In the interests of avoiding confusion, I decided to make this to explain the genealogy of the Tatsuma family and their Quirks, as far as Ryuuzaki knows:
Ryuunosuke Tatsuma
Quirk: Dragonoid
Type: Mutant
Description: Draconic humanoid with increased strength, speed, durability, size, wings and the ability to breathe fire
Ryutsuki Tatsuma
Quirk: Dragon
Type: Transformation
Description: Can turn into a western dragon capable of flight and breathing fire
Passive Mutations: Reptilian eyes, sharp teeth.
Kenshin Tatsuma (né Matsuoka)
Quirk: Rhinoceros
Type: Mutant
Description: Rhino-like humanoid with horns and increased size/strength
Ryuko's Father
Quirk: Unknown Electric-type Quirk
Type: Unknown
Description: Unknown
Ryuko Tatsuma
Quirk: Storm Dragon
Type: Transformation
Description: Can turn turn into a western dragon capable of flight and breathing lightning, faster and more agile than Dragon
Passive Mutations: Reptilian eyes, sharp teeth
Ryuuzaki Tatsuma
Quirk: Horned Dragon
Type: Transformation
Description: Can turn into a rhino-like western dragon capable of flight and breathing fire, bigger and stronger than Dragon
Passive Mutations: Sharp teeth, horns, increased size/strength
I dreamed uneasily, tossing and turning. When I woke up I hardly felt like I'd slept at all, and as I rolled to my stomach I saw the time. 0400.
Yet no matter how hard I tried, I didn't feel like I was going to get any more shut-eye. So I laid there, mulling over the events of last evening.
What was I going to do? What Endeavour had done wasn't illegal or anything. Just… an assholish thing to do. A part of me wanted to march up to his office and tell him the Internship was off. Ryuko had given me a standing offer to change my mind at any time, and I didn't think UA would object to it.
And yet. Wasn't it me who said I was here to learn, not to enjoy myself? The fundamental equation hadn't changed. There was nobody in Japan that could teach me what Endeavour had to offer. And again, it wasn't as if he'd used me for something illegal. I wasn't even sure if it was wrong, in and of itself. Using me to do it, lying and bringing me here under false premises? Absolutely. But… I just didn't get Shoto Todoroki. Why did he hate his father so much that he'd deliberately handicap himself? Ryuko had taught me that it was okay to not have a perfectly heroic motivation, so long as you were ready to give it your all. But he was trying to half-ass it. I didn't get it.
So, reluctantly, I had to agree with Endeavour. If not his methods, then his goal. But that didn't erase the fact that he'd used me. Led me to believe he thought I was worth something. Lied to me. Had Strikethrough been in on it? Had Endeavour given him the task of playing good cop and earning my trust, all the while laughing behind my back? ...No, he was genuine, unless I was completely losing my mind.
I pressed my paw to the side of my head and squeezed. I was going in circles. I would go insane going on like this. God, it certainly felt that way. Should I call Ryuko? No, it was… five in the morning still. She deserved the sleep.
At the end of the day, if I walked out now, the only one who'd really lose is me. Endeavour would be inconvenienced, sure, but I can't find another pyrokinetic of his caliber willing to teach me.
So, I would grit my teeth and endure it. For now, at least.
-----
"You have experienced two aspects of Pro-Hero work, Patrol and Combat. But those are far from the only ones." Endeavour explained, his hands clasped behind his back.
The four of us were in his office once more, Strikethrough standing off to the side while Shoto seemed as nonchalant as ever, but I caught him looking at me before averting his eyes once he realized I'd noticed. Burnin' hadn't joined us this time, and I didn't care to ask after her.
"Investigation. A Hero cannot wait for villains to fall into his lap, but seek out and find them. We must be proactive on the hunt, because it is always better to stop them before whatever scheme they have in mind can begin." He turned around, and laid a stack of documents on his desk. "The Broken Circle is a Mutant supremacist terrorist group, initially formed decades ago in response to such entities as the Creature Rejection Clan. Their purpose is to foster a society where Mutant-type Quirks reign supreme. For the last decade they've been laying low after suffering some major setbacks and arrests, but yesterday four known members of the group attempted to commit a terror attack in Neimoidia Bank. What does that tell you?"
For a moment, nobody answered. I looked at Shoto, but he was studiously gazing out the window.
"It means that they are confident enough to draw publicity again." I bit out finally. "You said they were intending to sacrifice those four all along? Then that means that they've rebuilt to the point that they can afford to sacrifice four of their members."
Endeavour blinked, and then smiled. "Good. Exactly. They're getting bold, and this will not be the last we've heard of them. You don't seek out the public eye like that without having a next move planned out. But we were able to blunt their first strike: yesterday's events have received negligible media attention, thanks to their swift resolution. That means that they'll be scrambling to adjust, which in turn means that they will be making mistakes."
"And that means there's no better time for going after them!" Strikethrough announced, slamming a fist into his palm.
"Indeed. When investigating the members arrested yesterday, our support team was able to find out that all four of them either lived in the city of Kofu or had lived there for the majority of the last ten years. It was also one of the hotbeds for Broken Circle activity before they went into hiding, so that is where we will be starting our investigation."
I saw a reaction from Shoto at that, though of what kind I wasn't sure. Strikethrough glanced at me. "How will we be getting there?"
"Tatsuma. How long can you fly?"
"Depends on the intensity? If it's just loitering on updrafts probably until I pass out from sleep deprivation or hunger."
"Let me reword that." Endeavour's eyebrow twitched. "Can you fly from here to Kofu, with four passengers?"
I blinked. He wanted me to carry the others there? Why? Was this another ploy to get at Shoto by having me show him up?
I hesitated. Everyone was looking at me. I considered lying and saying no, but it would be an easy one to catch.
"I don't know where Kofu is, but… probably? Unless it's on the other side of Japan." I mumbled.
"Good." Endeavour said as he turned on his heel. "Strikethrough will give you directions. Let's get going."
-----
I landed in the grass field, feeling annoyed.
Like, I didn't mind it if it was necessary but I wasn't a taxi either. I sighed as the others unclipped themselves from the harness. I'd added them for the ability to transport people in an emergency, but now I just felt like a beast of burden.
But I wasn't going to start whining about it in front of everyone. Just three more days.
I could go to Ryuko or someone else for my next work study and not have to worry about hidden meanings and double purposes. Wouldn't that be something.
"So, what now?" I asked, looking around. "I think they know we're here."
A man perpetually on fire doing an overpass riding a elephant-sized dragon wasn't exactly subtle.
"Temper your pessimism." Endeavour rebuked. "Subtlety has its place, but we have support personnel for that. Our purpose here is to send a message."
He turned around and began marching towards the city, Strikethrough flanking him.
"It's about intimidation. The Broken Circle will be under a lot of pressure from yesterday's events. They were probably planning on drawing that one out for days, milking it for attention and drama. Now, we keep piling on the pressure."
...Now that I thought of it, were his flames always that bright?
Shoto and I fell in behind him- his scowl was intimidating enough on its own, and I… well, let's just say I didn't really need to work all too hard on that front.
It was a strange thing, to purposefully seek out attention. Dr. Kawaguchi had taught me many lessons on how to appear less threatening to people, which I'd practiced until they had become embedded in my subconscious. Now, I had to make a deliberate effort to discard those lessons.
I flattened my ears and kept my head level, my neck arched. I spread out my wings just a little bit and held my tail steady, making slow, deliberate movements. I even changed the way I walked: I'd trained myself to absorb the impact of my footsteps with my toes and by bending my legs, but now I let my full weight fall on each step. Not stomping, just letting my four tons of mass be felt.
And I like to think it worked. We drew in every eye on the streets as we walked through Kofu, passing through the city center and into the fringes, where Endeavour led us to what seemed like a perfectly ordinary apartment building.
"This is where one of the suspects, Riku Ishikawa, lived." Endeavour rumbled. "The police are handling the others, but I requested that this one be left to us."
He hammered a solid blow on the front door, enough to rattle it in its frame. "Open the door or it will be forced open!"
A few seconds later a woman in her fifties, probably the building's landlord, pushed the door open, muttering under her breath. When she saw the Number Two Hero and a dragon standing on her doorway she froze, her skin turning pale.
"Come back with a warrant!" She tried to pull the door shut, but Endeavour put one hand on it and forced it open, nodding towards Strikethrough who pulled out an official-looking document.
"Feel free to familiarize yourself with its contents."
Seeming to be in a state of shock she accepted the warrant from Endeavour and stepped back.
I eyed the entrance suspiciously. It was a regular old apartment building. I physically couldn't fit inside.
"Tatsuma, wait here." Endeavour told me bluntly, as the others disappeared inside. "Keep watch."
I sighed and sat down, my mood fouling by the minute. I gathered quite a few eyes on me, and at least one person almost called the local Heroes on me before being dissuaded by his fellows- a dragon wasn't nearly as common of a sight in Kofu as it was in Musutafu, but many had seen the Sports Festival.
Some speculated openly as to my presence, but none had the nerve to come and ask. I also noticed more than a few people coming towards the building surreptitiously changing their direction when they saw me, but I had no idea whether it was simply fear of my appearance or something more that motivated them.
Eventually, the others did finally emerge from the building, Strikethrough carrying a stack of papers while Endeavour escorted the woman out in handcuffs. There was a bit of frost on her pant legs, so I guessed she'd tried to run and hadn't gotten very far.
"Jackpot." He smiled. "We've got evidence she's Broken Circle, and so are most of her tenants. She panicked and led us right to it."
"Call in someone from the police department to pick these up, we have other targets to hit." Endeavour said, before turning to me. "Did anything happen?"
"Not really. Couple of people coming towards the building turned around when they saw me, but there was no way to tell if it was guilt or, well..." I shrugged my massive shoulders.
"Understood. Did you commit their faces to memory?"
"...No." I admitted.
"A mistake." He chided. "If we encounter them again, it would have been useful to be able to recognize them."
He stepped past me without another word, and my ears burned with embarrassment. Strikethrough gave me a sympathetic smile before offering me a fistful of rags, which I looked at with bafflement.
"Scent samples, from the rooms of those the documents named as Broken Circle members." Endeavour called out over his shoulder. "If you catch any of them again, let me know immediately. Now get moving."
I took them carefully in my claws and sniffed each rag in turn, before hastening to follow the others. "Where next?"
"You will see." Came Endeavour's curt reply.
I glowered at the back of his head, but said nothing. A squad car came across us and picked up the woman and the evidence, while we continued our way across the city. After a few moments, however, a familiar scent drifted into my nostrils.
"What is it?" Strikethrough asked as he saw me sniffing the air. "Is it one of the samples?"
"No." I shook my head. "It's almost as if-"
"What have we here then, hm?" A voice came out, and I whipped my head to see an old, very short man wearing a yellow Pro-Hero uniform and a white cape, carrying a small cane. And by his side was Izuku Midoriya, wearing a green, hooded jumpsuit and looking quite sheepish.
"Greetings, Elder." Endeavour said, actually sounding… respectful? "May I ask your name?"
"The name's Gran Torino." He pointed his thumb at his chin. "And this here's my intern, Deku. Though I believe he's quite acquainted with yours." He laughed to himself. "I know your names, of course, no need to fuss. I have plenty of time to watch the news, after all."
"I see." Endeavour replied with a very slight bow. "And why are you here, may I ask?"
"Why, it's not every day that the Number Two Hero graces our little town with his presence. You've made quite an uproar, so I got curious. And since I'm supposed to be showing Deku here how to be a Hero, I thought he should see this." He tapped his can against Midoriya's back. "I might be partially retired, but I've got my contacts at Kofu Police Department, and they pointed us in the right direction.
"Very well. I appreciate the offer, but we have things well in hand. We are in no need of assistance."
"Nonsense. This is my turf, do you think I'd just sit idly by? Terrible business, this whole thing with the Broken Circle." He said and turned around, as if the argument was settled. "Now let's not waste time, I believe you have another target to hit, yes?"
He began to merrily make his way in the direction we'd been going in. Endeavour's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he sighed and turned to give Shoto and I a brief glare before following Gran Torino, accelerating his pace until he reached the far shorter man.
Don't embarrass me, was the clear message.
The two of us fell in behind them, alongside Midoriya, or Deku as his Hero Name apparently was. He gave us a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his head. "You two got into the same Internship? That's so cool, you must've learned a lot from the Number Two Hero!"
Neither of us said anything to that, letting an awkward silence fall, and Midoriya hesitated. I sighed. As annoyed as I was, he didn't know. He didn't have anything to do with it. Don't take it out on him. "Yeah, I guess. It has been… educational. I've been learning to improve on my fire breathing."
"That's great! Gran Torino's been teaching me so much!"
"Is it a way to not blow yourself up?"
"Yeah, actually! Well, I mostly figured it out, but he helped!" He announced happily, and I could see even Shoto paying attention. "Basically, so far I've been going full power in a small part of my body to limit the damage. But I thought, what if I instead spread a smaller amount of power evenly across my body? That way it's not just one part being supercharged, so the difference isn't so stark and my body can more easily handle it."
"That's reducing your output by quite a lot, isn't it?"
"It is, but, uh, Recovery Girl told me I'd risk permanent damage if I kept going the way I had been. And this way I can put my full body into an attack, plus I don't have to brace for the pain which helps accuracy."
"Not to mention not wearing out so easily."
"Yeah, and that." He laughed nervously. "I named it Full Cowling Five Percent, since that's how much I can handle at the moment. But I should be able to gradually increase it over time."
Midoriya with the kind of power he'd displayed at the Festival, spread across his whole body and without having to break himself to do it? ...That was an opponent I did not want to have to fight. The closest comparison would be… All-Might.
I shook my head and refocused on the conversation. "You named your special move?"
"Well.. yeah! Might as well get started, we'll all get those one day!"
"Mmmhm. I don't know if I will."
"Why not? They're important part of a Pro-Hero's image.
"It just seems…" pretentious. "Well, it doesn't matter. So. I… don't mean any offense, but why him, specifically?" I nodded towards Gran Torino. "You won the Sports Festival. Surely you would have had many Pro-Heroes after you?"
Midoriya completed an impressive change of colour in a matter of seconds, going pale before rapidly turning "Well, um, uh, I didn't. Get many offers, that is. I guess breaking my bones on live television was… a little intimidating? A lot of Pro-Heroes probably wouldn't want to get it on their record that an intern got injured under them, even if it was self-inflicted. Plus there's the risk of collateral damage." He sounded like he'd spent quite a while thinking about it. "So I got a few dozen offers. And of those, well, Gran Torino came highly recommended by someone important to me."
I accepted his explanation with a nod. It made a certain amount of sense. "I had… a similar problem. Many Agencies apparently balked at the idea of housing a dragon for a week."
"That makes sense. I would have thought you'd be with your sister, but Endeavour's a great choice too!"
I didn't voice my thoughts on that, and simply shrugged. "Can't just rely on one mentor."
Then there was no more time for talking. We were there. Endeavour and Gran Torino had led us to a large shopping mall, Kashyyyk Mall according to the sight hanging over the entrance. It was a simple yet grand building, a long, wide avenue expansive enough for even me to peruse, stretching across the length of the Mall and around which shops were layered in multiple tiers, accessible via various stairs and escalators.
Restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias, barber shops, cobblers, beauty salons, fast food joints… None of which I could use, as due to my… condition I was restricted to the main floor. Except for one. A large restaurant that, rather than having a door, was simply built into the wall, open for anyone to walk into regardless of size or shape, and inside I could see a wide variety of accommodations; regular chairs, small chairs, large chairs, reinforced chairs, tall chairs, chairs with a tail hole, . A fact that they advertised quite prominently in a variety of signs.
"It is, according to the confession of one of the members released yesterday, a meeting place and recruitment grounds for the Broken Circle. Tatsuma, look for the scent samples. Everyone else's stick with me."
-----
"Shigaraki."
"Stain. Have you found the target?"
"I'll do you one better, I've found both of them. Endeavour and the old man. Kashyyyk Shopping Mall. Right now. I'm calling in my favor. You can get two birds with one stone."
"That's no-"
"Better come in quick, or there won't be anything left!"
"Stain! Stain you piece of-"
"Tomura Shigaraki, that noise just now was most likely Stain throwing away the communicator. He is no longer listening."
"I knew we shouldn't have trusted Stain. Ah, to hell with it. Send them in. All of them."
"The plan was to seize Izuku Midoriya and Gran Torino by surprise, in the middle of the night."
"If Stain is captured now, that plan won't work anyway. Besides, it's just Nomu. If we lose it's nothing we can't recover. But if we win…"
-----
In the end, it turned out to be a dud.
"Take this as a valuable lesson. Investigation and tracking down criminals is not always glorious, exhilarating work. There are always going to be dead ends, mistakes and falsehoods will try to drag you down. That is the reality of it."
The information we'd been given was false. The safe that was supposed to hold paperwork pertaining to the recruitment of the Broken Circle did not exist, and according to Strikethrough there was no indication it ever had. As far as we could determine, the owner had simply decided to cater to a particular clientele, and that was that.
"There will be repercussions." Endeavour announced. But for now, we will be heading to the police station, to speak with the detectives on what actions are to be taken."
Gran Torino seemed disappointed, but only in the vague sense that he hadn't gotten to show a successful raid to Midoriya. Shoto was impassive, as ever, and Strikethrough seemed to still be pleased with his earlier success. For his part, Midoriya paid rapt attention to Endeavour's words, while occasionally mumbling to himself as we walked out of the restaurant.
"...Maybe retaliation against someone who'd refused affiliation before? Or to inflame tensions…"
Then...
I didn't even see it happen. One moment we were simply walking along, the next a thin beam of fire speared through the air while Gran Torino went flying, propelled by what seemed like jet contrails coming from the bottoms of his boots, his cane discarded on the floor.
Moved by some semi-conscious instinct I took half-step forward, as if to shield my fellow interns, but a glance from the corner of my eye told me that they were just as alert as I was, falling into combat stances and eyes scanning for additional threats. Of course. They were no strangers to sudden dangers either.
I saw what looked like a throwing knife embed itself to the ground where Gran Torino had kicked it, followed by a splash of molten metal against the stone floor. In the distance, I could hear yells of shock from the civilians.
"Damn." He landed on the ground beside Endeavour in a low crouch. "They were spaced too far apart to get them all. Whoever threw those knows his stuff."
Perplexed, I turned my eyes to Endeavour. There was a third knife embedded in his shoulder. With a slow, deliberate movement he tugged the knife out without flinching, looked at it, and discarded it on the floor. He pressed a finger to the wound, and it seared shut instantly.
"I recognize these knives." He rumbled, rising his hand in the direction the knives had come from, amongst the rafters above. "Everyone! Be on your guard! We are dealing with the Hero Killer!"
A chill ran down my spine. Stain. Fujiwara's… idol. Something at the back of my neck itched.
Yet it was a thought that I pushed to the back of my mind. This was the Hero Killer we were talking about. I might be all but invulnerable, but the others were not. I had to be at my best.
"Strikethrough!" Endeavour called out, and the sidekick stepped forward, his skin pale and sweaty.
"He's not there anymore! He's moved on!" He yelled out, frantically sweeping his across the avenue, but people were running for the exits now in a full-blown panic. Just because his line of sight could not be blocked didn't mean he had the ability to process the information he received any faster. "He could be anywhere, he could be-"
I heard it. The slightest whisper of cloth against air, steel-toed boots against stone. Without hesitation I swung with my tail even before I'd turned my head around, and was treated to the sharp dink of a throwing knife being deflected by a layer of thick, keratinous plate.
"Behind us!"
And there he was. Stain, the Hero Killer. Perched over a railing no more than thirty meters away. He wore frayed strips of cloth and steel padding, a pale grey mask wrapped over his upper face. In his left hand he held a worn and chipped sword, its sheath mounted on his back, while the other held several additional throwing knives. He was shorter than I'd expected, even hunched over, but his eyes, even the way he held himself, radiated murderous intent.
Close the distance, instinct and training told me. The closer I was to him the better I could shield the others from his line of fire. But before I'd been able to so much as begin moving, I was stopped.
"Hold!" Endeavour called out. "The Hero Killer always attacks lone targets, out of the way. But now he approaches us in the open. This is a trap."
Stain said nothing, but tilted his head.
Then the black mist began to appear.
In the lull of the moment, I could hear Midoriya's breathing tighten, and Shoto's heart hammering in his chest. Both of their faces had gone pale. Was this what they had faced at USJ?
The portal opened mid-air, an inky pool blackness. As soon as it was large enough, dark shapes began to drop through. Nomu.
I'd seen them before on the television, but it was another thing entirely to lay eyes on them in person. The exposed brain, the smooth rubber-like skin, the vacant eyes… they were disgusting and unnerving in equal measure.
There were seven of them, two black, two grey and three white, of all sizes and shapes. Where most had humanlike proportions, one resembled a great ape of some sort with its oversized arms and small legs, a strange bluish petal-like growth on its back. Another walked on four legs, with a pincer-tipped tail and a strange bony crest protecting its brain.
The largest among them, a black giant that towered head and shoulders above the head, had no visible brain, its skin covered in thick, almost chitinous armor plates and its eyeless head dominated by a huge tri-segmented mouth.
"Shigaraki came through. All the better." Stain whispered to himself, before raising his voice. "Do with the other Fake Heroes as you wish. But Endeavour is mine."
As one, the Nomu charged, and an instant later, a wall of ice rose to meet them.
Whatever else could be said of him, "hesitant" was not a word to be used regarding Shoto Todoroki. The glacier wrapped around the charging Nomu in an instant, spanning the entire width of the mall yet carefully directed to avoid any of the civilians.
It wasn't enough. I felt it first, a tingling sensation on my scales, a metallic taste on my tongue and the smell of ozone in my nose. A strange light illuminated the ice, coming from the ape-like Nomu, specifically the flower-shaped organ on its back. It was pulsating, currents of energy flashing from it.
With a shudder, it snapped shut and the built-up energy was released in a pulse of electricity, crackling arcs of it rupturing the icy prison from inside out in a shower of ice chunks, water and steam. The shockwave toppled tables and chairs, broke glass and sent people flying.
Then, every single light in the shopping mall went out, plunging it into darkness.
-----
Enji Todoroki pushed himself to his feet, his eyes scanning his surroundings. What he saw was… less than ideal. The billowing steam clouds combined with the lack of light save for his own flames and what scant sunlight filtered in from the windows far above made it hard to see for more than a dozen meters. There was no sight of the others, scattered by the electric pulse, or of the enemy.
But he could hear them well enough. Inhuman grunts and heavy footfalls. Close. Coming towards him.
"Flashfire Fist: Jetburn!"
Prominence Burn was stronger, but Flashfire was the ultimate precision attack. Maximum power in minimal area. A beam of concentrated fire lanced out from his fist, hitting the enormous black-skinned Nomu as it and it's quadrupedal counterpart emerged from the gloom, enveloping it in a brilliant flare of light that momentarily dispelled the darkness. Maximum aggression.
And yet.
As the glare faded, the hulking form of the black Nomu remained standing. Thick, white foam bubbled from gaps in its armor, running on the chitinous plating and dripping onto the stone tiles. It resumed its interrupted charge, its triplicate jaw opening to reveal the brain nestled within as it gave out an inhuman roar.
In a swoosh of air jets, Gran Torino rocketed out from the darkness at an incredible speed, throwing a spinning kick at the momentarily exposed head of the Nomu. But not quite fast enough.
The quadrupedal Nomu opened its reptilian mouth and spewed forth a torrent of bluish-green liquid at the aged Pro-Hero. Spinning mid-air, Gran Torino was forced to cancel his attack and rocketed away, easily dodging the spray. Where it fell the stone sizzled and boiled as the Nomu continued its attack, trying to track him, but it was hopeless. He was simply too fast. Others, however, were not, and the indiscriminate acid spray would eventually hit someone. A dodge seamlessly transitioned into a high kick, aimed at the back of the Nomu's neck.
All of this happened in less than a second.
And that was when Enji heard a distinctive, ugly crack. Gran Torino's boot came apart at the seams, and beneath it he could see the leg buckle and twist into an ugly, unnatural angle as the bone was shattered.
With a boost from his remaining leg, Torino spiralled away, landing roughly at the Flame Hero's side.
"Damn. Kinetic Reflection." He gasped, his voice pained.
"Only partial." Endeavour growled, never taking his eyes off of the Nomu. "It was knocked to the ground. Some of the energy remains."
"Still. Enough to get my leg." He growled as he grabbed his discarded cane from the ground and struggled his foot. "Don't you see it? It would be a pretty weak Quirk normally, but it's perfect against someone with a weak constitution like me. Just like the foam and the lightning. These things were custom-made to counter us."
"I see it." He growled, clenching a flame-wreathed fist. "It just doesn't matter. We fight on."
Knife wound in the shoulder. Wasted Flashfire. His only ally down a leg. Terrible visibility. No way to call for help. No eyes on the interns or Strikethrough. High likelihood of civilians scattered around in the mist, meaning area attacks were out. And Stain lurking somewhere in the shadows, no doubt getting ready to strike.
"Bring it."
-----
On the one hand, I did weigh far more than any human could. On the other hand I also had far more surface area, and while square cube law was a thing, I hadn't had the presence of mind to pull in my wings before the shockwave hit. I'd been quite literally picked up and thrown at the nearest wall at considerable speed.
It hadn't hurt me, of course, but it did make me more than a little disoriented as I shrugged off the rubble and stood up. Then I blinked. Then I waved a paw in front of my face.
Oh. It was just dark and… misty. For all my gifts, even I struggled to see through such gloom very far. But I was not limited to sight alone.
Click.
An impression of a shape slumped on the ground somewhere in front of me.
Click. Click. Click.
Human body.
Heavy footsteps thundering closer.
Click. Click.
An inhumanly proportioned shape hurtling at the body, fists raised. I slammed into it like a cannonball, shoulder-checking it so hard it went flying, and there was a crack of stone somewhere in the distance.
The body below me- Midoriya, I could see now that I was closer- was starting to come to, suddenly jerking up and bumping his head against my flank with a yelp. I stepped away and he rose again, rubbing his head.
"Oh, hi Tatsuma." He squeaked. "Was that a Nomu you just-"
"Yeah. One of the white ones. It'll be back soon."
"Tatsuma? Midoriya?" A voice called out from the mist.
"Todoroki?! Over here!"
"Don't make so much noise!" I hissed, but it was too late. I could hear more footsteps in the dark.
Click.
"From the left!"
I began to move, but Midoriya was faster by far. Green lightning played around him as he crouched and leapt off, intercepting the white Nomu with a haymaker into the chest that sent it crashing on the floor.
So this was Full Cowling.
I thundered into it just as it pulled itself to its feet, driving it back and into the crater in the wall I'd made moments before.
"Tatsuma! Step back!"
I threw myself away, and ice wrapped around the white-skinned Nomu, binding it in place. It struggled against its prison, it's vacant eyes bulging in its exposed brain as it stared at me. It was hard to tell, but… it almost felt like it wasn't looking at me, but at what was behind me.
"We need a plan." Todoroki said as I turned around. "More of those things are going to come in any moment now."
"Right. Plan time." Midoriya muttered, hand over his mouth. "Can we call for help?"
"My communicator is fried." I said, tapping the inert electronic around my wrist. "I assume any others are as well."
"S-somebody needs to-"
"Midoriya. This is not USJ. Kashyyyk Mall is in the middle of a city, and there were hundreds of people running out of the building. The authorities will be coming."
"Right. Right. We- the civilians." Midoriya breathed out, speaking at a rapid pace. "There were still civilians running around when the shockwave hit. They didn't all make it out. They need help. We need to help them."
"It'll be hard to do with the Nomu after us." I noted.
"...Todoroki and I will draw them away. I saw the footage of Hosu. They'll attack the closest enemy indiscriminately. We'll make noise and draw them away."
….
"You're the only one who can find the civilians in these conditions with your senses. That was echolocation you used, right? We'd just get in the w-"
"I'll do it." I interrupted. As much as it galled me to let them take the heat for me, he was right in that I was the only one who could do it. If it meant saving lives, then it wasn't a choice at all. "Endeavour and Gran Torino are that way. I'll join you as soon as I'm able."
"You should try to find Strikethrough if you can, his quirk would help." Todoroki said, even as a keening, inhuman screech echoes through the darkness.
"Time to go." I said. "Good luck."
-----
I felt more than a little absurd, trying to sneak around in the darkness yet also mindful of the fact that I didn't have a lot of time to work with. I could hear the others fighting in the distance, flashes of light visible through the mist.
There was an incredible variety of scents criss-crossing the mall, but I focused on the one vaguely familiar to me, after spending a decent amount of time with the man in the last two days. After a few sniffs I caught Strikethrough's trail, coming from one of the upper tiers.
I ran up the escalator, uncaring that my claws and sheer weight were ripping it apart. We were way past such concerns now.
I found him amidst what had been an open cafeteria, chairs toppled over and tablecloths strewn about. He was huddled behind an overturned table,
"Strikethrough!" I called out as I rushed closer, though careful not to raise my voice too much. "Are you hurt?"
There was no response from him.
Except… now that I got closer, the older sidekick didn't actually seem hurt. No blood or bruising. But his hands were shaking as they held his head, his skin pale and clammy. I could even hear his heart hammering in his chest, and his breaths were short and shallow.
"Strikethrough?" I asked, apprehensive. "What's wrong?"
"I can't do it." He whispered.
"What?"
"I can't do it!" He hissed from between clenched teeth. "You want me to come out there, right? That's why you're here."
"Ye- Well, yes. I need your help to locate the ci-"
"I can't do it!" He all but shrieked. "I can't. I can't. I can't."
"But- but- you're- and there's- that's your-" I spluttered, at a loss for words. "You're a Hero."
"Stain is out there." He whispered, terror palpable in his voice. "The Hero Killer. Do you know how many of us he kills every year? And seven Nomu. D-did you see them? They went through Pro-Heroes like butter at Hosu. And there's seven of them."
"I already fought one, they're not that-"
"Easy to say when you're invulnerable!"
...
It felt like someone had punched me straight in the stomach and taken the wind out of me.
"You're a-a dragon, I've s-seen what you can do. B-but I'm just human. I see through walls. That's it. I'm-I'm not a real fighter. I just deal with thugs and thieves, most of the time." He babbled, picking up pace. "I could die from just a backhand hit. I can't do it. I can't go out there. I'm just a human. I'm not A-All Might. I'm not Endeavour. I'm not you. And- and- and- and-"
He cradled his head in his hands, the silence stretching on.
"And I'm supposed to be a H-Hero. Damn it. Damn it all." He began to slow, looking up at me in the eyes. "T-There's l-lives at stake. I'm supposed to be a Hero. Someone who saves lives." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, steeling himself for a second before pushing to his feet and past me. "Let's go. Let's go before I change my mind."
It took a moment of sudden silence for me to compose myself, shut my open mouth and follow him.
Miyu Konishi clamped a hand over her mouth as the white-skinned monster ripped the door off its hinges and forced its way into the abandoned barber shop. When her coworkers had fled she'd opted to hide, a decision she was coming to regret. She ducked beneath her desk to hide, but the creature unerringly homed in on her location thunderous footsteps echoing in the enclosed space as tables and chairs were brushed aside before its bulk. It loomed over her, and Konishi screamed as she saw the rows of massive teeth glistening in the darkness.
"Um, miss, I understand that you're scared, but screaming will only bring the Nomu." It spoke in a strange hiss as it peered down at her.
She blinked. "You're… not one of them? The monsters?"
Now that she was looking properly, the creature in front of her didn't quite match the imagery she'd seen on the news. For one it was quadrupedal rather than humanoid and clad in thick scales as well as a thick vest rather than unnaturally smooth skin, not to mention the horned reptilian head without an exposed brain in sight. In fact, it looked quite a lot like a dragon.
"We're from Endeavour Hero Agency." Another voice came from behind the dragon. A young man wearing a pair of thick goggles stepped inside. "We're going to get you out of here."
"You're Pro-Heroes?" She asked, hope flooding through her.
"I am, she is a trainee."
That hulking beast was a kid? And a girl?
"Let's get you on her back and strapped in, she's going to be carrying you out." The young man helped her climb on the dragon before following suit, pulling out a harness attached to her vest and strapping it around Konishi's waist. "Now, hold on tight, and no matter what happens stay as small and quiet as you can." He instructed her, and once she nodded to talk to the dragon, pointing away in the distance. "Next target is about a hundred meters that way."
"I smell it."
The scales were surprisingly warm to the touch as they crept through the mist that had somehow descended on the main avenue- what had happened here? She bit her tongue to keep herself from crying out as lights flashed in the distance- fire and lighting, backlighting monstrous shapes in the darkness, and the air itself filled with inhuman roars. At least she hadn't seen any corpses yet.
Over the next several minutes they collected more and more survivors, the dragon hero bearing their weight without issue as she moved across the mall, carefully measuring each step to avoid hitting anything. Nobody was badly hurt, thankfully, but a couple of people had been cut by glass and one man was unconscious, though the older hero checked up on him and said that he just had a concussion.
"That should be the last of them, I can't see any more." He told his comrade. "We should-"
The monster leapt out of the mist, and this time it was a true monster, a grey-skinned monster with a hideous, exposed brain, a manic look in its eyes and two oversized fists swinging like clubs as it crashed into the dragon hero. People were screaming for help, that they needed to get away, but she growled in a deep hiss: "Hold on."
Then she twisted her entire body around so sharply Konishi felt her lunch almost come up, and hit the creature in the face with her tail, sending it stumbling back. She tensed, the muscle visible even underneath the thick scales, and broke into a dead run. All pretense of hiding was abandoned for sheer speed: furniture was sent flying and the claws scraped against the stone floor.
"I'll take you to the entrance!" She roared over the chaos. "Get ready to drop!"
The Nomu's roar echoed from the mist, as did its booming footsteps as it ran after them. Konishi's heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. The dragon skidded to a halt at the mall's entrance, sunlight streaming in through the glass doors.
"Quickly!" Konishi unclasped the harness and jumped off, others doing the same. The moment the last person was off she spun on her heel, rearing to her hind legs like a bear, and caught the charging Nomu, claws carving furrows into the stone but halting its advance. "Go!" She threw over her shoulder. "I'll take care of this thing."
The other Hero looked hesitant as he hefted the unconscious man into a fireman's carry, but nodded. "I'll come back with reinforcements! Everyone, follow me! This way!"
The last Konishi saw of the dragon hero, she was locked in mortal combat with the grey monster.
-----
Izuku Midoriya bounded through the mist, leaving trails of green lightning as he went, kicking off of railings and overturned furniture. Though the mist was starting to thin it was still exceedingly hard to see, especially at the speed at which he was going, and not for the first time he wished Tatsuma was here.
But he could still hear the Nomu right behind him- the creatures seemed to prefer going after him to Todoroki, which suited him just fine given he was faster of the two of them.
"Now!"
Midoriya jumped up a wall, but rather than continuing he reversed direction and bounced back, fist cocked. He saw the Nomu just as it began to fall, ice wrapped around its legs.
"Full Cowling: Five Percent!"
His fist drove into its shoulder with a sound like that of a gunshot, ripping its shoulder off its joint, to Midoriya's shock and horror. He hadn't put that much force into the blow, he'd only intended to knock it on its back.
"What was that?" Todoroki's voice came from the mist as he emerged, standing at Midoriya's side. The Nomu was rapidly beginning to regenerate, bone and muscle flowing into a new arm.
"Immovability." He came to a realization. "The rest of its body didn't budge an inch. That's why its arm tore off so easily. I intended to knock it back, but its Quirk held it in place."
The Nomu ripped free, throwing itself at Midoriya with relentless intent. He leapt into the air, throwing a kick at its head and, sure enough, his attack went clean through. It's head gone.
It was a relentless pursuer that could not be destroyed or pushed back. But it was itself weak to being bound in place. Curious.
"We need to keep going! Quick!"
Why Immovability? It seemed like such an odd Quirk to choose. Well, it didn't matter. The two of them rushed towards the sounds of battle, arriving to a scene of carnage.
The ground was cratered and burnt as Endeavour desperately struggled to hold back the pair of black Nomu from Gran Torino. The elderly Pro-Hero laid unconscious on the floor, one of his boots shredded and the foot twisted in a nasty angle.
"Shoto! Deku! Where's Tatsuma?"
"She went to find Strikethrough and evacuate the civilians! We took down two Nomu already, sir!"
"There's more where that came from!" Endeavour yelled, letting loose a blast of flame at the quadrupedal Nomu, only for the other one to let loose a spray of foam, absorbing the fire. Was that an intelligent reaction from a Nomu? No, not true intelligence. Programmed response to stimuli. Every time Endeavour used his Quirk, the Nomu would respond the same way, like clockwork.
"Foam, Jaws, Armor, Super-Strength and Regeneration. Kinetic Reflection, Acid Spray, Prehensile Tail, Super-Strength and Regeneration." Endeavour yelled out over the sound of battle. "That's their Quirks, as far as I know. The big bastard's brain is inside the mouth. Watch out for Stain, he keeps making hit and run attacks."
"They were built to counter you." Midoriya breathed out. That meant… the lightning was to counter Half-Hot Half-Cold. And the Immovability was… him. But the League were working on limited intelligence. They didn't know he could do more than the finger snaps, which Immovability would have countered. And there's no direct counter to Tatsuma. Why? Surely they wouldn't just discard her, given her power and that they had accounted for him and Todoroki. Wherever the League was getting their info from, they hadn't know about her presence. Was it because she was 1-B? But how could that be?
"Now's not the time for spacing out!" Todoroki yelled as he created a ramp of ice to carry Gran Torino away from the fight.
Midoriya shook his head. He was right. He needed to focus on the moment.
-----
It was the strongest thing I have ever faced. Stronger than Shishida. Stronger than Ryuko.
And stronger than me.
With a single punch the Nomu drove me back, cracking the concrete beneath my feet. Another hammer-like blow smashed against my temple, snapping my head to the side. I caught the third blow with my claws, but it was too strong and I could not hold it.
I swept it's legs out from underneath it with my tail and headbutted it, hearing the crunch of bone as the front of it's skull broke against the side of my horn. I surged forward, wrapping around the Nomu.
We crashed into the ground in a heap. It was stronger than I was, but I had more limbs than it did, and I was the better grappler. It tried to struggle, but I had it in a lock.
Then I smelled ozone.
Lightning arced out of the organ on the Nomu's back, coursing through me. Not nearly as strong as the pulse from before, but I was practically on top of the epicenter. I might be immune to being burnt, but it set every nerve in my body screaming in pain. The Nomu ripped free it's right arm, and delivered a jackhammer blow to my jaw.
The force of it was enough to lift me clean off the ground, my claws dripping blood as they were ripped free.
I crashed to the floor again, and struggled to my feet, my ears still ringing.
It was on me in an instant, pounding my head into the floor, grinding my face against the broken tiles.
It drove me against one of the support columns, and I felt the kind of pain I hadn't felt in years as my left wing was crushed between my back and the concrete with a resounding snap.
I roared in pain, only for it to die down to a gurgle as the Nomu took advantage of my distraction and wrapped it's enormous hands around my throat. My neck was broad and muscular, to support my head when I charged, but its grip strength was incredible.
It was actually choking me. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die. Panic flooded into my mind and I struggled for release, almost throwing the Nomu off, but it was too strong. I was going to die.
Stop treating this as a sparring match, and see it for what it is. A fight to the death. This is a Nomu. It is not a human being. It will kill you if you let it. Stop playing by its rules.
I twisted my head around and bit down, sinking my teeth into it's right forearm, and pulled. With a sickening squelch a mouthful of inky black skin and raw, red flesh ripped free. Instantly, it's right hand went limp, the crushing grip on my throat dissipating. I wanted to gag. But there was no time for that. I spat out the chunk of flesh to the side and with my left arm now free, forced its other arm away as well.
I knew what would come next. And so, just as the electricity charge began emitting from it's back, my tail wrapped around the strange, flower-like organ.
And then I started to squeeze.
It felt like hell, but my tail was the most armored part of my body. I bit down on my tongue to keep myself from screaming. I could not afford to distract anyone else.
After what felt like an eternity, with a wet pop I felt the flesh give away beneath the crushing embrace, and instantly the lightning ceased. I pulled, and with a wet squelch the entire thing came off in a fountain of blood.
Some of it splashed over me, a new splatter of red joining the others staining my white scales. That time I did gag, but held back from vomiting.
The Nomu staggered back, emitting an inhuman roar of pain. I shut it out of my mind. I only had one opportunity. While it was still on the back foot, I charged. I lowered my head and, just at the last moment, twisted it upward. My father had drilled into me over and over to never do what I was doing just now. But I had to.
My frontal horn struck the Nomu in the chest, punching clean through and erupting out the back of its neck. Its spinal cord severed, it fell limp and motionless, held up only by my horn.
I twisted my neck and sent it flying, crashing against a piece of rubble. It didn't even twitch.
Only then did I give into the urge to vomit.
-----
Shoto Todoroki rolled away from the spray of acid that missed him by a matter of centimeters, eating through the ground where he'd stood an instant before. He'd put up a shield, of course, but it had simply gone through like it hadn't even been there.
The quadrupedal Nomu keened as it approached. A spear of ice stabbed at it, but shattered upon contact. A wave of ice wrapped around it, stopping it for just long enough for him to scramble back and get some distance between them, but the acid rapidly weakened any prison he could create, until the Nomu was able simply rip itself free and let its regeneration patch the pieces left behind.
If he could bind its mouth shut, so it couldn't spew the acid… but he was too slow. He'd used too much ice already, and his right side felt numb, the frost coating his skin cracking with every laboured movement.
The blur of white smacked into the Nomu from the side, sending them both rolling on the floor in a flurry of claws and limbs. When it came to a halt, Shoto saw Ryuuzaki Tatsuma growling angrily as she pressed the Nomu's face into the rubble, pinning the rest of its body in place with her bulk.
She looked like hell. Blood both dried and fresh were splattered across the usually pristine white scales. None of it seemed to be her own, but in several places the scales had been cracked or caved in, and her right wing jung limply at her side, clearly broken. The foot on the back of the Nomu's head was stained with a splash of acid, even now sizzling and eating away at the scales.
But even so, she'd simply absorbed the redirected kinetic energy, and was now holding down the enormous Nomu, despite its struggles.
But… Of course.
It was something that had been bothering him since the beginning of the fight.
Kinetic Reflection. Acid Spray. Prehensile Tail. Super-Strength. Regeneration. Five Quirks.
But the Nomu they had faced at USJ had only possessed three. Super-Strength, Regeneration and Impact Absorption. Why? Wouldn't it have been better if it could also spew acid?
But that was just it. This Nomu had six Quirks, but none of them were especially strong. The acid was just a more limited version of Mina's. It could only partially reflect the energy of an attack. It took up to a minute for it to regenerate, where the USJ Nomu had healed half of its body in a matter of seconds. And it's strength wasn't even a fraction of that monster.
It seemed like though they could cheat the normal limitations of Quirks, the creation of these monsters still had to obey some kind of restrictions. Perhaps the USJ Nomu had simply had multiples of the same Quirk stacked on top of one another, or the potency of a Quirk determined how many could be added. But the theoreticals didn't matter. The practical was that, while more versatile, this Nomu had far less raw power than the one before.
"I'm holding its mouth shut." Tatsuma bit out between clenched teeth, struggling to keep the creature at bay. "Freeze it. Freeze it now!"
Shoto sprung into action, a thick layer of ice wrapping around the Nomu, starting with the head. Slowly, as it spread, Tatsuma stepped off of the body, until it was encased in a cube of ice. He could see it struggling against the ice, fighting for leverage, and he poured more and more power into the prison, until his entire right side began to feel numb, and he had nothing more to give.
Gradually the Nomu's struggling began to slow, until finally it fell still, it's eyes glazing over.
"That should last for days if needed-" Shoto began, only to realize Tatsuma had already moved on. He began to limp after her, but every movement brought a fresh stab of pain, frost caking his skin.
He saw Strikethrough emerge from the darkness, followed by another Hero he didn't recognize, a muscular man with bull-like horns.
"I came as fast as I could once I got the warning." He rumbled. "Others are on the way. We should-"
He was interrupted by a roar already all too familiar to Shoto, as a white-skinned Nomu leapt down from the rafters above, picked him up and threw him against the wall, where he slumped down. Strikethrough dodged the initial attack, but was only spared from the followup by Tatsuma shoulder-checking the Nomu.
A wash of heat on his skin drew Shoto's eyes back towards the middle of the Mall, where Endeavour fought both the largest Nomu and Stain. The Hero Killer was blindingly fast, dashing back and forth, looking for an opening to use his sword, but Endeavour drove him away with precision fire blasts while trying to focus on the Nomu first.
But Shoto could tell that Endeavour was losing. How could he not? The elder Todoroki was having to expend a great deal of power just to ward off his enemies, not inflicting any damage. He was sweating heavily, as his body temperature rose higher and higher.
And he knew it too. When the Nomu came for its next attack, tri-segmented jaws snapping at him, instead of backing away he moved into the attack, the jaws closing around him, serrated, teeth-like protrusions biting into his flesh. Now, he had it right where he wanted it.
"Prominence Burn!"
With him half-inside the Nomu's jaws, it caught almost the full force of his attack. Against the ultimate technique of the Number Two Hero, no amount of foam or regeneration would protect it. It burned from the inside out, until flames began to leap from the cracks in its armor, and finally it fell with a crash, the stench of burnt flesh filling the air.
"And now for you, Hero Killer."
"Hm. I knew Shigaraki's promises were for nought, in the end. But it doesn't matter."
Stain kicked something on the floor up to his off hand- Shoto recognized it as the knife that had gone into Endeavour's shoulder at the very beginning, discarded on the floor. But what on earth-
Then Stain licked the bloodstained blade, and everything went wrong. Endeavour slumped like a stringless marionette and fell face-first onto the stone floor, even his flames snuffed out. That had to be Stain's Quirk. The Hero Killer was there in a flash, his jagged katana swinging in a deadly arc.
Shoto wanted to turn his eyes away, but found that he could not.
The blade cut through Enji Todoroki's hand at the elbow and went into his chest, carving through flesh. There was a wordless roar of pain, as thick, red blood spilled onto the stone floor. Stain stood over him, and… smiled.
"You are a cancer upon society like no other, Endeavour. For decades you have warped the very concept of "Hero". For such a crime, there can be no quick death."
A part of Shoto Todoroki wanted to charge in, for all that he could barely even stand, and had completely exhausted his Quirk. It was disgusted by what he saw, and recoiled.
Yet, another part of him, no matter how small, did not recoil. It was, if anything, happy. Was this not what he'd fantasized about on many an occasion? His father, broken and powerless. The same way he had made Shoto and his mother.
There was no person on earth he hated more than the man lying on the ground at the Hero Killer's feet. For creating him as a means to an end, cynically breeding a successor who could accomplish what he couldn't. For the years of abuse, for a childhood stolen from him. Shoto was not an idiot, he could tell that he was different from his peers. When he missed a joke, or a social cue others found as easy as breathing. And most of all, he hated Enji Todoroki for driving Shoto's mother, his own wife, to insanity, and turning her against him.
Oh yes. At his lowest points, he'd cursed his father's name, and hoped to see him die.
But those had been nothing more than wild daydreams of an abused child. To see it now sickened him. This… was not justice. Yet justice had failed him.
All of this happened in an eyeblink. One side demanded vengeance. Another that wanted to become a Hero.
Then a green cannonball slammed into Stain.
"Full Cowling: Detroit Smash!"
Midoriya drove his fist into Stain's face, sending him skidding on the stone floor, away from Endeavour.
"Sorry I'm late. That last white Nomu had a super-speed Quirk. It took a bit to bring it down."
The other intern didn't stop there, keeping the heat on Stain. Shoto could appreciate his tactics- against an enemy with greater reach, close the distance. He dodged the initial slash of the sword, but Stain pivoted around- only for Midoriya to already be in the air, punching downward into the top of Stain's head, driving him into the ground.
Midoriya exhaled, looking triumphant- and then he collapsed nervelessly on the ground, just like Endeavour. Stain stood up, showing a bloodied dagger in his off hand. He must have drawn it and nicked Midoriya at some point during the exchange.
On its own it was a pretty weak Quirk… but coupled with Stain's weapons, speed, strength and skill, it was a very hard combination to defend against. He only needed a single scratch to make you helpless.
"Now, where was I?"
He had only just begun to turn his attention back to Endeavour when a charred Nomu body came flying at him, as if thrown by some great force. Shoto turned his eyes to the side and saw Tatsuma glaring at Stain across the avenue, Strikethrough behind her. The local Pro-Hero whose name Shoto hadn't caught was slumped over, bloodied but seemingly breathing.
"Strikethrough, can you bind Endeavour's wounds?" She rumbled as she positioned herself between them and Stain, keeping her eyes locked on the Hero Killer.
"You can't fight him!" he yelled, even as he pulled a tourniquet from his belt and began applying it on Endeavour's arm.
"I have to."
"Ah, the coward who ran away." Stain glared at Strikethrough with unbridled hatred. "You'll die alongside your master."
"You'll have to go through me first." Tatsuma hissed.
"Such loyalty, for someone who has none for you." Stain sneered. "You are wounded, and up against the worst kind of opponent for your type. Why fight for him?
"Because it is within my power to." She shrugged her massive shoulders, wincing at the movement of her broken wing. "Because I'm supposed to be a Hero."
Strikethrough made a choking sound behind her.
"Oh?" Stain tilted his head, seeming intrigued by her defiance. "I followed your group for quite a while. I saw the way you looked at him. You know his measure, don't you? And yet still you would risk your life for him?
"Since when was Heroism about only saving people you like?" She coughed roughly. "It's not about him. It's about saving a life."
"He is nothing more than worthless scum!" Stain said, looking offended at the very idea of considering Endeavour worth saving. "He is the embodiment of what is wrong with our society. He cares nothing for the people he "rescues", only money, glory and an abstract ranking of no worth."
"Yet he still saves people. How many people have you?"
Stain scowled furiously. "...I recognize who you are, now. Ryukyu's sister. She is well known to me."
The battlefield was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"What did you just say?"
"Her greed is well-known. She is among the wealthiest Pro-Heroes, and flaunts it. She wears her disgusting materialism on her sleeve, unashamed!"
"Do not... speak of her as if you know her." She rumbled, before shaking her head. "She is… a great Hero. A true Hero. The best there is. You cannot expect a Hero to be some unfeeling robot, or there will be no Heroes! She would stand against you, just the same."
"I pity you if you truly believe that." He sneered. "But you… you're not motivated by money, are you?"
"...No."
To Shoto's amazement, Stain actually nodded ever so slightly. "I didn't think so. You've had many opportunities to run. You have true conviction, to stand against me even in spite of your wounds. The same cannot be said for those you shield." He leered, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "I will spare you, even after I kill them."
"That's murder. I cannot let you do that."
"Murder according to whom? Sacrifices have to be made, to bring about a better future."
"The courts. The laws. Society."
"A system rotten to the core, warped by fake heroes."
"It isn't perfect. Nothing ever is. But it can be made better." She shook his head stiffly. "You're not going to convince me to throw it all down the drain just so that maybe after we and a whole lot of people are dead, somebody comes up with a superior system."
"Excuses, nothing more!"
"So what's your alternative?" She asked. For a moment there was silence. "Let's hear it then. What's your plan- what's your proposal to replace the system you're tearing down?" She pressed, her voice hoarse. "Or are you just throwing a tantrum and destroying anything you don't like with no plan for what comes next, like a kid tearing up his lego set without the slightest clue for how to put it back together?"
"You are naive. Progress will ever be made if you do not have the courage to take the first step, to begin the journey to betterment!"
She met his gaze with her own, blood-red eyes glowing furiously. "Still murder. That's all there is to it."
"I see." Stain said between gritted teeth, bringing up his sword. "Let us put it to the test."
Shoto watched it happen, as if in slow motion. The moment Stain charged Tatsuma was on the move, her acid-scarred forelimb limping slightly, as she swung her massive claws at the Hero-Killer.
He dodged, of course, dancing away from the swipe. Tatsuma had identified her weakness herself: speed.
Then she bellowed right at his face with such fury that it stabbed at his ears from all the way across the avenue. She twisted her body around and enormous jaws snapped at the Hero Killer, even as he shook off the stun and dodged with impossible speed, stepping to the side.
But it wasn't quite enough. Not all of him made it away.
Shoto wasn't sure whether to feel horrified or triumphant as he saw Stain's left arm, blood pouring out where it had been severed at the elbow.
It most definitely turned into horror as the Hero Killer swung his sword with his remaining arm.
Straight into her wing.
He could hear a gasp of horror from Midoriya as Stain's jagged blade carved through the soft flesh between the bony "fingers", slashing the entire section of the wing into two in a cascade of blood. He saw the Hero Killer look Tatsuma in the eye as he licked the blade. There was a yawning pit in Shoto's stomach.
The massive, white-scaled dragon went down like a sack of potatoes, cracking the floor with her weight.
Stain glared at her with utter hatred, his stump of a left hand hanging limp at his side.
"I was going to let you live." He uttered as he shook the excess blood from his blade, before tensing and jumping into the air. He landed on top of her limp form, holding his sword high. "But for that, you die."
Midoriya was screaming something. But what Shoto saw were Tatsuma's eyes. In the time that he'd known the 1-B student, she had always been a difficult one to read. She had no facial expressions to speak of, and even her eyes were inscrutable save for how they would shift back and forth observantly. But not anymore. Now, they were as clear as an open book.
Her eyes were wide open in sheer, mortal terror.
It was the eyes that finally brought to home the reality of what was going to happen in the next few seconds.
She was going to die.
A sword driven with Stain's considerable strength through the eye socket and into the brain stem would be instantaneously fatal, even to a dragon. No healer on earth could help her after that.
Even at the height of the USJ battle, he'd always been confident in his own abilities, that they would all pull through. He'd never truly considered the concept of mortality, even then. But now, now he was confronted with the limits of his own abilities in a way he had never been before.
An innocent person was about to die, and he didn't have the power to save her. Except he did.
He always had.
"You would have won, if you'd actually taken this seriously."
What would All-Might think of him if he saw Shoto now?
What would… Shoto almost instinctively cut off the line of thought, before forcing himself to bring it to its conclusion.
What would his Mother think?
Somewhere deep within Shoto Todoroki, something burst.
The blade descended. Someone screamed.
The broken and battered battlefield that had once been a shopping mall was lit by an inferno of flame as it slammed into the Hero Killer, throwing him off of Tatsuma.
"Todoroki!" Midoriya gasped. "You.. your flames… You're finally-"
The warmth gave blessed respite from the cold that had been burning his entire right side, returning sensation to his fingers. Shoto staggered back in the sheer relief flooding into his body, as if a great pressure he hadn't even fully realized was there was now gone.
How could have have been so stupid? To let his hatred of his father blind him so? To let it come to this?
He screwed his eyes shut. It ended today. Shoto wasn't sure if he even could make up for what he had done already, but he would try.
"This is all…"
No.
"...to create a just society."
No. No. No.
Shoto felt his blood curdle as he heard the raspy voice. His eyes snapped to where Stain had landed. Somehow, against all odds, he was standing.
He looked horrific. Burns covered his body. The rag around his face was gone, revealing his noseless face, as if cut by a blade. His eyes were bloodshot, jerking wildly in their sockets before focusing on Shoto. His bloodlust was almost a palpable, physical thing, reaching into Shoto's soul.
"You fakes… I must make things right…"
His right half had yet to fully thaw, but fire bloomed from his left at the Hero Killer. Yet it was wild, uncontrolled. And Stain was so, so fast.
"Someone must be dyed in blood… I must take back what it means to be a Hero!"
Shoto had all but an instant to take in the horror of his mistake before Stain was upon him, broken katana reaching out for his neck.
"The only one I'll let kill me is-"
"No."
An enormous, white-scaled hand, scarred with acid and stained with blood, wrapped around his entire torso and squeezed. Shoto could hear bones pop and break.
"You do not get to hurt anyone else." In defiance of all possibility, Ryuuzaki Tatsuma stood. Her voice was akin to the rumble of a magma flow, the very air around her shimmering with heat. Her eyes glowed like torches as she glared at the Stain with volcanic fury, the Hero Killer suddenly looking small and fragile in her grip. "The duration of your paralysis depends on the characteristics of the target, am I right? Well guess what, it can't hold a dragon for long."
Tatsuma slammed her hand on the ground hard enough to crack the stone. "Do you hear me?!" She boomed. "Nobody else! It's over!"
Silence reigned across the mall. A heartbeat passed. Then another.
Stain's eyes were rolled into the back of his head. He did not move.
Then, with the Hero Killer's unconscious body still clutched tight in her grip, Tatsuma vomited on the floor and passed out herself.
I ended up pulling an all-nighter hammering this one out because I really wanted to get it done quick. The preparation period for University Exams is beginning, so no more updates for a while.
My studying is proceeding well, and I have a concrete end-date after the universities finally figured out what they were going to do within regards to the virus situation. I will resume writing Dragonspawn on 6.6. at the latest, possibly earlier depending on if I fail to qualify for the second stage of the exam, and start working on Interlude 3, which will be featuring the wider reactions to the events of Chapters 31 and 32.
Also, @Chancellor is my new Beta reader, so I hereby abdicate all responsibility for typos and missing sections unto him.
Finally, since it's come into my attention that some people have been confused by it, Ryuko's epithet is canonically "Dragoon Hero", dragoons being a type of 17th/18th century cavalry unit, and not in fact "Dragon Hero", a large, reptilian legendary creature. Which she, you know, actually is.
I am fully aware of this and acknowledge what the official title is, but given that it's a stupid-ass title I elected to ignore it and use "Dragon Hero" for Ryuko and all the other Tatsumas in Dragonspawn.
This has been your regular public service announcement. Thank you and have a good day.
Ryutsuki Tatsuma was broken from her trance as she heard rapid, heavy footsteps approaching. She lifted her eyes from the wood carving she'd been working on as the door of her workshop was thrown open and a massive, grey-skinned man with the head of a rhinoceros barged in.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Most people might have trouble reading the inhuman facial features of Kenshin Tatsuma, but Ryutsuki knew her husband well enough to recognize the creases of worry etched on his face.
"Did you get a message just now?"
"No?" She answered as she fished out her phone from her pocket, only to see that she had indeed received a message just moments ago: she must have simply been too engrossed in her work to notice. She clicked on the icon and scrolled over the message.
Ryuko: Turn on the news. You need to see this.
-----
"Where is Endeavour and where the hell is my sister?!"
The doors of Kofu General Hospital were thrown open as Ryuko Tatsuma strode in with murder in her eyes, almost seeming to give off sparks as her glare swept across the lobby before settling on a trio of police officers, who shied back from her fury.
"Both in surgery, ma'am." One of them spoke up. "You, uh, can't talk to them."
"Then would you like to explain to me how the hell they ended in there?"
The three of them exchanged nervous glances and shrugs, until the one that had spoken earlier replied. "Endeavour'ssidekickisinroom311hecanfillyouinbye."
"Hmph."
Distracted by the fury of the Number Ten Hero, nobody paid much attention to the teenage girl in green bodysuit following skittishly in her wake, her expression stuck somewhere between awestruck horror and the occasional flash of muted frustration.
-----
"Where the hell are those blood bags! We need another transfusion, quickly!"
Enji Todoroki laid on the stretcher as doctors bustled around him, fighting to save his life. But it was hard to focus on the present. His head felt light and his thoughts sluggish. It was as if he was floating, the real world indistinct and colorless.
But for all that, he remembered.
"That won't work, there's blood in his lungs. We need to drain it."
He'd been drifting in and out of consciousness as it had happened, his chest carved open, but he'd seen enough.
He'd seen Tatsuma rise to the occasion, and save his life. His choice had been well made.
"Jesus, there's bits of ribs stuck in there."
And he'd seen Shoto use his fire for the first time. His fire. But not for him. For her. The girl. The virtual stranger. The rival. The one Enji had deliberately set against him to push him beyond his limits.
"Don't worry about the hand for now. Focus on saving his life."
He'd known about the boy's animosity towards him. How could he not? But he'd thought it simply childish defiance, a temper tantrum that he would eventually get over.
But to think it ran so deep. Deeper than he's ever imagined. So deep that he would not even use his fire in defense of his own father.
"Get him prepped for surgery! Where is that damn anesthesiologist?!"
Looking into his son's eyes as Stain had cut him down, and seeing the hesitation and loathing within had been… a revelatory experience. To see him finally throw away his foolish, self-imposed limitation and achieve his true potential, not for his sake, but for another.
Maybe it was the painkillers messing with his head. Maybe it was the concussion speaking. But the thought just wouldn't leave him alone. That it wasn't just a tantrum. That it was something far uglier. That it wouldn't just pass away with time. That his son genuinely, from the bottom of his heart, hated him.
And as he went under, for the first time in his life… Enji Todoroki wondered if he'd made a mistake.
-----
"...we can indeed confirm that we have Chizome Akaguro, aka Stain, aka the Hero Killer, in police custody."
For a moment, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone in the press room had heard the rumors already. It wasn't the sort of thing that could be kept under wraps. But to hear the Kofu Police Commissioner announce it in front of dozens of camera crews made it real.
Then the crowd of reporters erupted with noise, pushing and shoving at the line of uniformed police officers between them and the podium with something that could be described as desperation.
The Hero Killer, who had murdered twenty-one Heroes in the line of duty and crippled a further thirty-three, had been captured. It was the kind of story that could make careers.
It took almost a full minute for order to be restored, as the Commissioner stoically ignored shouted questions, the line of officers holding back against the press of bodies. Only once the room was quiet again he selected a reporter at random, and one of the officers moved to give him a mic.
"Mr. Commissioner, I think the question that's on everyone's minds is who is responsible for the capture. Can you tell us?"
"I can. The agencies responsible for the capture are Endeavour Hero Agency and Gran Torino Hero Agency, with assistance from the Satyr Hero Agency." Immediately, hushed whispers broke out amongst the crowd. The Number Two Hero was of course recognizable to everyone, and Satyr was a local name, but the third name came up blank.
"From Endeavour Hero Agency, Pro-Hero Endeavour and Sidekick Strikethrough. Furthermore two interns from UA High School were completing their work placements at Endeavour Hero Agency, Hero Names "Shoto" and "Ryuuzaki". From Gran Torino Agency, Pro-Hero Gran Torino, and another intern from UA, Hero Name "Deku". Finally, from Satyr Hero Agency, Pro-Hero Satyr provided assistance. Next question."
"Are you referring to the..." The reporter quickly glanced down at his tablet before continuing. "The first, second and eighth place contestants at UA's First Years Sports Festival? Izuku Midoriya, Ryuuzaki Tatsuma and Shoto Todoroki?"
"This is correct. Next question."
"Where is Endeavour?" A tall, horned reporter asked. "He's not the type to miss out on something like this."
"I cannot comment on ongoing situations. Next question."
Another round of whispers broke out, whilst the next reporter stepped up and took the mic.
"Can you comment on the allegations by eyewitnesses from the scene regarding the involvement of the group known as League of Villains, responsible for the attacks on Hosu and UA?"
"I can indeed confirm the presence of the Nomu-type villains. Beyond that, again, I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Next question."
"Mr. Commissioner, according to our sources within Kofu General Hospital, Stain was brought in near-death, and is currently fighting for his life." The reporter, a pale bluish-skinned woman with long hair and black-green eyes, received more than a few looks at her announcement from the other reporters. "Can you comment on the events that lead to such a state?"
"No comment. Next quest-"
"Furthermore-" She interrupted before he could move on, snatching back the mic. "These sources indicate that he is missing his left arm, accompanied by large teeth marks. In addition, cell phone footage recorded by several eyewitnesses show the intern Ryuuzaki biting off a part of a Nomu's arm before goring it on her horn. Can you comment on such an unprecedented level of brutality, from a trainee no less?"
A vein throbbed in the Commissioner's forehead.
"They were ambushed by the Hero Killer, and a squadron of Nomu." He glared across the room at the reporter, and even a few of the police officers glanced back at him. "Their opponents were utilizing lethal force, and their instructing Pro-Heroes had been incapacitated. I'll thank you not to make veiled accusations towards children who were forced to fight for their lives." The Commissioner took a deep breath and went on. "Whilst it is unfortunate that such drastic measures had to be resorted to we are not, at this time, investigating any of the Pro-Heroes or trainees involved for excessive usage of force. That will be all."
He turned on his heel and stepped down from the podium as the room descended into chaos behind him.
"Endeavour was wounded?"
"Is that why he's not here?"
"Are you saying that the Hero Killer was captured by the interns whilst both Pro-Heroes on the scene were out of action?"
-----
Somewhere in Musutafu, a man let out an audible growl as he watched the news, his reptilian features twisting into an expression of fury as his coffee mug shattered in his hands.
-----
A short bit of theme music plays as the camera focuses on a cat-eared woman sitting on a comfortable-looking half-circle couch. Across from her is a mousy-looking woman, looking out of place.
"And coming back from the commercial break, I'm Naoko Kurosawa from Channel Nine, and I have here with me Miyu Konishi. Ms. Konishi, you've been telling us about your experiences during the Kashyyyk Mall attack."
"Y-yeah. That's right."
"Now, the footage we're about to show is not for the faint of heart, so if you've got little kids watching back home now's the time to stop."
Grainy footage from a cell phone camera begins playing on the screen. People are screaming and running out into the street from a set of large doors with the name "Kashyyyk Mall" set in bold letters above them. The doors are ajar, and monstrous grunting and stomping can be heard within.
The filmer steps closer, and a massive white-scaled dragon can be seen grappling with an equally large grey-skinned monster. The dragon's huge jaws are clamped on the creature's bicep and with a squelching noise, it twists its neck and rips free a chunk of meat, blood dripping down its scales.
The footage cuts back to the studio, as Konishi looks shell-shocked, but determined.
"Ms. Konishi, everyone's been giving their own takes on the footage, but you were there on the scene. Is there anything you'd like to say, to tell us how it makes you feel?"
"Well… yes, it's shocking to see. But… she saved my life. All of our lives, those who were there I mean. Those things were hunting us in the darkness. And she's just fifteen, or so all the news is saying. I can't imagine what it must've been like to fight those… monsters. She's just a kid, but she went out of her way to make sure everyone made it out. Maybe she did eat Stain's arm, like everyone's saying, or maybe she didn't. Personally, I don't care. She's a Hero."
-----
In a nameless back alley, a man gurgled wetly as more and more of his blood spilled onto the cold asphalt from the knife wound in his gut. A phone laid discarded on the ground to the side, playing news footage
"Do you hear that?" A cheery, sweet voice asked. The man inclined his head to where his attacker was crouched over the puddle of blood, sucking it into a container with a needle. The girl stood up and sauntered over to the phone, blood staining her school uniform as she picked it up, showing footage of a white-scaled dragon tearing out a piece of flesh from a Nomu, blood splattering everywhere.
"That's interesting. That's very interesting. Don't you think so, yeah?"
-----
"Stain fucked us." Tomura Shigaraki growled, pacing on the floor of the bar. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted that bastard."
"It was your decision to send in the Nomu." Kurogiri noted from behind the counter, cleaning a pair of glasses.
"And you were the one who pushed so damn hard for us to get Stain in the first place!" Shigaraki spat. "Now we're down seven Nomu and no closer to our goal. Why don't you go and grab him so that we can-"
"Do not send Kurogiri on a one-way mission to work through your own frustration." A low, electronically tinted voice came from the speaker mounted on the wall. "The entire point of the operation was that we lose nothing important, but our teleporter is not so easily replaced."
"Yes, Master." Shigaraki sighed, scratching his neck. "I just don't understand it. We had the Nomu tailored against the targets, even those annoying UA brats, with a couple more for insurance. It should have worked."
"They were tailored against the targets we knew about. It seems that there was a player on the field we hadn't accounted for. Endeavour had two interns, not one."
"So the intel was wrong!"
"Our source provided us with information within the scope of their ability to acquire, Tomura Shigaraki." Kurogiri intoned. "We requested a list of the internship destinations of Class 1-A, since that is the placement of All-Might's successor. However, the extra factor was not a member of that class."
Kurogiri grabbed a remote and turned on the ceiling-mounted television screen, showing news footage a dragon grappling with a Nomu.
"You're telling me that one kid managed to hinder a force of seven Nomu, and derail the whole operation?" Shigaraki asked with a note of disbelief.
The wall-mounted speaker hummed as the footage continued to play, and the dragon impaled the Nomu through the chest.
"It is quite a potent Quirk."
-----
Somewhere in Musutafu City, a teenage girl walked up to her friend, showing her her phone screen, playing the news.
"Look at this."
"...No way. No fucking way."
"It's real."
"...It's been seven years, there's no way she remembers us, right? Right?"
I had some free time so I decided to write this up, not back to regular writing schedule yet but we're getting there.
"...We would have preferred to release information regarding the incident to the public in a more controlled manner, but the press forced ou- my hand. It seems that there were Stain sympathizers among the hospital staff, but they have been arrested and I have men on watch just in case. But in any case, you have my apologies." The Police Commissioner of Kofu City bowed stiffly to the three of us, Midoriya and Shoto sitting on their chairs while I laid on a rug on the floor and tried to ignore the itching on my right forelimb. The acid had eaten through the scales and while the wound had been healed it took a constant effort not to pick at it.
"What, because Endeavour couldn't get all the glory even though he was out cold?" Shoto shifted on his seat as all eyes turned to him. "That is how internships go. The sponsoring Pro-Hero gets the primary credit."
"Because now the three of you, Miss Tatsuma in particular, have been made into figureheads for a political agenda." The Commissioner responded gruffly, snatching a remote from a nearby table and turning on the wall-mounted TV, showing off what seemed like a press conference or possibly a rally, a man in a suit and tie standing on a podium, an icon of three hearts featured prominently on it.
"...Do I blame them for what they were forced to do? Of course not. They are only children, who have been abused by the system, though they may not realize it yet."
The image shifted to my battle with the grey Nomu, in all of its gory detail. Except… not quite. I couldn't quite help but notice that, as it jumped back and forth between the footage and the speaker, they were only showing the parts where I was losing.
"This is, I remind you, a fifteen year old girl. This is what our children are expected to face out in the streets. This is the reality we are dealing with. The Number Two Hero lies wounded, and teenagers were forced to step up to the plate in a fight to the death. You might imagine your own children placed in their boots. Is that the kind of future we want? The Hero system has failed us, and if I am elected to the House of Representatives, I will be introducing a bill to…"
The television turned off, as the Police Commissioner looked at each of us in turn.
"Furthermore, Stain inspired quite a following over the years, as the leak itself proves, and it's possible that they will seek revenge. At the very least you should have had a choice in the matter."
Shoto said nothing, casting his eyes to the floor.
"What about… my father?"
"And Gran Torino?" Midoriya added, looking worried. "I haven't seen him since yesterday."
"They will pull through. Though he got a pretty a nasty concussion and a broken leg Gran Torino has made a full recovery, and he wants to talk to you as soon as possible, Mr. Midoriya. Endeavour's situation is… trickier." He explained as Shoto cringed. "His hand was recovered and put on ice, but Stain's jagged blade left an ugly, messy wound that even the best healers might not be able to fix- at least not perfectly. Given the high chance that he would never recover full functionality in the reattached arm and suffer from random nerve twitches, he opted for a top-of-the-line combat prosthetic."
"I see." Shoto said, his expression somber, and the Commissioner's expression softened somewhat.
"The actions the three of you took yesterday will be examined over and over during the next few weeks, and people who weren't there will chime in with their expert hindsight opinions. But never forget that it was thanks to your quick thinking and actions that the death toll stands at zero. You went above and beyond what could be expected of you, and for that we are all thankful."
I exhaled slowly. We had done good. It was a nice thought.
"Now before I go, Miss Tatsuma, a word if you would?" He turned towards me. "During your interview, you mentioned you accidentally swallowed the Hero Killer's arm and vomited it out moments later."
A jolt ran through my spine. "Am I in trouble?"
"No, though certain people might give you some. But what concerns me is the state that we found it in. I won't show you those images, but this is what was left of the knife he was holding."
He withdrew a picture from his pocket and showed it to me, indeed showing one of Stain's serrated knives laid out on a white sheet. But the blade seemed warped and corroded, blackened and missing the entire handle.
"It seems like your stomach acid is some pretty potent stuff." He showed me a second picture of the stone-tiled floor of Kashyyyk Mall, a black, uneven and misshapen groove carved onto it. "It ate through the gloves of one of our crime scene investigators until we realized what it was, and we had to call in a hazardous waste disposal unit." He went on, raising a finger to forestall my question. "No, as I said already you are not in trouble. However, we would like for you to be aware of this potential danger in the future. We wouldn't want anyone being hit by this stuff by accident, now would we?"
"N-no." I swallowed. "We wouldn't. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner."
As the door closed behind him, silence reigned. It was the first time the three of us had had the chance to speak since the incident.
Nobody said a word.
I shifted uncomfortably. The room was white, clean and smelled of bleach- Midoriya and Shoto had had to be brought down to the ground floor where the only room equipped to handle giants like me was located. They'd apparently had quite an adventure just trying to move my unconscious body. The doctors had set the broken wing and stitched the cut back together before applying healing Quirks, but the dull throbbing ache would only go away with time.
"Tatsuma. Midoriya. I'd like to apologize to both of you." Shoto finally broke out with a sigh, and Midoriya glanced up at me from the corner of his eye.
"If I used my fire earlier… if I'd gotten over myself… " He said, his eyes straying for a moment to my bandaged forelimb. "I put you in danger."
"It's fine, I'm sure you had your reasons." Midoriya smiled awkwardly. "Right, Tatsuma?"
"..."
"Tatsuma?"
"It is alright, Midoriya." Shoto nodded slowly towards him. "I did hesitate in saving her life after all."
I said nothing. What could I say?
He had saved my life, yes- but only at the last moment. For all my power, I'd been seconds away from death. I'd been helpless, just like- like-
Even the thought of it sounded ungrateful, but I couldn't just ignore that if he'd gone all-out from the beginning, I might not have been in the position to be saved in the first place. I wouldn't have had to go through that… again.
Shoto took a deep breath. "I see now that I was too wrapped up in myself to see the big picture. It is not- it cannot be right to let someone die when you have the power to save them. Though I did not see it so until now, that was what I was tacitly allowing, by holding myself back." He looked up at me. "I am not going to ask for forgiveness, just that you let me explain. Not offer excuses, just… explain."
"...Let's hear it then." I mumbled. Midoriya nodded hesitantly.
"Very well. As I'm sure you know, my old man is the Number Two Hero. He has been for a long time, and that pisses him off to no end."
"Why?" Midoriya asked with a look of bafflement.
"Because he wants to be Number One." Shoto replied. "But no matter how hard he has tried, he simply cannot exceed All-Might. You might have noticed that there's a concrete limitation to his power."
"He overheats." Midoriya mumbled, hand over mouth.
"Exactly. So he decided that if he could not become the Number One Hero- then at least his child would."
An oppressive silence descended upon the hospital room as we digested those words. It was the piece of the puzzle that I'd been missing, that suddenly explained many of the things I'd witnessed over the last few days but couldn't quite connect before.
"So he married someone with an ice Quirk, right? Your mother."
Both of their eyes snapped to me, Midoriya looking scandalized.
"You're saying… Endeavour took part in a Quirk Marriage?"
"Well he didn't accidentally marry a person whose Quirk perfectly counteracts the weakness of his own, now did he?" I replied, and Midoriya snapped his mouth shut.
"Tatsuma is right. He pushed my mother into an arranged Quirk Marriage to produce the perfect successor. It took four attempts to get the perfect combination. From the day my Quirk manifested, my training began. I was to become the Hero who would finally exceed All-Might, and fulfill his lifelong ambition. And whenever I didn't measure up…"
"That's where you got that scar?" I asked.
His hand raised to the faint burn mark over his eye.
"No. Endeavour would never risk permanent damage to his masterpiece. But for years my mother tried to protect me. She had it even worse than I did. In my memories, she's always crying. Until one day she snapped."
He said nothing more- he didn't need to. An ugly silence fell, and I felt sick. I'd already known that Endeavour was an asshole, but this?
And I could not miss the parallels. Was this what my own mother had dealt with, under Ryuunosuke? Groomed as a successor because of her Quirk?
"Where is your mother now?"
Lost in my thoughts, I almost thought Midoriya's question was addressed to me, only for Shoto to speak up in reply.
"Psychiatric Hospital. Or so I've been told."
"You haven't seen her?" Midoriya asked, looking horrified.
"No."
"...For years?"
"No." Shoto replied from between gritted teeth, but Midoriya pressed on.
"Forgive me, but… I think you should. She protected you- She must love you, right?"
"It's not that easy."
"Shouldn't you at least try?"
"Midoriya. Drop it." Shoto hissed, his tone ice-cold, and the other boy sat down.
Another moment of silence passed as he calmed down, his anger slowly ebbing into weariness and regret until I spoke up.
"I… when I said, what I said about Endeavour, I didn't know..." I began, but Shoto cut me off with a sigh.
"But you were still right. A real Hero doesn't pick and choose." He closed his eyes for a moment. "As much as I hate him… Endeavour doesn't deserve death."
It was easy for me to nod along in agreement, but… that was just the thing. Would I have done what I had, knowing what I now did about Endeavour? It would have been so easy to just… not go as far as I did. I would like to think that I would have, but even so...
"What will you do now?" Midoriya asked.
"I… still have much I need to learn. It isn't enough to just start to use my left side again- for years, I've been neglecting its training. If someone dies because of that, because I wasn't good enough, then haven't I killed them just as much as if I had outright refused to save them? I will not allow that to happen. And there's only one person in the world who can truly teach me how to properly use my fire." He slumped a little lower in his seat. "And that someone is now in the hospital because of me. People are using my mistake to lambast the entire Pro-Hero system."
I shifted uncomfortably, slowly almost starting to regret my earlier coldness. He'd been in the wrong, but carrying that level of self-blame… A part of me wanted to say something, but I simply couldn't find the words for it.
"The doctors said we'll be discharged today, so I'll probably need to talk with Burnin' about whether I'll be able to go to the Agency for Friday. Even without Endeavour… well, they're the next best thing. I have to get better."
"I think I need to talk with Gran Torino." Midoriya said, rubbing the back of his head. "I know the police said we're not in trouble, but with that guy..."
"I spoke with my sister yesterday." I said, recalling how she'd barged in as soon as I was out of surgery. "The doctors said I should be clear for non-field work, so I'll be going to her for the last day assuming UA clears it. I… don't think I could work with Endeavour, knowing what I do, and I was already considering quitting."
Shoto gave me a guilty look. "That is… another matter for which I must apologize to you."
"...What do you mean?" I asked, taken aback.
"You didn't overhear my argument with Endeavour by accident." He admitted, unable to look me in the eye, while Midoriya looked baffled. "I instigated the confrontation, knowing you could hear us."
"Why?" I spluttered.
"To let him show what he really thought of you. Not out of altruism- I hoped that you would leave, and deprive him of an intern." He bowed his head.
Several different emotions boiled within me. Anger at being deceived first amongst them. But I would perhaps never have found out on my own.
What won out was a profound sense of… sadness, I supposed was the right word.
"I accept your apology. I… suppose I can understand what it's like to deal with unreasonable relatives."
Midoriya looked at me in surprise, and Shoto suddenly went very still. "What do you mean?"
"My mother…" I began, before hesitating.
"Did she-" Midoriya started, looking horrified, but I interrupted him.
"No! My mother would never-" We saved each other's lives, to hell with it. "I'm going to ask that you don't share this with anyone, but my mother was, well, in a situation like yours." I looked at Shoto. "She'd inherited just the right combination of Quirks, and my grandfather wanted her to become a Pro-Hero. She resented him for it, and rebelled against the path set out for him."
Shoto looked taken aback. "There were others." He muttered as if in a daze. "Others like me."
"After my sister and I started on the path to become Heroes, we've had to deal with derision and even sabotage from our extended family. I know it's not the same, but… I think I can understand a little bit."
Shoto nodded slowly. "That's why you've eschewed the traditional Tatsuma Hero Name. I was wondering about that."
"Yeah. I just… don't really know. My sister chose Ryukyu before she knew what the rest of the family is like, and she's the only reason why I'm even considering it. But… my grandfather abused my mother, and my uncle is a vindictive bully. They're not the type of people I want to associate myself with."
"The funeral. I remember now." Todoroki suddenly said, snapping his fingers. "Tatsuma is your mother's name."
"...Yes? That's what I've been saying?"
"I only just now realized why that was bothering me. I probably don't have any right to say this, but…" He looked up at me. "What was your father's last name?"
"Matsuoka. My father's last name before marrying my mother was Matsuoka." I swallowed dryly. "Why?"
"Right. Why is your name Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, and not Ryuuzaki Matsuoka?"
…
My jaw hung open.
"It's… it's something I used to daydream about, quite vividly sometimes. Running away, maybe to some of my mother's family, changing my name and starting a new life. Your mother did just that, but she kept her name, and even convinced your father to take it on. It might just be a hunch, but… if there was nothing of worth to the Tatsuma name, if she thought it was so rotten that it's legacy was beyond saving, why go through all that trouble to preserve it?"
I'd never even thought about it like that. In Japan, the law specified that a married couple had to share a surname, and though the groom could take the bride's name it was in practice very rare. But that was just the thing. Where I'd been- where I'd come from, it was nothing out of the ordinary, really. The implications had simply flown over my head. I'd never even considered it.
"I know it's hypocritical of me to say it, but I think… you should talk to your mother."
Doctor Kawaguchi's face looked out from the screen with concern as I talked, the laptop sitting on the table while I was curled on the floor of the hospital room.
"I- I'd accepted the possibility that I'd have to inflict bodily harm on Stain to get him to stop but… I didn't mean to eat his arm. I tried to spit it out, but he used his Quirk and I went down and I… swallowed. I vomited it out as soon as I was able to, but I still remember what it tasted like. Human flesh."
The mere thought of it almost brought back the bile.
"And now half the country thinks I'm a cannibal." I mumbled. They weren't even wrong about that, outside of technicalities.
"But how do you feel about it? Let's forget about everyone else for a moment." Kawaguchi asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Do you feel guilty, about what you did?"
"No. I'm… disgusted, I suppose, at the act itself, but I didn't have a choice. I feel angry, at Stain, for putting me in that position, that I was forced into it."
And at Shoto. I'd accepted his apology, but forgiveness… was hard. I was trying, but it was hard.
"That's good. At the end of the day, you only acted to protect your life and that of innocent people. Try to focus on that, and ignore what everyone else has to say. If it helps, imagine how they would have done in that situation? Would they have done any better?"
"Right." I took a deep breath, the airflow causing the curtains of the hospital room to flutter. "I'll- I'll try."
"That's all that anyone can ask." She smiled. "Now, you said that there was something else you wanted to talk about?"
"Y-yeah." I shook my neck like a dog, clearing my head.
For the next several minutes I just talked.
"That is… you never told me about this before?"
"I-"
"No, no, I apologize." She immediately corrected herself. "That was unprofessional of me. It must be hard for you to unload this all at once. I am merely… shocked." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "That is… a complicated set of circumstances, which I'm sure we'll have to return to over the course of our future sessions. But for now, I cannot help but agree with your friend. The only way you'll be able to gain closure is by speaking with your mother."
"It's not that easy."
"Why not?"
"I-wh-" I spluttered. "She's made it clear she has no interest in talking about anything that has to do with family history. She doesn't talk to me. She just shuts the conversation down."
"Does she shut the conversation down, or do you allow her to shut the conversation down?"
"W-what?"
"Have you ever pressed the topic?" Kawaguchi explained, twirling a pen in her hands. "You dislike causing trouble for your parents. From what you've told me it affected how you reacted to being bullied when you were younger. Respecting your parents is admirable, but if you shut down as soon as she reacts negatively you will never be able to have a healthy conversation about it. You need to be able to hold firm."
"I… can't."
"Why not?"
Because I felt like I'd taken the place of the child she'd wanted, that she'd deserved.
When I didn't respond, she went on.
"If you never try, you'll never get closer to resolution. You can't force her to answer, but who knows? Often, we create unnecessary strife between one another simply because we fail to see things from the other side. Communication is what brings us together."
-----
A few hours later Ryuko and I were making our way through Thursday afternoon traffic towards home. It should have been a nice day. And it was, in a way. The birds were singing and the sun was shining, the air pleasantly warm. Summer was coming.
And yet…
"Ryuuzaki?" Ryuko called out from a few steps ahead of me, having turned to look at what had stopped me. She followed my gaze across the street to a newspaper stand, where my face featured prominently on many of the covers.
Hero brutality ignites discussion on self-defence laws.
Children fighting for their lives, UA under fire.
Youngest Tatsuma's choice of Hero Name indicates possible rift between sisters?
I tugged my eyes away from the headlines with a huff and kept going. Ryuko winced in sympathy as she quickened her stride to keep up.
"I suppose as your big sister I'm meant to say that you shouldn't pay them any heed, that they don't matter." She said after a moment.
"Hrrrm."
"But I'm not going to lie to your face. As a Pro-Hero, public perception is something that will always come back to you. You could try to ignore it, but th-"
"Yeah, I understand." I sighed. "I know. I'll need to address it. Soon."
"I thought you hated talking to the media?" She stated, curious but without judgement.
"I still do, I just understand the necessity of it all, now. Everybody's up in arms, and I have to do something. I watched some news after my session with Dr. Kawaguchi. Somebody's even dragged up the footage of my fight against Tokoyami, to prove that I'm unstable." I muttered darkly. "It's also bigger than just me. They're using what I did against that Nomu to crusade against the entire Hero system. I can't just stick my head in the sand and ignore it."
"Oh, Ryuuzaki…"
"Am I wrong, though?"
"No. I'm just sad that you're being forced into this. But I'm also proud of you for doing what you feel is right." She reached up to pat the top of my head.
It was nice.
"You'll also need to make a decision on your Hero Name soon. With all this attention on you…"
"Yeah. I just need… a little more time."
Soon enough we found ourselves in front of our- well, my home I supposed, Ryuko had her own. I took a deep sigh as the security camera scanned us before clicking green whilst the doors swung open
" 'Tsuki! They're home!" I heard my Dad's voice sound across the house, followed by heavy footsteps. He greeted me with a great big hug, throwing an arm around my neck. "I'm proud of you, squirt. We've got dinner on the way, and enough for both of you at that."
Mom's reaction was considerably more subdued, especially once she saw the bandage on my leg and the scar on my wing, but it was… fine.
It was fine.
Over the course of the dinner, I proceeded to go over my experiences at the Endeavour Hero Agency in more detail than what I'd been able to hurriedly explain over the phone. Dad listened with rapt attention, occasionally posing a question or two, but while Mom tried to feign interest I could tell that her eyes started to glaze over when I got into the "Hero Stuff".
"They really let you take the point in breaching the vault?" Dad asked with a tilt of his head. "That seems way too dangerous for an intern."
"Well, there was no real danger to me, I'm bulletproof." I realized what I'd said a moment after the words were out of my mouth. It wasn't like I was wrong, but…
"If you say so, then I trust you." Dad said, clapping a hand to my shoulder with a smile.
"So, um, the biggest issue was getting the hostages out safely, but Endeavour and his team were on top of that."
I could hear Mom's reaction to his name every time I said it- even without looking, I could tell the difference in her breathing. But she said nothing, nothing at all.
"After something like that, I imagine you headed back to the Agency to write a report?" Dad smiled. "Ryuko told us more than a few stories like that when she was starting out, though not so much anymore." He threw a mock glare across the table at my sister.
"Actually, there was another thing about that whole incident." I said, drumming my claws on the floor, as Dad's smile faltered. "One of the villains, with a grouper Mutant Quirk, asked me if I was Kenshin's kid."
"No, I've never known anyone by that description." He denied after a moment of consideration, his voice of almost casual yet very firm. "He got someone else mixed up."
I looked at him for a few seconds. My father had never once told me a falsehood. Mom and Ryuko had, ranging from white lies you tell children to… well, to lies about going after Fujiwara when I told her not to. But not him. Frankly, he seemed almost incapable of it.
So why… why did it feel like he just lied to my face?
But I had nothing to refute him with, so I moved on. I skipped over the Todoroki family drama and the gory details of my fight with the Nomu and Stain, but even so by the end Dad was looking appalled. Then, there was nothing more to say.
Conversation lulled. There were only the sharp clinks of cutlery. Now was the time.
Just say it. Say it, you coward. Say it!
"Mom?" I finally spoke up, my tongue feeling leaden, but I forced it to move. "There is something I wanted to ask."
"Well, what is it?"
"I've been wondering… why did you keep the Tatsuma name?"
I might as well have dropped a live bomb on to the kitchen table. Ryuko blinked slowly, as if processing what I'd just said, while Dad recoiled as if slapped. And Mom… Mom had gone completely, utterly still.
"No."
"No?" I tilted my head. "You're not even going to address it?"
"It is none of your business."
"It is my business. It became my business the moment I was born." I retorted, more harshly than I'd intended. "In case you didn't know, I'm your daughter. I carry that name as well. I just want to know why."
"Now now, Ryuuz-" Dad began, but I pressed on.
"I just don't understand it. After everything they've done. Why hold on to it?"
"Ryuuzaki, I told you to stop." Mom spoke out from between clenched teeth. "Don't be difficult."
...
Difficult…
She knew that was exactly the word to get me to back down. Guilt, it was always guilt. But not this time.
"I am not being difficult." I threw back with a snarl, rising to my feet. "It's just a question. One question. I'm not asking for the moon. You don't want to help me with my Quirk, fine. You don't care to listen about my day as a Hero or even watch the Sports Festival, fine. You don't care to talk about the family history, or even tell me the name of my own damn grandmother." She recoiled as if she'd been slapped. The words were tumbling out of my mouth. I was getting angry, now. "I just want to know one single thing. I want to know why I have to share an association with the people who threw you out. Who shunned us at the funeral. Who tried to sabotage me at the Sports Festival." Ryuko began to open her mouth, as if to say something, but I cut her off. "Hey, Ryuko, did you know that Endeavour was considering offering you a recommendation but Ryuo talked him out of it just out of spite? Because that's a thing."
"He did what?!" Ryuko jerked forward in shock, her hands on the table.
"And now there's thousands- if not millions of people wondering why I don't want to continue the family tradition. Why I don't want to take on a Hero Name shared by those bastards."
"I never asked for any of it!" I could smell a whiff of smoke in her breath as she stared me down.
"Well guess what, neither did I!" I yelled back. "I didn't ask to be jumped by the League of Villains and the Hero Killer! I didn't ask to become international news overnight!"
"Do not raise your voice at your mother, young woman!"
"And there it is! You can't address my argument, so you just fall back on "I'm the parent so I'm automatically right"! All I want is an actual fucking answer!"
I took a step forward, only for a horrid crack to cut through the arguing like a knife as I felt something brush against my side, followed by a crashing sound as most of the wall separating the kitchen from the living room came down, starting from where I'd accidentally nudged against it.
One angry misstep and I'd brought down a wall.
I froze. Everything went still.
Mom staggered back to her chair, exhaustion writ across her face. Dad looked to still be in shock, his eyes flicking between the two of us.
"Mom, I..." I began, but trailed off, words refusing to come.
"I never told you about your grandmother?" She finally asked in a quiet voice. "I didn't…"
"No." Ryuko said with a subdued shake of her head. "You didn't."
Mom looked down at her feet for a moment, silence reigning across the kitchen. Then, after a moment, she composed herself and pushed up to her feet in one sharp movement. She marched past me to the living room, stepping over a few of the bricks that I'd brought down. Her face was carefully set in stone but her breathing and heart rate betrayed her trepidation.
She crouched by one of the cabinets, reaching into it, and I could hear her moving things around until finally she pulled out a large, leatherbound book that looked weathered by time.
She returned to the kitchen and sat back down, opening the book in her lap. Ryuko leaned forward to read over Mom's shoulder, and I shifted to get a better look as well. It seemed to be a mix between a scrapbook and a family history book- there were news articles, photos, and what looked like journal entries from what I could glimpse as Mom flicked to the first page, prominently featuring a scaled, reptilian man with two wings sticking out of his back.
"This was Ryoto Tatsuma, also later known as Ryuichi. Your great-great-great-grandfather." Mom spoke in a slightly choked tone, as if she was trying hard to keep her voice neutral. "The first Dragon Hero. But he laid claim to another title of firsts, the first registered Pro-Hero in Japan."
She must have noticed the surprised flicker in my ears as she went on. "Many historians contest such a claim, though the Tatsuma family has always insisted it's validity. They were chaotic times, and the records were poor. Nonetheless what is certain is that he was one of the greatest Heroes of that era. Quirks had only just begun to emerge. Society was collapsing around them and the government, in desperation, turned to any resource it could utilize. So radical steps were taken, and certain individuals were empowered to utilize their Quirks and work alongside the police in maintaining law and order, at least as best they could. He set the standard for what it meant to be a Hero in Japan."
She scrolled through several pages, showing Ryuichi carrying people out of a burning apartment building, wrestling with a villain, shaking hands with a suited man…
"Not just by example, he also had a hand in the drafting of License exams and sponsored the creation of formal Hero Academies. When age and injuries caught up to him he passed the mantle to his daughter, Ryumaru Tatsuma. It was her idea to create a lasting legacy of Dragon Heroes, and so she took on the name Ryuni, while her father came to be known as Ryuichi. Before this most Heroes were known only by their real names, but she codified the practice of taking up a Hero Name."
"How… is this not more public knowledge?" Ryuko asked. "This is the first I've heard of any of this."
"When I was young it was more widely known. But these days… well. Nobody likes to talk too much about how bad things were, once. Before All-Might." She sighed. "Ryuni had two sons, who took the names Ryusan and Ryuyon. Of the latter little is known, his ultimate fate unknown, but Ryusan had two sons and two daughters."
"Ryugo. Ryuunosuke Tatsuma." I mumbled.
"Yes. Your grandfather was the eldest, while his younger brother took on the name Ryuroku, but eventually died childless. My aunts were never interested in Pro-Hero work, and I never really knew them."
"That leaves one. The seventh." Ryuko noted.
"Yes. Ryushichi. Your grandmother."
"She… was from outside of the family?"
"Yes, the first Dragon Hero not related by blood. My mother. She could transform into any shape, as long it had the same mass as her original body." She sounded almost distracted, looking at her hands. The silence stretched, and I was about to say something when she went on.
"She died."
Oh.
"A few years after Ryuo was born. Picked a fight she couldn't win. Too many villains, too strong." She swallowed heavily. "It's the way it is."
There was another long pause.
"I suppose Ryugo is the one you really want to hear about." She shook her head. "My father was a good man… once." She morosely. "When I was little, I remember him holding me on one knee and Ryuo on the other, showing us this very book. He'd read it for us before bedtime, and tell us of the generations of Dragon Heroes that came before. He could tell a story like nobody else. He would-he would make these little sound effects to accompany the story." Her voice broke for a moment. "That's how I wanted to remember him. The man he became after was dead to me for years before he shuffled off the mortal coil. "
"That's why you kept the Tatsuma name?" Ryuko asked.
"I wanted to preserve something of what he'd ruined. To hold on to a happy memory, even as my life fell apart. And a part of me... felt like abandoning it would have been letting him win, giving him what he wanted. It didn't seem right that the only legacy left behind of the Tatsuma name was the… thing that he had become."
"So you convinced Dad to go along with it?" Ryuko asked, turning her head, and it suddenly occurred to me that Dad hadn't spoken a word for a long while, sitting quietly with his hands on the table, his fingers steepled.
"We spoke about it at length, and I understood your mother's reasoning." He explained after a moment's pause. "Though my parents never quite forgave me for it.
That sounded perfectly reasonable. So... why was his heart hammering in his chest?
"It's why I wanted to take you to the funeral, even though I should have known it was a bad idea. I wanted to show you something of my childhood, and of where you came from. I meant to show you this book after we came home, but then... I didn't realize how badly my father had gotten to Ryuo."
"That was the first time I really internalized what they had done." Ryuko admitted morosely. "Questions like these… never really occurred to me before, and after... I could tell that the topic was painful to bring up."
"Seeing him eye to eye opened many old wounds that I'd thought healed. It was easier to put things off. Until… here we are."
"What happened to him? To Ryuunosuke?" Grandfather didn't sit right in my mouth. "How did he go from that to… what he was?"
"Eventually… well. Times were hard. You've grown up in an era of relative peace and stability, but back then, Heroes were few and villains so, so many. Any victories were hard-won. The handful of Heroes that did dare to venture out into the streets were hailed as saviours. I think it went into his head. He thought he knew best how things should be run- he began to resent the fact that Heroes had to follow orders from civilian oversight. So he thought that if he got all the major Heroes to band together and negotiate from a position of strength, they could, well, if not disband the Public Safety Commission then at least bring it under their influence. He started making alliances, pulling strings and gathering favours while spending less and less time out in the streets. But… that was thirty years ago. Can you guess what came next?
"All-Might returned from America." I supplied.
"Correct. Suddenly, everything turned on its head. I still remember it like it was yesterday. You have to understand… back then, there were these certain neighbourhoods, certain villains and gangs that were unofficially deemed a lost cause, too dangerous to patrol, too strong to challenge. All-Might changed the paradigm overnight. He stopped the unstoppable, he defeated the undefeatable, he brought down the villains that were once considered invincible. And more than that, he brought hope. Hope that things could be better than they were. A new generation of heroes arose in his wake. People dared to let their kids walk on the streets again. But there was one who wasn't pleased about it."
"Ryuunosuke."
She nodded. "His plans were dashed, his preparations suddenly worthless. Worse than that, people started to think… "Why couldn't we have had this before?", "What were the Heroes doing all this time?" The prestige of the Tatsuma name was in freefall. He began to obsess over it, spending even less time in Hero work, reinforcing the downward spiral. I can remember him seething over it for hours on end. The civilians were ungrateful, didn't they see what the Tatsumas had done for them over the decades? These new heroes were upstarts, what did this "All-Might" who had hid in America know about real struggle? Only the old families were worthy, only they were the real heroes. Legacy was everything. I saw the poison in his words for what it was, but Ryuo… he was still only little."
She shook her head regretfully.
"We were to be the next generation, the ones who would bring the Tatsuma family back to the forefront. But I wanted nothing to do with it. I'd been ready to become a Hero, but suddenly… I didn't need to. I could pursue my dreams instead, with a clear conscience. I could be an artist, like I'd always wanted. My father… did not take to my decision very well. He tried to force me to continue training. I was… uncooperative."
She shuddered slightly, and I could feel heat building up in my stomach.
"When my defiance continued, he found… other means. Ryuo was hanging on to his every word, eager to please, but he wasn't good enough. His Quirk wasn't good enough. He'd never be a Top Hero. So my father looked elsewhere. There was a young hero who'd interned under him, now a rising star who looked to be the only one to be seriously trying to catch up to All-Might. He was sending out feelers that he was looking for a wife with a strong Quirk. To sire a next generation to surpass the ones that came before it."
Oh. Oh no.
"This young Hero's name was Enji Todoroki."
If I was able to produce one, my look of horror would have mirrored that of Ryuko. As it was my ears drooped, but it was… frustrating, the limited range of emotional signals I could show, especially given how bad I was with words.
"He wanted someone whose Quirk could counteract his weakness to overheating. Mine… well, it would have been perfect, a fact that didn't escape my father's notice. He approached Todoroki with a proposal. An alliance. The Number Two Hero would use his influence to rescue the tattered prestige of the Tatsuma name, and in return I was to… to produce him children."
I took in a ragged breath of air.
"Tatsuma is right. He pushed my mother into an arranged Quirk Marriage to produce the perfect successor. It took four attempts to get the perfect combination. From the day my Quirk manifested, my training began. I was to become the Hero who would finally exceed All-Might, and fulfill his lifelong ambition. And whenever I didn't measure up…"
"That's where you got that scar?" I asked.
His hand raised to the faint burn mark over his eye.
"No. Endeavour would never risk permanent damage to his masterpiece. But for years my mother tried to protect me. She had it even worse than I did. In my memories, she's always crying. Until one day she snapped."
That could have been us. That… almost was us.
"My opinion was of course never consulted. They drew up plans for a wedding as soon as I was of age, but then… Ryuko waylaid those plans."
There was a noise of shattering ceramic as Ryuko jolted, her elbow accidentally knocking a mug off of the dinner table. Her expression shifted rapidly between realization and horror, her mouth opening a few times before glancing at me and settling down.
"My father's fury was beyond words. It was the last straw, and he threw me on the street. Todoroki found someone else."
"You never did anything with the knowledge that Endeavour was in a Quirk Marriage?" I asked.
"With what evidence? Quirk Marriage is technically illegal, but it's all but impossible to actually prove. Nobody wanted to hear of such allegations against a leading Pro-Hero after peace and order had finally been restored."
"Is that why you were so against my internship under him?" I said after a moment. "Because, what, you thought he'd try to pair me up with his son? Because, uh..."
I turned my head to look down at myself.
"It… made me uncomfortable, to have him near you." She twisted her head sharply. "And one day, you will be human again."
"Well if that's what he was counting on he's going to be disappointed." I muttered under my breath, before I realized what I was saying.
"What do you mean?" She asked, alarmed. "You haven't given up, have you?"
"No, I mean... I'm not going to have kids. I'm not interested in… that stuff. Doing the business." I shuffled my feet awkwardly. "Never have been. I don't think I ever will be."
"Oh, Ryuuzaki. I had no idea."
"It's not exactly something that just… comes up."
"That you didn't feel okay coming out as asexual... well, that is another failure of my parenting."
I avoided meeting her eyes. "You're not disappointed you won't be getting grandkids?"
Even though I'd said it almost flippantly, a lame attempt to shift tension, Mom adopted a sad smile. "I could never be disappointed in you for being who you are." She said, before trying to smile. "Besides, you and your boyfriend could always adopt."
"Girlfriend." I corrected in a small voice. "It would be a girlfriend."
"Girlfriend, then." She nodded apologetically. "I know I'm not always the best at showing it, but I love you, both of you, and always will."
She took in a deep breath.
"I think... that the question you really wanted me to answer was "Can I feel proud of being a Tatsuma?"."
She looked up at me and slowly, I nodded.
"It's a difficult question. It's ultimately something you'll have to decide for yourself. All I can do is tell you the truth. I won't mince words. My father was a monster by the end, and of his own making at that. He poisoned Ryuo, too, but that doesn't excuse my brother from what he's done either. I pity him, but he is a grown man now. Those cousins, married to other families, who shunned us at the funeral… who knows what they actually knew. My father never had much regard for anyone but the main family line."
She settled her hands on the table.
"But should the evil wash away the good as well? Does a part of the whole being rotten make it worth tearing down in its entirety? Does it mean it cannot be made better than what it is?" She looked down at her hands. "I hate the people my father and brother became. But I cannot hate the family legacy itself. You were right, I would not have held onto the Tatsuma name if I did." She sighed. "Does that answer your question?"
"It's… a lot to take in at once." I mumbled. "You never really spoke of this before."
"I… won't lie and say that it isn't hard for me at times. I thought it would be easier. It was, when you were little. I don't know if you remember. But seeing the two of you enter the career that took my family from me... It isn't- it could never be your fault, but even hearing about it sometimes…" She spoke, her fingers gripping on the fabric of her pants. "It just reminds me. My father wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to training."
There was a scraping noise on the floor as my claws curled into fists.
"A part of it was… I felt that it would be unfair to burden the two of you with this. That I would be making you ashamed to choose the path you wanted. But I realize… by bottling it up, allowing the resentment to build up without ever addressing it or honestly speaking about it… I was hurting you still, perhaps even worse. And for that, I'm sorry. I will do better in the future.
"I'm sorry too, for yelling and… breaking the wall." I said, my ears drooping.
"There's no way I could be mad at you when I know for a fact I would have been worse, at your age." She shook her head sadly. "It's something I used to argue about with him. He wouldn't even listen to what I had to say." She sighed deeply. "Look at you, you're almost sixteen already. And you always were a smart kid. I should have realized I was talking down to you." She turned her head slightly, to look at the collapsed wall. "It's just going to be tight to get that repaired."
"What do you mean?" Ryuko asked. "I'm paying for it."
"No you're not."
"We agreed that I would cover the expenses of- well, Ryuuzaki's condition."
"You've already done more than enough." Mom said, straightening her back. "I misspoke. We'll figure it out."
"Mom, Ryuko, please don't fight." I looked down. "Could you… read us more of the book?"
"Yes." Mom nodded, but I didn't miss the wetness in the corner of her eyes. "I think that's a good idea."
-----
The studio felt uncomfortably small, but it was the best that could be done on short notice. If I stood up straight my horn would skewer one of the overhead lamps and my tail stretched almost to the feet of the cameramen, but my head could sit roughly where the guest bench would normally be.
From beyond the cameras, behind the glass window, I saw Ryuko give me a thumbs-up. She'd called in a few favors with the media to make this happen, and while I was embarrassed at having to ask her for it I understood the necessity. It had required approval from UA, the Public Safety Commission and the Endeavour Hero Agency to set up and it all honestly made my head spin, but somehow Ryuko had been able to set it up in one afternoon. Then again she'd always been good at that stuff.
"Last chance to change your mind." Opposite to me sat my interviewer, the same journalist who'd done my first interview, what felt like months ago. "We're going live in thirty seconds, and it'll be next to impossible to change once it's out there." She said, looking up from her notes.
"Thank you, but I've made my choice." I said, suppressing the urge to fidget.
"Well as long as you're sure." She said just as someone yelled out from the backstage.
"Intro playing! Live in fifteen seconds!"
Just breathe, in and out.
You know the questions. You're here for a reason, just get it done and over with and you can go home.
The light on the cameras flicked green, and it was go time.
"I'm Naoko Kurosawa, coming to you live here from Channel Nine's studio. Today I have with me a very special guest, one that has been the talk of the nation over the last two days, Ryuuzaki Tatsuma. Miss Tatsuma, it's good to have you here."
"It's good to be here." I lied.
"Now, we've had you here before on this channel two months ago, but to make sure everyone's on the same page, you're enrolled as a student in UA Heroics Department under recommendation from your sister, Ryukyu, in class… 1-A?"
"1-B. Though it's an easy mistake to make, we're not as famous." Man, if Monoma saw this interview I'd never hear the end of it.
"I'm sure your performance at the Sports Festival more than equalized things."
"I placed second." I said, fumbling a little for words, but Naosawa moved on mercifully quickly.
"And more recently, I understand you've had quite an eventful week behind you, interning under the Number Two Hero, correct?"
"That's right. It was a learning experience." If the stiffness of my answer bothered Kurosawa, she didn't let it show.
"I see. Now, I think there's a certain elephant in the room- or a dragon, more accurately. There has been confusion about your Quirk, whether it is a Mutant-type of Transformation-type like your sister's. Would you like to address this topic, to make sure everyone's on the same page?"
This was one of the questions I'd been dreading. It was something that was necessary to address, but that did little to allay the butterflies trying to escape out of my stomach.
"Yes." I took a deep breath. "My Quirk is technically Transformation-type, but I am physically unable to turn back to human. That is all I will say on the matter, except that it has been confirmed by medical professionals and the Public Safety Commission. I trust that this will put the topic to rest."
Ryuko had coached me on the answer, going over it with me several times before the interview. It left a bad taste in my mouth but it was a necessity, to avoid giving the wrong message without revealing more than what I was comfortable with. I probably would have messed it up, anyway.
"Well then, I think what everyone is probably waiting for us to get to are the events of yesterday, and what led up to them. Can you tell us more about that?"
"It was as the Police have already released. Shoto- Endeavour's other intern -and I were following him and Strikethrough, one of his sidekicks, during an ongoing criminal investigation alongside the Pro-Hero Gran Torino and his intern Deku, when we were ambushed by the Hero Killer and the League of Villains." I stated matter-of-factly.
"It must have been a terrifying experience to go through."
"It was." I floundered for words again, unsure how to put the experience into words. So instead I moved on. "One of the Nomu had an electromagnetic pulse Quirk that knocked out the lights and communications. We couldn't call for help, and there were still civilians in the Mall. So, while the others distracted the Nomu, Strikethrough and I evacuated them." I didn't mention it was a decision made by Midoriya, Shoto and I, without the involvement of the Pro-Heroes. It was better not to bring it up, or so I'd been instructed.
"Ah, yes. We've heard quite a lot about what happened from those evacuees. They spoke highly of your bravery, getting them out and facing down a Nomu."
"Thank you. I only did what anyone would have done in my circumstances."
"Don't sell yourself short, there! I don't think most fifteen-year olds wouldn't have been able to do it."
"Most fifteen year-olds aren't dragons."
"Quite so! Now, over the last few days, after that video emerged, a few people have come forward to criticize the amount of force you used in taking down the Nomu. Is there anything you'd like to say to these people?"
"I'd tell them that it's easy to say such things when you weren't there. I tried, you know." My voice choked ever so slightly as I spoke. "I tried to subdue it, like I'd been taught, but it was too strong. I didn't… gore that thing to death for fun. I did it because it would have killed me if I hadn't. Because I was the only thing standing between those civilians and certain death. I know… violence like that can be shocking to behold. It isn't what anyone wants to see happen. Myself included. But when all other options have been exhausted… sometimes it's simply necessary."
I sagged back a little bit as I finished, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Ryuko giving me thumbs-up with both hands. That hadn't been rehearsed.
"But yes. We got the civilians out, but a Nomu attacked and I… well, I killed it."
"That was when you headed back inside?"
"Yes. People were already going for help, and I feared that I would only lead the Nomus out into the street." Don't mention that it was Strikethrough who ran to get help. That was a detail the Endeavour Hero Agency had insisted upon. It made sense, considering his quirk, but it would be embarrassing if it came out that a Pro-Hero fled while interns were fighting.
If I never had to do another interview in my life I could die happy.
"And then you faced Stain." It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "The Hero Killer has become known far and wide over the last few years, but very little is actually known of him. Can you tell us of what he was like?"
"An idiot."
"...I'm sorry?"
"He's an idiot. He thinks that killing everyone who isn't All-Might will somehow improve anything." I sighed. "He tried to get me to stand aside. I could not do that. That was all there really was to it. We took him down."
"I see." She nodded. "There have been allegations-"
"I bit it off. I did not eat it."
Technically.
"Ah." Out of the corner of my eye I could see one of the staff gesturing something. "Now, it seems like we are running low on our allotted time for this interview, and I would like to thank all of your viewers for tuning in, as well as you, Miss Tatsuma, for joining us today. Before we go, I think there's one more topic that has been on the minds of many people. Can you guess what I'm referring to?"
"Yes. I can." I took a deep breath. This was it. "In honour of great heroes like Ryuichi, Ryushichi and of course Ryukyu, those who performed incredible heroic deeds while never allowing their personal feelings to cloud their judgement… I've decided to take the name of Dragon Hero: Ryuju."
INTERNSHIP ARC END
Whew. Another storyline brought to conclusion, I hope people were satisfied with it.
Ryuuzaki was always going to pick Ryuju, but in case people are interested the alternative I considered a few times was Katla.
Next Chapter will be finally time for the Tokage interlude.
Alright, so, since it apparently needs to be said:
I will not be answering the question of whether or not Ryuuzaki will recover her human form, no matter how many people PM me or message me on my profile about it. You can stop sending me those.
I understand that this is question is a dealbreaker to some people, but try to understand it from my perspective. I generally try to avoid giving out major plot spoilers because by revealing that information, I would be essentially making a promise that something will or will not happen, and not just that but that it will happen in a certain manner, at a certain point in the story, creating expectations. But what if it doesn't live up to those expectations? What if it happens in a different manner than the reader thought, or doesn't at all? What if it takes too long to happen and they feel cheated?
And that stresses me the fuck out. It already has, when I've revealed stuff and started worrying over whether or not I'll be able to fulfill those promises. Hell, I stress over the unspoken expectations and promises made by the story text itself already, without even getting into OOC spoilers. And you know, I don't particularly enjoy stress, this is my hobby, the stuff I do for fun. It also means less time and effort spent on the stuff I actually want to do, like writing and actually advancing the story.
So in conclusion, not going to answer that question nor will I be convinced to, sorry, the only one I'm willing to discuss major plot spoilers with is my Beta reader.
Itsuka Kendo 07:33 Did you talk to her yet? Is she alright?
Setsuna Tokage 07:34 No, but Ryukyu said she's coming with us today so I guess she's fine.
Setsuna Tokage 07:34 Besides, you said she looked fine in the interview on the television.
Itsuka Kendo 07:34 I know, I'm just worried. She hasn't been online all week.
Setsuna Tokage 07:35 Probably busy.
Setsuna Tokage 07:35 gtg
Setsuna Tokage pocketed her phone and sighed, leaning her back against the wall. For the last two days it seemed like it was all anyone would talk about. The group chat had been insufferable. But it wasn't like she could blame them, the capture of the Hero Killer had made international news after all. And it was one of theirs that had done it. Or at least been at the heart of it. Of course they were excited. And worried.
She squared her shoulders and pushed off the wall, striding down the hallway.
Ryukyu Hero Agency was smaller than she'd perhaps originally expected for a Top Ten Hero, but the mahogany flooring and pre-Quirk tapestries told quite clearly it was a matter of preference rather than modesty or ability. She also didn't fail to note the width of the hallway, nor the size of the door before her, but she shoved that detail far into the back of her mind as she approached the entrance, left slightly ajar.
Time to face the music.
"-mber, for today you're my intern. That means acting professional and suspending sibling privilege while on the clock."
"Alright. Just keep in mind, that goes both ways… Ryukyu."
Ryukyu had her back towards Tokage, but turned around to face the intern as she entered. The older woman was clad in her Hero Costume, black qipao dress and white sleeves, claw headdress and small, decorative wings behind her head.
Standing behind her sister, even crouched the massive bulk of Ryuuzaki Tatsuma dominated the room by her sheer presence. Her draconic form was at the least ten meters long from snout to tail by Tokage's estimation, but even that number belied her sheer mass, thick muscle visible beneath the scales.
The two of them couldn't have looked more different, save for one thing: their eyes both shone with the same red, and the younger Tatsuma's scales bore the same snow-white colouration as the elder's hair.
"Ah, Lizardy, you're here. Good."
"Ryukyu." She bowed respectfully, before glancing up at her fellow intern. "Ryuuzaki."
The person of the hour. It wasn't enough to dominate the news cycle, she had to be here as well. Rationally, she knew that the other student hadn't intended for any of it. But it was hard not to feel bitter.
"It's Ryuju, as of yesterday." The dragon stared down at her, looming over Tokage.
"Not all of us have the time to follow the news." She bristled, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"Of course. No offence was meant."
Tokage internally kicked herself. Great start for the day. But it was too late to take back now.
Ryukyu frowned, and her heart sank further, but the older woman said nothing about the exchange, simply beckoning the two of them to follow.
"We've been doing patrolling for most of the week, and from what I've heard you saw more than enough action over at Endeavour." Ryukyu began as she walked out of the lobby and towards her office. Tatsuma glanced at Tokage before lumbering after her, and she hastened to follow. "So today we're going to cover something a little different. Any guesses?"
Tokage and Tatsuma spoke simultaneously.
"Paperwork?"
"Investigation?"
"Good answers both, but not quite. Those are important parts of being a Pro-Hero, but less prominent. This is supposed to be a work experience after all, and I would be remiss to let you go without addressing one of the things that will govern much of your day to day life. That is, we will be talking about money."
Tokage blinked.
That was not what she had been expecting. In hindsight it seemed obvious but nobody had really talked about the financial side of things until now.
"It's a topic that certain people think sullies the profession to even bring up, but I think that kind of talk is silly and unrealistic. Whether we like it or not, money is what turns the gears of society. The platonic ideal of heroism doesn't put food on the table. Nor is running a Hero Agency from your garage conducive to effective Hero work." Ryukyu pulled off her claw-like headdress and showed it to Tokage and Tatsuma. "I had this custom-made by an american support item company to my exact specifications, to fit over my claws when I transform. It's made of an alloy with a name too long for me to remember, but it's almost indestructible and acts as a thermal insulator. It's directly saved my life at least five times. It also cost millions."
"Yen?"
"Dollars. Now that's an extreme example, but the point stands. The two of you are getting your costumes paid for by UA, but a self-regenerating costume and miniaturized noise cancellers aren't cheap either." She said as she put the headdress back on. "Staff is another big expense. Of course you can do without, but it's all about efficiency. No human being can master every job, and all the time you spend on stuff that could be handled by someone else is time that you aren't out there saving people. You need doctors, because you can't fight crime sick or with a torn shoulder ligament. Sidekicks to shore up your weaknesses or just because you can't be in two places at once. Personal trainers, because in this job it pays to stay fit. Accountants, to manage finances. Public Relations people, for when you inevitably say something stupid in an interview. Dispatchers, to man the phones and make sure you are where you're most useful. Once you get big enough you start needing staff just to manage staff. Managers, HR, cleaners, the list goes on. All of them need a place to work from and a salary. And what's leftover goes to you."
Tokage wasn't sure if Ryukyu saw the twitch on her cheek, but the older woman went on. "And why shouldn't it? It's not wrong to be paid for your work, especially one as dangerous and stressful as pro-heroism. And if it attracts more people to be heroes, all the better."
"I don't know, that seems awfully mercenary." Tokage muttered, not meeting Ryukyu's gaze.
"Think of it this way: does it matter if the person pulling you out of a burning building is doing it for money or because they're just being nice?" Tokage jumped slightly as she heard Tatsuma's reptilian hiss coming from behind her. "Isn't it better that there are more heroes on the streets?"
"Exactly." Ryukyu said, and Tokage's ears burned with embarrassment at being shown up. "Anyway, the next logical question is, how do Pro-Heroes make money?" She said as she opened the door to her office, a stack of papers neatly piled on her desk. She walked over and grabbed on from the top, showing it to Tokage and Tatsuma. "The most basic form of income for Pro-Heroes is the stipend the Public Safety Commission pays us at the end of every month based on the reports we send in. Those reports are what you two are going to help me fill up."
Tokage could hear Tatsuma freeze behind her on the doorway- a four-ton dragon makes a lot of noise just by moving, and so the sudden cessation was very noticeable. "You're going to trust us with that? What if we mess up?"
"Hey! What are you implying about me?" Tokage questioned defensively, but Ryukyu stepped in.
"I trust you with coming along on patrol, and so potentially with people's lives. What's financials compared to that? But I am going to go over them myself, and then have my accountant check again."
Tokage was still glaring daggers at Tatsuma but the dragon seemed to relax, ignoring her as she stepped inside. In a few minutes all three of them were seated and peering over the submission forms, Ryukyu behind her desk, Tokage on the guest chair and Tatsuma laying on the floor beside her.
"...You know I can't hold a pen, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I would have set something up for you, but with all that's happened over the last two days… you can still assist us though!"
For an instant Tokage felt a surge of smugness, before it was replaced by a stab of horrified guilt. What the hell was wrong with her this morning? That was… not okay. She wanted to slap herself, but it would have elicited questions.
"Now, there's a certain base pay that you get just from holding an active Hero License. Not enough to live on, but a nice bit of supplementary income to incentivize people to get trained and be available in the case of an emergency even if they don't want to do it for their day job." Ryukyu explained, drawing Tokage away from her thoughts. "Beyond that everything gets tallied up. Villains taken down, civilians saved, cases resolved, time spent patrolling- even if you don't catch anyone you're still helping maintain the peace -and so on. Responding to police calls and requests pays well, too. The Commission also assigns a bounty for notorious villains, that gets paid out to each participating Pro-Hero. It's meant to disincentivize people from competing over who brings them in but the fame of taking down a famous villain often leads to it anyway."
"Wait." Tokage turned to look at Tatsuma, who had tilted her head. "Wouldn't… Stain have had a bounty?"
"One of the highest." Ryukyu shook her head. "But you're interns, so you don't qualify for the bounty. You're not legally allowed to be paid until you get your full Licenses."
"That's bull-" Tokage exclaimed, before cutting herself short, her ears burning. "That's not… right."
"I agree." Ryukyu nodded, to Tokage's surprise and relief. "It's overtly restrictive. The legislation was passed soon after the rules for bounties were changed to be paid to everyone involved, in response to an incident where a Pro-Hero by the name of Thunderwave started taking on interns from less than reputable Hero Schools and bringing them en-masse to dangerous fights to watch from the sidelines. The bounty would get multiplied by the headcount, then he'd pocket ninety percent of the interns' shares for himself as they'd agreed beforehand."
"I feel like there were other options for closing that loophole than totally forbidding interns from receiving compensation."
"Of course there were. But that's politics for you. Pro-Hero compensation has been a touchy subject in recent years, especially in areas where the Hero Killer was active. Representatives wanted to score points with some constituency or another, and nobody really cared to stop them. It's not like many Pro-Heroes are going to lobby against getting unpaid labour. 'They get to build up their fame and skills, isn't that enough?', that's what they said."
Tokage cast her head down, annoyed but with no retort coming to mind.
Soon enough they were hard at work, Ryukyu and Tokage filling out the forms as Tatsuma read from the records that the Agency kept. It was… awkward, not the least because they had to change pages for Tatsuma lest she absolutely shred the paper with her claws. The alternative was not involving her at all, which would defeat the point of the exercise, but it made the work slow and frustrating.
"That can't be right." Tokage finally muttered, staring at the end total she had reached.
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Ryukyu asked.
"There's no way this can cover all the expenses of… all this." She gestured around her.
"It doesn't. It's good that you asked that, because that's what we'll be getting into next." Ryukyu said, leaning back in her chair. "Government pay is only one part of your income. Most new Heroes rely on it, but as you build up fame and connections you can also get commissions from private entities. Guarding a specific event or location, guest teaching for a Hero School, appearing for a panel at a convention or to sign autographs, interviews for the media, that sort of stuff. The UA Sport Festival's security detail pays excellently, because it means having to miss out on scouting opportunities."
She went on to explain. "Then once you really start making it big there's sponsorships to consider. The money is good, but it's a balancing act. It takes quite a bit of time, you have to follow their specifications and if you do it too much it's easy to get a reputation as "Shampoo Ad Hero" or the like. Now, where the real money lies for top heroes is in merchandise. Every action figure, colouring book, poster, keychain and video game bearing your likeness nets you royalties. And you don't even have to actively do anything for it, just negotiate the licensing deal and monitor their adherence to it, and that you can delegate to other people. But for today, we'll be doing a check-up in person."
-----
The convention center was not quite jam-packed, but the crowd could hardly be called sparse either. People were drifting in and out of various stalls that ran in endless rows all along the building's interior.
And then there was the merchandise. So. Much. Merchandise.
Each stall focused on a specific type of item or a particular hero. All-Might was, obviously, by far the most prominent, featuring between one third and one half of the convention's offerings, by Tokage's reckoning. Then maybe another third went to the remaining Top Ten; Endeavour, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Crust, Yoroi Musha, Wash, Ryukyu of course, and Gang Orca. The remainder was an assortment of historical and lower-ranked Heroes, probably most prominent among them Miruko, the current Number Eleven and on the track to break into the Top Ten in the next Hero Billboard Chart.
"This place is running something hero-related more or less around the calendar, and the merchandise sale figures are correspondingly massive." Ryukyu explained as the three of them made their way through the crowd. "If you want to get a pulse on the latest trends and currents, this is the place to be."
"So what exactly are we doing?" Tokage asked.
"Just patrolling, looking out for anything out of place or inappropriate. Of all sorts, it's a professional courtesy to let a fellow Pro know if there's an issue they should know of. I'm not expecting us to necessarily find anything, but I felt that it's important to introduce you to this side of the profession as well."
A lot of eyes followed them as they walked, the majority of them drawn to Ryukyu and even moreso- to Tokage's chagrin -Tatsuma. There was an invisible barrier there, an unspoken rule not to bother a Hero at work, but at the center of a fan convention, she wondered how long it would last.
They wandered across the floor, weaving past stalls here and there. Ryukyu made a stop in front of one stall, browsing it's offerings while the seller was over the moon, hardly able to get a word out of his mouth. She was about to move on when Tatsuma cleared her throat, and Tokage followed her gaze to a poster of Ryukyu and Hawks.
"Can I…?"
"Just make it quick." Ryukyu sighed.
"How… will you be paying, Miss?" The stall's owner managed to squawk out.
"With credit card." Tatsuma said, tapping her wristband that contained her communicator. She held it over the reader and it bleeped in affirmation, and she very carefully tucked the poster into a pouch on her vest, taking care not to touch it with her claws.
They continued on their way, and the crowds began to thicken. It was getting hard to see anything through the press of bodies, only Tatsuma's hulking form standing over the crowd.
"...Ryukyu, didn't you say that unlicensed heroes can't make license agreements?" She asked.
"Yes?" The older woman immediately perked up. "Did you see something?"
"Stall thirty-three, the guy with the iguana Quirk. He's keeping them under the counter, but I saw him take out a miniature M-Deku and sell it just now.".
"Thirty-three?" Ryukyu said, already moving at a determined pace. "I see it. Let's pay him a visit."
Tokage hurried to follow the two sisters as they marched off, caught off guard by the sudden shift. She cursed herself for not being on the watch- her Quirk was supposed to be good at scouting.
By the time she caught up they were already at the stall, Tatsuma's massive bulk obscuring her vision. There was a sound of something being knocked over and the clatter of running feet, only for Tatsuma to take a rapid step forward and interpose a massive, clawed forelimb in front of the fleeing merchant, larger than his entire body. Tokage saw him sputter to a halt, overbalance and fall over, landing on his rear.
"Okay, I think you already know why we-" Ryukyu began, whilst Tokage rounded around Tatsuma to get a better look at the man on the ground, who was wearing thick coat and a beanie, with distinctively lizard-like features, only for him to gasp out.
"Setsuna?"
"Makoto?" She peered down at him, her heart sinking. "Is that you? What are you doing here?"
"What do ya think?"
"You know him?" Ryukyu asked.
"...This is Makoto Tokage, my cousin." She said, wishing with all her heart that the ground would suddenly open up and swallow her.
"So these your friends, eh Setsuna?" He smiled up at them. "What do ya say we forget about all this, you know, between friends?"
"I'll be the judge of that." Ryukyu snapped, folding her arms over her chest. "Are you aware that selling counterfeit merchandise is a crime?"
"Oh come on, there's a lot of dedicated fans out there, I'm just responding to demand, you know?" He glanced towards the two interns as he got to his feet, licking his lips nervously. "If anything I'm doing them a service, helping them build publicity. Eh?"
"It's still a crime." Ryukyu scoffed, before gesturing at the pair of security guards pushing through the crowd towards them. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to go with these two fine gentlemen and they're going to turn your contraband over to the police. You'll be fined and a mark is going to be put on your record. Being difficult about it will only make it worse for you."
The man went pale, stammering out something unintelligible whilst Ryukyu talked to the two guards, before they took Makoto by the shoulder.
Tokage could feel the eyes on her as the security guards escorted the man away.
"Yes, they're all like that." She snapped curtly. "I'm the only one actually interested in making something of myself."
…
An awkward silence ensued for a moment until Tatsuma broke it.
"So you're not going to arrest him?"
"It's not an arrest-worthy crime." Ryukyu replied to her sister. "Sure, I could have taken him in for questioning, but what's the point in causing more drama and antagonizing people over a relatively minor crime?
"You know he's probably friends with the security here?" Tokage muttered.
"I don't doubt it, but I do doubt that they'd take a risk for him when the Number Ten Hero is involved. And if they do, well, worse for them because I'll be checking back on this case." She said, making a note on her phone before closing it and turning towards the doors. "Well, I think it's about time we got going. Don't want to be late to our next appointment."
-----
The route that Ryukyu was leading them on took them to one of the more run-down areas of Musutafu, the kind of area that they warn newcomers to stay well clear of. The buildings looked to be in lesser or greater degrees of disrepair, and she could spot frequent cracks and bumps in the pavement while trash was littered here and there across the streets.
"Is this where-" Tatsuma began.
"Yeah." Ryukyu replied curtly, cutting off her sister.
"...Where, exactly, are we going?" Tokage questioned.
"Well, I thought that all this talk of money and finances might leave a sour taste in your mouths, so we should end things doing a more heroic note." Ryukyu explained as they rounded the corner, coming to a stop in front of a small building. "And what's more heroic than community service?"
Tokage looked up at the sign hanging over the door, reading "Bothweli Daycare." It was low, squat building with a small fenced-off yard surrounding it, a couple of struggling trees poking out of the dirt alongside a swing set and a sandbox.
As soon as Ryukyu pushed the front gate open Tokage could hear yelling and the pitter-patter of small feet, as a horde preschoolers maybe between the ages of three and six emerged from the front door, crowding around the Pro-Hero in excitement, casting curious or wary glances at the two interns but the majority of their attention was on her.
"Ryukyu! Ryukyu! Did ya come to visit us 'gain? Did ya bring us any toys?"
"No toys this time." She smiled. "But we are here to visit. Where's your caretaker?"
Just as she said that an old woman, probably in her fifties, emerged from the building, shooing at the kids to make way and give some space.
"What have we talked about politeness, hmm? Is it polite to swarm guests and demand things of them?"
"No, Mrs. Nakashima." The children chorused. "We're sorry Mrs. Nakashima."
"Is it me that you need to say that to?"
Tokage saw some of the younger kids struggle for a moment, but starting from the older ones they turned to Ryukyu. "We're sorry Ms. Ryukyu.
"Please don't stop coming to visit." One added in a small voice.
"Of course not." She replied, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair before turning back towards Tokage and Tatsuma. "These are my interns, Ryuju and Lizardy. They'll be working with us today so I need you guys to be good to them and not give them any trouble. Can I count on you?"
"Yeah!"
"Now why don't you get going while we talk to Mrs. Nakashima?"
The kids scattered, and Ryukyu turned towards the older woman.
"Ryuju, Lizardy, thus is Naoko Nakashima, the head of Bothweli Daycare. Treat her as you would myself."
"Hard to be the head of anything when I'm the only one working here." She said with a sigh, rolling her shoulders. "It's good that you're here."
"What happened to the two assistants?" Ryukyu asked.
"They quit before their trial period was over, of course. We can't pay enough to retain workers."
"...Aren't daycares funded by public funds?" Tatsuma asked.
"We are." She said, turning to look up at the dragon. "Which means every daycare worker in the city gets paid the same. Which means nobody's going to take the risk of getting mugged or kidnapped on their commute, or getting caught in the middle of a gang fight. Ryukyu's the only reason they've left the daycare itself alone."
"But you didn't come here to hear an old woman complain. Lizardy, I need another pair of hands to help with dinner. Ryuju… I think you'd be best served watching the kids in the yard. Ryukyu, they've been clamouring for another story."
"We'll get on that." She smiled.
Soon enough Tokage was in the kitchen of the small daycare, tending to several pots of soup on the stove, adding in ingredients under Nakashima's instructions as she prepped them.
"Do you… get Pro-Heroes here often?" She asked after a while, just to break the silence.
"Just Ryukyu. A daycare isn't as immediately visible as cleaning a park or hosting a radio show." Nakashima stated bitterly, before sighing. "No, forget I said that. I'm sure there's many causes that need Heroes' attention."
"So Ryukyu's been a big assistance?"
"Oh, vital. When a drunk driver crashed into the fence last year and the city wouldn't send anyone to fix it for weeks she lit a fire under their asses. Twice a year she brings in a toy for every kid here. For most of them that's more than what they'd otherwise get. And she keeps the kids entertained and the druggies away. She's told me that if she legally could pay for the extra caretakers she would."
"Sounds like she's going out of her way to help."
"Oh, she's always been like that. Why, when she was a kid-" Nakashima stopped abruptly, shaking her head. "Ah, nevermind." Before Tokage could ask what she meant the older woman pressed on. "Why don't you go and call everyone in while I put in the finishing touches? Just ring the bell on the porch, the kids know what it means."
Weirded out by the sudden shift in behaviour, Tokage could do nothing but follow orders, making her way to the back porch. Ryukyu was sitting on a lawn chair under the shade of a tree, surrounded by a ring of raptly attentive kids who hung onto her every word as she told a story of a fight with a giant squid villain, emphasizing the tale with hand gestures every so often.
Most of the remaining kids were out on the playground, where Tatsuma's hulking form was sprawled on the sand, preschoolers crawling all over her as if she was a play castle. A gaggle of them were on her back, pretending to be dragon-riding, while others were marveling at the warm, white scales.
As Tokage watched one girl of maybe four years toppled over and fell, but Tatsuma simply shifted her wing to catch her with the membrane like a life net. The child squealed in excitement and began babbling something, drawing the attention of the others, but Tatsuma raised her head and spoke something inaudible in her deep, hissing voice, curbing their enthusiasm. She lowered her head back down as the kids went about playing on and around her. One boy came up to her and asked her something, only to squawk and jump backwards as she opened her massive, fanged jaws, slowly inching forward to poke one of her teeth with a finger.
Despite all the people crawling on her, touching her, Tatsuma simply sat there patiently, looking watchful yet content. It was a scene Tokage almost felt ashamed to break up as she went to ring the bell.
-----
"Thank you so much for coming." Nakashima said as she locked the front gate, pulling out the key. "Even if it was just for one day, I've been able to get many things done that have been sitting there because I can't leave the kids unattended."
Tokage simply felt too exhausted to speak. The last of the children had just been picked up a while ago, many of the parents gawking at the live dragon. Then the Daycare had to be cleaned and prepared for the next day. But in spite of that… it felt like they had done some good. It was a nice feeling.
"The honour was ours." Ryukyu bowed her head respectfully. "It's always a pleasure, and a good working experience for Ryuju and Lizardy. There's more to being a Hero than just punching villains."
"If only more of 'em saw it that way." Nakashima muttered, before clearing her throat. "Right, I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you have places to be."
After waving their goodbyes the trio departed, Ryukyu taking the lead.
"Community service is something that every active hero needs to do, but at least you'll get to pick where you go. But remember that as Heroes you also have a responsibility to the community. Do not act frivolously."
The streets actually had more people on them as the sun was getting closer to setting but most of everyone gave them a wide berth, averting their eyes and looking down at the pavement.
After traveling a few blocks, however, there was a commotion of some sort up ahead. A middle-aged woman was struggling with a young man, trying to stop him from taking a backpack that she was holding on to with both arms.
"Help!"
"Hold on!" Ryukyu said as she stepped forward, a hand on her headdress, but as the man turned to look at them he let go of the woman, his eyes widening like dinner plates. He raised both his hands towards Ryukyu and the interns, palms open, suddenly there was a green light, rapidly coming towards them.
In that instant, in that split-second of decision-making, Tokage hesitated, her mind still struggling to catch up to what was happening. She was frozen in place.
Then, a huge shadow fell in front of her, obscuring the light and casting her in shadow. As the glare faded, Tokage got to see the sight of an elephant-sized dragon toppling over, green wisps of energy crackling on her scales as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she crashed down on her back with a loud crack, cracking the pavement beneath her.
Tatsuma had stepped in front of her. While she had been stood there Tatsuma had moved without hesitation, without even a moment's consideration, to throw herself in front of an unknown attack.
An angry growl emanated from behind her as smoke flooded the street and a second dragon charged forward, the smell of ozone filling Tokage's nostrils. The spell broken, Tokage rushed to Tatsuma's side to check her breathing, which was mercifully easy to see and hear.
"She's breathing!"
The man up ahead was still running, casting a glance over his shoulder and his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of the pissed-off dragon coming right at him. He pointed an open palm towards her and another blast emanated from it.
Now that Tokage could see clearly it seemed to be composed of something like green light or lightning, traveling fast, perhaps at the speed of an arrow. Ryukyu twisted her neck and, with liquid grace that nothing so big should be able to possess, wrung her body out mid-air so that the blast brushed past her, impacting against a lamppost. The green energy sparked and crackled as it made contact, but fizzled out in a few seconds, leaving the post standing unharmed.
"It's some sort of stunning effect!"
The villain was elbowing people out of the way as he went, shoving them to the ground. His initial victim had taken off running and people were scattering in all directions, but the streets were still crowded enough that Tokage could tell Ryukyu was having to slow down for fear of running into someone.
This was bad.
As she'd explained over the last four days, Ryukyu specialized in dealing with large and powerful villains, using her flight to be able to respond to calls from across the city in minutes. But her Quirk wasn't suited for dealing with situations like this.
The villain was also continuing to fire indiscriminately, and Tokage saw him hit a woman he'd shoved out of the way moments before, dazed and trying to get up as the blast hit her square in the face. She went limp as Tatsuma had, like a marionette with its strings cut.
Time slowed down. If she fell, she'd crack her head open on the pavement. Ryukyu had seen it, but she was too far away.
The only one who could do anything… was Tokage. She'd already hesitated once, and Tatsuma had to pay the price. It wouldn't happen again.
She threw herself forward, and activated her Quirk, her torso separating at the waist and rocketing forward. But not fast enough. The flight speed of Lizard Tail Cutter increased with the number of separations, but there was a short interval after each split until she could make a new one. She wouldn't make it in time.
No. Unacceptable.
She grabbed her left arm with the right and tugged it off before throwing it forward with everything she had. With the combination of her Quirk and the throw, her hand just barely managed to get under the woman's head before she hit the ground, scraping asphalt all the while.
Tokage winced in pain, but gently lowered the woman to the pavement and continued her flight past her. In the few seconds that had passed the villain's lead had gotten longer, as the people he'd tripped slowed Ryukyu's pursuit. Tokage sent a few more pieces of herself to go catch falling people, but the villain was getting away.
"We have to go above!" She shouted. "Otherwise he'll keep shooting into the crowd!"
"I know, but the downdraft would send people flying and risk injury!" Ryukyu grit her teeth. "You'll have to do it."
"Me? But-"
"Just go!"
A bit of sweat running down her brow, Tokage pushed herself higher into the air, continuing to separate herself every few seconds. She was gaining on the villain, and as he saw her he began firing upwards at her instead. Which took the civilians out of the harm's way, but left her dealing with a barrage of smaller blasts he was throwing out of his palms.
Trying not to think about the last time she'd been in this situation, Tokage spread her cloud of body parts wider apart, dodging the incoming fire. A few of them were hit, going numb and flopping to the ground, but she simply pressed on, careful to keep all of her vital parts high in the air as she sent pieces of her arms and legs to assault the villain.
A feint with her fist towards the jaw to distract her, pieces of her shin to the backs of his knees to make him lose footing, followed by her elbows to hook under his armpits to lift him into the air. He struggled, trying to pry her off, but she got a firm grip on his legs and flipped him mid-air, holding him upside down a good meter off the ground.
It was the first look that she had gotten of the man, in his early twenties with short black hair and scruffy clothing.
"You are under arrest. Do not resist further." She recited from memory, but the man spat back.
"Go to hell."
He brought his hand up to fire another blast, so Tokage triggered the taser built into her forearm, pressed against his chest, and he jolted in place before going limp.
Ryukyu reached them seconds later, her presence causing Tokage's skin to tingle with static electricity, but she took one look at the villain and Tokage before transforming back to human.
"That was well done. Do you have something to restrain him?"
Tokage shook her head, and Ryukyu pulled out a zip-tie from a pouch on her belt. "Always keep some on you, you never know when you need them."
She tossed it up to Tokage and she used it to bind the man's hands behind his back, before lowering him to the ground.
It took ten whole minutes for the police to arrive, all the while Ryukyu was talking to the bystanders who'd begun waking up, drowsy and disorientated whilst surreptitiously casting worried glances at her sister, still knocked out cold. When the squad car pulled up on the curb two officers disembarked. The older of the two took one look at the villain, shaking his head.
"This the guy? Yeah, he's a known face 'round these parts. Daisuke Kishimoto, aka Knockout, small-time villain. His Quirk's called Concussion, which can knock out good if you get hit by it, especially from both hands. I'm guessing that's what happened to big guy over there?" He nodded towards Tatsuma.
"That is my sister." Ryukyu stated.
"Alright." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Anyway, since it affects the nervous system directly his Quirk doesn't care for how tough you are, so he's a hot commodity for the local gangs as hired muscle. Must have fallen on hard times recently, to resort to muggings."
Ryukyu exchanged a few more words with the officers before they moved on to getting statements from the civilians, leaving the two of them standing by Tatsuma's side.
"I called the ambulance too, but emergency service response time is terrible in this part of the city." She fumed. "If they're not here in five minutes I'm going to-"
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by Tatsuma abruptly jolting to an upright position, wobbling on her feet as she took a step back, shaking her head. Her eyes seemed unfocused, rapidly darting back and forth between Tokage and Ryukyu.
"Keitä te ootte? Missä vitussa mä olen?" She began babbling something unintelligible, before looking down at herself, raising a clawed forelimb before her eyes as if in disbelief. "Kuka mä olen mitä mä-"
Just as abruptly as it had begun, Tatsuma's eyes rolled over and she collapsed again. Ryukyu stepped forward, worried, but she seemed to be breathing steadily all the same.
"...What was that?" Tokage asked, baffled. "Was that some sort of language?"
"Oh, Ryuuzaki speaks fluent Finnish."
"...Why? How?"
"Everybody needs a hobby. She thinks she's keeping it secret, but she's not as sneaky as she thinks she is." Ryukyu winked surreptitiously at her, before her expression sobered. "Don't… tell her I told you that, though. I'd rather she tell me about it of her own initiative."
Thoroughly confused, Tokage could do little except nod dumbly. A few seconds later Tatsuma began to stir again, though her awakening was not nearly as violent as before. She slowly cracked her eyes open, peering at the two of them.
"Oh. I thought I was dreaming. I saw a light…"
"You got hit by a Quirk that gave you a concussion, or something similar to one." Ryukyu explained.
"Right. I remember now. I stepped in front of…"
"Yeah." Tokage bit out, her mood instantly souring at the memory of having had to be saved. Ryukyu gave her a look, but said nothing.
"Anyway, you should lie down. The paramedics will be here any moment. Or I'm going to go and give them an earful about neglecting particular areas." She huffed.
The ambulances did arrive a few minutes later, and after checking everyone out to make sure there were no further ill effects, gave them leave to depart. The three of them returned to the Agency, the sun having already set by the time they got there.
"Well, I wanted to do a performance review before we call it a day, but I think we're officially running out of time." Ryukyu said as they turned onto the final street. "Ryuju, why don't you go home and rest after what's happened? I can come over to talk tomorrow. Lizardy, could you come with me? There's a few things that I'd like to discuss with you before you leave."
-----
Tokage's heart was hammering in her chest as she sat down in front of Ryukyu's desk, clutching her hands together on her lap to keep herself from fidgeting.
"I think that there exists a problem here, one that has been made apparent by today's events, which I would like to address." The older woman said, steepling her fingers. "So let us cut to the chase: your attitude towards Ryuju has been unacceptable. I can understand a simple rivalry, but this goes beyond that, into hostility."
"It's nothing." Tokage lied.
"It clearly isn't." Ryukyu retorted. "What is this really about?"
"I would've thought you'd known." Tokage crossed her arms defensively. "Is that not why you picked me as an intern?"
Ryukyu sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I did not pick you as an intern as a favour for my sister, or indeed because of her at all."
"Then why? It can't be because of my performance at the Sports Festival." She muttered bitterly. "It was nothing but a humiliating loss."
"Was it?" Ryukyu tilted her head in a manner that couldn't help but remind Tokage of her sister. "I recall you using teamwork and clever utilization of multiple Quirks to hatch a plan that almost succeeded against possibly the most unfair Quirk combination possible with the given roster, during the Cavalry Battle. I recall you correctly assessing exactly what you needed to achieve victory in the first round of the Tournament, and then executing it. I recall the quarterfinals being a hard-won victory for your opponent, even though he had a type advantage over you."
"..."
"I've read your file. Born to a low-income family in Saitama Prefecture, most of your family has a criminal record a mile long. Pickpocketing. Theft. Scams. Gang affiliations. Muggings. Extortion. But not you. You wanted something more, to be something more than a petty street criminal. You wanted to be a Hero. And not just that, you wanted to go to UA. And not just that, you wanted to enter on a recommendation. Through hard work and dedication, you were able to impress the Dinosaur Hero: Golden Saurian, and obtain a letter of recommendation from him, an unusual feat even without considering your background. But at the Recommended Student Exam, despite a solid performance you did not make the final cut. Golden Saurian retracted his recommendation."
Tokage bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at Ryukyu to get on with it.
"You later attended the regular Exam and passed in twenty-third place with a score of nineteen villain points and twenty-eight hero points. The supervising teachers noted your creative solutions in bringing down the Fake Villains despite lacking direct attack power. Since moving to Musutafu and beginning your attendance your scores have been near the top of the Heroics Department, but your teachers have also noted that your stay at UA has been characterized by an aggressively competitive attitude towards your peers and an intense desire to prove yourself." Ryukyu paused, looking at Tokage. "At this point you are most likely wondering what my point is. And the truth is, the reason why I took you on as an intern is that I see a lot of myself in you."
"You?!" Tokage couldn't contain her outburst.
"Yes. I know it might be hard to believe, but I grew up in poverty, dreaming of something better, making something of myself." Tokage's mind went back to the odd exchange between the sisters and Nakashima's words. "It is why I became a Hero. One of the reasons, at least. I remember being so very jealous of the recommended students, who got a pass thanks to their prestigious families."
"Weren't you..." Tokage trailed off.
"Estranged." Was the curt reply, and Tokage got the impression that the topic was firmly off-limits. "I tried so hard to be the coolest kid in the class, to show that I belonged, that I deserved to be there. I'm sure Ryuju could tell many stories of how insufferable I was around that time. But I grew up. And, I'm saying this as someone who wants to see you succeed, you need to, as well."
"At least you had a strong Quirk." Tokage stated, crossing her arms. "Even if you understand where I came from, how could you possibly know what it's like to feel helplessly weak, to see others effortlessly brush through challenges that you could never surpass, to feel how raw power, assigned by random chance, can trump any amount of effort?"
"Get over it." Ryukyu stated bluntly, shocking her. "I know that sounds callous, but it's the cold, hard truth. The human experience is too vast to ever find a perfectly fair comparison. Injustice should be fought against, yes, but we humans are individuals, not clones pressed from a mould. There's always going to be someone better, faster, stronger, tougher or smarter. Or with a better Quirk, yes. Yours is by no means even bad, it just lacks direct attack power. The versatility it provides is incredible, and your regeneration means you can take risks as long as you leave at least a part of yourself safe. As shown today."
"I still had to be saved by her."
"Everyone needs to be saved on occasion. That's nothing special." Ryukyu replied.
"I get it. I get what it's like to feel inferior to others, to invent excuses to rationalize why you lost. I used to attribute it to those other students being able to pay for training courses and self-defence classes. Or they never suffered from malnutrition as a little kid and that's why they're doing better. Or maybe they didn't have a little sister they needed to babysit, leaving more time for training. Anything to avoid self-reflection. I only saw those ahead of me, without regard for those I'd left behind. Even today those feelings sometimes rear their head. Me, the Number Ten Hero. And yet there they are. Gang Orca doesn't have to mind collateral damage the way I do. Yoroi Musha is way older and more respected than I am. Wash is more marketable and popular. Crust is so earnest in everything he does. Edgeshot and Best Jeanist can project an aura of coolness that nobody can match. Hawks' speed is just unfair. Endeavour's efficiency at solving cases is inhuman. And let's not even talk about All-Might. What do they have that I don't? Why are they doing better than I am? But do you want to know what I realized, the secret of how I got out of it and became successful?"
Ryukyu leaned forwards, her hands on her desk as she looked Tokage straight in the eyes.
"It doesn't matter. None of it. Who comes first, who comes last. It. Does. Not. Matter. Comparing yourself to others will only hamper your growth with jealousy, and blind you to your own achievements. The only thing that does matter is giving it all you've got, being the best that you can be, being your own ideal self."
Ryukyu poked a finger at Tokage's chest.
"It's impossible not to notice the difference between the last four days and today. As soon as Ryuju came here you began antagonizing her and taking anything she said or did as an insult or one-upmanship, causing you to be distracted and act out. Most Pro-Heroes would not be as understanding of that kind of unprofessional behaviour as I am. So stop focusing on how you compare to others, and start looking into bettering yourself."
-----
Tokage looked up at the huge door, butterflies buzzing in her stomach. The internship week was over, she was free to go, but here she was.
Standing around. Waiting. Procrastinating.
This was stupid.
Taking a breath, she strode up to the door and rapped her knuckles against the frame, knocking thrice in quick succession. There was a sound of something massive shifting behind it, the floor vibrating as it got closer, until the door clicked open, revealing a massive, white-scaled dragon peering down at her.
"Tatsuma. Can we talk?"
She blinked slowly and shrugged, her folded wings rolling with the motion. "Sure."
Tatsuma retreated back into the room, giving Tokage room to follow her inside.
The air was warm but not to the point of being uncomfortable, a soft mat covering the floor while the walls were lined with posters, predominantly featuring Ryukyu. The only loose furniture was the massive, oddly shaped chair and the pile of pillows in the corner of the room: a large desk and various drawers were bolted into the walls themselves.
"I… need to apologize." She said, before bowing stiffly towards the other student. "My conduct towards you since the Recommended Student Exam has been unacceptable."
"Alright. I accept your apology."
"...Just like that?"
"Just like that." She confirmed. "Ever since the Recommended Students exam… you've been feeling like you were humiliated by your loss, that you had something to prove. Am I wrong?
"I…was it that obvious?" Tokage asked in a small voice.
"I mean it wasn't exactly hard to put two and two together once I really thought about it, given how insecurely you've been acting all day." She shrugged again as Tokage spluttered indignantly. "You probably had someone who gave you that recommendation? Someone you held in high regard? Whom you felt like you disappointed by not making it through the exam? Or maybe, who didn't take it well that you wanted to take the regular exam at UA rather than being a Recommended Student elsewhere?" She listed off, as Tokage's jaw hung open before she snapped it closed. "I still feel the pressure of the recommendation I got from Ryuko. That I'm not living up to it. If I'd failed at the first test I would have been… I'm not saying that how you acted was right. But I do understand it."
Tokage bowed her head in shame. "Nevertheless. It is clear that you deserved the Recommended Student spot. It's not fair for me to take my frustrations out on you."
"I don't feel like I do. Deserve it, I mean." Tatsuma stated, almost morosely. "I don't feel like I'm better than anyone else who competed for it. I've got a really strong Quirk, probably the third strongest in our year, and I've got Ryuko who supported me every step of the way. Sure, I've also had to work hard, but have I really worked harder than anyone else? Sometimes, I wonder, was it me who achieved any of these things that I've done? Or was it those advantages that I didn't really do anything to earn? If, hypothetically, someone else had been born in my place, into my circumstances, could they have done better with it?"
Tokage worked her jaw, trying to say something, but she couldn't find the words.
"But… I want to be a Hero. And to work towards that ideal, to become that person who saves people, I can't give up. Even if at times I feel unworthy… I have to keep going. So I can't give it anything less than everything I've got, and see how far it takes me. That's all any of us can do. Does that make sense?"
"I… think it does. I suppose I never really thought about it like that." She hung her head down. "Thank you."
An awkward silence ensued, and Tokage began shuffling her feet towards the door.
"Do you… have a ride home?"
"My father is coming to pick me up for the weekend to go back to Saitama, but it'll be a few hours." Because he had to drive a car due to being banned from the train.
"Do you… want to play a video game or something while you wait?" Tatsuma asked awkwardly.
Tokage considered her options. On one hand, things were awkward enough already. But on the other…
"What games do you have?"
"Uh." Tatsuma said, seemingly taken aback that she was actually considering the offer. She walked over to one of the closets, carefully prying it open to reveal a collection of old plastic cases all neatly lined up and ordered by category.
"Wow, these are old. From the Pre-Quirk era?"
"Replicas, most of them." Tatsuma added, rubbing her neck with a claw. "It's... a hobby of mine. Old stuff. Movies. Video games. TV series."
"What's this one?" Tokage asked, pointing at a blank spot.
"Oh. That's the one that I'm missing from the collection. The Bionicle: Mask of Light movie. If you ever happen to find a copy, I'll pay- I'll get Ryuko to pay anything for it. Well. Within reason."
"Why?" Tokage said, peering at the other movies in the same series. "Those look like little kids stuff."
"It's just something that I saw as a kid and have been wanting to find again ever since. For nostalgia, you know." She spoke quickly, before pointing at a particular game. "Anyway, maybe we could try out this one. It's a remake of an old strategy game. You know, build armies out of fantasy units, then fight to the death."
"I don't know, that sounds kinda ner-"
"One of the playable races is dinosaur people."
"Well why didn't you lead with that?" Tokage said immediately. "Let's get on with it!"
"We'll have to do split-screen, but I should have a regular keyboard and mouse for you here somewhere." Tatsuma walked over to a closet and gently pried it open with a claw, slowly and awkwardly looking through it. The moment stretched on and Tokage began to wonder if she should offer to help, only for Tatsuma to step away from the closet with a tiny keyboard held on her open palm.
"I don't... often have the need for these nowadays." She muttered as she handed it to Tokage, who tactfully said nothing.
In a few moments Tokage was sitting on one of Tatsuma's pillows, using it as a beanbag chair of sorts, with a keyboard on her lap and a mouse on top of a book.
"Sorry the setup is a little awkward."
"It's fine." Tokage muttered. "But if we're playing multiplayer, won't you be at an advantage since you've played this before?"
"Well, I'll have to play by voice control since I can't use a mouse. That's already one big handicap."
"Hmph."
Tokage scrolled through the roster that she had available: as Tatsuma had said, dinosaurs starting from human-sized foot soldiers all the way up to Triceratopses and Tyrannosauruses. She didn't really have a reference point for the stats that came up on the screen, but she picked out what she thought was a relatively balanced army, with a core of warriors and a sizable contingent of larger dinos.
"You're playing… elves? Tokage said as she clicked to confirm her choices, peering over at Tatsuma's half of the screen. "Why?"
Wordlessly, she pointed a claw at the screen, and Tokage followed her direction to a particular name on the unit roster.
Dragonriders. Tokage shook her head, but couldn't hold back the grin. Should've known.
They loaded into the battlefield, the two armies facing one another on hilly grassland, with pockets of trees strewn here and there. Tokage grouped her infantry into a long line, with the bigger dinos placed behind them.
Tatsuma's elves had been arranged in a half-circular spearwall atop a small hill, with archers and a battery of bolt throwers in the middle and a squadron of dragonriders hanging above the formation.
"You're going to camp on the hill?"
"Well, you don't have any ranged units, so…" Tatsuma said as the match commenced, clearing her throat. "Bolt throwers, fire at will."
The ballistae began unleashing hails of bolts at Tokage's army, hitting her troops. The damage seemed to be minimal as there were only a handful of the war machines, but it would add up over time. There seemed to be no other option than a frontal charge, and Tokage ordered her forces to advance up the map towards the hill.
As they got close the archers began firing as well, but the dinosaur warriors raised crude shields to protect themselves, and they greatly outnumbered the spear-elves as they charged up the slope. The armies made contact with an impressive crash, and Tokage had to admit the game's audio was on point.
Despite their defensive position the elven lines were getting hit hard, the dinosaur warriors wading into their lines swinging huge clubs. They were outnumbered and, as far as Tokage could tell, outmatched in stats as well.
"Archers retreat one hundred and fifty meters, staggered line, then fire at will."
"You're pulling back the archers? But they can't fire on the move."
Tatsuma shrugged her broad shoulders.
With the archers not firing as they retreated, the elven spear-wall was buckling. Now was the time to push. With a few clicks Tokage ordered her larger dinosaurs to join in, trampling through Tatsuma's forces, and she saw their morale bars plummet.
"Dragonriders, strafe along the enemy line."
Suddenly the dragon-mounted knights made their presence known, moving into position over the mass melee and letting loose huge gouts of fire from their maws, blasting into Tokage's lines. The last of the spear-elves were annihilated, but her forces took massive damage as well, many of her larger dinosaurs being set on fire while the smaller foot-soldiers were simply incinerated. Those that survived had their morale tanked, and several units began to rout. Tokage ordered the remainder to advance with a snarl, but the archers, having completed their retreat and turned around, began firing volleys of arrows that felled many more of her troops. The archers had retreated into a staggered line, meaning that she had to split her forces to chase them down whilst the dragons began swooping down, picking off isolated units while the cross-fire continued. Eventually her army had been whittled down enough that the last survivors simply broke and ran.
"This is ridiculous." She complained as the results screen popped up. "Those dragons are overpowered."
"Only if you group your army all in one spot for them to hit."
"Hmph. Let's go again." Tokage huffed.
"Of course."
The next time around Tokage spread her army out more, but Tatsuma simply charged her dragonriders into their back as they engaged the spears, causing a huge morale debuff for being engaged from the rear and causing her units to rout.
"You're thinking too linearly, trying to just bulldoze through my defences. You need fast movers to pressure my archers, or they will kite you to death."
"Again."
This time Tokage added packs of velociraptors into her army, and sent them prowling on the flanks to chase down the archers. Tatsuma was forced to use her dragons to ward them off, leaving her frontline to crush the elves without interference. With the core of her army intact, she was then able to surround and kill the dragons, a trio of Triceratops goring the largest to death, before chasing down the archers.
"Nice." Tatsuma said. "Want to go for a fourth?"
"Sure."
This time Tatsuma had completely changed her army, eschewing all of her infantry for a cavalry force of elven knights, of course supported by the dragons. She ran rings around Tokage, denying her infantry a decisive engagement while picking her units off one by one.
"You need some sort of tool to force an engagement, typically ranged weapons."
The fifth game was another win for Tokage, as she swapped several units for Triceratops with ballistae on their backs.
This went on for a while. Tatsuma would beat her, offer advice, and Tokage would adjust and occasionally get a win of her own. And it was… fun. It didn't matter that Tatsuma had more wins than she did. Even the losses taught her a lesson. And she was enjoying herself.
They were on their seventeenth match when Tokage's phone vibrated with a message from her dad, demanding to know where she was.
"Oh shit, Dad's here. I have to go." Tokage said. "This was… fun. We could do it again sometime?"
"Yeah."
She made to leave, straightening her clothes as she went.
"Hey, Tokage." Tatsuma said, and she paused at the doorway. She could tell that she was hesitating, before speaking up. "Want to be friends?"
"I… Yeah. I think I'd like that."
Sorry for the wait, I hope the new Chapter was worth it. This is the first of a couple of breather Chapters as we transition into the next Arc.
Finnish translations:
"Keitä te ootte? Missä vitussa mä olen?"="Who are you? Where the fuck am I?
