Here it is, the eighty-ninth full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released on the right day as promised. This is both the final chapter of the School Festival arc in the sense that it wraps up the one thing that hasn't been addressed at last as well as being the first of the three transition chapters in this mini arc that transitions from the School Festival arc and to the next arc from the series and how Adrien and Marinette affect that one. The only thing to really add here is that with this chapter this story has reached 800k words, my second to do so, and become the first story regular or crossover in the Miraculous section of this site to reach it that I know of. Anyway, that is all the administrative stuff I have for now though and as there are no review questions to answer or guest reviews to respond to I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. Now, though, it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 89th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 89: Gentle Debrief
Izuku made his way to the fourth floor of the boys side of the dorm and walked up to Agreste's door and paused outside it his fist raised to knock but he didn't just yet as he paused to collect his thoughts. After the raid to rescue Eri he'd come here with Kirishima for a debrief and chat with Agreste that had really helped him come to terms with what had happened during the raid and ensured he was able to move on and help Eri do the same which the School Festival had really helped with. Back then Agreste had said that there was no shame in asking for help and now Izuku was going to do just that.
The reason for Izuku's need for help was that that morning after he'd gotten the new rope for the concert, along with an apple, sugar, and what else he needed for Eri's candy apple, he'd had a run in with a pair of villain hellbent on infiltrating and crashing U.A.'s School Festival. That would have been disastrous as it would have immediately caused it to be canceled and Eri needed the festival, she'd been looking forward to it ever since she'd received permission to go and Izuku was going to ensure that she enjoyed it.
Therefore, Izuku had to naturally put a stop to the villains' plans, or at least hold them off long enough for Hound Dog and Ectoplasm's clones to arrive and apprehend the villains, which he'd done but had gotten a little roughed up in the process. He'd been chewed out by Hound Dog for his recklessness and by All Might for not having his phone on him, both of which he'd deserved, but he'd have done it again to preserve the festival and Eri's day at it.
Of course, he hadn't told the class what had happened, rather he'd just said that he'd tripped on his way back that was why he arrived just in time for the concert and was all scuffed up when he ran into Aoyama. The staff had decided to keep the incident hushed up to preserve the festival's fun atmosphere and after the cover up of Stain's arrest Izuku understood why things like this were done from time to time.
Still, that didn't meant that he didn't need to talk about it and who best to talk to than his classmate who had more experience in the real world of heroes and villains and had done so in the past so would understand this. That and Agreste was also part of the Stain coverup so also knew the value of secrecy for the sake of the noncombatants of the world.
There was a deeper reason for Izuku's need to talk to Agreste, however, and that was his feelings following the battle. Of all the villains he'd faced, Gentle was the only one he could truly emphasize with and even understand to some extent thus making him the hardest villain Izuku had ever fought.
Had Izuku's life not taken the turn that it had when he'd met All Might and impressed him enough to receive One for All then he may have gone down the same path as Gentle Criminal had. The man had wanted to be a hero that would be remembered for years to come but failed to become one in the end despite a strong Quirk for hero work in Izuku's mind so that desire for fame and notoriety had led him down a path of villainy. It was all this confusion within him that made Izuku want to talk to Agreste, so he steeled himself and knocked on the door to the French boy's room.
"It's open." Agreste's voice called out and Izuku opened the door and walked in to find the French boy reading a book on his bed in just a pair of pajama pants not noticing the blurs that shot away to hide as he entered as Agreste put it away and sat up to greet him. "Midoriya? What brings you here?"
Adrien had just been enjoying some late-night reading while the kwamis collected the candy and other food he'd brought them for their own party with the female ones on the girls' side of the dorm where there were plenty of empty rooms and head out, which they thankfully did just as Midoriya arrived. This was the only time Adrien really got to relax, to calm his mind down before he went to bed and dealt with the dreams that often plagued him since coming to the future.
Usually that was achieved by a quiet night of reading, some texts with his lady, and then sleep which he really needed right now despite the likely dreams. However, tonight it appeared that it would be a chat with Izuku Midoriya about something that would be Adrien's nightly exercise.
He'd not expected Midoriya to knock on the door and enter with a troubled but thoughtful look on his face. Instantly Adrien put the book down and sat up as he responded to the other boy as clearly something was up with him, and he'd come to Adrien to get help with it which made sense as Adrien had told him to ask for help if he needed it when they'd had their debrief after the Hassaikai raid.
"I, um, wanted to get your advice on something that happened this morning." Izuku said as he closed the door. "You did say that we should talk things out if we needed it and, well, I could use a chat right now after today and you're the only one I know to turn to for things like this."
"Take a seat." Adrien said gesturing to his desk chair which Izuku went to as he swiveled on his ass to sit on the side of his bed for the chat. "I presume that this had to do with the really reason why you almost missed the concert earlier."
"How'd you guess?" Izuku asked surprised that Agreste had known that that was why he was here. "I thought my excuse was believable."
"Because I know that your excuse that you tripped was bullshit the moment I heard it though others did believe it despite knowing you." Adrien said calmly. "It was obvious seeing as you had 90 minutes to go to a hardware store 15 minutes away from campus, get what you needed and come back. Even with a delay that shouldn't have taken more than an hour of leeway to pull that off. A trip doesn't cause that much time and you're not clumsy enough for that. Plus, well, I know your personality, you're always in the center of trouble so I presumed that you'd run into it and rather than ask for help you'd dealt with it on your own. Let me guess, you stopped a villain attack hence why you were apparently beat up when you returned."
"Damn, that is impressive." Izuku said surprised at how succinct Agreste had been in deducing what had happened and once again remembering that the French boy's skills were on par with his girlfriend's even if he didn't show it as frequently as she did. "That is pretty much what happened, though it was kept quiet and I'm trusting you to do the same as the school really can't let this get out and let it sour the festival. However, I don't think it was an attack but rather a stunt for the sake of fame by someone who was only a villain in the technical sense. At least that's what it sounded and came off like."
"Ok that is odd." Adrien said a little confused by what Izuku was saying. "And don't worry, I was part of the Hosu lot, so I know when things are hushed up for the sake of preventing panic or worry. Why don't you just start from the beginning of what happened and tell me the story and why you want advice, that way I can help out as best I can. I've experienced a lot of villains in my time, fame is one reason for villainy that's for sure, so I can see if I can understand what the problem is."
"The help I need is more to do with how this fight made me feel than anything else." Izuku said as he thought back on it. "But alright I'll start from the beginning so that you have the full picture. It was after I'd gotten what I needed from the hardware store and a market as I needed the supplies for a candy apple for Eri as I'd learned that there wouldn't be any at the festival. I accidentally ran into a tall man and short woman with their faces covered coming out of what I thought was a house next to the hardware store but turned out to be a simple café with few patrons and an elderly proprietor. It was as we were exchanging apologies that I recognized the man's voice."
"You recognized his voice?" Adrien asked surprised. "I know you're in touch with the hero world but to recognize a villain by voice alone is something else."
"It was more that I'd heard the voice before and seen his full face, albeit once and the second villain's voice it was voice only and not enough to remember, but the main villain had a very distinctive voice as it had a refined accent to it that isn't common these days." Izuku said. "It was a video that I had accidentally seen online thanks to Uraraka surprising me while looking for videos of All Might with support gear as I recently learned that he had used them in the past but never seen it."
"Of course that would be how you found it, that's just so you but I've learned over the years that fate works in mysterious ways." Adrien said with a shake of his head. "No doubt all that was done so that you'd find that video of this villain and thus be able to save U.A. from whatever he was planning."
"I was already a little aware of that villain when I found that video." Izuku admitted. "I knew he liked to record his crimes. From what I gathered he was some internet fame seeking villain called Gentle Criminal and he'd been active for years but hadn't yet been caught. I even wondered back when I saw that video what his next plan would be. It turned out that that plan was to sneak into U.A. during the School Festival and thus show how good he was."
"It would have certainly gotten him notoriety." Adrien said. "But you stopped him."
"I did because I recognized his voice under the mask and sunglasses he wore to hide his identity but only because he spoke more than he needed to after I bumped into him." Izuku said. "It was because he mentioned Yaoyorozu's favorite tea, Gold Tips Imperial, that I got his attention and he started ranting to me about being a fellow tea connoisseur despite my age though I'm not that. It was because of this that I was able to properly identify his voice, recall the video and realize what he was up to. He claimed in the video I saw that tea was part of his ritual, the better the tea the greater his caper as he calls it and, well, Gold Tips is super rare apparently, so I deduced what his plan was the moment I recognized his voice."
"Who would have ever thought that Momo's tea passion and desire to share it with us would have such a practical real-world use." Adrien said with a chuckle. "But do go on. What happened after you realized that there was a villain near U.A.?"
"I did what any hero would do, I tried to stop him because the second an alarm is sounded at the festival it would be shut down and the school evacuated with even more security features likely added later." Izuku said simply. "Everyone had worked so hard and Eri was so looking forward to it that I had to stop Gentle and his associate, I think he called her La Brava, from getting near the school. There was no one around or hero agencies in the area so I had to attack but almost at once I realized it would be tricky due to his Quirk."
"Well, he is a villain who has been active for a while, so he'd have to have a good grasp of how to use his Quirk to achieve that." Adrien said. "What was it?"
"His Quirk is Elasticity, at least that's what he said its name it, and he can apply it to anything he has touched and formed a barrier before I attacked which rebounded me then he bounced me into the air by using it on the ground on my second attack attempt." Izuku said as he described his initial confrontation with Gentle. "It's an impressive Quirk for sure, he can make the ground and air around him elastic and has a good grasp of how to travel through the air with it by bouncing on what are effectively trampoline platforms he can make with his Quirk."
"That is a tricky one to deal with." Adrien said thinking on what Izuku had just described and how it worked in a practical sense. "Hard to best what can effectively absorb and rebound what you throw at it. When you add in the fact that it works on air, which likely makes these elastic patches invisible, and you have a tough Quirk to counter."
"For most yeah, I know with your Quirk you could just destroy what he makes elastic." Izuku said. "Even the air I'd assume as it's probably solid enough, but you are right that the air patches are invisible to a normal human eye."
"Cataclysm probably can counter it, most emitter class Quirks that produce or change something around it can't hold up to my power though with his air patches it would have to come down to the molecules as air molecules are too spread out for Cataclysm to affect hence why it only works on solids and liquids." Adrien admitted. "But remember, all I can really do is destroy what I can either make contact with or can direct the energy towards and even then that substance has to be inorganic. That's not exactly great in combat given the collateral damage I can cause. Between you, me, Bakugo and Todoroki we tend to be rather destructive in battle."
"Yes though I kept this one to a minimum thankfully and most of it was in the air or woods so less property damage potential." Izuku said. "And the fact that he was filming this the entire time, well his assistant who recognized me from the Sports Festival was filming it as he is always the center of attention in his crimes, well it showed my training."
"That it did, I know I couldn't, but I can't really fight without breaking things." Adrien said. "This dude sounds rather eccentric though."
"That's an understatement, he kept ranting during our fight about his past and his goals." Izuku said. "But I'll get to that afterwards as that is the main reason why I need advice as this fight was different to all the others that I've had."
"Of course, go on with the battle first as without it I doubt you'd have learned what you learned." Adrien said. "As I recall you were in the air and away from him. I take it you've developed some form of ranged attack."
"It's more a controlled version of what I did at the Sports Festival to break Todoroki's ice." Izuku said. "I can withstand up to 20% of my power nowadays though I can only stay at that level briefly, the safe limit I can use consistently is about 8%. So, for ranged attacks, I concentrate all the power I can safely manage in my middle finger and flick it to create a weaponized shot of air that I call Air Force. To aid in it I had Hatsume make me some gloves though I didn't expect her to be done before the festival given her focus on her project, but she did produce a prototype in time as she had a base and worked on it in her spare time."
"That girl is something else." Adrien said, he understood how Izuku was now weaponizing air so he didn't need to get into that with him, he just couldn't wait to see it in action in a way that the other boy could control. "A true genius with support tech."
"Very true, I wasn't expecting the prototype but now I am grateful for it." Izuku said. "She finished it last night I think and proceeded to give them to me this morning, even came out to find me knowing I'd be training, and I had the gloves on me because I went straight to the stores after my training to the stores as I didn't have time to leave them with my case."
"A fortuitous coincidence then." Adrien said. "They really got a field test right away."
"Yeah I was in the air thanks to Gentle's Quirk as he and his assistant fled towards the school." Izuku said. "I had to stop them, so I focused on the festival, on how Eri was getting excited for it and to see it with me and Togata, on how much work Jiro put in and the advice she asked me with organizing her notes for the band."
"Ah that was you." Adrien said not too surprised as he'd expected that Izuku had had some hand in helping Jiro organize her notes. "That does explain it. Jiro made notebooks for all of us, mainly Tokoyami and Kaminari as they needed the most help, but they had lessons and tips for us that were really useful if a little chaotic, but they were still readable to us."
"She asked for help, and it made me happy to do so as it was clear that she was really getting into how her music would help others." Izuku said with a smile at the memory of Jiro approaching him in class with her notebook to ask for help organizing her notes. "And I also remembered Ashido's dance advice in the air before I fired my controlled shot as that helped me focus on this new technique. Well, that and the gloves Hatsume made helped me direct the blast of air better. I landed the hit on his back despite being upside down in the air."
"Not bad." Adrien said impressed. "Especially with such little practice with them."
"Yeah it was a good boost to confidence but no where near enough to take him down." Izuku said. "But it distracted him long enough for me to land on top of a telephone pole and then leap at him to tackle him midair and crash into a building site nearby, that was basically the only real property damage I caused."
"Impressively acrobatic there." Adrien said. "I've noticed that with your new style you've become more mobile in the air."
"My Quirk boosts my speed and strength, so it helps my mobility which is needed for Shoot Style, but I've been watching people like you and Dupain-Cheng fight all year, you two move so fluidly in the air that it's easy to draw inspiration from it." Izuku said. "I'm still nowhere near even your level of mobility, let alone Dupain-Cheng's, but I pick up tactics from everyone."
"A wise move though it took me years to reach this point so don't be too hard on yourself." Adrien said which was a bit of a lie as he'd basically reached this level instantly upon activating his Miraculous back in the day, but he had generally improved over time. "So, you ended up in a construction sight with a bit of damage. I'm surprised that no one noticed that."
"I learned after the fact that someone did inquire at first." Izuku said. "Unfortunately, because of the filming that was going on the assistant was able to convince some local who saw it that it wasn't what it looked like which prevented the heroes being called at that time."
"Sometimes a small detail like that can really be beneficial." Adrien said.
"Yeah it was though I wasn't really focused on that, more the fight itself as we were now in the construction site and Gentle was hanging from his coat on a beam." Izuku said. "Unfortunately, he still wasn't giving up so I couldn't either. It was in that position that he told me his plan was simple, he just wanted to sneak into the festival to prove that he could do it."
"That is rather, um, odd." Adrien said. "He had no other goals other than that?"
"Gentle was unlike any villain I've faced but as we fought I learned more about him." Izuku said. "I did tell him not to, that he'd be caught and thrown in jail while the festival was canceled. He claimed that he had a plan for that and wouldn't let up, so I had no choice but to fight, especially after my bluff that I'd already called the authorities failed."
"A man like that wouldn't be deterred by words." Adrien said. "He sounds too committed to his goals to be stopped by anything but force."
"He was and the fight wasn't an easy one." Izuku said. "Thanks to his Quirk working on air he was able to get out of the predicament he was in and then he moved around too fast for me by making the beams elastic and bouncing off them. It showed his talent with his Quirk as it was all controlled and I couldn't predict where he'd be. I tried a shot of Air Force but with a Quirk that can make even air elastic he can change directions at will and avoid my air blast, even redirecting it back at me."
"Damn and to think, a power like that could have some good hero implications if done right." Adrien said with a shake of his head. "What a waste."
"I'll get to that later, that does have something to do with Gentle." Izuku said.
"Alright, continue." Adrien said a little curious at that but leaving it for the moment. "I take it that the fight didn't last long at the construction site."
"No, he's a smart villain and understands his Quirk well, as well as the mentality of heroes, and he used that against me." Izuku said. "He leapt up to a higher beam, I was on an area with a floor laid down already and began bouncing on it after he removed the bolts holding it there. He can't cancel his Quirk, it just fades over time but there are after effects because, well, steel isn't meant to be bounced on."
"That is an unnatural motion for steel, that stuff is usually pretty inflexible." Adrien admitted. "So, he broke it off forcing you to catch it before it fell to the ground and did some damage to people or property. With your speed and power, you'd be able to pull it off just in time."
"Correct, there was actually a civilian down there at the time as well, the one who inquired and was brushed off by La Brava in fact, so I had to stop it." Izuku said. "My act of catching the beam, which I could do with my Quirk active, but it was still heavy, was what allowed Gentle and La Brava to flee that part of the fight. He was true to his word though, he could have killed me if he had a weapon, but he didn't, he doesn't kill apparently and even claimed that he would have stopped the beam if I'd gone for him instead though he doubted I would. All he wanted was to pull off his scheme."
"Well, that is kinda noble of him." Adrien said. "His name is rather on point on that front I guess."
"It's part of why he was such a challenge to face." Izuku admitted. "He used that to keep me occupied as he elasticized a crane and slingshot himself and La Brava away and towards the woods around U.A. but I wasn't giving up. With all the strength I could muster, I raised the beam over my head with one hand fired off a blast of air that he dodged but showed that I was still in the fight. I then put the beam down so that I could follow him."
"Of course you'd do that." Adrien said with a grin. "Let me guess, you used his own Quirk against him when you continued the fight."
"How'd you guess?" Izuku asked surprised.
"Midoriya, you're one of the sharpest in the class with an analytical brain and understanding of Quirks that is second to none with the only exception being Bakugo." Adrien said simply. "You can assess a situation and adapt to it during a battle based solely off what you've seen in that battle alone. Few can manage that at this age."
"Kacchan can do it sure, so can you and Dupain-Cheng though." Izuku pointed out. "You showed that against Stain when you figured out what the deciding factor was for how long he could keep a person paralyzed for and we all know how well Dupain-Cheng can assess a situation."
"Marinette and I have the training and don't forget Marinette's Quirk as that plays a factor in how she sees a situation." Adrien said. "It's very nature and her own odd way of thinking work in conjunction with each other to give her that tactical edge in battle. It's why once Lucky Charm is deployed it's damn near impossible to stop her unless you can actually manage to destroy the item and that isn't easy to do unless you're me or unfortunately Shigaraki."
"I'm aware, I've taken notes on the whole class and planned strategies for almost all of you should I face you but the one Quirk I can't seem to figure out how best to counter is Lucky Charm." Izuku admitted. "That Quirk is easily one of the strongest out there, certainly one of the strongest I've ever seen, and when you factor in how it's effectively random with what it generates and how it's nature is to accomplish Dupain-Cheng's mental goal no matter what, well the only way I can thing to beat it is overwhelming speed and force."
"Pretty much that's it but part of its strength is Marinette's own nonlinear mentality though of course I won't divulge any secrets I know when it comes to my lady's thinking patterns." Adrien said recalling the one time he used it back in the day, back before it was made into Marinette's Quirk, and how it gave him what he wanted in his mind. "But enough chat on this, but you should keep thinking on it should you face her in the next Sports Festival."
"Oh, I will." Izuku said.
"Good but anyway, how did you stop Gentle?" Adrien asked shifted the conversation back onto the fight Izuku had had that morning.
"Well, I realized that his membranes were invisible but because they altered his trajectory, as shown by my shot at him as he fled, I realized that I could use that to figure out their locations." Izuku explained. "So, I used his still elasticized crane to slingshot myself after him and prepare a shot. Thanks to forcing him to dodge my shot I'd forced Gentle to lose his momentum by knocking him off his trajectory. As a result, he created two membranes of elastic air to assist his descent and land on the ground in the woods."
"Clever." Adrien said. "Even with a miss you were able to ensure he fell short and predict where he'd end up."
"It wasn't my initial plan, but I adapted to what I'd caused." Izuku admitted. "And I confirmed all this by using one of the membranes he'd created to land to launch at him and past him as he set up a defense. Then a I paused for a second to force him to make another barrier before sharply turning and aiming at the one I'd used to slow my descent and rebound it off that membrane and into his gut all before I flipped off the ground to land in a crouch and then pin both of them to the ground to capture them."
"Damn that is quite impressive." Adrien said. "A bit like how Bakugo uses his explosions to fly and avoid things."
"I've had years to analyze Kacchan's Quirk, so I know how it works and have drawn a lot of inspiration form it and how he uses his advanced knowledge of math and physics to his advantage." Izuku said. "As loud as he is, Kacchan is highly intelligent and that is the main reason he's so strong. It's not just the power of his Quirk but how he applies it that makes him powerful."
"Yeah I know, I fought him in the Sports Festival and saw his skills first hand." Adrien said. "He was able to figure out that I was planning on wearing him out by making him use Explosion until his body could no longer take it like I did with Kirishima and his Hardening the round before and then win. I'd noticed how his wrist had twitched slightly at the end after he unleashed his massive explosion to blast away the debris Uraraka sent at him and knew what his physical limit was. Alas he deduce what I was going for before that happened and force my hand to defeat me in the end. It wouldn't work after all my training but with his own training, well, I'm looking forward to a rematch one day."
"That was a good fight." Izuku admitted. "Though I saw only part of it. It wasn't until then that I realized the full extent of what Cataclysm can destroy as it countered Kacchan's explosions."
"You beat yourself up pretty bad against Todoroki, so I understand that you didn't see most of it and it was more theory that Cataclysm would work like that but one that I was glad was right." Adrien said. "Now back to Gentle and La Brava. You've hit him again and caught him but that's not the end of it I take it."
"Alas no." Izuku said. "I had them pinned to the ground with my Quirk active and ordered them to stop resisting and give up. However, La Brava hadn't revealed her Quirk yet and there was a reason for it because she chose that moment to use it."
"Ah so it's got to be some sort of supportive or boosting Quirk then." Adrien said. "Something only used when their backs are to the wall to ensure that they escape. Likely the reason why they remained active for a while."
"Got it in one." Izuku said. "It's both supportive and boosting. I'm not sure exactly what it is called but as I had them pinned La Brava professed her love for Gentle and next thing I know he's been powered up significantly and escapes my grasp with force alone. Then he tried to knock me out despite claiming to hate using brute force."
"Even a boost like that, against you that's not enough to take you down." Adrien said.
"No, it didn't I'd fought stronger and faster opponents than Gentle even with his boost, so I wasn't out of the fight." Izuku said recalling his fight with Muscular at the Summer Camp and the damage that had caused him, but he'd do it again to protect and save Kota. "And then the festival began, I could hear Present Mic's opening announcement from where I was, and I got renewed strength though he dodged my next shot."
"Well with a power boost that is to be expected." Adrien said. "A Quirk that can do that is rare and useful, but it seems that this one has some limitations."
"It was useful for Gentle, but I agree that there appears to be a limitation on it as they waited to use it." Izuku agreed. "But it was useful when they did use it and it led to a midair engagement with us leaping from tree to tree trying to best each other. Then, he used a brief pause, to create several membranes of air and use them to slam me into the ground and pin me there, all while ranting about how elegant thin sandwiches were for some reason that I think was tied to the name of the move he used on me, but I wasn't really paying attention to some of the details at the time. Whatever the case the membranes pinning me were quite thick."
"So, he had you pinned." Adrien said though he too didn't know sandwich etiquette as that kinda thing was reserved for the British so likely Mage knew it well, but it wasn't a French thing. "Then what?"
"Then he went classic villain and started monologuing and ranting at me, I think because I impressed him, and he felt some connection to me." Izuku said. "He spoke about how he had dreams in the past, dreams to be remembered, for his name to not fade from history so he wasn't going to give up his dreams just because I asked him to. He understood that as a U.A. student I yearned for a goal of my own."
"A goal we all know well." Adrien said. "We all have them, but he is wrong in that names do fade over time with only an extreme minority of names surviving."
"True and I used my own dream to get enough force to punch the ground and escape from under the membranes." Izuku said. "And that was when I began to get him though I didn't understand how he could target the festival if he understood the nature of U.A. students and their goals. He was being selfish in going after his own dreams, his own goals, and I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let him get the festival cancelled by his selfish act and ruin it for Eri, a girl who still didn't know how to smile at that point."
"Eri did need the festival, that's for sure." Adrien said. "And it worked in that regard, it was a joy to see her so happy after the concert we did."
"She really did, I'm so happy that she can smile now." Izuku said with a smile of his own, he'd really succeeded with Eri, and it made him happy as it reminded him of his drive to become a hero who was just like All Might. "And it was because I was able to beat Gentle Criminal that she got that."
"Yes how did the fight end." Adrien said.
"Well, it continued as before only he was faster and using his Quirk a lot." Izuku said. "He wasn't giving up on his dream and he even got stronger during the fight thanks to the La Brava's Quirk, so I presume her emotions are tied to it in some way. During that final bit of the fight, he revealed that he wasn't doing this just for him, likely meaning his partner as well, and I understood that because my dream to become a hero isn't just for me anymore but for everyone who helped me get to this point, to bring about a bright future."
"That is so you Midoriya and I know you can do it." Adrien said with a smile at his friend's goals. "I know that feeling as well. I became a hero because I wanted to break free of my father's control, because it was fun, and I like helping people but since coming to Japan and meeting all of you and seeing your resolve it's become much, much more."
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked. "I never really asked you about your reasons Agreste. I know it's not for money like Uraraka and your family reasons aren't as strong as Todoroki or Ida's reasons, and we all know that you have a girlfriend so it's not for the reasons Mineta is doing it. I guess I just always figured that it was to help."
"In a way it is." Adrien said thinking on how to phrase it as the real reason wasn't something he could explain to Izuku at the moment. "I guess you could say I was almost chosen to become a hero in a way. I helped an old man, a retired hero in fact, out back before I started and Francois Dupont and he was very grateful, called me a hero for it and, well, it felt good. My power, it's not exactly what you'd call heroic when you first hear about it and how it is pure destruction. Hell, it's damn similar to Shigaraki's power."
"There are differences, and I don't believe any power is inherently evil, or good for that matter, it is how the user wields the Quirk in my book." Izuku said. "And you're power is strong with plenty of heroic uses."
"I know and it was thanks to that encounter that I started to realize that I could be a hero." Adrien said. "I'd already lost my mother as I mentioned in our last chat and my father is a controlling dick, but I had to prove that I was my own person in a way. By becoming a hero, I could do that, especially with the secrecy rules at Francois Dupont. No one would know that I was Cat Noir there, I could be more of myself under my mask. I'll admit, I wasn't the most responsible at the time and I've had to grow a fair bit and stop being so reckless but thanks to Marinette and being partnered with her, well it is part of why I fell for her, I've come to understand the bigger picture that she already did and what you do."
"We all fight for our own reasons." Izuku said thinking on what Agreste had said and recalling a specific statement the French boy had made once that had had a big impact on Izuku even if it wasn't aimed at him at the time. "I was there in the alley that night we, and let's be honest it was almost all you, took down Stain and I still remember what you said to Ida as you prepared to take on Stain alone. You're going to be a great hero Agreste, it's clear to all of us who know you, especially those of us who have fought alongside you."
"Thank you Midoriya." Adrien said. "And I will say that I am a bit like you, I do fight for more than just myself. My dreams are no longer my own, they are for my lady, my family, and all my friends both back in France and here so that I can become a hero like those of old in Paris and bring about a better world than the one I started my journey in."
Adrien didn't need to say anymore on that. He was fighting for all his old friends, the ones he'd never been able to say goodbye to, who'd been ripped from his life by a villain back before Quirks were even a thing. He was fighting to make them proud, to live the best life he could so that should he see them again in the afterlife then he'd be able to show that he'd not let what had happened get to him or Marinette. He was going to make the most of his chance in this new life he'd been sent to and do his part in making the world a safe and bright place so that none ever suffered the way he and Marinette had.
"I get that, this year has made us all grow and my fight with Gentle really showed that." Izuku said naturally not realizing the deeper meanings of Adrien's words. "He was giving it his all to defeat me as well and hold me off long enough so that La Brava, who has some tech skills, could get in range of the school and take down our cybersecurity but thankfully by that point Hound Dog was onto them and approaching with some of Ectoplasm's clones though I didn't know it at the time as Gentle had all my attention."
"Villains can work in teams as well and those teams can be as strong as any hero team if not stronger at times depending on what they are fighting for." Adrien said. "He was no doubt impressed by your resolve and showed it in return."
"He did but it was clouding his judgement, making him reckless and I used that to win." Izuku said. "I focused, sent several Air Blasts at him until one hit him in the leg and knocked him off course and gave me the moment to leap up and above him. I used that opening to kick him in the face, driving him to the ground where his powerup ended."
"Powerup Quirks tend to be like that." Adrien said. "They're useful but temporary, if you can last long enough you can best them."
"Yeah I had him pinned and subdued at that point." Izuku said. "La Brava came back as I won and tried to get me off Gentle but she's no fighter. However, it seemed to give him the strength to boost one last time and throw me off him and embrace her but by that point it was too late for him, Hound Dog and the Ectoplasm clones had arrived, and he surrendered to them."
"You held them off long enough for the staff to arrive and arrest them and as it was outside the school they didn't need to shut it down." Adrien said. "Without your aid the festival would have ended right as it began."
"I could have done things better, I know that in hindsight, but I wouldn't change what I did." Izuku said. "By the time I returned to the scene Hound Dog had Gentle apprehended and Gentle was trying to take the full blame for it to spare La Brava, but she wouldn't accept that, and I am sure the cops won't either. I told them that Gentle was going to play a joke on U.A. and that we sparred because I knew what would happen if he succeeded, it's how I got beat up a bit, and that it was over. Snipe called in right after and the Ectoplasm Clone in charge told him that things were under control, that it wasn't an emergency, and to continue with the festival as normal."
"Well, the threat was over so that makes sense." Adrien said. "And even if there were others they wouldn't have escaped the clones now that Ectoplasm was aware of things."
"Yup but that wasn't the last of it, Gentle had one more thing to tell me." Izuku said getting to the final moment of the whole fight. "As Hound Dog was taking Gentle away he told me the full truth of his past, that he'd once trained to be a hero and that the villain Gentle Criminal was the result of his failure. He wished me a bright future, that he hoped through my actions I'd reach those I hope to reach."
"Damn that's heavy." Adrien said thinking on it. "Usually that could be a taunt, but I feel like this time it wasn't."
"It wasn't a taunt, not after our fight, I know he meant every word." Izuku said. "And it's all why I'm here asking for advice."
"This fight has been different from your others." Adrien said as he began to understand what was troubling his friend. "Stain, he was a murderous zealot who twisted things way to far, I heard of Muscular after the fact and he's just an utter monster who loves to shed blood, and we all know about Chisaki, but this Gentle character is different."
"He was the toughest foe I ever faced, and I told him as much when I defeated him." Izuku said getting to the heart of it. "A difficult opponent when compared to the others that I've faced. The issue I have and why he was so tough was because I'm a lot alike Gentle, we have a lot of the same thoughts and feelings so I could have turned out just like him if things hadn't worked out the way that they did for me."
"Come again?" Adrien asked in part to play a little dumb but also because he was confused by what Izuku was saying. "What do you mean by you are a lot like this Gentle character?"
"It's hard to explain." Izuku said knowing that he had to be a bit evasive given his secret though he was unaware of Agreste's own secrets and what he knew. "I saw that most at the end when he protected the person he loved and surrendered knowing that he couldn't win, knowing that he'd failed in his grand plan. I've never had this kind of empathy for a villain before which is why I need some advice. I can't really go to the others, the only ones other than you who know me this well are Ida and Todoroki but neither would truly get it what I am feeling. You've got the experience Agreste and helped after the Hassaikai raid so I figured you could help now."
"I can do my best, I'm always here to help my friends." Adrien said thinking on it, but this was actually something he couldn't really understand as the only real villain he'd faced in his past life was Hawk Moth as the akumas he created, while they had their own reasons that led to their akumatization, weren't real villains and there was no way that Adrien could empathize with Hawk Moth that he knew of. "And I guess this is just another growing experience for you to deal with and use to get stronger."
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
"In this line of work, we're going to encounter many kinds of villains." Adrien said as he figured out how best to help Izuku. "Some of whom will show us more about ourselves then we'd like and push us in ways that are beyond physical. Remember what Kirishima said about the villain he faced during the raid, that one is kinda like Gentle in a way as that villain forced Kirishima to face his past and step up. Here you met a villain who showed you the fine line between hero and villain because those of us who bear the mantle of hero do so thanks to a series of choices or events that led to this moment, any one of them could have had a different outcome."
"That I understand more than you'd know." Izuku said though Adrien doubted it as he knew this very well, had he not helped Master Fu that day he snuck out to go to school against his father's wishes he'd never have become Cat Noir and he'd never have ended up here in the long run, but he let Izuku talk as he couldn't really address that with him. "I came close to giving up once about 10 months before U.A. but a series of events that day led me to what I needed to achieve my dreams. It has been a long path since then, one that many have helped me on, and I will not let that help go to waste. I will become a hero, one like All Might one day. This fight with Gentle has really brought it to me in a lot of ways."
"There will always be villains like that, use that to get stronger." Adrien said. "No matter what you learn from a fight with a villain always use it to make yourself stronger and better."
"Have you ever faced a villain like that?" Izuku asked curiously. "Back in France where you had that experience that is."
"I wasn't really front lines back there; I explained my experience back before the raid so while I have it I didn't have much contact with villains back then." Adrien lied but he wasn't going to stray too far from the truth and help Izuku out as best he could from his past life. "I did encounter many types with many motivations for their villainous actions so this is why I know that there will be different ones that will make us grow in various ways. It's how we use that that defines us."
"I get that, thanks Agreste." Izuku said with a small smile. "This kinda helped clear my head just from talking about it but, um, can we keep this between us?"
"Of course, this was hushed up for a reason, so I won't say a word, I know a thing or two about coverups after all." Adrien said with a grin. "And call me Adrien, we're well past the point to use surnames."
"I'll try, no promises as it is still ingrained in me to use family names unless they are family or known for many years." Izuku admitted as he stifled a yawn but there was one more thing unrelated to Gentle that he wanted to ask Adrien about. "But I should go and get some sleep, it is pretty late. Before I go though, Eri was asking a bit about the song you and Dupain-Cheng sang, and I'm curious as well, what was it about?"
"There's going to be a translation in the video that was made for it but the short of it was that it was our story in song or as close to it as we could get in song fashion." Adrien said. "The wall, which was more than just a prop but a key concept in the sone, it represented the nature of the secrecy we had back in France, and how it separated us and our love because we didn't know that we were in love thanks to it. However, we knew that our love was strong and that if we could get past the wall it would be there, that it would last forever, for lifetimes because our love was eternal."
"Woah that's deep." Izuku said. His eyes wide at that "Can't say I understand it though."
"It is deep but when you find love, especially a love like the one Marinette and I share, you'll understand." Adrien said though Izuku had no idea how deep it really was, and Adrien wasn't sure if he'd ever know but he hoped that one day he and Marinette could be open about their pasts with everyone else and not just Momo who'd accidentally discovered the truth. "Unless you've already found it that is?"
"Love, no, I'm not in love or anything" Izuku said going red and speaking a little too quickly for Adrien to believe him.
"Are you sure that there's no one special?" Adrien asked with a grin as Izuku couldn't help but think of a certain pretty brunette with rosy cheeks and pads on her fingers that always got him flustered whenever she was near him and made his heart beat faster for some reason but who also inspired him daily. "No one who you're thinking about right now, right when I mention the word love."
"N, no, I, I don't really have the time to think of things like that." Izuku said trying not to stutter and just able to avoid it being too bad. "Th, there's no one like that for me."
"Really?" Adrien asked his grin getting wider knowing he'd struck something and pushing it just a shade more. "Are you sure that there's not, oh I don't know, any brunettes with gravity canceling Quirks that have caught your eye?"
"What! I wasn't thinking of Uraraka." Izuku tried to deny and got redder in the process.
"I never said her name." Adrien said simply though he had very much implied that it was Uraraka to the point that there was no doubt who he'd been referring to. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
"I never confirmed anything." Izuku said as he took a deep breath to calm down from the fluster Agreste had put him in. "Besides, there are reasons why I can't let anyone get close like that, not even Uraraka."
"Alright I won't press it." Adrien said deciding that it was for the best to just leave it at that as he let out a yawn. "But you can always talk to me about that kinda stuff."
"I know, you do manage to make a relationship work in the Hero Course, so it is possible, I'm just in a different situation that makes it impossible." Izuku said. "Besides, it's not like she'd like me like that, or that any girl would."
Adrien just blinked at Izuku. Damn the dude was dense with a capital D. It was blatant to any with eyes that Uraraka was head over heels in love with him, though she was semi decent at hiding it from the less observant, but Adrien decided not to push it. This was something Izuku would have to find out on his own, both his own clear crush on Uraraka that he seemed to not realize he had and Uraraka's crush on him, and when he did Adrien knew that Uraraka would be there for him. As would he and Marinette should they be needed as well.
"Anyway, I should get to bed." Izuku said raising to his feet and heading to the door. "Thanks for this agre…Adrien, I really needed it."
"I can tell, oh and Izuku." Adrien said using Izuku's first name for the first time and Izuku looked back at Adrien, his hand still on the doorknob, and met the French boy's serious green-eyed gaze. "We all have secrets we keep to protect others. It's up to you if you want to tell anyone else of what happened today but know that they'd all understand that you did the right thing. People are stronger than you expect and can handle things, don't forget that."
"I won't." Izuku said it before he opened the door and left the room.
Adrien just smiled as the door closed and shifted to lay back on his bed again. He'd given Izuku the advice he needed, confirming his theory for why he was late in the process, and even teased some more things with him. In time Izuku would understand and share, Adrien hoped he could as well, but that time wasn't yet. They were still students and had to enjoy that. With that Adrien began to fall asleep after a long, fun, and very eventful day.
As for Izuku, he was dep in thought as he made his way back to his room. He was wondering what Adrien had really meant by that because it felt more than just covering up Izuku's fight with Gentle. Did Adrien have a secret that was serious enough to hide from everyone other than maybe Dupain-Cheng?
Perhaps. After all, Izuku had his own great secret that only All Might, Nezu, Recovery Girl, and most recently Kacchan knew about, so it was a possibility that others had their own secrets. He couldn't share that one but in time he could talk about Gentle with the others, once things had died down that was.
Regardless the talk with Adrien had helped and he was calmer than he had been when the festival had ended as he headed back to his room to go to sleep. Little did Izuku know that there was a lot in store not just for the world but himself as well as a new power was on the verge of awaking within him and with it the wheels of the final great confrontation between All for One and One for All would also be set in motion.
Ah a nice little bit of ominous foreshadowing for what is to come both for Izuku and the world, and I am sure y'all know what is on the horizon, after Izuku finally told someone about his fight with Gentle and La Brava and how it went down that is. First though, there's a little transition to enjoy along with a few other things that are taken directly from the anime and not the manga but for now we close out the School Festival arc and get ready to move onto the next one in the series. Other than that, there isn't much more to say about this chapter, it was a standard one that had more bonding between Adrien and Izuku which both needed for the times to come and the challenges that they and the rest of the class will soon face. That is all I have for y'all however so I will leave this chapter off here. As always, 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
