[Updated 9/15 to correct syntax mistakes. If you have reviewed this chapter previously, please check that it came through. FF seems to be finicky the last couple of days with no statistics coming through whatsoever. There's no way I could have zero views for all of my stories for two days, so I know nothing is showing up.]
Would you believe I wrote 90% of this chapter in 48 hours? I just couldn't stop after finishing my last Coby's Choice chapter for last Saturday, but the Muse is a fickle thing and you must answer when she calls. Now, on to the Reviews from the last chapter:
Gamelover41592: Thank you!
LEGOBRICK13: A lot to get into here, so let's break it down piece-by-piece. Society has a way of putting unrealistic standards on people in moments of extreme stress and duress, here we just see that applying to Izuku with a lot of triggers he's unaware of in other people's heads, Mina's most notably. Not everything is as it seems, even with our favorite characters here, but it should all be revealed in due time, because you're right, villains don't adhere to heroic principles.
As for the Iida brothers, they're just one piece of the puzzle, one of the many dominos I'm trying to stack. There is a lot of gray in this world -and in every world, really- but Tenya has such a stance of right-and-wrong that's actually pretty pronounced in Canon MHA. The whole show is pretty big on the whole black-and-white morality, so blurring the lines here is really fun for me.
MahNemIzJay: Mayhaps I will use Fear Tactics, but I can't say I'm familiar with them as of yet. Only up to Rogue is on the Switch, which is my main device for gaming, so I'll need to look up how Fear works in the mechanics before I can shift it over. Or I can just use fear as it works in real life, because that's an option.
Monkey D. Conan: Like many a teen (and plenty of adults), Izuku's avoiding his problems so he doesn't have to confront them right away. They'll come to bite him in the butt sooner or later, but that's life, eh? Yeah, Bakugo's a bit pissy at how he's been treated, but his opinion doesn't matter for this story's narration at the moment. That's a lesson in writing I care for: if it doesn't affect the story or move it along, it's not worth a scene. Don't you worry, though. The explosive Pomeranian will return soon.
Pirohiko-Baltazar: You're absolutely right and I hope you enjoy how thick the outside plot is getting separate from any of our students. I'm trying to set up a lot of dominos and the Iida brothers are just one piece of the puzzle.
Wizardwold 1020: I get that Ochako's been a little overlooked in the last few chapters, but the Sports Festival Arc is very battle-heavy and I've, for the most part, truly randomized the match-ups. 100% for the Third Round, actually, and all the Brotherhood/Templar stuff outside is something that she just isn't involved in. I promise she'll play larger roles in the future, but there's just not much for her to do in the present. If we get to the point where Izuku can or needs to walk right into a Templar base and massacre everyone inside, that's quite a way away. Same with any Bleeding Effect Izuku might experience. This story will take place over the span of years, after all.
Anyway, that's enough out of me. Let's get on to the chapter!
Chapter 17:
Knock on Wood
'WHAT A MATCH!" Present Mic yelled as the crowds cheered. "NIRENGENKI SHODA'S INTELLECT GAVE HIM A CHANCE, BUT HIS TWIN IMPACT JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH OOMPH TO COUNTER REIKO YANAGI'S POLTERGEIST!"
"Shoda did manage to break his projectiles out of Yanagi's hold," Aizawa commented. "Unfortunately for him, he could only alter the projectiles' path once whereas Yanagi could take hold of them with free manipulation. In a match without support gear, pure power tends to win if the other doesn't have greater maneuverability or utility. Shoda managed to leverage his movement but didn't have the power to overcome his opponent. That's something he'll need to work on."
"VERY TRUE, ERASER! NOW, WHILE CEMENTOSS FIXES THE RING, I'M SENDING OUT THE CALL TO THE LAST MATCH OF THE ROUND BEFORE THE SEMI-FINALS! COME ON DOWN 1-A'S IZUKU MIDORIYA AND 1-B'S YOSETSU AWASE!"
Izuku let out a breath as he tried to let some of the tension go. He'd won his last match with less-than-scrupulous tactics and this was now his chance to revive his image to those who didn't like his means—his mother included if the way his phone kept buzzing until he turned it off was of any indication. If things went south, this could be his final showing of the festival and, one way or another, he just wasn't ready to face his mother's wrath quite yet.
"COMING TO US FROM THE EAST GATE, HE'S MANAGED TO FUSE HIS PATH TO THAT OF GREATNESS, BUT CAN HE KEEP UP AS WELD AS HE HAS BEEN‽ IT'S 1-B'S YOSETSU AWASE!"
"That joke was terrible," Aizawa complained.
The boy that walked out of the tunnel was plain, with spiky black hair held back by a white band with crossing diagonal blue lines. He smirked, showing off sharpened teeth as he punched one palm with his opposite fist.
"AND COMING FROM THE WEST GATE, HIS POWER ISN'T FLASHY BUT HE'S SEEN THROUGH THE SCHEMES OF EACH OF HIS FOES! CAN HIS DISCERNING EYE FIND THE NEXT PATH TO VICORY‽ IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
The two students stood across from each other in the center of the ring, the 1-B student raising his nose.
"It wasn't cool what you did to Tokage," Awase said. "I'm gonna have to pay you back for that."
"It really was nothing personal," Izuku insisted, a hand running through his hair. "That was the only way I could win without doing excessive damage to her and I don't know if she has a healing factor."
"She does."
"I wish I'd known that." Izuku shrugged. "Look, if you want the best showing you can, don't let your emotions blind you here."
"Teach, can we get the match started?" Awase questioned. "I want to move on to the semi-finals as quickly as possible."
"Are you both ready?" Midnight asked, turning her eyes on both contestants. Izuku took a deep breath and drew his bo, settling into a defensive stance. He nodded. "Match between Yosetsu Awase and Izuku Midoriya, begin!"
Awase slammed his fists into the concrete below, something like blue lightning shooting out as be formed two craters in the ring. The concrete that had filled those rose up onto his hands, forming a pair of boxing gloves.¹ He smirked.
"Come on," Awase said, giving a 'come hither' gesture with one of his gloves. "I can't hit you if you stay so far away, and I know you can't hit me either."
"Here we go then," Izuku replied, charging forward. Awase's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected speed, his muscle memory bringing his hands around. Izuku's bo smacked into the concrete gloves with a crack, the metal weapon vibrating in his grip. He retreated quickly, before Awase had a chance to activate his Quirk.
"Running away already?" the 1-B student taunted, giving chase. His gloves cracked the ring wherever they made contact, his creations showing none of the same. "Come on! Let's give the people a good show!"
"I don't care to be showy!" Izuku countered, throwing his rope-dart with a spin to help increase its momentum. Its tip had proved to be strong enough and sharp enough to pierce concrete in the past, but Awase's concrete gloves smacked it away without any trouble, proving that they were denser than normal concrete. "Hero work isn't all about getting attention!"
"Maybe not," the black-haired boy admitted, his right glove restructuring itself into more of a clawed exoskeleton for his hand. He charged forward, that same blue lightning flashing as he dragged his fingers over the ground. The material he touched seemed to peal in on itself, rolling upward into a spiraling coin that grew larger with each passing instance. "But it does help you make a living!"
He let go, a coin of concrete half Izuku's height bouncing its away across the ring toward the verdet. The Assassin Initiate jumped to the side as the attack thundered over the edge of the ring and into the grass beyond.
"You have an amazing power!" Izuku told him, rushing forward in a zigzag. Awase changed his other boxing glove to match, the nails on his new design ready to draw blood. He swung as soon as Izuku came into range, but that was what the 1-A student wanted. Izuku rolled under the attack, Awase's eyes widening as Izuku brought himself into a handstand. He extended, a painful variation of a mule kick clacking Awase's teeth as it met his chin.
Izuku left his bo on the ground and flipped as quickly as he could, hoping to capitalize on his opponent's state of recovery, but Awase refused to let the match end so quickly. He planted his feet and swung, Izuku catching his left swing with a block.
"You've trained in martial arts," Awase noted, crimson liquid dripping from the corners of his mouth. His words were a little slurred, clearly indicating he'd bitten his tongue. Izuku jabbed, he and Awase trading a few blows and blocks with neither taking any real damage.
"So have you," Izuku commented.
"That's right. I call this my Tiger Style, though it's not the only one I know." Awase stepped into Izuku's guard and tried to swipe his claws as the other boy. Izuku stepped back in response, leaning his face away so the concrete weapons passed through only air. He reached forward, getting a grip on Awase's arm, and spun. The other boy let out a grunt as Izuku pulled his arm in another direction, landing them back-to-back. Awase swung his other hand up and over his head, but Izuku reached up, grabbing him by the wrist.
"Your Quirk is Weld," Izuku recalled, his hold tightening as his foe tried to pull his hands free but could not quite get the leverage he needed. "You can manipulate things at a molecular level, but they can't be living tissue and you have to be able to touch it."
"You've done your homework," Awase commented. "You've got me stuck here, but you can't do anything right now either. So, what's your brilliant plan?"
Rather than verbally respond, Izuku pulled on his opponent's upper arm while falling into a crouch. This forced Awase to bend backward, Izuku flipping him over his shoulder so he landed facedown on the ring. This maneuver, however, twisted Izuku's other arm, forcing him to let go.
Awase grunted as he ate the concrete, his now-free hand forming a circle with the fingers and settling on the ground. The blue lightning jumped, a spear of hard concrete rising through the hole toward Izuku's gut. The verdet smacked it while sidestepping, the spire still nicking his sweats, tearing a line out of the shoulder.
Awase took the moment after to get to his feet, breaking the rod he'd make from the earth and shaping it into a bo of his own. Izuku took the message, retrieving his own from where he'd left it before.
"Come on," Awase insisted. "Like the practitioners of old, let's give the people something to cheer for!"
He ran forward, swinging his weapon. It clacked against Izuku's, both students utilizing their own experiences in bojutsu to bob and weave as they searched for openings in their foe's guard. Still, Izuku had training from an ancient order and specialized in such, giving him an edge over the jack-of-all approach Awase had taken with his Quirk and the weapons he could make using it. Constantly having to alter the shape of his clawed gloves with a steady stream of blue sparks also served to distract the 1-B student.
Izuku spun low, Awase mistiming the swing that smacked into his ankles. He hit the ground in a roll, just avoiding the follow-up swing, before bringing his hand up. Izuku grunted as the claws of Awase's right glove raked over his bicep, ripping his sleeve and drawing three lines of blood. He hopped back, putting distance between himself and the Welding teen.
"Gotta admit, you're pretty good," Awase said, flexing his fingers. Izuku's blood dripped from where other teen had landed a hit.
"You're not so bad yourself," Izuku replied, the familiar rush of adrenaline thrumming through his veins to dull the pain. A smile stretched over his face as that natural buzz hit, his eyes dilating.
"Uh, what's with that smile?" Awase took a step back.
"Sorry, sorry," Izuku chuckled. "It's just… such a rush. I've been powerless for so long that I just can't help it."
"I guess I can understand that." The 1-B student offered his own shark-toothed smile in return. "Mind if I show you another style I use? I'll need a minute to get it ready, though."
"The logical thing to do here would be to say no, but sure, why not. It's just a friendly competition." Izuku stepped back, spinning his bo in such a manner as to show off his skill with the weapon. Awase, across from him, tossed his bo aside and focused on the concrete his Quirk let him manipulate. It gathered and collected over his knuckles, stretching outward until he had blades extending above his fingers.
"You've seen my Tiger Style, but this is my Wolverine Style."
"Like from the pre-Quirk comics?"
"That's the one."
"Alright. You've got me pumped up now, so let's give the people a show like you wanted!"
The verdet charged forward with a yell, Awase meeting him in the middle. Concrete blades met metal bo with a screech as their arms all but blurred to the undiscerning eye. Izuku ducked and moved, dodging and redirecting each of Awase's wild slashes so they missed him by a slimmer margin each time. Present Mic and rest of the crowd roared in their ears alongside their thundering hearts, smiles stretching their lips.
Izuku spun, swinging low, only Awase was prepared for this maneuver this time. He hopped over it, bringing his blades down where Izuku was. The verdet rolled, leaving only the concrete to take the gouging strike. His bo moved, smacking into Awase's back, but the boy wouldn't let such a trivial hit do him in. Another slash tore the front of Izuku's sweats away, exposing his toned torso to the world.
The pair paused, both beathing heavily as they sized each other up once more.
"I hope you don't think tearing my shirt wins you any points."
"Awe, come on," Awase chuckled. "The loser has to win some fans in the fight. I'm just giving you a hand."
The adrenaline surge was nearly overpowering, Izuku pulling the rest of his shirt off and tossing to the side so it wouldn't obstruct his movements. Assuming, of course, he next gambol didn't finish the fight. Awase laughed, sharpening his blades against each other with a grinding skee skree skree.
"Just to be certain, you don't have a healing factor?" Izuku questioned.
"Unfortunately, no. Why?"
"I just needed to know if I should say sorry or not."
"What do you—?"
Izuku's hand whipped forward, his rope-dart flashing. Awase let out a yell as the metal stabbed into his shoulder and hooked into the meat there in a burst of crimson. Winding the end of the rope (which was, in actuality, a micro-carbon similar to Aizawa's scarf) around his hand, Izuku yanked his foe off his feet. Awase could do nothing as his falling face was met by Izuku's knee, his nose crunching as darkness overtook him.
"FATALITY!" Present Mic cheered as Awase did not get back up.
"It better not be," Aizawa groused as Midnight hurried to the downed contender. She nodded after a moment, raising her voice.
"Yosetsu Awase is unconscious! Winner by knockout: Izuku Midoriya!"
The crowd cheered for a fight well fought, Izuku taking in the praise. This was what so many heroes strived for in the modern era, even if it was what brought about ego and foul intentions. Izuku knew this, and he knew much of what he would do would not gain him such acclaim should it be discovered, but he couldn't help the satisfaction bubbling him his gut, the intoxicating feeling of the spotlight.
This is what he'd always dreamed it would feel like as a hero!
"AND JUST LIKE THAT, IZUKU MIDORIYA SECURES HIS PLACE IN THE SEMI-FINALS! WHAT SAY YOU, ERASER‽"
"He should have ended the fight earlier," the other commentator grunted. "It was foolish of him to give Awase the time he did. To do so out in the field is enough to cost a pro their life."
"YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A DOWNER, DON'T YOU‽"
"One of us has to be. Hero work isn't all sunshine and rainbows."
"I GUESS THAT'S FAIR! ANYWAY, WE'LL HAVE AN HOUR BREAK BEFORE THE SEMI-FINALS SO OUR FINAL FOUR CAN REST UP AND SO YOU FOLKS WATCHING CAN GET YOURSELVES SOME GRUB! LET'S GET PUMPED! YEEEAAAAHHH!"
Izuku offered to take Awase to Recovery Girl, citing a need to visit her himself. Midnight accepted this, allowing Izuku to carry his unconscious foe out of the ring, the medbots following him. He couldn't help the smile on his face, however, even with the looming confrontations he was sure to have before his next fight.
"Get me everything you know on Kido's actions and whereabouts!" Endeavor barked as he stepped into his agency, his employees, those who were sidekicks and otherwise, jumping at his orders. "I want the Flaming Sidekickers in my office, now! I don't care if they're off today, get them in ASAP!"
His orders given, Endeavor stomped his way to the elevator and forced it open, unwilling to wait even a second longer than he had to. The plastic button with an E on it at the top of the plethora of others cracked under the force of his thumb, the machine giving a quiet ding as the doors slid shut and the booth started to rise. The pro hero's foot beat a dent into the floor as the machine moved too slowly for his liking, but he didn't care for the collateral damage; he had enough money to have it repaired without making a real dent in his funds. No, at this point, breaking the damned thing might help alleviate some of his frustration.
First his son, the one who is supposed to be his successor to trump even All Might, lost in the first match —the first seconds— of the Sports Festival's Third Round to some no-name General Course brat who looked like he needed a nap. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, he then got word that one of his top sidekicks, one who had become a metaphorical face for his agency, was found dead at the hands of the Hero Killer! He refused to let this stand. Shoto may be out of his reach currently, but a menace like the Hero Killer was someone he could let his anger out on without the bulk of the public frowning on him.
The elevator dinged again, opening its doors to reveal the hallway to Endeavor's office. The hallway held a branch halfway down which led to his specialized, fire-proof training area. Much as he wanted to step in there and —quite literally— blow off some smoke, Endeavor refused to make his sidekicks wait when he was calling them in on such short notice.
He might be a harsh boss, but he wouldn't take out such petty frustrations on those unconnected to his anger.
He sat in his specially-made chair, taking deep breaths as he lowered the size and temperature of his flames, bringing them to manageable levels. It would do no good if he accidently set off the fire systems, again, just because something had happened. The soaked paperwork would be just one more problem to deal with.
Fifteen minutes later, a knock came from his door.
"Enter."
"You called for us, Boss?" A young woman questioned, said woman leading two others into the room.
"Burnin'. Onima. Aethon. Come in. We have much to discuss."
Burnin', the only female of the bunch, was of average height, topping out at 5'6", but she made up for any lack of height with her fiery personality and hair, said hair being made of flames the green of burning copper. Her hero outfit consisted of an off-white double-breasted mini dress, a belt with a temperature gauge and a fire extinguisher completing her obvious gear.
Onima was the same height as Burnin', the man boasting slicked-back dark-purple hair and a horned happuri that framed his face. He was dressed in a dark, long-sleeved outfit with a steel X over the chest. Any gear he had was hidden.
The tallest of the group was Aethon, the man's visage being that of a bipedal horse with blue skin. His hair, also blue in color, was shaped into a mohawk. His hero outfit consisted of red samurai armor and a white facemask.²
"Shouldn't we waait for Kido, sir?" Aethon questioned, whinnying a little with his A's. "He waas on patrol todaay with some of the newer recruits."
"That's part of why I called you in," Endeavor grunted. "An hour ago, I received word that there had been an attack by the Hero Killer in Hosu. His victim this time was Kido."
The trio gasped, Burnin's ever-present smile falling away in her shock. She wobbled, Aethon steadying her with a hand on her shoulder. A tear formed at the corner of her eye only to be evaporated into steam by her flaming hair.
"That can't be true!" Onima yelled, his skin darkening slowly. "Kido's just as strong as the rest of us! You trained us personally! There's no way some guy like the Hero Killer could take him down!"
"Reality has a way of not caring about our desires," the namesake of the agency growled, the man pushing up from his seat to slam his hands on his desk. The temperature of the room started to rise slowly, Onima's skin fading back to its base tone. "The Flaming Sidekickers are down to three, and you all should be just as pissed about this as I am, if not more so. I'm putting you all in charge of this case, but I want you to let me know every scrap of evidence you find as soon as you have it, reliable source or not. The Hero Killer was a small fry, but he came to us and slayed one of our own in cold blood. I refuse to take that lying down. I want his head mounted on a goddammed pike as an example to all other villains out there. Am I clear?"
"Crystal, sir!" the three sidekicks answered, saluting.
"Then get on it. Now!"
The trio scrambled for the door, shutting it firmly behind them. Only when Endeavor could no longer see them did Burnin' let her emotions flow, steaming tears rolling down her cheeks as she sunk to her knees. Onima growled, slamming a black fist into the wall, as Aethon tried to get his own Quirk under control, puffs of fire coming from his nostrils with each breath.
"Kido was supposed to be meeting with Ingenium today," Onima hissed, his teeth sharpening. "What the fuck happened? Did they figure us out?"
"They haave to have eyes on every pro hero," Aethon brayed. "We thought we could fly under the radar if we staayed sidekicks, but clearly their informaation network is far more comprehensive thaan we thought."
"Eustass, you moron…" Burnin' sniffed, giving her head a shake.
"Moe, are you ok?" Onima asked.
"No, but now isn't the time to mourn." Burnin' pushed herself back to her feet as her flaming hair spiked, her anger fueling the fire. "The Assassins now have their beads on us. We don't know if they're aware about all of us or if they think it was just Kido, but we can't let our guards down. Perhaps ever, now."
"Should we tell the Boss?" Onima questioned. "He's pissed about this just like us. If we're ever to get him into the Order, it's now while he's angry at that plague's actions."
Aethon shook his head. "Boss isn't cut out for the Order," he said. "He's too self-focused. Remember, thaat's why Kido chose to work under him. He projects himself in such a waay that it would throw the Assaassins off, giving us under him plenty of people we could recruit under Boss' nose. That waas Kido's way, aand now we need to bring Justice for him while caarrying on his plans."
"I hate it had to be this way," Burnin' muttered, "but Kido's death is just what we needed. It gives us an excuse to bring the Assassins to Endeavor's attention. Templar or not, giving him a criminal syndicate to blame a sidekick's death on is the perfect way to have him eliminate our lifelong problem for us. He can take the fame, and if the Assassins want to stay noble, then they can't aim to kill him. If they do, it will sow doubt among even their believers." Her mouth twisted into a snarl. "The deaths of so-called innocents always do."
Izuku looked down at his phone, idly chewing on his lip. Now that he'd won his second fight and gotten a new top to replace the one that got destroyed, he figured it was probably time to face the music. Well, part of the music, anyway. His mother was the only one that could really do anything to punish him for his actions in the first round if she so chose to. So, with a deep breath, Izuku tapped the call button.
The line rang for several seconds, each one that went uninterrupted making the rock in his gut seem to double in size and density. Finally, fortunately or unfortunately, the call connected.
"Izuku."
Oh crap. That was her stern voice.
"H-Hey, Mom," Izuku began, silently cursing his stutter. "I, uh… I won my second match and only lost a little bit of blood."
"Oh, Izuku!" The boy's lips pursed, the verdet both happy and disappointed that his manipulations had staved off a lecture for at least a little longer. "You scared me half to death with some of those stunts! That boy you fought had claws and swords and lightning and you were so rough on him! Did you break his nose? It looked like you broke his nose. Is he—"
"He's fine, Mom," Izuku interrupted, stopping her tirade before it could devolve into muttering. "I took him to Recovery Girl myself so she could patch me up, too. I got him pretty good and there are no hard feelings. We actually got to talk a little."
"Thank goodness. That's a weight off my chest."
"And, uh, that lightning was only an aspect of his Quirk. It wasn't —isn't— actually dangerous. At least, if it is, Awase hasn't found a way to weaponize it. See, with his Quirk: Weld, he's able to reconstruct matter that his skin is in contact with. It's not just fusing things together like he and his family thought when he was younger, but he's worked really hard to expand his abilities and overcome his limitations.¹ It's pretty inspiring and he's going to make a great hero one day."
"That just means you've worked harder than he has," Inko sniffed over the line. "You're Quirk doesn't affect you or him in any way and you still won! Oh, my baby boy, I'm so proud of you!"
"Mom? Mom! Get out onto the balcony! We don't need you flooding the house!"
"I know, I know." Inko sniffled and Izuku imagined her wiping her eyes with a towel. "Well, I suppose you've somewhat made up for your actions in that first match."
A shiver ran down Izuku's spine.
"Mom, before you say anything," Izuku pressed, "I was following logic, not my own hormones. It turns out Tokage has a healing factor, but I didn't know that. If I did, I would have been a little more… I don't know, brutal? I wouldn't have been afraid to hurt her if I'd known she could just heal. I would've gone for her head, then! And—"
"You're muttering, Izu."
Izuku's mouth snapped shut with an audible clack, a blush crawling over his face.
"You're not... mad?"
"I'm not mad, Izu. And while I'm disappointed, I also know that you really want to win. I raised you better than to do what you did, so I know you didn't think you had any other option. Am I right?"
"That's exactly it." A wan smile came to Izuku's face, but it barely moved his cheeks. "Thanks for believing in me, Mom."
"That said, if I ever hear about you doing something like that again, I will force my way into the school and discipline you in front of everyone. No son of mine will ever have a reputation for such things, Quirk or no Quirk!"
Another shiver shot down Izuku's spine. "Y-Yes, Mom."
"Good. Now, go enjoy the time you have. You're in the semi-finals. Oh God, my baby's in the UA Sports Festival semi-finals! Oh, I'm so proud of you!"
And she devolved into muttering, Izuku muffling a chuckle. He was interrupted, however, by a knock on the doorway.
"Mom, I've got to go," he said quickly, hanging up before she could get a word in edgewise. He turned to find Midnight standing in the doorway. "Ma… er, Midnight-sensei. What are you doing here?"
"I'm tracking down all the semi-finalists," she said, leaning against the doorframe. "There's a slight change in the rules for the last few fights…"
A knock on the door interrupted Nekoi's meditation, her brow furrowing as her full cat ear flicked. Another knock caused her focus to break, the cat-woman letting out a sigh.
"Come on in."
The door opened with a squeak, Keeper stepping into her room. Even though he'd seen it before —Nekoi, like many other devoted Assassins, lived in the den, off the grid— the sheer amount of pink always surprised him. It was only off-balanced by the stuffed animals scattered around the edges of the room. The hue only got brighter as he flicked the light switch, the room's owner blowing out her candles. She'd been seated on a pillow in the center of the room, said candles surrounding her. The faint smells of lavender, frankincense, and oil hung in the air.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you," Keeper said noting that his fellow Assassin's hidden blades were deconstructed on the floor before her, a rag beside the pieces. "I thought you'd be in the cafeteria cheering for Izuku. He's earned a spot in the semi-finals."
"Good for him." Nekoi cracked a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes as she blew out the last candle. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon, she was not dressed in her gear but in a pair of magenta pajamas decorated with pawprints, an image that was so at odds with her usual, deadly persona that Keeper was still having trouble wrapping his head around it even after knowing her for all these years. She sat back, quickly putting her blades back together. "Wish I'd seen it, but I've got some things on my mind."
"I heard Mentor called you in earlier. Anything I can do to help?"
Nekoi took a moment to think, clicking the last pieces of her weapon into place before crawling to her mattress where she grabbed a plush narwal. It was old and worn, an item she was familiar with from before she joined the Brotherhood.
"Yeah, maybe," she decided.
"Please don't tell me this is another 'let me vent but don't remember it' session. I hate it when I have to use my Quirk on myself. It jiggles things up and gives me a migraine."
"Nothing like that," she chuckled. "Mentor has tasked me with a potential mission, and it looks like an innocent life hangs in the balance. There's a kid being held captive by this yakuza group."
"Yakuza?" Keeper questioned, trying to cover his flinch. "Really?"
"Come on. You know as well as I do that the pre-Quirk Osaka Brotherhood hid themselves as yakuza."
"Yeah, back when people still had this idea of the honorable criminal." Keeper rolled his eyes. "Ok, so yakuza and they've got a… kid. We're sure they weren't born into the life?"
"Maybe they were, but we can't leave them there. This group is using them as research material, trying to find a way to destroy Quirks forever."
"Oh, shit," Keeper cursed. "They don't… You don't think…?"
"It's possible. They already deal in Trigger."
"Fuck." Keeper ran a hand through his hair, his foot starting to tap. "They've got a kid with some crazy Quirk and a potential connection to the Templars. What can I do to help?"
"I need more information," Nekoi told him. "Something more than our spies can get on the down low. I need you to find one of their top brass and get him to talk without remembering it. We need to know if they're Templars and how close they are to achieving their goal."
"This will be incredibly dangerous, Nekoi," Keeper warned. "Assassination is one thing but capturing targets alive it a lot harder than it use to be in the old days. This will require a full stakeout."
"I know, but our whole commitment is dangerous." Her eyes narrowed, her scowl looking almost cute when combined with her pajamas and stuffed animal. "We can't leave this any longer now that it's come to our attention. Every day we wait is another day they could complete this research of theirs. If that happens, our best-case scenario is to see their head become an unaffiliated kingpin of the underworld. At worst, they're already Templars. If they find a way to deny Quirks to everyone except their chosen few…"
"It'd at least make identifying Templars easier." Nekoi glared at his attempt to make light of the situation. He raised his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. Everyone, especially us, would be in deep shit, but they have to have a long way to go. They can't do this to one person yet or we'd know about it, so wide-scale Quirk elimination is still a way away."
"They are experimenting on a child!"
"And a few extra days isn't going to make any difference. I know what it's like, Nekoi. At this point, the days blur together into the normal and nothing matters. A day, a week, a month. Hell, even a year means nothing. If you rush into this before you're ready, you'll get yourself killed."
"Then I need you on this as soon as you can. I refuse to leave that child in the hands of those monsters for even a moment longer than necessary." A tear slid down her cheek. "Not again."
Keeper walked over and dropped to his knees, pulling Nekoi into a hug. She relaxed into his warmth.
"This won't end like last time, Sara," Keeper swore, his voice a whisper. "Those yakuza need the kid for their research. They're a prisoner, not a hostage, but we need to separate our emotions from this mission. I know the memories hurt but we need to remember our lesson. He's gone and we can't change that, but we have to do what we can to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else. Not if we can help it."
Nekoi wiped her eyes on Keeper's uniform, the man stepping away.
"Get your things ready, Haruto," she ordered. "We leave at sundown."
"AAAAND WE'RE BACK, EVERYBODY! MAKE ENOUGH NOISE TO WAKE THE DEAD! YEEEEAAHHH!"
"Shut up," Aizawa whined from the floor of the commentators' booth. "I'm trying to sleep."
"TOO LATE FOR THAT, SAID THE PARROT TO THE CATERPILLAR!"
"Using a crow would make more since if you're aiming for alliteration."
"MAYBE, BUT I'M FAR TOO COLORFUL TO BE A CROW AND TOO LOUD TO BE ANYTHING BUT A PARROT! THESE ARE THE FEATHERS OF A VERY FINE BIRD!" He blinked, seemingly remembering that one of their students had the head of a bird. "AH, NOT THAT CROWS AREN'T FINE BIRDS! THEY'RE VERY SMART AND RESOURCEFUL! I'M JUST SAYING MY BRILLIANT HAIRSTYLE PROBABLY WOULDN'T LOOK VERY GOO… YOU WERE TRYING TO SET ME UP, WEREN'T YOU‽"
"And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker." Aizawa shed his sleeping bag and took his seat once more. "Is it time already?"
"SO IT IS, MY GUY! I HOPE YOU LISTENERS OUT THERE HAD A GOOD BREAK AND GAVE YOUR VOCAL CHORDS A REST, 'CAUSE THESE NEXT THREE FIGHTS WILL HAVE YOU WEARING THEM OUT! IIIIIIT'S TIIIIME FOR THE SEMI-FINAAAAAALS!"
"You're so loud," Aizawa complained, digging a pinky into his ear as if that would help alleviate the ringing there. "So, as many of you have probably noticed, there are now two rings instead of one below, one blue and the other red." He gestured to the arena where Cementoss had split the ring into two even squares set about a meter apart from each other, one lined with blue and the other with red. "We will be doing something a little different this year. The semi-final matches will take place at the same time, next to each other. We are aware that missed attacks from one side might disrupt the other fight and this is intentional. Heroes in the field need to be aware of their surroundings at all times, after all."
"ON TOP OF THAT, THE FINAL MATCH SHALL BEGIN AS SOON AS BOTH OF THESE MATCHES ARE COMPLETE!" Present Mic added. "SOMETIMES IN THE FIELD, NEW VILLAINS SHOW UP WHEN HEROES HAVE ALREADY BEEN FIGHTING! UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT'S PART OF REALITY!"
"This might seem unfair, but that's life. Heroes don't always get to rest before going up against a serious opponent. In that case, one just has to push their limits."
"PLUS ULTRA!"
The crowd echoed Mic's cheer as they absorbed this change. The UA Sports Festival was always pushing the boundaries for interest and variety; the last festival's Third Round was balloon sword fighting on a balance beam, after all. This was almost tame by comparison.
"ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! WE DON'T HAVE TEAMS, BUT OUR FINAL FOUR ARE COMING OUT TWO-BY-TWO, SO GIVE THEM SOME LOVE! COMING TO US FROM THE WEST GATE, THEY MAY LOOK LIKE A DREARY DUO, BUT THEY STILL HAVE THAT HEROIC FIRE BURNING IN THEIR GUTS! IT'S HITOSHI SHINSO OF GEN-ED'S 1-G AND REIKO YANAGI OF HEROIC'S 1-B!"
The pair didn't look excited as they exited the shadows of the tunnel, neither even looking at the other. They separated at a fork, Shinso climbing the ring on their left while Yanagi took the one on the right.
"AAAAAND COMING FROM THE EAST GATE, IT'S A PAIR THAT MORE FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER! THEY'VE FOUGHT VILLAINS AND THEIR PEERS ALIKE TO GET TO THIS POINT! INTRODUCING HEROIC'S 1-A'S CLASS REP AND VICE-REP RESPECTIVELY, IT'S MOMO YAOYOROZU AND IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
The pair stepped out of their own tunnel, heads held high. They had no illusions about being on the same team or that they might not end up fighting each other soon enough, but it still felt nice to be able to walk alongside a classmate as they made their way to the rings. Like Shinso and Yanagi before, Momo and Izuku split off from each other at the fork.
"Good luck, Momo," Izuku muttered.
"And the same to you, Izuku," the girl replied. She made her way up, facing Shinso in the red ring, while Izuku did the same to face Yanagi in the blue.
"THE MATCHES ARE SET!" Present Mic called. "IN THE RED RING, WE HAVE HITOSHI SHINSO VS MOMO YAOYOROZU! AND IN THE BLUE RING, REIKO YANAGI VS IZUKU MIDORIYA! THIS IS THE LAST ONE FOR THE FIRST YEARS' UA SPORTS FESTIVAL, SO LET ME HERE YOU SAY IT! THREE! TWO! ONE!"
"BEGIN!"
End of chapter 17
Notes:
¹I am aware this is not exactly to the specifications of Awase's Quirk in Canon, but we actually don't have a lot to go on in that regard. He's one of the most-background characters out of the whole named cast and, as the lots were drawn and the coins flipped, he came out to be Izuku's opponent. I did my best to make the fight interesting and drawing on a watered-down version of alchemy from Fullmetal Alchemist was the most literarily-interesting choice in my opinion. I hope you like how it came out.
²This character doesn't even have a name in the Manga. In fact, we only know Burnin's real name and her and Kido's Quirks out of the four Flaming Sidekickers and, well, one's already gone here. I've given hints to the Quirks of Onima and Aethon (which comes from a flaming horse in Greek Mythology [though there are many characters in those myths with the same name]), all we know about Onima's Canon Quirk is that it doesn't use fire but does give him some form of resistance. I hope you all enjoyed where this is heading.
So! We've come to the finals/semi-finals and will wrap up the Sports Festival in the next chapter! And time marches on separate from our main protagonist as we see a little more character with those involved in the fight. Turns out the rest of the Flaming Sidekickers are Templars, and now they've got a few more bones to pick with the Brotherhood. What will they do next? Who will take the gold metal out of the final four students and what do you think about this rule twist? Who is it that Keeper and Nekoi failed to save in the past and what is their connection exactly? I want to hear what you think, so:
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods