I'm on a goddamn roll right now!
Expect a frequency of uploads to increase soon. I've managed to get a whole lot of work done recently! The amount of time my new job gives me off is perfect for letting write without the risk of burning out, I almost wished that I sought the job change earlier! Either way, please enjoy the new chapter!
My Hero Academia Untold: The Knights of Fafnir
Saga I: Dusk
Arc II: The Incident (Finale)
Chapter XXXI: What it means to have hope.
"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."
-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The small family in the Midoriya household had just returned from the hospital. As everyone settled in, Inko quickly decided to take matters into her own hands. She knew that the two teens would need some space to start talking about what they were going to do about this surprising development.
"Eri, why don't we let Mama and Papa talk for a tiny bit?" Inko asked sweetly as she quickly scooped up the unicorn child. "You can help me make dinner."
"Okay," Eri chirped as Inko took her to the kitchen. None the wiser as to why her two 'parents' had been silent and red-faced since her confession.
"Thanks, mom," Izuku whispered before guiding Ochako into his bedroom.
When they entered and closed the door behind them, they took their seats across from each other. Ochako sat on Eri's bed while Izuku sat on his chair. Silence reigned for a few moments as the two newly minted parents were trying their best to start perhaps the strangest conversation either of them had ever expected to have.
They knew they needed to talk it out, but neither really knew how. Izuku had previously thought in the rare times he had heard Eri say "Mama" was about Inko and not Ochako. And that she had been coming to view him as an older brother, not a father.
The same could be said for Ochako.
While she had never heard Eri say the word "Mama" before, she knew that Eri had said it before, thanks to Izuku. Like him, she thought Eri looked at her as a big sister, not a mother. After a few more moments of the deafening and awkward silence between them, Izuku finally broke the ice.
"I'm sorry about that, Ochako...I-I didn't think that was going to happen," Izuku confessed nervously while scratching the back of his neck.
"You don't have to apologize for something you didn't do, silly," Ochako said with a soft smile. Understanding that he must be feeling exactly the same way.
"R-right..." Izuku looked into a corner, "so what do you think we should do?"
Izuku looked back at her as he asked, given his father's significant absence. He honestly had no issues with possibly being a dad for her because if that was what she needed, he was more than happy to do it, but could he really do it? Was he adequately equipped to deal with raising Eri as a daughter?
It was scary to think about being a father when he was still technically a child himself.
Then, there was still a chance that Eri could be sent away from them should the situation change. After all, Overhaul had finally been caught. His crimes, including parts of the horror inflicted on the young girl, had finally been revealed to them, thanks to Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi.
"I'm not sure; I'm just worried that I might mess things up for her," Ochako admitted sadly as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Part of me was kind of...happy to be called mama. But I'm also worried that…I'm just not the right fit. I'm not the right person; she needs to be her mother. I mean, I'm nothing compared to your mom, who's just wonderful...and I'm just...me."
Izuku looked genuinely surprised by Ochako's statement.
"I think you've been wonderful for Eri," Izuku started as he reached for her right hand and saw the small scars she had gained from the USJ incident. Ochako instantly broke out with a red face; Izuku, however, pressed on while still holding to her soft hand. "You could have stopped being there for her when Eri came to our care. Instead, you checked on her constantly, helped feed her, taught her...you even read that story for her whenever she asked at bedtime."
Izuku paused to point at the book with his free hand; the book had almost become a permanent feature of his bedside stand.
"You saved both of us during and after the battle with Overhaul."
"But I had help! I didn't do that alone! You took care of most of the work during that fight!" Ochako exclaimed, feeling like she was getting far more credit than she deserved. "Besides, you and your mom were the ones who gave her a home, clothes, and toys and made sure she got all the medical treatment she needed."
"And I had help too!" Izuku followed before grabbing Ochako's other hand. "I couldn't have done that without mom and All Might. I couldn't have fought and won against Overhaul alone. I needed help to win...I needed you and everyone else to help me. That's how I won..."
As Izuku said this, something in Ochako's mind suddenly clicked.
"Maybe that's the key," Ochako said, looking into Izuku's emerald eyes. "I think we've been too focused on the idea of doing this by ourselves. Rather than what we've already been doing together."
Izuku gave Ochako a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?"
"We're both scared about screwing up, right? We're both scared of screwing up by ourselves! Rather than thinking about working together like we've already been doing! Think about it! We've actually been acting as her parents without even realizing it. And in the end, I think that is why Eri chose us, and if that is the case, then really the only thing that changes is what she calls us, right?"
Izuku's face went blank as he began processing her words, blinking slowly as he gathered his thoughts.
"You're right...if you look at it like that, all that changes is how she addresses us!"
"Then do you want to try it, Izuku?" Ochako said, taking Izuku's hands into her own, careful not to accidentally use her quirk.
"Huh?"
"Like before, we can work together, right? Be there for her? To try and be the best parents we could be...as long as she needs us to be?"
This time, Izuku looked deeply into Ochako's beautiful chocolate eyes, finding that compassionate warmth that made his heartbeat firmer.
"Only if you are sure you want to do it," Izuku answered firmly, making her laugh.
"I'm pretty sure that I'm the one who asked you, right?" Ochako said with a giggle.
Izuku smiled while feeling incredibly warm. She was correct; if they had been doing this already and she was okay with taking the role of mother, he knew they could help give Eri the life she deserved.
"Mama! Papa! Dinner is ready!" Eri called out from behind Izuku's door. "Inki made pancakes!"
The two newly minted parents couldn't help but let their smiles grow bigger as they heard Eri sound so happy. The two knew it was the turnaround they both wanted Eri to have. Both pledged to protect her from ever experiencing the horrors she once lived ever again. To do their best to always protect that beautiful smile.
The drive had been quiet and peaceful as Ryu looked out the window of Saya's car, seeing the early morning sky. On the outside, he looked very bored, yet he was a nervous wreck on the inside. There was one part of himself that had long been looking forward to this event, yet there was another part of him that filled him with dread.
"It's been a while since you last saw them, right?" Saya asked as she kept her eyes on the road.
"Three months," Ryu answered automatically as he leaned on his seat. "Since Maki's last birthday."
"You didn't need to give me a lift, Mrs. Doumeki..."Ryu sighed with some embarrassment, "though I do appreciate it."
"Nonsense!" Saya exclaimed with a bright smile. "You're still recovering! Even though you've been cleared to go back to school tomorrow. The Doctor still wants you to take it easy and not strain yourself. I still have plenty of time to take off to ensure you're taken care of."
"Won't you get in trouble?" Ryu questioned with concern, which was evident in his voice.
"Ohoho, I didn't think you'd be concerned about me," Saya answered teasingly.
Ryu snapped his head away from his adopted mother, trying to avoid showing his embarrassment. Saya, however, simply laughed at his unexpected reaction.
"Oh, sweetie!" Saya chirped happily. "When you own your business and have a competent staff, you'd be surprised how much time you can arrange for yourself. It helps to be your own boss. Besides! I won't say no to you getting out of the house and getting some fresh air! Plus, I don't want to pass up getting to see you with those adorable kids."
Ryu's face began burning with embarrassment, so he felt the need to almost shrink into his shirt. Putting up the emotional wall between himself and the woman had become increasingly difficult. Saya Doumeki was just too kind, too nice for him to put up a complete guard like he had been able to do before the USJ.
His mask had cracked, and that only made him nervous.
"Oh, stop it!" Saya playfully chided as she saw his reaction. "There's nothing embarrassing about wanting to see them! They're your family! I mean, you even mentioned that it was...Ummm...what was his name? Taki?"
"Takuya," Ryu corrected her as he pulled up the boy's image on his cell phone and pointed out his former foster brother. "But the girls like to call him Taki because it's cute."
"Right, he's the artist, right? I remember you mentioning that he's the one who drew up the design for your hero costume."
"And he totally blew up in embarrassment when I sent in the picture of me wearing it," Ryu answered with a light chuckle, pulling up the chat log with the two when he had sent a selfie of himself with his costume.
Go with the Flow (Ryu): -Image sent.
Mangaman (Takuya): OMG WHY?! I SENT THAT DESIGN TO YOU AS A JOKE!
Go with the Flow (Ryu): How was I not going to use it?! You've seen me draw; I suck at it! And I had to submit something! What could be better than using my loving Lil bro's design for me?
Mangaman (Takuya): I don't care! Change before you go out in public with it! You just look so lame with it on!
Mangaman (Takuya): Maki said it looks lame too.
Mangaman (Takuya): And Sachi just laughed at your silly pose.
Go with the Flow (Ryu): Oooh. Wow, you guys are really breaking my heart right now.
Go with the Flow (Ryu): Thankfully, I have a solution...I'm definitely going to keep this lame costume you designed for me. Just to show how much I love you.
Mangaman(Takuya): NO!
Go with the Flow (Ryu): YES!
Mangaman (Takuya): I hate you right now.
Go with the Flow (Ryu): I love you too, Taki.
Mangaman (Takuya): DX
Mangaman (Takuya): I'll redesign it! Just don't wear it out in public, please! I'll just die if you do!
Go with the Flow (Ryu): Deal.
Saya giggled as Ryu read aloud the texts.
"Did they send you anything recently?" She asked, not knowing that Ryu had only recently gotten his cell phone back, thanks to his classmates.
Ryu's face almost turned sour, but he managed to remain stoic.
"They did...and that's why I was—no, I need to go see them personally," the young man answered as he pulled up the most recent messages he received but didn't read them aloud. Ryu had missed these messages since he didn't have his phone until Denki delivered it yesterday. Even now, it was painful for him to even think about how scared and worried they had been for him.
Mangaman (Takuya): Are you okay!? We saw the news that UA was attacked!
Mangaman (Takuya): They said that some students were sent to the hospital! Please text us back! Sachi's been crying since we saw the update.
Mangaman (Takuya): Please be safe big bro...
Mangaman (Takuya): Big sis Michi, send that your in the hospital. Can we come to see you?
Mangaman (Takuya): said* you're*
Mangaman (Takuya): I'm sorry that I called you lame for wearing the costume I drew. Just please let us know that you're safe...please.
'Suna probably made him stop just in case...' thought Ryu. He felt his heartache as he silently re-read the last series of texts he had received from his little foster brother. "No, nothing else...but I'm sure the attack scared them."
He would not simply respond to them out of the blue like that. After almost dying, Ryu wanted nothing more than to see them. He needed to be reminded of what and why he was here.
'To give them a future they deserve to have...'
"Wow...the place looks so different from when I was last here with Kai," Saya commented as they pulled up to Ryu's old home.
The place was a modestly-sized single-story building that had recently been repainted a bright baby blue. The outdoor equipment had either been restored or outright replaced. Compared to a year ago, when most of the old sky-blue paint had been chipping away, almost all playground equipment was rusty and unusable.
"Mr. Anno has been pulling strings and having the Neocons donate a sizable amount of money to the place since I left," Ryu said with a small but satisfied smile.
It was nice to see the results of his efforts already paying off.
While done as a public relations stunt by Neocons, it was, in fact, one of Ryu's conditions for being adopted by Doumekis, which had been arranged by Hideyoshi Anno himself. It was ultimately a win for everyone involved. Ryu's loyalty was secured once the children he left behind had a bigger budget to get them all newer, better things. In a country that didn't place much value on unwanted children(*1), it was always worse for those considered undesirable and unadoptable.
This was a polite, politically correct way of saying that, except for Ryu, this was an orphanage for Quirkless children.
Ryu had only been sent here as a last resort due to past behavioral issues. As such, it often had the lowest priority for everything. Funds for the basics were frequently limited; even the staff only consisted of the director's immediate family—a husband-wife team with the occasional help from their young adult children.
"Really?" Saya questioned, surprised by Ryu's comment as she parked the car. "That strikes me to be rather odd because I always found Anno to be a complete horse's ass whenever I had the displeasure of meeting him."
Ryu had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at Saya's unexpected remark.
"And here I thought you were cool with the Neocons like Mr. Doumeki?"
Hideyoshi Anno was widely seen as the epitome of calmness and civility in the public eye. Yet, only a few knew of his blatant attitude towards his subordinates, which bordered on abuse. Saya's ability to see this without knowing this actually impressed him.
"I'm simply saying that it sounds out of character for him," Saya answered with a long frown. "I've never been one for politics, but I've especially never been a big fan of the Neocon movement."
The older woman paused to ponder for a moment.
"While I understand that they have gone to do some genuinely good things, like tackling issues plaguing the quirkless population. Given the time I grew up in and witnessed, I am happy to have a real champion for Quirkless people. For people like Kai," That is when Saya began shaking her head. "Yet, I feel like they go too far with other policies. Like their views on foreigners, I fail to see how Foreign Heroes who work in Japan affect the quality of native Pro-Heroes. All barring foreign pro-heroes does is create a headache for everyone and makes Japan look backward on the international stage."
"Fair enough," Ryu replied with a slightly revised view of his adopted mother as they both exited the car and into the outskirts of his former home. Ryu felt uneasy, coming back after such a long time away.
"Ready to see them?" Saya asked when she noticed Ryu had stopped by the fence that divided the grounds. Ryu was about to answer when a new voice called out.
"Is that you, Saito?"
The two turned to see a young woman making her way to them with a broom in hand.
"Hi, Michi," answered Ryu, looking sheepish. "It's been a while..."
"Indeed," the young woman replied, turning her attention to Saya and bowed politely. "Mrs. Doumeki, I presume?"
"Good morning," Saya greeted politely, bowing back. "You must be Suna. I am afraid I missed you when we finalized Ryu's adoption. Your parents told me quite a bit about you."
"Hopefully, nothing too embarrassing," said Suna with a nervous laugh before looking back at Ryu. Suna Michishio was the daughter of the director of the Summerlands orphanage and one of the caretakers of the children here. She was a short, young woman with bright orange hair and square-shaped blue eyes.
"You okay, Saito?"
"It's Kasei now, Big sis Michi," Ryu corrected her as his golden eyes scanned the playground. "I haven't been Ryu Saito for over a year now."
"Ah, I'm sorry about that, Kasei," Suna replied with a slight frown. "But I'm glad that you're better, though. I was worried for you and those kids that got caught up in that mess at UA."
"And I'm sorry for worrying all of you," Ryu said sincerely while nervously scratching the back of his head.
Saya simply stood there with a smile as she got to see just how open was being Ryu right now. Then again, this had been his home for the longest time; it must have felt right for him to be back.
"Where is everyone?" Ryu asked, confirming that the kids weren't outside for their morning exercises at this hour.
"Oh, right..." Suna answered promptly. "They're inside watching TV right now; Sachi is still sick from last week and-"
Ryu didn't even let her finish as the boy instantly hopped the small fence and ran towards the building with newly found energy. Leaving the two ladies behind in the dust. Suna let out a nervous chuckle as she turned her attention back to Saya.
"I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Doumeki; would you like to come inside for tea?"
"That sounds good about now, thank you."
/
Ryu burst into the familiar small hallway decorated with small hand-drawn flowers of different shapes and colors. Dropping his shoes by the entranceway, he quickly yet silently went down to the dorms and into the living room.
'She's still getting sick?' Ryu wondered as he crept closer to his destination. Of all of his foster siblings, Sachi always had a weaker constitution than everyone else. Ever since she was brought in as a baby, she would often get sick at odd intervals. It didn't help that their limited budget was often drained quickly with hospital trips, so it had always been a challenge to keep her healthy. 'I'm sure if the cash keeps coming, Sachi's bound to get better.'
Ryu suddenly stopped when he heard his middle sister, Maki, laughing down the hall. His heart began racing as his excitement to see them only grew. Once he had made it to the living room, he leaned in slightly to find that all three were facing away from where he was, watching a repeat episode of Animal Buddies.
'Okay...time to surprise them...' Slowly, he tiptoed behind the trio until he was right behind Sachi, who was drinking a juice box.
"So, is Blink really not going to be on the show anymore?" Maki said sadly, watching the young American and a few other foreign hero students on the show. Each talked about their experiences of coming to Japan with Comicman; meanwhile, Anima would sign the conversation. "But he's really funny!"
On the screen, Alex, in his hero costume, sat in a fake classroom alongside other foreign hero students, with Comicman at the podium, pretending to be their teacher.
"It took me a long time to learn how much Yen translated from American dollars! The first time I heard that I got a million yen,(*2) I was like. 'I'm rich, haha!'"
"I don't know. He could still be on the show if Comicman or Anima wanted him. But he just wouldn't be Blink anymore," answered the eldest and only boy of the trio, Takuya.
"Do you think big brother Ryu could be on TV?" Sachi asked before coughing lightly.
"If I chose the right Pro to intern with, then maybe," Ryu decided to answer as he leaned forward to reveal himself to the three. In an instant, they all turned away from the TV and stared at him in silence.
"Hey, guys...good to se-"
Ryu didn't even get a chance to finish as all three kids instantly tackled him, grabbing onto him as tightly as they could, not wanting to let him go. Sighing, Ryu wrapped his arms around them, whispering gentle reassurances to them while ignoring the increasing dampness of his shirt.
"I'm sorry for not answering you guys sooner."
"And now, we have one last special announcement to make! But first, we want to show everyone this video that was kindly put together by the General Studies Course."
Alex sat in his hospital bed, re-watching what he considered the happiest day of his life on his cell phone. The day he was promoted to the Hero Course after his performance at last year's sports festival. Lucy had stepped out to grab him some much-needed lunch, something solid, unhealthy, and fucking tasty like a goddamn burger. The young American was set to be discharged after one last check-up and had finally been given the all-clear to eat solid foods again, something he needed like no tomorrow. He needed something to ease the pain in his heart, so he sat there, still watching the video with anger in his soul. Alex knew that he should be grateful, coming back from a condition that some would consider worse than death.
"And recognition for the most improvement made is Alexander Springfield." The voice of Present Mic could be heard over his phone speakers. Alex's hands subconsciously began squeezing his phone in anger.
Yet.
Part of him felt like it would have been better if he simply stayed in his coma...or, even better, just flat-out died. At least that way, he could have died with the illusion of going out like a hero. Instead, he woke up only to be basically told by the Japanese government to go fuck himself.
"But dear listeners, it doesn't just end there! As some of you may have noticed, we recently had a spot open up in the hero course..."
He watched as the younger version of himself freeze up when he heard those words. He remembered how his heart had begun to race when those words of hope had been spoken, that feeling of hope.
'Goddamnit...why am I even watching this?!' Alex wanted to yell out, trying hard not to cry, trying not to think about all of the years of his life that had been wasted. All those years of studying Japanese, taking extra language courses to the point that he neglected to have a social life back home. He could remember all of the naysayers mocking him for wanting to carve his own path.
"Fucking weeb!
"Japan doesn't want anti-social losers like you!"
"Hey, Fatass, there's no way some white hick kid can get into UA; just stick to the hero courses here!"
Those words stung, but he would always play it off jokingly because he wanted to be the type of hero who could save the day with a laugh. He loved heroes like Comicman, Ms. Joke, and any hero who could help someone in need and make them laugh while doing it.
So Alex had resolved to try to be as funny as possible, even if it was only enough to make himself laugh, just enough to cheer himself up, just enough to hide the pain.
Even his parents weren't the most supportive folks. They were all up for him to become a Pro-Hero, but they had thought that his dream to go to UA was merely that—a dream and nothing more. It took a long time to convince them and even longer to have Lucy accept him since she had lived and worked in Japan for the past few years. He had been willing to work himself to the bone, and that's precisely what he did.
UA held special exams for foreigners that weren't for Japanese citizens abroad.
The competition was a brutal battery of examinations, and that was just for the privilege of taking the UA entrance exam. Alex had known about this exam for years since he considered going to UA. When the once-in-a-lifetime chance for the exchange program examination came, he remembered the weeks of extra cramming and sleepless nights. All to make that dream a reality...only he ended up neglecting his own health, becoming excessively overweight by the time of his examination.
'I gained 132 pounds in 5 years...if only I hadn't been such an idiot...'
Alex passed the exchange program examination, but at a cost that only became obvious in hindsight to him after failing the practical entrance exam for the Hero Course. It was when he realized that he was in no shape to be a proper hero. Especially not with his type of quirk that needed him to be lightweight. So, despite failing to pass the Hero Course exam, he joined the group as a General Studies student. Alex doubled down, starting a diet and exercise regimen that caused him to slim down 102 pounds in just under a year while improving his body's tone and muscle definition.
'So many times, I was ready to quit...'
It was one of his life's most miserable experiences, avoiding several of his favorite foods, snacks, and drinks. So many times, he ended up almost quitting, so many times he would cry alone so no one could see the pain he was in, quickly dismissing everyone's concerns with his usual jokes. It was a grueling process, but one that resulted in his promotion to Liaison just before the first year of school ended. But it had all been worth it.
Just to hear those words.
"And after today's performance, a unanimous decision was made during the break while we were setting the stage for the award ceremony. I've officially gotten the okay from Principal Nezu himself!"
The words that made all of that hard, miserable work pay off.
The words that gave him the right to say "Fuck you!" to everyone who told him that he couldn't do it. To everyone who mocked him around the world after his failure during his first Sports Festival. The words he needed to hear so badly, so desperately, that it made all of his pain and sacrifices worth it.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce and welcome our newest addition to the Hero Course: Alexander Springfield; welcome aboard to your hero Academia!"
What the hell did Alex have now? He was now a disgraced student, stripped of his license, and barred from reaching his dreams of becoming a Pro-Hero. And all because he killed a villain. It was an accident, of course! He didn't mean to kill him, but he wasn't broken up about killing the bastard either. He looked him up. Pit Viper had a solid record of cold-blooded murders. The bastard had gone after his juniors, who were kids compared to himself! He's eighteen! A young adult who was ready to die if it came down to it!
Instead, he was still alive; he did his duty. He saved his juniors, and this was his reward...
"What the hell will I do now?" Alex asked himself quietly as the tears threatened to run down his face. He was about to replay the video to relive the moment when he heard a knock on his room door.
"Alex?" He heard Lucy call out to him.
Alex immediately hit the home button on his phone and quickly wiped the tears away from his eyes. He opted to pretend to have just woken up from a nap because he couldn't bear to let her see him like this. He gave a great big fake yawn and answered in English.
"I'm decent."
The door slid open, and Lucy walked in with a paper bag from a local burger joint and a large soda.
"Got you food!" said Lucy in Japanese with a cheerful smile, hoping that her cousin was feeling better.
"Oh, Lucy, you are totally my hero right now," Alex answered with a snort, switching back to Japanese. His mouth began watering upon seeing the bag.
"Eat a dick, Alex," said Lucy sharply with a roll of her eyes as she handed her cousin the food. She watched as her cousin began unpacking his meal and proceeded to eat with gusto.
"Hmmm!" Alex groaned in joy after taking a bite of the burger along with several perfectly seasoned fries.
"Go'mn! Di's goo'd!" said Alex with a mouthful of food. A few speckles of burger and fries flew out.
"Stop being a pig!" Lucy chided him before sighing and giving him an update.
"I got word from Comicman," Lucy added while pulling out four golden slips of paper from her purse. "He said they're completely free of charge."
"Awesome!" Alex said after taking a swig of his drink and wiping his mouth with his wrist. "I'm glad that Mirio reminded me of what I had told the kids back on the bus. Given that I didn't get to thank them yesterday, I hope this will be enough to show my gratitude."
"Speaking of Tōgata…"Lucy drawled, getting back up to open the door. "Come on in, guys!"
Not a moment passed as the rest of Alex's team began walking in, making the foreign boy overjoyed to see them all.
"OH, LUCY! You shouldn't have!"Alex quickly cheered with a laugh the moment he saw Mirio."I can't believe you brought me Japan's best stripper! Quick, let me borrow 20,000 yen in small bills, and we can get this show on the road!"
Nejire, who had not been ready for Alex's opening line, had utterly begun to lose it as she began laughing hard enough that she needed to hold on to her sides. Meanwhile, Tamaki and Mezou looked at each other with knowing looks of amusement. Mirio simply looked at his friend, having picked up on a few of his habits, and answered just as quickly.
"Lap dances start at 500 yen for the first hour."
Alex roared with laughter at Mirio's answer, turning bright red as he wheezed from the lack of air.
"Oh my God, Alex, why?!" Lucy exclaimed while covering her red face, entirely embarrassed by her cousin's antics.
"Just sayin'!" Alex answered once he recovered, taking another large bite of his burger before giving Mirio's butt a knowing glance. "Tha's J'pan's ass ri'hd der."
"I'm so sorry, Tōgata," said Lucy after another facepalm.
"It's alright. Whatever he needs to get back on his feet is good with me," Mirio answered with a good-natured wave of his hand. "All joking aside, Alex, we're glad that you're awake."
Mirio said this with his trademarked smile and thumbs up. However, internally, however, he was worried. Alex may have been up and joking around like normal, but something in his gut told him otherwise.
"Oh! Excuse me a moment, guys...I'm getting a call," Lucy spoke up, suddenly feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. "I'll just be a minute."
And with that, Lucy stepped out of the room, leaving Alex alone with his team.
The room went silent almost instantly, except for the occasional crunch and munch whenever Alex ate his food. The remaining members of the Big Five had been worried sick about their friend and teammate. First about his coma and now about his current state of mind. They knew firsthand just how hard Alex had worked to get to his spot in the Hero Course. After all, they all had a hand in helping his development from the beginning.
They knew he had to be in so much pain at the moment, and they wanted to save him from it.
"How are you feeling, Springfield?" Mezou asked gently as Alex finished off the last of his burger.
"I'm alive; what else can I say?" Alex responded promptly after draining the last of his cola. He knew the conversation was going to happen sooner or later; he just wasn't ready to admit it. He didn't cry when Eraserhead told him the news, and he refused to cry now. He didn't want to show just how powerless he felt at the moment.
"Springfield, you know you can talk to us, right?" Nejire interjected in a worried voice, her usually bubbly cheer gone.
"There's nothing to talk about, I got the news, and the decision has been made."
"Springfield..."
"How is everyone doing back at school?" Alex interrupted quickly. "Especially the juniors, h-how are they holding up?"
"Everyone is doing good from what we hear," Tamaki decided to answer as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. "They've been getting counseling from Hound Dog, and no one suffered from any lasting injuries."
"Thank goodness," Alex said with some relief as he shook his empty cup of ice, trying to get the last drops of his drink.
"Do you know when you'll be back?" Nejire questioned.
"Tomorrow. I'm getting discharged later today since the staff wanted to keep me in observation, so I need to decide what I'm going to do next as quickly as possible," Alex stopped for a moment to bag up his trash. "I can't go back to General Studies since there is no room left. 3-A nor 3-B are not accepting third-year transfers, so I can't be traded out. Honestly, it looks like I have no choice but to drop out and go to a local public school...then maybe go back home."
"But can't you just stay in our homeroom class?" Mezou suggested. "Even with the situation being how it is, you can still attend class with us."
Alex flinched before slowly shaking his head.
"I could...but I don't want to," Alex flatly admitted, looking down before sighing. His fists began to ball up. "I...don't think I can handle it. It's too painful a reminder of what...I'll never have now. It kills me to think that you'll all be graduating without me in a few months. So what's the point?"
"Alex...you never know what could happen!" Mirio retorted, putting his hand on the brunette's shoulder. "The decision could be overturned! Have you seen social media lately? Several people were really angry with what they did to you!"
"That's right, Springfield!" Nejire exclaimed, pulling out her phone to show him her feed. "Look, they even got a hashtag for you! #Blink! and #SaveBlink has been trending a lot!"
"I heard that even the US ambassador got really pissed off about. But then again, given all of the American Pros whose work in the country is still on hold, they clearly have been putting a lot of extra work on her plate. I wouldn't be surprised," Tamaki added with a small smile.
"I don't care about this political nonsense that he's going on about," said Mezou as he motioned to everyone else on the team."But we will not abandon you. One way or another, you will become a Hero alongside us."
"Guys…" Alex managed to say as he sharply inhaled and gritted his teeth. He felt his eyes burn again as they threatened to let tears run down.
"It was a long shot to bring you back, but despite the odds, you came back," Mirio followed up with that trademarked smile. "This just feels like another long shot, but that's why we're going to become heroes, right? To make even the most hopeless of situations better. No matter what those nut jobs in the government say, because Alex, you're a hero already."
The dam finally burst as Alex started to cry, and his team quickly wrapped him in a much-needed hug.
'I'm such an idiot! I counted myself out before even fighting back! They're right; I will become a Pro one way or another! I just need to find a new way to do it.'
Lucy returned shortly after her call with a bittersweet smile on her face.
A new path had been opened but came with a considerable cost.
The next day came quickly, as 1-A celebrated Ryu's return and the news that Alex had been successfully healed. Otherwise, it had been a relatively normal day for everyone as they waited for Hero training for the latter half of the day.
"So, who's best girl?" Minoru asked slyly while sliding a suspiciously pink manga copy between the trio as they ate lunch together for the first time since the USJ. Now that Ryu wasn't all hopped up on painkillers, they had the chance to catch up. Denki leaned forward, curious about their friend's answer; he had a bet riding on the answer.
Ryu paused, thinking hard, while looking down at the curry he had gotten from Lunch Rush. The manga had a rather large female cast with several candidates that could easily serve as an acceptable answer. Yet, there was only one answer for him.
"Nodoka."
"Ah, damn it!" Denki groaned while Minoru began cackling.
"What did I say?! Curvy and brainy!" The short lad bragged excitedly about his win against his blond friend.
"You disappoint me, man," Denki admitted, handing Minoru a 500 Yen coin.
"Get bent, Kaminari. I happen to find intelligence attractive..." Ryu laughed while motioning to an hourglass figure with his hands. "But I'll admit that having a nice figure doesn't hurt."
"Also, I have to admit that despite the manga being borderline porn, the story is surprisingly good...Which reminds me...is there a sequel?"
"Ten volumes in the series, my friend," Minoru whispered back with a wink.
"Nice, I'll keep that in mind."
"Just saying Nodoka was kind of a bitch, ya know?" Denki commented as he scratched his chin, questioning his friend's taste in women.
"Dude, she was confident and had a lot on her plate," Ryu retorted, pointing at him with his spoon. "Plus, she wasn't a tsundere like Mika; now that girl was just plain mean with no justification."
"Ooooh!" Mineta exclaimed. "Mika happens to be Kaminari's favorite."
"Dude...Really?" Ryu said with a smirk and a laugh, leaning back in his seat. "But...she can be so mean and excessive when it comes to beating up Naoto!"
"Mika's is rough on the outside but a total sweetheart inside," Denki replied confidently. "Any real man could handle the heat."
"Any real man wouldn't put up with it."
"Best girl fight!" Minoru proclaimed with a bang of his fist.
"Best girl, what now?" The trio heard a familiar voice question them, making them freeze. They turned to see Momo Yaoyorozu, Kashiko, and Kyouka standing next to their table with rather stern-looking expressions on their faces.
"Kasei, I understand that it is your first day back, but this conversation seems more than a little inappropriate."
'Shit…' The trio thought in unison, getting caught with their collective pants down.
While those three were getting scolded by their class president.
/
Eijirou sat at a nearby lunch table with his friends. While he was happy that Alex had been healed, he was still bummed out about the decision to strip him of his license. On the other hand, Mina had been trying to keep their minds off the subject by chatting up with everyone else.
"So it is really your birthday next week, Bakugou?" Mina asked excitedly to the ash-blond teen.
"Yeah," Katsuki replied with a grin. He knew that Izuku had already sent him an initial list of ideas that he would read over and pick through later.
"Got any plans set up so far?" Eijirou asked, curious about his team leader.
"A whole goddamn list, including this all-you-can-eat curry eating contest that they're hosting on the same day."
"I'd never heard of a restaurant setting up an all-you-can-eat contest," Ochako commented with a puzzled tilt of her head.
"Oh yeah, Uraraka, you're from the countryside, right?" Mina asked as she tried to remember Ochako's background.
"I believe it is a way for several restaurants to boost sales and excitement for their featured cuisines," Tenya answered promptly.
"My brother Natsuo is a huge fan of these events," Shouto interjected, knowing that no one else in the family would ever compete in such an event. "Particularly those that feature pancakes or Chinese food...even if he never wins them."
"The contest features a pretty good prize: the whole thing becomes free, plus you get to eat there free of charge for a month!" Izuku explained, holding up his phone. "I know that Kacchan loves spicy foods, and this "Magma Curry" is supposed to be the hottest curry on their menu."
"Oh, hell yeah! Bring it on!" Katsuki proclaimed with an excited grin. "Afterward, we can do a bunch of other good stuff, like the arcade down the street that I still go to every now and then."
"That curry-eating contest sounds manly as hell! I want to try it out!" Eijirou added, throwing his hat into the ring. Meanwhile, everyone else seemed more settled on simply watching the two entering the competition. All of them had a good laugh at the idea of watching the contest.
That's when Mirio walked into the lunchroom, heading straight to their table.
"Oh, good, I found you guys!" the senior told them, with almost everyone greeting him promptly as he pulled out four golden slips of paper and handed them to Izuku. "I don't have much time, but I was asked to give these to you."
The greenette looked puzzled until he read the printing; his eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
"Wait, these are!"
"VIP tickets to a live showing of Animal buddies this weekend!" Mirio explained with his trademarked smile. "Alex got a hold of these to thank you since he didn't get the chance to do so after you had Eri heal him."
"Izuku, I think Eri will flip when she finds out!" Ochako said excitedly before facing Mirio. "How is Springfield doing right now?"
Mirio hissed a bit with a slight flinch.
"Well, you see..."
"I'm sorry it came down to this, Mr. Springfield," Nezu said solemnly as the young man stood in front of him in his office with Eraserhead flanking his right side.
"No, sir, I'm really grateful that you guys managed to pull this off for me," Alex answered back sincerely as he bowed to the principal. He was no longer wearing a standard UA uniform. Instead, he now wore a unique staff PE uniform, designating him as a Training Specialist and temporary Teacher's Aide.
"It's not what I had hoped, but it is better than nothing, and at least I'll still get to have a little more fun here at UA with my trainees until I go back home."
"It was the least we could do for you," Nezu replied with a nod.
"However, we have word that the US Ambassador to Japan currently petitioning the government on your behalf because she wants, and I quote, 'To rub it in Representative Kimura's face' when she gives her next speech at the Prime Minister's ball in a few weeks."
Nezu didn't mention that All Might was set to go on a dinner date with said Ambassador at the Prime Minister's request for this favor. Who knew Toshinori Yagi had it in him to take a metaphorical bullet for his students? It did help that the woman was also a former Pro-Hero in the States before becoming an Ambassador to Japan.
"I think that I love my ambassador already," Alex said with a light chuckle, still getting a feel for his new clothing. "She sounds like a class act."
"We also appreciate the favor of helping train these two up for the Sports Festival and some extra field training with the first years," Eraserhead interjected as he gave Alex a couple of files marked with the names Hitoshi Shinsou and Reiko Yanagi on their covers.
"So...I got three weeks to get them ready, huh?" Alex commented as he looked over the files on the two. "Interesting Quirks I can force them to play around with and test out."
"I want you to give them the same kind of hell that Tōgata gave you when you became a Liaison."
"Can I have access to Site Omega?" Alex asked with an excited grin. Site Omega was only used for exceptionally hellish training.
Eraserhead looked to Nezu, who simply shrugged.
"You may."
"YES! This is going to be fun!"
"The research I've gained from Overhaul's files proved useful; quirk-destroying bullets. A simple but a rather ingenious idea." The Doctor commented as he worked.
"I didn't think you would be partial into looking into such a thing, given your lifelong devotion to the topic of Quirks."
"I personally have no intention of re-creating these bullets, master, unless I was ordered to," the man answered as he adjusted his Master's throne. "I know, however, that young Master Tomura is very interested in these. However, I'm missing a key ingredient needed to synthesize the formula and create the compound needed for the bullets. I suspect what the ingredient is, but I need a little more time to confirm my suspicion. Yet, it did give me an idea for a variation for these bullets that could still prove useful for Tomura if called for them."
The Doctor paused to look up from his tools.
"Unless you say otherwise, master."
There was a sharp hiss as the Doctor adjusted his Master's throne. He made sure everything was in working order, part of their daily routine. All For One stirred slightly as he could feel the Doctor's thoughts; something else was swirling within him. The Master couldn't read minds, but a combination of Quirks that he had stolen made it much easier to sense specific emotions when people were in his presence.
"What else is on your mind, my old friend?" All For One said suddenly to his old servant. The Doctor paused what he was doing. All For One could feel the Doctor's thoughts continued to swirl before settling into something akin to curiosity.
"I've been thinking about what you did during the last meeting with your remaining heirs, Master." He answered honestly, knowing that lying would only result in severe consequences. "If I may speak freely?"
"You may."
"Would you have really let Tomura die if that Defective Child had asked it of you?"
All For One gave out a dark chuckle that chilled the Doctor to the bone.
"No," The ancient one answered honestly.
"I've known for a long time now that Tomura would always be my successor. His heart is filled with the right kind of malice that needs to be nurtured correctly to assume my ideals. However, even I can make mistakes, my old friend, so I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket. So I devised that all of the children brought or born within these halls would now serve to make Tomura stronger, smarter, and more patient. Call it his own internship, and if he failed, he wouldn't have been worth it...but as you can see, Tomura only thrived."
"And yet you le-"
All For One was quick to cut him off.
"The Defective one is useful in several ways: crafty, resourceful, and a great improviser. The Broken Prince isn't much of a long-term planner, but he's a brilliant opportunist. He exceeds on building upon the situation around himself. An excellent skill but a double-edged sword since he may not be able to predict the consequences of his actions until it is too late. Especially with that deadly defect he was born with compared to his other brothers and sisters."
The eyeless man turned to The Doctor.
"If he had requested Tomura be killed. I would have denied him, much like how I had stayed culling for some previously defeated candidates like Himiko or Mimicry."
"The girl I can understand, thanks to her blood being useful for my research," The Doctor added with a nod. "And Mimicry has been very useful in his role within the police. Yet...that boy, that Broken Prince, whenever I did his routine maintenance to make sure his body could handle multiple Quirks. I could almost feel the blood lust bubbling just under the surface."
"I'm afraid that is where you are wrong, my good doctor," All For One interjected. "What you sense in him isn't blood lust, though I know it feels like it. No, what you felt was his sheer willpower."
"Willpower, master?" The Doctor questioned with a look of confusion on his face.
"Indeed, it is perhaps his greatest strength and his greatest flaw. The willpower to destroy everything I stand for, he cannot hide his truest desires from myself."
"And yet you let him live?"
"Indeed."
"Why?"
Under his mask, All For One grinned.
"Because he knows what will happen if he tries to make a move on me. When the time is right, and the pieces are in place. He will no longer serve any use for Tomura or me; then, you can have him. Turn him into a Noumu, or kill him for what he did to your grandson."
"Tsubasa served his purpose; his wings went to the victor. I have no qualms about it, Master." The Doctor answered honestly once again.
"No matter, when the time is right, I will steal all of his hopes and dreams and make sure that he learns his place when Tomura takes his rightful spot. Just like his father, the old Phoenix King, the son wants to try to fly even higher than the sky. But just like Icarus, his wings will burn up in time for his folly to go where only the Gods can reign."
Tomura sat with a drink by his side, playing on his portable gaming console, when a portal swirled open a few feet away from him, revealing the Hero Killer Stain with Kurogiri.
"Shigaraki," Stain said promptly, eyeing his surroundings.
"Stain, been having more fun with the new information at your disposal?" Tomura said with a smirk. "Along with the new toys we got you, you're making quite the bold new statement."
"Nothing has changed about my mission, for I continue to purge this world of these damnable false heroes. However, I'll admit my message gets across much better by going after the worst of the worst." Stain said as he took his seat at the other end of the bar.
Kurogiri quickly handed him a simple glass of water from behind the bar, knowing that the Hero Killer tended to avoid alcohol.
"Speaking of which, I have another set of names thanks to my contacts in the police...and these people, my friend, have gotten away with crimes so well," Tomura paused for dramatic effect. "They never even made it to court."
Tomura chuckled as he slid an envelope for Stain's next set of targets. It was a simple yet brilliant idea the Pale Prince had come up with when he had personally led the assault to rescue Stain from the cops almost a month ago. Once he learned that he was dealing with a radical fanatic, convincing him to see his way wasn't hard.
The bait?
Use Mimicry to get these damning reports that never made it to the public. Add a couple of notable names with fake police reports, and voila, an independent hitman who is more than happy to do hits for free. Stain had already taken care of a few witnesses among the small-time heroes from The Nursery Incident and The Master's last clash with All Might.
And since both cases were sealed up tight due to concerns posed to national security.
No one was the wiser when these possible witnesses in the Hero scene ended up dead in seemingly unrelated incidents or ended up being Stain's next targets. Meanwhile, Tomura had the other small fries to deal with, like any civilians or other key witnesses that needed to be taken personally.
"I'm afraid that particular pile has the most terrible case of a quirk marriage I have never seen!" Tomura exclaimed dramatically with a mad cackle, delighted when he could almost feel the anger begin to radiate off of Stain as he continued to scan through the reports. Mimicry did well in finding the rat within Kai Doumeki's inner circle, helping these pro-heroes investigate Draco Knight's downfall.
"However, I wouldn't worry about taking care of him just yet. You see, there is the cop that helped him escape justice, Stain, and I'm just going to make sure that he's out of the way first," Tomura explained as he quickly grabbed his drink to toast the man. "Then, as usual, you'll have free reign to judge that fake pro and do as you wish with him."
Tomura needed to make up for his failure at the USJ, and Stain was his ace in the hole to get there. He would make sure that his brother's identity would remain secret just long enough so he could finally kill the bastard himself.
While Izuku and Inko were working out plans for how they were going to attend the live showing, Ochako carried Eri into Izuku's bedroom, ready to tuck her into bed. The three had decided to keep the weekend plans a surprise for the girl whom they wanted to continue this happier trend she was having. Now that Eri's assessments were complete, Inko and All Might sought schools to take her in.
Which would now include the chance of leaving Eri alone with strangers.
Safe strangers, of course, like teachers and other kids, but strangers to her nonetheless. They also had an appointment with Eri's psychiatrist to address any concerns about having Eri's imprint on the two teens might have. It was a lot of work for everyone involved, but they were all determined to make it happen.
"Mama?" Eri sighed as she was tucked in.
"Yes, honey?" Ochako quickly said as she gently brushed a bit of Eri's hair.
"Can you please keep reading the story?" She asked with a yawn.
Ochako smiled, always happy for a chance to re-read her favorite book.
"No problem, sweetie."
She quickly reached for the large brown book and opened it up where the bookmarker held their spot. It had been a few days since they last read it, so she quickly re-read the last few pages to get an idea of where she last left off.
"Oh, this is a good part," Ochako told herself before clearing her throat.
"My good lady, please! I beg you to reconsider what you are about to do!" The Prime Minister spoke, beseeching Arianna, who faced away from him. The Princess, however, remained undeterred in her decision.
"Jin saved us all, my good lord," Princess began saying as she walked away. "He is no Devil, no matter what the people say!"
"I understand, my lady!" The old man said in a huff, trying to wipe the sweat from his brow as he still chased after her. "But the people are afraid that the curse of Fafnir will only keep growing within him as it has done to those in the past!"
"And yet the Angel of Yggdrasil descended the Angel of Miracles herself came down to save him when all hope seemed lost. That must be a sign that Jin will not be like the others; surely you must see that!" Arianna continued before stopping by the entrance to the throne room.
Beyond the great door was everyone in her party. This included Jin, who was most likely being judged by those in court now that his secret was out. Arianna needed to take responsibility for her role in this.
"I will name Jin to be my personal Knight and bestow all of the honors it comes with, and in time, I pray that the people will no longer fear him. I pray that they will see him, not as the spawn of Fafnir, but as someone else, a hero for them all."
"Yet, he is also common-born, my lady; the nobles of the court will hate him, and common people will always find fear when the name Fafnir is spoken."
Arianna turned to face the Minister and looked him right in the eyes.
"Then I will turn the name they fear into one of hope," She paused as she remembered the legends of the guardians of the great tree. "When Jin is knighted, he will be known henceforth as The Fafnir Knight."
Author's Commentary
(*1) Unwanted children: Here is a sad, twisted fact. Japan has the second-highest adoption rate in the whole world. The only problem is that these adoptions are often done to adults to serve as the new heirs of a family estate. Also, at the current standard of laws (At least from the information I've been able to source from translated texts of Japanese Adoption Laws)
It is extremely difficult to adopt minors unless there is already a bloodline relationship. (An example: An uncle might adopt a nephew if the nephew's parents die.) Add other social stigmas and poor infrastructure for child counseling, and it's a very sad state of affairs for Japanese orphans. (Of course, it's not unique to Japan.)
I mention this because I feel like Quirkless children or children with mutant quirks could easily be discriminated against for adoption, given what we know about canon. While children with powerful quirks would be heavily favored by a prestigious family who wants a powerful heir.
(*2) A million Yen, at the time of writing, is the equivalent value of approx. $6440.00 US. So it sounds like a lot, and for regular people, 6Gs is nothing to sneeze at. However, it's not exactly going to put anyone into the tax bracket of the upper crust.
This concludes Arc II, so readers know the drill!
Here is the complete list of Arcs for Saga I
Prologue.
Arc I: Origins (I-XIV)
Arc II: The Incident (XVI-XXXI)
Arc III: The Sports Festival (XXXIII-?)
Arc IV: Stained Hands (?-?)
Arc V: The Calm Before the Storm (?-?)
Arc VI: End of an Era (?-?)
Arc VII: The Ephemeral Lands. (XV, XXXII,?,?,?,?-?)
For the next chapter, we'll be making a quick trip back into the Ephemeral Lands with another cryptogram waiting for you!
Good luck!