A/N: This one-shot is special in a few ways. The prompt is "Talent Swap", so Tenko and Maki do have each other's talents. This story does feature other V3 characters, and they all have their canon talent. Anything else- read on to find out. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!
Day 6: To protect what matters
As of late, there were news of the a vigilante known simply as "The Deadly Flash". Witnesses could never describe the vigilante as more than a blur of movement. There were two things that made this particular vigilante notable:
First, they only went to after heinous, dangerous criminals, such as armed robbers, corrupt politicians, or criminal ringleaders.
Second, the vigilante always killed their targets painlessly. Whether it be by snapping their neck, or with a single stab to a vital region, the vigilante seemed to go out of their way to make sure none of their targets suffered.
Who was the person known as "The Deadly Flash"? What was their motive for murdering criminals, particularly in the way they did? That was the main topic of discussion in a classroom in Hope's Peak Academy.
"I personally am not interested in the identity of this killer, but rather their motives," Korekiyo Shinguji said. "Did they suffer some sort of injustice they wish to correct? Do they simply enjoy the the act of killing? Ke he he, I find myself curious about their inner workings…"
"Who the hell cares about anything like that? I wonder what kind of hunk of man he is," Miu Iruma said, drooling at her fantasy.
"What makes you so sure 'The Deadly Flash' is male?" Korekiyo asked.
"Uh, who else could they be? They must be covered in muscles to be able to pull off what they do!" Miu snapped at Korekiyo.
"Having not witnessed this killer in action, I can only make theories," Korekiyo said. "However, their MO seems to point to the opposite conclusion. They kill their targets swiftly, and make sure not to get spotted. This could indicate that they are not confident in proacted battles."
"Why are any of you talking about this?" Maki Harukawa asked, irritated. Maki had tried to ignore the conversation until now, but was finally fed up with it. "This conversation is pointless."
"Because we're bored, you kooky kung fu chick," Miu said derisively. "Our teacher is late for class, so we have nothing better to do."
"If you have nothing to do, how about trying to study for once, Miu," Tenko Chabashira lectured.
"Tch, you may be a mommy type, but you're not my mom," Miu said, rolling her eyes.
"Please don't talk to my girlfriend like that. I'd rather not start a fight, but you're really irritating me," Maki said, her hands balled into fists.
"Maybe someone like me has no right to have these thoughts. But what I wonder is how this 'Deadly Flash' feels about their kills?" Ryoma Hoshi asked. "When they're alone with their thoughts, do they see all the people they killed?"
"I would hope that they don't feel good for killing people," Tenko said, her face now pale. "Because if they stopped feeling bad about killing, would they even be human anymore? Would they become just another monster?"
"All of that is just you trying to apply your morality system onto someone to whom it does not apply," Korekiyo said. "Although, our entire conversation is much the same. After, all the only person who would know what 'The Deadly Flash' is thinking is the 'Deadly Flash'."
"The teacher could come back in at any time, so we should probably stop now," Maki said firmly. "And this conversation is upsetting Tenko."
"I suppose Tenko would never consider death or killing, given her line of work," Ryoma said, pulling his hat over his eyes. "I apologize for forcing you to listen to something so tasteless."
"It's okay," Tenko said, still looking shaken.
Not longer after, the teacher entered the room, and the rest of the class was forced to stop talking and at least pretend to pay attention.
After classes ended for the day, Tenko and Maki walked out together. Tenko was still rattled by the conversation from this morning, judging by the way she held arms across her chest.
"...They don't know, Tenko. You don't have to take what they say so seriously," Maki said softly to her girlfriend.
"I know, Maki," Tenko said, her face troubled. "But what if they're right? What if-"
"I know how you feel about what you have to do. And I decided to stick by you," Maki said firmly. "Because if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here."
Maki could still remember when she was first given her talent. While it made Maki proud of her efforts, it had also made her reckless. Maki ran into a fight it turned out she couldn't win against several opponents armed with guns.
Just when Maki resigned herself to the fact that she was going to die, her assailants all dropped dead without warning. A blur lept into Maki's view, then slowly resolved itself into a familiar silhouette. "Harukawa, is that you?"
That was how Maki really met Tenko, and that was how Maki ended up falling for Tenko.
"Are you going to be on assignment today?" Maki asked Tenko.
"Yes, I am! If there's any reason why I still do what I do, it's because of you," Tenko exclaimed. "I hope to make a world that's safer for you!"
"Then I will be waiting for you at my dojo. If you need help, I won't hesitate to come to your aid," Maki said. "And please… make it home safe."
Maki kissed Tenko on the cheek, and Tenko responded by kissing Maki on the forehead. After that, the two of them went their separate ways.
That night, violent crimes were being committed all across the city. Not all of them could be stopped. A certain vigilante, however, was determined to stop as many as she could.
When people did catch a view of "The Deadly Flash", all they saw was slim figure before she disappeared.
It gave Tenko no joy to take so many lives. But in the name of saving even more innocent lives, in the name of protecting the girl she loved- Tenko would do what it took.
A/N: Well, tomorrow is the end of TenMaki week. It's been fun, everyone! For tomorrow's final piece, I will write exactly as I want. Look forward to the final of these series of one-shots. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!