Hey, everyone. Welcome to the first chapter of 2022, and boy, it's been…one hell of a year so far. It's a little hard to believe it's already March. As this story goes on, the manga's in its final stretch. As for this story, I'd say this chapter marks the half-way point. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
I do not own anything.
A Big Pink Ball of Sunshine
Chapter 7-Light Up My World Pt.2
Izuku really, really wanted to tell Mina to take the bag and go. Another part of him felt so incredibly excited that she was choosing to stay by his side. The two feelings briefly battled within him with the latter coming out victorious given he knew there was no way he was going to be able to talk Mina out of leaving him behind. She was too stubborn for that, and she'd be way too worried about his safety. She had no idea who these two were and what they were capable of; frankly, neither did Izuku. That's what made this situation exactly the sort that they'd been training for, this was real life.
And they had so much to lose.
"Izuku, who are these two?" He heard Mina whisper to him while keeping her finger and eyes focused on the pair in front of them.
"Well, I only know a little. Basically small time villains, especially the guy, Gentle Criminal. He's…they're…showy." He explained as best he could. As per-usual, his mind was already working at the speed of lightning, calculating and formulating plans even though there was still little he had to go on. The most pressing issue was the lack of knowledge of what either of their Quirks were. Knowing that would have been real useful.
"Showy, huh?" Mina repeated. For a brief moment, her serious demeanor eased up. It was no doubt due to watching his words be proven right in front of her. The two now identified criminals were making a rather big show of introducing themselves. If it weren't for the timing, Mina might have actually laughed as she found the whole thing pretty funny. Unfortunately, they chose the wrong day to appear in front of her. "Hey, last chance to walk away!"
"Walk away? My dear young miss, I have come too far to simply retreat back into the shadows Oh no, on this day, I have quite the caper planned and it shall be carried out!" Shouted the gray-haired and bearded criminal. Striking a pose in front of his associates camera, he proclaimed, "I will infiltrate U.A. Academy!"
"Like hell you will!" Mina shouted. She let loose several shots of acid. Even in her impulse-driven anger, she aimed for his arm and legs. Sure, they'd hurt, probably even loose function, but the man known as Gentle Criminal would be alive. And most definitely not on his way to infiltrating their school and ruining the festival.
A shame that none of her shots got through.
"Huh?" Izuku exclaimed.
"What the hell?!" His girlfriend shouted. "What is that, some kind of plastic wall?" Her acid was eating at it, but not nearly at a fast enough rate. "Oh, I get it, another shot should do it!"
Behind his elastic barrier, Gentle Criminal's eyes widened, something that Izuku took note of. The green-haired boy's mind flashed with memories of the man's videos revealing the nature of his Quirk-elasticity. "Ah, the power of acid is quite a dangerous ability! Fitting for such an exotic maiden such as yourself, but I shall not be detoured!" With a wave of his hand, the criminal forced the elastic barrier to rebound, thus hurling back the shots of acid, albeit only at half strength.
Acting on impulse himself, Izuku grabbed Mina, threw her into his arms and jumped upward. Given he'd already activated his Quirk, said jump launched them a good fifteen feet into the air. Mina was shocked, and based on the blush on her cheeks, more than a little smitten with the move. As for Izuku, instead of being consumed with loving embarrassment, his faced was a stone carving of determination and analytical thought. Even if only for a second, Mina was utterly captivated by the expression.
"I think your acid can eat through his barrier. He can fuse elasticity into anything he touches making it like rubber, but not exactly." Izuku stated.
His voice brought her back to reality. "H-H-Hey, I can eat through rubber, just got to build up the right amount of acid. Still, that's good to know." From up ahead, with the sun more directly at her back, she could see the reflective shine of the air barrier Gentle Criminal had created. Mina was confident she could break through it. While it may have looked and acted like rubber, it wasn't, and she'd managed to burn through rubber before. "Launch me!"
"Huh!"
"Launch me, Izuku! I've got a move that I think can tear through that barrier, literally!" The pink-haired girl shouted. "Look, they're getting away!"
Looking back, he saw that the duo were indeed making a run for it. And looking like total idiots in doing so. Izuku immediately came to a decision. "Just don't hurt yourself."
"Hey, I'm going to hurt them and save the festival!" She said with a grin. Mina braced herself as Izuku reeled her back, then launched her at the fleeing pair. It was one hell of a feeling being launched from a human catapult. Mina found a bit of excitement in it, though that feeling went hand-in-hand with her determination to stop the criminal pair aiming to ruin their festival. She wasn't going to let it happen. He wasn't going to let it happen. "You two chose the wrong day to pull this crap! Now, you've got to face the wrath of Deku…and Pinky!" Spreading her arms out, she summoned a surged of acid that swirled around outstretched limbs. Mina bent paired up four out of her five fingers and bent them. "Xeno Swipe!"
Another elastic barrier went up, this one she could see clearly. Mina reeled her right arm back, then swung it forward, letting out a passionate roar. She felt the resistance, but refused to let it stop her. In seconds, she pushed on, feeling the rubbery wall rip and tear. The surge of almost made her shout out in triumph.
"Gah! W-W-What is this! The swipe of a ferocious monster!" Shouted the gray-haired villain.
"You're damn right, and you pissed this monster off!" With her left arm, she swiped at the man, intent on crippling him with this next blow. Based on the fearful look in his eyes, he knew exactly what would happen if he was hit. That was why he threw his palm out creating another elastic air barrier. Mina tore through it the same way she had the first one. "Just give it up! There's no way in hell we're letting you near our school, you knock-off butler!"
"Knock-off butler! Young lady, I'll have you know I am no such thing! I am the pinnacle of the refined criminal underworld!" Maybe she could give him some credit for being able to talk while evading her claw swipes. Barely. Splashes of acid got on his clothes, eating away at them. Anymore and they'd reach his many body; the pain would build up and eventually bring him down. Provided neither of the two students got a solid hit in. Speaking of which, the gentlemanly criminal was reminded of the fact he was fighting not one opponent but two.
Hearing the heart-stopping sound, Gentle Criminal used his Quirk to transmute the ground. He leaped backward a dozen feet, avoiding the barrage of air bullets that pelt the ground. Looking up, he saw that the pink-haired girl had switched from claws back to acidic bullets. Holding her hands out as finger guns, she let loose a volley of shots that him dancing and twirling his way down the street. Several shots grazed his body causing him to hiss in pain.
Dammit! This isn't working! I have to get some distance between these two, or at the very least separate them! He thought. Were it just one of them, especially the green-haired boy, Gentle knew he'd be able to take them. Together though? He was reluctant to admit it, but the pair were showing themselves to be quite a team. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw La Brava hurrying up to catch up to him, still filming of course. Looking back, he saw both teens were on the ground, and coming straight at him. He grinned, Perfect! Turning to his longtime companion, he shouted, "La Brava, get ready to jump, my dear!" As he spoke, he slammed his palm down, infusing his Quirk with the ground.
The effects were immediate, what had once been flat street became a sea of ripples and bumps that caught the two students off guard. For the criminal pair, it was the opportunity they needed to make a desperate escape.
Sharing a look between each other, Izuku and Mina acted. Once again, the latter found herself held in her boyfriend's arms. His empowered legs took off, caring them into the air. Izuku continuously kicked off against the air, propelling the two of them after the feeling duo. Stretching her arm out, Mina took aim and fired. She was aware that her missed shots might cascade down onto the town, but it was a risk that she was willing to take. Besides, at this height and at this rate she was betting on a few ruined rooftops. Worth an earful, but nothing she'd lose sleep over.
Sweat was pouring down the scalp of the finely-dressed man. Needless to say, this wasn't what he'd planned. In fact, thanks to the pair of U.A. students, his plans were on the verge of falling apart. On the verge…but not yet. He still had a few tricks up his sleeves (which had been singed) that he was sure would throw the pair of teens off of him and La Brava.
"Gentle! I know him, that green-haired kid! I saw him at the U.A Sports Festival, Izuku Midoriya!" His red-haired companion and accomplice shouted. "He intentionally broke his fingers during his final match with Shoto Todoroki! He's crazy!"
"Ah, crazy is merely another word for driven! That simply makes him a worthy adversary! A perfect final obstacle before descending upon U.A.! Hold on tight, La Brava!" He shouted in in triumphant confidence. Looking at his face, Gentle could feel the memories quietly coming back to him. The boy had given a rather spectacular showing in the Sports Festival, even if it came at great personal injury. He could only take it as a certainty he'd give that same maniac effort to stopping him. As he said, that made him a worthy challenge, but a challenge he would rise to meet just as he had all others!
While chasing after them, Izuku felt his mind drifting back to the past couple of days, to the promises he'd made and the convictions he'd witnessed. All of them pooled together to create a white-hot fire that burned in his gut. It raced through him, empowering him.
"Mina," he called. "I need you to switch over to my back. There's something I wanna try myself."
She knew that voice, that serious voice that perfectly matched the determined glare on his face. "Gotcha." She nodded while doing her best to crawl onto his back. It wasn't easy, but she was able to do so when he briefly touched down on a rooftop. Mina knew she had to move fast and make every second count, so much was riding on them. Once she was firmly on his back, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as he took off. Mina watched Izuku hold out his right arm, his fingers bent back in the position for the Delaware Smash. The outer rim of the gloves shot forward. "Nail him, Izuku!" She impulsively shouted in encouragement.
Izuku felt the fire within him burn brighter at the voice of his girlfriend. He was already motivated, but having her literally right behind him, supporting him…was there any way to be more fired up? Either way, he was able to focus, and with that focus, he let loose his first shot. "Delaware Smash!"
THUMP!
"Gah!"
"Alright! Dead center!" Mina would have kissed him or hugged him harder, but remembered the fact that they were still several feet up. Even when they landed on a power line, she remained mostly stationary. Their target was stunned and Izuku wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"Mina, hold on tight!" He shouted before kicking off of it. Yet again, she felt the harsh pressure of the air around her, whipping at her as they moved so fast. "We're not going to let you get to U.A., Gentle! We're not going to let you ruin this for our entire school!"
"Children, that is not your decision!" He shouted back while taking the brunt of Izuku's tackle.
"Like hell it isn't!" Mina roared. She'd have punched him in the face if she wasn't worried about some residual acid getting on Izuku. The downside to being so close together was she couldn't use her Quirk without worry of hitting her boyfriend too. Granted, that would change once they separated and she could get a clear bead on Gentle. Looking up, she saw that moment about to come as they crashed into something.
It seemed like something out of a movie, battling a criminal in a building still under construction. Still, they'd been taught if such a space was available then to go for it. Without the workers around, that meant they had less to worry about in terms of civilians getting caught in the crossover. That said, they'd been reminded such a scenario wasn't an immediate pass for them to go buck-wild in terms of collateral damage. Mina in particular took that lesson to heart since her Quirk was the type that could cause quite a bit of destruction if she went wild with it.
As he hung from atop a steel beam by his overcoat, Mina debated doing that. The man was still carrying on with this upper class gentleman act, even after the short thrashing Izuku had handed him.
"Oh, geez, will you just give it up already! Look, we're going to stop you!" The yellow-horned girl shouted. "You're not getting past either of us!"
"Ohohoho! Absolutely not, young lady! My plan will be a smashing success! This is but a temporary delay!" The mustached man shouted, still wearing that confident grin.
Mina made a finger gun pointed at his legs. "Yeah, about that…I don't think so." Having seen him using his Quirk to create springboards, Mina knew if she took out his legs then that'd stop him for certain. Sure, he could probably still use his hands, but crawl all the way to U.A.? Not happening, especially under her and Izuku's watch. "What the hell are you planning anyway? A guy like you trying to sneak into U.A? Like hell that'll happen!"
"But it will, young miss." He fired back with cool confidence. "Ruffian I may be, I implore you not to confuse me with those foul wretches from the League of Villains. You see I have no palette for kidnapping, murder, or any such rubbish. I simply wish to sneak into your school festival so the world knows I am indeed a master criminal. Now kindly let me go!
Mina felt a sudden surge of revulsion. "That's it? Seriously?"
"You have to know the campus is on an emergency alert." Izuku declared. Unlike her, he was remaining most impartial to the motive reveal. Well, he was still plenty angry on the surface, but the criminal's motivation didn't seem to make him any angrier than he'd already been. "Someone's bound to catch you before you sneak in! Someone's bound to catch you, and when they do, it'll set off all kinds of alarms. We'll have to notify the police! The school festival will be canceled and you'll thrown in jail! Just give up!"
Their response seemed to further amuse the man, who maintained his confidence. "Oooh! My dear young adversaries, such a thing will not come to pass! I don't fear being detected. My partner has devised an ingenious way to disable every security sensor. Nothing will be canceled and my dastardly plan will be a success! It's a win-win situation, young ones!"
"Maybe for you, but a disaster for us!" Izuku retorted. "I've already called the police and the pro heroes, so please, just stop!"
"Yeah, you're out of your mind if you think we're going to let that happen!" Mina added. Izuku, you're lying, aren't you? Man, I hope this guy falls for it!
"Ah, fair enough!" He admitted, seemingly able to see the pair's reasoning. "So, now you two are aware of my nefarious scheme, and you've made it clear you plan on stopping me from carrying it out. It's been lovely chatting with you two, but I must bid you both goodbye and I'd best be on my way."
"Again, not happening, pal." She'd listened to the man talk, and now that she knew his motives, she felt no need to continue hesitating. Mina fired at his left leg, still straight as an arrow.
That same leg kicked up creating a vertical wall of elastic air. The second it took for her acid to drill through it was all the man needed to make his escape. Mina morphed her left hand into a gun and began firing, likewise Izuku did the same with his Delaware Smash. Both of their shouts bounced off of the continuous elastic barriers Gentle placed to protect himself. Loath as both teens were to admit it, the man was good. Good enough to actually back up some of his theatrics.
Speaking of theatrics, he continued to speak, further explaining his Quirk while demonstrating it. Izuku's shots bounced back at him and Mina when they came into contact with the elasticity-infused steel beams around them. It looked like something out of a cartoon, watching them bend and flap like rubber bands.
But they were still metal, and Mina had eaten through that before.
"Izuku, keep your head down." Called out the mutant-type girl. He shot her a look, but nodded in firm confidence of her next move. Mina took quiet solace in that. "Alright, I told you before you weren't getting past us! I meant it!" Throwing her arms out, she fired off a concentrated burst of acid from each palm. "Acid Torrent!" She knew she was going to get an earful about the property damage, but Mina would take that, after the School Festival had gone off without a hitch.
Gentle's once confidence expression crumbled for two reasons. One, the multiple steel beams he'd been bouncing around were rapidly disappearing before the might of the pink-haired girl. It didn't matter that they'd been made elastic, they still distengrated all the same. Two, the torrents were strong enough that even some of his barriers were eaten away. More splotches of acid got on his coat, and even his pants.
Dammit! I have to do something about her! That girl's acid Quirk is more troublesome than I expected! Acting quickly, he threw up a personal barrier to deflect the oncoming air bullet. He had to strength it as the green-haired boy launched himself at Gentle with the intent of physically harming him. Luckily for him, his barrier sent the boy backward, but it wasn't going to stop him for long.
Looking down, he saw many of the steel beams he'd turned to his advantage were now gone. He needed a new tactic. Upon spotting an old man down on the ground, one came to him. A devilish smile formed on the gentleman crook's lips.
"You younglings are students at U.A., correct? Then prove it! Show the worth of the heroism that you've diligently practiced!" Launching himself at a severed beam he quickly began to unscrew it while deflecting shots from the two teens. He could practically feel their determination bearing down on him like a wildfire. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a massive blast of acid heading straight for him. It motivated him to work faster, and that he did, a barrier went up and the last screw was uncorked. With his free hand, he applied his Quirk to the half-melted beam from the bottom. It rose upward, flapping like a fish. He further applied his Quirk making it rise.
Izuku's eyes widened as he realized that the criminal was up to something, something positively villainous. Swerving to his left, he saw just over a wall on the ground an old man. Izuku looked back at the man. "No!"
Mina looked between her boyfriend and Gentle Criminal. In a heartbeat, she realized what he was planning.
As the beam was launched, Mina launched one of her own. "Not happening!" Bizarre as it was, she thought of the times she'd spent playing games with her little brother, specifically first-person shooters. Times like that were when those supposedly innocent experiences came in handy, really handy. Her aim was as spot-on as it could be, hitting the steel beam and dissolving it before it could go far.
"Mina," Came the whisper of her boyfriend.
Looking back at him, she saw awe. Mina admittedly felt her heart flutter seeing the way Izuku looked at her, just like it always did. The glimmer in his eyes made her feel so…incredible, practically like she was a goddess or angel. At the same time, she found herself enamored with the way his face simply glowed.
"Your hands, are they okay after all of that?" He asked breaking her out of her short trance.
Remembering the situation they were in, she quickly nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah! I'm good for more!"
"Good, because we've still got to catch him. Hop on my back!" Without a second thought, she did exactly that, feeling the oven-like warmth his body emitted from activating his Quirk. Though she'd seen it up close before, this felt so…different. Mina could literally feel the power humming through his body like a river in motion. It was simultaneously relaxing and energizing.
Yet again, Mina found herself wondering about her boyfriend's Quirk. One could say it was inevitable since she was engulfed in its warm glow.
It's kind of like I'm…in the center of a lightning storm, but it's still so warm and empowering. Kind of like you, Izuku. The brief moments of thought took her mind off of the pressure they were under. By now she'd liked to have thought they'd have taken down Gentle Criminal and his sidekick, but here they were chasing after him, still on the way to U.A. Mina was an optimism, but even she knew you could cut it close to the wire; that's exactly what they were at the risk of doing.
They'd made it into the forests outside of the school. Anymore and they'd run into the first of the school's security measures, which Gentle had claimed he'd be able to get past.
Holding her arm out, Mina created a spinning ball of acid and hurled down at the pair. She was expecting it to be deflected by a barrier, which was exactly what Gentle threw up. Closing her fist, she caused the acid ball to detonate in stinging burst that splashed across the air. The elastic barrier cooked and dissolved right before Gentle's eyes, which saw the slew of air bullets shot by Izuku coming in Wide-eyed, he broke into a run to evade the pair of descending students.
"Not happening! You've gone far enough, pal!" Shouted the pink-haired and skinned girl. Jumping from her boyfriend's back, she landed on the ground, her hands slamming down. Her Quirk activated and began to spread out, racing along the grassy ground.
Looking back, the gray-haired man saw the coming wave and decided to take to the air, which was exactly what Izuku had been waiting for. As he used a makeshift trampoline, Izuku fired off several air shots. Frantic, the criminal threw up another wall, several in fact, to protect himself and his accomplice while staying on the move. This again was what Izuku had been expecting.
Running to keep pace with them, Mina grinned as she watched her boyfriend calculate the position of every barrier and bounce his shots off of them, scoring direct hits. "That's my Izuku," she whispered underneath her breath.
Izuku had them both down, telling them to surrender. This time, Mina wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"Stand back a little. I'm going to make sure he can't run away again." She declared holding up an acid-laced pair of fingers. Izuku looked to her with a grimace yet still resolute face. He knew that she wouldn't go too far, but he was fully aware that she'd gotten tired of this. This morning chase had to come to an end, and he nodded giving Mina the permission to do that.
To the red-haired woman who was Gentle's accomplice, it might as well have been the signing of a death sentence. "No! Please! You can't, please don't cripple him!"
"Only temporarily! Besides, what were you guys expecting trying to pull a stunt like this." Mina shouted back with irritation. Behind that irritation, she could see real panic in the short woman's eyes. She was genuinely scared for her accomplice…maybe beyond what a pair of criminals would normally feel for each other. Pushing those thoughts to the side, she curved her fingers and swiped at Gentle Criminal's right leg. He bucked and howled in pain as the acid quickly ate through his skin straight into his muscles. As she moved onto the next leg, she heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks.
"I love you, Gentle."
L-L-Love? She Loves him? Mina thought to herself in wide-eyed shock. She had no idea why that heartfelt declaration left her temporarily stunned.
She'd kick herself later for it since it gave the pair the chance they needed to make their comeback.
"Huh?" Izuku exclaimed noticing the pink trails of mist rising from Gentle's body.
"Apologies, lad and young miss."
WHOSH!
Mina fell backward while Izuku literally spun in the air for a few seconds. Her black and yellow eyes moved between the ground, her boyfriend, and the now glowing criminal. He was holding the redhead and covered in a swirling pink aura.
"Oh, you've got to be shitting me!" Mina groaned. She knew things were about to get tougher.
"Quite a foul mouth you have on you, young miss. I abhor using brute force." He began with his normally combed back hair now spiking up, no doubt due to the power now coursing through him. "So I usually edit out scenes of such violence."
Helping Izuku to his fit, she took a fighting stance. "Hate to break it to you, but that won't be happening this time."
He moved fast…but not too fast that Mina and Izuku couldn't track him. This time, it was the invading criminal who ran into a barrier, an acid barrier. He whipped his hand back, winching in pain as acid burns ate away at his glove and sleeve. The criminal glared at the protective sphere of acid that covered the two teens. Waving her arms, Mina condensed the acid into a stream that she launched at the adult man. As usual, he responded with an elastic barrier, one that held strong against the barrier.
"Why?" Called out the green and black-haired teenager. "Why won't you give up!"
Mina's shoulders tightened as she poured more power into the acid stream. The elastic barrier wasn't going to stop her! "If you won't give up, then neither are we! We've got a lot riding on this, including a little girl's hopes! A chance to show her there's more to the world than just sadness! Do you think you can stop us from doing that!"
Realizing his barrier wasn't going to hold up, Gentle made a break for it. Izuku used his own impressive speed to counter him. As Mina rung her hands to take some of the pain off, she watched the two of them engage in high-speed collisions. They were two dueling blurs, green and pink, battling it out in the forest and above it. She was grateful they were still on the outer rim otherwise they'd have drawn attention to themselves.
"You asked me if I'm willing to do such a thing! I am! I am because I have a dream! A dream that I shall see fulfilled! Not just for myself, but for someone else! For another who I deeply cherish!" Thundered the criminal doing his best to hold back Izuku. In spite of the elastic barriers and springs he used to deflect the empowered teen, he kept on getting back up. "As U.A students, you two must understand that!"
"Damn right we understand it, but as U.A. students, we're not going to let you trample on the dreams of other people! That's what makes you a villain!" Shouted back the pink-haired girl. Her arm stretched out, she amassed bubbling acid along it. She'd only sparingly practiced this move, but it was now or never in terms of stopping the gentleman crook. "Acid Dragon-Grasping Strike!" Throwing her right arm out, she launched the acid that had accumulated along it. Guided by her will, it shaped itself into the limb of the beast she'd called out, a dragon.
Gentle saw the makeshift limb coming at him fast, potentially too fast for him to stop. He threw his arm up to create an elastic barrier. It was his only hope!
THUNK!
"Gah!" Even with the power boast from his partner, he could still feel the raw pain paralyzing him. It felt like taking a direct hit from an iron ball. Gentle cried out in pain because of the air bullet, then he screamed in agony as the acidic claw slammed into his left side. "Aaaaarggghhh!"
"Gentle!" Screamed the redhead, La Brava.
"Now, come on down, and stay down!" Mina shouted whipping her arm back. The sleeve of her jacket had been completely burnt off as a consequence of her attack. She'd take that loss and keep on going. Her black and yellow eyes watched in satisfaction as he hit the ground, flopping like a fish. Even with the power boast he had surging through him, Mina doubted he'd have much more fight left in him.
"Mina, behind you!" Shouted her boyfriend.
Now, his criminal accomplice was another story.
Except Mina heard her coming a mile away and responded accordingly.
The laptop that she'd been carrying was used as a weapon. It was a desperation move that spoke volumes of what was running through the redhead's mind. As did the tears streaming from her eyes.
"Please, stop! Don't hurt him anymore!" She shouted swinging the laptop at Mina.
Even if she were still a fresh-faced student, Mina could have intercepted the attack; that meant she had absolutely no problem countering this. Remembering the words Gentle had spoke earlier, she coated her left hand in acid and batted the computer away. The metal covering began to dissolve in seconds with the circuity going next. In one foul swoop, the pair's attempted infiltration had been foiled. Raising her right foot, Mina delivered a swift kick to the small woman's chest sending her rolling backward.
"La Brava!" Screamed the adult criminal.
Mina felt him coming up behind her. Sucking in a breath, she whipped her hands back, reading another blast of acid, but saw there was no need. He wasn't coming at her for revenge, no, he went straight to his partner. Instead, Mina saw Izuku coming up behind her, a bit of blood running down his lip. She did a quick look over him, taking solace in his lack of series injuries. He did the same, smiling at her in visible relief. Together, they turned back to the criminal pair.
Both teens wouldn't say it, but they felt their hearts give just in a little sympathy.
"G-G-Gentle, a-are you okay?" Asked the redhead now held in her partner's arm.
Said partner seemed close to tears as he cradled her. "Am I okay? La Brava, y-you…you…you shouldn't have done that!"
"I…had to, otherwise, you could have gotten seriously hurt. I…couldn't let that happen, no matter what. Even if…it meant…sacrificing the plan." She answered. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she looked up to the much larger man. "I'm so sorry, I know it meant a lot to you, but…in that same way, you mean so much to me. That girl's acid Quirk, it could seriously hurt you so I just…I knew I had to do something. Again, I'm so sorry."
Neither Izuku or Mina moved, even though every logical side of them was screaming for them to do so. They were on the clock, yet the dramatic scene unfolding before them had hooked their emotions, and their hearts.
"Oh La Brava, I…" If anyone had been expecting a violent rant, they were sorely disappointed. Just as the little woman had looked up with tears, Gentle Criminal looked down with eyes overflowing with them. There was no mistaking the emotional turmoil within him. That turmoil seemed to be causing him more pain than the acid burns wrought by Mina's attack. Blood dripped down his lips ad from a couple of his wounds. A good chunk of the left side of his outfit had been ruined by Mina's attacks. "You gave it up to save me…me."
"Because…you saved me once before. I'm so-"
"Don't apologize! Without you, I wouldn't have come this far, and without you I can go no further! What's the point of achieving my dream if you aren't there beside me!" Passionately shouted back the gray-haired man. Tears dripped from his eyes as he cradled the woman in a tender hold.
Sensing something amiss, Mina looked to her right side. She saw the shocked yet deeply sympathetic look on Izuku's face. It got the gears in her head turning. Izuku, you get it, don't you? Everything this guy's said about dreams and pursing them, they resonate with you? Why though? What did you go through that lets you understand what this guy's saying? Looking back at the pair, Mina's yellow irises focused on the redhead. She remembered the quiet yet passionate declarations of love she'd made, and how her Quirk in a way was a manifestation of that love. Thinking about it made Mina's heart throb in her chest. Even villains can love…and be loved. The realization rung through her.
"Izuku Midoriya," Gentle called out, looking up from his partner back at the pair. His eyes were calm yet resolute. He knew without a doubt that their plan was foiled. Retreat was their only option, and if they wanted to stay free, they'd better beat it now. "Why do you want to be a hero?" And with that statement, he squandered the opportunity for that.
Likewise, rather than quickly move to apprehend him, Izuku stood straight and answered him. "I'm the same as you, Gentle. My dream isn't just my own anymore. I have a goal my body wasn't made for, and there was a point I'd completely given up on it. But for everyone who's cheered me on, for everyone who's acknowledged me, I'll become a hero! Plenty of people in this world who are hurting so…I want to become someone who can show them a bright future!"
Silence filled the space between the two sides. An autumn wind blew across the forest making the trees sing, in praise and preparation.
The attempted school invader smiled at the young man across from him. "…I see."
THUMP!
The ladies on both sides realized what had happened as the two forces, green and pink, closed in on each other.
"Gentle!"
"Izuku!"
Concentrating the last of his strength into a fist, Gentle Criminal reared his right arm back, then launched it forward, intent on pummeling the teenage boy. "Do you find me an unworthy foe!" He shouted seconds before making contact with the U.A. student.
Mina could feel her heart pounding like a drum. Two sides were at war within her-interference and continued observation. She wanted to help Izuku, help her boyfriend. The thought of him taking that blow to the face filled her with a bone-chilling fear. However, some unknown, eerily calm part of her asked that she continue to watch in silence.
This is his battle. It said.
WHOSH!
At the last second, Izuku Midoriya spun to the side. Hovering several feet off of the ground, he had his right leg reared back, just as his opponent had done with his feet. Mina recognized the move from practicing and talking with him.
"No, I don't." He whispered before letting his leg fly. "St. Louise Smash!" Green lightning and burst of air exploded from the point of contact. Mina winced watching the coat-wearing villain go rolling across the ground after hitting it with a loud thump! He wasn't dead, but it was overwhelmingly clear that he wasn't going to be getting back up-especially with Izuku atop of him restraining his hands. "You were my toughest opponent…because you were someone I could understand."
Had Izuku realized he was talking? Had he forgotten that Mina was there, watching him?
"Izuku," she whispered in awe. The glow around both fighters died down, signaling the true end of the fight. Mina felt like she'd just witnessed something…spectacular, something beyond just a simple hero vs. villain fight. Were these fights supposed to involve the two sides acknowledging each other in such a way?
"S-S-Stop. Get your hands off of him! Let my Gentle go!" Shouted the redhead, intruding upon the scene. Or at least she tried to.
This time, Mina kept her wits about her. With a grimace, she restrained the little redhead, holding her arms and thus the rest of her. She barely had any strength making it child's play for Mina to restrain her. As she wailed and cried for the man lying on the ground, Mina found it hard to cheer in victory. They'd won and prevented the duo from sneaking into U.A and ruining the festival…but apparently, they'd ruined the dreams of this criminal duo.
Crushing the dreams of criminals…was a person supposed to feel bad about that?
"P-P-Please…let La Brava go. If you do, I shall bear all the blame for this." Spoke the now defeated criminal. It caught both students off-guard, as well as his associate.
"W-W-What? N-No! Gentle, you can't! I won't let you!" She wailed while continuing to struggle against Mina. "Please, don't do this! I-I can't! I can't bear to be separated from you! You gave me so much, you filled up my work with light and joy and…and…you can't just leave me alone in the darkness!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that decision has already been made." A sad but stern voice sounded, catching everyone's attention.
The sight of teachers, both Ectoplasm and Hound-Dog, was both a welcome and surreal sight for Izuku and Mina. It felt like the authorities, be they police or pros, would never arrive. They had, right at the end after the couple had subdued the criminal duo. Had the mood been different or someone else present, there was probably a joke that could have been made about that. As for the two teens, all they did was stare at the two adults in slight slack-jawed awe.
In stark contrast, Gentle wore an expression of calm resignation. He knew the jig was up and there was no use in fighting it. "U.A., I'm turning myself in." Came his solemn voice.
"For what? Have you been assaulting these two?" Hound Dog questioned.
"I've seen him before." One of Ectoplasm's clones clarified. "He's the villain who's always posting those foolish videos online."
"And apparently this time you involved two of our students." Came the growl of the ferocious canine hero. Eyes locking on Gentle, he began to walk over to him. To the onlookers, especially La Brava, he looked more like a wolf about to visit its wrath upon a trespasser in its territory. That made the redhead struggle all the harder to free herself.
As for Izuku, he wasn't the target of the pro's aggression, but he felt his hair standup on end. Getting off of him, he watched as Hound Dog took Gentle by the scuff of his undershirt and lifted him up. In spite of the situation, the beaten man calmly raised both hands up in a clear sign of surrender.
He remained eerily calm as he began to speak. "In my many years as a scoundrel, I have committed many crimes, but my greatest sin was to kidnap and brainwash the innocent girl held in that young maiden's arms. She has only restrained her to keep her from continuously carrying out the vile will I forced upon her." Mina's eyes widened in shock at the words, just as La Brava's did. When the former didn't respond, Gentle kept on going. "My actions were self-serving, though I claim to be a gentleman. For I am one who has lived his entire adult life thinking solely of himself." His blue eyes briefly swerved over to the glove-wearing teen who'd previously restrained him. There was no hatred in his glance, only genuine respect. "All the blame lies upon my head, so…I implore you, pardon Manami Aiba."
So, that's her real name. Mina quietly thought looking down at the woman in her arms. She'd stopped struggling, and with pros here, she felt it safe enough to release her. Just as Gentle had seemingly lost all the will to fight, so too had she. Everything she was fighting for was about to crumble away right in front of her. One of Ectoplasm's clones came and took custody of her, or tried to. Seeing the opportunity, she flung herself onto Gentle's, practically gluing herself to him Mina was quietly surprised she wasn't thrown aside by Hound Dog. She was actually a little grateful he wasn't and could cling to him as much as she could.
Looking away from them to her boyfriend, she saw Izuku had a rather calm look on his face as well. Mina wasn't surprised to see it, and she found solace in it just like she always did. She wondered exactly what was going through his mind right about now. The all-pink girl quietly moved to Izuku's side. He took notice of her and smiled.
Things hadn't exactly turned out ideally, but they'd made it work.
"You two, did you fight this man!" Barked the muzzled hero drawing the couple's attention.
They shared a brief look between each other. There wasn't much time to talk or formulate a shared story, not like there was a story to be thought up.
Izuku looked back at the defeated man. "I…realized he was going to play a joke on U.A. We sparred, but…everything's fine now."
"Y-Yeah. Things got a little intense, but that was it." Mina added. She knew their words were the final nail in the coffin. La Brava knew that as evident by her sinking to her knees in despair.
Neither of the two heroes immediately reacted, but their faces showed a change in emotions. Hound Dog's formerly fierce growl had quieted and his eyes quietly analyzed the pair of criminals. He looked to Ectoplasm, who was holding up a phone.
"Hound Dog, Ectoplasm-C, come in" came the voice on the other end.
"It's Snipe."
"What's the situation over there?"
"Some wannabe streaming villain turned himself in." Hound Dog answered taking the phone.
"Sorry, what?"
"I know, doesn't make any sense either." He gruffly clarified before tossing the phone back to Ectoplasm while beginning to move with Gentle in restraint.
"Relax. This is not an emergency You can continue to do your rounds." Ectoplasm stated. One of his clones took custody of La Brava and began to follow after Hound Dog.
"As for you, you can tell us more at the police station." Hound Dog said to Gentle.
"Young Miss, I never learned your name."
Gentle's voice stopped everything, including the pros. Neither of them moved, seemingly allowing the man to have his final words. Perhaps it was a curtsy given how easily he'd surrendered and tried to cover for his partner.
"It's Mina Ashido." Replied the pink-haired and yellow-horned girl. "I'm Izuku's boyfriend…and future partner." She sensed the look of surprise on her boyfriend's face, and out of the corner of her eye saw how his freckled cheeks flared up.
"Ah…lovers. It is good that you have such a woman to support you, Izuku Midoriya. I too once trained to be a hero. This…identity, Gentle Criminal, is a result of my failures." The sorrow in his voice was real, and hit Izuku square in the heart. "I'm in no position to say this, but I hope through your actions, you reach those you are hoping to reach. I wish you, and Mina Ashido, a bright future."
Izuku held his head up high as he watched the defeated villain. In his eyes, though, he wasn't just a mere villain, he was…someone he could empathize with. He was a living monument to what he could have became if not for one incredibly lucky break.
Another lucky break stood beside him. Likewise, in her eyes, Mina couldn't see the man known as Gentle Criminal as just another run-of-the-mill villain. That went for his accomplice as well. They were villains, yes, but in her eyes…they'd became, no, they were people. People that she felt a certain deal of pity for. In her heart, she knew they would face consequences, but she hoped they wouldn't be too severe. They weren't like the League of Villains or some of the other vile villains running wild. Gentle Criminal in particular was…he was someone who'd definitely left a mark on her boyfriend.
A bright future, Mina mentally repeated looking to the green-haired boy. Yeah, you don't need to worry about that. We'll make one, even if we fall and stumble a little.
He looked back at her and smiled. "Mina, I…thank you for sticking with me."
"Of course I stuck with you, you're my boyfriend. We can be facing down the whole League of Villains and I'd stay beside you." She jubilantly responded.
Just as he looked ready to respond, one of the remaining Ectoplasm clones spoke up. "All Might was worried about you two, you know."
"Huh? W-What?" They both exclaimed.
"Hey, how long were we fighting those two? Oh man, please tell me we didn't miss the performance!" Mina shouted, clenching at her head as panic began to rise up and strangle her.
"Oh no. Class-A's performance starts at ten, correct? You two still have time as that's still more than half an hour away." Ectoplasm calmly explained while looking at his watch. His words nearly caused the pair to fall to their knees in exhausted relief. "You two can get to school in about five minutes."
"Y-Y-Yeah, but we dropped something on our way back." Izuku said while slowly beginning to move away.
A light bulb went off above Mina's head. "The rope! I dropped it by the store!"
"It's fine! I'll go pick it up and be right back!" Izuku shouted, having already broken into a run.
"Hey, wait up! I told you, we're in this together!" Mina called taking off after him.
"I'll assist you two!" The Ectoplasm clone called as he began to run alongside them.
Izuku and Mina looked to each other as they ran, smiles growing along their faces. They were scratched and beaten up, especially in Izuku's case, but they were happy. They were proud, they were excited.
It'd been one hell of an unexpected but incredible morning, a potential prelude to what could be an incredible day. Scratch that, would be an incredible day. They were absolutely sure of that.
U.A., 9:47 AM…
"Alright, you two are all good to go, and put on one heck of a show!"
"Thanks, Recovery Girl! We promise we will!"
"We're really doing this. We're really doing this."
Grinning, Mina lightly tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder. "Yeah, we are! Don't go stumbling on me or else we might be late!"
It was amazing to think that they weren't late in spite of everything that they'd been through. Ever since the arrest of Gentle Criminal and La Brava, things had gone at a whirlwind speed for the two of them. They'd gotten back, gotten their store-bought items, doubled back to the academy, recently gotten their check-up, and were now on their way to the gymnasium-turned theater. And they still had time, albeit they weren't willing to waste it.
Izuku was tempted to say that they were lucky, Mina might have agreed, but she'd throw in a little self-elevation for the two of them. Gentle had been tough, but as far as she was concerned, far from the worse that either of them had faced.
Then again, based on the way she occasionally glanced at Izuku, that statement might have only been true from a certain point of view. Her glances didn't go unnoticed by her boyfriend.
"Um, Mina, I…um, you…have some things you want to talk me about, don't you?" His nervous voice sounded over their pounding footsteps.
"Yeah, I do. Gentle…you really felt for the guy, I could see that." She said. What she didn't say was that just as he'd felt a connection to Gentle, Mina had felt something for La Brava. It was pity for another woman who was watching the downfall of the person she loved. Did she love Izuku? Well…she wasn't sure about that, but she really, really, really liked him. If she'd been in her situation, Mina knew she'd probably have had the same reaction. "At some point, you could have been him, but you didn't go down that path. Everyone's happy you didn't, especially me, Izuku."
While hey ran, she interlocked her hand with his. Luckily, they kept their pace, even though Izuku looked utterly shocked by the motion. A tiny voice in his head reminded him he shouldn't have been; the girl holding his hand wasn't just a classmate or a friend, she was his girlfriend.
"Whatever it is, it can wait until after the performance, and when we put a smile on Eri's face." She declared with a wink that had his freckled cheeks turning flame-red.
"M-M-Mina, t-t-thank you. Just…thank you so much." He whispered.
Luckily, they were already dressed. Both of them took a couple of minutes to look over each other, quietly admired how the other looked.
"Y-Y-You look great, Mina." He said.
"So do you, Izuku." Seizing him by the cheeks, she pressed her lips against his. At first, he was stunned, but within seconds he leaned into it. Mina affectionately moaned into his mouth. She could feel the warmth of his feelings flowing into her.
"Gah! Hey, you two, backstage isn't meant for that! Not now at least!"
"Oooh! I knew they were a cute couple!"
"Come on guys, hurry up and give over here! The curtains about to go up!"
Separating the couple shared a mutual smile, one tinged with blushing cheeks. They were definitely going to be continuing this afterward. No doubt away from the looking eyes of their classmates. Turning back to them, they sheepishly blushed while hurrying over to join them.
They'd made it with time to spare.
Taking up their positions, they patiently waited out the last couple of minutes before the curtain rose. Everyone could hear the hum of the crowd behind it. Not just Izuku and Mina, but the whole of Class 1-A was filled with excitement and nervousness at the unseen rumble. In one felt like just a few short heartbeats, the curtain began to rise granting them the sight of the crowd.
Just as everyone had hoped, and slightly feared, it was a packed house.
Izuku and Mina leaned over and looked to each other, shooting one another smiles of encouragement. Like the rest of their classmates, they raised their hands up to the excited roar of the crowd.
Jirou was nervous, but as the seconds rolled on, the unease faded. Determination hardened her face and the fire within her burned as bright as the lights above. She put that fire into her fingers as she began to play the first notes of the song she'd written for the festival.
Right after Bakugo kicked things off with a literal bang, as was typical of him.
After all the hours of practice they put in, everything just…fell into place. As Bakugo hit the drums, the music began to play and the students of 1-A began to move their bodies in rhythm. Not one of them was off as they swayed to the music and the crowd before them went silent in awe. They'd gotten off to a good start and simply took off from there.
What Am I to Be?
What is my calling?
I gave up giving up, I'm ready to go!
The future's left unseen
It all depends on me
Put it on the line to follow my dreams
Yeah
Tried all my life
I've tried to find
Something that makes me hold and never let go
Oh~
Here too
I am a hero too
My heart is set and I won't back down
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
So wait and see
So wait and see
As long as she could, Mina looked straight up at her boyfriend and Aoyama, the former spinning the later as he activated his Quirk. Brilliant blue sparks shot out across the gym, further dazzling the crowd. As he descended, Mina's yellow eyes locked with his green. A quick wink and his cheeks were blushing and his smile seemed so much brighter than before. Even as he disappeared behind back stage for the next act, Mina could still feel him on stage performing with them.
What do you think of me?
Who do you think I'll be?
I could not care less, I don't want to know
Am I doing right?
Am I satisfied?
I wanna live my life as it's meant to be
Yeah
Tried all my life
I've tried to find
Something that makes me hold on and never let go
Oh~
Hero too
I am a hero too
My heart is set and I won't back down
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
True Heroes stand up for what they believe
So wait and see
Icy platforms were made and put to immediate use. Kirishima ran showering the crowds along with ice flakes while Aoyama rain down sparkling blue lasers, thanks to Izuku of course. Via him, Aoyama was lifted up further into the air, twirled and spun around like a yo-yo; the wild motions sent his azure lasers soaring all over the gym.
People judge for no reason at all
Yeah, they might try
To say your dream's dumb
Don't listen
They might look down on me and count me out
I'm going my way
They may look down on me and count me out
I'm a hero, I've got music
Hero too
I am a hero too
My heart is set and I won't back down
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
True heroes stand up for what they believe
Yeah, I'll be
Hero too
I am a hero too
My heart is set and I won't back down
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
True heroes stand up for what they believe
So wait and see
I have met so many heroes in my life
Gave me the strength and courage to survive
Gave me the strength to smile everyday
Now it's my turn to be the one to make you smile!
That was it, that was Class 1-A's performance. Long hours of practice and unknow to all but two of them, a heartfelt encounter with a villainous duo. The latter hadn't impeded the performance or the overall festival in the slightest.
Thunderous applause went up as the show came to an end. Several were calling for an encore performance.
Mina would have loved to give it, but a tiny voice in her head reminded her that they still had a whole festival to enjoy. Amidst the laughter and tears, Mina sought out one person in particular. He'd been searching for her too.
Izuku was the one to hug her first, sweeping her up into his arms. Mina welcomed the changeup, squealing in joy and hugging him back.
"You were awesome, Izuku." She whispered as she began to sprinkle his face with kisses.
Thankfully, she stopped enough for him to get a word or two in. "So were you, Mina. You were…incredible, just like always."
"An amazing girl for an amazing guy." Came her affectionate giggle before kissing him in the midst of the class-wide celebration. They didn't dwell on their classmates, wo pointed, awed, laughed, and cheered them. All they had was each other, and they were happy enough for that. So extremely happy.
Several Minutes later…
"Um, hehehe…sorry." The acidic girl mustered while her boyfriend quietly bowed his head and acceptance their reprimand. Mina doubted she'd ever be able to do that, at least not as she was now. Maybe their relationship would help her out.
Hound Dog got in their faces, visibly growling through his muzzle. "Listen up, you two, this could have been real bad! You two are students with provisional hero licenses, you two should have relied on us, your teachers! We want to protect the school too!"
The two students were respectfully quiet, absorbing his words. Though they were a growl, they were filled with emotion. To the side, All Might and Ectoplasm quietly showed their support of Hound Dog's words. I the end, they both nodded.
"Yes sir, we understand." Izuku and Mina said in unison.
Snapping back with a hint of professionalism, the maned hero said, "Go, now go get going. Enjoy the festival! You two had better enjoy it!"
Her face splitting into a grin, Mina grabbed Izuku's hand, "Oh, we will, we promise!"
Izuku was somewhat prepared for her to pull him along. It wasn't like he tried to fight it. Looking back at his mentor, he caught the way he shot him a small yet encouraging smile. Even as he turned back to Mina, he heard the conversation continuing after their leaving. It sounded like his mentor was still going to have some explaining to do to Hound Dog. Izuku felt sorry for him, but he felt like focusing on the fact that he was going to be spending the rest of the day with his friends, and his girlfriend.
"This has been one incredible day." He quietly mused.
"Crazy thing is technically, it's still morning." Mina replied. Their pace slowed to a leisure stroll as they made their way back to their classmates. "I can't remember the last time I had a morning like this. Does this sort of thing happen to you often, Izuku?"
"Not that often, what happened out of the ordinary. It was…" His gaze drifted down to their interlocked hands. "Thanks again for…sticking with me. I told you to go on ahead, but…I think things went a lot better because you were there. Your Acid Quirk really came in handy, Mina."
"Oooh, thank you." She giggled planting a kiss on his cheek. "It was a pretty awesome experience for me too. That guy, Gentle…he was a villain, but I don't think he was such a bad guy. Neither was his partner."
"Yeah…I feel the same way."
"You won't lose your way like he did." She suddenly said. Izuku looked at her, wide-eyed like she'd just had a divine revelation. "Izuku…there was a time when you almost gave up on your dream, didn't you?"
He was understandably silent for a minute. "Yeah, there was." Came the quiet admission. His green eyes glistened with past sorrow that left Mina deeply curious. "If I had then I think I'd have became like Gentle."
Mina squeezed is hand. "I'm glad that you didn't…and so is everyone else."
In a matter of pure coincidence, they made it back just as she spoke those words. Their classmates called out to them to help with the cleanup. While they intended on doing that, Izuku's attention was drawn by another pair, one fast approaching them.
"Hey, good work, buddy!"
Izuku's face lit up as he recognized the two. "H-Hey, you guys made it!"
"That was crazy! At first there was a loud noise, it was scary, but then everyone was jumping with the dance! And then there was a flash! And then Deku, you went away for a bit. And then the guy started flying in the air! That's when it started to get cold, and I saw birds there was a spinning light and a punch of people said wow. And you know what I said…wow!"
At every word, Izuku seemed to be tearing up more and more. Mina wasn't sure which was more heartwarming, the absolute positivity surging from the little girl or the effect she had on her boyfriend. Finally, he wiped them away with his sleeve. Even that looked cute to Mina.
"I'm…I'm so glad you had such a good time, Eri." He said in a quiet but heartfelt voice.
"Yeah, we all are. After all, putting smiles on faces is part of what heroes do." Mina chipped in.
Her doing so got Eri to look at her with wonder. "Who are you? You've got a horn on your head…like mine."
"Yep, two of them." She laughed while reaching out. This was her first time meeting Eri and she wanted to make a good impression on her. "My name is Mina, Mina Ashido, and it's nice to meet you, Eri."
Slowly, she reached forward, almost nervously. As their fingers touched, Mina gently moved her hand into the child's. Her face lit up with a smile as she realized that she too was a person to be trusted, someone she could call a friend.
"Ahh, Midoriya, you didn't tell me that you had a girlfriend." Mirio said with a proud smile. "And a super cute one at that!"
His face ablaze, Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Y-Yeah, w-w-well, y-you see, w-we got together after the raid. T-T-Things just…sorta happened."
"Happened, huh? I sense a story behind this." The blond jokingly pressed.
"Um, what's a girlfriend?" Came the childlike voice of the formerly captive girl. She noticed how her green-haired savior froze. Her blonde-haired savior wore a cheeky grin, and the pink-haired (and skinned) girl known as Mina couldn't help but giggle. "Deku? What's a girlfriend?"
He looked between his senpai, his friend, and his classmate, his girlfriend, the person who'd proclaimed herself to be his future partner. They'd support him through the tough times, but this time, their smiles said one thing…he was going to be on his own in explaining this one.
Or he wouldn't.
"You see, Eri, a girlfriend is…" Mina began in a sing-song voice.
To be Continued…
Originally, I really did want this chapter to end the focus on the School Festival, but things changed once I wrote the clash between Gentle and La Brava. As I said last chapter, Mina's addition to the fight was the first big break from canon and I decided to go full steam ahead with it once I thought more about it.
Mina's seen another side of Izuku that no one else has seen, and yes, she's going to try to discover more about it. In due time of course, for most of the next chapter, more fluff will be on the menu, and not just between Izuku and Mina. Speaking of her, adding her to the fight with Gentle ended up changing the fight a lot more than I thought it would, namely making it quicker and easier. Even with his Elasticity Quirk, Gentle's battle style would still be countered since Mina's acid would eat through the objects he affects, elastic or not. That was how Izuku was able to avoid getting held up at the construction building like he was in canon. Building off of that, she was a far more dangerous opponent since barring his air barriers, Gentle couldn't put up anything to stop her.
Even tough Mina isn't a violent fighter (nowhere near Bakugo's level), she's more willing to get rough than Izuku is. With that mindset, her Quirk can be useful for crippling opponents and wearing them down over time. On the flipside. I wanted to show a little of how that would look and influence La Brava, who didn't even attempt to hack U.A. It's not easy to stand by and watch the person you love be pelted with acid. Like I said, I decided to throw in some foreshadowing since those of you reading know what's looming in the future.
In the end, they managed to wrap things up a bit faster than they did in canon. One hell of an adventurous morning and making it to the festival on time. Not bad for the couple, huh? Writing the fight against Gentle ate up more of the chapter than I thought so I wasn't able to write out Izuku and Mina's time at the festival in full. That said, I like to think I managed to squeeze in the first quarter with the last portion of the chapter. I'm especially glad I was able to squeeze in "Hero Too" and Mina meeting Eri. The latter was pretty high on my to-do-list for this chapter; I like to think she'd get along great with her once she warms up to Mina. Oh, and Mirio learning Izuku's got a girlfriend.
Next chapter will finally wrap up the festival and move things along! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and until next time! Keep safe until then!