It was Saturday, July 6, the day after finals. The bell hadn't rung yet and most of Class 1-A was out of their seats talking among each other. Ashido, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sato were all gloomy since they failed the final practical test. Izuku tried to give them hope by saying maybe they'd let them go to camp anyways. Sero put his hand on his shoulder saying that he was only jinxing them, not helping them.
"They said whoever failed the exams would have to skip training camp and live in summer school hell. We didn't pass the practical so we're doomed! Don't you understand that Midoriya or did All Might knock the brains outta you?!" Kaminari said as he turned around and jabbed his fingers in Izuku's eyes, making him yell out in pain. Sero told Kaminari to calm down and brought up that he might not get to go to the summer training camp either since he probably didn't pass the practical exam. Only Mineta out of the two of them really passed the practical. The bell rang, but no one really went to their seats. Ashido, Kirishima and Sato kept sulking. Kaminari kept freaking out and Izuku was too busy being in pain, covering his eyes. Suddenly, Mr. Aizawa slid the classroom door open with a bang.
"Once the bell rings, you should be in your seats." Mr. Aizawa scolded the class as everyone went to their seats and sat down obediently.
"Morning. Unfortunately there were a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So when it comes to the training camp in the woods... everyone is going!" Mr. Aizawa said.
"We really get to go to camp?!" Kirishima asked enthusiastically.
"Seriously?!" Ashido said excitedly.
"Yeah. The good news is no one bombed the written exam. Five failed the practical badly. Two teams, of course. And then Sero failed as well." Mr. Aizawa said.
"Ah! Crap, I knew it. Mineta made it to the gate, but I didn't do near enough to pass." Sero said, slapping his hand on his forehead in disappointment of himself.
"Allow me to explain. For the practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave a way for the students to win. Otherwise, you never would've stood a chance. We were interested in observing how you each worked together and approached the task at hand." Mr. Aizawa explained to the students.
"But didn't you tell us that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?" Ojiro asked Mr. Aizawa.
"That was just to get you on edge. Besides, the training camp will focus on building your strength. Those who failed needs those lessons the most. We were never going to separate you. That was just a logical deception we used." Mr. Aizawa said with a mischievous smile on his face. The class started freaking out, excited for camp. Iida then raised his hand.
"Mr. Aizawa this is the second time you've lied to us! Aren't you afraid we'll lose faith in you?!" Iida asked the teacher.
"That's a good point. I'll consider it, but I wasn't lying to you about everything. Failure is failure. We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you. Frankly, they'll be far tougher than what you'd face at summer school." Mr. Aizawa said as Ashido, Kaminari, Kirishima, Sato, and Sero all went from super excited to a bit bummed out in a matter of seconds.
~Time Skip~
It was the end of the school day and Class 1-A was in the classroom, packing up their school materials to go home for the day. They were excited that all of them were going to summer training camp. But they soon realized they were missing things that they'd need for camp, so Hagakure suggested that on their day off tomorrow, they should all go shopping together as a class at the mall. Everyone seemed super excited for the shopping trip except for Bakugo and Ruka. Ruka just had a concerned look on her face since she wasn't sure if she'd be allowed to go. Izuku and all her classmates noticed that she wasn't as enthusiastic as the rest of them.
"Is everything alright Ruka?" Izuku said as he approached Ruka.
"You don't look as excited to go shopping as the rest of us. Don't you wanna come?" Hagakure said.
"I'd love to go shopping with everyone, but the thing is I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to." Ruka expressed her concern.
"Oh right. I forgot about that." Uraraka said as Izuku grabbed Ruka's hand reassuringly. Uraraka's eye twitched slightly when he did that, which Ruka noticed. Izuku didn't seem to though.
"We can go to Principal Nezu's office and ask him for permission to let you join us." Izuku said as Ruka perked up.
"I'll come with you guys! I'm sure it'll be more convincing if more of us ask him at once." Hagakure said, raising her invisible arms in the air. Ruka smiled at her classmates' determination.
"Okay. Let's go." Ruka said as she, Izuku, and Hagakure approached Mr. Aizawa who was ready to escort Ruka back to the dorm building. Ruka asked him if he could take her to Principal Nezu's office for something important regarding preparing for summer camp. He surprisingly agreed and he took Ruka and her two classmates to the principal's office. Principal Nezu let them in and the four of them brought up the class shopping trip to him and asked him if Ruka could join them.
"In order for Ryuutou to go out in public, the Hero Public Safety Commission requires her to wear the quirk canceling cuffs and be accompanied by a U.A. staff member so she can't use her quirk and escape. Unfortunately, all our staff members will be busy making preparations of their own for the summer training camp this weekend." Principal Nezu explained as he shook his head. The three of them lowered their heads in disappointment. Hagakure then left the office, thinking that there was no way for Ruka to join them now. But Izuku didn't give up. He then thought of something that might work.
"Wait, instead of having a U.A. teacher keep an eye on her, how about she wears the quirk canceling cuffs and be shackled to me? That way, she still can't use her quirk or escape. That's what the Hero Public Safety Commission wants to ensure, right? I'm positive I can handle Ruka as long as she can't use her quirk." Izuku brought up an idea to Principal Nezu who cupped his chin in his paw as he thought about it for a moment.
"Yes, that may work actually. I'll bring it up to the Hero Public Safety Commission and let you know as soon as possible. As long as they approve, you can go shopping with your classmates this weekend, Ryuutou." Principal Nezu said as Ruka's and Izuku's facial expressions brightened.
"Thank you sir!" Ruka said happily. She and Izuku then left Principal Nezu's office.
~Time Skip~
The next morning, Ruka got woken up by a call on her cell phone. She grabbed her phone and checked to see who it was. It was Principal Nezu. She immediate answered it.
"Yes?" Ruka said.
"Good news, the Hero Public Safety Commission approved of Midoriya's idea. You're free to go shopping with your classmates as long as you remain shackled to Midoriya while wearing the quirk canceling cuffs." Principal Nezu's voice sounded through the phone.
"Really? Thank you so much sir!" Ruka said excitedly, but before she hung up, she called out Principal Nezu's name.
"Principal Nezu?" Ruka said.
"What is it Ryuutou?" Principal Nezu asked.
"I really appreciate all you've done for me." Ruka said to the U.A. High Principal. There was a small pause before he spoke.
"Of course. I just want you to succeed. I saw great potential in you and I intend to help you reach that full potential." Principal Nezu said. Ruka just thanked him again then hung up. Then she got ready, picking out a pastel yellow sleeveless sundress with pink flowers right below the neckline and a white belt. She also picked a pair of white sandals to go with her dress. After she got dressed, she put her hair up in a ponytail slightly over to the left, leaving two locks of hair on either side of her face free flowing. She then grabbed her light blue purse and slung it over her right shoulder. Just then, she heard a knock at her door. Ruka opened it to see Izuku and Mr. Aizawa there.
"I thought you had preparations to do for the training camp." Ruka said to Mr. Aizawa who sighed.
"I do, but Principal Nezu gave me the shackles and quirk canceling cuffs. So I'm here just to bind you to Midoriya and put the cuffs on. Then you two can be on your way. I'll be returning the cuff and shackle keys to Principal Nezu's office, so contact him when you've returned to the school since I'll be busy making preparations for the summer training camp." Mr. Aizawa said as he pulled out shackles with a long chain and the quirk canceling cuffs out of his pockets. He clicked the cuffs on first. Ruka felt the connection with the dragon spirit disappear instantly. Then he put a shackle on Ruka's left wrist and the other shackle on Izuku's right wrist, locking them both. After he was done, he left and Ruka and Izuku went to the train station together to go to Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall to meet up with their classmates. When they got there, they saw their classmates gathered near the large clock tower at the mall. Uraraka and Hagakure seemed surprised to see Ruka there with Izuku.
"Hey! You made it!" Hagakure said excitedly to Ruka who waved to her.
"Hagakure told me you had to wear the quirk canceling cuffs and be chaperoned by a U.A. teacher. She also told me Principal Nezu said all the teachers were busy this weekend." Uraraka said to Ruka.
"Yeah. But after she left Principal Nezu's office, Izuku came up with the idea to have me wear the quirk canceling cuffs while being shackled to him instead of having a U.A. teacher be present. Principal Nezu brought it up to the Hero Public Safety Commission and they approved so here I am." Ruka said, raising her left hand and jingling the long shackle chain that tied to her to Izuku's right wrist.
"Oh I see." Uraraka said as she furrowed her brows slightly as if she was jealous of Ruka being chained to Izuku. She was probably doing it autonomously, not even realizing it herself, but Ruka noticed. She had a hunch that Uraraka had feelings for Izuku that she didn't recognize. When she was watching Uraraka's and Aoyama's match against Thirteen, they were chatting. Aoyama said something, then Uraraka blushed and let go of the railing that she and Aoyama were holding onto and got sucked away by Thirteen's quirk. She used that momentum against Thirteen and managed to pin the teacher down and cuff her, making her team pass the practical exam. Ruka was extremely good at reading lips so she knew what they were saying. And based on Uraraka's reaction to Aoyama's question on if she liked Izuku, she definitely had a crush on him.
"Well anyways I'm glad you managed to make it." Uraraka said with a smile. But Ruka could tell that Uraraka was a bit disappointed that she was able to come with. She was probably hoping to hang out with Izuku today. Class 1-A was noticed by a few people who had watched the sports festival. Then they started discussing what they needed to buy and started to split up, agreeing to meet at this spot again at 3:00 PM. Soon the only ones left of the class were Ruka, Izuku, and Uraraka. Izuku then told Uraraka what he needed to get then asked her what needed to get. She said she needed bug spray then started to get flustered for some reason before running off.
"Yep! Gotta keep those pests away!" Uraraka said as she ran away from Izuku and Ruka.
"You mean me?!" Izuku asked, misunderstanding Uraraka because she ran away from him while saying that. He just stood there in confusion as to why she just ran away like that.
'Well that was a bit dramatic.' Ruka thought to herself as she stared in the direction Uraraka took off in, a large sweat drop forming at the side of her head. Izuku then realized he was all alone with Ruka in the busy mall, a small blush starting to form on his face.
"I don't think she means you Izuku. She likes you too much." Ruka told Izuku who looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Uraraka... likes me?" Izuku asked as Ruka nodded.
"How do you know?" Izuku asked Ruka who explained her observation of Uraraka's and Aoyama's conversation during their practical exam.
"You could tell what they were saying?" Izuku asked Ruka who nodded.
"I can read lips extremely well. And based on her reaction to Aoyama's question of her liking you, I'd say she has a crush on you that she's denying." Ruka explained to Izuku who averted his gaze to the ground. He wasn't blushing, he just stared at the ground.
"You're not getting flustered after I told you she likes you. What? Do you not like her back?" Ruka asked as Izuku shook his head.
"No, I like her. But I only see her as a close friend." Izuku clarified.
"Ah I see. So is there anyone you do like?" Ruka asked Izuku who smiled softly.
"There is someone. But I'm not sure she likes me back like that." Izuku confessed.
"Well you'll never know if you never ask the girl." Ruka said as she lightly pushed Izuku's shoulder.
"I know. Someday I'll gather the courage to ask her out officially." Izuku said as he looked up from the ground.
"Don't wait too long, okay? The longer you wait, the greater the chance someone else will ask her out before you." Ruka advised Izuku, placing her hand on his shoulder. He smiled and nodded.
"Okay." Izuku said as he heard a voice nearby.
"Oh it's students from U.A., nice. I want an autograph. You're the infamous Blue Dragon Assassin that was caught by All Might then admitted to U.A. High. And you were the one who got beat to hell in the sports festival, right?" A man with blueish gray hair wearing a black hoodie put his arms around Izuku and Ruka like he was an old friend.
"Uh yeah..." Izuku said as he laughed nervously. The man then turned to Izuku.
"Aren't you one of the students that ran into the Hero Killer in the Hosu Incident too? You're practically famous." The man said.
"You sure do know a lot." Izuku said, seeming uncomfortable with the man's closeness to him and Ruka.
"What can I say, I'm just a big fan of you guys. I can't believe I'm running into you two again. It makes me think that it might not be a coincidence. No no, this feels like it's destiny." The man said as he wrapped his fingers around Izuku's and Ruka's necks, leaving only his middle finger hovering above their flesh. Realization suddenly set in for both Izuku and Ruka. They had run into this guy before. Ruka was once assigned to kill Tomura Shigaraki once. She had failed because he was accompanied by another guy who had a warp quirk. Right as she was about to close in for the kill, she ran right into a warp gate that appeared in front of her last minute and was teleported to some area she was not familiar with and she got lost. She was given a deadline to kill Shigaraki, and by the time she figured out where she was warped to, the deadline had passed. Izuku remembered Tomura Shigaraki from when he attacked him and his classmates at the U.S.J. What he said next confirmed both Izuku's and Ruka's suspicions.
"Oh right, from your perspective, we haven't met since the attack on U.A. And I haven't seen you since you tried to kill me that one time. Why don't we spend some time catching up... Izuku Midoriya, Ruka Ryuutou?" Shigaraki said with a menacing smile.
"Act natural, don't make a scene. I'm just an old friend that ran into you guys at the mall. Calm down and wipe that look off your faces. I think we should have a conversation is all. A friendly chat. Oh and of course if you try to run or fight me in any way, I will be fast. As soon as all five of my fingers touch your necks, your throats will be the first things that disintegrate. In a matter of seconds you'll be nothing more than a pile of dust and powdered bone." Shigaraki threatened.
"If you do that here where there are so many people, a hero will come and catch you in no time. You couldn't escape." Izuku said bravely.
"I don't doubt that. But just look at these sheep. Anyone of them could use their quirks and start a massacre whenever they wanted. And yet they're all here smiling. They think laws and rules will protect them because they assume everyone has their same morals. They're convinced nothing bad could ever happen to them. After you two, I could kill 20, 30, maybe even more before a pro even managed to stop me." Shigaraki said as Izuku gathered his courage and spoke.
"I get it. Let's talk." Izuku said as Shigaraki chuckled.
"This is nice. A real moment. Let's go grab a seat and get comfortable why don't we?" Shigaraki said as the three of them found a bench nearby and sat down. He never let go of their necks, he didn't choke them, just held onto them firmly while hovering his middle fingers above their throats in a subtle threat.
"When it comes down to it, I hate basically everything. But the Hero Killer pisses me off the most right now." Shigaraki explained.
"Isn't he one of your guys?" Izuku asked Shigaraki.
"Not technically, but that's what the media made it sound like. And that's what my problem is. It's like suddenly everyone's obsessed over that stupid Hero Killer. The attack on U.A., the nomus I released on Hosu, he upstaged all of it. No one's even giving me a second thought. Why is that? Despite what he claims to believe, all he really did was try to get rid of things he didn't like. What do you think the difference is between us... Ryuutou, Midoriya?" Shigaraki said as he looked back and forth between Ruka to Izuku. Ruka was about to answer, but Izuku beat her to it.
"What's the difference? I don't understand you... your goals, and you villains. I don't agree with anything you do. I don't agree with the Hero Killer either. But I can understand him... at least sort of... because the Hero Killer and I have something in common: we're inspired by All Might. That night, he even saved me from the flying nomu. He's a maniac, but he doesn't destroy things just because it sounds fun. And when things were looking bad for him, he didn't abandon his mission like you did. Even if the way he acted was wrong, he held true to his beliefs. That's the difference." Izuku said in a firm voice as he looked into Shigaraki's eyes. The look on Shigaraki's face terrified Izuku.
"Ah, that's like a weight off my chest. I see it now... all the dots connected. Why he makes me so angry, why you two irritate me so much. Everything makes sense. It's him, the problem is All Might. Yeah, yeah, that's it. That's the most rational explanation. I didn't see it even though it was right in front of me the whole time. What was I worrying about so much? It's simple. He's why these morons are able to smile thoughtlessly. They feel so safe because that garbage pro is smiling thoughtlessly too as if there's no one in the whole world he can't save. Oh I'm glad we had this chat. I feel better. I can't thank you enough. I don't need to change my ways after all. Whoops, don't struggle now unless you want to die. You want all these people here to crumble as well?" Shigaraki said as his grip on Ruka's and Izuku's throats tightened, making it harder for them to breathe. Just then Uraraka came back.
"Uh Deku? Ryuutou? Is this a friend of yours? Or... no, wait a minute... hey let go of them." Uraraka said with concern, realizing the situation Izuku and Ruka were in, maybe even recognizing who it was that was holding them hostage. Izuku, realizing what the potential danger was, reacted quickly.
"This is nothing! Everything's fine! Stay back, no closer!" Izuku said as Shigaraki suddenly let go of Izuku and Ruka who both started to cough and gasp for air.
"Oh you're here with a friend? I didn't know. Sorry about that." Shigaraki said, acting all innocent. Then he lowered his voice.
"You try following me, I'll get angry." Shigaraki warned as he got up and began walking away. Uraraka rushed over to Izuku and Ruka.
"Deku, Ryuutou!" Uraraka said, her voice laced with concern.
"Hold on, Shigaraki!" Izuku called after Shigaraki as Uraraka's eyes widened as she repeated his name.
"I have a question too. What is All For One after?" Izuku asked as Shigaraki paused for a brief moment.
"Who knows really. But here's a little word of advice friend: be careful. The next time we meet, I'll likely have to kill you." Shigaraki said as he began to started to walk away again. The three of them watched as Shigaraki disappeared into the crowd of the mall. Uraraka then reported the incident which led to the mall being closed early as the police and heroes in the area did a massive sweep but ultimately couldn't find Shigaraki. Izuku and Ruka were taken to the police station where they told Detective Tsukauchi everything they could about Shigaraki, his appearance, and the conversation they had. After they were done, Ruka and Izuku were led out of the police station by Detective Tsukauchi. All Might came running towards them.
"Young Midoriya, Young Ryuutou. What a relief. I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you and the others." All Might said, putting his large hands on both Izuku's and Ruka's foreheads. All Might was aware Ruka knew about his true form. He did transform in front of her, the day she was caught after all. Not to mention, Izuku had told All Might that Ruka had figured out the connection between them and the quirk One For All all on her own. Izuku then asked All Might if he ever had times where he couldn't save people that he wanted to. All Might told him that he did and it was often. He said there could always be someone somewhere in the world calling out for his help and he'd never know about it.
"I know it's frustrating, but we're only human. There will always be people beyond our reach that we can't protect. But that's all the more reason to stand tall and smile... so that the Symbol of Justice is always there even when I can't be. A flicker in people's hearts whether they be a hero or a villain." All Might said as Detective Tsukauchi began to wrap things up, reassuring Izuku that All Might has never failed to save anyone after arriving at an emergency. Suddenly, a woman's voice called out Izuku's name.
"Mom?" Izuku said as a short woman with green hair slightly darker than his ran towards him.
"Izuku, baby... I can't do this anymore. I don't think my heart can handle another scare." She said, starting to cry. She was so worried about her son, she didn't even seem to notice Ruka who was still shackled to him.
"I'm sorry. Everything's fine. I'm okay, Mom. There's no need to cry. The heroes and police have been taking really good care of me all night." Izuku said, trying to comfort his mother. Meanwhile, Ruka got out her phone and dialed Principal Nezu's office number since it was the only number she had of any U.A. staff members. She was supposed to return to the school earlier that day with Izuku and have the cuffs and shackles removed, but the mall incident really changed those plans. Now it was dark out and Principal Nezu most likely wasn't in his office anymore.
"Hey umm Izuku? Sorry to interrupt your reunion with your mom, but uh... I can't get ahold of Principal Nezu." Ruka said, approaching Izuku as she waved her phone in her hand.
"What about Mr. Aizawa?" Izuku suggested as Ruka sighed.
"I don't have his number." Ruka said as she shook her head from side to side.
"Who's this, Izuku?" Izuku's mother asked her son.
"Oh uh, this is Ryuutou Ruka. Ruka this is my mother, Midoriya Inko." Izuku introduced his mother and Ruka to each other.
"Hi Mrs. Midoriya, it's a pleasure to meet you." Ruka said, bowing politely. Inko studied Ruka for a moment.
"So you're the new classmate my Izuku's been telling me all about." Inko said as she then turned to her son.
"Oh Izuku, she's even more beautiful than you let on!" Inko said as Izuku's face became a bright red from embarrassment.
"Mom!" Izuku raised his voice out of embarrassment. Ruka raised an eyebrow at them, kinda confused. Based on how worried his mother was about him earlier, Ruka thought that she would be more concerned about her son hanging out with someone like her with a criminal background. Did Izuku not tell his mother that she was the Blue Dragon Assassin that was attending U.A. for rehabilitation? But there was something more important that had to be addressed. Ruka cleared her throat to get Izuku's attention.
"What are we going to do about these?" Ruka asked as she pointed to the shackle connecting her to Izuku. Before he even had the chance to respond, Izuku's mother spoke.
"Why are you two shackled together?" Inko asked the two teens.
"It was a prank! When we met up with our class at the mall, one of our classmates thought it would be funny to chain us together because they thought we had a crush on each other. They ran off into the crowd before either one of us noticed that they shackled us together. Ruka and I knew who it was and tried calling them earlier, but they didn't answer. Ruka was just now trying to contact Principal Nezu to report them, but she couldn't get ahold of him either." Izuku said frantically as Ruka immediately picked up on the situation and played along.
"Yeah. Honestly it wasn't very funny and now we're stuck together." Ruka said, going along with Izuku's lie. All Might tilted his head in confusion. Izuku gave him a pleading look, silently asking him to play along. All Might realized that Izuku hadn't told his mother the truth about Ruka so she would be worried about him. And after what happened today, she was already on edge. Telling Inko Midoriya that her son was shackled to an ex-criminal was definitely not a good idea.
"I could try calling Principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa for you, but I'm not sure if they'll answer at this hour." All Might said as he walked a little ways away and dialed two numbers, one after the other. It was Principal Nezu's and Mr. Aizawa's personal numbers. But all he got was their voicemails. He left messages explaining what was happening in a hushed voice.
"Sorry, just got their voicemails. I left them messages, so they'll know when they check their phones." All Might said as Inko sighed.
"Well I suppose you'll have to come stay with us for the night, dear." Inko said to Ruka whose eyes widened.
"Are you sure?" Ruka asked Izuku's mother.
"Well, do you see any other way of getting out of those shackles before the night is over?" Inko mentioned as Ruka inspected the shackle and chain locked onto her left wrist. They were military grade for sure, so yeah, there was no taking them off without the key. Ruka shook her head no. Detective Tsukauchi then told the police officer Sansa Tamagawa to take Ruka, Izuku, and Inko to the Midoriya residence. The car ride was awkward and silent. Ruka didn't really show it, but she was a bit nervous about staying at Izuku's place. She had never been at a sleepover ever, much less at a guy's place. When they got there, they thanked Officer Sansa for the ride then Inko and Izuku led Ruka to their apartment.