Welcome back to another chapter of A Hero's Creed! I'm getting ready to move, so this might be my last update in a while (unless I procrastinate so freakin' hard). That being said, I've tried to pack this chapter with interesting things to theorize and/or giggle over. I've tried to give you all a little bit of everything, so let me know how I did. Now, on to the reviews!
Gamelover41592: Thank you! ^-^
INFNIT09: You'll have to wait and see, but I promise it won't be an easy road.
LEGOBRICK13: Thank you! Pony's lower half isn't covered in hair like a satyr would be, but it's still kind of weird that her legs have that shape. Eh, MHA physiology is whack. Now then, I expect a reaction 180 or three from all the motivation drops in this chapter. I think you'll enjoy them~!
Monkey D. Conan: I'm glad you enjoyed it! To that end, this chapter helps to scatter breadcrumbs for the rest of this arc and the next, at the least.
Pirohiko-Baltazar: Well, I haven't seen Ragnarok Records, so I'm sorry to say I missed that reference by a Tennessee mile. I suspect such demonic names have real-world mention in religious texts like the Keys of Solomon and other such demon-fighting literature. I haven't seen any reference to worship of the Isu in any of the AC games as of yet, the closest being how the Main Three we see and/or hear tell of have the names of Roman gods. I suppose it makes sense for the Father of Understanding that the Templars reference to be (or to have been) an actual figure, but just as many disregard religion altogether, like we see with Rodrigo who became Pope despite having told Ezio he thought it was all bunk. As this story stands, though, Izuku's Eagle Vision will change and evolve as he grows, but I don't think he's be gaining any ability to copy Quirk Factors like in some other (very well written) FanFictions.
Ranger McAleer: You want to see major changes from Canon? Those butterflies need time to pupate, so give it until the end of the Sports Festival. I promise you the Internship Arc this time around will be different. That's the start of when all the little differences start to manifest their larger cousins. I'm still sowing seeds, here!
Shadowwolf1997: Honestly, I was cackling to myself as I wrote that scene. I'm glad the Paintball War turned out so well. As for Baby, I'm afraid she's been lost. You know, probably. It might be out there in the world somewhere, but Baby has never been to Japan and I still need to finish Desmond's story in the games before I decide what I'll do with that tech. So, currently, Assassins training with Baby is a Schrödinger's cat.
SPeCTeR-ll7: Our own history is mired in half-truths and assumptions, so the same is true in this universe. Not everyone will have all the right information, and if I am unclear on something to do with the past, then the same can be said for the characters. Now, if they are blatantly wrong about something, then there's a reason for it and you just have to wait for that plot point to bloom.
Wizardwolf1020: Alright, a lot to unpack here, so let's work on it. I refuse to give away too much of my future plans -that takes all the fun out of the journey- but I do have wild and crazy ambitions of doing some world building on a worldwide scale. How we get there... well, you'll just have to wait. Like, a LONG time. As for Izuku's Eagle Vision, I definitely intend for it to continue to grow and evolve, and it will as I familiarize myself with how it does so as I keep playing the games, but your comments about Arno's skills has me hyped for Unity once I finish Liberation.
When it comes to killing off certain, important characters, the timing just needs to be right, so I can't say whether I'll take you up on your idea. That being said, you did inspire a near-lucid dream in which I saw the overarching span of the rest of the story for years to come, so my ceaseless writing and certain-to-be sleepless nights are your fault.
Finally, to your last point about Tenya, say hello to that butterfly, though I suppose it's still just a caterpillar right now.
ZonZus: You make a lot of valid points. I'd never thought of Light in that way, but I suppose you're right. Absolute power does corrupt absolutely, after all. That being said, I hope that the antagonists in this story either have the power and brains to achieve their goals or are clearly stupid enough that they don't know they're being used. Or, maybe, both.
In the end, the Templars want lasting peace with them at the top. Even if this peace means humans stagnate, they'd take a humble, mindless, happy existence where they are in charge over violence and death. I can see the appeal (I have to to properly write such characters), but a world like that would be so bland, uninteresting, and frankly boring. Conflict is the only thing that makes the world interesting. If everyone agreed on everything, what would we talk about?
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Side Note (because it's on my mind): If you all are interested in other VERY well-written MHA stories, I suggest Collector Hero: Synthesis here on FF or One For All and Eight For The Ninth on AO3. I adore these stories with an OP Izuku even if my story is basically the opposite. Now, on to the chapter!
Chapter 14:
Family Troubles
"That frog-girl better stay away from my future son-in-law if she knows what's good for her," Okame Yaoyorozu muttered, a pillow compressing in her grip. She kept her voice low, conscious of her son cheering for his sister on the screen as the televised version of the second round came to a close. Thorny barbs and stinging nettles slowly grew from the woman's arms as she considered what she considered to be a threat to her daughter's future.
The obstacle race had confirmed that Izuku Midoriya was a clever boy, swift and agile, traits that served people well in many aspects inside and outside of the household. The second round proved that he was also a competent fighter, capable of getting others to follow his orders. This third round would show if all that translated to ability on a true battlefield despite his lack of a visible power.
"Mom, can I upgrade the TV?"
Her son's words startled Okame from her thoughts, the woman blinking away the visions of her mind to see her young son with his hand inches from the television. His dark eyes were wide and hopeful, those of a child who wanted to show off to a parent or mentor.
"What do you want to do to it, Kyo?" she asked.
"I just want to make it wider and more colorful, that way we can watch Big Sis and Sister fight better!"
"Oh, alright," Okame relented, the boy's grin widening as his hand touched the screen.
His body seemed to melt, turning into a mismatch of black and green sludge that jumped, splattering over the TV. It wiggled, covering every inch of the technology before the whole thing lost its rectangular shape. Slowly, the mass writhed and spread until it was nearly one-and-a-half times as large as it had been. Only then did the sludge fall from the new-and-improved television, Kyoryoku reforming on the floor.
"Now make sure it still works," the boy's mother said, prompting the child to reach up and press the power button. The TV turned on with a vroom, its colors more vibrant than before.
"See, mom?" Kyoryoku grinned. "I've been studying really hard like you and dad told me to! The wires and LEDs weren't that hard to improve!"
"I'm so proud of you, Kyo." Okame opened her arms to offer a hug to the boy only for her to look down and see the thorns and needles that had grown and the damage such had wrecked on the pillow she'd been holding. The woman chuckled, brushing the dangerous flora from her arms and dropping the pillow behind the couch for the maids to clean before bending down to sweep her son into a not-so-dangerous-but-still-rib-creaking hug. "My boy's getting so smart!"
"Well, I need to," the boy said. "Big Sis has talked about letting me take over for dad so she can focus on hero work. If she does, then I need to be just as good at everything as dad is."
"What's this about me?" Kanri questioned from the doorway, the man stepping into the room. He wiped some imaginary dust from his shoulder, a gesture Okame recognized as a sign that he'd been in the basement and needed to discuss something. The woman nodded, setting the boy on the floor.
"Big Sis—" Kyoryoku began only to cough, cutting himself off. He straightened, standing as tall as his four-foot-three frame would allow and then some for his tiptoes. "Big Sister Momo has ta… discussed leaving the company to me so she can focus on her hero work. In that case, I need to get rea… I mean, prepare for when that happens."
"Is that why it appears to upgraded our television?"
"Yes. I wanted to show mom… ah, mother, that I was capable of doing so."
Kanri smiled, kneeling before the child. He set a hand on the boy's head.
"I am proud of you, Kyoryoku. Your sister is following her ambitions in becoming a hero and I know you feel that this has placed a great weight on your shoulders, but you must remember that your mother and I still have plenty of years left. As long as we have any say in it, you will have plenty of time to grow into your role."
"I understand, father." Kanri smiled at his son again before standing.
"Kyoryoku, why don't you run to the kitchen and have the chefs make us some concessions for the coming round?"
"Of course, father!" The boy practically flew to the doorway, disappearing down the hallway. As he left, Kanri turned to his wife, his eyes losing their playful color.
"So, the replacement has arrived," Okame commented.
"Yes," the man nodded. "He is young, but that is the age when they are most malleable. I am having Tsuki run him through the lives of Haytham Kenway and Shay Cormac under the guise of repairing nerves after a housefire. The latter are most important, as he is a direct descendant. We know that the bleeding effect is lessened without a direct genetic connection and there is only so much of Haytham's life we can show."
"Then show him the life of Charles Lee," Okame suggested. "He lived long enough to see Haytham's spawn ruin their plans. As an American, the memories should affect him moreso."
"I love the way you think, my dear."
"Also, if he is to believe we rescued him from a fire, then he will need burns for it to be believable. I know many women like a man with scars that crawl up the neck from the collarbone."
"Another excellent idea," the man nodded. "I will have Hito use his Quirk to create the proper scars as his first availability."
"And does the replacement have what we wanted from the other?"
"No," Kanri answered with a shake of his head. "We knew that would be unlikely anyway, but she will come to us as long as he have him. That is just how family is. Of course, any search she or the Assassins may conduct will only bear fruit when we want it to, so we can mold Simmons-Garcia to our way of thinking well before their reunion. Once we get her, we will have the memories he asked for, and we will be free of his thumb to pursue our own ends without overview."
"You know we can have him removed," Okame snarled, a veritable bouquet of petunias growing from the top of her head. "After what he did to you last time—"
"No," her husband insisted, gently plucking the flowers one by one. "Dangerous as he is, he is still useful for the less-scrupulous dealings that need to be done in the name of peace. Let him think he is at the top for now, we will depose him soon enough for our true leader."
"Fine," the woman sighed. "But as soon as he poses a threat to either of our children, I will kill him myself if need be."
Kanri reached out, taking Okame's hands into his own. "You know we do not have the outright power to deal with him and our social standing only goes so far with such a man."
"No," Okame agreed before grinning, "but we do have a few disposable pawns strong enough to expose him to the world. Once that happens, we just have to let the heroes and Assassins have their way with him whilst we sit back and watch."
"Oh, my dear," Kanri sighed, trailing a finger down Okame's jawline. "Arranged our marriage might have been, but you remind me every day why I love you." She reached up, grabbing his hand with one of her own.
"And I you, love," she replied. "Speaking of marriage, I want you to watch the second round and tell me what you think of our dear Momo's interest. I dare to say he might rival even you if given the proper time and soil to grow."
"I will need to see that for myself," the Templar chuckled, "but it will be the third round that determines the validity of such speculation. If he is skilled enough to warrant an invite to our coming gala, we will meet him ourselves soon enough. And should that turn out well… well, perhaps it will be time to arrange our daughter's future."
The bonus games of the Sports Festival rolled by, but Izuku didn't pay attention to them. The Assassin Initiate secluded himself in one of the prep rooms, trying to calm his nerves for the coming tournament. Slots had been drawn and the matches were decided, and Izuku wasn't facing anyone he knew or even fighting early. He did not know if this was a boon or a detriment. Izuku was set to go against Setsuna Tokage of 1-B, a girl he vaguely remembered being able to split apart, a power that reminded him of something from a pre-Quirk manga Keeper had him "study." Something about a clown?
The first match would be Shoto Todoroki versus Hitoshi Shinso. Despite having had the gen ed student on his team for the second round, Izuku still did not know what his Quirk was. He hoped Shinso at least put up a good fight and showing.
As Izuku sat there, thinking, he felt his phone buzz. Drawing it out of his pocket, he saw that it was his mother calling. And what a rush it was to need to check the caller ID after so long when it was only his mother that would call him. He answered.
"Hello?"
"Izukuuuuuu," his mother blubbered, audible tears rolling down her face. "I'm so proud of you, baby! You're in the third round of the UA Sports Festival!"
"Yeah, mom," Izuku said, an unconscious grin coming to him lips. This was a dream finally coming true and his mother's words only confirmed that he wasn't dreaming. "I can hardly believe it myself."
"Oh, sweetheart, I didn't know you could do all those things! I nearly had a heart attack when you were running along those wires!"
"Mom, I—"
"And when you jumped onto that other boy's shoulders over that pit! Izu, what were you thinking‽"
"Honestly, I wasn't," Izuku promised. "I've done a lot of training, mom. I just had to let my body take over and not think about it."
"Well, I hope you'll introduce me to those friends of yours that gave you all that training, Izuku. I need to know the people who are having such a dramatic effect on my baby boy."
"Mom, I'm not five anymore," Izuku sighed. "I can make my own decisions, but I promise I'll introduce you to my main teachers after the Sports Festival, ok?"
"Speaking of introductions," his mother continued, the tone of her voice sending a shiver down his spine, "I was watching that second round and I saw something that tingled my mother's instincts."
The verdet covered his face with his hand, the heat from his blush burning against his palm. "Moooom…"
"Baby, when were you going to tell me you were so familiar with two of your female classmates?"
"Mom, stop."
"They're both very pretty—"
"Mom—"
"I recognize the look in—"
"It's not like that!"
"…Are you sure?"
"Yes, mom. I'm sure."
There was silence on the other send of the phone, every second that passed making Izuku shift a little more. When she spoke again, he could hear the teasing grin in her words.
"So… which one is your girlfriend?"
"MOM!" Izuku yelped, his blush redoubling.
"Come on, baby. Mommy needs to have an idea of what her future grandbabies will look like!"
"I'm not dating either one! Momo and Tsu are just friends."
"You're already on first name basis with both of them!" The background noise on the call sounded like a running faucet and, despite the nuclear blush on his face, Izuku hoped she was outside for this or they'd need to get a new couch. "Oh, Izuku. You aren't two-timing them or stringing them along, are you? I raised you better than that!"
"Mom! No! Stop! Besides, I'm sure they aren't interested in me that way. We're just friends."
"I don't think they—"
"Mom!"
"Fine, keep your secrets," his mother sighed, but she still maintained that motherly, teasing tone. Izuku let out a breath. "Listen, Izu. I know the Sports Festival means a lot to you and you may or may not be trying to impress your ladyfriends, but I don't want to see you getting hurt. I've seen the power your classmates have and I want you to think about yourself over winning. Don't push yourself too hard, ok?"
"Ok, mom." Izuku smiled. "I'll get as far as I can, but I'll give in if I think I'll get too hurt. I promise."
"Thank you, Izu. I'll be here rooting for you. I love you."
"Love you too, mom." Izuku pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up. Unexpected as the call was, it had calmed his nerves somewhat, but only because a part of his mind was now stuck on what his mother had said.
Momo and Tsu couldn't actually be interested in him that way. That was impossible.
…Right?
"WECOME BACK, EVERYONE!" Present Mic yelled into the mic to the roar of the crowd. "ARE YOU READY FOR THE TOURNAMENT ARC‽"
"Mic, this isn't an anime," Aizawa sighed. "We don't have arcs."
"WELL, NOT WITH THAT ATTITUDE, ERASER, BUT IT'S TIME TO SEE THE BEST OF WHAT OUR FINALISTS HAVE TO OFFER! COMING FROM THE WEST GATE, WE HAVE THE SON OF THE NUMBER TWO HERO HIMSELF! HE FOUGHT HIS WAY TO SECOND PLACE IN THE OBSTACLE COURSE AND CHANGED THE BATTLEFIELD IN THE PAINTBALL WAR, BUT DON'T BE TOO INSULTED IF HE GIVES YOU A COLD SHOULDER! IT'S OUR TOP RECOMMENDATION STUDENT SHOTO TODOROKI!"
The crowd went wild as the two-toned legacy stepped out of the tunnel. He did not wave nor did he even look at the crowd. If anything, he looked almost bored, walking with his hands in his pockets.
"AND COMING IN FROM THE EAST GATE, WE HAVE THE DARK HORSE OF THIS BRACKET! WE'VE YET TO SEE WHAT HE CAN DO, BUT IT'S CLEARLY ENOUGH TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE THIRD ROUND! COMING ALL THE WAY FROM GEN ED, WE HAVE HITOSHI SHINSO!"
"I have to admit, it warms my heart to see a gen ed student make it this far," Aizawa commented as the purple-haired boy exited his own tunnel.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Present Mic realized. "NO GEN ED STUDENT HAS MADE IT THIS FAR SINCE YOUR OWN SCHOOL DAYS!"
"That's true. I had to work my way into the hero course through gen ed, but we haven't seen what Shinso's Quirk can do yet. That means it's not visible, placing him at a slight advantage."
"AND HE'LL NEED EVERY ADVANTAGE HE CAN GET 'CAUSE TODOROKI'S PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE A SERIOUS POWERHOUSE!"
"I didn't miss anything, did I?" Izuku asked, sitting among his classmates in the stands.
"Nah, man," Kirishima replied, Tetsutetsu sitting beside him. Monoma of 1-B sat several rows ahead of them, glaring back at the white-haired 'traitor' sitting with 'the enemy.' "Todoroki and the gen ed guy are just coming out."
"Oh, good."
"Ah, Izuku," Momo said, her seat one row and one seat to the left of his. She turned so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. "I had hoped to see you before my match."
"H-Hi, Momo," Izuku stuttered, his mother's words echoing in is head. He could practically feel his cheeks coloring.
"I wanted to be certain I wished you luck, should my match go poorly and I end up missing yours as a result."
"O-Oh, thanks."
"Ooooh," Mina grinned. "Yaomomo and Midori are on a first-name basis, huh? Spicy!"
"I-I-I-It's n-not like th-that!" Izuku insisted, waving his hands in front of his face. Momo, for her part, simply tilted her head, an almost-visible question mark appearing over her. "D-D-Don't g-get the wrong i-i-idea!"
"I do not understand," the ravenette said. "Though I understand that our referral methods are unorthodox by the standards of Japanese custom, I do not see how that adds any sort of flavor to it, much less spice."
"You don't get it, Yaomomo?" Mina blinked. "But you're so..." She trailed off, drawing a rounded hourglass with her hands. This only served to make the wealthy students all the more confused.
"I am still unclear."
"Well you see, Yaomomo, when two consenting adults love each other very much—"
A finger tapped Mina's shoulder, the other tapping Izuku. Both students turned to Tsuyu, the frog-girl silently pointing toward the ring where the competitors stood opposite each other. The pink-skinned girl sighed dramatically before pointing at both Izuku and Momo.
"We aren't done with this conversation," she insisted before returning to her seat. Izuku let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you both ready?" Midnight questioned from the side of the ring, Cementoss on the other side ready to interfere should he deem something to be too dangerous.
"I am," Shoto said.
"Hey, man," Shinso smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He stepped forward and offered a hand. "Let's have a good match, yeah?"
Shoto eyed the other student, suspecting a trap. He refused the handshake. "Whatever."
"Then begin!" Midnight announced.
And Shoto turned, walking out of the ring.
"What?" Izuku blinked.
"What‽" Bakugo demanded, his water bottle exploding in his hand.
"WHAT‽" Present Mic questioned over the speakers. "IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS, ONE OF THE FAVORITES TO WIN THE WHOLE THING WALKS OUT WITHIN MOMENTS OF THE START OF THE FIRST MATCH! I DON'T KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED!"
"This appears to be Shinso's Quirk. If I were to guess, the only reason he's not in the hero course already is because it doesn't work on robots, a serious detriment for the entrance exam. In literally any other test, he would have blown the other contestants out of the water. Again, it warms my heart to see."
"THAT'S PRETTY COLD SINCE HE JUST TOOK DOWN ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS, BUT I GUESS SOMEONE HAD TO DROP THE TEMP SINCE TODOROKI DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE!"
"Was that supposed to be a pun?"
"YEAH! DID IT BREAK THE ICE‽"
"Just stop, Mic."
"ANYWAY, PAGING TENYA IIDA AND BAKUGO KATSUKI! PLEASE PREPARE FOR YOUR COMING MATCH!"
"Please excuse me, everyone," Iida said as he stood, Bakugo already out the door.
"Good luck!" Toru called, having just enough wherewithal to do so. This shocked several others out of their stupor, a mismatched cacophony of well-wishes following Iida to the corridor.
"That was unexpected, ribbit," Tsuyu commented as he left. "What do you think his Quirk is?"
"Some kind of brainwashing, maybe?" Ochako wondered aloud. "I can't think of any other reason Todoroki would throw the match like that."
"Just the thought of something like that sends a shiver down my spine," Jiro muttered. "If he went bad, he'd be a menace to society."
"Don't say that," Izuku growled, his pen frozen mid-word as he wrote in his notebook.
"I mean, it's true, isn't it?" Mina asked.
"If his Quirk is some form of brainwashing, then I bet he's lived his whole life being treated like a villain all because of what he could do, not because of his own actions." Mentally, Izuku flashed back to his own treatment as one of the few Quirkless in Japan, when something out of his control was the basis for his torment. "It's a common story; someone is born with a Quirk many call inherently villainous and, after being branded a villain or monster because of it, the person is eventually pushed to the point of becoming the very thing everyone called them. After all, if they're being called a villain anyway, they might as well earn it."
"That's terrible!" Momo gasped. "If we could teach the people not to make assumptions—"
"Then what, Momo?" Izuku countered. "People will always find something to criticize about others. Sometimes, it's to make them feel powerful; for others, their desire to fit in and not be the punching bag. The world is a cruel place with many divides."
"It… sounds like you've experienced a few, Midori," Mina frowned. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Izuku sighed, putting his notebook away.
"You don't have to, bro," Kirishima insisted.
"Yeah, bro," Tetsutetsu nodded. "If it hurts—"
"No," Izuku said. "It's ok. With Bakugo in our class, you'll learn sooner or later, so I might as well tell you all now. As you all know, my Quirk isn't visible except for a shimmer in my irises, but what you all don't know is that I was born with an extra toe joint."
Momo was the first one to put the clues together, her eyes widening. "Your classmates considered you to be Quirkless," she gasped. "Possibly yourself as well. That is what Bakugo was yelling about on our first day."
"Yeah," Izuku confirmed. "So I think I can relate to what Shinso might have gone through. Ostracization, bullying, no one willing to be your friend lest they join you in the hot seat…"
"I'm sorry, Midoriya," Jiro muttered, the ends of her jacks tapping nervously. "I had no idea."
"But we know now!" Kirishima grinned. "That means we can take steps to fix it. After all, it takes guts to admit if you've been wrong and try to fix it, right? And it's heroes' jobs to try to fix the world as best we can, from the big stuff to the small stuff!"
"That's so manly, bro!" Tetsutetsu agreed.
"Bro!"
"Bro!"
"Bro!"
"Anyway," Kaminari cut in. "You know that old phrase about judging books by their covers? I guess this case is not judging people by their Quirks."
"Thanks, guys," Izuku smiled. "I've got a couple friends who went through something similar even though they aren't Quirkless, and only finding a supportive community saved them. I didn't want to see you all make that mistake if Shinso ends up taking the open seat in our class."
"OUR NEXT COMPETITORS ARE READY!" Present Mic announced. "ENTERING FROM THE WEST GATE, THE EXPLOSIVE WINNER OF THE OBSTACLE RACE AND THE RUTHLESS LEADER OF TEAM X! HE'S GOT A QUIRK TO MATCH HIS TEMPER AND IF HE SMACKS YOU, IT'S A NAPALM TO THE FACE, IT'S KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
"With Todoroki out of the running, that makes Bakugo the favorite to win the tournament," Aizawa offered, wholly ignoring the terrible pun. "That being said, he has plenty of competition before he can claim the gold. I know my other students won't just let him take first without getting a few swings in."
"SPEAKING OF THAT, COMING FROM THE EAST GATE IS OUR LOCAL SPEED DEMON! LIKE A RACECAR ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW, HE'LL BLOW PAST HIS FELLOW COMPETITORS IF THEY AREN'T CAREFUL! PUTTING HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD, IT'S THE RULES-FOLLOWING LEGACY, TENYA IIDA!"
"For any outsider, they might view this match as something akin to the honor student versus the delinquent. Considering their demeanors, the analogy might not be that far off."
"THE GOOD BOY OR THE BAD BOY, WHO WILL TAKE THIS MATCH AND MOVE ON‽ LET'S FIND OUT!"
"Are you two ready?" Midnight asked, making eye contact with both students.
"I am sufficiently prepared," Iida commented.
"Let's hurry this up," Bakugo grunted, sparks already popping over his palms.
"Then begin!"
"Engine Burst!" Iida blurred, Bakugo only having time for his eyes to widen before Iida's leg was buried in his gut. The blond coughed as the force sent him flying backward, but he refused to let the match end there. He flipped, explosions keeping him from hitting the grass.
"I'm not letting you win with a goddamn cheap shot like that, rich boy!" Bakugo yelled, blasting himself back into the ring. "You got in one fuckin' shot, so it's my turn now!"
Bakugo launched himself downward, smacking the center of the ring just as he let loose with a massive explosion. Dust and debris flew, obscuring the battlefield. In response to this, Iida jumped backward out of the dust cloud and revved his engines, running in a circle along the circumference.
"Get the fuck back here, glasses!" Bakugo shouted, Iida narrowing avoiding another blast as he continued his circular course. The dust in the air started to swirl echoing his path. "You think a little wind is gonna save you‽ I'll kill you!"
"Your language is much too vulgar!" Iida announced, rolling away from another explosion. As the wind grew, so did Iida's speed as it gave him a backdraft. The breathing air within was started to get thin, weakening Bakugo's explosions as well. The blond's eyes narrowed, the teen putting his hands together. "Cease and surrender, Bakugo!"
"Fuck off, glasses!" Iida was all but a blur now, traveling much too quickly to stop. With a considerable amount of sweat built up, Bakugo unleashed his largest explosion yet, tearing a trench through the concrete ring directly in Iida's path. Black smoke and soot covered Iida's glasses as his foot caught on a piece of rubble, his own momentum sending him ass-over-teakettle. The legacy student flew outside the ring, hitting the grass with a grunt of pain and a roll.
"SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT HIS DEMEANOR, BUT BAKUGO JUST PROVED WHY HE'S IN THE HERO COURSE! USING IIDA'S OWN SPEED AGAINST HIM, THE BOMBASTIC BLOND JUST TURNED THE TABLES BEFORE IIDA COULD KICK UP A HURRICANE!"
"I think you mean a tornado," Aizawa interrupted.
"BUT HURRICANE SOUNDS COOLER!"
"That being said, a battlefield this size is not conductive for showing off speed Quirks like Iida's. If we did not have ring out rules, Iida would have had an advantage with the space to build speed. Even so, that's a situation hero students need to learn to overcome."
"TRUE ENOUGH! OUR NEXT COMPETITORS MOMO YAOYOROZU AND IBARA SHIOZAKI HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO PREPARE WHILE CEMENTOSS FIXES THE RING! PSYCHE YOURSELVES UP, LADIES, 'CAUSE ONLY ONE CAN MOVE ON!"
"G-Good luck, Momo," Izuku stuttered as the girl in question stood. The rest of the class wished her the same, Momo gracing them with a smile before taking her leave.
"Poor Iida," Ochako muttered. "That landing looked like it hurt."
"I know I'd stop by Recovery Girl after a hit like that," Kaminari said, the students watching as Iida pushed himself to his feet, cradling his right arm. "Looks like he'll need to."
"I think Aizawa-sensei was right," Izuku commented. "A ring like that really isn't helpful for speed Quirks unless they allow for flight. If the match went on, Iida would've had to keep stopping and starting again, putting a lot of strain on his legs."
"I'm excited to see Yaomomo and Shiozaki fight!" Toru said. "They worked together well during the paintball war and avenged that 1-B guy and me!"
"I mean, I was aiming for Iida, not you." Kirishima admitted.
"And Yaomomo was aiming for you and not Tetsu, so we're even."
"I'm pretty low-scoring on math, but even I know those things don't add up," Kaminari commented. Toru smacked him upside the head, the sound covering a muffled giggle from Jiro.
"They're starting," Shoji said, one of his Dupli-Arms pointing at the ring below.
"HERE COME THE FIRST LADIES OF THE TOURNAMENT!" Present Mic yelled. "COMING IN FROM THE EAST GATE, SHE HAS THE POWER OF GOD AND VEGETATION ON HER SIDE! IT'S THE CALM AND COLLECTED IBARA SHIOZAKI!
"AND COMING IN FROM THE WEST GATE, A RECOMMENDED STUDENT WHO IS ALWAYS ARMED FOR THE TASK AT HAND! SHE CAN MAKE THE GRADE AND LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE, IT'S THE 1-A CLASS REPRESENTATIVE MOMO YAOYOROZU!"
"An interesting point that may be relevant to this coming match-up," Aizawa put in. "Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu are cousins and have essentially grown up together. To this end, they know each other and their weaknesses well."
"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!" Present Mic said, the tone of his voice leaving the listeners unsure if his ignorance was true or not. "SEEMS ODD THAT ONE WAS A RECOMMENDATION STUDENT WHILE THE OTHER WASN'T!"
"Don't ask me," Aizawa said with an audible shrug. "I don't know anything about that family."
"THEN HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM BEING COUSINS, ERASER‽"
"I read the paperwork, Mic. That's something you could stand to do more often."
"PFF, YEAH RIGHT! WHO NEEDS SQUIGGLY LETTERS WHEN YOU'VE GOT A VOICE LIKE MINE‽"
"Shut up, Mic."
"Are you two ready?" Midnight asked.
"Not quite," Momo responded, turning to her foe. "No hard feelings, right?"
"Of course," Ibara answered.
"Then can I have a hug, Sister?"
"…Really?" Ibara questioned, one of her eyes twitching. "You maintain such a nickname even after I changed plans to not join the clergy?"
"Come now," Momo teased. "You know little Kyo adores you. He loves when Sister Ibara visits him and Aunt Okame. He's been quite sad you haven't come around much since school started."
"I have been a tad… busy," Ibara commented, one hand rising to touch the cross necklace around her neck. It was silver but decorated with rubies, just hiding within the collar of her UA sweats.
"You're certain you aren't going to become a nun?" Momo poked with a grin.
"Beware, cousin, for you walk through the valley of the shadow of death," the vine-haired girl muttered, her eyes unblinking as they drilled into her cousin. Her hair, a mass of thorned vines a healthy green, writhed as only Ibara's discipline kept her in check. "I shall fear no evil, nor shall you need to, but you will need to fear me. Midnight-sensei, please begin the match."
"I'm prepared," Momo said, having pushed the buttons she wanted to.
"Then begin!"
The audience outside cheered as the third match begun, but this sound was little more than white noise as Tenya Iida stared at his phone. His arms —one recently healed of its break thanks to Recovery Girl— shook as he tried to keep it next to his ear. The phone beeped, prompting Iida to quickly bring the phone down to press the proper button to replay the message that had been left for him.
"H-Hey, Tenya," his older brother's voice whispered, but it was shaky, his breathing ragged. There was a light echo, as if the phone had not been by his mouth. "Listen, I d-don't have much time. The bastard got my spine and the pain i-is messing with my nerves, but I need to t-tell you about this before they erase my memory.
"I know this is going to sound crazy, b-but I need you to believe me and save this message. There are two worldwide factions th-that have been fighting over the human race s-since its beginning, and the Hero Killer is p-part of one. I don't have the full story, but I know th-the groups are called the Assassins and Templars. Meet me when y-you can. Dad's retired and M-Mom isn't a hero, so I don't want to get them involved." Tensei coughed, one of those coughs that said something was seriously wrong, most likely with the diaphragm. "Y-You're the only one I can trust anymore, Tenya... And to future m-me. If this sounds ridiculous, then the Assassins took y-your memory, just like Stain said they would. He said he wasn't aiming for us because we weren't one of these Templars like Kido was, but if true p-peace can be achieved, th-then we need to find the side that can make it, n-no matter what.
"This is so much b-bigger than us, Tenya," Tensei's voice was hard to hear now, barely a whisper on the wind. "It's an ancient conspiracy. I c-can't handle it alone…" There were several seconds of silence filled only with Tensei's labored breathing. Something crunched, followed by the sound of Tensei shifting. "Th-That outfit... Y-You're one of them."
"Easy there," a soft voice said with no accent to speak of. "I heard what happened. I'm here to fix the record."
"N-No, don't!" Tensei tried to deny. There was a nasty, glorping sound followed by something like the singing if an ethereal voice. Tensei sighed.
"With this, our war means nothing to you once more," the man said. "I'm sorry you got involved at all."
Footsteps walked away only to be shortly replaced with the distant sound of sirens. The phone seemed to register there was no more speaking, cutting off the message there.
TO REPLAY THIS MESSAGE, PRESS ONE. TO DELETE THIS MESSAGE, PRESS TWO. TO SAVE THIS MESSAGE, PRESS FIVE. TO—
Tenya mashed five, saving the message before ending the voicemail call. Though he wanted to support his friends and classmates for the remainder of the Sports Festival, this was a much higher priority.
His brother had been attacked, and Tenya would find the one —or ones— responsible at all costs.
End of Chapter 14
Hoo boy, that's a place to end! A lot happened this chapter, so what was your favorite? We get to see Okame's thoughts and Kyoryoku's Quirk, Mama Inko doing her motherly duty by embarrassing her baby, Present Mic and Eraserhead sniping at each other for all the world to hear, the first couple of matches, and then the start of Tenya's quest! What problems will Okame and Kanri's preparations cause for the Brotherhood down the line? How will this loss affect Shoto? Will Tenya follow his brother's request, and where will the search lead? And, finally, will Mic ever stop making bad puns? I want to hear your thoughts, so...
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods