Akane Midoriya

Akane waited for the bell to ring, thankful that the week had concluded. She pulled her long, curly hair into a ponytail, her luminous green eyes fixed on the final countdown to freedom. She couldn't wait to get home, get out of her uniform, and relax. Her mind drifted to what her mother had told her earlier.

Earlier

"So I arranged for you to hang out with someone this Saturday," Inko told her.

Akane looked up from her notebook, confused, "What do you mean you arranged for me to hang out with someone? Did you set me up on a play date?"

Inko laughed at her daughter's terminology but thought about it: "You know what I think I did."

"MOM!" she protested, turning red and thanking the heavens that no one else was in the house to hear this. "Why would you do that?"

"I thought he was nice," Inko said innocently.

"MOM!" Akane protested quickly. "Wait, HE?" her eyes narrowed. "YOU BETTER NOT BE TRYING TO SET ME UP ON A DATE!"

"I know he isn't Katsuki," Inko smirked as Akane made gagging noises.

"Eww, just eww mom," Akane said.

"And not after I found out he had a girlfriend," though Inko might have muttered that last part.

"What was that?" Akane inquired.

"Nothing, dear," Inko said. "No, it is not a date; he is the son of a pro hero I met at the hospital. He wants to be a hero and go to U.A. I figured it would be nice of you to talk to someone else who wants to run around and make their poor mothers worry all night." Akane sighed.

"Son of a pro huh?" Akane said quietly, and Inko knew she had her daughter hooked. If anything, she knew her daughter couldn't resist the chance to talk about pro heroes and their quirks with someone.

"Look, you don't have to stay long if you don't want to, or I can even call and cancel," Inko said.

"Who is the pro?" Akane said.

"Midnight!" Inko said with a devilish grin.

Back to Reality

The bell rang as she gathered her stuff, "Yo Aka, you want to come karaoke with us?" her friend asked. "Nini is going to invite Katsuki and the guys."

Akane turned to her tawny-haired friend. "Sure, Cami."

"All right, Aka is coming," said their other friend Dalia. Dalia was a bit taller than Akane at 5'3. Her skin was beautiful alabaster, with these black lines almost tattooed on, pitch black hair with white tips, and her eyes were all white, except the black lines that ran through them; she was genuinely exotic looking and gorgeous.

"So cool," Cami explained, grabbing Akane by the arm. Do you want to come hang out tomorrow?"

Akane looked at her two friends, hope beaming in their eyes. "Sorry, I um…have to do something for my mom." She said, seeing the light die, "but if it wraps early, I will give you a call."

The three girls exited the crowded halls, seeing Nini coming, followed by Katsuki, Tsubasa, and Hifu. Katsuki wore his usual scowl, his ash blonde hair in its traditional spikey style, and his red eyes flickered with annoyance as he stalked toward Akane and her group. Tsubasa smiled like always, his wings folded on his back as he maneuvered past the other students. His brown hair was a traditional windblown mess, as always, but he was too busy talking with Nini, who he had an obvious crush on.

Nini, for her part, knew about the crush and kept dropping hints for him to ask her out, but he had yet to pick up on her signals. Her long black hair was in a simple braid down her back, and her black eyes would dart this way and back as she talked with Tsubasa. Lastly was Hifu; his hat was pulled down low over his eyes like always; it was a wonder the boy could see well enough not to bump into things as he walked. His messy black hair was contained underneath, as always.

"This is a waste of time; we should hit the arcade for a bit, then go train," Bakugo nearly growled, the vein in his forehead ticked in annoyance when everyone groaned.

"Dude, all we do is go the arcade and then train," Cami replied. "That shit is tiring as hell."

"Fine, don't cry to me when you damn extras don't make it into U.A." He clicked his tongue. Come on, Akane."

"I don't feel like training today," Akane said, shrugging her shoulders. "It has been a long week; I will go karaoke with my friends. Besides, going to the arcade all the damn time is boring." The girls nodded.

"Fine, but we are training double tomorrow," he huffed.

"Nope, got plans," Akane said; the girls said they did.

Katsuki turned and looked at the guys, "I have to help my grandfather move some stuff," Tsubasa said quickly.

Hifu, "Little sisters' recitals," he shrugged. "No way I can get out of that."

"WHATEVER YOU DAMN EXTRAS!" He yelled, stomping off.

Play Date

"Have fun on your play date," Mina yelled, smirking as Izuku rolled his eyes.

"It is not a play date," he yelled back; her laughter greeted him. "I mean, I guess it could be fun," he said casually. "I hear she wants to be a hero, works hard all the time, and is a good student," Mina stopped laughing. "Mom did say she was pretty cute," his step slowed. "But it's nothing. We are just going to walk around an outdoor mall, maybe ride the carousel; I think there is that grand opening of what is that store…" he snapped his fingers a few times. "Edge of the Galaxy," he smiled, "that's the ticket.

Mina raced from her spot and dived, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Izuku…" she whined. "I want to be a hero; I work hard... sometimes. And my grades have gone up this year." Mina tried fruitlessly to yank him back. "And I am fucking adorable!" she said with a pout. She let out an eep as he whirled around, lifted her, and kissed her suddenly. "Is she really cute," Mina said, still pouting.

"Mina, other girls may be cute, but you are magnificent," he replied when they broke apart. "I have no idea. All I know is that she had green hair and green eyes. No one can hold a candle to you."

"Not even Ragdoll, Mandalay, or Pixie Bob," Mina teased, remembering how her boyfriend had been shy when he met the group at her mother's agency last week.

"Don't forget Tiger," he added. "I would have to say maybe you tie with Tiger," he teased.

"I can live with that," she smiled. They kissed, leaving each other weak in the knees. "I love you," she whispered when they pulled apart.

"I love you more," he said, floating in the air.

Akane looked at the dress her mother had laid out for her and immediately squashed that idea; instead, she opted for a pair of black jeans, boots, and her brand-new All-Might shirt. She grabbed her keys and headed out to catch her train, wanting to arrive on time. The train wasn't overcrowded like it was in the mornings for school since it was a Saturday. She got off at her destination and crossed to the Togada Shopping Plaza; she found the clock stand at the entrance and saw a good-looking boy standing there.

He had black hair, green eyes like her, blue jeans, and a white fitted shirt that read Sound of Fury. He is cute, she thought as she approached. She noticed he was looking around, and as soon as he saw her, he watched her approach.

"Midoriya?" he asked when she came within earshot.

"Kayama?" she said back; when he nodded and smiled, she relaxed slightly.

He bowed slightly, "It is nice to meet you," he greeted her; she returned the greeting, and they both felt awkward. "So I hear you want to go to the U.A.?"

"That's right," Akane said, relaxing a little more. "I am a pyrokinetic."

"That is pretty awesome. Can you make the fire as well or control it?" he said, his eyes gleaming slightly.

"Make and control it," she smiled, "I can even solidify it some."

"That is amazing. It would be best if you practiced a lot to have so much control," he responded as they started to walk into the shopping district. "I am surprised to see you wearing All-Might. I would have guessed you would favor Endeavor."

Akana smiled, "I like Endeavor, he is very talented with his control and stuff, but his attitude is just kind of…crappy? I guess."

"That tracks," he laughed.

"All right, tell me about your quirk," she said excitedly, "I heard you are Midnight's son. So, have you had a gas attack like her or something?"

"No," Izuku said, noticing her excitement. "It is all physical," he flexed his arm. "I take after my dad."

"So, a strength quirk?"

"Kind of, we call it Vitruvian." He responded.

"Vitruvian?" she said, slightly confused, before she snapped her fingers. "Like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man! Pretty interesting," she smirked at him.

Izuku blushed slightly, "My quirk affects my whole body, strength, speed, skin, and senses."

"Well, that makes sense then. You're not just a normal man; you're a Superman," she laughed. "That is a powerful quirk. You are probably a shoo-in for U.A."

"I wouldn't dare say that, but I think I have a good chance," he responded.

"Good, you're humble about it, at least," she said. "So Kayama, do you have a first name?"

"Izuku."

"You can call me Akane," she looked around the district. "What do you do for training?"

Izuku did his best to answer her questions, leaving out the training at U.A. He was happy to hear how hard she worked herself along with some kids from her school. They all wanted to be heroes, of course. She didn't know if they would make it, but they wanted to try. She told him about her friend Katsuki Bakugo and his quirk, Explosion.

"That is a strong quirk. It sounds like he's super serious," Izuku chuckled as they bought something to drink.

"All the damn time," Akane sighed. "All he talks about is how he will be better than All-Might and beat down all the villains. He is super competitive; it gets annoying. Is it bad that I find one of my best friends annoying sometimes?"

"I don't think so," Izuku said. "He sounds very driven, but dealing with someone who is hyper-competitive and fixated can get tiring sometimes. You have to be able to relax and have some fun now and again. Also, heroics is about more than just beating up villains."

"I tell him that all the time, and he gets all pissed off. If I score better than him on a test or place higher on the exams," she brought her hands together and made an explosion sound as she separated them. "It is cool that it makes me work harder; he pushes me, you know," Izuku nodded. "But sometimes," she motioned like she was choking someone.

"I get it. There is this guy in my class. We call him Lex, and he gets all bent out of shape about the weirdest things," Izuku pointed towards a figuring store. Akane nodded. "When I beat him for class president, you would have thought I stole his dog or something."

"Some people just can't stand to lose," she said as they entered. "No one likes to lose, and I sure as hell don't, but when I do, I just try to figure out how it happened and work harder."

"That is the right mindset," Izuku smiled as he saw a figure of his Mother. "Do you ever talk to him about his viewpoint on heroics?"

"Sometimes, but that normally leads to a fight," Akane was looking over an All-Might figure. "What is it like having a Pro hero for a Mom?" she pointed at the Midnight figure. "Especially the Rated R Heroine?"

"Most people don't know that my mom is a pro, so that helps," he said as they moved deeper into the store. "It sucks reading all the stuff they put out online and on message boards," he sighed. "Seeing thousands of people say how they have fantasies about her is not fun."

"I didn't think about that," Akana said. "Is she like that at home?"

"Nope," he said, smiling as he found a small Eraser Head figure. "She is just a mom at home, which is normal. She loves dancing, singing, playing, and being super protective."

"Typical mom stuff?" Akana asked; she smiled when he nodded in agreement. "That is cool to hear; from what you read online, you think she is all crazy parties. All those rumors of her dating every hero out there must suck."

He nodded, "I don't think she has gone on a date that I can recall; she may and may not just have said anything."

"What about your dad, though?" Akane said, concerned.

"He died before I was born," Izuku said, "He was an artist and was on a flight to America when his plane went down."

"Oh," Akane said, feeling like she had shoved her foot down her throat. "Sorry I didn't…"

"It's okay," he responded. "No one knows like it isn't common knowledge that she has a son. So if you could…"

"Of course, I promise. You are right. I don't think I have read anywhere about her having a kid," Akane looked at the figure in his hands. "Is that Eraser Head?"

"Yeah, I am surprised you know him," he said, shocked.

"He is an underground hero. There isn't a lot out there about him, but I found that he is pretty cool," she said.

"He is kind of like my Uncle," he said, then pointed to a Present Mike poster. "Him too; they went to school with my mom."

"That is so cool. I love his show," Akane beamed. "Do you think you can get me an autograph?"

"I promise," he answered; she beamed at him.

"So, do you get to meet many heroes," she pushed.

"Not as many as you think," he said as he moved from the hero section to movie creatures. "Her sidekicks, of course; I did just meet the Wild Wild Pussycats,' he pulled out his phone and showed her a photo. "Oh, and Recovery Girl."

"Whoa, how did you meet Recovery Girl?" Akane said, stunned.

"She is close with my mom and has been my doctor my whole life," he said sheepishly.

"Wait, does that mean you have been to U.A.?" she had stopped walking.

"A few times," he lied. "She has a separate place that we normally go to."

"That is so damn cool," she gushed. "You like Xenomorphs?"

Izuku smiled, "I don't mind them, but my girlfriend has this weird obsession with them."

"Oh, you have a girlfriend?" Akane teased, also slightly disappointed. "Does she want to be a hero?" Izuku nodded, "Is she the daughter of another pro?"

"No, her parents aren't pro-heroes; they don't even work in the field," he said, showing Akane a picture of him and Mina from Alien World. "We met in school, childhood friends kind of thing."

"That's awesome," Akane paused. "Do you and her fight like I do with Katsuki?"

"No, nothing like that," Izuku had a bit of a goofy look on his face for a moment. "I have to make sure she stays focused on school work because she likes to have fun, but she drags me into it; it is a good counterbalance."

"That is good then," Akane replied as they made their way to the front so he could make his purchases.

"Maybe if we get together again, you can meet her?" Izuku asked.

"I think I would like that," Akane said, standing off as he paid. "I was annoyed my Mom set up this…play date, but I am glad she did. You're a cool dude."

Izuku laughed, "That is what my girlfriend called it also, but I am glad our mothers set this up." He held up his phone, "Want to exchange contact info?" Akane nodded, pulling out her phone. They tapped them together, and the telltale ding told them it worked. "Are you hungry? There is an All-American dinner around the corner."

"Hell yeah, I love that place," Akane said as they walked off.

Caught in the Act

Cami, Nini, and Dahlia had just exited their favorite clothing store, Emporium, and talked about getting food when Nini stopped dead. "Isn't that Akane?" she said, pointing across the way toward All-American. Cami and Dahlia turned, and sure enough, they saw her sitting in a booth by the window, and she wasn't alone. Some guy was sitting across from her, laughing and having a grand time.

"Holy shit, is she on a date?" Dahlia said.

"It looks like it," Cami said, slightly stunned. "She said she had to do something for her mom but would call me if it wrapped up early." Cami pulled out her phone and dialed Akane. They saw her pick up her phone and step away from the table.

"Hey, Cami," her voice rang out. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," Cami said casually. "I called to see if you were done with that thing for your mom so you could come hang out."

"Sorry, but no," Akane replied. "It seems like it is going to take a while."

"Oh, that sucks; well, talk to you later," Cami said, ending the call.

They watched as Akane returned to the table and conversed with the boy. "Dude, she is totally on a date!" Dahlia said. "He is pretty cute, at least."

"I bet Katsuki would be so mad," Nini giggled. "If he found out, she blew off training for a date!"

"What are we going to do?" Dahlia asked.

Cami took some pictures before putting her phone away. "If she is on a date, let's not mess it up for her. We can interrogate her about it later," Cami smiled. Come on, I want to eat."

Explosion House

"What are you doing, her brat?" Mitsuki asked as she saw her son sitting on the couch watching television.

"WATCHING TELEVISION YOU HAG!" Bakugo yelled back, the vein in his forehead ticking.

"I CAN SEE THAT!" Mitsuki's voice raised, matching his.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU ASKING STUPID QUESTIONS!" Bakugo got to his feet.

"WHAT DID YOU…" Mitsuki stomped into the living room.

"MITSUKI! BAKUGO!" Masaru Bakugo's father yelled as he walked into the house carrying groceries. Both his wife and son immediately stopped. "Katsuki, quit yelling at your mother and go get the groceries. Mitsuki, what did the doctor say?"

"That my blood pressure is out of control, and it isn't good for the baby," she sheepishly replied, unconsciously placing her hand on her belly.

"Exactly," he kissed her cheek tenderly. "I have a bit of a headache, so if you two could keep it down, that would be great."

"You have been getting those a lot lately," Mitsuki said, placing her hand on his forehead. "Also, you look so pale." She leaned forward so their heads were touching. "I want you to make an appointment with the doctor. Why don't you go lay down?"

"But the groceries, and…" he began to protest; he stopped seeing the concern on his wife's face. "Maybe you are right," he said, setting the bags on the counter and gingerly walking towards their bedroom.

Katsuki came stomping back in but stopped seeing his dad disappear into the bedroom. "What is going on with Dad," all anger or annoyance was gone from his voice.

"He isn't feeling well, so I told him to go lay down," Mitsuki responded softly, looking down the empty hallway. "I will need your help putting groceries away and dinner tonight."

Katsuki nodded, struggling to take his gaze away from the hallway. "What did the doctor say?"

"Your little sister is developing just fine," Mitsuki said as, like her son, she had difficulty tearing her thoughts away from her husband. "Why are you not out training or something?"

Katsuki could feel his voice about to rise in anger, but he looked towards the hallway and made sure to keep his voice down. "Everyone has stuff to do, even stupid Akane; she said she has to do something for Aunty. But whatever, if those stupid extras don't make it into the U.A., that is on them."

Mitsuki raised an eyebrow. "Inko said she would meet someone today. Are you sure she isn't hanging out with the girls?" She noticed her son tense a bit.

"No, Cami said it was just her, Nini, and Delilah," he grumbled. "Who is she meeting?"

"I don't know, but Inko wouldn't say. But she bought her a cute dress for today," Mitsuki paused. "Maybe she is going on a date." Mitsuki watched as emotions danced rapidly across her son's face before it became a scowl. "You know she is an adorable girl and is getting more beautiful daily. Someone is going to notice that sooner or later."

"Whatever," Katsuki growled. "It is not like I care. If that stupid Deku would rather make kissy faces with some loser than train."

"Are you sure about that?" Mitsuki pressed, making Katsuki's eyebrow twitch.

Quote the Raven

Reiko Yanagi stood before her greatest enemies. With a tremble in her lip, she took a deep breath and waged into battle. The conflict was inevitable; she had to engage. If not, her prize would forever be lost. Pulling up her hood, she lowered her head and stepped onto the battlefield; her arch nemeses, Sunlight and Crowds, would not win out today. Pulling the purple hood of her cloak down more, she started to make her way through the crowds; not only would this help to protect her from the sunlight, but she would not have to meet the gaze of strangers.

She was deftly maneuvering through the battlefield, though she had to seek shelter occasionally. She had unknowingly stumbled into an enemy encampment when the artificial smell of summer flowers and various floral scents alerted her to her folly. Turning, she froze. She had stumbled not into just any enemy encampment but the den of the enemy most feared—a viper's den, a temple of horrors, The Beauty Nest by Uwabami!

She was frozen in her fear, which proved to be her undoing. The Priestesses of Uwabami took her inaction as consent. Her protests, though weak, failed to manifest from her mind to her voice. She was in the seat before she could even think to struggle. Her hood was removed, and the light of day assaulted her with unrelenting brightness. Then they descended on mass, the second most terrifying word she had ever heard, the first being Pastel's: makeover.

Things were being applied to her, things she did not know the name of; ancient devices of torture made their way into the fray. Tweezers! How could this be allowed? Reiko thought, Surely some peace treaty in a faraway land had outlawed such things. But these renegades cared not for such treaties as they descended upon her; she winced and begged for mercy, but they would give no quarter. Like a tornado of violence, they had their wicked way with her; time ceased to have any meaning, a blur of torment, a cyclone of evil. It enveloped her mind, destroying her mental defenses till all she could do was nod and agree with the captors. She was hoping desperately to gain favor and curry a release from their grasp so she could once again walk the darkened streets of her home. Too pull the curtains tight and lose herself in the musings of the masters of the macabre.

She tried desperately to cling to the words of these ancient masters, King, Karloff, Lovecraft, Jackson, and Poe. She hoped invoking them would bring about a dark storm of the unknowable, a rain of darkness that would drive them from her. She was suddenly on her feet, moving again, a counter; why was she passing over her money card, nodding like a fool? They hold a bag for her. Is it her dignity it carries, her blood, some other evil? Yet she thanks them and takes it, stumbling unthinkingly back into the open air of the marketplace. She doesn't even think of grabbing her hood to protect her from the Sunlight; her folly is her undoing. It stabs at her eyes; she stumbles and barrels away, seeking respite.

Instead, she stumbles into a wall, and her feet slip and tumble. Gravity, the immutable law, will claim her to this day. Maybe she was foolish; maybe she dared to dream too strongly, and like Icarus, she soared above her station and was now plummeting back to the earth. It had been a short life; she hoped that her parents were not too bereft with grief, that they would mourn the appropriate time of 7 years. Her final thought was of her beloved Shadow; how would he survive with her to feed him and give him his treats? Hopefully, her mother would see him.

She braced for her death, the sweet kiss of oblivion, the cool embrace of dark. Instead, she felt a strong arm slip around her waist, and a hand of iron caught her arm, and the warmth of being pulled from the brink by a demi-god. She turned, her pale grey hair parted, the red jewel on her forehead glinted in the sunlight, her blue eyes somewhat lidded beheld the demi-god who had rescued her from the precipice of death. Black hair and green eyes gazed at her, the whispered greeting, "Are you unharmed, miss?"

Izuku and Akane

They had finished their lunch, and Akane led Izuku to a small bookstore. When they entered, he smiled as the two workers greeted her by name, making her blush. She was picking up a book written over a century ago by an old Japanese hero named Sunfire. He listened to her gush about the old pro, talking about how the techniques he pioneered had been passed down among fire heroes like a bible. She mentioned how even Endeavor quoted the book and was excited about the purchase. He liked how when a topic came up or something that excited her, her entire face would come alive; her eyes seemed to glow and sparkle. And it was the topics that caught Izuku's attention: heroes, quirks, right and wrong, and helping people. She had a very positive view of heroics, of trying to walk the path of helping people and the law.

Akane liked this boy, not so much in a romantic way, but the fact he was easy on the eyes certainly was a bonus. But he shared her view on heroics, and when he disagreed, he would listen and offer a counterpoint. He would ask her the best question: "What happens after that?" She blushed when she talked to her friends; she only sometimes would speak with her like this, and that was more so Cami. Katsuki, if it was all about beating the villain, no probing questions were asking why; societal issues didn't mean a thing.

She had anticipated that he would tell her everything was good, but she was surprised to hear that he saw things that could be better and that it wasn't just him that his mother talked a lot about social issues. She had known Midnight to speak out on some issues but not about what he talked to her about. Izuku talked a lot about volunteer work, saying that his mother would help with different charities but not in costume to advertise her work. It wasn't about the publicity; she was surprised that Midnight was very into nature and maintaining hiking trails.

She liked that Izuku was nerdy like her; he was into Astronomy and fascinated by the stars. During a meteor shower, he told her about his father's proposal to his mother. He and his mom would go on a hike yearly, and he would occasionally sneak out to stargaze with his girlfriend. Akane enjoyed how he gushed about his girlfriend Mina, happily showing her pictures. Akane told him that she wanted to meet Mina next time and that she might bring her friend Cami, but the world might explode once those two got together.

She was happy to stand in line with him at the opening of Edge of the Galaxy. It was a brand-new store catering to outer space enthusiasts, but the kicker was that the space-themed hero Thirteen would be present to sign autographs and take photos for the grand opening. He had promised to pick up a limited edition grand opening shirt and keychain; she thought it was cute how he was going to such lengths for Mina. They were standing in line with a girl from Mie Prefecture; her auburn hair was cut in a cute bob style. The color matched her eyes, and she had what seemed to be a permanent bush to her cheeks. Her name was Ochaco Uraraka.

Izuku and Akane fell into easy conversation with the girl. She was excited about meeting Thirteen and hoped to become a hero like them. This, of course, prompted Akane to ask about her quirk, Zero Gravity. Ochaco was a bit shy but soon was overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. She didn't have anyone to talk about heroics and such at home. Soon, she was pulled into the conversation and couldn't stop smiling. Akane could barely contain her laughter when Izuku and Ochaco discovered their shared love of the stars. The lively discussion allowed them not to notice how long they were in line until they found themselves at the front. They all got their autographs and memorabilia; Ochaco even briefly talked about heroics with her favorite hero before she moved on and waited for Akane and Izuku. The trio exchanged contact information as Ochaco had to meet up with her parents for their trip home.

Izuku and Akane went through the shopping arcade, discussing small things as their day drew close. They had stopped so she could pick something up from the Stationary store when, as she came out, she saw someone barrel into Izuku. She watched as he moved faster than she could perceive and caught the girl before she fell.

"Are you unharmed, Miss?" he asked.

Nevermore

Reiko sat staring up at her savior, who set her on her feet, ensuring she was stable before he removed his hands. "I apologize for putting my hands on you without your permission," Izuku bowed.

"No," Reiko said quickly. "Thank you for saving me."

"Do you need to sit down for a moment," Akane said as she extended an unopened water bottle.

Reiko started shaking her head, but then she felt herself wobble. Izuku and Akane guided her over to a bench. Once she sat down, she pulled up her hood and took a small drink of water as she regained her composure.

"I am so sorry for causing the both of you any trouble," Reiko said, hiding her embarrassment behind her hood. "I don't do well with crowds."

They looked at each other and then at the crowded shopping arcade. "Where were you trying to get to?" Akane wondered aloud.

"Eclipse," Reiko said. "I ordered something, and it came in today."

"I know that store," Akane said with a smile. Rieko looked at her. "I have a friend, Daliah; she loves that store."

"White skin, black lines?" Rieko asked quizzically. When Akane nodded, Reiko smiled slightly. "I know her. We talk online some. We met there when I was buying the new Darkness album."

Izuku smiled as Akane and Reiko kept talking. Akane talked to her about something Reiko was interested in, which helped her relax. Eventually, Akane had exhausted what she knew about the topic. "Feeling better?" Akane tilted her head to the side slightly.

Reiko nodded, realizing what the girl had done. "Thank you, I am Reiko."

The green-haired girl smiled, "I am Akane, and that is Izuku." Izuku smiled.

"I apologize for interrupting your date," Reiko bowed; they both immediately waved their arms, protesting that it was certainly not a date. Reiko tilted her head to the side when this happened. Didn't that mean it was a date? She wondered.

"How about we go with you?" Izuku asked. "I have never been to that shop; I want to check it out."

Reiko was going to protest, but she felt it would be rude to do so after all they had done for her; they probably just wanted to ensure she was alright. "Yes, that sounds nice. Let us depart."

Izuku walked into Eclipse and was assaulted by the lack of color and loud, angry music. He had to concentrate for a moment due to the store's volume and his hearing. Once that was done, he followed the girls around the store. Reiko approached the counter, and Akane wandered around the store. At first, Izuku smiled, seeing a few things with his Mother's name but not what it implied. As he walked about the store, he happened to make his way to the back, where he found himself in the land of leather and lace.

He found himself staring at the things on the wall, and when he came across a leather corset, his mind immediately filled it in with a pink-skinned girl he knew very well—images of her in leather pants, a leather skirt, patterned stockings, maybe even a garter belt. He shook his head and fled to where Akane was looking at a wall of shirts. Scanning the wall, he found a few of his mom's shirts and a perfect shirt for Mina. It had the xenomorph queen sitting on a throne with the caption "Long Live the Queen."

Reiko came over, holding her package with a huge smile. After Izuku made his purchase, they exited the shop. "Thank you both for coming with me," Reiko smiled.

Reiko, a deep mocking voice suddenly rang in her head. How easily you smile, sweet little Raven, my dear, never born. How easily you pretend. How easily you smile. Would they share your smile? Would they show such compassion? I need to remind you that you belong to me. You can run and pretend all you want, but we both know how this ends. A gentle reminder is in order.

Rieko's smile faltered as she suddenly looked around, afraid. Izuku, as did Akane, picked up on the sudden change in her demeanor. Reiko scanned frantically, desperately searching, and then the screams began. All three of their heads whipped around towards the sound. It was then that out of the crowd, suddenly, five people came leaping out at them.

They were all different; there were three men and two women; one of the men even appeared to be an elderly gentleman. What made them similar was that they all seemed to have three sets of eyes stacked one above the other. Each set glowed a brilliant fiery orange, and long protruding fangs and claws protruded from their hands with the same hue as their eyes. The lead woman was about to descend on Reiko before she or Akane could react, but that was not the case for Izuku, who stepped forward and grabbed the attacker's arms and threw them off to the side; he spun past a claw swipe from the second, shoving them aside.

The third attacker's strike hit true, but what surprised Izuku was that the attack sent a flood of pain through him as it shredded his clothes and back, sending him to his knees. Reiko's quirk sprang to life; a purple glow surrounded the male attacker as he was flung away, crashing into the corner of a nearby shop. Akane took a deep breath as the air around her ignited her; a jet of fire manifested forth, and it solidified as much as she could, flying into the gut of the fourth attacker, sending them tumbling to the ground as they screamed in pain. Akane quickly shirted the pillar to their right; it expanded into a wall where Reiko had thrown the third attacker.

Izuku managed to recover as the fifth came at him with a wild claw swipe; he quickly ducked under the attack and drove a solid blow to the attacker's gut, driving the wind from the attacker. Or it should have, but they were enhanced in some manner. Wasting no time, he drove a fist into the back of their head, driving them to the pavement; when they collided, a guttural groan escaped their lips, and the two sets of eyes faded, as did the claws. To Izuku, it seemed like an unknown power had taken them over, and whatever connection was there was severed when they lost consciousness.

Akane was never more thankful for all that damn training Katsuki put her through; when the second attacker came at her, she stepped forward, planted her feet, twisted her hips, and launched a right hook. It is connected with thunderous force. All-Might would have shuddered at how well she delivered the hit. It landed right on the chin, its head rotated, and all the eyes rolled as their lights were turned out.

Reiko's eyes narrowed in annoyance as two of their attackers rose into the air and collided roughly before they fell to the ground unconscious. Izuku grabbed her, pulled her aside from a claw swipe, and turned the last attacker's lights out with a strong uppercut; he felt a pang of guilt as it was the old man who went crashing to the ground.

Akane grabbed her hand, and as the screams of panic continued, Izuku could see more of the six-eyed people rushing around. He saw another group break from a pack and run at them, but Rieko stepped in front of her new friends before they got close. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she called out as her hood and cloak fluttered by an unseen wind. Akane and Izuku watched in awe as most of the possessed attackers. Rose into the air, this time though they were surrounded by purple energy, within that field, it turned black; the attackers were outlined in white as they rose into the air.

Reiko raised her hand in a fist and screamed the strange words again; Akane and Izuku watched as all the people looked like they were being squeezed. Their heads drooped, and the signs of their possession faded. Gently lowered to the ground, Rieko stumbled and fell back as her eyes rolled back in her head. Izuku caught her quickly, lowering her to the ground; as he did so, Akane stepped in front of them, dancing around her fingers, scanning the crowd.

They could hear the panic dying as their attackers were on the floor, and pro heroes were flooding the area. Loved ones were rushing towards their fallen partners or family, confused and scared at what had happened. Izuku could see people trying to explain and pointing towards their group as many people were drawn by not only Akane's fire but Reiko's display before she passed out. He focused his hearing and could hear the responding heroes calling for more backup and emergency crews as they walked toward him. He suddenly wobbled; a searing heat was radiating from his back like it was on fire; as carefully as he could, he laid Reiko down.

Akane turned to check on her new friends and saw Izuku sweating and looking like death warmed over, "Holy hell, Izuku, are you alright," Akane said.

"Akane," he managed to choke out. "Call your mother; I need…" was all he said as his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell forward suddenly, but Akane was there to keep him from face-planting.

Cami was sitting on the ground, taking deep breaths; everything had suddenly gone from a great shopping day to chaos. When the six-eyed monsters started attacking people, she called Nini and Dahlia to grab people and pull them into the store. When a psychos attacked them, Cami used her quirk to trap them in an illusion, making them fight each other until only one was standing.

Nini activated her quirk amongst the panicked people, and an aura of calm and peace spread over them, leaving them almost zombie-like as they sat huddled in the back. Dahlia stepped in front of the group, the black lines running off her body and into the real world; she weaved them into a net to prevent anyone from coming through to the group when the final psycho had managed to break through of Cami's illusion he ran straight into the web, Dehlia collapsed it on him like a spider capturing a fly for later.

When the heroes arrived, Cami released her quirk and sank down, taking a deep breath. Dahlia left the person cocooned until the heroes came in, and Nini fell to her knees, releasing people from their trance.

As more and more officers flooded the scene, the attackers were being taken into temporary custody till it could be ascertained what exactly had happened.

The heroes Harlequin and Ms. Joke had started to move towards the trio along with Jester when they saw the boy collapse; quickly, they raced over. EMTs were arriving as all the chaos had hurt people, and the attackers had wounded some.

"What happened?" Jester asked as he slid to the ground next to Akane, helping her to roll Izuku onto his side; blood was beginning to stain the concrete around them from the deep gouge on his back. Ms. Joke came to Reiko's side and moved her out of the way; as she did so, Reiko's eyes fluttered open, and she attempted to sit up in a panic.

"It's okay, my girl. Everything is under control, and the heroes are on the scene," Ms. Joke said quickly. Reiko looked around and saw two heroes attending to Izuku.

Jester scooped up Izuku. "This kid is on fire, and we need to get him to the EMTs. What is his name?"

"Izuku Kayama," Akane said quickly. "His mother is Midnight."

Jester's eyes widened slightly, "Understood. Harlequin, see if you can raise her on the hero network."

"I didn't know she had a kid," Emi muttered.

Midnight

That is it. I will never let him out of my sight again! Nemuri screamed. She managed to hold her panic under control for the most part as she quickly contacted Chiyo, thankful that Izuku's grandmother had returned to the U.A. and was near enough to get to the hospital for Izuku. Nezu was scrambling to have his ambulance rerouted to the hero facility as containment was becoming a high priority; they didn't want Izuku's blood samples getting out into the world.

There was also the concern that Ms. Joke, aka Emi, had reported that Izuku was bleeding from a deep gash across his back and that he was running a fever. Izuku had never been sick with a cold for most of his life; there was only a small one not long after he arrived, but he shook it off quickly. Then there was the cut; to date, nothing of record had been able to cut him since he was 8. Needles, even special ones designed for people with super tough skin or Invulnerability quirks, had stopped working at 10.

Midnight hit the talk on her phone and said a silent prayer. "Brainiac?" The moments of silence that followed were deafening until a calm voice rang out from the car speakers.

"Yes, Nemuri Kayama? From the elevated tone in your voice, I can only surmise that something is wrong with Kal-El," Brainiac said.

"He was attacked today while on an outing; he has been cut and is running a fever," Nemuri said quickly. "He is being taken to a hospital as we speak. I am too far away; Chiyo is en route to him, and Nezu is trying to get him routed to Hero Hospital," she said as she weaved through traffic.

"It would not be in Kal's best interest if others were to get a sample of his blood," Brainiac said, his tone measured. "It would be complicated to explain his sample."

"I know that. Is there anything you can do?" Nemuri pleaded.

"Yes, give me a moment," Brainiac replied, and the deafening silence filled the car once again. "I am rerouting him to a private medical facility; they are under strict order to hold for Recovery Girl due to the unique mutation to his physiology. I am updating them that they are not to attempt to provide fluids, as his mutation will prevent them from puncturing his skin. They will be able to flush and pack the wound on his back. I am accessing this hospital's systems if they try to run the blood from the wound to see what the cause of the infection is. I am extremely concerned that something has injured him in such a fashion and with such ease."

"You and me both," Nemuri responded. We need to put something in place in case this happens again."

"I agree. I will begin a backlog of medical data showing that his mutation has affected him down to a cellular level," Brainiac said. As his body absorbs solar radiation, thus giving him his powers, it can be explained that this has caused the mutation. While his body still will pass as human, it should deflect most concerns unless he becomes a case study for a geneticist."

"Which hospital are you routing him to?"

"Titan Medical is the closest facility to U.A.," he responded.

"Thank you, Brainiac," Nemuri said, feeling slightly better.

"I understand your wish to thank me, but I am just doing what my programming dictates is in the best interest of Kal," Brainiac's voice rang out. "But you are welcome Nemuri Kayama."

Nemuri updated Nezu and Chio before she called Mina to let her know what had happened, as Izuku was unlikely to be home tonight. Mina was worried and a little panicked, but she held together when she learned Chiyo was on her way; after she extrapolated Midnight's promise to keep her updated, they disconnected.

Nemuri sighed as she sped from Tokyo to Mustafa; maybe she needed to take that teacher position after all.