Chapter Seventeen

Catching up with Deku and Todoroki, several villains were starting to get back up. The ones that Eraserhead had taken down. The ones that All Might had struck weren't moving, though they were breathing. Shoto was supporting Deku with his left arm, right hand out, three Villains already frozen in place as the others gathered while I came up behind him.

Biting back my irritation, and pushing down the pain I felt, I got ready for another fight, wishing I'd grabbed my sword, though a long blade a dozen feet away looked promising. I was out of electricity, exhausted, and beat to hell, but I wasn't going to go down easily either, not after what I just survived. I was going to get to the end of this, and some two-bit, no name, never seen again mooks weren't going to stand in my way.

However, even as I readied myself to run for the sword, legs already transformed, gunfire rang out from the entrance, causing the villains to hesitate, and my heart to soar.

There standing at the top of the stairs, were the rest of the UA staff. "Sorry everyone!" a cultured voice called out. "But I got the teachers over here as fast as I could!" It was the principal, sitting on a red-suited man's shoulder.

"I have returned!" Iida yelled beside them, suitably proud of himself. "I fulfilled my promise, and I've brought reinforcements!"

There was a pause, before the villains, rightly focused on the larger threat, attacked the pros with gunfire, elemental blasts, and more. "Ice barrier," I quickly told Shoto as Present Mic stepped forward. The small barrier he hastily erected protected us even as yellow waves of energy blasted over it and past us.

"I think we should stay here," Todoroki suggested, deadpan, as a small war waged on the other side of the wall.

"Yeah, probably for the best," I laughed, shaking my head.

It was over in minutes, and I waved a lightning limb above the barrier. It was shot, but it didn't hurt in the slightest. "Um, can we come out? We have wounded."

"Sorry 'bout that!" someone called, likely Snipe. "Yeah, come on out, partner."

I waved my hand again, but when it wasn't shot I carefully stepped out, hands up. Snipe had his revolver pointed right at me, but he nodded, looking off to the side and firing off into the distance.

Putting my hands down, Todoroki followed me, supporting Izuku. We got to the top of the stairs, only for Asui and Uraraka to both run over to him, calling "Midoriya!" "Deku!" The two girls shared a glance, before focusing on the boy, taking him off of Shoto's hands.

I looked around, but neither Mina nor Momo were anywhere to be seen. Most of the teachers were gone, and I could hear Present Mic's "YEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!" in the distance, over in the Mountain zone.

Only Midnight, Snipe, and Nezu were there, so I asked them, "Did you send someone into the Ruins? The rest of my team went there to see if they could help."

"Your team?" the mammalian administrator asked, head cocked.

"Sorry, Mina, Momo, and Hagakure," I rattled off, looking in that direction. "If not, I'll be right back."

Midnight looked at me incredulously, "You look like you're about to fall over, handsome. You sure you got the stamina?"

"If it'll keep them safe, I'd fight Nomu again," I replied instantly, a little out of it, now that my adrenaline was fading, but ready to keep going. At her confused look I added, "Anti-All Might. The one who hurt Eraserhead."

"There's no need for that, Ectoplasm went that way," Nezu quickly reassured me.

I nodded, swaying a little. "Ah, yes, um, okay then," I rambled, not having expected them to already be taking care of it, and not sure what to do now. While I was relieved that the fight was over, part of me was still tense, worrying that something had happened, that if I'd gone with Mina she'd be fine, but because I didn't she might be hurt. That I wasn't risking myself to save Aizawa, I'd been choosing between his life and hers.

The small mammal cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. Glancing over, I could see most of the class heading outside, but I wasn't going to leave, not yet. I wanted to help, but if anyone was going to find them quickly, it would be the guy who could clone himself, and I'd just be a distraction. "Uh, do you mind if I sit here and wait for them?" I asked, not sure what else to do.

"By all means," the principal said, and I took a seat on the steps, wincing in pain. "While we're waiting, can you tell me what happened? You've suffered some rather severe injuries, what with your armor in the state it's in, and talking should take your mind off them."

I blinked, looking down, seeing he was right. I'd known my armor was broken, but large portions of it were gone, some of the metal plates having punctured my suit and were now sticking into my flesh. Without even thinking about it, I reached over and pulled out a metal sliver, hissing in pain as it came out, bloody, but feeling better for it. The puncture bled for a few seconds, before it slowed, quickly clotting.

"Fascinating," I heard from right next to me, and jumped a little, then winced, now acutely aware of all the little bits of metal sticking into me. "I'd normally suggest you not touch your injuries, but please continue, but do be careful," the chimera standing next to me said.

"Right, that was dumb, leave impalements in," I muttered to myself, trying to focus. "Wait, keep going? Shouldn't I. . . fuck it, you're the medical expert," I sighed. "Sorry, shouldn't swear. Um, and you are a medical expert, right?"

"Oh yes, I have a great deal of experience," the super-intelligent animal nodded. "Do you mind if I. . .?"

"Go ahead, sir," I shrugged. While most super-powered schools were staffed by teachers who were morally dubious, at best, UA wasn't one of them, "I trust you."

I winced as he grabbed another piece of impaled metal, slowly drawing it out while his tiny paws applied pressure. "So, about this 'Nomu' that so hurt my staff and students?" he inquired, and there was an edge to his voice, but I knew it wasn't directed towards me.

Letting him work, wincing when he had to wiggle a piece to get it out, I told him what I knew, recounting the fight from when I'd seen Aizawa fighting, up through the very end, when I blew off Shigaraki's hand.

"Normally, we frown upon such extreme actions," the principal noted. "But given your situation, I understand. People will often resort to such when they are cornered, after all," he mused.

I nodded sleepily, however I jerked upright when I heard a voice yell, "Sparky!"

There, at the bottom of the stairs, was Mina, looking up at me, eyes wide. I didn't even realize I'd moved until I was already hurtling through the air down the stairs, lightning legs pumping as I rushed her, slowing right before I reached her and pulled her into my arms, hugging her to me tightly.

" You're safe," I breathed, holding her close, and she hesitated before returning the gesture. We stood there, for a moment, before I pulled back, not letting go of her, looking to Momo and Toru, at least one of whom was staring at me in horror. "What?" I asked, moving to Mina's side, but still not letting go.

"Y-you're covered in blood. And your armor," Yaoyorozu observed, aghast.

I looked down, and Nezu had been busy. That was a little, okay, a lot of blood on me, but if the super-intelligent principal had thought I was fine, then I guessed I was fine. "Oh, yeah, that," I replied, a little lamely.

"Uh, this is when you say it's not yours?" Mina prompted, sounding a little nervous, staring down at where I'd accidentally smeared some on her costume. I just gave her an embarrassed smile, not having meant to get her costume dirty. "Sparky?" she pressed.

"Nezu was tending to my wounds while I was waiting and giving him a report," I shrugged, the relief that everyone was okay seeming to wash away the pain of my injuries. It was still uncomfortable to breathe more than shallowly, and my body ached, but it was all going to be okay.

I looked at them. Mina's costume was torn a little, her skin bruised, but she was otherwise fine. Momo had streaks of dust on her arms and legs, but that was all. And Hagakure was invisible, but I assumed she was uninjured as well.

However, coming from behind them were two copies of Ectoplasm, carefully carrying Sero, the tape hero's legs burned badly, blackened flesh visible through the holes in his black leggings. Another clone of the Pro was assisting Satou, the sugar-empowered student carefully holding the knife still buried in his gut.

"What happened?" I demanded, looking back down to the pinkette, my grip on her tightening a little, "Are you hurt?"

"No, but it was. . ." Mina grimaced.

Momo took up the explanation, obviously finding comfort in the act. "The villains had captured Sero and Satou, and bound them. One of them, a woman who breathed flames that appeared to be in charge, was. . . harming Sero. We attacked and freed our classmates, and held off our opponents until we were relieved, though, with more time, we might have been able to subdue them fully."

The report was short, succinct, and most of all impersonal. Momo was holding herself up perfectly straight, and looked more fragile than I'd ever seen her, her eyes focused on Sero as he was carried up the stairs. I looked to Mina, and something passed between us, an understanding, and I let go of her for a moment. Stepping over to the other girl, I reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The creation specialist flinched, but met my eyes without fear, but with more than a little guilt and self-recrimination. "You probably saved their lives, Momo. You're not responsible for their injuries. You are responsible for making sure they weren't hurt worse."

Mina stepped to her other side, mirroring me. "And if you're responsible, so am I."

Yaoyorozu bit her lip, "But I slowed you down. If you'd gone ahead-"

"I might not've been enough," the pinkette cut her off. "I'm awesome, but I'm not that awesome. Now come on, I think we've been here long enough, and I want to go out and see the sun again."

Momo looked at her, then nodded, looking down and away. "Yes, I think that would be best," she agreed, stiffly.

I smiled, only for Mina to turn a look my way, "And you aren't responsible for what happened to Aizawa either!"

"I. . . know?" I replied, confused. "That was all the big guy and Mr. Handsy."

Mina blinked, "Oh, okay. I just thought. . ."

Shaking my head, I moved to one side of Momo, and Mina moved to her other, Toru falling in on Mina's other side, and the four of us headed for the door. "No, I got there as fast as I could. If you had gotten hurt, though. . . that was my call, sending you there. I'm just glad you're okay. All three of you are."

"And what about you, you're hurt," Yaoyorozu noted. "If one us had come to help you-"

"You would've died," I told her, cutting her off, but without malice or reproach as we started climbing the stairs. "Izuku and I are both speed fighters, and we barely survived. You're a utility fighter, Momo, from what little I'd seen. Against a lot of foes I'd say you'd be fine, just look at what you fought against today, but those three were on another level."

"But, you won," she argued, looking over to me. "Is the difference between us that great? Why are you laughing?" she demanded, frowning.

"You didn't win, did you?" Mina asked, as if she already knew the answer.

My laugh was not a pleasant one, but I got it under control, as I shook my head and patted Momo on the back. "I had about two more seconds left before I was going to die," I freely admitted, wincing at the looks on the girls' faces. "If All Might hadn't shown up when he did, all three of us weren't going to make it. And even then, it was a close thing."

"But!" Hagakure sputtered, gloved hand waving to convey an expressionality her face couldn't, "He's All Might!"

"Against an opponent apparently genetically engineered to kill him," I agreed. "One I electrocuted to death, and who got back up less than thirty seconds later. The only reason I'm still intact is the fact that I can switch forms." I shook my head, grimacing. "And I got off light. Wearing armor was absolutely the right move, though with how wrecked it is, I wonder if I'll have to pay for another set. It'll be worth it."

It was Nezu's voice that replied. "As this incident happened as part of a school function, UA will cover all costs involved."

We crested the stairs, and he was standing there, waiting along with the other teachers. His paws were stained red, causing Momo to gasp, "Principal Nezu, are you alright?"

The chimera laughed, bringing his paws up to his mouth as he did so, and did he just lick them? "Oh, no the blood is all this young man's!"

I looked down, and blinked at the puddle of my vital fluids that I'd apparently left behind. That seemed. . . a bit much. But then again, this was a world slightly different than my own, so maybe that was okay? I was feeling a little light headed, but I was fine, though from the look at least two out of the three girls shot me, apparently it wasn't.

"And do you know when that'll be?" I asked.

"That ready to jump back into the fray, are you?" the principal asked, amused. The girls, however, very much weren't.

" Sparky," Mina warned.

"No!" I quickly disagreed. "Just, with the Sports Festival coming up, I didn't want to be without it."

Nezu shook his head. "Not an issue. Students are only allowed to bring that which they designed and built themselves, so you would not have it anyways."

I blinked, catching the meaning, and smiled. "Understood."

" No fighting!" Mina insisted, missing it completely.

"I try, but the other side gets a vote too!" I joked, wincing at the fear I saw her in look. "I won't. I'm just as good at running if I need to. I would've run if I could've moved Aizawa safely and hadn't been attacked by someone even faster than I was."

She nodded, accepting that, Momo's, "That sounds prudent," helping.

We left, heading out into the bright sunlight, and I had to squint my eyes at the sudden brightness. Most of the class was outside, the others grouped together and talking about what'd just happened. The sounds of sirens was distant, but slowly approaching, and from the blown open doorway we could still hear the occasional power going off as the Pro's took down the low level villains still up and around.

Deku was being attended to by Asui and Ochaco, talking with Iida; Shoji, Jiro and Aoyama were standing together, waiting with a clone of Ectoplasm next to an unconscious Eraserhead. Todoroki was standing off to the side, Tokoyami, Koda, and Minetta of all people grouped together. The last of whom glanced our way, complaining, "Hey, how come Denki's with all the cute chicks!"

Knowing I was covered in blood I stepped forward, and called, "You sure you want to be me?"

"Holy shit," Jiro swore again, her ear-lobes recoiling, "What happened to you after we left?"

"Wounds bleed," I shrugged, especially when you're full of shrapnel.

"I-I'm good," Mineta stuttered, backing off.

The police arrived, and it might just be my American-ness, but they didn't do what I expected, piling out of their cars, guns drawn, but instead glanced at us, with Ectoplasm waiting, nodded to them, and quickly walked inside. Ambulances arrived shortly after, and took Aizawa and Thirteen, as well as Sero and Satou.

An EMT asked me if I needed to come with them, and I directed them to Nezu, as did Deku. The principal must've said we were fine, because they left us alone, but rushed a stretcher inside, carrying out a badly injured, blanket covered Ojiro, the tail-man unconscious and pale looking.

A cop offered us to take us to the UA campus in his car, to see Recovery Girl, and, after getting permission from Cementoss, he drove Midoriya and I, only enough room for the two of us in the back of the car.

"So, one hell of a fight," I commented as we were driven, but, looking over to Izuku, he was fast asleep.

Instead of waking him, I carried the small boy onto school grounds once we arrived, thanking the officer, who drove off. We got quite a few looks as I moved through campus, finally knocking on the infirmary doors. "Yes, come in- Oh dear!" the wizened old woman shrieked, seeing me.

What followed was a very fast, very thorough physical examination. My explanation that Nezu had tended to my wounds only seemed to make her more upset, and, after being sent to shower off, I got to see, and feel, her quirk first-hand, somehow resisting the healing before I consciously let it work.

Body Defense, I realized. It stopped unwanted physical transformations, and apparently being healed counted, which was. . . worrying. I only felt a little tired afterwards, which just caused Recovery Girl to shake her head.

"If your Quirk wasn't already healing you, young man, I'd make you stay here to recover," she declared. "You get, and I better not see you again anytime soon. I have enough of a hard time with this one!" the nurse groused, waving her cane in Izuku's direction.

Accepting it, I made my way to the locker rooms, which were empty. I marveled at my arms, the bruises and abrasions gone, leaving only smooth, unblemished skin. It was only when I was leaving that I realized what the healer had been referring to. I'd picked up Nomu's Regeneration.

Not at even a hundredth, or even a thousandth, of the strength of the Quirk I'd watched in use over and over again as the creature first recovered from my blows, and then the hundreds upon hundreds of strikes laid down by All Might, but, somehow, I must've crossed some internal threshold and activated it.

Rolling up my sleeve, I fished out a paperclip from my backpack, dragging it across the bottom of my arm, near the elbow, until I pulled up a line of blood. Putting it away, I watched, the liquid clotting in seconds, but, when I tried to wipe it away, to reveal smooth flesh, I winced as it started bleeding again.

Or it could be something else, and I'm an idiot, I amended, glad I'd tried something small, letting the blood clot again before washing off my arm and rolling my sleeve back down.

Walking out of the locker room, I almost plowed right into my very weary looking classmates, twisting out of the way easily while making Tokoyami flinch back, Dark Shadow coming up, claws out.

We both froze, before the bird-headed boy let out a shuddering breath. "My apologies," he started to say but I cut him off.

"No need, it's been a long day for everyone," I smiled, and he nodded, heading past me.

My other classmates started to file past, Shoto pausing as he looked at me. "You're back already?"

"Recovery Girl does good work," I shrugged, as Mina ran over to me, the front of her costume still stained with my blood.

"Sparky, I'm gonna get changed. Wait for me?" she asked, oddly nervous.

" Always," I replied without thinking, and she smiled, nodding and heading over to the girl's locker room.

Leaning against the wall, I opened my phone, and a message from Mei asking if everything was alright. She'd been alerted when I'd activated my SOS, the call having gone out for teachers to assemble ASAP seconds after that, and her class having been dismissed as Power Loader ran out the door. She was still in the Design Studio even now, and asked if I could come see her, but I told her I'd see her tomorrow.

Putting my phone away away, I closed my eyes, and tried to relax. "Sparky?" Mina asked, and I flinched, hard, lightning springing to my hands as I had a moment of blind panic, but I was able to dismiss it just as quickly.

"Sorry," I apologized, automatically, wincing. Looking over to the pinkette, at the concern in her eyes, I started to apologize again, before she stepped forward, and hugged me firmly.

" It's okay," she told me, not letting go. "I. . . they cancelled class, because, like, duh, but. . . I don't want to go home right now," she admitted, looking up at me. "Do you think we could just. . . be together, like we do on Saturdays?"

My thoughts bypassed my internal filter, springing from my lips, "I don't think I'd like anything else more."

She smiled, blushing, and, reticently, let go of me, taking my hand in hers and leading me off campus, not letting go, even on the train, for more than a moment. I, intellectually, knew we were getting disapproving looks for the low key PDA, but I didn't give a fuck.

Mina, oddly enough, didn't look at me for the entire trip, but her hand in mine reassured me everything was okay. We wandered through a park, in silence, before she dragged me to our old go-to, Karaoke. It was only after our drinks were delivered, and we had the next two hours to ourselves, that she turned to look at me.

The look of determination on her face was unexpected, but, as I looked into her black and gold eyes, it crumbled, and she hugged me once again. She started to sniffle, and I was even more confused, but I held her. Going out on a limb, I reached over and picked her up, putting her in my lap, where she shifted to straddle me, arms reaching around to hold me almost painfully tight, burying her head in the crook of my neck, and burst into tears.

Shifting a hand, I reached out, grabbing the remote and cuing up a song to play in the background, something slow, and with a long run-time, before focusing my attention back on the girl in my arms. I recognized the tears for what they were, an emotional release, done away from prying eyes, and so I just held her, rubbing her back, until she calmed.

"You okay?" I asked, when she'd finally relaxed, several songs later.

Instead of answering me, she let go, leaning back before grabbing my head in her hands, bringing it down and crashing her lips against my own. It was not a gentle, romantic kiss, but a needy one, forceful with the passion it conveyed.

I hold her tight to me and return with equal ardor as something inside me gives, understanding intimately the need to feel her, to know she was there, so close to me we're almost one, after having feared I'd never see her again. Eventually, she pulls back, slowly, breathing hard.

"I, I thought I was gonna lose you," she sniffed, pinballing right back to tears. "And then I saw you covered in blood!"

"Hey," I argued, "I was just as worried. That, by not going with you, I'd traded your life for Aizawa's. That you were caught, like Sero was. The only reason I didn't run after you the first moment I could was that Ectoplasm was already there, and I still didn't leave that place until I saw you."

"But, you were hurt," she argued.

I smiled, shrugging. "And? I wouldn't care if I was, if it meant you were okay."

"But I don't want you hurt!" she cried, and I shook my head. "No, it's not okay!"

"That's not what I mean," I argued, holding her tight for a moment. "I mean. . . if I'm hurt, so that means you survive? Worth it. I'm sure we'd both be willing to get hurt if it meant the other was unharmed, right?" I asked with a smile, which only widened as she glared at me, unable to argue my point.

Leaning in, I kissed her, and her resistance melted, and we spent another very enjoyable stretch of time lost in each other's company.

"I know we're both going to be heroes, and that means we're both going to get hurt, but as long as we both survive, I'll be happy," I told her when we broke apart again, leaning forward to press her forehead against mine, her horns brushing through my hair. "Is that too much to ask?"

She laughed, shaking her head. " I'm not the one who fought someone who almost killed our teacher," she pointed out.

"And I survived," I reminded her, feeling her grip on my arms tighten.

"How close was it?" she asked. "You were shaking before you left, and from what I heard, that Villain almost killed All Might. And you said. . . How close were you to leaving me?"

"Too close," I had to say, and her grip tightened, as she hugged me closer. "But if I hadn't, Aizawa or Midoriya would've died, and if I hadn't tried to save them, I couldn't call myself a hero, could I?"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be," she muttered, shivering.

I blinked, "What?"

"You. . ." she trailed off, leaning away from me. "You don't need to be a Hero like All Might is. You aren't as strong as All Might is, so why should you?" she asked, looking up to me, distressed. "You can help people without. . . without doing that."

Sighing, I pulled her to me. "I didn't exactly go looking for a fight," I reminded her.

"But you did!" she disagreed, shaking her head, but not pulling away. "You, you could've come with me!"

"Would you be with me if I was the type to do that?" I questioned her gently.

"Yes!" she insisted, adding, " Probably! I don't know!"

I shrugged, not having expected that answer, or lack of one. "Well. . . I'm not. If people need help, I'll help, but I'm not some dumbass who'll fight with kid gloves either. The only reason I could hold my own was I went in lethal, and didn't stop. And I'm not going to save those who don't deserve it, but, if someone's in trouble, wouldn't you help them if you could?" She didn't answer, but nodded, head pressed against me. "And would you like it if I asked you not to save people?" she was still, before, grudgingly, shaking her head no. "Then don't ask me not to."

"That's not fair," she sniffed, "you're not supposed to use logic."

I chuckled, and she hit me in the arm. "Truly, I am the most heinous of Villains!"

"Dork," she laughed, despite herself, leaning back and wiping at her face with her sleeve. "God, I'm a mess. How can you even look at me?" she complained, trying to wipe her tears away.

Taking her face in my hands, I tilted her head up and kissed her, softly, gently, showing her how I felt. " Easily," I breathed, as I pulled ever so slightly away, leaning in for another.

She smiled against my lips, pushing me back after a moment. "Do you ever stop?" she asked helplessly.

"Should I?" I grinned, accepting the playful punch to my chest. "That's not a no."

We both jumped as the phone rang, our hands closest to the noise extending out, sparks flying from mine, acid gathering in hers, while we held on to each other with our other hands. We looked at each other and broke out into near-hysterical laughter, the phone still ringing.

I brought myself under control first, asking, "Extension?" Mina calmed herself, still chuckling, shaking her head. I picked up the phone, accepting the five minute warning, and hanging up. "That didn't feel like two hours," I smiled.

"We did get distracted," she winked salaciously, breaking out into giggles as I wiggled my eyebrows in return.

"So, where to next?" I asked, seeing it was only six in the afternoon.

Mina clambered off my lap, and rummaged around in her backpack. "Sparky?" she asked, glancing back over to me, biting her lip.

"Yes, Pinky?" I replied, smiling.

She hesitated, before asking, "If. . . do you think your parents would be okay with you staying over at a friend's tonight?"

I considered it, and nodded. After what had happened, meeting her parents wasn't that big a deal, and while I doubted they'd let us sleep in the same room, having her nearby would help on a level I couldn't really articulate. "Your parents will be okay with it?"

She hesitated, nodding, and I happily called my mom, telling her that there'd been some trouble at school, but I was fine, and could I stay over at my friend's house? Her instant question of if it was Mina's wasn't terribly surprising, and I said yes. "That's fine, just have her come over here sometime," my mother requested. "I'd like to meet the girl that's getting my little boy to smile so much! Oh, and use protection!"

"Mooom," I groaned, embarrassed.

"Denki," she insisted.

"I will," I agreed, knowing she'd keep asking until I agreed, even if I wasn't going to need it, rolling my eyes. "Love you."

"Love you too!" she replied, and I could hear her smile as she hung up.

Mina takes a bit longer, but I don't eavesdrop, just sitting back and relaxing, safe, and at peace. Her voice calling, "Sparky, ready to go?" had me opening my eyes, her standing in front of me, leaning over. Almost idly, I reached up to pull her down for a kiss, standing as I do so, stopping when our height differences are reversed.

"I'm yours for the night," I tell her, and she bushes such a deep pink that it's almost purple, hitting me playfully in the chest before grabbing my hand and leading me out. However, I'm a little confused when, instead of heading left for the train station she heads right instead. Maybe to get dinner?

My confusion grows when she hesitates, before dragging me into a hotel, though I think I understand as she asks for an overnight stay. The person behind the counter gives me an amused look, and I just smile back. I agree with Mina's thinking. After everything that happened, it would be nice to fall asleep next to Mina, to have her there.

Soon enough we're up in really nice room, like, a really nice room, and led in by Mina, she pushes me down onto the bed as we drop our bags. I lean back and smile, taking in the sight as she shucks off her school jacket, eyebrows raising slightly as she loses first the tie, and then her shirt, revealing a purple bra.

She looks to me, as I meet her eyes, smiling, which she returns with an embarrassed one of her own. "Don't you think you're a bit overdressed?" she asks, and I laugh, losing my top as well. Unabashedly staring at my muscular chest, she stalks forward, before lunging in a flying tackle that knocks me back. She's soft, and warm, and there in a way that's hard to describe as she kisses me, hands running up and down the solid planes of my muscles.

I feel her back, and she's a mix of incredible softness, under which lies firm muscles, her dancer's physique a delight to hold. I'm a little surprised when she reaches down and undoes my belt, but go with it.

On a whim I unhook her bra with one hand, made easier when I can lengthen my fingers to easily manipulate the chinese-finger-trap like nature of the clasp. She breaks off the kiss, looking at me with raised eyebrows of her own, and a smirk.

"I'm already topless, it's only fair," I observe innocently, smiling back.

Shaking her head, she sits up, next to me, removing the garment, holding her breasts before letting go, giving her shoulders a little shake so they jiggle in a way which pulls my attention like a magnet. "Well?" she asks, just a touch nervously, showing them to me for the first time.

Propping myself up on one elbow, I reach out with my other hand, grabbing her shoulder, running my hand down her side, cupping her breast, smiling as I run my thumb around her fuchsia nipples and she shivers at the sensation.

"Beautiful," I tell her, openly and honestly, leaning forward to kiss them, then her, pulling her back down onto the bed, unabashedly feeling her body. She follows suit, but her hands trail down, unbuttoning my pants, reaching inside to feel my hardness, massaging it as I reach down as well, feeling her damp excitement.

"Maybe take these off?" she suggests, pulling at my uniform pants, and I smile, nodding, trying to kick them off only to remember that I'm still wearing my shoes.

She laughs at my expression, a free and joyous sound. "Sorry, got a bit distracted," I offer with a grin. "You should too."

"I'd hope you were," she giggles, but rolls off me, taking off her own skirt, socks, and shoes, leaving both of us in our underwear. She hesitates, glancing at me, before stripping off her panties as well, revealing her shaved sex, glistening, and shoots me a grin. "Well?" she asks.

I freeze for a moment, "Distracted again," I tell her, eliciting a laugh, stripping myself, having no idea where this is going to end up going, but perfectly happy to find out.

Now it's her that's distracted, eyes rooted to me, or and one piece of me in particular, as she mutters the one thing every man wants to hear: "That's. . . big."

Stepping to her, she freezes a little, but I put my arms around her, holding her against me, feeling how warm she is, skin against skin, and kiss her. Her tension eases, and she melts against me, only stiffening as I pick her up with a bear hug and carry her back to the bed, laying her down with me, and picking up from where we left off, sometimes kissing, sometimes not, feeling her as she feels me, only without clothes in the way.

Both our hands drift downwards, and as she takes hold of me, I run a finger along her slit, moist with need, and she shivers in my arms delightfully. Taking my time, in no hurry, I feel her, building a mental map of her from touch alone, before dipping a single digit inside, causing her to gasp.

There's no resistance, only softness, and wetness, and warmth. Idly, I wonder if it's acidic, but, having a lesser version of her power, I should be fine. Glancing at my own arm, I noticed the line of blood had long gone, not even leaving behind the welt that should've been there. Or, I could use my very very weak regeneration to counteract it, I mused, pushing the thought out of my mind and focusing on the now.

I feel her, lightly dragging my finger along her ceiling, getting a shuddering sigh from Mina, and grin, a matching one forced from me as she starts to use her acid on me, her hand around me suddenly slick. "Oh, that's cheating," I groan.

"All's fair in love and war, Sparky," she teases, massaging my length, pressing her body against mine.

Pulling my finger out, and wetting my thumb, I penetrate her again, twisting my wrist so my now lubed digit can run across the top of her sex, gently playing with her clit. She moans, gutterly, trying to whine out, " Sparr-ooh-kyy!" but I don't let up, enjoying it as she writhes against me, until she cries out, stiffening, holding me as tightly as she can for a couple seconds.

Dropping bonelessly onto the sheets, I remove my hand, wiping it off, and holding her. "That wasn't like last time," she pseudo-complains, the look in her eyes belying her tone.

"Last time I didn't know what you liked as well," I feel compelled to point out. "And I had a. . . more open field to work with. However, I believe that I still need. . . practice."

"You just want to get me naked again," she accuses.

I smile. "Is it working?"

Collecting herself, she leans against me, hand reaching down, and whispers "Yes," before redoubling her efforts to, now, return the favor. Some stupid part of me want to 'hold out' as long as possible, to prove my 'manliness', but with Mina, I don't have anything to prove, and neither does she.

Closing my eyes, and subconsciously massaging her in return, I revel in the feeling. Soon enough my release comes, my nerves alight, and I hold her close, feeling her warmth against me. After the sensation passes she pulls away from me, and my groan of disappointment is completely involuntary.

"I'll be right back," she promises, practically dancing over to the bathroom, back in moments and lying down next to me. We relax, in each other's arms, but, soon enough, I'm poking her in the stomach. "Ready to go again?" she asks, with a salacious grin.

"I'm game if you are," I smile back, starting to pull her in for a kiss, only for her to press against my chest, to push herself away. Watching her, she slides off the bed, and heads over to her bag, bending over to rummage through it, and I feel like a cat entranced by a bird as I watch her behind swing back and forth.

She turns around, catches me staring, and laughs. "Down boy," she teases, holding something behind her.

I give an exaggerated look at my body, before telling her, "Not with you around." She laughs, and crawls back to the bed. As she comes up next to me, she shows what she'd grabbed, and I feel my eyebrows raise when I see it's a six pack of acid resistant condoms. "Wasn't expecting that," I say without thinking, and I know it's the wrong thing the second the words leave my lips.

The sensuous, teasing expression on Mina's face wilts, and I see the nervousness and fear underneath. "Oh, I-"

Is as far as she gets, before I pluck the box from her fingers and kiss her. She doesn't return it, but it stops her, and shows her how I feel. "If you want to, so do I," I tell her as soon as I pull back. "I just didn't expect that you'd want to with me."

"I. . . what?" Mina asks, confused. "You. . ." she shakes her head. "You're an idiot," the heroine declares, and I shrug, only for her to push me down, onto my back. "But you're my idiot."

I can't hide the smile that declaration brings to my lips, nor would I even if I could. She grabs the box back and opens it, fumbling a little with the foil packaging. I take it back, putting it on, even as she whines, "I wanted to do that."

"Next one," I promise her, which gets a smile as she clambers on top. Watching as she maneuvers herself, enjoying the contours of her hips, her breasts, her face, she takes hold of and positioning me at her entrance, putting only the smallest portion inside. Even through the condom, I can feel her heat, and resist the great temptation to move, letting her take her time.

She looks up at me, and I smile back, before she whispers something to herself and slams herself down, crying out as she falls forward. For a moment, my entire world is hot, wet, and tight, my hips bucking, which causes her to let out another gasp of pain before I get myself under control. It still feels like nothing else, but my worry about hurting her is enough to hold me in place, her hands tightly gripping my arms as she shakes.

She moves first, and my resolution to not move is sorely tested, as the feeling of her takes almost all of my attention. "Can I start?" I ask through gritted teeth, and she nods, breathing just as hard as I am, even though we've barely started.

I buck my hips, once, and we both gasp, the new feeling of her tight, and warm, and needy around me better than anything I'd ever felt. My world drops down to just the two of us, moving, at first separately, then together.

We dance, the feelings all I can bare to hold back, wanting to make sure her first time is special. She pulls herself up a little, grabbing the sheets beside my head, as I lean up to kiss her, both her lips warm and grasping as they pull at me, and I press into them. I run one hand along her back, as the other massages her breast, too much to do at once, and all of it amazing.

Time slips, and seconds, minutes, or maybe even hours pass, the feelings mounting more and more, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to hold back. "Denki," she breathes, and it's all I can do not to unload, answering, "Mina," my own voice raspy with need.

The pressure of pleasure builds, and builds, and I try to hold it back, trying to warn her as I gasp, " Going to-," only for her to reply "Do it."

Unable to resist her any longer, I thrust upwards, hard, hands going around her and pulling her tight, but before I can loose myself she tightens around me as well, insides pulling at me, trying to drag me in even deeper, and I let go, unseeing, as we both shake in ecstasy, holding onto each other like that's all that matters, because, at that moment, that's all that does.

One of us yells, I'm not sure who, and by the time I can think again, we're both sweaty, breathing hard, and lying bonelessly on the bed, her on top of me, deliciously warm.

" Holy shit," I comment to no one in particular, and Mina makes a noise of agreement on top of me. We lay there, I don't know how, before the feeling of contentment abates a little.

She picks herself up a little, and smiles down at me, looking as out of it as I feel. "That was. . . yeah," she comments eruditely, and I lean up, and start kissing her again. She kisses back, her softness and warmth, along with a feeling of rightness, rouses me fully once again, still inside her, and her eyes go wide, as she gives a hesitant roll of her hips.

"Need a new one," I say after a moment, my thoughts momentarily scattered. I'm not sure if it's Body Talent, my regeneration, being a teenager, Mina, myself, or some combination of the. . . fiiive, I think, distracted as she slooowly pulls off of me, but I'm ready to go again. "This time," I tell her, "I'm on top."

She hesitates, then nods enthusiastically, grin so wide it nearly splits her face, and life is good.

I showered off, Mina asleep in the bed, having drifted off after round four. We'd stopped after the second time to order room service, having forgotten about dinner completely until my stomach had growled as we recovered. We'd rested , talked a little, and gotten the email that tomorrow's classes were cancelled, though we were still on for Friday. Apparently even a life-or-death battle didn't get us more than a single day off, which made us both laugh.

Then we'd gotten. . . distracted. Twice.

Now though, I stretched out under the water of the very roomy shower-stall, at peace. I'd cleaned up after us, idly noting the red on the first condom we'd used, which was expected, but still provoked mixed feelings. Mina was pretty much dead to the world, so it was easy to clean her up a little as well. It was no bed bath, but it should help.

I leaned against the shower stall's wall, the cold contrasting with the warm water, helping me focus, and pulled on the other feeling I'd discovered, one that'd sat at the back of my mind, only noticed when it'd been. . . forcefully cleared. Several times.

It was faint, barely there, but I shepherded it, carefully, to the forefront of my mind. It sat there, an odd feeling, almost of pressure, but physical in a way that was hard to describe. I could move it around, in a way, and, pushing it into my arm, I started to spark a little.

I let it go, and it snapped back to where it'd come from, but the sparks I'd given off were. . . different. They looked identical to the ones I normally made, but there hadn't been the slightest drain on my reserves, nor had it spread itself into the water running down me like it should've.

It took several seconds to pull that feeling back, pressing it throughout my arm once more. Again, there was a spark, but only one at a time, and I frowned at what I saw. A few, tiny, almost invisible lines of yellow lightning ran down my limb, as if I'd partially transformed a tiny amount of my flesh, but I couldn't subdivide my Electrobody that much. It was an all or nothing change, the 'partial' transformation I could do just my mentally sectioning off my body and changing it in it's entirety, one portion at a time.

As I held it there, the feeling seemed to settle, not needing me to keep it pressed in. Recalling it was easy, but re-applying it took a couple of seconds before it'd stick without me holding it there. Turning over my arm, the lines ran up and down both sides, one on each finger, branching and combining with seemingly no set pattern.

Flexing my fingers, I jumped as the water running down them slammed into the shower's floor, hard, one of the droplets hitting the top of my foot with enough force for me to feel it. With the feeling of dawning comprehension, I moved my changed hand, collecting water, before lightly tossing it at the 'stone' wall of the shower. The Water hit like it was sprayed by a firehouse, splashing everywhere.

Putting my hands, one changed and one not, together, I tried to press them against each other, finding myself unable to hold back my affected limb. Taking the feeling, I pulled it back, and tried to spread it throughout my body. I was barely able to, and the feeling of pressure was so slight as to be nonexistent, but hair-thin glowing yellow lines of power spread out over each limb.

Lightly bouncing on the balls of my feet, I got air-time, rising a foot off the ground with each lift.

Letting it fade, I finished my shower, dried off, and stood in front of the mirror. Turning off the lights, I left the bathroom pitch black. Calling the power back, and spreading it out, it was almost half a minute before it'd settle, but when it did I looked into the mirror, and smiled at what I saw .

Glimmering lines of yellow ran along my limbs, my flesh barely visible, incredibly dark grey against the pitch black, glowing with light only possibly seen in complete darkness. My eyes, however, shone, twin glinting yellow circles that stared back at me in the otherwise lightless space.

When I got a power, I got it at the minimum amount one could ever possibly manifest. I knew how quickly I picked it up was based on the skill of the user I watched, but I had a feeling that wasn't the only requirement, though I had a sample size of two beforehand, now four.

However, I'd been around a novice user for a couple weeks, and I'd seen a Master of it earlier today at work, pushed to his very limits.

I smiled, as the faintest glimmer of One For All, filled my form.

END SEASON ONE