[Original Chapter Published - February 20th, 2022]

[Revised Chapter Published - January 7th, 2023]

[Secondary Revision of the Chapter Published – June 22nd, 2023]

The next day came quicker than Yoshihara had expected. Yesterday had been rather hectic for the blonde, seeing as so much had happened. Being inducted into The Speedwagon Foundation's top-secret mission to hunt down the strange yellow needle bullets was not what she had planned to be doing, but then again the most eventful of things never really came about if they were planned for, now did they?

The idea of more Stand Users roaming about was not what she wanted to think about. The last time she fought a Stand User, that being yesterday, went down poorly. She almost died and that wasn't a feeling she wanted to experience ever again.

So, colour her shocked when she, subconsciously mind you, actually agreed to help them. What the hell had she been thinking?! This wasn't her problem, not by a long shot, and for some reason she was compelled to help them.

All she wanted to do was to live a peaceful, quiet life. Maybe be some sort of underground hero that only did her job at night, and spent the rest of the day answering to SOSs or the kinds of things that she wasn't required to do other than nightly patrols. In other words, do the bare minimum. After all, she was only going to become a hero because of how convenient it was for her. She had no other reason to be one.

On the bright side to all of this, at least when she went to U.A. she would have people to talk to, aside from Midoriya, of course. That, and she supposed there was a good reason for her to be involved. Making connections to those in higher places. That was one of the things that Kayama-san had said was a good thing to do.

Having Kujo, who had direct connections to The Speedwagon Foundation, as an acquaintance would do more than just be a useful person to talk to. Not only was he an experienced Stand User, but should she need help with something, she could always ask him for help. It was a win-win in her books.

Then again, she didn't really care about winning or losing, now did she? The only time winning and losing was something she had to care about was when her life was on the line. That, and her coming out of this whole U.A. debacle relatively unscathed.

A yawn escaped the blonde as she stretched. Yoshihara blinked, getting used to the light in her room before covering her mouth as she yawned again. Waking up in the morning, especially after having a stressful day yesterday, was something she always welcomed with open arms. And while she didn't have the best sleep in the world, it was better than what she had been expecting.

Cracking her neck from side to side, she let out a huff of air. There was something she had to do today. Something that she had arranged yesterday with Kujo and Sakunami. Something that would provide her with more information going forward. And that was a discussion about the yellow bullets, or as Kujo called them: Stand Bullets.

She wasn't exactly all too enthused about going out so early in the morning—even if the meeting was set for this afternoon. It was a weekend after all, and she prided herself on sleeping in on the weekends. Unfortunately, she wasn't given the chance to do so. Besides, she could use the time for a little bit of a workout. After all, she had to do something to pass the time.

Alternatively, she could choose to be lazy. It was, after all, the weekend. She hadn't had a resting day for a while now, and her aching body could probably need it. Especially after yesterday.

The first thing Yoshihara did when she got out of bed was to send a text to Midoriya, telling him that both he and his mother had to go to the café near Aldrea Junior High. Midoriya asked why, to which Yoshihara simply replied that it was important and it was regarding an aspect of being a Hero. The moment he saw that, he jumped at it like a rabid dog who hasn't eaten in weeks.

After that was all said and done, she got dressed. She wanted to go for something more casual and less outwardly punkish like she had been wearing yesterday, and so her outfit consisted of a baggy long-sleeve shirt, the colour of which was pink, that being her favourite colour, a pair of grey sweat pants, and black socks.

Despite it being the beginning of spring, it was still freakishly cold from the mornings to the beginning of the afternoon. Anyone who said otherwise was lying through their teeth. Either that or they were born in the spring and were used to that sort of temperament. Something she was not, seeing as she was born in October.

When Yoshihara finished getting dressed, and before she left her room, she grabbed a bag from her bedside table, stuffed it into one of her pant pockets, then walked out of her room and into the bathroom. When she entered the room, she immediately got to work doing her hair up into an asymmetrical bob, the reason for this being that she had disastrous bedhead and the last thing she wanted to look like was a slob.

To keep it in place, she used a cute pink cat-themed bow, then, she painted her nails black because she thought it looked good, and brushed her teeth. Once that was all done, she left the bathroom. She thought about having a shower prior to all of that, but she decided against it because she honestly didn't feel like it, and she didn't smell at all.

Making her way downstairs, Yoshihara was immediately caught off guard when she saw Nemuri sitting on the couch in her undergarments and bra. A wave of shock and confusion blew through the blonde as a sense of embarrassment flowed through her. Firstly, why the hell was Kayama-san in nothing but her underwear, and second of all why on God's green earth did it look like lingerie?!

"KAYAMA-SAN?!" Yoshihara shouted, a reddish hue spreading across her face and down her neck as Nemuri turned her attention to the blonde, only to giggle with surprise.

"Oh, you're up early~! I wasn't expecting that. I should probably get dressed, shouldn't I?" Nemuri said as Yoshihara coughed into her hand, looking down at the floor. She mentally cursed out Kayama-san as she walked up the stairs, swaying her hips side to side, taking in all the embarrassment rolling off the young girl.

Kayama-san had a habit of embarrassing the blonde. Yoshihara assumed it was how she got her kicks. Frankly, she didn't care, and frankly, it wasn't any of her business to judge. If Kayama-san wanted to be an annoying asshole, all she'd have to do is put cinnamon in her coffee to screw with her.

If Kayama-san wanted to be a prick, then so could she.

As soon as she passed by Yoshihara, the blonde stormed down the stairs, grabbed a cereal bar from the kitchen, grabbed her black leather jacket, then left the suite. Why? Because the more she thought about it the better it would be for her to get there early and look professional while doing it.

Not only that, but she had forgotten the time.

By the time she left the Love Hotel, it was already 10:30 AM. She had underestimated how long it would've taken her to get ready. And that was what was going to ultimately be her mistake if she didn't hurry up. It would take about an hour to walk to the café, depending on if a villain attack occurred or not. So, she was hoping that a villain attack didn't happen this late in the morning and that all of it had been dealt with beforehand.

Despite being in a bit of a rush, she enjoyed the times she got to walk around the city. It was usually a time of peace for the blonde. Whenever she'd go on walks, it would give her the chance to clear her thoughts and empty her head.

If anything was bothering her, or if she was thinking about some rather dark and sadistic things, taking a walk around the city allowed those thoughts to filter out. Of course, it wasn't always an effective cure when it came to those thoughts, but it usually quelled them for a short while.

Every now and then she would be plagued with dark and intrusive thoughts. Thoughts of murder, thoughts of doing horrible things to people. In the back of her mind, she knew it would give her the chance to vent. Knew it would let her air out what had happened to her in the past. Knew that she'd be able to take her anger out on those who didn't deserve it.

Much to her darker side's chagrin, she never gave in to those thoughts. Not unless it benefitted her. For example, a few weeks ago she had taken a shortcut to get back to the suite in a reasonable amount of time. Kayama-san had sent her out to get groceries, as the older woman had forgotten to pick up some eggs and protein powder like she intended to do. Thusly, Yoshihara had to be the one to do it.

And so, that was exactly what Yoshihara did. She went to the store, and on her way back from picking up what she was looking for, she was accosted by a thug who was trying to rob her at knifepoint.

The man was promptly blown into smithereens by the arm that she could summon, which she had recently found out to be her Stand Killer Queen. And she felt no remorse for the action. Yoshihara did not care if he had a family or not. Yoshihara did not care if he was just a homeless person. Yoshihara did not care if it was his first attempt at committing a crime—she did not give a shit at all.

If he wanted money, all he had to do was ask without putting a knife in her face. The moment he threatened her, even if he truly didn't pose a threat to her, that didn't mean someone else couldn't have been victimized by them. So, she killed him. And she slept peacefully at night after the fact.

As she rounded the corner to the café, she caught a glance of Midoriya Inko and Izuku crossing the street and making their way to the meeting location. By the time she showed up there, it was 11:30 AM, meaning the other two were bound to show up sooner or later.

As Yoshihara approached the building, she looked around for Kujo and Sakunami, but they were nowhere to be found. That was fine, it gave her a chance to debrief the other two and give them a full scope of the situation before the other two got there. It was also a chance to see if Inko would keep up her side of the bargain.

She pulled out one of the five chairs for herself, Yoshihara watched as the pair of green-haired individuals came closer to the café, and as soon as the pair noticed her, they waved to her. The blonde gave them a curt smile, gesturing them to sit at the table.

Inko and Midoriya picked up the pace, and when they got to the table, they promptly sat down, the Midoriya matriarch let one of Fly, Fly Away's arms appear, pulling out two seats with its ability as Midoriya took the seat in front of Yoshihara, while Inko took the seat beside her son.

"H-hi, Kira-san, how's your morning been so far?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara smirked.

"Again, with the stuttering, you got to seriously work on that, Midoriya-kun," Yoshihara pointed out as the green-haired boy suppressed an 'eep', straightening his back as the blonde giggled. "Oh, you have no idea how fun it is to tease you! Not that I'm trying to be mean, of course. It's just fun to see your reactions to things," Yoshihara said, smiling, which caused the green-haired boy's cheeks to light up with a pink hue.

"I-I…" the boy let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as Inko smiled.

"Well, I'm glad he has a friend like you, Kira-san. Also, I love the outfit, it looks natural on you!" Inko complimented as Yoshihara's cheeks became dusted with a pink hue. She knew Inko was trying to be nice, especially after yesterday, and while the blonde wanted to ignore the compliment she couldn't help but acknowledge it.

It was rare that she was ever complimented. Even if it was by her would-be killer, that would-be killer was her friend's mom. Don't get her wrong, she held a grudge against Inko, but that didn't mean she couldn't act as if everything was fine between them for Midoriya's sake.

"Thank you, Inko. You also look good. The sweater matches your eyes," Yoshihara replied as Inko nodded.

"Thank you, you're too kind. Although, I wanted to ask… uh, what this impromptu meeting is about?" Inko questioned, causing Yoshihara to drop the friendly demeanour on a dime. It made Inko flinch a little bit, but that was to be expected. The Midoriya matriarch was probably still scared witless of her.

Good. It was best for her to stay that way. That way she knew where she stood in this relationship.

The blonde began to rummage through her pants pocket, searching for the bag she had placed in it. Finding what she was looking for, she pulled out the bag she grabbed from her room, which contained the needle-tipped bullet that Kujo and Sakunami brought over the night prior.

"W-What's this, Kira-san?" Midoriya asked as Yoshihara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, her eyes seemingly becoming void of life, her emotions draining from her face—as if a vacuum cleaner sucked out her personality in an instant.

"As you two are both acutely aware, we were attacked by a Stand User yesterday. I know the identity of the user, however, it was a misconception, so for the sake of their privacy, I won't be bringing them up," Yoshihara stated, the blonde noticing the slight flinch that Inko made before straightening herself out.

"Okay… uh… I still think they deserve to be put behind bars for nearly killing you, Kira-san. But… if it truly was a misconception, then I guess it could be pushed aside," Izuku stated with a distant look on his face, one full of guilt and concern. This prompted the blonde to wave his concern away.

"It's fine. Everything is alright, so we can move on from it. However, the same thing cannot be said about what transpired afterward. Before being attacked by the last Stand user we faced, I was attacked by another one, two days before. This Stand user has become my ally, and provided me with this bullet last night," Yoshihara explained.

"Hold on, what?" Inko asked, a raised eyebrow directed toward the blonde as Yoshihara gestured for her to continue. "If I might ask, why did they give you that bullet?" The green-haired mother asked, a look of recognization in her eyes as she stared at the bullet. Did Inko perhaps know where it came from? Or perhaps she recognized the language on the bullet? Either way, she knew something, and it caused Yoshihara to sigh as she straightened herself out.

Picking up the bag by the seal. Killer Queen appeared by her side, taking the bullet out of the bag before placing the bag down on the table. The Stand then proceeded to place the bullet atop the bag ever so gently, almost as if it was trying to make sure it looked like it hadn't been moved.

"They gave this bullet to me because it directly links towards the numerous amount of Stand Users cropping up in Japan. This was picked up by the American version of the HSPC, The Speedwagon Foundation." Yoshihara said, dropping the bomb of information on the pair, causing Inko's eyes to widen.

"The Speedwagon Foundation?! Why would they be here if they're an American organization? Also… how are they linked to that bullet?" Inko asked as Yoshihara stared blankly at the green-haired woman.

Inko knew something. She wasn't saying anything, though. Why? Why wasn't she saying anything? Two things were happening here. Either she knew the people who made the bullet, or she had seen it before. Yoshihara was tempted to ask, but with Midoriya-kun being here, it made that a little more difficult.

Whatever Inko was keeping a secret from Midoriya was for her to keep secret. Forcing her to out her own secrets to benefit her would only make things worse. It would also make her a massive hypocrite.

A moment of silence washed over the table, tensions beginning to build as Yoshihara finally answered the woman's question.

"Because they are here to investigate the bullet. And as for how they're linked to it outside of the investigation, I have no clue," the blonde replied as Midoriya blinked a few times in rapid succession.

"D-Does your other f-friend work with them?" The green-haired teen asked as Yoshihara nodded. When she did, silence befell the table again. Speaking of those people, why were Kujo and Sakunami running late? Did something happen? It was possible, especially considering that they were Stand Users. Stand Users attracted other Stand Users, after all.

After a while, the mood lifted slightly. When it did, Yoshihara continued. "This bullet, in particular, has the strange ability to erase Quirks and replace them with Stands. At least, that is the working theory the Speedwagon Foundation and by extension, my other friends, have come up with," Yoshihara said, causing Inko to purse her lips with a hint of frustration.

"Okay, so what you're saying is that it creates Stand users. What I don't understand is why it involves us, Kira-san. No offence, but I'm just a stay-at-home mom, and Izuku is still training for U.A., so we are completely out of our league here," Inko half-lied as Yoshihara sighed.

Well, seeing as Kujo and Sakunami weren't here, this was her chance to test Inko's allegiance. It was also to show Midoriya just how serious she was about this particular subject. And while it was going to seem very, very harsh, she also didn't want to rope Midoriya into something he possibly couldn't handle.

"Yes, however, you two have been hanging around with a Stand user, that being me, which already puts you two in more danger than you could imagine. Keeping you in the loop is something I intend to do. Beyond that, there is still more I need to discuss. I think, that going forward, since both me and Izuku, as well as the previously mentioned friends of mine, will be attending U.A., I feel as if we should form a group to figure out where this bullet is being manufactured, packaged, and shipped." Yoshihara paused, allowing the information to sink in before she continued.

"It's bad enough that I've been attacked by two Stand Users in the past week, who knows what could happen if we allow that number to grow and fester? God forbid that either of you is attacked by a Stand User, seeing as you can't defend yourself from them." Yoshihara shot Inko a pointed stare, letting her know that she was willing to keep her secret a secret. A slight nod of confirmation was what she got, which made Yoshihara relax slightly.

The blonde steepled her fingers together, leaning forward to seem more forward as she continued. "Stopping the production of the bullet altogether is our only choice. This could take days, weeks, or months. Hell, it could take years. But I'm more than willing to take on this venture if it means we stop the sudden appearance of all these potential enemies. Of course, you're free to back out, however, I want to warn you that if you do, I will not help either of you if you get attacked by a Stand user should you back out. That is my bargaining chip," Yoshihara said, causing Midoriya to gasp.

"K-Kira-san!—"

"No. I will not budge on my stance. Besides, you want to be a hero, right? You're bound to run into a handful of Stand users anyway. While I believe in you completely, Midoriya-kun, ultimately, this mission—the one to do with the bullet—is more important than becoming a hero. If a Stand User crops up with the power to, for example, Stop Time, and they work with a group of villains, not even All Might could stop them. With your knowledge, you could help crack the code of where this bullet is being made," Yoshihara said, causing Midoriya to glance over to his mother, who seemed to be completely focused on what the blonde was saying. Turning back to look at Yoshihara, Midoriya stammered over himself as he spoke.

"B-But… what about the police?" Midoriya asked. In response, Yoshihara shook her head in denial.

"This goes beyond the Heroes and the police. Besides, what's being a hero without a good reason for becoming one, aside from wanting to save people? Everyone has their own goals separate from saving the day. This is mine, and I'd appreciate it if you helped me with this. Besides, it's a noble goal, don't you think?" Yoshihara asked, life returning in her eyes as she smiled.

Inko let out a sigh, crossing her arms. She wasn't a fan of what Yoshihara was doing, dragging her son into a situation he barely understood—hell, Inko barely understood it, but that was beside the point. What was annoying her the most though was the fact that she was using a manipulation tactic. Emotional manipulation.

A part of her wanted to out herself as a Stand User to her son just to sock the blonde in the face, but she also didn't want to betray his trust, so for now, she held back, levelling a soft glare towards Yoshihara. However, when looking over at Izuku, she became… despondent.

Inko had been wracked with guilt ever since she got back from the hospital after she had fought Kira-san. She had been in over her head, assuming the worse about Yoshihara, and for what? Now she owed Yoshihara infinitely more than what she would have if she hadn't attacked her. And on top of that, who was she to decide who or who could not be friends with Izuku? It had been eating at her ever since, and when she looked over at Izuku, Inko couldn't help but grimace.

It was better if she were honest with Izuku… The more secrets she kept about something as dangerous as this… the worse it was going to be once he inventively found out—because he would, her Izuku was smarter than that.

It was then that she made up her mind.

"I'm going to tell him the truth. I'm going to tell him that I was the one that attacked them. I just hope he has it in him to forgive me…"

But just before she was about to do that, a new voice came into the picture. "Well, before anyone makes a decision." Everyone looked behind Yoshihara, including the blonde herself, and as soon as Yoshihara saw the two who had been late, a wave of relief washed over her.

Kujo and Sakunami walked to the table, a tray of coffee in hand as they approached. Was that why they had been late? Perhaps, and if that was the case, then that was… a strange reason to be late. But, coffee was some people's way of life. Kujo placed the tray on the table as the two took their seats. Kujo sat to the right of Yoshihara, and Sakunami sat to her left.

"I want to state that while Yoshihara is right, and that you are all free to choose whatever you want, the more hands we have on the situation, the better, but there is more to it than that," Josefumi stated, looking over to Inko and Izuku.

"Sorry for the abrupt statement, I got ahead of myself. My name is Kujo Josefumi, and this," Josefumi paused, gesturing to Karera, "is my Girlfriend Sakunami Karera. We're both Yoshihara's friends and allies. It's a pleasure to meet you two, Midoriya Inko, and Midoriya Izuku," Josefumi said as Karera smiled.

"A pleasure to meet you two!" The girl said as Inko chuckled to herself.

"It's nice to meet you too, Sakunami-san, Kujo-san. I take it that one of you is with The Speedwagon Foundation?" Inko asked as Josefumi huffed.

"Well, in actuality, the two of us, Karera and I, are members of the foundation. However, I would like to state the gravity of the situation. Kira-san did a good job at introducing you to the threat the bullets propose, but I would like to fully show you just how bad these things can get," Josefumi started, bringing out his phone as he slid it across the table for the two green-haired individuals to see.

As soon as Inko began to read what was on the phone, she gasped. "O-Over 200 dead, women, children, and heroes alike slaughtered in one week, the culprit being a yellow bullet…?!" Inko read aloud as Josefumi took the phone back, a grim expression on his face as he spoke.

"Yes. To put it into perspective, if the needle end of the bullet gets into contact with someone's skin, then that person has a chance to become a Stand User. If they don't, they die. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that if we had four stand users on our side, along with a genius like Izuku, we'll be able to find out where they are in a heartbeat. So, what do you say?" Josefumi asked as Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Four Stand Users? But, there are only three people here who are, so where's the fourth?" Izuku asked as Inko paled. It was at this point that Karera caught on as to why Izuku had been confused and immediately glared at Inko.

"Ma'am, have you been hiding your Stand from your son?" Karera asked as Izuku narrowed his eyes, a look of defensiveness in his eyes.

"My mom is not a Stand User. The only Stand User I know aside from Kira-san is the one that attacked us at my house, so—"

"No, dear… it's fine," Inko said, putting a hand on his shoulder, making the teen blink. "I should've told you yesterday, but I didn't. The Stand User who attacked you two was me. Not because I wanted to harm you, but because I wanted to protect you. We can talk about this at home, but for right now, let's finish our business with these two, then move on, okay sweetie?" Inko interrupted, causing Izuku to lose the tension in his muscles as he slumped back into his seat.

There was a look of betrayal in his eyes. And yet, despite that, he didn't look angry. He looked confused and flabbergasted, but not angry. Yoshihara was a little confused as to why, though perhaps he was still processing it. Either that, or he didn't know how to respond to it.

"Oh… okay…" Izuku spoke finally after a moment of hesitation, his tone full of confusion. Josefumi sighed, looking at Inko.

"I'm still waiting for my answer," Josefumi said, impatience on his tongue as Inko leaned back in her chair.

"Alright. We'll help, so long as we keep this to ourselves. No one else needs to get involved. I don't want my son's…" Inko paused, looking at the green-haired boy, who refused to make eye contact. It broke Inko's heart, but she pushed it aside. "…other friend, Katsuki Bakugo, being dragged into this mess. No offence to the boy, but he has all the finesse of a bull in a china shop."

The small insult made Yoshihara giggle, resulting in the mood-lifting ever so slightly. It wasn't enough to make Midoriya shake out of his funk, but it was enough to at least cause him to relax.

"Alright, with that out of the way, we now need to set up a way of direct communication between the five of us. That way, if any of us are in trouble, we can find and or contact one of us if we end up in a situation we can't dig ourselves out of," Karera explained as Josefumi nodded.

Yoshihara looked at Inko, and Inko glanced over to Izuku, who was off in his little world. The revelation that his mother tried to kill his only real friend must've done something to him. She had decided that she was going to leave him be for now. She hoped that he would be alright by tomorrow. She didn't want him to be dejected for the rest of the week.

"Alright, I'll write down my phone number. I'm going to have to assume you already know Kira-san's?" Inko questioned as Josefumi nodded, a coy smirk on his face as Yoshihara raised an eyebrow.

"We had to know what her number was so we could meet up with her yesterday. So I can say with full clarity that we know her number," Kujo said, which caused Yoshihara to feel slightly disturbed. The only real way he could've known her number was if the Speedwagon Foundation gave it to him somehow, or, he had been stalking her for at least a month when she got her new phone.

A shutter cascaded down her spine as she glared at Kujo. She wanted to slap him across the face, but decided against it, seeing as she didn't want to cause a scene. However, she would have to find a way to get back at him at some point.

The rest of the get-together went about just as a normal teen get-together would be like, with the added effect of having a middle-aged woman tag along who didn't seem to care all that much aside about what the teens talked about. In the back of her mind, she noted that it felt good to talk to people who were her age.

Social interaction, as she found it to be right now, was pretty good. Something that she had been sorely lacking for a long time now. Yoshihara had to admit that she liked it.

Perhaps… having friends would help her get over her… problems.

Perhaps… having people to rely upon was something she needed.

Perhaps… one day, she could get them to help with her problems.

"No. It's best to not burden them with that. They don't need to worry about your problems. You've bottled them up for this long, don't change it now. All that'll do is make things worse," Yoshihara chastised herself as she frowned. Taking a sip from the coffee that Kujo had gotten her, her frown disappeared as she observed the table.

Midoriya had been glancing over to his mother frequently as they talked, casting almost judgemental stares at her whenever he got the chance to. The blonde didn't blame him, hell, if roles were reversed, she'd be doing the same thing. She could only guess what was going on in that mind of his.

At the very least, Yoshihara hoped that his relationship with his mother wasn't destroyed. The last thing she wanted to be was the person that drove a wedge between a son and his mother. Especially considering that, up until she met Midoriya, she had been the only form of emotional support in his life.

Moving on from that, as the day progressed, they talked about how school had been for them, especially in the earlier grades. Yoshihara lamented to herself about her lacking education up until 1st year of Junior High. She had to teach herself how to do math before starting school at the age of 12 years old. It was why she was thankful for Sayaka, Otoshi, and Akira. Had it not been for her, she would probably be a grade behind in school.

Aside from that, they also discussed what they planned to do once they got to U.A. and other miscellaneous stuff relating to that. Inko didn't speak much. She simply sat around and drank her coffee, smiling at how everyone was getting along. The only time she spoke up was to learn more about Kujo and Sakunami, to which they would respond. By the time everyone had decided to pack up and leave, it was 3:25 PM. Everyone waved goodbye and said their farewells.

On the walk home, Yoshihara felt invigorated. Finally, her life had some form of normality, even if it was also a part of something far larger than she ever intended it to be. Although, she expected that, considering she was going to U.A.

As she walked, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Yoshihara didn't know why, but the feeling clung to her like an unwanted pet. And it wasn't like it would be far away, either. It would be in the very near future.

But whatever that something was, she was going to face it head-on, no matter what happened to her as a result.

xxXXxxXXxx

If Nemuri were, to be honest with herself, which she usually never was, Aizawa Shouta and Hizashi Yamada were the most uncanny pair of individuals she ever had the pleasure to become friends with.

Currently, she was staying at their shared apartment and seeing as Yoshihara was old enough to look after herself, she saw no need to stay there, at least not all the time. It wasn't like she was inept. Besides, she had been meaning to hang out with Shouta and Hizashi. The last time had been brought to an abrupt end when she was told that Yoshihara was in the hospital.

However, even though she knew Yohsihara would be fine, Nemuri couldn't shake off the bad feeling that had been swallowing her up. It was almost like an instinct of sorts—a motherly instinct, despite not being a mother in the traditional sense—that something bad was going to happen.

However, the last thing she wanted to do was distract herself from hanging out with her two, possibly gay, best friends. And speaking of those two, possibly gay, best friends….

Hizashi Yamada wore a yellow plaid button-up shirt, black skinny jeans, and brown slippers. His hair was done up in a ponytail, and the frames of his glasses were an electric yellow. To top it all off, he had a two twin pointed mustache, if you could even call it that, on his upper lip, one that had been trimmed to perfection. All and all, it was a pretty exaggerated get-up for a small get-together.

Then, there was Shouta Aizawa, who decided to do the exact opposite in terms of theming. While Hizashi wore a bunch of bright and "in your face" colours, Shouta wore all muted colours, such as a grey shirt, and black baggy pants. His hair was all over the place, plus the scraggly beard that he had been starting to grow, not to mention he was barefoot.

Finally, there was Nemuri, who wore a basic purple button-up shirt, thigh-high shorts, and white slippers. Her hair was undone, allowing it to flow down her back like a waterfall, and her eyes were focused on the cards that were in her hand. Cards that belonged to a game of Uno, which she was winning.

And while she was focused on her cards, her mind was running amok about what the two's lives had been like seeing as being a pro-hero made it hard to stay in contact with her friends. The two himbos, because she had to face the music, gave off himbo energy, also gave off "married couple energy" almost 24/7. It was almost exciting, but that was most likely her Quirk talking.

The reason why the group of friends were playing Uno was because of one singular, solitary reason…! It was one of Hizashi's favourite games to play while she was over, seeing as it didn't involve direct teasing, or being rude to one another—the less they spoke of the Mario Party 20 incident, the better.

She had never seen Shouta so… angry before. She saw a new side to Shouta that she never thought possible: Furiosity the likes of which could only be calmed by a blow dart. Or, in this case, smothering him with a cloth containing her Quirk.

She shuttered just thinking about it. "Never again… never again."

"DRAW 4!" Hizashi shouted, pointing at Aizawa for dramatic flair. Almost immediately, the scraggly black-haired man countered with a plus 2, causing Hizashi to pout. "Drat…"

"Shouldn't have been obvious, Hizashi. You need to practice on your poker face," Aizawa said as Hizashi drew six cards into his hand. Nemuri repressed a giggle, placing down a green 4, as that had been the colour that was in play.

"Honestly you two, I'm starting to think you're more than just friends from the way you two talk to one another," Nemuri said, a scandalous tone in her voice as Hizashi nearly fell out of his chair, while Aizawa merely shrugged.

"Well, you'll never know, that's for sure, Nemuri," Aizawa said, his voice dry as he took a sip of his afternoon coffee. "Besides, the less you know about my love life, the better. I don't need you trying to pair me up with people I have no interest in. Nakamura was the last blind date you sent me on, and because of that I have an irrational fear of lemonade," the older man said, glancing over to Hizashi, who had picked himself up from his annoyed stupor.

"Yeah! Besides, don't you have anything else to worry about? Like, I don't know, your adopted daughter?" The blond man pointed out as Nemuri gave a dismissive wave of the hand in response.

"I don't have to worry about her. She's fine, she can take care of herself. Plus, I get the feeling that she's a bit uncomfortable around me in the first place," Nemuri said as Aizawa shook his head.

"If I had to guess, it's because you tease her constantly, don't you?" the black-haired man said, causing Nemuri to stammer.

"W-Well, er, okay fine, yes I do. I bit too often if she had anything to say about it. But come on! Her face is so precious when she gets flustered, it's so… youthful." The ravenette nearly drooled, not before slapping herself across the face. "OW! Ugh, I need to take my medication, I'll be back," Nemuri said, placing her cards face down as she dug around in her pocket for the bottle.

She could faintly hear Aizawa scolding Hizashi for trying to peak at her cards, repressing a giggle from the ravenette. She marched into the bathroom, closed the door, then popped one of the dissolvable pills.

She hated the way they tasted, but it was for the greater good of her career. The quicker she got her impulses under control, the better. The new grade of high schoolers was coming in about a month, so she needed to prepare. The exams were about two weeks away, and the recommended exams were only four days away.

If she didn't get this stupid urge down and away forever, she'd have to deal with it while at school—the last thing she wanted was the reputation of the pill-popping teacher—and that was an outcome that was coming closer to reality as the days came closer.

But outside of all of that, the last thing she wanted to be outed as was a pedophile because of a miscommunication between her and the students.

Her Quirk, like most people's Quirks, altered the way she thought and acted. For example, Eraserhead, aka Shouta Aizawa, was an insomniac because of his Erasure Quirk. Present Mic, aka Hizashi Yamada, had a hard time controlling the volume of his voice because of his Voice Quirk.

Both of these problems were easy to deal with. All it took for Aizawa were sleep pills that bring up his serotonin levels, and all Hizashi had to do was watch how he spoke. But for a certain raven-haired dominatrix, the issue was way worse than either of those.

Her Quirk, Somnambulist, altered her perception of youth and made it attractive to her. Now, why it does that, she had absolutely no idea. The doctors didn't understand it, her parents didn't understand it, and she most of all didn't understand it.

Ever since she was 19, she had to take medication to lessen the impact her Quirk had on her mentality so that she could remain focused on the job. But over the years, the medication just kept getting weaker and weaker. It was to the point where she was taking the stronger stuff, which actively weakened her Quirk, making her performance out on the field worse.

She hated that part of herself. She hated the fact that she had this bizarre attraction to youth, and she hated the fact that it was getting to a point where she might have to consider retirement at an early age.

In her eyes, it was a disease. A disease that had to have a cure out there somewhere, but for all she knew, was far out of her reach.

"Hey, Nemuri?" It was Hizashi, and it was also at this moment that she had begun to realize that she was crying. Why was she crying? She didn't know why, but Nemuri knew there had to have been a reason. "Are you okay in there?" Hizashi's voice spoke to her again, and this time she straightened herself out, wiped the smeared mascara away, wiped underneath her eyes, and regained composure.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a minute…." Nemuri replied, a pair of footsteps fading away, signalling to the ravenette that the flashy blond-haired man left the doorway. Letting out a shaky sigh, the woman stepped out of the washroom, glancing into the living room as Hizashi and Aizawa were looking at her, hints of concern in their eyes as they stared.

"Nemuri, are you alright?" Aizawa asked as the ravenette smirked, completely avoiding the question.

"I'm fine, Shouta. Let's just get back to the game. last time I checked, I'm winning, so I'd like to finish it before I go back home to see if my darling daughter is home from hanging out with her friends. I know I said I was going to stay the night, but I think it would be better if I went home," Nemuri said, rejoining them at the table, picking up her cards with a smile on her face.

Aizawa and Hizashi glanced at each other, both having doubt in their eyes before reluctantly continuing the game.

In the end, Aizawa won through sheer commitment, dubiousness, and a trick named the "+Plus Infinity and then Uno beatdown."

xxXXxxXXxx

Leaning against a wall within an alleyway, a teenager stood, crossing his arms as he watched people go back and forth on the sidewalk. The teen had short grey hair, styled in a crewcut. He wore a black denim jacket with a spiked collar around his neck, and a red V-neck shirt. He also wore black grey pants with spiked cowboy boots and spiked cuffs around his wrists.

He was tall and imposing, sitting at a height of 6'4, and he was relatively muscular. This was thanks to his training. When he found out that U.A. was accepting students, he knew he had to do something, anything, to get in.

The teen was what you'd call a rather impatient person. Throughout all of his life, he had wanted to go get famous. Each time he tried to get famous, it was either through stupid stunts, vigilantism, or through Herotube, but each time, it failed.

But now, he had a chance. All he'd have to do was get through the recommendation exam, thanks to the Pro-Hero Death Arms endorsing him for a position. However, if he were to guarantee victory, he'd have to trim out a bit of the competition.

He had heard the rumours that the illustrious Midnight had applied someone for the recommendation exam for the first time in a long time. The last person she recommended was weak and barely qualified, so if it was the same this year, it would be easy pickings.

That, and it was the person he was sure had killed his uncle. After all, she had been the one that was last around him. It was eight months ago, and even though he was still considered a missing person, the teen knew that he was killed.

His uncle had a habit of going after younger girls. It wasn't any of his business, but that didn't change the fact that killing him was right! He just needed help! But now, he wouldn't get that help because now he was dead.

Not only that, but he had been tracking this bitch down for a while now. Waiting for the right time to do her in. And now, with the extra motivation for taking the weakling out so he could have an easier chance at the U.A. recommendation exam, now was a perfect time.

He had been stalking her for months now, and recently, an opportunity provided itself for him to be more than able to defeat her. Sure, she was a Stand User as well, but it was probably some weak shit. His was superior in every way… at least, according to that man it was. That man said it was strong, so it had to be, right?!

That meant that he was more than deserving of that spot in the exam, and she was not.

"I'm not gonna let some pathetic weakling squander my chances at finally getting famous! That, and I'll get revenge for my uncle!" The teen said through grit teeth. He clenched his hand into a fist as a black aura permeated around him.

A figure appeared beside the teen, its body lean and spikey, and its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes were a piercing red, and its head and back had purple spikes running across the top of its head down its back. Its hands were more like claws rather than hands, and it wore what seemed to be a black leather jacket of sorts, though it had been infused with itself.

The teen's eyes were transfixed on a photograph that had been given to him by that man. The photograph was of the blonde-haired girl walking out of a nightclub with the titular Pro Hero. His eyes wandered back to the street, and there, he saw that same girl walking into the Love Hotel, Love Deluxe, which had been owned by Midnight. They had the same body type, the same hairstyle and colour, and the same facial features.

A dark, foreboding smile crept up on the person's face as the teen watched her like a hawk.

"I'd attack you now, but there are too many people. I want to wait for a perfect opportunity. When you're all alone, and out of the way. That way, my Renegades can rip you to shreds!" The teen snarled, throwing the photograph into the air as Renegades pointed one of its index fingers forward, shooting a spinning spike out of its fingertip, completely ripping the photo into little shreds.

"Once I corner you, there will be nowhere left for you to hide, Kira Yoshihara."

-To Be Continued in - Renegades-