It was oddly quiet the morning you arrived at UA, already in outdoor scrubs. Today was the day of the Sports Festival.. again. You weren't quite ready for it. By third year, there were the students so hyped they could convert that energy to flight if they wanted, or, there were those who, like yourself, were kind of over it already. This whole event was just a fancy way to score internships and later jobs after graduating. A great way to lift up the greats and burry the failures. And something you didn't really need nor want to be involved in.
Things slowly started to lighten up after you entered the class. Like usual, your classmates gathered in groups to discuss who they thought would win this year. It was fairly obvious by now that the winner would either be you or Tenko. After all, you two stood leagues above the rest in physical prowess. And both of you were tactical and quick thinkers too, meaning there was an incredibly slim chance of anyone outsmarting you. While maybe struggling a little academically, there was no doubt the two of you were built to win. So, problem was... Who?? You and Tenny were at a draw at the moment, so this would be the year to decide who was really the strongest.
For that reason, and that reason alone, you intended to win this year.
You were only half surprised to find Tenny in a state of darkness and gloom, sitting alone draped over his desk. You plopped into your chair beside him. "Had a terrible weekend, I see?"
"No... It's not that..." The teen mumbled. "I...hhhh.. really don't want to confront Hoku today... Now or ever."
"Ahhhh..." You leaned back, placing your feet on your desk.
"And." Tenko turned his head so you could see half his face. "I think I know the type of hero I want to be now."
"Oh?"
"Weird as it might sound, I want to be the more sanitized type. The kind of hero that doesn't swear, party hard, gamble, a-anything like that."
"Psh. Sounds boring." A lot more like All Might though...
"I- I know.. but, I don't want my potty mouth to be the reason kids can't watch interviews with me or anything. And the drinking is a no... if I want to be a good influence.. then.. guess I need to be a good example to start with." Tenny closed his eyes as he cheekily grinned, though tiredly. Seemed he was still waking up.
You smirked, reached out, and rubbed his soft hair. "Admirable. Even imagining trying to restrain myself that much is a pain. Think my main target audience will be teenagers, so I shouldn't have to care too much about swearing. But I'll be sure to check in with you and try following your lead if we're ever on TV together or anything.. so I won't ruin your brand."
"That's very thoughtful of you." Tenko reached up and placed his hand on top of yours to stop it, relaxing again and closing his eyes. You stroked your thumb through his hair for a bit while waiting for the rest of the class to show up.
Honda leaned in through the door, swinging from its frame. "Hey, Shimura, Hokusei wants to talk to you outside the classroom."
"S###." Tenko buried his face in his arms. "I'm such a coward!.. Can you deal with him for me, (Y/n)?"
You sighed, patting your friend's head one last time while standing. "You're not a coward..." You left him, striding with a set of cold, calculating eyes. "Just need some alone time."
You leaned against the classroom's doorframe with your arms crossed, ensuring your body took up most of the entrance so Hoku would have a harder time pushing through. An array of emotions washed over him at once. Wild concern quickly turned to anger upon seeing you instead of Tenny, which then faded to a mellower disappointment as he stood on his toes and stepped closer, hoping to get a peek inside the classroom. "Heh-hey, mind letting me talk to Ten? I- I don't remember what I did at the party, but I get the feeling it was something stupid. He hasn't responded to any of my texts. Is he okay??"
"Listen, I'm not going to be a message bearer for either of you, so you're just gunna have to wait. Yes, he's in here. And no, he doesn't want to talk to you. Your secret's out, bud. Made it loud and clear by trapping and kissing him in your drunken state.. And after all that talk about your self control too~" Crap! A smirk slid out at the end there, which of course spoked his anger.
He growled sharply at you. "Can you at least let me try to explain myself??"
"Noupe~!" Smirking. You happily let a classmate through the door, but slammed your palm against the doorway to bar off Hoku from slipping in after. "Where do you think you're going~?"
Hoku scoffed while rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "You really like seeing me miserable, don't you?"
"Only a little bit~"
"Can you please-?"
"-No."
"I'll tell him your secret!" He yipped. Your left eye twitched. You then slid your sunglasses down and made eye contact with him. He continued in a hushed tone. "You know... The drug one..."
You leaned in, a scarily straight face taking hold as you whispered closely into his ear. "You do realize what that would mean for you too, right?"
He paused for maybe a second before whispering something back, standing stiff and staring straight ahead. "At this point, I don't even care. He deserves to know the truth.. about both of us."
"Mh." You sounded unphased, but of course this was a threat. If Tenko knowing the truth about your connection to the quirk erasing drug wasn't bad enough, he also just so happened to be terrible at keeping secrets... If he slipped to anyone.. it wouldn't be long before Ms. Zeyale caught wind and decided you were simply too much of a hassle to keep around. Instant prison sentence for who knows how long. All the plans you've been working up towards would fall apart in your absence, making you nothing but a worthless criminal at the end of the day. ... You couldn't have that. Without even realizing it, Hokusei had created the perfect trap.
"...Teh... I knew fear existed in you somewhere." Hoku said, amused. "I can see it in your eyes.."
You blinked a couple times, pulling yourself further back while pushing the sunglasses up. You chuckled "My my.. too self confident today, are we~?" then scowled at the brunette. "I'm still not letting you near him. You want to talk to Tenny?" With your thumb, you pointed at yourself, other hand chillin' on your hip. "Ur gunna have'ta go through me."
"Guess I'll just have to take the Sports Festival seriously today, then." The other jeered back. You chuckled dryly at his sorry excuse of a 'joke.' "I never really had a reason to try before.." while stretching his arms, "so.. I never actually tried to win."
"Psh. Like you could."
"Maybe not the whole thing, no, but.. I only need to make it far enough to have a 1-on-1 with Ten~...where I can then talk to him about ALL the amazing stuff you're involved in as we fight alone in that ring~" Okay, THAT time he had your blood boiling. The moment he saw your fingers twitch, he knew he struck a nerve.
You shoved Hokusei into the middle of the hallway. "Get back to your class... Not even gunna let you try that one."
Hokusei was gleeful seeing his threats and teases were actually getting to you. It was subtle, but your exterior was cracking. You weren't as untouchable as everyone thought, and knowing that was such a relief! This was perhaps what gave him the confidence he needed to dare smirk at you and say, "You can't be his little bodyguard forever. I know what'll break you now~~ And I intend to tell Ten the truth. Everything I know.. Maybe I can get him to leave you too." He carried that smug look with him as he left. Now leaving you the one seething, trying your absolute best to cover it up.
...He was that torn up about the rejection?? So blinded, he was willing to out himself if it meant taking you down with him?!? Good Lord, hormonal teens are so annoying. He could literally just have a little patience and Tenko would probably approach him himself. Guhh...
And now because of his immaturity, you had this whole, fragile mess to handle with caution.
Hhhhhhh, will your suffering ever end?
----------
There was more than one tournament involving you today. The other one was raging on the inside... And, no, I'm not talking about sappy emotional stuff or digestion problems. Nah, I'm talking about your first ever "Department," which is what your quirks were starting to call it.
Inside the dark void of your subconscious, you had constructed an embarrassingly fragile colosseum, which would break apart easily but then mend itself back together after only few seconds. The edges and bleachers of this ring were the most unstable, with cracks already threatening to tear the whole thing apart. But, no one really seemed to mind it all that much. The hundreds of quirks you'd amassed over the years collected in the circling seating area, lowkey hype about the event unfolding before their very eyes.
You materialized in time to see the sight for yourself; what your mind had managed to conjure in order to make this thing a whole lot more interesting and a lot less...well... obvious just how rigged everything was.
When you stood in the very center of the arena, the people actually cheered, the vestiges of quirks long abandoned now filled with hope that they could become useful again. Yes, this would fix everything. Everything involving your nightmares at least.
All you have to do is give them a little hope that, as long as they play by the rules, they can be free. And if they fail... Well, it's not your fault anymore, now is it~? They'll be so focused on blaming and trying to improve themselves that they'll forget to torment you. It was a shame you hadn't thought about it sooner.
You needn't say much. Everyone already knew what this was about. You loosely gestured to the two standing on the platform below you. "Toya Todoroki and Tetsu Iinu will be deciding from the winners of today's event who will join them in their new bodies, so I recommend you showcase all aspects of your quirk before your time is up." Excitement bounced around the audience at the mere mention of having a new body. Anything was better in their eyes than being trapped inside your quirk, and you couldn't blame them. There was a special section of the audience physically barred off from the rest. And those were the quirks you deemed too essential to even consider giving up.
Like all games, this one had its rules:
1. No more than five members from the Amalgamation can merge to make themselves stronger overall.
2. There will be absolutely no fighting for the place of or arguing with the "Judges."
3. Only the "Game Master" can decide who the Judges will be.
4. Only Judges can decide who of the winners will join them.
5. "Rebels" cannot participate in the games. And if anyone allows a tournament to begin knowing a Rebel is involved, the whole event will be closed down for that month.
6. These tournaments will only take place once a month.
So far it was still a very rudimentary system. Undoubtedly, there would be a lot of kinks to work out as these tournaments continue. As for where all these quirks would be going, you've already had a brief meeting with Dr. Garaki about funding his Nomu creations again. That way, not only will your rebellious quirks be directed toward a goal, but once they have achieved that goal, they'll function as great bodyguards in the real world. Or your "Knights" as you're considering calling them.
The first match was just getting started when--
-----
"(Y/n)!" Tenko shook you awake. You jerked upright, blinking around wildly. Ah.. the bus had stilled, meaning you were already here. "D###- I- I mean dang, you were out cold!" The boy laughed. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and yawned.
"Is everybody gone already?" Your eyes opening confirmed that, yes, everyone else was indeed gone. A little annoyed but also glad to be stepping out of one tournament and into another, far higher priority tournament, you jutted to your feet and marched behind Tenny out of the bus. Your childhood friend filled you in on some of the finer details while leading you to the right prep room.
Inside the waiting room, with tables, water, and a few packets of Trail Mix, everyone was a lot quieter than before. The really sociable ones still talked, but most of the others were getting in the zone; mentally prepping themselves for the challenges ahead. And that intensity only skyrocketed as you and Tenko entered the room. Suddenly, all those serious, thoughtful eyes were trained on you. The ones who had been calculating, planning, and prepping were gearing up to be the many thorns in your side today. There were some who simply wouldn't accept their loss. Not now, at least. Not yet.
They needed a little time in the spotlight too if they ever wanted to become heroes.
-----
After you'd settled into your own little corner, all alone in your own little chair, you received a text out of the blue.
Rat King:
Dear (Y/n) (L/n), I am sorry to inform you on such a short notice, but there has been a slight change of plans. 😔For several reasons involving influences both inside and outside the school, I have decided to change the speaker for this year's event. 😯😵 I hope this does not cause you any distress. I know how much time and care you put into these 😭, and I bet your next one was going to be the best one yet! ✊😭 I will be sure to give you extra credit points for the prep work you put into your speech, so rest assured the effort wasn't for not. 🥰
The message is still going?? Dang. Kinda like the texts your dad used to send.
As for who is taking your place, I will leave that as a surprise. 🤭 But I am positive you will not be disappointed! 🤩🎊 Other than that, I have also been told the HPSC has hired somebody new to monitor your public appearance. They are scheduled to introduce themself soon, so be ready! 🤗 For any questions, please contact your homeroom teacher, since I am very busy right now. 📚😞📚 I hope this message finds you in good health, and good luck in this year's games! 🤗🎊
Well, as a whole.... Kinda cute. But also, dang, you really were expecting to give one final grandiose speech this year. The one taking your place better not be Hoku! He surely can't be that good at pulling the strings, can he!?
----------
It was only a few minutes later that you and the rest of the kids in your grade stood before the whole auditorium full of people, all of you staring at the stage and the small principle welcoming everyone to the event.
"And now I would like for the student rated top of our senior grade for both personal and academic growth to make his way onto the stage!" The principle disappeared into the ground as your chosen replacement marched up the steps... Wait. IGUCHI!?! Sure enough, the chad lizard was the one chosen for this year. Sighing in relief, you clapped along with everyone else.
His speech was a short one. In all honestly, it sounded a lot like your own, except his focused souly on the topic of animorphs. What amazed everyone, but didn't surprise you one bit, was the fiery passion he brought with him. Like Martin Luther King Jr. all over again but obviously MANY years later. Best part was the crowd was majority on his side, cheering like mad lads after! You were pretty excited too. Excited for him, mainly. "And that's why I'm going to win this year." Iguchi casually announced.
You teasingly cupped your hands around your mouth and yelled, "Yeah right!" Which was followed by a rippling of laughter among the student body. Everyone here was having too much fun to see the burning hunger in his eyes. He. Would. Win.
No matter what.
----------
"Pff. Dude, what the crap is that??!" Mimic in human form cringed and laughed at the sight of his boss watching what looked like a gameshow.
Kai side-eyed him dangerously. "UA has a sports event going on. Thought I'd tune in for a couple minutes to see how (Y/n) fairs."
Mimic plopped onto the couch beside Kai, rocking the whole piece of furniture. "OoOo~ Is Overhaul taking a liking to his lady friend~?" He leaned in, mocking.
Kai shoved the other away. "Don't make it weird, no." Honestly. She was still a highschool student. Why was everyone teasing him like this?
He just wanted to see what all those years of training and hardship had accomplished. And whether or not she could put any real action to her words.
-----
A purple haired kid flopped onto his back on the couch "GUYYYYYS, hurry Up! It's starting!" He shouted boredly at the ceiling. The young teen draped his arms over his face as he listened to the chaos in the kitchen from his family still making lunch.
"One minute, Hito!" His mom called. He sighed.
"I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!" A six year old girl with long purple hair up in braided pigtails ran into the living room and jumped on top of her brother.
"Ough!.. Ibi, get off!"
The littler one giggled, fighting her older brother's half hearted attempt to push her off. "Heheheh, stay, silly pillow!" She sat on her older brother's belly. He gave up after a few seconds and laid there limply. He turned his head just in time to see the grand reveal of the race course.
It looked like a mix between Wipe Out and American Ninja Warrior but designed for MANY people to go at once! The whole thing spiraled its way up and into the sky, getting narrower the higher up it went. If you fell, you weren't just falling into a pool, but a raging river! One that would take you all the way back down to the bottom unless you managed to save yourself!
Shinso's eyes nearly closed as a wave of tired washed over him, but he pried them back open.
He'd made the mistake in staying up too late watching the recordings of the last couple years' events. Too busy crafting theories and studying everyone's fighting styles, especially those of the winners. The ones who intrigued him most were (Y/n) Diforester and Iguchi Shuichi. They were absolute wildcards when it came to fighting. Honestly, did they even learn to fight at the same school?! He decided that he just HAD to learn to fight like them, especially Iguchi!
The kid was a bit sad (Y/n) didn't give a speech this year, but oh well. He liked the other guy's too, though it didn't speak directly to him like (Y/n)s' did.
"Ibi, get off your brother!" Their mom griped as she stepped in with a bowl of food for each.
"Awwwh!" The girl rolled off the elder, allowing him to sit up. He did, again yawning and rubbing his face.
"My my.. You sure look tired, Hito. Should we record this for later so you can have a nap?"
"No." The kid was quick to shake his head. He had a hard time showing it, but he was super excited.
He could stay awake for this, easy. After all, if he was going to UA, he wanted to know what to expect.
-----
"You sure you guys are alright with watching?" Ms. Inko asked the boys.
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
"Oh, alright..." She was surprised, really. Even after all that drama with (Y/n) -- she now knew both of them knew about her dark past -- the two were still so excited to watch the Sports Festival. It was a marvel most kids gathered around to watch these days, but even so, shocking the two didn't have any hesitancy whatsoever. It surprised her!
Of course, there was also the fact that Shimura was involved. And both of the boys liked him!
Izuku and Katsuki jumped onto the couch and sat side by side with a big bowl of snacks between them. They both were wide eyed and full of excitement while listening to the rules being explained to everyone.
The woman sighed softly, finally smiling at the screen. It was a beautiful day out there... She hoped (Y/n) would be able to enjoy it.
-----
"Make sure to put extra sunscreen on." You2 handed Himiko a bottle of sunscreen. The girl sighed but grabbed it obediently.
"Okay.." As she rubbed the ointment into her face, she closely watched Jin, who sat beside her. This was the first year he had time off to actually go to one of these things! Though he did good acting natural, someone close to him as Himiko could clearly see he was shivering with excitement.
And honestly, why wouldn't he be excited? On top of being able to take a break from work, attend such a cool event for only half the price -- relative discount -- and see the original (Y/n) kick some a##, he also had his girlfriend of one year and three months sitting on the other side of him. And she was honestly so cute! Standing around 4'11, with dark skin and long black hair, not to mention her old lady-ish sense of fashion, there was no surprise how cute she and Jin looked together! How they became a couple is a bit of a long story, but in short they met through the courses Jin was taking to catch up with his peers. And it's been near-impossible to separate them ever since. (modeled after my brother and his gf lol)
Himiko rolled her eyes and looked away when the two held hands. Cringe... But at the same time she couldn't deny how much she wished that for herself~ If only the boys her age were willing to let her bite them, which they weren't. 😔 At least most were nice about letting her down easy... Some even stayed her friends after the awkward confrontation.
"Hey, Himi, mind passing over the sunscreen?" You2 asked.
"Uh- oh- yeah." She handed the bottle over so the elder could use it. By now the little girl had pretty much accepted (Y/n)2 as being her own person. Complete with her own life, interests, friends, pets, and more. She saw that same 'mothering' side from both of them, though, which Himi liked to tease (Y/n)2 about.
Hhhh, but.. not today. Today, she wanted to see her beloved (Y/n) in person...kicking butt like a baws~
BRAAAAAP!
"And they're off!!" The announcer yelled. Everyone's attentions gathered on the centerpiece and screens, excitedly watching the wave of students flooding onto the course.
-----
"Heheyyy! The race's finally started!" One of the sidekicks excitedly announced to the other, showing off their phone screen. "Oogh, and somebody already wiped out!"
"Heheheheh"
"What are you two idiots talking about?" Hawks exited the bathroom with a hand towel to his face, a trail of steam following behind. He was freshly dressed in a clean hero suit to use for the second half of the day.
The guy's sidekicks dropped the phone and together swatted it into the air repeatedly until one of them finally caught it. "Uh- uhh- it's the UA Sports Festival, sir!"
"Yeah! It's live right now!"
"Hold on. Let me see." Hawks squeezed in there reeeeeal close to see the screen. After a few awkwardly silent seconds, he pried the side of his face off of the other guy's and rubbed his head dry. "Awwh, I wanted to be there this year... Forgot it was this Sunday and not next Sunday." One of his sidekicks patted him on the shoulder. The other just stared, zoning out. "Welp." Keigo grunted as he stretched his arms above his head. "Guess she'll just have to meet the Big Man alone. Boy, won't that be interesting!? Haha!"
----------
You danced into the break room. "🎶Yeah, I won~ do do, do-do do, I won~ do do, do-do do, heck yeah🎶" In after crawled a dozen or so students with varying physical and psychological ailments.
Your only regret so far was being unable to sabotage Hoku in a way that wouldn't disqualify you. It was really hard to make something like that look like an accident, unsurprisingly, with so many cameras watching your every move. Most you could do was score the highest in every way and hope he falls through the cracks. Unfortunately, he wasn't bluffing before. Now that Hoku was actually trying.. he was fairing surprisingly well. Ranked fourth place in that race, right behind Tenko himself. Grr.
After everyone had filed in and settled into their own places to relax, your phone started vibrating and ringing suddenly in your pocket. It disturbed everyone, making your cheeks flush pink as over a dozen heads turned to stare.
"Heheheh.. sorry, this might be important." You ran out of the room with the ringing phone in hand. Once outside the room, you closed the door and checked who it was. " 'Big Man' " the name read, their profile picture of this goofy-a## man grinning really up and close to the camera. You rolled your eyes and declined. Must be one of Keigo's friends, since the name and everything's already set up, but you didn't recognize the guy.
Again, your phone rang. Same person. Again, you declined. AGAIN, the phone rang. FINALLY, you answered it. "Hello???"
Chew chew chew chew
""Hi, speak English please.""
Chew chew chew chew
"Who is this?? And can ya stop callin' me??"
""What do you mean 'who is this?' I'm your new publicist! Didn't your buddy, Hawks, set up my profile all professional for you?!""
"Um...." Looking at the goofy face and name, "...What's your name?"
""That b######. What did he set my name as?""
Chew chew chew
"Big Man."
""Oh... Keep it then. It suits me.""
"Pff."
""Anyway, you can just call me Mr. Schlatt. I'm still in America right now because my flight was delayed, it's f###ing midnight, I'm sitting here eating dried prunes!.. That's all I got going on. I assume you're probably having lunch or some s###.""
"No.. actually just got done winning a race."
""Yeah yeah, okay. The UA sporting games... Gosh, I remember when I was in highschool.. so young and innocent... Anyway, are you like a girlboss b#### or a fun-and-games b####? I'd assume by your hero costume you're the first, but since you're friends with Hawks you could also be the ladder."
"I'm, um, both...?" What exactly were this man's qualifications, for, like anything??
""Oh okay cool... So I can talk to you however then. Perfect!""
"Um, is this a prank call..?"
""Google me if you really think that. In the meantime, I'm sending you a list of all the potential sidekicks for you to pick and choose from that'd fit both your brand and hero type. Make sure to give it a good look-over. There are 53 in-all.""
"Woah..." You downloaded the document he sent and were greeted with a very detailed spreadsheet. This included pictures, names, ages, quirk types, skill-set, and so on.
""Since you're put down here as a brawler, most'a these guys specialize in capture or rescue.""
You were a little disappointed scrolling through the list, not finding any familiar faces. "Why are none of my classmates on this list?"
""What are you? An elitist?! Hiring sidekicks from the same school is typically frowned upon in the hero world.""
"Why? Because I already have a list in my head of the guys I'd like to hire, and they're both in my same grade!"
""The President was right, you are the rebellious one.""
"Trust me. I've been watching these guys for years. Pretty sure I'd be better off in a team with them than whoever these strangers are on the list." Not to mention you've known these guys for quite some time now. It'd be a heck of a lot harder to imagine any of them being planted spies tasked with watching your every move.
""You DO realize how long it took me to compile this list, right?"" The man on the other end was clearly agitated.
"Sorry, no, and I don't really care to be honest."
""Hhhhh.""
Chew chew chew chew
""Fine then. You have three slots to fill. Go ahead and ask whoever, but by the end of the day, if any of them decline, I'm choosing someone to fill that slot for you.""
"Hhh, alright... Deal."
""Deal.""
Chew chew chew
"You done?"
""Ohhh, my bowls are going to have one heck of a party tonight!""
"Uhhhh.. TMI."
""I can feel it coming already..""
"Okay, can I go now??"
""Yeah sure. Have fun, kid. Just remember that I was put in charge of you by the President herself, which makes me like your boss now, so don't think you can get away with blatantly defying my orders after this, alright?.. Okay, bye. I really shouldn't have eaten all those prunes..."" Then he hung up.
Your back leaning against the wall still, you stood there kind of dumbfounded for a moment.
"Hhh." You stared up at the ceiling light. "Guess I have no choice but to recruit some peeps now, huh?"
...
Google search: Schlatt
||Age: 41
||Height: 6'3
||Gender: male
" 'Jhaqkkaleb Schlatt is most notoriously known for making it into America's top ten heroes before the age of 25, breaking several records. He was soon after arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for impersonation of the law, since he was neither a registered hero nor did he do any hero work. After release, the man took his controversial career in a new direction: directing and counseling young heroes in the publicity department. Currently, Jhaqkkaleb Schlatt works as a publicist under some of the world's top heroes, though he himself rarely shows his face to the public in favor of keeping a low profile.' "
Wuh... Guess the man had some credibility after all... How the heck did he pull all that off, though?!
=============
Originally, I was just gunna make a boring-a## oc to fill this role, but then I realized using Jschlatt would be much funnier.
And btw, I am not using the 'person' of Schlatt, but rather the character he plays. Just wanted to make that distinction now.
=============
----------
You had to admit one embarrassing thing: the main reason you had these people in mind was because of how much you liked their quirks and enjoyed the idea of using them for yourself.
The first person you asked to join was Noshi Ito, a kind, gentle, nervous soul. You asked him while drawing another dragon on his head and down his arm, which he requested of you just as he had the last two years. He was surprisingly quick to agree! Even said he was wanting to ask you about it for some time now. So, that was nice~
The second person you approached was Shio Tezuka. Tezuka the limb regenerator, the woman respecter, the quiet but serious one who would just walk away and do his own thing when everyone else was being stupid. Where he lacked in creativity, he more than made up for in being a quick thinker who had a dozen or more backup plans pre-set before even stepping up to the plate.
You approached him at a strange time. On your way out to the field to play the next game. He said he'd think about it. Later after the team game was announced, he was the one to approach you and recommend you team up as his way of gaging whether or not you guys would work well together.
The third person you approached was outside on the field mere minutes before the rules were explained. Euphemia Reminston, the transfer student. The one who honestly had the sickest quirk. She was often aloof and distant, but you could tell a switch flicked in her head whenever it was time to get serious. Then came a raging passion that often terrified her opponents. Unfortunately for her, she also had difficulty keeping her guard up. It wasn't hard to distract her mid-fight, and anyone who knew this about her had an easy win.
Unfortunately, she informed you that her plans were to move back to her home country in Europe and become a hero there... Bummer.
You didn't have time to think about who else to ask to be your sidekick. The next game was rapidly approaching! You assembled a quick team consisting of: Tezuka, Ukimori Shou and Ito. And as the game began, your team casually targeted Hokusei's.
Your team didn't win. 😔
But it got second place! Right behind Tenny's. 😎 Tezuka agreed to become your sidekick after, since you did well enough as a leader. And with your creativity and his detailed planning, you made for surprisingly good partners.
Hoku's team got last place.. of those who qualified to move on to the next round. 😞 Fortunate for Iguchi at least, since he was on that team.
Now it was time to prepare for the matches, the duels, the final showdowns~
You were on the edge of your seat. With so much on the line aside from winning, this was actually turning out to be pretty fun!
----------
Tenko was proudly striding over the lawn toward the arched door when a wave of bright red caught his attention. The teen looked up, jaw dropping as he saw none other than the number one hero, Endeavor, waving the kid down. He had one of those smiles you would typically see on kind jocks watching pridefully as their nerd buddies make some progress physically. A strangely kind smirk. Tenny spun around to double check the man wasn't looking at anyone else. "Shimura!" Endeavor proved that wasn't the case by calling for him. Tenko skipped closer to the man so he wouldn't have to shout so much. "Meet me outside the East Exit!.. I'd like to talk to you about something!"
You didn't like the sound of that. Walking not far behind Tenny, you glared at the hero until he met your glare with his own. You two had a whole silent conversation about who hated the other more until it was too much trouble craning your neck to look at him anymore. You watched Tenko's back the whole time you passed through the hallway, making sure Hoku didn't slither anywhere near. At some point, the hall split into two. Everyone else was going right, but Tenko diverted to the left.
"Psst! Tenny!" You caught the teen's attention, fixing him with a quick, stern scowl. "You aren't seriously going to talk to that guy?"
"Why wouldn't I??" He asked innocently. Of course. He knew nothing of Toya, of Shoto, Fuyumi, Natsuo, Rei... He knew nothing a stalker like you would. He was completely innocent, and.. cuing him in that you knew more might lead him to question just how deep of a mess you are in with the Todorokis. Truths would bubble up you frankly never want him to know.
You decided to leave it alone. "I dunno..." Rigid shrug. "He just gives weird vibes... Be careful that he's the kind of person you can trust before agreeing to anything." Especially if it was about you. You turned, waving over your shoulder. "Good luck." You walked away slowly, then turned back around when you heard Tenko doing the same. Hands in your pockets, you watched him. Just watched him. No real expression or emotion in sight. But you wondered for a moment...
What was this about?
-----
Tenko was taken aback to find Endeavor actually did show up and was really there standing right in front of him! He wasn't a super fan or anything. Nothing like that at all. But the fact that he was now standing in front of THE number one hero in Japan!.. It would make anyone nervous!
"Um, he-hello, sir!" He bowed. "It really is a pleasure to meet you in person, but may I ask.. why-?"
"-Stand up already." Endeavor ordered. Tenko snapped to standing stiffly as a board, so fast there weren't any in-between frames to catch it. The boy held a sort of nervous grin as he watched the towering hunk think. The hero scratched his chin for a moment, then, his stiff exterior loosened a bit. "I don't offer things like this, and I won't offer it to you again, but.. I was wondering if you would like to take an apprenticeship under me."
0v0 .... "Wait... Hold on... I heard that right, right?... Apprenticeship? I didn't just make that up? I'm not going insane?"
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Endeavor's words were a blend of stern and soft. "You're up against some tough opponents, so I can see why you might consider yourself unworthy, but trust me, your strength is near unmatched. I'll even admit, I see traces of All Might in you... And that's..." The man turned his head, crossing one arm over his chest to prop the other on, all so his fist could prop up his chin while he assembled his thoughts. "...I realized fairly early on that I was never fit to become the number one hero.. once I became it, that is... I spent years fighting with myself, saying I just wasn't grateful for finally reaching my goal. But, I've accepted it now..." Still staring at the distant bushes, Endeavor glared just to make up for the vulnerable touch of red appearing in his eyes. "...And to think of all the things I sacrificed to get here..."
The man quickly turned his gaze to the ground, hands bracing on his hips. He cleared his throat, killing the building tension in there. "Point is, I don't intend to hold the number one spot forever. And I was wondering if someone such as yourself would like to inherit it from me." He looked at Tenko again, smirking in a nice kind of way. "I can tell you have a lot of potential, and you're holding yourself back. All you need is some guidance and the right atmosphere to grow." The larger man reached out his hand, offering a deal to the other. "If you tutor under me, without a doubt, you'll take the lead in no time."
Tenko's hand twitched in the direction of the other's. But, he held himself back. The look on (Y/n)'s face when she warned him.. it was.. like the scene in a horror movie, subtly hinting to the terrors he would face. Her words played on repeat, that scowl entrenched into his mind. Tenko wondered if there was something he should fear about this man. And for that reason, his hand returned at his side.
"Do you mind if I think about this?.. I- I promise I'll have an answer by the end of the event! I-it's just that this is a lot to take in!. I'm sorry."
The elder's gaze hardened slightly into a more serious look. Other than that, he didn't appear phased at all. "Don't be." He apologized. "I'm the one to bring this up so unprofessionally..." His hand returned at his side, standing straighter. "I, however, need to know sooner than later what your answer is. So please have one by the end of the tournament. I will wait for you out here once it's over. If you don't meet me here, I will take that as a no as well."
"Okay, yes sir!" Tenko bowed swiftly, now backing away. "Will do, sir!.. Have a- have a nice day~!" He disappeared through the door, leaving the man to sigh and chuckle. That kid... He didn't even realize how similar he was to All Might.
Endeavor never thought he'd be open to training a protege again. Over six months ago, he released his youngest from training. Realized, a little late, that this just wasn't the way to go. Forcing his dying dreams onto his children proved pointless... Again, he wished he'd realized it sooner.
A stupid cat cared more about the state of his family than he had in a long, long time. Realizing that, he couldn't accept his actions anymore.
It would be hard, but he wanted to change. And, hopefully, the little bit of All Might he saw in Tenko would rub off on him too. Because only a true hero could save his family.
.
===============
I will agree, that was a bit sudden. Endeavor's whole character arc was always turning around in the back of my head, but it's been very hard to drop hints of it with everything going on. But from the start this has been on my mind.
But his proposal to TENKO, THOUGH?! I didn't see THAT one coming! 🤣
Bro just appeared and was like "let me have the child" and I was like "👀OH, ALRRRIGHT!👀 You don't have the best history there buddy but I don't see why not!" 😂
===============
-
--------------
Luck was on your side today. Because it just so happened that your first opponent today was none other than Hokusei.
You stretched your arms and grinned even as you stood there on the concrete stage. You knew the gist of how his quirk worked already, so this shouldn't be too hard.
That being said, you also don't want to get too cocky and miss something. Let's see... When he first arrived here at this school, the guy was able to touch an object and, depending on which hand he used, make it fall either north or south. By around the end of that year he'd figured out how, by combining polls or something, was able to make an object fall in whichever direction he wanted. So, sort of like Uraraka's quirk but if she was able to make anything fall to the left or right instead of just float. I dunno. He never explained the details to anyone! Last you heard, however, he figured out a way to do this with people too. All he needed was to touch them beforehand.
Question now was...how long before it runs out? Because, now that you look back, he did briefly touch you earlier today. But, nooo! Surely his gravitational control over something wouldn't last that long, right?! He would have used it on you already in that case!
Through all these thoughts, you prepared for the worst just in case. But surely, he can't just--
BRAAAAAP!
Once Hoku slapped his palms together, your whole center of gravity suddenly shifted.
"Oh frick!" The ground became a wall that your shoes scraped against. You knew without having to look that you were mere seconds from falling beyond the border, so, taking desperate measures, you punched the ground. Your unprepared limb shattered, but so did the ground. Your other hand grabbed ahold of the crater. A moment of silence to your arm regenerating itself, your other hand just barely holding on. But that did the trick! Your feet dangled just within bounds!
As your hand made its recovery, you struck the concrete wall with it. Decay tore a grid shape into its surface, not perfectly even but impressive nonetheless! You used this grid pattern to climb up what was now a sheer cliff toward Hokusei. He can mess with gravity all he wants. You'll still win.
Hoku pressed his palms together and rotated them counter to each other. Your center of gravity again shifted. Your hands slipped and you were glad you made the ground a grid and not just stripes, because you were desperately clinging to those small ledges. While you stabilized yourself, Hoku ran in and threw a kick to your head. You narrowly dodged and flipped your body around to throw a kick of your own. He jumped out of the way and changed your center of gravity all over again. Suddenly you were falling diagonally along the grid, the corners now dangerous edges you could get cut on. You took the risk and fell into one of the corners, cutting yourself in the process. Dang, this is not looking super epic! You were really hoping for a flawless victory, since Kai was watching and now was your time to show off. Instead, here you were probably looking like you were ten or more levels of drunk.
This time as Hoku ran in to kick you you reached out and grabbed his ankle. He changed gravity. You held on, dragging him along with you. When he lifted his foot to shake you, you pulled yourself into something of a jump over him. Didn't give him time to switch gravity again, you stomped him then grabbed the wall, laughing aloud as Hoku was sent flying. He almost passed the line but not quite. Smirking, you let go of the wall, prepping to fall quickly enough to kick him out of bounds.
But then Hokusei slapped his hands together, then pulled them apart strenuously like there was a magnifying pull between them. Toy gasped as this time you were sent flying into the sky. Thank God for your long limbs, because you just barely caught on with your fingertips, which dug into the ledge to keep your grip.
As Hoku ran at you again, you adjusted yourself accordingly... It's alright... You're just fighting upside down now while clinging to the ceiling. No biggie!
And fight upsidedown you did. Impressive you were, creating new holes to cling on to as you fought. Now having to use your hands like your feet and your feet like your hands. It was a kicking match and somehow you were equally matched like this!
Craziest thing was neither of you said a word to each kther. Not a snobby "I'm gunna win." Not a childish jeer. Not even a swear! There was nothing left to be said on the matter, really. Neither of you were even interested in letting the other win. And after so many years of all this pointless bickering, jabbing, and making each other's lives miserable, it was rather cathartic having a conversation that used nothing but violence.
The longer you fought, the more Hoku realized you were winning. Even like this! Even while looking like some absurd break-dancer! Yes, it was a challenge for you and yes you hated every second of it, but would that convince you to give up? Surely not! And now here you were steadily pushing your opponent further and further toward the edge.
Hoku had to change up strategies quick, so he made you fall Eastward again, then West before you could even catch the ledge. Your grip slipped and slipped as gravity switched again and again. You started to get a little sick from all this shifting. You finally found a place to hold onto the wall with both legs and arms, hugging it essentially. Hoku was starting to struggle pulling his hands apart after so much use. While you were still recovering, he stomped up to you and kicked your head into the cement.
Whap!... Whap!...
""OH, WOAH! Maybe we should chill out a little on the brutality there!!"" Present Mic in the announcing booth leaned in closer, concern clear across his face.
Eraserhead covered his mic with his hand. "These two have been trying to kill each other for years and I still don't get why.." He mumbled strictly to his announcer buddy.
Whap!..
"Ghh, just GIVE UP already!!" Hokusei shouted. You opened your mouth wide and bit his shoe instead. He tried to tug it free, but you held on like a rabid mutt.
You didn't even need to speak, he could see it in your eyes. Your bright blue eyes that burned like fire. You would never let yourself lose, now would you?! Losing wasn't even an option for you! It really started to freak him out a bit.
"What the f###?! Let go!" He shook his leg again. You grabbed his ankle. He switched up gravity again. You dragged him along with you, finally freeing your jaws of that wretched shoe taste! Now you just held onto the guy's ankle, him physically unable to shake you off no matter the amount of times he switched gravity. Heck, you nearly dragged him into the sky before he gave up on that! And as he grew more desperate, he was forced to use his quirk more and more. And the more he used it, the harder it was to move his hands. The more they started to stick to each other like fated magnets. And the harder it was to do anything but use his quirk.
In all that time, he couldn't shake you. He just couldn't. And finally you found the perfect opening to trip the guy up, make him land on his face, and sit on top of his back to hold him down. He fought under you, even with his hands stuck together, and found a way to elbow you in the gut. After taking one blow, you grabbed his elbow. Your left hand shoved his face into the ground as your right used Decay to tear through the cloth around his elbow.
"Give up now~?"
"NO- A- AOW!" Decay tore through his skin easily, digging deep into his flesh. "OKOK FINE, I GIVE UP!"
BWAAAP!
""WE HAVE A WINNER!.. What a relief!.. I really thought those two were going to kill each other there for a sec!""
""You should keep those thoughts to yourself instead of broadcasting them worldwide...""
""OOPS! My bad!!""
You were breathing intensely, glaring down at your still captured opponent. There were no witnesses, there was no audience! Just you and this guy.. And with Decay already active, it was like natural progression to simply let it go all the way... Let it tear off an arm..or two. Maybe even just dissolve him completely right here and now~ It would be a quick death, no doubt... Then this rotten loser wouldn't even have the ability to mess with you anymore~
"Hey-uh... I- I said I give up! Can you.. gh.. stop using your quirk?!"
"That's enough, Diforester." Cementos picked you up off of your opponent, revealing the open wound where even bone could be seen. How Hokusei wasn't screaming his head off, you hadn't a clue. The sight snapped you back into the present. You were suddenly conscious of the crowd, the people, the world you inhabited, the lives of those you cared about who lived on it.
Your face went pale as you were carried off of the platform. In horror, you realized... You'd just slipped back into that mindset again. The one that led you to that massacre.. without even realizing it!
It was that which scared you. Realizing just how easy it was to lose control.
...You almost just killed somebody... in front of millions, near billions of people... In front of everyone you've ever known.
. . .
He was trained at the most prestigious hero school in all of Japan!
Smack!
He'd been practicing, tirelessly, for years!
Whap!
He had ONE FOR ALL, for crying out loud!!
Skkid!
WHY WASN'T THAT ENOUGH!?
BANG!
"IGUCHI SHUICHI HAS WON THE MATCH AND WILL BE MOVING ON TO THE FINAL ROUND! OHHH YEEAAHHH!!!"
"You don't have to be so loud..." -_-
Tenko couldn't believe it. Laying on his back, he stared up at the bright blue sky with foggy vision. This long, tireless day. The emotions leading up to this moment. The fact that he wouldn't even make it to the final round this year. It all crashed down on his spinning head, numbing his core.
Why did it matter so much that he win? Why did, both last year and this one, he feel so overwhelmingly crushed from losing?
Simple. He was supposed to be the strongest. The number one hero who always wins. And who everyone can rely on and look up to.
"Need help, man?" Iguchi chuckled, extending a hand to his friend. Tenko sloppily slapped it away, preferring to sulk alone on the ground while the rest of the world celebrated.
After a moment of nothing but listening to his spiraling thoughts, Tenko's eyes started to water. He bit his bottom lip and frantically wiped face dry before anyone could see it. "'m such a baby." He mumbled to himself. In his head, he was imagining a younger him running hand-in-hand with (Y/n) as kids. Only now...the teen's slowing pace was forcing himself to let go... And now he was nothing but a disappointment to the previous users, without a doubt! Aizawa made the wrong call, but Tenko was too scared to admit it. If his trajectory continued downward like this, he wouldn't be saving anybody.
. . .
""AAAAND, BEGIN!""
BRAAAAAP!
"You sure you don't want to retract that little statement you made back there, Guchi-pu~?" You and Iguchi circled the center of the arena, keeping at equal distance from each other.
The other threw up his fists as he laughed. "Why? You think you'll beat me~?"
You smirked. "I don't just think! I know!" You charged, Iguchi following. As you ran, you dragged your fingers through the ground. Cracks shot out from the spot in a webbing shape. These lines were thin but deep! Iguchi jumped into a fancy little flip over them. He then threw himself HIGH into the air, rocketing down to stomp your head. You rolled out out of the way just in time. He crushed the center-most part of the webbing you'd made. That set off a chain reaction. The whole concrete stage -- within the border -- started to collapse in on itself. Only a few pillars of rock still stood. The rubble did their best to swallow your opponent whole in this little trap you made. But he was just a little too strong.
CRACK!
He smashed his way out of the crumbling earth and landed on one of the few pillars of stone. You grinned at him from atop another one. On what little remained of the stage, you dashed and dodged, swiped and crashed each other into the ground.
You were on the verge of laughing. For only you knew which parts of the arena were stable, making it funny to watch Iguchi land on the wrong pillar and topple over as a result. You smiled so wide, half mocking, half simply enjoying yourself. "You're taking this pretty seriously, aren't ya, bud?!"
"GHH!" He glared at you with distilled hatred. The look killed your smile instantly. Why WAS he taking this so seriously?! And why was he looking so inflamed?
Iguchi again leapt at you, shouting as he reeled back his right fist. "PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO WIN!"
As you stood there, you just stared wide eyed. At his fist. At his face. At all of it. Remembering back, Iguchi has been strangely cold to you for quite a few months now.... What did you do..? Or, what did he know..?
Your reaction was last second. You tilted your head just out of the way, so, when the other's body ran into you, you grabbed him around the waist and redirected the both of you into the ground. Guchi took the brunt of the blow. His head was smashed and cut up by the uneven rubble, as was yours, but the two of you healed miraculously quick. You loosened your hold. Iguchi rolled off of you and laid on his back staring at the sky at your side. You both huffed oxygen, catching your breaths and swallowing the blood in your throats.
"...What did I do this time, Iguchi..? Sounding defeated and tired, you asked the simple question. It could be anything ranging from a small personal problem to something BIG.
Your frond took a few seconds to think while he caught his breath. Finally, he muttered, "You're still a villain." While wiping blood from the edge of his mouth. You wiped some off your cheek.
"No, I'm not..." You gulped. "I promise you.. whatever you're thinking about. I'm not a bad person."
""LOOKS LIKE THE TWO ARE HAVING A BREATHER!.. TIME'S RUNNING OUT, CONTESTANTS!"
Sitting himself up, the teen groaned. "I don't.. care what you think you are." He glared down at you. "I judge by actions... and yours disgust me."
You pushed yourself to stand on the uneven ground, forcing aside the emotions and confusion for now. Your hands tightened into fists. "Let's just get this fight over with. We can talk late-"
BANG!
You were punched out of the crater and almost immediately out of bounds! Midair, what could you possibly do!? You turned toward the direction you were flying in and SLAMMED your hands and feet together. The air-force stopped the inertia just in time to land within bounds. As soon as you dropped, Iguchi was already following up with another punch. You dove out of the way. He nearly flew over the barrier himself but punched the air in time to stop himself. You swung a strong kick at him. It landed, but he stomped his back foot into the earth in time to keep him from being pushed out of bounds. He grabbed your leg and twisted. You followed the twisting to keep from pain and used that momentum instead to jump and swing your other leg around to hit his neck. He grabbed that one before it landed and arched back, slamming your body into the ground. You held onto the ground and held Iguchi with your legs, slamming him into the ground too.
A timer in the background suddenly started to count down from 20. The shift in the atmosphere intensified as everyone held their breaths. You and Iguchi were still brawling it out right beside the line. Every move brought one of you incrementally closer to it.
10
9
8
7
6
Both of you were standing, sweating, jumping around and dodging, when suddenly Iguchi screamed while prepping to punch. "YHHHHAAAHHHH! NOW!" The reeled back fist was merely a decoy. He grabbed the arm that reached out to stop it and poked you between the ribs with his other hand.
Dzzz!
Your brain short circuited. Yes, that blow hurt, but it was NOT the reason your body went limp!
Your legs lost all strength and your arms lacked the ability to catch you. Your torn up mask finally fell down your face onto your neck. Your body hit the jagged rocks. For a moment, not even your eyes could move as you lay there paralyzed.
3
2
1
BWAAAAAMP!
""I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! (Y/N) DIFORESTER HAS FALLEN TO THIS YEAR'S WINNER, IGUCHI SHUICHI!"" And the crowd went wild.
'No... He, he cheated! So-somehow!' You blinked while looking around frantically. 'He- he- I wa-was fine! How did He-?!' You tried and failed to move the arms that lay limply on the ground in front of you. Not even your lungs were cooperating! Truly, this was more like paralysis than fatigue! Paraly--s.... 'This is someone's quirk.. isn't it?' Immediately, your heart and soul knew.
The paralysis faded just enough for your breaths to quicken and your jaw to clench. Laying there on your side, you watched Iguchi's casual celebration with a new bitterness growing in your heart. You called out to Iguchi with water falling from your eyes. "You cheater!.. You're working with STAIN now, aren't you?!"
Iguchi glanced back over his shoulder at you. "Stain?.. Heh. Who's that~?... And how would you know so much about an underground criminal unless you were one yourself?" He ended on a cold expression. But once he turned to leave, all traces of malice were gone as he smiled to the crowd, made especially happy by the faces of the Animorphs mixed in. He left with little bit some blood on his scales and tears in his clothes. You, however, had to be carried off the stage again.
How embarrassing...
---------------
The staff was starting to worry you might not move in time to receive your medal. But, luckily, your paralyzation wore off within a few minutes.
Worst part was you couldn't even tell anyone about it. Couldn't explain how you'd been cheated without first explaining all you knew... You clenched the hospital bed-sheets you sat on, just staring down at the floor. You were unable to do anything but silently seethe with rage.
...You should have known not to trust him... From the start, you should have never been so quick to assume he'd actually changed for the better.
He'd manipulated you into giving him power most can only dream of. Then betrayed you the moment you were no longer needed... How typical. And after all the times before.. you should have predicted something like this might happen.
Standing next to him was a pain. There was clear animosity between the two of you. Most would assume you were just a sore loser, but... that wasn't the case at all. You'd be happy for him if he hadn't cheated.
Principle Nezu rewarded the three of you with your medals. Iguchi: gold. You: silver. Tenko: bronze. You couldn't say you weren't appreciative or at least a little happy. It was a beautiful day, after all. And you did your best. Surely that was worth something. You also got the message across to Hokusei, finally, to give up on tattling to Tenny and move on with his life. Seemed you'd scared him straight... So, hopefully you'd never have to deal with him again.
Iguchi was a whole nother issue. One you simply couldn't take your mind off.
The event concluded and people were starting to go. Even the students were leaving with their families. You paced around in the hall in front of the break room. After a bit of sulking, you grabbed your phone and checked it for any notifications.
Twinnie:
Great job today!! 🎉
Himi:
(Y/n), you're so strong!
And the way you fought those people!
👊🌟💓🤸🤜💥🙀💥💨✨💫🇺🇲🤛🌪️
Jin:
Aw, BUMMER you lost! You did GREAT though! 🏅🏅🏅 Second place is still way better than I could have gotten!!
Kaiyaaaaaaaaah:
That lizard guy definitely cheated.
Fly-Boy:
Wanna celebrate with some cupcakes after this~? 🎂🎂
A soft smile lightened your features as you read the messages of those who cared.
"Oh!" You chuckled. "Almost forgot." You hurriedly texted Mr. Schlatt the names of the two who agreed to being your sidekicks. "Hmmm... But I still need one more..."
Desperate times call for desperate measures. You figured maybe you could make a deal with this person to be your sidekick for at least a year just so Schlatt won't have the chance to pick someone. Just then, Iguchi exited the waiting room with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Without even thinking about it, you turned to him for help. "Hey! You know where Tenko is, right?" The other gave you a weird look, and you remembered what terms you stood on now. "Okay fine I'll look for him myself!"
"Said he was meeting with someone outside the East Exit." Iguchi rolled his eyes. "And while we're alone, I'm not gunna pretend to be your friend anymore."
You huffed and placed your hands oh your hips. "Well, same here."
...You stared at each other for an awkward amount of time...
Iguchi readjusted the strap on his shoulder and turned away. "Later, loser."
"Later, cheater." You turned the other way down the hall. With each step settled the gravity of the situation. ...This was it. This was officially the end of your friendship. Now... You didn't really know what to do.. nor what to expect.
You were kind of sad by the time you reached the end of that hall.
---------------
You sighed. Your dragged your nails through your scalp, pushing back your hair. Calmer now, you put on a smile. A cheeky grin that grew the faster you skipped. You created a quick portal through the door, easily sliding through it. Using that momentum, you rolled out from around the corner and popped up with a childlike whimsey. "Oh Tenny~! Want to--?" You froze in place, staring bug-eyed at Endeavor, who was mid shaking your friend's hand. "...What the f###?"
"Oh, hey, (Y/n)!" Tenko turned to you with a wave, quickly turned to Endeavor again to bow, then to you again. "I- I was going to tell you a little later, but look!" Gesturing to the taller man, who was trying really hard not to glare at you. "I got an apprenticeship with Endeavor!!"
You wished you had some kind of mask on at the moment, because it was proving difficult to hide your disappointment. "That's... You what?"
Tenny laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "It's a bit of a shock to me too, but, I thought with you and Iguchi doing so well, I reeeally needed to step up my game!"
Surprise, confusion, irritation, and disappointment were all mixed together on your broken face.
"(Y/n)? Are you okay?"
You reached up and shielded a hand over your eyes: the largest gateway to your feelings. You took in a big breath and smiled. "Tha-that's GREAT, Tenny!.. Do you know how long the Apprenticeship will last?"
Tenko turned to Endeavor, who answered. "I was thinking three to five years depending on how fast of a learner he is."
"That's... A bit." Your hand fell down, snapping and doing a thumbs up in unison with the other one. Your gaze fell on no one person in particular, preferring the ground. "I'm happy for you!. Endeavor really is a great teacher from what I've heard!"
Tenko laughed again. "(Y/n), I'm not leaving you!"
"..." Your smile was full of pain. Hair covered up your eyes. You stared at the ground, still doing a thumbs up, wishing to simply cease existing.
"I'm leaving now."
"Okay! See you later, Endeavor!"
There was the sound of gentle footsteps on gravel.
"Hey..." Tenko called softly. You didn't respond. Your friend wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a hug. You, already a little bent down, wrapped your arms around him too. "What did you come out here to ask me?"
Your grip loosened. "...Nothing."
"Sure?"
"M" ... "Yeah. I.. already forgot."
"Oh.. okay. Well, if you remember, don't be afraid to ask."
".....okay..." There was no point in asking now.
He'd already made his choice, to work under someone you considered an enemy.
You had to admit there was humor in the irony. The first Sports Festival was what brought the three of you even closer together... while the last was what drove you apart.
----------
Fly-Boy:
Wanna celebrate with some cupcakes after this~? 🎂🎂
(You):
I'm sorry.
I'm going to have to decline.
Maybe some other time.
I'm too tired right now.
. . .
Fly-Boy:
Understandable! 😅
That was a lot in just one day!
Get lots of rest!
And good night! 👋
(You):
Thanks ^-^
This day....sucks.
---------------
By the end of the day, Toya had found all the quirks he wanted. The stage was set. It was time to move on to the next step.