This chapter was a rushed one, partially because I spent more time than normal on other projects. However, with New Existence over and with me having no plans to do much with that series till next year, I'll be able to make up for this next week with the final chapter of the year.

Chapter 9: Charity Gala Farce

Never let it be said that the Hero Public Safety Commission was an unimportant, underfunded government agency. It was one of the most powerful organizations in modern Japan, being one of the strongest and most influential hero governing bodies in the world in the same ring as its counterparts found in the E.U, United States or China and it showed what was supposed to be a relatively simply gala dinner to celebrate how much was raised for the people of Raxus, ballooned into a massive social event that anyone who was anyone was expected to attend. Hosted in the Valorum Centre, a massive mushroom-shaped building that was one of the biggest stadiums/ entertainment center's in the world, and one of the grandest spots in all of Tokyo.

Using their massive influence, wealth and resources made securing such a location and preparing it for the night's events easy for the president. With the press out in full force, they and those watching at home could see as hundreds of guests arrived and walked into the venue, either stopping to wave or speak with reporters who merely posed for the cameras. In dresses and suits that cost more than most made in 6 months, the assembly of politicians, corporate executives, foreign guests such as ambassadors, support company representatives, media moguls and all other kinds of famous people arrived.

However, they were considered to be playing second fiddle to the real stars of the show, the heroes. Despite the time, the commission had elected to announce that a surprise hero billboard chart would also be held. The media had spent the last week theorizing about it, adding hype to the machine which only encouraged more attention in a self-sustaining cycle which ensured that any hero who wished to up their public image attended, while those who received an invitation would have been foolish to not attend. Just to attend to such a crowd required a small army of staff who patrolled the grounds, kept the press back, checked those who entered, prepared the food, and served it to the ever-growing crowd of people while also managing everything else.

Inside the massive building, the main area, which was surrounded by a 5-tier ring, had been decorated to the tee, with flower arrangements, large banners, intricate lightwork and silk fabric clothes hung around. The centre area was packed with people as they all conversed with one another, polite discussions about the latest investment, who captured who, which hero was doing particularly well so far, offers for partnerships or ambassadors offering pros good deals to spend time in their home country.

It was all disgusting as far as Kenmikoto was concerned, as this was meant to serve as a means to allow the rich, ignorant and uncaring to feel good about themselves, that they 'helped' those less fortunate. She hadn't thought that the commission would use it as a means to further their gains by including a slap hero billboard event but she could only blame herself for underestimating how morally bankrupt such an organization was. Now the entire thing was less about them, and being treated more like the opening night to some long-anticipated blockbuster where all the performers, directors, writers and other big-name staff would be in attendance.

Kenmikoto watched the entire thing from the 3rd ring, leaning against a pillar while she held a small wine glass in her gloved hand. Her eyes and ears saw and heard it all, reminding her of how…boring it all was, as she had been to such events in the past, far too many to care to count and it would appear even for a woman of age, that if you attend one of these things, you have attended them all as there was barely anything new to take him. However she found it amusing to see not only were the entirety of the top ten, but they all had forgone their hero costumes for the event. From what she had heard about them, it was quite an achievement from madam president to get people like Mirko and Hawks to respect the dress code, as the one who owned the place with her blood red dress which revealed just how muscular her leg was, while the other was stealing hearts in his silk black and red suit which complimented his wings.

All Might had the most attention from others, with Endeavour not even close with the man being as approachable as normal. However, she raised an eyebrow when she saw that the number 2 hadn't come along, having brought along his youngest if her sources were correct, his dual white and red hair sticking out like a sore thumb as the boy wore a white and blue suit, as if trying to contrast his father's black and orange one. She kept her attention on him for a moment, wondering why the man decided that tonight would be a good night to unveil his masterpiece when the brat wasn't even in U.A. yet but then again, the flame hero was nothing but ambitious and no doubt had no fear that his child wouldn't make it, so seemingly decided that tonight would be a great time for the boy to gain some connections of his own, before anyone in his future class even had the chance.

"It would seem that the number two is trying to give his boy a leg up, do you suppose it's out of love?" She asked her plus one for the day, turning to her daughter.

"I wouldn't know, maybe…" Kyūfune replied, not paying attention to the issue as she'd rather fuss over herself for what felt like the 50th time since they left the compound. "Heavens, I feel ridiculous." The fox woman felt exposed as her mother had forgone her normal clothing and instead went for an elaborate and finely made, form-fitting, knee-length red Cheongsam that matched her tanned skin, with pink and black accents to add spice, the same with the gloves she wore. Her thick orange hair relaxed and styled into a thick braided ponytail with a jade pin through it. Finally, she added to her already impressive height with a pair of orange 3-inch heels.

Kyūfune in contrast had been dressed in a 1920s style black slim fit drop waist dress, with white elbow length gloves and 2-inch heels that didn't feel like they didn't anything for her. Her hair had also been done up, styled into curls with a feathered tiara head which she wondered who would even see when she was so tall. Unlike her mother, she had also gotten some make-up done, namely eyeliner and fur-friendly blush and lipstick.

Seeing her daughter doubting herself again made her wish to find whoever first made her feel like this and break every bone in their arms, but that wasn't important as Kenmikoto pointed her pipe at her, the woman making it clear to the guards and wait-staff that if they wished to take it from her, they'll have to fight her for it. "You are anything but, you're a young and beautiful woman. Show some pride in that as if muscle-bond men can show off their pecks, you can get away with some skin. I already know it'll make one boy crazy." She blushed at that, not used to such attention from anyone.

"Most boys would barely give me the time of day." She muttered, her experiences throughout her life informing this as her mother waved them off.

"And by doing so, they reveal their inner ugliness. Such filth isn't worthy of a little fox who is one of the best catches out there. How could she not when she had me for a mother?" Kenmikoto replied, both complimenting her and herself, which Kyūfune expected but couldn't resist smiling at. Her mother might embarrass her just for the fun of it, but she loved her fiercely, always had as she would sing her to sleep, or let the ever-growing girl hold her when she needed it, reminding her that she was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside.

Maybe…maybe tonight will be different. Even if she had reservations about taking any of the men she might meet on their offers for a date, it was still a room filled with people who were supposed to come from the tougher spot and it wasn't like she was the one notable woman present as Mirko seemed to gathering a following much like Hawks, even if she seemed to more irritated then amused by all the suits trying to gain her attention.

"Evening," They turned to see someone approaching them, a blonde woman in a white and purple knee-length dress. "I never thought I'd meet a woman that could be taller than me but here we are." She smiled as she looked up towards Kyūfune, even the other woman was a beast, with eyes that reminded her of a tigress that was observing its territory.

Kyūfune frowned at this sudden interruption, and what sounded like an extremely poor attempt to break the ice. "I'm sorry but who are you and why would it be hard to meet people taller than you? You're not exactly on the tall side." The woman just laughed at that, grabbing a drink off the tray of a passing waiter.

"True, most of the time I'm like this, but when I use my quirk, well I tower over buildings," She replied as she lifted her hand to Kyūfune to shake. "Mt. Lady, might I know your name?" The fox woman didn't think this was a good idea, but an encouraging look from her mother convinced her to take the plunge as she shook the pro's hand.

"Kyūfune Takasame." It was over for her after that as it seemed like the pro wished to speak with her about her last villain fight, drawing her away so that they could speak in private while the fox woman looked like she was barely following this. Kenmikoto merely waved her daughter off, holding back to tell her to play safe if only to not turn the fox woman into a blushing mess. Her smile remained as she turned back to the centre floor, now leaning on the pillar as she spoke, seemingly to herself.

"If you wish to talk, it would be prudent to man up and just walk out." She stated, and for a moment, it appeared like she was speaking to herself another person appeared, having gone unnoticed by both Mt. Lady and Kyūfune. The person in question was quite old, easily in his late 60s, but remained in great shape with a scar-filled bald head and long white beard. Their pale orange eyes resembled her own, down to the fire that they held in them.

"I was expecting nothing less from you." The man spoke, his age showing in his words, yet they still carried a deep rumble of power that made even his younger comrades respect and listen to him.

Kenmikoto wasn't one of those as she snorted at his words, taking a small sip of her drink, her back still turned to him. "Why'd you even bother getting the blonde here? Or am I to believe that the media chasing Mt. Lady just happened to decide to take a break from things and find us by chance?" She had felt their presence a while ago, and once Mt. Lady appeared and he stayed hidden, she knew what his game was.

To his credit, the man didn't try and deceive her, having more than enough experience in that department to know it would be fruitless. "I didn't trick her if that is what you're implying, I merely suggested that she might find someone of interest up here." He had seen the tall fox woman and used that as his bait, pointing her out to Mt. Lady when she stepped away from Death Arms and Kamui woods. "As for why I did so, I wished to speak without an audience nor did I wish to leave your companion by herself as she seemed on edge."

"How nice of you, or it would be if that was all there was to it. If you wished to speak with me, you could have called, but it would appear that is too much to ask." She replied as they both knew he had been avoiding her, even if he had lost her number which she doubted as he might be old but he wasn't senile, she called him now and then and never got past voicemail.

He didn't fall for it as his eyes hardened. "It wouldn't do well for me to have regular contact with a woman like you." She met his gaze for the first time, a sad look to her even as she kept up the smile.

"How harsh. One shouldn't speak to their mother like that you know, I'm not above taking you over my knee and spanking you like when you were 5." Honestly, it didn't matter how old her foolish son got, or that he was now one of the top heroes, if he wished to act like a brat, she'd treat him like one. Even if she felt saddened that he saw her as a risk.

Later, after the guests had time to meet and speak with one another, the main event of the night kicked off as they were led towards the main hall, where tables had been set up for the many guests. Taking her seat, Kenmikoto found herself sharing a table with Death Arms, Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady, as she saw that to her joy, her little fox was far more relaxed around the heroine and had invited the two to their table. When asked if there would be space, she pointed out that each table sat 5 and they were just the two.

There was quiet chatter for a few minutes as the last of the guests arrived and took their seats, in the interim, while Lady and her little Fox continued to talk, she found herself in a surprisingly engaging conversation with Kamui Woods about gardening tips. When most of the lights cut out, these quiet conversations ceased as Madam President herself took to the stage. The 40-something, despite her average looks, cut an impressive figure mainly through her sheer confidence as she walked over to the podium as she owned it like she had no challenge to her authority.

But that didn't mean she had attended in her normal business clothing, as she had gone with a modest black number with a diamond necklace being the most expensive thing on her as she could imagine she had an intern get her the dress. Kenmikoto was never the less impressed by little madam President as despite wearing the most modest dress there, she through sheer presence was more than able to stand out for all the right reasons.

"Evening, I would like to thank you all for attending these proceedings. It is always a pleasure to see just how much support the heroes of our society get, as well as witnessing how we could come together to help those in need." The president's soft yet stern voice was carried over the microphone to the many speakers installed across the place, ensuring that all heard her loud and clear. Her opening statement was met by some claps from the guests, even if Kenmikoto felt slighted that the fire was playing second fiddle to a hero pony show.

"While I understand that this hero billboard is months early, we thought it would be prudent to present them now and help affirm the faith that the people have put in us. While only a select few have managed to make the top 50, we hope that each of you continues to protect lives as you're done up till now." She moved just a little as the massive screen behind her turned on, with the massive logo for the HPSC being first seen before it was replaced with that of the billboard charts.

"To that, we'll start by presenting the names of those who placed in the top 100 spots from 100th down to 20th." It wasn't much to write home about as the screen changed to a list format, with the hero's name and rank shown and little else. It wasn't much fanfare but she hadn't expected much when the big attention grabbers were those that made it to the top 20, there were still people who clapped when they saw a particular pro's name, such as Mt. Lady who saw that she had come in 47th, impressive for a hero that had only been solo for less than a year but then again, she had name recognition from her time under Best Jeanist. Death Arms merely grunted when his name was a while before up at 74th.

As the numbers continued, Kyūfune looked toward the woman seated next to her with a frown, wondering how to approach the topic before deciding to rip the band-aid off. "Mt. Lady, why did you approach me? Was it just because of the novelty of speaking you someone as tall as me?" Kamui Woods's name came up at 40th, which got him some excited applause from a few young girls, fans no doubt as the mask-wearing pro waved towards them, the man having seen fit cover his face with a mask and hat, much like how Edgeshot still wore a half mask even in his suit.

Lady took in the question and nodded to it. "I suppose that was it. I'm used to guys being taller than me, just look at those two," She stated. "But girls? That's a blue moon event."

"So there was…no other reason?" Kyūfune asked her, looking a bit dejected as Mt. Lady caught into to this.

"Was there supposed to be one?" Lady asked her, if was she perhaps swinging for the home team and thought she was into her.

"No," Kyūfune shook her head. She couldn't fault her for that, not when she had also forgotten till they started speaking. "It's just surprising." Lady didn't have the chance to make sure she didn't make a mistake with her as the list came to an end at the 21st stop. Those in the 11th to 20th spots got more fanfare than just their name on a list as going from 20th down, they not only showed their names and rank but their picture and some of their highlights since the last ranking. Shishido, who came in the 18th seemed to of had a good year, stopping a major bank robbery which got him some support from the audience.

In time, they made it to the cream of the crop, to the names that just about everyone knew, the top ten. Even before the names were called out, there was hype among the attendants, some of it because people already knew that a few were all but assured to be in it, others because they hoped to have broken into it after not seeing their names or the name of the hero they liked already called out. As her son would say, that second group were quite optimistic as outside the top 3, the ranks meant little, more results of the ever-changing popularity landscape than any actual results. However, when she looked towards those in the top ten, she saw that they had been sat in their section, separated from what 'rabble'. At their tables weren't friends or sidekicks, but investors, executives and anyone else that could have shelled out the 500K for the chance to sit next to a top then.

"Is it true that you had to pay to sit there?" Kyūfune leaned to her to whisper.

"Yup. Most likely it'll be used to help pay for this entire thing." Little Madam President was nothing if not pragmatic, after all, when you could recoup some of the cost of a charity gala, why not? As for the pros she could see, she didn't quite understand a few of them. All Might she could get, the man was as basic as it came in his desire to be a hero, so much so that she spotted him a few times helping out in Raxus, both in his hero form and in that frail skeletal form he used. She wondered what could have led to it, having picked up that he breathed weirdly which led to the assumption he was suffering from some sort of injury, but she never pursued it.

Endeavour was just as simple as the number one, if only in his desire to surpass the demi-God that stood so far ahead of him, she wondered if he truly thought he had a snowball's chance in hell of actually reaching him. His efforts had been useful, but the man tended to work with just his sidekicks whenever he was around. Jeanist was the most eccentric, bringing in fresh clothing for people, though it was predictable all jeans. Mirko was there once or twice but didn't stick around long though she could tell it wasn't for lack of interest and more lack of useful talents in the clean-up as she was a brawler first and foremost, recovery and repair wasn't her specialty.

As Madam President took to the podium once more, her eyes trained in Hawks, a wildcard if she had ever seen one as he was young, and seemed laid back but he always seemed tense, as if he couldn't stop himself from taking it all there was. More than once she felt his eyes on her, the first time she could pick up surprise and fear, and after that, steady concern. She wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who informed the president that she had left her compound to help.

From across the room, their eyes met and to others, if they could even tell what was happening, they would have merely assumed she was smiling at the handsome young man, while those on Hawks' end might have thought he was flirting from a distance, befitting his laid-back character but that couldn't be further from the truth as it was less flirtatious and more a silent conversation between a bemused cat and the little bird that had entered her domain.

"A round of applause for those heroes who have placed, and for those who didn't as we hope they continue to protect and serve the greater good." The head of the HPSC's statement drew their attention off one another as they turned to the stage, offering their claps along with the rest of those in attendance.

"Before we get to the top ten, I would like to extend a hand of gratitude to the donors of this event, and the pillars that help ensure that heroes have the tools they need to carry out their important work such as Baktoid, Kuat Enterprise, Geo Industries as well as chief law enforcement officers and those in government such as the chairwoman of the National Public Safety Commission." When each party was mentioned, the light would shine on their table, allowing them to stand and accept their applause. A wise move from the commission to invite them as the representatives of those companies, each was a major player in the hero support item industry, people who no doubt created special gear for the commission when asked in exchange for privileges over competition.

Once the last person, that being the 60-something-year-old head of the NPSC took her seat, the Hero Commission president took a bit of a surprise turn. "But they aren't the only ones that deserve thanks for their efforts as I can't forget to mention the heroes and other wealthy benefactors present who donated their time, resources and funds to the people of Raxus in their trying times after a senseless attack from villains saw their homes and livelihoods burned to the ground." Kyūfune frowned, keeping her hands on her lap as she wondered how they'd talk about it, what she'd draw attention to, or if she even cared about it, to begin with. The fact that they were hosting this despite the fact they were seriously lacking funds hinted that she didn't.

She was in the minority in this as a large part of the audience applauded her, disgusting the fox woman more than she thought would happen that night as she could see it in their faces, how proud they felt, how much better they believed themselves over people like that, like her just because they decided to give 1 or 2 donations to their 'lessers'. There were even heroes in that group which disheartened her a little. It wasn't done, they still needed to rebuild what little they had! This wasn't the time to pat yourself on the damn back!

Kenmikoto reached for her hand, grasping it in her much smaller one. Despite the massive size difference, when she squeezed it, Kyūfune felt some of that tension leave her body, giving her mother a grateful smile to which the woman returned as they got back to focusing on the president.

"A special thanks to the Yaoyorozu conglomerate, who donated more than 21 million, but the commission has decided to set an example which is why I'm happy to say that we'll be donating 100 million to the Raxus reconstruction project." While the father/daughter duo stood up to soak up the praise when their family business was announced as the single biggest private donor, Kenmikoto paid greater focus to the president who while had covered it up well enough to avoid most even noticing, she saw how brow twitched ever so slightly, and how for a moment her eyes locked onto her with a passion and hate that only made the old cat lady proud.

She might have been roped into this farce, but forcing the commission to pay through the nose made it all worth it, that was a nice way to explain why they would be giving away such a large sum but it wasn't like she could come clean and say she was forced to as it would somewhat…diminish the good mood.

Keeping her frustration over having to redirect such a large sum of their funds to the rabble in check, and with the ego boasting for the many donors the commission had done, she finally moved on. "With the ranking of the top ten heroes, we have at the 10th spot, it is Killer Whale Hero: Gang Orca." Gang Orca nodded when the light focused on him, with a couple of dozen people applauding his success, including the seal-looking man who sat at his table. "Taking the number nine spot would Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu." When it turned to the 9th place, those who applauded Gang Orca were dwarfed as at least a third of the place seemed happy for the humble woman who didn't look all that excited about having the literal spotlight on her.

"Is it just me, or are people paying Ryukyu more attention than Gang Orca?" Mt. Lady asked as that was weird to her.

Death Arms, who had seen it as well, merely shrugged it off. "She did place higher than him."

Lady thought about it for a moment before she agreed with him. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Plus, she's on the eyes." She missed how Kyūfune glared at her out of the corner of her eye at that comment, the woman having her idea as to why Gang Orca despite his efforts was seen as lesser to his fellow top hero. It was the same reason the man despite his deeds and attitude kept getting voted in the top 5 of heroes that looked like villains.

"And what does that mean?" She muttered, but Mt. Lady didn't hear it but Kamui Woods did as he turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she meant by that question.

He didn't have time to ask her as the president continued with the ceremony. "Coming in 8th, we have the Equipped Hero: Yoroi Musha." With his name called, the veteran stood for the crowd but didn't wave at them, merely letting the applause greet him while Kenmikito merely smiled, happy to see the little boy dressed like a samurai proclaiming he'll be the best, that same boy who digested all she could teach him on tenet make it to top ten. Seeing him reminded her of his father, may his soul rest in peace.

Mt. Lady nudged Kyūfune in the side, drawing her attention. "Yeah?" She pointed towards Kenmikito and then towards the old man.

"Does your friend know him? I think I saw them talking not too long ago?" Kyūfune looked towards her mother, and her eyes as she looked at Yoroi Musha as he took his seat again. While she could tell the pro what was up, she decided against it and merely shrugged.

"The 7th spot goes to the rising Rabbit Hero: Mirko." The woman in question didn't so much stand but brought her leg onto the table, presenting one of the two powerful legs that they all knew could shatter steel and concrete in a single kick, though Kenmikito could see that the president seemed to take issue with that provocative move from the battle loving pro. Still, she didn't focus on it, having long since accepted that Mirko might play ball, but that didn't mean she'd play by all the rules. "At 6th, we have a regular in the top 10, Shield Hero: Crust." In contrast, Crust stood with a tear in his eye and a big smile on his face, leaving her to wonder if the man was more of a child at heart than the others.

"Coming at the 5th spot, we have the Ninja Hero: Edgeshot. Following him, at the fourth 4th spot will be Fiber Hero: Best Jeanist." While Best Jeanist was far more media friendly and dressed to impress in a suit that surprise, wasn't made from denim, but instead made the pro look like a model straight off the runways of Paris or Milan. Edgeshot by contrast, was silent, in both his attire which despite being a suit seemed more like what the staff were wearing, and in character as he barely reacted to his place on the ranking which helped explain why the president didn't give him time to posture like the others, having known that he wouldn't have done so.

As the name had been read, she noted that more people applauded them, but with the top 3 spots, even with their names still yet to be revealed, two of which were a forgone conclusion and she could tell people were eager to hear them. This was a mood that the president no doubt knew would happen and was purposely feeding to gain as much hype as she could. "Taking the 3rd spot, we a man that has reached the top with lightning speed and no sign of slowing down, Wing Hero: Hawks." The man waved when the light focused on him, his easy-going smile matching his surroundings as his entire table was nothing but a beautiful young women. She kept her laugh to herself when she heard her daughter call him a player when one of the girls swooned over him in front of everyone.

"In second place, we have the man who has more resolved cases than any other hero, Flame Hero: Endeavor." The man in question had decided to attend in a suit, but his flaming facial hair had been present the entire time, which gave away some of his irritation either at the event or for the fact he was once again 2nd place to All Might, someone that hadn't changed even once since he reached the top 2 spot at age 20. At his table, sat two of his sidekicks, both in evening wear while his son sat the furthest from him, looking stiff as a board.

Perhaps it was one everyone expected, but it didn't do anything to lower the excitement as the president reached the last name. "We have finally reached it, the number one. This sacred spot at the very top goes to our Symbol of Peace: All Might." Unlike the others, it wasn't just a few lights that focused on him but every single one as the man stood up in his tacky pinstripe yellow suit, a hearty, powerful laugh coming out of his smiling mouth as the entire room erupted in cheers, even a good chunk of those in the top 50 joining in as the symbol took a bow.

However, as All Might took in the praise and admiration that only the best could get, she noted that his table just had the two others. The first was a dark-haired man who she didn't recognise as anyone of renown, perhaps he was a new sidekick to the number one, but wouldn't that have made news? The man only ever took on one sidekick and they cut ties five years ago. The second person was…an animal? She was sure that it wasn't human, it didn't give off the same presence as one, but it also didn't give off a presence which she could identify as belonging to just one animal.

It took her more time than she would have liked to admit to realize that it was U.A.'s principal Nezu, though that raised its own questions as to why would All Might bring him. He might have gone to U.A. but that was 40 years ago, Nezu wasn't the principal back then, so she would be surprised if Nezu was alive back. Did he not have any friends he could bring? Perhaps because the Symbol of Peace was extremely private, he didn't wish to expose close friends and families to all this.

"Mt Lady is exhausting," Kyūfune said to herself, having split with the pro who had been quite the chatterbox, filled with energy but after her comments at the billboard announcements, she had decided to take some time for herself. Lucky for her the heroine had caught onto this and while she didn't know what was the reason for the tension between them, she hadn't pushed it when Kyūfune said she wished to seek out her master. She would have said mother but that was a no-go for several reasons, one of whom being that the last thing she wanted people to hear were rumors that she ran to her mother.

Walking about the reception area, she found that without Lady, she didn't have anyone to talk to, and it wasn't like she had a line of options either as she could feel how people's eyes locked onto her. First out of surprise at her size, then followed things that she had gotten used to even if she hated them: fear, suspicions and disgust. She had seen it so many times that she did her best to avoid looking anyone in the eye, keeping herself together to not act like a scared middle schooler all over again. This wasn't school, but a room of the rich, powerful and influential, the last thing she wanted any of them to see was weakness.

Rather she focused on her mother's lessons, on the calm surface of the lake as she let the feelings of fear and anger fade. She couldn't control how others saw her, nor would she make these people recognise her as a person and try to approach her. All she could do was control herself and make choices that she could live with and that she was proud of. It was in this calm state of mind that she found her mother, the woman in the middle of a conversation with several wealthy people. Seeing her approach, she excused herself from them and met her halfway.

As they walked away, she asked a question" Why did they bother with this entire thing? It's just been a colossal waste of time and money, why even bother having such a large event for the hero rankings? Most don't even watch them live and just read about them in the morning." Kenmikoto smiled at her, as if pleased with the question.

"It's all part of the show. People need these kinds of pony shows, or how else would they connect to heroes when they only see them out in the field? I can already tell you that more than a few people were pleased to see the number 2 in a suit and tie, or the legs on our resident rabbit hero." She replied, getting a few laughs from the group of wealthy people that she was pretty sure her mother cared for as much as she did a fly on the wall.

"Is it appropriate that you should be making such statements?" Kyūfune asked her, to which she waved her off.

"A woman of my standing and accomplishments can say whatever the hell she wants." She replied, before leaning in a little closer with a smirk. "Besides, you can't deny they're hot as well, though I would pick the dark-skinned bunny for any…play date." Her eyes darted to the side where the mentioned woman seemed to be being bored out of her mind by her conversation with Crust.

"You're insufferable."

"And yet, you love me all the same." She smiled at her daughter, wanting so much to grab her cheek and wiggle her around, present company be damned but she had to focus.

"Still, you're right in that this event is more for show than substance, as they've raised 286 million, which is a little over a 5th of what we actually need. Yet I can imagine that it cost more than 30 million to host this entire thing." She saw the entire thing as a waste, part of the reason that she left behind such a lifestyle was the opulent spending that was done either to fill a hole or merely to present the fact you could.

"Excuse me," Their conversation was interrupted by a newcomer, not a hero but someone that was in her daughter's age group, if older by a couple of years. Like the rest, he was dressed to impress with slick-back orange hair and a smile that said he was rolling in his parents' money. "You wouldn't happen to be madam Kenmikoto, would you?" He paid his attention solely to her, ignoring Kyūfune which automatically lowered her opinions of him.

"That's right, to whom am I speaking?" She presented her gloved hand for him to kiss her knuckles, the man acting like he was doing her a favour when she most likely made more cash in a month than he did in a year, and had enough strength in a finger that slap the smug smirk off his face.

"My family was one of the donors. We might not have managed to match what the Yaoyorozu's contributed, but we're sure that the 1.2 million will go a long way to help." Oh, it was one of those talks, she had already dealt with a few and none had been any good.

"It will, every yen counts when managing such affairs." She slapped on her polite smile, wondering when this would end so she could engage in fruitful talk.

"It's a shame that we can't do anything about such a shitty area, one filled with crime and vagrants." Her smile didn't change, but Kyūfune started to openly glare at the man as he leaned on the pillar.

Grabbing a drink from a passing waiter, she took a sip, slowly swirling it in her hand. "Oh, it's so bad. The only real issue is the rats, they show up out of nowhere, act like they own the place and are incredibly difficult to get rid of." She told him, her smile going just a little feral. "The worse ones are the ones that make a mess of things."

"I can't say I agree, but I've never been able to stand the sight of rodents." Another knock against him, if she thought he was annoying before, he was slowly earning her ire. Perhaps picking on this, even if he didn't know where the source was, he finally turned to her daughter who looked close to throttling the punk. "I'm sorry…miss…have I offended you?" He asked, sweating at the site of an angry mutant, wondering if he should perhaps get security involved.

Taking a breath through the nose and out the mouth, Kyūfune grabbed a drink, her first of the night and sipped, but with someone her size, that meant that more than half the glass was gone. "No, I'm merely thinking of something…unpleasant."

"That's a relief, I have to remember that there are good ones." He thought he was smart muttering that last part, but both heard him loud and clear as Kenmikoto kept upper the façade of ignorance and patience.

"And what do you mean by that?" Thinking that he had been sleek, he grew more confident in his words.

"I mean that Raxus is underdeveloped. With insane levels of crime and unemployment. When all the residents are those kinds of people, it would be foolish to not consider a connection between the two." He stated that the area was one of only 8 places in Japan where the population was over 40% mutant, most places including Tokyo were only 15% mutant. Throw in the fact that Raxus also boasted a large quirkless population and he was surprised that things hadn't gone to shit sooner as you can't put criminals and the unevolved in the same spot and not expect problems.

What he didn't know was that his words were doing nothing but angering the fox woman more as he had the gall to act like an intellectual. She had to deal with crap like this from her less-than-polite classmates, she didn't appreciate having to deal with it here. "Apologies."

"Excuse me?" The man looked towards her, taking a step back when he saw how enraged she was.

"You heard me, apologies for that garbage!" She yelled at him, cutting through most of the conversations happening around them leading to more attention on them.

Gathering his wits, the boy stood his ground. "Garbage, my dear, that was facts. It's not my fault that mutants are the most likely to become villains." She growled at him, making him and several others nervous upon the sight of an angered mutant woman. All while her mother merely stood by her side, silent but supportive.

"Yes, it is, because people like you treat them like dirt or criminals, they struggle to find honest work." She remembered how hard it was to find places that would take her for junior and high school, how much sleep she had thought that Tokyo U would reject her because she was a mutant.

The man scoffed at this, his anger rising to match hers and only drawing more attention to them as even the heroes started to pay more attention, among those being the numbers 3,4,7,8 and 10. "Wrong, there is no law in the books that allows for discrimination of that nature. Maybe if they were better candidates, they'd be picked more for work."

"Like that has ever stopped people!" She yelled back at him, nearly throwing her glass to the ground as she had heard that bullshit for years! How 'we don't discriminate' or 'we're an equal opportunity institution, that didn't stop them from mistreating you and hyper-focusing on whatever you did to justify it! It didn't stop people from blaming you for what the other kids did! It didn't stop teachers from accusing you of cheating on tests just because you scored higher than most!

"You, my dear," The man spat the word out like it was trash. "Should hold your tongue." She made him reject those words, taking a step closer to him, towering over him while her glare locked him in place.

"And what will you do if I don't?" She asked him, daring him to try something, to back up his words as she was more than willing to handle it. "Call security? Cry foul?" Some of the security moved to intervene, but Hawks and Yoroi silently stopped them. neither suspected that it would get that out of hand, but also saw them as just a means to add fuel to this fire

This proved to be the right decision as when the expected help didn't come to his aid, the pompous college student was forced to back down as he knew he couldn't handle her in a fight. "Animals." He growled, fixing his tie and trying to get some of his lost dignity from this humiliation back. "You should teach this one some manners." She would have punched him then and there for how he turned to her mother and referred to her in such a manner, but her mother beat her to it.

With a smile akin to that of an enraged tiger ready to tear into a fool who dared to get too close to her cubs, she replied to his provocation. "I have, but it seems that the same can't be said for you. Now leave before you embarrass yourself more than you already have." She ordered him, making it clear that should he try to refuse, it would be at his own risk. Stuttering in confusion and anger, he yelled something about his family would never forget this before leaving.

There was silence for a moment after that, as people focused more on how close to losing it her daughter looked, which pissed her off as she turned to glare at the crowd, her amber eyes alit with a fury. "I'm sorry, but are we your evening's entertainment?" Her eyes, and the aura she gave out affected people in different ways. To even pros like Mirko, their bodies screamed at her that she was dangerous, to those with years of experience in the field such as Edgeshot, he knew that she was a force not to mess with. To the younger members in the crowd, like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, they felt chill force itself down their spine while a stone settled in their stomach as it was like they just witnessed a massive tiger glare at them from the thick brush, about to pounce on them.

It didn't matter the reason, all that mattered was the effect as they all turned away from it and tried to pretend like they didn't see whatever they just saw. Downing the last of her drink, she placed it and Kyūfune's which she took from her hand onto the tray of a waiter that had been left frozen in terror at her. With that done, she grabbed her hand and made their way for the exit. She had done her part, and if All Might could bounce early, so could she. If anyone wanted to stop her, they'd be eating out of a tube for the next month.

Breaking from the main area, she took Kyūfune aside to speak with her. "Taki," her daughter naturally knelt so that she could bring her hands to her face, wiping away the angry tears which were now being replaced with tears of grief. "Are you alright?" Her daughter tried to collect herself but was struggling as all of it was just coming out of her. Shaking her head, she hugged her mother, hiding her face in the Kenmikoto's neck as the woman soothed her, muttering that she could cry if she needed to, that she had that right.

She hated how she felt like this. It wasn't the first time she dealt with someone like this, she knew it wouldn't be the last. So why did this affect her so much? She knew that those with power didn't care, it was why things never changed, so why did seeing it first-hand make her feel so angry, so broken up on the inside? How could her mother have the strength to face all that and not so much as flinch, to have the strength to take it all in and make them bow to her?

"How can you stand it? Hearing all that…horrible stuff by saying like it's a fact of life? How do you not react?" Teitora sighed, her anger towards that punk forgotten in favour of caring for her little fox. For the little girl whom she took in at the age of 7 and grew to love with all her heart. An aura of menace formed, sending anyone close by packing, giving her time to and the privacy to address this.

Pulling her face free of her neck, she gave her a little kiss on the forehead just like she used to when she would tuck into bed, and a pained smile. "A tiger might hate the swamp, but it learns how to swim through it to get to the other side."

I legit thought my normal word limit was 8K. But by the time I realized I was off, I had already written most of this and couldn't delete stuff, so hooray for you, you all got a longer chapter than normal. With this being the last one of the year, I hope you enjoyed this and return in the new year when I release new chapters again, and new stories! Though chapter 10 isn't on patron yet so please be patient. It should be up in a couple hours, there was just some last minute changes that needed to be made.

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