It had been two months since Nini and Tsubasa were officially listed as missing. It had been two months since then, and still, no word. Akane was talking to Izuku, hoping to get an update, but he told her that his mother wasn't saying anything. She wasn't on the case because he had found the evidence. However, after talking with one of his uncles, they were looking into it but were not the type to share any information. He had learned that the investigation was in two parts and that the local investigation unit in that area was handling the investigation of the abandoned house. Izuku could see the anxiety on his friend's faces, and he felt that knowing in the pit of his stomach that he should be doing something. Anything.
Mina could tell that her boyfriend was distracted during their Sunday visits; she could tell his mind was wandering, his body would tense, and he wanted to run off and try to do something.
"Have you talked to your mom?" Mina said as they were snuggled on her bed.
"She doesn't want me getting involved," Izuku sighed. "She knows that with my X-ray vision, I may be able to see something. There is another hero out there with that ability, but their services are on the backlog, and two missing children are on the list; there are so many more out there that they can't call them in."
"I don't like any of this," Mina responded. "Beyond two families going missing, it just doesn't sit right."
"It is messy," Izuku said.
"Exactly!" Mina said, sitting up.
"That is what Aizawa was saying one night," Izuku said, propping himself up on his elbows.
"It is like whoever did this wants to be chased," Mina added. "They do somethings clean but are leaving enough of a mess to keep people looking."
"Some serial killers need attention," Izuku said. "They want the recognition but don't want to be caught. Maybe they want the attention from the heroes or something."
"Izuku," Mina said as she kissed him gently. "One of the many things I love about you is that innate drive in you to do the right thing even if it isn't the "legal" thing. So be the man I love and jump in the pool. Use your big brain, Brainiac, and everything at your disposal."
"How did I get so lucky?" Izuku said.
Mina smirked as she straddled his stomach, "Who knows, but before you run off, I just want some time," Mina looked over her shoulder and made sure the door was closed; she reached down, grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulled it, off over her head, she loved the look of shock that Izuku gave her. She reached behind her back to unclasp her bra before tossing it. "So what…" she never got the rest of the sentence out as he sat up and captured one of her breasts in his mouth, rolling her onto her back. She giggled as they spent some time before he left.
Katsuki Bakugo
For the last two months, Katsuki Bakugo's annoyance levels began to rise to levels he didn't know were possible. All those damn extras were talking about were those two other extras that had gone and disappeared. Worst of all was that he saw them congregating around that damn nothing Izuku Kayama; it was bad enough that Akane was still acting like a giant crybaby.
Cami was just as bad; she had some ridiculous bullshit about liking him like he cared. Hifu and Daliah refused to work out during this time. Katsuki had reached his boiling point when he approached the whole group.
"Are any of you still trying to get into the U.A.?" Katsuki said, slamming his hand on the table and startling most of the group. "Or are you going to sit around and obsess about those two extras that got themselves disappeared?"
"What the fuck?" Cami said in shock.
"Yo, that is out of line," Hifu said, getting to his feet,
"You three," Katsuki said, pointing at Cami, Daliah, and Hifu. "Your chances of getting in were shitty at best; I was doing you all a goddamn favor by wasting my time trying to help you and those other two losers; if they had paid more attention and tried harder, maybe they wouldn't have been got."
"Is this shit happening?" Dahlia said, looking at the group, then to her drink like she had been slipped a hallucinogenic.
"And how long are you going to keep crying, Akane," Katsuki said, glaring at her. "You're the only one of these extras with a real chance, but you are pissing it away hanging with the fucking loser," he pointed at Izuku. "Pull your head out of your ass and get back to work; tell these losers to fuck off and quit pissing it all away. You can be a decent hero if you stop fucking around."
"Decent?" Akane said, shocked.
"Decent!" Katsuki said.
"Decent?" Akane repeated. "I am going to be more than DECENT!" Akane shouted, getting to her feet. "I am so damn tired of this bullshit; how dare you? Two of OUR friends have been kidnapped, and all you care about is working out? All of us can be heroes, you addled brain piece of crap. We can all be more than decent! You condescending, self-centered ass hole!"
Izuku could feel the heat starting to come off of Akane, "If you ever call Izuku a fucking loser again, I will burn you to ash where you stand. He is a true friend; he stepped up to help us without questions. All you said is, who the hell cares? Well, we care, you fucking Dick. Please leave me alone. We are done; if I never see you again, that would be too soon. Please don't talk to or even look at me; you will look up at us when we enter the U.A. You tiny little boy!"
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING TO LIKE THAT?" Katsuki roared, small explosions popping off from his hand.
"YOU, you damn asshole," Hifu snapped, shoving Katsuki.
"To think I ever liked this damn idiot," Cammi added. "Go away! Just leave us alone!"
"If it weren't for Akane, I wouldn't have dealt with you for as long as I have," Dahlia said. "I would go back and forth on if I wanted to be a hero, but now I am going to in part because I want to shove those words down your goddamn throat till you choke on them!"
Katsuki stumbled slightly from the shove from Hifu and retaliated, shoving the boy back harder and sending him about to topple over his chair, but Izuku caught him. He stepped straight up to Bakugo. "You should leave," Izuku said.
"Oh, I have been waiting for this, you sack of crap," Katsuki said, a maniacal smile on his face. Bakugo placed both his hands on Izuku's chest and shoved him as hard as he could. Izuku's body did not move. Katsuki growled, stepped back, and pushed him again, but to no effect.
"You done?" Izuku said, raising an eyebrow. "The bell is about to ring, signaling the end of lunch. If you want to continue this, we can meet after school, but you…and your quirk…wouldn't even wake me up if I was asleep."
Katsuki Bakugo saw red, pure unadulterated anger as he was about to blast this fucking loser to kingdom come. He didn't even hear the door opening as their classmates walked in and froze. Only the ringing of the bell snapped him back to where he was. "After school, the abandoned lot," he growled. "Don't fucking make me chase you down."
"Why would you have to chase me?" Izuku said. "I can spare a few minutes."
Bakugo stomped away, "Are you going to fight him?" Cami said, shocked at the whole exchange.
"Fight him?" Izuku said, turning to look at the group, "No way. Show him that there are levels to this, and then yes."
"Show him levels," Dahlia said. "Ok, that sounded kind of cool."
"Dude, how tough are you?" Nifu said as he was moving his chair back to its proper spot. Izuku just smiled and shrugged. Cami leaned down to whisper in Akane's ear as she was staring at Izuku.
"Too bad he has that girlfriend," Cami whispered.
Akane just sputtered and shoved Cami's shoulder, "Shut up." Akane slid her desk back. "Mina, you are one lucky girl," she muttered.
After school, Izuku walked straight to a location with about half the class following him and Bakugo as word had spread through the afternoon. He took off his school jacket and tie and handed them to Akane, "Will you hold this for me?"
The traditional circle of kids had formed; as Izuku was walking to the circle, his phone rang, and Akane looked at the caller ID and saw Mina's face on the screen. "It's Mina!" she called out.
"Answer it for me," Izuku said, "she gets mad when I don't answer her phone calls."
Akane shook her head, "Hello, Mina, it's Akane…no, he is about to get into a fight with Bakugo…kind of; I don't think Izuku plans on fighting back. Bakugo was being a dick, yea, about Nini and Tsubasa. You want me to Facetime it…sure."
"I am not going to use my quirk on you because I don't want you running home to mommy after," Katsuki seethed.
"You know mine is always on, right?" Izuku said.
"It doesn't matter what your damn quirk but I don't need mine to show you damn place," Katsuki said. Izuku just shrugged as Bakugo snarled and leaped in with the right hook. Everybody gasped. It was from the sickening sound of Bakugo's hand breaking as he punched Izuku in the jaw. Izuku's head and body didn't move, and he didn't even blink.
"You done showing me my place?" Izuku said.
"You son of a bitch," Katsuki growled, holding his hand. Katsuki stumbled to his feet, gritting his teeth; he threw a straight left; the same action equaled the same reaction; the only difference was that he didn't break his other hand.
"We good?" Izuku turned and walked away, taking his phone from Akane. "Hey baby, how are you? No, I think I am done here," Izuku turned and looked back at Bakugo, seething in anger and pain. "Yup, I am done. Are you about to go work out? You look beautiful. Call me tonight…love you too."
Akane shook her head as she and the group followed him, "Levels to this, huh?" Cami smirked.
"Everyone has different types of quirks; if they train and work hard enough, they can all be heroes; for some, it will be harder than others. People will look at me and say he had it easy, but they don't see all the hard work I had to do not to hurt someone or to be able to dance with my girlfriend. Learning restraint and learning control is just as important when you have a powerful quirk," Izuku said.
"It is a world of paper mâché," Dahlia said; Izuku could only nod. "Hey, Izuku, since you are helping Akane with her workout, would you mind helping me?"
"Same," Cami chimed in.
"I don't know if I want to go into heroics," Hifu said. "But I want to join the police and become a homicide detective. I wouldn't mind working out with all of you."
Akane looked at Izuku and smiled. "Well Izuku?"
"Of course," Izuku said. What else could he say?
"We can get something set up. I have a friend I promised to help," Izuku said; he got out of the crowd and down the street before he took to the air to return to U.A.
U.A.
He entered the training room and saw Melissa in costume, ready to rock and roll. "I am ready for you today, Izuku; you have no idea. Uncle Might has been showing me some moves today. You take that 'L'."
Izuku smiled, raced, and changed before stepping into the ring. "This is about technique today; stay focused," All-Might said.
An hour later, Melissa lay on her back panting. "So about that loss, I was going to take it," Izuku said, smirking.
"I hate you," she groaned as Izuku laughed.
"Is it okay if we use the ring for a bit longer," Izuku said to All-Might, who nodded.
"I have things to do. Just lock up when you are done," All-Might responded.
"Bye, Uncle Might. I love you," Melissa called after him. "So now that we are alone, is there where you profess your love for me."
"Cute as you are, my heart belongs to Mina," Izuku said with a smirk as Melissa blushed. "Now throw that straight right again."
Izuku and Melissa kept training, with Izuku helping to correct her form from all his training with his uncles and mother. "You need to incorporate more kicks into your fighting; you still try to be like All-Might too much."
Melissa sighed, "I know, but I am also in a skirt if you haven't noticed."
Izuku paused, rubbing his chin, "Okay, don't punch me," he said. Melissa gave him a squint. "Use that to your advantage. You are a pretty girl, Melissa, and you have nice legs; it isn't like you aren't wearing anything under your skirt; you have shorts under there."
"Wait, have you been peaking?" Melissa is ready to sock him one.
"No, I have grabbed you by your leg and thrown you," Izuku said, holding his hands defensively, "It wasn't like your legs crossed. Regardless, you will get stared out in the outfit; someone looking at your legs or seeing your shorts shouldn't stop you from using all you have. I have reached out to you. You have to close within my striking range even to have a hope of landing a punch, but with a kick, you are at the edge of my range. Create the opening to get in and land your shot."
Melissa sighed, "You're right. I am dumb; now, show me what you would do."
A Bit Later
Melissa was jumping and dancing, and Izuku was rubbing his jaw. "Oh, you like that, you like that!" Izuku laughed.
"Thanks, Izuku," she said, hugging him briefly before stepping back and blushing. "I got to get home. I have an exam to study for."
Izuku laughed as she ran off; he locked up as if asked and walked back to the house. He came in and saw his mom sitting at the table grading papers. "Hey, Mom."
"Hello, son," the tone in her voice made him freeze. "Care to explain?" she said, turning her laptop around, and he saw the video of him fighting with Bakugo.
"I never touched him," Izuku said. "He hit me; I just didn't move."
"Izuku Kayama…ok, tell me why," she said, rubbing her nose. After the story, she still rubbed her nose. "Son, how are you going to work out with them, work out yourself, help train Melissa, do your homework, and spend time with Mina?"
"Homework I can do in under 5 minutes, you know that," Izuku countered. "The rest I don't know. I don't need to go to school with all the stuff that Brainiac has been cramming in my head."
"I offered for you to test out and enroll for this year's class," Nemuri said. "But you said you wanted to wait for Mina. I wasn't about to let you be bum for a year, so you opted for school."
They both sighed, which made them smile. "Then I know what you have to do," Nemuri said, walking over and hugging him from behind. "Just tell them the truth about who I am."
"But Mom!" Izuku protested.
"We both know why I never came out and said that I had a son," Nemuri said, kissing his cheek. "The alien origin and, well, my hero persona. That calmed down since I had you anyway, and then it was just keeping you to myself and to keep you out of danger. But not much is a danger to you, and it will come out as soon as you enroll. Tell your friends; hopefully, they will keep it under wraps. There is already talk about me stepping back to teach and why. I will do an interview and tell them the truth. That truth is you."
"But Mom," Izuku said softly, holding the hands around him. "Thank you, Mom," he said softly. "I am sure that Lara and Jor-El would have been fine parents, but they couldn't hold a candle to you."
"Thank you, son," Nemuri said as they sat there momentarily. "Go handle the chores, and I will start dinner in about an hour."
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smirk. "any news?" he said hopefully.
Nemuri sighed, "No, I put in for an update; there is no news. Unknown fingerprints were found at the scene of both homes, and there was no record of Nini or her parents passing through customs in the U.S., and there were no records or sightings of Tsubasa, his parents, or his grandfather. I am sorry, son."
"It is okay, Mom. I am sure they are doing their best," Izuku said, his voice a bit strained.
The Next Day
Izuku arrived at school and was summoned to the principal's office; he walked in and saw Bakugo sitting there with who he assumed was his mother. They had the same hair and features. He noticed that one of Bakugo's hands was in a hard cast, and the other was in a splint.
"Now that both parties have arrived, I would like to discuss this video that came across my desk of you two fighting," the principal said, looking at the two boys. Bakugo clicked his tongue and looked away.
"I wasn't fighting," Izuku said. "He punched me."
"Well, you did something. How did he break his hand?" Mrs. Bakugo asked.
"I didn't move," Izuku said, raising an eyebrow. "An aspect of my quirk is that I am very durable. When he punched me, I just stood there and took it instead of moving it to lessen the impact. I warned him that my quirk is always active and cannot be shut off."
"Why were you two fighting?" The Principal asked.
"He insulted my friends; I stood up to him because, pardon the language, he was being an asshole," Izuku said. "He said he had been looking forward to this for a long time as he hadn't liked me since I transferred here. We agreed to meet to discuss our mutual dislike of each other, and he punched me and broke his hand, tried again, and I am guessing sprained it."
"What was the fight about in class?" Mrs. Bakugo said.
"This is that dumb loser Akane is hanging with, and those other stupid extras have been slacking off since those other losers got snatched," Katsuki said, glaring at Izuku.
"I have nothing to add to that," Izuku said, sitting back in his chair.
The principal sighed, "Mr. Bakugo, you will be suspended for three days, serve a week's detention, and meet with the guidance counselor to discuss this lack of empathy. Mr. Kayama, you will not be suspended but must serve a two-day detention. You did not fight back, but we will not tolerate our students meeting off campus to settle things like a couple of hooligans!"
"This is bullshit!" Katsuki spat out.
"MR. BAKUGO! One more outburst, and I will see that a permanent mark is placed on your record!" the Principal shot back; Katsuki was stunned.
"Mr. Kayama, your detention starts today with Ms. Shohi. Mrs. Bakugo, if there is nothing further, please wait with your son outside while I prepare the paperwork."
Izuku left to go to class and noticed that he was getting many looks, and an increasing number of people were telling him good morning; a significant portion was female.
The group had heard he was in the principal's office and were apologetic. He was detained because of the incident, but they were happy to hear that Bakugo had worsened. At lunch, he brought the group to go outside to eat so he could talk to them.
"Okay, so I am going to help you guys work out, but to do so, we have to go to a special gym where I can get my workout as well," Izuku said.
"Right, because normal gyms don't do anything for you," Dahlia said. Akane looked at him, her eyes wide.
"But I have a favor to ask of you all, well not Akane, she already knows," The group looked between the two before they all agreed. "We are going to be working out a pro-hero gym," he smiled at their protests. "I am asking you to keep quiet because my mom isn't an accountant; she is the pro hero at midnight."
"Are you freaking joking?" Cami said, half out of her seat. "You? Your Mom is freaking Midnight?"
"Bruh," Hifu said. "Sorry for calling her a hottie last week," Izuku laughed.
"I have heard so much worse. It is cool," Izuku said.
"The reason I transferred here is that she took a job at U.A.," Izuku said. "No one knows she has a kid. I was conceived, and my dad died shortly after in a plane crash," he saw the sympathy cross their faces. "My mom didn't want it to be known that I was around to keep me safe from villains or stalkers. But with her stepping back, it will all come out sooner or later if I make it to the U.A. next year."
"So wait, not to change the subject. Is there anything she can do about the investigation?" Dahlia said. "Or can she tell what is going on?"
"I asked her last night," Izuku said. "The trail has gone cold, no record of Nini or her parents passing through customs anywhere in the U.S., no sightings of Tsubasa, his family, or his grandfather; the only thing is that they have found an unknown set of fingerprints at both houses."
Dahlia deflated, "Is there anything they can do?"
Izuku's mind raced a bit, "They are sending all the information to another hero, a data analysis. He is called Brainiac; he will look it over and see if he can find anything the investigation may have missed."
"Brainiac?" Akane said. "I have never heard of him."
"Underground, guy in the chair type of guy," Izuku said quickly. "He doesn't go in the field at all."
"Wow, that is kind of cool," Cami said. "So your mom is freaking Midnight; we get to train in a hero gym; any other cool things you want to tell us?" She smirked.
"I can also fly," Izuku said wincing.
"That is some bullshit," Hifu muttered.
Mina
Mina was looking at her phone. It was Saturday, her light day, and something was bothering her. She would confront her trainer about it as soon as he arrived. Mina was looking at the old park that had fallen into disrepair. The park had become a dumping ground; over time, she sat wondering how it was possible. One person put something and picked it up, then again and again. The park had been built behind a long abandoned house; the house had also fallen into disrepair. Kids would use the property to hang out and party, and then it spread to the park; it looked like the thing had been destroyed and left to sit and rot for decades.
When the familiar rumble of the pickup was heard, Mina sat and waited till he stepped out in his outfit of a garish yellow suit with navy blue pinstripes about sealed it for her; she flipped back through her phone and saw the selfie from her boyfriend and Melissa with All-Might in the background wearing the same damn suit. She had noticed it several times over the past few months, and then there were some phrases that Izuku had told her that All-Might had used that made him laugh. The one that stuck out was calling them Young Ashido or Young Kayama, and Toshinori was never around when Izuku would come by. There was the footage of All-Might visiting the children's hospital this morning.
"Good Morning, Young Ashido," Toshinori Yagi said.
"Morning, Toshi-san," Mina smiled, "Nice suit."
"Yes, well, I just came from a meeting and didn't have time to change," Toshinori laughed.
"You know you really should get it tailored; it just hangs off you, like most of your clothes," Mina said, looking at him. "But that would be hard when you turn into All-Might, wouldn't it."
Toshi coughed up some blood, "Turn into All-Might, how ridiculous."
"Really?" Mina said, her eyebrow arched. "You wore the same suit at the children's hospital this morning. I often get selfies from Izuku and see All-Might in the background. It's funny that he has the same clothes you wear. And All-Might happens to be in the city when you are in the same freaking CLOTHES!" Mina showed him the picture on her phone. "So tell me, why is All-Might training my boyfriend, some blonde, and then schlepping across Japan to train me?"
"Not to mention the hair, the eyes, calling us Young, whatever," Mina said. "Look, there has to be a real good reason for you to do this, and I am deeply honored." Mina said, staring at him, "But there has to be more than just you thinking I can be a good hero."
Toshi laughed, "You are brilliant, Young Ashido. Yes, I am All-Might; as you know, that day during the battle on your field trip, I was severely injured," Toshi lifted his shirt to show her the wound. "The injuries were so severe that I could not continue as All-Might as I once did. I can only do so for a limited number of hours now. The rest of the time, I look as I do now."
He lowered the tailgate on the truck and sat, patting the spot next to him; Mina joined him. "After that battle, I knew I needed to find a successor."
"A successor," Mina said confused. "You have two, Izuku and that Melissa girl. They are crazy talented and strong."
"That they are," Toshi replied. "Your boyfriend intrigued me when I first met him; he was so strong, and his quirk was so versatile that it didn't add up, and I was concerned. I brought those concerns to Nezu, and they told me the truth after he talked to Midnight."
"Oh. OH!" Mina said.
"Young Kayama is so strong and so versatile the question of what would happen if he ever went on a rampage came to mind," Toshi said; he let Mina get her protest out before he continued. "He is a good young man, a great young man. I wanted to get to know him more, to see for myself that was all those things, and the best way to see who someone is is to see how they are with those most important to him, which brought me to you."
"The interview," Mina said, and Toshi nodded. "But the training."
"Young Ashido, I believe you will be a wonderful, tremendous hero. But I believe you can be more than that; you are brave, cool under pressure, a good friend, have a strong sense of justice, and want to be more than just another hero. That is why I choose you to be my successor."
"Okay, you say that, but what does that mean? We train, and it gets your stamp of approval," Mina said, confused.
"I always have avoided answering questions about my quirk because the truth about it is much more than the world is ready for," Toshi said. "Just below the truth about your boyfriend," Mina raised an eyebrow. "That man I fought, and his name is All for One. He has been alive for over a century and has been a beacon of evil and villainy for that entire time. But he once had a brother he thought was quirkless."
"If it was over a century ago…" Mina said. "What was All For One's quirk? By looking at us, he knew what ours was and said something about taking them."
"That was his quirk. He is/was the quirk thief; he can take someone's quirk and keep it or pass it on to those who serve him, even giving them multiple quirks," Toshi said.
"So you thought he had done something to Izuku because of all the things he can do," Mina said.
"You are correct; at the time, I was considering making him my successor, but I had to know the truth," All-Might said.
"There is that word again," Mina said lightly. "So, All for One's brother?"
"All for One thought his brother quirkless, so he forced a stockpiling quirk upon him and locked him away," Toshi continued. "But his brother was not quirkless. He had a hidden quirk; it couldn't be taken, but it could be passed on. The two quirks merged, and his brother called it One for All."
"Play on words against his brother?" Mina said.
"Exactly, you see, the younger brother was not a villain or an evil man like All for One," Toshi said. "All for One was so powerful that no one could stop him; he stole people's quirks and made himself a monster. His body could house an unknown number of quirks, and he could switch between them at will."
"So the younger brother rebelled and escaped; he passed One for All to another, hoping that one day it would grow in power," Toshi said.
"Because of the Stockpiling part," Mina said, snapping her fingers, "It stockpiled energy?"
"Very good, young Ashido," Toshi beamed. "All for One was furious at his brother's defiance and his passing of the One For All to another. So, it became a chase of All for One trying to retake back One for All, but One for All can not be taken. It must be passed willingly. One for All was passed down from one person to the next, hoping that the next bearer would be the one to take down All for One once and for all!"
"And you were the one to do it," Mina said, looking at All-Might. "Izuku was a big help, so you considered passing it to him, but then you found out about his…origin, and now you want to pass it to me?" Mina said the last part slowly. "You want me to be your successor and pass One for All to me!" All-Might just nodded his head. "Why me?"
"I believe you can be a symbol not of peace but of hope and equality," All-Might said, smiling at her. "Someone like you said that day to erase the boundaries between those with a mutation quirk and those without. Carry the torch further into the future for the next generation and be the first bearer of One for All who can live in peace knowing that All for One is dead."
"But you also are afraid that if Izuku rampages, you want someone who may be able to stop him," Mina said.
"I am not afraid of that," All-Might responded, "Not anymore. What I am afraid of is that he isn't the only one. What if more like him arrive and they are not as great as him? What if they came here in the name of conquest? He cannot fight them all alone."
"I can fight by his side," Mina said, her voice full of wonder. "I can be next to him, not chasing him!"
"Why have one pillar when there can be three?" All-Might said, "And all the others are inspired to take up the mantle with you three."
All-Might stood up, "Mina Ashido, are you willing to inherit One for All and become my successor?"
"I will not lie to Izuku," Mina said. "I am going to tell him and my parents the truth."
"I understand," All-Might answered. "The weight and the truth of One for All will be yours to carry. Just be careful who you share your secret with."
"Wait, does this mean Izuku and I can't kiss anymore!" Mina said in a panic.
All-Might laughed heartily, causing Mina to pout, "No, young Ashido, there must be intent."
"So, are we doing this now?" Mina said, her eyes twinkling.
"You are not quite ready yet, physically that is; if we do it too soon, your body may overload from the power and break apart, but within the month, if things continue to progress on schedule, you will be; I want to make sure you have time to get accumulated to One for All before the entrance exam."
"Then let's get to work!" Mina shouted as she ran off to begin her day.
Dahlia
Dahlia separated from Cami and Hifu at the train station and made her way home; she slightly detoured through the market center to pick up a few things. As she was walking, she felt she couldn't shake. It was like someone was staring at her, her unique features, and it was normal for her to get second, even third glances. But this feeling made her skin crawl; she felt like her clothes were being peeled from her body.
She looked around and didn't notice anything, not at first. She was exiting the bakery when she saw a man standing directly across from the door, and he seemed to be staring at her. She felt that feeling again; he wore a simple pair of black jeans and a white T-shirt. He wasn't Japanese; he looked European, with sandy brown hair swept to the side and sun-kissed skin. When she turned and walked away, he didn't move to follow or even turn his head. She just shook it off.
When she walked out of the fitness store with the protean powder that Izuku had recommended, he was there again, but this time, he was walking into the store. As she walked out, they locked eyes, and that chill ran through Dahlia again. His pupils were cold black but ringed in yellow, looking almost like sunflowers.
As he passed her, she felt her hair flutter up, and she swore she heard him take a deep breath in as they passed; when she turned at the doorway, she saw him glance back over his shoulder at her, and this coy smile crossed his lips.
Dahlia shivered and walked away; ignoring her last stop, she went straight home, looking over her shoulder the entire time. She ran inside and locked the door. Her mom came around the corner, and Dahlia hugged her and told her what had happened. Her mother comforted Dahlia the best she could as Dahlia was freaked out. She notified the group about what had happened; they did their best to calm her down, chalking it up to a creeper. Dahlia had calmed down by the time she went to bed.
When Dahlia woke up, she sat up and looked out the window, ready for another day; her scream brought her mother running in. Dahlia just pointed at the window. On the window sill, outside was a sunflower lying on its side.