Angel: Thank you for everyone that wished me a happy anniversary last time I updated! And to be fair, Izuka has technically gotten her way when it comes to certain things, so I have to be unfair sometimes. Not every single thing can work out with her, otherwise it might make her seem too lucky. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!
Oh, the war in season 6! I just started writing it, so there will be some big moments. But having her own battles? I would say no. Already she's like Bakugo in where she doesn't have her own enemy from the League, who he didn't get his own battle not tied to Izuku and Shigaraki, so. My favorite season for Izuka is season 3, because she's long gone from her season 1 self, and she can hold her own against the huddles she had to go through. Plus I feel that her relationships are the strongest in that season. I wanna ask you guys what's your favorite season for Izuka as well.
This world is a superhuman society, with about 80 percent of the population possessing some uncanny ability called a Quirk.
These Quirks can range from ice, fire, gravity, super speed, and more.
Those who stand up against villains who abuse their powers for evil are called heroes. They are our champions.
Brave, fearless people who use their Quirks to ensure the safety of our world. And with them around, crime decreases significantly for the most part.
My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I've always dreamed of being a hero.
And I'm his twin sister, Izuka Midoriya, but becoming a hero wasn't what I wanted at first...but now I've come to really embrace that.
So we enrolled in the prestigious UA High School together.
The top school in Japan to achieve our shared dream!
Our friends and the two of us are working hard toward a shared goal. Facing every challenge that comes our way, and saving people with a smile.
I wouldn't have gotten this far without them or my brother. All while I better myself as a person from who I was at the start.
We're training to become the world's greatest heroes. That's right.
This is My Hero Academia!
One morning, Mina was stretching out her arms, bending down to the ground. She then straightened up her body with a smile. "Hey, guys! C'mere! Check this!" She called out and then did some steps, swaying her arms. Hanta and Toru watched as she swung her leg and did a flip, landing on her hand while the rest of her body was in the air. She struck a pose and then started break-dancing. "I'm a breakdancing queen!" She exclaimed while spinning her lower body around rapidly.
"Aw, yeah!" Hanta waved a hand.
"Get it!" Toru pumped a fist. Momo, Kyoka, Yuga, and Denki all watched as well.
"Clock this breakdown!" She sent out some wind from her fast movements.
"You're on fire!" Hanta encouraged while Izuka looked up in interest, taking out her sketchbook. She opened it up to see a recent picture of Katsuki and then snapped it shut, whistling innocently. Maybe she would just ask Mina to dance for her later...
"She's obviously practiced extensively," Yuga commented while rubbing his chin.
"Why're you wearing shorts underneath your skirt?!" Minoru shouted in dismay towards Mina. He then got smacked on the head repeatedly by Toru.
"When will you learn to stop being such a creep?!" She yelled down at him while Izuku was looking at one of his hero notebooks.
"I bet Ashido's dancing skills end up being super useful in hand-to-hand combat," He murmured in thought. "When it comes to a fight...she would have complete control over every part of her body," He looked up at Mina still dancing. He then glanced down at his sister knowingly with a small smile. "It's probably inspiring you, huh?"
"I'm good right now, actually..." She mumbled while looking down in embarrassment. Izuku and Ochaco blinked before the former smiled with a hum. He had a feeling that someone else was occupying her sketchbook right about now.
"Oui. I've witnessed that," Yuga walked over mortified, since Mina went up against him in the Sports Festival and humiliated him. "She burned through my cape in our first training match...and then, in the Sports Festival finals...I will never forget that."
"Huh, maybe I should take up dancing too," Izuku commented and Izuka turned away.
"That's a hard pass from me..." She sweat dropped a little.
"She could teach ya!" Denki offered with a big smile.
"Aw yeah, boi, let's see what moves you've got," Mina challenged Izuku a little and then ran over to Izuka. "And you can try too for the person you like!" She grabbed Izuka's arm and dragged her over, to the girl's dismay.
"Ashido! It's not like that, I'm not gonna dance for him," The girl tried to break free from Mina's hold.
"At least try, stop being a quitter!" Mina implored, earning a defeated sigh.
"Um. Okay!" Izuku looked up ahead nervously. "Please show me how."
"We'll start with somethin' easy," Mina started doing the same moves she did before going into her breakdancing. "Step forward and back and left and right, while swinging both arms. Make sure you're stayin' loose!"
"I can't believe that I'm doing this," Izuka muttered while stretching her arms. She'd rather not, but she also wanted this to be over with so Mina could back off.
"Sure..." Izuku replied a bit anxiously, and he ended up doing poorly along with Yuga. "Think I got it! Yep!"
Izuka blinked in bewilderment at the two and then chuckled by how stiff they were. "Maybe actually loosen up. But like this, Ashido?" She then slowly got into the rhythm Mina got into, albeit not as stiff, but not as loose either.
"Yeah, you've got it!" Mina grinned, giving her a thumbs up.
"This reminds me of how Sato's always baking stuff or how Mido is always sketching after class," Denki commented while Momo smiled happily for her friend. "It's a hobby, but also helps out with hero work. Man, so smart," He then whipped around to Kyoka. "Speaking of hobbies, I bet yours is the same, Jiro."
"What?" She flinched in alarm for him pointing this out. "I don't know..."
"Come on!" He urged while she blushed in embarrassment. "Your dorm room looks like a recording studio! One look and I could tell music is your whole life." He nodded in agreement while smiling, seeming to forget that when he saw her room, she was probably the one most hesitant about the whole room contest.
"Drop it, moron," Kyoka growled a little, gritting her teeth. "Forget about what you saw in there!"
"Oh, yeah," He remarked while she was seething. "That's passion. For real, though. You should start a jam sess-" He yelped as he got an earphone jack to the face.
"Just shut it," Kyoka glared towards him in annoyance. She then walked off, some of her classmates staring at her. As she went to her seat, Denki whipped between her and Momo in utter confusion.
"What...?"
Kaminari doesn't get it, but as someone who didn't like her hobby being known to everyone either, I can see where Jiro is coming from Izuka thought while staring at Kyoka. Clearly she loved music, she just wasn't comfortable with many people knowing.
October was here. Which meant that it was about time for UA High School to start preparing for a big event around the corner.
I love fall, with how the leaves get colored and watching them fly off the trees, but...unfortunately for me, this big event meant that it was going to be a HUGE change that I wouldn't be ready for.
Sure, we weren't the only school doing this, but we were still excited.
I can't say the same since it meant involving something that I'm still terrified of doing.
"It's coming," Mr. Aizawa told Class 1-A once class started. "The School Festival."
"Normal school stuff!" Mostly everyone cheered upon hearing it; they hadn't done normal school stuff together in a while, so it was refreshing for them. Especially since some of them had gone through work-studies.
"So awesome!" Minoru grinned widely while jumping up into the air.
"Gotta love this time of year!" Hanta smiled happily, pumping his fists.
"We gotta think of something cool to do!" Toru cheered with excitement.
"Hold on, Mr. Aizawa," Eijiro got onto his feet with concern. "Are you sure this is okay?"
"Hush, Kirishima," Denki hissed a little. "Don't you ruin this!"
"Think about it, though," Eijiro implored to him. "There are villains everywhere right now!" It was in the same vein as the Sports Festival; and more targets were on their class now because of the League. UA's security had upgraded since then, but if all of the League showed up, they weren't prepared to deal with it.
"You're right," Mr. Aizawa agreed with his student while zipping up his sleeping bag. "That's a reasonable point. However, there are students here besides those in the hero course. You get the spotlight every year at the Sports Fest. This is for everyone else. The support course, general studies, and don't forget the business course students. This doesn't get as much attention as the Sports Fest, but it's still the yearly event they all look forward to. Many of your peers are feeling stressed out by the current conditions here at UA. Especially the dorm system, which had to be adopted because of the hero course."
Eijiro's eyes softened as he felt a little bad for protesting now. He couldn't really say it should be cancelled when other students already had to worry about the hero course being higher than their own. They already had attention on them, so he felt like he should be giving them a chance to enjoy themselves with the School Festival. "When you put it like that, guess it'd be unfair to cancel it," He then sat back down in his seat.
"Correct. So yeah, it's still on. And hopefully everyone will enjoy it." Izuka bit her lip while looking away since she wasn't going to go. It was too many crowds, that immediately screamed no in her eyes. She didn't want any attention on her, and the crowds meant that someone would recognize her, which was the last thing she wanted. "Though unlike festivals in the past, this year's will only be open to UA students and staff. With a few exceptions. You may not be the focus this time, but your class still needs to participate with some kind of original programming. You need to decide what you want to do today...and before I take my nap, Mido." She flinched upon her name being called, looking up. "If you don't participate, then you could face expulsion," Mr. Aizawa threatened and she looked up at him wide-eyed, the others looking at her in shock. "Your unwillingness to socialize with others is something we've talked about before, remember? And I wanna see you front and center," He narrowed his eyes at her. "So don't think I won't be watching."
"Ack...!" She froze in place, her mouth open. "Wait, what?!" She got onto her feet in a panic, and then he fell asleep, acting as if he didn't just say that he'd expel her if she didn't participate. She felt like her soul was about to leave her body as she stared at him in disbelief.
"He's out!" They flinched in shock at him.
"It's not a rational deception for me this time, is it...?" Izuka slowly slid back onto her chair and slammed her face into her desk in agony. "Ahh..." She whimpered in fear, Izuku patting her back sheepishly. "Noooooo…!"
Tenya and Momo stood in front of everyone to lead. "Alright! As class representative, it is my duty to facilitate the process from here! Mido, please sit up straight!" The girl groaned in dismay as she sat up, not looking too pleased. Momo just gave her an apologetic look. "I promise I will do my very best. Let's start! First, we will have a quick brainstorming session! If anyone has an idea, raise your hand!"
"Me, me, me, me!" Several students immediately did so, and their excitement was so much that Tenya and Momo had to brace themselves.
"Well, I wasn't expecting such enthusiasm! Calm down now! We'll go one at a time, please. Yes! You, Kaminari!" Tenya gestured to his classmate.
"A maid cafe!" He stood up, raising his hand. "Seriously! Imagine it!" He gushed while thinking of all the girls in the class wearing maid uniforms. "Now imagine it again, but with more details. And if you imagine me in the center of the action...oh, yeah. I think we've already got a winner."
"Maids," Tenya gave him a skeptical look, but was still thinking about it. "It is good to serve others."
I really hope that doesn't get picked if I have to avoid expulsion Izuka dragged a tired hand down her face, since she could tell what Denki was thinking of. Katsuki gave her a small amused look, as he thought that she'd look rather cute in a maid outfit...and he could also laugh at it to hide his slight happiness of seeing her in one.
"That's way too tame!" Minoru screamed with a crazed look in his eyes.
"Mineta!" Tenya shouted towards him.
"A topless-"
As soon as the word topless was tossed around, Tsuyu tied him up with a bag and rope. "Wanna help me tie this off?" She asked a nervous Rikido nearby. It had to be done, but still...
"Sure thing," He replied anxiously to her.
"A mochi shop!" Ochaco offered when it was her turn.
"Celebrating Japanese cuisine!" Tenya complimented and the brunette smiled.
"An arm-wrestling match," Eijiro scratched the side of his head.
"So intense!" Tenya commented, seeing him struggling to come up with something.
"A fun house!" Toru shouted while raising her hand.
"I don't know what you mean, but sounds interesting!"
"A creperie!" Rikido smiled, since he could help the class bake. Plus with the amount of people, there was bound to be other food stands that didn't think of it.
"That'd be great for eating on the go!"
"Disco!" Mina struck a pose.
"Sounds invigorating!"
"A hero quiz," Izuku gushed and Izuka chuckled in amusement.
"As I'd expect from you!"
"The Frog Song in a round," Tsuyu looked up in thought.
"How charming!"
"Maybe a petting zoo," Koji spoke up timidly.
"Also a suggestion!"
"Soba stall," Shoto suggested, because of course he would.
"It is your favorite!"
"Fight to the death," Katsuki looked eager for this one...they could only wonder why.
"Unexpected for a festival."
"A mad banquet of darkness," Fumikage even had an aura around him saying this...
"Oh-ho-ho!"
"A twinkling extravaganza!" Yuga was sparkling just thinking about it, though it sounded too vague.
"Huh?" Tenya was very confused as he didn't know what it meant.
"Maybe a skit?" Kyoka asked curiously while raising her hand.
"Possibly!"
"Hm?" Denki looked over to her in confusion, wondering why she didn't suggest anything to do with music. But it also could've been because of her hesitation earlier...
"Right. Anybody else?" Tenya questioned the rest of the class.
"A traditional cafe!" Hanta called out next.
"A dance routine!" Mashirao suggested after him.
"Takoyaki shop," Mezo stated right after.
"An art showcase?" Izuka timidly raised her hand.
Once they had finished brainstorming, they had several suggestions: maid cafe, arm-wrestling tournament, fun house, mochi, students of darkness feast, dance, and boo?
"Okay. I think we've got something from everyone now," Tenya started off and some other ones were skit, local history presentation, death match, petting zoo, takoyaki, asian cafe, dance performance, and art showcase.
"To begin with, let's cut some," Momo looked at her list, and the last ones were study session, hero quiz, hand-made soba, my twinkling show, frog song, and crepes. "Anything inappropriate, impossible, or confusing." The first four to go were students of darkness feast, death match, my twinkling show, and boo. Yuga gasped sharply that his got cut, feeling offended.
"So harsh," Fumikage was also not too pleased with his getting cut either.
"Aww!" Minoru whined as his got the shaft as well.
"Why'd you even bother asking?" Katsuki retorted, a hand on his cheek.
"Who said a local history presentation?" Toru couldn't help but ask. "That sounds super boring."
"Definitely," Mezo agreed with her, and Tenya looked a little embarrassed because that was his.
"It's not awful, but the others seem more fun," Mashirao spoke up, as he could see why that was a suggestion, but this was to have a good time. Not go right back into studies.
"Very well, my classmates have spoken," Tenya looked away, gritting his teeth.
"Sorry, Ida..." Izuka gave him a sheepish smile.
"And we do group study sessions all the time," Denki pointed out; that was Momo's idea.
"Yes, that's true. I guess..." She turned away in embarrassment.
"What if we rolled all the food stuff into one idea?" Hanta suggested, even though that wouldn't make for good meals.
"Doesn't soba with crepes kinda sound gross?" Eijiro pointed out to him.
"Besides, seems kinda weird to offer a buncha random food," Kyoka looked over her shoulder.
"Quiet down!" Tenya shouted at everyone.
"I'm telling you—a fun house would be so cool!" Toru urged while they kept murmuring amongst themselves and throwing suggestions.
"What does that even mean?" Denki questioned the invisible girl.
"Silence! Be civil!" Tenya gritted his teeth at them not listening.
"A consensus is going to be difficult," Momo murmured; if they had this many ideas, they weren't ever going to come to an agreement...
"ORDER! Please!" Tenya screamed and then the bell chimed, leaving him stunned.
Mr. Aizawa yawned as he walked past the class rep. "That was a highly unproductive meeting," He murmured tiredly, carrying his sleeping bag with him. "Decide what you'll do by tomorrow morning. If you don't, we'll go with my idea: an educational lecture," He looked back intensely at his students.
"You mean just a class?!" They all wondered, and they couldn't help but think that people watching them do a class wouldn't be very fun. Izuka internally screamed at the thought; her seat was between Katsuki and Izuku, so she'd still be front and center regardless!
So I have to be seen either way?! Izuka held her head while panicking.
"Who'd come see that?" Denki frowned a little.
"He's joking, right?" Hanta wondered a bit nervously.
"No way. We'll decide what we're gonna do by tonight!" Eijiro declared as he spoke for everyone, except maybe Izuka, that they didn't want to do something like that.
"Yeah!"
After classes were over, they were at Heights Alliance. "Huh. Where's the raid team?" Mashirao wondered as Eijiro, Ochaco, Izuku, and Tsuyu weren't with them. Izuka was the only exception since she had the special classes to worry about, and she had help from Momo recently.
"Not here," Denki explained, hands behind his back. "They're catching up on extra classes, so we'll have to pick for them."
"What about Bakugo?" Mashirao glanced over to him.
"Sleeping," Denki answered and then looked over to Izuka. "Even when I said Mido would like it if he stayed, he still said no."
"Why would I be a deciding factor for him?" Izuka deadpanned towards her classmate, sitting next to Momo. She was dressed in a fleece periwinkle sweater, black shorts, and wearing slippers. Her hair was also in a high ponytail, her forelocks framed around her face. Momo just gave a small smile to herself as she had a feeling why.
"Now that things have quieted down, I have some thoughts about our list," Tenya spoke up, sitting on the couch while everyone else was gathered around him. "It's obvious that we've caused some strain on the other students. It would make sense to choose something that might raise their spirits in an effort to make it up to them."
"I don't disagree," Momo's eyes softened a little. "We're aiming to be heroes, right? So we should be aware of any trouble we've caused for others."
"Correct, and with that in mind...I don't think we can offer the students of UA a meal that satisfies their taste buds since they're used to Lunch Rush's gourmet cooking," Tenya rubbed his chin in thought.
"Aw, so food is out of the question?" Hanta rubbed the back of his neck in disappointment.
"I believe that would be for the best. There must be another way we can be of service," Tenya sighed a little. It had to be something else that no one was doing so that they stuck out and could lift up the spirits of everyone else...
"I don't wanna be a burden on other students because of what happens to us..." Izuka's eyes saddened a little. Momo rubbed her back gently, knowing that the girl had been through a lot. Her fight with All for One for instance was still causing some discourse for people...
"We have to keep their needs in mind," Mezo reminded the others. "If we're the only ones having fun, the event'll be a disaster."
"It's frustrating," Rikido looked a little disappointed. "But Lunch Rush is just too good."
"Kay, so what then?" Toru wondered while crawling over to Momo and Izuka.
"Well, we can cut out all the food ideas...and that way we can focus on experiences," Momo looked at her computer. Tenya leaned over her shoulder as she crossed out the food suggestions. "There's the maid cafe, petting zoo, and whatever a fun house is."
"A zoo sounds kinda smelly and unsanitary," Hanta frowned after thinking it over.
"And where would we get all the animals anyway? Koda has only a few, and I don't think that'll be enough. People can just go to a regular zoo," Izuka crossed her arms, looking up as she tried to think. She still didn't like having to be a front-runner in whatever they did, but she just hoped it was something not too big.
"Hmm, stress relief..." Toru leaned back, rubbing the back of her head.
"I still think a skit would be a lot of fun," Kyoka said a little nervously.
"Watching amateurs perform can be pretty stressful," Hanta told her, since none of them were natural comedians.
"Why don't we have a big dance party?" Mina suggested while shuffling her legs. Izuka looked at her while her face was a bit pale.
Please no...
Shoto got onto his feet, walking over. "Dancing...that's a good idea."
"Uh?" Mina glanced up at him in surprise. "Wait, you mean you'd be into that?"
"Hang on a second," He bent down to the computer. "There's something I've seen before. I don't know what it's called, exactly, but it looks like everyone really enjoys it," He pulled up a video of a concert. "There, something like this."
"Not what I expected from Todoroki," Minoru commented, as Shoto was more reserved. Izuka blinked at her friend in alarm at this too, she didn't think he would even watch something like that. Then again, he didn't seem to mind whatever he did in public... "Uh! Wait, are you some kinda secret raver?!"
"No. I just agree with Ida's opinion that we should provide stress relief for the people in the other courses," Shoto informed the shorter boy. "In order to do that, maybe we should focus on something that offers entertainment for everyone. I got the idea from my extra exam training." He then blinked as he glanced down at a wide-eyed Izuka, sweat dripping down her face as she did not like where this was going.
Rikido was baffled by this, as he imagined Katsuki, Shoto, and Izuka all disco dancing. "What're they doing in those supplemental classes?"
"Interesting..." Tenya murmured as he was intrigued. "Singing and dancing, huh?"
"None of us really dances, do we?" Hanta questioned the group skeptically. "No one wants to see a cringy routine."
"Sero's right!" Izuka exclaimed a bit too much eagerly, earning stares from everyone. "I mean, we only have one that really specializes in it, why go through the trouble...? Heh," She turned away awkwardly, though it was pretty obvious why she agreed with him.
"No prob," Mina beamed while holding up a finger. "I got you, fam!"
"C'est magnifique!" Yuga agreed as he started perfecting the moves Mina showed him earlier that day.
"Ashido taught him how to throw it down!" Denki smiled as he was impressed. "The work of a real dance master right there! I've got total faith in her skills."
"Hold on, you idiots!" Minoru suddenly exclaimed at them. "Dance is about rhythm! Thunderous beats! If we do this, we'll need some serious jams!" He then spun around rapidly.
"Well, if we're talking about music..." Toru looked towards a particular person, earning a sharp gasp from Kyoka. She then got looks from everyone.
"Uh...what?" She blushed in embarrassment.
"Why don't we perform live?" Toru suggested while jumping over to Kyoka. "With all your instruments."
The green-haired girl kneeled over in agony after hearing this, shaking as her body went pale. "A-a band...in front of hundreds of people...oh no," Izuka murmured in terror, clutching at her sweater. Momo patted her on the back gently to comfort her.
"Absolutely not!" Kyoka protested immediately at her.
"What's wrong?" Toru complained; if she wasn't invisible, they'd see her pouting. "You're really good at playing and teaching people how to play!" In fact, Kyoka once taught Toru to play guitar with Ochaco. "And you always look like you're having a ton of fun when you make music! I bet everyone in school would love to hear you rock out!"
Kyoka's eyes faltered as it wasn't something she was comfortable debuting yet. Izuka could do it with her class because she felt at ease with them. But Kyoka felt like she wasn't ready...
"No...I'm not Ashido, Sato, or Mido. Their hobbies actually help their hero work." The three stared at her in silence. "They have a purpose..." She tapped her earphone jacks in embarrassment. "But music...it really is just a hobby. Sorry, I just don't think it's something I wanna show off to the school."
Izuka's eyes saddened knowingly at her classmate.
Denki whipped around to Kyoka. "Speaking of hobbies, I bet yours is the same, Jiro."
"What?" She flinched in alarm for him pointing this out. "I don't know..." She then gave Denki an earphone jack to the face. "Just shut it," She glared at him in annoyance.
Denki blinked in realization that he had pushed the issue too far in class. "Oh, that's why you got weird," He then walked up to the girl, causing her to look up in alarm as he got closer. "But you can play so many instruments!" He smiled widely at her. "You're freakin' awesome!"
She pressed her lips in a thin line. "Jiro!" Koji spoke up, getting her attention as he smiled towards her in encouragement. "Why not use your skill to make other people smile? I think your music will definitely be useful when you're a pro!"
Her lips shook as she rubbed the back of her head, and Momo stood between her and the boys. "Look, I understand where both of you are coming from...but it is her choice. If she doesn't want to perform, that's fine."
"Mmhm," Izuka walked over while nodding. "Remember when I didn't want you guys to see my art at first? Not everyone wants others to know their hobbies."
"...Well, after what you've all said..." Kyoka spoke up, getting their attention. "If I didn't do it...I guess it wouldn't be rockin' at all," She blushed while looking up, as she didn't want to give a lecture and it was probably the only thing most people agreed on.
"Yeah!" The others exclaimed while Izuka looked frightened.
"Woo-hoo! Yes! Class 1-A will do a live performance and throw a dance party like this school's never seen before!" Denki cheered to everyone while a different video played from the computer, showing someone in almost complete shadow.
"Yeah!"
"Yaaay..." Izuka pumped a hesitant fist and Momo patted her back.
"I'm sure everything will be okay, Mido," She tried and failed to comfort the girl again.
Izuka whipped around to see Katsuki and Shoto staring at her. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes upon seeing them.
"Katsuki! Todoroki!" She ran up to the both of them; after everything she experienced, seeing Katsuki was a relief in of itself. Plus, she couldn't see or talk to him the whole time...and after all the events, she needed to release all of the tension that she had been holding.
"Are you finally coming back to cl-"
She then held out her arms, latching onto Katsuki once she reached him and interrupting Shoto. The blond flinched in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his waist, hiding her face into his shirt. His eyes softened as he slowly placed a hand on the back of her head. "So just...let it all out, Izuka."
She flinched and then started to wail, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Are...are you gonna be okay?" Katsuki asked with a serious expression, and she blinked slowly.
"Yeah...sure," She looked away while hugging herself. "I have to be, right?"
"Come…on," Katsuki gently weaved her fingers away so that she finally let go and he placed her into bed. He placed the blanket over her and then stared at her sleeping face. "You better be okay enough soon to talk about it, Izuka. You still owe me for ignoring my messages." He bent down to gently rub her head and the girl gave a small sleepy smile. He bent down to kiss the side of her head.
Katsuki shot up in alarm after waking up, growling as he threw his pillow across the room. The girl had been through a lot, and now she had to be in front of a lot of people regardless of what they did...he wished that he didn't care so much, but she had been holding so much back, it was hard for him to ignore it. He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling.
I get that she had to go, but...damn it, I wish I could've been there. At least then I wouldn't have to see her go through this.
He pulled out his phone, pulling up Izuka's contact info to call her. He tapped a finger impatiently as it ran and he grunted. "Pick up the damn phone like we promised..." He muttered; the two did agree to call each other if needed no matter what time of day after all...he didn't call her as much, but he hoped she remembered the sentiment.
"Hello...?" She picked up after the fourth ring in a tired voice.
"Hey," He greeted in a slightly hoarse voice and she sat up with a yawn.
"Hi Katsuki. What's up?"
He flinched and looked away; he couldn't tell her he was worried. She'd never let him leave it down, and he was too stubborn to admit it anyway. "Nothing. You still cryin' over the Hassaikai stuff?"
She blinked while glancing at her phone and then chuckled a little. "Nah...I've slowly put that behind me for Eri's sake. Besides, I have more terrifying things to occupy my time with. You and Shoto also are getting ahead of me in the extra classes...so I've gotta catch up," She yawned a bit again.
"Do you have to call him that in my ear?" He muttered while closing his eyes in annoyance.
"You woke me up, so we're even, but I won't say it if it bothers you that much," She retorted back to Katsuki.
"No!" He protested with a small blush, grunting. "It's just annoying you have to say his first name out loud compared to everyone else."
"...Just because it means something to them...doesn't mean it does for me. Not in the same way how I say yours, anyway." Katsuki's eyes widened at this, his heart beating a little. "He only offered it because we're good friends. Can't I decide what it means to me?"
He faltered and then closed his eyes, sighing slowly. "Whatever..."
"Besides...he's not the one I grew up with. Only you have that luxury," She stated softly and his blush got deeper.
"Knock it off...goodnight, idiot," Katsuki grumbled only a little.
"Goodnight, Katsuki," Once she hung up, she put down her phone and went back to sleep with a small smile on her face.
"Grew up with, huh? Yeah...that's something he'll never have," Katsuki closed his eyes in satisfaction.
A door opened to reveal three pairs of shoes in the doorway. "Eri!" Izuku, Mirio, and Izuka exclaimed as the little girl was allowed to have visitors now. She sat in bed while looking at them, gasping to see the three.
"Sorry we couldn't come see you sooner," Izuku smiled at her, Mirio and Izuka sharing the same expression as him.
"We brought you some yummy snacks, though!" Mirio cheerfully said, revealing a gift basket. "Hope you're feelin' hungry!"
"And I brought over an old notebook for you to draw when you're bored!" Izuka smiled, holding it up.
"What's your favorite fruit? Oh, no! Lemme guess. Peaches are your fav, right? Cause you're a peach!" Mirio joked while giving her the fruit basket.
"Apples," Eri responded meekly to him.
"Yeah, that's what I meant!" Mirio winked to hide his embarrassment. "Let's get this sucker peeled for ya! It'll be delicious!"
Mr. Aizawa and a few nurses watched from the doorway.
"Eri said that she wants to see Midoriya and Mido?" Tsuyu asked in a bit of surprise while they were in extra classes. Fumikage, Eijiro, and Ochaco were there too.
"Yes. More specifically, she seems concerned about him, Togata, and Mido. Apparently, this is her only request since she regained consciousness. So we're obliging her."
Izuku looked up in awe that the girl asked for him after everything that happened.
"Are we sure this is okay?" The nurse asked cautiously to the doctor. "You said it'd be better for her to be quarantined and kept away from anyone involved in the incident."
"I was worried about her powers...but now, I don't think we need to be concerned," He stated as a plate of sliced apples was near the girl. "Currently, there's not enough energy left in that girl to go out of control." This was supported by the fact that her horn was still small in size.
"This whole time...even when I had a fever...all I could think about was how much you did for me," Eri confessed to the three. "How you saved me. How I wanted to meet Izuka because I wondered why..." She paused and Izuka held up a gentle hand to stop her.
"You don't need to finish that sentence, Eri."
"But...I don't even know what to call you," Eri stared at Izuku and he gasped. "I know Lemillion's name and Izuka's, but that's it. So who are you?"
"I'm Izuku Midoriya, I'm Izuka's twin brother," He gestured to the two of them as his sister smiled a little. "My hero name is Deku and hers is Callista! You know what? Deku's probably easier to remember since it's shorter. So yeah, I'm Deku!"
That gave Izuka an idea as she blinked, smiling encouragingly. "That's a good point. I'll tell you what: all my classmates and people who interact with me call me Mido to tell my brother and I apart. So you can call me that if you want!"
"A hero name?" Eri looked confused since she didn't grow up knowing much about them.
"It's like a nickname. Sorta," Izuku smiled towards her.
"Deku...and people call her Mido," Eri seemed to be used to those names already.
"Mmhm!" Izuku nodded in encouragement. "Right!"
"Yeah, you've got it," Izuka hummed a little; she didn't mind Eri using it since the little girl had been through enough.
"So Lemillion, Deku, and Mido. And then..." She looked away, remembering Sir Nighteye since he helped her and Mirio back at the raid. "There was the man wearing glasses." All of them flinched in realization from her pointing this out to them. "All of you ended up getting hurt real bad because of me..."
Mr. Aizawa watched closely from the doorway. From what I understand, she's racked with guilt, and has been blaming herself for everything that happened. So we haven't told her about Nighteye. And even if she didn't ask for Mido...I still would've brought her here. With her and the Kamino Incident, she's the most relatable to Eri in that sense. Bakugo would probably scare her off.
"It's all my fault," Eri murmured sadly and Izuka blinked in shock. "All the terrible stuff that happened...I'm so sorry..."
The twins frowned deeply towards her. She'll find out someday...but it's too cruel to tell her now.
"I know that...that you lost your power because you were protecting me, Lemillion," Eri's voice broke as she closed her eyes, tears in them. Something touched her head and she gasped, opening her eyes, but she didn't look up.
"Eri..." Mirio tilted her head up, his eyes softened. "I guarantee that none of us think this was your fault at all. You know what we are thinking though? Man, I am stupid glad that Eri's okay. So ya see, there's no point in apologizing. Promise! Don't worry about it. Besides, everyone fought because they wanted to see you smile." He sat back down in his seat, Eri looking up at him in awe to not be blamed for anything...like Overhaul used to do.
"He's right," Izuka gave a small nod and encouraging look. "I know how you feel, Eri. I caused trouble for my teacher and my friends because...I was in a difficult situation with people who wanted to hurt others," She said carefully so as not to scare the girl. "I can't really go into all the details right now, but...I got through that because I have people who care to see me happy. So you have us to fill that void because we want you to feel safe and feel like you can express yourself around us," She smiled while gesturing to herself, Izuku, and Mirio. The two boys nodded in agreement with her.
Eri grunted as she struggled to smile. She reached out to stretch her cheeks to do so, and they stared at her in confusion, wondering if she was okay. She then put down her arms, tears in her eyes again. "This is so silly...I think I've forgotten how smiling feels..."
They looked at her in understanding, since her life was full of fear for a majority of it... Eri...
"Someone else is about to die because of you!" Overhaul shouted, and Eri had a look of agony on her face. "Ah, yes, it's so much easier to be hurt yourself than to watch while others are hurt for you, isn't it?"
Chisaki's shadow is blocking out the light. The horrible things he did are still hurting her. This girl hasn't been saved. Not completely Izuku thought angrily; just because Overhaul was in prison didn't mean Eri would suddenly be okay. Even now while sitting in front of them...he was still plaguing her mind. She doesn't know the first thing about what it means to be happy, or even how to smile. Come on, think...there has to be something I can do to help her.
Now I know how Katsuki felt when Neito was mocking me before the Sports Festival, or when All for One dragged me in Kamino Izuka narrowed her eyes a little. No wonder why he always wanted to act out when I got involved from other people. If Overhaul was here, I wouldn't hold back...if I ever see him again, I'll join Katsuki in killing him She gritted her teeth; he even expressed the sentiment after she told him.
Yuga winked at the twins in class after leaving the cheese. "Surprise. Aren't surprises the best?" He asked Izuku at Gym Gamma, striking a pose.
The twins gasped in unison as they realized something. Wait. According to the doctor, now that her horn is smaller, she's more in control, and less likely to accidentally use her power.
Izuka looked away, rubbing her chin in thought. Plus, Mr. Aizawa can just erase it before anything happens like he did last time.
"Though unlike festivals in the past, this year's will only be open to UA students and staff. With a few exceptions," Mr. Aizawa informed his class before falling asleep.
This is perfect! Izuku gave an anxious smile, hoping that it could get approved. No real chance she'll run into anyone from outside the school.
Festivals are meant to be fun, right? Izuka pumped her fists a little, Eri staring at her in confusion. Not only will it be her first one, but she'll be around other teenagers who won't bat an eye!
The twins then got onto their feet. "Mr. Aizawa!" They ran up to their teacher.
"Do you think Eri could leave the hospital? Just for one day, I mean," Izuku suggested to him.
"We'll be by her side the whole time," Izuka glanced back at her.
"It's not totally out of the question. Actually, we were thinking we might have her-"
"Then we have an idea to bring her spirits up!" Izuku interrupted and Mr. Aizawa listened attentively.
"And what would that be?"
"She should come with us to the UA Festival!" The twins said in unison, gesturing to the little girl.
Mirio gave a beaming look as he loved this idea. "What's a festival?" Eri asked him curiously.
"Eri!" He whipped around to her. "This is the best idea ever! You're gonna have such a blast! A school festival is a festival that takes place at our school! It's great! All the students plan super-duper exciting things for the rest of the classes to have fun with. There are different games and performances, they sell food. Oh, and get this! I bet there'll be candy apples there!"
"Mmhm," Izuka nodded with a small smile. "They come up with all sorts of ideas like cafes, dancing, and I'm sure they'll have some new things for you to try!" Although she did look a little pale remembering that she had to be in a band with the others to participate in...but she wanted to focus on Eri, so she wasn't going to bring that up.
"What're candy apples?" Eri blushed a little.
"It's when they dip an apple into some crackly sugar stuff and make it even sweeter!" Mirio explained, getting her interest.
"Sweeter how...?" She drooled a bit in thought.
"I haven't had a candy apple in a while, but it's sweet on the outside, and—oop, I probably shouldn't spoil it for you," Izuka covered her mouth sheepishly. "But I hope they'll have a stand for it, lots of people do something with food."
"Alright," Mr. Aizawa took out his phone after seeing Eri's look. "I'll talk it over with the principal."
"Thank you!" His students smiled at him.
Izuku turned around to the little girl with a smile. "Well, Eri. What do you think?"
"...You know," She started off, looking away. "A minute ago, when I didn't know your name, I was sad and didn't know what to do. Because I knew more than anything...that I just wanted to be friends with the people who helped me!" She looked up while clenching her fists.
"Yes! That's what we want too," Mirio smiled at her eagerly. "We should start putting a case together to convince the principal! That way, we can be sure she'll be allowed to come out."
"Yeah!" Izuku exclaimed and Izuka stood up happily.
"I'm sure he will say yes if we're all backing her up!" She pumped her fists a little.
"I'm on a break from school right now," Mirio jerked a thumb to himself. "So I can totally hang out with you before our festival date!"
"Our date...?" Eri tilted her head in confusion.
"That's when two people who like each other spend time together," Mirio explained and Izuka just gave a tiny anxious smile.
"So...we're going on a date?" Eri asked as she couldn't help but wonder if it was a friendly date.
"Maybe that's enough for today," Izuku chuckled a little.
"Yeah, I think that's something we shouldn't be tackling just yet," Izuka laughed in agreement with him. Eri was only still 6...
"You're the one in the room with the most information about that, since you have a thing with Bakugo," Mirio pointed out as he looked back at her and she flinched, blushing. "Maybe one day you could talk to her about-"
"Nooo, no, no, no," Izuka waved her hands rapidly while her face was red. "Don't make me do that, please."
"Thing...?" Eri was even more confused and the girl gave Izuku a warning look to not elaborate.
"Let's just say that Togata is wrong and leave it at that, okay?"
"Mm," Mirio gave her an annoyed look at her denying it.
"Mido...can you tell me something you like to do?" Eri looked up, causing all of them to blink. "I wanna know...what you do at school so I can know more about you. That's...what friends do, don't they?" She felt like since she met Izuku and Mirio first, that she had some sense of what they were like. Izuka was kind, but Eri felt a bit of a disconnect since they met in different circumstances.
Izuka had a small smile on her face as she reached out to her sketchbook, sitting next to Eri on the bed. She opened it up, and Eri gasped as she saw drawings of flowers, trees, the night sky, the sunset, and more. It was from a few years back, so her sketches of Katsuki weren't going to be in that book. "I like to do art. Sometimes after class, I paint but I've been too busy to do that lately."
"These are all yours?" Eri looked up at her.
"Yeah. I wanna be an artist along with a hero to show people what I do. Maybe someday you'll find something you wanna show off to others too. I brought this for you so you could take a look yourself," She explained and the little girl lightly touched a sketch of a flower. She could tell by the pencil strokes that Izuka dedicated herself to her art whenever she had time.
"Wow, you're really good! Tamaki mentioned them, but I never got to see myself!" Mirio grinned while looking at them. "Hey, maybe you can draw Eri apples!"
"Only if she wants it!" Izuka chuckled while Eri blushed looking at the drawings. She then hugged the book a little.
"I really get to keep this...?"
"It's a little worn out, but I hope you like it. I have plenty of them, so I won't miss it. There's some leftover paper in there if you wanna use it," Izuka smiled down at her. "No pressure!"
The little girl's eyes shined a little up at the girl in awe. Mr. Aizawa stared at the two in silence, but he approved of his student encouraging Eri to expand her interests...it was lonely in the hospital, so she could only do so much without other people around.
"Chief!" Someone turned around in worry. "C'mere, you need to see this post! It's a new video from you-know-who."
The Hosu Chief of Police walked up to the group surrounding a computer. "Woof, we still haven't found a single clue yet, right? Let's find out where he uploaded this video from."
"We've tried, but he's way too good at covering his tracks," The detective frowned towards him.
"No excuses, please."
"Yes, sir!" He then played the video, and it was taking place from a convenience store.
"Welcome, dearest viewers," A male spoke up, but he wasn't the one recording. "I bid you good day," Music then played in the background. "Can you guess what I'm up to? Worry not, friends," The next shot was of the man holding up a knife, frightening the cashier. He was shaking as he held up his hands. "I'll show you."
"Hold on. Oh no...it's you..." The cashier seemed to recognize him. "The guy who's all over that video site!"
The man put down a briefcase. "I hope you'll pardon my rudeness, but I simply don't have the time for idle chatter. Kindly put the cash into this briefcase. Before those worthless heroes decide to show themselves," He had greying hair and a beard, having a cape and gloves. He was...rather professional and polite for a villain. "Please."
"U-Uh..." The cashier was baffled by the politeness. "Yeah, okay!"
"Oh, and it would be ever so lovely if you could put the bills in stacks of ten," The villain suggested to him.
"Sure. Of course."
The video was then fast-forwarded up until where the briefcase was full of cash. The cashier silently closed it. "Much obliged."
Two heroes came to a stop at the entrance, one of them pointing a glove. "Drop your weapon!" One of them ordered while the man grabbed the briefcase silently.
"This is bad, Gentle!" A woman cried out from behind the camera. "There are 2 heroes! Will you be alright?"
Gentle laughed as he turned away from the cashier. "Calm yourself, La Brava! Do you think a duo of dodgy do-gooders could hope to stop me?" He grinned before three more heroes appeared to join the two.
"Drop your weapon!" They all demanded, leaving the polite villain stunned.
"Uhh..." He then dropped the knife since...he was outnumbered.
"Smart move. Now the briefcase!"
"La Brava," Gentle simply spoke, putting down the briefcase.
"Don't worry, I've got you covered!" La Brava was the one recording. Gentle looked up at her.
"Cut to black, if you please," He asked of her and she did so. Then she went back to recording as Gentle walked away from the heroes as they were all unconscious somehow. And the store in the background was shaking for some reason. "Post haste, my darling girl."
"We can't leave yet! You forgot the cash!" La Brava pointed out to him.
"Pish tosh, La Brava," And indeed, the briefcase was still in the store on the ground. "I'm merely paying the appearance fee," He laughed as he continued walking and came to a stop. "Money is not the goal. Rather to write my name in the annuls of history! Yes!" He turned around with a confident smile. "For tis I...I, Gentle! Gentle Criminal, at your service. And now, dear viewers, I must say cheerio," He was suddenly walking towards mountains, something that was done in editing. "Until next time. Gentle Video. See you next time!"
"...These are becoming more elaborate," The detective informed the chief after a few seconds.
"Going by Gentle Criminal, huh?" The chief murmured as he was thinking about what he just witnessed. The guy robbed a store, got confronted, somehow defeated five villains, and then left without the money. He could admit it was certainly a first... "Think this guy is serious, or is it all a joke? It's impossible to tell."
"Oh man, Gentle!" La Brava complained to him.
"What is troubling you, La Brava?" He asked while they were standing on a rooftop.
"We're not getting many views on the new video!" She whined while holding her pink camera. La Brava was a shorter woman with her hair in big pigtails, dressed in the same aesthetic as Gentle. "Even though you were absolutely, undeniably, wonderful today," She frowned towards her phone. "I just don't get it!"
"As I thought..." He started off with a small sigh. "To go down in history, I will need to accomplish greater feats. It is time for a proper spectacle," He poured himself some tea. "The question, of course, is what will it be," The tea went flying from the teapot, and didn't even land in the cup.
"Hot!" She winced as it hit her.
"We must leave the entire world gobsmacked! Impact is key. I need a scheme that no soul can ignore. Fret not. I will settle on something quite perfect. Of that, I'm sure." As he was plotting, Izuku, Izuka, and Mirio were still talking with Eri in the hospital. Some of his tea then hit his face next. "Hot!"