A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been a while, and I'm sure you're all surprised to find this update, but I hope you can understand that for the last few months, I was focusing on completing the first book of my Harry Potter fanfic series and starting the second one. I think I'm going to come back to this fic for a while and give it a bunch more love it's been needing!!! I hope you enjoy it, and I can't wait to bring more of this to you!!
"Regular speech,"
"Flashback speech,"
'Inner dialogue,'
'Phone Text Chat'
Izuku felt very out of place sitting in class after everything that had happened over the weekend. He'd not only spent the night at his girlfriend's apartment, but he'd also lost his virginity and found out she was an infamous vigilante. Now, he was back in class, as if everything was normal.
If he was being honest, the news that she had hurt a lot of people up to this point still scared him greatly. He hadn't once thought of the way she loved taking his blood was in any way terrible; it was, in fact, a byproduct of her quirk influencing her, and he knew he could live with that. But there were some lines you shouldn't cross no matter how desperate you become.
However, Himiko had been living with her cravings for years, at a detriment to her psychological state because of it. Now that he thought about it, maybe Himiko's being around blood for the past year had been a good thing. Sure, maybe it wasn't good for her victims, but if she had been blood-starved to a greater extent when meeting him again, would she have drained him dry on accident before being driven insane by the fact? After all, as she said, Izuku's blood was the only kind that she could retain, and he had a strong feeling that it was because of his thoughtless yet selfless words to her as a child.
He'd inadvertently become a mental crutch for her to lean on for her whole life, and he'd made her an unknowing thrall because of it.
'Great, now I feel like I'm the dangerous one in our relationship,' Izuku sighed, frowning at his clasped hands.
"That's why you'll all be appointing a class president and vice president," Mr. Aizawa said, making Izuku's neck jerk so fast that it nearly popped with the force.
"Sir," Iida yelled, raising his hand, "how are we to appoint someone to these positions?"
"I don't care; determine that amongst yourselves, and wake me up when you're done." Mr. Aizawa yawned, pulled his yellow sleeping bag from behind his desk, and lay down in it.
For a few seconds, it seemed everyone was just as speechless at their teacher's nonchalance as Izuku was, but then the room erupted into various yelling outbursts.
"Yo, pick me to be president," Kaminari yelled.
"No way, guys! Pick me. I'll be the manliest class president," Kirishima shouted, banging his hardened fists together.
"Nah, you guys should pick me. I'll make class duties and stuff super fun," Ashido whooped.
Izuku meekly raised his hand, wanting to give his all to the class despite the storm of emotions about his girlfriend churning in his head.
"That is quite enough," Iida yelled," I understand all of your reasons for such outbursts, but please control yourselves!"
"He says that, but his hand is raised just as high as everyone else's," Sero laughed.
"Well, I propose an election," Iida reasoned, lowering his hand to appeal to everyone.
"An election," Asui asked, tilting her head in confusion, "but we all just met one another. How are we supposed to pick someone we trust enough for the positions?"
"That is precisely why whoever is chosen would be the best fit for the position; if they were able to gain the trust of enough people in the class, then they have the skill to lead us!"
After a few rounds of agreements and grumbles from the students, Izuku was extremely shocked and put out by his situation. He had somehow managed to get four votes in his favor, with Yaoyarozu, who was closest behind him with three.
"Alright, who the hell voted for Deku!" Kacchan yelled, his hackles rising at having only a single vote that Izuku was sure was from Kacchan himself.
"Well, it makes sense! They did have the most well-thought-out plan in the battle trials, and it didn't hurt. Midoriya had two showings of his awesome moves and teamwork," Ashido shouted.
"Aghhh! Shut up, Raccoon Eyes!"
Mr. Aizawa sighed, standing from his sleeping bag in annoyance. "That's enough. These are your class representatives at the end of the discussion. So shut it, and get ready to leave for lunch already!"
Izuku sighed, walking along with Iida and Uraraka, "I'm not too sure about me being the class president, you guys."
The pair looked at one another and then at Izuku. Uraraka was the first to talk. "I don't know. I think you'll be fine. You devised that plan in our battle trial, so I think you'll do great! That's why I voted for you anyway!"
"I must agree," Iida enthused, looking at Izuku's shocked face with a polite smile. "I was quite impressed with your stratagem, and I may have voted for Yaoyarozu had she been able to put her skills on display as you had, but I made my decision based on what I have seen."
Izuku was very startled, "y-you both voted for me?"
The pair nodded, continuing past Izuku to get food from Lunch Rush and making their way to the usual table they'd been using.
'This is so crazy! In just over half a year, I met an old friend again, started dating her, and got two more friends. Now, I'm trusted enough in my class to be voted president.'
Lunch continued fairly normally for them as they discussed classes, personal hobbies, and what they'd been up to over the weekend.
"I just helped Mom and Dad with their work, or at least what they would let me help with," Uraraka sighed.
"What do your parents do," Iida asked politely.
"They own a construction business; it's kinda the reason I wanted to be a hero. The business isn't doing too great; they've got outdated lifting equipment, they keep losing employees, and now they've got to worry about money. So I figured becoming a hero would help make money so I can give them an early retirement."
"That's nice of you," Izuku smiled at the girl. "I'm surprised your parents didn't just let you help with their business. Your quirk is perfect for replacing that outdated lifting equipment."
"That's what I said," Uraraka enthused, her face lighting up for a moment before it dimmed, "but they said I should focus on my dreams and I shouldn't worry about their problems. So I decided to be a hero, might as well do something I want to do and make money to support them at the same time!"
"Very commendable of you," Iida shouted, chopping his hand in the motion he often does.
"Uh huh," Izuku nodded, thinking his reasons for wanting to be a hero were silly, "to be honest, at first, I only wanted to be a hero because I always loved watching All Might. I think now, and especially recently, I decided I want to be a hero not just because it's the norm but because I want to help people and reassure them with a smile just like All Might!"
Izuku's thoughts turned to Himiko at his own words; he'd realized it after the fact, but he wanted to help her no matter what. If Himiko ever needed a hero, he would be there for her, and now he was resolved to be there for anyone who needed him to reach out. However, he wished All Might would tell him what was happening with Himiko's situation.
"If your reason for becoming a hero isn't noble, then mine may as well be considered shallow as well," Iida said, looking at Izuku and Uraraka. "You see, I come from a long line of heroes! Each bears the name Ingenium, and my brother Tensei is the most recent one! I intend to follow in his footsteps and carry on the family name!"
"Whoa!" Izuku was enthused, looking at Iida, very excited. "Your brother is Ingenium?! I knew you had a quirk like his, but now that you mention it, your quirks are almost identical!"
"You are quite correct, Midoriya! Even my fighting and running style is specially developed by the Iida family to make our quirks as efficient as possible," Iida smiled, very proud of his family's reputation.
"Well, it looks like we all have our reasons for becoming heroes, so let's decide to all do our best!" Uraraka shouts happily, pumping her fist excitedly.
Izuku and Iida nodded happily, and as they returned to class, the conversation moved on to class, their personal lives, and battle trials.
"So, Midoriya," Uraraka grinned slyly, looking at the green-haired boy.
"Y-Yeah?"
"How're things with your girlfriend? I know Ashido was teasing you about it, but we haven't heard much!"
"W-Well, I hung out with her all w-weekend, but that's not exactly new; H-Himiko's almost always at my house after I get out of school," Izuku said, absently looking around as they walked toward class; a few students slightly running and shouting.
Before Uraraka could comment on that, the few students running and shouting became a small group and then a large mob. The jostling crowd around them shouts in alarm as the speakers blared with a warning of a break-in on school grounds.
Izuku looked around, panicking as the press of bodies carried away Iida and Uraraka. Looking around, he caught sight of a mass of reporters rushing to the school doors before being stopped by Present Mic and Mr. Aizawa.
The realization of what was happening ran through his head as Izuku jerked, trying to shout and gain the crowd's attention. But his efforts were in vain; the crowd was too loud and panicked to hear his meek voice.
'I need to get their attention,' Izuku looked around, spotting a small lip above an exit that the crowd was rushing toward, 'that should do!'
Pushing the buzzing power of One for All into his limbs, Izuku judged the distance and nodded to himself. He sprung over the shocked heads of the students, his chest slamming into the lip of the exit, and his hands frantically scrabbled to keep a hold.
Not having the space to drag himself up, Izuku settled for hanging off the lip with one hand and pressing his feet against the wall for support. He twisted to face the decidedly quieter crowd and worked up his courage to do what he's sure Kacchan could've done without issue, "S-SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Izuku trembleed at the immediate silence that fell over the crowd as all eyes turned to him, 'Oh, crap.'
"It was just reporters," Izuku shouted out at a volume decidedly quieter than his first outburst. He pointed with his free hand to the window, where he spotted his teacher outside. See, E-Eraserhead and P-Present Mic are handling them now! We should head to our classes and try to give our teachers as little trouble as we can! We are U.A. students, after all!"
Izuku trembled at the immediate silence that fell over the crowd as all eyes turned to him, 'Oh, crap.'
"It was just reporters," Izuku shouted at a volume decidedly quieter than his first outburst, and he pointed with his free hand to the window where he had spotted his teacher outside. "See, E-Eraserhead and P-Present Mic are handling them now! We should h-head to our classes and try to give our teachers as little t-trouble as we can! We are U.A. students, after all!"
A murmur went over the crowd as students swiveled to look out the window to see if Izuku was indeed telling the truth. In the crowd, a host of relieved faces and sighs of relief made Izuku smile slightly as he looked down for a safe window of time to leap down from his hanging position above the exit.
Students passed by Izuku far more in an orderly manner than they had been, and he could even spot a few of his classmates passing by as he waited for Iida and Uraraka.
Of course, one of the people who just had to pass him was a glaring Kacchan. The simmering hatred behind his gaze was very evident as Iida and Uraraka approached Izuku, their hands slapping his shoulders and back.
"A very admirable, if risky, maneuver, Midoriya! If you weren't sure you would be able to lead our class before, you should be able to see your potential now with how quickly you acted," Iida said.
Uraraka nodded, trying and failing to hold back giggles. "You made a really funny noise when you hit the wall," her giggles continued in subdued shudders. "S-sorry, but then you yelled for everyone to shut up," she laughed, holding her sides.
Izuku's cheeks felt very hot at the girl's laughter, and his embarrassment was evident in the way he waved his hands.
"Any news on what that was all about," All Might asked Shota Aizawa as he and Hizashi Yamada entered the principal's office to give a report.
"They were just reporters, but the front gate was very damaged, so we're investigating all of them to see if it was one of them," Aizawa sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Well, I thank you both for being so diligent in this matter," Nezu chirped, his ever-cheerful voice and features offset by the jagged scar over his right eye, "now Yagi-san, I believe you had a matter to discuss with me regarding a late student recommendation? Detective Tsukauchi sent me the girl's details, and I must say, while I have discussed a rehabilitation program for youths who have taken a wrong path in life, I confess I only meant for such a program to be in place many years down the line. I even went so far as to have you come directly to me for the proposal, but I assumed you would have dropped the matter at this stage," Nezu took a long sip from the teacup sitting in front of him, his tiny black eyes scrutinizing All Might. "So why did you feel so strongly about this matter that you came directly to me? I fully expected you to drop it when having to pitch the idea directly."
"Yes, I was sure you would be averse to the idea of allowing young Toga here, but I must point out she hasn't been given any true opportunities outside of crime. And besides that, her crimes aren't as unforgivable as other villains; she has assaulted people, but the wounds she has inflected are no worse than those like Snipe or Endeavor would inflict with their quirks. The only ways I cannot condone her actions is in how untrained she is in using her knives and how unprofessionally trained she is; even that is marginal. However, Tsukauchi and his officers noted the girl had shown considerable skill with her knives in targeting joints and muscle groups. Her moral compass may be askew, I will admit, but she has avoided murder specifically because she wishes not to disappoint young Midoriya; from what she's told us, at least," All Might felt personally that he was floundering, but this was for his protege so he couldn't give up. "It may not be for the best reason, but she's followed her ideals in a way that hasn't killed anyone, and with the way her quirk affects her, that's quite a feat and speaks volumes of her mental fortitude."
Nezu stared at All Might for a few long seconds, his black eyes greatly unnerving the number one hero. "What sort of relationship does this girl have with," the principal looked over a few notes on his desk," Izuku Midoriya?"
All Might cleared his throat nervously," I believe they are, um, seeing each other."
Nezu's eyebrow rose questioningly, "in what way?"
"In that way, sir," All Might coughed, his cheeks a bit pink at discussing Midoriya's private matters with the principal.
"If I allow this girl to take the recommendation test, it will have to be slightly different from the regular test we gave this batch of the first years. After all, we can't have a one-student race. So I believe a battle test with her facing an appropriate staff member will be prudent," the small principal smiled in a way that felt like it wasn't entirely innocent.
This completely and utterly sucked! Not only was Himiko so frustratingly and heart-poundingly close to Izu, but she couldn't even see him! All Might had come to get her from her apartment and brought her to U.A., but he'd made her sit in a hall as he conversed with the principal about this whole insane idea.
At first, she'd been buzzing with energy, excited and hopeful she'd get to see Izu, but there was no such luck. All Might had made it extremely clear she was not to leave her spot, and if she did, she would be in big trouble. But of course, whether or not she moved, trouble always seemed to find her.
"Hey, you're pretty cute," a blonde-haired boy with black wavy patterns in his hair cooed, looking Himiko up and down. "My name's Denki Kaminari, and I'm with the hero course."
The way the boy talked grated on her nerves. He was acting like a high schooler's idea of a lady's man, and it was failing horribly.
"Not interested," Himiko huffed, flippantly turning her gaze away from the boy.
"Ugh, what a shit personality," the boy muttered, still ogling her.
Himiko sent a menacing glare at the boy, very sure by his expression he'd almost pissed his pants, "you wanna keep talking, or am I gonna have to cut you?"
The paper-white look of fear on his face as he ran away made Himiko smile, and the successful intimidation slightly brightened her day.
"Didn't I say to behave," All Might asked, stepping out of the principal's office and giving her a stern look that was slightly downplayed by the striped mustard-colored suit he wore, "I swear you're so different from young Midoriya. It's scary."
Himiko's innocent smile made the man look at her incredulously, "I didn't do anything All Might, I swear! He came up to me and started trying to hit on me."
"So you made him nearly soil his pants? You believe that to be an appropriate response?"
Himiko took a contemplative stance, her index finger resting on her chin as she stared intensely at the ceiling. Her cheerful look down at All Might made him all the more tired, "Yep! I didn't think cutting him would be acceptable, so I made him run away. That's arguably worse for guys his age; running from a girl is like the peak of emasculation for them."
All Might sighed, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, "How young Midoriya can put up with you, I'll never know, but we're getting off track! Nezu will allow you to enroll here," he put a forestalling hand up as Himiko started to cheer. "However, it was on the condition you have a late recommendation exam consisting of a battle trial. You will be facing a faculty member of Nezu's choosing, and your goal will be to either show your skills well enough to pass or successfully land three blows on your opponent."
Himiko frowned, tilting her head to the side, "Isn't that kinda unfair? I mean, he's probably gonna choose someone that can fight me at long range because he knows my quirk has no applicable uses in a head-on fight like this, and my usual style of fighting is up close."
All Might shook his head, "I understand your frustration, but look at it this way. Wouldn't you rather have this opportunity and not just be thrown in jail as the alternative?"
"Good point. So, when are we doing this?"
All Might's massive thumb pointed behind his shoulder to indicate they should start walking down the hall. The enormous man trod down the hall with Himiko on his heels.
"So, who am I gonna fight? Can I see Izu? Oh, what's gonna happen if I pass this test? Am I gonna be enrolled immediately, or is it going to take a couple of days?"
The grimace All Might had at the girl's rapid-fire questions made his ever-present smile look like he'd tasted something sour, "I'm not exactly allowed to tell you which faculty member you'll be facing; this is akin to an entrance test, and teachers aren't allowed to show favoritism. You might be able to see young Midoriya; I'd imagine school will be out by the time we're finished. And if you pass this test, I'd say it will take a week for your enrollment to be official, so expect to be in school by next week."
Once All Might had finished answering, Himiko stopped, realizing something, "I just agreed to be a freaking high schooler again!"
Himiko's utter horror at realizing what she was doing hit her, making the pro hero watching her small panic attack laugh boisterously, "Well, at least you'll be expanding your knowledge further! U.A. is a bit more like a high school and college in one, with the sole purpose of producing excellent heroes to reinforce our society!"
"Well, I'm only here so I don't get thrown in jail and for Izu," Himiko whispered petulantly to herself.
All Might and Himiko walked further from the classrooms and teachers' offices, ending up in a wide-open gym where two people stood waiting.
The first was a large, wide hero with gray and blocky cement-textured features. His appearance wasn't nearly as strange as the others, however.
The woman standing next to the blocky man was decked out from head to toe in what Himiko could only describe as BDSM gear.
'Is that a whip?' Himiko thought, staring at the woman incredulously.
"Hello Cementoss! Midnight! I see you've both made it here just fine. I'm sorry you had to come on such short notice," All Might boomed, startling Himiko slightly.
"What's this about a late recommendation test," Midnight asked, looking Himiko over curiously.
"It's exactly that! We've got a late recommendation, and Nezu wanted the best counter to young Toga's style so that we wouldn't make the test too easy. That's where you come in," All Might said, pointing to Midnight enthusiastically. "If you would please create a few obstacles here, Cementoss, we'll let Midnight and Toga prepare for the test."
"Understood," Cementoss nodded, setting his hands on the ground. This allowed the concrete beneath them to rumble and shift into a maze of pillars, platforms, and blind alleys that would make maneuvering blindly dangerous.
All Might and Cementoss left the room, the large blond man giving Himiko a wave and an apologetic look.
'What's that about?' Himiko wondered, looking around the area and stretching her arms languidly over her head.
"Should you be taking this so casually," Midnight's voice echoed from inside the obstacle course. "You don't even know what my quirk is, let alone how to counter it."
Himiko smiled, pulling a knife from a hidden pocket in her bra she had sewn into it for just such an occasion, "it doesn't matter. You were just told about this like I was, so you probably don't know my quirk either."
"A fair assumption, but I know I'm a fairly good counter to you. So you probably need to be up close to use your quirk, or it's not strictly suited to combat, and you have no choice but to fight up close," the woman mused, her voice carrying from multiple directions.
'That goes both ways. Since they paired her up with me, that means she must be a long to mid-range specialist, so while she might be able to hold me off at a distance, if I get close, I'm probably stronger.'
Himiko bit her lip worriedly as she stalked into the towering obstacles. She barely released or took breaths in as she completely erased her presence, allowing her quirk's feral, predatory nature to take over. This aspect of her quirk allowed her to stalk prey as effectively as a hunting cat, but it also came with the drawback of narrowing her focus to one target.
Himiko hated having to rely on this aspect of her quirk. Sure, it allowed her to erase her presence and heightened her senses, but it also made her far more bloodthirsty when stalking her prey. And she wasn't exactly allowed to seriously injure Midnight.
'Guess I'll just be reeeeeal careful,' Himiko snarled more than smiled as she crept along silently.
After a few tense seconds of climbing pillars, checking around blind corners, and following an odd scent, Himiko noticed the area was filling with the smell. Not just that, it was congealing into a thick pinkish mist that made her head spin if she took in too deep of a breath.
'A gas-type quirk? Those are fairly rare and a huge pain in my butt to deal with,' Himiko resisted the urge to huff, knowing she would be expending too much of her already dwindling clean oxygen. 'The gas gets thicker near the center of the room, but it's not concentrated in a way that would put Midnight on the ground. So she must be on one of the raised platforms.'
Himiko snuck through the thickly misted alleys, finding where she believed the mist originated. Himiko quickly and silently scaled one of the larger pillars, peaking her head slightly over to catch a glimpse of the woman's back.
Himiko grinned, applauding herself for accurately pinpointing her enemy's position. She quietly shimmied her way along the edge of the platform she held onto, growing closer to her prey. The ever-present throb in her head made her hair stand on end, and her mouth salivate at the thought of sinking her teeth into the woman's neck.
The teacher's head snapped over to Himiko's extremely close position, 'darn! I let too much bloodlust out.'
Himiko smiled at the woman and braced her legs against the ledge she was on.
In one quick motion, Himiko sprang from her ledge, landing on the platform between her and Midnight. She quickly dashed forward, clearing the space far faster than the pro hero must have thought she could.
Sadly, the teacher decided to retreat too late, and Himiko fell upon her, sending her knife flying through the air. The blade was easily dodged, but when Midnight sidestepped the projectile, Himiko leaped up, aiming a kick at the woman's head.
Surprisingly, she was able to twist with her previous momentum and barely avoid the attack, but Himiko landed gracefully into a crouch that she continued into a leg sweep. The teacher wasn't fast enough to avoid this, and she fell to the ground with the younger girl pouncing on top of her, fangs poised to rip her throat out. Midnight gulped, deactivating her quirk, and slowly lifted her hands in surrender.
Himiko's jaw muscles twitched, wanting desperately to close around the woman's throat, but she slowly and painfully got to her feet, ignoring the impulse.
"Well, I guess that means I win," Himiko chirped happily as if she hadn't almost ferally ripped the woman's windpipe out.
Midnight still seemed a bit pale as she rubbed her neck nervously, "I-I suppose so."
The loud buzz of an intercom filled the awkward air as All Might's voice boomed out, "Good job, young Toga. I believe that was a sufficient showing of your skills for Nezu. Please return to the gym entrance so we can meet up with young Midoriya. Classes should be over, and I'm sure you will want to walk home with him."
" 'Kay," Himiko yelled, waving her arms happily and smiling brightly at the mention of Izu.
"So, what do you think," All Might asked the small furry principal as they stared at Toga, happily skipping toward the gym's entrance.
"She is quite unhinged," Nezu chirped as if they were discussing the weather. "She showed no hesitation in using a deadly weapon on her opponent, even if it was used just as a distraction. That's not even mentioning the pension she seems to have for hidden or concealed weapons."
All Might began to worry that Nezu would renege on their agreement, and just as he was about to voice his protest, Nezu shook his head.
"I will allow her to attend, but I will require heavy counseling sessions for her, restricted access to certain areas other students would normally be allowed to enter freely, and we'll have to prevent any students from getting on her bad side. All of that aside, I will have her enrollment papers drawn up, and I expect her to be in class 1-A in a day or so."
All Might sighed, thankful he wouldn't have to tell Midoriya any bad news. He was sure the boy would be devastated if the girl had been rejected because that would have left only one alternative for her, and jail wasn't exactly a good option.
"Wait, only a day?"
"Oh yes! I'm very good at filing paperwork," Nezu smiled.
'Now all I've got to worry about is those two keeping their hands off each other during school,' All Might sighed, 'who am I kidding? If anyone can't restrain themselves, it's young Toga. I have no idea how he can deal with her.'
Izuku leaned against the wall next to class 1-A's door, waiting for All Might and Himiko to make an appearance. All Might had texted him, letting Izuku know the pair had finished Himiko's test and would meet him in the hall. Himiko's texts had been far more disjointed and filled with excited, barely finished sentences that got a vague point across. She had passed her test.
"Izu," Himiko's loud shout caught him off guard, along with the tackling hug that sent them both to the ground, "I beat my testing teacher way easier than I thought I would!"
All Might fussed over the two, panicking slightly, "Did either of you hurt your heads when you fell? You should be more careful, young Toga! Do you both need help up?"
Izuku's head spun with the flood of words as Himiko wiggled excitedly on top of him, "I-I think w-we're fine, All Might."
Izuku sat up, bringing Himiko with him. Thankfully, she made her way off of him and helped him to his feet.
"Good. Then you two better get up and get a move on; I'm sure your mother is wondering what's taking so long, Midoriya."
"R-Right, thanks so much, sir! Let's go, Himiko," Izuku panicked, grabbing the girl's hand as he thought about how upset his mom would be if they took too long.
"We should have my favorite to celebrate!" Himiko cheered, quickly outpacing Izuku and dragging him along.