- Location
- Quebec
...I meant putting them in contact with each others so that both improve.
Dragonspawn (My Hero Academia SI)
- Thread starter Blackout
- Start date
Blackout
Fed By Comments
- Location
- Who knows?
...Oh I thought you meant hiring them for a collaboration. My bad.
- Location
- Quebec
Well, if it just happen that one of them is working on a project that would benefit from the advice of the other then it's just a happy coincidence... as well as an immediately avaiable demonstration of one's in progress style to the other.
Blackout
Fed By Comments
- Location
- Who knows?
She's actually tossing up an ice cream sandwich for Ryuuzaki, but I like your interpretation too.
It's mostly that it's a bit inconsistent with previous artwork, done by a different artist.
- Location
- Leeds
Call it critique, not complaint. We're happy to have it, just noting ways it could have hypothetically been improved.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
Not complaining but just point out what I see. The Limbs do make it seem bird like but that does not mean that the pic is bad/wrong. Just that it is different from the previous one.
Non-Canon Omake: A Darker Path (Part 2)
Blackout
Fed By Comments
- Location
- Who knows?
I know I said this AU was going to be a one-shot, but I got hit with a bit of a writer's block for Chapter 43 of the main story and the plot bunnies divulge inspiration in mysterious ways. Don't expect a third installment anytime soon.
I coughed as I stumbled through the black fog, and out into the darkness. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust, my surroundings eventually resolving themselves to the shape of an empty warehouse.
Well, nearly empty.
"Did you bring what I asked you for?"
I spun around, training my eyes on the seated, faceless man sitting across from me. All For One. The mastermind of Japan's underworld.
"Yes." I bit out between gritted teeth and pulled out the envelope that had been burning a hole through my pocket. "It's here."
…
"Come now, don't be shy. Bring it here." He said, his tone almost grandfatherly as he held out his arm. "Don't make me come all the way over there."
My heart seemed to have moved itself between my ears as I approached, every step feeling like the clap of thunder in the dark, silent warehouse. All For One took the envelope from me, his calloused, scarred skin brushing against mine. I recoiled as if I'd been struck, but he made no outward reaction as he pulled the envelope open and placed a small stack of papers on his lap, studying them intently.
I watched him, trying to control my breathing. What was he doing? Did he have a Quirk that let him read it? Or was he just enjoying my-
It came without even the slightest bit of forewarning, though it wasn't as if I could have done anything at all even if there had been. It was as if the hand of god himself had hit me. I was vaguely, distantly aware of the fact that I was flying backwards, my back hitting the concrete floor painfully, my limbs in a tangle as I tumbled to a halt. My eyes hurt. Everything hurt. My ears felt clogged.
I was painfully aware of my own fragility, my mortality. How easily, with just a little bit more force, I could have cracked my skull open. I could have snapped my spine, paralyzed for life. I could have been a red smear on the wall.
I could die at any moment, should he desire it.
And. There. Was. Nothing. I. Could. Do. About. It.
I emptied the contents of my stomach onto the cold, hard floor, my arms shaking as I pushed myself to a kneeling position.
"Ryuuzaki, Ryuuzaki, I am disappointed. I thought we had a deal." His tone sounded distant, almost surreal. "Did you really think these… amateurish forgeries would ever pass the muster?"
There was nothing I could do. I was at his mercy.
I tried to raise my eyes to him, to at least meet my death head on, but found that I couldn't move my neck.
The moment seemed to stretch onto eternity as I knelt on the concrete floor, frozen by fear. Until finally, the slightest, disappointed sigh escaped from between All For One's lips.
"Have you nothing to say for yourself?"
Couldn't fight. Couldn't run. But maybe, I could talk. With titanic effort, I forced my leaden tongue to cooperate.
"I… can get you the documents. The right ones."
"Begging? Intriguing." He said, leaning back on his chair. "Why should I even entertain the notion?"
"You must want those documents pretty badly, to go through all this trouble." I forced out. "And… you haven't killed me yet."
"Perhaps I simply enjoy watching the terror of your last moments." He said with a smile that would be burned into my memory for as long as I would live.
There really wasn't anything I could say.
"I suppose it should only be expected." He finally spoke, shaking his head. "The fierceness of youth often leads to folly. You have one more chance. But best be quick about it. The exams are fast approaching."
-----
My hand felt heavy as I raised it to knock on the door three times, then took a step back. I couldn't help fidgeting as I waited, until at last the door creaked open.
"What is it? I'm-"
Ryuko's mug clattered onto the floor, spilling coffee on her doorstep, as she craned her neck back to look up at me.
"...Ryuuzaki?"
Her voice sounded so small and hopeful it almost made me turn around.
"...Yeah." I replied, swallowing heavily. "Hi."
Several emotions flashed through her face in quick succession, as she seemed unsure whether she wanted to run up and hug me or break down crying.
"...Do you want to come inside?" She asked after a moment to compose herself.
"Yeah."
A few moments later I was sitting in Ryuko's living room on one side of a U-shaped couch, whilst she sat on the other trying to decide if she should say something first.
"Can we just talk?" I finally said. "Just… talk, like we used to?"
"Of course!" She said, before falling silent again, her brow furrowed. I could tell exactly what was going through her head: she'd imagined this conversation so many times that now that it was happening she was struggling to decide which way to go.
"Have… your self-defence classes been going well?" She asked hesitantly. A safe, ordinary topic. As if everything was normal and nothing had happened for the last two and a half years. But it was what I'd asked for. "I heard you've been taking on extra sessions recently?"
She'd know, she paid for them.
"Yes. They've been going fine."
Self-Defence for the Quirkless. What a fucking joke those were, when people could shoot lasers out of their eyes or move objects with their mind. But they'd help me become a Hero. So I'd gone. Training and lifting weights was a good distraction, if nothing else.
"What schools have you been-"
Ryuko's mouth snapped shut as she realized her mistake, but it was too late.
"I am going to UA." I stated evenly.
Let whatever happens, happen.
"Of course." She gave me a brittle smile. "I'm going to go… get us some drinks from the kitchen. Do you still like hot chocolate?"
"Hot chocolate is fine." I said as I watched her get up. As soon as she closed the door behind her I pushed myself off the couch and walked up to the door, pressing my ear against it. Once I heard her footsteps disappear into the kitchen I gently pushed open the door and tip-toed into the hallway, making my way to her office. I closed the door behind myself as I walked up to her desk, looking around.
Of course I'd known that Ryuko would be ecstatic just to hear that I wanted to talk to her again. That she'd do anything just for the chance that I might forgive her. That if I showed up on her doorstep, she'd drop everything- even leave her work documents lying around on her desk rather than locking them up in a safe as she was supposed to.
My heart was pounding in my chest and my hands felt clammy.
I was about to do something that could not be simply taken back. But I had no choice. The entrance exams were in three days. If I wanted to- If I was ever to-
I screwed my eyes shut as the memories flooded back. The smell of my own blood. The warm sensation of it pouring down my chest. The desperate scramble to transform and fight back. A gun barrel pressed against my eye.
The sheer fucking helplessness, as life slowly faded out of my body and that man just laughed.
Never again. Not me. Nor anyone else.
I opened my eyes and pulled out my phone, activating the camera and snapping shots of the documents one by one, before slipping it back into my pocket and walking back to the living room before Ryuko got back.
-----
"Most impressive." All For One purred as he leafed through the prints, before putting them back into their folder and laying it on a side table. "You have done as I asked."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"Oh, nothing." He smiled. "In fact, they are quite worthless to me."
"What?! But- then- why did you-" I stammered. "I don't understand."
"You still haven't caught on? Tut tut, I am quite disappointed." All For One said, wagging his finger. "It's not about what they're worth to me. Instead, you should be focusing on what they're worth to you." He smiled broadly. "These are, after all, evidence of your crimes."
A pit opened at the bottom of my stomach.
"Should you begin to have second thoughts about our arrangement, or entertain the notion of trying to double cross me again… consider this before you act foolishly: could someone who was known to have stolen confidential information and sold it to a villain become a Hero?"
My heart skipped a beat. I'd just delivered him the perfect blackmail. He could ruin my life with a snap of his fingers.
No, not just mine.
...What would happen to Ryuko if this came out?
"I-I didn't want-" I stammered.
"I am afraid, my dear Ryuuzaki, that what you want is no longer of particular relevance."
In the blink of an eye he was in front of me, his fingers like living steel as he grasped each side of my head, his broad smile the last thing I saw as my vision faded away.
"Now, let's see what we can't do about your little problem, shall we?"
-----
"Did you come here just to distract people? That girl appears to be trying to focus."
"N-n-no, of course not!"
Tenya Iida scoffed at the stammering green-haired boy in front of him. The nerve of some people! These were the entrance exams of UA, the most prestigious hero school in Japan. People's entire futures could be decided by the next few minutes.
"Aaaand… start!" Present Mic's booming voice rang out from the watchtower overlooking the testing grounds. "What are you guys waiting for? The test has begun!"
Silently berating himself for being distracted and missing the countdown as everyone else charged off towards the gates to the fake city, Iida spun in place, resolved to make up for it. He sprang forward- only to smack face-first into the back of another contestant, bouncing back as if he'd run into a wall, falling to the ground.
"My deepest apologies!" Iida exclaimed as he sprung back to his feet in a rush, getting a good look at who he'd run into.
It was a girl his age, pale skin and red eyes, with short, messy white hair and two small horns poking out the top. She was tall, with almost a full head over Iida, and broad-shouldered, with considerable muscle mass visible beneath her light green tracksuit that spoke of years of hard training.
But her face told another story entirely. Her expression was vacant, her eyes unfocused as she gazed out at the fake city where even now the first contestants were engaging the villain robots.
"Excuse me, miss?" Iida asked, concerned. "Are you alright? I didn't hit you too hard?"
She jolted, as if only now even noticing him. "No… I'm fine..." She spoke as if in a daze. "It's alright..."
Iida cast her a worried look, but there didn't seem to be anything else he could say or do. "That's good. My apologies, again."
He activated his Quirk, the engines on his calves rumbling as he sped off into the city.
-----
Iida kicked the one-pointer in half in one smooth motion, sending it's pieces flying. As he paused to take a breath and let his engines cool down, he heard a commotion coming from up the street.
Raising his gaze, he saw that ít was the girl from before. She was walking slowly, almost hesitantly through the streets, her head slowly turning left and right as she watched the other contestants battling the robots. She seemed almost detached from reality, as if she couldn't actually believe she was there.
As if she couldn't believe the towering three-pointer robot charging at her was real.
"Watch out!" Iida cried out in alarm, his feet already moving, but there was no way he could make it in time.
The girl watched the robot approach as if still in the grips of disbelief, as if she didn't know what to do. Iida's legs burned with exertion as he sped up, but he was too far away. He saw her close her eyes as the robot loomed over her, gritting her teeth.
Then, just as it was about to slam into her, there was a shining flash of light that cast shadows from every object across the street, blinding Iida's view. When it faded, Iida had to blink a few more times to make sure what he was seeing was real.
Where the girl had been now stood a huge white-scaled dragon, one of her four clawed limbs holding the three-pointer's arm, while a pair of wings unfurled behind her and a thick, muscular tail sat coiled around her feet, while her heads towered far above the robot.
Yes, heads.
Three long, serpentine necks pushed out side by side from between her shoulders, ending in three subtly different reptilian heads each adorned with snarling, fanged maws and a set of jutting horns. The right head had curved, ram-like horns while the left had a single, straight forward-pointing one and the middle head possessed a set of long backwards-facing horns.
The three heads swayed on their necks, three pairs of glowing red eyes looking at each other in what seemed to be confusion. The three-pointer, unable to break free of the clawed grip holding its arm, swung its other fist towards the dragon's solar plexus, but in doing so seemed to shake her out of whatever state of confusion she'd been in, all six eyes training on the robot.
The right head swept forward, wrapping around the arm like a snake, the metal groaning under the pressure. It snarled as it sunk its teeth into the shoulder joint, a hissing noise audible to Iida as bubbling green liquid poured from between the teeth, sending up wisps of smoke as it ate away at the metal. With a simple tug the entire arm came free, crashing onto the pavement as the head uncoiled itself.
The left head opened its jaws next, and Iida could feel the hairs on his skin stand up a split-second before, with a booming crack and a brilliant flash of light, a lightning bolt emanated from its throat and struck the robot. It pierced through its chest, sparks blowing all over as joints seized up and the sensor lights on it's head flickered.
Then, finally, the middle head looked down on the three-pointer and opened its mouth to breathe out a jet of orange flame that covered the entire robot from view, the asphalt visibly melting around it. When it faded, it looked like the robot had melted like a wax figure, molten metal sloughing and drooping down to the street to pool at its feet.
Three draconic heads snorted in unison, before swiveling around to look for more enemies.
Last edited:
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Ah, the classic power move of always smiling as you go about your evil ways.
This is why people want to be supervillains.
And what better way to establish the pecking order than making your mook dig their own grave? Blackmail without having to lift a finger shows a true, pervasive form of power: Punching you is the least of his tools.
Of course All For One would appreciate a Touhou classic monster like King Gidorah.
Complete with lightning breath.
Revlid
blob of bugs
- Location
- England
I wonder if having three heads in dragon form is a symptom of something darker than just aesthetic shifts? Acid, lightning, and fire are all pretty different effects; did All For One make her into some kind of pseudo-Noumu, with chunks of extra quirks incorporated into her own?
Related but separate, I wonder if her initial daze is a symptom of having multiple personalities, as opposed to just being in shock. She's noted to be much more focused once she's in dragon form, where all three heads are manifested (and operating?) separately. Does she still have three "heads" even in human form, they're just crammed into one skull? A bizarre form of dysmorphia? Phantom brain syndrome?
One last thought; it doesn't seem likely that her inability to change into a dragon in this world has the same root cause as her inability to change into a human in "our" world. Not given the trauma at play here. But if it does, then All For One has given her the cruellest magic feather imaginable.
Related but separate, I wonder if her initial daze is a symptom of having multiple personalities, as opposed to just being in shock. She's noted to be much more focused once she's in dragon form, where all three heads are manifested (and operating?) separately. Does she still have three "heads" even in human form, they're just crammed into one skull? A bizarre form of dysmorphia? Phantom brain syndrome?
One last thought; it doesn't seem likely that her inability to change into a dragon in this world has the same root cause as her inability to change into a human in "our" world. Not given the trauma at play here. But if it does, then All For One has given her the cruellest magic feather imaginable.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Given MHA tends not to go too heavy on the body horror-grade altered physiology, even with the Nomus, it's likley more the initial shock of now being a plural. Not... whatever all that is.
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
I mean, it's All for One. He's literally in it for the evluz.
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
He was in it to be a living god and rule the world forever, but then he discovered that even he had limits and that his death was inevitable, so he changed track and started looking for a successor.
Then All Might punched his face off and after that point he had zero fucks left to give.
mojtaba
nothing new going on here.
Unconscious? She left him alive? They left him alive? What the fuck type of stupid shit did I just read?
Oh and also why is this a genderbent SI when it fails to do anything with gender, body dysmorphia, reincarnation, being a 40 year old man in a body of a 15 year old girl in the body of a dragon.
Her uncle was right. A complete waste of everything. Just make this an oc character and almost everything fits. Now its a useless setup.
Chapter 43
Blackout
Fed By Comments
- Location
- Who knows?
Himiko Toga. Age sixteen.
Quirk: Transform. Can take on the appearance of anyone whose blood she ingests.
Suspected of a string of eleven murders and three attempts, as well as numerous cases of stalking, breaking and entering, and illegal usage of a Quirk.
Eyewitnesses describe her behaviour as erratic and unhinged, as well as a strange fascination with blood and the act of consuming it. She has been known to develop fixations on specific people whom she wishes to become and will attempt to drain blood from, frequently with fatal consequences.
That was what I'd put together from what the police were willing to tell me, and what I'd been able to research online. After realizing that someone had impersonated Itsuka we'd contacted the authorities immediately and within minutes Nevarro Mall had been shut down and swarmed by police officers and Pro-Heroes.
But it had been to no avail. The disguises were immaculate down to the smallest details, even clothing or smell. Even if I'd known to look for an impersonator, if it hadn't been for the way she acted, I would never have noticed the difference.
And now she was coming after me. The detective who had interviewed me had agreed when I told him it seemed to be because of what happened at Kashyyyk. She must have developed an interest in me after seeing me take a bite out of that Nomu and hearing about Stain's arm.
Which meant that there was an insane shapeshifting serial killer hunting me with the goal of exsanguinating me and literally becoming me.
-----
"In light of what happened last week, we will be entering a heightened state of security." Vlad King announced as we stood in orderly rows at the bus station, rucksacks at the ready. Well, everyone except me of course. I had to stand behind everyone else, and had no luggage.
"Is the camp being cancelled?" Tokage asked, raising her hand.
"No. You would have been informed before now if that was the case. And we cannot afford to jeopardize your education. But additional measures are being taken." Vlad King explained, holding out a small box he had held tucked underneath his arm. He popped it open, revealing a stack of some kind of small electronic devices. "Class President, distribute these to the class."
President, not presidents. Because I couldn't really… do it.
They really should have chosen someone else.
"What are these things?" Awase asked as Itsuka began passing them to everyone. They resembled small walkie-talkies, with a touchpad screen and a large, prominent button on the side.
"These are what are called panic buttons." Vlad King explained, holding up one as an example. "They contain a powerful tracking beacon that will be able to provide your location even from underground. Wear it on your belt or in your pocket, but either way you are to carry it on your person."
Itsuka handed me mine, larger than the others and with a lot of padding. There was a clasp on the back side of the device, and I attached it to the strap of my wrist communicator.
"When pressed three times in rapid succession, the panic button will send out a distress call and provide your location to all paired devices. Myself and other teachers will also be carrying them." He demonstrated by quickly thumbing down on the button several times and the one on my wrist began vibrating and beeping, the touch screen lighting up to show a top-down map of the surrounding area and a blinking red dot with Vlad King's name and location. "Furthermore," he continued, his voice echoing from twenty devices, "it will also transmit audio, allowing everyone to know what's happening." He shut off the device with a click.
"Is that…" I trailed off, unsure how to voice my thoughts.
"Yes, these were made at the suggestion of your sister." Vlad King nodded. "Finally, there is one more function that you all need to be aware of. Each tracking beacon is encoded with your ID, and will constantly communicate with paired devices. Should two instances of the same ID be detected, the distress signal will automatically activate."
"Meaning if one of us is wearing this and is impersonated, it will be immediately detected." I mused.
"Is that how it works?" Yanagi asked. "Does the Quirk really copy everything the target is wearing? I thought it worked by consuming blood?"
"Well she was wearing Itsuka's clothing, so…"
"According to the Quirk Registry and eyewitness accounts Himiko Toga's Quirk does indeed copy the target's clothing." Vlad King explained. "Whether it would replicate a tracking beacon they were carrying is unknown, but it's a feature that is better to have and not need it, than not have when it could save lives. Now, any more questions? Good. Load your luggage to the bus and we'll get going."
"Would be a pretty useless infiltrator if she didn't copy clothes." Kuroiro mused.
"Well…" Tsuburaba began, only to get swatted upside the head by Itsuka.
"Man, how do you always get involved with the crazies?" Kaibara asked as the class crowded around the storage compartment of the bus. "Seriously, this is the second villain coming after you."
"I don't do it on purpose, you know."
"You know, I don't even get what the big deal is." He continued. "You're a dragon, what's some maniac with a knife going to do to you? Ow!" He hopped on his foot after Yui had kicked him in the shins. "I'm just saying!"
"Well stop that, then." Itsuka said, before turning towards me. "You alright?"
"..."
A jagged blade descending down towards my eye while I couldn't so much as twitch my toes, a madman's gleam in its wielder's eyes as it came down, down, down-
"It's nothing." I shook my head, before turning towards Vlad King. "I assume I'll be flying?"
"Yes. Same rules as last time." He replied. Itsuka looked peeved that I'd changed the topic, but there wasn't anything she could do other than give me a stern glare.
"You know… isn't it a little unfair that she has to fly alone while the rest of us have fun in the bus?" Pony questioned.
"I understand your view, but from a practical standpoint, we simply do not have any alternative methods of transportation for her." Vlad King said, raising an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you have an alternative in mind, Tsunotori?"
"I mean… one of us could go with her?" She ventured. "Ride on her back, I mean. Even as a matter of safety, wouldn't it be better to have two people out there rather than one… just in case?"
"I volunteer." Yoarashi announced, raising his hand before bowing sharply. "My Quirk is the safest choice for it."
"Your reasoning is sound. Approved" Vlad King admitted, before turning towards me. "If you are okay with it."
I tilted my head in curiosity, weighing my options. Yoarashi and I, well… we hadn't quite seen eye to eye, the last few months.
I freely admitted that a part of it was that I'd grown closer to Itsuka, Pony, Yui, and even Tokage. He'd found his own circle of friends as well, most prominently Tetsutetsu. We were polar opposites when it came to temperament, so perhaps it was only natural that we'd drift apart and find more like-minded people to associate with. But in spite of that he was the first friend I'd made at UA, all the way back at the exams. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he had a way of encouraging me to act. I liked to think I in turn provided a voice of reason to rein him in.
Had, at any rate.
Ever since our argument over my decision to intern under Endeavour… it wasn't like he'd ever been hostile towards me, I didn't think Yoarashi had it in him.
We just… weren't as close. Classmates, not friends.
And now he was offering to spend up to several hours alone with me?
"It's fine by me." I nodded.
And yet…
"Hey, Yoarashi." I said as the others piled into the bus. "When we first met at the exams, what did you apologize to me about?"
"I, uh." He stumbled verbally, and I could see a bit of red creeping up his neck. "I meant to speak of your sister's heroic spirit, but used crude language that could be construed to be referring to her… attractiveness." He said, a little flustered, before hastening to continue. "Which is not to say she's not beautiful-"
"Alright, alright, that's enough." I shook my head, with a bit of amusement. It was definitely him. "I just had to be sure."
"Why?" Yoarashi sounded bewildered, before his expression darkened. "Of course. What a horrid villain, to place such fears and doubts among us."
I just grunted in agreement as I lowered myself to the ground to let him climb on my back. He pulled out one of the harnesses from my vest and fastened it around his waist, as I leapt into the air and flew after the bus.
"I suppose you already know what I wanted to talk about." He finally said after a while, as we were flying above the highway. "I'd heard that you'd declined to return to Endeavour's agency in the future."
I sighed.
"I haven't even gotten my Provisional License yet, so I don't see a reason to focus on it so much."
"Do you really think you'll have trouble with the exams?"
"I don't expect them to be something you can just smash through." I explained. "It's meant to judge if we can be trusted to act independently, so I expect they'll be judging us on less tangible qualities than just raw combat prowess."
"Qualities that Endeavour doesn't have?" He asked pointedly.
"Yoarashi…"
"So have you finally realized he's not a true hero?" He pressed.
"There's nothing to realize because I never expected him to be a role model. He could teach me skills that no-one else could."
"You say that like it's a transaction. Heroism is supposed to be an ideal, not a career."
"It is both. I want to help as many people as I can, but to do that I need to be the best I can be, I need to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me. I got what I wanted from Endeavour and left him behind."
"But you still associate with his son." He pointed out.
"Is that what this is really about? Are you actually jealous?" I asked incredulously. "Shoto Todoroki is not Enji Todoroki."
"And yet he acts the same way." Yoarashi scowled. "Arrogant. Spoiled. Cold. Unfit to be a Hero."
"Only from a distance." I shook my head. "If you think you hate Endeavour based on a brief interaction, how much do you think he does after spending most of his life with the man?"
Yoarashi was silent at that for a moment.
"I saw more than enough of him at the Entrance Exams."
"And people can change. Just look at Tokage." I nodded down towards the bus, weaving its way through the road traffic below us. "Or hell, look at me. Do you really think that I'd- that I would have been able to have this confrontation, four months ago?"
He had no words to reply to that, and so we fell into a sullen silence. I simply focused on flying steadily following along as Vlad King drove us further and further away from Musutafu, city lights and suburbs giving way to fields and forests as time passed and we left the city behind.
The view was, it had to be said, incredible. The countryside stretched out below us, endless hills and mountains lined with trees, turning to bare rock near the top, wisps of clouds traveling between them. Streams and creeks, lush valleys and even the occasional spots of snow.
It would have been so easy to get lost in the sights and lose track of the bus. I could tell that Yoarashi was feeling it too, leaning forward on my back with wide eyes.
"Do you mind if I…?" He finally asked, all traces of bitterness forgotten.
I glanced down.
"Don't let Vlad King see you." I mumbled. "And don't go near my wings."
Slowly, almost gingerly he unclipped himself from the harness and stood up, the wind buffeting him as he held on to my vest. Then, he let go.
For one anxiety-ridden heartbeat I was worried something had gone wrong and I'd have to explain how exactly my passenger fell off of secure restraints, until I felt the shift in the air. He pulled it around himself like a tiny hurricane, channeling the wind through the holes in his knee pads, holding himself steady a few meters above me.
For a few moments he stayed there, marveling at the world below. I could see the wonder in his eyes as he descended down again, clipping himself in place.
"It's not the same as flying over the training fields, is it?"
"No. It isn't." He said breathlessly. "Is this how it feels every time?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Sometimes… I wish I didn't have to come down again."
Refocusing myself, I could see the bus down below pulling to a sightseeing stop, a fenced extension on the side of the mountain road with a view across the valley below.
"Looks like we're stopping." I said, starting to descend.
I landed with a heavy thump, bowing down to let Yoarashi hop off my back. The others were piling out of the bus, looking probably about as confused as we were.
"What is this place?" Itsuka asked Vlad King, who stood at the bus doors after everyone had exited. "It doesn't seem like a normal rest stop."
"It isn't. We're here to meet someone."
"And so here we are!" I flinched as a female voice called out from behind us. Who? How? Nobody had been there when I landed.
I spun around to face whoever it was, only to take a step back in confusion.
"Rock on with these sparkling gazes!"
"Stunningly cute and catlike!"
"We're the Wild Wild Pussycats!"
There were four people standing where previously there had been nothing but a patch of bare dirt. One was a young boy of maybe five years, with a sullen expression and a spiked cap on his head. The other three were posing dramatically: two were older women, one with neck-length red hair and a stern demeanour, while the other had long blonde hair and was grinning widely. Both wore matching uniforms coloured red and blue respectively, consisting of a ruffled skirt, fur-lined boots, a fake tail, a headset that resembled feline ears and thick paw-like gloves.
The last one was…
"Hado Senpai? What are you doing here?"
"I told you to call me Nejire, sillies!" Nejire announced as she bounced excitedly in place, her usually horn-like tufts hair now stylized to look like cat ears as they bobbed up and down. "And I'm completing my internship, of course!"
...That was right. Of course she would have found another place to intern at, after things… didn't work out with Ryuko.
"Hey! Don't ignore us!" The blonde woman waved her hands in the air in outrage, alternating between glaring at us and Nejire. "It's not right to give the intern more attention than the Pros, you know!"
"Sorry!" Nejire replied cheerfully, giving her a salute. "I will do better in the future, Ma'am!"
"You'd better!"
"Ahem!" The red-haired woman cleared her throat. "If you're finished, I believe introductions are in order. I'm Mandalay and this is Pixie-bob; we're part of the Wild Wild Pussycats, a four-man Pro-Hero team contracted by UA to provide you with training this summer!"
"That's right." Vlad King said. "For the duration of the Camp, you are to follow their instructions as if they came from me."
"I notice you said four-man team but there's only two of you…?" Yanagi questioned.
"An astute observation!" Mandalay smiled as she walked over to the edge of the railing, pointing across the valley below. "Tiger and Ragdoll, our other two members, are preparing things at our base camp at the foot of that mountain. That's also your destination. It's about twenty minutes past nine, so I'm thinking… you have until noon to make it there. If you're late, no lunch for you."
"Two and a half hours?" Kaibara mused. "That's not so bad.'
"I'm sorry to say, but it won't be that easy for you kittens!"
"rrrrrRRRRR!"
I whipped my head around at the sound of the growling noise to see a huge quadrupedal beast looming behind Kaibara, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It reared back before striking downwards with massive, clawed limbs.
"Your training has already begun!"
Two things happened in rapid succession. The first was Tokage's disembodied hand zipping past and grabbing a hold of Kaibara's collar, yanking him out of harm's way. The other was me barreling through where he'd stood an instant before, shoulder-checking the beast with all of my might. It quite literally disintegrated under the impact, coating me in a layer of… dirt and mud?
"No hesitation!" Pixie-bob sounded impressed as she yelled over from the school bus, while the rest of the class was still coming to grips with what was happening. "I'm guessing you guys have seen some action!"
I craned my neck around, scanning for Nejire and the others, but they must have left while we were distracted. Which meant that the only people standing in the stop area were us students.
"Don't think that'll save you, though!" Pixie-bob yelled as the bus drove away, leaning out the door to run her hand on the ground. That was right. She'd shaped dirt. Her Quirk was terrakinesis.
Which meant that I didn't need to look up the mountain slope to know what was coming down, and was already moving towards a solution.
"Fukidashi! Yui! We need a wall!"
"A-ah! Right!" The speech balloon-headed boy cleared his throat. "Kaboom! Crash! Bang!"
The Japanese characters grew in size as they floated out of his head and crashed down between us and the upslope, sinking into the ground and forming a makeshift wall. In the meanwhile Tokage had grabbed Yui with her other hand and flew her down the line, tagging each letter with her Quirk and causing them to grow to massive proportions.
I reached the wall just as the landslide hit it, rising to my hind legs and bracing the wall with my whole body, trying to hold back the tons upon tons of earth even as sprays of dirt and mud buffeted me through the gaps formed by the characters.
"Shiozaki! Komori! Help her!" I heard Itsuka yell, and moments later vines lashed past me, laced with already-rapidly growing spores. Each tendril found one of the gaps and forced their way into it, plugging it in a matter of seconds with a mass of mushrooms.
For a few more moments the makeshift wall creaked and groaned, until at last the pressure relieved, the momentum of the landslide halted. I fell back on all fours, breathing heavily.
"We need to move. Now." I could hear the sound of shifting dirt and growling as more and more monsters formed out of the dirt, surrounding us. "We need a plan. Any bright ideas?"
Itsuke stepped next to me as the class formed into a defensive circle.
"Well…"
-----
"So, which class do you think is going to make it here first?" Mandalay asked as she walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a cloth as she sat down on the front porch.
"You need to even ask my opinion?" Vlad King raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter." Eraserhead said calmly. "So long as they are giving it everything they've got, it's irrelevant how well they do compared to others."
"Of course." Mandalay rolled her eyes. "I forgot how boring you two can be." She pressed a hand to her headset. "Pixie-bob, how are they doing?"
...
"1-A is at the halfway point already?! It's only a few minutes from noon, that's a new record!" She turned to face Vlad King, slapping him on the shoulder. "And you were so certain your class was going to clean house!"
"Just ask her where 1-B is." Vlad King replied impassively.
Mandalay rolled her eyes, but complied. "And what about the others?"
...
"...That can't be right." She shook her head. "What do you mean they're almost-"
A whistling noise drew everyone's attention to the skies above, as a winged beast with a large horn ran through its chest plummeted to the ground, splashing the camping site's yard in mud. Moments later a second shape followed on a much more controlled descent, a large white-scaled dragon with several people riding on her back and many more passengers… glued directly on to her scales. Bubbles of solidified air and rocks levitated by some unseen force floated around her protectively, while a collection of hovering, disembodied body parts and a boy propelled by streams of wind followed behind.
"Now please undo your Quirk, Awase." The dragon hissed as she landed on the grass. "This is uncomfortable."
"You're uncomfortable?!" One of the other students, a blonde-haired boy questioned from where they were glued on to the dragon's side by his back. "You should have let me borrow your Quirk, then."
"You can't even fly in a straight line, we are not trusting you to carry people while under attack." The dragon grumbled in reply, before shaking herself like a dog. "It's like wearing a dozen baby carriers at once."
"Are you calling us babies?" Someone asked.
"Comparatively, yes."
Vlad King simply turned towards Mandalay, his fangs poking out as he smiled slightly at her shocked expression. "I told you you were underestimating them."
Quirk: Transform. Can take on the appearance of anyone whose blood she ingests.
Suspected of a string of eleven murders and three attempts, as well as numerous cases of stalking, breaking and entering, and illegal usage of a Quirk.
Eyewitnesses describe her behaviour as erratic and unhinged, as well as a strange fascination with blood and the act of consuming it. She has been known to develop fixations on specific people whom she wishes to become and will attempt to drain blood from, frequently with fatal consequences.
That was what I'd put together from what the police were willing to tell me, and what I'd been able to research online. After realizing that someone had impersonated Itsuka we'd contacted the authorities immediately and within minutes Nevarro Mall had been shut down and swarmed by police officers and Pro-Heroes.
But it had been to no avail. The disguises were immaculate down to the smallest details, even clothing or smell. Even if I'd known to look for an impersonator, if it hadn't been for the way she acted, I would never have noticed the difference.
And now she was coming after me. The detective who had interviewed me had agreed when I told him it seemed to be because of what happened at Kashyyyk. She must have developed an interest in me after seeing me take a bite out of that Nomu and hearing about Stain's arm.
Which meant that there was an insane shapeshifting serial killer hunting me with the goal of exsanguinating me and literally becoming me.
-----
"In light of what happened last week, we will be entering a heightened state of security." Vlad King announced as we stood in orderly rows at the bus station, rucksacks at the ready. Well, everyone except me of course. I had to stand behind everyone else, and had no luggage.
"Is the camp being cancelled?" Tokage asked, raising her hand.
"No. You would have been informed before now if that was the case. And we cannot afford to jeopardize your education. But additional measures are being taken." Vlad King explained, holding out a small box he had held tucked underneath his arm. He popped it open, revealing a stack of some kind of small electronic devices. "Class President, distribute these to the class."
President, not presidents. Because I couldn't really… do it.
They really should have chosen someone else.
"What are these things?" Awase asked as Itsuka began passing them to everyone. They resembled small walkie-talkies, with a touchpad screen and a large, prominent button on the side.
"These are what are called panic buttons." Vlad King explained, holding up one as an example. "They contain a powerful tracking beacon that will be able to provide your location even from underground. Wear it on your belt or in your pocket, but either way you are to carry it on your person."
Itsuka handed me mine, larger than the others and with a lot of padding. There was a clasp on the back side of the device, and I attached it to the strap of my wrist communicator.
"When pressed three times in rapid succession, the panic button will send out a distress call and provide your location to all paired devices. Myself and other teachers will also be carrying them." He demonstrated by quickly thumbing down on the button several times and the one on my wrist began vibrating and beeping, the touch screen lighting up to show a top-down map of the surrounding area and a blinking red dot with Vlad King's name and location. "Furthermore," he continued, his voice echoing from twenty devices, "it will also transmit audio, allowing everyone to know what's happening." He shut off the device with a click.
"Is that…" I trailed off, unsure how to voice my thoughts.
"Yes, these were made at the suggestion of your sister." Vlad King nodded. "Finally, there is one more function that you all need to be aware of. Each tracking beacon is encoded with your ID, and will constantly communicate with paired devices. Should two instances of the same ID be detected, the distress signal will automatically activate."
"Meaning if one of us is wearing this and is impersonated, it will be immediately detected." I mused.
"Is that how it works?" Yanagi asked. "Does the Quirk really copy everything the target is wearing? I thought it worked by consuming blood?"
"Well she was wearing Itsuka's clothing, so…"
"According to the Quirk Registry and eyewitness accounts Himiko Toga's Quirk does indeed copy the target's clothing." Vlad King explained. "Whether it would replicate a tracking beacon they were carrying is unknown, but it's a feature that is better to have and not need it, than not have when it could save lives. Now, any more questions? Good. Load your luggage to the bus and we'll get going."
"Would be a pretty useless infiltrator if she didn't copy clothes." Kuroiro mused.
"Well…" Tsuburaba began, only to get swatted upside the head by Itsuka.
"Man, how do you always get involved with the crazies?" Kaibara asked as the class crowded around the storage compartment of the bus. "Seriously, this is the second villain coming after you."
"I don't do it on purpose, you know."
"You know, I don't even get what the big deal is." He continued. "You're a dragon, what's some maniac with a knife going to do to you? Ow!" He hopped on his foot after Yui had kicked him in the shins. "I'm just saying!"
"Well stop that, then." Itsuka said, before turning towards me. "You alright?"
"..."
A jagged blade descending down towards my eye while I couldn't so much as twitch my toes, a madman's gleam in its wielder's eyes as it came down, down, down-
"It's nothing." I shook my head, before turning towards Vlad King. "I assume I'll be flying?"
"Yes. Same rules as last time." He replied. Itsuka looked peeved that I'd changed the topic, but there wasn't anything she could do other than give me a stern glare.
"You know… isn't it a little unfair that she has to fly alone while the rest of us have fun in the bus?" Pony questioned.
"I understand your view, but from a practical standpoint, we simply do not have any alternative methods of transportation for her." Vlad King said, raising an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you have an alternative in mind, Tsunotori?"
"I mean… one of us could go with her?" She ventured. "Ride on her back, I mean. Even as a matter of safety, wouldn't it be better to have two people out there rather than one… just in case?"
"I volunteer." Yoarashi announced, raising his hand before bowing sharply. "My Quirk is the safest choice for it."
"Your reasoning is sound. Approved" Vlad King admitted, before turning towards me. "If you are okay with it."
I tilted my head in curiosity, weighing my options. Yoarashi and I, well… we hadn't quite seen eye to eye, the last few months.
I freely admitted that a part of it was that I'd grown closer to Itsuka, Pony, Yui, and even Tokage. He'd found his own circle of friends as well, most prominently Tetsutetsu. We were polar opposites when it came to temperament, so perhaps it was only natural that we'd drift apart and find more like-minded people to associate with. But in spite of that he was the first friend I'd made at UA, all the way back at the exams. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he had a way of encouraging me to act. I liked to think I in turn provided a voice of reason to rein him in.
Had, at any rate.
Ever since our argument over my decision to intern under Endeavour… it wasn't like he'd ever been hostile towards me, I didn't think Yoarashi had it in him.
We just… weren't as close. Classmates, not friends.
And now he was offering to spend up to several hours alone with me?
"It's fine by me." I nodded.
And yet…
"Hey, Yoarashi." I said as the others piled into the bus. "When we first met at the exams, what did you apologize to me about?"
"I, uh." He stumbled verbally, and I could see a bit of red creeping up his neck. "I meant to speak of your sister's heroic spirit, but used crude language that could be construed to be referring to her… attractiveness." He said, a little flustered, before hastening to continue. "Which is not to say she's not beautiful-"
"Alright, alright, that's enough." I shook my head, with a bit of amusement. It was definitely him. "I just had to be sure."
"Why?" Yoarashi sounded bewildered, before his expression darkened. "Of course. What a horrid villain, to place such fears and doubts among us."
I just grunted in agreement as I lowered myself to the ground to let him climb on my back. He pulled out one of the harnesses from my vest and fastened it around his waist, as I leapt into the air and flew after the bus.
"I suppose you already know what I wanted to talk about." He finally said after a while, as we were flying above the highway. "I'd heard that you'd declined to return to Endeavour's agency in the future."
I sighed.
"I haven't even gotten my Provisional License yet, so I don't see a reason to focus on it so much."
"Do you really think you'll have trouble with the exams?"
"I don't expect them to be something you can just smash through." I explained. "It's meant to judge if we can be trusted to act independently, so I expect they'll be judging us on less tangible qualities than just raw combat prowess."
"Qualities that Endeavour doesn't have?" He asked pointedly.
"Yoarashi…"
"So have you finally realized he's not a true hero?" He pressed.
"There's nothing to realize because I never expected him to be a role model. He could teach me skills that no-one else could."
"You say that like it's a transaction. Heroism is supposed to be an ideal, not a career."
"It is both. I want to help as many people as I can, but to do that I need to be the best I can be, I need to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me. I got what I wanted from Endeavour and left him behind."
"But you still associate with his son." He pointed out.
"Is that what this is really about? Are you actually jealous?" I asked incredulously. "Shoto Todoroki is not Enji Todoroki."
"And yet he acts the same way." Yoarashi scowled. "Arrogant. Spoiled. Cold. Unfit to be a Hero."
"Only from a distance." I shook my head. "If you think you hate Endeavour based on a brief interaction, how much do you think he does after spending most of his life with the man?"
Yoarashi was silent at that for a moment.
"I saw more than enough of him at the Entrance Exams."
"And people can change. Just look at Tokage." I nodded down towards the bus, weaving its way through the road traffic below us. "Or hell, look at me. Do you really think that I'd- that I would have been able to have this confrontation, four months ago?"
He had no words to reply to that, and so we fell into a sullen silence. I simply focused on flying steadily following along as Vlad King drove us further and further away from Musutafu, city lights and suburbs giving way to fields and forests as time passed and we left the city behind.
The view was, it had to be said, incredible. The countryside stretched out below us, endless hills and mountains lined with trees, turning to bare rock near the top, wisps of clouds traveling between them. Streams and creeks, lush valleys and even the occasional spots of snow.
It would have been so easy to get lost in the sights and lose track of the bus. I could tell that Yoarashi was feeling it too, leaning forward on my back with wide eyes.
"Do you mind if I…?" He finally asked, all traces of bitterness forgotten.
I glanced down.
"Don't let Vlad King see you." I mumbled. "And don't go near my wings."
Slowly, almost gingerly he unclipped himself from the harness and stood up, the wind buffeting him as he held on to my vest. Then, he let go.
For one anxiety-ridden heartbeat I was worried something had gone wrong and I'd have to explain how exactly my passenger fell off of secure restraints, until I felt the shift in the air. He pulled it around himself like a tiny hurricane, channeling the wind through the holes in his knee pads, holding himself steady a few meters above me.
For a few moments he stayed there, marveling at the world below. I could see the wonder in his eyes as he descended down again, clipping himself in place.
"It's not the same as flying over the training fields, is it?"
"No. It isn't." He said breathlessly. "Is this how it feels every time?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Sometimes… I wish I didn't have to come down again."
Refocusing myself, I could see the bus down below pulling to a sightseeing stop, a fenced extension on the side of the mountain road with a view across the valley below.
"Looks like we're stopping." I said, starting to descend.
I landed with a heavy thump, bowing down to let Yoarashi hop off my back. The others were piling out of the bus, looking probably about as confused as we were.
"What is this place?" Itsuka asked Vlad King, who stood at the bus doors after everyone had exited. "It doesn't seem like a normal rest stop."
"It isn't. We're here to meet someone."
"And so here we are!" I flinched as a female voice called out from behind us. Who? How? Nobody had been there when I landed.
I spun around to face whoever it was, only to take a step back in confusion.
"Rock on with these sparkling gazes!"
"Stunningly cute and catlike!"
"We're the Wild Wild Pussycats!"
There were four people standing where previously there had been nothing but a patch of bare dirt. One was a young boy of maybe five years, with a sullen expression and a spiked cap on his head. The other three were posing dramatically: two were older women, one with neck-length red hair and a stern demeanour, while the other had long blonde hair and was grinning widely. Both wore matching uniforms coloured red and blue respectively, consisting of a ruffled skirt, fur-lined boots, a fake tail, a headset that resembled feline ears and thick paw-like gloves.
The last one was…
"Hado Senpai? What are you doing here?"
"I told you to call me Nejire, sillies!" Nejire announced as she bounced excitedly in place, her usually horn-like tufts hair now stylized to look like cat ears as they bobbed up and down. "And I'm completing my internship, of course!"
...That was right. Of course she would have found another place to intern at, after things… didn't work out with Ryuko.
"Hey! Don't ignore us!" The blonde woman waved her hands in the air in outrage, alternating between glaring at us and Nejire. "It's not right to give the intern more attention than the Pros, you know!"
"Sorry!" Nejire replied cheerfully, giving her a salute. "I will do better in the future, Ma'am!"
"You'd better!"
"Ahem!" The red-haired woman cleared her throat. "If you're finished, I believe introductions are in order. I'm Mandalay and this is Pixie-bob; we're part of the Wild Wild Pussycats, a four-man Pro-Hero team contracted by UA to provide you with training this summer!"
"That's right." Vlad King said. "For the duration of the Camp, you are to follow their instructions as if they came from me."
"I notice you said four-man team but there's only two of you…?" Yanagi questioned.
"An astute observation!" Mandalay smiled as she walked over to the edge of the railing, pointing across the valley below. "Tiger and Ragdoll, our other two members, are preparing things at our base camp at the foot of that mountain. That's also your destination. It's about twenty minutes past nine, so I'm thinking… you have until noon to make it there. If you're late, no lunch for you."
"Two and a half hours?" Kaibara mused. "That's not so bad.'
"I'm sorry to say, but it won't be that easy for you kittens!"
"rrrrrRRRRR!"
I whipped my head around at the sound of the growling noise to see a huge quadrupedal beast looming behind Kaibara, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It reared back before striking downwards with massive, clawed limbs.
"Your training has already begun!"
Two things happened in rapid succession. The first was Tokage's disembodied hand zipping past and grabbing a hold of Kaibara's collar, yanking him out of harm's way. The other was me barreling through where he'd stood an instant before, shoulder-checking the beast with all of my might. It quite literally disintegrated under the impact, coating me in a layer of… dirt and mud?
"No hesitation!" Pixie-bob sounded impressed as she yelled over from the school bus, while the rest of the class was still coming to grips with what was happening. "I'm guessing you guys have seen some action!"
I craned my neck around, scanning for Nejire and the others, but they must have left while we were distracted. Which meant that the only people standing in the stop area were us students.
"Don't think that'll save you, though!" Pixie-bob yelled as the bus drove away, leaning out the door to run her hand on the ground. That was right. She'd shaped dirt. Her Quirk was terrakinesis.
Which meant that I didn't need to look up the mountain slope to know what was coming down, and was already moving towards a solution.
"Fukidashi! Yui! We need a wall!"
"A-ah! Right!" The speech balloon-headed boy cleared his throat. "Kaboom! Crash! Bang!"
The Japanese characters grew in size as they floated out of his head and crashed down between us and the upslope, sinking into the ground and forming a makeshift wall. In the meanwhile Tokage had grabbed Yui with her other hand and flew her down the line, tagging each letter with her Quirk and causing them to grow to massive proportions.
I reached the wall just as the landslide hit it, rising to my hind legs and bracing the wall with my whole body, trying to hold back the tons upon tons of earth even as sprays of dirt and mud buffeted me through the gaps formed by the characters.
"Shiozaki! Komori! Help her!" I heard Itsuka yell, and moments later vines lashed past me, laced with already-rapidly growing spores. Each tendril found one of the gaps and forced their way into it, plugging it in a matter of seconds with a mass of mushrooms.
For a few more moments the makeshift wall creaked and groaned, until at last the pressure relieved, the momentum of the landslide halted. I fell back on all fours, breathing heavily.
"We need to move. Now." I could hear the sound of shifting dirt and growling as more and more monsters formed out of the dirt, surrounding us. "We need a plan. Any bright ideas?"
Itsuke stepped next to me as the class formed into a defensive circle.
"Well…"
-----
"So, which class do you think is going to make it here first?" Mandalay asked as she walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a cloth as she sat down on the front porch.
"You need to even ask my opinion?" Vlad King raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter." Eraserhead said calmly. "So long as they are giving it everything they've got, it's irrelevant how well they do compared to others."
"Of course." Mandalay rolled her eyes. "I forgot how boring you two can be." She pressed a hand to her headset. "Pixie-bob, how are they doing?"
...
"1-A is at the halfway point already?! It's only a few minutes from noon, that's a new record!" She turned to face Vlad King, slapping him on the shoulder. "And you were so certain your class was going to clean house!"
"Just ask her where 1-B is." Vlad King replied impassively.
Mandalay rolled her eyes, but complied. "And what about the others?"
...
"...That can't be right." She shook her head. "What do you mean they're almost-"
A whistling noise drew everyone's attention to the skies above, as a winged beast with a large horn ran through its chest plummeted to the ground, splashing the camping site's yard in mud. Moments later a second shape followed on a much more controlled descent, a large white-scaled dragon with several people riding on her back and many more passengers… glued directly on to her scales. Bubbles of solidified air and rocks levitated by some unseen force floated around her protectively, while a collection of hovering, disembodied body parts and a boy propelled by streams of wind followed behind.
"Now please undo your Quirk, Awase." The dragon hissed as she landed on the grass. "This is uncomfortable."
"You're uncomfortable?!" One of the other students, a blonde-haired boy questioned from where they were glued on to the dragon's side by his back. "You should have let me borrow your Quirk, then."
"You can't even fly in a straight line, we are not trusting you to carry people while under attack." The dragon grumbled in reply, before shaking herself like a dog. "It's like wearing a dozen baby carriers at once."
"Are you calling us babies?" Someone asked.
"Comparatively, yes."
Vlad King simply turned towards Mandalay, his fangs poking out as he smiled slightly at her shocked expression. "I told you you were underestimating them."
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Hm. This is an interesting reversal of character from Himiko. Her obsession with Ochaco was over the opportunity for normal relationships she felt deprived of. For all her talk of 'true love' being something nobody had a real answer for so her own psychopathic, serial killer definition was perfectly valid, she wanted Izuku to look at her the same way he did Ochaco.
Here that's the total opposite. Himiko saw she could take her 'literally ends in ripping a guy to shreds' relationship to even greater, bloodier heights. She doesn't miss being normal when she thinks she can be a Fucking Dragon.
Oh yeah, forgot that kid existed. He's funny.
HA! Never lose that sense of humor.
RyubosJ
Person that hates Mega Evolutions.
- Location
- UK
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
The whole "a fired substitute teacher went and shot our protagonist" deal. Ryuko was meant to be meeting Neiji as her new intern, and because Ryuko was dealing with her, she didn't go and meet her sister as she initially promised.
"My sister nearly died and got stuck as a dragon because I had to deal with you" is not something either of them holds against each other because it was a totally unforeseen situation neither had any real control over. But it's still an unfortunately accurate description of events, so Ryuko canceled the internship to focus on her family and Neiji always had a chip on her shoulder, as much as the bubbly woman can have such a thing, about making it up somehow.
Blackout
Fed By Comments
- Location
- Who knows?
Not just that, Toga is also interested in Ryuuzaki because she thinks she might be like her, given she ate Stain's arm and brutally tore apart that Nomu.
She wants validation that it's normal to have an urge to consume human flesh/blood and it's the world that is wrong.
Nejire approached Ryuko for an internship two and a half years ago which caused her to be distracted and forget about having promised to train Ryuuzaki. While walking home from the training fields Ryuuzaki was assaulted and nearly killed by Fujiwara, leading to her current predicament of being unable to turn back to human. Ryuko had to cancel the internship to focus on taking care of Ryuuzaki and because even though Nejire is not at all at fault for what happened, every time Ryuko sees her she's reminded of what she considers to be the greatest failure of her life.
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- Location
- Leeds
Less underestimating them and more wildly misjudging what their quirks where capable of doing.
Hierarch
High Councilor
- Location
- High Charity
I find it somewhat likely that her Quirk has warped her perspective to that point, just as it can reflect their outward appearance in mutant type quirks.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
It was explained, I think near the end of the whole Gentle/Izuku fight, that Quirks do have an influence on the host to put themselves into situations where they'd be used. It's no Entity, kicking the backseat and making teenage time bombs with a less-than-six-months timer. It can't rewrite your personality and make any recovery impossible. But it was apparently a contributing factor to why La Brava was always looking for someone to love and accept her, rather than go it solo. And the other example of this mental influence has been Toga, 'round the time she had an Awakening.
DBDrake
Totaly A Dragon
I mean, no?
Toga's backstory was a big oof, top tier crazed villain material.
Kinda "Well, what was she suposed to do? NOT suck zere blud?"
Hierarch
High Councilor
- Location
- High Charity
Yeah, I'm not saying they're Entities or something like that, but with almost every character we've seen so far, their Quirk has had a significant impact on their lives (Which is kind of a given.)