Chapter 26: Mother Bear
Shigiraki groaned. This Quirk was trash.
Well, no. That wasn't completely accurate. The Quirk from the Shiketsu girl was an illusion Quirk. The illusions it created didn't interact with anything physically but could cause auditory and visual effects. His attempts thus far had been... terrible. Which is why he thought this Quirk was trash. It was completely the wrong kind of Quirk for him.
He glanced towards the bathroom where Toga was cleaning up after her... bloodletting? Was that the best way to describe it? Whatever, that wasn't the point. The point was that this Glamour Quirk would be perfect for her. Well, no point in hesitation.
So why the hell was he so nervous? Whatever. He knocked on the door. "Toga? It's me. Need to talk."
The door opened, and Toga turned to face him. She had largely cleaned up, except for a smudge of blood near her lips. "What's up, Tomura?" Before he could respond she pouted, "You've gotta dust my masterpiece, don't you?"
"Well yes, but that's not what I'm here about." Shigiraki explained, "While you were at the Provisional License exam, I took Camie's Quirk. I think it would be better for you than me."
Toga's pout disappeared and was replaced a wide smile which would've been adorable if not for the blood still on her lips. "Oh, thank you so much! Uh... do I need to do anything?"
Shigiraki placed his hand on her head. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." The instant he activated All For One, he understood what her Quirk was and how it worked. As soon as he demonstrated intent to give her Glamour, he instinctively knew how many Quirks she could have before suffering adverse effects. Well, that's handy. Heh.
Granting the Quirk was nearly instant. Shigiraki was slightly annoyed, more at the anticlimactic vibes he got from the time it took to take a Quirk versus how long it took to give. "Alright, there you go." He said. He quickly explained the Quirk to her before giving her an admonition for her upcoming mission to attack Inko Midoriya. "If you don't have a handle on it, don't rely on it."
She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "Thank you so much, Tomura! I'll make sure to make you happy!"
She darted away, and Shigiraki was in a daze.
He blinked. "Affection. Right."
Yaoyorozu couldn't help but admire the League of Villains' ignorance as she saw her dear boyfriend struggle with his necktie. All they had to do to topple Hero society was create a plan that only had the defeat condition of Izuku Midoriya must properly tie his necktie. "Do you need some help?"
"No, I've got it this time!" Midoriya said, lying through his teeth.
Up in the driver's seat of the car that UA had provided, Ectoplasm looked into the rear-view mirror with a deadpan stare. "Midoriya, you've been trying to tie that for the entire trip."
Yaoyorozu giggled as Midoriya failed for the twentieth time. "Here, let me help you."
Midoriya hung his head in defeat. "Alright..."
Yaoyorozu kissed him on the cheek, bringing back that bright smile to his face. "Cheer up, you won't remember to not argue politics with Yotsubashi if you're in a bad mood."
Midoriya smiled. "No promises."
Yaoyorozu sighed. "At least keep it civil, I know you get heated about it. Remember that old woman you unloaded on before we met Eclipse?"
Midoriya frowned. "I just... I'm worried. Other than Toga showing up at the Provisional Licensing exam, we haven't heard a peep out of the League, even though they seemingly have the QLF and CRC at their back. They've got to be planning something big, right?"
Yaoyorozu carded her fingers through his hair. It was inevitable that he would try to take this all on, she supposed. With All Might retired, that made him the One For All wielder and with that came immense pressure. Maybe it would help him to talk through it? "Okay, by all accounts Shigiraki is more or less a dark version of you, correct?"
Midoriya stopped and thought for a moment, completely ignoring that Ectoplasm told them that they were approaching Deika City and Detnerat Tower. "More or less, yeah."
"So, what would you do?"
"Oh." Midoriya said. He sharply drew a breath in and opened his mouth, but promptly closed it again so he could properly order his thoughts. "Short-term, continue poking holes in the faith society has in heroes and keep gathering allies. With the CRC already under his umbrella, getting the ISP would be pretty much impossible unless the CRC just... dissolved and reorganized under the banner of the League of Villains. And Purity would never go for that. I think his priority for recruiting should be whatever Yakuza families are left, if any."
Ectoplasm was incredibly thankful that the idea of Izuku Midoriya being a villain was so far-fetched that it could only possibly exist in some edgy teenage boy's wish fulfillment self-insert fanfiction. "That's a fairly reasonable assessment, Midoriya. If there are Yakuza families left, they would be knowledgeable in the workings of organized crime and how to stay under the radar."
"And how to maintain a revenue stream while doing so." Yaoyorozu pointed out.
"After that, they'd need a force large enough for all out war with the heroes, but then they'd have to contend with the JSDF too, unless they launched some sort of preemptive strike. They'd have to hit every base at the same time or completely knock out communications across the whole country to actually cripple them though." Midoriya shook his head, "Even I can't figure out a way around that." He glanced out the window and saw that they were already driving through Deika City. "Honestly, this city alone would be too much for them."
Ectoplasm nodded. "This is true."
"What do you mean?" Yaoyorozu asked.
Midoriya leaned forward. "Because there are no competing hero agencies in Deika City. Just a giant one that covers the whole city and the surrounding area, the Deika Hero Agency. They employ hundreds of heroes, who are spread throughout the city in satellite offices."
"Its also rather infamous." Ectoplasm went on to explain. "The Deika Hero Agency has a long track record of telling the HPSC to stick some of their opinions on who should or should not be heroes where the sun doesn't shine. At least thirty percent or so of the heroes here in Deika have Quirks that the less tolerant would consider villainous."
Midoriya nodded fervently. "Elsewhere it's more like ten percent at best."
"But why is there only the one agency?" Yaoyorozu asked. "Wouldn't... wait. Does the Deika Hero Agency have ties with Detnerat?"
"Got it in one, Yaoyorozu." Ectoplasm said, "Nothing's been proven, but seeing as how Deika City may as well be a Detnerat company town, it seems likely."
"You're going to ask Todoroki to make a theory on this aren't you?" Yaoyorozu asked.
Midoriya nodded sagely. "I am going to ask Todoroki to make a theory on this."
Yaoyorozu sighed. Oh well, it wasn't like Todoroki was coming up with some crackpot theory as to why her grandpa was Santa Claus.
Back in the UA dorms, Todoroki sneezed. He ruminated on this for a moment. "That was odd."
"Maybe someone's thinking about you!" Hagakure said. "Or maybe they have a crush on you!"
Mina produced a newspaper out of nowhere and bopped her friend on the head with it. "No! The only acceptable ship for Shoto at this point in his emotional and social development is himself, platonic friendship, and therapy!"
Todoroki looked Hagakure dead in the eyes. "Have you confessed your feelings to Ojiro yet?"
"What?" Hagakure said as she valiantly fought to stay visible in the face of her mounting blush. "That's-"
"What?"
She turned around and saw Ojiro.
"Ooooooh..." Mina drawled, "Now this is getting good!"
Katsumi Shido was a woman who knew her reputation. As HPSC President, she had instated a zero-tolerance policy for transgression among heroes. Sure, this may have ended a few careers because of honest mistakes, but only because they hadn't accepted her offer. All they would've had to do was be at her beck and call, that was something that Thunderbolt understood before his apparent suicide.
Her predecessor had thought that simply eliminating the bad apples of society was enough. That whisking away Kaina Shimura and turning her into a weapon -one to be strictly wielded by the HPSC for the betterment of Japan- was enough. Lady Nagant had been useful, yes. Unfortunately, her morals had proven problematic, as she came to the conclusion that assassinating the former HPSC president was the best way to safeguard society. Now she was in Tartarus. Hawks had been the next logical step, take a child with a promising Quirk and sculpt him into a weapon. But once again, Hawks... wasn't quite what she wanted. But he also served as a proof of concept for the Paragon Program.
The Paragon Program took the success of Hawks and improved upon it. Children with strong Quirks bought from their parents like Hawks had been or taken from the street. Then, they were trained to be the very best. The finest razor's edge, held in reserve to maintain order during a massive upheaval in society. All Might's retirement certainly qualified. She just had to wait for the opportune moment.
Which was not now. Now she was sitting across from Nezu for the second time in a month, truly learning why it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission was a common saying. "You can't be serious."
Yes, Shido knew that Nezu had said those same words to her the last time she was in his office. She hoped he'd appreciate the irony.
"I am very serious, actually. A small group of villains have defected from the QLF and CRC and have sought asylum at UA. I see no reason not to grant it." Nezu said.
"Unacceptable." Shido said, "They're villains."
Nezu sighed and took a sip of his tea "Please, stop being so rigid. Consider it... a work release program."
Shido shook her head. "That's nonsense, programs like that died out shortly after the Dawn of Quirks."
"Perhaps." Nezu admitted, "But now is the perfect time to bring them back. You see, Fireteam and Malware simply want to spite Shigiraki. Which is an understandable motivation, so... why not allow them to do so by imparting their skills to heroes in training?"
Shido leaned forward. Nezu had a point, actually. "What skills are those?" She knew the answer already, she was just buying time.
"Malware has exceptional ability with information warfare that she can at least reach part of, and Fireteam has many skills due to his time with the JSDF. What I'm after is his expertise in small unit tactics, Quirkless hand-to-hand combat, and asymmetrical warfare." Nezu explained. "As for Incense, well... Recovery Girl is overworked."
"What security precautions are you planning?"
"Please, you know I take security very seriously." Nezu said, "But if you must know, the villains will be confined to campus. With exception for extraordinary circumstances of course."
Shido ground her teeth. Somehow, Nezu had found a way to get under her skin. Again. "What about Eclipse's daughter?"
Nezu took another sip of his tea. "Oh, she'll be joining the hero course. Even if she never learns to control the rest of her Quirk, I'm sure you can understand that we cannot pass up having someone with a Warp Quirk with the ability to match Kurogiri in range and precision."
"Absolutely not!" Shido shouted. "She's the daughter of a villain! Purity's son was bad enough now you want to add-"
"She has not committed any crimes, Madame President." Nezu said, "And we as a society do not judge the children by the sins of their parents, as much as you may want to." He refilled his tea before continuing, "And I have put her through the same interview process that we use for our students that are recommended by pro heroes. Despite her tendency to call heroes supercops, now that she has the opportunity to choose the correct path she is fully committed."
Shido stood. "Do you recall... that I told you that if you bent the rules again that they would smack you in the face?"
Nezu smiled, but it was all teeth. "Yes, I do recall. Which is why you'll find that I've done everything by the exact letter of the law." He slid a thick manilla folder across his desk. "You'll find everything in here. It should all be in order."
Shido took the file and angrily flipped through it. The rat had been telling the truth.
"I win this round, Madame President..."
She threw the file back at him. "This time, Mr. Principal. This time."
Detnerat Tower made no sense to Midoriya. Why would such a prominent Support company have a corporate headquarters that said Villains attack here?
It was a monolithic skyscraper with the Detnerat logo plastered on the side. Why did that seem so familiar? And why did it set his nerves on edge?
Oh, LexCorp. That explained everything.
"Why did Yotsubashi even want me here?" Midoriya wondered aloud as they got into the elevator that would take them to Yotsubashi's office.
Yaoyorozu shrugged as she hit the button. "I have no idea. All I know is that he said that he won't complete the buyout unless you're present."
Midoriya thudded the back of his head against the wall of the elevator. "This is a trap, isn't it? Bait me into saying something I shouldn't, then use that to refuse the conditions you want in place."
"Maybe." Yaoyorozu admitted. "But maybe... he just wants to meet the hero who took down the Hero Killer and saved I-Island?"
Midoriya shot her an incredulous look before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Damn it. It's this mess with the League and All For One. I'm trying to find- I'm trying... No. I'm seeing danger in every shadow, regardless of if it's there or not. Ever since Toga-" He stopped and clapped his hand over his mouth.
Yaoyorozu's nostrils flared and her expression darkened. "What about Toga?"
"It's nothing!" Midoriya insisted, "I handled it!"
"Handled what?" Yaoyorozu demanded.
Midoriya swallowed. "While the League had me, she used her Quirk to become you. And she tried to... uh..."
The pin dropped in Yaoyorozu's head. "Izuku, did she try to force herself on you? While looking like me?" Midoriya's wordless nod was all she needed before she moved in for a hug.
She wasn't expecting him to cringe away from her.
"Prove you're you." He said quietly. "Please."
Yaoyorozu's heart shattered. Toga was a dead woman. "At the Sports Festival, you told me how your father died, and how you want to be a hero so you can be like him."
Midoriya deflated and fell into her arms. He didn't cry, he just simply allowed himself to breathe. "I'm okay." He finally said. "I'm okay."
"It's okay if you're not okay, you know." Yaoyorozu said softly. "I can tell Yotsubashi we need to reschedule; say you came down with diarrhea or something."
Midoriya shook his head, "No, let's just get this over with."
Yaoyorozu made a mental note to ask Jiro for some of those books on mental and emotional health for men that Kaminari kept going on about. If Midoriya did have some sort of mental break, she needed to be ready to help as best she could.
By the time the elevator dinged, both of them were composed again. The doors opened to reveal the office of one Rikiya Yotsubashi. It was all metal and floor to ceiling windows. Sitting at a mahogany desk was Yotsubashi himself, hands steepled as he waited for their approach. Midoriya nodded at Yaoyorozu, indicating that he would follow her lead. She smiled at him in return, then proceeded out of the elevator at a measured pace, high heels clicking on the floor.
She had opted for blazer and slacks, as this meeting was for business. Midoriya had complemented that by wearing the same outfit he had at I-Island -the green dress shirt and slacks- because they needed to present a united front.
Yotsubashi smiled as they approached, "Ah, Yaoyorozu. I'm so glad we could finally meet. I completely understand why it's taken this long to finalize everything. You have my condolences."
Yaoyorozu took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, and Midoriya did the same. "Thank you, it's been a rather... trying time."
Midoriya grimaced. If that wasn't the understatement of the century, then nothing was.
Yotsubashi turned to Midoriya. In the back of his mind, a part of him noted that he looked vaguely like a certain mad scientist from pre-Quirk media. "And Midoriya! Oh, I've been very interested in meeting you, young man! Any hero able to hold their own against the likes of the Hero Killer would be celebrated, yes. But you're only a first year! Incredible! And with such a fantastic Quirk!"
Midoriya's eye twitched. "All Quirks are amazing. Even those that others think are weak." He held Yotsubashi's gaze, almost daring him to disagree with his eyes. "But I don't think that makes people with Quirks any better than those without. It's what kind of person you are that matters."
Yotsubashi laughed. "Ah, I see young Yaoyorozu was trained you well in how to navigate the shark tank of the business world. You've done your research." His expression turned more appraising as he regarded Midoriya. "So, you would know that I support the Hearts and Minds party."
"Yes. Midoriya said, "Another one of the parties that ignore the existence of the Quirkless completely in hopes that you can just wait for them to die out instead of actually doing something to make their lives better."
Yaoyorozu froze. This was exactly what she had been hoping to avoid. She cleared her throat meaningfully, "I do have some conditions for-"
"Oh, that can wait a moment. I wouldn't dream of missing the opportunity to match wits with such a promising young man!" Yotsubashi gave Midoriya his full attention. "Why do you care about the Quirkless to begin with?"
"I'm a late bloomer. Didn't get my Quirk until I was fourteen. And kids... well, kids can be cruel." That was the smart way to go about it. Better to not give specifics about Bakugo and give Yotsubashi ammunition. "I know the discrimination that the Quirkless have to face every day of their lives. Including the institutions that they trust to protect them treating them as persona non grata at best and brutalizing them for the crime of existing at worst."
Yotsubashi frowned for a split second before his dazzling smile came back. "I'll tell you what, young man. I'll ask you some questions. If you answer correctly, then I'll drop a line to Koku Hanabata to start advocation for some actual reform in how the Quirkless are treated."
"Done." Midoriya said. He immediately recognized that Yotsubashi had mentioned the de facto leader of the Hearts and Minds party.
Yaoyorozu suppressed a sigh. As soon as Yotsubashi had told him there was potential of him kickstarting reforms in how Quirkless were treated she knew that Midoriya would go for it, no matter the risk.
"Alright, then! First question: How do you feel about current Quirk usage laws?"
Yaoyorozu looked at Midoriya. She had to admit she was curious about what he had to say.
"They don't... make sense?" Midoriya said, "I mean, we already have laws against murder, assault, and the like. So, piling on but you used a Quirk doesn't make much sense. It's illogical."
There was a spark in Yotsubashi's eyes, and Midoriya wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. "Next question. Do you believe that the hero system needs to be reformed?"
"Yeah. There are too many heroes like Thunderbolt... was, I suppose." Midoriya said, "The HPSC plays this zero sum game of how heroes have to be absolutely perfect at all times and must have powerful Quirks to be popular. Then they turn around and make excuses, coverup wrongdoing by heroes they know they can control. On top of that, they freely villainize heroes who make honest mistakes but have villainous Quirks." He glanced at Yaoyorozu, "Or judge by the sins of the parents. It isn't right and it needs to be stopped."
"Izuku..." Yaoyorozu said.
Yotsubashi leaned back in his chair. "Now that is interesting, Midoriya. What would you say if I told you that despite your disdain for my political beliefs -and the Hearts and Minds Party in general- we agree on more than we disagree?"
Midoriya blinked. "What? But..."
Yotsubashi smiled. "I will be watching your career with great interest, Mister Miracle. And you can be assured that I'll be making a call to Hanabata after this meeting." He turned to Yaoyorozu. "Now to business. First, I would like to begin by explaining why I've been so single-minded in wanting to acquire Sapato Corp.
Yaoyorozu folded her arms. "Market share and our line of reliable civilian support items."
Yotsubashi raised a finger. "On the surface level, you are absolutely right. But what I was really after, is a certain bleeding edge medical implant that Sapato has been developing."
That just raised more questions than answers. "Why are you so interested in Achilles' Balm?"
"What's that? I've never heard of it." Midoriya asked.
"As Yotsubashi said, it's a bleeding edge medical implant that we've been working on. Once implanted, it allows the human body to bypass damaged nerves." She looked at Midoriya. "To put it simply, if Iida's brother received this implant, he would walk again. With time and physical therapy, he could even resume Hero work if he chose."
"Why do you want it so badly?" Midoriya asked.
"To answer that, allow me to introduce you to my daughter." He pressed a button on his desk, "Michiko, please bring Ko in."
A door off to the side opened. Standing there was a woman with short white hair pushing a wheelchair, in which a frail teenage girl sat.
Midoriya and Yaoyorozu both sharply breathed in.
"Midoriya, if you are able to help Ko figure out how she can use her Quirk without injuring herself, then I will agree to every one of Yaoyorozu's conditions for the buyout of Sapato Corp." Yotsubashi said.
"Without injury?" Yaoyorozu asked, "What happened?"
Ko had made it to them, "When my Quirk awakened, I shattered all of the bones in my body from the waist down. The doctors were able to repair the damage to my bones and muscles, but the nerves in my legs are dead."
"This why you wanted access to Achilles' Balm so badly, Yotsubashi?" Yaoyorozu said. "You know you could've asked, right?"
Yotsubashi was speechless for a moment. "A bit late for that I'm afraid."
Midoriya's brain was already working overtime. Based on what little he knew, Ko's Quirk sounded an awful lot like One For All, at least the injuries he sustained from overusing it. "Ko, is your Quirk a Power-type? More specifically, is it based off of a stockpile of some kind?"
Ko blinked. "Yeah, it's called Stress Stockpile. If I was able to use it without hurting myself, it would let me use the stress I have built up for super strength."
Midoriya smiled, inadvertently causing Ko's heart to skip a beat. "Don't worry, I've had the same kind of problems with my own Quirk, and I think I'll be able to help you."
Ko glanced at Yaoyorozu and then back to Midoriya. Outwardly she thanked him, but inwardly she pouted. Why are the good ones always taken?
The plan was perfect. Use Midoriya's blood to sneak into his house, then cut up his mother enough to put her in the hospital. Breaking and entering wasn't even necessary thanks to Mr. Compress, who gave her a skeleton key.
Inko was in the kitchen working on preparing dinner. Really, this was just too easy!
"Izuku? Is that you?" She asked.
"Yep!" Toga replied with Midoriya's voice, "The school gave me permission to come pick up some more of my hero merch, I really wanted my Endeavor stuff, y'know?" That was a safe bet. Endeavor was popular with pretty much everyone, just to a lesser degree than All Might."
"Oh, I see." Inko said. "You must be my son's psycho stalker."
Toga bluescreened, her brain simultaneously screaming COVER BLOWN and OH MY GOD IZUKU TALKED ABOUT ME. She shook her head, then drew a knife. It didn't matter, really. Inko was a civilian. What could she do to stop her, really?
Inko reached into a pocket on her apron with her left hand and pulled out a three ball bearings. "I take it that you know what my Quirk is, and think I'm not a threat." She said before putting the knife she was using down. "Did you know that I can only attract objects with my right hand? I recently discovered that I can repel small objects with my left hand, but my control's no good. It only works very slowly, or..."
Toga froze as a ball bearing whizzed by, mere inches from her face.
"Do you know what a ball bearing can do to the human body when it's moving at speeds in excess of fifty kilometers an hour?"
Toga took a step backwards. What the hell? Inko Midoriya was just supposed to be an ordinary woman! ER nurse, sure. But what was this... aura of murderous intent? "What?"
Inko turned to face her and the ball bearings in her hand began to orbit each other menacingly. "Would you like to find out?"
Toga's instinct for self preservation won out over her desire to stab Inko Midoriya somewhere between five and twelve times. "No?"
"Then leave." Inko said. "Do not attempt to hurt my family through me again. Because if you do.." She trailed off threateningly.
Toga knew a lifeline when she saw it. "I'm just... going to leave now." Without waiting for a response she ran out of the house and shut the door behind her, even going so far as to lock it. As she fled she called Shigiraki.
"Status?" He asked.
"This bitch is crazy!"
"... Just hurry back please."
The irony of Toga's opinion of Inko Midoriya was not lost on him.
"I think I've reached my limit."
Melissa sighed. She supposed that it would be expected for dinner at the Iida household to turn towards topics related to heroism. "I'm still working on those new radiators, you know. When combined with the weight reduction pass I did on your costume, that should give you at least a five percent increase in speed and maybe... three more seconds of Recipro Burst?"
Tencho and Tensei looked at each other. "I think it might be time for your tune up, Tenya." Tencho said.
Iida went completely still. "Already? I'm only in my first year at UA."
Melissa tilted her head in confusion. What was a tune up? Did it have to do with Iida's Quirk?
"That might be true, Tenya, but your engines are in your legs." Tensei said, "So it makes a certain amount of sense that you would progress faster than anyone in the family. Not to mention that our Engine has only gotten stronger over the years."
Iida hummed. "I also have more exhaust pipes than both of you. More chance for things to go wrong."
Masaki sighed. Melissa recognized it as the sigh that would escape Inko before Midoriya was about to do something foolish. "What exactly is a tune up?" She asked.
Tencho took up the narrative, "My grandfather was injured in a battle with a villain who... forcibly removed his exhaust pipes. But, Tenshin was a stubborn old bastard, like all us Iida men."
Iida coughed.
Tencho opted to not throw his son under the bus. "So, he ran, ran, and ran some more. He discovered that new exhaust pipes would come in, and they -and his engines- became stronger. Able to handle higher temperatures and speeds."
Melissa realized what that would mean. Iida would have to effectively rip out his exhaust pipes and run until new ones came in. "Don't tell me you've been doing this on purpose since then!"
"Yes, actually". Tensei said, "I'm actually the only one who hasn't, since I hadn't reached my limits yet. My engines have excellent cooling, you see."
Melissa gave Iida the side-eye, "Don't tell me that you're actually planning on going through with this, Tenya!"
Iida's silence spoke for him.
"Why?" Melissa said, "If this fails you could be crippled. That's not even mentioning the casual self-mutilation that no one at this table except me seems to have a problem with!"
"The reason these fools don't have a problem with it is because it works." Masaki said, "Believe me, if there wasn't a one hundred percent success rate, then I would be boxing my husband about the ears for even suggesting it."
Melissa turned to Iida, "And I suppose nothing I say is going to stop you?"
"You heard father. I'm stubborn." Iida said with a wry smile.
Melissa let out a single bark of laughter. "Okay. Let me make something very clear, Tenya Iida. I do not approve of this. This is like if Izuku decided to break his arms and legs because that would make him stronger. However, if you are determined to undertake this... then I will help you, if only to make sure you do not cripple yourself for life through your bullheadedness!" She got up from the table and began to walk away. "Well? Are we doing this or what?"
"The training track is that way, dear." Masaki said.
"Thank you!" Melissa said, "I am very sorry that it seems like every time I visit is overly dramatic."
After she walked off, Tencho gave his youngest a knowing look. "What?" Iida asked his father.
"She's a keeper, son." Tencho said, "Don't you dare let her go."
Iida finished off his orange juice and stood. "I'm not sure if I have any say in the matter, father." He smiled. "But I'm alright with that."
"I made sure to have everything set up for you." Tensei said. "Me and father will be in the control room."
Masaki rolled her eyes, "Not before you help with the dishes, you won't!"
One frenzied dishwashing session later, everyone was in the control room of the training facility adjacent to the Iida home. Iida was in his workout gear and Melissa was in full Support mode. "Okay, these sensors I'm attaching to your legs should monitor your RPMs and heat levels." She placed an earpiece on his ear, "And this will help us keep in contact, in case we need to communicate. I don't anticipate anything but..."
Only a blind man wouldn't be able to see the worry in her eyes, "Thank you, Melissa." He kissed her on the forehead. "I won't be long."
Melissa sat in front of the control panel and switched to a camera pointed at the area where Iida would be extracting his exhaust pipes. He sat down and placed his legs over a box that he would use to keep his exhaust pipes and blood largely contained. He keyed his comm. "I'm starting. Melissa, if you don't want to watch..."
"I'm staying."
Iida sighed. Then he placed a leather strip between his teeth and began.
Before today, he had though that he knew what pain was. He had known the cold pain of being stabbed thanks to the Hero Killer. He had known the white hot pain of failing someone who had been depending on him to save their life. With a clank, the first pipe fell from his left leg. It was the single most excruciating pain he had ever endured. And he would have to endure it eleven more times. There was no time for thought. No time for doubt. If he stopped for either, he would fail.
He couldn't fail again. He wouldn't. He refused to. For all the people he was yet to save. For Mineta. For Midoriya. For Bakugo and Uraraka. For Yaoyorozu. For all of his friends that trusted him to lead them.
But even his resolve had its limits. He was not Midoriya, who could fight through the pain of broken limbs. After he had finished with his left leg, he almost gave up. With a shaking hand, he activated his comm. "I can't... it hurts too much... I... I'm sorry..."
Tencho was about to tell his son that it was okay, and that he knew that he did his best when he was cut off by Melissa. "Like hell you are! Don't you dare give up!"
"I'm sorry, Melissa. It's too much... I..."
"Don't!" Melissa snapped, "Don't say it! Don't move a muscle, I will be right there!"
She turned to Tencho. "Surgical gloves and mask?"
Tencho pointed to the rack behind him. "Back there."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to stop me?"
He laughed. "I'd be a hypocrite if I did. Masaki helped me when I did this,"
Melissa didn't waste any time getting out to Iida. "Melissa, what are you-"
"What's it look like?" Melissa said, "Now get that leather back in your mouth so you don't bite your tongue off."
"But... why?"
"I might not agree with this, but I want to see you succeed. Besides, I'd be a lousy Support Course student if I didn't support you now, wouldn't I?"
Iida obediently put the leather back in his mouth and gave Melissa a nod.
She squeezed his hand, "Don't worry, Tenya. I'm right here." She grabbed the first pipe and pulled with all her might. Iida howled in pain as much as his gag would allow. After it was out, she moved on to the next. There was no point in dragging this out. The sooner it was done, the sooner it would be over. Melissa began to cry, seeing Iida writhe in pain over the video cameras had been one thing, but actually hearing him cry out was a whole other matter.
Soon enough, there was only one pipe left. "Last one, Tenya. You ready?"
He leaned forward and grabbed it. "Together." He spat around the leather in his mouth.
Without further preamble, they pulled out the last exhaust pipe and Iida rose to his feet on trembling legs. "Melissa, I don't know if I can do this."
She took his hand. "Don't worry, I'll run with you for as long as I can." She pressed a button on her bracelet, and her shoes were enveloped by light as the nanotech activated. "Nanotech roller skates." She explained, "Perfect for the Quirkless genius dating a speedster."
After a few false starts, Iida found his footing. Melissa was able to keep pace with him for two laps before his speed outstripped her ability to keep up. She returned to the control room and ignored the smug smiles from the rest of Iida's family. "Run, Iida." She said to herself. "Run."
It was always awe inspiring when Midoriya was unleashed into an environment where all he had to worry about were Quirks. Yaoyorozu couldn't help but smile, mostly at Midoriya getting to forget all his other worries for a bit, but also the confusion of Ko's security guard.
"How..." Michiko said. "How is he running circles around actual experts?"
Yaoyorozu shrugged. "It makes more sense if you stop thinking about it."
The Detnerat Quirk Research Lab was nearly on par with I-Island's, which meant reasonably quick results from the scanning equipment. Unfortunately it also meant said equipment was more akin to an old iron lung.
Midoriya noticed that Yotsubashi looked worried. "What's wrong?"
Yotsubashi looked more like an anxious father than a CEO at the moment. "Ko doesn't like being restrained. Her paralysis is stressful enough for her, and anything more in that vein..."
Midoriya nearly swore. "What are the chances of-"
"GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!"
Yaoyorozu checked a nearby computer screen. "Her power's spiking! She's losing control!"
"I'm killing the power!" Michiko said.
"Wait, don't do that! She needs to learn how to control this!" Midoriya yelled.
"Are you really playing games with my daughter's life?" Yotsubashi said in a low, threatening voice.
The veiled threat didn't even register. Midoriya hit the intercom on the scanning device. "Ko, I need you to do exactly what I say, okay?"
"Do you really think some pep talk is gonna help me learn control now?" Ko shot back.
"Yes, I do." Midoriya said, "Because my Quirk has had the same effects on me."
"What do I do?"
"Her heart rate's spiking!" Yaoyorozu reported.
"Just breathe!" Midoriya said, "Slow and deep, in through your mouth and out through your nose." He switched off the microphone. "Momo, I need an estimate of how much of her power she can handle without injury!" He switched the mic back on.
"Give me a moment..." Yaoyorozu was intelligent, that much was true. But the instrumentation for Quirk scanning equipment was decidedly outside of her wheelhouse. "Five percent of her power!"
"Great!" Midoriya said, "Okay, Ko. Here's what you need to do. It might sound weird."
Ko laughed. "I can handle weird."
Michiko was poised to turn the power off, but was waiting on Yotsubashi's word. He was watching with equal parts concern and amazement.
"Imagine a Celsius thermometer that goes from zero to a hundred. Visualize how much power that's running through you right now, and use the thermometer visualization to bring it down to five degrees." Midoriya explained.
"You're right, that is weird." Ko said. Nevertheless, she followed his instructions. "But it's working? I think? My body doesn't feel like it's trying to shake itself apart anymore."
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Yaoyorozu wondered if Midoriya and Ko were dating in another universe. Surely it would be a pure relationship with no horniness whatsoever. "Two minutes until the scan is finished."
"You might as well abort it, Momo. I've got everything we need."
Yotsubashi raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes. It's basically my Quirk with extra steps." He deadpanned, "So, the preparation I did before UA and the methods I use to keep my power in check will probably work for her. But before that, she'll likely need physical therapy. A lot of it." He turned away from Yotsubashi and walked back over to the scanning machine as it opened up. Yaoyorozu was still collating the data they had hit from Ko, and and Midoriya's scan results from back before the Sports Festival.
Back when One For All could actually pass for a normal Quirk on these kinds of tests. Before it got weird.
"Hey, Ko!" Midoriya said with a bright smile. "How are you feeling?"
Ko glanced around. Her dad was talking to Michiko and Yaoyorozu was at the console, so she was in the clear. "Midoriya, if you weren't spoken for, I would suck your soul out your dick."
Midoriya bluescreened. "What did you say?" He couldn't have heard right. Ko wasn't Jiro! Even with what precious little he knew of Jiro's... tastes she was never this brazen!
Besides, it would make Kaminari sad. Or fall over laughing. There was no gray area.
"I said if you weren't spoken for I'd get a massive crush on you."
That... didn't quite add up, but Midoriya was in no way interested in poking that bear. After Ko had been moved back to her wheelchair, they began the trek back to Yotsubashi's office. Yaoyorozu noticed that Midoriya had a confused look.
"What's wrong?" She asked in a voice low enough that only he could hear.
"I think Ko just made a pass at me."
Yaoyorozu huffed. "Detnerat can have my company. They cannot have my boyfriend."
After they had finished up at Detnerat, they headed back to UA. On the way back, they learned that Inko had been attacked by Toga.
Well, that was what technically happened. In reality she had scared her off with what Inko called a necessary amount of force. When Midoriya questioned what she meant by that, she had told him the things she had discovered about her Quirk.
Yaoyorozu was surprised. Midoriya wasn't. His mother could be down right terrifying if someone or something was threatening her family.
The afternoon and evening were quiet, more or less by Aizawa's order, since proper classes would start the next day. He had made some cryptic statements about the possibility of work studies, and everyone was waiting with bated breath to see what that entailed.
It was during this relative calm that Midoriya received a cryptic text from Bakugo. "Come to the fire pit out back. Need to talk."
Midoriya laced up his sneakers and then went out to what passed for the backyard of the dorm. There were some lawn chairs and picnic tables. The centerpiece of the patio was a fire pit, which Bakugo stood over as he lit a fire.
"You wanted to talk?" Midoriya asked.
Bakugo sighed. "Yeah. Wanted to do it at camp, but that got interrupted. Guess this is the next best thing."
He sat on a bench from one of the tables that he had dragged over to the fire, and Midoriya sat on the other end. "The next best thing for what?"
Bakugo laughed. "You know, I've gone over this about a hundred times, tried to come up with some grand speech or whatever. But that's just not me, so I'll say it plain." He looked Midoriya dead in the eyes. "Izuku, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the beatings, calling you worthless, and... telling you to kill yourself. I might have been a scared and confused kid reacting to my mother's bullshit the only way I knew how, but that doesn't give me an excuse, it doesn't justify it." He hung his head, "I shouldn't be here at UA, when you look at it logically. The only reason I'm still here and not in some cell in Juvenile Lockup is because somehow you saw something in the pile of shit that used to be my personality worth saving." He smiled ruefully, "Well, that and Ochako taking one look at me and saying I could fix him, but it would be hotter if he fixed himself."
Midoriya snorted. "Yeah, that is what happened with you two, isn't it?."
"Yeah."
There was a beat of silence before Midoriya replied. "I accept your apology."
Bakugo groaned, "You couldn't at least pretend to have to think about it? It feels weird after everything having you just forgive me."
"Ever since things went to crap between us, all I've ever wanted was to turn back the clock, go back to when we were still friends and never let that end." Midoriya admitted, "But we can't do that, I see that now. What we can do is move forward together. As friends and as heroes."
"I don't deserve your friendship." Bakugo said.
"Well, it's a good thing I don't give a damn." Midoriya quipped.
Bakugo looked at him in surprise, "When did you get so snarky?"
Midoriya scratched the back of his neck. "I'd like to say always have been, but we both know that would be a lie."
"God, can you stop with the pre-Quirk memes for five minutes?"
"Well yes, but actually no."
"Damn you."
They sat in silence for a time before Midoriya ended it. "Do you remember at the Sports Festival, how I promised to tell you the truth about my Quirk after you apologized?"
Bakugo blinked. "I forgot about that. Don't worry about it, it doesn't matter. You don't owe me anything."
"It matters to me. I keep my promises." Midoriya said.
Bakugo ground his teeth. He knew better than anyone that it was impossible to stop Midoriya once he had made up his mind. "Alright, let's hear it then. What's the big secret?"
Midoriya took a deep breath, then powered on. "You know how I've been telling everyone I'm a late bloomer? Well, you know that's a lie." Bakugo's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt. "I wasn't born with any power. You know that. At least... until after the Sludge Villain. After that chance meeting with All Might, he revealed to me the truth about his power. Its name is One For All. And it can be transferred from person to person."
"That explains a lot." Bakugo said. "Who else knows about this?"
"Mom, Nezu, Aizawa, Mirko, Recovery Girl, and Momo. And a couple of people you haven't met yet."
Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "Yet?"
Midoriya pulled out his phone and added Bakugo to the group chat. "Welcome to the Secret Cabal."
"Please tell me that's not what you actually call it." Bakugo pleaded.
"We literally can't stop Nezu from changing the group chat name." Midoriya lamented with a dead-eyed stare. "We've tried."
From the moment they sat down, all of 1-A knew they were in trouble. The sadistic clean in Aizawa's eyes was a dead giveaway. However, he did not see fit to explain right away. "Alright, first we need to do some housekeeping." He looked towards the classroom door, "Come in."
Midoriya bluescreened. What was his mom doing here?
"Auntie Inko?" Bakugo said, "What are you doing here? And who's that other girl?"
Maki perked up. "Wait, isn't that..."
True to his question, a blonde girl in a UA uniform had followed Inko in. Midoriya cocked his head. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place why. Yaoyorozu had the same feeling.
"Some of you have already met Inko Midoriya. Due to recent events, she will be joining UA's staff and will be acting as your...landlord, for lack of a better term. For any minor issues or injuries that you normally wouldn't bother me with, you go to her. She has experience as an ER nurse, and will act as additional help for Recovery Girl in crisis situations."
Tsu raised her hand, "What do you mean, additional help for Recovery Girl? Is she getting more help already?"
Aizawa sighed. "That brings me to the next introduction." He gestured to the girl, "Just pull the bandaid off, please."
The girl smiled brightly, "Hello, I'm Mieko Eto. My mother is Eclipse."
"So, are we just collecting the children of supervillains now?" Tokoyami deadpanned.
Midoriya and Yaoyorozu eyed Mieko cautiously as she took her seat. She noted their concern. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not a raging bitch like my mom. You guys are cool. For supercops in training."
"Stop torturing them, Mieko." Maki said amid a bit of laughter.
"Hah, you're one to talk, Maki! You've probably been dominating any close combat classes!"
"All except one." Tsu said cryptically,
Unfortunately for everyone present, Mieko wore the same shipping goggles that Mina did. "Wait... you and Maki? Oh please tell me you had the opportunity to tell Purity about you two!"
"That's enough." Aizawa said, "Gossip on your own time. Inko, could you please send in the next three?"
"Can do. I'll be in my office if you need me."
She left, and three UA students walked in, dressed in their hero uniforms. The first was a blond boy with the number one million emblazoned across his chest. The second was a girl with blue hair and a dreamy smile. The first was another boy with angular eyes and pointed ears, who seemed to want to hide in his hood.
"These three are the best UA has to offer. 3-A's so-called Big Three. Mirio Togata, hero name Lemillion, Nejire Hado, hero name, Nejire-chan. Tamaki Amajiki, hero name Suneater." Aizawa grinned, "And they will be your opponents today. Some of you may be thinking that because of your accomplishments and the villains you've faced that you don't have to put in the work. I have orchestrated this opportunity for you to ensure that line of thinking does not take root."
Iida raised his hand. "Twenty one of us versus three of them doesn't seem fair."
"Correct." Aizawa said. "Which is why you, Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu will each select team members, and will fight a designated opponent. Your team's opponent will be Suneater, Yaoyorozu's opponent will be Nejire-chan, and Midoriya's opponent will be Lemillon."
"What are their Quirks?" Midoriya asked.
"You only get to know their names." Aizawa said. Suneater's is called Manifest. Nejire-chan's is called Wave Motion, and Lemillion's is called Permeation. Now, suit up in your PE uniforms and go to Gym Gamma."
Nejire took in a deep breath and almost said something until Mirio stopped her. "You can interrogate them later, Nejire."
"Yes. After we break them." Tamaki said.
A shiver of apprehension ran through the class. Just what were they in for?
Nejire jumped on Tamaki and draped her arms around his neck. "Ah, come on, Sunny! Why you gotta be such a sourpuss when you're in character?"
"You know why..." He responded.
Mirio shook his head. "Sorry about them. I know they can be... odd, but I still love them, y'know?"
"Wait... are they together?" Mina asked.
Mieko spoke at the same time. "Oh, they're dating. All three of them."
Mina and Mieko looked at each other. "Did we just become best friends?"
Kirishima chuckled. "Why do I feel like I'm in danger?"
Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Just... just go."
Somewhere in his mind, Shigiraki had a sneaking suspicion that Izuku Midoriya had predicted this meeting. He pushed it aside, the last thing he needed now was paranoia. The potential ally Twice had found would be critical to his success if they could be swayed.
The man in question only went by Overhaul. The young leader of the Shie Hassakai, the only Yakuza family to still be worthy of the name after All Might's all-encompassing purge of the criminal underworld. He wore a parka coat with fur collar over a dress shirt and slacks. What made him stand out the most was the plague doctor mask he wore, evoking a crow.
"So, this is the headquarters of the League of Villains? I expected more." Overhaul said, "Especially since you're supposed to be the disciple of All For One, Shigiraki."
Shigiraki shrugged. "This isn't our headquarters, just a convenient meeting place." That much was true. They were using the abandoned warehouse that they had used before the takeover of the QLF and CRC. Spinner had determined that the heroes were watching it, so if things went south with this negotiation, then Overhaul would have more to worry about.
"Yeah, he's Yakuza alright." Mr. Compress said, "He's got an aura of danger about him."
Dabi scoffed, "Like we don't? Give me a break."
Overhaul squinted, "So, you want me and the family to join you and your organization. Am I reading that right?"
Shigiraki grinned. This was too easy. Without All Might to worry about, it was all too simple to consolidate power. "Sure do."
Overhaul looked at him like he had suggested that Thunderbolt had been a decent human being in life. "You really thought it would be that easy?" He folded his arms, "What's your plan then?"
"We'll tear out the roots of this rotten society that treats people like us as evil just because we didn't win the genetic lottery, and we'll expose their so-called paragons for the corrupt jackbooted thugs they are." He'd added that last bit to help keep the QLF in line. They were a bit trickier to keep marching to his tune than the CRC, probably because more of them actually had morals.
Overhaul scoffed at him, "That's your goal, not your plan." He started counting off on his fingers. "What are your short-term objectives? Long-term? What is your organizational strategy?" He held up his hand and shook his head. "Wait, don't answer. Moonfish and Muscular were part of your plucky little band, weren't they? Moonfish is back in Tartarus. Muscular is dead."
Shigiraki's eye twitched. "So they forgot how to jungle. That's not my fault."
Overhaul looked at him with disgust. "You're really going to stand here and say you should replace the Quirk Thief as the next ruler of the underworld while you make references to League of Legends?"
"What difference does it make if I make a few references here and there?" Shigiraki snapped.
"You come across as a spoiled man-child." Overhaul pointed at the other members of the League, "Your inner circle might tolerate it, but the rank and file? All of those co-opted QLF and CRC assets you're so proud of? They won't respect you. And if they don't respect you, they will not be loyal to you. And if they aren't loyal to you, when the heroes come, they'll fold or betray you."
Shigiraki glared daggers at Overhaul. Who did this two-bit relic of the past think he was? "Are you going to join us or not?"
Overhaul laughed. Once. "You've got nerve, if nothing else. I'll tell you what, instead of slaughtering all of you sick fools where you stand, I'll make you an offer. You and all of your assets will be under my leadership, and you will let me use the name of the League of Villains. You've more than proven that you're incapable of seeing past your own ego. Better to hand the keys over to someone who actually knows what they're doing instead of playing at being a demon lord."
"You bastard!" Magne spat, "You think you can just come in here and tell us how to live!" She activated her Quirk, and Overhaul begun to fly towards her thanks to her new magnet pillar. "No one's gonna tell us what to do, you little shit!"
Overhaul ducked under her attack, and the surgical glove covering his hand disintegrated. "Disappear." He scratched her arm, and Magne's head and torso exploded in a shower of blood.
Overhaul stood frozen and shaking. "Damn it! I hate this part... got that guy's blood all over me..."
Toga lunged forward, knife at the ready. "Magne was a woman, you jerk! You'll pay for that!"
Overhaul touched the ground, and a chunk of metal flew up and smacked Toga in the head. She lost her balance and tumbled into a workbench. After impact, some of the tools on it fell on her.
Compress tried to blindside Overhaul by sneaking around and attacking from behind. Just one touch and he would cease to be a problem. He lunged, but during his attack there was a gunshot from above. Dabi reacted by sending a gout of blue fire out through the skylight, but the damage was done. The shot tagged Mr. Compress in the arm.
He managed to grab Overhaul, but to no avail. "My Quirk's not working? What?"
"Don't touch me, vermin!" Overhaul swiped at him, and his left arm blew off at the elbow.
Mr. Compress screamed in pain. And Overhaul slowly backed away. "How about... how about we go our separate ways now? We're not going to get anything done like this."
"You'll pay for what you did to big sis Mag!" Twice seethed. "No one liked her!"
Overhaul's head tilted, "Don't you mean big bro Mag?"
Spinner drew a katana. "I'll gut you like a fish if you get it wrong again!"
Shigiraki held out his hand. "Wait. More bloodshed is pointless." That wasn't entirely true. But there was one thing that he did know. He wanted Overhaul's Quirk, and this battle scenario was sub-optimal. "We'll let you leave, and we'll continue this at a later date. Just put them right before you leave."
Overhaul raised an eyebrow. If Shigiraki was still willing to come to an arrangement, then he supposed that he should foster that. "It's too late for... her. Sorry. But I can fix his arm." He walked over to Mr. Compress and touched his upper arm. In an instant, his arm was regrown. "I got rid of your rheumatoid arthritis as a gesture of good faith. You should be grateful." He flicked a business card at Shigaraki's feet. "When you're ready to talk, call that number."
After he left, Shigiraki made a beeline for Toga. "Are you okay?"
Dabi raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you should be more concerned about Compress's Quirk?"
He went unheeded. "I'm fine, Tomura. Just a bump on the head from one of these things." She picked up a ratcheting wrench and angrily threw it into the bowels of the warehouse.
Twice came over. "Shigiraki, I'm sorry, he said he wanted to join, I-"
"It's fine, Twice." Shigiraki said. "You were looking out for us. That's what friends do, right?"
"He's gotta pay for Magne though. Right?" Spinner asked.
"Oh yes." Shigiraki said. He scooped up Toga in his arms and began to leave. "I think his Quirk will be the least he can do."
Toga giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "Can I stab him a bit first?"
Shigiraki pretended to think about it. "You can make him a little pretty before I take his Quirk. After that... if the situation allows, I have no issue with him being subject to your... tender mercies."
She leaned close to his ear. "Be careful with the sweet talk, Tomura. A girl might get ideas."
Shigiraki was now acutely aware of the blush spreading across his face. "You're not going to stab me in my sleep, right?"
Toga made a show of thinking about it, then shook her head and nuzzled into his neck. "No. It's weird. Whenever I love someone, usually I want to make them pretty with their blood. With you, I love you. I don't want to make you bleed for me though. I want to hurt the people that make you sad."
Shigiraki realized that he may have blundered his way into a relationship with Himiko Toga. "Uh..."
"It's okay. You don't have to say it back." Toga said, "I know I'm weird."
"Maybe." Shigiraki admitted, "But we're all mad here, one way or the other."
A/N:Sorry for the wait! I've been playing a lot of WWE 2K23 to prepare for the Culture Festival arc. Feel free to wonder what I mean by that. It will be amazing.
No plot induced stupidity here, courtesy of a slight retconthat hurts nothing in the long run. As for why Toga doesn't use Camie's Quirk later in the chapter, it can take some time to acclimate to having multiple Quirks depending on what they are. Midoriya is a special case due to One For All and the vestiges.
Wow, Midoriya. You've basically predicted Shigiraki's recruitment plan. It's a shame that you're not in any position to actually throw a wrench into the works. Yet.
Hmm. The Deika Hero Agency couldn't possibly be a cover for anything, could it?
Midoriya's compartmentalization of his trauma is coming back to bite him, big time. It's gotten to the point where he doesn't realize some things unless they're pointed out to him.
Look, I couldn't not have Midoriya lock horns with Yotsubashi over this stuff with how much I've had other characters be like "Midoriya do not do this". It was practically Chekov's Political Debate.
Do not mess with Mama Inko. Maybe it's unrealistic for her Quirk to be able to do this. Maybe it's a little bit of plot induced stupidity on Toga's part. I don't particularly care, since this is the catalyst for Inko to take a job at UA as sort of the "dorm mother" for 1-A.
Yep, Iida does his tune up, and Melissa assists despite making it very clear that she doesn't agree with it. It's an odd juxtaposition. Yes, you're going to tell your significant other that they're being an idiot, but you're still going to help them because who want the best for them.
Enter Ko Yotsubashi, daughter of Re-Destro, and possibly the most repressed person on the planet. So, her Quirk can best be described as Angry One For All. That's it. That's the Quirk. Her built up stress acts as the stockpile. I highly doubt she will be ready for combat until the very end of this fic, if at all. If she is, expect her to only be equivalent to... oh... Hosu Arc Midoriya. That's a pretty big if, though.
Yes she's horny. You would be too if you were stuck in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the waist down.
Bakugo apologizes, and Midoriya brings him in on the secret of One For All. Not much else to say about this, honestly. It's pretty clear cut.
Many more romances would be more interesting if the girl hit the guy with "I could fix you, but it would be hotter if you fixed yourself." Just saying.
Yes, 1-A is collecting the children of supervillains. No, I will not stop this. It's funny.
Yes, Mina and Mieko are correct, the Big Three are all dating. Anyone who tries to be a clown about this will be mocked.
On Tamaki, he's actually figured out a way to deal with his social anxiety when he's on the job. He's doing his best.
Overhaul is Overhaul. An utter bastard. Even if Magne is cringe, continuing to misgender her like he does is a dick move. He does raise a valid point though. Up until now, Shigiraki has behaved like a spoiled child, and has gotten everything he wants with little to no effort. Yes, he has made plans and learned to use people effectively (Like Tomita) but he's never had anyone force him to examine his flaws.
Overhaul will be a catalyst for his growth and will pay dearly for that.
Yeah, Shigiraki and Toga. As I've said before, villains have emotions too. Their chances of a happy ending are slim to none, though.
That's all for this chapter. Until next time.
