Angel: You know, even though this is technically not the 100th chapter, nor is it the 100th episode of the anime, I am glad that on paper, it is because there's a really good Bakuza moment here. Not a kiss, but it's also one of my favorites in the story.
Someone in Spanish said they wished Overhaul didn't lose his hands, and...yeah, I'm sorry, I can't get on board with that. I haven't made it a secret my feelings about Overhaul at this point. The dude is a child-abuser, he deserves to not be able to use his Quirk anymore. And no, I didn't change it so that he could keep his hands because he deserves to BURN. IN HELL. Whoo, okay. Got a little heated...anyway, someone else in Spanish said that Ochaco and Izuka should be in a romance, which I respectfully disagree with. Maybe as a non-canon ship, I'd be on board with it, but I also ship Ochaco and Izuku, so I'm not too sold on switching things up. But hey, people can ship whatever they want...as long as you don't try to force me to change Bakzuka. So I'll just keep being in the corner with some other Bakzuka shippers I know are out there.
To be completely honest, if lunar energy seems that painful and dangerous to Izuka, I don't think I'd put her through it. Especially since she already risked herself with solar energy. Btw, solar energy makes her faster and an increase in her abilities is nothing to scoff at, so I think I'm good with just solar energy! And also...not planning on using Pluto, mainly because it's not a planet, so I don't think it would count. And she does get new abilities with the other planets, you'll just have to keep waiting and see what she gets because I'm not a spoiler! Same thing for the school festival. Which designer made Izuka's costume? Why, Ochaco and Bakugo's of course! I just like the idea that she has the same designer as one of her best friends and her love interest. I have not seen the final cover of the manga volume, I've been very busy because it's midterms for me.
Dabi looked up ahead at the damage they caused. The police car was completely destroyed as it was on fire. The police officer from the truck was most likely dead.
Shigaraki then kicked at Overhaul's bed, hands in his pockets. "...Tell me again who the next leader is gonna be. I hate you..." He removed the hand accessory off of his face. "You're too full of yourself." Overhaul's left arm suddenly disappeared into an orb, and he glanced up at Mr. Compress. He had taken off his mask, smiling as he held up the orb.
"For the arm," He also revealed that the arm he had lost was replaced with a robotic attachment. He made the orb disappear completely.
"Two little boxes," Shigaraki held one up. "Which one holds the finished product?" He opened it up to see four remaining red bullets, since Overhaul had used one on Mirio. "I'll just take both," He closed the box, Overhaul looked up at him wide-eyed.
"That's mine..." He murmured, but he also couldn't fight back to get it. He was still restrained, and the handcuffs on his hands prevented him from using his Quirk. All he had left was the product, and now Shigaraki was taking it from him...
The League of Villains leader sighed a little, staring down at him. On the inside, he was very pleased to see Overhaul losing everything now. They didn't have Eri, but the sight of this made it all worth losing her. "You know what I think, Overhaul? Someone so obsessed with erasing Quirks...shouldn't have one of their own," He then touched Overhaul's remaining arm, and decayed it. "Don't you agree?" Overhaul seethed in pain, his breath escaping him as he realized what the villain was doing. "And all the fruits of your labors belong to me!" He grinned delightfully that he just made Overhaul Quirkless now that he had no arms. And that was the only way he could use his power. He couldn't even fuse with anyone anymore either. "Now you don't even have a thumb to suck on!" Shigaraki had a crazed look on his face while enjoying the moment. "You're doomed to watch from the sidelines as your dream falls apart! Let's do our best!"
The knife fell near some blood as Overhaul's eyes shook towards him...that he had now truly lost all he had.
Shigaraki left Overhaul wide-eyed and breaking out in hives. Mr. Compress bowed before they took their leave. Shigaraki put his hand accessory back onto his face, looking up. "Next, it's our turn..."
Overhaul gasped out and let out a scream of horror at everything falling apart. As the three walked away, the fire was still going on in the distance, and they silently enjoyed Overhaul's screams...
Two cars were driving down the street. "So, you've had eyewitness reports, eh?" Gran Torino wondered while looking at a picture of Kurogiri, who had been missing for a while. "Hard to believe he's this deep in the mountains. There's not all that much out here...you're absolutely sure it's Kurogiri?" He looked up towards Naomasa driving.
"In the last couple of days, four people have reported spotting him," He explained while keeping his eyes on the road. "Given how remote the area is...I'd say the odds are good."
"I guess that's true," Gran Torino looked back towards the picture. "Unfortunately, his Quirk is Warp Gate. That's gonna make him hard to corner and catch. Still, four separate reports does sound careless. I don't get it," He furrowed his eyebrows in thought, knowing that the League was more tactical about their appearances. They wouldn't do anything to get themselves caught...it just didn't seem like any of them to make their presence known without it being a planned attack. "What's the League of Villains up to?"
"Even if we don't fully understand what their motives are, this is our best chance to arrest Kurogiri. We need this to go smoothly, so I'm counting on you," Naomasa glanced at the hero with a small smile. "Gran Torino."
He gave a small smile from the amount of trust the police officer was putting into him. "You kids. Good grief. Can't believe you're working an old man so hard..."
And so, within a few minutes, they reached their destination, a bird flying over the sun. "Assistance needed. The suspect has been found. He must be secured before he activates his Quirk," Naomasa heard over the earpiece.
"Kay, that means you're up," He glanced towards Gran Torino.
"Yeah, I'm on it," The old hero braced himself before jumping up into the air, using the trees to elevate himself to the top. He continued using the trees with his Quirk to maneuver around, and indeed, Kurogiri was walking around in the forest by himself. He turned around to see Gran Torino revealing himself, and he gasped.
"You're not going anywhere!" Gran Torino declared to the villain, knocking him onto his back before he could escape. There was a cloud of smoke and when it disappeared, the man had Kurogiri pinned to the ground. "So I finally get to meet you, Kurogiri. It's a pleasure."
"Gran Torino," He growled knowingly, since he saw the hero at the Kamino Incident.
"Your Quirk makes you a pain for those of us trying to stop the League. It'll be easier with you gone," Gran Torino gritted his teeth.
"Be careful!" Naomasa warned once he and the other police members caught up to them. "Don't let him touch you," He pointed his gun up ahead. "He's able to activate his warp power using his head and both of his hands. He'll be hard to restrain."
"I'm well aware," Gran Torino looked over his shoulder, as he wasn't worried. "I'll take him and speed outta here before he gets a chance to bolt. You and me can even get to know each other a little bit better along the way."
"I wonder..." The villain finally spoke up, getting his attention. "Have you or the officers heard whispers of a man with a wild appearance traversing this area?"
"What's that?" Gran Torino narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He had never heard of anything like that up until now.
"It seems he's gotten too much attention. Though, I suppose that can't be helped. I have business with the individual in question..." He spoke rather cryptically, though none of them had any idea what he was talking about.
"...You can tell us all about him during interrogations."
Suddenly, there was a rumble in the area, causing all of them to look up. "What the heck? Was than an earthquake?" Naomasa looked around in alarm as it persisted.
"His master...is very forward thinking," Kurogiri stated in a mysterious way, knowing what was going on.
"What are you talking about?" Gran Torino demanded from him.
"Listen carefully. If for whatever reason, I should go away for an extended period..." All for One explained while still in recovery. "You will be the only one who can protect Tomura. "That said, should you ever be concerned or feel as though you need assistance...there is someone else you can rely on."
A huge foot stepped on a branch to break it. "Detective Tsukauchi. Gran Torino. You must realize Shigaraki is not the only person All for One cultivated."
"Hoping for a sunny day?" A voice from the radio stated as the figure got closer. "Sorry. Unfortunately, much of the Kanto region..." The voice died out as the rumbling was coming from a huge muscular person with pointed teeth, and was as tall as a building. He also had a portal radio around his neck.
"Allow me to introduce you to one of his most faithful servants: Gigantomachia," Kurogiri explained as he stared down at the group. Naomasa and Gran Torino looked up in shock as they didn't expect this. He was easily the biggest creature that they had encountered ever from the League...
"Everything is for the glory of my master..." He then swung up his arm before there was a huge crash, destroying several trees in the process. Two birds were chirping, unaware of what just happened.
"Kai Chisaki, the young head of a formerly prominent yakuza group, was arrested for the abduction and confinement of a young girl," The League of Villains' attack on Overhaul's transport was already on the news. "As police transported him, however, they were attacked by the League of Villains." Izuku walked over to the TV, dressed in his school uniform and holding his hero one. Mr. Aizawa and Recovery Girl were watching the broadcast at the hospital. Izuka stepped in a few seconds later, looking up at the TV and rushing over. "During the incident, the Sand Hero, Snatch, who was serving as an escort, was killed. There were also members of law enforcement who were injured."
The twins were horrified as they stared. They didn't think the League would show up again so soon after the Shie Hassaikai raid...and the two couldn't help but wonder if this had to do with their first meeting. And Izuku wondered if they should've warned the police to expect this or captured Himiko and Twice beforehand, then no one would've gotten hurt...
"This attack on a villain in custody is an unprecedented failure. Officials have also confirmed..."
"This is the only thing they've reported on since yesterday," Recovery Girl gave a small sigh.
"It isn't something you should feel responsible for," Mr. Aizawa spoke up to his students knowingly. "Please try not to blame yourselves."
"Yeah, okay," Izuku looked away with a frown. Izuka placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. But after everything that had happened lately, it was impossible to not think about things like this...
"Good news is, most everyone's headed back to class," Mr. Aizawa closed his eyes. "The doctors wanna monitor Togata a little while longer." Ochaco was putting on her uniform, Tsuyu approaching her. Eijiro and Tamaki were also dressed and ready to go back to classes. "But Recovery Girl was able to completely heal the rest of the students involved in the raid." Nejire stood up straight, buttoning herself up. "They're gathering their things now."
Recovery Girl got onto her feet. "I'll stick around a little while longer and heal a few more patients since I'm here."
"I'll stay too," Izuku looked towards his teacher. "I want to be here for Eri whenever she wakes up."
"I wanna do that too," Izuka frowned a little; Eri was still in quarantine and couldn't have visitors currently.
"I'm afraid she's still too dangerous for that. Right now, we need to trust that the doctors will help her." Eri was still burning up from her fever. The two looked up at him wide-eyed and Izuku looked away, frowning.
"Yeah, I get that, but I was hoping we could..."
"She'll be fine," Mr. Aizawa tried to assure them.
"Okay then...I wanna see Togata before I leave, though. I'll be right back. Please watch my stuff!" He put his backpack down and walked off. Mr. Aizawa raised a hand as Izuka remembered what Toshinori said about Mirio and threw her bag onto the floor.
"I'm coming with you!" She ran after her brother.
"Hold on!" Their teacher called out to them. "We're leaving soon, Mido still..." He faltered as they didn't come back and sighed a bit. He decided to let them go since they didn't know when they'd see him again in school.
Izuku raised a hand to the door and then hesitated. Izuka noticed this and held his shoulders from behind in encouragement. "I'm sure it'll be fine. If anything, I think Mirio would like some company since he'll be all alone now," She gave a tiny smile.
He nodded and knocked on the door. "Are you in there? It's us, the Midoriyas," He then opened up the door to see Mirio smiling.
"Heya, my main twins!" He greeted while having his lower body raised to move around his legs as if he was riding a bike...? The two looked at him wide-eyed to see him already on his feet despite the injuries he got. "You must be heading back to campus, huh? I hear I'm the only one who's gotta stay in the hospital! I don't get it! Like, come on, look how much energy I have. It's kinda lame, am I right?"
Should he really be doing that...? He still has his bandages Izuka gave a sheepish expression while closing her eyes. Then again, he didn't seem to be in any kind of pain...
"Are you okay?" Izuku wondered while approaching him. Izuka stepped up as well, hands behind her back.
"Yeah, I know, I know," He frowned while looking up at the ceiling, suddenly looking less like his usual self. "I lost my permeation. And my mentor just passed away. I should be full of mopes, right, not smiling so much." The two looked at him wide-eyed at the correct assumption that he would be mourning Sir Nighteye, the person Mirio was the closest to besides Tamaki and Nejire. "But that's the thing..." He clamped his mouth shut and then elevated himself to sit upright. "Sir loved to laugh. I know he was super strict with you, but I got to see a different side of him, that always tried to find the humor in things."
"And be sure to smile..." He had a soft smile on his face...the first time that anyone had seen it from him ever since they started the operation. "After all, without joy and laughter to balance the sorrow...this would cannot hope to have...a bright...future."
Mirio looked out the window upon remembering his mentor's dying words. "So you see. I refuse to sit around crying. Because I gotta focus on becoming a fine hero one day. Know what I mean?" He hummed while looking over his shoulder, smiling towards them. "Plus, if I've got a gloomy face on, it might make little Eri feel sad."
Looking at him, they could relate to what he told them. Because doing what a mentor hoped for them...was like how it was between the twins and Toshinori in a way. Which made sense given the connection between him and Sir Nighteye.
"You have the power to become a symbol, but you're mediocre. A pity. All Might chose wrong after all. Mirio should have inherited the power," Sir Nighteye told Izuku in his office while the boy was trying to get the seal.
Izuku clamped his mouth shut, looking towards the ground. "...You are amazing. You protected Eri the whole time. Even after your Quirk was taken away..." Mirio and Izuka stared at him in silence, wondering what he was getting at. "But I couldn't do that...you kept that scared little girl safe all on your own, but I had to have help from her and Mr. Aizawa."
Izuka's eyes saddened as she realized...he was talking about what Toshinori told him about Mirio being the contender for his Quirk. She felt so bad for her brother that he felt like he was worthless despite what he did... "Little brother..." She whispered quietly, not sure what to tell him. She could say that it wasn't true. She could tell him he did save lives. But...she knew that it wouldn't be enough. She knew that Izuku had to tell Mirio this.
"If you had been the successor instead of me then..." He clenched a fist tightly. "Maybe Nighteye would be alive...and maybe All Might's future would be different." After the raid...what he said to Toshinori about changing fate...he felt like he still could, but for Mirio instead. If he hadn't gained One for All, Mirio might've not lost his Quirk, and won against Overhaul. "Togata! If I told you there was some way that I could give you my Quirk, then would you-"
"Nah, I wouldn't want it," Mirio denied immediately and Izuka crossed her arms.
"I'm with him on this one!" She revealed to her brother. He gasped from their responses, as there wasn't even any hesitation either.
"If that were really possible, and you could just hand your ability over to me, I would be causing you a bunch of trouble, wouldn't I?" Mirio pointed to himself and Izuka blinked at him saying this. "Not cool. I wouldn't want you to end up being bummed out. Right? I don't know why you talk like ya did something wrong. You did a good job! You're a hero, Deku! And you are too, Callista! I can tell by your face you know what I'm talking about, right?"
She blinked and then gave a small smile. She was thinking about what would've happened if she really could give her Quirk to her brother back when he was Quirkless. That she would've been causing him trouble as well in the long run if she really thought about it. And now...she had done so much with her Quirk that she couldn't imagine what she could've done without it. She could tell that Mirio just wanted the best for the both of them.
Izuku squeezed his eyes shut as he still felt awful about it. Mirio gave him a small smile, turning away. "And besides...yesterday, Eraser told me about Eri and how her power works. Later, as she gets older and trains, she may be able to use her Quirk properly. Then I'll try asking her if she can rewind me to when I still had Permeation." He clenched a fist in determination to still be a hero, Quirk or not. Not just for Sir Nighteye, but for himself and his father. "Even if that doesn't work...I'm not gonna give up looking for ways to return to normal! I'll probably have to take some time off from classes at UA until my Quirk comes back. But don't worry about me, I'm gonna be just fine!" He grinned up at the twins.
"You'll be okay..." Sir Nighteye whispered and Toshinori shed a single tear. He was using his Foresight on Mirio. "You're going to become the finest hero the world's ever seen..."
Mirio clenched his fist tighter. "After all...I have to believe Sir's prediction will come true!" He then hit Izuku's cheek lightly with his fist. "So do me a favor. Let's all keep smiling!"
Izuku's eyes glistened as he took a second before he finally smiled. "Okay."
"You got it, Togata," Izuka nodded a little and he blinked of her not using an honorific, but he just smiled in return.
"I promise I won't give up on UA. Because I'm the hero who'll save a million people!" He declared to the twins.
"Good. We'll be waiting for you," Izuku stated while Toshinori was listening from outside the door. He stopped himself from knocking as he felt like...their talk was enough. That no matter what he said to Mirio...he wouldn't want to be the successor.
Eijiro stepped out of the hospital, looking up to see the twins standing there frowning. "Midoriya! Mido!" He ran up to his friends. "Did you guys get all healed up?"
"Yeah. We're all good now. Thank you."
"We'll be alright, it was nothing too serious. Thanks," Izuka smiled a little while holding her bag in front of her legs.
"Izuku Midoriya and Eijiro Kirishima?" A police officer approached, saluting to them. "I'm sorry to bother you two right after your discharge. But we'd like you to come down to the station with us. We have some questions for you about the incident. And we'll need Izuka Midoriya most importantly of all too."
"Uh? Me?" Izuka blinked in surprise that she was being brought up as the most important witness.
"Yes. We were told that your name was brought up by the former leader of the Shie Hassaikai?" She blinked slowly, since Eri did mention her name...they must've wanted to know if they could find a connection between her and the organization. "We'd like to ask you why you were a target for the yakuza group."
"Yes, sir," Eijiro agreed while turning to them.
"Anything you need," Izuku nodded in agreement.
"Oh!" She then realized that she was running late to be back at the dorms. "I'm sorry, but can I take a rain check? I actually have somewhere to be right now," She frowned a little towards the police officer. Even if she could stay for Eri, there was no way around missing out more classes. "I'm gonna be late for my special classes for the provisional license exam..."
"Of course, we understand," One of the officers gestured to himself. "We can take you back to the campus on our way back."
"I can fill in the gaps for her," Izuku spoke up, looking away. "I have an idea of why he wanted to capture her..."
"Wait, what happened?" Eijiro asked in a protective way. Not just because of everything that had occurred, but because he knew a certain someone had entrusted her life to him before they had left. And Katsuki would not be happy about it if he was allowed to tell him...
"Not now," Izuka whispered to him calmly before turning to the officers with a small smile. "Thank you, I appreciate the ride."
With that, our return to the dorms was delayed even further.
I would've stayed to help explain, but I'd already missed enough classes and I wanted to earn my provisional license the right way.
Izuku looked out the window, thinking about everything that had happened...Izuka was in a different car that would take her back to school.
Meanwhile, the rest of Class A carried on as usual.
Which meant that I'd be rejoining them soon...
"It's time, Bakugo," Shoto stated as they walked out of Heights Alliance.
"Shut up, I'm coming," He retorted back in annoyance.
"We can't be late getting to the training course," The white/red haired boy was walking in front of Katsuki, to his distaste. Because Izuka wasn't there with them once again, and he found it more tolerable when she was there. However, since she wasn't, he had to deal with Shoto on his own.
"I know!" Katsuki grunted a little, looking irritated. "And don't walk in front of me!" He then looked at his phone as he hadn't heard back from Izuka at all, and it was getting him even more irritated. He wasn't expecting her to ghost him like this, and he had a feeling why. The boy growled in defeat as he realized that Shoto was a close friend of hers, hoping that she didn't tell him but his curiosity was peaking. "Hey...what's been going on with Izuka lately? Why's she involved in a work-study when she's like us?" Katsuki asked while looking straight up ahead, a hand in his pocket.
"My guess is that she might somehow be involved in their mission. I hope she's alright, I'll try texting her and see if she responds," He pulled out his phone.
Katsuki gave him a side glare. He was just grateful that Izuka didn't explain anything to him, but at the same time, her lack of responses was getting to him. Especially since she left him on read yesterday and he hadn't heard from her since. Ever since the work study, she had been going through several changes, he just wanted to know why. The last time he saw her was days ago...
Both of them came to a stop as a police car pulled up in front of them. Before they could question why, Izuka herself stepped out, to their shock. She took her bag and looked over to the police officer. Mr. Aizawa was also in the car as well as she smiled weakly at the man.
"Thank you, sir."
"Hold on, I wanna talk to you before you go," Mr. Aizawa stated as he stepped out.
"Mido," She heard before she could ask him what it was about. The girl whipped around to see Katsuki and Shoto staring at her. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes upon seeing them.
"Katsuki! Todoroki!" Izuka dropped her bag and ran up to the both of them; after everything she experienced, seeing Katsuki was a relief in of itself, even if the last time they talked wasn't on the best terms. Plus, she couldn't see or talk to him the whole time...and after all the events, she needed to release all of the tension that she had been holding.
"Are you finally coming back to cl-"
She then held out her arms, latching onto Katsuki once she reached him and interrupting Shoto. The blond flinched in surprise as she clutched onto his shirt tightly, hiding her face into his chest. He looked down at the top of her head, wondering what was going on. "Huh? What the hell are you-"
"I'm so relieved to see you guys...I'm sorry that I've been absent," She confessed without looking up, her hands trembling. Katsuki then dropped his annoyance as he faltered. He couldn't really be mad by both her hug and their fight when she was clearly going through something. He felt like it was something to do with where she was, but she didn't want to talk about it.
"We know that it was important, and we understand. Plus...it does mean that Mr. Aizawa has started to trust you a little more now if he asked you personally. So don't concern yourself about worrying us," Shoto told the girl gently.
Katsuki's eyes softened as he wasn't gonna admit he agreed with Shoto. But...he had been concerned about her well-being ever since the work-study had started. He then slowly placed a hand on the back of her head. "Yeah...what he said. So just...let it all out, Izuka."
She flinched and then started to wail, tears streaming down her cheeks. Katsuki closed his eyes as he rubbed the back of her head comfortingly. Shoto placed a hand on her back as they allowed her to continue. After everything, they accepted that she needed a good cry to let it all out. Mr. Aizawa stared from behind, knowing that she had experienced so much during the fight that she was keeping it in until now. He felt like she needed to participate, though...not just for Eri's sake, but for hers as well since he felt like he could ease up on her a little more. He still didn't like what happened with All for One...but at the same time, it was something he could get over in due time.
"Give this to the teachers," He approached the two, handing over some papers to Katsuki. "They're excuses for why she had to be pulled out for the time being. And I also gave her some passes if she needs them to take a day off. If they have any problems with that, let me know and I'll handle it from there. That's all," And with that, he walked towards the police car.
Once Izuka was finished, she pulled away with a sniff, wiping her nose with her wrist. She looked up towards Mr. Aizawa and gave a tiny grateful smile at him doing that for her. Maybe she did gain back a little trust after all...
Thanks to the police questions and the paperwork that had to be done following the raid, we didn't end up getting back to the dorm until the sun had gone down.
And thanks to the note Mr. Aizawa told them to give, I didn't get any punishment for missing several classes. Katsuki or Shoto didn't question anything either. Although it was hard for me to focus given the recent events...
Izuku watched the police car driving away and walked towards the building with Eijiro. "Deku! Kirishima!" They turned around upon hearing Ochaco's voice. They saw her and Tsuyu approaching, as they had just gotten back too.
"Uraraka! Tsu!" Eijiro exclaimed with a small smile as the brunette waved to them.
"Oh wow, are you two girls just getting back to the dorms now too?" Izuku asked them knowingly.
"Yup!" Ochaco gave him a smile. "I noticed Mido didn't come though. How's she doing?"
"She's fine. Big sis had to come back here for special classes, so I filled the police in for her as best as I could. She should be back by now," He answered and then frowned. He could tell that she had a lot on her mind when she left...
"There were a lot of last-minute forms to fill out at Ryukyu's office," Tsuyu explained as she walked up.
"We did that too," Eijiro rubbed the back of his neck.
Ochaco turned to look towards the building. "You know what's weird?" She pointed out with a small smile. "It feels like we haven't been back here in a long time."
"Yeah..." Tsuyu agreed wistfully as the lights were out.
"Well? Let's go," Eijiro offered and Izuku smiled. Once they opened the doors, everyone turned towards the entrance.
Minoru let out a yelp while running up to them in relief. "There you guys are! It's about time you showed up!" Most of the others ran up to them as well. The only ones who didn't join were Katsuki and Izuka.
"All of us were worried about you," Momo confessed to the four.
"Yeah, we saw the news!" Denki exclaimed in a bit of concern.
"It looked terrifying!" Mina shouted, as she wouldn't have wanted to be there.
"Is anyone hurt?!" Hanta panicked a little.
"What troublemakers!" Minoru yelled, though he found that kind of attractive for his female classmates a little bit.
"Tell us everything!" Yuga urged the group.
"I made this for you," Rikido held up a fresh cake. "It's a double chocolate cake."
Denki then stood in front of him with a deep frown. "First Kamino and now the yakuza! You guys are always getting into such crazy situations! Do you know how much that scares us?!"
"Yeah," Izuku gave a sheepish smile, though the four were happy for their concerns. "We're so sorry."
"I'm just glad they're okay," Mezo's limb spoke to Kyoka, and she looked up at him.
"I mean, I dunno. Are they? How can we be sure? Mido herself wasn't too great when she got back," She pointed out to her classmate.
Toru glomped Tsuyu and Ochaco into a hug. "Ochaco! Tsu! Thank goodness you're both okay!"
"That's a little tight," Ochaco confessed to the invisible girl.
"Ribbit..."
Shoto glanced away from the back, hands in his pockets. He pulled out his phone and walked away to handle it. "Enough of this!" Tenya raised a hand, standing in front of the four. "I know everyone was worried! But calm down! We all saw news coverage. Our classmates have been through an ordeal. If you want to help...you should console them quietly and let them rest their bodies and their minds." He recalled when Izuku and Izuka both cried during lunch before the mission. "Because I'm sure today wasn't taxing just physically, but mentally as well!" He frowned in disapproval towards the class.
"Hey, um, Ida..." Izuku spoke up, getting his attention. He then smiled at his friend. "Thanks for that. But really..." He recalled the smiles from Sir Nighteye, Mirio, and his sister.
"Let's all keep smiling!"
He looked up with his own smile. "This is okay."
"...Then," Tenya pushed up his glasses. "If I may." He then grabbed Izuku to shake him by the shoulders, to the bewilderment of the four. "Do you have any idea how worried I was for all of you?! It was awful! What if you'd never returned?"
"Take your own advice and chill out!" Hanta exclaimed, something he thought he'd never say.
"I'll go make some lavender tea," Momo ran towards the kitchen. "One moment. It's sure to ease your minds!"
"At least have a little bit of the cake," Rikido put the whole thing to Izuku's mouth once Tenya released him.
"Ochaco," Tsuyu noticed her frown. "You alright?"
She blinked and turned towards her friend. She paused and then frowned, looking at the floor. "It's just..." Ochaco confessed to Tsuyu and Mr. Aizawa. "I can't help but think that I could have done more. I..." Tsuyu placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I...I held Nighteye in my arms. What if I'd been faster or stronger?" She was thinking about how she helped get him to an ambulance...and yet he still passed away. Her shoulders were shaking until Mr. Aizawa made it stop with his hand. She looked up at him silently.
"Listen to me. Each of you did everything within your power. The responsibility for this lies with us. I won't tell you not to mourn. But I do want you to think about whether this is what you want your future to be. What do you want?"
She looked at her hands, her eyes softening. "I want to...to save people," She confessed softly, Tsuyu staring at her in silence. She was a little worried for Ochaco's state, and glanced around for Izuka. However, the girl didn't seem to be around, and Tsuyu knew that she'd want to be around to help their friend...
"Ugh," Hanta wrapped an arm around Eijiro. "Why the heck didn't you tell us what was goin' on, man?" He demanded while a spike from Eijiro's hair poked him in the eye. "We were totally blindsided by this!"
"Sorry. We were sworn to secrecy," He said apologetically to the boy.
"Hey, so..." Mina approached him, holding Koji's rabbit. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah," He smiled a little. "Getting there anyway."
"Right, got it..." She could tell that he went through some personal stuff.
"Oh!" Ochaco smiled down at the rabbit in the pink-skinned girl's arms. "What a cutie!"
"Oh, it's Koda's bunny," She smiled at her friend. "Do you guys wanna hold it for a little while?"
"Ribbit!" Tsuyu smiled happily as Mina held the bunny out to her.
"Ooh, me next!" Toru gushed while waving her arms.
"Adorable!" Ochaco awed towards the bunny and Izuku blinked.
"Hey, where's my sister?" He asked the group, and some of them glanced back at the couch. Minoru and Denki especially looked a little jealous. He blinked in confusion and stepped forward, gasping towards the sight. Katsuki was laying on his back and Izuka was sleeping on top of him. She clutched his shirt tightly while using his chest as a pillow. "Uh..."
"She's been like that ever since she got back," Minoru grumbled, seething towards Katsuki. "Why is he the one who gets to be in close contact?!"
"Shut up! She was tired as hell as soon as we got back from the stupid extra classes. This is only for tonight," Katsuki grunted as his face was red. Izuka had her hair down, wearing white shorts and a grey cotton sweater with her regular sneakers off. He just hoped she couldn't hear his erratic heartbeat.
"Aww," Ochaco gushed a bit, holding her cheeks.
Izuku smiled a little towards the two, patting the girl on the head. He could see why she'd be so tired. "We got pictures though!" Denki whispered and the boy gave him a nervous look, knowing that anyone found with those pictures wouldn't be able to walk again... "Yo, Kacchan! What're you over here sulking for? Admit it, you're out here cause you were worried, am I right? And because Mido's making moves on you? Aw, let those feelings out, why don't ya?" He patted Katsuki on the shoulder with a big smile. The blond then stood up, causing Denki to fall on the couch. Katsuki held Izuka in his arms bridal style, ignoring the middle part. Mostly because Denki didn't know what was going on with the girl...and because he couldn't do anything with Izuka in his hold.
"Time for bed," He grumbled as he stormed off after making sure she was secure. She was curled up in his arms.
"Aw, what? Seriously?" Denki complained towards the boy. "But it's so early."
"Unlike the rest of you nerds, I've got stuff to do. Besides, this idiot needs to be in her bed," He glanced down at Izuka still asleep. She was so deep in her rest that she didn't even wake up from all of the noise.
Shoto closed the door after being outside. "Hey, you guys," He glanced to the sleeping Izuka being carried away by Katsuki. "I'm glad you're all back and everyone's safe, but...I gotta get to bed," He announced to everyone.
"Huh?" Denki couldn't believe it as he stared at the three. "Since when am I surrounded by geezers?"
"I understand Bakugo and Mido..." Tsuyu gave Koji back his bunny as they looked towards the trio. "But Todoroki wants to leave the party this early too?"
"They've got their provisional license training course tomorrow," Kyoka reminded the frog-like girl. "But still, it is still pretty early..."
Izuku stared after his friends and his sister, still eating some cake.
I get it. Kacchan, Izuka, and Todoroki have already started their remedial courses. Well...Izuka did, but then had to be pulled out for a while.
Katsuki reached the 4th floor with Izuka still in his arms. Her cheek was rested on his shoulder now. He scoffed at her; if she got drool on him, he wouldn't do this again. Shoto stared at the two from inside the elevator, hoping that Izuka would be okay soon.
They must be working hard.
Shoto stared at his phone in his room, frowning towards it.
At the urging of Ida and the others...we went back to our rooms to try and get some rest. We finally had time to reflect on what we'd been through.
Izuku laid down in his bed, looking towards the ceiling. Eijiro was pumping weights in his room.
I only heard the highlights about what had gone down with Kirishima and the others. I'm sure Izuka had more to say, but I wasn't going to bother her about it. That was the least I could do for her right now.
Ochaco sat in her bedroom alone in the dark, hugging her knees.
But I knew a lot had happened to everyone. No...too much had happened.
Tsuyu rolled around in her bed, unable to sleep. Izuku couldn't either as he thought about every injury, every fight that the others had to go through...their loss of Sir Nighteye. Eri and her Quirk going out of control...
"Please. Please don't go," She whimpered while gripping his sleeve.
"We'll get Eri away from him next time..."
"And we'll protect her!" He and Mirio declared in unison at the meeting.
"I swear it," Mirio declared while holding Eri in his arms. "I am going to be your hero!"
"Even if it's set in stone...I'll smash that future!" Izuku declared to Overhaul, breaking the spike with his hand.
"Fate doesn't need to be chosen for anyone as long as they shape it themselves!" Izuka snarled to the villain angrily while pulling out the spike from her arm to destroy it.
Izuku and Izuka reached out to Eri. "Got you. We won't let you go."
Both of the twins yelled while avoiding the spikes, holding onto Eri.
"She has the power to rewind people," Overhaul explained while fused with Katsukame. "That's her secret."
The two then combined Eri's Quirk with Izuku's 100 percent power and Izuka's Solar upgrade. "Eri...will you please lend us your power? If we can't save Eri...one small child who's relying on us to help her..."
"To make her smile again..." Izuka moved up her leg to fire a Solar Comet Burst, which Overhaul avoided. "Someone who didn't even know who I was and yet wanted to see me for herself!"
"Then how can we call ourselves...heroes who save everybody?" Both of them asked in unison as they loomed over Overhaul. "That's who we're gonna be!" The two then punched him, defeating him together.
"Midoriya...Mido...you both twisted the future. You did the impossible," Sir Nighteye confessed to them. He then touched Mirio's cheek as the boy cried for his dying mentor. "Work hard...and be sure to smile."
Izuku continued looking up at the ceiling, knowing that this would be an experience to follow him for the rest of his path...
Even though my body was exhausted...that night...I couldn't actually get myself to sleep.
He turned on his side, his cheek on his pillow. He couldn't sleep since the events were still fresh in his mind. He closed his eyes, but couldn't actually fall asleep.
Katsuki dug into his pocket to pull out a spare key for Izuka's room. He asked her to give it to him as soon as they got back from classes right before she fell asleep. He unlocked the door as he shuffled inside, stopping in front of her bed. "Alright, get into bed," He mumbled as he knocked away all the pillows and plushies onto the ground. "How the hell does she sleep with all those? Tch," Katsuki scoffed as he moved away the blanket...but her hand was still gripping his shirt tightly. "Damn it, let go of my shirt!" He yelled a little while blushing.
"Mmph..." She snuggled into him and he looked away, a bit annoyed. He wasn't going to be able to wake her up, he knew that much. She was too sound asleep...his heart was still thumping from how close she was, and she smelled nice as well. Katsuki stared down at her for a few seconds and sighed, gently unraveling his shirt.
"Come...on," He gently weaved her fingers away so that she finally let go and he placed her into bed. He placed the blanket over her and then stared at her sleeping face. "You better be okay enough soon to talk about it, Izuka. You still owe me for ignoring my messages," He narrowed his eyes a bit and she simply snuggled into her pillow.
I can't even be mad at her right now...look at her, she's so tired. She went through hell, and right after she left, she had to come back to classes and tired herself out...I wouldn't blame her if she took a day off tomorrow He bent down to gently rub her head and the girl gave a small sleepy smile. He bent down to kiss the side of her head, pulling away and storming off while blushing.
"You just had to be the one, huh? The one I can't stand and that I also can't spend one second without thinking about you," He muttered while closing the door, a hand on his face. "Sometimes I wish I knew how to stop worrying..." Katsuki then walked away, hands in his pockets.
The next morning, Shoto and Katsuki left for their classes. "Walk behind me, dammit!" The latter shouted while Izuka wasn't with them.
"Poor Mr. Aizawa," Shoto frowned in a bit of worry. "And Mido too. I feel bad making him train us after everything he just went through. I'm not surprised she decided to take the day off..."
"I'm not gonna make small talk with you, icy hot!" Katsuki yelled; he would complain about Izuka leaving them alone again, but he honestly couldn't blame her. After what happened yesterday, he could understand it, but he still didn't like it because of what it meant to be stuck with Shoto...
"You should..." Shoto faltered as they looked up ahead to see Toshinori, Present Mic, and Izuka. Toshinori even had a suit on as Izuka smiled at them, wearing her school uniform and holding her case for her hero costume.
"You're late! Ya bad boys! Mido was the first to be here!"
"Present Mic. All Might," Shoto said in surprise to see them, the bus behind the three. "Why are you here? And Mido, you're coming with us? I thought you'd wanna take a break like Mr. Aizawa suggested."
"We'll be taking you to training today," Toshinori explained to the boys.
"I thought about it, but I honestly missed enough, and I need to catch up to you. I'm behind now, and I have to make up for it," Izuka clenched a fist, grinning towards the two.
Shoto blinked and then smiled, Katsuki smirking at her. "Ha! You can try, but just because you were involved in that incident doesn't mean you've got anything on me," He bent down to her level, but she wasn't fazed. "Your ungrateful ass should be thanking me, by the way."
"Watch it," Toshinori warned as he gave a small glare.
"Oh, it's fine. He can say what he wants, because he's just mad that I was involved," Izuka smirked, crossing her arms.
"Heh! Getting cheeky now?" Katsuki grinned as he kind of liked this competitive side of her today. Shoto blinked at their banter as it was definitely seemed more...flirtatious.
Present Mic suddenly stepped in between the two, poking Katsuki constantly on the forehead. "Eraser's gonna be playin' hooky thanks to all the yakuza chart-toppers who were taken down yesterday."
"Maybe don't do that..." Izuka winced a little for him doing that. Katsuki silently backed away, looking annoyed.
"Oh, is he injured worse than we thought? Did he go back to the hospital right after he dropped off Mido?" Shoto questioned in a bit of concern, since they hadn't seen him since yesterday, but he seemed fine to them.
"Nah. Apparently, they needed his power to help with the girl they rescued. Don't worry, I'm all over this! Consider me your new bodyguard!" Present Mic explained to the trio.
"We're taking extra precautions due to the League's activity," Toshinori then glanced away, because one reason was because Izuka's name was tossed around between the League and the Hassaikai. But he couldn't tell the boys that, he felt that Izuka should do it herself when she was ready. And also...
"You captured Kurogiri? Their warp gate?" Toshinori asked in alarm while standing on the roof. He was on the phone with Gran Torino.
"That's right. Though, we took some hard hits during the process," He reported back to his former student.
"Well...the League should practically be ours for the taking if that one's out of commission."
"Not quite. We didn't get the other guy," Gran Torino was currently at the hospital, a bandage around his head. "The one with him."
"Who was it?"
"All for One's direct subordinate, it seems." He remembered getting Naomasa and Kurogiri away from Gigantomachia, but not without the hero and detective sustaining some injuries. "We tried our best, but he's gone into hiding. Honestly, between arresting Kurogiri and letting that monstrosity go, it's hard to say if we made the right choice. You should have seen him, Toshinori..." He then recalled the big blast the monster gave off, and it was enough to affect the mountain. "He's a walking disaster. We chased after him with backup, but it was too late. The search is still going on. I'll let you know if there are any developments."
He looked up towards the three students, Izuka blinking at him. He didn't tell her what had happened, because he didn't want to freak her out. But she wasn't going to push the issue either. "Right. Let's go. Yesterday was an easy classroom for you boys, but I hear today's training will be far tougher. I hope you can follow along, Mido..."
"I'm sure I'll get the hang of it," She gave him a smile.
Present Mic wrapped his arm around Katsuki and Izuka. "Let's get this party started, so you can get your licenses already, mah brothers and sister!"
Katsuki growled in annoyance and Izuka slowly shook her head. "We don't wanna be late. Come on. Climb in," Toshinori led the way to the bus.
"Katsuki, Todoroki..." Izuka spoke up as they walked, getting their attention. She dug two folded papers out of her pockets, handing one each over to them. "Thank you for not telling anyone about me crying. I made these to pump us up," The two boys opened them to see sketches of them getting their provisional licenses. "Let's do our best, okay?" She gave them a small smile.
"Hm. Thank you, Mido. And you as well," Shoto took the picture.
"I didn't need anyone getting all worked up and crap if they heard about it," Katsuki simply remarked, turning away. "So I didn't say anything. No need to thank us."
"But then why did you call her ungrateful? Was it because she didn't thank you for bringing her to her room last night?" Shoto asked with a serious expression. Izuka blinked in astonishment, looking over to Katsuki. He flinched as he blushed a little from her look.
"You did? I'm sorry, I didn't know! I was so tired, I honestly forgot I fell asleep on you..." Izuka rubbed the back of her neck and then her face turned red as she froze, realizing what happened. "Aaah!" She yelped as she realized she fell asleep on Katsuki Bakugo, and was still standing. The girl held her face to try and calm down, but she couldn't. Katsuki stared at her like it was no big deal, even though it kind of was. "Um...thank you? I'll make you that mapu tofu again-"
"Forget it," He stormed past her and she stared after him. "You don't need to owe me, so don't even think about it." His eyes softened a little as he remembered her crying from yesterday. Honestly...her being okay was enough.
So All Might's going to be joining us today. That might not be the best idea Shoto thought while staring after him and Present Mic.
"We'll be watching you from the stands," Toshinori informed the three students.
"Do your best! Yeah!" Present Mic exclaimed before they split up since the three had to go change. They walked over to the staircase, and a flaming foot stood at the top of it.
"Oh. If it isn't the former number-one hero," Endeavor remarked, his arms crossed. "Thanks for babysitting Shoto. You're so useful," He gritted his teeth bitterly at his former rival.
"Endeavor..." Toshinori murmured, knowing that the man had some pent up feelings still regarding Kamino.
"This is perfect. I've been wanting to sit down and have a chat with you man-to-man for a while..."
Present Mic stood there for a few seconds and realized the tension between the two. "I'm gonna go find some coffee. Deuces!"
Katsuki, Shoto, and Izuka walked down the hall together to the changing rooms in silence. Something Katsuki had wanted ever since they started the whole thing...but Shoto had something on his mind as well. Izuka frowned at her friend, knowing why as he told her on the way.
"Shoto! Great news!" He heard his father say last night after Ochaco, Eijiro, Tsuyu, and Izuku had returned. "I've got some free time! How about I come watch your training tomorrow? It's been t-" Shoto then hung up without another word. He sighed to himself as he didn't want his father to be there...not if he was gonna boast at how good he was and how better he was than the other trainees.
I hope the two of them don't run into each other. Also...
Izuka walked up to him in silence, frowning. "Hey...Shoto, I know that-"
"Oh!" They heard a familiar voice, looking up to see Inasa, the boy from Shiketsu who hated Shoto, walking over while waving. "Hey! It's UA!" He laughed a little and Izuka blinked in shock to see him.
"I just can't help but hate both you and your dad," He gave Shoto an intense glare. "You've changed a little, but you definitely still have his eyes..."
Shoto did not look happy to see him while Katsuki looked bored and uninterested. Izuka looked a bit awkward since she told him off for hating Shoto because of his father...plus, he probably still felt bad for hurting her during the exam.
I was hoping I wouldn't run into him...
"Ooh! Who's this smoldery-looking two-toned boy?" A female voice spoke this time, to their surprise as she walked up...and it was Camie from Shiketsu. "You're, like, super hot," She said towards Shoto and Izuka was...very skeptical of her, to say the least. "I'm crazy psyched to train with a total babe like you."
"Camie," Inasa smiled towards her.
She's the one I fought with during the exam because of how she acted towards my brother, but...am I missing something here? She's so different from then. Almost like a different person... Izuka furrowed her eyebrows a bit.
"Hey, Yoarashi," Camie walked up to the three. "Do you know him or something? Seriously, can I like, have your number?"
"Uhh, sure," Shoto answered a bit anxiously; it wasn't like he didn't get girls talking to him like this, but it was something he wasn't used to.
"Camie, your social skills are top-notch! I'm so impressed!" Inasa complimented as Izuka backed away a little towards Katsuki. He glanced down at her and remembered why, deciding to stay silent. He didn't know what to make of this either.
"Oh," Camie looked over at the girl. "Unless you're dating her? And I know her too, she's been on the news! You're Izuka Midoriya, otherwise known as Callista!" Camie gave a small wave. "You're, like, super adorable!"
"Uh!" Izuka flinched in alarm, Shoto and Katsuki recoiling back in disbelief.
"We're/They're not dating!" All three protested and they glanced to each other confused, Izuka especially by Katsuki's firm declaration that she wasn't dating Shoto.
"Oh, my bad!" Camie stared at them, a bit weirded out as well.
Katsuki shook it off and looked up at Inasa. "Hey, Baldy. This girl didn't train with us before, did she?" Izuka glanced up at him, as she didn't think she'd see Camie here. Just judging by her behavior, Shoto or Katsuki didn't know she'd be here either.
"Correct!" Inasa straightened up while answering the question. "She wasn't here. Oh, and I'm not bald, see!" He removed his hat to reveal his hair. "Just like before!"
"Camie," Seiji appeared out of nowhere, hands behind his back. "This is beneath you! As a Shiketsu student, you mustn't fraternize with such failures."
"Not this creep again..." Izuka sighed as she recognized him.
"Hold on!" Katsuki protested as he remembered him too. "You failed the first test we took, loser!"
"I received permission to observe, so I'm here to judge you!" Seiji argued back, both of them glaring at each other.
"Stupid Meat, you're dead!" Katsuki gritted his teeth angrily.
"The name's Seiji Shishikura!"
"Wait, you're Endeavor's son," Camie took another look at Shoto. "You're hero royalty on top of being a snack? That's so totally amazing!"
"I wouldn't say so," Izuka muttered while looking away, since only she knew of Shoto's past. Technically Katsuki did, but she didn't know that.
"Look at that! She's just so bold," Inasa admired her social skills again.
"Get away from him!" Seiji screamed towards Camie, but she didn't listen. "And you!" He pointed at the green-haired girl. "How dare you disgrace us with your presence so soon after what happened with the yakuza? Is this really how UA students act? Fighting against an evil villain when you haven't even earned your license? Out of those two, you're the biggest failure to your school!"
Izuka flinched and then narrowed her eyes angrily, pointing at him. "Screw you," She snarled and then walked off, shouldering past him. "I'm getting changed."
"Grr..." Katsuki growled at the boy, who had his hands behind his back like he did nothing wrong. "Oh, you're gonna regret that!" He lunged forward, only for Shoto to hold an arm in front of him.
"Calm down. He's just trying to provoke the both of you," He then turned to Seiji. "Our classmate has been through enough and you're shaming her? Maybe you're the one who's a disgrace to talk down someone like that."
"Are you sure neither of you are dating her?" Camie pointed between the two boys.
"Katsuki, if I find out you punched him, I'll make you explode yourself!" Izuka came to a stop as she didn't even need to look and Katsuki growled towards her. He then jerked Shoto off of him as he didn't fight Seiji, unfortunately.
"It's about time we got started," Mera watched the five interacting through the security cameras.
"Yes," Gang Orca agreed as with the provisional license exam, he was assisting again.
"Shall we make today's training...a little bit more interesting?" Mera wondered how it was gonna go for the five this time around...