Chapter 13
"Once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."
- Haruku Murakami
Musutafu, Japan - April 2197
Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, and Uraraka comfortably lounged back in their respective seats in the limousine as the former kindly served her friends glasses of chilled, distilled mineral water, an expensive brand not available in stores.
"Even the water is fancy," Uraraka muttered.
"Only the best from our Yaomomo," Midoriya lightheartedly added.
Yaoyorozu blushed slightly. It was only water from a private mountain spring enhanced with minerals. Everyone had access to that, right?
Glancing at the time on her watch, she noted the time at 20:20 (8:20 PM). Her driver chauffeur had informed them earlier it would take roughly half-an-hour to arrive at Endor Apartments. For Yaoyorozu, that was preferable as it would give her some time to converse with her two best friends.
She knew they needed to discuss what had happened, but how could she broach the topic without sounding insensitive or intrusive?
However, much to the creation heiress's relief, a certain verdette soldier had spoken up first. "So…the USJ…"
Uraraka frowned and lowered her head, both hands on her glass. "Y-yeah…that really happened… didn't it?"
For a moment, the limousine went silent with only the sound of classical music playing on low in the background.
"Yes…it was…" Yaoyorozu managed to say. "I'm at a loss for words. Perhaps the shock hasn't worn off yet?"
Midoriya placed his glass down in a cup holder. "After an experience like that, it's not uncommon for the full weight to hit you later. Usually, time is needed to process everything."
Both ladies looked at each other briefly before turning to him curiously.
"You sound like you speak from experience, Midori-kun." Yaoyorozu pointed out.
Midoriya's mouth morphed to a thin frown and lowered his gaze to the carpet floor.
Uraraka looked at her friend closely and could tell that something was weighing heavily on him. It was like he wanted to tell them something but wasn't sure if he should. She then recalled the moments where Midoriya had taken charge of the battle, and how effortless he made it look. It made her wonder something.
"Hey, Midori-kun," Uraraka's tone was soft, "today…wasn't your first-time fighting Villains…was it?"
Midoriya lifted his head up and, after a moment's consideration, replied, "No. It wasn't."
"I-I see." The brunette said. 'Guess that's why he seems to be handling everything well.'
'That's not surprising, considering the combat skills and the battlefield awareness he displayed today.' Yaoyorozu rationalized. "It was during your time in the American military." She stated rather than questioned.
"Yeah." He nodded.
Wanting to lighten the tension, Uraraka smiled brightly. "Well, we knew you were skilled and all, but you sure acted like a Pro Hero back there, Midori-kun." She chirped. "You could probably go Pro now if you want."
Yaoyorozu didn't miss how Midoriya's expression faltered slightly at that comment.
"Uh… I'm flattered by that, Uraraka-chan. But I still believe there's more I can afford to learn before I could call myself a full-fledged Pro," he rubbed his neck sheepishly.
The heiress looked at the verdette closely and decided to ask him something that had been on her mind for a while. "Midori-kun, if it's not too personal, what exactly happened during your time in the American military? The skills and instincts you've displayed…it just seems more than what a regular military recruit should know in just three years."
Uraraka turned to Midoriya, equally curious herself.
He frowned pensively. "Well, I can't really go into details, but I'll say that a lot can happen to a person in three years."
Uraraka blinked. Carefully studying Midoriya's expression, she noticed something that made her wonder. "Hey, Midori-kun…did you have to fight in a war?"
Midoriya gaped, his eyes widening. "W-w-what?!" He spluttered, clearly not expecting such a blunt question.
"Uraraka-chan, that's too personal!" Yaoyorozu chided.
"OH! S-sorry!" Realizing her error, the brunette frantically waved her hands in front of her. "It's just that…I used to watch old war movies with my folks from time to time. Midori-kun's expression just then reminded me of the people in those movies. Sorry I don't mean to offend you or anything." She bowed apologetically.
Midoriya blinked twice, still surprised by her assessment; mainly because it was right on the nose. 'Is Ochako that observant or am I just obvious? Either option is concerning…'
"I-It's alright!" He quickly assuaged her. "I…just wasn't expecting that. But…" He trailed off and lowered his head, resting his elbows on his knees.
Should he tell them? Was it too soon? Maybe he could give them a little information here and there? That way he wasn't completely lying to them while not revealing the whole truth. He inwardly debated on what he should say next.
Several moments passed as Yaoyorozu and Uraraka continued to stare at Midoriya, patiently awaiting a response.
He sighed heavily. "...To answer your question, Uraraka-chan, yes."
Both girls' eyes both widened, equally taken aback by this revelation.
"But…how?" Yaoyorozu was agape. "America isn't engaged in any open conflict with another nation. Are they?"
"No, but there's always someone out there to fight." Midoriya flatly remarked. "Sorry, I can't reveal more about it, at least for now. I hope you both understand."
Another short silence fell in the limousine.
For Yaoyorozu, she realized the reason Midoriya was so much further ahead of everyone else in class made sense. His experiences fighting in this mysterious conflict had honed and sharpened his instincts and fighting prowess, giving him a distinct advantage over his peers. However, she was still curious as to what exactly Midoriya had gone through in those three years in the American military. But she could understand why he couldn't say anything to them, whether it be an oath or for personal reasons. Maybe one day when he was more comfortable, he could share it with them?
Uraraka, meanwhile, recalled the instances where Midoriya would train unusually early in the morning. At the time, she had brushed it off as a militarism he had carried over into his daily routine. However, as Uraraka spent more time with Midoriya, she began to realize there was more to it than that. The Zero Gravity user prided herself on being able to read people well and could tell that something had been bothering her dear friend. She had suspected he wasn't getting much sleep at night.
Why? She wasn't sure. It didn't seem like he wanted to discuss it when she brought it up either—playing it off as stress from their classes. But now, the problem was clear: PTSD.
'Oh Izuku… I'm so sorry I didn't notice sooner.' Uraraka frowned sadly.
"But anyways," Midoriya snapped both girls out of their respective thoughts, "I was going to suggest that perhaps we invite our friends to meet up somewhere soon? Somewhere we can relax and be casual."
Yaoyorozu perked up. "Why not my place? There's plenty of room to accommodate everyone. We would also have the benefit of privacy."
"Great idea!" He then looked thoughtful. "Although, your estate may be out of the way for most of our group…"
"Don't worry about that. I am more than happy to reimburse anyone's travel fares." Yaomomo placated.
Uraraka grinned. "Well, I'd love to visit your place again, Yaomomo!"
Yaoyorozu nodded excitedly. "I'll have several rooms set aside for us, and have the staff prepare plenty of food and refreshments!"
"Maybe you can show off those gold-plated robots you mentioned last time too," Midoriya commented.
"Hmm," the busty ravenette held her chin contemplatively, "well, father and mother typically reserve those for highly distinguished guests…but perhaps I could convince them to make an exception…"
Midoriya and Uraraka glanced at one another, dumbfounded.
"Um, Yaomomo," Uraraka laid a hand on her shoulder, "Midori-kun was just joking."
"Eep!" Yaoyorozu cutely squeaked. "My… my mistake."
Midoriya and Uraraka both laughed at their rich friend's expense.
As the drive progressed, Yaoyorozu sent out a group text to their friends to inquire if they would like to meet up at her estate to relax, even offering to reimburse travel fees. The group chat aside from Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka consisted of Tokage, Tsunotori, Iida, Asui, Ashido, Jiro, and Sero. Midoriya suggested they invite Kirishima and Kaminari as well since the former was Ashido's boyfriend and the latter seemed nice after talking with him.
After some back-and-forth discussion, the group of twelve decided to meet up a little after noon tomorrow. They'd spend a few hours together watching a movie, then study at the library, and simply do whatever came to mind with no real plan. Ashido made a token complaint about the library, but the idea of spending time with friends in a stress-free environment overrode her dislike of academic studies—and she became more interested when Yaoyorozu mentioned a large section of romance novels.
Later, the limo finally arrived at the entrance of Endor Apartments. Thanking Yaoyorozu for the ride once more and bidding her goodnight, Midoriya and Uraraka exited the limousine and headed for the respective apartments.
The pair silently walked together, taking the elevator and disembarking down the hallway.
"Hey, Uraraka-chan," Midoriya broke the silence.
"What's up, Midori-kun?"
He paused momentarily. "If you need to talk…or just need someone to be around," he rubbed his neck and blushed a little, "I'm only a couple of doors away."
Uraraka smiled warmly at him. 'He's so sweet.'
"Thank you, I appreciate that. My door's always open to you too."
The verdette smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Uraraka-chan. I'm fortunate to have you and Yaomomo as my best friends."
Feeling the butterflies in her stomach, Uraraka turned away with her blush marks getting deeper.
"Are you okay, Uraraka-chan?" Midoriya asked curiously.
"Well, I…" Uraraka trailed off. 'Momo and Izuku both have their own nicknames…and then there's me…' Her expression fell slightly.
Midoriya saw this and became concerned. "Uraraka-chan, what's bothering–"
"Midori-kun…um, I have a selfish request." She said suddenly.
"Oh?" He blinked. "What is it?"
"I…" She steeled herself. "I want a nickname."
"A nickname?" The verdette was confused. Where'd this come from?
"Yeah! I mean, Momo's is Yaomomo while yours is Midori…and I'm just Uraraka-chan. You see where I'm coming from?" She frowned a little. "Sorry if I sound petty."
Midoriya's eyes widened. 'Oh! I never even realized!'
"No, you're not being petty, Uraraka-chan! I'm so sorry. I didn't even know that was bothering you."
"Well…it wasn't at first but," she lowered her gaze, feeling embarrassed, "I dunno…after what happened today…I feel closer to you and Yaomomo, yah know? Beyond just using my surname."
"I see." Midoriya considered his brunette friend's words and was instantly reminded of a conversation he had with Coulson two days prior.
"Already on a first name basis with them, huh?"
"No, I'm only using their first names with you. I don't think they're comfortable with that."
"I wouldn't be so sure…For all you know those two may be waiting for you to take that step."
He furrowed his brows. 'Guess Coulson wasn't so off base with that assumption.'
Midoriya returned his eyes to Uraraka and smiled. "I understand. Tell ya what, why don't we discuss this with Yaomomo tomorrow? We can resolve this together. Sound good?"
"Well…okay." Uraraka nodded, her smile returning. "S-sorry if I sound silly…"
He shook his head. "You don't. Honestly, we should've come up with one for you sooner." He glanced at his watch. "Well, I think we should both turn in now. It's been an eventful day."
"That's putting it mildly." Uraraka commented. She then adopted a stern expression. "By the way, ya rememba what Recovery Girl said? No training tomorraw. Ya hear me, mista?"
Midoriya chuckled lightly and held up his hands in mock surrender. "I hear you. I'll take it easy. Promise."
Uraraka nodded, satisfied. "Good."
"Goodnight Uraraka-chan."
"Goodnight Midori-kun."
The pair parted ways and entered their respective studio apartments. As Uraraka shut her door, she fell on her butt and buried her head into her hands. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I slipped into my accent! Now he's gonna think I'm some country bumpkin! Stupid Ochako!" She chided herself, shrinking in on herself.
Meanwhile, as Midoriya shut and locked the door behind him, he realized something. 'Huh…was that an accent in her voice just then? It sounded cute.' He thought offhandedly. He shook his head and prepared for bed, keeping his field knife and a loaded handgun by his bedside table.
Could never be too careful these days.
The day following the USJ attack, UA University had canceled classes for the Hero Course students until Thursday, giving the members of Class 101-A two days to recuperate. Something they would sorely need.
Turning in at 21:30 (9:30 PM) last night, Midoriya had slept till 06:15 (6:15 AM) the following morning, much to his own surprise. To the super-soldier that was practically sleeping in. He was pleasantly surprised that nightmares hadn't plagued his sleep either. It was a welcomed relief.
He chalked it up to his body being more exhausted from yesterday than he initially realized.
Turning on his laptop, he pulled up live feeds of major Japanese news outlets. Needless to say, the USJ attack had become a national story. He figured it wouldn't be long before some networks from abroad reported on the incident too.
An official press conference from UA University would be released within the week, but an official statement of how they were evaluating and checking on the wellbeing of their students came first, along with putting a plan into motion on how to improve security. The reports had come from social media, with Dean Nezu only providing a few soundbites.
The media was relentless, however. News outlets from all over Japan were camped outside university grounds, grilling any faculty member or student leaving campus for comments. They also demanded to know why All Might wasn't available for comment. Dean Nezu's response via social media was curt, stating that answers to many questions would be made at the press conference.
All Might had made a social post that was currently running through the morning news.
[All Might: As a U.A. faculty member, I am not at liberty to discuss the school's position at this time. We will discuss the unfortunate incident very soon.]
The time on the post was timestamped early in the morning. Midoriya frowned. 'Guess Toshinori didn't get much sleep last night. Then again, I can't imagine many in our class did…'
As the videos played in the background, Midoriya prepared a hearty American breakfast for himself. He needed the extra calories to restore his lost stamina from healing.
After he finished cooking and eating, and with plenty of time before the meetup at Yaoyorozu's estate, Midoriya decided to dedicate time to checking items off his Things To Catch Up On list. There were some long overdue items on it.
Before that, he needed to do something else. Taking a seat at his work desk, he reached into the drawer and pulled out his 'Reports' notebook. Flipping to the latest page, he began writing in English.
FROM: CAPTAIN AMERICA
TO: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
SUBJECT: USJ AMBUSH
OUR CLASS'S FIRST RESCUE EXERCISE WAS SCHEDULED AT AN OFF-CAMPUS TRAINING FACILITY DESIGNED TO SIMULATE REAL-WORLD DISASTERS, NAMED THE UNFORESEEN SIMULATION JOINT (USJ). BUT THE SIMULATED DISASTER BECAME AN ACTUAL DISASTER IN MERE MOMENTS AFTER STEPPING INSIDE THE BUILDING.
A VILLAIN CALLED "KUROGIRI" INFILTRATED THE BUILDING USING A WARP GATE META-ABILITY. HE BROUGHT ALONG WITH HIM A COMPANY'S WORTH OF THUGS AND LOW-TIER VILLAINS. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES "THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS", AND THE ONE LEADING THEM–AND I USE THE TERM LOOSELY–WAS A MAN WHO CALLED HIMSELF "TOMURA SHIGARAKI".
Midoriya paused and took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
I CAN'T VERIFY IF TOMURA IS TRULY RELATED TO "ALL FOR ONE" OR NOT. ALL FOR ONE NEVER SEEMED LIKE THE TYPE WHO'D RISK HAVING CHILDREN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY INHERIT HIS QUIRK AND USURP HIM. BUT A LOT CAN CHANGE IN 150 YEARS, I SUPPOSE.
THE LEAGUE'S OBJECTIVE WAS TO KILL ALL MIGHT AND AS MANY STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE. KUROGIRI SPLIT OUR CLASS AND DROPPED US OFF ACROSS THE USJ, PLANNING TO TAKE US OUT IN SMALLER GROUPS. THANKFULLY, THE VILLAINS THEY RECRUITED WERE RATHER LACKLUSTER.
THE MOST DANGEROUS WERE THE RINGLEADERS TOMURA, KUROGIRI, AND NOMU—A MINDLESS BIOENGINEERED MONSTROSITY IMPLANTED WITH MULTIPLE META-ABILITIES. AFTER FIGHTING THIS MONSTER HEAD-ON, I CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS CREATURE WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF KILLING ALL MIGHT.
IT WAS A BATTLE WITH MANY CLOSE CALLS, BUT WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO HOLD OUR OWN AGAINST THE ENEMY UNTIL REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED AND EVEN TOOK OUT NOMU.
NOTE, APPARENTLY THE SHIELD IS CAPABLE OF ABSORBING KINETIC BLOWS WHICH CAN BE UNLEASHED VIA A POWERFUL SHOCKWAVE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING I COULD USE OFTEN, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF DESTRUCTION IT CAUSES AND THE FACT THAT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF KINETIC ENERGY IS REQUIRED AS A CATALYST. SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO LATER, REGARDLESS.
IN THE END, NO ONE WAS KILLED AND ALL OF THE LEAGUE MEMBERS PRESENT AT THE USJ WERE ARRESTED. HOWEVER, I CAN'T SHAKE THIS UNEASY FEELING I HAVE ABOUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL.
COULD AFO STILL BE ALIVE? IT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY I WANT TO ENTERTAIN, BUT IT IS ON THE TABLE. I ONLY KNOW OF ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO COULD TRANSFER META-ABILITIES INTO OTHERS. THE RATIONAL SIDE OF ME SCREAMS THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE…BUT THEN I REMEMBER THAT I TECHNICALLY SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE EITHER.
Running out of space on his page, Midoriya decided to wrap his report up.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHIELD WILL DO FOLLOWING THIS EVENT. I IMAGINE COULSON WILL REACH OUT TO ME SOON TO DISCUSS THE MATTER IN FURTHER DETAIL. UNTIL THEN, I WILL CONTINUE MY NORMAL ROUTINES UNLESS ORDERED OTHERWISE.
Finishing his report, he closed the notebook. Before he could put it away, a couple knocks came from the door.
"Midori-kun, are you awake?" He immediately recognized Uraraka-chan's voice. He absentmindedly pushed his book to the side and stood up.
He opened the door, finding a disheveled Uraraka with her school bag slung over her shoulder. She was dressed in a grey zip-up hoodie with the Captain America shield on the front, pink pajama shorts, and black slippers.
He politely averted his gaze at the sight of her smooth plump thighs. "Good morning, Uraraka-chan." He paused and noted her messy hair and tired expression. 'Guess she didn't get much sleep…'
She smiled tiredly. "Good morning… Whatcha up to?"
He shrugged. "Not much. I was just taking it easy."
Uraraka giggled. "That's a first. But I'm glad you're resting like you're supposed to."
He shrugged. "Even soldiers need rest." He then stepped out of the way. "Come on in. I'll put on some tea and rice for us."
"Thanks, Midori." She happily said, stepping out of her slippers and placing them by the door with Midoriya's red boots.
Uraraka took a seat on his couch while Midoriya put on tea and prepared to make a few servings of rice in his rice cooker. The verdette glanced over to see the brunette pulling out her sketchbook, a box of colored pencils, and her laptop from her bag.
Curious, he exited the kitchen nook. "Tea and rice should be ready soon. Whatcha doing?"
"I'm getting ready to draw a commissioned piece." Uraraka replied, placing her sketch items on the coffee table in front of her.
"Oh?" He sat in a chair across from her. "I didn't know you did commission work." His interest was piqued.
The brunette nodded. "Yeah, I started doing it in high school to help make a little extra money." She frowned. "Nothing fancy or anything. I mostly just sketch and color in with pencils. I can't afford the equipment or software to do the nice digital work."
"Pencil sketching is still good in its own right." Midoriya noted. "Comics and manga in the early days were all hand-drawn. They didn't need digital artwork to make it cool."
"Yeah…that's true." Uraraka conceded. "But-"
"But nothing. Besides, I've seen your art. You do fantastic work!" He encouraged, smiling. "Don't ever think it's inadequate."
The butterflies in her stomach returned. "T-thanks, Midori-kun," Uraraka turned away, her face heating up. 'Geez! Why does he make me feel so flustered?'
"So, how do people commission you for artwork?" He asked curiously.
Uraraka opened her laptop, an older model with scratches on the casing, and (as soon as it loaded) brought up an artwork webpage. "I post my work on this site called DeviateArt. People can reach out to me here and request a commission if they want one."
Midoriya studied her profile page closely. Some of the artwork he had seen, but most of it was new. "CaptainGravity-13, eh?" He smirked at her moniker.
"A-Anyways," Uraraka immediately moved on, "DeviateArt users can DM me for a request, and I can accept it as long as what they ask for meets my guidelines." She adopted an annoyed look. "Have to be really specific on what I don't draw."
Midoriya didn't have to ask the specifics. He already had an idea of what she was alluding to.
"I see." He blushed a little. Another thought then crossed his mind. "You mentioned that you do artwork for Yaomomo's story occasionally. So does Yaomomo reach out to you online for commissions?"
Uraraka shook her head, grinning. "Nah, that's just fanart. I do it for fun! Oh!" She perked up. "Speaking of, have you gotten caught up on Yaomomo's story yet?"
"Not yet. Was preoccupied with some other things." He glanced over to his Things to Catch Up On list on his desk. "But I can easily get caught up before we have to leave."
"Please do!" She seemed eager. "Yaomomo and I want to chat with you about it!"
He nodded and smiled softly. "Alright, I'll do that."
'Still hard to believe that she and Momo both are Cap fans…' He inwardly mused.
"So…what exactly are you drawing now?" He inquired.
"Well, a user called," she stopped to pinch the bridge of her nose, "NudeMaster69 wanted me to draw Mt. Lady's infamous debut photo." She brought up the picture of Mt. Lady in front of Tatooine Station standing over a large Villain, her rear end sticking out suggestively. "I'm not exactly thrilled to do it, but," she sighed heavily, "their request technically does meet my guidelines. And I could use the money, so…"
"Oh. I was actually there when that happened last year." Midoriya's eyes widened slightly. 'Wow…it really has been a year since that day, hasn't it?'
"Wait, you were there?" Uraraka cocked a brow.
Midoriya nodded. "Yeah. Long story short, I heard there was a giant Villain causing ruckus at the station. I went to see which Heroes would show up, and…uh…" He looked sheepishly, knowing she may not like the other other real reason.
"And?" She pressed.
"...I wanted to make sure no one got hurt. Assist wherever I could, if necessary."
Uraraka's gaze sharpened briefly before she closed her eyes and sighed. "I swear…you're a glutton for trouble, Midori-kun."
He shrugged modestly. "What can I say? If I see trouble, I can't look the other way."
"Yeah…I know." She smiled fondly, recalling their first meeting. "You're just that kind of person. You really are amazing." Uraraka blushed, realizing what she had blurted out. Glancing up, she saw that Midoriya's face had reddened a bit too.
DING!
"That must be the rice!" Midoriya shot out of his seat. "I'll go prepare us a bowl, and some tea too!"
"S-sounds good!"
He promptly walked into the kitchen.
The brunette, meanwhile, turned away and started fanning herself. 'Geez! What's wrong with me?! I mean, I know Izuku is hot, cute, smart, and amazing and all… it's not really fair…but I have to get a hold of myself!' She chided herself. 'He's my best friend!'
Midoriya walked back in with two bowls of steaming rice and hot tea. Giving thanks for the food, the pair proceeded to eat. It was a simple meal, but they didn't mind.
"Good job on the tea." Uraraka complimented. "It's not half-bad."
"Thanks. I've been working on my brewing skills." He smiled, feeling relieved. He was grateful for the tea brewing lessons Yagi had given him a while back. It would've been embarrassing (even disrespectful) if he served any of his friends bitter tea.
After eating and finishing their tea, the verdette and brunette settled in. Uraraka worked on her commission on the couch while Midoriya went to his desk to check items off his Things To Catch Up On list.
Most of it currently was music-related, consisting of popular bands and songs in both America and Japan from the last few decades. He slipped on a set of headphones and listened attentively. He wasn't a music expert by any stretch of the imagination, but even he could hear the differences from each decade and culture. He liked most of it, but it was still different from what he was used to.
Tired of listening to "retro" music, Midoriya pulled the headphones off and switched his focus to Yaoyorozu's story. He had stopped at the part where the main character, Detective Mukashi Kumiko, had been struck with the inspiration to investigate Captain America's mysterious death. Using her time-travel Quirk, Chrono-Jump, she was preparing to travel back to a certain time and place that moderately surprised Midoriya.
November 4, 2042. Los Angeles, California, USA. Dodgers Stadium.
'Wow…Momo knows about that day? She really does know her stuff.' Midoriya was impressed. Further intrigued, the super-soldier speedily read on, not missing a single detail.
Over an hour had passed.
"There." Uraraka set her pencils down and carefully examined her artwork. Nodding in satisfaction, she placed her items back in her bag. She'd scan the drawing and send it to the user later tonight. Hopefully they'd like it.
Noting the time on her phone, she turned back to Midoriya from her seat on the couch. "It's almost 12:00, Midori-kun. We should get ready to leave so–You're sweating through your clothes!"
Midoriya sat at his desk with steam wafting off his head. He shakily turned around, his head strongly resembling a tomato. "Huh? Wha?"
"Uh…" Uraraka sweat-dropped. "Are…you okay? What's the matter?"
"Well…I finished catching up to Save the Date."
"You got caught up so quickly. That's impressive! So, what do you think so far?" She asked cheerily.
"It's…" He averted his gaze, feeling very embarrassed. "...plot wise, it's good. The history is also fairly sound. I…just wasn't expecting Detective Kumiko's relationship with the Captain to get so…intimate…"
Uraraka snickered. "Yeah. That's part of the story's intrigue, I guess. Well, we can discuss it later. We need to both start getting ready for Yaomomo's."
"R-right…I'm gonna head to the bathroom to wash up. I'll see ya in a bit." He stood up and stiffly headed to his bathroom, closing the door behind him. He'd be taking a long, cold shower.
As Uraraka gathered her things, she glanced over to Midoriya's desk and spotted a couple notebooks lying on it. A small notepad and a larger composite journal. 'Wonder what he was working on over there for so long…'
Walking over to the desk, she read the notebook's titles, noting they were both written in English. She was able to make out 'Things to Catch Up On' and 'Reports' on the notepad and journal respectively.
'I guess a peek couldn't hurt, right? Maybe it's just school related?' She innocently picked up the notepad and opened it, flipping through the pages. Though it was all written in English, thanks to her study sessions with Midoriya and Yaoyorozu (especially with English), she was able to understand a fair bit of what was written.
'It's a list? Movies, books, music, sports…What does any of this mean?' Uraraka considered the notepad's title. 'So he's trying to learn about this stuff…? Some of these things are pretty common though.'
Placing the notepad back, Uraraka then picked up the 'Reports' journal. She paused. 'Wait…should I be doing this? I mean, what if this is supposed to be private…?' She briefly considered her actions, but her curiosity won out. One peek wouldn't hurt right?
She timidly opened the first page and read…
FROM: CAPTAIN AMERICA
TO: GEN. SIMON, ARMY INTELLIGENCE
PROTOCOL: RECON REPORT
THESE "AGENTS" CLAIM I'M ON AN ARTIFICIAL ISLAND. I HAVE NO OTHER FRAME OF REFERENCE. THE BLONDE GIRL IS ATTEMPTING TO PUT ME AT EASE, BUT SHE AND HER COHORTS ARE VISIBLY UNNERVED BY MY PRESENCE…
Uraraka stopped reading not even halfway through the page. She couldn't understand all of it, but she did immediately recognize the first line.
'W-what?! From…WHO!?' She gasped and her eyes widened.
To ensure she wasn't seeing things, she re-read it several times. Sure enough, it was the same. She snapped her head toward the bathroom door, hearing the sounds of the shower running.
Believing Midoriya was preoccupied, she returned her attention to the notebook. Now even more curious, she turned a few pages to find every page began with the same From-To-Subject format. Though the Tos and Subjects changed, the From remained consistent.
'From Captain America…' Uraraka shook her head, clenching her eyes shut. 'No! What am I thinking? That's just crazy!' She quickly closed the notebook and placed it back on the desk. 'I'm sure there's a logical reason for this. Maybe Izuku is writing a story of his own? Yeah, that's it!' Satisfied with her own rationale, she took a breath to calm herself before heading for the door.
Her thoughts were still fixated on what she saw in the two notebooks. 'So strange though…'
Later, a little after 13:00 (1:00 PM), the group consisting of Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, Tokage, Tsunotori, Asui, Ashido, Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, and Jiro finally convened outside the front gate to Yaoyorozu's estate while all dressed in casual attire.
"Whoa…" Ashido whispered, wearing mid-thigh jean shorts and a purple tank top that revealed a fair amount of her pink skin.
"Whoa is right. Damn…" Tokage breathed. "I knew Yaomomo was rich and all, but…this is insane." The sharp-toothed greenette was adorned tight blue jeans and a lime-green shirt.
"Kero." Asui simply croaked. She wore a simple yellow sundress with a green jacket over it. "This is a lot."
"It's as big as our apartment complex…" Tsunotori murmured in English. Her attire was a pair of tight navy shorts with a hole for her tail and a white shirt with blue stars printed on it. Her lyre horns had grown halfway to their normal size.
"Holy crap!" Kaminari exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Is this seriously her house!?" The blonde was wearing dark navy jeans and a loose maroon t-shirt.
Midoriya and Uraraka glanced at one another with knowing smiles, empathizing with their friends' reactions. The verdette had donned a green joke t-shirt with 'T-Shirt' printed in English, blue jeans, and his red-laced boots while his brunette companion wore her gray Captain America hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath, knee-length blue pants, and pink shoes; her hair was done up in a messy ponytail with two strands framing her face. Both had their school bags with them.
"This is actually her spring residence." Midoriya revealed.
"For real?!" Ashido gapped.
"Get out of here. Seriously?!" Kirishima was equally stunned. The spiky redhead was wearing loose blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with a faded image of Crimson Riot's head printed on it.
"It is." Uraraka confirmed. "Her family has one for every season, believe it or not."
The group, aside from Iida, was gobsmacked.
"Ah, I see…" Iida pushed his glasses further onto the bridge of his nose. With his khaki pants and polo shirt, he looked like he was heading to a business meeting rather than a hang out with friends. "I suspected that the Yaoyorozu family had multiple estates."
"You already knew, Iida?" Midoriya asked.
"Yes. I remember that my brother once worked on a case that involved the Yaoyorozu family. They invited him to their winter home, and he joked that they were renovating their summer home." Iida answered.
"Man, I feel so underdressed." Sero grinned nervously; he was wearing black cargo shorts and an orange shirt.
"Same here…" Jiro chimed, feeling self-conscious at her own casual attire, which was a lavender t-shirt with 'Dead' printed on it and tight black jeans.
"I get it, guys. But there's no need to worry." Midoriya assured them. "Yaomomo won't mind at all."
'She'll honestly just be happy that we're here.' He thought absentmindedly.
"He's right. Kero." Asui spoke up. "Anyways, we're not getting anywhere just standing here. Let's ring the doorbell."
She pressed the button on the gate side and, less than a few seconds later, Yaoyorozu's voice came out of the speaker.
"You're all here! One moment, I'll open the gate for you."
Tokage grinned. "She sounds happy."
"Yaomomo didn't have many friends growing up." Uraraka softly explained. "So of course she'd be happy to have us over."
"Really?" Kaminari sounded surprised. "I figured she'd have tons of friends. Being uber-rich and all."
Iida shook his head. "Wealth does not always equate to genuine friendship, Kaminari-san."
The gates opened and the group walked to the main doors that were opened by two butlers as they approached. Yaoyorozu stood in the doorway with a beaming smile. She wore a red-and-white long-sleeve blouse, mid-thigh blue jean shorts, and white sandals with her raven hair let down.
"I'm so happy you could all make it! Please, come on in!" She happily ushered them all inside. As they stepped in, she gave a nod of appreciation to Uraraka's hoodie.
Placing their shoes onto ornate wooden shelves, Yaoyorozu–much like she did during Midoriya and Uraraka's visit–led them on an abbreviated tour that ended in the dining hall. Needless to say, the newcomers in the group were blown away; even Iida was inwardly impressed by the opulence and sheer scale.
"I'll go bring the tea out for us. Please, make yourselves comfortable." As the ravenette scurried off, the group took their seats in beautifully crafted oak chairs at a long table.
"Okay, so…this is happening?" Tsunotori said nervously.
Tokage casually popped her head off her shoulders to look around the luxurious dining room. "Man, fancy digs she's got here."
"Kero." The only sign of nervousness Asui showed was smoothing out her dress. "This is a lot to take in."
"Yeah…no joke." Jiro murmured. "This room is bigger than my parents' place."
"Um…" Kaminari, who was sitting between Jiro and Tsunotori, seemed nervous. "Should we be paying to sit in these seats or what?"
Jiro elbowed him from his left. "Keep your voice down, idiot." She said sharply. "You don't want Yaomomo to overhear you."
"Oh, okay…" He pouted, rubbing his side.
Tsunotori glanced around in wide-eyed wonder. "Our barn back in the States could barely fit in here…"
Ashido nodded. "Aside from maybe Iida, I think all of us live in places much smaller than this room."
Iida shifted uncomfortably. "Well…yes, my family is fairly well-off, but I wasn't aware this would be so…overwhelming."
Midoriya smiled awkwardly. "Yeah…this is only mine and Uraraka-chan's second time over here."
"And it's still as imposing as last time. Hehe," Uraraka rubbed the back of her head, mildly nervous.
"Oh? You both already came here?" Kirishima asked. "What'd you do?"
The verdette shrugged. "Not much. She served us tea and lunch, and we hung out in her library mostly talking. It was pretty relaxing."
"Oh…I bet it was." Ashido had a devious grin. "You three had plenty of alone time, didn't you?"
"I'm sure they did plenty of reading together," Tokage added slyly, putting quote marks on "reading".
"Um…yeah, we did." Midoriya replied with a raised brow. Why were they grinning like that?
Uraraka blushed at Ashido and Tokage's insinuation, and silently directed a stern glare in their direction, her face reddening slightly.
Tsunotori giggled to herself at the display.
"I'm back!" Yaoyorozu pushed a trolley that had very expensive teacups and a large platter of teacakes. "Oh, is something troubling you all?"
"Nah, nothing's wrong!" Tokage grinned toothily.
"Yeah, it's just none of us are used to being in a house this big before. That's all." Ashido explained.
Sero chimed in, trying to look nonchalant. "This place is awesome! Thanks for inviting us!"
"Yeah! It's so manly of you to open your home to us!" Kirishima added dramatically.
The others quickly echoed the sentiment, without the macho part though.
Yaoyorozu blushed. "T-thank you. I'm just happy to have you all over." She began handing out the refreshments. "I wasn't expecting company so soon after Midori-kun and Uraraka-chan's visit on Saturday. I'm so glad."
Midoriya and Uraraka smiled at each other, happy that their shared best friend was getting to socialize more. They almost felt like proud parents in a way.
Sometime later, everyone got comfortable enough to enjoy the tea and have casual conversation. None of them mentioned anything about the USJ attack yet, Yaoyorozu was just too happy to bring that topic up while Midoriya didn't want to spoil the mood.
The group was then brought a fancy, light lunch by several maids who Sero and Kaminari couldn't help but discreetly admire due to how beautiful they were. Jiro, however, noticed and jabbed the electric-blonde in the side again.
Tsunotori merely tilted her head in confusion at the display. Why was Jiro bothering Kaminari so much?
After they finished their meals, the maids came to take their dishware away. Yaoyorozu then stood up from her seat with a bright smile. "If everyone is finished, why don't we head to the home theater room?"
"Sounds like a plan!" Tokage gave a thumbs-up.
"Still can't believe your family actually has a theater room." Jiro smiled wryly, resting her chin in her open palm.
"Will there be enough seats for everyone present?" Iida dutifully asked.
Yaoyorozu eagerly nodded. "Oh, of course! There's enough seats and then some for everyone here."
"Well then, let's head off!" Ashido said excitedly.
The group followed Yaoyorozu to another part of the mansion and arrived at the in-home theater. It looked like a regular movie theater, but instead of individual seats, there were several large couches–enough to seat everyone here and then some.
"I know we just ate, but if anyone would like popcorn or any refreshments during the movie, please do not hesitate to ask." Yaoyorozu asserted. "I'll be more than happy to instruct some staff to serve us."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, what exactly are we watching?" Ashido asked.
The ravenette smiled. "Midori-kun gave an intriguing suggestion last night. I'm sure everyone will enjoy it."
"Speaking of," Midoriya reached into his yellow satchel to pull out a green flash drive, "here you go, Yaomomo. All the movies are in here. Choose the one titled 'Jurassic Park'."
Yaoyorozu nodded and skipped back to the projector room.
"Jurassic Park, eh?" Tokage perked up. "We were just talking about that movie the other day."
"Y-yeah…we were." Midoriya sweat-dropped, recalling a memory.
It was Friday evening and Class 101-A was in the middle of their Foundation Heroics Field course in the concrete facility Gym Alpha once more. All Might was overseeing another combat-related lesson. At the moment, Koda was the Hero with Yaoyorozu, Asui, and Tsunotori as the Villains tagging up against him.
The poor fellow was a bit out of his element in the confines of a concrete building with no animals to call upon.
"This may sound rude…but has everyone noticed that Koda-san kinda resembles a dinosaur?" Uraraka noted, tapping a finger on her chin.
"Hmm," Tokage hummed thoughtfully, "Vaguely. But he doesn't resemble any species of dinosaur I'm familiar with…and I know a ton of them."
"Oh?" Midoriya, who was standing close by, glanced at his fellow verdette. "You're into dinosaurs?"
Tokage grinned toothily. "Heck yeah! Who doesn't? They're awesome!"
A thought crossed his mind. 'It may be a long shot, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.'
"By any chance, have you ever seen Jurassic Park?"
The body-splitter rolled her eyes. "Obviously. I mean, who hasn't at this point. I've seen all of them."
Midoriya perked up. 'Wait, really?!'
Tokage went on. "Heck, I even went to see the first one in theaters several years ago when it first came out." She sighed happily. "Yeah, good times."
The super-soldier paused. 'Several years ago? Wait…'
"You saw it in theaters?"
"Yep. My first year of high school. 2193, I think." Tokage clarified.
Midoriya considered that. 'Sounds like they rebooted it. 200 years after the original, huh?'
"I see. By chance, did you ever see the original one? From 1993?" He inquired.
"Pft!" Tokage failed to suppress her laughter, catching the attention of classmates nearby. "Ha! You're a riot, Midoriya! No one watches stuff that old unless you're some movie nerd or whatever. Movies like that belong in the museums with the actual dinosaur bones!" The greenette then walked away as All Might called upon her for the next match up.
Midoriya, meanwhile, slumped his shoulders in defeat. 'Ouch…' That one really stung.
Midoriya shook his head to dispel that memory. "W-Well, this isn't the one you or anyone else are familiar with. It's the OG."
Tokage blinked twice. "Wait… Seriously? You actually found a copy?"
"Yep." He nodded.
"...How?" She was dumbfounded.
The verdette smirked. "I know a guy."
He was of course referring to Coulson. That man had a talent for uncovering things, whether it be as a spy in his work life, or in his personal one uncovering Pro Hero memorabilia and collectible Pre-Quirk items. His 1967 custom Chevrolet Corvette was proof of his skills.
"The original?" Sero tilted his head, bewildered. "You mean…the one released several years ago wasn't the first?"
"No. It's a remake of the original Jurassic Park released in 1993, which was based on a book…and also changed some things around…." Midoriya shook his head to prevent himself from going on a tangent. "Anyways, the recent film changed up and added a lot of things to account for Quirks and updated dinosaur designs." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not bad or anything, but it doesn't have the same charm as the original though."
"1993?!" Kaminari shouted in surprise. "Holy crap! Are we positive that the quality is gonna be any good?"
Midoriya was a little miffed. "Trust me, it still holds up." He kept his tone even. 'I mean, it was considered old even in my time and it was still a classic blockbuster hit.'
"Well, I say we give it a chance." Uraraka insisted. "How often do you get to watch a movie from the Pre-Quirk era?"
"Indeed! This could prove to be an invaluable learning experience for us." Iida stated, chopping both arms. "We'll get to understand how films were made in an era before advanced CGI and Quirk-based special effects."
"I dunno what much of anything we can learn from an old dinosaur movie." Ashido shrugged. "But, what the heck. I'll give it a chance."
"Same here, kero." Asui chimed. "Besides, it might be a nice change of pace from all the same old stuff you see in movies today." She pointed out.
"Are there any manly characters in it?" Kirishima asked.
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "I think there's one guy you may like, Kirishima. He's not a fighter or anything, but he has a strong moral compass if that helps?"
Kirishima grinned, shooting him a thumbs-up. "Hey! Nothing wrong with that. A real man is more than just muscle." The verdette smiled and nodded in agreement.
"I think it could be fun." Tsunotori said bubbly. "I've never seen an old, old movie before." She blinked and looked at Midoriya curiously. "Uh, it's in color, right, Izuku?"
Uraraka's right eye involuntarily twitched again.
"Yeah, it's in color, Pony."
"Then I'm in!" She resumed her grin.
"So this is an American film, right?" Sero inquired. "Will it be a Japanese dub or sub?"
"I have both, but I honestly would recommend watching the original sub first." Midoriya replied.
"Ugh…alright, fine." Sero didn't seem too thrilled with that idea.
"On the plus side, it could help you improve your English, Sero-san. Kero." Asui mentioned. "You definitely need it."
Sero sweat-dropped, knowing the frog girl raised a fair point. English was not his best subject.
"So, is the music any good?" Jiro questioned, with hands in her pockets.
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Actually, the score is partially what made this movie so iconic for so long."
Jiro's interest level rose to mildly curious. "Alright. I'll give it a watch."
Tokage groaned. "Really? C'mon, I've already seen the newer improved ones. Why do I gotta sit through this old rigid film from 200 years ago? I seriously doubt it'll be any good."
Midoriya shot her a knowing smirk. "2000 Yen says you're wrong."
"You're on!" Tokage grinned smugly, already believing she had won free money.
Yaoyorozu stepped back into the room. "Alright, everyone! It's starting soon."
Uraraka popped up by Midoriya's side. "C'mon, Midori-kun! Let's take a seat!"
"R-right…" She suddenly grabbed his arm–keeping her pinky extended–and pulled him to one of the large center couches. There, he sat near the middle with Uraraka on his right, Tokage sitting next to her, followed by Kirishima and Ashido. On his left was Yaoyorozu, followed by Tsunotori and Kaminari. On the next couch over was Jiro, Asui, Sero, and Iida in order.
The room's lights went dim and the white projector screen–which nearly took up the entire wall–went black.
An old "Universal Pictures" title sequence played with the Earth spinning in space with the sounds of a jungle in the background.
"Whoa…" Kaminari breathed. "Even the opening feels so retro."
Ominous music blared through the surround sound systems as the opening titles played.
"The opening is kinda suspenseful." Jiro noted.
Midoriya smirked. "Just you wait…"
JURASSIC PARK
After the opening scene…
Uraraka frowned. "That's…not a good way to go…" She was briefly reminded of the Shark Villain almost killing her in the Flood Zone, making her shudder.
Tsunotori nodded somberly.
"Whoa…what just happened?" Kirishima asked, taken aback by what transpired.
"Kero. I think that worker was killed by that…uh, whatever it was." Asui replied, unsure.
"Was that a dinosaur in the cage?" Sero wondered. "They didn't do a good job of showing it…"
Iida adjusted his glasses. "I believe that was on purpose, Sero-san. To build up the suspense and mystery."
"Well, whatever it was…doesn't look like it'll be hurting anyone else anymore." Kaminari noted.
Tokage hummed thoughtfully. 'Only got a quick glimpse, but was that a raptor of some kind?'
After Dr. Alan Grant explains Velociraptors to a boy…
"I can understand wanting to teach a child to show respect, but that is too graphic!" Iida chastised.
"Well…" Kirishima smiled sheepishly, "...it got the point across."
Uraraka chuckled. "It was kind of funny too."
Tokage cocked a brow. 'Hold up, Velociraptor weren't ever 2 meters tall. That's some outdated paleontology. Hopefully this isn't a theme.'
Ashido grinned like a Cheshire Cat at the interaction between Alan and Ellie discussing children. "My shipping radar is going off."
Midoriya sweat-dropped. 'Note to self, never show them Jurassic Park 3.'
"Journey to the Island" plays as the helicopter flies toward Isla Nublar…
Jiro nodded in approval. "This is a really good motif."
Ashido chimed. "It's so upbeat!"
The group agreed that the music playing was adventurous and thrilling.
"It really gets you excited, huh?" Kaminari noted.
"Yeah!" Sero agreed. "The new one didn't have music like this."
"Dr. Hammond must be very wealthy to afford such an island that size." Yaoyorozu noted.
Uraraka looked at the heiress, smiling slyly. "Do you think your family could afford it?"
"Oh, I'm sure father and mother could." She replied nonchalantly. "Although I doubt they would make such a purchase without a way to recuperate or even triple the money they paid for it."
The brunette was stunned. 'I…was just joking. Is Momo serious!?'
Tokage watched as the helicopter began its descent and Alan comically fumbled with his seatbelt. 'The park is on an island. Whoa, that's kind of cool. A lot cooler than just having it in San Diego. It also makes sense in keeping the dinosaurs contained.'
After seeing the Brachiosaurus and the dinosaur herds…
The group marveled at the scene of the Brachiosaurus on screen and the high-spirited music playing in the background.
"Wow, it looks so real…" Tsunotori's eyes were wide with amazement.
Yaoyorozu couldn't help but admire the dinosaur's onscreen realistic appearance as well. Was there CGI or people with Quirks that could replicate this scene? Maybe. But she doubted it could match the charm that this one seemed to have.
Sero blinked. "Hey…we sure this thing was made 200 years ago?"
"Yeah… Most movies today don't have effects this realistic." Kaminari commented.
"I must commend the special effects crew." Iida praised.
Midoriya sipped on a soda through a straw, internally satisfied.
Tokage nodded as she internally appraised the Brachiosaurus design. 'Yep. The design and scale is fairly on point.' She then considered Dr. Grant's question to Hammond on how he created the dinosaurs. 'Wonder how they did it in this movie? Couldn't have been Quirk scientists reversing the genetic code of birds and crocodiles like they did in the modern one, right?'
After the genetic lab tour…
The group–sans Midoriya–was left dumbfounded by the movie's explanation for how they brought dinosaurs back to life.
"Um…" Ashido blinked twice. "I know I'm not the greatest with science and all, but getting blood from amber doesn't sound possible…right?"
Yaoyorozu shook her head. "It's not. In reality, the blood would've been fossilized inside the amber as well."
"So… movie science then? Got it." Kaminari said offhandedly.
"Keep in mind, many things that were considered impossible back in those days are mostly possible now." Midoriya pointed out.
"Kero." Asui crocked, intrigued by one caveat of the cartoon DNA's explanation. "They used frog DNA to fill in the gene gaps? Wouldn't that mean they're not pure dinosaurs though?"
Midoriya nodded. "It does. Keep the frog DNA part in mind though. There is a payoff to it."
No one knew what the verdette meant by that but they accepted it and continued watching the movie.
After the lunch scene…
Iida rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I must admit, I do find Doctor Malcolm's concerns valid. Just because you can do something, doesn't necessarily mean you should."
"Uh, I don't really get what the dude's worried about." Kaminari shrugged impassively. "I mean, the dinosaurs are in electrified encampments and they're all female. Sounds like they have everything under control."
"Minus that worker getting killed at the beginning." Uraraka pointed out.
"Oh…right." The blonde sweat-dropped. "Aside from that, I mean."
"At least they don't have to worry about the dinos breeding rapidly." Sero paused. "Uh, dinosaurs can't breed if they're all girls, right?"
Ashido snickered at that implication.
"Naturally, no." Yaoyorozu answered. "However, this is a science-fiction movie. So we do have to take their explanations with a grain of salt."
"Also," Tokage added, "they're not pure dinosaurs anyway. So nothing's off the table."
"So…the Malcolm guy's saying nature can't be controlled, and they can't expect to fully control their creations?" Tsunotori glanced over to Midoriya curiously. "Is that right, Izuku?"
Midoriya nodded. "Essentially, yes. Good assessment, Pony."
"Thanks." She smiled brightly.
Uraraka observed this exchange from Midoriya's right and looked away, her cheeks puffing in mild annoyance. Yaoyorozu, who was in the middle, frowned a little as well. She didn't like how Midoriya and Tsunotori were already on a first name basis while she and Uraraka weren't.
It was too impersonal.
Following Alan's initial interaction with Tim…
The audience couldn't help but chuckle at Alan Grant's evasive interaction with Timmy.
"Funny, but not really manly though." Kirishima criticized half-heartedly.
"I believe this is an important lesson of what not to do with children in the future." Iida pointed out. "As future Pro Heroes, we need to foster positive interactions with the citizens; especially the youth."
Jiro shrugged. "Some people just aren't good with kids, I guess."
Ashido grinned at the interaction between Alan and Ellie. "Yep! Those two definitely got a thing going on."
"Looks like Doctor Malcolm is trying to get in on the action though," Tokage pointed out.
"That moppy weirdo better not sink my ship!" Ashido huffed indignantly.
Midoriya sweat-dropped. 'Mina sure has a thing for shipping people. Hopefully she doesn't start pulling me into it.' Unbeknownst to the super-soldier, his wish would NOT be granted.
The sick Triceratops scene…
The group looked on with a mix of amazement and sympathy for the sick Triceratops lying on the ground.
Tokage smiled. "I always loved Triceratops. I'm impressed by how real it looks. Great animatronics."
"Indeed." Iida agreed. "I must once again commend the filmmakers for their attention to detail."
"And the music too." Jiro chimed in. "Really sets the mood."
"Aw…the poor thing." Uraraka cooed sympathetically.
Tsunotori frowned. "It must've eaten something bad to its stomach."
"Doctor Saddler seems to be coming to that conclusion as well." Yaoyorozu noted while Ellie dutifully observed the Triceratops's symptoms.
"Uh…" Sero blanched. "Did she say she was about to go through its droppings?"
One big pile of…
Most of the audience couldn't help but burst out laughing at Dr. Malcolm's dry, sardonic remark; even the reserved ones like Iida and Yaoyorozu looked away and covered their mouths to hide their amusement.
After Dennis Nedry's escape…
"That thief!" Iida shouted indignantly. "He must be stopped!"
"He stole the dinosaur embryos." Tsunotori puffed her cheeks angrily, which only increased her cuteness factor. "That jerk!"
"He's really doing all this for more money, huh?" Sero questioned.
"Kero. It's no different from a lot of criminals today." Asui pointed out. "Money is a huge motivator for crime."
"That's true…"
"Tsk," Tokage clicked her tongue. "Moron shut off the electric fences. This ain't gonna end well…"
Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement, and then considered Doctor Malcolm's prior declarations. "Chaos theory? Disorder in organized systems? I believe I see where this is heading."
"But, it's not the park's fault right?" Kaminari tried to play devil's advocate. "I mean, how could they plan for something like that?"
"Well, they couldn't. But that's kind of the point." Midoriya replied. "Murphy's Law and all. What can go wrong, will go wrong."
Tyrannosaurus Rex makes her grand appearance…
The group's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the T-Rex's giant head coming into view out of the jungle, swallowing the goat in one gulp. The dark stormy scenery setting the mood for the impending doom. Its deep growls verberating through the surround sound speakers.
"That's not good…" Uraraka gulped fearfully.
"M-maybe the goat satisfied its appetite?" Tsunotori nervously suggested.
"Doubtful." Tokage shot that suggestion down immediately, crossing her arms into an X. "That was more like an appetizer for a dino that size! That big girl is gonna want more."
A few people turned to the greenette incredulously.
"Tokage-san, you're not implying you wish to see that monster eat those people, do you?!" Iida rebuked.
"Animal, not monster. And…well, maybe just that slimy lawyer dude since he bailed on the kids." Tokage shrugged indifferently.
Kirishima clenched his fists angrily. "That jerk! So unmanly to run away like a coward!" However, as he said that, the redhead paused. A certain memory from his middle school years came to mind with Ashido standing before presumably a giant Villain while he stood frozen in fear nearby. It occasionally haunted him to the present day. 'Of course…I don't have much room to talk.'
Ashido noticed her boyfriend's distress and quickly grabbed his hand, giving it a tight yet affectionate squeeze. He was snapped out of his lamentations and turned to the pinkette. Her bright smile warmed his heart. He returned the smile and squeezed her hand back, grateful for her encouragement
"Whoa… It looks so real." Sero commented upon the onscreen T-Rex.
"Yeah… Gotta give the movie credit." Kaminari admitted.
The T-Rex tore through the cable fencing and stepped out of its paddock. Its ferocious roar blared through the speakers, making a few people (including Jiro flinch) from the sudden volume.
The scene further progressed with the T-Rex flipping over Tim and Lex's car, much to the group's horror. The lawyer getting eaten, which felt more satisfying than it should. Doctor Malcolm getting injured and buried under straw. To finally the car getting pushed off a cliff with Tim still inside while Alan and Lex hung onto a cable, narrowly avoiding the vehicle as it fell.
While most of the group was apprehensive and tense, Tokage was starry-eyed through it all. 'So freaking cool! Yeah, it doesn't have feathers and all…but hot damn, who cares?! Look at that thing!' She appraised the correct size and proportions and general appearance as the King–or Queen, technically–of the Dinosaurs unleashed a ferocious roar that shook the theater.
After Dennis Nedry's death…
Tokage snickered. "Karma sure is a b**ch."
"Tokage-san! Language!" Iida reprimanded her.
"Pft! Lighten up, legs. We're all adults here." The greenette dismissed nonchalantly. "Besides, it's just a movie."
"I don't advocate death or anything, but I'd say that dude got what he deserved." Sero said offhandedly.
"Kero." Asui agreed.
Iida frowned lightly. "All of you remember that as future Pro Heroes it will be our job to save people, including the criminal types such as that Nedry fellow."
"Well yeah, but like Tokage-san said, it's just a movie." Kirishima shrugged. "It's not like we wouldn't at least try to help him in real life."
"After which, then you can arrest him for his crimes." Midoriya followed up.
"Um…unrelated, but could those things really spit venom like that?" Tsunotori tilted her head curiously.
"Nope." Tokage shook her head. "They pretty much got everything wrong about Dilophosaurus. And I do mean everything."
Midoriya shrugged. "The writers took creative liberty, I guess."
Sleeping in the trees…
The audience smiled at the warm, heart-touching scene of Alan comforting Tim and Lex in the treetops with the herd of Brachiosaurus singing in the distance. A softer, tender version of the main score played in the background.
Kirishima nodded in approval at Alan's actions. "Yeah…good on you, man."
"It is really sweet, especially after his earlier aversion to children." Ashido sighed happily.
Lex then stated on-screen how she hated the meat-eating dinosaurs while Alan politely corrected that they weren't monsters–just animals.
Asui nodded. "Yeah, the dinosaurs aren't evil. Kero. They're just animals doing what they do."
"Although, you can't really blame Lex for feeling the way she does." Uraraka advocated.
"Right. I mean, they were almost eaten." Sero agreed.
Tokage frowned a bit, reminded of a certain kouhai in her life. "Dinosaurs, like animals or even people with behavior-altering Quirks, sometimes just can't help how they act."
"What are you and Ellie gonna do now if you don't have to pick up dinosaur bones anymore?" Lex asked Alan as she and Tim leaned up against him in the tree.
"I don't know. I guess…we'll just have to evolve too." Alan replied, unsure.
Midoriya frowned somberly. He had seen this movie many times growing up, but now that exchange struck a chord in a way it never had before. Perhaps it was because he could sort of relate to Alan Grant's plight–struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Or, in the super-soldier's case, catching up to a world that has long since changed without him.
'This movie really hits home in a way it never did before…' He internally sighed.
Life Found A Way…
The group–sans Midoriya–were shocked by the revelation that the dinosaurs were breeding on the island as Alan Grant knelt by a nest of hatched eggs.
"Whoa, whoa, time out!" Kaminari shouted in shock. "How's that possible? All the dinos are female!"
"I'm sure there must be a logical explanation…" Yaoyorozu asserted, sounding unsure.
Alan Grant then explained how frog DNA was used to fill the gene sequence gaps, effectively mutating the dinosaur DNA. He further went on to say that some species of West Africa frogs could change their sex in same-sex environments.
The audience was left speechless.
"Is…that really true?" Tsunotori asked dumbly.
"It is." Asui confirmed, nodding. "I learned that by studying various amphibian species in high school."
"Hold on," Sero looked at the greenette dubiously, "you can do whatever a frog can, right, Tsuyu? Does that mean you can–"
"No, Sero." Asui immediately stopped him. "I can't change my sex spontaneously."
"S-sorry…didn't mean anything by it." Sero fumbled a bit. "I was just—"
"It's okay. I know you didn't mean anything malicious by it. It's fine. Kero." Asui directed the best smile she could at the plain-looking guy.
Sero was internally grateful for the dark room hiding his warm face.
"Aw. Look at the little footprints." Uraraka gushed at the screen.
Tokage smirked toothly. "Life found a way indeed."
Clever Girl…
Most of the crowd gasped as the Velociraptor matriarch's head popped out of the bushes, snarling menacingly at Muldoon as he had his gun aimed at another raptor hiding in the foliage.
"The hunter has become the hunted." Sero stated.
"It really set a trap, kero." Asui said with a hint of nervousness in her tone. "That's kind of terrifying."
"Clever girl indeed," Tokage muttered, sounding surprised.
Everyone grimaced as the raptor attacked the game warden and the camera panned to the other raptor, a snake slithering on the branch.
Ashido shuddered in disgust. "That's a disturbing visual."
"Man…Velociraptors are no joke, huh?" Kaminari noted.
"Well, real Velociratpors were nothing like this." Tokage pointed out. "These raptors look more like Utahraptors, actually. But still…I gotta say, they're pretty bada**."
"Regardless," Iida inserted, "we must remain vigilant in case we ever come across foes with similar abilities."
Midoriya glanced at the bespeckled teen sheepishly. 'Always a lesson with him. Needs to learn to lighten up a bit more.'
"He's not wrong. I know someone with similar abilities." Tokage offhandedly mentioned.
"Wait, really?" Ashido looked surprised.
"Yeah, definitely. Though he doesn't ACTUALLY become one. More like he ACTS like one. It's actually kinda cool…as long as you're not the one in his way." The greenette warned.
"Sounds pretty deadly to me." Uraraka said timidly.
"I know. I'll fill you in on it later."
"Yeah, please do." Midoriya smiled. "I'd love to learn more about his abilities."
Tokage rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course you would, Greenie."
Velociraptors in the kitchen…
Most of the audience were startled to see the raptor opening the door handle with its clawed hand. Opening a door was nothing special, but the fact that these creatures were portrayed as problem-solving creatures was astounding.
"Not good. Kero." Asui said with mild worry. "If they can open doors, then the other raptor Ellie trapped in the shed likely got out too."
"Ugh! Those kids just got out of the jungle and now they're being hunted by raptors." Ashido groaned, frustrated. "So not fair!"
"Remember what Aizawa said, the world's not fair." Uraraka reminded her.
"And it's up to Heroes to combat that unfairness." Tsunotori followed up, smiling.
"I know it's only a fictional movie, but I really wish I could help those kids out." Kirishima earnestly admitted. "I'm sure Hardening could protect me from the raptors' teeth and claws as I fend them off from the kids."
Midoriya hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps. But you would be fighting more than one, and you'd have to keep your Quirk up the whole time. Any lapse in your armor and the raptors will strike."
"Um, dumb question," Kaminari started until a certain purplette cut him off.
"That's a first," Jiro said sarcastically, grinning slyly.
"Ha-ha," Kaminari rolled his eyes. "Anyways, were Velociraptors really this smart or not?" He asked no in particular.
"I don't believe so, but I'll defer to our dinosaur expert." Yaoyorozu directed her attention to Tokage.
"By dinosaur standards, yeah they were smart." Tokage responded without hesitation. "But nah, they were nowhere near this intelligent. It's definitely played up for the entertainment factor."
Some of the group–Jiro especially–shivered as the raptor's crock-like call blared through the speakers. The second raptor stepped through the door, communicating with each other in clicks and snarls. They watched as Tim and Lex quietly crawled around the kitchen floor, trying to avoid the raptors' sight.
All in all, it was tense and suspenseful. It quickly turned to panic when the raptors finally spotted them. As the scene progressed, a few of them let out collective sighs of relief they didn't realize they had when Tim and Lex trapped one of the raptors in the freezer. However, the uneasy feeling returned as the other raptor recovered and stared at them with a menacing expression.
Tsunotori gulped nervously. "It's mad."
Queen of the Dinosaurs…
The audience tensed up when the two raptors trapped Alan, Ellie, Tim, and Lex in the park's main lobby. So far, they had been on the edge of their seats as the quartet evaded the raptor pair. Now, they were defenseless and at the mercy of genetically modified dinosaurs.
"Uh…these guys aren't seriously gonna die right?" Sero sounded a bit worried. "I mean…it can't end like that."
"Yeah… That'd be seriously lame!" Ashido gripped. "Alan and Ellie still have to get married and have their own children!"
Midoriya winced slightly. 'Yeah… Best to avoid the 3rd movie just to avoid disappointing her.'
"Well, no offense or anything, but they are Quirkless and don't have any weapons." Kaminari mentioned. "There's only so much they can do against freakin' bloodthirsty raptors."
The super-soldier politely retorted, "I don't think the fact they don't have Quirks or weapons is gonna stop Alan and Ellie from doing everything in their power to protect those kids. See how they're huddled around them?"
"It's super manly on their part!" Kirishima passionately stated.
Tsunotori cocked her head. "But Ellie isn't a man…"
"He means it's brave and courageous." Ashido corrected.
Iida nodded in understanding. "Yes. A truly noble act that we can all take a lesson from."
Then, the dire onscreen situation took a drastic turn as the T-Rex suddenly appeared to grab an attacking raptor with its giant sharp-toothed mouth. The jubilant, brassy music from earlier in the movie was playing over it.
Instantaneously, the uneasy mood shifted to shocked jubilation. Some of them even whooped and cheered in excitement as the T-Rex focused on killing the Velociraptors. The rhyme or reason for why the T-Rex was killing them and indirectly helping the onscreen group escape was irrelevant. All that mattered was the excitement and payoff they received from the scene.
Most of the group laughed at Alan's sarcastic remark to Hammond about not endorsing Jurassic Park.
"Pft, yeah. That's a given." Uraraka said.
Yaoyorozu nodded with a stern visage. "If it had been me, my family would've shut down Hammond's park entirely and leave absolutely no trace of it."
The scene then cut back to show the T-Rex killing the matriarch raptor by violently tossing her into the T-Rex skeleton on display. Finally, the Queen of the Dinosaurs let out a powerful triumphant roar as the iconic "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" banner fell in front of it.
"HELL YEAH!" Tokage shouted enthusiastically.
Tokage's response perfectly summed up how the vast majority of people spanning almost two centuries felt about that scene.
Midoriya almost forgot that it was considered polite in Japanese society to watch a movie or video game until the credits were done (at least the first time one sees it), giving all of the makers their respect. After the movie concluded, his friends clapped in applause. The projector shut off as the theater lights came back on and most of the group stood up from their seats to stretch.
"Alright, I'll admit that was a fun movie." Kaminari grinned.
"Heck yeah!" Sero backed him up. "It wasn't complicated. Just a simple survival thriller with dinosaurs. Don't need anything more than that."
"The film score was pretty good too." Jiro commented. "Maybe I can find it online somewhere…" She said to herself.
"Hey, Tokage, we're all getting up to leave. Are you coming?" Uraraka asked.
The busy greenette was still sitting on the couch with her emerald eyes glued to the blank screen.
"Uh…Tokage, are you alright?" Yaoyorozu stepped up, slightly concerned.
Tokage exhaled deeply. "...Sh*t…Where's the damn replay button?"
As the group stepped out of the theater room, Tokage quietly handed Midoriya two 1000 Yen bills and walked away. Midoriya couldn't help but smirk as he pocketed the money.
After the movie, Yaoyorozu led them to the library and the first-timers were amazed by the sheer size and volume of books filling their vision. The heiress suggested they all find something that they enjoy reading.
Iida found a history textbook of early Pro Heroes. Yaoyorozu picked out a metallurgy textbook–which made Ashido grimace. Uraraka selected an old science-fiction novel from the Pre-Quirk days called The Martian. Asui and Tsunotori both picked out encyclopedias on frogs and horses respectively, to absolutely no one's surprise. Tokage found the first Jurassic Park novel, much to her elation. Sero revealed himself to be a fan of older genres as he returned with a noir detective novel. Jiro and Kaminari coincidentally chose music books covering electric guitars, much to the former's embarrassment. Ashido and Kirishima took the longest to find a book, but they soon returned. While Kirishima's selection was a biography of The Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot, Ashido's choice made almost everyone blush; the cover involved a woman wearing only a sheet, held in the arms of an almost naked man who looked sculpted, not born.
Midoriya, meanwhile, had selected a Japanese history book covering the Age of Heroes in Japan, post-Dark Times.
The group settled into a set of beautiful recliners in the library with their respective books in hand.
"Well…at least we know each other's preferences," Midoriya pointed out. Much to the group's amusement, his face was still flushed slightly after seeing Ashido's choice in reading material. The memory of certain scenes from Yaoyorozu's story earlier in the afternoon were still fresh in his mind, which further compounded his embarrassment.
"What can I say, I'm into hunks. I mean, have you seen who I'm dating?" Ashido nudged Kirishima and winked.
"Ah c'mon, babe. Not here." Kirishima chuckled, slightly blushing.
This prompted chuckles from most of the group.
"Speaking of," Ashido waggled her eyebrows at the other guys, "how often do you boys work out?"
"I train at least four times a week." Iida answered. "Mostly cardio but I will hit the gym three times throughout the week."
Sero shrugged, unfazed by Ashido's saucy grin. "I go to the gym at least three times a week, but mostly for rock-climbing."
"I pretty much train everyday." Midoriya casually replied. "Today was an exception due to my injuries from yesterday though."
The group turned to the verdette with surprised looks.
"Seriously?" Tsunotori's eyes widened. "That's a lot…"
"Geez…no wonder you have the body of a freaking god!" Tokage exclaimed, which prompted her fellow verdette to rub his shoulder sheepishly.
"That so hardcore, man!" Kirishima exclaimed. "But," he then looked concerned, "you're not overworking yourself, right?"
Midoriya shook his head. "My body's durability and healing is enhanced, so I can exercise for longer periods without hurting myself unlike most people. I've gotten used to my regime honestly. Don't worry though, I'm being smart about it."
"I gotcha. That's so manly, dude! You gotta share your workout regime with me!" Kirishima said excitedly.
"Sure thing." Midoriya nodded, smiling. "Although, it'd have to be readjusted for other people. Not everyone can keep up with my workouts."
"Bring it! I can handle it!" Kirishima declared confidently.
'We'll see about that.' The super-soldier smirked.
"So that just leaves you, Kaminari-san." Ashido turned to the blonde, who had been trying to hide behind his book. "What's your workout routine like?"
"Uh…" the blonde sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck. "I do a little bit of cardio and some pushups, situps, and squats at my house. Nothing to write home about. I…didn't see the need to train too much growing up."
"Ah, I see." Iida nodded in understanding. "With your Electrification Quirk, you could more often than not end any fight by electrocuting your opponents. It makes sense then why you didn't devote as much time to physical training."
"Exactly!" Kaminari grinned. "I thought focusing on Quirk training would be more worthwhile. I'd rather end a fight with a ZAP rather than getting physical."
"Well, all you guys keep at it, and you might be as ripped as Eijiro-kun and Midoriya." Ashido grinned even wider and turned to the other girls. "Heck, you could grate cheese on their abs!"
Midoriya looked away to hide his blush while Kirishima turned to her in fake-anger. "M-Mina…!"
Yaoyorozu gently nudged Ashido–a tint of pink on her cheeks. "All right, please stop."
"Fine, but just for today." The pinkette rolled her eyes.
"I'll give you until next week, kero." Asui remarked.
Midoriya calmed down and shifted his attention back to Kaminari. "Hey, Kaminari-san…you said you don't want to get physical with Villains, but why did you add batons to your costume redesign? Using them properly does require getting close to opponents."
"Well…y-yeah. I don't like getting close to bad guys, but with my Quirk I don't have much choice." Kaminari responded. "My electricity just goes everywhere if I release it when not wearing my new costume. I could fry my friends along with the baddies around me."
"I see…" Midoriya hummed thoughtfully. "Well, you could ask the Support Department to increase your long-range capabilities?"
"Perhaps a device that can absorb your electricity and shoot targets?" Yaoyorozu suggested. "That way you can take down opponents from a distance without endangering your allies."
"That's a great idea!" Kaminari lit up. "I'll get in touch with the support dudes when we get back Thursday."
"Keep in mind, Kaminari, gear can be broken." Midoriya mentioned. "You should learn some basic martial arts too, along with improving your baton skills."
"Yeah…I know you're right, but…" Kaminari became slightly downcast. "I'm just not too thrilled with the idea of getting into hand-to-hand combat with Villains. Not really my strong suit."
At the mention of the USJ, the group fell into an awkward silence.
"Are…" Tokage glanced around. "Are we gonna talk about what happened yesterday or what?"
Yaoyorozu sighed. "I believe we should. It's not healthy to bottle up these kinds of emotions for too long."
"Yeah…" Kirishima chimed. "I mean, better to talk about it with you guys than a school shrink, right?"