Chapter 5: Rocksteady Preparations
Touko Aozaki was filling out a report about her treatment of Shinya Kamihara, also known as the Pro Hero Edgeshot, when she felt a chime play across one of the bounded fields set up around her medical center. Glancing at her calendar, she noted it was time for her appointment for the Emiyas. Shaking her head in disbelief that this was happening, she saved the report and closed it, then moved over to her counter where she had a fresh pot of coffee to pour into her favorite mug. She took a sip, savored it, then headed out of her private office to greet her guests.
While she was most well known for her... well, technically it was the destruction and devastation she caused as Scarred Red, but most people came to her for her Quirk Specialization and medical skillset. Lesser known, however, was that she was very well licensed in multiple fields of psychology and psychiatry. She had lived for multiple decades after all, and the knowledge that she had studied had benefited her puppetry magecraft quite well. Now that she didn't have that anymore, she kept her skills in those fields sharp by also serving as a therapist.
Which was why she was on the list of options for the Emiyas for their weekly check-ins, which were required under the Robin Ward Laws that they were adopted under. Touko had a suspicion as to why Shirou and Miyu were willing to use her as their therapist, but she didn't care one way or the other. She would do her job, as she has since she landed here.
Touko arrived in her lobby just as the young group entered. Shirou and Miyu were expected, dressed more appropriately for the January weather than the last time she saw them. Arturia was a slight surprise, but not completely unexpected. The young Pendragon seemed to have bonded quite well with the Emiyas in their limited time together, and thus was most likely here in a misguided attempt to guard the siblings.
Touko decided to greet the group, "Welcome back. I'll admit, I'm surprised to see that you would choose me to serve as your councilor for your check ins."
Arturia gave her a Look, as the group took off their coats, scarves and hats, "Yeah, seeing as you tried to separate them before. I told them that this was a bad idea, but they were adamant that you needed to be the one."
Touko raised an eyebrow, "I was trying to make sure two teenagers didn't go out into the dead of night in the middle of winter, if you don't mind. I was neither for or against their separation." She took a sip of her coffee, "Besides, everything worked out, right?" Arturia grunted, but otherwise didn't voice her disagreement.
"Doctor Aozaki is right. She only did what her job was. Nothing more, nothing less," Shirou stated, having finished putting his stuff away. He stood before the doctor, nodding his head, "I don't think we'll have problems now, right?"
Touko nodded, "Of course not. Everything from that has been resolved. Are you going first, then, Mr. Emiya?" Shirou nodded, while Miyu and Arturia sat down on the chairs in the lobby room. Doctor Aozaki gestured towards her private office, and Shirou followed after her. Once they both entered and Shirou closed the door, a soundproof bounded field activated, and Doctor Aozaki sat down in her office chair, "I'm impressed. I almost believed that, Mr. Emiya."
Shirou didn't take a seat while he responded, "I want to believe we'll have no problems, but first I need to know: Where's Rule Breaker?" He seemed ready for a fight, and Touko didn't want to deal with that. So she simply pulled open one of the drawers in her desk, and showed the Noble Phantasm to its Faker.
Shirou stared at it, instinctively using Structural Analysis on it and being clearly confused at the new history that the Noble Phantasm had, "...You're using it as a letter opener?" Doctor Aozaki smirked at the response.
"It works great as one, so why not?" she put the dagger back away, and closed it. The drawer served as a static point in time. If anyone else tried to open that drawer, they'd be losing a hand, "I also use it to open my cigarettes that Hawks drop off for me. Of course, I am studying it as well, but it's more of a novelty than anything else."
Shirou sat down, staring at Touko, "I thought you would use it to free yourself from your Geas Contract?" Touko snorted in response, pulling out her folder for Shirou's case file.
"Mr. Emiya, you do know what my field was, don't you?" Touko gestured to her body, "I think you could see what problems would arise should I try to use Rule Breaker on my Geas Contract."
Shirou blinked, "Oh, I see." Touko nodded. Since she didn't have access to the original document, the only way that she could use Rule Breaker to sever her Geas Contract would be on herself. Which would sever the rest of the magecraft she had on her body. Touko was in a puppet copy of her original body. Her last one, with her original body long gone and no more puppets left for her to inhabit. Once this body died, that was it. All she would accomplish is a swift end, something she wasn't ready for.
"Mr. Emiya, I have forged my chains myself. The actions that I have taken have led me here, to this clinic. I have committed many atrocities and tragedies, all in the sake of reaching my goals, and it was all for naught. I have never nor will ever reach my goals, and I have made peace with that. I have since decided that I will spend the rest of this simple life using my skills as I can for my patients, until I finally end up in oblivion." This was the path she chose.
Touko and Shirou stared for a minute at each other, measuring the other's conviction. Shirou broke eye contact first, glancing to the side, "So, we're both Villains in a world of Heroes, huh?" Shirou bitterly chuckled, "Doesn't seem fair now that I can actually follow my dreams when you can't."
"I became a villain in pursuit of my selfish dream above all else. It's only natural that it would have been stripped from me. Your dream was to help others, and you had cast it aside to save your sister," Touko remarked, "It seems fair to me that you would get another shot at being a hero. Granted, I think coming here was a mistake, if your goal was to keep Miyu and yourself safe."
"From the Neo-Mage's Association, right?" Shirou responded, "Even if they have a slightly better grasp on ethics, they're still Mages, right?" Shirou narrowed his eyes, "Did you tell them about us?"
"I had to, it was part of my treatment for you two for them to help cover the fiction we sold as your backstory," Touko shrugged, "I wouldn't worry too much about them. I wasn't referring to the Neo-Mage's when I said that coming to this world is a mistake."
Shirou straightened up in his chair, taking Touko seriously. That was good, "Granted, those Democratic fools could cause you problems, but if you can play their game you'll be fine. The Old Mages are much more dangerous, and aren't as eager to play nice. A lot of them have chosen to back different Villain organizations, providing support in a variety of ways to cause chaos and lash back against the Neo-Mages. Some of that knowledge has filtered down to various Villain groups, so be careful. If magecraft is involved, those fights are going to be trickier than from your old world."
Shirou leaned forward in his seat, "Of course magecraft would make a fight trickier, but you seem to be implying something..." Shirou cut himself off, leaning back as something occurred to him, "The night we tried to escape, your Mystic Eyes were far stronger than I anticipated. I've since thought that it was because this was in effect your workshop, but now that I'm back here, I don't think that was the case. The bounded fields are weaker than I thought they'd be."
"This is my workshop, and it does have an effect, but the bounded fields are weaker because I don't need them to be as strong as you may think. They're there to protect me against Magus attacks," Touko elaborated, then held up an All-Might action figure and a Gandalf one. Shirou raised an eyebrow, but Touko ignored him.
"Quirk Liners, like All-Might here, have an insanely strong magic resistance. If I were to use Gandr or any direct magecraft on him, it would take nearly an exponential more mana and effort to get a more solid effect on him," Touko elaborated, with little lights appearing then bouncing off the All-Might figure.
Touko then gestured with the Gandalf figure, "However, if a Quirk Liner fully unlocks their magic circuits, that magic resistance goes away. It's like jailbreaking your phone or video game console. It can now do more, but it's consequently more vulnerable." The lights appeared again to hit Gandalf, who collapsed into pieces.
"You're trading a shield for a pocket knife," Shirou stated, nodding his head in understanding. He then blinked, and shot a wide-eyed look at Touko, "Wait, can that be reversed? Miyu has her circuits unlocked, which means she's vulnerable to Magus attacks."
"Doesn't work that way. I could rip out her circuits, sure, and then she doesn't have the protection or the ability to fight back," Touko put her action figures away, "The best course of action is to train her magic circuits and help her to be as aware as possible, and to flee at the first sign of trouble."
Shirou exhaled, then nodded, "Yeah, I can do that. I've been training her for a while, so I'll make sure to cover anti-magus techniques soon." Touko nodded. According to the story that Shirou and Miyu had told her, Miyu had gotten Shirou to start training her in magecraft shortly after Miyu had used her Child of God potential to become Shirou's biological sister. Touko suspected that Miyu was able to awaken within the Holy Grail due to this magecraft training. That simple action would end diverting their charted fate.
A mage teaching their sibling magecraft... outside of the Edelfelts, the idea was absurd. Touko knew that first hand.
"Be sure to do so. If you want lessons on some of the other practical magecrafts like Spiritron Hacking, I'm more than willing to teach you," Touko smirked, "For an extra Noble Phantasm Projection, of course."
Shirou gave her an unamused look, "Law of Equivalent Exchange, huh? Anytime I need a favor from you, you get a Noble Phantasm?"
Touko gestured to her medical practice, "Of course. This relationship is purely transactional Mr. Emiya. Mr. Pendragon is covering the fees that the Safety Commission won't, so any other services need to be paid for by you." Harsh words, but true, "Since I'm interested in how you are able to make your Noble Phantasm copies, it works out. I don't even care what you give me. Since I can't progress my own magecraft field, this is the most interesting thing I can do while bored here. "
Shirou nodded in understanding, "I see, alright then, I'll keep that in mind." Touko nodded, then picked up her pen.
"Now, we've wasted enough time discussing the mysteries of the universe. I know you've chosen me since I actually know the situation and can cover for you." Shirou glanced to the side sheepishly, "It's fine, like I said, I know what this is and why we're doing it. But I still need to get some notes to turn in," Touko shook her head, "If you ever figure out how to turn the red tape of bureaucracy into a Noble Phantasm, let me know so I can figure out how to break it."
Shirou snorted, and Touko chuckled, "Now, tell me about your life with the Pendragons, and how you feel about it."
Shirou sat back with a sigh, "...Other than the weird deja vu that Miyu and I feel when at their place, it's been good. They have the same floor plan we had, but it's been slightly modified," Shirou elaborated at Touko's raised eyebrow, "Yeah, it's weird, but... nice. The house is warm, which our home from the old world never was."
Touko nodded, taking down the notes she needed to, changing the reference to the parallel world to be one of Alimango Island. She then asked, "What's your typical schedule? Are the Pendragons feeding you and making sure you get an education?"
Shirou nodded, "So, in the mornings Miyu and I cook breakfast while everyone gets ready for school or work. Once that's done, we go with Gawain to his headquarters. He has some extra computers there and got us into an online remedial course, just so we can show where we're supposed to be academically."
Touko gave a wry smile, "And how is the online course?" What she really was asking was "How is the modern internet?" Shirou and Miyu were from a desolate version of 2004. The new modern internet would surely be a curious thing to them.
Shirou shrugged, "It's... a lot. But very useful. Miyu and I tend to finish our coursework quickly, outside of technical skills and world history, so we've been focusing a lot of our time getting up to speed on those. We still finish far earlier than what Gawain expects of us."
"So what do you do when you have spare time?" Touko asked, "Play video games? Binge shows on streaming? Work out at his personal gym?"
Shirou shook his head, "Nah, Miyu and I got permission to go have lunch at the beach. I then go clean it after we're done while she plays in it."
Touko blinked, "...You don't mean Takoba do you?" She stopped writing down to get the full picture of what she was working with. Shirou and Miyu were attacked there, why in the hell was Saber Shine allowing them to go back?
"Yeah, Takoba. Disregarding those thugs," Shirou nearly spat out those words, "We do have some good memories there, and we want to build more. Besides, I promised someone that I'd help clean it up, after the mess I caused."
Touko reached into the crevices of her memory to think of who Shirou could possibly be talking about, "Midoriya, right? The kid who helped protect Miyu?" Shirou nodded, so Touko asked, "Have you seen him since?" Shirou shook his head at that question.
"Unfortunately, no, but I do know he's working on it. I've seen some signs of that," Shirou responded, "I wish I could see him and thank him, but it seems our schedules are too far apart. Once Arturia finishes up at school, we all head back home to do homework and training, getting ready for the U.A. Entrance Exam."
Touko smirked at the usage of Arturia's first name, but refrained from commenting on the matter, more focused on something more directly related to her field, "So, you've started training again? I believe it's a little early for that."
Shirou exhaled, then replied, "We're not doing anything too strenuous. Mostly just exercises and form practice, with maybe one spar every other day. My body's nearly fully healed, and my Quirk has been doing well with my basic Projections." To demonstrate, he made a shinai, and passed it to Touko, who examined it.
"I see. It does look like your Quirk is in great condition now. Let me take a quick test and I believe you'll be ready to do serious Projections," Touko glanced at the young man with a serious look, "Have you identified where you'd be doing such Projections?" In other words, had Shirou found a workshop?
Shirou nodded, "There are some benefits to the Pendragon's sharing a floor plan with ours. They have a similar shed that I used to practice in, but they only use it to store some junk. I talked to Gawain about using the space to practice my special moves, and he said that as long as I don't lock it or burn it down I'm fine to practice in there."
Touko nodded, "Not necessarily ideal, but I'm sure with the proper precautions," like a warning bounded field, "it will do. If I do sign you off for them, only do practice twice a week. Give your body time to recover."
Shirou nodded, "Understood, I'll be careful."
Miyu struggled to focus on the book she had. The Origin of Vigilantism: Social Contexts and the Construction of Justice , a textbook written by Doctor Miller and Doctor Mazzucchelli, explored the chaos of the new Age of Quirks and how Vigilantes first appeared to fight back against the Tyrants that abused their powers.
It was an interesting read, and she had been enjoying it... before. But sitting back here, in Doctor Aozaki's office, waiting for Shirou to finish his appointment, it wasn't taking her mind off of things like she wanted.
Sighing, she tucked the bookmark back into place. Miyu leaned back into her seat, trying to organize her thoughts.
Arturia turned in her seat to check on her. She had been playing on her phone, a game called Capsule Servants: Magia Order . She had gotten into a disagreement with someone at her school over the game, and was thus playing it to prove them wrong.
"Is everything okay? Are you nervous about meeting with Doctor Aozaki? You don't have to meet with her, you know." The questions flew out of the blonde heroine-to-be, gentle yet quick. It was a different style than how Shirou would do it, who preferred to let Miyu come to him with problems. However, Arturia's affection was nice in its own way.
Miyu shook her head, "No... I mean, I am nervous, but Shirou and I talked about it. I think we can trust her." She took a heavy breath, then shrugged, staring down at her knees, "I don't know, I just don't know what to do."
Arturia cocked her head to the side, "Like, right now or in general? Because you're just fourteen, you don't need to be worried about your life just yet."
"I do, though," Miyu quietly retorted. It had slipped out, but now the words wouldn't stop, "I mean... I wasn't supposed to have a life. The... people who took me, they made sure I knew I was supposed to be sacrificed."
She clenched the book close to her chest, "Shirou freed me from that, and I am grateful. But... We're now in a place where he can be a hero. Something he has always wanted."
Miyu turned back to Arturia, "Which is good! I'm glad he can follow his dreams, that he didn't end up sacrificing them to save me..."
Miyu's voice cracked, and tears blurred her vision, "But where does that leave me? What am I supposed to do now?"
Arturia put her phone down on the seat, got up, and pulled Miyu into a hug. The younger girl nestled into her older sister figure. Arturia's warmth soaked into Miyu like sunlight. She hadn't been held a lot as a child, so she was learning how to take the hugs and cuddles she could. They soothed her in unexpected ways.
After a long moment, Arturia gently responded, "I know it seems scary now, but you are a talented, smart young woman." She wiped a tear away from Miyu's face as she continued, "You'll figure out what you want to do in no time."
"And once you do," Arturia gave Miyu a big smile, "Shirou, Dad, Lance and I will all help you reach that goal."
Miyu smiled at that, then lowered her eyebrows in thought.
"What about Kay?"
Arturia made an exaggerated thinking face, "Hmmmm... Kay's a knucklehead, but I'm sure he'll have some ideas to help."
The two girls giggled together, the heavy mood fading away like the morning mist.
Arturia sat back down, and opened her phone to a notepad app, "How about this, you tell me what excites you, what interests you, and I'll write it down. We can figure something out from there."
Miyu nodded, "Well, I like learning. Reading is fun. So is cooking, and shopping." Arturia gave a good chuckle at that. Due to the Emiyas' previous living situation, Miyu hadn't really ever been shopping.
Once she had heard this, Arturia had whisked her out immediately to indulge. Gawain was aghast at this, seeing as he had helped pay for Shirou's and Miyu's first batch of clothes. But he didn't get the appeal of shopping for new clothes. Not in the way that Miyu and Arturia did, anyways.
Miyu stopped to really think while Arturia kept writing stuff down. She looked down at her hands, trying to divine some meaning from the universe. What did appeal to her in this new life? What stuck out to her from her old life?
"...Sparring," Miyu spoke out loud, the word slipping out of her mouth unbidden.
Arturia turned to her with confusion on her face. The confusion was warranted; Miyu had never sparred before in her life. She had never even held a sword.
And yet, "Watching you and Shirou spar, and having seen him fight before to save me..." Miyu trailed off, struggling to put the words together, "Fighting is an ugly thing, but how the two of you do it, it's beautiful, somehow."
She held her book tight to her chest, "That strength to fight against the injustices in the world, I can't think of any other word than beautiful."
Miyu glanced at the TV in the corner, where a news op-ed was playing. The camera was focused on a random stranger, dressed in bike pads and an All-Might hoodie.
He was racing up the side of a building, dodging strikes from a giant, four-armed villain. The stranger pushed himself against the wall, catching a young woman's feet in his hands. He pushed up, and the young woman took off flying in the other direction.
The editorial was lambasting the stranger for his reckless behavior and unlicensed heroics during a crisis, but Miyu saw something else. The strength to act when no one could help.
Something sparked within her, even if she didn't know it yet.
Arturia raised an eyebrow, "I... guess? I never thought of sparring as being beautiful. It's a way to get strength to fight against dangerous foes."
The blonde knight-wannabe shrugged, "It's fun, but it's just a tool for growth."
Miyu gave a sly smirk, "Is that why you keep losing to Shirou?"
Arturia gave her a stink eye while Miyu covered her mouth from laughing. After Shirou had fully recovered, Arturia had failed to score a solo win against the redhead. If she teamed up with Lance, then she had a shot, but never solo. It was a well-known sore spot for Arturia, and a tease that everyone eventually played into.
"Et tu, Miyu?" Arturia quipped, then started sniffing imperiously, "I might have to delay our shopping trip after this. Apparently I need to train harder to defeat your brother."
"That's fine," Miyu replied, eyes twinkling in sudden mischief, "Though, Shirou and I won't be able to get the ingredients we need for dinner tonight."
She laid down her trump card, "I guess that means Mister Pendragon will need to make his potato salad tonight."
Arturia gagged, then groaned, "Alright, you win." She gave Miyu another stink eye, "You really are Shirou's sister. Neither of you fight fair."
Miyu giggled while she turned back to her book. Arturia likewise returned to her game, and the room became tranquil once more.
Though, Miyu continued to think about fighting and the strength needed to defend others. She needed to get Doctor Aozaki to figure out what her Quirk really was. She needed to know what strength she had, and what paths she could take because of it.
Ochako Uraraka was a young woman who was seventeen years old and lived in Yabin City in the Mie Prefecture. She had a curvy figure with auburn hair and eyes, with blush spots on her cheeks contrasting with her fair skin. Her carefree, heartfilled personality was a source of smiles to anyone who knew her.
Since the school day had just finished, Ochako was giggling alongside Ayane Sakura, her friend for the last few years. Ayane Sakura, who had a slim body type and wore her hair in a black bob cut, was telling the story about her latest adventure over in Naruhata, "Ochako, you have no idea how wild Pop Step's show was. The crazy jumps and flips she was doing were intense. My sister was fangirling the entire time over the routine."
"Oh, I'm glad she had fun," Ochako replied, "How about you? Did you have any fun in Naruhata?" They got to their lockers, and started shuffling items around while Ayane hummed before responding.
"I mean, Pop Step isn't my thing, but my sister had the biggest smile watching her, so that's all that matters, right?" Ayane smiled and Ochako returned it. Giving people the ability to smile... that was important to Ochako.
"Besides," Ayane excitedly slammed her locker shut, "Since I took my sister out for babysitting, my parents reimbursed me with a little extra. Everyone's going to the Deep Dope concert today, do you want to go?"
Ochako faltered, before closing the door to her locker softly. She would love to go, but between the fare to get there, the tickets, and getting food... "Sorry, Ayane, I can't go," Ochako pulled up a convenient excuse, "You know how close the U.A. Entrance Exam is, right? It's almost a month away. I really need to focus and be prepared for that."
Ayane blinked, "Oh, right, you're still going for that," her friend rocked on her heels for a second, then started walking with Ochako out the door, "Well, I'm sure you're going to do well."
"Thanks," Ochako responded with a smile, "Have fun at the concert!" The two girls parted ways, and Ochako walked home on her own. The countryside environment was chilly this time of year, but still had a charm she liked.
The narrow sidewalks were covered in little cracks and chalk drawings of every color. The power lines were old but sturdy, tilting in odd directions as they lined the landscape. She knew plenty of the houses as she passed, having seen her parents work on them in a variety of capacities. They were all cozy, just like her own home. The neighborhood was the closest thing to a village from a fairy tale that she knew, and it was beautiful.
Ochako would miss it if, no, when she got into U.A.
When she arrived home, it was dead quiet. As usual these days, with both of her parents at work with their construction company. Ochako went up to her room, sat down at the small table she called a desk, and got started on her homework.
Ochako struggled through the assignments for a couple of hours before glancing at the clock. It was time for her training, the entrance exam was too soon to ignore. Every second counted, and if she wanted to have a chance to be at U.A., she needed to be at her A-game.
Ochako set her homework aside for the moment. She got up and headed to the kitchen to make dinner. Her parents were still not here, so she cooked up some basic chicken and rice. Nice and light on the stomach, just the way she liked it.
Putting the three meals into the fridge so they could get warmed up later, Ochako took some quick bites of plain rice to fill up her stomach. She then got dressed into a pink tracksuit and left a note saying that she went for a run. Ochako plugged headphones into her flip phone, then tied her shoes as tightly as she safely could. She zipped up her jacket, put on her beanie, then stepped out. She took a deep breath, enjoying the night air. Ochako waved to the stars, then took off jogging, passing the old tilted power lines and dodging the chalk drawings. She made sure to keep a solid pace as she headed for her destination.
The Worii Scrapyard was a massive dump. It used to be a reputable business, but the owners had ended up walking away to fulfill their gardening dreams. They never sold the place, which made it easy for the people around the area to illegally dump their trash.
Which is why it was the perfect place for Ochako to train. Her Quirk, Zero Gravity, released the gravitational pull on any object she touched, making it weightless. It could cause some severe nausea, which was not fun to deal with, but Ochako was working hard to manage it.
She walked over the first piece of scrap, an old fridge, and made it weightless. Then she pushed it slightly towards a pile she was working on. Unfortunately, she didn't have the resources to remove the trash, but she could at least consolidate it, maybe she could come back after she made it big as a Pro-Hero.
Ochako placed the fridge into place, then left it weightless while she got the next piece of trash. Again and again, she moved tires, fridges, couches, bed frames, and other pieces of junk over to the pile. Ignoring the building pressure, ignoring the smell, ignoring the gravel shifting beneath her shoes, Ochako worked to bring more and more items over to the garbage.
As Ochako worked, the gravity that she was removing from the objects built up on her senses. Her Quirk wasn't a freebie, the gravity that she removed got applied to her body like it was a physical force. It wasn't, Ochako's Quirk Assessor at school had double checked that to be sure. However, she still experienced the weight of everything she touched. A few objects at a time barely meant anything, but soon enough...
Ochako touched a solid wood desk, and that became the straw that broke the camel's back. The rush of motion sickness was overwhelming, and she crashed to the ground hard, her left hand barely catching her while her right covered her mouth.
Ochako fought to get her fingers together, releasing her Quirk. The loud crash of the garbage falling behind covered up Ochako emptying out her stomach. The motion sickness nausea was the price that Ochako suffered for the ability to reject the laws of physics.
But when she thought about her parents struggling with the finances... When she thought about the jobs they missed out on, being passed over for the bigger, cheaper companies... When she thought about the dreams that her parents gave up for her... It was a trade she was willing to make.
Once the rice she had eaten for this very situation had gone, Ochako wiped the bile taste away, then stood up to look at the pile. The garbage heap was a solid size, and she had improved. Ochako narrowed her eyes. It wasn't enough. She had no instruments to rely upon, no measurements to compare her progress. But the future gravity heroine knew, deep down: this wasn't good enough. She needed to expand her Quirk's limit.
Ochako shrugged her shoulders, the loud pop from cracking her neck echoing in the late night. She then slammed her palm down on the top of the solid wood desk she had just tried to take. It was time to start the next pile. Again and again, she'd work on expanding her limit.
The U.A. entrance exam was a month away. She needed to be sure she was strong enough to get in. Strong enough to provide the best life for her parents. Strong enough to make sure they would be smiling.
Arturia Pendragon gritted her teeth, pushing back Shirou's left shinai. Immediately, she had to counter from the right, making sure to keep a solid balance of offense and defense as she parried and pushed off of Shirou's onslaught. They were sparring, as they often did before dinner, and Arturia was sure she would win this time. She was going to.
Arturia was in black shorts, a blue jacket, and a basecap that helped to manage her ponytail, wielding a single, longer shinai. Shirou was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and blue sweatpants, wielding two short shinai swords. Miyu was sitting to the side, next to Lance, as they watched the training bout intently. Kay was working on some assignments in his room.
Arturia put all of that aside, her focus intent on beating Shirou. She darted out of range, then dashed back in, looking to strike Shirou in the abdomen. Shirou simply pivoted, parrying the strike with one hand, then went for her wrists with the other. She winced, the strike connecting, but then jabbed the shinai at Shirou's head, to which he dodged, then went for a similar strike. Arturia blasted away from Shirou, gaining space, then charged back in, clearly intent on piercing a defense that seemed to be ready for her every move.
Arturia went for an upwards slash, which Shirou countered immediately. He then countered her again, as she went for an overhead strike. Shirou quickly moved back, then cast aside his two short swords, Traced her shinai, then went in on the offensive, matching her aggression with his own.
Arturia and Shirou traded blows furiously, struggling to find a single opening in each other's guard. Shirou may have gotten a lot of real world experience, fighting to save Miyu from those Ainsworth creeps. However, Arturia's instincts were exceptional, and her form and technique were nearly flawless. It almost made up the difference.
Arturia's latest push caused her to overextend, just missing Shirou as he moved out the way of the strike. He then moved his foot behind Arturia's, tripping her immediately. She yelped, and as she fought to recover, he disarmed her by sliding his shinai by her wrists.
Casting both practice swords away, Shirou Traced his bow and another shinai, one without the tsuba. He aimed it like an arrow and pointed it at the now fallen Arturia.
Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Arturia growled in frustration, slamming her fist down. Shirou dismissed his Projections and offered a hand, which she begrudgingly took. As she headed over to where her shinai was, she asked in an exasperated tone, "So, how many matches up is Shirou at?"
Lance chuckled, "Around 30 or so for the last few weeks. Sorry, sis, you haven't really beaten him since Shirou recovered," Lance shrugged, "Not that I blame you. Shirou's a menace, and you are very used to winning against everyone... except me." Arturia rolled her eyes. She could beat her mad dog of a brother... sometimes.
But even Lance had trouble with the tricks that Shirou could pull out. Lance had beaten Shirou plenty of times, even after the redhead's recovery. However, Arturia and Lance believed that it was because Shirou wanted to do something and stopped himself. Something too dangerous for a simple practice spar.
Shirou rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment while Arturia gave a glare to her brother, "Just for that, I think Shirou and I should take you down together, right Shirou?" She glanced at the redhead hoping for backup, but he shook his head. Miyu had also gotten up, which clued Arturia into why Shirou was rejecting the extra spar.
"It's time for us to start making dinner, so it'll be done when Gawain gets home with Mr. Takami," Shirou stated, with Miyu nodding along as she headed out of the dojo. Right, it was that time... and Arturia did want Shirou to make a good impression on Hawks. Mostly so she could hold it over her father's protege. Shirou's next words shook Arturia out of her vindictive scheming, "Want me to help clean this place up? Miyu can go ahead and get started."
"No... Losers clean the dojo, that's the rule," Arturia exhaled, waving her hand, "It'll give me some alone time to come up with some tricks to beat you." Honorable battle didn't work on Shirou, so it was time for the underhanded, "Though, I might recommend a shower. We've been sparring for a few hours."
Shirou just chuckled, "Alright, if you are sure. I'll go do that then," he left, and Arturia got to work, putting everything up and wiping everything down. While it took a few minutes to ensure everything was cleaned correctly, Arturia was fast and thorough. Once she was done, she headed into the main manor, towards her room. Shirou always took quick showers, so she was sure he was done by now.
Arturia picked out what she wanted to wear, a nice brown dress that was very comfortable to wear and some matching leggings so that she'd have some pockets. Gathering that with her shower supplies, since there wasn't enough room in the bathroom to store everyone's shampoos and soaps, Arturia headed down to the bathroom.
When she got there, she saw that the light was still on. Arturia raised an eyebrow. Was something wrong with Shirou? She knocked on the door, but before she could say anything the door was thrown open.
"Sorry, is there a..." Shirou gave a startled reply that cut itself off, but Arturia wasn't focused on that. Shirou had only gotten half dressed, and was missing his shirt. Thus, Arturia could see all the muscles that still had a wet sheen from the humidity in the air. She could see the differing patches of fair and tanned skin. She could see how well he developed his body in recovery the last few weeks. Shirou rehabilitated his body through his hard work and discipline.
Arturia definitely approved of the results.
They stood staring at each other for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity, before Shirou closed the door swiftly. Arturia turned around and leaned against the wall, taking a minute to compose herself. Her heart was pounding, and she had no idea why. She had seen shirtless boys before, but.. She was not going to give her dad any reason to be concerned about Shirou staying there... She wasn't.
Shirou reopened the door, this time wearing his trademark white shirt with the long blue sleeves. His face was red while he coughed. Shirou then said, "Um, sorry about that. I thought it may have been Miyu or one of your brothers..."
"Yeah, let's just forget about this," Arturia lied, "I just finished cleaning the dojo, so I thought I could take a shower before Hawks got here as well." Shirou nodded, then packed up his stuff and took it to his room, moving quickly so he could put it away and go help Miyu with the dinner.
Arturia watched him go, then took a deep breath and headed for her shower. Once she was clean, both in body and in mind, she got out, dried herself off, then got dressed and ready. She was fiddling with her traditional braid when she heard the front door open, and she rushed to put the final touches on before heading out to the dining area.
Since the Pendragons had a round table, because of the obvious joke, there wasn't really a head. However, Gawain sat in the seat closest to the kitchen. To his left, Hawks, Kay, and Lance sat, with three more places to Gawain's right. Shirou and Miyu were bringing out the food they cooked, which was a small buffet of fried chicken, smashed potatoes, corn, and steamed vegetables. Arturia's mouth started watering immediately as she slid into her seat next to her father. Miyu would sit next to her, and Shirou would be between his sister and Lance.
"Well, color me impressed. You Emiyas sure know how to cook," Hawks chimed in, causing Arturia to snap out of her trance and glare at the family splitter wannabe.
"Yeah, imagine if you got your way," Arturia retorted, raising an eyebrow, "You would have missed out on this wonderful meal. We all would have." Gawain sighed, rubbing his forehead, while Hawks chuckled nervously.
"I was just doing what I thought was right. But even I can see I was wrong to do so," Hawks stated in the PR voice he used whenever he got into a bit of trouble. Arturia squinted back at him, so the Pro Hero continued, "I am sorry. To help make up for my mistake, I brought muffins for after the meal."
Arturia sighed, but let up on her anger, "Have the Emiyas forgiven you?" They had signed off on letting Hawks come back to the Pendragon family dinners, but Arturia knew they were still on edge around him. Before Hawks came up with an answer, Shirou and Miyu took their seats, having finished bringing everything out.
"What's done is done," Shirou grunted, "What matters now is how things go moving forward." The redhead teenager and the feathered adult stared at each other, then nodded, satisfied with whatever the result of their contest. Arturia grew up surrounded by her father and brothers, but boys were still weird. She glanced at Miyu, who shrugged her shoulders incredulously. Seems like Arturia wasn't the only one who thought that.
The two girls stifled their chuckles as Gawain spoke up, "Alright, let's settle down." The various side conversations settled down, and Gawain continued, "Hawks, thank you for attending. Shirou and Miyu, good work on the meal. Let's give thanks in a manner you see fit, then dig in."
Everyone nodded, then followed Gawain's instructions. Arturia and the other Pendragons said Grace under their breaths, while the Emiyas and Hawks said the customary "Itadakimasu." Once everyone finished, everyone dug into the meal.
Arturia struggled between devouring and savoring the fried chicken. The skin was the right amount of crispy, while the flesh was juicy and full of flavor. The Emiyas had also thought ahead to have different dipping sauces to enjoy with it. Arturia was a self-admitted glutton, and often raced to finish her food, yet Shirou's and Miyu's cooking was too good not to savor as much as she could.
Once the initial rush for the chicken was over, everyone started to work on the sides and took their time. Hawks was the last one to leave the chicken alone, shaking his head, "Holy crap, I need to stop or I won't be able to fly tomorrow. That's some of the best fried chicken I've ever had, where on earth did you two learn to cook like that?"
Shirou and Miyu shifted in their seats, slightly embarrassed by the compliment. Shirou then responded, "Back when I was travelling with my dad, we ended up in the southern United States for... business reasons. I learned from some of the locals. Since Gawain mentioned you liked chicken the most, Miyu and I figured this would be a good recipe for tonight."
Hawks raised an eyebrow, "Really? So this is pretty authentic, then." He finished his last piece, then licked his fingers off, "I appreciate the gesture, this is fantastic. I truly do owe you an apology."
Shirou shrugged, "Not quite sure about how authentic it is, but I, or rather, we appreciate the compliment. As for an apology..." Shirou looked at Miyu, then back to Hawks, "Don't try it again and we'll consider it water under the bridge."
Arturia rolled her eyes. The Emiyas were too forgiving, both with Doctor Aozaki and Hawks. She was fond of Hawks, for sure, but he definitely needed to make up for his mistake. Oh well, she'd just keep an eye on things where she could.
Hawks nodded at Shirou's words, "Sure thing. Though, I do think I have something that could make it up," he took a swing from his tea that Miyu had brewed, then glanced at Gawain, "You weren't planning anything regarding recommendations, were you?"
Arturia shot up, shocked. Lance and Kay also leaned in interest. When Lance first applied for U.A., Gawain didn't have enough influence to get a recommendation spot for him, so Lance applied through the normal entrance exam. Kay did the same thing, but it wasn't as big of a deal since he was going through the Business Course. So, needless to say, the Pendragon kids were curious. Lance asked, "Well, Dad, were you?"
Gawain shook his head, "No, I actually think the normal entrance exam is more challenging than the recommendation exam. Arturia, and now Shirou, both have done well in training for it, so I'm sure they won't need any recommendations."
Hawks raised an eyebrow, "Really? You're that impressed with them? Well then, now I kinda feel like an idiot. I may not have attended U.A., but being the Number 3 Pro-Hero has some perks," Hawks glanced over to Shirou and Arturia, "Still, if you want to get in on recommendation, I got the paperwork all sorted. Just give the word."
Shirou glanced at Arturia, but she ignored him, busy coming up with a diplomatic answer. It was a huge deal that Hawks was willing to move forward with this, and she was willing to hold it over her brothers' heads later, but unfortunately, "I'm sorry, Hawks, but I'm not interested in taking the recommendation exam. I would like to get into U.A. on my own terms," Arturia stated diplomatically. It was a kind gesture, but there was a detail that made it not worth taking.
Upon those words, Shirou nodded along. Lance and Kay scoffed, but went back to their meals. Hawks raised an eyebrow, but nodded in respect, "Alright, no worries. I can appreciate that hard working spirit... Wait, this isn't about Endea-"
"Nope." Gawain immediately stopped that conversation, "You two are talking again and behaving. We are not starting that argument up again and losing that progress." Arturia leaned back at her father's stern glare. Yeah, she was willing to fight Hawks over his shitty taste in heroes, but she knew there was a time and a place. Gawain held his stare for a second, before relaxing, "I know what your problem is, and I do think the normal exam is the best fit for you. But it's likely that the two of you will end up in the Hero Course together. Try to be at least somewhat cordial."
Miyu had a strange look of confusion, as did Shirou, over the exchange. She turned to Arturia, simply asking, "What was that about?" Arturia opened her mouth to explain, then looked at her dad, who clearly wanted her to follow the Thumper rule. She just grimaced as she looked at Miyu.
"I'll tell you later," with that, Arturia went back to her meal, and the conversation turned to other topics. Lance and Hawks talked a lot about who they thought were the students to look out for next year. Kay chimed in with his own insights, while Shirou and Arturia asked further questions to gain insights on the next group of hero potentials. Gawain and Miyu were simply grateful for the family bonding to go on peacefully.
Once the meal was finished, and the muffins eaten as a treat afterwards, Hawks had to depart. Gawain, Arturia, and Shirou walked him out, while the twins did the dishes and Miyu got ready for reading and bed. Hawks shrugged on his jacket before the group stepped outside into the fresh night sky.
Hawks turned back to Gawain, "Thank you for having me over again. It's always a delight to be over." Then he then turned to Shirou and Arturia, "Since the recommendations were a bust, is there anything I can do to make things up?" Arturia shrugged, then glanced at Shirou, who shook his head.
Arturia decided to respond, "Eh, like Dad said, we'll be fine in the normal exam. Maybe after we ace it, you can treat us to a buffet." Hawks chuckled goodnaturedly, while Gawain rolled his eyes affectionately.
"Sure, but you two got to make it to the top five, alright?" Hawks extended his hand for the deal. Arturia took it and shook on it, shooting a Look at Shirou. The redhead just shook his head while chuckling, then nodded. Arturia turned back to Hawks, who had taken his hand back to give the group a salute, "Farewell for now!"
With a large flap of his Mighty Wings, he was off. The group watched him for a minute until he vanished from view. Once he was vanished from sight, Gawain turned to Shirou, "Young man, I know we tell you this often, but good job on the dinner. That chicken was scrumptious."
"Thank you, sir," Shirou responded politely, bowing his head. Gawain patted him on the shoulder, then turned to Arturia.
"Artie, please try not to start fights with Hawks," Arturia opened her mouth to retort, but her father continued, "He has recognized what he did was a mistake, and he has his own reasons for liking Endeavor. I have never begrudge him that. You shouldn't either."
Arturia wanted to argue, but exhaled, releasing her emotions instead. She clasped her arms behind her back as she responded, "Okay, Dad. I'll try to let Hawks' have his crappy taste in heroes without picking a fight." Gawain rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"What am I going to do with you," Gawain gave a sigh, chuckling at the end, then headed inside, "I'll be in my office if you need anything." Arturia and Shirou glanced at each other, before following shortly before.
At the corner before Arturia would turn right to her room and Shirou would turn left, Miyu was waiting with a brush. Arturia smiled. She didn't do it much these days, but Arturia remembered asking her parents or brothers to brush her hair. It was sweet that Shirou and Miyu had a similar relationship.
Arturia went to bid the siblings a good night before retiring to bed, but Miyu called out, asking for Arturia's full attention, "Artie, can I ask about what happened with Hawks?"
Arturia put her hand on her hip and sheepishly glanced away, "Uh... it's just a small grudge that I've been holding on to. It isn't a big deal." She started to fidget with her cowlick, hoping they'd end the conversation.
Shirou looked at Arturia with a simple look, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But if you do, I'm sure we can chat while I brush Miyu's hair." Miyu nodded vigorously, while Arturia took a deep breath. They were far too caring. Well, that made them lovable too.
"Okay, let's sit down and we can talk." They moved into the living room. The girls sat across from each other at the table, while Shirou stood behind Miyu, brushing her hair. Arturia pulled up a picture on her phone, then showed it to the two siblings. "Do you two know who Endeavor is?"
Arturia caught the wince that two siblings shared, something they did on occasion. Arturia had no idea why. After a second, their faces relaxed, and Shirou frowned, "Yeah, the Number 2 Pro-Hero of Japan. He has the highest villain apprehension rate."
Arturia nodded, idly tracing her finger on the table. "Well, after... everything that happened in England, we decided to move here. That decision was controversial on both sides. England had just lost their Number 1 Pro-Hero, and Dad was Number 2, so things were going to be rough. A lot of people accused us of abandoning our home."
Miyu frowned at that, "People were angry that your family left... instead of staying to help?" Shirou stilled his brushing, a concerned look flickering across his face. A brief moment of silence passed, before Arturia just shrugged.
"Yeah, they were, and I don't blame them. Mom was far too good at her job. Now that she was gone, England saw huge spikes in criminal activity. It took awhile before that all calmed down. Union Jack, the new Number 1, had his work cut out for him."
Arturia returned to spinning her cowlick around her finger, "The thing was, England was too tied to Mom's memory. It was easier to leave and... just focus on learning a new environment. One of the few good things that Aunt Morgan ever did was pushing us to move out here. By the time we adjusted, it was easier to process and grieve." Arturia took a measured breath.
Shirou nodded, "Sometimes a change of scenery can do some good. I know Miyu's been doing a lot better here than back at our old home." Miyu tilted her head to beam up at her brother. Shirou returned the smile, and Arturia couldn't help but smirk along.
Shirou resumed his care of Miyu's hair. "I wouldn't worry about your old life. You're here, now, and moving forward. That takes a kind of strength not many have."
Arturia blushed at the compliment, "I mean, you've shown that kind of strength too. Guess we're pretty similar there" Arturia frowned again, "But the problems didn't end at our old home. Some of the Pro-Heroes here were more welcoming, like All-Might, Ryukyu, and Ingenium. Others were more... disgruntled."
The Emiya siblings winced. Arturia continued, "They never said anything, they were too polite, but they viewed our move as an upstage, an invasion of their turf, so to speak. They weren't happy about it." The Emiya's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Endeavor was one of these heroes," Shirou murmured. Arturia nodded absently. Shirou bit his lip while he continued to brush Miyu's hair. He took a second to collect his thoughts, "I'm guessing he wasn't happy that another Number 2 Pro-Hero was coming into town. Gawain possibly could bump him down in the ranks."
Arturia chuckled. "Oh, no, he was so thrilled . Especially since Dad absolutely could have beaten him down to the 3rd Rank."
She sobered, "Unlike the other pros, who were content just to talk behind our backs, he openly accused us of abandoning England. Endeavor trash-talked Dad for months , before eventually getting told off by All-Might. Even then, I don't think he would have stopped if Dad had actually tried to beat Endeavor at the rankings."
Miyu frowned, which Arturia thought was absolutely adorable. Shirou, on the other hand, gave a disappointed sigh, "Can't believe some heroes would rather focus on their rankings than saving people."
Arturia nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Granted, the rankings do help, as they give Pro-Heroes the ability to take on sponsorships and other opportunities to provide for their families. But Dad stopped caring about the rankings long before we moved here. Endeavor was in no danger. If he'd just talk to Dad he would have realized that."
Miyu spoke up, "But... what does that have to do with the recommendations?" Arturia jerked her head up to her. She had forgotten what had started the conversation. Miyu continued her question, "Hawks wanted to give you and Shirou the chance to get into the recommendation exam. Why did you turn it down? Is Endeavor in charge of that?"
Arturia visibly shivered, "Oh, no, thank heavens Endeavor isn't involved with U.A. No... the reason I don't want to get in with recommendations is..."
Arturia pursed her lips. "Because of Shoto Todoroki, his son."
The Autumn Hero Gala was a charity event set the night after the Hero Billboard Charts announced the new rankings and interviewed the current Top 10 Pro-Heroes. Proceedings went to various Pro-Hero causes like infrastructure and medical care, and it was a chance to network with a variety of Pro-Heroes and the business executives that managed either hero agencies or support companies.
That networking aspect is probably why Arturia was here, having been dragged to the event. It sure as hell wasn't because her dad's ranking was anywhere near the double digits, let alone the top 10. She had every faith that her father could get to the Top 10 easily... If Gawain wanted to. He just didn't. That was fine with Arturia. She would earn that position when she became a Pro-Hero.
Arutria fidgeted with her white dress, marked with black outlines to give the image of lilies. No one important wanted to talk to a teenager who hadn't even entered a hero school yet. Even if, or maybe because, she was the daughter of England's former Number 1 and Number 2 Pro-Heroes.
She wasn't one for nepotism, she wanted to get to the top ranks with her own skills, but that came with the unfortunate side effect she was bored with no one to talk to.
Well, not no one . Ingenium, real name Tensei Iida, was around with his little brother Tenya, talking to Lance and Kay about random stuff. Normally she would try to squeeze into that conversation, but it was just business stuff that she didn't want to think about. What she would give to have Cousin Mordred to talk to about tag team moves they could do. Too bad her family was busy at I-Island.
Arturia stopped her mental grumbling when she noticed a young man sitting against a wall, holding a glass of lemonade in his right hand. His hair was perfectly split down the middle, with white on the right side and red on the left. That left side had a nasty burn, which Arturia wasn't bothered by.
She had seen her fair share of burns and injuries from the times she tagged along with her dad at work. Must have some kind of story behind it, seeing as there were plenty of Quirks that could heal that kind of damage. People were often sentimental about their injuries. Yoroi Musha had some scars that held some stories he often told in interviews.
Deciding that boredom was worse than the anxiety of meeting someone new, Arturia walked forward, quickly easing through the crowd. Plenty of people eyed her in her white lily dress, but thankfully none of them stopped her. Soon enough, she arrived in front of the young man, then curtseyed politely.
"Hello, I am Arturia Pendragon, it's very nice to meet you."
The young man just gave her a dispassionate look back, his eyes lacking any focus or intent. It seemed like he barely cared about... anything, really.
"Shoto," the young man responded, in a tone that matched his ice cold drink. Now that Arturia was closer, she noticed that mist was coming off the cup, as if it was made of dry ice. Was that due to his Quirk?
Putting that thought to the side, she focused on Shoto. He seemed familiar, but from where? Arturia wasn't as well versed in Japan's who's who as she would like to be. She decided to try again, "These galas can be so boring, right? Did your parents bring you here as well?"
Shoto continued to stare dispassionately at her, as if she was wasting his time, "Yeah, my father did." The tone was detached, as if he was stating the weather.
Arturia continued to push forward. Maybe he was just awkward? Lance wasn't always up for these functions, Shoto could be the same way. "Heh, same. My dad thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about hero society." She paused for a moment trying to figure out how to continue the conversation. "What does your dad do?" she asked politely.
"...Pro-Hero. Specializes in Villain takedowns and investigations. He's very... efficient." Shoto's tone hadn't changed at all. Arturia took a second to consider the other teenager. A Pro-Hero that's very efficient at Villain takedowns? It couldn't be, right? She shouldn't jump to conclusions.
"Oh that's cool, my dad's also a Pro-Hero," Arturia decided to make a play at a connection. They both had fathers in the hero business, how different could they be? "My father is Saber Shine, the former Number 2 of England. Maybe our dads have worked together?"
"Unlikely," Shoto finally expressed an emotion. Unfortunately, it was sarcasm. "He isn't a fan of Saber Shine, thinks he's here to steal his glory. My dear old father has talked more about your father than All-Might in the last year." Shoto's drink froze instantly in a flash, becoming a solid block of ice. Shoto looked at the drink, then took a deep breath. He threw it into a nearby garbage can.
"This conversation is a waste of time."
With those final words, Shoto strolled away, leaving Arturia behind stunned. There was no doubt in her mind. Shoto was Endeavor's son. It was clear from how close they resembled each other. It was also clear that Shoto and Arturia were the same age, so they would likely be going to U.A. Academy together.
Well, if he wanted to act like his father, Arturia will show him how her mother would have handled things. She wasn't going to take the high road like her father. If they wanted a fight... She'd bring it.
Arturia was startled out of her memories when Shirou asked, "Has the apple not fallen far from the tree?" He was putting the final touches on Miyu's hair, checking over his work. Arturia gave a big shrug, cracking her neck as she tried to put her response into words.
"I can't claim to really know him, I've only encountered him at a social event exclusive to Pro-Heroes and their families," Arturia sighed, "But... yeah, he's like Endeavor that someone put into a deep freeze. I don't know if he holds the same opinions as his dad, but his attitude was the same."
Shirou exhaled as he slid into the seat next to Miyu. His sister leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her in thought. It was adorable, but Arturia focused on Shirou. He finally responded with, "That's going to be troublesome to deal with. Are you sure he's going to be at U.A. with us?"
Arturia flicked her index finger to emphasize her next point. "Yup, I am. I talked to Ingenium about Shoto after I met him. Ingenium was sure that he could get his younger brother and Shoto to be friends for U.A. Alas, that didn't work out." Arturia gave a half hearted chuckle, "I know Tenya from school, he's a good guy. He's just way too strict. The guy needs to relax."
She shook her head, and got back on task. "Anyways, I have it on good authority that Shoto's going to be taking the Recommendation Exam." Arturia shrugged, "So I won't be. I don't want to get in with cheap privilege. Especially since he is."
Shirou frowned, giving a glance to Miyu. After a second, Shirou finally stated, "I'm not sure starting a rivalry will help us save people. What Endeavor and his son are doing isn't heroic at all, but they shouldn't be taking our attention from the big picture."
Arturia groaned, "It's stupid, I know... but I won't let this actually affect our professional careers. This is me proving to the Todorokis how real heroes should act." Arturia played with her cowlick again, before she blurted out her next point. "Haven't you had a rival before? You're too good at sparring not to have.
Shirou flinched, and Arturia was worried she hit a sore spot. "Yeah, you could say that." Shirou muttered, each word laced with a complicated emotion. "His name was... Ichigi. Julian Ichigi. He also wanted to be an Ally of Justice."
Arturia frowned, "Now that's an old term. I haven't heard anyone say that outside of old books."
Shirou gave a grim smile, "Yeah, he was old fashioned like that. So was I, come to think of it." He gave a low chuckle, clearly remembering some fond memories. "Maybe that's how we ended up being friends. He was a cold dude, but surprisingly passionate about a variety of things. We disagreed on a lot of things. We'd get into the stupidest debates on ethics. Both of us wanted to do what was right, however, and what was just."
Arturia caught on immediately, her eyes flicking to Miyu. Miyu nodded, tucking herself in, "When the Ainsworths kidnapped Miyu... he didn't want you to go after them, did he?" Arturia internally cringed at Miyu's heartbroken expression. She wanted to get up and comfort the younger girl, but Shirou held out his arm, and Miyu clamped onto it immediately.
After a minute, Shirou slowly nodded, "...Yeah, you could say that. I thought I knew him. But I didn't really know his character behind his frosty attitude. Not the way I thought I did."
He leveled his gaze to Arturia, "I don't know this Todoroki. He might be like Julian, or like Endeavor." The redhead shrugged, and Arturia could see past the shields Shirou always had. There was a weariness there, something that belonged on Pro-Heroes like her dad, not a teenager her age.
"But... for a time I was like that. After Miyu was... taken," Miyu squeezed his arm harder, causing Shirou to take a breath, "I was exceptionally cold. I didn't warm up to anyone until after Miyu was rescued. I brushed off someone who did want to help me, just because I felt like she was in the way. I... regret how I acted then."
Their eyes met, and Arturia took a deep breath. She knew she would absolutely hate the next words out of Shirou's mouth, but... "Arturia, try to give Shoto a chance. There might be a hero waiting to emerge from that ice."
Her father had tried to say the same thing plenty of times, in plenty of ways. How Shirou said it carried a different weight though. It wasn't parental guidance that carried his tone. It was empathy and regret. For both Shoto's side, and hers. Arturia wasn't sure if she was willing to brush off what Shoto did, but she was willing to wait and see.
"Okay, Shirou. We'll see how Shoto behaves himself at U.A."
Fumikage Tokoyami was a seventeen year old young man, with the very striking feature of a raven's head being the first thing you see of him. His red eyes pierced into your soul, and as he walked through the hallways of his school, his fierce stroll kept students away from him.
It was lunchtime, and he wanted to head up to the roof to eat in solitude. As he got to his locker and pulled out his bento box, he heard and discarded the words and insults thrown around him.
Freak. Creep. Villain. Hope you're expelled. Flock off Feather Face. Demon. They were whispered, said loud enough for Fumikage to hear them but quiet enough to have plausible deniability. Fumikage had done this dance enough times to just ignore it for now.
However, someone disagreed with that plan, " We shouldn't take their barbs! Let's render them into our dolls! " Those words were uttered in Fumikage's head by his Quirk, Dark Shadow. She was a vengeful being who often fed on the darker impulses that Fumikage had. As was typical, she was acting up because of the words around him.
Fumikage struggled to take a meditative breath, fighting her impulses. He began focusing on recalling the lyrics of the songs he was practicing the night before. That helped to calm Dark Shadow down. Once she was settled, he gently closed the door to his locker, then started heading down the hall to head up to the roof.
Only for Fumikage to sigh as he saw what was happening outside of the view of the cameras. Around the corner of the stairs up to the roof were two bullies, Nobuhiko Okamoto and Toshiki Masuda, who were picking on Daiki Yamashita, a fellow classmate of theirs.
On the surface, Okamoto and Masuda were the typical popular kids. They got along with all of the right teachers and students, had very good grades and marks, and the perfect quirks to ensure that they could become Pro-Heroes if they wanted. Nobuhiko Okamoto had Cobalt Flare, a blue fire emitter-type Quirk. Toshiki Masuda had Volt Step, where all of his quick movements generate electricity to use.
Underneath that glimmering, they were anything but heroic. Okamoto and Masuda knew how to exploit the blind spots in society to get what they wanted. They dealt in rumors, secrets, and blackmail to force students to hand valuables over, to make them fall in line, or get the victims out of the way. Right now, it looked like they wanted to squeeze money out of Yamashita. Had they already blown through their allowance, or was it just a cheap high for these two brats who thought they were kings?
Before he knew it, Fumikage was storming over, Dark Shadow eagerly cheering him on. The shadows cast by the staircase overhead fed into her strength, and Fumikage had to grit his teeth to prevent her from lashing out. They shouldn't be hasty... not yet.
"I believe that Yamashita would like to leave now, Okamoto. Would you kindly release him from your grip?" Fumikage asked with an icy calm. He restrained Dark Shadow from emerging from his body. She was eager to enact justice, but mercy would better serve here.
Okamoto, who had pinned Yamashita up against the wall by his collar and was ruffling through the poor student's pockets, turned to glare at Fumikage. Masuda, who was idly bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, gave one of his patented smirks.
"Oh, relax, Tokoyami," Masuda drawled, "It's just a bit of rough housing. Go on up to your perch. You don't want to be caged down here with us, right?"
Fumikage leveled his glare to Masuda. Dark Shadow was bristling, ready to go, but Fumikage knew the risks that would come from a fight now. He forced his tone to remain level and consistent, "If you were just rough housing, why not wait to do it after school? Scared that Yamashita would beat you?"