Written by Aduubo, Buckichamp, and PKSpartan.
'Happiness makes things much easier.' If only it were that simple. Ichiro Tanaka repeated that phrase in his head multiple times. It was the best and probably the only option he had to dull his senses as he made rounds in his everyday life. Today he was at a premiere event that was promoting a new line of clothing from REVOCs that one of their many designers had developed, with Rei Hōōmaru supervising him for the day. Like usual, Ichiro blew away the crowd with his natural good looks and charisma, which sold the merchandise very well and had people lined up with their wallets to purchase them early.
Overall it was a major success, a good word of mouth being formed for when the line of clothing would be premiered to the public. It wouldn't take too much longer before Ichiro would get to return home to unwind for the day. He thanked whatever god he could think of off the top of his head for that, as it meant he could get away before a potentially troubling matter could rear its ugly head.
"Wait, wait! Tanaka! Mr. Tanaka!"
Within the crowd of photographers, Ichiro watched what appeared to be a news reporter pushing her way past them, albeit rather aggressively. Even without his heightened senses, he could see that her nails and teeth were bared to potentially fight anyone off if she had to. Furthermore, he recognized the maroon-like brown hair, fitted in a tightly tied ponytail. What stood out next was her shirt with a messily undone button and an even messier collar.
It all then came clear to Tanaka on what the individual's identity was; the female news reporter from Musutafu! His eyebrows had perked up upon realization, growing rather excited. The reporter who mainly covered the mainland for some of Japan's greatest heroes was here in Tokyo, what fun! Granted, he never got a grasp on what her name was, but she was here regardless! Finally, something to lift his day up.
"Oh, I know you! You're the news reporter from Musutafu! Though, I never seemed to have caught your name."
"No time for that right now! I have some questions for you!" she took the attempt to exchange pleasantries and did a long jump right over it.
"Uh - sure thing. Ask away," he chuckled, finding humor from the situation: that a reporter was willing to get a story without attaching her name to it. Tanaka normally would have pressed to get another person's name, but he had been so tired that he decided to go with it anyway. As long as Ichiro could get in a state of euphoria talking about heroes or even UA.
"Tanaka, we don't know what happened during Honnoji's first natural's election as they only broadcasted it to the island. But I have sources that say that you were present during the faceoff between the Elite Four and UA High's Class 1A. Can you confirm that?"
With the microphone being pushed into his face, Ichiro made sure to think carefully about what he was going to say next. Though there was no harm in talking about the matches itself, right? He actually enjoyed them all up until Nui showed up to ruin the party. Plus the lady also stated that Honnoji only broadcasted the fights to the island, with no one else knowing of what happened. His plan was simple; give a sparknotes equivalent of his experience watching the matches and leave.
"Yes, I can confirm that I was there watching it all go down. I gotta say, I don't think I've ever been so excited in my life! The Sports Festival was excellent, but watching a band of quirkless students face off against some of UA's best had me on the edge of my seat! I would tell you more in detail but that may take a while since I can't pick a particular favorite to elaborate on since I enjoyed all of them. But maybe I could list it from my top five picks…"
Little did he know, Tanaka had already lost the news lady halfway through his rambling. Straightening her collar, she decided to get right into the meat of things. "Yeah, yeah, listen… word on the street says that something went down during the final match. Something like an unknown assailant interrupting the fight and attacking one of UA's students, which then resulted in Honnoji's event plunging into chaos. What are your thoughts on that?"
Ichiro felt goosebumps on his skin, added with hairs rising underneath his clothes. He just had to stay calm like Ragyo told him. "It was a terrifying experience, I'll tell you that. So much has happened that I'm still trying to move past it. And when I heard that Midoriya was injured…" he paused for a moment, finding his words. "Sorry. It's a lot. Overall, I'm just glad that everyone made it out okay." Nobody outside of Honno City had info about anything damning as long as he didn't crack. In fact, this was the perfect time for him to make his exit. Ichiro's best bet would be to make up an excuse that he had something come up at the last minute.
"And what about the perpetrator?" she asked. "The one who claims to be related to you?"
Ichiro froze, as if a beam of light had lanced through him. His body temperature skyrocketed as he found himself staring into the reporter's eyes. "E-Excuse me?"
"The attacker said that you two were siblings if I'm not mistaken," the lady repeated herself.
Ichiro's face was twisted in conflict, how did she know about what Nui said? She wasn't even there at Honno Island when it happened. He shakily took a deep breath, let it out, and composed himself. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about? You might be mistaking me for someone else."
To his misfortune, that answer didn't seem to satisfy the lady interviewing him. She pressed her microphone up to his lips, which he held back with his hand, "But there were rumors saying she was directly addressing you when she said it. Were you or were you not at Honnoji when it happened? Some say she has the same hair and eye color as you," she continued, demanding answers from him.
"I- Um-" He knew how cutthroat this woman was when it came to her work. Experiencing it firsthand however proved this was beyond what he could handle. Every word Ichiro tried to speak got lodged in the back of his throat, leaving him to choke on them.
Another hand then placed itself on top of his, helping to push the mic back. To Ichiro's astonishment, it was Rei Hōōmaru. Behind her shades, there was a glint in her eyes that screamed confidence, unlike the impending fear he had in his. "Listen, we hate to be rude, but we're a snooty company," she chuckled, "And we have a meeting to get to."
Before the news reporter could say anything, Tanaka had already vanished from her line of sight as he was being dragged away by Hōōmaru. "Hey wait!" she tried to call out, but by then it was already too late. The door to the limo had already closed and driven off, leaving the reporter in the dust with no leads.
"Damn it!" she was tempted to throw her mic into the concrete, but ceased once she remembered how expensive the equipment was. "It's the third time the scoop got snatched away from me!"
Within the limo as it drove off, Ichiro had his entire palm clutched onto his chest, holding on for dear life. "It's just a rumor… Just a rumor…" He took deep and heavy breaths as his heart was beating out of his chest. Rei stared at him with a stone face from the seat across from him — though a small stifle of laughter slipped past the cracks as she saw how funny he looked; his arms and legs were spread out, hogging seats that could fit 3 people like a maniac. After about a minute, Ichiro had finally calmed down. He was starting to breathe like a normal person again.
"Feeling better?" Hōōmaru asked while handing him a glass of water, which he gladly took and gulped down as if he had spent a year in the desert.
"Ah– Much! Thanks, Hōōmaru. You really saved my bacon there," he said, followed by a deep exhale.
"You're welcome. People really are like animals sometimes. That's why Ragyo enlisted me to supervise you on your day-to-day responsibilities from now on," she replied, which strangely put Ichiro at ease. There was a faint thought in the back of his head that said not to trust Ragyo's promise to help cover up Nui's mishaps. But she actually did follow through with it. Rei Hōōmaru was her personal assistant. One of her best. And now she was working alongside him.
However, it still left him wondering, how did someone from Musutafu know about what happened? From what he remembered, she only had a faint idea of it. And it was only a rumor. But even a little bit of information like that could spread like wildfire, especially when being broadcasted on TV. He did manage to keep his lips sealed from revealing anything. Maybe it'll all blow over, right?
Back at the premiere, the reporter awkwardly turned towards the camera so that she could save face from being ditched by Tanaka. "Uhm – there you have it, folks. That was Ichiro Tanaka, live," she chuckled rather sheepishly. Even though trying to gauge answers from Ichiro went nowhere and that the story remained locked away behind Honno city borders, speculation continued to blossom throughout the media for many to see. Even those that lived in the shadows.
In the depths of Kamino Ward, Tomura Shigaraki was sitting at the hideout's bar with Kurogiri while watching NHA's broadcast of that interview. All he had been seeing the last few days were coverages theorizing about the incident between UA and Honnoji, with Ichiro Tanaka being brought up the most, even more than Satsuki Kiryuin and REVOCS. The more Tomura heard the lady talk about that fashion brat, the more his finger would fiercely tap the wooden counter.
"Did he have any involvement with the mystery assailant that attacked Honnoji Academy?" she continued, "Whoever they may be, he currently denies any affiliation with them. And as of now, their identity and motives are yet unknown. Many have begun to wonder if this person may even be an accomplice to the Hero Killer: Stain. Rest assured, we will continue covering as the story unfolds." And with that, Shigaraki turned the TV off. "First Stain shows me up… And now this ?" he bashed the butt of his fist onto the counter. Fury and frustration began settling, with whatever attempt to rein himself in had failed. "Satsuki Kiryuin. Ichiro Tanaka. That's two spoiled brats I have to deal with now. When the hell did making the front page become a competition for the League of Villains?"
Kurogiri turned his attention to his fuming ward, polishing a glass with meticulous care.
"Perhaps it has more to do with Honnoji's well-known notoriety within our current societal structure. They've existed as a non-factor in our activities for some time and only made real head way-"
"When that red-haired broad came into the picture! The one who pretty much gave that green-haired runt the chance to try and take my damn hand off!" Tomura exclaimed, once again slamming his fist on the counter. Which in turn caused a few glasses in the bar to slightly shake.
"While I do share your distaste for Matoi and her compatriot, please refrain from possibly damaging the counter, Tomura Shigaraki. I just cleaned it," Kurogiri chastised.
All Tomura could do was exhale and place his head on the counter. All the work that was put into the Hosu city incident, practically swept under the rug. Completely overshadowed by the capturing of Stain.
And it only got worse with the mayhem in Honnoji.
"All I need is time. Yeah, time. Let those runts and U.A. have their little reprieve. Because when the time comes, I'll turn everything into dust!" Tomura declared, "Kurogiri…call Giran. Tell him to hold some try-outs for a spot in the League. But let's go for quality rather than quantity this time. The last thing I need is a repeat of the USJ."
"At once, Tomura Shigaraki. I'll see to it that Giran is informed," Kurogiri bowed before he left the room to get on the phone.
Tomura could care less on what those nutcases on that island did. They could have a fully funded army ready to deploy, and he would still pay it no mind. They were nothing more than ants compared to the steel-toed boot that was his master.
For the first hour of an early Monday morning, Matoi sleepily tossed and turned in her bed, trying to stay warm under the covers and comforter. With Izuku likely going out with Uraraka now, she only desired to sleep the emotional episode off a little while longer. If only it were that simple.
Ten minutes had passed and she realized her body wouldn't let her doze off again. Instead of trying to delay the inevitable, Ryuko slowly sat up and started getting ready for the day. She stepped into the bathroom and gave herself a onceover, seeing marks of dried tears under her eyes and on her cheeks.
'When did I become such a crybaby?'
A singular half-hearted chuckle came out of her lips, trying to laugh off the pain. Ryuko then turned on the sink to wash her face. The last thing she wanted Izuku to see was the despair she dealt with the entire night. Breakfast was awaiting her downstairs. She put on her uniform and had Senketsu transform into a scarf before making her way down to the landing below.
'Try to be happy for him. He deserves this,' Ryuko tried to mentally prepare herself for what was to come when she knocked on the door.
'After all, it's for the best.'
A few seconds later, Izuku appeared in the doorway. He was somewhat surprised to see Matoi this early in the morning, but he smiled warmly nonetheless. "Hey Ryuko."
"H-hey Izuku," Ryuko twirled her red highlight, her eyes slowly moving to the floor.
This was so much harder than she thought it would be. Mustering all the will she could, Matoi steeled herself before delivering the question that was gonna be a gut punch.
"How did it go last night?"
Izuku's eyes widened for a brief moment. He didn't respond immediately as he started to gently scratch at his cheek. At first he didn't know what Ryuko was talking about, but thankfully he remembered.
"Oh, it was fun. I had a great time. I didn't get to confess, though. Ochako turned me down," Izuku nervously chuckled.
"That's gr-wait, what?"
Ryuko's world stopped.
"I-I'm sorry, I think I'm still a little sleepy," Matoi blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, trying to process what she heard. "Can ya run that by me again?"
"Umm, Ochako turned me down," Izuku reiterated.
A few brief seconds of silence elapsed. Ryuko looked stunned, her jaw wanting to drop to the floor. Once the shock wore off, she launched her hands at Izuku's shoulders with the most exasperated look he'd ever seen from his best friend.
"She turned you down?! Whaddya mean she turned you down?!"
How could Uraraka turn Izuku down? It made no sense to the Kamui wielder. Those two were constantly making googly eyes at each other! All of the times they had alone together went by perfectly, so she knew Izuku couldn't have messed up. They were made for each other! Then why-
"You okay, Ryuko?" Izuku raised an eyebrow while leaning his head slightly to the side.
"Hu- Uh- yeah! Yeah, I-I-I'm good."
She had gotten so close to Izuku that she forgot to give him some personal space. A deep red dusted her face as she quickly let go and walked past him into the Midoriya's apartment. "Tell me later. I think I need some food to wake me up."
Of all the things she expected to hear that morning, a rejection was the last thing on her list.
Ryuko sat through breakfast as patiently as she could, wanting to wait until she and Izuku were out of the house. This was sensitive information that was probably super embarrassing. At least on this busy day, she had the fortune of kicking back to have a nice breakfast with the Midoriyas.
After finishing up, Izuku and Ryuko said bye to Inko before leaving the apartment on their way to the train station. Ryuko tried to breathe and relax but kept shooting small glances Izuku's way, finding it difficult to face him. All she had to do was ask the question. Just rip the band aid off and do it.
"Uh-uhm, so…" the girl stammered was still a nervous wreck. She wasn't sure how to phrase her question without coming off as insensitive.
"What happened last night?"
A small crease showed itself in the form of a grin on Izuku's face. He knew Ryuko wanted to ask him earlier but stayed quiet out of respect for him. His emerald green eyes were soft, as he still admired how cute she looked in her school uniform. But he wasn't going to make her wait any longer.
"Hmm… Where do I start?" Izuku tapped his finger against his chin before he perked up, "So, one thing's for certain, Ochako does like me."
Ryuko blinked quickly before her eyes widened. "She does? S-So, why did she say no to you?" The anticipation had her standing on her tippy toes towards Izuku.
"Well to put it simply, she just didn't want any distractions."
Distractions? What did that mean exactly? Ryuko's brows furrowed as she would only become more perplexed. Izuku took the silence from her as a cue to continue on.
"Do you remember when Ochako said she wanted to be a hero to help her family financially?"
"Yeah," Ryuko nodded.
"That's basically why." Izuku said without missing a beat. Matoi found it strange how casual he was being about all of this. "Ochako really wants to put her time into training so that she can secure a good future for her family. So, relationships are going to be off the table for her."
Ryuko faced forward to process everything. It made sense that Uraraka would want to prioritize her career above all else. But something still didn't sit right with her about that. "I mean, I get that part. But why turn you down? I'm pretty sure you can do what you want and still achieve your dream. And besides, isn't high school the place where all that love and mushy stuff happens to everybody and you have those weird stare-off's for no apparent reason?"
"Ryuko."
"Or maybe those SUPER awkward moments when you're alone in your room and out of nowhere you start thinking about said person while staring into your ceiling and then get embarrassed after doing it cuz it got very raunchy for like five good seconds but you-"
"Ryuko!" Senketsu raised his voice.
"Bwah! What?! Why'd ya shout?" Ryuko jumped back from the sudden outburst.
"Sorry. I had to stop you before you kept rambling," Senketsu apologized.
"Ohh…" Izuku caressed his chin, tilting his head and looking at Ryuko with intrigue. "So that's what it's like to listen to the rambling."
Ryuko's face heated up until steam puffed out of her ears like a kettle. Her arms began fidgeting around and gibberish came out of her lips. Senketsu sighed, unsure of what to make out of Ryuko falling apart. He had never seen her lose her cool like this. Izuku, however, thought it was really funny.
Ryuko slapped both of her cheeks and exhaled deeply to compose herself. Her face was still red, but she tapped her fingers together to distract herself from it.
"A-Anyway, yeah. Wasn't there a way you both could have made it work?"
"Maybe?" Izuku shrugged while looking up towards the sky. "If it were back then, I'd want it to work. But now – to be honest – not so much anymore. Probably for the best. Ochako is driven to do right by her family, and I want to respect that."
"Uh-huh…" Ryuko crossed her arms, trying to think of a workaround. "I'm guessing being her loving support beacon won't cut it either, right?"
"Guess not," Izuku ran his hand through his hair, combing some of it out of his eyes.
Ryuko's pulse and respiration suddenly spiked, along with her heart rate increasing. Senketsu was put on high alert. Were they under attack? Did Nui Harime come back? Senketsu looked around only to find that everything was normal. After letting his guard down, he was able to discern what was really going on with Ryuko. Her heart was beating fast, but it was steady. Far from anywhere near an alarming rate. It was actually strikingly similar to when she and Izuku danced in Honno City. And then it hit Senketsu. Was she…happy?
He looked up to see the girl staring straight at the ground, averting eye contact from the boy next to her. It looked like she was trying to keep him from seeing her blushing face. Ryuko did always forget that Senketsu was also observant. He could see the small curvature trying to fight its way onto her lips. Her demeanor started to change from the usual moody emotion she had the last few days. His suspicion was correct. He hummed quietly before closing his eye to nap. It wasn't his place to try and push this. Izuku and Ryuko were smart, so he figured he'd let them figure it out. Though, that priority would have to be put to the side for now.
Finals were coming up and it was time for Class 1A to focus. Just a week ago, they all learned where their academics stood once the midterm rankings were listed:
1. Momo Yaoyorozu
2. Tenya Iida
3. Izuku Midoriya
4. Katsuki Bakugo
5. Shoto Todoroki
6. Tsuyu Asui
7. Kyouka Jiro
8. Ryuko Matoi
9. Mashirao Ojiro
10. Ochako Uraraka
11. Minoru Mineta
12. Mezo Shoji
13. Koji Koda
14. Rikido Sato
15. Fumikage Tokoyami
16. Eijiro Kirishima
17. Toru Hagakure
18. Hanta Sero
19. Yuga Aoyama
20. Mina Ashido
21. Denki Kaminari
In just another week, the ranks as they knew it could completely change. Everyone was anxious to make something of themselves; most just wanting to be in a decent spot to pass. But there were others that wanted to aim a little bit higher than that.
"Alright! Study time! Better give it my all so that Yaomomo's teachings doesn't go to waste!" Kaminari pumped his fist into the air. Today marked the start of what will be a grueling week as his head would be stuffed inside a book the entire time. He might as well hype himself up while doing it.
"You said it! This should be a cinch! We're definitely going to the training camp! I can already feel my brain growing!" Ashido joined along with him, posing in a similar fashion.
"Me too!" he replied.
"Not like they could get any smaller," Jirou started to laugh.
"HEY!" Both Ashido and Kaminari pointed at Kyouka in defense of their deflating egos.
Any hesitance or insecurity that Yaoyorozu had felt slowly dissipated when she saw how eager people were to have her tutor them. While she couldn't offer the same level of expertise on the practical exam, helping however she could in the written portion was just as good. Every little thing counts.
She turned towards Midoriya and Matoi with an eager grin, "My offer still stands, Midoriya. You're both welcome to join our study group."
"Thanks, but we've got our own group with Iida and Ochako," Izuku replied, "It'd just get more bloated if we came along."
Plus, it probably would have been a lot better for Ryuko if she stayed in a quieter environment. They both have faced way more hardships than any teenager should in a matter of months. Izuku had to try and find another approach to helping Ryuko. They couldn't just talk things out this time– not yet anyway. It was all a tough situation to balance as Izuku knew that the finals were their main focus.
"Hey. Deku."
Izuku tensed up in his seat. Just his luck. From the other side of the classroom, he found it was none other than Kacchan who was calling him out. Of course he had to do it all the way from there. His loud, obnoxious, and intimidating voice commanded attention. Izuku hated how well Kacchan could weaponize his charisma. Whatever he wanted to say, everyone was going to listen.
"I don't know what's going on with your power. But I've been paying attention to how you've been using it and I want you to know…" Katsuki tightened his brows together, intensifying his glare, "It's seriously pissing me off."
Izuku swallowed hard. Kacchan must have been talking about how he based the movement of his quirk off of him. The first instance he saw play out at the sports festival could have been a fluke. But then the idea had fully sunk in once Kacchan witnessed it again during the rescue training. Katsuki quickly zoned his sights on Matoi before looking back at Deku.
"I won't lose to another half-assed tiebreaker like the Sports Festival. We'll be getting individual scores in the finals. New rankings." Katsuki pointed at Izuku and continued, "So we'll all know exactly where we're standing. I'll show you how much better I am."
Izuku didn't know what to say. There was so much on his mind that Kacchan completely caught him by surprise. Just what the hell was his problem? Izuku had enough to deal with and now he has to be reminded that this persistent bastard was still breathing down his neck? Why can't Kacchan just leave things be? He wouldn't be the only one on the list however…
"And you two." Katsuki turned towards Todoroki and Matoi next. Shoto stared right back at him, knowing what to expect. Ryuko also looked back with a gaze that lacked the fire that she usually had. But she was paying attention regardless.
"Todoroki. Matoi. After I kill him, you're next."
Shoto's eyes slightly widened due to hearing Bakugo use their actual names. He was serious. Bakugo would then go to carry that amount of sincerity with him as he left the classroom, slamming the door right behind him. While he walked down the hall and left his classmates to their usual babbling of nonsense, something played in the deep end of his memories.
"You got me. I wasn't admitted to UA as a recommended student under a transfer program from Honnoji. It was a cover so I didn't have to explain how I got here."
"How did you end up in Honnoji in the first place?" Todoroki inquired.
"I went there to find the person who killed my Dad eight months ago."
Around the corner of a nearby hall, Katsuki had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation. He too had questions about Matoi– what hidden agenda was there under her transfer to UA. Now he knew. And it felt strikingly similar to Todoroki and Deku's talk at the sports festival. The pieces were coming together. While there were bigger things to ponder about, he couldn't ever hope to ignore the deep-rooted thought in his mind; if all of this was also tied to how Deku's power worked.
"How many years has it been since we've been here?"
Tsukauchi leaned back in his chair, remembering their first meeting like it was yesterday at the Might Tower Cafe. He learned of All Might's true identity as Toshinori Yagi that day. Not only that, but the amount of paperwork on his desk soon began to pile up following that fateful encounter.
"Too many," Toshinori sipped on a strawberry milkshake. The city below them hummed with the sounds of cars and the murmurs of people's conversations. There wasn't as much traffic around here as there was when All Might could still do more with his powers. It made the cafe a lot less robust in terms of customers milling around and trying to listen in.
"I submitted a vacation day after telling Nezu my intentions for coming here," the No. 1 hero looked around the room, trying to make sure no one would interrupt their delicate conversation.
"You? Taking a vacation day?! Who are you and what have you done with All Might?" the detective grinned, bringing both men to chuckle.
It'd been a while since Yagi had enjoyed a nice lunch such as this one. Though soon his more reserved demeanor returned with a solemn look.
"I do want to thank you for coming here on short notice, old friend. After Young Midoriya suffered that injury at Honnoji Academy, I've been even more concerned…" All Might's words trailed off.
"Not only about All For One re-emerging," Tsukuachi leaned in and whispered. "But also what REVOCS could be up to. I can only imagine the urgency now. From what you told me, the boy nearly ended up like you."
"And thank god he didn't," Toshinori sighed, all while pinching the bridge of his nose. "I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone… except, well, you know."
"Point taken," Naomasa hummed as he took a bite of his omelet.
Silence fell around the small table by the window, the detective knowing full-well that time was short.
"This is entirely off the record. I assume you know that."
With a simple nod from All Might, Tsukauchi cleared his throat and leaned forward once more.
"In the last week, the Kiryuin conglomerate has had some unusual activity. The kind that most people don't know unless they're looking in the right places."
"And?" Toshinori gulped. He knew what that jargon meant.
The fact that REVOCS had started to rear its head in the underground scene the last few days troubled the detective. He didn't want to share what he had to, but there was no other choice.
Naomasa sighed as he put another bite of food in his mouth before swallowing. The tasty meal was washed out by the bitter taste of the news he had to deliver.
"Based on what we've picked up, we believe they're trying to search for someone close to All For One. That includes Tomura Shigaraki, who you and the students met at the USJ."
All Might's hunch was starting to bear fruit he didn't want. All For One amassing an army of crooks was bad enough, but a partnership with one of Japan's most powerful figures? If Ragyo Kiryuin sought a partnership with the damn lunatic, then there'd be no telling what could happen.
"There's still a lot of unknown factors at play here. We're afraid of trying to get on the inside of REVOCs given the information passed along from your students' trip. That's all I have for now, Toshinori."
All Might processed everything as best he could. It wasn't the news he wanted to hear, but it was better to be in the know than be caught off guard.
A few minutes passed as the two chatted more casually and finished their meals. Before All Might could receive the check for the table, Naomasa stood up and leaned down towards Yagi's left ear to whisper a final message.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this until after the fact, but it sounds like our guy on the beat should have more intel to pass along from the people on the beach in the next few days."
All Might nodded once more. If this was what he thought it was, then hopefully more answers were on their way soon.
"Thank you, Tsukauchi."
Putting his fedora back on, the detective gave a small smile before heading out of the cafe and back to his work on the ground.
All Might looked out the window and down onto the street. He thought of Young Matoi and how she'd brought so many people together already to beat back a powerful storm. If they had any chance to win, they needed her development to kick into overdrive. Hopefully, that day won't ever have to come for a long time.
As of now, Ryuko had another problem on her hands. The final exams. She had been on a roller coaster of emotions lately, with one moment of peace and the next being a near colossal disaster. It would seriously drain her, leaving the poor girl unable to focus. Thankfully Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida had been helping her pick up the slack. The group sessions had proved to be extremely effective, which showed in their class rankings.
However, even Ryuko understood that she had been slipping as of late. It didn't take a genius to realize that's what she should be prioritizing, right? But for whatever reason, her mind went awol. Ryuko's whole relationship situation was in a particularly weird place. It was undoubtedly how Izuku and Uraraka didn't end up together after their date. The set up was perfect and the pieces were all there. So why weren't they dating and trying to ward off their nosy classmates from getting the juicy details?
She knew deep down that there was a bright glimmer of happiness inside when she learned they weren't together. But a dark cloud ominously lurked over the light, making her wonder if she deserved to be happy. After all that she had done?
The girl was left in quite a pickle as she was sitting at the dining table, staring at a few snacks that were left on the table.
"She's spacing out again. Is Ryuko okay?" Inko asked while she and Izuku were preparing a few dishes together.
"I think the final exams might have her on edge. Which is why we're having this study session with Iida and Uraraka," said Izuku.
In preparation of the written portion of the exams, Izuku orchestrated that he and the gang would work together again. He wasn't really worried about dropping down on the ranking, but rather where Ryuko's head was. He hoped the quiet times away from everything would help set her straight.
"You okay, Ryuko?" Izuku asked as he set a plate down on the table.
"Ah, o-oh, yeah. I'm just a little bit nervous about the written exams. You know that I'm not the type that has book smarts," Ryuko tried playing things off by placing her knuckles on the side of her head in a rather silly way, sticking her tongue out in the process. Instead of spending time worrying about her, Izuku simply smiled and continued setting the table. Ryuko was clearly trying to get herself out of whatever rut she was in. However long it would take, he'd leave her be until the right moment came.
Things would only get more interesting from there as everyone could hear knocking on the door. Inko was quick to answer and found Iida and Ochako behind it. They had gifts to hand off to her as thanks for letting them come by; Iida brought boxes of Temiyage that contained sushi rolls while Ochako brought boxes of Mochi. While the pleasantries were going on, Ryuko had her sights set on Uraraka. She squinted and flexed the muscles in her forehead, hoping that she had a secret mind reading quirk. Ryuko would only continue this as the gang started getting settled at the table. There was a deeper reason as to why Uraraka turned Izuku down than what he told her. And she had to know.
Speaking of which, it didn't take long before Uraraka noticed Ryuko's gaze. The sudden eye contact had completely broken her concentration. Once Ryuko looked back at Uraraka, she only saw a smile on the girl's face as she sat beside Iida instead of Izuku. It was almost as if… Uraraka knew something and wanted Ryuko to see all of that. Not a single word was said, but there was a clear message. For the rest of the evening, Ryuko found that studying for the written exams wouldn't be the only thing racking her brain.
In spite of every bit of confusion, she was able to pull through for the entire week. Ryuko didn't let her emotions get in the way each day that she studied with Uraraka. Not that they ever should in the first place since she didn't have any beef with her. The weirdest thing about all of this was that this was the most normal that Ryuko had felt in a long time. After each day of class, she would get together with everyone and study straight away. No quirk training, no exercises, and no sparring. Just schoolwork. There were days where the four would stop to take a break and hang out. Just like real highschoolers. It actually helped Ryuko relax a little more and forget about all the problems she was dealing with, even though it was temporary.
When the first day of the test came, everyone had put in all their efforts to pass and go on the training camp; Denki and Mina's brainflow kept a steadfast pace, Shoto and Momo maintained focus without even one crack in their gaze, and Katsuki was cruising by while occasionally taking a break. He boringly tapped his mechanical pencil just because he could. Whatever little quirks that would come up amongst the students, Aizawa was there to watch them all and make sure that there was no funny business.
Senketsu was even asked to be placed on Aizawa's desk until the end just so that he was extra sure Ryuko wouldn't cheat. From afar, the Kamui could see that Ryuko was as invested as everyone else. Her peers supported her to keep trying her very best; Izuku, Senketsu, Inko, Iida, Uraraka, Jiro, and many more. She owed it to them. After one hour, the first day of their written exams had been completed.
Ryuko was feeling confident in herself as she hadn't left a single question blank. She hadn't been that psyched in a long time, but it did come at the cost of her being absolutely drained. This was the most that Ryuko ever had to use her brain for academics, which ended up with her needing Izuku to help carry her back to the apartment. It was super embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as the fact that Ryuko kind of liked it. Intrusive thoughts aside, there are just two days of the exam left and it'll all be over.
…
"Alright, put your pencils down. The last person in each row, bring your answer sheets to me," Aizawa called out while raising his hand.
Ryuko exhaled so sharply that it could cut like her scissor blade. She just finished the last answer minutes before Aizawa made the announcement that time was up. A little too close for comfort if one asked Ryuko, but she was proud to say that she completely finished the final test with no regrets. After setting her sheet to the corner of the desk, Ryuko's forehead sunk into it with a loud thud. The written exams were finally over. A few giggles and chuckles could be heard from her classmates. It wasn't to make fun of her or anything, more so that they completely empathize with how she felt.
While their papers were being collected, Izuku turned around in his chair to face her. "Congrats on finishing, Ryuko."
"Thanks. I think I'm gonna need another ride back home," Ryuko mumbled, her voice also muffled from being buried in the desk.
"Sure. I'll have mom prepare something special for us to celebrate," Izuku said with a laugh.
The written exams may be over, but there was one last test that needed to be passed. It was going to be the toughest one yet.
On the next day, Class 1A was escorted to the Practical exam area via a bus ride. Ryuko looked out the window to find a vast and empty parking lot with two buildings occupying it. The lot itself was nearly as big as the one at the sports festival. All of this space was just for them? Ryuko was definitely impressed, which is a tall order to achieve. Soon the bus came to a stop and everyone stepped off of it–fully equipped with their hero suits and gear. In the distance they could see that UA's entire faculty were waiting at them at the front which raised some questions.
"Hmm, wonder what all of the teachers are here for? To supervise us?" pondered Senketsu.
"That is a good question. Guess we'll find out," Izuku shared the same sentiment.
"Welcome. Let's begin the last test," Aizawa announced, "Let me remind you that if you want to go to camp, you'd do your best to avoid failing."
Izuku paid close attention to what Aizawa was saying. He and his classmates were able to bypass the robots before. Why would Aizawa need to warn them about the consequence of failing? Something must be up.
"It's no surprise many of you had a chat with some of your peers to find out what you'll be up against today. There was even some talk that you'd be facing robots."
Kaminari and Ashido stared at Aizawa with hope gleaming in their eyes. Jiro used her jacks to hold them back so that they wouldn't get whipped by their teacher's scarf. Instead, something could be seen burrowed deep in it.
"Well I'm here to say that what you learned was dead wrong!"
Along with the entire UA faculty team, principal Nezu also made an appearance as he popped out of Aizawa's scarf with the announcement. Denki and Mina could then be heard choking on their hopes of going to the training camp as they dropped to their knees.
"Huh? Dead wrong? What do you mean?" Iida questioned.
Nezu used a hanging piece of Aizawa's binding cloth to climb down while addressing his students, "Various circumstances have simply deemed battling robots to be outdated now. So we changed it so that your test revolves around teamwork and combat against actual people! Now what does that mean exactly?"
Nezu clasped his hands together, balling them up as if he had something hidden under. He would then pull them apart, using his hands to draw the classes' eyes to their teachers. "You students will be working together against your opponents – your esteemed UA teachers! Isn't that exciting?!"
"As of now, this notion was only logical as you've faced real criminals at the USJ, and the Elite Four – Honnoji Academy's best. There's also the fact some of you fought the Hero Killer: Stain," Aizawa looked at Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida upon mentioning that, "Robots just aren't enough to truly test you."
Denki slammed his fist onto the pavement out of utter remorse. "Well forgive us for being so popular! Can't we just get one nice break here?!"
"Your partners and your opponents have already been chosen. They were determined at my discretion based on various factors including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. I'll now be announcing the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting in order," Aizawa continued as he began to go over the list, "Sato and Kirishima are up against Cementoss, Asui and Tokoyami will face Ectoplasm, Ojiro and Iida will be fighting Power Loader, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu will be a team against me…"
That was four teams named off and not a single one mentioned Ryuko yet. Senketsu could sense the goosebumps starting to form on her skin and it wasn't just from her standing outside in sync mode. Aizawa kept going on and she still wasn't mentioned. That could only mean…
"And lastly we have something a little bit different here. Midoriya, Bakugo, and Matoi, you'll be a team."
The three students in question all looked at each other in shock. Out of everyone in the Class, Bakugo was the least qualified to work with Midoriya and Matoi. All things considered though, they would be one powerhouse of a team.
"And your opponent is…"
In pro hero fashion, All Might came soaring through the sky before striking the landing in front of his opponents. His feet colliding with the concrete made a thunderous clap. The air parted around him in a spiral. "I am here… to fight!"
All Might stood tall like a tree, striking intimidation into his students as he towered over them. Next to him, the three–arguably–most strongest fighters in the class looked small. This was evident in how they all shared a single thought.
"We're up against All Might?!"
To be continued…
Aduubo A/N Edit (11:48 AM): Fuck you, FFN and your shit doc manager. Had to reupload this chapter 20 different times because you wouldn't save the bolds and italics.
Aduubo A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long! I was working on some material for videos (including the recent Satsuki one). Along with that, I also got sick, which delayed things further rip. Biiiig things are happening, folks. Not just for Ryuko and her peers, but for certain individuals within REVOCS and the League of Villains. Wonder how it'll turn out. Stay tuned until then. For now, let's get into some reviews that peaked my interest.
Truenofan86:
So i begun to read this story, it's nice. But i have one question. Is one of the authors a Pole? Because the amounts of "2137" make my polish senses tingle.
Aduubo: Uhh, I'm gonna assume you're referring to certain characters' usage of military time. To which I will answer, no, nobody on the writing team is Polish.
Storyteller317:
I'm surprised Aizawa had nothing to say. Ryūko' done of his kids and he's not heartless no matter how much he pretends to be.
Aduubo: We all know Aizawa is an observant person. In that case, he'd see that he isn't the one that needs to console Ryuko right now. Izuku and her other classmates are the ones who understand her the best.
Zani66:
I'm only hardly half way through the chapter but I have to say this. Mineta, Ryuko and even Izuku were out of line here. How do you mock someone for losing to the strongest quirk in the verse while you come in dead last both power/talent wise and socially and then get treated like the poor victim when you're simply threatened back? And Ryuko not only threatens Bakugo anyway by getting in his face for someone who she herself considers a disgusting pervert but Izuku then also threatens him with his own busted quirk over Ryuko getting less done to her than she's done to Bakugo before, because of course he wants to clap those life fiber cheeks. And that's another thing based on everything we saw Ryuko should have not only punched Bakugo back but his push shouldn't have even done much damage. Ryuko is established to get her ass viciously beat for breakfast and fun, but her and Izuku's reaction to Bakugo's push would have you think HE activated one for all somehow and pushed her across the field and through 5 or so trees. It's a shame because I like the idea of Izuku defending Ryuko and standing up to Bakugo after everything, but it couldn't have been done in a more unearned way than this.
Aduubo: Phew, I'm gonna say firsthand, thank you for reading the fanfic! Makes me happy when more people are tuning in. Though, I greatly disagree with the idea that Izuku, Mineta, and Ryuko were out of line in this scene. There's a lot to unpack here so I'm gonna do this one at a time in numerical order for simplicity.
1. I can't actually believe I have to defend Mineta LMAO but if I recall, he didn't score last in any of the tests we see over the course of MHA or HLK. He's both talented and a rather smart individual. Him talking shit to Bakugo is hardly anything new since he paints a rather big target on his back. Reminder that Bakugo started beef with a bunch of other students because he thought he had all that sauce. Everyone talks shit to Bakugo lol. I'm fine with Mineta getting what he deserves, but Bakugo was clearly going over a line here with his anger when he was letting his quirk show. I'd hardly call it Mineta acting like a victim. He was about to be a VICTIM.
2. Ryuko may condemn Mineta's behavior, but that wouldn't excuse her letting someone get beaten within an inch of his life. She has a strict rule against beating a dead horse. Bakugo would have been fine just scaring Mineta alone, but he stepped over a line the moment he put his hands on him. Ryuko disarmed the situation immediately before it got worse.
3. Izuku "overreacting" and defending Ryuko when she "had taken worse damage" is hardly an argument because Bakugo essentially used force when it wasn't appropriate. Those times Ryuko had been through hell, it was through actual fights. What Bakugo did was unwarranted. It basically showed that he can't control his emotions and could probably do something worse if he got mad again. Izuku, having put up with this sort of abuse for a decade knows this more than anyone else. He ain't taking any chances. Would you really stand to the side if someone close to you was struck by someone when you knew that they "eat damage for fun?"
4. Ryuko and Bakugo have a history of throwing jabs at each other, but Ryuko has at least acknowledged her faults. Katsuki has yet to do so. Remember in chapter 34, he actually punched her during an actual crisis, further cementing that his emotions still aren't in check.
One thing I learned with critiques in a film class is that if someone tells how they interpreted an artist's work differently, you can't exactly step in and try to clarify them. Because if they saw the scene like that, it's kind of on you to learn how to better present the point you're trying to get across. But criticisms are open access. Here it seems like you're missing out on a lot of context and social cues, and are only looking at that scene from a surface level. Which then results in a worrying bias towards Bakugo's actions. That is why I decided to come in and address this review thoroughly. And that's okay, because that's what these author's notes are for. The whole debacle reminds me of the people that say "Ryuko is basically a female Bakugo" which is absolutely wrong. I really don't condone misrepresentation lol, but thanks for the review regardless!
Martinj0813:
Even though I knew this was going to happen it still makes me sad to see Ochaco like this. Also is it weird that beige this I was hoping that all 3(Izuku,Ochaco,and Ryuko would be part of a polymorphic relationship?)
Aduubo: Since the beginning of HLK's run, I have discussed with the guys that a poly relationship between Izuku, Ryuko, and Ochako would NEVER happen. It feels like such an easy copout and is honestly an unrealistic way to resolve it. Also majority of the people hoping for it just did it for the goonisms lmfao I wanted to be better than that. Now that chapter 53 is out, I can finally speak on this.
The2ndWarrior:
Hey! HLK team! I've bee. reading your stories ever since the first comic dub went up and i've been HOOKED since! Although i also wondered how long you guys gonna keep going? If you guys planned on finishing it until the very end then mad respect for y'all. The stories are always awesome to read and i love you all! take care!
Aduubo: Thank you! Glad you've been able to enjoy the work since the first dub! As for the runtime, there's a 'soft ending' that the guys and I have established some time after the KLK plotline. How that merges with the MHA timeline has yet to be seen. Hopefully that gives you an idea of how long we plan to go for!
And for the last review! This one is a long one, but it's genuinely made me happy on a lot of levels.
Gantz Gun:
... Okay, so. I feel like, going into this review, I should be honest.
I saw *everything about this premise* on Youtube first, the cute little crackship comic dubs and audio dramas, the adorable chemistry between Ryuko Matoi and Izuku Midoriya and, going into this fic? I was *fully* expecting to be underwhelmed. Kill la Kill and My Hero Academia, to me, felt like two *extremely different worlds* that had no business existing within the same space as each other. Kill La Kill's maturity is just a different kind of maturity then what is tackled by My Hero Academia. I love both series as well as their characters, [Mako will always be everything I aspire to be even though she is likely *beyond our kin* and I will always stan Froppy and worship the very dirt Usagiyama walks upon] and I DESPERATELY need to revisit both series so I can finish Kill la kill and catch up with My Hero Academia in earnest.
And this fic made me want to do that.
It made me WANT TO DO THAT, because despite my every misgiving on the concept and the premise, you have actually performed the job of writing this masterfully, somehow pulling the narrative hat trick of making these two worlds coexisting together and yet NOT outright overshadowing one or the other. Honnoji Academy is like an enemy/rival school to UA thanks to Ryuko's transfer, Ryuko's transfer is allowing her to come to terms with the character growth she obtains later on in her story will a lot less of the batshit insanity that led up to it, and many of the characters *react* to her in a way that is meaningful. Ryuko is a protagonist from another story and that charisma is FELT amidst class 1-A and the rest of MHA's hero society, especially as we come steadily and steadily closer to what we KNOW is coming; Satsuki's ultimate ambition, and her bid to take over the world all to strike out against the true big bad of her's and Ryuko's story.
And that's not even getting into the very reason this fic exists; the romance drama between Izuku and Ryuko themselves. AGAIN, I saw this primarily as a crackship at first, even if I DID think it was oddly cute. But the second narrative hat-trick you pulled off is that you *made me believe it.* The chemistry is adorable, just as much as Izuku changes because of Ryuko so too does Ryuko change because of Midoriya, and, honestly the most impressive thing yet? If this story goes the way I THINK it's going, you are using this relationship as a direct response to the character's greatest flaws; Ryuko's temper (which she has to overcome if she wants to live a normal life), and Izuku's self-destructively self-sacrificing nature (Which seems to be a consistent theme for the users of One-For-All). It's through this relationship we find a path forward. A way that doesn't have to involve these two sinking as low as they might have in their previous series (Though let's be real, it wouldn't be interesting if they didn't get pretty damn close).
In short? I tip my hat to you. You've earned this review, my follow and my respect gents. I look forward to seeing where you take the story next.
... Oh and one last thing, PLEASE. PLEAAAAAAASE Tell me you plan to keep the 'Nui loses her arms' scene later in the story. I can see you taking efforts to make the grinning psychopath face more indignity then she ever does in the main continuity (Which is appreciated), but no portrayal of Nui or nod to Kill la Kill, would be complete without THE MOST Kathartic scene in the original series. I am also curious how you intend to handle the whole thing with Mako asking Ryuko on a date at the end of Kill-la-Kill, but that's a fairly minor thing since Gamagori is always a nice standby for the little manic pixie Chorus Girl.
Until next time!
Gantz Gun
Also Gantzgun_74_Codex_Holder over on Archive of our own [Little note, you haven't TOUCHED the Archive of our own version of this fic in what looks like years. You intend to update that?]
Aduubo: First off, wow. I really love deeper reviews like these that dig into the story a little more. A lot of people have praised that the synergy we did for both KLK and MHA's existing verses was really smooth, and that makes me happy. We thought that we wouldn't be able to pull it off nearly as well as we did, same with Izuku and Ryuko's developing relationship. It was our goal however to stand out amongst millions of other fanfiction writers and we're proud of the work we've done. I'm really glad that you're enjoying this fanfiction and that it opened you up to checking out MHA and KLK's anime's again.
As for Nui's arms scene? When it happens, it's gonna keep the same magic as the anime did lmao. Stephanie fuckin killed that scene with her screaming, "MY ARMS!"
As for Ao3, the main reason I stopped using it was due to a number of factors, one being that I am lazy lol. But in all seriousness it was because Ao3 wouldn't copy the various indents or bolds we implemented for the text and that sort of put me off from using the site. Someone HAS told me that there was a way to do it, but I just need to find the time to actually update Ao3 one day.
That about wraps up the reviews section! Thank you all again for tuning in. If you haven't already, check out the "Doting Sister" video featuring Satsuki! It's on my YT channel. Catch you all later!
*Crashes from ceiling*
PKSpartan: *HUFF**PUFF**HUFF**PUFF*
…
Hi…I'm back. Nice to see ya.
*Collapses onto floor*