My Mistborn Academia
Written by ReaderWarrior
Beta'd/edited by SlayerOfSnails
Don't be afraid to comment on this chapter! It makes my day reading your thoughts and opinions on my work :). And tell your friends! I'm still trying to be the #1 Mistborn writer on Fanfiction.
I do not own Mistborn or My Hero Academia
A Night of Panic
Guest - You are very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Thank you so much, that was something I've been wanting to do for a while now. It's a great way to give her multiple dimensions as a character too.
Midoriya, on the top of UA's roof, watches as All Might flies by. But beneath him in the shadows, Vin looks down at the ground to see black tendrils spreading out. A wide smile glows inside of the darkness as she scowls. Her mistcloak unfurls as the words 'My Mistborn Academia' flash on the screen.
"One day I set my eyes to the sky and like a plane my dreams were passing by."
Uraraka stretches at a beachside where different items lay scattered in front of her.
"And I awoke to tears that filled my eyes, I need to spread my wings and fly."
A confident smile stretches across Kirishima's face as he stands in the mirror, using his Quirk to Harden and deHarden rapidly as he flexes.
"I lie awake at night with these memories of feeling powerless and their haunting me."
Bakugo's eye twitches as he rapidly squats and rises. Sweat pours down his body, making small explosions at it hits the ground.
"I'm always reaching out for this destiny to make it happen - that's all on me."
Momo eats a tub of ice cream as she reads a book on metallurgy and robotics.
"Cruel fate sets in motion and no one else knows why."
Still atop UA's roof, Midoriya stretches backward. His eyes look up to the sky and catch the reflection of the sun.
"Waiting for the day to come, when it will show up? Claiming what's before my eyes."
Now in the gym, Vin winds around two poles on opposite sides of the room. Blue iron and steel-lines shine from her chest as a shadow passes over the windows.
"With every issue, I gotta breathe through, or the moment just might pass."
Breathing in and out, Todoroki spreads his arms on a darkened field. As the cloud passes, light returns, and he turns around.
"They were all telling me I can't, they were laughing-"
Three groups smile back at him. The first, Midoriya's, consists of himself, Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, and Sero. Then Vin with Momo, Hagakure, Mina, Kirishima, and Tokoyami. Ojirou blushes as he stands in front of Kaminari, Jiro, Kouda, Satou, and Shouji. Bakugo was nowhere to be seen.
They each hold their hands out confidently and offer Todoroki a place with their teams
"- Well look who's laughing now?"
In a stadium, the members of class 1A all charge forward toward each other. Vin and Bakugou rise into the air as Midoriya and Todoroki meet on the ground. Iida runs around, causing dust to rise up only to have Momo throw a bolas at his legs. Each of the other classmates begins to attack as a boy with purple hair looks on from the shadows.
"Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me."
A black wave courses throughout the field as Dark Shadow forms to throw Vin into the air - right toward Bakugou after he holds out his palms. A girl with strange eyes cackles as she marvels at the sight and reaches into a bag. Kirishima smashes his head against a man made of metal and smiles. A purple orb rolls onto the field, making Momo stumble.
"I'll be the hero and no one can stop me."
All Might lands atop of the stadium to study his students. Behind him, like he was staring at a screen, a man smiles and folds his hands, watching a few specific people.
"Loudly I will scream it from the depth of my lungs!"
Smiling proudly, All Might spins around, letting his cape flutter and stretch to the horizon. As his cape falls, and light begins to shine, Aizawa and Present Mic join his side.
"You've got those tired eyes from crying every moment?"
All of the students in class 1A turn to look at UA High where All Might and his fellow teachers are now standing. They all look forward and upward. Midoriya stands up front, clenching his fists, as Vin looks back to see the darkness before slowly sinking back into the shadows.
"You cannot hide it, someone's gonna notice."
Uraraka, Iida, Momo, and Kirishima all leap forward, determination in their eyes.
"I'll be your hero - no one's going to hurt you again!"
Now Vin, Midroiya, and Todoroki all race toward each other. Their fists slam together, forming an explosion of light.
"Gonna raise my hand with a peace sign-"
As the light fades, everyone is back in their Hero uniforms. Each of the poses they used now reflected in their current stature - taking what they learned and applying it to their role as Heroes.
"- Our story will last forever!"
The decision to leave UA was not one she made lightly. It was Momo's dream to attend the prestigious Hero school and her family had spent quite a lot of money to get her the recommendation spot. She herself had worked hard. Memorizing atomic components, learning basic martial arts, and practicing how to build wea-
Weapons. She was the weapon. There was no way she could deny her involvement in the events the day prior. A group calling themselves the Legion of Villains broke into her class' USJ trip and tried to use them as bait for All Might. To kill him. Almost everyone involved in the terrorist raid had been imprisoned. All but three.
The first two were the supposed 'leaders'. The men known as Shigaraki and Kurogiri were the ones who planned the attack and brought the monstrous creature known as 'Nomu' - an 'artificial being' with multiple Quirks - to kill Japan's number one Hero. Thankfully, the creature was captured after All Might was able to knock it skyward. When they saw that their weapon failed, Shigaraki and Kurogiri escaped through the latter's warp portal.
Which left the third.
Momo pressed a hand against her head as the other covered her mouth. A set of images flashed in her mind, repeating the same loop over and over.
Eraserhead, their teacher, attacking a horde of villains to buy them time.
One of them sneaking up on him.
A hand outstretched, one Momo had helped many times since they had met.
Placing a knife in the woman's hand.
Vin throwing it.
The knife hitting the villain in his back.
Then it stopped being a blur of photos. It became a movie. The villain lurched back but stumbled forward. He tried to straighten his posture but the knife had been embedded into his spine. There was a spasm that spread from his back to his shoulders, ending with a sharp inhale as he opened his mouth.
Then the movie ended and Momo was stuck seeing the villain's body on the ground. What was worse was that the image was no longer of the USJ. Momo now saw it lying on the ground of her bedroom. Laying in the center of the floor, surrounded by her large bed, desks, and bookshelves, was a corpse.
Momo reached for the bucket once more but her stomach was empty. All she could do was shudder and gasp like she was struggling for air. She realized that this was her mind reacting to the events but it still hurt on a physical level. There were so many things running through her mind that she thought her head might explode.
Why'd I give her the knife? Vin's my friend and asked for it.
It's only just a villain. He was still a person!
He was going to kill Mr. Aizawa. But she didn't have to kill him.
Do you blame yourself for making it? Or Vin for what happened?
Of course she blamed herself. How could she not? Momo used her Quirk, Creation, to form the knife. 320 grams, 30.16 centimeters long in total, and with a leather hilt. The metal was a carbon-steel alloy, .95% carbon and .05% iron (with some manganese, chromium, and vanadium to increase its durability). She knew every detail about it; it was born from her. The man, villain or not, died because of her. Why hadn't she made it dull? Why hadn't she made a tungsten rod instead?
So many whys. And yet they all were on her failure. Shouldn't she be blaming someone else?
Momo knew that Vin was special and different. She had, at times, acted like kindness and friendship were things as rare as astatine. Momo had seen her fake a smile and felt the anger she held for All Might's. That night when she finally opened up to them and explained her Quirk, Momo felt as if this was the first time in Vin's entire life that she had gotten to enjoy a meal with friends.
But she threw the knife.
Vin killed someone. And if that wasn't horrifying enough, she had acted like it didn't even matter. Even as the villain was falling, Vin reached back out to Momo and requested another one.
Both Momo, and Midoriya were horrified. And Vin couldn't understand WHY!
There wasn't anything she could do about that, though. Momo couldn't walk into a school of Heroes with the blood of someone else dripping from her hands.
Hence the decision.
Momo fell onto her bed, ignoring the near-constant buzzing from her phone. Apparently, her message to Mina had already spread to Hagakure and Jiro. She had been struggling to make the initial text at first. After all the work she had done, could she just leave?
Every part of Momo told her no. But the guilt tearing her up from the inside… she was no Hero. She was barely better than the villains. She was a killer.
Tomorrow morning, there would be an envelope sent to UA Academy with her family's crest in the wax. Inside would be a letter, written by her hand, and she would explain what had happened and why she felt responsible. Why she-
Crash!
Gasping, Momo ducked as one of the glass balcony doors to her right shattered. A rock rolled across the floor and a gust of wind sharpened her focus for a brief moment.
"Pick up the phone!" yelled someone familiar.
She grabbed her cell, answered the most recent call - this one from Hagakure - and slowly walked to the door.
Multiple voices all screamed out "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!"
Avoiding the glass, Momo walked through the gate and stepped out on the balcony. From this height, a modest fourth-story view, she could easily see the nearly half-dozen figures of her classmates at the front gate.
"What are you doing here?" Momo gasped.
"We came here to stop you!" Jiro said through the phone.
Mina nodded. "Yeah, you're making a huge mistake."
"No I'm not," she whispered. "I can't be a hero after what happened."
"What happened was that a bunch of bad guys tried to kill us," Hagakure explained.
Momo shook her head. "And I killed one of them!"
There was a moment of silence and she watched the group huddle up. Momo knew that they had all gone out shopping, something she wouldn't have ever turned down in the past. She had always wanted to be invited to a normal outing.
But… Momo frowned and realized something. There were only four people at her door. Mina, Jiro, Tsuyu, and (though she couldn't see her directly) Hagakure. Where was-
"You didn't kill anyone," a voice above her whispered. Momo looked up and saw Vin, wearing a red gown and hanging off of the rooftop downspout. "I did."
Momo gasped. She looked beautiful with the orange sky behind her. Like a mythical angel or goddess offering aid to mortals. "What are you doing here?" She gasped aloud. Then, silently, 'How did you get past all of the security?'
She's Vin, a part of her whispered. When has anything ever gotten between her and what she wanted?
To her surprise, a smile rose on the young woman's face. "Because you are my friend. And I'm here to help." She reached down with her free hand. "Please, listen to what I have to say."
The quartet of women watched as Momo stepped back and allowed Vin to fall onto the balcony. Then, together, they stepped into the mansion and disappeared.
Mina was pleasantly surprised that they had gotten here before Vin. She was the first one to leave the store after Hagakure read Momo's message aloud, and left without even asking them which way to go.
Which also meant leaving them with having to pay for the dress.
Vin, please talk some sense into her and then pay me back my 200,000 yen! The pink-skinned girl smiled. It honestly didn't matter if she did or didn't. It would be fun to tease, though.
When they reached the gate and got no response from the intercom, Jiro was the one who picked up the rock and threw it at the window. Thank goodness it was Momo's room and not someone else's.
"What now?" Hagakure asked as they all stood around in the cold.
Tsuyu's tongue poked out of her mouth. "We hope Vin can save her."
Even though the room appeared clean to her, Vin could tell that, by a noble's standard, it looked as if a servant hadn't been there in a while. There were no papers thrown about, no pile of pillows and blankets like Vin had in her room. But after living with Elend, she noticed that the chaos of uncleanliness became focused on those who kept their room prepared.
Momo's bed wasn't made and the sheets were nearly pulled out from the frame. A trash bin was near the middle of the room, likely placed there after Mina's well-aimed throw. Vin had only arrived at the estate in time to see Momo stepping onto the balcony. After making a few wrong turns and avoiding Pro-Hero patrols, she finally found the Keep.
"I'm sorry it's a mess," Momo whispered. "I haven't had time to let the maids in yet."
She's been locked up in here all day. "It's fine."
The girl flinched. "It's not fine. There's a way things must be done."
"Is that why you've locked yourself up?" Vin was careful to dance around the glass shards on the floor. In her haste, she'd forgotten to grab her shoes.
"I haven't…" Momo sighed and sat down on her bed, balling her nightgown in her fists. "Yes, Vin. Something is wrong. I did something wrong."
Vin frowned and sat down next to her. "What?"
Even with her hair forming a curtain to hide her face, Vin could see her tears. "I killed him."
"Him?"
"The man that was sneaking up on Eraserhead. He's dead because of me."
Oh. This is what Aizawa had warned her about and tried to prevent. These future Heroes were still children. Children of a warm sun, filled stomachs, and loving family. My past is their future.
Right then, Vin wanted to reach for her Allomantic reserves and Soothe away all the pain Momo was feeling. She could help her. Except it wouldn't be helping her. It would be hurting her even more. This was something Momo needed to face. And it would hurt Vin just as much to use her powers on her friend like this.
"Don't say that it wasn't me," she continued. "I made that knife sharp enough to cut through bone. If I wasn't there, then it wouldn't have been buried into his spine. I should have made something blunt, like a baton, instead."
"He was going to kill Aizawa," Vin said.
Momo shook her head. "But we are supposed to be Heroes. We're not supposed to kill and hurt people even if they are criminals. It's the difference between us and them. If you don't hold back, and do whatever you want, everything will turn to chaos." She held out her hand and, after a moment, a paper edited her palm. "One of the first things I learned to Create was money. Wealth and gold. People still ask me if I can make them a few emeralds at Father and Mother's events.
"Should I give it to them, the economy would collapse. Too much money just makes everything cost more. I could go outside and hand every single person a million yen. Places would either have to go out of business or raise their prices, making it impossible for anyone else to afford even the most simple of items. People would steal to survive. And then everyone is a villain. Even the girl who just wanted to help."
Momo crumbled the currency in her palm and threw it into the trash bin. "We must be better. Our powers give us more than just what we see. If we don't keep that controlled and regulated… people die…" The young woman looked at her hands, nails kept and manicured, and squeezed her eyes shut.
"How am I supposed to pretend I am a Hero when my hands are stained in blood?"
Vin frowned. This world was more like Scadrial than she realized. When the armies had marched on Luthadel and put it in a blockade, she had watched rotten apples go from pig feed to costing dozens of boxings. And before that, when their new government was just forming after the Lord Ruler's death, Elend was warned that trying to give all the skaa money for their work would bankrupt them.
It's ironic, though, she thought. Boxings, to a skaa, were a treasure. But to a Mistborn, and typically ones of nobility, they just threw them away to create anchors for steel-pushing. The coin could be worthless but the metal made it valuable to them. And here it is all done with paper.
But then there were the differences. Momo, as well as the other people of Japan, saw death as a sort of taboo. Like it was meant to be shunned and only spoken of in whispers. That was not what Vin knew.
She did not revel in it. The first time she killed someone was during her and Kelsier's raid on Kredik Shaw. It scared her. Especially how easily it was for her to just Push someone out of a window. But then, as quickly as he fell dead, another soldier attacked. The fight continued - it did not stop. Even here, there would always be another fight. Another secret.
How was she supposed to explain that?
After a moment, Vin spoke. "You're right. The heroes need to be different from the villains. But their actions aren't what defines them, it's their reasoning. Someone can kill someone in self-defense. And that's what you did," Vin smiled. She grabbed Momo's hand and squeezed it. "You saved Aizawa. And Aizawa saved us. You. Saved. Us."
For a moment, the images flashed in her mind once again. She stared down at Vin's hand and remembered handing her the knife. Momo pulled her hand away and stood up. "What are you, Vin Venture?"
The strange girl cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"You act as if murder and manslaughter are just tools. Like it isn't the greatest atrocity of all! Have you killed people before? … Are you a villain too?" Momo began to hyperventilate. She trusted Vin and all she had to show for it was the blood on her hands. "I know you keep your past secret but I need to know. Did I kill a criminal? Or did I help one?"
At that moment, Momo didn't know which was worse. Was this why she was so strange, so sheltered and innocent in some ways? They'd been told she came from an English monastery. But what if that was all a cover? There were no wars in the past dozen years that Momo could think of. Certainly nothing that would have borne such thoughts like hers.
Did UA know? Were they helping her? Or had Vin snuck her way in, somehow, to learn Pro-Hero secrets?
Vin looked down at her hand and sighed. Her dress crackled and echoed through the room as she stood up, walked over to Momo's makeup desk, and stared into the mirror reflection. "I can't tell you everything," she whispered. "But I can tell you the truth.
"I lived most of my life in ash-filled gutters. The only person I was taught to rely on was myself. I couldn't appear weak and I couldn't look strong, too much of the other would get me killed. Aizawa told me that my past would be hard for everyone to understand. Just like how hard it is for me to understand yours.
"Have I killed people?" Vin nodded. "Yes. But it was all for the better. People who were going to hurt me, hurt my friends, and family. And… hurt Elend."
"Elend?" Momo asked. The tone in Vin's voice was a median of emotion. There was pain but the light in her eyes was brighter than ever before.
She nodded. "Elend was… everything. My everything. He was the first person to see me for all of my conflicts and was the first person to love them both." She reached toward her bosom and pulled something out from under the dress - a frayed leather cord with a wooden ring.
"Where I come from, metals are… special. They couldn't be wasted or displayed. So when we got married, this is what we traded." She held it out for Momo to inspect. It was, like she thought, a marriage band made of wood. But along its body were carved beautiful, alien, and arcane symbols that seemed to dance in frozen majesty.
Voice dry, Momo asked, "What happened?"
"Our… marriage," Vin sighed, "was a flare of the moment. And it wasn't long after that when I came here. We never traded our alloyance. He must have placed it in my pocket when-" Her voice cut out and Momo saw tears fall down her face. "I only found it after I got here. And I won't ever see him again.'
She turned to Momo and gave a heartbroken glance. "I killed people. But only when I had to. To protect those I love. And during the attack, I had to save Aizawa. He's the closest thing I have to what I've lost."
"I…" What could she say? Momo wanted answers, but she didn't want to hurt Vin. Whoever Elend was, he was the most important thing in Vin's life. Emphasis on 'was'. "Was it a villain?"
The girl scoffed. "It was someone I thought I could trust. But I think it was only trying to prevent a greater evil. I think we were all tricked." Vin held out her hand to Momo. "And that's all this is. The last attack they left was the one in your mind. The smoke man called us the 'Golden Eggs of the next generation of Heroes'. They're afraid of that. Afraid of you. And if they can convince you that you aren't a Hero and that you shouldn't be helping those who need it, then they won a battle.
"You're a wonderful woman, Momo Yaoyorozu. And I know you will be an even greater Hero. While I was struggling to swim you were taking charge of Jiro and Kaminari. You stalled long enough for the Pro's to arrive. You are a Hero in everything but the title.
"Prove it."
The declaration filled her mind and helped ease the pain inside. It didn't take it away, Momo doubted she'd ever get over what she had done, but Vin's words helped her realize something. She wanted to be a Hero. This wasn't going to be about her parents sending her to learn a new skill, or for them to showcase her off as the pride of the Yaoyorozu family. This was for her.
She would prove it. To herself, her family, Vin, and her classmates. And, most of all, she'd show every villain whoever she crossed that she would. Not. Break.
Momo's legs shook as she jumped forward and wrapped Vin in a hug. And for once, the strange girl didn't fight back. As Vin held her, Momo cried and let out all of the panic and guilt in her heart. She needed to let it go herself.
And so she did.
Minutes, and tissues, later, the two women sat back on the bed next to each other.
"Thank you," Momo said. "And I'm sorry."
Vin shook her head. "This was my fault. I should have seen what you were struggling with. If I had noticed sooner-"
"Then you would have still been dealing with a traumatized young woman. I'm just thankful that you were willing to share so much of your past and show me that not everything can be black and white. Pain isn't always bad. And what I did, while wrong, did lead to something greater."
"It's about causation," Vin said. She had a ghostly smile on her face like she was hearing an old joke. "Push and pull. And it's about why they are acted upon. As long as you remain true to yourself, you will always be a Hero. The lacerations you earned, and the guilt you felt for it, show that you aren't like them. Those villains wouldn't have hesitated to kill you. They would have celebrated it. You? You mourn them." A chuckle fell out of her lips. "Just like he would have."
"Elend?"
Vin nodded.
Momo turned to face her and saw that her hands were enclosed like fists of rock. "Would you like to tell me about him?"
The breath that came out of Vin's mouth was as if every bit of the joy in her life was struggling to escape. Whoever Elend was, and whatever happened to him, Vin was not over it. She loved him.
Why did that hurt to know?
The best way to get someone to open up is to do it yourself. Kelsier taught her that. But she always assumed he got it from Breeze. It was how he got her to open up to him, and she to others like Tensoon and, almost by extension, Zane.
But also…
"Elend was… he was like you. He was born from nobility but never let it show unless he had to. There was always a pile of books kept close to him and he could recite most philosophy by heart. The first time we met, he was reading a book and told me to move away from the light source."
Momo giggled. "That sounds like a few people I know."
A certain green-haired boy with a journal flashed in Vin's mind and she nodded. "Even with his biases, he always worked towards equality. Never took power for himself and always gave it to those in need.
"The last time I saw him… he was bleeding and hurt and still, he told me to help everyone else." Tears began to fill her eyes as she remembered that day at the Well. "I could've saved him."
"Maybe he's still alive? Have you tried to call him?"
Vin had to keep herself from laughing. "No. I can't go home. And even if I could…" She placed a hand to her heart and clenched her fist with the alloyance inside. "I would be able to tell. Elend's gone. And it's my fault."
The doors, to the rest of the Keep, not the balcony, slammed open as Hagakure and Mina lept inside and grabbed Vin. "It's not your fault!" they cried together.
Vin gasped at their touch and saw Jiro, at the door, wiping away a tear, next to Tsuyu. In front of them was a well-suited man with a beard.
"Apologies, Mistress," he said in a thick accent. "But they insisted on finding you." The remaining girls stepped inside as the first two continued to comfort Vin.
Momo nodded. "Thank you, Tubrel."
The man, Tubrel, bowed like a Terrisman steward and left, closing the door.
"Vin!" Hagakure cried. "We're sorry about Elend. Why didn't you tell us?"
"You were listening?" she growled.
Pulling away from Vin, Mina and Hagakure waved their hands. "No!" the pink woman said. "But… you kind of… left the phone… on."
'Eep'-ing, Momo grabbed her phone and ended the call. "Apologies," she sighed. "In the moment, I forgot."
There was a primal flare of something inside of Vin's stomach. Not a metal, anger. This was supposed to be a private-
Vin sighed. There's no such thing as a perfectly-kept secret. One day, all of hers will probably be revealed. But she'd like to do so on her terms. These were her friends. She could trust them - not with the full story, but enough of it.
"It's fine." She nodded to Hagakure and Mina. "I'm fine. We should be focusing on Momo, anyway."
Like koloss smelling blood, the two girls turned to the young noble and pounced, wrapping her in an equally-tight hug. This time, all four of the girls joined in, leaving Vin standing awkwardly in her gown.
"Why didn't you tell us you were having nightmares?" Jiro asked when the hug disbanded.
Momo blushed and cupped her hands at her waist. "I didn't wish to be a bother," she whispered. "And I didn't want anyone else to have to deal with what I did."
"What you did was save everyone, ribbit." Tsuyu patted her on the shoulder. "And you're not the only one who's had bad dreams since then."
"I'm not?"
All the girls, save Vin, shook their heads.
Hagkura spoke first. "I saw Todoroki freeze an entire mountain of villains. It's scary how good and fast he is. But I'm scared that he didn't even know I was there. What if one day I'm a Pro-Hero and get stuck inside a building? No one can see me."
"We fought that electric guy together," Jiro added. "It was my idea to stall him and try to use my Quirk and it almost cost Kaminari his life. I almost killed him."
"Even though I wasn't displaced like you all were, I still had to fight the purple guy. Well, not fight, but we sent Iida to get help." Her horns quivered as Mina wiped away some nearly-formed tears. "If he didn't get back in time, we would all be dead right now. And I didn't really do anything to stop them."
"When we first landed in the Flood Zone, I was the only one able to do anything. Midoriya was disoriented and Vin couldn't swim, ribbit. When I went to grab them, I saw all of the villains surrounding us and thought… I thought with my Quirk, I could run. But it would've meant leaving my friends behind." Tsuyu avoided Vin's gaze and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Bristling for a moment at the mention of her new weakness, Vin shook her head. "Survival is a basic feeling. I couldn't have blamed you for being thrown into the mines without a pickaxe." She then turned to Momo. "And I remember all the men who have tried to kill me. From Shan to Straff. Do I regret it? No. They tried to kill me and those I love. But I do wonder if there was a way things could have been different. But 'what ifs' never solved anything."
Momo looked around the room and saw that she was not alone. She saw the fear of her actions reflected in them and the weakness they all felt. No, it was not weakness. It was their innocence. They were children, they shouldn't have been forced to deal with these actions even if they had volunteered for it.
This day would have come at some point. In each of their hearts, they were thankful that they had each other and their classmates to stand with them in their first bout with the darkness of this world. And they won.
"How did you cope with it, then?" Momo asked. "I've been here, barely able to leave this room and you were able to go out and laugh together. How?"
"Because I know you will find me," Hagakure said with a likely grin.
Jiro nodded. "My plan worked. We stalled long enough for help to come. I just need to get better."
Mina posed heroically. "We got Iida out and he got help. That's a win in my book. And if I ever see Purple Guy again, I'm going to melt his collar."
"And I didn't leave my friends." Tsuyu finished. She gave a lopsided smile. "I stayed and we helped stop the villains."
Vin pointed at Momo. "Thanks to you."
Tears once again fell down Momo's face. She quickly brushed them away and sat down. "Thank you."
"It's what friends are for," Mina said, placing her hand on Momo's. "We'll always be here to help each other."
Jiro nodded. "Do you want to come with us next time? Vin's like some kind of model, everything she tried on was amazing."
"I can see that." Vin blushed and, for the first time, realized that she was once again the outlier, sitting in a gown while her classmates and friends wore their casual outfits. Momo continued, "But I don't think I'm ready for a day out today."
"What about our Hero costumes?" Hagakure asked.
Tsuyu cocked her head to the side. "What about them?"
"Well, we did just use them for real," the unseen woman said. "Are there any upgrades you think we should get?"
"My mistcloak needs to unclasp if it's ever pulled on," Vin said. She touched her throat and remembered the panic when Shigaraki used it to pull her down and how it almost killed her. "And probably a better way of storing metals."
Mina giggled. "No capes!"
"Perhaps."
The light in Momo's eyes began to grow. "Well, that should be easy enough. Maybe gauntlets to store more compact vials?"
"Do you have to drink them?" Jiro asked, her fingers tapping on her legs as she sat down cross-legged. "Or just ingest them?"
"…" To be honest, Vin had never thought about that. Was there a better way for her to swallow the shavings? "I don't know."
"What about me?" Hagakure asked. "Is there a way I could wear something that can turn invisible or visible?"
"That's something you should ask UA," ribbited Tsuyu. "I don't see why they force you to wear nothing except your gloves and boots."
Hagakure chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah. I guess I should've asked them sooner. What about you Momo, any upgrades?"
"I'm not certain. My family bought my uniform from a third-party designer. It would be rude-"
"That designer was an idiot," Vin said. They all turned to face her as she pointed at Momo. "It's too revealing for someone your age-"
"Aren't you the same age as us?" Jiro frowned.
"It's too revealing, the book container is a spinal injury waiting to happen, and offered no protection if someone hit you." The Mistborn shook her head. "I think someone's using you and your family to show off their fashion for money." It reminds me of scams some skaa business owners would try to pull on lower Noble houses. A nice dress until you take it out to find it falling to pieces at their first ball. By the time Nobles returned to the store, they'd find it empty and abandoned.
"I see… That is a sound theory, lots of Pro-Heroes use their outfits to showcase a brand or company that they support or own." Momo rubbed her head and sighed. "And Mother always did say it was never too early to save stocks."
Mina giggled. "Is she your mom or your manager?"
"Both. Is that not the same for you?"
The girls all shook their heads. "Mine just wants me to be happy with what I do," Jiro said. "I thought she'd be upset when I told her I wanted to be a Hero instead of a musician."
"Which you totally worked into your costume!" Hagakure squealed. "Your punk rock aesthetic is totally cute."
Punk rock?
The black-haired girl blushed and started to finger one of her earlobe-jacks. "Thanks. But I think I definitely need some more speakers closer to my head."
Momo frowned. "Won't that hurt?"
"Not if I'm careful."
Perhaps, Vin thought, she could take some part of her friend's outfits and apply it to her own. Jiro was akin to a tineye. And she'd have even more experience in using it to listen than anyone else, even Spook. I need to get some swimming lessons. She'd have to ask Tsuyu for help with that. Hadn't Aizawa mentioned something about a large swimming tub?
Once again, Vin began to creep into the shadows. It wasn't like she started to step away from the group. But Momo saw that her smile, small and genuine, wasn't reaching her eyes and she seemed to have stopped paying attention to their conversation.
Momo was not an introvert herself, but in her life she had been repeatedly told to stay quiet or to stand next to her parents. She had never truly interacted with other people, especially other girls, in her age group. The closest she reached were suitors. She was an extrovert, forced into the lifestyle of an introvert. This was exactly what she had dreamed of, a group of friends that cared for her, but had never known how to achieve it with 'normal' people.
So she easily recognized Vin's aura, her posture, and her attention, fade. Vin must be feeling left out. Or…
Clapping her hands, Momo said "Thank you very much for coming. But I think it's time for you to leave."
"Aww," Mina pouted. "Already?"
Hagakure shared the girl's reaction. "Yeah, we didn't even get to explore yet! And it's only nine."
"Nonetheless, we still have school tomorrow." Momo rose and started to help the others to their feet. "And I wouldn't be a very good Class President if I kept my classmates awake all night."
Slowly, everyone made their way towards the door. Tsuyu opened it, much to the surprise of Tubrel who backstepped into a trolley of tea and cookies.
"Leaving already, Mistress?"
"They are," she nodded. "Please make sure they are seen outside safely."
He nodded. "Of course." His quirk Facial Hand allowed his beard to form a hand which waved toward the hallway.
Momo grabbed each and every one of the girls in separate hugs and whispered her thanks. Each of the girls hugged back and said they would do it again and that if Momo ever needed to talk, they were a phone call away.
"Next time, talk to us instead of giving us all heart attacks," Jiro said.
Hagakure sighed and rubbed Momo's hand. "You helped me too."
"We better see you in the classroom, ribbit."
"I promise," Momo said.
Then, Mina, "See you then!"
And then they were gone. Tubrel had waited a moment but closed the door as Momo waved her hand. She wanted to talk to Vin privately. And so they were; alone once more.
"You didn't have to do that," the strange woman said.
"Do what?"
"Care for me. We came here for you."
Momo smiled. "For which, you have my thanks. I might not agree with it, but I understand why you did what you did. And I will work on accepting that it was out of my control." She bowed as low as she could, giving Vin her highest respect. "Thank you for saving me from my nightmares."
"You have only yourself to thank," Vin said. She then bowed as well, mimicking Momo's form and keeping a perfect balance. "I simply offered a different viewpoint."
The two girls straightened their backs and faced each other. "I am going to be a Hero," Momo said. "I will do it for myself. This I swear, no one will ever have to worry about me again."
Vin shook her head. "We're always going to worry about you. It's important to be scared. That fear reminds us what is right and what is wrong. Nothing is truly black and white. We are like mist, grey and swirling and moving in unknown patterns."
The strange woman who had enamored Momo since the school year had started, curtsied and made her way back toward the balcony. "I promise to always be there to protect you, Momo."
As she disappeared, Momo felt her heart beat faster and she rushed to the ledge. Vin's gown stuck out among the darkness as she flew over their lawn and then over their fence line. She rejoined the rest of their classmates and they all waved.
Momo waved back and smiled. The decision to stay in UA was not one she made lightly. Nor was it difficult. It was her decision. She would not stay because it was easy but because she knew it would be even harder. And she would be there for everyone else as they were for her.
Yes, there would be an envelope sent to UA Academy with her family's crest in the wax. Inside would be a letter, written by her hand, and she would explain what had happened and why she felt responsible.
And it would include a letter of apology to be sent to the family of the man she killed. He may have been a villain, but she was not. This would not ruin her. She would grow and become better.
Like Vin, the woman who broke into her house. And…
Momo blushed and ran inside. This time, she ignored the body on her carpet. It held no power over her now.
Holy cow guys, that took way too long. I'm so sorry. This school year has been killer. I'm only posting this now because I got a little break before another project has to take my attention.
One of the things I won't forgive My Hero Academia for is that it doesn't flush out all of Class 1-A. This chapter was a rectification of that. There needs to be a reaction to the events - these kids almost DIED. And yet the next chapter of the manga/episode of the anime jumps straight to the next day of class. I wanted to explore that.
Did Momo get the brunt of it? Yes. But she also kinda did get her hands bloody. And it allowed everyone else to also voice their fears.
AND YES I WILL BE UPGRADING THE STUPID COSTUMES. SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE HECK?! Momo will be getting a whole new outfit and I'm going to try and make it so Hagakure's will be made from her own hair fibers, like Lemillion.
Also, this chapter is helping set up things I want to do down the road (I think some of y'all can probably tell what I'm planning).
Before any of y'all can complain about it, the alloyance is also something me and my Editor/Beta thought would be a nice connection to Vin's past. The name comes from the French term for wedding ring (alliance) which connects to the fact that the Final Empire is supposed to be French-German. Is it shoved in? A tad. But is there anywhere (in this Fic) where it would have been mentioned already? Not really. I like it. And it's staying. Allow me this, please. I promise it'll be worth it.
I think that's it. Next chapter will be getting us back towards canon. The games are coming up! I hope you all are ready to see a Mistborn rumble!
Editor's note: Sup.
My dream of being the number one Mistborn FanFic writer still has not been achieved! Slavok's Beautiful Destroyer still holds that record with a difference of 175 Favorites and 287 Follows. We are in 4th though, directly behind Metal like Roses! C'mon everyone, we can do this!
Read on, my warriors and share with your friends.