Angel: To Dr. Stone fans, the season 4 premiere is coming up January 9th. Which has got me hyped. For my story on the anime, though, I cannot promise SHIT if I will get the episode out in the same month because I am already am far behind in other projects, some of them I was supposed to start this year and I didn't. Life happens, trying to get some personal stuff settled because I am STILL unemployed and it's mental hell sometimes. It's not an excuse, but I can't just sit here and tell you that I have been consistent getting content out. I obviously have not been, my attention span is absolutely crap sometimes. Do I deserve criticism for not doing as many projects as I keep mentioning? Absolutely! But thank you to the fans that continue to put up with my way of doing things.
Anyway, long story short, Dr. Stone season 4: Hopefully will not take forever to write out since I am already doing this anime, which is also supposed to be having its final season next year…I'm screwed lol
Is there any fanart of Izuka? I mean... *points to story cover* That's the only one right there so far that I know about. I had forgotten to put it up there, so I did so last night.
Ohh, so that's what that was. Thanks Tigertrain5! Might help me out with the 10th anniversary next year. I wonder what that will be~?
Classes 1-A and 1-B from the hero course at UA High are battling it out against one another in team combat training.
With some added twists here and there. Not only would our improvements with our Quirks be assessed, but also how the matchups work well.
In the first match, special guest Shinso succeeded in disrupting his opponent's ability to communicate. It ended with a win for our classmates.
This will make the buildup to my brother's later match with Shinso really high. But first, we'll have to see how the rest of the matches go! Speaking of matches...the next one will involve me up against one of my best friends, Momo.
Mr. Aizawa stood in front of his team of five. "Explain what you learned or would do differently," He implored his students.
"Well, if I'm not brawling with my enemies...then my Quirk ends up kinda useless," Eijiro confessed while taking off his mask. He thought about how easily Jurota was able to throw him towards Ibara, and how he couldn't do anything to counteract it. "If that'd been real, Shiozaki would've just murdered me before I ever hit the ground."
"I need to be able to give more detailed instructions to the bugs I call," Koji admitted in dismay, though his fear of bugs also had something to do with it.
"And I pretty much killed it!" Denki grinned proudly, giving himself two thumbs up. "Thinkin' I probably made some new fans." He then tried to make himself look more appealing to the girls, but it was definitely not effective. "It's cool. Those warm feelings aren't something you can control! Now let's hear some praise. I'm not shy!"
"We lost Koda and Kirishima quick," Tsuyu spoke up, ignoring how giddy Denki was. "It was a blow to our team's morale. I wish we could've won without losing anybody but...we were sloppy out there."
"The binding cloth," Hitoshi suddenly stated, getting her attention as he looked upset. "I couldn't even use a tenth of what I'd learned from you. It's so frustrating," He held up the scarf he was wearing. He had more training with the mask than the scarf, the latter more at a beginner level for him.
"There's a reason that they call it training," Mr. Aizawa reminded them while Denki was still jumping up and down. "The scarf is hard to use. Took me six years to master. Move on, but don't forget this feeling."
"...Right," Hitoshi replied hesitantly while gripping the scarf.
"The two who went through work studies dug deep in their reflections," Yuga remarked while looking up ahead.
"It's not surprising," Hanta commented from nearby as he was watching too, looking up. "They faced those Shie Hassaikai villains. I heard it was a pretty intense raid and that Mido even cried from it. If you experience fighting like that, it changes the way you think and how you approach a battle. Even a training battle like this, I guess."
Kyoka covered her mouth while trying to hide her laughter. "Compared to the others, that brain-dead shock jock looks like a total moron." Especially since Denki still hadn't realized the serious air with his own team, so he stuck out like a sore thumb right about now...
"Listen up," Mr. Aizawa gave Denki a blank look. "Kirishima, you should focus on forcing your opponent into a head-on fight."
"Yes, sir!" Eijiro nodded in determination, his fists clenched.
"Koda, it's exactly as you said. Increase the accuracy with which you control animals. Don't rush," He advised Koji next, agreeing with his student on his earlier assessment. "Think about your enemy's weaknesses."
Koji simply gave a silent nod.
"Kaminari! You weren't serious at the start!" His critique was enough to get Denki's attention as the boy froze. "Are you only strong if your team's in trouble?"
"No..." He frowned a little, now feeling embarrassed for himself.
"Asui, focus on how to recover from a mistake instead of the mistake itself," He told Tsuyu next.
"Yes, sir," She nodded in understanding.
"Use what you learned today to improve your future. Dismissed." With that, he walked away from the five.
"Yes, sir!" Three of them stated in unison.
"Yay..." Denki murmured in dismay instead.
Hitoshi silently looked at his scarf and then closed his eyes, knowing that he had to do better at the last match...the fact that he got caught by Kosei was more than enough to show him that he still had a lot to learn about the hero course.
"Even though he won, he's still painfully aware of his inexperience," Midnight commented as Hitoshi's Class 1-A team walked away from him. "Yet, instead of getting dismayed, he's replaying the match in his head to find ways to improve his performance. So that he dominates the next match!" She then squealed while feeling her body tingling. "It's so invigorating!"
Toshinori was put off by this as he didn't want to see it. "Contain yourself..." He murmured at his coworker, though she didn't hear it.
Vlad King's forehead was twitching towards the four students who lost. "Do you know why you lost? Or shall I explain it to you?" They all nodded silently in shame. "Shishida was your focal point." Jurota yelped while stepping backwards from Vlad King's tone. "Or, wait. Was Shiozaki your ace?" He loomed over the four, looking pissed. "If you'd only come together as a team, you could've taken them all!"
"Mr. Vlad's eyes get so scary when he's mad," Kosei whispered in fear of the teacher.
"It's not in Shiozaki's nature to deceive," Neito remarked as he shrugged. "Forgot to consider that fact, Beast man, didn't you?"
"You're correct..." Jurota had to unfortunately agree. "And as a result, we allowed our opponents time to come up with a plan...you have my sincerest apologies," He turned towards Ibara regretfully.
"Hellfire spares no one," She looked up with a tear in her eye.
"What a shame," Neito stood between the four and his teacher. "But I learned something swell. He's good," He flipped up his bangs while looking towards Hitoshi. "I'm looking forward to having him on my side. And to seeing my class win with the Midoriya girl on their side!"
She flinched while looking up as she was talking to Ochaco and Izuku. Izuka then gave a small groan towards him. "There he goes again...he better stay away from me though if he's gonna try risking his grade again," She deadpanned towards Neito; who was someone she would NEVER allow to call her Mido, because he didn't deserve it. And not just because he kept mocking her either. No matter what happens out there, Monoma-San is gonna drive it into the ground that his class is much better.
"I'm sure he understands that they're serious about that," Izuku gave a nervous chuckle. "And that it's not something he should risk..."
"I doubt that..." Ochaco murmured as the three watched Neito going into a crazy fit of laughter in silence.
"Oi, Izuka!" They looked up to see Katsuki approaching with his hands in his pockets. Izuka sighed a little to see him as he came to a stop in front of them. "Let me borrow you for a sec."
"Alright," She relented, though her face was a bit flushed. She glanced back at her brother and Ochaco, who just smiled as she walked after Katsuki. They knew that Katsuki wouldn't do anything romantic, but they could tell that he would end up inspiring her. Izuka on the other hand was a little nervous given that they kissed, but it wasn't a major focus right now. Even if it was, she knew that Katsuki would not even focus on it himself. So continuing to stay silent for now was definitely the right call.
"You're up against Ponytail and her team. Not only do they have her, they have Bird Head. So don't you dare lose or it'll be an embarrassment," He grunted a little as they walked together.
"They're our classmates, you could at least call them by their names at this point," Izuka rolled her eyes a little that he was still insistent on giving them nicknames. Although arguably, she knew that he could do that with other people besides her.
"Like hell! I've got my own business to worry about," He retorted back, causing her to cross her arms.
"You mean besides me?" She gave him a teasing smirk and Katsuki froze, looking back at her with an intense look.
"I dare you to say that again..." He murmured while trying to keep calm, meaning that if she actually tried, he might actually kill her. Izuka held up her hands in silence and was about to walk away from him. "I'm not done." The girl looked back curiously at her classmate. "When you win, make sure to savor it. Those Class B idiots won't know how to keep up with you."
"I wouldn't underestimate them, but...I'll do my best," She gave him a small smile.
"Tch. Whatever," He then walked away from her and she stared after him, her smile still on her face. She could tell that he was glad she listened to him.
He's probably worried since Monoma-San was the one who brought up those rumors about me during the Sports Festival. But still, it's nice to know that he's putting faith into my abilities.
"Shinso, buddy!" Neito called out to Hitoshi, who looked up. "Let's come up with a plan to make Class A cry like toddlers!" Hitoshi backed away a little from the boy's frantic eyes. "Something that'll really ruin their lives. If you brainwash one of 'em..." He moved rapidly around the silent Hitoshi.
Izuku and Minoru were watching from not too far away. "He's just talking to himself," The latter pointed out as Izuka walked to go join her Class B team.
"We should start coming up with a plan too," Izuku smiled down at his teammate. He then pulled out his notebook, surrounded by him, Mina, and Ochaco. "Let's brainstorm some ideas about how we can best approach our match."
"Smart, Deku!" Ochaco complimented him, knowing that he had some notes about Class B in it.
"Let's do combos!" Mina spoke up in excitement. "Like a super move in a game!"
"We should strategize as well," Tenya suggested to Mezo, Mashirao, and Shoto, as they were in a huddle just like Izuku's team.
"Todoroki is a strong focal point," Mezo pointed out the obvious.
"I am?" Shoto looked at him in confusion as he didn't think he was their strongest teammate.
"What about us?" Hanta wondered to Katsuki, who was kneeling.
"Bakugo!" Kyoka ran up to the both of them, Rikido following behind her. "Let's get on the same page. We'll have to update Mido later after her match."
"The page is...stay outta my way!" He yelled towards his team.
All of them looked at him in disappointment, though this should've been expected... "Of course..."
"Would you really be saying that if Mido could strategize with us?" Hanta teased as he looked away with a smirk.
Katsuki flinched as he whipped around to Hanta. "The hell did you just say to me?!"
Ochaco and Izuku laughed awkwardly from Katsuki's reaction. Though Ochaco did know about the kiss, and Izuku still didn't... He snapped out of it to turn towards the brunette. "We'll be up against Shinso in the 5th match."
"Mm! Mmhm!" Ochaco nodded as she remembered, all four of them assessing what they had seen from him.
"His voice modifier is a big threat," Izuku pointed out, as it was something that they had to watch out for. Back then, Izuku broke out of the brainwashing thanks to One for All. But he wasn't sure if his Quirk would help him again this time around thanks to...the dream. So he had to be really careful to not fall victim to Hitoshi's Quirk during their rematch like last time.
"Sticky Acid Floating Kick for the win!" Mina cheered with a big smile.
"What the heck is that?" Minoru asked her in utter confusion.
"There are plenty of places to hide," Tenya suggested to his team.
"It'll be a pain to find the enemy," Mashirao agreed as his tail wagged around behind him.
"I'm on it," Mezo offered to scope out the hiding places for them, since he could find them easily with his Quirk.
"Their team's dead!" Katsuki shouted to his own teammates. "I'll blow 'em straight to hell. I don't need you!" Hanta, Kyoka, and Rikido stared at him awkwardly, knowing that he wasn't going to be cooperative, but not to this level...
"Bet you need Mido though," Hanta muttered as he looked away and Kyoka winced. Katsuki gritted his teeth angrily.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" He shouted as he lunged forward, only to be held back by Rikido. He doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. I don't need her! The only thing she has to do is not cost us the win, that's the only thing I give a damn about! Then he remembered his kiss with her and faltered, confusing his entire team. "...Get off!" He wiggled out of Rikido's grip, turning away. If I have to think about that...thing one more time...
The heck was that all about? Hanta blinked at him in bewilderment.
Mashirao rubbed his chin in thought. "We can save Ida for our trump card if we're in a bind," He theorized to his team.
"Uh..." Tenya turned to him nervously. "Before you rely on me, there's something I wanted to tell you about my Recipro."
"Instant-Kill Floating Ball!" Mina shouted another combo move.
"None of these terms make sense!" Minoru yelled up at her in annoyance, while Ochaco and Izuku gave sheepish expressions.
"Injured students should see the nurse," A robot was moving around the teams just in case. "Humans are inferior beings whose parts can't be replaced."
"Feel that?" Midnight blushed a little while pointing forward. "Such passion. Such vigor! Like a spring awakening!" She hugged herself as it was starting to be too much. She fell towards the ground from it all.
"It's winter, though..." Toshinori stared at her a bit uncomfortably, looking away. The end of the year is almost upon us He could see Katsuki was actually cooperating in talking out a strategy with his team. Though for some reason they didn't seem pleased after hearing him out. Everyone's been working to develop their Quirks and perfect their ultimate moves. Young Midoriya too has become better at using One for All. And his sister is managing to progress much faster with her own power. He learned Shoot Style and Air Force. She learned Comet Burst, teleportation, Star Stream, and how to make her normal attacks much stronger. Most got provisional licenses. A few even fought against the Shie Hassaikai. And bounced back. In the midst of all these events and troubles, they pushed on earnestly, reaching towards their goals. And now they have the chance to compare themselves to other students chasing the same dream. More teams were strategizing, while the people from the first match had a lot to reflect on. Even though it was the end of the year, much had already changed. They'll gain a better understanding of where they are. He gave a small smile towards the twins specifically, as it felt like forever ago since he met them and changed their lives. In a way, this is a rehearsal for the rest of their lives.
Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King approached Toshinori and Midnight. "So, All Might," Vlad King spoke up first. "What did you think of Shinso?"
"He's great!" He smiled at the two teachers. "And he has guts," He looked towards Hitoshi just staring at Neito going on and on about beating Class 1-A. "It's telling that the first emotion he felt after the match was frustration."
"This is a test for him," Mr. Aizawa looked towards the purple-haired boy as well. "A good showing, and he could end up transferred. I'd wager he's eager to show off in his next match." Neito's classmates looked very embarrassed in front of Hitoshi, who was too focused on beating Izuku to really notice. "Well, Vlad. A lot left to go."
"I know. And your student is one of them. So all that training she does with you better pay off," He replied as he walked up and took a deep breath. "Second round teams, to the field!" He announced to everyone.
And so, it was now the turn of Yuga, Momo, Toru, and Fumikage against Izuka, Itsuka, Kinoko, Shihai, and Manga.
All 9 walked side by side while approaching their battle ground. "Hey, Yaoyorozu," Itsuka spoke up to her, as the two were right next to each other.
"Yes?" Momo turned to the orange-haired girl. "What is it, Kendo?"
"Why weren't you or Mido in the pageant? I thought I'd see you guys there. I'm sure you would have stood a good chance," She pointed out to the both of them.
"For some reason, Mr. Aizawa failed to tell us that something like that would be taking place," Momo gave a sheepish look. "I also had band practice, so I wouldn't have had time to prepare for it. I suppose he must have decided that a pageant wasn't necessary for my hero progress."
"As for me, I had to do 15 minute intervals of practice for all three of my roles. I was on the dance, band, and special effects team," Izuka spoke up, a hand on her hip. "It took up a lot of my time too. Besides, with the kind of boys we have to deal with sometimes, it was probably for the best..." She muttered while looking away, thinking of Denki and Minoru, who would've absolutely lost their minds if she entered...and so would Katsuki, but not for good reasons. And given the awkward look on Momo's face, she would have to agree...
"Hm..." Itsuka glanced between the girls in thought. "After we were in that commercial during our intern days...I think some people have started to put the two of us in the same category. Our fans have pushed us into a box."
"Into a box?" Momo looked up at her in confusion as she thought Itsuka meant it literally.
"Not an actual one, Momo..." Izuka gave a sheepish smile.
"You know! It's like when people think idols in the same group are all alike!" Toru pointed out, getting their attention. "At the School Festival, the same people shouted Yaoyorozu and Kendo cause they've lumped ya together!"
"Oh," Momo tapped her chin. "Now that you mention it..."
Gonna pick up my brother's tendencies for a little bit, but Hagakure makes a good point. Both of them are pretty similar when you think about it. Kendo-Chan's the Class B rep, from what I understand. And Momo is the vice rep of our class. And both of them are pretty level-headed—at least, until Neito gets involved in Kendo-Chan's case... Izuka closed her eyes knowingly.
"Idolatry," Fumikage commented, closing his eyes. "A troubling ritual." He didn't see it, but Shihai gave him a foreboding grin.
"Look, if I'm being honest. Your grades and Quirk are both better than mine, Yaoyorozu," Itsuka confessed as she came to a stop. "It's easy to see." She then smiled, a finger over her nose. "I wanna be my own hero. Which is why I'm dying to try my hand against you today. We may have your classmate on our side...but we'll make sure she's in good hands!"
"I accept. Gladly," Momo smiled towards Itsuka, gesturing to herself. "With all of my heart."
"Momo?" Izuka approached her best friend, reaching out her hand with a soft smile. "I'll admit that I'm a little nervous going up against you since you're the smartest in our class. So no matter who wins...will there be no hard feelings between us?"
Momo gave her friend a happy smile, taking her hand. "I wasn't worried about that at all, Mido! I know you're strong...so don't hold back against us, okay? I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll throw at the four of us! No matter what, we'll always be close friends."
Izuka's eyes shined a little and then she returned the smile, the two shaking hands firmly.
"Yaomomo is right, we won't let that come between us!" Toru jumped between them.
"Oui, mon amis," Yuga agreed as he winked, a sparkle coming from his eye.
"Indeed. As classmates, we must support one another, even if one of us is temporarily the enemy," Fumikage gave a small nod.
"I wish you guys the best of luck, then. Let's all fight our hardest!" Izuka smiled towards the four. Itsuka looked on with a small smile, knowing that the girl clearly had an influence over her classmates. And that the five all held respect towards one another no matter what happened during the match.
"Hey, Tokoyami," Shihai called out to Fumikage. "If you think about it, we're basically the same type too."
"If you say so," Fumikage remarked, as he almost didn't see it. He didn't even know Shihai that well unlike Momo and Itsuka, who had interacted during internships. Shihai Kuroiro. Your Quirk lets you merge with darkness and move freely within it.
Shihai chuckled as he gave a big grin. "You and I share a destiny. We are brothers in the shadows."
"Oh?" Fumikage stared at the boy. "You have also stared into the abyss?"
"Heh! Long live eternal darkness, friend," Shihai commented as all of them separated to get started. Izuka looked back with a smile and thumbs up to encourage her classmates. Momo nodded and gave her one as well.
"Huh! Those two aren't twinkling at all," Yuga stated as he and Toru went to go join their team.
"Both teams are at their bases. And now, it's time," Vlad King watched the screen. "Team Kendo, tear them to pieces! You have Mido from Class 1-A on your side, so you have the advantage here! Start the second match!"
"Stop with the biased commentary!" Mina shouted angrily at him.
"For real!" Kyoka, Denki, Mashirao, and Hanta agreed with her, all five holding up protest signs.
"Sorry about that, I swear we didn't know..." Itsuka said to Izuka, who pinched her nose with a groan as all of them heard it from the speakers...
"Don't worry, I believe you," Izuka dismissed the apology, since it wasn't like someone made Vlad King say that. Although clearly the most obvious student out for Class A needed to get his influence away over his teacher. I'm just gonna ignore him for the rest of the match. It's not what matters right now to me.
Katsuki stared at Izuka silently, his eyes narrowed. He remembered talking to her after she got upset about the rumors the first time...she had definitely come a long way since then. And that was why he was keeping his eye on her in particular. I don't care about them, but Izuka...show them who you really are. Don't lose focus no matter what.
"Kay, team!" Itsuka announced as she, Kinoko, Shihai, Izuka, and Manga all bumped their fists together. "Let's go!"
"Right!" The four called out as they took off into a run. Momo's team took off as well.
Hanta turned to Tetsutetsu. "Kendo seems like a really important part of your class dynamic," He pointed out to the silver-haired boy.
"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu yelled, alarming Hanta from his volume. "She gets the job done, no matter what! Mido seems like she has a similar role for your class!"
"Why are you yelling?" Hanta cried out, his ears covered.
"That's our brilliant class representative for ya!" The silver-haired boy continued to shout. "She's smart and decisive, even under pressure! It's so awesome! She's also brave, risking herself on the front lines when others are counting on her! Not to mention her attitude rocks! Without her, we would've killed Monoma or become a buncha fools like him by now!"
"Uncalled for," Neito defended as he had overheard.
"Think of her as our class' big sister!" Tetsutetsu explained to Hanta. "Itsuka Kendo inspires all of us to do our best!"
"That's what Mido does too," Hanta gave him a grin. "But I wonder how this is gonna go since one of our own is teamed up with them," He murmured as they watched Izuka jump up swiftly, using a flying star to land.
"If that's the case, I wonder if Yaoyorozu's plan will work," Shoto murmured as he watched the split screens. "And how Mido will handle it."
"Why, what's she up to?" Mashirao turned to him curiously.
"We'll start reconnaissance immediately," Momo suggested to her team. "If you please!"
"Roger," Fumikage didn't have to question it. "Now, Dark Shadow!"
"Got it!" Dark Shadow went flying off.
"Report back when you find the enemy," Fumikage ordered as they watched the Quirk do his thing.
"Leave it to me!" Dark Shadow started searching a couple of feet away from the team, looking around at high points. This was so they could see Izuka since she knew how to fly at this point.
Itsuka looked up as Izuka was still jumping up and down on stars, and they remained in place. However, noticeably, the stars were almost too far away from each other. "They pretty much know what our Quirks are by now, especially their classmate's," Itsuka looked up at Izuka jumping around. "But we've been improving on them and developing new moves. So they have to be ready for anything," She came to a stop, grinning. "That's why first, they'll try for some recon."
Izuka came to a stop right in front of Dark Shadow's face, looking up at the Quirk. Fumikage gasped as he sensed something. "Dark Shadow's found our opponents. They're located near the chimneys."
"Quickly then!" Momo urged, though she found it a bit strange that Izuka was letting herself be known that quickly. Callista's quick movements are hard to ignore. She would know how to evade and get herself out of the situation. So why reveal herself like this?
None of the Class B team were moving oddly enough. "Why are you just standing around?!" He dove forward to the five and Izuka jumped up high to avoid him, and the team scattered around in the air. "I'll take care of whoever I can catch first!" He zipped around to head towards them.
"I'll leave it to you, Kuroiro! Callista, now!" Itsuka called out as Shihai and Manga touched their feet together. They then pushed hard to go in opposite directions. Dark Shadow looked up in confusion as Izuka grinned, her stars moving behind her and then up around Dark Shadow. The entity flinched and then Izuka let herself fall as the stars gave off a small explosion of fire. Izuka then ran forward and summoned another flying star to zip away from the area. Dark Shadow let out a painful yelp and Fumikage flinched.
"Whoa, I see what she did now!" Izuku blinked in realization. "All those jumps and stars were for Dark Shadow since she knows that he's weak against light and fire!" He rubbed his chin in thought. "Is that their plan? Having Izuka help exploit their weaknesses one by one..."
Katsuki just stared at the girl in silence, wondering what else she had in store. So she's support? He wasn't sure if he was okay with that.
"So that was her strategy," Momo murmured as she realized what happened as well. "I have to commend her for using it like that without telling them..."
Dark Shadow snapped out of it and went past a pipe with a yell. Shihai fell down from the pipe with a big grin. "Into the abyss..."
Fumikage, Yuga, Toru, and Momo continued running up ahead. "Magnifique. You're able to let Dark Shadow go pretty far now. Even if that was to Callista's advantage. Did you level up during your work study as well?"
"Somewhat, yes," Fumikage landed nearby, looking up ahead. "But the farther he is, the less time he lasts. Something Callista couldn't have known about, but she was still able to distract him long enough. She's gotten much faster..."
"Oh. Speaking of," Yuga looked up ahead as Dark Shadow came spiraling back towards them. Fumikage blinked in confusion, as the time wasn't that short. So something had clearly happened. The entity was freaking out as he was coming in fast.
"Stand back!" Fumikage embraced the attack of being knocked into by Dark Shadow.
"Tokoyami!" Momo cried out in concern.
"Huh?" Toru yelped in confusion.
"What's going on?" Yuga slid to a stop. "This isn't right!"
Dark Shadow struggled to keep it together, reaching out a hand. "Fumikage. He...he got me!" He then tossed Fumikage into some pipes, causing a crash.
"What's wrong with Dark Shadow?" Ochaco asked with a little concern.
"He lost control!" Mina pointed out, though that wasn't the case.
"No," Izuku interjected; he had seen Dark Shadow out of control before, it was never to this extent. Even if he was out of control, he'd be much different. He wouldn't be throwing around Fumikage like that, instead he'd be taking over his host's body. "There's plenty of light out here, so Tokoyami should be in full command. And Izuka's attack wasn't enough to cause this. So maybe...someone possessed him? Is there another power like Shinso's?" He couldn't imagine who that was though...none of them seemed to indicate that they could, and he knew that Izuka wasn't capable of doing so.
The others were trying to stay away from Dark Shadow as best as they could since he was attacking them. Yuga looked up nervously as the entity loomed over him, but with a look of regret over his face.
"Um...please don't..." He begged as he felt like he couldn't move. His legs were shaking.
"Quirk, Hagakure. Light!" Momo called out and Toru landed on a pipe.
"Okie dokie!" Toru then jumped up into the air. "Warp Refraction! Say cheese!" She gave off a rainbow light, Dark Shadow groaning from the amount. Fumikage gritted his teeth as he didn't understand why his Quirk was acting up like this.
"Come. Quick. Back to me!" Fumikage shouted as someone popped out of Dark Shadow, and it was Shihai.
"Look!" Toru noticed him first as he was flying. "Kuroiro was inside Dark Shadow!"
He then rolled to a stop and ran off with a giggle. Momo tossed some nets using her Quirk, and Shihai jumped over a pipe. One of the nets caught him, pinning him to a pole. However, he slipped into the pole like it was nothing.
"He vanished!" Yuga looked at him wide-eyed.
"Escaped into the shadows!" Momo frowned knowingly as she looked up ahead. "So that's his power in action..."
Shihai popped out of the opposite end of a pipe as he let out a delightful laugh.
Class B's Shihai Kuroiro. Quirk: Dark. He can melt into shadows immediately. And by developing his Quirk, he's become able to move through the darkness! But it has to be something stationary in order for him to zip around!
He was staring right at Fumikage's back. "Fumikage Tokoyami. I swear, I will vanquish you," He declared and Fumikage looked over his shoulder as he heard it. Shihai let out a small laugh. "You and I share a hallowed destiny of darkness."
"I see...Fated rivals," Fumikage then ripped off his cape, turning around. "Very well. I'll use your challenge to reveal something! A move I discovered working with Hawks."
Shihai shook a little after hearing this, as he knew about Fumikage's Quirk to an extent without asking Izuka. "A new move..."
"That's right," Fumikage gave him a small glare. "Dark Fallen Angel." The two newly-deemed rivals stared each other down as Shihai kind of wanted to see how this new move would work against him.
He always ends up taking care of things himself...
A villain laughed while looking at cut diamonds in front of him. "Natural diamonds! Not that synthetic stuff!" He closed the case and ran off with the jewels. "I could easily get 300 mil for-" He yelped as a few red feathers took the briefcase away from him. Another feather then grabbed him by the back of the collar, flying both up to Hawks.
"Thanks. I'll take these," He looked towards the briefcase.
"Aw, crap. Hawks?" The villain asked in dismay, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to escape now. He then let out a shriek from how high up he was in the sky. A few of Hawks' sidekicks arrived to the scene.
"Come on, team, why are you so slow?" He teased a little as both the villain and briefcase were handed over to the sidekicks. "There's a fight at a bar in Kantina, so I'm flying there next." Fumikage then ran up, panting heavily. Keeping up with Hawks and his flight was giving the three a workout, that was for sure... "You head back. Deal with all the paperwork, yeah?" He then flew off into the sky. Fumikage gasped in disbelief as he looked up. He was about to run after him.
"Tsukuyomi," One of the sidekicks called out to the boy. "Let's take this guy in. It's our job as sidekicks."
"Only because Hawks is too fast," The other one pointed out.
"You gotta admit, though," The first one spoke up while Fumikage was trying to catch his breath. "It is an efficient system."
Fumikage took in a deep breath, as he wanted to learn more directly from Hawks. He was in the top ten after all, so he felt like he had to keep up with the hero. That it was all part of getting Hawks' attention to show that Fumikage wasn't a mere sidekick. And his classmates would have lots of stories compared to him when they returned to UA.
"I'll help him," He then ran off after Hawks.
"Hold on, what?"
"That kid's an eager one," The other sidekick murmured as they watched.
Apparently, I was the first student Hawks ever made an offer to after the Sports Festival. My classmate Mido was a second choice.
Fumikage was breathing heavily as he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.
During the internship, I chased after him constantly. But I mostly did clean-up for incidents he resolved.
As Fumikage was running, Hawks was flying all around, making it difficult to pinpoint his next movements. It felt like Fumikage was running down an endless hallway without ever reaching the doors...
Questions arose in me.
"I can't let things get worse while I wait for you guys just so you get practice," Hawks explained once Fumikage asked him why did he take off all the time.
"Then...why'd you ask me to intern with you in the first place?" Fumikage couldn't help but wonder.
"We're birds of a feather," Hawks smirked a little while waving a red feather. Fumikage stared at him in silence for a few seconds. He thought the hero had to be joking, that there was more to it than just because of his appearance.
"Is that a joke?" Fumikage asked and Hawks turned around to him.
"Nope. I'm 20 percent serious. Half of the reason was because I wanted to talk to someone from Class 1-A. I'm interested in those thugs from the League of Villains who attacked you," He stated, referring to the USJ Incident. "To make things easier on me...I figured I might as well find a solid recruit who could keep up with me." Fumikage's hand was shaking as he didn't feel the same way. "So, from the top finishers at the UA Sports Festival, I chose the fellow faux-avian who seemed like he'd be worthwhile. I was also looking at your classmate, the one with the shooting stars, but she turned it down. Oh well. Now then. Why don't we start with how the first attack went down? At the USJ."
Fumikage gritted his teeth bitterly at the fact that he was chosen for information, not because he had potential or because Hawks had any interest in him. But he quickly let it go to start talking, reluctantly.
As I told him about the details of our encounter, my frustration started to simmer.
He stared at Hawks intensely.
I'm not a messenger pigeon. My weeklong internship ended without me learning a thing.
Toru stood in front of Fumikage's desk. "Hey! How was Kyushu, huh?" She asked him excitedly, though he felt like he had nothing to show for it...
"It was...nothing special," He gripped his pant leg angrily.
And then, for my work study, the pro who moves too fast took me under his wing again.
And like last time, Fumikage was chasing after him.
Since the internship, my class at UA had experienced many trials.
He jumped up towards the sky.
You probably want to hear about those, don't you, Hawks?
Hawks glanced back in surprise to see Fumikage using the lampposts to move around quicker. Dark Shadow was also over his body.
Don't look down on me, number three. No, now the number-two hero!
"That Tsukuyomi's going all out!" One of the sidekicks smiled up at the bird-headed boy as he was impressed.
"He's definitely got potential," The other sidekick agreed with him. Fumikage gritted his teeth up at Hawks, who didn't seem that bothered.
"Hey," He looked impressed as well as he gave a big smile.
"Good work today," It was now nighttime as the staff was leaving.
"We'll see you tomorrow!"
"Tokoyami," Hawks waved him over. "You got a sec?"
Fumikage looked over his shoulder as he was about to take his leave as well. "What intel do you want now?" He questioned as he was expecting Hawks to interview him again about the Nomus.
"Let's take this to the sky," Hawks simply grinned a little.
And he literally meant to the skies, as the next thing Fumikage knew, he was flying over the city with Hawks. "Wha-Hawks!" He gave a wide-eyed look as Hawks was holding onto his waist to fly them both. Hawks flapped his wings as they headed to the moon. "It's like we're one with the wind!"
"Is this your first time flying?" Hawks wondered with a bit of amusement to his voice.
"My classmate Mido is a flyer, but I never asked to experience it..." Fumikage admitted as he glanced down. He wondered if this was the same thing for her.
"I asked you back 20 percent for your Quirk. Birds of a feather and all that. And 50 percent was for info on the League," Hawks explained to the UA student, smiling. "But that last 30...well, to be frank, it's because I thought you were wasting your true potential."
"Uh..." Fumikage glanced up in shock as he gasped. Hawks never admitted this the first time they worked together...nor did he hint that this was why he was chosen.
"Look around," Hawks implored as he looked up ahead. "It's amazing. Nothing beats a birds-eye view."
"...I'm wasting my potential?" Fumikage looked at his mentor curiously.
"It's good to put effort into beefing up your short-range combat weaknesses, but you shouldn't forget about what you're good at," Hawks told his student. "Use your Quirk to move more freely," He flapped his wings as he put Fumikage down on the top of a tower. "I'm not interested in training the next generation or anything. But...I couldn't pass this up," He flew above and then dropped his wings to float safely down. He looked out to the city with Fumikage, who gripped the pole tightly. "Those of us who can fly, should fly." Fumikage stared at the man, who looked back at him. He hoped his student understood what he was trying to say. "There's no need to be stuck on the ground with everyone else."
Fumikage ripped off his cape, looking up at Shihai. "I'll use your challenge to reveal something. A move I discovered working with Hawks!"
Shihai just laughed it off. "Dark Fallen Angel?" He then disappeared into the shadows quickly. Fumikage looked around while gritting his teeth, since he didn't know where Shihai would end up this time. "Sounds dramatic. Show me what you've got!" He continued moving through the pipes, the others trying to pinpoint where he would be.
"He's moving through the shadows again," Momo frowned a little.
"Still only one of them attacking? This is unexpected!" Yuga pointed out as he thought it would make more sense to attack together. Mainly because they had Izuka on their side as well.
"Isn't this the same plan that failed the first match?" Mashirao wondered to Shoto.
"It's a pretty smart move," The white/red haired boy watched closely as he disagreed. "In an area like this...I'd say he definitely has the upper hand."
"Tokoyami, are you okay?" Toru asked her classmate as he looked around attentively.
"Yes..."
"Fumikage Tokoyami," Shihai was staring right at Fumikage's back. "I swear, I will vanquish you."
His eyes are fixed on me Fumikage could tell that Shihai was only interested in him. That was probably why he fixated on Dark Shadow and no one else. It felt kind of similar to All Might and Endeavor. That both of them wanted to succeed in terms of darkness and beat the other to be the king of darkness.
Class A is completely in the dark Shihai grinned widely as he knew that he had the upper hand here.
"You and I share a destiny. Brothers in the shadows," Shihai gave Fumikage a big grin. The bird-like boy only stared at him.
However...part of that was Shihai's plan to get into Fumikage's head a little and distract him. I set an emotional trap before the match even started! He grinned devilishly at how his plan was working, flying up a pipe. He then jumped into another one to keep moving quickly. You probably think the one I'm after is my supposed rival, Fumikage Tokoyami. But that's not true! He slipped right past Fumikage, who was still trying to sense his movements. Shihai kept flying around the area. I'm the Scheming Hero, Vantadark. Instead of heading for Fumikage...he flew towards Momo, Toru, and Yuga. And misdirection is the key to my designs!
He gripped Yuga's cape from behind, earning a terrified yelp. Yuga was then pulled backwards away from his team.
"Aoyama?" Momo asked him in confusion.
Shihai just laughed as Yuga screamed. Shihai was in the pipes again, so no one could see him dragging around Yuga like a rag doll.
"Trickery," Ibara remarked while clasping her hands, her head down. "How despicable he is." Another spotlight fell on her. "Wretched soul. Repent at once!"
This cramped, intricate stage gives me plenty of pathways! Even though there were a lot of pipes in his way, it made things better to move around in for Shihai. Plus, he had plenty of training using it to move the way he was. I've got speed on my side! And poor Dark Shadow's tethered to his host on the ground. As he moved, he hung upside down, still holding onto Yuga's cape. Which means, he can't possibly catch up to me—there's no way!
He grinned while Momo and Toru were chasing them down.
"Did you think I was slow?" Fumikage suddenly asked, earning a nervous look from Shihai as the bird-headed boy was actually flying after them the whole time. "Dark Shadow: Dark Fallen Angel!"
"Wait, he can fly?!" Setsuna, Yosetsu, and Togaru all shouted in surprise from the new move.
"Look at Tokoyami go!" Ochaco beamed up at the screen, Class 1-A just as shocked as well.
"It's a new move!" Mina cheered behind her teammate.
"But how's that possible?!" Minoru yelped in disbelief.
Izuku's eyes shined in awe. "The principle behind it is so simple! Dark Shadow is always floating, so he can hold onto Tokoyami and carry him through the air! And by covering himself with a cape, Tokoyami can block the light that weakens his Quirk in order to achieve a continuously high output! Plus with that hold, Tokoyami's hands remain free to do whatever he needs! It's such a brilliant move, you guys!" Ochaco was blushing in a bit of embarrassment as she knew how Izuka felt now whenever he was like this. Mina, Minoru, Rikido, and Tsuyu just stared at the boy. "So obvious that it didn't cross our minds, but he figured it out and look how perfect it's working! It's kind of like he's cut through his own personal Gordian Knot! So cool! Whoa, I'm impressed!"
Fumikage kept his eyes on his opponent and teammate. "You shouldn't forget about what you're good at."
Even though he didn't learn at the internship...he changed that on his own. And he was able to show that he could get something out of working with Hawks. Hawks. I thank you He flew around to catch Yuga, releasing Shihai's hold on him. Yuga held out his arms and legs with a smile. I will fly even higher!
"An unexpected rendezvous!" Yuga cried out in relief.
Shihai only looked up with a small grin, as he didn't let this development get to him. Plan A was a failure.
He then went back into hiding as his team had something else in store for them. "Aoyama, your Navel Buffet!" Momo ordered to her teammate as she wanted to use this move to their advantage. "Tokoyami, cover the area!"
"Dark Shadow, get under the cloak!" Fumikage ordered the entity.
"Got it!" He moved his head down.
"I shall give light to these shadows!" Yuga announced, holding his cheeks. "Navel Buffet!" He gave off several lights in the sky to draw out Shihai. And it worked as Shihai came out of hiding.
"There he is, Hagakure!" Momo could see him hanging onto a pipe.
"I see him! Let's nab him! Hurry!" Toru jumped off a pipe and Shihai landed just a few feet away from them.
"That's as far as you go!" Momo yelled as he whipped around, seeing that the girls were cornering him.
"We won't let you escape!" Toru shouted and he moved back, only for them to move towards the boy.
"Launching a surprise attack alone. Bold move. And certainly unexpected," Momo narrowed her eyes towards him. "No matter. Because I expect the unexpected!"
"Oh, I don't know about that," Shihai had a mischievous look on his face as he turned around and ran a couple of feet.
"Stand down!" Momo ordered, but he didn't listen.
"You don't know when you're beat!" Toru screamed as they started to chase after him...but then a mushroom appeared on Momo's nose. She gasped as she came to a stop, and then yelped as a shooting star was coming for her. She narrowly managed to avoid it, blinking in bewilderment. Toru yelped as well as some were on her body. "Mushrooms? What the heck?" She cried out as more of them popped up. She then jumped backwards from a ricochetting shooting star. "And those are Mido's attacks!"
Shihai laughed as he looked up. "So it's true. Kendo and your own classmate are better than you."
Itsuka was standing alone with a small smile at her plan working.
"It's just like our brilliant class rep said, shroom! If we see too much light, then plan A failed," Kinoko was behind the mushrooms, chuckling as many more mushrooms were appearing around her. "So we start plan B," A mushroom appeared from her own finger. "Cute little mushrooms for everybody. And for Mido to attack undetected, shroom!" Kinoko gave a happy grin.
Meanwhile, Izuka was hiding the shadows on top of a pipe nearby Kinoko. She was kneeling while her moon bow and arrow were in her hands. A small black hole was nearby her, which she was using to fire and then have it appear where the girls were. This was giving Class B so far the advantage...