Hey, everyone. It's been a while. Sorry if for seeming like i was dead. But I have ill these past couple of weeks, and before you say it, its not covid. But I am feeling better now and was able to finish this week's chapter. Aside from that there isn't any news to say, but I just want to know that this will be a build up to the festival arc. I hope you guys enjoy it despite it seeming a little fillerish. Anyways enjoy this week's update and I'll see you next time.
Tooru yawned silently as she stretched her arms out as she sat in her seat on her train to school. It was an effort to help get the sleep out of her system after a rather intense two nights. Despite having a day off of school to rest from all the recent events, she couldn't help but feel tired. But can she really help it? Afterall, it was not her fault that she had been given a quirk by Izuku's quirk, and one that altered her body's sleep cycle as well. Two nights in a row, her dreams had been interrupted in a row by Ris, who then spent their time trying to show her how to use it.
She remembered when Ris had told her,"Your kind believe that Oarfish are messengers to the gods, hence the name and power of my gift. You will learn to cross between my burrow and the blue island you are stranded on."
And so she did, or at least was trying to. Trying to learn how to access and control this quirk was like trying to catch a slimy fish and trying to convince it to grant you a wish. It was irksome and frustrating to put in nice terms. Anytime she failed to cross between the two worlds, she would always end up waking up in her bedroom with Ris already there to begin the trial again. For two nights in a row, Tooru had to endure very little sleep and spend a lot of mental energy trying to succeed. She was lucky that Ris was a kinder soul than Mr. Aizawa, and had the patience of a thousand saints to deal with her angry and irritable mood through it all. Heck, Ris even allowed her to spend as much time needed in Ris' world to catch up on the lost sleep. Time did not seem to flow there as the way it did on earth, or perhaps it didn't flow at all? She wasn't really sure how that could be possible, but she can't really complain since it allowed her to sleep. Though that bed in the old cottage was not as comfortable as the one she had in her room, it would do until she could get a hang on her new quirk.
Deciding it was best to not think about the grueling training she was going to have to do at night, the invisible girl opted to zone out the world and just not think. However, her ears picked up the sound of a shill and energetic talk between two middle school students near her.
"Hey did you see that new story on the Hero News? The one about the hero with the multiple quirks?", said the voice of a young boy.
"You are such a dummy, they're a vigilante, not a hero?", said the voice of a young girl.
"Don't call me a dummy! Besides they're the same thing!", whined the annoyed voice of the boy.
"No they're not! A vigilante goes to jail like a villain! Heroes don't go to jail last I checked!", retorted the girl.
Tooru stopped paying attention as the two continued in their back and forth bickering. The invisible girl felt a spike of dread stab itself into her at the statement of the girl. "A vigilante goes to jail like a villain". She couldn't get the image of her Izuku locked inside a cage out of her head.
A gentle breeze flowed through the air and the sun shone brightly in the morning as Hagkure waved goodbye to Midoriya. The two parted ways at the gates of UA, as they have normally done, with Midoriya stopping at the wrought iron barrier as if it were some impassable obstacle. All the while Hagakure, reluctantly continued onward, leaving behind the blue haired fish boy that she calls her best friend. However, with everything that had happened the past week, between the villain attack and learning the truth about Midoriya, she found it even more difficult to leave him behind. She stole a final glance at him before entering the pristine doors of the greatest hero school. Midoriya was still standing where she last saw him with a big smile and waving her off enthusiastically. That smile filled her with joy, but also with a tang of sadness as well. She returned the wave before entering inside the school, wishing he could make the trip to her class. As she walked to her class, the invisible girl took the opportunity to think about some things in a rare moment of peace and quiet.
Despite what she said about him earlier, she couldn't help but agree with some of the things he said about himself. Most notably, her future as a hero and his inevitable downfall as a vigilante. But she didn't want that. She wanted him to come with her on that journey and not be left behind the fence.
"Is there anyway to help him?", the invisible girl pondered to herself, "Can I help him become a hero?"
Her left wrist purred in delight at the thought, and she couldn't help but rub the place in an effort to calm down the excited tattoo. Her thoughts drifted back to what those kids said on the train and what Izuku had said. Was he really doomed to a life inside a cage? Where would he leave her alone forever? No. She doesn't want to be alone again, not after finding Izuku. Something deep down inside Tooru harded her resolve. Izuku may have failed to save her once before, but that doesn't mean she wasn't going to try to save him from the edge of the abyss he was standing over. She was going to save her friend no matter what.
When the invisible girl finally arrived to class, it was in its usual state with different students either talking or preparing for class in a chaotic manner. After the USJ, it made Hagakure breathe easier seeing her friends there acting like students without a care in the world. With a pleasant warmness in her belly, the invisible girl stepped into the classroom to begin her day. Yet, something utterly surprising happened when she did. There was a brief pause as all of the eyeballs of her classmates settled on her, and in the blink of an eye most of them surrounded Hagakure.
"Hagakure-san, that was so cool of you! Did you see what Ghost looked like? Did he look like a human-alien hybrid like all the forums said?", a fanboying Mineta said with stars in his eyes.
"Hagakure-san, you could've hurt yourself with that reckless move of yours!",A karate chopping Iida scolded, "Why did you throw yourself in danger like that?"
"Tooru-chan! You need to tell me about all the details about Ghost! Is he as hunky as your boyfriend? Or even is he better than you little blueberry? I want to know!", Mina said with a devilish smile.
"My unseen comrade! Did that master of darkness bewitch you with his sorcery into becoming his minion of the shadows!? Your aura feels diluted with the Ghostly presence of that bishop of the predation!", Tokoyami said with his usual unusual choice of words and melodrama.
Yet, so many more voices spoke over other voices becoming a sympathy of noise. Tooru wondered what she did in a previous life to deserve this.
Kirishima stayed in his seat as the others swarmed Hagakure, he wanted to go with the rest of them and inquire about the bravest girl in the class. But he couldn't. He didn't deserve to, especially after what happened at the USJ or the entrance exam. His gut felt heavy, as if it had been filled with molten lead, and he didn't dare look at the person who couldn't be seen.
"You're such a coward! You're no hero! You're no hero! You are just a big fat fake!", Kirishima thought darkly about himself.
But he wasn't wrong. How can someone like him even become a hero? At the USJ, when the vigilante had fallen in battle, it was Hagakure who went in to help their temporary ally. All the while he stood back and watched everything play out, frozen as a statue. Perhaps it was her bravery in the face of mountainous odds that inspired the vigilante to pull through and save them all? Or maybe it was something else entirely. Either way, Hagakure was more of a hero than he ever hoped to be. He can't even call himself a man, and that was entirely due to the fact he can't even go up to the girl and apologize for leaving her behind.
"Not a hero! Not a hero! Not a Hero! Not a hero! Not a hero! Not a hero!", a dark voice kept telling Kirishima.
The red haired teen slowly began to bow his head towards his desk, keeping his gaze firmly upon it and away from his classmates. He didn't notice that his spiky hair was faintly drooping or how the roots of his hair were black once again.
Shoto merely glared at the crowd of people surrounding his classmate with an unusual sharp edge to his coldness. He wasn't there to witness how Hagakure was able to help save the day, but he learned enough from eavesdropping on his classmate's conversations. However, the newspaper article on the vigilante was more than enough to help fill in any gaps. Ghost, a spirit-like presence on the streets, with an arsenal of quirks at his disposal. With one that is at least on par or even greater than All Might's.
Such a thing did not go unnoticed by his Father, and as of late, became his new obsession alongside the Hero Killer. Whereas the Hero Killer was hard to track and unpredictable, the Ghost of Musutafu location was quite literally in his moniker. This resulted in his father taking time to personally patrol the streets of the small city at night, but so far Endeavor remains unsuccessful.
Ghost became a prize to the Number Two Hero, a symbol of what he viewed as his inevitable victory over All Might. In a way, Ghost had become something like that to Shoto. But more as a way to show Endeavor that he will rise to the top without the old man's blasted quirk. He just needed to wait for the opportunity to arise.
You are my prey, Ghost. My stepping stone towards my victory over Endeavor.
"If you are going to converse this much and block the door, then perhaps you all need remedial night classes.", said a familiar and bored voice.
Upon hearing the familiar voice of their homeroom teacher, the crowd of students congregating at the door scattered. As they all rushed to their seats, Mr. Aizawa slowly made his way towards the podium. Everyone of class 1-A collectively gasped at their homeroom teacher. Mr. Aizawa was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, making the underground hero look like a mummy or a cocooned fly that somehow escaped a spider's web. As to why the injured hero didn't take some time off to heal was anyone's guess? Hagakure hoped it was to show his students that he was alive and well after the beating he got from the villains. But more likely was the fact that he was probably as stubborn as he was sleepy.
"It took you five seconds to get all set for class. Better, but still not perfect.", The underground teacher said with his usual deadness, "Any questions before we begin class?"
"Mr. Aizawa. Shouldn't you be resting or at least take the day off to heal your injuries", Momo said while sporting a set of wrapped bandages around her head.
"My health is of no concern, Miss Yaoyorozu. If I can function without hindrance, then I am going to do my job.", Mr. Aizawa said lazily, "Any more pointless questions?"
When no one answered, the underground hero grunted, whether in approval or disapproval, was anyone's guess?
"With that out of the way, it's time to continue, business as usual.", Aizawa said as the class collectively groaned, "But first there are a few announcements."
Everyone perked up at those final words before the slog that was class could begin.
"Firstly, Bakugou will not be with us for the remainder of the week. He is getting treatment by a specialist for the...peculiar injuries he got at the USJ. However, he is expected to make a full recovery and will certainly be with us again when school is back in session.", Aizawa said with ease.
The class collectively breathed a sigh of relief, their classmate was going to be okay.
"We will be having class for the remainder of the week, but school will not be in session next week.", the underground hero torted, "UA will be undergoing a serious upgrade in security in light of the villain attack. You are expected to keep up with the usual physical training as well writing an essay on your experiences at the USJ."
Kaminari, Mina, and Sero could be heard groaning, clearly dejected that they weren't getting a week off of school without any strings attached.
"As scheduled, UA will be having its annual sports festival, and all students are to participate in it."
Momo's hand once again shot up, "Mr. Aizawa, shouldn't UA cancel the festival due to the major breach of security?"
The bandaged face of Aizawa looked exasperated, "I agree with your logic Miss Yaoyorozu, but the decision to hold the festival is out of my hands. It is being held to show everyone that school was not shaken up badly by the villain attack, despite it being an illogical decision. However, security will be increased tremendously, so hopefully no villain will try to get 15 minutes of fame crashing the event."
Their homeroom teacher took a moment to get everyone's attention.
"However, do not think of it as a run of the mill highschool sports festival, it is important to your careers as heroes. The festival is to demonstrate your abilities and progress you made these past few months, and this is important in making future connections. Support companies, Managers, and most importantly heroes will be watching and scouting for your future potential,so do not disappoint. It also is a chance for those who didn't qualify in the entrance exams, an opportunity to enroll in the hero course. But also, it is a chance for those already in the course to be demoted to general studies should they not meet expectations. You will have some in class time training in Heroic Studies with All Might, but you are expected to do most of the training outside of class."
The class gulped collectively at the amount of weight suddenly placed upon their shoulders. Would some of them be expelled and replaced with someone else. Best not to see if it was actually true.
"Also keep in mind that a week long internships with pro heroes will be taking place after the festival. Your performance will also affect which hero will offer an internship, remember this will either help or hinder you in your future careers.", Mr. Aizawa added with an extra sharp point, "Now, enough time is wasted. Let's get to work."
Heroic Studies was actually rather calm and a little boring, and that was likely due to the fact that All Might had wisely decided his students had enough excitement lately. So, the Number One hero opted to simply do a lecture about various protocols needed in arresting lawbreakers as well as a little bit of verse on the law itself as well. To be honest, it was rather boring, but many of Class 1-A took it as a nice break from the recent danger.
"And that is why the case of Shizuko vs Iwate was a benchmark in the process in which the standardization of arrests could be given.", All Might said in his bombastic voice, "Do be sure to remember that. It will be on the exam."
The new teacher was met with the sound of furious scribbling in response. However, before the Number One Hero could continue any further, the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"Well, it seems we are out of time. You all know the homework assignment, and Young Kirishima I want you to take this packet to the front office, it is all the work that Young Bakugou is going to miss. The rest of you have a nice day and stay safe. Class dismissed.", All Might boomed.
The Number One Hero turned teacher began to erase all the terms and law sections off the chalkboard as his students packed up and shuffled out in their little social groups. When he finished with the board he moved to the teacher's podium and began to collect papers sitting on it. He had finally had a day as a teacher with no incidents! And Mirai doubted he could do it without some disaster. He almost deflated back into his true form thinking that the room was empty, but he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.
"All Might Sensei?", said the quiet voice of Hagakure Tooru.
Yagi looked up from his pile of papers to see the floating uniform that housed one of his students. She was standing about and arm's reach away from the podium. Normally, he would zip out of the classroom and straight to the teacher's lounge to avoid anyone seeing him in his weak form. But at the behest of literally every voice of reason in his life, he was doing less hero activity and saving his time for school. Despite not fighting at the USJ, the event left a bad twist in the stomachless body. He doubts that Young Hagakure would be here talking to him without that Vigilante, or he wouldn't be here after trying to fight a monster on borrowed time. Still he had more than enough time for his students as a result.
"Is something bothering you, young Hagakure? Or perhaps you need help with something? ",All Might asked.
The long sleeves of the uniform began to fidget with the helm of the skirt while the shoes twisted in circles.
"Well...you see sensei, I do need help but it's not with a school related thing.", the invisible girl said nervously, "I was wondering if it is possible for a….vigilante to become a hero?"
Years of keeping up a neutral expression against dangerous villains and the bloodthirsty press prevented Yagi from going wide eyed at the question. He had seen the security footage, and had seen that Hagakure had run straight into the danger when Ma'ken Ris fell into battle. He had been meaning to ask his student if she had learned anything about the vigilante beyond what had been observed.
"This is about that vigilante isn't it?", All Might said rather seriously, "Don't tell me a friend of yours is that vigilante?"
His invisible student jumped at the accusation as if it were a poisonous snake. "N-No, No All Might sensei! It's just...just that he really went above and beyond to save our class. I-I guess his actions really inspired me to go and help him.", Hagakure paused, "I-I was asking because...because I saw his face."
Yagi froze at the statement. Perhaps he could be one step closer to finding the vigilante, he was certainly making more progress than Mirai. "Young Hagakure, that information is rather important. If I may ask why you didn't report that immediately to the authorities?"
His student flinches at the light scolding, "I know sensei, I know. The only reason I didn't was because...looked so lonely. He looked so sad and lonely. And yet, he saved me and my friends when no one else could. I know he's on the bad side of the law, but after all he did...I don't want him to be punished. He's a hero to me, sensei and I want to save him from himself."
Had he not given his quirk to Mirio, he might have made Hagakure his successor. His student came to him with information that she had withholding from the authorities knowing that she could get into serious trouble. But she did so because she wanted to save someone that would've been just locked away like a villain. Heck, Yagi probably would've done the latter had not for the fact that Ghost had proven his heroic spirit time and time again. A hero prioritizes the rescue, then the capture.
"Young Hagakure, I am sure you know that harboring such information could be considered an obstruction of justice.", the floating uniform could be seen sinking in on itself, "But I cannot ignore your intentions for doing so, and lucky for you, I too would like to see this individual as a hero. And to answer your question; I do not have the experience to make the right judgment, but I do know someone who does. I would like to continue this discussion together with an old friend of mine. But provided that the Ghost of Musustafu cooperates, I think we might be able to make something work."
Even though All Might couldn't see it, his student was smiling. "But Young Hagakure, let me and my acquaintance handle most of the case. You are still only a first year, and don't forget you have to prepare for the Sports Festival. Though, perhaps if you do well enough. I can convince them to take you on for internships…"
The uniform began to hop on its heels at the notion, "Can you really do that All Might Sensei?"
Yagi gave his trademark smile, "Yes, I can! But only if you can keep your end of the deal up, Young Hagakure! Am I clear!", Yagi bombastically said with his hand in an 'ok' sign.
"Yes, sir!", Hagakure replied while her sleeve saluted.
"Then what are you waiting for? The Festival will be here before you know it!", Yagi continued.
The floating uniform gave a slight bow before quickly leaving the room, while incoherently saying thank you to the noobie teacher.
Yagi stood there for a minute with a genuine smile on his face, as he slowly deflated back into his true form. Mirai was most certainly going to love Young Hagakure, and he most certainly was looking forward to the sports festival more than ever.
The trip to Dagobah Beach was an uneventful one, well as normal as one would expect for anyone trying to find the place. Hagakure wasn't really sure how such a place was so hard to find, but it was likely because it had some bad rep to it. Nonetheless, some kind locals were able to point her towards the way when she couldn't figure out a way to go. She had just wished Izuku would've come and took her there, but Ris had said that he was having a busy day. She hoped he wasn't doing anything illegal during the day now, the last thing she needed was for him to get into trouble while she was at school. She was most certainly going to give him an earful if he was.
Despite taking a lot longer than she expected, Hagakure was able to find the fabled Dagobah Beach. Which made all the more confusing at the local's aversion to the place because the beach was beautiful. White pristine sands that looked like a soft blanket, water that sparkled like polished emeralds, and sitting on the beach was a creature of legend...a merman.
..!
Hagakure found herself standing right behind the merman sitting on the beach, she didn't even remember walking up to it. Nor did she register immediately that said Merman had a head of messy blue hair, pale skin, and a mouth of shark-like teeth. She wondered what Ris meant when she said Izuku was busy, now she knew why because Izuku somehow turned himself into a merman. His tail was lamprey-like and was colored a deep blue with a single green in its skin. Her brown eyes met Izuku's blue eyes as he turned to face her, seemingly unaware of her presence until now. A moment of awkward silence passed, as the two stared each other down.
Izuku wasn't wearing a shirt, so she caught a full view of his toned torso, though lean in his build it caught her attention more so than what the boys in her class had to offer. Some mysterious liquid began dripping down her nose as she stared at Izuku like he was some kind of piece of fine art.
The blued haired boy's face turned red as he appeared to get really uncomfortable with the staring, "H-Hi Tooru-san."
"Hey, Izuku-kun.", Tooru said absentmindedly.
"I-I can explain this.", Izuku said with a growing nervousness.
"Can you?", Tooru droned with a bit of drool dripping out her mouth.
The teen turned merman began to sweat nervously at the elf-girl, "Y-yes! It all started…"
But whatever explanation the boy said was completely lost to the invisible girl. She was certainly going to enjoy these next few weeks of training.