Chapter 10
ARE YOU READY?! (ARE YOU READY?!) ARE YOU READY?! TRANSFORMATION CENTRAL! (TRANSFORMATION CENTRAL!) REFORMATION CENTRAL (REFORMATION CENTRAL!) TRANSMOGRIFICATION CENTRAL! CAN YOU FEEL IT?!
...Oops, I did it again, sorry, but just stumbled back onto that song and really like it. Speaking of which, if you guys aren't aware yet, I made a one-shot story, here and on AO3, called My Villainous Medley. It's a fantasy parody of MHA based on the YouTube video called 'Epic Disney Villains Medley' by Peter Hollens and featuring Whitney Avalon, where it is a combination of some of the best Disney Villain songs, check it and both Peter's and Whitney's videos out, they are outstanding. Plus, if I get enough support from that story, I might continue it as a multi-chaptered story based on the one-shot and the world depicted in it.
But with that long intro out of the way, greetings, Zayden StormVoid here again with another chapter of Welcome to the MCU Phase 2! Remember, this is the interlude chapter, a chapter all about plot and character progression, not a reaction chapter, so for those still waiting for Winter Soldier and don't care about the plot, please leave, don't cause a fuss, and be patient.
I also have to apologize for the rather longer update than normal. I had to take a bit of a break to collect myself and a string of events in my life kept me from finding the time to write, but I'm here again, ready to drop this interlude chapter and then, hopefully soon, finish up the first part for the long-awaited Winter Soldier.
But first, let's catch up on what happened last chapter and the rest of the two previous movies as a whole. Since the last chapter, we had the finale of Thor the Dark World and how much of a painfully awkward mess that final fight was, All Might struggled with the constant deaths of those close to him and his counterpart but ultimately chose to take that anger into fuel and drive to teach the students, only for Loki at the end to bamboozle everyone with another fake-out death. All Might also had a nice trip down memory lane and seemingly reconciled with the ghosts of his past in his biological father. Izuku meanwhile was put through the wringer these chapters, starting with Iron Man 3 and seeing another cast-aside nerd contemplating self-deletion and wondering what a dark version of himself would be, the teasing that having his mother's counterpart show up and be all lovey-dovey with Thor/All Might brings, and nearly having a meltdown in his psyche. Plus, he's been slowly realizing the true extent of his feelings for the girls and has now started his task by asking for a talk with Melissa. What will be discussed and revealed?
For Bakugou and Ibara, we had a roller coaster for them in Iron Man 3. From the fake-out death of Ibara's counterpart, Stark's PTSD and past ghosts coming back to bite him, even one of his former lackeys in Kenji Nakamura as Savin, the crushing guilt of his bullying coming in full force with seeing another man he tempted into jumping off a roof and finally culminating in telling the truth of who he was to Ibara, and Ibara still accepting him while revealing her own past mistakes, and reconciles to help Bakugou redeem himself. With the Todoroki father and son, they had a horrible time. Seeing the presumed dead, eldest child of the Todoroki family alive and as a Villain as that world's version of Killian, slowly seeing him become Dabi, and even Shoto struggling with conflicting feelings regarding Pony and Camie, today was not a good day for everyone's favorite scarred theorist.
We had more of the girls getting to fully bond with each other and accept each other as members of their Sisterhood, Melissa and Mei going bananas over the Iron Legion, Melissa going through the wringer as she mentally struggles with the clear hurdles of being a Quirkless Hero, Mineta's suspicions over what is going on suddenly with Kaminari, Hawks silently dreading the possibility of Dabi's true identity, Miruko and her clear admiration of Nana Shimura turn to sorrow at seeing her counterpart's death and the suspicions she has over what All Might and Midoriya have to do with the Sky Hero: Nimbus, Aizawa, Mic, and Midnight raging, mourning, and paling at the knowledge that Oboro Shirakumo, not only a counterpart to a Villain but is the villain Kurogiri, and Izuku coming ever closer toward his theories over the Infinity Stones and what dangers may come of them.
Some of these will be answered in this chapter, some will have to wait for later, but let us see which will or not. Next, answering some reviews:
razer666L: This is technically also a response to Mastergamer14's comment, and this may be a bit of a spoiler for things to come but let me assure you both that I'm not race-changing Sam or T'Challa. At most, their counterparts will be stated, but the characters in the movies themselves will stay the same race, appearance, and personality as before. I agree that with Fury as Aizawa it's acceptable because Fury was already a subject of race-swapping from white to black so why would going from black to Asian be any different or wrong especially when race matters little to Fury's story in the movies? But for Sam and T'Challa, theirs is a different situation. Both have been their races for all their continuities and, whether I even do anything with Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we saw how race plays a part of Sam's history and Black Panther and T'Challa are shown to have their race be important to their stories and cultural backgrounds, so to change them would not only be in poor taste, especially T'Challa, but would be detrimental to their stories and characters. So, rest assured that you have nothing to worry about and I mean to stay true to these characters and their backgrounds.
Julian M Gomez: 1. Technically, only 3 projects since My Villainous Medley was a one-shot that I still need more support if I'm ever going to continue that idea. As for how I deal with juggling these stories and my writing schedule, I don't really have much of a schedule and only do the chapters when I have the mental capacity, desire, and drive to make them as frequently as I can, the fact that they take a while is a consequence of writer's block and having to remind myself of what happened in recent chapters of a story I switch to. Honestly, I feel like I have stuck to a rhythm of working on this story, then My Hero Pokedamia, and then MHA watches Death Battle before going back to this story out of habit. The best advice I can give right now is to not overtax yourself and let the story breathe, let it and your ideas flow naturally instead of forcing it out otherwise you might get lackluster results, but ultimately everyone's style of writing is unique, so in the end, just stay true to yourself and do the best you can do, it's all anyone can ask of you. 2. Yeah, there have been some choices that were hard to select, even some that I don't feel fully confident about and might regret in the future, but I have a vision I want to stick to as well as I can and will tweak and fix what I feel might endanger that vision. 3. I have considered both, but it wouldn't work out. One of them especially because with my hectic update schedule, I feel like I would be putting people's money and investment to waste and I don't want to, plus the pressure to adhere to a schedule would likely be detrimental to my writing out of stress. While the money would be nice, I don't want these stories to ultimately be a form of profit as I fear what sort of legal troubles, I might face for potentially profiting off this story. As for Discord, I'd feel like it would also be a disservice to you all if I fail to reply or actively talk with all of you guys, much less here than in an actual Discord.
Black Cross0: Easy, my guy! Once was already a well enough gag, any more I would just be milking it, and this is technically already a different version of another Izuku-brain-meltdown the first of which was in MHA watches Death Battle, but I'll see if I can do something similar or new. I can't say much without spoiling it, but Kaminari will have his own arc and drama on the horizon. Technically, three if you count Loki's Scepter but I see what you mean, it's not officially an Infinity Stone right now and won't be until Age of Ultron. Glad to hear that I assuage some of your concerns with that comment, and while Izuku might feel a bit of jealousy and pain if any of the girls were to move on from him, he's still Izuku and will ultimately care more about them and respect their choices than think so selfishly as to consider the girls his. If I do Black Widow, I wouldn't be straying so far from the plot we got that it would be an entirely different movie, I don't have the creativity and film expertise to make an entirely different movie for this fic, but subtle changes to dialogue, motivation, and plot can go a long way to making Black Widow something good. Age of Ultron was where Uraraka had the Red Room flashback thanks to Wanda. Yeah, I think the Ochaco-Toga fight was kind of fumbled a bit, compared to how the Todoroki family drama finished, and I wished we could have had more with Toga and Uraraka and their rivalry to make what happened make more sense because Toga just seemed too irredeemable and Ochaco too naive. I don't have much to say about Secret Invasion, because I didn't watch it as I had given up on the MCU shows for a while, but from the clips I saw, and all the things said about the story...oh boy does it look like a hot mess. I always feel bad for criticizing Emilia Clarke because she seems like such a sweet person and she was amazing in GOT, but that goofy Super Skrull-like thing was just too much, and with Fury, I'm like 'Look how they massacred my boy'.
InsaneMakaisoshin: 1. True. 2. I admit that maybe having 6 emotions would have worked well with the story, like the 6 Original Avengers or the Infinity Stones. But when regards to those emotions, I took a route more similar to Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go where they separate Raven, and later the other Titans, into their 5 most prevalent emotions and personalities, like Joy, Sadness, Rage, Sloth, and Desire for Raven, and here I used the 5, current, emotions of Izuku Midoriya that encompassed his character the most: the Fear, Paranoia, and Nervousness he got from years of bullying and cruel pranks, the Anger and Rage he feels at injustice and pain dealt to those undeserving like what Overhaul did to Eri, the cruelty and suffering that Villains inflict on the innocent, and frustrations and bitterness of being a punching bag for Bakugou for so long, the Sadness, Despair, and Hopelessness he felt ever since he was revealed to be Quirkless, the teasing and mocking from everyone as a result, and the self-deprecating thoughts towards himself whenever he fails to meet his expectations, the Brainy Intelligence and Analysis he displays with his love of Quirks, costumes, and Support Items, the knowledge of every Hero and the fighting styles and how to improve or capitalize on them, and his adaptiveness during combat, and finally, the Joy he feels when he proves himself worthy and does the right thing, the Happiness he feels when his loved ones are happy or safe, and the Empathy he shares for all those in need of a Hero. And who knows maybe Emotion Number 6 is hiding behind those doors? 3. I already revealed that Melissa was Sharon Carter when I revealed Setsuna was Peggy, sort of a way to make myself clear for why one option was chosen while the other possibility wasn't taken.
Thirdly, we have the Index:
"Zayden." -Normal Dialogue
'Zayden.' -Internal Dialogue
"Zayden." -Flashback and Mental Flashback Dialogue
"Zayden." Buff Might, Dark Shadow, and Movie Dialogue
"Zayden." -Comms, PA, and TV Dialogue
"Zayden." -F.R.I.D.A.Y. Dialogue
"Zayden." -Movie Narration Dialogue
And finally, I do not own My Hero Academia, it belongs ultimately to Horikoshi and was adapted by Bones Studios, may they finish both the manga and anime well. Also, I do not own the MCU or the movies within, as they belong to Disney, Marvel, and Sony in some cases, and all the works of the movies belong in credit to the actors and actresses, directors and writers, and all the people in the studios who helped to make them.
Now, let us begin the 3rd Interlude chapter.
Interlude 3: Confessions & Suspicions
Third POV
The students and adults began to part ways from the gym/makeshift theater to their respective destinations, each taking a slight moment to pause, and some deadpan, at the many, many evidence of Bakugou's earlier tantrum upon the Mandarin's reveal. An unobservant Mount Lady almost tripped on one of the holes, earning light laughter from her peers and they, in return, received scornful glares from the blushing pro.
The size-changing pro expected some mocking giggles from Midnight, even quickly coming up with quips to snark back. When she turned to see her rival, she found those quips drying up. Despite their rivalry and her jabs at her, Yu had to admit that Midnight was incredibly beautiful and looked no different now than when she first came onto the Hero scene and inspired her.
Now, the Pro Hero teacher looked like she lost some of that beauty, her eyes, red from crying, looked haunted, and even what looked like bags under her eyes that carried a great weight. Takeyama didn't have to guess to know that it was because of Malekith, or rather his counterpart, Oboro Shirakumo, the Heroine's late friend who may not be so late as they all believed.
The R-Rated Hero didn't spare her rival a glance, all but rushing to the U.A. main building like her life depended on it. Present Mic was not too far behind her in stride, and Eraserhead, All Might, Nezu, Recovery Girl, Gran Torino, Detective Tsukauchi, and Endeavor trailed behind more slowly, though the insomniac looked like he only trailed because some invisible shackles holding him down.
Takeyama could only sigh and offer what little prayers and condolences she could to Midnight silently, knowing that whatever conversation they would have over a former, presumed dead student turned Villain would be quite a difficult one. As she strode back up to Kamui, Edgeshot, and Death Arms, if she had observed for a second more, she would have noticed that Hawks was trailing further behind them all, a grave, serious look on his more jovial, relaxed face.
With the students, they were being escorted to the 1-B Dorms by Vlad King, the Blood Quirk teacher keeping an almost laser-focused watch over his charges, especially Shiozaki and Monoma. Shiozaki would notice and would walk beside her homeroom teacher to reassure him of their well-being, despite the recent two movies showing the near deaths of the two formerly mentioned students.
As all the students talked and mingled with each other, one of the two notable groups included Izuku, Eri, Kouta, and Melissa. Whilst the two kids stuck to their surrogate father/idol like wide-eyed puppies, the verdant-haired teen and the blonde American walked with an uneasy air to them. They looked nervous and their nerves only worsened as they grew closer to the dorms. Closer to their talk.
Izuku remembered how he felt this same nervousness just last night with his desire to speak with Setsuna, and to now have this same feeling with Melissa, one of the girls that which the fellow greenette implied held feelings for him, wasn't lost on him. In his mind, he tried to construct strategy after strategy for how to talk with her casually, say what he wanted to say to her, and ask whether she truly did have feelings for him as he suspected. Each and every one of those strategies collapsed to pieces under his worries.
'The one time my analysis fails me,' Izuku bemoans to himself.
He wasn't alone in his nervousness. Melissa Shield was likewise stuck in her brilliant mind, pondering for what reason Izuku wished to talk to her. No matter how much she tried to deny it, the one hopeful conclusion kept appearing was to talk about...them. She and Izuku. What she feels for him. And what might he feel for her? When Melissa's gaze steered over to the girls, who may or may not have been collectively glancing back toward them every few seconds, she found they held a similar suspicion, ones accompanied by a similar, hopeful optimism or heart-gripping fear and worry. Melissa understood the fear that perhaps Izuku was only interested in her and not the rest of the girls, and she made sure to squash down any part of her that would take joy in that suspicion as a betrayal toward their Sisterhood.
Melissa noticed that out of all of her group, Setsuna was the most excited. She could spot how the girl's sharp-tooth smile would peek out from whatever facade she was trying to uphold, the excited gleam in her eyes like she was waiting for this very thing to happen. If the greenette had any idea what was going to happen, she didn't share and looked to be in no mood to tell her.
'Now I know how Shiozaki feels,' Melissa bemoaned.
Their constant and ever-growing worries however didn't stop the two from attempting to sneak a glance at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Or blush harder and look away immediately when they inevitably meet each other's gazes.
As for the second of the two notable groups, these two trailed further behind the rest of the students, currently suffering under another veil of awkward silence they both put up. Pony did her best to hide her squirming arms behind her back as she walked beside the subject of her recent affection: Shoto Todoroki. As recent as the Joint Training Exercise between their classes, Pony would find her wide blue-eyed gaze drifting back to the red-and-white-haired teenager. She learned enough from Setsuna to know that she was feeling at least a schoolgirl crush, but she couldn't help but continue admiring the cold teen from afar—his icy yet calculating gaze, that silent demeanor that held back such inner pain.
'What did Kendo call it?' Pony tried remembering the word that defined it. 'Ah, yes! Stoicism!'
She could see that he held such trauma buried deep down inside yet did his best not to let it show, keeping himself as rigid and strong as a glacier. She first saw through it during their match against each other, especially after they reviewed the footage captured of their fights. She saw how his desperation to win, a drive to prove himself, broke free under Tetsutetsu's goading and how it almost led him to melt the entire area. She saw him struggling against himself, like some preprogrammed order he was trying to overcome by using his flames.
In truth, it envied her that he could have such strength to hold back such pain and still go on, stronger than ever. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeves and was cautious and smart, not as gullible or naive as she was.
Eventually, the main question she had in her mind broke out of her mouth. "Why?" Pony asked.
Todoroki blinked and looked toward her; a glimmer of confusion showed in his otherwise cold eyes. "Sorry?" He replied.
"Why?" Pony asked again. "Why did you stand up for me?"
"Stand up for you?" Todoroki repeated the question, inviting her to further elaborate.
"Well, during the last movie, everyone was making fun of me and other me," Pony brought her hands back up front, her thumbs diddling over her clasped hands. "But then you were there to stop them. Why?"
"Ah," Todoroki made a sound of realization, a shine of guilt now taking place. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I'm told that I'm not good at reading a room."
"No, no! It's okay! Really!" Pony waved away Todoroki's apology with frantic hands, her mouth perking up in a smile at his last words. "It was nice, and...I know 'ow it feels to not read a room good."
"I see," Todoroki nodded, his own small smile coming up, finding her Texas accent slipping out rather cute.
"B-But, when you did stand up for me, you looked a little angry and annoyed, for my sake," Pony continued, her fingers returning to squirm against each other. "I saw how you kept Tsuburaba from saying something. I think it was something you might've thought would hurt my feelings. It was sweet, but why? Why stand up for me like that?"
Todoroki's smile fell, his eyes unfocused, thinking back then. He remembered how much Pony let herself be part of the joke. At most, she would pout cutely, but he could see that there were times when she was genuinely confused and a little upset for not knowing why. Her mannerisms reminded him a bit like himself, naive, socially inexperienced. Yet whereas he was mostly aloof, she was perky, bright, and cute.
And that light in her wide, innocent, and curious eyes, he remembered how much he was like that. Before Endeavor's training became too harsh, before the scar, before the hatred and anger burned into him, inwards and out, he remembered how it was to look at the world with such curious and hopeful eyes. And he felt protective over it, over Pony's innocence, he didn't like to see that inner light dim, didn't want her to be left out of the fun for something she didn't know.
Realizing that Pony was expecting an answer, Todoroki did. "You shouldn't be made fun of for something you didn't know or control," Todoroki answered. "You're too innocent."
Pony blinked, a light blush heating up on her cheeks. "Too innocent? Do you mean the others did something bad?" Pony questioned, confused.
Todoroki felt a heartbeat skip at seeing that curious look in her eyes, gazing at him all wide-eyed and brightly. Then her question took root in his mind, and it almost made him chuckle, realizing how similar they were. "N-No, it's nothing," Todoroki replied. "Just a figure of speech."
"Oh," Pony nodded, slowly, understanding.
Feeling like he should say something more, Todoroki coughed. "But to put it more simply, I didn't want you to be too sad about the teasing," Todoroki answered further. "You look better happy. More...cute."
As the word 'cute' registered, Pony's blush exploded to a scarlet red. Her head hung low and kept her eyes on the ground, trying to keep her red face and twitching smile showing too much. "T-Thank you," Pony stuttered out. "I-I also think you are c-cute when you and Midoriya get along."
This time it was Todoroki's turn to blush, looking away as he scratched his cheek. "I-I see," Todoroki stuttered. "Thanks."
Pony felt a little bit of pride well in her at making Todoroki react like that, her smile widening in delight. "You and Midoriya truly seem like good friends," Pony said, trying to continue their conversation on this good track.
Todoroki smiled fondly, his gaze landing on Midoriya's back ahead of him. "We are," Todoroki nodded. "He's my best friend, my first real friend."
"Really?" Pony blinked in surprise, both cooing at such honest affection and yet worried by the implication. "Your first friend?"
Todoroki's gaze and smile dropped again, slightly. "I didn't have much of a childhood," Todoroki replied. "I never had the time or the capacity to make friends."
Pony's heart broke a bit at hearing that, her ears picking up his voice's sad, almost bitter tone. She didn't like that. She wanted to see him smile more. Thinking hard, she replied, "Well, at least you can now, right? With Midoriya and all of us?"
Todoroki turned to look at her, surprised. That surprise quickly turned to a smile, a warm happiness in his eyes. "Yes, I suppose so," Todoroki answered.
Pony smiled back, blushing. 'He looks cute like this,' She realized.
Meanwhile...
To say that the air of the teacher's meeting room was awkward would have been the understatement of the century.
Nezu sat at the head of the table, his black eyes gazing at both sides, wondering which side would explode out first. All Might, Gran Torino, Endeavor, and Recovery Girl sat at his right side, with Detective Tsukauchi at the opposite end of the table to his.
Toshinori looked the most obvious with how awkward it felt to be in this room, given the subject of this meeting and said subject's counterpart being a source of great pain and anger not several minutes ago. Endeavor was no better, though the new Number 1 Hero looked busier with an internal battle of sorts, and Nezu didn't have to be a genius to know what was going through the Flame Hero's head. Gran Torino appeared to have gained several more years because of the last film they witnessed and looked at the table with a spaced-out look. Tsukauchi was as still as he could be when flipping through and reviewing his notes, a grim look on his face tempered by compassionate and sympathetic looks to his right and suspicious ones to his left. Finally, Recovery Girl focused on being the sympathetic one of her row, looking sadly and comfortingly at the left side of the table.
The three on the left side were Eraserhead, Mic, and Midnight, and they were not doing well. The most visually upset of the three was Yamada, emphasized by shifting scowls, twitching forehead veins, and his fingers tapping rapidly and repeatedly on the desk that Nezu was sure would set someone off if Mic didn't do so first. Kayama looked terrible, her eyes bloodshot red, her shoulders sagging, constantly sniffling with a box of tissues next to her; she looked a step away from collapsing into another breakdown.
As for Aizawa, he somehow looked as he always was and yet appeared worse than both of his friends combined. Ever since the reveal of Malekith's counterpart, and the true identity of that counterpart, Aizawa looked even more like a half-dead hobo, as if he was rotting away from the inside as much as he was outside. Nezu had to commend the Erasure Hero for keeping control of his emotions, as well as Recovery Girl and whatever was said between the two to get him to calm down, but the U.A. Principal knew that the second Nezu permitted him, Eraserhead would be out for blood.
However, he wouldn't be the only one. Despite his blank expression, if one looked into his Nezu's eyes, they would truly see the eyes of a beast. And why wouldn't he? With what he had just learned and the grave consequences that would come if all they had witnessed was true.
"I must thank you all for convening for this impromptu meeting rather swiftly, especially given the deeply unsettling revelations of late," Nezu finally cut through the verbal silence of the room. He witnessed out of the corner of his eyes that Endeavor flinched, the grip on his arms tightening and Mic was only getting further incensed with the blatant attempt of anonymity of this meeting. "I will cut straight to the chase. The purpose of this meeting is to deal with the revelations of two members of the League of Villains and their possible identities."
The stress in his words had the intended effect of calming Mic down, who looked almost ready to deny a claim that was sure to come, as well as making Endeavor relax, too.
"As we witnessed throughout the two movies this day, the antagonists of both Iron Man 3 and Thor the Dark World have shown to have counterparts that have had less than desirable matches," Nezu continued, bringing his clasped paws further to his chin. "One was the Mandarin who appeared to be a version of Touya Todoroki, eldest, and currently presumed deceased, son of our current Number 1 Hero," Nezu caught another flinch from Endeavor as he caught what Nezu was implying with his words. "And the other, Malekith, was claimed to be the counterpart to another presumed deceased young man, this time the late Oboro Shirakumo. However, what was most unsettling was the revelation of Shirakumo's alter ego, a member of the League of Villains: Kurogiri."
"Don't you mean another claim, Boss?" Mic growled out, a dangerous glare in his eyes.
"Hizashi," Midnight attempted to calm her friend down.
"Yes, my apologies, Present Mic. A simple claim," Nezu backpedaled. "As of now."
"Can we get on with this already," Gran Torino suddenly snapped, sending a tired but measured glare at Yamada. "We all understand that isn't something that you wish to talk about, let alone accept, and I truly do sympathize, but if there is even a chance that these claims are true, we must discuss it."
All Might gave a side-eyed glance to his mentor, wondering where this shift came about from the same man that warned him about tempering his desire to save and rehabilitate Tomura Shigaraki back to Tenko Shimura, no matter the possibility.
"You're Damn right I'm not okay with this!" Mic shot up from his seat, planting his hands on the table and leaning forward, sending his own glare at the retired pro. "How would you feel if some A.I. suddenly started saying that your best friend, who died years ago being a Hero, was not only the counterpart to some genocidal madman but also still alive today and a member of the League?"
"I'd imagine the same as a father watching his long-since deceased eldest child's counterpart commit terrorism and appear like another member of the League," Endeavor spoke up, his glare lasering onto Hizashi Yamada. The Voice Hero flinched, some of the fire, ironically, in his eyes dimming as he sat back down. After taking a measured breath, Endeavor continued. "Believe me, I do not want to entertain the possibility of my son being who I think he is any more than you with your friend but yelling at one another will do us nothing but waste time."
"Agreed," Toshinori nodded.
"Seconded," Nezu nodded, too. "Now, as Endeavor pointed out, just as F.R.I.D.A.Y. claimed that Shirakumo and Kurogiri are one and the same, we also were given evidence that would illude to Touya Todoroki not only alive like Shirakumo but also another member of the League, this one the mysterious pyrokinetic: Dabi."
A grim silence wafted once more over the group, their minds recalling how that world's version of Touya Todoroki climbed out of the rubble, burnt and blazing in blue fire, dancing around in an approximate comparison to the patchwork Villain.
"Now, I feel as though it is better to start with the most obvious one," Nezu, as well as the rest of the group, turned their gaze towards Endeavor. "Would you care to share your input on the matter, Endeavor?"
Endeavor was silent for a moment, contemplating what he would have to say and struggling with what he believed and what was shouting at him in the face. "All that I said throughout Iron Man 3 was true," Endeavor finally decided to just go with the easy route. "Touya was always the most stubborn of my children, something he picked up from me. When we had him, he appeared to have inherited nothing from his mother, he was all me. Red hair, turquoise eyes, a Fire Quirk with more potential than my own." A memory of Touya's hair turning white and his first burn came to mind. "But then as his hair started turning white, and burns started appearing the more he used his Quirk, we found out that Touya's body was built more for an Ice Quirk like his mother."
The others nodded their heads, all remembering when Shoto first told them and even getting a visual contrast with Touya's hair turning from white to black throughout the movie.
"Afterwards, I forbade him from training his Quirk, practically all but ordered him to give up on being a Hero," Endeavor admitted, a guilty look in his eyes as he recalled the heartbroken and desperate look on his eldest child.
All Might flinched, recalling once more his first conversation with Young Midoriya, and flinched further with how he had still not made up for what he said, not fully. He may have admitted that Midoriya could be a Hero, even making him his successor and the next bearer of One For All, but now witnessing Heroes from another world taking on threats and Villains that he figured even they would struggle with, some without any meta abilities of their own, his earlier words looked more and more foolish, and the debt he needed to pay and talk to his protege further demanding.
"I assume with what you said about inheriting your stubbornness that he didn't obey," Recovery Girl said, not as a question, but as a sure enough statement, all while giving the Todoroki patriarch a rather mean glare.
"Correct," Endeavor nodded, memories of catching Touya in the act of practicing his Quirk and all the burns he kept getting began flooding his mind. "No matter how many times I told him not to, Touya would continue training his Quirk, receiving burn after burn. Even his mother and my younger children, Fuyumi and Natsuo, couldn't get through to him to stop. And then when me and Rei had Shoto, Touya got worse. After I caught him with more burns after a long stretch, he lashed out, almost attacking Shoto out of anger. I didn't want to admit it, but he looked like he was more than furious, he looked almost mad."
Tsukauchi frowned as Number 1 Hero continued the tale. The detective's Lie Detector Quirk found everything he said True which wasn't comforting hearing that a young boy no older than 9, at least at the time of his reported death, was almost about to commit fratricide and infanticide. But there was something in Enji Todoroki's mannerisms, the way he flinched guiltily and how he told the story sounded like he was hiding something, a dirty secret.
"In fear that he would try again, I separated Shoto from Touya as much as possible, even if it meant separating him from his other siblings," Enji continued, remembering how he pulled Shoto away from watching his older siblings play ball while he spotted Touya's glare directed at both himself and Shoto.
Aizawa narrowed his gaze at Endeavor. 'That would explain some of the animosity that Shoto has towards him,' Aizawa thought, recalling Shoto's lack of progress with his fire and his blatant refusal to use it before the Sports Festival and his match with Midoriya. 'But not all of it.' Aizawa knew that such hatred toward one's father, so much that it would translate to even hating a part of his own Quirk, had deeper, more painful roots than familial isolation.
"Finally, one day, Touya asked me to come with him to Sekoto Peak, where we used to train, and when I found out that he was still training, I was angry," Endeavor flinched at the understatement. He was irate, even taking that rage out on Rei for not stopping him like he had asked. He knew that Touya wouldn't listen to him, so he figured the boy's mother would be able to douse his flames. But that didn't happen, and he was still a bastard of a man and a husband to keep himself from lashing out at her. "While me and Rei...fought, Touya snuck back out to Sekoto Peak."
Kayama frowned at his pause. Being in the Hero game as long as she had been, you tend to pick up a thing or two. Throughout her years, she has managed to stop several abusive partners going off on their significant other, mostly drunken or irate bastards lashing off at their frightened wives or girlfriends, helps that her looks lure those guys in easily, and then one whiff of her Quirk and they're out. Later she would be part of the interrogations and picked up how to tell one someone was hiding something.
One particular instance was stopping what appeared to be a furiously irate rich husband suddenly attacking his wife, one she managed to stop after the wife had managed to call. After taking the guy out and interrogating both man and woman, she found something off about the whole thing. The man was confused, without recollection of what he was being accused of or what happened, and the woman was antsy, almost secretive about what she was doing before the altercation, and she didn't need a lie detector or Quirk to know she was hiding something.
Long story short, the woman's Quirk was able to inflame her husband's rage and after the man had returned from a poor day at his business, the wife used her Quirk to stage an abusive assault with the aim of filing for a divorce and bleed the man dry of his wealth and run off with her secret lover. And now, Endeavor's pause, the flicker in his eyes, the clenching and unclenching of his palms, it was just like that woman when she was lying.
"That was the last time I saw Touya," Endeavor's shoulders dropped, the flames of his sputtering out to reveal his regular appearance, the same look, minus the scar, he was in when he rushed to Sekoto Peak ablaze. "The next thing I know, Sekoto Peak was in flames, the temperate of the flames was immense; nothing could have survived them. When the smoke cleared...we only found a fragment of his jawbone."
The group took a moment of silence, acknowledging, suspicions or not, that the man truly cared for his son, and revisiting bad memories was painful. Again, Tsukauchi's Quirk detected no lies from the man and his story checked out from what was reported during the burning of Sekoto Peak, including the jawbone as the only piece of evidence found. The cause of what caused Touya Todoroki's death by flames was the only thing that was not too privy but hearing it from Endeavor's mouth, it seemed the boy must have lashed out once more in anger at his father's no-show.
"My deepest condolences, Todoroki; however, is there perhaps a chance that Touya may have survived the flames?" Nezu asked.
Endeavor paused, his hopes wrestling with the facts of that day. "Even after the incident, I didn't stop looking for Touya," Endeavor replied. "While I knew the fact that the chances to survive those flames were minuscule, and his jawbone at the scene made it seem like he burned to death, I never gave up hope that he was still out there, a hope that grew slimmer as the years went by."
"And you said that Touya possessed a stronger Fire-based Quirk than your own?" Nezu asked further. "And that he continued to train said Quirk for years despite repeated demands?"
"Where are you going with this, Sir?" All Might questioned, himself confused and slightly perturbed from pressing such questions on a grieving father.
"It is mere speculation, and I do admit that my conclusions may be skewed biasedly to fit what we saw, but it is plausible," Nezu responded. "Endeavor, it is true that you can fire off blue flames yourself, right?"
Endeavor nodded slowly, calculating what Nezu was trying to say. "Yes, I can," Enji replied. "It takes a bit more effort and greatly heightens my body temperature, but I can produce blue flames. I used the technique back at Hosu, burning the head off of one of those Nomu."
"I'd imagine, blue flames are always hotter and more dangerous than regular red flames," Nezu nodded. "So, a Villain with no known connections or identities beyond that of his Villain name and his appearance, one that looks to be heavily scarred and burned and with the ability to fire blue, more dangerous flames easily."
Endeavor's breath hitched in his throat, his face the look of a man who just got slapped.
"That is rather suspicious, however, Fire Quirks are relatively common compared to most," Recovery Girl pointed out. "The chances of a Villain possessing such a Quirk would be mere happenstance."
"Not if there is more it appears, such as Dabi perhaps possessing a vendetta against your family in particular," Aizawa spoke up, for the first time in the whole meeting. "After the attack on the Pussycat's camp in the forest, I had a talk with your son about what the Villains. He mentioned some words that Dabi told him when he failed to grab Bakugou's marble."
"Well, isn't that a tragedy," Dabi said mockingly toward Shoto. "Poor little Shoto Todoroki."
Endeavor's eyes widened as Aizawa recounted those words. In truth, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the Villain to know of his son given how recently he was displayed to the world during the Sports Festival and being his son. But calling his son 'little' seemed more deliberate, more scathing, and personal of an insult. Personal.
"Look at me! Endeavor! LOOK AT ME!" Touya roared as he lunged toward Rei holding 'little' baby Shoto, his hands ablaze.
"And with his appearance after your victory over the High-End Nomu is something to taken into account, as well," Tsukauchi pointed out. "It seems clear that Dabi had purposefully unleashed the Nomu on you and Hawks and came to confront you, maybe even finish you off in your and Hawks's weakened state. It was only because Miruko had arrived that Dabi had retreated. Did he say anything then you before he died? Endeavor?"
"And Don't You Dare Get Killed, ENJI TODOROKI!" Dabi yelled as he was swallowed up by the black goop teleporting Quirk.
Endeavor's face was one of horror and disbelief, the dots connecting in his head no matter how much he wanted to burn the whole theory board.
Noticing, All Might stepped in. "I think that's enough for now, everyone," Toshinori stood up from his seat.
Gran Torino sighed. "Toshinori, as much as this is difficult to accept, we must-"
"We already have said that we know, there's nothing more to add," Toshinori pressed on, seriously. "All we could do now is speculate on Touya's fate after the flames and what could have happened to make him into Dabi, or we investigate with the tangible evidence we have and save theory and motive for later. Isn't that right, Sir?"
"Indeed," Nezu nodded with a small smirk, impressed with Toshinori's pragmatism and concern for Endeavor's well-being. "Yes, I believe we have stated all we can regarding the Touya/Dabi situation without being redundant. I assume you will investigate this further, Detective?"
"Yeah," Tsukauchi nodded as he wrote down all he needed. "I'll get my guys to research all we can about Dabi and pull up whatever records we can find during the date of Touya's presumed death. Traffic cameras and such. If he survived, maybe he stumbled out into the city burned, or someone may have spotted him leaving the area. That might give us more info to go off on." Tsukauchi gave a side-eyed glance towards the still haunted-looking Endeavor, keeping another bit of speculation to himself and further worsening the Number 1 Pro's already bad state. 'Alternatively, see if someone took him.'
"Very well," Nezu sighed, placing his hands on the table. "I believe this calls for a small break before continuing this meeting further. Perhaps clearer heads will give us more open perspectives."
The three teachers on his right did not miss that subtle request on their part, especially with Hizashi's initial outburst. While Aizawa would have preferred that they would have powered through and gotten this shit over with, he recognized that would be illogical given how much a of toll one investigation over a member of the League was. Another one, and this one far more personal to more members of this group, and it could very well lead to poorer results.
Aizawa sighed as he stood up, going over to get a cup of coffee, knowing tonight was going to be a long night.
Outside the 1-B Dorms...
While almost everyone had entered the 1-B Dorms, either to finish homework and study together or plan out some fun activity, the ones left outside were Izuku Midoriya and Melissa Shield.
The two stood by the same bench where Izuku and Eri sat and talked last night, the lamp casting a spotlight down on both of their nervous expressions. Melissa's nervousness and worries had evolved into a maelstrom of anxiety only greatened by the current silence as she waited for Izuku to speak and a worry that someone might be spying on them from the dorms for the juicy drama of it all.
Little did she know that the rest of the girls had dedicated themselves to granting the two their privacy by ensuring any curious onlookers were turned away or dealt with. It didn't even take a few minutes before Mina had to strap Mineta to another asylum chair and force him to watch another 'rehabilitation' video, the very same one she forced him into after his perverted actions in their Joint Training Class.
What was also eating away at Melissa, and darn near begging for Izuku to speak, was what would have Izuku spend so long staring at the stars with that pondering, conflicted look. And the more she thought about the possibilities the more anxious she got. Was that he knew what she felt for him? Did he know about the Sisterhood and the 10 girls that held feelings for him? If so, would he reject her and the others for just Setsuna or one of the others? Or maybe it was something else?
The situation wasn't exactly new to her. Despite being treated like royalty on I-Island as the daughter of David Shield, even the shield of fame is weak against prejudice. Quirklessness. Even she wasn't immune to the stares she had gotten for her 'condition', as if she was disabled or diseased. Even when they came out of sympathy, it stung and hurt no less if it came out of hate.
As she grew older and made her genius shown through her hard work, many of those stares and whispers vanished, because in I-Island if the scientists and inventors there respected anything above all else, it was a brilliant mind. She was proud to be seen as equal to everyone for her intellect and drive. She was more than just the poor Quirkless daughter of David Shield, she was herself.
Then a cute guy was nearly the ruin of her self-esteem. A recent transfer to I-Island and her school, an inventive and brilliant mind in of himself, and not too bad on the eyes like many of the girls said. But he took interest in her and she was flattered. They got to know each other, grew close even, and they went out for dinner, conveniently when her dad was at a conference.
It went fine, a walk in the park, showing him around a bit, and capping it off with dinner. Until it all crashed down when topics of Quirks came up. For some reason, he figured that she must have been so brilliant because she had some Quirk relating to intelligence, and when she said otherwise, his whole tone shifted. His face went cold and expressionless, he looked at her like he was seeing an entirely different person than the one he was having fun with just a few seconds ago. They ended dinner and went back to the park and waited under a light like right now.
She repressed a lot of what happened that night, even though she knew that cried for weeks over it, but the gist of what happened was him badmouthing and insulting her for being one of those people, how they ultimately contributed nothing except being the dead weight that everyone had to help. Needless to say, she had some very strong words for him, she remembered she was never more furious in her life. The guy muted everything she said for the very act of speaking 'against his truth' and even tried to swing at her with his Quirk. Melissa thanked her father for always reminding her to carry around that deterrent watch he made in case she got jumped.
She reported him for attempted Quirk assault and the police of I-Island dragged his spasming ass away, and eventually I-Island as a whole. She got over it, but the event did make her lose a bit of her fire, even slipping in her grades and resolve. She ultimately vowed never to speak of it again and tried her best to forget his very name, he didn't deserve to have the luxury to have it remembered. Whenever anyone asked her who her first date was, she always said 'No one of importance'.
Now, this situation she was in was eerily similar and it played into her fear. She feared she would be rejected all the same, this time for someone else that he could relate to more, especially someone who she knew and spent time with no further than just a few days.
And then she remembered who she was talking about, and those fears vanished. She looked at his dark green and black hair as it blew with the breeze, his adorable diamond-shaped freckles below his contemplative emerald eyes, the very strength and aura that his body radiated. She remembered how cute he acted when he was nervous, how cool he looked when he fought those Villain in I-Island, how thoughtful he was when all he cared about was her father's safety and her invention for him.
Melissa realized she had nothing to worry about. This wasn't some no-named jerk that would look down at her, this was Izuku Midoriya, the Hero who brought her father back to her, the impossibly brave and strong man who suffered for being Quirkless even worse than herself, and the kind, selfless, and heroic soul that she fell in love with. She knew she could never be truly afraid of him, that he had his reasons, and whatever they may be, he would always care for her and others before himself. For someone like that, she could wait a little longer.
As for Izuku, as he stared at the stars above, he wrestled with what he was about to do, weighing in the consequences, good and bad, of the things he would be revealing to Melissa. Izuku almost wanted to punch himself, remembering how familiar this whole situation was. Not his talk with Setsuna or with Eri the day before, but something far longer ago.
His eyes dimmed in their shine as he remembered opening his Aldera locker to find that letter one fateful Valentine's Day. That goddamn letter with the heart on it. He remembered how he contemplated for nearly an hour just to open it. He knew the implications that a heart on the letter would have, that it was perhaps a love letter from some secret admirer. But he couldn't accept that was the case. Was it a gag that Kacchan and his lackeys planted? Would it explode out some confetti or some vile-smelling liquid? Hundreds of possible pranks were theorized in Midoriya's mind, with thousands of reasons formulating of why not to open it, why it would be better to just burn the letter, and never speak or think of it again.
But then a feeling made him open it. A feeling long starved for attention ever since he was four: Companionship. With his mother, Izuku would always cherish their bond as mother and son, even if she didn't tell him he could be a Hero back then it didn't erase the familial love they had for each other. But there was only so much that kind of love could do in his life full of loneliness, betrayal, and abandonment. He couldn't relate to his mother and tried to keep everything that happened in Aldera away from her, to keep her from worrying more about a frail, useless Quirkless boy she already worried to high heaven over. He didn't have a father to look up to either, the only close substitute being the ever-shining Hero and idol whose smile was plastered all over his room.
Even if, ultimately, it amounted to nothing in the end, he wanted, wished, for a companion of some kind. An acquaintance, a friend...even a girlfriend, dare he hope. He wanted someone to go hang out with, to talk about the things of the day, maybe someone to hold hands with, and go to the movies. Someone to tell him that he could be a Hero.
And so, despite every single rational thought and previous experience, like a lab rat hitting the pleasure button, he opened that letter. A month later, on White Day, he went behind the school as it said, he waited for whoever wrote it, hope his only aid and with a bouquet of roses and some chocolates in hand. Ultimately, he realized he should've burned the letter.
It all turned out to be a big practical joke that half the school was in on given the number of people that showed up. The tub of expired milk they dumped on him, the bruises and burns that littered his body by the end of this torture session, his roses and chocolates stomped on like him, and it all paled in comparison to having the very girl that wrote that letter, a girl he had a small crush on in fact, mock him and kick him in the gut.
His price for opening his heart out for love, friendship, and simple companionship, was a horrible smell that a week's worth of showers couldn't wash away, bruises and burns that stuck around for twice as long after, and a broken heart that, in truth, he felt never did heal. Though, he pitied the flowers and chocolates he had brought more. They didn't deserve to be punished for being bought by a Quirkless freak.
Now, here he was again. Ready to open his heart out to someone he believes likes him back, to trust in Set that Melissa likes him and shoot his shot, and to reveal a part of himself that not even she knew. And call him a glutton for punishment because he's going to do it. Because despite that rational, paranoid-ridden mind of his telling him this very notion was insanity, he had to tell her. Not just for his sake, but for hers, as well. If he wanted to be with them, they need to know.
And, above all else, look at her. This amazingly strong and kind person who persevered in her dreams despite being Quirkless, this brilliant, courageous woman who fought by his side against those mercenaries, this beautiful, caring, and heroic soul that he could finally admit he fell for in just a few days. What did he have to be so paranoid about?
"So, those movies were crazy, right?" Izuku said, doing his best not to cringe at that obvious line.
Melissa blinked, surprised at Izuku's out of nowhere line. Mouth agape, she stared at him while he still looked at the stars, all the while scratching his cheek. Before words could come out of her, she picked up on the blush his cheeks had, and Melissa knew that he was incredibly nervous. It made her almost want to coo.
Instead, she giggled, looking up to see the sky like him, watching as the clouds parted to see the full moon. The way it looked almost reminded her of Stark's chest reactor. "Yeah, they were," Melissa replied. "Those Dark Elves and that Aether thing, Todoroki's brother and that Shirakumo person, EXTREMIS soldiers."
"Yeah," Izuku's voice didn't stutter, his eyes turning sad as he remembered one particular EXTREMIS soldier. "Honestly, I felt bad for them. They were suffering, scarred, and then someone took advantage of their pain, their powerlessness, and they..."
Melissa didn't need Izuku to finish, the two knew what he meant. "I know, I felt for them too," Melissa placed her clenched fist over her heart. "In another life, maybe, I could have been one of them."
"No, you wouldn't," Melissa blinked in surprise again, turning back to Deku, who looked back at her this time, a small smile on his face. "You're too strong and smart."
Melissa's face made a faux pout. "That's a little mean to say about them, Izuku."
"Maybe, but it's true," Izuku continued. "You aren't that kind of person to take a shortcut, no matter how enticing. You would have found another way." Izuku's eyes grew downcast and bitter. "Me on the other hand, well..."
Melissa let go of her faux pout to frown, worrying. 'Wait, what?' Melissa was confused about where the sudden self-criticism came from. 'What is Izuku talking about? Is he talking about his counterpart taking the Super Soldier Serum? But that was different. Both he and Izuku are some of the strongest-'
Melissa's thoughts then paused as the memory of the Super Soldier and his movie came back to mind and all that Izuku admitted. The bullying that both Izuku and Rogers shared, their scrawny physique...their powerlessness. Melissa looked down at his right hand, seeing how his thumbs brushed over the scars on his somewhat crooked fingers. 'Oh,' Melissa realized what Izuku was talking about.
"We're not talking about EXTREMIS are we," Melissa said, definitively.
Izuku's fists clenched before he took the dive. "There's something I have to tell you, Melissa. Something really important," Izuku looked back up at her. Back on I-Island, Melissa was about an inch and a half taller than him; now, Melissa realized just how much Izuku had already grown since then, to where they stood almost eye-to-eye. It made their talk all the more intimate, and the seriousness in his eyes all the more prevalent.
"O-Okay?" Melissa stuttered, slightly taken aback by how serious he just turned.
Izuku took a deep breath before going for it. "Honestly, I shouldn't really be talking about this," Izuku admitted. "This secret revolves more than just me, and I should have asked All Might beforehand, but I'm sure if he would say that since it's my responsibility, I can tell whomever I want."
"Uncle Might?" Melissa repeated her surrogate uncle's name, wondering what he had to do with this apparent secret. Could it be why he brought Izuku to I-Island in the first place?
"Remember when said that for most of my life, I was Quirkless?" Izuku asked. "How my Quirk manifested late?"
Melissa nodded, clearly remembering when the verdant-haired teen revealed his past Quirklessness quite well. Especially since it was just yesterday, Izuku admitted his Quirkless past back in his counterpart's video, Captain America: The First Avenger, where Izuku had slipped on girls not taking much interest, revealing that it was because of his Quirklessness, something that he claimed everyone believed him to be until the Entrance Exam where it manifested late. And then when he revealed that he was bullied for being Quirkless for so long, and treated even worse than herself, she and the rest of the girls had almost suffocated him in a hug pile.
"Well...I was only half truthful," Izuku revealed. Melissa's eyes widened, surprised. "You might want to sit down for this."
So, for the next several minutes, Melissa sat there, completely and utterly shocked at the tale Izuku revealed to her. About the Villain who can steal Quirks, All For One, and his younger brother, with the power to bestow his Quirk onto others and how it turned into the Quirk now known as One For All. He told her about the 2 centuries long hidden war between All For One and the past wielders of the Quirk, all of whom were the Howling Commandos' counterparts and Nana Shimura, and how all of them were cut short by the power of this monster in the form of a man. How her surrogate uncle, All Might, was once as Quirkless as her and was given the power by Shimura, and ultimately defeated All For One, but at a price. Izuku told her of Uncle Might's injury, his limited time in his buffed state, and his search for a successor for the Quirk. If she could, Melissa imagined her jaw would have broken out of her mouth and fell to the floor like Tokage's. To hear such a tale about a transferable Quirk and how her uncle was just like her and became the Symbol of Peace made her feel immensely proud and joyful.
Then Izuku told her about how he and All Might met, and that respect swiftly turned to anger. Izuku was forced to tell her everything about that day, including the severity of his bullying and the suicide baiting. Melissa was conflicted about whether to be completely horrified and crush Izuku in a hug or begin tracking down said bullies and wish they never breathed the same air as Izuku. She, ultimately, chose the former. Curiously, no matter how much she pried Melissa couldn't get an actual name of who said that, but Izuku did admit that both Yubi Ayase, Obadiah Stane's counterpart, and Kenji Nakamura, Savin's counterpart, were there and laughing when it happened. Well, at least she found two names to hunt down.
Then it only grew worse when Izuku described his attack by the Sludge Villain, how he almost died if it weren't for All Might. He was noticeably hesitant when describing further but Melissa was insistent that he didn't leave anything out. She found out why when he told her about his talk with All Might, how he told him the truth about his skinny form and wound, and how when he asked if someone as Quirkless and powerless as him could be a Hero, his idol said no. Melissa never felt such conflicted anger before toward her surrogate uncle, almost unable to believe that he could say those words so cruelly blunt to someone like her. Izuku had to pacify her to not go after her uncle this instant.
Melissa didn't wish for this tale to go on any longer, it already being an emotionally exhausting one, but there was more. He revealed how the Sludge Villain had escaped and how he blamed, still blames, himself for his escape, how it captured and held Bakugou hostage, and how, without even realizing it, his body moved and went to rescue him. Ultimately, All Might would save the day, pushing past his limits, before cornering Izuku and thanking him for stepping up and inspiring him to act. When Melissa heard Izuku repeat the words All Might said to him, most of the anger she felt towards her uncle was resolved. Most.
Finally, the biggest bombshell, Izuku revealed how All Might had chosen him to be his successor, the next bearer of One For All. Izuku explained that the 10 months of training and cleaning up Dagobah Beach was in preparation for his body to receive One For All and how he only got it the morning of the exam. Melissa thought he was crazy before when he made her think that his Quirk was one that eventually manifested in the Entrance Exam, but hearing how he received the Quirk and then finally used it a few hours later was even crazier.
And so, after Izuku had finished explaining every last detail, the consequences for using One For All beyond his limits, the Quirks and Vestiges of the past bearers of One For All manifesting inside him, and the potential inevitability of having to fight All For One, Melissa was thankful she sat down.
"Alright...yeah...that was...a lot," Melissa said, eyes as wide as dinner plates while she tried to recorrect and make sense of her crumbling worldview. "So, you really were Quirkless, but Uncle Might gave you his Quirk to be a Hero, his successor."
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "All Might was the 8th wielder, and now I'm the 9th."
"I see," Melissa dumbly nodded, her eyes shadowed as she lowered her head. Izuku frowned when she saw her own and noticed the trembling of her hands. Izuku knew immediately what she was thinking and feeling.
'Why?' Was Melissa's most prevalent question. Why didn't Izuku tell her about this sooner? No, why did Uncle Might not tell her of this sooner? Did her father know too and didn't tell her?
But the question that felt the most bitter also made her feel ashamed for asking it: 'If there was a Quirk that could be passed onto others, why didn't he choose me?'
It pained her to ask it, almost like she was jealous that All Might chose Izuku instead. Well, ok maybe she was a tiny bit jealous, but who wouldn't? Instead, the bitterness she felt was the fact that Uncle Might had this power for so long, could see how she cried when she realized she couldn't be a Hero without a Quirk, and yet could have helped made her one, her dreams didn't have to be crushed for so long, she could have been a Hero student right now and be on her way to graduating and go Pro. So, why?
"Why?" Melissa couldn't help but voice it, trembling, almost about to burst into tears.
Izuku was quick to respond, placing his right hand over hers, and making her look back at him. "To protect you," Izuku answered, equally as sad as her but determined in this reasoning. "He wanted to keep you and your father out of the danger that comes with his life. He didn't want you to be cursed with this power."
"Cursed?" Melissa questioned.
"Gran Torino, his mentor, and All Might told me how all the past wielders died young, how they were hunted down by All For One, and his obsession over this Quirk, the one Quirk that he couldn't take, his brother's Quirk," Izuku explained. "They told me how All For One had tracked down Shimura and killed her husband, how she was forced to put her child into adoption for his safety. All Might doesn't have much of a family, only us, and even with you and your father on I-Island, he must have believed that you could have been targeted."
Melissa was quiet, pondering Izuku's reasoning, and found it sound. Her Uncle Might did possess quite the self-sacrificing, protective trait of a Hero. He would rather burden himself and continue hero-ing for five years with that wound and limits than deprive the world of its Symbol of Peace. She realized a part of All Might may have chosen Midoriya out of necessity.
She almost slapped herself when she thought that, as she looked back up at Izuku and saw his saddened look.
"I know," Izuku began, looking downwards as the memories of his youth replayed in his head. "I know that jealousy and bitterness. No matter how much I didn't want to, I felt the same every day when I saw all the kids in my class have a Quirk of their own, how they made fun of me for not having one. I thought that if I had one then I would be someone important, someone special."
Izuku raised his head and stared at her with a renewed conviction. "But these past two years, I learned that it isn't a Quirk that makes someone special, it's you," Izuku pointed at her heart. "Your drive, your mind, resourcefulness, heart. They make you who you are, how special you are. And that's why I believe you're so much stronger and braver than I could ever be."
"Izuku," Melissa gasped out, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Whenever I was told I could never be a Hero, deep down, a part of me knew they were right, that I was kidding myself that I could be one without a power of my own," Izuku's hand over her own tightened its grip, comfortingly. "And in the end, they were kind of right. I never would have gotten this far without One For All, never could have saved so many without this Quirk that was passed down onto me. In the end, I gave up my dream to be a Quirkless Hero and accepted a Quirk to finally be one. I'm a hypocrite if anything. Pathetic, really. I didn't have any kind of dream or goal beyond being a Hero."
"But not you," Izuku continued, smiling lovingly at her. "Even when your dream was shattered, you continued on. You picked yourself up and started over. You started making Support Tech as your way of being a Hero, giving Heroes the tools to save themselves and others, and in a way, help save those who save others. To be honest, I'm jealous of your strength and resilience."
Melissa whimpered and sniffled, the shame of her earlier jealousy almost making her ball. Her heart couldn't stop beating so fast, so much joy and happiness she felt being poured by just those words.
"And when we started this whole movie thing, you saw Iron Man, how he had no powers of his own yet still became a Hero and I saw how you wanted to be one yourself," Izuku's smile grew wider. "I saw your passion reignite, your brilliant mind working to be a Hero just like him. How you could build your own suit and be a Hero of your own. The first ever Quirkless Hero. And then I saw in Iron Man 3 how Stark started doubting himself, how you began to doubt, the same doubts I have. How can I be a Hero when so many others are ahead of me? How can I be as strong a Hero without the suit and gadgets? How can I measure up to Stark and the others?"
"The truth is you're never going to be Iron Man," Izuku admitted after a deep breath, steeling himself to continue looking at Melissa's shocked eyes. "But you can be something different. Something more. Something all you. A Symbol of your own. Because the Hero isn't the suit, or the money, or the tech, it's you. And I say this 100% proudly and confidently: Melissa Shield, you too can become a Hero."
That was all Melissa needed to hear.
Melissa burst into tears and launched herself at Izuku, embracing in a death grip of a hug. She wailed and balled into Izuku's chest and shoulders, her loud wails muffled by his shirt, letting years of rejection, bitterness, and pain all flow out into Izuku's chest, unable to bear the happiness that suffocated her heart.
Izuku smiled sadly, eyes half-closed, wondering if this was how he was when All Might said those words. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back, petting her golden blonde locks, giving back as much comfort as this girl needed, this brave, strong, wonderful he couldn't imagine his life without.
"I promise, no matter what, I am going to be there for you, Melissa Shield," Izuku promised, staring out at the world with pure conviction and defiance. "I care for you, deeply and truly, and I won't stop until you can stand alongside us, equally, as Heroes."
Melissa's only verbal response was more crying, but inside she could only think one thing: 'Thank you, Izuku. I love you.'
The two continued this tearful embrace while the moon shined its bright white light down on them.
A black and white raven flew over, a feather falling over them.
Inside the dorms...
Katsuki Bakugou sat on Ibara's bed, slamming it softly onto his other palm, contemplating his decisions. His eyes scanned the room once again, but he didn't need to, he already got the lay of it when he entered.
After they arrived inside the 1-B dorms, Bakugou and Shiozaki excused themselves under the pretense of studies. The smirks, eye rolls, and teasing grins were evidence that none of the students bought that bullshit but wouldn't say a cent more, as Bakugou silently warned them. Given how Kirishima turned out the last time someone accidentally walked in on them, they knew well to give the two their space.
Ibara had been the one to welcome him into her room, and despite thinking that may be a step too far in this pseudo-relationship they just started, he didn't question her. They needed a place to be alone and this was the most obvious answer.
Ibara's room clearly showed her two loves: botany and religion. The walls were painted meadow green like a garden, and there was even a makeshift garden on Ibara's balcony, though the vine-haired student had let in her plants to stave away the cold air of winter yet still by the balcony so that they could take in the sunlight, as such the room smelled more pleasant. A desk was off to the wall where a stack of books was on a shelf, and from a glance Bakugou could spot a mixture of theology books, Bibles, and gardening and nature books. A pair of rosaries, necklaces, and ornaments hung nearby with a set of small, clean gardening tools and gloves by the balcony. A poster with the face of a man was on one of the walls, this one of a man in white with a brown beard and hair that stuck out messily, the eyes a jade or emerald green. Bakugou recognized it as the Prince of Peace, a painting of the supposed real face of Jesus Christ from a girl during the pre-Quirk days, an Akiane Kramarik or something that another kid, a Culton Burpo had recognized as the Christ before he was told it was. Bakugou read it was because the boy had momentarily died and met with the man himself before coming back to life, but Bakugou couldn't say for certain if it was real being so long ago and with little info thanks to the Dawning of Quirks causing havoc and chaos. Finally, Ibara's bed was covered in white and gold sheets with a stack of pillows, with the obvious cross and Jesus statue on the wall over the bedframe. And if Bakugou looked up, he could see a poster copy of Michelangelo's Hands of God and Adam taped to the ceiling about the bed.
A little overkill on the religious stuff, Bakugou thought, but if it made Ibara happy, it wasn't his place to complain. He had his own issues to deal with. Mainly, what to do with the offer.
"'Suki?" Ibara's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Y-Yeah?" Bakugou blinked before recomposing himself.
"Are you alright? You've been staring around my room for half an hour without saying anything," Ibara replied, a nervous look on her face. "Is it too much?"
"No, no, no, it's fine," Bakugou waved off her concerns. "I'm not the religious type myself, but I know it's important to you. Besides, the room is nice."
"Thank you," Ibara smiled, warmly, before reverting to concern. "But there's something still bothering you? Is it about our talk?"
"No, not that. Well, a little, but something else," Bakugou scoffed lightly, tossing his phone to the side, and wiping his hands over his tired face.
Ibara breathed softly, sitting down on the bed beside him, placing her hand over his knee. "If you wish to talk about it, I'm here," Ibara replied, smiling warmly once more.
Bakugou breathed deeply, his tense shoulders relaxing before placing his hand over hers. "It's about after the last movie, just before we left for the dorms," Bakugou began.
"When Hound Dog-sensei kept you back?" Ibara guessed.
Bakugou nodded. "He wanted to talk about what happened in Iron Man 3 and the whole shi-stuff that happened with my counterpart and you," Bakugou revealed. Ibara's other hand was immediately placed over his hand. A small smirk creeped out. "It's fine, but he asked regardless, and I said as much. He then asked me if I was experiencing nightmares."
"Like the ones Stark did?" Ibara asked.
"...Yeah," Katsuki shivered as the memory of his nightmares popped up.
The destruction that All For One brought him to at Kamino, the unconscious and wounded pros, including Best Jeanist, though in his nightmares the wounds ranged from being far more gruesome to outright having his mentor strung to a broken pillar on impaling spikes, even showed All Might's bloody and wounded skinny form in the rubble. He remembered the League surrounding him, their taunting, sadistic faces laughing behind him while he was left frozen in front of the monster himself, laughing maniacally in his deep voice, while he reached his sparking hand out toward him, ready to take his Quirk away from him.
Those nightmares usually went hand-in-hand with another particularly haunting one. He imagined himself back in Aldera, but this time he was a shrimp compared to the giants that were his classmates/lackeys, now all staring down at him like mocking giants, taunting him for how he lost his Quirk and was now worthless, weak, a loser, a nobody. He was living Deku's life, the life he inflicted on his former childhood friend.
And there, leading the charge, was himself, but his eyes were pure red and his smile all but pure evil and sinister, dragging a bloodied and beaten De-Izuku who looked to be hanging onto an inch of his life. His doppelganger would then mock him for becoming so weak, for losing his nerve, becoming as spineless as Deku before beginning to beat Izuku up again. Any attempt to stop him would just lead to him taking the brunt force of the beating, and always the damn nerd would step in to stop them and get the beating instead, and while the nerd would be taking the pain to spare him, he would be chained back, the chains burning hot and searing into his flesh.
And the nightmares would end all the same, either with himself screaming in pain as his Quirk was taken, hollowing as the League kidnapped him again and turned him into one of those disgusting Nomu, or, the worse of them all, himself and all the bullies and himself gathered on the roof while Izuku stood on the edge of it, covered in blood, bruises, and burns, looking at him without a hint of emotion in his eyes. He would then say, 'You did this to me,' before stepping off the roof and himself hollowing as he fell to his sickening death. His body cracking on the pavement was what he would hear last before waking up in a sweat.
A few of Ibara's vines wrapped around his arm while the girl herself leaned her head into his shoulders. 'My counterpart ran away when Stark had that nightmare, I won't make the same mistake,' Ibara thought.
Catching what Ibara silently meant, Bakugou sighed deeply. "I said that I did, bad ones that I didn't want to talk about," Bakugou continued. "Hound said that he understood and all that, but if I needed someone confidential to talk to, that his door was always open."
"Well, that's good, right?" Ibara questioned.
"Yeah, right, like that will fix them," Bakugou scoffed sarcastically. "'Bara, the dreams I have, all my mistakes coming back to haunt me, you honestly think that just talking about it is suddenly going to make them disappear?"
"No, no they won't," Ibara answered honestly. "But it's a start. If these dreams are because of your...past and your guilt, then letting off your chest is a step in the right direction. They may not go away all at once, but they will pass. Remember our talk earlier?"
Bakugou caught what she meant. His talk with her about their pasts did help lift a bit of weight off his chest, not all of it, but it was something. That was when he recalled Hound Dog's parting words:
"Remember kid, asking for help isn't a sign that you're weak," Hound Dog growled out. "To admit it is a true sign of strength."
Bakugou sighed. "Can't believe I'm doing this," Katsuki muttered. The explosive Pomeranian squeezed Ibara's hand, the vine-haired girl taking it as a sign to detangle. As she gave him his space, Bakugou reached out for his tossed-over phone and scrolled his contact list. Along with the U.A. dorms, the teachers left behind a list of the teacher's numbers for important calls and emergencies. The proud, once-overtly-arrogant, teen never thought that he would ever use them but saved them, just in case.
Finding the number, Bakugou turns to stare at Ibara. The holy girl smiled, nodding with her full support evident. With one last breath, Bakugou typed it in. It took only a few seconds of ringing before the recipient picked up. "Hello?" Hound Dog's voice spoke from the other end.
"Hey, teach," Bakugou replied.
"Ah, Bakugou, didn't expect a call so soon," Hound Dog said, a small growl of annoyance slipped out, an unfortunate side-effect of his Dog Quirk. "This about our talk before?"
"Yeah," Bakugou felt silly for nodding at someone that couldn't see them, mentally cursing that he was becoming more like the shitty nerd. "Still open for a talk?"
Hound Dog's mouth grew a wolfish grin, satisfied. He made a noise of doggish affirmation while licking the bottle of whiskey in his hands. The U.A. therapist looked around, cautiously inspecting if anyone was listening in on his call, knowing how sensitive Bakugou can get with people knowing of his troubles.
Pleasantly, most of the teachers and visiting pros, excluding the ones at the meeting with Nezu, as well as Hawks, were too busy chatting and drinking with their peers over the last two movies. The only ones who didn't seem to be in a talkative mood were Mount Lady who looked worried and troubled by something and Miruko who downed drink after drink while at times staring at her glass, contemplating.
"Sure, kid, if that's what you want," Hound Dog replied. After hearing an affirmative grumble from Bakugou, Hound Dog continued with, "I'll set up a time after classes before our meetup for another viewing. Aizawa will tell you about it tomorrow morning."
As the two finished their call, Hound Dog felt a slight bit of guilt at having manipulated Bakugou into a talk. Truthfully, Nezu had already told him that Bakugou was being sentenced to anger-management training because of some troubling evidence they came about to the boy's past and his behavior. He of course could have just told Bakugou outright that he needed to show up mandatorily, but from what he saw of the boy, he figured the boy needed to believe he was the one initiating their talks, or he would clamp up and have the opposite of what they were trying to do.
Hound Dog licked his cup, already mentally preparing for tomorrow's seminar with the angriest teen in U.A. history.
Back outside the 1-B dorms...
After a while of comforting and tears, Izuku could see that Melissa managed to get the worst of her system. In fact, she looked a lot livelier, like an invisible weight had just left her. It made the blonde American not only happier but under the moonlight, she was downright gorgeous.
Izuku could feel the burning in his cheeks and a lump catching itself in his throat. That's when it reminded him that he had something else to talk to her about: the girls and their feelings for him, and what he feels in return. Honestly, this feels like the hardest topic than revealing that you're the secret successor of the Symbol of Peace, inheriting his Quirk, and telling her that she can be a Hero.
It wasn't hard because he didn't feel the same way as they did. In truth, Izuku already believes that he does feel something for each of them, something beyond just friendship or something similar, but he just couldn't say the L word, not yet. But all the same, he still needed to tell Melissa and the others how he felt, he owed them that much.
Plus, if it gets him closer to his goal of winning his bet with Setsuna, all the better to swallow down his insecurities and go for it.
The only thing really holding him back was whether it was appropriate to talk about this now. 'I don't know. It feels a bit exploitative to talk about this just after this heavy talk,' Izuku thought, not wanting to take advantage of Melissa and confront her about this in such a vulnerable state. However, if Setsuna and his intuitions were right, then Melissa and the girls already liked him and formed some agreement or group during their meeting yesterday. He wouldn't be forcing Melissa to confess or admit anything that she didn't already feel or reveal to others. 'I imagine if Mina or Set would say something like, I spoke my truth, now I need to hear hers.'
"Are you okay?" Izuku asked her.
"Y-Yeah, I'm alright, just needed to get that out," Melissa wiped the remnant tears from her eyes. Noticing the tear stains on Izuku's shirt, she immediately became apologetic. "Oh! I-I'm sorry, Izuku! Your shirt I-"
"It's okay, Melissa, really," Izuku waved away her apology. "Like you said, you needed to let it out. A stained shirt is worth it."
Melissa smiled. "Thank you, Izuku."
"Although, um, about all of that stuff about One For All-" Izuku began, remembering that he just revealed his most important secret.
"No worries, Izuku, I know," Melissa this time waves away his worries. "I understand why Uncle Might kept it a secret. I may not be happy about it, but I get it. Don't worry, my lips sealed."
"Thank you, Melissa," Izuku sighed in relief.
"No, thank you, Izuku," Melissa thanked back. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you trusted me with this secret."
Izuku blushed and rubbed his neck. "Well, I figured we should be honest with each other, to have no secrets between us," Izuku looked down to see that his scarred hand was still atop hers. "Us Quirkless need to stick together, right?"
"Right," Melissa smiled, blushing too when she noticed their conjoined hands.
"Which is why I need to ask this of you," Izuku steeled his nerves and looked at Melissa right in the eyes. "Melissa, do you like me?"
"..." Melissa froze comically, her aqua eyes hidden behind the refracted light from the moon. When the question fully registered in her head, a terrible blush covered the entirety of her head, her aqua eyes wide with panic. "W-W-W-What?!"
Izuku's face blushed harder, fighting back a momentary wave of self-deprecating thoughts that took her surprise to be negative. "Do you like me, Melissa?" Izuku pressed the question again.
"O-O-Of Course! Of course, I like you, Izuku. You're probably the closest friend I've ever had!" Melissa stuttered, her once brilliant mind now in utter panic and turmoil. 'D-Does he know? About how I feel about him? How the others feel? How? Or is he just being self-conscious about our friendship?'
"N-No, no, not that, although I'm honored, really," Izuku scratched his blushing cheek. "I mean, do you l-like-like me?"
All that managed to come out of Melissa was stutters, sputtering, and words that failed to take shape out of her shocked mouth. 'HE DOES KNOW! HOW?!' Melissa panicked. 'But who told him?! Was it one of the others? Does he know about the Sisterhood, too?'
"I-I-I-um-h-how d-did you-" Was what the blushing Melissa managed to articulate.
"Yesterday, while the others were getting their stuff for our sleepover at the 1-B dorms, Setsuna and I talked about how we felt after, well, you know," Izuku rubbed his neck with his free hand. "She said that you and she were asked to join a meeting with all the girls and that the two of you, the girls of my class, Nejire, and Mei had feelings for me."
If Melissa's eyes could widen any more than they could, they would right now. She vividly recalled being with the rest of the 1-B group with Nejire, watching the two greenheads with jealousy. It had just occurred to her that not only did she not ask Tokage what she talked with Izuku about back then, but that it was Tokage who brought up the very notion of sharing Izuku with the 10 of them, something she may have suggested to Izuku during their talk.
'That sneaky, conniving, little bitch,' Melissa cursed the greenette without any actual venom to her thoughts, rather she had to commend her for planning this out.
"So," Izuku's voice snapped Melissa back to reality. The verdant-haired teen looked at her plainly and seriously. "Is it true?"
Melissa didn't know what to say. Well, no that was a lie, she knew exactly what she wanted to say, while the panicking side of her brain was trying to come up with a form of denial to avoid a possible rejection. Then's when Melissa spotted something in Izuku's eye: vulnerability. As good as his serious mask was, it left a crack or two enough for the blonde American to see that Izuku was just as afraid to be rejected by her as she was by him. She knew she couldn't lie to him. Not after he revealed to her his biggest secret, and what's more, she wanted to say it, now more than ever.
"Yes, it's true," Melissa finally admitted. "The girls and their meeting, our group to share you, and...and how I feel about you."
No matter what he was expecting, he was still left surprised. Izuku's facade broke, his eyes widening as his jaw dropped, the blush on his cheeks still present. Melissa could even see that a shine was gained over Izuku's eyes. "Melissa," Izuku breathed out.
"I know, it's sudden and all," Melissa lowered her head, staring at Izuku's hand warmly while her mind began replaying their times together. "We only hung out for a few days back on I-Island and video chatted afterward, but I couldn't help but feel the way I feel. When we met, I thought you were cute, but I was more curious why Uncle Might brought you to I-Island as his plus one. Then we spent time together, showing you around the island and all the sites and Heroes visiting. I thought you were so cute getting all giddy about the Heroes and was impressed by your analysis, your drive, and strength, but I found myself just as giddy talking to you about Support Items, about my experiences, I felt I could open up to you more than anyone I knew."
"Then Wolfram's crew came, and we fought them together," Both Melissa and Izuku smiled fondly at how they worked together, with his classmates, against the villains, how they fought together as equals rather than an up-and-coming Hero and a civilian. "I witnessed your resourcefulness, your loyalty to your friends, and how it pained you to leave them behind but still trusted them, but more importantly, your selfless, heroic heart, how fiercely you fought against Wolfram just to get my dad back, even then he started the whole thing. But you didn't care, in your eyes, he was still my father, someone in need of saving, and you risked your life to bring him back to me. I saw then when you ran and fought with Uncle Might that you fought for no other reason, not for fame, my attention, money, nothing more than just to save him, and I knew you were a true Hero, the kind I wanted to be."
"And when it was all over, you didn't brag or act tough, you were more focused on how I felt," Melissa's blush grew as did her smile. "Making sure I was okay, apologizing for breaking the Full Gauntlet, and thanked me. You said that you wouldn't have come as far as you did without me and my help, how I was just as much a Hero as the rest of you, that meant so much to me, more than anyone could ever understand, at least I thought so. That was when I knew I fell for you."
"And today only made me more assured of it," Melissa looked back up to Izuku, her wet eyes and smile full of love and affection, the moonlight making her appear like a goddess to Izuku. "I love you, Izuku Midoriya, my inspiration, my Hero, my friend."
"..." Izuku stared dumbfounded, words failing him on how to reply. His emerald eyes shined, a long-abandoned warmth in them returning, the wounds in his heart mending, the ill memories of the past fading away and being replaced by this loving smile from Melissa Shield.
Melissa's smile dimmed in his silence, turning saddened as her eyes lost a bit of warmth. "But I also knew how you feel about Tokage, and I understand if you don't feel the same or if you don't agree with sharing each other with the others," Melissa's hand on Izuku's began to inch away. "I-If you want, we can j-just pretend that this never happened and-"
"You're wrong," Melissa froze at the words, feeling Izuku's hand rejoin with her, claiming it with a fiercer strength. She saw in his eyes the same tears that were in hers, a smile that flooded her with unmatched warmth. "I do like Tokage, but how could I not feel the same way about you?"
Melissa swore that his voice and her thumping heart were all that she could hear. Not the breeze or the rustle of the leaves, just them, just those words that made her feel like she was reaching nirvana.
"Throughout the day, I was struggling to come to terms with it, my feelings, feelings I thought I locked away because I knew they would never be felt the same way back," Izuku began. "At some point, I deluded myself enough to believe they were just the feelings of friendship, after all, how could such amazing people ever take an interest in a worthless Deku like me?"
Izuku let out a bitter chuckle that broke Melissa's heart. It was the same one she had after her failed date with that Quirkist bastard. The bitter laugh of pain and saddening acceptance.
"When I said I thought of myself as pathetic, I wasn't kidding. How did it take a young girl to make me see and accept how I feel?" Izuku continued, remembering his talk with Eri, how she believed that I did like the girls back and that she would help me. "Today, I looked at you all again, open and accepting, and I couldn't stop thinking how much of an idiot I was. How could I not feel the same way you do when I stare into your eyes? When you put your hand on mine," Izuku squeezed Melissa's hand and she squeezed back. "My mother's counterpart said something that clicked to me, how she loved it when Thor explained things. I saw it how she did, thinking of the things I loved about you all, about you, your inventions, your drive, perseverance, pride, and strength. Maybe I was just lucky enough to get to experience falling for someone a second time without even knowing."
Izuku smiled at Melissa. "It might be weird and new for me, but if you are all willing, I would be willing to give this unique relationship a try," Izuku revealed. "Because I do feel something for you all, more than just like, like...like lo-"
Izuku's words died when a blonde missile crashed into him, embracing him in a hug almost as fierce as the one before. Maybe even more. "You don't have to say it," Melissa replied, the biggest smile on her face as the tears came back with a vengeance. "I understand why you can't, and how you want to, but you don't have to say it yet. Not until you're ready. I will give you all the love you need till you can say it back. This time, I will be there for you."
The tears flowed from Izuku's eyes, returning the hug. The two embraced like it was the end of the world, expressing what they couldn't with words.
They stayed that for what felt like hours before breaking the hug. They sat, holding each other's hands, smiling like a pair of giddy morons.
"S-So, what happens now?" Melissa bit the bullet and asked the question.
"Well, at this point, I confessed to you and Set, but I still need to talk with the others of your group," Izuku replied, before looking uncertain. "There is a group, right?"
Melissa giggled. "Yes, Izuku, there is a group," Melissa confirmed, shaking her head at him fondly. "Me, Tokage, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Asui, Jiro, Ashido, Hagakure, Hatsume, and Hado, if you're wondering. The other 1-B girls know too but they are just helping us out in exchange for some help with their own guy troubles."
"Ok," Izuku sighed, still a bit in disbelief that there was an actual group of girls who were agreeing to share him. It almost sounded like a cult, to be honest. "And this group, is it a harem sort of thing or a poly thing?"
"Honestly, I think we're still deciding," Melissa confessed. "I'm more attracted to guys, but I never really thought about girls like that, but I'm open to trying. Some of the other girls like Ashido and Hado are way more open though."
"Why am I not surprised?" Izuku let out a fond chuckle. 'It had to be them. They are not subtle about their interests, but hell, what do I know? Although, I think Kyoka is more open than she might be letting on. I always thought she was more interested in Momo than me.'
"Hey, don't start complaining about us just yet, lover boy," Melissa pouted cutely. "You haven't even taken us on a date yet before you grow sick of us."
Instead of being offended, Izuku smiled warmly at Melissa. "Never," Izuku replied.
Melissa blushed scarlet before smiling. "Good," The American said back.
Finally, getting up from their bench, they made their way toward the dorm entrance, holding hands as they went. "Hey, Melissa?" Izuku spoke up.
"Yeah?" Melissa replied.
"Um, can you keep this whole thing to ourselves?" Izuku asked, nervously. "I don't want the others to be left expecting or something. I want to have a special talk with each other them on my own time. Set already knows, so you can tell her about it though."
Melissa smiled, thinking for the umpteenth time that she and the girls really hit the jackpot by falling for this guy. "Sure, Izuku," Melissa nodded, before pouting again. "So, it's Set with Tokage, huh? Jeez, not even officially together and she is already getting special treatment."
"S-Sorry! I-I d-didn't mean to make it come out like that! I swear! I want to treat you all equally!" Izuku stuttered out before devolving into a mumble stream of apologies.
Unable to take it anymore, Melissa laughed, snapping Deku from his mutterings. "Sorry, sorry, I was just messing with you! I don't mind, Izuku," Melissa apologized. "Nicknames are supposed to be special, like Tsu for Asui or Yaomomo for Yaoyorozu. It wouldn't be as special if I just demanded one, would it?"
"N-No, I guess not," Izuku rubbed his neck, blushing embarrassed.
"Whenever you decide on a nickname for little ole me, I'm all ears, Izu," Melissa winked.
Izuku became the world's greatest imitation of a tomato. "I-I-Izu?!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Yep, I've been sitting on that one for a while," Melissa admitted. "Like it?"
Izuku blinked, surprised. 'Huh, I think I might have a type for bluntness,' Izuku suddenly thought, realizing that he liked similar traits in Set, Mina, Kyoka, Tsu, Mei, and Nejire. Shaking himself from those thoughts, Izuku smiled. "Yeah, I like it," Izuku nodded.
"Izu it is!" Melissa smiled wide.
Just as they were about to enter the building, Melissa stopped herself. "Hey, Izu?"
"Yeah, Mel-" Was all Izuku got before his vision was obscured by a veil of blonde hair, his cheeks feeling a pair of lips on them, just below his diamond-shaped freckles. It took a second for his brain to process that Melissa kissed him on the cheek.
Melissa moved away, the soft smooch sounding as she disengaged from his now ever-burning cheeks. She removed her hand from his and opened the door. "Just a little something between us, Izu," Melissa winked back at him, a teasing smile on her face.
Izuku was a flabbergasted and stuttering mess as he made his way towards Eri and Kouta. The guys who observed his state snickered and muttered jealousy, knowing something happened between him and the super-hot American, especially when they saw Melissa walking away with that shit-eating grin.
Even Kouta and Eri knew, and while the former gagged and muttered something about 'idiots' and 'love', Eri had a blinding smile on her face. Seriously, Dark Shadow had to hide inside Tokoyami before he was flashed to death.
'Papa just won me a new Mama!' Eri squealed to herself.
Melissa quickly ran up to Setsuna's room, entering swiftly before her legs gave out what little strength they had left. The Shield daughter leaned and slid against the closed door, sighing wistfully, her eyes rolled up in bliss. 'Best. Night. Ever.' Melissa sighed again.
"Well, well, well, someone looks like they had a good time," Melissa blinked as she realized she never did take into account who was in the room before she entered. She forced her gaze down from the ceiling to the raised eyebrows, teasing smirks, and slightly jealous eyes and auras of the rest of her Sisterhood.
"Care to tell us how that talk went, Melissa?" Setsuna flashed a sharp-tooth grin.
There was only one response Melissa's brilliant brain could come up with: 'Fuck.'
Meanwhile...again...
After a lengthy break, the individuals of Nezu's meeting rejoined, with the intended purpose of calming themselves only half working.
All Might took notice that the only people who stayed in the room at all were Nezu and Endeavor, and the former Symbol of Peace was not that much of an ignoramus, despite what Aizawa would say, to not realize that their talk was meant to be kept between them. Nezu looked more furious than when they left and Endeavor could only look down in shame, but Toshinori knew from their demeanors that they weren't going to get any answers from them.
"Thank you for reconvening," Nezu shook away his anger at his talk with Endeavor, turning toward the adults that sat back down in their original seats. "I trust that we have used this time to ensure a more productive, unbiased discussion?"
The three teachers of Eraser, Mic, and Midnight did practically nothing outside the meeting other than drink coffee and reminisce silently. Midnight believed if their break was to have the three of them be more accepting of whatever they find later, then, in fairness, that may have backfired spectacularly. Thankfully, Mic had lowered his angry growls in small grumbles and Aizawa looked to have a little bit of light brought back in his eyes at the memories of the long-deceased friend.
'Not so deceased anymore, and definitely not friendly either,' Midnight's thoughts betrayed her, ruining whatever calmness she had with denial and sadness once more.
Getting no answer, Nezu hummed quietly. "I'd imagine not," The U.A. Principal admitted. "Regardless, we still have business discussing another rather disturbing piece of news that we have received today from the videos: the potential identity of the member of the League of Villains known as Kurogiri."
Mic grumbled something incomprehensible to most but not the animal-like hearing of the unknown intelligent mammal.
"I'm sorry, did you have something to share with us, Yamada?" Nezu asked, regardless, peering at the U.A. teacher with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Nothing," Mic shivered, still afraid of the Principal of U.A. no matter how angry he might be. "Let's just get this over with."
"I see," Nezu nodded, appeased to make his silent point across. "Very well. As I was saying, this potential identity towards another enigmatic member of the League has been revealed by F.R.I.D.A.Y. that the man behind that veil of darkness is none other than a former member of U.A.'s student body: Oboro Shirakumo."
Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama all still flinched at hearing his name.
"I understand that this may be difficult for some members of this group to even contemplate such a claim," Nezu continued. "I, myself, am left hoping that such wild, contrastive claims can be proven false; however, it is the very contradictions of the claim that we require this discussion."
"We understand that Sir, but you just admitted yourself that what we are talking about is impossible," Midnight spoke up. "Shirakumo was a kind, loyal, and selfless student, friend, and Hero student. To be anything like Malekith, much less Kurogiri is beyond absurd. They are nothing alike."
"Yes, you are right, Miss Midnight," Nezu nodded. "Shirakumo's personality doesn't match well with the one displayed by Malekith, one that showed a callous regard for all life beyond his people and goals."
"But Kurogiri does not," Gran Torino jumped in, his arms crossed. "If we compare both Villains, they do share traits, mainly their connection with long-distance travel and affiliations with other members of the League, like that man who became that Nomu you fought, Toshinori."
"Yes," All Might nodded, grimly. "The Kurogiri I faced in the USJ was cruel and pragmatic. He said that while he didn't care much for soiling his Warp Gates he would if it meant my death."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it, both of those guys are twisted sons of bitches," Mic interjected, his shades rolled down to see his cold, angry eyes. "But that doesn't match Shirakumo at all. Aizawa and I were in the same class as him, and Kayama was our senior who took us in with Purple Highness. We knew him, and he would never do anything those two would do."
"What's more is the physical evidence between Shirakumo and Kurogiri," Recovery Girl had to agree with Yamada and say her piece. "Kurogiri's and Shirakumo's Quirks are vastly different from each other. The former has the power to open Warp Gates to transport people into different locations, but Shirakumo's Quirk was Loud Cloud, a portable cloud-like construct that Shirakumo could control. And that's not to say the rather obvious evidence that Shirakumo is...deceased."
"I wouldn't exactly say different, Recovery Girl," Tsukauchi spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
"What do you mean, Detective?" Endeavor questioned.
"As you all are aware, earlier in the fall, Gran Torino and I had tracked down and captured Kurogiri, with some complications arising," Tsukauchi and Gran Torino shared a glance, remembering how they barely escaped with their lives with the Villain from that Walking Calamity of a giant. "Since then, Kurogiri has been incarcerated in Tartaros Prison, alongside his like captured master, All For One." All Might's knuckle cracked at his archnemesis's name. "During his incarceration, we have had numerous interrogations and tests done to check his background. While we captured the League's main mode of safe transit, the rest of the League, as well as Shigaraki, have been unaccounted for."
"The League was seen during the Hassaikai Raid at the same time," Aizawa spoke up, his eyes still gazing blankly at the table. "Himiko Toga, Twice, and a double of Mr. Compress were found in the Hassaikai's base of operations. At first, it was believed that they were working in tandem with the Hassaikai, but negative interactions concluded that the League was similarly against the Hassaikai."
"That's correct, and their last public appearance was the attack of the High-End Nomu against Endeavor and Hawks, though the only member of the League present was Dabi," Tsukauchi brought up, Endeavor flinching at the name and memory of Dabi. "Afterwards, he had retreated using the same goop teleportation Quirk that League had used during Kamino, implying that even without Kurogiri, the League has other means of transporting themselves."
"I'm sorry, this is all fine and good, but what does this all have to do with why some hunk of junk is saying that my dead friend is suddenly a member of a Villain group with a different name and Quirk?" Mic demanded to know.
"Mic, stand down," Aizawa growled out, glaring at Mic, quickly shutting down the Voice Hero before he could press further.
"Thank you, Eraser and despite the League's silence since then, we ran by this with Kurogiri, wondering if he knew what his cohorts were attempting to achieve," Tsukauchi continued. "Suffice to say, we haven't got much out of him. The only thing he would do is ask if Shigaraki was okay. We refuse to answer him, and he clams up, we answer honestly, and he still clams up, but just says 'Good' and nothing more."
"However, you have managed to acquire something from him despite his silence, correct?" Nezu asked.
"Affirmative," Tsukauchi pulled out a folder and slid over copies of the same paper. "While we took the break, I managed to get the latest preliminary reports revolving around our medical investigation of him. It's not definitive and I just got this only recently, but we have gotten some things that...well, you might find match up with what we've heard."
The group looked over the papers and the more they read, the more their eyes began to widen in horror or narrow in disgust.
"No," Midnight's eyes wavered and watered as she read the report.
Mic's teeth mashed together, his eyes narrowing in emotional pain.
Aizawa's figure shook on occasion, with his grip on the paper growing ever-present as he read the report over and over again.
"As you can see, his blood is a bit tricky for us to analyze, and seemed to include DNA from multiple individuals, which only made it harder to track down, but there was one thing that we managed to have conclusive proof," Tsukauchi said, his face grim and sullen. "But we have concluded that his Quirk, Warp Gate, is likewise a pot chockfull of varying DNA of other Quirks that mutated the original base state, that base state being Loud Cloud."
The finding brought a dark and horrible air down on the meeting and all in it.
Endeavor narrowed his eyes in anger and disgust, already seeing exactly what Tsukauchi was attempting to reveal slowly. "Kurogiri is a Nomu, isn't he?" Endeavor questioned.
Tsukauchi sighed. He wanted to slide it in more cautiously, trying to be more sensible to the three teachers, but say no point in being subtle anymore. "Yes, we believe so," Tsukauchi nodded. "His heavily mutated DNA, Quirk, and functions seem almost completely similar to the other Nomus that we have likewise captured. Though, given his level of intelligence and free will, he might be on a similar level to the High-End Nomu you fought before, Endeavor, if not, just as high."
"I don't want to believe it, but this tracks with All For One's work," All Might jumped in, glaring furiously at the paper and the picture of the Warp Gate Villain on it. "Mutating and altering already existing Quirks into new versions and mutations is something that he has had a history with." 'Like One For All,' All Might thought to himself, remembering that the antithesis of All For One was originally a fusion between the First Wielder's Quirk and a stockpiling one All For One gave to his younger brother. "The Quirks he used in our fight in Kamino is evidence enough."
Gran Torino nodded subtly at Toshinori, pleased he snuck that line in there so the others wouldn't be too suspicious of how he knew of All For One so much.
"However, this level of genetic alteration on both the human body and Quirk requires funding and resources that not even All For One could obtain on his own," Recovery Girl pointed out, frowning. "Despite being behind the multiple Quirks of the Nomu, he isn't their main creator."
"Dr. Kyudai Garaki," Nezu brought up, frowning at the memory of the bald-mustached man, his counterpart in Arnim Garaki, and his suspicious connections to not only Shigaraki's counterpart, the Red Skull, but also presumably the grandfather of Tsubasa, the boy the F.R.I.D.A.Y. helpfully clarified was one of the Nomu unleashed in Hosu, one that specifically targeted Izuku Midoriya because of their past.
"If he truly is behind the Nomu, he could be behind how they turned Shirakumo into Kurogiri and altered Loud Cloud to become Warp Gate," Recovery Girl nodded.
"Woah, woah, woah, hold on, I think you guys are missing a big problem with this theory of yours," Mic stood up, unable to sit down with all this disturbing information. "Shirakumo died. We saw three saw his body crushed underneath the debris. His skull was caved in. We burned the body and gave it to his family."
"Did you see it?" Endeavor asked, turning the three teacher's attention toward him. "The body? Did you confirm that it was Shirakumo's before they cremated it?"
"You honestly expect us to have been there to see our friend's mangled body and watch it get burned to ashes?" Mic questioned back, glaring at the Number 1 Hero.
"What Endeavor means to say, Mic, is that if this Garaki has been helping All For One this entire time in making the Nomus, then he must have access to fresh bodies to turn them," All Might attempted to intervene. "It could be that Garaki may have switched Shirakumo's body for a fake and used the real one and resurrected him into Kurogiri."
Mic froze, his mouth agape in horror. His teeth mashed together again as he, and Aizawa and Kayama, imagined what All Might was suggesting. They imagined Garaki with Shirakumo's body, laughing maniacally with All For One as he turned their once smiling, cheerful friend into the cold monster that was Kurogiri while the three of them had cried and handed the jar of ashes, ashes of a fake, to Shirakumo's family.
Midnight had to hold back the bile that was threatening to escape her mouth. Aizawa's cold eyes were wide again, silent horror and fury lighting them red.
"But why?" Midnight asked, Recovery Girl beside her and rubbing her back with a bucket, just in case. Tears flowed from the R-Rated Hero's eyes. "Why would they do this?"
"You are asking of this of a Villain who would do anything cruel and despicable just because he could," Gran Torino answered, fists clenching as he remembered All For One's acts against both Toshinori and his friend, Shimura, including turning her very own grandchild into his apparent successor. "But given how loyal and robotic his thought process ranges towards Shigaraki, it's clear that they wanted a guardian, a protector to watch over Shigaraki."
Aizawa's fist slammed on the table as he stood straight up, the pale hand was clenched so tightly, that they were afraid it was going to bleed. The insomniac teacher turned his furious gaze slowly toward Tsukauchi, who stared back with trained blankness. 'I don't care about anything we are talking about,' Aizawa thought, memories of Shirakumo, Kurogiri, and Malekith all jumbled together in his chaotic mind. 'It's all just useless speculating and arguing. No matter what my gut says,' Aizawa thought back to seeing Malekith with the two halves of his face, imagining once more Shirakumo's face blending with Kurogiri's. 'I need to see it before I can believe it. I need to see him.'
"We need to see him," Aizawa simply said.
Tsukauchi drifted his gaze toward Nezu. The U.A. Principal nodded. Tsukauchi nodded back to Nezu and Aizawa. "Alright," The detective agreed. "As soon as we get the medical reports checked, as thoroughly as possible, I'll talk with the Tartaros warden, and see if he can allow for visitors."
Aizawa nodded, the glare of his eyes dimming as he sat back down, Mic following his lead.
After a moment of silent absorption, Nezu sighed and said "I believe that we have spoken all that we can about this. Tsukauchi will work to obtain a meeting for Eraser, Mic, and Midnight. As for the contents of this meeting, it will be kept secret between us. Under no circumstances will this be informed to the students, the visiting Heroes, or the faculty. Do I make myself clear?"
The principal was met with affirming nods. "Good," Nezu nodded. "And with that, I believe our business today has been concluded. We will proceed with classes for today and reconvene tomorrow after classes for the next two videos. Aizawa, Yamada, Kayama, you three will be allowed to call in sick tomorrow if you aren't in the right mood to teach, and I will expect notice of this no later than first thing tomorrow morning. If that is all, I bid you all a goodnight."
With his piece said, the group had left the room and parted ways, with Aizawa and Mic still close by with the sobbing Midnight while Recovery Girl and Gran Torino walked with Tsukauchi, the former likely to want full details of the medical report and its validity.
Left alone in the room, Nezu frowned, analyzing all the information they had gathered and speculated upon in both the topics of Dabi/Touya and Kurogiri/Shirakumo.
His frown deepened when he recalled what he discussed with Endeavor, of the abuse, both fatherly and spousal wise, that the Hero had committed against his family. Ever since the device and F.R.I.D.A.Y. along with it had first been delivered to him by Zayden, Nezu was made aware of Endeavor's actions against his family, as part of the list of proof to back Zayden's claim to be the near-omnipresent Watcher of their universe and knowledgeable of secrets that which none could know all together.
Nezu had failed to find the appropriate time to discuss with Endeavor about these claims until today, and when the Flame Hero confirmed them, Nezu was highly tempted to take this to the authorities and lock the abuser away, both as appropriate punishment for his actions and a blow against the commission. No matter how unstable Touya Todoroki may have been and thus require a form of separation between Shoto Todoroki and his siblings, the act of physical abuse against his children and his wife was completely inexcusable and of no fault but Endeavor's own. And whilst exposing this felt like the sensible right choice, a choice that could likewise be a heavy blow to the Commission if they were responsible for covering up Endeavor's bad acts, Nezu decided to withhold it.
Nezu likewise knew of what they face in the future, the grave crisis they would all have to face and when it came, they would need the Number 1 Hero there to be the vanguard of their society's protection, locking such a valuable fighter before could instead lead to disastrous results. So, Nezu made sure to tell that much to Endeavor and to make it clear that he is only safe from his wrath until such crisis has been dealt with.
"You are no true Number 1 Hero, but for the sake of our society's future, for the sake of your son's future, I intend for you to be our Number 1 weapon," Nezu remembered saying to Endeavor before they reconvened their meeting.
And then, there was the matter with Dabi potentially a Touya Todoroki resurgent, Kurogiri another High-End Nomu of All For One's making from the corpse of a U.A. student, and helped by the works of a mad scientist, whose emerald glasses had haunted his dreams since his creation. Of course, all of this was still speculation and theories, and that's not even covering the very theories and speculation running through his mind of what would occur in the next movies. Nezu was thankful for his intelligent Quirked brain being able to handle all this information without slamming his head against this very table.
Alas, his work was never done, and he still had one more meeting for the day. Pulling out his phone and dialing the number, once the call went through, he simply said "Come on in." Hanging up just as quickly, Nezu waited for this next meeting. 'Yes, there is a crisis upon us, and if we are to survive it, we need every bit of information we need.'
The door opened and in came the Number 2 Hero: Hawks.
"You wanted to see me, rat?" Hawks grinned.
Nezu smiled back. "Yes, Hawks, I believe that we have much to discuss about your allegiances," Nezu.
AAAAAAANNNNNNDDDD SCENE! URGH! FINALLY! That's what I imagine must be your guys' reaction to this chapter finally out. On top with, 'OH COME ON!' when realizing this was an interlude, plot-centered chapter rather than the reaction chapter you are all dying for. Well, that is next up.
Again, I must apologize for the overtly long update. As stated before, I was swamped with real-life circumstances, writer's block, and so on. For one, I found it incredibly stressful trying to essentially repeat a U.A. teacher talk over Shirakumo/Kurogiri like I did in MHA watches Death Battle, with the added inclusions of Endeavor and Tsukauchi, and trying to make it as original as possible and not a direct copy and paste. Ultimately, I hope you guys liked this entire meeting, including the added stuff with discussing Touya Todoroki and Dabi, and Endeavor's retelling of the events of the Todoroki backstory and the characters finding it suspicious.
We also got some more lovey-dovey romance, this time with all three of Class 1-A's Big Three: Izuku, Todoroki, and Bakugou. With Todoroki, I hope you guys enjoy how I'm taking Todoroki's sprouting romance with Pony and the eventuality of his own smaller harem between Pony and his already girlfriend, Camie. In essence, I wanted to explore how different yet similar Todoroki's and Pony's lack of sociality are, with Pony being more a blissfully ignorant yet willing foreigner and Todoroki colder and blunt but find commonality with each other that makes them likewise attracted to each other more than just by looks.
We also had more of Bakugou and his own mental struggles that parody Stark's nightmares and insecurities, and we see Ibara learning from her counterpart's mistake and staying there for her semi-boyfriend to lean on. Also, Ibara's room was inspired by stuff from my own house, mainly the numerous Catholic decorations thanks to my mother, including the Prince of Peace poster like the one my mother has in her garage.
Finally, we had the fated talk between Izuku and Melissa, and this one I poured most of my brainpower into. Yep, Izuku has just revealed to Melissa about One For All, and he has every right to given that it is now his Quirk and his right and responsibility to tell whomever he wants, and who better needs to be told about it than Melissa, who's also Quirkless and wondering if she has what it takes to be a Quirkless Hero, and Izuku revealed One For All and both his and All Might's pasts as Quirkless to show that they have meaning, that they aren't useless like others say they are, and so show how strong and inspiring Melissa is to wanting to be a Quirkless Hero and fulfill a dream that Izuku himself failed to achieve.
A question I'd imagine some of you will ask is, why didn't he just offer One For All like he almost did with Mirio? Well, that's the last thing Melissa needs. Izuku figured, correctly, that if he offered to pass One For All to her, it would go against what he was trying to do for Melissa, that she could be a Hero without a Quirk, and offering One For All would be contradictory to that, perhaps damaging to Melissa and her self-worth similar to how Izuku said. What was most important here was that Izuku gave Melissa what All Might did for him: to believe in her and tell her that she has the means, the will, and the capability to be a Hero, one just as great, if not greater than himself and the others.
Afterward, we had the mutual romantic confessions of both Melissa and Izuku for each other, and if you are confused as to why Izuku didn't just state that he loves her when he clearly does, Izuku is still suffering from the trauma of his past rejection, another thing that I had similar, yet slightly different to MHA watches Death Battle, since these are sister stories. Izuku knows that he loves them, and they love him in return, but it is still incredibly hard for him to say the L word and will require time to get to know his feelings for all the girls and theirs for him for Izuku to say it. But that doesn't mean that we can't leave this talk without Melissa kissing the Green Bean on the cheek. Not technically the first one, since she and Mei took care of that during Iron Man 3, but close enough given the meaning.
To summarize the whole thing though, Izuku tells Melissa that she can be a Hero, they confess to each other, Izuku fully knows about the Sisterhood, has been given a new nickname, and is thinking of one for her, Izuku's and Melissa's sad backstories are further revealed, and Izuku won the heart and confessed to the first girl of the Sisterhood besides Setsuna and is one step closer to reaching his goal.
Also, to those who might take issue with Melissa's backstory, may I remind you that Quirk-based prejudice is the new and topical form of prejudice in the world of MHA, where most people have long since stopped caring about race and sexuality and only care about Quirks. There is even an entire parody of the KKK known as the Creature Rejection Clan whose whole thing is discriminating against mutant-based Quirks, and the MLA is entirely Quirkist as their whole ideology is not just freedom to use their Quirk but that a person's individualistic value in society is the strength, prestige, and power of their Quirk and nothing else, so imagine how Quirkless and 'weak' Quirks would fair in this frankly repressive ideology? And yes, some people can flip on a dime when they find out about a certain aspect of yourself that they don't cater to, that's just a slice of reality that I placed into this backstory that I felt would tie her and Izuku closer together.
But with that all said, thanks to you all who stuck around for this interlude chapter, and don't worry, I'm working on the next, actual reaction chapter post haste. In the meantime, I hope you guys liked the chapter and all it entailed, make sure to check out my other works here and on AO3 if you wish and haven't already, and comment your thoughts in the reviews, including what future counterpart predictions will come about, and remember to stay safe and healthy in this terrible and trying times.
This has been Zayden StormVoid and I hope you're Satisfied! But if You Ain't? Don't Blame Me! YOU CAN BLAME MY FRIENDS ON OTHER SIDE!