Here it is, the thirty-first full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released at the right time for the one guaranteed per week. As many of you probably guessed, this is a standard bridge chapter heading into the next arc and will again be something that happened in the show with my own twist on it now that Marinette and Adrien are present for it as well. That is all the administrative stuff I have for now though and as there are no questions or guest reviews to address here, though do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all, I will leave this pre chapter note off here. That means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 31st full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 31: Internship Improvements
"What the hell Bakugo!" Kirishima and Sero said as the explosive boy entered their homeroom with a completely new hairstyle that was nothing like any of them expected as it was a proper combing with a left side parting rather than his usual spikey mess though they were the only ones brave enough to mention it. "You really changed in your internship."
"Shut up, my hair is used to this now and I can't get it back to normal." Bakugo said trembling with rage at the one thing that had stuck from his internship as Sero and Kirishima kept laughing at it. "Keep talking and I'll kill you."
"I'd like to see you try pretty boy." Kirishima said and that set Bakugo off and his hair popped back to normal as if by sheer force of will and his anger reaching its boiling point.
"There it goes." They said still laughing and Bakugo dropped his bag and attacked them.
Marinette was just watching this as she stood with her back against the wall by Tsu's seat as they all were in groups talking about how their internships went. Marinette was currently with Mina, Tsu, and Kyoka, the last finally giving in and allowing the other girls only to call her by her first name if they wanted and doing the same with those who did, as Mina talked about her internship excitedly even if nothing much of note happened during it.
It was odd to see Marinette talking in a group that didn't have Adrien, or for Adrien himself to be in a different group as he was currently with Todoroki, Ida, and Midoriya around the former's desk talking quietly, but it was good to branch out and be more integrated separately in their class. Well, that and Adrien was currently in the doghouse after Marinette learned of what happened during Adrien's internship, or at least what she could know, when she got back and not as soon as he could tell her.
Marinette wasn't happy that no one had bothered to tell her that Adrien was in the hospital for the fourth day of his internship and was discharged on the 5th and final day after it was confirmed that a chest wound he had wasn't bad at all and would just leave a scar. A freaking chest wound! Marinette was pissed at both her boyfriend and legal guardian for deciding not to tell her until she got back from Osaka and saw the bandages on Adrien's cheek and ear, the latter was still bandaged, and the ones around his chest after she ripped his shirt off. There was still a gauze pad over the scar there.
Then she heard the full story and she had to seriously restrain herself from slapping Adrien and Mage into next week for it. Apparently, Mage had received a tip to go and patrol Hosu City on the third day of the internship and had done so with Adrien and a few of the sidekicks from the Guardian Agency, those details were told to her at dinner that night as she got the hospital part first as that was more important. Mage and Adrien had gone as a pair but that was not the worst part. That had been the day that Midoriya had messaged everyone his location without context, and it just so happened to be in Hosu.
Despite wanting more details Marinette knew that she couldn't be told them just yet at least so as to avoid the situation snowballing more than it was already. There was a viral video that was making the rounds that was not good as it was of Stain and his views, including his final rant, and many were starting to seriously listen to his philosophy. They didn't want any of that to get worse so those who'd been present for that rant, which Marinette learned Adrien had been one of the ones who'd witnessed firsthand, were sworn to secrecy on the full details of Endeavor's victory over Stain.
What she did learn though was that Adrien and Todoroki had come to Midoriya's aid because their friend needed it and found Ida and pro injured with the latter about to be killed by Stain. Mage and Endeavor were with them as well and Endeavor saved them but not before all 4 boys were injured by a frenzied Stain.
Adrien he'd taken a blade to the upper chest, which showed that a piercing blow could get through their costumes, and been slashed across the cheek by a passing throwing knife at the same time. Thankfully the slash didn't leave a scar, but Adrien now had a small nick in his upper right ear that his hair would hide should he choose to hide it.
Still, Marinette was upset at not being told of the situation as it sounded like she could have lost him and she couldn't do that, not this soon after everything, and she'd briefly broken down at that. Well, that and the fact that she wasn't being told the whole truth.
She could accept that part and was glad that he was still alive but still, she knew that something was off, and that Adrien couldn't tell her it, she knew him that well, and he was in the doghouse for it. Sure, they still slept in a bed together, that she wouldn't deny him as she'd missed their cuddles while away, but at school he was on his own for the moment while she chatted with the other girls about their internships.
It helped her solidify closer ties with them, other than Chloe and Sabrina she'd always been close with the other girls in her class, while Adrien seemed to have closer ties with the three he was with. Ida and Midoriya made sense, but Todoroki was a surprise though the boy seemed different now, warmer in a sense which was good. Whatever the quartet had been through, it must have been some serious shit for them to be so tight now.
"I can't believe you actually faced real villains Kyoka." Mina said bringing Marinette's attention back to the conversation as Mina's long rant about her internship seemed to be at an end and she knew something of Kyoka's, or the girl had mentioned it and Marinette had missed it while thinking. "That sounds awesome."
"Well, I didn't actually face them." Kyoka said twirling one of her earphone jacks with a finger though she did seem pleased at what she'd done. "I just helped with surveillance and the evacuation."
"That's still sounds interesting, I mostly trained and cleaned the ship." Tsu said with a finger on her chin. "Though there was that one time we caught a bunch of smugglers, so I was part of that in a support role."
"Ok that's cool." Both Kyoka and Mina said looking at Tsu who seemed unphased by it and showed it by turning to Marinette.
"What about you Marinette?" Tsu said. "How was your internship with Mirko?"
"Yeah girl spill, you're so lucky to get an offer from her, she never gives offers." Mina said turning to Marinette as well. "Though it must have been hard being away from your man."
"It was the first time Adrien and I have been apart since coming to Japan, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse." Marinette said. "And as for the internship itself, a mix of painful training and exhausting patrols. That woman is a rabbit through and through, she never seems to run out of energy."
"Painful?" Kyoka asked. "What the hell did she do with you?"
"Well, we started with a sparring session." Marinette said as if it was nothing. "Within half an hour of meeting her in fact, that was a bit unexpected."
"You sparred with Mirko?" Tsu asked even her usual unflappable expression breaking for a moment.
"Yup, she wanted to test me to make sure that I was as good as she hoped I was." Marinette said. "Her legs are no joke, she blasted me into a padded wall with her knee right at the start to let me know what we were doing. Even with my Quirk, all I managed to do was bring her to her knees, ensnare her with my yo-yo and use that to land a knee to her face before she turned the tables on me the moment I lost my one advantage and kicked me into a ceiling and the floor, through a mat in the process actually. Even in my suit I felt that."
Marinette looked at her friends who were all staring at her with slack jawed looks, as were a few who were eavesdropping including Bakugo though he was still dealing with the extras who dared make fun of him. Marinette had just admitted to landing a hit on the number 6 hero which was unbelievable.
"How did you manage that?" Mina asked now hooked.
"Rabbits have excellent hearing and really sensitive ears." Marinette said with a shrug. "So, when I created something to slow her down I got a dog whistle which she could hear but I couldn't. That took her down long enough for me to use my yo-yo to catch her and land a hit, so long as I kept blowing. Once I stopped she countered, and I was done."
"Damn girl, you are scary and so much more than any of us thought when you showed up on the first day and placed second in the Quirk Assessment test." Kyoka said her eyes wide. "Like really scary but in a good way. Do you even know how good you are? You dominated your way to the semifinal of the Sports Festival while consistently being the top girl all the way through from the Obstacle Race to how you managed that Cavalry Battle, to the battles themselves. It took Todoroki at his best, and a hell of a lot of damage to your body, to beat you. Who knows, you could have beaten Bakugo in the finals if you'd made it."
"Ha like hell Dupain-Cheng could do that." Bakugo called out surprising everyone, even Marinette, by using her name, as he proceeded to continue to deal with Kirishima and Tape Arms as he'd never actually spoken to her and still wasn't really doing so. "But she should have made it, at least beating her would have been honorable unlike what you did Icy-Hot."
"See, even Bakugo uses your name." Kyoka said turning back to Marinette as Todoroki just ignored Bakugo for the moment. "Plus, you were one of the ones who reached the center in the USJ and save Yao-Momo, me and the princess by sending Agreste to us because you properly assessed the situation with your Quirk. Now you're telling us you could at least hold your own for a bit against a pro like Mirko. You're going to be the best of use Marinette, I'm sure of it."
"Kyoka has a point." Tsu said in her usual blunt fashion. "You've shown you deserved your status in his class and keep doing so every day."
"Thanks." Marinette said with a little blush at the attention. "But we are all here to get better together I don't want to be singled out."
"Take the praise girl." Mina said slapping her shoulder. "Now, what else did Mirko do with you."
"She put me through several punishing workouts to find and then destroy my physical limits." Marinette said just accepting that she'd set herself apart from most of the class and now had to live with that. "And then I went on patrol with her though those were more me barely able to keep up with her as she hopped from crime syndicate to crime syndicate to other villainous activities, leap in, usually though something, and kicked everything that moved unconscious. I couldn't partake but I called the cops. That was the second half of the internship, and it was exhausting even with my stamina."
"Damn, that sounds intense." Mina said as the other girls nodded. "Though there is one more thing I want to ask you as you are here with us right now."
"Sure." Marinette said.
"Is everything ok with your man?" Mina asked quietly so that only the girls could hear. "You and he are usually talking together at this point before class."
"Let's just say that when your boyfriend ends up in a hospital he should tell his girl that he's there as soon as he can." Marinette said loud enough for Adrien to hear it though she didn't need to look at him to see the wince. "So, he and his hospital boys can chat right now while we have some girl time."
"Show him who's the boss." Mina said with a grin. "I'd threaten to melt my man if I had one who did that to me."
"Damn Marinette, you really are something else." Kyoka said. "If I ever get a man I'm coming to you for dating advice."
"I'd be happy to help any of my ladies if they have issues of the heart and how it is possible to date and be hero students at the same time." Marinette said loudly enough for Uraraka, who was off to the side in some strange zen pose by herself, to hear as she was sure that girl would be having heart problems that had nothing to do with her health in the near future. "I've been through my own in the past, a good two years of it in fact, so I can help."
"Oh, I want all the stories but when we have some pure girl time with the others as well." Mina said excitedly. "We could all use some romance advice from the only one of us who's in a relationship right now."
"Speaking of the other girls." Tsu said. "What about you Ochaco? How was your internship?"
"I'd say it was very enlightening." Ochaco said with an exhale before she started doing some air punches. "Well worth it."
"Woah, that battle hero must have been something else." Kyoka said as they all looked at Ochaco and a strange aura came off the brunette. "I think she's found her fighting spirit."
"After just one week." Kaminari said surprised. "It's like she's a totally different person."
"Different? Don't be a fool Kaminari." Mineta said shaking his head from the desk he was sitting on and suddenly he began to shake and bite his nails. "All women are demons at heart, they just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces."
"What did Mt. Lady do to you?" Kaminari said worried as he grabbed Mineta's arm to stop him from biting his nails. "Everyone at my internship loved me. Now if you want to talk about the ones who really changed it was those four."
At Kaminari's words and look at the four in question, almost the whole class, even Sero and Kirishima from where Bakugo had them in holds, looked to Todoroki, Ida, Agreste, and Midoriya and where they stood. They all knew by now that they'd been in the heart of the action the week prior thanks to Midoriya's location text and the aftermath he'd told them about. Still, it was clear to everyone that it was those four who'd learned the most from their internships and that something had happened as all 4 had bandages or clear injuries from the Hero Killer that seemed to give them a new, harder, air to them.
"Oh yeah the Hero Killer." Sero said as Bakugo fumed at those four getting all the fun while he'd been getting pointlessly groomed in a useless internship. "You guys actually ran into him; I can't believe that happened."
"Glad you guys made it out alive." Kirishima said. "I was worried when I realized what had happened in Hosu."
"I too was worried for you lot." Momo said seriously from her seat as a good portion of the class began to surround them. "I was happy to learn that you were all ok though."
"You're lucky Endeavor showed up to save you guys." Sato said.
"So cool but just what I'd expect from the number two hero." Hagakure said and Adrien saw Todoroki's expression and quickly acted.
"Yes it was fortunate that Endeavor was in Hosu that night, and it showed us what a top tier pro is like." Adrien said to preserve the lie they had to tell, he was unfortunately good at this from a lot of experience even before being blasted into the future, and now all the class even Bakugo was listening. "Had it not been for his instincts then things could have been different that night."
"What do you mean?" Ojiro asked.
"Endeavor figured out the Hero Killer's pattern." Todoroki said seeing what Agreste was doing and grateful for it as he could now add to it and deepen their cover story for what actually happened even if Agreste deserved the credit for what he did, he was the true hero that night. "His instincts are why he's the number 2. He knew that Stain would be in Hosu for a bit based on his past killing sprees, so he gathered some sidekicks and went to find him, I went along as his intern to learn. It was thanks to Endeavor that Stain is finally behind bars."
"That is good, but did you read the news afterwards." Ojiro said. "They are saying that he's somehow tied to the League of Villains. If he'd been there at the USJ then it would have been even scarier."
"He's scary for sure but did you see him in that video that's been going round." Kaminari said. "It's all over the internet, they can't keep it down at this point."
"No, I haven't." Ojiro said surprised.
"He's a super evil villain but really tenacious at the same time." Kaminari said clearly not reading the room well as he spoke though he wasn't wrong, the four who'd faced him knew that and more from firsthand experience with Stain. "He's almost kinda cool, don't you think?"
"Kaminari!" Izuku said his eyes wide at that and Kaminari suddenly realized his mistake seeing as Stain crippled Ida's brother and injured 4 of his classmates bad enough for them to end up in the hospital and all still sported bandages from it.
"Oh, dude." Kaminari said clapping his hands over his mouth at Ida's thoughtful expression. "Sorry."
"No, you're ok, he's quite the tenacious villain so I can see why some might think he's kinda cool." Ida said looking at his left hand before adding. "Still, his beliefs led him to cold blooded murder and killing cannot be condone no matter the reason. A shame really, his Quirk is rather useful at capturing people with minimal injury beyond a cut. Had he not been so unhinged and stuck to the path of a true hero he might have made a fine one, but he went down an evil path and is a lesson to us all of what such views can do to the mind. So, to keep anyone from suffering like me, I will strive to be the perfect hero."
"Yes let's do it Ida." Izuku said as Ida went into usual arm flailing robot mode glad that his friend was back to normal.
"That means that it is time for class to begin." Ida continue not hearing Midoriya as he began getting into full class rep mode. "Which also means that it is time for everyone to take their seats."
"He's back." Tokoyami said with a sigh and a glare at Kaminari.
"This is your fault for talking about weird stuff you know." Kyoka said glaring at him as well as they took their seats.
"I know sorry." Kaminari said ashamed that he'd caused this. "I'll keep my mouth shut next time."
"Marinette, can you princess carry him again, he needs it." Kyoka said to her as they all began to take their seats.
"Nah, he's not in stupid mode yet." Marinette said with a shrug. "And it would be wrong to kick him while he's down, he's already the one who brought Ida back to full class rep mode."
"True." Kyoka said before looking at Kaminari. "But next time you're in for it."
Kaminari gulped as Ida kept talking through all this as they got back to their seats but for the other 3 who'd been with Ida that night they all smiled at him. It was good to see him back to his usually self with an even bigger drive to live up to his brother's name then before.
That was a good, if annoying, sign that he was healing mentally as well. They would all continue to do their best and with a practical hero class later they all wondered what that might be as it would be a chance to show off what they had learned in their internships.
-break-
After lunch, Class 1-A found themselves outside and at the bottom of the hill that had U.A. on it and behind it though still on private property owned by the school so they could use their Quirks. They were all gathered in their costumes, minus Ida whose costume was being repaired so he was in his PE kit and gathered in front of All Might be ready for their class to begin.
Behind All Might was a facility they'd never been to before on campus. It looked like a convoluted mess of metal pipes and building in a chaotic and maze-like fashion that resembled a warehouse or factory district only on steroids and with no actual purpose to it. Whatever it was though, it was going to be interesting for sure and defiantly something new for them.
"I am here to train you again." All Might said, he was in his full form and current costume not a throwback this time though as usually Midoriya was geeking out. "Today will be hero basic training. It seems like I haven't seen you lot in a while. Welcome back. Now then we are going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you've learnt from your internships and apply them to this rescue training."
"If it's rescue training shouldn't we be at the USJ instead." Ida said as he raised his hand.
"That facility specializes in natural disasters and post villain urban ones, as I said, this is a race." All Might replied. "So, prepare yourself. Behind me is Field Gamma, an intricate labyrinth of factories so good luck finding your way around. You'll be competing in either groups of 5 or 6 that I have already determined and will all start at different locations on the outskirts of the area. When I give the distress signal, you will all race to it and do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins but try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum."
As All Might said the last part he pointed at Bakugo who was now growling at being singled out. After his actions against Midoriya in the battle trial it was to be expected but still it pissed him off.
"Why are you pointing at me." Bakugo said looking away from All Might.
"The first group will be young Ashido, Dupain-Cheng, Ida, Midoriya, Ojiro and Sero." All Might continued as he produced 6 strips of paper and handed them out to the 6 he'd named. "You will go to these locations in Field Gamma. The rest of you to the observation deck."
They did just that as the 6 in group 1 left to their locations and All Might led the others to a large platform on the edge of the zone with a huge screen on it so that they could see the progress with the various stationary and drone cameras in the zone. Once they were there, All Might went to the center where he'd be on top of a random tower and the camera highlighted all 6 in their starting positions though not at the same time.
"Ida still hasn't recovered yet." Kaminari said sounding a little worried though he was again forgetting something, this time it was the fact that Ida's injuries had been to his upper body not his lower body where his Quirk was. "He should sit this one out."
"Yeah and everyone but Midoriya has pretty good mobility." Kirishima said looking up at the board. "Hell, two of the three most mobile people in the class are in this group."
"I'd say that Midoriya is at a heavy disadvantage against those 5." Momo said from where she was kneeling as Kyoka sat next to here. "He's not exactly good at speed and maneuverability."
"That's what I think." Kyoka agreed. "And Marinette is in this group, even with Sero's Quirk, her natural abilities, experience, and the way she uses that yo-yo of hers makes her the clear favorite and that's not adding in the fact that the girl keeps surprising us."
"Don't forget that she spent her internship with Mirko, ribbit." Tsu said joining them with Ochaco. "And she kept up with the Rabbit Hero so a maze like this should be child's play for her once she's on top of it."
"Yeah moving around isn't Deku's strong suit." Ochaco said worried as she watched him limber up. "He always gets badly injured; I hope he doesn't this time though. I think Ida's got this though, despite his injuries. I know Marinette is good but speed on the ground could be the real key here."
"Who have the rest of you got?" Kirishima asked going for a friendly bet with his classmates on the race, it was a race after all. "I'm betting on Sero, this terrain is made for his Quirk."
"Oh yeah." Kaminari said getting in on it all. "I got odds on Ojiro then."
"I pick Ashido because she's got a super athletic bod and is single." Mineta said to absolutely no one's surprise.
"One thing's for certain, Deku will be last." Bakugo said derisively.
"I'll take that bet."
Everyone turned in shock at the voice and not just because it was someone voicing support for Midoriya to win but because of who it was who spoke. Agreste was giving a cocky half grin to his fellow blond who was now glaring at him though Bakugo had enough respect for Agreste to not have much intensity to his glare. The only person who wasn't surprised was Todoroki because he knew what Adrien knew about Midoriya's control level, but he wasn't going to say anything about it.
"Woah dude, you're not betting on your woman?" Kirishima asked surprised. "Surely you'd think Dupain-Cheng would win? Not the most manly thing to not support her."
"If this is done again later in the semester then sure, Marinette would easily win it." Adrien said looking at Kirishima. "But at this moment I think that Midoriya will win. Under pretty much any other circumstances Marinette would own this, even Sero couldn't beat her. The only one here who'd actually be able to challenge my lady in a race like this is Bakugo and that's only because he can match her. This course is designed for those who can get above and move as the crow flies."
"Your woman is good Agreste but not even she'd beat me." Bakugo said to him. "But as I expected you have the measure of me in this test. Very well, I'll take that bet but on the condition that if we aren't in the same group you swap into mine. I've seen how strong and agile you are, and I know that support item of yours is more than just a baton or staff. If you give your all then you might be a challenge for me compared to the other extras here."
"Very well, I'll do that." Adrien said with a nod as a few protested at being called extras by Bakugo. "If we aren't in the same group I'll make sure to move into yours."
"Alright, begin!" All Might said as he pressed a button that activated an air horn sound, and everyone turned to the screen to watch the race.
Instantly both Sero and Marinette launched themselves up and into the air using either their Quirk or support item to get above the factories and pipes to see where All Might was near the center. As Adrien had pointed out, the fastest way was as the crow flies and almost as soon as Marinette was up she did exactly as he expected from her in such a situation where speed was of the essence. Now that they didn't have to use their powers on akumas they could use them in a wider range of situations and Marinette was always good at timing when to use her Lucky Charm.
Sero was doing something what Marinette in the past would have done and using his tape to move from vantage point to vantage point as fast as possible and was taking an early lead, though for Marinette it would have been her yo-yo and Miraculous enhanced abilities. As for the others, Ojiro was using his tail to go faster while also using his natural skills to parkour his way through it in as straight a line as possible while Ida ran as fast as he could, and Mina slid on her acid on one of the interconnecting tube things. Midoriya was nowhere to be seen.
Marinette however had activated her Quirk as soon as she was clear of the factories to give her something to fly as the crow did just as Adrien had expected her to do. The whole class watched as her back sparkled with her power before a ladybug print jetpack appeared there and she rocketed off just before she fell below the top level of the factories while using special steering leavers to adjust her altitude to a good height. Again, she was proving how versatile her Quirk was by getting into the clear air above Field Gamma and avoiding the obstacles to get to the center fastest.
"I see so in a maze like this it pays to be above everyone else." Shoji said through a mouth on one of his dupli arms already thinking of his own strategy for the race. "Sero and Dupain-Cheng have the right ideas and Quirks for this."
"Makes sense." Kirishima said. "But I think we all underestimated Dupain-Cheng again. I saw the obstacle and though of her skills not her Quirk. It's even more versatile than I thought it was."
"Damn that girl is good." Kyoka said as Momo nodded, she really needed to know more about her friend's past because she was clearly a cut above almost all the class, Momo included. "She knew exactly what she needed to go to win this and did it right at the start. She's…"
Just then a green blur that seemed to be emitting electricity shot past Sero for second place and caused him to suddenly stop where he was and make the class watching gasp, well all but two of them. Sero wasn't the only one to stop. Ashido dis so on the wall she was now on and Ojiro came to a stop to hang from a beam by his tail as they both watched what had just happened. Only Ida was unaffected having already known but the others didn't. Now they all knew as Midoriya leapt through the top level at a speed only Marinette could possibly exceed.
"Midoriya?" Sero said his eyes wide at the sight.
"How'd he get so good?" Mina asked.
"Shouldn't he be breaking a bunch of bones?" Ojiro asked stunned at the sight as Midoriya got closer and closer to Dupain-Cheng's lead.
"Crazy." Ochaco said from the observation deck as they all stared open mouthed at Midoriya's sudden and unexpected improvement.
"He can move without being hurt, ribbit." Tsu said just as shocked. "He really learned a lot during his internship. Most of all of us I bet."
"You knew this didn't you Agreste?" Kirishima asked looking at Adrien who was one of only two unaffected by the change in Midoriya, the other being Todoroki which explained everything as the pair had seen Midoriya during the internship week. "Both of you did."
"I didn't actually see it as clearly as this." Adrien admitted. "But he told me, and I saw him power up, so I knew he'd be able to do this. This is why Marinette might not win, she doesn't know either."
"His moves…" Ochaco said, and they all looked at how Midoriya leapt from place to place and propelled him through the air and this time even Adrien and Todoroki were surprised as they hadn't seen it in full yet and both realized something about Midoriya's movements. "They're just like…"
"Those are my moves." Bakugo growled his anger at Deku causing him to forget that Agreste had known about this though if he looked he'd see that the French boy was as surprised by the way Deku was moving as he was. "That damned nerd. While I was being groomed at my useless internship he, he was…"
Bakugo just devolved into incoherent growling at the sight. Then there was a loud crash and they all looked and even Adrien winced at the sight. That was more than he'd expected to happen but then again she was still occasionally clumsy.
That was because when Midoriya had shot past Sero, Marinette had seen it from her vantage point and gapped at the green blur that caught her eye. It was clearly Midoriya, and he'd finally gained control of his Quirk and moved into second. He had to have done so during his internship which brought on one more thing.
"Adrien this time I am going to slap you." Marinette said in French as she was distracted. "You could have at least told me about this change and…merde!"
Marinette had been so distracted that she'd lost altitude and when she looked up while cursing out her boyfriend she realized that she was heading right for one of the larger towers in the training field. In fact, it was the one that All Might was on, but she was heading head first for it a good 3/4rds of the way up it and not above it as she'd planned.
All Marinette could do was swear as she careened head first into the tower at full speed, her speed and durability ensuring that she went through it before her jetpack caught on the edge of the whole her head had made and was ripped off her back. As soon as it was the engine shut off and it fell to the ground behind her as her legs hit the side and she stopped.
She groaned as she lay there half in and half out of the tower resting on the metal and bent forward in a daze. Marinette could feel a trickle of blood in her hair and knew she had a cut on her hairline from the impact, and possibly a concussion again. She'd messed up and lost.
"Two things." Marinette moaned to herself in the tower as her vision began to blur all the while not knowing that Midoriya too had crashed out and that Sero was closing in on winning it due to two of his classmate wiping out in spectacular fashion. "One look while flying like this, and two, next time I decide to use Lucky Charm to fly I need to get a full rig with a helmet."
With that Marinette passed out where she was. It wasn't her most dignified result, but it had taught her a few lessons that she'd not soon forget as pain was a great teacher.
Back on the observation platform the others just stared in shock at Marinette lying half in and half out of the tower and judging by her lack of movement she was likely out cold. She had slammed head first into a metal tower so it made sense.
"Well, if there's one way to bring a friend back down to earth it's that." Kyoka said as Sero finished first before he turned at something All Might had said and went to help Marinette out as Ashido reached the tower second and also went to help get her friend out of the tower. "Nothing like seeing Marinette crash headfirst into the finish line and effectively come last to humanize her."
"I'll say, I do hope she's ok though." Momo said as they watched Mina help Marinette out and then Sero pulled her up with tape using the first aid training that they'd had as Ojiro, Ida and a battered Midoriya reached the tower as well.
Marinette was fine though the robots had to come and take her to the nurse to heal so she missed the evaluation of her group and the next two before coming back just before the 4th one all healed up but with a bandage around her head. The others just watched as Sero got the sash to show that he'd won and was praised by All Might while Midoriya was on the ground learning his lesson though no one saw or heard what All Might said to him next.
After that the next two races were pretty standard and done in groups of 5. The second group to go consisted of Ochaco, Shoji, Sato, Todoroki and Mineta. It was a pretty even group with Sato at the biggest disadvantage as he didn't really have any speed boost and that showed from the start. The others could move fast or more directly.
Ochaco showed this by making herself weightless and taking to the air before pushing off things to take the early lead, but she made two mistakes that cost her. The first was that she had misjudged how high she should go and had to release and re-float herself to get back to the ground. The second was that she'd underestimated the distance and overused her Quirk so threw up over the side of a roof towards the end and ended up last.
Mineta and Todoroki could cover ground fast but couldn't go high as the former used his balls and the latter his ice to race to the center fast. Todoroki could have gone high, but it would have taken more effort and caused a lot of property damage, so he stayed low until he and Mineta reached the tower at roughly the same time. Once there Mineta used his balls to climb the tower and Todoroki his ice again but even then they were unable to beat the surprise winner of the group.
Shoji surprised the whole class by using what he'd observed at the start to get to high ground as fast as possible. He then used an eye he made on one of his tentacles arms to find All Might with his scouting abilities and finally glided with the webs between his dupli arms to get from place to place, occasionally making hands upon hands to grab things and swing when needed, and get to the center as the crow flew, beating Todoroki by a few seconds to win. Had Todoroki ignored property damage though he would have won.
The tactic of height and agility being the best continued into the third group. That group consisted of Tsu, Kaminari, Tokoyami, Kota, and Momo. It was another mixed group of skill, but the race came down to two of them almost from the start as neither Kaminari nor Kota could cover the distance fast and even with Dark Shadow Tokoyami couldn't swing as fast and in the open air above his Quirk was weaker in the daylight.
It came down to Tsu and Momo as many watching had expected. Tsu got the early lead by climbing a factory wall and getting to the top. From there she hopped and used her tongue to go over the tops of the buildings to reach the center.
Momo by contrast had pulled out her book and found out how to make a jetpack that didn't use fire and did so while also making a helmet and protective attire for her head, chest, and limbs having seen Marinette's mistake and not wanting to repeat it especially as she didn't have a Technus made costume to protect her. It had the added bonus of avoiding flashing the class as she'd destroyed her costume in the process to make the protective gear that she kept on until she could find a private place to change after the race.
In the end it was the fact that Tsu didn't have to pause before setting off that led to her winning. The time it took Momo to make and figure out how to use her stuff was too long to overcome and while she closed the distance to Tsu, she was a good half minute behind her when she reached All Might second and congratulated her friend.
The final group had the showdown that had been teased at the start with Adrien and Bakugo the only ones with a chance to win. Hagakure, Aoyama, Kirishima, and Kyoka just didn't have the Quirks for fast travel, well Aoyama did but he didn't have the constitution to last long enough to be a challenge and he couldn't directed himself well as he hadn't put any channels to his back while designing his costume. That meant that it came down to the two blond boys.
Marinette got back in time to watch it and it was a lot closer than expected. Bakugo, as expected, had started strong with a blast upwards to clear the factories and then flew with his explosions straight to All Might. Meanwhile, Adrien used his staff to get to the top and then ran along even the narrowest of beams as fast as he could, leaping and vaulting with his staff as the crow flew to get to the center.
It was a close race and Bakugo was grinning at that as he'd expected Agreste to challenge him to go plus ultra to win. The weather was warm, and he was pissed from what Deku had done earlier so he was driven harder than ever, and he blasted to victory in the closest one yet, landing on the platform with All Might less than a second before Agreste landed on it from his final vault.
Overall, it had been a good class that taught them a lot about speed, mobility and in a few cases spatial awareness when dealing with such a rescue situation in such a maze. Class was then dismissed before a race between the 4 winners could take place though that was promised for the next time they were in Field Gamma, and they all went back to shower, change, and get their things to head home. It was in the boy's locker room that the final thing of the day happened.
"Man, that was some tough training today huh guys." Sato said as they all began to take off their costumes in the men's locker room. "I really need to work on my flat speed, it's not good."
"First class in a while that really had me glistening." Aoyama said rubbing his face with a handkerchief. "I haven't worked that hard in a while."
"I really need to work on my mobility." Kirishima said as he took off the things on his shoulders. "Some of you are so lucky that you have Quirks that allow you to move fast."
"You can also compensate by improving other skills where you excel." Tokoyami said as he did his tie up. "I know I need to be more rounded then just offensive range."
"Still wish I could use my Quirk for speed." Kaminari said while Sero grinned behind him. "I'm jealous of guys like Sero who can do so or Agreste with his Quirk Marriage lineage giving him that strength and stamina."
"It's not all it's cracked up to be and my balance comes from my mother who married my father for love." Adrien said as his costume vanished into his ring showing the fresh scar on his upper right chest that he quickly bandaged again as he had to keep it bandaged except when in costume. "Kinda makes me feel a bit like a lab experiment though I am glad that the last few generations didn't practice it."
"Hey Midoriya, I just hit the jackpot." Mineta said distracting Midoriya who was nearest him from his thoughts and causing all the class to look at him and where he was standing with a poster partially off the wall to reveal a small hole drilled into it. "Someone shaw-shanked a hole into the wall. Do you know what's next door? The girl's locker room. A previous generation has given us a gift that we can't turn down."
"Don't even think about it." Ida said with a series of arm chops. "Peeping on them would be criminal."
"Then you'll have to throw me in solitary confinement because you can't stop me." Mineta laughed knowing that he was the nearest to the hole so no one could though he didn't notice Adrien already moving as the rest of the class still in the locker room stared at the little perv as he placed his eye to the hole. "I want to see Yaoyorozu's curves, Ashido's slender waist, Hagakure's floating underwear, Uraraka's super fine body, Asui's unexpectedly soft boobies, Dupain-Cheng's naughty navel piercing…"
Mineta didn't get to finish as there was a sudden stabbing sound and they all saw one of Jiro's earphone jacks that were the perfect size for the hole sticking out of Mineta's left eye as he yelled in pain. However, that wasn't the end as before Mineta could finish screaming in pain, and just as the jack was ripped out but left in the hole to avoid any more peeping, Agreste had appeared behind Mineta in only the special black boxer briefs that he wore due to the nature of his costume.
Adrien didn't say a word as he grabbed Mineta by the back of his shirt with one hand and yanked him back behind him with all his strength without even looking at the little gremlin, which was considerable given his inherited enhancements that the class knew off. Mineta's screams were cut off as he crashed into and through a metal locker, through the back of it and into the concrete wall hard enough to lodge in it. He was out cold. Adrien hadn't looked back at him one time and he just turned to his stunned classmates as he went to get dressed.
"Someone should tell Recovery Girl that Mineta had an accident in the boys locker room and that there's a hole in the wall that needs patching up." Adrien said casually as he got dressed. "He might need some healing."
With that he finished getting dressed and left the room to wait for Marinette to go home. No one was going to say what actually happened to Mineta they were all just surprised at the force the French kid had used, and the unnerving calm the boy had the entire time, but then again the creep was trying to peep on his girlfriend.
-break-
Meanwhile, in the girl's locker room all the girls were away from the hole's line of sight having noticed it from their side earlier and opted to stay clear as they were all in various stages of undress. Only Jiro was crouched by it her earphone jack still in it as Momo spoke of creating something to plug up the hole and the girls thanked her before they all heard the crash from the other side as it was loud enough to be heard through the wall. Still, all Kyoka could think of was why was she the only girl the pervert didn't want to spy on or creepily praise.
"What was that crash?" Ochaco asked after it was heard.
"If I had to guess, it was Mineta going through a locker." Marinette said with a grin as she finished getting dressed. "Looks like my man has redeemed himself a bit by defending not just my honor but all of ours. I should thank him tonight. Well, see you ladies later."
With that Marinette left to find Adrien and forgive him, after a little chat about not telling her about Midoriya's surprise improvement of course. Still, she knew she loved him with all her heart, and he loved her and that was all that was important.
They had each other, their powers and kwamis, and they were doing well in this new society with new friends. Perhaps for a bit things could be as normal as possible. After all, final exams were around the corner, and they had to be ready for that and a potential summer camp right afterwards. Yes, for once things seemed to be normal for them but it was merely the calm before the next storm.
Ah I can never resist a good bit of foreshadowing in this story when the opportunity arises, and this is one such opportunity for me. A good, standard, bridge chapter between the Hero Killer arc and upcoming Final Exam arc as everyone comes back from their internships and have a fun race. Naturally Midoriya's surprise got all but those who knew and even Marinette couldn't avoid it. For those potentially confused as to why she didn't try to replicate her flight suit upgrade, remember that based on the time they were blasted into the future the only upgrades they'd used were the water and ice ones so Marinette didn't know how that would look and just thought to get something to make her fly rather than the full rig. She'll know if she needs to do it properly next time I'm sure. Other than that, I know I glossed over the other races but that was more for space and length of the chapter and at least I included them for y'all to imagine. The only thing remaining is that Adrien has redeemed himself a bit by dealing with Mineta, he might think twice about peeping on the girls though this is Mineta, he doesn't seem to ever learn. Anyway, that is all for this chapter 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
