Chapter 22: The Final Exam & Shopping
Name: Luna
Quirk: Bast – She can assume the abilities of any cat, from regular housecats and lions to hybrids such as ligers and tigons. Her quirk is named after Bast, the Egyptian goddess of cats.
Appearance: Though usually taking on appearances of the cats' abilities, her usual look has been compared as eerily similar to a character of the anime RWBY known as Blake, however she has a tail, and they are complete opposites in terms of personality and choice of dress. She's 14.
Warning: Language and Adult Themes
Specific Warning: Nothing too extreme in this chapter
"Team Aizawa, Jiro, and Koda, practical exam. Ready, start!" the robotic voice announced.
Luna opened her mouth slightly, allowing the cacophony of smells to enter her system. Taking deep, long breaths, she could detect Present Mic's scent, but it was incredibly faint, suggesting he was much further in the forest. Jiro and Koda stood by, waiting for Luna's assessment.
"He's not close; probably near the exit." Luna reported, causing her two teammates to relax slightly.
"That's … weird. Present Mic-sensei's very direct and upfront with everything he does. To see that he's instead just waiting for us suggests he has something ready." Jiro tapped her foot nervously.
"He might have speakers, or other amplification devices." whispered Koda, causing his two teammates to nod.
"Regardless, let's go. We can talk as we walk."
The three carefully progressed forward, taking their time to make sure Present Mic wasn't just hiding around the corner.
"So, do we actually have a plan to take him down? Besides the cheetah maneuver." Jiro asked.
"I don't think I can rely on Bast. She's strong, but her hearing is much more finely tuned than mine. A regular attack from Present Mic-sensei could incapacitate us." Luna began.
I take offense to that statement. Bast protested.
Why? Because it's true? Apophis snorted.
You … shut up!
Luna heard a dry hiss, realizing that Apophis was laughing. Her own lips twitched in amusement but didn't let herself be distracted.
"I … I need to know what animals there are in the forest." Koda murmured. "But I don't think anything like a lion will be here – just regular woodland animals like birds and squirrels."
"I can't overpower him, even if I amp my earjacks up with my boots." Jiro said, plugging her earjacks into her boots and tapping them against each other in emphasis.
The three remained silent as they ran, looking about themselves while thinking.
"Maybe … Maybe I could ask Apophis for help. Snakes have bad hearing, right?" Luna asked Koda, who nervously nodded.
"Snakes can barely hear. A jumbo jet flying by sounds like a loud wind." Koda nodded.
"Well, we have that, but this is a team effort. We need to somehow work together."
"Maybe he can be a distraction." Jiro mused. "Koda-kun and I could attack when he's thoroughly distracted."
"Maybe some animals could help." Koda added quietly.
They came across a road, and decided to follow it, at least until they were close to the exit. Just as they were discussing tactics, however, a massive, visible soundwave of 'YEAH!'enveloped the three, causing them to collapse to their knees. All of them held their hands to their ears, but they might as well have been elsewhere, because it was like they couldn't move.
Luna in particular was affected, her head pounding incredibly hard and feeling like it would crack open like an egg. However, after a few moments, the attack ended, letting the three rise on wobbly knees.
"Koda-kun! You can control animals with your Quirk, right?" He nodded. "Can't you get the birds to attack him or something?" Jiro complained.
Koda shook his head vigorously, miming the fact that Present Mic's Quirk would scare them away if they got too close.
"Even if I plug my ears, it feels like my eardrums would burst. He's not just better … He's a new and enhanced version. We can't even get close to him." Jiro sighed.
The three began to make their way to the gate, jogging slightly as they got their senses back in order.
"Even if we got close to him, whether to handcuff or escape through the gate, he's probably in front of the gate, so we wouldn't be able to avoid him." Jiro began once again, only for another soundwave to hit the three. This time, they very clearly heard 'HURRY UP AND COME OUT!' They once again collapsed in agony, with the three believing that they would become slightly deaf by the end of this exam, whether they passed or not.
"If this keeps up, we'll be bleeding from our ears like at the festival." Luna muttered; an incessant, high pitch whine being heard in her ears no matter how many times she tried to clear them.
"Koda-kun! Can you control bugs?" Jiro suddenly asked, causing the boy to jump slightly. He paled when Jiro brandished an ant, releasing a silent scream as he beheld it. When Jiro brought it slightly closer, the poor boy fled about three or four meters and hid behind some trees, peering out slightly with a terrified expression etched on his face.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Present Mic bellowed, sending wave after wave of sound at the students. Poor Luna already had blood dripping from both ears, whimpering slightly as her head felt like a beachball surrounded by a horde of first graders. He offered them no respite, sending out wave after wave of attacks
"Do any of you have a plan?" Jiro shouted. Both Luna and Koda shook their heads vigorously, causing her to curse and release a blast of noise-cancelling noise from her boots. Present Mic looked none the worse, cleaning his ear with a pinky.
"Did I hear something?" he muttered.
"Koda-kun, just tell me if it's possible for you to control bugs or not."
He gave a shaky thumbs up, though he looked sick. Luna forced herself up, growling in annoyance. No matter how much she liked Present Mic, she abhorred the feeling of feeling helpless.
"I'll buy you two some time to build up your army." Luna shook herself.
Apophis, if I could have your assistance. Luna asked.
But of course. Take notes on how a real god fights. Bast hissed in annoyance but didn't say anything.
Don't kill him.
Psh. As if he's worth that.
Luna sighed. Even after so much time, Apophis proved himself a narcissist and elitist, looking down on everyone that didn't have divine origins. That could be fixed, thankfully. Hopefully.
Luna switched places with Apophis, letting her body morph into his while taking the back seat in her mind. Apophis drew himself to his full height, a towering 6'5" with a yawn, his eyes dilating into slits upon seeing his target looking at him. This time, instead of having legs, he was built more like a regular snake, with his tail trailing off after two or three meters. Koda flinched and squeaked in surprise, not having seen Apophis before. Even Jiro paled slightly.
Reassure them. Luna said.
Why? What's the point? Apophis whined.
Because they're my friends. No matter how much I like you, I will defend them.
"Fear not, mortals. Today, I am your ally." Apophis spoke, causing Luna's two teammates to nod hesitantly. Luna sighed again; it was better than nothing.
And then, Present Mic sent out a bloodcurdling yell, causing Jiro and Koda to fall to their knees once again. Apophis, however, merely narrowed his eyes.
"Quit it, pest!" Apophis snapped, lunging in short, quick bursts at Present Mic, who yelped in surprise before evading, now sending concussive blasts of sound to try to push Apophis back. He knew that Luna was buying time, but he had no idea how much this new form of hers was holding back. He instead concentrated on building up his voice to a specific pitch, focusing on dodging. The advantage currently was held by Present Mic, being nimbler than Apophis, who could only leap at him in short spurts.
And then, suddenly, Present Mic released an impossibly high-pitched shout, leaving Jiro and Koda unaffected because they weren't the target. Apophis however, froze, finding himself immobilized and unable to move, despite his fury.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Todoroki clenched his fists at his sides, watching as Apophis, and in effect, Luna, were immobilized by Present Mic's shout. He pressed a button on his costume, letting him stop while the suit itself continued to let out the pitch.
"They'll be fine." Yaoyorozu murmured, though she too looked worried.
"She needs to find a way to snap out of it, or at least have one of her teammates to smash his speakers." Midoriya said.
"But how? His costume immobilizes Luna-chan, and he can take care of Jiro-chan and Koda-kun without having to worry about Luna-chan." Uraraka worried.
"She's also on a time limit." Todoroki grimaced at Midoriya's assessment. "She doesn't have the same time as with Bast because Apophis is a whole different individual. If she can't find a way out, I think they lose."
Come on, Luna. Figure it out. Todoroki thought.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Both Bast and Luna were suffused with an impossible amount of fear. It was a miracle they weren't next to Apophis, for their hearts surely would have stopped pumping purely from the terror exuded from Apophis. For whatever reason, Apophis was terrified of not being able to move, panic clouding over his thoughts.
Apophis! What's wrong?! Luna asked but received no response.
Answer us, shedskin! What the hell's wrong?! Bast demanded, but she too received no answer.
And then, all of a sudden, the fear was gone. In place of the fear was tremendous amount of rage and animalistic instinct. They felt Apophis's aura basically quadruple, letting him snap out of the paralyzing waves. His staff elongated, the cobra head of the staff snapping open and pouring out a purple miasma, similar to what Bast used on the night Ito died. The plants that were hit with the poison instantly withered and died. He let out a crippling roar, lunging at Present Mic and swinging his staff to send a wave of the toxic chemical, forcing Present Mic to flee once again. The plants where he stood promptly turned a dead, withered black color.
Apophis! Calm down, you'll seriously injure him! Shouted Luna, sensing the killer instinct of a predator, but no reaction was given.
After several successful dodges, Present Mic stumbled, letting a small amount of acid land on him. He howled as it began to eat away at his costume and skin, quickly realizing that Luna no longer held the being back. He then began attacking Apophis with a truly impressive amount of sound in an attempt to subdue him, but he merely shrugged the attacks off. In a sudden leap, covering much more distance than usual, Apophis struck Present Mic in his midsection, causing him to crumple and be blasted through several trees before he propped himself up. Just as Apophis reached him, a sudden blast sent Apophis crashing through several trees of his own. The dust from the attacks obscured Present Mic's vision, carefully pricking his ears to try and hear Apophis.
Suddenly, he was smashed in the back by something whiplike, realizing that it was Apophis's tail. With Present Mic off balance, Apophis once again lunged, his hood now flared. The pattern on it temporarily hypnotized Present Mic, letting him be hit once again, this time by an uppercut from the staff. Once he was falling back to the ground, Apophis smashed his cane into Present Mic like a baseball bat, sending the man hurdling through even more trees before coming to a clearing.
When Present Mic stood, a small jimguri snake leaped at him, sinking its small fangs into Present Mic's elbow. It barely managed to puncture his costume and skin, but it caused Present Mic to rip it off him and throw it away with a shriek. Apophis rushed the man, but, to the snake's surprise, Present Mic was waiting for him, throwing a haymaker at his face.
"DJ PUNCH!" Present Mic shouted, connected with Apophis with enough force to cause a small crater, stunning the deity for a short amount of time. Using this respite, Present Mic fished out a remote, pressing the red button on it. A bunch of wires ejected from his back, connecting to hidden objects in the surrounding woods before they hummed, turning on. He took in a deep breath, before letting out his finishing move.
"LOUD VOICE!" Present Mic bellowed, hitting Apophis with what might as well have been several herds of elephants, blasting a massive cone in front of him, simultaneously destroying the hidden speakers and a massive number of trees, leaving nothing but the windswept earth. Apophis himself was sent crashing through tree after tree before finally slamming into a particularly massive oak, slumping before transforming back to Luna. She gasped, as if emerging from a body of water after holding her breath for as long as she could.
Present Mic ran over to Luna, but just as he was about to knock her out, the ground underneath him began to rumble ominously. Both Luna and Present Mic looked down, only for a swarm of bugs to erupt from the earth and converge onto Present Mic, who began to shriek at an ungodly pitch, causing the three students to wince. Thankfully, the bugs did the trick, causing the man to eventually faint from fright. Jiro slapped the handcuffs onto the immobile Present Mic.
"Nice job, Koda-kun!" Luna praised, causing the boy to flush scarlet. He nodded thankfully before motioning to Jiro, who was also now bleeding from her ears. "Jiro-chan, you too!"
"Aw, well, you know, without Koda-kun we probably would have lost." Jiro shuffled her foot and twirled one of her earjacks.
"Team Aizawa, Jiro, and Koda passed!" decreed the robotic announcer voice, causing the three to slump in relief.
After dragging Present Mic to Recovery Girl's office and the three students receiving treatment for their ears, she waved them off, letting the three know that Present Mic would be perfectly fine after a little nap.
Beaming in pride, the three made their way to the observation room, where they were flooded with compliments.
"Let's be real, Koda-kun was MVP there." Jiro said, dragging the boy into the spotlight. He once again colored and tried to shake his head, but Luna continued Jiro's train of thought.
"Without him, we surely would've lost." Luna agreed.
The classmates there, even Todoroki to a lesser extent, cheered for the boy, who looked about ready to explode in happiness. As they were finishing up their congratulations, Hagakure and Shoji were starting their exam inside of a factory. Almost immediately, they were pinned behind a column with bullets flying so quickly as to not let either of the two slip through. After a bit, Snipe threw a smoke bomb, obscuring everyone's vision, but his homing bullets let him know exactly where the two were. As the column they were hiding behind finally broke, the two split, with Hagakure completely disposing of her gloves and shoes while Shoji played as bait, rushing forward. He was stopped by a barrage of bullets, seemingly giving up and drawing Snipe close before Hagakure threw the handcuffs at Snipe, whose right hand was caught. Then, something must have happened because he started panicking and waving his free arm frantically.
"As expected, Hagakure-chan's a cut above when it comes to covert operations!" Yaoyorozu praised.
"Shoji-kun also did a good job helping by drawing Snipe-sensei's attention away from her." Midoriya added.
Next was Mineta and Sero against Midnight in what appeared to be a mountain terrain.
"Deku-kun, you're up next, right? You're not going to the exam area?" Uraraka asked.
"Oh, yeah, it is, but I'll watch everyone fight until the last minute. It's useful to see how everyone's using their Quirks, but I also feel like I'm getting strength from watching them. Everyone's really amazing. Even if they couldn't pass, they fought until the end. They're all excellent U.A. students who never give up!" Midoriya responded.
"Well, there's one …" Iida killed the moment.
"Who's totally given up." Tsu finished, pointing at the screen where Mineta was desperately running away from Midnight, tears flowing down his face in thick streams. Sero was already incapacitated, snoring quietly in the woman's lap.
"Why am I not surprised?" Luna asked quietly.
"It should be expected at this point." Todoroki agreed.
"But he was looking forward to the training camp so much … Why is he so ready to run away?" Midoriya sighed.
"If it's gotten that far, it might be hard for him …" mused Recovery Girl. As everyone turned to her for an explanation, she clarified. "For this practical exam, All Might, Mic, Cementoss, and Midnight are all especially hard. Depending on the person, it isn't hard to imagine someone being checkmated or feeling like they are. You all saw that first-hand with Mic's speaker ambush."
Luna grimaced, acknowledging the point. Even in her mind, she felt almost zero presence from Apophis, who was probably sleeping the battle off in his cozy mansion in his memoryscape.
"It might be hard for a kid like that to survive this place." Recovery Girl finished.
"What do you mean?" asked Midoriya.
"U.A. is constantly preparing walls and making students overcome them. In order to keep overcoming those walls without losing steam, the students need a concrete goal to focus on. It's not so easy a path that one can climb it with vague feelings of wanting to be a hero. Even if they do become heroes, people whose end goals is to become a hero have no future. In the end, is there a goal in that child's mind that he can focus on?"
Eventually, Mineta stopped, popping off one of his purple hairballs and staring at it with a serious look on his face. So much so that he didn't notice Midnight approaching, and she smacked him with her whip. He was sent crashing a few meters away. Her Somnambulist began approaching Mineta, prompting him to run away and cover his nose and mouth, all the while dodging Midnight's whip.
He hid behind a massive rock and said something to provoke another attack before rushing out of hiding with a bunch of his hairballs in his hands, sending them at Midnight. While a few missed entirely, most hit the target of the whip and her feet, causing her to get stuck.
"He got her stuck far away from the gate so her Somnambulist wouldn't be able to reach!" Midoriya cried.
"Oh, he's pretty clever. He had me completely fooled." Recovery Girl aknowledged.
Mineta dragged Sero through the gate, and with that, escaped.
"Team Mineta and Sero passed!" the robotic announcer stated.
"All right, they passed!" Iida pumped his fist.
"Mineta-san's plan worked!" Yaoyorozu said, surprised.
"Deku-kun, it's your tu-" Uraraka began, but then paused when she realized he wasn't there.
"He left a minute ago, after he saw that Mineta-san would pass." Luna explained.
"Oh …"
After a moment or two, the robotic announcer, well, announced the beginning of Midoriya's and Bakugo's trial. "Team Bakugo and Midoriya, practical exam. Ready? Go!"
Bakugo glared at Midoriya, who shrunk away slightly as Bakugo stalked away, clearly not wanting to spend another second with Midoriya. While Midoriya scrambled after Bakugo, Luna noticed Todoroki frowning at something he was reading on his phone. He noticed Luna's gaze and tilted the phone so she could see. The article in question? "UP AND COMING STAR EGYPT-CHAN GONE MISSING! FAMILY HYSTERICAL!"
"Did you know her?" Luna asked softly.
"I met her and talked to her once or twice at some local upper-class parties. She seemed nice enough, but it sucks she's missing." Todoroki replied.
"I'm hope nothing too bad has happened to her."
Todoroki hesitated for a moment before addressing her again. "I know this is a bit sudden, but … want to go to I-Island with me?"
"Eh?"
"Um, I'm supposed to go with of my old man, but he's not going, so I have a spare ticket."
"I … I would love to, but … I need Aizawa-sensei's approval first."
"I see. Please tell me your answer when you get it."
"Of course."
Luna winced as Bakugo backhanded Midoriya, clearly already ticked off by Midoriya's rambling.
"Oh, dear, their teamwork is nonexistent …" Recovery Girl sighed. "Do they realize who they're up against?"
The two teens began yelling at each other before a massive wind gust sent them flying backwards, the architecture and bridges groaning and collapsing from the powerful wind. Out from the dust emerged All Might, but everyone in the room shivered as his usual smile was now a lot more intimidating than usual.
As Midoriya yelled something at Bakugo and fled while All Might ran at them, Bakugo raised one of his gauntlets and released a blinding amount of energy, making the cameras go blind for a moment before their views returned to normal, with All Might furiously rubbing his eyes. Bakugo was shouting something at the man before leaping at him. All Might caught his face, but instead of trying to escape his grasp, he began releasing rapid fire shots from his gauntlets. All Might then slammed the boy into the street, causing the boy to groan and cough.
He then turned his attention to Midoriya, who had remained frozen during the entire encounter. Midoriya leaped backwards but had failed to notice Bakugo moving back into the fight, thus causing a collision midair. As the two got up, they began bickering with each other. Using this opportunity, All Might trapped Midoriya under a metallic fence before landing a massive gut punch to Bakugo, sending him flying backwards.
As the two struggled to get up, All Might began speaking to Bakugo, who still had yet to fully recover from the blow he received, as seen by the bile and spit still making its way down his face. Just as All Might was about to finish Bakugo off, Midoriya punched Bakugo out of the way, shouting something at him in a desperate fury. Midoriya then began to bunny hop away from All Might with the crumpled form of Bakugo in his arms.
As the two collapsed in an alleyway, Midoriya's words must have caused Bakugo to consider working together, because they finally began talking to each other. All Might, meanwhile, was jogging along the streets, peering into the alleyways to see if he could find the two students. Suddenly, Bakugo reappeared behind All Might, distracting him with consecutive, more powerful explosions. Luna, meanwhile, frowned when she realized he only had one, until she saw Midoriya reappear behind All Might with the other gauntlet. He then pulled the pin out and blasted All Might point blank with a massive explosion before the two booked it to the exit gate.
Just as it looked like the two put a good amount of distance between themselves and All Might, he reappeared next to them and used the confusion to destroy both of Bakugo's gauntlets. He then kneed Bakugo in the chin, causing him to go flying upwards into one of the buildings. Before Midoriya could go after him, however, All Might grabbed him and slammed Midoriya into the incoming Bakugo, slamming the two into the ground. When the dust cleared, it was revealed that Bakugo was under All Might's foot while Midoriya hung from All Might's left hand.
Most of the students in the room gasped at the brutality of the whole situation, while the quieter ones had their eyes widened in shock. Luna was no different, wincing at the scene.
Well, fuck. That's gotta hurt. Bast stated.
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Luna rolled her eyes.
You're welcome!
Lune sighed, imagining Bast in the same pose All Might would be in when giving a thumbs up. She snorted in amusement before refocusing on the screen. As All Might flung Midoriya away, Bakugo released a massive explosion at All Might, forcing him away. It bought precious time for the boy to stand up, despite the pain and injuries he was undoubtedly was feeling.
Then, Bakugo stunned everyone in the room by launching Midoriya towards the exit gate. When it appeared he would make it, All Might used the recoil from one of his punches to intercept Midoriya. Meanwhile, Bakugo ran towards them. Midoriya slammed and bounced off of a U.A. bus while Bakugo distracted All Might, though Luna was now frowning when she realized he had stopped using his right hand. Using the distraction, Midoriya slowly tried to limp out toward the exit gate, but All Might went to head him off. However, Bakugo once again stopped him. Realizing that he wasn't going to get a clean shot with Bakugo there, All Might decided to take care of Bakugo, slamming him once again to the destroyed road. Surprising everyone, Midoriya shot towards the two, landing a punch on All Might to get him away from Bakugo, and ran towards the exit gate, now holding the unconscious Bakugo.
"Team Bakugo and Midoriya have passed!" announced the robot, and the room erupted in cheers. Luna was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care. She was too damn proud of her two friends, who finally seemed to put enough of their differences aside to work together and fight.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Elsewhere …
Shigaraki, Nadeau, Scald, and their newest ally, Egypt-Chan, sat at the bar, sipping at the various drinks that Kurogiri had provided. Shigaraki was looking at a photo of Midoriya, not saying a word. His introduction to Egypt-Chan was certainly one that Shigaraki planned to use in the future. A Quirk that could force the victim to do or think whatever they wanted certainly was useful, even if it was temporary.
"Are you curious, Tomura Shigaraki, about that boy, Izuku Midoriya?" Kurogiri finally asked.
Before Shigaraki could speak, Giran, one of his recruiters, opened the door, smoking a cigarette.
"Shigaraki-san. You all have been the talk of the town for the past few days. I hear you've started something big -"
"And? Who are they?" Shigaraki cut the man off, using his Quirk to cause the photo to crumble away.
He smirked, stepping aside to reveal what appeared to be a highschooler and a man with plenty of burn scars and stitches.
"So, it's you, huh?" Stitches spoke first. He had messy black hair and dead, aquamarine eyes. He himself wore black clothing, and most of his body was covered except for his hands and face, which was more burned tissue than normal tissue. "I saw a picture of you, but you look gross in person …"
Nadeau snorted in amusement at the irony. The boy's scars were certainly just as, if not more so, disturbing. The burned flesh were uneven patches of various shades of purple and red, making him look like a beat-up tomato.
Next, the schoolgirl spoke. "Wow, the hand guy! You're friends with the great Stain, right? Let me join, too! The League of Villains!" She had messy blond hair held in a loose bun, her eyes also a hue of gold. Though she looked innocent enough in her uniform, the crazy look in her eyes said otherwise.
"Kurogiri, get rid of these guys!" snapped Shigaraki, not amused whatsoever. "Everything I hate came together in one set!"
"Children and scars?" Nadeau smirked.
"A brat and a rude guy!"
"Now, now. They came all this way to visit, so let's at least hear them out, Tomura Shigaraki. Besides, the big shot broker brought them. They're bound to be valuable assets, like Yua Nakata."
"Wow, I'm flattered." Egypt-Chan said sarcastically.
"I don't care what you do with them, but make sure I get my commission, Kurogiri-san. At least let me introduce them. First, the cute high school girl. Her name and face were kept tightly under wraps by the media, but she's on the run as the suspect in a series of deaths by blood loss." Giran said.
"I'm Toga! Himiko Toga! It's hard to live! I want the world to become an easier place to live! I want to become Mr. Stainy! I want to kill Mr. Stainy! So let me join the League of Villains, Tomura-kun!" Toga blurted, her fists raised in excitement to her face as her eyes sparkled.
"I don't get her. Is she crazy?" Shigaraki muttered.
"She can hold a conversation for the most part. I'm sure she'll be of use. Next, this guy over here. He hasn't committed any flashy crimes, but he holds fast to the hero killer's ideology." Giran introduced.
"I'm uneasy about this. Does this organization really have a just cause? Don't tell me you're going to let this crazy woman in?" Stitches warbled.
"Hey, you. You can't even do what this crazy high school girl was able to do. Give your name first. You're an adult, right?"
"I currently go by Dabi."
"That's not what I want to know. What's your real name?"
"Shigaraki, no need to pressure the man." Nadeau interrupted, giving Dabi a knowing glance. "It's perfectly all right for him to have cold feet at first."
"Shut up! Why're you even on his side?"
"Let's just say … I have a good feeling about him."
Dabi narrowed his eyes at Nadeau but nodded his thanks.
"Anyways, I'll carry out the will of the hero killer." Dabi finished.
"You don't have to say what you haven't been asked." Shigaraki stood. "Jeez, everyone's so hung up about Stain, Stain … I don't like it!"
"You mustn't, Shigaraki!" Kurogiri interrupted but was ignored.
"I don't feel good." The statement set Dabi and Toga on edge. "You're all no good!"
With that statement, he rushed the two, hands outstretched. Toga whipped out her concealed knife and lunged at him while Dabi did the same, except with his own hand. Just as the three were about to connect, Kurogiri created several portals to avert any wounds that would have arisen as a result of the three. Meanwhile, Nadeau, Scald, Egypt-Chan, and Giran didn't move a muscle.
"Please calm down, Tomura Shigaraki. If what you wish is to come to pass, then we must increase the organization's numbers. Liam Nadeau is doing just that and has reported that his numbers should recover by the time you want to strike." He paused for a moment, letting the idea settle in. "Strangely enough, we're in the spotlight right now, so now is our chance. We should not be rejecting them; we should be receiving them." Kurogiri leaned into Shigaraki's ears and whispered something else, causing the man to back off.
"Shut up." Shigaraki sighed.
"Where are you going?" Giran asked.
"Shut up!"
And with that, he exited the bar, slamming the door shut.
"I don't want to complain about a client, but … he's young. Too young."
"I thought he was going to kill us." said Toga.
"He makes me sick …" Dabi muttered.
"Would it be all right to give you an answer at a later date? I believe he knows what he should do. It's because he knows that he left without saying anything. All Might. Hero Killer. He's been humbled twice already. I'm sure he'll reach an answer that both you and he himself will be satisfied with."
Nadeau snorted. "Or he won't. As good as it is of you as a guardian to praise him so, isn't that a bit unhealthy?"
"As if you know what a healthy relationship like that is." Egypt-Chan spoke.
Nadeau glared at her but didn't say anything. She was right, after all …
0-0-0-0-0-0
The next day, U.A. High School
"Everyone … I'm looking forward … to hearing your stories … about training camp …" moaned Mina in tears.
"W-We don't know for sure yet! There might be a last-minute twist." Midoriya tried to placate the girl, as well as Kirishima, Sato, and Kaminari.
"Stop, Midoriya-kun. If you say it out loud, it'll probably jinx it." Sero said, placing a hand on Midoriya's shoulder.
"If we failed the exams … then we'd have to skip summer training camp and be in summer school hell … And since we didn't pass the practical exam … If you guys still don't get it, then you're dumber than monkeys!" Kaminari shouted.
"Calm down. That's too long. I don't know either. Our team passed thanks to Mineta-kun, but I was just sleeping the whole time. And since we don't know how they're scoring it …"
"If you feel bad for us, then I dunno, just bring me back lots of stuff!"
"Once the bell rings, get in your seats." Aizawa opened the door dramatically, causing Luna to think of Midnight and snicker. Todoroki and Tokoyami looked at her in confusion for a moment before connecting the dots, causing their lips to quirk upwards before resting back in their poker faces.
"Morning. Unfortunately, there are those who did not pass their final exams. Accordingly, for the training camp in the woods … everyone's going!"
"A last minute twist!" howled the students who failed thankfully. This time, Luna planned accordingly, and wore the noise-cancelling earbuds Yaoyorozu had given her. Tokoyami looked at her jealously, causing Luna to smile slightly and incline her heads toward Yaoyorozu.
"We can go, too?!" asked Kirishima.
"Really?!" Mina was in tears at that point.
"Yeah. Some failed, but no one failed the written exam. In the practical, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, Sato, and Sero failed." Sero facepalmed. "For this time's exam, we on the villain side made sure to leave a way for the students to win while watching to see how you all would take on the task at hand. If we hadn't, most of you would've gotten stuck before you started." Aizawa explained.
"So, when you said you were really out to crush us …" Ojiro started.
"That was to make you feel cornered. In the first place, the training camp in the woods is one to increase strength. So those who failed need it the most. They have to get stronger. It was a rational falsehood!"
"A rational falsehood?!" Luna winced, not having gotten ready for that one. Tokoyami sent her a smug look, to which Luna replied with a playful glower.
"I was tricked again … As expected of U.A. …" Iida muttered. "However, since you lied to us twice, our faith in you will waver!"
"Wow, you're being a wet blanket, Iida-kun." Uraraka sighed.
"A wet blanket?" murmured Luna, confused. How did a wet blanket pertain to this situation …?
"It's a person who spoils other's fun by not joining in on it. It's a figure of speech." Tokoyami explained.
"Oh …"
"That's true. I'll consider that. But I wasn't lying about everything. Failure is failure. We have prepared a separate schedule for extra lessons for you all. Frankly, it'll be tougher than the extra lessons you'd get if you stayed at school." Aizawa admitted, immediately dampening the joy from the five students.
"So, is Aizawa-sensei being a wet blanket right now?" Luna asked Tokoyami.
He choked before clearing his throat. "Uh, yes."
The rest of the day passed in a quiet fashion, basically everyone taking it easy since it was the last day of the semester before summer break.
"Well, in any case, I'm glad we can all go together." Ojiro said optimistically.
"A week of training camp, huh?" Iida read.
"We have to bring a lot with us." Midoriya noted.
"I don't even have most of these things." Luna said weakly.
"Oh, since we're off tomorrow and we just finished our exams, why doesn't Class 1-A go shopping together?" Hagakure suggested.
"Oh, good idea!" Kaminari praised. "Wouldn't that be the first time we all hung out together?"
"Hey, Bakugo-kun, you're coming too!" Kirishima shouted.
"Like I'd do something so irritating." He huffed, leaving.
"Will you come too, Todoroki-kun?" Midoriya asked. Todoroki eyed Luna, who was writing a list of everything she needed to buy. "Sure, but I'll need to leave early to visit my mom."
"You guys are such party poopers!" Mineta complained. "Get a clue, you clueless guys!"
As Luna said her goodbyes and went to wait with her homeroom teacher, she decided to pop the question. "Aizawa-sensei?"
"Yes?"
"Can I go shopping with Class 1-A tomorrow? I don't have a lot of the things asked for in the booklet."
"Sure, there'll be too many people for you to be attacked."
As Luna smiled, she took a deep breath.
"Um, Aizawa-sensei? There's sort of another question I need to ask you …" She began poking her index fingers with each other, making her look like a nervous schoolgirl.
Aizawa looked at Luna with fond exasperation in his eyes before sighing dramatically. "Go ahead."
"Um, Shoto invited me to I-Island."
Aizawa pondered the predicament, going over the pros and cons of it. On the plus side, there would be tons of heroes and people there. On the negative side of things, she'd be too far away to help her if something went wrong.
"I'll think about it."
"Thank you."
"Uh huh."
A quiet peace arose.
"Aiza-"
"For god's sake, later please."
0-0-0-0-0-0
The Next Day, The Mall
The next day, most of Class 1-A stood outside the mall in casual clothes. Luna had been given an allowance to buy everything she needed, as the funds she had saved weren't enough to get everything. Most of Class 1-A had gathered in the lobby, with the obvious exception of Bakugo. Luna wasn't exactly sure why Todoroki came but was willing to accept his company.
"And so, here we are! With the most stores in the prefecture, the newest and coolest, the most advanced Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall!" announced Mina.
Immediately, Luna split off from the others, realizing that she needed all the time she could get to buy everything. Todoroki followed behind her with his hands stuffed in his pockets but was forced to pull one out when Luna grabbed his hand and rushed him from store to store, eyes aglow in wonder.
Currently, they were in a sports store, where Luna was deciding on which tent color she wanted.
"Shoto, should I grab the purple or brown one?" Luna asked, wearing sunglasses and a wide Panama hat making her look ridiculous, but Shoto wasn't going to say anything. He wanted to see how long she would walk around like that, but it seemed like Luna forgot she was even wearing them in the first place.
"Does it matter?" Shoto asked, confused.
"Well, purple is my favorite color, but brown is just better in that it's harder to see any dirt and grime. Plus, you know, there's a chance it can blend into an environment."
"Uh, which do you want?"
"Well, that's the thing. I can't decide …"
Shoto gave an exasperated huff, but his eyes twinkled slightly in amusement.
"Screw it, purple it is."
When Luna was buying everything, the cashier reminded her of her hat and sunglasses, at which point she threw a pointed glare at Todoroki, who merely pretended he didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about.
When they exited, Todoroki offered to carry the bags, at which point Luna shrugged and gave it to him.
"Shoto, is that you?" a female voice asked, and when the two turned, they saw a woman who looked slightly like Todoroki, except her hair was white flecked with red. Her eyes were grey, unlike Todoroki's.
"Fuyumi?" Todoroki asked.
"Oh, wow, what a surprise!" She laughed nervously, only to receive a deadpan from Todoroki.
"Nice going, Fuyumi, you blew our cover." Sighed another individual, though he didn't sound too plussed about it.
"Natsuo?" Todoroki asked, and a man walked out from the crowd. A man looking strikingly similar to Furumi, the only difference was that his hair was a pure white. "What are you two doing here?"
"Ah, well … Is it too late to pretend this is just a massive coincidence?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head.
"It is after you asked that." snorted Natsuo. "So, you're the elusive Luna, huh?"
"Ah, yes, that would be me. Nice to meet you, Todoroki-sama and … Todoroki-sama."
"Because that won't be confusing at all." Shoto teased.
"Well, what do you want me to call them?"
Natsuo laughed at their banter. "It's fine to just call us by our first names. And drop that title thing, I'm barely a few years older than you."
"Ah, okay then."
"Seriously Shoto, every time we ask to see a photo of your girlfriend, you always refuse." Fuyumi teased.
Luna blushed while Shoto sported a nice splatter of pink on his cheeks.
"Luna's not my girlfriend. Besides, Luna's practically a local celebrity from Hosu and from the school festival. You could have just searched her up." Shoto explained.
"Yeah, but that seems … kind of stalkerish. Besides, I wanted to personally meet the girl that you keep talking about." Natsuo countered.
"You … you talk about me?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, you should here him at home. Luna this, Luna that … honestly, you guys should make it official at this point." Fuyumi said.
"Shut up." grumbled Shoto. "You're making her uncomfortable."
"Aww."
"Did you come here solely to pick on us?"
"Naw, we came here to eat. Hey, Luna, want to come with?" Natsuo asked.
"Oh, uh, sure! Thank you."
The four then sat down at one of the cafes, with a waiter dropping off four menus before rushing away.
"So, Luna, do you actually have human ears?" Natsuo bluntly asked.
"Natsuo!" Fuyumi sounded scandalized.
"No, its okay." Luna smiled, brushing her hair away to reveal a human ear. "It's weird, huh? Having four ears like that? It used to make some of my classmates uncomfortable, so I just got used to covering them."
"Cool. So, you like fish?" Natsuo continued.
"Natsuo, seriously." Shoto let a bit of a growl be injected into his voice, but Luna waved it off.
"Seriously, it's fine. At least Natsuo isn't tugging at my ears and tail. As for the fish, well, I don't think its any better than other food. I just like watching them." Luna rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"You really are a walking stereotype, huh?" Natsuo laughed.
Luna merely sighed in an embarrassed way.
"Um, excuse me …" The waitress reappeared. When Luna looked up, she saw that the waitress was looking at Shoto and herself. "Are you the students from the sports festival?"
"People still remember that?" Shoto asked.
"O-Of course! You two were amazing! Um, could you two … sign an autograph?"
Luna merely stared a the woman, surprised. "I, um …"
"Sure." Shoto sighed, pulling out a pen. "What do you want signed?"
"Oh, shoot! I didn't bring anything … How about a napkin?"
Shoto quietly took the preferred napkin, signed it, and handed it to Luna. "Are you sure that you want me to sign too?"
"Of course! My little sister was watching the sports festival, and you were her favorite!"
Luna hesitated for a moment before signing her name, to which the waitress bowed several times in excitement. "Thank you so much! So, are you ready to order?"
Everyone ordered normally, but Luna ordered mitsumame, a dessert that involved a bunch of fruit, since she ate before coming to the market.
Talk mainly then began to revolve about everyone's lives. Natsuo was talking about how he was currently in college for a degree in Health and Welfare and planned to become a doctor whenever he finished school and his residency. He wanted to specialize in mental health, to help people like their mother, who snapped in abusive and extreme relationships. His roommate was nice, his friends were chill (no pun intended, since he demonstrated he inherited his mom's ice Quirk), and professors were nice for the most part.
Fuyumi spent most of her time gushing over her 1st graders. Being an elementary school teacher, Fuyumi adored spending time with her students, and went over every single one of them. Their Quirks ranged from things like extreme flexibility to pyrokinesis. When she was talking about him, Shoto and Luna rolled their eyes.
"Joy, another Bakugo." Shoto sighed.
"Hopefully not. This society won't survive with two of them." Luna agreed.
The two imagined two Bakugos shouting at each other about who was the best. The only difference would be that one was a pyromaniac, and the other was explosion boy.
The time flew by incredibly fast, to the point so where Shoto stayed past the time he intended. He began to curse and fumble with everything before Natsuo promised to take him with Fuyumi. As the group made their farewells and Luna walked around aimlessly, she pricked her ears to hear Shoto's siblings teasing him about her. Though she found it funny by how much Shoto was annoyed, a small part of her was kind of … saddened to hear Shoto deny the claims so feverishly.
I give them a week or two before its official. Bast said to nobody in particular.
Hmm. What does the winner get? Apophis mused.
Could you two not bet on my relationship? Luna huffed.
Absolutely not! This is my chance to demonstrate … what do you kids call it these days? A 'Big Brain Moment'? Bast denied
Ugh. Please never say that again. The last thing I need is for you to be hip with the kids. Apophis complained.
The future is now, old man.
Luna, I need your assistance to limit the amount of 'memes' you witness.
As the two began bickering once again, Luna merely smiled. Things were finally looking up. These past two weeks were nothing too crazy, though that made her worry slightly at the lack of activity from the League of Villains, and her father in general. She still had no clue as to why he wanted to kill her so bad, and the two deities weren't much help in that regard.
While she was lost in thought, alarms began to blare throughout the mall.
"This is an emergency. Please, calmy make your way to the exits. Do not panic." A voice over the intercom said, repeating.
People began to panic and jostle each other in an effort to exit the mall, causing a small stampede. Luna saw a little boy become separated from his family, and she shoved her way over to him, shouting over the panic.
"Hey, kid! It's all right! I'll take you to your family, just point them out!" Luna shouted in his ear. Sobbing, he nodded, and Luna let Bast quickly take over, towering over most of the people there. From the boy's vantage point, he was able to point out his parents, but by the time Luna made it to them, they were already standing outside, staring anxiously at him.
When they were reunited, the parents began to fervently bow their thanks. Luna just waved it away, uncomfortable with the sign of gratitude.
"I didn't do anything special; I'm sure anybody in my situation would have done it." Luna said.
"But you were the only one to do so. Thank you, once again." Luna waved the family off, watching them disappear into the crowd.
She then made her way home.
Home. Luna smiled.
To most, the thought of going home was a normal, everyday thing. However, to Luna, it was a miracle she never would truly take for granted again. The idea that two people were excited to see her everyday no matter what made Luna feel happy, so it was much to the surprise of Ichika and Aizawa when she skipped into the house, gave the two hugs, and made her way upstairs to sort her purchased items. Though it wasn't everything because of the 'emergency,' with Luna still having no clue as to what it was, the rest of the things that she needed weren't anything that she desperately needed.
As was to be expected, the event made its way onto the news, with Aizawa and Ichika shooting question after question at Luna if it was about the Phantom Cloak, but she made it abundantly clear that nothing happened to her. She saw the couple visibly deflate in relief, which made her lips twitch in amusement.
After everything was all said and done, Luna made her way upstairs and just decided to sleep. For once, neither god in her brain were arguing or speaking, so a rare moment of peace and quiet let young Luna drift off into dreamland.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Hello everyone! I'm super sorry for the unexplained disappearance on my end, I ended up finally, finally, graduating from high school and needed a weeks' worth of break. This chapter was a nice interlude in the chaos that is the MHA universe, and yes, I'm going to cover I-Island. It seems weird on my part, considering I didn't cover the class transfer event with Shiktetsu? I think the school was? Regardless, I just didn't see how it would develop the plot, but rest assured that I-Island certainly does! I want to focus a bit on other international heroes that were glanced over during the movie, so look forward to that! Anyways, I should be back to popping out a chapter every three to four days for my stories, since, you know, I don't have to worry about school until uni in SEPTEMBER, which is amazing by the way. Anyways, stay safe out there! – Bananaman out!