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Published:
2019-10-16
Updated:
2020-12-21
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77,650
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28/?
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How To Be A Hero

Summary:

Izuku has no quirk, but he dreams of becoming a hero who can save people with a smile.

Hitoshi has a villainous quirk that makes people frightened of simply speaking to him, but he wants to be a hero people can trust.

Himiko has a quirk that has caused her to go down the wrong path, but she hopes to become a hero people can rely on.

 

In another world, Izuku had to be given a quirk to achieve his dream, Hitoshi had to get beat down again and again to achieve his dream, & Himiko never achieved her dream.

But in this world, they become the heroes they want to be, and they never had to change themselves for the sake of upholding a broken system.

 

Cause fuck the haters, right?

 

[[TEMPORARY HIATUS]]

Notes:

Constructive criticism is appreciated, since this is my first multi-chapter fanfic.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Be Kind

Chapter Text

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Play.

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I AM HERE.”

 

PAUSE.

 

The door to the room creaks open. The toddler sitting in front of the computer hesitates before turning around in his chair. A young woman with long green hair and tearful green eyes stands there in the doorway, looking lost as though she couldn’t decide whether she should comfort the crying child or leave him be. 

“Mama…” He whimpers, before pointing up at the smiling hero on the screen, “Do you think… that I can still be a hero?” He asks, his voice choked up from crying. 

The woman breaks down in tears right then and there. She runs up and kneels down beside the child to pull him into a protective hug.

“I’m so sorry Izuku!” She whispers in between sobs.

The room fades away, but the boy can still here her heart wrenching words echo in the background like a broken record. Suddenly the ground gives away and the boy is falling… falling… falling.

 

 

 

***

 

 

A scrawny freckled teenager jolts awake from his dream, causing him to accidentally roll out of bed and ceremoniously go splat face-first on the cold hardwood floor. He clutches his nose and almost lets out an unholy rant of cuss words, before remembering that his roommate would kill him if he accidentally woke him up. So he sucks up the pain and drags himself to the bathroom to take care of the nose bleed. 

He flicks on the lights, revealing a disheveled teen staring back at him through the mirror. Izuku carefully washes the blood from his face, taking gentle care of his nose and making sure it wasn’t broken. He then checks his watch and decides that it’s probably a good time to wake up anyways so that he doesn’t have to fight his roomie for the shower. 

As if on cue, there’s a loud pounding on the bathroom door, “YOU BETTER NOT BE HOGGING ALL THE HOT WATER YOU USELESS FREAK! HURRY THE FUCK UP!” His roommate, Ryushi Tayo, shrieks from the opposite side.

Ah… Izuku should not have tempted fate’s hand. 

 

After taking a brief shower, Izuku takes the time to get a good look at himself in the mirror while brushing his teeth. His dark green hair looks unruly and wild as usual, but it would probably be a good idea to get a haircut soon so that Izuku would look less like a walking bush. His eyes are no longer the twinkling green eyes of a hero-obsessed child, now they are unnervingly dull and lifeless. His cheeks are a little more hollow than they used to be, but that’s Izuku’s fault for skipping too many meals. Too many sleepless nights have left permanent dark circles beneath his eyes.

 

“I’m done.” He says, before stepping out of the bathroom, then quickly stepping out of the way for Ryushi to barge into the bathroom. 

 

“Finally! You sure took your damn sweet ass time there!!!” The ill-tempered boy snaps before slamming the door and locking it.

 

Izuku just blinks slowly before continuing on with his routine, his mind wandering off on its own as his physical body goes on autopilot to get him through the day. Anyone he happens to come across steps out of his way, giving him a wide bubble of space as though he had a contagious disease. The twelve year-old shrinks in on himself to try and make himself as unnoticeable as possible, years of exposure to pity and scorn has made him sensitive to what other people may think of him. He can see it in their eyes, he can hear it whispered behind his back, “poor little deku” .

 

He arrives to his class early, automatically moving to grab the seat shoved in the back corner where he can gaze out the window and be left alone. He stops in his tracks, however, when he sees that there is someone sitting in said desk already. Izuku doesn’t recognize him at all, which is strange considering how long Izuku has been trapped at the orphanage now. Even though Izuku doesn’t interact with a lot of the people around him, he is still very aware of the faces of the people who shamelessly discriminate him on a daily basis. Could he be new? Did he just arrive today? What’s his story? The other boy doesn’t seem to notice Izuku’s presence, his violet eyes gazing intently outside at the clouds rolling across the sky. Izuku takes this as an opportunity to visually analyze the newcomer, taking in his physical appearance and making mental notes as he did. It’s clear as day that the boy suffers from insomnia, if the dark bags underneath his bored violet eyes are any indicator. Upon closer speculation, his indigo colored hair seems to be floating naturally in the open air, one might simply assume that it’s held up with gel, but Izuku knows that it is often times the indicator of an activated mental quirk (similar to how Eraserhead’s hair floats when his quirk is activated). Slapped on his wrists are a pair of quirk suppressors; a dangerous mental quirk he can’t control perhaps? 

 

Izuku is snapped out of his train of thought when the boy finally notices his staring. The insomniac is quick to shoot him an annoyed glare, not liking the invasion to his privacy. Izuku subconsciously shrinks under the scrutinizing gaze.

 

“Can I help you?” He drawls, his voice dry and weary.

 

Izuku immediately turns his eyes to his shoes, embarrassed at the fact that he has been caught staring, “S-Sorry. It’s just that… you’re sitting where I usually s-sit and…” His words come out in an awkward jumbled mess, causing his cheeks to turn red as his embarrassment grows with his inability to speak. He then prepares himself for the boy to make fun of his stuttering, his scalding insults, or onslaught of jibes. 

 

To Izuku’s shock however, the other teenager doesn’t say anything at all. Instead, he starts to look embarrassed at himself, “Sorry, I’m new and I didn’t know there was a seating chart.” He explains sheepishly while getting out of the seat. 

 

Izuku’s eyes widen and he frantically waves his arms, “No! No! No! I’m sorry! There’s no seating assignments. I just like to sit there. You can stay if you want! You don’t have to move!”

 

The boy shakes his head, “It’s not a big deal. I just like the sit in the back in general so that I can nap. I’ll just move over a desk.”

 

“Are you sure?” Izuku questions, feeling bad for making the other boy move for him.

 

“It’s fine.” The boy insists with the tiniest of smiles on his lips. So he moves to the desk beside Izuku so that the greenette can have the seclusion of his back corner again. 

 

“Th-Thank you… what’s your name?” Izuku asks, his curiosity piqued by the boy since he’s the only person to show him any form of kindness in years.

 

“Shinsou Hitoshi. And your’s?”

 

“I’m Midoriya Izuku.”

 

 

Little did they know, that one small act of kindness blossomed into a lifelong friendship that would stand against the trials of Fate.

Chapter 2: Be Open-minded

Summary:

Our boys make their escape. Then they get hired by a coffee shop owner, who is somehow both religious and also very VERY terrifying at the same time.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It only took a couple of days for the two outcasts to bond and become the closest of friends. In that span of time, Shinsou deemed Izuku trustworthy enough to tell him his backstory and gave him the right to call him by his first name.

When he gained his “villainous” quirk at the tender age of four, Hitoshi had accidentally used his brainwashing quirk on his birth parents during a small tantrum (as most children do). This scared his parents shitless, causing them to take extreme measures by muzzling their own son and locking him up in his room like a prisoner. Luckily, Hitoshi’s mysterious disappearance didn’t go unnoticed by his kindergarten teacher, and child services rescued Hitoshi from the hell house only two weeks later. He doesn’t know what became of his birth parents, but he sincerely hopes that they are locked up in a cell somewhere. Izuku doesn’t say it, but he hopes for the same thing as well. Long story short, Hitoshi has gained a reputation in the system for being a runaway. But he explains that the only reason he runs away is because he has a deep fear of having parents again. Especially after what his own birth parents did to him. 

Izuku openly admits that he can’t relate to Hitoshi’s fear of parents, since he can’t even remember his own parents. According to the orphanage’s records, his mother dropped him off when he was four and a half. For what reason? It was never confirmed… that box on the registration papers was intentionally left blank. But Izuku has a feeling that the reason is pretty damn clear. Especially since the box labeled “Any Medical Issues?” has the word QUIRKLESS printed in bold text for the whole world to see. When Izuku was young and still green to the harsh realities of the world around him, he used to fantasize that his mother or father would come bursting through the orphanage doors like All Might to save him from the bullies that would constantly pick on him. Then his parents would take him home; give him hugs to make him feel better, teach him how to ride a bike, give him praise for his high grades in school, bake cookies and brownies together, etc. Like Hitoshi, he also has a bad reputation in the system for being a runaway. Unlike Hitoshi, Izuku spends that precious time to try and find his birth parents. 

So as you can guess, when you put two rebellious masterminds together, something is bound to happen. Izuku and Hitoshi spend their free time strategizing their next escape from the dreaded orphanage, and it didn’t take long for them to come up with a foolproof plan. That weekend, they set their plan into motion.

They spent Saturday preparing for their escape by packing the bare essentials to help them survive. Hitoshi still had some money he stole off of a mugger during one of his last escapades. Izuku still had the cash he received two years ago in return for saving a woman from an attempted rape. Together, the money will be enough to buy themselves food for the next few weeks. In their own respective bags are a change of civilian clothing (since the orphanage forces them to wear uniforms), a water bottle, and their toiletries. They also decided that they should allow themselves to take one precious personal belonging with them. Hitoshi packed a very old looking Eraserhead action figure. Izuku was torn between the last photo he had of his mum or his limited-edition All Might action figure. In the end, Hitoshi said he could take both. That night, they held their breath in suspense as they snuck away into the night.

The next morning, the police would receive a frantic call from the orphanage reporting the disappearance of two boys. 

 

***

 

It’s been about a week since they’ve escaped their prison. People have started looking for them; their faces are being plastered on the news, their story is being told in the paper, heroes and policemen have been asking around for them on their patrols. Luckily, Izuku and Hitoshi were smart and this wasn’t their first rodeo. 

The first thing they did was dye their hair black, since green and purple hair is way too noticeable out in the open. Then they ditched their uniforms in the nearest dumpster and changed into their street clothes. Izuku chose to wear a black hoodie and dark grey sweats. Hitoshi chose to wear a purple hoodie with a picture of a cat on the front and navy blue jeans. Both of them have dark sunglasses to cover their eyes, but in the future they plan to buy colored eye contacts to hide their true eye color. This was the most they could afford with the cash they had on hand.

Then came the issue with where they were going to live. Unsurprisingly, Izuku already had a place in mind. After an hour of walking, they finally arrived at Dagobah Beach (which has become more like Dagobah Dump over the years), where Izuku led the way to an abandoned gardening shed that was somehow still in good shape. Izuku had found it a couple of years ago on his first attempt to runaway from the orphanage. It’s not exactly a penthouse, but it’ll have to do for now until they can get the money to rent an apartment or something. Hitoshi has gotten into the habit of affectionately calling it their “Hobo Shack”.

So now that a week has passed, the pair have been surviving by recycling the empty bottles and cans left on the sand. Every day, they would spend the money they received on food. However, they know that they can’t live off of recycling money forever. They have to get jobs. 

“I don’t know about this Hitoshi… it feels like a bad idea. What if someone sees us and reports us?”

“We have our disguises. Plus, we don’t really have that much of a choice.” Hitoshi replies sensibly, while attempting to comb his wild hair in front of a partially broken mirror.

Izuku takes a deep breath, “You’re right. I hate to admit it… but… I’m…”

Hitoshi glances at his partner over his left shoulder, “Scared?”

A slight nod, “Yeah. Terrified actually. The last thing I want to do is lose my chance at freedom.” Izuku’s hands are gripping his knees so hard that Hitoshi can see his knuckles turning white, “I’m never going back again. I’ve waited too long for this. My mother is somewhere out there. Waiting for me to come find her. This is probably the only chance I’ve got. And what if they catch us? What if we get caught? They’ll drag us back to that hell hole and separate us. You’ll probably get sent away again, and then I’ll be all alone. I’ll be alone again. I don’t want to lose my only friend. I’m just so scared.” His muttering continues to grow worse and worse as his thoughts begin to spiral deeper and deeper until the panic settles into his mind. Guilt suddenly clouds Shinso’s heart and he walks over to sit beside his friend. He pulls the other boy into a one armed hug and the muttering boy leans into the hold, “I’m sorry if it felt like I was forcing you. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

Izuku shakes his head, “No, that would be wrong. Making you work while I lay around in the Hobo Shack all day.”

“Are you sure?” Hitoshi inquires.

“Yeah.”

But Hitoshi can still see the unease in Izuku’s eyes, “Would it make you feel better if we worked at the same place?”

Izuku perks up immediately, “That… would be nice.”

Both of them sit inside their home for a little bit longer, Hitoshi’s arm still hugging Izuku to his side and Izuku’s head resting on the other boy’s shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry. But… I don’t want my business responsible for anything that happens to you at work Akatani-san. I’m afraid your… lack of quirk will make some of my other employees… uncomfortable.” The restaurant owner says with a slight grimace on his face, before turning his attention to Hitoshi, “But I’m willing to hire you, Ongaku-san. What do you say?” He offers, outstretching a hand to Hitoshi with the fakest smile on his pudgy face.

Hitoshi glares down at the man’s hand and gives the man a disgusted sneer, “Sorry, but we’re a package deal.” He promptly stands up from his seat and drags Izuku out of the room, making sure that he slammed the door extra hard on the way out.

Once outside, Izuku breaks away from Hitoshi’s grip and gives his friend a frustrated glare, “Hitoshi, that was totally unnecessary. You could’ve just taken the job.”

“Anyone who is going to treat you like a lesser-being just because you’re quirkless isn’t someone I want to work under.” Hitoshi retorts.

“Hitoshi…” Izuku says in exasperation, his eyes pleading.

Hitoshi lets out a huff and crosses his arms, “Fine. I promise that if the next place offers me a job, I’ll accept it.” This earned him a beaming smile and for a couple of seconds he is temporarily blinded by Izuku’s sheer radiance.

The next stop on their list is a small corner cafe curiously named “The Lounge”. It had recently opened and according to the newspaper advertisement — the owner needed full-time employees. When the duo arrived at the cafe, they thought they had wandered into a pub by accident. At the very back of the large space is a drinking bar, but instead of the shelves showcasing alcohol it has been modified to display a wide assortment of decorated coffee mugs and teacups. In the center of the space is a pool table and off to the left side is a couple of pinball machines. Overhead, you can hear smooth jazz music playing. The only thing that’s considered “normal” for a cafe are the tables and chairs hogging up the right side of the room. 

“Are you guys gonna order something or what?” A moody voice says behind them, startling the two teens. Both boys spin around and come face to face with the scariest looking woman they’ve ever seen. Izuku did NOT scream like those white bitches who die first in horror movies and Hitoshi did NOT dive behind Izuku for protection. Both will deny any claim of such, even though the cafe’s security cameras had caught everything. 

The woman looks to be about in her early twenties. On top she wears a plain white t-shirt with a black leather jacket, on the bottom she wears ripped blue jeans and knee high black leather boots. Wrapped around her head is a bright red bandanna, a sharp contrast to her messy bob of neon green hair. Around her neck hangs a necklace with the cross. The most unique trait about her (besides her overall rebel look) are her eyes; they are an intense lime green that remind Izuku of a viper staring down its prey. And that’s exactly what Izuku feels like right now: prey.

She continues to stare them down, but now she has one brow raised in confusion, “What’s your guy’s problem?”

Both teens quickly compose themselves and Hitoshi is the first person to regain his ability to speak, “Sorry! We were just startled. We didn’t notice you sneak up on us.”

The woman snorts and crosses her arms, “You two yahoos were so busy gawking that you didn’t even notice me sneak up behind you. Spacing out like that can be really dangerous, especially for a couple of clueless kids like you two.” She then moves around them to head back towards the bar, the two glance at each other before choosing to follow her. Then she goes inside the bar and starts making something, “Sit down already will ya? Starting to creep me out.” She orders tells them. They immediately sit down and she places two mugs of steaming hot cocoa in front of them. Izuku and Hitoshi glance at each other nervously, which causes the woman to let out an exasperated sigh, “It’s not poisoned nitwits. Drink up. Both of you look like you’ve been to hell and back, and you’re both skinny to boot. Some sugar will do you some good.”

Izuku is the first to pick up his mug and take a sip, and the effect is almost immediate. His eyes widen and he almost starts chugging the thing, despite how hot it must be. He turns to Hitoshi, “It’s sooooo good!” He says before chugging the rest, completely ignoring the fact that his mouth is now numb. Hitoshi takes a sip and he has to admit, it’s probably the best hot chocolate he’s ever had in his life, but he doesn’t chug it down like Izuku since it’s still way too hot. 

While the two are finishing up their drinks, the lady pulls up a chair and sits across from them at the bar, “Now that you two don’t look like you’re about to pass out, let’s start off with introductions. My name is Horikoshi Aya, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m the boss of this place.”

Izuku avoids eye contact with the intimidating woman and whispers, “My name is Akatani Mikumo.”

Shinso places the finished mug down, “My name is Ongaku Habiki. We were wondering if we could apply for a job here Horikoshi-san.” He says, with a bit more confidence.

“Ugh. Don’t call me that. It makes me feel like an old hag. Just Aya-san is fine.” She says while casually leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed, “So you two squirts want jobs right?” She grouches. They both nod their heads urgently. 

Aya may look aloof on the outside, but on the inside she feels torn up about the situation she has just been thrown into. These two boys are clearly underage minors. Judging by their clothes and overall ratty appearance, they’re probably homeless. Now Aya is no idot, she keeps her eyes one the news and she KNOWS the two kids in front of her are the missing brats with their faces plastered across every television screen in Japan. They’ve done a good job with the disguises, but if anyone paid a little more attention they would be able to make a connection and recognize them right away. Her heart goes out to them, because she knows what it’s like to be scared and alone on the streets. On the other hand, hiring them would be a risk for not only herself but also to them. Any customer could come in and happen to recognize them from TV, which would result in the cops getting involved and Aya hates cops more than anything on this earth. She lets out a sigh and lets her fingers wander to the silver rosary she wears on her neck.

“Oh God… give me a sign to help me make a choice.” She silently pleads. 

The sound of the door opening causes the two teens to jump, but Aya calmly opens her eyes and sits up straight. Two police officers had entered the cafe and were quickly making their way to the bar where the three of them were. Izuku and Hitoshi were frozen in their seats, too scared to even move as the officers approach them. 

Aya stands up, “What can I get you fine gentlemen today?”

The two officers don’t even spare the two teenagers a glance, their focus is only on the menu hanging above Aya’s head. The officer on the right hums and replies, “I’ll take a large mocha latte.” The officer on the left grimaces at his partner’s choice, “Plain black coffee. No sugar.” 

Aya scribbles down their orders and replies, “That’ll be 800 yen. Your order will be out shortly. Please feel free to take a seat or enjoy the entertainment The Lounge has to provide.” The two officers thank her before sitting down beside the two boys, who both look too frightened to even blink… or breathe. She has to stifle a laugh at their priceless expressions. While making the coffee, Aya can’t help but eavesdrop onto the conversation going on between the two policemen. 

“When do you think those two kids will be found?”

“When they want to be found I guess.”

“I just can’t wait for the search to be over.”

“Yeah same. I don’t know why the media has to make such a big deal about it.”

“It’s cause one of the boys is quirkless. The other has a mind control quirk.”

“That’s too bad. The quirkless one is probably already dead by now. And the other one has probably joined some criminal gang. Villains would love to have a quirk like that on their side.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Aya tunes them out, not wanting to cause a scene for attacking two police officers. God knows she’s gotten into trouble for that way too many times in her life. But hearing them say those kind of things about two children makes her blood boil. She places the order in front of them, and they leave without knowing how close they were to solving the very case they were just conversing about. The two boys sag on their stools in relief, both of them letting out the breath they had been holding. Aya places a chaste kiss on her rosary, knowing what she had just witnessed was a clear answer to her prayer. 

She lets out another sigh, gaining the two boys’ attention, “I’ll hire both of you. I’m gonna need the extra hands on deck since I plan on expanding my menu a bit. Which one of you is good at quick math?”

Izuku raises his hand without hesitation.

“Okay, which one of you knows how to cook?” 

Izuku’s hand immediately drops, but Hitoshi’s hand shoots up.

Aya nods, satisfied with their response, “Alright. It’s getting late and almost closing time. So tomorrow will be your first day of training. I’ll give you guys one week to prove to me that you can handle responsibilities. You.” She points at Izuku, “You’ll be manning the cash register. And you.” She points at Hitoshi, “You’ll be my second pair of hands in the kitchen. Now are there any questions?”

Izuku raises his hand, “Um… Aya-san, what uniforms do you want us to wear?”

“Hah???” Aya gives the kid and incredulous look, “I don’t give a shit about what you wear, just make sure you’re not butt-naked. Do I dress up like some fucking cafe maid to you?” Izuku is quick to shake his head.

Hitoshi raises his hand, “Don’t you want to ask us our quirks first?”

Aya rolls her eyes, “I don’t give a shit about your guys’ quirks. As long you are capable of doing the tasks I give you, I don’t care if you have laser eyes or super smell. Got that?” Hitoshi’s eyes widen in surprise and he barely manages a small nod.

“Alright. Be here at 5 in the morning. We open at 7. Don’t worry about breakfast. Just get your asses dressed and come straight here. Understand?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“And another thing… drop the fucking formalities!!!”

“Yes Aya-san!”

Notes:

Usually I update every other weekend. But this is just a treat for ya'll. Doing double updates are rare.

Question of the day: What's your favorite food and/or drink from a cafe?
Whenever I go to a cafe, you will see me walking out with a cup of hot cocoa and a chocolate chip muffin.

Chapter 3: Be Smart

Summary:

Mr. Polygraph is given the slip.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It has been about a month since Aya had hired the two young boys and she is grateful for the extra help around the place. However, she hates the fact that she can feel herself getting attached to them. To her, they are like the younger siblings she will never have and the thought of anything happening to them frightens her to death.


What if they get caught?
What if they get hurt?
What if they get killed?
What if… what if…


A hand taps her shoulder, breaking her away from the spiraling whirlwind of her negative thoughts, “Aya-san, are you alright?”


She blinks and looks over her shoulder to see Hitoshi eyeing her with concern, “Yeah, why?”


“It’s nothing. You just had a really worried look on your face. I was wondering if something was wrong.”


Her lips twitch upwards into a smile and she ruffles the kid’s fluffy hair, “Nothing’s wrong, Habiki. I was just daydreaming.” She lies with a guilty conscience. His eyebrows crinkle with doubt, but he doesn’t call her out on her little fib. Aya rarely (if ever) lies about anything. He knows how much she hates it. So he knows she must have a good reason to do so.


Aya starts walking to the front and Hitoshi follows her. Working behind the bar is Izuku, who’s busy wiping down the countertop with a wet rag.

When they exit the kitchen, Izuku looks up from his work and says, “I’m done cleaning the bar Aya-san.”


“We’ll see about that.” Their boss crosses her arms as she walks behind the bar to inspect Izuku’s work, her keen eyes scanning over the polished surface. After a minute she shoots Izuku a rare smile, “Not bad Mikumo.”


Izuku beams from the praise.


“Okay, you guys know the drill for Sunday. I’m gonna stay back here in my office to handle the bills and all that responsible adult shit. You two are going to go restock on supplies.” She places a small wad of cash on the countertop in front of them, “I know the exact amount of money in this deck right here. If you spend any of it on shit like candy or drugs, I’m going to fucking know. So don’t even try it, ya hear?” They both bob their heads up and down in fear of the barista’s wrath. Then she pulls out a list from her back pocket and slams it on the counter next to the cash, “Here’s the list of shit you need to buy. Be back here by 3 o’clock. No later than that or else I gonna come hunt you down with my rolling pin. Understand?”

Both of them pale at the memory of the “rolling pin incident”.


“Yes Aya-san!!!”


“Good! Now scram!”

 

 

***

 

 

Hitoshi takes a deep breath through his nose, holds it for a few seconds, before letting out a deep and tired sigh, “Aya-san is going to kill us with her rolling pin. Fuck.”

The time on the clock reads 2:45 PM. So where are our two lovely protagonists???

Izuku and Hitoshi are currently hiding in the baking aisle of the store, while a villain is pointing a pistol in the cashier’s face. From their hiding place, Izuku can hear small bits and pieces of the villain's demands to the cashier. “Put… this bag… dare… call the cops… kill…” That last bit sent a shiver of fear through Izuku’s body and dread pooled inside of his gut like a sunken puddle of ice.


“What’s wrong Izuku?” Hitoshi whispers, noticing his best friend’s eyes have widened to the size of dinner plates and his face has gone a few shades paler.


Izuku looks over his shoulder, fear written all across his face, “He’s going to kill everybody Hitoshi. We’re all hostages now.”


Hitoshi sucks in a sharp breath, “Shit. So now I guess the only option is to play the waiting game until the heroes come, huh?”


“HURRY THE FUCK UP!” The villain screeches, causing the young cashier to let out a shaky sob as she unloads the money into a bag.


Izuku shakes his head, “There’s no time. By the time the heroes come that guy will be long gone. We have to do something.”


“Well what do you suggest we do?!” Hitoshi harshly whispers.


“You can use your quirk on him and make him surrender.”


Hitoshi rapidly shakes his head, “There are cameras Izuku. If someone sees me using my quirk, they’ll connect the dots and trace it back to me. Then we’ll both get caught.”


Izuku pulls at his curls in frustration, wracking his brain to come up with a plan, “Let’s see what we’ve got. We’re in the baking aisle, which means there should be stuff we can use for improvised weapons. Rolling pins, kitchen twine, pie weights, flour…” And sure enough, a plan starts to bake (pun intended) in his mind. After thinking it through several times, he turns to Hitoshi with a dangerous shit-eating grin on his face, “I have a plan. And here’s what we need.”

After Izuku ran through his master plan, Hitoshi stares at his friend in awe, “That’s genius, and maybe a little crazy. Let’s do it.”

 

Izuku jumps out of their aisle, waving his arms over his head, “Hey! Over here ugly!” He screams at the top of his lungs.

Everyone in the store, including the villain, turn their attention to the suicidal teenager weilding a rolling pin like a sword. The civilians immediately start shouting at him to get down, but he simply stands there as though what he was doing was not totally stupid and crazy. The villain on the other hand, growls and aims his pistol at Izuku’s head.


“I hate it when people try to play hero. So I suggest you get down kid, before I put a bullet in your brain.” He threatens in a low voice.


Izuku mocks an astonished gasp, “Oh my! You’re going to kill me??? What a tragedy!” He declares dramatically.


“Look kid. Last chance. Step aside.”


While the villain is distracted, Hitoshi has slipped quietly into the aisle right behind the villain. In his right hand is a bag of flour and in his left is a small bag of pie weights. Hitoshi quickly sticks out a thumbs up to show Izuku he’s in position and ready to move on to Phase Two. Izuku sees the signal and grins.


“What’cha smilin’ about kid?” The villain questions, honestly feeling a little scared from the kid’s predatory smile.


“Over here asshole.” He spins around to see another teenager standing in the aisle behind him with a mischievous smirk.

Before he can even react, the brat throws a bag towards him and suddenly he’s blinded and lost in a cloud of white flour. He sputters and coughs from accidentally inhaling the fine powder. He flails to try to grab the brat, but his feet suddenly slide out from underneath him and he kisses the hard ground with his powdered face. The villain frantically tries to get up, but the small ceramic pie weights surrounding him make it an almost impossible task to even get up into a kneeling position before kissing the ground again. His gun is lost somewhere, he can barely even see.
Seeing the villain completely helpless, Izuku takes the opening and charges forward with his all-mighty (no pun intended) rolling pin. With a battle cry, he raises his weapon and brings it down as hard as possible upon the villain’s skull.


CRACK.


The villain’s body hits the ground with a loud thud and Hitoshi pulls out the kitchen twine from his hoodie. While both boys were tying up the unconscious villain, the distraught cashier phoned the cops and the other customers finally came out of hiding now that the threat was apprehended. Izuku helped to escort the customers outside, while Hitoshi hung back to pay for the groceries they came for in the first place.


In less than five minutes, two police cruisers pulled up into the parking lot and three cops jump out to apprehend the villain. Another man stepped out of the cruiser and Izuku took note of his tan trench coat, “A detective.”


The detective’s eyes connect with Izuku’s green orbs and he approaches the teen, “I heard that you and your friend were the ones who apprehended the villain. Nice work, but I hope you understand how dangerous your actions were.”


“I understand d-detective, b-but I couldn’t just st-stand by and do nothing.”


TRUE


The detective smiles and holds out his hand, “I’m Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa for the Musutafu precinct. What’s your name kid?”


Izuku hesitates before shaking his hand, “My name is Akatani Mikumo.” He nervously replies with a shaky smile of his own.


FALSE


Naomasa frowns, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to need your real name to file a police report. Don’t worry about getting in trouble. As long you and your friend didn’t use your quirks you should be fine. You guys didn’t use your quirks right?”


Izuku is too panicked to even give the man a proper response, “How did he know I was lying? Is that his quirk? Holy shit, I’m screwed. What am I going to do?”


“Hey, Mikumo! Are you ready to go!?” Izuku turns around to see Hitoshi waltzing up to them at a leisurely pace. In his arms are the six heavy grocery bags that they needed to haul all the way back to the cafe.


Izuku nods, “Yeah, I’m coming.” He turns back to Detective Tsukauchi and asks, “Can I talk to my friend really fast to explain what’s going on?”


“Sure! I’ll be right here.”


Without hesitation, Izuku grabs Hitoshi and drags him away from the detective until they are out of earshot. Hitoshi, surprised by Izuku’s aggressiveness, questions, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”


Izuku shakes his head, “We have a big problem. That guy has a lie detector quirk or something. I told him my name and he somehow knew I lied. He wants to interrogate both of us about the incident. He’ll want to know why we have fake names and then he’ll arrest us and they’ll find us and they’ll take us back and then they’ll separate us and–”


Before Izuku can ramble any farther, Hitoshi slaps his hand over his muttering mouth, “Woah. Woah. Woah there buddy. Slow down and take some deep breaths. I’ll handle this.”


Izuku tries to suppress the bile rising in the back of his throat and takes a deep breath, “Okay… okay… how?”


He rolls his eyes, “Duh, I have a quirk Izuku.”


Izuku blinks, “Oh.” Hitoshi calmly walks over to the detective with a nervous Izuku in tow.

Naomasa takes out his notepad and pen, before giving both teens his full attention, “Alright guys, I won’t try to take up too much of your time. I just have to ask you guys about what happened from your point of view.”


“What do you need to know?” Hitoshi asks smoothly.


“Well you can start off by—” The detective’s speech is cut off midway and his face goes completely blank.


“After I release you, you will be frozen in place for five whole minutes. Nod if you understand.” He slowly bobs his head, and Hitoshi releases his hold on the mental link.

Both boys don’t hesitate to make or break for it. They book it around the corner and they keep sprinting all the way back to The Lounge. Passerbys barely give the teens a second glance as they run past them as though their lives depended on it. Well, technically their lives ARE at stake. Right now they can only pray that Aya-san will be too busy scolding them to use her infamous rolling pin. At 3:27 PM, they both shamelessly collapse on the ground of the cafe in a sweaty, tangled lump amongst the bulging bags of groceries laying haphazardly around them in a circle.


“We made it. We’re alive.” Izuku gasps in between each breath.


“Not for long brat.”


Both of them freeze and slowly turn around to see the menacing glare of their boss, that wicked glint in her eye that promises only pain and torture. On her face is a merciless smile that is stretched a little bit too wide, giving her a slightly unhinged appearance as she stares down her prey. In her hands is the dreaded rolling pin.


Izuku waves his arms in front of his face and cries, “W-WAIT! WAIT! WE CAN EXPLAIN!!!”


“I DON’T WANNA HEAR YOUR SHITTY EXCUSES!!!” She roars, pointing the end of the rolling pin at their chests, “TWENTY-SEVEN FUCKING MINUTES LATE?!? HOW DO YOU EVEN EXPLAIN THAT!?!”


“We got caught up in a villain attack at the store.” Hitoshi blurts out.


“The v-villain was going to get away, so Habiki and I st-stopped him.” Izuku adds quickly.


“Then Mikumo got held up by a detective.”


“So Habiki had to use his quirk to g-get us out of it.”


“Then we had to sprint over here.”


“And th-that’s why we’re l-late.” Izuku concludes.


Aya crosses her arms, her lips turning downwards into a slight frown and her eyebrows scrunching together, “What was the name of this detective?”


Izuku and Hitoshi share a confused look, before Izuku replies, “I think his name was Detective Tsukauchi. He had a quirk that could tell whether I was lying or not.”


The barista hisses at the mention of the name, “Fuuuuuuck. Not Mr. Polygraph.” She quickly runs to her office, and checks the security monitors. The security camera recording the alley to the left of the cafe shows a police car roll up and park in the narrow space. “Double-fuck.” She curses quietly, before poking her head out the door and motioning the two boys inside. Then she throws open a closet full of leather jackets and baking aprons.


“Aya-san what’s wrong?” Hitoshi asks, noticing how her face had gone pale.


She takes a deep breath and orders, “I need you two to hide in this closet until I tell you it’s safe to come out.”


“But why?” Izuku presses.


“Just get in!” She snaps, and they both obey. She gently closes the doors, trapping both of them in total darkness. They listen in silence as she storms out of her office, the slamming of the heavy door signalling her exit.

 

 

***

 

 

~Meanwhile with Naomasa~


Naomasa can only watch from his frozen state as both teenagers take off. Frustration churns inside of him for letting two kids give me the slip. Granted, he didn’t expect the other boy to have a mind control quirk. However, that is no excuse for dropping his guard, he's a detective for god's sake! Luckily, it didn’t take too long for the quirk’s hold to wear off. So Naomasa quickly rallied his men and reported his encounter with the two boys.


“So two kids gave you the slip huh?” His partner, Tamakawa Sansa, snickers. Naomasa can only groan in embarrassment. The cat man pats him on the back sympathetically and says, “It happens to the best of us.”


“What now sir? Should we conduct a search?” One of the newbies inquires, radio already in hand.


Naomasa shakes his head, “No, you and your partner need to take this guy–” He gestures to the villain glaring at them through the window of the squad car, “back to the station and turn in a report. Officer Sansa and I will go after the kids.”


“Yes sir!” Both officers salute and hop inside the squad car, before driving off. Leaving the detective and his partner behind to continue the investigation.


The first thing they did was go inside to run through the store’s security feed of the past thirty minutes. They both watch in a mixture of awe and horror as they see Izuku’s genius plan unfold as the two boys on the screen single handedly take down the villain without any casualties.


“Holy shit! That kid must have some sort of analysis quirk to come up with a plan like that.” Sansa comments.


Naomasa shrugs, “Perhaps, but you don’t need a quirk to have a sharp mind. Let’s see where our two vigilantes ran off to.” He fast forwards the feed to where he got mind controlled. They watch as the two boys run down Musutafu Blvd. towards the downtown district.


Sansa hums, “Looks like they ran towards downtown.”


Naomasa pulls out his cellphone and makes a call to his department. Someone picks up on the first ring, “This is Officer Suzumi speaking. What’s the situation Detective?”


“I’ve got two teenagers who gave me the slip before I could interview them. One of them used their quirk on me to get away. Can you pull up all feed from the security cameras in downtown and look for two teenagers? One is wearing a black hoodie and the other is wearing a purple hoodie. Both have black messy hair.”


“Sure thing Detective. It’ll take a hot minute.” Came her response. After about two minutes of waiting on the phone, she reports, “I saw two suspects that matched that exact description run inside a cafe called The Lounge just right now. I’ll send you the address right away.”


“Thank you Officer Suzumi.” Naomasa says, before ending the call. Shortly after, a text message with the address popped up on his phone and he smirks, “Gotcha!”


Sansa started up the patrol car and within eight minutes they were in front of the cafe and knocking on the front door.

 

 

***

 

 

~Switching to Aya’s POV~

 


No sooner did I exit my office did I hear three knocks on my front door. I heave a heavy sigh before opening the door and glaring down at the two people on the opposite side of the doorway. Mr. Polygraph and Mr. Cat Head stare at me with comically wide eyes.


“Oh, uh, Miss Horikoshi. It’s nice to see you again.” Naomasa fumbles.


I dramatically roll my eyes, “Drop the fucking formalities. You know how much I hate them.”


Mr. Cat Head clears his throat and says, “Well, if you don’t mind, we were wondering if you saw two teenagers run inside of your cafe.”


“Yeah. A couple of yahoos decided to come barging into my cafe not too long ago.”


TRUE


“Are they still here?” Mr. Polygraph inquires.


“Not here, but they’re probably still nearby somewhere.”


TRUE


“Did you happen to have an encounter with them?”


She steps to the side so that they can see the discarded rolling pin on one of the tables, “You see that rolling pin over there? A murder almost happened a few minutes ago.”


TRUE


“Can you describe them to us?”


“One is short, wore a black hoodie. The slightly taller one wore a purple hoodie.”


TRUE


I cross my arms across my chest, “Are we done here? I was working on some important shit and I’d like to get back to it soon.”
TRUE


Mr. Cat Head sighs and says, “Alright. We’ll leave you alone now Miss Aya. Thank you for answering our questions.” He heads back to the patrol car, but Mr. Polygraph lingers as though he has something to say but doesn’t have the balls to say it.


“Got something else to say detective?” I ask curtly.


He grimaces and bows down his head slightly, “I just realized that I haven’t given you a sincere apology for what happened last year.”


“Save it.” I snap, “I don’t need your fucking apology.”


“But–”


“And besides, I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” Before he can utter another word, I slam the door in his face.

 

 

~Meanwhile, with the boys~

 


“What’s going on Hitoshi?” Izuku asks, his voice small and frightened.


“I’m just as clueless as you are Izuku.” Hitoshi replies, his voice just as quiet.


After a few minutes of tense silence, Izuku asks, “Do you mind if you can scoot over a bit Hitoshi? I’m kinda squished.”
“I would, but there’s something digging into my back. I think it’s a doorknob.”


Izuku raises an eyebrow in confusion, “Uh, Hitoshi? How is there a doorknob digging into your back, if we’re standing with our faces towards the closet doors?”


“... I don’t know.” Hitoshi replies hesitantly.


Izuku reaches behind his friend’s back and sure enough, there is a doorknob right between the teen’s shoulder blades, “Lean forward a bit Hitoshi.” His friend complies and Izuku is just barely able to turn the knob enough to hear a loud click. Both boys stare at each other in shock as a hidden door swings open to reveal a secret room, which is just as pitch black as the closet.

 

Hitoshi is first to step inside, then roams alongside the walls and finds a light switch. He flips the switch, temporarily blinding the two boys with the sudden influx of lights. After letting their eyes adjust, they can only gawk at what they’ve discovered.
The room is very small and cramped, Izuku approximates it’s about 7 meters wide and 5 meters long. The entirety of the opposite wall is taken up by an assortment of tools and weapons hung up in display. The variety of tools are more ordinary and mundane, much like what one would find in their dad’s toolbox. The amount of weapons on the wall, however, leave Izuku speechless. There are different types of handguns, a whole collection of daggers, a whip, a pair of eskrima sticks, a long metal bow stick, a hi-tech crossbow, a few rifles, and a fucking katana. On their left is a glass display case with a tight body skin suit inside. The suit is completely black, other than the subtle gold accented design here and there. In the middle of the breastplate is a glittering gold dragonfly insignia. On their right is a computer desk with numerous documents scattered all over the top in a messy pile. Izuku walks over to inspect them and his eyes widen at the seemingly incoherent clutter of information. The first thing that he notices is that it’s not written in Japanese; German perhaps? The documents are maps of the city, with little red scribbles all over the surface.

Hitoshi peeks over his shoulder and lets out a long whistle, “Her handwriting is even worse than yours Izuku.”


“Sh-shut up Hitoshi.” He stammers, his eyes still roaming over the notes.


Hitoshi turns his gaze to the computer full of encryption codes, “What is all this?”


Izuku sets down the documents with shaky hands, “I don’t know, but I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.”

 


Both of them froze at the sound of the door creaking open, “No shit Sherlock.”

Notes:

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
My favorite is mashed potatoes with gravy.

On another note: "HAPPY FAT DAY!!!"

Chapter 4: Be Realistic

Summary:

~Aya's past unfolds~
God, I hope I didn't make it corny!!!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

They whip around to see Aya leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. Her eyes staring at them with a mixture of emotions. They both jump away from the desk, apologies spilling from their lips like a broken faucet until Aya holds up a hand to silence them both.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad. Well, maybe a little, but that’s besides the point.”


Hitoshi points an accusing finger at her, “You’re a villain!” He exclaims in shock.


“Vigilante.” She quickly corrects with a biting tone, before she casts her eyes to the ground, “Well, ex-vigilante anyways.”


The gears begin to turn in Izuku’s brain, “Wait… works with a wide arsenal of weapons… gold dragonfly insignia…” A lightbulb goes off and Izuku’s face breaks out into a wide grin, “Oh My Gosh!!! You’re the infamous vigilante Dragonfly!” His smile suddenly fades, “But, if you’re Dragonfly, then where are your–”


“My wings.” She finishes for him with a somber expression.


Izuku looks at her in confusion, “Y-yeah. Your famous for how you can fly across the entire city in five minutes flat. You’re even faster than most of the flying heroes in the area. Th-that’s why no one could catch you for so long.”


Aya nods with a faint smile on her face, “You’re right. My quirk was a mutation that gave me beautiful fairy-like wings and hollow bones, which is what allowed me to fly at a little over 200 miles per hour.” Her smile falls once more and she heaves a heavy sigh, “The only downside is that I’m prone to bone fractures and my wings were also extremely fragile.” Hitoshi and Izuku glance at each other nervously, the obvious question at the tips of their tongue.


In the end, curiosity wins out and Hitoshi inquires, “So what happened to your wings?”


She flinches visibly and her body language shows her discomfort with the topic, “Let’s head upstairs and put away the groceries first. Then we can sit down and talk over some hot cocoa. Yeah?”

Izuku and Hitoshi eagerly nod in agreement, and they have never moved so fast in their life to get a chore done.

 


When they are sat down at the bar with their steaming mugs in hand, Aya takes a deep breath and says, “Now listen here brats, I think it goes unsaid that what I’m going to tell you cannot leave this circle. Got it?”


They both nod, “Yes, Aya-san!”


“Also,” She adds, “After I tell you guys my fucking sob story. I expect you guys to fess up and tell me who the hell you guys really are. And I mean the truth.” Both of them freeze up and Aya has to bark out a laugh, “Calm the fuck down, I already knew you guys were those brats who escaped from that fucking orphanage when I hired you two. If I had wanted to turn you guys into the cops, I would’ve done so already.”


“Then why bother telling you about us then?” Hitoshi speculates.


“I thought it was pretty clear. If I’m going to have to suffer by telling you twits the story of my fucking life, then it’s only fair you guys suffer as well.”

Both boys turn to each other and shrug, that was fair enough for them.

Aya takes a long sip from her mug before sighing through her nose, “I didn’t have the best childhood growing up. My mother was a hooker, so she never knew the identity of my sperm donor amongst the long list of her “clientele”. She had the fairy wing mutation I inherited, however, her body was not built for flight. So her quirk was labeled as useless and she somehow got dragged down into the undersociety through drugs and sex. My mother wasn’t ready for a little hellion like me, but she at least made sure I was fed and clothed. Despite her poor parenting skills, she still tried her best to protect me and shield me from the horrors of the underworld.” Aya then lets out a mirthless laugh that makes Izuku’s gut churn, “Of course, she didn’t do a good job of that either. Considering that I would sometimes come home from school to see her and a client getting it on in the kitchen.” Shinso’s and Izuku’s faces burn crimson with embarrassment at the mention of... that.

Aya ignores their horrified expressions and continues on with her story, “One summer afternoon — I was thirteen at the time — I came home to find my mother on the ground… she was beaten to a point where I almost didn’t recognize her. Her face was so swollen and there was so much blood…” Aya shivers at the memory but continues, “What scared me more though was the man hovering over her with his fist raised to land another one. I was lucky that he hadn’t noticed me. I ran out of there so fast. My legs were moving before I could even fully comprehend what I just witnessed. It wasn’t until I was miles away did I finally stop and let the shock wear off did it finally hit me that I was truly alone.”


“What did you do after that?” Hitoshi asks curiously.


“I was homeless for a few months, but luckily I ran into someone who helped set me on the right path. One day I was digging through the garbage when an old man who was walking home from the grocers saw me and asked me if I needed help. The kind old man took pity on me and offered me a place to stay as long as I kept his home clean for him. It was a good deal, so of course I took it. Turned out he was an old retired villain-turned-priest from way way long ago, so he taught me all of the martial arts that I know to this day. While living with him, I was able to get a job at a bar and save up enough money to buy my own apartment. So after two years of hard work, I left and he gave me his best wishes." She explains, while idly playing with the rosary necklace hanging around her neck.


“Um, so how did you get into vigilantism Aya-san?” Izuku inquires.


“Hold on squirt, I’m getting there.” She replies sternly, before continuing on with her story, “The bar I worked at was really sketchy. Sometimes I would catch snippets of a villain’s plan to commit a crime, then I would anonymously report them to the police. Sometimes policemen or pro heroes would be dumb enough to reveal top secrets that were supposed to remain confidential. I became an information broker, technically. I dealt with both sides. With every piece of evidence I gave, I would be paid back with a thick wad of cash. With that money, I bought my own equipment and designed my own suit. Bam! Dragonfly was born. My first debut was when I was only 16 years old.” She says with a slight hint of pride at her accomplishment.


The obvious question lingering in the air is brought up by Hitoshi, “So what happened? Why stop?” He asks, both of them slightly dreading the answer.


Her expression darkens as the memory flickers back to life, “I was on patrol like normal. It was just your average Friday night, lots of drunken fights happened. I was about to turn in for the night, but I heard someone scream and I went to go check it out. Turns out it was a villain who was being hunted down. From what I could tell, the guy was covered in nasty looking burns and there was a lot of blood. The other person chasing them down was the number two hero: Endeavor. He was looming over the villain, ready to set them on fire again. For a split second, I saw my mother’s face instead of the villain. So I shot a tranquilizer into him and I saw him hit the ground. That tranquilizer dart should’ve knocked him out for a good ten minutes. I swooped down and helped the guy up to his feet. Turns out the guy was his own son, Todoroki Touya. He was trying to run away from home. Turns out Endeavor is an abusive asshole. No surprise there though. I offered him help, but he denied it. Instead, he told me to share his story to the police so that they can arrest the bastard. I agreed, and we were about to go our separate ways. But then Endeavor woke up. Touya ran off down another alley, and I took off to the skies. I thought I was safe, but Endeavor has a crazy long-ranged attack called — ”


Izuku’s face pales and his eyes widen, “Flash Fire Fist.”


“Yeah. That. Luckily his aim was off due to the drugs in his system… but he got my wings. I got caught and he was about to turn me in, but then I threatened to reveal his crime to the world and he let me go as an exchange to keep quiet. I stopped doing vigilantism after that. My boss was nice enough to sell me his bar since he was retiring anyways. I converted it into a coffee shop, and… here we are now I guess.” She ends with an empty sigh.

She takes a long drink from her now cold cup of hot cocoa until it is completely drained. Without another word, she quickly refills all of their cups and the two teenagers silently absorb the information bomb she had just dropped on them. Hitoshi appears to be lost in deep thought. Izuku appears to be numb in shock. Aya settles back down in her chair and patiently waits for them to say something.


But, really, what CAN you say?


Sorry for your loss???

 

After a few minutes pass, Izuku looks up so that they are eye-to-eye, “I didn’t know that heroes can be so… cruel.” He stammers with tears threatening to fall, “All my life… I’ve looked up to heroes and now I don’t know what to believe in.”


The barista looks down at the young boy before her and crosses her arms, “Heroes are not gods. They’re human just like everyone else. All humans are corrupt in some way or another. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are corrupt heroes in this world. Just because someone claims to be a “hero” for beating up villains, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily a good person. Everybody has their vices.”


Izuku flinches at her harsh tone, “Even All Might?” He asks.


She nods slowly, “Even All Might.” Izuku goes quiet after that and casts his gaze to the floor.


Out of the blue, Hitoshi pipes up, “I believe you. My parents were good people, until my villainous quirk manifested. Then they became monsters.” He says with a deep bitterness, glaring down at the floor in anger.


Two hands plant themselves on top of their heads and begin gently ruffle their hair, both of them look up, surprised at the thoughtful expression on their boss’s face, “One day, you guys will understand that there are no heroes or villains. Only people. I think that people have forgotten that we are all equally capable of having that power to do great good or great harm. The only question is how you choose to use it.”


Izuku can feel hot tears burning his eyes and Hitoshi swallows the lump forming in in his throat as they both ask the question that has been denied to them all these years…

.

.

.


“Are you saying that we can really become heroes?”

 

The former vigilante stops ruffling their hair and retracts her hands so that she can cross her arms in front of her chest. Her eyebrows are crinkled together and her lips are pressed together into a thin line, you can practically see the gears turning in her head as she contemplates their question. Izuku and Hitoshi hold their breath for her answer.

After a long minute of that felt more like an hour, Aya sighs and looks both of them in the eye with a seriousness that makes them squirm, “Let's be realistic. I’m not the person you two should be asking that question. My opinion doesn’t matter, and no one else’s opinion should matter either. It’s your life and your own power. No one on the earth is qualified to tell you whether you should become a hero or not. Therefore, you should be asking YOURSELVES.” Suddenly a smirk forms on her lips, “But if you want to hear my thoughts on it, then yeah. I think you two got what it fucking takes.”

Izuku can’t hold his tears back any longer and the dam breaks. Hitoshi, the less emotional one of the two, feels a wave of emotion that sucks the very breath out of him.

 

This was the first time anyone believed in them and didn’t just laugh like all of the others.


This was the last time Izuku and Hitoshi let anyone else's judgement stop them from accomplishing their dream.

Notes:

As usual, here's random question that comes with each update!

Do you, or do you not, believe in the supernatural?

I hope you guys enjoyed this update, even though it's a little shorter than normal.

Chapter 5: Be Faithful

Summary:

Izuku and Hitoshi want to become vigilantes. Big Sis Aya says FUCK NO. Her mentor (the super villain turned old goofy priest) says FUCK YES.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The next day, Izuku woke up feeling absolutely exhausted from the emotional roller coaster they went on yesterday. He takes note of the empty sleeping bag beside him and comes to the conclusion that Hitoshi must’ve stayed up all night again. It was to be expected, his insomnia tends to be worse when ever he is stressed or has a lot of things on his mind. No doubt yesterday’s events would’ve caused his insomnia to creep up on him again. Izuku stretches with a shallow yawn, feeling his joints pop from the stiffness that has overtaken his body. He slowly rises and opens the door to the Hobo Shack to search for his friend. Sure enough, he finds him sitting on top of a washing machine, facing the horizon where the swell of the dark sea meets the early morning grey of the sky. The sun hasn’t risen yet, meaning they have at least a couple hours until they have to head to work. A cold sea breeze blows, causing Izuku to shiver in his hoodie. Hitoshi doesn’t seem effected by the chilly air in the least. In fact, he is sitting so still that he puts statues to shame. Despite his aloofness, Izuku can clearly see the conflicted feelings in his tired purple eyes.

As Izuku approaches, Hitoshi doesn’t turn his gaze away from the ocean. The sand muffles Izuku’s footsteps, so he doesn’t notice the presence of his friend until the last moment. When Izuku softly pats his arm, he jumps as though he were electrocuted and nearly topples off of the washing machine he’s perched on with an unmanly shriek. This causes Izuku to hunch over, his body shaking with laughter.


Hitoshi growls at his laughing friend and pulls himself back up, “Don’t do that! I could’ve died!” He shouts after righting himself, his face red with embarrassment as Izuku poorly tries to regain control himself.


“Sorry! Sorry! Ah… I didn’t think you’d react so b-badly!” Izuku says once he has regained his breath. Hitoshi pouts, not believing in the sincerity of that apology, but scoots over anyways to allow Izuku room to climb up and plop down next to him.


Hitoshi raises a brow at his companion, “Why aren’t you asleep?”


“Why aren’t YOU asleep?” Izuku retorts, which earns him an elbow in the stomach.


“Dumb ass, I have chronic insomnia remember?”


Izuku wheezes, “It’s called sarcasm Hitoshi.” Before retaliating with a harsh flick to the nose, which was easily blocked. “Let’s go back inside.” He whines, “It’s freezing Toshi!” Izuku then tries to be dramatic by clinging onto Hitoshi like a demented monkey.


Hitoshi pushes him away with a frown, “Cut it out man, I’m trying to watch the sunrise. It’s an old habit of mine, and one of the small benefits of being an insomniac.”


This piece of info catches Izuku’s interest, “Fine then, I’ll watch with you. But if I catch a cold, I’m blaming you.”


Hitoshi shrugs nonchalantly, “Suit yourself.”


So they both huddle next to each other like two penguins trying to shield each other from the cold. For the next hour, they remained like that, cold and unmoving as though they were in their own little world. The dark waves beat the shore in tandem with each breath of salty air. Izuku feels his eyelids getting heavy, but at the same time he doesn’t want to sleep. Hitoshi doesn’t fail to notice his friend’s drowsiness, so he decides to break the peaceful silence to keep his friend awake.


“I’ve been thinking… about what happened yesterday.” Hitoshi comments quietly.


“Same here.” Izuku admits as well, “It w-was… shocking, and…”


“Enlightening?”


The teenager sighs and runs a hand through his curly hair, “More like… what she said… it gave me hope. I still remember the day I was diagnosed as qu-quirkless. When I asked my mom if I could still become a hero, she said ‘I’m sorry Izuku’. But that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Even at the orphanage everyone called me useless, and I lost that hope. No one has ever told me that I can do it. And… now I just feel so restless.” Izuku chews his bottom lip and turns to face his friend, and the spark of conviction in his viridian eyes takes Hitoshi’s breath away, “I want to do something Hitoshi. I want to show the world… that I’m not just some useless deku and that I CAN become a hero, even without a quirk.”


As if on cue, the sun peeks above the horizon, breaking through the gray fog and casting an ethereal glow upon the sky above their heads like a shining halo of light.


Hitoshi snaps out of his stupor and a rare smile lifts the corners of his mouth, “I want to do the same. I want to prove to the world that I’m not the villain they predetermined me to be, even with a quirk like mine.”


The sun fully rises and the chill in the air is swiftly chased away by the soothing rays shining upon them.

“Then we’ll show the world what a couple of reckless idiots like us can do.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“No.”


“Please Aya-san!”


“No.”


“Pleeeaaaase.”


“No.”


“PLEASE.”


“NO. I am not going to train you guys just so you both can get yourselves killed.” The barista says with a firm voice as she concentrates on rolling out the sugar cookie dough.


“But —”


“The answer is NO.” She says with finality.

 


The bolder of the two slams his palms upon the table, causing their boss to pause in her work and shoot him a glare, but he doesn’t waver under her gaze and says, “We’ve already made up our minds to become vigilantes. And we’re going to do it, with or without training. You’re the only person who can train us, and you know it. So you have a choice right now. Train us so that we at least stand a fighting chance. Or let us fend for ourselves and learn to fight on our own.”


A smirk crosses her face, “Okay. How about this instead…”


THUNK! CRACK!


Before either of them could blink, she had grabbed the front of Hitoshi’s hoodie and slammed his face onto the work table, causing him to yell out in pain and clutch his possibly broken nose. Both boys stare at their boss in shock at the sudden act of violence. She, however, looks completely calm as ever and nonchalantly crosses her arms in front of her chest, “How about, you two don’t come around my kitchen making your own demands like you own the damn place?” She says coldly, before returning her attention to the sugar cookie dough.


Hitoshi mutters a curse and stumbles off to find some tissues to stem the blood flow.


Izuku gulps and stutters, “Why won’t you t-teach us Aya-san? We’ve explained our reasons why we want t-to do this, and we’re w-willing to work hard for our goal. W-we just want to s-save people and p-prove s-society wrong. We’re not d-doing it for f-fame or even m-money.”


The barista lets out a heavy sigh and rubs her throbbing temples, “That’s not the point brat. I don’t want you guys to make the same mistakes I made. Look where being a vigilante got me. It nearly got me killed. Why in the ever-loving-fuck would I want to encourage two squirts to go down that path? It’s suicidal.”


“Then teach us how to avoid those mistakes!!!” Izuku blurts out in pure frustration, surprising both himself and his boss. After the initial shock wears off, he takes a deep breath before shrinking into himself in embarrassment and bashfully adding a timid, “Please.”


Aya grumbles something under her breath as she cuts out the dough into small round circles, “I’ll think about it.” She relents finally.


Izuku lets out a sigh of relief and smiles, “W-we won’t let you down!” This only earns him a sharp flick to the forehead.
“I haven’t promised anything yet brat. Now get to work. I don’t pay you guys to annoy me to death with your nonsense.” His boss orders sternly.


“Yes Aya-san!”


“And make sure the napkins are fuckin’ restocked!!!”


“Yes Aya-san!”


“And count the money in the cash register!!!”


“Yes Aya-san!!!”


Izuku nearly runs into Hitoshi on his way out. His friend has an eerily accurate facial expression that reminds Izuku of those “grumpy cat” memes from ye olde pre-quirk era. A hilariously fat wad of tissue is crammed up one nostril with a little bit a dark red seeping out.


“You okay Toshi?” He asks, even though the obvious answer is glaringly clear that NO, “Toshi” is definitely not OKAY.
Hitoshi grumbles something under his breath about “crazy ex-vigilantes” and “not getting paid enough to deal with this shit”.


.

.

.

.

.

.


And ain’t that a mood!

 

 

 

***

 

 

People would never guess that the hot-headed barista who owns a coffee shop (that looks like a bar) is a deeply religious person in faith. However, you would never ever ever EVER catch her dead in some “praise Mother Mary” happy clappy church, fuck no. Most would argue that not going to church on Sundays is a sin, and if anyone were to point out this small fact to Aya she would... 1) hit you over the head with her rolling pin, 2) dig the heel of her boot into your groin until you beg for mercy, 3) tell you to stuff that bull crap up your #%$&*@!%$. Simply put, Aya had faith and that’s all she believed she needed.

So why is she in a church of all places?
Here’s why.

The apprehensive twenty-something year old scowls as she lingers in the back of the church, patiently waiting for the late-night Wednesday bible study group to cut the kumbaya bull crap and go home already. After the last wrinkly old couple leaves, she slowly approaches the priest with her eyes to the ground and her hands stuffed deep in her pockets.


The old man hasn’t changed much since the last time she saw him. He still has that stupid afro, although almost all of his hair is white now instead of the bright green it used to be. Poking out from the hazardous curls are flowers with many different varieties in different stages of growth. Some of them are withering away while some are just budding. No doubt a part of his quirk. His stupidly huge mustache is still there, and it still looks like a fucking cater pillar. Nothing new there. The only noticeable addition is the pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, magnifying the crow’s feet at the corners of his warm brown eyes.


Because of her ingrained vigilante skills he doesn’t hear her nearly silent footsteps and doesn’t notice her presence until she is practically hovering directly behind him.


“What’s up old man?” She grumbles with a scowl. The elderly priest jumps and spins around to face his opponent with his cane raised, poised to strike. Aya grabs the cane before he could swing down, “Hold your horses old man, it’s just me.” She says, before releasing the cane.


The old man adjusts his owlish glasses and breaks into a toothless grin, “Oh well this is certainly a surprise! How ya doing June Bug?”


Aya’s scowl deepens at the old nickname, “It’s Dragonfly old man. Dragon. Fly.”


“I’ll stop when you give me the same respect brat. I’m not THAT old yet.”


“You’re fucking over ninety years old Shiozaki-sensei.” She deadpans.


This earns her a wheezy chuckle and a cane to the foot (she DID NOT yelp), “Yeah, yeah, so what brings you back to visit your old sensei?” He asks with a raised brow.


“I need some advice about something.”


Both fuzzy brows shoot up in surprise, “Advice on what?”


“Brats.” She answers vaguely.


He breaks out into a gleeful smile and shouts in joy, “YOU’RE PREGNANT!?!?”


Her eyebrow twitches, “NO! HELL NO! EW! WHAT THE FUCK OLD MAN!? I’M TALKING ABOUT THE TWO STUPID KIDS I HIRED FOR MY CAFE!”


Shiozaki slumps in disappointment, “Dang it. I wanted to become a grandpa.”


“You ARE a grandpa. Don’t you have a granddaughter?”


“Yeah. But I want more grandkids. An old man gets lonely around this place ya know?”


“Well don’t keep your hopes up cause I’m never having kids.” I grumble.


“A priest like me can only pray ya know.” He says jokingly, before turning serious, “So you need help with these two kids you hired?”


The student sighs, “It’s a long story Shiozaki-sensei.”


The master smiles, “Come to the back and I’ll fix us some tea then.”

 

So they spent the next couple of hours in Shiozaki’s warm kitchen as Aya retells him everything that has occurred in the past month or so, her sensei listens intently without interrupting once during the entire story. By the time her story ends, the full moon is high in the sky and the tea in their cups have gone cold.


Shiozaki-sensei takes a sip from his cup, cringes, and gets up to reheat the teapot, “So what do you want me to say?” He inquires with his back turned to his student, while his hands work the stove.


Aya’s brows shoot up in surprise, not expecting her sensei’s blunt response, “Huh?”


He returns to the table and pours the newly reheated tea into their cups, “I think you already know the answer June Bug. I don’t know why you came all the way here to visit me. It seems you’ve already made up your mind about the matter.”


“I was lucky that I only lost my wings that night. How can I purposefully put two kids in danger?” She tries to reason.


“So? Train them! It seems clear to me that these two crazy kids are gonna do it with or without your help. So would you rather have them jump in with training or without training?” The old priest argues back. Aya opens her mouth to retort, but the old man beats her to the point, “I trained you so that you could defend yourself. How is that different than what these two boys want from you?”


Aya closes her mouth and sinks further into her chair, arms crossed across her chest.


Her master smiles, forming wrinkly dimples on each cheek, “Aya-chan, I’m sure there’s a very good reason why these two boys happened to be dumped on your doorstep. Just trust your instincts and 一”


“一 be faithful. I know.” Aya finishes, having heard this lecture a countless number of times. She stands up from her seat and bows, “Thanks for the tea old man.”


Shiozaki-sensei grins and gets up to see his guest out, “Of course. A teacher should always be there for their student you know.”

 

 


***

 

 

The next morning, Izuku and Hitoshi walked into The Lounge at 5 o’clock, expecting another normal day of work. What they didn’t expect, however, was to be jumped the moment they walked inside by their (possibly insane) boss. The ex-vigilante flashes a manic grin before she spins a kick into Hitoshi’s gut, then vaults a solid punch into Izuku’s diaphram. After both of them are on the ground, clutching their midsections in pain, Aya "tsk"s and crosses her arms across her chest.


“Alright brats, that was lesson number one: blocking. Right now, I’m going to teach you how to properly block. From now on, you both will be randomly ambushed throughout the day and you will be expected to react accordingly until blocking becomes second nature. Understand?” She instructs in a serious tone.


Both of them sit up and stare at each other with wide eyes.


Izuku turns to his boss, “Does that mean you’re gonna train us to become vigilantes?” He asks in slight disbelief, as though all of his wishes were suddenly granted.


His boss — now sensei — scowls, “We’re wasting time. Get the fuck off my floors or else your not learning anything today.” She threatens, although it was no bite to it. Nevertheless, Izuku and Hitoshi scramble onto their feet and dust themselves off.
“Alright,” Aya drops into a defensive position, “This is Blocking 101, so pay attention and maybe you’ll live to see tomorrow.”

Notes:

If you could travel to one place, where would it be???

I would travel to Tokyo, Japan during the spring time to see the cherry blossom gardens.

Feel free to leave a comment! And I promise that Toga is coming soon! Because the next chapter is pretty major, I won't be posting until 12/21. Sorry!!!

Chapter 6: Be Funny

Summary:

Brutal training shenanigans.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[THIS IS THE TRAINING MONTAGE PROVIDED BY YOUR LOVING AUTHOR… YOUR WELCOME! HAVE FUN READING, IT’S ESSENTIALLY JUST CRACK AND HUMOR AND PAIN]

 

DAY ONE

 

To say they are “sore” is the understatement of the century. Izuku lets out a groan as he attempts to sit up, only to flop back down like a drunk starfish. Hitoshi lays beside him in a similar state, he doesn’t even bother to make an attempt. 

“I feel like we got ambushed by all of the kindergarteners in the city, with all of them on sugar highs, and they jumped on us as though we were a bouncy house while wearing 12-inch stilettos.” Hitoshi mumbles, loud enough for Izuku to hear.

The other teen snorts, “Hitoshi, how would the kindergarteners even wear the stilettos?”

Hitoshi grunts weakly, “Not the point Izu.” 

Izuku slowly sits up and makes a noise akin to a strangled cat as he forces himself to stand up on his two legs. Pain ripples through his entire torso as he stumbles over a stray beer bottle while walking over to a nearby mirror. He lifts his sweatshirt and winces from the motion, then cringes when he sees the dark purple blooming across his embarrassingly pale skin. 

“Yikes.” Is all he says before letting the sweatshirt drop. 

About fifteen minutes later, while Izuku is failing at taming his wild curls, Hitoshi gets up as well, hissing and griping in pain. 

“Izuku, you might have to carry me.” Hitoshi whines as he drags himself over to Izuku and drapes himself over the (admittedly, much shorter) boy like a wet towel.

“Get off Toshi!” Izuku shoves him off and he lets himself fall to the floor.

Hitoshi rolls over onto his back and stares blankly up at the sky with a solid deadpan expression, “This is my new home. I have become one with the floor.” Izuku ends up bribing him with coffee and painkillers so that they could finally go to work.

The moment they crawl through the door…

BOOM!

Their boss abuser attacks explosively with a series of wild jabs and punches that they barely fend off with stiff blocks and slow dodges. Hitoshi and Izuku find themselves face down on the floor in less than a minute, literally. Their teacher abuser casually stands up, removing her knees from their kidneys, and shoves a stopwatch in their faces.

“Thirty-two seconds. More than double of yesterday’s record. Looking good brats.” She compliments, before helping them off the floor. 

Tired violet eyes glare at her as he rubs the new sore spot on his back, “How long is this ambushing going to last?” He gripes.

She lets out a mockingly cheerful hum before replying, “Until you can hold your own against me for… oh I don’t know… three minutes?” Hitoshi and Izuku blanch.

Viridian eyes twitch, “Th-three minutes!?!?”

“Yuuuuuuup!” She drawls, popping the P. 

 

DAY FIVE

 

Izuku nervously glances around the corner, making sure the coast is clear to grab the mop from the supply closet. After a minute of silence, he judges the coast is clear and makes a mad dash for the mop and bucket. However, out of nowhere comes his boss, with a flying kick aimed right for his face. 

“YEET!” Before his lips can kiss the underside of her boots, he quickly swings open the closet door, turning it into a shield to block it. “Ah-hah!” He cries triumphantly, but his victory is cut short when she swiftly retaliates by grabbing the opposite side of the closet door handle and slamming it back into his face, so in the end he ended up with a bloody nose anyways. 

“A door swings both ways!” She quickly lectures, before running off to find Hitoshi.

Izuku weakly chuckles and groans in response, “So do I!”

In less than five minutes Hitoshi ends up joining him in his misery.

 

DAY TEN

 

Aya smirks when Hitoshi slowly turns around from his work station, she defeats him relatively quickly. But at least he is improving his situational awareness. 

Izuku is also doing much better than yesterday, this time his movements are less panicked and less jerky. You can easily see the muscle memory being built with each smooth block. 

They manage to last about a minute each.

“WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?” Hitoshi says dramatically from the floor.

“Mother trucker dude, that hurt like a butt cheek on a stick.” Izuku replies from where he was perched at the kitchen island, while casually holding a bag of frozen peas to his bruised cheek.

“If you guys from the energy to reference ancient vines, you guys can get up and mop.” Aya says from the front counter, glaring at them through the service window, “Also, we need a croissant up in here!”

Hitoshi grabs a fresh croissant from the oven and is bringing it up to the service window, when he almost trips over Izuku’s overstretched feet, “AAH! Stahhp. I coulda dropped mah croissant.” He jokes, causing Izuku to snort at the quip. A vein pops out from Aya’s forehead and the customer backs away in fear of the aura that promised pain and suffering coming from the barista.

“WHERE IS THAT FUCKING CROISSANT!?!?” She roars impatiently. Hitoshi pales, then quickly hands his boss the baked good. Aya huffs and gripes, “Fuckin’ brats.” Shooting them all a warning glare through the window. Then she takes it and gives it to the waiting customer with a muttered apology under her breath. 

The customer thanks her, pauses, then a playful smirk forms on her lips, “Watch yo’ profanity.” She quips, leaving a stunned barista standing behind the bar with the most DONE looking expression on her face.

 

DAY FIFTEEN

 

Hitoshi is busy cutting out Christmas tree shapes from a sheet of sugar cookie dough and laying them out onto the baking tray. Suddenly, he feels tingles on the back of his neck. Someone is sneaking up on him, getting prepared to strike. There’s a creak on the floorboard behind him and he spins around, catching the fist swung at his face before sliding to the left to avoid a knee to the groin. He parries each strike with smooth blocking movements, one bleeding into the other. His attacker doesn’t let up for even a moment, giving him no chance to find an opening and strike back. His eyes land on the bag of flour sitting on the kitchen island and he has a light-bulb moment.

“YEET!” Hitoshi gasps, before chucking a small handful of flour directly into her face. Then, he lands a strong kick directly into her gut.

She lets out a hacking cough, “Bitch!” She snarls, while blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Aya’s eyes widen and she barely manages to catch the fist sloppily swung at her throat, before tackling the boy into the ground. 

After letting him up, she grins and comments, “Not bad kid. Not bad at all.” Hitoshi beams from the praise.

A few minutes later, Izuku makes some impressive usage of the broom in his hands to block her strikes. He also manages to squeeze in a clip to her shoulder before she was able to steal the broom and pin him to the ground. 

Aya goes home with two fresh bruises that day, and she’s never been prouder.

 

DAY TWENTY

 

The grumpy barista opens her office door, only to be ambushed by her own two students. The shorter one drops and tries to go for her legs to trip her up, while the taller one brings on a flurry of punches. She mutters a curse under her breath before retaliating with her own set of moves. 

This fight seems to go on forever and soon the boys’ movements grow sluggish as they run out of stamina. Somewhere along the line they messed up, leaving an opening, which their boss swiftly exploited, leaving them sprawling on the floor in a messy heap of sweaty limps. 

Their boss wipes the sweat off her brow and smiles, before flashing them the stopwatch around her neck, “Three minutes and four seconds.” She proclaims, a proud smile on her face.

Green and purple eyes stare at each other in shock before they both start to celebrate right there on the floor.

 

 

 

***

 

 

It’s been about a week since they’ve passed Aya-san’s hell test. 

This morning, when they came in for work, their boss told them to stay after their late afternoon shift ended. When they asked why, she simply gave them a feral grin and told them it was a surprise. Chills ran down their spines and they briefly checked their memory banks to see if they had done anything to piss her off lately. 

“You open it.” Hitoshi says.

“No, you open it.” Izuku protests.

“No, I insist. A handsome man as yourself should get first dibs!”

“Oh no no no, insomniacs first my good man!”

Hitoshi sighs, “Okay fine, let’s both open it.”

They both poke their heads inside the cramped office, and their eyes go wide at the sight of the open closet. The secret door is left wide open, screaming suspicion. Curious, they both carefully make sure to lock the office door behind them, before quietly sneaking down into the secret base with Izuku leading the way. When they reach the bottom of the stairs, their eyes widen to comical proportions and their jaws drop to the floor.

Standing in the middle of the room is their teacher in all of her vigilante glory. She is dressed in the armored black body suit that was previously hung up in the display case. On her feet are a pair of steel-toed black combat boots. Her bright red bandana is gone, revealing two sleek antennas poking out of her neon hair. 

But what really stunned them were the two nearly identical outfits displayed beside her. Like her suit, it appears to be made out of the same armored material. But the color of the accented technical designs on the suit are different. While Aya’s is colored metallic gold here and there, Izuku’s is a tasteful forest green and Hitoshi’s is a pleasing purple. Obviously to match their eyes.  

There’s a bright flash of light and both of them blink out of their stupor. They blanked out so hard that they didn’t even notice Aya taking a photo of their dumb expressions.

“Ha! You guys should see the look on your faces!” She teases.

Izuku gives her a wobbly smile and his eyes tear up with overwhelming happiness, “You got us vigilante suits! Just like yours!”

Hitoshi is less of an emotional train wreck like Izuku, but he wouldn’t bother to deny that he got a little choked up. 

Their teacher carefully sets down the camera on her desk and covers the distance between them in four strides, she pulls the two into a hug, each boy under one arm, “Tonight I’m going to take you two on your first patrol to show you the ropes. After that though, you’re on your own. I gave up vigilantism a long time ago, but that doesn’t give me the right to stop you guys from choosing your own path. I am so fucking proud of the two of you.” She says, heartfelt pride swelling in her chest and ringing clear in her voice. Then she releases them from her hug/chokehold and drags them over to their suits, “What are you two fucking waiting for? Put ‘em on!”

 

They didn’t need to be told twice. 

 

When they finished, Aya lets out a low-whistle of approval, “Looking good boys.” She compliments. Izuku and Hitoshi look over at each other and they have the same impression.

 

They look dangerous .

 

Aya then smirks and strides over to the back wall. She hovers over the various deadly weapons displayed, before grabbing a few select items from the collection. To their surprise, she abruptly shoves the various weapons into their arms.

Izuku stares down the equipment in his arms as he mentally lists them off: grappling hook for mobility, bow staff for defense and offense, and a set of goggles for tracking. 

Hitoshi also received the grappling hook and goggles. Except instead of a bow staff, he got a pair of bulky gloves and three separate containers. Each container is filled to the brim with small balls, separated by color (Red, Green, and Yellow).

“Both of you need to wear the goggles on your face, I’ll show you how that functions later. Then you also need to attach those grappling hooks to your belts. Izuku, sling that bow staff to your back like how you would wear a backpack. Hitoshi, put on the electro-shock gloves and attach those containers to your belt as well.” Aya instructs sternly.

Izuku and Hitoshi scramble to follow her orders, not wanting to blow this chance at going out on their first patrol. In their hurry, Izuku accidentally whacks the back of Hitoshi’s head with his staff and Hitoshi accidentally slaps his arm with his gloved hand which causes Izuku to spazz out from the rush of electricity.

“Oi! Oi! Oi! Don’t electrocute each other!” She scolds.

 

 

***

 

 

Izuku desperately tries to keep up with his friend and his mentor as they parkour through the city landscape with only the moon’s light to guide their way. Unfortunately for him, his legs a a little shorter, so making long jumps from roof to roof is a challenge. He grits his teeth as he makes another precarious leap, only to barely make it to the other ledge. He lets out a yelp as he loses his balance, his arms flailing to cling to the edge of the roof. However, Aya is there to catch him before he can go splat on the pavement like an overripe tomato. 

“Watch your step brat! I don’t want you going splat on the fucking sidewalk!” She scolds lightly while pulling him back up onto the roof.

Hitoshi playfully snickers at his friend’s predicament and Izuku’s cheeks turn pink from embarrassment, “Y-yes Dragonfly!” 

Dragonfly bends down and scrutinizes Izuku’s boots, “Remind me when we get back to modify your boots somehow so that you can jump farther.”

Izuku nods and reflects, “Maybe we c-can just make them li-lighter? They’re pretty heavy.”

“That’s not a bad idea kiddo. Good point.” She says, before addressing both of them, “Okay. That was parkour 101. Now I’m going to show you guys how to use the equipment I gave you.” She takes off her goggles and shows them how to switch it from normal vision, to night vision, to heat vision, and then back to normal vision. 

Then she shows Izuku how to collapse his bow staff, which transforms it from being five-feet long to only a single foot. Additionally, there’s a taser option to the staff that could be activated with a single push of a button. 

Then, she shows Hitoshi how to use the electro-shock gauntlets efficiently and shows him what each colored ball does by using the thugs they ran into throughout their patrol as test dummies. All of them are pretty harmless distractions that could be used for quick getaways. The red colored balls will release a pink colored sleeping gas (yes, she admitted that the idea came from the pro hero Midnight). The green colored balls release a dense, dark green smoke that also happens to smell like “fresh dog shit”, Aya’s words not his. The yellow balls are ordinary flash bangs (specifically made for one pro hero who-shall-not-be-named).

Their first night as vigilantes was relatively peaceful, Hitoshi muses when they return to the cafe at 2 AM with nothing more than a few bruises. 

Other than stopping a late night robbery and stopping a couple of drunks from douching it out, nothing major happened. Of course, their sensei casually warns that patrol nights won’t always be this quiet. 

But nothing really major happens at night, right? You don’t have to face really flashy villains that could level entire city blocks in the middle of the night, right? Besides, the chances of getting caught by heroes are lower because most of them are sleeping at night, right?

 

Oh, how the universe loved to prove Hitoshi wrong. 

 

 

***

 

 

Like a cat, Izuku gracefully leaps through the air and lands in a crouch on the rooftop below. Now with his boot enhancements, roof-top hopping became a breeze. Hitoshi insists it’s cheating, but Izuku retorts back that having long legs is cheating as well. His sleepy-eyed friend had no comeback.

He pulls out the walkie-talkie from his belt and presses the ‘talk’ button, “This is Green, I’m about five klicks East from the base, over.”

A few seconds later, static crackles and Hitoshi replies, “Roger that. This is Purple, I’m five klicks West from the base. Any activity on your end? Over.”

Izuku opens his mouth to reply, but an agonizing wail echoes through the night and Izuku is immediately on high alert. He turns on heat vision and scans the area around him. Down the street, he sees a shorter figure dragging a much taller figure into an alley. 

Izuku raises the walkie to his lips and reports, “Suspected mugging in an alley.” 

“Okay, be careful.” His partner in crime vigilantism warns.

“Yes, mom.” Izuku jibes, before tucking away the walkie.

He shoots his grappling hook onto a streetlight near the alley and swings into the scene, landing with a nearly silent roll. 

“Who’s there?” A female voice calls out in alarm. 

Izuku stands up, ready to confront the attacker, but he goes still when his brain registers the event taking place in front of him. A teenage girl is standing over another man’s body with a bloodied kitchen knife in her right hand. The man is propped up against the wall, bleeding from several cuts varying in size along his arms, face, and upper torso. Izuku prays to whatever deity is listening that the poor man isn’t already dead. The girl is fondling the knife in her hand a little too sweetly, her blushing smile is a little too wide, and her eyes remind Izuku too much of a cat taking delight in its latest catch. If it weren’t for these little observations, Izuku would’ve assumed that this was a case of self-defense against a potential attack. But no… this deceivingly sweet, blushing girl is the attacker and Izuku doesn’t like how she’s just STARING at him with those hungry eyes and lovesick smile. 

“Wow, you’re pretty cute!~” She says out of the blue, startling Izuku.

The vigilante clears his throat and replies, “Um… thanks? Uh, what are you doing to that man Miss…?”

“Toga Himiko! Nice to meet ya! And as for him… ” She gestures to the unconscious victim at her feet, “Don’t worry. Just a little blood loss. He’ll be fine.”

“Uhhhh…” Izuku says oh-so-intelligently in response. 

Well, at least he know that the victim’s not dead. So that’s a good thing. It doesn’t seem like she wants to kill him. What’s her purpose for doing this? Should he try and capture her? Should he help the victim? Should he call for backup?

He does’t even get the chance to do any of these things, because before he knew it, her face is hovering closely to his and the tip of her knife is gently pressing over where his carotid artery lies underneath the tender flesh of his neck. Izuku lets out a strangled yelp and this only causes the (VERY) sharp blade to draw a small speck of blood. Now that she is so (uncomfortably) close to him, he can visibly see the cat-like pupils of her eyes dilate as the bead of blood slowly travels down the curve of his neck, leaving behind a trail of red. 

 

Oh dear god... what has he gotten himself into???

Notes:

Question of the chapter!

If you could choose any weapon, what would you choose?
Personally I would choose magic as my weapon because of how versatile it can be.

Chapter 7: Be Understanding

Summary:

The encounter with Toga is wrapped up. Aya teaches the boys another valuable lesson.

Notes:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I apologize if this update is trash, but I admit I'm not very used to writing back-to-back updates like this. I hope you all enjoy it!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The girl's face is hovering closely to his and the tip of her knife is gently pressing over where his carotid artery lies underneath the tender flesh of his neck. Izuku lets out a strangled yelp and this only causes the (VERY) sharp blade to draw a small speck of blood. Now that she is so (uncomfortably) close to him, he can visibly see the cat-like pupils of her eyes dilate as the bead of blood slowly travels down the curve of his neck, leaving behind a trail of red. 

 

Somehow, in that moment, his brain starts to work again. 

 

While she is distracted, he pulls out his walkie talkie from his belt and presses the big red button Aya told them to press if things ever went south on one of their patrols. She never explained what would happen if they were to press it, but Izuku trusts his teacher with his life. Therefore he pressed it without any hesitation, fully expecting it to turn into a bomb or something. So when nothing happened, he was perhaps more than just a little disappointed. Unfortunately, the movement of his arm seemed to snap the crazy girl out of whatever lucid daydream she was having. Her smile drops and her expression turns dark, the sudden 180° spin in her personality gives Izuku whiplash. 

“What did you just do, vigilante-kun?” She says sweetly, but this time her voice is laced with a sour note that definitely wasn’t there before. 

Izuku holds his breath and sends a prayer to whatever deity is listening that his half-cocked plan works…

He masks his unease with a confident smirk and pulls the walkie talkie out from his belt to show it off, “You see the big red button on the side of this device? Push it once, it becomes a bomb.” He then rests his thumb over the button, “Push it twice, it will go BOOM. All I have to do is press this button and our corpses will be strewn across the pavement. So I suggest you let me go. NOW.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Wanna see me press it and find out?”

The girl freezes and narrows her eyes with suspicion, then slowly lowers her knife and takes a cautious step back. Izuku struggles to contain his surprise, “Holy shit! That actually worked!?!?” The man in the alleyway groans for help and Izuku is half-tempted to check on him, but he can’t afford to take his eyes off of the girl in front of him. 

Izuku takes a deep breath to steel his nerves, “I’m going to ask again. What were you going to do to that man?” He asks, this time a bit more forcefully.

She grins and cheerfully answers, “I was just going to take a little bit of his blood silly!” As if that explained everything or anything.

“O-Okay? But, WHY?”

Then, Toga did something completely unexpected. She licked the drop of blood--Izuku’s blood--off of the tip of the blade and within seconds Izuku is staring at his own doppelganger. Granted, his doppelganger is blushing like crazy and smiling way too wide. He cannot even describe how weird it is to be staring at yourself, while also knowing that the person in front of you has the potential of killing you in cold blood. Fuck, Izuku is definitely going to need therapy after this.

She (or he?) opens her (his?) mouth and explains, “My quirk involves me ingesting blood in order for it to work, so blood is just really really tasty to me. I love drinking blood! But nobody seemed to understand, so I ran away so that I can break out of society’s chains and be free to live as I want! After all, is it a crime to satisfy my quirk’s needs?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then why do people treat me like I’m some sort of freak for liking blood!?! Why does this society have to be so horrible to people like me!?! Why should I have to follow their “normal” ? Why can’t I be free to choose!?!” She shouts at the top of her lungs, before letting out a crazed laugh. “But you already understand where I’m coming from, right vigilante-kun? You’ve seen how wrong society is, right vigilante-kun? Ne?” She releases her quirk, letting 

Izuku freezes, and his brain stutters to a halt, “She reminds me of Toshi.” Is the only thought that runs through his mind after listening to her story. Ostricized for a villainous quirk. Ran away to find acceptance. Hateful towards the society that ruined everything for them. For a split second, Izuku could see his dearest friend standing in front of him--weilding a knife with murder gleaming in his eyes--in place of the girl before him. “What if I had never met Toshi?”

THWIP, THWIP, THWIP.

Out of nowhere, three darts fly through the air and plunge themselves into Toga’s neck. Her face goes blank with shock and her eyes roll back into her skull, then her body crumbles to the floor. 

Izuku stares at her limp body and screams like a little bitch, “SHE’S DEAD!!!!!!”

Someone lands behind him, “Chill out, she’s still alive brat.”

Izuku spins around and nearly sinks into a puddle of relief, “Sensei! You came!”

She snorts, “Of fucking course I did.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

“That red button on the walkie releases a distress signal. It sends me your immediate location thru a text, then I suit up, and boom! I’m here to save your sorry ass from getting killed.” She explains, while checking on the victim in the alley. “He needs to get to the hospital. These cuts aren’t fatal, but their deep. If he doesn’t get help soon, he could die.” She pulls out her phone and dials for an ambulance. “Help is coming. He should be okay.”

Izuku’s gaze wanders back to the unconscious girl, “What about her?” He asks.

“Oh her? Hmmm… we’re gonna need to take her back so that I can give her the antidote.”

He blanches and turns to his teacher, “Antidote? Sensei, what did those darts inject into her?”

“A poison of my own creation. She’ll only die if she doesn’t get the antidote within the next hour or so.”

“WHAT THE HELL SENSEI!?!?!?”

 

Aaaaaaaand that’s how Toga ended up at The Lounge on Christmas morning.

 

Aya laid her body on the kitchen table and told Izuku to keep watch while she went “downstairs” to get the antidote. Izuku agrees, but truthfully he DOES NOT want to be left alone with the crazy girl who was sooooooo close to slicing open his carotid artery and drinking his blood. He grabs one of the chairs at the kitchen table and drags it so that he is sitting directly in front of the backdoor, just in case she would try to escape. As he watches her sleep (yes that sounds horribly creepy and stalkerish, but that’s not his intention), he realizes that she’s only wearing a simple high school uniform in the freaking middle of winter. What is she doing on the snow banked streets of Musutafu in nothing but a high school uniform? With this realization, Izuku deduces that she is likely a homeless runaway, not unlike Hitoshi and himself. 

Coincidentally, that’s when Hitoshi chooses to return from his very uneventful patrol. When Hitoshi enters the kitchen, the last thing he expected to see is an unconscious teenage girl laid out on top of their kitchen table and his friend sitting as far away from her as possible. 

His green eyed friend perks up immediately the moment he steps into the room, “Toshi!” He leaps up from his seat and pulls the taller teen into a suffocating hug, “Ohmygoshyou’refinallyhereIwassofreakingscaredToshiIthoughtIwasggoingtofuckingdieIwasheldatknifepointbutIsomehowmanagedtotrickherintothinkingthewalkietalkiewasabombandwasabletoescapethankgodAya-sancamejustintimetosavemybuttandknockedheroutbutnowshe’sdyingandsenseiisgettingtheantidoteand—”

“Holy shit Izuku, BREATHE. I’ve told you how many times already that I can’t understand a word you’re saying when you go on a mumbling rampage.” Izuku takes several deep breaths, before finally combusting into tears. Naturally, this causes Hitoshi to freak out. “Woah, woah, okay Izuku clam down. Just… yeah get snot all over my new vigilante suit. Perfect. Please try to calm down and tell me what happened.”

 

So Izuku did, and Hitoshi doesn’t know how to feel about nearly/unknowingly losing his best friend to a psychopath.

 

About five minutes later, their teacher came back in with a syringe and swiftly injected it into the girl’s arm. “The antidote will start kicking in, but it’ll be a few hours until she wakes up. She’ll be okay, but when she wakes up she’ll be very drowsy and lethargic. So you guys don’t have to worry about her trying to escape.” She says. 

“What do we do now?” Izuku asks.

“I’m going to make some hot cocoa for you guys, and a mug of bourbon infused coffee for myself.” She replies, before leaving to do just that. 

“I thought you were against drinking!” Izuku shouts, loud enough for her to hear through the delivery window.

“Well sometimes the aspirin doesn’t cut it kid!” She hollers in return, before returning with a tray of steaming mugs. After handing the boys their mugs of cocoa, Aya situates herself at the kitchen counter and takes a long drink from her mug. “You know, her case isn’t that unusual. Quirks that involve blood are known to give the user some vampiric traits, such as elongated canines and making them crave blood.”

Izuku brightens, “Oh! Like the Blood Hero: Vlad King!”

“Exactly.” 

Hitoshi scowls, “Yeah, but that doesn’t excuse her trying to stab my friend. She’s a villain. We should’ve turned her into the cops.” He grumbles.

Aya sighs and explains, “Be a little understanding kid. Try to think of it this way. It’s like an addiction. Her actions stem from forcefully rejecting a vital part of her quirk for YEARS. Then, at some point, she probably snapped and attacked someone. And now that she got a taste of satisfying that craving, she’s hooked and will do anything she can to satisfy it.”

Izuku glances over at the unconscious girl and asks, “So, when she wakes up, will she still be all… blood crazy?”

“All people with blood-related quirks are “blood crazy”, but they usually are taught at a young age to find alternatives to satisfy their quirk. If they’re not, well…” She gestures to Toga, “... this is the result.” Aya’s expression turns stern, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that this girl isn’t a villain. I’ve put countless villains in jail over the years, trust me, she’s not like them.” She’s like us.

Notes:

End of chapter question: What is your favorite Christmas movie?

My all-time favorite Christmas movie is "Home Alone".

Chapter 8: Be Good At Lying When You Need To

Summary:

Aizawa is a hobo demon who requires coffee as black as his soul.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Himiko wakes up in a warm kitchen, not a filthy alleyway, not a cold jail cell. Her sharp nose picks up on coffee and cookies… is she in a bakery? She finds herself curled up on top of a kitchen table, wrapped in a nice quilt. Three people are talking, their voices are still a little bit fuzzy in her head. From what she could tell in her muddled state, it’s two males and one older female.

Where is she? Who are they? What do they want with her? Why does she feel sick? What did they inject her with?

Panic rises in her throat. She’s seen what drugs do to people firsthand, living on the streets exposes you to all kinds of horrors no fourteen year-old should ever have to experience. She has seen too many people go to insane lengths to get their next high. Although, she must admit that she herself ain’t much better with her “cravings”. The difference is that once she fulfills her “craving” she can resist the urges for blood at the maximum of a week. Drugs are worse, once you get hit, you’re stuck on it forever in an endless loop of highs and lows that will ultimately end in your body rotting somewhere in a ditch.

There! In her peripheral she sees a backdoor. She tosses off the blanket and rolls off the table. In the haze of her delirium, she can hear a voice shout something at her. When her feet hit the ground, her knees buckle under her weight and she barely manages to catch herself on her knees and hands. In a final act of desperation, she starts crawling on all fours to the door, but this proves to be futile. All of this happens in a blur.

Hitoshi is the one to body tackle her and haul the kicking and screaming girl back onto the kitchen table. Izuku then helps his friend hold down her legs, while Hitoshi holds down her arms. Even in her dazed state, she is still freakishly strong, despite her petite and malnourished appearance. Aya pulls out another sedative and carefully injects it into her arm. The girl immediately goes quiet and falls back asleep. Everybody lets out a sigh of relief and they release her limbs. Aya picks up the quilt from the floor and covers the girl once more.

“She wasn’t supposed to wake up until tonight.” Their teacher explains, “I’ve never seen anyone wake up this early before.”

Izuku stares down at the now peaceful girl with pity, “She looked so scared while we were holding her down. I don’t think she knows that we’re just trying to help her.”

“She’ll be more alert and coherent once she awakes. So next time, be on guard.” She instructs, her voice deadly serious.

“Hai!”

 

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

 

All of their heads whip towards the backdoor and pale.

Who the fuck can that be at 5 AM?

Aya points to the body on the table and whispers, “Both of you, take her downstairs! Now!”

“But what if she wakes up!?” Hitoshi whispers back.

“That sedative is meant to last for at least three hours, she’ll be fine. Now fucking GO!” She whispers, slightly more agitated.

The girl is light enough for Hitoshi to carry her alone, Izuku helps him out the door and traverse down the steep staircase to their secret lair. Once they got down the staircase, they gently lay her down on the new couch and anxiously wait for their sensei to give them the all clear.

Aya waits a couple of minutes until she’s sure that they’re safe, before she opens the door.

.

.

.

 

*SIGH*

 

“What are you fucking doing here you damn hobo?” Aya growls.

The pro hero Eraserhead rolls his bloodshot eyes, “Can I come in?” He asks, even though they both know it’s not a request. It’s a demand.

Aya steps aside and he enters the kitchen, his keen eyes are immediately drawn to the quilt that was left behind on the table. Surprisingly, he doesn’t comment upon it. His eyes then flicker over to the three abandoned mugs on the kitchen counter with steam rising off of them. Surprisingly, he doesn’t say anything about them either. The barista keeps him in her line of sight as she makes her way over to the kitchen counter, discreetly positioning her body to block the three mugs. This action obviously doesn’t go unnoticed by the pro, but he doesn’t call her out and simply slides into a stool at the kitchen table.

“Cut to the chase. Why are you here Eraserhead?” She asks, leaning against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed.

The hero digs into his pockets and pulls out three familiar senbon needles, “You forgot these at the scene.” He says, before placing them on the table.

Aya’s eyebrow twitches, “How are you so sure they were mine?”

“I was on your case for years Dragonfly. While you hardly ever had to resort to it, you showed a rare talent in the arts of poison.” He replies in a deadpan tone, as if it were something so obvious.

 

Well, fuck.

 

Her eyes narrow with suspicion, “You never answered my question. Why. Are. You. Here?” She reiterates in a low and dangerous tone, a sad attempt to change the direction of the conversation.

His gaze hardens, “I’m here to ask you questions, and if you answer all of them truthfully I won’t feel obligated as a pro hero to go to the police and report this incident.” He answers, cold and blunt.

Well, double fuck.

Aya lets out a deep sigh and hangs her head in defeat, “Wait here, I’ll make some extra strong coffee for the both of us.” She declares, before heading out to the front to do just that.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Do you think Aya-sensei is in trouble?” Izuku whispers quietly to Hitoshi.

Since Himiko is hogging up the couch, Izuku is sitting in Aya’s desk chair and Hitoshi is comfortably stretched out on his throne of supply boxes. The violet-eyed teen yawns and leans into a stretch.

“She’ll be fine. She wouldn’t have sent us out for no reason. If we had stayed, we wouldn’t only gotten in the way.” He states logically.

Izuku hums nervously and his eyes flicker up to the ceiling, “I hope everything is going okay.”

Unfortunately, it seems that the universe is not on Izuku’s side today.

To Izuku’s and Hitoshi’s surprise, Himiko begins to stir in her sleep despite the fact she’s three hours early. Izuku pales and Hitoshi sits up straight as the girl slowly awakens. Himiko sits up, looks around her surroundings, and opens her mouth to scream.
Luckily, Hitoshi was quick enough to lean over and block her mouth with his hand.
Unluckily, Himiko did not appreciate being smothered with a stranger’s hand and chose at that moment the best course of action was to bite down on the offending appendage.

 

Chaos ensues.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Upstairs, two adults sit across from one another at a kitchen table in a death glare match, while taking the occasional sip from their too strong coffee.

The weary hero takes a long drink from his mug, then says, “Your coffee is just as good as ever.”

Aya takes a sip, “I made it extra dark and bitter, like your soul.”

“Thanks for the sentiment.”

“You’re fucking welcome.”

They set down their mugs with a sharp CLACK! And that’s when the real interrogation begins.

“When did you become active again? And why? You know you got off easy last time. Why would you risk getting caught again?” He inquires, his words sounding more like a parent scolding their delinquent child.

The young women rolls her eyes, “Before you throw a pissy fit, I didn’t become “active”. I stepped in to prevent a crime and the criminal happened to run off. I didn’t expect anyone to link those needles to me so damn quick since I’ve been off the streets for a year now.” She attempts to explain.

Aizawa’s eyes narrow and he picks up one of the needles, holding it in between his index finger and thumb at their eye level, “So… you’re telling me… that you went out in the middle of the night for a walk… ran into a crime scene… and just so happened to have these on you at the time?”

“Exact-a-mundo my dearest hobo.” Aya confirms, her voice confident. He stares back at her with an expression that screams, “I don’t believe you”. All she does in return is take another calm sip from her mug.

“Then explain to me why there is a quilt on the table and why there are three mugs on the counter top behind you.”

Aya screams internally, but keeps a straight face as she explains, “I lost my apartment recently so I am forced to sleep on my kitchen table, hence the quilt. As for the mugs, I got thirsty and decided to make a lot of hot cocoa.”

Aizawa slowly blinks like a cat, “So you were going to drink all three mugs of hot cocoa by yourself?”

“I thought that was obvious?” Aya says with false cheer.

“Uh huh…” The pro hero gets up and turns to leave, “Thanks for the coffee.” He says over his shoulder, before slipping out the backdoor and returning from whence he came.

Once the door closes shut behind his back, Aya lets out a deep sigh of relief, “Good job me. You survived an encounter with the hobo demon.” She muses while giving herself a well-earned pat on the back. She heads straight into her office and knocks on the secret door in her closet, “Oi! Brats! The coast is clear!” She hollers. She waits for a minute, growing concerned, and knocks again, “Hey guys, it’s all clear! You can come out now!” After another minute, she begins to grow impatient, “THAT’S IT FUCKERS. I’M COMING IN!”

 

She kicks open the door…


Only to be run over by three overgrown, screaming toddlers teenagers.

Notes:

How have you already fucked up 2020?

I have already injured myself on the third day into the New Year. Wtf? WHO DOES THAT??? Me. Apparently.

Also, I think this is like... the third time I have changed the title of my fanfic. I'm horrible with titles so... yeah. I'm hoping this is the last time. I swear.

Chapter 9: Be Grateful

Summary:

Christmas Day at The Lounge. Starring an angry barista and her three brats.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Her tall child is bleeding. 

Her smol child is crying. 

Her new child is biting. 

 

Aya is at a lost as to what to do. This is why she never wanted kids of her own. “Gee, what would my parents have done in this situation?” she asks herself, before remembering that she didn’t even have a father (at all) or a responsible mother. The old man doesn’t fucking count, he pretty much let Aya do her own thing. Now that she really thinks about it, this is probably why she has more issues than an IKEA bookshelf. 

Wait, where was she going with this?

 

Another bite. Another scream.

 

Ah yes. The children. 

 

Aya takes a deep breath before getting to work. Five minutes later, all three toddlers teens are roped up in chairs as though they were the unfortunate victims in some R-rated thriller movie. If the police were to walk into her office right now, she’d be sent to Tartarus before she could even say, “Fuck you.”

 

The cafe owner glares down at the three of them with her arms crossed across her chest, “I leave for less than an hour… and this happens.” She takes in a deep breath and smothers her face into her hands, before loudly groaning, “God, what am I gonna do with you brats!?”

 

“In my defense, I didn’t ask to become our guest’s newest chew toy!” Hitoshi grumbles under his breath.

 

Himiko shoots the sleep-deprived teenager a scathing glare, “Well in MY defense, I still have no idea where I am and who all of you are! For all I know you guys could be a human trafficking ring!” She argues.

 

This response causes Hitoshi to dramatically roll his eyes, “Puh-lease. You give yourself too much credit. You’re too annoying to kidnap!” He remarks with bitter sarcasm.

 

“Hey! You take that back Mr. I Think Eye Bags Are Gucci!”

 

“What did you call me!?”

 

“Guys… please stop fighting…” Izuku pleads in a whimper, only for his words to fall on deaf ears as he sinks lower into his chair. It was just his rotten luck that he so happens to be squeezed in between the two.

 

Finally fed up, Aya drives her knuckles into the skulls of the two squabbling children, causing comically large bumps to swell on top of their heads. At last, to Izuku and Aya’s relief, Hitoshi and Himiko FINALLY stop fighting. Although nothing can be helped to stop them from shooting venomous glares at each other. 

 

“Alright. Now that I have your full attention. Here’s what’s going to happen today.” Their sensei starts off, before whipping out a very long list from seemingly nowhere, “Just because it’s fucking Christmas doesn’t mean we’re going to hold hands and sing kumbaya around the fireplace. We’re going to have a nice Christmas breakfast. The we’ll all clean the entire place from top to toe, which is described in the list of chores I have in my hand. This will take a majority of the day. Tonight, we’ll have our Christmas dinner. The forecast predicts that there will be heavy snowfall for all of today, so we’re going to be staying indoors. Any questions, comments, objections to what I’ve just said?”

 

“What about me?” Himiko asks, her head tilted to one side.

 

“I just said that we’re staying indoors for today. That includes you. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not so heartless enough to kick a kid out into the streets during a heavy snowfall.” Aya simply states, as if it was such a simple concept.

 

The blonde girl blinks in surprise, “But… I hurt that man in the alley. You’re not scared of my quirk?” She questions, her voice small and hesitant.

 

This time, Izuku pipes up and says, “You weren’t really in the right state of mind when you did that, and you said you’ve never killed any of your victims. So you didn’t really commit any huge crimes other than probably assault, but like previously stated you weren’t really all there. Plus, judging from your outfit, you’re a minor like me. So even if we were to turn you in right now, you could maybe get away with only a warning and mandatory quirk counseling. As for your quirk, it’s fuel-based right? So if you don’t haven’t consumed any blood in a while, your body makes you naturally crave it until you can’t help but give into your urges. Just because your quirk requires human blood to work doesn’t mean it’s a bad quirk. In fact, having the ability to change into different people has a lot of applications to hero work! You would be really great for infiltration! Or even better! Stealth! Or maybe—”

 

“IZUKU.”

 

The greenette is knocked out of his train of thought and he sees his boss, his best friend, and the new girl staring at him with varying expressions. Aya has this deadpan look. Hitoshi looks very amused with his mutter storm. The new girl looks straight up confused at what she has just witnessed. He can feel his whole face turn bright red with morbid embarrassment after realizing he has been mumbling his thoughts this entire time. Izuku wishes his hands weren’t bound so that he could bury his face into his hands to hide himself, therefore, he settles with staring at the ground while wishing it will just open up and swallow him whole.

 

Aya releases them from their binds and they all settle down in the kitchen. Like a well-oiled machine, Izuku, Hitoshi, and Aya set to work on breakfast. The stove is turned on and Aya starts working on the pancakes with Hitoshi’s assistance. Izuku busies himself with setting the table. At the table, Himiko watches them work with fascination.Feeling left out, Himiko decides some conversation is needed. 

 

Her eyes land on the stove top and she notices the lack of blue cooking flames, “Hey! You have one of those fancy electric stoves. You don’t see those a lot!” She says cheerfully, but her attempt doesn’t have the desired effect. 

 

Instead of lightening the mood, the room dims. It’s as though someone had hit the pause button. Hitoshi stops mixing the pancake mix in the mixing bowl. Izuku drops a plate, but luckily catches it on time before it can hit the floor. Aya’s body goes rigid entirely. 

 

After a stiff, silent, ten second pause, Aya snaps out of her stupor and simply states, “Fire isn’t allowed here.” 

 

Naturally, Himiko finds this rule odd, considering the fact that they are in a bakery/cafe, but she doesn’t push for any more answers. Then it’s like someone hit the play button, Hitoshi and Izuku continue working as though nothing had just occurred, and Aya resumes to flipping the golden brown pancakes in the skillet.

 

Without taking her eyes away from the frying pan, Aya says to Hitoshi, “I got it from here kid. Go get the stuff from the fridge.”

 

Hitoshi goes to the fridge and pulls out an assortment of jars from the fridge, “What do like on your pancakes?!” He inquires while his head is still in the fridge.

 

Realizing he’s talking to her, Himiko straightens up in her chair and replies, “Do you guys have strawberry jam!?”

 

Hitoshi pulls out a jar of jam and scrunches up his nose, “You really like this sugary shit???”

 

She pouts, “Hey!”

 

“I’m teasing. You’re no better than Izu. For some weird reason he likes to put maple syrup on his pancakes.”

 

The greenette sitting at the table pouts, “Hey! Maple syrup is a totally normal condiment on pancakes! You’re the weird one who puts flipping PEANUT BUTTER on his pancakes!”

 

“Well then, jokes on you! I’m not going to be the one dying from diabetes!”

 

“Troll doll!”

 

“Oompa loompa!”

 

“Eye bags!”

 

“Freckles!”

 

“Hey, freckles are cute! My mom loved my freckles thank you very much!”

 

“Your both fucking gorgeous. Now can you two please set the fucking table? The pancakes are done.” Aya gripes from the stove, holding a platter of perfect golden brown pancakes.

 

She doesn’t have to say another word. 

 

Izuku had already set the plates and utensils a long time ago, so all that is needed are the condiments. Hitoshi sets down the jars in the center of the table, while Izuku grabs the milk and orange juice from the fridge. After everyone is settled, Aya plops two pancakes onto each plate. By now, the warm smell of freshly made pancakes has filled the entire kitchen. It brings Himiko back to her childhood, when things were simpler. 

 

When was the last time she had pancakes? She can’t remember.

 

“Toga-san, you’re crying.” Izuku says out of the blue.

 

Himiko brings a hand to her cheek and it comes away wet, “Oh… I didn’t notice.”

 

“Is something wrong kid? Do you not like pancakes?” Aya says, her voice genuinely concerned.

 

The blonde shakes her head, “No, no, I was just… thinking. I can’t remember the last time I had pancakes.” She says with a small chuckle, before using the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe her tears. Her expression suddenly brightens with a strained smile, “Don’t mind me. Let’s eat them before they get cold and soggy!”

 

Aya huffs, “What she said.” She says, before grabbing the honey bottle and squeezing a liberal amount of honey on her plate (Hitoshi gags).

 

Izuku smirks and turns to Hitoshi, “Last person to finish their pancakes has to clean out the clogged kitchen sink.”

 

A confident grin spreads on Hitoshi’s face, “You’re on.”

 

Himiko squeals as she spreads a liberal amount of jelly on her pancakes, “Count me in!”

 

“Oi! Savor the food! Savor it! I worked hard on these! Oi! Oi!!!”




***




“I hate you both.” Hitoshi grumbles, causing Izuku and Himiko to laugh at his misery while they are busy sweeping and mopping.

 

A shudder wracks his body as he digs his hand into the kitchen sink drain. Oh dear God. It’s cold, wet, and slimy, which is a very very VERY unpleasant combination. Hitoshi holds his breath and pinches his nose with his clean hand to protect himself from the horrid rotting stench. He pulls his hand up and he scoops out this horrible smelling green goop that may or may not have been the carrot tops from last week’s carrot cake special. 

 

Hitoshi’s face turns a worrying shade of green and he gags, “I think I’m going to be sick.” He admits.

 

Aya stands beside him, patiently holding out a trashbag, “This is why I warn you guys to stop tossing stuff down the sink. But do you guys ever fucking listen? NO.” She lectures.




***




“Okay. Let’s all sit down and eat, but before that, since it’s fucking Christmas dinner and all, let’s do a quick prayer.” Aya says, grumbling the last part. 

They all bow their heads and Himiko follows their example even though she’s not religious. 

Aya takes a deep breath and says, “Heavenly Father, thanks for keeping me alive for some damn reason. It’s been a rough year, but I'm grateful for what I have. And… thankyouforbringingthesekidsintomylife. Amen.”

 

The last part is so rushed Izuku, Hitoshi, and Himiko don’t even know what she said. 

 

“W-What was the last part boss?” Izuku inquires.

 

“I’M NOT GOING TO REPEAT MYSELF. NOW SHUT UP AND EAT.” She shouts before frantically stuffing her red face with mashed potatoes. 

 

Notes:

Who is best boy and best girl in MHA?

Chapter 10: Be Accepted

Summary:

A lot of things happen. Some good. Some bad. Depends on who you ask.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It’s been a month since Himiko has woken up in the cafe. Sometimes she wonders if she’s actually dreaming all of this up. Maybe all of this is some sick illusion and none of this is real. For once in her life, she had people who accepted her for who she was. 

 

Despite the fact that she had threatened his life, Izuku has been nothing but kind to her. He reminds Himiko of a smol, pure puppy. When he talks about quirks he gets sooooo excited! She can almost imagine a little tail wagging when he goes on his little mutter sprees. Lately, Izuku has started a habit of playing with her long blonde hair, and she lets him. He twists her hair into the most adorable twin buns! He even went out of his way to research ways for her to control her quirk’s needs. She never knew that there are these special nutrition bars for people with a blood-related quirk like hers! Izuku and Hitoshi tried them on a dare, but they spat them right out. Apparently to them, it tastes like copper and raw beef. To Himiko, it’s tastes like cotton candy! Weird huh? Anyways, she discovered she has to eat a bar at least twice a week, which Aya was completely okay with purchasing.

 

Aya is like the older sister she never had. She may seem a little rough around the edges, but she cares. She has given her a full-time job, full support for her quirk, and a place to call home. Something NO ONE has ever done before for someone like her. The only condition Aya set down in stone is that Himiko can never tell anyone about their secret identities as vigilantes. Which is easy enough for Himiko! She would never betray her new family. 

 

As for Hitoshi, it took a little while, but eventually she got the grouchy teen to warm up to her, despite being complete opposites of each other. She’s bubbly and hyper, he’s sarcastic and lethargic. She likes pop music, he likes smooth jazz. She pours cream and sugar into her coffee, he takes it bitter and black. Despite their differences, they were able to find a middle ground: Izuku. After vowing to never hurt Izuku again, he reluctantly welcomed her into their “family from hell”. 

 

Both boys were even nice enough to let her move in with them! Of course, she couldn’t live with them in the Hobo Shack. So they helped her get set up with a “Hobo Van”, which so happens to be parked only two trash heaps away from their place. Living in the Hobo Van is sooooooo much better than trying to survive on the streets. No more getting rained on. No more worrying about freezing to death. No more getting woken up by creeps trying to grope her. Life is good!!!

 

“Hey Blondie! If you don’t hurry up, we’re gonna be late!” Hitoshi yells from above, he and Izuku are already dressed and waiting patiently at the top of the stairs that descend to the sands of the beach. 

 

Himiko pokes her head out of the front window and shouts back, “Hold your horses Toshi-kun! I still need to put on my pretty bra and panties for you!” Which isn’t true, she’s already fully dressed, she just needs to brush her hair. Either way, her statement rewards her with its intended effect. Hitoshi sputters in shock and Izuku hides his face in his hands in mortification. 

 

Hitoshi’s face turns a dark blushing shade of red, “Dammit woman! Don’t go shouting that stuff in public where everyone can hear you!!!” Of course, this only makes Himiko burst into a fit of giggles and want to do it more.



***




Meanwhile, Aya is down in the secret basement, unpacking a large crate that had arrived in the middle of the night. She grunts as she presses down on the crowbar with all her might, until the nails finally come loose and the lid pops free.

 

“Fucking finally.” She says with a wide grin on her face. 

 

Inside the crate is a black jumpsuit with dark red accents, similar to the ones already hung up for the boys to wear later tonight. Beside the new suit are a pair of goggles and a grappling hook. The ex-vigilante sets aside the gadgets and hangs up the suit alongside the other two. 

 

“Can’t wait to see the brats’ faces.” She chuckles.




***



Also meanwhile…

 

Detective Naomasa leans back from his desk and rubs his tired eyes, “So all of the attacks have stopped?” He asks, before stifling a loud yawn.

 

Officer Sansa, who looks equally exhausted, can’t help but yawn as well, “Yeah, pretty much.” He says, before reading through the case file for what was probably the hundredth time, “The last attack victim was a young college student named Yamatori Uzuru. He was found by the pro hero Eraserhead with several minor knife wounds and a concussion. Victim claims that he never saw his attacker, nor who saved him. Unfortunately, there were no security cameras in that alleyway that could’ve given us any leads. However, there is evidence that all security cameras in the area have been tampered with. Most likely suspect, Horikoshi Aya, a.k.a former vigilante Dragon Fly. Eraserhead has already interrogated the suspect, concluded that she stepped in to defend the victim and the villain had escaped. There was no quirk usage involved, which exempts Horikoshi from any charges of illegal activity.”

 

The detective massages is temples, “None of this adds up. If the villain got away, then attacks would still be occurring. What happened?” 

 

Sansa shrugs, “There is always the unfortunate possibility that the villain died.”

 

Naomasa shakes his head, “There was no blood at the scene. Plus, no body has been reported that matches the description of the attacker.”

 

Sansa lets out a loud yawn, “Man, I need some coffee.” He remarks. 

 

Suddenly, it’s like someone flipped a switch. Naomasa abruptly leaps up from his chair and slams his hands on his desk, scattering numerous documents to the floor. This causes Sansa to jump in surprise.

 

The detective grabs Sansa by the shoulders and starts shaking the startled cat-man back and forth, “THAT’S IT SANSA! YOU’RE A GENIUS!” He exclaims, before dashing out of the office in a beige-colored blur. 

 

The bewildered officer blinks slowly like a confused kitten, “What did I do???”



***



Since Himiko made them late, they all had to race to the cafe to make it on time. Despite being obnoxiously short, Izuku surprisingly got there first. He bursts into the cafe with a cheeky grin and sweat dripping down his face. The bell dangling above the door rings, signalling his arrival. 

 

“Good mor-” He starts, but the words quickly die in the back of his throat. Instead, a weird strangled noise comes out of the back of his throat. This catches the attention of the two adults glaring at each other across the bar counter.

 

The detective raises a brow at the disheveled teen and questions, “Since when did you hire employees Miss Horikoshi?”

 

Aya is quick to deflect, “He’s not my employee, he’s family.”

 

TRUE

 

Naomasa raises a brow and looks back and forth between the two greenettes, “I’m guessing green hair runs in the family hmmm?”

 

Izuku’s eyes widen in realization, “Oh yeah… we ran out of black hair dye last week. My hair must be turning green again.”

 

Aya lets out a nervous laugh that sounds obviously forced, “Yeah, kinda. Hey brat! Go to the store will ya? We’re out of peanut butter and strawberry jelly!”

 

Izuku immediately gets the message, “Peanut butter and strawberry jelly… those are Toshi’s and Himiko’s favorite pancake toppings. I have to keep them away from here!” He gives Aya a salute and a nervous smile in return, “Roger! I’ll be back!” He leaves quickly and manages to catch Hitoshi and Toga at the corner. He grabs both of their hands and starts pulling them away from the cafe.

 

Himiko, not liking being grabbed, struggles against his tight grip, “Hey! Let go!”

 

“What the heck Izuku!?” Hitoshi snaps.

 

Izuku sends both of them a panicked look, “Stop struggling. We have to get away from here. The detective with the lie detector quirk is at the cafe. Aya told me to get all of us far away from here. We have to hide.”

 

Unfortunately, their luck gets even worse. Since Izuku wasn’t watching where he was going, the three of them end up turning the corner and barreling straight into Eraserhead. The three fall back onto their butts and the tired pro hero stares down at them in disdain.

 

“Where are the three of you going in such a hurry?” He grumbles, barely loud enough for them to hear.

 

Green eyes widen in shock, “I-It’s Eraserhead! RUN!” He yanks his two partners up onto their feet and the three of them run away.

 

Eraserhead has no idea why these kids are running away from him, but the fact one of them recognized him as a pro hero and decided to run away tells him that they must be up to no good, so he pursues after them. They do everything they can to lose the skilled hero, but no matter how many alleys duck into or how many fire escapes they climb up or how many roof tops they hop, Eraserhead stays on their tail. 

 

Hitoshi grits his teeth as his legs start to burn horribly from the strain on his muscles, he glances over at Izuku and Himiko, they’re not any better off either. They can’t keep running forever. 

 

Panic curls in his gut as they dash down the bustling streets of Musutafu, “If only I had my flashbangs!” He inwardly curses.

 

“Toshi look!” Izuku shouts, pointing up ahead towards a bulky teen heaving a medium-sized bag of flour over his shoulder. Hitoshi immediately knows what Izuku wants him to do. 

 

He runs up to the muscular teen and grabs bag of flour. Using his teeth, he savagely rips it open and yeets it at their pursuer. An enormous cloud of white envelops the pro hero and several LOUD curses can be heard as Izuku and Himiko take the blessed opportunity to run away. Hitoshi apologetically hands the shocked teenager the empty bag of flour before joining his two friends. When the white cloud dissipates, all that’s left behind is a furious Eraserhead, covered from head to toe in an even coating of flour. 

 

The nervous teenager, still holding the empty bag of flour, approaches the flour-covered man, “Uh, sir? Are you alright? Can I help you in any way?” He asks, being the naturally kind person he is. 

 

Eraserhead sneezes, causing some flour to fly away into the cool morning breeze, “I’m fine.” He grits out between his teeth, “Just tell me where’s the nearest train station.”

 

The teenager nods and goes inside his parents’ bakery to grab the man a wet rag and a blueberry muffin, before coming back outside, “Here.” He offers the rag to Eraserhead, who gladly wipes the offending powder from his eyes. After taking back the rag, now covered in wet flour, the teen helps him call a taxi and offers him the muffin to eat while he waits for his ride. 

 

The pro hero shakes his head, “I don’t have money on me right now.” He explains to the young teen.

 

The teenager shakes his head and holds out the muffin to the pro, “That’s okay. My parents always give heroes a free muffin as a thanks for doing their job. We don’t have a lot of heroes who bother to come around here and patrol.” 

 

“You really don’t have to do that kid.” Eraserhead insists.


“Just take it Mr…”

 

“Eraserhead.” 

 

“Just take the muffin Eraserhead-san.” 

 

The tired pro hero reluctantly accepts and the teen cheerfully walks back inside his parents’ bakery, feeling good about his small good deed of the day. Eraserhead takes a bite of the muffin and finds that it surprisingly tastes really good. He looks up at the old sign on top of the small building. The paint is faded and chipped but he can still make out the words on the wood.

 

“Soft Blossom Bakery, hm?” He murmurs, before taking another bite from his muffin, “I’ll probably bring Hizashi over here one day. He likes banana nut muffins.”



***



The trio climb through a broken window in an abandoned building and watch from afar as a flour-covered Eraserhead is taken away in a taxi. The group sighs in relief.

 

“We did it!” Himiko exclaims before pulling her two friends into a bone crushing hug. 

 

“Himiko… air…” Hitoshi chokes out. 

 

She releases them and they gasp for breath. Izuku quickly composes himself and looks out the broken window in the direction of The Lounge, their home. Hitoshi notices Izuku’s worried expression and places his hand on his shoulder in comfort.

 

“Aya is going to be fine. She can handle herself.” He says, trying his best to sound optimistic, it doesn’t work.

 

Tears form in his big doe-like eyes, “No. For all we know she could be getting arrested right now! And it’s my fault! If only I had been more careful.”

 

Hitoshi angrily shakes his head, “It’s not your fault Izuku. If it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I shouldn’t have used my quirk on that guy. None of this would’ve happened if I never had this stupid quirk!” 

 

“Both of you, stop!” Himiko exclaims out of the blue, causing both boys to stop their talking and to turn their attention to her. The blonde starts to cry, “It’s my fault. I’m a former wanted villain. I bet they’re asking about me. Maybe if I turn myself in, they’ll let Aya go.”

 

Izuku and Hitoshi freeze.

 

“What are you saying!?”

 

“Have you lost your mind!?”

 

They both envelop the crying girl in a gentle hug, which only makes her cry more. 

 

“Dummy. Aya would kill us if we did that.” Hitoshi says harshly, but with feeling.

 

Izuku sniffles and manages a watery laugh, “What he said!” 

 

Himiko finally stops crying and wipes her tears on the sleeve of her beige cardigan, “Thanks you guys.”

 

The touching moment is ruined when a huge explosion shakes the building. 

BOOM!

The trio spring apart from each other, startled from the loud noise. 

 

Izuku looks around in bewilderment, “What was-”

BOOM!

Another loud explosion just like the last one cuts him off. 

 

“It’s coming from upstairs!” Himiko shouts.

 

The three vigilantes sprint out of the room and locate the stairs. With their vigilante experience under their belts, they stealthily climb up the steps until they can clearly hear the explosions becoming louder and clearer. The explosions lead them to the top floor of the five-story building. Unlike the previous abandoned floors below, this floor looks well lived in. The floors are swept clean of debris and trash. The windows are intact and it looks like as though someone had just fixed them recently. 

 

One half of the room looks like any other chaotic teenager’s room. Tucked in the upper right corner is a fridge and beside that is a table with a microwave on top. Two plastic chairs surround the table, a pair of workshop goggles is hanging off one of the chairs. In the bottom right corner to their immediate right is a small flat screen TV perched on top of a wooden crate. In front of the TV are two huge black bean bags. 

 

The other half of the room looks like a cross between someone’s garage and a hi-tech laboratory. In front of them in the upper left corner is a partially composed robot suit that looks like it’s in the process of being built. Pushed up against the left wall are three desks: two made of steel and one made of wood. The steel tables have other various gadgets and tools scattered across their surfaces. The wooden table is cluttered with blueprints and notebooks of sketches for inventions that have yet to be made. 

 

In the middle of all of this is a teenage girl with pink dreadlocks struggling to get a metal boot off of her foot. 

 

Oblivious to her new audience, she continues to struggle and mutter angrily to herself, “I designed…  right off in case… definitely going to have to fix…”

 

“Um… excuse me? Do you need some help with that?” Izuku nervously asks from the doorway.

 

The pinkette looks up, scrutinizing them under her inquisitive yellow eyes, before her lips pull up into an excited grin, “Hi!!! Didn’t see you there! Are you all here to check out my amazing babies!?”

Notes:

Disclaimer: So the name of the bakery mentioned in the chapter, "Soft Blossom Bakery" is inspired by KrumbleKitty's amazing fanfics "Quirkless Rejects" and "Puppet Master". I highly suggest that you go check it out, it is honestly one of the best stories I have ever read on this website.

Here's the end-of-chapter trivia question!!!

Can you guess who was the teenager that gave Aizawa the blueberry muffin?

Chapter 11: Be Afraid, Very Afraid

Summary:

The trio is afraid to be friends with this tinkering hooman who seems to have no self-preservation whatsoever.

Izuku is afraid of these images he keeps seeing.

Aya is afraid to lose everything.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Hi!!! Didn’t see you there! Are you all here to check out my babies!?” The girl with pink hair, yellow eyes, and grease stained cheeks asks with overwhelming enthusiasm.

 

“Um… uh…” Izuku sputters, unable to find the proper words to come out of his mouth. 

 

Seemingly forgetting the heavy metal boot still trapped to her foot, the strange girl walks straight up to the trio. The boot makes a crude noise as she is forced to drag the metal across the cold concrete, forcing the three vigilantes to wince and cover their ears. The boot-wearer seems absolutely oblivious to the screeching metal sound as she casually invades their personal space with a ridiculously wide grin. 

 

She holds out her hand, “I’m Hatsume Mei! Future founder of Hatsume Industries! But you can just call me Mei!” She enthusiastically introduces herself. As a fellow person lacking the understanding of personal space, Himiko is naturally the first one to warm up to the pinkette.

 

With equal vigor and enthusiasm, Himiko accepts the handshake and says, “My name’s Toga Himiko! The purple troll on my left is Toshi-kun, and the green bush-baby on my right is Izu-kun!”

 

Taking offense at the “troll” comment, Hitoshi clears his throat and corrects, “My actual name is Shinsou Hitoshi.”

 

Izuku smiles good-naturedly, “You can c-call me Izu-kun if you want to.” He adds nervously.

 

Mei suddenly spins around and clumsily walks over to one of the work tables, while speaking over the loud grating sound of her boot, “Well you guys came at just the right time! I need test subjects for my newest baby!” She lifts up another boot, identical to the one stuck on her foot, “This is Jet Boot Baby 7.0!”

 

“Test subjects???” Izuku says quietly, his face going pale.

 

“7.0???” Hitoshi mumbles under his breath incredulously.

 

“Did you say babies!” Himiko exclaims, her feline-like eyes sparkling. 

 

Mei places the boot down and returns to her attempts to remove the other boot from her foot, “Yep! My babies are my great inventions!” She clarifies. Her face turns an unhealthy shade of red as she strains to wrench the boot off of her foot.

 

Izuku, ever the helpful one, approaches the struggling girl, “Do you need any help?” 

 

Breathless, she takes a breather before replying, “Yeah, sure, on three! One, two… THREE!” Izuku grabs around her ankle and she pulls her leg back towards her, but the damn thing refuses to budge. 

 

Izuku looks over his shoulder at his two best friends, “Um, a little help here?” He asks pleadingly. His friends quickly join in. Hitoshi wraps his arms underneath Izuku’s armpits and Himiko wraps her arms around Mei’s waist. 

 

Mei takes a deep breath before chanting, “Okay. One, two, and… THREE!” 

 

On three, they all pull. With their combined strength, the boot flies off, causing the four of them to fall on their asses. The heavy metal boot soars through the air and hits the opposite wall, leaving a large dent in the cheap plaster. 

 

Grinning, Mei wriggles the toes on her free foot, “Thanks for the help my minions! It was getting kinda steamy in there!” 

 

Before Hitoshi can throw out a “that’s what she said” joke, Izuku quickly clamps his hand over his mouth and bashfully waves off the pinkette’s praise, “It’s not a big deal! We’ll just be on our way now!”

 

While this is all going on, Himiko is casually browsing the wide variety of unfinished products scattered across the entirety of the room. They all look really impressive and quite complicated. Himiko doesn’t know the first thing about machines though, so this is definitely out of her element. Just with a quick glance at each piece, she has a general idea of its purpose and function. A few hand-held lasers, a deconstructed robot arm, a flying drone missing a couple propellers, etc. It all looks confusing, yet fascinating at the same time. 

 

Himiko picks up one of the laser guns and turns to the inventor, “Ooooh, what does this one do?” She asks her.

 

Mei’s eyes widen and she raises her hands up in alarm, “Wait! Drop the baby!”

 

She drops the device on the work table like hot coal and hits the floor. It shoots out a bright red laser, barely missing her head by an inch. A smoking hole the size of a quarter is burned into the opposite wall. Izuku lets out a strangled sound and Hitoshi’s eyes bulge out of his skull. Mei calmly shrugs off the event as though this was something that happens on a daily — which it probably is! Cool and collected, she picks up a hammer from the floor and brings it down onto the malfunctioning laser. The device is kaput. 

 

“Is it safe now?” Himiko questions from the floor.

 

“Yup! Fire Laser Baby 4.0 has been destroyed.” Mei informs her, giving the failed invention a slight frown before shoving its smoking remains into a nearby waste basket. Himiko breathes a sigh of relief and stands up.

 

Hitoshi rubs his temples, “Does this happen often???” He inquires in an exasperated tone.

 

Mei hums and replies, “Nah, not anymore. It used to happen everyday, but since I’ve gotten better at tinkering, I’ve reduced it to at most once a week.” The violet-haired teenager face-palms.

 

“Is that why we heard so many explosions earlier?” Izuku questions out loud.

 

Mei nods vigorously, “Yup yup! Those explosions were from Jet Boot Baby 7.0! It’s supposed to let out small explosions from the soles to slow a person’s descent from a high place. Let’s say you’re forced to jump from a skyscraper, but you don’t have a flight quirk in handy! This way you can jump without a fear of breaking your bones!” She explains.

 

A puzzled expression forms on Izuku’s face, “So what’s wrong with it?”

 

She lets out a frustrated sigh and rants, “Well, a lot of things! First of all, the explosions didn’t come out consistently. One can be too weak, the next one can make a whole building rattle! I’ve finally fixed it, but now the explosions are too strong all the time. I don’t know how to make them adjustable to the wearer. Nitroglycerin is a tricky substance you know.”

 

At the word “nitroglycerin”, a memory pops into Izuku’s brain. It’s quick and barely there, but for a split second he remembers ash blonde hair, bright red eyes, a victorious grin, and sparking palms. 

 

“A great quirk for hero work…” Izuku subconsciously mumbles under his breath.

 

Mei leans forward, “What was that my minion?” 

 

Izuku snaps out of his trance and refocuses his attention on Mei, “If you don’t mind me suggesting, I think you should change your design a bit. Instead of boots, make them into gloves. That way someone can use it for combat.”

 

The inventor seems to let his words sink in, before grinning and pulling the greenette into a hug, “That’s a fantastic idea! Why didn’t I think of that!? Thanks minion!” When she releases him, Izuku is a blushing, stuttering mess. 

 

“No pr-problem!” He stammers. 

 

Mei immediately turns her attention to her work and starts sketching out the blueprints for her new “baby”. While she is distracted, the trio share a glance and simultaneously decide that now would be the best time to sneak away while the eccentric inventor is distracted. They have one foot out the door when Mei calls out to them.

 

“Hey minions!” She shouts, they all turn around to see her sending them a bright smile, “Come back in a few days and help me test ExplodoPalm Baby 1.0 out, okay?” She asks cheerfully, her yellow eyes pleading.

 

Izuku, Hitoshi, and Himiko share a look and against their better judgement, they agree to come back this Sunday — their day off. As they walk away from the ramshackle building, Izuku catches sight of a peeling sign hammered onto the front of the building.

 

He stops in his tracks and his eyes latch onto the bold black words, “Private Property of Shigaraki Hisashi Co.” He mumbles under his breath. A flash image of a large hand reaching out for his face pops into the back of his mind. 

 

Hitoshi and Himiko notice Izuku’s strange behavior and Himiko gently prods his shoulder, “Izu-kun?” 

 

A sharp pain stabs through the center of Izuku’s forehead and radiates through the rest of his head. The greenette groans and he would’ve fallen if Hitoshi and Himiko hadn’t been by his side to support him. 

 

“Woah there Izuku.” Hitoshi says calmly, before sharing a worried look with Himiko.

 

Just as fast as it hit, the pain disappears completely, leaving Izuku baffled, “What was that?” He ponders.

 

“Are you okay now Izu-kun?” Himiko asks, her brows furrowed with worry.

 

Izuku sends them a reassuring smile, “I’m fine! Don’t worry about me! Just felt a little disoriented for a second there.” His friends still look doubtful, but thankfully they don’t push any further. Izuku is quick to change the topic, “Let’s head back to The Lounge and check up on Aya-sensei! That detective should be gone by now.”

 

Hitoshi groans, “PLEASE, no more racing. My legs are still dead.”




***



Meanwhile, back at The Lounge…

 

Detective Naomasa is starting to get frustrated. The young woman sitting on the opposite side of the lacquer bar counter top is lying. It’s blatantly obvious. It’s clear as day. Yet his quirk continues to register as everything she says as TRUE . Aya has never been a skilled liar, not at all. She would be laughed right out of a casino for her utter lack of dishonesty. Naomasa knows this. So how is she doing it!?

 

“Have you conducted any illegal activity within the past year?” 

 

“Last time I checked, making bomb ass coffee ain’t illegal Detective.” She replies tersely. 

 

TRUE

 

Naomasa takes a deep breath, “Okay, let me clarify, have you done any vigilantism lately?”

 

“Define the term ‘lately’. That could either mean yesterday, or months ago.” Aya snarks.

 

“Specifically within the last couple of months.”

 

“If you’re specifically referring to that event regarding the assault victim I saved about 4 weeks ago, that wasn’t vigilantism. I just fucking happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and I saved the guy’s ass from getting his blood drained. The villain is a skilled motherfucker who knows how to wield knives. I didn’t bring them in, because I couldn’t.”

 

TRUE

 

Aya gives him a cocky smile, “Also, I already had this conversation with that hobo demon. I passed his interrogation. I have absolutely nothing left to hide. So why are you here Detective?” She inquires, her voice lightly taunting.

 

FALSE

 

The detective has to force himself to NOT react. On the outside, his stern expression hasn’t changed in the slightest, but on the inside he is reeling with shock. This is the first time in the entire conversation that her words have registered as a lie. He frantically reruns her taunting statement through his mind like a tape recorder. It’s true that Eraserhead has already interrogated her. It’s true that she passed Eraserhead’s interrogation. 

 

She’s hiding something. 

She is definitely hiding something. 

And he thinks he has a slight hunch as to what that “something” is. 

 

A frown tugs down on Naomasa’s lips and he leans forward on the stool, “I’m here, because I know for a fact that you’re hiding something from me.” He replies, his voice soft, yet unwavering. Shock, anger, then panic flashes through her lime-green eyes. 

 

It was at this moment that Aya knew she lost the game.

 

The detective stands up, the stool’s feet scraping against the wood floor, “I will return sometime soon with a search warrant either tomorrow or on Sunday.” He states, before making his way to the front door.

 

Aya’s eyes widen and she jumps up from her chair, “Wait!” She cries. The detective stops and turns around. “Doesn’t it usually take at least a week to get a search warrant approved!?” She questions.

 

“It depends on the priority of the case.” Naomasa explains to the distraught barista, “The Hero Commission doesn’t take the threat of vigilantism lightly. Though you probably already know that.”

 

Her entire back throbs with phantom pain.

 

With no further words needed to be said, the detective steps out of the establishment, donning his detective hat before ducking into his patrol car and driving away. Aya stands in the middle of her cafe, unmoving. However, on the inside she want to scream at the heavens, throw a childish tantrum, curse the nastiest words she knows, kick something, punch something, etc. 

But after ten whole seconds of complete silence… 

 

She cries.

Notes:

End of question chapter: What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is being forgotten/abandoned/rejected by the ones I hold dear. 2nd biggest fear are spiders or creepy crawlies in general.

Chapter 12: Be Suspicious

Summary:

Aya is acting suspicious.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku CACKLES as he turns into the alley behind the cafe, “FIRST!” He shouts victoriously.

 

Not far behind him is a blonde blur, “SECOND!” Himiko cheers, before fist-bumping Izuku.

 

About a half a minute later, their purple-haired friend slowly walks around the corner, Hitoshi raises an accusing finger at the two and shoots them a venomous glare, “You… assholes!” He struggles to say between each heaving breath. 

 

“Aw, Toshi-kun’s wittle wegs are tired. ” Himiko teases.

 

“Shut the hell up… you *wheeze* hag.” Hitoshi retorts, causing Izuku to snicker. He turns his attention to the snickering greenette, “And YOU! You left me!”

 

Izuku shrugs, “Not my fault you’re slow.”

 

“My legs are longer than yours, how are you so much faster than me???” The exhausted teen whines.

 

“Spite.”

“Sugar.”

 

Himiko and Izuku stare at each other.

 

“Sugar.”

“Spite.”

 

Izuku turns back to Hitoshi with a serious expression on his face, “Both. Definitely both.” He deadpans.

 

Hitoshi rolls his eyes and walks over to the back entrance, “Let’s just go inside and get to work. I’m starving.” He says, before knocking.

 

*knock, knock, KNOCK KNOCK*

 

“Door is open! Come in!”

 

Hitoshi pushes the door open and the others follow him inside. They find Aya at the kitchen sink, over-aggressively scrubbing at a muffin pan. A dark, murderous aura surrounds her and the entire kitchen. 

 

As they approach the irate woman, they can hear her oddly calm muttering over the sound of the sink, “Motherfucking detective… motherfucking Hero Commision… motherfucking Eraserhead… motherfucking nosy fuckers…” 

 

Izuku starts sweating bullets, “Um… Aya-sensei? Are you okay?” He asks, partly out of concern, partly out of fear.

 

Aya throws the trio a quick glance over her shoulder, before turning her focus back on the pile of dirty dishes, “Go downstairs. I have some news I need to tell you three.” She orders bluntly.

 

The three share a nervous glance, but follow her orders. Aya watches the three teenagers’ backs as they walk out of the kitchen. She turns off the sink and dries off her hands, before using the damp towel to dry her damp eyes. The twenty-something year old takes a shuddering breath, before examining her surroundings. It’s only been a little bit more than a quarter of a year since those two boys have first walked through the front door of her humble cafe. So much change has happened in the past three months. 

 

On the dish-drying rack are four mugs, each a different color. One is jet black in color, and on the outside it reads in bold gold letters, “Queen B*tch”. The one sitting beside it is All Might themed, a total eye-sore in Aya’s professional opinion. Beside that one is a Cheshire Cat themed mug, complete with a wily grin. The fourth one and final one is a dark crimson color, with girly writing on the outside in sparkly pink that reads, “Sweet pea”. 

 

The cabinets no longer creak when you try to open or close them, the sink has stopped leaking, and the back door doesn’t squeak. Both of the boys are surprisingly quite good with their hands. Together they fixed all of them within the first week of working here. 

 

Himiko has a good eye for design too. All of the old grey curtains have been replaced with refreshing mint green ones. She insisted that they change the old-fashioned lamp lights hanging from the ceiling to a more modern style, Aya has to agree that the place looks much brighter and more inviting. However, Aya is NOT getting rid of the pool table and vintage pinball machine. Those will never change. 

 

Aya exits the kitchen and enters her tiny office.

 

However, the biggest change is displayed on the walls of her office. Once bare, now have a collection of picture frames. Each one containing a memory. There’s the surprise photo she took of Izuku and Hitoshi, while they were baking cookies together in the kitchen. Below that is the picture of the two boys posing in their new vigilante suits. Beside that is the picture of the four of them after Christmas dinner, the only photo of the four of them together.

 

Taking a deep breath, Aya pulls herself together, before entering the unassuming closet and heading down the hidden staircase. In the secret basement, the kids are patiently sitting on the scattered boxes, anxiously waiting for their teacher. When Aya steps into the small room, she gives them all a weary smile.

 

“Calm down brats. You guys look like you’re going to shit your pants.” She jokes, trying to lighten the mood. Then she walks over to the large crate tucked away in the corner and pulls it out into the middle of the room, right in front of Himiko. “Go ahead and pop it open kid. Got a surprise for ya.” She says with a wink, giving the two boys a knowing smile. 

 

Himiko looks between the three with suspicion, before removing the lid. She lets out a loud gasp, which turns into an excited squeal. Izuku and Hitoshi embrace their teammate from behind and Aya snaps a quick photo of the three, capturing the moment forever.

 

Himiko stares down at HER vigilante costume with teary eyes, “I love it. I love it! I love it! I love it!” She jumps up to pull the older woman into a crushing hug, “Thank you Aya-san!”

 

Aya awkwardly pats the younger girl’s back, “It’s not a big deal.” She mumbles under her breath with a huff. 

 

After they pull out of the hug, Aya gives Himiko her tools and weapons. 

Like Izuku and Hitoshi, she also has a communication device and goggle head set. For her specialized weapons, Aya gave her an assortment of throwing knives, daggers, shurikens, all the fun sharp pointy things you can possibly think of. Himiko’s suit had to be specially modified with a vest* that will carry all of these sharp pointy things for her so both hands can be free. 

 

“For now just stick with what you know. I’ll teach you how to SAFELY throw the shurikens when I’ve got time.” Aya says sternly, when she sees Himiko staring at the shurikens with a little bit too much glee. Then she turns her attention to the boys and orders, “Tonight, I want you guys to take Himiko out on patrol to show her the ropes. Be back here at midnight. Got it?”

 

“Yes Aya-san!” The two chorus.

 

Aya nods in approval and says, “Get changed. I have business to take care of tonight, so I won’t be able to come assist you guys if you run into trouble. Which means I need you guys to stay out of trouble. Don’t get into a fight you know you can’t win.”

 

Hitoshi raises a brow, “Where are you going sensei?”

 

“Yeah, this is the first time you’ve ever let us go out without back up.” Izuku adds.

 

Aya turns around and starts walking up the stairs, “Like I said, I have to take care of business tonight.” She says mysteriously.

 

When the three hear the secret door at the top of the stairs swing shut, Himiko bursts into a fit of giggles.

 

Hitoshi looks at the giggling blonde with confusion, “What are you giggling about?” He inquires.

 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Himiko whispers with a blush on her face. Izuku and Hitoshi lean forward, intrigued. The blonde dramatically spins around like a top with her arms wrapped around herself in a self-hug, “Our beautiful older sister is in love !!!” She remarks with a squeal.

 

Izuku’s cheek burn hot pink, “WHAT!?” He exclaims incredulously.

 

Hitoshi snorts, “Preposterous.”

 

Himiko grabs the front of Hitoshi’s shirt and shakes him back and forth, “IS IT?!?!?” She screeches directly in his face, causing Hitoshi to shove the overzealous girl off of him.

 

“You’re insane.” Hitoshi grunts, “Besides who the hell will want to risk their lives dating HER?” This remark earns him a solid punch to the shoulder, courtesy of Himiko.

 

Meanwhile, Izuku is sitting on the sidelines pondering this possibility, “Well, it’s not TOTALLY out there. Aya-san is a very private person after all. Even if she did have a significant other, she probably wouldn’t tell us.” He reasons.

 

Hitoshi holds a hand over his heart in mock-betrayal, “Not you too!”

 

Himiko giggles and says, “I bet it’s that detective guy.”

 

“What!? No way, Aya-san isn’t the type of person to go for a guy like that. He looks like he walks with a stick up his ass.”

 

“Oh yeah? Then who do you think it is Toshi-kun?”

 

"If she’s dating anyone it’s gotta be Eraserhead.” Hitoshi argues.

 

Izuku shakes his head at both of their antics, “Either way we shouldn’t get involved. If Aya-san wants to keep her supposed relationship a secret, then we should respect her privacy.”

 

“Yeah, but aren’t you curious???” Himiko teases.

 

Izuku crosses his arms defensively, “Well, of course! But that doesn’t mean-” 

 

Himiko raises her hand, “All in favor of snooping, say ‘aye’.”

 

Hitoshi raises his hand, “Aye.”

 

Izuku sighs in exasperation, “This is a terrible idea.” He grumbles.




***




The streets of downtown Musutafu are slick from the light drizzle falling from the clouded sky. Thunder rolls overhead ― a promise of a bigger storm. No sane person would be walking at this hour. Except Aya isn’t a sane person by any means of the definition. 

 

Unlike her usual get-up, her black leather jacket has been replaced by a large black overcoat, her torn denim jeans traded for knit tight leggings, and her distinctive red bandana has been discarded and left behind. But most suspicious of all is the briefcase held tightly in her right hand. 

 

Aya pauses under a street lamp for what feels like the thousandth time that night on her trek. The back of her neck is crawling with the feeling of being watched, something that has become a sixth sense after years of living on the streets. She can’t even count how many times her gut instinct has saved her life. So she isn’t about to doubt it now. 

 

She spins around and demands, “I know you’re there. Whoever you are, show yourself.” After standing under the pool of light for another minute, she continues her journey with her grip on the briefcase a little bit tighter. 

 

The feeling of being watched doesn’t fade. 

 

After about an half an hour of walking, Aya changes her course and enters a dim alleyway. The building on the left is a regular office building for a local newspaper. The building on the right is divided, the bottom floor being a karaoke bar and the top floor being an arcade. She knocks on the door to the karaoke bar. An employee opens the door and she flashes a plastic card for him to see. To anyone else, it’s an ordinary exclusive membership card, but the gold glittery “G” sticker stuck in the bottom right corner means something else entirely. 

 

The employee steps to the side and says, “He’s been expecting you. Please, follow me.”

 

Aya silently bows her head in thanks and follows him inside. He escorts her to one of the rooms stowed away in the far back of the establishment. As they pass the other occupied rooms, Aya glances inside to see drunk college students, partying the night away, totally unaware of what occurs behind closed doors. They come to a stop outside of the secluded door and the employee knocks on the door.

 

“Come in!” A rough male voice calls from within.

 

The employee is quick to make himself scarce, leaving Aya alone in the empty hallway. She closes her lime-colored eyes and sends a quick prayer for strength, before turning the knob and entering the room. 

 

Inside is designed differently from the other rooms. Two leather couches take up the opposite walls, facing each other. In the middle is a glass coffee table. The air is heavily muddled with the smell of cigarette smoke. 

Leaning back on one of the couches is a middle-aged man dressed in a lavish purple suit. His lips are curled up into a cheshire grin, revealing a large gap where a tooth is missing. Behind his round sunglasses, grey eyes light up with recognition.

 

“Well, can’t say that this is a surprise. Nice to see you again Dragonfly.” The man says casually in a long drawl, before lighting a new cigarette.

 

Aya sits down on the opposite couch and sets the briefcase down beside her, “This isn’t a casual visit Giran.”

 

The broker takes a drag on his cigarette and sighs, “You’ve never been the type to beat around the bush.”

 

“Damn straight.”

 

“Alright, alright, let’s talk business.”

Notes:

Here's my question to you all.

If you had to design a mug based off of your personality, what would it look like?

Mine would probably be teal-colored and have quotes from my favorite books written all over its surface.

Chapter 13: Not a chapter, but feel free to check it out! <3

Summary:

Hello my fellow beautiful humans!~
Below is my personal MUST READ list! If any of you are familiar with me on this site, you would know that I am a very frequent reader. I read a lot.
I thought that because of everything going on, with the virus and everything, I wanted to do something nice to brighten everybody's mood in one of the few ways I know how. So please feel free to scroll down and look through my favorite BNHA fanfics from this site!

Fic Rec List last updated: June 28th, 2020
Total # of fics: 111-ish

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

VIGILANTE DEKU FICS

  • Puppet Master by KrumbleKitty:

Izuku is born with a quirk that lets other people control him. Inko goes a little bit absolutely crazy with this newfound sense of control over her son and abuses Izuku relentlessly. He escapes and becomes the vigilante: Golden Whip. That's all I'm going to say cause I don't want to spoil more!!! If you've read Quirkless Rejects, then you've gotta check this one out. They're written by the same author!

Status: ongoing

  • Pied Piper by Blackhole_Called_Anime:

Izuku takes Muay Thai, hoping that the training will make him better prepared to become a hero. But after UA refuses to let him even try for the hero course, he starts to second guess himself. However, after saving a little girl and realizing he CAN be a hero, he decides that he'll be a hero. Even if vigilantism is illegal. Oh, and he becomes friends with Detective Naomasa's nephew. You have to read it to find out how THAT happens! You will always be on the edge of your seat with this one!

Status: ongoing

  • Figure It Out by fabulouslyequivocating:

Inko (#bestanimemom but not in this AU) abandons Izuku. He is forced to overcome it all with nothing but his big brain to help him. He figures it out. Through vigilantism.

Status: ongoing

  • Time Slip by SkylerSkyHigh, and xXUndertale_loverXx:

Izuku has a time manipulation quirk that lets him slip out of the heroes' grasp. Aizawa is frustrated and needs a lot of coffee. Also, Dabi and Hitoshi are his brothers. You'll have to read to find out how that happens and to drown with all of the brotherly love. DROWN IN IT.

Status: ongoing

  • Four Makes One Team by tdashshirts:

Izuku, Katsuki, Hitoshi, and Shouto are best friends. They are infamous Purple Carders, the mysterious vigilante group that solves crimes better than any other in Japan. Is what they're doing legal? Kinda. Do they have their parents' approval? ABSOLUTELY!

Status: ongoing

  • Viridian: The Green Guide by myheadinthecoudsnotcomingdown:

After his dream is finally crushed, Izuku isn’t quite sure there’s anything left for him to live for, but...he can’t exactly kill himself either, not without hurting the people he cares the most about. So, when he realizes that the quirkless can’t technically be vigilantes, it seems like the best of both worlds. AKA, Izuku is a suicidal vigilante and he gives Aizawa multiple heart attacks in the process.

Status: ongoing

  • Ghost by Shura11:

Izuku never went to UA and instead worked hard to become a paramedic hoping that would be enough to fulfill the need to help people. It helps but isn't enough. He inevitably falls into the role of a vigilante and Izuku finds himself trying to balance between his two lives. Life gets more chaotic when there is a surge in the use of a dangerous drug. The drive to do more starts to push harder as Izuku uses his alter ego to investigate the mysterious Trigger and try to put a stop to it. Heavy TodoDeku. Like, a lot of TodoDeku. A LOT of TodoDeku.

Status: ongoing

  • Kasho Hyoka Izuku by SkylerSkyHigh, and xXUndertale_loverXx:

Aizawa is assigned to capture and turn in the vigilante Ghost. However, when he learns that Ghost is a child. He refuses. Instead, he adopts the green bean. He blames his bleeding heart.

Status: ongoing

  • Smile and Spite by GalaxyBreath:

UA has three ways to get into the hero course. 1) You take the hero entrance exam and score high enough to be let in. 2) You have to be recommended by a pro hero and take the recommendation exam. 3) You secretly be a vigilante for a year without getting caught. Guess which one Izuku is shooting for.

Status: ongoing

  • To Be or Not To Be by Bluehorse44:

Izuku has multiple personalities. He is the hero. Witch is the vigilante. Beetle is the villain. Together they drive everybody nuts. Chaos ensues.

Status: ongoing

  • Regenerate, Fate by Jellofello:

Announced legally dead, he creates a new identity: Izuku Midoriya. Eraserhead is tasked with bringing down one of Japan's most wanted vigilantes by the name of Oni. Little does he know, the vigilante is in his homeroom class. Izuku also a badass regeneration quirk that makes me wonder if this is a Deadpool au. Plus! Has them TodoDeku feels. Cause TodoDeku is LIFE.

Status: ongoing

  • Because he sat on a pile of ash: rewrite by Bluwu_eyed_brit:

Izuku loses EVERYTHING, but he gains something in the process, a new family. In other words, a badass vigilante who goes by the moniker Eclipse adopts the sweet green bean child as her younger brother. After all, orphaned vigilantes gotta stick together. Can you see where I got the partial inspiration for Aya's character? Can ya? Can ya? Huh? Huh?

Status: ongoing, the original fic was discontinued and this is the rewrite

  • Hell Already Broke Loose Here by MagicMagie:

Izuku is a vigilante/mafia boss and he owns a Walmart. Don't ask. Seriously just... don't. Izuku legit acts like he's high on crack half of the time. 11/10 would recommend if you're looking for a real side-splitter! #IzukuLacksMorals2020

Status: ongoing

  • What We Cannot Undo by Cacid:

Izuku commited suicide by taking a swan dive off the roof, just like "Kacchan" suggested. He becomes a ghost and decided "hey I'm dead, might as well become a vigilante and help people" because he's so freaking PURE like that. He is such a cinnamon roll. Bakugou has regrets.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Bitch, I'm Incognito by Rin_Did_It:

When a villain blew up Midoriya Izuku’s apartment complex at the age of nine, everyone believed Endeavor when he said the boy was dead. Except he wasn’t. With two best friends at his side, and six years of vigilantism under his belt, he decides they’re going to UA. As vigilantes. This is such a fun fic. Izuku is 5'5'' of pure SASS and FLIRT. The TodoDeku goes through the roof later on in the fic *WINK*. Oh! OH! And if you want to read about Izuku disguising himself as a female vigilante (aka crossdressing), this is the fic for you!

Status: ongoing

  • A House Divided Against Itself by BeyondTheClouds777:

"Become a villain," they said. “I’ll be a villain,” he said. He lied. He’s only there so he can tear apart the League of Villains from the inside out. You'll love Bitcoin. Everybody loves the fudging bird. I think all vigilantes should have an emotional support animal. 

Status: COMPLETE

  • Black Rabbit by TheFoggyLondonView:

TODODEKU. SO MUCH TODODEKU. Ahem. On another note. Izuku was raised by the infamous vigilante Black Dragon. He follows in his footsteps as Black Rabbit. And like a true hero, he saves Todoroki from Endeavor's clutches. 

Status: ongoing

  • A Reckless Vigilante and his Supportive Mother by katyastark:

Kinda says it all in the title. Izuku is a reckless vigilante and Inko is his "man in the chair". Has a lot of Spiderman vibes.

Status: ongoing

  • Undefined by Plantsandpaints:

The police know nothing about him. No name, quirk, description, hits in the system, nothing. All his victims can tell them is that he is male and that they only saw the hoodie and the gun. Everything about him is Undefined. Ooooooh, mysterious, you should read it! I'm pretty sure this is like, one of the OG vigilante fics. Like, before vigilante Izuku fics were cool. 

Status: undefined (hahahahaha), but seriously, I really hope this isn't discontinued. 

  • Green Lightning by ReachingForStars152:

For one thing, Izuku is nonbinary in this fic, meaning they use they/them pronouns. Read the fic for Garby the ferret. YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH GARBY THE FERRET. This is also the fic that inspired the Hobo Shack!

Status: COMPLETE

  • His Kidilante by Otaku6337:

Thank you for recommending this user I_stan_him_now_I_guess! Izuku is a vigilante who was named Kidilante by Aizawa. He's snarky as heck and uses a frying pan to fight with. Dadzawa! He gets into UA and Aizawa figures him out pretty fast, but just wants to take care of him. A lot of cuteness :P

Status: ongoing

  • the Quirkless Vigilante: Seishin by Tired_And_G4Y:

When Izuku Midoriya becomes the vigilante Seishin and ends up running into a injured Erasure Head what will he do? And what will he do when he keeps running into the hero in and out of uniform? Will the hero help or arrest him? This SHOULD go underneath the dadzawa section... but Izuku is a vigilante and that serves first priority.

Status: ongoing

  • Worthless Necessity by Kirityu_Ryukaro:

Quirks aren't everything in this world, nor is your family status. Animals are treated less than humans, even though they have the capacity to feel emotions and think for themselves. They're pushed away, merely because they're not human. Nezu? Heck, he's so smart, everyone's scared of what would happen if they got on his bad side. Half the society, at the very least, still think that he's just an animal. Midoriya? No quirk, he's ranked even lower, less than human. At least Nezu still had a quirk. Warning: this is a very long fic.

Status: still ongoing, 132 chapters strong!

  • No One Left Behind by CosmicAce

Big thank you to users FullmetalDude1 and iristhedweeb for leaving a recommendation for this story! The story of how Inko Midoriya ends up with 16 vigilante children, 3 young kids, 3 older kids, 1 hero son-in-law, a husband that lights things on fire when he sneezes, and a partridge in a pear tree. Biggest Found Family fic ever. Like, where has this been in my life?

Status: ongoing

  • A Robin's Nest by SilvermistAnimeLover:

When Izuku was young, he was sent back in time to the pre-quirk era, where he was trained by Batman as his infamous sidekick, Robin. At some point, Izuku comes back, as though he never left at all. But even though he lost what he had in the past, he doesn't give up vigilantism. The author also wrote "Viridian". \/

Status: ongoing

  • Viridian by SilvermistAnimeLover:

Thank you user Guest661687 for this fic rec! Izuku Midoriya has given up on being a hero. He went on to get a job as a support engineer with a degree in computer science. Not quite fulfilling enough for his heroic heart, he becomes infamous vigilante Viridian. Then the world goes to shit. There’s danger around every corner with dangerous genetic monstrosities called Noumu killing off the human race until nobody’s left except Shigaraki and his minions. Then a spark of hope when Izuku and his older brother Shouta find project hope. Using it, Izuku travels back in time to his fourteen year-old self on the roof with All Might. Follow a traumatized time-traveling Izuku as he makes fun of pros and police, makes it into the hero course this time, and attempts legal murder to prevent the apocalypse!

Status: ongoing

  • Finding Abandoned Hope by GalacticTherapy:

Izuku is born quirkless, Inko is a bad mom. Hitoshi is born with a "villainous" quirk, he lost faith in adults a long time ago. They find each other. Together, they strive to make the world a better place. 

Status: ongoing

 

 


 

 

VILLAIN DEKU FICS

  • Quirkless Rejects by KrumbleKitty:

Izuku finds solace in quirklesspals.net, a website where other people like him truly understand the pain of being quirkless in a quirked society. He and his online friends meet up IRL. They become vigilantes. Then they become "villains". Really, they just want to show the world how twisted society is and fix it. VIVA LA QUIRKLESS ya'll!!! Mentioned this fic in a previous chappy, which is where I got the name "Soft Blossom Bakery" from. Truly a masterpiece.

Status: COMPLETE 

  • Mastermind: Strategist For Hire by myheadinthecoudsnotcomingdown:

Broken and beaten down by society, Izuku starts small and becomes an information broker for the villains. Eventually, his reputation grows and his name becomes feared by all heroes. After all, he killed so many of them. This fic is essentially Deku? I think he's some pro... twisted on its head 180 degrees. Written by the same author too!

Status: COMPLETE

  • Beautifully Broken - Open End (English) by SeraphiraLilith:

Izuku has a gift. People abuse that gift. Abuse him. They twist him until he breaks. Shatters. People try to help him, but they fail. When it seems like Izuku has nothing left to live for, Stain takes him under his wing. The name Surveye sends shudders down heroes' spines. You DO NOT want to cross Surveye. #IzukuHasIssues

Status: COMPLETE

  • Ohana Means Family by NoahLikesHummus:

Inko (a villain on the run) is diagnosed with cancer and she gives her son over to Kurogiri, because she trusts him to take care of him. Izuku is raised by the League of Villains, wins everyone over with a smile and brings home stray cats. This is probably the fluffiest villain!Deku fic you will ever read.

Status: ongoing

  • Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51):

Thank you user eaflower123 for the recommendation! A typical over-the-top UA test that happens every year (in this AU). Both hero classes together, 7 days to prepare, 3 days to complete the win conditions. Heroes are led by Bakugou, villains by Midoriya. Everyone else gets to pick sides. All in all,10 days for Midoriya to show everyone why they should be glad he’s not a villain. So not exactly a villain AU, but Izuku is freaking scary.

Status: COMPLETE

  • A Dangerous Game by tsukithewolf:

Izuku has to live a double life if he and his loved ones are to survive, even if that means lying to everyone and committing deeds that he’s not sure the heroes would forgive him for. He just needs to come up with a plan to defeat one of the most powerful men in the world, maintain both of his covers in the presence of enemies and allies alike, and hopefully not forget the “real” him. Sounds easy, right?

Status: COMPLETE

  • Anyone by GentryChild:

Thank you eaflower123 for the fic rec! So Izuku is a villain, but he helps people with his villain organization. So he's a good villain. Oh, and he (not so) accidentally steals OFA and AFO won't leave him the fuck alone. Yeah, it's as amazing as it sounds. :3

Status: ongoing

 


 

 

IZUKU HAS A REALLY REALLY COOL QUIRK THAT HELPS HIM BECOME BEST HERO BOI

  • Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v:

Izuku is blind, but he's not letting that stop him from becoming a hero. He has a air manipulation quirk where he can see the ribbons of moving air around him, which allows him to "see" the outlines of his surroundings. I get Toph vibes from this fic, I swear. But it's like if Aang was blind. Also has some sweet sweet sweet TodoDeku.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Flight of the Dragonfly by theantumbrae:

Izuku has a quirk that allows him to control bugs. This is surprisingly very versatile. Like I am SHOOK. Aya's vigilante name was inspired by this fic. Aya's original vigilante name was supposed to be Sprite, but I didn't want people to think I named her after a soda brand (>.<)

Status: ongoing

  • Canary by cloud_nine_and_three_quarters:

Izuku has a song quirk. So whatever song he sings, there's a quirk he can use from that song. For example, if he sings "Set Fire To The Rain" by Adele, he will legit set fire to the rain! You can probably imagine poor author-san being bombarded by sooooooooooooo many song requests. I felt so bad for her! (>.<) But it resulted in this astonishing masterpiece! This is truly a treat to read! 

Status: COMPLETE (so read it! READ IT.)

  • See (Too Much) by LadyGreenFrisbee:

Author-san has a lot of other really really good works so I would check out her profile. This one is seriously intriguing, because Izuku has a super powerful foresight quirk (possibly the strongest in the entire world). Unfortunately, it has its drawbacks and he is bedridden, unable to stay lucid for long periods of time. 

Status: ongoing

  • Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce:

I have a special place in my heart for this fic because I am a huge fan of Marvel, and one of my favorite things from the Marvel universe is the FLERKEN. I swear, I need a "I <3 Flerkens" shirt. If you don't know what a flerken is, look it up! Izuku is not a normal cat boi! He has tentacles in his pocket dimension thingy! Did I also mention that this is ShinDeku? I just did. *squeeeeeeeeee*

Status: ongoing

  • Level Playing Field by Logar3:

Izuku has a quirk negation field around him. Meaning if people are within a certain radius of him, their quirks are erased. This works on mutants too! So if you want to see Tokoyami lose the beak, read this! And, no, Izuku is not Aizawa's secret love child. Also! This fic has a rare pairing! IzuMomo!

Status: ongoing

  • Advent of Miracles by elmtree1:

Do you miss Christmas? Don't we ALL wish for a Christmas miracle right now? I sure do! Izuku has a Christmas miracle quirk that only works around Christmas time and he touches the lives of so many people before canon.

Status: ongoing (the author will start up this fic nearing Christmas time again!)

  • Yesterday Upon The Stair by PitViperOfDoom:

This fic *breathes heavily* is THE "Izuku can see ghosts" fic. Like, it's the OG. And it is soooooooooo good. I can't even stress it enough. To sum it up, Izuku can see ghosts and talk to them! 

Status: COMPLETE

  • Burn Your Wings by Crowbird:

Thank you users FullmetalDude1, Imacream, and Kouyuki_Rinne for recommending this fic! Hisashi is an abusive villain, Izuku got a fire/gravity Quirk & he's rejecting the fire side as much as he can. But then he sees Shouto & Eri, both of whom have similar issues & learns to accept himself to save them. The TodoDeku feels in this on are overwhelming. AHHHHHHHHH

Status: ongoing

  • A Force To Be Reckoned With by Accendere:

Izuku has a badass elemental quirk. Izuku is also Hawk's personal assistant to make sure that he's a functional adult. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Status: ongoing, I think, I hope.

  • Stygian Fire by LadyGreenFrisbee:

Izuku is Endeavor's bastard son. He inherits a version of his quirk. Endeavor is still kinda an asshole in this one, but he's a little bit better now that there's a cinnamon roll in the Todoroki family's lives? It's still pretty sad tho, ngl.

Status: ongoing

  • Worse Than Quirkless by AbbyStaffyIsGeek:

Izuku has a super powerful quirk that is the perfect combo of his parents' quirks. Bakugo is quirkless, but he doesn't let that stop him from becoming the most badass support course student ever. This is more Bakugo-centric, but I'm putting it here anyways.

Status: ongoing

  • Immortality is the Definition of Looks Can be Deceiving by TheFoggyLondonView:

Thank you for recommending this fic user eaflower123! Izuku has an immortality quirk and he is the top quirk expert in the world. Nedzu hires him to teach at UA. Chaos ensues.

Status: ON INDEFINITE HIATUS, so if one of you feel inspired and you want to take this fic over, I'm sure if you ask the author very nicely, they'll let you have it. ;)

  • Brats, all of them. by Jaycee44:

Thanks for the fic rec user eaflower123. This is another Immortal!Izuku fic that is pretty much crack treated (not really) seriously. 

Status: ongoing, warning: slow updates.

  • Something Wicked This Way Comes by Eternal_writes:

Izuku has a quirk that allows him to see and (somewhat) control demons. Inko and Hisashi get the Worst Parents of the Year award. It's horrifying, to be frank. Definitely fits in the horror category. So this is not for the light of heart. Still a very good read though!

Status: ongoing

  • Dis(associate) by BeyondTheClouds777:

Izuku has a “dissociation” Quirk that lets his ghost leave his body, and it’s both convenient and inconvenient at the same time. Either way, he's going to do whatever it takes to become a hero.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Imaginary by MiraChaDoodles:

Ever since he was 5 years old, Izuku has had an imaginary friend named Kacchan. His friend has spiky blonde hair, crimson red eyes, long dark lashes, and a fiery personality. Inko isn't concerned at first, but soon it starts to grow worrying because teenagers shouldn't have imaginary friends. Izuku insists he's real. BakuDeku!

Status: COMPLETE

  • Again, I'm admittedly a little bit lazy, and I don't want to post ALL of Passing_Ghost_Friend's works on here, cause she has A LOT of quirked!Izuku fanfics. The most notable ones being That isn't a Flesh Wound, Ghostly Whispers, Midoriya's Place, etc. You should really check them all out. The level of creativity is unparalleled! 

 

 

 


 

 

 

MIDORIYA IZUKU IS QUIRKLESS NEVER USELESS

  • Who said the only green thing about him was his hair? by TheLegendaryGoblin:

Izuku runs away from home. Away from the bullies. Away from his coddling mother. He learns how to survive on his own, and becomes stronger in the process. 

Status: ongoing

  • Izuku's Precious Villains by SugarButterfly432:

Izuku moves into an apartment, with Shigaraki and Kurogiri as his neighbors. They are automatically protective of the cinnamon roll with smiles brighter than the sun. And so is every single villain in MHA.

Status: ongoing

  • When All Hell Breaks Loose by MagicMagie:

Izuku is a certified genius. He is also a certified attention whore. This combination equates to an Izuku who acts like he's high on crack 99% of the time throughout the entirety of the fic. He somehow becomes the first quirkless hero. Seriously... this is probably the most outlandish quirkless!Izuku fic I have ever read. But it's also one of the best ones I've ever read. It is never boring. #IzukuNeedsTherapy, but his therapist gave up on him a long time ago.

Status: On a temporary hiatus until canon can catch up. Still ongoing!

  • Demise of Midoriya Izuku by gothiclolitapl:

Izuku attempts suicide and fails. He is commissioned to a mental hospital to heal both his physical and mental wounds. In the process he becomes an ungodly snarky sarcastic child with a mouth that will send nuns running for the chapel. His therapist agrees with him that "Kacchan is a piece of shit". #IzukuNeedsTherapy, he gets the therapy but... LOL.

Status: COMPLETE, also has a sequel.

  • A Complementary Dream by Live:

That Izuku is a graffiti artist fic we all needed.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Type-2 Hero by Mad_Nimrod:

Izuku is a smart kid. Nedzu takes notice and trains him to become a type-2 hero like him.

Status: ongoing

  • Detective Midoriya by rogueptoridactyl, and Cuteknight101:

Izuku takes All Might's advice to "be realistic" and decides he'll become a detective. Detective Naomasa is in charge of his training. But just cause he's not in Class 1-A doesn't mean he doesn't run into trouble! Izuku is a problem child no matter where he goes! You'll love all of the OC characters at the police station!!! Except Mori. Mori can go suck my non-existent dick.

Status: ongoing

  • Deku? I think he's some pro... by myheadinthecoudsnotcomingdown:

Just because Izuku was born quirkless doesn't mean he's useless in any sense of the word. His IQ is through the roof, allowing him to become a top rate analyst and strategist. He puts these skills to good use and becomes a mysterious informant for the heroes. This captures multiple heroes's attention and they all decide to help him become the first quirkless hero. So this starts out as Izuku being an analyst, and develops into a quirkless hero! Deku fic. Written by the same author of "Viridian: The Green Guide" and "Mastermind: Strategist For Hire". Basically, myheadinthecoudsnotcomingdown has written the Holy Trinity of Deku fics and you should read them all. Shout out to the author! You're amazing!

Status: ongoing

  • Again, I'm admittedly a little bit lazy, and I don't want to post ALL of Passing_Ghost_Friend's works on here, cause she has A LOT of quirkless Izuku fanfics. Like, a lot. So please go check out her profile and look at all of her awesome quirkless Izuku fanfiction! Some of these include Deku, the Journalist Apprentice, Zuku's Pet Cafe, HeroTuber Deku!, Izuku is a Therapist for Villains, etc.

 

 


 

 

 

BNHA CROSSOVERS!

  • The Timelord, Izuku Midoriya by SonnieCelanna:

Doctor Who crossover, where The Doctor is Izuku's biological father and Izuku has his own TARDIS. Chaos. So much chaos. But there is never such a thing as too much chaos! If you really love Doctor Who like I do, then you should definitely read this!!!

Status: ongoing

  • I hope you're proud of me, wherever you are by SorryJustAnotherPerson:

Demon Slayer crossover, where demons start popping up all over modern-day Japan and Nezuko makes it her duty to slay them. All of her family is gone, but through her vigilante deeds, she gains a new one. Izuku, like the problem child he is, wants to help. A definite must read if you like the anime Demon Slayer!

Status: ongoing

  • Ouran High School Host Club: Cherry Blossom Kisses by Eternal_writes:

OHSHC crossover, where the school's handsomest boys — with too much time on theirs hands — entertain ladies who also have way too much time on their hands. Izuku Midoriya, a dirt-poor honor student who had never heard of such a club. He just wanted to study in peace, but for some reason he walks into a room full of beautiful men. All of whom, think he's a girl. He doesn't bother to correct them.

Status: ongoing, slow updates

  • Not a Spare Part by roygkid:

*sniffles and blows nose* Marvel crossover, where *sobs a little* Tony Stark is reborn in Izuku's body *starts crying, remembering Endgame*. So, yeah. Izuku becomes Iron Man. Omg, the feels hit you like a truck full of toilet paper.

Status: ongoing 

  • Tie Now a Silver Thread by BlushingRojas:

Ancient Magus Bride crossover, where Izuku is a sleigh beggy and he is taken in by Elias and Chise to be trained in the magical arts. The anime isn't that popular, but if you watched it and liked it, you should read this!

Status: ongoing

  • The Dragon Whisper by Sassy Toaster:

How To Train Your Dragon crossover, where Inko raised Izuku away from the village, with the dragons as his best friends. The author was very creative in creating their own dragons for this fic. Kudos for them to go the extra mile!

Status: ongoing

  • How to Train Your Useless Dragon by Mikacrispy:

Bakugou Katsuki needs to kill a dragon to take its teeth and become a warrior of his tribe.
But, what? Why the fuck doesn't this dragon have teeth? Written from the prompt "What if Izuku was the dragon?" How to Train Your Dragon inspired. BakuDeku!

Status: COMPLETE

 

 


 

 

 

DAD FICS (dadzawa, good endeavor, dadmight, dad for one, etc.)

  • Family Secrets by WinteryFall:

Hisashi is happily married to Inko, and they are expecting a baby boy soon. One day, Inko finds a boy sitting in an alley, looking horribly lost. His name is Tenko. They adopt him. But the AFO of THIS world wants Tenko, and he is hunting for the boy. Hisashi will be damned if he lets his evil twin of THIS world steal his adopted son. Trust me, if you read it, it'll make a lot more sense.

Status: ongoing

  • All For One's guide to a peaceful retirement by ScottishSunshine:

AFO gave up his villainous past, and became Hisashi Midoriya. All because of his promise to Inko to raise their son right. So much fluff. Drown in the fluff. 

Status: ongoing

  • Endeavor isn't a Burning Pile of Trash. What A Concept. by Passing_Ghost_Friend:

Kinda says it all in the title. 

Status: ongoing

  • A Slight Diffrence by Lothlorien23:

Dadzawa and DadMight. Izuku was a nerd and giant Hero fanboy. He's been to many fights, cheered on all types of Heroes, wrote down what he saw and his theories, called in Present Mic's show when he could and then went back to being Quirkless Deku. To bad he never noticed that the Heroes noticed him. And the heroes were sure as hell not going to let the Green Broccoli Cryptid of the Hero Community go, he'd escaped their attempts to talk enough times as it was. And it was the Izuku learned...being a hero did not mean he needed a quirk.

Status: ongoing

  • U.A.'s Resident Ghost by BeyondTheClouds777:

Dadzawa. Aizawa is haunted by the ghost of a boy named Izuku Midoriya. Izuku has a thing for post-it's apparently.

Status: discontinued

  • Black Cat Café by Gotcocomilk:

Dadzawa. The best Dadzawa fic you will EVER read. He is not a pro hero. He just adopts strays and runs his coffee shop. You can probably see where I got the cafe idea from. 

Status: COMPLETE

  • Hindsight is Always Twenty-Twenty by experimentaldrama:

DadMight. Where All Might accidentally gives Izuku OFA 6 years too early. Whoops.

Status: ongoing

  • Endeavor is an Embarrassing Dad by Zylofone:

Again, says it all in the title.

Status: ongoing

  • Reconfigure by ohmytheon:

Takes place several years after canon, where Shigaraki and Dabi have served their time in jail and now they are just ordinary civilians. So... Shiggy (at the advise of Dabi) had ONE NIGHT of fun. About nine months later, a villainess (the same one he had a one night stand with, who he didn't know was a villain) walks up to him and literally dumps the baby on him. He calls the cops on her and makes the impulsive decision to take care of the baby himself. Don't worry, all of Class 1-A somehow ends up helping and this somehow works out as a Shigaraki x Uraraka fic. Shigaraki is somehow a good dad. Don't ask me how it works, it just does. This is a lot better than it sounds, I swear.

Status: ongoing

  • Schrodinger's cat by AyzuLK:

Izuku is kidnapped, and a couple months later he's found wandering a deserted road with white hair, psychogenic amnesia and a quirk that is totally out of control. Heavy Dadzawa. Warning: you will drown in the feels.

Status: COMPLETE

 

 


 

 

 

IF YOU NEED A GOOD LONG BELLY LAUGH

  • Diamonds in the Rough by tryingherbestpacito:

Everyone told Midoriya he couldn't be a hero without a quirk. Everyone that is, except his friend Bakugo Katsuki. Then again, no one else has seen him beat the shit out of someone with a brick and a 2x4 plank of wood...

Status: ongoing

  • Plus Ultra, Plus Action! by Derpboom:

BNHA blooper reel and behind the scenes, but mostly bloopers. No-quirk actor au, with shenanigans galore!

Status: ongoing

  • Hell is a Mess by MagicMagie:

Due to the large debt Izuku and Nezu have racked up with UA, Nezu has decided to start a TV show featuring Izuku and the squad! This features one-shots, AUs, and Q&A's from the fanfiction When All Hell Breaks Loose. Some parts will make you crack up laughing, some parts will make you cry.

Status: ongoing

  • Fake News by SonoSvegliato:

“I’m your editor,” she says. “And I’m not editing the crap you wrote while half delirious on --” she picks up one of his cans -- “Calpis Yogurt Flavored Milk Soda -- Midoriya, how do you even have any brain cells left?”
“The only thing that keeps me kicking is katsudon and spite.”
Suzuki holds up both hands. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Ten,” he answers immediately, albeit smugly.
"And how many fingers does it look like I’m holding?”
His eyes dart to the right. There is a water stain on the ceiling that he swears looks like Gang Orca.
"How many, Midoriya?”
He frowns and looks at his shoes. “...Eleven and a half.” 

Status: ongoing

  • Missy by LadyGreenFrisbee:

Bakugo gets a dog. He hates it. He names the dog "Mistake". So they call her Missy as a nickname. If you want to see Bakugo struggle as a pet owner, READ IT. 

Status: *cringes* I'm hoping author-san updates soon. If she doesn't, I'll write it myself! With permission of course.

  • Revival of Midoriya Izuku by gothiclolitapl:

Post-Demise of Midoriya Izuku!!! So if you liked the first part, read part 2! More crack treated seriously! Mwahahahaha!

Status: ongoing

 

 


 

 

BAKUGO-CENTRIC FICS BECAUSE HE'S A MAIN CHARACTER TOO (includes popular Bakugo ships like BakuDeku)

  • Cat Puns Freak Meowt by Kuaishu:

Bakugo doesn't even like animals, let alone cats. For some reason, he rescues the ugliest cat on Earth and brings it to a local vet. Why is the local vet so hot and why is he now making the impulsive decision to adopt the mangy cat to impress the guy? BakuDeku in case you were curious, and curiosity killed the cat you know! Okay, bad pun, sorry.

Status: ongoing

  • Fraudulent by laurenshappenstobemyhusband:

Katsuki was born quirkless, so what does Mitsuki do? She brings him to an illegal place that chops off his hands and replaces them with hyper-realistic robotic prostheses that replicate a powerful explosion quirk. Yeah, it's pretty messed up. And it messes Katsuki up too. 

Status: ongoing

  • blackugou widow by wonhaebunny:

Black Widow is reborn as Bakugo Katsuki. This SHOULD go in the crossover section, but this is about Bakugo, so I'm putting it here. Basically, Bakugo is a BAMF, even more so than in canon.

Status: ongoing

  • Cinnamon Bun Bun by DarkMachi: 

Pro Hero, Ground Zero (AKA Bakugo Katsuki), rescues an abused bunny hybrid named Midoriya Izuku. This is honestly so sweet and fluffy and heartwarming, don't let the tags scare you off. I swear this is a really, really good read. #BakugoIsThirstyForFluffyBunnyButt, #ConsentIsSexy, #IzukuMustBeProtectedAtAllCosts. Recommended for 18+. 

Status: ongoing

  • A Salty First Kiss by DarkMachi:

At a young age, Izuku had a terrifying drowning incident at the beach and he swears he was saved by a mermaid. Now, Izuku is a college student with no future plans in his life. To help his step son get his head on track, Toshinori Yagi lets Izuku live at their summer vacation house for a year to take a step back an reevaluate his options. The house sits close to the ocean. One day, Izuku finds a wounded merman, the same one that had rescued him all those years ago. #BothArePiningIdiots, #ConsentIsSexy, #IzukuIsThirstyForHisFishyBoi. Recommended for 18+.

Status: ongoing

  • A Fissile Family by Sif(Rosae):

Anything by Sif(Rosae) is really good. She has A LOT of super good Bakugo content with in-depth analysis of Bakugo's character (and Hawks content, but we'll get to that later). SO this fic is a part of her Forced Family AU. Where Bakugo is kidnapped by the League of Villains and he eventually feels like a part of their very dysfunctional family of psychos. He and Toga bond over knives. Oh boy...

Status: ongoing

  • Lessons Learned by Sif(Rosae):

Best Jeanist Acquires A Son. Featuring: serious talks regarding abuse and emotional scars, one adult finally stepping the hell up and trying to help Katsuki, bashing the sports festival because that was a total shit show, pro-heros having a group chat, and Katsuki finally getting a chance to learn how to get better and become the hero he wants to be. Takes place after Kamino Ward. This has multiple sequels.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Forged By Nitroglycerin And Spite by Sif(Rosae):

In which Katsuki’s kidnapping goes ever so slightly differently. His classmates don’t show up to help him escape, All-Might is caught up in fighting Nomu and as a result takes longer to reach Katsuki after All for One teleported him away. Little things add up, and Katsuki's path as a hero is forever altered, for better or for worse. AKA, Katsuki acquires AFO.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Invisible Scars by Sif(Rosae):

Part One of "Nitroglycerin's Parables". Bakugo's quirk doesn't allow him to have scars. That should be a good thing. Right? Wrong.

Status: COMPLETE, you should read the whole series, it's very insightful!

  • Procreate by katyastark:

Izuku has a quirk that allows him to let a man *clears throat* get pregnant. All he has to do is be in contact with the person who wants to have the baby (the "mom") and the other person who's providing the other half of the DNA (the "dad"). Izuku is a famous doctor at a fertility clinic... and he is the proud father of a little boy with curly blonde hair, big green eyes, and freckles. Midoriya Hisami. The only problem with this whole thing??? Katsuki doesn't know he exists.

Status: ongoing

  • In A Sky Of A Million Stars (Who Cares If One More Light Goes Out?) by Stringlish:

Izuku takes Kacchan's advice, and pays for it, dearly. Katsuki has so many regrets. I like this one a lot because Katsuki goes through so much character development. Plus, Izuku also goes through some character development too. It's a tragically heartwarming story. BakuDeku.

Status: ongoing

  • The Journey of a Broken Hero by pigasus_099:

Izuku takes the leap and dies, but his ghost follows Katsuki everwhere. Katsuki thinks he's going insane. 

Status: ongoing

  • A Not So Sweet Firework Child by LadyGreenFrisbee:

AU where Katsuki is spirit-born. He is half human and half.................something else. RIP Masaru.

Status: ongoing

  • Finding Katsuki by Wickedandelion:

After Kamino and his fight with Deku, Bakugou breaks down and makes the drastic choice to run away and disappear. KiriBaku

Status: ongoing

  • Elixir by LadyGreenFrisbee:

AU where Katsuki has a secondary quirk that is a very powerful healing quirk. He has been told all his life to keep it a secret, or else.

Status: ongoing

  • I'll Be Good by RandomBystander:

Eh... okay. Kinda self-promo, but one of my friends suggested that I put it here. This is my side fic. It's also my vent fic. I wrote all of this for the purpose of letting go of my (sometimes VERY) negative thoughts. Um... yeah. So this is pretty much a "What if Katsuki never vented his anger and frustration out on Izuku during that fight between them after the Provisional Hero License Exam?", instead Katsuki bottles it all up and beats himself down for it. No cutting, because I don't. This is more about self hatred and self loathing. Don't worry, it gets worse before it gets better. Kirishima is there to help Katsuki, because Kirishima is the embodiment of sunshine itself. Read the tags please! KiriBaku.

Status: ongoing (nearing completion).

 

 

 


 

 

TODOROKI-CENTRIC (not including TodoDeku (sorry!) but mostly focused on the whole Todoroki family in general)

 

  • in which the todoroki siblings run away by CapyWritesShit:

Pretty much says it all in the title. Most of this is from Fuyumi's POV. Lots of family feels.

Status: ongoing

  • rewind by ladylazzy:

Dabi has a run in with Eri, who accidentally activates her quirk. Rewinding Dabi back to Todoroki Touya. Once identified, he is forced to attend UA. Oh joy. The angst is killer here!

Status: ongoing

  • How to accidentally fake your younger brother's death- A guide by Touya (Dabi) Todoroki by Lori_Larsen:

Breaking News: Todoroki Shouto has been killed by Dabi............which Hawks knows to be untrue because Dabi was the person that brought a very injured teenager to his apartment to patch him up, the kid might also have a concussion and Dabi was acting weird and Keigo still didn’t know what had happened. At least the media didn’t know it either because the person they claimed was dead was sleeping on his couch right now and the murderer was in the same apartment.

Status: ongoing

  • Shouto Todoroki and His Stuffed Eeyore (And Also Childhood Trauma) by ThatSpicySeaFlapFlap:

I'm crying right now, because I had a stuffed Eeyore when I was a kid. I would take that thing everywhere. I still have it! OMG the feels. Todoroki's feels hit me like a bullet train. Hop on the angst train everybody! Choo choo! Takes place during the finale of Season 4.

Status: ongoing

 

 


 

 

HAWKS-CENTRIC FICS BECAUSE HE IS BEST BIRB

  • Hawks Goes Feral And Hunts Down Some Bastards by Do_it_for_the_vin3:

All of this somehow crashes together all at once when after giving a training session in UA, he decides to investigate Todoroki Shouto’s home life followed by his instinct. This decision results in Hawks adopting a bunch of first years students, somehow getting himself adopted by a yellow caterpillar, having a weird relationship with Dabi and the League of Villains, finally snapping against the Commission’s bullshit and having a video of himself kicking his childhood hero in the face at terminal velocity going viral for months.

Status: ongoing

  • Feathers, Fabric, Father Figures, and Other F-Words On Hawks' Mind by Sif(Rosae):

Hawks is 18 years old, he's the youngest pro-hero to run his own agency, he's got the Hero Commission behind him, he's moving up in the rankings and he's never been happier. He doesn't have any time to slow down for silly things like eating or sleep. Those things are a waste of time. He knows that. Now if only he could get Best Jeanist to understand that too. For some reason the older pro-hero keeps insisting on poking his nose into Hawks' business, and it's getting downright annoying. AKA, Best Jeanist pretty much adopts Hawks against his will.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Far Too Young To Die by Numanum:

Hawks takes baby steps backwards, getting closer and closer to the door, as everyone continues to get loud and look at eachother for answers. Well, almost everybody; Dabi is watching him limp away with an unimpressed expression.

“Those are torture wounds,” Shigaraki points out, crossing his arms and leveling Hawks with a dead-eyed stare.

“How do you even know what torture wounds look like?” Hawks throws back as he continues to plan his escape. Shigaraki looks at him with raised eyebrows until Hawks looks away again, feeling like an idiot. These people are villains, he knows that (but its so easy to forget-).

“Right, fuck.”

Status: COMPLETE, Part One of a series.

  • Hawks Gets Exposed by greenpinkroe:

After the Raid a sudden meeting is called for pro heroes, including Hawks, which was incredibly ironic considering it was basically about him. Kind of. The Commission instead revealed the GT Program to the heroes Hawks just so happens to work with. As painful memories are brought up time and time again Pro Hero Eraserhead does everything in his power to let the younger hero know that he is not alone in the troubling times. Lots of Dadzawa and found family vibes. Get the tissues. You're going to need them. Like really, my heart is still torn to pieces.

Status: ongoing

 

 


 

 

SHIGARAKI-CENTRIC BECAUSE HE DESERVES BETTER

  • Crossroads by WinteryFall:

How do I explain this without giving away the plot??? Izuku is living his dream; part of the hero course in UA, taught by his idol, crushing on the socially awkward and emotionally constipated but sweet classmate. However, there is a huge secret in his past he doesn't know about, a secret he ends up running into, literally. Shigaraki is confused about his destiny and where he lies. You should really read it, it's very good.

Status: COMPLETE

  • Ready Player 2 by MoontheCreator:

Shigaraki (aka, xXDecay_GodXx) somehow makes an online friend who he only knows as RaticalRex404. They've never met IRL, they don't know what each other does IRL, but this online anonymity is a double edged sword. While Shigaraki levels up IRL, xXDecay_GodXx is forced to face that RaticalRex has feelings for him and that the feelings are mutual. A Shiggy/fem!OC fic? YES PLEASE. #ShigarakiDeservesLoveToo

Status: ongoing

  • Eri and The League by Xx_Kachi_xX:

Tomura wasn’t sure what he was expecting after his meeting with Overhaul. Certainly not the sound of small feet running towards him and the feeling of someone grabbing onto him. He certainly doesn't expect to bring a little girl home with him to the League. He doesn't expect to become so attached to her, and he definitely doesn't expect everything that happens afterward. AU where Shigaraki is a good big bro.

Status: COMPLETE

 

Notes:

Don't forget to leave a shout-out! <3 <3 <3

Spread the love you beautiful humans!!!

P.S. Holy shit. I think I have a legit problem now that I'm looking at this long ass list. Like, wtf.

P.S.S. Do you have a personal favorite on this list?~ For once I can't say mine because I don't want to show favoritism and inherently hurt my fellow authors' feelings! (>.<)

Chapter 14: Be Willing To Strike Deals

Summary:

Deals are made.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Why is Aya-san going inside of a KARAOKE BAR?” Hitoshi whispers, voicing his disbelief. 

 

The three of them are crouched on the edge of the roof of the Musutafu Times newspaper company building, watching their target carefully. In the alley below, they watch their mentor exchange a few words with the employee, before being let inside. The employee scans the alley for good measure, before closing the door. 

 

Himiko lets out a haughty “hmph!” before turning to Izuku and bragging, “I told you she’s on a special date!”

 

Izuku facepalms before whisper-shouting, “Keep your voice down. And I still think she’s not on a date! Who wears a trench coat on a date?!?!”

 

Himiko grins a love sick grin and whispers, “Maybe they’re like one of those romantic couples who dress to match each other on a date?”

 

Hitoshi raises a brow in confusion, “What in the world are you talking about woman???” 

 

The blonde sighs before patiently explaining, “Some cute couples like to wear matching clothes on a date as a sign of their affection. And who do we know wears a trench coat? Take a wild guess.”

 

It takes a couple seconds for the answer to dawn on them. 

 

Hitoshi growls before vehemently protesting, “For the last time Himiko! Aya-san is NOT in love with that detective!” 

 

“Oh you’re just in denial now!”

 

“I’m not in denial! You’re just delusional!”

 

“Well it’s more plausible than your Aya x Eraserhead theory! What is this? Some crappy piece of fanfiction?!?”

 

“She literally hates the guy. She calls him names, like ‘stupid walking lie detector’ and ‘Mr. Polygraph’. Last time I checked, people who are in love with each other actually have to LIKE each other first.”

 

“Maybe they’re cute little nicknames! Like ‘honey bear’, ‘snookums’, or ‘sweet cheeks’. Does Aya-san seem like the kind of person to call someone ‘SNOOKUMS’?”

 

The mental image of Aya wearing a frilly pink apron while tending to the stove in a homey kitchen pops into their heads. The sound of a door opening, causes her to turn away from the stove to see who is at the door. Standing in the doorway is Detective Tsukauchi in all his glory, looking weary and tired from a hard day of work. Aya unties her stained frilly pink apron and hangs it up before glomping the detective in a bear hug, “SNOOKUMS! I’m so happy you’re back!” She sings enthusiastically in a honey sweet tone. 

 

Himiko gags and pretends to throw up over the side of the building.

Hitoshi coughs awkwardly, trying to stifle his laughter.

Izuku blushes furiously and desperately tries to brush off that horrific mental image.

 

“Never in a million years would that happen.” Hitoshi admits.

 

“Right!” Himiko says, before pushing things further, “NOW, try to imagine the same scenario, but with her real self.”

 

The mental image of Aya standing in front of a stove, cursing up a storm as hot flashes of oil occasionally sting her hands forms in the back of their minds. The door behind her creaks open and Aya freezes, before turning around with her rolling pin in hand. In the doorway is a tired looking Detective Tsukauchi, who immediately perks up at the sight of Aya wielding her rolling pin. Aya marches over to him and points the end of the deadly weapon of mass destruction rolling pin in his face, “You’re fucking late you stupid walking lie detector!!!” She gripes with a venomous glare.

 

Himiko giggles and tries to contain her blush.

Hitoshi snickers at the ridiculous scenario.

Izuku pales and comes to the realization that whoever marries Aya is probably a goner.

 

“I still think that Aya is secretly dating that detective.” Himiko whines.

 

“You know what? Lets place a bet. If she really is dating that square, I’ll do all of your cleaning duties for a week. And if we discover she’s dating Eraserhead, then you’ll have to do my cleaning duties for a week. Deal???” Hitoshi wagers, confident in his victory.

 

Himiko smirks, “Oh it is on Troll Doll!” 

 

They shake on it.

 

Izuku sighs and says nothing, not wanting to get in between his two best friends. 





***




Meanwhile, inside of the secret room of the karaoke bar, Aya sneezes two times in a row. 

 

The broker sitting in front of her raises a brow and comments, “Someone must be talking ill of you Dragonfly.”

 

Aya rolls her eyes, “Please don’t tell me you actually believe in superstitions Giran. It’s probably all of the damn smoke in the room!”

 

As if to spite her, Giran takes another loooooooooooong drag from his cigarette, before letting it out in slow white puffs.

 

Aya’s eye twitches and her eyebrows furrow into a sharp grimace, “Whatever makes you kick the bucket faster I guess, I don’t give a fuck.” 

 

This comment makes Giran bark out a harsh laugh, “Ha! I always liked you kid. You’ve got more balls than half of men I strike deals with.”

 

“Speaking of striking deals, I wanna cash in on that favor you owe me.”

 

Giran raises a brow, “Something big happened. Didn’t it kid?” He remarks, sounding slightly concerned.

 

Aya snorts, “Yeah, well, shit happens. So that means everything I’m asking for is marked down half price, right?”

 

“If my memory serves me right, then yes.” Giran concedes, before pausing and adding, “BUT… I’m feeling generous and for once I’m going to make it 75% off.”

 

The former vigilante’s face grows murderous, “I don’t need you fucking pity.” She snarls.

 

“It’s not pity. I’m just thinking that my life is probably worth more than whatever hard earned, coffee-stained bills you’re willing to give me.” The broker explains, before asking. “How did you get so much money?”

 

“I let go of my apartment.”

“Figured. Now what do you need kid?”

 

Aya takes a deep breath to get her urge to strangle under control, before replying, “I need you to contact three people for me. They all owe me favors, just tell them I sent you their way.”

 

“And who are these three unlucky individuals if I may be so bold to ask?”

 

“Dabi, Hero Killer: Stain, and Gentle Criminal.”

 

Giran doesn’t bother to contain his amusement, “A runaway, a murderer, and a nobody. This sounds like the start of a sick joke.” 

 

Aya doesn’t laugh.

 

She remains somber as she opens the briefcase and pulls out three thick envelopes. She places them on the glass table. Each envelope is marked with their receiver's name in bright gold sharpie, Aya’s signature color. Giran wordlessly picks them up and tucks them into the hidden pocket of his jacket, the weight of the envelopes feel heavy on him in more ways than one.

 

“How much?” She asks bluntly.

 

“Well, it’s supposed to be 333,000 yen (about $3,000). But with the 75% discount, it’ll only cost you about 83,100 yen.” He deduces.

 

Aya nods and forks over the money. When all is traded and the dealing is done with, Giran wishes her luck and Aya swiftly makes her way back to her cafe. It’s already well past midnight and she knows better than to keep her brats up past their bed time. 






She makes a mental note to tell her kids that the point of stealth is to NOT talk about her potential dating candidates when the whole point is to be silent.





***




Meanwhile, at the police station…

 

Naomasa nervously drums his fingers on top of his desk as the line on the other end continues to ring. It takes five rings before the person on the receiving end finally picks up. 

 

“You have reached Nighteye Agency. How can we assist you?” A feminine voice inquires politely.

 

“This is Detective Tsukauchi. I need to speak with Sir Nighteye. Please tell him that it’s an urgent matter.” Naomasa says automatically.

 

The person on the other end replies, “Alright, I’m directing you to his office right now. Don’t hang up.”

 

After two more rings, Naomasa hears the phone getting picked up on the other end. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Sir Nighteye. This is Naomasa.”

 

He hears some grumbling on the other end before the pro hero’s voice returns, “Is this about All Might? Has he finally found a successor yet? Did he get hurt again? Has he said anything about me recently?” Nighteye questions rapidly, trying not to sound worried, but failing.

 

Naomasa pinches the bridge of his nose, “No, I’m not calling about All Might. This is about an important case I’ve been working on.”

 

“Important to you? Or important to the Hero Commission?”

 

“Both.”

 

Nighteye hums and says, “Okay, now you’ve got my attention. Start talking.”

 

The detective leans back in his chair and takes a deep breath, before saying, “Do you remember the vigilante case I told you about last year?” 

 

“The Dragonfly Case, right? The vigilante who went off the grid and was presumed dead.”

 

“That’s the one.” Naomasa contemplates what he’s about to do, because once the secret’s out, the secret is OUT and there’s no turning back. He closes his eyes and hopes that the rest of the conversation won’t end in disaster. 

 

“Naomasa?”

 

He opens his eyes and says, “Hypothetically… what if… I told you… that I know Dragonfly’s true identity and that I helped them get away with their crimes on the condition that they don’t return to vigilantism, but I found out that they broke that promise and now I’m legally obligated by my job and morals to rat them out to the Hero Commission and get them thrown in jail, but I’d feel horrible if I did that because, well, because I’d feel horrible about it.”

 

The phone crackles in his ear with the sound of Nighteye releasing a long, tired sigh, “Have you reported any of this stuff to the commission yet???” The pro hero inquires.

 

“I felt like this isn’t something I can decide on my own. Nighteye, I know that she’s a good person, but vigilantism goes against the law, and it’s literally my job to uphold the law. I’m stuck.”

 

“You said you’ve already given her a chance to give it up?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then what are you worried about you fool! It’s not your fault that she decided to toss away the opportunity you’ve already given her!” Nighteye snaps.

 

Naomasa runs his fingers through his hair and groans, “I know that. It doesn’t make it any harder to decide.”

 

A few seconds pass in a stretch of uncomfortable silence. For a minute, Naomasa wonders if the other man had hung up on him. Luckily that is not the case, since Nighteye’s voice breaches the barrier of silence.

 

“How about this,” Nighteye calmly proposes, “Tomorrow I’ll disguise myself as a common business man. I’ll secretly use my quirk on her without her knowing and take a quick peek into her future. If I see her future self doing nothing incriminating, then I’ll tell you.”

 

Naomasa sits up straighter and smiles, “Then I can call off the search since your evidence will debunk my evidence and I can say that it was just a fluke. Nighteye that’s brilliant.” He praises.

 

“It’s nothing I assure you.” Nighteye deflects, before commenting, “But I don’t know why you would come to me of all people to talk to about this. We’re not in close acquaintance.”

 

“Which is exactly why I chose to talk to you. If I had asked someone closer to me, they would’ve just told me to do whatever I want to avoid hurting my feelings. If I had asked one of my co-workers or my boss, they would’ve arrested me on the spot. Plus, I know you can keep a secret just as well as I can.” Naomasa explains, dry and cut-throat about it.

 

“Well I’m glad I could be of help. Tell All Might to be less reckless if you get the chance to talk to him.”

 

Naomasa snorts, “With all due respect, I think it would be more effective if you tell him that yourself Sir Nighteye.”

 

“You know I can’t.”

 

“Can’t or won’t?”

 

Another long pause passes between them, before the pro hero sighs, “Just send me the info on where I can meet this vigilante tomorrow morning.” He says, his voice strained. There’s a loud click and Naomasa knows the foresight hero had just hung up. 

 

He sets the phone down on the receiver and leans back against the back of his chair. 

.

.

.

“I need coffee.”

Notes:

By the looks of how things are going, we may have a double-update this weekend!!!

Without further a do, here's my question for you:

How bored are you right now on a scale of 1 to 10?

I'm at like, a 4/10.

Chapter 15: Be Able To Just Say, "Fuck it."

Summary:

"Fuck it" ~ Horikoshi Aya

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The next morning, the trio sleep in till 10 am, knowing that today is a Sunday and therefore today is their day off. 

 

Izuku is the first person up. He digs through his personal bag and pulls out the three muffins Aya had given them the night prior. They’re a little squished from his vigilante stuff inside of his bag, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious. He unwraps one of them from their plastic wrap and goes outside to eat it. As usual, he climbs on top of the old washing machine and sits so that he is facing the ocean. 

 

Even though it is mid-morning, the sun is nowhere to be seen. The sky is an ominous dark grey and the air carries a cold chill. Izuku sees the small flash of a lightening bolt far off on the horizon. After a long pause, the sound of a low rumble ripples through the air and makes his hair stand on end. Something about the weather makes him feel uneasy. Izuku can’t pin down why he feels this way, but something feels off. It’s feels like something is about to snap. As if to agree with his thoughts, another lightening bolt flashes in his peripheral, before it is followed with a roar of thunder.

 

A voice startles him out of his dark thoughts, “I don’t think we can see Mei-chan today. The sky doesn’t look too happy.” 

 

Izuku yelps, before looking over his shoulder and sagging in relief. 

It’s only Himiko. 

The older girl smiles and wordlessly holds out her hand. Izuku pulls her up to sit beside him on top of the washing machine, then passes over one of the two remaining muffins. She enthusiastically unwraps it and takes a monstrous bite out of it. 

 

Himiko hums in delight and gushes, “Aya’s muffins are the best! I bet that if she ever went on one of those stuffy cooking competition TV shows, she could win with just her muffin recipe!”

 

Izuku nods in agreement, “Yeah, but I doubt she would ever give away her secrets to anybody. Besides Hitoshi that is.”

 

“What about me?” Another voice chimes in.

 

Hitoshi has finally woken up from his slumber and he slowly climbs up to join his two friends. Izuku passes him the last muffin, and Hitoshi laughs at its misshapen form. He holds it up next to Izuku’s face and squints.

 

“This muffin looks like your face.” He comments, his voice laced with amusement.

 

“What? No way!” Izuku grabs the muffin from him and turns it around so he can see. 

 

Sure enough, the chocolate chip muffin is squished flat into more of a cookie shape. The circle has two sets of four coco chips on each side, perfectly shaped in a diamond formation. The chips look exactly like Izuku’s freckles. 

 

“Oh my gosh it does!!!” Himiko squeals.

 

The pleasant moment is ruined when a bolt of lightening streaks through the sky and they are rocked with a deafening BOOM. All of them instinctively duck. After a few seconds, they all open their eyes and look around in bewilderment. The air feels charged with energy.

 

“What the heck!” Izuku exclaims, his face slightly pale. 

 

Hitoshi points to the top of one of the tallest stacks of garbage down the beach, “I think it hit that really tall metal pole sticking out of that garbage pile.” He says numbly with wide eyes.

 

Izuku looks up at the sky nervously, “I think we need to go hide out at some real shelter. This place is dangerous.” He says.

 

“Do you think that crazy pink haired girl from the other day will be okay with us hanging around until the storm passes over?” Hitoshi questions.

 

“Yeah. I think so. But we better hurry if we want to beat the rain. Her place is pretty far.” Izuku reasons, before stuffing the remainder of his muffin in his mouth.

 

And so the three of them frantically pack all of their belongings into their personal bags and make a run for it. It took them a while to retrace their steps and navigate the twisted roads of Musutafu, but eventually they made it! Just on time too! The second they snuck inside the abandoned building, it was like the sky couldn’t hold its burden anymore and just dumped it on the earth. 

 

“Phew! That sure was a close call! I hate it when my hair buns get wet from the rain, it’s so much harder to detangle them afterwards!” Himiko rambles, cheerful and lively as ever.

 

“Shhh.” Hitoshi says quietly, “We don’t know if there are any unfriendly people in this building besides that crazy pink haired girl.”

 

“Oopsies.” Himiko whispers with a small giggle.

 

The trio retrace their steps and make their way to the top floor. This time, they find their eccentric new friend slumped over a desk, clearly asleep if her loud snores meant anything.

 

Himiko, who still lacks the understanding of personal space, bravely approaches the sleeping inventor and gently pats her shoulder.

The pinkette snoozes on.

Not one to give up, Himiko takes a braver approach and gives her shoulder a firm shake. 

Nothing.

Himiko continues to shake the other’s shoulder and by this point, Izuku and Hitoshi are watching this awkward exchange from a safe distance (using the bean bag as a barricade).

When that still wields zero results, Himiko begins to wonder if the other girl is even alive at this point.  

 

“Try shaking her harder?” Izuku unhelpfully advises from behind the safety of the bean bag.

 

Himiko lets out a frustrated huff, “Fuck it.” She mumbles, before doing what they call ‘pulling an Aya’ by slapping the girl straight across the face.

 

The inventor’s body spazzes and in a blink of an eye she is on her feet, “I’M UP!” She exclaims, before registering the fact that she has three new arrivals, “Hey! It’s my minions! Glad you came back!”

 

Izuku pipes up from his spot behind the bean bag, “Ummmm, we were wondering if we could stay here until the storm passes.”

 

Mei blinks once, twice, before running over to a window and looking outside, “It’s raining!?!? Well why didn’t you say something sooner!?!?” She screams at the top of her lungs, before dashing out of the room in a pink blur. 

 

Hitoshi looks between the doorway and the spot where the girl was just standing, “I’m going to go on a limb and say that’s a yes.” He comments.





***




Sir Nighteye carefully slips the brown colored contacts over his distinctive yellow pupils. He blinks a few times, before placing his glasses over his face and scrutinizing his reflection. His hand goes up to his distinctive green and yellow hair and huffs out an agitated sigh, it’s too noticeable. He’ll have to either wear a wig or dye it. Seeing as he doesn’t own a wig, the only real option is to dye it. 

 

Naomasa owes him big time. 

 

Nighteye slips out of the bathroom and heads back to his desk to retrieve the half-used bottle of temporary dye he keeps for recon missions such as this. On the way back, he happens to run into one of his side-kicks, Centipeder.

 

His side-kick looks him up and down and remarks, “I don’t recall any recon missions today Sir.”

 

“That’s because I’m doing Detective Tsukauchi a favor.” He explains curtly, before requesting, “Can you help me with this hair dye?” 

 

“Of course Sir.” 

 

After going through the annoying process of dyeing one’s hair, Nighteye looks fairly unrecognizable with a full head of bright blonde locks. He even takes it a step further by sweeping his hair straight back with a sufficient amount of gel. His suit doesn’t need to be changed since it was designed to make him look like a classic Japanese business man.

 

Nighteye nods at his reflection, satisfied with the results, “Even All Might wouldn’t recognize me.” He comments with a smile, before thanking Centipeder for his assistance. 

 

He takes his car and enters the address Naomasa had sent earlier that morning into the GPS. It leads him deep into downtown Musutafu. He is surprised when the GPS leads him to an unassuming corner cafe. He parks alongside the sidewalk and exits his car. 

 

The cafe sticks out of place from the modern three-story office buildings around it. It stands alone on it’s corner, separated from the modern world as though it were stuck in another time period. It’s facade is fairly plain and undecorated, very uncharacteristic for a place that sells coffee nowadays in modern Japan. The front of the building is painted black, which contrasts drastically with the white paint on the remaining three sides. Above a tall mahogany front door is a rectangular white-colored sign, with “THE LOUNGE” printed in bold black letters inside and bordered with gold along the edges. Obviously whoever put it there takes a lot of pride in the name of their cafe. On both sides of the intimidating door are two tall glass pane windows, but the interior of the building is partially concealed by mint-green drapes. 

Overall, a very unusual place to get your morning cup o’ joe.

 

Deciding not to dawdle outside any longer, Nighteye walks up to the mahogany door and tries to pull it open. It doesn’t budge. 

 

“Locked?” He says out loud in surprise, Naomasa never mentioned the cafe being closed today. 

 

Not wanting to be deterred too soon, he knocks on the door and waits for either the owner or an employee. Luckily he didn’t have to wait long, because the door swings open, revealing a scowling young woman with bright lime-green hair. 

 

“We’re closed today. Sorry not sorry for the inconvenience.” She says quickly, before slamming the door in his face with an unnecessary amount of force. 

 

Nighteye blinks a couple times, still in shock, before shaking off the rude encounter and knocking on the door a little harder this time. The same woman opens the door, which confirms his suspicions that this must be the owner of the establishment and that she is alone. 

 

“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. We. Are. Closed. C-L-O-S-E-D. Closed. Besides, who gets a cup of coffee at fucking six o'clock in the morning???” She grinds out between clenched teeth, before slamming the door in his face even harder than the first time. 

 

Nighteye takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his gelled hair, “Fuck it.” He grumbles under his breath, before banging on the door non-stop like an angry parent trying to get their kid to unlock the door.

 

The woman pushes the door open and levels him with an intimidating glare, “I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAY YOUR FUCKING GAMES! IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THIS!!!” She yells, this time not bothering to hide her annoyance. 

 

Before she can slam the door for the third time in a row, he grabs the knob and forcefully yanks it wide open, “I’m sorry to take up your time, but can I at least introduce myself and tell you why I’m here?” He urges, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

 

Sharp green eyes rake over his disguised form like a predator sizing up its prey, “You’ve got one minute.” She grumbles half-heartedly.

 

Nighteye gives her what he hopes to be a charming smile and extends his free hand for her to take, “My name is Sasaki Mirai, I’m a representative for an advertisement company and I was wondering if you would like your cafe to be advertised in next month’s daily feed.”

 

The unsuspecting woman shakes his offered hand and replies, “Your company could’ve just emailed me this stuff instead of sending your sorry ass all the way out here, but yeah sure, I don’t care. The name’s Horikoshi Aya, I’m the owner in case you haven’t pieced that together yet.”

 

Nighteye lets go of her hand and says, “Nice meeting you. That’s all I needed, so thank you for your time.”

 

“Thanks for wasting my time.” She says coldly, before slamming the door in his face.

 

Nighteye lets go of the breath he had been holding and rushes back to his car. The moment he sits down in his seat and shuts the door, he activates his quirk and looks into the woman’s future actions for the next hour or so. 

 

And he doesn’t like what he sees. 

 

After watching the vision, he immediately picks up his phone and dials Naomasa’s number. On the first ring, he can hear the detective pick up.

 

“Detective Tsukauchi speaking.”

 

“Naomasa… I don’t know what to tell you. I’m sorry.” Nighteye says quietly, trying his best to sound remorseful, even though he has no personal connection to the case. 

 

After about five seconds of wordless silence, he hears the detective hang up. 




***




Aya slams the door, not really caring what that sleazy business man thought of her. She can’t put her finger on it, but she can’t shake the feeling of unease that strange man brought her. Her gut churns with anxiety and for a second she thinks she might puke. When she heard that knock on the door, she thought she was too late and that she had run out of time. 

 

She heads downstairs to the secret room and resumes packing. Last night she had the brats take their vigilante stuff home with them for safe keeping, it’s just safer that way. So the rest of the stuff she needs to pack up are all hers. 

Most of it are weapons, like 90% of it are her weapons. And 100% of these weapons were illegally bought off of the black market. Point is, she has A LOT of weapons.

It takes FOREVER to pack everything up on her own even with her working as fast as she can. By the time she is done, it’s nearly noon and she can feel the clock breathing down on her neck. 

 

Now all that’s left is to get all of this shit loaded onto the rental truck parked in the back and she will be home free! She’s not sure where she’s gonna go yet, but all she knows is that she can’t stay HERE any longer. So without further a do, she grabs a box and carries it up, but when she steps out of the closet, she happens to glance over at her security camera monitor and she can feel her heart drop to her stomach. 

 

“Fuck.”

 

Outside standing at the front door is Detective Tsukauchi and Officer Sansa. Aya has no doubt that the perimeter is probably swarming with cops and maybe even a pro hero or two. What in the world are they doing here so early? It's not even 10 AM!

Her mind races for solutions, but she can’t think straight when the only thing she can comprehend is how utterly fucked she is. 

 

“FUCK!” She screams in frustration, before setting down the box and pulling at her hair. 

 

“What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?”

 

Aya watches the monitor as the detective raises his arm and pounds on the front door.

 

BANG. BANG. BANG.

 

She draws in a shaky deep breath and forces herself to regain control. She has to do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t fuck this up any more than it already is. The brats are counting on her to escape. Izuku needs her. Hitoshi needs her. Himiko needs her. But more importantly, she needs THEM. They can take her wings, but they can’t take her family.

Giving up is not an option. 

Surrendering is not an option. 

Quitting is not an option.

 

“Fuck it.” 

 

She opens the box sitting at her feet and pulls out her vigilante costume. 

Notes:

QUESTION:

What is your favorite quote from a movie or book?

 

Edit: Oh. Hahaha. Just realized I forgot to put my own personal response in here. Hmmmm. My favorite quote... that's really hard, but not impossible. Definitely would have to be:

"In the fourth grade, my robotics' teacher told me to build a little robot for the science fair...... I finished it in a few hours and called it Optimus Prime." ~ Tony Stark

I don't know a bigger flex in any other movie or book. This still cracks me up when I read it.

Chapter 16: Be Unafraid To Laugh

Summary:

Get the tissues.
You're going to need them.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Naomasa bangs on the front door of the cafe for the third time, before looking down at his feet and softly cursing under his breath. 

 

Sansa lets out a bored yawn and suggests, “Maybe she went to go run some errands?” 

 

The detective shakes his head, “No, Sir Nighteye said she should be in the cafe during this time. He told me that before 10 AM, that's when she tries to escape.” 

 

“But what if he’s wrong?”

 

“Nighteye’s quirk has never been wrong before.” 

 

Sansa shrugs, “There is always a first time for everything.”

 

Another random officer speaks up from the background, “Detective! Do you want us to break down the door?”

 

Naomasa looks back and opens his mouth to reply, but before he can get a single word out-

 

BOOM!

 

All hell breaks loose.

 

The detective grunts as he is blown backwards straight into the side of a squad car. Luckily nothing broke. There’s a loud ringing in his ears from the explosion. It takes him a couple of minutes to register the sound of bullets being fired. 

 

A female officer appears in his vision and her face is filled with worry, “Are… detective… head… hospital…”

 

Naomasa brings one hand to the back of his head and his fingertips come away stained with red. It’s not enough blood to be overly concerned about, but he’s probably unable to feel any of the pain due to adrenaline and shock. 

 

“I’m fine.” He says to her, and she nods in understanding before moving onto Sansa. 

 

The cat mutant is cradling his wrist, which definitely looks broken.

 

Carefully, he climbs up to his feet, using the squad car for support. Once he is fully up, he takes in the destruction around him. The front of the cafe has a gaping hole where the front door used to be, no doubt from a grenade of sorts. A couple of officers had stayed behind to take care of their fellow injured officers, but no one looks like they are in any serious danger of needing immediate transport to the hospital. In fact, Naomasa and Sansa look like they’re the worse off in the group. Makes sense, given that they were closest to the explosion. The two pro heroes who was supposed to be with them are gone, presumably chasing after Dragonfly. Naomasa winces as the pain from his head injury starts setting in. Luckily, he can hear the sirens of ambulances approaching their area.

 

He takes out his walkie-talkie and orders, “I need every hero patrolling in a ten mile radius to be on the lookout for the vigilante Dragonfly. They are armed and dangerous. Warn the heroes to approach with caution.” 

 

After a couple of beats, a voice comes through on the device, “Affirmative, we’ve sent out the alert.”

 

Naomasa tucks away the walkie-talkie and lets the EMTs carefully walk him over to an ambulance. 



***



Dragonfly pants heavily as she carefully peeks over the edge of the rooftop. Below in the dingy alley are two pro heroes, searching around for her like a couple of clueless chickens. She’s unsure if she should feel insulted that bothersome detective sent these two noobs after someone as experienced as her. But then again, this obviously works in her favor and makes her job that much easier. 

 

With a wily smirk, she pulls out three sleeping gas bombs from her utility belt and chucks them down into the alley. The second the red marbles hit the ground, the two pros were enveloped in a giant pink cloud and within seconds the gas did its job. When the gas cleared, two sleeping bodies are slumped over each other on the floor, like two toddlers during naptime. 

 

It was too easy.

 

Dragonfly chuckles mockingly, before clutching her side and letting out a pained groan. One of the bullets from the barrage of policemen managed to graze her side. It’s definitely not the first time she’s taken a bullet while trying to escape from a tight spot, but that doesn’t mean it gets any less painful. 

 

She gets her grappling hook and shoots it at the railing of another building further down the street. The other building has a fire escape she can use to get down and she needs to quickly disappear before they send more pros after her. By some miracle, the hook catches and she swings across the street like an acrobat. For once, she didn’t have to worry about being seen by pedestrians because the police were courteous enough to block off all of the streets in the surrounding area. 

 

She makes a mental note to send them a nice little gift basket for their efforts.

 

With years of ingrained agility under her belt, she manages to flip through the air and land perfectly on the roof’s ledge. However, the excess movement aggravates her wound. The pain burns and she suddenly has the urge to puke. With shaking hands, she grips the rusted railing with all her might until the white dots in her vision fade and she feels stable enough to stand on her own. 

 

She dares herself to take a glimpse to estimate how far of a drop she has to land on the fire escape. Her face pales when she realizes that it’s a pretty decent drop that will surely result in a sprained (or even broken) ankle. But it’s her only way out, so it’s not like beggars can be choosers. 

 

“Goddamnit.” She curses, before beginning to slowly lower herself down.

 

Her knuckles are bone white and her arms are trembling as her body hangs limp, like one of those posters where the poor kitty is barely hanging onto a tree branch and the words, “Hang In There!” are written at the bottom [you know what I mean right?]. She looks down again and to her relief, the first level of the fire escape is only a little bit more than a meter from her toes. 

 

“Well, here goes fucking nothing.” She grunts, before letting go. 

 

But instead of falling straight down like she was expecting, something takes her completely by surprise. A large meaty hand wraps around her left forearm and yanks her straight up into the air. She cries out in pain as she feels her arm getting yanked out of its socket with a sickening pop. The grip on her forearm is crushingly tight, almost to the point where she can feel the bones underneath creaking under the pressure. That’s definitely going to leave a mark.

 

The vigilante looks up to glare at her captor, ready to dish out a classic sarcastic remark, but all of the words die in the back of her throat when she sees the mask of burning flames surrounding cold turquoise eyes. 

 

The blood drains from her face and suddenly it feels like someone had sucked out the air from her lungs. 

 

The Flame Hero: Endeavor glares down at the vigilante with white-hot hatred, “You must be a fool to continue masquerading as a vigilante, even when you are technically quirkless.” He growls, his voice dripping with venom. 

 

His grip suddenly tightens and Dragonfly cries out in pain as she feels a bone snap, tears begin to leak from her eyes.

 

But despite the pain, she shoots Endeavor a cruel grin and taunts, “And you… must be a bigger fool… to continue masquerading as a hero… even though you’re a flaming piece of shit.” She begins to laugh as though she had just told the funniest joke in the world.

 

The flames on Endeavor’s face burn brighter and his free hand comes up to wrap around the vigilante’s neck, swiftly silencing her laughter. Her uninjured arm comes up to try and pry away the meaty fingers from her vulnerable neck. But between the blood loss from the gunshot wound and now her restricted airway, Aya is rapidly losing the strength to fight back to escape. Once the hero realizes this, he lets go of her injured arm and it falls limply to her side, useless. Now both of his hands are wrapped around her neck in a choke hold, completely cutting off any air. 

 

Aya refuses to give up, she lashes out with her good arm and manages to leave a long scratch on Endeavor’s butt ugly face. It’s enough to draw blood, but not enough to make him release her. She weakly smiles at the sight of the small wound on his cheek. When Endeavor sees that she’s still smiling, he goes from being mad to livid

 

His face twists into the embodiment of rage, “You’re going to regret that, you disgusting insect!” He roars, while he shakes her back and forth like a rag doll.

 

Far off in the distance, Aya can hear a faint roar of thunder. At that moment, instead of seeing Endeavor’s flaming face, she sees the smiling faces of her three brats. In her last moment of consciousness, her thoughts wander to them. 

She hopes that they won’t try to come by the cafe today in hopes of seeking shelter from the oncoming storm. 

She hopes that they remember to cover their heads from the rain to prevent getting sick. 

She hopes that they enjoyed the muffins she gave them last night.

She hopes that they will forgive her someday.

 

With all of his might, the hero throws her weakened body straight down into the empty alleyway. She goes flying like a fired missile. The sound of her skull cracking against the pavement echoes through the empty streets. The broken body of the vigilante first bounces, before it slides across the floor and finally comes to an abrupt stop at the mouth of the alley. Red streaks across the grey pavement and splatters across the graffiti on the walls. The hero stares down at the grotesque scene with an eerily calm expression, like how one would look at an abstract painting in a museum. 

 

In the background, lightning brightens the sky for a split second, before it is swiftly followed by an ear-splitting crack of thunder. 

 

That is how the police find them when they arrive on scene. The flaming hero is standing on top of the five-story building, looking down at the alley in what appears to be shock (what they don't know is that it's fake). They don’t blame him, because some of them threw up the moment they laid eyes on the horrific scene. To everybody’s shock, the vigilante wasn’t dead. So an ambulance was quickly called and the crumpled body of the vigilante was taken away to the hospital. 

 

When Endeavor was questioned how this horrible incident came to be, he simply replied that the vigilante’s grappling hook must’ve malfunctioned and so she fell. When asked why he didn’t automatically provide assistance to the vigilante by calling for an ambulance, he simply replied that he had arrived on the scene only seconds before the police did. 

 

No one questioned the #2 pro hero further, and the police simply wrote it off as an unfortunate tragedy. It’s not the first time a villain was brought to justice only after being seriously maimed or killed in the process. 

And it certainly will not be the last.




***




At Musutafu General Hospital, Naomasa was discharged about ten minutes ago. These days, minor concussions are a quick and easy fix if you go to the right hospital. Healing quirks are few and far between, but this one is lucky to have an abundance of doctors and nurses with these highly-valued quirks. The moment he had arrived he was seen right away, and his injury only took less than a minute to heal completely. One of the perks about being in law enforcement is that they get first priority treatment, just like the pros. 

 

Now, he’s just sitting in the waiting room for his partner to be discharged as well, which should be any minute now. 

 

Sure enough, Sansa comes walking down the hallway with his arm wrapped in a cast. Naomasa gets up from his seat and walks beside his partner to the hospital’s front entrance.

 

Naomasa gestures to the cast with a raised brow, “I thought they had a doctor here who has a quirk that can heal broken bones?”

 

Sansa nods and explains, “They do. The doctor wasn’t available though. The nurses explained to me that another patient had just arrived in the emergency room and that they were in really bad shape. They said that I can come back tomorrow though to get it healed, so I’m okay with dealing with a broken wrist for one day if it means someone else doesn’t has to suffer.” 

 

Naomasa smiles in relief, “Oh, that’s good. I was worried that they were discriminating against you.”

 

“Nah, what year are we living in? Not many people are mutanist anymore. Sure, I look like a cat, but people know better than to be so narrow-minded nowadays.” Sansa says light-heartedly with a sad smile. 

 

They exit the hospital and wait at the entrance while Sansa calls for a taxi. While they are waiting, it begins to rain. It’s coming down hard in big fat droplets. Sansa mutters angrily and curls his arms around himself. Naomasa shoots the cat mutant a look of sympathy, like most cats, Sansa hates getting wet. 

Then, out of the blue, Naomasa’s phone rings and the detective raises the phone up to his ear.

 

“Detective Tsukauchi speaking.” He says into the speaker.

 

A hesitant female voice came through, “This is Officer Suzumi, reporting that the mission was a… success.”

 

Naomasa frowns, causing Sansa to look over at him in worry.

 

“If the mission was a success, why do you sound so unsure?” Naomasa inquires.

 

Officer Suzumi clears her throat and replies, “The vigilante was apprehended, but it…” The officer suddenly bursts into tears, unable to finish her sentence.

 

Naomasa’s eyes widen in alarm, immediately fearing the worst, “Officer Suzumi! What happened? Were there any casualties?” He asks, rapid fire.

 

“N-No sir. But there was s-so much blo-blood.” The young woman says in between shaky sobs.

 

Naomasa can hear an exchange happening on the other end of the line, and a new voice pops up, this time an older male officer Naomasa recognizes, “This is Officer Ojiro, sir. Officer Suzumi is having a rough time right now.”

 

Naomasa nods in understanding, his face grim, “I know. It’s hard for the younger and newer officers to experience the uglier side of our job.” 

 

“Right.” Officer Ojiro says with a tired sigh, “So the vigilante Dragonfly was apprehended, but not in the way you’d expect. According to the pro hero who witnessed the incident, her grappling hook failed to function correctly and she basically went splat on the pavement. It wasn’t a very pretty sight. Even I felt pretty queasy when I saw it with my own eyes.”

 

Naomasa’s blood runs cold and it feels like someone had just sucker punched him in the gut.

 

Sansa sees the visible change in his expression and puts a hand on his shoulder, “Is everything okay?” He asks.

 

Naomasa turns to face his partner, his friend, and numbly shakes his head. The cat mutant sees the haunted look in his eyes, and that’s the moment he knows something really, really bad happened. 

 

Officer Ojiro’s voice comes through the phone again, “Detective? Detective Tsukauchi? Are you still there?”

 

In a trembling voice, Naomasa asks, “Where is she?”

 

“Uh, who? You mean the vigilante? Um, according to the report, she’s at Musutafu General Hospital.” 

 

Naomasa hangs up and shoves his phone back inside his coat pocket, before running back into the hospital. Sansa stares at Naomasa’s retreating back and wonders what the hell was said on that phone call, before chasing after him.

 

“Naomasa, what the hell man!?” Sansa shouts after him, catching the attention of the numerous people they run past. 

 

Naomasa ignores his partner and sprints right up to the receptionist’s desk. Sansa arrives just seconds behind him. The detective pulls out his badge and shows it to the nurse sitting behind the desk.

 

“I’m Detective Tsukauchi, I need the room number of a patient named Horikoshi Aya.” He says frantically.

 

The nurse looks between Sansa and Naomasa nervously, before typing the name into the computer. After a minute has passed, she furrows her brows and looks up at Naomasa with a strange look on her face.

 

“We don’t have a patient here who goes by that name.” She replies.

 

Naomasa shakes his head vehemently, “That’s impossible. You’re lying.” He protests.

 

The nurse stares up at the insane-looking man in alarm, “Sir, please, I can assure you that I’m not lying. There is no one of that name in our database.”

 

TRUE

 

Sansa clears his throat and leans forward, “Is the vigilante, Dragonfly, here in your hospital?” He asks in a low voice so that no one else can hear.

 

The nurse nods her head and replies, “Yes, she is.”

 

“Can you tell me which room she is in?” Sansa asks calmly.

 

The nurse turns back to the computer and scrolls a bit, before explaining, “According to our database, that patient is still in the operating room at the moment. She arrived in critical condition.” 

 

Sansa can see the blood drain from Naomasa’s face.

 

The nurse seems to notice this as well, “If you want, you can wait in the waiting room and I can call you up when she is out of surgery. Okay?” She says with an understanding smile.

 

Sansa bows to the kind nurse and thanks her, before pulling a numb Naomasa over to one of the chairs in the waiting room, “Here, you sit here while I go make a couple phone calls and grab both of us a nice warm cup of coffee.” He says gently. At the mention of coffee, Naomasa starts crying into the cat officer’s shoulder. Sansa awkwardly pats him on the back, “Or… I’ll just stay here.” He grumbles, inwardly grimacing at the wet spot growing on his shirt.

 

Another roll of thunder rumbles outside, and Sansa can’t help but think that it is fitting that it’s raining on a day like this.

Notes:

I'm so sorry. I was crying so hard while I was writing this. Sorry if this is trash.

 

End of chapter question: Did anyone notice how I played with the weather? If you did, go back to the last chapter and compare it to this one. Hopefully you'll see the connection.

 

P.S. omg we hit 900 kudos. *faints*

Chapter 17: Be Supportive In Every Single Way

Summary:

Get the tissues.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Mei pulls a small, unassuming pink cube from her raincoat pocket and holds it up for them to see, “BEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!”

 

Izuku clears his throat and asks, “Um, Mei? What are we beholding exactly?”

 

Behind the large building of Mei’s residence is a small parking lot that has been re-purposed as an illegal testing ground for the mad scientist. The cracked black pavement is littered with scorch marks and potholes. In one corner of the lot is a broken down car, pushed into another far corner is a dumpster overflowing with garbage. In the center of the lot, the four of them stand together, huddled underneath the security of a single umbrella, while the rest of the world is doused in heavy rain. 

 

The scientist clears her throat before jumping into her explanation, “This is Rainy Day Baby 3.0! When activated with some water, this small cube will rapidly expand in a sticky pink bubble according to how much water you give it! I made it as a fast and easy way for water-quirk heroes to capture powerful villains.” 

 

Izuku’s eyes glitter when Mei mentions water-quirk heroes, “Are you referring to the Water Hose duo tragedy that was on the news a few months ago?” 

 

“That’s exactly right my green-haired minion!” Mei replies with an excited grin.

 

Hitoshi cranes his head to look up at the stormy sky above and grimaces when a raindrop lands on his nose, “That sounds great and all, but why do you have to test it while it’s raining? Why not just go to a pool or a lake to test it out?” He complains.

 

“Awwww, is the kitty afraid to get wet?” Himiko teases with a cheeky grin.

 

Hitoshi scowls, “For the last time Himiko, I’m not a cat.” He retorts.

 

“Lies.” Himiko fires back.

 

“Debatable.” Izuku comments.

 

“Scientifically impossible.” Mei enthusiastically chirps.

 

The purple-haired teen buries his face into his hands and groans, “I hate all of you so much.” Which only serves to add fuel to the others’ laughter at his misery.

 

After composing herself, Mei goes on with her explanation, “So to answer your question my purple minion, I don’t have any access to a pool or a lake. So far I’ve only been able to test it in my bathtub, but I want to see what would happen if I just let it sit out in the rain.”

 

The trio lets the information sink in, before Izuku shyly raises his hand, “Um, is this safe?” He asks with some concern.

 

Himiko rolls her eyes and exclaims, “Who cares!? Let’s do it!!! I love anything pink AND I love bubbles!” 

 

Mei points at Himiko and grins, “I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK MINION!” She yells, before tossing the tiny cube out of their protective little circle. It lands about a meter from their feet.

 

Hitoshi blanches at the girl’s utter lack of precaution, “Wait, I think Izu has a really good— HOLY SHIT IT’S ACTUALLY GROWING!” He cries in disbelief as the little cube suddenly expands into a giant pink blob.

 

Within mere seconds, the pink blob has grown to be about three meters in diameter, forcing the four of them to retreat backwards. They watch in a mix of fascination and horror as it keeps growing. If Hitoshi could compare this experience to anything, it’s like watching bread dough rise, but a thousand times faster. It’s only when the blob grows to the point where a quarter of the parking lot has been covered and the blob is starting to tower over them, did the trio finally snap out of their awed trance.

 

“Uh Mei, it’s getting kinda big.” Izuku says nervously, while staring up at the blob that is now twice his height.

 

“Where’s your guys’ PLUS ULTRA spirit? We’re doing this for science!” Mei says, gazing upon her baby with pride. 

 

Suddenly there is an ear-piercing screech that snatches their attention. They look over towards the dumpster just in time to witness something small, white, and furry getting sucked into the pink blob. 

 

Everyone, sans Mei, screams in horror.

 

Hitoshi starts shaking Mei by the shoulders, “It ate a kitten!!! Make it stop, make it spit it out!!!” He demands, his face unnaturally pale and shaken.

 

Mei pouts, “But science—”

 

“Forget about the dumb experiment! There’s a cat!” Hitoshi argues back, his voice containing more venom than Izuku or Himiko has ever heard before.

 

“Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.” Mei whines with a roll of her eyes, before pulling out a syringe from her coat. 

 

With an air of unnatural calmness, she casually walks over with the syringe, uncaring about the rain drenching her from head to toe. Then she pokes the syringe into the blob, injecting it with a clear liquid. The effect takes place immediately. The trio watches with child-like wonder as the pink blob stops growing, before rapidly shriveling up to the size of a raisin. All of the water it had absorbed is simultaneously forced out all at once, along with the poor creature it had sucked up. 

 

Mei swiftly retrieves the shriveled up, tiny pink blob and stores it away in her coat pocket for safe keeping before heading back inside. Hitoshi is the only one to run out into the pouring rain and check on the “kitten”, he cradles the creature to his chest and runs back inside the building. Himiko and Izuku are quick to follow along, while still trying to process the events they have just witnessed.

 

  1. A giant pink blob eating a cat.

 

  1. Hitoshi WILLINGLY running out into the rain. 

 

Once upstairs, all four of them are hovering over the small, shivering creature with morbid curiosity. 

 

“Is it dead?” Izuku asks, his voice coming out in a whimper. He hates seeing animals die. 

 

Himiko feels for a pulse and gives Izuku a reassuring smile, “The kitty’s still alive.” She answers, to which Izuku sighs in relief. 

 

Mei gets a clean towel and passes it over to Hitoshi, who seems to be the only one who knows what he’s doing. While he is rubbing down the drowned animal, trying to remove as much rainwater as he can, it begins to dawn on him that this is NOT a cat. This only becomes more clear as the fur begins to dry and fluff up, restoring the animal to its normal appearance. 

 

“This isn’t a cat.” Hitoshi states the obvious. 

 

Izuku leans forward to get a closer look at the creature, “Okay… if it’s not a cat, then what is it? Some sort of dog?” He speculates.

 

Of course, this is the moment the mystery creature chooses to wake up. The animal blinks and stares up at his four saviors with wide brown eyes. Surprisingly, the creature doesn’t freak out like they were expecting. Instead, the dark pink nose sniffs Hitoshi’s face, before the creature lets out a trill of chittering noises. It’s as if the creature is thanking Hitoshi for saving his life.

 

Himiko clasps her hands to her heart and squeals, “OH MY GOSH IT’S AN ADORABLE TRASH PANDA!!!”

 

“What is a trash panda?” Izuku asks nervously as the animal starts sniffing his hand. 

 

“A raccoon.” Mei answers with a light scowl, “These pests LOVE coming into my workshop and wrecking the place whenever I’m not here. They’re nothing but trouble.”

 

Himiko looks up at Mei in shock, “Awwwww, but look at him! He’s so CUTE! He’s just a wittle baby.” She gushes, before reaching out to pet the raccoon. The raccoon jumps down from Hitoshi’s lap and darts underneath Mei’s kitchen table. It crouches behind one table leg, tense and wary. Himiko pouts, “Aw, he’s shy.”

 

Hitoshi scratches the back of his head, “Isn’t anyone else wondering why his fur is all white and not black and grey like a normal raccoon?” He questions.

 

“He probably has albinism! It’s a really rare genetic condition that causes someone’s body to be completely unable to produce melanin. That’s so cool! Do you have any idea how rare it is for animals to be albino?” Izuku explains, going into what his teammates refer to as "nerd-mode".

 

“Huh, I guess that’s cool, but it’s still a pest.” Mei says, uncharacteristically unenthused with the prospect of another wild animal wrecking her workshop.

 

Himiko huffs, “Don’t call him a pest! He’s just a wittle cutie.” She cooes, before walking over to the table and kneeling in front of the raccoon, “Hey there wittle guy! Do you want a hug? Who wants a hug?”

 

Izuku pulls Himiko back by the collar of her sweatshirt and scolds, “Don’t get too close to him! Who knows what kind of diseases he has???”

 

Hitoshi rolls his eyes and walks over, before calmly picking up the shaking animal, “You’re scaring him.” He grumbles while scratching behind the raccoon’s ears.

 

The raccoon gives a content chitter and leans into Hitoshi’s hand. Surprisingly, the raccoon seems perfectly content to be carried in Hitoshi’s arms. Hitoshi doesn’t mind, the raccoon is only the size of a grapefruit, so he doesn’t weigh much. 

 

Mei claps her hands, breaking the calm silence, “Okay, the pest is alive, time to take it back outside before it decides to make a nest in my fridge.” She says with a smile.

 

Izuku turns around to gawk at the inventor, “You gotta be kidding me. Out there? It’s freezing outside!”

 

“Trust me, it’ll live.” Mei reassures.

 

Hitoshi holds the tiny animal to his chest and shakes his head, “It’s still just a baby. It’s probably too young to be living on its own.” He reasons.

 

“Can we keep him? Pleeeeeeaaaaaase?” Himiko pleads to the inventor.

 

Mei looks between Hitoshi, Izuku and Himiko. They all stare back at her with the biggest puppy eyes they can muster. Between their combined strength, no one can resist their puppy eyes, especially Mei.

 

“Fine,” Mei concedes with an agitated sigh, “Just make sure it doesn’t try to play with my babies.” 

 

“Woooooooooo!” Himiko squeals, before pulling Mei into a suffocating hug, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

 

Izuku smiles gratefully, and reaches over to pet the baby raccoon on its fuzzy white head, “So fuzzy…” He marvels with wide green eyes.

 

Hitoshi laughs at Izuku’s face, before asking, “What should we name him?”

 

Mei blanches, “No! Don’t name it! You’ll get attached!” She screeches, but her minions simply ignore her. So she makes herself sparse and returns to her workstation, leaving the trio to their shenanigans. 

 

“Sprinkles McMuffins!” Himiko blurts.

 

Hitoshi gags at Himiko’s name of choice and vehemently shakes his head, “That’s so… GIRLY. There is no way we are naming Eraserhead Junior THAT.”

 

“Well there is no way we are calling him Eraserhead Junior!”

 

“Better than your stupid name!”

 

“Troll Doll!”

 

“Two-faced Witch!”

 

“Eye bags!”

 

“Blood sucker!”

 

“Gremlin!”

 

“Leech!”

 

Izuku shoves himself between the two quarreling friends and snags the frightened raccoon from Hitoshi. The albino raccoon gladly snuggles into Izuku’s arms. The greenette strokes his fuzzy white fur and smiles, completely blocking out his two squabbling siblings.

 

Izuku hums, “I’m going to call you… Flour.” He declares, while rocking back and forth on his feet. 

 

Hitoshi and Himiko freezes and look over at Izuku, who’s occupied with tickling Flour’s stomach.

 

Hitoshi snorts, “Flour? You’re really going to name him Flour?”

 

Izuku looks up and nods, “Yup!” He chirps with a smile.

 

Himiko giggles, “Is it because of the time Hitoshi threw a bag of flour in Eraserhead’s face?”

 

Izuku snickers, “Yup!”

 

The trio bursts into a fit of laughter at the memory of the event. Flour chitters happily, apparently happy with his new name. In the background, Mei watches the trio and their new pet with a small smile. The intrepid inventor pulls out a notebook she keeps in her desk and starts a new entry. At the very top of the page, she writes in pink glitter gel, “Pet Translator Baby 1.0”. Underneath that, she starts listing ideas for her newest invention.

 

“Hey Mei! Can we turn on your TV?” Hitoshi asks from the “living room” area. 

 

Without turning away from the notebook, she yells back, “Sure! I only have one channel on there though, and it’s just a local news station.”

 

“That’s okay! We just need to check the weather and see when this storm is going to pass.” Hitoshi replies, before switching on the TV.

 

A female reporter holding an umbrella pops up on the screen. She is standing in the middle of an empty street, behind her in the background you can see a swarm of police officers milling around a small building. 

 

“Good morning everybody, we are here live at the scene on the corner of Musutafu Blvd. and Dagobah St. where the local police force has just succeeded in arresting one of Japan’s most elusive vigilantes, Dragonfly. There hasn’t been any public sightings of the vigilante for over a year, which led many to presume that the vigilante had met an untimely demise.” The reporter pauses for dramatic effect, “However, these rumors were apparently proven to be false. At approximately ten o’clock this morning, the Musutafu Police Department were able to storm this cafe and make the arrest, which you can see behind me here.” The camera zooms in on the cafe. 

 

The remote slips out of Hitoshi’s hand and clatters to the floor.

 

There’s a large gaping hole where the front door used to be. The windows are blown out, presumably from whatever explosion had blown out the front door. Miraculously, the only thing that seems perfectly untouched is the sign reading, "The Lounge", hanging above the door.

 

The camera pans back to the reporter as she continues speaking, “So far we have yet to receive more information on the case, which leaves us with many burning questions. WHO is the vigilante Dragonfly? WHY were they in this cafe? HOW were they finally captured? Hopefully, the chief of police’s official statement later this afternoon will answer some of these questions. So stay tuned for more later!” The news channel then cuts to the weather.

 

It feels like somebody just pulled the rug out from under their feet. 

 

“Wh-What?” Izuku chokes out in a gut-wrenching sob, “How? Wh-When? Wh-Whyyyy?” His legs give out and he falls to his knees. 

 

Flour manages to jump out of the greenette’s arms and land safely on the ground. He immediately rebounds to sniff Izuku’s tear-stained cheeks and Izuku buries his face into the raccoon’s fur.

 

Hitoshi numbly walks over and drapes himself over Izuku’s shaking form, as if to shield him from the crushing reality that their mentor (who has basically become their… older sister? Crazy aunt? Mother?) has just been cruelly, unfairly, unwillingly ripped away from them. Himiko, being the eldest of the trio, pulls her two younger teammates into a her arms to provide as much comfort as she physically can. 

 

Mei feels misplaced, as she does with most social circumstances. She’s not close enough to know why they’re upset over the news. She’s not socially adept enough to know what to say. But deep down, she knows what to do. So she gets up from her chair and grabs a blanket from one of the bean bags, before unfolding it and wrapping it around the three. After the deed is done, she returns to her work table and continues sketching out her new prototype. 





***




Meanwhile, Naomasa and Sansa are STILL sitting in the waiting room, anticipating the moment when the receptionist will call them up and tell them that Aya had come out of surgery. 

 

Sansa glances over at his partner and Naomasa catches his gaze.

 

“For the last time, I’m not hungry.” Naomasa says, clearly growing irritated with Sansa’s persistence.

 

Sansa’s ears twitch with annoyance, “We’ve been sitting here for over six hours Naomasa. You need to eat something. Hell, you haven’t even gotten up to use the goddamn restroom!”

 

“I’ll be fine once I know she’s gonna be okay.”

 

“Naomasa.” Sansa hisses sternly. 

 

Naomasa sighs and sends his friend an apologetic look, “I’m sorry Sansa. You’re probably starving and I’m being selfish. You didn’t have to stay here and wait with me.” He says forlornly.

 

The cat man playfully bats at Naomasa’s arm, “Baka! Yes, I’m hungry, but that’s not the point! Both of us need to eat.” He tries to reason.

 

“But what if they call for me while I’m gone?” Naomasa asks, casting a quick glance at the receptionist’s desk.

 

Sansa rolls his eyes, “We’ve been waiting for HOURS. They’re not going to call us up anytime soon. You worry too much.”

 

“Alright, if you insist…” Naomasa concedes, before standing up from the chair he had been perched on for six hours straight. His joints pop into place as he stretches his legs and back. “Oof. Maybe I should get up and walk around more often.” He admits reluctantly, while Sansa snickers at his “old man joints”.

 

“Detective Tsukauchi?” The receptionist calls from the front desk. 

 

The detective speed walks over to the front desk on wobbly legs, “Yes? That’s me.” He replies, his face pale with worry.

 

“The doctor is ready to see you. Due to the circumstance of the patient being a criminal by law, you will be escorted to the patient’s room before anything can be discussed with the doctor regarding the patient’s current condition. Is that okay?” The nurse explains.

 

“Yes.” Naomasa consents, before the two officers are escorted away by another nurse.

 

Sansa in the background growls, “They really have the best timing.” He grumbles to himself quietly.

 

The nurse brings them to a room on the top floor of the hospital, which is to be expected. In modern times, hospitals have been remodeled to accommodate dangerous villains by converting the top floor of the hospital into a seclusion ward of sorts. This way, civilians are kept out of harms way. And if a villain were to escape their confines, being on the top floor will prevent them from simply jumping out the window to freedom. Standing at attention on both sides of the door are two men in military gear, armed with rifles. The door has a key pad that requires a passcode to enter, which even Naomasa thinks is a tad bit overkill. The nurse enters the password and the heavy metal door slides right open, like something straight out of an old-fashioned spy movie from the years of 20XX. They all enter the room, sans the scary-looking guards.

 

The doctor standing beside the hospital bed turns his attention to them when he hears the door slide open. Sansa briefly ogles at the man’s six arms, before mentally reprimanding himself for staring when he personally knows how uncomfortable it feels when people stare at his cat head. If the doctor had noticed his staring, he doesn’t call them out on it.

 

The doctor extends one of his many hands to Naomasa, “Good afternoon Detective, I’m Dr. Shouji. The lead surgeon of the operation.” He introduces himself.

 

Naomasa tears his gaze away from the figure lying on the hospital bed, before accepting the handshake, “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.” He replies, his voice strained. The detective returns his gaze to the occupied bed and sucks in a deep breath, “Is she okay?” He finally asks. 

 

Dr. Shouji exchanges a glance with the nurse, and there must’ve been some weird mental communication because the nurse turns right around and walks out of the room without saying another word. 

 

Now that it’s just the three men alone in the room, the doctor looks the detective in the eye and asks, “Detective, I’m going to be blunt, are you in a relationship with the patient?”

 

Both officers stare at the doctor with completely different emotions as the implications of the question sinks in.

 

“WHAT!? NO!!! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK THAT???” Naomasa cries in disbelief, while Sansa on the other hand is letting out peels of laughter at his partner’s expense.

 

Dr. Shouji clears his throat and says, “I apologize if I caused any offense Detective, but I’ve been a surgeon for over twenty years and you just have that look on your face of a man who just lost the love of his life, so I assumed—”

 

“Well news flash doc, this is real life. Not some sappy romance story in a teenage girl’s fanfic.” Naomasa grumbles, while sinking down into one of the room’s available chairs.

 

“I had to ask, because I want to know if I need to tell you the cold-cut professional version or the sugar-coated version.” The doctor explains with a nonchalant shrug.



“Keep it professional please.” The detective replies immediately.

 

Sansa and the doctor share an uneasy glance, which prompts Sansa to shake his partner’s shoulder and ask, “Are you sure about that partner? He’s probably gotta tell you something pretty heavy.”

 

Naomasa nods resolutely, “I’m sure.”

 

Dr. Shouji sighs and starts reading straight off of clipboard in his hand. 

Notes:

End of chapter question: What is your favorite sad song?

My favorite sad song is "Supermarket Flowers" by Ed Sheeran. I had to listen to this A LOT for these last couple of chapters as you can imagine.

 

Also, we now have a Discord!!! I hope to see you all there!

Here's the link: https://discord.gg/M7ypQrZ

Chapter 18: Be Unselfish

Summary:

It's a bird! It's a plane! No it's... it's... a double-update!!!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It wasn’t until two whole months after the tragic incident that Giran finally upheld his end of the deal. If you asked him why it had taken him so long, he would probably ask you to pay him if you wanted the straight answer. But really, the simplicity of it is that it’s hard to find three people who don’t want to be found and then convince those same people to meet up at a secret location to “talk”.

 

And people say his job is easy. Pffft.

 

Giran swirls the glass of bourbon before taking a light sip. The liquor goes down smooth and the sweet taste of vanilla with a hint of oak settles on his palate. Usually he wouldn’t drink before a meeting, but this isn’t one of his normal business deals. This is a favor he’s doing for a kid. He sets down his drink on the pristine glass coffee table and stares at the three sealed manila envelopes laying in the center. He can only wonder what sort of information they contain, but they must be pretty important if the kid went out of her way to meet with him and pay him with her own money. Giran knows how much the kid hates this form of business.

 

The knock on his hotel room door snaps him out of his thoughts and he puts up a front of oozing confidence, “Come on in! My door’s open.” He calls out. 

 

The door swings open, revealing Stain in all of his glory. The infamous Hero Killer marches into the hotel suite straight towards Giran and draws one of his katanas, pointing the very tip at Giran’s nose. Giran is all too familiar with this intimidation tactic, so he doesn’t even flinch. Instead, the broker calmly takes another sip of bourbon and shoots the rugged man his signature sleazy grin.

 

“Nice to see you again Stendhal! You look like you’re doing well, despite the lack of a nose.” He jests, knowing full well that it’s going to piss the other man off.

 

Stain bristles in fury, “Don’t patronize me, broker. I don’t know why you called me here, but there better not be any sort of funny business, or else you’re going to be the one without a nose.” He rasps, before withdrawing his sword.

 

Giran lazily waves a hand towards one of the four open chairs, “Don’t worry, I promise this is gonna be something worth your while Hero Killer. Now take a seat while we wait for the others to arrive.”

 

The Hero Killer shoots Giran a wary look, “There are others?”

 

As if on cue, there’s another knock on the hotel room door. Stain, pulls out a dagger, but Giran is quick to order him to put it away and take a seat. The villain reluctantly cooperates, but he keeps his hand on his belt of throwing knives.

 

“Come in!” Giran calls.

 

The door swings open to reveal two people. One is a very short young lady with magenta-colored hair tied up into two pig tails. The other is an older man with neatly gelled white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard. Both are wearing matching costumes, conveying the fact that they are a duo. It’s none other than internet celebrity Gentle Criminal and his lesser-known partner La Brava. 

 

In a heartbeat, Stain scowls and turns his attention back to Giran, “My answer is ‘no’ if you’re trying to get me to work together with these two clowns.” He comments bluntly, but not loud enough for the two new arrivals to hear.

 

Giran ignores this comment and opens his arms wide, “So glad you to could make it!” He says with false warmth.

 

Gentle walks in with La Brava by his side, putting on a brave face as he walks into the metaphorical lion’s den. Stain, however, is a master at reading people. Years of experience on the streets has honed his skills to read people’s body language. Stain can see the uncertainty and lack of confidence in every single step Gentle takes, which gives away his facade of bravery. But he can also see how the villain is using his body to shield his partner from their view, which shows that he cares a lot for the young woman’s safety. Stain can at least appreciate that, because being willing to protect those who are too weak to defend themselves is the mark of a true hero. 

 

Gentle bows to Giran and says, “Sorry if we’re a little late. I wanted to personally thank you for giving us this great opportunity.” 

 

This causes Giran to let out a bellowing laugh, “Kid! You don’t even know what I’m going to offer you! For all you know, I could be sending you on a suicide mission!” He says, laughing at their naivety. 

 

La Brava whimpers and tugs on Gentle’s sleeve, “Ne, ne, Gentle! I told you this was a bad idea. Let’s go home. I don’t like this.” 

 

Gentle gives his partner a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about it La Brava. Let’s at least hear the man out since we’ve come all this way.”

 

Giran points at the three still available chairs and says, “Alright, now cut the sap and sit down. We’re still waiting on one more person, and honestly I don’t know why I’m surprised that he’s the last one to show up. The boy doesn’t know how to respect his elder’s time.”

 

Again, as if on cue, the door is kicked open and a dark lanky figure walks inside, not even bothering to knock. 

 

“You’re late.” Giran remarks with a smirk, already knowing how the other is going to reply.

 

Dabi rolls his eyes, “You’re all just early.” He replies, before letting his sharp turquoise eyes scan the room’s occupants with disdain.

 

The broker merely shakes his head in amusement and waves a hand towards the one open chair between Stain and Gentle. The young man plops down and leans back. Unlike Gentle, his posture screams “I-don’t-give-a-fuck”, which irritates Stain a bit more than he’d like to admit.

 

Giran claps his hands together and grins, “Alright, now that everybody is here, let’s get down to business shall we?” He leans forward and states, “I’m assuming all of you are familiar with the name Dragonfly.”

 

The moment Giran dropped that name, it’s like a switch has been flipped.

 

La Brava is the first to speak up, “I’ve heard of her, she’s that vigilante who was arrested a while back, right?” 

 

“Right on the money, but Dragonfly was a hell of a lot more than just someone who went around kicking ass and taking names.” Giran explains.

 

“Get to the point Giran. Why have you called us here?” Stain demands.

 

Giran holds his hands up placatingly, “Relax, don’t shoot the messenger. In the middle of the table are envelopes, one for each of you. They were given to me by Dragonfly before she was captured. Before you ask, I don’t know what’s inside of them. Dragonfly gave me very explicit instructions on how she wants them opened.” He calmly explains, before grabbing the first envelope and holding it out towards Gentle.

 

With trembling hands, Gentle accepts the heavy envelope and carefully pries it open. His eyes widen in shock. Everybody leans forward out of curiosity.

 

La Brava stares up at her love with a worried look, “Gentle? What is it?”

 

Gentle Criminal pulls out a piece of paper and holds it up for everyone to see, “It’s the deed to her cafe. There must be some mistake, Miss Horikoshi would NEVER give this away. She takes so much pride in her establishment!” He stammers in disbelief, unable to believe his own eyes.

 

Giran’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline, “Is there a letter in there somewhere?” He asks, skeptical.

 

Gentle shuffles through the small stack of papers in the envelope, before pulling out another smaller envelope in a light purple color, “This must be it.” He says, before tearing it open and lifting out a hand written letter. The man squints at the print and says, “I believe the letter is encrypted in some sort of code.”

 

To their surprise, Stain grabs the letter right out of his hand, “Back when I was Stendhal, Dragonfly and I developed a cipher as a secret form of communication. That must be the reason why I’m here.” He explains.

 

Giran rolls his eyes, “Of course she did, the kid is more paranoid than a squirrel in a dog park.”

 

Stain clears his throat, effectively shutting up the broker, before reading the letter out loud for all to hear, “What’s up loser, Santa Claus wants his beard back.” 

 

Giran barks out a bitter laugh, “Yep, that’s Dragonfly alright.” He remarks sardonically.

 

La Brava pouts angrily and crosses her arms, already not liking this person one bit. Gentle on the other hand… this isn’t the first time he’s heard that particular insult.

 

Stain ignores everyone else as he continues reading, “All laughs aside, I need to lay low for awhile until I can come back under a new identity. Hence, why I’m giving you the deed for save keeping. Meanwhile, you are going to be in charge of my cafe until further notice. Don’t do something stupid like changing it’s name. If you change the cafe’s name, I will personally hunt you down and pluck out your beard one strand at a time.”

 

Gentle visibly winces.

 

Stain rolls his eyes and continues, “Point is, everything stays the same. More importantly, I have three kids who are employed under me. They’re good kids and they pretty much know how to run the place already. Their names are Izuku, Hitoshi, and Himiko. They know who I am, I’ve been training them in the basics of how to be a vigilante, but they have a long way to go. But you’re job is to make sure that they are happy and healthy. That’s it. Don’t fuck this up. Tell Crispy Fingers to burn this note when you are done reading it. Then open the second envelope.” 

 

Stain passes the encrypted letter to Dabi, who turns it to ashes in seconds. Then Giran wordlessly takes the second manila envelope and holds it out towards Stain. The villain accepts it and savagely tears it open with his teeth. The only thing inside is a small envelope, similar to the last one, but this time colored red. Stain tears it open, and sure enough, there is another encrypted letter. 

 

Stain unfolds it and starts reading its contents out loud, “Hello Noseless.” He scowls at that wretched nickname and resists the temptation to rip the letter to shreds, but continues reading anyways, “I’m going to cut to the chase before you rip this letter to shreds.” Stain pauses and wonders how she knows what he’s thinking, before continuing, “In the previous letter, I mentioned that I have started mentoring three kids in the arts of vigilantism. They’re good, but not great. Izuku has a really sharp mind and fast reflexes, but he lacks physical strength and he is pretty insecure about his quirkless status, so toughen him up a bit and give him a lot of self-confidence. Hitoshi is the opposite, he hates his brainwashing quirk with a passion and I didn’t want to force him to do something he didn’t want to do, but I know you used to suffer from a similar mentality, so I figured you can help him figure it out. Himiko has a blood-related quirk like you, and you know how much trouble that causes. I give her those gross bars you eat at least twice a week and they seem to be working pretty well. Himiko knows how to wield a kitchen knife pretty well, but I’ve been meaning to teach her how to use a katana. As much as I hate to admit it, you are one of the best katana wielders I know. However, just because they are your temporary students doesn’t mean you can force them to follow your stupid ideology, because it’s stupid. Don’t kill any heroes in front of them. If I come back and find them screwed up in the head, I will personally cut out your freakishly long tongue and play with it as my new jump rope.” Stain rolls his eyes, before passing the encrypted letter to Dabi, who burns it without hesitation. 

 

Giran picks up the final manila envelope and holds it out to the fire-wielder. Dabi accepts it, and without much gusto, he tears it open like a normal person. Only four things are inside: a GPS tracker, some important-looking documents, a check with a lot of money of it (like, A LOT of money), and a small blue-colored envelope. Setting aside the other items, Dabi hands the envelope to Stain, who opens it and begins reading.

 

“Heyo Bacon face,” Stain reads, to which Dabi groans in annoyance, to which Stain ignores, “Congratulations! You are now Kajishi Dabi, a real person according to the fake government papers in the manila envelope. All of your personal information is in there. I even set you up with a bank account, which is why I gave you that check. I want you to use that money to rent a small apartment that will be big enough for you and the kids. Yes, you are going to live with the kids. Deal with it. They’re homeless right now, but I would prefer it if they weren’t. You can locate them using the GPS tracker, I put a tracker in their vigilante suits. Make sure that tracker doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Also, I want you to drop the villain route you’re going down, stop it. Don’t think I’m stupid to not catch wind about the stuff you’ve been up to in the past year. All I’m asking of you is to give my kids a safe home and to protect them from anyone who has power. Your quirk is useful in getting rid of evidence, so use it only as a means of protecting them. Protect them as though they are your younger siblings. I’m not asking you to mother hen them, I’m just asking you to watch over them. When I get back, I’ll make fake government IDs for them too. But in the meantime, make sure they don’t do stupid shit, like getting caught.” 

 

Dabi rips the letter out of Stain’s hands and incinerates it, before standing up from his chair and shooting Giran a cold glare, “Why me!? Why doesn’t she go hire a babysitter or something!? I shouldn’t have to do this crap!” He yells, flames alit in one hand.

 

Giran downs the rest of his glass and looks Dabi in the eyes, “Oh? That’s funny. Dragonfly told me that all of you owed her something. And I don’t think I need to explain how the underground’s code of honor works. If you owe someone a favor, then that person has a right to cash in their favor whenever they want.” He says tauntingly.

 

Dabi moves to burn the manila envelope and its contents within, but Stain had already anticipated his next move. The Hero Killer nicks a shallow cut on Dabi’s forearm and licks the blood off of his knife. Dabi’s rage increases tenfold when he realizes that he's been paralyzed.

Gentle and La Brava, alarmed by the sudden influx of violence, wisely decide that now would be a good time to leave. No one pays any attention to them as they run out of the room as fast as their feet can take them. 

 

“I’m going to turn you into ash.” Dabi growls in between clenched teeth, while glaring daggers at Stain.

 

Stain gets up and shoves the younger man back into his chair. Then he plants his foot on Dabi’s chest and stares him down with a menacing glare. Stain’s murderous aura overwhelms the occupants of the room and now Dabi is paralyzed for a different reason: fear. 

 

Stain draws his katana from its sheath and hovers the very tip of it over where Dabi’s heart beats in his chest, “You are nothing but a sniveling spoiled brat. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you need to get the fuck off of your high horse and learn a lesson or two. A man who wields power without conviction deserves to die a dog’s death. So let me ask you this before I run you through with my sword: what is your purpose in life?” 

 

As Dabi stares at the tip of the katana that hovers only an inch above of his beating heart, he catches sight of his reflection in the blade of Stain’s sword. It was at this moment that he came to a chilling realization. He has no purpose. 

 

What is his purpose? 

 

Stain withdraws his sword and tucks it away, before stepping off of Dabi’s chest. He grabs his manila envelope and shoots Dabi one last scathing glare.

 

“The next time I see you, I’m going to ask you the same question. By then, you better have an answer.” He says, his voice gruff and stern.

 

Then like Gentle and La Brava, he takes his leave. 

 

Dabi finally feels the paralysis wear off and he immediately stands up, planning to leave as well. Giran watches in amusement as the conflicted young man looks between the abandoned manila envelope on the floor and the door to his freedom. 

 

Dabi lets out a huff, “Why should I care about what he thinks of me?” He reasons with himself, before marching over to the hotel room door. 

 

But before he can turn the door knob and escape, Giran clears his throat and teasingly asks, “Aren’t ya forgetting something kid?”

 

Dabi lets go of the door knob and pulls at the roots of his dyed black hair, before spinning around to face Giran, “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t walk out right now and continue on with my daily life.” 

 

Giran laughs and shoots back, “I can give you several reasons kid. One, when Aya finds out that you walked out on her deal, hooooooooo boy, you better be prepared to run like your life depends on it. Two, Stain will probably hunt you down and kill you in cold blood. Three, your so-called “daily life” sucks. Wouldn’t you rather have a roof over your head and have a steady job to pay your bills, instead of roughing it on the streets and being a villain for hire?”

 

Dabi shakes his head, “But I don’t care about any of that!” He argues.

 

“Look kid, I don’t know what else to tell ya. But I know that Dragonfly doesn’t trust a whole lot of people. The fact that she trusts somebody like you, means that she must see something in you that no one else can see. Cause all I see is a brat who doesn’t care for anyone other than himself.” 

 

The words sting more than Dabi would like to admit, which is probably why he finds himself walking away from the hotel with the manila envelope tucked away in his coat pocket. 

 

He blames his bleeding heart. 

Notes:

La pregunta: ¿Cuántos idiomas sabes? Si es así, ¿que son?

English translation: How many languages do you know? If so, what are they?

I know how to read and write in Spanish, thank you school. And I know how to speak a little bit of Japanese from years of watching anime.

Chapter 19: Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Summary:

This chapter takes place a few days after Giran had fulfilled his role of messenger boy.

So let's just recap to see where we are at in this story:

December 25- Christmas

January 25- Naomasa interrogates Aya. The trio escape from Eraserhead and meet Mei. Himiko is officially part of the group now.

January 26- Aya makes a deal with Giran.

January 27- Endeawhore puts Aya in the hospital. Naomasa is sad. The kids get Flour, but then they are sad.

March 27- Giran's meeting.

April 4- This chapter.

So why is this important? Because now we are about two years before we hit canon (you know, the Sludge Villain Incident).

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The thunderstorm persisted for several weeks straight. Scientists around the country have dubbed it the weirdest weather phenomena of the century. Some quirk experts believed that it can only be the result of a weather quirk gone haywire, spurring the police to go around knocking on doors to interrogate people with registered weather-related quirks. Of course, they never found the supposed culprit. 

 

By the seventh week, the horrible storm has caused thousands of dollars in property damage. Dagobah Municipal Beach was swept away in one large wave, taking all of the trash on the shore and pulling it all back into the ocean, it’ll take YEARS to clean the waters around the area now. Rivers are overflowing, causing multiple flooded communities to be forcibly evacuated. Homeless shelters across the country are being pushed to the brink due to the sudden influx of homeless people seeking shelter from the storm. Small businesses are forced to shut down due to the complete lack foot traffic, you’d have to be insane to step foot outside of your home. 

 

With no logical explanation for the devastation, people began to come up with their own crazy theories to explain why the storm hasn’t passed on. 

 

Some people from younger generations claim that it’s the work of the government in the form of a secret government weather experiment hidden from the public. 

 

Some people from older generations claim that it is the work of dragons, who are clearly upset at the modern world for forgetting their existence. 

 

Some people from religious communities speculate that the storm is God’s punishment for their sins. 

 

Then all of the sudden, after three months of non-stop rain, something incredible happened that no mortal can explain. After lightening struck the tower of Endeavor’s Hero Agency exactly three times in a row, the rain finally came to a halt. 

 

Someone on social media made a joke about how Endeavor is secretly the devil and had lost in a fight with God, which quickly went viral. Afterwards, memes of Endeavor with little devil horns and a three-pronged pitchfork started circling the internet to the chagrin of Endeavor’s PR team. 





***





Flour likes his humans, especially the Sleepy Human. Though that’s probably understandable given that he was the one who had rescued him from The Pink Blob. These humans take care of him like he is one of them. They bathe him, feed him, play with him, and the Sleepy Human even naps with him. They gave him a new name to call himself, “Flour”. He doesn’t know what the name means, but his humans always smile when they say it, so it must be a good name. He likes his humans, because they make him feel wanted. 

 

It’s very different compared to how his mother and litter mates treated him. Flour knows that he was born different from his litter mates. While they were born with silver grey fur and black masks, he was born covered from nose to tail in pure white fur. His mother told him that he was cursed by the moon and therefore he was destined to be stolen by the moon. So she didn’t bother to feed him and only focused her care on his litter mates. He was forced to abandon the security of his mother’s nest and venture out into the cold city on his own. 

 

 

Flour doesn’t like to think about the time when he was alone.

 

 

He’d rather focus on making his humans happy! He does this pretty well, but his humans are still sad. He doesn’t know why his humans are sad. He wants to make his humans happy. Flour wishes he knew how he can make them happy.

 

Today the rain has finally stopped. This apparently makes his humans happy, so he is happy too. 

 

“Flour-chan!!!!!!! Are you ready to go outside with us?!” The Grabby Human squeals, before rudely picking him up from his makeshift nest of towels. 

 

Flour flails in her grip and calls out for his Soft Human. Soft Human is always the one to rescue him from Grabby Human’s clingy cuddles. 

 

Sure enough, Soft Human comes to his rescue and softly lifts the flailing raccoon from Grabby Human’s arms, “Himiko, you know he doesn’t like it when you pick him up without warning.” The teenage boy scolds softly, before softly setting the raccoon back on the ground. 

 

Flour chirps his gratitude, before scampering over to Sleepy Human and chirping to grab his attention. Sleepy Human chuckles and gives the raccoon a scratch behind the ear, before turning his attention to his friends.

 

“Are we ready yet?” He asks with a raised brow.

 

“Yup!” Grabby Human exclaims, before yelling, “Race you down the stairs Eye Bags!” Then she quickly sprints out of the room before Sleepy Human could catch on.

 

Sleepy Human scowls and takes off after her, “Hey! Get back here you cheater!” He yells, before leaving the room as well.

 

The last of the trio, Soft Human, looks over at Loud Human, who is occupied at her desk working on a small gadget, “Are you coming with us Mei?” He chirps in inquiry.

 

Loud Human doesn’t even pause in her work when she replies back, “Nope! A good scientist doesn’t walk away when they are on the cusp of discovery!” 

 

“Uh, Mei? I’m pretty sure that doesn’t mean you can’t get up and walk around once in a while to stretch your legs. You’ve been sitting at that desk for hours!” Soft Human advises, his voice strained with concern.

 

Loud Human waves one free hand and argues, “My legs are a worthy sacrifice in the name of science!”

 

“Mei NO.”

 

“Mei YES.”

 

Soft Human sighs in defeat and shrugs, “Okay then, we’ll make sure to pick up those raspberry jelly pouches you like so much.” He says quietly, before exiting the room with Flour following closely on his heels.

 

The two others are already waiting outside on the sidewalk in front of the building when Izuku and Flour finally arrive to join them. 

 

“What took you so long Izu-kun?” Grabby Human whines.

 

Soft Human rubs the back of his neck nervously and replies, “Sorry, I was asking Mei if she wanted to come along.” 

 

Sleepy Human snorts at his statement, “Mei? I’m telling you guys, she is definitely part vampire.”

 

“Oh yeah? Then where’s the proof?” Grabby Human asks skeptically.

 

“One, she never comes outside during the daytime. Two, we have never seen her eat anything else other than those pouches of “raspberry jelly”. Three, Flour doesn’t like her.” Sleepy Human lists off of his fingers.

 

Grabby Human rolls her eyes, “Boys are so dumb.”

 

Soft Human shoots her a look of betrayal, “Ouch.” He whimpers in mock hurt.

 

As his humans continue walking down the street, Flour zones out of the rest of their trivial conversation about whether or not Loud Human is a vampire. Instead, he watches in amusement as people on the sidewalks part like the Red Sea while the small group of three teenagers and their pet albino raccoon casually stroll down the street. Flour lets out a low trill of amusement at the baffled faces of passing pedestrians. 

 

He is brought out of his thoughts when he spots something unusual in his peripheral vision.

 

A male human steps out of the alleyway they had just walked past, and now he is tailing them from a short distance. Every time they would turn around a corner, Flour would be given a brief glimpse of the human. The raccoon focuses on the human’s eyes and his body language. His eyes are locked onto his humans like a predator stalking its prey. His body is hunched in on himself as though to make him less noticeable. Every step he takes is made with the purpose of being as silent as possible. Flour is familiar with the feeling of being hunted.

 

THREAT .

 

Without any warning, Flour spins around and hisses at the mysterious human, which captures the attention of his humans. Grabby Human picks him up and hold the flailing raccoon to her chest, while Soft Human sheepishly steps forward to speak.

 

“No! No! Run away from the Bad Human you stupid humans! He’s a threat! Run!” Flour chitters angrily as he struggles against Grabby Human’s strong grip.

 

Soft Human frowns at the raccoon’s strange behavior, before saying, “I apologize for Flour’s behavior, sir. I don’t know what has gotten into him.”

 

Bad Human loosely shrugs, “Don’t worry ‘bout it kid.”

 

Flour hisses at the Bad Human again, which prompts Grabby Human to boop him on the nose, “No Flour! Bad!” She scolds in a sugary sweet voice.

 

“I’m bad?!? You got it all wrong! We need to run!” Flour growls in frustration.

 

Bad Human peeks around Izuku to glare at the albino raccoon, “Dragonfly didn’t mention you guys having a pet.” He grumbles under his breath.

 

All three of his humans freeze in place.

 

Flour wants to cry in relief, “Finally! You stupid humans get it!”

 

“How do you know Dragonfly?” Sleepy Human asks, his voice wary.

 

“She told—” The Bad Human’s posture goes rigid and his eyes glaze over.

 

“Turn around and don’t chase after us.” Sleepy Human commands, to which the Bad Human does exactly. 

 

With Flour still in Grabby Human’s arms, they turn tail and flee. 





***





 Kaminari Denki wonders what sins he had committed in a past life to deserve this.

 

He was running late to school, literally running, when he accidentally rammed into a frozen Dabi and fell back onto his ass. Before Denki could open his mouth to stutter an apology, Dabi (now unfrozen and angry) grabs the front of his middle school uniform and hoists him up to his feet. Denki yelps as Dabi pulls him in, forcing Denki to take in every gruesome detail of Dabi’s grotesque features.

 

“Did you see three teenagers and their cat run away just now, punk?” Dabi demands.

 

Denki, too scared to say a word, shakes his head.

 

“Damn it!” The distraught villain curses, before tossing the middle schooler aside. 

 

Denki quickly scrambles to his feet and dusts off his uniform, “Hey! What the hell was that for man!?” He yells, frustrated and annoyed. 

 

Dabi ignores babbling teen and pulls out the GPS tracking device from his coat pocket, intending to continue his search for the trio. Denki panics, naturally, thinking that it’s a gun. So he reaches out and grabs Dabi’s forearm, before releasing a small charge to stun. 

 

“Son of a bitch!” Dabi cries out, dropping the tracking device to cradle his arm.

 

Denki impulsively kicks the gadget into the road and Dabi helplessly watches as a garbage truck rolls over the gadget, shattering the irreplaceable device to pieces. 

 

The scarred villain slowly turns to face the now petrified teenager, “You’re going to regret that, punk.” He snarls, glowering down at the younger male.

 

Denki backs up, holding up his hands placatingly, “Hey, hey, hey! You obviously have… stuff going on. And I need to get to school! So how about we all settle down and forget this ever happened.” 

 

In response, Dabi holds up one hand and lights a blue flame in his palm.

 

The young teen pales, “Oh shit.” He squeaks.

 

Suddenly, the blue flame in Dabi’s palm goes out and the scarred villain stares at his hands in bafflement.

 

“You know… it’s against the law to use your quirk in public.” A bored voice says from within the shadows of the building. 

 

The two of them look over to see a man with red glowing eyes, watching them with an almost bored expression. The mysterious man turns the middle schooler and makes a shooing gesture. Denki gratefully runs away and doesn’t dare to look back. Now with the teenager out of the picture, the pro hero focuses his attention on the fire-user.

 

“You and I need to talk.” Eraserhead states in a stern tone.

 

Dabi’s eyes narrow in a mix of confusion and bafflement, “How long have you been standing there?” He asks.

 

“Long enough to know that you have connections to Dragonfly.” The hero answers, before stepping out of the shadows and walking down the street, “Follow me.” 

 

Dabi scoffs, “Do you really expect me to just listen to whatever you say and do whatever you order me to do?” 

 

Eraserhead raises a brow, “I would rather prefer that you comply, but if I have to drag you like a petulant little toddler to my favorite cafe, then so be it.” 

 

Dabi, fed up, reluctantly follows the tired pro hero to the downtown area of Musutafu.

 

Notes:

Hello ya'll!

My question for all of you today is, "What do you miss the most in quarantine?"

I really miss school. I've always been that weirdo who loved school, so being stuck at home sucks. I'm also in the Class of Seniors 2020. So not having a real graduation after four years of hard work really sucks. However, I am just grateful that everyone is coming together and supporting each other through this event. I wish everybody a great day, and I hope you all stay strong and healthy!!! <3

Also, are you bored? JOIN THE DISCORD. Hey that rhymes! :D

Chapter 20: Be Able to "See Underneath the Underneath"

Summary:

Eraserhead and Dabi have a chat.

April 4th is Naomasa's birthday.

Notes:

Yes, the title is a reference to one of Kakashi's quotes. It means that a person shouldn't let themselves be fooled by appearances, since often times appearances can be deceiving.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The trio dives into an alley and Izuku carefully sneaks a peek down the sidewalk to check for their safety, “I think we lost him.” He wheezes in between breaths.

 

Now that they’ve stopped running, Flour renews his efforts to break free from Himiko’s hold. Himiko sets down the albino creature and the raccoon gives her an appreciative chitter. 

 

“What did that guy want?” Himiko asks, her voice worried.

 

Izuku vividly remembers the stranger’s grotesque scars and shudders, “I don’t know, but I don’t think he had any good intentions.” He mutters quietly.

 

Himiko turns to Hitoshi and asks, “What do you think Toshi?” But when she doesn’t receive a verbal response from the purple-haired teen, she pokes the teenager’s shoulder to grab his attention, “Toshi?”

 

Hitoshi looks over his shoulder at his oblivious teammates, “Do you guys even recognize where we are?” He inquires, his voice choked up with emotion.

 

Izuku and Himiko turn around and their eyes land on a familiar wooden back door. Their eyes widen when they realize that out of pure instinct, they had run all the way back to The Lounge without even realizing it. The trio falls silent with the sobering reminder of that horrible event two months ago.

 

“It’s Aya’s cafe.” Izuku says numbly.

 

“... Should we go in?” Himiko asks hesitantly.

 

Izuku frowns and replies, “I’m not sure if we’re allowed. The back door is still boarded up.”

 

“Maybe the front door will be open.” Hitoshi suggests.

 

So the trio walks around the building to the front entrance, which is thankfully not boarded up. However, the door is unfortunately locked. 

 

“Anybody got a hair pin?” Hitoshi questions, prompting Izuku to freak out.

 

“What if we get caught?!” Izuku whisper-yells.

 

“Yeah, let’s break in!” Himiko chirps, before handing Hitoshi one of the bobby pins from her hair buns. 

 

Izuku pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, while Himiko eagerly cheers as Hitoshi picks the lock. After about a minute of tinkering, Hitoshi is able to get the door to open and they all walk inside. 

 

“Wow, they really did a number of the place, huh?” Hitoshi comments as he takes in the damage to the normally pristine wood floor.

 

Izuku frowns, “Yeah…”

 

Himiko ruffles Izuku’s curls to cheer him up, “At least they kept the pinball machine and the pool table!” She chirps.

 

Flour suddenly spins around and hisses at the front entrance, alarming the three teenagers. Izuku pulls back one of the mint green curtains and peeks outside. 

 

His face runs pale, “It’s Eraserhead and that scary guy from earlier.” He whispers to his teammates.

 

“Shit! We gotta hide!” Hitoshi whisper-yells, before grabbing Flour and dragging his two teammates into Aya’s abandoned office. 

 

He leaves a small crack of the doorway open, so they can listen for any approaching footsteps. They barely make it just in time, because seconds later they can hear Eraserhead entering the cafe. The trio hold their breath as they listen for the pro hero’s quiet footsteps. Silently praying that they don’t get caught.





***




As they walk through downtown Musutafu, the sketchier parts of the city melt away into fancy glass office buildings and high-end apartment complexes. Dabi feels increasingly uncomfortable in his own skin the longer their walk progresses. A red-light district scumbag like him doesn’t belong in a clean environment like this.

 

Finally, the pro hero stops in front of a small, one-story building. Compared to the collection of rather impressive office buildings they had just passed, the tiny building in front of him looks horribly out of place. It looks as though someone had failed at a game of Tetris, so they were forced to squeeze the tiny building onto the street corner to fill in the missing gap. 

 

The building sure as hell doesn’t look like a cafe. The front of the building is painted pitch black, and the front door is made of solid, hardwood. Hanging above the door is a large white sign, with the words, “THE LOUNGE”, printed in bold black letters. Like a pair of sentinels, tall glass windows with mint-green curtains stand guard on both sides of the front entry. Overall, the place doesn’t scream “cafe” to Dabi. It reminds him more of a drinking lounge. 

 

“I thought you were bringing me to a cafe, not some rundown bar.” Dabi grouses.

 

“Appearances can be deceiving. The previous owner served up a mean cup of espresso.” Eraserhead says, almost wistfully. 

 

With nothing else to be said, the pro hero turns the door knob and walks inside. Dabi double-checks to make sure that there aren’t any cop cars parked nearby. The last thing he needs is to get arrested because he was stupid enough to follow a pro hero straight into a trap. That would be HUMILIATING. He can imagine himself sitting in a jail cell with some roommates, and when they ask how he got in, all he would have to say for himself is, “I walked into a coffee shop with a pro hero”. Yeah, that is a horrible way to lose your street cred. Dabi cringes.

 

Eraserhead pokes his head back outside, “Hey, you coming or what?” He gripes impatiently.

 

Dabi snaps out of his train of thought and resists the urge to kick himself when he realizes that he has been standing outside in the middle of the sidewalk like some weirdo. Eraserhead shakes his head and grumbles something under his breath, before going back inside. This time Dabi follows.

 

The interior looks like is it still in the process of being repaired. The walls look like they have just been given a really bad paint job, where the original black paint is at least two shades lighter than the new coat of black paint. The front half of the wooden floor is torn up, exposing the cement layer underneath. All of the tables and chairs are stacked around a pool table and pinball machine, away from the current reconstruction efforts. At the very back of the cafe is an old-fashioned bar counter, lined with a few wooden bar stools. Strangely, the space is completely devoid of people. 

 

“I don’t think this dump is open for business.” Dabi says under his breath, but just loud enough for the pro hero to hear. 

 

Eraserhead ignores Dabi’s snide comment and walks up to the vacant bar. He slides into one of the stools and pulls out the other stool for the younger male to sit. Dabi is still hesitant, unsure of whether this is all a ploy to drop his guard and catch him by surprise, so he remains standing with his scarred hands tucked deep into his coat pockets. 

 

The pro rolls his bloodshot eyes, “Sit down kid. I’m not arresting you. It’s illogical to go through all of this trouble turn someone in for illegal quirk usage. I need to talk to you about Dragonfly.” He explains, his voice hollow.

 

The small-time villain huffs and finally sits down beside the hero, “Don’t call me ‘kid’ when we’re practically the same age.” He grumbles.

 

“I’m twenty-eight. I’m guessing you’re fresh out of high school with that cocky attitude of yours.” 

 

“I’m fucking twenty-four, dipshit.”

 

“Well then guess what? I’m still your senior.”

 

“Well then guess what? I don’t give a shit!” Dabi shoots back, his volume rising a few notches, “I didn’t ask to be involved in any of this bullcrap. I didn’t ask to be the responsible guardian for three teenagers. I don’t want to have that sort of responsibility. I gave that up a long time ago.” The villain lets out a dry chuckle before continuing to vent, “And you know what? I know exactly WHY she gave me this role, to take care of her three brats. It’s because she knows who I am. She knows what I was forced to give up. And she thinks that by giving me this ‘job’ she is doing me some sort of sick ‘favor’.”

 

Eraserhead doesn’t dare to interrupt as he patiently listens to what Dabi has to say. 

Dabi tells him about the deal Dragonfly made with Giran, who else is involved (Stain and Gentle Criminal), and what they each have been instructed to do. 

When Dabi is quiet and all has been said, that is when Eraserhead finally chooses to speak up.

 

“You done?”

 

Dabi nods, his throat now sore from talking for so long.

 

Eraserhead lets out a rare chuckle and quietly remarks, “When you vent, you sound just like my husband.”

 

“I didn’t pin you to be the type of person to get married.” Dabi rasps.

 

The pro hero shrugs, “I bet you also didn’t pin me down as the type to teach kids.” He adds.

 

Dabi stares at the man beside him with clear doubt in his eyes.

 

Eraserhead pulls out his UA staff ID card and holds it out for Dabi to see, “Appearances can be deceiving.” He quips, before tucking the card away in the safety of his wallet.

 

“Why are you showing me all of this? To show me how your life is so much better than mine?” Dabi asks, his tone accusing.

 

The older man sighs, “No. My point is that you have a problem with commitment.”

 

Dabi barks out a hollow laugh, “Trust me, you are not the first person to say that to my face.” He says, remembering his encounter a few days ago with the Hero Killer and his sword.

 

“Then I bet they also didn’t tell you about how to fix your problem, instead of just shoving your problems into your face and leaving you to figure it out by yourself.” Eraserhead points out, which stuns Dabi. After another pause, the pro hero leans forward and asks, “You think you’re not cut out for the job, right?” 

 

Dabi nods.

 

“Well, I didn’t think that I was ‘marriage’ or ‘teacher’ material either, but guess what? Appearances can be deceiving, especially to ourselves.”

 

Dabi leans away from the hero and says, “Look I appreciate your little pep talk, but…” He stands up from his stool and levels the hero under his heavy gaze, “I know for a fact that I’m the wrong person.”

 

“Dragonfly seems to think the opposite.” 

 

Dabi scoffs and resists the urge to laugh in the hero’s face, “What do you know about Dragonfly?” He accuses.

 

Eraserhead reaches into his utility belt and pulls out four rolled pieces of paper. With gentle fingers, he carefully unrolls each of them and lays them out onto the bar for Dabi to see. Each of them are medium-sized photos. 

 

The first one is of two teenage boys, like Dabi, they both of messy black hair. But Dabi can tell that their hair is dyed, because if you look closely you can see bits and pieces of their real hair color. The shorter teen has green eyes and the taller teen has purple eyes. In the photo they are distracted by their baking, so they are totally oblivious to the camera. All-purpose flour covers their hair, faces, and clothes, but it doesn’t hinder the brightness of their smiles.

 

The second photo shows the same two teenage boys power posing in vigilante suits, nearly identical to Dragonfly’s design. The only difference is that the shorter teen’s suit has green accents, and the other’s has purple accents.

 

The third photo is a Christmas photo, this time containing four people. At the bottom of the frame are three teenagers, two boys on each side and one girl in the middle. It looks like the black dye has washed out, revealing the shorter boy’s green curly hair and taller boy’s bright purple hair. The girl has straight blonde hair and feline gold eyes. Standing behind them is Dragonfly, but in her civilian clothes. She’s resting her chin on top of the blonde’s head, while flashing bunny ears behind the boy’s heads. Everyone in the photo is smiling.

 

The last photo is of the three teenagers. The girl is hugging her vigilante suit to her chest, while the two boys and pulling her into a hug. They don’t seem to acknowledge the camera.

 

“I was able to snatch these photos from her office before the cops could get their hands on them and confiscate them as evidence.” Eraserhead explains, “It’s a good thing I did, even though it’s illegal. These three kids are identified as missing.” 

 

“So they’re runaways.” Dabi remarks.

 

“Yes. I was able to look through their records in the system. The purple-haired one is named Shinso Hitoshi, the green-haired one is Midoriya Izuku, and the blonde one is Toga Himiko. Shinso’s parents are currently in jail for child abuse. Midoriya’s parents are divorced, his father is currently in America and his mother is still somewhere in the city, his mother was the one who put him up for adoption. Toga’s parents are the only ones that seem alright according to what’s on paper, but we don’t know what might’ve happened behind closed doors.” Eraserhead rationalizes.

 

“Which is exactly why I’m not the right person for this job. I’m not a good person.” Dabi remarks, adamant on his stance.

 

“Well obviously Dragonfly must trust you for whatever reason.” Eraserhead says with a stretch, “But what really matters is whether the problem children trust you or not.”

 

Dabi huffs, “Yeah, well too bad. That idiot earlier broke the tracking device Dragonfly gave me. So I guess the deal is off.”

 

Eraserhead smirks.

 

Dabi raises a brow in confusion, “What?” 

 

“Shit, he’s onto us, RUN!” A female voice squeals from Dabi’s left. 

 

Dabi watches in bewilderment as four blurs burst out from the door on his left and barrel towards the front entrance. Eraserhead seemed to be expecting this, as he effortlessly uses his capture weapon to tie them up before they can escape. The captured teens struggle, but no matter their efforts, the capture weapon doesn’t budge.

 

“Hey! Let us go!” The same female voice from earlier demands, who Dabi recognizes as Toga Himiko.

 

“Why are you guys following us!?” The purple-haired teen, Shinso Hitoshi, inquires.

 

Eraserhead opens his mouth to reply, but Dabi quickly slaps his hand over the hero’s mouth, “Don’t answer him. If you do, he can take over your mind.” After receiving a nod of understanding from the hero, Dabi returns his attention to the three brats and lets out a brooding sigh, “Look. I’m pretty sure you heard all of that. So I’m not going to repeat everything I said. But here’s the deal, you guys cooperate with me, and I’ll cooperate with you.”

 

The green-haired teenager, Midoriya Izuku, shakes his head in denial, “We don’t need y-you. Aya-san is c-coming back.” He says, trying to sound self-assured.

 

Eraserhead suddenly lets out a low hiss, capturing everybody’s attention. “You guys don’t know yet.” He grumbles under his breath in realization.

 

Dabi turns around to glare at the pro hero, “And what is that supposed to mean?”

 

The hero grimaces, before looking up to meet each of their gazes with bloodshot eyes.

.

.

.

.

.

 

“Dragonfly is in the hospital.”





 

***




 

Naomasa takes a long sip from his coffee cup, before leaning back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling. He can feel a migraine beginning to build behind his eyes and he can feel his body beginning to cave into its demands for sleep. God, he can’t remember the last time he has gotten a full night of sleep. But how can he sleep when all he sees is Aya on her hospital bed???

 

It’s been more than two months. The doctors said she should’ve woken up by now. There is no reason why she should be stuck in a coma. Comas rarely happen anymore in today’s world. With such high advancement in the field of medicine, almost any critical injury can be healed. Heck, even All Might is still alive and somewhat kicking, right? Naomasa himself has witnessed enough horrific incidents, only to see the person make a full recovery within the month. It physically hurts him to imagine Aya’s cold lifeless body being trapped in that isolated hospital room. It’s difficult to see someone who is so full of life be reduced to the equivalent of a frozen statue. 

 

There is a tentative knock on his office door and he quickly rights himself into a proper sitting position, before calling out, “Come in!”

 

Sansa pokes his head through the door and says, “Hey. It’s someone’s birthday today. Some of the other officers are planning to treat the guy to a couple drinks out in the parking lot. I think you should come.”

 

Naomasa briefly considers the offer, but shakes his head in denial, “Sorry, I’m busy later.” He says apologetically, before returning to his paperwork. Sansa stares at his partner in complete disbelief. This prompts the detective to look back up at cat officer with one brow raised in curiosity, “What?” He asks.

 

The cat mutant sighs, before questioning, “Do you even know what day it is?”

 

“I dunno, Friday?” Naomasa replies, perplexed by his partner’s strange behavior.

 

Sansa pushes the door open to reveal the crowd of officers gathered in the hallway. Two burly officers at the front of the crowd barge inside the office before Naomasa could protest. Together the two large men lift Naomasa out of his chair and carry him out of the office like a sack of potatoes. 

 

“H-Hey! Put me down!” Naomasa shouts in surprise.

 

Everyone ignores him in favor of singing “Happy Birthday” as the poor man is dragged out of the building against his will. Once they are all outside in the parking lot, the two burly officers toss Naomasa inside the backseat of Sansa’s car. Before the detective could escape, Sansa starts up the car and pulls out of the parking lot. All of the other officers hop inside their own cars and follow behind Sansa’s car like a funeral procession.

 

Naomasa sits in the backseat like a sulking child, “Is this really necessary???” He asks, dying on the inside from embarrassment.

 

“YES.” Sansa shoots back.

 

 Inside of the station’s favorite local pub, there’s already two tables piled with food and a birthday cake. Colorful balloons are tied to the legs of the tables. Displayed one of the walls is a small banner that reads, “Happy Birthday”. Naomasa stands in the front of the pub’s entrance, dumbfounded that his co-workers would go to such extreme lengths to celebrate his birthday of all things.

 

Sansa comes up to stand beside him and places a hand on his shoulder, “We all had a feeling that you’ve been overworking yourself lately, so we thought we would do something to cheer you up.” He explains with a wide grin.

 

The detective smiles genuinely for what feels like the first time in a very long time, “Thanks Sansa, this is great.” He says, before letting out a laugh, “I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday!”

 

Sansa shakes his head, “No problem partner. That’s what friends are for.”

 

Officer Ojiro claps his hands together, “Okay people, this is a birthday party! Let’s eat!” He shouts above the small crowd of police officers.

 

Once the party is in full swing, Naomasa finds himself sitting in a booth with his two close friends: Officer Sansa and Officer Ojiro. While the other officers settle for wishing him a simple “happy birthday” before moving on to get hammered, his close friends preferred to use this time to grab a few beers and tease Naomasa over his “forever bachelor status”. Sure, their teasing used to make him flustered and embarrassed when he was just a rookie, but over the years he has come to accept the fact that they are going to tease no matter the circumstance. Even if he were to get married tomorrow, they would still find something to tease him about. So he doesn’t let it bother him… much.

 

Officer Ojiro takes a swig from his beer and claps his hand on Naomasa’s shoulder, “So tell us Detective! Do you have a type of girl you prefer?” He asks bluntly.

 

Officer Suzumi, who so happened to be passing by, doesn’t hesitate to sock her co-worker in the shoulder, “Don’t talk about women like they’re some kind of menu item.” She scolds.

 

Ojiro rolls his eyes in annoyance, “Oh okay, so girls can label guys as certain types, but guys can’t? How is that fair?” 

 

Before an argument can break out between the two officers, Naomasa steps in and answers, “Well, I’m not really sure what my ‘type’ is since I’ve never been attracted to anyone yet.”

 

Ojiro snorts, “Now that’s a bold-faced lie if I ever heard one.”

 

Naomasa laughs good-naturedly, “I assure you that I’m not lying.”

 

“Uh huh…” The blonde-haired man says with his eyes narrowed in suspicion, “So what about that vigilante girl?” He asks in a conspiratorial whisper. Naomasa chokes on his beer and luckily Sansa was there to help him through it. The cat man shoots Ojiro the stink eye, but the older officer simply watches the detective’s dramatic reaction in amusement. “Judging by your response I’m guessing that I hit right on the money.” Ojiro teases.

 

Naomasa clears his throat and replies, “That is not only an unprofessional assumption, but also very WRONG Officer Ojiro.”

 

Sansa shrugs and comments, “I dunno. You’ve been acting really weird ever since the Dragonfly Case was closed two months ago.”

 

“I was just upset that the Hero Commission wouldn’t allow us to investigate further. They’re not even supposed to have any influence over our side of things. We don’t work under them.” Naomasa explains in defence.

 

“Why bother keeping the case open? The vigilante got caught, end of story, we move on.” Ojiro tries to reason.

 

Naomasa suddenly goes quiet and his two drinking partners share a look of concern.

 

“Nao? You alright?” Sansa asks.

 

Naomasa shakes his head, “No. I can’t get my head around what happened that day.” He says quietly.

 

Ojiro winces in sympathy, “Yeah, it wasn’t a pretty sight to see.”

 

“No, it’s not that.” Naomasa denies, before looking straight into Ojiro’s eyes, “There’s something wrong with the story of what happened that day.”

 

Sansa leans forward and lowers his voice, “You’re talking about the medical report, right?” 

 

Ojiro looks between his two friends, lost on what they are referring to, “What? Was something wrong with the medical report? All I remember is that the papers said that the vigilante sustained major head injury and that she is now in a coma.”

 

“Exactly, but the original medical report had more to it.” Naomasa clarifies.

 

“Like what?” Ojiro asks.

 

“Extensive damage to the neck region, including a crushed windpipe and damaged vocal chords. Dislocated left shoulder. Multiple fractures through her body, but the most severe one being a comminuted fracture in her left forearm.” Naomasa rattles off from memory, leaving Ojiro stunned in silence.

 

Sansa nods, his expression solemn, “The doctor told us that there is no way this was just any simple fall. The story doesn’t explain why she has all of those other injuries. Especially to her neck.”

 

Ojiro leans back in his chair and runs his hand through his blonde hair, “None of THAT made it into the report.”

 

Naomasa rests his forehead onto the table and grumbles, “I’ve been trying to convince the head of my department to open up the case, but he has been turning me down every single time.”

 

Ojiro leans forward with a serious expression on his face, “You don’t think that the head of the department is a…” He lowers his voice to a whisper, “ Dirty cop , right?” 

 

“If there is anything that I’ve learned in the field, I’ve learned that appearances can be deceiving.” Naomasa replies quietly.

 

“This may be my cat instincts talking, but… something smells fishy.” Sansa mumbles under his breath, “I think this calls for a more private investigation.”

 

Naomasa looks doubtful, “I’m pretty sure that’s the booze talking Sansa.”

 

The cat man sends his friend a look of betrayal, “Hey, I’m trying to be supportive here. What if there really is a huge government cover up? We should totally go undercover and expose the posers!”

 

“We would lose our jobs.” Naomasa says bluntly.

 

Sansa sulks and whines, “But it’s in the name of juuuuuustiiiiiiiiiice.”

 

Ojiro barks out a laugh and raises his beer, “I’ll drink to that. Kanpai!” He says with an encouraging smile.

 

Naomasa and Sansa raise their beers as well, “Kanpai!” They all cheer together, before clinking their bottles.

 

Notes:

End of Chapter Question: Favorite My Hero Academia villain?

My favorite villain is Gentle Criminal, because he is such a wholesome character, even though he is considered a villain. The stuff he does could hardly be considered criminal, besides disturbing the peace. And his backstory hit me in the feels like a truck full of toilet paper. Like seriously though, I want to just give the guy a hug.

 

P.S. We have a Discord, the link to join is below. So far we have a Hitoshi, Mei, Present Mic, Dabi, and Principal Nedzu. It would be AWESOME if we could have more characters from the story join! Like Izuku or Himiko.

P.S.S. Thank you for reading luvs!!!!! <3

Chapter 21: Be Dedicated

Summary:

Plot is moving forward! Yay!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“The hospital?!?” The trio exclaims simultaneously in collective shock. 

 

Eraserhead lets out a long tired sigh, “Look, if you guys promise not to run away, I’ll explain everything.” He bargains, to which the teenagers nod. The hero releases his capture weapon and the three teenagers watch in awe as the silver-gray material returns to its owner and wraps around his neck like a scarf. “Two months ago, Dragonfly managed to escape from the police. However, less than an hour later, she was found nearly dead by the police. She was transported to the nearest hospital and the doctors were able to save her life, but she hasn’t woken up since then. Right now, she is being held in an isolation ward, still asleep.” Eraserhead explains briefly.

 

“Can we see her?” Himiko immediately asks.

 

“No.” The hero replies with a forlorn expression, “Only law enforcement can enter her room. I’m sorry.”

 

Himiko’s face crumples up and hot angry tears pour down her face, “But we’re family! That can’t be right!” She angrily protests.

 

Eraserhead, unphased by her tears, shakes his head, “Not officially on paper.” 

 

“That’s bullshit.” Hitoshi spits out with a bitter scowl.

 

Flour looks up at his humans and crawls over to curl up at Izuku’s feet. The green-haired boy gently picks up the raccoon and silently buries his tear-stained face into Flour’s pristine white fur. For once the raccoon didn’t put up a fuss.

 

Meanwhile, Dabi feels like he doesn’t belongs here. He’s never known Dragonfly as close as the others clearly have. In his point of view — people live, people get hurt, people die — that’s the cold truth of it all. The infamous vigilante’s downfall doesn’t have any devastating effect on him, because he didn’t know her. He met her only once, which was over a year ago. The day he accidentally had a run-in with his past abuser: Endeavor. His “father” was hell bent on getting rid of him once and for all, but luckily Dragonfly stepped in to save his ass. He never saw her again. 

 

What should he say in this type of situation? Sorry for your loss? But then that makes it sound like the vigilante is dead. Clearly she’s not dead. Yet. 

 

Dabi with a lack of words, he gathers up the photographs laying on the bar and holds them out towards the trio. 

 

Himiko uses the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe the tears off of her face, before silently accepting the photographs and holding them closely to her chest, “Thanks.” She says to the scarred man.

 

Dabi rubs the back of his neck, “Don’t thank me” He jabs a thumb towards Eraserhead, “Thank him.”

 

In response, Eraserhead sheepishly buries his face into his scarf.

 

“So, what now?” Hitoshi asks sourly, ruining the mood.

 

Dabi shifts around awkwardly and shoves his hands into his pockets, “Dragonfly wanted—” The fire-user freezes in place before he can realize his mistake.

 

Izuku looks between the frozen villain and his best friend in shock, “Toshi!” He squawks in surprise, knowing how much the other hates using his quirk.

 

Hitoshi ignores his friend and boldly walks up to the villain so that they are face-to-face, “Let me make this clear. We are NOT going anywhere with you. Obviously, you don’t really give a shit about us. So thank you for your generous effort, but… we don’t need you.” He says, cold and blunt. “Izuku, Himiko, let’s go.” 

 

“I’m still here.” Eraserhead pipes up, reminding everyone of his presence.

 

“Oh really? What can you do?” The purple-haired teen snarks. In response, Eraserhead activates his quirk. Hitoshi pales when he realizes that he has lost his control of Dabi, “Fuck.” He curses under his breath.

 

Dabi glares at the one who brainwashed him, “YOU are starting to become a pain in the ass.” He comments dryly.

 

“Tough shit.” Hitoshi spits back, causing Himiko to snicker. Even the raccoon seems to be laughing at Dabi’s expense.

 

“Problem children.” Eraserhead growls under his breath, loud enough for the occupants of the room to hear. “This is getting illogical. My patience is running out. You can either go with him.” He gestures to Dabi. “OR… you can come with me to the nearest police station.” He bargains.

 

“Grrrrrrrrr…” Flour growls. 

 

“Yeah, I’m with Flour.” Himiko says in her serious voice, before dropping into a fighting stance.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Izuku steps forward into the center, “Wait!” He shouts, waving his arms frantically. The meek teenager drops his head and plays with his fingers nervously, “I don’t want to fight. I think we should talk this out.” He says quietly. The greenette looks up towards Dabi and makes eye contact with the villain, “If Aya-san trusts him… then I trust him.” Then he looks over his shoulder to make eye contact with his two best friends, “We can at least give him a chance, like how Aya-san gave us a chance.”

 

Neither Hitoshi or Himiko had anything to say to counter that. 

 

Taking their silence as compliance, Izuku turns back to Dabi and takes a deep breath, “We’ll go with you.” He says with a sense of finality.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Meanwhile. . .

 

Officer Suzumi looks between the three pleading faces of her superiors in total disbelief, “You want ME to do WHAT?” 

 

Detective Naomasa turns to Officer Ojiro and scolds, “I told you this was a bad idea!”

 

“Well, you told me that we needed to hack the security cameras without the Chief knowing!” Officer Ojiro argues in defense.

 

“Yeah, but I also said that we needed to be discreet and not tell anybody!” The detective says in exasperation.

 

Officer Sansa steps in between the two men and pushes them apart, “Fighting will get us nowhere. What we need to focus on now is how do we cough up the hush money to keep her quiet??? ” He hisses in irritation.

 

“Um… I’m still here.” The female officer pipes up in the background, “And quite frankly… I still have no idea what’s going on.”

 

Ojiro facepalms, “We literally just told you everything Suzu-Suzu!” He says with a groan.

 

“Don’t call me that! You know I hate that nickname!” She snaps in return, before crossing her arms and grumbling, “Besides, you guys just kinda sprung this on me with no warning…”



*flashback to ten minutes ago*



“SUZU-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

Suzuki Suzumi didn’t have time to react as her superior, Officer Ojiro, wrapped his tail around her waist and pulled her into a dark broom closet. Before Suzumi could panic, Officer Ojiro hit the lights. Detective Naomasa and Officer Sansa are already standing inside, waiting for (presumably) her.

 

“Okay, Officer Suzumi, please don’t freak out.” Officer Sansa says, trying to be assuring.

 

Suzumi backs up till her back hits the locked door of the closet, “Yeah, little too late for that. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t scream for help.”

 

“Because we need YOUR help.” Naomasa answers.

 

“More specifically, we’re doing our own private investigation in the name of justice. There’s evidence of tampering with the Dragonfly case. We think that it may lead to a major government cover-up. We also suspect that the police chief is a dirty cop. But in order to prove all of this, we need you to hack into the cameras along Dagobah Street so that we can try and track Dragonfly’s activity before she got injured. Once we have confirmation that we’re not crazy, then we can move on with the investigation. But we need you’re help first. So are you in? Or are you out?” Ojiro elaborate, leaning forward with pleading eyes.

 

“You want ME to do WHAT?”



*end of flashback*



Ojiro groans audibly and whines, “SUZU-CHAAAAAAN… we don’t have time for this!!! This isn’t some piece of fanfiction where the author can just drag things on for as long as they like for the sake of suspense and drama! Justice is at stake here!” 

 

Suzumi plants her foot firmly on Ojiro’s chest to push him away, “Don’t Suzu-chan me! Have you guys lost your minds!?”

 

“Maybe.” Sansa says with a shrug.

 

“Yeah.” Naomasa admits sheepishly.

 

Suzumi groans and runs her hands down her face, “This sounds like some sort of sick joke.”

 

“Trust me. If this was a joke, then I’m not laughing either.” Naomasa says, his tone serious. “There is a woman laying in a coma at the hospital right now.”

 

Suzumi lets the information bomb digest, before placing her hands on her hips and staring down the detective, “No offense Detective Tsukauchi, this is a vigilante we are talking about here. Why should I help?” She questions.

 

“Because the detective here is in love with this vigilante.” Ojiro teases in a conspiratorial whisper.

 

The detective's face turns beet red, “No. I’m not.” 

 

“He is.” Sansa confirms, his voice teasing, “He’s just in denial.”

 

“Stooooop.” Naomasa pleads.

 

Suzumi giggles at the detective’s misery, “You know what, I’m in.” She relents with a coy smile.

 

Ojiro pumps his fist into the air, “Yes!”

 

“Wait, really? You’ll do it?” Sansa asks, shocked.

 

“Sure, I’m in. But you… ” She points at Officer Ojiro, “… owe me lunch.” She says coyly, before slipping out of the broom closet and moving along as if nothing happened. 

 

The male officer’s tail droops, “Aw man… there goes my wallet.”

 

Sansa pokes the older officer in the shoulder, “Oh hush, she’s like only 5 feet tall. How much can she eat?” He questions skeptically.

 

Ojiro glares at Sansa and uses his tail to swipe at the other’s hand, “Don’t underestimate how much that little lady can eat. I’ve seen her win multiple eating competitions against men three times her size.” He gripes, seriously regretting his life choices.

 

Naomasa pats Ojiro’s shoulder to show some sympathy, “My condolences.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

Later. . .

 

Mei busies herself making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her makeshift kitchen area. Contrary to popular belief, she DOES need sustenance like any other normal human being. While nomming on her sandwich, she gazes outside on her window at the rosy skyline. Absentmindedly, she wonders where her minions have run off to. 

 

“I wonder where they’re at.” She muses. 


Suddenly, the peaceful silence is broken with the sound of a soft chime. Mei whips her head around to stare at her desk. She drops the sandwich and leaves it on the table. With out much ado, she drags open the small hidden compartment in her work desk, revealing a cellphone. The cellphone chimes again and vibrates on the wooden surface. Mei purses her lips into a small grimace, before finally picking up the call.

 

“Moshi moshi!” She chirps, forcing out her normal cheery tone.

 

A very deep, suave voice comes through the speaker, “Hatsume-sama, your parents request your presence at the annual company banquet. As per your agreement with them, you must make a public appearance in order to continue your… eccentric lifestyle.” 

 

Mei can’t help but roll her eyes, “First of all, they’re not my parents. Second of all, my lifestyle is not eccentric, it’s fun! I’ve even made some friends!”

 

“Hatsume-sama, please understand that I am merely the messenger. I do commend you on your success for making acquaintances. Please arrive in front of Hatsume estates promptly at six o’clock tomorrow morning.” The butler on the other end instructs.

 

“Why so early?” Mei inquires.

 

“According to your… legal guardians, the purpose of your early arrival is to avoid any press. This is a VIP banquet event after all.”

 

Mei groans into the receiver, “Ugh, okay fine. I’ll be there. Ta ta!” She says, before abruptly hanging up the phone. 

 

After hanging up, she chucks the phone back into its secret compartment and slams the concealed drawer shut. The inventor takes a deep breath to settle her frazzled nerves, before walking over to pick up the remote and turning on the TV. 

 

On the TV, the news channel is playing. A male news reporter and another man is sitting across from each other in an very elegant, modern-styled sitting room. The other man is unfortunately a painfully familiar face for Mei. 

 

The man is sitting on his lavish white leather chair with an air of smug superiority. He is tall and gangly, which is mostly hidden by his expensive designer clothes. His bright pink hair is tied back into a neat ponytail. Resting on the bridge of his nose is a pair of white broad-rimmed sunglasses, which personally doesn’t make sense to Mei because they are indoors. 

 

The reporter smiles charmingly at the camera and says, “I’m Shinjitsu Mako, thank you for joining us for our exclusive interview with the founder of Halo Inc. and the inventor of the portable hologram disc, Hatsume Hisoka.” 

 

The pink-haired man slightly bows his head, “Thank you for having me.” He monotonously replies, like an automatic response from a well-programed machine.

 

“So, Hatsume-san, tomorrow is your company’s annual banquet?” The reporter states as if it were a question.

 

Ridiculously large sunglasses bob up, then down in a stout nod, “Yes.” 

 

“Care to elaborate upon the importance of this banquet to our viewers?” The reporter inquires with a hopeful smile.

 

The uptight man’s rigid posture relaxes a bit and his smile drops, “I host this banquet every year in honor of my late wife, Hikari.” He says softly, his voice full of longing and fondness. 

 

“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.” The reporter quickly stammers out.

 

“No, it’s alright. Please don’t say that.” The wealthy inventor says awkwardly, before regaining some of his composure, “Before I became the success that I am today, I was just your average struggling college student. I met my first wife in college. Shortly after we graduated we got married and had our daughter, Mei. Not long afterwards, my first wife got ovarian cancer. I was a struggling inventor at the time, so we couldn’t afford the treatments needed to save her life. Amazingly my first wife managed to fight for seven long years, until she finally passed away. Three years after she passed, I invented the portable hologram disc. The rest is history.” 

 

The reporter uses a handkerchief to dab at his eyes, “Wow. So I’m guessing that this banquet is a very big deal to you then. If you don’t mind, can you tell all of the viewers at home what your banquet does for society?” He inquires.

 

The pink-haired man returns to his rigid posture and all traces of his grief is quickly shoved underneath a mask of indifference, before he monotonously explains, “This banquet also serves as one of Japan’s largest fundraiser event. Many celebrities and politicians will be present. The current top five pro heroes will also be in attendance. Everyone who attends has already agreed to submit a donation to the cause. All of the money goes towards several nonprofit organizations, such as cancer research, animal rights activism, human rights activism, etcetera. Every organization will have a spokesperson as a representative for when we present the donation checks.”

 

“How exciting! Sounds absolutely wonderful Hatsume-san. Thank you for talking with us.” The reporter says.

 

“Of course.” The other man says with another slight bow.

 

The reporter turns to face the camera directly and says, “And there you have it folks! Tomorrow we will be covering this spectacular event live on TV. So make sure you have our channel on so you can see what goes on within what some call, ‘the party of the year’. Have a nice evening.” 

 

Mei clicks off the TV with a deep scowl set in her face.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Later that evening… 

 

Shouta drags himself into his home, physically/emotionally/mentally exhausted. His husband is lounging on the couch with the news channel on screen, showing some sort of stuffy interview with some pompous pink-haired guy that Shouta couldn't care less about. Their cat, Mizu, is curled up at Hizashi’s feet. Mizu lifts her head when Shouta enters the room and meows. 

 

Hizashi pets her and gives Shouta a smile, “Hey Sho. Long day?” He says cheerfully.

 

Shouta gives his husband a tired smile and replies, “Too long. Scoot over.” 

 

Hizashi scoots over and Shouta sits down in the middle between his lover and his cat, both of whom he loves very much. Mizu meows loudly to grab his attention. 

 

“You’re a needy one today.” Shouta says, while scratching the cat’s chin. 

 

Mizu purrs appreciatively in response.

 

Hizashi shifts his sitting position so that his head rests gently on top of Shouta’s shoulder, “Hmmm, did you find those kids?” He asks, before lazily wrapping an arm around Shouta.

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Were they perfectly safe and sound?” 

 

“Mhm.

 

“Were they already doing okay on their own?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Did you stress out over nothing again?”

 

Shouta shoots his smirking husband a look of betrayal, “Hey.”

 

Hizashi’s smirk grows, “Don’t even deny it. You were so stressed out tracking those kids down to make sure they were alright.” He teases.

 

Shouta buries his face into his capture scarf, “Yeah, well, as a hero I can’t sleep at night knowing that they’re living on their own on the streets.” He says defensively, crossing his arms.

 

“Awwwwww, my husband’s a big softie.~” Hizashi cooes.

Shouta blushes and buries his face further into his capture scarf, “I want a divorce.” He mumbles light-heartedly.

 

“No you don’t!~” Hizashi sings.

 

Shouta leans closer into Hizashi and smiles softly, “You know me too well.” He says under his breath. Mizu stands up on her paws and meows loudly to grab both of her humans’ attention. Shouta picks her up and plops her into their laps, where she curls up into a content ball of fluff. “So needy.” He teases.

 

Notes:

SO. MANY. NEW. OCs.

I think that my next post will probably have to be a recap of all of the new OCs I have added in recent chapters. What do you guys think?

Okay, moving on!
So this end-of-chapter question is. . . "What would be the creepiest thing you could say to a random bystander (hehe) as you are casually passing by them on the sidewalk?"

My answer to this is, "THEY'RE WATCHING YOU."
The person would be so freaked out. XD

Chapter 22: Be Sneaky

Summary:

This ended up a lot longer than I anticipated. Holy shite. FOURTEEN PAGES on Google Docs. I normally write only eight or ten pages per chapter.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment the interview was over, the news camera crew packed up immediately and left. Hatsume Hisoka sags in relief and rips off his bulky sunglasses with a weary sigh, before using a handkerchief to dab at the wetness around his eyes.

Someone soothingly pats his knee and he looks up to see his wife, Chikako, smiling down at him with all of her perfect pearly white teeth. He returns the kind gesture with a slight upturn of his own lips, assuming that she is about to provide him some words of comfort. What comes from her mouth completely shatters his naive expectations however.

 

“Why did you have to bring her up? You nearly broke down during the interview again. Your posture came apart and you just completely dropped your smile. What did I tell you to do right before the interview? Huh? Tell me.” She says in a syrupy voice, but her words are anything but sweet. 

 

Shame and embarrassment washes over Hisoka and he looks off to the side to avoid eye contact, “You told me to ‘sit up straight like I owned the world’ and to ‘never let my smile drop’.” Hisoka reluctantly replies. 

 

“Exactly!” The ravenette exclaims in clear exasperation, carefully stepping away from her husband on pointed, pristine heels. As she walks around the room, the heels produce a very annoying clicking noise that casually grates on Hisoka’s nerves. She continues on her rant, not even sparing a second to take a break in between her sentences, “Honestly darling , if you would only follow my advice, you would be on the face of every single magazine and TV host show on Earth! But nooooo, you wish to do whatever you want. Even though I waste soooo much of my time coaching you on how to act in public. The least you can do is follow my advice once in a while. And— babe, hun, are you even listening to me? I’m talking here!”

 

Hisoka bows his head sheepishly and says, “I am listening to you, dear. I’m sorry for not following the script this time. But…” He lets out an irritated sigh and runs a hand through his hair, causing his ponytail to come loose from it’s ties, “I’m honestly the most awkward guy alive. I don’t know how to entertain a crowd like you do.” 

 

The woman smiles charmingly and struts over to her husband to give him a peck on the cheek, “I know. Which is why it’s so vital that you listen to every single little thing I say.” She coos, her tone soft and sweet like a wisp of cotton candy.

 

The pink-haired man spares his wife a look of gratitude, “What would I ever do without you?” He questions rhetorically.

 

The corners of her ruby lips pull up higher, “I don’t know, dearest. You tell me.” She says, her voice lightly teasing.

 

The couple’s moment is interrupted when there is a firm knock on the closed door. Hisoka calls them in. The person on the other side of the doorway is none other than their esteemed butler.

 

The butler bows politely out of respect, “I’ve received good news, sir. Your daughter has agreed to attend the banquet this year.” He notifies without missing a beat.

 

Hisoka’s eyes light up at the mention of his daughter. Chikako’s nose wrinkles in distaste. 

 

“Thank you Ito-san.” Hisoka says, with a slight bow of his head as a signal for the elderly man to leave. The butler bows again, then leaves, not wanting to linger longer than necessary. 

 

Once the butler is gone, Chikako crosses her arms across her chest and scowls, “I was hoping that she would decline to attend, like last year.” She grumbles under her breath.

 

Hisoka frowns deeply at these words, “I know you are not very fond of my daughter—”

 

“Understatement.” Chikako interrupts, “Mai—”

 

“Mei.”

 

The woman rolls her vermillion eyes, “Whatever. The point is your daughter hates me Hisoka.”

 

Hisoka sighs in defeat and stands up from the uncomfortable chair, before letting out a yawn and stretching his back, “Let’s just… drop it and go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.” 





***





The next EARLY morning… 

 

Mei scribbles a letter and leaves it on her work desk, in case her minions come back. 

 

“IF they come back.” Mei thinks out loud bitterly, while packing a small bag of her inventions and other essentials. 

 

Once packed, she slings her bag over her shoulder and marches down the stairs, level by level until she reaches the ground floor. She fishes out a key and exits the front entrance, before turning around and locking up the front doors. After double-checking to make sure the doors are locked, she pockets the key safely inside her bag and starts heading down the street to the nearest bus stop. 

 

While on the bus, her cell phone rings inside of her bag. She fishes it out and groans when she sees the number. Purely out of spite, she lets it ring several more times until she actually accepts the call.

 

“Moshi moshi!” She chirps.

 

“Good morning Hatsume-sama.” The voice on the other end drawls, whom Hatsume recognizes to be the same voice from yesterday, “Are you already on your way to the Hatsume estates?”

 

“Yup yup!”

 

“Do you have an estimated time of arrival?” 

 

Mei looks down at her watch and answers, “I’ll probably be there in…  thirty minutes, depending on how fast I walk once I get off the bus. 

 

“Very good. I’ll be waiting for you at the gated entrance then Hatsume-sama.” The butler says, before hanging up the phone. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, the bus pulls into her stop. After getting off the bus, she finds herself standing on the edge of Musutafu’s wealthiest community. The mansions lining the streets vary in style and size. Some sit on large plots of land, while others are the size of an average suburban home. Some are traditional, some are modern. Mei can care less about the houses though. Nope. She cares about the expensive-looking cars sitting in each driveway! Do you have any idea how many valuable parts are wasted on these machines of locomotion!?

 

She was so busy ogling at the cars that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings as she walked. A boy about her age, with red and white hair, comes jogging around the corner. Mei, who isn’t paying attention at all, accidentally steps directly into the path of the boy at the last second and they both roll to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. Mei somehow ended up on top in the end. 

 

“Hi there! Sorry for bumping into you! I wasn’t paying attention because I was thinking about what kind of amazing babies I could make with the expensive mechanical parts sitting in people’s driveways!”

 

The boy glares up at Mei with his heterochromatic eyes, “Get off of me.” He grounds out between gritted teeth, as if in pain.

 

Mei pushes herself up onto her feet and holds out a hand for the other boy to take. The other stares at her outstretched hand for a few seconds, before hesitantly accepting it. The inventor helps him up to his feet.

 

“Are you okay? You sounded like you were hurt there for a second.” Mei asks bluntly, startling the boy.

 

“I’m fine. Just… leave me alone. I gotta go.” The boy mumbles to her, before bowing in thanks, then running away.

 

“Bye!” Mei says cheerfully, before continuing on her way as well. 

 

After walking a couple more blocks deeper into the wealthy neighborhood, she finally arrives at her destination. As promised, standing at the front is an elderly man wearing a normal butler ensemble. As Mei approaches, the butler bows towards her in a steep 45° angle.

 

“Welcome Hatsume-sama. I am your family’s butler. As the chief of staff within the household, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that you have a comfortable time within your own home for the duration of your stay.” The man says in greeting. 

 

While she understands that the man works under her father, doesn’t feel comfortable having an elder bow to her so deeply, nor speak to her in such a formal tone.

 

Mei clears her throat awkwardly and asks, “Um… yeah, first of all, can you please treat me like a normal human being?”

 

The butler stands up from his bow in surprise, “But Hatsume-sama I—”

 

“Please, just call me by my given name, Mei. I really don’t care much about formalities. I never grew up with actual servants, so I would prefer it if everyone wasn’t so…”

 

“Genteel?”

 

“I was going to say ‘stuffy’, but I guess that works too.” 

 

The butler lets out a rumbling chuckle, “Then allow me to reword my greeting.” He clears his throat and says, “Nice to finally meet you Mei-san. I am your family’s butler, you may refer to me as Ito-san. I hope you have a pleasant stay.”

 

Mei smiles, “Better, but still a little stuffy for my tastes.” 

 

Ito gestures to the partially opened metal gated entrance with a sweep of his arm and says, “Please follow me then, if you have no other requests.”

 

Mei walks through the entrance and she can hear the creak and clang of the metal gate as it is slowly swung shut behind her. Cutting her off from the outside world and trapping her inside of this foreign world she is supposed to call “home”. Anxiety and anticipation churns in her gut as they make their way up the driveway, closer and closer to the intimidating mansion perched at the top.

 

“Mei-san, if you don’t mind me asking, is there something wrong? You’ve gone pale.” The butler points out.

 

Mei bites her lip and asks, “Are they waiting inside for me?”

 

Ito barks out a laugh, “Ha! I was wondering when you were going to address the elephant in the room.” He says jovially, before returning to his normal stoic demeanor, “No, Hatsume-sama and his wife stayed overnight at the company building since it would be a waste of time for them to commute back and forth between here and there, when they both are going to be heavily occupied with the banquet.” He explains.

 

Mei sags in relief, “Good! I was worried that I would have to put up with that… that…”

 

“Abazure?” The butler helpfully supplies with a slight smirk.

 

Mei lets out a startled laugh out of shock, before dissolving into a gale of laughter, “I was going to say b*tch, but… THAT is so much better!” She chokes out, before continuing to laugh.





 

***



 

Later that day…

 

Naomasa and Sansa were both sharing an early lunch, when Ojiro came barging into the break room. The abrupt entrance startled Sansa enough to bare his teeth on reflex and let out a hair-raising hiss. Naomasa sighs and sends Ojiro a weary look.

 

Ojiro completely ignores them, his tail wagging back and forth in excitement, “We got something!” He exclaims.

 

Knowing exactly what the blonde is referring to, the detective and his partner leap up from their seats and abandon their lunches. The three of them hustle into the Strategic Services division’s domain, where Suzumi is already waiting. The female officer is hunched over a keyboard, squinting at the computer’s screen. The moment they enter into the room, Suzumi flags them down and they all huddle behind her rolling chair.

 

“What did you find Officer Suzumi?” Naomasa asks.

 

The brunette picks up a pen and uncaps it, before bringing the tip of it to the screen to point at a slightly blurry figure in the video. 

 

“Is that Endeavor?” She inquires.

 

“Sure looks like him, but his back is facing towards us so it’s a little hard to tell.” Sansa comments.

 

“That’s him.” Ojiro confirms, “If you look closely, you can see the flames of his costume.” 

 

“Isn’t there a better video we can get a look at to make sure that it’s really him?” Naomasa asks, knowing that the poor quality of the film might get the evidence debunked in court.

 

Officer Suzumi shakes her head, “Sorry Detective. This is all I could find. Even with my quirk. However, there is something troubling that I must say.” 

 

Naomasa nods, “Go ahead.”

 

Officer Suzumi activates her quirk, causing her eyes to become dark and glassy, similar to a camera’s lens, “My quirk allows me to access the feed of any video camera within a certain radius. What’s peculiar is that I have zero access to any of the security cameras along Dagobah Street, which falls comfortably within the radius of my quirk. Hence, why I had to go further out than normal to find this small clip. But even then, the clip of evidence that I was able to gather from this camera has possible evidence of tampering. It freezes the moment the person, whom we suspect to be Endeavor, lands on the roof.” She explains in a very grave and troubled tone.

 

With this explanation, the three experienced police men standing behind her immediately come to the same harrowing conclusion. 

 

Someone — or multiple someones — has already gotten rid of the video evidence to cover up their tracks.

 

Not to be deterred, Naomasa takes a deep breath and says, “So we don’t have proof of whether or not the Number Two Hero is directly involved with this case or not, but at least we have proof that there is definitely foul play going on.”

 

“Aye.” Ojiro murmurs in agreement. 

 

The detective turns to Sansa and asks, “Aren’t you going to that fancy party tonight to give some sort of boring speech?” 

 

Sansa’s ears twitch in irritation, “First of all, it’s called a charity banquet. Secondly, my speech is NOT going to be boring.” The cat-mutant says defensively.

 

“That’s not my point Sansa.” Naomasa groans, “The point is that we have a small lead in the right direction. Endeavor is going to be at the party—”

 

“BANQUET.” Sansa hisses.

 

“Banquet. Whatever.” The detective bites out with a playful eye roll, “The point is that we need undeniable proof that Endeavor is deep in the case. How deep? We don’t know. Tonight will be our only chance to find out."

 

Suzumi spins around in her chair and raises a brow at the detective’s suggestion, “Really? That’s your master plan?” She says sardonically, “You’re just going to right walk up to the guy and be like ‘hi, sorry to disturb you, I was wondering if I could ask a question’, because if you do that, I am going to laugh while he fries you to a crisp.”

 

“Suzu-chan has a fair point there. Your plan will make you look like a fool if you try to interrogate him during the party. He can just deny to answer any of your questions and spin it into a shit show for the media to gobble up. Which will definitely give the Chief a reason to fire you before you dig too deep into the case.”

 

Naomasa holds up his hands in surrender, “You guys are absolutely right. We need a smarter way to see if Endeavor is guilty of anything or not.” He admits, before rubbing his temples to ease an impending headache, “Any ideas?”

 

After a whole minute of silence within the group, Suzumi finally speaks up. 

 

“Have any of you guys read the play ‘Hamlet’ by Shakespeare before?” She asks.

 

All three men shakes their heads, negative.

 

Suzumi sighs dramatically and runs her hands down her face in exasperation.





***




That evening… 

 

Mei finds herself in the back of a limousine, fighting the urge to rip off her fake eyelashes and chuck them right out the window. She decidedly has come to the conclusion that she loathes make-up and feminine dress-wear. It is not worth the hell she has been through in the past six hours. 

 

After having the morning to herself, she was given a brunch fit to feed an army. Ito-san explained that she won’t have time for a normal lunch, because the maids have to get her prepared for the banquet. And the next time she will be able to eat won’t be until dinner, which is going to be served at the banquet. However, Ito-san also warned that she better stuff herself now, because the food at the banquet is served in small portions to minimize the chances of food spilling onto someone’s dress wear. After she had eaten everything on her plate, the worst part came.

 

Mei was quickly ushered into her bedroom by a handful of maids. She was ordered to take a long hot bath, which she enjoyed… until all of the maids started to scrub her manually because she “wasn’t washing herself properly”. Well, SORRY, she likes having the top epidermis of her skin intact, thankyouverymuch. After the semi-relaxing bath, her skin became as pink as her hair. Then, the real horror began. The maids handed her a women’s razor and told her to shave her arms and legs. Up until that point, Mei has never used a razor in her life. When she told the maids this, they decided that for the sake of time… they would have to wax her. IT HURT LIKE A B*TCH. 

But wait! There’s more!!! 

After that ordeal, they at least let her choose the dress she wanted to wear from the assortment hanging in her closet. She decided to go with the least scandalous dress; an A-line shaped, maroon-colored, floor-length dress. The dress has noodle straps holding up a sweetheart neckline, which covers most of her budding cleavage. The only part of her back that remains exposed are her shoulder blades, which is better than having her entire back exposed. To go with the dress, the maids force her into a pair of black velvet, kitten heels. 

Next was her hair, which luckily was already styled in the form of thick dreadlocks, so they couldn’t do much to manipulate her hairstyle. They did, however, take some of the locks in the front and tie it back, before pinning it with a large hair clip designed to look like a black rose. While her hair was being manipulated, the other maids did her nails. She managed to convince them to simply paint her nails black, instead of going through the effort of gluing on acrylic nails. Acrylic nails will prevent her from doing any inventing for several days at least.

Finally, the last part, and most dreadful part: the make up. 

Mei didn’t like how it felt on her face, it feels like a whole new layer of skin has been painted on. It’s a very uncomfortable and unsettling feeling. 

 

Once she was finished getting dressed up like a barbie doll, her maids gave her brief practice for walking in high heels for the first time, before Ito-san came in and told them that it was time to leave. 

 

And now here they are, pulling up in front of the company building. Mei feels something akin to cold dread sinking in her gut as she listens to the clamoring noise of the press crowded on the sidewalk. Ito-san casts her a concerned gaze in the rear view mirror.

 

“Everything alright Mei-san?” He inquires, subtly pointing out her stalling.

 

Mei shoots him a thumbs-up, “You betcha.” She replies half-heartedly, coaxing the stoic elder to chuckle. 

 

“You’ll be fine child. Just flash the press your best smile and be on your way inside.” He suggests.

 

“Like this?” She innocently questions, before pulling an impression of Albert Einstein’s iconic photograph with his tongue sticking out. 

 

This prompts another chuckle out of the butler, “Yes, very good. Now off you go.” 

 

The pinkette takes a deep breath, before finally pushing open the door and stepping out of the limousine. Immediately, she is blinded by an onslaught of flashing lights and deafened by the sound of reporters calling out her name. Before she is overtaken by the urge to blindly sprint into the safety of the building, she remembers Ito-san’s advice. Mei summons up a bright grin and flashes it towards the press, she even adds in a little wave. With that small feat accomplished, she speed walks straight into the building as fast as she possibly can on heels.

 

The inside of the building is an oasis of calm orderliness compared to the hectic zoo waiting outside of the sliding glass doors. The ground floor is designed similarly to any other company building. The logo of the company is elegantly displayed behind a large front desk. Behind the logo is an elegant sitting room, with a large fish tank sitting in the center of it. Flanking both sides of this sitting room are a total of six glass elevators. As Mei approaches the front desk, a holographic recording is automatically displayed in the air like a hovering flat screen television. 

 

The screen is plain white, until bold black words roll up from the bottom to the top, “Welcome to Halo Incorporated for our annual charity banquet.” The screen reads in a robotic women’s voice, “Please proceed to one of the elevators and make your way to the 25th floor, the rooftop.” 

 

“Okie dokie creepy voice from the beyond!” Mei says out loud jokingly, before walking around the front desk to the elevators. 

 

Once inside the glass elevator, she presses the button labeled ‘Level 25’ and the doors slide closed. Mei watches in fascination as the city becomes smaller and smaller the higher she goes. Her mind wonders to what kind of babies she could make to allow somebody to climb on glass. It would be pretty cool to climb up the side of a skyscraper. 

 

Alas, all good things must come to an end as the elevator slows to a gentle stop. She steps out of the serenity of the elevator into a whole different breed of chaos. Most of the floor is occupied with round dining tables, covered in white cloth. Some people are already seated at their tables, chattering with their tablemates to pass the time. On Mei’s far left is a black marble stage, complete with a dark wooden podium. On her far right is a bar, which in Mei’s opinion is quite a considerate addition, since none of the attendees look drunk enough to put up with this madness. 

 

Unfortunately, her thorough scan of the banquet hall allows her eyes to land on the one person she loathes more than the heels on her feet (seriously though, it hasn’t even been more than two hours and she feet are already killing her!).

 

Even more unfortunately, the person just so happens to turn around at that moment to catch Mei’s venomous glare. The person curls her ruby lips up into what looks like the ugly cross between a grimace and a smile. 

 

“Mei, we’re over here darling dearest!” Her stepmother calls from afar, her message sailing over the heads of several bystanders, capturing their attention. 

 

Mei confidently walks over to her parents’ table with a forced smile on her face, “Thank you for inviting me.” She replies with false cheer.

 

Hisoka gives his daughter a soft smile, “It’s good to see you Mei.” He says with a touch of awkwardness. The ‘I missed you’ part went unsaid.

 

Chikako scrutinizes Mei from top to toe, her beady eyes finally settling on her nails, “Just plain black paint? Soooo depressing. You couldn’t have at least done more to them?” She criticizes in her sugar-sweet voice. 

 

Mei glares at the harpy from the other side of the table. 

 

This is going to be a looooooooong night.





***





“Ojiro owes me lunch AND dinner.” Suzumi grouches inside of the glass elevator as they ascend to the 25th floor. 

 

Sansa shrugs and says, “I don’t think it’s so bad. Sure, it’s a little stuffy for my tastes, but at least we get free drinks from the bar.”

 

The female officer pouts and crosses her arms across her chest, “… Fair.”

 

The elevator slows to a stop and the doors automatically slide open. The pair step off the elevator, staring in awe at the grandeur and elegance decorating the room. Soft orchestra music can be heard in the background; playing loud enough to be heard, but soft enough that it doesn’t smother the sound of idle chatter between guests. 

 

“So… how do you wanna do this?” Sansa asks while awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

 

Suzumi contemplates this a for bit, before replying, “I think it would make more sense for us to act as a couple. You did bring me along as your plus-one after all.”

 

Sansa sputters in an undignified manner, “C-C-C-C-C-C-C-Couple!?!?” He squawks out loud, prompting Suzumi to slap her hand over his blubbering mouth.

 

“Are you TRYING to get us caught, bakayaro?!” She whispers angrily under her breath, before grabbing him by the elbow and dragging him to the bar. 

 

The cat mutant’s ears twitch as he is helplessly dragged along, “Hold on! We need to come up with an actual plan! The detective is counting on us not to screw this up!” 

 

They both sit down behind the bar in a couple of bar stools. When the bartender approaches them to ask for their order, Sansa is quick to turn down the offer and Suzumi follows suit. The bar serves as a perfect vantage point to see all of the activity taking place within the banquet room. 

 

Suzumi points to the elevators on the left and says, “You watch the left, I’ll watch the right. When Endeavor arrives, say ‘mimosa’. And then I’ll initiate Phase Two.” 

 

“What’s in Phase Two?” Sansa asks out of curiosity.

 

A smirk forms on her face, “We’re going to pull a little-something-something that I like to call, ‘Claudius, God, and Hamlet’.” 

 

“The what?”





***




About half an hour later...

 

“Mimosa.” Sansa mumbles quietly, alerting his partner. They both watch as the Number 2 pro hero walks across the room, ignoring the greetings of many of the bystanders he passes. “Well, so far we don’t have any evidence that he’s involved in some sort of crime, but we do have evidence that he’s a pompous jerk.” Sansa adds mentally, not wanting to voice his thoughts aloud.

 

Endeavor settles down at a table by himself and Suzumi leans over to whisper in Sansa’s ear, “Okay, he’s alone. Time to enact Phase Two.” She says, before pulling out two devices from her purse. She hands the first device to Sansa and orders, “Put that in your ear.”

 

“What is this?” Sansa asks, eyeing the hi-tech device with caution.

 

“Be careful with that. That’s a high quality ear piece that I use for the espionage missions Ojiro and I go on. I bought that with my own money, so you better not break it.” She warns in a very serious tone. 

 

Sansa gives her a mock salute, “Don’t break your little spy toy, got it.” 

 

Next, she clips the second device to her hair, pulling away her long bangs from her face, “This device is made to look like a simple hair clip, but it’s really a microphone. Everything caught on this, will go straight to the device in your ear so that you can hear it and it’ll get automatically recorded on a separate drive I have back at the station.” She explains quickly, before standing up from her stool, “Wish me luck!” She chirps.

 

Sansa nervously nods, “Yeah, good luck.” 

 

Suzumi holds her head up confidently and struts over to the table where Endeavor is sitting. The Flame Hero sees her advances from a mile away and he starts to stand up from his chair, but Suzumi walks over quickly before he can escape.

She smiles charmingly and pulls up a chair to sit mere inches away from her target, “Please sit with me Endeavor-san. I’m sure that you’ll find our conversation worth your salt.” 

 

Endeavor glares down at her and asks, “Who said anything about me having a conversation with you?”

 

“I did.” She says, flashing her round, doe-like eyes.

 

“If you want an autograph, then you can beat it kid. I don’t do autographs.” He growls, his irritation clearly on display now.


Suzumi simply places a hand on the pro hero’s knee, acting as though she were feeling him up under the table, “Oh, I’m not here for an autograph, Endeavor-san. There’s something more… confidential I need to discuss with you.” Her innocent smile doesn’t drop as she leans into his ear to whisper, “I know what you did. And you’re not going to get away with it. Dragonfly will get justice.”

 

 

***




“And so I told clearly told her that I wanted my nails painted ‘Got the Blues for Red’, but that idiot girl painted them ‘Jungle Red’! Of course, I went right up to the manager and demanded a refund. I pay good money to get my nails to look red-carpet-ready. But then the manager had the nerve to deny my gracious request and she asked ME to leave! I’m telling you, I cannot find a good salon now-a-days who know how to treat their customers right. A travesty I tell you! A—”

 

Never let it be said that Hatsume Mei was not a patient girl. The ravennette doesn’t seem aware of the fact that the table’s occupants are not listening to her endless tirade. Finally fed up, Mei stands up from the table and casts both adults a strained smile.

 

“I need to go to the bathroom, I’ll be back.” She says quickly, before speed walking towards the crowd in an effort to get away from the sound of Chikako’s endless prattle.

 

In her haste to get away, she accidentally bumps into somebody’s arm and she feels something wet seep into her gown. 

 

Mei spins around to apologize, but her eyes connect with two heterochromatic eyes, “You!” She exclaims in surprise. The bi-colored boy stares down at the pink-haired girl in confusion. “We literally ran into each other this morning!” She explains, hoping to jog his memory. 

 

Recognition sparks in the boy’s eyes and he tilts his head downwards in a slight bow, “Sorry about the dress.” He says quietly.

 

Mei looks down at the drenched portion of her dress and waves it off, “Don’t worry. It’ll dry.” She replies good-naturedly.

 

A beat of silence stretches in between the two, until the awkwardness grows too great for even the quiet boy. 

 

The boy extends his hand out to shake and says, “Todoroki Shouto.”

 

Mei smiles and shakes the other’s hand, “Hatsume Mei. Future founder of Hatsume Industries.” She greets in return.

 

Todoroki raises a brow at her unusual introduction, “But if you’re the established heir of this company, why bother founding a whole new company?” He inquires.

 

The young inventor grins widely and explains, “Because then I can take pride in the fact that I accomplished something all by myself.” 

 

“Makes sense.” Todoroki muses, before asking, “So why are you here? You don’t strike me as the type of person to come here willingly.” 

 

Mei groans, not really caring about how unlady-like it sounded, “My stepmother.” She states, as though that single phrase explains everything. She decides to return the favor by asking, “How about you?”

 

Todoroki rolls his eyes, before pointing a thumb in one direction, “My father, the guy with red hair.” He says in the driest voice possible.

 

Mei peeks around him and spots Endeavor stiffly sitting at a table with a brunette sitting uncomfortably close next to his side, whispering into his ear. 

 

The pink-haired girl turns back to Todoroki and asks, “Is that lady your dad’s date or something?”

 

Todoroki looks over his shoulder, and a wry smirk forms on his lips, “No, she’s probably some overzealous fan trying to flirt with him.” He replies with a hint of amusement at seeing his father suffer.

 

He deserves it after all.

Notes:

End of Chapter Question: Favorite spy movie?

My favorite spy movie is "The Spy Next Door", starring Jackie Chan.

 

Also, Suzumi's plan, "Claudius, God, and Hamlet" is something I got from the famous Shakespeare play, Hamlet. In the play, there is a scene where King Claudius is confessing his sins of murdering Hamlet's father to God in a confessions box, while Hamlet is secretly listening to his confessions and waiting to kill him for revenge.
In this case, Endeavor is unknowingly giving hints of his crime to Suzumi, while Sansa is secretly listening into their conversation.

Chapter 23: Helpful Tips for the Prospective Fanfiction Writer

Summary:

Pretty much says it all in the title.

Next chapter is coming out this weekend, don't worry.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

#1  Put Some Thought Into It

 

Okay, so this may seem really explanatory, but this is probably the most important point on this entire page. Before you even start typing, you need to have a solid idea of what you’re doing and how you’re gonna do it. 

 

What type of fanfic is it? Romantic? Angst? Action? Comedy?

 

How long? How many chapters approximately? One-shot? Less than 10? More than 10? 50+? 100+?

 

I like to use an analogy of a cake. BEFORE you bake a cake, you have to make important decisions before you even buy ingredients and start baking. What flavor is the cake gonna be? How many tiers of cake? Now you can probably see where I’m going with this. If you don’t have a solid vision of your “cake”, then you’re guaranteed to end up with some really disgusting “cake”. I’m going to be using the cake analogy throughout this entire piece. 

 

So I want you to open a separate document (or get a notebook and pen if you're old-school like me) and I want you to write down what you want your fic to be. It doesn’t have to be super specific. You don’t know yet whether your cake is going to have sprinkles on it or not. 

 

You should write down stuff like:

 

  • Genre

 

  • Ideal fic length 
    • How dedicated you are should balance/equate with how long you want to fic to be.
      • For example, when I was still experimenting, I would envision a fanfic of 100 chapters, but I ended up only writing 8 chapters before I got bored and lost interest. 
      • If you know you don’t have the capability to write super long fanfics, don’t be afraid to start small. It’s better to have a really good cupcake, than a giant wedding cake that is half-baked.

 

  • Ideal chapter length 
    • Try to have consistent length, people tend to like consistent chapters. 
    • This does NOT mean you need to have super long chapters, I definitely don’t.
    • However, having chapters of a reasonable length of more than just 1,000 words will probably grab more readers.
    • My shortest chapter (the first chapter) is only 1,261 words. My longest chapter (Chapter 25) is 15,961 words. On average, I write about 6,000 to 10,000 words per chapter. I think knowing your word count is important.

 

  • General Plot
    • How is this fic gonna go from Point A to Point B? From start to finish?
    • You need a recipe with good instructions if you want to bake a cake. 
    • If you need help with the general plot (notice I said “general”, nothing is specific yet), go on YouTube and search “hero’s journey by joseph campbell”. The video should be only 3 minutes and 11 seconds.

 

  • Side characters
    • Selecting your main character is easy, choosing the side characters is not.
    • This is an important step most people tend to ignore, but who you choose to be “the supporting cast” will heavily affect the tone/genre/style of your story since they are the ones with the most influence on your main character. 
    • For example, Bakugo Katsuki will probably push Izuku to a breaking point, while Uraraka will lift Izuku up. 
    • With each new ingredient you add, the more the cake will change. So it’s important that you put together characters that work well together, like putting together a palatable flavor profile for your cake. Peanut butter goes well with chocolate, but lemon does not. 

 

  • Pairings
    • DO NOT GO CRAZY ON THE PAIRINGS.
    • PLEASE.
    • I BEG OF YOU.
    • In the beginning I only had 3 solid pairings that I knew for 100% was going to happen in the fic. TodoDeku, EraserMic, and La Brava/Gentle Criminal. I added the Naomasa x Aya waaaaaaay later.
    • If anything, unless you are writing a romance-centric fic, leave the romance to the end. I’ll come back to romance later.

 

  • Schedule
    • Look at your schedule before you dedicate anything. 
    • How busy are you? You’re probably not busy, but some of us have lives outside of writing, you know.
    • How fast can you write? I write REALLY FUCKING SLOW. If you haven’t noticed, I update only once a week at top speed. Every two weeks on average. Some people (looking at you KrumbleKitty! MagicMagie! WinteryFall! Passing_Ghost_Friend! I’m staring right at you!!!) can churn out a 10,000 word chapter in a few hours like it’s nothing.

 

Okay. You got that stuff written down? Good. Now we can move on.







#2  Rules of Baking

 

Now that you have a very solid idea of what you wanna do, you can now sit down at your desk and start writing. 

 

You: But I don’t know how to write RB!

Me: I’m getting there, hold on.

 

So there are some very basic rules of baking a cake, like how there should be some basic rules on how to write some damn good fanfiction. Basically, you gotta know the Do’s and the Don’ts. 

 

  • DO focus on the details: The story has to flow in a coherent way. People struggle with slowing down and making sure that they are conveying the full picture one. step. at. a. time. This is what makes gorey scenes so gut churning, because they are super full of vivid imagery and powerful diction.
    • For example, let’s say there’s a scene where a person has to enter a room for an important interview. 
    • The person will probably feel nervous, so you have to intimately describe how they feel and convey the thoughts racing through their mind before they even enter. Then they enter the room, describe it. Details about the room will clue the reader in about characteristics of the interviewer, before the interviewer even opens their mouth. Also, describe the interviewer’s physical features. Their physical appearance is important because that’s characterization. Are they old and fat? Are they devastatingly handsome? Next, you describe how the person enters the room and how they sit down. Are their legs trembling? Is the chair comfortable? How do they feel while sitting in front of the interviewer? Finally, the dialogue. Describe the interviewer’s voice when they first open their mouths to speak. Is it deep and sauve like melted chocolate? Is it reedy and thin like a pan flute? Dialogue is SO IMPORTANT. While these characters talk, you have to make sure that they are still “alive” to the audience. The person is stammering and fiddling with his tie and avoiding eye-contact while he speaks, he’s not just sitting in the chair like a lifeless doll. 
    • As you can see, by focusing on the scene and slowing everything down, you can really stretch out a single scene. Adding more and more detail brings the words to life in the reader’s brain. This is why fight scenes are so difficult to write, because you have to do so much more describing than usual.

 

  • DO practice good structuralization: Hehehe… I learned this pretty late. Those of you who read my fic from the moment I posted it, you know what I’m talking about. Make sure you have paragraphs and spacing between your dialogue lines. It’s hard to read one big blob of words. Also, make sure that if you’re gonna do POV’s, make sure you keep them straight. Don’t write in 3rd person, then switch to 1st person midway. You’re gonna make a lot of people confused.

 

  • DO have cliffhangers: I know all of the readers out there are like “NOOOOOOOO”, but the writers are like “YEAAAAAAAAAH”. Cause let’s face it, cliffhangers exist for a reason. They keep the reader on their seat to anticipate the next chapter. 

 

  • DO your research: I can’t even tell you guys how screwed up my Google search history is right now. Google becomes your best friend when you dedicate yourself to writing. I have searched up things like, “Do raccoons live in Japan?”, “How long do comas last on average?”, “Will a three-story fall kill you?” (that one scared the fuck out of my parents), “How old is [insert character name here]?”, “Female japanese names with meanings”, “Male japanese names with meanings”, etc.

 

  • DO practice good grammar: As a reader, I hate typos and grammatical errors, because it makes a fic slightly harder to read. Having good grammar and spelling is important, not only because it is easier for people to read (especially for your foreign readers who will have an even harder time), but it is also important because it makes YOU look good. It shows that you put more care and effort into your work than others who leave the page riddled with frustrating typos. 
    • Personally, I do not have very good grammar. My spelling is okay, but it is also not the best. I am born and raised in America, but both of my parents speak and write horrible English. I was home schooled up to the 5th grade, so naturally I speak with a very faint accent (which becomes more noticeable when I’m angry) and my writing used to be so horrible my teachers thought I wasn’t born in America.
    • I’m lucky to have a close friend from school who is my Beta. He reads my chapter before it’s posted, helps make corrections, and even adds his own input here and there. Shout out to my Beta (who you can personally meet on my Discord server)!

 

Beta: RB, I don’t need a shout out. 

Me: Hell yeah you do. Take the compliment you stupid hooman.

Beta: Okay fine. Hello. I’m the reason why RB writes the word “duck” instead of the word “di-”

Me: *stuffs a sock into Beta’s mouth*  Moving on!!!

 

  • DON’T make the romance cheap: Look y'all, I love my TodoDeku romance as much as the next person. But you know what I HATE WITH A BURNING PASSION OF A MILLION SUNS? Romance that is written WRONG. WROOOONG. W-R-O-N-G. WROOOOOOOOOOOOONG
    • There is no such thing as… *gags* … “love at first sight”. That’s not love, honey. That’s a crush. That’s “physical attraction”. That isn’t LOVE. Real love is built from stuff stronger than that. 
    • Point is, if you are going to write a romance story, then at least make it genuine. 
    • It’s not “slow burn”, it’s “very realistic depictions of people getting into a romantic relationship and making it work”. 

 

  • DON’T stress over the title of the story: Sure, it’s important that your story has a title that’s gonna grab the attention of your readers. I changed my title like, 3 times before I finally settled on this one. But it’s not everything. To prove it, recall the really cool title of a really iconic fanfic you have read. 
    • The first one that jumped to my mind is a fic called, “Yesterday Upon The Stair” by PitViperOfDoom. I can hear some of you guys fangirling all the way from here.
    • This is a good example, because the title has a hidden meaning that you wouldn’t understand how it is relevant to the fic, unless you actually searched it up. It comes from a poem about a ghost. I didn’t know that until way after I had finished the story.
    • So my point? What kept me hooked was the actual writing. The vivid details of her OC, Rei, crawling out of the TV screen. The mix of light and dark humor. The dreadful cliffhangers. The fluffy moments of Mika sprinkled in. THIS IS WHAT MAKES A STORY SUCCESSFUL.
    • If the author didn’t make all of these smart choices with their writing, would the title of the story be truly memorable? 

 

Hope this helps you have a better idea of how to write! I did my best.





 

 

#3  Pro Tips

 

Here is some final advice that I have. 

 

  • Writer’s Block: I get writer’s block too. It’s a thing that is hard to avoid. Personally, I do things like this little interlude to help me take my mind off of whatever it is that I’m stuck on. I step back, take a breather, then dive back into it. Sometimes I listen to music to get inspired. Sometimes I read more fanfiction to get inspired. 
    • For example, I’ve been recently diving into a lot of Dabi fanfiction to get a better grasp of his character. 
    • When I was writing Aya’s downfall, I was listening to some really sad music.

 

  • Losing Interest/Burnout: In my opinion, this is totally different from writer’s block. It’s worse. You’ve lost your desire to continue writing the fic. This can come from a variety of reasons. Too many encounters with writer’s block. Too many people commenting, “Please update”. Too little kudos. Etc.
    • Writer’s block is a thing, but it will happen much less if you have a super solid plan laid out in front of you. Hence why I stressed it so much in Part #1.
    • “Please update” is THE MOST annoying thing any person can comment. Like literally, the chapter will get posted when it gets posted. Take your time, pace yourself, and take breaks. More time means a higher-quality chapter. So try to ignore these comments if they irk you as much as they irk me.
    • Don’t focus on the kudos, especially in the beginning. Actually scratch that, don’t focus on the kudos at all. It WILL drive you crazy. Sure, it’s exciting when you reach your first 100 kudos, then that becomes 500, then 1000. But it will make you lose confidence in your writing skills if you see your story has less kudos than another person’s story, and it’s just bad for you. So don’t bother with the kudos.

 

  • Stress Free Beginnings: So I've talked about the importance of maintaining a schedule right? At first, it's pretty stressful to keep up with a schedule. So if you want to make your life a little easier. . . do this:
    • Write 3 chapters ahead of time, before you even publish your story. 
    • If you have an update schedule of one-chapter-a-week, then these 3 pre-written chapters will buy you 3 weeks of time to write more.
    • You'll feel tempted to post everything you have already written within the first few days, but please, stick to your schedule.
    • The weeks of extra time you have bought for yourself should be used to deliberate and reflect. 
      • Okay, how is it going so far? What are my readers saying in the comment section? Go back and read your stuff with a fresh pair of eyes.
      • Do I still feel dedicated to this story? Can I keep going?
    • This extra time should also be used to write your next update or your next couple of updates. 
    • Less stress about keeping up with your updates=more focused attention to detail in your updates.

 

  • The Comment Section: Most authors don’t read or reply to their comments. Some read them, but choose not to reply. Personally, I make sure to read all of your comments (as much as possible), because you guys are my prime feedback on how I’m progressing. Also, I reply to all of your comments (as much as possible), because I know how it’s like being a reader and I love it when authors take the time to show that they acknowledge my opinions. In my personal opinion, all authors should read AND reply to all of the comments in their inbox, because sometimes readers make very valid points that need to be addressed and reading positive comments help the author to stay motivated.

 

That’s all, but thank you for taking the time to read this!

Notes:

I really hope this helps some of you who plan on writing in the future. If you are an author or if you decide to become an author, you can post a link to your stories in the comment section. ;)

I promise to read it no matter how "bad" it supposedly is. I will even drop helpful advice.

Chapter 24: Be Wary

Summary:

Okay, I SWEAR the next chapter will be fully dedicated to the trio. (>_<)

This is pretty much a filler chapter before big things REALLY start happening. Sorry it's so short!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The pro hero tenses up and the female officer can hear the venom in his voice when he states, “Bold of you to assume that a reputable pro hero like me would have dirty hands in such a silly matter.”

 

“Bold of you to assume that I don’t already have proof of such dirty dealings.” She retorts with a coy smirk, carefully keeping up a mask of false confidence. On the inside, Suzumi is a nervous wreck, “Please take the bluff, please take the bluff, please take the bluff!” She internally begs.

 

Endeavour glares down at her, as if his gaze alone will allow him to discern whether or not she is telling the truth. In the background, back at the bar, Sansa leans forward on the edge of his seat in anticipation. 

 

“Who are you and who do you work for?” The hero questions, after a long tense moment of silence.

 

  “Well at least he’s smart.” Suzumi silently muses, before extending a hand and introducing her false identity, “You can call me by my moniker, Agent Bell. And the name of my employer isn’t any of your business, Endeavour-san.”

 

Sansa, resists the urge to facepalm, “Agent Bell? Really Suzumi? That’s the best you could come up with?” He silently despairs.

 

“Like hell it ain’t any of my business. What’s the name of your employer?” Endeavor grunts, visibly peeved by the situation.

 

“We’re getting off subject here.” She quickly backtracks, before prompting, “The real question is, what are you willing to give to keep the matters of your crimes silent?”

 

Another long pause of silence passes, “Tell your boss to meet me in person, then we can talk.” Endeavor says ominously, before standing up from the table, “Now please, if you’ll excuse me, I am supposed to be on stage to give a speech in a few minutes.”

 

Suzumi shoots the hero a sly smile, “Of course, I’ll be sure to pass the message along to my boss.” 

 

The hero gives her a stout nod and walks off towards the stage, where the other pro heros are already lined up. While the pro hero’s back is turned, Suzumi quickly shoots Sansa a thumbs-up. Sansa reciprocates with a quick wink, before casually pointing over at the elevators. 

Suzumi takes this as her cue to leave the party.

She stands up from her chair and waltzes across the ballroom floor to the elevators. As she walks, she dares to sneak a glance over in Endeavour’s direction, and she’s not surprised to see his cold gaze fixated directly on her movements. Suzumi shivers. Something about his gaze unsettles her deeply. The brunette walks a little faster. 

When she is finally within the safety of the elevator - shielded from the flame hero’s glare - she lets out an audible sigh of relief. 

 

Meanwhile, Sansa remains up at the party, latently watching the procession of pro heroes as they give their speeches of bravado upfront at the podium. Later on in the night, Sansa will go up to give a short speech for his favorite anti-mutantism organization. Everybody clapped after each speech with half-hearted efforts and bored expressions on their faces. 

 

No one knew that tonight was the night was the beginning of society’s upheaval. 





***




The grandiose event ended promptly at midnight. 

 

Before the teenagers departed ways, Mei bid her new (friend?) minion goodbye, stating that she hopes to run into him in the future. Shouto shared the same sentiment, it’s rare to find someone so… open minded and non-judgemental these days after all.

 

When all is said and done, Mei finds herself in the back of a limousine with Ito-san driving in the driver’s seat. Her parents retired to their respective rooms at the company, while sending off their daughter to return to the family’s mansion alone. Mei is glad. She doesn’t think she can stand listening to her stepmother’s prattle any longer before she snaps and commits first-degree murder.

 

Once she is back at the mansion, the maids immediately flock to Mei and drag the exhausted girl into her room. Like how Cinderella’s transformation ended at the stroke of midnight, Mei finds herself dressed down to simple, plain pajamas with no trace of cosmetics on her face. She is back to being simply HER. 

And Mei wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tomorrow morning, she will return to her (somewhat) ordinary life in that lonely abandoned building.

And Mei wouldn’t have it any other way.




***




The banquet had left Chikako completely drained off all her energy. She barely manages to hold up her charming smile as she bids her “beloved husband” goodnight with another insufferable peck on the lips. Once the pink-haired idiot was finally out of her sight, the ravenette lets her lips curl into a scowl. 

She tiredly makes her way to her luxurious bedroom.

 

Her bedroom alone is large enough to be an apartment. A large ivory four-poster bed is pushed up to the back wall, with light pink curtains hanging down from its canopy. Next to the bed on the right hand side is an ivory nightstand, with a small lamp sitting upon it. To her left is a huge glass window, providing her a spectacular view of the city night life. The right side of the room has two doors, one leading to her walk-in closet and the other leading to her personal bathroom. Sitting directly in the center of the extravagant room is a white, Steinway grand piano. 

 

Chikako’s heels click against the cold marble floors as she slowly walks over to sit on the bench of the piano. Cautiously, she peeks over her shoulder to make sure that the door is definitely locked, before turning her attention back to the keys.

 

With lithe and quick fingers, she dances across the ivory keys and the festive tune of the Tarantella stirs the calm night air. 

 

 The moment the last note of the song rang out into the air, Chikako watches as a light blue holographic screen pops up. Within the display, you can make out the foreboding image of a person sitting on a large chair in a dim room, like how a king sits on his throne. The image of the man’s face is cut off, hiding his identity. 

 

"Hai già avuto successo nella tua missione, Tarantella?" The man asks in Italian, his voice deep and gravelly.

 

“Non ancora, Maestro.” She replies with her head bowed in shame.

 

The man on the other side of the screen lets out a long sigh of disappointment, “I honestly expected more from Italy’s most infamous assassin.” 

 

Ruby lips draw into a thin line, “I can assure you that everything is going according to plan, Maestro. I just need more time.”

 

.

.

.

“You have till the end of the year.” 





***




The next EARLY morning… 

 

Mei bids Ito-san and the other servants goodbye, before walking out the front gate. She has to take a return bus back home (huh, funny how she identifies her secluded building as “home”) in order to avoid suspicion. After all, limousines have no place in the lower alleys of Musutafu’s downtown district. While on the ride back home, Mei’s brain is turning round-n-round like the wheels on the bus. Despite her initial ire against attending her father’s charity banquet, she now has a lot of new ideas for future babies that could be useful in hero work. 

 

After being dropped off at the bus stop, she walks back the rest of the way home. The greyscale concrete building with its wire fence surrounding it may look intimidating to others, this is home. On the doorstep of the double doors, she fetches out her key to unlock the door, but surprisingly the door swings open on its own with just a slight nudge. 

 

Immediately, Mei is on guard. 

She knows she locked the door before she left.

Mei reaches into her bag and pulls out Rodeo Baby 2.0. 

 

Cautiously, she makes her way up the steps to the top floor, tip-toeing the whole way. When she is standing just outside of her lab, Mei kicks the door open and jumps into the room with her weapon drawn. To her disappointment/relief, no one is there and none of her inventions seems to be out of place from when she left. 

 

While Mei considers the probability that she had merely forgotten to lock the front door, her sharp eyes zoom in on the piece of paper laying in the kitchen table. Or more specifically, the unfamiliar writing on the piece of paper. She picks up the piece of paper and reads the message scrawled on the back of her original note.

 

Hi Mei-chan! This is Himiko-chan, because Izu-kun’s and Toshi-kun’s handwriting is awful!

So our current situation is kinda tricky… but don’t worry too much! We got it all handled. This really scary-looking guy with really gross scars on his face took us to his home. He seems pretty nice though. Toshi and I don’t really trust him, but Izuku trusts him so he must be a good guy!

Anyways, the three FOUR (sorry, almost forgot Flour!) of us came back to get our stuff. We were surprised you were gone! If it weren’t for your letter, we would’ve freaked out, because you NEVER leave your evil lab!

I hope you have fun at your party!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

We’ll try to visit as soon as we can. See ya!

 

Mei reread the letter several times, just to make sure that she hadn’t misread the note the first time, or the second time, or the third.

 

“They can’t really be THAT stupid, can they?” Mei ponders with a snorted laugh, “Right? Who just goes off to live with some weird stranger they don’t even know?”

 

A pause.

 

“Riiiiiiiiiight?”




***




“Hey Himiko! What did you say in that letter to Mei yesterday?” Toshi asks over his shoulder.

 

Himiko pokes her head out from one of the aisles with a shopping bag slung on one arm, “Oh, I told her that we’re staying with Dabi from now on and that we came back to grab our stuff from her place.” She replies.

 

Hitoshi sighs in relief, “That’s good.”

 

In the background, Izuku and Dabi are arguing over the amount of beer stacked inside of the cart. Ironically, Izuku and Dabi don’t get along, despite the fact that Izuku was the first one to trust the older man. Also ironically, Hitoshi and Dabi actually get along the best, despite the fact that Hitoshi STILL doesn’t trust Dabi. 

 

“Hey Toshi-kun, have you seen Flour anywhere?” Himiko asks out of the blue.

 

With perfect timing, a crash and scream pierce the air.

 

Hitoshi winces, “Found him.”

 

Notes:

The Tarantella is a folk dance that originated in Southern Italy. This dance used to be a solo dance that was thought to cure tarantism (believed to be caused by the bite of a very venomous tarantula). Now, it is a folk dance for courtship and flirting. This dance is referenced in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen, which is where I got the inspiration from.

End of chapter question: What is your favorite form of dance?

Personally, I am not a huge fan of dancing, so I guess it would be considered "freestyle" dancing.

Chapter 25: (It) Be Like That Sometimes

Summary:

I don't even know what I wrote. It's like really angsty at the beginning and really crack at the end. I don't know my dudes. It be like that sometimes.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

They ended up getting banned from the grocery store for life, but the owner was nice enough to not call the cops on them. 

There are some small blessings in life.

.

.

.

Is what Izuku keeps repeating to himself over and over again while they all walk “home”. 

 

“Home” being the new apartment they’re sharing. It doesn’t feel like a home yet. The walls are bare. The floor space is barren of any furniture, save for the living room couch and the kitchen table that readily came with the apartment. 

What’s supposed to be the living room is their temporary shared bedroom; Dabi sleeps on the couch, while the three of them sleep on the floor in their sleeping bags. Flour is relatively nocturnal, so he actively keeps watch of the apartment while everybody sleeps and during the day he takes naps under the kitchen table. 

There is only one large bathroom for them to share, which is fine. Except for when Dabi hogs all of the hot water. 

Toshi LOVES the gas stove in the kitchen. Dabi was confused about Toshi’s enthusiasm over such a commonplace appliance, until we explained that Aya only owned an electrical stove. Dabi was (and still is) confused as to why Aya would invest in an electrical stove, since gas stoves cost much cheaper and are much easier to use. Izuku doesn’t give him the reason out of respect for his former mentor. Especially when the answer should be painfully obvious.

There are two bedrooms, which remain empty until they can find the time and money to buy beds. One is the master bedroom, which is bigger and has a window facing the busy street below. The other is what appears to be a guest bedroom, which is nearly half the size of the master bedroom and it has no windows. The plan is that the master bedroom will become the male bedroom, while the guest bedroom is reserved for Himiko since she’s a girl. 

 

Izuku knows he should be incredibly grateful to be off the streets — together with his best friends no less! But… he misses Aya. The news broadcast showcasing her downfall shook him to his core. It was so sudden. Izuku remembers how proud she was to have Himiko become a part of their chaotic little family of rejects.

 

Izuku’s breath hitches.

 

Family. 

 

Tears well up in his eyes and he struggles to hold them at bay. 

 

“I should be grateful! I should he happy!” He internally berates himself, before glancing over his shoulder to look at the smiling faces of his two friends, “They look so happy. Why can’t I be strong like them? Why am I like this?” Izuku returns his gaze to the cracks in the sidewalk as they walk down the street together. 

 

Dabi notices.

 

“You okay kid?” He says quietly under his breath, low enough for only Izuku to hear.

 

The greenette sniffles, rubbing the corner of his sleeve into the corners of his eyes to catch the tears that threaten to spill down his speckled cheeks. 

 

“Yeah.” Izuku answers.

 

Dabi furrows his brows in confusion and drags out sigh from his lungs.

 

“Look. I’m sorry for arguing back in the store, you’re right that I shouldn’t waste the money on the beer and—”

 

“It’s not about that.” Izuku says, cutting off Dabi’s apology midway.

 

Dabi decides that if the young teen doesn’t want to discuss it, then it’s probably personal and that he shouldn’t push for a response. Instead, he wonders what Dragonfly would do in this type of situation. From his brief experience with the ex-vigilante, she didn’t seem like the type to provide comforting advice or give cuddly hugs. 

What would she do?




***flashback***

 

A younger Touya covered in blistering burns and bloody scrapes tries his best to run away as fast as his broken limbs allow. His attacker sends blast after blast of orange flames after his vulnerable form. Touya does his best to counterattack, but the pain is disorienting his senses and his blue flames are weak. After running blindly through the empty city for several miles, his body gives up and he is forced to a crawl. 

Literally.

Endeavor grabs him by the back of his leather jacket hauls him off the ground. In the midst of his panic and physical anguish he can hear the old man rambling above him. He can only pick up bits and pieces of each sentence though. Touya doesn’t care to listen. Why bother when he’s going to die anyways? He can only hope that it’s a swift death.

 

But then he’s dropped like a sack off bricks and Touya rolls some distance away from the limp body of Endeavor. For a split second, he feels a rush of joy when he thinks that the old man has finally dropped dead. 

 

“Stop smiling Bacon Face. He’s only unconscious.” 

 

Touya wasn’t even aware that he was smiling. 

 

“God you look like a fucking mess. I don’t know what you did to deserve the beat down you got, but we better get out of here before he wakes up.”

 

Strong arms haul the young adult to his feet and for the first time Touya can get a good look at his savior. A woman with braided, bright green hair and even brighter green eyes, wearing a distinctive costume and goggles that Touya could’ve sworn he’s seen before on TV. 

A hero?

No, she’s that vigilante… Drunkenfry or something like that. 

 

“For fucks sake kid, it’s Dragonfly .” The vigilante replies bitterly as she drags him over to prop his body up against a wall. 

 

“Don’t call me ‘kid’.” He grunts.

 

Dragonfly laughs out loud and playfully ruffles his poorly dyed black hair, “I like ya Bacon Face! You got spunk.” She jokes brightly. Before turning to a more serious tone, “Now, care to explain to me why the Number Two Hero is hell bent on sending your bloody ass to the devil?” 

 

***end of flashback***




Dabi glances over at the obviously distraught teenager walking beside him, before planting a hand atop of the teen’s head and gently ruffling the mess of green curls there. 

 

Izuku freezes.




***flashback***

 

Two calloused hands plant themselves on top of their heads and gently ruffle their hair, Izuku and Toshi look up, surprised at the thoughtful expression on their boss’s face, “One day, you guys will understand that there are no heroes or villains. Only people. I think that people have forgotten that we are all equally capable of having that power to do great good or great harm. The only question is how you choose to use it.” Aya explains in an unusually quiet voice, her facial expression closed off and distanced. 

 

“Are you saying that we can really become heroes?”

 

After a long minute of that felt more like an hour, Aya sighs and looks both of them in the eye with a hard seriousness that makes them squirm.

 

“Let's be realistic. I’m not the person you two should be asking that question. My opinion doesn’t matter, and no one else’s opinion should matter either. It’s your life and your own power. No one on the earth is qualified to tell you whether you should become a hero or not. Therefore, you should be asking YOURSELVES that question.” Suddenly a smirk forms on her lips, “But if you want to hear my thoughts on it, then yeah. I think you two got what it fucking takes.”

 

***end of flashback***




Izuku doesn’t even realize that tears are freely flowing from his eyes until Dabi started panicking. 

 

“Oh fuck, you’re crying. Um… uh… did I do it wrong? Shit, shit, shit, fuck, what did I do?

 

“I don’t know dipshit, what DID you do?” Hitoshi questions in a dark voice, startling the unsuspecting fire-user. 

 

Himiko crosses her arms and smiles her creepy ‘I eat babies for breakfast’ grin, “Why is our Izu-kun crying?”

 

Even Flour stands up on his hind legs and hisses at Dabi, baring his teeth and letting out angry chitters. 

 

Izuku laughs through his tears at his friends’ over-protectiveness, before waving them off, “I’m okay! Please don’t kill Dabi. I swear I’m fine.” He says reassuringly.

 

Flour crawls over on all fours to Izuku and yips to be picked up. With a sad chuckle, Izuku picks up and cradles the fluffy raccoon in his arms. Then Flour purrs loudly and nuzzles Izuku’s cheeks with his cold wet nose. As if to say, “It’s gonna be okay.”

 

Dabi watches all of this with a sense of envy — at an albino raccoon of all things! His hands curl into fists and he instinctively shoves them deep into his pockets. “How can a dumb animal be better at this than me? Why am I like this?” Dabi ponders this as they all climb the stairs to their new apartment. 

 

Flour (because he is a smart boi) opens the door to the apartment with his paws and holds it open for his humans who are burdened with their bulging grocery bags. They all head inside to the kitchen, only to be met with a very. . . peculiar sight.

 

Standing in front of their fridge is a familiar pink-haired inventor, wielding what looks like a laser gun, which is pointed towards the two tied up strangers laying on their kitchen floor. Dabi, Izuku, Hitoshi, and Himiko stare at the scene with varying levels of shock. 

Dabi just looks plain confused as he tries to remember if Aya mentioned a fourth kid in her letters. 

Izuku was not prepared for the scare and he jumps back to hide behind Dabi.

Hitoshi just looks… done with life.

Himiko looks absolutely thrilled to see Mei again.

Flour, he takes one look at the mess and turns right around to go comfort Izuku. 

 

The eccentric inventor looks away from the poor souls on the floor and shoot them a grin, “Hi minions! I got worried about you guys, so I hunted down your guy’s new apartment to check up on you guys! Glad to see you’re okay!” She rattles off in one breath.

 

The taller of the two tied up strangers lift their head to get a good look at their new arrivals, “Oi! Dabi-san! Tell this young lady to untie us! I need to use your restroom!” Gentle Criminal yells with a hint of desperation in his voice.

 

The scarred man runs his hands down his face and groans, “What are you doing here, you clown?”

 

“Oi! Oi! Don’t call my wonderful Gentle a clown!” La Brava protests in defense of her partner in crime. 

 

Gentle squirms, “Untie me first! I seriously need to use the restroom!” He pleads.

 

Dabi sighs, “Fine, only because I don’t want you pissing on my floors.” He concedes. Before turning his attention to Mei, “You, Pinky, untie ONLY him. Leave the girl tied up in case they try to run.” He orders.

 

The pinkette gives Dabi a cheerful salute, “No problem Staples!” She chirps, before kneeling down to untie the poor man. 

 

The moment Gentle was free, he makes a frantic dash for the restroom and slams the door behind him. Dabi prays to every deity he knows that Gentle knows how to aim. 

 

Izuku finally finds his voice to speak and he steps forward to question, “How did you even manage to track us down Mei?” 

 

“Oh! Remember that pill I made you guys take a couple of days ago?”

 

Hitoshi gags, “I knew it. The bitch poisoned us. It was only a matter of time till we outlived our usefulness.” He bemoans. The paranoid teen then runs over to the kitchen sink and tries to force himself to puke.

 

Mei lets out a boisterous laugh, “Relax minion! The pills only contained several thousand tiny nanobots that I used to track you guys down using this tracking device I whipped up!” She explains. 

 

“Cool!” Himiko gushes.

 

Izuku blanches, “Uh… so we have tiny robots in our bodies???”

 

“Well, they should be working their way through your digestive tract. It was only supposed to be a short test run. Hence why I didn’t inject them into your blood stream!” Mei explains, which actually does reassure the trio. 

 

Dabi looks between the uninvited inventor, the midget still laying on the floor, and the kids (and their pet raccoon) he’s supposed to take care of for an indeterminate amount of time. 

 

“I’m going to take a nap.” He grouses, before heading to the living room to do just that. Not even three seconds later, the occupants of the kitchen jump at least 5 inches up into the air when they hear Dabi scream, “WHAT IN THE EVER LOVING FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE ON THE MOTHERFUCKING COUCH!?!?!” 

 

“Piss off Bacon Face , I dragged my ass down here all the way from Hosu. Now shut your trap and go get me a beer. You drink beer right?”

 

They can hear Dabi grumble something under his breath in response.

 

“WHAT!?!? No beer!? You’re a fucking fetus.”

 

Apparently Stain had also decided that today would be a good day to make his appearance in the trio’s lives.

Notes:

End of Chapter Question: What is your most definitive characteristic as a person? What makes you, YOU?

I am a very trusting and open-hearted person. I like to see the good in everybody and this means I am naturally friendly (in my own awkward introvert way). However, this is a double-edged sword. If someone does something to betray that trust or throw away my efforts to be a nice person, I get extremely hurt and I will immediately want to lash back.

Chapter 26: Be In The Desperate Need Of A Drink

Summary:

If you go back to Ch.13, you will see that the fic rec list has been updated!

Notes:

Have a good weekend y'all! <3

Stay healthy, wear your masks, and practice your social distancing!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dabi sincerely wonders what horrible crimes he had committed in a past life to deserve ANY of the crap he had received in the past 24 years of his current lifetime. 

 

He was born into a cold and unloving household.

His birthday present for his fourth birthday was a fire quirk that caused him horrible pain whenever he wielded its power.

He had to watch his sister, his brother, and his youngest brother suffer by the cruel hands of Fate.

For years, he stood on the sidelines powerless and unable to help his siblings beyond the occasional gesture of comfort.

But then his mother snapped. His mother was the only one in the household who would dare to stand up and protect her children when HE started getting too carried away with his “discipline lessons”. She was their only support.

Without her… his siblings all turned to him for protection.

 

Protection he couldn’t give them.

 

No matter how many times he fought back, no matter how many times he rebelled, no matter how many times he got back up… it wasn’t enough. He failed them over and over and over again. 

Repeatedly.

The only result from his efforts were more burn scars on his part and more emotional scars on his siblings’ part. 

 

He ran away.

 

The streets were as equally cold and unloving as the hellish house he escaped from, but at least he can fight back. After a couple of thugs reduced to ashes, no one dared to mess with him on the streets. 

The name “Dabi” was given to him by Giran when he got recruited for a small job, because “someone as powerful as him needs a name that strikes fear into the enemy’s heart”. Dabi’s just glad to finally be rid of his old name.

 

He was free.

 

But then it all came crashing down.

His father tracked him down somehow and… 

He had to disappear completely. Nowhere was safe. 

Giran was the first person to find him. He helped him find an underground doctor, who grafted his skin and deformed his appearance.

That was also the last he heard of the vigilante Dragonfly. 

 

Until now…

 

NOW, he’s stuck with three younger brats under his care (again). Two boys, one girl. Painful reminders of what he has left behind.

Seriously, the universe is fucking with him. 

The eldest, Himiko, reminds him all too much of Rei. They both have that endless optimism.

The taller boy, Hitoshi, has the same bitterness and anger towards the world like Natsuo. 

The shorter boy, Izuku, he and Shouto would’ve been good friends. It’s painful to listen to Izuku talk sometimes, because they both share the same admiration of heroes and hero society. Something Dabi resents.

 

And now…

 

He has a pet albino raccoon, which is already weird, but weirder because that raccoon is way too smart to be a normal animal. He has ANOTHER child who broke into his apartment, armed to the teeth with strange weapons, standing in his kitchen and casually chatting about nano-whatsits and other things he will never understand. He has two clowns who ALSO fucking broke into his apartment, one of which is using his bathroom for god’s sake. And to top it all off, he has a Class SS vigilante/villain who’s wanted across the country for multiple murder cases LYING ON HIS FUCKING COUCH like a diva and insulting him because he didn’t buy any beer. 

 

Dabi wants to laugh, cry, or scream. 

 

Instead, he turns right around and walks out of their living room. He turns to the occupants of the kitchen and levels all of them under a hard stare.

 

“I’m going out to get a drink. Don’t burn the place down.” He deadpans, his voice tight and dry. Then he slips his shoes back on and walks out of the apartment. 

 

The sound of the slam of the door behind him lifts a weight off of his shoulders and he feels a sense of elation he hasn’t felt in ages. He focuses his attention on the sound of his footsteps as his feet carry him away from the apartment building and down the familiar streets of downtown Musutafu. He digs a hand through his coat pockets and fishes out a cigarette. He pinches the butt of the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, lighting the cancer stick with his quirk. 

 

Breathe in… breathe out.

 

Smoke rises into the cool evening air in white curling puffs. Mothers and fathers taking an evening stroll with their kids send him disapproving glares and they subtly pull their children closer to their bodies to shield their children’s curious eyes. Dabi wants to laugh, because he fondly remembers his own mother doing the same for him.



***



Naomasa hears a knock on his door and he looks up from his files, “Come in!” He calls cheerfully, expecting either Sansa, Ojiro, or Suzumi. His mood quickly sours when his boss, aka. the chief of the Musutafu Police Station, steps inside of his room with a deceivingly charming smile on his aging face.

 

Chief Uchiyama is a balding, portly man in his sixties. He has a good collection of stress wrinkles from his many, many years in service as chief. Something that has garnered him quite the reputation amongst the other districts. Forty-plus years in service is nothing to laugh at after all!

However, now that Naomasa has taken off his metaphorical rose-tinted glasses, he knows exactly how the man has kept his coveted position after all these years. Nevertheless, Noamasa has to force himself to act oblivious, stand from his chair, smile, and bow in greeting to his superior.

 

“Good evening Chief.”

 

Uchiyama chuckles wholeheartedly, “No need for such formalities Detective! Please stand. I’m just sharing the good news before I head home for the night.” He explains.

 

Naomasa’s ears perk up in curiosity, “Good news, sir?”

 

“I’ve finally decided to retire!” The older man announces enthusiastically.

 

Naomasa forces himself to contain his shock, “That’s great news! Congratulations.” He says with a forced smile. “If you don’t mind me asking, have you already decided on who’s filling in your position?”

 

The police chief shrugs, “To be fair, the decision is out of my hands. I have the ability to put in recommendations, however, that decision ultimately lies with the Hero Commision.” He explains. 

 

Naomasa is starting to see a disturbing pattern.

 

“Well! That’s all I’ve gotta say. Have a nice evening Detective.” Uchiyama says jovially, before walking out of Naomasa’s office, while whistling a care-free tune.

 

The moment the door slammed shut, Naomasa is diving for his cellphone to share this new information with the newly established group chat.

 

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! GROUP CHAT

 

Mr. Polygraph: Guys, I got big news.

 

Hello Kitty: No shit. The news is spreading like wildfire.

 

Puppymonkeybaby: Am I missing something? Shit, I knew I shouldn’t have stayed home today.

 

Suzuzuzuzu: Nope! You’re not getting me sick, you monkey bastard. You stay home and keep your Covid to yourself.

 

Puppymonkeybaby: Hey, not my fault Mashirao brought it home from school!

 

Mr. Polygraph: Can we PLEASE focus? 

 

Hello Kitty: No u.

 

Hello Kitty: But in all seriousness… the Chief is FINALLY retiring! He’ll be out in about a month.

 

Suzuzuzuzu: That’s… odd timing.

 

Mr. Polygraph: IKR?!?

 

Puppymonkeybaby: Really? Wow. Miracles do happen. I’ve always hated that guy.

 

Hello Kitty: Why? I’ve never had much problem with him.

 

Puppymonkeybaby: HAVE YOU SEEN HIS UNIFORM???

 

Suzuzuzuzu: Ugh. Yeah. He’s got a point there. That collar makes me mad.

 

Puppymonkeybaby: And have you seen his tie!? Naomasa should teach him how it’s done.

 

Mr. Polygraph: As flattered as I am that you appreciate my tie tying skills, can we get back on topic?

 

Puppymonkeybaby: Aye aye! We’re woth you all the way!

 

Puppymonkeybaby: wpth*

 

Puppymonkeybaby: wiht*

 

Puppymonkeybaby: iwth*

 

Puppymonkeybaby: WITH*  GOD JESUS DAMMIT! 

 

Hello Kitty: Lmao

 

Suzuzuzuzu: *facepalms*

 

Mr. Polygraph: *sighs* I desperately need a drink. Anyone wanna come along?

 

Hello Kitty: Can’t. I need to file some papers I procrastinated on and it’s going to take a while.

 

Suzuzuzuzu: I’m working on editing the audio evidence from the banquet. I’ll have it to you by midnight the latest.

 

Puppymonkeybaby: I would go, if I wasn’t hacking my lungs out. Lol, if there was one interesting thing we learned in our history classes… it was the 2020 crisis. 

 

Suzuzuzuzu: Lol, I remember my great-grandmother would always say, “Back in my day, people got into gun fights over toilet paper!”

 

Hello Kitty: Respects to your great-grandma then. She’s an OG.




***




Meanwhile with Dabi… 



The cigarette burns out eventually and by this point Dabi finds himself waltzing through the entrance of a popular bar in the area, simply called “On the Rocks”. This place is pretty well known throughout the area for having good music along with good drinks at a reasonable price. Normally, Dabi would avoid such crowded spaces, but today is a Wednesday so the bar is considerably empty. He slides into a bar stool two chairs away from another man at the bar counter. Behind the bar counter, the bartender acknowledges his arrival with a brief nod and asks for his order. 

 

“Whiskey… on the rocks.” He replies and the bartender nods, before starting on his drink. The man sitting two chairs down subtly snorts. Dabi really shouldn’t take offense, but screw it. He’s in a bad mood dammit. “What’s wrong with a whiskey on the rocks?” Dabi asks the man defensively, albeit a tad harsher than he intended.

 

The other man looks up at him in surprise, then seems to shrink in embarrassment, “Ah, sorry. I just thought it was ironic, because you ordered a drink on the rocks and the name of this bar is… you know what I’m going to stop now before I embarrass myself further.”

 

Dabi looks over the man with a wary gaze and takes in his appearance. At first glance, he looked like any other average working man ordering a drink after a long day in the office. His white long sleeve shirt, green-grey tie, black slacks, and polished shoes put up an illusion of “just a normal joe”. But the gun holster hanging off his hip, the trench coat hanging off the back of his chair, the white gloves on his hands, and the tan hat sitting innocently on top of the bar counter set off alarm bells in his head. 

 

The bartender sets his drink in front of him and Dabi takes a long sip. Then he sets down the glass and asks, “You a cop?”

 

“Detective.” The other man casually replies. Dabi tenses. “But I’m off duty right now, so don’t give me a reason to arrest you and you’ll be fine.” The detective says in reassurance. Then the detective holds out one gloved hand and introduces himself, “Tsukauchi Naomasa.”

 

Dabi keeps his guard up as he takes another sip of whiskey, keeping the detective in his peripheral, “Kajishi Dabi.” He replies, blatantly ignoring the outstretched hand.

 

So much for a relaxing drink.

Notes:

End of Chapter Question: When we all are old and ancient, what can we say to the next generations for "back in my day......."?

My response: Back in my day, there were literally three groups of people. The people who gave a fuck, the people who would say they give a fuck, and the people who gave zero fucks.

***ALSO, ch.13, the Fic Recommendations List, I just updated it! It has now expanded and now has a lot more additions and edits. 😀

Chapter 27: Be Regretful

Summary:

Time to hop on the angst train!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Noamasa retracts his offered hand and awkwardly scratches the back of his head, “Yeah, sorry if I overstepped. I usually have at least one friend with me when I go out for a drink. So if you’re uncomfortable with me talking to you, just say so and I’ll back off.” He says in a good-natured way.

 

The scarred stranger shrugs in an aloof manner, “I don’t care. You look like the kind of guy who’s seen a lot of shit.” He casually comments. But this casual statement causes Naomasa to flinch. This doesn’t go unnoticed by the younger man, who raises his brow as he brings his drink to his lips, “Am I wrong?”

 

Noamasa cradles his own drink in one hand — a vodka on the rocks with a touch of lemon — as he contemplates the question. “No, you’re not wrong.” The detective quietly replies after a stretch of silence. 

 

The bartender silently continues to polish an empty wine glass, seemingly not paying the two men any attention in order to give them some semblance of privacy. 

 

The detective’s natural curiosity prompts him to follow up his weak confession with, “Is that why you’re here Kajishi-san?” 

 

The other man simply rolls his eyes, “Please. Call me Dabi if we’re going to trade dirty secrets while under the influence.” He snarks. 

 

The unexpected sarcasm from Naomasa’s formerly stand-offish drinking partner prompts an amused chuckle from the detective. “You make it sound so scandalous to vent to a stranger about all of your problems.” Naomasa remarks.

 

Dabi laughs bitterly, “You forgot the part where we’re intoxicated while doing so.” 

 

Naomasa simply raises up his drink in response, “I’ll drink to that. Kanpai!”

 

Dabi reluctantly holds up his drink and clinks his glass, “Kanpai.” He grunts, before downing the rest of its contents in one go. Naomasa does the same and they both savor the burn as the alcohol forces its way down to their gullets. 

 

The bartender wordlessly retrieves their empty glasses and starts on making them a second round. 

 

While their second drinks are being made, Naomasa asks the question, “So why are you here?”

 

“Why am I here?” Dabi echoes, while dragging a hand through his straw-like hair, “I am here… because it’s my first day on the job as a glorified babysitter and I’m already fucking up.” He answers, his tone turning bitter once more. Teal eyes glance over at the detective once again, “What about you Mr. Detective?” Dabi inquires.

 

A lengthy sigh escapes the detective’s mouth as he pensively stares into the wood knots on the lacquered counter, “Just remembering a friend.” Naomasa replies with a voice full of regret.



***flashback***



“Oi!”

 

“Oi!!!”

 

A twenty-one year old Naomasa yelps when he feels the familiar WHACK of a rolled up newspaper on the back of his head. He jerks up into a proper sitting position on his bar stool and blushes in embarrassment when he feels the sticky trail of drool in the corner of his mouth. Across the bar counter, angry lime-green eyes stare him down, making the police officer feel like a mosquito in the other’s intimidating presence. 

 

The bartender crosses her arms and eyes the man’s name tag on his police uniform, “Don’t you have work tomorrow, Officer Tsukauchi ?” 

 

Naomasa waves her off and sneaks a quick glance at the name tag on the bartender’s apron, “I’ll just call in sick, Miss Horikoshi. ” He plainly remarks, before resting his pounding head on top of the cold lacquered counter. 

 

WHACK!

 

“Ow! Fuck!” He exclaims, yanking his head up to glare up at the stubborn young woman, who now has her hands on her hips. Naomasa groans when the pounding in his head grows larger, “I can totally arrest you for assaulting a police officer, just so you know.” He says, but his words slur together, making his sentence come out garbled and unintelligible. 

 

The bartender barks out a sharp, cold laugh, “I have no idea what you just said.” She says, clearly unamused.

 

Instead of repeating his statement (that he can barely remember himself), Naomasa pulls out his wallet and fumbles to pull out another bill. He slaps the money down onto the counter, pushing the money towards the young woman. 

 

WHACK!

 

“Ouch!” Naomasa quickly retracts his stinging hand and cradles it to his chest.

 

She stubbornly pushes the money back towards him, “You’re going to die of alcohol poisoning at this rate.” 

 

The officer lets out a hollow chuckle, “Isn’t it your job to encourage me to drink more, not less, Miss Horikoshi?” He smartly comments, before pushing the money back towards her.

 

The bartender’s fairy-like wings twitch in annoyance, before she finally snatches up the money and takes his empty glass. She fills the glass up with a crystal clear fluid Naomasa presumes is vodka, then sets the cup in front of him. He picks up the drink with trembling fingers and attempts to chug it all down, some of it spilling onto the light blue collar of his shirt.

 

He gags and nearly spits it out.

 

“This is water!” 

 

“No shit Sherlock.”

 

The young officer peers up at the bartender through his disheveled bangs, “Look, I appreciate your concern kid—”

 

“Not a kid.” She quickly counters.

 

TRUE.

 

Naomasa raises a brow, “How old are you then?”

 

“Isn’t it rude to ask a woman her age?” 

 

“Too young to work in a place like this then.” He speculates.

 

Her ears turn an interesting shade of red, “Excuse you! I am twenty-one years of age!” She haughtily asserts, her silvery wings twitching in anger.

 

FALSE.

 

“Don’t bother lying. I know when people lie… it’s my quirk.” Naomasa mutters, casting his gaze to the side to avoid making eye contact.

 

“Huh… interesting.” The young woman muses, before pulling up a chair and sitting down with her elbows resting atop the counter. She tucks a stray lock of bright green hair behind her ear, then says, “Green isn’t my natural hair color, I put honey in my coffee, and I think you’re a bonafide idiot. Which one’s the lie?”

 

FALSE.

TRUE.

TRUE.

 

Naomasa cringes, “Ew. Who puts honey in their coffee?” He says in slight disgust.

 

“Hey! Don’t diss it till you’ve tried it Mr. Polygraph.” She snarks in return.

 

Naomasa’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline, “Excuse me!?”

 

Her lips twitch up into a smirk, “That’s what I’m calling you from now on.” The smirk curls up into a smile, “Deal with it.” 

 

Naomasa huffs in annoyance, “You’re a menace.” He mutters under his breath.

 

“And YOU are a drunk.” She shoots back.

 

“Not A drunk, I’m just drunk.”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

“It’s true!”

 

“Riiiiiiiiight.” She drawls with heavy skepticism, “No one drinks an entire bottle of vodka in one sitting, unless they’re a hardcore alcoholic.” 

 

Naomasa rests his forehead on the counter, “Not a alcoholic, just tired…”

 

“Tired of what? Playing ‘Cops N Robbers’ all day?” 

 

The rookie cop lets out a long sigh, “Well, there’s this vigilante who’s driving everyone in my department crazy. Firefly or something like that…”

 

“DRAGONFLY.”

 

“Yeah, her.”




***end of flashback***




The bartender brings the detective back into the present when he sets their refilled glasses down on the table and leave the two men to their own business. 

 

Dabi rests his chin in his palm and gives the detective his full attention, “What kind of friend are we talking about here? The type of friend that stabbed you in the back or the type of friend you stabbed in the back?” He bluntly inquires, before lifting up his drink to his lips to take a sip.

 

Naomasa swirls his drink and watches the ice cubes knock against the sides of their glass prison, “Who says it can’t be both?”




***flashback***




A thirty-two year old Naomasa steps inside the empty bar and his eyes naturally gravitate to the person standing behind the counter. The familiar sight of Aya furiously polishing shot glasses brings a smile to his face. The sound of his entrance catches Aya’s attention, causing her to look up. When their eyes lock, Naomasa immediately senses that something is very wrong.

 

For one thing, Aya’s bright green hair is shorn short into a blunt bob, her signature dutch braid is nowhere to be seen. The next glaring clue is the fact that her glittering fairy-like wings are missing. 

 

The smile on Naomasa’s face drops immediately and he stands in the middle of the bar in shock. 

 

He watches as the bartender forces a pained smile onto her face, “What’cha looking at Mr. Polygraph? Does my new haircut look that bad?” She jokes as tears pool in the corner of her eyes. 

 

“Aya…” Naomasa hoarsely whispers in shock, still staring at where his friend’s wings are supposed to be.

 

And that’s when it all clicked.

 

Over a month ago, Endeavor publicly announced that he had succeeded in defeating the vigilante Dragonfly, despite the fact that he had failed to bring the vigilante to justice. For more than a month, there have been exactly ZERO Dragonfly sightings. For more than a month, Aya has been on an impromptu “vacation”, according to her boss. Now, she’s missing her wings and ohmygodAyaisDragonflywhatthefuck—

 

Aya uses her palms to wipe away the tears stubbornly clinging to her lashes, smudging her eyeliner in the process, “Figured it out, didn’t ya?” She remarks, her voice wavering. The bartender chokes out a watery chuckle, before hunching over and hissing in pain. “Phantom pains are a bitch you know that?” She comments sardonically. When Naomasa doesn’t immediately reply, Aya levels him with an impatient glare, “Either order something or get the fuck out, dammit. Don’t just… stand there.”

 

The initial shock is quickly replaced with the feeling of betrayal. 

 

“All these years… you played me for a fool.” Naomasa says numbly, taking several steps backwards. “You used me for information. That’s why you’ve never been caught. You were exploiting me this whole time.”

 

Aya remains silent.

 

The detective swallows around the lump in his throat and asks, “Were we really friends… or was it just some sort of sick game to you?” 

 

“Naomasa I—

 

Naomasa quickly cuts her off, “You know what? Don’t answer that. I don’t think I can bear to hear the truth.” He says coldly, the knife of betrayal digging and twisting deep inside his chest as he turns away to exit the bar. Before leaving, however, he looks over his shoulder to spare his friend former-acquaintance one last glance, “I’m not going to arrest you. But if I ever catch wind of you doing illegal activities like vigilantism again in the future I’ll…” His voice wavers and he swallows down the emotions threatening to bubble up, “I don’t want to have to do that to you, but it’s the right thing to do. I promise that if you go back to being Dragonfly, I’ll never forgive you. That’s a promise.”

 

And then he was gone.




***end of flashback***




Their glasses now sit empty and the bartender politely asks them both if they would like another round, but they both decline. 

 

Dabi reaches for his wallet, but Naomasa shakes his head and gestures at him to settle down, “I’ll pay.” He says, before handing the bartender his credit card.

 

The fire user huffs, “You didn’t have to do that you know.”

 

The detective shrugs, “It’s the least I can do, since you were willing to sit down with me and listen to my spiel.” 

 

Dabi decides that arguing will be a waste of energy, so he gets up from his stool and starts walking towards the exit, “It’s no big deal.” He mutters under his breath as he steps out into the chilly night air.

 

It’s about time that he started heading back the apartment anyways.




***



Meanwhile…

 

Hitoshi, Himiko, and Izuku are sitting in the middle of their living room on their sleeping bags, casually munching on some ham and cheese sandwiches Gentle and La Brava had expertly made in the kitchen, while the Hero Killer is casually sharpening his weapons on the couch.

 

“So… you kill people?” Izuku hesitantly pipes up after finishing his sandwich.

 

The innocent question earns the greenette a scowl, “I don’t kill people …”

 

Izuku’s shoulders sag in relief.

 

“I SLAY THE FAKE HEROES THAT CORRUPT TODAY’S SOCIETY WITH THEIR INSINCERE ACTIONS AND COWARDLY WAYS!!!!! IT IS MY DUTY TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO FIX THIS ROTTEN SOCIETY FROM ITS CORE!!! AND IF IT MEANS STAINING MY HANDS WITH THE BLOOD OF FAKES, THEN SO BE IT!!!!!”

 

Once Stain is finished with his rant, he glances down to see the three teens huddled together with varying expressions on their faces. The green one who dared to speak up looks like he’s two seconds from wetting his pants and he’s clinging to the purple one like a spooked monkey. The purple one, on the other hand, just looks tired

The blonde one… are those sparkles in her eyes???

 

Gentle pokes his head into the living room, “Oi! Oi! No discussions of murder around the impressionable youth!” 

Notes:

End of chapter question: Favorite quote from THIS fic?

I have to say... probably the last line of this chapter. XD

 

Beta: More flashbacks???

Me: Whaaaaaat? I miss writing Aya's character!

Beta: Fair.

Chapter 28: Be Able To Sleep At Night

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Physically and emotionally exhausted, Naomasa groggily unlocks the front door to his apartment and stumbles in. He makes a beeline for the couch, meanwhile his tan hat, trench coat, gun holster, and shoes are tossed somewhere into the dark corners of his apartment for him to find later in the morning. With a deep sigh, he collapses onto the couch and lets himself sink into the leather upholstery. The weary man rolls onto his back to stare up at the old water stain on his ceiling. He should probably get his ceiling repainted…

And his leaky kitchen faucet fixed…

And the bathroom lightbulb replaced…

 

He’s snatched right out of his meandering inner thoughts by the sound of his phone’s ringtone, coming from his back pocket. 

Naomasa pulls out his phone and reads the caller ID: “Suzuzuzuzu”.

 

He presses the receive call button and brings the phone up to his ear, “Moshi moshi, this is Tsukauchi speaking.” 

 

“Hey, I just finished editing the banquet audio evidence and sent the file to your email.” Suzumi informs him, before yawning. “It’s not a lot, but we definitely have confirmation that Endeavor has dirty hands. The only two questions remaining are just how dirty his hands are and who’s going to jail with him.”

 

“That’s something. Better than nothing.” The detective grouses, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Tomorrow we’ll meet up and discuss our next move with the investigation.”

 

“Sounds good to me, boss man.” The policewoman says, before promptly hanging up.

 

The phone is promptly dropped onto the coffee table with a loud clack and Naomasa sags into the couch cushions with another deep sigh. Everything is going to plan, but he feels like he’s still not doing enough. For god’s sake, nothing ever feels like it’s enough. With every investigation, every mission, every closed case there’s always something that slips by him and it always takes him too long to piece together the puzzle. And because of his actions (or lack of) someone gets hurt. He never gets hurt, oh no, it’s always someone personal. Fate always seems to know exactly who to hurt to make him hurt the most. Whether it be his younger sister, All Might, Sansa, or… her. 

Self-loathing burns deep inside his gut as the “what-ifs” bounce around inside his head, even though he’s well aware that he shouldn’t beat himself up about the shitty outcome of the events that occured. 

It’s not like he has a foresight quirk after all.

 

Something clicks. 

 

Foresight.

 

Another piece of the puzzle settles into its proper place. 

 

FORESIGHT.




Naomasa jolts upright into a sitting position and snatches his phone off the coffee table, before punching in Sansa’s number and anxiously waiting for his partner to answer.




***




Dabi awoke with a light hangover, not enough to incapacitate him, but enough to make him grouchier than normal. He doesn’t know what time it is, since they still don’t own a clock, but he knows he’s up way earlier than he needs to be. The sun isn’t even up yet, therefore he doesn’t need to be up yet. With a weary groan, the fire-user settles back onto the couch with one arm dangling over the edge.

Just as he’s about to drift off to sleep, the shocking feeling of something cold and wet nudging his hand startles him awake.

He opens his glacier blue eyes and glares down at the fluffy-looking offender.

 

“What?” Dabi growls at the raccoon, only to receive more nudges from the raccoon’s cold wet nose. Dabi tries to wave him away, “Leave me alone, you pest.” This insult earns him an angry snarl that only makes Dabi more and more tempted to set the damn thing’s tail on fire. Instead of committing arson (not that he hasn’t done so before), Dabi strings together some basic level of patience and sits up on the couch, giving the raccoon his full attention, “Okay. What is it that you want from me? Clearly you can understand me, which fucking weird as hell. So just show me what’s wrong so that I can go back to sleep.” 

The albino animal chitters happily and runs over to Shinso’s sleeping bag, jumping up and down on top of the empty sleeping bag, which is clearly missing a teenager that’s supposed to be sleeping inside of it.

Dabi curses underneath his breath and looks over at the other two sleeping bags in the room, only to see the same result. 

“Where the fuck did they go?” Dabi questions out loud, to which Flour answers. The raccoon stands up on his hind legs and reaches towards the ceiling with his paws. It takes Dabi a moment to understand the animal’s gesture, “Sky? Up? Wait… no. The roof? They’re on the roof?” He inquires.

Flour nods in confirmation. 

 

Dabi groans and gets up, grabbing his jacket and wrapping it around himself, before climbing out the window onto the fire escape. Brisk wind whips around his prone form on the side of the grey-scale building, chilling his skin and raising a shiver out of him. He dares to look down through the gum-stained metal grate of the fire escape to the looming dark alleyway below his feet. If he used his imagination, he can almost imagine a black abyss waiting to open its jaws to swallow him whole. 

Deep down he wishes it could.

Now that he’s outside, he can faintly hear the sound of voices and laughter in the wind. With a huff, he pulls himself up the ladder to the roof, where he’s nearly blinded by the sudden light of the early morning sun. He squints against the sun’s morning rays and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust. After a couple seconds, his eyes land on three smallish figures huddled together on the opposite side of the apartment complex’s rooftop. 

 

“Don’t disturb them.” A raspy voice mumbles outside of his peripheral. Dabi startles and spins around, only to nearly go toppling off the edge of the roof. As he braces for impact with the cold asphalt of the alley below, a strong grip grabs the back of his jacket’s collar and pulls him back to safety. “And watch your step, dumbass.” The voice hisses. 

 

The fire-user scowls at the Hero Killer, but he manages to muster a reluctant, “Thanks.”

 

“Hmph.” Stain grunts, before returning to his perch on the corner of the roof, facing away from the sunlight and scanning the gloomy city skyline with a scrutinizing gaze. 

 

He looks out again at the three huddled figures, but hesitates to walk over and disturb them. Maybe… Stain had a point. He should let them have this moment. They’ve all been through a lot these past couple weeks and they don’t need him to fuck it up. 

 

A white furry mass climbs up the ladder behind him and scampers through his legs towards the trio as fast as it’s little four paws could carry its fluffy body. The sound of Flour’s paws clicking against the rooftop alerts the trio and they turn around.

 

“Flour!” Izuku exclaims, holding his arms out to the raccoon, who doesn’t hesitate to jump into the embrace. 

 

“It’s so unfair that Flour likes you more than me.” Himiko whines with a pout, which only earns her a shrug from the greenette.

 

Hitoshi and Dabi make eye contact for an uncomfortable second, before the moody teen sighs and impatiently asks, “You wanna join us?” 

Icy blue eyes widen in surprise, the ex-villain caught off guard by the seemingly harmless question. Dabi self-consciously takes a step back, causing Hitoshi to scoff. 

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to tell anyone that you’re scared of heights. I don’t think your street cred could handle the bashing.” The insomniac teases with a subtle smirk.

 

Dabi scowls and kicks a stray pebble off the edge of the roof, “I’m not scared of heights.” He states firmly, before pinning the teen down with a chilly glare, “And what do you know about street cred, kid?”

 

Hitoshi raises a skeptical brow, “Dude. I’m pretty sure Himiko has more street cred than you. And she’s blonde and wears a cardigan .” 

 

Himiko punches Hitoshi hard in the shoulder, “Oi! Watch your mouth, troll doll!”

 

“You wanna go, Nosferatu!?” Hitoshi snaps back.

 

Dabi sighs as they both begin to squabble and he’s starting to regret even bothering to climb up to the roof in the first place. Izuku, ever the observant one, notices the adult’s growing frustration and tries to diffuse the situation before it worsens. The youngest teen shares a pained smile with their temporary guardian, as if to say “I know it’s annoying, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it”. This seems to ease some of Dabi’s agitation. 

 

Izuku takes this as a good sign and gives the scarred man a hopeful smile, “Do you want to sit with us?” He asks, while Hitoshi and Himiko continue their sibling squabbling. 

 

Dabi looks over the sunny trio, then looks back at the brooding villain perched alone in his dark corner, before making up his mind and turning his attention back to Izuku, “Sure.”

 

Izuku brightens as Dabi sits with them, even though the other chooses to keep his distance by sitting at least an arms length away. 

Dabi looks out at the expanse in front of him and for once in his life he feels some sense of peace. From atop their apartment building, you can barely see the waters of the ocean, where Dagobah Beach lies somewhere along its coastline. The tall skyscrapers and large company buildings of the city partially block their view. As the minutes pass by, the sun rises higher above the horizon in slow increments, gradually warming up the air as they all bask in its rays. 

At some point Hitoshi and Himiko had stopped squabbling and the trio go back to conversing quietly about anything that came to their minds. Dabi let their meaningless conversation melt into the background as he thinks about how crazy his life has become. 

 

He just didn’t know how much crazier it could get.




***




Gentle Criminal knocks on the apartment door for the fifth time in the row, “Hmmmm…” He hums, before trying to peer through the peephole, “Hellooooooo. It’s your new partners in crime! The amazing Gentle Criminal, with his lovely assistant La Brava.” He holds up a small white box, “We brought donuts!” He adds cheerfully.

 

His magenta-haired side kick frowns in confusion, “Maybe they’re just really deep sleepers Gentle.” She suggests.

 

Gentle frowns and looks down at his box of donuts, “Or maybe they just don’t like donuts.” He murmurs under his breath.

 

La Brava, seeing the dejected look on Gentle’s face, furiously bangs on the door and hollers, “We lied! We brought bagels!”





***





“I only looked far enough into her future to confirm your suspicions, Detective. The moment I saw her frantically packing up her enormous cache of illegal weaponry, I ended my vision and notified you immediately, nothing more. Over the years I’ve restrained from looking into other’s futures farther than absolutely necessary . The last thing I need is the guilty conscience of knowing a person’s fate and being utterly powerless to prevent the inevitable outcome.” Nighteye says calmly through Naomasa’s receiver, letting the implications of his explanation to sink in, before solemnly adding, “We all have to be able to sleep at night, after all.”

 

The detective’s grip on the phone tightens until his knuckles turn white, “So you didn’t see anything beyond that? You couldn’t have looked a bit further into her future? Or-”

 

Tsukauchi. ” The foresight hero sounds livid now, “I suggest you choose your next words wisely, because it sounds like you’re accusing me of having a hand in the villain’s demise. Yes, what happened to Dragonfly was tragic. I understand that she clearly meant a lot to you personally. However , that does not excuse your accusatory behavior towards me right now. Don’t let personal feelings cloud your judgement.” He warns.

 

“She was a vigilante , not a villain.” Naomasa corrects bluntly.

 

“Nevertheless, Dragonfly was on the wrong side of the law and you know this. Or have you forgotten which side you stand on?” Nighteye presses back.

Before Naomasa could recover with a retort, Nighteye abruptly hangs up the phone.

Notes:

I'm back! This took a while to write since I've been so enormously busy. I apologize for the wait. This chapter was pretty difficult to write since it's been a while.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! I think it's a pretty satisfactory filler chapter. Next chapter will be much more interesting.

End of Chapter Question:
As we rapidly approach the end of a pretty shitty year, what is your happiest memory of something that happened in 2020?

I graduated from high school earlier this year in June. It wasn't a real graduation, but I still got to wear my dress blues to the ceremony and I felt really proud to receive my diploma in that sharp and snazzy uniform, because I worked my ass off for it for goodness sake. In that moment, I felt like everything I had worked for was worth it.

Notes:

Updates every other weekend, unless notified by the author. Don't be shy to answer the end-of-chapter question! I read every loving comment and I usually give direct responses. ❤

Discord link: https://discord.gg/M7ypQrZ

Link to Art Gallery: https://www.pinterest.com/Random_Bystander/how-to-be-a-hero-my-fanfic-on-ao3-art-gallery/