are your options?"
"I got over a thousand, but I'm looking more at the inquiries from hospitals since I'm going towards a medical future. I shouldn't be surprised at the amount of hero agencies that want a healing quirk, but I didn't expect an agency as big as Endeavor's would draft me in my first year."
Todoroki stopped walking and stared at me in disbelief.
"Todoroki-kun?"
"…Endeavor…sent you an offer?"
"I knew it…it was odd huh."
Todoroki looked like he was in deep thought when he shook his head. "Forget it."
Did I upset him? Maybe he didn't get an offer from there…I don't see why he wouldn't get one…
Trying to change the subject I pulled out my phone. "Let's exchange numbers. That way if you're ever in need of treatment, you can call me over."
He stared at my phone for a while until he pulled out his own and traded it with me.
How…How do I use his phone? Is this a smartphone?
Todoroki's POV-
Who uses phones like these anymore?
After messing around with her phone for a bit, I managed to find the option to add a new contact. I looked up to give back her phone only to see her face flustered.
I shouldn't have anything inappropriate in my phone for her to be so flustered. Before I could ask what was wrong, I heard a sound erupt the silence from my phone.
It was a familiar tune.
"A-Ah! H-How do I m-make it s-stop?" Asano panicked, flailing around. "Why are there a bunch of candy on the screen?!"
I held my hand out to her. "Here, let me…" She gave my phone back to me and with one easy button I exited the game. "You didn't put your number in yet?"
Was she just going through my phone?
Her face was still flushed as she fiddled with her fingers. "I-I'm really bad at using my own phone…so using a smartphone…"
She's old-fashioned.
"I'll call myself on your phone then." I flipped open her phone and dialed my number.
"Sorry…," she said after I gave her phone back. "I'm the one who brought up exchanging numbers too…"
"I'm going this way," I told her, pointing off to the side.
"Ah, I'm this way… G-Goodbye Todoroki-kun," she said, waving with a light pink hue gracing her cheeks.
Is she still embarrassed about the phone thing?
Haru's POV-
I can't believe I walked home with someone!
I fell face first on my bed and rolled around, holding a pillow to my face.
I even exchanged numbers with them!
I sat back up and pulled out my phone, looking at the name. "Todoroki Shoto…"
Why are you so bubbly about getting his number? You already have the numbers of everyone in your class and that Shinso guy.
"Because I asked for the number rather than the other way around. I've never walked home with a classmate before…even though it wasn't all the way to my house."
Well now that you've had practice you can ask Midoriya about it tomorrow!
"I can do this!"
Midoriya's POV-
"Midoriya-kun!" I turned to see Haru jogging over to me and Uraraka whom I was walking with to the cafeteria.
"Haru-chan?"
"Do you have time?" she asked, realizing I wasn't alone.
I turned to Uraraka who shook her head. "I'll go on ahead."
"What did you need?" I asked Haru.
"I wanted to check in on your injuries. I didn't see you at the infirmary at all yesterday," she pouted.
"Ah, well…I had a lot on my mind…"
"Internships and hero names?"
"Mm."
"Well don't think too hard or you'll get stressed out," she laughed, grabbing me by my wrist. "Let's go to Recovery Girl's office."
She soon let go of me as I fell into step with her. I sat on a rolling stool while she gave me a quick check up and Recovery Girl healed my arm.
"You should be more conscious about your injuries," Recovery Girl scolded before leaving to get her lunch.
"Before I forget," Haru said, digging into her pocket. I looked at her curiously, partly wondering if it was her jar of gummies, as she pulled out her pink flip-phone. "Let's exchange numbers."
…a-a g-girl wants m-my number?!
Suddenly I remembered her confession.
"I just know…everything feels right when I'm with you."
My face heated up and sweat fell down my face as I took her phone and inputted my number.
"H-Here," I said, handing her phone back to her with my gaze averted. I tugged on the collar of my shirt.
Is it hot in here?
"I'll send you a message later so you'll get my number." She tucked her phone away and looked back at my flustered state. "Hm…I just remembered…we were in the middle of talking when I got a call during the sports festival…"
She brought it up! She must want an answer!
"I-It's fine! S-See you around, H-Haru-chan!" I shouted as I bolted out of the room.
I'm sorry, Haru-chan! I can't respond to your feelings yet!
Haru's POV-
"…why did he run out of the room like that?" I asked, sweat trickling down the side of my face. "Did I say something weird?"
I think he's naturally really bashful.
"I've noticed…"
Midoriya's POV-
"Izuku, I'm heading to bed now!" my mom said.
"Good night!" I replied, lying back on my bed, scrolling through my phone. "Hm? I got a message." I sat up and opened the message to see an unknown number.
"I'm really sorry if I just woke you up, Midoriya-kun. I forgot to message you! I'm really bad at using my phone… Anyways, this is my number! We can talk to each other whenever we want now! (^-^)"
My face heated up once I realized this was Haru.
W-Why does she have to s-say it like that? What's with that face…? It's…cute…
I reread the message ten times over as if I was reading it for the first time. I didn't even realize how big of a grin I had on my face.
"Ah! I should send her a response!" I hit reply and tried to figure out what to say.
I've never messaged a girl before…I have the girls in my class' numbers…but I've never actually messaged them on it…
Haru's POV-
"I guess he's asleep. That's good. I would feel bad if I woke him up," I said, stretching in my black sports shorts and white tank top.
Why are you so eager for his response?
I-I'm not eager!
…who do you think you're talking to?
I laid down on the floor and started doing sit-ups.
I-I've n-never initiated conversations t-through text before, a-alright!
Now that you mention it…the only person you go out of your way to call and text is Nezu and Recovery Girl.
Y-You make it sound like a bad thing… I'm just not that attached to my phone.
You're in the wrong generation…
I turned onto my stomach and started planking.
I just don't see the appeal…
I heard a beeping and dropped onto my stomach.
"A message?" I asked, surprised as I scrambled to my bed to grab my phone. "It's from Midoriya-kun!"
"I'm still awake, haha. Yeah, it will definitely be easier to message you since we're not in the same class. I didn't wake you up either, right? (O_O) Sorry if I did."
You're not going to take an hour to send your message like last time, right?
Ignoring the voice, I typed up my response.
Midoriya's POV-
"She responded!" I stated, quickly opening the message.
"No, I'm still awake. I'm just stretching before bed. You should too! It's good to loosen up your muscles after sitting in class all day. \(^-^)/ Haha, I even got the emoticon to stretch!"
I couldn't help but laugh as I formulated my response.
Haru's POV-
"Like this? /(=_=)/"
"Pfft. W-What is this? He looks so tired and unenthusiastic about it!"
Go to sleep already!
"Come on you party pooper. Let's see what he has to say about this."
Midoriya's POV-
"We'll work on your form another time. Hey, could you help me come up with a girl's name?"
A girl's name?
"Well if I think about some of the popular names in Japan…"
Haru's POV-
"Yui…Rin… Well you definitely act cold. Mizuki…?" I thought about the names Midoriya recommended. "Water moon? I think it could mean beautiful moon too… I like it. What do you think?"
…fine…
You're not going to complain?
Out of the names he gave you, you thought this one suited me the best, right?
Yeah…
Then I'm fine with it.
A few days later I was at the train station with my classmates and homeroom teacher.
"Wah! Our internships are so far from each other Sunny!" Tokage whined, clinging onto me.
"It's only a week," I reasoned.
"You don't have a costume?" Tetsutetsu asked me.
I shook my head, "I didn't think I needed one so I didn't fill out the form."
"That's not good. You should get one after the internships are over," Kaibara said to me.
"It'll be the plainest thing you've ever seen if I do…"
"You're not restricted by your quirk, so just make it a costume that you normally wouldn't wear," Kaibara suggested.
Are you seriously thinking about making it a puffy magical girl costume like the ones you saw on TV?
N-Not anymore!
We all went our separate ways. I felt a vibration in my pocket and pulled out my phone.
Midoriya-kun?
"Did you just get on your train?"
I looked out the window as the whistle blew, signaling that we were to depart in the next minute. I turned back to my phone and began my reply. "Yeah, what about you? I never got around to asking where your internship is."
"I just got on. I'm heading to Yamanashi Prefecture. What about you?"
Eh?!
"Where in Yamanashi?! I'm going to the Captial, Kofu!"
"Same! Does that mean we're on the same train?!"
I quickly dialed his number and waited for him to answer so I wouldn't have to text and wait for his response.
"Hello? Which car are you in?"
"I'm in the fifth one."
"Ah, I'm in the seventh one! I barely made it before the doors closed. I'll come to you."
He hung up and in a few minutes, he appeared with his luggage. He sat beside me and we talked the entire way to Kofu about how our classes were. The atmosphere is completely different in mine than his.
He offered to walk me to the hospital before he headed to his own destination.
"Hero costume?" he repeated after I asked him for advice on where to start when designing a costume. "You don't have one?"
"I just left it blank when I applied," I shrugged. "I didn't think it was necessary, but I guess I should have one…"
"Your quirk is like Recovery Girl's, right?" he asked, handing me his suitcase while he pulled out a notebook. I peeked over to see what he was looking at to see a page with my name on it. He scribbled down the basics of what Recovery Girl's quirk does and started mumbling to himself about costume design.
H…How do you get him to stop?
"M-Midoriya-kun?" I asked, wearily with a smile as we arrived at the hospital.
"Ah! Sorry, Haru-chan! I didn't notice we were already here!"
"I-It's fine. You looked really focused so I didn't want to bother you."
"…s-sorry… I get carried away sometimes."
You didn't think he would mumble the whole fifteen minutes it took to walk here.
"Don't worry about it," I said, handing him his suitcase. "You should hurry over to your internship before it gets dark."
"Right, see you!"
"Bye." I waved as he ran off.
I turned around to look at the hospital.
Kofu Hospital is known for their partnership with Fujiwara Corp which means they will have recovery quicks on a whole different level than I've seen.
I thought back to my conversation with my uncle before I left in the morning.
"Haruka…if you want to come home at any point during your internship…just come. Be careful while you're under Kofu General Hospital's care."
Does he not have faith in my capabilities?
I sighed.
I wouldn't blame him. I'm such a wimp when it comes to using it.
-MEANWHILE-
"So you want to add me to your numbers? No matter what you want to accomplish, it is necessary to have conviction and desire. Those without it and those who are weak will be weeded out. It's only natural. That's why it turns out like this," said the Hero Killer Stain as he held two knives on both sides of Shigaraki's head, one of which was wedged into his shoulder.
"Oww… That's too hard," Shigaraki whined. "Kurogiri, take this guy back."
"I-I can't move my body…," Kurogiri responded. "It must be the hero killer's quirk…"
"This society overgrown with fake heroes, where the word itself has lost its true meaning, and the criminals who wave their power around idly should all be purged," Stain said, moving his free knife closer to Shigaraki's face.
Shigaraki grabbed ahold of the blade and clenched his fist around it. "Hey, wait a sec… Not this palm… I'll kill you. You sure talk a lot." The blade began to crack. "Conviction?" He crushed the blade into ash. "I don't have anything grand like that. If I had to say it… Yeah, it would be All Might. I feel like I really want to completely crush this society, where trash like that gets worshipped." He grabbed at Stain, but he was able to jump back and evade Shigaraki's hand. "My last injury was finally about to finish healing… We don't have a healer in our party, you know. Will you take responsibility for this?"
"So that's who you are."
"Huh?"
"It seems our goals oppose each other. However, we do agree on one thing—to destroy the present."
"Stop messing around. Go home. Die. I'm the kind of person you hate the most, right?"
"I was testing your true motives. People show their true colors when they're on the verge of death. It's different, but there is a desire in you. A warped sprout of conviction is living inside of you. How will you grow? It might not be too late to wait until after I've seen that to dispose of you…"
"You're gonna dispose of me? Kurogiri, I don't want someone this crazy as a party member."
"Shigaraki Tomura, he will be a great asset if he joins us," Kurogiri reasoned. "The negotiations were successful."
"My business is done. Now, return me to Hosu. There are still things I must attend to there," Stain ordered.
Haru's POV-
Kofu Hospital was not to be messed with. I've met people with quirks that allow them to see skeletal regions, muscles, and even atoms. There were even quirks that had medical qualities like a water-user who can create a ball of water that heals burn victims without scarring. There were fire-users who can heal those brought in with hypothermia, and earth-users who could help those with problems keeping balance.
For me I need to touch someone to activate my quirk, but I met a doctor who just needs to be within ten feet of a patient and they could release an aroma that accelerates the healing process.
I mostly served as an assistant here, moving to a new doctor every four hours to shadow. They were quiet intimidating at first to be around, but after my first day everyone seemed to be warming up to me.
"Asano-chan, you're more comfortable using your quirk on animals, right?" the doctor I was currently shadowing asked me. Her quirk allowed her to manipulate patient's dreams since there are studies that suggest a correlation between positive thoughts and recovery rates especially when dealing with cancer.
"Yeah…," I replied, a bit embarrassed at how lame I must sound.
This doctor had taken a particular interest in me. Her hero name was Yume and she has short orange hair and sharp emerald green eyes behind her spectacles.
"What about a human with a quirk that alters their body into an animal or something not resembling a human?"
"I've never tried before…"
"Just our luck. We got someone an hour ago in the emergency room. They got into a bar fight gone wrong."
"E-Eh?! I-I couldn't."
"You will never know you can't until you try."
She pushed me down to the ER and we stopped at a bed where an unconscious man laid with both his arms warmed up in a mummy-like fashion. His quirk seemed to be a lion-form.
Ack, he reeks of alcohol…
The Yume put her hand on my shoulder. "You can do this, Asano-chan."
I bit the inside of my cheek and looked through the patient's chart to see what the damage was.
A broken arm and a nasty gash on the other arm…other than that it seems like it's just some minor bruising and scratches here and there…
I put down the chart and looked him over. He certainly did not look human in the least.
I took a deep breath and placed my hands on him: one hand on his stomach and the other on his shoulder.
They're not shaking!
I pictured my hands sending off little radio waves to his cells to pick up the slack and do their job already.
He's stamina is low…I can't continue to treat like this…
You saw a plant by the ER front desk, right? I wonder if it's real.
I slowly shut my eyes.
Is it real…?
Sure enough, a few paces behind me I could sense an organic mass. I opened my eyes as the light from the plant floated over to my hands and faded just as soon as it made contact to show the transaction was completed.
I backed-up wearily, still not fully understanding what I just did. A part of me was scared that I may have just used the last bit of energy this poor man had left and killed him, but another part of me felt it was the best course of action to take because his stamina was lowered from my previous treatment.
"Let's see if it worked!" the Yume cheerfully said to me as she unwrapped the man's arms. "Huh?"
"D-Did I do something wrong?"
"No…it's just…he's completely healed." She quickly felt for a pulse, relieved to have found one, she then sent me to an exam room for her to give me a check-up.
"I don't understand what's going on," I told her after she was handed a paper from a nurse.
The nurse bowed and left the room. "That man we saw earlier-"
"D-Did I do something to him?" I asked, my hands beginning to tremble.
"No! Well…you did do something to him…we just don't know what. His stamina definitely lowered when you treated him and there was no way you could have healed him to the extent that you did in the state he was in."
"…what are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying…Asano-chan, is there more to your quirk than you're telling us?"
"I'm not following…"
"Sometimes a quirk can serve more than just one function. If you train your quirk enough you will start to see more possibilities to grow and sometimes you may even see that your quirk was something different than you original thought it to be."
"So…I don't have a recovery quirk?"
"No, you do have one, but it seems to have evolved more than what we were told on your transcript."
Before we could continue our discussion, someone ran into the room and told Yume about an incident in Hosu. Hosu General Hospital was requesting additional aid from Kofu General Hospital since it was the closest Fujiwara allianced hospital.
I was brought alongside eight doctors and ten nurses in a private jet. I was nervous, but Yume personally asked for me to come along. She said I could prove to be useful, but if I were to treat patients who looked human then I would be useless. Everyone was aware of that, but didn't question her.
It wasn't long before we landed in a park nearby the hospital in Hosu. I checked my phone to see what time it was, but I was met with a new message from Midoriya.
With furrowed brows, I opened it and an alert popped up claiming my phone couldn't support the message.
Did he send me a file?
"Midoriya-kun, what is this? I can't see it."
Something about his message felt ominous and the feeling only grew as a minute passed.
Maybe he sent it to others too? It could be chain mail.
Let's message Todoroki-kun.
"Todoroki-kun, did you get a weird message from Midoriya-kun? I don't think my phone can support whatever it is he sent."
Less than a few seconds passed before I received a response that made my blood go cold just as I got off the jet. "Hosu Ekou Street, District 4. SOS."
"Asano-chan?" Yume called out. "Where are you going?"
"My friends are in trouble!" I shouted, running off. I didn't know where Ekou Street, District Four was, but I couldn't let that stop me. I caught sight of a bunch of pro heroes righting off strange creatures. The destruction and injured were displeasing to look at, but I couldn't let that distract me. "Where is District Four?" I asked a pro hero on a stretcher. They directed me through their own pain and as a token of my appreciation I gave him a few gummies I had brought with me to start his healing process.
I ran off again, this time picking up my speed despite how my sides began to cramp.
Where… Where are they?!
Calm down! If they were in trouble we would have heard or seen something out in the open. Try looking down the alleyways.
You're right…
Before long I heard a familiar voice talking.
Todoroki-kun?
I quickly skidded to a stop and looked off to the side to see the light from Todoroki's left side and the ice he had out in the alley. He was fighting someone and from what I could see, there were at least three people on the floor.
I didn't have time to think. I needed to act now.
But if only I had thought things through. Would anything have ended any differently?
"Todoroki-kun!" I shouted, shoving him off to the side in time for him to avoid a thrown knife.
"Asano!" he shouted as I fell on top of him. "Your shoulder!"
I gritted my teeth, quickly pulling myself off him to get a good look at the sharp pain in my shoulder. My eyes widened in disbelief at the knife wedge deep into my shoulder blade.
It hurts…
"You're…from class 1-B…," a boy on the ground I recognized to be Iida said. "Why…"
"Someone new came to join?" a deep voice asked. I looked up through pained eyes to see a man who hid himself behind cloths and scars. "What can you do?" He charged at me with his sword, but Todoroki came to my defense.
"Get away from her!" he shouted, his ice pushing the villain back while I gripped the handle of the knife with my opposing hand.
"It hurts, it hurts," I said over and over through gritted teeth and teary eyes as I tried to pull out the knife.
"Haru-chan!" I heard Midoriya's voice shouting continuously as my head started to feel light.
"Ahhh!" I said, finally getting the knife out of my shoulder.
"Dammit," Todoroki cursed, pulling me to his side with his right arm. "How bad are you bleeding?"
"I-I'll be fine," I manage to spit out.
"Like hell you are!"
"T-Trust me. I-I heal fast."
Perhaps remembering my specialty was healing had calmed him enough to focus more on battling, but the opponent in front of us seemed more intrigued about me.
"Your eyes…," he said, cutting down one of Todoroki's ice columns. "Those are the eyes of someone who has seen the truth."
"What are you talking about?" Todoroki asked.
"The girl of course," he said, charging forward once again.
"Get down!" Todoroki shouted at me, pushing me down by my head as he was knocked back by the impact of the villain destroying his ice just as he summoned it.
"Haru-chan!" Midoriya shouted once again from his spot on the ground. "Get out of there!"
Before I could register anything, I was face to face with the villain, a blade pressed ever so lightly to my neck.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked me as I shook my head, too frozen in shock to even cry and plead for my life. "My name is Stain… I'm known as the Hero Killer."
Stain…
I've heard that name come up from time to time in the news, but I've never paid much attention to it.
"I am here to purge the world of false heroes."
False….heroes?
"Those who dare to claim the name of a hero while continuously reaching for compensation do not deserve to live."
My eyes widened and his sick grin grew. "You know what I'm talking about. I can see it in your eyes. Humans are more honest when faced with death. You're lacking in your conviction, though."
Conviction? What…does that have to do-
He leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Without conviction, you will die. I do applaud your tenacity for coming here when your friends needed help, but you can't even help yourself."
"L-Let me go…," I managed to breathe out.
"Seeing the problem is only the beginning. I'm curious to see how you will fare from here on out. What path will you both take?" he whispered.
"Leave her alone!" Midoriya shouted.
"LET ME GO!" I shouted, letting the blade graze my neck as I grabbed his wrist with the both of my hands and twisted it enough for him to loosen his grip on the sword. He pulled out a dagger in his free hand to get me off him, but I reached out and blocked his attack with my arm. "AAAHHH!"
The pain was almost unbearable as his blade nearly went halfway through my arm. I could feel my arm going limp from the severed nerves.
I heard my name being called out, but it was becoming too far for me to hear.
Todoroki's POV-
Before I could register what was going on, Asano went from being a hostage, to fighting back only to nearly get her arm cut off, to almost completely healed with Stain as far from her as he could get.
He looked obviously weakened, but from what I saw Asano did nothing. Could there be someone else watching over us from the shadows? "Asano, get back!"
Dazed, she quickly snapped out of it and ran back to my side.
She wasn't kidding when she said she was a fast healer.
"Asano, can you look after those three while I hold Stain off till more pro heroes come," I asked.
She nodded and went first to Midoriya.
"Midoriya-kun!" she said.
"Y-You're alright?" he asked in just as much disbelief as I had.
"I'm still hurt, but they're not as bad as before…," she said, almost not believing it herself. "It's not much but I have my recovery gummies on me. "I'll give a few to everyone."
"Why…are you three doing this? I've inherited my brother's name. I have to do it…! That guy's mine…!" Iida said.
"You inherited it? That's strange," I said, defending the four behind me with my left and right side in sequence. "The Ingenium I saw before didn't have that look on his face, though. You've got a lot going on behind the scenes in your family too, huh?"
"T-Todoroki-kun," Midoriya said as Asano helped him up into a sitting position.
Haru's POV-
"To block your own view against an opponent faster than you… What a foolish plan," Stain said.
"I wonder about that," Todoroki responded, bringing out his flames once again.
I noticed something flying at him from above. "Todoroki-kun! Watch-"
He was hit in the arm with two knives.
"You're both pretty good though," Stain said, referring to Todoroki and myself.
I felt Midoriya move in my arms just as Stain aimed for the pro hero Native. In a flash Midoriya was up against Stain, dragging him against the wall of the alley.
"Midoriya!" Todoroki shouted.
"Midoriya-kun!"
"I can move normally for some reason now!" Midoriya reported.
He couldn't move before? I thought he was just badly injured.
"A time limit?" Todoroki questioned.
"No, that kid should've been the last one he got," Native said. "I can't move yet."
"Get back, Midoriya!" Todoroki shouted while I fed Native a few gummies to heal some of his injuries. Midoriya dodged Todoroki's ice and made his way back over to us.
"He takes in a person's blood to keep them from moving. Since I got free first…I can think of three possible reasons. It could be less effective with more people, the amount ingested could affect how long it works, or there could be a difference in effectiveness based on a person's blood type!" Midoriya reasoned.
A quirk that paralyzes a person when they consume their blood?
"Blood type…? Mine is B…," Native said.
"I'm type A," Iida said.
"Blood type? That's correct," Stain said.
What kind of villain reveals his quirk's secrets like that?!
"I can't really do anything just by knowing his quirk though," Midoriya said after I patched Native's injuries with the bandages I had in my backpack as best as I could under the circumstances. I stood opposite of Midoriya beside Todoroki.
Won't he be at risk for aids or something by ingesting all that blood?
"I wanted to hurry up and carry those two out of here, but he can react so fast, he can avoid ice and fire, Todoroki stated. "I can't leave myself that open and Asano can't lift either of them. I think our best option is to hold on by avoid close combat until the pros get here."
"Todoroki-kun…Asano-chan…you've both already shed too much blood. I'll distract him. Todoroki-kun, support me from behind while Asano-chan watches over Native and Iida-kun."
"That's a pretty big risk, but yeah…the three of us will protect them!"
"Be careful, Midoriya-kun," I told him to which he nodded.
"Two against one, huh? It won't be easy."
I backed up and pulled Iida and Native closer together.
I can't get to Iida-san's wounds with his armor in the way. I can't take off his armor either on the off chance the Hero Killer will be able to get past both Midoriya-kun and Todoroki-kun…
"Dammit," I cursed, hating myself for my irrational fear of using my quirk on others. "Iida-san, please take these. They won't be able to do much, but it's better than letting your wounds fester."
"…why are you helping me?" he asked, following my request as I fed him.
"…Midoriya-kun was in trouble…so I came… I didn't know the details, but…" I turned to look at the battle where Midoriya was jumping off the walls and Todoroki was firing off his ice and fire to keep Stain away from Midoriya. "…even if they weren't here…if I walked by and saw you hurt… I can't just stand by when I can help…" I laughed almost pathetically, taking one of Iida's hands in mine. "…but I forget sometimes that I can't do what others can…" I gave him a pained smile and tightened my grip on his hand. "We'll all make it out of here…so just hold on till then."
"You're…shaking…"
"Todoroki-kun and Midoriya-kun are doing their best, so we need to give it our all too." Smiling despite the pain, fear, and confusion was something All Might always did. He smiled to make sure people knew everything was okay, so they could feel at peace as if the situation was under control.
"Stop it already…I'm…already…," Iida pleaded, tears and sweat running down his face.
"If you want us to stop, then stand up!" Todoroki shouted.
"Midoriya-kun!" I shouted, when Stain licked his blood off his blade. I wanted to run over to him and tell him everything would be okay. I wanted to heal his wound, but if I ran out there right now I might die.
"Look properly at what you want to be!" Todoroki shouted as I released Iida's hand to stand beside Todoroki as if I could do something to help.
"Todoroki-kun…can you distract him while I check on Midoriya-kun?" I requested. "…I'll…be alright."
"…stay low," he told me as I ran towards Midoriya, ducking and dodging Todoroki's attacks.
I slid on my knees to his side. "Did he cut you deeply?"
"N-No, I-I'm fine…," Midoriya struggled to say while I wrapped his leg where the cut was. "Thanks…"
"I'll try to-" I turned around to see why Midoriya's face darkened to see Stain's katana about to slice off Todoroki's arm.
"Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya and I shouted simultaneously.
"Recipro…burst!" Iida shouted after regaining control of his body. He was able to break Stain's katana and save Todoroki.
"This has nothing to do with you three…," Iida said.
"You're still saying that…," Midoriya replied.
"That's why I can't allow you all to bleed more than this!" Iida stated.
"It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake. A person's essence does not change so easily. You will never be anything but a fake who prioritized his own selfish desires. You are a cancer to society that warps the idea of heroes. Someone must set you straight."
"You're an anachronistic fundamentalist," Todoroki stated. "Iida, don't listen to the logic of a murderer."
"No, he's right… I have no right to call myself a hero… Even so…I cannot give in. If I give in, then Ingenium will die!"
"Out of the question!" Stain said as the battled continued on.
Come on. Come on, what can I do? What can I do to help?
"Ah! I can move," Midoriya was able to say as I helped him to stand.
"Sorry…the cut is deeper than I can treat right now…," I apologized, seeing the blood stain through the bandages and drip down. "I tried to apply pressure by wrapping them…but it won't hold for long…"
"This is fine…," Midoriya said as a red and green light surrounded his body. I backed away from him to give him room as he jumped into the air.
Midoriya-kun…has changed since I last saw him fight…
"Everyone is…" I fell to my knees once Stain was immobilized. "…amazing…"
"He's probably knocked out after all of that…right?" Midoriya asked while I sat on the ground in disbelief.
"Then, let's restrain him and get out to the street," Todoroki said. "Is there anything to tie him up with? Asano's bandages would be too flimsy."
I shook my head and pulled myself together to join the group.
"Just in case, let's take all his weapons off him," Midoriya said as I crouched beside Iida.
"Iida-san, is it alright if I remove your armor on your injured arm? It's not much but stopping the blood flow from your injury could go a long way in preserving function of your arm…if you think about the worst-case scenario."
"S-Sure…"
While Midoriya and Todoroki worked on Stain, I did my best to wrap up Iida's arm, but it didn't look good. Once I finished I put his armor back over his arm and we all got up to leave. The effects of Stain's quirk wore off Native and with Midoriya's leg the way it was, Native had to carry him.
They discussed the end result of the battle until we exited the alleyway where we were met with an old man kicking Midoriya in the face.
"This is the hero I'm interning with, Gran Torino…but why?" Midoriya asked, dumbfounded.
"I was told to come here all of a sudden," the old man fumed. "Well, I don't really know what's going on, but I'm glad you're okay."
"Gran Torino… I'm sorry."
More pro heroes joined us and called an ambulance to come get us.
"You were all injured because of me," Iida said, bowing to Todoroki, Midoriya, and I. "I am truly sorry. I couldn't…see anything…through my anger…"
"I'm sorry too…even though you were feeling so cornered, I didn't notice at all," Midoriya apologized. "Even though we're friends…"
"Pull yourself together. You're the class rep, right?" Todoroki said while I could only give Iida a sad smile.
It all happened so fast. Gran Torino warned us, but no one could react in time. No one could stop a strange flying creature from grabbing Midoriya, a boy who was standing just beside me.
"This society overgrown with fake heroes…and the criminals who wave their power around idly," Stain said, breaking free of his restraints to take down the creature. "…should all be purged. This is all…to create a more just society."
"Midoriya-kun!" I shouted, trying to run to him, but a pro hero held me back. "Let me go!"
"It's too dangerous!" the pro shouted at me just as Endeavor appeared.
Endeavor…I've never seen him so close…
"Hero Killer!" Endeavor happily said, ready to attack despite Stain's hold on Midoriya.
What is he doing?
"Wait, Todoroki!" Gran Torino shouted, catching me by surprise.
"T-Todoroki?!" I questioned, looking between the hero and the hero-in-training.
I-Is…What?!
I turned my attention back to Stain, who released Midoriya as his mask fell.
"You fake… I must make things right…," I flinched alongside everyone else who could feel the killing intent radiating off Stain. "Someone must be dyed in blood…I must take back what it means to be a hero! Come! Try and get me, you fakes! The only one I'll let kill me is the true hero…All Might!"
I couldn't tell if it was just me, but I could see a dark aura radiating from Stain stronger from before. This was the conviction he was speaking of, and it seemed to scare everyone. I was afraid too, but I can't lie. I understood everything he was saying, only I didn't agree with his purge.
Throwing myself out there in the face of death. I've done it before just a while ago.
I can do it again.
I broke free from the hero holding me captive as they were stricken in fear. No one went after me as I ran towards Stain. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as I took in his situation, trying to look through his aura.
He was badly injured. It's a surprise he is able to still keep himself up and moving. Before I could reach him, he had stopped moving and his knife slipped from his fingers to the floor.
I slowed down to cautiously walk towards him. His eyes rolled back to reveal the whites of the balls. I carefully reached over and felt the side of his neck for a pulse. "Ah…! H-He's…unconscious!"
And somehow still standing his ground!
Everyone calmed down, some falling back onto their butts.
"Let me help!" I said once we arrived at the hospital.
Yume was watching over my treatment as I was pushed on the gurney. "Tch, are you kidding?! Not only did you run away without a proper explanation, but you went and put yourself in danger! If you got killed how do you think your friends would feel the-"
"S-Sorry…," I cried, clenching my teeth and fists as I tried to fight back the tears. "…sorry…I want to get stronger…so I can help everyone…"
"Asano…chan…"
"I-I'll be a-alright so…," I looked up her. "P-Please treat the others before me!"
I walked into the boys' room with the pro hero Manual and Gran Torino. I was dressed in a pale pink dress shirt, a gray pencil skirt, my brown combat boots, and a white lab coat. There was a lanyard around my neck with an ID card that showed which hospital I belonged to. I had my hair tied up in a high ponytail and a clipboard pressed to my chest.
Hosu's chief of police, Tsuragamae Kenji, entered in later than us for dramatic effect. He wanted to speak to the boys about the incident after speaking to me prior on it.
During Tsuragamae's debrief of the situation, Todoroki cut him off to point out the flaws in the rules. I could see the flaws in both arguments, but the conversation will lead nowhere if we pointed out what ifs.
There was more to this conversation than a restatement of the rules of society—their options. Take the fame of capturing Stain and risk a grave punishment or give Endeavor the credit and remain nameless.
I wanted to stay and talk with the boys, but I was called by Yume through the pager I was given. I took my leave before being able to properly greet the boys and came into an office temporarily given to the doctors from Kofu.
"I'm here-" I stopped, my eyes trailing from Yume to Endeavor. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"
"No…Endeavor requested to speak with you privately," Yume explained, stepping out of the room.
I wearily sat across from Endeavor. "To what do I owe this…honor?"
"…what is your name. I recognize you from the sports festival."
You don't even remember someone you gave a draft to?
"Asano Haruka," I replied.
"Haruka…," he repeated, making the hair behind my neck stand. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to talk to the perfect example of heroes I so deeply despise.
How could Todoroki-kun be related to someone…someone like him?
"Sorry for calling you out of nowhere. You reminded me a lot of someone I knew when Shoto was still a child."
"Someone you knew?"
"Granted I've met her only once in person, I was given a photo of her before negotiations."
"Sorry, I'm not following… I've never met Todoroki-kun until just a month or so ago."
"Hm… It seems too perfect if you have met before."
"What?"
"Your hair color, eye color, and even skin color match a young girl who was said to be blessed with an extraordinary quirk, but she died at the age of five."
"T-That's terrible," I responded. "H-How?"
"I don't know the details, but she was betrothed to Shoto."
I gasped, losing my composure. "So are you trying to tell me that after having a quirk marriage yourself, you pushed one on your son?"
"It was all for Shot-"
"No, it wasn't. Don't you dare say you did it for him! I may not know you personally, but I have a pretty good idea of what kind of hero you are." I stood up, my hands clenched at my sides. "You're arrogant, selfish, greedy, and obsessed with outshining All Might."
"Watch your mouth girl!"
"I will not watch my mouth when speaking with you!" I shouted back at him. "You have not earned my respect and I do not expect that I have earned yours after this."
I made my way towards the door. I gave him one last look over my shoulder. He was seething, but he couldn't wreak havoc in a hospital.
"Good day…Endeavor."
I left the room, fuming about the hospital, trying to blow off steam.
I can't stand him! Now that I've spoken to him in person, I've consolidated my anger towards people like him. It doesn't matter if you end up saving lives in the end if your morals are all fucked up! If the government ever stopped compensating for heroic efforts, would that mean more lives would be in danger?
Listen to yourself. This was what that crazy guy was talking about. You can see the truth.
What?
You can see what's wrong with society just like him. People idolize heroes who aren't in it for the right reasons.
Don't you dare compare me to that villain!
You can't say I'm wrong. You both see the falsehood in modern heroics, but he looked for solutions that left blood on his hands. Remember he said he was curious what kind of path you would take.
AH! He said both…I remember it. He couldn't have been referring to Midoriya-kun or Todoroki-kun…he could have used a word that didn't imply two people… You don't think he could sense your presence, right Mizuki?
…there were times when he was looking at you that I thought he was looking at me. It's strange to say since all my senses are tied to yours.
I got that feeling too…like he was looking inside of me… He kept saying my eyes told him everything… Before when I was trying to get away from him…something happened. I don't quite understand what happened, but it was enough to spook him. Oddly enough, my injuries healed after that. I know my body can regenerate faster than the average person, but that was-
"Haru-chan?" I looked up to see a concerned Midoriya with a crutch under his arm.
"Midoriya-kun," I replied, giving him my full attention.
"You left in a hurry earlier so we didn't get a chance to talk."
"Sorry, I was called in to…speak with someone rather unpleasant."
"I was replying back to my friends in class 1-A. They were worried since I just sent them my location out of nowhere. I even replied to your message… I guess your phone doesn't have location sharing programed into it."
"Ah, my phone…I sort of…" I shyly twirled the end of my pony tail over my shoulder with one hand. "Broke it."
"Broke it? How?!"
"It must have fallen out of my pocket when Stain attacked me," I replied. "It was broken in half and the screen even got cracked."
"That's right! How is your arm? Your shoulder?"
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine," I responded modestly. "You, Todoroki-kun, and Iida-san suffered more than I did…sorry I ended up just getting in the way most of the time…" I unconsciously grabbed my right shoulder and left arm. Midoriya looked like he wanted to say something in retaliation, but I stopped him by taking ahold of his free wrist. "Let's go see the others."
We walked in to be met with a solemn atmosphere.
"Iida just finished getting examined," Todoroki explained.
"My left hand might have long-term damage…," Iida stated as my smile fell into a frown. "Both of my arms were pretty beat up, but it looks like the damage to my left arm was especially severe. There was damage to my brachial plexus. That just means I'll have trouble moving my hand and fingers, and experience some numbness. Apparently, there's a possibility that it can be healed with nerve transplant surgery."
"Iida-san…," I mumbled, nodding my head in agreement that that would be the only course of action to repair his hand.
"When I found the hero killer, I stopped being able to think. The first thing I should've done was tell Manual, but I forgot myself in my anger. I hate him, but he spoke the truth. That's why…until I become a true hero, I think I want to leave my left hand as it is."
I wanted to convince him to take the treatment as soon as possible rather than put a hold on it, but from the look on his face I could tell his mind was made up.
"Iida-kun, I feel the same way," Midoriya said, taking me by surprise.
What could he me-
He held up his scarred right hand and balled it into a fist. "Let's get stronger together."
I couldn't help but be reminded yet again that I was a failure. It was my fault that Midoriya's hand became crooked and it was my fault that I couldn't properly treat Iida in time to save his arm. The wounds they wore as a source of encouragement were what reminded me that I was in no shape to help anyone.
"I feel kind of bad…," Todoroki started, breaking everyone away from their train of thought. "I feel like if I get involved…other people mess up their hands… Is it a curse?"
The three of us couldn't help but laugh at how serious Todoroki's face was as he said this.
"I didn't know you could make jokes!" Midoriya laughed.
"No, I'm not joking. I'm like The Hand Crusher or something," Todoroki said causing me to fall into one of the open hospital beds laughing and clutching my stomach.
"The Hand Crusher!" Iida and Midoriya repeated.
"I-Is that your h-hero name or s-something?" I laughed.
Midoriya's POV-
It's been two days since the Hosu incident and five days since we started our internships. Since my injuries from Stain were not fully healed yet, I was stuck in a hospital bed.
On the news, the hero killer was the talk of the town. When seven pro heroes and four high school students came across the hero killer, Endeavor rushed over and took care of the situation. That was the official story released by the police. Just as the person from the police said: Iida, Todoroki, Haru, and my name were not made public, and our injures were explained away as accidents that happened during our internships.
The night Iida got the results of the examination of his injured arms, he went back with his mom to his parents' house.
As for Todoroki, who sustained relatively light injuries, he returned back to his internship with Endeavor.
Haru, who initially wanted to stay for my sake, decided to depart last night for Kofu to finish her internship.
I'm sure everyone else in class 1-A was working hard right now at their internships.
Haru's POV-
"That's why…if you can manipulate dreams, then…is it possible to pull out buried memories?" I asked Yume after explaining to her my irrational fear of using my quirk.
"…it's certainly possible…but I wouldn't recommend it," she replied wearily. "Neither of us know what triggered this fear, but if it's dangerous…pulling out the memory could leave you with brain damage or worse your heart could stop from shock."
I shook my head. "My body can regenerate faster than the average person, so I'm not worried about brain damage…now my heart…I'm sure that's something the doctors here could help manage."
"…I don't like this idea…but…"
"Please…I can't stay the way I am now… What's the point in having a quirk if I can't use it to help the people I care about?"
Yume furrowed her brows and gripped the bridge of her nose, trying to wrap her head around this situation. "I'll see what I can do…I'll talk to a few of my colleagues…"
"Thank you!" I shouted, bowing my head.
"I'm not guaranteeing anything," she snapped at me. "However…if we do this…it'll probably have to be during the night shift…"
A few hours later Yume told me in passing where to meet tonight while I was going on rounds with another doctor.
I was nervous and wanted to talk to someone about it, but the only person I could talk to was Mizuki and all she did was taunt me about everything that could go wrong during the procedure. I never got around to buying a new phone, so I couldn't message or call anyone. The only number I had memorized was my uncle's, but I wasn't about to call him and tell him I would be undergoing a risky procedure all for the sake of getting over my fears.
Knowing him he could forbid it and I told Yume I had my guardian's permission. It was a small lie that will hopefully be worth it in a couple of hours.
No one likes revealing their weaknesses and yet that's all I've been doing lately.
A few hours later I was in a hospital gown with my hair tucked away in a surgical hat. Yume helped me onto the bed I would asleep in as five doctors came in with four nurses. All the doctors Yume trusted to help with this were also all the doctors I have come to learn under so far.
"Asano-chan, we will put you asleep soon, but first I need to talk you through what's going to happen." I nodded. "Right now…"
She explained how my vitals would be monitored, who was in charge of what, and how I would be given a dosage of anesthesia strong enough to knock me out into a deep enough state of mind for her to come in. Yume said that once I lost consciousness she would be there with me to pull at the memory.
"If it becomes too dangerous, I will not hesitate to wake you up," she told me to which I nodded understandingly. "Are you ready?"
I held my shaking hands together, resting them on my stomach as a nurse came with the gas mask. I took a deep breath before signaling I was ready.
This is now or never…
In no time I fell fast asleep. All I could see was darkness.
"Asano-chan, can you hear me?"
"Yes!"
"I'm going to look for the memory now. Do you have any idea how far back it could be?"
"…I've been like this for as long as I could remember…probably…elementary school."
"You don't have a general idea of what it was about?"
"No…"
"Even just a hunch or a feeling could be helpful in finding it."
"…at times I feel like I'm a bad person… I did something to hurt someone…and I couldn't save them…"
"That could be anything…a little more specific."
I tried to think harder. "Losing control…I lost control of my quirk…and something bad happened… Sorry. I don't know much else… I-I think I went beyond someone's stamina limit with my quirk… I know I had to transfer a couple times throughout elementary school…but that was because of bullying…"
"The stronger the memory, the brighter it shines. Now if I look for the time frame you described… What?"
"Did something happen?"
"No… Just give me a minute."
Todoroki's POV-
"Tell me, how good is that friend of yours' quirk?" my father asked me while we were patrolling the streets.
Is he talking about Asano?
I ignored him as we walked.
"She reminds me a lot of your late-betrothed, except she has no sense of respect or manners," he muttered. "It looked like she was trying to pick a fight with me. She doesn't fully grasp just who she was talking to."
I stopped walking and turned to him. "Is that why you sent a request to her after the sports festival…? Because she looks like a dead girl?"
"Is it wrong of me if I did? If I had to picture what she would have looked like…had she grown up, Asano Haruka would be that image. You can't blame me for being skeptical if she really died. Their first names are practically the same and their quirks are both recovery-based."
I balled my fists at my sides. "Asano has nothing to do with this! How would you explain her upbringing? Her parents?"
My father put a hand up to his chin in thought. "Someone raised in the Fujiwara clan would never be so brazen if they didn't have anything to show for it. Asano is weak. She couldn't even properly heal you, who had the least amount of injuries."
I didn't fully understand how her quirk operated, but surely it was more complicated than my father made it out to be. There had to be a reason she was at U.A. where the top of the top learn to hone their skills.