Manual took pride in himself into being a normal hero, a basic hero. A role model for the younger generation. Not too overboard like the tops, not too glory hounding, just normal, ya know? Some might call him the plain and boring hero on the streets, but it was this position that allowed him to get to know the other 'little guys' around him. It was a position that made him happy, so he couldn't ask for more.
The same couldn't be said about his two recents interns...probably. Invisible Girl in all honesty took his advice to heart, easily slipping into the role of the 'neighborhood' hero. Super cheery and friendly to others. However there was this thing about her. She seemed to be multitasking out of the corner of his eye … or at least what looked like it with the gloves. She kept speaking about the situation, asking questions on fast lines, and kept trying to get the other intern to open up.
Speaking of … that boy was a nightmare to solve. The only reason he accepted was because Manual put his offer out under the 'backup' system if a kid didn't get any other offers, and literally couldn't refuse. He knew why Iida really came here … and he was hoping to talk him out of it. "So this is patrol, we just keep an eye out and move if we see a problem."
"You got it! I'll make sure NO trouble goes unnoticed." Invisible Girl said chipperly, and he couldn't tell if she intentionally made that joke or not. She was pointing to Iida as she said it though. "Isn't that right, Iida? We'll make sure NOTHING goes unnoticed...and make sure to alert the nearest hero if we see something suspicious?"
"Of course, just like any other citizen, we alert the heroes." The boy said. "Since we're interns, what's the protocol if a situation arises?" He asked with a curious tone.
"Stay back and wait for assessment, then you can assist from a distance." He paused, it was obvious the boy needed something blunter. He would have to spell it out for him. "I know why you came here."
"Of course you do. You're the pro that I chose to work under." Iida nodded.
"Please, don't try to pander the situation. You know the Hero Killer is still being sighted around this area, don't you?" That made the boy drop the strict student act. "I couldn't think of any other reason you chose me …" He turned to face them both. "Listen, we're heroes, and that means we can use our quirks freely. But with that freedom comes the expectation to use those powers correctly. You need to live up to those expectations, and not take regrettable actions."
"I see. I swear that I won't do anything I'll regret." That may have been the wrong choice of words to say. "I'll scout ahead. I'll alert you when necessary." And the boy turned the corner.
"Oh, thank you for catching on, it's frustrating to see nearly everyone ignore what's so obvious." Invisible Girl let out a groan.
"Of course, how can you expect to lead when you can't even see what's in front of you. I'm sure all your teachers and best classmates have made observations like that, right?"
"..." For some reason Invisible Girl started to laugh darkly before walking ahead of him. Eh, she seemed nice enough. Maybe just, keep a camera in the hallway.
==
"Heiya!" Ochako shouted, tossing the man three times her size through the wood floor. "Who's next!"
"You killed the line." She blinked at Mina's statement, seeing that she did, in fact, cause everyone to enter the 'injured' section of the dojo. "Dang girl, I knew you were all fired up at the sports festival, but that fire only got hotter! What brought all this on lately?"
"Like I said, I realized I was so far behind on anyone. How am I going to protect people if all I can do to stop a random villain is reach out and touch them?" Or use rubble, but that latter one was more situational. "If Iruma can stop Bakugo without a quirk, how can call myself his friend if I can't do just as much?"
"Ah, youth, always such a cute thing to watch in action." Gunhead made his way over to them after coming through the sliding door. "You're doing well, Uravity. Pinky, how's your training coming along?"
"A bit slow. I can evade the guys easily, but I keep slipping up whenever I try to toss them overhead." Mina sheepishly admitted.
"That's fine, the muscle strength to do it naturally is insane, so you need to focus on using it against them. You're flexible enough to use their own momentum to your advantage." The man explained. "For example, Uravity, come at me." The man gestured.
"Oh, alright." She prepared herself, and charged at the pro. She knew what was coming, but that didn't mean it was going to hurt any less.
"Especially at a speeding opponent, they're not going to have the time to slow down." Gunhead explained, crouching himself a little before ducking his head and leaning into her offending hand...almost just liked how Iruma countered Bakugo and Shinso. She grabbed the arm, twisting it around to throw him backwards, only for his feet to claw their way into the ground. "Okay, thoroughly impressed. You almost got me there."
"I've just seen it before sir, a friend of mine uses it." She smiled, remembering his face …
"She means her crush." What, Mina no!
"Oh, spicy! Send me the deets."
"No, it's not like that! Iruma has just been super helpful to me since school started and we have a few things in common! He's just a really good friend! He was super understanding and I even helped give him the motivation to be a hero!" Okay, a hero for money didn't sound noble, but they both liked helping people in general. What was wrong with that?
"You know, I never said Iruma, so thank you for confirming." Mina, what the fuck!?
"He sounds like a lovely catch, go for him girl."
"No, he's dealing with way too much, and so am I, trying to be a hero, you know?" Ochako tried to explain.
"Oh well, I guess Toru and Ibara can cover for you on that front." Mina shrugged with a playful look. "It's hard to choose who he looks cuter with. His obliviousness matches too well with Ibara's innocence and Toru's yandere, maybe I should start a betting pool."
"Five thousand he's single by the end of the year." They both turned to her. "... I have money problems, I instantly try to win big whenever I hear a bet nearby."
"Understandable. Just know you'll lose if you ever want to take it beyond friendship." Why was Gunhead so invested in this? "... Now could you release me, the claws are the only thing keeping me from floating." Oh right.
==
"The bastard didn't help! Not a bit!" If anything the man was somehow MORE delusional then every bystander on the street. Now Tomura had to deal with the fact villains were just as likely to disagree with the notion of taking on All Might. "Everyone's blind, hero, villain, civilian, everyone worships or respects that bunny-bastard like he's some sort of god!" It made him so MAD! Why couldn't they see the truth like he could! Like Iruma could!
"Truly a pity. I assumed a man of that conviction would have provided much more clarity, maybe even furthered our cause ever so slightly." Sensei's voice spoke from the screen. "To have respect for an enemy is one matter, but he seems more like a hyper-obsessed fanatic if anything."
Now what the hell was he supposed to do? This influence spread everywhere, it was getting worse and sicker, it was causing the outcasts to rot to dust. He began scratching his neck, the itch was back. He hated the itch, it made everything worse. "Damn him damn him damn him." Tomura began pacing back and forth. "How the fuck do I fix this world if no one wants it fixed!?"
"Then you must go against everyone." Sensei spoke. "That is what a villain does, clashing against the boundaries and moralities set up by the ones known as society, the majority."
"Like a typical JRPG, make a party and fight through an unforgiving world." Tomura kept scratching, the need to destroy was just getting bigger and bigger. "It can't be pointless though…It can't just be mindless destruction...I need…" He needed a target. "This Hero Killer is a reminder of All Might's influence on the world. I want him dead, forgotten, wiped from the minds of everybody that knows about him!"
"Then you should kill him." Sensei spoke. "Remember to kill what you don't like." Yes, this was a compromise. The man annoyed him, and his message would be gone.
"How many Nomu can we use?"
"We're currently ready to deploy four at the moment. None of them have the strength of the one at the USJ, but they'll level a whole city left to themselves." The Doctor answered.
"A whole city...Send them all to Hosu. Level it all to the ground." He'll take the lessons he's learned from the two people that helped him out so much and apply them. "Let the world know the League of Villains are still around, and nobody, not even some overhyped fanboy murder, will get in our way."
"Should I get some chips and coke?" Kurogiri interrupted his speech for a very reasonable question.
The man nodded. "The usual."
==
Jiro tapped her jacks as she looked out the window. It was late and it was technically curfew, a hard day of stopping a bank robbery, but she couldn't pass out just yet. UA had been … fucked up. A part of her wanted to go back to the old days, where she and her friends would treat each other like shit, because that was their sense of humor.
But she realized that maybe … not everyone shared that humor. She didn't think Jamming-whey was the next einstein or anything, but he was cool enough during class. He was the only one among their classmates that had a sense of style when it came to costumes. Simple and slick jacket? That's all anyone needed.
Everyone called him a moron, but everyone also called Iruma a moron and he didn't have a problem with it...because he was dense due his crappy parents and home life and-wow, she might have a bigger problem than she thought. She wasn't Bakugo, was she? Just the snarky Bakugo? Ashido would tell her right?
"Fucking hell." So many students had problems at UA. There was Iruma, who had a list so long no therapist wouldn't commit suicide over it. Then Bakugo, who was violence and ego incarnate … well compared to Monoma his ego wasn't that bad. Todoroki had some form of dad issues no one knew about, and changed personality on the dime.
Mineta was the ultra perv of the class no one in their right mind would hang out with, so of course he was one of Iruma's closer friends. Iida had a stick up his butt twenty four seven, and she was certain Hagakure was a certified stalker by this point. Add the shit with the USJ on top of all that and it was a miracle not a single one of them had dropped out by this point.
She wasn't getting anywhere with this, so she had to talk to someone...the only one she could talk to in person at the moment though was Shiozaki, who she's barely said a word to since they started internships. Apparently Kamui Woods thought they might be able to share notes on detection capabilities. "So...how's life been for you in 1-B?"
"Fairly well, the class is filled with mostly kind souls, although Pony's innocence is mostly tainted by the lack of language." Fair. "And the blasphemy of 'Anime'." Unfair, shit was awesome.
"Yeah, I can understand that..to a point." She would let it go for now. "Iruma's the same way, except he doesn't know about anything EXCEPT the language. I actually went to the same school with him before UA, although I could've put a little more effort into getting to know him better."
"I seek to do the same, so you're not alone in your noble quest." She almost forgot this religious nut had a crush on the guy...crap, was that rude to think too? "You've seemed troubled. Is everything not well within your classroom?"
"I think we might have a few … fairly insane kids." Jiro admitted. "Lots of problems in a single classroom."
"You could always show them the path of god." Nah, she was a shintoist, and had a nice feel to it.
"I just...I want to..just be a good person..be a good friend..but I think I've been an ass to quite a few of them...this one guy in particular." The guilt swirled in her head. "Have you ever done something you thought was right but realized too late it was wrong?"
"Yes...recently in fact. I insulted and offended someone I barely knew because of my pettiness. The guilt lingers even when you repent of your sins." Ibara sighed. "Do you seek to make it up to the offended party?"
"Yep …" She stared at the wall. "But I don't know how."
"We can start by saying sorry first and foremost. What happens after that, only god knows."
She was starting to get tired of the religious talk, but the girl was being genuine. "Thanks. I'll make sure to tell him." She looked at her phone, wondering if this was something she should do over a call or in person, but her phone rang before she could decide. "Huh, getting a group call from Iruma. Didn't think he'd figure out how to use that phone for at least another month."
"You have my angel's number?" The girl was
blushing as red as a rose. "Mind..mind if I partake in the conversation?"
"Sure, can't be that bad right?" Jiro shrugged, clicking answers with everyone else.
Before anyone said anything, the voice spoke. "So in this alley near Tenth Street in Hosu, you want to try and kill my friends and … i'm sorry, what's your name?"
"Iruma doesn't know how to joke, code red!" She shouted, running out to find Death Arms. Of course the moment they couldn't be there, he gets himself involved in a life and death situation.
==
Iruma noticed that Rabbit-sama had been acting weird since a few nights ago. She kept buying meals despite the fact he could cook, she let him sleep in her bed, and she kept asking if he was okay. Of course he was, he was getting faster. Plus now he could actually think while dodging, that was an improvement!
She also hugged him occasionally whenever they took a break. It wasn't like his parent's hugs, as in, he didn't suspect Rabbit-sama of wanting or asking him to do anything, so it was super nice. She even asked from time to time if he wanted to slow down, but he couldn't do that now! Not when he's able to stand out more than ever.
"Alright Kit, since you're so eager, I suppose a little field action is in order." She also called him kit. He didn't understand the nickname, but he wouldn't complain. He's given nicknames to others after all.
"Okay, should I bring a travel bag?" He asked with a smile.
"No, just put on your hero costume, I've got a usual bag I can run you through the ins and outs of." So cool, it was always nice to learn from survivors. He reached into his suitcase and pressed his thumb against the lock.
After a scan the case opened and he took out … not his costume. "This isn't mine." It was a human sized blue suit with a weird plastic metal combination on the arms and legs. The cape was still there, but reduced drastically, and his domino mask was now a full face mask, with a mouth guard shaped like a big fanged mouth. Kinda reminded him of a wolf. "Where's my Domino Mask and cape?"
"Ignoring the fact you manage to think that's a costume." What, it was. "There's a note." Oh yeah, better read it. Maybe that would explain everything.
"Dear Brand Kid, in the name of partnership, I've given your suit a major upgrade. The entire thing is made to redirect pressure, allowing you to up the ante on your power and compression for those close range punches, it'll snap if you try to use the big ones that break icebergs. I've also installed a few 'bells and whistles' inside for added bonus. Please remember to come to me for all your hero support needs. Signed Mei Hatsumei-Number One Baby Maker." Aww, she cared. She even gave him a cool suit. "PS. This equipment is highly experimental, and by wearing this you consent to full testing and repercussions." And it was brand new as well!
"This is so cool, I got an upgraded hero suit. Oh, I need to go put it on and everything." Iruma smiled, making his way to the bathroom. "Where are we going anyway?" He yelled as he changed.
"There's been a lot of noise around Hosu lately, so there's bound to be tons of action for us to jump right into." Hosu, why did that sound familiar? Right!
"Hosu? I think two of my friends are interning there." Iida and Toru. He hoped the former was in a better mood now with the later keeping him company.
"Oh really? Then they'll be able to get a close look of the two of us kicking ass and taking names! We're stealing the spotlight tonight kid! Don't be afraid to let loose a little."
"I'm always afraid mam!" That's why he's lived as long as he has. "Fear is a perfect motivator to survive with people."
"...I'm going to put a pin in that and just say spite has always been my greatest motivator." Spite? But he didn't want to hate anybody. "Let's not waste anymore time! Jump out the window and follow me!"
"Yes mam!" He jumped, falling and hitting the ground, running to follow Miriko. This would be his first work with a hero! He was even closer to his goal of becoming one.
"Just know, you can use your quirk in public as long as you're with me, no need to hoof it on the ground!" Oh, he never used his quirk in public before.
'Now lets see … 12 spoonfuls .' As he sparked, speed increasing, his eyes began to glow, listing a bunch of numbers and symbols he didn't understand at all. He'll talk about it with Hatsumei later. "Energy Suit! Rocket Man!"
"My one regret is never improving your naming skills!" They weren't that bad.