He thought he'd be ready if this happened. That he'd be the one to stand up and lead everyone to victory. But instead, here he is, running through the forest, holding onto his bleeding arm and cursing himself. How could he let this happen?
There's movement off to the side and he stops, his heart beating so loud it's all he can hear inside his ears for a moment, as it pounds thunderously inside his chest, the vibrations traveling down his arms. He jumps at a sudden screech, before relaxing as a few birds fly from the tops of a few trees into the night sky.
Allowing himself a second of levity at his own foolishness, he takes the time to exhale, leaning against the nearest tree to catch his breath. Maybe he had finally eluded his attacker? Considering who he sees as his mentor, he hopes he'll be able to escape.
Unhooking a throwing knife from his belt, he cuts a bit of the fabric off of his clothes and wraps it tightly over the gash on his arm, grimacing a bit at the pain but careful not to make much more noise than that. He adjusts the mask over his eyes to get the sweat out of them before re-securing the multiple blades on his person, wanting to be certain they couldn't be easily taken and used against him. It's only after flexing his arm a few times does he realize just how quiet it is.
The dark he had been prepared for. As he was planning to do most of his work from the shadows, he knew it was something he needed to get used to. But ironically, because of a bright moon overhead, it isn't even that dark. But what he had not prepared for was the quiet.
For a place that's supposed to be full of life, it's eerie just how wrong it feels to be in a forest so quiet. It isn't something he knows to happen except for a couple of special circumstances. One of those being-
There's a crack! off to the side.
One of those being that something was scaring off all of the nearby wildlife. He whisks two throwing knives in the direction of the disruption, but is somehow both relieved and terrified when his knives return twin sounds of thunk! to indicate they had hit trees instead of flesh. Using the magnetized function in his new gloves, he returns the knives back to his hands, placing them back at his sides.
Gulping, he reaches behind him, pulling one of his new swords out from behind his back, the red blade shimmering under the moonlight. He raises it overhead, both hands gripping the handle tightly, pink eyes darting across the field for any sign of-
Every one of his senses scream at once. He's in danger. He spins around as fast as he can, but a strong hand clamps around both of his wrists like chains on a prisoner. With a simple squeeze, he whimpers in pain, forced to drop his weapon.
"For one who aspires to be an effective hunter one day, it is imperative you know how it feels to be prey." A heavy boot crashes into his chest, sending him crashing into the same tree he had just used to rest. His dizzy head isn't enough to block out his own cry of pain as he hits, slumping onto the ground.
"You must know how your prey thinks. How they will move, react, cry. Anything to use to your advantage." Coughing, Spinner glares up at a grinning Kraven, who seems ecstatic about his expression. "You must know what it's like to look up at a superior adversary and understand he could end your life without a thought."
Spinner slips a knife out from his wrist and lunges, but Kraven knocks it aside with ease, using his other hand to grab a squirming Spinner by the throat and lift him into the air, his feet kicking wildly. "You must look into the eyes of the one who bested you." Kraven begins to squeeze. "And remember how you feel at this moment. Every sight, sound, and whatever else it takes." Spinner claws at his arms desperately, gasping for air as his vision becomes black on the edges. "Remember this feeling of helplessness and use it to drive you to never feel this way again. To be the one staring down your prey as they fall into a pit of despair before you finally end him."
Kraven's eyes widen slightly. "You did well. You are still a novice in many ways, but I see in you a hunger to improve. That's good. Now, a slight reprieve from your lessons." Kraven aims his arm into the darkness and fires a mechanized arrow from his wrist gauntlet.
A grunt from behind the trees tells him the arrow hit. Kraven drops Spinner to face Daken as he emerges into the field, the arrow sticking out from his chest. "You're gonna need something a lot bigger to stop me."
Holding his arms out, Daken extends his curved boned claws and charges, an animalistic yell coming from his throat. Smirking in excitement, Kraven brings up his fists, preparing to-
The bang! of a gunshot pierces the hunter's thoughts figuratively, as the actual bullet pierces Daken's head a bit more literally, blowing half of it off and sending the son of Wolverine sprawling onto the ground. Kraven sighs, dropping his arms. "I did not require your help."
He turns, spotting Taskmaster as he hops down from a tree, the offending rifle in his arms. "So you say. But have you ever heard the phrase, work smarter," he gestures to his gun, "not harder?" He motions to Kraven's fist. "Besides, if Nagant is going to insist you and I get the rest of the attack force up to fighting shape, I'm going to do it my way." He pulls the bolt back, ejecting the old bullet casing and loading in the new one.
Several blue marbles fall at the pair's feet, much to their surprise. Mr. Compress materializes in front of them from seemingly nowhere, his formerly orange trench coat now mostly white with orange accents. He tips his hat to them. "Gentlemen."
"You couldn't sense him?!" Taskmaster asks in anger and disbelief, before white blinds both of their visions. However, Kraven's enhanced senses and Taskmaster's mask make quick work of the flashbangs, reducing their effectiveness to mere seconds. But that's all it takes for Daken and Spinner's bodies to disappear and for Toga to leap out of the trees.
Taskmaster rolls away, jumping back to his feet as Toga does the same. The blonde giggles and pants as she eyes him up and down. "I think your suit is really cool!" She flicks two knives from her sleeves, one for each hand. "I think it'll look even better covered in your blood!" She flips the knives into a reverse-grip hold and jumps at Taskmaster.
"The girl is crazier than I thought if she believes she can take on both of us at once," Kraven remarks, amused.
"Not to worry." Compress clenches his hand spreading his fingers wide, revealing five marbles. He repeats the action twice more until he's only holding one. "She has simply gotten used to me covering her back."
"Maybe so." Kraven extends his laser-tipped spear. "But who's got yours?"
He falls back as Taskmaster throws Toga off of him. "Wait-" Kraven triumphantly yells, chucking the spear at Mr. Compress, but instead of skewering him as he expected, the spear travels through his body, unharmed. "Idiot," Taskmaster growls. "He's using Ghost armor."
"That explains why I didn't sense him," Kraven rolls his eyes, annoyed. "I suppose that might make him slightly more of a challenge." He thinks it over. "Good, use your new suit to its fullest effectively."
"Gladly. But I would feel horrid if I didn't answer your earlier question." Compress flicks the marble in his hand away, letting it expand to reveal a fully healed and very pissed off Daken glaring the Hunter down. "This is who is watching my back."
Kraven laughs, pulling an oversized knife from his boot. "Maybe this will not be as easy as we had predicted, Taskmaster."
"Please." They didn't need to see it to know that the hired gun was rolling his eyes from under his mask. "These novices still have much to learn." He uses one of his pistols to block Toga's knife, then twists her arm, making the blonde drop her blade, before finishing the teen off by shooting her in the head. "See?"
Kraven sighs, looking down at the mess on the ground. "There is no satisfaction in guns. They leave no time to savor your victory or for your prey to wallow in defeat." He holds up his arms. "Which is why I will always prefer my bare hands."
"How antiquated of you," Taskmaster replies flatly. "But last I checked, guns get the job done far better than your hands."
"Maybe that is because you lack imagination," Kraven retorts.
"I'd prefer that than lacking common sense-"
"Oi!!" The real Toga jumps down from a tree, fuming. "Did you know that wasn't me before you shot?!" She gestures wildly to the Twice clone that was melting into sludge at Taskmaster's feet. Taskmaster stares back at her, saying nothing. "Did you?!"
"Please try not to overreact, Toga," Compress tries to reason with her. "Obviously, he knew it wasn't you."
"Then why doesn't he say that?!!"
"I make it a point not to waste my breath with stupid questions." Toga's glare sharpens at Taskmaster's mocking tone. "If you'd like other examples, they include: 'Where did you come from?' 'Who sent you?' And 'Please don't kill me.'" He pauses. "I suppose the last one isn't a question, but you get the point."
No one says anything at first. Not until Toga takes out a new knife. "Yeah, I don't care about any of that, I'm just gonna stab him!"
"We are attempting to train without any debilitating injuries!" Compress reminds her. "Please keep the stabbing to a minimum!"
"But where's the fun in thaaaaaat?" Toga whines.
From the control center of the I-Island Danger Room, Hirona watches her new League members enter combat with one another once more, trying to keep themselves sharp and practice with some of the gadgets the island had given them before the attack.
"They're learning fast," Nagant comments, crossing her arms behind the younger villain.
"They're adapting, which is what we want." Hirona doesn't take her eyes off the camera feeds. "Once everything is said and done, everyone is going to come after us. Heroes and villains. They need to be ready."
"Are you?"
The teen chuckles. She knows Nagant's eyesight is good, so it's no surprise she can see right through her sometimes. "I'm ready to be free."
The answer satisfies the sniper. "Just making sure."
A portal opens and Kurogiri appears before them, handing Nagant a stack of files. Hirona lifts a walkie-talkie she had been keeping on her side to her mouth. "Your turn, Dabi. Start setting random parts of the forest on fire." She lowers her hand. "Time to see how they handle this-" the files Nagant had been given grab her attention. "What's that?"
"Everything our little informant at UA could give us about both classes." She sits at a desk, setting folders aside as she looks for a specific one. "Which isn't a lot. But even just knowing their quirks can help us. Plus, that Mustard kid wanted to comb through these to- here we go." Nagant pulls one of the boy's files out, flipping it open to scan the page. "Hm."
"What is it?" Hirona flips through Tenko's file, raising an eyebrow at the new section entitled 'Blackwhip.'
"Our informant was quirkless."
"He is?!" Hirona snatches the file. "And he got into UA? Good on him."
"Was." Nagant stresses, before taking the file back and smacking the leader of the League's face with it. Hirona bares her teeth in a tiny growl, but Nagant just smacks her again. "Bad. Now listen, he was quirkless. All for One did his parents a favor when he was a kid and gave him a quirk. Aoyama spying for us is him returning the favor."
Nagant drops the file on the desk, crossing her arms, and stares intently at Hirona, hoping she understands the underlying message in her words. Fortunately, she does. The teen looks back and forth between Nagant and the file, her hair covering her eyes. "It's less him returning the favor…and more 'do this or your family dies,' isn't it?"
"That'd be my guess." Nagant widens her stance just a bit, loosening her arms. "And I'm guessing you didn't know that?"
"No." Hirona picks the file back up, slowly flipping through it to really absorb what's written. "Thought it was just some brat doing it for money or power, the usual." She scans another page. "I know a little something about being forced to do things you don't want to do."
"As do I." Nagant softens. "How old were you?"
Again, Hirona can read the subtext of the question, looking off in the distance as she recalls the memory. "He made me kill only weeks after he started training me. I wasn't-" she swallows. "I was still learning my quirk, so I wasn't able to make the sides of my shields very sharp. All I remember is trying to push it through this man's body. Over and over he screamed, while I had to listen to every crunch of bone my quirk cut through…there was so much blood. I'm lucky it was raining that night." Her voice dies off, as if she has more to say, but just can't physically say any more. Kurogiri vanishes through one of his portals.
Nagant walks around the desk to Hirona's side, leaning back against it. The teen looks down and away from her, hiding her face. "And now… you hate how easy killing has gotten for you?"
There's no verbal response at first, but Hirona's shrug followed very quickly by a nod says enough. "I broke you out for your shooting skills, not to psychoanalyze me," she finally replies, still keeping her head down, her voice cracking a little.
"I thought it was for an autograph?" Nagant chuckles at the tiny groan that escapes Hirona, the younger girl wiping her eyes. "I told you when we first met that I saw a lot of blood on you. And I meant more than the bit that stained that pretty cape you like to wear. But that's not all I saw." She straightens, walking back around the desk. "I saw myself."
The sniper can barely contain her snort when she looks up to see Hirona's mouth gaping like a fish. "M-me? Wait you mean-" Nagant can't stop her laugh when the teen looks behind her, before whipping back around. "Me?!"
"You reminded me a lot of myself at that age." Nagant keeps her eyes focused on the different student files, setting a few of them aside. "And I took a chance, figuring you wanted the same thing I did back then." She pauses. "A way out. Or maybe just someone who genuinely gave a damn about me. I wouldn't be effective out there if I knew I left some little girl to suffer the same way I did."
After Hirona doesn't say anything for a long while, Nagant peers up, setting the last of the files to the side to see the young woman doing everything in her power to keep herself rooted in place. Truth be told, Hirona wants nothing more than to run over to Nagant and hug her.
Instead, Hirona exhales, trying to keep herself at least a little professional. But she still offers Nagant a genuine, "thank you."
Before they can continue, Kurogiri reappears before them, holding out a hot mug of tea to Hirona, which she gladly takes. "What's that?" Nagant arches her eyebrow slightly as the teen takes a big whiff of the beverage.
"The only reason I could keep going before you came." Hirona takes a small sip, exhaling in relief. "Kurogiri always gave me tea to calm down after All for One scolded me, or after a brutal training session."
Nagant glanced at the Nomu for an explanation. "That doesn't sound like something your master would order you to do?"
"He did not," Kurogiri confirms. "But I was tasked with looking after Shigaraki's well being, and I felt this was well within the parameters." Nagant continues to stare, waiting for him to elaborate. "It is much in the same vein that a person would tend to an injured animal or, as I see it, offering a stray cat something to drink."
"So, a pet?" Nagant looks back at Hirona greedily drinking her tea, before turning back to Kurogiri. "Does that mean you'd let me spray her with water when she misbehaves?"
"I heard that!!"
"Certainly," Kurogiri's answer is near immediate. "Might I suggest you use something with strong pressure? Shigaraki may be able to use her quirk to block if-"
"HEY!" Hirona waves in front of both of them. "You guys can't just-"
"Hush now, kiddo. Adults are talking," Nagant shushes her. "Jeez. You don't have any tea blends that would help us now?"
"I do," Kurogiri surprises them. "Through trial and error, I have found several teas that are effective at calming Shigaraki depending on her current state. Whether it be depression or hysteria-"
"I NEVER GET HYSTERICAL YOU CRINGE CLOUD!!"
"Obviously." Nagant rolls her eyes fondly, reaching over to pick up Aoyama's file. "Seems like you're feeling better. So, tell me. Based on our last conversation," she holds the stack of papers up, "what are we doing about this?"
Hirona, despite just screaming, sobers up quickly, and plucks the papers from Nagant, looking down at them. "What do you think?" She tosses the papers down. "I can't use him now that I know he's being forced into this. If I did, I'd be no better than All for One. We'll have to find some other way to the camp." She looks over the other files Nagant had separated. "What about Kraven? Was he able to track their buses?"
"He was," Nagant grimaces. "According to him, it's as if they straight up vanished. And that's coming from one of the best hunters in the world."
"…shit. Everything rides on getting to those kids at their camp." Hirona snarls a bit at Izuku Midoriya's file. "How are we supposed to find them now? Break into the school? And why did you pull these files out?"
"One at a time." Nagant places Midoriya's file back with the others. "These are for Kraven. I took out the file for each kid I remember seeing at Hosu. He's still obsessed with finding whichever one beat 'The Butcher.' As for finding the camp. We do have one other option." Hirona narrows her eyes as Nagant reaches into her pocket and pulls out a business card.
He holds out a business card, which Nagant swipes after a moment. "When you require help getting to the kids' training camp, call me."
"We have a person on the inside to give us the location, and Kurogiri can teleport us anywhere on the planet, we don't need your help."
Loki puts on the hat and turns away. "Again, when you need my help getting there, call me."
"Of course," Hirona sighs, before taking the card.
"Y-y-you know?"
Shota maintains his serious expression as he stares directly at a trembling and clearly terrified Aoyama. Shortly after releasing the kids to their new day of training, they had separated Aoyama and brought him back to one of the station's security offices, relieving him of his cell phone in the process.
It had been a whirlwind of a night and morning to say the least. And for once, Shota was far from the only adult who barely got any sleep last night. Whether it was discussing what to do about the Aoyama situation in a security meeting or having to deal with his problem children either going out of bounds for a date or fighting after hours. And as if he hasn't been punished enough, both Midoriya and Bakugo have new ways to blow themselves or their classmates up at their disposal.
Fantastic.
Detention will just be the start of the consequences for them, along with remedial classes starting tonight, but that's all for later. As much as Shota wanted to drill into the pair the stupidity of their actions this morning when they were wrapped up in his scarf, or be out there right now to make sure Bakugo didn't destroy the station with his new evolved quirk, he has more pressing needs that require him.
And he'll be damned if he wasn't here with Aoyama during this interview. And he means that. Interview. Not interrogation. It's the only way they're going to make any headway here.
In the dark room is Shota, standing arms crossed across from his student, who sits alone in a metal chair. Behind Aoyama, both Cosmo and Mantis sit patiently, while Rocket types on a computer connecting him to Earth. They couldn't all be there as some of them still had to chaperone at least some of the students, and they felt this would overwhelm the boy less.
Speaking of Aoyama, he coughs. "O-oh. Excusez-moi. I mean, I'm sorry, sensei? I-I don't know what you're talking about? Who's, um, speaking to villains?" Well, turns out there are worse liars than Midoriya.
"I can read minds, comrade." Cosmo speaks up. "There's no use in trying to hide it."
"I can unfortunately confirm that." Shota says dryly, never taking his eyes off the boy in front of him, studying his features, curious how he'll respond to all of this. Shota would like to say this is the first time he's seen a child pressured by their parents into villainous activities, but then he'd be the one lying. And though no other scenario has been quite like this, it should've still been preventable.
Grabbing onto his hero suit tightly to release his anger somehow, Shota does everything he can to keep his face neutral. Because he's mad. Mad that he, someone who prides himself on being observant of those around him, had missed this. He's angry at the madman forcing the kid into this situation and again, he's furious at himself for not being trusted enough for Aoyama to come to him about this.
The blond's head whips up, sweat and tears pouring down his face, his eyes darting around the room. "Don't," Shota warns. "You won't make it."
"M-my," Aoyama whimpers, "my parents…if I don't answer when they call, my parents will- will be…"
He jumps when Mantis places a hand on his shoulder. "You are…scared," she says as her antennae begin to glow. Shota bites back a sarcastic comment about how obvious that is. "But not of us. You are also concerned. For your parents. You are scared what will happen to them." Mantis opens her eyes and gives the terrified boy a gentle smile. "It will be okay. Don't worry. Be calm." Immediately, Aoyama exhales, his breathing returning to normal and the tears stopping.
"Yeah, don't worry about it, kid. Cosmo told us all about your situation before we brought you in." Rocket hits one last key on the keyboard, leaning back. "We already thought about your parents. And they're going to be taken care of in three…two…one…" the computer dings. "Now."
Piotr nods at his phone, shifting in the front seat of the car to put the device away. "Our companions…up north… have been informed we collected the boy's parents," Colossus informs Midnight as she drives erratically down the road, blowing him a kiss in thanks. He catches it and puts it to his chest, smiling in gratitude before turning around to face the backseat. "And thank you for being so cooperative during this process."
Neither Mr. or Mrs. Aoyama seem very pleased with their current situation, the pair squeezed into the back of the small car with only what they could carry. "You didn't exactly give us a choice…" the husband mumbles, keeping a tight hold of his wife as the car veers wildly to the right.
"Oh, you had a choice alright!" Midnight plants the horn, swerving around a slow moving vehicle. "Out of the way!! Official hero business!" She shrugs at Piotr's disappointed look. "What? Student drivers have to learn somehow!" She peers behind her. "And like I said, you had a choice! Either come with us peacefully, or I knock you out with my quirk and we drag you back!"
"For the record, we would carry you to avoid as much bodily injury as possible," Colossus delicately amends. He looks back at the road. "Sweetheart. There is an entrance to the Tomei Freeway coming up, you can take it as a direct route back to UA."
"Too exposed," Midnight responds, biting her tongue as she makes her way through traffic. "We don't know if they were being watched or not, they could take a shot at us once we are in the open."
"Sound reasoning. However, as we get closer to UA, the villains may become desperate and attempt to kill us all in these densely populated streets." The Aoyamas grow paler with every word. "The highway may be safer overall."
"Compromise. We travel over half way down the smaller roads and then get on the highway for the last third of our way there?" Midnight asks.
Colossus thinks it over before smiling. "Perfect. I love you, darling."
"I love you too, baby," Midnight smiles back. "It feels so great to be so open like this with you! Why do we pretend you don't recognize me in my hero costume again?"
"I believe you said something about 'loving the thrill of being the other woman.'"
"Damn, you're right."
A police siren sounds behind them, blaring their lights. "Piotr, dear. Could you please call the police station and let them know of our situation?" Midnight asks sweetly. "My phone is in my lap. Don't be afraid to let your fingers…wander…as you grab it."
"Yes, dear," Piotr nods, carefully picking her phone up, his fingers brushing up against her upper thigh, causing the hero to shiver and bite her lower lip. "I swear, as soon as we're sure that the family is safe, I'm gonna have you turn my mouth into a da-"
"Yes, detective, hello!" Piotr greets over the phone, his voice a bit higher than normal.
"S-so my parents are okay?…" Aoyama asks hesitantly.
"Well, I mean, depends on your definition of okay-" Mantis shoots Rocket a glare. Her hand still on the teen's shoulder. The raccoon sighs. "Yeah, kid. They might be a bit shaken up by the time we get them into protective custody, but your folks are alright."
"Can I talk to them?"
"You can once we're done here." Shota brings his student's attention back to him. "But first, we need to be the ones to talk."
Aoyama still refuses to look at him. "Just say it, sensei. Please don't beat around the bush. Appelons un chat un chat. I am expelled, no?"
If that's the first thing the kid's mind goes to when it's time to talk to his teacher, Shota thinks he solved the mystery about why he didn't come to him. "That's not what we are going to talk about." He pulls up a chair and sits, pretending not to notice Aoyama's shocked look. "I want to hear what this experience has been like. Not from a secondary source. From you. And after," Aoyama winces. "We can figure out how to help you."
Aoyama's mouth drops. "You're not mad?"
"I didn't say that." The blond's mouth clicks shut. "But we're going to approach this rationally." Shota pulls a voice recorder and places it on the table next to them. "When you're ready, let's have a talk about your powers."
"You'll really be able to fly?" Yaomomo asks excitedly. Kyoka backs up a bit as the heiress gets in her face, her cheeks getting warm as she lets out a little 'eep!' "Oh, I'm sorry. I completely invaded your space there!"
"No, no, you're fine!" Kyoka reassured her. "I just didn't expect you to be so excited!" The pair stand alone in one of the larger rooms of Rocket's warehouse, the Guardian having left them alone to attend to something important. Yaomomo was to keep practicing making her alien tech while Kyoka was supposed to keep practicing with her gauntlets, but a break couldn't hurt.
The two are in front of a large workbench filled with parts Yaomomo had already created. A large bin of high-calorie food rested next to the vice-rep of 1-A as she worked, and Kyoka looked over the things she made. "But yeah, Rocket says he wants to make a version of my gauntlets to put on my legs to replace my speakers. And he says with enough practice, I should be able to control the air I fire from them well enough to fly."
"That's amazing, Jiro," Yaomomo smiles at her, lifting her arm to produce the next set of whatever tech she's working with. "And again, I apologize for my demeanor just now. It just feels as if things are changing so quickly that the limits I feel we used to have are quickly diminishing. And I look forward to seeing what you are all capable of."
"Heh." Kyoka compared the gauntlet on her arm to another on the table. "No matter what it is, I bet it still won't compare to what you can do."
"Nonsense!"
The punk girl jumps at the harshness in Yaomomo's voice, looking up in slight fear at her friend glowering down at her. "Well, yeah. Because-"
"I won't hear it, Kyoka." Her ears burn at hearing Yaomomo use her given name without being prompted. "I understand that self-deprecating humor is common, or as Shimura put it, the 'meta' of comedy, but every now and then, I feel like I must speak my mind. Perhaps my starting line began before you, but you are more than able to catch up. And have proven so numerous times."
"When-"
"Who helped Shimura and I survive at the USJ?"
"That's-"
"What about who assisted the class in capturing several teachers during the final exams? Who was key in finding trapped civilians during the night of the Hosu attack? Or who was instrumental in protecting Hatsume during the incident at I-island?" Yaomomo's face becomes a bit more playful. "As well, who exposed several of Midoriya's pranks with her quirk at school?"
"Okay, okay! I get it! No more compliments!" Kyoka wraps her ear-cords around her head, covering herself as if that would protect her from Yaomomo's onslaught of positivity. "Maybe I'm not as much of a lost cause as I joke about…"
"Most certainly not. And that is mostly before you received any kind of new tech." Yaomomo smirks. "Do you now see why I am excited to see what else you'll be able to accomplish?"
"I do…and thanks." Kyoka smiles back. They two go back to looking through the spare parts, but then Kyoka can't stop herself. "You called me Kyoka, you know. Just now." The purple-haired teen snickers as Yaomomo gasps.
"I did, didn't I?! It appears I am also more capable than I realized," she giggles.
"Not just that, you're also just… real about everything." Yaomomo tilts her head in confusion at Kyoka's words, and she doesn't blame her. Sometimes this whole talking thing can be complicated. "I mean, you've never been afraid to speak your mind. Or tell people how you feel or point out someone's mistakes. But never in a jerkish way!…mostly. It usually comes off as you want to help them. And trust me, take it from someone who can hear everything people mumble under their breath," she taps her ear, "it's nice to be around someone who will just say what they're thinking to your face. So thanks."
"Wow…" Kyoka looks up, seeing Yaomomo's cheeks a bit flushed. Not surprising, she's been using her quirk a lot since they got in here. "Well, thank you. Sincerely, thank you. I often worry how my criticisms or manner of speaking will sound to you and my peers, so what you've said is very reassuring. I am glad that I don't come off as a jerk…mostly."
Kyoka winces, but Yaomomo seems to be playing, so she takes it as such. "Okay, it was only in the beginning of the year, but when you were criticizing everyone during the battle trials, it was a little…"
"Snobbish?"
"That's not what I was going to say!"
"Regardless," Yaomomo chuckles. "I'm happy that's behind us now." She creates another piece of tech. "Speaking of behind us, how are the earmuffs I made you in the beginning of year holding up? I've gained a lot more experience since and could probably make you a more advanced pair."
"No, that's fine! They've been great," Kyoka reassures her, staring at Yaomomo's arm as it glows once again. "But talking about your quirk, that reminds me. You can pretty much make anything, yeah? I've always wanted to know what combination of quirks makes that? I-if you don't mind me asking about your parents?"
"It's alright," Yaomomo replies, putting her next creation down carefully. "As for my parents, while we're being open and honest, my father passed away when I was very young. And my mother is usually a bit… apprehensive to speak about him. So, I never learned what his quirk was."
"I'm sorry," Kyoka whispers sadly.
"No, it's alright. My mother did her best to raise me. Well, her and the staff at our home. But to answer your question, she has a kind of creation quirk as well. Although, she can only make one thing."
"What's that?"
"Oh, it's-"
"Heyo!!" The doors to the room slide open, revealing Peter with Midoriya and Todoroki behind him. "How's it going, girls? Working hard or hardly working?"
"Sorry, sensei!" Yaomomo bows. "I distracted Kyoka from doing what she was tasked-"
"Wooooah! Kidding, I was kidding. Let's- can you not-" he leans over, prompting Yaomomo to straighten. "Yeah, we don't do that here. Sorry if that disrespects your culture or…heritage?" He looks around in confusion. "Actually, if we're being honest, I kind of always thought those were the same thing, so I'm not sure if… point is!" He claps. "I don't care if you guys need a break from training. Just don't let your teacher catch you because I will not be covering for you."
"What if I were to agree to the extra dance lessons you were offering on the way here?" Todoroki asks. Kyoka's eyes widen when she spots a headphone cord coming out from under his hair.
"…I might cover for you."
"Understood, sensei," Yaomomo recovers and takes over, since Midoriya seemed to be too busy laughing against a wall. "How can we help you?"
"We're spread a bit thin today. Mind if he spends some time with you?" Peter angles his head toward Todoroki. "I have to make sure this little green-haired thief gets to where he's supposed to be since someone has a tendency to wander out of bounds!"
"It's only happened twice!"
"You've only been here a day!" Peter groans. "And if you're not doing that, you keep stealing my stuff!"
"It was only your gun!…and your other gun… and that arrow you keep on you… and your wallet… also your skittles-"
"Yeah, all that!"
"But Rocket said it's okay to steal from you!" Midoriya retorts in defense. "He said he'd give me a reward depending on how much I could get!"
"That little-" Peter sighs. "Nevermind. I'll have my raccoon barbecue later. No time. Hey, kid. Let me check out your gauntlets real quick." Kyoka is taken aback for a second but obliges, walking over to let Peter look between it and one of his guns as Todoroki listens in.
Meanwhile, Midoriya skips over to the table to peer at the random assortment of objects on top of it. "You made all of this? I don't even recognize where some of this is from." He picks up a gold and red helmet, moving it around to get a good look, before something else catches his eye.
"Wow, Mysterium." He picks up a chunk of rock giving off a dark blue hue. "Super rare, but it negates magical properties. Guess I shouldn't be surprised the Guardians have this too, it's what Ultron used to capture me." He lobs over the rock to Momo, who catches it. "I'd focus on that. Never know if we'll come across a bad magic-user." His face lights up. "In fact! If you can really master it, you could even mix and match Mysterium with other metals to create weapons that will just negate magic and-"
"I like where you're going," Momo smiles, laughing a little. Kendo was right. Midoriya really can give off those little brother vibes sometimes. "But I think I should focus on just learning the basics to start." She raises a playful eyebrow. "And you seem eager for me to learn something I could use against you in our prank war."
His smile drops. "I- um…you know, I think we're gonna have to have another meeting about what counts as a war crime."
She laughs a bit harder, waving him off. "Anyway, there's not much else I'd call glamorous. Just spare parts that were laying around and a few pieces that we were able to borrow from the Collector's museum. But to be honest, the tablet I was given only gives me the molecular makeup of the objects in question. I wish I could know more."
"I see…" Midoriya picks up what looks like a fancy looking baton that had seen better days and attempts to turn it on. The tip sparks and glows for a moment before shutting back down. Midoriya continues to stare, as if he knows what it is but just can't place it. "Oh, sorry! Got lost in my head for a second! You said you wanted to know more about this stuff, yeah?"
To her surprise, he conjures a large bin of books and drops it on the table. "Sorry, I like to keep all of these together! But I should have something in here that'll tell you where most of this stuff is from." He begins to search through the pile, carefully removing books while looking for the one she wanted.
Curiosity overtaking her, Momo flips over a few of the books, examining the covers. "You have some interesting books here, even if I have never heard of any of them." She picks up a couple of more. "The Sons of Yoren and The Zartan Contingent. Hmm."
"Great books. Underappreciated author!"
"I see." A small orange book off to the side catches her attention. Momo reaches out for it but then-
"Here it is!" She makes a tiny oof! as Midoriya places a thick encyclopedia into her arms. "Should answer most of the questions you have about this stuff!"
"Thank you, uh, Midoriya," Momo quickly says, dropping the heavy book onto the table. The verdant nods, vanishing the rest of his books away. As he does, she sees one of the relics Rocket had her trying to recreate. And while she hadn't quite figured out how for this particular object, she thought that given what Midoriya had told them about himself, he might appreciate seeing it.
"Midoriya." He hums, glancing up as she holds an old, softly glowing sword out to him. "I think you might like this."
He takes the weapon, eyeing it carefully. "Wow, you weren't kidding. This is really comfortable in my palm." He looks closer at the hilt and snorts. "Its name is Laevateinn. Means 'damaged twig.'" She doesn't answer. "Yaomomo?" He puts the sword down to find her staring at him in wonder. "What is it?"
Is this an illusion? A prank? No, that can't be. Midoriya has explained the triggers for his powers in great detail, along with her own analysis. This can't be an illusion.
"You're… you're blue!"
"I mean, okay you got me. I haven't been in the best mood since we got back from I-Island, but I talked with Ochako last night and-"
"No, I mean literally. Your skin." Momo creates a mirror and shoves it in his face. "You. Are. Blue!"
His now red eyes narrow for a second before bulging to the size of dinner plates. There's a flash of something in his eyes. Deep down Momo knows what it is, but she doesn't even want to consider it. Because it can't be true. Not from someone who faced down Shigaraki, the God Butcher, and Ultron with nothing but a smirk on his face. But as Midoriya checks his reflection and lets out an undignified eep!, he disappears in a bright green light, the sword clattering to the ground in his absence.
Momo must've been seeing things. Because it couldn't be fear she saw, could it?
"What happened?" Peter walks back up with Kyoka and Todoroki. "Where's the kid?"
"I am not sure?" Momo answers honestly, letting the confusion on her face show. "When he revealed to us his secret, he told us that he is of Frost Giant descent." She picks up the sword. "I thought he might enjoy seeing a relic of his people."
"Weird…" Peter gazes around the room. "I'll go find him and get him to his training site. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Don't sweat it, kid." He fires her finger guns. Momo nods, still not entirely convinced, but she hopes he's right. Peter checks his belongings. "At least he didn't take anything this time…" he grumbles, walking away. "Stay with the girls, Todoroki! I'll talk to Rocket about not having the parts we need to make you your own set of guns!"
"Oh, sensei!" Momo gets his attention. "I have been training on doing just that! I can make anything you need to assist Todoroki!"
A giant grin takes over Peter's face. "That's what I'm talking about!! Oh, we're gonna have a lot to talk about when I get back! Be good, Todoroki! And try not to use any of the lessons I just taught you!" He winks and leaves the three teens alone in bewilderment.
"New lessons?" Kyoka asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." Todoroki flips through his notebook. "We had wanted to come here yesterday, but when we were unable to, Mr. Qu-" he clears his throat. "Peter gave me what he called extracurricular studies in both dance and what I thought would be some sort of magic, but it turns out the name 'pelvic sorcery' was very misleading."
Both girls blink, looking at each other in confusion. Not knowing, or better yet, not wanting to touch whatever the second thing is, Kyoka asks, "he gave you dance lessons, why?"
"His initial reasons were, as he put it, to keep me loose and use dance as a possible distraction." As an example, Todoroki begins to slowly sway his hips around as he had been shown while flipping to the next page in his notebook. "I can see what he means about keeping me loose; I had not realized how rigid I am before the lesson. Though I am still unsure how this could be used as a distraction. Did either of you have any theories?"
Silence.
He looks up. "Hello?"
"Hm? Oh! Yes! Distraction! Right!" Momo coughs into her hand while Kyoka jumps, unwrapping one of her hands from her cables, an action she hadn't even realized she was doing. Seriously, is there something wrong with the AC in here, why does she keep feeling so warm? "No, I'm afraid I'm not certain what he could've meant by that either. Um, Kyoka?"
"Y-yeah, sorry dude," she shrugs. To distract herself whatever the heck that was, she changes the subject and fast. "Hey man, never seen you rocking headphones before? Whatcha listening to?"
"Ah, I could show you." He takes out his headphone but stops, looking uncertain. "Actually, how do we-"
"I got you." Originally, Kyoka steps up to Todoroki's left side, but it's too warm for her so she moves around to his right, feeling much better and cooler. "Cool if I plug in?" When he doesn't answer, Kyoka looks up and realizes while she had been moving onto Todoroki's right, Momo had stepped up to his left, looking as comfortable as she did. "Todoroki?"
His eyes went the widest she'd ever seen, and he shakes his head. "Yes. I- yes, of course. Apologies," he says while looking between them.
She nods and creates a connection between her phone and the music player, hitting play and letting music fill the air.
To go from the attack on I-Island to learning about aliens and space to the intense training of the camp had taken much more of a toll than either Kyoka or Momo were willing to admit, but if the music helped them all forget about all of that, even for a few minutes, none of them minded. And if both girls subconsciously moved closer to Todoroki as the music played, causing him to tense up before becoming more relaxed as he watched both of them close their eyes and enjoy the song, he didn't mind either.
"I had not realized I would be required to attend a parent-teacher conference while I was here."
Shota grunts, crossing his arms as he moves to stand next to the hologram of Thor. After his talk with Aoyama, it was clear the kid needed some time to gather himself, so Shota left to allow him to do so, as well as give himself time to think.
The pair watches as Dr. Strange directs Bakugo and Kaminari in training in an open area, music playing as usual from the speakers around them. They thought it best to keep the two separate due to the…volatility of their powers. "Believe me, talking to parents is the last thing I want. They can think so irrationally when it comes to their children. It is infuriating."
"Speaking from experience?" Thor tilts his head, giving the stoic hero a knowing look. Shota glares. "Come now. Denki tells me of how you treat Eri, and if his stories are even half to be believed, she would be fit to be a princess of Asgard."
"Just don't tell her that," Shota replies before he can stop himself. "She already has the entire staff wrapped around her finger, and she knows it. We don't need her gaining an entire kingdom."
"Ah, I believe she would make for a mighty Queen of Asgard. Just with her subjects but ferocious on the battlefield. A natural born conqueror." Shota grunts again. He doesn't want to say he agrees out loud, but yeah, he agrees. Thor clicks his tongue. "As much fun as this is to dream up, however," his voice lowers, "I doubt you sought me out for pleasantries."
Shota doesn't answer for a few seconds. "No, I didn't."
Thor keeps his eyes on the kids. "I met the parents of the Aoyama boy at the school and ensured their safety, as requested."
"Thanks." Shota shifts his capture weapon, not feeling comfortable no matter which he laid it over him today. "In Asgard, what is the usual punishment for traitors?"
The God of Thunder seems surprised at the question, but responds anyway. "Death. Or banishment at the very least."
Shota nods at the expected answer. "Then why did neither happen to your gatekeeper after helping my kids at I-Island?"
The God is silent for a bit, pondering what to say. "I cannot pretend to speak for Odin, but I would like to believe it is because he has witnessed first hand that no matter what decisions he had made that day, when the battles erupted, when death was all but certain, Heimdall still always moved to save those around him."
This time, Shota chooses to remain silent in thought.
The door to their area bangs open, and Midoriya slips in, shutting it quickly behind him as he leans against the entryway, gasping for air. While Shota's analytical skills have taken a hit recently, if he has to guess, it looks as if the kid has seen a ghost.
"Yo, Izuku!" Kaminari waves, jogging over with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?"
The green-haired boy nods, looking around, nervous. "Do you mind if I train here for a while? I just wanna avoid Yaomomo for a bit." Shota can tell Kaminari wants to ask why badly, but he restrains himself. His cousin will probably tell him later anyway.
"Uh, sir, can Izuku-"
"Yes," Strange answers, slightly annoyed. "Peter was bringing him here anyway to work on his energy blasts. Now get started."
"Yes, sensei!"
Bakugo runs through a small obstacle course while Strange calls out random appendages. "Right hand. Left foot. Left elbow. Left middle finger. Right-" With each new body part, Bakugo created a mini explosion from the area to test the limits of his new expanded powers. Not that this is how he wanted to test it.
"I already know I can make explosions from my hands and feet!! Let me try something bigger you overrated party clown-" The blond howls in pain as he loses both his temper and control, firing an explosion through his left eye and falling.
Shota has already taken three steps to his student, before Strange raises his hand. "He's fine. See?" And while Eraserhead's stomach lurches when Bakugo sits up, a hole in his eye socket, he can see in real time as the teen heals. "Regeneration. Comes with his new abilities," Strange explains. "Be warned, kid. The bigger the explosion, the longer it'll take to heal."
"Wait!" Midoriya appears from seemingly nowhere behind the Avenger. "You said Kacchan can now blow up any part of him?" Strange nods hesitantly. "But does it have to be technically attached to him?" Both Shota and Strange's faces sour at the same time.
"Technically not," Strange answers.
"Awesome! Kacchan! Let's cut off one of your fingers and throw it to see what happens!!"
Leave it to analyzing quirks and the need to shiv his classmates to make Midoriya feel better.
"Wanna run that by me again, Deku?!!"
A sigh. "No, Midoriya."
"But you just said he has regeneration!!" The green-haired menace whines.
"Get back to mastering your energy blasts. Now."
"Fine! But I think I'm getting close after my progress this morning!" Midoriya lifts up his left arm, bracing it with his right as he aims at a dummy. Shota won't lie and say he isn't the least bit concerned when the kid's palm begins to glow green, getting brighter and brighter until-
Boom!!
A massive explosion of green power erupts from Midoriya's hand, sending the demigod careening into a nearby wall. The dummy is untouched. Nearby, Kaminari nearly falls over himself laughing. "H-hey, Izuku! Looks like you finally figured out how to fly!! Hahaha!"
"Shut it before I throw one of Kacchan's toes at you!"
"STOP TRYING TO CUT ME INTO PIECES!!"
Thor smiles sweetly at the interaction as Shota returns to his side. "It seems they are all doing better. Especially Izuku. The boy looked like he had seen a ghost when he first arrived." He cups his hands over his mouth. "Izuku! My son requires your assistance in applying his power, and he would love your help!"
Kaminari freezes. "Wait- what-"
"What is it?! Oh, oh!! Please tell me, I wanna help!" Midoriya practically teleports in front of Kaminari, notebook in hand.
"Umm…" Denki rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. "Okay, so you know how I can, like, throw lightning around?"
"I've seen you do it once or twice."
Kaminari snorts, already looking more comfortable. "Well, I was talking with Mr. Strange and-"
"Doctor."
"Dr. Strange and I figured out I can use my lightning because I can control the weather somewhat, which we knew, but it's also because on some level, I manipulate electricity! And that's when I remembered!" Bolts of lightning run up and down the blond's body. "I had already been doing that whenever I supercharged my body! So if I can do that, maybe I can do other cool stuff too!"
"Holy woah, that's amazing, Denki!!" Midoriya exclaims, his hand already blurring across the pages of his notebook.
"Yeah, check some of this out!" Like Midoriya before him, Kaminari aims his palm at a sheet of metal on the ground and zaps it with a bolt of electricity. But instead of it being quick like usual, Kaminari keeps the electricity active and grunts in concentration as, to their shock, the metal sheet begins to rise off the ground on its own.
"You can move matter with electricity, no way!!" At this point, Midoriya doesn't seem to know what to do with his hands, he just keeps grabbing his head and letting go.
"Y-yeah," Kaminari pants. "Metal is supposed to be… the easiest…but still getting the hang of it." He breathes in deeply before exhaling and producing a small field of electricity around himself. "Okay, throw a knife at me!"
For the first time, Strange looks alarmed. "Wait, kid, we haven't practiced-"
"Okay!" Midoriya more than happily whisks a throwing knife at his cousin. Shota isn't the only one to sign in relief when the electrical field stops the knife short, caught floating in mid-air.
"It worked!" Kaminari cheers, letting the field drop and gathering up the electricity into his hand. "I hope you saw that, sensei, because I'm not sure I could do that again!"
Midoriya conjures another blade. "I could throw another knife at you and we could find out!"
"Or I can throw something at you!" With sweat starting to pour down his face, Kaminari focuses on his hand as the electricity gathered there expands and begins to take shape.
"Oh, I get it!" Conjuring a jug of water, Midoriya cuts it open and freezes the water, also forcing it to take shape. "You can make constructs like I can with my ice but with electricity!" To demonstrate, Midoriya forms a circular shield with his ice.
"Yup!" Kaminari mirrors the verdant, creating an electrical disk and reeling his arm back. Midoriya doesn't need any more invitation, before the pair chuck their creations at one another, the two disks exploding when they collide and blowing both boys back. Not that they seem to mind through their laughter.
"Feeling better?" Kaminari sits up.
"Yeah, thanks. I needed that." Midoriya sits up as well, still giggling a little. "Just not sure when I'll be able to face Yaomomo again."
"I'll back you up, but I'm gonna need the explanation at some point bro."
"I know, I know, I'll tell you later. I promise." The demigod flops back onto the ground. "But your powers! That was amazing!!" Midoriya compliments. "I'm here to help you however I can!"
"Good, you can start paying me back for all those training sessions with your scepter," Kaminari replies cheekily. Midoriya makes a 'blah-blah' motion with his hand. "And I'll honor your help by kicking you butt at next year's Sports Festival too."
"…If you think I'm above spending an entire year sabotaging you-"
"HA!!" Both boys are surprised when Bakugo stomps up to them. "All that's gonna happen next year is one of you assholes begging Midnight to end the fight against me!"
The explosion user bares his teeth when the pair of demigods laugh at him. "Yeah, not happening, Kacchan!"
"Right? You haven't even beat Izuku in a fight yet!"
"Hey!!"
"Like hell I haven't, I won last night!"
Midoriya's laughter is cut off. "What?! No, you didn't! That fight didn't end!"
"Doesn't mean I didn't win," Bakugo counters. "You didn't want to let your anger out, but I made you anyway! So, I won!" He stomps his foot on the ground, letting off a small explosion in finality for his victory.
"…You know he's got a point." Kaminari shrugs.
"No, he doesn't! That's not how fights work!"
"It isn't?" Even to Shota, Bakugo's voice is eerie when it's calm. "So if you made me say something nice about you or your little group of nerds, you wouldn't count that as a win?"
Midoriya's mouth opens and shuts over and over, no sound escaping him while Kaminari dies of laughter on the ground next to him.
Shota raises an eyebrow. Something seems… different. Bakugo is still antagonistic towards the others but not in the usual harmful way. Just when he thinks he's done being surprised. Instead of focusing on that, he eyes Thor. "I saw what you did there." The god hums. "You somehow made Midoriya forget about wanting to cut off Bakugo's toes."
"Yes, while difficult, the boy is not impossible to control."
"I suppose if anyone would know, it would be his uncle. How do you handle him?" Shota asks, curious.
Thor puts a hand to his chin. "In my years of experience, I have found three methods to my nephew. But first, a warning. To control a trickster is like wrestling a river. Even when you believe you have won, all it takes is losing your footing for a moment to find yourself drowning."
Shota nods, allowing Thor to continue. "You have witnessed my first method. Giving Izuku a task to complete, to occupy his mind. In this case, it was helping Denki train. I find having him discuss heroes is effective as well. He loves hearing about the personal experiences. For me, it was especially the stories of me working with Captain America."
He makes a two with his fingers. "The second is redirecting the river that is Izuku. Redirect him to another target and beg them for forgiveness later. Be wary as this can backfire easily to him targeting the both of you."
"…Mic's gonna hate me when we get back. And the last one?"
"Untested. Until now that is. Izuku!" Thor beckons his nephew over. "May I speak to you for a moment."
The teen jogs over. "Yes, Uncle?"
"I just realized that we haven't gotten the chance to talk about your new girlfriend yet. How goes your relationship?"
Midoriya gains a dreamy expression. "Ochako is great! She's helped me in ways I could never thank her enough for, I've never been happier!"
"Wonderful! So, when will the two of you wed?"
Midoriya immediately breaks from his previously dreamy expression, going into panic, his face exploding into neon red. "W-w-w-what?! Wed? Like marry?! W-we can't!! We just got together and- and we haven't even said we love each other yet!"
"Yet? So you do love her?"
"I-I-I-I- well, that's you know, something I'd have to- you know with her- and then we'd- you know but there's- um, like-"
As the boy descends into a frantic mumble storm, Shota snaps his fingers in front of him but gets nothing. "Seems… effective."
"Yes, but use it sparingly. I know not how long this method will remain active."
"…I think I'll just stick to the second, thanks."
"I guess that's how we get there…" Hirona gulps as she and Nagant watch the biggest spaceship they'd ever seen land on I-Island, creating powerful gusts of winds that roughly blow against their clothes. A pair of doors on the side of the craft slide open to reveal a grinning Loki, who gestures for them to come aboard.
"You get the rest of the team. I'll have Garaki corral the Nomu. Loki said he has schematics for the station, so we'll make a plan on the way there." Hirona says much more confidently while taking charge, causing Nagant to smile proudly behind her.
"Anything else?"
"Nope," Hirona shakes her head, unable to keep her excitement out of her voice. "Just can't wait to introduce you all to my little brother."