Though the blanket of night had been draped over the city, sleep and rest alluded to so many for various reasons. The nightlife was in full swing, with people of all ages gathered at their favorite haunts. Middle schoolers and high schoolers found themselves drawn to the nightclubs that were made with them in mind, karaoke bars, and even arcades. There were even those young people who were in the middle of cram schools, studying their hearts out in the hopes of getting into the school of their dreams. Then there were those college-age people, from their late teens to late twenties. Those people were hitting the other clubs, dancing and partying the night away. Or they were gathered at sushi restaurants, chatting with friends and potential lovers over their food and cold drinks. The rest of the people, well, that varied. Some were in bars still, not ready to go back home as they drank the night away. There were heroes still at their agencies. There were even those who were indulging in the pleasures of the flesh. Men and women who had found company for the night for the right price, taking them to love motels to get their money's worth. There were also a few clubs, BDSM, and strip clubs to provide a stimulating night.
And of course, there were the people on the street. Those women who worked the night stood at the corners or the entrances to alleyways, watching people of all ages walking by trying to find the right mark. The drunks who were managing to stumble home with flushed faces. Students hurrying to get back home before their curfew. Normal people, muttering to themselves about what an ass their boss was for making them work late into the night to meet a deadline. So on and so on.
Among this crowd were two U.A. students dressed in their finest as they walked hand and hand towards the train station. Izuku Midoriya had his head down, his mind buzzing at what he had been asked. For him to place within the Sports Festival, not just for the honor and the benefits that it would bring for a future hero student like himself, but also to make an announcement that might change the world as they knew it. There were so many reasons why he thought Blackhound was in the right, how this would make the world a better place. But, at the same time, fear gnawed at him the same way a dog did to a bone.
"It's a lot they're asking," said Pony suddenly. Izuku turned to look at his horned girlfriend. She was not looking at him, her head downcast while her normally bright eyes were half lidded. It was clear that she, like him, was feeling the weight of what they had heard.
"So, do you…do you think I should do it?" asked Izuku.
"I'm…conflicted," replied Pony slowly, a deep sigh escaping her lips as she spoke. "On one hand, I can see that Blackhound's heart is in the right place despite it mostly helping out the U.S.A. Izuku, you know what the suicide rate for quirkless people are like in the states. They're freaking insane! What makes it all the worse is that most of them happen during middle and high school! Not to mention the murder rates, crime, and discrimination all aimed towards a group of people who have a hard time fighting back without weapons. It's sick! Not only that, but this will be giving us more heroes. Not weapons like guns in every household, but trained people who know how to use their quirks to fight villains without killing them as well as assisting in disasters. Even if those people do change their minds later on and decide that they don't want to be heroes when they grow up, they'll at least have better options. But on the other hand…Have you ever read or seen Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches?" Izuku shook his head. "It's a story from an old pre-quirk writer. I had this Elementary school teacher that liked to play us the old animated shorts. The story is about these two groups of creatures called Sneetches that lived on a beach, ones with stars on their bellies and ones without. The ones with stars thought they were the ones who were superior since they had the stars. Can't remember what they did, just that they were real bullies and jerks. I really wanted to use my Horn Cannon on them."
Hearing that made Izuku chuckle a bit, watching as Pony became a bit more animated as she spoke. How her free hand balled into a fist while her expression heated up when she spoke about these star bellied creatures. It did seem odd to Izuku that they would discriminate against another group over something so…trivial. Did those stars on their bellies do anything like a quirk? Could they shine a light out of it? Create a floating, star shaped disk that they could ride the waves over? Could they use those stars to punch holes into other realities?
"Then one day, a man came in this weird looking vehicle," continued Pony. "He stopped in front of the starless Sneetches claiming to have the answer to their problem. That he could give them stars on their bellies. So the starless Sneetches paid him and he did what they asked. He had them step into a machine that, when they came out, had the same green star."
"So I guess that was it?" asked Izuku. "I mean, now you couldn't tell who was born with a star on their belly from those that just got one. Meaning there's no reason to treat them differently."
Pony, however, shook her head sending her blond locks from side to side. "No. The ones who had been born with stars became upset, that they were special first and didn't want to lose that. But, they realized the same thing you did. How could they tell each other apart? That's when that same man showed up, offering them the solution to their problem. They stepped into a different machine, this one removing the stars. Without them, they began to strut around claiming to be superior again. So, on it went. The ones with stars would have them removed and then the ones without would have them put on. Just kept on going until they ran out of money. Then the man left. It was only when none of them could even remember that they realized just how silly they had all been and agreed to share the beach they all lived on."
Pony let out another sigh as she held up her free hand. "Look, I'm not saying that Blackhound is like that man who profited over changing the Sneetches. What he's doing is more than a cosmetic change. It's just that the quirkless might end up trading one form of discrimination for another. That we'll have parents taking their kids to get a quirk so that they'll have a normal life or someone like Carol who does it just so she can feel normal, only to have the world shunning them because their quirks aren't normal. Remember how quirks upturned society when they first showed up? What if something that bad happens? What if something like with the Sneetches happens to the world, where people are still trying to separate those who originally had quirks from people who didn't?"
"That's…possible," admitted Izuku who nodded in understanding. Pony's concerns were valid. He could imagine how those people felt, finally getting that chance to be normal in hopes of escaping a nightmare they were born into. But, what would they do if the nightmare didn't end? What if things continued to be bad just in a different way? And yet…
"I see what you're saying, but even if things don't get better right away there's still a chance that people could learn," argued Izuku. "I mean, in that story, the Sneetches eventually realized that they were no different. Maybe that's all we need to get the ball rolling for people to see that the quirkless are people as well. That we're not so different."
Pony gulped. "And what if I said I was also worried about you?" Izuku stopped so suddenly he nearly fell over. Quickly he spun around to look over at Pony, finding that she was now biting her lower lip while tears began forming in her eyes.
"Izuku, you need to understand that when you make that announcement, once you reveal to the world that you weren't born with your quirk, nothing will ever be the same again," she continued after taking a breath, one meant to steady her nerves. "You will be putting a spotlight on yourself for the whole world to see. People are going to look at you in a new light. I'm…I'm just afraid that others might start discriminating against you. They might even do that stupid 'Lair Revealed' cliché to you, getting mad that you never told them something that wasn't any of their business or had a very good reason not to talk about it! Then, ah, there are some people out there that might see you and Blackhound as threats. There's a good chance that you'll have a target on your back."
Izuku gave a little nod before gesturing for them to continue. "Yeah, it's one of the reasons why I told Blackhound I'd think about it," the green-haired teen admitted. "I knew going into the hero business that I'd be making enemies out of the people I captured. Sure it's rare for a villain getting out of jail to seek revenge on the person they know they can't beat, but it does happen. A few pro heroes actually do have nemeses like in the old comics. But, if I do speak out, I won't know who's coming after me and how. It could be a deranged quirk 'purist' or whatever they'll want to call themselves, rushing at me in the middle of the street with a homemade shrapnel bomb. It could be some reporter or even an entire news network running bad stories about me on a daily loop. They could even go after my parents." As they walked, the green-haired teen could now better make out the sounds of Pony's hooves on the pavement. Almost like the rest of the world had gone silent just for them. Allowing them both to take in the gravity of what was to come.
Then, as Izuku looked up at the night sky and spotted something. It was faint, the teen almost straining his eyes to make it out. There, way off into the dark distance, were clouds. They could have been just a few fluffy white clouds or storm clouds ready to unleash their furry upon them. They could be here in a few minutes, hours, or never at all. Just seeing them caused Izuku's resolve to harden.
"But, maybe a future like that will happen whether we want it or not," continued Izuku. "Now that Blackhoud said it, I can't deny the truth any longer: the age of All Might is coming to an end. We have no idea when that will happen, but when it does, the world will never be the same again. And we'll need everyone on board to do their part in order to deal with that crisis. No matter what, I'm going to be a hero and face that storm when it arrives. But I can do more." Izuku paused to take a breath, further stealing his thoughts. "Quirk Rebirth is going to be made public sooner or later. The sooner it does, the sooner everyone can start training with their quirks and getting the experience they need. And if I am there, I can answer questions and perhaps ease parent's concerns so that they won't be as hesitant to go through with the project."
"Yeah, I know," replied Pony, her hand squeezing Izuku's a bit more tightly now. "So many people, all the scientists who have worked so hard for so long to make this a reality. I don't want everything they've done to go to waste. And there are so many quirkless people out there praying for a miracle. But at the same time…" By this point, the pair were at the station waiting for their train to arrive. As Pony's words trailed off, she looked at her boyfriend with eyes that conveyed her feelings. That she valued his happiness and well being just as much as everyone else's combined. And that feeling was conflicting with her heroic desires so much it was beginning to tear her up inside.
As Izuku looked into her eyes, he began to think about how he would feel if the situation were reversed. If it had been Pony to be the one to undergo the Quirk Rebirth process and was now being asked to expose herself like that. He thought about all the hate mail, vile threats, harassing phone calls that the more deranged out there might send. How some people at school might view her as less than a hero. He had more faith that their own class wouldn't do it, not after all they had been working on since they started training. He would have been more worried about how those jerks in 1-A would react. Though, as much as he hated to admit it, there was the chance that people could surprise you in the worst of ways. After all, hadn't that been the case with him when he was little? While he couldn't remember their faces exactly, he knew he had friends that had turned on him the moment they found out he was quirkless. Then, Izuku's thoughts moved to the more violent routes things could take.
The more Izuku thought about it, the more he began to share Pony's inner feelings. Despite all the good that might happen, despite all the hard work people had put into this for years, he wanted to put the person before him first. To make sure she was happy. But, a hero had to put the needs of others before their own wants and desires. So did that make him a bad hero in training?
Without saying a word, Izuku moved behind Pony. His hands moved, wrapping around the horned girl's waist as he held her close. He could feel her relaxing with him, content in this moment of embrace. Together they stood there, swaying slightly in silence with Izuku occasionally kissing her neck as they waited for the train to arrive. When it finally did, neither seemed to mind the rush of wind that was kicked up as it came through nor the noise it made as it came to a stop.
"I still have some time to make up my mind," whispered Izuku into Pony's ear as the doors to the train opened. Together they moved into the train that was, thankfully, mostly empty. Only a few people were there. Two of them looked like an older couple, their eyes closed as they swayed with the movement of the train. The third, and final, person on the train was a girl who looked around the same age as they. Though her attire was far more…exposing. The girl was wearing a matching two piece outfit of something shiny black that Izuku had no idea what it could be. The neckline of her blouse had a V shaped cut that exposed plenty of her side boobs as well as showing that she wasn't wearing a bra. The top clung to her, almost like a second layer of skin and stopped about half an inch below her breasts allowing everyone to see her pierced belly button. Her skirt was also shiny black and cut so short that, if she bent over, her panties would be visible. If she was wearing any that is. But it wasn't her appearance that caught Izuku's attention, rather that was something he noticed after her quirk drew his attention. The girl seemed to have the ability to change the color of both her hair and skin. When he had first looked at her, the girl's skin was almost pale while with black hair almost looking like a doll or something. But, as she scrolled through her phone, her skin took on a color closer to bronze while her hair turned red.
Both hero students moved to the opposite side of the train, sitting next to each other with their foreheads pressed gently together so that they were now only looking at the other. Like this, the rest of the world could better be ignored as their hands continued to be connected.
"Izuku," whispered Pony as the doors closed, her lips so close to his own that he could still smell the steak sauce and sautéed onions on her breath. "Did I ever tell you why I want to be a hero?"
"Just about the same amount of times that I've told you my reasons," replied Midoriya, a slight smile on his face when he saw Pony start to pout slightly. "But I love hearing it. So go ahead and tell me again."
That got a blush from the American girl as she wiggled just a little bit closer to him while the train started to move. "It was mostly because of my mom. For as long as I can remember, she went out every morning and came home late at night looking worn. Then, when she put me to bed, she would tell me that the streets were still safe for me and my friends to play on. And that never changed, even as I got older. Well, she did change it up, telling me that the streets were safe for me and my friends to hang out on, but you get the idea. You remember the times when she would take us to her agency whenever you visited and we would sit there, watching as she and her sidekicks trained?"
"Until they looked like they were ready to pass out," whispered Izuku. "They put their all into their training. And, somehow, they just kept going."
"Yeah, that stuck with me," continued Pony. "That as well as all the times when my mom was rushed to the emergency room. It was always scary, the longer we couldn't see her the more I began to panic. No matter how many times I was rushed there, that feeling never got any easier to bear. But, while we waited, one of the nurses would change the television to the news. Most of the time I would see the aftermath of the incident my mother had been in. See the people she saved, how happy they were and listening to them praying for my mom to recover quickly. Dad would often laugh, saying out loud that mom was too stubborn to die until the job was done. I never knew if he was talking to the people on the T.V., me, or just reminding himself. But, he was right. Mom always pulled through and, as soon as she got the green light, she was back there on the streets working hard to make sure we were all safe. Then, one day, it just hit me. My mom and all the other heroes out there, they have all worked so hard to make sure that we're safe. So that we can have days where we can go to the playground to play, walk down the street to the mall without worrying about a villain attack, and just going home at the end of the day safely."
Pony paused for a moment, her grip on Izuku tightening slightly.
"The last thing I want is for all that hard work, all the blood that was shed for us to be safe to go to waste," she continued. "No, all the hard work that every hero who has ever come before us shouldn't go to waste. Crime, hatred, villainy; it's never going to go away. That's why we need to work as hard as we can, give it our all so that people like my mom can know that everything they have done in their lives wasn't for nothing."
Pony then cupped Izuku's cheek with a gentle caress before pulling him in for a kiss. One that was gentle and light. A kiss that Izuku let out a moan of longing when Pony pulled away, her blue orbs staring into his green ones. "Izuku, I want you to know that no matter what road you choose, I will stand by you. If you feel that you can do more good by telling the world how you got your quirk, I'll support you. If you can't let all the hard work that so many people put into this go to waste, then I'll support you. If you feel like you'll be throwing away all the hard work that you put into training both your body and your quirk by doing this, I'll support that as well. Just as I know that you will support me if I ever need it."
To that, Izuku nodded before they went back in for another kiss. A longer one this time, filled to the brim with passion that both worked hard to contain. If they didn't, both knew that Pony would have straddled Izuku's lap by now.
[hr]
"Ah man, I thought they'd never let us go!" exclaimed Setsuna. Ochaco turned her head to look at the green haired girl walking next to her, both dressed in their school uniforms as they made their way down the courtyard of U.A. towards the exit. As the sharp toothed girl spoke, her arms were raised high above her head toward the twinkling stars above to stretch her limbs. An act that caused the 1-B girl's breasts to become more pronounced making Ochaco blush heavily before turning her head to look away when she noticed this.
"Y-Yeah," the gravity removing girl managed to say. "It's, ah, pretty late." Ochaco winced as she said this, for more reasons other than the fact that it was obvious. Yeah, it was late. No doubt all the half priced bento boxes at her local grocery store had been sold out by now along with a dozen or so other half priced options. Now she had to figure out what she was going to do about dinner. Well, maybe she could check her apartment to see if she had any instant ramen she could cook up. All she needed to do was spend some money on some cheap bottled water and she could cook it up. The problem was that those were her emergency food rations and she would prefer not to use them so soon into the school year. Plus they didn't really fill her up all that much.
As Ochaco began to contemplate the pros and cons of eating her dehydrated noodles with powdered flavoring, her eyes caught the sight of the rest of the training group as they made their way out of the courtyard. A few of them were standing around, all on their phones. No doubt checking to see if their parents could pick them up as well as providing rides for their friends. Others seemed to just continue as if there was no problem, either because they lived close by or simply knowing that there was a late night train that would take them close to home.
But there was one thing that caught her eye. Shinso and Kawakami were walking together, their shoulders lightly bumping into the other as they walked. As she looked at them, Ochaco recalled the conversation they had with Kawakami before all this happened. More specifically, what her 'sisters' had said. Was it…right for them to do this?
"Well, since it's so late, how about we head out to get something to eat," said Setsuna, her words sounding as though she had read Ochaco's mind. "I've seen this one place near the train station that's offering kabobs. You know the place, right? The one that lets you pick out the meat and veggies before it's cooked right in front of you? What do you say? It'll be my treat."
Drool began to leak out of the sides of Uraraka's mouth as she heard the description. Real meat after school that wasn't about to expire? Not just that, but cooked veggies? Maybe she could get some tea to go along with it. Maybe she could get seconds? Oh god, when was the last time she had gone to bed without her stomach rumbling at her? Oh right, the last time she had seen her parents. Now with such an opportunity before her, the girl wanted so much to scream to the heavens 'YES!' and just let Setsuna drag her off to this wonderful sounding place. But, something stopped her. Wiping away the drool, she turned and looked at the girl with a serious expression.
"T-Thank you for the offer Tokage, but I have to refuse," she said in a tone that made it sound like she was forcing herself to say this. And judging by the way Tokage stopped and looked at her with a serious expression, she noticed it as well.
"Is there a reason you can't," Setsuna asked, placing a hand on her hip as she looked down at the slightly smaller girl. Oddly enough, there wasn't a trace of an accusing glare or anything like that. But maybe…concern? "I mean, it's cool if you have plans or something but-"
Ochacho shook her head. "No, it's not like that. It's…" As her voice trailed off, she wondered how she should put this. Mentally she began kicking herself for already saying that she didn't have any plans. If she had, then this conversation would have been over with one or two little lies. Still, lying wasn't off the table. She could just say that she was tired. It had been a long day and she could use that while telling Setsuna that she just wanted to go home, do her homework, and get some sleep. But, as she looked back into Setsuna's eyes, she felt that idea wilt. Even if her quirk changed on the spot, allowing her to go back in time to change her answer, she couldn't do that. She needed to make her stance clear.
"Tokage, I'm flattered that you are interested in me, but I can't go out with you," said Ochaco in a firm tone.
"What?" was all Setsuna could say, her head tilting to the side.
"Please, don't take it the wrong way," continued Uraraka. "It's not that I don't think that you're not attractive or that you're unpleasant to be around. The exact opposite really. But, Mr. Aizawa has made it clear how he feels about students having romantic relationships. I've worked really hard to get into this school, into the hero program, just to throw it away. But even if he didn't have that rule in place, I still won't because I don't want to become a distraction from us becoming heroes. So-" The girl was then interrupted as Setsuna made a soft chopping motion to the girl's head, all while holding a deadpan expression. The anti-gravity girl winced despite the lack of intense pain that would have been there had her friend used more power.
"I'm going to stop you right there," said Tokage, jamming a finger into Uraraka's chest right above one of her breasts. "Because that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard."
"What?" asked a shocked Ochaco.
"First of all, I never said it was a date," she started with fire in her eyes. "I just wanted to hang out with you. Maybe get to know what else is under that cute exterior of ours outside of class, but that's it. That and I didn't want to eat dinner alone." There was a pause before the flames in her eyes seemed to soften a bit while a hand went up to her chin. "Though I guess I could see why you would think that was a date. I mean, I did ask you out in front of everyone. Plus, anyone who thought that they were going to be spending time alone with all this sexiness would be doing everything in their power to convince themselves it was a date." At that, Ochaco found a part of herself agreeing with that statement which made her blush.
Then Setsuna's expression became more firm as she regarded the other girl. "But, while I can understand that part, it's the idea that I don't take my own studies seriously that pisses me off. Honestly, it's a bit disrespectful to both of us to assume that you would ever be a distraction to me." The green haired girl then placed a hand on Uraraka's shoulder before leaning down a bit so they were looking each other in the eyes. "And before you say anything, I want to ask you something. Given how hard you worked to get in here and wanting to be the best so much that you would ask another class for help, would you allow yourself to be distracted by me?"
The brown haired girl opened her mouth to say something but no sounds came out, her words caught in her throat. She stood there for a moment, thinking about what the other girl had said. Truth be told, when Aizawa had told them that if he caught any of them dating he would immediately kick them out of the hero course, she had secretly agreed with him. It had been a fear of hers that she, the weakest student in the class, would just be a distraction to her potential lover's hero career. Or any other career they were pursuing here at U.A. The last thing she wanted was to drag someone else down with her. But she had never considered the reverse. Would she allow the fact that she was dating someone to distract her from her goals? From trying to get enough money to help out her parents and give them a better life? From trying to become an amazing rescue hero like Thirteen? The more the girl thought about this, the more she realized that Setsuna had a point. She wouldn't let herself get so distracted by dating that it would come back to bite her.
Still, there were some worries.
"I'd try not to let it," Ochaco said finally, earning a grin for the green haired girl. "But, I mean, stuff can happen. I mean, what if whoever I'm dating wants to spend time with me but I have to keep turning them down because I need to train my quirk. Or I need to study up on hostage rescue using my skills. And not to mention all the internships we'll be doing. What if they get mad that I chose a different person to work under or we're too far away?"
Tokage let out a sigh, her hand putting a bit more pressure on Uraraka's back to signal that they should start moving again. "Then that's when you dump their ass," replied Setsuna as they began moving towards the gate. "Look, I'm not going to say there won't be conflicts of interest or things that will strain a relationship. Shit like that happens even in the best relationships. But, I think that if you are dating someone else who is working their asses off to become a hero, then they should know hero studies come first. And if they want to whine about not interning at the same agency, then they are just being childish." As they walked, Tokage's head detached from her body where it then floated right onto Uraraka's shoulder. The head then began to rub its cheek against the brown haired girl's with its eyes closed. "Sure, I can be a goofball at times, but I get it. You gotta do what's best for you. Same for me." Ochaco couldn't help but giggle at the comment as well as the touch, her cheeks warming up. A warmth that she instantly missed the moment the pair were on the street, Tokage's head returning to its rightful spot to avoid getting into trouble.
"You have a point," conceded Uraraka, Setsuna grinning as she took her hand off of Uraraka's back so that both hands could rest behind the green haired girl's head.
"So, have you ever been on a date?" asked Setsuna.
The question caused Uraraka's shoulders to slump. "No," she said. "Everyone back home knows me as the poor girl who might cause you to float into the upper atmosphere. Plus I was always working hard, studying to make sure that if I didn't get into U.A. I could make it into another good school as a backup plan. Though it's not like I ever disliked the idea of someone asking me. Just thought it would happen later when everyone was less busy, you know? Like after we graduated."
Tokage gave that a good natured laugh. "Yeah, and like the real world is going to be less busy," she stated with a snort. "After we graduate from here, nearly all of us are going on to be someone's sidekick doing the grunt work and being called in at all hours until we get some seniority. Then once that happens, we'll be too busy trying to make a name for ourselves. Going solo? That's going to be a nightmare and a half trying to get the endorsements to create your own agency. Not to mention that every step of the way the media will be watching you. Honestly, people like Midoriya and Tsunotori have the right idea. Date now while the worst that can happen is a slight drop in your grades."
"At least in your class," grumbled Uraraka. "With me, the worst that can happen is getting kicked out of the hero program."
"Oh right," grumbled Setsuna while rolling her eyes. "I forgot you have a complete hypocrite as a teacher."
Uraraka blinked at the statement before quickly turning to look at her friend. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Seriously, you haven't noticed?" asked Setsuna in disbelief. "The dude threatens that if he catches any of you dating then he'll axe you from the hero program. All while keeping Mineta around."
Ochaco's eyes widened as if she had seen God who gave her the revaluation that the meaning of life was mochi! It was no secret that Mineta was a pervert hated by all the girls and even some of the guys in class. Whenever he was paired up with a girl during their hero lessons, either with All Might or Aizawa, the small lust filled teen would have his eyes roaming their bodies while no doubt undressing them in his mind. Not to mention what he had done to Kawakami! But despite being warned about this sort of behavior, despite getting dragged to the principal's office by their homeroom teacher, said man had not expelled the tiny cretin. It honestly made no sense. To be found dating was so irrational that the man thought that it was worth getting you removed from the hero program yet committing acts that would get a normal person several lawsuits was perfectly acceptable?
This realization nearly caused Uraraka to grab her head with both hands and scream in frustration to the heavens, the sound of glass shattering echoing within her own mind. She couldn't believe it! The only thing that kept her from doing this and calling the man insane was the notion that this could have been one of his logical ruses. Well, whatever game he was playing with their social lives, she was done!
"Tokage," said Ochaco after a moment. "Would you mind if we did make this a…date?" Setsuna barely hesitated, grabbing a hold of Uraraka's wrist only a moment or two before the words left her mouth. With a laugh, the detachable girl began running down the street with her date in tow. At first Ochaco was startled, nearly tumbling face first into the street. It was only due to her instincts and training that she managed to prevent that before she too was racing down the street using up what little energy she had left in her.
As they ran, Uraraka felt all her worries leaving her as her eyes fixed on the back of Tokage's back. Yeah, it didn't matter if the food was good or bad at the restaurant because she was still going to have a good time with someone who was very attractive and a great friend. If Aizawa found out somehow, demanding to know what was going on between them, she would say to his face that she had gone on a date. And if he did kick her out of the hero program then she would fight it with everything she had. She would go to the principal stating how unjust this all was.
…Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that and her transfer would come in before he ever caught wind. Then she and Setsuna could laugh at the expression on Aizawa's face when he realized that she had dated someone under his nose and there was nothing he could do about it now.
[hr]
Izuku was in one of the more passionate kisses he had had with Pony up to this point. Wet sounds escaped their lips as they stood there in the hallway, Pony's back pressed against the wall next to the door that would bring them privacy. Yet that was forgotten in the moment as Izuku held onto his girlfriend's hips, feeling one of her legs wrap around one of his own as they pressed into the other. Moans reverberated into the other's mouth as the American girl's fingers ran through his hair.
Then Pony broke the kiss with a gasp, feeling Izuku's hand moving lower. Her wide, blue eyes stared at the boy's freckled face wondering if he was going to be taking things up a notch out here. But that thought died a moment later when his hand left her body, instead reaching over for the door handle to open it.
Relief washed over the blonde as she returned to the kiss, the pair sidestepping toward the opening. Inside the room was dark, lit only by the moonlight that was slowly being obscured by clouds. Yet neither of them paid this minor detail any mind as Izuku used his foot to kick the door closed before a hand left Pony again to stumble its way into locking it shut.
Once they both heard the soft click of the lock that would ensure their privacy, Izuku's hands went to work showing their skill. The one that was still on her hip moved down her leg until he could no longer feel the fabric of her dress, slowly moving under and upwards to reach her ass. Pony moaned when she felt his fingers as they slipped under her panties to touch and squeeze her bare flank. At the same time, his other hand had moved to her breast. There he cupped and lightly squeezed her milky mound with tender affection, all while pressing against her so that she could feel his erection pressing against her through his pants. A feeling that caused her pussy to become moist.
The American girl closed her eyes, groaning as her boyfriend continued to pleasure her. The attention she was getting from her breasts was sending tingles of pleasure coursing through her while the warmth she was feeling from her ass was seeping into her bones. But, she knew he could make her feel so much better once there were no barriers between them.
The horns on Pony's head lifted off, doing her best not to have them launch at their normal speed and go crashing through the ceiling. A difficult task to be sure as her mind was awash in pleasure and longing, but she managed it as a new pair of horns instantly grew. Twin horns shakily lowered themselves, trembling in the air whenever Pony's breath hitched or a moan escaped her lips. Something that was becoming more frequent as Izuku's lips had made their way to his neck where they nipped and sucked.
"Oh God Izuku. Oh God," she moaned. Breathing harder, she managed to look away from her lover towards her horns that were now resting close to her shoulders. Slowly the horns moved, pressing against her skin and under the dress in a manner that would help remove it from her body. It was slow going, to the point where a part of her mind screamed at her to just cut the damned things to ribbons. Thankfully the girl had enough sense not to listen to that part of her, not wanting to explain to her parents why one of her best dresses had been destroyed.
Soon enough, the dress was falling downward before being caught in the space between them as it pooled around their waists. Though that was easily remedied as Pony took a step back to allow enough space between them for the orange creamsicle dress to pool around her hooves. Now she stood before him, dressed only in lacey panties whose color matched her eyes. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw the hungry look in Izuku's eyes, the green haired boy licking his lips.
Izuku moved forward to close the distance once more, his lips making contact with her skin right above her breasts. Soft lips made contact with even softer flesh causing newer, more primal moans to come from Pony as her hands found a perch on top of Izuku's head. Her breathing trembled as she felt his mouth open, a tongue darting out to taste her slightly salted flesh. Pony's hips began to grind against the other teen's crotch while a dark spot began to grow on her panties. All the while, Izuku's hands went behind her back. As his mouth lowered to move closer to the valley of her cleavage, his hands teased her ever so slightly into thinking that he would be removing her top garment. They started at the clasp before the tips of his fingers glided downward along her spine until they came into contact with the base of her blonde tail. From there they slid over to her panties, thumbs hooking around the top of the fabric ready to yank them down. But he didn't. Instead his hands moved back upwards, palms taking in the feel of her sided until they changed course for her breasts. Though it was slightly awkward, Izuku squeezed while pressing up on the underbelly of her breasts causing his face to be slightly barrier in them.
"Please, don't tease me like this," begged Pony, her lips moving close to her lover's ear. After speaking in such a husky whisper, her tongue slid out of her mouth to trace his earlobe. The green haired teen shuttered at this only to then nearly lose it when she took part of his ear into her mouth. Deciding to comply, Izuku's hands went back to her back to remove her bra.
Again, the garment was caught between them for a short while as their bodies remained too close together. But when they did part, Izuku could see the girl he loved clearly even in the dim light clad only in her panties. How her breasts heaved slightly as she took deep breaths, her cheeks red and nipples so hard that they begged to be sucked.
Licking his lips, Izuku moved to do just that. As he lowered his head, mouth wrapping around the nub, Pony began to return the favor. As her hands worked to undo the golden buttons on his green vest, the horned girl let out a guttural moan as he sucked on her tit with just the right amount of force she liked. Her legs shook, hands trembling so much that she nearly popped a button, as the bone user's tongue then began to circle its target. Somehow she managed to remove the vest, allowing it to fall to the floor as she no longer trusted herself to use her horns. His shirt came next as she felt his fingers sliding under her panties again, moving to rub against her slit. Pony had no idea if he knew that he was brushing against her clit, his touch against that bundle of nerves urging her to quicken her pace. Soon his shirt found its new home on the floor as it was all but ripped off the teen.
Izuku then stopped in his ministrations, the love of his life still panting as he wrapped his arms around her so that their naked chests pressed against each other. A gesture that she returned as they locked lips once more. Slightly they swayed while the kiss deepened, the only sounds in the room being the soft clacking of tongues against each other as well as the shuffling of feet moving backwards.
When the kiss ended, Izuku smiled at Pony before pushing her back. While surprised, there was no fear in her as she knew in her heart that Izuku would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. She only laughed as her body made contact with the bed, bouncing for a few moments as Izuku kicked off his shoes before pulling down both his pants and boxers. In what felt like the blink of an eye, Izuku Midoriya stood naked before his bed looking down at Pony with a hungry expression. A hunger that only she could ever hope to satisfy.
Instinctively, Pony adjusted herself on the bed so that her head lay on the pillow while at the same time spreading her legs as far as she could. Her damp panties were now on full display, the sex of her arousal hanging in the air. Yet neither teen minded as Izuku's upper body laid on the bed, the feeling slightly awkward but he didn't let that bother him as his hands reached forward to grab his girlfriend's panties. He peeled the garment off, Pony's hooves pressing against the mattress in order to lift her ass into the air to make it easier for him. Once it was far enough, the blonde lifted her legs up while closing them but only as far as she needed to so that they could be fully removed from her person without damaging them. When that was done, her legs were back to being parted fully now displaying her treasure.
Izuku's heart beat in his chest as he crawled a little further. His arms went under Pony's legs, holding them open by their outer side. Then, he began to pepper her inner thighs with kisses. The horn girl gasped at the touch as it was the first time anyone had ever kissed her there, her hands moving to cup and squeeze her breasts. With each kiss, her body began to thrash a bit more as his tongue dragged along her skin while a ball of pleasurable pressure began to form in the girl's core. A ball that grew the closer he got to her slit which was now drooling with her love juices, clit fully exposed.
When Izuku finally made his way to her honey pot, the hero in training paused for a moment to take in the smell. As he did, his breath blew upon her perfect folds making them twitch while the girl before him shuttered with delight. To him, the scent of her sex had a slightly richer scent and he marveled at it while watching her fluids move down her slit, trickling down to her asshole, and onto the sheets of his bed. Finally a touch of nervousness was felt, the realization of this moment finally sinking in. They were moving forward from getting the other off to oral sex. To taste the other right at the source. For a moment, he worried he might fail to pleasure her or might do something to make it weird. Yet, he pushed such ideas to the side. They both knew that this was both of their first times doing something like this and that they would let the other know if they messed up. He just needed to take his time.
So Izuku pushed forward a little more. He did not move to insert anything into her waiting slit, rather he started with a tender kiss along her lower lips. Hearing Pony gasp loudly informed him that he was on the right path as he continued to kiss all around those outer parts of her folds, taking in the taste of her juices. Her fluids had a slight tangy flavor to them with the strong presence of apple to it. Whether this was due to her love of the fruit or some weird part of her quirk, he didn't know or care. He just continued to pleasure the love of his life with everything he had. Pony's hips were shaking, hooves sliding across the bed as he learned his way around her sex. She cried out between pants, her elbows pressing against the mattress at times before her upper body began to flail.
Eventually, Izuku took it up a step. His arms uncoiled themselves from around Pony's legs, bringing them forward so that his fingers could spread her folds wide open. For a moment, he stared wide eyed at the pinkish tunnel before him as if committing it to memory. Then he dove forward as far as he could, his nose next to the hood of her clit as his tongue slid down into her depths. Pony thrashed wildly now while half formed sounds escaped her, beads of sweat seeming to appear all over her body. That feeling of pure pleasure began to grow and compress at the side time as her lover's tongue slid deep inside her. The walls of her velvety sex tightened around the invader. But Izuku's tongue refused to be pushed out as he lapped at her juices, savoring her flavor as much as the texture of her inner walls. He let out long hums that reverberated within her, sending the girl's mind into a new spiral of delight that she had no idea she was capable of. All while the ball of pleasure inside her seemed to tighten up. Pony knew what it was, what that feeling meant. But she had never felt it like this before when she had taken care of her own needs, the closest moment she could compare this to being that time in the shower when Izuku had made her cum.
It also scared her.
As if sensing she was ready, Izuku pulled out of her slit before giving her clit a long lick. Pony's mouth opened in a silent scream, her eyes rolling in the back of her head while her body went rigid. Another lick to her clit and Pony was sent flying off the edge and falling into a cavern of pleasure. Her orgasm was strong, juices launching out from her sex which at first collided with Izuku's chin before he lowered himself to collect more of her fluids. She rode the wave of pleasure, stirred on as Izuku went back to eating her out.
When it was all said and down, Pony's body was trembling. Faintly she could hear rain pounding lightly against the window over the sounds of her own pants. Raising her head slightly, she saw Izuku looking up at her with her juicing dripping down the lower part of his face. His freckled face smiled at her, warming the horned girl's heart. Even more so as he began to crawl his way over to her, his rock hard member swaying as he did so while precum dripped from the tip. He was hard, clearly in need of his own release. Release she would give him.
As he moved to her side, Pony knew what he had planned. To cuddle her after her orgasm, holding onto her as he waited for his erection to soften. It was all in his eyes, those warm and loving green eyes she could easily pick from a chart holding all the green eyes on the planet. She knew by heart their every inflection. And as much as she wanted to have him hold her, there was something she wanted far more.
Once Izuku was next to her, Pony got up as well to use her hands to guide him into a sitting position against the wall. As he settled into position, one of her hands reached over to his cock to begin stroking it. Perhaps her memory was wrong, but it seemed harder and thicker than the last time they had done something sexual. Or perhaps they were simply more aroused. Still she slowly pumped him, keeping the teen hard while feeling his precum slide down the shaft and over her fingers. For some reason, the feeling sent shivers down her spine.
Carefully, Pony positioned her body so that she was laying on her side so that her face was directly in front of Izuku's member. This was a little tricky as, while she was doing this, she never stopped her stroking. At one point, she nearly fell over, tugging on her lover's cock causing him to hiss. He had moved to get up, though that had been more because he wanted to make sure that his pony girl was ok. Thankfully she had managed to stop herself while telling her love that she was ok. In the end, hand propped herself on her elbow as she continued to stroke his still hard cock with her hand while more of his transparent fluid coated her fingers. Like this the scent of his arousal was much more powerful than it had been in the shower, no doubt due to the fact that there was nothing dissipating the intoxicating aroma. The smell seemed to mesmerize her as she looked on with a seemingly blank look while her hand continued to jerk Izuku off all while his smell seeped into every corner of her brain.
After a moment or two, she slowly moved towards the member in her gasp, the scent becoming more powerful to her the closer she got. As she did, her mind went back to when she had just started puberty and learned what sex was. When she was within range, her tongue darted out to tentatively lick the head. The moment contact was made Pony's eyes widened as if she were experiencing a sensory overload while the wetness between her legs returned with a vengeance. She had read a few times online the different views on the taste of a man's sperm. Some loved it, gushing over the taste and texture. Then there were those who detested it, with many not even willing to put up with it for the sake of their partner. And, of course, there were those who had no strong feelings on it one way or another.
Well, Pony now knew which camp she belonged to as the taste was now a close favorite of hers. It was strong, salty, and somehow utterly addicting. It was like she was back in that moment where you try a meal for the first time, that first bite cementing into your mind that you needed this food to give life meaning.
In a somewhat delirious state, Pony continued to lap up as much of the precum as possible. Her tongue swirled around the head several times, feeling a sense of joy when she noticed her boyfriend's eyes close while also feeling him shudder. The girl then lowered herself, lapping along his length with wild abandon as her head bobbed up and down. Then once, her upper lip and cheek would get smacked by the organ which accidently coated parts of her face with her saliva mixed in with pre-cum. Just feeling that on her face gave her such a thrill of delight.
Eventually, Pony could not hold herself back any longer as she wanted to get a direct line to his fluids. Raising her head up, she kissed the tip of his cock once more before taking it into her mouth. Just the head, sucking on it lightly with her tongue circling the outer edges while her hand continued to jerk him off. The horned girl also tried adding a little suction, hollowing her cheeks as she urged the fluids from his balls upwards like the cock was a straw pulling up milk. Over and over again she moans, the vibrations causing her love to shudder even more in delight.
As for Izuku, he was panting while doing his best not to cum too soon. But that was proving to be hard, not just because of what Pony was doing but also the sexy image before him. He could see everything, the swaying of her breasts as she moved her head and arm as well as how specks of his fluids were landing on those lovely mounds. The way her slightly matted tail swayed slightly. But what was most intoxicating was when she looked up at him, their eyes meeting. There was just something so sexy at seeing her looking at him with clear lust and passion in her eyes, her mouth wrapped around his member.
His orgasm hit him suddenly, cum shooting out of her cock before he could warm Pony. He could see her eyes widen in shock as he felt the first rope of cum fire, the hot liquid hitting the back of her throat. As another rope was fired, the American girl began to drink it greedily while her eyes softened. More and more cum was fired into her mouth, aided in part by her hand which continued to pump him. Those lips of her seemed to tighten, almost like they were creating a vacuum seal to keep his seed inside. It was only when it was over did she release him, making a 'pop' sound as she did.
The two of them were now panting, sweat glistening over their bodies as they took in the scent of the room. But neither of them cared as Izuku took his love by the shoulders, leading her up close to him. Several kisses were placed on her: the nape of the neck, the side of her jaw, and even her breast. At the same time a hand caressed her outer thigh longingly as rain pelted on the windows. As they gazed into the other's expression, they both knew they could keep going. That they both wanted to keep going only to stop before full on sex began. But they both knew that they couldn't. It was late enough as it was and they both had school in the morning. So, instead, they just continued to kiss the other's body until their eyelids grew heavy. The last thing either of them remembered was the feeling of one of them pulling up the covers over their naked forms before sleep claimed them.
[hr]
"This storm just came out of nowhere," laughed Tokage, the green haired girl bouncing on her heels while dripping wet. Uraraka, meanwhile, nodded as she too was dripping wet and silently thankful she wasn't on the top floor. Because of this, the walkway above her acted like a barrier to keep both herself and her, well, date, dry as she fished out her keys. Though that did not mean they were completely safe from the elements. The wind had picked up, adding an additional freezing element to their situation and whenever it blew in their direction they were sure to get pelted by hundreds of large droplets.
But despite their current situation, it wasn't enough to dampen Uraraka's mood from her surprise date. The dinner had been everything she had expected and more. As soon as they were seated, various meats such as chicken, beef, pork were presented to them as well as some uncommon meats from across the seas such as crocodile, snake, and bison. There were also a number of vegetables that they could pick from like various colored peppers and onions. Ochaco had three, squirming with joy as she chewed happily on her kabobs. But it hadn't just been the food that made the anti-gravity girl's night. A big part had been the girl whose company she shared, learning more about her. It turned out that, despite what Uraraka thought, they had a lot of things in common. Like how they were both big Thirteen fans and that they both wanted to prioritize in the rescue aspect of heroics. Heck, it was because of her skills in rescue that had gotten Tokage her recommendation letter. The splitting girl had told her the story that went back about a year and a half ago when a child had gone missing, the heroes asking locals to help with the search as none of them had quirks that could help in quickly searching such a large area. They had even authorized those who had volunteered to use their quirks. The pros had been amazed when Tokage's head had split into three parts, one part containing one of her eyes moving in one direction while the other went in the opposite. All while her mouth stayed with her body, relaying to the hero what she found. And it was thanks to this that they had been able to save the kid, who had just gotten lost and was chased around by some wild dogs. The pros had been so impressed that they had written up her letter of recommendation that very night!
As for Ochaco, she told Setsuna her own stories. Like how much tension was around her house due to the failing family business. But, then she saw her first hero fight when she was younger. Only, it wasn't the fight that captivated her. Rather, it was the happy expressions on everyone's faces. Ones that, before the fight, had been scared or miserable. She wanted to do that, to bring back people's smiles. And if she could make money off of it, well, then everyone won.
Their conversations went on for a while until they were politely asked to leave as the restaurant was closing. That was when they realized just how late it had gotten with Setsuna's last train having departed some time ago. Then, just as Tokage was about to call for a ride, the rain started. Thankfully for the both of them, Uraraka's place wasn't too far away and she offered for her new friend to spend the night if she liked. Or, if she didn't feel comfortable doing that, waiting there for her ride to arrive.
"You know, normally I don't even kiss on the first date," giggled Tokage as Uraraka placed the key into the lock. "And here you are, boldly asking me to share your bed."
Upon hearing that, Uraraka's drenched face began to heat up so much that the rain water was practically evaporating off of it. As plumes of steam rose, her mind betrayed her. She could see herself lying in her futon, dressed in only an oversized shirt and panties. Then, before she could set her alarm or pull the covers over her body or even put on her special mittens to keep her quick deactivated at night, Setsuna came out of her bathroom. The girl stared up at the image of Tokage who had a hand resting on the doorframe, naked as she was in the shower at school. The sharp toothed teen then got on all fours, crawling over to the brunette like some sort of predatory animal all while her breasts swung hypnotically. Due to the small size of her apartment, it didn't take long for Setsuna to close the distance and make it to the edge of her bed. Crawling up to her legs, Setsuna spread them wide before lowering her head to her panties to bite the-
"N-No, it's not like that," stuttered Uraraka, shaking her head to dispel the image. Though, in truth, there was a part of her that wanted to know if her mental Setsuna was going to pull down her panties with her teeth or just rip them off.
"Come on, just messing with you a little," laughed Tokage as she patted her friend on the back.
"Meanie," was all Uraraka could say, huffing up her cheeks as she did so which only made her friend laugh more. Then, she sighed as she realized that she should have expected this. So, without further ado, the brunette opened the door to her apartment.
As the two stepped inside, Uraraka flipped on the single light switch and felt a sense of relief when it worked without flickering or anything like that. Now, her small one room apartment was fully lit, showing the mix of kitchen, living space, and bedroom all in one. Near the door was the old oven that had a fifty-fifty chance of working on a good day with the microwave that parents had given her sitting on the counter next to it. There was also a mini fridge which, while not holding much, was the second newest item in the room. Her futon was folded next to the sliding window with a few of her other outfits lay neatly folded on the other side of the room along with a couple of boxes. Hanging above them were her two spare uniforms, as well as an extra hanger for the one she was wearing. The only other door in the room lead to the toilet and sink
"Ok, let's get you out of those wet clothes," said Uraraka as she took off her shoes before making her way to the boxes. "I think I have a few towels in her as well as a bathrobe you can use for the night." As she opened the first box, she began to wonder if she should say something like 'you can change in the bathroom if you want'. You know, for privacy. But then again, hadn't they all taken a shower together earlier. Plus it was really cramped in there. Then again, that was before she had gone on a date with her so maybe that would make it more awkward? Only knowing Tokage, it might only be awkward for the anti-gravity girl.
"Hey, Uraraka," said Tokage, her voice stopping another fantasy that the brunette was about to have of her friend slowly undressing before her. Quickly, Uraraka turned her head to see that Setsuna was by the sink and, judging by the way the handle was turned, she had the water turned on. Sadly, no water was coming out while the mossy green haired girl frowned at the sight. "How much are you paying for rent?"
"Oh, ah," started Uraraka as she pulled out the towels, handing them over to the other girl as she mentioned the price. Tokage just gave her a look, the towel hanging limply at her side, while Uraraka just began talking about what a great deal it was. How a friend of their family had managed to help them out so much, paying less than half the going rate on a room like this in such a big city. Sure, it wasn't the greatest, but it gave her everything she needed to survive and that she only needed to deal with it for the next three years. She could do that. All while she said this, she knew what the other girl would say and do. Tokage would-
"Uraraka, you can't seriously believe a word your saying," said Setsuna, cutting off Ochaco's train of thought before it began. The funny, playful tone that Uraraka had come to associate with her was gone replaced with a seriousness that matched her expression.
"W-What do you mean?" asked the girl who was thrown through a loop. Every person who had ever visited her had acted the same, surprised by how…antiquated the place was in comparison to the rest of the city. Yet when she explained her reasoning, the looks, they had never faded but they just smiled and nodded before telling her that she had a good deal.
Tokage, however, was not doing that as she began to quickly unbutton her top. "I'm saying that this place is a hellhole," she stated, taking off her bra before she began to dry her chest off. "Look, you can say what a great deal it is, but truthfully you're still getting ripped off. The locks on this place are so outdated you could break in with a rusty pin, there's a puddle forming near the sliding door meaning its not properly sealed, there's no running water-"
"The, ah water works in the bathroom," said Uraraka, glancing over at the puddle near the window that was slowly growing. Thankfully, she had a few things in her boxes that should help. But, for some strange reason she added, "Usually."
"There's no landline, no," continued Tokage as she went into the bathroom, but cut herself off after turning on the water in there. When she came out, her hand was covering her mouth while her face was pale. No doubt she had seen the brown water. Without saying a word, Setsuna then checked the mini fridge. As she opened the door, shouting could be heard from the room next door, the walls so thin that you could hear everything easily. The voices belonged to the guy who was renting the apartment next to her, a student of a nearby school, and his girlfriend. Apparently, she had found out that he had been cheating on her with the proof being the panties in his room that didn't belong to her. Several crashes quickly followed along with a high pitched scream from the guy along with a thud before the door slammed shut, dust from Uraraka's ceiling falling to the ground due to the force. By this time, Setsuna had finished checking on all of Uraraka's food supplies, her expression just as pale if not more so. Turning around, Tokage just looked around the small apartment with more disgust than anything else before walking over to the other girl to place both hands on her shoulders. "Uraraka, this place isn't healthy for you. Living this way isn't healthy for you. I don't know how you are going to survive your first winter here, let alone three years!"
"It's," began Uraraka, feeling like she wanted to back away. But her feet refused to move out of the hold the other girl had on her. No doubt her full stomach agreed with this full heartedly. But deep down, she knew the truth, causing the threat of tears to begin forming in her eyes. Then, when she spoke again, her voice was shaky. "It's all I can afford in the city."
Tokage raised an eyebrow at that. "Didn't you even look into getting a room at the dorms?" she asked.
At that, Uraraka gave out a humorless laugh before swiping away her friend,s arm's. "Yeah right, like I could ever afford those prices," she said. "My family, we're all making sacrifices just so I can be here at the best hero school in the country. Perhaps even the world! And we weren't all that well off to begin with! Look, I'm still using a flip phone just to save money! With everything that my family is doing for us, I can't just go complaining to them because I'm a little inconvenienced."
"Uraraka, you would only be paying a little more than what you are paying for this hole in the wall if you lived in the dorm," said Tokage, her words causing Uraraka to freeze. "And that includes meals. Also, the school offers financial aid to students who need it."
"We," began Uraraka as her throat suddenly became very dry. Truth was, she and her family had assumed that the school dorms would cost an arm and a leg. How would it not, when you were living on campus of the best school around with some of the best security? But now? Quickly she shook her head, dispelling the math already forming in her head. "We can't accept handouts just because we're not that well off. I…I'll get by."
"Stop being stupid!" shouted Tokage, charging over to the other girl and tackling her to the ground. The fall caused the anti-gravity girl to close her eyes, her head slightly throbbing from hitting the ground. When she felt ready to open them, a scowl appeared on her face as she prepared to yell at the other girl. To tell her that she couldn't understand the situation she was in, that her family was in. But her scowl faded only moments after it formed when she saw the look Tokage was giving her. She looked concerned and…sad.
"You're being a real idiot right now, you know that," began Setsuna, biting her lower lip for a moment. "And maybe I am as well for acting like this, but I can't just sit back and hope you come to your senses before it's too late. Do you have any idea what will happen if you continue to live like this? Eating almost expired or instant foods, skipping meals just to save some money? The only water being that crap in your bathroom? Living in these conditions? Even if you get a meal at school, you still won't be able to perform at your best. Your health, your well-being is just going to deteriorate. It's probably what's been affecting your performance since the first day of class. What are you going to do in the winter when this place becomes an icebox? I doubt this place even has a heater! What happens when you get sick? So much so that you don't have the strength to get to your phone? Is your damned pride worth that? Making the parents you love so much worry that their last call from you might be your last? Not from a villain attack or an accident, but because you're making yourself sick for their sake? How do you think they'll take that?!"
Tears began to flow from Uraraka's eyes as she bit back a sob. Tokage's words were hitting her in all the right places. She knew she was having trouble just putting food on the table, so if Tokage was right and this place froze in the winter then she was fucked. She couldn't afford thicker pajamas, thicker sheets, or even a used space heater without breaking her tiny bank. Of course, those prices would seem like drops in a bucket compared to what she would have to pay if she got sick. Recovery Girl was a great nurse, but there had to be limits to what she could do. If she got really ill, she would have to be sent to a hospital. Then what? How could she pay for something like that? What about her parents? Could they even travel down here to be with her? Oh god, she had never considered that. How it would feel to know that your daughter was ill and being unable to get there. All she would be doing is making them feel worse. Still though, that part of her that had been insisting that everything was fine refused to fully die. Not without a fight.
"I'll figure something out," she whispered in a tone that not even she believed.
"I've heard that before," said Setsuna, her face softening as if she were looking back at a sad memory. "But, you know you don't need to. When a hero helps someone in need, do you see that as a handout?" Uraraka shook her head. "Then let the heroes help you." With that said, Tokage began to unbutton Uraraka's shirt causing its owner to shift from tears to a bright blush.
"What are you doing?" demanded Ochaco as the last button came undone, the shirt opened up to expose her very cheap bra.
At that, Tokage blinked. "Ah, getting you out of these cold, wet clothing before you catch a cold," said the green haired girl. "Should have done that right away. I only just now realized that it was still on you when I felt you shiver beneath me. We need to dry you off and keep you warm."
"O-Oh, right," said Uraraka, blushing as she sat up. Once she did, she then realized just how cold her skin was. Fretting, she quickly took off her soaking bra followed by her skirt, panties, and stockings. Tokage followed suit, undressing herself with one hand while another pulled out her phone as she quickly went to the Ubersnack app.
"Ok, I'm getting us some soup and hot chocolate from a café," said a now naked Setsuna while Uraraka began hanging up their clothing to dry. "I'll also get us a gallon of orange juice, just to be on the safe side."
For once, Uraraka didn't protest as she pulled out some of her other clothing from one of the boxes. One of them was an oversized sweatshirt that had belonged to her dad and the other being the bathrobe. Without saying anything, she handed the robe to her green haired friend before she pulled the sweater down over her head. To her, it was like wearing a tent. But, its size meant that it went all the way down to cover her ass and its fabric was already warming her up. Once that was done, Uraraka took out the rest of her spare towels. With the help of Tokage, the two girls went to work cleaning up the water seeping into the apartment while also pressing the rest of the towels against the window to prevent more from getting in. Though, this seemed to be a minor victory as, while the two girls sat on Uraraka's futon to wait for their order to arrive, water began to drip from the ceiling. The sight of the water dripping in the spot where the two girls had cleaned up caused both their eyes to twitch in frustration.
"You said a friend of your family helped you get this place, right?" asked Tokage.
"Yeah," was the reply.
"Your family needs better friends," came Setsuna's reply with a laugh. "But, lucky for you, you now have me! So tomorrow, we are getting you out of here."
"How? I don't have any money for a hotel room and I can't ask your family to just-" began Uraraka only to have Setsuna stop her.
"Hey, we both happen to know someone who's living in the dorms," said the green haired girl as she wrapped an arm around her friend, pulling the other into a half hug. "I'm sure she'll let you crash there for a bit while we talk to the principal to see if they have any extra room. That way, you can find out everything you've been missing out on."
[hr]
At the same time, in an old run down factory, a boy lay on the ground struggling within his bonds. His arms had been cuffed behind his back while chains wrapped around his body from just under his shoulders to his legs. Tears streamed down the boy's face as he tried screaming for help only to be muffled by the gag in his mouth. No doubt he had tried to use his quirk a number of times to escape, but the drug he had been given prevented this and would continue to do so for the next several hours.
All while his capturer sat on a crate, feet dangling over the edge as she kept her eyes on the shipping exit door that was open, allowing her to watch the rain pour.
"Masquerade," she sang to herself. "Paper faces on parade. Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you." As she sang, her body changed. Her red hair turned black as the abyss while her tanned skinned turned deathly pale, almost like it had no life at all.
As the girl sang, she noticed that her target had been watching her change while comprehension appeared in his eyes. No doubt he was putting the pieces together. Honestly, he should have done so sooner. It hadn't taken her long to discover based on his social media posts what sort of girl appealed to him. How all his favorite teachers and female heroes had red hair, the brighter the better. How he had commented that women with a slightly more tanned look to them were sexy. Never once did he question the fact that a girl, one that just so happened to be his ideal fantasy, happened to strike up a conversation with him outside his heroic prep school. Not once had he batted an eye at all her carefully chosen flattery, stroking his ego as they walked further away from those around him.
He was practically begging to be kidnapped and hauled away.
Since he had been brought here, she had not spoken to him directly as she knew what was going through his mind. That he was hoping that she would go into some monologue, explaining everything in detail just to gloat or just how hopeless the situation was. He would gather the information, tucking it away until he could escape. But that was not how Matchmakers worked. To them, their targets were nothing more than quirks that wealthy heroes and elites wanted to add to their bloodlines wrapped in a flesh suit. Well, most of the time. More than once, she had received a job from a pro hero asking for a cute plaything to have some fun with before disposing of them. And she had a couple of people who wanted her to capture some mutants to hate fuck before killing them. Not like the reason mattered to her. Male or female, it didn't matter as they would always be in this situation. The only difference being that the guys struggled in vain while the girls just sobbed.
As she continued to sing, she thought back to when she first became a Matchmaker and stupidly thought how ineffective they were being. That they should just capture people with a wide array of quirks and milk them for their seed or rent out the wombs. That way they won't need to go hunting as much. Thankfully, she hadn't voiced her stupidity before she realized why they did what they did. Keeping that many people would be a chore. Cleaning, feeding, taking care of them like pets would be a full time job. Not only that, but they would need a big facility that would come under scrutiny. It was best to remain mobile, passing their targets onto their clients as soon as possible. Also, she would be out of a job if they did that.
Just then a white van backed up into the shipping bay. The door opened to reveal an African man wearing a silk white button up shirt, a black vest and matching pants, dark glasses, and, finishing the look off, a cane.
"Bravo Masquerade," said the man, his accent a tad on the thick side. Everyone knew her as Masquerade. Not even she recalled what her real name was.
"You're late," was all the girl said as she hopped off the crate.
"Sorry, sorry. For your troubles," he said, pulling out a large folder full of cash out of nowhere. The man's quirk was called Pocket Space. Basically, he had a tiny pocket dimension that only he had access to. And by tiny, she meant 21x20x29". It was why he was called Mr. Pockets and why he was in charge of exchanging the money. Was he the man in charge? Masquerade couldn't say as no one seemed to know who was in charge. Nor did she care.
Quickly she opened the folder to see that all her money was there. "Ok then. I'll be off," she said.
"A moment of your time," said Mr. Pockets, moving his cane in front of her right as she was about to pass him by. She glanced at him, but the African man just kept his gaze on their prize. "We are going to want you to stay in town for the next couple of weeks. There is a chance we might be making some money on the Sports Festival. Specifically, the first years."
"If that's a joke, it's not funny," said Masquerade dryly. The kids of a top hero school like U.A. were high profile, especially after the Sports Festival when they would be the most recognizable. And they rarely took on high profile targets.
"Oh no, not a joke in the slightest I'm afraid," replied Mr. Pockets. "Some of our more hesitant acquaintances have expressed interest in the class that survived that little villain attack at the USJ. They're waiting to see their quirks in action to find out just how powerful they are and if they would be a good fit for them. Well, all but one. A certain overseas client who has done business with us before is interested in a specific girl. One he has had his eyes on for the last couple of years. If she vanishes, the heroes will be wasting time searching for those League of Villains fools."
"And you're saying all this in front of a target because?" asked Masquerade, though she had an idea why. She just wanted confirmation.
"Oh, that's simple," replied Mr. Pockets with a grin. "It was purchased by the Shie Hassaikai. They're purchasing a wide arrange of quirks for experimental purposes."
[hr]
At the same time, Aizawa sat at his desk as he finished up the expulsion papers on one Ochaco Uraraka.