The day after the USJ incident, Izuku found himself laying on his bed as school had been canceled for the day. Honestly, this was not all that surprising to the young shield hero. Given the fact that there was a villain attack on such a high-profile area like U.A., the heroes no doubt had their hands full talking to the police and double-checking the USJ to ensure that nothing else, like a bomb, had been left behind. They were probably also looking into a way to prevent people from just warping into school grounds. Sure, warp quirks were really rare, but given what had just happened…
Izuku also thought that they might also be doing this to help the students relax, something the teen was finding very difficult to do right now as he nervously scrolled through his phone while one eye darted at the clock. Slowly he chewed on his lower lip, barely even reading any of the numerous articles that talked about what had happened at the school as he instead focused on the sounds of his mother cooking tonight's dinner. Even through the closed door, he could hear the sizzle of the pans and the tuneless hum his mother was making. The one she only used when she was fixing up a larger meal.
A part of him wished with all his might that his mother was only doing this because she wanted to celebrate her son coming back alive from such a massive villain attack. But he knew that wasn't the case. He also knew that he shouldn't be this nervous and yet he couldn't help himself.
Just then the doorbell rang causing Izuku to sit up straight on his bed so quickly that he might have tumbled forward! Without another thought, Izuku jumped off the bed and raced to the front door before his mother could even turn away from her craft. With his heart beating swiftly, the green-haired teen opened the door to see Raphtalia standing in the doorway wearing a red blouse that reminded him of her hero costume and jeans. And in her hands was a small cake box.
"Thank you for having me over tonight," said Raphtalia, a bright smile on her face. "I hope I'm not too late."
"N-No. You're just in time," Izuku managed to say as he took the boxed dessert without really thinking about it, just staring at Raphtalia. The moon's glow was right behind her, almost giving her this angelic look that highlighted her features. He watched as she raised a hand, the same one that had the bracelet he had given her yesterday, to her cheek as she looked away while a blush crept over her face. Also, Izuku noticed that her tail was swaying slightly.
"So…are you going to invite me in?" she eventually asked.
"Oh! Right! Sorry," apologized the teen, nearly jumping as he did. Quickly, Izuku stepped aside allowing the Tanuki girl to walk in. Once inside, Inko quickly approached the teenage girl just as Izuku closed the door.
"Raphtalia! Sweetie!" cried the Midoriya matriarch as she opened her arms in order to wrap their guest in a warm hug. "It's been so long since I last saw you."
"It's only been a few months Mrs. Midoriya." replied Raphtalia, her tone slightly amused as the hug ended.
As Izuku approached the two women, Inko released Raphtalia from the embrace before waving off the remark. As if to say it that was a perfectly acceptable length of time to say what she did and to act in such a manner. Then, as she began to turn back toward the kitchen, Izuku caught his mother giving him a knowing smile. An act that caused the teen to feel somewhat worried for reasons he could not explain.
"Still, thank you for inviting me over for dinner," said Raphtalia.
Inko waved off the comment as she gestured for the pair to follow them into the kitchen. Which they did, walking towards the source of various mouth-watering scents.
"Oh, think nothing of it," said Inko as they approached the dining table. Three plates had already been set up, Izuku quickly noticed that his mother had made sure that she would be seated across the table in order to watch both teens. "After what happened yesterday, I was just so worried about you! I know you two are strong, but you're still only students and first years no less! Taking on that many villains must have been a scare! Oh, if I had been there I would have fainted from dehydration a dozen times! The thought of a sweet, young girl like yourself going to an empty apartment after going through all that… Well, I'd feel much better knowing you were alright. Have you talked to your parents?"
As the teens took their seats at the table, Raphtalia looked ready to hide her face behind her hands.
"I did," she replied, her voice laced with embarrassment. "As soon as the news hit, my parents called. As you could imagine, they were naturally very worried about me. My dad even had this insane theory that those people who kidnapped me were trying to get me back and that the entire USJ incident was just some big cover-up! Even more so when he remembered that Izuku was there as well. It took me hours to get him to calm down and not have him pull me out of U.A."
Izuku turned to look at Raphtalia with a mixture of shock and horror. "He was going to do that? Why?"
"To be honest, it wasn't just him but my mother as well," explained Raphtalia. "They seemed to think that U.A. wasn't taking the safety of the students seriously enough if that many villains could sneak into the school. I had to remind them that the only reason they could even get in was because of a warp quirk which is very rare. Not to mention this was the first time something like this has happened."
"Well, it's hard to blame them," said Inko with a sigh. This comment caused both teens to look at the woman as she used her quirk to levitate dishes filled with food while holding two glasses of water, one in each hand. Gently, Inko placed the drinks in front of the teens while giving Raphtalia a knowing smile before walking over to her green-haired child.
"I can understand where your parents are coming from," Inko continued as she sat down. "After what happened, whenever I was out with my little Izuku and lost sight of him I had those same fears your father had. And even after all these years, that fear still pops up from time to time. It must be so much worse for your parents considering how long you were with those villains and the state you were in when they found you. Perhaps it might help if they knew someone nearby was checking up on you. Maybe even joining us for dinner more often? I would be more than happy to do that if it would help put their minds at ease."
Raphtalia's face brightened at that as she leaned forward a bit. "That would be wonderful!" she whispered happily.
Smiling, Inko clapped her hands. "Great! Now that we have that settled, let's enjoy the meal while it's still hot. It's been so long since we had company like this."
As Inko spoke, both she and Izuku couldn't help but glance over at a picture on the nearby wall. One showing a very young Izuku, from a time before he got his shield, sitting next to an equally young Katsuki. Both boys were smiling brightly at the camera, holding up their forks as if proud they had learned how to spear their food. And it seemed that Raphtalia had followed their gazes as she looked at the picture with surprise.
"Is that…Bakugo?" she asked, slightly tilting her head to the side as if she were trying to comprehend what she was seeing. "It's so weird seeing him smiling so kindly like that. He usually just scowls at everyone."
"Yeah," responded Izuku with a small smile. One filled with old, fond memories of a time long past. "Kacchan used to come over here all the time with his mom back when we were little."
Inko let out a little laugh as everyone began digging into their food. "I remember when I took that picture," she said as her eyes held a look like she too were remembering the past. "Katsuki was so sweet, telling me that my cooking was a thousand times better than his mother's. Though Mitsuki didn't care too much for the comment. Izuku, do you remember how they started yelling at each other at the table?"
Izuku couldn't help but laugh as well, remembering Mitsuki roughly grabbing Kacchan's head as she yelled at him for the insult to her cooking. Then how Kacchan had fought hard to turn and look at her, saying it wasn't his problem if she couldn't handle the truth.
"Kind of hard to forget any of their fights," Izuku managed to say through his chuckles, doing his best to not have food flying from his mouth. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen them together and not yelling at each other!" Hearing that, Inko managed to hold back a snort of laughter.
"Izuku, you told me that you and Bakugo were childhood friends," began Raphtalia. "But the way you're both talking now…did something happen?"
As Raphtalia asked her question, the mood at the table became a bit more somber as both Midoriya's looked down at their meals. It took a bit, but eventually, Inko raised her head to look at Raphtalia with a saddened smile.
"To be honest, it was a little heartbreaking for both of us," began Inko in a somber tone. "After Izuku was originally declared quirkless, their friendship became somewhat rocky. But when Izuku came back from the hospital after that night, Katsuki seemed…different. His mother thought that he was just acting distant, but to me, he seemed nervous. The whole time he was here, Katsuki barely said a word. Naturally, that was a huge red flag for everyone. Not only that, he would do everything he could to avoid looking at Izuku. He wouldn't even go and play heroes anymore. As time went on, Mitsuki would have to drag Katsuki here kicking and screaming until, finally, she gave up. Then, shortly after that, she stopped coming over as often." Inko then let out a sigh. "It's not like we're complete strangers now. We sometimes meet up for coffee and to chat or talk on the phone. I just wish I knew what happened to that sweet boy."
"Well, I haven't given up on Kacchan," said Izuku, his voice brimming with positive energy. "Even after all this time, I still consider him a friend."
Inko and Raphtalia smiled at the statement, though Raphtalia's was a bit forced. From what she had seen of the blond in class, it was hard to believe that he could be friends with Izuku. The two were like oil and water.
"Anyways, enough of this depressing talk," stated Inko as she turned to their guest. Raphtalia, Izuku told me that you once caught a swordfish! That sounds so exciting!"
And from there, the night went off without another word about Bakugo…along with minimal embarrassment for Izuku.
-x-
When classes resumed, Izuku and Raphtalia walked into 1-A to find that most of the students were discussing how the news had handled the events of the USJ. Some people, like Kaminari, Ojiro, and Sero, had brought up the way some people were staring at them and whispering to each other as they no doubt recognized them from the news. At the same time, Mineta bemoaned loudly that not a single 'hottie' had approached him.
What had drawn the ire of some students, like the pink-skinned Ashido and Kirishima, was how some sites were focused on the three other weapon users. Most of those articles featured a photo of the three standing together, waving proudly to cameras and seeming to bask in the praises they were receiving before focusing on their deeds during the attack while leaving out certain details. This ticked off Ashido in a way Izuku had never seen before.
"Can you believe it?!" Ashido practically yelled, her dark eyes glued to one of the articles displayed on her phone. "They're making it sound like we did nothing until those three showed up! Kirishima fought a villain made of living sludge along with Tsu and Midoriya!"
"Uhh, thanks for reminding me.," groaned Kirishima, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "I still haven't gotten the taste out of my mouth."
"Todoroki froze a whole bunch of villains before heading over to save All Might!" continued Mina.
"Hey, what about me? I was there too you know!" demanded Mineta, waving his tiny fists in the air while also blowing out angry steam from his nose.
"Yaoyorozu, Aoyama, Jiro, and Kaminari not only fought a whole bunch of villains but were also the ones who took down the creep that was keeping us from calling for help," said Mina, ignoring what Mineta had said. "Let's not forget Raphtalia and Bakugo! They also fought their fair share of villains before heading out to try and help All Might! Raphtalia even fought their boss!"
"That's true, but what I did wasn't much of an accomplishment," said Raphtalia in a disheartened tone. "It's not like I brought him to jail."
"But you totally cut him up a bunch!" insisted the acid user of the class as she got out of her seat to stand before the Tanuki girl. "I bet you landed more hits on him than anyone else! And don't think I haven't forgotten about your partner in kicking butt! Midoriya totally tanked a blow from that monster before getting right back up and smacking that hand-man jerk with his shield! So why are some people focusing so much on the three who showed up late to the party?"
"Well, when you stop and think about it, it does make a bit of sense. Ribbit." Several people in the class turned to look at Tsu who was sitting in her seat, looking at the group with her usual neutral expression while also placing a finger on her cheek. "Those three already have their provisional licenses and have rare, weapon-type-quirks. Pretty soon, they're going to be leaving U.A. and entering into the hero business. It would make sense that there would be people out there who would prefer to read about them. Besides, it's not like every article out there is focusing on them."
"Not to mention that they all look good for the camera," added Jiro as she pulled up one of the articles on her phone with a lazy expression on her face. "Shots like these can really help make the next big name."
At that moment, Ida approached the group. "Asui is correct," he stated loudly while making a chopping motion with his arm.
"I told you to call me Tsu," stated the frog girl.
However, Ida continued his little lecture as though Tsu had never said a thing. "These three, brave upperclassmen came to our aid when we needed them the most. And how do you repay them? By complaining that some sites are focusing on them, giving these three the righteous credit they deserve?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Mina said, raising her voice as she looked back at Ida.
"Yeah, man. No one here is saying that they shouldn't get any credit," added Kirishima.
Before Ashido, Kirishima, or Ida could say another word, the door to the classroom opened.
"Oh my, such naughty boys and girls not in their seats. Whatever shall I do?" As the students all quickly took their seats, Midnight strode into the room in her full hero garb. As she took the spot in front of them, all but one of the students could feel a wave of worry for their normal homeroom teacher. They all knew that Recovery Girl was a master at healing, mending most injuries anywhere between a few seconds to a day or two! Were Mr. Aizawa's injuries that severe? Or was he injured beyond the abilities of Recovery Girl to heal?
The only one whose mind was not going down this path was Mineta, who was already drooling all over his desk while his eyes traveled up and down the pro-heroes costume.
"Ma'am, is Mr. Aizawa alright? Ribbit?" asked Tsu as she raised her hand.
Much to everyone's surprise, Midnight let out a chuckle. "Well, he certainly thinks he's alright. Despite all the brutal damage that man took, he thought he could just walk out of the nurse's office this morning and continue teaching like nothing happened! Something about not wanting to waste time. Thankfully I was called in to help stop the man from pushing himself too hard."
Izuku nodded, his mind going back to the notebook he had written many years ago about Midnight's quirk. She had the ability to produce a powerful sleeping gas from her skin. Something like that was the best way to restrain a person without hurting them…provided there was someone nearby to catch Mr. Aizawa when he fell.
"For the time being, I will be taking over as your homeroom instructor!" continued Midnight. "Though this is only temporary. Just until Recovery Girl gives Aizawa the all-clear and asks me to help un-strap him from his bed."
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku could see several faces turning either slightly pink or full-blown red. No doubt they were imagining what she meant by that.
"Now, I want all of you to keep your eyes and ears on me since I have an important announcement to make," stated Midnight as her tone became slightly more serious. "In two weeks, the U.A. Sports Festival will begin!"
"What?! Are you serious?! We nearly all got killed a few days ago!" screamed Mineta at the top of his lungs as he jumped onto the top of his desk, pointing a finger at Midnight, a few other students began to mutter in agreement. Midnight, however, stood there for several long moments with a smile that slowly began to fade until it was nothing more than a thin line upon her face. Faster than most of the student's eyes could see, the pro-hero had pulled out her whip and cracked it. Instantly, the class became silent except for Mineta who had fallen to the floor.
"Silence!" commanded the R-Rated hero as she pointed her whip at the one who had started the outburst. For his part, Mineta began to tremble and sob as he sank back into his seat. "You are all being too naïve if you think that the school would cancel something as important as the U.A. Sports Festival after one villain attack! And you are all being especially foolish to think that after said attack we would not be upping security for the event! While I am not at liberty to discuss the finer details of all the upgrades we are doing to make sure everyone is safe, I can tell you we are calling in a number of additional heroes to help patrol the grounds. And those will be on top of the heroes that will be in the audience."
Midnight, seeing that the class was absorbing her words, let out a sigh before visibly relaxing.
From there, Midnight reminded the class of just how important the U.A Sports Festival was. Not just to the world at large, the event being watched all over the world like the Olympics, but to the students as well. This was their chance to start getting scouted by the pros, who would then offer internships to those who showed potential in their eyes. Getting these offers, and gaining these experiences, might make the difference for their futures: either going pro themselves one day or remaining a sidekick for life.
"In the end, all of you need to give this Festival your whole heart and soul!" said Midnight in conclusion. "Show the crowd your passion burning inside of you! Make sure you shine brighter than anyone else there!"
Then, the bell rang.
Later, after school, Izuku and Raphtalia were heading out through the gates of U.A. only to find a figure waiting for them with a smile on her face. It was Malty Melromarc! She stood there, looking a little nervous as she shifted from side to side while lightly biting her lower lip.
"Excuse me. Midoriya?" asked the redhead, her tone seeming nervous. "I-I was hoping we could t-talk. Ah, in private if that's ok."
Izuku blinked in surprise, taken about by this display. He could still remember how she acted when they first met, full of fake sweetness as she latched onto Motoyasu. But now, that girl had been replaced by someone who seemed to be a completely different person. Was she scared about something? Embarrassed?
He then remembered the look Principal Nezu had given her, wondering what that had been about.
"Look, ah, now isn't-" began Izuku as he began to back away, but stopped when Malty closed the distance with a single step.
"I promise it won't take very long," she said urgently. "I need to speak to you about something important."
With a sigh, Izuku looked over to Raphtalia who gave him a quick nod of understanding. And so, the two walked away from the school grounds, with none of them aware that a certain furry principal was watching them from his window.
Twenty minutes later, Izuku found himself standing in the corner of a park full of lush vegetation and trails leading into nearby forested areas. Despite the beauty all around him, the green-haired could not shake the eerie feeling he was getting right now. Not only was the park empty, but the streets surrounding the park seemed barren. The only signs of life that his ears could pick up were the buzzing of insects. Wasn't this going a bit too far if she just wanted some privacy? So, as he stood there looking at the red-haired girl who had brought him here, a hand went for his phone as a precaution. If something happened, he'd use his Shield Prison on himself before sending his location to Raphtalia and the local…
"I'd like to apologize to you." Malty's sudden words, along with a bow, caught Izuku off guard. So much so that he nearly stumbled backward.
"I-I was the one that told Motoyasu about the rumor going around," continued the redhead as she righted herself. Malty then followed this up by quickly reaching out with her hands to clasp one of his own. "The one about you and Raphtalia. How you were using her to fight your battles for you. It w-was just a silly rumor going around, you know. Honestly, I had no idea that Motoyasu would take it so seriously and that he would stop in the middle of a rescue to accuse you."
Izuku blinked as he slowly absorbed this information. To be honest, he had already mostly forgotten about that silly rumor.
"Why are you telling me all this now?" he asked.
"Because I don't want Motoyasu to get into trouble," said Malty as tears formed in her eyes. "Ever since the USJ incident, he had been contacted by various hero agencies trying to recruit him when he graduates. Some of them are even big names like Gang Orca and Yoroi Masha. Motoyasu has worked really hard over the years to get to this point and having his skills recognized by such big names means the world to him. But all that might get taken away if they ever found out how he behaved during certain parts of the USJ incident! And if he lost all of that because of a rumor I told him about…I don't know how I could ever forgive myself!"
Izuku nodded, now understanding the situation as he relaxed. Now it made sense why she wanted to be so far away from prying ears.
"Alright, I won't tell anyone about that," said Izuku as Malty's eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. Though there was something else there that didn't sit right with him, making the boy want to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "Just tell him to think twice about what he hears from now on."
With that, Izuku high-tailed it out of the park at full speed heading towards the train station in the hopes that he could make his train.
However, the next morning, as Izuku was eating his breakfast there was a knock at the door. Confused, Inko walked over to open it, finding a man wearing a tanned trench coat standing at the door flanked by two police officers.
"Ma'am, can we ask you and your son to come down to the station?" asked the trenchcoat-wearing man as he opened up his wallet revealing himself to be a detective. "We need to ask him some questions."