Double posting in a short amount of time cuz why not? The beginning of the mess that Tasuke has created for our best girl Momo. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and support Momo through all of this.

Disclaimer: My Hero Academia doesn't belong to me.


Chapter 3: Scandal

After having dinner with his parents, Tasuke went up to his room, a plan already forming in his head.

His idea would definitely work and it wouldn't be solely because of his quirk but thanks, in most, to the times they all lived. Manipulation of information was nothing new to the world and in the current times it was becoming more and more difficult to determine what information was real and what was fabricated.

And with a quirk that utilizes that same principle, it makes Tasuke almost unstoppable. So when he sat at his desk and turned on the three computer monitors and combed through all the content he had of Creati, he knew getting his way was as simple as pressing send on a social media post.

His quirk: White Lie, gave him the ability to change one fact in any given news story that had already been published and manipulate the feelings of those who read it. The only people it didn't work on were the subjects of the story. As long as the information had been in the public for more than 18 months, he was free to change one thing and control how people felt about it. He could garner sympathy or even incite anger in the amended articles. However, the change could not be big enough to completely change the story or the subject of it. For example, if a news story spoke about how All for One was defeated in the war of heroes and villains, he couldn't change the fact of how All for One was defeated but he could change the parts of the story that lead up to his defeat. If it said Deku landed a fatal blow, thus securing victory, Tasuke couldn't change that but he could say that he was the one of the many who helped Deku get to the point to land that fatal blow and gain forced favour from that. So the subject of the story remained unchanged but events surrounding the main subject differed.

An obvious counter point to this ability would be, why can't those unaffected by Tasuke's abilites, the ones part of the story he intends to change, just come forward and call out the lie?

It is possible but in a battle of hearsay and living in an age where people believe not necessarily the truth but what they want to believe, anyone can be right. Not to mention, Tasuke's ability lasted three weeks, after that, the emotions that take over those who read the article fade away and the story returns to normal. Three weeks may not seem like much but careers can be made or broken overnight. So having to endure falsehoods for almost an entire month was more than enough to drive some crazy.

And since he was such a big, in every essence of the word, 'fan' of Creati, he had tons of content of her over the years since her debut after graduating from U.A. All he had to do was pick.

Villain fights in the city, rescue operations, team up missions, Heroes Gala's; he'd made sure to see as much of her as possible. From photos, videos and interviews and selfies he'd taken when he was at the scene, Tasuke looked through everything he had.

He finally found something, such a fond memory for him. It was the first time he got to meet Creati up close outside of a villain take-down.

Back when his father still worked as a board member at the HPSC, he still had a lot of influence. On the day that Creati was doing a photoshoot, Kosuke Fuji had organised for Tasuke to be one of the five fans selected to watch the photoshoot happen from behind the scenes. Was it an abuse of power to ensure that your son won a competition? Of course it was, but Kosuke had done it anyway, further reinforcing to Tasuke that he could have anything he wanted, and from the moment he saw her step in front of the camera, he was even more certain that he wanted Creati more than anything.

It was all part of appealing to the public, what was a hero outside of their profession? What sort of brand were they apart from a force for good meant to keep the public safe? These were the types of questions the public wanted answered. There was a fine line between hero and celebrity. If even music artists went outside of making music to connect to fans and make more money, why would heroes be expected to be any different? Especially since quite a number of brands were given rights to produce merchandise of the heroes in anyways, so sometimes it was a smart and strategic move to become some sort of ambassador especially if it helped push your brand in a way heroics alone couldn't.

And as much as Tasuke hated remembering since it felt like tainting his beautiful memory of Creati, Shōto had been there that day. He, too, was participating in the photoshoot. Creati and Shōto had shot up in popularity when they'd just entered their 20s and it was because of one big villain take-down they'd teamed up in that had the public completely obsessed with them, going so far as to pair them up.

It was an opportunity too good to pass up, their publicists had said and set up the photoshoot. Nothing too fancy, just that a luxury fragrance was launching a new 'his and hers' collection and wanted the new popular pair of heroes to be the faces of said fragrances. And by luxury, they meant luxury. A dramatic yet intimate ballroom set, Shōto and Momo in expensive high fashion formal wear and, of course, the sleek and elegantly designed fragrances.

Shōto commanded the room in a black three piece suit and maroon tie, his hair pushed back away from his face. The buttons and cuff links silver and silver broach on the left of his chest to match. His height and build complimented the suit in a way that made him a dazzling sight to behold under the dimmed lighting.

And then Momo walked in.

Tasuke felt like his breath had been taken away when he saw her walk in, in a striking crimson red ruffle dress. Sleeveless, mermaid cut, floor length, she elegantly walked over to Shōto in silver stiletto heels, and you could swear the whole room went silent. As radiant as she looked in the dress, what stood out the most was her hair. She'd recently cut it so the usual long sleek black hair was replaced this time by beautiful short black curls that fell just below her jawline.

The rest of the day had been a blur for Tasuke because all he could remember was Creati in that gorgeous red dress. He took as many pictures as he could and couldn't help the intense jealousy he felt towards Shōto who got to work with her in the photoshoot. Of course they were playing the roles of an attractive famous couple at a fancy event. Of course they'd be posing close together, of course Shōto would get to put his hands on her and make her smile in a way that made Tasuke's stomach turn.

Of course, of course, of course!

Where did that entitled excuse for a hero get off?

Just because daddy used to be the number one hero doesn't mean you get to have it all, Shōto. No, he would not allow it. He was Tasuke Koji, he got anything he wanted without fail and Creati was one of those things.

During the lunch break for everyone, Tasuke saw Creati head to her trailer and decided to go speak to her. Introduce himself and let her know what a real man with power could do. Once she knew about him, he had no doubt she'd drop that loser Shōto and choose him immediately.

Suffice it to say that things didn't go as he had planned. The fact that it was years later and he was still pursuing her and, worse still, her publicly denouncing him as she had recently was proof of that. The upside of this was that her humiliating him would only help him in his scheme.

Upload a few pictures here, write some dramatic copy over there and voila, he had the perfect White Lie to damage Creati's reputation that filled his conditions. The photoshoot was well over eighteen months ago, it didn't take away from the main story that had been the success of the photoshoot and the sales of the fragrance thereafter. He could also instill outrage and disgust in the people who would read his story. And best of all, there was no one who could discount his story because he and Creati had been alone in the incident he was making up. Sure she could go on the record and claim his story to be false but in the court of public opinion, the person who spoke first usually won. He thanked his younger self for wanting to speak to Creati alone, not knowing that many years later that decision would help him in finally getting Creati to be all his.

Tasuke read over his post one last time and made sure the edited image had been cropped perfectly. And for extra insurance, he'd contacted the other four winners of the competition who'd been there on that day and 'rewarded' them handsomely for their compliance in making sure his plan worked out.

Once sure of himself, he pressed 'send', watching the blue bar uploading his post move closer and closer to completion until it was finally sent. The chime of his post being sent out sent an excited shiver down his spine.

I'll be waiting for you, my lovely Creati.

He then took out his phone and set it up to front facing camera and mustered up the most believable fake tears he could produce and pressed record. "My name is Tasuke Fuji, many of you know my father, the Head of the Hero Public Safety Commission. The reason I'm making this video is because…

Xxx

"Thanks again for fixing my winter suit so quickly, Melissa." Momo checked her reflection in the mirror. She'd come a long way in terms of her hero costumes, making adjustments over the years until finally settling on the designs she had currently for her summer and winter costumes.

"It was no problem, really" the young inventor set her cup of tea down and went over to Momo. "If anything I should be the one thanking you for letting me design your new suits. Taking on the challenge of making your winter suit cover your whole body and keeping you warm, but still able to work with your quirk was one of the best breakthroughs I've had in a long time."

"And all it took was a bit of hair." Momo chuckled.

"More like a lot. Your hair went from all the way to your waist to just below your jawline. But having that much material to work into the lining of your suit worked wonders."

"And my hair grew back in no time, so it was no hassle whatsoever." Momo stretched and did various poses making sure she still had the same mobility. The suit was still her signature red colour with touches of black and white strips on it.

It had been quite the tall order getting to where she was now. Firstly by having Deku introduce her to Melissa in the first place. Having been the main designer in Endeavor's hero suits before the war, Melissa had experience in making suits work for their heroes and not the other way around. So, when Momo tasked her with creating a suit that would cover her whole body, insulating her from the cold while also allowing her to create whatever she needed for battle was difficult, but an amazing collaboration that resulted in the women becoming fast friends.

Hence Melissa's visit to Momo's apartment with Momo's new suit but, also dinner so the two of them could catch up since it had been a while since Melissa had visited Japan.

"So, how long are you staying in Japan this time?" Momo went to join her on the couch, picking up her own cup of tea.

"Two more weeks. Dad wanted a proper Japan experience with All Might and in addition to catching up with you, I also visited Deku and Uraraka. I always knew those two would end up together, now they're living together. Talk about a power couple, with both of them being in the top ten.

"Yeah it was pretty obvious that they liked each other. I'm happy for them."

"And speaking of power couples..." Melissa had a teasing smile on her face.

"Don't you dare, Melissa." Momo warned but she was smiling nonetheless.

"I didn't say anything yet," she giggled.

"But I know exactly what you're going to say because you've said it before. Shōto and I aren't dating. And why are we even talking about my non-existent love life, 'Ms, I-just-got-engaged?'" Momo noted the beautiful diamond ring on Melissa's left hand. "Didn't you say you wanted to get engaged at thirty?"

"Twenty-eight is close enough. And anyway, don't change the subject. I'm not done talking about you and Shōto. Also, there's nothing more to say. I told you I got engaged the day after it happened. Andrew and I are still discussing wedding details so there really isn't much of an update on my side. You on the other hand…"

"Have no updates on my side either. Shōto and I are the same as we were the last time you came to visit, still just friends."

"I did like how he came to defend you though."

"What do you mean?"

"When that entitled fan came up to you, what was his name again?" Melissa tried to remember but couldn't.

"Oh, you mean Tasuke." Momo sighed, "I almost forgot about him, but yeah Shōto basically came out of nowhere to get Tasuke to back off.

"How are you after all that?"

"Relieved, honestly. He was coming off way too strong. Even went as far as swearing to get even with me for rejecting him. Not that he's done anything about it."

"Well, I'm just glad you don't have to deal with him anymore. It's a pity that video of you guys is still up."

"You mean that night when I told him off? People are still watching that?" Momo had a bad feeling about that.

"You looked like a real badass slipping out of his grip like that. I'm sure that really ticked him off."

"Not as much as Shōto showing up did. He can't stand him. His already bitter face gets even more unsatisfied whenever he's around."

"Makes sense, since he sees Shōto as his biggest obstacle to getting to you."

"Once again, we're not a thing and even if we were, the fact that he thinks he's on the same level as Shōto is laughable." Only after a few seconds did Momo realise how her words sounded but it was too late to stop Melissa.

"Ooh, are you defending your man?" Melissa fake gasped

"He's not my— I didn't mean for it to come out like that." Momo tried to cover her blushing face.

"Sure, sure." Melissa couldn't help but laugh.

Just as Momo was about to retaliate, her phone rang.

"Is that your future husband calling?"

"No more of that." she reached for her phone on the coffee table to check and it was indeed Shōto calling. Momo rolled her eyes at Melissa's smug face. "This doesn't prove anything." she slid her finger across the screen and answered.

"Momo, where are you right now?" Shōto skipped the greeting and got straight to the point. His voice sounded alarmed, making her sit up a little straighter.

"My apartment, Melissa's here with me. Why?"

"We underestimated him. Social media is going crazy right now."

"Shōto, what are you talking about? And who?-

"Tasuke. That bastard made his move. I'm close by, I'll be at your place in ten minutes. I'll explain when I get there." he hung up, leaving Momo stunned in silence.

"Momo, are you okay? What did Shōto say?"

"Things are about to get a lot more complicated."

Momo opened for him as soon as he arrived and he joined them in the living room.

"It's been a long time, Shōto." Melissa got up to hug him.

"It's good to see you again, Melissa." He had to bend a little to hug her properly. "I wish I came here under better circumstances, though."

"You said Tasuke made his move..." Momo hated to cut their conversation short but Shōto sounded really worried on the phone.

"It's only been about half an hour and his two posts have already gone viral." he turned on her smart tv and went online to show her the posts. "Remember this?"

There were two images and a caption. The first image was of Momo with her shorter hair and wearing a gorgeous red dress. She recognised it immediately.

"Our photoshoot? The one we did for that fragrance three years ago. I remember he was there but—

It was only when she read the caption and saw the second image that it all finally clicked.

The second image was a selfie of him standing outside her trailer but the most shocking thing about the image was the lipstick mark on his neck peeking out from under his shirt collar. Paired with the caption, It's a promise, Creati. Next kiss goes lower.

"What the hell? I never kissed him!"

"It gets worse..." Shōto scrolled to the video posted directly underneath. It looked recent compared to the pictures of Tasuke in the post, this video was the current Tasuke.

"My name is Tasuke Fuji, many of you know my father, the Head of the Hero Public Safety Commission. The reason I'm making this video is because I can't keep this secret any longer. I didn't want to do this but I can't carry on pretending I'm not being lead on when I am. Those who follow me online know I'm a huge Creati fan. I've admired her basically since she finished studying. Three years ago, I was one of the winners of the competition to go see Creati in studio for the Scent of Radiance fragrance photoshoot. I was mesmerised seeing her in person and decided that day that I'd tell her my true feelings. I know a lot of you would say that was weird of me, I mean I'm just a fan and Creati didn't know me. I thought so too but decided to go for it anyways.

It was during the lunch break that I managed to speak to her, I introduced myself and told her I was a big fan and kind of blurted out that I wanted to get drinks together. I was awkward and knew there wasn't a chance in hell she'd say yes but then she did, very eagerly in fact. She said she didn't want the other competition winners or anyone else to find out and invited me inside her trailer.

And that's where things got a little steamy, we did kiss and before leaving, Creati put on her lipstick and kissed my neck and promised we'd spend time together again.

But that time never happened. After the photoshoot she acted like she didn't know me at all and acted like we'd never done anything. For years now I've been trying to talk to her and get an explanation of why she treated me like that, used me like that and I still don't have an answer.

Recently a video of us went viral after Creati took down Midnight Puppet. The video was of me talking to her, I was trying to bring up our past but she wouldn't hear it and basically shut me down and even made Shōto step in and back her up. I don't know if she's using him too but I just want answers and hopefully she sees this video and finally acknowledges me. I still care about you and want to talk this through.

I'll be waiting for you, my lovely Creati."

The five and a half minute video ended there. The trio looked at the tv screen in silence, Momo specifically looked the most stunned.

"I genuinely don't know what to say..." Momo fell back against the cushions.

"And the numbers just keep going up. It's already got one point two million views and it's still going." Melissa noted, "If none of what he's saying is true then why does it look so official, even on the business pages that wrote about your photoshoot?" Melissa was scrolling through her phone.

"It's because of his quirk: White Lie. He can manipulate and change one fact about any news story that's been in publication for over eighteen months. As long as his one change doesn't influence the whole article and make it something new. He can also assign an emotion to the changed article so he can make people feel how he wants them to about it."

"Then why hasn't it worked on me? I don't feel any different."

"His quirk doesn't work on the subjects on the article so Momo and I won't be affected but also people who don't view his post from his account won't be affected either. What we just saw now was a repost on another users account."

"Luckily, the one thing he can't control is how people share the information. They could send a direct link to his post or save and repost it somewhere else. He'll catch a lot of people and miss a lot too."

"And he won't face any consequences for using his quirk like this?" Melissa asked.

"As if his dear old dad would extend the law to punish his own son." Shōto said sarcastically.

Before he could say anything else, his phone notifications were going off and a second later, so were Momo's.

Without unlocking her phone Momo looked at the messages popping up on her lockscreen. Notifications about messages from the various social media accounts she had. All of it obviously in response to Tasuke's now viral posts. Momo's heart beat faster seeing the number of messages increasing. What a mess Tasuke had caused and she didn't even know where to begin.

He wanted her attention and he more than had it now.


The damage has been done and now all Momo can do is try to pick up the pieces but how difficult will that be? You know how people can be, so yeah things aren't looking good but hey, it's all part of the story so, stay tuned for me. Hope you enjoyed (as much as you considering).

Well that's it from me-

Until the next chapter:

Ketsui Tasogare :-)