We've finally made it to our Halloween-themed chapter… in the middle of June! I know, it's a bit weird to be doing this now, but rest assured, it's all part of the story. Speaking of which, there'll be more to bring up in this chapter and beyond, so stay tuned!
Before I do continue, I do need to address the latest string of guest reviews I've gotten. William Hoenicke, I've read your various comments and suggestions. And while I do appreciate them, I'm going to do what I feel is best for the story. I am considering your ideas, but I will say that I've made up my mind on most of them already. You'll see what I mean when the time comes.
Now let's see what kinds of costumes Class 1-A has in mind for Halloween! Enjoy, everyone!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" Rebecca exclaimed as she made her way into the common room, dressed in her costume with her red-and-white wig, wearing an orange jacket with bat wings over her black dress, having a black, left legging with shoes and purple headphones over her ears.
"Whoa, lookin' good, Becky!" Mina complimented, dressed with a boa feather scarf around her neck while wearing shades with a deep purple dress, "Bet that wig was a big pain to get together…" she pointed out.
"Yeah, kinda…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user admitted in response, scratching her right cheek, "The biggest pain was styling it up perfectly…" she recalled, "Truth to be told, I needed Yuga's help for that one," she admitted.
"Aoyama, really?" Mina questioned, blinking in surprise, "Well, I should've expected that…" she admitted.
"Looks like you're both ready, ribbit!" Tsuyu's voice chimed, getting their attentions as they saw the Frog Quirk user coming over, dressed in a dark blue outfit with a yellow chest, having light-blue four-pointed stars on each leg. She also had fin-like extensions coming out from the top of her head and her ears, with a light blue webbing connecting them together.
"Wow, Tsu!" Rebecca exclaimed as she brought her hands together, "I figured you were gonna go all out, but I didn't know you'd pull this off!" she pointed out excitedly.
"What even is that?" Mina asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm a Greninja, from Pokémon," Tsuyu answered, "When Rebecca was saying how we should give it our all with costumes, I wanted to do something that I'd really like," she affirmed in explanation.
"It suits you to a T!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user assured in reply as she winked.
"Guess going all out's a thing with our class these days…" another voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned and gasped. Standing there was Kyoka, who was in a black leather outfit with fingerless gloves, a sleeveless shirt, and pants. Combined with knee-high brown boots and a light-yellow trench coat, she also had red markings underneath her eyes, though they were more spread out compared to her hero costume.
"Oh my gosh!" Rebecca exclaimed, skipping up to the Earphone Jack Quirk user, "Kyoka, I had no idea you were into old school anime!" she pointed out excitedly.
"Old school?" Mina and Tsuyu repeated, tilting their heads out of confusion.
"She's a character from a nineties series that was about a future dystopia with cyborg humans and the like!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user explained in reply, "Battle Angel Alita!" she declared, gesturing toward Kyoka as she stepped aside to let her be seen.
"I kinda got inspired to go for something a little different…" she admitted in embarrassment, blushing a little, "I hope it's not too weird…" she added.
"It's perfect!" Rebecca assured in reply, making her smile.
"So that means almost everyone's here, right?" another voice presumed, getting their attentions as they turned to see Ochaco and Momo approaching. Both of them were wearing dress shirts with black ties and slacks. The former of the two had fake sharp teeth in her mouth, also wearing a blue jacket and having a pair of red horns atop her head. Her appearance was more unkempt than her classmate's, whose hair was kept in a loose braid behind her head.
"Hello, everyone," she greeted. The other girls seemed very confused.
"Why are you two dressed in suits?" Mina asked almost immediately.
"And are those horns?" Kyoka inquired, pointing towards the fake protrusions atop Ochaco's head.
"Yep!" she confirmed in reply as she nodded.
"So… you two are…?" Tsuyu started to inquire.
"Makima and Power respectively," Momo answered, "They're from the series known as Chainsaw Man," she mentioned to the group.
"…Huh?" all the girls uttered in confusion.
"What's wrong, you guys?" Ochaco asked, "Do you not know about it?" she presumed.
"N-No, it's not that…" Rebecca stuttered out, "It's just…" she started to say, "it's not I'd expect either of you to know about…" she admitted to their surprise.
"Uh… well…" the Zero Gravity Quirk user began, blushing sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head.
"The thing is…" Momo continued, fidgeting with her fingers. There was a key reason they had picked out their costumes for the celebration.
FLASHBACK
"I'm going all out and becoming the Chainsaw Man!" Shiki declared as he stood atop the coffee table in the common area.
"Chainsaw Man?!" Denki exclaimed, while from afar, both Ochaco and Momo overheard, "Dude, that's nuts!" he pointed out emphatically.
"But not impossible, given the circumstances," Fumikage mentioned, chiming into the conversation, "I know all too well of that accursed anime of a man driven by depravity…" he added, "Granbell, I will gladly assist you in the endeavor of making you the Chainsaw Man," he decided.
"Oh, thanks!" the Satan Gravity Quirk user responded gratefully. Ochaco and Momo glanced to each other for a moment before pulling out their phones, searching up as much information as they could on the character that the boy would be dressing up as.
END FLASHBACK
"We were torn between going for a few other girls, but figured these two would work best…" Ochaco admitted to the group before her and Momo.
"Hopefully, it's not too much…" the latter mentioned.
'Those two are hopeless…' Kyoka muttered inwardly.
"Oh, hello, everyone," Homura's voice chimed in, getting their attentions, "I had assumed we'd be convening during the festivities," she noted to the girls.
"Oh hey, Kogets—!" Mina's greeting was halted as her jaw dropped upon seeing what the Soul Blade Quirk user was wearing. Everyone was shocked. She was dressed in a black catsuit, zipped up to the front with fingerless gloves and a red hourglass symbol on one of her two belts. The suit itself wasn't zipped up all the way, with a fair amount of her cleavage showing.
"Is… something wrong?" she asked of her shocked female classmates.
"How is that you're always the one getting into outfits like that?!" Kyoka inquired emphatically with a reddened face.
"I'm… sorry?" Homura apologized unsurely, tilting her head to the side.
"You're supposed to be Black Widow, right?" Rebecca asked as she approached, "How'd you end up deciding on that?" she inquired curiously.
"Kaminari approached and said he was assembling a group that required a girl to take on the role of the Avengers," the Soul Blade Quirk user explained in response, "I was going to decline until I heard that Shoto would also be a part of the group, playing as the Captain America character," she mentioned on.
"Wait, Todoroki's gonna be Cap?!" Mina exclaimed in shock, just imagining the thought of the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user in the uniform of the hero, "Hah…" she sighed with her hands upon her cheeks, "He's gonna look so dreamy…" she proclaimed.
"So who else is involved with you guys?" Rebecca inquired of Homura.
"Hey girls!" a familiar voice called out, getting their attentions. Approaching them was a girl with short, wavy chartreuse hair that had pink specks, big round eyes, with the pupils being violet on top, teal on the bottom, and yellow on the inside, and light yellow bushy eyelashes. She was wearing a pink-tinted version of what looked to be a school uniform, along with a plain white haori. The chest area of her uniform was left unbuttoned and she wore a short pleated skirt. Additionally, she donned a pair of navy blue thigh-high socks layered with the vertically striped lime-green socks and a pair of white zōri with pink straps. "You ready to get this Halloween party started?!" she inquired excitedly. The others stared at her blankly.
"…Who are you?" they all asked simultaneously.
OPENING
Insert "Fleeting Lullaby" by Ado
A spotlight shines upon a stage, where Kyoka, Rebecca, Momo and Homura are. Kyoka wields her bass, Rebecca's sitting at the drums, Momo readies her hands to play the keyboard, and Homura grips her electric guitar tightly. As Kyoka starts signing, more lights flash on, revealing the rest of Class 1-A as they're about to perform.
We cut to Shoto and Katsuki struggling with the provisional license course as Homura watches on alongside All Might and Endeavor. She glances toward the Flame Hero curiously, while a memory of Valkyrie crosses her mind. In the meantime, we get images of Madame Kurenai with her cronies, Garrot, Baku, and Nino; the latter of which appearing reluctant. There's also a shot of the current Shining Star Heroes, who're standing in front of the safe door found at the Hassaikai headquarters.
There's another scene of the League of Villains lurking in the shadows, with Dabi taking note of a particular news broadcast on a TV. Elsewhere, Shura finds himself being confronted by the Oceans 6. He sneers as he readies his Quirk, but is suddenly stopped when Nero appears behind him and slams his head into the ground. He goes through a flashback of his own where as a young boy, he was crying in the corner.
Next up, we see Izuku and Rebecca hopping around in pursuit of Gentle Criminal and La Brava as they bounce about on the way to U.A. Already there is Eri, who's with Mirio and the others who were a part of the raid mission. They and the rest of Class 1-A are about to perform as they head off to the stage inside Gym Gamma.
We go through several scenes of the class in separate groups, with Katsuki and Eijiro arguing over the special effects as the others sigh, Mina practicing the dancing with the class, especially Shiki as Ochaco watches on with a blank jealous stare, and Kyoka, Momo and Homura tuning their respective instruments. The Earphone Jack Quirk user worriedly looks at the clock, hoping that Izuku and Rebecca can make it in time.
As the opening winds down, we see shots of Deadend Crow, God Acnoella, Poseidon Nero, Saintfire Nox, Elsie Crimson, and finally, Tomura Shigaraki. We also get to see the lineup of the top ten pro heroes of Japan: Eraser, Kamui Woods, Crust, Holy, Mirko, Justice, Edgeshot, Hawks, and Endeavor. As the ceremony goes on, an ominous figure watches on curiously.
The song concludes with Izuku and Rebecca holding hands as they run ahead with smiles on their faces, heading for what they hope is a bright future.
END OPENING
"And… parfait!" Yuga exclaimed, having finished getting the x-shaped scar perfectly printed on Izuku's chest, as they were in the former's room, "My work dazzles as always…" he proclaimed.
"Thanks, Aoyama!" the One For All inheritor said with gratitude. He was wearing an open, long-sleeved red cardigan with four buttons, with a yellow sash tied around his waist. "I hope it doesn't get too cold tonight…" he mentioned in concern.
"Non!" the Navel Laser Quirk user responded, "No weather shall ruin the true beauty of what's to come!" he declared proudly. His friend chuckled.
"Oh, I never asked…" he realized after a moment, "What are you going as tonight?" he inquired of Yuga.
"Isn't it fairly obvious?" he questioned rhetorically in response. Almost immediately, he dressed himself as someone wearing a formal black tuxedo suit with a black cape and a red interior. He also donned a white mask and a formal long hat. "I should only become the fabulous Tuxedo Mask!" he announced proudly.
"Oh, that suits you!" Izuku complimented. Moments later, they left the room.
"Have you organized anything with Bluegarden before this evening?" Yuga inquired of his friend.
"Oh, uh… not really…" he responded, putting on his straw hat, "We figured we'd just go ahead and see where the night takes us…" he confirmed, chuckling a little.
"Midoriya and Aoyama…" a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to see Fumikage coming out from his room, "I see you've decided on quite intriguing costumes this very evening," he pointed out. Both of his classmates blinked in surprise. He was wearing a grey zippered, high-collared, short-sleeved shirt and blue wrist warmers. He also had dark blue pants, over which hung a blue cloth that covered him from his stomach to his knees, which he secured with a purple rope belt, where a sheathed sword was held.
"Whoa…" Izuku uttered in amazement.
"My word…" Yuga said, putting his right hand onto his chin, "I never imagined that you would choose to play as such a character," he noted.
"The madness of a man who seeks vengeance is one that speaks much to me," Fumikage told his classmates, "As such, he was the perfect choice," he confirmed.
"Well, we're glad you're happy," the One For All inheritor affirmed. The Dark Shadow Quirk user cracked a grin.
"Then shall we partake in tonight's revelry?" he offered.
"Wi!" Yuga responded, while Izuku nodded.
"Hey, wait up!" a familiar voice called out, getting their attentions as they saw Minoru hurrying over, dressed in medieval garb, "Don't go forgetting about me!" he insisted of his classmates.
"Ah, Mineta," Fumikage greeted, "Are you perhaps a dwarf?" he presumed.
"Oh, real funny!" the Pop Off Quirk user shouted, "I happen to be dressed as a character from a critically acclaimed series," he pointed out, "Once ladies recognize who I am, they'll be falling left and right for me!" he proclaimed.
"So, I think there's supposed to a costume contest tonight…" Izuku noted, walking off with his classmates towards the elevator, having decided to ignore Minoru's rambling.
"Ah, hey!" he yelled, hurrying after them. Meanwhile, at the school itself, All Might was finishing his paperwork, dressed up as a vampire for the evening with his cape and fake fangs. He looked out the window, seeing the lights and booths that were set up for the night. He smiled, glad to see students enjoying the festivities. And then, the door slammed open, causing him to shiver in surprise as blood spurted from his lips.
"What the hell, All Might?!" Holy's voice shouted, causing him to slowly turn and see the I.U.A. Hero there with her phone in hand, "You send me a message about Deadend Crow and don't even tell me more before I reach out to Tsukauchi?!" she pointed out angrily as she stomped up to the former pro, "I'd like an explanation as to why I wasn't brought into the loop on this until now!" she demanded, getting right into his face as he sweated, holding his hands up.
"C-Calm down, Holy!" he stammered out, "I would've assumed Tsukauchi informed you about his investigation!" he noted, waving his hands.
"Huh…" the dual-type Quirk user sighed, "So, what did you discover?" she asked, leaning up against the desk, "I wanted to hear the details from you first," she affirmed. All Might glanced down in thought, wondering how to best approach this as an explanation. He didn't want to reveal too much, especially out of respect for the Shining Star Heroes.
"Deadend Crow isn't human," he finally said, causing Holy to blink in surprise, "He's an android that's been modified with multiple Ether-type Quirks, based on the information we gathered around him," he explained further.
"An android…" the I.U.A. Hero repeated, "How is that even possible?" she wondered, narrowing her eyes. All Might tensed up. This is where things would get complicated to explain without going into the story of Witch and the others.
"Well, you see…"
"He's a creation of Ziggy's," a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they looked towards the door to see Witch herself enter. She was wearing a long skirt, an open vested crop top covering her breasts, and a witch's hat, carrying a scepter in her right hand. "Hello, Holy," she greeted as she approached, "I had a feeling you would come by once we learned more about Deadend Crow," she noted.
"W-Wait a moment…" the I.U.A. Hero stammered, "Crow was created by Ziggy?" she questioned, "What are you talking about?" she inquired on.
"Witch…" All Might uttered.
"It's alright, All Might," the Sorcery Quirk user assured with a little smile, "I know Holy can be trusted with the truth," she affirmed, causing the dual-type Quirk user to blink in confusion. A little while later, she had received the full explanation of what had happened. She lowered her head and sighed.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Witch…" she apologized.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Holy," the Shining Star Hero assured, "It was a terrible catastrophe, yes…" she noted on, "Even so, it gave rise to greater protection for Japan in her future…" she pointed out.
"So… Crow was a creation of Ziggy's…" the dual-type Quirk user realized, lifting her head as she stared straight ahead for a moment, "How did he end up the way he did?" she inquired.
"Based on what Witch and the others told us, it's possible his memories were altered during the assimilation process into his android body," All Might told her thoroughly in response.
"And though I'm unsure of his prior life, it's extremely likely he had a Quirk that prevented him from fully assimilating," Witch added.
"I see…" Holy uttered in reply, standing up, "So it wasn't Ziggy's fault that Crow turned out the way he did," she noted, "It was likely a miscalculation or perhaps a glitch…" she inferred, glancing off to the side in thought, "Still…" she continued, trembling a little, "with the power that monster holds, it's hard to believe that it was all just an accident…" she admitted.
"Holy…" All Might said worriedly.
"By the way…" the I.U.A. Hero continued, "why are you two dressed up?" she inquired of the teachers. The former pro chuckled.
"Take a look outside," he offered, standing aside for her to approach the window. She blinked in surprise before smiling, seeing students wandering about the campus in costumes.
"Sorry for not recognizing you, Toru!" Mina apologized, clapping her hands together as she walked beside the pouting Invisibility Quirk user with the rest of the girls of Class 1-A.
"Yeah, we've never just seen you… not invisible…" Ochaco chimed in sheepishly.
"I figured you would've at least recognized my voice and the fact that I'm the only other girl in the dorms…" Toru grumbled.
"Sorry…" Mina and Ochaco apologized again.
"I gotta say, you really pulled off the costume great, Toru!" Rebecca complimented.
"That's from Demon Slayer, right?" Tsuyu inquired with a finger upon her right cheek.
"Mm-hmm!" the Invisibility Quirk user responded with a nod, "It's a total favorite of mine!" she affirmed.
"I'm curious as to how we can see you now though…" Momo admitted, putting her left hand onto her chin, "Perhaps it's something to do with refracting light?" she presumed.
"Nope!" Toru responded, pulling up her left sleeve to reveal a familiar bind around her wrist, "You guys recognize this?" she inquired of her classmates.
"Isn't that one of those compressed weights made by Hatsume?" Homura guessed as she leaned closer to get a better look.
"Yeah, but it's been redesigned," the Invisibility Quirk user replied, "It's basically a Quirk suppressant that works when you put it on," she told the others, "I wanted to show off my costume without the whole invisible shtick, so I asked Mister Power Loader to borrow it for the night," she explained on.
"Doesn't that seem like something they'd wanna give to villains?" Kyoka inquired.
"I guess it's fine if it's just for tonight," Rebecca affirmed in reply, "Besides, it's so cool to see what you look like, Toru!" she mentioned excitedly, "Your hair's amazing!" she complimented.
"Oh, stop it!" the Invisibility Quirk user gushed, putting her hands upon her cheeks sheepishly.
"I wonder what the others are dressed like…" Tsuyu said curiously.
"Guess we'll find out soon!" Rebecca declared in response. Elsewhere, a disgruntled Katsuki was seated on the grass with a scowl upon his face.
"Can't believe you dragged me into this…" he grumbled.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to win that costume contest," Eijiro pointed out in response as he approached him. He was wearing a white shitagi, a black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, white tabi, and waraji, along with a maroon-colored headband over his head, while his hair was tied into a spiky ponytail. "I figured you'd be perfect for something like this!" he affirmed, also carrying a six-segmented blade over his right shoulder.
"Tch," Katsuki scoffed, wearing almost the exact same robes as his classmate as he stood up, though he had a red rosary-like strap to hold his massive blade upon his back, "I'm just glad you were smart enough not to go and dye my damn hair…" he grumbled in admittance.
"Well, I was planning on it if you'd give me the chance…" the Hardening Quirk user admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Katsuki bellowed angrily. Walking by, the girls took notice of the pair.
"Aw, look at that!" Mina gushed.
"I guess Kirishima convinced Bakugo to go through with getting dressed up," Tsuyu noted with a finger upon her cheek.
"At least he's doing something other than sulking around…" Kyoka muttered, folding her arms behind her head, "I wish everyone else was coming…" she confessed somewhat sadly.
"Oh yeah," Ochaco chimed in upon remembering, "Koda and Shoji decided to stay and hand out candy from the dorm," she noted.
"We better get them a lot for later!" Mina decided excitedly with a big grin.
"Yeah!" Rebecca agreed, pumping her fists. Elsewhere, Izuku, Yuga, Fumikage and Minoru were in awe of Tenya's costume. It was similar to his hero one, though now it was red-and-blue.
"I take it you approve of my costume for the evening?" he presumed.
"Yeah, it's awesome!" the One For All inheritor complimented in response.
"That's from the anime series in America, right?" the Dark Shadow Quirk user presumed.
"Precisely!" Tenya replied, "For I am the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime!" he declared, "Now transform and roll out!" he ordered as he posed, speeding off.
'Iida really gets into character, doesn't he?' Izuku noted to himself.
"Yo, guys!" Denki's voice called out, getting their attentions as they turned and blinked in surprise, "Check us out!" he insisted, holding up a familiar hammer in his right hand. He was dressed like Thor, smirking confidently. Alongside him were Hanta, who donned Hawkeye's outfit, Rikido, who was shirtless and had his skin painted green, looking like the Hulk, Shoto, who wore Captain America's uniform without the helmet, and finally, Weisz, who merely was dressed in a two-piece suit with shades over his eyes. "We're the Avengers!" the Electrification Quirk user declared proudly.
"Cool!" Izuku exclaimed as his eyes sparkled.
"So that's what you guys were up to…" Minoru realized.
"Yep!" Hanta responded proudly, showing off the prop bow he had, "After watching all those movies, we figured we'd try for something like this!" he pointed out.
"Your costumes are quite magnifique!" Yuga complimented, "Although…" he continued, "I don't remember a man in a suit amongst the Avengers…" he pointed out, looking over at Weisz, who winced a little.
"I'm Tony Stark, dammit!" he shouted, "That's obvious enough!" he affirmed.
"Then why aren't you dressed as Iron Man?" Minoru inquired.
"I AM IRON MAN!" Weisz bellowed in frustration.
"Hm," Fumikage huffed, "Perhaps you felt that dressing as the character rather than the armor would suffice, yes?" he presumed.
"Yeah, exactly," the Machina Maker Quirk user responded with a nod, only to blink in realization, "Hey, you're making it sound like I was being lazy!" he yelled out.
"Your costume looks great, Todoroki," Izuku complimented as he approached the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user.
"Thanks," he responded gratefully, holding up his shield in his left arm, "We were able to get a lot of the materials for props from the development studio," he pointed out, "They were actually commissioning costume features for students," he mentioned.
"Oh, really?" the One For All inheritor inquired as he blinked.
'I guess that explains how there're so many good costumes around campus…' he noted to himself, looking about to see students dressed left and right.
"By the way…" Shoto continued, getting his attention, "I noticed that Hatsume wasn't joining in on the costume commissioning," he pointed out.
"Wait, Hatsume wasn't?" Izuku repeated in surprise, "I mean, I guess it makes a little sense if it's not actually for making support items…" he admitted, putting his hand onto his chin in thought, "Still, I can't imagine her not wanting to chip in and help people out…" he noted on.
"It's too bad you guys didn't get yourselves a Black Widow," Minoru commented, getting their attentions, "Getting a girl into a skintight suit would've been a dream come true…" he mentioned, drooling a little.
"Actually, Homura is our Black Widow," Shoto chimed in, causing Izuku to gasp. The Pop Off Quirk user's eyes widened. He imagined the particular girl such an outfit, her breasts and butt bulging against the tight clothing.
"Thank you, Todoroki…" he said gratefully… right before dashing off, "I MUST SEE THIS AMAZING SIGHT FOR MYSELF!" he declared excitedly.
"Ah, Mineta!" Izuku yelped out.
"Sheesh…" Hanta muttered, "You know he's gonna get his just desserts…" he noted.
"Mm-hmm," Rikido agreed as he nodded.
"We should at least make sure he doesn't cause anyone else any trouble," Shoto insisted.
"Yeah, good point," Izuku responded, heading off with him and the others. A large stage was set up by school's entrance, where already quite a few people were gathered. Rebecca was at one of the booths nearby, using a pen to write her name under a list of others upon a sheet.
"Alright, you're number thirty!" the attendant confirmed once she finished, "Show us your best with your costume and character!" she advised with a wink.
"I will!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user affirmed in response.
"So the costume contest's not just about the costume you wear, huh?" Kyoka inferred, looking over to Eijiro.
"Yeah, I hear it's meant to be like a performance in a way," he explained in reply, "You basically gotta do something that you know your character would do!" he said.
"Tch…" Katsuki scoffed, "Sounds lame…" he grumbled out.
"Don't forget that you're doing it, too!" his friend noted aloud, much to his chagrin as he growled. Kyoka giggled.
"Seeing him try to be Ichigo of all characters oughta' be something…" she pointed out quietly.
"I think Shiki said he was gonna be entering too, didn't he?" Ochaco presumed with a finger upon her chin.
"He probably is having trouble getting his costume together…" Momo inferred, "Though it didn't sound too complex at first, I'm sure it'd take some time to get all the necessary materials together…" she told her classmates.
"I'm curious to see what he'll look like," Homura chimed in with a smile.
"THERE YOU ARE!" a familiar voice cried out, getting their attentions as they turned. The girls grimaced upon seeing the drooling Minoru charging towards them. "Just like I imagined!" he exclaimed, "Kogetsu in such a scandalous and tight outfit!" he pointed out, "All the others look great, too!" he added excitedly as he approached, "It's a dream come tr—!" He screeched to a halt as a figure stepped out in front of him. He looked up, paling with fright.
Standing before him was a man dressed with a white shirt, a black tie, and black slacks. But that wasn't what scared him. His head was a demonic, mechanical shape with long, jagged fangs and a chainsaw handle on the back. Large chainsaw blades were upon his forehead and arms. He turned toward the Pop Off Quirk user, who trembled as he fell to the ground.
"Oh, hey Minoru!" he greeted, "Nice costume!" he complimented.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Pop Off Quirk user screamed, "IT'S A FREAKY CHAINSAW MONSTER!" he wailed, hurrying off.
"Huh?" the young man uttered, tilting his head in confusion, "Guess he didn't recognize me…" he realized.
"Hey Shiki!" Ochaco greeted, getting his attention as he turned to see the others there.
"Oh, guys!" he called out, "You all look great!" he complimented as he approached.
"Our costumes pale in comparison to yours, dude!" Eijiro retorted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "Seriously, you went all out!" he noted with clenched fists.
"Thanks!" the Satan Gravity Quirk user responded gratefully, "It's a little hard to breathe in this, though…" he admitted, managing to use his hands to lift the top part of the head, as it was acting like a helmet, "Huh…" he exhaled, "So you two got dressed up as the girls, huh?" he inquired of Momo and Ochaco, who perked up, "That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, um… well…" the Creation Quirk user stuttered, turning away with a blush upon her cheeks, "I… thought it would be fun to play such a character…" she admitted.
"S-Same here…" Ochaco added sheepishly with a stammer, looking off to the side herself.
'Completely hopeless…' Kyoka muttered inwardly.
"Oh, there you all are!" another voice called out, belonging to Izuku as he approached with the boys.
"Izu!" Rebeca exclaimed, skipping over to embrace her boyfriend, who yelped with surprise before laughing.
"Your costume looks great," he complimented.
"So does yours!" his girlfriend affirmed, giggling cheekily.
"So, you went through with the desire to become the Chainsaw Man, Shiki…" Fumikage noted as he approached the Satan Gravity Quirk user.
"Yep!" he responded with a chuckle, "I wasn't gonna let this chance pass!" he affirmed earnestly.
"Hm," the Dark Shadow Quirk user chuckled, "I take it your costume is what frightened Mineta here…" he noted, holding up the Pop Off Quirk user, who was still tearing up.
"Even if that is a costume, it's way too scary…" he whimpered out.
"So, any of you guys gonna do that costume contest thing they're doing?" Kyoka inquired of the boys.
"Oh, hell yeah!" Denki declared, hurrying over to the booth where sign-ups were occurring.
"Why don't you do it too, Izu?" Rebecca suggested of her boyfriend, who blinked in surprise.
"M-Me?" he stuttered, "Uh… I don't know…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm… not exactly like Luffy…" he pointed out.
"Come on, just give it a shot!" his girlfriend insisted, "Kacchan's doing it too, so you might as well…" she pointed out.
"He is?" the One For All inheritor inquired, glancing over to the Explosion Quirk user, who had his usual scowl upon his face, "Okay then…" he uttered out, clenching his fists determinedly, "I'll enter the contest!" he decided.
"That's the spirit, Midoriya!" Eijiro exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Shiki yelled in agreement. Meanwhile, a figure was watching the group from afar, narrowing his eyes curiously…
X
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN, MY DEAR LISTENERS!" a fancily dressed Present Mic exclaimed into the microphone as he stood upon the stage, "We're about to get this costume contest started!" he declared excitedly, "YOU ALL READY?!" he inquired loudly. A few of those in the crowd cheered excitedly in response.
"Present Mic's loud as usual…" Hanta noted with his hands over his hurting ears.
"Who the heck is he even supposed to be?" Kyoka inquired as she looked at the Voice Quirk user's bizarre costume.
"I think he's a famous person from America…" Tsuyu answered with her right pointer finger upon her cheek.
"Now here to explain how this shindig works, we've got our very own Miss Hermit!" Mic announced, standing aside for the Shining Star Hero. She was wearing a white leotard with a blue-collar that had three stripes on it, white gloves, light yellow shoulder pads, and a blue skirt, along with a dark pink bow on the chest and at the back. She also wore a pair of dark pink knee-high boots with a white border at the triangular top and crescent moons, gold earrings consisting of stars with a crescent moon beneath, white-bordered red circular hairpieces, feather barrettes in her hair, and a choker with a golden crescent moon on it with a clip that was similar to her brooch attached to it. The brooch itself was worn in the middle of her chest bow.
"Oh my gosh, she looks so cute!" Rebecca noted giddily as her eyes sparkled.
"Sailor Moon, huh?" Kyoka noted, "I'd figure she'd go for something else…" she admitted with her hands at her hips.
"So, allow me to explain how we'll be judging each of the contestants," Hermit began into the microphone she held, "We'll be looking into two things: costume and performance," she told those in the crowd.
"Anyone can stroll up on this party in a great costume!" Mic pointed out, "But we're looking to see if you're really ready to play as the character you're dressed up as!" he mentioned excitedly.
"You'll have about twenty seconds to perform as the character of your choice in your costume," the Shining Star Hero explained further, "After each performance, we'll write down appropriate scores," she confirmed.
"Those who're lucky enough to catch third or even second place will get a great prize, uh-huh!" the Voice Quirk user added, stepping aside as the curtains were pulled to reveal a huge assortment of candy in the background, "You'll get a choice from these exclusively rare goodies, uh-huh!" he pointed out, causing some in the crowd to look on with awe.
"For first place, though…" Hermit continued, stepping aside as a panel upon the stage opened, making a pedestal appear with what looked to be a card upon it, "You'll get yourselves a special gift card worth over fifty-thousand yen to Yuki's Candy Factory!" she pointed out, winking to the crowd.
"Whoa, fifty-thousand?!" somebody in the crowd exclaimed in shock.
"That's like a dream come true!" someone else added.
"Bet you'd wanna enter for sure, right Sato?" Hanta inquired of the Sugar Rush Quirk user.
"Yeah, of course!" he responded, quickly heading over to the sign-up booth.
"Man, now I really wanna give it my all with those prizes on the line!" Rebecca declared excitedly with clenched fists.
"It is just candy and junk in the end…" Kyoka pointed out, "Still, I can get behind being competitive," she mentioned with a small grin.
"Yeah," Izuku agreed as he nodded.
"Midoriya," a voice chimed in, catching his attention as he turned and gasped.
"M-Mister Aiza—! Wait…" he uttered, interjecting himself as he blinked in realization to find that it was actually Hitoshi there, dressed like the Erasure Hero, "Shinso?" he said out of surprise.
"As usual, you don't have a lot of tact," the Brainwashing Quirk user noted with narrowed eyes, causing the One For All inheritor to flinch.
"Uh… I…" he stammered out.
"This, coming from the person who Izu beat in the Sports Festival?" Rebecca chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw her approach, "Honestly…" she continued, giving off a cheeky smile, "you're such a sore loser~!" she remarked in a singsong voice as she held her hands up in a cat-like manner.
"R-Rebecca?!" her boyfriend stuttered in shock, wondering why she would be so rude, even if Hitoshi's comment was a bit uncalled for.
"Huh," he huffed, "Not bad, Bluegarden," he complimented, "You might have a good shot at this thing with an act like that," he mentioned. The Cat Leaper Quirk user giggled.
"Thanks!" she responded gratefully. Izuku sighed with relief, glad there didn't seem to be any bad blood between them.
"So, are you entering the contest, too?" he inquired of the Brainwashing Quirk user.
"No," he answered, "But I figured I might as well enjoy myself for the night," he admitted to the couple.
"We heard about your class' haunted house," Rebecca pointed out, "We would've gone through it like some of our classmates, but we had Eri with us…" she mentioned in admittance.
"That's fine," Hitoshi assured, "I actually heard from Mister Aizawa that she's going to be coming back to the campus soon," he added in remembrance.
"Whoa, really?!" Izuku exclaimed out of shock.
"Wait, how do you know about that?" Rebecca inquired as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"I've been… working with him over the past couple of weeks…" the Brainwashing Quirk user replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "He said he wanted my help with her in case something went wrong," he told them.
"Oh…" Rebecca uttered, remembering the potential danger Eri's Quirk held.
"Anyways, do you two know anything about Husert being back?" Hitoshi asked of the couple.
"Uh… we haven't gotten word of anything yet…" Izuku responded.
"All we know is that the situation's been handled enough for us to keep going to class and hold this big event…" Rebecca explained.
"I see…" Hitoshi uttered, walking off, "Well, good luck with the contest," he remarked in farewell. The couple watched on, wondering why he sounded so curious about Laguna.
"Alright, let's get this costume contest started, uh-huh!" Mic exclaimed into his microphone.
'Why does he keep doing that?' Kyoka wondered inwardly.
"First, I'll let Miss Hermit give everyone here a quick demonstration of what you should look for in a performance, uh-huh!" the Voice Quirk user decided, gesturing to the Shining Star Hero as she stepped out onto the walkway as if it were a fashion show.
"In the name of the moon…" she began, posing cutely, "I'll punish you!" she declared, giving off a wink. Most of the crowd applauded such a performance. Not just for being cute, but also for being like the character she was dressed up as.
"ALRIGHT!" Mic exclaimed, "Now it's time to get things started with our contestants!" he declared, "Step on up and show us what you got!" he insisted. The first bunch of performances were from students in the other courses. They were judged well, but not extravagantly. Izuku felt the beads of sweat trickling down his head after the performances, knowing that he was one step closer to being on stage himself.
"Hey, Midoriya!" a familiar voice called out, getting their attentions as they saw Mirio coming over, dressed like a lion. He was alongside Tamaki, who was dressed as a scarecrow, and Nejire, who had metal around her body as if she were made of it. "Looks like you're about to get into some serious stuff!" the Quirkless teen noted, having spotted the beads of sweat upon the One For All inheritor.
"Oh, uh…" he stuttered, "I guess so…" he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "I've never really done something like this before…" he confessed on.
"Yeah, I bet not many people do!" the blonde-haired senior confirmed in reply, "Still, it's a pretty big opportunity to show off your skills," he pointed out.
"Yeah!" Nejire chimed in, "Sometimes, heroes have to blend in to avoid suspicion from villains when it comes to being undercover!" she pointed out, "This contest is a good way to get some practice in to try and act like someone else that won't draw attention!" she affirmed on.
"I wouldn't say it's exactly that simple…" Tamaki said.
"Anyways, just do your best up there!" Mirio insisted of the One For All inheritor, "Remember, you're playing a pretty famous character!" he mentioned, "I'm sure you've got all sorts of things in mind to do a performance with!" he added confidently.
"I sure hope so…" Izuku responded, lowering his head in thought.
"Roar, Zabimaru!" Eijiro yelled upon the stage, swinging his fake sword around mightily as those in the crowd watched in awe.
"Kirishima's giving us a strong showing as Renji Abarai, uh-huh!" Mic exclaimed into the microphone, "Even a second-rate character can be played masterfully!" he pointed out excitedly. As the twenty-second limit ended, the Hardening Quirk user chuckled proudly.
"Not bad, Kirishima," Kyoka commented from the crowd.
"Looked like he was really into it!" Toru added with a giggle.
"Up next, we've got Katsuki Bakugo playing as none other than Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach!" Mic declared as walking onto the stage was the Explosion Quirk user. His scowl was still present as everyone in the crowd grew somewhat anxious as to what he would do. Izuku clenched his fists.
'From what I can tell, Kacchan's got this guy down in terms of look and expression…' he noted to himself, seeing his rival withdraw the massive fake blade from his back, holding it out for all to see. Everyone watched on with bated breath. And then…
"Ban…kai," he said in a hushed, disinterested tone.
'THAT TOTALLY FELL FLAT!' those in the crowd exclaimed simultaneously through their thoughts.
"Bakugo's got the looks, but his whole show's nothing without energy, uh-huh!" Mic pointed out.
"WHADDAYA MEAN, 'WITHOUT ENERGY'?!" the Explosion Quirk user inquired angrily, "I TOTALLY GOT ENERGY FOR THIS CRAP!" he affirmed on with a fierce look upon his face.
"And now he's acting like himself, uh-huh…" Mic added.
"Time's up!" Hermit suddenly confirmed, making Katsuki blink in surprise, "Thank you for participating, Bakugo," she said gratefully, bowing her head.
"Hey, I wasn't done yet!" he shouted. However, he relented, gritting his teeth as he disembarked from the stage, trudging off.
"You kinda almost pulled it off…" Eijiro pointed out as he approached.
"Maybe it would've been easier if you dyed your hair orange…" Hanta suggested.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Katsuki bellowed angrily.
"Man, you really gotta be into the performance to get it right…" Mina realized.
"It's definitely a challenge for most…" Momo mentioned.
"Next up, we've got Rebecca Bluegarden playing Uta from One Piece, uh-huh!" Mic announced. Izuku blinked in surprise, spotting his girlfriend taking the stage and skipping along the runway. She came to a stop, taking a deep breath.
"Hi, everyone!" she greeted, "Happy Halloween from yours truly, Uta!" she exclaimed as she waved, showing off her fangs, "I'm gonna bring you all to a new genesis, where my music will set you free as you'll live in peace!" she declared on, "Don't be sore losers when I win, okay?" she requested, cheekily grinning she held her hands out in a cat-like manner. Some in the crowd were offended at first, but then realized that it was all part of the character's act. They started clapping, cheering for the Cat Leaper Quirk user as she grinned.
"Staying in character and adding a bit of a theme to it…" Hermit commented, "Gotta say, that's pretty good," she complimented.
"Aw yeah, uh-huh!" Mic agreed. With her twenty seconds finished, Rebecca made her way down from the stage, going over to meet with her classmates.
"Nice going up there, Rebecca!" Kyoka exclaimed.
"Yeah, that was great!" Eijiro complimented on, causing the Cat Leaper Quirk user to blush as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. Izuku then approached, getting her attention.
"You were amazing," he said simply. She giggled.
"I know," she responded, sharing a laugh with her boyfriend. Glancing at them from afar with his arms crossed, Katsuki scoffed.
"We've still a lot of performances to get through, uh-huh!" Mic pointed out excitedly, "So let's keep it goin', everybody!" he insisted of the contestants.
"Autobots, transform and roll out!" Tenya bellowed in a deep voice while posing upon stage later.
"I am Thor, son of Odin!" Denki declared.
"I can do this all day," Shoto said rather flatly during his performance. There were quite a few ups and downs. No one was seemingly blown away just yet by any of the contestants, even some of the good ones.
"Now, next up is…" Hermit began, reading down the list, "Shiki Granbell as Denji from Chainsaw Man!" she announced.
"Oh, it's Shiki's turn!" Mina pointed out.
"From what I heard, this Chainsaw Man thing's pretty big…" Rikido noted, "Is Granbell really gonna pull this off?" he wondered aloud. The moment the Satan Gravity Quirk user took the stage, many in the crowd were awed by his costume. He stepped forward, readying himself.
"You all just gotta talk smack about what I want, huh?" he noted as those in the audience tensed up, including some of his own classmates, "It's revenge this, protect my family that, save my stupid kitty…" he listed off, "Blah, blah, blah…" he blathered on, "Think your big, fancy-ass goals make all of you hot shit?!" he inquired loudly, "Then prove it!" he challenged, "We'll have a dream battle royale right now!" he declared fiercely, "If I murderize you, this'll be settled!" he proclaimed on, "TOUCHING TITTIES WILL BE THE BETTER DREAM!" he declared fiercely. Rebecca and Kyoka's mouths gaped open in shock.
'T-Titties?!' they stammered out simultaneously through their thoughts.
"Is that… really what the character's like?!" Izuku inquired, quite shocked.
"Mm-hmm," Minoru responded with a nod, "Shiki may be cultured, but that's no excuse for being so crass…" he pointed out as his arms were crossed.
"You said it," Weisz concurred, nodding as well, "Makes you think twice about likin' him, huh?" he presumed of Momo and Ochaco. To his surprise, both girls seemed to be quite awed.
"That was such a good performance!" the Zero Gravity Quirk user exclaimed.
"Indeed!" the class deputy agreed.
"OH, COME ON!" Weisz and Minoru shouted with frustration.
"All right, your twenty seconds are up!" Hermit confirmed, getting Shiki's attention.
"Got it!" he responded, hopping down from the stage before bringing up his helmet, "Well, what'd you guys think?" he inquired of his classmates.
"I mean… I get trying to play the character perfectly…" Rebecca pointed out.
"But did you have to make that last comment?" Kyoka inquired for her.
"Hm?" Shiki uttered in confusion, "I thought it sounded cool…" he admitted.
"Touching boobs isn't cool!" the Earphone Jack Quirk user retorted with a furious blush upon her face, "I mean… for some people, it might be…" she corrected sheepishly.
"Now that was quite the show from Granbell, uh-huh!" Mic proclaimed into the microphone, "Next up, we've got Izuku Midoriya as Monkey D. Luffy!" he pointed out excitedly.
"I-I'm up already?!" the One For All inheritor stammered, quite surprised. His girlfriend giggled.
"Go for it, Luffy!" she insisted, shoving him from behind to send him stumbling toward the stage. He caught himself, taking a deep breath before sighing and heading up onto the stage.
'Okay… how do I best do this…?' he wondered inwardly, 'There's plenty of things I could do with such a famous character…' he pointed out to himself, heading to the edge of the stage.
"Your twenty seconds starts… NOW!" Hermit declared. At that moment, Izuku froze. So many ideas had formed in his head that he couldn't process anything. And with everyone staring at him, he couldn't think properly.
"Uh… I… uh…" he stammered out as everyone stared at him curiously. He raised his fists slowly, "I'm… gonna be… k-k-king of the… pirates…" he stuttered finally.
"THAT TOTALLY FELL FLAT!" Mic exclaimed into microphone, making the One For All inheritor flinch. Some in the crowd started booing. Rebecca gave off a worried look.
"Maybe I should've thought twice about encouraging him for this…" she admitted sheepishly.
"He could use the practice," Mirio pointed out, getting her attention as she saw him approach.
"Mirio!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Besides, it's better to go all in with the mindset of doing something rather than not trying at all," the Quirkless teen pointed out. Moments later, the One For All inheritor came back down from the stage dejectedly.
"I couldn't bring myself to turn it all around after the booing…" he confessed sadly.
"Hey, no worries!" his girlfriend assured, patting him on the back, "I'm sure you weren't the worst!" she pointed out.
"Yeah, at least you were actually trying up there," Eijiro chimed in, "Bakugo just thought saying the lines would've done enough…" he muttered, gesturing toward the Explosion Quirk user.
"What'd you say?!" he shouted angrily in question. Some of the others laughed, still enjoying themselves. As the contest concluded, the winners were announced. Rebecca attained third place, earning herself a chance to select a special candy from the selection provided. Shiki wound up in second, much to everyone's surprise, as they thought he earned the top spot. He was alright with it, though, grabbing the candy he wanted.
"And… the winner of UA's Halloween Costume Contest is…" Mic began as he held up his right arm, followed by swinging it down, "whoever's playing as Eraser Head over there, showing just how moody and edgy he is!" he declared, pointing into the crowd. Blinking in surprise, the students looked over to spot a surprised Hitoshi just walking by, only to pause upon hearing reference to his costume. Most of the contestants then all turned and glared at the Voice Quirk user. "Uh… huh?" he uttered out, blinking in confusion.
"THAT GUY WASN'T EVEN IN THE CONTEST!" the students shouted, chastising him furiously. Watching on, Izuku laughed. Halloween wasn't a holiday he usually celebrated with glee. But seeing how enthralled and dedicated people were over it, he was happy to be there. He only wished there could be a celebration as fun as this the next time.
ENDING
Insert "Shikisai" by Yama
Opens with Rebecca waking up for the day in her dorm room, tiredly crawling out of her bed. She makes it to the bathroom, only to widen her eyes with terror at the sight of how messy her hair is. Luckily, a comb is passed to her from Tsuyu, who she thanks.
Later that morning, Rebecca enjoys her breakfast before being given a cup of tea made by Momo. What follows is her going over to play a video game with Mina and Toru on the Switch before they have to go class. It rains on the way, though Rebecca forgot her umbrella. Thankfully, Mezo comes over, using his patagia to shield her from raindrops.
In the classroom, she talks with both Tenya and Shoto about studying, asking them for pointers. As Shota walks in to start class, she scurries back to her seat, only to find a note there. She opens it up and smiles to see that it's from Izuku, who she shoots a smile toward.
In the afternoon during lunch, Kyoka saves her a seat in the cafeteria. She's also kind enough to shoo away a pesky Minoru, though he was only making sure Rebecca didn't touch a piece of gum left under the table. As the class returns from lunch, the Cat Leaper Quirk user trips by accident, only to end up caught by Mashirao's tail. The two of them share a smile and then a laugh.
During hero training, Rebecca gets the chance to spar against Ochaco, Hanta, and Homura. She weaves past the Zero Gravity Quirk user, evades the tape of Hanta, and then closes in to land a kick on the crossed blades of Homura, who cracks a grin. The four of them continue as All Might, Witch and Shota watch on.
Yuga later offers Rebecca some cheese as a snack, which she happily accepts. She also goes the development studio with Weisz and Denki, as the three of them are met with an explosion as a dirtied Mei laughs sheepishly. With a long day nearly done, Rebecca returns to the dorms to find Koji there with his bunny in hand, allowing her to pet it warmly. She then goes over to Rikido, asking him about a favor.
Once dinner's over, Rebecca puts on an apron and starts baking, whisking eggs and mixing flour with water. Fumikage and Eijiro watch on curiously with intrigue, followed by Katsuki approaching. He takes a taste of the batter to Rebecca's shock and anger, only for her to realize that she almost missed adding some vanilla. After a little while, she pulls out a baking sheet from the oven with several cookies upon it, decorating them for Halloween.
As the class goes ahead and partakes in her baked goods, the Cat Leaper Quirk goes over and offers Izuku a treat in the shape of a heart. He smiles and blushes, eagerly eating it. Afterwards, the whole class gets themselves ready for a movie night. Shiki floats over with a bowl of popcorn and other snacks, landing on the couch between Ochaco and Momo. With the remote in her hand, Rebecca presses the play button… and the screen goes black.
END ENDING
And so concludes the brief but fun Halloween Arc! What'd you guys think? To be honest, I did want to add a bit more, but there's some other stuff I want to get to before we close out Season 4.
Next up, we'll be getting into the JP Hero Billboard Chart and what'll follow from that! Hope you're all excited! Thanks for reading!