Naomasa looks impossibly tired. Misaki can tell the moment he sets foot in the apartment. Her brother has always been a rather private man, as was a common trait in the Tsukauchi household. Even so, she knows how attached he'd been to his job in recent months, or more specifically, to the young vigilante he'd been trying to catch.
She'd seen the news. Everyone had seen it. It's the main reason she'd planned such a last-minute family dinner. As the oldest of the three siblings, she needs him to know that he's not alone.
Tamakawa Sansa, however, the only one of Naomasa's coworkers to have received more than one invite to the Tsukauchi family dinner, thankfully seems to have beaten her to the punch.
"Tamakawa!" Misaki's grin is bright as she ushers the two men inside. "Nao said you were coming, it's good to see you again!"
"Sansa's fine, and it's good to see you as well," the feline greets, velveteen smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Misaki pulls her brother into a tight hug. "I'm glad you came," she murmurs. The man hums gently against her shoulder as Misaki rocks them back and forth for a moment. She'd steeled her heart before they'd arrived, prepared to see a broken man inhabiting the body of her younger brother.
Naomasa looks tired, it's true, but he looks better than Misaki had been expecting. He looks fully fed and freshly showered and that's all she can ask for from him after everything.
She has an inkling that she has Sansa to thank for it.
Misaki eventually releases him, leading them into the kitchen. "Reo! Sansa and your uncle are here!" Reo peeks his head out of his room, dressed in a fresh button-up. His cheek, however, is
smudged with a blueprint outline of his most recent project. Misaki laughs softly. "Go wash your face off."
Reo's brows furrow in momentary confusion before he catches his reflection in one of the hall mirrors. He flushes, covering his cheek with a hand.
Naomasa chuckles. "Busy as ever, I see."
"Of course," Reo murmurs before shyly slipping into the bathroom.
Misaki leads the other two towards the table as he disappears. "The food's ready so feel free to grab a plate."
Reo returns soon after, cheek red.
They fall into idle chatter as they eat. Sansa and Misaki do most of the talking until Reo's dragged with a question about school.
"Speaking of school, I haven't seen Midoriya in a while," Misaki says, "How's he doing?" She turns back to Sansa with an explanation. "Midoriya's one of Reo's friends." The smile that sneaks across her lips is a knowing one. "I'm sure you'll meet him at some point if you come to a few more dinners. He's over here often enough. He was one of the first years that placed third in UA's sports festival."
"Every time we take the train he gets recognized," Reo chuckles, "He's been struggling to handle the fame."
"I'd bet," Misaki replies, helping herself to another small serving of rice.
"He's actually got his first martial arts tournament this weekend," Reo adds nervously.
His mother raises a brow. "His first? I thought he'd been training for a few years now?"
Reo only shrugs, taking another bite of food in favor of answering the question. "The event is free for family, but since it's just him and his mom he got us three tickets as well."
Naomasas's brow rises gently in surprise. "Three?"
Reo nods. "You don't have to use it, but he got one for you as well. Remind me to give it to you before you leave."
"I don't know if I'll be able to make it."
"Even if you can't, I promised I'd give it to you."
Dinner ends quietly and their guests don't say longer than it takes to clean the table. Reo hands off the tournament ticket as they leave, Sansa's hands full of uneaten leftovers. In the hall, Naomasas pushes the elevator's call button. The ticket burns a hole in his pocket.
"Do you think I should go?" he asks softly.
Sansa shifts his hold on the food in his hands. "To the tournament?" The detective nods silently.
"'Should' is too strong of a word. The better question is: are you ready to go? I'm sure there'll be a lot of reminders there that you might not be ready to see just yet," Sansa warns. "So, you're the only one that can answer that."
Naomasas doesn't respond, watching instead as the elevator doors pull open in front of them.
r/villains · Posted by u/764dleted one day ago
Stain in Musutafu??
354 upvotes
Evidently Stain is in Musutafu and you know what, I'm blaming it on whatever happened to that one popular vigilante because honestly why else would he come here of all places
.
ihatesummer 474 points · 12 hours ago "whatever happened to that vigilante" bitch he DIED .
helpits_monday 16k points · 5 hours ago
The fact that Stain has been such a heavily followed topic in the news recently only to suddenly completely drop off the radar after he attacked Ingenium is honestly setting off a lot of red flags. There hasn't been much that could've acted as a catalyst for him to change locations so suddenly so I honestly kind of agree with you on this. There's been a lot of theories circling the internet because of Piper's popularity, and I've definitely seen a few posts here and there about this being a cover-up for some sort of assassination from the Her0 Ass0ciati0n. It's possible that Stain could've heard about it or that he knows something we don't about what happened. Either way, from Stain's point of view there were probably a lot of people, both heroes and police, that he could find blame with in relation to Piper's death. A lot of high profile heroes could be implicated in Piper's death so I'm curious to see who Stain thinks could be at fault
edit: I'm not excited guys, obviously I don't want anyone to die or get hurt, but if he really does know more about what happened to Piper than us and we figure out who he'll target, then it could lead to a breakthrough in Piper's case
.
sunflowerkit 2k points · 2 hours ago
bro someone needs to fess up quick before one of my faves gets killed .
Iida_T4793 3 points · just now
So Stain is in Musutafu?
Izuku stares at the comments, horror dawning across his face. His stomach turns over, a queasy
feeling overcoming him. Izuku hadn't been following Stain's case as closely as he normally would have. He'd been trying to avoid any stories that might have tempted Piper's resurrection.
That was his mistake.
He'd been aware of Stain, aware of his victims. He hadn't, however, been aware of the rumored respect he held for Izuku's vigilante persona.
He reads the words again: "from Stain's point of view there were probably a lot of people, both heroes and police, that he could find blame with in relation to Piper's death".
It was just a theory, just a rumor. But, Izuku agreed that it was weird. Why was Stain in Musutafu? As far as he was aware, Stain was notorious for his patterns. There were never less than three attacks per prefecture. But, there'd only been two that Izuku has heard of and a quick search on his computer confirms his fears. There was a reason for Stain to be in Musutafu and the only recent event of note was the death of the vigilante Pied Piper. The world took the news harder than Izuku could have expected.
His eyes flicker towards the red ribbon tied to his backpack.
He can only pray that Stain hadn't been one of the ones affected.
UA's presence in Musutafu attracts a great deal of tournaments to the area. He contributes this to the reason why the MMA tournament he's participating in is only a short train ride away.
Midoriya Inko is a nervous woman by nature, but the moment the building he'll be fighting in comes into view he can feel her nervous energy turn palpable. Izuku laughs softly at the look on her face as he pushes through the front door and they go to check-in. "The sports festival was ten times worse than this will be," he reassures her.
She fiddles anxiously with her hand as they're pointed where to go. "Even so," she murmurs, "I didn't get to watch that from the stands." She swats at him playfully. "You didn't get to see how much of a wreck I was."
Izuku's teasing grin melts into a kind smile. "I promise nothing you see today will even compare to then."
Ji-Woo meets them halfway down the corridor, duffle bag slung over her shoulder. "How'd the younger kids do?" he calls.
The corners of her lips turn upwards, freckles glowing softly. "Just as well as I expected. Ito took first in her division."
Midoriya nods happily. "I figured she'd do well if she ended up sticking around the dojo."
She and Inko exchange greetings before Ji-Woo leads them further inside the building. They come out at the top of an arena. Thousands of seats extend out around them, encircling the court below. Most of the seats, however, are empty. There's two octagonal rings set up on the ground floor at the center of the arena, two fights already taking place inside of them. "The later the night gets the more people that will show up," Ji-Woo explains as they make their way down the steps to where a majority of the crowd resides. "The older kids always draw bigger audiences. When I was younger the crowds weren't nearly so big, but UA's sports festival has skyrocketed the popularity of
competitions like these even with quirks being banned. It's not unusual to see some of the kids in the older divisions end up working as pro heroes though, so I guess it's not too huge of a surprise." She scans all the seats as they pass. "I'd say at least half of all the empty space you see now will be filled up before the end of the night."
Cheers go up from the crowd as one of the fights is determined below.
"They're just now finishing up with the 13 and 14-year-olds so it'll be a while before your weight class is up. You can watch some of the matches until then." Chee Sensei offers him a firm pat on the back. "It's your first time coming to one of these right?" She looks between both him and Inko.
Izuku nods.
She smiles. "I'll let you enjoy it then. I'll come find you when it's time, so make sure you're listening for your phone in case I can't spot you."
Izuku smiles back. "Yes, Sensei."
As she leaves there's a familiar, echoing call of his name from above. He turns to find Reo at the top of the stairs followed closely by his mother. Izuku waves up at them as they jog down the steps. Reo engulfs him in a hug as soon as he's close enough.
He and Misaki exchange a brief greeting before she and Inko break away to find a place to sit. "You excited?" Reo asks, eyes bright as they take a seat a few rows behind their mothers.
"I don't know if excited is the right word for it. I was originally. I thought I'd be able to learn a lot," Izuku explains with a nervous laugh. "But, there's a lot more safety procedures than I expected with a whole list of things that can get you disqualified. The whole reason I've avoided these for so long is because I didn't see any appeal in pointlessly hurting people, so I feel like I'm more anxious that I won't learn anything and that this'll have been for nothing."
Reo nods, leaning back in his seat. "That's valid. I'd be worried as well, but I think you'll be surprised. By the way," he adds, bumping shoulders with Izuku. "My mom said she didn't know if my uncle will actually show up or not, but let it be known that I did give him a ticket."
Izuku laughs, swaying with the push. "That's fine. I'm sure it felt pretty out of the blue for him."
Reo rolls his eyes. "You guys have met quite a few times so it's not like it's unusual for you to invite him. Also, he told me to congratulate you for your win at the sports festival. I guess if he misses this I'll have to tell him to congratulate you on your win today as well." His friend's smile stretches into a grin.
Izuku bats at him playfully. "The matches for my age group haven't even started yet."
In his pocket his phone buzzes. Izuku's heart surges into his throat, thinking it's Chee Sensei calling to tell him it's already time despite the fact that she's barely been gone five minutes. Instead, he finds a text message. "Shinsou's almost here," he says, smile in his voice.
Reo leans over, peeking at his screen. "Sounds like he's just a few blocks away."
Izuku nods excitedly as they go back to watching what seems to be the final match for the age category just beneath him. He's watched a countless number of quirkless fights play out while training, but this is his first time seeing one outside of the dojo. It's strange to hear so many people cheering on such an unostentatious fight.
Izuku is far more accustomed to fighting dirty than anything he sees happening in the rings below. He had to be if he wanted to survive in Musutafu's back alleys. Holding back against villains trying to kill or incapacitate was not a luxury he had. The sports festival had placed him in a similar scenario.
This tournament is different. There were strict rules in place to prevent unnecessary injuries. Everyone has high hopes for him, but it worries him just how easy it could be for him to be penalized or disqualified if he isn't careful.
Chee Sensei had been thorough in running him through all the procedures, had given him a list and a long talk about every banned move he could've possibly thought to pull. She'd done her best to beat the street fighting out of his limbs. Even so, he's worried.
The two of them talk idly for a few minutes before a winner is determined for the fight below. It's not long after that that finally Shinsou arrives.
"Nice to see the place hasn't burned down yet." He grins, slipping past them and taking a seat on the other side of Reo.
Midoriya laughs, trying and failing to act out a shushing motion. "We didn't tell our moms about that happening."
"About what happening?"
Izuku's head whips around, panic etched into his face at the sight of Chee Sensei looming on the steps beside him. She looks cross, but in an amused sense that puts him at ease.
"Nothing," he replies with a grin.
The woman gently jerks her head towards the side, ignoring the answer. "It's time."
He nods, apologizing to Shinsou for leaving so soon and jogging a little way down the steps to give his mom a quick hug before following Chee Sensei back up. He waves goodbye to his friends as he goes, followed by the sound of their well-wishes as he leaves.
The dressing room isn't what he expected. It's a long, but narrow room filled to the brim with contestants and their trainers preparing for their own fights. Scattered between them are roaming officials, checking gear and answering questions.
They find an empty spot nearby to set up shop and Chee Sensei sets the duffel bag down, rummaging through it for supplies. She helps pull his hair back into a small ponytail first. Assumably ignoring the stiffness in Izuku's shoulders, her hands occasionally brushing against the scar on his neck as she ties his hair off. He hadn't realized it'd even gotten long enough to do so. She motions for him to straddle one of the fold-out chairs nearby once she's done and takes the seat directly across from him.
One of the officials approaches from behind them then. Izuku can only assume that they're familiar with one another as Ji-Woo shares a brief nod with him. The man smiles down at him in greeting but remains quiet. "I told you the other day," Ji-Woo says, glancing towards Izuku, "but they'll be watching me wrap your hands for safety purposes." She glances at the man again, waiting for his nod of approval before she begins.
She starts an inch and a half down his wrist, hands steady as she wraps the gauze, working her
towards his knuckles and around the base of his thumb as she goes. "Make a fist." She tugs at the padding a bit, making sure it covers his knuckles before continuing. She's methodical in her work, more so than he's ever seen from her at the dojo.
"Open your hand."
She picks up the tape, flashing it towards the official overseeing them. He gives a silent nod of approval and she begins wrapping it around his wrist and threading it between his fingers like tendons. She gives a few occasional commands to open or close his fist as she works. Other than this the three of them remain quiet.
To their left there's a ring of people, all gathered around a referee, listening to what she says. "I don't care who wins, I care about your safety. I have to know that you're okay at all times. If I determine that you're hurt I'll call an end to the match. If you get knocked down I'm gonna need you to prove to me that you're able to continue fighting. I'll ask you two questions if that happens: are you okay and are you ready to continue. You'll have to answer yes to both questions. If you cannot answer these questions, or take too long to answer these questions I'll end the match right there. If you can answer them I'm gonna ask you to walk towards me. I'll make sure you're not stumblin' around like you're drunk and if you can do these three things then the match continues. Does everybody understand?"
Izuku tunes out the rest of what the referee's saying as Ji-Woo switches to working on his other hand.
"Remember," she says firmly, "The age brackets all have different match types. Any of the ones you watched today are different from what yours will be. Your fights are single rounds, four minutes each. After each round they'll have you checked over by a doctor."
Izuku nods.
"Unless a timeout is called I probably won't get to speak to you while you're in the ring, but I trust you to know what to do." She pauses, gently squeezing his hand. "You're one of my best students, Midoriya. Even so, this is your first tournament. It's gonna be a lot different than anything you've experienced before. Don't be too hard on yourself if things don't go as expected."
"Hai."
The shirt he changes into is skin-tight, decorated by splashes of red, scale-like patterns. It's just the slightest bit uncomfortable, it does, however, hide a majority of his scars.
"I figured you'd want a rash guard," Chee Sensei states, nodding towards his shirt. "Regulations for them have been in and out in the last ten years, but they're not mandatory at the moment if you'd rather ditch it."
Izuku shakes his head, thankful she'd thought to bring one for him. She tosses him a pair of shiny vermilion gloves and he grimaces. "Does everything have to be red?" he asks.
The woman shrugs.
She pulls out a few more things, handing-off a set of shin guards that he slips into. He flexes his feet in them, accustoming himself to the feel. He'd had shin guards as a vigilante of course, but these extend towards his toes and wrap beneath the arch of his foot. He's only ever worn these a few times at the dojo when he was younger.
"Feels like a child's game," he murmurs to himself.
Chee Sensei looks up at him with a raised brow. "You're only fifteen, Midoriya. It is a child's game," The woman huffs. "Needless to say, even if it feels like a child's game to you, make sure you don't underestimate your opponents."
"Of course."
It's not long after this that they're pulled to the side by a different referee. Izuku takes a seat next to what he assumes will be his first opponent.
Together, the three of them go over the rules of the match, it's all things he's heard before from Chee Sensei, but he makes sure to pay close attention to what's being said. The referee speaks clearly, explaining everything in detail and leaving no room for confusion. "There should be no elbow strikes, no knee strikes, no grounded strikes, and absolutely," he stresses, "no punches or kicks aimed at the head. I don't think I need to remind either of you that quirk usage is strictly prohibited, but just in case, we do have professionals stationed ringside that are able to determine if a quirk is being used." While in the cage, the referee's word is law. Every possible instruction they could call out during the match is gone over, what they mean and what they're expected to do if one is called. "If your mouthpiece or your opponent's mouthpiece comes out for any reason: don't stop fighting. I'll wait for a lull, once I see one I'll call for you to stop. What that means is to stop whatever you're doing and break away from each other. Protect yourself on the way out, protect yourself at all times. Now," he say, turning towards Izuku's opponent, "do you have any questions, concerns, or issues?"
"No."
He turns back to Izuku. "Do you have any questions, concerns, or issues?" Izuku shakes his head. "No."
The referee gives a nod. "Perfect. Best of luck to the both of you."
There are more people in the stands than there were before, just like he'd been told. They're not loud like the sports festival had been, but the hum of hundreds of conversations leaves a low, clamorous ringing in his ears as they enter the ground floor of the arena.
There's only one cage set up now that's been fully centered on the court. He figures that, with the start of the older contestants, they've slowed down the pacing of the matches, giving the growing audience more to look forward to.
"Anything the referee says, you do," Ji-Woo states as they get closer to the cage. She gives him a brief, one-armed side hug before pushing him towards the ring. "I believe in you."
At the center of the octagon, the announcer begins speaking. "Youth B! Contested at the 67kg weight limit! Please welcome your first fighter into the cage! In the red corner, it's Midoriya Izuku!"
As soon as he's ringside, he's patted down, gloves checked and mouth guard looked over before he slips it between his teeth and he's allowed to enter. Once inside everything feels so foreign to him. The referee points him towards his side of the ring as his opponent is checked over outside.
"And is his opponent! Making their way into the cage! In the blue corner, it's Shiraishi Ren!"
His opponent hops from one foot to the other as he enters, shaking his limbs out in preparation for their fight. This isn't his opponent's first tournament, this much is obvious from the overconfidence he can feel radiating off the boy.
Midoriya Izuku is a name new to this community. His opponent doesn't expect him to win this fight.
The referee steps into the center of the ring, motioning them over. "You received your instructions in the dressing room. I wanna caution you to keep this fight clean at all times, protect yourself at all times, and what I say you must obey." There's a brief pause as he looks between the two. "Touch gloves."
The two of them bump fists with one another and step back. The referee points at both of them from their corners, asking if they're ready. As soon as he receives confirmation, he claps his hands, backing away as the match begins.
His opponent is the first to make a move, aiming a punch at Izuku's side that he easily slips around, countering with a punch of his own that strikes center mass.
Shiraishi stumbles back a step, lowering his stance and charging at Izuku. He's able to wrap his arms around Izuku's torso in one smooth, near tackle move and Izuku has to hold himself back from driving an elbow into his exposed back.
Piper wasn't a grappler, he rarely got this close to his opponents let alone dragged them to the ground. He focused on using brute force to put a quick end to fights. But, Izuku had watched the matches beforehand and ninety percent of them had ended on the mat, opponents' limbs tangled with one another in a writhing mass until someone tapped out or time was called.
He wasn't comfortable on the floor like his opponent was. Izuku, however, wouldn't let this stop him. Ji-woo had taught him everything he needed to know after all.
Midoriya keeps himself upright, planning his feet before wrapping his own arms around Shiraishi's torso from above. He takes a slow knee, lowering his opponent to the ground and securing the high position. He flips the other boy onto his side with a hard thud against the mat. It takes only a few more seconds to get himself into a position that allows him to wrap his legs around Shiraishi's struggling form and bring him into an armbar. The boy's face twists with pain as he taps.
"Stop!"
And with that, Izuku's first-ever match is over. He untangles himself from his opponent and the referee brings them both back to the center, first checking that Shiraishi's not injured before he takes hold of both of their wrists.
"And your winner!" the announcer calls, "Representing the red corner, it's Midoriya Izuku!"
Izuku's arm goes up and the crowd roars around them. The noise hums through him like the wordless language of stars. It's bright and warm and all too familiar to the sensation of saving someone. His eyes find Ji-Woo through the fence of the ring as she clings to the side of it, an excited smile that he's never seen before lighting up her face.
His bright laugh is drowned out by the cheering of the crowd.
Just like Ji-Woo had warned before, every fight is punctuated by a visit to one of the two on-sight physicians equipped, both of which are equipt with minor restoration quirks. His meetings with them are always rather short.
Because of his short visits, it's easy to see most of the earlier matches. It is, however, somewhat distressing to watch the way his opponents fight. Izuku understands that it's a side effect of the tournament's rules, but it's obvious within the first five seconds of every match that his opponents' brains are wired very differently compared to his. It's hard to watch them fight with so many openings, it's even harder to be the one fighting against them, even if it makes it easier to win. Every match following his first, he has to repress his instinct. Every move he makes in the cage has to be the outcome of a conscious thought. If he loses sight of his situation for even a moment he's afraid he'll slip up and hurt someone.
He's careful though. He does his best to end the next three matches quickly, flying through them with the power and efficiency of someone with real-world experience. Only one of his opponents lasts the full four minutes, forcing them to default to the judges' decision to determine the winner of what's already his semi-final match.
He beats his opponent 10 to 8.
There's a short break before the final match of his division to allow the contestants time to prepare themselves for the fight. He gets a short chance to meet with everyone one last time before he's pulled back into the dressing room to allow him time to focus.
"Ishioka is your next opponent," Ji-Woo informs him as they wait, "She works similarly to you in the way that she likes to finish her fights quickly. However, she'll probably try to get you on the ground as fast as possible. Just like your first match, she'll want to pull you into an arm or legbar early on. Don't let her. Stay up as long as you can and if you go down, try to make it on your terms," she says, poking his chest in unison with the last two words.
The next time he hears the girl's name, she's being introduced by the announcer. "Making her way into the octagon! In the blue corner, Ishioka Kaede!"
Ishioka grins as she enters the cage, sharp canines flashing in the overhead lights as she slips her mouth guard in. She has a bright energy about her, bouncing from foot to foot, excited for a good fight. Her ears, like her teeth, are pointed. And her hair is short, and brown, and pulled back into a messy ponytail that's just a bit longer than his own. There's fire in her steely gray eyes and it, in turn, lights a fire in his own.
At the referee's signal, they both step towards him. "You received your instructions in the dressing room. Keep this fight clean at all times, protect yourself at all times, and what I say you must obey." There's a brief pause as he looks between the two of them. "Understood?"
There's a smile on Ishioka's face that Izuku mirrors as they both nod.
They touch gloves when instructed and step back into their respective corners. The referee catches both of their gazes, making eye contact as he confirms if they're ready to go.
Again, they both nod. The referee claps his hands and the match begins.
Midoriya's the first to make a move, rushing out with a flurry of punches towards her abdomen.
She's able to block some of the blows, but a majority of them slip through her guard as he does what he can to push her towards the fence. She's not so weak to let him have his way so easily, however. She slips beneath one of his punches, wrapping an arm around the back of his neck in an attempt to get control of his head as they're pushed against the fence.
He can tell from the second she grabs hold of him that she's trying to twist him to the ground, legs kicking out at the back of his to try and trip him up or buckle his knees. He keeps Ji-Woo's advice in his head.
"If you go down, try to make it on your terms."
He slips an arm around her back, and just like Ishioka's trying to do to him, Izuku wraps his foot around the back of her leg, and pulls her down. He twists his body as they fall, making sure he lands on top. They hit the ground with a loud slap of skin against mat and Ishioka uses the change of positions to wrap her legs around his torso. She clings to him with a grin on her face, dragging him closer towards the mat. Despite being the one pinned to the floor, she uses her position to her advantage and works at grappling his arm away from him. He grits his teeth, doing what he can to make sure she isn't able to pull it away and into an armbar.
Everything around them is so loud, both the crowd and his own heartbeat. It feels like the referee is always talking. Calling his name or his opponent's, giving instructions what feels like every other second. It's enough to distract him, and at some point, Izuku ends up tuning him out altogether.
Midoriya jerks his arm out of her grasp by grace of his minor strength advantage alone. He repositions it, wrapping the arm around the back of her neck and refusing to give the girl a chance to take control of it.
An armbar could spell out the end of their match.
He brings his other arm up, using it as a leverage point to help force her head to crane painfully towards her own chest, desperate for a submission.
He's vaguely aware of someone calling out, "Come on, Ishioka!" Izuku's hold on her tightens, determined to make her tap. "Stop!"
The command doesn't register in his head.
"Midoriya, stop!" A hand lands on his back and he flinches back into his surroundings. "Let her go!"
He does. Izuku drags himself off the girl as they stand and the ref sends them to their respective corners. The referee checks on Ishioka first, making sure she's alright before turning towards him.
"You have to listen for me! That's an illegal move, you were putting pressure on her neck!" The referee calls over the crowd, tapping at the nape of their neck to make sure he understands.
Izuku nods, breathing heavily as the man signals something to the judges before the match continues.
"Keep your head on straight, Midoriya!" Ji-Woo calls from behind him. He needs to get a hold of himself. He should've known better.
He stays up on his feet longer this time, keeping his distance with well-placed kicks and the occasional punch. But, it's not long before she's gotten him back on the mat. She keeps control of the entanglement, but he doesn't give her a chance to pull him into a position where he's forced to tap out.
This is the second match of his that lasts until the final bell.
The referee breaks them up, and Izuku pushes himself up on tired feet. None of his fights had been as labor-intensive as this. His eyes once again find Ji-Woo hovering just outside the cage.
The referee drags them both back towards the center of the cage, gently taking hold of their wrists as scoring is handed over to the judges. They don't have to wait long before a decision is made.
Above them, the announcer's voice booms out over the loudspeakers. "And your winner! By technical decision! Representing the blue corner, Ishioka Kaede!" The hand wrapped around his wrist does not go up.
He breathes out a sigh as the arena erupts into cheers.
"And with that, the first day of the tournament comes to a close! Tomorrow! We'll be back at it with the Youth A division! Make sure you're here to see it!"
"It was 10 to 9," Ji-Woo informs him once he's out of the ring. "The foul you made deducted points from your score."
"I figured as much," Izuku replies, "She was good, fought just like you said she would as well. She probably would've had me tapping if I hadn't fouled."
She's in the middle leading him off the court when he hears a familiar voice calling out to him. He turns to find Reo and company pushing through the crowded court floor, all of them brandishing their family passes like weapons. Ji-Woo takes a single step back as Reo barrels into Izuku and wraps him in a bone-shaking hug. Izuku nearly loses his balance, threatening to topple them. "That was amazing!" Reo shouts over the crowd.
Izuku laughs against his chest as Reo pulls away, amber eyes shining. "It wasn't all that great," he responds.
Inko's the next to reach him and Reo slips out of the way to make room for her. She hugs him just as tightly. "I didn't understand much, but you certainly had me at the edge of my seat!"
Misaki and Shinsou follow behind them more quietly, both of them brandishing a smile and words of congratulations.
"You realize I didn't win, right?" he chuckles.
"You still beat out four other competitors to get where you did," Ji-Woo states firmly from behind. "I told you not to be hard on yourself, Midoriya. This is your first tournament."
Inko releases him then, and Ji-Woo motions for them to follow her back to the prep rooms for more privacy.
Naomasa's spent the last thirty minutes hovering outside the tournament hall, leaned against the
building and longing for a cigarette that he really doesn't want. "I'm already late," he murmurs, slipping his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He sighs, almost reluctantly deciding it's time to make his way inside.
He sticks to the back of the arena seating once he's in, purposefully choosing not to seek out his sister or nephew. He really doesn't know how long he'll stay for and doesn't want to bother them if he decides it's too much. He does, however, end up staying until the end of the tournament, watching as Midoriya progresses through the matches until finally taking second place in the finals. Being here isn't as bad as he thought it might be, the fights are all very different than what he expected them to be. But, it's still hard watching so many kids fighting against each other.
In another life, he figures Piper could've been amongst them.
Naomasa makes his exit soon after the end of the final fight, following the mass exodus of the crowd. He watches from the corner of his eye as Reo and Midoriya collide on the court in a bone- shaking hug before the crowd swallows his view of the arena floor.
He'll have to congratulate him later.
The prep room Izuku was assigned has slowly been clearing out as the night dragged on until only Izuku remained.
Reo bends over, resting his chin on Izuku's shoulder and watching as Ji-Woo cuts him out of his hand wraps. "I've got a present for you once you're done." Izuku looks at him from the corner of his eye as the boy tilts his head towards the backpack he'd come in with. There's a sly smile on his lips as he pulls back, slipping away to talk with Shinsou about a new youtuber he'd found.
Inko comes over only a few moments later, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I've got an early shift tomorrow, do you think you'll be much longer, sweetie?"
He smiles up at her. "I'll probably hang out here a bit more, you can go ahead and go without me. I won't be too far behind you. I'll be back ten-thirty at the latest."
She sweeps aside a few of his curls, pressing a tired kiss to his temple. "Let me know if you're gonna be late."
"Love you, mom." "Love you too. Be safe."
Reo catches Izuku coming out of the bathroom after he's changed back into his usual clothes. He pulls him down an empty hall, slipping the backpack from his shoulder and rummaging through it. From it, he pulls out a slightly crushed gift bag that he shoves towards him. "Here."
Izuku looks down at it in confusion. "What?"
"I told you I had something for you. I was going to give it to you if you won. But I think second place counts as well," Reo teases.
Izuku takes it from him carefully, peeking inside. At the bottom of the bag is a small steel cylinder
about the length of his forearm. Reo looks at him with a growing smile. "An escrima stick?" he asks.
"Take it out, take it out," Reo encourages, holding the bag for him as Izuku grabs the item. It's heavier than he expects it to be, but it's a nice weight. "Okay, now put your hands in the middle and twist!"
He does as instructed, nearly dropping it as the cylinder quickly extends out on each side, quadrupling in length to form a full-sized bo staff. Izuku gawks down at the weapon, looking up at Reo in surprise.
Reo takes a deep breath, centering himself before he speaks again."I'm supporting you," he says solemnly, placing a hand over Izuku's and squeezing gently. "Even when there's no one else to do it, I will believe in you, Izuku. You will become a hero."
Izuku feels something soft and bright swell inside his chest. It's a somewhat foreign feeling, but certainly not an unwelcome one. He bites into his lower lip, bowing his head to hide the watery look in his eyes. "Thank you," he croaks.
Naomasa's walk home is quiet. It's also, unfortunately, short-lived. He's barely made it a few blocks from the flood of people leaving the tournament hall when he feels a katana pierce through his shoulder from behind.
He lets out a grunt of pain, stumbling forward from the impact. "Detective Tsukauchi."
The blade is jerked roughly out of him, an involuntary cry escaping him as he covers the wound with his hand. He doesn't even get a chance to turn towards his attacker before he feels all the muscles in his body give out and he collapses to the pavement. Naomasa's head cracks against the sidewalk. Stars dance at the corner of his eyes. He blinks sluggishly, trying to clear them away.
"I don't usually go after police. You'll be my first exception."
He feels a hand wrap around his ankle before he's dragged down the nearest alley. He wonders listlessly if this is how Piper died.
There's a shout from the other end of the alley, but he can't turn his head to see who it is. He blinks again as black curls at the corner of his eyes. Everything feels fuzzy. He can barely even feel his wound anymore. He blinks again. His breathing softens. His vision tunnels. The voices sound distant and far away.
He stares blankly at the wall across from him. He blinks, his eyes do not open again.