Here it is, the twenty-ninth full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released at the standard promised weekly time for y'all to enjoy. This is the last of the Hosu arc chapters, the final recap with some more added on before we begin the transition to the next arc in the story. However, that is all the administrative stuff I have for now and there are no questions or guest reviews to address here, though do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all, so I will leave this note here. That means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 29th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 29: Hospital Talks
"Did anyone sleep well?" Todoroki asked the room. "Or at all?"
It was the afternoon after their battle with Stain and the four U.A. students were in a private room in Hosu General Hospital having been taken there once Stain was safely in custody. They'd gotten here in the early hours of the morning where the doctors had assessed their injuries before they'd been completely healed by healing Quirks. After that they were told to get some rest before another checkup that afternoon as Ida needed to see a specialist regarding his injuries as they'd been more extensive then the others'.
Rest was hard though as all were bandaged and sore, not to mention how they were doing mentally, after the battle. Todoroki was the least injured with simple bandages on his left forearm and cheek and should be discharged by the end of the day. Midoriya would likely be in one more night as he currently had a cast on his recently healed broken right hand, but he was used to broken bones. Likewise, Adrien wouldn't be here more than one more night as he needed another look at the wound in his upper right chest that was currently bound, and he had a large bandage on his right cheek and ear.
Ida was the worst of them as he had both his arms in slings similar to how Midoriya had had them after the Sports Festival though for him it was more the fact that he had a pair of deep shoulder wounds and not broken bones. Still, he sat cross legged on his bed in his light blue hospital gown that all 4 wore deep in thought.
"Not much." Izuku admitted. "My mind was all abuzz after that battle."
"Same." Adrien said as he leaned back against his inclined bed. "Hard to get much sleep after what happened. Kept replaying that fight in my mind and what I could have done better. I wasn't there when you two faced Shigaraki, but I can say that Stain was the worst I've seen so far."
"He was worse than Shigaraki." Izuku said. "It's hard to say why but I think it was his fanaticism and zeal that we saw at the end. Stain had true conviction in what he was doing, and his personality paralyzed us without his Quirk before he passed out. The League of Villains didn't have that."
"I agree." Todoroki said with a nod. "They were mainly a bunch of gutter punks who attacked en mass and were easily beaten. Stain though, we only won because of numbers and whatever happened at the end."
"Yeah no one person could have beaten him, not with his weird Quirk and the whole matter of blood type really makes it unpredictable." Izuku said thinking on it. "When I look back on it, it's was something amazing we did back there, taking on Stain and beating him."
"Well, if anyone deserves the true credit it's Agreste." Todoroki said looking to Adrien. "We all could have died there but you acted the way a hero would from the moment you arrived. You knew how to read the situation and what was best to do. I underestimated you again. After what I saw in the battle trial, I thought Dupain-Cheng was the leader between you two and the Sports Festival reinforced that, but you know your stuff as well."
"When it comes to it Marinette and I are equals, we always have been and it's how our partnership works so well." Adrien said simply. "We complement each other well from all our training. I'm smarter and better at pre battle tactics but with her Quirk, my lady is better as a leader in the field, and I defer to her on that front. Never underestimate someone based on a few encounters though Todoroki. I am just as much a leader as Marinette is even if I don't often show it."
"I know and I apologize for my mistake." Todoroki said showing a humility he hadn't had before the Sports Festival had effectively beaten it into him three times by three different classmates. "It was thanks to you that we got Ida and Native to safety without any more injuries or risk. You then took it all on yourself when you faced Stain alone and you almost beat him one on one. You knew that you were the best to fight him and did so to give us the time to get the others away."
"We are all still learning Todoroki and I made mistakes myself." Adrien said with a sigh. "I did what was right and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but it was only possible because I was there. Had I not shown up you and Midoriya would have had to fight and hope Ida or Native recovered. Thankfully I took that from you but then I let my guard down at the end, that was how Stain got to me. I thought I was a goner when I was paralyzed but Stain let me live for some reason, similar to with Midoriya."
"Yeah he could have killed me in the end but didn't." Izuku said recalling how he was at Stain's mercy at the very end. "It was scary."
"Just a reminder of the world we are about to enter and the true costs we face when we leave U.A." Adrien said. "I'm glad we survived though. I, I don't know if I could have put Marinette through losing me like that, especially not now, not after all we've already lost. It's too soon for her to lose me. I'll have to be more careful now on."
Adrien hadn't really been thinking when he'd been speaking as he was thinking about Marinette more, so he had accidentally said more than he'd meant to and instantly both Todoroki and Izuku were on alert. They exchanged a glance with each other to make sure they'd heard correctly as it sounded like Agreste was talking about losing someone, possible more than one person, close to him and Dupain-Cheng, and it sounded like it was recent.
That, that wasn't what either expected. It would take more thought on that front though as it was clear that Agreste wouldn't say more, and it would be rude to push, so they turned to Ida who was so deep in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed a thing.
"I'm most impressed by you Ida though." Todoroki said looking at his classmate and after what they went through friend because there was no way that the four of them weren't friends now as an event like that forged lifelong bonds. "Stain clearly spared Agreste and Midoriya, and to a lesser extent myself, but he was definitely trying to murder you. However, you stood defiant despite everything."
"That's not true." Ida said finally brought back as Adrien realized his mistake and that he was now going to have to be even more careful around Todoroki and Midoriya though he did have the lost mother angle to pay if need be to explain it away, not that he wanted to do that, but it was the easiest out for him. "I…"
Ida didn't get to finish his sentence however as the door suddenly opened. They looked to it to see Gran Torino, Manual who Ida was interning under, and Mage in the doorway. The trio of heroes walked into the room without any preamble.
"I see the injured young ones are up." Gran Torino said as he walked in. "Good."
"Gran Torino." Izuku said moving his legs off the bed.
"Manual as well." Ida said the shame clear in his voice.
"Mage, I was wondering when you'd get here." Adrien said with a grin at his legal guardian though in this situation he would have to be a bit more respectful as Mage was the hero he was interning under. "Everything good?"
"Yeah I just had to give another favor to a, for lack of a better word, associate of mine." Mage said with a heavy. "I needed his aid with this situation and when it comes to spin few are better then he is."
"I could yell at you for hours kid." Gran Torino said glaring at Izuku. "But Mage there is right, we needed a bit of help to sort this mess out and besides there is someone here to see you."
"Right sorry." Izuku said before he fully heard what was going on. "Wait what?"
Just then a new figure walked into the room. He was a towering man at least 7 feet tall in a sharp three-piece suit with a dalmatian style tie for some reason. However, that wasn't the most startling thing. no that was the fact that he had the head of a beagle. Adrien was still getting used the mutant Quirks, so it took him a moment to recover from the surprise at the sight, but he managed it without coming off as rude.
"Everyone, this is Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu City's chief of police." Gran Torino said seriously. "He wants a word with you lot."
Well, that was something else and instantly all 4 boys stood up at that. This was a serious person and demanded that much respect. However, the fact that he was here was not a good sign as he should be back at the station dealing with the aftermath of the Hosu Incident as the media was already calling it and not seeing 4 kids in a hospital room.
"No need to stand, woof." The chief of police said, the woof a bit of a surprise but they were used to Tsu ribbitting at times so it wouldn't be hard to adapt to this and as none of the kids had leg wounds they ignored his words and remained standing respectfully before him. "So, you are the U.A. students who brought down the Hero Killer then."
"We are." Todoroki said warily he was cautious as to why the Chief of Police was here about this. "We all played varying degrees of roles in it."
"If it's a matter of blame then I'm the one you want." Adrien said already expecting the worst as they had acted and used their Quirks in public without a license which was a crime and already Adrien saw where this was going. "I took him on one on one so that the Shoto and Deku could get Tenya and Native to safety as I was best suited for the situation. I only used my Quirk in self-defense though and to disarm him, I didn't use it offensively against him, not that I could really do so if you are aware of what it is."
"Adrien Agreste, French national currently on a student visa in Japan as an exchange student in U.A.'s Hero Course under a long-established system with Francois Dupont High School in Paris, woof." The Chief said to him. "Quirk Cataclysm. You can produce a dark energy in either or both of your hands that destroys anything inorganic you touch with it. It was why the Hero Killer was shirtless when captured and why many of his blades, including his katana, were not present when we searched the alleyway. Your Quirk also requires a lot of energy to maintain and needs food to recharge."
"That would be correct." Adrien said not surprised that a Chief of Police would know all the information on his Quirk.
"If this is a matter of blame we are all equally responsible for this." Izuku said not wanting Agreste to get into trouble when they all played a part. "We all acted and used our Quirks to defend Native and Ida."
"Agreed." Todoroki said with a nod. "Agreste wasn't the only one, we all fought Stain."
"Good, you are onto why I am here, woof." Tsuragamae said. "You should know that Stain has some pretty serious injuries. Burns, broken bones, the like. You see, when Quirks became the norm, the police opted to keep the status quo and not use Quirks as weapons. That is where heroes come in. They could use Quirks where we couldn't, if they were licensed of course, woof."
The police Chief paused for a moment to let his words sink in. All four knew where this was going and remained respectfully silent for it.
"It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of such deadly Quirks from being used, after all we are here to stop such harm from being done." Tsuragamae continued. "The only reason pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics the early heroes abided by. That is why it is against the law for uncertified pros to use their Quirks to cause injury. This applies to you regardless of whether you are against the Hero Killer or not and means that the four of you, along with your supervisors Endeavor, Gran Torino, Manual, and Mage, should face severe punishment for this gross misuse of power."
"Now wait a minute." Todoroki said starting to get angry. "If Ida hadn't have stepped in then Native would have been murdered. If Midoriya hadn't have come then they both would have died, same with my own arrival. Then Agreste out did us all by knowing how the situation worked and ensuring the injured got to safety despite knowing that he would have to face Stain alone."
"Todoroki." Ida began ready to correct him as his saving of Native was incidental, it was one of his biggest failures the night before and Stain's words asking about him would haunt Ida for a long time to come.
"And more would have died had Stain succeeded and gotten away." Todoroki continued not hearing Ida at this point. "No one else knew that the Hero Killer was in Hosu. Hell, we all might have died had Agreste not given the right orders to us and then fought Stain by himself. As far as I know, none of the injuries Agreste dealt the Hero Killer were with his Quirk."
"They weren't." Adrien said. "But I still used my Quirk without a license when I destroyed his katana, blades, and clothes."
"Todoroki calm down." Izuku said turning to his friend.
"So, it's ok to break the law so long as you say it is?" Tsuragamae asked and Todoroki growled at that.
"Isn't it a hero's job to save people?" Todoroki asked back. "That's what we're being trained for."
"This is why you aren't a full-fledged pro yet." Tsuragamae said. "It's obvious U.A. and Endeavor haven't been teaching you enough. What a shame"
"You damned mutt." Todoroki said which Adrien took as being potentially very offensive given the Chief's appearance as he began to walk towards the taller man.
"Todoroki, he's right." Ida said knowing that if any of them deserved punishment for what they'd done it was him as he alone did not act like a hero, and he'd take it for all of them.
"Stop right there kid, you're going to want to hear him out." Gran Torino said stepping between them and raising a hand to Todoroki.
"What I've just said is merely the official stance of the police department." The chief said raising a hand to his nose and tapping a finger on it and what Adrien thought might be a smile on his canine face. "There would only need to be punishment if this went public. Even if it did, you probably would be applauded by citizens everywhere but there is no way you could escape from being reprimanded for using your Quirks without a license. On the other hand, we could say that Endeavor saved the day, Stain's burns back that up completely and even his appearance at the end can be attributed to Endeavor's fire. As for you four, we will say that you weren't involved. Woof."
Again, Tsuragamae paused to let his words sink in with the kids. This was their way out, their way to avoid punishment for what they'd illegally done though there would be a catch to it as there always was with things like this.
"Thankfully there were very few witnesses and the ones who did see it like Native would back this story up as he is adamant you don't get punished for this." Tsuragamae continued. "This could be the last you ever heard of such punishment about this. It would mean that no one can know what you did to catch the Hero Killer. You would receive no acclaim at all. The choice is yours. Personally, I know where I stand. I don't want to damage any promising young careers. Not for a mistake like this."
As he said the last part, Tsuragamae held out his right arm and gave them a thumbs up, his tongue out in what had to be an uncontrollable canine trait. It was clear what the choice was and the one that they all had to make.
"Either way, we're going to have to take responsibility for being negligent as supervisors." Manual said with a small smile. "So, we are going to face some punishment."
"I'm sorry, I should have listened." Ida said walking up to his supervisor and bowing to him the way he'd bowed to his friends the night before only lower due to the seniority of his supervisor, the shame he'd brought upon Manual and the fact that he could not that he'd been healed.
"You did cause us a lot of trouble." Manual said as he lightly chopped Ida on the top of his head. "Take this lesson and don't do it again."
"I apologize as well." Izuku said bowing to the Chief though not as low as Ida had done to Manual.
"Me too." Todoroki said doing the same.
"Yeah, I'm sorry." Adrien said last doing his best to bow correctly but the cultural practice was still alien to him. "We'll all think more next time."
"I know that it is not fair." Tsuragamae said. "You won't enjoy any of the fame and praise you would have enjoyed otherwise."
"That is for the best." Adrien said rising and looking to Mage who nodded at what he was thinking, the whole secret thing would have to be kept from Marinette and the kwamis as well which while Adrien didn't like it he understood its necessity given the pass they were getting. "Stain's main point was that heroes shouldn't court things like that. It's fitting that we don't capitalize on beating him."
"Agreed." Izuku said and Todoroki nodded at that.
"That is a good way to look at it." Tsuragamae said impressed with how the French boy was handling himself but his records showed that he was an exceptional student so he shouldn't have been surprised. "But allow me as the Chief of Police to thank you for what you did."
With that the Chief bowed forward in a deep bow of thanks to the four boys for what they did. It wasn't much but it was a sign of acknowledgement and respect for what they'd done in helping catch the Hero Killer. Still, the whole earlier bit had been a bit much and Todoroki voiced what they were all thinking.
"You could have started with that." The half and half boy said slightly annoyed.
With that the others just smiled at Todoroki before the Chief and the heroes left to coordinate a few things remaining and left the 4 alone. Though none had expected to fight that night, let alone be the ones responsible for taking down the worst threat to heroes since All Might's debut, they had and now no one would know the truth about it. Still, the ramifications of that night would resonate in ways none would realize.
Shortly after the heroes left, a doctor came for Ida, and he too left to see the specialist about his left shoulder. As he was doing that, Izuku checked his phone and realized that he had a missed messages from Uraraka, Kirishima and others asking if he was ok as they'd seen his location and realized that morning that it was in the middle of the action in Hosu. Uraraka however had asked him to call her to let her know that he was ok which was touching and a surprise, but Izuku wasn't going to say no to his friend.
"I'm going to the telephone corner." Izuku said getting out of bed. "Uraraka wants an update, and I should reassure her that we're all good."
"Probably for the best, she is good friends with all of us." Adrien said though Todoroki was surprised at his inclusion there as he wasn't really friends with his classmates though this and the Sports Festival had changed that, and he was going to start making more of an effort with this group as they were accepting him. "Go and talk with her and reassure her that you're ok."
"Right." Izuku said as he left the room with a slight smile that Adrien knew well, it was clear that the boy had a bit of a soft spot for the brunette, and that she clearly had a large one for him but only time would tell if either of them noticed it.
This left Adrien and Todoroki alone in the room together. It was their first time alone and would be a good time to talk though Adrien didn't know how to bring up the father issues they both had.
For his part Todoroki also wanted to talk to Agreste about a fair few things, least of all the whole loss comment earlier. However, he knew how personal loss could be, his mother while alive had been gone from his life for a long time and he'd only just begun making amends with her and his eldest brother Toya had died years ago but he never talked about that. He knew that that was going to be too personal for Agreste so kept off it.
However, he could talk about how good Agreste was under pressure, against a villain, and his general skills that Todoroki wasn't afraid to admit rivaled his own. In fact, if there was one person in the class who could best him more times then not it would be Agreste due to his Quirk and his close combat abilities. That said, Todoroki was still socially awkward and didn't know what to say but he did realize that Midoriya going to talk to Uraraka gave him an in.
While those two were just friends with as far as he could tell no romantic feelings between them, Agreste was actively dating Dupain-Cheng and that was a way to break the ice. It didn't hurt that he wanted to ask the French boy a bit about his girlfriend after the intense fight he'd had with her in the Sports Festival, so it was a good start.
"Are you going to call Dupain-Cheng?" Todoroki asked breaking the silence between them as Adrien settled against he raised bed again. "She might be worried about you."
"I messaged her when I could and let her know that I was good though not in a place to call, but I haven't told her details yet." Adrien said. "I'll tell her more, at least what I can, when we get back after our internships. Mirko is keeping her very busy, and I don't want to distract her as she has to be able to keep up with the Rabbit Hero. I'll get an earful for my ear though."
"Huh?" Todoroki asked confused the pun going completely past him.
"Stain's blade took a bit out of my ear." Adrien said raising his hand to his bandaged right ear and realizing that Todoroki might need some lessons on humor. "Not much and it's right at the top so my hair will hide it, but she'll notice. That and there will be a scar on my chest, so she'll see that as well."
"You two live together?" Todoroki asked a little surprised. "That sounds a bit improper."
"Yeah though not same room." Adrien said to reassure his friend's sensibilities even if he and his lady did share a bed every night. "But she'll see me without a shirt on at times and notice it. She'll be worried but we know we can get injured as heroes. It's the near-death experience that I can't tell her about that would really hurt her but, well, I've seen her badly injured as well so we're even at the moment on that front. Also given how Stain got me I don't think I can tell her due to this coverup they're doing for us."
"About that, I'm sorry." Todoroki said looking at his left side and remembering how Dupain-Cheng had looked after he'd burned her and again at the end when she was out cold on the grass. "I went too far in that fight."
"You went as far as you had to to beat her." Adrien said bluntly. "You were never going to beat Marinette without your fire and with her Quirk you had no hope of immobilizing her, so you had to go all out. Whoever won that battle could only do so by inflicting serious injury on the other, you two are too good to win any other way without more training. She knows it and doesn't hold any ill will for it."
"I know but still." Todoroki said. "Seeing her out cold on the screen, blood on the back of her head and arm, it was a lot and right after Midoriya as well. It gave me pause but also helped me realize that I had amends to make to someone. They gave me strength to do that and for that I thank them."
"Yeah Marinette is special like that." Adrien said with a smile. "She knows how to bring out the best in people does my lady."
"Has she always been like that?" Todoroki asked deciding to get more information on the French students. "Intense I mean."
"She's driven to always do what is right and just." Adrien said. "She helps those who need held and will prevent injustice when she sees it. She's always had her own intensity to her, it's what drew me to her and why I fell for her though due to the secrecy policy of Francois Dupont I didn't know that Marinette and Ladybug were one and the same until the exchange was approved and we were allowed to reveal our identities to each other."
"I see, I have heard of how it works there." Todoroki said. "So, you fell for one side of her so to speak."
"Yup, I fell for Ladybug while Marinette fell for me as Adrien not Cat Noir." Adrien said seeing this as an in to get to Todoroki the way he wanted. "So, it was confusing for sure when you're in love with each other but don't realize it because of masks, like a wall was between us in a way. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I could be freer as Cat Noir then as Adrien Agreste and can be quite different between the two, at least back then I was. Now that I'm a lot freer in general I am more balanced between my civilian and hero personas."
"How so?" Todoroki said confused again by what Agreste was saying.
"Let's just say that you aren't the only one here with a bastard for an old man." Adrien said shocking Todoroki enough to get a reaction from the boy. "Yeah I figured that you and Endeavor don't have a great relationship. I know the look of daddy issues in someone as I've seen that look in the mirror and the whole not using your flames thing until forced confirmed it."
"I, I won't lie and say I have a good relationship with my dad." Todoroki admitted. "He only married my mother for her Quirk, it wasn't a Quirk Marriage officially, but everyone knows that it was, and he kept trying with my siblings to create the right Quirk. I was that creation and he focused on me to make me into a hero who could surpass him and thus fulfill his dreams. I want to be a hero but not his version of one."
"Well at least he wanted you to be a hero." Adrien said knowing he'd have to share as much of the truth about his father with Todoroki as he could. "Mine wanted to make me a prisoner in my own home and not let me out."
"What?" Todoroki asked now even more surprised. "I was a prisoner of sorts, that is true, but I was always going to go to U.A. and be a hero. I will not be my father and thanks to Midoriya I am going to forge my own path as the hero I want to be but at least I had that option."
"Yeah well my dad had his reasons." Adrien said deciding to let Todoroki in on something that would hopefully keep him from prying in and finding out the truth and Adrien wasn't going to be lying to him anyway in sense as it was true just a few centuries off. "You see, my mother disappeared the year before I was supposed to go to high school so when I was 12. I still don't know what happened to her, but it greatly affected my father. He was already protective of me, and this made him insane."
"I am sorry to hear that." Todoroki said and he meant it, he knew what it was like to lose a family member, and this explained Agreste's earlier comments perfectly. "But you got past it or else you wouldn't be here."
"Yeah by sneaking out." Adrien said with a smile. "Against dad's orders I took the entrance exam for Francois Dupont, the most exclusive and best hero school in Paris. The only childhood friend I had, a girl called Chloe, was going there and would be in the Hero Course and so I decided to try out as well. I got in and when it came down to pairing us I was paired with Marinette after the assessment, though we only knew each other through our hero identities."
"You didn't know each other in civilian form at the time?" Todoroki asked.
"We met on the first day of normal class and it wasn't good thanks to Chloe." Adrien said. "She and Marinette have had a rivalry for about a decade now and with both going to Francois Dupont and in the Hero Course it didn't help. I got on Marinette's bad side the first day of normal class thanks to Chloe, we know our classmates, but not who we are when we change into our hero costumes, but I quickly sorted it out and lent Marinette an umbrella. Apparently that was when she first began to fall for me, and it only got deeper over the two years but when it was suggested we apply for an exchange transfer to U.A. we decided in our hero identities to do so as it was a chance we couldn't turn down."
"U.A. is the best in Japan and one of the best in the world." Todoroki said. "Though I know that Francois Dupont is considered an equal to us."
"True but we hadn't sent anyone to U.A. in a while so it was big that we were asked to apply." Adrien said. "Plus, I could swing it as a way to get more freedom by helping dad branch the Agreste line out to Japan which he's been wanting to do for a while. Already we have at least one specialty store here for our fashion line in Tokyo and another that fills the niche for fans of European heroes though I don't know where the latter is. So, when we got in I sold dad on the idea and now I'm really free, so long as I send the occasional update to him, and I will be expected to help gets some contracts for our costumes when I graduate and become a full hero."
"That makes a lot of sense." Todoroki said fully understanding the other boy now and glad that he'd shared it with him as it made him feel closer to the Frenchman somehow as they had a similar past in a lot of ways. "Thank you for sharing Agreste."
"You can call me Adrien if you'd like." Adrien said surprising the boy. "It's much more normal back home to be first names though I know that it is different here so whatever you're comfortable works with me."
"I'll try but no promises, that kinda thing normally takes years here." Todoroki said before going back to the topic of Agreste's past in France as he did want to know more about it. "I take it your friends now know that you were Cat Noir, they must have watched the Sports Festival and figured it out given how well you did in it."
"Alas Bakugo was too smart and figured me out or else I may have had him in the end." Adrien said before going into lie mode to address the reaction to the Sports Festival. "But yes, I was found out though it was already known that me and Ladybug were heading to U.A. so they were watching for our Quirks. It was good though; I was allowed to know of their identities as well should they choose to share so now I know who's who back home. They loved watching Marinette and me in the Sports Festival and we represented France well I feel."
"Top 8 and a bronze medal, very impressive." Todoroki said and glad they were back on the Sports Festival as he did have a few more questions about Dupain-Cheng seeing he had fought her in the semis. "Though I bet they weren't expecting Dupain-Cheng's actions against me. I know you said she has an intensity, I experienced that first hand, but, um, has she always been that extreme?"
"No, I can safely say that even I've never seen Marinette that bad." Adrien said with a chuckle. "Not even Chloe pushed her that hard though that would be in different regards given their rivalry is a lot like Midoriya and Bakugo's. She must have been going all out against you to force you to match her strength for strength because she's not normally like that."
"So, the spitting wasn't normal?" Todoroki asked. "Because that took me by surprise. It's everyday a topless girl spits a mix of blood and water, and mostly the former, in your face."
"Yeah that was really unexpected." Adrien admitted, he still didn't know why Marinette had done that other than to clear her mouth after Todoroki had punched her. "I have no clue why she spat in your face, though if I had to guess it would have been because her mouth was full of blood and melted ice as you did cut her inner cheek when you slugged her. I think it actually cost her that match."
"It did allow me to avoid that slap as I inadvertently recoiled from her and then countered though I was a bit hard with my attack." Todoroki said recalling the move. "It was just a huge shock to have that done but it's clearly a valid tactic in a brawl. The ice as well, I didn't think it could recharge her Quirk."
"Honestly I don't think Marinette expected it as well, but she was doing so because it was the easiest way to try during the fight." Adrien admitted. "And it worked though she didn't feel like she could use her Quirk again for longer than usual afterwards. She did go plus ultra against you to use that final Lucky Charm."
"She did say as much to me." Todoroki said. "She told me to go plus ultra to beat her and I did. I thank her for pushing me that hard and allowing me to see that I need serious work on my fire as I can't regulate it as well as I can my ice."
"Thank her yourself when we get back." Adrien said. "I know you said you weren't here to make friends but that's no way to look at the world Todoroki. Don't isolate yourself just because of your past. Take it from someone who knows loneliness well, it's not good. After what all of us just went through, well we now share a bond no one else does and one we can't tell others of so you're one of us now Todoroki whether you like it or not."
"I know, I, I guess it's not a bad thing to have friends." Todoroki admitted with a small smile. "We were all there for each other and helped each other out. I can make more of an effort and I know that Dupain-Cheng and Uraraka are part of your group as well so I can with them as well. I do owe your girlfriend a thanks at least, she showed me a lot more about myself that I didn't know I needed to see and built on Midoriya's foundation. I can now see my mother and repair my relationship with her thanks to them."
"On your note about your fire, you are getting better as I saw that Stain's burns weren't that bad." Adrien said. "Though Marinette did make hers worse with ripping off the shirt as she tore the fabric out of her skin in the process."
"Yeah, that was, um, indecent." Todoroki admitted. "I wasn't expecting that or for her to be so minimally covered under that. Most people wear an undershirt or vest, Uraraka showed that in her fight with Bakugo."
"Again, not something I can explain or expected." Adrien admitted. "She's usually very modest but she was on fire, so she did need to remove it to avoid worse injury, or out of reflex, and I did put Mineta through a chair the moment she was topless."
"It was unexpected, but I didn't let it get to me as a hero shouldn't be distracted." Todoroki said. "I know that there will be female villains who will try to use their looks and bodies to beguile a hero and then attack so I can't be distracted by anything."
"And good thing you didn't." Adrien said. "Marinette would have beaten you the moment you gave her an opening despite her appearance. She wouldn't do something like that normally but she's not one to pass up an opportunity."
"I don't doubt it, it's clear that both of you have a lot of training and experience that I can learn from." Todoroki said. "Thank you Agreste, Adrien I mean, for all this. I think I've really missed out on stuff like this thanks to that scumbag, and I didn't realize how much I needed it until this incident."
"I've been where you have been so I can relate." Adrien said with a smile. "If you ever need to chat or just vent about the asshole that sired you, you can always come to me as I know what you're going through better than anyone else in the class ever will."
"I will." Todoroki said as Ida came in and suddenly the mood changed.
Ida looked even more morose and contemplative then before as he shuffled to his bed and sat down on it. No one really wanted to speak but they knew they had to.
"You ok Ida?" Adrien asked his friend.
"I, I just got my test results." Ida said not looking at them. "I'll wait for Midoriya and tell all of you together."
Almost on cue Midoriya walked in looking pretty happy and Adrien knew why, he'd just spoken to Uraraka on the phone, and it may have been a first for him with a girl and the girl he almost definitely liked like that no less. It was and he was still getting over it though Izuku had texted Kirishima and Tokoyami as they'd asked for follow ups from his message to explain what he could and put them at ease as well. He couldn't say more than that he was in Hosu, and he was seeing who was around to help out with the evacuation but still it was good to let them know they were ok.
"Hey Ida, Agreste, I just spoke with Uraraka to let her know that everything is good." Midoriya said before he noticed Ida's mood. "What's up?"
"Ida just got his test results." Todoroki said seriously. "He's waiting for you to share them with us."
"The doctor said that the damage Stain's katana did to my shoulder damaged my brachial plexus." Ida said looking up as his resolve hardened in the wake of all that had happened and that he'd messed up. "So, they fear that there may be some permanent damage in my left hand as a result."
"Permanent?" Izuku said his yes wide, he knew what that was like and while his was minor he wasn't sure how bad it would be for Ida.
"Yeah just in my fingers and it will be problem moving them." Ida said lifting his left arm up to show them his hand. "They say that there's a surgery, nerve transfer I believe, that could work to restore them back to normal."
"That's good." Izuku said as the others nodded.
"It is but I won't be getting it just yet." Ida said surprising them all.
"Why?" Todoroki asked surprised.
"Yeah I am." Ida said looking up with a determined look in his eyes. "I got this injury and the scar that will come from it because I forgot what it meant to be a hero. I forgot what my brother stood for because I was filled with hatred at Stain for what he did to Tensei and blinded by my desired for revenge. I let that and my drive for vengeance consume me, and I rightfully paid for it. I am not a true hero, Stain was right. You, Midoriya, and especially you Agreste, are real heroes. Therefore, until I can call myself a true hero, I will leave my arm as it is. A reminder of when I lost my way and a motivator to make sure that I return to the path and become a hero worthy of the name Ingenium."
"Ida, are you sure?" Todoroki asked still concerned for his friend, but Izuku understood.
He knew that if he'd been a better friend none of this would have happened, but Ida had accepted his mistakes, it was the right thing to do to let it be at that and move on. One look at his own right hand and Izuku knew what he had to do to help Ida.
"Ida, I feel the same way." Izuku said bending his right arm and holding out his bandaged and cast hand out to Ida, the others all knew the scars he had on his palm and the slightly crooked fingers that were a result of his misuse of his Quirk against Todoroki. "My hand is a reminder too. Let's get stronger, together. All of us."
Ida just nodded in agreement. Midoriya was right, they would get stronger together. He'd always looked up to his friend ever since he'd realized that Midoriya was different, that he understood this stuff better than the rest of them and it was that gap between them that drove Ida to catch up and surprise his friend. He was driven to become better, stronger, and overcome everything as seen by his fight with Todoroki and now his improved control over his Quirk.
As they were saying this Todoroki was looking at it in shock as he realized something. Then he looked down at his own hand and knew he had to voice it.
"I feel kinda bad." Todoroki said getting their attention.
"Huh?" Izuku asked surprised.
"It's like I'm cursed." Todoroki continued not looking at them but his own hand. "Every time I'm involved someone's hand gets messed up. First Midoriya, then Dupain-Cheng though that was more her whole arm and she's got no damage but still had burns there, and now Ida. I must be cursed."
There was a brief moment as the other three just stared at their friend in shock at his words. Then as one they all burst out laughing and the moment was broken by Todoroki's joke. It seemed that humor was not a foreign concept to the serious boy after all
"Todoroki, I didn't know you had a sense of humor." Izuku said glad that they could all laugh about it.
"I'm not joking." Todoroki said deadpan serious. "It's like I'm the hand crusher or something."
That got the other three to laugh even harder. They needed that and they all enjoyed a good laugh as they recovered after all they'd been through. They still had a bit of their internships left and there were going to be many more obstacles before them, but they'd survived yet another one and grown a lot from it. Only time would tell what more they had yet to face.
A nice dose of foreshadowing at the end for y'all to enjoy as the Hosu Incident is wrapped up. I know that some will want Adrien to tell Marinette, but he can't, this incident has to remain classified and only those involved can know the truth so as to protect the 4 students from serious consequences for what they did. I wonder how she'll handle all this. Well, that will be answered next time as we look back a bit at Marinette's internship, and her reactions to what has just happened. However, that is all I have for y'all now so I will leave it here. If you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
