My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 52: Crimson Battle
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
Author's Note: Had to make some changes towards the end. Also, the OC, Tengu, was created by NightShock99.
"Hello, Furaya," Razor Shell greeted the General Studies student in Gym Gamma, who was now in his gym clothes with his boots and Falcon's Talon and his arms wrapped in training tape as usual. "Sorry it took a bit longer than expected, but with the internships as well as two of our teachers taking on students, we had to delay your Assessment Tests."
"That's alright," Hayata replied. "I take it Principal Nezu has informed you of what he came up with?" Razor Shell nodded his head.
"As he explained, these tests are usually done to evaluate students' Quirks at the start of the year by putting them through a series of tests," the amphibious Pro Hero explained. "However, since you don't have a Quirk, we had to come up with different tests for you. We'll begin here for your tests, but remember: your entrance into the Hero Course is already guaranteed, so your results here are merely to help us gain an understanding of your abilities."
"Of course," Hayata answered.
It was finally happening, the next step towards him joining the Hero Course. He had already won the Sports Festival, now he just needed to undergo the necessary requirements expected of Hero Course students. Armed with Falcon's Talon and his speed boots, he was prepared for whatever tests U.A. had in store for him, though he suspected it most likely be child's play after all the fighting he had been through.
"First," Razor Shell started. "We'll start by evaluating your speed and precision." The Alligator Snapping Turtle Hero took out his phone and pressed several buttons before ten robots entered Gym Gamma from the other side, each one with a line of red paint on different parts of their bodies.
"When I say go, you will cut these robots along the red lines as quickly and precisely as possible," Razor Shell informed. "You will begin at twenty feet in front of them, then I will set a timer to see how fast you can go."
"Yes, sir," Hayata answered as he approached the robots, walking until he was twenty feet away from them as Razor Shell instructed. As he waited for Razor Shell's signal, Hayata looked at the robots and where their red lines were that ranged from their torsos to their arms to their heads. Speed and precision were the focus of this test, so he needed to think and move fast while keeping his strikes as accurate as possible.
"Ready...GO!"
As soon as Razor Shell started the timer and shouted, Hayata ran at high speeds towards the robots, starting at the front of the row and cutting its torso clean in half. The next one, he cut off its arms before slicing the third robot's head off with a swift cut of Falcon's Talon. One by one, Hayata Furaya cut through the robots' red painted lines as if he were cutting through silk. With such fast movements, Razor Shell felt himself questioning if Hayata really was Quirkless.
"TIME!" Razor Shell called out once Hayata had finished cutting up the robots and sheathed Falcon's Talon. The amphibious Pro Hero checked his timer and, to his surprise, the Quirkless swordsman had cut through all of them in a mere fifteen seconds. Furaya had certainly mastered the aspect of speed in the test, but precision had yet to be judged. Razor Shell walked over to the destroyed robots, inspecting them to see where Hayata had sliced through.
The Alligator Snapping Turtle Hero was pleasantly surprised by how accurate Hayata's attacks were as the robots were sliced through the red painted lines. This test was made to measure Hayata's speed and precision and he had certainly shown both, though perhaps Razor Shell shouldn't be surprised considering what he had seen from Furaya in the Sports Festival.
"Is the result satisfactory?" Hayata questioned.
"I'd say you nailed it," Razor Shell answered. "You moved with such speed, you'd have to forgive people for believing you do have a Quirk."
"I can assure you that I am indeed Quirkless," Hayata stated. As more robots came by to pick their destroyed brethren, quietly cursing Hayata for 'such brutality', the other entrance of the gym opened and Recovery Girl walked in.
"Pardon the interruption, Razor Shell, but do you have a moment?" she questioned.
"Are you kidding me!?" Razor Shell groaned with immense frustration outside Gym Gamma with Recovery Girl while Hayata remained inside so he wouldn't overhear their conversation. The school nurse had informed that the Sun Hero had been put on administrative leave and Principal Nezu wished to hold a faculty meeting later in the weekend to discuss Sunstorm's future at the school.
"Himari reported Sunstorm's harassment to the Principal and it seems he's finally had enough," Recovery Girl informed. "With the way he's been behaving, he'll undoubtedly lose his job for sure."
Wanigame grabbed his face with his hands and breathed heavily, each breathe filled with annoyance and frustration. He had helped Sunstorm get the job as U.A.'s Science Teacher over a year ago to help him get back on his feet and hopefully reconcile with Himari after years of no contact with one another. But sadly, the Sun Hero had prioritized his personal problems one too many times and now Principal Nezu's patience and sympathy for his old friend had run out.
"That damn idiot!" Razor Shell groaned loudly. "What the hell was he thinking when he tried to force Himari to forgive him!? I told him that he couldn't force reconciliation with Himari and he just...just..." He gave out a loud annoyed growl before using slamming his powerful tail on the ground, shooting sand up into the air and causing a small dust cloud.
"I helped him get the job here at U.A. so he could start rebuilding his life, but now that idiot's going to get himself fired. There's no way Principal Nezu is going to keep him around after this, not when all he gave are excuses for his behavior. I can't believe how stupid I was!"
"You weren't stupid, Kompira," Recovery Girl assured. "You were just trying to help your friend. It's his own fault that he's at risk of losing his job; we advised him to give Himari space and he ignored us because he focused on what he wanted. This is in no way your fault, Kompira."
Razor Shell wished he could believe Recovery Girl's words, but where everyone else saw someone who disregarded his job for his own problems, Razor Shell saw another friend he had failed to help. First, he had failed to stop Endeavor from going down the dark path that had led to Toya's suicide, Rei's hospitalization and Shoto's trauma because of his obsession with surpassing All Might. Now, he had failed to keep Sunstorm from throwing away his job as well as his chance to reconcile with Himari.
Despite his anger at his friend for his recent actions, that didn't stop Razor Shell from feeling sympathy for Sunstorm. He had tried to save Rei and her children from Endeavor's cruelty and failed. Tsukikara believed Sunstorm was having an affair with Rei Todoroki and planned to leave him with Himari for her lover, leading to her death at the hands of two criminals. However, Sunstorm had used his pain as a means to let himself get caught up in his own issues at the expense of his job and teaching the students properly.
"Does Himari know?" Razor Shell questioned.
"She does," Recovery Girl answered. "She was...relieved, though I can't blame her." Razor Shell sighed heavily.
"...If Sunstorm must go, then so be it. We've given him enough chances to be a better teacher and listen to us. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but-"
"It is what it is, I'm afraid," Recovery Girl spoke. "We can discuss more later; I know you have your hands busy with Furaya."
Razor Shell nodded his head and opened the door to look inside Gym Gamma to check on the General Studies student. He expected to find Hayata Furaya waiting patiently, but instead, he found the Quirkless swordsman collapsed on the ground.
"Furaya!" Razor Shell cried out as he rushed inside, followed by Recovery Girl. The two of them knelt on opposite sides of Furaya, Recovery Girl immediately examining him for symptoms to determine what caused him to collapse.
"From the look of it, he passed out from exhaustion," the nurse deduced. "He must've been training while the two of us were talking...and clearly training too hard. We must get him to the infirmary."
"I'll carry him," Razor Shell offered. He gently picked up the Quirkless swordsman and followed Recovery Girl to the infirmary.
"Do you know why heroes go out on patrol?" Aquarius asked Lion Knight as the two walked down the streets of Tsuyama City together.
"It's a method done by Pro Heroes to both gave the public peace of mind while also deterring criminals from committing crimes," Takeo answered as he adjusted his lion-faced happuri mask.
That question was elementary for him as Lioness had often tutored him on Pro Hero methods, such as doing patrols, offering internships and joint partnerships with law enforcement as well as other Pro Hero agencies. Lion Knight believed that any question Aquarius asked him concerning Pro Hero protocol would be easily answered thanks to his mother's tutelage.
"That is true, Lion Knight," Aquarius replied. "But I assume you also know of the Quirk Licensing Law?"
"Who doesn't?" Lion Knight answered. "It basically states if you don't have a Pro Hero License or any license at all, you cannot use your Quirk to harm people unless it's in self-defense or you're given permission by a Pro Hero or high-ranking law enforcement."
"Again, yes. While you're here at my agency, I'll have you mostly focus on keeping civilians safe if we run into villains. If I need your help, I'll grant you permission to do what you need to."
Once again, Lion Knight was familiar with how this worked. Unless he was directly attacked or given permission by Aquarius or any police officer at the rank of Chief Inspector or higher, he wasn't allowed to use his Quirk to harm anyone, including villains. Lioness had informed him much of how Pro Heroes worked and what interns were allowed to do and not to do while at the agencies.
As they walked, Aquarius thought back on what his conversation with the police over the phone earlier. If what they said was accurate, then Fukushu was indeed in Tsuyama City...and the fact that Lion Knight was here made it the worst possible timing. Sadly, the Water Body Hero didn't have time to have Lion Knight relocated to another agency; all he could do for now was keep an eye on Raionhato and hopefully not have him around if they ran into the Blade of Terror.
"Everything alright, Aquarius?" Lion Knight asked. "You're being rather quiet."
"Just keeping an eye out," Aquarius answered as they turned a corner. "But I'm also thinking about what to do."
"What are you talking about?" Lion Knight questioned, unsure of what Aquarius was referring to.
"The police have requested my help in a...matter sensitive to public safety. Unfortunately, I got the call after you had turned in your internship choice and it was too late to have you relocated to another agency."
"I won't get in the way, I promise, sir. I can be of help in this matter."
"Under normal circumstances, yes, but this one's...well, as I said, very sensitive to public safety. I'll most likely need you to stay back on this one."
Lion Knight raised an eyebrow in confusion. Was the situation so sensitive that his presence could end up sabotaging the mission? He couldn't help but wonder what was going, what the police wanted Aquarius's help with. Given that he was renowned for his detective work, it could be assumed that he was perhaps pursuing an elusive villain or criminal.
Aquarius sighed quietly; this was yet another mess he had found himself in. Police Chief Chumon had made it very clear that he needed Aquarius's help to track down Fukushu and his apprentice, Shinogama. But this had come at a terrible time not because he had an internship, but because of how sensitive the matter was for Raionhato...especially since he didn't know the full truth surrounding Fukushu and Paladin.
The Water Body Hero was conflicted on when and how he'd tell Raionhato the whole truth surrounding how he lost his father, how Fukushu came to be due to Stargazer's corrupt actions and those of the previous HPSC Chairman. He had taken Lion Knight on as his intern at Nezu's request for this very reason, but found himself lacking the courage to tell him after not speaking to him or his mother for seven years.
"Aquarius...why did you stop talking to my mom and I after what happened all those years ago?" Lion Knight requested to know. He was initially met with silence from Aquarius, which slowly began to irritate the Inventory wielder. Before he could ask again, the Pro Hero stopped and spoke up.
"Look, Lion Knight...there's a lot about what happened you don't know about. But it's not something we can say out in public; we'd best wait until we get back to the agency-" Lion Knight rushed in front of Aquarius and stopped him.
"What happened to my father!? Why did he-!?" He breathed shakily before he could finish his sentence, but forced himself to finish. "Why did he leave me?"
It hurt the Water Body Hero to see the pain his friend's son was in. He could tell that it weighed heavily on the sixteen-year-old hero-in-training to see what his father's fate had become. It must've been eating away at him ever since Fukushu became widespread and infamous in Japan. Sen'in Nepuchun reached out and put his hands on his intern's shoulders.
"Lion Knight, I promise I'll tell you everything you need to know, but you're also here to gain field experience. Let us first get some field experience in and then once we're back at the agency, I'll tell you what I know."
"...Alright," Lion Knight responded. "I'm holding you to that...what's that noise?"
Aquarius also pricked up his ears to listen, hearing the noise of gunfire and bullets flying. Judging by the noise, it was at least two blocks away from where the Pro Hero and U.A. Student were. The two hurried to see what was going on, Aquarius leading the way while Lion Knight followed after him.
"Can I use my Quirk to fight?" Lion Knight asked the Pro.
"If there are no innocents in need of evacuation, then yes," Aquarius answered.
It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive, where a shootout was indeed going down. Several police trucks formed a barricade in front of a mechanic garage, where Japanese Special Assault Teams were opening fire on armored gunmen near several armored trucks that were being loaded with crates. From what Aquarius and Lion Knight could see, the armored gunmen weren't behaving like common criminals, but as trained fighters as they opened fire on the Special Assault Teams.
"Aquarius!" the leader of the SAT Forces called out and rushed to him under the cover of the police trucks. "We've got them pinned down, but those bastards are pretty tough. They're loading weapons into the armored trucks; we can't let them get away!"
"How many?" Aquarius questioned.
"We counted at least twenty, thirteen of which are shooting at us," the leader answered before turning his attention to Lion Knight. "Who's he?"
"My intern and he has permission to use his Quirk," Aquarius answered. "Are there any civilians in need of evacuation?"
"There's no civilians in the immediate area," the leader confirmed. "But if they escape, they'll clearly not give a damn about the innocents they'll put in danger."
"LAUNCHER!" one of the SAT members cried out. Lion Knight, Aquarius and the SAT leader looked around the corner to see one of the gunmen pulling out a rocket launcher in the garage and began to load it. As the gunman was loading, Lion Knight pulled out Lion Hunter, nocked an arrow and then quickly came out to shoot at the rocket launcher user. The arrow flew through the air across the gunfire battlefield and shot the gunman in his arm, making him drop the launcher.
"What!?" one of the gunmen cried out. "Where'd that arrow come from!?"
"Good shot, kid," the SAT leader complimented. "But that may not be the only rocket launcher they have. We need to strike them from behind, but there's no way any of my men can get through without getting riddled with bullets! I hope you can, Aquarius!"
Aquarius gestured for Raionhato to follow him away from the gunfight and stopped when they were facing the side of the building. The Water Body Hero examined it for several moments before finding a vent that would lead into the air conditioning system several meters on the wall. He smiled as he began to think of how to gain the advantage for the SAT Forces against the armored gunmen.
"Can you reach the roof, Lion Knight?" Aquarius questioned.
"Yes, I can use my grapple gun," Lion Knight answered. "Why?"
"I'll use my Quirk to sneak in through the air conditioning vents," Aquarius spoke. "Once I'm inside, I'll attack; once I do, you can join the fight as well. Those gunmen won't be able to hold out while being attacked on two sides."
"LOOK OUT!"
CRASH! A large spiked ball appeared, crushing one of the police trucks under its weight and momentum. Several of the SAT Forces were startled by the sudden attack, leaving them wide open to being shot by the armored gunmen. Some of them collapsed dead while others fell wounded from the bullet wounds.
Lion Knight's eyes widened in horror at seeing the sudden shift in the tide of the gunfight as several SAT soldiers were shot and either wounded or killed. Blood flowed from their wounds as some of them groaned in pain or lay there lifeless with their blank eyes wide open. He could almost envision seeing Ashido again after Bloodmoon had bitten down on her torso and nearly bit her in two.
"Snap out of it, Lion Knight!" Aquarius told the Inventory wielder. "New plan: I attack from the vents while you get the wounded to safety!"
"Yes, sir!" Lion Knight obeyed and hurried to over to start getting the wounded SAT soldiers to safety.
"Another one!" one of the soldiers shouted in terror. Lion Knight looked up and saw the same spiked ball attached to a chain preparing to come down again, which would crush one of the wounded soldiers to death. Before it could do so, Lion Knight equipped his grapple gun and shot at the soldier's shoulder, then quickly drew it back and moved the SAT fighter just as the spiked ball came down once more.
"Thanks, kid," the SAT soldier thanked.
"You're welcome," Lion Knight replied.
The son of Lioness looked around the corner of one of the trucks to see if he could identify the gunman who had the spiked ball Quirk. If he was to ensure the safety of the wounded SAT soldiers and prevent the truck barricade from being completely destroyed, then he'd have to take out the one using the spiked balls to crush the police vehicles. As the SAT leader said, if they managed to break through with the crates of weapons, there's no telling how many innocent people would be killed in the carnage. To prepare for it, Lion Knight summoned Lion Hunter once more and nocked an arrow to the bowstring, waiting until he could identify the human who had the spiked ball Quirk.
"Time to die!" a voice from above cried out. To everyone's shock, the man with the spiked balls had jumped out from the garage with a bloodthirsty grin on his face. Just as he was about to bring the spiked ball on his right hand down, Lion Knight aimed his bow at the spiked ball user and shot his arrow, hitting the man in the shoulder and causing him to tumble to the ground.
"Boss!" one of the gunmen cried out.
"Boss?" Lion Knight overheard. That meant that the man with the spiked balls on his hands were their leader. If he was taken down, then the rest of the gunmen would probably fall with him.
"Crap, a Pro!" one of the gunmen cried out. Aquarius, having emerged from the air vents, had turned his entire body into water, leaving him unaffected by the bullets being shot at him while he flailed his powerful aquatic arms to take them out.
"Kid, look out!" one of the SAT soldiers called out.
Lion Knight caught on just in time to dodge an incoming spiked ball, prompting to switch out his bow for his sword, shield and wire gauntlets. Letting out an angered shout, the gunman leader charged at Lion Knight, swinging his spiked weapons at the son of Lioness with great ferocity. Lion Knight either dodged the attacks or deflected them with Lion Mane, swinging his sword at the gunman leader whenever he could.
Everywhere the gunman leader struck, an impacted crater was left when he raised his spiked ball. Lion Knight had to be careful: one hit from one of those spiked weapons and it'd probably take him out for the fight, leaving the SAT Forces open to being crushed and slaughtered. Even with Aquarius thinning the ranks of the gunmen near the garage and trucks, their leader was clearly a force to be reckoned with.
"What the hell is that shield made out of!?" the gunman leader barked in frustration. "I don't see as much as a scratch on it!"
"These are my masterpieces, Takeo. Wield them well, even after when I'm gone."
Whatever Forge used to make his sword, bow and shield, it had indeed led to the creation of three masterpiece weapons that had served Lion Knight very well. If only Forge were alive today to see how Lion Knight was using them now in the service of Pro Heroism.
Using both spiked balls, the gunman boss struck against Lion Mane and sent Lion Knight flying onto his back. Taking advantage of the distance, the boss extended the spiked ball on a chain and brought it down. Luckily, not only did Lion Knight narrowly dodged the attack, but extended the wires holding his shield and threw it at the gunman boss. The wire-connected shield struck the side of his knee, making him cry out in pain from the attack and leaving him open.
"Time to go down!" Lion Knight shouted as he switched Lion Saber with his bo-staff, which was currently a three-sectioned staff due to Satoshi's upgrades. He rushed in to get in close while the gunman boss was reeling from the pain; as soon as Lion Knight was close enough, he swung his weapon sideways and struck the man's head. He was knocked to the ground by the attack, left unconscious.
"Whoa, that's one tough kid," one of the SAT troopers commented after having witnessed Lion Knight's fight against the gunmen's boss.
Thanks to Aquarius's surprise attack and Lion Knight defeating the gunmen's boss, the wounded SAT troopers were evacuated to safety. Despite this, the gunmen refused to surrender and fought to the death. By the time the fight was over, half of the armored gunmen were killed by the SAT troopers while the other half were knocked unconscious.
As Aquarius checked who was dead and who was unconscious, he took a look at one of their knives. The blade had red streaks on it, almost making Aquarius believe it was blood until he took a closer look and realized it was merely paint. Judging by the fact that all their cargo were weapons and every member having a knife with red streaks on the blades, the Water Body Hero easily deduced who they were.
"They're Crimson Blades," Aquarius informed the SAT leader.
"Crimson Blades?" Lion Knight asked.
"They're extremely dangerous," Aquarius explained to his intern. "They're arms dealers and professionally trained killers. They're trained to fight to the death rather than accept being captured or surrendering." He held up one of the knives he had collected.
"All Crimson Blades carry knives with red streaks on them, a symbol of acceptance among their ranks to signify them as bona fide killers. Make no mistake, Lion Knight: these aren't common criminals, they're professional killers and they take pride in being able to take any kind of job regardless of morality or difficulty. They simply need the right price."
The Water Body Hero took a look at the defeated leader of the Crimson Blades who were here. He was no run-of-the-mill criminal interested only in their next big catch, the man Lion Knight had defeated was a fully trained killer. The SAT troopers and Aquarius were impressed by the son of Paladin and Lioness for having taken on such a foe and prevailed.
"Your parents clearly taught you well," Aquarius complimented to Lion Knight as the ambulances arrived to tend to the wounded. "Though I don't remember your father wielding that sword and shield."
"He didn't give it to me," Lion Knight answered. "My mentor, Forge, gave me my sword, shield and bow...before he died over two years ago."
As the unconscious Crimson Blades were arrested, the weapon crates confiscated and the wounded SAT troopers tended to, Aquarius began reflecting on how much of Lion Knight's life had missed ever since he had cut contact with him and Lioness. For seven years, he had stayed away after the tragedy surrounding Paladin, never seeing how much Takeo had trained, how his father's choices had weighed down on him.
At times, Aquarius found himself questioning if he could tell Lion Knight the truth of what happened. How Stargazer murdered one of their closest friends, how the HPSC refused to do anything about the then-#8 Hero, how the entire situation drove Takeshi to his demise. However, every time he looked at Takeo, he was reminded that he had made a promise and that Lion Knight deserved the truth.
"Dammit, Takeshi," Aquarius thought to himself. "How could you do this to your family!?"
Hayata's eyes slowly opened. He hoped that he was still in Gym Gamma, but instead, he was in one of the infirmary's cots. The Quirkless student groaned quietly as he struggled to get up, despite the exhaustion he felt.
"So you're finally awake," Sunhealer addressed as she placed down a clipboard and approached Hayata's cot. Her expression was stern with hints of disappointment at the Quirkless swordsman who had passed out.
"You know, Furaya, I don't find the idea of constantly training to the point of exhaustion endearing," Himari scolded. "And this isn't the first time you've had to be carried back to the infirmary due to passing out from exhaustion in Gym Gamma. What made you think it was a good idea to train yourself to exhaustion after completing only one of your Assessment Tests?"
Indeed, this wasn't the first time Hayata had been found unconscious due to exhaustion from training, most often by his friend, Mei Hatsume or a teacher. His dedication was admirable, but this was becoming a recurring nuisance. But despite the warnings by Sunhealer and Recovery Girl as well as being scolded, he kept doing it again and again and landed in the infirmary after passing out.
"I can't afford to fall behind," Hayata stated. "If I'm to be in the Hero Course-"
"No, I won't hear that!" Sunhealer interrupted, holding up her hand to stop Hayata. "Training and exercise is indeed very important to becoming a Pro Hero, but you must take time to rest. You cannot dedicate every moment of your spare time to training, otherwise you'll drive yourself into the ground. Do you know how many times you've been in the infirmary already?"
"I do not," Hayata admitted. With an expression of controlled anger, Himari went over to a filing cabinet, opened it and pulled out a rather thick file. On the tab in Japanese kanjis read 'Hayata Furaya'. She then slammed it on the stand next to Hayata's cot.
"Thirteen times, now fourteen," Himari sternly informed. "Don't you remember that during the weeks leading up the Sports Festival, you passed out from exhaustion seven times in three weeks? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
"I explained why," Hayata replied. "I don't have a Quirk; that automatically puts me at a disadvantage against other Hero Course students. I may have won my place in the Hero Course after the Sports Festival, but earning a spot and keeping are two separate things. I can't fall behind."
"But it shouldn't come at the expense of your physical health!" Himari sternly reprimanded. "Yes, Pro Hero training often involves injury, but it's one thing to sustain injuries during training and combat. It's another to disregard your health, even after receiving REPEATED WARNINGS about it! Why are people like you and Midoriya so stubborn about disregarding your welfare and injuring yourselves!?"
Sunhealer couldn't stand it when students who trained disregarded their welfare and no one accomplished that more than Hayata Furaya and Izuku Midoriya. Several times, Izuku had to be brought to the infirmary due to injuring his body through the use of his Quirk. However, the worst one was after his match with Todoroki in the Sports Festival, which had permanently disfigured his right hand and almost robbed him of his arms' functionality.
As Recovery Girl stated, the motto 'Plus Ultra!' meant finding one's limitations and going beyond them, about self-improvement and moving past one's weaknesses, not maiming one's self and disregarding one's physical health. It angered the nurse's apprentice to see people like Furaya take training to the extreme at the expense of his well-being.
"Furaya, please," Sunhealer spoke. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't keep training to the point where you pass out; that could affect you terribly in the long-term."
"Me passing out simply means I'm not at my peak strength yet," Hayata claimed.
"No, it just means you're too stubborn to stop!" the voice of Mei Hatsume spoke as she entered the room with an expression that showed immense disappointment towards her childhood friend.
After receiving a very long scolding from Hatsume and Sunhealer about his stubbornness and disregard for his health as well as being forced to eat a full meal, Hayata was finally allowed to leave the infirmary. After he checked the time, he realized that he still had time to fit in at least two more Assessment Tests before he had leave school.
"Hayata, you really need to start listening to the nurses," Hatsume insisted.
"Is this coming from the same girl who was forgets to sleep, eat and bathe while inventing?" Hayata questioned as the two of them walked down the hall, the Quirkless going to Gym Gamma and Mei going to her classroom. "You're just as devoted to what you seek just as much as I am."
"Hey, at least I take time to relax," Mei claimed. Hayata turned to look at her; though his expression was as stoic as ever, the pink-haired girl could tell it was in reality a deadpanned response from her childhood friend. Her ideas of 'relaxation' were coming up with new ideas for baby inventions, spending her time on the drawing board or thinking of new ways to improve her babies.
"When I was training with Uncle Genkei, he always insisted that I have to train as hard as possible or I'll never keep up with those who have Quirks," the Quirkless swordsman replied. "He lost his chance to speak for people like us when those bastards crippled him, but someone has to stand up to the world and say 'Enough is enough'. I must keep up with them, no matter what it takes."
"But you won the Sports Festival!" Mei reminded her friend. "You beat that glasses guy, the red spiky hair guy, White-And-Red and that massive jerk. If anything, they should be trying to keep up with you. The fact that you beat them all on your own without a Quirk says volumes about your prowess."
"Not ALL on my own," Hayata responded as he gestured to his boot and Falcon's Talon.
Mei Hatsume had created the blade and boots Hayata used to win the Sports Festival, to defeat four Hero Course students. If it weren't for her support, for her genius, Hayata doubted he'd have gotten so far. The Quirkless student may be a force to be reckoned with in a fight, but Mei Hatsume's brilliant inventions gave him the means to even the odds in his favor.
"I know: I'm so brilliant!" Mei proudly proclaimed, a light shining behind her as she stood with great pride. "Our babies will become known worldwide!"
"Perhaps you should stop referring to Falcon's Talon and my boots as 'babies'," Hayata suggested. "People will get the wrong idea about us."
"Not in fifteen years," Mei whispered with a blush on her face, imagining a different kind of baby the two would share. Before she knew it, she felt something wet going down her uniform and then onto the floor. She came back to reality and realized she had drooled so much while she was envisioning...something. She didn't realize that Hayata had already to start walking away from her in the direction of Gym Gamma.
"Hold on!" Mei called out. "Come see me after school! I've got something amazing to show you back at my house!"
"I will," Hayata replied.
Zankoku and Ashido got off the train that took them to Kanagawa Prefecture near the Kamino Ward. Ashido was the first to get off, followed by Zankoku and the two began walking together towards the train terminal exit.
"I hope we run into each other," Ashido spoke hopefully. "Who knows? We may end up having to work together to stop some villains. Doesn't that sound fun~?"
"Sure does, Pink Rose," Shin replied with a charming smile. "Though it'll depend on how close our agencies are. I don't know where X-Lass's agency is exactly, so perhaps."
"I'll keep an eye out~" Ashido replied as she winked before pulling out her phone and looking up the directions that had been provided to her for X-Lass's agency. Zankoku smiled charmingly at the young pink woman before heading off in another direction for Diamondhide's agency. After turning a corner, the scorpion caught sight of a very familiar figure, one that made his smile drop and his scowl to turn serious.
"Well, well, look at you being the ladies' man as usual~" he addressed Shin while leaning against a wall in an alleyway. The man was a little taller than Zankoku with slicked back feathery hair of jet black and golden eyes wearing casual clothes. His expression was confident and cocky with a lit cigarette in his mouth as if he could walk into the middle of the street and not get hurt.
"Tengu," Shin addressed as he swiftly disappeared from public sight and entered the alleyway.
"Great idea choosing Diamondhide for your agency," Tengu complimented. "Closest agency to the Kamino Ward. But, hey; who was that pink girl you were talking to? One of your classmates, right?"
"Have you found them?" Shin questioned. Tengu took his cigarette out of his mouth, puffed some smoke and nodded his head. He then handed Zankoku a folded up piece of paper that when opened, revealed the directions to a building in the Kamino Ward. After examining it, the Poison wielder placed it in his pocket.
"So how do you plan to get away from Diamondhide?" Tengu questioned. "Sure, he's a crappy Pro Hero, but still."
"You do know who you're talking to, right?" Zankoku reminded Tengu with a raised eyebrow before holding up a wallet from someone he had run into on the train earlier. It clearly belonged to a very wealthy man, considering the amount of cash and number of cards inside. He had held onto it for over an hour and yet the man didn't catch onto it.
"I can sneak away and be back inside his agency before he even knows I'm gone."
"Good to know," Tengu replied as he took another huff of his cigarette. "Good thing you were the only one Diamondhide reached out to."
It was only a necessity for the scorpion; he could tell that Diamondhide was one of those heroes only cared about looking good for the public. He'd only concern himself with lives that he felt would lionize him and ignore those he felt weren't worth his time. If it were up to Shin, he'd be as far from Diamondhide as possible, but for the job he needed to do with Tengu, Diamondhide's agency was the closest to the Kamino Ward.
"Just thinking of Diamondhide makes me sick," Shin spoke with disgust.
"Yeah, you and me both," Tengu agreed. "I'll contact you once we're ready." Tengu then disappeared into the alleyway while Shin stepped out into the light and continued on his way to Diamondhide's agency.
In spite of Zankoku's charming expression with a very attractive smile that made some younger women gaze at him, a fire was burning brightly inside his heart. However, it wasn't a fire lit by compassion or determination, but by seething hatred.