Itsuka was reasonably smart.
Ok she wasn't on the level of some people who make support gear for a living, not an actual genius, but she was capable of problem solving. It was a skill that she developed over the years in training, she sized up her puzzle, and went about picking it apart with what she knew. Usually that meant whoever she was facing in the dojo but this particular puzzle was her boyfriend.
As she walked towards the beach to meet with All Might, a week out from the entrance exam to U.A. on the horizon, what took up her mind the last couple days wasn't the anxiety and excitement but...confusion. Ok....one more time. Spider-Man shows up to fight the Lizard. I found Izuku's camera there and return it to him. Then I meet him again, we grab lunch, and see those Enforcer guys…..who Spider-Man later that day captured and is framed. She recalled as she crossed the road at a signal.
She kept thinking, as though solving a math problem. Then I find Izuku all beaten up at the beach, saying he was mugged. I later spar with him and for a guy whose never fought back in his life, he knows how to fight. She recalled, thinking back to their intense sparring session. Fast Forward to two weeks ago, Izuku comes across Eri and Spider-Man appears out of nowhere, saved Izuku and Eri, and then directs him to her? AND right after that manages to get Spider-Man to visit her to help lift her spirits???
The math was adding up.
She pressed her lips together in a firm line, ok it did add up except for one big, glaring, fact. Izuku was quirkless. And that wasn't a lie, she knew from his own mom that was true. But...everything else made sense, And then there's the fact he admits he's been keeping something from me, and wants to tell me. And wanted to before going out with me. She added mentally. That right there was the most telling, he admitted openly that there was something he wanted to tell her that he hadn't confided in anyone else.
And then there was the final nail in the coffin, the day her dad had seen him at the Museum doing a story, he had gotten a report about villains hijacking's the evidence van that was en route to a station. Spider-Man appeared and stopped them, but there was no way he could have known since it JUST happened. Her dad pondered if the vigilante was listening to police radio broadcasts somehow, but with her mind being so focused on the two, it drew her to the only possible conclusion.
And what else could it be? The result she came to made sense on paper, the variables pointed to one answer, except for the one point which made it impossible…..but take that away and it made perfect sense.
Izuku…..knows who Spider-Man is.
The thought had infected her brain all morning, her boyfriend was conspiring with a vigilante...one who not only helped save Eri's life, but countless others by taking down the Kingpin of Crime. And not to mention the other people he had saved from muggings, or break ins, assaults, or villains like those guys who had raided a police convoy. She knew the sting of someone she liked lying to her, her ex had done the most selfish thing possible but Izuku was doing the exact opposite.
How can she be mad at that? Especially considering that he was not only going to tell her…..but she was also keeping One for All a secret from him.
Izuku…..you little butthole I'm going to kick your ass for that. She fumed silently to herself over the only possible conclusion she could come to as she made her way towards the beach.
As she approached the beach, Kendo pushed that business in her mind aside as she saw the familiar truck of All Might parked in the lot. Be was standing near with, and beside him was Recovery Girl, the older woman out of her typical hero costume and in her regular clothes, a nice dress and a cardigan. "Young Kendo! Glad you could make it." Her mentor greeted warmly.
She smoked, "All Might, Recovery Girl."
The older woman gave her a pleasant smile, "Nice to see you again dearie." She greeted as Itsuka took her jacket, which was actually Izuku's and All Might noted it wasn't the one she usually wore, and put it across the side of the flatbed. "So, how's the exercises going?" She asked.
After she told All Might about running into the men with masks and using her quirk to defend herself. Recovery Girl suggested that she was most likely competent enough to separate her quirks and could start activating One for All in short bursts. Itsuka was cautiously excited about it, and had been practicing before and after training the last week to ensure that she could do it.
"It's...ugh….its kind of finicky." She admitted as she looked down at her hands with a frown. "I was able to activate it two or three times but it was….reaching in the dark for a light switch." She explained.
All Might patted her shoulder supportively, "That's understandable, you've never had two separate quirks, or a multifaceted one." He explained, Itsuka had told him how her own quirk operated and how she used it. She was the first to say it wasn't the most complicated quirk, her dad's was a little nuts compared to her's and her mom's after all. So having something completely different to not only discover how to use, but not even act upon, was easier said than done.
She gave her coach a wry expression, "Yeah, 'clench your cheeks' isn't exactly helpful."
"I'll admit, I could have phrased it better."
"You should phrase it better. That's weird Yagi." Recovery Girl grimaced.
All Might held up his hands, "Mistakes were made! Moving on!" He chopped them down towards Itsuka. "Well what really helped me understand how to use One For All better was to use it." He turned towards the beach, noticeably the open spot she had made that went from the land to the water. "I think the best way to help is for you to hit the sand as hard as you can with One For All."
Itsuka blinked, that was….actually a really good idea. The Sand was solid enough that she would make a solid impact, soft enough that she didn't need to worry about hurting her hand if she failed. And not to mention they could see the clear results afterwords. She looked to Recovery Girl, "And…..why are you here?" She asked.
"Just a precaution dearie." The older woman assured her.
Itsuka let out an uneasy grumble at that but made her way towards the empty space in the sand. Looking down, she took a deep breath and held her hand to her chest, letting the breath go she tensed everything. She could feel it, a flicker in her chest, distinctively different from the tension in her arms when she used her own quirk. She felt that same flicker travel to her clenched hand but dissipate as she tried to not use her own quirk.
She frowned, this was the hard part. It was like separating oil from water. Trying not to get the two mixed together in a swirl, she tried again and this time felt the tingle reach her arm and persist. Opening her eyes she saw her arm glowing with energy, the first time she did this she immediately lost concentration from shock. But now, her focus was on the ground, taking a deep breath she raised her fist aloft and slammed it down.
BOOM!
A gyser of sand exploded out and around her! The trash that she hadn't cleared out was blown away as the shockwave of her blow to the sand sent them scattering outward, some of the lighter materials flying off into the far distance while the heavier things moved further away in accordance to their own weight.
All Might's fair wavered at the shockwave that ripped over him, he raised his hand to cover his eyes from the sand, "Ack! Jeeze!" He coughed as the wind died down, he looked to recovery girl who had thought to use her shirt to shield her eyes and mouth.
"Strange being a bystander to it huh?" She asked playfully.
All might opened his mouth to reply-
"MOTHERFUCKER!!!"
That wasn't All Might.
They both turned to Itsuka, kneeling in a small crater with her left arm holding her right, the skin a raw reddish color as she gritted her teeth and tried not to let out the chain of swears that were building in her throat. All Might ran to her side, concern etched over his face as he knelt beside her, "Young Kendo! Are you alright!?"
She shut her eyes tight, "My arm-shit! I think it's broken!?" She hissed out as Recovery Girl made her way over.
She had known the power One for All held was immense to an insane degree, the whole reason she trained was that her body would be ready! Shit!!!! Did I do something wrong? Was I too lax? She asked herself as a Recovery Girl gently took her arm. Itsuka hissed but didn't try and move it, she had broken her arm back when she was seven years old from falling out of the tree in her back yard and knew first hand what not to do.
"Hmm….well the bad news is your arm is broken." Recovery Girl lamented with a frown.
"Yeah. I figured!" Itsuka hissed out as she sat down to hold her arm across her chest as All Might kneeled on the other side of her.
"Thankfully it's a single break, I can fix it, but you'll feel a little ticketed out. Hold still desire." Before she could react, Recovery Girl's lips…..stretched out, not unlike Mr Fantastic's, and kissed the arm.
The confusion Itsuka had, along with pain in her arm, faded as quickly as it appeared. She watched as the bruising that covered her limb faded. She also felt the typical spike of energy from her morning coffee be drained out of her, Izuku told her that Recovery Girl could heal people but it seemed that it wasn't without a cost to it.
"Young Kendo I am SO sorry! If I had known this would happen I never would have instructed you to do this!" All Might fretted. Itsuka raised her hand experimentally and relaxed when she felt no pain, "Do you need anything? Water? Bandages? Painkillers?"
She shook her head and looked to him, "No, no I'm….im fine All Might…..thank you." She said, her mentor backed off but still looked at her with concern. Which she turned to Recovery Girl, "What-what happened did….did I like, slack off with my training?" She asked.
Recovery Girl pursed her lips, "From what All Might told me you've been sticking to your exercise plan very closely. So I don't think that's it..." she cupped her chin and looked at Toshinori. "Toshi, would you say she was using 100% of One for All?" She asked.
All Might looked around them, the after effects of the test were definitively clear that she had the quirk. And the fact that she had experienced any adverse effects to this point indicated that the binding process had took, "I would say yes. But…..I think if I were to attempt something similar in my prime, that I would have caused more damage."
Recovery girl hummed, "This could be due to Itsuka's quirk."
Kendo blinked, "So I just…..did it wrong?"
All Might shook his head, "No, I believe I understand what she's saying." All Might stood up and walked in front of Itsuka, holding up his hands, palms facing up. "Young Kendo, imagine that our bodies are like cups, and One for All is a liquid to fill them with." He began, moving his one arm lower. "When I inherited One for All, my vessel was prepared by training like yours, but also empty." He moved his other one down, though not as far as the other. "You as a vessel however, already contain your own quirk. Filling it up with One For All is possible, but these two elements are currently occupying the same space in your body. Given time and training however, the two should mix together and become one." He explained.
Itsuka blinked at that truckload of information.
".....so…..basically I need the cream in my coffee to stir together."
"That is...actually a very good way of putting it." All Might acknowledged.blinking a little at how she quickly caught onto the concept.
Itsuka stood up and rotated her arm experimentally, sighing as she held no pain. Frowning as she settled her arm down to her side, "So….how am I supposed to even use One for All? If I break my arm every time u use it then it's not really...well, useful." She asked. She felt a bit guilty saying it like that but in all honesty that was what it was, at this point using it was a liability more than anything.
"I do NOT want one of the students at U.A. Breaking their arms every time they use a quirk." She said, giving All Might a stern expression. The blonde man raised his hands in a 'hey don't look at me' type of gesture. She turned her attention back to Itsuka, "We'll figure something out dear, in the meantime, keep on focusing how to activate it more fluidly I'd say. Heaven forbid you activate it and your natural quirk at once." She said, glancing around.
That was when Itsuka looked around and witnessed the aftermath of their test, the remaining trash had been all but scattered to the wind or blown apart across the beach. The sight makes her feel a twinge of remorse, her work hadn't been undone but…..with the way things had scattered and could now sew how nice this place could be. Turning her head back to All Might, she saw the guilty expression he wore, "….hey, All Might…..look, you couldn't have known this would happen to me." She said, "You said yourself that it came right away for you."
The symbol of peace blinked, he was about to reply with an argument that as her mentor he should have known. But she followed up with, "Besides, you bringing Recovery Girl here saves us a trip to the hospital." She pointed out.
The older woman nodded. "She's right Toshinori, we didn't know this could happen. You never mentioned anything like this happening with Nana either."
All Might paused at that, that was completely true. Nana's quirk., float, was affected by One for All but it wasn't a physical manifestation like Itsuka's was. "Hm....i suppose your both right…still, I'm sorry you suffered an injury on my watch young Kendo."
Itsuka gave him a smile, "Oh please, I've had my fair share of injuries while training. It's part of the job…..plus that was nothing compared to landing on my tailbone." She shuddered, remembering that specific injury from a few years ago after she attempted a flying kick which ended with her misplacing her foot and slipping. Setsuna made many jokes about her ass now having a crack as a result.
All Might seemed partially relieved by that. As she went to be inspected by Recovery Girl, All Might stood within the crater she had made. The proof that she was his successor in every way now...yet he had failed to account for her own safety. Back when it was him and Nana, they had been in a rush, his natural affinity for One for All had been a godsend in their time. But things were different now, there was no rush, no great evil hunting her that need be defeated.
There was no time limit…..so he could do things differently. Walking back to his truck, he approached Itsuka and Recovery Girl who was inspecting the redhead sitting on the pulled down trunk door of the flatbed. She regarded him as he approached, "So in lieu of breaking my arm over and over, I guess I'm stuck just learning how to activate it properly for now."
"Not necessarily." Itsuka and Recovery Girl gave him a curious look. "Young Kendo are you familiar with support items?" He asked her.
"Huh? Um, it's equipment that pros use to help in the feild right?" She replied before blinking. "…..wait you think that….um. Would that even work?" She asked, glancing at the crater she made.
All Might grinned, "Oh believe me, you'd be surprised what support gear designers are capable of." He brushed his nose proudly, "There was a time even I tried using support gear but I found it too cumbersome." He explained, making Itsuka blink in surprise. "But with all the strides in technology I have no doubt that one could be developed for you to safely use One for All."
Itsuka smiled at the information….but then faltered, "Um…..All Might, that's great but I would probably need to get into U.A. First before I get anything like that right?" She asked, she could only imagine how expensive something like that would be.
"Er...well...yes. Unfortunately yes." He lamented.
Itsuka sighed, but then she thought of something. When she had been dissuaded by Sir Nighteye to continue her training with One for All, she had decided that regardless of if she would be All Might's successor or not, she would still get into U.A. on her own. In the sea of self dispair she found herself in at the time, that seemed the most truest thing she could do. "...honestly…..I don't mind." She decided, All Might and Recivery Girl looked at her, "If I'm getting into U.A. Then I want it to be on my own merit. To be honest….i probably wouldn't have used All for One regardless. Well only if I had to."
Her mentor's expression shifted into pride. "Very well then. In the meantime, I shall reach out to an associate we who I think might be able to help. For now young Kendo. Keep up your training."
After Recovery Girl finished checking her over for any other injuries. All Might told her to spend the day getting some rest and proper recuperation. To which Itsuka reminded him that she had a shift at FEAST she needed to go to and wasn't going to go home and rest when there was work to be done for people who needed it.
With what was possibly her shortest training….ever….she hopped in the trick for All Might to drive her to FEAST and drop Recovery Girl off at U.A. afterwords. As she sat in the back and watched the scenery pass by, Itsuka leaned her head back against the flatbed and looked up towards the sky as they drove. So. Get into U.A. Without one for all…..just in time for my boyfriend to spill his big secret. She thought idly.
She saw the irony in it, here she was keeping maybe one of the biggest secrets in the world. And Izuku's, presuming she was right which there was a chance she wasn't, was stacked up against it. So….the big question was that if he was Spider-Man and he told her…..could she tell him about this? About One for All? Was it fair that she did?
Looking at both secrets they held, it wasn't the same thing. One was an admission that he had been doing something that, legally, she couldn't really support, but morally was the same thing she was doing by enrolling in U.A. While her secret was…..well it was bigger. But…..still.
Don't. It needs to stay a secret.
Itsuka sat straight up at the thought. It….it almost didn't feel like her own. She felt a sense of unease pass through her briefly before shaking it off, it was an intrusive thought, it had to be right? But….ok One for All did need to stay secret, and it wasn't that she thought Izuku would tell. But…..would him knowing put a target on his back? Even more than the one he already had with Spider-Man?
She frowned, not liking how she had….immediately jumped to that thought. But…..was it the right thing to do? She didn't want to endanger Izuku with her decision...but would not telling him do that? Did it make her a hypocrite if he was going to be honest with her while she kept something this massive, this life changing from him?
Well....lets see if I'm even right to begin with. She though, sliding her hands into the pockets of Izuku's jacket. She blinked when she felt something. Pulling the contents out, she looked down to see a piece of paper. Opening it up she saw it was a bussiness card for a toy shop. Holding it up she smiled as she saw it was a collectibles store, "Lee's Powered Emporium. All your heroes go add to your collection...hm." She hummed upon noticing the address. This place was actually a couple blocks from F.E.A.S.T.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Izuku's number. It rang for a beat before he picked up, "Hey Itsuka!" He replied, sounding like he was exerting himself.
She blinked at that as well, "Um, hey. Sorry, are you in the middle of something? You sound busy." She asked.
"Oh, no, I'm just um…..something feel behind my bed and now I'm searching for it." He replied sheepishly. Itsuka smiled for a second, but then frowned, was that the truth?
"Well. Um.....so I have your jacket." She began, she heard a bump as he let out a choked noise, which made her smile again. "And I found this note in your pocket for Lee's Emporium, I was wondering, do they just have statues and stuff?"
Izuku was deathly quiet for a few seconds, '…..y…..you like collectibles????'
Itsuka smiled at his disbelief, "Well, actually I was going to see if they had kids toys for Eri. But…..well I have a couple in my closet." She admitted, she had put them in there after Felicia had done what cats do and knocked one over, it was durable and wasn't damaged thankfully, but it made her wise up and put them somewhere safe. When Izuku made a sputtering noise, she couldn't help but laugh. "What? Does your girlfriend having collectibles bother you?" She teased.
"NO!" He replied with desperation. "I…..um…..actually, would you like to meet up there later? We can….we can see what they have." He offered.
"....Izuku Midoriya did you just ask me out on a date to a collectibles store?"
"...….yes. Yes I did. Is that lame?"
Itsuka smirked, "no. It's not lame. It's cute in a very nerdy way."
"Do you like nerds?"
"I'm dating one aren't I?" She asked.
"Heh…y….yeah." He replied, his voice sounding so floaty that she could picture the goofy smile he had. As the trick ran over a bump in the road and jostled her slightly, she was suddenly reminded of where she had been, and what she was thinking of. And the warmth that image brought her was dulled.
"...we can go there on my lunch at F.E.A.S.T." She told him, making sure her voice didn't reflect the inner conflict she had.
"Sounds good-great even!" He said excitedly. He then paused, "Um...Itsuka?"
"Yeah?" She replied.
"You…..um…..you can always...keepthatjacketifyouwantIgottagobye!" He fumbled out before hanging up. Itsuka blinked as she lowered the phone, her own cheeks burning, probably nowhere near as much as Izuku's was now. But that was the hardest thing about all this, remove the whole Spider-Man theory she had built up in her head? She would still be having this debate with herself, she should tell this compassionate guy who she deeply cared for about One for All?
There was no question he would understand, heck it might even break his brain to learn a quirk could transfer to someone. And he would keep it secret....so why the hell was hesitant about this?
Don't. Tell. Him.
Itsuka felt a cold chill at the inner thought popping up...it….it almost was like it was someone else's thought. Or was it that...was she scared to tell him? How would Izuku, someone who worships All Might and was quirkless that she, someone who already had a quirk had gotten All Might's?
She shook her head, Stop. That's not Izuku. She reprimanded. In spite of having every reason to, Izuku did not have an ounce of jealousy towards those who had quirks. Instead, all he wanted to do was help people the best he could. She readied herself for the other voice, telling her once again to not tell him…..but the intrusive thought didn't come.
She blinked, the internal flex as she awaited that through to resurface relaxed. She shook her head, that intrusive thought, if she could even call it that. She was no stranger to such things but she couldn't remember the last time one was so…..loud. Like someone else was yelling at her inside her head.
Arriving at F.E.A.S.T an hour after getting on the road, the occupants of the truck were shocked to see a police cruiser parked outside. Around the entrance, the occupants of the shelter were outside while an officer near the entrance talked with Mr. Li, Itsuka was out of the truck bed in a second, looking over as the other workers paced around, anxious to get back inside. It wasn't bad outside by any means but the sight of police here and everyone outside made her mind race with the worst possibilities all the same. All Might exited the cab while Recovery Girl remained behind and watched. "I'm going to see what's going on," she said as she started up towards the entrance. Her blood was boiling in her ears as she approached Martin Li. "Mr. Li, is everything alright? Did anyone get hurt??" she asked.
He turned to the officer and excused himself before meeting Kendo halfway down the stairs. "Kendo, it's…..we had a break-in last night. We needed to move everyone outside so the police could do their jobs," he assured her. Making Itsuka relax only slightly as she looked at the shelter.
Itsuka relaxed; someone sneaking in and taking something unfortunately wasn't new, there weren't always the best people showing up at F.E.A.S.T. "What's missing?" she asked.
Li's face became firm. "Someone broke into the infirmary and raided the supply of blood," he told her. Ituska blinked in confusion; the blood they kept on hand here was donated to the charity in case of medical emergencies. Seeing the surprise on her face, he guided her off towards the side. "There's a pro here investigating, and….well he has a suspect but I don't agree with his logic." he said as he led Itsuka towards the entrance. The officer gave him a look, but Li shot him one back; clearly, he had been out here a while trying to get back inside. The officer sighed and stepped aside.
"Not my garden, not my weed," the officer grumbled as they walked past. Moving through the lobby, they went up the stairs to Li's office, where the door was open. Inside, a man leaned against Li's desk…..with Himiko in the chair in front of him, her arms crossed defensively in front of her.
The man was a pro hero; his uniform consisted of two colors: black and purple. The black was mostly the typical body suit a hero wore while the purple was an ensemble of padded boots, gloves, a vest with shoulder pads, and a mask that covered his neck and head with the exception of his eyes and mouth. The former of which was shielded with a pair of white goggles that obscured his eyes behind them as they looked up to the approaching pair, "Mr. Li, I told you that I need to speak to Ms. Toga alone-"\
"And I told you that I advised her that she not speak until her family gets here." Mr. Li replied coldly as he walked up and set his hand down on Toga's shoulder, the blonde bunned girl flinched but visibly relaxed after looking up at him.
The man turned his attention to kendo, "And who is this?"
"This is Itsuka, she's an employee here who has worked with Himiko for as long as she's been here." he introduced as Kendo entered, her eyes went over the pro. She didn't recognize her, but what stood out to her was that he was armed with….well it looked like a gun but the holster on his belt didn't expose enough of it outside the grip for her to tell.
"Oh so she's her boss?" the pro asked.
Himiko snorted, "Yeah, right."
Itsuka turned to her, the snarky reply she built on her lips died when she saw Toga's eyes, they were darting around the room, similar to a caged animal. Her foot was jackrabbiting but not touching the floor beneath her heel. Whatever confusion she held vanished, while she and Toga weren't close, they were just co-workers after all, that didn't mean she didn't empathize with her. She was scared, something she'd never seen before.
"Well look, Itsuka, right? Here are the facts." he points at Mr. Li, "Your boss called the police and informed them of a break-in. I was looking for a new case, and it was pushed over to my agency." He explained, gesturing to Himiko. "So I naturally look up anyone in the area who could be a possible suspect, and low and behold ms Toga here, is a suspect."
Himiko flinched visibly but her face remained impassive, even as Itsuka turned to her in shock. "Paladin." Mr Li addressed the pro hero, "That's a baseless accusation." He replied coldly as he stood beside Himiko, "That's profiling and you know it."
The man shrugged. "Hey, if the shoe fits."
Itsuka felt a flare of anger, she glared at the pro as her hand clamped down on Himiko's shoulder, giving her a squeeze of support. "I've known Toga for over a year now and she has been nothing but a professional here. We have never had any blood go missing while she was employed here." She said, causing Himiko to turn to her with surprise at her defense.
Paladin opened his mouth to respond before the doors to the front entrance below flew open, "Himiko!" A familiar voice called out, the four in the office looked down out the window to see Uraraka looking around. Then, as though she felt their eyes on her, her head snapped up and saw her firing. Touching her hands to one another, she floated up towards the gangway that led to the office. Releasing herself she stormed forward, Itsuka and Mr Li wisely stepping aside as she glared down the pro hero. "Himiko, we're leaving."
Paladin blinked, "Now hold on-"
Uraraka pointed a finger at him, "No YOU hold on, you talked to Himiko without her guardians, my parents, Mr and Ms Uraraka, present. Who are both on their way here. Meaning that-" she faltered and glanced to Mr Li who mouthed a word. "-anything she said is in…inadmissible!" She accused.
Paladin crossed his arms over his chest, his lips pursed, he clearly did not want to beef with this girl. Not only would it look bad, but she was right. He had coped that he could get her to confess, or at least get something out of her like trying to hit him so he could slap the cuffs on her. His eyes lingered in Himiko, her yellow ones looked back at him with contained anger, "….fine. But be careful with her, last thing you want is your parents drained like a pair of blood bags."
Himiko's nails dug into the chair, ready to lunge, but Itsuka's firm hand on her shoulder kept her grounded in place. Before she could reply, Uraraka glared at him, grabbed Himiko by the wrist and led her out of the office. Itsuka went after them, leaving Paladin with Martin Li, "I'm reporting this to the Hero Public Safety Commission. This is harassment of a suspect." Li said coldly.
Paladin shrugged, "You can go ahead and do that but I'm pretty sure that they won't care that I'm interrogating a suspect who has a record of assault." He snidely replied. Li's eyes narrowed at him, "Besides I'm doing this for YOU, shouldn't you be grateful?" He asked with a smirk.
"I'll be grateful when you leave." Li replied as he stepped aside and gestured to the door of his office. Paladin raised his hands and bowed his head as he stepped away from the desk and out the door.
"You'll be more grateful when I get that troublemaker out of your hair."
Itsuka had led Ochako and Toga out through the side entrance of the shelter, she shot a quick message to All Might saying that things were…..well things were ok but that she had stuff to deal with. Primarily Toga. With F.E.A.S.T. Being an active crime scene, she had led the other two girls to a nearby park to sit down at, the entire time, Toga was in a semi daze, clearly upset by the accusation that the pro hero had made against her but also scared. Uraraka didn't leave her side for a second, when they sat down, she let out a breath. "...Himiko, this is a dumb question but…..are you ok?" She asked.
The yellow eyed girl scoffed, they were sitting at a table with Itsuka sitting across from them. She set her elbows on the table and folded her hands together in front of her before resting her head against her balled hands, "No…..I'm not." She glanced up at Itsuka, whose teal colored eyes met hers, they weren't filled with fear, but instead, concern. She sighed, "alright…..go ahead and ask Kendo."
"Huh?" The redhead blinked.
"Ask my why Mr. Ribbed for pleasure back there was accusing me." She said dryly.
Uraraka made a face, "Ugh…..now I can't help but see that."
Kendo looked between the both of them, "I…." Sje shook her head. "I stand by what I said back there Toga...you haven't given me want reason to think you'd steal anything like this. Even if your quirk is….whatever it is." She said.
Uraraka smiled at her softly, Toga however sighed, "It's…..look, I just…..when I tell people they get weird and…..I kind of..." she sighed. Uraraka put a hand on her shoulder. Toga looked at her, and Uraraka tilted her head at Kendo quizzically, Toga nodded and leaned back in her seat as best she could while Uraraka turned to Kendo.
"Toga's quirk has…..caused her problems in the past." she began to explain delicately.
Toga looked down, "My quirk is…..if I consume the blood of someone I can become them for a given period of time." She tensely explained. "The more I consume, the longer it holds."
Itsuka blinked in surprise at that information. And it suddenly clicked, "So Paladin thinks you broke in and drank the diner blood." She realized. Toga frowned but nodded, Itsuka folded her arms across her chest, "I mean…..I hate to say it but I could see the logic there. Only you wouldn't know who your turning into when you consume the blood, donations are anonymous." She replied, if he thought she was going to use it to steal someone's identity then it wasn't the best way to go about it.
Toga frowned, "That's…..not why he thinks it's me." She looked Otsuka dead in the eyes, "…..he thinks it's me because….i like drinking blood." She confessed.
Itsuka blinked, "…I...um….huh?"
Uraraka put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Toga…..she. Doesn't need to drink it, but because her quirk needs her to…" She began to explain before tailing off.
"It's really good." Toga interrupted, holding her hands to her chest, "Like it's the yummiest thing I've ever had. I mean, I can eat regular food but it's like…..well, Ochako says it sounds like having Moochi." She glances over at her friend. Then she looked down at her hands as she set them on the picnic table, "....ots…..weird."
"It's not weird." Uraraka firmly corrected.
Itsuka blinked as Toga looked back at her, "Anyway…..growing up, my parents they…..they didn't understand. They just wanted me to be a normal girl and sent me…..to a quirk counciling."
That made Itsuka's head tilt to the side, "Quirk Counciling? Isn't that when you need help managing your quirk and someone helps you learn basic safety for quirk use age?" She asked. She herself didn't ever go to it due to the nature of her own quirk, mostly it was for people whose quirk posed a potential danger to the user or others if not handled correctly.
Uraraka frowned, but nodded, "Yes, it SHOULD be. However, the Councillors and Toga's parents didn't even try to help." She said bitterly, it was the first time Kendo saw the typically bubbly girl be genuinely angry about something. They had hung out a few times and overall she seemed to be a very cheerful person, even dispute how snarky Toga could be. She took a breath, "They basically told her to stop doing it because it wasn't normal."
Itsuka frowned, "That's…..not exactly helpful."
Toga snorted in spite of her dour mood. "Understatement of the year...but I did it. I tried being the little girl my parents wanted…..and I kept pushing it down….and down, and down…..until...one day I couldn't." She sighed. "…..I attacked someone…..a boy I liked from my school...I just…I lost control." She shuddered "The part of me that liked blood is...imagine seeing someone you liked, and every time you saw them your mind would think of this part of you, that everyone else dispises comes out along with it. And that urge? That…..desire….. it's tied to how you feel that...affection for someone?" She asked.
Itsuka swallowed thickly, her earlier internal debate over telling Izuku about One for All. "I...I can't…..that sounds really...I'm sorry Toga." She apologized.
Toga sighed, "….his name was Saito….hes…..well last I heard he was ok. But...after that happened I ran away from home." She looked over to Uraraka and smiled a little, "And then this ray of sunshine found me." She nudged her friend in the side, making Ochako puff out her cheeks with her 'danger pout', an expression that was equally amusing and intimidating.
Itsuka smiled a little, it was clear the two girls were close. And hearing all this? It was becoming clear as to why, Uraraka picked up from there, "I found Himiko living under a overpass by my place one day. I tried to help but she didn't want any, so I brought her food instead…..and then again-"
"And again. And again." Toga smiled.
Uraraka sheepishly grinned, "My folks thought I was feeding a puppy. Not a full blown girl my age. We took her in, but when we tried getting in touch with her parents…." Her expression shifted from playful to absolute disdain, "-those sumsofbitches said they didn't have a daughter. So we went to the police, Toga was scared but I was with her the whole time, Saito didn't press charges, but he also never wanted to see her anywhere near him again."
Toga smirked, "From there, it was pretty easy to ditch my old family. They cut contact with me, and the court rolled them as neglectful. I was ready to go into an adoption center when the Uraraka's took me in." She said fondly, causing a smile to appear on Itsuka's face. She thought of Eri, who was in a similar situation.....and…..how glad she was that both Eri and Toga escaped that.
"That's great to hear….so you two are sisters now?"
They both made a face of disgust. "Ughhhh no. That's....its kinda weird to think that. No offense Toga."
"Hard same Ocha. HARD same." Toga agreed before sighing. "…..though if that Paladin guy has his way I'll end up in juvenile detention instead of a course at U.A. She frowned."
That made Itsuka blink, "Wait, wha-your also going to U.A. For the hero course?" She asked.
Toga barked out a laugh, "Ha! God no! I'm going into their medical program." She grinned before gesturing to herself, "My quirk requires me to drink blood. If I wanted to be a hero my career would be dead in the water on arrival."
"You could lean into the vampire motif like I said." Uraraka muttered under her breath.
Toga ignored her. "Being a medical hero might be the best thing for me. I mean I don't know exactly what I'm gonna do but I figure that with my quirk I'll figure something out." She explained. She then smirked, "And if not I'd make a damn cute nurse."
Itsuka couldn't help but sheepishly smile, the fact that she had been in a car ride with U.A.'s famous Recovery Girl was pretty ironic in hindsight. Her smile faded as she turned her attention to matters at hand, "Well….this Pro, paladin, what is his evidence he has?" She asked.
Toga sighed, "He didn't say anything, but I was the last person to clock out."
Itsuka frowned, they also didn't have cameras inside the shelter that could corroborate that she actually left. Mr Li didn't want people to feel like they were being surveyed, thus was supposed to be a safe place. "I don't remember if you have a key to the medical supply closet."
Toga shook her head, "I don't.,..." she paused. "Now that you mention it, I think only you, Husng, and Mr. Li are the only ones who have keys." She noted.
Itsuka nodded, "We have badges to access it, not physical keys." She said. Fishing her employee badge out of her pocket, she looked at it, "Did he ask Mr. Li about it?"
Toga clicked her tongue, "I don't know. He asked to talk to us separately."
Uraraka let out a low hum, "Well then does he have any reason to really suspect you outside your past?" She asked.
Toga pushed her lips, "Well...it sounds like the door to the closet wasn't unlocked, but bashed in." She said, making both the other girls' eyes widen at that bit of information. "And before you guys think that clears me, he pointed out that with my work I could drain someone, transform, and use their body to do it."
"…..can you do that?" Uraraka tilted her head.
Toga threw her hands up, "I don't know but Captain asshole thinks I can!" She exclaimed before pressing her hands to the top of her head and groaning. "And I can't prove that I didn't do that."
The layout of the shelter had the infirmary and medical supplies on the ground floor near the rear entrance in case an emergency vehicle was unable to get to a hospital. It also was in the hall Northeast and not visible from the gym where all the occupants slept. Meaning no eye witnesses, and employees left out through the back as well so none of them would witness Toga leaving either. Toga was right, she couldn't prove that she didn't do it.
The picnic table was quiet fir a moment, until Uraraka spoke up. "This is…..kind of weird." She said, making both Toga and Itsuka look at her. The brown haired girl's face lit up a little at the sudden declaration she made. "I mean-why would someone steal blood to begin with?" She asked as though it was a pretty obvious question.
"….."
"….."
"…..I'll just be quiet now." Uraraka said dejectedly.
"Erk!" Itsuka choked out as she and Toga sat up in their seats at the saddened Ochako. "N-no! It's valid!"
Toga also waved her hands. "R-right!" She said before pausing. "…..actually you ARE right."
Itsuka blinked as well, they had been so focused on finding holes in the accusation against Toga they had somewhat ignored the obvious absurdity of the crime. "Yeah...he said only blood was missing? Nothing else? No drugs?" She asked. Those were the primary reason they had to have the storage room under lock and key after all.
Toga shook her head, "He didn't mention anything to me, but who knows? Maybe they did and he was focused on the blood."
Itsuka prized her lips together, "Give me a minute." She said before pulling out her phone and dialing. Toga and Uraraka shared a curious look before the line picked up, "Izuku? Hey, um, I kind of got a weird question for you. Have you heard of any robberies of medical supplies like blood?" She asked. "....there was a break in at F.E.A.S.T." She informed before her lips curled into a soft smile, "Hey, hey, I'm ok. It wasn't while I was here. I'm just wondering…..a um….friend of mine is being questioned and I'm positive they're not behind it." She said, causing a glance toga, the blonde girl blinking at her.
Then, a expression of gratitude crossed her face, her shoulders relaxing as the fear of revelation ebbed out. Ochako smiled as well, patting her shoulder as she leaned over, "Told you. Kendo didn't seem like someone who would hold your quirk against you." She chided good naturedly. Uraraka had gently nudged her to open up to Kendo about her quirk, it was a sensitive topic obviously upon hearing the whole story. However after talking with kendo a number of times when she met Toga at work, it seemed pretty clear to her at least that she wouldn't rest Toga any differently.
Toga replied by elbowing her best friend in the side, "Aw Shaddup you country bumpkin."
"Oh you don't have to....seriously Izuku, you don't-" Itsuka began before he said something that made whatever argument stop in her mouth. Kendo sighed, but smiled. "-your right. I would too if it were me....alright. Call me later? And….raincheck on the store?" She asked. She smiled, "….ok…..thanks again Tiger." she said before hanging up.
And then…..she blinked….
And looked over at the two girls who were staring at her with wide eyes.
".....um...Izuku is gonna head to his work at Soowasha publishing and….look into similar….cases like….this….." she said, her face turning red.
"...….bitch are you and that cinnamon roll dating???" Toga bluntly asked. Uraraka, who might normally correct her friend's language was already too invested to care about how crude a question it was.
Itsuka's face BURNED, "...yes."
Toga grinned, "That didn't sound too confident. You sure?" She teased, causing the ginger haired girl to look at her, her eye twitching in annoyance. "I mean…..I could use a nice soft boy to comfort me in my time of need. And Izuku seems soft enough." She goaded on.
Kendo didn't know which was worse, Toga or that….Black Cat floozie.
"...why do you call him Tiger?" Uraraka idly wondered aloud as Toga's grin returned with the same width of that of the Cheshire Cat.
"ERK!!!" Itsuka choked.
Toga was loving this, "Yeah. I mean….does he purr like a kitty when you-"
"LETS JUST WAIT FOR HIM TO GET BACK TO ME." Itsuka cut off loudly, not wanting to indulge the ranged girl.
Izuku altered his swinging to make his way to Soowaysha Publishing, arriving at the news outlet he swung up and launched himself onto the side of the building where Hodo's office was and snuck inside. She was out but when he messaged her about having a possible lead on a story, she gave him permission to get on her computer and start looking into what previous stories they covered which might shed light on what he was looking into. By the time Hodo and Katsumi returned, Izuku had gotten what he needed and had left the way he came.
"So from what I've found out there were three other robberies like this, one at a university medical lab, another at a hospital, and a third at a blood blank. All a week out from one another, I don't think anyone's connected to it because they all happen in different Wards across Tokyo." Izuku said into his phone as he swung down towards the street before rising up into the air.
He shot out another web to swing from, "There's actually a pretty clear pattern of the thief going to adjoining wards that have a target. The hard part is determining what their target is." He said.
"And let me guess, you called me because you have an idea of what they may be." The Green Goblin replied on the phone.
"Well, kind of. Yeah." Izuku admitted, he had called Shimura right after getting the information he needed. "I'm going to look at the place that got robbed, see if I can't figure out any leads on where this guy went. Maybe there'll be something the cops missed that points to something."
"And if not, then we stake out a place next week?" Goblin asked.
Izuku grimaced a little, next week was when the Entrance Exams for UA happened. He couldn't just skip out on it. Especially when he promised Itsuka that he'd tell her his secret afterwords. But hopefully he would find something to being this mystery to a close before then, "That's the plan, but hopefully I'll find something at where they last stock. A homeless shelter known as F.E.A.S.T." He replied as he swung off a webline and landed on a water tower overlooking the shelter.
Outside the shelter the police had a cruiser parked out front, and the occupants were making their way back inside. "Alright. Um…..should I come with? I know you wanted to train with me at some point to see what I need to work on. Is this something I should do too?" Tenko asked a little unsurely.
Spider-Man rubbed the back of his head, with the police here along with it filling back up those who lived here? Him sneaking in to investigate would already be tricky. "Um….no offense Shimura, but….i need to get inside without being seen and-"
"-and the guy in a power suit and glider isn't exactly subtle. No. Yeah. I get ya. No problem. " His friend said understandingly. "How did you get so good at sneaking around anyway?"
Spider-Man swung over to the building next to F.E.A.S.T. "When I was going after Kingpin, he had most of his operations under surveillance. So I learned how to get around those to get information." He explained, leaping over to the next roof towards the air ventilation exhaust. Grabbing the metal grate, he peeked the grate back and crawled inside, sticking to the top of the vent. "Figured out a couple tricks."
"Huh. Good to know. Look, maybe I can't sneak into a crime scene. But….well let me see what I can do at the other crime scenes." He offered.
Izuku came to a vent, looked through it, and saw the gym where the beds and sleeping space was set up before continuing on. "That'd be helpful, but how would you do that?" Spider-Man whispered as he continued through the ventilation ducts.
"I'd….um…..hmm ok, what about I'm an insurance adjuster? I go in, ask about the damage and get to ask some questions about what was taken?" He asked.
"Huh….maybe? That could work…..wait don't those guys need a license or something?"
"Whose gonna ask?" He asked. Izuku opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly. "I'll be in touch. Later man." Tenko said before hanging up. Izuku still couldn't believe that he now had a….well, a partner in this stuff. He was so used to working alone by now as Spider-Man that having someone to coordinate with was...really nice actually.
Would it be like this when he told Kendo?
He hoped so. But for now, he needed to focus, reaching the next vent, he looked down to see a door with police tape in front of it. Pulling the vent open, he poked his head out and looked either way down the hall, there were officers stationed at both ends making sure no one disturbed the crime scene. Activating his pocotech's stealth function, he dropped from the vent to the ground soundlessly. Reached through the tape and opened the door and slipped through before getting inside. Once he was in the room, he dropped the cloak.
\\Power at 85%//
Izuku clicked his tongue. The camouflaging function the picotech had was really incredible, unfortunately it wasn't something he could do for long. It had about a minute and a half charge before it cut out and reverted back to its standard power mode, it was just enough time for him to make a quick exit if he needed to, but nowhere near long enough for him to sneak around an area and investigate while camouflaged. But he couldn't complain, like he told Tenko, he hand experience sneaking around without being invisible.
The clinic was neat despite the report of a break in, the examination chair was untouched, the counter on the left wall was filled with standard medical supplies. The drawers were even labeled with the interior contents that were filled with gaws, splints, and other minor medical equipment that one could get from a local pharmacy. On the opposite wall, to his surprise there was a small window, but without anything below it, it wouldn't be easy to climb up to….but not impossible.
To his right was the real evidence, a metal door was caved in and swung into the closet, stepping through the threshold, he found the closet was actually larger than the clinic, with shelves lining the floor and walls. And near the back, refrigeration units.
Ok…..let's review. Izuku thought as he looked at the door, Whoever bust in here was strong enough to cave the door in. He notched, his hand tracing over the indentation. It indicated that whoever did this had strength that he exhibited himself, walking past the shelves to the refrigeration units, he saw that these doors weren't damaged at all. So whoever did this wasn't in that much of a rush. Or at the very least they were purposeful. He thought as he peeked inside the fridge.
Inside, dozens of blood bags shed the chill air off them, there was a noticeable amount missing for sure. The way the blood was organized was similar to a rack of goods on a store shelf in the food isle, with rows stacked vertically from the back tk the front, there was even a tag with the blood type below each row. And it looked as though someone had taken a square of the row out, meaning they took a number of each blood type. Huh…..that's….weird. Maybe this person has some sort of quirk that can…convert blood types? He guessed before closing the door.
As he closed the door, he heard the one to the clinic open.
Launching to the ceiling, he scurried over to the spot above the entrance as Paladin entered. "-are just standing out there…..your sure we can't close this place down for like, a day until forensics get here and-ugh. No, no, I get it, that wouldn't do good for my image." He said, Spider-Man peeked over the top of the door frame and watched as his one hand up to the side of his head as he spoke to someone. "Look I just want the team to get here, they'll find some print of that girl's here or some hair, or something. Look, she's got a record, it's not like anyone like that can actually change. Once a monster, always a monster." Paladin dismissed, missing how the vigilante's eyes narrowed at him.
Spider-Man's sixth sense buzzed and he pulled back just as Paladin's head turned towards the door and began walking towards it. "If they don't find anything then I'll just leak the info to the press, with enough pressure the police will beg me to arrest her." He casually said as he walked under Spider-Man, who cast a glare at him before crawling through the door way. Going to the window, he paused, and shot a web to the door of the storage closet….yanking it shut, and webbing the corners so he couldn't open it.
"What the fu-hey! I'm in here! Hey! Hey!!" Paladin called out from the door, banging on it in an attempt to escape by getting attention.
Underrated for him, no one had been paying him any attention. And Izuku hoped that would remain the case as he slipped out through the window and onto the wall outside.
Closing the window, Izuku snickered to himself and turned to-
"GAHHH!" He screamed.
As Itsuka kendo looked up at him with her arms crossed.
"…."
"…."
"…..Uhhhhhhhhh….hi?" Spider-Man said weakly as he waved at her.
"Dude I saw you swing up onto the roof, so I figured you'd come out through the only window." She told him, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. The vigilante's head dropped, "So…..I just called my boyfriend about this whole thing and you happen to show up and take a look into it?" She asked, raising a eye.
Spider-Man's head snapped up and his lenses widened, "I-Kendo-"
She raised her hand, and gave him a stern look. "Spider-Man…..I think your a good guy." She began. Making his mouth zip shut, she lowed her hand and uncrossed her other which pointed at him. "But….you ARE a vigilante. Your breaking the law. And I get it, you're doing it for good reason...but it's dangerous." Her tone wasn't that of scolding, but factual, but her eyes narrowed at the next part. "And I know that Izuku is involved in this."
The vigilante sat back against the wall, a few feet off the ground and looked at her, he didn't dare speak. "He has to be, maybe he's just someone who gives you tips from Soowaysha. I mean it makes sense, you can't go to the police, so you get some freelancer to give you tips on bad stuff going on." She rationalized.
It took everything for Izuku not to shudder at just how CLOSE she had gotten it. "I...he-"
"Don't. I'm not stupid." Her tone was sharp now. "Izuku Midoroya is a wonderful person who would do his damndest to help anyone without a second's hesitation." She declared, her hands found her hips. "I know he would do anything if it meant helping people.....including what he's doing for you…..and I can't blame him for that. It's who he is…..it's one of the best things about him."
Izuku smiled.
It quickly vanished when she spoke next.
"But I can blame you." She scolded. "If anything, EVER, happens to Midoriya. If he gets a single hair harmed on his head, because of you? I WILL shut you down. Personally." She coldly told the vigilante. She looked at him a moment, letting that hang in the air. "...he's a good person who wants to do good. And…..I get that your like that too. But I also think that's dangerous for everyone around you…..I mean…..you wear a mask for a reason."
Izuku felt a little lightheaded from how fast his heart was racing but he nodded. "Yeah...I don't want anyone to get hurt because of what I do."
"Me neither..." She sighed, "…..so…..what do you think? About this whole mess?" She asked, gesturing to the building he was sticking to.
The question was like a whiplash, "I-I'm-I'm thinking that whoever stole from here is responsible for other thefts. I'm looking into the other places that were hit...the person accused. Why are they a suspect?" He asked.
Itsuka pursed her lips together, she didn't want to tell Himiko's story to someone without her knowing. She and Uraraka were picked up by their parents and taken home. Martian has assured her he was in touch with a good lawyer who would work with Himiko on her behalf. "She has a quirk that utalizes blood. And she had a incident with it when she was younger."
Izuku would normally want to know more out of sheer curiosity for how a quirk like that worked. But this time he stuffed that curiosity aside as he factored that in. "Hmm…..if that's her quirk then there's something that doesn't add up." He turned his head up to the window. "For one thing the steel door was broken down. You need to be able to get a lot of force to do that already, but what's interesting is that no one heard it."
It's a blinked. "Huh?"
"Well, if it wasn't discovered until morning, then no one noticed it. And trust me, when you smash a door in, that makes a lot of noise. Something that a homeless shelter would be alerted to right away." He pointed out. He held up his palm and pushed forward slowly, "So whoever did this was strong enough to force the door open by pushing it, but has done this enough times to not just bash it down."
Itsuka blinked owlishly at that, she felt her neck warm up that she hadn't considered that. Spider-Man continued, "Then there's the fact that all blood types had some taken. I mean I don't know how or friend's quirk works but that sticks out to me." He added.
Itsuka pursed her lips together, "Is there like a black market for blood donations?" She asked. "What about the guy who hurt Eri? The one you fought?" she asked. What little they knew, that person had medical training, could this somehow relate to that?
Spider-Man shook his head, "No, his quirk was able to…..disassemble and reassemble things. If he was responsible himself then he'd just take out the wall, walk in from outside, get the blood, put the wall back, and then leave. You guys wouldn't know about the blood being taken until you needed it." He pointed out. "But if he got someone to do it for him, maybe?"
It's a sighed, "You said that there were other thefts like this?" She asked.
He nodded, "Yeah. In fact a…..partner of mine is investigating one." Kendo raised a brow at that term. He raised his hands, "Erm. Not Midoriya. I would never ask him to do that." He said with the most technical version of the truth in that statement. "They're…..they do what I do."
That made Itsuka stare at him, "…..is it really that hard for you guys to be pro heroes?" she asked dryly.
Spider-Man's hand reached over to his other, the one he let the spider that his father saved bite. "It's.....it is. Actually." He admitted, making Itsuka blink. "...Kendo I...I'm not like everyone else…..I can't tell you, or anyone, exactly why that is. Maybe…..maybe one day I can but….." he trailed off.
Itsuka didn't look convinced by his words…..but hugged in acceptance. "Ok then...look I need to get back to work. I can't contact you but….." she frowned. "...izuku will probably keep you in the loop."
"Kendo." He said suddenly. "....If anything ever happened that would endanger Izuku in any way...I would stop doing this." He said truthfully.
Itsuka stared at him for a long moment…..and then nodded. "Good. Because if you didn't? I'd kick your ass." She threatened before walking away.
As she walked away, Izuku watched her until she walked around the corner before shooting a webline and swinging away. When he reached a rooftop a block away he landed on a sign that overlooked the streets below.
....why is it so hot that she's so protective of me?
The Uraraka household was small; it was a two-bedroom apartment with a single bathroom and living room/kitchen. It was not much, but Himiko considered it home. Sitting on the bottom bunk of the handmade bunk bed that Taiyo Uraraka built for Uraraka's twelfth birthday, it really acted as a present for both of them as it expanded the space in their shared room greatly. And of course, Uraraka took the top bunk while Himiko took the bottom, which didn't bother her.
Sitting on her bed with her back to the wall, she slurped on the juice box of actual juice Uraraka had got her.
Himiko was…..pouty.
Not because of that asshole pro hero, but the fact that her pseudo family was babying her. Miwa, being the doting mother figure of the household, had made her favorite treat for her upon getting home and drawn a bath for her. Which was infuriating! Treating her like some….wounded puppy.
The hot bath was nice though....and so was the poke sticks...and fruit punch was her favorite.
.....god what happened to me?! I used to have an edge! I was willing to stab a bitch at one point! Himiko internally whined as the door opened and Uraraka stepped inside. ….and it's all her fault. She slurped on the fruit punch box audibly as her friend plopped down bright to her with an exasperated sigh.
"Today was stressful." She bemoaned.
Himiko couldn't help but groan in agreement, and leaned her shoulder against Uraraka's. "Girlie you don't know the half of it." Ochako responded by wrapping an around and her back and patting her other shoulder sympathetically. "Today sucked." She declared.
Ochako hummed. "Yeah it did.....but….it wasn't all bad…..Kendo was really great." She said with a supportive smile. Himiko pouted, "I told you she wouldn't judge ya." She teased.
"Yeah, yeah, you get to say 'I told you so'. Let it out now while I'm still not behind bars. It'll be less funny then." Himiko said dourly. She felt Ochako's grip tighten on her shoulder, and instantly regretted saying it. She turned to see her friend, maybe the bravest girl she's ever met, smile at her assuringly despite her own fear. Himiko had been so focused on her own anger at the situation that she hadn't even considered how scared her best friend was...how all of them probably was about the chance that she might be taken from them.
I won't let that happen. A dark part of her mind thought. She had finally found her home with the Urarakas, and if some pencil dicked pro thought that he could just cause it to come to an end-
"Toga?"
Toga snapped out of her inner thoughts and turned to her friend, "I asked if you want to meet the lawyer that Mr. Li sent. He's nice, and he said if you're not up for a face to face now, we can do it some other time." Uraraka explained again.
Toga sighed, "...honestly Ochako….I'm kind of not in the mood. Sorry."
Uraraka seemed to visibly deflate, "Oh thank goodness, this whole day has been a roller coaster and I really just want to relax tonight." she sheepishly admitted. That caused them both to laugh. As Uraraka got up to tell her parents and the lawyer Toaga's answer, she thought it might be good to grab the portable DVD player they used instead of a smartphone, which neither of them owned but honestly felt liberated by that fact. As she left Toga alone in their room, sighed to herself. What use was this life she had built with the Uraraka's if she was so quick to throw it away when she was threatened?
She was going to fight this…..the right way…..even if there was a part of her that wanted to do it the dirty way…..the violent way...the way that she….in her darkest moments….wished she could give into.