Cottonmouth
A My Hero Academia story Kyler Havard & Syl Eldritch
1.It was a surprisingly nice day for a walk. The sun was bright and a warm breeze blew quietly. Hopeful crowds fresh out of high school stormed the sidewalks, breaking the still autumn with excited chatter. The entrance exams for the prestigious U.A. hero college were today, and nervous energy filled the thunderous gathering of young adults. However, one was alone, silently observing as the crowd gradually made its way inside the giant auditorium.
Dark orange and brown leaves shaded Michael Farron as he slumped against the trunk of one of the many trees lining the entrance. His grey snake eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the sheer mass of potential. All of them were here today just to have a chance at a spot in the best hero college in Japan. He carefully studied the crowds, eventually settling on a guy with green hair.
This muttering mess had his eyes fixed down, giving Michael the chance to guess the time until he'd take his inevitable spill. It wasn't long at all, but the kid stopped in midair, just before hitting the hard stone. Michael wondered if he had a floating quirk but then noticed someone else. A girl with brown hair in a bob with two long strands on either side of the face held her fingertips together. Breathing out a sigh of relief upon releasing them while the mess planted his feet back down. The two talked around each other, Michael rolling his eyes at the flustered, awkward duo. They weren't going to last a minute.
Michael's gaze went back to jumping between crowds to see a girl with dark green hair tied into a bow and slightly bigger eyes than anyone else. He thought she was cute with her finger on her lips as she observed the crowds for herself. Something kept his eyes glued onto her as she sat by herself in silence. The girl's eyes eventually found their way to him, and the two shared a brief gaze. Michael gave her a small wave that she returned with a faint smile. He was somewhat relieved to see the crowds moving inside the giant building as he could drop the fake smile and join the group.
Merging with the mass of aspiring students, Michael found his way to an empty seat next to a tired looking dude with wild purple hair. He listened to the brief intro given by the pro hero, Present Mic. They'd be fighting massive robots worth one to three points. His attention was eventually diverted by the constant mumbling of someone behind him. He turned to tell the kid to knock it off when another student stood tall and loudly reprimanded the mumbling kid and even challenged the competency of U. A. This bold, awkward man wore glasses and was rapidly chopping the air as he went on his tirade. Michael decided to just tune the annoyance out for a while before he could start developing a headache. He still needed to do the physical test; having to nurse a migraine while fighting wouldn't do him any good.
Eventually, a massive door leading to a fake city opened, and Present Mic screamed for the entrance exam to start. After a moment of hesitation, everybody in this section rushed outside. Michael immediately broke off from the crowd and found a spot to hunker down. Activating his quirk, his skin started to blend into his background. He slid a matching pair of bowie knives from their sheathes and waited patiently.
It was only a minute until a two-pointer, a massive bot with green plating, shuffled past him. Quicker than its sensors could detect and alert it, Michael's camouflage dropped and he was on top of the bot, driving his knives in whatever exposed wires he could find. A few precise stabs and the bot's circuitry was shredded as the blades easily punctured the mesh covering them. He quickly found a new hiding spot and continued his ambush method on a small number of bots until that purple-haired guy ran past his latest hiding spot in a dead-end alleyway.
He had heavy bags under his eyes, stopping just a few feet away from where Michael laid in wait. The guy gasped for breath and looked behind him before cursing to himself at the sight of the bot chasing him. Spotting the alleyway, he bolted inside and unknowingly slid to a stop next to Michael. The man took slow, ragged breaths as he laid down in a bid to lower his profile. Michael, who had so far gone undetected by the new face, smiled to himself before saying, "So, come here often?"
The aspirant snapped his head in the direction of the voice and saw Michael as he let his camouflage drop. He let out a sigh of relief and took a moment to gather himself before replying in a surprisingly deep voice, "No, not here in particular, at least. I'm not gonna lie, you nearly gave me a heart attack."
Michael let out a chuckle and thanked himself for taking the time to stay fluent in Japanese, albeit with a heavy southern accent. "Name's Farron, Michael Farron. So just what kinda pissed off toaster had you running like a bat outta hell?" He asked with a fanged smile.
"Hitoshi Shinso. To answer that, just take a quick peek around that corner, please."
Michael low crawled to the edge of the wall and quickly peeked around the corner. He immediately crawled back into his original spot and looked at Shinso before muttering, "Well fuck."
"What are we going to do about that thing?" Shinso asked quietly.
"We fucking leave, that's what. We've got 'bout a snowman's chance in hell at beating that thing in a straight fight. So you know… No chance." Said Michael as he nervously tapped his blades together.
The two sat in silence before Michael looked at Shinso and said, "Rock, paper scissors for distraction duty?"
Shinso looked at Michael incredulously before holding up a closed fist. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" The two said together.
"FUCK! Last time I play a damn game for this shit!" Michael had thrown scissors at Shinso's rock. "Okay, you're gonna haul ass the hell outta here, and I'll keep his attention off you before doing what I can to get away from him. Ready?"
Shinso nodded and held up three fingers. Slowly he lowered each one before bolting out of cover with Michael right after him. Shinso sprinted down the street and risked a glance out behind him to see Michael dodging jets of flame and dummy missiles from the colossal zero-pointer robot. He had nearly made it down the street when a shout of pain came from behind him. Michael's unconscious body went sailing in front of him before crash landing through a window a few yards away from Shinso. The terribly tired teen burst through the door to see Michael partially stuck inside a wall. "Farron! Wake up! Come on; we have to leave this place before that zero pointer decides to come after us." Shinso yelled as he violently shook Michael's body.
Michael's vision swam from the impact as he fought off unconsciousness. What really hurt was his chest and arm. A result of the last-ditch attempt to block some of the damage from a massive fist as it sent him flying. He was sure he had at least a few broken ribs and dislocated his left shoulder. As far as he could tell, any other wounds were superficial. As the world stopped spinning, he could see that Shinso had managed to find him and had dragged him from his spot as a new wall fixture. "Are you okay?" Shinso asked him as he looked out the now shattered window.
"I'm fucking fucked, but unless you're gonna tell me you've got a healing quirk, than it can wait. What's that wannabe gundam up to?" He said, wiping blood off on his grey cargo pants.
Shinso looked out the window for a few seconds before a loud boom and the sound of metal being torn apart ripped through the air. "Someone just… blew it apart with a single punch. I think it's that muttering kid with the green hair from the auditorium. Damn, I didn't think anybody could be that strong." Shinso ran a hand through his flared purple hair, processing the spectacle.
The siren that signaled the end of the exam blared across the city, right as Michael and Shinso both let out sighs of relief. Neither aspirant could've predicted ending up in this state in just the entrance exam. Shinso helped Michael limp over to the door and opened it to see robots with red crosses patrolling the area. Michael used his good arm to wave and catch one's attention before turning to Shinso. "I'm gonna go get myself looked at. See how bad that megazord rocked my shit." He said, using his right arm to gesture to various cuts and bruises that his torn, black polyester shirt did nothing to protect from.
Shinso nodded, "Well, I suppose I should thank you for distracting that thing so we could get out of there. I hope to see you in the hero course with me soon, but I'm also applying for the general education course. My quirk isn't exactly the best against what can't think."
Michael laughed and waved him off with a smile as the bot applied basic first aid. "Hell yeah. It's Shinso, right? Don't feel too bad, neither is mine. So how about this? If not the hero course, then I will definitely see you at U.A. in general ed. That sound good to you?" Michael asked, flashing a halfhearted smile.
Shinso gave him two thumbs up and waved goodbye as Michael walked off with the medical robot.
The medical building was abuzz with the activity of people with injuries ranging from minor burns to multiple broken bones. Michael was on his way out after having three broken ribs fixed and his shoulder popped back into place. He was a few feet from the door when they blew open to reveal a stretcher carrying the green-haired guy from before. Paramedic bots surrounded him as they wheeled the boy in. Catching a few glances of him, Farron could see the condition of the fallen hero prospect. His right arm and both legs were mangled, and he was unconscious with multiple aid bots keeping him stable. "Damn, fucker's bleeding all over the floor." He said as he saw how swollen and purple his arm was.
The brown-haired girl burst in moments after and tried to follow him into the operating wing before being stopped by medical staff. The girl made her way to the seats in the lobby and sat down with a huff.
"So what happened to your boyfriend?" Farron asked as he pointed to the doors the boy was taken through.
"W-what!? Oh no, he's not my boyfriend. Midoriya just saved me from getting crushed by that zero pointer." She said, shaking her head no with a furiously blushing face and hands waving.
"Right. Well, what in the hell led up to that?" He asked, his curiosity piqued as he leaned on the wall next to her.
"Well… We were all doing our best to score as many points as possible when the zero pointer was released. It chased a purple-haired guy for a moment and then punched somebody else. I didn't see what happened to him, but it looked painful. When its fist hit the other guy, there was this huge shockwave! Some falling rubble hit me pretty hard. It pinned me and messed my ankle up bad, but I was just too stunned to use my quirk. Midoriya came back and saved me by smashing the robot before it could roll over me. He hurt himself pretty bad doing it, though." She rambled with her eyes downcast and her lower lip in a pout.
"Midoriya, huh? Well, dude's got a mean punch on him, despite his looks. I bet he's full of surprises." He said as he watched more teens leave the medical building. 'Assuming he survived.'
"Yeah… Oh! Sorry, but I don't believe I told you my name. I'm Ochaco Uraraka, and you?" Her frown goes away slightly as she looks up at him.
"Michael Farron. Nice to meet you, Ms. Uraraka." He said, keeping his fangs hidden while he smiled.
"Nice to meet you too, Farron. So how do you think you did out there?" She asked, clearly just trying to distract herself from the battered boy.
"Shoot, I only managed to get a few one-pointers and like three two-pointers." He said with a slightly disappointed frown. "I also managed to get a three-pointer, but my quirk just isn't suited for this kinda thing. I just think it's strange to have an exam on pure destructive ability, especially when quirks are so broad in utility. After this, I'm gonna do the academic test for the general education course. You know, just in case I don't get in the hero course."
Michael knew his quirk wasn't necessarily the best for prolonged, direct combat. Ambushing and guerilla tactics were his specialty. They complimented his fighting style and quirk. His skills were something he always worked at bettering, lest he risk catching a beatdown. He ran a tongue over one of his fangs and switched to his thermal vision and back. He was both limited and gifted with the animal abilities his quirk shared a name with. A Cottonmouth snake from back in the U.S. was never really what he considered to be something even close to heroic. If anything, he knew snakes were considered evil. 'Not something I'm out here disproving at any rate.'
"Hey!" Said Uraraka as she lightly smacked his shoulder.
"Oh shit. Real sorry about that; I kinda spaced out. Just wondering about some things. What were you sayin'?"
"I was saying I think you're right, but also that maybe U.A. could just be more focused on combat ability as a school specialty."
"Seems shallow of the supposedly greatest school for aspiring heroes. When quirks built for purposes other than flashy physical combat are needed, what will they save when they can only destroy? What happens when you need something done all civil-like? When a purely destructive ability isn't the answer?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge.
The girl fumbled for an answer before finally responding with, "I'm not sure, but I still want to do my best to go save others and be a great rescue hero!"
Michael laughed as she raised a fist and looked at him with determined brown eyes. She huffed and crossed her arms before asking him, "Well, why do you wanna be a hero?"
"Now, where would the fun be in just telling you? I'm sure that if everything works out how I plan, then I'll be able to show you. How about that?" He offered with a smile.
She stuck a hand out and looked at him as determined as ever. He sighed and rolled his eyes as he shook her hand. She smiled at her small victory when the receptionist came over and informed her that Midoriya was awake and could now take visitors. She excitedly stood up, bolted to the door, and slammed it behind her. Michael decided that he should leave as well and started to head towards the exit. "Farron!" Uraraka's voice yelled out.
He sighed and turned to see her standing halfway out the doors to the operating room. She pointed towards him and said, "I look forward to seeing you at U.A. next month!"
He flashed his fangs with a smile and shook his head before waving goodbye and exiting the building. His snake eyes took a second to adjust to the shining sun as he rolled his shoulders. Thankfully, it would still be warm out for a few weeks as summer settled down. Being cold-blooded was a pain in that he was too prone to oversleeping during winter and was just slower overall. So he decided that a lovely walk home would let him enjoy the sun's warmth at least a little longer.
The walk was relatively short and uneventful as he only lived a few miles out. Nearly every other teen had cleared out the area with the exams over, and the day was coming to a close. He did, however, get to watch the sky turn a gorgeous mix of purples and oranges. The setting sun and clouds that drifted overhead completed the peaceful picture.
His house was a simple thing. It was a nice, albeit worn-down building where he lived alone in more space than he needed. Thanks to being so close to U.A., crime rates were low but never quite zero. Walking inside his house, the door shut behind him with an effortless kick. He grabbed his phone off a counter decorated with coffee stains and a small grease spot, then mindlessly looked through a few apps, mostly to not think about getting tossed through a window. Music began playing from his phone as he made his way to a full size mattress and laid down.
A week later, Michael had returned to that spot, nodding off despite the coffee sitting on the table before him. He was daydreaming about nothing in particular until an obnoxiously loud beep interrupted his music. Jumping awake, his still lit joint fell on the couch. 'Dumbass.' He cursed himself as he tried to wipe at the burn, only to remember his phone had gone off. Swiping his phone from its resting place beside him, a quick look showed he had received a text from Shigiraki. He groaned and rolled his eyes before standing up, joint in hand.
A dark, purple-rimmed portal opened up and out walked a pale blue-haired man with a severed hand covering his pale, chapped face. The mist eventually subsided to show another man in a typical bartending outfit, but his face is obscured by that same black smoke that only leaves two glowing yellow slits visible. Michael found the display an aggravating waste of time and hissed, "If this could've been said all over a text or a quick phone call then I'm gonna be pissed. Also, the whole villain entrance is badass and all, but it kinda screams 'evil intentions'. So maybe give me a little more of heads up instead a text just saying that you're coming right fucking now."
"Stinks in here." Tomura growled in annoyance before asking, "Did you get in the hero course or not?"
Michael took a drag off his blunt and blew it in Shigaraki's face, while holding up a letter. "Well, let's find out together."
Michael ripped the top off, and out fell a little pod. The trio looked at it for a moment before a hologram popped out. The Number One hero, All Might, stood proud in that iconic red, blue, and yellow suit with his hands on his hips and bellowed , "I AM HERE… IN HOLOGRAM FORM! Young Farron, I am saddened to say that you missed the cut for the hero course. However, you scored high enough in the academic test to earn a high position in our general studies program. With enough hard work and improvement, you can earn degrees in nearly any field you choose. If being a hero is still your preferred course of action, then show you have what it takes, and speak to one of our many qualified instructors. I am extremely pleased to welcome you to your hero academia!"
The hologram cut out shortly after he stopped talking, and the three stood silent. "Not what I was originally aiming for, but fuck it. I can make this work." Said Michael as he processed the new information.
"Farron… We brought you on this project because the master told us you could be trusted to get the job done. You don't seem like one to try to make a liar of him, so tell me something good, and tell me now." Tomura said as he started to pick and scratch at his neck.
"Hey, I'm the one who got tossed through a damn window last week, so relax, you damn crack fiend. If anything, this makes my job that much easier. If I were stuck up the heroes' asses, then I wouldn't have half the ability to report back and make moves without detection." He said with a confident smile.
"Hmm… Fine. Don't mess this up. As much as I'd rather just end the upstarts before anything can begin, I suppose it would be more fun to kill them from the inside. Don't disappoint me, Farron." He said as he reached out and grabbed Michael's coffee cup, turning it and the coffee into ash in seconds.
Michael frowned in annoyance before saying, "That was my favorite cup. Don't worry, and I'll fucking handle it."
Kurogiri's black mist opened another portal in the room, and Shigaraki wasted no time stepping through.
"Good seeing you again, Kurogiri. I'll have to swing by the bar sometime soon." Michael said as he pulled out another, identical coffee cup from a cabinet.
"It's nice to see you again as well, Farron. We're finalizing some new blood in the group, so it'd be nice if you'd be up for a drink when that headache rears its head. No doubt young Tomura will make a memorable first impression." Kurogiri said as he adjusted his tie.
"I look forward to it." Michael said as Kurogiri closed off his portal and faded away in a misty black vortex.