My Hokuto Academia
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Oh, but the Viz Media version of Fist of the North Star is releasing this year.
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Note: Apologies to Monoma fans in advance.
Chapter Forty-Nine: The 2nd Ripple
Lion's Den Agency
Oumagadoki City, Aichi Prefecture
A three-story building with a lion motif around it, but the cherry on top? It was next to more rural areas, allowing for better training exercises. However, there's another important event happening.
"Well, Kaminari. You definitely improved, especially with the drawbacks of your Quirk," said a lion-like hero who had a black mask, designed to look like a lion's maw.
"Thanks, Shishido-Sensei. However, you gotta thank my sister more," Kaminari said. He cracked his fingers but continued. "She's the one who planted the idea in my head."
"Huh, how so?"
With a bit of hesitation, he answered.
"... well... it was from sparring. By sparring, I mean, throwing me onto the ground."
Shishido blinked for a bit, wondering if he misspoke.
"What does she-"
"She's an MMA fighter."
'That clears things up. A lot.'
"Did you actually get a chance to win in any of your spars?" asked Shishido.
Kaminari nervously laughed, then winced a bit in pain when being reminded. "N-Nope, wait. Only once. Barely. Via triangle choke."
"Well, hope you get better... by the way, what are you going to name your move?"
The electric-themed kid had to pause for a bit, realizing that for all the time he worked on it, a catchy name didn't occur to him.
'Okay, think back, Kaminari... this was to give yourself a quick boost, but it seems my move works for fast bursts. Wait... I GOT IT!'
"I got it: EMS Pulse!"
"Hah, nice name. What does it do?"
"Oh, it's simple. I apply a lower voltage to my body, mainly focusing on the fast-twitch muscle fibers..." Denki paused for a bit, realizing he might lose the audience for a bit. "I focus on short but fast bursts of energy."
"Ah, focusing on speed and agility?" asked Shishido.
"Not only that but torque... well, the power to deliver my strikes faster."
Shishido was grinning underneath that mask of his, but let his intern explain more of the ins and out of his Super Move.
"Oh, well. I'm glad your week was worth it."
Kaminari bowed in response, grateful for the opportunity. As he left, he winced a bit in pain, remembering that he has a sparring session with his sister later on today...
"I still haven't fully recovered..."
He truly wasn't ready for that day...
UA High School
It was quite early in the morning, 7:30 AM to be exact. Some of 1-A making it early to class and Kaminari being one of them, followed by Jiro.
"How did your internship go, Jamming-Whey?"
"Well... it was quite a learning experience, no seriously," Kaminari said, but adopting a more serious tone. "I'm able... to use my Quirk without short-circuiting myself. It's just at a lower voltage."
"What's the Super Move called?"
"EMS Pulse."
Jiro took a moment to respond, but there was none of the usual snark or teasing. "That actually fits... Electronic Muscle Stimulator for short."
"Exactly."
As they were talking for a bit, Midoriya opened the door and made his way to his desk. However, both Kaminari and Jiro took notice, there wasn't a shine in the green-haired kid's eyes, it was like a void.
"Hey... Midoriya, you alright?" asked Jiro.
A brief look of his eyes said it all.
'He's not... wait... it couldn't, right?' Kaminari said in his thoughts. The first thing he did, pulled up his phone to see trending news and the biggest one was this, all bolded.
Hero Killer Stain Comatose!
"J-Jiro, you might want to check this out," sputtered Kaminari. The rocker girl took a second to look at it but thought her eyes were deceiving her, but it was the genuine thing.
"W-What the?!" said Jiro, keeping things to a whisper. "Fractured ribcage, shattered kneecaps, dislocated fingers, cut on the eyebrow, and ruptured liver... wow... any idea who did this?"
As Kaminari scrolled through a few articles, he found a few naming who took down the Hero Killer.
"Whoa... Edgeshot and Gunhead took down Stain," the electric-haired boy said. "I didn't think they would be that brutal."
A few other people made their way into the classroom: Yaoyorozu, Ashido, and Uraraka. The other three glance at Midoriya's listless state, wondering if they should try talking to him.
However, the pink one glares at Momo, albeit briefly.
Momo just mouths, 'Just try it, Ashido. I. Fucking. Dare. You.'
Ochako, in contrast, looked a bit somber.
'This... all of this. Feels wrong. My friends are snapping at each other, but what the hell happened to Midoriya?' as Jiro turned around. She wasn't the only one, others started noticing it too.
'Holy, what the hell happened to him?' thought a scaly student in the back, revealed to be Tyrone. Shoji had to agree with him, but kept his questions to himself, believing that he's not in a good state of mind to answer now.
'Ochako... something happened to you, did it?' said another student in the back with bob-like hair but black, revealed to be Joanna. 'I'll ask her later, it's not a good time now.'
BRRR!
Ochako's somber face was interrupted by the vibration coming from her phone. She opened up and saw the text message.
Tenya: As for my punishment, I will be attending General Education classes for a month. Considering the circumstances, I'm extremely lucky to have not been expelled.
The brown-haired girl sighed in a mix of relief but some sadness too.
'A-At least... he's safe.'
BRRR!
Tenya: I'm seeing someone to help me, his name is Hound Dog. Thanks for being there.
Ochako smiled a bit in response, but no tears came. This? This was enough.
Jiro noticed Mina looking saddened too, but heard the latter mutter...
"I want the old Midori back..."
As time passed, more of 1-A arrived, they felt the atmosphere change. Something was bothering the five but Kaminari also noticed another thing too.
"Where's Iida?"
As soon as he said that, a few others perked up and wondered the same thing...
'He'd be here, reminding everyone to take their seats...'
Those thoughts were interrupted by Aizawa coming in, making everyone take their seats. As the underground pro made his way to his desk, he made a small announcement.
"I understand that last week was... eventful for some of you," he paused for a bit. "However, we will move on."
"Wait, where's Iida?"
With a heavy sigh, Aizawa said: "He's been transferred."
This catches the majority of 1-A's attention, even Midoriya's for a brief moment. Some asking what exactly happened to cause the transfer to begin with.
"Originally, I was going to keep this from all of you. But... it's better to prevent future incidents like that from happening. I'll summarize it as best as I can," Aizawa said. He sat at his desk, took a deep breath, and asked if anyone wanted to transfer to General Education.
A resounding no was his answer.
"Alright... Iida went after the Hero Killer. He did so without any backup, disobeyed a Pro Hero, and worse of all? He was almost murdered by the Hero Killer."
"W-W-Wha?" sputtered a shocked Jiro.
"You're kidding, Mr. Aizawa, right? Right?" said Mineta, wondering if he misheard.
The stern teacher nodded no but added more bombshell. "A Pro Hero was also murdered in front of Iida too. Now, I'll ask again. Does anyone want to transfer to General Education? I won't hold it against you."
He needed to ease the tension though.
"However, take this as a lesson to heart..."
As he finished, homeroom concluded as Present Mic entered. He reminded everyone that a small quiz would be in two days.
UA Cafeteria
The rest of the school day went on as normal but this sense of uneasiness? It wasn't gonna go away. As soon as Lunch Break began, it was a bit of a rush. However, Izuku was sitting by himself, barely touching his food...
'Is Stain right?'
Stain's words actually affected him more than he thought.
'Will I go down a similar path as he did?'
The boy's stay at Hosu General left him some time to stew things over.
He did aim to kill Stain during that night. One thing that scared him was that he might not feel a thing if he followed through with it.
He frightened his friends.
Worse of all, he scared one of two friends he made prior to UA. Doubts were starting to fill his head: Was he cut out to be a hero? Is he just some violent thug? Is he just a killer in the making? Will he cross that line? Is he worthy-
"Hey, Midori," a somber voice said, breaking Midoriya's line of thought. It turned out to be Mina, looking very concerned, but she took a seat next to Izuku. The boy felt some shame, not wanting to look at her.
"You're not okay... are you?" asked Ashido.
"I'm... not. I'm really... not," responded Midoriya, voice starting to break. The pink girl just now noticed that Midoriya was in a worse state. The only thing she could do, no, can do was this. She wrapped her arms around him, wanting to help him bounce back from this.
"Am... I going to be like Stain?"
Ashido did not expect that to come out of Midori's mouth. "No, no, no," said the pink girl who shook her head. "Y-You're nothing like him... but..."
"But what...?"
"Your violent side. It scares me," said Ashido, still hugging him. "I hope Kensei's trying to, you know, keep it under control, right?"
"He's... trying."
"Look at me," said Ashido. "Look at me and promise," but her voice was cracking for a bit.
Midoriya forced himself to look, managing to sputter out the following words: "I don't know if I can keep that promise."
"Please..." as Ashido tightened the hug. Before the boy would respond...
"Oh, what's this?" said a fairly smug voice. As both Ashido and Midoriya turned around, they saw the source of it: A blonde student with bangs hanging over his right eye, but the most striking thing about him: the ever-present smirk on his face.
Name: Neito Monoma
Quirk: Copy - The user's ability is to copy Quirks upon contact. It usually lasts a period of three-five minutes. As a trade-off, Monoma's able to copy multiple Quirks at once.
"Oh... you're from 1-A. It's funny to a degree... you can't help NOT having the spotlight on yourselves, especially the Sports Festival," said the blonde with a bit of bite.
"What's your problem with us?" spoke up Ashido.
"Problem? Oh, I don't have one with you. It's the fact that 1-A gets the spotlight, but it's not the good type," Monoma responded, still smirking.
This got Midoriya's attention, prompting him to say... "What are you implying?"
"Is it really not obvious, Mr. First Place?" Monoma said, but he continued. "I heard from the grapevine that one of your classmates ran into the Hero Killer."
The uneasiness came back.
Iida's battered body.
Native's shredded remains.
The Hero Killer's grin.
The sadness on Ashido's face.
"It's ironic, one of the top students in 1-A, the one most like a robot... has been demoted to General Education. Gen Ed of all things!" Monoma said with some force, laughing for a bit. "It seems like 1-A isn't the top-tier that people made them to-oomph!"
A mushroom gagged him.
"Big Sis Kendo really needs to keep you on a short leash," said a bob-headed girl whose hairstyle resembles a mushroom. She turned towards the two, saying: "I'm sorry, but he doesn't represent the entirety of Class 1-B."
A sigh of relief came from Ashido, but her eyes turned toward Izuku who got up from his seat. Monoma got the mushroom gag out of her mouth, saying: "Komori, what are you doing?"
"Uh... Monoma. I think you made him mad," Komori said, pointing towards the boy walking towards him.
"Oh? Did I strike a nerve?" said the blonde. "If you can't handle a bit of teasing, then maybe you're-wait, why are you-"
SLAM!
The whole cafeteria was silenced, but Mina witnessed it.
Izuku used the floor as a springboard to deliver a flying headbutt into Monoma's skull! Students at nearby tables backed away in fear, but Komori saw the worst of it. Monoma was bleeding like a stuck pig!
"Midori, stop!"
He didn't. Monoma was on his knees, sputtering, wondering what just happened. However, the green-haired kid pulled him up to deliver a punch into his nose.
BAM!
The blonde flopped onto the floor, gasping a bit, but he had to say something...
"Wow, is this what you are? A brute? Typ-"
BOOM!
BOOM!
KRIK-KRACK!
Monoma couldn't even speak! The now-angered Izuku stomped on his ribs three times, cracking two definitely. He rolled out of the way, losing his smirk, and took a stance as he got up.
"So... this is Mr. First Place's true self, heh."
Izuku said nothing as he took a stance too.
SMACK!
A hit landed on Izuku's face, but... he wasn't budging. In fact, Monoma should be screaming in 3...2...1.
AHHH!
Monoma's hand felt like it hit a brick wall, he started ranting about why is it that 1-A gets all the attention, but Midoriya wasn't having any of that.
"My turn..." the boy calmly said as grabbed Monoma's head with both hands.
SLAM!
Midoriya flipped Monoma over his shoulder and slammed him into the floor, making a mini-crater!
"Wha... what... the?" gasped Monoma, wondering what the hell-
BOOM!
GACK!
Komori saw it, Midoriya dropped his elbow onto Monoma's face, intending to continue. The girl ran for it, needing to get help, screaming for Kendo's name. He ignored all things around him, just to focus on the blonde shit.
"N-now, s-see here, I-I was j-just t-t-teasing-"
Izuku was in the mount position...
"Wait, w-what are you?! LISTEN TO ME! I'M TRYING TO-"
BOOM! BOOM!
"...dori!"
BOOM! BOOM!
"Bro... stop!"
BOOM! BOOM!
"What are you..."
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
It switched from punches to hammer-fists, wailing down on Monoma even more.
WHAM!
"STOP!"
WHAM!
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
"You're..."
WHAM! WHAM!
"gonna..."
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM WHAM! WHAM!
"STOP!"
WHAM! WHAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Please..."
BAM! BAM!
"...sorry...!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM!
BAM!
"You..."
SLAM!
"Just..."
SLAM!
"Have.."
SLAM!
"...to say..."
SLAM!
"something!"
SLAM!
"Do you?!"
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAM!
"...get him!"
SLAM! SLAM!
SLAM! SLAM!
"Mid..."
SLAM! SLAM!
Before he delivered the final blow... he felt his arms held back, almost as if fate didn't want him to kill the bastard beneath him. He turned around to see two familiar people...
"Midoriya! Stop this!" screamed the orange-haired girl, now he recognizes her, Itsuka. She was holding back his left arm from delivering the killing blow.
"Please...!" said Mina to his right, pleading and holding back his right arm.
However, it wouldn't be enough.
Midoriya started moving his left arm, even with Itsuka using both hands to restrain him, the truth of it all: she did not want to hurt him. There was something that traumatized him and it's showing.
"BRO! STOP THIS!" yelled a male voice. In a few seconds, he felt two other arms encircle his from under the armpits, now, it had to properly restrain him, right?
"Kiri?"
"Look, bro! That jerk had enough!" exclaimed Kirishima. "Okay. On the count of three, we pull him back!"
"Right!" responded both.
1...
2...
3...
They used enough strength to pull a grown man back...
"Kiri... he's not budging!" said a worried Mina.
"What the hell..." muttered Kirishima. "Was he always this strong?!"
BAM!
"Shit! Someone get the teachers!" yelled Itsuka.
BAM!
"Midori, stop this! THIS-" before Mina was interrupted by Midoriya landing a fist into a bloodied Monoma's face.
BAM!
"Bro, he's not worth it!" screamed Kirishima. He ignores it.
SQUELCH!
The three were momentarily frozen as Midoriya landed a headbutt into Monoma's now-broken nose. However, they heard two other pairs of footsteps, in fact, Mina was surprised by who arrived.
"Y-Yaomomo?!"
"Todoroki!"
The other two grabbed Midoriya's waist and then attempted the three-step plan once again.
1...
2...
3...!
They manage to pull him away from the bleeding Monoma. Barely.
"S-Shit, what is this guy made of?!" exclaimed Kirishima.
"Keep pulling, Kirishima, keep pulling...!" said Shoto, starting to struggle.
"Stop! STOP! STOP!" screamed Mina as she pleaded.
"Midoriya, you're going to kill him if you keep going!" responded Momo. The boy did not care at all but heard an older voice interrupt his thoughts.
"Kids, stay back!" said a teacher, revealed to be Aizawa. The five backed away, Mina hoping it doesn't end in more bloodshed, but you never know...
"Midoriya, that's enough. Stand down," Aizawa ordered. Midoriya wasn't responding. "Fine then."
The erasure hero used his Capture Weapon to bind the green-haired boy's limbs... something's wrong. He was barely budging.
"No...!"
Midoriya, in spite of being his limbs being ensnared, managed to walk towards the battered Monoma.
"Midoriya, I'm ordering you to stand down!" near-yelled Aizawa. However, he could barely pull the boy away. "Vlad!"
"On it!" exclaimed a gruff voice revealed to be Vlad King. The bulky hero landed in front of Midoriya, saying: "You're not harming him any further!"
Vlad King pointed his gloves in front of him... then released a sufficient amount of blood! However, he immediately hardened it, immobilizing Midoriya... that was it, right?
KRIK-KRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
The whole cafeteria was shocked at what just happened, Midoriya just punched his way out of the hardened blood that was supposed to keep him in place. Vlad King attempted once again, needing to save his student...
Internal Energy Release!
The bloodstream was stopped right in mid-air! By a scream from the boy himself!
"What the?! H-How did he do that?!"
Vlad King then tackled Midoriya, thinking his weight could slow him down, but...
"Really?"
He barely moved! Vlad King tried once again but had a horrid realization: Midoriya's far stronger than he let on. The USJ Incident shown but a preview of his true power.
'Where's Nemuri?!'
Aizawa was now using his full strength to try pulling Midoriya back!
"How... how...! Was he... hiding... it! All along?!" Aizawa said between straining on the cloth-like weapon.
"That's enough, Midoriya!" exclaimed a running Midnight who surveyed the situation and needed to act fast. She tore one part of her clothing, emitting the sleep-inducing mist... which looked like it was starting to work!
The green-haired kid's eyes looked drowsy and in a few seconds, he flopped to the floor, fast asleep...
The damage was done...
Everyone in the Heroes Course was on edge... until one voice perked up.
"W-W-What w-was that?!" questioned a frightened Hagakure who was being held by Shoji.
"...It's like the USJ again," said Tsu, briefly shivering. "That killer intent..."
"Bullshit. This is bullshit," spoke up Sero. "That blonde-haired prick was egging him on, and look what happened!" said the tape-user boy as he emphasized it. He looked for some people to agree with him.
"Don't you think he went a bit far?" said Tyrone in his scaly self.
"I'd say whatever Monoma said falls under that..." Sero responded.
Kaminari sighed a bit but did pick up on something from Midoriya...
'That look in his eyes, it's like he has almost done this before.'
The most vocal/explosive student of 1-A was uncharacteristically quiet, stunned to see that his former punching bag from Aldera Junior High was going to beat, no, beat downplayed it, kill was the more accurate word. The ex-punching bag was going to kill the copycat.
'I gotta find out what happened to that fucker, he owes me that at least.'
"Wait, who told the teachers?" asked Shoji. In a few seconds, Ochako raised her hand, but then asked another question.
"Wait... where did Jiro go?"
1-B's Side
"T-That w-w-was ter-terrifying!" said a sputtering Komori.
"That green-haired fucker snapped! If the teachers didn't intervene, Monoma would be dead. Dead as a fuckin' doornail!" said a vulgar Kamikiri who was a bit shaken up.
"Whatever Monoma said to Midoriya, it likely agitated him, but what did he say to cause him to viciously assault him and dare I say, almost kill him," asked a gray-haired girl, revealed to be Yanagi.
One was vocal in its opposition towards Midoriya.
"That jerk needs to be expelled!" said an angry Kaibara. "He went way too far! As Yanagi said, he was gonna kill him! Is that too hard to understand?!"
It took Shishida to be the voice of reason, stepping in before things got too heated.
"Listen to yourself, Kaibara. You know that Monoma has a dislike for 1-A, I knew it would lead to an altercation one day... but something like this?" Jurota said before sighing. "None of us could have predicted that."
"Itsuka's the only one who might be able to stop him... but that's not enough..." muttered a shocked Tokage.
As Midoriya was being carried away... the group was in a state of shock, but Mina felt it the most. The teachers were in shock too, Aizawa most of all, though he didn't show it.
"Kids... enjoy the rest of lunch," Aizawa said, trying to keep his composure.
The pink girl was struggling to say words but managed to sputter something.
"No... no..." before she started tearing up. "H-He l-lost i-it a-and n-none of u-us c-could stop him..." as she outright sobbed, slumping to the floor. Kendo immediately went to comfort her, saying that Midoriya will be fine.
"H-He w-won't be..."
"Wait, why?"
"I-I-I'm g-gonna l-lose him!" she said between sobs.
Shoto was feeling incensed...
SLAM!
He left a small dent at a lunch table, briefly snarling, saying: "It's that fucker's fault... he did this!"
"Who...?" asked Kirishima, increasingly worried over Ashido. "Hey, she's one of my friends from middle school. I should know too!"
With a heavy breath, Yaoyorozu revealed it. Only a part of it.
"Midoriya... had a run-in with the Hero Killer. It was after Iida got injured by that psycho."
"Y-You're kidding, right?" Kirishima said, his voice in disbelief. "T-The same one who took down a few Pro Heroes, that Hero Killer?!"
"... Kirishima, you're a good friend of Ashido's, right?" asked Shoto.
"Yes, so tell me!"
"... First lookup the current status of Stain, okay?" asked Yaoyorozu. Kirishima wondered where this was going, but nothing prepared him for it as he looked up the trending news on his cellphone.
"W-What the?! Stain in a coma?! Wait, didn't Edgeshot and Gunhead take-"
"No," interrupted Yaoyorozu. "It wasn't them..."
This caught him off-guard, wondering if he misheard.
"She's right, but we agreed to keep things secret..." Shoto said. "However, there's the question, can you keep a secret like this?"
"Hey, Todoroki. You can trust me with this... but what about-"
"No," cut off Yaoyorozu. "The others cannot know... just, just trust me on this. Midoriya and another one named Kiryu inflicted those injuries on the Hero Killer."
Kirishima's mouth fell open, wondering if she was making things up...
"N-n-no, s-s-she's not... I-I-I s-s-seen f-f-first hand," Mina said, still sobbing. "M-Midori s-snapped..."
Cafeteria Corner
"Shit, shit, shit..." Jiro muttered to herself. Seeing Midoriya like that? That scared her, enough to where she needed help.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" as she dialed that guy's number from the other day, the same one she bumped into after dropping off Momo.
The dial tone was there.
"Damn it, pick up!"
The circumstances for how Jiro got that guy's number, well...
A Few Days Ago...
Jiro, wait, Earphone Jack was on break at the moment. She did not expect Present Mic to be the strenuous type of mentor, but then again... that energy he has as the MC and announcer would be present as a hero too.
"Ow... that stings," said a familiar voice. Jiro recognized it right away, turning around, and seeing the guy, what was his name again?
Gakuhito?
Gakuho?
Gakushu?
"Wait, what the?!" exclaimed Jiro. However, she was a bit shocked at how tall he was. In terms of height, he was exactly Iida's height. However, the one thing that stood out? A fresh bruise on his cheek.
"Oh, hey. Never knew you were into cosplay."
She blushes in embarrassment but counters, saying: "It's my Hero costume, not cosplay! Wait, that bruise."
"Oh... uh... it was a scuffle. Yea, let's go with that," the stranger said nervously, almost trying to cover it up.
"Are you sure, Gakuho, that's your name, right?"
"It's Gakuto. Gakuto Soraho," the named Gakuto corrected. "To answer your question, it was a drunk jackass."
Jiro wasn't entirely sure if Gakuto was telling the entire truth. As she got a good look at him, she came up with a theory: Gakuto was a fighter in his spare time, mainly focused on speed and reflexes, evidenced by the lean build.
"Are you sure...?"
Gakuto just waved it off, saying he was fine.
"Do you fight in your spare time?" asked Jiro.
"Yep, these muscles aren't for show. My question: who are you interning with?"
"Present Mic. He did throw some curveballs here and there..." Jiro said. "One was using my ear-jacks like an extension of my own limbs... if that makes sense," the rocker explained, wondering if that sounded better from Present Mic's mouth.
Gakuto's eyes widened, but the words that came out of his mouth were the opposite of what she expected.
"Ah... I get it," said the boy as he got into an orthodox boxer's stance, then throwing quick combos. "I think this is what he's trying to say."
It clicked to her, her gaping mouth saying it all.
"Well, there's your answer," said Gakuto with a small grin.
"... I'll give you that. Oh, I remember. Your band, San Southern Star, how did that come about?"
"Oh, it's a bit of a story..."
Gakuto explained a bit about himself: he came from Shura-Kokka and was in Japan since last April. On top of that, his two friends, confirmed to be Renato and Kabuto came to Japan a month after him. Even transferred to the same school he was attending too.
"... on top of that, all three of us were in General Studies. Plus we knew a bit about music, so we made the band as a side gig," explained Gakuto, but he clapped his hands after. "And so, that's how San Southern Star was born."
Jiro took this info in, wondering-
"Oi, BREAK'S OVER! TIME TO GO ON PATROL!" yelled Present Mic.
"Oh, gotta go!"
Gakuto stopped her for a bit, slipping a piece of paper in her pocket, and said: "I'll see you around, cutie."
Jiro blushed a bit and then looked at the piece of paper, eyes widening.
If you want to talk later.
XXX-XXX-XXXX
- Gakuto
"Heh, he always has to be smooth, does he?"
"You rang?"
"Oh, thank god!"
Gakuto noticed the panicked tone in her voice. He gave her a few seconds to breathe too.
"What's the matter...?" Gakuto said through the phone.
"Midoriya... one of my classmates, h-h-he fucking snapped!"
"You're shaken..."
"Something happened to him during Internships week, I know it. He was gonna go for the kill."
Gakuto stayed silent for a few moments on the other end... right before asking...
"Was he the only one acting weird? Was there some sort of aura to him?" asked Gakuto, a bit more serious. Jiro wondered if he was being serious but had to answer.
"He... was more depressed-looking. But the moment he struck that blonde jerk? He didn't waste time in his movements, he fought like an expert!"
"Shit... this sounds more serious than I thought. Maybe-"
"There's also two of my friends... Mina and Momo. They had a fight with each other," Jiro said, voice breaking for a bit. "T-They're still hostile to each other. But they're not fighting now... but the tension is still there."
"How would you describe the both of them?"
"Mina's an energetic ball of sunshine but oh boy, she can be vicious when pushed. However, she seems close to Midoriya," Jiro explained.
"And Momo?"
"A good friend of mine. She's prudent, studious, and dedicated. The last thing I saw coming was her temper."
"... Shit. It's that bad?"
Gakuto took all of this info in, wondering if this Midoriya is a practitioner in that style. Questions to file away for later, he thought.
"She's not interested in anyone at the moment though..."
"Really?"
"Wait, there's a guy named Todoroki who's kinda socially stunted... maybe I can include him."
"Okay... hmm... there's one idea I have in mind. However, I'm not sure you want to go through with it."
At this point, Jiro was willing to try any idea.
"What is it?"
"A triple date."
The whole world stopped for a minute. Even with enhanced hearing, she wondered if she heard that right, right?
"Uh... c-c-can you repeat that?" asked Jiro, still wondering if he misspoke.
"Triple date."
This... was new territory for her. Jiro never thought of herself as really... feminine. Especially in comparison to the other girls, the insecurities were there, on top of that? She felt that she was betraying her-
"Hey... you okay?" asked Gakuto, concerned.
"Yea, yea, I am," Jiro responded, brushing it off. As the idea was stewing in her head... she realized she might potentially regret this but it might work out, right?
"Great. You'll be able to get the both of them to hear the plan?"
"Hmm... I'll try to. I'll need Midoriya's and Todoroki's help. Mainly to keep Momo and Mina from beating them to a pulp."
"That... or try to be mediator."
"You know what? If this date is a success, I'll go to your next performance."
That brought a bit of a smile to Gakuto's face who responded with...
"Got it. But I say give it some time before asking the two of them."
Jiro understood, she could hear Mina sobbing and Momo was in shock, she needs some time.
"You have a choice for a venue?"
"Even better, why don't we try it for tonight? Say around 8 PM?"
"That can work."
"Alright. See you then."
CLICK!
'Okay, I have one shot to make this work.'
BRRR!
Jiro opened up her phone, saw it was from Gakuto, and smiled to herself.
"Huh, so that's the place? Not bad. Not bad at all."
Principal's Office
Midoriya was seated in the principal's office, still listless. On the other end was the principal of UA himself, a rodent hybrid or bear-thing? It didn't matter, what matters was that he was very curious about what transpired in the cafeteria. Aizawa being there didn't help matters either.
"Midoriya. Did something happen to you during your internship?" asked the erasure hero in a stern tone.
"..."
"Midoriya."
"... yes."
"What. Happened?"
"Stain. Stain happened," said Midoriya in a monotone voice. This caught the principal's attention and Aizawa's too, prompting the latter to ask this bombshell.
"Those injuries on Stain," Aizawa asked, but he couldn't believe it. Was his student really capable of that much brutality? Nonetheless, he asked more. "You inflicted those, did you?"
"I'm not the only one... Kiryu also took part in it too."
"Wait, who?" asked the principal.
"... Ask Uraraka."
"Alright, that won't be an issue. However, there's the main issue: why did you assault Monoma?"
Midoriya stayed silent for a few moments.
"Midoriya, cooperate," the principal barked.
"... I wasn't in the mood for his crap."
"Is that it or is there something more-" Nezu asked before being interrupted.
"The way he talked... the way he implied that Iida went after the Hero Killer for some spotlight..." Midoriya answered, still monotone.
Nezu took this in, realizing that Monoma provoked him, but it didn't excuse the boy for nearly murdering him. There needed to be a punishment regardless but it would be for both of them.
"Before you punish me, answer me this," asked Midoriya. "Should I really still train to be a hero after this?"
Nezu took a minute to think of an answer. He couldn't risk expelling him, he would likely become a vigilante right afterward, but there was another issue: teaching Midoriya to restrain himself in future missions.
'This is sufficient for now.'
"That is up for you to decide. As of now, your punishment will be detention for the rest of the day. In addition, bi-weekly sessions with the school counselor, Hound Dog."
Midoriya nodded in acceptance and went on his way. As soon as he closed the door, Nezu sat back and sighed, Aizawa? He just pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering that he should be placed in General Education for the time being.
"Yagi... you were listening in, were you?" Nezu said to no one in particular. However, the door to the side opened up, revealing the skeletal blonde AKA All-Might's true form, Toshinori Yagi.
"Yes..." with a bit of shame.
"This is serious. First the USJ and now this. If this continues, I might need to remove Midoriya from the Heroes Course."
"It's HIS fault..." Yagi said with a bit of grit. "Shichisei's."
"What makes you think it's him that's influencing Midoriya? Wasn't he arrest-" Aizawa started...
"He was placed on house arrest! Now? He's out there in the public and I have a feeling that it's one of the competitors from the Apex Fist Royale..."
Aizawa and Nezu narrowed their eyes at him, curious to see what Yagi will come up with.
"Kensei. Kensei Kasumi," Yagi said, gritting his teeth, but continued. "I just know it. It's the way he fought that screamed Shichisei."
Classroom 1-A
The rest of the day was uneventful, but... save for one thing. Yaoyorozu and Ashido glaring at each other, especially after the bell rang. Kirishima stayed behind alongside Jiro, mainly to make sure that another fight didn't break out.
As soon as one got up, there was some tension in the air...
"Bitch..." muttered Yaoyorozu, still seated.
"Takes one to know one..." muttered Ashido.
The onyx-haired girl rose up, then got into Ashido's face, daring her to say that again. The latter had a smirk, mouthing 'bitch'. A vein popped in Momo's head, but before anyone threw a punch...
"Hey... Ashido, can I talk to you for a minute?" said Jiro who intervened. The pink girl didn't mind, but Jiro dragged her away just in case. Momo, on the other hand, was twitching a bit in anger.
'Was I just denied punching Ashicunt in the face?! By my friend of all people!?'
"Yaoyorozu... are you feeling alright?" asked Kirishima.
"Ugh... this grudge between me and Ashido isn't gonna end anytime soon, will it?" responded Momo with some exasperation in her voice. She pounded her fist onto her desk in frustration.
UA Entrance
As Jiro walked out with Ashido, she explained her plan, especially the date part. The pink girl was caught off guard by that but regained her composure for a bit.
"...Okay. I'll bite," Ashido responded as she turned towards Jiro. "However, do you think Midori's gonna be open to the idea? But... you know... her..." the pink girl said with some bite.
"I know, I know. I'm hoping this date gets your mind off things."
Ashido was stewing things over, but she thought this was a way to get the old Midori back. Maybe. It was a big maybe.
"Okay, I'm game."
"Great. Now if you don't mind, I have to find Momo. But thanks again, Ashido," said Jiro with a smile. As she went back inside the school, Midoriya was seen coming through the doors.
Ashido noticed that Midoriya's eyes were still dull.
"Hey, Midori."
This caught the boy's attention for a bit, prompting him to say: "Oh, hey. Ashido."
Mina, being the type of girl she is, said the whole triple date plan.
"... You know what? I'll bite," said Midoriya. "I also want to apologize... for how I acted earlier today."
A hug was Mina's response, but she said: "You can make it up with dinner..."
Little did both know, an explosive hot-head was watching them.
"Tch. I'll ask him next time."
Classroom 1-A
Yaoyorozu was stewing at her desk, trying to comprehend what happened earlier. Kirishima was surprised that she had a temper, but then again, there's a first time for everything.
"Hey, Yaomomo," said Jiro. Momo glared at her for a bit, but the rocker explained. "Now before you blow a gasket, there's a reason why I did that."
The onyx-haired girl took a deep breath to calm herself, allowing Jiro to continue.
"A triple date."
"With whom?"
"Ashido, Midoriya, me, a guy I know, you, and... wait, do you know anyone who might be-"
"You realize me and Ashicunt aren't on the best of terms, right?" Momo said with a bit of disappointment.
Jiro pinched the bridge of her nose, saying: "I know, I know. But here's the thing: think of it as a way to get your mind off things, especially earlier today."
"...Point taken."
"Anyone, you might know?"
As she thought about it, one person came to mind.
"I do... I'll call him once I get home."
Jiro accepted that answer, but before she left, there was one last thing.
"Oh, dress up nice. I'll send the venue later."
As she left, Kirishima wondered what just happened, and decided to leave right afterward.
'I'm not sure if the beef between Ashido and Yaoyorozu will be settled. Especially with a triple date.'
Yaoyorozu Residence
An hour later, she was finishing up her assignments for the day and looked at her phone.
"Hopefully, he's open to the idea."
BRRR!
Location: Bad Batch Square
Time: 7:30 PM
- Kyoka Jiro
"Huh, it's in the downtown district. That's not an issue," Momo said to herself. She saved that location for later but needed to get this out of the way.
BRRR!
"Alright..."
BRRR!
BRRR!
BRRR!
CLICK!
"Hello...?" said a familiar voice.
"Hey, Todoroki. It's me, Yaoyorozu. Do you have a minute?"
"Yes. I just finished my training session with Ryuki-Sensei, therefore my schedule's completely cleared up."
"Ah... alright. This is something I want to talk to you about..."
"Okay."
"How does a triple date sound...?"
Might Tower
"Shichisei... I should have thrown you into Tartarus," the skeletal Yagi said to no one. "However, my successor should be enough to overcome you and possibly save Midoriya from you."
Yagi squeezes his fist in a bit of frustration.
SMACK!
"I'll find you and All For One, then throw the both of you into Tartarus... I swear it."
The Symbol of Peace coughed up some blood, forcing him to realize that his time as All-Might is coming to an end. However, he'll do his hardest to find Shichisei first...
Author's Notes: I'll answer some reviewers [might as well do that]. The lack of Itsuka, I plan to remedy that in this arc. Again, if anyone has questions, feel free to PM me. When it came to writing Gakuto [OC]'s dialogue, I visualized Billy Kametz as the voice. For those that don't know, he was Josuke Higashikata from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure [Part 4].
Gakuto's name was composed of the characters for 'peak', 'human', 'sky', 'swelling'. That's your only hint to what type of power he has, so try and guess it.
The music I listened to while writing Monoma's 'fight': "Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach and well, Adam Dudley's theme from Kengan Ashura.