Kaori knocked on 1B's door, waiting patiently for a response. She'd been up bright and early that morning, sure to call Mirio and have him bring Eri to 1A's Heights Alliance while she went and fetched a visitor. She wasn't the most ecstatic about this, considering the fact they had completely opposite personalities. Taking Dr. Masaki's advice, she'd decided to find a way for her to chill and catch up on some sleep, as well as therapy homework. She'd have a substitute of sorts take her place 3 days out of the week to teach Eri and help her grow some confidence. She thought it'd be best to grab Monoma, seeing as he could copy people's Quirks, but then realized Eri was timid, especially around special cases like Neito Monoma. Kendo appeared in the doorway, occupied with screaming at somebody not to do something that would most likely blow up the dorms. Kendo turned to her with an exhausted look, making Kaori grin a bit.
" You're the Mom-Friend, too?" She asked. Kendo gave a small smile, nodding lightly.
" What can I help you with?" Kendo asked, popping up with a bit more energy now.
" I'm just here for Monoma. I wanted to introduce him to Eri." She said, giving a small smile to the girl. Kendo raised a curious eyebrow.
" Eri? The Work Study girl? The one who's shy? Is this the best idea?" Kendo questioned, making Kaori scratch the back of her neck in embarrassment.
" Yeah, I was having second thoughts, too, but between school and my own Work Study, I'm not sure if I'll always have time to train her, so I was thinking-" Before Kaori could finish her sentence, Monoma burst through the other door, posing as always.
" She was thinking I, Neito Monoma, could train the young princess to harness her great power!" He spoke dramatically, earning unimpressed looks from both of the girls.
" Monoma, you better behave yourself. AND QUIT WITH YOU'RE STUPID ROMEO AZKABAN SHIT, IT'S BEEN A MONTH!!" Kendo lectured, hitting the boy upside the head. Monoma nearly missed, quickly hurrying down the steps and already at the sidewalk.
" WELL, WE BEST GET GOING!! C'MON SHIMURA, I'M NOT LOOKING TO DIE TODAY!!" Monoma called out to the girl, Kaori's face growing a grin. She waved to Kendo, bidding her a good day. She walked in silence as Monoma continued to boast and dramatically speak of how he was a great sorcerer for the young and out-of-control magical creatures who needed serious aid. She stopped him as they neared 1A's dorms.
" Listen, Monoma, in all seriousness, I need you to remain collected. Eri's very shy and is in a vulnerable state right now. If anything startles her too much, we might have a big problem on our hands. So just, chill." She said, pretending to instruct him on how to calmly inhale and exhale. Monoma flipped his hair in the iconic Monoma way.
" Don't worry. I'm a Pro with kids." He boasted, turning the corner with confidence. She followed, catching up with him quickly before seeing Mirio there, just as he said, with Eri by his side. Midoriya even seemed to be talking with them as well.
" SHAORI!!" Mirio called out, giving an excited wave.
" Ori-chan!!" Eri called out before gasping, quickly hiding behind Mirio's leg to their surprise.
" Oh no...it's the bad guy! Ori-chan, be careful!" Eri warned, reaching her arm out to the girl. Kaori wanted to awe so badly, but quickly realized Monoma was going to-
" What is this foolish child talking about?! Shimura, don't tell me you GOSSIP! That's not very Hero-like, don't you know?!" Monoma began to laugh in his iconic, psychopathic way, earning a long and exasperated groan from Kaori. She pushed him back a bit, seeing Eri's fearful face.
" Oh no, that was me. I told her that UA has it's bad parts and used you as a suitable example." Mirio said simply, smiling at the boy as his eye twitched lightly. Kaori had to force back her ugly laugh, trying so hard not to insult Monoma.
" I'm sorry?! I'm a man who follows the path of righteous peace and justice! HOW DARE YOU MALIGN ME-" Before Monoma could get out of hand, Kaori bonked him on the head, sending him to the ground.
" I told you not to overdo it. THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE!" She exclaimed. Eri popped out of her hiding place, smiling at Kaori.
" YAY! Ori-chan wins again!" Eri cheered, raising her fists excitedly. Kaori gave her a small smile before being brought back to the original point by Midoriya.
" Wait, so, why did you want Monoma to come here again?" Midoriya asked, a bit confused by the situation. Kaori cleared her throat, taking Monoma by the collar and forcing him to stand again. She reached out her pinky to Eri, the other girl happily taking hold of it.
" Eri-chan, this is one of my...friends, Neito Monoma. We want to see if he can copy your Quirk to try and teach you." Kaori introduced, smiling at the girl. Eri's eyes widened, a worried expression stealing her smile.
" W-what about you? I thought you would teach me?" Eri said, her voice cracking slightly, thinking Kaori was about to leave her. Kaori gave a reassuring smile to calm the young one's nerves, kneeling down to come eye-to-eye with Eri.
" Don't worry, I will! But with my Work Study and supplemental classes, I'm afraid I might not be able to teach you as much as I like. Think of Monoma as my substitute; when I'm not there, he'll be here to help you. You trust me, right? So, trust him." She said, turning to look up at the boy beside her. Monoma, unaware she'd had this much faith in him, put on a suitable smile, calming his chaotic personality. He knelt down, holding a hand lightly.
" Let's start over. I'm Neito Monoma and I'm Shimura's friend!" Monoma spoke calmly, surprising those around him. Eri's lips crumpled into a small, uneven frown, but she held out her hand either way.
" I'm Eri." She said, giving a nervous smile. Monoma slowly began to grow a horn, the same size as Eri's, as he copied her Quirk. He took his hand away, holding it up, trying to harness some sort of energy. He sighed, disappointingly.
" Are you able to copy it, Monoma?" Aizawa's voice was heard from behind them.
" 'fraid not, Teach. It's a Blank, just like Shimura's. Sorry, guys." Monoma said, letting his hand fall back to the ground. Kaori looked at the ground, a bit disappointed.
" Disappointing, but that's alright. We still have Kaori, luckily." Aizawa said, rubbing his head lightly. She looked up at Aizawa, realizing he wasn't alone. Present Mic stood with him, an apologetic frown appearing.
" What does blank mean?" Midoriya questioned.
" It means her Quirk works similar to your's and Shimura's. Both Quirks function as stockpilers, meaning that it's accumulating something and changing it into a form of energy. I can only copy the core nature of a Quirk, like Mr. Aizawa's or Present Mic's. I can't copy the stored up fuel." Monoma explained, standing from his position on the ground. Eri's face fell, realizing that the reason they were having so much trouble might've been her fault. She touched her horn softly, a crumpled frown growing as tears glossed over her eyes.
" I'm really sorry," Eri mustered out, a teary tone to her voice. The others looked at the girl, noticing how disappointed she looked. " It's because of me you're having a lot of trouble, and I'm sorry. It's always like this, I cause problems for everybody." Eri's tears began to grow as the others stared at her in surprise and sadness. Eri turned to Kaori, taking her pinky lightly.
" Ori-chan, you know how to take it away, don't you? Please, will you take it away? So I don't cause anymore problems?" Eri began to cry, leading Kaori's hand up to her horn. Kaori took her hand away, feeling the hallucinations creeping up on her. Eri didn't look like Eri.
" Hana..." She muttered to herself as her chest felt heavy with confused emotions. She quickly took Eri into her arms, balling her hands into fists as she hugged the conflicted 8-year-old. Eri hid her face into Kaori's shoulder, letting the tears flow softly.
" You don't cause problems, Eri, don't you ever think that. You're a wonderful little girl, with a blessed power. Good things take time to understand, ok? Will you remember that for me?" Kaori asked, pulling away lightly. Eri nodded lightly, wiping away her tears.
" Ok, I'll remember that. And, if I do better, will I be a Hero like you, Lemillion, and Deku?" Eri asked, looking at her hopefully. Kaori gave a big smile, standing up as the others began to smile at the sight.
" You know it! I bet you'll be even cooler!" Kaori promised. Eri gave a small smile, nodding with excitement.
" Alright, then. I will! I'll do my best!" As Eri left to go spend the afternoon with Deku and Lemillion and Monoma retreated back to 1B's dorms, Kaori turned to Aizawa and Hizashi, seeing them talking silently between themselves. She walked forward, catching their attention pretty quick. Hizashi looped an arm around Kaori's shoulder, giving a proud smile.
" You're a real natural with kids, you know? Just like your old man over here!" Hizashi smiled, looking at Aizawa innocently. Aizawa made an unimpressed look.
" We're the same age, dumbass." Aizawa said, flicking the other man's forehead lightly. Kaori chuckled at their antics before remembering what Bakugou had asked her the night before. She smiled nervously, switching her weight from one foot to the next.
" Hey, so, I wanted to ask," She mentioned, looking everywhere but the two men as they focused on her. " Bakugou invited us to meet his family and hang out with them on Christmas." The two men sparred glances at each other, unsure how to answer.
" Do they know..?" Hizashi questioned, becoming a bit hesitant.
" Do they mind gay couples." Aizawa put it, sensing Hizashi's awkwardness. Kaori nodded, smiling at the both of them.
" Yep. Mrs. Bakugou's aunt has a wife and Mr. Bakugou supports. You guys are cool." She said, hoping for them to comply. Hizashi smiled a bit, instinctively reaching for Aizawa's hand and swinging it back and forth giddily.
" Then I don't see why not! What about you, Sho? Thoughts?" Hizashi asked, turning to him with a smile. Kaori gave the same hopeful smile, watching as Aizawa mentally contemplated what was best. Knowing that he most likely couldn't escape this, he gave in, nodding to them. Kaori pumped a fist into the air, quickly hugging the two.
" Thank you, thank you! I'm so excited!" Kaori said, jumping back with a smile. Aizawa let out a small sigh as Hizashi bounced on his toes, swinging their arms back and forth.
" I do have some bad news, though." Aizawa released. Kaori's smile fell quicker than lightning.
" What the shit-" She let out instinctively before Aizawa interrupted her, assuring her it wasn't anything too serious.
" You can't do a Work Study with me anymore. The Hero Commission is requesting Hero Course Students do Work Studies with more well-known Pro's this coming year." Aizawa assured, calming her nerves a bit. Kaori still stared at him in surprise.
" WHAT THE SHIT?!"
" Language."
" DON'T YOU LANGUAGE ME!! YOU AREN'T CAPTAIN AMERICA!!"
" I could be. On your left."
" CHICHI, STOPPP-"
" AVENGERS!!"
" NOOOOOO-"
. . .
far, far away
Kuromi Kurosawa stood atop of one of Japan's many skyscrapers, staring out into the horizon. The League's previous days were much more eventful and fulfilling than they had in so many months. After the conflict between the Liberation Army and the League, Kuromi felt something strange. Perhaps it was herself or perhaps it was the girl she'd taken an unknowing fondness to. She pulled her scarf down a bit, humming to herself, amused.
" Hero Hawks. Fancy running into you." Her voice, despite not being used in so long, was unusually soothing, as well as cunning in a way. The sound of feathers brushing up against feathers softened as a pair of feet walked forward.
" You're the Witch, right? I gotta say, your old pal Dabi is causing me a lot of stress." Hawks spoke in his casual, charismatic tone, a grin spreading across his face as he joined Kuromi at the edge of the marvelous glass skyscraper. Kuromi hummed again.
" Dabi is a rather stressful individual, but I had him fetch you for a reason." She spoke in her soft tone, sparing no glance to the winged Hero beside her.
" You wanna go on a date? Sure, I'm free this Saturday!" He offered in an excited tone, flashing a charmingly dumb grin. Kuromi's eyes lowered in annoyance before finally meeting the cunning pair of golden eyes.
" I need you to deliver this." Kuromi instructed, a vibrant green light forming into the outline of a book before appearing, solid and full, held tightly in her grasp. The luminescent green appeared new, compared to her once lavender magic. Hawks read the title with intrigue, squinting through the layer of darkness.
" Meta Liberation Army?" Hawks read slowly through the darkness before starring back at the pale-eyed girl.
" It is specifically annotated for our Leader's only family. Deliver this to her, but be discreet. She's a clever one, she'll catch on quick if you don't address her right." Kuromi warned, handing the book over with a stern look. Hawks eyes narrowed, thinking to himself in slight surprise. So, that old crust had family beyond the League. Interesting, he thought to himself as he flashed a fake smile to the enchantress.
" I'm no messenger bird, but I'll spare this favor. Does this family have a name?" Hawks asked, remaining charismatic as ever. Kuromi's stern expression fell as she turned her back to the ledge, the luminescent green of her mysterious new magic appearing with a mere flick of her wrist. Her head hung back as she looked over her shoulder, uttering the words clear as day.
" Kaori Shimura. If you can't catch her at a suitable time, try past dusk. It'll be easier to acknowledge her as the Omen Vigilante." With that, Kuromi Kurosawa disappeared, her emerald incantation flickering into nothing before being reduced to small, unruly sparks. Hawks' eyes widened, staring down at the book in his hands. The teenage girl who'd shared victory with his old pal Tsukoyomi was not only now revealed to be Shigaraki's family, but was now revealed to be the supposed Omen Vigilante.
" This is gonna be one heck of a new year."
authors note
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I'm soooooooo excited for My Villain Academia
I FINALLY GET TO RIGHT ABOUT KURO!!!
New Chapter Coming February 5th!