Angel: *triggered, but in a happy way* Let's go, let's fucking go, this story finally beat out TMNT 2003 in terms of comments! Thank you guys so much, I am so happy, we finally did it! Bet your ass I'm gonna do an early upload Monday because there's an episode I've been wanting to upload anyway.
Tomorrow's finally the day. It's the School Festival!
Meaning tomorrow will be both hell and a big day for me. I wish I had better thoughts about it...
Eijiro grinned while looking up, Class 1-A in Gym Gamma. "We'll have to clear outta the gym soon!" He announced to everyone. "But we should have enough time for one more runthrough!"
Mina then clapped her hands. "Look alive! And one, and two, and three." The dance team practiced together with Izuka. "And one, and two, and three. And pose! Then Aoyama goes to the center and Midoriya books it offstage."
"On it!" Izuku clenched his fists while Izuka stretched her arms.
"Oui," Yuga agreed with him.
"Midoriya," Mina pointed at the green-haired boy. "You're still lacking passion, so bring the fire!"
"Roger!"
"I was scared we were gonna seem like amateurs," Hanta confessed as he, Eijiro, and Koji watched. "But things are looking good. The band and dance teams are stepping up their games and putting in the work. And Mido's doing well too, especially since she had the most work compared to everyone else. Guess it helps that Ashido's a merciless coach."
"Yeah," Eijiro smiled in agreement; he had seen Mina dance before and knew that she poured everything into it. "Dancing's her thing, so she's taking this seriously."
"Let's murder everyone in UA with killer music!" Katsuki declared to the others.
"You know, what I've done may not fix any problems they have with me. But at the end of the day, I don't care because I have my friends and my brother who believe me," Izuka told her classmates.
Eijiro smiled towards the two up on the stage. "I think Bakugo and Mido both fired everyone up. And not just the band members."
"I'll admit, I am getting a little nervous," Momo confessed while air-playing. Kyoka was doing the same.
"Hey, don't improvise during the actual concert," She warned Katsuki, the only one not practicing because he found it stupid.
"Huh?!" He retorted back to her.
"It's just, not everyone can keep up with you."
"Izuka could," Katsuki glanced down at the girl. Izuku blinked at this and gave a small smile towards the two.
"Don't bring this back on me, I'll be singing, not playing anything," She shook her head slowly.
"Why you gotta drag me like that, you guys?" Denki complained towards them.
"I don't think you're the only one she's talking about, friend," Fumikage tried to cheer him up.
"We need you up on that catwalk like yesterday, so hurry," Mina called out to Izuku. He then pulled on the rope, Izuka walking up to watch him. "When Aoyama's in place, get him in the air."
"Wee!" Yuga was lifted up by the rope.
"That's it! Perfect!" Mina smiled towards him and then looked at Izuka. "Mido, we should go over your special effects one more ti-"
Hound Dog opened up the doors. "It's already 9 o'clock!" He shouted towards the group, some of them wincing from his loud voice. "Students should've cleared out of the gym by now!"
"Crap. Let's beat it," Eijiro told the others, since they didn't want to get in trouble right before the performance.
No more rehearsing. Just one more sleep.
They were gathered outside, talking excitedly.
One more sleep until I humiliate myself on stage...
Then, at 9 AM, the School Festival begins!
Even though I was terrified, at least I had the others with me for support!
At 11:35 PM, they were back in Heights Alliance. "Woo! I can't sleep!" Denki shouted in excitement.
"Yeah, right? I'm stupid excited!" Minoru pumped his fists.
"Not so loud," Mina warned the both of them. "People are sleeping upstairs."
"I just hope the audience will be that enthusiastic," Tenya smiled optimistically, though he was still a little nervous.
"It's probably better if we don't think about it very much," Kyoka gave a nervous expression, since she was a front-runner in the band team... She blushed a little, her heart racing. "Being embarrassed. Worrying what others are thinking. That'll kill our vibe, no wonder Mido had a hard time with crowds. We should focus on having fun. That's what really matters."
"Yeah, says the girl who was super scared to front the band!" Denki teased while pointing at her.
"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.
Kyoka looked back at him while still blushing in embarrassment. "Shut up, that was a totally different situation. Mido was just as scared as me."
"Where is she, anyway?" Denki looked around as the girl wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"She's sleeping, she does have the biggest job after all," Mina told her friend.
Izuku looked back from a table, smiling. "What Jiro said is good advice for more than just the performance."
"Oui," Yuga nodded in agreement across from him. "When you try to make others feel good, you end up raising your own spirits too." On the table was the harness to lift him up, the rope, and some gloves.
"Exactly," Izuku held up the rope and noticed something. "Ah! This rope is so frayed." With the way it looked, it would snap if he tried using it tomorrow with Yuga.
"Mon dieu!" Yuga exclaimed in dismay, not wanting to imagine what would happen if they continued using it. "We put it through some abuse during practice. It's physical proof of our blossoming friendship!"
"Mm. But it's dangerous," Izuku gave a worried look. "I should have noticed this before."
"Yaoyorozu will make you a new one," Denki put on a high-pitched voice. "And some tea."
"Yaomomo is in bed already," Mina pointed out to him. "And don't treat her like your own personal factory."
Denki gave her a blank look. "But people use me as a phone charger on the regular!"
"That's cause men get no respect," Minoru pouted towards Mina.
"Nah," Izuku denied the offer as he didn't want to bother Momo, plus he thought it would be an easy way out, which he wasn't okay doing. "I'll go buy a new one in the morning and ask Izuka for advice. She's an expert on where to find good stuff thanks to her own shopping trips. It's my fault for not noticing. And this'll work out. I'm up early for training anyway."
"Okay, but the performance is at 10 tomorrow," Denki reminded the boy. "And most places don't open till 9."
"There's a hardware store about 15 minutes from UA. That place opens at 8 AM, so I'll hit it up," Izuku suggested, as 30 minutes would be plenty of time to get the rope and be back in time.
"That's cutting it pretty close, dude."
"Well, goodnight," Mina smiled as she stood up, Tenya and Kyoka doing so as well. "I really should be getting to sleep."
"Before you go, how about we night owls make a final promise?" Eijiro grinned while punching his fists together. "To do our best! We're gonna pull this off, and Mido's gonna kill it!" He then pumped up a fist. "And rock everyone at UA!"
"Yeah!" They all exclaimed together.
It was 6:30 AM the next morning.
And then, on the day of the School Festival...
With All Might and I watching him...
Izuka was wearing a blue sweater with All Might's face on it, and it stopped right above her stomach. Underneath the sweater was a periwinkle tank top. She also had blue ripped jeans, her usual sneakers, and her hair was in a giant side ponytail. As soon as she heard what Izuku was doing, she insisted on coming with him, so she was watching him. Then they'd take their leave after training.
Izuku was holding out his hand, standing in the forest. Continuous Full Cowling at 8 percent, and then switch to 20 percent for a single moment when I flick.
Before he could do anything however, they heard a rustle from the bushes. Mei popped up out of nowhere, looking exhausted and covered with dirt. "There you are, Midoriya! I knew you'd be here!"
"Hatsume, you're so dirty!" The twins exclaimed in unison.
She giggled as she approached. "Ignore the dark circles and grime. I knew I'd find you training even though it's the big day!" She showed him his new support item: a new pair of gloves. "I got the gloves you asked for to work, so I came to deliver them in person."
"Oh wow, these are so cool!" Izuku gushed as he, Toshinori, and Izuka examined them. "Thank you so much, though you could've waited until after the festival."
"When it's over, I'm going to sleep for 36 hours!" Mei announced as Izuku put one on.
"Can I take a look?" Toshinori wondered to the boy.
"Yeah! Of course!" Izuku gave him the other one.
"The gear I tried out was too bulky to be functional, even though it was for only 20 to 30 percent of my power," Toshinori remembered saying while admiring the gloves. He never thought it could be accomplished until now.
"Support items can be so compact these days, it's crazy," He chuckled while examining it.
"The gloves should also compliment the rest of your costume!" Mei explained to a happy Izuku. "Cause you see, a good designer is able to satisfy the client in one go! So what do you think of 'em?!"
"I love them," Izuku gushed while putting on the other glove. "Seriously, they're awesome! These should definitely help with my new moves."
"Here's the manual!" Mei held out a pamphlet to him. "Oh! And I've got the gloves you asked to make for Mido too!" She grinned, reaching behind her back. Izuka blinked and looked towards her brother smugly, hands on her hips. He chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. Mei then revealed a pair of periwinkle faded into white gloves that stopped at the wrists, with the bracelets Izuka had previously at the end of them tied to the gloves. On the front of the gloves were what looked to be moonstones on top of them, or painted to be that way.
"Oh wow!" She gushed while taking them. "These are really for me?"
"Yup! He said that you were having trouble with output of power, so these babies will do just that!" Mei announced, hands on her hips. "And he told me your color scheme, so these should fit your costume as well! Another example of satisfying the client! So, what's the opinion?"
"They're beautiful, thank you both," Izuka smiled while trying hers on. She then reached up to ruffle the top of Izuku's head, earning a chuckle.
"Here's your manual too!" Mei handed her a pamphlet while Izuka let Toshinori examine them.
"These should work out great for what she can do with them," He grinned as he took a good look.
"See ya!" Mei then dashed off, to their bewilderment.
"Uh, thanks again. Good luck today!" Izuku called out after her.
"Thank you again!" Izuka waved at the girl.
"How 'bout we give those a trial run?" Toshinori offered the twins.
"Yes, sir!" Both of them answered eagerly.
After training, it was 7:49 AM, and then 7:50 AM. Not good! It took a while to get used to the gloves, so we ended up practicing too long Izuku thought while he and his sister ran out of UA. The School Festival was about to start as people were already at booths. Then they ran down a street, Izuku holding some supplies in a bag. I was hoping they'd sell rope at the convenience store, but I guess it's more of a specialty item. The clock's ticking. We need to hurry!
Izuka's phone buzzed and she saw a text from Ochaco, wondering if they were there yet. Izuka bit her lip nervously as it was now 8:15 AM. She would've flown them there, but the training had drained her energy a bit too much for her to do so.
Luckily, they were still on time when they ran out of the store with the rope. Rope acquired. We should have time to make it back.
Izuka was holding some mango juice for some extra energy, taking a sip of it.
"You didn't have to come with me," Izuku smiled a little towards his sister.
"Yeah, but I wanted to spend some time with my brother," She confessed with a smile of her own as they ran side by side. "With all of the practice I've been putting in with everyone, I haven't talked with you much."
"Still scared of today, huh?" He questioned with a knowing look.
"100 percent," She looked away, her face pale and sweating before letting out a breath. "But hopefully, I won't mess it up..."
"Hey, you're gonna be great!" He grinned, clenching his fists. "And if you do mess up, I'll miss a dance step on purpose so you don't look bad!"
She blinked and then gave a soft smile at him for his support. "Hm. Thank you."
"Don't worry about us not hanging out much. It's true that there's been a lot going on that we haven't spent much time together lately," He rubbed his chin in thought, looking away. There was the whole Shie Hassaikai thing, but that was more so hero stuff than sibling stuff. Arguably, the last time they actually hung out was during house arrest... "But hey, we can do something just like this after the Festival, just the two of us!"
"That sounds really fun!" Izuka smiled up at him.
"Maybe we can invite Kacchan next time!"
That made her wince as she looked away. "Not really fun..." Ever since work studies were cancelled, she had been around him a lot for practices. Outside of that, things were relatively normal. But her crush on Katsuki...would just make it awkward for her. She was just glad that she didn't have to admit it to her brother out loud...
He stared down at his sister in confusion for her reaction. "I thought you guys had a better relationship now."
"Uh!" She flinched, whipping around to him while blushing. "Don't use that word!"
"So you guys are fighting again?" He frowned, trying to hide his disappointment. He personally preferred it when the two got along, although he did acknowledge that even at their worst, the two were able to understand each other.
"No!" Izuka protested, waving her hands rapidly. "We're just friends, we get along nicely—I mean, we're just chill..." She then covered her face with her hand. "God, I feel stupid for saying that."
"You're either friends or you're really close friends," Izuku raised a brow towards the girl. Friends would mean Katsuki was just that to her, which he doubted. Close friends meant that she trusted Katsuki with everything just like she did with Ochaco, Shoto, Momo, and Izuku himself. He knew that at this point, Izuka didn't put him in the former category, not with their history.
"We're friends—that's all," Izuka emphasized and then looked back up ahead, biting her lip.
Izuku stared at her expression, knowing exactly what she meant and he smiled. "I think that's really great for you guys. You get along so well in ways I can't accomplish. It's actually kind of sweet how much you two care about each other."
"Mmm..." Izuka didn't bother denying it this time as she blushed, her eyes softening. She remembered his reaction when she said Katsuki walked her home. He might still be feeling that way about it now...he was the only one she could turn to back when they were getting bullied for their power levels. She didn't want to scare him by having feelings for Katsuki, someone he admired just as much as All Might growing up. "Was it ever weird to you?"
He blinked and then smiled happily. "Not at all! I'm happy for you that you have so much admiration for him. And even though on the surface he's not exactly the romantic type, I can always trust him with you." All the times Katsuki saved his sister and protected her in Kamino was more than enough to earn his approval.
"Mostly," Izuka gave a sheepish smile, scratching her cheek as she remembered fighting him in the Sports Festival...
"...Yeah," Izuku admitted after a few seconds, and the girl giggled.
Two people were walking nearby, the twins about to bump into them. "Dear me!" A voice called out, causing them to stop in place. It was 8:30 now as they stopped.
"We're sorry!" Izuku yelped towards the two of them.
"Do be careful. You almost ruined the aftertaste of the Gold Tips Imperial, a travesty I would not be able to ignore," He scolded the two of them.
Izuka nervously held up her hands. "Right, we're so sor-" She faltered as she had heard that name before, and tried to remember where. I know I've heard that somewhere...
Drat! They caught me off-guard It was actually Gentle and La Brava in disguise, as they had just finished their tea time as planned. He was panicking behind his mask. Not good. Why did I open my mouth? I must avoid all contact en route to the school. "Come, let us go, La Br—Honey," Gentle corrected himself and Izuka blinked, tilting her head while staring at them.
"Honey? Oh, yes, that's me. Honey!" La Brava walked after him, though she was fangirling on the inside.
Did he say Gold Tips? Right. The fancy stuff Yaoyorozu made for us.
She said she got it from her mom, but didn't we hear about it again after? Izuka thought and her brother turned towards the cafe nearby.
"Oh. Interesting. If he just had tea, I guess that house is some kind of cafe," He realized, Izuka turning towards it.
"Really? I've never noticed it before. I just thought the owner of the store knew who lived there..." She murmured, and Gentle looked towards them wide-eyed. As far as he knew, he and La Brava were the only ones aware of it.
Gentle?! La Brava looked up at him in a panic, since they were supposed to be sticking to the route.
Gentle laughed while approaching the twins. "You must be familiar with Gold Tips Imperial if you two had this realization! You're obviously children of refined taste! And...oh, are you twins? Even better!" Both of them stared at him awkwardly since refined taste wasn't really their thing. The only people that it could apply to were Momo, Yuga, and maybe Tenya or Shoto. The twins were more casual about their own tastes... "Always a pleasure to meet fellow connoisseurs! Even if you are just children."
"Um well, we don't really know that much," Izuku confessed to him. "My friend made that tea for us recently is all..."
"She's more of a tea expert..." Izuka laughed a bit nervously.
I feel like I've heard this voice before.
His hair is really familiar... Izuka tried not to make it so obvious that she was staring at it. She just had an eye for these things, being an artist and all...
"Oh. You undoubtedly run in high-class circles," Gentle complimented them both and gasped sharply. Which would suggest they go to an elite school! "I mean, you have a wise friend! Heh..." Oh no!
"Yes. We're lucky. She's our classmate and one of her best friends," Izuku gestured to his sister while speaking carefully. Wait a minute.
Hold on... Izuka squinted at the two, more suspicious than ever.
"How delightful to hear, young man and young lady," Gentle looked at the two wide-eyed. There was only one school nearby the store that was considered elite. These children are from UA!
Izuku's eyes were shaking while Izuka clamped her mouth shut, sweating a little. That voice. The tea!
"She says it's like super rare," Ochaco told Izuku, startling him.
"Whoa, really? Thanks, Yaoyorozu! It smells great!"
"Huh, Momo hasn't mentioned this guy before if it's about tea..."
Both of them didn't respond or move as they knew exactly who they were dealing with now...
"Whenever I'm preparing my personal kettle, I select a tea that correlates to the size of my current job. Be sure to stay tuned in. My next video will be an alarm. Not just to my faithful viewers, but to all of society."
Gentle reached out to tip his hat. "Now, if you'll pardon me-" The two then turned around to leave.
"No way..." Izuku murmured while gripping the bags.
"It can't be..." Izuka gritted her teeth a little.
Excitement got the better of me. Such is the seduction of fine tea Gentle scolded himself while walking away with La Brava. Now, a swift exit.
Izuku gripped the bag tighter. "Tell us something," He demanded, causing the two to stop moving. It was a tense silence as the two looked up with angry expressions. "That tea was part of your ritual, right?"
"Part of how you use it for your work?" Izuka narrowed her eyes.
La Brava looked up at her partner in alarm. You can't blame yourself, Gentle! It couldn't be helped! And now... Gentle reached out to his mask while it was clear that the two groups...were enemies from this point forward.
It's too late She and Gentle thought in unison.
Izuku slowly put down the bags. "The second an alarm sounds...we'll have to shut down and evacuate," Midnight informed the four in the cafeteria. "Those were the terms the police agreed upon."
"Ritual?" Gentle feigned innocence and pretended to not know what they were talking about. "My work? Whatever do you mean?" He slowly turned to them, trying to be careful even though they already could guess what was going on.
"We saw your video," Izuku explained, slowly getting onto his feet. However, he was looking towards the ground, and so was Izuka. They knew that if they let the two walk away now, it would ruin the festival. "Please..."
"We can do this another day...if you can promise that, then maybe we'll let you leave with less bruises than we were gonna give you," Izuka gritted her teeth, feeling like Katsuki a little right about now.
"La Brava," Gentle took off his mask and sunglasses. "It's time to bring out the camera."
"You can't do this," Izuku hissed as the villain approached them. The twins then remembered how relatively excited all their classmates were for the School Festival. All the work and preparing that they all did together...all of it would have been for nothing if the two villains did this.
"I can see how hard everyone is working on the festival. And I do wanna know how it all turns out," Eri confessed to the three, blushing a little.
"We don't care what you have planned," Izuku hissed and looked up furiously.
"Or why either...but if you're gonna make everything worse..." Izuka continued, clenching her fists as she looked up with a glare.
"We won't let you near our school!" The two declared in unison as it was now 8:33 AM...
"Well, aren't you perceptive, young children?" Gentle asked, essentially giving themselves away. La Brava tilted her head curiously as she had seen them before. And since she was a computer genius, it made sense.
Wait. Do I know them?
Izuku glanced behind him as no one was around to see or stop them. Saturday morning, no people around! No hero agencies near UA, so we can't expect backup. And we have no idea what this guy can do. If I could ask the cafe to call the police...
Izuka kept her eyes on them while grunting in realization. It's too early for that many people to be around, the one time I wish there was a crowd. We can't even call anyone, they'll take advantage of that, and everyone at school is too busy getting ready! Not to mention I know this area, people barely visit this place.
Izuku powered up while Izuka readied her hands. No! They would have to do this on their own. The amount of police had been minimized because most of them were already at UA to provide security.
"La Brava, there's been a slight change of plan. From this moment on, no matter what, don't stop filming!" Gentle reached out to his coat.
"Oh, I'm all over it, Gentle!" She declared, pulling out her camera. "But are you going to fight on the street? Right here? What about your master plan?" As she spoke, the two of them kept their eyes on the villains.
"My dearest viewers! I believe it's time to give you a taste of my hijinks!" Gentle smirked and then revealed himself to the twins. A bunch of pressure came from his body. "Try not to be so dazzled that you avert your eyes as your favorite scoundrel shows off his talents. Gentle Criminal, at your service! My plans have shifted." La Brava took off her own disguise while recording. "Due to our current predicament, I shall keep my words brief. For this caper...I will infiltrate UA High School!" He then struck a pose for the camera.
"So cool!" La Brava gushed, a blush on her face.
So not cool Izuku stared at them in disbelief.
Don't they know what's going on today? Izuka looked at them in annoyance for the two wanting to disrupt the festival just for fame.
"We won't let you do that!" Izuku shouted towards them, the two leaping towards Gentle. However, before they could get close enough, they were stopped in place by what felt like a wall made out of plastic wrap. Gentle stared at them knowingly.
"I conjured up this barrier as I cast off my overcoat!" Gentle revealed to the two. "If you've seen my videos, then you should already know. My Quirk is Elasticity. I bestow said property to anything I touch. And I do mean anything, even the air itself. Gently Rebound!" He then moved his arm to send the both of them flying. The two yelped from the amount of power. He stood up humbly, smiling. "I abhor using violence to solve my problems."
La Brava then looked towards the amount of smoke up ahead. "Yeah, but that move was intense..."
"I find myself completely confounded in this moment, La Brava darling." They looked up ahead as the smoke was clearing. Izuka had stopped them from moving using a star platform, but they still had a semi-rough landing. "Their speed and power are startling and unexpected from children so young. Quite odd. Sorry to cut and run, but the show must go on!"
He and La Brava took off running as fast as they could.
Izuku raised up his body so that he could land on his feet. Izuka used a shooting star underneath her back to send herself up above ground, and she landed in a crouch. "Don't apologize, just stay away from our school!" Izuku shouted at the villains and chased after them with Izuka.
"You have the nerve to just attack us and run like that was gonna stop us?!" Izuka yelled towards the duo.
"Clever children. But no such luck for you," Gentle jumped up and touched the ground, making it shake. "Gently...Trampoline!" The two were then sent flying into the air, screaming. "When I was a student, I too worked hard to put on social events. I'm sure you two have feelings invested in this festival. But they can't win against the desires of my mustache and my soul!" The two gritted their teeth angrily towards him. "This scheme is a crucial step toward my becoming a legend. Be dears and stay out of my way."
He then jumped up with La Brava, creating steps made out of elasticity for them to jump on. "Cheerio, children! Hope you stick the landing."
They jumped past the two and La Brava recognized them now. "Hey Gentle, I know where I've seen them before! Those two are named Izuku and Izuka Midoriya! He broke his fingers on purpose during the Sports Festival. He's totally crazy. And she went up against a sludge villain, lost against Bakugo during the Sports Festival, and then got kidnapped by the League of Villains! She's someone we don't wanna mess with."
"By Jove!" Gentle gave a nervous look as he hadn't seen their broadcasts. "We'd better get out of here post haste. We'll carry out the plan before they're able to alert their peers." They continued jumping while elevating themselves into the air. He turned towards the camera. "Hello again, my friends! The outrageous scheme that's currently in progress has now become a race against the clock!"
The twins slowly turned towards them.
"Sorry, you two," Izuku got onto his feet, looking at Izuka. "Our break is almost over. We're off."
"Okay!" Mirio pumped a fist as Izuka got onto her feet, gaining her balance. "Just so you know, I'm lookin' forward to seeing you get down too!"
"Thaaaaanks," Izuka sagged her shoulders in dismay.
"Deku, Mido, you're leaving already?" Eri looked up at them, a bit disappointed.
"We're sorry," Izuku smiled while bending down to her. "But we have to go to practice."
"I myself have a lot of hard work to do for my role," Izuka smiled a little.
"The four of us can explore the fest as a quartet after the Midoriyas are done shaking their stuff!" Mirio spun around, the twins glancing up at him with a smile, though Izuka's was a little forced.
"I'm never gonna stop hearing it now, huh?" She sighed in defeat towards him.
"Deku. Lemillion. Mido," Eri spoke up, getting their attention. The little girl had a nervous grin on her face. "I'm getting...kind of excited. And...I hope you can have fun, Mido...even though I know it scares you."
The two gritted their teeth; after hearing that from Eri, they couldn't disappoint her most of all if the villains got away. And the fact that the little girl knew that Izuka was scared but still cheered her on...it honestly got her through all the practice and the terror she was feeling throughout.
"I'm sure you both have feelings invested in this festival. But they can't win against the desires of my mustache and my soul!"
"Midoriya," Kyoka stood near his desk. "I know you're always scribbling a ton of stuff down in your notebooks. And that Mido is always sketching." He looked up at her in surprise, Izuka yelping as she slammed the book in embarrassment because she was drawing Katsuki again... "So what's it look like in there?"
"Why, is there a hero you wanna know more about, Jiro?" Izuku looked up, ready to give her some facts on anyone she wanted.
"Oh, nothing important in there, trust me," Izuka tossed her book to the ground, placing her foot on it and sliding it underneath the desk. "It's all boring stuff, you wouldn't wanna see it!"
"No," Kyoka looked away, and wasn't gonna push Izuka further. "I just wanted to see how you organize your notes. I'm trying to figure out how to highlight the important stuff," She put down her own notebook, the twins staring at her. Izuka grabbed her sketchbook back and stood up. "I write down way too much. Got any advice?"
"Advice for the band members?" Izuku looked at her music notes. Izuka looked over his shoulder, hugging her own sketchbook close. "Wow, you came up with these lessons? That's awesome! This makes me so happy!"
"Yeah, I don't detail my sketches this neatly," Izuka smiled a little, looking up. "You're gonna be a great teacher!"
"I hope everyone else feels the same way," She admitted while looking happy herself. "Since you guys convinced me my music has a purpose...I've actually gotten pretty enthusiastic. It's possible I went a little bit overboard!"
"Not if you're really passionate!" Izuka grinned as she knew the feeling.
Katsuki then broke a drumstick in half during practice. "Tokoyami! I told you! Strum like your life depends on it, bird brain!" He shouted, to the shock of the other band members. "You think you can destroy UA's ears with weak-ass riffs like that? Where's the grit?!"
"Maybe take it down a notch, you're scaring everyone," Izuka held up a nervous hand.
"Do you understand what he wants?" Fumikage looked over to Kyoka, utterly confused but also a little terrified. He hadn't seen Katsuki be like this before...he even called Fumikage by his last name—that's how they KNEW he wasn't kidding.
"Sort of. Check out lesson 3," Kyoka informed and he read a notebook dedicated just for him.
"Hm..."
"Izuka! You can't hope to sing anything if you're doing it with that weak-ass pitch!" Katsuki pointed a broken drumstick at her.
"Hey," Izuka protested with a small frown. "I'm doing my best, I'm not a professional singer like Jiro!"
"That doesn't matter!" She blinked at his sudden declaration as he gripped the drumsticks hard. "You wanna prove all those assholes wrong, don't you?! So try harder! You can't be better if you don't acknowledge your own weakness or fear, that's what you told me, right?"
Her eyes slowly widened as she had said something similar to him at camp.
After practice, she looked at her phone to see if the picture was taken down. It was, but what replaced it was a forum dedicated to be rude to her.
"Really?" She asked with an annoyed sigh and then did a double take at something. Someone shared a video about her losing against Bakugo in the Sports Festival.
'Izuka Midoriya being weak and enjoying the attention'
'Why is this pathetic girl even that important?'
'Look at her, she can't do anything with that power, let alone become a hero.'
'She doesn't deserve to even compete next year'
However...every single response had a comment...from Katsuki.
'For some extra student, you don't know what the hell you're saying! Go experience what she went through and come back when you're not being a dumbass!'
'She's less pathetic than you are, damn coward!'
'Izuka can do more than you, asshole!'
'Just because I beat her doesn't mean you can talk like you know shit!'
Izuka gave a small happy smile, deciding to not say anything about it for now.
Izuku held out his hand. "You're done, Gentle Criminal!" Gentle glanced back at the two. Izuka created a star platform underneath them, holding out her hand. Thankfully, the two didn't take off their new gear before they left.
"You won't get away!" Izuka growled at the two.
We have to stop them!
"It's still hard for you to shoot consecutively or while moving around," Toshinori then gave him a small nod.
Gentle and La Brava were falling, not even paying attention to the twins. I wish we were on the ground...gotta calm down. I'll mess up if I panic. Can't let them escape. I need to land. Focus!
"No good!" Mina pointed down at him. "You're still not nailing it down, Midoriya. As you move, you've gotta stay focused and in the moment!"
And that was exactly what he did, remembering something Mei said.
"So you wanna be able to direct wind pressure, huh? And help your sister control higher levels of power?" She smiled towards him in the Development Studio.
"Mmhm," Izuku smiled with a small nod. "I need more control over my blasts, especially if I'll be fighting in a city. My sister is learning how to use her limit to her advantage, so she'll need something to ensure that her hands don't take too much damage. Oh, but please don't tell her. She's doing a lot of work towards the festival, so she doesn't have time to train as much to be able to practice."
The two continued falling while keeping their hands on their target. The more types of attacks I have, the better.
"Let's try this," Izuku's glove opened up as Izuka's moonstone shined a little. "Delaware Smash. Air Force!" He was able to send out a wind pressure attack into Gentle's back.
"Alright. Solar Jupiter Wind!" Izuka fired off a big swirl of wind and water at La Brava, hitting her from behind.
"Ah!" Gentle yelped in pain, La Brava letting out a small sound of pain as well. "Some kind of air cannon?"
"And a combined wind and water cannon? Since when could she do that?!" La Brava screeched in disbelief.
"Alright!" The twins exclaimed, but the two villains kept jumping using Gentle's Quirk.
"That's not enough to stop me! I will not be discouraged!" He declared as they got further away. Izuka pulled her star platform closer so they could land on it. Once they did, she flew them up fast so that Izuku could jump up and grab Gentle.
"We won't let you ruin this for our entire school!" They declared in unison, Izuka flying above them.
"Dear children, that's not your decision!" Gentle declared with a big grin, and then they crashed into some construction.
"Gentle, no!" La Brava called out in concern for him.
A bystander looked up from the street as smoke was coming from the construction site. "Looks like somethin' fishy's going on..."
"Nothing to see here, mister!" La Brava landed on a nearby rooftop and he looked up to see her. "We're just filming a little project! You think you can tell your neighbors to stay away too?" She looked up with tears in her eyes. This fib's only going to buy us a little time...I know you don't wanna hear it, Gentle, but at this point, it would be smart to retreat! She didn't want to see him get hurt anymore than he probably already was.
Izuku rolled to a stop on one of the levels. Izuka jumped off her star and slid to catch up to him. Thank you, Hatsume!
"Mmhm!" Mei nodded in understanding. "So currently, you're shooting air forward in a wide arc that's hard to control. And she's currently using her stored up power to benefit her, but you're worried about how it'll injure her. What you need is one of my babies to help you fire off bullets of air and to better store her power so you can hit precise targets! You've been practicing this move with your fingers, but I bet someday you can incorporate it into your Shoot Style too, using your iron soles! And I bet she can fire off her stored power into her abilities with the bracelets I made out of her that can withstand them!"
Izuka grabbed his hand to help the both of them slide safely. They then looked up ahead, narrowing their eyes.
Izuku struck a pose after practicing. "That's it!" Mina cheered for him. Tenya, Ochaco, and Izuka looked especially happy towards him. "Nice work!"
Thank you, Ashido! That extra dance practice is already coming in handy for the both of us!
The two panted as they looked up ahead. "Where is he?" Izuku wondered as they couldn't see Gentle anymore, even though they had him in close range.
"What an unexpected turn," Gentle sighed a little, getting their attention. "This won't do at all." He was hanging from a beam thanks to his cape. "However, one must keep a sense of humor about such things, mustn't one? Ha ha ha!"
"Isn't it about time to drop the act?!" Izuku shouted up at him in disbelief.
"You know, a word of advice," Izuka called out, her hands to her mouth to raise her voice. "I know it was your costume choice and all, but stuff like missiles, jet turbines, elevators, vortexes, and now metal beams is why capes can be dangerous, hero or villain!"
He just laughed it off, though a little embarrassed of her telling him off like this. "My plan will be a smashing success!" He declared to the twins. "This is but a delay! Minor setbacks don't worry a gentleman."
What the hell is with this guy? Izuka growled a little.
Izuku was looking pissed off as well. He's not giving up. The festival's still in danger.
Gentle was unfazed by their reactions. "Yes. That is the resolve of Gentle Criminal!"
"You're no gentleman!" Izuku scolded the man.
"A real gentleman would step aside and do this at a better time!" Izuka grunted as they both pointed their hands towards him. For someone named Gentle Criminal, it was astonishing that he was still doing this.
"We know you're planning to do something to UA. What do you want with our school?" Izuku asked as calmly as possible.
"Why are you doing this today of all days?" Izuka demanded from the villain. "Don't you know today is important?"
"You'd like to know my scheme, eh?" Gentle gave a small smirk.
La Brava jumped onto the building in front of the construction site. "When's this gonna be on TV?" The bystander called out to her. "What channel?" She jumped up into the sky as she ignored him, too worried about her partner.
"Ruffian though I may be, I implore you two not to confuse me with those foul wretches from the League of Villains," Gentle started off while bowing. Izuka furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance for him bringing them up.
Gentle! My beloved Gentle! La Brava thought while running up a beam, trying to get there as fast as possible.
"You see, I have no palate for kidnapping or murder or any such rubbish. I simply wish to sneak into your School Festival so the world knows that I am indeed a master criminal," He explained to the twins.
Please! La Brava silently begged as she jumped, fresh tears in her eyes. Don't let them defeat you!
"Now kindly let me go," Gentle told the twins just as La Brava appeared. She looked up ahead in utter shock.
He's pleading for his life! She was freaking out even though he asked politely.
"You have to know the campus is on an emergency alert," Izuku warned the villain, his energy sparking around him. "Someone's bound to catch you before you sneak in, which'll set off all kinds of alarms! We'll have to notify the police! The School Festival will be cancelled, and you'll end up in jail! So give up now!"
"You seriously think you can get out of this unscathed, whether it's from us or not?" Izuka snarled up at him. "He's right, even if we didn't see you, they would've stopped you before you even tried to get in! What's the point if you're just gonna get caught right after that? Why the elaborate plan of breaking in?!" The two already knew that even if the school acknowledged it wasn't a serious threat like the League of Villains, they would still stop the festival. So she couldn't help but wonder if he just didn't care.
"Oh-ho," He laughed it off. "I don't fear being detected. My partner has devised an ingenious way to disable every security sensor. Nothing will be cancelled and my dastardly plan will be a success. It's a win-win situation, my children!"
"That's a win for you, but a disaster for us!" Izuku screamed towards the man.
"They'll still cancel because of you once you're noticed," Izuka grunted angrily for him not even thinking about what it meant for everyone.
A rhetorical defeat! La Brava panicked again, and neither of them noticed her presence.
"So, now you're both aware of my nefarious scheme. It's been lovely chatting with you two. But I best bid you goodbye and be on my way," Gentle stared the two down.
"We've already called the authorities!" Izuku announced to him. "Stay put. The police and the pro heroes will be here any minute now." Come on, come on. Please let this bluff work.
I already know that's not true, but I have to keep my mouth shut. Maybe if he's distracted, I can call them and put them on silent! Izuka's hand twitched towards her pocket.
"I don't think so," Gentle then activated his Quirk underneath his feet. "While the aftertaste of the tea remains, I'll make certain you two can't ruin my machinations," He then bounced off the elasticity and took off into the sky. The two jumped after him as he leaped away from a metal beam. Once they landed, they pointed their gloves up ahead.
Predict your opponent's movements, and... They watched him bouncing off of a beam. No, we can't. He's too fast!
My attacks could seriously damage this area, and I can't do that to any bystanders around if I mess up my shot! I can't teleport either at fast speeds! Izuka huffed in frustration, the metal beams moving wildly around them. The two then looked up and fired, Izuku with his wind pressure and Izuka with a smaller Comet Burst. He then blocked them off with an elastic wall, the two gasping sharply. They watched their attacks ricocheting around before they were hit with their own attacks. The two grunted from this as they were hard hits, Izuka wobbling. Thank god she was fireproof and that it didn't hit her brother.
Gentle jumped off of a bouncing beam. What's happening to the beams? There he is!
Damn it! His Quirk isn't going to let us get a hit on him unless we figure something out! Izuka thought as they looked up to see Gentle hanging off of a beam.
"I know your game now, but I can bounce all your attacks back easily," He tossed some elastic platforms, using those to maneuver around. The two tried and failed to follow his movements as he was too fast once again.
"Gentle," La Brava called out while recording. "I hate to say it, but maybe we should head back to base!"
He landed on a beam after hearing this. "No, La Brava," He got onto his feet as he wasn't going to give up that easily. "I'll prevail."
Gotta catch him! The twins thought in unison as they leaped forward. Gentle removed a bolt from the beam he was standing on.
"Now, children. Do pay close attention to what I'm about to say," He was bouncing off of it like a trampoline. "I can't cancel the effects of my Quirk. The things I elasticize return to normal gradually over time. Imagine how the structural integrity of this steel is affected by this unnatural bounce. Oh, and did I mention that I thought it prudent to remove the bolts from the one I'm standing upon?" He pointed down at the beam, holding the bolts in his right hand. "Just think, should this beam fall, the havoc it would wreak on anything or anyone below."
Their mouths opened in shock, especially since Izuka was worried about messing up her shot to prevent that from happening. They looked to see the bystander La Brava talked to before still looking up at them.
"Something's shaking up there."
They gasped sharply as he would get hurt if he didn't get out of there! "You're both UA students, yes?" Gentle grinned and then jumped off the beam, causing it to fall. The two jumped in opposite directions in a panic. "If someone's in danger..." Izuku managed to catch the beam while Izuka was falling towards the man. "You'll step in."
Gentle looked over his shoulder knowingly, since if Izuku moved, he'd bring the structure down. "Not a murderer, huh?" He mocked the villain for the dirty trick. "You just tried to kill that old guy!"
"Not at all," Gentle still agreed with that as his intention wasn't to physically harm anyone still. "I simply wanted to keep you occupied," His eyes then shined deviously. "I planned to bounce the beam out of the way myself if you didn't step in for some reason. And since she's your sister, she won't leave you behind."
"That looks scary," The old man looked up wide-eyed. "This must be the big climax!"
Izuka finally landed in front of him with a small smile. "Yes, they're...er, stunt doubles, so please move out of the way, it's dangerous for you!" She then used a star platform to carry him safely away from the area. Once she was gone, she sighed in relief, looking back up towards the construction site.
"I thought you'd simply rush for the chap," Gentle remarked while watching Izuku struggle. "I see you really do have frightening levels of speed and power," He then walked off towards a crane. "I hate to leave you under such a strain, but stay put and bear the pain patiently. Help will arrive soon, and you'll be saved," He then used his Quirk to pull back the crane. "I shall be done filming by that point."
Izuku growled angrily that he couldn't move and could only watch. He hoped that Izuka helped the old man and wouldn't come for him to go after the villains.
"Grab hold, La Brava," Gentle told the woman as she approached.
"That's harsh, Gentle!" She commented for his tactic. "You're playing dirty!"
"My partner has devised an ingenious way to disable every security sensor. I simply wish to sneak into your School Festival."
No...this can't be how the fight ends Izuku thought while straining himself to keep the beam over his head.
It was now 8:45 AM, with UA not too far from their location. "It's almost time! My nerves are killin' me," Denki confessed while giving off his nerves towards Katsuki. Who in turn was annoyed by it.
"Just take a few deep breaths," Momo advised him, Fumikage standing nearby. The two and Denki were wearing orange shirts that had 'A Band' on them. "Try to center yourself, Kaminari."
"Are you sweating, Yaomomo?" Fumikage looked up at her curiously.
"We went through the trouble of having shirts made, so put yours on, Bakugo," Kyoka called out to him.
"The dance outfits are super cute!" Mina smiled as she was in yellow, red, and purple with a red tie. Ochaco was putting the final touches on Mina's outfit. "And all we did was jazz up some dresses."
"If I could de-wrinkle it!" She muttered in concentration.
"Still super sexy!" Minoru jumped up happily upon seeing the girls. He and the boys from the dance team were in yellow suits with red ties. "But I wish I could see Mido in her special mascot outfit..."
"Don't let Bakugo hear you..." Mashirao muttered, glad that Izuka wasn't here.
"The Midoriyas aren't here," Shoto pointed out to Yuga, in the same shirt as the band team. Yuga was in his hero costume to help with the disco ball effect.
"They went to buy rope earlier," He explained to the boy.
"But they both should be here by now," Shoto looked out the window in concern. "Right? It's odd. I know that this is a lot for Mido, but she wouldn't be late on purpose. Plus, she has to put on her mascot costume."
"They'll be here," Yuga wasn't too worried.
Gentle grabbed La Brava and sent them flying. "Our timeline has changed, La Brava. But if they're on their guard and I still manage to sneak in, then I may yet attain the notoriety I seek! As a man who accomplished a great feat, history will remember my name!" They looked up ahead as they approached the school.
Izuku grunted as he gave a determined look to stop them. Izuka jumped up to him, shocking the boy as she leaped up to be by his side, pointing her arm forward. He did the same, both of them firing off the same attacks as before. Gentle used an elastic step to dodge them.
"They're still fighting?!" Gentle looked up in disbelief.
"I see some of you in that boy," La Brava confessed a little nervously. "Neither of you are going to give up! And she's not going to abandon her brother in his time of need!" Izuka grabbed the beam Izuku was still holding, neither of them looking up.
"You should've gone after them...!" He grunted out to the girl.
"Izuku," She stated seriously, causing him to look up. "Even so, I'm not going to let you deal with this on your own. Meddling when I don't need to...part of being a hero, right?" She glared towards the villains and he gasped sharply.
"I think it's time. Let's use my Quirk!" La Brava declared while it was 8:51 AM.
The twins slowly looked up at their opponents, frowning deeply. "Okay, Izuka. Let's do this!" He stated, even though they had 69 minutes until they had to be at the festival...
Angel: If anyone can guess where that line from Izuka about capes came from, I applaud you. It may be a bit obvious, but I could not resist doing it XD