Hello everyone! And welcome back to MHA:E! (For those wondering… yes. I did change the name. This one fits better!)
We're back with another interesting part! With a trio of new characters! And more development for our characters!
Authors note at the end as per usual!
But for now? Enjoy!
My Hero Academia: Elphis
Chapter 3
Honour Among Thieves
Two months had passed since Izuku's first meeting with Kaina Tsutsumi, the former heroine Lady Nagant, and how his life changed since then. Truthfully, he's been much happier than ever before.
Over the course of a month, Izuku had gotten more and more athletic, nothing crazy yet, but still making the clean up much easier. Like Lady Nagant said, he was working all his muscle groups. He was slowly getting stronger. Thankfully, as promised, he was tackling the garbage with protective gear. Thank goodness as some of the trash had rust and all the works. And even then, he wasn't doing it along as Yumiko was assisting him along with Oboro who decided to join in on the training.
Another gain over the month was his growing friendship with Yumiko and Oboro. The three had a bit of a 'trio' building. Yumiko was the 'straight-man' of the group as she tended to take everything literally. The number of times him and Oboro burst out laughing cause Yumiko took something said literally… it felt nice cause Yumiko would smile and laugh along. It was nice to see her smile more and more.
Meanwhile, Oboro was the bundle of energy to help bring the excitement up for Izuku and Yumiko. The two verdantettes were rather introverted, but not against interaction. As such, Oboro usually led the charge for their hangouts. Their most common hang out place was, of course, OG Arcade, as the place was a great location for them to just relax.
Of course, not all was sunshine and rainbows. Yumiko and Oboro had to experience the hard truth when they tried to go to a movie theater. Izuku tried to warn them, but they brushed it off… only for the two to be allowed in but had to watch in horror as the owner yelled at Izuku to 'stay away you disgusting null!' A common slur used against the quirkless.
Needless to say, they never went back to that place. But, to Izuku's surprise, his two friends vowed to find all kinds of locations that allowed Izuku in. It brought a tear to his eye… followed by a stream of tears which shocked the two of them.
Another negative was the other tasks he had to complete. While the clean up was going well, he couldn't beat Oboro in CQC. Which… was understandable. Oboro was actually very determined to become a hero way before Izuku met him. The only thing Izuku, unknowingly, influenced was his decision to try out for Ketsubutsu instead of UA.
That being said, the blue-haired boy was rather well trained. As a dancer, he already had an athletic physique as well as being rather flexible. However, what surprised Izuku and Yumiko was that he was also a bojutsu practitioner. And because CQC in Nagant-sensei's eye counts weapon training… Izuku got his ass handed to him by Oboro pretty easily.
Not only that, Izuku still couldn't figure out a fighting style. Despite the words of Yumiko, he did as Nagant-sensei to try and teach him guns.
The problem? Izuku was fine but it still didn't feel right. And he was later told why that was the case.
Fighting with a gun is quite literally fighting with a loaded weapon. A gun or any kind of ranged weaponry like a bow felt like a beast you need to tame. One wrong move and that bullet/arrow is going into the wrong building or worse… into the wrong person.
For Kaina-sensei and Yumiko, they are level-headed in combat and patient beyond all belief. It's not a struggle or fight like it was when Izuku tried. Instead, ironically enough, their quirks summarize how they fight with ranged weaponry… as an extension of themselves. A companion to work with rather than a beast to tame.
As such, Izuku gave up on the gun route. Similarly, Lady Nagant and even Oboro talked about how choosing the right style and weapon has to feel right for the person. For Oboro, he feels like he can fight freely with his staff. To him, he described it as "a floating feeling".
Either way, the final negative came in the aspect of 'networking'. Izuku was informed that, to be fair, he could not ask his friends to help him meet new friends. Izuku had to step out of his shell and meet new people. Problem was… most people took a single look down, saw red, and then immediately would leave or taunt him.
Case in point, it was Thursday after CQC practice. Izuku had gone into the town to pick up some errands for his mother. He was tired after getting his butt kicked once again as he turned to take a back route. Problem… exhaustion does not help as Izuku found himself getting pinned to the alley wall with a knife held to his throat.
"Don't say a fucking word! Take everything out! Phone, wallet, cash… everything!" The thug seemed rather impatient and Izuku truly felt he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
…That was until he heard someone rushing down the alleyway as they punched the thug out of the way. The thug quickly bailed after that as the person yelled. "YEAH! That's right! Run ya fucking coward!" Shaking their head, they turned to the stunned Izuku with a sigh. "Hey Shrubhead. You alright after that shit?"
Izuku nodded as he got a look at who helped him out. The person was a taller girl with a voluptuous figure, long, wavy, white hair, which is mostly tied into a ponytail, leaving two locks on the sides of her face, and bangs that obscures most of the right eye of her face, and gray eyes. She had an opened black jacket with a hood, a gray V-neck shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and black boots. She also had a small duffel bag over her shoulder.
She had a deadpan expression as she snapped her fingers. "Oi! Earth to planet Chia Pet! You gonna take fifteen years to respond!?"
"S-Sorry!" Izuku blushed in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm good now. Guess I'm more tired than I thought… training took a lot out of me."
"Ugggghhhh… whatever man. I asked if you were alright. Not your damn life story." The girl then turned to leave. "Just keep an eye out. These streets are pretty sketchy. And a baby-faced shmuck like you is easy pickings."
"Umm… M-May I ask who you are?" Izuku was shy but… perhaps this was the chance to 'network'?
The girl then stopped and turned with a blank stare. "…Is this some weird as hell pick-up line? Cause I'm not interested. Why the hell would I tell you-"
However, she was cut off as the two heard police sirens approach as the girl cursed under her breath. "FUCK! I wasted too much time!" And with that, the girl ran off down the alleyway as Izuku stared confused.
That changed when the police approached the teen with serious looks. One of them looked at the boy, looked downwards for a second, and then sneered at the boy before pointing his gun at him. "GET ON THE GOD DAMN GROUND!"
Izuku was terrified and confused as the officer was soon whacked on the back of the head. "Knock it off you barbarian." Walking past the officer was a tall, thin man with the face of a brown centipede. He was wearing a black tuxedo and a scarf that looks like a centipede wrapped around his neck. "Now… may we ask you questions young man?"
Izuku was silent for a moment… before stars appeared in his eyes. "Oh my god! You're Centipeder! The lead sidekick of the Nighteye Hero Agency! You're quirk and gentlemanly behaviour helped with many cases!"
This caught the man off-guard as he chuckled. "My word. That is mighty praise from you young man." He then smiled a bit. "May we continue this in a moment?"
…
…
…
Izuku sat there at the police office as Centipeder nodded along with the story. "I see. The one we were chasing ran into you and then when we came around the corner." Getting a nod from the green-haired boy, the sidekick sighed and patted the kid on the head. "Thank goodness you're safe. Apologies for all this young man. We're simply trying to catch the Volcano Thieves."
"…Volcano Thieves?" Izuku tilted his head. "Who are they?" Seeing a little confusion in the hero's eyes, Izuku continued. "I was taking a shortcut so… I'm not from this area? So I've never heard of them?"
"Ah. Quite understandable young man." The centipede hero nodded as he took a sip of tea. "You see… they're a group of thieves that attack different stores. While random, the police are trying to figure out who they are."
"I see…" Izuku thought back to the white-haired girl and frowned for a moment. "But… why are they stealing?"
Centipeder sighed and shook his head. "That… we don't know. We can only hope to figure it out." He then looked at Izuku. "Now… did you happen to catch the appearance of the thief?"
When looking back, Izuku didn't understand why he did it. But for some reason, thinking back to the girl, he responded with a lie. "Not really… It happened so fast that I didn't a good look. I-I'm sorry."
"No. It's quite alright. Thank you for all your assistance." The hero then stood up and held a hand for Izuku to help stand him up. "Now come along. We kept you long enough."
Exiting the room, there were two officers. One was scowling while the other looked nervous. The nervous looking officer gave the hero a salute before heading.
The hero chuckled and nodded as he turned to Izuku. "Now… Midoriya-kun? Let's get you home shall we?"
"No." The words came from the remaining officer as he gave a glare, sneaking glances downwards. "He's a suspect. An extremely suspicious one. He stays here until he can prove himself innocent."
"…I'm sorry what?" Centipeder looked a little offput. "He's given his testimony. All we can learn. How are you so certain he's guilty?"
The remaining officer however scoffed and crossed his arms. "Well how are you so certain we can trust a damn null like him?"
…The room went silent as Centipeder slowly gained a furious expression. Turning to the officer, he glared. "I'm sorry… but did you, a protector of people, just say a quirkist slur to a child in front of a hero?"
The officer rolled his eyes. "So what? It's obvious that the worthless brat steals like a parasite." The officer then gave a look of disgust at the sidekick. "Besides, you're not much of a hero. Just a null loving sidekick sent to help with the dregs of work. Ain't that right mutie?"
Izuku frowned and stood up. "That's not true!" The office turned and glared as Izuku continued. "S-Say what you want about me… but Centipeder is a hero! In fact, in all the hero forums, he is always one of the top three sidekicks named to be 'the next to start their own agency'! Him along with Burnin from the Flaming Sidekickers and Sirius from the Oki Mariner Crew! And not only that, but he's also an icon for hero hopefuls everyone, especially those with mutant quirks who want to be just like him! I'm inspired by him! S-So stop those hurtful words you jerk!"
This made the rude officer gain a look of digust. "And who do you think you are to raise your voice at me you useless null!? Why I-"
"Will do absolutely nothing, nya." Suddenly, a lean man with a ginger tabby cat head walked in as he looked at the officer. "It seems you're going to need to go back to the academy for professionalism, nya. Though at this rate, I doubt that will help, nya." The cat-headed officer gave a small glare. "Go to the head office now, nya."
The officer glared and stormed out as the cat-man sighed. "Apologies for that, nya. You don't need to stick around anymore Centipeder, nya. Especially after such… disgusting words, nya."
"It's quite alright Tamakawa-san." The hero gave a small smile as the police officer nodded and left. Turning back to Izuku, he sighed. "Sansa Tamakawa. A wonderful officer. Professional and still kind."
Izuku nodded as he got up. He was prepared to leave, but stopped as he pulled out a notebook and turned it to a page with Centipeder on it. "P-PLEASE SIGN MY NOTEBOOK!"
Centipeder's eyes widened before she gave a smile. Taking a peek, he was impressed by what he saw. "Of course. It would be my honour young man. And I must say, this is quite the analysis." He laughed a little. "Perhaps you will be the one to catch the Volcano Thieves instead." The hero shook his head and started to sign the notebook, not noticing the look that appeared on Izuku's face. Once the man was done signing, he stopped and gave the boy a small smile. "Also… thank you for your words. It is nice to know I inspire so many people."
Izuku gave a massive smile and a nod. Soon, he found himself walking out of the police building with a small smile. Internally, he had so many questions as to what to happen. But outwardly, he was happy.
Especially with the new signature in his notebook.
Meanwhile, Centipeder was silent as he mumbled to himself. "The next to start their own agency? …It seems I have some things to think about… maybe I should talk to Burnin and Sirius about this as well..."'
…
"Perhaps you will be the one to catch the Volcano Thieves instead."
Izuku didn't know why the insect hero's words affected him.
As a passing remark, it was praise for his hero notebooks. A praise at his intelligence that many ignored over the years. And yet…
There was the traitorous voice in the back of his head.
"Perhaps you will be the one to catch the Volcano Thieves instead."
That voice that kept taunting him to do something crazy. He should have turned in the description of the thief! And yet… part of him screamed it was the wrong to do that.
The green-haired boy's mind was swirling around as he tried to make sense of it all. And then, in a sudden instant, Izuku was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Turning his head, he saw a confused looking Yumiko staring at him. "Izuku-kun. Are you alright?"
Oboro peaked his head up as he turned in his seat. "Yeah man. Normally you're much more skilled at the driving games than us. But you've been last for the past three games."
The trio were currently back in the arcade, sitting at the racing machines. The past few times they played, Izuku was the best racer of the three. And at this moment? He was in last place, crashing into multiple walls.
"Sorry… just… thoughts on my mind." He had a shaky smile as his two friends looked at each other for a moment.
Turning back to the green haired boy, Yumiko gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Then… can we help with those thoughts?"
Izuku wasn't sure what to say. He was still not used to having friends who wish to help him. So, after a moment of silence, he spoke. "…Alright. So… have you guys heard of the "Volcano Thieves" in the area?"
Oboro rubbed his chin for a moment. "Yeah. They're a group of thieves running around and getting in trouble with the police, right?" He then crossed his arms. "I've heard that despite being classified as troublemakers, they haven't been caught yet."
This caused Izuku to blink. "Wait… haven't been caught?"
Yumiko nodded as she tilted her head. "I've heard about them from Kaina-sensei. Apparently, they always act in the dead of night so no one has been able to catch them. Do police officers not have flashlights?" She asked the last question with a serious expression.
Oboro chuckled at that and shook his head. "Nah. I think it has something to do with their quirks. The police haven't been able to figure them out and technically, they commit 'minor' villain acts."
"Ah." Yumiko nodded at that. "Acts that, at most, would call in a hero's sidekick?"
The cloud user would give a set of finger guns to the archer. "Bingo." Oboro then sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Though, to be fair… not many people are upset about it."
This threw Izuku for a loop as he looked confused. "Wait what?"
"Oh yeah man. Those thieves? They don't just rob places blind willy-nilly." The blue-haired boy sighed. "Despite the police reports saying, 'it's a string of random crime'… they say that to avoid pointing out that all the places stolen from usually follow the mentality of the MLA, CRC, ISP… all those groups."
Yumiko thought about it. "…Meta Liberation Army, Creature Rejection Clan, and Inhuman Supremacy Party? …I can now see why people are not upset."
Izuku nodded as he thought about those groups. The less said at the moment, the better.
The archer girl then tilted her head. "But… sooner or later, they'll get caught. And if you're caught and tried… you gain a villain ranking in the HSPC."
A villain ranking is, to some, a permanent black mark on your life. A single look at your records and it's shown. No matter the circumstances, you gain a villain ranking? It will never go away.
And perhaps that was why Izuku didn't say a word. The girl looked to be around his age. To get a villain ranking so young? Would ruin any chance at a future.
"Perhaps you will be the one to catch the Volcano Thieves instead."
…Gaining a small smile, Izuku stood up from the game as he turned to his two friends. "I think I got my answer."
"Uh oh." Oboro chuckled as he smiled at Izuku. "Someone's got that look again."
Yumiko nodded as she smiled as well. "Izuku-kun is going to do something big."
"W-What? What do you mean guys?" Izuku tilted his head in confusion as his two friends laughed a bit. Izuku never knew it, but they were able to tell a certain look in Izuku's eye. One of determination. …Which usually meant he couldn't be shaken off the path he was going.
And so, the two would support however they could. They stood up as Yumiko nodded and took the hands of two boys. "Well. Game time is over. Time to go and start Izuku-kun's research time."
"W-Whoa! Yumiko-san!? What do you mean?" The verdantette was ignored as Oboro laughed. The three would say goodbye to Shiori as they exited the arcade.
And with that, the trio decided to head out. However, Oboro stopped as he patted his head. "Aw crap. One sec guys. Forgot my goggles." Rushing back into the arcade, he headed over to the racing games and grabbed his goggles before going to leave once more.
But as he opened the door to leave, he found himself bumping into someone as the two fell to the ground. "Oof!" Shaking his head and picking himself up, Oboro held out a hand for the person he knocked over. "Sorry about that, was trying to catch up to my friends."
Taking his hand was a pink skinned girl of medium height. Her eyes were somewhat square-shaped eyes with black sclerae and yellow irises and notably long eyelashes below and around the sides of her eyes. Finally, she had short fluffy, unruly pink hair slightly darker than her skin and a pair of two thin pale-yellow horns protruding from her head, hooked squarely and leaning diagonally to opposite sides.
She was wearing a purple tank top with the word 'ACID' on it in turquoise, a pair of jean shorts, purple and turquoise tie-dye knee socks, and a pair of purple sneakers. All the while, she laughed and took Oboro's hand with a grin. "No worries! It's cool dude! I ain't hurt at all."
Oboro breathed a sigh of relief before smiling. "That's good." He then gave her a once over before giving a grin of his own. "Cool look you got there Pinky."
The girl just laughed and gave a smirk and a wink. "Oh really? See something you like Pilot?"
Oboro laughed in return as he shook his head. "Maybe Pinky. But I really gotta catch up with my friends." He then moved to leave before turning and giving a teethy grin and a two-finger salute. "Name's Oboro Shirakumo by the way."
"Well, I won't keep you waiting." The pink haired girl gave her own grin. "Mina Ashido! Maybe I'll catch ya around sometime Pilot!"
"Shishishi! Maybe Pinky! See ya!" And with that, the boy headed off to catch up with his friends as the pink skinned girl walked into the building.
Looking up from her paper, Shiori blinked. "Oh. Sup Queenie. You don't normally come Saturdays."
Mina laughed and nodded as she pointed to the dance machine. "Yeah, well my rival seems to have been coming around more… and I gotta show them who the true ruler of Disco Disco Rebellion is!" She then stopped and then turned to the grey-haired lady. "Say… you know that blue-haired boy?"
Shiori stopped reading as she slowly looked up at Mina. "…You mean Oboro?"
"Yeah! Him! He's kinda cute. Does he come around here often?" Mina looked at her with a small smile as the grey-haired lady started to smile a bit.
"Oh? You interested in him? What about your rival in DDR?" She rested her chin on her hand, covering her mouth as Mina groaned.
"Them!? They're the person I want to bring down with all my might! Loud Cloud will rue the day they challenged the Alien Queen!" Mina posed triumphantly after saying that.
Shiori just bit her lip as she nodded. "Alright then. By the way… Oboro comes around every now and then with his pals." Mina nodded to that information and walked over to the DDR machine.
…All the while, Shiori burst into quiet laughter. "Holy fuck this is too perfect… I am never going to let her live this down."
…
Returning home that night, Izuku went to work.
While Izuku was still an All Might fan to death, his room had changed over the past two months. All Might was still everywhere… but now there was also other hero posters. Along with that were photos of Izuku and his friends.
But the biggest change was a large corkboard. It was to help with his management and research… which is exactly what Izuku was using it for.
Currently, he had a list of the different locations stolen from.
The first thing that caught his mind was what Oboro and Yumiko told him. All the stores that were hit were run by rather… harmful… people.
All held some sort of discrimination, hateful speech, etc. Izuku, sadly, was desensitized to it after experiencing it for many years. He's slowly getting better… but the trauma is not something that disappears in an instant.
But back to the research, Izuku also noticed that while the places stolen from were discriminator, not everyone was harmed. Only the workers who were truly 'in the mindset'.
Following that, each store was only tackled once.
But… there had to be more to it right? Izuku stared silently before he pulled out a red marker. "What if… the sectors?"
Tracing the lines between sectors, Izuku eyes slowly widened. "There is a pattern! They tackle three stores per sector!" Sure enough, he was right. The first sector had three hits and then it moved to a different sector.
"And if we follow the trail… then they only hit this sector twice! That means they'll still be in this sector!" Rushing to his laptop, Izuku pulled up a list of the remaining stores in that area.
Scrolling he frowned. "Let's see… Nope. Not that one. That one allows quirkless so immediately it's not getting hit." He then stopped and smiled a bit. "These thieves care more about the quirkless then most people." Shaking his head, he continued. "Nope. No. That one got an award from the Mutant quirk shelter… so not that one."
He then stopped and stared at this one store and it's website. "…Hmmm…" Scrolling to the reviews, he gained a small smile. "Wow. The owner really does not like complaints. Especially calling out their hatred for weak quirks and 'quirkless scabs on society'. I think I found the next hit."
Turning to the corkboard, he circled the one store with a nod. Tomorrow, he was going to do his first ever hero stakeout.
…
…
…
Doing a stakeout was strange to Izuku. He thought it would be craziness and espionage. Instead he was sitting down on a bench with some yakitori in his hand. …Nice to know there was a kind Yakitori stand in this area.
For a bit, Izuku felt that maybe… he was wrong. Maybe he was still just that stupid Deku that his class talked about.
That was… until some smoke exited the store, and two individuals booked it as the workers screamed about thieves and police.
His eyes widened. He got it right!
Getting up from the bench, he quickly but quietly followed the two down the different alleyways. The sounds of police sirens all around as the two in front of him became more frantic and nervous. Just then, one pointed to an alleyway as they rushed down it.
However, Izuku had studied the alleyways in the area the night before. That was a dead end. But, the green-haired boy still followed.
As Izuku turned the corner to the dead end, he saw two individuals arguing. "Fuck! We're cornered! What are we gonna do!?"
The other voice groaned as they glared at the first. "How should I know you idiot!? You're the one who led us down this path!"
Peaking a little closer, Izuku could see the two being two teens around his age. The first person, the one worrying the most, was a boy with a lean build, average light, light brown skin, and greyish-blue eyes. He appeared to be a tinge shorter than Izuku. He had greyish-blue hair tied into a ponytail and an elongated face, causing his mouth to protrude forward like a bill. But what caught Izuku's eyes was the boy's hands, being a larger size and having what appeared to be very flexible wrists and slick, durable bright orange fingers. His outfit consisted of a simple black hoodie, dark grey sweatpants, and a pair of teal sneakers.
The other person was the same girl from the previous encounter that he had. Same outfit and everything as she was the one glaring down at the other boy. Speaking of the boy was holding the duffle bag that the white-haired girl had before.
Hearing the approaching sirens, Izuku quickly scanned the perimeter. And in the corner of his eye, he saw a fire escape.
So, rushing over to it, he turned to the two and spoke in a loud whisper. "This way!"
The two thieves were very confused and looked around, but soon saw a person by a fire escape. Realizing this was their out, the two followed as all three hurried up to the roof.
Looking down, the three saw the police and the centipede hero Centipeder enter the alleyway. Seeing no one around, the police started talking back and forth as Centipeder looked up. Looking up into the evening sky, he saw a glimpse of the three.
They didn't move, but Centipeder was able to make out Izuku Midoriya… peeking over with a determined burn in his eyes.
He never fully understood why he did it, but Centipeder sent the verdantette a smile as he turned to the police. "The thieves escape. Let's try and hurry to catch them. They must have gone down another alley."
With responding nods, the police and hero left the alleyway as the three kids on the roof let out sighs of relief. The greyish-blue boy groaned as he dropped the duffle bag. "That was too close."
"And who's fault was that dumbass?" The girl scoffed and turned to their helper. "Thanks for the save pal… don't know why though."
Izuku turned to them with a sheepish grin. "I-It's no problem at all."
Upon looking at the one who helped them, the white-haired girl's eyes widened as she pointed at Izuku. "WAIT A MINUTE! You're that guy I ran into before!"
"…Like… do you mean literally or a date-" The duck billed boy's head flew forward to the roof ground as the girl glared. Her fist seeming to steam as a bump started to form on the downed boy's head.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP TSUMUJI!" The girl groaned as she looked at the boy with a tired expression. "So… what's your goal? You already snitched me to the police before, right?"
Izuku was silent for a moment before he looked away nervously. "W-Well…"
The white-haired girl stared at him confused before it clicked. "Wait… did you seriously not tell the police my appearance?" Getting a shy nod in response, the girl looked baffled. "What the fuck? Why the hell would you do that?"
Izuku gave a deadpan expression. "To be fair, I had no idea who you were nor why you did what you did." He sighed. "You were, well…"
The duck billed boy slowly got up and rubbed his head. "A bitch?" …before getting punched in the head again.
"…I was gonna say sharp-tongued." The green-haired boy sweatdropped at the downed boy as he continued. "But… if you were truly a 'heartless criminal'… then you would have just left me be. But you didn't." He then gave a small smile. "So… I was hoping to figure out why you were a criminal?"
The white-haired girl nodded as she crossed her arms and raised a brow. "Yeah? And how the fuck did you find us? The police haven't been able to track us down and it's only been a couple of days? When did you decide to try and find my ass like a creepy stalker?"
Those words, however, made Izuku flinch and freeze up.
"Quit it with the stalker books! BOOM! That should drill it into your head you fucking nerd!"
"Teacher! Deku's being a creep again!"
"Deku! Stop stalking the other students out of jealousy!"
A flood of bad memories enter his mind as the girl noticed this. She frowned for a moment before sighing. "I'm not mad idiot. More trying to figure out how? Cause… we go after places at random?"
"…But… you don't?" Izuku said this as the white-haired girl and the now standing grayish-blue haired boy looked at him in confusion. "You guys do have a pattern. I thought that was clear?"
…The two thieves stared at him for a moment before turning to one another. They would lean in and whisper to one another before separating. The girl would sigh and nod. "Alright. We'll tell you our names… AFTER you meet the boss."
The duck-billed boy nodded. "Yeah. And then you can figure out whatever weird past relationship stuff between the two of you after-"
And immediately he was sent to the ground once more as a tick mark was growing on the white-haired girl's head. "We. Never. Dated. I just helped shrubhead here from getting shanked by a random crook." She then turned to the green-haired boy with a tired glare as she picked the greyish-blue haired boy by his collar. "Well… hurry up bushboy. Cause I ain't gonna fucking wait."
Giving a nod, Izuku found himself following the two down the fire escape.
…
…
…
Following the two, Izuku felt a tiny bit of worry. He knew he needed to trust these two… but there's also the chance they could take back their word and make sure he never tells a soul.
However, what happened instead surprised him as they walked towards an older beaten down building. Upon reaching the building, a rush of children started to head out the door towards the group. "Konako-neechan! Tsumuji-niichan!"
Konako sighed and rolled her eyes as she picked up a couple of the kids while Tsumuji swiftly hugged a whole bunch as they knocked him down to the ground. The white-haired girl laughed at the situation and shook her head. "Alright ya little brats… we got the message. We need to talk to Maguma-neechan, alright?"
The kids all nodded and smiled. "Got it!" After that, they ran back into the building as the two thieves followed.
Izuku stood out there, a little confused and shocked, when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw a big, bulky man with gold-yellow skin. He had two spikes on the back of each of his shoulders, his head was a pair of inclined plains with an apex in the middle, and he has a black crater in the middle of his forehead. His eyes were also pure red, and he had large fangs. However, in comparison, his clothes consisted of brown sweatpants, large boots, and a red shirt.
The man tilted his head as he looked down at Izuku. "So. Who are you kid?"
"I-Izuku Midoriya! S-Sorry for bothering you sir!" The green-haired boy bowed as the man scoffed and walked past.
"Nah. It's alright kid. Considering you came in with Konako and Tsumuji… you must be at least alright." He then stopped and turned his head. He peaked down for a sec before looking the boy in the eye again. "…Oh yeah. Name's Spike. Now come on in."
Izuku stared but slowly nodded as he followed Spike into the rundown building. Upon entering, Izuku would see a bunch of children of different shapes and sizes. Some had mutant quirks, some had what appeared to be dangerous quirks, and then… there's what caught his eye.
A couple of children wearing the same shoes as himself. He never talked about it much, but Primordial Reds were an unintentional sign of the quirkless. As the world gained less and less quirkless, many companies stopped catering to their needs. One such company being Detnerat… a company known to accept all shapes and sizes of quirks.
It was not a pleasant experience when the people there stared down at Izuku like he was a parasite, all the while refusing to service him because 'they don't help dying breeds'.
He watched as the quirkless kids looked to him in slight shock as they saw his shoes. He gave them a smile as they scurried away. Turning his head, Izuku saw a tall boy with a very muscular physique, large brown eyes, and orange, flame-shaped hair. He had some small brownish-orange stones over his arms and was wearing an orange shirt, black cargo pants, and brown boots.
"So… you're the one who helped Konako and Tsumuji?" He spoke with authority and was slightly intimidating…
…until Spike walked up and chopped the boy on the head. "Oi. Knock it off."
The boy rubbed his head with a frown and a glare, which was matched by Spike. The boy then sighed and nodded. "Right. Sorry pops." Turning back to Izuku, he sighed. "The name is Maguma Iwata. Leader of the Volcano Thieves."
"Y-Yeah… though…" He turned to the two who were waving their hands in a 'no don't do it' manner. "Umm… Konako-san and Tsumuji-san?"
Maguma stopped and looked at the boy with narrowed eyes before he sighed. "Let me guess. Those two didn't tell you their names?" Getting a nod, the orange hair boy turned to Spike… who gave the two individuals a whack on the head.
The thieves leader sighed. "Sorry. They're rather thick-headed at times. But are very loyal." Getting another nod from the boy, the leader continued. "The white-haired girl is Konako Haizono and the grayish-blue haired one is Tsumuji Kazetani. My siblings in arm." He then crossed his arms as he gave the verdantette a stern look. "Now… what was this about you finding us based on 'a pattern'? We don't follow any kind of pattern."
This, once again, made Izuku confused. "But… you do? You guys have attacked lesser-known locations such as supermarkets and corner stores. Not only that, but you also targeted well known discriminatory stores. Combine in the locations being in areas lesser patrolled areas and no store being hit twice nor any location being hit in the same sector for three times minimum… then that left the anti-mutant quirk corner store you just robbed as the last spot within that sector."
The entire room went silent as the thieves looked in shock. Spike, on the other hand, gave a snort and a shake of his head. "I told you kids that you'd get found out eventually."
"HEY!" The duck billed boy shouted and pointed to Izuku. "We didn't expect to one of Konako's exes to be a genius mastermind!"
This caused a loud bang as Tsumuji was sent to the floor by a blushing and glaring Konako. "For the last fucking time! We didn't date! I literally ran into him when I stopped someone from mugging him! LISTEN THE FIRST TIME AIRHEAD!"
"OI!" Tsumuji stood up and banged heads with Konako, the two forehead to forehead as an electric spark went back and forth in their eyes. "I AIN'T AN AIRHEAD YOU BITCH!"
"OH, YOU WANNA GO DUCKY!?" The white-haired girl cracked her knuckles. "LET'S FUCKING GO!"
Maguma stared at the two and sighed as he turned back to Izuku. "Well… guess we were following a pattern we didn't know." He then gained a serious look. "So why go through all this trouble. Why hunt us down?"
"…I want to stop you." Izuku was shaking a little bit as the orange-haired boy's look slowly turned into a glare. "What you're doing isn't going to help anyone. A-And… I want to stop the thieving."
Maguma just scoffed and pointed to all the little kids watching them from the doorways. "And damn them to a bleak future?"
Izuku went to counter that but was stopped as Maguma continued. "We tried; you know? Wanted to be heroic kids like you. But we couldn't. The world wouldn't let us."
He then sighed and rubbed his eyes. "So we went about it our way. Pops… he's one person. There's us three and then there's close to fifteen other kids. 'Street rats' aren't accepted well. So we went with our only path forward."
Maguma then gave a heated glare. "We refuse to let these kids suffer. And if we need to be villains to do it. Then so be it."
…Suddenly, Maguma was nailed in the back head with a chair as he turned to glare at his two siblings fighting. "WHO THREW THAT!?" They both immediately pointed at the other as Maguma stomped forward. "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT FIGHTING!? I SWEAR YOU TWO!"
The two tried to argue back… which lead to the three arguing back and forth as Spike walked into the scene, groaned as he rubbed his face, and then walked away.
While the three thieves argued, a small honey blond girl came up and tugged on Izuku's pant leg. Turning his head, he saw her looking at him in confusion. "A-Are you Niichans and Neechan's friend? Are you a meanie?"
Izuku chuckled a little bit before shaking his head. "Well… I hope I'm their friend. As for being a meanie… I hope not. I'm trying to be a hero."
This caused a wave of silence as everyone turned to him. The little girl's eyes widened as she looked down nervously. "…T-Then… w-would I be able t-to be a hero too?"
This threw Izuku for a loop until he looked down and saw something. …Primordial Reds.
Seeing this and the nervousness on the girl, Izuku remembered the scene a little over a month ago. Kneeling down to the girl, he gave a smile. "When I met my mentor, I asked the same question. And you wanna know what she told me?"
The girl looked curious as she nodded. Smiling, Izuku continued. "She said 'Depends on if they're willing to put in the hard work. If they are… then yeah. They can be a hero.'." He then chuckled a bit. "And now I'll repeat the same questions she asked me to you. 'Would you be that person? The one to become a quirkless hero? Would you be willing to put in the effort needed?'. So… your answer?"
The girl was shaking a bit as she nodded. "Y-Yes! I… I want to be a h-hero!"
"Then…" Izuku gave a big wide smile. "You can become a hero."
Tears started to form in the girl's eyes as she smiled widely and hugged the boy. Izuku smiled and patted her head. "Train hard. And when you grow up and get into a hero school? I'll keep an eye out for ya. Then we can be heroes together, okay?"
"O-Okay!" The girl continued to cry happy tears as the other kids started to come closer and swarm the verdantette. They were bouncing around with smiles.
All the while, Izuku had a big smile on his face.
Soon, one kid smiled widely. "Does this meen Niichans and Neechan are going to try to be heroes again?"
At those words, however, the white-haired thief coughed. "Oi. Brats. It's supper time." That caused the kids to rush off of Izuku and towards the kitchen.
Off to the side, Maguma had watched the scene play out before he walked forward. "Hey. Midoriya."
Izuku turned to the flaming haired boy as Maguma continued. "We're not going to stop what we're doing. You can see what we're fighting for." He pointed to the door the kids went through as he sighed. "There's no real chance to provide for all of them without what we do."
"Why not try to be heroes?" This made Maguma stop as Izuku continued. "They said that you wanted to be heroes. So why don't you?"
"I'm gonna say this once. We don't want to be heroes." The volcano-user sighed and turned away. "So just stop already."
Those words, however, made Izuku frown as he stood up and looked at Maguma. The two stared each other down for a while before Izuku gained a smile. "And in response… I'm not going to stop either."
Maguma scoffed and turned to leave. "I don't doubt that what so ever." With that, he walked off with Konako and Tsumuji following him out.
Spike walked up to the verdantette as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Izuku flinched for a moment before calming himself down as he saw the older man look at him with concern. "You alright?" Receiving a nod, he sighed. "That's good. Anyways… want a ride home?" The man point to a beat-up van out in the front.
Izuku just shook his head. "That's alright sir. I need to memorize the path here anyways. I'm not one to back down."
"…Hmph." The man exhaled a small chuckle as he patted the boy on the head. "Then the best of luck. Perhaps… you'll be the voice they listen to." After saying that, the man walked off into the doorway as the verdantette left… determined to save the three thieves.
…
Over the next while, Izuku kept returning. No matter how many times the thieves told him to beat it, he just kept coming back.
And every time, he would do the same thing. Ask the same question.
Even after every response being a no, he continued to come and play with the kids. They found the verdantette very fun and Izuku even helped the different kids with their quirks.
Slowly but surely, the thieves warmed up to the quirkless boy. Perhaps it was the optimism, but the three found themselves laughing and chatting every now and then. But they still stood strong.
That was… until that one night. Wednesday night. After meeting the thieves that one Sunday, it had been a little over a week. But despite that, Izuku never lost hope.
After playing with the same honey-blonde haired girl from before, who he learned was named Sakura, Izuku stood up and stretched. The kids were off to supper once more and Izuku had to head out soon.
But before he left, he turned to see the three thieves standing there. Unlike the other days, Izuku didn't make any request to the thieves. And seeing that, Izuku watched as the three looked… uncertain.
That was when he felt… he made the impact needed.
Approaching the orange-haired leader, Izuku held a hand out to Maguma with a smile. "Become heroes with me."
The thieves stared at Izuku for a moment as they sighed in relief. Tsumuji then spoke up. "…You are crazy… aren't you?"
"Yeah man." Konako continued. "We already told you it was impossible. And that we don't want to be heroes."
"No. I think you're lying to yourselves." This made them stop as Izuku clenched his one hand by his side into a fist. "If you truly wish to not be heroes… then I wouldn't have pushed. And not only that… why did you all look so uncertain when I didn't ask?" This made them flinch for a moment as Izuku continued.
"I truly believe that this best path forward for you all… and the path you all want too." Izuku stood confidently. "Over the days I've come here, I learned about the true Volcano Thieves. Not the evil troublemakers everyone thinks you are… but the caring individuals who want to bring a better life to these children." He then walked up to Maguma, the lava man towering over him, yet no hesitation was in the verdantette's eyes. "You fight for those who aren't given a chance! To give them the opportunities they need!"
"However… will it forever be like that?" The three stopped and stared as Izuku continued. "Sooner or later, this lifestyle will transform into something much worse. The second you're caught, your dreams for a brighter future will be dashed away along with any chance of a better life for the kids here!"
Maguma glared down at the boy at those words. "So what!? We're supposed to go along with a corrupted system instead!?"
"NO!" Izuku yelled once more. "I know more than anyone how corrupted heroics can be! My entire life had people sabotaging me and refusing to accept me as a person solely because of a second toe joint! They boosted up my biggest abuser of all and is going into heroics! There's no way in hell a school like UA would pass him up! Meanwhile, I was barred from every hero school heroics exam… except for one!"
He then stepped forward as Maguma took a step back. "I refuse to give up now! It'll just prove all those people right if I did! Instead… I'm going to change the system from the inside out! I'm going to even further beyond!"
His mind went back to the image of the little quirkless girl. The one who, just like him, looked for someone to say that they can be a hero. A symbol to show that anything was possible if you tried, no matter how many times it takes.
Years later, people would ask the Volcano Thieves… what made you become a hero? What was the final push towards that life? They would have one answer.
…The glowing determination within Izuku Midoriya's eyes that night.
"I'm going to become a symbol for the world! A hero people can look up and believe that nothing is impossible! That anyone can be a hero! And I know that you three can be heroes as well! And I know deep down, you want to be as well! For the children of this orphanage! For all those struggling in the world! You can become their hero! You can change the lives of these people! So what do you say!?" He'd hold his hand out one more time. "Will you become heroes with me?"
The three were silent as they turned to one another. A look of understanding traces their eyes as Maguma steps forward… "Heroes…"
A small flash of memories appeared as Maguma watched three kids sit in a circle. They vowed to be heroes for their father and their little siblings. But it then changed to the three sitting together, defeated.
He remembered it all too well. When all the others denied them. Told them that three 'street rats' can't be heroes. It was when they decided to try and help their dad however they could… which slowly turned into them becoming the Volcano Thieves.
However, now? It was like a bright light was there. A new doorway to take. One going back to the old dream of the three.
…A smirk appeared on his face. "Alright. We'll play it your way." And takes Izuku's hand. Konako and Tsumuji mirrored that smirk as Maguma spoke confidently. "Heroes for future."
Izuku would return the smirk. "Heroes for the future."
And once that was done, the four gave a small laugh as big smiles appeared on their faces. The thieves began to rib Izuku for his craziness as the boy blushed.
All the while, Spike would be watching quietly from the hall with a proud smile on his face. He'd walk off and give the kids some space.
Slowly, memories of the past began to enter his mind. When he was but a young man, finding three orphans stranded on the streets. Three little kids with eyes filled with fear. The gold-skinned man would give the three children a small smile and hold a hand out. And then… the scene would fade, and Spike found himself back from memory lane.
Remembering the moment that just occurred? The smiles they had? A small tear rolled down his eye. "…A real guiding star that one." Wiping away the tear, he chuckled a bit. "…For the first time in my life… I can say that the future is looking bright. …Thank you for helping them, Midoriya."
…
…
…
Lady Nagant stood there as she rubbed her eyes as she looks down at the boy in a dogeza bow. "So let me get this straight… you learned about a group of thieves going around, decided to investigate them alone, managed to figure out their pattern in less time before any of the police could, proceeded to help them escape from the police, spent time with them for over a week, and then convinced them to try for heroics?"
"…You said I should be networking?" The deadpan look Izuku received did not lessen the amount he was sweating in nervousness. "…Plus Ultra?"
Lady Nagant gained a small tick mark on her head as she looked at the boy. "…Well kiddo. I got good news and bad news." She stretched her arms as she looked at him. "Good news? You're halfway done one of the tasks and it hasn't even been two month."
This brought a smile to Izuku's face… which was quickly dashed away as the former heroine cracked her knuckles. "Bad news? You told me this information… on a Tuesday… which is sparring day."
Hearing that, Izuku stands up with a small smile. "Don't worry, I have secret technique for this." …A few moments pass before Izuku puts his hands together… and immediately starts to run away. "NIGERUNDAYOOOOO!"
The sniper blinked for a few seconds before her tick mark grew larger as she started to run after him. "GET BACK HERE!"
Watching their friend run, Yumiko gave a deadpan yell of encouragement. "Go Izuku-kun! Run for your life."
Oboro, meanwhile, just started to laugh and shake his head. "So… that's what he was doing. Wish he talked to us so we could help… but eh. Guess it worked out, huh?"
He said this as he turned to the three newcomers. All the while, the volcano thieves watched Izuku ran away screaming from a shouting Lady Nagant as Tsumuji turned to Yumiko. "…Is… this a normal thing?"
Yumiko just nodded. "I met him after he ran into a villain attack to save some blond-haired guy letting off explosions."
"Blond-haired guy- wait what?" Oboro looked confused. "I met Dekiru after helping him escape from a blond-haired guy trying to chase him down. Calling him Deku and useless."
The archer girl blinked. "I see… the blond's name?"
Oboro tapped his chin as he remembered. "Katsuki Bakugou, I think he said."
Yumiko nodded in thanks to the blue-haired boy as she turned to the volcano thieves. "Correction. I met Izuku-kun after he ran into a villain attack to save his bully Bakagou letting off explosions."
"I see." Maguma crossed his arms and looked towards the running green-haired boy. "He said something about his main abuser having a high chance of getting into UA."
They all turned to one another and nodded as Tsumuji chuckled weakly. "Guess we'll have to keep an eye on that guy, eh?"
"No shit sherlock." Konako crossed her arms but chuckled a bit. "Shrubhead doesn't realize he's gaining more and more friends ready to kick ass to help him, huh?"
Oboro laughed at that. "Got that right."
They all turned to Izuku who was now trying, and failing, to dodge blanks from Lady Nagant. Maguma gained a stern and slightly tired expression. "…He's going to get into more situations, isn't he?"
Konako looked at Maguma with a raised brow. "I don't know boss? Sure he did some crazy stuff, but he's still just one guy. How much trouble could he possibly get into?" The five then felt a slight chill as Konako blinked. "…I just jinxed it, didn't I?"
The others nodded and responded at the same time. "Probably."
They all stopped and started to laugh as Izuku continued to run away from Lady Nagant, who was getting more and more frustrated. "GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A HERO YOU BRAT!"
"IT'S CALLED A TACTICAL RETREAT!" The verdantette ducked under another blank round as the camera panned to the sky… with Izuku's screams echoing out.
…
…
…
Izuku Midoriya's Ketsubutsu Analysis for the Future – Book #1
Entry 3: Oboro Shirakumo
- A friend I made escaping Kacchan. He dragged Yumiko-san and I to an arcade where he goes by the nickname Loud Cloud
- Quirk: Cloud. Oboro is able to create different-sized clouds of varying densities, enough to make them able to be touched and hold the weight of one or more people. He is working on making them float at faster speeds. (What else can he do with it? Can he shape and form the clouds? Questions for later)
- Talked about how he planned to go to UA before but decided to change his mind to Ketsubutsu. Wonder why?
- Skilled in bojutsu and some Capoeira. Seems his dance skills at DDR helped. (He keeps talking about defeating his rival 'Alien Queen'… whoever that is)
- Very friendly and the most energetic of our trio. (Oboro-san, Yumiko-san and myself). But… he does seem to be hesitant to open up sometimes. But that's fine, Yumiko-san and I are like that as well.
Overall Review: Oboro is the one who gave me the nickname Dekiru… and believes that I'm going to become a hero who 'can do it'. He's friendly and wise cracking. Always smiling and laughing whenever he can. He's passionate and mysterious. I still have much to learn of him… but I'm happy to be his friend.
-TO BE CONTINUED-
Hello everyone! Void here!
Sorry for the delay. I'm currently still in school and as such, I've been focusing on my assignments. Everything is piling up after all.
But there you have it! The next three members of the cast… The Volcano Thieves!
I'm not gonna lie, the deep dive I did for this story was crazy. These three, however, were on my main cast for the longest time and I never once thought about swapping them out. The idea of a team of thieves turning to heroics and becoming a solid hero team? Too good to pass up!
Plus they all have such cool quirks and I wanted to give them more time to shine!
I hope that this chapter was also able to show Izuku's more analytical side that I want him to have. HE IS A SMART BOY! He is more than "Time to cast a spell? Well... I cast FIST!"
But along with that, this story feels like it's going to be more comedic at times. Will it be serious when it needs to be? Yes. But truthfully?
I want a story where things go well.
Another note, the story name change. Why did I change it? Well… Vindication was the idea for my original concept… villains becoming hero students. But, over time it changed and now the title just didn't fit the story anymore.
So now we have the fun title of "My Hero Academia: Elphis"
So that's cool.
As for Oboro and Mina…
…
-accidentally spills crack- … -takes a big whiff-
OH! THAT'S SOME GOOD CRACK SHIPPING!
…
But in all seriousness, I'm not gonna lie. It kinda happened by accident? …One I am not really upset about to tell the truth. You ever have that small idea that just kinda blossomed? This is one of those cases. Will it extend into something more? I have no clue whatsoever. Maybe, maybe not.
Though I guess I should explain something with this now. Am I going to avoid the main MHA cast and well-known characters in my story? Are they going to be non-existent? …No? I've referenced them quite a bit whenever I could. I'm just not gonna focus on them? They'll appear every now and then. Kind like in this chapter. I teased her a bit last chapter, but I figured… why not?
Overall, to help blend the world together more, the UA stuff is happening at the same time this new stuff. Who will pop up every now and then? One will have to wait and see.
And now for our "ALMOST" character of the day… Spike! Another USJ villain, I had planned to have him be part of a duo with a character I did decide to keep! …But he just felt like a repeat character and struggled to stand out in the cast. So… instead I made him into a caring dad. Like best dad of the year. I love him so much already.
…Man I'm really loving these side characters, even if I don't have them as the 'main cast'.
Also Centipeder! I have plans for him! You will all see later on!
But yeah… with that all taken care of, time for the updated cast list!
Teacher: Kaina Tsutsumi aka Lady Nagant
Quirk: Rifle
Student 1: Izuku Midoriya
Quirk: N/A
Student 2: Yumiko Oowada [Beros from My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission]
Quirk: Longbow
Student 3: Oboro Shirakumo [Oboro Shirakumo from MHA School Days Arc]
Quirk: Cloud
Student 4: Maguma Iwara [Volcano from My Hero Academia: Clash! Heroes Battle]
Quirk: Eruption
Student 5: Konako Haizono [Dusty Ash from My Hero Academia: Clash! Heroes Battle]
Quirk: Dust
Student 6: Tsumuji Kazetani [Gust Boy from My Hero Academia: Clash! Heroes Battle]
Quirk: Fan
Next time, we're going to have a two characters appear! Though… I will admit. I'm still figuring out I want to go about this. But I have ideas.
As a side note… despite wanting to stick to the main plot? I'm not gonna lie. I think I may have pulled a Yaoyorozu. Pulled out a cannon and blasted away canon. We'll see?
But… that's all for now! Until next time! See you all later!
VoidRebirth signing out!