Chapter 53: Internships (4)
Atsuko was feeling down as she walked alongside Crust on patrol.
While she had learned a lot over the last six days, she couldn't help but think about what her friends were experiencing. Even if she couldn't explain any details, Tomoe was helping Sir Nighteye with active investigation work. Emily, meanwhile, took part in the battle of Hosu, and helped Izuku bring down the infamous Hero Killer! Then there was her best friend. Himiko's internship sounded transformative, boosting her confidence and cementing the idea that, after her quirk awakening, she would become a hero in the spotlight, much like the rest of them.
By comparison, Atsuko's training and patrols have been tame. Sure, she had helped the number six hero on several smaller missions, and he had given her several new ideas on how to use her quirk, but she couldn't help but compare herself to her friends.
And she felt like she was being left behind.
"Is something wrong, Skyshield?" Crust asked her, picking up her discontentment.
Atsuko looked at the hero, a slight blush creeping up her neck as she shook her head. "No, just thinking about my friends."
"Is that all?"
Damn the number six hero for being so perceptive. Atsuko thought as she opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by an explosion. The two reacted instantly, both turning their heads to see an explosion several blocks down the street, smoke billowing out of the vehicle that was hit.
"Today's their unlucky day, let's go!" Crust said as he began running
"Yes sir!" Atsuko followed in lockstep, staying only a couple of feet behind the hero.
When they arrived they saw someone in a gray trench coat who had a giant scorpion tail and was waving it menacingly at the crowd, keeping people away. As they approached they saw the source of the explosions - someone had a quirk where he was making a small object glow with a bright light.
As they watched he planted the object on the door of an armored vehicle, trying to break it open. Moments later the object exploded, blowing the door open just as Scorpion-Tail spotted them.
"Heroes!"
"Tch, you get the goods, I'll keep them at bay," the explosive object villain said as he pulled out what looked to be several ball bearings, which started glowing as he threw them at the crowds.
"Skyshield!"
"I see it!" Atsuko said as she threw her hand forward and pushed.
Moments later she felt the vibrations in her barrier as she saw the bearings impact onto it, exploding harmlessly, the civilians on the other side safe.
"Everyone, please vacate the area!" Atsuko announced, using the mini-speaker inside her helmet as a megaphone. "It is dangerous to stay here."
Crust, meanwhile, had already formed his signature plates along his hands and arms as he charged the villains. As Atsuko watched, he attempted to incapacitate the explosion-man, only for a third man to appear. The man opened his mouth, sending out a sonic shockwave that she could feel even from her current distance. She couldn't imagine how it would feel up close. Crust took the attack almost point blank. He was still standing, but many of his plates had been shaken loose and were lying on the ground.
Glancing over, Atsuko saw that most of the civilians had evacuated. Taking a chance, she dropped her barrier and began racing towards Crust. If nothing else, she could act as a distraction for him.
"Oi! Little girlie's decided to join us." the explosion villain said before another ball bearing was in his hand. From her experience, Atsuko determined that he must store them in the sleeve of his trenchcoat for easy access. Stopping, she raised a shield in front of her only to see the ball slam into it, the explosion creating an orange flower in front of her.
Without having to deal with the explosions, Crust had begun to regrow his shields as he battled with Scorpion-Tail and Sonic-Voice. Leaving her to deal with the man who was now focused on her. She knew she could contain him, she just needed to be fast enough. It was only ten meters, she could do this.
Mentally preparing herself, she hoped all of her training would carry her through. With a quiet exhale of her breath, she let go of the air in front of her and felt her barrier dissolve around her as she charged through the now-empty space. As she closed the gap the man drew a pair of pellets and made them glow, throwing them at her.
She tucked herself and performed a diving roll, feeling a phantom heat as the pellets passed over her head. Coming out of the roll into a crouch, she saw she was a mere two meters away from her target. Further than she would like, but she wasn't about to let that stop her.
"Skycage!" Atsuko called out as she placed her hands in front of her. In her mind's eye, she saw the two tendrils of air racing forward before they spread out, growing into a two-meter by two-meter box around her target, trapping him.
She knew she had succeeded when she felt the explosions against the walls of her cage.
"What did you do!?" The criminal demanded.
"Explosives are dangerous, you need to contain them properly!" Atsuko felt the headache creeping in but wasn't about to let a jab go unanswered.
She dared a glance at Crust and saw that he had taken down Scorpion-Tail, and Sonic-Voice wasn't going to take much longer. She just had to keep the Explosive guy contained a little longer. She felt him launch another wave of pellets at her barrier, parts of it weakening. Refusing to be left behind, she reinforced the sections, ensuring that he was unable to escape.
"Give up, you're not getting out of there," Atsuko called out.
"Screw you!"
"You can do this the easy way or you can deal with Crust once he's done with your friends."
That seemed to make the guy hesitate as he saw Crust batter his friend with his shields, knocking him unconscious. Turning back towards Atsuko he decided that he didn't want to experience what they did and raised his hands.
"Good choice!"
She held the barrier a few moments longer, relieved that his attacks had stopped until Crust reached the edge of her quirk. Only then did she lower it, allowing the hero access to the villain, whom he rapidly disarmed and handcuffed.
"Good job Skyshield," Crust said as Atsuko approached. "You protected those civilians and managed to contain a villain."
"It didn't feel like much," Atsuko admitted.
That got a light chuckle out of Crust as he offered her a handkerchief, "It may not seem like much to you, but I'm sure the civilians you saved would disagree."
Seeing the handkerchief, Atsuko suddenly felt the blood running out of her nose. She felt a slight blush creeping up her neck as she realized how close she was to her limit. That man's explosive ball bearings must have packed more punch than she realized, but she refused to let her barriers fall. She took the cloth square and dabbed her face, soaking up the blood.
A few minutes later, police and paramedics arrived, and Atsuko had herself checked over. Other than a nosebleed and her typical headache, she was fine and released after being given a bottle of water and a handful of painkillers. She sat down on the curb and removed her helmet, swallowed the pills, and chased them with water.
"You were so cool!"
"Huh?" Atsuko turned to see a little boy standing there.
"Stopping that bad guy and protecting all of us! He wanted to hurt us but you put up your invisible shield and the explosions bounced right off of them! And then you locked him in an invisible box! It was so funny watching him get angry because he was stuck!"
"Thanks," Atsuko offered him a small smile. "I'm just doing my job."
The child's face lit up before his mother called out to him, causing him to run off. Atsuko watched the mother take her son's hand as she heard her mentor come up beside her.
"It may not feel like much to you, but to the people you save, it means everything," Crust said, appearing next to his intern. "Even if I can't compete with All Might, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop what I'm doing."
Atsuko looked to her mentor and back to the retreating family, "I'm glad I was able to keep everyone safe." She pushed herself off the ground and felt herself swaying as the headache threatened to send her back to the ground.
"Careful now, don't need you falling over," Crust said as he put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"Thanks," Atsuko looked over to see the crowd, "I didn't think about how much I was straining myself during the fight. I just did what had to be done."
"That's what heroes do, after all."
Atsuko looked at her mentor and smiled, before looking back at the dispersing crowd. Even if she didn't participate in an operation as large as her friends, it didn't matter. Today was a good reminder: Japan didn't just need heroes like All Might and Endeavor, who were out there defeating flashy villains. It also needed heroes like her.
Bakugo was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily as Miruko landed several feet in front of him.
"I've got to hand it to you kid, you're good. Not many people can even come close to me, let alone keep up with what I've put you through for the past week."
"What did you expect? I already told you I'm going to be the best!" Bakugo said, pointing a thumb at his chest.
"Too bad you're never going to be a hero," Miruko said as she crossed her arms, looking down at him.
"What was that?" Bakugo asked, his hands already popping as he generated small explosions.
"Drop the act, you know that doesn't scare me." Bakugo refused to stop but continued to glare as she continued. "Your attitude is trash. Until you fix it, you'll never get your hero license, let alone have people accept you as a hero."
"How dare-" Bakugo began to roar.
Mirko interrupted him with a flying kick that he barely dodged. As he landed he realized how serious the hero was right now - if he wasn't already prepared to fire off an explosion at her, he likely would have been hit by that.
"It's that attitude. You don't see people for who they are. You judge someone solely on their strength. Or, more precisely, what you think their strength is."
"Did Aizawa put you up to this?" Bakugo growled. He remembered reading about the MLA philosophy, and it still made him angry at how close it was to his own views. He wasn't some villain! Let alone a follower of some washed-up terrorist group.
"No, just calling it like I see it."
"Tch, you're one to talk," Bakugo crossed his arms and spit on the ground.
Mirko's response was to toss her head back and laugh. "Kid, I am an asshole. The difference between you and me? I'm an asshole to the bad guys. But I can turn it off if I want to. How about you?"
Bakugo grimaced and turned away. He knew it was a dangerous thing to admit, but she was right. However, he refused to give her the satisfaction of saying it out loud.
"Take, for example, my secretary."
"What about her?"
"You think she is weak just because she works a desk job, don't you?" Bakugo's silence was all the answer she needed. "Just because she's not a hero."
"If she had a strong quirk, she wouldn't be doing your paperwork," Bakugo snapped back, "She'd be out there catching villains and having someone else do the paperwork."
"There it is," Miruko gave him a feral grin. "Now for your penultimate lesson." She walked over to the wall and hit the intercom with her fist. "Kawauso, you can come in now."
Bakugo saw the door to the locker room open, and Kawauso stepped out, her dress shirt having been discarded to reveal a black tank top. As she approached Bakugo saw her holding a canned shot of espresso. Cracking the can, she downed the drink in a single gulp, before crushing it in her hand and tossing it away. He swore he saw her eyes glow red briefly.
"Good luck kid, you're going to need it," Miruko called out as she leaned against the wall.
Bakugo dropped into a fighting stance, preparing to face the otter mutant.
Once he was discharged from the hospital, after calling his brother and parents Tenya returned to the shared building that Manual's agency was part of. He owed the hero an apology.
Returning to the agency, Tenya fumbled as he pulled out his keycard, still getting used to only having one functioning hand at the moment. Finally securing it, he entered the elevator and punched the button for the Normal Hero's floor. Exiting the elevator he made his way to the office Manual kept. While he intended to wait if necessary, he was pleasantly surprised to see the hero was actually in his office.
"Iida?" Manual asked in surprise as he noticed his intern, "I heard you were to be released today, but I thought you would be with your family."
"I intend to return home, but first I have something that must be done," Iida said before bowing almost a full ninety degrees. "I apologize for deceiving you!"
"What do you mean?"
"As you probably guessed, I had numerous offers that were more attractive than yours. However, I chose yours for one reason and one reason alone: it was the only offer in Hosu, where the hero killer was operating. It was a choice that was ultimately unfair to both of us, and for that, I deeply apologize!"
"Well, I can't say that I'm not disappointed," While Tenya refused to move, he could hear Manual standing up and walking over to him. "While I was worried there may be another reason, I wanted to believe that you had a more sincere motivation than that."
"I know what I did was wrong and that I don't deserve your forgiveness. I had chosen you out of anger. I still was processing what happened to Tensei and was lashing out in an unheroic way. While I accept any consequences to myself, it isn't right for you to have lost a valuable week of your time thanks to me!"
Tenya got his answer moments later when he felt a gentle karate chop to the top of his head.
"You idolize your brother, don't you?"
"I do," Tenya admitted. "Perhaps too much."
"What do you mean?"
Tenya straightened up to look Manual in the eyes. "Before coming to UA, my view on heroes and heroics was- is rigid. It was only after I had started to attend UA that I realized that perhaps there were more paths than the one I was following. My classmates, one in particular, have shown me that."
"And what do you think now?"
"I still am, perhaps, too rigid in my thinking," Tenya admitted. "While I acknowledge my faults, two months has simply not been enough time to correct them yet."
"I see," Manual replied thoughtfully.
"However," Tenya continued, "Despite my impure reasons for choosing you for my internship, I had learned a lot - much more than I expected. It was, perhaps, a blessing in disguise. And I regret only having two days under your tutelage. I would have liked to spend the entire week interning under you."
"Really?"
"Truly. And I was wondering, would it be alright if I returned during the summer vacation to have a whole week under your care?"
Manual found himself taken back by Tenya's words. "I'm surprised you are aware that that is possible."
"Tensei often brought promising students on for additional internships. As a way to teach as many people as possible."
"And you are sure you want to intern under me again?"
"If you will have me, yes. I believe a week interning under you, without any hidden agenda, would be extremely helpful. And I would be able to repay you by letting you properly mentor me for a week."
Manual smiled at Tenya. "Well, with that logic, who am I to argue? If you can get the teachers to agree to a summer internship, I will gladly give you another shot."
Tenya smiled back at Manual.
Izuku was sitting across from Emily in the lounge of what had become their unofficial home for the past week, both of them silently writing notes for their quirk assessment class. At least, that's what he was supposed to be doing. Instead, he found himself distracted. Rather than thinking about quirks, Izuku found himself thinking about a certain brown-haired girl.
While Ochako had been an almost constant presence in his life, ever since his mom invited her over for dinner on a daily basis, it wasn't until she visited him in the hospital that he truly realized how much she meant to him. Even though she was only there for a few minutes, her bright smile and gentle touch did wonders for him that night.
Izuku's train of thought was broken when he felt a stylus poking his cheek.
"What're you thinking about?" Emily asked curiously.
"Nothing!" Izuku denied fervently.
"I don't believe that, gimme that," As she was speaking, Emily practically lunged over the table to grab his notebook, her sudden movement too quick for Izuku to react. Looking down at the page, she saw a rather detailed sketch of Ochako's face smiling up at her.
"Ochako, huh?"
"Not you too!" Izuku groaned, "Himi teases me enough already."
"Is that a bad thing, though?" Emily wasn't quite using her 'why are you making me ask a stupid question,' tone, but Izuku certainly felt like she was.
"Huh?"
"You and her. Even if Himi's views are warped by all those sappy romance films she and Atsuko watch, you know how observant she is."
"Yeah, I do," Izuku agreed.
"So what if she saw the chemistry between the two of you before you did? Is that such a bad thing?"
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Himiko Midoriya?" Izuku deadpanned.
Emily laughed. "Okay. Yes, she can go overboard, but you and I both know that is how she expresses herself." The girl spoke with a note of fondness in her voice as she thought about the green-haired girl.
"True," Izuku set the pencil down, "I just- I don't know how to feel."
Izuku saw a strange look flash across Emily's face, but before he had a chance to ask she threw the notebook at him. Thankfully his reflexes kicked in and he caught the notebook before it smacked him in the face.
"Oh please, your mind is wonderful but you and I both know how much you overthink things."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"She's your first crush, isn't she?" Emily asked pointedly.
Izuku blushed. "I-I'm not sure I'd go that far." He sighed, "You know what my last year of middle school was like. How I didn't have many friends. I just don't know if what I'm feeling is friendship or… something more."
Emily rolled her eyes, "How will you ever figure out your emotions if you never do anything about it?"
Izuku caught the underlying tone this time, and tried to turn the tables, wanting to talk about anything but his own emotions, "Are you asking me? Or yourself?"
Emily blushed, "Of course, I'm talking about you!" She gave a heavy sigh and Izuku swore that he would have imagined the next part if he didn't see her lips moving. "My problem is I can't seem to do anything right. I'm lucky she doesn't hate me."
Izuku let the topic drop and a companionable silence settled over the two, each lost in their own thoughts. His homework long forgotten, Izuku instead stared at his drawing of Ochako, her smiling face staring back at him.
As he felt a warmth settle over him, one that he didn't feel when he thought about Tenya or Tsuyu, he knew his answer.
Now he just needed to figure out what he wanted to do about it - without asking Himiko.
Chapter 54: Internships (5)
Bakugo hit the wall, feeling the impact in his bones as he slammed into the concrete before falling to his knees. Kawauso is relentless: she certainly made him feel like he had been fighting a powerful villain between the bruises and cuts she had given him. With a grunt, he began pushing himself up. He'll be damned if he lets some extra get the better of him!
He managed to stand up and dropped into his fighting stance when he heard Miruko burst out laughing.
"I think you've had enough, kid."
"But I wasn't done yet," Kawauso complained as she crossed her arms.
"We can spar after he's done for the day," Mirko said, a savage grin on her face showing that she was looking forward to it.
"What? Think you can actually win just because I spent five minutes tossing some high schooler around?"
"What," Bakugo asked between heavy breaths. "The. Fuck?"
"Well kid, what do you think of Kawauso now?" Mirko asked her intern, the smirk on her face telling Bakugo that she knew this would happen.
He looked at the otter mutant with a scowl on his face. "You tricked me!"
"Kid, you fooled yourself. You saw me as nothing more than a secretary and made all of your assumptions based on that." She bared her teeth at him and watched him flinch back in satisfaction.
"Why?" Katsuki asked as he tried to understand. "If you're this strong. Why aren't you a hero? Why aren't you like her?" He pointed towards Mirko.
"Because I already served my time. Let me reintroduce myself: Otsu Kawauso, retired member of the French Foreign Legion. Just because I was good didn't mean I wanted to keep going, so after I served my eight years I left. Packed my bags and moved to Japan, where I ran across Miruko here. One of the best fighters you'll ever meet, but can't do paperwork to save her life, almost literally. She needed someone to keep her in line, so I took the job."
"Screw you!"
"Oh, so I can take my boyfriend and go on vacation for a month again? He's been asking when we can go back to Europe." Kawauso gave the hero a satisfied look, while the rabbit hero could only growl in response.
"Anyways!" Miruko turned back to Katsuki. "What would you do if a villain looked like Kawauso here? Just someone in a dress shirt and pants. Would you have deemed her as someone not worth your time? Would you have ignored her and gone for the villain who appeared to be the more obvious threat? Or would you let a villain escape because they happen to look like one of those so-called extras you ignore?"
Bakugo's response was to glare silently at Mirko. Seconds later the silence was broken by Kawauso laughing.
"No wonder you like him, he's as hard-headed as you are!"
"Hey! You're not supposed to tell him that!" Mirko protested.
"I don't care what you think of me!" Bakugo yelled, pissed off. "I don't need friends or mentors! I'm going to be number one all by myself!"
"Good, because I don't care about your opinion either." Mirko fired back. "Now I'm going to start talking, and you have two options. You can shut up and listen and maybe, just maybe, something will get through that skull of yours and stick. Or you can keep your over-inflated ego, ignore me, and be a nobody that is sitting in the middle of the hero rankings. Your choice."
Wisely, Bakugo didn't respond when Miruko started talking, and he was rewarded by Kawauso leaving and returning a few minutes later with a first aid kit, which she threw at him. He deftly caught it and opened it, silently thankful for the painkillers and bandages.
Surprisingly, the advice Miruko was giving him wasn't half-bad either. He was mentally taking notes as she explained that he was still allowed to be an asshole, he just had to be an asshole to the right people, instead of everyone.
"I think we've got enough," Mirio announced.
Quietly, Tomoe slid back from her perch on the balcony and back onto the rooftop. "Don't think anyone else is coming?"
"I'm sure they are, but it's our final day! We need to get back and write up a report so Sir can continue our work after we leave."
Nodding in understanding, Tomoe slipped her helmet back on. "Let's get going then."
The two walked across the roof and carefully descended the fire escape, before casually exiting the alleyway and merging into the crowd as they began their journey back to Sir Nighteye's agency.
"I'm really impressed by your quirk, Sakura!" Mirio said, striking up a conversation. "It's perfect for investigation work and gathering intel!"
"Thank you." Tomoe smiled. "I'm just happy knowing there's room for heroes like me out there."
"Of course there are! We can't all be like All Might and Endeavor after all."
"Sometimes the HPSC certainly makes it feel that way, with the way they run the hero charts," Tomoe grumbled.
"That's why you're at UA though, right?" Mirio asked. "Both you and Midoriya?"
"Yes. Although Himiko's quirk is most certainly a flashy combat quirk now." Tomoe sighed.
"Jealous?" Mirio asked.
"A little bit," Tomoe admitted. "We had solidarity due to our quirks, and we worked hard to be at the top of our class when it came to quirkless combat and maneuvering. And then her quirk had to go and awaken like that…"
"Do you think that's going to matter to her?"
"Of course not!" Tomoe quickly defended her friend. "Even now, she's still the same Himiko, pushing herself hard to prove herself."
"Well then, does it matter that her quirk has awakened? It seems to me like if anything, she is more powerful because of what she experienced before her quirk awakened."
"You're speaking from experience, aren't you?"
Mirio laughed. "Guilty as charged! Permeation was so difficult to learn, but the effort was worth it in the end!" He gave her a smile and a wink as he flexed an arm. "You are just like Sir. Your training will give you the advantage over anyone who thinks that their quirk is all they need!"
Tomoe thought back to her blind-fighting training and nodded, a smile on her face. "You're right. I guess I'm worried about nothing after all."
"Exactly! Now let's hurry back and get this report written up."
"And that's the last of it." Mirio declared happily as he set the pen down.
"Finally." Tomoe hit the print button on the screen before she stood up and stretched.
Gathering their paperwork, the two went to Sir's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" The two heard Sir call from behind the door. Opening it, they saw the hero standing in what Tomoe dubbed his 'thinking spot.' A position where he can view his wall of All Might memorabilia, she noticed that he often stood there in silent contemplation when he needed to make a decision. She had planned to tell Izuku about it. If anything, he would be amused by the idea, and maybe adopt something similar himself, much to Himiko's annoyance.
"Here are the observations from the stakeout we participated in," Mirio explained as he offered the report.
"Excellent. The more patterns we can establish, the easier our job will be later."
"Our job?" Tomoe asked.
"Of course." Nighteye returned to his desk and picked up a stack of papers which he split into two piles and offered to the students.
Mirio and Tomoe each took the offered papers and looked them over before Tomoe returned her attention to Nighteye. "Work study authorization forms?"
"I had hoped to retain both of your talents beyond the internship. At the very least, for the duration of this investigation." Nighteye explained. "It would be irresponsible for me to train both of you in investigative work and put you on an active investigation, only to let you go, after all."
"That makes sense." Tomoe thought out loud. "However, while Mirio is in his third year and looking to get as much experience as he can before he graduates, I don't even have my provisional license yet."
"Don't sell yourself short Sakura!" Mirio reassured her. "You'll easily pass the provisional exam in a month and a half!"
"I have full faith and confidence in your abilities," Nighteye added. "Which is why I was willing to prepare the forms ahead of time. Once you have passed the provisional licensing exam, you may begin your work-study over the summer."
Tomoe regarded the hero silently as she took the papers. Sure enough, Sir Nighteye's handwriting filled the form and his seal was already stamped, confirming his approval. Smiling, she looked at the hero. "I would be honored to continue working with you, Sir!"
"That's the spirit. Now then, with that order of business out of the way, let's review what you two have learned over this past week."
Tomoe sat down and couldn't stop smiling at the form as Mirio went over his part of the investigation. Sure, it wasn't the most glamorous hero work, but this is precisely the kind of hero she wanted to become. Spending more time with Sir Nighteye would be a wonderful learning experience, and she planned to make the most out of it.
"That is it for today!" Gunhead announced after the lesson, and Ochako bowed along with all of the other students. While the other students grabbed their bags and departed for the locker room, she simply grabbed her water bottle and began chugging its contents while waiting patiently.
After the last student left, the hero motioned for her to follow him, and she complied. Following the hero, they entered his agency above the dojo and entered his private office. Grabbing two chairs, he offered one to his intern.
"I think we are overdue on that conversation." He said.
"I agree." Ochako took the chair and sat down, making herself comfortable.
"It's been a few days since Hosu. How are you feeling now?"
"What we saw there is going to haunt me for a while," Ochako admitted. "But after seeing that - after seeing what the aftermath of a major battle looks like, I know it's what I want to do."
"Oh?" Gunhead leaned forward, placing his hands under his chin.
Ochako took a deep breath. "I think far too many people forget that the battle isn't over once the fighting is done. Once the heroes save the day and they turn the cameras off. I knew being a rescue and recovery hero wasn't going to be glamorous but - even after the Nomu were stopped. Even after Stain was arrested. The people of Hosu still needed heroes."
"I see. And you want to be that kind of hero?"
"Yep!" Ochako gave a cheery smile. "I want to be there to support those who need it."
Just like Deku is there for me. She thought to herself.
"That means you'll be seeing a lot more of what you saw at Hosu. Are you prepared to face that over and over again?"
"I'm not sure I'll ever be prepared," Ochako admitted. "But I think I'm ok with that."
"Hmm, those are surprisingly wise words coming from a student."
Ochako was caught off guard by the compliment and blushed. "I just - I don't want to ever stop seeing the people caught in these fights as people. We have a classmate like that, he sees anyone weaker than him as just extras, background noise. If my discomfort is the price to pay to prevent something like that from happening to me, then I'll gladly pay it."
"With that attitude, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Gunhead confirmed. "Just remember to take care of yourself, ok? Seeing that much pain and suffering can wear on you."
"Even if it's countered by the relief people show when you rescue them?"
"Even with that. You need to take care of yourself. There is a reason most heroes retire before they are forty."
"I'll keep that in mind." Ochako thought, as her thoughts drifted to Izuku.
"Ah, there is that smile. Are you thinking about that boy again?"
"Deku?!" Ochako squeaked out inadvertently.
"Ah ha! The boy who helped bring down Stain. That explains it." Gunhead said, his hands now on his cheeks as he made a cute pose. "I hope it works out for the two of you!"
"Me too," Ochako admitted.
"That was fun!" Nejire exclaimed as they sat down on the train ride back to Mustafu.
"It went better than I could have dreamed." Himiko agreed as she shoved her bag and costume case into the luggage compartment.
"Ryukyu-sensei is such an amazing hero!" Nejire gushed. "And we get to keep working with her!"
"You get to keep working with her." Himiko pointed out. "I still have to earn my provisional license next month."
Nejire crossed her arms and glared at Himiko. "As if Himichan isn't going to earn her provisional license! Look at everything you've done this week!"
"True!" Himiko slid into the seat across from Nejire and pulled out her phone.
"Who are you texting?" Nejire asked. "Your girlfriend?"
"She- she's not!" Himiko protested as she felt herself blushing. "As if you're any better!"
Nejire crossed her arms and looked away. "Just because I like Yuyu doesn't mean she likes me the same way back."
Himiko rolled her eyes. "As if that would stop you." She grumbled.
"Hey! That's not fair." Nejire scowled at Himiko, who couldn't help but snicker.
"Says you, miss 'you're my kouhai now, no arguments.'"
"That's different!"
"Is it? At least Haya would be allowed to respond if you tried to confess to her."
"And what about Song?" Nejire shot back, trying to deflect.
"She's confusing!" Himiko said in exasperation. "I don't know if I want to punch her, kiss her, or both!"
"Have you talked to her about that?"
"Not since the sports festival," Himiko admitted. "Which ended up being more of me yelling at her for being an idiot."
The two sat in silence for a long time before Nejire finally spoke. "I guess we're both hopeless, aren't we?"
"Seems that way," Himiko said, looking up from her phone. "You want to be a good sempai and show me how it's done?" She flashed a predatory smile at Nejire. As much as the older girl exasperated her, she quickly found her weaknesses and had no problems exploiting them.
Nejire looked thoughtful for a long time before she closed her hand into a fist, looking at Himiko with a determined look on her face. "I'll do it! I'll talk to Yuyu. But only if you talk to Song!"
"Deal!" Himiko smiled at the older girl. While she was already planning on talking to Emily soon, having additional motivation certainly wouldn't hurt.
And if she could help the older girl out. Well, she would never admit it out loud, but she had been growing fond of having Nejire as her senpai over the past week, despite the older girl's antics.
In a private bar, two individuals watched a special report on Hosu. They were describing the Nomu attack in detail and properly attributing it to the budding League of Villains. But that was where mention of the League ended. Continuing, the news focused most of its time and attention on Stain. The news anchors asked what his connection to the League was and discussed his attack from several weeks ago where he crippled the pro hero Ingenium.
For at least one viewer, this focus on Stain was the opposite of what he wanted.
"Damn it." Tomura slammed the glass into the counter, pressing his pinky to it as he caused it to disintegrate. "Why? Why are people more concerned with him and not us?!"
"Patience, young Tomura." The voice of his sensei urged from the usual speaker. "Remember if this plan doesn't work, you will have other opportunities."
"But what about the Nomu? We only have so many minions!"
"There will be more, in time. Remember what I told you. There are lessons even in failure."
"Yeah yeah," Tomura grumbled as he grabbed another glass from behind the counter and poured himself some water. "But why him? We did more damage in one night than he did!"
"Perhaps it has nothing to do with the damage, but rather with the message itself?" Sensei asked.
"What do you mean?" Tomura glared at the monitor as if it had offended him.
"Think about your games. When a guild hires you, do they ever offer nothing more than mindless destruction?"
"Sometimes," Tomura grumbled. "Those usually trigger a bad ending though."
"Precisely. Even if Stain's ideology was wrong, the fact remains that if you were to visit him in one of your games, you would be offered an ideology. Something to fight for or against."
"Hmm." Tomura pondered this. "I see."
Tomura sat in silence and thought about this. Even if it turned out to be falsehoods that the hero of the story later fixed, most organizations gave you something to work with at the start. While he offered raw power, that was obviously not enough for people. It didn't make sense to him, of course, because strength gave you the ability to impose your will on the world.
Sure, he realized that made him the primary villain in the game, but it was in the name! He didn't understand why people in his games were able to organize these huge powerful movements against the heroes. Which is why he was here, sitting in a bar as he struggled to find decent help.
Tomura sat there and thought about what he was missing. He already knew this was a lesson Sensei was trying to teach him. There was just some piece of the puzzle missing. Some key component he had to find and it would all make sense, and then he could level up and grow the ranks of the league.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a coded knock on the door. He turned and saw Giran enter with a man who could charitably be described as half-dead walking in behind him. His skin was charred, with patches of fresh skin sewn on.
"Who is this?" Tomura demanded as he sized up the new individual.
"Someone who saw Stain's video and came asking about you." Giran happily announced as he gestured to the man.
"Let's just say I'm not an Endeavor fan," The man replied with a hint of disdain in his voice. "And I'm rather interested in the people who can cause trouble for him."
"And why would we want someone like you?" Tomura asked.
"Looks can be deceiving." The man said with a smug look. "Or should I call out your pallid appearance as well?"
"Why you-" Tomura started to stand only to see a blue fireball lobbed at him. Kurogiri opened a portal to protect him, sending the fireball elsewhere and leaving only a wave of heat in its wake. "I see. And you wish to join us?"
"I have some personal business with the number two hero," Dabi explained. "So if joining you gives me a chance to cross paths with him, well… it'll work out well for both of us."
"Just like I have business with All Might." Tomura mused. "Very well then, since our interests align, it appears we have a mutually beneficial partnership."
"Exactly."
"What should I call you?"
Dabi thought for a moment before he came to a decision. "You can call me Dabi."
"Well come in, and let's discuss this further." Tomura smiled as he offered a chair.
Chapter 55: Feelings Revealed
Himiko didn't even wait for the train to return to Mustafu before she messaged Atsuko. After a few messages, the two agreed to a girls' night that evening, before school began the next day. Moments later they sent out messages, and by the time they had returned home, they had invited Tomoe, Emily, Ochako, and Tsuyu to meet up later that evening to celebrate another year of successful internships.
On a different train, Ochako received a message from Himiko. Looking over it, she was torn. If she wanted to, she could spend the evening with Izuku and Inko, free from her incessant teasing. On the other hand, she enjoyed spending time with the second years. Nodding to herself as she made a decision, she confirmed that she would join them.
Which is how she found herself standing in front of Atsuko's apartment several hours later. She knocked on the door, only for it to quickly open as Tomoe poked her head out. "Come on in."
"Thanks!" Ochako replied as she stepped into the entryway. Tomoe returned to the living room while Ochako removed her shoes. As she did so, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation the older girls were having in the living room.
"So, are you finally ready to admit you have a thing for green hair?" Atsuko asked.
"Shut up!" Emily protested.
Ochako froze, her stomach suddenly feeling as if she had overused her quirk as an image of Izuku appeared in her mind. Oh no. Was she too late? Did she miss her chance? Was Emily planning on making a move?
Dark thoughts filled her head as her insecurities began to bubble up until she was saved by the sound of someone knocking on the door. "I've got it!" Ochako called out, thankful for the distraction. Spinning around, she opened the door with more force than necessary, her friend standing outside.
"Is everything alright, kero?" Tsuyu asked, putting her index finger on her lip as she examined her friend.
"Y-yep! Everything is fine!" Ochako gave a too-wide grin and rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"Kero." Tsuyu examined her friend. Ochako was hiding something, but she decided not to pry. She decided that at worst she could get the information out of her tomorrow. Instead, she simply stepped in and began to remove her shoes.
The two joined the second years in the living room and sat down, the conversation about Emily's crush long forgotten as the girls discussed their internships. Ochako was more than happy for the change in topic and was explaining her training under Gunhead when they heard the door slam open.
"Sorry I'm late!" Himiko shouted from the entryway. "Mom wouldn't let me leave until I told her everything that happened to me!"
"Of course she did." Ochako giggled loudly. "I'm sure she's going to be asking me tomorrow."
"You know, if your mom is that interested we could have met at your place." Atsuko teased.
"Then we'd never leave!" Himiko said in exasperation. "She'd be interviewing all of you!"
"And we'd all go along with it because Mrs. Midoriya is wonderful." Emily pointed out.
Ochako felt that pang of jealousy again, giving a side-eyed glance at Emily. She had a faint blush dusting her cheeks and she couldn't help but wonder what the blonde girl was thinking about.
As Himiko bantered with Emily and Atsuko, Ochako silently resolved to learn the truth tonight. One way or another, she'd find out what the other girl's opinion of Izuku was.
It didn't take long for the girls to finally leave the apartment and walk to the restaurant, claim a table, and order food. While they were waiting Himiko began asking Atsuko about Habiki. With Emily free, Ochako saw her chance and turned toward the American girl.
"How was your internship with Deku?"
Emily looked at the gravity girl and something flashed in her eyes before she smirked. "It was great! Majestic was a great teacher! Both in teaching us what it meant to be heroes, as well as giving us some good pointers about our quirks and how to analyze a fight."
"Did you two get all of the quirk talk out of your system?" Himiko asked pointedly.
"Of course not!" Emily stuck out her tongue at her friend. "We didn't even have enough time to record all of the quirks we encountered over the week!"
"Because of Hosu?" Tomoe asked.
"Yep!" Emily said a little too quickly. "And because of other things."
"What other things?" Ochako asked suspiciously.
"It was nothing!" Once again, Ochako saw something flashing in the other girl's eyes.
"Oh really?" Himiko pressed, leaning over the table. "What could you possibly be talking about with Izu that would be more important than quirks?"
Emily's eyes darted between Himiko and Ochako. "Look. It's personal, ok?"
Ochako felt her stomach twisting into a knot. "Is it- is there something going on between you and Deku?" As the table fell silent, Ochako felt her face heating up. She couldn't believe that she just blurted that question out like that!
"Of course not! Why would you even ask such a dumb question?!" Emily exclaimed.
"I- but what about you having a thing for green hair?" Ochako asked, looking at Atsuko for confirmation.
"You heard that?" Atsuko asked.
Ochako nodded. "And her response. She didn't exactly deny it."
"It's because I like Himiko!" Emily practically shouted. "And those two won't stop bugging me about it." She threw an accusatory finger at Atsuko and Tomoe.
This was news to both Ochako and Himiko, their eyes widening at the sudden confession. Emily's face turned a bright red as she realized what she just did. She practically jumped out of her chair and ran out of the restaurant.
"Green hair," Atsuko said, dragging both girls back to reality as she pointed to Tsuyu. "Green hair." She pointed to Himiko. "Just because you think of a certain green-haired boy doesn't mean everyone else does."
Himiko heard Ochako trying to form a response, but right now her thoughts were occupied with a completely different girl. She bolted upright, knocking her chair over as she ran out of the restaurant. It looked like she was going to have that conversation much sooner than she anticipated.
Fortunately, she didn't have to go far to find her. As she ran down the street checking the alleyways and shops, she spotted the American girl pacing in a quiet alleyway.
"That was so stupid! Seriously, how dumb do I have to be to lose my composure like that? Over such a silly question! Argh!"
"Emmy." Himiko said, walking into the alleway.
"H-hey Himi," Emily said, suddenly becoming very stiff as she spun around to face the other girl.
"Is it true?"
"Of course it's true! Why do you think I'm hiding in an alleyway?"
In a rare moment of weakness, Himiko fidgeted as she felt her confidence vanish. "Because you've been so confusing! Just - why me?"
"Why not you?" Emily asked, a hint of her old personality peeking through.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm an emotional and mental disaster." Himiko crossed her arms and grimaced.
"Himiko Midoriya. Don't you dare." Emily cut her off. "Everything you went through, only to be where you are today? It's- it's quite frankly inspiring."
Himiko felt her face heat up as her eyes locked on the other girl's, her bright blue eyes filled with absolute certainty. "So what took you so long?"
"It's super embarrassing." Emily broke eye contact and turned away from her.
"Worse than getting flustered enough to blurt out that you like me?"
"In my defense, the only two people at the table who didn't know were you and Uraraka."
"That's-" Himiko felt her face heating up as she recalled the moment and realized that she was telling the truth. "So what is it?"
"I didn't know I liked girls until last year," Emily whispered, her face turning bright red.
"Oh?" Himiko felt a smile tugging at her lips. "And you figured this out by falling for me?"
"Is that a bad thing? Of course, I didn't know if it was even possible for you to like me back." Emily sighed in exasperation. "You were always talking with Tomoe and Atsuko about boys. It wasn't until the sports festival when you said you'd marry Uraraka - which hurt, by the way."
Himiko rolled her eyes as she stepped closer to the girl. "I've known since middle school that I'm bisexual. It was just another thing that I had to suppress in my parents' quest to make me normal."
"I swear if I ever meet the Togas I'm going to kick their asses!" Emily sounded genuinely angry.
"Get in line. I'm pretty sure mom has thought up new and creative ways to use her quirk that she is saving just for them."
"If you've known for that long, why are you always talking about boys?"
Himiko shrugged and looked at the other girl pointedly. "Maybe because I've never had anyone to talk to about it."
"That's-" Emily sighed. "-fair. I couldn't exactly talk with you about my crush."
"Who knows? Maybe you wouldn't have spent months pining after me."
Emily felt her face heating up as she made several unintelligible sounds. Regaining her composure, she finally looked at the other girl. "I'm sorry I'm such a disaster."
Himiko cut her off by grabbing the collar of her shirt and leaning into her to kiss her. Emily's surprised squeak was quickly replaced with her enthusiastic response, and she began returning the kiss with her own. Her inexperience was made up by enthusiasm, and after a few seconds the two had found a rhythm, their pent-up emotions finally released. They kept going until they were both out of breath before they separated, both breathing heavily.
"Holy shit," Emily said, staring at Himiko.
"If I knew it was that easy to shut you up, I'd have done that ages ago!"
"And what about if I want to shut you up?" Emily asked with a growing smirk on her face.
"I guess you'll have to try it and see," Himiko said with a predatory grin.
"I'll keep that in mind." Emily's face suddenly became serious. "I know this is out of order, but are we going to address the fact that we both think that we're disasters?"
"I think we're past that point already," Himiko said, trying to avoid the conversation.
"Himi…"
"Fine," Himiko said in a huff. Damn the other girl's stubbornness, especially when she knows she's right. "I know I can be difficult to be around, and you know all about my baggage. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you'd be interested in someone like me."
"Ugh, of course you'd think that." Emily rolled her eyes. "In case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly the easiest person to get along with either."
Himiko laughed. "That's true." She gave the other girl a fond look. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who can keep you in line."
"That's because you are," Emily admitted. "Before UA nobody ever called me out on my shit, and even now you're the only one who really calls me out. Sure our friends are doing it more, but really…" Emily once again locked eyes with Himiko. "As for your baggage. Just - look at you! Look at where you are, despite everything that you've been through. You're passionate, driven, you've got an amazing family, one of the strongest quirks I've ever seen, and a promising future ahead of you. What isn't there to love about you?"
"Love huh?" Himiko smirked.
"Shut up!" Emily smacked her shoulder. "Look. I'm not good at this. Clearly."
"Can confirm." Himiko bit her lower lip as she wrapped her arms around the other girl. "Which is why you've been so damned frustrating! You're beautiful, smart, confident to a fault and you know exactly what you want. Where has that Emmy been? The one who lets everyone know, loudly, what she wants?"
"Sorry, she's been scared a certain classmate didn't feel the same way about her."
"Oh come on. I saw the footage from Hosu. You get pissed when a freaky bioweapon won't go down, but admitting your feelings is what stops you?"
"Yes!" Emily buried her head deeper in Himiko's shoulder. "Fighting bad guys is easy, love is hard."
"Well, lucky for you, I've apparently got a thing for girls who don't know when to quit," Himiko whispered into the other girl's ear and she felt her shudder in her grasp. "Because I know that means you'll fight just as hard for me."
"Of course I will!" Emily's head shot up, nearly hitting Himiko. "You deserve it!"
Himiko once again felt her heart racing at the words. She knew it was selfish of her, but she had always longed for someone in her life who was willing to fight tooth and nail for her. And she knew with Emily that those weren't just empty words.
Sliding her hand up the other girl's back to find the back of her head, Himiko guided her into another kiss. Their second kiss started slower as they fully explored the sensation of the other's lips. Himiko found the other girl tasted of mint and smoke. A strange combination, but one Himiko decided she couldn't get enough of. For a second time, they pulled away panting heavily, staring at each other.
"You deserve it too, Emmy," Himiko said, her catlike eyes narrowing as she looked at her fri- no, girlfriend.
"Well, it's a good thing I found someone who can keep up with me then," Emily smirked as she loosened her grip on the other girl.
"You mean you found someone who will put up with you."
"I don't see you complaining! Quite the opposite in fact."
"Maybe I'm just looking for more excuses to stab you." Himiko gave her a predatory look. Emily let out a strangled sound as she turned bright red, and Himiko threw her head back in laughter. "I'm never going to get tired of that."
"Glad one of us won't." Emily crossed her arms and pouted.
"Oh please, as if you're not going to enjoy it."
Emily turned bright red but refused to give Himiko the satisfaction of a response. Himiko didn't seem to care though as she gestured towards the entrance of the alleyway. "As romantic as this alleyway is, our friends are probably worried about us. After dinner, we can ditch them and find someplace nicer to continue."
"What? Don't want to hang out with our friends?" Emily asked as she unfolded her arms.
"I do! But I suddenly discovered I have a girlfriend." Himiko grabbed one of Emily's hands, entwining their fingers as they began walking out of the alleyway. "And feel the need to give her some extra attention."
"I told you I'm bad at this," Emily complained.
"I'm sure you'll stubborn your way through this just fine," Himiko said, unable to keep a smile off of her face.
As they walked back to the restaurant hand in hand, Himiko kept stealing glances at Emily and saw the other girl doing the same. After the third time, it became too much for her and she suddenly stopped, breaking out in laughter.
"What's so funny?" Emily asked, a pout on her face.
"How absurd is it that the two of us are acting like lovestruck teenagers?"
"I don't know, maybe it's because we are lovestruck teenagers?" Emily asked, having rediscovered her 'why are you asking stupid questions' tone, before leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss from her girlfriend.
"I guess you're right." Himiko smiled happily at the other girl.
"Just - let's enjoy this," Emily said almost bashfully.
"That's fine by me." Himiko agreed as she squeezed the other girl's hand before they resumed their walk.
When they returned to the restaurant, they saw that their friends had changed positions, leaving two adjacent seats free with their meals waiting for them. While Ochako was still bright red, the other three were looking expectantly at the couple.
"I see you two finally worked it out," Tomoe said pointedly as she eyed their joined hands.
"Yep!" Emily said as she released her grip on Himiko and collapsed into a seat.
"I'm happy for the two of you," Atsuko said. "You two deserve each other."
Himiko laughed. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or insulted."
"Why not both?" Tsuyu asked from across the table.
"Both sounds right." Himiko gave her friend a fake glare, and Atsuko responded by sticking her tongue out at her friend.
"I'm sorry for my outburst." Ochako finally recovered enough to speak coherently. "But everything turned out alright in the end. That counts for something, right?"
"Yes, it does!" Himiko chirped, before leaning over the table to glare at Ochako. "As for you, I hope it's obvious that my girlfriend has no interest in Izuku."
Ochako gave a too-wide smile as she nodded in agreement. The message the older girl gave was clear, even if she had to deliver it in her way. She felt a different feeling in her stomach now. Hope. All of her insecurities that she carried about the American girl were misplaced, and if she wasn't under Himiko's glare she would laugh at how silly they felt now.
Thankfully, Atsuko asked Himiko a question and pulled the girl's attention away from her, and for the rest of the evening the focus was on the new couple. Atsuko and Tomoe couldn't help but tease both girls for how blind they were to the other's feelings, and even Tsuyu pointed out that she saw it.
Neither girl seemed to care.