Chapter 56: Back to School
It was getting late and Izuku was already in his pajamas when he heard his phone go off. Wheeling his chair across the room, he picked up his phone and saw the message from Ochako, telling him that she had made it home safely after her girl's night out. He felt himself smiling as he replied, and was looking forward to seeing her again under happier circumstances than the aftermath of Hosu.
Returning to his desk, he resumed watching videos on yap!Tube waiting for Himiko to arrive. She should be home soon, and he was sure she would want to talk.
It wasn't until an hour had passed and Himiko still hadn't returned home that Izuku grew concerned. Mentally double-checking, he knew it shouldn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes for Himiko to arrive home after Ochako whenever they had their outings. Even though he was fully aware that she could handle herself, he still grew worried. Standing up, he walked out to the living room.
"Mom, any word from Himi?"
"No Izu. I thought they were just out late."
"I got a message from Uraraka about an hour ago saying she was home," Izuku explained. "I thought that meant Himi would be home by now."
That caused Inko to frown. "I hope she's ok."
"I'm sure she is."
"I know she's probably just out with friends, but after everything that happened." Inko looked at Izuku's shoulder meaningfully.
Izuku felt guilt twist in his stomach as he clutched at the bandages. "I didn't mean to make you worry."
"I know, Izu. First, your class got attacked and now this-" She pointed at his shoulder. "I feel like the world's getting more dangerous, and I can't help but worry about you and Himi."
Izuku thought about All Might and felt himself flinch. "I know. But if the world's getting more dangerous, then it needs people like us… more than ever."
"I know. Just - let me worry, ok?" Inko gave her son a fragile smile. "I don't want to take either of you for granted only to wake up one day and discover that you aren't there anymore. Like-"
"-like Hisashi," Izuku said softly, crossing the gap to hug his mom.
The quiet moment was broken when they heard the door slam open. "Guess who has a girlfriend!" Himiko shouted from the entryway, unable to contain her excitement.
"That's wonderful Himi!" Inko said as Izuku released her, allowing her to stand up. "Did you and Song finally work things out?"
"How did you know it was Emmy?" Himiko asked suspiciously.
"I may have told her," Izuku admitted.
"Way to spoil it." Himiko glared at her brother.
"Considering how much you tease me about Uraraka, it's only fair!" Izuku pointed out.
"Ugh, fine!" Himiko grumbled as she knelt to remove her shoes before stepping into the apartment proper, grabbing a bag as she did so. By the time she had made it to the couch, her annoyance had been wiped away, and she was beaming again. "Speaking of Uraraka, it's her fault we finally got together!"
"Oh? What happened?"
"She made Emmy admit she liked me in front of everyone!" Himiko burst out laughing. "It was actually kind of amazing that she managed to make her crack."
"And how did you take that?" Izuku asked pointedly.
Himiko felt her face heating up as she reached into the bag and pulled out the newest member of her collection. A stuffed doll in the shape of a female scientist. From the tag, Izuku could tell it was from some anime, but he knew the source didn't matter to Himiko. To her, it had a completely different meaning.
"She ran out of the restaurant before I realized what was happening. I found her in an alleyway and well." She hugged the doll to her chest, pressing her cheek against the top of it. "I may have kissed her a bunch before we made it back to the restaurant."
"My daughter's growing up so fast!" Inko said. She had already started to cry as Izuku rushed to hand her a box of tissues.
"It's all thanks to you," Himiko said softly. "I don't think I would have met Emmy otherwise."
"I'm glad you two finally worked it out," Izuku said to his sister, a smile of his own on his face. "You two are good for each other."
"Yep!" Himiko smiled fondly. "We really do so much for each other. Even if it causes us to butt heads a lot."
"Is that going to change now that you're dating?"
"Nope!" Himiko's smile morphed into a smirk. "We already talked about it and agreed that it would be too weird otherwise. We like each other because of how we are."
"You two are going to confuse everyone at school." Izuku teased.
"Fine by me! It's not our fault if they can't understand us!" Himiko exclaimed dramatically.
"I guess not."
While Inko began pestering her daughter with questions, Izuku gave his sister a goodnight hug before returning to his room. Collapsing on his bed, he grabbed his phone and looked at the message log for Ochako. It felt strange, thinking that she might like him back. He tried to type out several messages, deleting all of them before giving up and burying his face in a pillow.
"Why is this so hard?"
After a few minutes, he decided that he didn't need to rush things. Like Himiko and Emily, they'll figure it out in their own way. Nodding to himself, he typed out a simple message.
Good night Uraraka-san. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
With a smile on his face, he set the phone down, before he turned off the lights in his room.
Himiko woke up the next morning still clutching the stuffed doll that Emily had chosen the night before. With a smile, she released her grip on the doll before stretching out. Looking at the clock she saw it was almost 6:30 in the morning, and time to get ready for school.
As she stood up she noticed something on her window. An envelope. Curious, she padded over to her window and opened it, grabbing the envelope and tugging at it until the tape pulled free, and pulled it inside. Sitting in her chair, she opened the envelope and peered inside.
A two-toned piece of paper and a vial of blood.
Feeling a twisting in her stomach, Himiko unfolded the piece of paper, one half blue, the other pink. In clear letters was a location in Mustafu, and a time later this week. The note simply ended by saying "You know what to do."
Himiko pulled out the vial of blood next and examined it, a smirk forming on her lips. It looked like Kaina wanted to talk to her, and had given her a ready-made disguise to meet her with.
Setting the vial down, she reached across her desk to her case of vials and extracted an empty one. Very carefully, she transferred the blood from the test tube to one of her reusable vials, before throwing the now-empty tube in a tray with her used syringes and other equipment. Placing the vial back into her case, she closed the lid before looking at the note one last time.
Ever since her talk with Nezu, she had been waiting for her next opportunity to talk to the former hero. Sure she had the number tucked away in the back of her desk, but she had always been afraid to call it and waste the opportunity. But a chance to meet in person? That was the opportunity she had been looking forward to.
Getting off the train, Izuku and Himiko spotted Ochako and Atsuko waiting for them, the two girls talking. Waving her hands, Himiko ran up to her friend, while Izuku walked up to his friend and smiled.
"Hey, Uraraka."
"Morning Deku!" Ochako gave him a bright smile. "You look much better than when I last saw you!"
Izuku unconsciously put his hand on his bandaged shoulder. "Yeah… I'm not in a hospital bed for starters."
"Exactly!" She gave him a more serious look. "How is your arm, anyway?"
"It still hurts, but it's getting better," Izuku admitted. "I'm probably going to have to take training easy the next few days."
"Let me know if I can do anything to help, ok?"
"I will." Izuku smiled at his friend, enjoying the sense of warmth her smile gave him.
The four fell into an easy pace as they finished the short journey to school before the first years and second years split up to head to their respective homerooms. Izuku pulled open the door and the two saw the chaos inside as their classmates were discussing their internships.
"Why did I choose Mt. Lady again?" Minoru whined in one corner while Denki was trying to comfort him.
"It couldn't have been that bad, could it?"
"She is a slave driver!" Minoru shuddered at the memories. "I never felt so exploited in my life."
Off to one side of the room, Izuku was surprised to see Bakugo covered in bandages, bruises evident on his face.
"Dude, what happened to you?" Eijiro asked, standing in front of his desk with Mina.
"What kind of crazy villains did you face?" Mina asked.
"He was interning with Mirko, I imagine she goes against some crazy powerful villains!"
"I bet one of them did it!"
"I'm not talking about it," Katsuki grumbled.
"Come on man! You've got to let us know what you faced!"
"How about I explode you instead?" Bakugo threatened, small explosions coming off of his hand, but it didn't quite have the bite it usually had behind it.
Finally, Izuku noticed Tenya talking with Shoto and Momo, his arm still sitting in a sling.
"Thank you for your concern, but I will persevere! This is nothing compared to what my brother had to endure!" Tenya noticed Izuku and Ochako standing in the doorway and waved them over. "Midoriya! Uraraka!"
"Morning Iida!" Ochako said as the two walked over.
"Good morning everyone. Talking about your internships?"
"Indeed!"
"We were discussing Hosu," Shoto explained.
"You all were there, weren't you?" Momo asked. "I'm kind of jealous. Nothing exciting like that happened to me."
"I wouldn't call disaster clean-up exciting," Ochako admitted with a sad look on her face.
"It is much scarier in person than it is through the cameras." Izuku pointed out, before indicating his and Tenya's injuries. "Not to mention painful."
"That-" Momo's face turned red from embarrassment before she bowed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply-"
"It's ok Yaoyorozu," Shoto assured her. "I understood what you meant."
"My time with Yoroi Musha was enlightening, but not in the way I was expecting," Momo admitted. "He gave me quite a few things to think about in how to use my quirk and how to face villains. But ultimately his district was quiet and I didn't receive a lot of field experience the way others were able to."
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough!" Izuku encouraged her.
"Indeed! UA would be negligent in their duties if they didn't ensure we had enough real-world experience before it was time to graduate! Your time will come!"
"Thanks." Momo gave the four a soft smile.
"Talking about internships, kero?" Tsuyu asked as she came up.
"Yeah!" Ochako smiled at her friend. "It seems like Hosu was the most exciting thing to happen to our class."
"I'm not surprised, kero."
"Did you see any action Tsu?" Izuku asked, excitement in his eyes.
Tsuyu gave him a small nod. "We had to deal with a band of smugglers. It was scary but Selkie made it look so easy!"
"I didn't see that one on the news," Momo said.
"It was likely considered a local incident, not large enough to make headlines across Japan," Tenya explained. "Why don't you tell us about it?"
"It started when we received a distress call, kero…"
Lunchtime rolled around and Izuku sat with his friends when he saw an unexpected pair walking over. Shoto was talking with Momo as they approached his table, instead of walking to their usual isolated table off in the corner.
"Mind if we join you?" Shoto asked Izuku.
"No, I don't mind. Any objections?" Izuku asked his three friends.
"No, kero."
"Nope."
"We would be honored if you joined us!" Tenya said as he shifted down.
"Thank you," Momo said as she sat down next to Shoto. "I know we haven't spoken much outside of classes, but we both were hoping to rectify that if you will allow us."
Shoto merely gave a noncommittal sound, but the meaning was clear to Izuku. He looked at his friends questioningly before turning back to the two recommendation students. "I'm willing to give it a shot."
"Indeed! It would be an honor to learn about you too, as well!" Tenya said.
As they settled in, suddenly Tenya seemed to notice something. "Midoriya, is your older sister in a relationship with Song?"
"Hrm?" Izuku turned to follow his friend's gaze and saw Himiko and Emily holding hands, his sister pulling her girlfriend along to the counter where her specialized lunches are prepared. "Oh yeah, they got together last night."
"Y-yeah they did!" Ochako said, a little too loudly. "It was super cute!"
"Kero." Tsuyu looked at her friend with a neutral stare. "Did she tell you how it happened?"
"Yeah." Izuku turned back to the table. "I'm happy for her."
"How does it even work? Half the time those two are arguing with each other!"
"That's just how they are."
"I will admit, after seeing her in class, it's hard to imagine Song in a relationship," Momo said, trying to join in. "She just seems so… driven."
"Don't you remember Midoriya from those two movie nights?" Tsuyu asked.
"How could I forget?" Momo admitted, appearing to grow a little paler.
"Do you frequently spend time with the upperclassmen girls?" Shoto asked in confusion.
"Only the two times," Momo admitted.
"Tsu and I go out with them every couple of weeks," Ochako explained. "But that's because I spend so much time with Midoriya already."
"You do?" Shoto asked in surprise.
"Uraraka and I do homework together." Izuku quickly explained. "Since she lives alone, mom invited her over after the USJ and it just became a routine. Usually, Himi is doing her homework with us as well."
"So this is what normal socializing is like." Shoto mused, a look of deep concentration on his face as everyone stared at him awkwardly.
"You mean to tell me you've never had a normal social life?" Tenya asked incredulously.
"Most of my life was spent training," Shoto explained as if it was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
"I insist, we must fix this!" Tenya formed a palm with his open hand and gently tapped his cast with it. "Midoriya, are you free this Sunday?"
Izuku's eyes slid over to Ochako for a brief moment before focusing on his friend. "I don't have any plans yet, no."
"Then it is decided! We will take Todoroki for a day of socializing!"
"What about us?" Momo awkwardly asked Ochako and Tsuyu, feeling left out.
"I guess… Do you want to get to know Midoriya's older sister and Song outside of school?" Ochako asked with a wide grin on her face.
Momo watched as the two upperclassmen walked to their table, both balancing a tray with one hand as they held hands. She couldn't help but admit that getting to know more students would help broaden her horizons further. Coming to a decision, she looked back at her two classmates and offered them a polite smile. "That sounds wonderful. As long as I'm not imposing."
"Nope! How about it, Tsu?"
"Sounds like it will be entertaining, Kero."
That night, as Izuku walked Ochako back to the train station, he gathered his courage. He still wasn't ready to ask her out. Not yet. However, he knew he wanted to spend more time with her and get to know her outside the context of school or even their evenings spent studying in his living room.
"Um, Uraraka?"
"Hmm, what is it, Deku?" Ochako stopped and looked at him curiously.
"I know we see each other every day, but I was wondering if you wanted to take the scenic route home sometime this week?"
"Scenic route?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Well you see, it's a bit of a walk, but there's a lot of nice parks between our apartment and UA. I was thinking one day maybe we could, well, walk home instead of taking the train?"
Ochako stopped and slowly turned towards Izuku as she placed her hands behind her back. He was worried that he might have done something wrong until he realized that she was smiling at him.
"That sounds wonderful Deku!"
Izuku couldn't help but match her smile. "How about we do that on Wednesday? Since we won't have physical training we won't risk being worn out then."
"What? The future number one hero is afraid of a little walk after a day of training?"
"I- well-"
Ochako broke into a fit of giggles. "I'm kidding! That sounds great."
The two resumed their walk until they reached the train station, where they gave each other a goodbye hug.
"Goodnight Deku."
"Goodnight Uraraka."
"...Ochako."
"Hrm?"
Ochako pulled back to look at Izuku's face, and he saw the blush on her cheeks slowly spreading. "I'd like it if you called me Ochako. I mean, I've been calling you Deku practically since school started! And I spend so much time with your family it just… feels right."
"O-oh. Ok." Izuku paused for a moment, mentally trying her name out in his head before speaking again. "Goodnight Ochako."
Ochako gave him a warm smile as she resumed hugging him, before finally pulling away. "See you in school tomorrow!"
"Yeah… see you tomorrow Ochako."
As he did every night, Izuku watched her run down the ramp into the station before he turned and began walking home, unable to keep a smile off his face. Even if he didn't know what he was doing, he knew that they'd figure it out together.
Chapter 57: Planted Seeds
When it came time for their free period, Izuku packed his quirk analysis work in his bag and looked over at Momo as they stood up. As they made their way to the door, he saw Tenya and Kirishima stand up as well, to prepare for their own pilot courses. Looking around the room, he saw annoyance on Bakugo's face and disappointment on several others, making a mental note of them.
Joining Momo outside the classroom, they began walking down the hallway. Once they were out of earshot she turned to him and started speaking. "You saw it too, right?"
"Yeah, some people are feeling left out. It was one thing when it was just the two of us, but now that more classes are starting up, people are feeling left out."
"We'll have to talk to them later."
"Mmm." Izuku nodded in agreement. "We can split up the list and see what they want to do?"
"That sounds like a plan!" Momo smiled back.
As they made their way to the classroom that Nezu had repurposed for their class, they heard two voices inside, and Izuku froze. No way. She had joined the class?
"Is something wrong?" Momo asked.
"No! It's nothing!" Izuku said quickly. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he reached the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, Mei Hatsume was there, currently engaged in a rather spirited conversation with Emily.
"Ah, there you are!" Nezu called from the desk. "As you can see, we have a new member joining the Analysis course, on the recommendation of Miss Song."
"You are a support student though, right?" Momo asked in confusion. "Doesn't your track cover quirk analysis already?"
"Yep! Mei Hatsume, at your service!" Mei said as she jumped up and practically charged at Momo. She grabbed the other girl's hand and began shaking it vigorously.
"This course covers much of what the support students do, true," Nezu admits. "However while the support analysis course is focused on a general analysis of quirks, this course is focused on analyzing specific quirks possessed by an individual, and doing so rapidly."
"That's why I recommended her!" Emily called out. "She doesn't take people's quirks into account with her support equipment!"
"You take that back, my babies are fine!" Mei spun around and glared at the other girl.
"It's not your equipment that's the problem!"
"I don't see the problem then!"
"Of course you don't!" Emily practically yelled in exasperation. "You need to custom design your gear based on each person's needs!"
"But then you limit your sales! My babies are designed for a general audience! That way they can reach a wider market of individuals."
Izuku turns to look at Momo, who looked like she was having second thoughts about agreeing to spend time with the upperclassmen that weekend. Finally noticing Izuku, she returned his gaze and the two laughed nervously before they stepped around the pair and sat down, unpacking their notes from their internships.
Izuku found himself strangely nervous all afternoon as he waited for the day to end. Tonight he was walking home with Ochako. While this wasn't the first time he walked home alone with her, this was the first time after his conversation with Emily, and he found himself frequently caught up in his head as he thought about it.
At the end of the day, he sighed in relief as he dismissed the class for the day. Ochako joined him at his desk with a bright smile on her face. Looking over, he saw Tenya offer him an encouraging smile before he left the classroom. Now there was only one more person they had to escape from: his sister. The pair exited school to see Himiko and Atsuko talking as usual, and as they began approaching them Izuku was busy trying to think up some excuse to get away from the pair when Himiko suddenly turned to him and spoke up.
"Izu, I've got some errands to run. Tell mom I'll be home for dinner, ok?" Himiko said, a distracted look on her face.
"Oh, ok," Izuku asked, relief and confusion washed over him.
"Sorry I didn't tell you, something came up," Himiko said, biting her lower lip as she gave him a look. Izuku knew that meant he was in for a heavy conversation tonight.
"Alright. I'll let mom know." Izuku promised.
With a wave Himiko was off, heading toward the nearby shopping district and leaving Izuku and Ochako alone with Atsuko. Ochako tilted her head curiously. "What was that about?"
"I bet it has to do with Song." Izuku jokes.
Atsuko gave Ochako a mischievous look. "Well, looks like I'm the third wheel here." Seeing both of their faces heat up, she turned around to hide her satisfied smile as she threw them a quick wave. "I'll see you in the morning."
"I guess we're on our own now," Izuku said, while Ochako watched the older girl go, both of them secretly happy that it turned out much easier than they thought it would be.
Izuku pulled out his phone and began sending a message to his mom. He had told his mom that he was going to be late but didn't want her worrying about Himiko, so he sent a message letting her know she would also be late. "Alright, I told mom about Himi. Ready to go?"
"Yep!" Ochako gave him a bright smile as the two began walking, Izuku leading Ochako down a different path towards his home.
The two idly chatted about their school day as Izuku led Ochako through Mustafu until they reached a park. With a smile, he motioned toward its entrance. "The path is through here."
"This is so much nicer than sitting on a train."
"Mmm." Izuku nodded in agreement as he turned to look at her. "I used to walk home all the time in middle school."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
As Ochako watched, she saw numerous emotions flash across Izuku's face. "What was it like?" Ochako asked. "Middle school, I mean." She saw him wince and immediately regretted asking. "I'm sorry! This was supposed to be nice and now-"
"It's ok," Izuku reassured the girl. "It's just complicated." Izuku stopped on the path, a faraway look on his face. "You remember how I explained I was a late-bloomer?"
"How could I forget?" Ochako said fondly. "Knowing that I was the first person you saved with your quirk."
"R-right," Izuku said as his face heated up, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "But at the time, since everyone thought I was quirkless, I didn't have a great time at school."
"I'm sorry," Ochako said, a dark look on her face. "You didn't deserve that."
"I know," Izuku said, surprising Ochako. "It wasn't right. Quirkless or late bloomer, Bakugo shouldn't have been able to turn most of my classmates against me that way."
Ochako smiled at her friend, nodding vigorously. "Imagine what would have happened if you weren't so committed to being a hero! You could have been a scary villain, ready to bring terror to those who wronged you!"
Izuku laughed nervously. "Y-yeah." He sighed. "And then it would have been your duty to stop me!"
"I would do it, too!" Ochako got a fierce look on her face as she threw some mock punches. Izuku noticed that her form had already improved after a single week as she did so. Just as quickly, her face softened again. "But… I kind of like having you as my b- est friend instead."
"Me too." Izuku agreed.
"So you want to help quirkless kids when you become the number one hero?" She asked, holding her hands behind her back.
"Yeah. Quirkless kids, and kids with quirks that are traditionally seen as villainous. They need heroes too. Perhaps more than everyone else."
"Sounds wonderful," Ochako admitted. "I'm sure you can pull it off!"
"Mmm." Izuku nodded his head in agreement before he looked at Ochako, and she felt her face heating up at the look of fondness he was giving her.
"W-we should probably start walking again," Ochako said weakly and began walking. A second later she felt, more than heard, Izuku catch up and keep pace with her again, and she cursed her cowardice. They continued walking in silence for a few minutes enjoying the scenery until Ochako finally broke it. "I know I won't be up there with you, but I'll be cheering you on!"
"What do you mean, you won't be up there?"
"Well… because I want to be a rescue hero! I know they aren't as popular as the likes of All Might and Endeavor. But… after Hosu that's what I want to do."
"You ready to talk about it?" Izuku asked softly.
"Yeah." Ochako stopped and smiled at him. "It's just like you said. The people in Hosu needed heroes even after Stain and the Nomus were dealt with. It may not be the same as what you're thinking, but I want to be there for those people. To make sure they know that they aren't forgotten, even after the villain is defeated."
"Ochako-" Izuku could already feel the tears forming. "With that attitude, you're gonna be a great hero! You won't be looking up to me because- because you'll be right there with me!"
Ochako felt herself tearing up as well, hearing those words. Sniffling, she wiped away the tears and smiled at Izuku. Meanwhile, Izuku furiously dug through his backpack to pull out a handful of tissues. He offered one to Ochako before he used the rest to deal with his own tears. "I'm sorry I made you cry, this was supposed to be a nice walk!"
"No!" Ochako insisted. "I- just- thank you. For believing in me."
"You believe in me too," Izuku said. "You were one of the first people outside of mom and Himi to do that."
"Well, here's to believing in each other then!" Ochako said, raising her fist.
"Yeah!" Izuku returned her fist bump.
The two resumed walking, a comfortable silence settling between them. To Izuku these parks had always been filled with bad memories, of him either evading Bakugo or defending other kids from his bullying. But now, he had a happy memory with Ochako to think back on. As he glanced in her direction he saw she was looking back at him, and when they locked eyes they both felt themselves smiling.
"We should visit these parks more often," Ochako suggested. "It's nice."
"Mmm." Izuku agreed. "Same time next week?"
"Yeah! That sounds great!"
Himiko finished up her homework, her cup of bubble tea long since emptied. With a resigned sigh, she looked at the clock and saw that it was finally approaching five PM. Packing up her bag, she quietly slipped into the restroom of the cafe that she had been visiting. Locking the door, she stripped off her school uniform, revealing her black bodysuit underneath. Shoving her clothes into her bag, she pulled out the vial of blood that Nagant had given her and removed the stopper.
Taking a deep breath, she drank the crimson liquid and activated her quirk, she felt the gray sludge wrap around her and the tan face of a completely different school girl stared back at her - wearing a UA uniform.
"Huh, I didn't know my quirk worked that way." Himiko examined herself in the mirror. "I guess it makes sense since I don't know what clothes she would wear, my mind would just supply a UA school uniform." Stopping suddenly, she went wide-eyed as she realized what she was doing. "Damn it, Emmy! You're going to love hearing about this, aren't you?"
With a sigh she shouldered her bag and left the cafe, making her way to the park from Kaina's note. Finding an isolated bench, she sat down and began scanning the tree line for birds.
Minutes later, Kaina casually strolled up and sat down next to her, her runner's attire completely different from the last time they had a conversation. "Have a problem with your clothes?"
"Turns out, when I have no point of reference to work with, my quirk fills in the blank with my own clothing," Himiko explained. "If you want more you'll have to send a picture next time."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kaina said.
"So what do you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to see how your internship went." She gave Himiko a sly smile. "Since I can't teach you myself, I want to make sure you had a good time.
Himiko stared incredulously at the woman, but she gave her no indication of what she was thinking. She finally relented with a sigh. "You were right. I had an offer from Hawks among my packet. When I went to Nezu he agreed that the offer was suspicious, had it flagged as 'potentially harmful for the student', and removed it from my pool."
"Excellent. He is as smart as ever, I see. Who did you end up interning with then?"
"Ryukyu. Although you already knew that, didn't you?"
"What? Do you think I don't keep up with the news or something?" Kaina asked with a slightly teasing tone. "Why do you think I'm having you go even deeper undercover? I want to keep you as safe as possible. Good thing you've got the perfect quirk to help with that."
"Yeah…" Himiko had to admit, she was grateful for the vigilante caring about her wellbeing. She still felt strange using her quirk for this though. It almost felt like she was a spy instead of a hero. Ironic, considering who she was talking to.
"How'd you impress her enough to let you on a raid? Without your provisional license aren't you supposed to stay away from the action?"
"Like you said, I have the perfect quirk," Himiko replied sarcastically.
"Fair enough," Kaina replied, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I take it Ryukyu saw your potential then?"
"Yep!" Himiko chirped happily. "She had lots of ideas to help me, whether I become an Underground Hero or not."
"Have you decided which way you want to go?"
"I think I'm going to see how high I can go on the hero billboards," Himiko admitted. "Izu thinks I could be a top ten hero once I master my quirk."
"Sounds about right. Any reason he doesn't think you couldn't be number one someday?"
"Because he's planning on being number one!" Himiko had a fond smile on her face. "And seeing how hard he works, I can believe it. He loves All Might and wants to be like him, in every way possible. Including being the number one hero, just like him."
"He'd better be careful. With that attitude, he could get burned."
Himiko laughed. "If you're talking about Endeavor, I think you're mistaken. The only reason Izu didn't beat his son at the sports festival is because he refused to break himself."
"And what about the HPSC?"
"Well, it's a good thing he has a sister in contact with a certain vigilante who knows all about them, isn't it?"
Kaina did something that Himiko didn't expect. She laughed. "You do have a good point. I guess by helping you I'm helping him too, huh?"
"Yep!"
"Well, I'm glad to know I'm helping two future top ten heroes then." Kaina looked at Himiko, and for the first time, Himiko saw a genuine smile on the former hero's face, not one tainted by cynicism. "Maybe there's hope for Japan after all."
Seeing her opportunity, Himiko decided to take a chance. "Have you ever… thought about becoming a hero again?"
Just like that, the wall of cynicism slammed back into place as she laughed coldly. "As if Japan would ever accept me. I'd need to get inside the HPSC and get all of their blackmail material on me, as well as the files showing the missions they sent me on if I wanted to even begin to clear my name. And even then, who wants a hero whose only skill is hurting and killing."
"Gee, maybe if you knew a girl who could get into the HPSC."
"I'm not worth it."
"Are you sure?"
"Kid." Kaina turned to face Himiko, staring her in the eye. "You have an amazing quirk and are already making a name for yourself. I'm a washed-up assassin whom everyone wants to forget ever existed."
"But you kept me safe," Himiko said softly. "That makes you a hero to me."
She was rewarded by seeing a glimpse of shock on Kaina's face before she tried to restore her emotional barriers. But when she spoke again, the wall of cynicism didn't feel so thick. "You're the first person to describe me that way in years."
"It feels good, doesn't it?"
Kaina didn't respond, she simply looked away and began examining the treeline. Himiko continued to stare at the woman, hoping for something, anything, to let her know what she was really thinking. But despite all of her training, the woman remained an enigma.
"Maybe you can never go back to being a top ten hero yourself, but that doesn't make you any less of a hero," Himiko said softly. "I know it doesn't make a lot of sense coming from me, Izu's always been the one who could explain it. But I think there's a lot of good you could still do, even with your quirk."
Kaina turned toward Himiko again. "You've got a good heart kid." She pointed at Himiko's chest. "Never let that feeling go." She stood up and began jogging away.
Sitting there, Himiko was stunned as she tried to process what she saw.
Was it a trick of the light, or was the former hero crying?
The next morning when Himiko awoke, she once again saw something attached to her window. A stuffed animal. Curious, she once again went to her window and opened it, pulling the object inside before she examined it. In her hands was a small stuffed animal in the shape of a phoenix. However, instead of the traditional reds and oranges, the fabric was a tie-dyed color. Holding it in her hands, she traced her fingers along the blue and pink lines that swirled through the fabric, a smile tugging at her lips.
Walking over to the large pile of stuffed animals she had collected over the past two years, she carefully placed the phoenix near the top of the pile. Stepping back, she looked at the doll in satisfaction.
Maybe she could find a way to help the former hero, after all.
Chapter 58: Sunday Hangout (1)
As Izuku stepped out of his bedroom to help with breakfast, he saw Himiko coming out of her room at the same time. Unlike her normal attire when she spends time with her friends, she was dressed up, wearing a crimson turtleneck and a black skirt, holding makeup in her hands.
"You know, for spending an afternoon with the girls, you're going all-out Himi," Izuku observed, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Looking to impress Emily?"
"Shut up!" Himiko closed the distance between them and threw an elbow jab, which Izuku casually blocked. "You're just jealous because Ochako's not a boy, so you can't invite her along to your thing!"
Izuku felt his face turning red as he tried to think of a response, causing Himiko to laugh. Claiming victory, she spun around and left him standing there as she entered the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Walking to the kitchen, he pulled out plates and set the table. He had just finished up when he heard the door to the bathroom open again, and Himiko skipped down the hallway toward the rest of her family.
"You look good Himi." Inko complimented her. "I hope you have a good time with Emily today."
Himiko felt herself blushing as she glanced at Izuku, who smiled at her. "Thanks! We're going to be hanging out with some of Izu's classmates, but we plan on spending some time together afterward."
"You two have fun!" Inko said, looking proudly at her daughter. "Just call if you're going to be late, ok? We don't want to worry about you again."
"I will," Himiko said before she glared daggers at her brother, who simply continued smiling at her. On one hand, she was proud of him for finally returning some of her teasing, but on the other hand, it was a low blow bringing their mom into it.
Once they finished breakfast Izuku and Himiko said their goodbyes and left for the train station, speculating on what their friends had in mind for the day. Given Tenya's rather uptight nature and his upbringing, Izuku was a little worried to discover what he thought was a normal activity for a group of high school students. Himiko, on the other hand, wasn't too worried about what Ochako and Tsuyu had planned.
When they finally reached the train station, he hugged his sister and said goodbye before she ran toward a platform to catch her train. Izuku turned toward a different platform and left to catch his own train.
When Izuku stepped out of the train station, he saw Tenya already waiting, dressed in a golf shirt and a relaxed pair of slacks. Izuku saw that he was reading something on his phone, but as he approached his friend quickly snapped to attention.
"Midoriya! Just on time!"
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all! Besides, Todoroki isn't here yet either."
"That's true," Izuku admitted. "So what's the plan?"
"I have several destinations in mind, followed by some free time before our dinner reservation!" Tenya proudly declared.
"You got a dinner reservation?"
"Indeed!" Tenya smiled. "There is an excellent sushi restaurant nearby, and I wanted to make sure Todoroki had the best experience possible, so I called ahead to ensure we could eat dinner there!"
"Sounds good," Izuku said with a forced smile as he realized Tenya's definition of a relaxing weekend is vastly different from his own experiences. Even if most of his experience over the last year and a half came from following Himiko's lead and spending time with her friend group, this felt like overkill.
The two talked for a few minutes until Shoto arrived. As he approached the pair, he looked out of his element, as if he was waiting for instructions.
"And he has arrived!" Tenya announced.
"So now what?" Shoto asked.
"First up, we are going to visit the local batting cages!"
"Batting cages?" Izuku asked in confusion.
"Yes!" Tenya adjusted his glasses. "They are an excellent warm-up to start your day!"
"Warm-up? I thought we were hanging out, not training?" Shoto asked.
"We are!" Tenya opened his palm and tapped his cast with it. "This is an excellent way to start our day! And for you." Tenya motioned to Izuku "It also will give your arm a nice workout now that the wound has been taken care of."
"But what about you?" Izuku asked, motioning to his arm still in a cast.
"Don't worry about me!" Tenya said. "Today is more for Shoto! I am simply here to facilitate that!"
"It does sound interesting." Shoto agreed before turning to Izuku. "Let's try it out."
"Sure." Izuku agreed, deciding not to question Tenya further. "Lead the way."
Tenya began walking, and the other two followed him as he led them through the streets to an indoor sports center. After speaking with the clerk, he was offered two baseball bats. Stepping aside, Tenya motioned for the two to retrieve the bats, before he led the pair into a courtyard with several batting cages set up and walked to their assigned stall.
"Here we are!" Tenya said.
"So how does this work?" Shoto asked, examining the bat.
"Simple!" Tenya pointed to a square box on the ground. "You stand in that box, and then that machine there." He pointed to the ball launcher. "Will fire baseballs at you to hit. Your goal is to aim for the targets behind the machine." He pointed to the two paper targets hanging on the net. "And see how many times you can hit the target. Then once the launcher is empty, you will switch with Midoriya and it will be his turn to try."
"Seems simple enough," Shoto said as he stepped into the box while Tenya walked over to the machine and set it up.
"Ready?" Tenya called.
"Yes."
"Begin!" Tenya pressed the button to activate the machine and then dashed out of the way as the timer counted down before it started firing baseballs in Shoto's direction.
Shoto swung the bat at the first baseball and was too early, the ball sailing past him before he could readjust himself. The second baseball he swung too late, and missed a second time. Steeling himself, he watched the third baseball come in carefully, and swung his bat, hitting the baseball with a loud crack and sending it flying into the net. Having found the correct timing, he began to adjust his aim, coming closer and closer to the targets, before the launcher buzzed, announcing that it was empty.
"You're improving quickly!" Izuku encouraged as he stepped forward.
"Indeed! You'll be a pro by the time we're done for sure!"
"A pro, huh?" Shoto asked as he watched Tenya gather the baseballs and insert them into the launcher.
"Is something wrong?" Izuku asked.
"No." Shoto shook his head. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things recently."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Maybe later," Shoto admitted. "First, you need to see if you can beat me." He said, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face as he stepped out of the box, making way for Izuku.
With a confident smile, Izuku stepped into the box and took several practice swings. His shoulder felt stiff, the muscle tissue that was healed thanks to Recovery Girl still tense. He heard the buzz as the first baseball was fired, and found his swing was too slow. It took three more swings before he was able to compensate for his shoulder properly, and after that, he too found himself consistently hitting the ball. With each crack he watched the ball go flying into the net, inching closer to the target, and with the final ball, he hit the target.
"That's one point for Midoriya!" Tenya announced as he began gathering balls.
"I see. So I'm behind you in this as well." Shoto said as he stepped forward. "You have a surprising amount of skills."
"I'm surprised your aim isn't better," Izuku admitted, earning him a harsh glare from Shoto. "I-I mean, you practice with your quirk, right? My ranged capabilities are much less focused and more of 'point in the general direction and unleash a large blast of air.'"
"You're right," Shoto admitted. "But this is different." Shoto examined the bat. "When I use my quirk, it is an extension of myself. But wielding a baseball bat requires a different set of skills."
"I'm sure you'll get it this time." Izuku encouraged. "You were getting close last time!"
"I'm not going to let myself fall behind," Shoto said as he stepped back into the zone.
Shoto began hitting the next set of baseballs and about halfway through struck the target. Izuku cheered him on but he didn't even acknowledge it, and simply focused on trying to hit the target more consistently. The two traded off back and forth, alternating taking turns in the batting cage while Tenya constantly refilled the machine and offered encouragement to his friend and classmate.
As they were nearing the end of the rental period, Tenya began gathering the baseballs one final time, resetting the machine for the next person before joining the others. "So, what do you think?"
"I like it," Shoto said, a small smile on his face. "It was more enjoyable than my typical training."
"Yeah!" Izuku agreed. "It sounded weird at first, but it actually felt good!"
"See! I told you it is the perfect start to a day!" Tenya said with a huge smile on his face.
"Are we doing another physical activity after this?" Shoto asked.
"No! Next, I wish to challenge your mind!"
A short while later, the three walked into an internet cafe, where there was a coffee shop set up on one side of the store, which made way to three rows of computers further back.
"What are we doing here?" Shoto asked curiously.
"We are going to play games, of course!" Tenya announced.
Once again Tenya talked to the clerk and rented three computers for several hours before he led the group to the machines in the far corner.
"So how does this work?" Shoto asked as he sat down in front of the middle machine.
"It's simple!" Tenya logged in with the credentials provided and navigated to a folder full of links. "I'm going to show you how to use video games to pass the time!"
"I never knew you played computer games," Izuku said.
"Surprising, isn't it?" Tenya said with a smile on his face. "I will admit, for the longest time I had considered such games to be a waste of time and energy, but then Tensei introduced me to the wonderful genre of strategy games!"
"Strategy Games?" Shoto asked.
"Indeed!" Tenya leaned over and selected the icon for a game called Age of the Shogun. "Such games help you develop strategic thinking, managing resources, and executing short- and long-term plans!"
Tenya started the game up and started a new game. "Now this game is simple! You can plan and execute your moves without worrying about the computer responding until you are done! So we can take it slowly."
Izuku simply looked at the screen and saw the many buttons and options on the screen, and already felt intimidated by what was about to happen. As he watched, Tenya tried to explain all of the buttons on the screen, bringing up multiple different panels filled with numbers and information. He then went into a different menu explaining how to develop his towns and cities, before he went on to explain unit movement around the map.
"As you can see, it's extremely simple!" Tenya concluded proudly.
"A-are you sure about that?" Izuku asked. He prided himself on his quick thinking, but after half an hour, he felt like he only understood about half of what Tenya explained.
"Unfortunately, I agree with Midoriya," Shoto said, maintaining a neutral expression on his face.
"But-!" Tenya began to protest.
"How about we try something else?" Izuku asked quickly, cutting off his friend. Quickly grabbing the mouse, he closed the current game and began looking through what other games were installed on the computer. His eyes lit up when he saw Fantasy Age: The Dark Storm was installed and quickly clicked the icon. "This is the newest game in the series! I haven't even had a chance to pick it up yet!"
"What is this?" Shoto asked curiously.
"This is a Role-Playing Game," Izuku explained. "You create a fantasy persona that starts from humble beginnings, but ends up going on a grand adventure to save the world!"
"How does that work?"
"Well, first we create your character. Think of this as your digital avatar in the game." Izuku explained as he launched the game and brought up the character creator. "There's a lot of options, but since we're limited on time, let's do something simple."
With Shoto's help, they created a character that looked similar to Shoto without his scar, a wizard from a noble family who sought to find his way in the world. After they watched the introduction video Shoto found himself in control of his character for the first time. "Now what do I do?"
"You use these keys to move around." Izuku gestured to the keyboard. "And then your mouse to look around. When you want to interact with someone or something you just click on it, and then when you get into your first fight the game will explain how that works."
"I see." Shoto then turned toward the screen and began playing.
Izuku and Tenya watched for a few minutes to ensure that Shoto was enjoying himself before they sat down at their computers. Tenya loaded up a science fiction strategy game and began conquering the galaxy while Izuku loaded up Hero Warriors XI. Selecting All Might, he began to play the game, where his goal was to punch his way through hundreds of low-level minions trying to find the villains scattered around the city trying to commit crimes.
It was mindless fun and a bit of a guilty pleasure, but Izuku had to admit that he loved the game series. As he was playing it, he found himself enjoying it even more than usual. Having been in several very real combat situations, the mindless simplicity of beating up minions just felt good.
If only reality worked this way, but alas, it was only a video game.
As their time began to run out, Izuku and Tenya both ended their sessions and looked over at Shoto.
"Wait, you're still in the tutorial area?" Izuku asked in surprise.
"Is that a problem?"
"Normally the tutorial shouldn't take this long to complete." Tenya pointed out.
"There was so much to do." Shoto shrugged as he opened his character page, causing the two of them to gasp. Despite being in the tutorial area, he was already well above the level when you were expected to advance the story, and equipped with reasonable gear. "I just kept finding people to talk to and they kept sending me on quests."
"Well, I think it's safe to say that this was a success!" Tenya exclaimed.
"Indeed." Shoto put his hand to his chin as he looked at his character sprite. "Can we go buy this game? I think I'd like to play it more at home."
"Of course!" Izuku lit up. "There's a shop a few blocks away that specializes in all sorts of games! It's practically next to a hero store!"
"You were planning on going to a hero merchandise store?"
"Of course! I don't go to this one often, their prices are on the high side, but they tend to have things I can't get at my usual shop." Izuku began to explain enthusiastically.
"Well then, Midoriya I guess it's your turn to lead the way!" Tenya exclaimed.
The three walked down several streets to reach the main part of the shopping district, where Izuku led the pair to the electronics store. After examining the map at the entrance, Shoto took the lead as he led the pair through the store to their computer games. Inside, they found the display and Shoto picked up a copy of Fantasy Age, as well as several earlier games from the series.
As he stared at the small pile of boxes in his hands, he realized something very important. "Oh."
"What's wrong?" Tenya asked.
"Our computers at home don't have a disk drive," Shoto explained. "Where do I buy one of those?"
"Ehehe." Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "I think they should have them over there." He pointed toward a sign labeled Computer Hardware.
"Lead the way then."
A few minutes later they found an optical drive for Shoto, and they paid for the items before leaving the store. Once outside, Izuku pointed to a red-and-blue storefront near the end of the street.
"There's our next stop!"
They crossed the street and entered the shop, and Shoto was immediately assailed by bright colors. The store was filled with costumes, shirts, action figures, and more for a wide range of heroes, their costumes creating a collage of bright colors that overwhelmed the normally stoic boy. By the time he had recovered, Izuku had already taken off, disappearing down the aisles in search of elusive All Might merchandise, leaving him alone with Tenya.
"You've never been in this type of store before?"
"No." Shoto shook his head. "I never saw the point."
"You didn't want to see how people saw your father?"
"Why would I want to do that?" Shoto asked curiously. "He put in the work to become the number two hero and has solved the most number of cases in Japan. What else matters?"
Tenya opened his mouth to say something, before he closed it, a firm line forming on his lips. "Ok! We must rectify this situation! Follow me!" Tenya led Shoto down another aisle and stopped in front of a small section dedicated to Ingenium. Currently, the section was mostly empty, with only a few erasers and notepads left for sale.
"Why is it so empty?"
"This often happens when a hero is injured or retires," Izuku said from behind the pair, startling them. As they turned, he was holding a large box containing an All Might action figure. "Considering what happened to him, you have collectors and fans buying everything they can, because it may be their last chance to support their favorite hero."
"People really feel that way about heroes?"
"Yes!" Tenya had a look of pride on his face. "Even though Tensei was never in the top ten, the people of Hosu loved him."
"I see." Shoto looked down the aisle and saw many other heroes, each with small sections dedicated to themselves, from upcoming heroes such as Kamui Woods to established heroes such as the members of the Wild Wild Pussycats. "Where is the Endeavor merchandise?"
"This way."
Izuku led the pair to another aisle dedicated exclusively to the top ten heroes. Shoto found himself impressed that Endeavor's merchandise took up almost a third of the aisle alone. "People like my father this much?"
"Mhmm," Izuku nodded. "As the number two hero, he has his fans. Even if he isn't as approachable as All Might is."
Shoto knew exactly what Izuku was talking about as he walked through the section, seeing action figures, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more. It was honestly more than he was expecting, and he wasn't sure what to think. All he could think about was the strict training that he had endured for years, but on his internship, he had started to feel something different from his father.
He picked up an action figure of his father and opened the flap of the box, seeing a hole cut into the plastic, with the words 'Try me!' written next to it. Reaching into the box, he pressed the button, only to see the toy's flames light up, and he heard his father's voice as he yelled "Prominence Burn!"
Putting the item down, Shoto turned toward the two. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Thank you?" Tenya asked in confusion.
"Yes." Shoto looked at the merchandise surrounding them. "I'm happy, knowing this is how some people see my father."
After dinner, the three walked back to the train station.
"Thank you for today," Shoto said. He looked down at the bag of games in my hand. "I had fun."
"I'm glad," Izuku replied.
"Indeed! If you ever want to spend your free time you need only ask!"
"Really?" Shoto seemed surprised by that.
"Yeah! That's what friends are for, right?"
"Friends…" Shoto had a distant look on his face before he smiled. "I like the sound of that."
"Next time we'll have to bring the others along," Izuku suggested.
"If that sister of yours doesn't terrify Yaoyorozu away!" Tenya exclaimed.
"Himi isn't that bad!" Izuku protested.
"Midoriya, your sister is terrifying," Shoto explained.
"See! Even Todoroki-"
"Once she masters her quirk, she could easily be in the top ten. Perhaps she might make a good rival for Momo. After all, they both require some preparation to maximize the flexibility of their quirk…" Shoto began musing to himself, causing Tenya to stutter and Izuku to laugh nervously.
"I don't think Momo's as interested in rivalries as you are," Izuku explained. "Besides, Himi already has her thing with Yuki, and that's probably the closest she's willing to get to having an actual rival."
"If you say so, Midoriya." Shoto looked almost disappointed as he said that.
They arrived at the train station and stopped at the entrance.
"Gentlemen, I declare our day a success!"
"Yeah!"
"Thank you again," Shoto said. "I will see both of you tomorrow."
"See you then!"
As they split up, Izuku couldn't keep the smile off his face. It's only been a few weeks, but it felt like Shoto had already come a long way from their confrontation at the sports festival.