chapter xvii.
( back in ua )
Since Keiko's injuries weren't that severe, Keiko was able to leave the hospital later that day.
As Keiko walked put of the hospital, she headed straight to Edgeshot's agency, clutching her case with her hero suit in it and keeping her head down low.
She wondered what Edgeshot would tell her once she arrived. She wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, especially after her conversation with Astran, the voice in her head.
She was the last of the Neon quirk holders. If anyone found out about that, she was sure people would want to hunt her down. It didn't help that she had to reveal her identity sooner or later.
As of now, Keiko wanted to just crash on her bed inside her room, never to wake. It was one of those times that she remembers that she's just a kid, and that it will get overwhelming for a fifteen year old like her.
Unfortunately, she was in way too deep to back out. She chose this path, and it's usually when she's most vulnerable that she regrets her choice.
Luckily for her, she didn't have to attend any press conferences for her acts; she missed all of them from her time in the hospital, and Endeavour handled them.
Keiko approached the small screen on the column holding the gate.
"Please state your name and business," a voice said through the speaker.
"Keiko Kobayashi, Edgeshot's intern."
The gate immediately swung open, and Keiko didn't hesitate to step inside.
The ravenette whistled to fill in the eerie silence as she walked down the path.
Keiko kept her guard up, ready for anything - or anyone - to spring at her, just like last time.
Nothing happened as she approached the building, which was making Keiko a little bit paranoid.
She took a deep breath and opened the door, tensing a little as she heard everyone inside cease their current activities and looked at her.
Whispers rang through the room as she walked past the sidekicks, having the sole objective of losing their stares in the elevator.
The elevator doors opened, revealing the empty lift. She let out a breath of relief as she stepped in and pressed the second floor button. She relaxed when the doors closed in front of her.
It seemed that news had travelled around that she was involved with the Hero Killer incident. Of course, Keiko expected people to find out sooner or later, she just didn't know that everyone would be aware of the truth by the morning.
The doors opened, and Keiko stepped out and headed down the hallway, which had lesser people than downstairs. But that didn't stop people from staring at her as she made her way to Edgeshot's office.
Keiko took a deep breath and entered the office.
She found Edgeshot looking at his cork board of Ninja. She noticed that there were more pictures than the last time she came here.
And they were pictures of her.
He knows.
"Sit," the hero said, not looking away from his board.
Keiko gulped a little before sitting down quietly on the chair in front of the desk.
"Is it true?" Edgeshot said, finally making eye contact with his intern.
"Is what true, sir?" The ravenette asked evenly, not backing down as she stared into his exposed eye.
"Is it true that you are the vigilante Ninja?"
Silence.
That was all Edgeshot needed to know the truth.
"Care to explain why I shouldn't turn you in, right here and now?"
C'mon man, I need a good break at least before we talk about this. I literally used up too much of my energy talking to the other guy in my head.
You must answer him, Keiko. Tell him the truth, but do not reveal my identity to him. It would not do us good.
Keiko winced a little as Astran's voice rang in her head, sending needles to her skull.
"Too keep it short, sir," Keiko started, "after what happened three years ago, I noticed the many flaws in the system that held the people I once looked up to. I decided to become the right definition of a hero, no matter how the public views me; a hoax, a villain...
"As long as I know that people are living because of what I have become, I won't stop until you heroes change."
"Why keep it a secret?" Edgeshot asked unexpectedly, catching Keiko off guard.
"I'm sorry?"
"Why do you have to hide yourself from society? I'm sure you're aware that they will find out sooner or later, whether you like it or not. Reveal yourself now... yes, people will hate you, yes, the public will view you as a criminal, but many of us heroes recognize your acts of bravery as something that should be welcome, not fought against.
You're smart enough to know that highly-ranked pro heroes around the country aren't really against you helping them, even if you are going against the law. They could fight and possibly win against the motion of sending you to Tartarus."
Keiko scoffed. "I never had the intention to let other people fight my battles for me just because the public thinks ill of me.
"Besides, I made a lot of enemies. Strong ones, in fact, that have minions scattered around the country. If I reveal myself, I'm putting the people I love at risk; my family, my friends, and maybe even UA. No hero in the world can't stop that from happening."
Edgeshot sat down on his chair, resting his elbows on his desk and lacing his fingers together.
"Do you know why I chose you as my intern?"
Keiko shook her head, not really wanting to talk at the moment.
"When I first saw you in the internship, I immediately knew there was something that wasn't revealed by the school about you. The way you respond, you're calm, and your attacks get more calculated as you gain more information on your opponent as you fight. Even your classmates don't react like that.
"Your quirk also interested me. As you know, I have been... 'obsessed' with tracking down Ninja lately as he - or, she became more active. I viewed her as a criminal, a wannabe that was too afraid to go through the long and rough process of becoming a respected hero. I thought that I could use you to find out the identity of Ninja.
"That opinion changed when I actually met you in person.
"I found that if my suspicions were correct, you were still just a kid, no matter how many times you violated the law. A child, that was forced to mature because someone she cared for was in danger, and she was revealed to the harsh reality: that there is no guarantee that heroes will save you every time you're in danger, no matter how many times their faces appear on the television."
A small smile appeared under Edgeshot's mask.
"You may not be All Might, but you are still a hero. You can still be a hero."
▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎
The remaining days of Keiko's internship went by quickly, for she went on patrols on the city alone, which was boring since security tightened even further because of the reappearance of Stain.
Finally, Keiko was going to leave the agency to head back to UA and to home.
"Thank you for teaching me, sir," Keiko said, bowing.
Edgeshot wanted to see her off, and they did it outside of the gates.
"It was a pleasure, Kobayashi," Edgeshot said, bowing in return. "Continue to use the techniques I taught you as you train in UA."
Keiko smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. "I will."
She turned, raising her hand and waving a little as she walked away from the agency.
Keiko pulled out her phone from her pocket, finding a lot of missed calls from Mina, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero.
Right. I gave Kirishima my number.
She gave the four of them the same text, which said:
Don't worry about me anymore, I didn't get much injuries and I'm safe now. Thank you for your concern and I'll see you in UA.
It was short, but Keiko knew that it was enough to satisfy them.
Now I have to go back to school and get more bruises, yay...
▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎
Now, we move a few days after, to when everyone goes back to school.
Currently, we have Sero and Kirishima dying of laughter as they made fun of the ash blonde's new look.
Keiko herself was having a hard time controlling her laughter.
"Stop laughing!" Bakugou shook with anger. "My hair got used to it, so now it won't go back, even after I wash it. Stop laughing! I'll kill you!"
"I'd like to see you try, Side-Part Boy," Keiko giggled, leaning against Kirishima as she laughed freely.
They all laughed even harder when the boy's hair returned to its spiky form. "It's back!"
"If you're talking about change, then those that changed the most have to be you four, right?" Kaminari said, glancing at Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya, then at Keiko who was trying to pry Kirishima from Bakugou's grasp.
"Oh yeah!" Sero realized. "The Hero Killer!"
"I'm seriously glad that you guys made it out alive," Kirishima said.
"But I heard Endeavour and Kobayashi saved you, right?"
"As expected of the number two hero!"
Many turned to look at Keiko, who gave up trying to free the redhead from the ash blonde.
"What?" Keiko asked, tilting her head a little when she noticed that the attention of the class was on her. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Yeah," Todoroki said, saving Keiko from the stares of their classmates. "They saved us."
Is this your class? They seem different than how I first saw them in your mindscape.
Are they that bad? Or is it just because you have nothing to say?
Both are true.
Keiko chuckled internally. She was having a lot more conversations with Astran nowadays, and she had gotten used to the pain that usually came her way when the man spoke in her head.
They are all lively.
Well, what did you expect? They are teenagers after all.
Is there anyone misbehaving? I see that the one with the purple circle mane has an unhealthy obsession with seeing women unclothed.
You'll get used to him. I'm hoping to put him in his place, one way or another.
Do you need any assistance? Possibly the knowledge of the instant death pressure points in the human body?
I'll be fine - wait... did you say instant kill?
I said instant death, but instant kill does work as well.
Teach me that one later.
For what purpose?
... What other purpose than to ki -
▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎
Finally came the part of the day Keiko was looking forward to the most: Hero Training.
She needed to let off some steam, since she was bugged by a lot of people that she didn't know when all she wanted was to eat in peace.
It really got on her nerves, and she could use it as a drive to get through whatever their training was today.
"Okay, I'm here. This is how we're going to continue," All Might said.
The class was standing in front of a complex-looking training ground, full of metal pipes with varying sizes going around.
"Basic hero training. It has been a while. How are you, boys and girls? Now, for the basic hero training this time right after the internships, we'll be doing a fun rescue training race."
Iida immediately raised his hand. He wore his PE uniform, since his hero suit was damaged during the fight against the Hero Killer. "Shouldn't rescue training be done at the USJ?"
"USJ is a place for disasters. And what did I say?"
"Race," Keiko answered quietly.
She didn't show it outwardly, but she was excited for the race. She jusy got some maneuver gear from the Support Course, and she really wanted to test it out.
"This is Playing Ground Gamma!
"This is a dense industrial zone that is intricately woven like a maze. You'll get into four groups of five with one extra member in a group, and one group will train at a time. Once I send a distress signal, you'll start from the edge of the town. It's a race to see who can save me first.
"Of course limit the damage done to structures to a minimum," All Might concluded, pointing a finger at Bakugou.
"First group, take your mark!"
After a while, each of the six (Midoriya, Iida, Ojirou, Sero, Mina, and Keiko) took their places.
Keiko adjusted the new belt she had on with the maneuver gear, and the wristbands she had on her wrists. This would just be a trial so she can move freely in the air.
"All of those with good movement in one group..."
"I think Sero will win," Kaminari said.
"No, it'll be Ashido. She's very flexible," Mineta argued.
"Deku will be last," Bakugou declared.
"Iida is injured, so that might put him at a disadvantage," Ochaco said.
"Kobayashi's very nimble," Jirou noted. "She has a big chance of winning."
An air horn blasted through the air, and a chain shot out of Keiko's belt, latching itself onto a metal pipe above.
"I got it on," Keiko muttered, "but how do I -"
She leaned forward a little and there was a jolt on her belt. She was lifted off the ground and she went closer to the metal pipe.
When she was close enough, the chain detached from the pipe, sending Keiko in the air.
"AH -"
Keiko's eyes widened with panic. The stupid thing didn't come with a manual, which left her with no knowledge on how to use them properly.
Keiko thrusted her first towards another pipe, and the wristband shot out another chain, which lodged itself onto the target.
She pulled her arm and sent herself barreling towards the ground.
Once she was close to the ground, she aimed a chain upward and swung, feeling like a metal Spiderman.
"Woah! Kobayashi's doing really well!" Kirishima said, watching in awe as his classmate rushed past the obstacles.
"She has new tricks and gadgets, kero," Tsu said.
Keiko got the hang of it after a while, making use of the tools on her wrists rather than the one on her belt.
Damn... her arms felt like they were on fire. I need to work on my upper body strength...
She had a decent amount of muscle on her arms, but the wasn't used to using them to pull her own weight, literally.
She used both her chains to go upward, smiling when she saw Midoriya hopping around during her moment in midair before she shot her chains to the sides of a barrel and pulled herself through, crossing her arms over her chest to avoid hitting the sides of the barrel.
When she got her momentum back, she swung a little to the right to observe Midoriya and his new skills.
That was, until he lost his footing and slipped.
Keiko grunted a little in annoyance, pulling herself towards the boy before he fell.
She grabbed him by the hood and swung with one arm. "Be careful next time, Midoriya."
She tossed him to the finish line, landing down on her feet on the landing pad.
Keiko smiled a little in amusement when Midoriya still did not land properly and faceplanted on the ground.
"Though young Sero won the race," All Might said, "but compared to your first day here, you all have a wider range of usage of your quirks. Keep it up as you prepare for the final exams."
"Hai!"
"Now, first group, step aside. Second group, take your mark."
As she walked, Keiko slid her hands down her sides, stopping the movement when she realized that her costume didn't have any pockets.
Dammit, I didn't even think to include pockets into my costume... I better fix that one sooner or later.
▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎
"You were so cool out there, Keiko-san!" Ochaco said, slipping into her school blouse. "You had incredible moves out there!"
"Thanks, but I've had a lot of practice," Keiko said, sending a strained smile towards the brunette. She knew that she would get the full blow of strain on her arms later in the day.
"Where did you get the idea to get those support items, Keiko-san?" Jirou asked.
The girl smiled. "I just wanted a way to be more efficient in the air. I'm more of a ground person, but I'm going to have to work on my mobility if I have to fight in midair. I also wanted to be like Spiderman."
Momo smiled a little. "He's the pro hero in America, right?"
"I heard that he might just be around our age!" Hagakure said excitedly.
Keiko's eyes dimmed a little. If only you knew Ninja actually knows your names...
"The students before us had worked hard to get this. You know what's next door right? The girls' locher room!"
Everyone froze as they heard these words escape their classmate's mouth.
"Stop, Mineta-kun!" Iida said. "Peeping is a criminal offense!"
"My little Mineta is already a criminal offense!" Mineta said, turning to the peep hole.
"Yaoyorozu's boobs, Ashido's hips, Hagakure's floating underwear, Uraraka's nice body, Asui's unexpectedly large breasts, and Kobayashi's -"
Neon whisps came from the walls, coming together in beside Mineta and materializing into their classmate: Keiko fucking Kobayashi.
The girl didn't hesitate to wrap her hand around his throat, lifting him up off the ground.
Many blushed when their eyes quickly wandered around her body, which had her school blouse that wasn't buttoned all the way and the pants from her hero suit.
They definitely saw the appeal Mineta showed.
But that wasn't necessarily their main concern.
The expression on her face was blank; the only emotion she held showing through her eyes.
She was mad. Really mad.
How could they tell?
Well, her eyes were glowing with fury. Literally.
"You're really wishing to die, aren't you?"
Her voice was quiet and cold, contrast to the storm raging in her orbs.
Keiko threw him onto the ground, hard enough to give him a bruise on his scalp even with the balls on his head.
"Disgusting," she spat.
She turned to her classmates, who stiffened under her gaze.
"Watch over him. If he does anything with that concerns the violation of women's privacy, you know who to go to."
Glaring at Mineta, Keiko said, "If you ever continue to do this, I will make you wish you never messed with me.
"That isn't a threat. That's a promise."
She faced the wall and dashed through, her body turning intangible as she crossed to the girls' changing room.
When Keiko found all the girls looking at her in surprise and slight fear, Keiko sent a sweet smile. "I'm sorry about that, the voice in my head wouldn't stop nagging me about stopping that... disgusting thing."
I am only concerned for your privacy.
If you were concerned for my privacy, then please don't talk to me while most of my girl classmates are half naked.
I am not one of those people who do not care for the comfort of women.
Keiko decided not to answer and just change in silence, to both Astran and to the girls.
Once she was finished, she stepped out and headed back to the classroom. On the way, she grasped a clump of her hair and checked the color.
She stopped, shocked when she found...
It was only a few days, but the blue... it's not a very visible change, but it was definitely longer than this morning.
What the hell is going on with my quirk?
[ author's corner ]
😭😭 is it just me or are my chapters getting worse?
dw i'll edit this whole book when I'm done with it, and most of this chapter was made while i tried staying up until 3 am, so my brain is ✨m u s h✨. Also the reason why there are a lot of timeskips.
What will we have next? Hollon, lemme google the next one....
Okay I'm back, and we will have some filler chapters before the final exams come. I feel like this book is going a bit too fast for my liking, so I'll put in some interaction with the class.
I hope all of u are enjoying so far and thank you for the votes and comments that I've been getting recently! I really appreciate it.
That's it for this week, I have completion week next week so iz gonna suck :)
PLUS ULTRA!
- R