The next day dawned with an oppressive humidity that hung heavy in the air, mirroring the tension that gripped both Ace and Yu. Dagobah Beach, usually a vibrant testament to Izuku Midoriya's hard work, felt bleak and desolate, the discarded appliances and rusting metal taking on a sinister edge.
Ace arrived first, his usual casual attire replaced by a simple t-shirt and jeans, a deliberate attempt to appear less intimidating. He paced nervously along the shoreline, the rhythmic crash of the waves doing little to soothe his anxiety.
This is it, he thought, his heart pounding against his ribs. I hope I am making the right decision.
Inside his mind, the Taros were in a state of utter chaos.
We should just run! Momotaros bellowed, his voice echoing like a thunderclap. This is a trap! She's going to call the cops, and we'll all end up in Tartarus!
Now, now, Senpai, Urataros countered smoothly, his voice dripping with false calm. Let's not be hasty. A little charm, a few well-placed lies, and we can have her eating out of our hands in no time.
But how much do we tell her? Kintaros rumbled, his voice laced with genuine concern. If we tell her everything, we put her in danger. If we tell her nothing, she will turn us in.
Ryutaros, ever the wildcard, piped up with a surprisingly insightful observation. Maybe we should just dance it out! A cool breakdance battle to decide our fate!
Ace winced, trying to block out the cacophony of voices in his head. He knew he had to make a decision, and fast. He couldn't afford to let the Taros' antics dictate his actions.
Yu arrived a few minutes later, her towering figure casting a long shadow across the beach. She wore her usual hero costume, but her expression was unreadable, her eyes hidden behind her domino mask. The mask was askew and stained from what looked like tears.
The air crackled with unspoken words as they stood facing each other, the weight of their shared history and uncertain future pressing down on them.
"Hey," Ace said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Yu crossed her arms, her stance rigid. "Ace," she said, her voice flat. "Or…whatever your real name is. I want answers. Now."
The dam had broken.
"What are you?" Yu demanded, her voice rising with each word. "What were you doing with that monster? What the heck is going on?"
The Taros erupted in Ace's mind.
Tell her nothing, kid!
Tell her everything, then we kiss her!
Tell her we want to fight!
Tell her we're having a dance off later!
Ace squeezed his eyes shut, trying to regain control. He knew he had to be careful, to choose his words wisely. He couldn't afford to reveal too much, but he couldn't afford to lie either.
"It's…complicated," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
"Complicated?" Yu scoffed, her voice laced with disbelief. "Complicated is figuring out how to parallel park my giant form! This is beyond complicated. This is insane!"
Ace sighed, knowing there was no way to sugarcoat the truth. "Okay, you're right. It's insane. But I promise, there's a reason for everything."
He looked at Yu, his eyes pleading for understanding. "Just…give me a chance to explain."
The Taros started bickering in Ace's mind, their voices overlapping in a chaotic mess.
"Okay, team meeting!" Ace shouted mentally, silencing the Taros with a mental blast of willpower. "We need to decide what to tell her. Now!"
I still say we run, Momotaros grumbled.
"Momo, be quiet," Ace snapped. "This is serious."
"Look," Ace began, his thoughts racing. "We can't tell her everything. The DenLiner has to stay a secret. But we can tell her about the Imagin, about Dai-Shocker, and about why we're here."
"So, what, we just gonna give her the PG version?" Momotaros asked.
"I'll handle the details," Ace said. "Just…trust me."
The Taros, despite their reservations, grudgingly agreed. Ace took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to do.
He looked at Yu, his expression serious. "Okay," he said. "Here's the truth."
And he began to explain. He told her about the Imagin, creatures from a future who fed on human desires and altered the past. He told her about Dai-Shocker, a multiversal organization seeking to control all of reality. And he told her about his mission, to stop the Imagin and protect the timeline.
Yu listened in stunned silence, her initial skepticism slowly giving way to disbelief and then, finally, to a grudging acceptance. She had seen too many strange things in her life to dismiss Ace's story out of hand. The Mole Imagin's attack, the way Ace had transformed…it all started to make sense.
"So, let me get this straight," she said, her voice laced with incredulity. "You're from another world, you have these creatures called Imagins helping you, and you're fighting Imagins that want to change the past?"
Ace nodded, his expression grim. "That's the gist of it, yeah."
Yu was quiet for a long moment, processing everything she had just heard. And then, she remembered something.
"Wait a minute," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You said you. But it was Urataros who always talked to me."
Ace winced, knowing he couldn't avoid this any longer. "That's…also complicated," he said.
He explained about the Taros, about how they could possess him and lend him their powers. He told her about Urataros's penchant for flirting and how he had taken advantage of Ace's body to go on dates with her.
Yu's face turned a shade of red that rivaled Momotaros's armor. "So, all those times…when we were together…that wasn't really you?"
Ace looked down, shame washing over him. "Yes… It was Urataros."
Yu glared at him, her anger palpable. "You let some…ghost…use your body to hit on me?"
Before Ace could respond, Urataros took control, his voice smooth and charming. "Now, now, Yu-chan," he said. "Don't be like that. I was just trying to show you a good time. And besides, I was doing you a favor. Ace here is a sweet kid, but he needed a little help in the romance department."
Yu's eyes narrowed even further. "Get out of his body, Turtle," she said, her voice dangerously low.
Urataros chuckled. "Alright, alright. No need to get violent."
He relinquished control, and Ace stumbled slightly, regaining his bearings.
"I'm…sorry," he said, his voice sincere. "I know it was wrong. I'll restrain him from now on."
Yu glared at him, her anger still simmering. "You could have told me!" she shouted. "You could have said something! But no, you just let this…pervert…use your body to manipulate me?"
Ace hung his head, guilt consuming him. He knew he had messed up, badly.
But then, something else occurred to Yu.
"Wait a minute," she said, her eyes widening in realization. "How old are you, anyway?"
Ace hesitated, knowing this was another landmine he couldn't avoid. "Sixteen," he mumbled.
Yu's jaw dropped. "Sixteen?" she shrieked, her voice echoing across the beach. "You're sixteen? And I was…dating you?"
She ran a hand through her hair, her mind reeling. "Oh my god," she whispered. "I'm a criminal!"
The Taros erupted in laughter in Ace's head.
Looks like someone's going to jail! Momotaros cackled.
Don't worry, Yu-chan, Urataros purred. I'll visit you every week. And I'll bring you flowers and chocolates.
Ace groaned, trying to shut out the Taros' taunts. He knew he had to say something, anything, to defuse the situation.
"Yu," he said, his voice pleading. "It's not like that. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. And besides, it was Urataros who was doing all the flirting. I was just…along for the ride."
Yu glared at him, her face a mixture of shock, anger, and disbelief. "That doesn't make it any better!" she shouted. "I'm a Pro Hero! I'm supposed to be a role model! And here I am, dating a minor!"
She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. "This is a disaster," she moaned. "My career is over."
Ace didn't know what to do, so he let Yu deal with her own feelings. Yu lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy. She looked at Ace, her expression softened slightly.
"Why don't you work with the Hero Public Safety Commission?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "If you tell the Safety Commission about the Imagins. They could have also helped."
Ace shook his head. "It's not that simple," he said. "The Imagin are too dangerous. They can alter the past, change reality. Most people wouldn't believe me if I told them the truth. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to stop them."
He looked at Yu, his eyes filled with desperation. "Only I and the Taros have the power to do this," he said. "We're the only ones who can protect this world from Dai-Shocker."
He paused, his voice laced with emotion. "I know I'm asking a lot," he said. "But I need you to trust me. I need you to keep my identity a secret. If my identity is revealed, more Pro Heroes will come after me."
He took a step closer to her, his eyes pleading. "Please, Yu," he said. "Don't turn me in. I'm not a bad guy. I'm just trying to do what's right."
Yu stared at him, her mind a battlefield of conflicting emotions. She wanted to believe him, she really did. But could she really trust someone who had lied to her, who had let some ghost use his body to manipulate her?
She looked into Ace's eyes, searching for any sign of deception. And what she saw was not a liar, but a scared, desperate kid who was trying to save the world.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to do.
"Okay," she said, her voice firm. "I'll help you."
Ace's face lit up, relief washing over him. "You will?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Yu nodded, her expression serious. "But on one condition," she said. "You have to promise me that you'll be careful. No more secrets, no more lies. And no more letting that Turtle guy use your body to hit on me."
Ace smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile that reached his eyes. "I promise," he said.
Yu smiled back, a tentative, hopeful smile that hinted at a future where trust and understanding could be rebuilt.
The tension that had hung heavy in the air began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of cautious optimism. They still had a long way to go, but they had taken the first step towards rebuilding their trust and forging a new alliance.
The waves crashed against the shore, the sun peeked through the clouds, and Dagobah Beach seemed a little less bleak, a little less desolate.
The fight against Dai-Shocker was far from over, but Ace knew that he wasn't alone anymore. He had Yu on his side, a powerful ally who would help him protect the innocent and save the world.
And maybe, just maybe, he could even find a way to win her heart, for real this time.
***
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