Ironically this is the longest chapter of Carry On thus far
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Saki Sukinasaki
May 6th, 20XX
Professor Jaune Arc
Modeling Sucks and Here's Why
Saki was gonna kill whoever sent her here. Yes, some word about her being a former model had gotten out, but not the full story. She wasn't rushing to get back into the spotlight anytime soon.
...so why the hell was she with Uwabami?
She wasn't even ranked that high on the charts either. Sure, not everyone could get a chance to intern with a top five or top ten hero, but most of the available heroes are still well respected. Not to say that Uwabami wasn't, but her support came more from her celebrity status than her Hero work. She was great at search and rescue jobs when they came up, using her Quirk, Serpentress, to sniff out and locate the wounded and trapped. But when she wasn't aiding in disaster relief missions she was a normal celebrity with a trio of snakes in her hair. A model, a sponsor, her charisma and beauty made those types of gigs easy for her. She thrived in the spotlight.
And Saki was the complete opposite after her experiences.
...Hana, however...
"SO. Cool." Hana said, gawking at the set that Uwabami was currently working with. Lights! Camera! Underpaid interns being horribly mismanaged by people on power trips! ACTION!
At least one of us is enjoying the set, Saki thought to herself, rolling her eyes a little.
Saki was very disillusioned with a set like this. They usually brought back bad memories of getting yelled at by hack directors who wanted people to see their 'artistic' vision, or losers who wanted to try and get a hand with someone way out of their league...and age group. Gross.
Who the hell sent me here, and where's the worst place I can dig my card into their body? Saki thought.
"Isn't this great?!" Hana pulled Saki in close with a smile, her arm wrapped around the card-user's shoulder making it difficult for her to escape.
"Yeah...real swell," Saki lied.
"Yeah! It is SWELL!" Hana was so starstruck it hurt. Saki rolled her eyes, as Uwabami started to approach them.
Oh, boy. Here comes Medusa. Hana thought.
"Nice to see you both in such high spirits," Uwabami beamed.
Is that what you wanna call it? Saki thought.
"I didn't expect to be somewhere like this!" Hana grinned, looking around.
"Same." Saki said, with noticeably cold indifference.
"Oh, well- my personal studio doubles as my hero agency." Uwabami explained, totally oblivious to Saki's hatred.
"Makes sense. Better to keep everything in house for that sorta thing," Hana nodded.
"Indeed. Not a perfect system, however." Uwabami sighed. "Sometimes, workers get...unruly."
Yeah. Wonder why. Saki rolled her eyes.
"So, why did you pick the both of us?" Saki asked.
"THREE of you." Uwabami clarified.
"Three?"
"Who's the-?" Hana began to ask before the door opened.
"Like, sorry I'm late!" Camie said.
Saki winced. "Oh, God. Her."
"No worries, Camie. In fact, we were just getting started," Uwabami nodded.
"Perfect!" Camie beamed, walking over and joining the other two interns.
Kind of obvious she'd be here. Dunno why I'm surprised, Saki thought to herself.
"Not a shock that she's here. She seems like she'd really like the spotlight." Hana hummed.
"Well, duh! I actually thought about doing modeling or something before landing on the hero biz!" Camie said.
"Honestly, nothing's stopping you from doing both. I'm proof of that," Uwabami smiled.
"Totes totes~!" Camie grinned.
She mentioned she was an online model. Don't tell me Uwabami's trying to take advantage of teens like this... Saki groaned.
"Now then!" the serpent hero clapped her hands together, "We need to get ready. We've got a sponsor coming over in a few hours for a comercial filming. Won't air until next month, but still."
Annnnd she just confirmed it, Saki sighed.
"We're gonna be in a COMMERCIAL!?" Hana gasped, stars in her eyes. "COOOOL!"
"Yayyyy," Saki unenthusiastically cheered.
"Perfect way to start off!" Camie said.
"Get in costumes, ladies! And get in a make up chair! It's show time~" Uwabami said.
Hand me a gun. Saki sighed.
Saki hated the costume she was in. Was it morally right to even put an underage girl in a cocktail dress? Plus, her hair- it had to be styled so perfectly with the curls. That was Uwabami's 'trademarked' style, according to a stagehand. You can't copyright a fucking hairstyle. That's so stupid! Saki frowned.
At least Hana and Camie were enjoying themselves. They loved their sparkly dresses and their curled hair. "I wanna keep mine like this FOREVER!" Hana grinned.
Whatever. Saki rolled her eyes.
"Alright, everything set?" Uwabami asked.
"All set here," one stagehand said after doing a quick mental rundown of a checklist on a clipboard.
Saki frowned. Curly hair sucked. Who would ever LIKE this?
(Kumagawa sneezed as Saki thought this.)
"So, what are we advertising?" Saki demanded, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Oh, hairspray of course!" Uwabami said.
Aaaand add another thing Saki hated about this internship to the seemingly ever growing list.
"...hairspray." Saki sighed.
"Yep! Not my first choice. I wanted to market it as mace, but those damn idiots wouldn't let me." Uwabami said, with that small smile on her face.
"Uh...huh," Saki muttered, actually thrown for a loop on that one. Not in that she hated the idea, just that it sounded so weird coming from her of all Pros.
"Now! Places, ladies." Uwabami said, sashaying her way to the stage.
"This is going to be hell. I can just tell," Saki muttered to herself.
"Just a simple pose will do." Uwabami said. "One that screams 'stick it to the system'."
Saki raised an eyebrow. "...okay?"
"It'll come to you, believe me," Uwabami smirked.
"Well duh! I've totes got this down!" Camie beamed.
She was talking to me but...you do you, Saki thought.
"Stick it to the system? Hmmm, think I can manage," Hana nodded.
"Use your charms, ladies. Be subtle, but enough to be discussed. That's the greatest weapon a pretty lady can have. Subtle..." Uwabami hummed. "'Manipulation' is such a mean word. Let's call it 'enticing'."
Huh. I might actually steal that line, Saki considered before following Uwabami to the stage along with the other interns.
Saki went through the commercial shoot with a hint of reluctance, following instructions to strike poses and flash smiles. As the camera snapped and the lights gleamed, her mind couldn't help but linger on Uwabami's earlier words. During the photo session, Saki couldn't help but notice how effortlessly Hana and Camie brought Uwabami's vision to life. The camera and onlookers were captivated by their smiles, body language, and subtle gestures.
And then there was her. Awkwardly...just posing and trying to look tougher than she really was.
Saki frowned. Damn it.
"Aaaaaand cut!" the director called after a few hours of filming.
As the director called for a break, Saki couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration bubbling within her. She watched as Hana and Camie received praise and positive feedback from the director and the crew. Saki, however...not so much. She felt like the odd one out, the amateur amidst professionals.
...despite the fact she was the only one with that experience.
"Just rusty, right? For one reason or another," Uwabami said suddenly.
"Yeah. Whatever." Saki huffed, looking away from the snake hero.
"Y'know, the reason I took you in was because of your idol background. You had such a fun group back then." Uwabami explained.
"For a while." Saki rolled her eyes.
"...and I'm also familiar with what happened."
"Are you now?" Saki asked, a bit incredulously.
"Yeah." Uwabami's face went dark. She looked back to the other two, who were getting pampered. "Follow me." Uwabami motioned for the idol to follow her into her office.
Saki raised a brow before following behind her. Second unexpected thing in this internship, but the first major one.
Saki followed Uwabami into a room that was hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the studio. It was like a small, secret Batcave, and it left her momentarily stunned. The room was filled with screens displaying news articles, images, and other information. There were also costumes and outfits from Uwabami's old photo shoots...and some costumes she'd never seen, carefully preserved and hung up like museum pieces.
"What is this place?" Saki asked.
"My headquarters. Where I do my real hero work." Uwabami said.
"Real hero...so you just pretend to just be a TV personality?"
"If that's how you wanna describe it, sure. Heroes are allowed to have side jobs and the commercials, the modeling...that's my side job."
"...interesting." Saki said, now invested.
"Besides, when villains see me, they'll let their guard down. After all, why would they have any reason to be scared of a hero who seems more concerned with the money-making side of being a Pro?"
"What's your real job?" Saki asked.
"Security detail." Uwabami explained. "Like a bodyguard from the shadows. I protect people who need it, discreetly. Heroes can't be everywhere, and sometimes, people require a different kind of assistance. That's where I come in."
"That's...that's actually-" Saki began.
"Pretty cool?" Uwabami finished with a smirk.
"Y-yeah."
"Now, how would you like to join me on my latest assignment?" Uwabami grinned.
The mission was simple- help some government officials make it through an airport. The guy had a lot of assassination attempts on him recently, because he was outspoken about some agenda that people were for and his fellow politicians were against.
Simple enough, right?
There was just one problem. A few days before, the official had received a few different death threats, not exactly uncommon for a politician, but most of the time those threats were just empty words. A handful of threats, however, seemed to be more legitimate. They were all signed off by someone simply calling themselves "Rorsach." Now, that set off some alarm bells already. The name Rorsach had been connected to a series of murders across Japan, ranging from those with a political motivation to those that seemed to have no bigger goal in mind. But what really sent people scrambling was the fourth threat the official received.
"You went make it to the on-ramp. Van Banshee will make sure of it," one of the letters ended off, the sentence created with various letter clippings like some of the most famous criminals. But that name, Van Banshee, was the biggest red flag. Van Banshee was an international mercenary of Dutch origin, styling himself after the great vampire hunter of fiction, Van Hellsing. While he hadn't been caught, he was connected to jobs across the globe, ranging from robbery to, of course, assassinations.
Saki and Uwabami were disguised, walking behind the person they were supposed to be protecting. Hiding in plain sight, with Uwabami wearing a flight stewardess outfit, and Saki in 'tired business women' attire for a lack of a better description.
"Guard up." Uwabami instructed. "This Van Banshee guy isn't as discreet as he seems."
"Are we talking explosives or something?" Saki asked.
"Sometimes. But his profile indicated a fondness for blades, much like the Hero Killer."
"Topical." Saki rolled her eyes.
"Very." Uwabami said, checking her wig. Her snake hair was carefully obscured under a black wig. How did she do it? Saki had no clue. But it was a VERY good disguise.
"And what's the thing that gives him away?"
"His eye and his hat," Uwabami answered, scanning the crowd.
"Eye description."
"A guy you can tell who's staring at you, sizing you up. You just feel fearful all of a sudden."
"And the hat?"
"Stupid looking."
"That went without saying," Saki smirked.
"Wide brimmed and, if he's stupid, he'll be sporting a bunch of paper strips by it," Uwabami said.
The official was making his way closer to the boarding tunnel of the plane he was meant to board. If Banshee was gonna strike, it'd have to be soon if Rorsach's threat was serious.
Saki scanned the crowd, looking everyone up and down. So different from before. Here I was ready to dismiss the beauty pageant queen.
"Hey, ten o'clock, got something," Uwabami said.
A man in a large black trenchcoat, sporting the hat the snake hero described earlier, was walking in the same direction as the official. He bumped into a guy with large bat ears and wings while he was on a phone call.
"Hey, watch where you're going," the bat-man warned.
"Sorry about that, little tired from my trip," the man apologized with a slight Dutch accent. Of course, the bat businessman hadn't even noticed he'd been injected with something.
The bat businessman shrugged it off. He could relate. Y'know, now that he mentioned it, he had this weird headache in his head. Maybe poor old Bunri needed to lay down when he got in the taxi.
If he got to the taxi. His body suddenly felt like it was on fire!
He doubled over, arms crossing his chest as he fell to his knees. A good Samaritan noticed that and went to go check on him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, buddy. You good?" the well-meaning individual asked, but they didn't get an answer. At least, not one they could understand. The businessman let out a guttral growl as fur began to cover his body, as if he was a werewolf. His bat ear elongated as is teeth sharpened into fangs. A pair of bat wings ripped free from his shirt, knocking the civilian back and starting a small panic in the airport.
Van Banshee smirked as part one of his plan had started, taking out two more injectors and targeting a guy with green needles instead of proper hair and a guy with a small flame atop his head.
"Perfect," Van Banshee said before throwing the injectors out, only for them to instead stab into two thrown chairs from a nearby café, "The hell?!"
Uwabami narrowed her eyes. "There's our guy. Think you can subdue the bat?"
"U-uh, maybe?" Saki asked.
"Good enough." Uwabami said, running towards Van Banshee. Was she nuts? She had no discernable weapon on her. How was she gonna defend from knives!?
"Banshee!" Uwabami yelled after leaping into the air. By the time the mercenary had turned to face the source of the call out, the serpent hero's foot had already struck his chest, knocking him off his feet. He was able to expertly recover though, drawing a shining katana blade.
"Really?" They sent you? The fashion model?" Banshee jeered, "Who do they think I AM?! Some D-lister?!"
"'They' know exactly who you are. Van Banshee, wanted in at least 16 different countries for assault, kidnapping, extortion, assassination, murder, conspiracy...need I go on?" Uwabami smirked.
Van Banshee's smile grew. "Ooooh. Now, this is interesting...you're more knowledgeable than I once thought."
"What, because I prattled on basic facts? More than a pretty face." Uwabami flicked her hair.
"Formerly pretty face." Van Banshee mocked, before producing a knife from his sleeve.
Uwabami narrowed her eyes before Banshee just tossed the knife at her. Much to his and Saki's surprise, she managed to grab the blade out of the air with her bare hand before tossing it into the tile below.
Van Banshee smirked. "Well now...now I'm intrigued."
"That's more like it." Uwabami smirked. The fashion model had something called a "sleeper build". It refers to a body type in which a person appears to lack significant muscle mass and is not noticeably powerful when not flexing. Sleeper builds are in shape, but they wear baggy clothes so their muscles only show when they flex.
Uwabami was much stronger than she looked, which she properly demonstrated when Van Banshee threw another few knives. Uwabami dodged the attacks, and closed the distance between the two in seconds. Uwabami did a cartwheel kick, connecting her foot with Van Banshee's chest, sending him staggering backward.
Van Banshee grinned, clearly enjoying the challenge. "Not bad, snake lady."
Uwabami didn't respond with words. Instead, she unleashed a barrage of precise strikes and acrobatic moves, forcing Van Banshee to use his agility to evade her attacks. They danced around each other, the room filled with the sound of blows landing and weapons clashing. Saki wanted to watch more, but she had a bat to stop.
The man-bat roared as he just snapped his jaws wildly at anything and anyone that got too close. Whatever Van Banshee had used on him had seemingly driven him feral.
Saki frowned, as the man started to flap his wings. Shit, not good. Saki pulled out a few cards, and tossed them at the man. The sharp cards sliced through the air, finding their mark on the man-bat's wings. He let out a pained screech as he lost altitude, crashing to the ground. Saki quickly approached, cautiously keeping her distance.
"Stay down," She held more cards in her hand, ready to use them if need be.
The man-bat growled before spinning around and screaming in Saki's face with a powerful sonic attack. The sudden move caught the card-dealer off guard, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying into a pillar. The man-bat slammed his hands into the ground to act as anchors as he boosted the power of its scream. Saki screamed as she tried to cover her ears, her eyes quickly bouncing around the area to find something she could use to shut him up!
Saki's eyes quickly scanned a gift shop, which had some towels. Maybe she could shove them in his mouth?
It'd have to do. She quickly summoned cards between her fingers and threw it at the man-bat. The razor-edged card managed to nick one of the rampant civilian's ears, causing them to flinch in pain and dropping their sonic screech for a minute, much to Saki's relief. She raced over to the gift shop and scooped up some of the towels in her arms. The man-bat quickly recovered from the nick and let out more short sonic screams. Saki dodged out of the way of each sonic blast, getting closer and closer to her target. She huddled the towels together into a ball right before the last blast. She dodged out of the way and timed her net move with the second it opened its mouth again. Right as the sonic energy "charged up-"
Fwomph! Saki shoved the wad of towels into the open maw of the bat.
"Gotcha," Saki smirked.
Saki got to work shoving cards all over his body, to carefully subdue him. Didn't want him getting hurt, this was a normal salaryman underneath.
The cards cut and slashed into the man-bat, just making him angrier. Without their sonic scream, they only had their brute strength to rely on. The rampaging civilian tried to swat aside Saki and her cards like annoying gnats.
"Come on, just stick in his body, you stupid, flimsy cards-!" Saki cursed.
And then one of the cards found its mark. Funnily enough, it was a literal ace up her sleeve. The card jabbed into the rampaging animal Quirk holder harmlessly, stopping them in their tracks. His body twitched for a moment before the card fully sank in and he just shut down, falling unconscious as soon as the card did its work.
Saki huffed, slumping to the ground. Suddenly I wish I was doing some modeling...
Meanwhile, the fight between the two professional Quirk-users was at an interesting stalemate. No matter what kind of swordplay Van Banshee tried, no matter how flashy or intricate, Uwabami just had a perfect counter to it. But for all of Uwabami's martial arts prowess, Van Banshee could block just as well. Whenever the serpent hero launched a kick towards the mercenary, instead of his face or his chest, the strike met with the flat of the katana. Whenever the katana was thrust forward to stab Uwabami, she was able to easily parry it aside.
Of course, that didn't mean neither of them landed hits. For every parried sword strike, there was a roundhouse kick or a sucker punch that landed. For every blocked kick, a palm strike connected or a serpent bite pierced flesh. The only reason Van Banshee was still standing was that Uwabami's snakes weren't venomous.
"You've got style, snake lady, but where's the venom in your bite? I was hoping for something more...poisonous!" Van Banshee lunged forward.
Uwabami evaded the attack. You talk too much," She replied coolly, a hint of annoyance in her voice. She shifted her stance and launched a swift roundhouse kick at Van Banshee's head, aiming to catch him off guard.
Van Banshee leaned back, narrowly avoiding the kick. "Oh, come on, show me that famous Uwabami charm! I thought you'd be more exciting! Lights, camera, action type crap."
"Please don't confuse spectacle with combat. That's so annoying." Uwabami said.
Van Banshee's grin widened as he withdrew his katana slightly, causing it to emit a low, ominous hum. He swung it in a wide arc, and as the blade connected with the air, a powerful shockwave shot out from it, tearing through the surroundings like a sonic boom. The walls and debris in the vicinity rattled and quivered from the force of the attack.
Uwabami's eyes narrowed as she felt the shock wave approaching. She leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the destructive force. Even with her evasion, the shockwave still grazed her, sending her sliding across the floor and creating a shallow cut on her arm.
"There's a spectacle." Van Banshee smirked.
Van Banshee! Quirk: Sonic Slash. Van Banshee's Quirk allows him to charge his giant sword with sound waves, creating an incredibly powerful shockwave upon impact with a solid object or opponent. This shockwave can blast opponents away or shatter solid objects upon contact, making it an effective tool for both offense and defense.
Van Banshee continued to unleash powerful Sonic Slashes, each one sending a devastating shockwave toward the snake hero. She gracefully dodged and deflected some of the attacks, but the relentless onslaught began to back her into a corner. The room trembled as the shockwaves tore through walls and debris, creating chaos all around.
Van Banshee grinned triumphantly as he watched Uwabami's struggle. "Impressive as you are, snake lady, you can't dance forever. Looks like the snake charmer has run out of tunes!"
Uwabami, however, remained composed despite the dire situation. She analyzed Van Banshee's movements and the rhythm of his attacks. He hadn't noticed it, but his body was getting slower. Stiffer. It was taking effect.
"You have a point..." Uwabami said. "But the show's not over until the curtain falls."
As Van Banshee prepared for another Sonic Slash, Uwabami narrowly avoided the impending shockwave, her instincts guiding her like a seasoned warrior. Keep them underestimating your abilities. She thought, quickly closing the distance between her and Van Banshee.
Launching herself into the air, she delivered a powerful Chapeu de Couro kick. Van Banshee had little time to react. The force of the kick struck him HARD in the chest, and he was sent flying backward, into a wall.
The assassin managed to stagger back to his feet, determination still burning in his eyes. He prepared to launch another attack, raising his katana, but before he could make a move, an unexpected sensation coursed through his body.
Van Banshee's limbs suddenly froze, and he found himself unable to move, trapped within his own body. He tried to summon his strength, to resist whatever force was inhibiting him, but it was futile.
"Whoops," Uwabami taunted, "My bites aren't venomous...they're paralytic."
Van Banshee's katana fell from his grip, clattering to the ground as he remained unable to move. He grit his teeth, glaring at the female hero approaching. As Uwabami read him his rights, Van Banshee could only seethe in silence. This job had unraveled before his eyes, and he was left helpless and defeated. His mercenary career had taken an unexpected and ignominious turn.
...and to be defeated by a C-lister? Humiliating.
After the cops left with Van Banshee in an armored car headed for Tartarus and the bat guy was treated properly, Saki and Uwabami took their leave.
"I still don't get it." Saki said. "Why not make this side of your life your public one? You'd have a lot more fans this way. Besides, you could probably put perform Edgeshot with this personal security side of you."
"That's the thing. Expectations can really, really, bite you." Uwabami frowned.
"Huh?"
"Everyone expects the Uwabami they see in front of the cameras. The glamorous, charismatic hero who knows how to strike a pose and dazzle the audience." Uwabami frowned. "I'm a PR prop. And it sucks. It's what the public safety HQ wants- a hero who can promote whatever small business they need on the market or whatever."
Saki nodded, starting to understand the dilemma. "Maybe someday, you'll find a way to balance both sides of your life and show the world the real Uwabami."
"Maybe." Uwabami sighed. "I just keep saying to myself what I've been saying ever since I was young- it's about doing what's right, even when it's not in the spotlight."
"Did you intend for it to rhyme?" Saki asked.
"Nope." Uwabami sighed. "Anyways, I'm starved. You want a meal?"
"What about the other two students?" Saki asked.
"Ahhh, I'm sure they're fine." Uwabami scoffed.
(Somehow they'd set off a glitter bomb prop back at the Uwabami agency headquarters.
They CLAIMED it wasn't their fault, but the janitors made them clean it up anyways.)
Ryuji Takahashi
May 7th, 20XX
Professor Jaune Arc
Making the Most
So Mogana was gonna be honest. When she was assigned Gang Orca, she assumed she'd be the only person on board his ship.
Inasa was...a welcome surprise. As was Ryuji.
...she wasn't sure they exactly fit this job description.
Just take a look at all of the students here. Mogana was an expert swimmer with a powerful Quirk that could be used well both offensively and in a utility manner, her increased lung capacity and swimming skills were a natural fit for underwater missions, one of the types Gang Orca specialized in. She didn't want to brag much, but she was a perfect addition to Gang's agency.
Inasa's Quirk was definitely powerful, there wasn't any question about that. Controlling the winds themselves made him a powerhouse, even indoors. But his costume seemed a bit too bulky to be effective in water, more likely to sink to the bottom really. As for Ryuji, he seemed the least fitting. His Quirk had its uses, but most of that usefulness came from the jumps he could make and there wouldn't be many surfaces to jump off of in the water.
"I'm so PUMPED!" Inasa yelled, as he walked up the board to the boat. "Gang Orca's an underrated hero!"
"He's in the top 15, though." Ryuji noted.
"Top 15 can be underrated!" Inasa countered.
"I mean...he's right," Mogana noted, "It's mostly because of that stupid 'Heroes Who Most Look Like Villains.' Why is that even an official list?"
"Some people just find it amusing, I guess," Ryuji shrugged.
"Their sense of humor must be poorly developed then..."
Truth be told, Ryuji was skeptical of his role here. Sure, if he had a water strider quirk, he'd be useful. But following SOME events in his life, he was having his doubt. Everyone had such...varied powers, and here he was, basic as could be.
Not always easy being a small fish in a big pond.
"Ah, new interns, right?" one of Gang's sidekicks asked, part of their welcoming party.
Now, usually the sidekicks employed by other Pros all had their own unique costumes, keeping their own brand alive even if they were part of a bigger agency. For instance, even though she worked for the Endeavor Agency, the flaming sidekick Burnin' had a line of merchandise all her own due to her own incredible popularity. But Orca preferred a little bit of a more uniform approach. Quite literally. Each of his sidekicks had the same type of outfit and equipment, despite whatever their actual Quirk might be. The uniform consisted of a black skin-tight bodysuit, decorated with white lines over their torsos, and tan armor padding around their shoulders, midsection, and legs. Their full-face masks sported six diamond-shaped eyes arranged in a circular dice-like pattern.
In combat, they were usually given chemical guns to deal with varying situations. These chemical throwing Support Items could be loaded with varying mixtures that, when fired, would yield results varying from fast-acting cement for subduing and restraining foes to fire extinguishing foam.
"That's...us, yes," Mogana said, a bit surprised by the outfit, "Where's...?"
"Orca? Below deck, looking over some intel we just got," the sidekick answered.
"Sir!" Inasa saluted so hard he nearly slapped the cap off his head. "AN HONOR TO WORK WITH YOU!"
"Well, aren't you a passionate one?" The sidekick asked. "You can call me 21."
"21? Just a number?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah. It's our ranks. 1-100. I'm on the up and up! I was 76 a few months ago." 21 explained.
"So...what? Are we not even on that list, being interns?" Mogana asked.
"Well, Shiketsu doesn't want us 'demeaning' you kids, so...yeah. You're on the list."
"Ok, so then...what are our numbers?" Ryuji asked.
"You'll be...101, 102 and 103." 21 explained.
"Ok...not that bad I guess," Ryuji said.
"Do we need to wear those as well?" Mogana asked.
"Well since you have your own costumes probably not," 21 guessed.
Oh thank god. Mogana thought. Those are the ugliest costumes I've ever seen.
"Shame, because they're the coolest costumes ever." 21 sighed. "Anyways, lemme bring you to the big man!"
Following 21's lead, the trio of students made their way to the lower levels of the ship. Orca's setup was very impressive, complete with up-to-date maps for both the city itself and the waters beyond the bay. Several other side kicks were all moving about what could effectively be considered a military-level command center. Some were sitting at stations and checking police scanners, others were doing maintenance on equipment. Gang Orca himself was overseeing some of the most recent requests for heroes, dispatching his sidekicks to handle some of the lower-level threats.
The first thing you could say about Gang Orca is that he was...very, very domineering. His towering figure and the imposing tone in his voice made it clear that he was in charge, and his deep, resonant voice carried an air of authority that demanded respect.
As the three students stood before him on the ship, Gang Orca gave them a stern look. "I hope you all understand the gravity of this week," he rumbled. "This isn't gonna be a cake walk- you will be treated like you've been in this field all your life."
"SIR YES SIR!" Inasa yelled, saluting again. Gang Orca shot him a look.
"Don't. Yell." Orca frowned. "My ears work fine."
"Sorry sir!" Inasa immediately apologized.
"21, the report on them?" Orca asked, holding out a hand. Without any hesitation, 21 handed him a clipboard with all of the relevant information on them. He knew their Quirks already, but he wanted more than that. He wanted to really know who he was working with here.
"Hmmmm..." the killer whale hero hummed.
"What are we working with?" Mogana asked.
"That's the question I was asking myself. I already know your Quirks, but Quirks are just half of it," Orca said.
"I meant on the mission." Mogana clarified.
"I haven't decided what mission you're doing yet."
Mogana sighed. "Alright. You guys heard him. We're on ship duty."
"What?" Ryuji asked, as Mogana walked off. "Where are you headed?"
"To find a bucket and mop. If we're not doing training exercises, we're picking up for the heroes." Mogana explained. "So, chop chop."
"Sir! Those floors will be so clean you could eat off them!" Inasa said.
Orca actually raised a brow at that. He turned to 21 as if to ask "Did you tell them something?" but the sidekick only shrugged. This was all Mogana's initiative.
Ryuji huffed. Fun. He looked the most disappointed.
"Hm." Gang Orca watched the group walk off, curiosity piqued about the girl. "She seems most ready to work…
Mogana had only had one job in her life. She worked at a grocery store as a produce manager during her middle school career. It was a cheap job, but pay WAS pay. Her manager's policy was "whenever there isn't anything to stock, cleaning is your only other responsibility."
Mogana's work ethic kicked in when she went with Inasa and Ryuji to clean the decks of the ship. She worked hard at the job because she was determined to make the ship's floors clean. She got a mop and bucket and got to work. Ryuji watched her clean with a small bit of interest- she paid attention to every detail, ensuring that every nook and cranny was spotless.
Resting his chin on the mop handle, Ryuji's thoughts drifted to what he had heard about Mogana's motivation. He recalled that Zenkichi had mentioned she was driven by money, and her dedication to this cleaning task certainly reflected that.
Inasa, however, was...somehow just as passionate. He tackled his cleaning duties with a fervor that matched Mogana's dedication.
It sort of annoyed him how comfortable they were with this scenario, but, what could he honestly do?
This life is the only way I could use my powers. Ryuji thought, as he dipped his mop in the bucket. But every chance I've gotten has been squandered by some type of stupid detraction. I'm not even sure the school knows what to do with me...why did Mr. Arc send me here?*
Yes, a good question. Why did Mr. Arc send him here? What did Mr. Arc see in him, and what did he hope Ryuji would achieve in this environment? The answer remained elusive, adding to Ryuji's sense of unease and uncertainty about his future.
Where would he go?
"Hey. Ryuji." Mogana said, snapping him out of his reverie. "Pick up the pace. We gotta round this entire ship."
"Yes, ma'am..." He sighed, starting to put some hustle into his bustle.
21 and Orca both just observed the students for a moment during this, the former both amused at how serious cleaning was being taken here and surprised at how well the students were taking to this. It might not have been the most glamorous of first jobs for an internship, but if they applied this to every job during their tenure here, it'd be some good marks. That's what Orca seemed to think as well. He looked to the PDA he held, an idea already coming to his mind. It shouldn't be anything too dangerous if his sources were accurate, which they usually were. He brought up a case he was looking into and read over the details again. 21 leaned over to look at the PDA as well.
"You're gonna take them on this case?" 21 asked.
"Thinking about it. Perp's Quirk isn't exactly the strongest we've ever dealt with, but their support items are nothing to joke about..." Orca hummed.
"That's kinda why I'm concerned. Guy's been building up, putting more and more items into his suit."
"We have a list of what he stole," Orca reassured.
"But we don't have a list of what he smuggled in. Guy's got connections."
"A perfect test for them then. It'll let them think in the heat of battle. And if you really think I'll let them get hurt, you clearly haven't been with the agency long enough," the killer whale hero shook his head.
"Oh, I know you won't, it's just...well I mean..." 21 was floundering for a counterpoint here, but couldn't really find one, "Crap...ok, you got me. Point Gang Orca. So when are we telling them?"
"When Mogana decides the ship's spotless. Got some last minute prep-work to handle, then we move on them tomorrow."
21 gave him a weird look. "...hm."
"What?"
"You called Number 101 by her real name." 21 said.
"...so?"
"You never do that."
"On missions. To protect your identities in case any criminals try to get revenge on whoever put them away," Orca clarified.
"Yeah, but you never do that in general." 21 smirked. "Something tells me you like her spirit."
"...maybe." Gang Orca said.
"Awww, you do have a soft spot-"
"I will demote you down to 104."
"Shutting up now!" 21 quickly said.
When Mogana was finally satisfied with her work...she almost started on wiping down the walls of the ship until Gang Orca stopped the group.
"101, 102, 103," Orca called out, "You can stop cleaning."
"How...how long did we spend doing that?" Ryuji asked.
"I wasn't keeping track. A few hours maybe," Mogana shrugged.
"It's helped build character!" Inasa said.
It helped me realize how gross ships are. Ryuji shuddered.
"Good news, I'm taking you on a proper mission," Orca nodded.
Ryuji lit up. "F-for real!?"
"YES!" Inasa yelled. "Where are we going!?"
"Oh! Right, forgot to give you these earlier," 21 chuckled nervously before handing each of the students their own PDA.
"Details are on those. We're taking down an illegal support item distributor," Orca said.
"Illegal support items? That's a thing, huh..." Mogana frowned. "I'm guessing they're stolen or cheaply constructed."
"Stolen, smuggled in from out of the country, cheaply constructed or outright recreated with the same quality. Plenty of freelance black market support item producers in high places..."
"And I'm betting there's some intense villain behind the job!" Isana grinned.
"...intense is a very weighted word." Gang Orca said.
"...I'm sorry is that...is that actually the guy's villain name?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes."
"What?" Isana asked, looking confused.
"Just...look." Mogana sighed, rubbing the temple of her forehead.
"Froggie Mercury," Ryuji said.
Aaaand Inasa just burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh." Gang Orca said. "Despite his stupid name, he's a very dangerous personality. Especially with the support items he's got. He rivals some support gear from I-Island."
"Wait seriously?" Inasa stopped laughing immediately.
"I-Island's...that's a high bar to meet," Mogana said.
"Indeed. That's why we need to bring his operation to an end," Orca said, "He's expecting a shipment from one of his connections in South America that arrives tomorrow. We're confiscating the shipment and putting Mercury behind bars."
"That means no room for errors." Mogana said, adjusting her glasses. "We're treading dangerous waters if something goes awry."
Okay, no stretch. Ryuji thought.
"We'll be split into teams for the job...21, you'll be with me. As will the rest of you," Orca said.
"Wow, we're getting to be your backup!? Awesome." Inasa grinned.
"Not awesome." Ryuji said. "We'll have to be on high alert. This mission just reached the zenith of its importance."
"No idea what that word means, but okay!"
"Zenith's just a fancy way of saying 'the height' of something. So yeah, pretty damn important," 21 explained.
"Awesoooooome," Inasa grinned.
"You kids are expected to treat this like the most important mission of your entire life." Gang Orca said. "Understood?"
"Understood." Ryuji saluted.
"Yes sir," Mogana saluted as well.
"You got it!" Inasa cheered, pumping his fist into the air.
Gang Orca turned around. "Now. Let's get to work..."
The day had finally arrived for the take down. The shipment was arriving at one of the many warehouses on the waterfront in the middle of the night. Of course, Froggie Mercury's crew wasn't small. Several armed thugs, carrying mostly blunt and bladed weapons, though some did carry small arms, patrolled the shipping yard outside the warehouse in question. Froggie Mercury was walking up to the warehouse with his second-in-command, clad in a high-tech battle/diving suit with a froghead shaped helmet, the mouth serving as the visor.
As it stood, four teams would be moving in to take down the amphibious arms dealer, the lead group being headed by, of course, Gang Orca.
The groups were outfitted in specialized costumes, made for water traversal- while Mogana was relatively unaffected with her outfit becoming black and white, Inasa and Ryuji got some drastic 'changes'. Inasa's costume looked like something a diver would wear, whereas Ryuji's outfit became blue and black with some underwater paraphernalia attached.
"Apologies if they're a bit different." 21 explained. "Tried to work with what we had."
"It's fine." Ryuji said.
"I think it works pretty well!" Inasa grinned, trying to keep his voice down.
"Inexpensive. So, I'm fine with it." Mogana said.
"Good." Gang Orca frowned. "We're gonna surround him. We'll be taking him from the back."
"We'll make sure it's quick."
"Won't know what hit him," Ryuji nodded.
Gang Orca led them to a hatch down at the back of the boat- a secret diving exit. This is how they'd approach the villain. Orca jumped into the water, and the students followed. One by one, they dove into the water, fully committed to the mission.
Inasa was even more pumped for this than he usually was, the professionalism Gang Orca displayed, the planning, the set-up, it almost reminded him of a spy movie. Which was awesome! Mogana was also impressed with the way Orca handled things. The faculty told her not to get too attached to the agency they were interning at as there was only a small chance they'd actually return here, but everything just felt right for her. It was hard to put into precise words.
Ryuji was just following what he was being told. He had no real...attachments. No stakes. This was just a standard mission.
That sort of felt weird.
"Clear on the plan new guys?" 21 asked over the radio.
"Perfectly," Mogana confirmed.
"Just need to hit Froggie fast and hard so we're at risk from his Quirk," Ryuji said.
"And we're MADE to hit hard and fast." Inasa smirked.
"Good." 21 said, swimming towards the boat. "Let's get this bread."
Silence.
"Sorry, trying to play to your young-"
"Don't." Ryuji sighed.
"Yeah, no, I realized it as soon as I heard it," 21 sighed.
"Closing in on target. 21," Orca ordered.
"Right!" 21 swam ahead, before surfacing. He swam around to the boat's back, and located a ladder. Bingo.
But he had to time it right. He heard one of the grunts on patrol on the deck, their footsteps thudding against the deck. 21 could deal with two birds at once here if he just got the timing right. The guard was getting closer and closer, judging by the sounds of his steps. Just a few more seconds and...
Once the guard was right by the ladder, 21 struck out, grabbing the thug and covering his mouth with his glove. He then pulled the guy overboard and into the water, knocking him out and slapping cuffs on him. The sidekick then turned to the rest of the team and gave a thumbs up, the all-clear signal.
Ryuji stepped over the knocked out thugs, and hummed. He did that so efficiently. Without a quirk, too. Impressive.
"This is amazing," Inasa beamed.
"It is, we get it. Stay focused," Mogana said, taking the lead for the trio of students, "Next stage sir?"
"21, take the kids and secure the bridge. If I'm right, our perp's gonna be in the cargo hold checking the merchandise," Orca ordered.
"On it, boss," 21 nodded.
Gang Orca's orders were clear: secure the bridge, and their target, Froggie Mercury, was expected to be in the cargo hold inspecting the merchandise. The students were ready for the next stage of the mission, determined to carry out their part efficiently.
"Let's keep it tight and stay quiet," Mogana whispered as they advanced through the dimly lit corridors of the ship. Her increased lung capacity allowed her to control her breath, ensuring they made minimal noise. Even Inasa was moving quietly, using his Whirlwind to quietly hover. And Ryuji was just...walking normally.
I have a quiet walk already, so...
"How are you doing that?" 21 whispered.
"Just...natural talent?" Ryuji shrugged.
"Dude. That's cool." 21 muttered.
"...thanks?"
"No, seriously! That's amazing! That makes you perfect for stealth missions like this!"
"I thought 'stealth missions' required radio silence," Mogana deadpanned.
"No one's here right now. Most of the goons are out in the shipping yard, the bridge, or in the cargo bay. We're fine!"
Inasa landed on the ground. "And it's smooth sailing from here, probably!"
"Don't add that 'probably'." Mogana rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you might jinx it," someone new said, their voice carrying a slight metallic echo to it.
"See, he gets it-" Mogana paused before everyone turned around.
"Yeah, I do get it. Now why don't you all be good little stowaways," Froggie Mercury began, taking aim with a wrist-mounted blaster, "and tell me what the hell you're doing on my ship."
"Shit! That's our guy!" 21 yelled, aiming his weapon at Froggie. He fired off a shot of concrete, hoping to nail the guy in the head, but Froggie dodged it with ease. He fired his weapon at the sidekick, a dart striking his shoulder.
21 looked at the dart, panic immediately rushing into his mind. If that dart had a byproduct of his Quirk, he was done for. Imagine his relief when he didn't see a purple fluid flowing through it. Froggie Mercury's eyes widened behind his visor before checking his wrist weapon. He forgot to distill the poison. He facepalmed, his glove clanging against his helmet, before he flipped a switch on.
"You got lucky!" Froggie Mercury tried to cover his mistake, "Now you're going to-"
CRASH! Ryuji suddenly leapt into the fray and landed a powerful kick to Froggie's chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him falling backwards with a heavy thud.
"Why do villains always try that?" Ryuji asked. Froggie Mercury just growled and pressed a button on his suit, a klaxon suddenly sounding throughout the whole ship and echoing into the shipping yard beyond. From there, chaos errupted. With their cover blown, Gang Orca's sidekicks' hands were forced. They leapt out of cover and began enaging in brawls all over the place, engaging thugs in hand-to-hand and firing at them with their chemical throwers.
Ryuji darted towards a group of thugs who were trying to regroup, his agility and grasshopper-like reflexes allowing him to land precise and powerful blows. His legs connected with their targets with devastating effect, sending thugs tumbling to the ground. Inasa unleashed the power of his wind, targeting thugs with blasts of wind to knock them off balance.
Mogana knew that her Quirk wasn't particularly offensive on land, but she wasn't about to back down from the fight. With determination in her eyes, she dodged incoming attacks and her strength to deliver powerful strikes, taking down adversaries one by one.
She's stronger than she looks. Ryuji thought, as Mogana unleashed a sonic scream that knocked an opponent back into a wall.
As for Inasa, a trio of thugs dashed at him, each armed with some kind of melee weapon, be it a pipe or a metal baton, but they didn't even manage to land a single hit. Galeforce winds swirled arounds Inasa's arm before he opened his palm and let the winds slam into the thugs, knocking them off their feet and launching them right back down the hall they came from. More thugs appeared to try and bash in the would-be heroes' heads, but the ever-cheerful Galeforce just kept blasting them back with powerful gusts.
That left 21, Ryuji, and Mogana to deal with the boss. Froggie Mercury looked at the three heroes and chuckled a bit to himself.
"So, what? Orca couldn't be bothered to come himself? He sent one of his faceless lackys and a buncha kids to take me down. And people call me a villain!" the metallic amphibian arms dealer snarked.
"For good reason," Mogana countered.
"Eh, maybe. But at least I don't send a bunch of interns to their deaths."
With that, Froggie began his attack. He took aim with both of his, now-filled, dart blasts and began opening fire. The tight quarters of the hallway did make things a bit difficult when it came to dodging, but Ryuji didn't mind. He was practically bouncing off of every wall like a ball, making it a bit harder for the darts to actually find their mark.
Mogana used her Quirk in small doses, the soundwaves strong enough to stop the darts mid-air before falling harmlessly to the floor. It wasn't her first option, but considering the battlefield wasn't exactly the most open, she didn't have much of a choice. When he realized the darts weren't going to work, the arms dealer brought out twin collapsible hatchets from clamps on his belt. He spun them in his hands before rushing towards 21. The Orca sidekick ducked under the first swing and taking the chance to punch at the villain himself. It wasn't the strongest punch, but it was enough to get the smuggler's attention. The second hatchet came down, aiming to sever 21's arm, but Mogana and Ryuji came to his rescue.
The grasshopper hero leapt in and kicked Froggie Mercury in the side of the head, bouncing off a wall and throwing off the villain's balance. The strike managed stop the smuggler's own hatchet strike. As for Mogana, she jumped in and unleashed a sonic scream at the villain, cracking his visor from the sheer sound.
Froggie, realizing his attacks weren't effective against the heroes, decided to utilize his support items. He retrieved a small canister from one of the compartments on his high-tech battle/diving suit. With a quick flick, he activated it, releasing a billowing cloud of smoke. The dense smoke rapidly filled the hallway, hindering visibility and impeding the heroes' accuracy in targeting him.
Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos, Froggie Mercury skillfully repositioned himself. Using his suit's advanced sensors, he skillfully maneuvered through the smoke. Although one of the lenses had been shattered by the girl with glasses, his navigation remained precise. He effortlessly detected one of the bothersome sidekicks.
Froggie had Ryuji in his sights, ready to strike.
Ports opened up at Froggie's finger tips before a slick purple liquid began to drip down.
Froggie Mercury! Quirk: Dart Frog! Along with the great leaping abilities of a frog, this Quirk lets Froggie secrete a powerful poison from his skin! Unfortunately, just like the poisons of actual dart frogs, Froggie's has no known cure!
As Froggie pounced at Ryuji, a figure swiftly sprang into action. In a truly selfless display of bravery, 21 fearlessly intercepted the attack that was originally intended for Ryuji.
Froggie's clawed fingers tore through 21's back, injecting the venomous poison directly into the sidekick's bloodstream. The sinister effects of the deadly substance began to take hold. A blood-curdling scream of agony erupted from 21's lips, echoing through the dimly lit corridor as the poison wrought havoc within his body.
"SIR!" Inasa yelled, using his quirk to remove the smokescreen.
"Eh, the sidekick's not bad. Was aiming for the kid though," Froggie growled.
21 coughed and gagged as he dropped to the floor. "S-sorry, kids..." He mumbled, as Mogana immediately rushed over to him.
"S-shit!" She cursed- he was already convulsing. Mogana didn't know much about frogs, let alone their toxins, but this didn't look good.
"Just stay still and you can join 'im," Froggie said, readying another one of his hatchets.
Ryuji's gaze locked onto 21, who writhed in agony on the floor, succumbing to the ravages of a lethal poison. He felt a surge of anger. That man had been nothing but supportive since they got on Gang Orca's boat. He needed to be avenged.
With lightning-fast speed and incredible agility, Ryuji pounced on the amphibious arms dealer, his reflexes resembling those of a grasshopper. Froggie barely had a moment to respond before Ryuji swiftly closed in.
Froggie was about to take a swing, but that was when Ryuji's foot slammed into the only other working lens that the villain had. The grasshopper hero-to-be was not having this. He was not about to let a murderer get away on his first real mission.
Blinded and disoriented, Froggie stumbled back, his vision compromised. Ryuji continued to press his advantage. He delivered a series of precise strikes, targeting vulnerable points on Froggie's high-tech battle/diving suit. With each blow, he disabled pieces of the suit, rendering the arms dealer's defenses useless.
"SCRAP! YOUR ARMOR IS ALL SCRAP!" Ryuji yelled.
"Wait-! No-! You can't just-!" Froggie tried to plead, but Ryuji was hearing none of it. He just kept beating down on Froggie with all the fury he could muster. Plates crunched and bent under the force of the hits. Froggie was no slouch in combat, but Ryuji's anger fueled his speed. The smuggler tried to strike at the grasshopper hero with another of his hatchets, but the intern managed to parry the strike and landed a combo of about six or seven consecutive kicks.
Inasa was still dealing with the various thugs that came his way, not the hardest job for him, but if he let up, then they'd be overwhelmed. Mogana was doing her best to try and keep 21 from convulsing but she wasn't the best doctor.
"Please tell me if someone has a healing or a medical Quirk!" Mogana radioed in, "21 is down, I repeat, 21 is down!"
Froggie's suit crunched and cracked under Ryuji's assault, glass shattering and circuits sparking after every kick. Froggie staggered, doing his best to stay on his feet, before Ryuji just landed a final roundhouse kick to knock the villain off his feet and knock the helmet off the smuggler's head.
The villain thudded to the floor as Ryuji looked down at the villain. He was half-tempted to make sure Froggie went down with the ship, quite literally, but his rage quickly died down and his focus shifted to 21. There had to be a way to save him, right?
"Water." Ryuji muttered, looking around. "We need water- or saline. Or something!"
"What!?" Inasa yelled.
"Flush the affected area with water or saline solution to remove as much of the poison as possible!" Ryuji yelled.
"...Mogana! Can you keep them at bay?!" Inasa asked.
"...I could, why?" the swim ace asked.
"My wind! I'd need to put in a lot of effort but I could carry the water here like a waterspout!"
"Are you kidding me?! Salt water's gonna make it worse!" Mogana yelled.
"Then how are we gonna-!?" Inasa screamed, before 21 raised his hands.
"There's...no need to freak out..." He coughed.
"There...there's not?! You were just convulsing!" Mogana yelled.
"No..." 21 coughed. "I'm probably not gonna-"
"Don't say that! There's still a fighting chance!" Inasa yelled.
"Not in this case. Never thought the bastard would be sick enough to use it on a bunch of rookies, but..." 21 closed his eyes. "Guess I was wrong."
"We are NOT losing you on our first mission! We are not!" Mogana promised.
"...losing me?" 21 blinked.
Mogana blinked. "Eh?"
"Hold on." 21 sighed. "Take off my mask. And unzip my costume."
The group stared at him.
"...what?" Mogana asked.
"Is...is this some...medical procedure we don't know?" Inasa asked, just as confused.
"Not one I know..." Ryuji muttered.
"Just...do it?" 21 asked.
Mogana reluctantly removed 21's mask, revealing his face. Instead of the expected flesh and blood, 21's face and chest were covered in a synthetic material resembling some kind of advanced technology.
"Ah," 21 coughed. "That hurt."
"What...is this?" Inasa said.
"Eh, just my quirk. I'm partially synthetic..." 21 winced.
"You're...a cyborg?" Ryuji asked.
"Yep."
The students stared at him.
"...what?"
"We thought you were going to DIE!" Mogana yelled, slapping the back of his head.
"It felt like I WAS! That was dart frog poison! Dart frog! That burns like crazy!" 21 explained.
Ryuji's eye twitched. "And you never thought to mention this WHY!?"
"Because! I didn't know he was psychotic like that!" 21 frowned.
"I thought my heart stopped for a minute there!" Mogana yelled, "What the hell?!"
"Sorry! I never really use this thing-" 21 threw up his hands, but the kids were groaning and walking away.
"Glad you're ok!" Inasa said, "But seriously, don't scare your interns like that!"
"I will have my therapy bills sent to you!" Mogana huffed.
"Okay, jeez! I get it!" 21 frowned.
"You're a dick." Ryuji huffed, walking away.
Thanks to Ryuji's surprise beatdown, Froggie was placed in handcuffs and loaded into the back of a police van along with some of his other thugs. His grand collection of support items was rounded and being catalogged on the spot for use as evidence. It was a weight off law enforcement's shoulders that Froggie's crew had been taken down, especially when they looked at some of the items he had. Water Pressure Manipulators, automatic chemical injector systems for adrenals and Trigger, and plenty of other items that turned normal Quirks into ammo for powerful weapon systems.
"With this sort of tech, it'd turn a petty street criminal into more than just a villian of the day." Gang Orca frowned, overlooking the tech. "The trigger stuff is especially worrying..."
"Agreed." A bandaged up 21 frowned. "Thank God we stopped him when we did."
"Agreed, 22."
"...I'm 21."
"After what you pulled with the kids? Consider yourself demoted."
"Wha-? Boss! I was hurt! That was like fire in my veins! I just forgot to tell them about my Quirk!" 21 tried to argue.
"Should have disclosed it earlier." Gang Orca said, with grit teeth and narrowed eyes.
"...fiiiine."
"Good. Now check up on the interns. And apologize if you haven'-"
"I have, I have! Countless times, believe me!" 21, now 22, said.
Gang Orca huffed. "Where are they, anyways?"
"That's...actually a good question..." 22 noted, looking around for the trio of students.
It was actually under Mogana's suggestion that the trio go back to scrubbing the deck of the ship. Her reasoning for it was, even though the mission was a success, they should at least leave things a little better than they left it. She was also ignoring the fact they did this when they first joined.
But this did give Ryuji some time to think, to reflect. Even though 21 was fine, he was focused on how he reacted when he still believed the sidekick was on death's door. He...he snapped. If it weren't for that suit, how likely would it be that Froggie would be wheeled away in an ambulance instead of in a police van? The smuggler deserved it, no doubt there, but Heroes didn't try to beat someone into a bloody pulp. That was never the goal. So why did he?
...was it wrong to feel this good about it? To just...let loose?
He didn't know.
And it'd stick with him for a while.