Chapter 37: Gossips and Gasses
"Nice…! Got outta talkin' about little old me by pushing Mount-Lady in front of a bus…!"
Izuku's thumbs hooked onto his belt straps as he followed after Mount-Lady. "I didn't do anything like that…" The streets were darkening and the lamps above preemptively switched on before the sun fell too low. "How was I supposed to know Woods was gonna upset her…?"
"But, it doesn't matter to you whether or not you knew it was gonna happen… It did… And it's on you because you are a coward…"
At this time, there would be an expectation of students and workers getting out of their respective responsibilities and heading home. However, it was quiet with the pathways near vacant of any traveler.
"If the streets were crowded, she would've called for the van…" The Heroine had ditched her mask and horns, holding them by their straps at her side.
He tilted his head to peer over her shoulder, noting the glow of a screen. "She's been on her phone since the attack… What has she been looking for…?" He heard something akin to a hiss from her as her thumb tapped away. "Mount-Lady was a big eye-catcher when she first debuted… She popped onto the news on occasion for an interview… Did a few commercials and was even on some dating show… So, scheduled appearances were normal, but the spontaneous public sightings practically disappeared… Until today…" His head teetered, "Suddenly, few and far between became the here and now…"
Izuku found his phone tucked between his waist and belt. The orbs on his visor widened before shrinking. Cracks had decorated the glass surface like malformed webbing. He pressed a button on the side before tapping on the screen.
"At least, it still works…" he thought.
The ol' Hero forums were still up as they almost always were. Due to his previous investigation, navigation to the chats pertaining to Mount-Lady was quick. The rooms dedicated to sightings and gossip were the most active, and so chaotic that one would think Mount-Lady died – or rather came back from it.
The previous posts were all about her string of appearances on TV or live-events. Now, it seemed like a very vocal part of her fan-base were frothing at the mouth as she appeared in-person. There was a flood of pictures that were just of her standing around or talking to police with perverse captions and comments. These were disturbing before, but now, they were bile-inducing as he felt static on his skin. Beyond that, were rumblings of questions, theories, and responses.
[Mount-Lady's patrolling again?!]
[Why was she patrolling with Kamui Woods!?]
[Who were those other three?]
[Kamui Woods has sidekicks?!]
[Mount-Lady has sidekicks!?]
[Who the hell was this jag-off in green?]
[Why was Mount-Lady wearing his gear?]
[Was he protecting her? That's so cute!]
[Are they together!?]
[No way! He's probably her sidekick. Kamui Woods on the other hand…]
[Mount-Lady dating her sidekick would be so hot…]
[I knew she'd be into younger guys.]
[Ugh, why him and not m—
"That's enough of that…" he thought as he ditched the forums and turned gossip—or rather news sites. He frowned in his helmet as he sifted through articles that matched the forum's thoughts, but with less pictures and crass. "All of this from just one patrol…?" His eyes drifted back to Mount—Takeyama. "And this is what she's been looking at all day…"
He looked back to articles before his eyes narrowed, "Hm… Shinso's and Ashido's caps are in this shot… My 'S' is in this one…" He pondered, "Shiketsu's media embargo is usually restricted to the surrounding city, but… Creating a faux controversy about a Pro-Hero dating a minor with their logo on them could seriously harm their reputation…" He nodded to himself. "They would definitely do something about this…"
"But, are you sure you want that…?" He offered, "More media attention like this shit is bound to catch Stain's attention… Bet that bastard would love to kill someone in the middle of their own controversy… I can imagine the shitface drooling over these…" His thumb hesitated over his cracked screen. "Let these stay up… And Stain will come… You get to be the Hero you want to be… right…?"
"Fuck…" Izuku looked up to see Takeyama raking a hand through her hair. Pass the falling locks, he could only partially see the side of her face, but all the same, the grimace aimed at her phone was evident enough.
Izuku's heart bubbled as the taste of something awful lingered on the back of his tongue. Then, he clenched his teeth and shook his head, taking a deep breath. There were two authority figures of Shiketsu saved on his phone. One was Dr. Yaritezawa to update her on her on his medical status – specifically, unusual things. "The accelerated healing thing probably counts… Later…" He shook his head and focused on the other, Mr. Abraham. "Who knew getting locked in the workshop after school would help me out now…"
-XXX-
Yu's heel tapped on the ground as the elevator climbed towards the office floor. Her intern was standing silently in the corner. "I can't believe people are going off like I'm dating a literal child…" She shook her head. "I have like a decade on him…!" She fumed, "God…! I'm making myself sound old…! I'm not that old – damn this bullshit…!"
She crossed her arms, turning to him. "Look, once we've landed you can get out of that costume and head home."
"Okay…" He was shuffling… suspiciously.
Her eyes narrowed, "What?"
"Nothing," he said.
"Whatever… Once this week's done, he'll be out of my hair… I'll get a big bonus from Shiketsu… Then everyone else finally will…" She clenched her fists. "Just a little bit longer, Yu… Maybe finally make a dent in that loan…"
The door dinged and slid open. "Alright, what's the damage?" Yu asked as she stepped into the office.
She flinched when Ichimoku rushed up to her, beaming. "Boss!" He laughed, "We actually have great news! Shiketsu emailed us."
"Shiketsu!?" Yu's stomach threatened to leap from her throat to straggle the man's smile away. "W-What—What do they want?"
"They want the articles to stop – they're gonna be reaching out for us."
Yu shook her head. "How is that a good thing?" Her arms waved as she spoke exaggeratedly. "We can't protect your student from gossip channels – we're completely out of our depth, please help!? Is that supposed to be a good look?"
Ichimoku was smart enough not to touch her. So, instead he mimed patting her shoulders to calm, and it totally worked – not causing her blood pressure to rise at all. "Shiketsu has a media embargo. They don't like their students getting harassed by paparazzi. So, they sure as hell ain't gonna allow one of them to be painted as an illegal lover." Blood pressure was dropping. "They're gonna release a complete tear-down on these guys. A denouncement from one of the most prestigious schools in the country is gonna make everyone producing this crap panic from the PR nightmare. Especially, when alumni start voicing their support and sick their fans on 'em."
He laughed, "All we gotta do is sign off on the joint statement, and a PR firm funded by Shiketsu will take care of the rest."
Yu deflated as she nearly stumbled back. "Are—are you serious?"
"Yeah! Come on! Look!" He waved his hand to follow him to his desk. Which was where other members of the desk team were huddled.
Her eyes nearly glazed over as they read the screen. "Holy shit…" Her palms landed on the table as her head drooped. "Thank god!"
"Congratulations, ma'am!" said Kaguya, clapping.
"This is some good luck – think we're finally off that shit streak," said someone which caused everyone else to loudly groan.
"Gross, man," was said.
"Don't ever say that again," warned another.
"Don't ever talk again," was added.
"Wow, they work fast…" he muttered.
Yu blinked for a moment before looking up from the computer and spotting her intern. "What?" The orbs widened as the rest of the team looked at him – like a deer in headlights.
"Huh?" echoed Ichimoku.
Kaguya tilted her head. "Um… Mr. Midoriya?"
He finally popped out of his stupor. "Oh! Uh… Would you look at the time! I need to get cha—AH!" In his effort to quickly rush off to a changing room, the boy smacked his shoulder against a door frame, sending himself to the ground. Then, before anyone could say anything, he sprung back up and continued his disappearing act. The door slammed shut before a muffled, "Sorry!" came through it.
Ichimoku crossed his arms, "Huh… That's a bit surprising."
"How so?" asked Kaguya.
A shrug followed, "Well… he's a teenager…" He looked to Yu. "I mean, no offense, but if this rumor stuck around till he got back into school, he'd be popular as hell." Both hero and co-worker stared at him. "At least, with some of the guys." He huffed, "Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right."
"Good to know that Ms. Takeyama's intern has better morals than you," said Kaguya with a flat look.
"One: teenage me," he corrected. "Two: I'm not responsible for that little shit."
"You're the same person."
"Are we?"
"Yes."
Yu chuckled before clapping her hands. "Alright, everyone!" Once she felt everyone's eyes on her, she said, "Let's wrap this up for tonight." She pointed at Ichimoku. "Get our part of that statement ready. I want you all bright-eyed tomorrow. Once Shiketsu's denouncement goes live, we're gonna get a lot of calls."
Ichimoku nodded, putting his hands on his face. "Meaning no late nights if you can. We need everyone awake for these. Responsive and clear – to the point." He turned, "Kaguya, think you can work up a script for everyone?"
"What happened to everyone going home?" said Yu.
"I'll be fine." Kaguya pumped her fist. "I can put that literature degree to work!"
Yu shook her head, offering, "We'll hash it out together – it's gonna partially be my statement too."
"Do you need any help?" asked Midoriya.
"Ah!" Ichimoku jumped, skipping away from the intern. "Where'd you come from?"
He blinked, "The, um… changing room?" His finger poked behind him. "It's, uh, down the hall?"
Ichimoku jutted out his jaw as he tilted his head. "Huh?" He walked over with wide-stance. "Are ya giving me lip, kid?"
Midoriya blinked, "…" He shook his head, looking befuddled. "Giving you what?"
Yu's hand lightly smacked against the man's face. "Enough." She rolled her eyes as her hand dropped to her hip. "He doesn't get your dumb jokes or whatever that was." She took a breath, looking at her intern. "And you've done more than enough, Midoriya." She stepped towards the elevator, waving her hand. "Come on, I can't leave the agency yet, but I'll walk you to the door at least."
"T-Thanks," muttered Midoriya.
The workers of the agency dispersed – some getting ready to go home while others prepped for the brainstorming session that was going to ensue upon Yu's return. A ding rang from above as the doors slid open before she and Midoriya stepped in. Another ding followed before it started to descend.
Midoriya took his cap off, fiddling with it. "I… hope I didn't overstep."
She turned, humming, "Hm?" She chuckled, "Nah." She shrugged, "I only wish you told me that you contacted them. I wouldn't have been so stressed out."
"Sorry," he said.
She waved her hand. "Don't apologize."
"I… I didn't realize how much just… patrolling with someone meant…" he muttered.
"It means nothing – seriously," countered Yu. "It's all these other people that try to make it mean something." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess my only advice is… ignore them. It's probably the best thing you can do, on most days."
The door dinged open as Midoriya lowered his head. "Is… patrolling with me going to cause you more trouble?"
"Kid…" She rolled her eyes before reaching over to rake through his hair wildly.
"H-Hey!" he whined as he stumbled back.
"I said it's fine and I mean what I say." Yu crossed her arms. "Nothing about what they're doing has anything to do with you, specifically." She shrugged, "And, hell, if you're really that worried, stick around. Now that I'm swept up in the media consciousness again, I'm bound to get swarmed next time I patrol." She raised her shoulders, cooing, "I could use someone who has my back~."
Something washed over his face, making her smile falter for a moment. "Guilt…?"
He shook his head before raising it. "Right…" He nodded, "I'll have your back."
She huffed, "Well, thanks." She walked over to the front door, opening it. "Good night, kid."
Midoriya stepped through. "Good night, Ms. Takeyama."
Yu stared at his departing form. "Hate the 'Ms', but that's progress, I guess…" She stepped and turned back into her agency, disappearing back into the elevator.
-XXX-
"If anything, we know that Midoriya doesn't want to talk about it," said Shinso.
Mina descended from the train platform, taking her cap off. The sky above was painted in bleeding wafts of violets and blues; contrasted with the burst of orange that faded towards the horizon, chasing after the setting sun. "If it weren't for all these lights, I might've actually seen some stars…"
"Yeah… I know." Mina had replied. "I'm worried about Mount-Lady too… She was acting all funky after the fight, and then after what Mr. Woods said…"
She walked down the sidewalk, noting the rare passerby. In her pocket, her hand was bound around her phone. "Just in case…," she thought. Acid was great for defense; not so nice on cloth. So, once she was sure that she recognized where she was, she briskly strolled down the path. Memorizing the way to the Midoriyas' was one of the first things she did during this internship. There was a turn here, another there, and this one was around a street lamp that she 'needed' to grasp in order to make that sharp turn.
"Everyone has their… stuff." Shinso shrugged. "If Mount-Lady trusts us enough, maybe she'll talk to us about it. Something for Midoriya." He let out a breath. "So, stop trying to meddle and just… be their friend or… have their back." He closed his locker. "Like what you guys were for me."
Mina blinked when she came upon the back of one wandering Midoriya. "A not-so-rare find…," she thought. Her pace slowed to cautious steps as she quickly closed the gap between them. Then a breath was sucked into her lungs before she rushed forward, leaping towards his back. "HEY, MIDORI!" she cried as she thwacked his back with a slap.
"AH!" His phone leapt from his hands. He swiped and swiped at it, knocking into the air once, twice – before catching it. "A-Ashido!" He frowned at her laughing face. "That isn't funny."
"S-Sorry…" She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Your phone, okay?" She blinked, "Woah, it's all cracked…"
Midoriya shrugged, "Yeah, probably got that way from the fight earlier today. But, hey, it still works, so it's no big deal."
"Hm… if you say so." As they started to walk, Mina tilted her head. "What do you think's for dinner?"
"Not really sure," he said.
Her head teetered, "Hey, Midori… I got a question for you…"
His knuckles slightly whitened as his shoulders raised slightly. "Hm?"
She forced her frown down, asking, "What else do you do other than all this inventing stuff?"
"Uh… um…" His face contorted as if painfully raking through his hall of memories. "Exercising?"
"That's it?" She thought for a moment. "Wait, didn't you used to study Quirks or something?"
Midoriya chuckled, scratching his cheek. "Study… That's a nice way of saying it…"
"Well, weren't ya gonna write a page on mine?" Mina raised her head, framing her chin with her index and thumb. "Got any impressions? How awesome it is? How splashy it is?"
He hummed, "It is a pretty amazing Quirk." His hand rubbed his chin. "Plastics are usually non-reactive to acid – considering they're meant to be a storing material like glass. But, then again, that woman's hair looked like plastic, but maybe it doesn't hold the same properties." He concluded, "So, maybe stronger than expected but definitely more reactive than expected… I mean just a small amount of baking soda can render a large quantity completely neutral – safe to touch. It makes me wonder about how it reacts to other conditions like heat or cold…"
"What, you want to do an experiment or something?" she asked.
Midoriya stared at her. "…" He blinked – like one at a time for some reason. "Can I?"
Her eyes narrowed for a moment before cautiously. "Uh, sure?"
His eyes wandered for a moment before narrowing and widening; mouthing something. His gaze met hers. "We need glass," he muttered. And then, he just… walked away.
"M-Midori?" Mina blinked before slowly following him. "Midoriya?"
-X-
"We have glass cups…" he muttered as he climbed to reach a higher cabinet.
"Probably?" murmured Mina as she stood near the entrance to the kitchen. "Okay, what's the plan here?"
Midoriya hopped down with two glass cups, placing them upon the counter that separated the kitchen and the living room. "I need you to put highly acidic acid in one cup and then weak acid into another."
"Okay?"
"We'll refer to the highly-acidic as just acid and the weak one as base." He walked over to the stove, taking out a frying pan. "To test heat, I'll just pour the acid into a searing hot pan—"
Mina held up her hand. "Midoriya, if it doesn't do anything, it'll just melt through the pan and stove."
Midoriya blinked, tapping his chin for a moment. "Oh, uh…" He dropped down and opened a cabinet below the counter. "Hang on!" There was a clang and a shuffle before he laughed. "Ah! Ah-ha!" He popped back up, holding a—"Casserole dish! Glass and oven safe." He placed a dish down before moving over to the oven settings. "Pour acid in and let it sit at three-fifty for ten minutes." The oven dinged alive. "Then, uh…" He wandered to the other side of the kitchen and picked out a bag of baking soda. "Neutralize it and pour whatever is left in a plastic bag." He shrugged, "Repeat for base."
Mina blinked, taking a breath. "Wow… You came up with that fast." She scratched her cheek. "What's your mom gonna exactly think when she sees us doing this?" Her eyes widened for a moment before looking around. "Actually, where is your mom?"
Midoriya shrugged, "Must be working late."
"That happen a lot?" she asked.
"Sometimes."
Mina walked over to the counter and started to fill them up. "So, are we doing both, uh, heat tests at the same time?"
"Heat's a bit messy when it comes to tests. We should probably do it one at a time," he said.
"Okay. So, how do we test my acid's reaction to the cold?"
Midoriya put his hands on his hips. "Whatever is left over in the cups, we'll just put it in the freezer for ten minutes and see what happens."
"Alright." She shook her head. "I guess I asked for this." She blinked before putting a hand on her hip. "We don't have to just sit and watch the oven, right?"
-XXX-
They did – or rather, Izuku while Ashido watched TV at his insistence. He didn't expect anyone else to be completely glued to this test. It kinda reminded him of his childhood… not the acid bit, but sitting in front of the oven and watching whatever was inside. "Watching acid boil is definitely something I've never done before…" He chuckled to himself before looking over at Ashido who sat upon the couch, watching something. "Acid… boil…" He blinked, "Acidic fumes…"
Izuku looked forward and peered through the oven's glass window again. Suddenly, the blue-ish gray sludge disappeared into a cloud of vapor. "I didn't think this through…" He stood before walking out of the kitchen. "Ashido, can you turn on the fan?"
Slightly distracted by the TV, she frowned as she went for the fan's switch. "You shouldn't sit so close to the oven if you're gonna get that hot."
He pulled a standing fan from a closet before bringing it towards the kitchen. "I'll be more careful!" He plugged it in and switched it on before grabbing oven-mitts and taking a towel to his mouth and nose. After cracking open a window, he crouched before the oven, reaching up to grab the oven's handle. "Three… two…" He cracked open the oven and shut his eyes as the vapor rose. Soon, it was carried away by the fan and towards the window.
But, an… odor caught his nose, causing him to gag and cough. He spluttered before pushing onto his feet.
"Ugh, what is that smell!?" cried Ashido.
Izuku shook his head, trying to fight off the scent. "It smells like sweat?"
She stepped into the kitchen. "Oh my god! It smells like an old gym locker."
"It's your acid!" He hacked, "It evaporates under a consistent high temperature."
"Wait, what!?" Ashido gasped, "Is it like acidic gas!?"
Izuku waved his hand, "I'd be coughing up blood if that were the case." He gagged, "The only danger here is that smell…" His phone buzzed, so he pulled it out of his pocket before his eyes widened at the screen. "Oh… god…" He slammed his phone down. "Ashido! We need bleach! My mom's on her way!" He fought through hacks and teary eyes. "We need to cleanse this unholy place!" He pointed down the hall. "To the pantry!"
Ashido couldn't help but laugh, almost incredulously, as she followed him out. "This was so stupid!"
Chapter 38: New Perspective
"Do you think she noticed?" asked a whispering Midoriya as he 'subtly' peeked over the back of the couch at his mother. Ms. Inko decided to shuttle both teenagers to the living room, insisting on cleaning their dinner plates herself. Mina switched on the TV, but found Midoriya's new behavior way more entertaining.
"God, he looks like a perched cat…!" she thought as she stifled a laugh. "No, I think we're good."
"Alright." He slipped off the couch and reached under the coffee table. "Back to this…"
He pulled out two glass jars that were filled with Mina's acid, but it was clear that—"So, the low acidity froze completely?"
Midoriya nodded, pulling out a little dish meant for sauces. "High-acidity is still liquid…" He opened the bubbling jar and poured baking soda into it, rendering it neutral. "Crazy…"
"It's super cool," she muttered.
"Your Quirk is super versatile." He tapped his chin. "High heat could create a smokescreen and low-temperatures could turn pools of your acid into capture-points and defenses."
"You think you can make me some Support Items for it?" she asked.
Midoriya blinked, meeting her eyes. "Hm?" He pondered for a moment. "Oh, uh… Maybe…? Eh, well… Um…" His face contorted, "P… Probably." He slowly nodded before doing so firmly. "Yeah. Yes."
"You came up with something just now, didn't ya?" she chuckled.
He hummed, "A few," before letting out a chuckle himself. "Thanks…" His leg tucked up from the ground, wrapping an arm around it. "That was fun."
"Yeah, it was pretty funny watching you panic like that," she giggled.
"Panic?" echoed Ms. Inko, entering the living room.
Midoriya quickly corrected, "Picnic! She meant picnic!" He turned, standing in front of the jars. "Like, uh… for the… firework festivals during summer break…"
"Y-Yeah! We could have a picnic on… a nice hill so we can watch the fireworks…" Mina slowly stood to match Midoriya.
Inko beamed, "Ooh, that sounds wonderful!" She gestured to Mina. "Your friends could even invite their families!"
"Yeah, yeah!" said Midoriya.
Mina's smile strained slightly. "Totally."
Inko nodded, "Oh, and we could catch up with that, uh… oh my, the, um… the blond boy?"
"Kaminari," answered Midoriya, smiling and nodding. "Yeah, maybe! Have a whole get-together."
"Something to look forward to," she sighed. She then offered, "Ashido, would you like to bathe before bed?"
Mina's eyes darted over to Midoriya for a moment before putting up her hands and shaking her head. "Oh, uh… I showered at the agency, you go ahead."
"Ah, thank you very much," replied Inko. She then took her leave from the teens, letting the lying pair relax.
"Did we have to lie about the jars?"
"Well, let me stop where my Mom starts getting worried, fearful, and/or anxious." He smiled and gestured towards the coffee table. "Oh, Mom, by the way, these are jars of acid." He stopped, letting his arms fall at his side. "…" He wasn't going to say anything else.
Mina giggled, "Okay, yeah, I get it."
They both retook their seats on their couch. Their attention was partially absorbed by the program on the screen. Though Mina caught the deep breath Midoriya took in. He leaned forward, propping his elbow on his knee before plopping his chin in his palm. "Do…" He seemed to fight a sigh. "Do you think Kaminari would still want to see the fireworks with all of us?"
"I think so," she offered. "Is there a particular one you have in mind?"
"I've actually never been to a fireworks festival. At least, not that I can recall. Maybe when I was a kid," he mentioned. "Though, I could always spot a few going off from my window."
"Really?" gasped Mina. "This has to be a huge event for you… Oh, it has to be an awesome one!" She pulled out her phone and began sifting through the nearby town's festivals. "Ooh… Which one? Which one?"
She glanced up and noticed that Midoriya was smiling but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Is there… something else?" she asked.
Midoriya slowly shook his head. "No… no… Uh…" His head tilted, "I guess, uh… Hm, never mind." He smiled again, waving his hand. "It was a… silly thought. Don't worry about it." He then asked, "Did any of those festivals catch your eye?"
"Oh, uh, not yet," she said. "Oh, man, did he finally want to talk about Kaminari…!?" Her search turned half-hearted as she mentally kicked herself. "And I missed my shot…! Gosh, darn-it…!" She deflated slightly as she shrugged, "Maybe the one near Nagaoka Station, I guess…"
Midoriya nodded, "That isn't too far away. Would be fun."
"I curse you, ya stupid… fireworks… festivals…" she grumbled internally. "Appealing to kid-me and distracting me from solving problems…!" She struggled to stop herself from kicking her feet. "Subtly be damned… I should just trick them into a room together and lock the door…" She stopped and took a breath. "…" She then thought, "No… I can't do that… They might start fighting again… Like two hamsters in a cage…" Her head teetered, "I wonder what Kaminari's doing now, anyway…? Wonder if he's putting more or less thought into all of this than I am…"
-XXX-
Kaminari Denki let out a breath as golden electricity roared from his skin. His muscles flexed and fingers curled as it expanded, consuming the air around him. Before, in the split second of his open palms balling into fists, these runaway sparks came to a halt. The expanding sparks slowed again and again; dimming for a moment and then another. His spine began to straighten as he sucked air into his lungs, and those crackling and fracturing arcs began to slowly retract.
Each muscle tensed and his head rose with gritted teeth. His arms twitched as pain rumbled in each joint from his shoulders to his knuckles. The electricity closest to him slipped through his tank-top and sweatpants. Each arc of light sunk into his flesh like burning fangs, seeping into his body and bones. His knees quaked and bent as he struggled to stay upright. He kept his arms tense, trying for more and more, before a talon of light pierced his chest, tapping through his ribs and striking his lung.
The organ withed in response, contracting and expanding rapidly. His concentration broken, Denki fell to his knees and broke out into a fit of coughs and hacks. He felt pockets of his saliva bubbling and bursting into vapors, leaving his mouth in stuttering puffs.
"Kaminari!" cried Hashida Itaru—Bigshot as he rushed over to his intern's side. The big man was in his own lounge/exercise wear and they were both within the walls of the Idaten Agency's gymnasium.
"Dammit…" Denki raised his head with a forced smile. "I almost had it that—whey~." For a moment, that cursed face of his pop from his features like a burp before he screwed his eyes shut, shaking his head.
"And that's where we'll call it a day. It's late, anyway," said Hashida, patting the younger's shoulder. "Though, it proves the theory. By simultaneously trying to absorb electricity while releasing it, you can actually control the range of your attack."
Denki pushed himself on to his feet. "It feels so weird…" He rubbed his biceps. "Like—whey~." His teeth gritted together, bringing his face back to normal.
Hashida frowned, "Don't fight it." He shook his head as they walked towards the locker rooms. "It's a natural part of you. I'm sure some of the ladies find it charming, anyway."
"Charming? W—" He sighed, forcing a chuckle. "They find it hilarious."
"Does that bother you?"
"It's fine – it's just fun and games…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just… last time I got fried was after an argument with a friend… And I just laid there like an idiot, going 'Whey~'."
"You got into an argument like that?"
"N-No, it was… before and then it led into uh…"
"You fought somebody."
"Y-Yeah… I picked it and still lost…"
Hashida chuckled, "Trying to win an argument with a fight? Kid, most people don't act like they're in a shonen manga."
"I—whey~." He coughed, "I realize…"
Hashida waved his hand, "Well, what was the argument? If you don't mind my two-cents."
Denki scratched his cheek, "Uh… You know… Midoriya Izuku?"
"Midoriya… Izuku…" The man tapped his chin for a moment, pondering. He then blinked before nodding, "Ah, little Savior, I remember him."
"Savior?"
"Yeah, it's a nickname the other sidekicks came up with for him when we were all in recovery after that…", he sighed, "-operation."
Denki slowly nodded, "R-Right, you all would've met…" He chuckled a bit. "Still, though, 'Savior'?"
"He saved Ingenium – the guy's like a big brother to everyone here." He teetered his head. "I know, you haven't gotten to work with him too often since his, uh… hunt's still going on." He patted the younger's shoulder. "But, you'll have time with him tomorrow." He then coughed, "Now, what did you two fight over?"
Denki's jaw shifted, shaking his head. "He… after everything with the Hero Killer, decided to apply for an internship… for a Hero."
"Kid's trying to be sidekick?" Hashida laughed, "He's got the guts for it that's for sure." He cocked a brow. "Too dangerous for him, ya think?"
"Yes," was replied.
"Why?"
Denki sucked in a breath, "He's… Quirkless… He doesn't have any powers. He's way more at risk."
"I think he's the one kid who knows that more than anyone"
"Everyone keeps saying stuff like that."
"It's just the nature of our job, kid," said Hashida. "Quirks determine what we're good at. Our fields, our specializations, but I've done this long enough to know that a Quirk is a third of what makes a Hero. Cause it doesn't matter how flashy or how strong your Quirk is; if you aren't adaptable or clever, you'll drop like a sack of bricks." He shrugged, "If you want someone who agrees with you, well, it's a big agency. I'm sure you could find them."
"Am I just completely in the wrong?" asked Denki.
"You're not wrong to be concerned for your friend." His face contorted, "Fighting with him over it may be where you went wrong."
"Yeah…" Denki's head dropped, sighing, "It's my fault he was out there… If I hadn't forgotten that stupid gauntlet…"
Hashida was quiet for a moment. "…" He then took a breath and said, "Then, I guess I should thank you."
"What?"
"If it weren't for you, Midoriya wouldn't have been out there, and Ingenium probably would've died. 'Cause of that 'stupid gauntlet', instead of losing one Hero, we might've just added two more to the mix."
Denki blinked, "I…" His face contorted, "…"
Hashida chuckled, patting the younger's shoulder. "Get some rest, kid." He did a mock gag. "And a shower, you stink."
The younger shoved the man's hand away, chuckling, "Not as bad as you."
"I'll let you think that," huffed the man. "See you tomorrow."
As he walked through the locker room's doors, Denki nodded, "See you tomorrow, Mr. Hashida…" He made his way over to his locker, pulling it open. "If it weren't for me… Ingenium might've died…? Feels like I'm taking credit for something Midoriya did…" His hands pulled at the sides of his bag before hesitating. "Something Midoriya did… Midoriya saved someone… A Pro-Hero of all people… He's saved more people than I have…" He shook the thoughts away, focusing on getting and heading back to Shiketsu dorms.
-XXX-
"Hey, Boss, you got a phone call from Kamui Woods."
Yu blinked, "Woods?" It was closing time at the agency – almost everyone had left. "You walked Kaguya out," she told Ichimoku. "I'll meet you by the entrance." Once those two were on their way, Yu yawned as she answered the phone, "What's up?"
"Mount-Lady, I received word from Shiketsu about a joint-statement about those articles," said Kamui.
"Oh, you're included?"
"While not the subject, I suppose I am involved in a way." There was a moment of silence before he said, "I wanted to apologize for not noticing sooner. I… should've said something… Or… at least, say the right thing."
"You couldn't have done anything about it." Yu smiled slightly. "But… thanks… I appreciate it."
Another bit of silence, he was probably nodding on the other side. "Oh, and… I planned on requesting Death-Arms to work my patrol a bit. With so much publicity, I wanted to avoid subjecting the interns to it, so we're going to train in the gym tomorrow." He coughed, "I thought you might want to do the same, so I thought you might want to have Mr. Midoriya train here."
"Oh…" Yu teetered her head. "His friend did mention that they have similar gear…" She shrugged, "Um, sure, it could be a good distraction for the day."
"Alright, then," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She nodded, "Good night, Woods."
"Good night, Mount-Lady," replied Kamui.
Yu smiled a bit when she hung up, but that quickly went away when she say Ichimoku standing before the elevator doors, smirking. "What?"
As she approached, he 'bravely' teased, "Woods and Mount-Lady~, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G~." She continued past him, casually reaching up and grabbing him by his ear. "AH!" He started to cry, "Uncle, uncle, uncle!" as she dragged him towards the elevator.
-XXX-
Akaguro Chizome sat in the back of a van. It had become familiar at this point and time as he traveled in it – lived in it. Its owner was Iguchi Shuichi: a fan and a follower. They had encountered each other often in the digitalscape. Chizome stalked for potential targets, but couldn't help but share his gospel to others online. Iguchi seemed to recognize the folly of today's society – the plague of the faux Heroes. When the Hero Killer first made the news, Iguchi made the connection in one of their chats. At the time, Chizome was going to kill Iguchi until the young man made himself useful.
Iguchi provided intel about patrols, stops, favorite eateries, and bars. At first, Chizome thought it was some trick, a sting operation, but after a few cautious missions. Iguchi's intel proved true and the man, trustworthy. Though, they had never met in-person until recently – only ever interacting digitally. However, due to his failed attempt to maim Ingenium, the city surrounding Shiketsu was too alert and he was in no position to question his luck to be in Iguchi's hometown.
"And now you live out of the back of his van – a murder-hobo and his enabler." Midoriya laid on his back, bleeding out like he had once before.
Chizome had taken to hiding a majority of his gear under baggy clothing, leaving his mask and bandana around his neck, while covering his head with a beanie. His trusty, rusty katana was wrapped in a bag similar to one for a training sword. At the moment, he was waiting for Iguchi to—
A wrapping of knocks connected against the side door of the van. "Everything's ready, Mr. Akaguro."
The door opened and Chizome stepped into a parking lot of some bar under the darkening night sky. "I'm not fond of surprises, Iguchi."
He chuckled, "You will be of this one." He gestured towards the bar. "I found like-minded people—" He quickly added, "They don't know the Hero Killer's here."
Chizome's darkened features lightened as he partially relaxed.
Midoriya sat on the lip of the door, causing a constant drip of blood onto the asphalt. "Were you going to kill him here and now? After all he's risked for you?"
"I work alone," said Chizome.
"Until you failed as a warrior and overall, as a human being."
Chizome extended his arm to slam the van door shut, cutting through the vision's nonexistent legs. "Usually…" He let out a breath. "Are these people worth my time?"
"Yes," replied Iguchi, nodding.
His teeth gritted together for a moment before saying, "Fine." He jerked his chin. "Lead the way."
As they trekked towards the building, Iguchi explained, "It's just three – for now." That caused Chizome's brow to twitch. "One with an impressive fire Quirk, another with a containment Quirk, and the last has a mutation Quirk."
As they neared the bar's violet-lit door, Chizome asked, "You planned for us to meet in a public space?"
"To avoid a fight," answered Iguchi. "We've all been lying low, getting into a fight is the last thing any of us need."
"That containment Quirk?"
Iguchi flexed his fingers, "Requires touch." He nodded, "Saw one of his stage shows."
"Touch…" echoed Chizome. He shook his head before grabbing Iguchi's shoulder; scowling, "What if he tries to capture us? Turn me into the police?"
Iguchi blinked, almost chuckling incredulously. "I doubt he'd raise his hand without you noticing. I mean it's you, sir. You've been evading Pro-Heroes for almost a whole year before the news figured you out." He rolled his eyes. "Some stage magician isn't going to out pace you."
A squelch of blood echoed in Chizome's ears as Midoriya slipped in-between the two of them, facing Iguchi, whistling. The apparition then spun around its soles squishing in its own blood. "I wonder if he would say that knowing you were gonna kill him a second ago…"
Chizome forced his gritted teeth apart. "Let's… meet your friends…"
"Our friends, sir," said Iguchi, patting the taller man's arm. "Hopefully, at least," he chuckled as he stepped forward to push open the door.
Chizome followed, leaving the vision behind. "More people to lead on your little crusade?" He stepped into the bar's entrance. "You know, you were supposed to stop the villains, Hero… But now, you're gonna make more?" He hesitated. "Wow… You picked a name for yourself, didn't you?" It spat, spouting blood and bile. "You really are a fucking stain…" He slammed the door shut behind him.
The inside of the bar was about what he expected – dimly lit and reeking of alcohol and cigarettes. Following Iguchi deeper inside, he found himself stepping towards a booth near the back of the bar. It was occupied by three others. One with dark hair and blue eyes was almost young looking, but his age became lost in large patches of charred skin that consumed parts of his face, jaw, and neck. His clothes were baggy and haphazardly chosen. Another seemed to be older, judging by the way he dressed: a top-hat, dress-shirt, vest, stacks, etc. Though, alarm bells went off at the mask that covered his face. The last one looked to be a cross-breed of man and octopus. At least, that's what the face showed as the rest of his body was covered in a black cloak.
"Those scars… If he was trained by Endeavor… are those scars from training under him…?" thought Chizome. "I recall seeing his son at U.A. 's Sports Festival with a burn scar on his face… He always acted like a bastard to his fans, but he was a good Hero… At least, I thought so…" His teeth ground together. "Another pretender… So close to All-Might's position, but none of his spirit…"
Iguchi stepped in front of the booth. "Gentlemen, sorry we're late." He gestured to Chizome. "This is Kenshi, the man I mentioned."
"Ah, Sako Atushiro," introduced the masked man, standing to take off his head and a bow. "Though, I go by Mr. Compress nowadays," he added as he straightened, extending his hand.
Chizome shook it. "Hi."
"You're the guy who knows the Hero Killer?" asked the burnt-one.
A glare nearly shot at Iguchi, but kept himself in check. "Personally."
"Dabi."
"They called me Innsmouth…", blubbered the mutant.
"Shall we?" offered Iguchi to Chizome.
After a beat of silence, Chizome nodded and they took their seats. The Hero Killer sat next to Mr. Compress with his off-hand slipping into his hoodie. His fingers found the grip of one of his many knives, holding it tight. "So, why're you two interested in the Hero Killer to begin with?"
"I see him as a kindred spirit," answered Sako. "These 'celebrities' claim to be moral and kind. Yet, while children still run from their horrible homes and live on the streets of Tokyo, they live, drink, and eat lavishly. They aren't paid based on the good they do. They're paid based on their captures of 'villains'. So, when they're one short of their monthly quota, they'll pick someone off the street to arrest. Accuse them of committing a crime they didn't, and let them fall before the courts to be mangled in their cogs."
Chizome shared a look with Iguchi who nodded to confirm. "Who was it?" asked Stain.
"Kashi Kashiko… The Observing Hero… Beholder." Sako chuckled, "Apparently, he can remotely link to video feeds of any kind. He was a sidekick for the longest time… Winded up becoming buddy-buddy with a couple of shit detectives, doing favors – accessing recordings without warrants or permission." "All he had to do was lie to those morons, and then I find myself in handcuffs over a murdered girl." His finger pressed against the lip of his glass, tilting it slightly. "I thought the justice system would save me. I thought it was an honest mistake." He growled, "I lost five years of my life before I gave up on being saved…" The cup of water suddenly disappeared; replaced by a blue marble, bouncing on the table. "And I learned the complete truth when I took the little watcher's leg." That marble was shifted between his fingers before flicking it up with his thumb and catching it. "He's not the last – I'm certain of that."
"You?" asked Iguchi to Innsmouth.
"I… used to be a smuggler… Sneaked stuff out of the ports on a normal speedboat. Ran jobs with my brothers and sister," he explained. "We were running cargo out of a port in Nagoya… When some Hero showed up…" He shuddered, "He was faster than the eye could see… He was on the boat before any of us even realized…" He shook his head. "It was so dark I didn't get a good look at him, but it's not like that would've mattered…" There was a lump in his throat as his voice cracked. "He didn't give us a chance to surrender… My… brothers… sister… They evaporated… He hit them so fast, so hard that they…" Whatever sadness was building shifted, turning to a growl. "And he laughed… 'Oops,' he said…" His head drooped, "I was the only witness… He couldn't let me live, but… his mistake was underestimating my Quirk." He parted his cloak and revealed an embedded imprint of a fist in his chest. "I'm more octopus than my siblings were. His attack didn't rupture me from the inside like them, but it sent me flying into the sea…" He took a deep breath. "When I awoke, I was ashore and I could see the coast guard investigating our burning boat in the distance… They never reported our deaths or the Hero involved… Hid it probably – to protect the bastard."
Iguchi reached over and patted the man's shoulder.
"I'm not interested in swapping sob stories," huffed Dabi. "I just want to kill Endeavor, and the bastard deserves it."
"Do you expect the Hero Killer to do it for you?" asked Chizome.
Dabi scowled, "No. I want to do it myself, but I'm not stupid enough to think I can do it alone."
Chizome slowly nodded before leaning back in his seat; fidgeting with the knife in his pocket. His gaze washed over Iguchi, Sako, Innsmouth, and Dabi. "Hm…" He leaned forward, releasing his knife and placing his arms upon the table. "Perhaps you won't… Dabi." He shook his head. "However, you both… are still untested in the eyes of the Hero Killer…"
"And how would we prove ourselves exactly?" asked Sako.
Chizome stood, "There are false Heroes everywhere… And you're all going to kill one."
Chapter 39: Prudent Lessons
In all honesty, bringing Midoriya to Kamui Woods' agency made Yu feel like she was dropping a kid off at daycare. She signed in at the front desk and got a visitor pass for herself and the kid. She was then led to where Kamui was while Midoriya was led into the gym where his friends were. "I'm still too young to have kids…" she thought as she was met by Kamui near a cubical-lined area.
"Welcome in," he said. "The way over wasn't too much trouble?"
Yu shrugged, "I just had the van drop us off a block away."
"Hm." Kamui handed a tablet back to one of his office workers. "Death-Arms is in the area, so he'll be handling my patrol."
She nodded before scratching her cheek. "Do you think the statement will go over well?"
"There'll always be people who have a problem with us when we complain about bad media." His eyes rolled, "We're celebrities – we ask for it."
"Complete bull," grumbled Yu.
Kamui chuckled, "And people wonder why I wear a mask."
"That's why?"
"Not the sole reason." They walked around a corner and found themselves standing in a lounge. One of the walls of said lounge was a glass-pane that showed the internal gym. "Having privacy in my personal life is just a bonus, really." The 'gym' was large, encompassing a great deal of the ground floor. Its ceiling extended well past the one above their heads. There was a section dedicated to the standard gym equipment she expected, but most of it was an open space.
"Wish I thought of that… A mask leaves an air of mysteriousness… Would've worked out for me, I think…" she thought. "Also… What the hell is this agency…! He has a lounge and an entire gym…!? I was expecting it to be like a normal looking space…" Her gaze shifted towards the distant ceiling. "He must swing around in there…" She kept the building sense of jealousy and disappointment in. "This is the difference between a patrolling Hero and an on-call one, huh…?"
"There they are."
"You have a lot of sidekicks?"
"No, mostly office workers." He shrugged, "Most people can't maneuver how I do, so the program usually falls through pretty often. Students are easier. I keep my feet on the ground. Lecture and teach. Haven't had anyone come back for a work-study." He jerked his chin at the students below. "He's your first sidekick, right?"
"Yep…" She blew raspberries as she leaned over the railing. "Am I even doing this right?"
Kamui chuckled.
Yu blinked, standing straighter. "W-What?"
"You're doing fine. It's a learning curve for both of you. He learns how to, well, Hero while you learn how to support someone else. Which is fairly difficult in our line of work." He chuckled again. "You'll realize that it's so much easier to save people."
"Heh… Probably," muttered Yu. Her gaze drifted downward once more. "So, what's the plan for them?"
Kamui nodded, "I was planning on working with Midoriya and Shinso about their maneuvering, but I was hoping you could speak to Ashido."
"Me? Why?"
"Well, you know a thing or two about property damage."
For a moment, her eyes narrowed at the comment, but she forced it away. "He wouldn't know…" she thought.
"There's an amount of precision that you require when you have a Quirk like hers and yours," he said. "It's not a problem that I'm familiar with." He shrugged, "Though, your advisement may be more thought than practice."
"Right… uh…" She crossed her arms. "I'll do what I can."
"It's all I ask," he said. "Let's go meet our students."
-XXX-
Mina fought back against the frown trying to form on her face. Through glass, she saw Shinso and Midoriya swinging through the air under the watchful eye of Kamui Woods. She was no longer in the gym and was instead in the lounge with Mount-Lady. She was seated as Pro paced in front of her. "Mount-Lady's cool, but…"
"So, um…" Mina shook the thoughts away as Mount-Lady spoke. "Woods wanted me to talk to you about your Quirk, and uh… help you."
"O-Oh…" She thought, "Our Quirks aren't really similar…"
"Your Quirk is producing acid, right?" she asked.
Mina nodded, "Yeah! Uh, I can control how acidic it is and can even make it inert."
"Ah, good, good…" Mount-Lady took a seat in front of her. "Okay, so you're going to have to worry about property damage."
"This conversation…? Oh boy…"
"Do you plan on scaling buildings or…?"
"I kinda thought I could melt holes to… climb… with…"
"Oh good, you got there on your own," she laughed. "So, if you want high mobility, you need to come up with other methods for travel." Her hand waved, "Like… I don't have to grow big and jump onto a rooftop to scale a building. The jump and landing will damage the building, so what I do is: grow, grip the lip of the roof, hop, and shrink. But instead of shrinking based off of where my feet are, I do it where my hand is." Her face contorted, "Which doesn't apply to you, I know, but it's just an example of… looking at your Quirk differently. What else can it do?"
Mina shrugged, "When it's low in acidity, it freezes at low temperatures?"
"Like ice?"
"Yeah, kinda."
Mount-Lady tapped her chin. "Some Heroes make pillars of ice to help them make big jumps."
"Oh, that'd be kinda cool," she said.
"And instead of melting holes into walls to climb with. You could make holdings."
"Ooh, that works!" Her finger tapped her lip. "I'd probably need a Support Item to do it, though."
Mount-Lady looked into the gym. "Well… It just so happens we do have a Field Support Agent in our midst."
Mina burst into laughter as she saw Midoriya and Shinso crash into each other, spiraling to the ground.
They both stepped out into the gym and called the trio over. Then, they explained their idea to Midoriya, and he concluded, "And you want to see if I can scrounge something together?"
"Can you?" asked Mount-Lady.
Midoriya rubbed his chin. "Hm…" His helmeted head teetered back and forth. "Maybe…" His gaze shifted over to Kamui. "Uh…"
"I'm assuming you need parts?" said Kamui. "If you make a list, I can have someone do a milk run." He shrugged, "If you're okay with putting your training on pause for it, of course."
"It's not gonna look pretty, but I think I can manage something…" muttered Midoriya.
Mina waved her hands. "It doesn't have to be now! It can totally wait."
Midoriya's mutterings made it clear that he was off in his own little world. It went doubly so when she noticed his hands were moving like he was writing in a notebook. "I've unlocked something in Midoriya, I think…"
"Oh, uh… don't worry, um… shouldn't take me too long…" The invisible pencil in his hand moved up and down. "Got any paper?" he asked, looking to Kamui.
"Yes, a moment."
As the Pro walked away, Shinso crossed his arms. "Guess you're gonna miss out?"
"It shouldn't take me too long…" said Midoriya. "Like an hour… or a few…"
"Here you are," said Kamui, handing over a notepad and pen.
"Alrighty…" Midoriya stared at the paper for a moment before turning to her. "Ah, take off your gauntlets and your boots."
Mina blinked, "O-Oh! Uh, okay…"
-X-
Mina was flicking her feet, staring at her provided bunny slippers. "He just has these…?" She reasoned, "Maybe he sleeps here sometimes…? Still though… Not what I expected…" She knocked her feet together before looking up at the approaching Pro. "Oh, thank you!" she said as Mount-Lady handed her a cup of tea. Then, after the Pro took a seat across the table from her, she asked, "How big of a deal is property damage?"
"Huge~," she answered. "If you're not careful, it'll be a constant nightmare for you. And, don't get me wrong, you can't help it sometimes." She listed on her fingers. "If you're a sidekick, whatever agency you work for will probably handle it. In that case, for your own sake, it'd be a good idea to aim for bigger or city-based agencies. If you want to have your own agency, you'll have to pay for it yourself." She shrugged, "There are insurance companies meant to help you with that, but… remember, they're the same as any other insurance company in any other field or part of life. Meaning: they'll spend their money for you, 'to help you', but they definitely don't want to."
Mina blinked, "Oh…" Her gaze lowered to her cup. "Wow…"
"It sucks, I know…" She muttered, "Way too much…" Then came a shrug. "But that's part of the life, you know?"
"Right…" She fiddled with the cup in her hand for a moment. "Why did you want to become a Hero?" she finally asked. "If you don't mind me asking," she quickly added.
Mount-Lady blinked, "Oh…" She leaned back in her seat, teetering her head. "Hm…" She let out a sigh before leaning forward. "Can you keep it a secret?"
Mina's eyes sparkled for a moment before nodding vehemently.
A contortion flashed over the Pro's face before she shrugged, "Well…" A sigh followed. "I grew up in the countryside. A part of our town was just farming fields, but… a bunch of the local shops were getting shut down when a supermarket rolled into town." A droll of sadness fell on her tongue before she shook her head. "A-Anyway, uh… We didn't have a local Hero – heck, we never really needed one. Local police were just fine. So, the first Hero I ever saw was on TV. She was a foreign one, American: Stars and Stripes."
Mina blinked, "Oh, I've heard of her."
"She was just starting out when I was a teenager, I think…" Mount-Lady smiled, "The way she acted around the media and paparazzi. How kind she was to the people she saved." She chuckled, "How crazy she was… How beautiful." She leaned on a propped up hand. "I was a fan."
"You were in love~," was cooed
The Pro laughed, "Sure." She shook her head. "Seeing her… I wanted to be like her." She sighed wistfully. "I wanted to make it big. Shine over Japan like she did to the US." Her smile slowly faded as her gaze drooped.
"What's wrong?" asked Mina.
"Nothing! It's, uh… nothing."
"U-Um… I know it isn't really any of my business, but…" She smiled, nudging the air. "I really can keep a secret."
Mount-Lady lowered her head for a moment, muttering to herself. "I'm being consoled by a teenager…" She chuckled, lifting her head. "I'm just realizing the gap between myself and her…"
"Well, you're still a rookie Hero, right?" offered Mina. "You've still got time."
She nodded, "Right…" She took a swig from her cup. "What about you?"
"Ah…" Her cup hadn't left the table, turning it in place for a moment. "Well… It's not a really cool reason or anything…" Her head teetered. "I… I just want to help people, and a lot of people started thinking I'd be a good fit for it." She sighed, "I know it's a pretty boring reason."
Mount-Lady lifted her cup. "It's a classic – in a good way." She shrugged, "I gotta admit: I was really excited to be a celebrity originally."
"It's a bit of a plus, right?"
A chuckle. "Sometimes." She shook her head. "Just make sure you have some boundaries for yourself when it comes to all that media. You're gonna lose some privacy."
Mina nodded, kicking her feet. "True…"
Suddenly, there was a crash as a narrow air freshener can went flying away from Midoriya's hand. "Sorry!" he cried. "Sorry!" He walked off to collect the runaway canister, wincing at its touch. "Cold-cold-cold…" A few regular-looking office workers gave a few glances and stares but went back to their work or meals.
"Should we be worried?" asked Mount-Lady.
Her face contorted. "Ah, eh… probably… not?"
"Filling me with confidence…"
"No!" cried Midoriya, snatching another, separate, canister out of the air. "You don't get to fly away!" His voice could barely be heard as he hovered over the canister, holding it against the table. "Stay still." He was climbing atop the flat surface to straddle whatever he was working on. The image was made slightly ominous by him pulling a length of duct-tape above his head.
"Though… now, I'm curious," said Mount-Lady before turning in her seat. "Hey, kid!" Midoriya didn't seem to register her voice. "Kid!"
Mina smirked, calling out. "Broccoli boy!"
Mount-Lady blew raspberries, looking back at her. "That's degrading."
"Huh?" said Midoriya, finally turning around.
"Don't respond to that!" snapped the Pro.
He shrugged, setting whatever he was working on down. "It's, uh… inside joke, but what'd you need?"
"Why did you sign up for this?" asked Mount-Lady. "Why become a sidekick?"
Midoriya didn't even hesitate. "I always wanted to be a Hero, and, given what I am, this is the closest I can get to being one right now."
"That's it? No inspiration?"
The orbs of his mask widened for a moment before flattening into semi-circles and chuckling slightly. "There was one."
"Oh, no… I'm sorry." Mount-Lady shrugged. "Well, I respect the spite."
Midoriya crossed his arms. "Spite?" He shook his head. "I…" He hummed, trailing off and slowly facing the table once again.
The Pro blinked. "Um, k—"
Reaching across the table, Mina quickly whispered, "Uh… It's… a kinda personal topic."
Mount-Lady turned back around, clearing her throat. "Y-Yeah… Um, back to what we were talking about earlier…"
-XXX-
"Now, this type of movement isn't just skill. It's intuition. It's on-the-fly thinking," explained Kamui Woods. He and Hitoshi were suspended near the ceiling of the gym. "There are going to be moments when your line doesn't grab what you want it to. A slip, a missed hold…" Kamui was held by his expansive roots and bark while Hitoshi relied on his wires, precariously held up by them. "That feeling – fear can make you freeze or panic. Either will make that potential hurt, guaranteed." Kamui tapped his chin. "I found, through personal experience, that the best way of dealing with such a thing is exposure."
"So, this balancing act is meant to—UH!" Hitoshi leaned forward, quickly correcting his turn. "Simulate that?"
"Yes… But, also…" The Pro reached over and twisted the sidekick's buckle, unlocking him from his belt.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" cried Hitoshi as he plummeted towards the ground.
His floating stomach nearly shot out of his mouth as Kamui's branches took hold of him. His descent was steadily slowed before he came to a complete stop. Then, he was slowly brought back up.
"You okay?" asked Kamui.
Hitoshi growled, "There… are… SO MANY WORDS! THAT I CANNOT SAY!"
"A very fair reaction," chuckled the Pro. "It actually works out that you and Midoriya are training separately. I can surprise him with this as well."
"I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"I definitely prefer that over you being excited about it." Kamui placed his hand on his chest. "However, let me say that while your fear may be real – the danger will never be. Not in my presence."
His branches held Hitoshi up, letting him lock back into his belt. "Uh… That does help a little bit."
The Pro retracted his branches. "Now, let's return to our practical."
"Okay…" murmured Hitoshi as he released one hook, falling into a swing. He re-shot that first hook as he retracted the second to swing forward.
"First, quick descent. Gain a little height, fall, and recover." Kamui turned and began to swing along the ceiling as Hitoshi followed. "Do what you can to keep up." He yanked on his extended bark, sending him upward before giving into gravity – diving. Hitoshi mimicked the motion with his line, falling after the Pro. He watched as Kamui twisted his body through air and shot a branch upward, slipping past him, to latch onto the ceiling. So, as the Pro swung underneath him, he turned in the air and fired off a line.
Kamui's feet skipped off the ground as he neared before landing with a few steps forward. Hitoshi tried to let his feet do the same, but he had done it too early and his first foot slipped back. His knee-pads and greaves skidded against the floor as he almost fell. Luckily, his line and rig kept him upright, letting him ride out his dying momentum.
Hitoshi retracted his line as he dusted off his legs and stood. "Crap…"
"It wasn't too bad," offered the Pro.
"True…" He chuckled, "Midoriya crashed through a window the first time he used this thing…"
"In public?"
"Off-site training center."
"Ah, one of those." Kamui wagged his finger. "But, what's very good is that you didn't panic in spite of free-falling."
Hitoshi sighed, "I don't want to acknowledge that as a good part of this lesson."
Another chuckle from the Pro. "Fair." He put his hands on his hips. "With this portion complete, we're going to break out the crash-mats and create a few obstacles for you to practice with."
"We couldn't have started with that?"
"As much as that would've been nice, I think it's best to start with the toughest aspect of this type of mobility… that instinctual fear of falling that we all have," explained Kamui. "And… the obstacles here are not dangerous – you'll crash into them and be fine afterwards. Out there, it's: jutting pipes, hanging wires, glass, metal, brick, and wood…" He stepped towards Hitoshi, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. "I'm certain you know of this, but I need to make sure you leave this place understanding it. I can give you the basics, the general ideas, but I can't truly prepare you for those split-second decisions you'll have to make in the field." He shook his head. "And I can't stop you from being afraid, but I can numb you to it. So that when the time comes for those decisions, you can make them without freezing."
"Right…"
He added, "It's also never too late to change. You don't have to stick with this mobility if you find it doesn't suit you. You still have time."
"Thanks," responded Hitoshi.
"Anytime." Kamui then beckoned his sidekick towards the storage doors. "Now, come along, these obstacles aren't going to set up themselves."
-XXX-
Mina blinked as Midoriya set a chair beside her, plopping himself down. "Okay… These thermal gloves need to fit well, and leave enough room for non-absorbent material to lay in between your skin and the gloves themselves."
"That's why you had them buy large gloves."
"Aye, aye…" He shrugged, "So, luckily, one of the workers let me borrow their mouse-pad with a wrist cushion, so go ahead and set your hand down. I'll start with some measurements first… I'll keep them for later, so I can make a proper prototype after we get back from the internships."
"Oh, okay."
He picked up a measuring tape. "Think of it all as a manicure – chat away, don't mind me."
"He says that, but…" Mina fidgeted slightly in her seat. "Wah… I can feel how intense his stare is…! It's making me feel all squirmish… It's like when a teacher starts looking at me when I'm taking a test, and it's just at the moment I just considered looking at someone else's exam…!"
"Woosh~." She blinked and spotted the smirking Pro-Hero sitting across from her.
Her face nearly flushed completely before shaking her head. "W-What were we talking about?"
Mount-Lady grinned, "Got a boyfriend?"
Her forced smile faltered with a bit of panic. "N-No…"
"Aw…" Mount-Lady shrugged, waving her finger. "Anyway, um, when you first start out, a lot of these companies are gonna kiss the feet you walk on. They want the next All-Might to be their client – not just for the walking advertisement, but they'll be after you, especially. Acid Quirk? They'll look at you like a walking checkbook of rising deductibles."
Her eye twitched as she felt the wrap of measuring tape suddenly tighten. "Tensing at just hearing his name, bud…? I know the gist of it, but that interaction must've been total trash if you react like this…" She said aloud, "So, they're looking for easy money."
"Pretty much. There's certainly way more strategy to it for them, but that's the idea." She leaned on her propped-up hand. "Ugh, and… don't get me wrong; you're still their client/customer so they'll step up to bat for you sometimes." She emphasized, "Sometimes."
As Midoriya traded one hand for another, Mina nodded, "Right." She forced a chuckle. "No offense, but all of this stuff is giving me a headache."
In turn, Mount-Lady chortled, "Sounds about right." She continued, "Just remember to base your choice in insurance on how you handle the property risk. You're still in your first-year, so it's not like you're expecting to make a selection now. However, even in school, your name will get around. You might get offers in your second-year, but definitely in your third-year. Don't sign for anything and double-check whatever they ask you to autograph."
"Seriously, they'll use an 'autograph' ploy to trick me?" The tape was tightened a little too much again. "Ah…! You shocked too, Midori…?"
Mount-Lady rolled her shoulder. "Yeah, one of the Business Course students saved my butt with that."
Midoriya's measuring came to a close before the process of tailoring the glove to her hand began. The conversation with Mount-Lady continued, but they couldn't keep talking about insurances forever. The next topic was initially about strategy with Mount-Lady providing examples and Mina brainstorming. However, that fell away too before they started talking about the media – specifically the gossiping kind. Mount-Lady maintained her dislike of them, but noted they were occasionally entertaining. This allowed Mina to comfortably share some of the recent stories she's read up on. Luckily, talking made the time pass quickly, and now, Midoriya had two tailored gloves.
Mina slipped on her boots first and noticed the out of place 'plate' that encompassed the toe-area of her boot. A second look made her realize that it was half of a plastic cap with a slightly rough texture so her toes could grip it. Attached to the sides of her boots were two of those four air fresheners; secured by duct-tape and hot glue. Little tubes led from those can into the thick soles of her boots.
"I had to 'redirect' a bunch of those nozzles. The little stopgaps are hot-glue, so as long as you don't pump high acid down there, they should hold." He picked up her new gloves. "Now, I can't create a proper seal for those gloves so the rim of your gauntlets will have to do." Her gauntlets were accompanied with the remaining two of the canisters, and with a notable addition of a panel that slipped onto the back of her hand.
Her fingers flexed, noticing the nozzles at the tips of her fingers. "It didn't click earlier, but the gloves kinda mess with the way I use my Quirk."
Midoriya frowned, "Ah… crap, you're right…"
"Do I really need them?" asked Mina.
"For safety, yeah…"
"Okay, then… For the time being, I'll put them on when I need to climb, but I won't wear them all the time."
"It'll have to do. At least, until I can properly design something."
"Okay then, let's test it."
Midoriya started walking towards the gym with Mina in tow. "We don't have a lot to work with. The canisters contain the gas that dry ice emits, and they've been pressurized for firing. Now, to activate, the panel on the back of your hand operates like a switch. Once your hand is at an, almost, ninety degree angle, it'll fire off the gas from below your palm. In your boots, grip your toes and off it goes."
"Gotcha," said Mina.
Midoriya waved his hands as they entered the gym. "Coming through!"
Kamui and Shinso acknowledged their entry.
"Don't hit us!" She smirked, wagging her finger. "We'll sue!"
Kamui chuckled at that.
He clapped his hands together. "Alright, we're gonna speed up this whole process." He stood with his back against the wall as she stood in front of him. "I'll boost. You'll try to climb. You fall; I catch."
"Clear," she said.
He crouched, holding his palms out. "Ready?"
"Alrighty…!" She kicked the toes of her boots against the ground. "On the way!" she cried as she ran forward.
Mina's foot landed on his hands before he threw her upwards. She landed hands and toes first against the wall before sliding downward. Thick viscosity and low acidity pumped through the nozzles, forming a bulb in her palms. Once her wrists turned and her toes tensed, white vapors burst their nozzles and her fall stopped. A laugh escaped her lips as she looked at the gray-colored molds in her hands and beneath her feet.
"It worked!"
Midoriya cheered from below. "Awesome!"
Mount-Lady stepped into the room, leaning against the wall. "Whey! Look at that…"
"Keep going!" called out Shinso.
Mina extended her hand upward, forming another low-acid bulb in her palm. It froze and became a new holding. It was slow at first, but she gradually began to speed up and ascend up the vertical surface. "This is so cool!"
"Literally," joked Kamui.
"This is great!" Mina peered below herself. "Coming down, Midori!"
"W-What? Wait, wait, wait! You're actually pretty high up!"
In spite of his words, she had already let go. She dropped and suddenly found herself in his arms. "WOAH!" She smacked his shoulder before climbing free. "Ha! Like a crazy trust fall."
Kamui waved his hand. "Speaking of trust falls, considering you've completed your work, Mr. Midoriya, if you would please come over here!"
"Uh, sure!"
Mina grinned, "Imma keep climbin'!"
Before Midoriya could voice a new concern, Mount-Lady stepped forward, waving him away. "I'll keep an eye on her."
He nodded before jogging over to Kamui. Shinso sat back as the Pro had Midoriya ascend towards the ceiling with him while Mina ascended herself. Though, it wasn't very long until Midoriya was very suddenly descending before being caught by branches and bark.
"You okay?" asked Kamui.
"WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT!?"