I don't own Kill la Kill or My Hero Academia, please don't sue.
"A ride?" Midoriya questioned. "Where are we going?"
"Earlier today, you said that you didn't understand why I wanted to know who killed my dad so badly," Ryuko Matoi replied. "So there's something I want to show you."
Midoriya reluctantly nodded and sat down on the seat behind Ryuko, holding onto her shoulders firmly. Feeling his hands on her body sent a slight shiver down Ryuko's spine. It had been a while since she last felt the touch of another person. Another person who wasn't trying to kill her that was. It felt... strangely comforting.
"We're going on a ride? Then I'm coming too!" Mako shouted. "Let's go!"
"Sorry Mako, but I don't think there's room for three- And you're on the scooter anyway."
Mako was bouncing up and down at the very back of the scooter, squeezing Midoriya in the middle to make room. He wasn't very happy with the seating arrangement, if his panicked screams were any indication. He wasn't the only one either.
"Mmph! So tight!" Senketsu shouted, being suffocated by Mako's tight embrace around Ryuko's midsection.
"Easy Mako!" Ryuko exclaimed, not exactly comfortable herself.
"I'm gonna hold on tight!" Mako continued, tightening her grip even more.
How could she say no to a face like that? Even when Midoriya and Senketsu were writhing in discomfort, she couldn't bring herself to kick Mako off the scooter.
"Oh what the hell? You can come Mako," Ryuko chuckled. "Suck it up you two, we're heading out!"
"Can't... breathe!" Midoriya and Senketsu squeaked out.
"Hold on!" Iida interrupted, completely ruining the moment. "Proper motorized scooter safety requires the rider and all passengers to wear a helmet! You could be seriously injured in a crash!"
"Lighten up a bit dude!" Ryuko told him. "We fought a genetically engineered monster and got out alive, I'm sure we can handle a scooter ride."
Before Iida could respond, Ryuko started the scooter and sped away to her destination. As she flew down the streets of Musutafu, Midoriya screaming the entire time, she started to wonder if Iida was right. It would take more than an hour of driving, plenty of time for something to go wrong. But Ryuko wasn't a stranger to long drives.
Really, how bad could the ride be?
As it turned out, really bad. The drive itself was fine, the roads were practically empty and she got an amazing view of the Dagoba Municipal Beach Park as they left Musutafu. Even though it had been a few weeks since she last saw the old man and the kid clean up the beach, it was still pristine. Ryuko could even see people picking up the small amounts of litter that remained.
That wasn't the problem. The problem was...
"So the tennis team tied me up because I was late to practice and didn't get permission to be kidnapped. They were going to punish me by hitting me with tennis balls, but Ryuko showed up and cut me free!" Mako rambled. "Then they served like a hundred balls right in her face but she cut them all to ribbons so fast you couldn't even see it happen!"
"Wow that's so cool! The cutting tennis balls part, not the being tied up part," Midoriya listened on excitedly. "But cutting a hundred tennis balls served right in front of her face, assuming that the balls were moving at the speed of an average tennis serve by a strength-enhanced professional player, and assuming that Ryuko cut them at least five times..."
Ryuko had to will herself to not listen as Midoriya descended into his own ramble while Mako continued on with her own story at the same time. At first, she feared that Mako wouldn't get along with her UA friends. Fortunately it turned out that her fears were unfounded. The real problem was that they got along too well.
"I got it!" Midoriya suddenly exclaimed, almost making Ryuko swerve off the road. "Ryuko would have had to be moving 107,000 meters per second, or... 312 times faster than sound? How is that possible?"
"I don't know what that means but it sounds really fast!" Mako said, stopping her story.
"It's incredibly fast," Midoriya agreed. "That's several times faster than even All Might was in his pri- I mean, at his fastest. And you said this was before she... 'got naked'? How did she do that?"
"I told you, it's because we're friends! When you win at friendship, you win at life! And also tennis."
As Midoriya and Mako started arguing over the rules of tennis, Ryuko grit her teeth and focused on the road. Hopefully this wouldn't last much longer.
Shoto Todoroki opened the door to his family's house after getting home from school. His sister, Fuyumi, was waiting for him in the kitchen with a bowl of soba on the table.
"Hey Shoto!" she greeted him. "How was school today? I made you some soba! It's cold, just how you like it!"
"Thanks sis," Shoto mumbled as he put his backpack on the floor and started eating. "Do you know where Natsuo is?"
He really only said that to make conversation. The truth was that he barely knew his brother, or any of his siblings. His father made sure of that. The first time he'd even heard of Touya was when he died.
"You know him, he's probably busy with college or something," she replied. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question! What did you do in school?"
Shoto continued slurping his soba in silence as he thought about how to answer. School was certainly... interesting. Not because of the material itself, that was almost trivial for him. But there was someone who caught his interest.
Ryuko Matoi, the girl who beat him during their first training exercise. It was a wake-up call for him, losing a battle like that. Kirishima had told him more about her quirk, the ability to synchronize with a Kamui, a uniform made entirely of Life Fibers. So his father's failures were now his own.
Her power was incredible, but that would only make it more meaningful when Shoto overcame her without using his flames. What was much more interesting was what she revealed during her outburst after class. She wanted to avenge her father.
For Shoto, it was such a strange idea, fighting out of love for one's father. It was essentially the opposite of his own goals. He wanted to spite his father, while she wanted to avenge hers. She defined herself through her father, while he was doing everything he could to separate himself from his. Such perfect irony.
She wasn't the only one who caught his attention though. While Izuku Midoriya wouldn't have stood out to most people next to someone as flashy and powerful as Matoi, Shoto was not most people. His powers were almost identical to All Might's. Combined with the fact that All Might had invited him to lunch, Shoto knew that there had to be some connection between them. He was already working on a... theory.
So he would be facing a boy with the power of All Might and a girl with the power of Life Fibers. It seemed that his father's enemies would now be his. Shoto couldn't have planned it better. Everything was perfectly aligned for him to put that monster in his place.
"SHOTO!" said monster screamed from the other side of the house.
"Eek!" Fuyumi shrieked in fear. "You can tell me about school later. You better go see dad, you know how he gets when he's in one of his moods."
Shoto nodded to his sister before he left the kitchen. He knew better than anyone.
Endeavor was sitting in his office with scowl on his face. Hardly anything new for Shoto, but with him was the increasingly common sight of an icepack pressed against his face. As he entered the office, Endeavor lowered the icepack, revealing a massive black eye.
"That's a nice shiner," he snarked. "Who was it this time? Jakuzure? Gamagoori? Don't tell me it was Sanageyama again."
Endeavor snorted in anger as he put the icepack back on his face. So it was Sanageyama.
"Do you know why I brought you here?" he growled.
"I don't suppose you wanted to regale me with the story of how close you were to winning this time."
Endeavor's glare intensifying brought some small satisfaction to Shoto. The Elite Four competing in the Sports Festival was just the cherry on top. Now his father could only watch as he surpassed him in every way using only his ice.
"I brought you here because I heard that you had combat training in school," Endeavor said. "And you lost. If you can't even beat your classmates, how are you supposed to surpass All Might? It's about time for you to end this foolish rebellion Shoto, only with my flames can you expect to win the Sports Festival!"
Shoto rolled his eyes. His rebellion was anything but foolish. It was his rejection of his father and everything he stood for. If winning meant becoming his father, he'd rather lose. He would still like to win though.
"The reason I created you was so that you could surpass me, surpass All Might!" his father continued ranting. "And now you have the perfect opportunity to do so by putting those Honnouji bastards in their place! Don't waste it because you won't use your flames!"
Now Shoto was mad. "Created" him? Like he was just a tool, just some extension of that monster's will? That his accomplishments were not his own, but the work of the man who hurt his mother? His resolve to not use his fire had never been stronger.
"You hurt her. Your quirk hurt mom," he snarled. "I am not like you, I refuse to be anything like you! Mom might have burned my face, but the scar of being cursed with your quirk is far worse!"
Shoto stormed out of his father's office and put up an ice wall at the door. Damn Endeavor! Damn his fire!
Midoriya, Matoi, the Elite Four. They'd all fall to him, not his father's quirk!
"Where are we?" Izuku Midoriya asked, getting off Ryuko's scooter.
The drive was long, but Mankanshoku's stories helped pass the time. Ryuko had driven them far away from Musutafu, close enough to Tokyo that Honnouji Academy loomed ominously in the distance, the peak reaching high above the clouds. He'd only seen the academy in pictures before, so seeing it in person filled him with dread.
They were still far away from the academy though. In fact, they were far away from civilization in general. There was nothing around but forest for miles. And the burned ruins of the house that was their destination.
Izuku followed Ryuko to what would have been the house's front entrance, passing by a stone wall with the word "Matoi" etched into it. Wait, this wasn't...
"It's my house," Ryuko confirmed. "Or was anyway."
"This dump?" Mankanshoku asked. "Then you must be poor just like me!"
"I didn't live here when it was like this," Ryuko told her. "It actually used to be a really nice mansion before it burned down."
While it wasn't much to look at now, the structure of the house and its surrounding property were gigantic. Forget mansion, the place was more like a small castle! There was even a garden out front. Or at least it used to be a garden.
Izuku had actually never seen a house this big before, growing up in a lower-middle class neighborhood in an apartment. Kacchan was one of the wealthier students in middle school and even his house looked tiny in comparison.
"Oh it was? Hey wait, does that mean you're loaded?" Mankanshoku started to realize.
"No, of course not! Dad said that we were just... well off," Ryuko tried downplaying her wealth.
"I'm pretty sure that's just something rich people say when they're really rich," Izuku spoke up, Mankanshoku nodding alongside him.
"Well now it's a dump! Are you happy?" Ryuko suddenly snapped.
Izuku recoiled in shock while Mankanshoku shrieked and jumped into his arms.
"Sorry about that," he apologized sheepishly as he set Mankanshoku down. "You don't have to say anything you aren't comfortable with. Coming back here must be hard for you."
"No, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," she brushed it off. "And I'm gonna tell you two everything. That's why we're here."
"Hey look!" Mankanshoku exclaimed. "You have mail!"
Mail? Why would anyone send a letter all the way out here to someone who wasn't even alive? But Mankanshoku was right, there was a letter sticking out of a charred and bent mailbox.
"I guess even the dead get junk mail," Ryuko grumbled, taking the letter out of the mailbox.
"Are you gonna read it? What does it say?" Mankanshoku asked excitedly.
"No, the damn thing is just junk. I mean, it's in English for crying out loud! And who the heck is... Dave?" Ryuko sounded out the name written in English.
As Ryuko crumpled up the letter and put it in her pocket, Izuku couldn't help but get the feeling that the name was strangely familiar. Where did he know a Dave or David? An American superhero maybe?
"Anyway, I need to tell you about dad. And about me too I guess," Ryuko broke his train of thought.
Izuku and Mankanshoku sat down on the ground, waiting for Ryuko to tell her story. He was always curious about where Ryuko came from, but now he was just dying to know. Maybe it would help him understand why Ryuko was so obsessed with avenging her father.
"My mom died a little after I was born, so growing up my dad was pretty much all I had," she started. "But he was a scientist, always working downstairs in his lab. We didn't exactly get along all that well, so he shipped me off to a boarding school. I was always getting into fights there, and by my last year of middle school, I was a full-blown delinquent. Then six months ago, I got a note from my dad saying he wanted to talk. So I went back home. But then..."
Ryuko took out her sword and started walking into the ruins of her childhood home.
"You found your sword in his chest," Izuku finished for her, remembering what she said after class.
"It wasn't my sword back then, but yeah," Ryuko nodded. "He was still alive too, but barely. I remember what he told me like it was yesterday."
"If you want to live a peaceful life, leave here right now," she quoted her father's final words in a deep, raspy voice. "But if you want to continue my fight, you're going to need my scissor blade. If you find its other half, you'll find my killer! But a cruel fate lies in store for you..."
"After that, I saw the killer run away so I ran after her. But she was too fast and got away. That's when the house blew up."
"Fight? What fight was he talking about?" Izuku interrupted, unable to contain his curiosity.
"I don't know," Ryuko answered. "There were times I hated the old man, but his dying made me realize that I really didn't know anything about him. That's why I decided right then and there that I'd find who killed him and why! I'd find out what he wanted to tell me and find out what this scissor blade is. I also want to know why he made my Kamui, Senketsu."
She planted her sword in the ground and gently caressed her sailor uniform. For a moment, it seemed like she was calm. It was only a moment though.
"But I still haven't gotten a single answer!" she suddenly shouted, picking up her sword and swinging it around wildly, the mere air pressure from the swings nearly blowing Izuku and Mankanshoku away. "And what's worse, it's like everyone except me knows everything about what's going on! But they won't tell me, and now they're coming here to mock me!"
So that was why she wanted to find her father's killer so badly. She didn't just want vengeance, she wanted answers. And how could he blame her? Especially considering what she went through even before her father died.
They came from such different worlds, the wealth gap being the smallest difference. Izuku didn't know his father that well either, but at least he knew he was still alive. And he always had his mother to support him. If he found her dead one day, of course he'd want to avenge her and find closure. But devoting his entire life to that? That was what he still didn't understand.
There was so much good she was capable of doing with her powers, using them on vengeance wasn't just a waste, it was hurting her too. He needed to do something. And now was as good of a time as any.
"You know, I get it now. I understand why you want to find your father's killer and why you want answers. And as your friend, I want to help you find them," he said.
To his surprise, Ryuko was actually listening to him. Maybe he could really save her right now! "But I also want to help you. And I know that you're hurting, but is that really all you want out of life? Like maybe you could be a hero to save other people from going through what you did?"
"Enough with the saving people shit! I appreciate it, but I don't need your sympathy!" Ryuko groaned. "Look, if you want to spend your life helping other people, that's your decision to make. But it's my decision to choose how I want to spend my life. As for what I'll do afterwards, I'll figure it out later. You can't change my mind Midoriya, this is what I want."
"Is there really nothing that would change your mind?" he asked, desperate for anything to connect over.
"Nope!" Ryuko shook her head. "Other people have done nothing but make my life miserable. Why would I do anything for them?"
So it didn't work. But Izuku still wasn't deterred. He would show her that it was worth fighting for something more than just herself! His resolve to save her had never been stronger.
The sun was beginning to set as Ryuko Matoi drove home, Mako and Midoriya sitting behind her.
It turned out that her little excursion was nothing but a bust. Midoriya still just didn't get that she didn't have any grand, altruistic ambitions to make the world a better place. She just wanted to live a normal life. And get revenge on the people who took that possibility away from her.
She couldn't even find anything that might have helped her find answers. Her dad's lab had been completely cleaned out since she was last there.
"Mikisugi might know something about that," Senketsu suggested.
"Maybe," she mused.
While her old homeroom teacher wasn't trying to kill her, he wasn't all that much better than Satsuki Kiryuin and the Student Council. He knew just as much as they did if not more, but he still refused to tell her anything because "she wasn't ready".
So Ryuko just kept driving, ignoring Mako's snoring in the back. Until the scooter suddenly stopped moving.
"Sorry that dad got you a messed up scooter," Mako apologized, walking alongside her down the highway.
"It's not that bad, we just ran out of gas. The fuel gage is busted, that's all."
"Hey Ryuko, other people aren't all that bad," Mako spoke up. "You have me, Senketsu, my family, and now you have friends at UA too! We all love you and we'd do anything for you. And I know you feel the same way!"
"Yeah that's right!" Midoriya chimed in. "You bought that All Might doll for her even though you had to wait hours for it. And back at the USJ, you saved my life from Nomu! Even before that, you stood up to Kacchan for me. You do care about helping other people!"
"Well, that's because you're my friends!" Ryuko defended. "Of course I'd do that shit for you guys, you're important to me! It's everyone else who I don't care about."
"You know, you two aren't all that different!" Mako exclaimed. "You both want to protect your friends, the only difference is that Midoriya sees the entire world as his friend!"
"That's a pretty big difference Mako," she replied. "If I had to help everyone, it would mean I couldn't help you guys as much."
"Nuh uh!" Mako protested. "You two are peas in a pod, two sides of the same coin, cut from the same cloth!"
"Cut from the same cloth..." Ryuko mused.
"I have an idea! Let's hitchhike!" Mako suddenly shouted, holding up a hastily made sign. "Hey over here! Just a bunch of teenagers looking for a ride! Don't worry, we're not picky!"
As Mako advertised their need for a ride, a pink convertible sped past them, sending a plume of smog right into their faces. Ryuko shielded Mako and Midoriya from the fumes, making her cough and irritating her eyes.
"Hey! Watch where you're driving you jackass!" she yelled at the driver.
Surprisingly, the driver actually noticed her yelling and pulled to a stop. Then he put his car into reverse and pulled up right next to Ryuko and her friends.
"Ladies, is something wrong?" Ira Gamagoori asked.
"Wow I hitched us a ride with Gamagoori!" Mako exclaimed.
Ryuko wasn't as thrilled. "Oh great, are you following us around? And how did you find me?"
"I found you using Mankanshoku's ankle monitor," he replied, holding up his phone with a tracking app open.
"So that was your friendship bracelet? I totally forgot about that thing!" Mako slapped her forehead. "I guess I just got used to the sound after a while."
"Sound? The only sound the monitor makes can only be heard by dogs," Gamagoori said worriedly. "And you can calm down Matoi, I have no intention of fighting you here. We'll fight in the final round of the Sports Festival, not before."
"So then what do you want?"
"Get in," he offered to Ryuko's surprise. "I am the appointed Chairman of Honnouji Academy's Disciplinary Committee! When I'm off campus and I find a fellow student in need, it's my duty to help that student out. Even if it's you, so get in. And feel free to bring that stammering child with you."
Stammering child? Oh right, Midoriya. The lone UA student was shaking in fear and biting his nails, looking like he was about to pee himself.
"I-Ira Gamagoori! Satsuki Kiryuin's Impenetrable Shield!" he managed to squeak.
"What, do you have a million titles too?" Ryuko asked.
"Just the one. Sanageyama is the only one of the Elite Four who actively encourages those names of his, the showoff," Gamagoori grumbled. "Now are you gonna get in or not?"
"Look, we can't just-"
"Woo hoo!" Mako shouted, already inside the car. "These seats are comfy! Is this a new car? It looks new! It must be new because it's all sparkly and clean! Let's go for a ride you guys! Come on, get in! Get in!"
Well, Musutafu was dozens of miles away at minimum. Riding with Gamagoori would beat waiting for another person to hitchhike with or walking the whole way. And besides, it couldn't possibly be any worse than the initial drive right?
Ryuko really needed to stop thinking that things couldn't be worse. Because they always could.
"On a drive, on a drive! On a drive to hell!" Mako sang, seemingly making up the entire terrible song as she went. "Goin' totally upside-down to the bottom of the pit! Hey! We've left the track and are gonna crash! Hit someone from behind and you get a pileup!"
As Mako continued singing non-sensical lyrics, Midoriya held his hands to his mouth to stop himself from barfing. Ryuko had to physically pick him up to get him in the car and he looked even greener than usual the entire drive.
"Matoi, make her stop that god-awful singing!" Gamagoori demanded.
'Hey, when she's on a roll, no one can make her stop," Ryuko grumbled.
"A red light wouldn't even stop Mankanshoku!"
"That's right!" Mako jumped in, finally stopping her song. "Because the traffic signals of my life always flash yellow!"
"Proceed with caution," Gamagoori mused. "Not a bad philosophy."
Just as things started to look like they were calming down, a giant black SUV blasting rap music at full volume pulled up beside them, looking for a pass. What assholes.
"I hate drivers who don't follow the rules of the road," Gamagoori growled. "This is a no passing zone!"
That wasn't the only rule they were breaking. The SUV rolled down its windows, revealing several men wearing plague doctor masks inside. Pointing guns at them.
"Get down guys!" Ryuko reacted quickly, tackling Mako and Midoriya to the floor of the car.
The masked men opened fire on Gamagoori's car. The metal walls protected Ryuko and her friends, but they wouldn't hold for long. Gamagoori pulled out one of his whips from his sleeve and swung it around, parrying every bullet that came his way. As the masked men stopped to reload, Gamagoori sped away from them.
"Who the hell are these guys?" Ryuko asked.
"I recognize those masks. They're Shie Hassaikai, the Eight Precepts of Death. We must be passing through their territory," Gamagoori answered.
"What, like the old-school yakuza? I thought they were hunted to extinction!"
"Most of them were, but the Shie Hassaikai are one of the few yakuza groups still around," Midoriya explained after he finished vomiting. "They've actually been able to expand a lot and even control some territory. It started just over two years ago... Hey, that was when Honnouji Academy started attacking Independent Japan!"
"Gamagoori, don't tell me..." Ryuko started to realize.
"In my defense, it wasn't my idea. I wanted nothing less than to deal with those thugs," Gamagoori answered for her. "Lady Satsuki and Inumuta thought that we should take a page from the playbook of the CIA, an American intelligence agency from the Old World. We would destabilize hero society before we invaded it. Plus, their boss said that he was making a weapon that would end heroes for good."
"But what do they want with us?" Ryuko asked.
"Hey, look at that!" Mako shouted.
Behind them, five, ten, maybe even twenty identical SUVs were hot on their tail. But Mako was pointing to the lead SUV, which had a man with wild red hair sticking out from behind his mask leaning out the passenger seat window.
"Oh man, we got a big catch!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna enjoy this fight! Don't let him get away!"
"Crap, they're gaining on us!" Ryuko shouted as their pursuers started to drive faster. "Looks like we picked the wrong car to get into!"
"They're fast, but good driving takes more than speed!" Gamagoori boasted. "It takes skill too!"
Apparently he considered cranking the steering wheel as hard as possible to be "skill". Predictably, the car started spinning rapidly out of control. At least it got the Hassaikai off their backs, though it was probably just because they were confused.
"We're out of control!" he shouted.
"No shit! That's what happens when you crank the wheel like that you ass! Where did you learn to drive? On a go-kart track?"
The car continued spinning until it was brought to a sudden halt by hitting a wall. Fortunately no one was injured, though Mako was embedded in the car's airbag. Unfortunately the Shie Hassaikai had caught up with them. Their cars had completely surrounded them, their headlights almost blinding Ryuko. So these guys wanted to play tough guy, huh?
"Hey Midoriya, can you still fight?" she asked her friend.
"Yeah, but shouldn't we call the police or the heroes?" he asked.
"That's not an option. The Shie Hassaikai own this town, the police would be more likely to arrest us, especially considering that you're traveling with me," Gamagoori stepped out of the car. "You three should stay put. It's my mess, so I'll clean it up!"
He wasn't the only one exiting his vehicle, Shie Hassakiai goons poured out of the SUVs. Some of them even lugged heavy machine guns out of the trunks. The redheaded man stepped out of the lead SUV, accompanied by a skinny blonde guy wearing black robes.
The redhead was a giant, maybe even a head shorter than Gamagoori. He was muscular too, flexing his giant arms equipped with metal gauntlets. Ryuko couldn't see under his mask, but she could tell that he was itching for a fight.
"Tengai, what's with the guns?" the redhead asked his companion. "I wanted a fair fight!"
"Rappa, this is madness and you know it!" his companion, Tengai, shouted. "He's one of the Elite Four, we'll be lucky to escape with our lives! If you're set on fighting, at least give yourself the advantage."
"I know exactly who he is, that's why I want to fight him! If I meet God, I'm punching God! If I meet Buddha, I'm punching Buddha!" Rappa boasted. "And when Ira Gamagoori comes into my turf, you better know what I'm gonna do!"
"The only reason this is 'your turf' is because of the funding Honnouji Academy gives us!" Tengai pointed out. "Even if we win, Master Overhaul will kill you himself!"
"Eh, Overjerk can stuff it! I'm gonna pound this guy so hard he'll be straight up bawling!"
"It would take more than you lousy punks to make me cry!" Gamagoori cut in. "But even if I did shed a tear, I'd just wipe the damn thing away! AND THEN PUT YOU DOWN!"
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Rappa laughed. "You guys! No one shoot, this is between me and him!" he ordered his goons.
"Just ignore him," Tengai countered the order with his own. "Open fire!"
The Hassaikai goons fired at Gamagoori, but the bullets just bounced off his uniform. One of them even launched a rocket at him, but he stood still without even flinching as the missile exploded in his face.
"THREE STAR GOKU UNIFORM: SHACKLE REGALIA!"
Ryuko hadn't seen any of the Elite's transformations other than Sanageyama's, but Gamagoori's didn't look like much. He was completely wrapped up in bandages like a mummy and his arms were pressed up against his sides so he couldn't move them. It actually didn't look like he could move at all. But for some reason it terrified the Shie Hassaikai.
"Crap, he transformed!" one goon panicked.
"It doesn't matter, keep firing!" Tengai ordered.
A second round of fire poured onto Gamagoori, but the bullets seemed to be doing even less damage if that was possible. Even stray bullets were shredding through the car, but they just fell to the ground harmlessly at his feet as soon as they made contact with him.
"Man, that thing's hard!" Ryuko exclaimed.
"You have no idea," Gamagoori responded. He wasn't standing still anymore, he was actually starting to swell up from underneath his bandages. Gamagoori still wasn't hurt though, he actually seemed to be enjoying it. Perhaps a bit too much.
"Yes, that's it!" he moaned. "Punish me! I've been such a bad boy! When you punish me, it's like you're whipping my heart! And the more you punish me, the stronger I get just like I was back then!"
Three Years Ago: Rinne-Do Junior High School
A group of students had gathered at the roof of the school, eager to watch the spectacle. One of their peers, a meek first-year with buckteeth and glasses was climbing over the fence, ready to jump off the roof.
"What are you waiting for? Jump!" one of the leaders, a fat boy with a bowl haircut, commanded.
"You spilled milk on my uniform you clumsy dork!" his companion, a girl with pink hair, joined in.
"But that was an accident!" the bucktoothed student protested.
"And that's why we're giving you a chance!" the fat boy said with mock compassion. "You jump, we're even!"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" a new voice bellowed, attracting the students' attention.
Rinne-Do's Student Council President, Ira Gamagoori, had interrupted. Ira had heard that the school's less savory students had gathered on the roof, likely up to no good. And it turned out it was worse than he imagined. Forcing one of their own peers into jumping off a roof? Despicable.
"Well well, if it isn't our Student Council President!" the fat boy announced. "Why don't you do yourself a favor and don't get involved?"
"I have to do this Gamagoori!" the bucktoothed student yelled. "My dad'll get fired if I don't!"
Fired? What was he talking about?
"Yeah, his piece of crap dad works at my old man's company!" the fat boy said.
"And my daddy's the chief of police in this town!" the girl boasted. "And he's not gonna bust his little girl!"
So they weren't forcing him to jump, they were blackmailing him! By using their parents' status and power for their own twisted laughs! How could anyone do this?
"This isn't human!" Ira protested. "No one deserves to get treated like this!"
"That's where you're wrong, it's the most human thing on the planet!" the fat boy laughed. "We have status, we have backup! That means we call the shots!"
"And if he wants to jump to save his dad's job, that just proves he's being a good son!" the girl chimed in. "Well, get it over with!" she shouted at the bucktoothed student.
Just listening to their sick philosophy made Ira's blood boil. Power? Was that really all the world came down to? What about things like resolve, ambition, or ideals? Didn't those things matter too?
The bucktoothed student looked over the edge, preparing himself to jump.
"DON'T DO IT!" Ira shouted, running toward the edge of the roof. But it was too late.
The student had jumped off the roof, prompting a howl of sickening laughter from the bullies. Ira stared at the edge in shock. A student could have very well just died because of his failure.
"That's what I'm talking about!" the fat boy continued laughing. 'Go ahead, keep acting all high and mighty! But in Rinne-Do Junior High, people do what we say! Or else!"
Ira shuddered with rage, but what could he do? His position as Student Council President, his pledge to keep his fellow students safe, all of it was meaningless.
"DAMNIT!" he roared.
But the student never hit the ground. In fact, he had bounced right back up to the roof! He fell back down, but he bounced up to the top yet again!
"What the?" the fat boy questioned.
"The Kiryuin Deluxe Trampoline has a nice spring to it. Don't you think?" a newcomer announced.
She was a young girl with straight black hair and a white sailor uniform. What really stood out about her was that she also had an ornate katana hanging from her hip. At her side was an old man wearing a suit and an even shorter girl with pink hair and a beret with a skull on it.
Did she say trampoline? Ira looked over the edge of the roof and sure enough, the bucktoothed student was bouncing up and down on a trampoline at the bottom held by four men. When he reached the peak of his bounce, Ira caught him and pulled him back to safety.
"Gotcha!" he said, relieved that the student was safe.
"No, let me go!" the student screamed, considerably less relieved. "If I don't die they're gonna fire my dad!"
"You needn't worry about that," the new girl spoke again. "For I have just purchased that despicable company."
"Who are you?" the fat boy demanded. "What are you new here? You didn't buy my dad's company!"
"Yeah get lost!" his companion joined in. "Or else I'll have my daddy throw you in jail with the pedos!"
The new girl had retained her calm demeanor, but that last comment nearly broke it. Her shorter companion with the beret had no such restraint as her smug grin morphed into a furious scowl. She moved so quickly that Ira couldn't see her, pushing the female bully nearly over the edge herself.
"You wanna say that again? I'll tear you apart you little tramp!" she screamed with a raspy voice, pointing a finger at the girl who stood nearly a head above her. "You have the honor of being graced with the presence of Satsuki Kiryuin, heir to the Kiryuin Conglomerate and the future Uniter of Japan! I suggest watching your tongue, or I'll rip it out myself!"
"Leave her alone Nonon, she's not worth the trouble," Satsuki told her companion. "After all, her father has been relieved of his duties. If you don't believe me, look at this."
The old man next to Satsuki, presumably her butler, held up a tablet with a news article displayed on it. The headline read "Local Police Chief Accused of Bribery" and "Kiryuin Conglomerate Absorbs Hojo Products in Merger". The bullies were still in denial and pulled out their own phones to check, but it was legit.
"What the hell?" the fat bully exclaimed.
"I don't care who you are!" the female bully growled. "Guys, go on! Take that bitch apart!"
Dozens of thugs swarmed Satsuki with a variety of improvised weapons, but she didn't seem nervous at all. Neither did Nonon, who was blowing a large gum bubble as she watched the scene unfold.
"Hey, 100 yen says she takes them out in under a second," she offered a bet to Ira.
Sure enough, the thugs had barely left the ground before all of them were lying on the ground in pain.
"From now on, I rule over this school!" Satsuki announced. "And every student in it! You two are selfish and petty, and I will not tolerate thugs like you in my school!"
"Hold on, you're using your parent's influence just like them!" Ira pointed out. "How are you any different?"
"Unlike those criminals, I do not leech off the power of my parents," she responded. "I am different, because I do not care whose power it is, I will take it and make it my own! I will absorb it and wield that power however I see fit! My resolve is what makes me different."
"What do you mean?" Ira asked, still not convinced that she was any different than the bullies.
"Simple Gamagoori, without resolve, you wouldn't even have the strength to wipe away your own tears."
Present Day
"And that's how I met Lady Satsuki," Gamagoori finished, having finished his story while still under assault from the Shie Hassaikai. "I learned a valuable lesson that day: You can't do anything without power. Ideals, ambition, resolve, they're all just fantasies without power."
"Seems like a lousy way to look at the world, but I guess it's true," Ryuko Matoi agreed.
"But what about heroes?" Midoriya asked. "They save people even when their quirks aren't suited for combat!"
"And look what they've achieved, they're nothing without All Might," Gamagoori pointed out. "Do you think he'd still be the Symbol of Peace if he wasn't powerful? Would you be attending the most prestigious hero school in the world if you didn't have a powerful quirk?"
Midoriya tried thinking of a counterargument, but the words failed him.
"Wait, you and Lady Satsuki are the same age?" Mako exclaimed, completely off topic. "I thought you got held back in school, because of your old man face and everything."
"Ugh, come on Tengai! Let me at him!" Rappa yelled. "You're doing so little to him that he was able to tell his entire backstory!"
"I suppose it couldn't do any more harm at this point," Tengai conceded. "Stop firing!"
"Yes! I am so pumped for this!" Rappa exclaimed, starting to spin his arms so fast that they looked like miniature helicopter blades.
The instant the Hassaikai goons stopped firing, Rappa rushed straight toward Gamagoori. His fists made hundreds of impacts every second, but the Elite still didn't move an inch. But Ryuko noticed that his uniform wasn't just swelling anymore, it was actually expanding! Almost like something was about to burst free from the bandages.
"Come on! Are we gonna fight? Or are you just gonna hide in that cocoon of yours?" Rappa taunted. "Take that gimmicky shit off and fight me like a real man!"
"How is it any different than using a quirk to win fights?" Gamagoori countered. "I do not leech off the power of my Goku Uniform, I've taken its power and made it my own!"
Rappa just growled in response and started swinging his arms even faster. If they looked like helicopter blades before, now they were swinging so fast they were practically invisible. Each punch had a force that exceeded a tank shot, but Gamagoori just kept laughing.
"Yes, that's more like it! The more punishment I take, the bigger and harder I get!"
What the hell was he talking about? Was he... enjoying this? Come to think of it, it was undeniable what his uniform was supposed to resemble. It was a bondage suit. He was a giant pervert! Ryuko tried covering Mako's ears so she wouldn't have to listen.
"Wowzers, he's old and perverted!" Mako exclaimed.
"Not perverted, converted!" Gamagoori corrected her. "As soon as I reach my climax, THE POWER THAT'S BEEN BUILDING UP INSIDE OF ME WILL EXPLODE! EVERYWHERE!"
"Rappa get back!" Tengai reacted quickly, pulling his comrade away from Gamagoori and covering them both in a golden dome. Some kind of barrier perhaps? But it was futile.
"THREE STAR GOKU UNIFORM: SCOURGE REGALIA!"
The cloth bandages of his uniform were ripped apart by dozens of barbed whips exploding out from underneath. They launched every single Shie Hassaikai SUV high into the air where they exploded into flames. Tengai's barrier didn't even slow down a single whip as it was shattered into pieces, both him and Rappa joining their goons in the fiery explosion.
"Holy crap!" Ryuko exclaimed, more than a little impressed by the show of power. It seemed that Sanageyama wouldn't be the only one she had to watch out for.
"A two stage transformation!" Senketsu said.
Once the fires finally started to die down, Gamagoori left the Shie Hassaikai (and the highway) in ruins as he managed to drive his wrecked vehicle to a nearby gas station where he dropped Ryuko and her friends off. Thank god that whole ordeal was about to be over.
"Be careful going home, don't stop for any strangers," he lectured her as she filled her scooter up with gas.
"Ok dad," Ryuko snarked.
"And Matoi, there's one more thing you need to know."
"What is it now?" she groaned.
"The reason I was following you was to deliver a message from Lady Satsuki," Gamagoori explained. "If you win the Sports Festival, she will personally tell you everything you want to know. Everything. Good night!"
As Gamagoori slowly drove away in his beat-up car, Ryuko took some time to process what he just told her. Everything? And all she had to do was win the Sports Festival? She didn't know whether to be happy or angry, but what she did know was that she had to win. Her resolve to find her father's killer had never been stronger.
"Ryuko, this is amazing!" Midoriya exclaimed. "You're finally gonna be able to get the answers you're looking for! But you still have to win the festival, and if the other Elites are anything like Gamagoori, you'll have your work cut out for you."
"In our current state, I don't know if we'll be able to win Ryuko," Senketsu warned her. "We've never seen a two-stage transformation before, and we still don't have a plan for our rematch with Sanageyama!"
"Yeah, but that just means I have to train extra hard!" Ryuko shouted, her eyes blazing with determination. "We're gonna get so much stronger together Senketsu! As long as I have you, we'll win this festival no sweat!"
One Week Later
"What do you mean I can't use Senketsu?" Ryuko exclaimed in Class 1-A's Sports Festival waiting room.
"I'm sorry, but the rules state that all participants must wear a tracksuit with no enhancing abilities," Iida explained. "You can't use support items or weapons either, so you can't use your sword either."
Ryuko's scissor blade dropped to the floor, as well as her jaw. "B-but I have to use Senketsu for my quirk to work!" she protested. "And what about Aoyama? He's wearing his belt!"
She pointed over to her blonde classmate, who was striking a pose and showing off his belt.
"He's allowed to wear it because he filled out the paperwork," Iida shrugged. "I'm surprised you didn't fill it out yourself, the forms were sent through email last week."
"I haven't checked my email all week because... because I was busy training with Senketsu!" Ryuko realized, slapping her forehead. "Sorry buddy, I thought we'd get to tear this thing up together."
"I'll be fine Ryuko," Senketsu assured her. "And I'm sure you'll do fine as well. Even though we've been training together, it's you who's gotten stronger. Just know that even when we're apart, I'll still be with you."
"Thanks bud."
Senketsu's speech made her feel a little better, but not much. How the hell was she supposed to win now? The last time she fought without him was at the USJ and everyone knew how that went. Even then she at least had her scissor blade, now she was essentially quirkless!
"Midoriya!" Todoroki called out, walking into the room.
What did he want? Ryuko hadn't talked to him since they fought during combat training. She didn't think it was that big of a deal, but he made a point to avoid her whenever possible. Even more so since the Sports Festival was announced. But why was he going for Midoriya?
"Hey Todoroki, what's up?" Midoriya said nervously.
"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you," Todoroki stated, his cold eyes staring at Midoriya. "However, you've got All Might in your corner helping you out. I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two, but know that I will beat you!"
Ryuko had heard enough. Who did he think he was, trying to intimidate Midoriya like that?
"Hey! What's the big deal?" she demanded. "What did Midoriya do to you?'
"Matoi, know that everything I've said goes double for you!" he growled. "The Life Fibers have been a scourge on my father for years, even if you're not wearing them now, I will still defeat you! I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to win."
What, was he trying to avenge his father too? Todoroki calmly walked out of the room in silence, not bothering to stay any longer. But he wasn't able to leave.
"Ugh, I can't believe we have to rub elbows with these losers!" a shrill, raspy voice complained.
Standing in the doorway was Nonon Jakuzure, followed by Houka Inumuta, Ira Gamagoori, and Uzu Sanageyama. All four of them wore dark red tracksuits, starkly contrasting with UA's bright blue. The sight of the Elite Four was enough to make most of Ryuko's class shake in fear.
"Move it half-and-half!" Jakuzure ordered, pushing Todoroki to the side.
"Hold on, I think I recognize this guy!" Sanageyama exclaimed. "You're Endeavor's kid right? Hopefully you're not as weak as your dad!"
"Please, statistically he just has his father's quirk. We already have more than enough data on him, there's no need to gather more from an objectively weaker version," Inumuta said bluntly.
Todoroki was fuming, but the Elite Four paid him no attention as they sauntered into the waiting room. Jakuzure walked up to the chair Bakugo was sitting in and casually pushed him off to take his seat.
"What the hell was that for Shorty?" he roared. "I'm gonna enjoy blowing your ass to pieces!"
"That's Lady Nonon Jakuzure to you, spiky!" she growled, flicking Bakugo's nose. "And I'm gonna enjoy shoving a missile up your ass and launching you to the moon in a million pieces!"
"Come on Jakuzure, we can't waste our time on losers like him," Sanageyama said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's just one of the extras. There's only one person in this room worth fighting," he turned his head toward Ryuko.
Seeing her old enemies only strengthened her resolve to win the festival no matter what. Todoroki was right, they weren't here to make friends. Only one person could win after all. Everyone would be doing everything in their power to make sure it was them. And Ryuko was no exception.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't Ryuko Matoi! You look good without a Kamui. It's a shame we won't be fighting at full power, but I'll take what I can get," Sanageyama taunted.
"You don't look bad yourself Sanageyama. How's the blindfold?" she shot back.
Sanageyama briefly quivered with anger, but he quickly recovered to his cocky, calm demeanor.
"All right, not bad!" he chuckled. "But we'll see if you're more than just talk. We'll be settling this out on the field!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Um excuse me?" Mina cut in. "Why is there a little boy with you?" she pointed at Jakuzure.
The "little boy" let out a feral shriek of rage, her hat nearly flying off from her head.
"I am not a boy!" she yelled as she stormed out of the waiting room.
"Jakuzure!" Gamagoori called after her. "You're forgetting your pants!"
"I don't care!"
"Welcome to the UA Sports Festival!" Present Mic announced, his face on every monitor around the stadium. "Where up and coming heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve world-wide fame as celebrities! This first group are no strangers to the spotlight, you know them for withstanding a villain attack, the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid gold skills! The hero course students of Class 1-A!"
Well, he certainly knew how to hype people up. On cue, Ryuko and her classmates walked out onto the giant stadium's pitch. Every single seat was filled, the viewers cheering loudly as they saw the students walk out. Hundreds if not thousands of pro heroes were watching them, entire sections of the stadium being taken up by exclusively pros.
But that was only half of the stadium. On the other half, in a far cry from the diverse assortment of heroes and civilians, were teenagers wearing grey school uniforms. Honnouji Academy school uniforms. They cheered for the hero course students as well, but it was much more subdued. So Satsuki Kiryuin wanted to bring her own cheer squad with her.
"I didn't know there'd be so many people!" Midoriya said nervously.
"They haven't been getting nearly as much screentime, but this next group is still chock-full of talent!" Mic continued announcing. "Welcome hero course Class 1-B! Next up, general studies C, D, and E! Support classes F, G, and H! And finally business classes I, J, and K!"
As the other first-year classes walked out from their waiting rooms, they all glared daggers at Class 1-A. Most of those glares were trained in on Ryuko. Special notice went to the purple-haired boy and the Kirishima clone. She didn't care though, it wasn't like any of them would actually end up doing anything.
"Give it up for all of UA's first-year contestants! But that's not all we have with us today folks! You know them, you probably hate them, I've had my nose broken by them, it's Honnouji Academy's Elite Four!"
The two halves of the stadium essentially switched roles. While the Honnouji half practically lost their minds over the Elite Four, the hero half was less enthused. Most of them either stayed silent or clapped nervously, but a few brave yet foolish souls tried booing them. They shut up as soon as one of the Elites looked their way though. Ryuko wouldn't have been surprised if they ended up mysteriously disappearing the next day.
All the contestants had gathered in the middle of the field. Standing in front of them on top of a podium was Midnight, the chief umpire for the first-year games. It would have been hypocritical for Ryuko to criticize her costume, but did she really have to include... certain elements shared by Shackle Regalia?
The other first-years seemed to share that opinion as they questioned the appropriateness of her outfit. But surprisingly, her own class was completely unfazed. They must have gotten used to seeing her synchronized state, there wasn't much more to reveal short of just going naked.
"Now, the introductory speech!" she announced, cracking her whip. "Silence everyone! For the student pledge, we have Ryuko Matoi!"
What? The few eyes that weren't trained on Ryuko were now all directed right at her. Why was she gonna have to give a speech? Was it because she finished first in the entrance exam?
Whatever the reason, it didn't matter anymore. Ryuko nervously walked up the podium and tapped the microphone to make sure it was working. Everyone had gone dead silent, waiting to hear what she had to say. What would she say?
She looked around the stadium to stall for time when she spotted Mako in the distance. She and her entire family were excitedly waving at her and Ryuko could even see Senketsu with them! Seeing her friends calmed Ryuko down, they were here to support her no matter what. She knew exactly what to say now.
But before she could open her mouth, something else caught her eye. Directly above the Mankanshokus and Senketsu was a private viewing box. With Satsuki Kiryuin inside, glaring down at her. Then the words just came out.
"Everyone, what I'm about to say doesn't concern most of you. I'm dedicating this speech to a special someone. So you listen and you listen good, Satsuki Kiryuin!"
The name echoed around the stadium as Ryuko pointed a finger at her private box, making everyone look. They all gasped in shock, but Satsuki had no reaction other than raising an oversized eyebrow.
"You think that you can just show up here and dangle what I want to know in front of me like a carrot on a stick?" she continued. "Well guess what? I'll bite! I'll win this festival and I'll beat your idiotic generals into the ground! And when I'm done, I'm coming for you!"
Ryuko pulled the microphone off of its stand just so she could drop it on the ground. She returned to her class, the other first-years still staring at her in silence. But it wasn't out of hatred anymore, just shock.
"Well, that was certainly an interesting speech," Midnight said, picking the microphone off the ground. "Now without further ado, it's time for us to get started! This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the festival! What could it be?"
Behind her, a giant monitor displayed a wheel spinning rapidly. It finally began to slow down, stopping on "Obstacle Race".
"Ta da! All twelve classes will participate in this treacherous contest! The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium," Midnight explained. "I don't want to restrain anyone, at least not in this game. As long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires! Now then, take your places contestants!"
Ryuko took her place at the starting line to the obstacle course. Three green lights atop a red gate marking the start line lit up. She took a look at all the people she would have to beat, both friends and enemies. One of the lights turned off.
On her left, Kirishima offered her a thumbs up while Mina, Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka smiled warmly at her. The second light turned off.
And on her right, Sanageyama grinned arrogantly while Gamagoori, Jakuzure, Inumuta, and Bakugo scowled angrily at her. The final light turned off.
"Begin!"
A/N: It's finally here, the first event of the Sports Festival! Place your bets on who you think is gonna win! Next chapter will also finally reveal the Elite Four's quirks!
Speaking of the Elite Four, I also aged Gamagoori down a bit. He's now only 18 along with Satsuki and the other Elites. I did this because I ship him and Mako together, and since I also aged her down a year I had to do the same to him so it wouldn't be creepy.
Also, I didn't really plan for this, but Gamagoori's flashback scene is pretty similar to Kirishima's flashback when he fought Rappa. They both tried to stop a student from getting bullied and failed, but then a girl came in and defused the situation.
Oh yeah, I guess I have to do a Battle Breakdown: Ira Gamagoori vs. Kendo Rappa and Hekiji Tengai!
I don't think this one needs much explaining. These guys lost Kirishima and Fat Gum. It's pretty safe to say that they get absolutely wiped by Gamagoori going all out. Rappa could get blocked by Kirishima's Unbreakable, he's not doing anything to a guy who no-sells strikes from Ryuko. He doesn't even have a speed advantage either, since even one-stars can react to tank shells even after they've been fired. Gamagoori wins 10/10.