"I'm so bored," whined Ryoko as she laid on the couch, legs crossed while one foot tapped the air endlessly. Both of her hands were behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling with almost pleading eyes for it to do something. Anything!
In the three months since she had started living here on earth with the Midoriya family, Ryoko had been having the time of her life. Sure, it wasn't the same thrill she had while laughing her head off as she taunted the authorities chasing her from planet to planet or making off with piles of loot that she had stolen. Not to mention the rush she felt in those high stakes poker games where she bet all her loot at some of the seediest bars and back alleys. Those were great and all, but the fun she was having here felt more like something from a carnival. Simple joys that made memories that (as sappy as it sounded to her) would last a lifetime. It was fun training her future partner in crime. It was fun just talking to someone who wasn't ogling her body as they stalled for one of their friends to call the cops on her or trying to slip her something in her drink. It was fun playing games with Izuku and having him show her around the earth. Not to mention the food here was top notch, made all the better by the fact she wasn't having to worry that someone in the restaurant might realize who she really was.
And just like at a carnival, there were low points. Specifically the moments where you had to wait for your next game. Which was what was happening right now!
Ryoko let out another sigh, her foot tapping increasing as she shut her eyes in frustration. Yes, she was in one of those stupid lines waiting to either have some fun at a game booth or get her next tasty treat! Why? Because Izuku was in that damned prison this planet had the nerve to call an educational facility and Inko was at work! So it was just her and Ryo-Ohki with nothing to do until fun time began once more.
Speaking of Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko opened her eye to look over at the windowsill where her partner/space ship was. The small furry creature was there napping peacefully as the fall sun warmed her fur.
"You're a lot of help," grumbled Ryoko as she looked back at the ceiling, trying to think of something to do. But, what could she do that she already hadn't? Right now she wasn't up to playing any video games. She had already played all them solo plenty of times that the novelty and challenge had worn out, save when she played them with someone else. Then she could at least have someone to talk/tease to. Television was out as she had already flipped through the channels several times, seeing that all the shows that had caught her interest were on reruns. She supposed she could look at one of those cooking shows if only to have background noise or watch people making idiots of themselves for the amusement of others. The only real problem with that is if there was a recipe on screen that called for a boatload of carrots, Ryo-Ohki would be pestering her non-stop until she made it.
As for reading, she had read the only things that had caught her attention multiple times already: Izuku's collection of vintage action manga as well as his notebooks. The manga, as well as a decent chunk of comics from the U.S.A, she had discovered a few days after she had started living here finding them all neatly tucked away in boxes stacked in a corner of his closet. They were pretty diverse; from martial arts action stories, heroes, and some dealing with the more supernatural elements. The only thing space related was something called Guardians of the Galaxy which amused her, especially the talking raccoon! But all of them seemed to come from the pre-quirk era as the people of this planet liked to call it, a time before their genetics weren't a super powered lottery. And a majority of the stories that Izuku had collected showed a person who was originally without powers either gaining them in some fashion or getting equipment to supplement the lack of before going on adventure after adventure.
Unfortunately Izuku's collection was extremely incomplete. There were massive holes in his collection, meaning there were large gaps in all of the various storylines making it difficult to figure out what was going on at times. When she had brought this up to Izuku, he had seemed embarrassed before explaining the sad truth: books like them were hard to find these days. It was the sad truth about living in a world full of super powered beings that the fantastic was a common thing. Why pay someone to write and draw a comic about beings with superpowers when you can watch similar fights on the street? As such, the demand for stories like these wavered into a dull trickle with the only ones being produced now featuring the current real life heroes. Everything else was dumped into used book stores if not thrown away all together. Even former legendary heroes from America like Batman and Superman and Spiderman were not spared this fate, their stories all but forgotten about.
At least she didn't have the same problem when it came to Izuku's notebooks. Sure, the first couple were, ah, less than ideal as they had been written when Izuku was still using something called crayons but they got much better as time went on. She could see the evolution of his note taking skill; they had become neater, far more organized as he began diving into what a pro-hero could do with such fine details while assessing other possible skills they might also have, their weakness, move sets, and even how popular they might be in the future. His only real fault was that his art was still lacking.
By this point, Ryoko had read all of them at least once. But the one notebook she had read the most was perhaps the oldest: that being the hero analysis of Izuku himself! The first half of the first page was covered in his four year old handwriting which simply read: Hero Quirk: None. Rather than crossing it out, Izuku's more mature handwriting followed below that as if to remember the feeling of that smaller version of himself. There he wrote as neatly as possible his 'quirk' followed by, of all things, an index detailing the pages where he would be discussing his varied abilities with each part separated by an even number of blank pages. At the top of each page he had written a specific power (finger beam, energy sword, teleporting, ect.) followed by a detailed description of what the powers could do, what he hoped he could do with them, how Ryoko used them, and finally what he could actually do with them now.
Sadly, she had already gone over it after Izuku left hoping that he had started showing signs of one of his other powers or had made any progress with the ones he already had. The simple answer was no: nothing had been updated in the damned notebook since last week when she had explained to him needing to get into the right mindset in order to use the powers. Shortly after that, Izuku had somewhat managed to unlock his ability to fly. And by somewhat, she meant that he could now float a good foot or so in the air! Since then, Ryoko had been focusing his 'quirk' training on trying to get him to fly higher. While she could see that he was trying, it was as if there was a barrier above him keeping him from going any higher. Unable to figure out what was wrong, Ryoko swallowed her pride and steeled her courage to make a call to her home world in order to get some help. Most of the conversation, including who she had it with, would be taken to the grave with her! The only thing that she would tell Izuku was that this was more than likely a mental barrier of sorts.
Perhaps fear?
Whatever the case, Ryoko didn't have the slightest clue how to help him with this. She was the sort that just blasted away any issues she had. Not to mention she had faith that Izuku would overcome whatever was holding him down.
At least thinking about books had given her an idea on how to pass the time.
"I'm heading to the library," said Ryoko as she teleported herself into a standing position. Briefly she began to stretch out a bit, a smile appearing on her face. Yeah, the library was a great idea. She could go out, stretch her legs for a bit, see the sights, and maybe pick up a dozen or so mangas. Sure, there wouldn't be anything there like in Izuku's collection, but she had other interests beyond fighting. Like finding a comedy with plenty of dirty humor! Or maybe one where a princess-like character is in utter misery.
"You coming Ryo-Ohki?" The cabbit raised an ear at that, her eyes still closed making it difficult to tell if she was thinking or if it was just a reflex. Well, for those people who weren't Ryoko that is. "If you come, we might pass by a bakery selling carrot cake." As soon as Ryoko's sing-song voice flowed through the room, Ryo-Ohki leapt into the air with an excited 'meow'. Stars were in the cabbits eyes as she bounced around the room, crying out in joy with each leap until she landed on Ryoko's head.
With Ryoko's furry partner on her head, the space pirate walked to the door and phased through it, leaving the barrier locked.
-x-
Ryoko let out a hum as she walked down the streets, hands behind her head as she did so. The streets were, for the most part, deserted with only a few older people walking along the sides. A couple of them sparred a glance at Ryoko, frowning and shaking their heads in disapproval before looking away. Not that Ryoko cared in the slightest what they thought of her.
"Hey, look over there," said Ryoko, her attention drawn to a shop just up the road. It was a small, one story shop that she had visited when Izuku had offered to show her around the neighborhood when she first started living here. The name of it escaped her at the moment, but she recalled there were plenty of tasty treats inside. Things like potato chips, soda, and chocolate. "Think we should pick up some chips on our way back home for a reading snack?"
"Meow, meow," went the cabbit as she leaned forward, poking her head off of Ryoko's to look down at the woman. Though Ryoko could only see Ryo-Ohki's face upside-down, she could see the slight worry that was on it as she let out a few more "meows".
"Don't worry, we'll be able to find our way back," said Ryoko, instantly translating what her partner said with an eye roll. "Come on, give me a little credit. Izuku showed me the way a couple of times already! And when have I ever gotten us lost before?" Ryo-Ohki gave Ryoko a deadpan expression before letting out a single meow causing Ryoko to snort. "That time doesn't count. I was drunk."
As Ryoko continued to walk, she was met with another series of meows as the cabbit moved back up to the top of her head. "No, I'm not stealing the books! Izuku and Inko got me a library card. All I have to do is show it to them and I can check out as many mangas as I want!" As if to emphasize the point, Ryoko reached into her sleeve and pulled out a laminated card. On it was a picture of herself smiling smugly along with the name 'Ryoko Midoriya' written under 'Musutafu Public Library'. Looking up, she saw Ryo-Ohki leaning forward to begin sniffing the card. When she was over, Ryo-Ohki looked down at her partner with a look of shock and surprise before letting out a drawn out 'meow'.
"Of course it's real!" yelled Ryoko with a huff. At that, Ryo-Ohki held up its paws as if she were shrugging while her head began to shake back and forth in a manner that screamed "Can you blame me for thinking that?" A low growl escaped Ryoko's throat as she saw that, her eye twitching madly in irritation.
"How deplorable!"
"I know! The nerve of children these days."
A more serious look fell upon Ryoko's features, glancing at the two older women she had overheard. Across the street from her was a woman who had sheep-like features, white hair that looked more like wool as well as the face of the animal, bent down as she whispered to her friend with her hand covering her mouth. Said friend was even more bizarre in her appearance, with wrinkled skin whose color reminded Ryoko of a prune. And while her hand was held up as well, in a vain attempt to keep the conversation between the two of them, Ryoko could see thin trails of a purple liquid coming out of her mouth, probably from a quirk. Both of them were looking at Ryoko with obvious distaste, something the teen was used to.
"Look at her, walking about like she doesn't have a care in the world," said the sheep woman.
"Bet she's ditching school like the rest of the hoodlums in the area," added the prune woman, shaking her head in disgust as she did so. "I swear, heroes these days should be rounding these delinquents and marching them back to class."
Ryoko never said a word, only continuing to walk while keeping the two elder women in the corner of her eye for as long as she could. While a part of her wanted to fly over there and scream at the two, it didn't seem worth it. They were just two old fools who liked to talk trash about people behind their backs, using their age as a shield to get away from such things like retaliation. Besides, on the insult level, what they said barely made it to level one.
That, plus she didn't want to cause trouble for the Midoriya's.
After walking for several more minutes and making a couple of turns, Ryoko came across what she could only assume to be a few of the 'delinquents' up the road. There were four of them, sitting in various positions in a circle with several cans of soda tossed around them. Two of them were wearing casual clothing that hung loosely off their frames. One of these two was wearing an oversized white hoodie along with ripped jeans. The hood was up to cover most of his face, but thanks to where he was situated Ryoko could see that his eyes looked like lenses belonging to an old style camera. The other casually dressed teen had on an old orange sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off exposing his arms which, starting at the elbow, began to turn red and ending in pinchers like that of a lobster. The other two were wearing black school uniforms that looked a lot like the one Izuku wore. But unlike the neat and tidy way Izuku kept his, these guys kept their jackets open to reveal the picture of a man with a flaming beard. One of these two looked normal with slicked back black hair while the last one had a head covered by red metal spikes growing out of his scalp. Ryoko also noticed all of them had a dozen piercings each, rings and studs located on their lips, noses, and ears.
As she drew closer to them, a small smile appeared on her face. It was adorable to see weaklings pretending to be tough.
"Hey, hey," said the spiky haired guy when he noticed Ryoko. The space pirate's grin grew savagely as he got up, placing an unlit matchstick in his mouth as he approached her. "Looks like you're on the lookout for a good time."
"Yep!" said Ryoko happily. "Which is why I'm only passing through!" The other three teens let out a collective 'ooohhhhh' before snickering.
But spiky hair did not back down. "Come on, don't be like that baby," he said with a smile that made Ryoko's smile drop slightly. "I know all the best places around here where we can spend some alone time together. Ask any lady around here and they'll tell you all about how time with me is like a dream." The teen ended that statement with a wink.
"Why, because you bored them to sleep?" jeered Ryoko, her eyes narrowing slightly hoping that this fool would take the hint.
He did not.
"Now, now, let's not-" said spiky as his hand began to reach out to touch Ryoko's shoulder. But he got no further as Ryoko's fist collided with his face. His friends watched in horror as spiky was knocked down to the pavement, blood seeping from his nose while his face had an imprint of Ryoko's fist. Spiky let out a howl of pain and rage (more pain than anything else) before looking up at Ryoko. Said woman merely looked down at him, the humor in her face gone as her eyes in a murderous fashion. Her finger then began to move creating loud cracking noises as each joint twitched.
"You…You…Bitch!" screamed spiky as he quickly got on all fours before turning around to see that his friends had already started running. He then looked back at her with watery eyes. "I'll make you pay for this! Just wait till Ink Drop hears about this! Then you'll be sorry!" With that, he began to take off towards the fleeting images of his friends.
Ryoko merely laughed as she placed her hands behind her head. "Oh yeah right! 'Just wait! I'm gonna tell on you then you'll be sorry!' Really threatening if you're a five year old princess!" Shaking her head, Ryoko continued her walk while Ryo-Ohki let out her own mews of laughter. Honestly, those old hags wanted heroes to deal with these idiots?
-x-
The four punks made their way down the streets of Musutafu as fast as their legs would allow, passing by adults who gave them nothing more than disapproving looks. But they didn't care about them or the sweat that began to pour down their faces caused by the unintentional exercise as well as fear. From time to time, one of the four would look behind them as if expecting the woman to be right behind them like a slasher in a movie. Though she was never there, that didn't stop them from running with all their might as they made several turns down the streets.
Eventually, they came across an area that was littered with graffiti. Images of wild and exotic animals had been spray painted onto the walls and streets. Animals like tigers, gorillas, hammerhead sharks, rhinos, and so on. All of them were well done with such care and detail that they almost looked like they could begin moving at any moment. The group passed them all, only slowing down when they spotted a teen a few years older than they were. The teen was tall with unusually slender limbs that made people think that he had a scarecrow quirk. Splotches of paint stained his jeans while a specialized belt with holsters that looked eerily like they were meant to hold guns circled it, thankfully holding spray paint cans instead of firearms. The teen's upper body was covered in a bright red, faux leather jacket with large zippers where the pockets were and looking surprisingly clean. As for his other features, the teen boy's hair had been stylized into a series of multi-colored spikes. Sunglasses were situated at the bridge of his long, almost pointy nose, to obscure his eyes.
Currently, the teen known as Ink Drop was in the middle of working on his latest creation: a massive, angry looking gorilla whose meaty fists were pounding on its chest as its fangs were bared.
"Boss, boss!" said the spiky haired teen known to his friends as Tetsumaki. "We have a problem!" Ink Drop, however, acted like he didn't hear a thing as he instead continued with his work as Tetsumaki continued to talk in a panic. "T-There was this girl. She punched me in the face!"
"I can see that," said Ink Drop finally, not looking away from his work as he switched cans, tossing the can he had been holding into an empty holster without needing to look down before pulling out a different can. He shook it a little before a stream of green shot out as he began to work on the grass.
"Well, ah," began Tetsumaki, a slight sweatdrop appearing on the side of his head. "S-Shouldn't we do something about this? C-Can't having some girl going around disrespecting the gang. Y-You'll help, right?" Ink Drop stopped his work, letting out a sigh as the gorilla he had been working on came to life. It leapt from its 2-D surface, becoming the real thing as it lifted Tetsumaki into the air with a savage roar. The teen in the animal's clutches screamed in surprise and fear as he was then shaken back and forth.
"Let me guess, you were hitting on another girl and couldn't take the hint she wasn't into you," said Ink Drop, his tone icy cold as he turned to look up at Tetsumaki. The gorilla's grip then tightened before suddenly slamming Tetsumaki face first into the pavement, as if done so by a silent order. As the other three teens cried out in shock, Tetsumaki was slowly lifted back up while blood fell to the ground from the numerous cuts on his heavily bruised and battered face.
"Please," wheezed Tetsumaki, his voice coming out pitifully as he began to hack blood and teeth. When he had finished, the gorilla held him upright so that he was at eye level with the one who held his life with his quirk.
"You stupid, dumb trash," continued Ink Drop coldly, the gorilla adding pressure to Tetsumaki's ribs as he spoke. "I've told you before not to cause trouble for the gang! What if this girl goes to the cops? Or worse, an actual pro?" With a growl, Ink Drop punched Tetsumaki in the gut making the teen whimper in pain. "Because of you the gang has to get involved!" Ink Drop then looked over at the teen with lens for eyes. "Please tell me that you got a good look at her. Or else you'll-"
"I did! I did!" shouted the lens quirk user, interrupting his boss. A moment later, his eyes began to glow before light shot out of them and hit the ground near the bloody pool. This teen's quirk, Memory Lens, was a useful one for the gang. He could store whatever he saw in his mind with perfect detail for up to forty-eight hours and then project those images. So no one was surprised when a life sized version of the girl Tetsumaki had hit on appeared before them.
Ink Drop said nothing at first, merely circling the girl, with a rabbit on her head for some reason, as he gave her a once over. Then, after a moment or two, he nodded. "Alright then. Get the whole gang ready to find her. I want her found as soon as possible before she goes to the cops. Or worse, a hero. Damn it!" He then looked over at his bloody underling. "And while you're all doing that, I need to teach someone a lesson."
-x-
"Haha! What a haul!" laughed Ryoko as she walked back to the Midoriya residence with the air of a hero returning with a dragon's hoard. Her trip to the library had proven to be a complete success as it held a stockpile of manga! Aisle after aisle of brightly covered books Ryoko had sought were on full display and showing that they held the complete series of each title! Now in one hand, Ryoko held onto the straps of the paper bag large enough to hold groceries with her treasure stacked neatly on top of each other. In her other hand was a smaller, plastic bag filled with junk food for her to munch on while she read.
"Meow," came a noise from on top of Ryoko's head. While the space pirate was all smiles, the same could not be said of her furry partner. Ryo-Ohki sat there, her front paws crossed while she pouted.
"Hey, I told you I would get you a carrot cake if they had any," said Ryoko, her voice holding a little annoyance from having to repeat herself for what felt like the tenth time since they started the trek home. Still, it wasn't enough for her smile to fade. "And they were all out because someone is causing a supply shortage. You're just going to have to deal with it."
Before the cabbit could continue to pout, something landed in front of the pair causing Ryoko to stop. Looking down was the bloody, mangled body of…somebody that looked somewhat familiar to Ryoko. She might have been able to recognize him if it wasn't for the fact that his face looked like it had had a long and deeply personal conversation with the cement. His clothing laid across his body in shreds, claw marks clearly visible across his body as well as a number of tiny holes in his skin that resembled bite marks.
"…Well, that's something you don't see everyday," said Ryoko as she blinked as she looked more curious than anything else before reaching out with her foot to poke the form. The thing that she was now poking let out a moan of pain and Ryoko pulled her foot back.
Then, Ryoko looked up to see that the street had changed since last she had been down it. Graffiti animals were everywhere now; things like snakes, giant squids, gorillas, and other animals she had seen in those nature documentaries. Then, as if on cue, humans began to walk out into the street. Some hopped over fences and walls while others strode out of alleyways, all of them gathering in the middle of the street to create a massive hoard. None of these humans looked like they had gotten the chance to have their twentieth birthday as they looked at Ryoko with smug satisfaction. And, at the front, was a teen wearing a red jacket walking towards her like he owned everything around him.
…And Ryoko just sighed in slight annoyance. But only slightly as a savage smile appeared on her face, eyes narrowing a bit as she stepped over the bloody body.
"So what do we have here?" asked Ryoko before noticing a few people in the crowd. At least two of them she recognized as the idiots who were with that moron who had tried to 'flirt' with her. "Let me guess, the bozo actually went crying to his boss because he couldn't handle the love tap I gave him."
"Yes, yes he did," said the teen in the leather jacket, stopping in his tracks to pull down his sunglasses just enough for Ryoko to make out his orange eyes. As his eyes fell upon her, Ryoko could feel him sizing her up. "I had to take the liberty of punishing him further for bothering you. I hope you don't mind."
"Not really," said Ryoko as she gave a glance behind her towards the prone body. "To be honest, I hadn't really given him a second thought after our little run in. But I get the feeling you didn't do this just to make me feel better. Let me guess, you told him not to cause trouble."
The teen, Ink Drop, let out a laugh that was void of humor. "Smart. I like it." The laughter died just as quickly as it started, a sigh escaping the gang leader's lips before continuing. "Yeah. Normally heroes in these parts overlook us since we're not newsworthy enough or won't fetch them the big bucks. Well, as long as we don't go too overboard that is. But with the likes of All Might in the area, heh, that's the sort of guy who probably has so much fame and cash that he might start dragging us to jail just for the kicks. That or some sense of helping and yadda, yadda, yadda. So I tell my crew here not to cause too much trouble until the big man leaves." Another sigh escaped Ink Drop's lips. "Now don't get me wrong here, if you were some punk ass bitch trying to lay claim on my turf then I wouldn't mind getting a little involved. But bothering some girl to the point where she hits him? Then having the balls to come running to me asking for help? Well now, that just won't do." As he said this last part, Ink Drop wagged a finger in the air before glancing back at the gang who stood there in nervous silence.
Ryoko let out a hum of understanding as she closed her eyes, a smile still on her face. "So you beat him within an inch of his life just to send a message to the rest of the peons," she said as she slowly opened her eyes. "Even going as far as making a big production of it. I get it. I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes. And here comes the part where you tell me that it's not personal, but you can't let the image of your gang go unchallenged. I'm right, aren't I? Oh please tell me I'm right!"
Ink Drop let out a laugh as he brought his hands together. "Thank you, thank you," he said through his chuckles. "You don't know how much of a bore it is to explain my reasoning every single time. Sure it was fun the first dozen or so times, but saying the same things over and over again just became too repetitive." Ink Drop then smiled as he took a step forward, gesturing behind him as he spoke. "Please don't worry about them. My crew is only here to make sure you don't try running away. But, seeing as how you didn't go to the heroes, I'm willing to make you a little offer: I'll let you take the place of that worm behind you if you take a knee and submit to my-" Ink Drop was cut off by a loud crack as Ryoko tilted her head to the side. She then tilted it in the opposite direction, another loud crack echoing through the streets which caused several of the gang members to shutter.
"Ryo-Ohki, do you mind taking care of the small fries?" asked Ryoko as she gently set down her bags. The cabbit let out a mew as she upturned her tiny nose before turning around and hopping off Ryoko's head. "Wow, you really know how to hold a grudge. Fine, whatever. More fun for me."
"W-What?" was all Ink Drop could say, his glasses nearly falling off his nose.
"Hmm, I like that jacket," said Ryoko, seeming to ignore the question as she placed a hand on her chin. "I think I'll just take it when I'm done with you."
Ink Drop just stared at her for a moment or two before pushing up his sunglasses. "Hehe, don't get too carried away because you defeated one underling. There's a reason I'm the undisputed boss of this gang! My quirk is so powerful that I made it into U.A!" As he screamed the name of school the graffiti gorilla came to life, standing behind Ink Drop as it pounded its chest. "That's right, I took the exam to get into the hero course of the greatest hero school in the world…and passed! I'd be in my third year right now had I not gotten expelled halfway through the first year!" Ink Drop now looked livid, but Ryoko didn't care as she placed both hands behind her head.
"Oh wow!" laughed Ryoko in a way that showed all her teeth. "So you went from trying to make it into the big leagues to settling for the biggest fish in the shittiest pond. No wonder they kicked you out."
"You…You," breathed Ink Drop as he began to rein in his temper. After taking a few deep breaths, he managed to compose himself. "I think I understand. You think that my quirk allows me to simply create illusions of the things I paint. Sorry, but my quirk, Bloody Art, is nothing that weak. These creatures are one hundred percent real. Here, why don't I show you!"
On command, the gorilla lunged forward as it began to run towards Ryoko on all fours. The space girl saw this, quickly lowering her arms as she got into a battle stance. When the painted beast was no more than a few yards away, it leapt into the air as it flung itself at its target. But before it could get any closer, Ryoko teleported in front of it with her fist pulled back. The fake gorilla barely had time to look down as the space pirate slammed her fist into its gut. Rather than being flung backwards, the creature exploded into paint shooting away from Ryoko where it then splattered onto the ground.
"H-H-How?" gasped Ink Drop, his sunglasses falling off his face as Ryoko stood there, staring at her clenched fist in confusion.
"Really?" she said as she looked up. "That's all it took to take one down? Wow, this zoo is shittier than I thought! That punch was barely stronger than the one I used to knock out what's-his-name." With that, Ryoko began to slowly walk towards Ink Drop.
"No. No!" yelled the gang leader, his face morphing into an expression of horror as he summoned more of his art from the walls. The tentacles of the giant squid began to wiggle through the air as they approached Ryoko…only for her to backhand it without even looking. The tendrils of the underwater beast met with the same end as his gorilla, ink splattering against the paved street and fences while the creature let out a cry of pain. The giant squid then fell to the ground, its body appearing to melt onto the street as Ryoko walked past it with nary a glance towards it. Her slow walk, the savage smile on her lips, and ease of which she had defeated the painted monsters sent a clear wave of fear through the gang. They cried out in terror as if they were watching a monster crawling out of the pits of hell itself before running without looking back.
But Ink Drop, he couldn't move. Whether it was bravery, a delusional belief that he could still win, or fear Ryoko had no idea. Nor did she really care as Ink Drop let out a cry that echoed through the streets. Large, massive snakes began to slither out the paved fences and streets, rushing towards Ryoko while an even larger brown bear appeared. All of the snakes opened their mouths, revealing their large, massive fangs which dripped with paint instead of venom. But as they drew closer, Ryoko pointed a sparking finger at the one furthest to her side before making a sweeping motion. In the blink of an eye, a series of thin red beams were fired, striking each snake right at the forehead which exploded in rapid succession. Each of the snake's heads exploded, paint splattering everywhere as the rest of their bodies fell limp to the floor before they too became nothing more than pools of paint. As for the bear, he rushed towards her at a speed that surpassed the gorilla, lifting a meaty claw to swipe down upon her. At first, Ink Drop thought that this would do it. That this attack would at least land a hint on the woman…until her hand took hold of the bear's paw and squeezed it so tightly that the claw exploded followed swiftly by the rest of the beast.
As the remains of the bear fell to the ground, so too did Ink Drop as his legs finally gave out on him. Ryoko smirked inwardly as she continued her slow walk, the only sounds she could hear now were the chattering of his teeth as well as the sounds of her footsteps. While there was more graffiti he could still use in some last ditch effort, his posture was one she had witnessed far too many times. He had given up.
"Please, d-don't hurt me," stammered Ink Drop as Ryoko got closer. As her voice remained silent, the poor teen punk quickly got onto his knees where he then began to quickly take off his jacket. He seemed to wrestle with it a bit, his arm getting stuck in the sleeve briefly causing a moment of panic. But eventually he removed it and tossed it at Ryoko's feet, causing her to stop. "Y-You said you l-liked it. I-It's yours. Just t-take it. Take it and let me go!"
"Hmm," said Ryoko finally, placing a hand on her chin as she looked at Ink Drop a bit more carefully. The black shirt he was wearing underneath the jacket looked to be about her size. As did his jeans. Maybe even his shoes. Devilishly she grinned at the teen who began to shrink in her presence. Then, she uttered a single word. "Strip."
-x-
"I'm home," said Izuku as he opened the door to the apartment, one hand holding on to the doorknob while the other held onto his phone. His eyes darted back and forth as he read the latest hero news, deeply engaged in this rather unusual breaking news. So much so that he almost dismissed the laughter coming from the living room.
After taking off his shoes, Izuku looked up from his phone and blinked hard when he saw Ryoko. The space woman was laying on her back on the couch, snickering into the pages of the massive, multivolume manga she was reading with one hand. The opposite was positioned near a bowl of chips which, just by glancing at the bowl, he could see that she had gotten through more than half so far. But that wasn't what had caused him to blink. Far from it.
"Did you do some shopping today?" he asked as Ryoko took one of the chips from the bowl. She turned to look at him, half a chip sticking out of her mouth as she did so. She blinked at him in confusion, causing Izuku to point down at what she was wearing. The space pirate looked down at her black top which showed off her figure just a bit as well as the bright red faux leather jacket she was wearing. Izuku also noticed the obviously used jeans she was wearing as they had paint splotches running up and down the legs.
"Oh this?" she said after finishing the chip. "Decided to change things up a bit. Got them practically for free off the streets." She then slipped back into a lying position. "So, anything happen in prison today?"
Izuku fought hard to not roll his eyes as he moved closer to her. "It's called school."
"Same thing," she said, flipping the page followed by a snort of laughter.
"No, nothing happened," he said with a sigh, deciding not to tell her that he had another run in with the explosion quirk user. "But there is this new article in the hero news that has the heroes around here scratching their heads. A guy got mugged and left naked on the streets." Ryoko seemed to perk at that, slowly turning her head.
"O-Oh," was all she said, a slight smile on her face while a few beads of sweat appeared on her brow.
"…Yeah," said Izuku slowly as he took the sight in. "The guy said it was a monster…but after looking at the sketch he gave…" Izuku held the phone up for Ryoko to see. Her eyes widened and she quickly dropped the book she had been reading to take hold of the device with both hands. Her face turned red while her teeth bared at what she saw.
Filling the screen was an image which, at first, Izuku had assumed to be a mutation quirk user's form. Its hair was spiky and slicked back, the same color as silver. Its face looked demonic, with sharp pointed teeth like that of a cobra and bright blue fur covering the body. The figure's fingers had been replaced with claws dripping with blood. Yeah, Izuku had, at first, thought it was a quirk user. But now that he thought about it…
"You robbed him, didn't you?" he asked in a deadpanned tone.
"Only after he assaulted me!" screamed Ryoko as she looked back up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't believe you would think that I, a person who has been living under the same roof as you for months now, would attack someone without a reason! Izuku Midoriya, you hurt me!"
"…You attacked me when we first met," he answered with the same deadpanned tone and matching expression.
"Hey, hey," she said as the tears instantly vanished, waving a finger in the air in front of her while a more serious expression appeared on her face. "To be fair, we had just been attacked by a pile of who-knows-what and you ran away from me after I gave you the wonderful offer to join my crew. It was a pretty tense situation." Izuku only blinked at her, not saying anything. For her part, Ryoko just sighed before sliding back down into her lying position. "Well, at any rate, you should start getting ready for tonight's training. We got a busy night ahead of us."
"But Ryoko, what about-" began Izuku only to be halted when Ryoko held up a finger, not bothering to turn her head away from her book.
"No need for worries right now," was all she said.
-x-
"Come on, come on!" said Ryoko in an eager tone as she pushed on Izuku's back down an old stone path that looked like it had seen better days. Snow had been pushed to the sides, its pure whiteness making the gray and browns of the path stick out all the more. The trees around them were bare, save the icicles hanging from the branches which gave the scenery a charm one might think only existed on a greeting card. Ryoko's giddiness was infectious, making Izuku smile all the more as he quickened his pace as best he could while being mindful of possible ice. Glancing at her briefly, he let out another laugh as Ryo-Ohki, from her favorite perch on top of Ryoko's head, was trying to catch some of the snowflakes with her tiny paws.
It had now been six months since that fateful day since he had met the space pirate laughing behind him. Six months of working his body, mind, and his new 'quirk' to be ready for the entrance exam at U.A. But that also meant six months of Ryoko taking the reins of his off days. Ryoko's enthusiasm for this seemed unending as she always seemed to have something in mind for when it was time for Izuku to relax like a normal teen. And some of the stuff they did was within the realm of normal. Together they would go to an arcade where Izuku would watch Ryoko struggle with the crane games or take the new top spot in the shooting games, take him to a fireworks festival, going out to dinner, or even just seeing a movie together. But there were also the things they did that, well, Izuku didn't think many kids his age could do as frequently. Like heading over to New York to see the sights, heading to an expensive theme park, and even going to a beach on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere!
He supposed having access to a space ship helped cut the cost of travel.
But, no matter where they went, Ryoko seemed to embrace everything with the wide eyed excitement of a child. He couldn't count all the times she had taken him by the wrist just to drag him to something that had caught her eye, be it something shiny, expensive, or just fun. Being an only child, Izuku had to wonder if this was what it was like to have a sister.
A sudden push snapped Izuku back into the moment as he was pushed into the lobby of the small, wooden resort they had traveled to. The room itself looked rustic, with a small fire pit in its center that was currently ablaze. Traditional Japanese art hung from the walls that looked like they would have been old back in the time of Izuku's grandparents. And across from the door was a wooden front desk. Looking at it made Izuku blink in surprise, finding that it lacked a visible computer. The only thing on it was a thick, open sign-in book.
"Oh, it seems we have guests," came a woman's voice, its suddenness nearly making Izuku jump. A moment later the speaker entered the lobby from a side door, dressed in an arctic blue kimono and her white hair tied up in a bun. As she turned to greet them, Izuku wondered if her hair had something to do with her quirk as she didn't seem that old. Maybe her early fifties to late forties.
"That's right," said Ryoko with a grin. "Got any rooms available for the night?"
At first, it looked like the woman was about to answer with a 'yes' only to halt as Ryo-Ohki let out a loud mew. Blinking, the woman tilted her head slightly to gaze up at the cabbit who was now licking one of her front paws. For a moment, nothing was said as a frown appeared on the face of the person in front of the pair. Then, finally, she looked down with a frown.
"I'm sorry, but this establishment does not allow pets," she said in a flat tone.
"A pet?!" yelled Ryoko, her tone sounding scandalized while Izuku fought back a laugh as he knew where this was going. He watched as Ryoko took Ryo-Ohki off her head before holding the cabbit in front of her. Said cabbit's eyes were looking at the woman behind the welcoming deck in the most heartbreaking fashion with tears running down her fuzzy face. "How…How could you say that about my daughter? She can't help it if her quirk did this to her!"
The woman's eyes widened in horror at this statement, not helped by the fact that Ryo-Ohki was nodding her head as if to say 'it's true.' Unable to look at Ryo-Ohki any longer, the woman turned around to face the wall behind her while her hands reached up, holding her cheeks. For a while, she stood there and Izuku could hear her mumbling something under her breath. Curious, the boy leaned forward a little and strained his ears only to make out a few bits and pieces. Things like 'I guess it is possible', 'Quirks these days can do', 'Is she really a mother?', and 'That boy, so young'. The lightest of blushes graced Izuku's cheeks, more due to the implication than anything else, as he leaned back just as the woman turned her head slightly to look at Ryo-Ohki once more. She stared at the wide eyed expression the cabbit had before turning around and letting out a whisper of 'So cute!' before turning around fully.
"Well," began the woman, coughing into her fist. Though, as she did this, Izuku noticed several snowflakes escaping her mouth as she did, making him wonder if she had an ice or snow based quick. Or just one that lowered the temperature of her mouth when she became embarrassed. Then, when the coughing ended, she spoke again. "Well, ah, that seems…What I mean to say is that…There's no real proof that she isn't…I suppose that since there is no one else staying here…We shouldn't be turning away customers over such small things." The woman then shifted a little before turning the sign-in book towards them. "So, ah, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you been…forgive me for being a little curious, but you both seem rather young to be a couple and, ah, well…"
Unable to control themselves, Izuku and Ryoko let out a snort of laughter that disarmed the woman. Then, at once, their hands went to the other's shoulder before speaking at the same time: "Actually, we're siblings."
After several minutes of listening to the woman profusely apologizing over and over again, as well as stopping Ryoko from trying to extort a free meal and room from the woman, Izuku closed the door to the small room. Said room felt a bit more barren than most small scale motel rooms, with only two beds and dresser. And while the room wasn't much to look at, the view he got from the long rectangular window was spellbinding as it showed the winter wonderland just beyond the walls.
As Izuku walked over to the window to gaze out at the forest, he heard the bouncing of springs behind him. "Well the reviews weren't kidding when they called this place 'rustic' and 'a great place to get away from the rest of the world'."
Izuku felt himself snort a little at that. "No kidding. If we didn't have Ryo-Ohki to give us a lift, then we would have had to take a three hour trip on the bus and get off in the middle on no-where. It's a wonder this place is still running." The teen paused for a moment, stretching his arms as he continued to stare out the window before speaking again. "Hopefully the reviews about the hot springs are just as accurate. They're outdoors, right?"
"Yep," said the space pirate, her reflection in the window showing her toothy smile at him. "The way they should be! No roof over your head to block out the sky. No slides like at some cheap water park."
Izuku blinked at that, turning his head to look at Ryoko in bewilderment. "Really? There are places like that?"
Ryoko nodded. "Yeah. Went to the famous 'Planet of Hot Springs' once. Place felt like one giant water theme park/ tourist trap. Everything under these domes that kept the place temperature controlled and weather proof."
"Honestly, it sounds like that would have been more up your alley than a traditional hot springs," said Izuku with a frown.
For a moment, Ryoko's smile faded. "I felt…trapped. No way to tell if it was night or day, let alone knowing if the stars were out. Plus, when every hot spring is like that it just…loses something, yea know?" Izuku thought about it for a moment before he found himself nodding. Yeah, if every hot spring was just like the other then something would have been lost. It would have been like if every hero out there were the same. Same costume, same quirks. They would all just blend together and heroes like All Might wouldn't seem as special.
"Not to mention they wouldn't let me drink anything with all the kiddies running around," added Ryoko, Izuku's expression instantly deadpanning as he muttered 'there it is' under his breath. "Luckily, I managed to find this one off the beaten trail that was completely outdoors. Hey, maybe I'll take you there when you're ready to head into space. They had mixed bathing." That last part was said in a sing-song-like tone that caused Izuku's face to turn beat red, forcing him to look away.
"Please don't," begged Izuku as he placed his hands over his face to cover the blush. Ryoko, however, only laughed harder.
"You're too easy," she said, floating up into the air with her bag in toe. "Whelp, I'm going to get ready."
As she began floating towards the adjacent bathroom, Izuku held up a hand. "Wait," he said. There was a brief pause, Izuku waiting for Ryoko to turn around before beginning to talk again. "I was wondering. I-I know today is a day off, but do you think we could do some light training? Just a little to stretch our muscles?"
Ryoko floated there, staring at Izuku for what seemed to go on forever. The teen boy stood there as straight as possible as he met her yellow gaze, preparing himself if she said no. Of course, he knew her well enough by this point that she wouldn't just say 'no' anymore like she had that first time. Most likely, she would use a finger beam on him before reminding him, like she always did, that these days off were meant to give his body a break. To give him time to heal and be refreshed before he returned to the hell that was his training/school. That or she would teleport in front of him, give him an uppercut, and then give the speech about resting. Or a roundhouse kick to the head. Or…
"Yeah, sure," she said, dropping the bag onto the ground.
Izuku blinked. "Really?" he asked as Ryoko began to stretch her arms while landing on the ground.
"You made a good point," she said with a nod. "A light warm up before heading into the hot springs will make them feel all the better. Plus I want to see how well you'll do out here."
Izuku nodded, quickly reaching for his bag and pulling out his tracksuit before heading into the bathroom. Once inside, the teen swiftly shed off his green winter jacket which was then placed on the door hanger. His shirt was the next to come off in favor of something that would be warmer and, in doing so, the green haired teen caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror for half a second. His training under Ryoko had changed him from that skinny, weak kid he had once been. A fact that the boys in gym class couldn't help but notice and compliment him on, much to a certain ashen blonde's irritation. Now Izuku had a rather impressive six-pack, with well defined, but not overly bulky, muscles on his arms and legs. It was like he now had the body of a well trained, well rounded martial artist who was strong yet light on his feet.
Quickly, Izuku left the bathroom to find that Ryoko was sitting on the bed waiting for him. Having not changed, she was sporting the jeans she had…acquired that once had paint splattered all over them. Now, however, they were perfectly clean and the red jacket that had become one of her favorite things to wear when it became chilly was zipped up.
Several minutes later found the two somewhat deep in the forest within a snow covered clearing, both master and student facing each other while standing several yards apart. Izuku stood there in a ready stance as he waited for Ryoko to begin. He knew she would give him no signal, no warning that the training would begin. The reasoning was rather simple: nobody will ever say 'Hey, you ready to throw down?' in a fight between heroes and villains.
Thankfully, Izuku didn't have to wait long for Ryoko to start. She flew towards the green haired teen, her left fist pulled back and ready to strike. The attack, no, her entire style of fighting was something far different than anything Izuku had ever seen. It lacked the disciple that all of the pro martial art heroes used. Nor was the simplistic brawler style used by heroes who heavily relied on their quirks. It was something that fit somewhere in the middle, born from constant battles on countless worlds. At least, that's what she told him
Still, Izuku had taken her instructions to heart as he jumped backwards without looking behind him so that the fist hit only air. But he didn't stop there as he began to jump backwards, jumping over bushes and dodging trees all without ever looking behind him. There was a grin on the space pirate's face as she saw this before flying towards him again, only now she was flying faster. Swiftly she closed the distance, passing through a tree Izuku's shoulder had brushed against, before another strike from her fist came his way. Only Izuku was ready for it, letting the blow slide across his upturned arm for a moment before pushing it off to the side so that it missed him completely. At the same time, his other arm was pulled back with its hand clenched into a fist ready to make a powerful strike of its own. With a surge of speed, young Midoriya let his punch fly right towards Ryoko's side. And it would have connected had Ryoko not pulled back right at the last second so it struck only air. Seeing that his attack failed, Izuku continued to jump backwards while his eyes focused on Ryoko.
Izuku had no idea how long the two of them went on like this as he bounced from side to side as he dodged the blows from Ryoko as well as doing his best to avoid the surrounding plant life. This was just an aspect of the fighting style that Ryoko had taught him, perhaps its most basic part: never take your eyes off your opponent. Keep moving, never stay in the same spot for too long. But never, ever show your back to your opponent unless there is no other choice. As such, Ryoko had trained Izuku over the course of months on how to move backwards while rarely ever needing to look behind him. This sort of awareness was difficult to learn, the early parts of his training usually ending with him tripping over roots, bushes, or landing in some pretty foul smelling things. And yet, despite the difficulties, Izuku began picking it up at a surprising speed. Sure, he wasn't perfect at it as he still bumped into things like trees from time to time or missed his footing, but he had also learned how to roll with it without losing too much momentum.
And, as Izuku moved, the final pieces of a plan were falling into place. One that, he hoped, would let him land his first blow on Ryoko!
Green energy danced around his finger like bolts of lightning, pointing it at a smirking Ryoko as he jumped backwards. With steady breaths, he felt the power building up rapidly in his finger as he landed…and then slipped on the snow. Or, at least, made it look like he had slipped. As his back headed for the cold snow beneath his feet, Izuku fired a beam of green energy up into the tree which he hoped would appear as a misfire. His attack struck one of the branches, causing snow to fall down, creating a semi-transparent barrier between them of white flakes. This was more than enough as Izuku charged another finger blast as he quickly leaned forward and used his limited flight to keep himself from falling on his back. Grinning, he then fired another beam of energy right in front of Ryoko, sending more snow and dirt into the air! Just barely he could tell that Ryoko was backing off slightly, meaning it was time to put the final piece of his plan into action! He spun around the snowy barrier, ready to send a kick right into Ryoko's side!
Only to have Ryoko grab his ankle, halting the attack!
The green haired teen felt a bit of panic right before Ryoko pulled on his leg, sending him flying off to the side where he then landed back first into some bushes. Izuku tried to get up quickly, only to stop when Ryoko's palm appeared in his face. A bright red orb of energy appeared in it, nearly touching his nose. It was over, he had lost.
"Izuku, that move," began Ryoko as the orb vanished. "Wasn't half bad!" A small smile appeared on Izuku's face as he heard that, holding out his hand to be quickly taken by the alien woman's. Within moments they were both standing, brushing off the snow and dirt from their bodies. "I honestly thought you were just going to fire a beam at me after the first attack! Didn't expect the double distraction!"
"Yeah, well, it wasn't all that great," said Izuku, cheeks warm from the praise and the biting cold all around them. "I mean, I still couldn't land a hit on you."
"Only because I heard you coming," said Ryoko as she wagged a finger in front of Izuku's face. "Remember, as soon as you lose sight of your opponent, you need to make use of your other senses! I could hear the sound of the snow against your shoes, so I knew which way you were coming. Maybe if you had been just a teeny, tiny bit faster, you might have gotten me!" The space woman then shivered slightly. "Well, that's all for tonight. Hot springs, here we come!"
-x-
Izuku let out a sigh as he sank into the water, the heat of the hot springs winning the war against the chill of the surrounding winter air. He laid there against the rock with his head resting against the divider that separated the men's and women's sides, watching as the vapors rose upwards to the inky black sky above. With each passing moment, he could feel the water work its magic on his body causing the tension and pain to vanish as he looked up at the sky. Above him were more stars than he ever thought a person like him could see without the aid of a telescope, shining brightly as they formed a river of stars into the unknown.
Relaxing more, Izuku found himself staring up at the world's roof as a thought came to him. 'Yeah, I can see why Ryoko prefers these traditional hot springs.'
"Great, isn't it," came Ryoko, sounding almost like she was right beside him. Panic swept over Izuku, frantically looking around the hot spring to see if the space pirate had actually decided on impromptu mixed bathing. When Izuku didn't see her there, he began to look along the divider to see if her head was poking out while using her phasing ability. And when that turned up empty, he looked up expecting her to be looking down at him with a cat -like grin on her face. Thankfully, she was not there. As he calmed down, Izuku could hear Ryoko laughing, making him realize that she was still in the women's bath. Most likely with her back to the divider like him.
"Don't scare me like that," breathed Izuku. "I thought for sure you were, well…"
"The offer was made," said Ryoko followed by a sipping sound. Izuku found that he could easily imagine Ryoko right now, his mind censoring her naked body by wrapping a towel around her, as she sat there in the water while drinking sake. "Seems that the woman at the desk doesn't really buy the whole sibling thing. Offered to let us bathe together since we're the only ones here."
"O-Oh," said Izuku, his cheeks blushing slightly, though more from the implication than anything else. Then, a thought came to mind. One that he couldn't dismiss. So, as Izuku looked down at his reflection, he spoke. "Ah, Ryoko, I've…I just wanted to know…"
Ryoko let out a sigh, either due to being tired or annoyed. "Izuku, spit it out already."
The green haired teen gulped a little. "Ok. I was just wondering…how do you see me? Really? I…I know you want me to be your partner in space, but is there anything more to that?"
"Oh," said Ryoko. As she spoke, Izuku could hear the water rustling a little as if she were straightening up. "In all honesty, you're like a little brother to me."
"Really?" said Izuku, unable to hold the surprise from his voice. "Because, well, the way we first met you were, well, and it's just that…" Again his voice trailed off, his head turning to look at the divider.
"Izuku, you're not the first person I've flirted with," came Ryoko's response, a light chuckle in her voice. "I'll admit that I like you. You're not boring and you're fun to tease. Being around you is fun, but it can also be annoying. Not because of the mumbling, but the times when you get overly emotional. You know what I'm talking about, the waterworks and stuff. It feels like your quirk is really having geysers behind your eyes! Just a major turn off for me." Ryoko then paused for a moment. "Are you disappointed?"
"No," said Izuku with a sigh as he turned to sit, his back pressing against the divider. "To be honest, I feel the same way about you. Felt like it for some time. You're the big sister I never had. You're strong, outgoing, pushing me to have fun even if it's out of my comfort zone. I think those are the sorts of things sisters do for their little brothers."
"Not to mention drop-dead-gorgeous," added Ryoko in such a manner that Izuku could practically hear her smug smile.
"Not to mention the teasing like a sister," muttered Izuku. "But, yeah, I don't see you as anything else," finished Izuku, lightly chuckling at Ryoko's vanity. He didn't mention that being one of the things that annoyed him at times. Or her stealing and former life of piracy.
"Do you regret it?" asked Ryoko suddenly. "Not having brothers or sisters?"
Izuku frowned as he looked down at his reflection once more, watching it slightly ripple. If he were being honest, he had never really thought about it since, up until recently, it had always been just him and his mother. Sure, maybe when he was younger he thought about it, but he was sure those had just been the fleeting thoughts of a friendless child. One desperate to have someone his own age who would talk to him, spend time with him. But, had he ever given the subject any serious thought? No. At least, not to the same level or degree he spent analyzing quirks and dreaming of being a hero.
A soft sigh escaped Izuku's lips as his mind went to properly think about the subject. If…If he had an older brother or sister, how would he have reacted if they had a quirk when he didn't? Would he resent them? No. He had never harbored anything like that towards his mother or father. And who knows? Maybe they would have supported him and his dreams. That or at least been there for him so he wouldn't have been so alone. What about a younger sibling? That thought caused a bit of Izuku's heart to pinch. If his parents had some genetic trait hiding in the background of their DNA that would give birth to a quirkless child, then the odds were good that the same thing would have happened to any children born after him. He or she would have suffered the same way Izuku had, being born powerless in a world brimming with the powerful. Then he would have to be strong for them. And if they had been born with quirks…then…
Izuku shook his head. He honestly didn't want to go down any dark, mental roads.
"Nothing that can be done about that now," said Izuku honestly. "Besides, I'm happy with the one I ended up with."
And from there, the two just sat there in the hot springs, staring up at the endless night sky above them in silence.