Very slowly, large round eyes blinked.
A small house fly crawled across a window, completely unaware of its admirer. It aimlessly wandered around the window, probably confused as to why it couldn't just fly through it.
For the last hour, a certain young girl had been watching it with a lazy interest. The lecture going on at the front of the class had long since been drowned out in favour of observing the tiny, insignificant insect. She contemplated the simplicity of its life. How untethered it must be. Sure, a fly's life wasn't the longest and a stiff breeze could spell the end of it, but at least there would be no other concerns other than vomiting on random pieces of food and slurping up the dissolved remains.
Some would find that gross to think about.
The girl shuddered. She counted herself among them. However, it wasn't like she was any better when it came down to it.
Today had dragged on for so long that it was starting to get painful. She was starving! She missed lunch thanks to club meetings and as a result, she was tempted to give into her baser instincts.
The fly came back into her view again, almost as if it was purposefully taunting her.
A small groan left her lips as the fly stopped its wandering. She could see it rub its front legs together as flies usually did.
As it did, the girl's stomach growled with a low rumble. The sound earned the attention of a girl sitting in front of her. She shifted and cast a glance back over her shoulder, giving a worried smile. Not that the fly watching girl took notice.
The clock near the classroom door ticked closer to the end bell, only it was painfully slow.
God she was hungry.
And here was the fly, fat and juicy. Right beside her.
No one would mind. She was hungry, after all.
After another minute, the girl huffed and decided to throw caution to the wind. With lightning quick speed, her tongue fired out from her mouth, slammed against the fly and the window with a wet thunk, then retracted just as quickly. In one motion, she swallowed her prize and let her expression set into a satisfied grin.
"Gross! Gross, gross, gross!" The boy sitting next to her yelled, shivering in disgust.
The girl only shrugged.
"Tsuyu Asui, please refrain from eating insects in the classroom. It's… unhygienic…" the teacher frowned as he stopped his lecture. His eyes briefly flickered to the window and the small splat of adhesive spit stuck to it. Despite his attempts to remain at least partially neutral, everyone could see he was just as disturbed as the rest of the class.
Tsuyu blinked and gave another shrug. "Sorry, Sensei. I missed lunch, kero."
"Yes… well…" the teacher struggled to get back on track now that he had lost the focus of his class. "I suppose I can't discriminate. Animal based Quirks do tend to come with certain needs." Even with that said, Tsuyu was the only one in the class with an animal based Quirk. So any mannerism or instinct she let slip always got a reaction.
Not that she particularly cared.
She loved her Quirk and where it came from.
But before anyone could raise any more fuss, the shrill sound of the bell called for the end of the day.
Finally,
"Alright class, remember; turn in your High School aspirations by the end of tomorrow's homeroom. I don't want any of you skipping out on it! Especially you, Kaminari. You've had way too many missed assignments already." The teacher called out over the sudden rumbling of students getting up from their seats. The boy he called out let out a weak yell of protest, but a simple glare from the teacher shut him right up.
The student sitting directly in front of Tsuyu shifted around and gave her an exasperated sigh. "You know you can eat in those meetings, right? Everyone else does," she chastised. Only, Tsuyu shot back an unamused look of her own. At which, the girl giggled softly. "Yeah, yeah… you don't like eating around your teammates." She glanced up to where the fly was and shook her head again. "Yet you're comfortable with doing things like that."
Tsuyu shrugged.
"I mean, it was right there, Ochako. You can't expect me not to snap it up, kero."
The girl - Ochako Uraraka - stood up and finished packing her stuff into her bag. Slowly, Tsuyu followed suit, swatting things messily into her own bag. As the two girls made their way out of the classroom, a few of the other students were sure to glance over and shoot Tsuyu varying looks from slight amusement to outright disgust. The frog-like girl ignoring each and every one of them.
Ochako, on the other hand, threw her own glares back at everyone.
"Hey, since you missed lunch and dinner won't be for a few hours, wanna go get something tasty?" Ochako suggested, tapping her finger against her chin. "I'm feeling-"
"Mochi?"
"Ice cream…" Ochako huffed, puffing out her cheeks, "I was gonna say ice cream." Despite the slight annoyance, Ochako still giggled at the tiny jab. "But… now that you mention it…"
"Ice cream is fine." Tsuyu said quite flatly.
"Tsu…" the round-faced girl whined, poking her fingers together.
From there, the two idly chatted away, walking through the school's halls. However, they barely made it to the stairs leading down to the ground floor when Tsuyu suddenly froze on the spot. As if she had been paused in time. Normally, such an occurrence would be cause for concern. However, Ochako merely sighed with a tired frown working onto her face.
She massaged the bridge of her nose and simply waited.
Some seconds later, Tsuyu unfroze and stumbled in place. She blankly stared down the stairs and looked around with lazy confusion.
"Habuko… that was dangerous. She could have fallen!" Ochako shot a glare toward the other side of the third year hallway. Poking out from one of the classrooms, the head of a snake was staring at them both. Wild red hair framed the serpentine features and yellow slitted eyes fixed unblinking on Ochako.
Tsuyu nodded with a sage-like hum. "3.6 seconds. I think that's a new record, kero."
Slowly, the snake head moved and the girl it belonged to inched out of the classroom. Habuko's forked tongue briefly flicked out and wiggled in slight disappointment. "No it's not… I managed a full four s~ss~seconds on my little brother this~ss~s morning."
At that, Ochako groaned again. "You two are going to give me a heart attack one of these days."
Habuko's unblinking stare continued before her snake mouth curled into a grin. "I'll be sure to s~ss~swallow your corpse, then."
"I'll be sure to give you indigestion for the rest of your life, then."
Tsuyu pressed her finger against her chin and blinked. "I don't think snakes can get indigestion, kero."
"I'll find a way," Ochako sniggered. Even still, she gave the snake girl a greeting hug, which she happily reciprocated. "Anyway, we're going to grab some ice cream before heading home. I'd rather Tsu not eat any more bugs today. They give her bad dreams. Wanna join us?"
"I was hungry…"
Habuko allowed herself to hiss in amusement. "I bet the dummies~ss~s in your clas~ss~s didn't like that at all. Sure! I'd love s~ss~some ice cream. I have s~ss~some time before my shift."
With their trio complete, the girls were free to leave Salty Banks Middle School and head off into town. Again, idle chatter started up and Tsuyu made a point of ignoring the odd glance that random passers-by shot at them. As beautiful as Tahara city was, this particular neighbourhood wasn't the friendliest toward Heteromorphs. That said, it wasn't as bad as some of the horror stories she heard online. No, here, it was just an air of general curiosity or mild suspicion. Quite unlike the hate-crime filled malice of some of the larger cities across Japan.
Habuko had it a hell of a lot worse than Tsuyu. For quite obvious reasons.
A year ago, the snake girl could barely even string a few words together without running away from a conversation. It got to the point that she began stalking Tsuyu because she was too afraid of actually approaching the frog girl. Now, however, Habuko was still a shy sort, but she was doing a lot better. Even getting a part time job at a local convenience store.
After a ten minute walk, they arrived at their destination. A small strip-mall bustling with the late afternoon activity. Within minutes, the trio acquired their cold treats and were now sitting on a public bench.
Ochako's eyes gleamed at the chocolate chip three-scoop with strawberry sauce and a wafer. She felt bad for Tsuyu paying - again - but she definitely wasn't going to turn down the free treat. Even if it was her idea. Meanwhile, Tsuyu casually licked at her minty sundae and scooped some of the mint chocolate chips up with the wooden spoon. She sighed in content, allowing the cold temperature to settle her body into a comfortable doze. Habuko - however - had gone for her usual mountain of nuts crushed over peach flavoured sorbet. Her serpentine tongue quickly flicked out, snatching small bunches of nuts every few seconds.
"So, I guess we have to start thinking about high schools… man, I thought they'd at least give us until after our first set of Midterms before they started badgering us." Ochako huffed, puffing out her cheeks.
Tsuyu shrugged and licked her dessert a few more times. "It's to give all of us a chance to start preparing if we want to go to a hero school. Y'know… Quirk practice and physical training, kero. Have you thought about it, Habuko?"
The snake girl tilted her head slightly before shrugging. "A little. There are a few potential candidates~ss~s."
"Do you know what you wanna do for a living?"
"As~ss~side from every childhood's dream of being a Hero?" Habuko snatched a few more clusters of nuts into her mouth. "I've always enjoyed nature. Perhaps~ss~s a marine biologis~ss~st."
"I'm not going to let you study me in a lab, kero." Tsuyu said bluntly, earning two laughs from either side of her. "Well, kero, I know I want to be a Hero. It might be a childhood dream, but I want to go for it. I suppose the question is, what decent Hero programmes are nearby?"
"There's always UA," Ochako noted, idly throwing her trash in the nearby bin. "It's a long commute though…"
"Not to mention its~ss~s acceptance rate is~ss~sn't that encouraging."
"At least the tuition is covered by the Hero Course Scholarships. Otherwise I doubt I could ever even hope to get into a decent school." Ochako muttered, groaning at her eternal lack of wealth. "Still, I know I'm with Tsu! I want to be a hero too, so I can finally help out my parents." That managed to put a small damper on the otherwise light mood. Habuko's mouth curled down into a frown and couldn't help but give Ochako a concerned look.
Tsuyu would have done the same, but right now, the cold of her dessert was slowly putting her more and more into a state of unconsciousness. It took everything just to pick up on what Ochako actually said. Instead of any sort of comfort, all she could do was muster a low, lazy ribbit.
"Oh… uh… sorry. Didn't mean to bring them up."
"No, it's~ss~s fine, Ochako. We keep s~ss~saying we're here for you whenever you need to talk."
"Kero…"
Ochako smiled, at least. Though she had to roll her eyes at the puddle of Tsuyu currently lazing on the bench. "I… forgot you always get like this after ice cream…" she chuckled, taking the opportunity to quickly swerve on the subject. "I guess I'll have to float you home again. Ganma's probably going to lecture me again."
"Kero…"
"Well, that s~ss~sounds entertaining, but I'll have to go. My shift s~ss~starts in a half hour."
"We'll text later, ok? When this frog is more alive again."
"Keeeerrrooooo…"
Usually, when someone uses the term 'a toad of a man' to describe someone, it's to be insulting and derogatory.
However, when it came to Ganma Asui, that descriptor was literal. Large bodied, fat bellied and wide mouthed. The Asui patriarch was a literal toad man. His large eyes glared down at Ochako with an air of slight irritation. It didn't help that his features naturally pushed his mouth into a frown. Some would say Ganma was a scary thug. Sure, Ochako knew he was the complete opposite, but that still didn't stop her from looking down in shame.
Beside her, the semi-conscious form of Tsuyu gently floated in the air, still under the effects of Ochako's Quirk. Awake enough to know she was probably in for another lecture, but sleepy enough not to really care.
"She missed lunch again, didn't she, ge-ro-ge-ro?" Ganma's throat swelled a few times as he spoke. His eyes narrowed.
"Yeah… the Swim Team had another meeting," Ochako spoke up for Tsuyu, the frog girl lowly groaning in her zero-g state. "She ate a bug during class, so I thought I should get her something."
Tsuyu's father pinched his toad nose and sighed. "Thank you - ge-ro-ge-ro - for looking out for her… but do you always have to default to ice cream or mochi?" The whole scene was a common enough occurrence that Ganma simply had nothing else to lecture her about without repeating himself. So, instead of wasting time with something that should be common sense, he let himself relax. "Well, dinner won't be for another two hours, ge-ro-ge-ro. So go take her up to your room and…"
"Ochako! Sis!"
"... Keep Satsuki entertained. Speak of the devil!" The sound of a much younger voice at least brought a large smile over his toad features. Hopping down the stairs to the right of the Asui house's front door was a tiny girl happily greeting Ochako.
As she hopped down one step at a time, the two large buns her hair was tied up in bounced like water balloons.
"Oh geez! Come on, sis… let's get you some hot chocolate! Mr. Waffle and Mrs. Ringo wanna make some mittens for you!" The little girl finally reached Ochako and Tsuyu and shook her head at the sight of her sister. Taking Tsuyu's larger hand in her tiny one, the little girl began pulling Tsuyu through the air and up the stairs. "Come on, Ochako! Oh! Uh… could you get mama to make some coco?"
"I'll be right up, Satsuki! Tell Mr. Waffle I can't wait to hear about his new product line!"
Still grinning, Ganma stomped down the hall and into the modest kitchen, Ochako following just behind him. The girl gave the young boy sat at the dining table a happy wave. However, Samidare only allowed himself to lazily glance over, twitching his lip into a split second grin and then turning back to his work book.
Finishing up the last few bits of food prep, the Asui matriarch trotted around the kitchen humming to herself.
Bell Asui was - as always - rushing about with her usual blank smile. Much like most of the Asui family - barring Satsuki - she preferred to express herself through action rather than facial expressions. Right now, as she shuffled around the kitchen, it was clear to Ochako that she was worked up about something. "Hey, Bell. Dinner smells amazing as usual!" Ochako chirped, testing the waters. She knew enough to know something was out of the ordinary, but she didn't know if it was good or bad.
"Oh! Ochako, dear. Yes, thank you so much, kero!" She at least nodded in the gravity girl's direction. "I heard Satsuki. Here, I made some coco already just in case! Oh! The potatoes are boiling over, kero!" Rushing over to the stove, she turned the heat down and gently blew down on the frothing pan.
When Ganma took his seat next to his son, he gave a quick glance up to Ochako. Her unsure face managed to earn her a quiet, croaking chuckle.
"Nothing to worry about, Ochako. Ge-ro-ge-ro. You know how she gets when her sister calls. That woman's standards are… well… I won't finish that sentence, ge-ro-ge-ro."
"A wise choice, sweetie," Bell huffed, shooting him an exasperated glare. "Otherwise, I'll be taking away dessert privileges for the night."
"Heaven forbid!" Ochako laughed, reassured that nothing too bad was wrong. Just a haughty woman being the usual fussy big sister to the humble Bell Asui. Either way, as she took the warm mug of hot chocolate, she leaned over Samidare's shoulder to peek at his studying. "Oh, blegh! I hate math!" She snorted. The young boy shrugged and jotted something down in an answer box. The elementary level math was pretty basic, but the problem he just solved looked to be one of the more difficult ones. And yet, he quickly solved it correctly.
"I like it, kero…" he muttered. "It's fun."
"Think you could do my assignment, then?"
Samidare merely blinked and shrugged. Of course, Ochako wasn't serious, but if she knew the boy, he would probably have at least made the attempt.
She ruffled his hair - making him grumble quietly - and set off toward her and Tsuyu's room. As she ascended the stairs, she could hear Satsuki giggle and Tsuyu's tired ribbits. Satsuki then put on a deeper, snooty voice, lecturing her older sister. Then her voice rose a few octaves, giving it a grating, shrill vibe. The little girl then fell into a fit of giggles. Making herself laugh.
Ochako nudged the door open and sure enough, Tsuyu was slouched on a large beanbag chair while Satsuki waved around two dolls near her big sister's head.
One of the dolls, a frog with thick black stitching and buttons for eyes poked Tsuyu's cheek with its nose. The other doll, a toad wearing a frilly dress and sporting wiry threads of blonde hair, was happily bouncing on Tsuyu's stomach. All while Tsuyu herself melted into the beanbag chair with a content grin on her lips. Ochako had to smile warmly at the scene. She crossed the room and placed the steaming cup on a small bedside table.
The bedroom was a welcome sight after a long day at school. The bunk beds were both made and colour coded with Tsuyu's green bed sheets on the bottom and Ochako's pink ones on the top. Even the sturdy wood of the bed frame was painted accordingly. On the other side of the bedroom, two desks stood next to each other, both decorated with a variety of stationary. Toward the window, a large dresser sat with two separate collections of merchandise decorating its flat top. On the left, a number of plushies and figures of Thirteen - the Space Hero - were arranged neatly. On the right, a large central figure of Selkie - the Sea Rescue Hero - posing with plastic water swirling around his legs stood proud surrounded by smaller bits of merch. Just in front of the large figure was a framed piece of paper with an autograph from the Hero himself.
Ochako was so jealous that Tsuyu got to meet her Hero before Ochako got to meet hers.
As Tsuyu sipped the coco, the frog girl began to come out of her sleepy state. Eventually, she let out a content sigh. "Y'know, I sometimes think you enjoy floating me around, kero."
Ochako giggled with a shrug. "Eh, it's at least practice." Her attention was then drawn to Satsuki and her two dolls. Ochako's grin widened and she knelt down with an excited gleam in her eyes. "So, Mr. Waffle, I hear you've been super busy! I hope you still make time for Mrs. Ringo, though!"
Satsuki jerked the stitch-worked frog around so its button eyes vacantly gazed up at Ochako. The little girl then bobbed the doll up and down happily.
"Oh, you betcha!" Satsuki adopted the deeper, snooty voice as she spoke through Mr. Waffle. "My new water recipe is selling like hotcakes! We're rolling in the dough!" Her voice then changed to be higher pitched and the other doll wearing a dress bounced around. "He won't buy me a new car! So rude!"
Ochako gave a long, dramatic gasp.
"Mr. Waffle!" She huffed with pretend shock. "You don't want to treat your wife!? For shame!"
Mr. Waffle wiggled as if shrugging. Mrs. Ringo huffed and quickly turned away from her husband. The ragged blonde hair spiking from her head shook along with the motion.
"Mrs. Ringo knows what she's worth, kero," Tsuyu wryly grinned, finishing off her coco.
As usual, it was a regular day in the Asui household. Like most families, there were a few rough edges, but they all loved each other greatly. The night went on and Ochako enjoyed herself as she usually did. Dinner was delicious, dessert was amazing and the conversation was comforting. However, when things started to calm down for the night and Tsuyu and Ochako were alone in their room once again, Ochako slowly let her warm smile fade. She looked down at the paper on her desk and tapped it with her pen.
It was their High School prospects list.
But she couldn't focus on thinking about it right now. Her mind was beginning to wander.
She loved living with the Asui's and had been doing so for the last five years. She felt just as much a part of the family as Tsuyu was, but no matter how welcome she was, there was still a part of her that longed to go back to Mie. Back to her parents.
That - of course - was impossible.
The thought brought a frown to her face.
At the time, she didn't understand why she had to move away. She was only ten and her parents had been incredibly vague. They still didn't really give her decent answers whenever they did manage to talk. Which was rare and only via the phone. All she knew was that her parents had a lot of money troubles and it was apparently better for Ochako to live with an old college friend of her dads. That friend being none other than Ganma Asui. So, with what little she knew, the aspiration of becoming a Hero was born. She wanted to earn enough money so that she could help her parents out with whatever their troubles were. Of course, she felt a little self conscious about her motivations, but as she grew older, the desire to be a Hero only grew.
That said, when her thoughts finally circled back to the sheet of paper in front of her, she couldn't really make her mind up.
UA was the gold standard, of course. Any aspiring Hero in Japan would want to aim for UA. However, therein lay the issue. It was one of the most applied-for schools in Japan. It was also the school with the lowest acceptance rate when it came to its Hero Course. Only forty students were enrolled into the Hero Course every year.
So Ochako really didn't like her odds.
Perhaps it would be safer to focus on other programmes. Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, Seiai, even Isamu. They were all decent choices.
She opened up her and Tsuyu's shared laptop and quickly did a few google searches. She scrolled through each website absently and grumbled under her breath. Yes, they were perfectly adequate schools, yet none of them really grabbed Ochako's attention. She looked up the faculty of each school, and sighed at the relatively B-List names on display. Isamu didn't even have Heroes teaching the Heorics Course. It was clear that all her thoughts were leading to the obvious choice. And yet, her confidence in her abilities - or lack thereof - refused to let her even consider the possibility of getting accepted into UA.
Her Quirk wasn't exactly anything special. It might have been practical, sure, but was it really Hero worthy? She didn't really think so when she compared herself to someone like Thirteen. Controlling black holes was amazing! And all she could do was make things float around.
Finally, she threw her pen back into her pencil case. She kicked herself back and yelped when her chair skipped across the carpet.
"Kero?"
Tsuyu sat up on her bed, Ochako's sudden movement interrupting her reading.
"What's up with you?" She asked, blinking.
In response, Ochako groaned and flopped onto the big beanbag chair. "Have you done the High School thing already?"
Tsuyu nodded and casually flipped a page of her book. "Yep. I'm applying for UA. Kero."
"Wait… you're applying to only UA?" The frog girl nodded again. "Aren't you worried about the low acceptance rate?" Frustratingly, Tsuyu shook her head, offering no more on the matter. Still, the girl's complete certainty and lack of hesitation struck a chord with Ochako. Then again, this was just one of the many things she liked about Tsuyu. Despite her lackadaisy demeanor, she was actually incredibly stubborn and determined.
Perhaps Ochako should take inspiration in her single-mindedness.
Sure enough, UA offered the most prospects and managing to graduate from its Hero Course all but guaranteed a prosperous career.
Not to mention the school's Support Item budget was nothing to sniff at either.
"Y'know… I'm not entirely sure why I'm getting so stressed about this," Ochako had to laugh at herself. It was a no-brainer after all. "If you're already set on it, then I'm going to go for it too. What about Habuko? Has she said anything?"
"She's going to apply for UA too, kero, but she's also sending applications to Isamu and Seiai." Tsuyu shrugged at that. "I'm not really a fan of Seiai Academy, though, kero. I don't know about you, but an all girls school doesn't sound that fun. Especially if it's as prissy as the site makes it out to be, kero." She snorted at her own comment. "Imagine me having to be all prim and ladylike."
"Yeah… I can't see it."
Tsuyu smirked and sent Ochako a side glance. "Ouch, kero."
"Still though, I can't help but worry. Only forty students out of… god knows how many applicants."
"We just have to make sure we stand out, then, kero."
The two let their conversation lull for a bit and Ochako rolled onto her back, letting herself sink into the beanbag chair.
Having the aspiration to be a hero was one thing, but actually having the talent and skills to make it was another. Hero work could be incredibly dangerous even at the most mundane of incidents. Anything could happen at any time. Different Heroes might focus on different things, but they were all incredible in their own way. Strong, both physically and mentally, they were meant to represent the best in humanity. Ochako sighed and found her gaze lowering to her own body. She gently lifted up her pajama top and looked at her stomach. She knew she wasn't exactly fat or out of shape, but she couldn't help but pinch a small roll of excess fat on her side. She definitely had the body of someone who didn't particularly exercise regularly.
Tsuyu, however, did. Ochako let her head hang over the beanbag chair to glance at her friend. The way the frog girl was sitting, it made her loose t-shirt ride up a little to reveal the firm and lean abs of an accomplished swimmer. Tsuyu was in great shape compared to her.
Then again, that was probably what this next year was for.
To train like hell and prepare for the rigors of Heroism.
With that decided, Ochako was suddenly determined to finally join a school club. With only one year to actually participate.
For one, Tsuyu really didn't like coming here during club activities. Salty Banks Middle School had quite a lot of facilities, and among them was a dojo styled gymnasium. Complete with tatami mats and martial arts equipment. To be honest, the place itself wasn't anything too bad. It was just the smell during club activities. Sweat and testosterone. Completely different to the chlorine of the school's indoor pool. Normally, Tsuyu barely came here seeing as she had little to no reason.
Today, however, was different.
Ochako was oddly determined and had - for some reason - dragged the frog girl along with her. For what purpose, Tsuyu had no clue.
So, when Ochako approached one of the bigger looking students running a smaller, younger student through some drills, Tsuyu couldn't help but feel curious. Was Ochako about to pick a fight? As if that would ever happen. Unless - of course - said large student was a bully. In which case, god help him.
But no.
Ochako got his attention and smiled somewhat bashfully. She asked a few questions to the boy that Tsuyu couldn't hear over the sounds of practice around her. After a minute, the boy made a gesture over toward the other side of the dojo and frowned a little. When Ochako followed his pointed finger, Tsuyu could see the boy give Ochako an apologetic look to her back. The gravity girl nodded and hummed in determination before she strode headlong through the dojo.
Right up to a relatively short girl with wild auburn hair reaching down to the small of her back and a maniacal gleam in her eyes. The girl barked an order toward two sparring students and they both yelped in both fear and respect.
Her gaze then turned to one girl using a punching bag. As if cracking a metaphorical whip, the wild looking girl corrected the form and demanded more sets of punches, leaving the poor student looking rather frazzled. That said, when the wild girl did leave to head back to her original spot, the girl practicing punching gave a nod to herself and threw herself back into her training. This time, with improved form and determination practically flowing from her.
"Excuse me," Ochako called out, approaching the wild girl. "Are you… uh… Toyomi Inushima?"
The wild girl turned on her heel and raised a brow. She was a whole head shorter than Ochako, so she had to look up into her eyes. "Who's askin'?" She firmly planted her hands on her hips and eyed Ochako up and down. "Wait… I think I recognise you from 3-C. Uh… Ura-somethin'... beh! Doesn't matter! What'cha want, Pinkie?"
"P-Pinkie…?" Ochako muttered under her breath.
Tsuyu bit back a snort.
"Well… uh… I was hoping to join the Mixed Martial Arts club. And… it's… uh… Ochako Uraraka."
That caught Tsuyu's attention. This was the first time hearing her friend's desire to join a club. Ochako had pointedly not joined one all throughout Middle School. For whatever reason, the girl just wasn't interested, no matter how many recruiters asked her.
The short girl tilted her head. She then glanced at Tsuyu. "You too, Swim Star? You know it ain't allowed to join more than one club."
Tsuyu raised her hand and shook her head. "Nope. I'm happy staying in the swim team, kero. Ochako just dragged me along for… emotional support, I guess," she replied with a shrug. Honestly, she didn't know why Ochako dragged her along. It wasn't like Ochako was overly shy like Habuko. Still, she didn't particularly mind. She didn't have any club activities today, so she was pretty much free to do whatever for the after school period.
Still, Toyomi shrugged and shifted her attention back to Ochako.
"Ain't it a little late to join a club? We're graduatin' this year, ain't we?" She looked confused and counted something on her fingers. "Am I missin' a year or somethin'...?" She frowned and stomped her foot. "Beh! Stop tryin' to confuse me!"
"But… I'm not…"
"Whatever!" Toyomi laughed loudly and clapped a hand on Ochako's bicep. She squeezed the limb and jabbed her other hand against Ochako's abdomen. The action didn't have any power behind it, so Ochako only flinched a little. "Huh… you don't work out, do you? Not that it matters! You got a reason for wantin' to join so late?"
"I… uh… want to be a Hero," Ochako muttered with a slight frown. The small poke at her self image made her resolve shake somewhat. However, she shook off whatever negative thoughts were creeping in and clapped her hands together. "I want to be a Hero and to do that, I have to get stronger! I heard you're the best in the MMA club! Train me, Inushima! I want to be strong like you!" Unintentional or not, it appeared that flattery had quite the effect. Toyomi puffed up her chest and grinned when she was called the best. Self-assured the girl might have been, but if her reputation told the truth, then that confidence was probably well founded.
Now that Tsuyu had heard the girl's full name, she did recall a few rumours drifting around.
Toyomi even managed to earn herself a nickname among the younger students. Toy-Toy the Mad Dog of Salty Banks.
Not that anyone would even dream of calling her that to her face.
Toyomi gave Ochako another once over, studying the girl with keen eyes. "So, you wanna be a Hero? I won't lie, I didn't take ya for the sort. Ain't judgin' just find it funny." When she was satisfied, she nodded and her grin widened. "Sure! I'll train ya! I've been meanin' to get myself prepared for High School anyway. Shootin' for the top means I gotta buff up!"
Tsuyu tilted her head and pressed a finger against her lip. "Are you applying to UA too, kero?"
Toyomi nodded, positively beaming. "You bet'cha! And I ain't takin' no for an answer." She laughed again with the energy of someone twice her actual size. Her eyes then sharpened with an almost feral grin. "Let me warn ya' now, Pinkie. I don't pull my punches. You wanna train with me? You're gonna have to keep up. Every day after school, you'll come to me and we're gonna work you to absolute exhaustion, got that?"
"Uh… y-yeah…"
"What sort of weak-sauce response is that!? Beh! Give me some energy! Say it loud 'n' proud, Pinkie!"
"Yeah!"
"I can't hear you!"
"YEAH!"
Toyomi bellowed with laughter. "That's more like it! We start right now so go get changed! Now!"
Tsuyu blinked and made a sly step toward the exit. "I'll, uh… leave you two to it, kero…" she took another step, but was immediately stopped in her tracks when a searing glare bore down on her. Toyomi's grin managed to widen even more and with another cursory size up, she began to laugh with a slightly crazed expression. Flicks of electricity sparked from her fingers as her hand clamped down on Tsuyu's shoulder. The feeling of prickling energy shot up and down her arm uncomfortably. "Uh… kero?"
"Oh, and where do ya think you're goin', Swim Star?"
"Home?"
"Wrong answer! You're shootin' for UA too, right?" Tsuyu nodded but felt her heart start to beat faster. Dread was slowly creeping in. "Pinkie is gonna need a partner! And that partner's gonna be you, Swim Star."
"... No thanks. Like I said, I'm sticking with the swim team, kero."
"Are… you saying you don't want to train with me, Tsu?" Ochako muttered, looking absolutely heartbroken. She poked her index fingers together and let her cheeks puff out slightly. "Would I be a burden to you?"
Tsuyu's blank stare continued for a few seconds.
"You're a terrible actor, Ochako," she sighed. That said, if she was actually serious about applying to UA, then every little advantage helped, right? Plus, she admittedly would feel guilty with leaving Ochako all alone and at the mercy of this tiny ball of bombastic energy. So, she let out one long exhale and let her shoulders sag in defeat. "Habuko better be included on this, kero. Otherwise I'm going to cry."
"Oh, you mean the snake girl that barely talks? She's in my class! Sure! I'll drag her with me tomorrow! But for now, we begin, post haste! Forthwith! ASAP!" She paused expectantly, staring at the two girls. Neither of them moved. That was until a vein throbbed on Toyomi's forehead. "That means go get changed, maggots!" She barked loudly, earning sympathetic glances from various students around the trio.
Quickly, Ochako and Tsuyu bolted for the changing rooms without another word.
As they disappeared, Toyomi's grin turned sinister. She cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck side to side. "Haven't had fresh meat in a while! Heh heh… this'll be fun."
"Uh… Inushima… you look like you're going to horrifically murder them…" the large boy that had pointed Ochako in Toyomi's direction sauntered over with slight concern in his smile. "Y'know… you're the reason we haven't gotten many new members from the first years. They're all terrified you'll eat them alive!"
"Beh!" She waved a hand dismissively, completely ignoring the slight complaint. "I'm not gonna kill 'em. If they can't handle a little intense trainin', then they won't have a hope in hell of making it into UA." She shrugged and tapped the boy's shoulder with her knuckles. "I guess there's always Isamu if they can't handle it."
"Hey, you know my brother goes to Isamu."
"I do know."
"Wow. Not very subtle, are you?"
Toyomi merely grinned innocently at that. She laughed and turned her attention back toward the few first year students that did actually sign up this year.
Sharp teeth reflected light from a single bulb dangling from a filthy ceiling.
"So all I gotta do is cause trouble? That's it?" A rough, deep voice spoke into a phone. His sharp smile widening.
"Yes. It's so simple that even a toddler could understand." A droning voice on the other end of the line replied. The lack of real emotion pissed the man off, but right now, he really didn't care. "Succeed and we might have a place for you. More opportunities to sow chaos. That is what someone like you desires, correct?" At that, the man's smile faltered a little. He grumbled under his breath, but otherwise nodded to himself.
'Someone like you'?
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Whatever.
The money was good and, yes, he had been given free reign to go on a rampage. Was it too good to be true? Probably. Did he care? No.
"So when do you want this done?" He asked, shifting his weight on the steel fold-up chair. He glanced out of the grimy window into the coastal waters across the street. His grin returned as he watched the sun slowly begin setting.
"Tonight. We shall see what you are capable of." The languid voice hummed slowly, as if thinking. "Oh, and Shredback?" The man straightened up at the sound of his alias. "If you are apprehended, we will cease our relationship and I will leave you to your fate. Do not allow that to happen if you wish to move forward with us."
The line went dead before Shredback could retort.
He looked down at the small phone in his large hands. The sharp grin curled into a scowl. That asshole really liked the sound of their own voice. But honestly, most villains did. Shredback growled at the thought of that word.
Villain.
A brand that was slapped on anyone not willing to sit down and beg like good little dogs.
Some embraced the label. Even whole underground organisations had come together. Shredback, however, was one of the villains that didn't like being referred to as such. He did what he wanted. Took what he wanted. Hurt who he wanted. Above all, he saw himself as someone who only wanted to be free from bullshit. If that made him a villain, then it probably said more about the ones in charge than it did him. He laughed and rose from his chair.
So the asshole wanted the show to go on tonight?
His huge frame ambled around the bare room. Walking past the cracked mirror above a dirty sink, Shredback checked his sunken eyes and razor teeth. If he was to put on a show, then he ought to at least look the part.
His naturally pointed features lent well to that.
So did his huge figure. A large hunched back, muscular arms, thicker forearms and a chiseled jaw. He rose to his full height and felt his head touch the ceiling. He wanted his freedom and if he had to work with the asshole to get it, then so be it. He lifted his tree-trunk thick arm and watched as a single black spine slowly grew out of his forearm. Thin and needle sharp, it suddenly fired at high speed, sticking into the solid concrete wall of his apartment.
He then flexed out his back muscles and felt hundreds of those same spines grow out from the skin. His Quirk was on full display for the first time in a while. It actually felt good. Like stretching a stiff muscle and feeling the tension relieve itself.
"Alright… I'll show that asshole what I'm capable of."
"Tsu…?"
"Yes, Ochako?"
"Am I dead?"
"No, kero."
"Are you sure? Because life is pain."
Above them, Tsuyu could hear the bellowing laughter of the tiny wild girl. It was enough to make her eye twitch a little. Next to her, she could hear Ochako groaning as the two girls lay there on the tatami mat floor.
"Welcome to the world of intense training, kero." She had to at least laugh at that. Tsuyu wasn't as completely broken as Ochako - being used to hardcore workouts for the swim team - but even she had to admit the last two hours were the two most brutal hours of her entire life. Consisting of what couldn't even be described as 'sparring', both Ochako and Tsuyu were beaten, thrown, chased, parried, kicked, punched and everything in between. It was less training and more of a vicious slaughter.
And apparently, Toyomi wanted to do this everyday until the UA entrance exams. Something deep inside Tsuyu was yelling at her. Why did she agree to this?
Because she was an idiot with human emotions and empathy.
Stupid empathy. Making her feel bad for Ochako.
Stupid Ochako. Being all determined to get stronger.
She was whining. Tsuyu let out a long exhale and moved to get up from the floor, even if her body was protesting with all its bruised might.
Surrounding them, the entire club was kneeling down and watching Tsuyu and Ochako. A mix of horror, sympathy, amusement and terror had cemented onto each member's face. However, not one of them looked all that surprised. Was this sort of thing common? Just who the hell was Toyomi? A demon?
Speaking of the wild girl, despite Ochako and Tsuyu 'sparring' with her together, neither had landed a single hit. While they were laid out on the floor, suffering, Toyomi was barking with laughter.
"... So kids, what did we learn today?" Toyomi asked the crowd of onlookers.
One younger boy raised his hand; "we… uh… learned that you're insane?"
"Bzzzt! You should have picked up on that on day one!" Toyomi laughed, throwing her head back. "Nope! We learned that despite everythin', determination ain't exactly all that in the face of experience and skill. I ain't got a single hit on me… but eh. That's not exactly shockin' seein' as it's their first day." She shook her head and shrugged. Her attention then fell on Tsuyu and Ochako. "Sorry, you two. It might have looked like I was just wailin' on ya for the shits and giggles… but I had to get a baseline for your stamina." She pointed at Tsuyu. "You're pretty tough, Swim Star. You're already in fairly decent shape, but that's all ya got goin' for ya!" The pointing finger then moved to Ochako. "As for you, Pinkie… well… ya got the spirit. But again, spirit and determination will only get ya so far! Not to worry, though. I'll whip ya into shape."
"Yaaaay… ow." Ochako groaned, barely able to lift a hand up.
"Oh quit whinin', Pinkie! You'll get used to it eventually."
A few of the students around them mumbled sympathies under their breath. Toyomi then dismissed the club. The dojo quickly vacated and suddenly, the three were alone. Tsuyu blinked and tilted her head when she caught sight of remorse creeping into Toyomi's eyes.
"Alright… sorry about that, you two. Bein' the Girl's MMA Club's captain is… well… exhaustin'." She rolled her shoulder and lent down to offer the two girls a hand up. Which they both took, groaning as aching muscles weighed them down. "If I'm gonna be trainin' Mongoose too, I suppose I better run her through the same thing I just ran you two through. Only fair."
"Why doesn't Habuko get a weird nickname…?" Ochako muttered under her breath. If Toyomi heard it, she didn't bring it up.
"I think I might have signed Habuko's death warrant, kero…"
"You make it sound like I'm some wild beast!" Toyomi feigned offense. "So rude!" She barked in laughter for a few seconds. Ochako and Tsuyu didn't share her amusement. "Anyway, let's go get showered and changed. Cold shower. It's good for the muscles."
"But-"
"No excuses! Get your asses in the showers!"
As if marching to their execution, Ochako and Tsuyu shuffled out to get changed with the rest of the Girl's MMA club members.
Under her breath, Tsuyu cursed any higher beings that would listen.
To which she got no response. Making her grumble even more.
"Where is Mongoose, anyway? If ya dragged Asui along with ya, I would've thought you'd drag her along too." As they left the school's front gate, Tsuyu and Ochako were joined by Toyomi. Now that she was out of the dojo and not having to act as the captain, she was actually quite laid back. She walked with a lackadaisy pace and rested her hands on the back of her head, leading the two girls down the street toward the coast.
"She had to leave right away because of her part time job." Ochako answered, shrugging. "Otherwise I totally would have brought her along. Though… well, I'll be honest, I didn't actually expect you to include Tsuyu."
Toyomi gave a shrug of her own. "I find havin' someone to grow alongside with you helps a whole lot. I will say you have a little catchin' up to do, Pinkie. Swim Star over here's pretty built already."
"So you've said…" Ochako muttered, looking down at herself.
"Beh! Don't go there, Pinkie. You literally just started. Ain't no sense comparin' yourself to others."
Despite the sudden abrasive tone, Toyomi still looked like she was trying to encourage Ochako. On the other side of Ochako, Tsuyu gently bumped herself against her friend and gave a warm smile.
From there, they chatted idly about what to expect going forward. The more Toyomi talked, the more Ochako regretted even asking to train. Though she had already resigned herself to her fate. She did - in fact - ask for this and no matter how hard it was sounding to be, she was determined to see it through. After all, in her mind, her parents were counting on her to succeed. She couldn't fail them because she was afraid of a little pain.
As they walked, Tsuyu would occasionally glance at Ochako with concern.
Her friend's lack of self-confidence had been an issue since they first met. For reasons Ochako didn't like to talk about, the gravity girl couldn't even begin to see herself in a positive light. She had gotten better over the years, with Tsuyu's constant support, but she was still easily put off. So the fact that Ochako was doing this at all was actually a pleasant surprise. She was taking steps to improve herself and for that, any complaints Tsuyu had about being dragged into it were kept strictly inside.
She was just glad Ochako was coming out of her shell a little. Hell, she had somehow befriended the Mad Dog of Salty Banks of all people.
That counted for something.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the coast and made their way down the street overlooking the ocean. The sun had just set behind the horizon and cas the sky into a dark purple. The sea breeze gave Tsuyu a relaxed salty scent to enjoy. One of the many up-sides of living in Tahara and so close to the bay.
Before long, the three girls rounded a street corner, turning away from the coast, and strolled down a small market street.
None of them noticed a large figure emerging from the darkness of an alleyway.
Completely unaware of the impending danger, Toyomi's attention suddenly flickered to a shop window.
"Oh! I've been lookin' for that!" She cheered, rushing toward the window. On the display was a book with a very busy front cover. Many heroes were posed around the cover with a large title printed in big bold letters. 'Interview With Heroes! Vol. 2'. Both Ochako and Tsuyu raised a brow and approached their new friend. "It just got released a few days ago and I've been beggin' my pops to let me get it!" Her eyes widened with excitement. "But alas, my allowance ain't enough…"
"I mean… can't you just find these interviews online? For free?" Ochako looked quite unimpressed at the price tag. Her frugal senses kicked in. "It's a waste!"
"Nu-uh!" Toyomi shook her head - which soon became shaking her whole body - "there's a bunch of exclusive interviews you won't find anywhere else! Like… anywhere! The publisher's pretty damn tight fisted about it. Plus it's a collectors item!"
"It's a book…"
"You can't say much, Ochako. Anything with Thirteen in it is enough for you to salivate, kero."
Ochako huffed in betrayal.
"Y'know… this Volume has a whole chapter of Thirt-"
"Sold." Ochako muttered.
Toyomi barked with laughter.
Tsuyu rolled her eyes and idly turned away from her friends. Only for her eyes to widen even more than they usually were. "Kero!" She yelled, suddenly diving into a full tackle. She hauled both Ochako and Toyomi off the ground and the three tumbled to the ground. Before either of them had a chance to ask, a manhole cover smashed through the store window sending shards of glass everywhere.
Had Tsuyu not tackled Ochako and Toyomi to the ground, the solid metal disk would have hit them directly in the back. It didn't take a genius to understand what would have happened to them then.
Then a roar swept through the street.
Panic immediately followed as civilians realised the danger.
Out from an alley a few stores down, one huge man stomped into the centre of the street. Wearing a ragged and torn set of overalls, the man's hunched, but muscular, back was fully exposed. Thick forearms slammed down on a small hotdog stand, crushing it as though it were paper. The stand's owner shrieked in terror and tripped over himself and landed hard on the ground.
He scrambled across the ground and desperately rolled out of the way of a heavy stomp of a boot. Again, the hot dog stand owner squealed and clawed himself to his feet, bolting away from danger.
All the huge man did in response was roar with laughter.
"A villain attack, kero!" Tsuyu yelped, acting on the sudden adrenaline spike.
She watched in horror as the villain's attention was directed at an older woman pinning herself against the wall of a store. The bag of baked goods in her hand fell to the ground and spilled its contents over the cracked pavement.
The villain raised his forearm up and clenched his fist. Several black needles poked out from the skin, growing and twitching. The way he was doing so didn't seem like he was about to wind up for a spiked punch. No, the way the spines were twitching and shaking made something in Tsuyu's stomach knot. Without thinking, she jumped to her feet and fired out her tongue. It quickly wrapped around the woman's waist and, with a bit of effort, Tsuyu reeled in her tongue, dragging the woman along with it. A second later, the spines growing from the villain's arm burst forward like a blast from a shotgun. If Tsuyu had been a second slower, the woman would have been made into a pin cushion. "Get out of here, kero!"
"T-thank you!" She cried before hauling absolute ass away from the danger.
However, Tsuyu's relief was short-lived.
A growling laugh sent a cold shiver down her spine. Heavy footfalls approached and Tsuyu looked up, horror dawning on her as she stared into the eyes of the villain.
"Wanna play hero, kid?" He cracked his neck and flexed his back. Like his arm had done, spines quickly grew out from the exposed skin on his back. These ones were larger and thicker than the needles on his arm. "I have a job to do, runt. Don't get in my way, or I'll turn you into a damn frog soup."
"H-hey! What gives! What job involves rampagin' around a random ass market street!?" Toyomi barked and jumped to Tsuyu's side.
The wild girl was trying not to let any fear into her voice, but she wasn't doing a very good job.
"None of your business, little puppy."
The spines on his back exploded outward as he laughed. The hail of razor sharp rods peppered the street, sending another wave of terrified screams through the street.
Windows smashed, walls were impaled and wood was splintered under the onslaught. How no one had caught a stray spine was nothing short of a miracle. Most of the civilians had taken to laying on the ground with their hands clamped over their heads. Others - those that were nearer to the main street - had fled already. However, what was surprising was a small crowd had started to gather on the far end of the street. Far enough away that they were probably safe, but close enough not to miss any action.
Like what was happening was just some impromptu street performance.
"There… has to be a hero nearby, right, Tsu?" Ochako was shaking like a leaf next to the frog girl.
That just earned her a rumbling laugh. The villain rose to his full height, towering over the girls. "Let them come! You three are fine hostages! But first… I should make you more compliant."
Spines grew from his forearm and he aimed directly down at the three of them. Tsuyu had gotten them cornered and the slow realization was starting to make her go pale. He was about to either kill them or seriously injure them and it was all Tsuyu's fault. She firmly planted herself in front of the two other girls and stared up at the villain.
She was terrified.
But she was defiant.
Before her, the villain's arm was aimed and she could see the spines begin twitching and shaking.
"What are you doing, Tsu!?" Ochako reached out for her friend, finally realizing what Tsuyu was trying to do. However, before she could, the spines fired.
A rush of wind.
The roar of engines.
The bellow of a deep voice.
It happened in an instant. One moment, the three girls were about to be skewered alive and the next, they were on the complete opposite end of the street. They were squeezed together in a tight, hard edged embrace. None of the girls had opened their eyes yet, but they heard a deep breath and the hissing of something hot.
Cracking her eyes open, Tsuyu's first observation was that she wasn't dead.
Her second was that she was currently being held by a man wearing white armor. A full suit like some sort of futuristic knight. From his elbows, metal tubes smoked and hummed as they calmed down from use. He was kneeling on one knee and was currently using himself as a shield for the three girls.
However, he was breathing heavily.
"Damn…" he muttered. His voice came through his helmet with a slight robotic din.
That was when Ochako gasped.
Tsuyu followed her line of sight and copied the gasp. A single black spine was stuck out of the armoured man's ankle. Wedged firmly between the sections of armor. His arms began to shake and his breathing grew more and more ragged.
"Like my Quirk?" Everyone heard the Villain say, a small pang of disappointment in his voice. "I bet you're feeling like shit right now. It's annoying you snatched away my hostages, but hey! Taking down a top pro-hero is pretty damn cool! You see, my quills are laced with a toxin that causes nausea and disorientation. I bet you can't even tell which way's up right now, huh?"
The hero loosened his grip on the three girls.
"Well, this is bad. She's not going to let me live this down for at least a year…" the armoured hero muttered. He let his shoulders slump and quickly reached for something on his hip. "Sorry, you three, but I'm going to have to ask you to cover your ears for a few minutes. I'd rather not have my partner upset you with her foul language."
He pressed a button hidden under a panel of armor and a quiet ring sounded. Barely audible under the rapturous laughter of the villain.
The villain then began to approach. Spines grew out from his back and as he walked down the street, he kicked and punched different objects, causing as much property damage as possible.
However, before he got too close, something white and fluffy rushed out from the crowd of gathered citizens.
Before anyone could register what it was, a powerful foot slammed straight into the villain's jaw.
"Luna Rush!" A hoarse, feminine voice called. What followed was a series of powerful kicks, blasting against the villain's face, chest and stomach. Each blow staggering and throwing him around. Then, the white fluffy thing jumped back and immediately lunged forward for one last kick, finishing off the combo. The force of which sent the villain sailing through the air and colliding with a solid wall of a building. The impact alone was enough to create a large crater in the wall, sending cracks up the stone. Finally, the white fluffy thing stopped moving enough for Tsuyu to actually see what it was.
A short, incredibly muscular woman wearing a white, lilac and yellow leotard. Long white hair flowed in the air as she turned around to face the armoured hero. Her dark skin gave her a shocking contrast to the white hair. Her red eyes were piercing but what stood out the most was a pair of large, furry bunny ears standing proud.
Toyomi squealed, her terror temporarily forgotten. "Holy crap! It's Miruko!"
"Hey, rocket man! I ain't your fuckin' partner! I don't wanna be here at all! But fuck me, I guess!" The rabbit hero growled and thumped a foot against the floor. "This investigation's just a bunch of assholes jumpin' at fuckin' shadows! It's a waste of my fuckin' time!"
For his part, the armoured hero merely sighed. "Oh boy… I feel like throwing up…" he muttered, much to the discomfort of the three girls still under his protection. He stiffened and his helmet scanned across the girls. "I mean… don't worry, you three. My partner will handle the villain."
"I'm not your fucking partner, Ingenium!" Miruko barked. Though her anger was interrupted by a flying piece of debris being thrown directly at her. Which she effortlessly kicked into dust. "Stay down, you fuckin' overgrown porcupine!"
The villain didn't listen. Instead, he charged forward and threw out destructive punches. Unphased, Miruko ducked, dodged and jumped around the villain. He snarled with each miss, grunting when Miruko snuck in a kick. The two became a blur of movement. Occasionally, a spine fired off and punctured the environment around them. A few were sent in the direction of the crowd, which earned a few screams, but Miruko was like a fluffy bullet. She kicked each stray spine and piece of rubble out of the sky at the same time as fighting the villain himself. She was hell bent on fighting this guy and protecting the crowd alone.
As she tangled with the villain, Ingenium finally slumped over, heavily breathing.
"Kero!" Tsuyu hopped to his side, along with Ochako and Toyomi. Though Toyomi was more concerned with watching Miruko fight with stars in her eyes. "Are you ok?"
"I'm… fine. The toxin is pretty potent. Ugh… this sucks."
"Do we take out the spine?" Ochako glared down at the black quill still ticking out of his ankle. It looked like it had gone pretty deep and was about as thick as Ochako's index finger. In other words, it looked like it hurt like absolute hell.
"Before you do, I need to remove my leg armor. Do any of you have something clean to apply pressure? At least until paramedics arrive on scene."
"The only thing we have are our gym clothes and… well, we just got done training." Ochako responded. That said, she was quick on the uptake. Instead of using her gym clothes, she took off her pink sweat jacket. Once the leg brace was off, Tsuyu took hold of the black spine and quickly removed it. The bleeding wasn't too bad, but still enough to need pressure. When Tsuyu removed it, Ingenium grunted in discomfort before Ochako placed her sweat jacket firmly onto the wound.
"I'll pay you back for the jacket, Miss."
"I take cash."
"Hah! Well, I'm afraid I don't carry my wallet while on duty. Sorry."
"Wow. Cheap. Kero."
"Oh my god, Pinkie, Swim Star! She's doin' the thing! The… the thing! Watch!" Toyomi jumped with barely contained excitement. She pointed toward the fight and as Ochako pressed her jacket on the wound, they watched.
While they had been tending to Ingenium's wound, Miruko and the villain had made quite the mess of the market street. Cracks lined the pavement, chunks of rubble lay discarded, glass sprinkled the ground, destroyed stock littered everywhere. Not that Miruko was taking much notice. The villain threw out another haymaker, trying to spike her with his toxin. She dashed back out of the way and kicked down on the arm, hard. The crunch of bone caused the crowd to flinch and the villain howled with rage. Not stopping for a second, Miruko switched her stance and raised her leg high.
A wicked grin flashed over her lips.
"LUNA ARC!"
The foot was brought down in a powerful, stone-shattering axe kick. Her heel made contact with the villain's forehead and a second later, his jaw was slammed against the ground.
The force of the blow cracked the pavement even more and spines fired out from his back. Though they harmlessly flew into the air and out of sight. He grunted as his entire body folded under the kick. His eyes rolled back and a splash of blood sprayed from his mouth. When the rest of his body finally hit the ground, he finally fell limp, breathing unevenly and snarling under his breath.
By now, emergency services had arrived on scene and the police rushed in to apprehend the villain. Miruko huffed and dusted herself off once she was sure the villain was unconscious. There was absolutely no way he was getting back up from that. Not without a trip to the hospital, at least.
Tsuyu, Ochako and Toyomi watched as she approached them. Or rather, she approached Ingenium. She frowned down at the bloody jacket still being pressed against his ankle. "Fuckin' hell, rocket man. You had one damn job. You couldn't handle a single villain on your own so you called me in to sort your shit out for you? We're on the fucking clock, you moron!" As foul mouthed as ever, the rabbit hero glared daggers at the armoured hero.
Only for Ingenium to shrug and give a shaking laugh.
"I can only move so fast, Miruko…" he huffed, "if I went any faster, I would have… well… I would have been the villain." His helmet shifted toward the three girls. "Uh… you three are unharmed, right? No whiplash or internal hemorrhaging?"
The girls blinked at each other in slight confusion. Only for the science of the rescue to finally catch up to them.
Yes, if he hadn't been careful, the girls would probably be decorating the market street with a fresh coat of red paint right about now. The villain would have had his threat come true as Tsuyu would indeed be turned into frog soup. Shaking that thought aside, they all nodded their affirmations. All things considered, they had gotten out of the villain's attack completely unharmed. Despite almost being turned into pincushions or decapitated by flying manhole covers.
The next half an hour was a bit of a chaotic blur.
As with all villain attacks, the police had sectioned off the street and were now rushing about, assessing the damage and taking statements.
Paramedics were also on stand by, with Ingenium sitting in the back of a parked ambulance while two medic treated his wound with anti-venom. It was a miracle that no one else was hurt.
Especially with the magnitude of damage from both Miruko's battle and the spines from the villain. Honestly, the whole thing had left both Ochako and Tsuyu shell shocked. They were, of course, being seen to by a young paramedic, but they didn't have any injuries to treat other than a scratch or two. The same went for Toyomi. However, the wild girl was less shocked and more star-struck.
However, as the girls were being seen too, Tsuyu caught sight of a police officer approaching. A large, hairy man with thick, brown fur and the features of a huge mastiff dog. The kind that used to be bred for hunting bears before the time of Quirks.
"Wait… pops? I didn't know you were on duty tonight?" Toyomi suddenly sprang up and dragged herself out of the awe of seeing her hero in action. "What's with the face?"
"I wasn't," he huffed, irritation obvious in his tone, "but I got called in for an emergency. What a surprise that I should find you - oh dear daughter of mine - at the centre of it." He lifted a hairy hand and massaged his forehead. Then, he brought out a small notepad and pen. "I've been taking statements from some of the gathered civilians…" oddly, his gaze shifted down toward Tsuyu, "and a woman mentioned that you saved her life, young lady." He said that, but for some reason, it didn't sound too pleased. "You know that I could technically book you for vigilantism if that's the case."
"Wait… what!? Dad, what the hell!?" Toyomi growled, clenching her fists together, sparks of electricity dancing along her fingers and knuckles.
"Was I supposed to let the villain kill her, kero?"
The police officer sighed and let his wide shoulders relax. "I said I could. I didn't say I would. However, you need to understand that - although you did save that woman - your actions put you and your friends in danger. Had Ingenium and Miruko not come when they did, this incident would have gotten a lot more serious."
"Ah lay off the damn runts, Inushima!" At the sound of the familiar voice, the officer's expression soured.
"Miruko… please leave the police work to the police…"
"Hah! I'm not touchin' that shit with a 10ft pole! I just saw you lecturin' these runts and decided to swing by before I had to bounce." She grinned and clapped a hand against Officer Inushima's back. The force of which made him stumble forward. An amusing sight considering the sheer size difference between Inushima and Miruko. "Seriously, though, you kids got some spunk. Are you Hero Students?"
"No, we're in our third year at middle school…" Ochako mumbled, much to Miruko's surprise.
"Well shit!" She laughed, her attention turning to Toyomi. The wild girl froze under the sudden gaze. "You sounded like you're a fan. You got a name?"
"Uh… T-Toyomi Inushima…"
"Inushima? Holy shit, you're this old dog's daughter!? Wait… you don't look like his kid…"
"She takes after her mother," Officer Inushima growled. "Inherited her Quirk, not mine." Why he had to defend that point, Tsuyu didn't quite understand. After all, her own father was more animalistic than Tsuyu was.
"Well damn!" Miruko awkwardly chuckled before she completely abandoned that subject in favour of something else. "Want an autograph?"
"Boy do I!" Toyomi squeaked, much to Miruko's amusement.
On the far side of the street, a young girl was standing rigid on the pavement. Her sheer white hair gently brushed across her face in the breeze. Though she made absolutely no attempt to move a strand from her blocking her eyes.
The blank, white, unemotive eyes watched the scene unfold. She watched as Shredback was carried away in a large prison transport. She watched as the police went about their duties. She watched Ingenium hobble away with Miruko barely paying attention to her partner. Now that the immediate action was over and done with, the civilians had lost interest, dispersing and going about their evenings.
Essentially, the attack had made almost no impact whatsoever. Other than a few disgruntled business owners, there was nothing even remotely noteworthy.
In fact, the only real reason this attack would get any attention at all would be because Ingenium and Miruko appeared on-scene.
"Verdict?"
A voice spoke directly into the girl's ear. The small communication device hummed with slight static.
"Failure. Master."
"I see. Move on to the next." The languid voice rumbled. Despite not much emotion being put into it, there was an undeniable hint of anger.
"Yes. Master."
With that, the girl turned with rigid movements and started walking down the street with a single minded purpose. If she had any individual thought, it was quickly quashed. Her orders were absolute.
On to the next candidate.
Author's Notes
A lot of things will be quite a bit different in this fic! I can't wait to explore these differences and develop these characters. So, a few notes to go over;
First is Ochako and Tsuyu's living arrangements. I made this change because I really liked their canon relationship and I wanted to build upon it while also leaving room to explore certain mysteries surrounding Ochako. I also just wanted to write more about Tsuyu's adorable froggy family. Habuko will also be taking a more prominent role, too. No more shall the snek be relegated to a Japan-only OVA release! As for Toy-Toy, I'm aware that she's canonically already a pro-hero, but hell, she's only appeared... like... twice as cameos. So, I took what little we have and essentially retooled the character into Toyomi Inushima! She's gonna be a fun character to write. Especially with what I have planned going forward.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to let me know your thoughts and theories! Your engagement fuels me!