Chapter 42
Well, Momo had to admit, all in all, this internship was going pretty good.
As far as heroes went, Fat Gum could often look and act so laid back that at a first glance it might come across as him not taking the job too seriously, but as she got to know him over the last few days, the girl had very swiftly realized that such a perception couldn't be further from the truth. Despite not being all that high in the hero rankings, the jolly man was very competent at his job. There was a sharp mind under the cheerfulness and frequent hunger, and as he himself had told her, for all that the agency had a very casual feel to it, things were still done the proper way. How to handle paperwork and learning the proper protocols and procedures that would be expected from them was something that, even to someone like her, was hardly glamorous or pleasant to do, but it was still practical, vital experience that she took in with rapt attention. The fact that the portly hero also turned out to be a pretty good instructor, showing her the ropes, explaining and answering to questions with patience and encouragement, also helped greatly in that regard. A small part of Momo couldn't help but feel that it was something of a shame the man hadn't taken up actual teaching. All respect to Aizawa-sensei for fighting and getting injured to protect his students, but Momo found not having to be on her toes all the time waiting for the next logical ruse or trip question to pop up was a rather refreshing experience.
And it wasn't just the bureaucratic side of things she was learning about either. As a hero whose quirk was also dependent on his body's condition and calory intake, Fat Gum had all sorts of tips and tricks to show her on how to ensure optimal quirk performance, even during prolonged activity. From the kinds of rations to be packed for the field (recipes designed for maximum efficiency that the hero had happily shared and that Momo would definitely make use of going forward) to the best optimal timing of consumption to keep things going for as long as possible. Momo knew that it might sound ridiculous from an outside perspective, but it was still information that was both relevant and useful to her.
And then there was Amajiki-senpai. Momo knew that she shouldn't really be criticizing on that front, but she had never seen someone so cripplingly lacking in self-esteem and capacity for social interactions before. A couple of days later and he still couldn't look her in the eye, and just barely give out more than a few awkward mumbles in reply. But then Fat Gum had set up a spar between them, and she learned firsthand that the hero's introduction wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. If anything, that loss had been faster than the one she had suffered at the tournament, but in this case, the pony-tailed girl wasn't really too bothered, because his quirk was simply fascinating. In some ways it even felt like a polar opposite to her own, or at least something that covered for the gaps hers had, creating and manipulating organic matter like that. Plus, it was clear from just that one encounter that the older teen was far better at adapting to the situation and thinking on his feet than her, and she would eagerly take any help she could at improving on that front.
And improvement that she was fairly optimistic was gonna happen, since there were more spars to happen over the next few days, and Fat Gum was also gonna given pointers on ways to restrain and capture opponents during a fight, not to mention the patrols that were gonna start happening tomorrow.
Currently, as she found herself sitting with the animatedly chatting hero and the meek at restaurant near the agency for a late night meal (there were a lot of restaurants that stayed open late in the area, and she found it hard to believe it was a coincidence) Momo couldn't help but smile. Despite that niggling feeling at the back of her mind whenever she thought about how she had come to be here, the pony-tailed girl couldn't help but be happy that she was, excited even.
Yes, this internship was shaping up to be good for her…
"We interrupt this program to bring you some breaking news." The place's tv droned out. "A large scale villain attack has occurred in Hosu."
…Wait, what?
Momo immediately turned towards the screen, and so did Fat Gum and Suneater, suddenly alert and serious.
"Exact details of the event have yet to be determined, but we have been informed that the attack has been stopped by the local heroes as well as first responders coming from nearby wards, and amidst the confusion, the infamous villain known as Stain, the Hero Killer, has been apprehended, with both the number 2 hero Endeavor and the underground hero Lady Nagant reported to be on the scene. We will keep you up to date with the latest info as soon as we-"
…Momo had a sinking feeling she knew very well who else had gotten involved in this.
/
Izuku hated hospitals. It may come as something of a surprise, to anyone who actually saw it, that the list of things that Izuku hated was actually rather short, but hospitals were on the top end of that list. They smelled funky, you never knew what the doctors were gonna say or do, and if you were unlucky enough to end up in one it was zogging boring because you weren't allowed to do pretty anything that was worth doing.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that, as he lay sitting on a bed at Hosu's hospital with his arms crossed, the green-haired boy was feeling more than a little surly. Stuffy, who was in the next bed over, he could understand being here, the git had a big puncture wound in his arm that the doctors had said he was lucky it didn't damage any nerves, but Izuku couldn't understand why hehad to be here, he'd said he'd be alright except for maybe a few bruises, why wasn't his word enough? Sure, he'd had a big drop, but the mega armor was precisely for that sort of thing!
Zoggin' unfair, it was…
The boy's angry musings were interrupted by the door to their room opening, and in walked a familiar figure. Frosty stepped into the room, and took a moment to look between its two occupants, his expression as non-existent as ever.
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"Well," The scarred boy said, sounding like he was just trying to come up with something to say for the sake it. "You two are looking worse for wear."
"This ain't nothin'." Izuku grumbled, a heavy, surly frown still firmly planted on his face. "Ya shoulda seen dah othah git."
"I have, actually." Frosty replied, looking just the slightest bit squeamish for a moment. "What they managed to retrieve of it, anyway, a decent chunk of the creature's torso looked more like chunky soup than body. Although I suppose that's not all that surprising considering your track record against those things."
That drew a grin out of Izuku, of a kind that the scarred boy chose not to comment on.
"Anyway, I just came to see how the two of you were doing. My old man's discussing some things with the other heroes involved with what happened. They should be dropping by shortly." He explained, before turning to the other boy in the room who had been thus far quiet. "How're you holding up, Iida?"
"Well, I am certainly feeling the consequences of my own actions now that the adrenaline's worn off." The taller teen replied wearily, wincing slightly as he jostled his arm a bit. "Painkillers are dealing with the worst of it, but it still feels rather uncomfortable. Although I supposed I shouldn't complain too much, considering the alternative. And speaking of which, Midoriya."
"Wot?" The green-haired boy replied, surly again due to the interruption from whatever he had been thinking about that was probably best left unsaid. In all honesty, the big frown and red-eyed glare was a considerable part of why Iida hadn't tried to address him yet.
"I just wanted to say," The spectacled teen replied, after a moment's hesitation. "I know we've had our differences, but you have my gratitude for saving my life."
"Yeah, yeah, I wuz just doin' as dah Boss Lady asked. She told me tah keep an eye on you'ze cuz ya been acting weird fer a while." Izuku replied with a shrug. "I woulda jumped in no matter who wuz lyin' down in dat alley anyway."
"…Well, I guess I should thank Yaoyoruzu-san as well when next we meet, but I thank you all the same." Iida replied, shaking his head bemusedly, choosing not to say anything more. The irony of how that last statement was more worthy of a true hero than anything Iida himself had done or said since the tournament was not lost on the teen.
It was at that moment that the door once again opened, and this time, more people entered the room. Endeavor, Lady Nagant and Manual were easily recognizable, but the one accompanying them was new, and didn't look like a hero at all. In fact, other than for having the head of a dog, he looked like an average office worker.
"Hm, so this are them, woof. The three hero students involved in tonight's events, if some more than others." The man said, and the three teenagers couldn't help but wonder if that sort of verbal tick was just a thing that animal themed people had in general. "I am Kenji Tsuragamae, and I am the Chief of Police."
Izuku, Iida and Todoroki couldn't help but blink at that, looking at each other uncertainly.
"…And why has the Chief of Police come to talk to us?" Todoroki eventually asked for all three of them.
"In truth, there is really only one of you I need to talk to, woof." The man replied, his eyes sweeping slowly around the room. "It was an unexpected, difficult situation, the one that happened this night. It has been a good while since villains have attempted anything so brazen. All in all, we're fortunate that a few injuries among civilians that happened were the worst that happened, not counting the deaths among those creatures which, as far as I've led to believe, could hardly even be considered human anymore. And we're even more fortunate for the capture and arrest, at long last, of the hero killer. You'll perhaps like to know that Stain's injuries have been treated, and he is under heavy surveillance until he can be moved into containment. There'll be a trial, but there's little doubt what the outcome will be with all the evidence against him. The whole country can rest a little easier now that he's behind bars…"
Then the man's eyes fell squarely on Iida, who couldn't help but gulp nervously.
"…But that leaves to be addressed the matter of just how the three of you were involved, now doesn't it, woof?" The man said, and the tick did little to detract from how utterly stern and serious he sounded. "I have seen the reports, and talked to all heroes involved. Todoroki was with his father the whole time, obeying orders and staying mostly in the sidelines of the whole mess. Midoriya's actions, while rather more reckless, were still well within the parameters of the orders he was given, and any reproach that can be given will be his instructor's duty. But you, Iida-san, do not seem to share in either circumstance. What do you have to say, woof?"
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"…I have no excuse for my actions, Sir." Iida said, his head low, unable to look him or anyone else in the eye. "I acted out of blind anger for what happened to my brother. I disobeyed orders and broke the rules. I am ready to face any consequences that may come from my poor conduct."
Iida supposed it was, as those movies his brother was fond of would say, time to face the music…
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"Hm, I see. It would seem that what I was told was true." The Chief of Police said, and there seems to be a vague hint of approval in his tone, which made the teen look up in open confusion. "Normally, such a confession would've seen you severely punished, Iida-san, but given some of the extenuating factors, I am willing to propose an alternative."
"Extenuating factors?" The teen asked, confused. "But what I did-"
"It was foolish, reckless, and overall something that I, as Chief of Police and defender of this country's laws, could never abide." The dog-faced man replied bluntly. "But the truth is that sometimes, even bad choices can result in some good, and as misguided as your actions were, you did save a life tonight." Noticing the teen's incomprehension, the man elaborated. "Native is not present here because he is still being treated for his own injuries, but he has spoken out in your defense. Even if you weren't there for him specifically, your actions still bought time and resulted in his surviving his brush with the Hero Killer. And what's more, both your instructor Manual and U.A. itself, with whom I have spoken extensively, are willing to take a portion of the blame for failing to notice your emotional state. Between these, and the fact that you clearly recognize your mistakes, and what I have discussed with everyone else involved, here is what I propose. There is still very little information that is widely known to the public about what has happened tonight. They will know by now that Stain has been captured, but not the exact circumstances. So, Iida-san, if you agree to have your part in tonight's events removed from what will be revealed to the public, then I am willing to look the other way regarding your borderline vigilantism. What say you?"
Iida hesitated, unsure on how to reply. He was being offered a way out, and it was literally the best result he was ever going to have in this situation. But he couldn't help but think, considering everything, that he didn't deserve it…
"I see you are conflicted, Iida-san. I must say, it reflects well on you that you seem to find the bending of the rules disagreeable even if it is applied to yourself." The Chief stated, somewhere between amused and approving. "If it helps, while you may be avoiding legal repercussions, like I have said, I have spoken with the Academy, and how they choose to handle things in house may be another matter entirely."
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Not sure what he could say, Iida ultimately just nodded.
"Splendid, I will take care of the necessary arrangements. Are there any questions, woof?" The question was asked, and a hand was raised. "Yes, Midoriya-san?"
"So, uh, can ya see colorz or is everythin' black n'white tah you'ze?"