Chapter 23: Welcome to I-Island!

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: Bakugo letting loose since Aizawa isn't here to reprimand him. Language, Abandonment Issues

"Are you absolutely sure you got everything?" Ichika asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, Ichika, I've triple checked it and Aizawa-sensei also did at your insistence." Luna said flatly, waiting near the Shizuoka Airport entrance with both of her guardians.

"But-"

"Ichi, if Luna said she has everything, then she does." Aizawa finally interrupted, exasperated.

"Oh, all right. I guess you're ready for takeoff."

Surprisingly enough, Aizawa had let her go to I-Island with Todoroki, though she assumed Ichika was a big reason for that. However, she still was required to have a supervisor to make sure everything went smoothly. Luna still didn't know who it was, just that All Might called in a favor from a friend.

Luna's attention was brought back to the present from a flash of Ichika's phone, which made Luna sigh in reluctant acceptance. Luna got that Ichika never really saw how Luna properly looked in her hero costume, but it was getting kind of ridiculous. The one downside was that she wasn't allowed to bring her helmet to I-Island, as they didn't allow for any electronics. A security risk, they said. Though, to be fair, Luna's costume was a bit different.

After talking to the excitable and quite frankly strange Mei Hatsume, Luna had her costume updated to reflect Apophis. She now wore a utility belt, containing vials of Apophis's poison, as well as countless gadgets and gizmos that Hatsume demanded Luna wear, all of them displaying Hatsume's logo. Her helmet had also been updated, increasing her hearing and seeing capabilities several times over, though Luna wouldn't be able to use it until the summer camp at least. Now, her purple costume was a bit tighter (which made Luna a bit uncomfortable) and displayed two separate halves of a wildcat and snake. Luna had also considered changing her hero name to reflect Apophis, but she held off on it for now.

"Oh, there he is!" Ichika bounced up and down, pointing at Todoroki, who also wore his updated costume. After also talking to Hatsume, his costume was updated to reflect his other half of his Quirk, which was fire. His clothing was now fully fireproofed to avoid incidents such as at the festival, and he wore a utility belt as well, though some of the pockets were not in use. His combat boots were replaced with some white snow boots.

Luna had to actively refrain from letting her eyes wander, as his costume sat pretty snugly against him. He dragged behind him a singular suitcase, likely full of his needed essentials. When he approached her, he gave two formal bows in the direction of Aizawa and Ichika, who grunted and waved him off, respectively.

"Alright Todoroki, we're trusting you to look after our Luna, okay? Try to keep her out of trouble." Ichika said brightly, before letting her voice drop ominously. "And if I find out, and trust me, I will, that you hurt Luna in any way, I will hunt you down, and even your father's name won't save you."

Todoroki sweatdropped at Ichika's sudden shift in tone, and sweatdropped even more as Aizawa bopped her over the head. "Don't listen to her. You'll be fine. An associate of All Might's will be there to greet you two. Anyways, have fun." Luna hugged Ichika and Aizawa, then followed Todoroki into the airport.

Luna folded her cat ears at the sudden surge of noise, subconsciously decreasing the distance between herself and Todoroki. Todoroki, meanwhile, slowed down slightly, and both entered the line. After being cleared by the security guards and obtaining their tickets, Todoroki and Luna sat down in adjacent seats, quietly enjoying each other's company. The airport itself was much too loud for Luna's liking, so Todoroki didn't try for conversation, instead the both of them sat and fiddled with their phones until their flight was called. When they both entered, Todoroki led the way to first class.

When they sat down and stowed their luggage (Todoroki took hers because he was taller, and so had an easier time reaching up top), Luna quietly took note of everything. Their chairs were recliners, which already had a pillow and blanket waiting for them, should they wanted to sleep on the way there. Being the only passengers going to I-Island on the plane, the hostess let them know that even though they had their designated seats, nobody would really care if they changed seats.

"Shoto, what should I expect? I mean, I know there's going to be a gathering where everyone dresses up really nicely, but besides that, I have no clue." Luna finally asked.

"Yeah, so the main reason we're going is to visit the I-Expo, where the support companies show off latest support equipment for heroes. There's going to be an early access event, hence the dress up. Besides that, the place is ok. You can use your Quirk as long as it's, you know, not destructive or anything. It has a ton of restaurants and shops and hosts an academy for future scientists as well. Best in the world, in fact." Todoroki explained.

"Oh, so we're free to do whatever we want until this early access event?"

"Pretty much. I'll give you a tour, since I've been here before, and you haven't."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

And that was how the two spent the flight, with Luna sleeping off the anti-nausea medication, and Todoroki just watching a movie on one of the screens. Halfway through the plane ride, he paused when he felt a weight on his shoulder, only to realize that Luna had moved in her sleep, resulting in her head on his shoulder. Calming down his elevated heartrate, he left Luna in peace.

When they landed, Todoroki nudged Luna awake, and the two went through the process of exiting the airport. They had been informed that their luggage would be brought to their hotel rooms; when they went to enter I-Island, they stepped onto an escalator, which performed several total-body scans, pulling up their information on the walls.

"The immigration inspection is complete. Currently, on I-Island, we are having the preopening of I-Expo, an exposition showcasing the results of various research and development. If you received an invitation, please come and take a look." Announced a voice over the intercom and opened the doors to I-Island.

"Wow …" Luna's eyes widened as she gazed upon I-Island. The entire place looked like a massive theme park, with massive picnic areas, as well as enormous stores and restaurants seen in the distance. Countless people were walking about the place, and even had a few flying at a certain height. Several bubble-like capsules also traversed I-Island, carrying tourists to designated points as well.

As Todoroki and Luna went down to the central plaza, they saw a young woman with brilliant blond hair and bright blue eyes holding a sign that read 'Luna Aizawa.' Next to her stood a familiar greenette who was awkwardly talking to her, causing both Todoroki and Luna to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Midoriya-kun?" Luna asked, causing the boy to look at her in surprise.

"Luna-chan! Todoroki-kun!" he rushed over like an eager puppy, eyes looking at their new costumes. "Your costumes have been updated!"

"Yeah, Hatsume-chan went a bit overboard. Who's your friend?"

"Hello! My name is Melissa Shield! Oji-san Might and Papa asked me to tag along with you and make sure nothing happens to you! Nice to meet you!" Melissa introduced herself, proffering her right hand.

"Luna … Aizawa. The pleasure's all mine." Luna accepted the handshake. "And this is Shoto."

"Shoto Todoroki." He said, also shaking her hand.

"Oh, are you two dating?" Melissa asked, causing Luna to flush and Todoroki to clear his throat uncomfortably.

"Uh, no. We're just good friends." Luna explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that from my experience, people who use each other's first names are in a relationship."

"It's fine. It happens a lot."

"So, how do you all know each other?"

"We're all in the same class." Midoriya explained. "Though I've known Luna-chan for a bit longer, starting in junior high."

"Oh, my, Uncle Might is training all of you? What's your Quirk, Aizawa-chan?" Melissa leaned in, causing Luna to sweatdrop as she was circled.

"I, uh, can either partially or fully turn into any cat species." Luna explained. "I also have access to two distant ancestors, into which I can turn into for a short amount of time."

"Oh, so you have two Quirks?"

"No, it's actually one. It's … complicated."

"Oh, that's cool. What about you, Todoroki-kun?"

"I can use fire and ice." Todoroki showed off a small snowman on his right side and a small fire using his left hand.

"That's also very cool! Well, want a tour?"

Todoroki and Luna glanced at each other disappointed that they couldn't tour alone but understanding it would be rude to refuse.

"It would be our honor to accept a tour from you, Shield-san." Luna answered.

"Oh, no need for that! Just Melissa is fine!"

"Then there's no need to address me by my last name, either. Just Luna is fine."

"Of course! Well, let's get started!"

As Melissa began her tour, Midoriya began to freak out in his typical fashion. "Holy woah! This place is amazing! I can't believe this entire island is manmade! This is nice!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"And there's normal city stuff. Just about everything you could need." supplied Melissa. "The big downside is we can't travel."

"Really? Why not?"

"Is this what the security risk stuff is about?" Luna asked.

"Mhm. The scientists and their families have to keep their work top secret. That ensures there aren't any leaks."

"Ohhh! It's the monster hero, Godzillo!" Midoriya squeaked.

"Nice, I bet a sponsor flew him out here for the expo. They invite heroes to show off new gear and sign autographs. Looks like the events here are in full swing." Godzillo flashed a peace sign in their direction but continued walking on. He was massive, about the size of the surrounding buildings.

"He's as tall as the zero-pointers from the entrance exam." Todoroki noted.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling he wouldn't have much of a problem taking one down." Luna agreed.

"This place is incredible!" Midoriya gushed.

"A lot of the pro heroes will be at the big party tonight. Oh, I forgot to ask, are you two going there as well?"

"Yes, we have invitations to it." Todoroki explained, though he didn't offer any details as to who provided them the access. Sensing it was a sensitive area, Melissa avoided asking about it.

"Look, over here! You guys definitely need to check this place out!" Melissa pointed to a massive, rectangular building, full of large, blue windows and colorful music notes floating from the top. When the four entered, the entire place was bathed in blue light and colorful lampposts and chandeliers, making it seem like they were underwater.

The building itself housed many large hero support items in separate stalls. "I've never seen so many new hero items in one place!" Midoriya rushed from stall to stall before Melissa called them over to one.

"Guys, look at this one! This multi-purpose vehicle can fly like a jet of course, but it can also maneuver underwater!"

"So cool!"

"You can wear this diving suit and drop to over seven thousand meters under the ocean!"

"So deep!"

"This helmet is equipped with thirty-six different sensors; you can see everywhere around your body!"

"That's so much!"

As the two rushed from exhibit to exhibit, both Todoroki and Luna had their lips twitch upwards in realization of how similar both Melissa and Midoriya were in terms of their fascination regarding hero items.

"You know, almost everything here was created using different inventions that Papa patented."

"Wow, I bet you're proud of him!"

"These support items will help heroes around the world. Who knows how many people will be affected because of this hard work?"

"I think it's great that your dad is someone you can look up to like this."

Luna frowned at the unintentional comparison Midoriya and Melissa drew between Melissa's dad and Luna's own father. Both lead organizations that specialized in support items, except one was a lot more corrupt than the other. Todoroki, as if sensing Luna's discomfort, turned to her.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly.

"It's just … my father could have been … this." Luna gestured to the place. "He could've been working here, looking to improve society as we know it. His company is certainly capable, but … for some reason, he changed."

"Do you have any clue why?"

"When we were in the hospital due to the Hosu incident, the police chief told me he was involved in a massive scandal regarding Canada's hero system. He was their number one, but I wasn't told what happened. 'We don't know all the details,' he said."

Todoroki didn't really know what to say to that, so he just offered his hand. Luna looked at him shyly before taking it, following Melissa as they bounced around the place.

"Looks like you guys are having fun." A familiar voice chirped, and the four turned around to see Uraraka in her hero costume.

"Uraraka-chan! What are you doing here?" Midoriya yelped in surprise.

"It looks like you're having fun."

"You already said that …"

"Yaomomo? Jiro-chan?" Luna asked, and Midoriya turned yet again to see both standing there in their hero costumes.

"You appear to be having a good time." Yaoyorozu teased, nodding at her intertwined hands.

"Are you sure you two aren't dating?" Melissa asked, smiling.

"Naw, they're both too shy and clueless to ask that of each other." Jiro smirked, twirling an earjack.

"Look who's talking." Luna muttered, causing both Jiro and Yaoyorozu to flush at in realization.

"Are these your friends?" Melissa asked kindly.

"Uh, yeah, these are also some of my classmates." Midoriya rubbed the back of his head at the awkward introduction. "And I didn't tell them I'd be here." He then turned to the three newcomers and introduced them.

"Uraraka-chan's got a crush on Midoriya-kun, and everyone thinks you two are together, hence the cold reception." Luna whispered in Melissa ear. "They're good people."

"Wow, your class has issues in that regard, huh?" Melissa laughed. "Nice to meet you! My dad and Uncle Might -" Midoriya dragged Melissa over and quickly whispered the fact that him being here as All Might's guest was a secret. "How about we grab some tea at the café?"

"Midoriya-kun came with us. Shoto got two extra tickets, only to realize that his dad wasn't going. Aizawa-sensei had me come here on the condition that I had a chaperone in case … you know …" Luna saved the weird break. The three girls relaxed, but none more than Uraraka, who realized Midoriya and Melissa weren't a thing.

As Melissa led the way to the café, the three girls talked about their experience since applying to U.A. Uraraka had just finished talking about working with the hero Gunhead.

"Wow, you guys got to work with pro heroes? In the field?" Melissa asked.

"Oh, just training and a few patrols." Uraraka explained. "Though, some of us had to actually go out into the field at Hosu."

"Somehow I ended up in a tv commercial for hair products." Yaoyorozu sighed.

"Sounds like an experience." Melissa said. "Lucky."

"Thanks for waiting." Another familiar voice said, bringing Midoriya's drink.

"I know that voice … Kaminari-kun!" Midoriya stated in recognition.

"Is that … Mineta-san?" Uraraka asked.

"What are you two doing here?" Jiro asked.

"They needed extra wait staff, and since it meant a free trip to the island, we applied to work. Right?" Kaminari explained.

"We get to explore the Expo on our breaks, and we make the money. Plus, there's a chance we can have passionate encounters with some of the cute – uhh!" Mineta broke off, staring at Melissa.

"Don't even think about it." Luna grumbled, causing both Kaminari and Mineta to gulp. They remembered their first attempts at flirting with Luna, only to end up on the receiving end of some … terrifying events. They knew better than to try something with her around.

"Why are you two slacking off?! You wanted to make more money, didn't you?! But you're not willing to work hard?!" Iida rocketed into the café, scaring the crap out of the two, as well as a few patrons.

"Uh, are they also some of your classmates?" Melissa quietly asked Yaoyorozu.

"Unfortunately. But not Iida-kun, he's fine." Yaoyorozu said clarifyingly, clarifying nothing and leaving Melissa even more confused.

"They're the class perverts." Luna said bluntly.

"Luna-chan! How could you betray me like that?!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Iida-kun?" Midoriya asked.

"You're here too?" Uraraka continued.

"I come from a long line of heroes, it's to be expected that we received an invitation to the Expo. But my family was busy, so it's just me."

"I wondered if you'd be here. I received an invitation because my father's a shareholder in some of the Expo's support companies. It's so fun to get to go to the Preview." Yaoyorozu said.

"Yeah, and she had a few extra plus ones, so we basically gambled for them. So, after an impartial game of chance, the two of us ended up joining the fun as her guests." Jiro explained.

"Mhm." Uraraka nodded. "The other girls are here; they just can't visit the preview."

"Really?" Midoriya asked.

"Mhm. We all planned to look around together once the Expo opened up to the public tomorrow." Yaoyorozu stated.

"Here's a thought. Why don't I show you girls the sights?" Melissa asked.

"You're sure you have time?" Uraraka asked for the three.

"Mhm."

"That's awesome!" shouted Uraraka, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu as one.

"Please don't do that. It's bad enough in the classroom, don't bring it here." pleaded Luna.

"Sorry, Luna-chan." Yaoyorozu rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"Wait, take us with you!" begged Kaminari and Mineta.

At that moment, an explosion went off in the distance, rocking the island slightly so powerful was the magnitude of the thing. When the group arrived, they saw smoke billowing from an artificial mountain.

"A clearance under thirty-three seconds! He's in eighth place!" announced a female commentator.

"Kirishima-kun!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"So, I'm guessing he's from U.A. as well?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, he's in the same class as us."

"Please welcome our next challenger!" announced the commentator. Luna nudged Todoroki, who nodded in acknowledgement before they headed down to sign up.

"Kacchan?!" Midoriya croaked.

"The villain attack course has been reset! Ready? GO!"

Bakugo rocketed away from the starting platform, quickly bouncing from robotic opponent to opponent, blasting them and using the momentum from his blasts to carry his movement.

"Look at that time! Only fifteen seconds! First place!"

"Hey, isn't that Midoriya-kun in the stands?" asked Kirishima.

Bakugo launched upward, slamming against the guardrail. "Dammit, what the fuck are you doing here, Deku?!" he roared.

"Hey there, Kacchan. Why don't you -"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!"

"Bakugo-kun, tame yourself!" Iida ordered.

"Why is that boy so angry?" Melissa asked quietly.

"That's just who he is." Jiro explained.

"He and Deku are fated rivals!" announced Uraraka.

"So, Kirishima-kun, you two got access to I-Expo too?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Yeah, Bakugo-kun was invited because he got first place in the sports festival. I just tagged along with him." Kirishima explained. "You guys gonna do this villain course or what?"

"Don't even fucking try it! There's no way you're getting a better score than me!" Bakugo shouted.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Midoriya conceded.

"Huh, I'm not so sure. Only one way to find out I guess." Uraraka helpfully pushed Midoriya.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Wait, huh?"

"Tch. Hurry and get your pathetic attempt over you damned nerd!" ordered Bakugo. "Then you get outta here!"

"Right, I'll do that."

0-0-0-0-0-0

"We got a couple of challengers coming in at last second! Will any of them end up on top? Or fail in front of the entire Expo? The attack course is ready! Ready, GO!"

Midoriya bounced around using Bakugo-like hops, smashing robot after robot before coming to a stop, panting.

"An incredible run! Coming in at second place with sixteen seconds!" the woman announced.

Instantly, Midoriya's friends flocked around him, congratulating him for his run, to which poor Midoriya was reduced to a stuttering mess. Bakugo began to rage before the announcer interrupted him.

"Gah, this is incredible! Fourteen seconds!" she shouted. "This gentleman has jumped to the top of the pack!" The gentleman in question? Todoroki, swamping the entire mountain in ice.

"Todoroki-kun? Luna-chan, where did -" Midoriya began, only to see the dotted line outlines of where his two friends were a few minutes ago. "Huh?"

"Quick, get the villain attack course ready, we have one more challenger!" the announcer shouted excitedly. A swarm of robots converged on the mountain, dumping scalding water on the ice, melting it within a few minutes.

"Our last challenger, she doesn't look like much, but the quiet ones are usually the scariest!" the announcer shouted, waving in Luna's direction.

"Luna-chan?!" Midoriya yelped.

"Yeah, didn't see that one coming. Luna-chan isn't really competitive …" Jiro scratched her head.

"Luna-chan's weird that way. She's selectively competitive … not in everything, but the things she's really interested in. I wonder what pushed her to participate …" Midoriya began muttering.

"Shut up, nerd!" Bakugo bellowed.

"Right, sorry!"

"Alright, the attack course is ready! Ready, GO!"

"Apophis!" shouted Luna.

"I got you! BEHOLD MY INFINITE POWER!" Apophis roared, emerging from where Luna stood. With a swing of his cane, a massive wave of miasmic purple poison swamped the mountain, dissolving the robots.

"What the heck is going on today?! She's jumped to first place with a score of twelve seconds!" the announcer shouted. "And, uh, could we have some technicians? I think the mountain's dissolving …"

"OUTTA MY WAY! LUNA, YOU CAN'T JUST APPEAR OUTTA NOWHERE AND SHOW ME UP!" Bakugo roared, spittle flying out of his mouth, appearing in front of her suddenly.

"Well …" Luna now stood in her own form, hands on her hips. "Technically it was Apophis, not me, so …"

"WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT'RE YOU EVEN DOING ON THE ISLAND ANYWAYS?!"

"Oh, Shoto invited me here, since he had an extra ticket."

"Um, the next person is waiting …" trailed off the commentator, the mountain already somehow repaired.

"SHUT UP! I'M DOING IT AGAIN!"

"Everyone, please stop! You're going to make U.A. seem like it's full of degenerates!" Iida practically flew down to the arena.

Midoriya, Kirishima, and Todoroki all jumped down to help calm everyone down, inadvertently making the situation worse. Melissa, meanwhile, began giggling at the sight.

"Oh, sorry. I just was thinking it looks like you have a whole lot of fun at your school." Melissa sighed.

"A whole lot of noise, maybe." grumbled Luna, causing everyone up there to flinch.

"Luna-chan?!" the girls shouted, causing Luna to wince.

"Please stop doing that …"

"How did you even get back up here so fast?" Melissa asked. Luna merely transformed her hands and legs into leopard paws before letting them fade back into her hands.

"Well, it's … never boring." Jiro admitted. "I'll say that much at least."

"True." Yaoyorozu and Uraraka said, then instantly began apologizing to Luna, who was sulking a bit.

After that fiasco, Luna and Todoroki remained in the group as Melissa gave a tour of the Academy there, which kind of blew Luna's mind. The laboratories, the size of the classrooms, the entire place was like out of a science-fiction novel. The labs were absolutely filled with students and professors, to the point where people just for keeping time were required so as to maintain the maximum number of rotations, which was crazy.

Towards the end of the day, the group made their way back to the café they went to earlier, only to see Mineta and Kaminari slumped in front of the doors, looking awfully tired.

"Mineta-kun! Kaminari-kun!" Midoriya called out. "How did your shift go?"

"You should be proud of the work you've done today." Iida said, marching in front proudly and handed the boys two tickets.

"What are these things?" groaned Mineta.

"Invitations to the big Expo reception later tonight." Yaoyorozu said.

"There's a party?"

"These are for us?" Kaminari asked quietly.

"Melissa took pity on you for some reason." Jiro explained.

"She figured you could use a break." Uraraka tagged on helpfully.

"I had a few extras. Please, I'd love for you to have them." Melissa smiled.

"A beautiful angel has rewarded us for our hard work!" the two boys sobbed, causing Luna to mutter incoherently about hiveminds and loud voices.

"I heard there will be quite a few pro heroes attending tonight's party as well. It's imperative we don't tarnish U.A.'s reputation. We'll change into our formal clothes and go as a group. Everybody meet in Lobby Seven of the central tower six-thirty p.m. sharp. Don't you dare be late; I'll contact Bakugo and Kirishima-kun and share this information. Thank you, you're dismissed." Iida stated sharply and ran off.

"There he goes, always at full throttle." Midoriya said.

As everyone arrived at their designated hotels, Luna found out that the girls were staying at the same hotel Luna and Todoroki were. As the two went into their respective rooms, Luna carefully pulled out the dress that Ichika selected for her, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized it wasn't anything immodest; in fact, Luna liked it a lot. She made a note to thank Ichika for the dress before deciding to get this one for her.

First things first, however, Luna needed to take a shower. Seeing that she had about two hours before she needed to be at the lobby, she decided on a quick bath, because she always underestimated the time needed to dress fully. She also needed to wash her hair, which was something she never really liked because the shampoo and conditioner always got into her cat ears. So, biting the bullet, Luna did indeed take the shower (and sure enough, the shampoo did make its way into her ears) before carefully combing her hair, making sure no knots or tangles were left.

She quickly put on a pair of shorts and t-shirt before picking up her phone. She hesitated, before deciding that she needed Yaoyorozu's help.

Yaomomo? Could I ask you of a favor? – Luna A.

Within a minute, she got her response.

Of course, Luna-chan! How can I help you? – Yaoyorozu

Could I ask you to help me with my makeup? I'm not that good with it … - Luna A.

Of course! I'll be over in a jiffy! – Yaoyorozu.

What's a jiffy? – Luna A.

It means a moment. Be right there! – Yaoyorozu.

And indeed, not two minutes later, Yaoyorozu showed up with an entire deli cart of makeup supplies.

"Um … Did you rob a makeup store?" Luna asked.

"Of course not! I brought all of this over, but don't tell Jiro-chan. I promised only essentials, and I don't thing she'd consider all of it as an essential …," laughed Yaoyorozu.

"Of course …" Luna bit her lip uncertainly, showing Yaoyorozu her dress. "Could you … do something to go well with this?"

Yaoyorozu let out a small gasp, stroking the silky dress.

"Luna-chan, this is … beautiful."

"Yeah, Ichika picked it, and I love it."

Yaoyorozu hummed thoughtfully, looking between the dress and Luna with furrowed brows.

"I think I have a good idea as to what you'll look like, Luna-chan." Yaoyorozu smiled. "It won't take too long; your skin is flawless."

"Um, thanks."

And so, Luna sat in front of the vanity mirror, and Yaoyorozu got to work. If someone asked Luna what Yaoyorozu did to her, Luna wouldn't be able to tell them, because she had no clue. All that she knew was that Yaoyorozu spent a relatively short amount of time applying some blush and what she assumed was highlights. Luna convinced Yaoyorozu that she'd do her eyeliner and eyeshadow (she didn't like eyeliner, but Yaoyorozu was adamant).

So, instead of going and prepping herself, Yaoyorozu decided to go beyond, and pulled out a curling iron and curled the edges of Luna's hair, making it bouncier, which Luna was kind of mesmerized by. Sure, her hair was pretty short, only stopping towards the end of her chin, and it did bounce, but it had nothing on her new hair now. Yaoyorozu also pulled out a black hat for Luna, which Yaoyorozu explained was to be worn at an angle, and not regularly. It had some black lace coming from it as well, which Luna was half tempted to play with instead of going to this gathering. Yaoyorozu, as if sensing Luna's thoughts, playfully warned her that she would go, and if not, Yaoyorozu and Jiro would drag her downstairs.

After that, Yaoyorozu hurried away with a hasty goodbye, leaving Luna to finish her makeup before putting on her dress. Luna hummed quietly, finishing everything before finally putting on her dress and heels. Which Luna, again, didn't like, and she didn't understand how people walked in them for days on end, but shrugged. She'd have to get used to it. She grabbed a small black purse that mysteriously appeared in her luggage, took a deep breath, and stepped out of her room.

0-0-0-0-0-0

(This text means that the conversation is in English).

She was early. Incredibly early. In fact, there were another twenty minutes left before the deadline Iida gave, but Luna felt much too restless to sit in her room for the remainder of the time, though this did leave her with the awkward predicament of not knowing anyone. When she saw the amount of people already in the mingling area, Luna blanched. So, she decided to stick to the corners of the lobby, wanting to avoid any awkward interactions. Even with the work Luna put in during her internship to get over her social anxiety, it was all she could do to not flee the room.

Wow, so many people and heroes … Bast observed.

Can we leave? I don't like it here. Apophis complained.

I want to leave as much as you two do, but I made a promise to be here … even if I'm actively regretting it. Luna sighed

"I see you also don't like the large crowds." An unfamiliar male voice said to Luna, and when she turned, she was certainly surprised.

Standing next to her was a two-dimensional man, wearing a traditional shendyt and an orange, pleated shirt. Wearing a nemes and a cape, he also wore ankle and wrist bracers inlaid with beautiful jewels, though he was barefoot. His skintone was darker than Luna was used to, his eyes a dark black, and his face adorned with the eye of Horus surrounding his own.

"Um, please forgive me, but I don't know who you are." Luna said awkwardly.

"No worries, I actually prefer that. So often people switch the way they speak to me and try to impress me with empty boasts and false bravado."

"You must be really popular, then, if you warrant such attention."

"You could say that. My name is … Salaam."

Luna tilted her head, sensing a small challenge in his tone.

"My name is Luna Aizawa. A pleasure to meet you." The two shook hands, and Salaam gave her a warm smile, as if discreetly telling her she passed his test.

"A pleasure to meet you, Aizawa-san. Please forgive me for asking this, but it's been bugging me ever since I saw you. Do you, by chance, know of a woman named Emiko Bastinara?"

Luna's throat instantly became parched, her breath halting. Though she didn't recognize the first name, the last name … the last name was her mother's.

"You … you know my mother?" Luna managed to say.

Salaam instantly looked surprised and pleased. "She's your mother? Well, that's a shock … she never spoke of a daughter."

Luna grimaced slightly at the statement, debating whether to leave or not. She owed no obligation to the man to end the conversation. She could come up with any excuse under the sun to leave, to let the touchy subject and wounded feeling to remain, and yet … if there was a chance to learn more about it, Luna wanted to take it. But then again … did her mother deserve to learn about her daughter, from an associate no less?

"My mother left me four years ago and hasn't attempted to reach out to me since then."

"My apologies, Aizawa-san. I didn't know your situation, and I suppose that was rather tactless of me to ask. I just assumed … since I saw her recently and all …"

"You met her recently? Where?" Perhaps she sounded a bit too desperate for her own good, but she wanted to know. She needed to know.

"Well, it was just before I sat down on my flight here. I was in Cairo, and I bumped into her there. It was a rather hurried discussion, as we both needed to be at certain places. I was wanted here, and I believe she said … Helsinki? I believe it was Helsinki that she needed to go to. Something about …" he trailed off, now looking at the girl with a mixture of pity and sadness.

"About?"

"Her son."

And that caused Luna to flinch, both in hurt and astonishment. The fact that her mother had another child besides her wasn't the problem. The problem laid in the fact that she was in contact with her newly discovered stepbrother, and not her.

"I apologize for any -" Salaam tried to apologize, but Luna wasn't having it.

"Thank you for the talk, Salaam-sama. If you would excuse me, I need some air." Luna said curtly, and practically fled the lobby, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

On the way outside, Luna stormed past Iida, who tried to approach her.

"Luna-chan, hel-" Iida began, but Luna just brushed past him.

"Not now, Iida-kun."

Luna heard him pause, perplexed, but Luna could care less. She needed to leave, to be alone. She definitely wasn't going to the gathering right now.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Todoroki idly fiddled with his tie as he stepped out of the elevator, looking around the lobby to see Iida was the only other classmate there. To be fair, he was about ten minutes early. As soon as Iida saw him, he zipped over.

"Todoroki-kun, thank you for coming early! It truly means a lot to have a classmate so punctual!" Iida waved his hands robotically.

"It's what I'm used to. Is there nobody else here?" Todoroki frowned slightly.

"Luna-chan was here earlier, but she looked terribly upset when she left. I'm not exactly sure what happened."

"Do you know where she went?"

"I do not. When I tried to greet her, she just brushed past me."

"I see. I'll go look for her."

Todoroki didn't know where Luna had gone, but he had a feeling she'd like to be somewhere alone, and high up. Considering Luna probably wouldn't just climb a random building, she'd probably climb to the hotel's roof that they were staying at. On the way back, he met Jiro and Yaoyorozu, assuring them that he merely forgot something he needed to bring. When he stepped into the elevator of the hotel, he sighed, preparing for what was to come.

From his experience, Luna only got truly upset when something happened in her personal life. She was able to shrug off insults and angry gazes from strangers because she didn't have any connection to them, but she couldn't do the same with her friends … or family, if his hunch was right. Todoroki didn't think friends had to do with the situation at hand, since it was likely she was the first one there. So, family. A hard topic for the two of them, but they might just have to start talking about it.

When the elevator dinged, announcing the fact that he arrived, Todoroki stepped out quietly, looking for a figure perhaps leaning on the roof railing, or just sitting there on the edge. Indeed, a figure sat not too far away from him, black high heels placed next to her. She didn't react much when Todoroki sat down next to her, likely either hearing the elevator make its way up or the quiet ding of arrival.

On the way there, Todoroki had planned what to ask, how to try to comfort the girl, but as soon as he saw her, he instantly forgot what he wanted to say. Because, frankly, Luna was stunning. She wore a midnight black dress that hugged her waist and flared slightly as it went below, stopping at her ankles. The sleeves on it were also incredibly short, only stopping around ten centimeters past the shoulder. She also wore a black hat with delicate lace attached to it, wearing it to the side Todoroki was sitting, and her hair was curled outwards. Her skin was glowing both from the moon and from the massive amounts of lights that were emitted from surrounding buildings. In all honesty, she looked like English nobility.

When she turned to him, Todoroki felt his throat and lips go dry, his heart beginning to beat like a drum. Her face wasn't decorated with copious amounts of makeup, just enough to make it angelic. The eyeshadow made her eyes pop more, her cheeks and face touched by highlights (yes, Todoroki knew a lot about makeup, considering the events he had to be prepped for). Her eyes and mouth, however, were set into a frown, the eyes themselves holding several unshed tears.

"Hi." Luna finally said, her voice slightly wavering.

"Hello." Todoroki replied awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"Because …" Todoroki's next words got caught in his throat. "Because I care about you. And I'm worried that you left the I-Expo so suddenly."

A smile tugged upwards at the corners of her lips before dropping back into the frown.

"Is that your way of saying you like me?"

"Yes, I suppose it does."

Fuck. He didn't mean to say that. Though, it seemed to be the right thing to say, because Luna's frown lifted slightly, with her looking away shyly.

"I wonder how much more impacting it would be if Bast didn't just blurt it out. Don't get me wrong, though, it means a lot to me to hear that."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Luna looked up at the moon. "When I was born, I was dying." Todoroki flinched slightly at the blunt statement. "Apparently, all the females in my family do. Something about my body not being able to handle the Quirk. I was confused about it, since it seemed like a regular Transformation type Quirk, but it made much more sense when I learned of Bast and Apophis. Apparently, my mom was freaking out. She was trying to do everything that I lived, including dealing with some black-market types, but nothing was working. So, she resorted to prayer; only one answered it."

"Was it Bast?"

"Bast? No, I asked her about it, and she said it was a sort of rite of passage; she couldn't interfere. Thoth did, though. He saved me on the promise that she'd do anything he asked of her. And he meant everything, not an exclusive version of it. He asked about slavery, prostitution … she still agreed. So, she named me in his honor. She just used an overused, generic, basic name to hide my identity. Supposedly to hide me from Set, but … you know, that didn't exactly work."

Luna sighed, drooping slightly, before continuing. "So, you can imagine my hurt when she just up and left me. I thought … heh, I suppose it was naïve and childish, but I thought she'd be around forever. That she'd … Now, I find out that she has a son out there. A stepbrother." Todoroki winced, realizing where this was going. "I spoke with a hero named Salaam. He said he talks to her regularly. That she … He implied that she was obsessed with my stepbrother. In Helsinki, he said."

Todoroki's heart clenched when he saw the way Luna looked at her tail: self-loathing. He didn't like the way it looked on her, the way it made her feel, the way it made him feel. He hesitated before wrapping an arm around Luna, who melted into his embrace. They didn't know how long they sat like that. Throughout it, however, no words were spoken. After a bit of time, Luna looked up at him, causing his brain to buffer before realizing how close they were.

And then, something pushed him forward. A spur of the moment decision, something that was so not him, and yet … why did he do it? He didn't know.

"Can I?" Todoroki breathed.

Luna breathlessly nodded, and closed her eyes as Todoroki leaned in. For a few moments, Todoroki's brain stopped working. In those moments, all that he experienced was the soft, soothing sensation of Luna's lips against his, the butterflies in his stomach going wild, and the feelings in his heart to burst forwards. He felt Luna dig her hands into his neck and hair while he pulled at her waist, her tail wrapping around him. At first, the kiss was hesitant, fearful even. But now, it was passionate, hot, intense. The intertwined teenagers never wanted to leave, never wanted the moment to end, but alas, even star-crossed lovers need their air, and the two separated with gasping, heaving breaths.

The two didn't say anything because they had absolutely no idea what to say. What they experienced was something the both of them never thought they would receive ever again: true love. Todoroki was about to get up before Luna launched into him, pressing him against the roof with her body and her lips. Todoroki's eyes widened slightly before pulling Luna even closer, their kisses turning desperate. While the first one started out slow, these were hot and heavy out of the gate, small gasping breaths the only breaks between them. Todoroki's entire head was buzzing by the way Luna ran her fingers through his hair. After what seemed like an eternity but also a moment, Luna rolled off of Todoroki.

The two laid there, staring up at the stars. "That was …"

"Yeah …"

"We should probably leave, they'll get worried …"

"I don't think I particularly want to."

"I don't either, but I don't want to be found by Yaomomo or Iida-kun."

"That's fair."

The two finally stood up and made their way to the elevator, quietly side-eyeing each other before Luna turned to him.

"Oh, you have some … Let me get that for you." Luna said quietly, wiping at Todoroki's lips with her fingers. Todoroki's heart rate spiked at the contact, and just as she was about to retract her hand, Todoroki grabbed it, kissing it gently, before dropping it to hold it. "You certainly have a way with women."

"Only you." Todoroki promised quietly, which caused Luna's ears to turn pink.

The two walked quietly to the Central Tower, occasionally drawing small, knowing smiles from the older couples that too walked the streets. When they arrived at the ground floor's elevators, Todoroki squeezed her hand slightly.

"Are you ready?" Todoroki asked softly.

"With you? Yes, I am." Luna squeezed his hand back before the two stepped into the elevator, heading to Lobby Seven.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Hello everybody, and welcome back! So, obviously, big news! The next step has been reached! I just wanted to say that the relationship between Luna and Todoroki won't be very fast paced; they're two teenagers who have been subjected to years of abuse and mistreatment from their parents. There's no way in hell that they'd just rush into it; remember, they're two teens who are still not entirely sure on if their relationship is even right to begin with.

Also, I apologize for the shorter than usual chapter. I felt like this would be the best place to stop before crap hit the fan and didn't want to end the chapter in an awkward spot. Just be on the lookout, this story won't follow the anime entirely in upcoming chapters.

Regardless, that's it for me! Stay safe out there! – Bananaman out!