Lady (Hear Me Tonight) - Modjo
"I cannot make you understand,
I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside of me,
I cannot even explain it to myself."
"Ouo!"
I leaned forward, taking in Venice's breathtaking sight.
"Holy shit. That's a city floating on water!"
Beside me, Kaminari stirred awake as he leaned over me to stare outside the window in surprise. Everyone in our carriage was staring at the city itself in the distance in awe and wonder, there was nothing in Japan quite like it.
"It's… floating! How?!"
"Something to do with the-,"
"Shut it, Yaomomo! There is no time for lectures now! Get outta the way, Kaminari! Let me take a picture for my Instagram!" Mina yelled as she took multiple landscape photos of the city from afar. "Haha! This is great! Woah! Look at all the boats! Holy shit! Hey, sensei, will we be able to go on the boats? Please tell me we can go on the boats! Hold on, let me Instagram live this-,"
"Mina, no!"
"Mina, yes!"
I laughed as Hagakure and Mina wrestled with each other as Bakugo egged them both on, despite Yaoyorozu and Iida's protests. It was just another day in Class A, and that was one thing I greatly appreciated about their particular brand of insanity.
Yawning, I sat still in my seat.
"Are you tired?" Kaminari asked me. "I mean, you have spent a lot of time with Tokage. She is quite tiring to be fair."
I scoffed at that.
"Setsuna's just… Setsuna."
"You mean she's a personality you get used to over time."
"Nah. Setsuna's my best friend, outside of you and Jiro, I mean," I told him truthfully. "But of course, there are things I trust her more with. Because of our shared experiences, I can understand her better than anyone here and vice versa, but that doesn't mean there aren't things I don't trust you more with. She's not a personality you get used to, Setsuna's her true self no matter what and I admire that."
Kaminari grinned at that.
"Yeah? Like what other things do you trust me more with? Are you talking about the 'thing' we bought last night?"
Before I could reply, the train reached its final destination.
"Welcome to Venezia!"
Grabbing my suitcase, I was the first to exit the train as I walked past the gates that were open for everyone to walk past. Slowly, members from Classes A and B trickled through the gate as we waited for everyone to exit the train station - Which meant it was a good enough break for me to smoke.
"Hey, dude," Sero slinked up beside me, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Can you… Er… Spare me a cig?"
"..."
"Please?"
"Here," I handed him one of my precious cigarettes. "Don't, er, don't fuck it up. I won't give you another, so if this is for a girl, make sure you at least get a blowjob from her. Or better yet invite her to your hotel room later tonight."
Sero laughed at that.
"Mmh, you would know all about that, you manwhore. Thanks for the advice, and the cigarette."
I watched Sero skip away confidently as he approached Yui Kodai from Class B.
Huh.
…I grinned, slowly nodding at Sero.
Go and get her, tiger!
"Sora!"
A loud voice could be heard from the main road.
That was weird.
I didn't know anyone in-,
Oof-,!
I felt someone trip and fall over me, the two of us tumbling just beside the stairs of the train station as my precious cigarette I had just lit rolled on the floor before a pair of boots accidentally stomped it out of any life.
No…
"Sora! Don't you remember me?!" I looked down to see Nejire grinning at me, wearing a pair of ugly pink shades and a frilly yellow sundress. "It's me! Nejire! You're my partner! Come on, don't tell me the month and a half spent apart made you forget all about me!"
…
"...Sora?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in Sicily?"
Nejire nodded at that.
"Yep."
"...WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY THEN?!"
Nejire hummed as Tamaki helped the two of us up from the floor with a sigh. He wore shorts, a Hawaiian shirt and a fedora for some odd reason as he greeted me with a high-five, sighing at his girlfriend who pouted at me.
"Rude. I just wanted to see you!"
"I think, Nejire, what Sora is trying to say is why instead of investigating Yozora and Stain's appearances in Italy we are here," Tamaki explained to her before he turned to face me. "And to answer that question is quite simple. They're on the move, Sora. In fact, the last seen location of Yozora and Stain was reported two nights ago in Venice."
I nodded in understanding.
"I see-, Wait, what?!"
Chapter
Eighty-Four
'Venezian Breeze'
The mood in the restaurant I had been taken to by Nejire and Tamaki was a serious one.
Men and women in fancy wear sat down around candlelit tables with waiters practically dressed in silk. In comparison, Nejire and Tamaki looked like tacky tourists - And the less said about Setsuna and myself, the better.
"Hm. Pizza, pasta or…" Setsuna flickered through the menu given to us by a waiter with a particular look in his eyes that amounted to disgust, anger, or both. "Sora, there really is nothing else to eat here other than generic Italian food that tourists like. My God, would it kill for a risotto to be on the menu?"
"This is a bar."
"Why would you take us to a bar?" I asked Nejire in confusion. "We're on a school trip! Have you forgotten that, or has the Italian Sun turned your brain to mush?! Plus we drank heavily last night."
"And on the plane."
I sighed.
"Yes, Setsuna. And on the plane."
"Wow, you guys really are having the holiday of your lives," Nejire replied excitedly. "Tamaki and I got to see all around Sicily and Milan! We even spent a night in Rome and got to see the sights! But Venice is tots' the best part of this country!"
"Venezia," Setsuna corrected. "Please, just call it Venezia so you don't summon the wrath of the people. I think the waiters hate us enough already. I'd be willing to argue with them in Italian, but I just want my alcohol."
Setsuna then turned to bat her eyelashes at me.
"One Vodka lemonade, please."
"Am I your debit card?" I scoffed at her. "Pay for your booze yourself."
"Boo! Don't be such a killjoy."
"Drinks are expensive!"
"Then maybe you shouldn't have taken me to a bar!"
"You weren't invited!"
Setsuna rolled her eyes at me as she scooted closer next to Nejire, the two of them shooting me a dirty look as they continued to discuss what alcohol they wanted to drink tonight. I merely sat there in stunned silence as Tamaki rested his comforting hand on my shoulder, nodding his head to me in understanding.
"Sora. Sometimes… You just have to let your girlfriend let loose."
"Setsuna isn't my girlfriend! She's a fully grown adult and-, Why are you ordering pitchers?!"
I watched in horror as a tray filled with different alcoholic drinks arrived at our table in a matter of seconds, and even Tamaki's eyes widened as he realised just how much the two of them had ordered.
Nejire and her boundless curiosity matched with Setsuna and her shameless ability to order whatever she fancied created a dangerous combination. Wine, Vodka, Whiskey, Rum, Cocktails, Beer, Gin, Tequila, and so many liquors that I couldn't even begin to announce were stacked on the table leaving no room for you to put your phone down.
"This is going to cost a fortune…" I heard Tamaki whisper. "S-S-Sora… Tell my parents I love them. I think I'm going to have to work in the red light district after this."
I shook my head at him, shaking his shoulders.
"Tamaki! No! I can't let you let yourself go like that! It'll be fine… We'll just have to commit seppuku before the tab is paid," I told him, grabbing his shoulder in support. "Or, better yet, we can leave these wretched witches in charge of paying the tab. We just have to run straight to the hotel and avoid whatever anyone tries to say!"
Nejire sighed.
"Are you two dumb? We have enough money to cover this."
…Eh?"
"Sora, we're on a school trip," Setsuna reminded me with a crafty grin as she waved a card in front of my eyes. "I swiped it off Aizawa-sensei while he was sleeping on the train here. How much trouble do you think I'll get in? Oh well, after I pay for everything here I'll hide it in my underwear. That way no one will ever manage to find it."
…
I reached out for a mixture of drinks, grinning madly.
"Cheers! To getting absolutely fucked tonight for the third night in a row!"
Tamaki laughed at me.
"You have far more stamina than me."
"Hey, wanna' hit up the casino after this?" I asked Tamaki as our shots of Vodka knocked against each other. "Setsuna! You better make sure you bring the card! Oh man, I'm so glad I'm with you guys tonight! That way I know I won't be told on for this."
"For what?"
I sighed, making sure no one around us could hear what I was about to say.
"I… Well… Kaminari and I managed to buy some weed from some guy last night at the club. When it's the right time, Kaminari will sneak out of the hotel and meet with us so we can all take it together."
Tamaki spat out his shot as Nejire nodded along.
"Hm. Can we smoke it?"
"Yes! I just, er, need to buy some rolling papers and filter tips. But, I'm sure I can buy that from whatever supermarket is open," I told them. "...I've really wanted to smoke weed for a while! I just never had the chance since drug laws are so strict in Japan. You know? Who doesn't want to get high?"
Setsuna laughed at that.
"Hell yeah! Let's make this a holiday we won't forget!"
Tamaki sighed.
"W-w-what if we get caught?!"
I waved off his concern.
"Eh, who cares? You two are adults, I'm eighteen, and Setsuna is an orphan," I tried to calm him down. "The worst that'll happen is a public apology. Or maybe a fine. But think about it, we drink heavily, we smoke with Kaminari, and then we hit the casino! And we won't stop till the card stops working! Fuck Nezu, that fucking rat! I want to bankrupt him!"
"Why?"
"Because he's the bastard behind all the fucking incidents!" Setsuna answered for me. I watched as Tamaki's jaw comically fell to the floor, while Nejire tilted her head in confusion. "Yes, Nezu told everyone where All Might's funeral would be. He was the one overseeing all the corruption, and above all, he forced Sora's sister to kill Daguchi. Tsk. And now the city is trying to go through its own process to become a city-state."
"I've missed a lot in the month and a half spent here in Italy," Nejire replied with a sigh. "Sora! Why didn't you tell me all this on the phone?"
"...Because it's on the phone."
"So! What are the chances of someone bugging your phone to listen in on your conversations?!" Nejire asked me. "Or better yet, who even cares if Nezu is a villain? I mean, duh! He's not human! Only people have human rights!"
"Woah, woah, woah!" I winced at her words, picking up my beer and drinking a quarter of it in one go. "You can't be racist towards animals! What the fuck, Nejire! Dude! That is not okay! But… I would really love to kick Nezu, you know? Like in Pokemon! I want to kick that fucker to space or something!"
Setsuna sighed at that.
"Sora. Nezu isn't Meowth."
"Yeah, because he's a fucking bitch!"
"No. It's because he's a rat. Not a cat."
"Alright then, what the fuck happens to Rattata in that one episode? I'll, er, electrocute that bastard!" I replied. "But that's beside the point. I didn't tell you, Nejire, because then I'd have to tell the rest of U.A. that the person in charge of them is working with the bad guys. Can't you see where loyalties come into play? Plus, I have no proof. Outside of Katsumi, and while that's enough to convince Aizawa since he hates Nezu too - It won't be enough for everyone else."
Nejire huffed loudly.
"I believe you!"
"Nej, I don't think he's talking about you here," Tamaki told his girlfriend with a sigh. "B-but, yeah, I see your point, Sora. Nezu's someone with a lot of influence. And if he's working with someone orchestrating this whole thing, then is it even right for you and your Classes to be out here? To be touring the world? Especially when Musutafu is in such a perilous position."
…
"True. We should be going back to help-,"
"Nah," I told them, shaking my head at their statements. "Truth be told, what can we do? Save more people? That's naive. What people need aren't Heroes that just stand there and save others. They need Heroes who'll stand up for what's right. They need Heroes who can change things for the better. Right now, what the fuck are we? Students who don't know what the outside world is even like. Let's leave it up to the Prime Minister and the adults who are taking responsibility for this for now."
Setsuna nodded along with me, agreeing with my words.
"I agree. Let's just enjoy our holidays for once. Let's be dumb teenagers, let's be the idiots we really are when we aren't forced to deal with adult matters," Setsuna said. "I-, I always wished for a chance like this. To just spend at least some time relaxing and doing stupid things with my friends. We deserve it. The world isn't going to end if we allow ourselves to have some fun."
"Yep," I added, taking a shot of vile tequila. "I just want to get drunk, high off some drugs, and gamble like a fucking degenerate at least once before I die! Setsuna…"
"...Yeah?"
"Order the next round of drinks."
Setsuna grinned at me.
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
"I'm not a captain!"
Setsuna rolled her eyes at me, an action that made my skin grow hot as if it were bathed with sunlight.
Grk-,
"Oho…?" Nejire stroked her chin as she elbowed me while Setsuna and Tamaki ordered another round of drinks for the table. "Sora! Sora! Hehe. Is there a crush in the air? What's the gossip like since I've been away?"
"Gossip? Crush? Fuck you talking about?"
Nejire smugly grinned at me.
"You haven't realised it yet."
"Realised what?"
"Nothin~! Tehee!"
I sighed, picking up a shot of whatever and pouring it into her drink.
"Haha. Very funny. Drink up. If Tamaki is anything like Setsuna, that means they'll vomit if they mix too much alcohol," I told Nejire. "But I know for a fact that there is nothing in your brain! Or body. Just like me! So, it's up to us to make sure whatever they can't drink is something we finish in a matter of seconds."
Nejire hummed at that.
"Can we play drinking games?"
"At a pub?"
"Yes!" Nejire answered, nodding her head at me. "I can't believe Aizawa let you go out with us!"
"He's my Uncle. And you're supposed to be a responsible adult."
"I am responsible," Nejire told me. "I mean, we're going out as a 'stakeout' to try and find Yozora and Stain. But, pssh, even if we do find them it's not like we're going to arrest them. We don't have any jurisdiction here anyway. Well, I do. But you don't. Remember, you and everyone else in your class have a provisional Hero licence. It only works in Japan. Not internationally. You have to be in the presence of a teacher to use it here."
"Hm. I feel like a non-canon movie sort of spits on that, though."
"That's why it's a non-canon movie, silly!"
I nodded at that.
Right.
That makes sense.
"Okay, so, what if we run into the villains tonight?"
Nejire nodded at me as she downed her drink with ease.
"Yeah! Let's just enjoy our night out tonight!"
…
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION!"
"Sora. Are you done rolling up the joint?"
I sighed.
"Did you get the flat-bottom pencil I asked you for?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Because," I tried telling Kaminari as I used the pencil to pack the joint with as much weed as possible, "This is the correct method! Honestly. Just shut up and give me space! Did you grind everything correctly?"
"Yeah."
"And you gave me the right shit, right? I don't want to have packed our first joint with a shit ton of keef. I'm not looking to die on my first ever time getting high," I told Kaminari who rolled his eyes at me. "Alright, I'll just twist the ends like this and-, Voila! A perfectly rolled joint!"
It looked mesmerising as I held it up.
"That's… a massive joint."
"Yeah, well, five of us are gonna' be smoking it," I reminded him. We were in some alley while the others waited for us to finish rolling up the joint. "Now we need to find a place to smoke it. Maybe our hotel? Argh, man! I knew we should have booked a trip to Amsterdam! Think about how fun it would be. We could have bought edibles and done them in our hotel room while watching Disney Channel in Dutch! That would have been so good!"
Kaminari hummed at that.
"True, true. It's a shame Italy ceased broadcasting the Disney channel."
"I know, those fucking Italian cunts!"
"How about we smoke it here?"
I shrugged my shoulders in response.
"Alright. Here it seems fine."
It didn't take long for Setsuna, Nejire and Tamaki to come over as we huddled in a group, Setsna handing me her lighter. I grinned as I placed the joint in my mouth and lit it on fire, I watched as the red flame I had been used to seeing turned green. Was that supposed to happen?
Everyone looked at me in confusion.
"Er, I'm sure it's just a side effect from the weed."
I hope so.
I inhaled for a few seconds, allowing the smoke to fill up my lungs before I exhaled loudly. I then did it twice over before I passed the joint to my left, where Setsuna followed my instructions. Setsuna then passed it to Nejire, who could only inhale once before she started to violently cough, causing Tamaki's turn to come before he was ready as he also began to cough. Eventually, Kaminari took his three hits before it came back to me.
"Uh… How ya' feeling?"
"I think you need to smoke more before you start to feel anything," Setsuna told me. "So go on. I think if we do five hits each, we should be fine. Let Nejire and Tamaki recuperate. They don't smoke like we do."
"True, true."
Without further ado, I took another few hits from the joint.
"Man. This noght is going to be so much fun!"
"Please sir, you need more money to gamble."
I had no idea what time it was.
Or even how I got here.
I merely sipped my JD and coke, my bucket hat resting on my head as I wore Nejire's pink sunglasses and I shook my head at the dealer on the roulette table. This motherfucker made me lose!
"Here," I threw more chips at him. "I'm going for red!"
"But… Sir… You've lost-,"
"EVERYTHING ON RED!" I replied, this time a little louder. Turning to my left, I saw Setsuna struggling to stand up. "Watch this, Setsuna! I'm going to win! And then I'll buy even more drinks for you!"
She giggled at that.
"Are you trying to get me drunk to sleep with me? You… pervert!"
"Huh? Why the fuck would I want to sleep with you? I just want to get even more drunk, you stupid hippie! We're on vacation," I reminded her. "Hello? Oh, God. You're baked. Fuck. Where did everyone else go?"
"D-Denki's at the poker table."
I nodded at her.
"Stay here. I'll be back."
I wandered through the casino, looking at the different dealers as some of the female ones caught my attention. With their seductive smiles, the suits that they wore - And man, I loved women wearing suits! They looked so grown up! So adult!
"Hey," I greeted one of the dealers, passing her ten of my chips. I forgot what they were worth, not that I was sober enough to read them in the first place. "Put all of these on Green. I'll… come back for my earnings."
I stumbled away from the table and I eventually found myself sitting next to Kaminari.
A pair of cards in my hand.
Was this Texas Hold 'Em?
I knew how to play poker!
"Raise," I immediately said, ignoring the cries of frustration from the other players. "I said raise, you cretins! Raise with me! Let's increase the stakes!"
"...Sir, the cards haven't even been properly dealt yet-,"
"He said raise, so I'm raising alongside him!" Kaminari declared, pushing a pile of chips away from him. "Think you'll beat me, Sora? You've never beaten me once at poker, I hope you remember that."
"Well, that'll change tonight!"
Kaminari smirked at me, fanning his face with his cards.
"We shall see."
It was at that moment that I realised something.
"Denki. Where the fuck are Nejire and Tamaki?"
"I dunno."
I sighed at that, placing my cards down as I stared at the dealer.
"I will raise each round! I'm off to go find my friends!"
"But, Sir-,"
I ignored the protests as I left the table and tried to find Nejire and Tamaki. It was then that I found myself back at the roulette table where I had left Setsuna, who was counting the amount of chips I had won. Grinning, I put my arm around her shoulders as I watched her stack my earnings in one pile.
"You are really good at gambling."
"I know, mon ami," I replied in a fake accent. "Voule vo couches?"
"...What?" Setsuna's face twisted in confusion at my words. "Do you mean voulez-vous coucher par chance? What the fuck is 'voule vo couches'? Do you even speak a single speck of French?"
I blinked at her in confusion.
"French? Why are you speaking French?"
"Because, dimwit, you asked if I wanted to go to the mountains and duel with you!" Setsuna replied with a frown. "Why would I want to duel with you? Dumbass. Just how many drinks have you had?"
…
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"I asked how many drinks you've 'ad!" Setsuna replied with a sigh. "...Want to finish off mine? It's gin and-,"
There wasn't a need for her to finish her sentence as I gulped down her drink in one go.
Ew!
What the fuck was in that?!
Gin?! I fucking hate gin!
"Come on," I grabbed Setsuna's hand as well as my earnings as we migrated to the other table where I had placed my bets on green. Sadly, the dealer looked at me with amusement as she explained to me that I lost my bet. I frowned. "Setsuna, what do you think I should do here?"
"Bet everything on green again!"
I nodded at that.
That was a smart plan.
"What she said," I told the dealer, handing her all the chips I currently had on me. "In fact, I'll go get some more chips! Hold off on the bet for now! Setsuna, come on! We're winning big tonight!"
Setsuna cheered loudly at that.
"Yay! Whoo!"
We made our way to the cash machine where I inserted the stolen card from Aizawa and inputted the code as I withdrew another thousand Euros. I yawned as the money fell on the floor for some reason.
Er, what was wrong with the machine?
Why would it deposit my money on the floor?
"Sir, do you require any help?"
The receptionist where you traded cash for chips looked at me in confusion as I picked up my money from the floor and shook my head at him. There was a problem, idiot! Your cash machines put my money on the floor!
"Five hundred Euros worth of chips for the two of us," I told him, handing him the money as Setsuna tapped her fingers against the wooden desk. "We're on a winning streak tonight. I think. By the way, have you seen a couple around our age? A ditzy blue-haired woman and a really shy guy beside her?"
The receptionist shook his head.
"Sorry sir, the only couple I have seen tonight is you two."
I nodded at that.
"Right. Makes sense," I said, accepting the chips from him. "Well, I guess if we lose, I'm sure I'll come back here for more! Come on Setsuna. Do you want to go back to the roulette table or do ya' wanna head over to the slot machines? Actually, let's go buy some drinks first!"
Setsuna followed me as we entered the bar and sat down on one of the tables.
"Hehe. That receptionist called us a couple," Setsuna told me. "And you didn't correct him."
I frowned at that.
"We are a couple. A couple of misfits!"
"...That's not what he was talking about."
I rolled my eyes at Setsuna.
"What else could he be talking about? Come on, Setsuna. You are just paranoid, admit it. Waiter! Yeah! I'm thinking two Vodka lemonades with no ice are preferable, and what do you want, Setsuna?"
She hummed at that.
"Uhm… I'll take a dark fruit cider. Oh, and three shots of tequila!"
I gagged at that.
"Tequila? Really?"
"I like it. And you'll drink it with me, right?" Setsuna asked, batting her eyelashes at me. "You won't let a poor girl like me sit here drinking all alone at night, will you? Well, that and we are best friends. If you did do that, I'd kick your arse."
"No, you won't."
"No, I won't," Setsuna agreed. "I'd grab a pair of scissors and cut yer' dick off."
…
"Ouch," I replied as the waitress came over with our drinks and a card reader. I tapped Aizawa's stolen card on it, watching as it was accepted. Ah. The joys of going to U.A. "So, what time should we start heading home? This place closes in an hour. Denki is by the poker table making a killing, why's he so good at poker? His poker face is so good. He's like a natural at acting cold and detached when he's a swell guy underneath, I don't get it. Really."
Setsuna shrugged her shoulders at me.
"Hm. Where are Nejire and Tamaki?"
"I don't know."
"Hey, do we have any weed left over?" Setsuna asked me. "So we can, er, you know."
"We ran out."
Setsuna hummed.
"Can't we buy more?"
"I don't know any dealers."
"Fuck."
"Fuck indeed," I whispered, gulping half of my Vodka lemonade down in one go. "Ah, this is such a great drink. Want to do our shots now?"
Setsuna grinned, passing me one of the tequila shots she had ordered.
"On the count of three?"
"One…"
"Drink!" Setsuna yelled, slamming her shot against mine as we both drank at the same time. "Hehe! I hate tequila. A lot. Urgh. Why did I think that this was a good shot to drink? Waiter! Three jagerbombs please!"
I sighed as I took the remaining tequila and poured it into my vodka lemonade.
"Why do you have to order three?"
"So that you have a little extra, my favourite alcoholic!" Setsuna replied with a grin. "I always wanted to do this, you know. Go out and just get wasted with my friends. Hehe. What do you think is going to happen when we wake up?"
I tilted my head in confusion at her.
"Er… nothing?"
"Dude. We must have spent around five thousand Euros on that card already."
"So?"
"It's not our money!" Setsuna hissed at me. "...After we pay for these shots, let's break the card. Snap it in half. So that the money isn't traced back to us! Or else we'll have to pay U.A. back!"
Shit.
She was right!
As I paid for the next three jagerbombs, I left the card on the table.
I-,
"I can't kill the card. That's murder," I told Setsuna. "It's like a child. All it's done is give us money. If we kill it now, what if we need to purchase more things later on tonight? Like food. I'm getting kinda hungry. I yearn for a McDonald's cheeseburger and wrap of the day. Oh, and a coffee."
Setsuna nodded at that.
"True. I could do for a Happy Meal around about now."
"How about this! After this, we get Denki and order food, then we'll place the card back in Aizawa's pockets!" I told Setsuna, grinning at the genius of my plan. "I'll distract him while you put the card back in place and he'll be none the wiser! It's brilliant! And if the costs come up then all we have to do is deny it and say it must be fraudulent activity!"
"Yes! You're so smart, Sora! That's a great plan!"
"When do I not have great plans?"
"When they involve you doing stupid stunts for your own pride," Setsuna replied with a sigh. "Anyways, shall we drink away?"
I grinned.
"Yep!"
The jagerbombs were amazing.
There was something about the alcohol mixed with the Red Bull that made me energised as we got up from our seats at the bar and stumbled our way to the poker table. Kaminari was still winning as the dealer's eyes recognised my face.
"Sir! You won the round while you were away and here are your earnings!"
I was handed a bunch of chips that I was far too fucked to even count.
"Haha, where's the roulette table? Er, I mean, I know where the roulette table is!" I replied, nodding at the dealer and Denki who was simmering in anger. "Haha! I wasn't even here and I won a round of poker against you! Sucker!"
"You won a single round! I've won entire games! We are not the same!"
I rolled my eyes at Denki.
"Okay, loser! Laminari! Lenki! Lenki Laminari! Hahaha!"
Setsuna dragged me away before Denki had the chance to reply however as we made our way to another roulette table. This time, however, I was not alone. Two men stood in sharp suits as they discussed something by the table - And as such, I stretched my arm around Setsuna as I pulled her close.
I didn't want to take any chances.
"Hey dealer, ignore these fucks and focus on me for a second," I told them, putting twenty chips of mine on the table. "I'm feeling… hm. Setsuna, what are you feeling like is going to win tonight?"
"Ten! Because I'm a ten outta ten!"
"You heard what the lady said," I told the dealer before I turned to face the two men on our table. I was going to tell these fuckers to piss off somewhere else only-, Long and dark purple hair that was neatly tied up along with tanned skin were features of someone I had the displeasure of meeting many times. "...you!"
Yozora and Stain blinked in surprise as they looked at me.
"...Sora?" Yozora asked, putting down his alcoholic drink. "What the hell are you doing in a casino?"
"What the hell are you doing in Italy, you bastard!" I replied angrily. "You should be in Japan doing criminal activities! Criminals can't go into casinos! You aren't allowed to have fun, dumbass!"
Stain sighed at that.
"...You are totally wasted, kid. As always, you Heroes are the epitome of everything wrong in society."
Setsuna scowled at that.
"And you aren't, you murdering psychopath? We are having fun. Heroes are humans too, and that comes with all its flaws too. We can and we deserve to relax every now and then," Setsuna told Stain. "It's because of bastards like you that people think we can't relax. Because if you two were normal people not in charge of a cult actively murdering Heroes, maybe our jobs would be a lot easier."
Stain growled at that.
"Says the girl who's wasted at a casino, gambling heavily."
Setsuna stuck her tongue out at Stain.
"Well, you look like shit! Virgin!"
I sighed at Setsuna's reply as Stain seethed in quiet anger, his looks filled with murderous intent sobering me up. Yozora grinned in amusement as he placed his chips on the table, on exactly the same bets I had chosen which only seemed to annoy me. Tsk.
"What?"
"If I win, then you win too."
"That's just life, Sora," Yozora replied with a smirk. "We're connected, you and I. As I've told you before, the little game I'm playing with the world is about to meet its end. Nice work on your recent case, by the way."
I huffed out at that.
"Why do you care? You're not the type to give a shit about good done in the world."
"I don't, you're right," Yozora answered. "But you solved a case. You learnt that not even our society is perfect. And you ask why I want to test the world - It's simple. Because people like Daguchi and Suwabe live no matter what era. No matter if Heroes exist or not, there will always be sick sons of bitches that take advantage of kids. You know, our society filled with Heroes is much like the mafia. They pull you in with false promises and force you to do the dirty work."
"..."
"You don't disagree?"
"I'm having a hard time believing you care about the kids taken advantage of in society," I told him honestly. "I'm having a hard time believing that everything you do stems from anything other than your own desires. You don't give a shit who you hurt. Don't use other people's suffering as a way to absolve you from the suffering you dish out to others for your amusement."
But Yozora laughed.
"Is that what you think of me?"
"I think you are an arsehole. Clearly, someone who didn't grow up with people who loved him and acted out because you had no guiding force in your life to tell you that you went down the wrong path," I told him. "Or rather, no one cared enough about you to tell you that you've become a right bastard. And the only person who was that for you is now a police officer trying to catch you because even she knows that you're absolute scum. You say you're the sins of humanity, but you are just the culmination of every fucking arsehole I've ever met. Daddy issues, Mummy issues, whatever issues, just go fuck yourself."
Stain stood in silence as Setsuna scooted closer.
She was ready for a fight.
But Yozora?
"Hahahaha," Yozora burst out into laughter, slamming his hands against his knees as tears began to form. "You think-, Hahah-, Oh, Sora. Really. You're smart, but you still haven't figured me out yet. Close. I do what I want at the end of the day because I enjoy it. I'm not the culmination of every arsehole you've ever met, because you've never met someone like me. I do what I do for the continued suffering of others."
Hearing Yozora say it made me frown.
But, we both watched as the roulette spun the ball around.
"Life is like a roulette, Sora. You don't know if you will be lucky to get chosen for a good life, or if you'll continue to be neglected," Yozora told me. "I was neglected. You are right. In my previous life, my mother died in childbirth and my father was a notorious gangster. I grew up with the scornful eyes of my neighbourhood, waiting for the day that I'd end up like my father."
"...But?"
"But I never did so, out of spite. I went to a good university and studied psychology, I proved them wrong and by the time I managed to convince the world I wasn't so bad, it happened again," Yozora told me. "I had a partner at university who couldn't cope with the pressures of life. So they killed themselves. And I had to deal with the scornful glares once again. But once again, out of spite I ignored them and tried to live my life."
"...Until…?"
"Well, the story can wait for another day," Yozora told me as the roulette began to slow down. "It doesn't matter after all. I'm not a tragic fella', not really. You still don't understand me. Or rather, you don't want to understand me. You can see it, can you not? I came to this casino for my own pleasure. You came here for your own pleasure too. You ignore your base desires, Sora. Or perhaps you have finally decided to submit yourself to them? What is the difference between you and me?"
"I'm not a murdering psychopath."
Yozora shook his head at me as the ball stopped at ten.
The number we had both won.
Damn.
"The key difference between us, Sora, is that you have others around you. Your safety net. Your support system. You've had that for a long time," Yozora explained to me. "I never had that. Everything I currently have is things I took from others for my survival. Would you blame a poor man for stealing just to survive? No, because he was desperate for it. So why do you blame me for killing others to ensure my survival?"
"You-,"
"Yes, I killed the Eleventh. I saved Nanao and I's life from going back to being tortured and experimented on under All For One," Yozora cut me off with a smirk. "And what did I get in response? Nanao became a police officer in order to hunt me down because she knew she was complicit in the murder. Why should I go to jail? I killed someone to protect my own life and the life of the one person I loved most at the time. You would have done the same in my position. You did the same once, against Overhaul. But you failed. Now you aren't in my position, it doesn't mean that you don't have love and those who support you unconditionally, I still don't."
…
"So you became a terrorist because you weren't loved enough?" Setsuna mocked, sneering at him. "That's pathetic. Many people haven't had good upbringings, but you don't see me go around and kill innocents, do you? Don't use your shitty childhood as an excuse to be a cunt. You were always a cunt. Always an unloveable bastard, and if I were your mother I would have aborted you from my womb as soon as I had the chance, you ungrateful bitch."
Yozora's face darkened as he reached forward to-,
Slash.
I had created a sword out of my Nimbus, slicing his torso.
Blood splattered on the floor as Yozora looked at me in surprise.
"You take another step towards Setsuna, and I'll kill you where you stand," I threatened him. "Don't even think about activating your Quirk. What's faster? Your eyes or my ability to decapitate you? Do you really want to test me? It's your move, bro."
Yozora chuckled at that, lowering his hands.
"...Fine. Fine. It doesn't matter. There isn't a use picking a fight in a fine establishment like this," Yozora replied with a sigh. "Come on, Chizome. It's time to head back to Japan, don't you think? We've spent enough time away from our home. I wonder how Spinner has fared while we've been away?"
Stain hummed in response.
"Hey. You should remember something," I told Yozora, relaxing as my sword disappeared. "Back in Japan, there's not a single place where you will be safe. The entire world is after you now. You chose your big break to come out of All Might's funeral, and you played with fire a bit too close to the sun."
Yozora smirked in response.
"S'that so? So who'll stand up to me? Will it be you? Will it be Setsuna who's shying away from me? Or will it be Deku?" Yozora scoffed. "Ultimately it doesn't matter. Take your best shot, Sora. If you think you'll be able to protect everyone and stop me, then I can't wait to watch your reactions when I start killing the people you love the most. You can't stop what is coming, Sora. You know we are the same."
I laughed at that.
"Like I've asked before, in what way?"
"You still can't see it, can you? You still can't accept the truth inside you?" Yozora asked me, but it wasn't a question. "...Do you think you can fight me when you don't understand me? You still think I'm a villain. You all do. You all think that beating me is as simple as rejecting my very life. But that's what none of you seem to grasp - The more you think of me as a villain you need to take down, the more you'll never beat me. You can't beat an idea after all."
"An idea?"
"In this world, the only thing that matters most is who you truly are on the inside," Yozora told me with a grin. "Not the masks we put up to be accepted by society; to show everyone our real faces that we've hidden away due to many reasons. You call yourself a Hero, you dress up and pretend to be greater than you truly are - But strip your loved ones away, and who are you truly, Sora Yamazaki?"
"We'll see, Kyuugo. We'll see."
I watched as Yozora flinched as I used his real name, not the name he had given himself to parallel me. Despite that, I didn't dare go after him or Stain as they left the casino I turned around to face Setsuna whose eyes were still open in fear of an attack.
"...Thanks," Setsuna whispered, refusing to meet my eyes. "I… What I did was stupid. It's just that I heard him talk about being alone. About not having parents. About how he's the product of what happened to him and I…"
"It's fine, Setsuna. I agree with you. Yozora was just trying to get under our skin. He's pathetic like that," I told her, pulling her in for a half-hug. "You just ignore him, alright? You're way better than him. He's never going to harm you, or anyone else that I care about. Over my dead body."
That was a promise.
Because if he ever did…
…
I'd kill him myself.
Ugh.
"Had a nice night out?"
Aizawa sat by the foot of my bed glowering at me.
"Do we need to do this now?"
"You stole U.A.'s debit card. You spent massive amounts of money on alcohol and got drunk. Somehow you managed to get your hands on drugs, go on a spending spree in a casino, have a showdown with not just one but two internationally wanted terrorists and order McDonalds at five in the morning, and you don't even apologise?" Aizawa berated me. "...Sora. This isn't a holiday. Remember, you are still representing our school on this trip. You're representing the entire country."
I sighed at that.
"No, you're representing the country," I told him, groaning as I got up out of bed. "The country? I couldn't give two shits about Japan. What has it ever done for me? My country is filled with the people in reach of my sword. So what, I had a night out. It's not like I'm ever going to get the chance to do this again, now will I?"
Aizawa bristled at that.
"..."
"Sorry-,"
"So, that is what this is about," Aizawa cut me off sternly. "You're dying. Are you afraid of death, Sora?"
I rolled my eyes, waving him off.
"I'm not in the mood for this," I told him as I got up from my bed. "I'm hungover as shit and hungry. I don't care if you punish me. It's all meaningless in the end. I'm graduating in a few months. If you think I care about detention, you're wrong."
"Could you be less selfish even if you tried?"
"No. Because I don't care."
"I know you don't care but what about those of us who do, huh? What are we supposed to do as you waste away doing God knows just to satisfy your own morbid fascination with your potential death?!" Aizawa screamed at me angrily. "...You say that you'll try and find a cure. Yet you hate it when Class A and others think that you're not going to be here tomorrow. But take a good look in the mirror. Because with the way you've been acting, you'd think you were already dead."
…
"Uncle. It was just a bit of fun," I told him. "Can't I have some fun? I deserve it."
"Fun you say? You spent ten thousand Euros in one night. You got drunk and high. It's not what you did that angers me Sora, it's why you did it," Aizawa told me. "Stop living in the past. There is a time for having fun, and right now the world has never been in a more perilous state. No one else around you decided to join you on your escapade of yours. Think about that, Sora. Only you, Tokage and Kaminari went to the casino. No one else bothered to do that."
I shrugged my shoulders at him.
"Maybe I don't care if they want to have fun with me."
"Maybe it's because they can't have fun while knowing that if they make another mistake, society as we know it could change forever! Maybe because while you were off goofing about pretending like you're still in your first year, everyone realised that the future is as uncertain as the sea holding up this city!" Aizawa lectured me. "At any moment, Venice could fall. At any moment, our futures as Heroes could be jeopardised because some idiot politician in or out of Japan decided that we weren't needed anymore!"
"So? I'll just arrest the villains."
"Life isn't so black and white! It's not as simple as solving a case!" Aizawa roared at me. "...You're not a child anymore, Sora. Your friends aren't children either. We all want to help save and change this world for the better. You can defend your night out however you want, but it's easy to see the truth. Face reality, Sora. The only one who still wants to have fun in a situation like this is you. And Tokage. And Kaminari. The three of you are children who haven't grown up one bit! The three of you are stuck in the past!"
…
Whatever.
"Shitty cloud watcher! Keep your eyes up!"
I groaned.
"Bakugo. We're on patrol, nothing has happened so far," I told him. "Can't we just take a break? I'm getting hungry…"
"Maybe you shouldn't have had a wild night last night," Midnight chastised me. "...At the very least you could have invited your second-favourite teacher. It's not fair that you and Tokage went out but didn't invite me."
I blinked at her.
"...What would you have done?"
"That's not the point!"
Uraraka sighed at us.
"Does it really matter? You should know, Yamazaki, that you made us worried when you didn't come back to the hotel until five in the morning," She told me. "We thought you were in the hospital. It took Nejire and Tamaki to calm us down and explain that you had gone off and gotten drunk and high on your own. Tsk. You didn't even tell us your plans."
"Would you have joined if I did?"
"That's not the point, and you know it."
I frowned at her.
"Uraraka, ever since I came back in January you made it abundantly clear to me that you do not like me. Why the hell would I confide in you?" I asked her in annoyance. "Whatever. It was just a fun night out and you guys are talking like I've betrayed you or something. I have my own life. I can live in it, you know. I can have fun. There wasn't anything wrong with that last time I checked."
"You are eighteen. Grow up."
Bakugo growled in annoyance.
"Eyes up you extras! We have a petty thief on our hands!"
I looked up and frowned at the guy. Slender, not much taller than me, with lime green hair and a mischievous look on his face. Perhaps that was why the guy that Bakugo and I were trying to push past each other to chase him - Leading the thief to promptly sprint as fast as he could to try and escape us.
I jumped on my Nimbus as Bakugo launched himself after the guy.
Ah, Hell no!
I'm not losing to Bakugo of all people!
"Hey, you should stop running by the way," I told the thief as I easily caught up to him in the air. "I mean I don't know how Italian laws work or anything, but it's a petty crime what you just did. Don't make things harder for yourself."
"S-shut up!"
"Ah! You speak English!"
"Vafa-,"
"Vafa? Oh, vafa-fucking Christ all mighty-,"
I watched as Bakugo slammed into the two of us, stopping the momentum of the three of us as we rolled around the floor, groaning in pain. Or perhaps that was just me. I slowly got up from the ground, annoyed at the blonde bastard that I shared classes with!
"The fuck is wrong you?! Are you trying to kill us?!" I yelled at Bakugo in anger. "My god, you reckless son of a fucking hot bitch-,"
Bakugo snarled as he got up from the floor, wagging his fingers right in my face.
"It's your fault for getting in my way, dumbass! How else was I going to apprehend the villain? You stupid fucking reckless cunt!" Bakugo replied. "And don't you dare talk about that bitch like that!"
"What, your mother? She's not a bitch. She's a bad bitch."
Bakugo's veins popped on his forehead in response.
"...Huh?"
"I said, Katsuki, I'd love to absolutely fuck your mother, you sick son of a bitch," I egged him on. "Do you know how many fantasies I've had of your mother bouncing up and down on my dick? Dude, she's a MILF! Honestly, I bet your Dad must be a cuck cause' there is no way-,"
"Shut up! I bet you're a cuck considering Jiro is dating Kaminari!"
…
"...Huh?" I replied, my eyebrow twitching as I took a step closer to Bakugo. "You wanna say that again, shithead? I don't mind schooling you another time. Do you remember when even you, Todoroki, Midoriya, Sero and Kaminari couldn't beat me? In a one-on-one, I'd pack you up quite nicely. Nice enough for your mother to cry into my arms at your funeral. Who knows, maybe I'll fuck her and use your rotting skin as the condom. Bitch."
"You suck at trash-talking. But you suck in general, you shitty cloud watcher," Bakugo replied with a mad grin as he punched his palm in excitement. "I'm going to enjoy teaching you a lesson about superiors, you fucking third-rate extra. You know what? Maybe I'll even break things off between Jiro and Kaminari and throw my own hat in the ring. That way you'll understand just how hopeless you are."
"Hopeless? You silly cunt, I'll fight you right here and now."
"Bring it, midget."
"I'm the midget? You're only one inch taller than me."
"Shut up, you shitty cloud watcher!"
"How about you shut up. Kaplosian."
Before our fight could truly start - Uraraka's exasperated voice cut through the tension like a hot knife.
"Guys!"
"WHAT?!" We roared at her, turning our heads at exactly the same time which only aggravated the two of us even more. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING THE SAME THINGS AS ME! YOU BASTARD?! HEY, STOP THAT BEFORE I SMASH YOUR HEAD IN! HEY!"
Bakugo went to shove me lightly, but as he raised his left arm, for some reason my right arm came up along with it. I looked down in confusion as I saw it - A luminescent purple thread tied around his left arm and my right arm-,
Smack.
Only when I tumbled to the floor after being hit, Bakugo landed right on top of me.
"...Eh?"
"...What the fuck?!"
Uraraka sighed, shaking her head at us.
"You… IDIOTS! You let the thief get away and now he used his Quirk on the two of you!" Uraraka shouted at us. "He tied your arms up! Can't you see that?! Maybe if you weren't so focused on egging each other on, you'd see that you're stuck!"
I turned to glare at Bakugo.
"You fucking prick! This was your doing, wasn't it?!"
"My doing?! Oh great, the fucking detective thinks he has it all solved! Why the fuck would I tie my arm to your arm?!"
"Uhm… Maybe you need a helping hand in pleasuring yourself, you sick fuck!"
Bakugo's face snarled in disgust.
"As if?! You sex-crazed maniac!"
"How am I a maniac?! You change this right now, Bakugo!"
"DO YOU NOT THINK I'M TRYING TO BLOW IT UP?!"
"WELL TRY HARDER YOU STUPID-,"
Smack.
We both shut up as Uraraka impatiently tapped her foot against the ground, she was holding a rolled-up newspaper and stared down at us while we were on the floor with a stern look on her face as she failed to keep herself composed.
Oh.
Right.
She was even worse.
"So, er, what now?"
Bakugo and I sat next to each other in a restaurant, my right arm practically pressed up against his left arm. Uraraka sat opposite us, eating her meal in peace and quiet. Midnight had gone off to try and tell Aizawa and the other students that everything was fine and that we would deal with the situation ourselves.
I didn't believe her for one second.
"Oi. Can you stop putting your left arm down?" I whispered angrily at Bakugo. "I can't eat with my right arm if you keep on putting it in your lap, you bastard. I want to eat my food before it gets cold."
"Not my problem."
I watched as Bakugo used his free right hand to lift up his spoon with soup and-,
Yank.
I yanked the chain and his body to the left, watching as he spilt soup all over his costume and himself. I chuckled to myself as Bakugo sat in silence, processing what just happened. I used this chance to quickly grab my slice of pizza, but Bakugo counter-yanked the chain and I was forced to accidentally let go of the slice of pizza I had paid for - Watching as it slammed against the dirty concrete floor.
Not even the five-second rule could save it.
"How's your pizza?" Bakugo mocked me. "Bet it tastes good, right? Has an Earthy hint to it."
He was mocking me.
Tch.
"...I'm going to kill you very painfully. And slowly," I told the bastard, turning around and glaring at him. "For all the crimes you've ever committed, you just did the worst one. You pissed me the fuck off."
"Crimes? That's more your forte, not mine," Bakugo grinned, smacking his forehead against mine. It felt like there were magnetic fields pushing us together as we tried to wrestle each other in our chairs, though it was hard when one of our hands was tied to the others. "Give up, you wretched villain! Just admit I'm better than you! Follow my lead and we'll kill the thief who did this!"
"Just kill the thief? Cool, just know that I'm planning on killing you after," I replied, my eye twitching violently. "I'll kill you for disrespecting Pizza-san. I paid for that. Do you have the money to pay me back? That'll be ten million Yen."
"For a slice of pizza?"
"I got ties to the Yakuza, dumbass. They'll assassinate you."
"You mean that little Yuuya twerp? Heh. Tell him and his men I'll be ready."
"Oh fuck off! You arrogant-,"
"Pot calling kettle?"
We both glared at each other before Uraraka cleared her throat.
"Ahem. If you two could stop antagonising each other, maybe we could work together and solve this since Midnight-sensei has gone to find the culprit," Uraraka told me. "But if you two want to stay bonded like that for the rest of your life, go ahead."
"Rest of-,"
"Our life?"
Bakugo and I looked at each other and sighed.
There were bigger fish to fry than this loser.
"Fine, fine," I said. "Let's work together and slap a bitch."
"Yes! Let's murder the thief!"
I nodded at that.
"Great plan. So, you explode the right side of his head and I stab his left side?"
"Sounds like a great plan."
Uraraka sighed at the two of us.
"You can't kill a thief. That's illegal."
"Who asked for your opinion, round cheeks?"
"Yeah. Fuck you, ptoo!" I added. "We're bonded together and you're worried about the law? Fuck this. Come on Bakugo, let's go catch some criminal scum, and dish out true justice!"
"Right. Time to kill a fucker."
But as Bakugo and I went to get up from our seats, we both ran into the same issue again.
Our chain yanked us both down.
"Grr! I got up first! Why didn't you follow me?!" I angrily yelled at Bakugo. "Dumbass! How the hell are we going to catch a thief if you can't listen to basic instructions, you stupid fucking idiot!"
"Why didn't you follow me?!" Bakugo yelled angrily back at me. "I'm the natural-born leader here! I'm taller than you, I have more fans than you, I have more muscles than you, I get higher grades than you in science-,"
"So what? I get better grades in everything else!"
"Yeah, you nerd."
"How am I the nerd? You were bragging about science, you stupid-,"
We were both smacked on the head by an irate Uraraka.
"Can you both shut up for one minute?!" She screeched at us, folding her arms in anger. Although… Hehe. I leaned a little forward and managed to get a look at her cleavage-, "Sora…"
"Yeh…?"
Smack.
"Eyes. Up. Here. Got it?" Uraraka asked me, devoid of any smile on her face. "And you, Bakugo, better follow suit. I saw your gaze at my ass earlier. Don't think I didn't notice, you pair of perverted idiots."
I growled at that.
"You got us caught, idiot!"
"How am I the idiot? I wasn't staring at her tits straight up?!"
"I wasn't caught looking at her ass you-,"
"Shut! UP!" Uraraka snapped, and the two of us finally simmered down. "Finally. Peace and quiet. Listen, the thief can't have gotten far. All we have to do is work together on this. It shouldn't be that hard."
"...Fine," I sighed. "Can we agree to a truce, Katsuki?"
"...Whatever," Bakugo replied. "I promise I won't try to kill you, Sora."
Uraraka smiled brightly at that.
"Perfect! Now, let's get the tricky stuff out of the way…" Uraraka paused as she looked at the two of us warily. "Do any of you two need to go to the toilet? Because, er, I don't know how you'll be able to do that."
"Nah, I need to go for a piss-,"
"I need to take a shit," Bakugo nonchalantly replied. "Yeah. A big ol' mean shit."
"...Dude. Look at us. That's impossible."
"Well, we have to try, right?" Bakugo asked suspiciously. "Come on, Sora! Let's work together as friends!"
Before I could call him out, Bakugo whisked me away from my seat and he dragged me to the toilets. I groaned as we entered the dirty Italian toilets, they had nothing on the overall quality and cleanliness of the Japanese spirit in-,
"Oh. Fuck."
There were no urinals to be found.
Only cubicles.
"Alright, Bakugo," I began, "We need a plan. Any bright ideas?"
Bakugo's response was predictably gruff, having dropped the fake positivity from earlier. And I couldn't blame him, even though I was struggling to remain positive in such a situation.
"Yeah, 'cause nothing says 'fun times' like figuring out how to take a dump together."
"Well, we have to try! Else you'll shit yourself!"
"You'll piss yourself, shitty cloud watcher."
"Fuck off. Cunt. Listen, I know we have our differences," Bakugo snorted at my words. "But! But, this is for the greater good! We have to work together to solve this! If we don't… Well… Hehe. You're going to poop yourself. Khahaha!"
I couldn't take the situation seriously as I burst out into laughter, much to Bakugo's annoyance.
"Tsk. I'll kill you."
"No, you're pooping yourself! Hahaha! Like a little kid! Aw, little Katsuki can't go to the toilet by himself! Aw!" I cooed, mocking the bastard. "...But as funny as it would be to see your shit yourself, I can't allow that to happen. I think it would give a bad reputation to U.A."
"Any more than smoking weed?"
Tch.
"Okay, I've thought of a plan!" I replied. "Plan A: One of us sits while the other drapes over the door for support."
Bakugo scoffed at that.
"And risk flashing every tourist who walks by? No way."
Hmm, true, true.
"Okay, how about this then! Plan B: One sits while the other stands guard outside."
Bakugo mulled over that before shaking his head.
"What if someone walks in? We're not leaving the door unlocked for some random to barge in?" He asked me. "Sorry, but there's no freakin' way I'm going with that plan! I should kill you where you stand for even suggesting that shit! Asshole! Do you want to embarrass me?!"
"Fine, fine. So prickly."
"I need to take a shit! Think, you shitty cloud watcher!"
Hm…
…
"Aha!"
"What?"
"Plan C! One sits while the other lays on the floor," I replied, smirking at my genius. "That way it's fair! That way both of us are losers in a sense! Plus we aren't flashing each other, which is a great thing!"
Bakugo snarled at my plans.
"Is that it?! Are you fucking retarded?! They all suck!"
"Huh? What's wrong with Plan C?!"
"Like I want to catch a disease just to take a dump."
"Don't be a little baby! What other options do we have?"
Bakugo hummed to himself.
"Are you flexible?"
I tilted my head at him in confusion. Did he lose the plot entirely? Before I could hold a quiet funeral for Katsuki Bakugo's sanity, if he had it in the first place, I watched as he kicked a bathroom stool open only…
To find an ancient toilet.
A hole in the ground.
Ah-,
AH!
"Well, damn. I guess none of our plans would work here."
I hummed.
"Well… I am flexible."
Bakugo gave me a look.
"What's that going to do dumbass?!"
"Guess it's time for Plan D: You sit while I do a handstand on your palms."
Bakugo's laughter echoed through the small space, and probably echoed throughout all of Venice as he shook his head at me in disbelief. That was until he saw that I wasn't laughing alongside him.
"...You're serious."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
…
"We're never mentioning this to anyone, right?"
I nodded.
"Mention what? Maintaining the agenda is our priority."
"It took you two long enough! What happened in the toilet?"
Katsuki and I sat down, the two of us coming to a silent understanding.
"Nothing. Nothing happened."
"Heyo! Are you trying to be like Roronoa Zoro?" Uraraka asked me, pouting slightly. "...You guys are nothing like Zoro. He's stoic and cool. You're both annoying, loud, obnoxious and liars. You two are more like Usopp. Oh well, come on! Let's go! Time to catch a thief, amirite? Let's get this day over and done with. I can't wait to just relax!"
As soon as we left the restaurant, however, as luck would have it, we ran into the bastard.
"...Eh?"
"EXPLODE! EXPLODE! EXPLODE! EXPLODE!"
"STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB!"
It didn't take long for us to apprehend the thief, and it took even less time for Bakugo and I's arm to be finally broken free from the thief's Quirk. I hugged my right arm tightly, embracing its newfound freedom.
Never again.
"Alright, I'll take him to the police station," I told Uraraka and Bakugo, cuffing the thief. "You guys gonna' head back?"
I didn't need to hear a response from Bakugo as he left immediately.
"I'll come with you," Uraraka replied, smiling softly at me but it never reached her eyes. Hm… "Don't give me that look! It's just-, Come on, Sora. Let's have a nice walk."
"We have a criminal to dispose of."
Uraraka shook her head at me, however.
"Kid. Why did you steal the money from those people?"
"...I was hungry."
…
I sighed.
I really shouldn't let sob stories get the better of me like this. But, at the end of the day, the kid didn't even look older than fourteen. So. I summoned a small knife, slashing away at the cuffs I had placed on him.
"Here," I told the kid, passing him a few notes left over from my previous night out. "Go buy some food. Maybe some clothes. Next time you're hungry, don't steal. Just… er… Go to a Hero or something. They'll listen to you. Probably."
The kid looked gracefully at Uraraka and me as he ran away laughing.
"...You know he probably lied to us, right?" She asked me. "I didn't think you'd actually let the kid go. I always knew you had a soft spot for criminals, but to actively excuse yourself from your duty?"
I laughed at her.
"Why not? What's the difference between kids who never got the chance to grow up and me?" I asked Uraraka. "Maybe he'll go back to stealing, I don't know. The future isn't so predictable. Plus, as annoying as it was, the kid has a good Quirk. He could be a Hero. Like you."
Uraraka bristled at that.
"You-,"
"Don't think too much of it. You've made it abundantly clear that you don't like me, Uraraka," I interrupted her. "You don't want to be friends with me. That's fine. Thanks for your help today. I don't know what I'd have done without you. But you really don't need to force yourself to be around me if you don't want to. I get it, really."
But Uraraka simply sighed, her shoulders slumping in response.
"You think I hate you, huh?"
"...You don't?"
"No one hates you, Sora. We're all just confused about how to deal with you," Uraraka told me, refusing to meet my eyes. "Me especially. I don't have any siblings. I came to U.A. to be a Hero to make enough money to support my family, but it didn't take long for that goal to change. Because of Deku, Aizawa-sensei and… and you. Because all of you came into my life and shattered that idea. Soon, I just wanted to help anyone I could."
I nodded at that, lighting up a cigarette.
"So? What does that have to do with anything?"
"...I told you once that you were the big brother of Class A. And I still stand by that fact," Uraraka told me, his hands balling into fists. "It's why to this day I'm still pissed off that you burdened everything onto your shoulders! Why instead of coming to any of us, you chose to be alone! You broke our family apart, Sora! And in all honesty, I should hate you! Because all you've done is hurt us! Have you looked at Deku-kun recently? He's my boyfriend, yet you wouldn't be able to tell the way he's gone and spent most of his time at work!"
…
"You wouldn't be able to tell that our Class was once close friends!" Uraraka told me, tears streaming down her face. "Ever since you left that family we once had broken apart! All it's done is tear us apart. But it's not your fault. I know it's not your fault. But I-, I can't help but-, Then you came back! And you said things would be made right again! So why aren't they?! WHY AREN'T WE A FAMILY AGAIN SORA?!"
I took a long drag from my cigarette, scoffing at her.
"Ochako. If you want to hate me, then hate me. I know what I've done. I know I can't fix everything. I'll still try because I want to, not because it's feasible," I said to her. "People grow up and they drift apart. It happens to families too. That's growing up. That's becoming an adult, accepting that things won't ever be the exact same again, and it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth."
"I'm not talking about the past, Sora," Uraraka replied coldly. "I'm talking about why even now, after everything, you're the one still acting as if nothing matters. You still don't take things seriously, you still goof off, and you're still the same Sora who cares more about having fun than saving the world. I-, You should know, my parents died a while back."
…!
"Huh?"
Uraraka nodded at me, smiling sadly.
"Right now, the only family I have left is Class A. My parents died in a car crash a year ago. Nothing they could have done. My family business shut down, and, well, the only path left for me is to become a Hero," Uraraka explained to me. "It's the same with all of us. But you? I get you have promises you want to keep, but I don't understand why you keep on staying here. You're going to die. Do you know what that means? We're never going to see you again, we'll never be annoyed by you again, and we'll never be able to speak to you ever again. It's not a game, Sora."
Ah.
It was never about her hating me.
It was about Uraraka still caring for me even after everything so much that she couldn't bear to lose me again. And, in a sense, most of Class A felt the same way... I sighed at that, stumbling forward to give Uraraka a half-hug.
"I know it's not a game. I understand death more than most. So why would I spend the rest of my life fearing it?" I asked her, watching as her eyes widened at my words. "Sure, one day I'll die. But until then, I might as well live beautifully. Like this city. Just because it can sink at any moment, doesn't mean that the life and history here will be erased. People remember it, the same way people will remember me. Don't worry, Ochako. It's okay."
"But-, You-,"
I smiled at her.
"I don't know what it's worth, but I'll always be your big brother. I'll always be everyone's big brother," I told her with a gin. "That's just how I am. Just a fool swinging his sword around for the sake of his family. The only difference now is that when I swing my sword, I do so knowing the pain that comes from failing to keep that promise. Heh. You don't need to worry about me, Ochako. Really. Because even if I die, at the very least I'll be surrounded by everyone that I love."
Ochako burst into tears at that as I left her on her own.
She'd be fine.
I could tell.
Ochako Uraraka was just like Midoriya in the worst ways possible - Trying to shoulder all the emotional weight of the class in her back. In that sense, Uraraka was like the big sister of the class and the entire time she was on her own with no one to help her.
I left the alley and sighed.
"You shouldn't have eavesdropped, Katsuki."
Standing next to the building with a stormy look on his face, Bakugo didn't even reply as he refused to meet my eyes. It was different from what we had. In a sense, I understand Bakugo even more deeply than Uraraka - Because of how similar we are.
Not in the way we talked or acted.
But in the way we felt.
"...Tsk. You think you have figured me out, eh?" Bakugo asked me. "That just because we're delinquents running in our own lanes we're parallel to one another? Think again, asshole. I'm ahead of you in the race."
"It's not a race."
"You better not lose, Sora!"
I was momentarily stunned as Bakugo turned his head to smile at me. It was a watery smile, one he forced himself to do as he shook his head at me, cursing loudly for the entire city of Venice to hear.
"...You're an idiot," Bakugo told me. "You've always been an idiot. You've always been doing your own thing, and I always respected that. Compared to the rest of these extras, you always had some spunk to you. I guess that's why, outta' everyone in this class, I got on the most with you in a twisted sense. We both are rivals, aren't we? In getting in trouble, in pissing people off, in swearing. I always wanted to beat you. I will always beat you."
…
"And now, you're sick. Even if I beat you, so what? You're a dying man. It's pathetic. Why the fuck do I feel like this?" Bakugo asked me, but I knew it was a question he was asking himself. "Who fucking cares if you die? Only the emotional idiots care, right? So what the fuck am I? Am I an emotional idiot? I don't want to see you die. I want to beat you. Fair and square! I want you to finally see how far ahead I am compared to you! I want to beat you over and over again!"
Heh.
One after the other.
Two idiots caught up in emotions they didn't know how to understand.
"...I'm waiting then," I cockily replied, raising my fist towards Bakugo. "Go and show me how far ahead you are, Katsuki. Cause I promise, I'll catch up every time. Even if I'm bedridden, I'll never lose to you. After all, out of everyone in this class, you're the one that's the biggest threat to me - The only one insane enough to throw himself into danger just to get ahead. But I won't lose to you. I won't die so easily."
Bakugo's eyes widened at that, a familiar smirk falling on his lips.
"You're deranged, you know that?"
"Isn't that why we're friends?"
"Keep on telling yourself that, you bitch," Bakugo returned. "...You better not lose to any other villain, you hear me? If you do, I won't forgive you. I'll hunt them down and kill em' myself if need be. Because someone like you will never die to some pathetic villain without a good reason. So if that happens, make sure you get a good spot in Hell to watch, I'll be sure to join you once I'm dead myself."
I laughed at his declaration.
"Don't be such a pain my arse! But, hey. If you die to a villain, does that mean I get to comfort your Mum? Because trust me. I'd be all up rearranging her guts without a condom, and I'll be sure your future sibling grows up knowing how much of a shitty extra their brother was."
Katsuki Bakugo laughed at that.
"As if I'll die before you. Asshole, we'll die at the same time. I don't need to see into the future to know that you'll stubbornly live until the very end. That's just who you are, Sora, who you've always been. So don't you dare give up here, got it?!"
Smirking at that, I nodded.
"Got it."
Today's chapter dealt with… Hidden emotions!
In various ways.
I think it's an important aspect of life that is glossed over, the emotions we don't understand within ourselves! Sometimes it takes talking to others to finally understand how you feel!
None more so than Uraraka and Bakugo!
The biggest knuckleheads in Class A who are really shit at understanding how they feel the most! Seriously! This is in canon too! I've always liked Uraraka and Sora's dynamic of being the older siblings of the class to Yaoyorozu and Iida's strict parenting, and well, here it is in full! Ochako and Sora haven't really gotten any scenes together in Part 2 and here is the reason.
Her family is broken and she doesn't know how to fix it, she doesn't know how to accept that maybe it can't be fixed. And as always, Sora just shatters that illusion with some wisdom he learnt over the past few events - He still has more he needs to grow, after all, he sorta alluded to the fact that he can't accept the past but that's a story for another day.
And Bakugo!
Man, I freakin' love Bakugo!
That dumbass teenager who acts like he doesn't care but is the one who cares the most deep down! The guy who gives a bright smile when he wins! Sora and Bakugo have always had a deep respect for one another, an unconventional friendship.
A rivalry in the truest sense of the word.
They just piss each other off so much that they can't help but be friends.
And that's… beautiful in a sense. One of my closest friends has the same dynamic as me, from when we were 11 meeting each other at the bus stop after school after the very first day of Year 7 to now, after nearly 10 years of friendship.
We argue over everything, we're both headstrong and we both don't want to lose to one another and love to piss each other off - Sometimes far more than we should - But that's my bro, and I know he feels the same way about me.
Friendships and family come in many forms, some traditional and some that break the mould in my life, and it's the same with Sora. I like exploring them in the creative sense that it's interesting for a character like Sora, but also use my own life experiences to write some genuinely funny and emotionally resonant beats!
Simple as!
See you next week for our lovely cast going to another country!
More accurately: America!