Finally. Some plot.
Again, I apologize for the sort of 'filler-ish' nature of that last arc- I didn't want to immediately jump into the pain of what I got planned for the Summer Camp arc, especially since I didn't start this series at the pre-entrance exam like most fics of this nature. Admittedly, I have a lot of issues with fics that start there- especially some back breaking logic I sort of have to accept.
I really hope I'm doing Star and Stripe some justice here. As someone who really, really likes the interesting nature of her indomitable quirk, there ARE some holes to her- I don't like how she was just sort of 'Worfed', or how we never really saw her interact with All Might.
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Two warriors were engaged in a fierce battle. They circled each other warily, assessing each other's strengths and weaknesses- they'd done this fight a few times, but each time, it seemed to tilt towards Star's side. Pyrrha lunged forward, her spear aimed at Star and Stripe's midsection.
Star and Stripe easily dodged the attack, cartwheeling away from the spear's tip. She retaliated with a swift punch aimed at Pyrrha's face, but the Huntress was ready for her. Pyrrha sidestepped the blow, her shield already raised to block the next attack. The two combatants continued to exchange blows, each one searching for an opening to strike.
Finally, Pyrrha saw her chance. She feinted to the left, then quickly switched direction and aimed a powerful kick at Star and Stripe's knee. The hero was caught off guard and almost stumbled. But just as Pyrrha was about to press her advantage, Star and Stripe tapped her body.
"My body always maintains perfect physical alignment and balance…" She said, and suddenly her movements became fluid and precise. Her dodges became almost dance-like, her strikes lightning-fast and devastating.
Pyrrha found herself struggling to keep up with Star and Stripe's new level of agility. The hero seemed to anticipate every move she made, and Pyrrha found herself on the defensive, constantly backpedaling to avoid Star and Stripe's powerful blows. Despite her newfound grace, Pyrrha refused to give up. She had faced many tough opponents…but then, Star and Stripe charged forward, her fists glowing with energy.
"Houston Smash Octuple!" she shouted, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of punches aimed at Pyrrha's torso.
Pyrrha tried to block the onslaught with her shield, but the force of the blows was too much for her to handle. She felt her breath leave her body as she was pummeled again and again.
Finally, Star and Stripe's attack came to an end. Both warriors stepped back, catching their breath and assessing the damage. Pyrrha's armor was dented and her breathing was ragged, but she was still standing.
"...think that's a good warm up?" Star asked.
"Indeed." Pyrrha nodded.
Star clapped. "Good! Great to know the 'Invincible Girl' has gone soft here."
"Same to you," Pyrrha said, looking down at her dented armor, "Gonna have to get this fixed."
"Want me to pay for it?" Star asked.
"No, no, it's fine! No need to worry there!"
Pyrrha took a deep breath, her body still throbbing from the intense battle. "Speaking of going soft, are you ready for your first lesson with the kids today?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
Star and Stripe grinned, her face lighting up with excitement. "Absolutely! I can't wait to teach those little cadets a thing or two about heroism."
Pyrrha chuckled. "Well, just remember to take it easy on them. They may be young, but they're still our future heroes."
Star and Stripe nodded, her expression serious. "I know. I'll make sure they understand the importance of strength, courage, and compassion. Like All Might."
"That's great to hear." Pyrrha said, walking over to a nearby bench that had a water bottle and a towel on it. "Y'know, I heard Toshinori did his first class yesterday..."
"Really?" Star and Stripe said, her eyes widening with interest. "How did it go?"
Pyrrha shrugged, taking a sip of water. "I'm not sure, I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. But knowing All Might, I'm sure he did a fantastic job."
(Ignore the injuries on Izuku. THAT NEVER HAPPENED.)
Star and Stripe beamed. "That's my master for you."
"Speaking of," Pyrrha said, "what did he do?"
"Huh?" Star raised a brow at that.
"Headmaster Hakama. How'd he convince the teaching exchange to lend the top pro of another country? Was it just something he said or was there a favor involved with a friend?"
Star and Stripe took a seat next to Pyrrha, grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat on her face. "Actually, it's part of a teaching exchange program between Shiketsu and the Leestan School in the United States. It's an opportunity for both schools to share knowledge and experience, and to strengthen the bonds between the hero communities of our two countries."
Pyrrha nodded, impressed. "That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure our students will benefit a lot from learning about heroism from a different perspective."
"Absolutely," Star and Stripe said, finishing up wiping her face. "Now...what time is my class again?"
"10: 15 AM."
"...what time is it now?"
"...10:13."
"...ohhh crap, I told them all to meet me in the training facilities. Uh, we'll pick this back up later!" Star said, quickly taking a drink of her water before racing off to her class. It wouldn't give a good look if she was late.
"Remind me to get you a watch," Pyrrha chuckled.
The class waited for Star and Stripe patiently. Coincidentally, this was the first time everyone else was in costume. Saki neatly brushed down her costume- it looked like a mix of a punk rocker's outfit with an idol. Hers stood out the most in the class. Zenkichi was wearing a blue and yellow uniform with a specialized pair of glasses to guide his eyes, Medaka was wearing one of the tightest outfits she'd ever seen, Mogana was wearing a specialized swim uniform...and Kumagawa was...
Maybe on par with her aesthetic. Kumagawa wasn't breaking any mold with his modified school uniform- the ripped off sleeves to show off his 'guns' weren't really cool, nor were the bandages hastily wrapped around them. And that giant screw, shoved into his eye- why? Why was that there?
All Kumagawa knew about fashion could be summed up in this: 「i like the color black」
…
「thats it」
There were a few other standout costumes in the crowd of students. Inasa's costume resembled an aviator suit and jacket, very bulky and imposing. Ryuji, meanwhile, seemed to have fully embraced what his Quirk made him look like and went for a Kamen Rider inspired outfit.
"So...where do you think she is?" Mogana asked.
"I dunno. Maybe she's doing whatever Americans do for breakfast." Yoshida said. "I heard they eat like crap."
"Are you kidding? They have fast food places everywhere." Hana frowned. "They're CRAZY over there."
「maybe she realized how terrible we were and ditched us」Kumagawa joked.
"Don't say that! She's probably about to burst through that door any minu-" Inasa began, before exactly that happened. Star and Stripe threw open the doors to the training facility and sighed.
"Sorry for being late!" Star apologized.
"...oh my god can I see the future," Inasa muttered.
「dial it back a bit there. i think you just timed it perfectly」Kumagawa countered.
"Don't apologize, Ms. Star!" Medaka said, taking front and center. "As a top hero, we all understand you have responsibilities!"
"A-actually, I was more...fighting Mrs. Nikos." Star said.
"As...in sparring?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah. Friendly little practice fight. We're old rivals like that," Star chuckled a bit.
"Notice how she doesn't have a single scratch on her?" Medaka said. "This is the true power of a pro! Unscathed from battle!"
"...I've only known both of you for a few days and I can't tell if you're more enthusiastic or if Inasa is," Hiroshi said.
"She's right though!" Hana added, "Top Pro and all!"
"Now then! Let me reintroduce myself." Star said. "My name is Kathleen Bate- I'm an air force general, number one pro hero, and 5 time SNL host. They really love me there. But you all know me as Star and Stripe."
「those skits sucked」Kumagawa thought.
"Anyway, today's lesson is going to be a bit different from what you're used to. We're going to focus on teamwork and communication skills." Star said.
The students exchanged curious glances. "What kind of exercise will we be doing?" Saki asked.
Star grinned. "You're going to be playing a game of capture the flag."
The students exchanged looks, a mixture of excitement and apprehension on their faces.
"Capture the flag?" Mogana asked. "That sounds easy enough."
Star smirked. "Not so fast. You'll be trying to capture me."
The class's eyes widened in surprise. "You're the flag?" Zenkichi asked, incredulous.
"That's right. And if you want to win, you're going to have to catch me," Star said, her smile growing wider.
"But how are we supposed to do that?" Saki asked, eyeing Star's formidable combat skills.
"It won't be easy," Star said, "but that's the point. I want to see how well you all can work together to achieve a common goal."
Hana raised her hand. "What if we manage to get the cape from you?"
Star shrugged. "Then I'm no longer a neutral party. I'll be free to go after either side."
"...well that's a terrifying mental image," Hana admitted. This was the Pro who not only modeled herself after All Might, but who's Quirk was probably even more powerful than his, just because of how it could change the rules of reality.
"So is it just one big team or do we split up into two?" Yuna asked.
"We'll split up into two teams," Star said. "Red team and blue team."
"We're a class of 13...so, one team is gonna have an extra member." Mogana hummed.
"Well, the more the merrier." Star and Stripe said, as her eyes went over to Medaka and Kumagawa. So, this is the problem child Pyrrha mentioned...let's see how he handles a leadership role.
"You two," Star said. "You're team leaders. Decide your teammates."
「i'm sorry what」Kumagawa blinked.
"Of course! I shall lead my classmates to victory!" Medaka cheered.
"Kumagawa...as a leader. Huh," Saki said.
Kumagawa stared blankly at the task in front of him. He began looking around at his classmates. Then, he pointed at Saki.
"Why am I not shocked?" Saki raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't protest. She followed Kumagawa over to the red team's side of the room.
As Kumagawa continued to choose his teammates, Medaka was already taking charge on the blue team's side. "Zenkichi," she said, pointing at her childhood friend. "You're with me."
Zenkichi nodded in agreement and followed Medaka to the blue team's side. The rest of the students waited nervously for their turn to be chosen.
Kumagawa looked at his remaining classmates with a bored expression, then pointed at Itsuki. Itsuki nodded and went to stand next to Kumagawa, a bit nervous about being chosen by someone like him. This dude's weird. He thought, remembering Kumagawa's 'jean' comment.
Medaka scanned the remaining students on her side of the room. She pointed at Sunako. "You're with me, Sunako!" Sunako looked thrilled to be chosen by Medaka and quickly joined her team.
Kumagawa's eyes flickered over to Ryuji. Ryuji gave a small nod and went to join Kumagawa and Itsuki. Kumagawa's eyes then moved over to Satou. 「hey, you」
"Yeah?"
「join me」 Kumagawa said.
"...eh. Whatever." Satou said, walking forward. Saki nudged Kumagawa.
"Really? Him? He's probably less enthused than you." The idol said.
「i wanna 'read' him」 Kumagawa said. 「see what he can do」
"Let's see...Yuna!" Medaka called out.
"Oh! A-alright then," Yuna nodded, moving over to the second team.
「yoshido」Kumagawa said without missing a beat.
Yoshido pointed at himself. "O-oh, seriously? Me? Uh, okay." Yoshido walked over.
I was kinda hoping I wouldn't be one of the last people picked...this is so embarassing. Yoshido thought.
"Inasa!" Medaka announced. That made a lot of the members of Kumagawa's team freeze up. Inasa was probably one of the strongest students in the class with his wind Quirk. And he was teaming up with Medaka, who probably was just the strongest, even without knowing her Quirk. The other members of Kumagawa's team could feel those titans' aura and it terrified them.
「hmmm...hana」Kumagawa said.
"Awwww," Hana groaned, moving over to her selected team.
「oh is there a problem?」
"Huh? Oh uh no."
「if you'd like i can trade you with someone else from medaka's team」
"Is that allowed?" Hana asked, looking to her teacher for confirmation on that.
"Sorry, but in this case, no trades." Star said. "This is about teamwork!"
Hana groaned. "But Kumagawa's kinda...weird."
「ow」
"I'll give her my spot," Mogana offered up, "I was going to Medaka by process of elimination so it works out. Right?"
Kumagawa nodded, not seeming to mind the switch. 「whatever」
"Thanks, Mogana!" Hana said, moving over to the blue team's side. Mogana took a deep breath, and walked over to Kumagawa's group.
「welcom-」Kumagawa said, before Mogana grabbed his collar.
"Just so you know, my switch isn't coming free. I want 750 yen for this."
Kumagawa blinked. 「huh?」
"I said I want 750 yen!" Mogana repeated, still holding onto Kumagawa's collar.
Kumagawa stared at her for a moment, then sighed. 「put it on my tab」
"I will." Mogana pulled out a book, and wrote something down.
「truth be told, i'm glad she joined this team as well. maybe i can see what makes her tick...」
With the teams now set, Star gave one last instruction. "Remember, the goal is to capture the flag, which is me. But be careful, because I'm neutral, which means I can go after either team if provoked. The team that captures me first wins!"
"Understood!" Medaka said.
「so be it」Kumagawa shrugged.
"Now, I have a 3 minute head start, which means you have that long to think of a plan. Time starts...NOW!" Star said, before she leapt back and into the fake rocky terrain of the training facility.
Kumagawa turned around and faced his group. 「...remind me all what your powers and names are again」
This was going to be a disaster. Medaka, on the other hand, was taking charge.
"Zenkichi, use Parasite Seeing to find Star. Sunako, destroy any support items of the other team. Yuna, build a big Lego structure to block their view. Inasa, create a whirlwind around Star to push the other team away. Hana, absorb light to blind them. Got it?" Medaka said, confident in her plan.
Everyone stared at her. Zenkichi frowned. Taking chare again, and giving everyone something to do so they don't feel left out. Medaka's a big 'equal opportunist' like that.
"Holy crap. Just...a plan, right out of the gate," Inasa said, "AWESOME!"
Zenkichi simply shrugged. "As long as it works, I don't care."
"Let's go team!" Medaka shouted, leading the charge as they headed towards the rocky terrain where Star was hiding. The other team, meanwhile, was...struggling to make an idea.
Kumagawa rubbed his chin as he tried to come up with a plan. 「saki, how about you use your Error Cards to control the other team and make them attack each other?」
"I can try." Saki said.
「and the rest of you...do your best」Kumagawa said, giving a thumbs up.
Mogana blinked. "W-what!? That's it? Telling one person what to do while we just improvise?!"
Itsuki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we need a more concrete plan than that."
"Disappointing...but not unforeseen." Ryuji sighed.
Yoshida spoke up, "Maybe we can use my Body Double quirk to...nah, that's dumb..."
"Ergh...you're kidding me..." Sato huffed. "I don't have the energy for this..."
Kumagawa frowned at his teammates' lack of enthusiasm. 「what's the matter with you guys? We don't need a concrete plan. we just need to be flexible and adapt to the situation. thats what separates the winners from the losers」
"And you're just content with us losing, aren't you." Saki frowned.
"Wait, what?" the others on the team asked in unison, all eyes looking to Kumagawa.
「saki. that didn't help」Kumagawa chastised his friend. The only response he got from Saki on the matter was a half-hearted, faux-innocent shrug.
"What does she mean you're ok with us losing?" Sato asked.
「its a personal thing, nothing you need to worry about.」
Right before a proper argument could begin and drown out everyone's voice, Ryuji got an idea. An idea that was, oddly enough, inspired by this whole scenario.
"Mogana?" Ryuji started, "Your scream. How loud can it get without actually hurting anyone?"
"Why?" Mogana asked.
"Because I think we can effectively hide our moves by drowning them out with your sound."
「see? you want a more concrete plan, there's the start of one」Kumagawa said with a smug smirk.
"That...actually could work," Saki said, "I keep the others busy with my cards and if Mogana blasts Star for long enough, one of us could get in close and nab her!"
"Of course, that is just the start. Assuming my scream can drown out everything she hears, I don't think it would effect her Quirk. She could-" Mogana began before she realized that this plan may actually trap Star. If she used her Quirk to say, make her immune to sonic attack, there's a good chance that meant she wouldn't be able to hear anything. How else do you become immune to sound? And if she does that then the plan still works.
As the team discussed their new plan, Kumagawa couldn't help but interject with his signature pessimism. 「one single trick won't win you a war」 he said,
Saki scowled at him. "Can't you be more supportive?"
「i'm a realist」 Kumagawa replied, 「i am a veteran of losing fights- and each plan has a big, gaping hole in them」
Yoshida spoke up, "But we have to start somewhere. We can refine the plan as we go along."
Kumagawa let out a sigh. 「fine. just don't get too attached to one strategy」
The group continued to discuss their plan, but Kumagawa found himself tuning out their conversation. He couldn't help but feel like their efforts were futile, but he didn't want to dampen their spirits any further.
As they wrapped up their discussion, Saki turned to Kumagawa. "What do you think is going to happen with us, Kumagawa?" she asked.
Kumagawa shrugged. 「who knows? maybe you'll surprise me and actually come up with a winning plan. Or maybe you'll fail miserably. either way, I'll be here to pick up the pieces」
Saki rolled her eyes. "Well, we got SOMETHING. Better than nothing."
「really?」 Kumagawa challenged. 「sometimes, having nothing can be better than having something that's doomed to fail. it's better to admit defeat and move on than to cling onto a hopeless cause」
"But we can't just give up without trying," Saki argued.
「i'm not saying you should give up without trying」 Kumagawa replied. 「what I'm saying is that sometimes, it's better to recognize when a plan isn't going to work and move on to something else...」
"Just what makes you a veteran of 'losing', by the way? You kicked a lot of ass back in Middle School..." Saki said.
「losing is an omni present thing」 Kumagawa said. 「winning can come with a price- we may win this battle, but what would the end cost be? will we succeed as a team, or will luck shine upon one of to carry us to victory?」
Saki nodded slowly, taking in Kumagawa's words. "I'm starting to see what you mean," she said. "...you're just an idiot."
Kumagawa frowned. 「missing the point entirely...」
Yoshida chimed in, trying to mediate the conversation. "I think what Kumagawa is trying to say is that we need to be realistic about our chances, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try our best and be creative with our tactic?"
Kumagawa clapped his hands. 「yes, yes, exactly. win from losing or lose from winning. isn't tha a strange concept?」
Mogana rolled her eyes. "Whatever...let's just see what happens here."
The team set out, determined to capture Star's cape and win the battle.
As Star kept running, she couldn't stop thinking about what heroes could do and how they could change the world. She knew that there were new and changing dangers in the world every day, and that it was up to the heroes to protect the harmless.
The heroes of today had powerful quirk powers, cutting-edge technology, and a lot of training under their belts. They were more than just guardians; they were signs of hope and strength when things were hard. Star was proud to be a part of this group, and she couldn't wait to see what the future held for heroes like herself.
She thought about all the things that the next crop of heroes could do. Would they have new and different quirks that could change how heroes are made? Would they fight for even bigger causes, pushing the edges of what it meant to be a hero for the people?
Uncertainty was fascinating to her. The big "what if" question. It was a strange thing to like, but for Star, it was the best part of being a hero. The thrill of not knowing what was around the next corner but being ready to face it with all her power and courage...
She wanted this next gen of heroes to carry that love with them too.
As Star ran, she was suddenly confronted with a massive barrier wall created by Yuna. She was momentarily taken aback, but then charged forward, breaking through the wall with ease. Yuna quickly created more walls, each one reinforced with Lego bricks as much as she could manage, but Star was able to break through them all.
Inasa then stepped up, creating a powerful hurricane around Star to try and slow her down. Star gritted her teeth, feeling the wind and rain battering her from all sides. Her hair whipped wildly around her face, and her eyes squinted as she struggled to see through the wind. But she remained steadfast, digging her feet in and pushing herself harder.
Star couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Inasa's quirk. "This kid's a first year?" She chuckled. "Could have fooled me..."
She quickly reached out and touched herself, using her quirk to alter reality around her. "The winds will not rage when I am around," she declared, and instantly the winds died hurricane dissipated, and Star was left standing in the calm eye of the storm.
Inasa blinked. "...WOAH!"
"Woah!?" Yuna yelled. "She just countered your quirk! That was one of our biggest tools against her!"
"Yeah! And I made a top pro do that!" Inasa beamed.
Star gave a small smile. A boy who could smile in spite of being outplayed? Interesting. "It's nice to know I'm up against some tough opponents..." She said. "That goes the same for you, Yuna! Even though your quirk probably couldn't have held me back, you kept on trying to stop me! Your efforts won't go unnoticed!"
Yuna smiled back, a sense of pride swelling inside her. "T-thank you, Miss Star!"
Star's way of teaching was based on praise and encouragement. She didn't criticize her students negatively for their mistakes. Instead, she praised them for trying and told them to keep trying. She thought that everyone had the potential to be a hero, and that it was her job to help them achieve that potential.
This way of teaching was especially good at encouraging Shiketsu's egoism. Egoism was all about putting yourself and your own goals first, which could sometimes make it hard to work as a team or cooperate. Star was able to get her students to work toward their own goals while still contributing to the team by focusing on positive feedback. She told them how great they were as individuals and told them to work together to reach their goals.
Star thought that this was the best way to teach heroes because it gave her children a sense of confidence and self-worth. She was able to help them get over their weaknesses and become better people by focusing on their skills and encouraging them to keep trying. This, in turn, led to heroes who were not only strong and skilled, but also sure of themselves and able to face any task with grace and determination.
"Uh, hey, don't mean to sound negative or anything," Inasa whispered, "but where's Hana? Shouldn't she be here?"
"She should, yeah. I don't see Medaka or Zenkichi either. You think they found the other team?" Yuna asked.
"Possible. But unless something goes really bad, I think we should stick to the plan."
"Define 'really bad.'"
"Well, if we see a giant mushroom cloud of dust go into the sky for instance."
Yuna was partially correct. Medaka, Zenkichi, and Hana were found by the other team. Saki had executed her part of the plan with expert precision and timing. Mere moments before Inasa and Yuna made their move, the would-be hero Card Trick made her's. She snuck up on Hana and Sunako and, producing cards from her sleeves like a stage magician, slipped the two cards into her classmates' heads.
"Be good distractions and make sure Medaka and Zenkichi don't get in the way, kay?" Saki silently ordered before retreating back to the shadows to watch the show.
As Medaka and Zenkichi were trying to assess Star's movements, they suddenly heard a loud commotion from behind them. They turned around to see Hana and Sunako causing a ruckus, throwing objects and shouting insults at the opposing team.
"The hell are the doing?" Zenkichi cursed.
"I confess I...don't know," Medaka added, "Maybe they're trying to simply...throw our opponents off? But there are much more civil ways to do that."
"Not quite what I meant," Saki sighed silently, "Hana, maybe blind them?"
Hana understood and closed her eyes, focusing on absorbing as much light as she could from the surrounding area. Once she had absorbed enough, she opened her eyes and aimed her palms towards the opposing team.
A blinding flash of light exploded from her hands, engulfing the other team in a bright white light. The team stumbled around, blinded and disoriented.
"That's our cue!" Saki yelled, jumping out from her hiding spot and launching herself towards the other team.
My plan is to incapacitate the leader, and let the others go crazy on Star. Saki thought. I'm hoping this gamble works-!
A card appeared in Saki's hand and she threw it right at Medaka. If this landed, such a gamble would be worth it. Unfortunately, it didn't connect. Even blinded, Medaka was able to not just dodge the card, but she caught and then threw it into one of the nearby stone pillars.
"HUH?!" Saki gasped, "How in the-?!"
"I must say, your aim was spot on, Saki!" Medaka praised.
"Wait, how'd you know it was me?!"
"Aside from when you spoke?"
"...shit..."
"Remember how I showed you my card tricks a few days ago? I think it's time I did that again..." Medaka grinned, as a rainbow like aura surrounded her body.
Saki knew that she was in for a tough fight, but she wasn't about to give up just yet. She quickly drew another card from her sleeve and threw it at Medaka, hoping to distract her for just a moment.
Medaka effortlessly caught the card in mid-air with one hand and examined it closely. "Impressive, Saki," she said. "But I think it's time I showed you what I can do with your quirk."
My quirk? Saki thought, as Medaka threw the card away. Suddenly, a card appeared in Medaka's fingers, confusing Saki. What!? With a flick of her wrist, Medaka sent a flurry of cards flying towards Saki. Saki tried to dodge, but there were too many of them. Saki felt a sharp pain as one of the cards grazed her cheek, leaving a shallow cut. She stumbled back.
"W-what the hell!?" Saki yelled.
"My quirk, Saki," Medaka explained, "allows me to mimic the abilities of others. It's called..."
"The End."
Medaka Kurokami! Quirk: The End! Medaka's bio-energetic aura can replicate and enhance any skill, trait, talent, power, or character type to its limit. She can also replicate various Emitter quirks. However, she can't copy the physical capabilities of the original skill holder, even if the skill itself exceeds her physical capabilities.