Author's Note: Yes, I'm continuing MHA from various points of view! I'm into Season 5-6, chapters 242-298 (Plus World Heroes Mission and Light Novel Volume 5) for this year, and I hope you all continue enjoying hearing this story from supporting characters. Sad the series ended, and plan to continue the plot in my own way once I catch up. In my mind it will go on and in any ways I want, as long as I keep doing this. Faithful fans unite!
"Bundle up warmer than that, Katsuki! You wanna catch cold and miss half your work-study?"
"I know, dammit, old hag!"
"Watch your mouth in front of the number one hero, you got it?"
"Like you would!"
"What was that?"
"Whatever."
"Good luck, son!" Said the old man.
I gave him a grunt and headed out towards the bus stop, where Deku was already waiting. We'd all gotten permission to go home for New Year's, as long as a pro hero escorted us. Cementoss had taken me and Deku back to our old neighborhood, and was going to escort us to meet up with IcyHot for our winter work study.
Things had been ok at home, I guess. Felt like it lasted forever, honestly, what with everything we had planned.
Deku was grinning, which was irritating, but he didn't jump all over me or freak out, just nodded and kept watching for the bus. The ride was pretty quiet. I felt oddly like there was something we should be talking about, but - what could that be?
"Happy New Year's," Cementoss told us both.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Hrpmh," I muttered.
IcyHot was waiting at the station for the metro, waving goodbye to what was probably his sister. He wasn't even wearing a scarf in this cold. Guess the lucky bastard's haft-cold half-hot quirk keeps his temperature the same. Lucky bastard, I thought, while trying to keep from shivering in front of Deku.
"Hi, Todoroki! Thanks so much for the recommendation," said Deku as we got onto the train and IcyHot nearly sat on me.
"Move over, IcyHot! You're crowding me!"
He nodded and moved over. I was stuck on his damn cold right side for the whole train ride.
We arrived at the agency street at last, where the number one hero was standing there waiting for us.
Oddly - unsettlingly - he was grinning.
"Welcome. I'm Endeavor."
Then his faced darkened back to the same look he always had.
"Is that the warm reception you were hoping for? I ain't thrilled about taking you two on. This is only cuz Shoto asked! I was hoping it'd be just me and him!"
"You already accepted them, so stop complaining," IcyHot told him.
"Sh-shoto!" He gasped.
I thought back to when Deku and me had told All Might about the work study.
"You're going to Endeavor?s All three of you? That's great! Be sure to learn all you can."
"What about my one for all training?" Asked Deku. We'd had the meeting in private, so nobody could overhear him talking about his and All Might's secret quirk-transfer pact in public, which they had been messing up about more lately.
"I think you've been doing fine ever since the day black whip manifested," said All Might. "After all, we haven't seen any other new quirks emerge, right? As long as you've got the locking-unlocking visualization down, I don't expect you'll experience any more outbursts."
"Right!" Said Deku.
I rolled my eyes. "I'd let em all bust out, like bam!"
"I bet you would," Deku'd smirked at me.
"This is great timing for you too, young Bakugou," All Might told me.
"Huh?"
"You and Endeavor are a lot alike, and I think seeing him as he is now would do you a world of good. If you two hope to become top heroes, you can't afford to pass up this chance."
A lot alike, huh? I thought as I looked Endeavor over.
"Ever since our training course, I've been thinking…you're a jerk."
"Are you really friends with this kid, Shoto!?" He shouted at IcyHot.
"Whatever. I'll put up with anything if it means seeing how the top dude operates," I replied, weighing the pros and cons in my head. On the one hand, being stuck with Deku and IcyHot for weeks. On the other, the number one hero. Number one won.
"I told to choose your friends wisely!" The old man barked at IcyHot.
"Thank you for accepting us!" Said Deku. "We're here to learn, sir!" He added.
"Shoto's not me…it was you who said that," Endeavor murmured at Deku.
When'd he say that? Probably back at the Sports Festival. Another of his inspirational little speeches.
All of a sudden Endeavor jumped over a fence.
"Sorry, but I don't give a crap about anyone but Shoto! You wanna learn?" He shouted while powering up. "Stand back and watch!"
We all suited up. Me and Deku both threw on our gauntlets.
"Tell us what we can do!"
"I told you to stand back and watch!" Endeavor shouted.
"Revelations from the universe I have received!" Flee flee good citizens! The dark lord's lips curl in a wicked crescent! The End is nigh!" Came the villain's loud chanting.
"He told us to stand back and watch, but -"
"To watch, we have to keep up!" Deku finished IcyHot's sentence as we sped along after the Number One. He was really too damn fast to follow properly.
The villain was floating along down the street, chanting loudly. "The dark stars collude and conspire! They must be halted! This land will soon be cloaked in darkness! Flee good citizens! I am who will destroy the root cause of this darkness! Now -Enchanted Fallen King! Reveal yourself! Herald of the dark lord!"
He had sucked the glass from the surrounding windows and shaped it into some kind of massive weapon orb.
Endeavor had caught up to him and was giving chase. The villain had led him into an ambush from some of what looked like his assistance.
Me and Deku had gotten to those villains first, and were just about to finish them when -
Feathers showed up and got em first?
"OH, trainees!" shouted the Wing Hero Hawks, swooping down to join us. "My bad. Looks like I was a little faster."
"Hawks!?" Said Deku.
"Seemed like you were in trouble Endeavor."
"Me? Not a chance."
"But it seemed that way, didn't it Shoto?" He asked IcyHot, who just stuttered "Um - I - uh!"
"You're supposed to contact me when you're in town," said Endeavor.
"I'm not - I mean, I was just passing by," said Hawks.
The villain was being handled int other vehicle and was still ranting. "That one is the root cause! His shining light beckons the dark! It precipitates our demise!"
"Zero casualties, yet again. As long as you're watching over this town, we're safe and sound," said a cop.
Deku came over to join IcyHot and the spoonbill bastard. "Hello, my name is Midoriya!"
"You're the kid who smashes up his own fingers, right? Tokoyami filled me in. Man, I wish I could've worked with that kid again."
"But isn't Tokoyami back at your agency?"
"Yeah, down in my hometown with my sidekicks. But I've got too much going on to be there. I feel kinda bad - about it…" he said, then trailed off, looking at me.
"Back there - I was faster!" I snapped.
"Huh, you think so?"
"Well Hawks? What do you want?" Said Endeavor.
"Want? Oh, nothing, really. But have you read this book, Endeavor?"
He pulled a book out of his pocket.
"Meta Liberation War?" Asked Deku.
"I mean, you must've heard of it. This thing's been flying off the shelves lately. And after those townspeople in Deika fought for their lives, the book's been getting even more attention. It was written way back when, but it feels really relevant today. Like this quote. 'When freedom is only granted to a select few, the burden necessarily shifts to everyone else. If you don't got time for heavy ready, I highlighted the must-read parts! It outlines Destro's ultimate ideal, a society held together by personal responsibility! It's perfect for this day and age!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Imagine it, Endeavor! A world where we've got time to kill!"
I stared at the other two. They looked as confused as me. It sounded like that weirdo was talking in what - some kind of code?
