Ember Sunblaze: Hello! Hope everyone had a great Valentines day! Sorry this chapter is a bit late. February was quite a busy month for me since I got the chance to go on my first Disney cruise! Though it was quite nice, I can't say it was a vacation. Not when I was busy making sure my three year old was preoccupied during the whole trip. Oh we also had bad weather for the first two days so sea sickness was a thing...a BIG THING. xD So when I got back I took a few days to relax before starting this chapter. I hope the wait was worth it and you all enjoy this chapter ^_^
Chapter 35: The Revenge
"JIRO!"
Kaminari's panicked cry rang through the ship, alerting everyone present. Ripper immediately abandoned the wheel, reaching Kaminari in a few bounds. "What's going on here!?"
"Sheila problems!" Kaminari quickly replied, gaze still fixed on the ring of bubbles on the water's surface. "Jiro was dragged overboard!"
"Dragged?!" Ripper repeated, flabbergasted. Kaminari didn't reply, already holsting himself onto the rails. Realizing the blonde's intentions, Ripper exclaimed, "Slow the brakes, mate! Don't be a drongo! Let me…." But his words of caution fell on deaf ears as Kaminari pushed off, plummeting down into the sea below. Ripper cursed, swiveling and urgently calling out. "Sirius! Did you hear…"
"I did!" Sirius cut him off, coming up from behind. "I already cut the engine!" Up above, the students of Class A-1 peered down from the upper railings. Kaminari's cry bringing their card game to a halt.
"What's with all the commotion?" Sero wondered aloud.
"Pretty sure I heard a splash." Shoji murmured.
"And wasn't that Kaminari we heard yell out?" Ojiro questioned, his tone anxious. "Did something happen?"
"I hope not, kero." Tsuyu added, growing worried as her gaze searched the deck below for Jiro or Kaminari and not finding either present.
Back below, Ripper was readying himself to dive after Kaminari. But a sudden shout from Sirius made him freeze.
"Ripper, wait!" A grim Sirius adjusted her fin-shaped head earpiece, swiftly explaining. "Something bad is happening down at the beach, not far from us. There are sounds of panicked screams. We need to head that way ASAP!"
"Crikey…" Ripper cursed, his grip on the rails tightening. "Righto! Contact VC and get this ship heading that way! I'll meet ya there!" With that he dived overboard, swiftly disappearing into the waves.
From behind, the students approached Sirius, with a wary Tsuyu leading the pack. "Sirius, what's going on, kero? Where's Jiro and Kaminari?"
"Yeah! Are they in trouble?!" Sero asked. "If so, we want to help!"
"Ripper will take care of them! Right now there's trouble down on the beach." She answered, going into authoritative mode as she turned to address the small group. "I'm not sure yet of what we'll be dealing with up that way. All I know is there's a lot of people and, from what I can tell, a lot of panicking going on. Those two do not make a good combination!" She swung the wheel, changing the ship's course away from the port.
"Brace yourselves, class!" Sirius ordered, pushing the ship's speed to full blast. "I'm afraid this vacation is officially over with!"
"What the hell is taking them so long!?"
Loid cursed under his breath, once again rechecking the two unconscious guards who laid outside the holding cell. The now empty cell which once held Siren's loyal follower, Kai. Somehow the octopus-quirked teen had managed to seamlessly escape, while also taking down two especially trained guards.
"But how?" Loid wondered, carefully examining the two bodies. "There aren't any obvious signs of physical trauma. No suck marks on the skin to show a struggle with a stray tentacle." The detective paused, his focus shifting to the mouths of the victims. A clear residue, with a sharp sheen like the surface of hot oil, was visible on the nearest guard's lips.
"Ms. Sasaki. Are you aware of what sort of abilities your son possesses?" Loid asked.
Kai's mother, edged against the wall as far back as she could from unconscious guards, blinked confusedly at the question. "He's able to regrow his tentacles. Besides that…I'm not sure he has any others."
"So she's unaware of his camouflage abilities and his ability to shoot ink…and by the looks of things here, there's even more he's hiding." Loid concurred, impatiently grabbing the radio to call again for help. Thankfully, he sensed the wave of panic before he heard the thunderous sound of running footsteps moving their way. Seconds later, a hassled crew of medics and police burst into the cell.
Loid stood, quickly giving a report. "These men need to be brought to the nearest medical facility, immediately! I've reason to suspect these two guards have been poisoned by the escaped convict."
As the medics quickly got to work, Ms. Sasaki quietly approached the detective. "Detective…how is that possible? Kai's quirk is based on an octopus. Surely…."
"You may not be aware of this Ms. Sasaki." Loid interrupted, watching closely as the medics carried the guards away on gurneys. "But octopuses are marine animals with a vast range of capabilities. For a few species, one of those abilities is being able to produce a very deadly form of poison." He faced her, his sharp, blue gaze cold as he spoke. "Judging by the state of those guards, it wouldn't be a surprise if your son possesses this ability."
Ms. Sasaki paled, her grip tightening on her purse. Loid instantly berated himself, sensing the misery coming off the poor mother. "I shouldn't push my frustrations on her. The woman's already been through enough. Getting a first hand glimpse of what her son is capable of."
He was pulled from his thoughts by the approach of the senior officer, an Okinawan-born native, Lieutenant Kinjo. Waves of distress were spilling from the burly Lieutenant, despite his attempts to remain calm. "It's natural. Having a convict escape is no laughing matter in any precinct."
"What a mess we've found ourselves in." The Lieutenant grumbled, sneaking an apprehensive glance towards a gloomy Ms. Sasaki before continuing in an undertone. "What sort of time frame do you reckon we're dealing with, Detective?"
"At the most, within the last two hours." Loid answered, doing quick calculations in his head. "I personally stopped by this morning at ten to alert him that I would be returning with his mother."
"Which was not a pleasant experience." Loid silently added, thinking of the simmering anger the young teen had still harbored. How the captive had stubbornly refused to say anything to the detective. Not shredding an inch of remorse at the news that his mother would be dragged hundreds of miles away from her home into the horrendous mess he was partially responsible for.
"Surely the victims wouldn't have survived poisoning for that long of a period?" The Lieutenant murmured, with another furtive look at Ms. Sasaki. The depressed mother had drifted into the empty cell, probably the closest she had been to her son's proximity in half a year.
"Depends on the type of poison we're dealing with." Loid replied, also turning to look. "If we go by the toxins created by the poisonous blue-ringed octopus, the guards would have been dead within minutes. If anything, Kai may just be able to produce something that generates similar effects, such a paralysis. We'll have to look at video footage to be sure—"
"LIEUTENANT!"
Both men turned as a panicked female officer rushed in, eyes wide with alarm. "Lieutenant Kinjo Sir! We have a problem! There's panic at one of our beaches! Lifeguards are radioing in that the beachgoers are being attacked!"
"By what!?" The Lieutenant demanded.
She hesitated, clearly bewildered by the news being radioed in. "By….octopuses?"
An ominous silence befell the room, both men immediately connecting the dots. It was broken by Ms. Sasaki, who stumbled from the cell with a look of desperation. She fell on the detective, practically clawing his shirt as she frantically begged, "Please, Detective! I beg you! Take me to the beach! I need to see my son! Talk sense into him!"
Loid grabbed her wrists, gently handing her over to the Lieutenant. "I'm sorry, but until we have a clearer picture of what is conspiring you are to remain here at the station where you will be kept safe. Is that clear?" Not waiting for an answer, he turned to the senior officer. "I'm sending my crew out that way to help. Contact Vitamin C and the teachers of U.A. and let them know immediately about what's going on! There's a good chance those students are the ones Kai will be targeting!"
Rushing into the hall, he took out his cell and immediately started a video call with Officer Hibiki Tamaki or "Hedgie". It rang several times, irritating Loid. "Damn it Hedgie! I know it's your day off but this is an emergency!" Finally, after the sixth ring, a perky, bright-eyed Hedgie appeared on the screen.
"Hi Boss! What's up!?" Hedgie greeted him cheerfully, seemingly aware of the state of stress the detective was in.
Loid was about to snap an annoyed reply, but paused, noticing Hedgie in a kitchen that was not his own, and wearing a bright pink, obviously female, cooking apron. "Wh–where are you? And what is that ridiculous thing you're wearing!?"
The young officer gave an embarrassed chuckle, a slight blush tinging his cheeks. "Yeeeahhh, funny story…."
The other member of their team, Officer Kana Haebara, called out from somewhere close by. "Who are you talking to back there?!"
"Is that….Kana's place?" Loid questioned, his curiosity perked despite the dire predicament they were in.
"It's just Loid!" Hedgie answered brightly.
"Tell him he should have came out drinking with us last night!"
"I will!" Hedgie answered, shooting Loid an apologetic glance at the look of irritation his senior was throwing him through the small screen. "Yeah…about this…so remember how yesterday we had that conversation about what we would all do if we all had Siren's quirk?" (See Chapter)
Loid sighed, rubbing his temples. "Hedgie please don't tell me….""
His partner grinned, triumphantly holding up a soapy sponge and a dirty coffee mug he had been scrubbing. "After drinks last night I told Kana I would come over this morning and give her a hand with some other chores so she can catch up on her shows!" For further confirmation, he pointed the phone's camera in the direction of the living room. Officer Kana sat comfortably on floor cushions, clad in fluffy loungewear, her usually tied jelly-fish like hair let loose and flowing down her back as she enjoyed a drama show. In her hand, she sipped a freshly made mimosa drink.
Loid stared at his phone screen in silence, unable to decipher if this was a stupid or bold move on Hedgie's part. With a resigned sigh, he inquired, "Is she at least….compensating you?"
The silence that followed this inquiry was broken by Kana's amused laughter in the background.
"...in a way." Hedgie mumbled, blushing to the tips of his quills.
Even with miles of distance separating Loid from the rest of his team, he did not need his mood-reader quirk to understand the indication behind these words. Nor did he demand details. That would come later. After this fiasco of a day had been mended.
"Of all the days for this to happen….at least I don't have to deal with making two separate phone calls…."
"I'll offer my congratulations to you two later. But right now we have an emergency situation." Loid said, tone brisk as he rushed to sum up what was going on. "Kai's escaped."
The soapy mug slipped from Hedgie's grasp, crashing to the floor. "HE WHAT?!" The officer exclaimed, his quill hair bristling in distress.
"There's more. Turn on the news."
"Got it!" Kana called from the living room, switching off her drama show and pulling up the news. Hedgie moved the phone and joined her. Both watched in shock as a distressed female newscaster stood on a sandy beach that was full of frantic beachgoers. Several were screaming and wrestling off octopuses of various species and sizes.
"I'm here, live, on the outskirts of Naha City at one of our most populous beach locations for tourists and locals alike." The newscaster began, motioning for the camera to capture the chaos behind her. "It's here that a perplexing situation has arised, one that has caused a frenzy of panic amongst beach goers. As you can all see, an invasion of octopuses have risen from their ocean homes to terrorize the people here at the beach. The reasons for such abnormal behavior are currently unclear—-EEEEEEKKK!"
The newscaster gave startled yelp, dropping her mic. The camera panned down, revealing two octopuses clinging to each of the reporter's legs. A moment later, the camera itself became engulfed by an octopus. Giving a live footage shot of the beak of the octopus before the screen went black.
"Daaaaamn." Kana commented, draining the last of her mimosa. "Our boy Kai works quick!"
"Indeed." Loid remarked dryly, watching from the phone. "We've already contacted Vitamin C and U.A. but a panic of this proportion is going to require some backup. I need you two to go there and assist in any way possible."
Kana's eyes lid up excitedly. "Ooooohhh! Does this mean I have permission to use my quirk?!"
Loid nodded. "Affirmative."
"YIPPEE! I get to use my stingers!" Kana squealed, joyfully jumping up and down.
Hedgie took the phone from her, his expression more serious as he ripped off his apron. "Roger that! But boss, what are you planning to do? You can't possibly join us. Not with all those people." He didn't have to explain. Both of them were well aware of the dangers that would befall the detective's health if he was to be surrounded by all those drastic emotions.
"I know." Loid answered, tone low as he walked into an empty elevator. "For now just keep me informed on what's happening down at the beach when you get there. I'll take care of business on this front."
Hedgie nodded. "Understood! We're leaving now!"
The video went black. Loid tucked his phone back into his pocket, just as the elevators opened. He rushed out, surprising two female officers who were on guard. Their eyes widened as he approached, bearing his detective badge for entry.
"Detective Loid Fujikawa." He stated aloud. "And I demand permission to speak with the convict known as Siren."
"Awww!" Midnight exclaimed, chomping down into a fresh sata andagi pastry. "Nothing says class trip like tasting the local delicacies!" She lifted her stylish red sunglasses, basking in the beams of sunlight that sprinkled through the canopy of tropical trees. "Doesn't it feel amazing to be out of the dreary city and in this tropical paradise! I can already feel a sexy tanline growing!"
A caffeine-derived Aizawa staggered behind her, his pale skin bearing hints of sunburn. His shaggy hair pulled into a messy bun atop his head and sweat seeped through his baggy clothes. "I don't think any place this humid can be described as 'paradise'." Aizawa muttered miserably, casting dark glances at the throngs of tourists flocking the sidewalks. "And need I remind you WE'RE not on a class trip. Our students are. You know…the students we're supposed to be keeping an eye on?!"
"Oh but we are!" Midnight replied, producing a pair of military grade binoculars from her bag. "I've been making sure to keep a careful eye on some of our special cases!"
Aizawa gave her a blank stare. "Special cases?"
"You know!" Midnight explained, lifting the binoculars up and turning in the direction of a large crowd waiting in front of a dessert shop. "The students most likely to hook up….cough, cough…sorry, I meant have a nervous breakdown due to the anxiety of yesterday's events." She quickly corrected herself. "Specifically the ones of the opposite sex who maybe going through internal drama that is beyond our ability to comprehend as average working adults….Oh Ho! There you are!" She purred, licking her lips as she spotted her prey in the crowd.
Aizawa peered over her shoulder, just barely making out the distant figures of Bakugo and Hagakure arguing with each other amongst the crowd.
"Oh how dazzling youth looks from afar!" Midnight gushed, clearly enjoying the show. "I can sense the romance blossoming already."
Aizawa looked again, only able to see Bakugo's usual scowl as he angrily pinched the cheeks of an invisible Hagakure.
"I think….you need to get your eyes checked." He commented, unimpressed.
Before an indignant Midnight would reply, overly energized Vitamin C suddenly landed between the two, the force of her landing cracking the sidewalk. Both teachers leaped back in alarm. The Okinawan pro-hero laughed aloud, clearly amused by her peer's reaction. "Hahaha! Whatcha doing standing there like a pair of hungry gulls?! Ain't ya heard…" She continued, her green eyes shining with a hard glint that didn't match her carefree grin. "There's trouble afoot…"
"Trouble? What are you…HEY!" Aizawa's eyes widened in alarm as he felt himself getting unceremoniously tossed over Vitamin C's shoulder. He heard a similar cry from Midnight as she too was tossed over the opposite shoulder.
"Shoulder buddies!" Midnight exclaimed, with a hint of nostalgia. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"
"None of them goo–AHHHHHH!" Aizawa's reply was forcefully cut off as Vitamin C jumped through the air at high speeds. He felt his stomach churn as she bounded from building to building at speeds similar to a car as she raced to their destination. Frustrated, he banged a fist against her back, yelling as loud as he could through the rushing winds. "OI! SLOW THE HELL DOWN AND TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON! ARE MY STUDENTS SAFE!?"
"NOT QUITE SURE ON THE DETAILS YET!" Vitamin C yelled back, not slowing down. "GOT RADIOED IN BY BOTH POLICE AND RIPPER ABOUT SOME TROUBLE ON THE BEACHFRONT! OH!" She skidded to an abrupt halt, her two passengers sliding off her shoulders, their legs wobbling from the acceleration of the ride. She whipped around, tone somber as she informed them. "Also, you should know…that boy Kai…they just discovered he's escaped from his cell sometime this morning."
"What! How did this happen!?" Midnight furiously demanded. "We need to call our students right away and warn them!"
"Let's go." Aizawa said, walking past infuriated Midnight to Vitamin C. "We'll head to the beach. If there's trouble, chances are our students will already be making their way there, knowing them."
Vitamin C let out an uncharacteristic girlish squeal as she gushed. "Oh how I've missed that dark serious side to you Aizawa! Reminds me on why I had a crush on you back in the day!"
Aizawa sighed. "Just do your thing."
"Righto!" Vitamin C answered, once again tossing Aizawa over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes. She turned to Midnight, who relented. Once situated over Vitamin C's other shoulder, she turned to the side, looking at Aizawa uneasily.
"What if this is just a diversion?" She asked. "To keep us away from the students?"
"The students have the advantage of being in separate locations." Aizawa answered grimly. "We'll evaluate the situation when we get to the beach. If possible, I want us to get this mess cleaned up quickly so we don't have to drag the students into this."
Midnight smiled. "You don't want their free day to be disturbed do you?"
"They worked hard for it." Was Aizawa's simple reply.
Unfortunately for them, when they arrived a few moments later, they were quick to discover this mess was going to take a LOT longer to clean up than they expected. Chaos was the best word to describe the scene before them. Beachgoers everywhere were panicking, many of them trying to dislodge large bulbous blobs from their skin or the bodies of their loved ones. The waters of the beach churned with bubbles as more of these blobs surfaced, swifting slithering onto land to attack more people.
Midnight's eyes widened. "What in the world? Are those…"
"Octopuses." Vitamin C cut in, green eyes narrowing. "Looks like we're going to be serving takoyaki on the menu tonight."
"It has to be Kai." Aizawa concluded, gaze sweeping the waters. "He's out there somewhere. Controlling these creatures."
"We've no time to mess around with that coward!" Vitamin C growled, "We've enough on our hands with this lot! Start dislodging as many of these buggers as you can off these people. They may be small but their bites are no joke!"
Midnight and Aizawa nodded, immediately moving to help as many people as they could. Vitamin C scanned the beachfront, nodding as several police workers joined them in an effort to assist the frantic beach goers. She spied a mother, desperately trying to pull an octopus from around her wailing toddlers neck. Instantly she was upon them, the octopus's grip no match for her superhuman strength. With an annoyed tsk, she tossed it into the ocean.
As she did so, she spotted a familiar sight in the distance. Her vessel, the S.S. Fruitbowl, was forging its way towards the beach. Despite the dilemma they were in, she gave a roguish grin, pleased to know her sidekick and the class from U.A. would soon be joining the fray. "If anyone's able to sniff out that eight-armed scoundrel, it'll be Ripper! Let's just hope him and the U.A. crew shake a fin and get here quickly!"
"Wooaaaah!"
"Wow! Look at you go!"
Uraraka felt her hair get swept to the side as Midoriya flicked his fingers together, powerful pulses of air propelling him from one direction to the other. He gave a modest chuckle, looking shy but pleased at the compliment. "Thanks Uraraka. But it's really thanks to you that I've gotten this far."
It was true. After their painful tumble to the ground, the two teens had decided to move their quirk training to the water. Where there would be less damage from impact if they fell. But even with the extra precaution, Midoriya had found it impossible to get the float quirk to return. After several fruitless attempts, Uraraka had also made the suggestion that instead of focusing on getting his quirk to activate, they should instead practice getting Midoriya used to the sensation of being in the air.
"With my quirk, it'll be no problem for us to get practice in without you even using your quirk!" Uraraka had explained, at which Midoriya had to agree.
"But….wouldn't that be a lot of work for you?" Midoriya asked with concern, thinking of how sick she had gotten just last night.
Uraraka blushed, the memory hitting her like a brick. "No…no worries! I'm completely better now! Honest!"
So Midoriya had consented and together they had floated above the waters, with Uraraka giving him helpful pointers on keeping himself balanced. "It's like I said before. You have to think of this like swimming through the air." She instructed, floating circles around him to demonstrate. "Use your arms and legs to straighten yourself. If you feel uneasy, you can grab my arms to steady yourself."
Midoriya took a quick glance at her bikini clad figure and determinedly decided he would NOT go that route. "I'm already depending on Uraraka enough already." Luckily with Uraraka's tips, he found himself quickly getting used to the sensation of being afloat. The two beamed at the accomplishment, but then came the next step. How could he keep himself from drifting up too high?
"The pull is just way too strong." Midoriya said, trying to describe the sensation to Uraraka. "It's like a big balloon is inside my chest, just wanting to go up. Even if I try to swim down, it still feels like I'm being reeled in upwards." He frowned, clenching his fists as his thoughts turned to his Blackwhip quirk that had refused to work while he was floating. "And I can't rely on Blackwhip to help me get down."
"I wonder why Blackwhip wouldn't work for you?" Uraraka pondered, shooting Midoriya a curious glance.
"I'm not sure." Midoriya replied, feeling just as confused. "Will it also be like this with the other quirks I inherit?"
Sensing the topic was a sensitive one for Midoriya, Uraraka quickly continued, " Well, there's no way we can even consider trying out the quirk again until you're able to maneuver your direction. Who knows how high you'll wind up? It would be terrible if you were to reach an elevation where breathing became impossible." She shuddered at the thought.
The two teens spend several minutes floating along, mulling over the problem at hand. It was while they were both lost in thought that their bodies lazily drifted into each other, causing their fingers to brush together. Like an electric shock, both teens jerked their hands away, blushing at the contact.
"Sorry!" Midoriya yelped.
"It's okay…." Uraraka paused from her reply, her eyes falling on Midoriya's heavily scarred hand he held to his chest. Without thinking, she reached over and grabbed it, much to Midoriya's surprise.
"Ur-Ur-Uraka?! What are you…" Midoriya stuttered, his blushed intensifying at her close proximity.
"What's that attack that you do with your hands?" Uraraka asked, demonstrating the motion with her delicate fingers, next to his. For a moment, Midoriya didn't answer. His mind was too preoccupied with the fact he had a girl holding his hand and how ridiculously soft it felt. But as her question sank in, his green eyes lit up with understanding.
"Oh! THAT'S IT!" He exclaimed, shooting upwards and away from Uraraka. "Stand back!" He told her, getting his position as he held his arm out. "Okay, here goes nothing!"
Gathering up a portion of the energy of One for All, Midoriya braced himself, releasing it with a flick of his fingers. "AHHHH!" Midoriya yelled out as a blast of compressed air rushed forward, causing his body to be pushed backwards by several feet. Shocked it had worked, Midoriya turned to an equally stunned Uraraka, who gave him a happy thumbs up.
Which brought them back to the present…
"I'm happy my quirk came in handy." Uraraka replied to Midoriya's compliment. Brushing her hair back against the breeze, she stared out towards the water sparkling in the midday sunlight.
"It's more than that," Midoriya said, moving to float beside her. "That was a great suggestion. Using the force of my attack to divert my direction." He clutched his knuckles, feeling anxious as he thought about his inability to conjure up Blackwhip. "I hope the same concept works with the actual Float quirk."
"You'll be fine." Uraraka assured him. "Even if it is still a big are all still your quirks." Her warm brown eyes met his, encouraging him. "As long as you don't give up on them, they won't disappoint you."
"But are they really?" Midoriya silently wondered. " When in reality all these quirks are ones that have had previous holders. Is it possible for at least one of them to reject me?"
"And when you do get the hang of Float." Uraraka continued, unaware of his lingering doubts. "You'll be able to enjoy views like this all the time!" She spread her arms out wide, gesturing towards the truly breathtaking view of the island.
Midoriya looked beyond her, taking in the tropical landscape before him. His eyes halted on Uraraka's floating form, the sun's rays falling upon her in a way that made it seem like she was sparkling in the light. The image left him stunned, his heart thumping hard against his chest. "Why am I just noticing how pretty Uraraka is?!"
Uraraka turned to him, oblivious to his stares. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Ye-Yeah." Midoriya stammered, his thoughts still full of images of her. He floated to the side, trying to hide his blush. "You're probably getting tired of keeping us afloat." He suggested, pointing downwards. "Maybe we should take a break for a bit?"
"Okay." Uraraka quickly agreed. "While we're down there you can try to have another go at activating your Float quirk!"
"I'll give it my best. But to be honest, I'm not too optimistic." Midoriya confessed with a chuckle.
The chuckled died as Uraraka's hand gently touched his forearm, her body floating only inches away from his. "I want to try something." She told him, face aglow with determination. "I think it might help with your quirk." She tucked her chin down, her voice shy as she added. "Would…would that be okay?"
"WOULD WHAT BE OKAY?!" He internally screamed, his mind unable to physically process what was happening right now. "Wait?! Does she mean she wants to try…THAT?!" Images of yesterday's almost kiss kept rewinding though his head, further demobilizing him as he struggled against an internal clash between terror and longing to continue where they had left off. The kiss that would have happened if his float quirk hadn't been awoken. "I mean it makes sense…to try the actions performed before the quirk activated…" Midoriya speedily theorized, his whole body quivering with nervous anticipation. "And it's not like…" He thought, gathering his courage. "...I don't want to kiss her…"
"S-Sure…" Midoriya managed to answer, nervously leaning in towards her.
"Okay!" She smiled, the tips of her glowing pink fingers coming together.
Midoriya's mouth fell open. "Wait?! WWWWAAAAAAHHHH!" He yelled out as gravity once again took hold of him, pulling him downwards. He landed in the water, dazed but unharmed, his hair dripping over his eyes.
Uraraka floated down next to him, pouting in disappointment. "Darn, I really thought a surprise fall might work."
Midoriya shook water from his hair. "Maybe…a little warning next time would help?"
"But then it wouldn't be a surprise!" Uraraka protested. Midoriya stood to reply when he suddenly lost his balance, tumbling back into the water with a loud splash. A look of concern crossed Uraraka as she quickly floated over the spot where he fell.
"Deku!?" She called out, unease filling her. "Why isn't he coming up? Could something have pulled him under?" Her thoughts instantly thinking of the bizarre events of yesterday. Right as she prepared herself to dive in after him, a burst of water exploded from below her.
"GOTCHA!" Midoriya laughed, jumping up and grabbing the startled Uraraka by the hand.
"HEY!" Uraraka yelped in shock as he pulled her from the air, down into the waves alongside him. A second later she reemerged, her own hair now dripping wet. Midoriya waded next to her with a sheepish grin.
"Sorry about that." Midoriya apologized to Uraraka, who was attempting to squeeze water from her hair. "There was a small drop off below the waves, so I lost my footing. While I was under I thought it would be kind of funny to surprise you too." He paused, her silence making him wonder if you went too far. "I'm sorry if I messed up your hair! I didn't really think that far ahead…."
"You do realize…." Uraraka declared, turning to him with a competitive grin. "This means war!"
Without warning she brought her hands down, splashing Midoriya in the face. He responded with his own attack until the waters were churning with playful splashes, their light-hearted laughter filling the air. All too soon the two were breathing hard, teasingly circling each other as they searched for an opening to attack. A sense of dejavu hit Uraraka, their positions almost identical to how they were yesterday during their fight down in the caverns.
"But it's not the same," She thought, giggling as Midoriya light-heartedly waded towards her. "This is the real Midoriya!" Darkish-green sparks flew from his arms as he slapped down, creating a wave that easily rose over Uraraka's head. She gave an excited shriek, ducking underwater just in time. She lifted her head, coughing up seawater that she had accidentally swallowed in her haste. Instantly, she felt Midoriya's presence at her side.
"You okay?" He asked, his hand lightly touching her shoulder as he checked on her.
"No worries!" Uraraka assured him, sweeping back her wet hair away. "That was a pretty impressive wave."
"Maybe a little too big." Midoriya chuckled, reluctantly moving his hand off. Now that their play had stilled, the atmosphere around them seemed to have changed. The air around Midoriya felt more heavy, especially as he realized just how close Uraraka was to him. Her bikini clad body was wet and glistening with droplets that sparkled. Her brown hair, that at the beginning of the day had been held up in a cute clip, was now down, sprawled down her bare neck in wild waves. He felt heat rise to face as he became uncomfortably aware of all this and more.
Noticing the silence that followed his statement, Uraraka turned to him, her lips upturned in a teasing grin. "You know…you're not the only one who can make a big wave."
Midoriya watched the tips of her fingers glow pink, his curiosity momentarily washing away his nervousness. She lowered her hand, letting her fingers skim the surface of the water. Like magic, the water began to rise into the air, a sea wall that glistened and shined in the sun's light. Midoriya gazed in wonder, as Uraraka moved in a graceful circle, until the wall of liquid surrounded them, shrouding the two in a dazzling world of water.
"It's…amazing." An awestruck Midoriya complimented. He pressed his hand against the water, enjoying the feeling of the water drifting past his fingers. "I didn't realize your quirk could do something like this." A pause followed this statement. He turned and found Uraraka staring at him with a curious expression.
"You really don't remember, do you?" Uraraka quietly remarked
"Huh?" Midoriya tilted his head, confusion clouding features. "Sorry, remember what?"
Uraraka shook her head, her cheerful smile returning. "It's nothing." She answered, moving to press her hand next to Midoriya's against the wall of water. In a voice full of endearment, she quietly said. "I'm just glad to have you back."
"I'm….glad to be back too." Midoriya whispered, truly meaning it. "And it's all because of you. I'm so grateful for everything you've done for me. So much so that it kills me having to hide my secrets from you. But maybe now…" As if being drawn to one another, their pinky fingers moved closer, until they were touching against the water. "I can at least share these feelings with you."
Blushes rose from both young heroes, but neither moved their hands away. Shyly, he glanced to the side and found Uraraka timidly staring back at him. Midoriya felt his heart beating fast, the rushing of the water matching the blood rushing to his head. With nothing but water cascading around them, it felt like they were alone in their own little world.
The thought left Midoriya feeling breathless, fueling him with courage as he lifted his free hand towards Uraraka, his fingers nervously brushing against her flushed cheeks. She responded by leaning against his touch, her body instinctively moving closer to his until they were mere inches apart. Swallowing hard, Midoriya fought against the nervous energy that consumed him, closing his eyes as he slowly leaned down towards her for a kiss…..
"MIDORIYA!"
"ARGGH?!" Midoriya flinched back, kiss forgotten as a mysterious, female voice suddenly filled his head.
"Midoriya, trouble is brewing."
"Deku?" Uraraka asked, startled at Midoriya's sudden outburst. She rested her palms on his shoulders, trying to get him to look up. "Are you okay? Please, what's wrong?"
"It's…nothing…." Midoriya gasped, clutching his head as he tried to understand what was happening. The voice sounded so familiar, and yet he couldn't picture who it belonged to. Just when he was prepared to ask, the voice spoke again, her tone urgent as she gave him a dire warning.
"Your friends need your help! You must go. Now!"