The grades for the exams are given. Everyone goes shopping! And a day of encounters are had.
Between Suri trying to figure out this new sort of ability and hearing what some of her classmates had to endure on I-Island that weekend turned out to be very interesting indeed. Suri tried explaining what she had discovered through her lengthy hours worth of meditation and deep diving into her and Atiena's inner sanctum but a lot of it went over Tooru and Mina's heads. Not that she blamed them cause even after hours upon hours of soul searching, even she wasn't a hundred percent certain. It was going to be a hell of a hard time trying to teach what she barely understood herself to Koda. But she had to try at least.
Mina, though, was clearly bummed about the upcoming week and it had just now dawned on Suri that she might not even get to teach Koda anything. She and Mina had failed their practical portions of their first semester final exams and there was a chance that neither of them would be going to summer training camp anyway. That fear led right up to the point that they got to class and were dreading the coming news. Her, Mina, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero were beginning to worry more and more by the second when Mr. Aizawa entered the room.
"Unfortunately there are a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So, when it comes to the training camp in the woods…"
Suri watched in dread. Dread that soon turned to anger as she watched the biggest shit eating grin ever curl onto their teacher's face. Oh hell no!
"Everyone is going!"
This lying ass motherfucker!
"We really get to go to camp?" Mina and Kirishima shouted happily in unison.
"Yeah. Luckily, everyone passed the written portion of the exam but five of you failed the practical portion pretty badly. Two teams, of course, and then Sero failed as well. For the practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave the students a way to win. Otherwise, you would have never stood a chance. We were more interested in seeing how you work together and approached the task at hand."
"Hold up," Suri stood up and leaned over her desk, grabbing the front edge tightly as she stared daggers into Mr. Aizawa. "You told us the teachers weren't going to be holding back?"
"That was just to put you on edge," he answered smugly. "Besides, the training camp will focus on building your strength. Those of you that failed need the lessons the most. We were never going to separate you. That was just a logical deception we used."
A logical deception?!
Gods, she should've seen that coming a mile a way.
"No offense, Mr. Aizawa," Suri gripped her desk tighter and narrowed her eyes at him. "But this isn't the first time you've lied to us and it's really starting to get old. I get that you run this class however you want but lying doesn't fly. How are we supposed to trust you if we can't put any stock or faith into what you tell us half the time?"
"That's a good point," he shrugged in response. "I'll take it into consideration. But I wasn't lying to you about everything, failure is failure. We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you and frankly they're far tougher than what you'd face at summer school."
"Well ain't that fuckin dandy," Suri growled to herself and dropped back into her seat.
The anger of being lied to yet again ate at her for the rest of the day to the point she barely paid attention to any of the lessons or conversations. She briefly listened to Tooru and Mina talk about their time on I-Island, and how, while they were watching movies, Izuku, Kiri, and Ochako got to take on a group of terrorists that tried to take over the island. She felt herself seething a little as Izuku went on to talk about her pseudo cousin, Melissa Shield, or as Suri liked to call her; Missy. It wasn't that she didn't like her, no, she loved the hell out of Missy and they had had fun when they were younger raiding her dad's armory of old Alpha gadgets and suits. But… she couldn't help the slight tug of jealousy that clenched her stomach. Slight enough in fact that she mindlessly sent her cousin a text.
Suri: Btw, I already have dibs on the boy wonder. Sorry Cuz. You'll have to find your own green prince :p :3
It wasn't until school was coming to an end before Suri came out of her anger and minor tug of jealousy. Really, she had no reason to be jealous, right? It wasn't like her and Izuku were together or he and Tooru or he and Mina, for that matter. So why was it bothering her? He was one of her best friends, not her lover, and they'd only gone on one date together. They were close but not that close. Not that she'd mind if they did. Her mind was in a haze until she heard Tooru shouting something to everyone in class before they grabbed their things to go home.
"Why don't we go shopping together as a class!"
Actually, that could be a nice little distraction from the anger and mind gymnastics she'd been doing lately.
"Hell yeah," Suri grinned and leaned over her desk. "That'd be fun!"
"Right," Kaminari grinned. "We had fun hanging out together as a class at the beach so why not hang out as a class some more?"
"Bakugou, you're coming right?" Kirishima asked with a wide grin.
"Pfft, I couldn't think of doing anything more annoying than hanging out with all of you."
"You're just sour cause you lost to Suri at volleyball," Mina snickered.
"Shut it, Racoon Eyes," he barked back and stormed off.
"Todoroki, you coming," Suri heard Izuku ask.
"Sorry, I can't. I visit my mom on my days off," he replied.
Suri rather enjoyed this more talkative and social side of Todoroki. She had gotten to hear more details of his home life as he opened up after the Sports Festival and the Hosu Incident. Honestly, she was glad to know that she hadn't been the only one with issues on the homefront and she sympathized with Todoroki. They both had daddy issues and somehow, someway, maybe they could help each other through those issues someday. She thought about him going to see his estranged mother and thoughts of her own mothers came back to her that made her feel a sting of longing.
She missed them, especially her mom.
Maybe she'd give her a call before they left for camp.
"Hello, Earth to Suri~"
Suri blinked rapidly as she heard snapping right in front of her face. She came out of her daze to find herself outside of class, in fact, she was home. Suri gave Mina and Tooru a dumbfounded look as she quickly looked at them and then quickly looked around to see where she was. She was home, it was night, and no one was there except for her and her girlfriends. Had she really been out of it that much?
"Suri, are you okay? You haven't been yourself today at all," Tooru asked, voice full of worry.
The beast girl looked at the invisible girl and blinked again. When did Tooru get glowy around the edges? She was far more visible than she'd ever seen her since they met, she could almost make out features on the girl. Which was saying something because she was currently slipping off her school uniform. Oh. They were in Suri's room, it was night and they were getting ready for bed. Right! Wait, it was that late already?
"I… I think so," Suri answered hesitantly. "I'm sure I will be. I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Yeah you do. You're usually tackling us at this point," Mina replied, her playful tone drifting into a more serious and worried tone as well.
Suri looked at the pinkette and knew she was right. Mina stood there in all her glory, all of that soft magenta colored yumminess that was usually being bombarded with lips and hands. Her girlfriends both stood there, equally naked and equally yummy, ready to make up for the weekend they missed together and here was Suri; still very dressed and her mind very much a million miles away.
"You know… we don't have to do anything tonight? You know I'm just as happy cuddling as anything else," Tooru said softly and reached out to take one of Suri's hands in both of hers.
"Yeah, I know," Suri smiled back at her invisible girlfriend and gave her hands a soft squeeze. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again, trying to clear out the anger, the jealousy, the confusion, and the longing. She let her eyes stare only at the two girls in front of her and let her heart begin to burn and swell as she looked them over. Her girls. Her beautiful and wonderful girlfriends. "You in the middle tonight, baby girl?"
Suri felt Tooru squeeze her hand happily as the sound of her nickname filled her with so much joy and happiness. Tooru took a deep breath and then Suri watched the hazy edges of Tooru's face and hair move to look at Mina.
"No, I think you need middle tonight," Mina answered with a smile. They'd been dating long enough, and she'd been friends with Tooru for much longer to know what the invisible girl's movements and mannerisms meant.
Suri smiled and nodded, relenting to the two girls' wishes. She slipped her hand softly from Tooru's hands and stepped back enough to let the girls watch as Suri slipped her grey blazer off, tossed it to a corner and then quickly began unbuttoning her blouse. Once the blouse was off she turned her attention to the white bra she had put on today, her arms curling behind her back to unclasp the band. She really needed to invest in some front clasps to save time. Once the bra had been discarded, her eyes lingered to her girlfriends who were moving away and climbing into bed, leaving space for her. She wanted to hurry. She needed to feel grounded and like herself again and the quickest way to do that was to feel their skin against hers. She hooked everything under her thumbs and pushed downward quickly before she stepped out of her skirt and black briefs. She'd leave the thigh high socks on because one they were cute and she didn't mind them, and two, she needed to touch the two girls already in bed waiting for her.
With a small leap, she jumped onto the bed and crawled upwards in between the two waiting lovers. She let out a long, heavy sigh as she flopped herself onto her back, enjoying the feel of the soft sheets against her skin. The mix of cold and hot felt wonderful on her bare flesh. Then she felt movement and felt weight beginning to apply pressure and rest comfortably into her body. She couldn't help but smile as she felt Tooru's lithe, athletic build slip itself against her right side, the silk curtain of hair resting and nestling into the crook of her shoulder. Tooru's arm draped a little higher, resting on her high abdomen as it laid itself across her. It was soon joined by Mina's more muscular arm that draped across Suri's belly and cupped her hip. Mina sighed happily as she laid Suri's arm between her shoulder and neck, placing herself high enough that she and Suri shared a pillow. It became all the more comforting as Suri heard Mina's soft, happy breathing and felt the soft little gusts against her cheek and neck. Suri let her hands find resting places of their own, her left finding the nice thick and squishy flesh of Mina's rear to cup and grope softly while the right let it's fingers dancing against the small of Tooru's back.
The three of them were happy, comfy girls.
"So," Mina said, barely more than a whisper. "What's up? What's been on your mind?"
Suri relaxed into her bed, nestling the girls that she loved into her arms and body and stared up at the ceiling. She ran through her thoughts before sighing and settling on just laying everything on her mind out in the open.
"To start it all off, my brain is still fried from everything Atiena and I went through over the weekend. I don't know if I can do the whole starry night thing again like we did because I think we were feeding off of a ton of grandma's energy. I kind of get the feeling that, instead of Quirks, different bloodlines of wereanimals have specialized abilities. Grandma can literally replicate the energy of the full moon and from what I heard from her sidekicks during our internship, she could physically manifest her and Asuka's energy into her whip. I never got to see it but knowing grandma… I don't really doubt that she could. If grandma has that ability, it makes me wonder what my mom can do because, really, I've never seen her use any sort of power or even shift."
"She's a wereleopard right?" Tooru asked curiously. "But she doesn't shift?"
"Isn't that sort of, ya know, kind of impossible?" Mina added.
"Technically it's supposed to be impossible but one in a million or so, you get someone who carries a strain of lycanthropy but is asymptomatic. She still had better than average physicals and pretty good healing abilities but other than that… nothing. So that makes me think, since my mom didn't get anything or inherit anything from my grandparents, what did I end up with? Like, I know I can use one of my dad's special moves but what else? The thing that weirded me out the most was being able to see and touch Atiena in real life and not just in the mind forest."
"Right? That woulda been crazy to see," Mina replied excitedly. "You said she was all glowy and stuff, right?"
"Yeah," Suri smiled at the pinkette's excitement and then turned her head enough to look at Tooru. The fact that she could start to make out little details now was still new to her. "And ever since then… Tooru's not just a shape to me anymore."
"What?" both Tooru and Mina exclaimed and sat themselves up to look into Suri's eyes with shock and startled amazement.
"Y-You mean you can," Tooru started.
Suri smiled up at the girl and shook her head softly as she brought her hand up from the invisible girl's back to her chin. Because she could at least make out some of the definition in her neck and chin.
"Sorry, baby girl, I still can't completely see you," Suri admitted and watched the girl slump a little in her grasp. Suri made sure to give her direct, intimate eye contact as she lifted Tooru's chin and drew a line along the girl's jaw with her thumb. "But the glowy edge thing I was talking about... that's sorta what it is. It's like I can see light giving you a halo around the edges so you're more defined than you've ever been but I'm not able to see concrete details."
"I remember you saying that you always see her like the light around her is bending like around the edges of a magnifying glass. Wouldn't that mean she's not quite invisible, she's just, like, bending light around her?"
Suri and Tooru stopped dead in their tracks and then slowly turned to look at Mina in the eye because she had said it. She had said what Suri had contemplated once before and what Tooru had been wondering for months now. It was also the most prolific and profound thing they'd ever heard come out of their girlfriend's mouth. Their girlfriend who had arguably the worst grades in class and absolutely sucked at anything academic.
"What?" Mina recoiled a little from the looks and grew to be a little defensive. "Did I say something dumb again?"
"No," Suri and Tooru said in unison, and the two of them giggled happily.
"I've been wondering that same exact thing for almost a year now. It's what made me really talk to Izuku in the first place. Like, I knew he was smart and was crazy about Quirks, but hearing you, Suri, and him say kind of all the same thing," Tooru sighed happily. "It makes me think that I can do more than just be the invisible girl."
Mina stared into Tooru's eyes and then smiled wide because she knew her girlfriend was right. Because in the back of all three of their minds they shared the same thought that, if she wasn't just invisible, there might be a chance they could see what Tooru truly looked like one day. The pinkette let out a happy squeal as she hugged herself tightly into Suri and moved her arm that laid across Suri's stomach to grip Tooru's side and hugged her into them. It was a brief but warm and tight hug shared by the three girls before Mina relented and her and Tooru relaxed back into Suri's arms.
"Honestly, it makes me happy that I'm not so invisible to at least a couple people. I love it that it's the two that I love the most that don't see right through me."
Tooru sighed happily and snuggled herself tighter, laying her body into and on top of Suri's.
"So aside from the weird starry stuff and being able to see Tooru better, that doesn't really explain why you were so out of it today," Mina said, sighing as she continued the previous conversation.
"Well, aside from my weekend, hearing about what happened to our friends on the island. I'm glad you two were okay and weren't caught up in the middle of all that but knowing Izuku, Kiri, Chako, and the rest were. It made me angry at myself for not being able to be there and help if I could have. I was angry at not being able to keep it together, scaring you guys, and making it so I couldn't go with you. I guess I felt kinda useless, you know?"
The two girls nodded.
"It was scary just knowing that happened while we were all there. It had to have been worse if we were in that group," Tooru admitted.
"Though, it would've been fun to beat up on some bad guys," Mina added.
"True," Suri and Tooru agreed.
"So I was already frazzled and a little angry at all of that, then I started thinking about the training camp and since me and Kiri failed I started to think I wasn't gonna be able to go. Which would be even worse because," Suri sighed and stared up at the ceiling, "this next week is the closest chance I have."
"Have to what?" Tooru asked curiously.
"To," Suri closed her eyes and swallowed hard, "show Koda what I really am."
Tooru and Mina both froze in Suri's arms and she felt the two of them lift enough to look into her golden green eyes. They were looking to see if she was joking and saw that she wasn't.
"Seriously?" Mina questioned cautiously.
"Yeah. Something in his voice calls to Atiena and I. And no, not like that. Atiena and I don't look at him as someone we want to fuck and ride all night long, we've already got sights set in that department," Suri chuckled. "He… I dunno, the best way to explain it is that something in his voice and his Quirk screams pup and Atiena is, like, motherly defensive over him. Besides, I trust him."
"Sounds like you've given it a lot of thought," Tooru admitted and settled back into Suri.
"I have. And since camp is during the full moon, it's the best chance I've got to try and teach him what grandma's been trying to get me to learn. And… I want you two and Izuku there with me and Koda on the night of the full moon."
"You think you're gonna eat him or something?" Mina smiled and raised her hand to bring up a finger and teasingly poke Suri in the cheek.
"Nah," Suri laughed as she was poked. "It's more… I think I'm ready to show you two the real thing and… I think Izuku should see it too. Koda… I need him to know and really understand what I am. I know it's probably going to scare the shit out of him but if he's got people there with him I think it'll soften the blow, ya know?"
"Actually, that makes sense," Tooru answered.
"It might not be pretty, just so you're prepared," Suri said hesitantly again.
"We know," Mina reassured her.
"Just… today, being lied to again by Mr. Aizawa. It made me realize how much I hate lying to the people around me. I just need to get over the fear and tell everyone the truth but I want to go about it my own way, and work everyone up to it so it's not a huge shock. Which means…"
"You have to tell everyone about Hyrum," Tooru answered softly.
"Yeah," Suri scoffed to herself. Then she remembered her text to Melissa. "And… then there was one last thing…"
Tooru and Mina looked at Suri with curious and cautious looks once again.
"I um… I got jealous today."
"Jealous?" the two of them shouted in unison.
"Over who?" Tooru queried.
"Ahh, you're talking about Midori, huh?" Mina asked and smirked. "Thinking that cute Shield girl is gonna steal him away from us?"
"Wait, Izu likes someone else?" Tooru whined, sounding almost as defensive as Suri was earlier.
"Missy? Nah," Suri shook her head. "But… I did send her a text to tell her to back off cause I already called dibs on him."
"You what?" Mina snorted before laughing hysterically.
"Wow, and I thought I was a little territorial," Tooru giggled and joined in.
"Right? I dunno why I was so jealous or territorial though," Suri sighed and shook her head. "I mean, it's not like any of us are officially together with him. I mean we sort of claimed him but it's only been one date each."
Tooru and Mina quieted down and thought about that sentence for a moment. Then Suri watched Mina's eyes narrow and saw the gears in her head beginning to turn. She was cooking up something devious. That being said, Tooru was equally mischievous when she got to plotting a scheme and apparently the two of them had the same idea.
"Then I say we fix that, starting tomorrow," Tooru happily proclaimed like it was law. And since Tooru was a girl of her word it would be.
"Gah, I love this place," Mina squealed happily as she walked hand in hand with Suri and Tooru through the entrance to the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. It wasn't their usual mall that they frequented but when it came to loving malls, Mina and Tooru were indiscriminate as long as there was good shopping to be had.
"Shit, this is bigger than any of the malls at home," Suri said, wide eyed as she looked around at the three level outdoor complex that easily contained more than two hundred stores.
"They've got a ton of specialty stores so you can come here and get all of your shopping done without having to go anywhere else," Tooru commented.
"So since we all need to get different things, should we all meet back up here at about fifteen thirty? We can get food then if anyone's hungry," Kirishima asked everyone.
Everyone nodded in agreement and began splitting off into groups depending on who needed to get what and where. Funny enough, when it was all said and done the four remaining standing in the same spot were Suri, Izuku, Tooru, and Mina. He looked sort of wide eyed and confused as he watched all of the classmates go separate ways.
"I thought we were all shopping together," he asked himself not much more than a whisper. "Well, I guess it can't be helped."
"So, Izu, whatchu in the market for today?" Suri smiled and broke the ice as the three girls walked closer to him.
He looked at Suri and it was clear that he hadn't realized they had been standing there because he jumped ever so slightly and then smiled nervously. He was quietly chastising himself for not realizing he wasn't alone.
"I'm thinking about getting some heavier weights. I kinda want to up my training a bit," he replied with a smile. This smile was genuine. "What about you guys?"
"Hmm, since we're leaving for camp tomorrow morning, I could use a new sleeping bag," Tooru thought out loud.
"I should probably get some hiking boots, myself," Mina chimed in.
"Camp wise, I don't need anything. I… sorta huff it when I'm out in the wild," Suri laughed softly and scratched the back of her head. "Honestly, if it was just a small group of us, I'd probably end up going commando the whole time. Being out in the wild kinda brings out the animal in me."
"I mean I wouldn't mind," Mina snickered and grinned.
"Heh, you know I wouldn't say no," Tooru added happily and then turned to Izuku. "What about you, Deku?"
He thought about that. Like, really thought about it before turning massively red and nervously turned away so none of the girls could see his face.
"I-I mean if i-it's beneficial to your um Quirk t-then I-I guess it's not so bad."
Suri laughed, bellowing happily as she clutched her stomach. Izuku turned around and looked even more embarrassed than he was before. Because he was.
"You know how impossible it is to be so considerate, thoughtful, gentlemanly, and rational all at the same time? And you just," Suri smiled wide and finished with a ta-da gesture at the greenette. He smiled then and scratched nervously at his freckled cheek.
"T-thanks, I guess," he replied sheepishly.
"So, since it sounds like we all need to head to a sporting goods store," Tooru said, happy to break up the small awkward silence that began to creep in.
"Mind if we join you, Midori," Mina finished the thought with a happy smile.
"Actually, I'd like that," he said, his eyes rolling upwards to meet all of theirs.
Suri sighed happily and finally got full control of herself back. Mostly due to that look in his eyes because if he rolled his eyes like that with another expression besides coming down from embarrassment, she'd melt in his hands like putty. Those rolling of eyes, looking upwards like that always seemed to darken their wearer's expression and it was always a look given to her either when she was fighting or…
Her eyes fluttered and she took a deep breath cas she came out of the momentary daze when she felt something squeeze her hand. She looked down to find Tooru's hand squeezing and beginning to tug her along. Apparently they had already started walking and Suri needed to catch up.
"Babe, you okay," Tooru whispered as Suri finally caught up.
"Yeah, just, you know me and eye contact," Suri smirked softly.
"Ahh, the eye roll?" Tooru asked. Of course the invisible girl knew both of her girlfriends and every single one of their little triggers so very well.
"Yup."
"Hehe, I know how I get when you and Mina do it to me, now you've got me thinking of him if he ever gets the chance to go dow-"
"Hey, you two coming or what?" Mina shouted from a few yards away.
"Yeah," Suri and Tooru yelled back in unison. The two girls raced to make up the few yards of distance between them and Mina and Izuku. Luckily they hadn't been far behind, and they were at their destination.
The four of them began walking and wandering through the store. It was one of the largest stores on the main floor and housed equipment for all kinds of sports, outdoor equipment, and athletic apparel. The four of them made a wide loop around the store, first stopping at the free weights and workout equipment for Izuku. They all looked at different sizes and types of weights before the greenette finally made his decision on a pair of twenty five kilogram dumbbells. Suri had contemplated a pair for herself but ultimately passed on them and went for a new pair of padded gloves. Ones she used for hitting the heavy bags and, well, other people when she was in the ring with them at Uncle Issie's. The ones she had back at her grandmother's were completely hashed and showed signs of massive wear and tear. Quite literally in fact since both of them had holes through both palms and all of the stitching was massively frayed.
The group then moved to the camping and outdoor gear. It surprised Suri and Izuku how much detail Tooru put into finding herself a sleeping bag. She went over a series of scenarios including debating on how warm or cold the weather would be, especially if they were to have tents. She went over all of the temperature and climate specifications before finally choosing one that she seemed to like the most. The outside was a shade of purple that matched Suri's hero costume, a pink stripe around the top of the bag that matched Mina's skin tone, and the plaid pattern on the inside had the same shade of green as Izuku's hair. Was that just a coincidence?
Once Tooru had her sleeping bag for camp they weaved their way through the shoes and boots to where Mina had wandered to. They found her trying on her fourth pair of hiking boots and watched as she grumbled to herself as she inspected them first to see how they looked on her and then if they were comfortable. That decision making seemed a little backwards but then again this was Mina they were talking about. She moved on to a fifth pair of boots that were a simple khaki brown with black soles and accents. She seemed to like them the most for some reason and it all but confirmed her choice as she stood up and began to gleefully coo. With a happy grin she turned around to face her partners and posed with them. The three agreed that, even though they weren't necessarily her style, they looked great on her. Once that decision was made, the four of them made their way to the checkout, paid for their items and walked back out into the open air mall.
"So where to next," Mina grinned, walking backwards as she looked at the three of her companions.
"Hmm, I'm pretty much up for anything," Tooru replied. "What about you two, where should we go next for our date?"
"D-date!" Izuku exclaimed and turned a shade of pink. It made the three girls snicker as he let his bout of shyness last for a moment and then quietly looked at the three of them. "I-I didn't know we were on our second date."
"Neither did I," Suri admitted and shrugged. "I mean I guess it's just us but dates don't really end with us meeting back up with the class."
"True. You're right," he smiled weakly and a little more of his shyness wore away again. "I um… the weights were the only thing I could really think of needing. I'm up for looking at any other store you guys want to go to."
"Any store?" Mina and Tooru sang wickedly in unison as their eyes narrowed with mischief.
Suri knew that look and she could only snicker and shake her head at the promise that look might give if he did, in fact, mean what he said. Which, given that this was Izuku, he meant it. Every. Single. Word. And because he meant it, he was unwittingly dragged to a clothing store and stopped dead in his tracks as he neared its entrance. The two energetic balls of chaos had already walked in and it was Suri who smirked as she watched her two girlfriends and then turned a soft smile towards the shy young man. He was admittedly terrified and out of his element with a store like this.
"You know, you don't have to go in right?" Suri reassured him with a caring tone in her voice.
"Y-yeah, I know but… if I don't won't you be disappointed?" he asked honestly.
"No, actually," Suri chuckled softly and smiled. "You're fun to tease, Green Bean, and for them more than me, it's more entertaining. They knew you might not make it through the door but it's not gonna stop them from going in and enjoying just looking around and shopping. Getting to see the reaction of a cute guy they really like is just a little cherry on top. As for me, I'm happy just being able to be around the three of you."
"Honestly, I love the times we spend together. All of us. And," he gave Suri one of those trademark award winning smiles of his, the ones that made Suri catch her breath. "I think, if you wanted to, I um... I-I'd like to go on another date after training camp is over. A-And I think I'll be ready for… this by then."
Suri couldn't help but grin and let a happy squeal rise from her throat as he said those words. She had known that she'd been wanting to hear it from him and how happy it'd make her but this? This felt amazing.
"My, my Izuku," Suri batted her eyes at him playfully. "Asking me on a date? And here I thought me and the girls would have to ask you every time."
"H-Hey," he laughed and nervously scratched the back of his head. "I've never really done this sort of thing before."
"I know, you're just cute is all," Suri smiled and stepped forward as she raised a finger to poke him on the tip of the nose. "And yes, I'd love to go on another date with you."
"Suri! Midori! You two coming in?" Tooru shouted just beyond the door of the women's apparel store, already holding a couple bras in hand.
Suri grinned at the invisible girl and then turned back to look at Izuku to judge his reaction. He was, admittedly, nervous and was on the verge of beginning to sweat bullets. She gave him a gentle glance and sighed softly.
"Give me a minute and I'll be right back, 'kay?" she said to him as she started to walk backwards towards the entrance. "Tooru probably found something in my size but I'll be right out to keep you company."
He smiled and nodded. There was a look that said he was about to apologize but she waved it off and assured him it was fine. Which, it really was. Because he had asked the question, he had made the offer and he had even said that he would be coming in next time. The promise of there being a next time and the possibility that she and the girls might be able to show off a little for him made her happy. Her girlfriends were a little sad that he hadn't come in but when she told them what had happened they too made a flurry of happy noises. It had only taken three but the hope that he was going to ask all three of them, whether it was together or individually, the wait had been worth it.
Suri had been correct with her assumption that Tooru had found something in her size and, low and behold, it was something super cute. The invisible girl had gotten very good at finding stores that carried a wide array of sizes that didn't skimp on being aesthetically pleasing. Back in the States it had always seemed like once you got to a D cup, you were stuck with plain. Smaller cups had all of the cute frilly or intricate designs and too many differing styles to count, so on many fronts she was envious of girls who were a large C or smaller. Like Tooru herself. But for someone like Suri, who was in the E almost F territory, and Mina, who was on the verge of E cup territory, clothing companies seemed to think that they didn't need anything cute. Those companies were oh so wrong.
Suri happily surveyed the choices that Tooru had picked out and loved every bit of them. Honestly, the invisible girl had such an eye for things that made Suri feel cute and a little more girly than she admitted to enjoying. Tooru had pulled that feminine side out of her and she didn't mind it one bit. She looked down at the bras and then turned back to the outside of the mall and frowned when she didn't see Izuku standing there. She felt bad that Tooru picked these out, but she wanted to see his reaction. Tooru teased that fact home when she was the one who said what she was thinking out loud and laughed even more when Suri blushed. For her credit though, she and Mina gave their girlfriend a gentle push and encouraged her to rejoin Izuku.
She had all but jogged back out to keep him company so he wasn't alone only to find herself alone. Suri surveyed everywhere she could and hadn't come up with anything that she could see so Atiena quietly slipped forward and they flared their shared nose. They scented for Izuku and found that he hadn't been far and quickly began making their way to him. He was only a few meters from where she left him but she froze in her tracks as she came upon the sight.
He was facing away from the store she and the girls had gone into and someone was sitting with him. Someone in a black hoodie and long pants, which she honestly found odd with how hot it was outside. The mystery person was also close, really close, like they had known Izuku for a long time. She felt a hint of jealousy spring up again as she got closer. They were sitting together so intimately but something seemed… off. Izuku's scent was laced with a mix of fear, anger, and anxiety, like he was even more uncomfortable than he'd ever been. Then the scent of this new person wandered in and Suri couldn't help but feel like she'd met this person before. She knew who this was but couldn't make out who it was and the longer that thought dwelled the more uncomfortable she felt. Suri's stomach twisted as she got closer, wading in closer to an unknown situation and then fear filled her as she heard the person, the man, talking and she recognized the voice. Her eyes widened as she listened to Tomura Shigaraki talk and noticed that his hand was around Izuku's throat.
Fuck!
Didn't his Quirk make people turn to dust if he touched them? If so, then why hadn't Izuku started to disintegrate? He hadn't activated his Quirk, why? What was Shigaraki waiting for?
Suri crept closer, moving silently as she went to flank Shigaraki on his other side. As she moved around the circular bench and got ready to make a move and sit down beside the villain, she heard Izuku. It was his voice of conviction, he was putting on the best brave face he could.
"But he didn't run away like you did. He stayed true to his beliefs even when things got tough and didn't go his way. He's not just out to destroy things for fun. That's the difference."
"Ah," Shigaraki sighed in relief. "It's like a weight is off my chest. I can see it now so clearly, all the dots connected. Why he makes me so angry and why you irritate me so much. Everything makes sense," he continued, the more he talked the more maddening he seemed to sound. "It's him, the problem is All Might. Yeah! That's it! It's the most rational explanation. How didn't I see it when it's been right in front of me the whole time? He's the reason why these people are able to smile so thoughtlessly. It's because that worthless pro hero is smiling thoughtlessly too! As if there's no one in the whole world he can't save! I'm really glad we had this chat, Midoriya."
Shigaraki's grip tightened and she heard Izuku begin to choke and struggle for air.
"If we're going to do something, do it now, Suri," Atiena rumbled from inside her and her eyes rolled to black and green gold fire.
So she did.
Suri tapped into that inhuman speed that Atiena, her beast, gave her and she slid herself right next to Shigaraki. Before he had time to react her right arm went around the back of his neck to mimic his own hold on Deku, her hand wrapping around his throat. Her claws lengthened and let the sharp tips press against his skin, daring to draw blood. Her left hand found his own and she slipped his middle finger between her own and made a bridge over her index and ring finger. She bent it back enough that no matter what he tried he wouldn't make solid contact with all five fingers. Her hold on him would make him sting but only enough that it made the threat of her presence all the more real to him.
"Don't. Move."
"Hey now," he laughed with a raspy nail grating tone. "We're just having a simple chat. No need to threaten violence, kid."
"And yet, here you are, threatening an innocent civilian with the same thing," Suri replied with an unhappy smile. She sounded eerily happy about the situation. "Honestly, you have to have some massive balls to pull something like this in public. Or you're incredibly stupid."
Izuku flinched as Shigaraki's grip flexed, Suri backed it up by flexing her own wrist, gripping the villain's throat tighter.
"Don't you ever say that again. If you do, you're going to be picking up his ashes," he growled.
"You do that and I will not hesitate to gut you like a fucking fish," Suri growled back with her own threatening rumble. "We can play that game if you want but I promise you, you will lose. The instant you activate your Quirk, your throat will be gone and you'll have the pleasure of watching me stand over you while you choke on your own blood."
"Heh, not very heroic of you. What would your daddy think of that? You're Alpha's daughter, right?" Shigaraki asked, a little too smug for her taste.
"Should I feel honored you know who I am?" Suri asked with a husky whisper.
"S-Suri, go. I'm okay, really," Izuku squeezed out.
"Not a chance, sweetie." She answered and then let out a choked laugh, "I don't think I can leave you alone after this."
"Aww, so sweet, look at you two love birds. It makes me sick."
"Don't knock it til you try it, Shigi. I'm sure we could find you a cute little bad girl to throw you in a jail cell with," Suri shot back with a sarcastic purr in her voice.
"And what makes you think I want something like that? I don't need anyone, I just need to see my dream become a reality. And thanks to your boyfriend here, I think I might have found a real path to make that happen."
"Because everyone, even a whiny ass psycho like you, deserves to find someone that loves them. Besides, what good is a dream if you can't share it with someone?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said I don't need anyone, I'm fine on my own," Shigaraki growled and flexed his grip on Izuku's neck once again.
"S-She's right. Everyone needs someone to share their dreams with," Izuku choked.
"You two," he sighed with a raspy growl. "You don't get it do you?"
"I do actually," Suri replied. "You want power. You crave it and you want all of the attention and glory centered on yourself. There's people who want to watch the world fall and burn and then there's you, who wants to watch it blown to bits until nothing but ash and smoke remain. Sound about right?"
"Ooo, you're good. You do understand."
"There's a problem with your dream though, Shigaraki," Suri turned and let him see the glowing golden green suns her eyes had become. She wanted to make sure he was the one who felt fear, she wanted to make him fear eyes like hers in the middle of the night. "To do that, you have more than just heroes and All Might to face. You have no idea what will come against you if you put this world on the line just because you've got your panties in a twist and you take your little temper tantrum out on a bunch of kids and All Might. There are things in this world much more dangerous than you will ever hope to be. Some of those things have watched for hundreds, even thousands, of years and the only reason that the world never descended to where you dream it will is because they stepped in. You see, Shigaraki, heroes aren't your final boss. This little game you're trying to play, you may have to face the gods themselves. And that's if you make it past the monsters… like me."
Shigaraki shivered as he stared into Suri's eyes, his eyes went wider and wider as she spoke and his mind fell into that dark void her eyes had become. He felt fear rise inside him and it made him itch. He itched so much but couldn't reach it because his hands were tied. Panic began to set in because he couldn't sate that desire and he reacted. He reacted and not in the way that Suri had hoped he would. He growled and tried to push his fingers down to make contact on both teens next to him and Suri only knew it because she felt his left hand tense in hers.
Suri reacted to his quick movements with speed faster than his own. She had to get him away from her and Izuku, that was all that mattered in that frozen second of time. She grabbed his throat and pulled back, gripping the flesh tight as she moved him from his seated position to being airborne. She threw him, hoping she had pulled him away from Izuku fast enough that he hadn't made contact. It was irrational and she knew it, but she had done it. She spooked him and instead of going the way she had hoped, it was going to turn out badly.
The beast girl let out a snarling growl as she threw Shigaraki and watched as he hit the ground a few meters away with his butt and rolled through. He went heels over head, somersaulting backwards onto his feet and managed to get a good enough landing that he was able to get to his feet. He glared with crazed eyes, small crimson pupils glistening with an almost animalistic rage in them. He held his stance wide, fingers spread and ready to charge while Suri crouched on one knee on the bench into a defensive position. She was ready to lunge at any second if he took the step forward, a step that would seal both of their fates indefinitely.
Shigaraki began laughing like a madman and lowered himself, readying to leap forward at the girl who now had full length fangs, claws, and tail. Her tail laid stiffly across Izuku's lap, keeping a placement of where he was behind her back as she focused all of her instincts on the psychopath in front of them. He lunged forward, stumbled and began quickly back pedaling his steps as he tried to avoid something on the ground. The ground at his feet was beginning to sizzle and melt beneath him with a loud hissing sound.
"Get away from them," Mina yelled and came to Suri's side, her palms pooling with jade colored acid. The color meant it was highly acidic and meant solely for attacking.
"Oh my God, Izuku," Tooru shouted and Suri felt the weight behind her shift as the invisible girl came to the greenette's aid.
Seeing his odds had now come to a four on one predicament and his element of surprise gone, Shigaraki whipped his head back and forth, looking at everyone who was now staring at him. He was had. Game over if he stayed put. So he did the smartest thing he'd done in the last couple minutes; he ran, disappearing into the crowds and into thin air.
"Yes, hello," Tooru's voice came clear, "we've had a run in with a wanted criminal at Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. His name is Tomura Shigaraki, with the League of Villains. Yes! He took off running but he was heading west! Yes, please hurry!"
She had called the cops immediately. Good on her.
"Deku!"
Suri turned and saw Ochako and Tsu running towards them and not far behind them was Kirishima, Sero, and Tokoyami. As she saw her friends coming she turned around completely, shelving Atiena's power and letting herself sink back into being fully human again. Her eyes fell onto Izuku and she went wide eyed as she saw blood trickling down his neck. Tooru had him resting against her, applying pressure to the large scratches that had managed to puncture his skin. She looked at him and then to her girlfriends, her heart sank and she fell back completely on the bench. Her chest began to heave and her breathing became erratic and with tears beginning to pool in the corners of her eyes she screamed her fear and frustration.
"Fuck!"
"Holy shit, are you guys okay," Kaminari asked fearfully as he came rushing towards them from the opposite side.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay," Mina panted, breathy and nervous.
"I'm okay. I called the cops so they'll be here any second. Izuku's bleeding but it's not too deep so he's stopped so far," Tooru replied, somehow managing to have calmed down enough to think on her feet. She had ripped the entire bottom of the tank top she was wearing and had managed to tie it around Izuku's neck to help control his wounds.
Everyone then turned to look at Suri who now had her head cradled in between her knees to try and stop the onset of the panic attack that had started to consume her. It took a long moment but she finally took a deep enough breath to be considered normal and gave everyone tear filled eyes. She had fucked up. She had scared everyone. Again.
"I'm so fucking stupid," she growled to herself. "I should have called the cops as soon as I saw what was happening. Gods, I could have gotten you killed! Just… Fuck! What the fuck is wrong with me?"
"You did what any hero would do," Izuku said, his head rolling up so he could look at Suri and give her a weak smile. "You acted. You tried to step in and help."
"Yeah, but-"
"Kuroyashi, please stop," Tsu croaked as she stepped closer to the beast girl. "None of us know what would have happened if you didn't step in. Midoriya could be in worse shape now or he could've walked away perfectly fine."
Suri flinched at hearing Izuku could have been hurt worse and it showed.
"The point is, Deku's safe," Ochako added after seeing the reaction.
"And something tells me we might be in trouble," Mina said quietly as she sat on the bench next to Suri. It made the beast girl look up at the pinkette and then followed her eyes. Suri gulped loudly and sunk back in on herself once again as she watched several police officers coming their way and their eyes were focused solely on the two girls and the injured boy.
Yeah. That looked like trouble right there.
"You and Miss Ashido will have a strike on your records. We can put notes into the system explaining that you were using unlawful use of your Quirks to alleviate an incident with a notable villain. But," Tsukauchi sighed and leaned back in his seat as he stared forward at a very apologetic and nerve wrecked Suri. "I can't make any promises that it won't impede or hinder the process of you two getting your provisional licenses in the future. That record is going to go with you for the rest of your lives so I want you to think about that going forward."
"Yes, sir," Suri said quietly, no more than a sad whisper.
She had fucked up. And because the situation had forced Mina to get involved, Suri felt even more responsible for what happened. If Mina couldn't get her hero license because of what Suri did, it would haunt her and she feared that the pinkette, her girlfriend, would cease to be even an acquaintance.
"And you said you didn't see which direction Tomura Shigaraki went?"
"Yes, sir. I became distracted and by the time I looked back, he was gone."
"That's very careless of you Miss Kuoyashi," he leaned up in his seat and tried to make any sort of eye contact with the girl. She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"I know, sir. I wasn't thinking clearly," Suri responded even more weakly.
Tsukauchi sighed again and shook his head with an unhappy smile as he pushed his chair back and let himself stand. He picked up his casework papers and then drummed them against the table to sift them neatly before putting them back into a case folder.
"I've already cleared Miss Ashido for release, her parents should be here by now. I've already called Toshinori so he's on his way down as well. Mister Midoriya's mother has been called so she'll be here soon to pick him up. And as for you, our Master is on her way to take you home."
Suri froze, her eyes going wide. She then slowly looked up to the detective standing on the other side of the table. She'd never once sensed him, never once felt his energy but the way he said Master said all she needed to know. She didn't need to see that his eyes had rolled to black and that there was a trickle of his beast in the room.
"You're… pard," Suri said quietly, in a shocked whisper.
"That I am," he smiled and then gave a small laugh. "I'm surprised it's taken you this long, though I guess we've only met a couple of times."
"Still. I must be really out of it if I hadn't noticed before."
Honestly, it made so much sense. It wasn't really that uncommon to have wereanimals not only in hero work, but law enforcement in general. It made sense that, since heroes apparently knew about the peternatural community, there would be allies to bridge the gap between human and non-human. And knowing that he and All Might had been friends for a long time, aside from her own father, Uncle Toshi would've needed someone he could trust in the other wereanimal groups. A wereleopard cop? Why the hell not?
"How have I not sensed you this entire time? I feel like I should've known this entire time or should have seen your spark in the stars?"
"Spark in the stars?" he questioned with a confused glance.
"Sorry, something new I've been trying to figure out lately," Suri shook off the comment and started to look away when something caught her eye. She saw a picture sticking out of another case file that Tsukauchi had on the table and idly reached for it before he could notice what she was doing.
"Hey, now," he scolded as he grabbed the picture out of her hand and stuffed it back into the folder a little tighter this time. "You're not supposed to be snooping on police business."
Suri was still a little frozen from the small glimpse of what she had seen. It had been a picture of a corpse discarded with zero regard for its sanctity or respect. That hadn't been the thing that had spooked Suri though. The body had been mangled beyond repair. She knew of only one thing that could do damage like that, or purposely making sure the damage couldn't be healed. Not even from shifting.
"Tell me that's not what I think it is," Suri spoke quietly.
Tsukauchi sighed and growled under his breath, mostly at himself for being careless enough to let important case evidence get picked up by a teenage girl. Of course he knew she wasn't a run of the mill teenage girl, no, but she was still a civilian.
"Dammit," he turned around and went for the door, paused with his hand on the knob and then turned back to look at Suri. "What you saw is part of an ongoing investigation, one that I need to consult All Might and our Hyo-Ra with. I'd ask that you not speak of what it was that you saw."
"I um… yes, sir," suri wanted to ask more, say more, find out more about what she had glimpsed but knew she would just leave empty handed. It was a situation that, no matter what, she had to back down from because there was nothing she could gain no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she had bowed to Tsukauchi's authority.
"Now, come on, let's get you released back to Lady Kuroyashi," he smiled and opened the door and Suri followed suit.
He led her through the precinct from the interrogation rooms, through the bullpen, and then towards the back exit. It was where they'd take criminals to be put into the back of a squad car before being taken to prison or, like her, juvenile detainees who were being released to their parents or guardians. When they went out the back door, Suri was met with a tight hug after being all but pounced by Tooru. Suri smiled as she held the invisible girl off of her feet for a long moment, holding the soft warmth of the smaller of her girlfriends close. Once she set Tooru back onto the ground she had a split second to see a blur of pink coming for her next. Mina crashed into both of them and buried her face into the crook of Suri's neck. She had been crying and was scared. Suri knew that, at that moment, it was her job to hold the two girls and try to reassure them that everything was okay.
She nuzzled into Mina, enjoying the soft curls of her hair against her cheek when she looked forward and saw Izuku standing just a foot or so away. Her eyes fell onto the bandage on his neck and she nearly broke down in tears. He had been injured because of her. All of them could have been hurt because of her. Izuku must have been able to read what she was thinking because he gave her a smile and shook his head.
"The medic said there was nothing permanent. And they only counted two scratches so he never made contact with all of his fingers. Really, I'm okay," he tried reassuring her.
She still felt like shit.
She slipped from Tooru and Mina's grip and went to Izuku, taking a handful of the white tee shirt and laying her forehead against his collarbone. She fought off crying and fought back all of the emotions swelling and turning into a hurricane inside her.
"If I hadn't acted the way I did, you wouldn't have bandages at all. Mina wouldn't have a strike on her record. I should have stayed outside with you and maybe, just maybe, none of this would have happened."
"Suri," he said sternly, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders and push her back enough so that he could look into her eyes. "I could have just easily avoided all of this if I hadn't been so scared to go into the store with the three of you."
"And if we hadn't tried to push," Mina said softly as she came to one side of Suri and Izuku.
"You wouldn't have had to be scared to go into the store," Tooru finished, mirroring the pinkette on the opposite side.
Izuku looked from one girl to the next and quirked his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes a little as a thought ran through his mind. It was a look that made all three look at him with a hint of anticipation and worry.
"So," he started but had trouble collecting his words at first. "I-If I um… if w-we… are you three going to gang up on me like this if we um…"
"Don't they already?"
A soft and caring elderly voice broke the momentary silence the four teens had between them and they turned to see Grandma Kuroyashi smiling as she made her way up the short alleyway along the side of the precinct. She was in her leisurely robes that she normally wore around the compound, the ones that seemed to flow elegantly with each step she took. Behind her were two more women, both of which Suri recognized instantly.
"Mom!" Tooru and Mina shouted in unison as they rushed from Suri and Izuku.
Mina hit the tall pink skinned woman with short straight white hair and eyes matching the pinkette's with the force of a truck. She was dressed in her training sweats which meant she had just finished the last lessons of the night and had come straight from her dance studio to get her daughter. The pinkette buried herself into her mother for a long moment as the two of them cried softly into each other's grasp.
Next to her, Tooru had hit a floating dress in much the same fashion. Like Tooru, her entire family had invisibility Quirks and with the kinds of clothing the older woman wore, it was obvious where Tooru had gotten her love for fashion. Tonight, she had been wearing one of her quote housewife dresses that was barely mid thigh in length and was black with white polka dots with red trim around the hems. The two of them weren't crying but the embrace wasn't any less emotional than Mina and her mom's.
Suri smiled at both of her girlfriends then turned back to Izuku and gave him a weak smile that was just for him. He returned it as she let go of him, stepped back and then turned around to face her grandmother. She sunk her head and balled her fists as she got closer to her grandmother and let out a long sigh.
"I'm sorry, grandma. I made a mess of things again."
"Oh hush, child. You know you didn't do anything that I wouldn't have done myself," she scolded and reached up to ruffle Suri's braids that had come loose. "I-"
"Izuku! Baby!"
A voice shrieked at the end of the alleyway and Suri watched as another woman came running up the stretch of alley. She watched the familiar shade of emerald green hair flutter in the wind her running created and saw the short woman hit Izuku like a truck herself. His shirt was grabbed once again, ruffling it even further as she clung to him and sobbed. Now she knew where he got his personality from.
"Mom, I'm okay," he smiled and tried reassuring her.
"No! I," she was choking up and tears were coming down like waterfalls as she looked him over. "Oh god, you're hurt! Not again! Please! My heart can't take anymore!"
Izuku froze and looked down at the shorter woman with fear. Suri was fearful as well, and all the more remorseful once again. She turned to the small, portly woman and fought back the lump swelling in her throat.
"Miss Midoriya," Suri said softly. Izuku's mother leaned back and turned enough to see the taller girl giving her soft, apologetic eyes. "I'm Suri Kuroyashi, one of Izuku's friends, and… the reason he was injured today. I acted irrationally and in the process… I," Suri dropped to her knees and bowed herself almost completely flat to the ground in front of the woman. "Please forgive me for what I've done."
"K-Kuroyashi," she spoke in an almost startled tone. She looked down at the girl at her feet and then to the older woman behind Suri.
When she said nothing, Suri dared to look up and saw Izuku's mom, Miss Midoriya, staring at her grandmother like she'd seen a ghost. In fact, everyone had realized the tension and were all distracted from their own emotions and focused on Izuku's mother and Suri's grandmother.
"Inko," Grandma Kuroyashi said, smiling softly. "It's been a long time, my dear."
"Y-Yes it has," she spoke carefully and in her own soft tone. "My queen."