After your first, terrible, day at Neoform's agency, you were tempted not to show up again. Turns out a bystander had videoed your breakdown at Neoform. The video is all over the internet, and Mina called you that night to get all of the juicy details out of you about what happened. Now, every time you begrudgingly go on patrols with Neoform, bystanders try to take pictures and videos of you and talk to you.
A news van even followed you once. They slid open the side door and shouted at you as they drove slowly on the road next to you. The camera guy kept shoving the camera in your face, only for you to shove it away again and again with a glare.
The worst part is, you're being called out as the villain. Instead of Neoform being condemned for not doing his job, you are in trouble for lashing out at him in public. And, he's always happy to play the victim every time a camera pops up.
You stomp down the dark streets along with the purple-haired man, listening for any sign of distress. It's only your third day with him and you want nothing more than to kick him in the no-no area and make a run for it. He's walking behind you with his hands behind his head as he whistles merrily. Every high-pitched note is torture to your ears, shoulders tensing and fists clenching more and more with each squeal. Even if there are any villains around, they all know to avoid your area so they won't get caught. He is too damn loud!
A low growl escapes your throat as you whip around and send a deadly glare at the older male. His whistles stop at the sight of glowing red eyes.
But not yours.
His face pales as his gaze moves from you to the monster towering behind you.
"Intern, take a step towards me. Slowly," Neoform tells you in a rushed whisper, placing his hands out steadily as his gaze never leaves the air behind you.
Now sensing the danger, you slowly turn around. You're met with the sight of a towering Nomu, similar to the one in the picture Toshinori showed you. Its brain is peaking out of its bird-like head near its dead eyes. Before you can react, the thing swings a fist at you, sending you flying into the nearest building's window.
"Intern!"
The Nomu steps into the abandoned building where you struggle to regain your thoughts, the powerful blow disorienting you. The Nomu scatters broken glass with its feet, not flinching as shards dig into its flesh. It takes several steps towards you just as you stand up, blood dripping down your forehead.
The Nomu swings its fist again. You bring your arms up defensively in front of your face even though you're intangible. But instead of the familiar sensation of an object phasing through you, you hear the Nomu's fist make an impact with something else.
You peek one eye open at a time, seeing a glowing, gold barrier between you and the bird brain. Neoform stands in the newly made doorway, hands up as he blocks you from the Nomu's attack. But, the Nomu only has to punch the barrier one more time before it shatters and disappears. Neoform's invincible force field is destroyed by only two punches.
"(Y/nnn)," The hulking creature groans, its low voice sending shivers down both of your spines. These things can't speak according to Toshinori, so why is this one able to?
Despite being in your intangible form, the Nomu grabs you by the throat, causing you to sputter. Its meaty hand grips your neck, cutting off your air supply and making it feel like your neck is about to be crushed. If you don't get loose soon, this thing will crack your spine.
You lose control of your quirk, turning completely tangible again, the bird's grip on your throat tightening in response. It groans out your name again as Neoform screams for you to use your quirk. With what strength you can muster from the lack of air, you look over at your mentor. Realization flashes in his eyes as he understands you can't use your quirk.
"INTERN! RUN!" Neoform screams, his quirk activating around your neck. It forces the Nomu to let go of your throat, allowing you to take in some much-needed gasps for air. The Nomu instantly tries to grab you again but is blocked by another barrier.
You glance at Neoform, his eyes pleading for you to get out of there. The fact that this thing can touch you even with your quirk activated tells you that this monster is after you. And, from how relentless it's been, it won't stop until you are dead on the ground.
You take the opportunity to teleport away, making it look like you only phased into the ground.
•••••
You appear on a rooftop, hands pressing against your bruised neck as you lay on your back, heaving in air desperately. You hate yourself for leaving Neoform to deal with the monster, but there is nothing you can do to fight against that thing if your quirk won't work.
It'll probably chase after you anyway once it notices you're gone. Neoform should be fine on his own.
You groan at the feeling of your bruised flesh being irritated by your fingertips, so you pull away with a sigh. Sitting up, you take in your surroundings. You're up high, giving you a good view of the city. But, instead of being met with the starry night sky, you've become accustomed to, it's painted an angry red with smoke clouds polluting the air. Fires sprout across the entire cityscape. You just now become aware of the screams of civilians and police sirens not too far away.
It seems you and Neoform weren't the only ones attacked, the whole city is under assault by the League of Villains.
You stumble to your feet in shock, about to jump back into action to help with the evacuation when your phone rings in your pocket. Your screen is shattered but you can still make out the message from Midoriya. His location is sent to the class group chat that Ida made, and from the looks of it, he isn't far away. And you're quick to realize it can only mean one thing, he's in trouble and in dire need of backup.
You don't even think twice before jumping off the roof.
•••••
Laying on the ground in a pool of blood are Ida and Midoriya, both screaming as Todoroki's arm is punctured by several small knives. The Hero Killer sprints forward, desperate to get a drop of blood from the boy. But, a wall of fire obstructs his path. He flips back to avoid getting burnt, his mask swaying behind him.
A low growl leaves the villain's throat at being kept back by a couple of high schoolers. Another wall of ice is emitted from the dual-haired boy, causing the Hero Killer to jump in the air over the wall. The young hero realizes his mistake too late as he is about to be struck down like his friends.
But instead, in the blink of an eye, the Hero Killer is kicked back by a heavy, metal boot. You land with a thud on the ground, sliding to the side because of the layer of ice coating the ground.
"(L/n)-chan!"
"You too?!"
"Glad to see you could make it."
You're greeted as your friends notice your sudden appearance. These boys are nothing but trouble, but you're glad to see they are all still alive.
"And just in time too," You respond.
Your eyes don't leave the villain's figure as he stands up, your powerful kick doing little to throw him off balance. He has a mission and refuses to be brought down by a few teenagers.
"Another wannabe hero? You kids are getting on my nerves. Go die already!" The Hero Killer shouts, rushing towards you with his sword.
The cries of your classmates are cut off as the blade falls right through you, along with the rest of him. His eyes widen for a fraction of a second before he gains his bearings. He won't let such a cheap trick throw him off.
You rushed over to Midoriya's aid without thinking, and now you can't leave to get a knife from your actual hero costume. Ida and Midoriya are stuck to the ground due to the Hero Killer's quirk and Todoroki's forearm has several knives protruding from it. You can't leave them. Besides, you promised Toshinori you would protect these kids.
"Hero Killer, I've been looking for you. You're hard to catch," You say quietly as the both of you stare each other down.
You have two jobs to take care of, to protect your classmates, and to take down the Hero Killer. And now you can kill two birds with one stone.
"I recognize you..." The Hero Killer groans out, eyes flashing with recognition, "You're that pesky hero that keeps trying to find me."
The villain drops into a fighting stance, rushing forward a second later. Your classmates scream as you meet, his knife gliding right through you one second, the next you are socking him in the face. The Hero Killer stumbles back a step before lurching towards you again. He throws a knife in your direction, but instead of it being aimed at you, it's directed at Todoroki behind you.
It sails past your ear at the dual-haired boy, and in a split second, you teleport in front of him. You catch the knife right in front of his throat, a mere centimeter from penetrating the skin.
"Todoroki!" Midoriya and Ida shout in unison but stare in confusion when they realize he's alright, not knowing how you got over there so quickly.
"LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS!" You shout.
You take the knife and decide to be the one to charge forward this time. Again and again you two clash, blades meeting and bouncing off of one another. Just as you flip away from one of the Hero Killer's attacks, Midoriya lurches forward, having regained his ability to move. He punches the Hero Killer in the jaw sending him back quite a way. But instead of his bones breaking like they usually do, Midoriya is fine and there's green lightning encircling the boy.
Todoroki sends another wall of ice at the villain, causing him to jump over it and stand a few feet from you.
"Tell me," The Hero Killer starts, turning his head to face you at a creepy angle, "Would you die right now if it meant your little friends would live? I'm a huge fan of yours, now let's see if you can hold true to your vow, hero."
His eyes bore into your figure. You stand tall despite the injuries you've sustained. All four boys turn to look at you. Your classmates and the pro hero hold a look of confusion and fear.
"I'd give up my life in an instant," You reply, holding yourself as high as possible with a fierce glare.
"Then you are worthy," The Hero Killer replies, opening his arms for you. You know what he wants, it's just like what Ingenium told you when you talked to him. The Hero Killer will only let a worthy hero kill him.
"I'm not going to kill you," You respond, dropping your knife and taking a few steps closer.
You don't make it far before Ida is up and lurches for your arm. From the look on his face, you can tell he is just as confused and scared as the other boys. It seems only the villain in front of you has figured out your true identity.
"I'm not letting you or anyone else get hurt anymore because of me," Ida tells you, holding your arm tightly.
"You don't need to worry, I know what I'm doing."
You teleport out of his grip, once again surprising your classmates and validating Midoriya's guess. You grab hold of the killer's arms, bringing them together and pulling out a pair of handcuffs you keep with your UA costume. You tightly bind his wrists together, the Hero Killer having no objections or resistance as you do so.
"You aren't going to seek revenge despite all of the people I've killed?" He asks in a whisper. Only you can hear him since the others are watching fearfully from a distance.
"No. After all, you're still human and as a hero, it's my job to save you, not hurt you."
"And you're just a kid," He says in an almost teasing tone, a cruel smile rising on his face, "Phantom."
Without another word, you pull him to the exit of the alley, hearing several voices approaching. Your friends follow, keeping their distance from you and the villain. As soon as you can make out that the voices are coming in your direction, you push the Hero Killer to Todoroki and teleport away.
•••••
You walk into the hospital alongside the head of police, Endeavor, and two other pro heroes you aren't familiar with. As you walk, Endeavor continuously sends dirty looks at you from over his shoulder. He's been holding a grudge against you since you called him a flaming piece of shit on national television. That was the one and the only interview you ever attended.
The Chief of Police opens one of the patient room doors, walking in with the rest of you in tow. You walk inside, lining up against the wall. Inside Midoriya, Ida, and Todoroki are sitting on hospital beds, Ida and Todoroki rise to their feet at your appearance while Midoriya has to remain seated due to the injury to his leg.
"Would you look at that! All the wounded warriors are awake," The old hero, Gran Torino, says as you observe the room.
"Gran Torino!"
"Mr. Manual!"
"Father," Todoroki says monotonously. He looks the least excited out of the bunch to see his mentor. But it's hard to beat considering Midoriya looks petrified and Ida looks ashamed of himself.
"I'm going to chew you out later kid, but for now you need to listen to the Chief of Police," Gran Torino states, sending a firm look at Midoriya.
The Chief of Police, Tsuragamae, takes a step forward. The boys stare in confusion as they notice the rather tall male has the head of a dog. You fold your arms behind your back as you listen silently.
"I am Mr. Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu's Chief of Police," He introduces, "And you three are the UA students who put a stop to the Hero Killer, woof."
You see the internal crisis Midoriya has at the presence of the chief, and the fact that he said 'woof' like an actual dog. You have to stop yourself from snickering at his confused expression.
"The Hero Killer is currently in treatment for his burns, broken bones, and several other severe injuries, woof. At the dawn of this extraordinary era, the police had moved to prioritize leadership and maintain the rules of our city. So, they decided not to use quirks as weapons.
"The profession of 'hero' soon rose to fill that void. It was a heavily debated issue at first, the use of these amazing powers to take down people who were misusing their own. But the public soon came to rely on heroes and they gained lots of public support. All because they followed the laws and acted morally complied.
"But those without permission...those who inflict harm on others without instruction of the police or another power. Even if they were face to face with someone like the Hero Killer, such action would represent a breach of the law, woof. You three, as well as your mentors and your female classmate that helped take down the killer, must be dealt with strictly and impartially," Tsuragamae tells them.
You see the fear and realization appear on each of their faces at the chief's words. You squeeze your arms tighter behind your back, not wanting anyone to see your nerves.
"Hold on a minute," Todoroki speaks up.
"Todoroki, what are you doing?" Midoriya asks fearfully, looking back at his friend.
"If Ida hadn't stepped in, Native would be dead. And if Midoriya hadn't shown up then both of them would be dead. Nobody even knew the Hero Killer was in Hosu. So, should we have let people die all in the name of some stupid law?!" Todoroki starts to storm forward only to be grabbed by Midoriya, "Everything went fine so just forget about the law this time! Isn't it your job to save people?" Todoroki points accusingly at the chief, not being able to get closer because of Midoriya's grip.
The room goes quiet. Beside you, Enji glares at his son in disappointment, making you kick him harshly in the shin. The older male glares down at you and you glare back from under your hood with glowing red eyes.
"You clearly still have a lot to learn. Some education you're getting from UA and Endeavor, woof," Tsuragamae says.
"You damn mutt-"
"Stop, this is serious!" Ida shouts, cutting off Todoroki and grabbing him as well.
"Just listen to the chief!" Gran Torino shouts stepping in front of you, holding out a hand to silence the boys. His words are heard and everyone takes a step back to let the chief finish.
"All of that I am obligated to say as the chief of police, woof. But, the real issue of whether or not we will have to deal with this publicly is your decision. If we let this story go out, you boys will be praised by the public but won't be able to avoid punishment. But, if we keep all of this to ourselves, the burns and slash marks on the Hero Killer will support the story that Endeavor and Phantom were the ones to take down the killer.
"The number of eyewitnesses was small enough that we can hush up this whole incident without getting you boys in trouble. But your achievements will never be acknowledged by the public. What do you say?" The chief finishes, sending them a droopy dog smile and a thumbs up, "I'm not looking to ruin any promising new careers."
Without a word, all of the boys nod, glad they are getting out of possible jail time.
"Of course, our negligence is to blame, so as supervisors we will still be punished," Manual says, teardrops in his eyes.
"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you," Ida apologizes, bowing his head. Manual walks up to him and bonks him on the head. "It's alright, just don't do it again, kid," He tells him.
"I have a question," Todoroki interjects before Gran Torino could rip Midoriya a new one, "What happened to (L/n)? You said she's in trouble too and I know from the fight she's injured. Where is she?"
"Your friend's whereabouts are unknown at the moment. According to her mentor, Neoform, they were attacked by one of those Nomus. For some reason, it was only attacking her and she abstained several injuries. Neoform gave her time to escape, and we know she was with you fighting the Hero Killer thanks to Native. But, she disappeared soon after and we haven't found her. Neoform is looking for her as we speak," Tsuragamae explains to the boys, a sad expression appearing on his face.
You didn't mean to worry anyone, you were just been busy all night helping out as Phantom. Todoroki and Ida's faces darken at the news. To them, it looks like no one knows where you are or if you're okay. They blame themselves, thinking they never should have let you disappear after the fight. Especially with a Nomu out there looking for you.
The boys bow silently as the chief walks out along with the other heroes. Todoroki and Endeavor only share a short glaring contest before the flame hero leaves the room. Soon, you're left alone with the three teenage boys to 'explain the likely consequences of what they did'. As soon as he's sure no one is listening, Midoriya speaks up.
"It's you. Right (L/n)-chan?" Midoriya asks, looking a little unsure of his guess.
Todoroki and Ida look at him in confusion but their attention quickly turns back to you when you silently pull off your hood, revealing your identity as well as the bandages wrapped around your neck and forehead. The boys' eyes widen in shock, even Midoriya who figured you out.
You bow your head, "I'm sorry for lying to you about who I am. I was sent to UA to act as a protector for class 1-A and the other students. All Might asked me to do this in case of another villain attack. I must ask that you keep this a secret for your safety and mine."
You are met with silence, making you assume the worst. You keep your head facing down and your eyes screwed shut tightly. You're afraid of rejection and what will happen if your identity is revealed to the world.
Todoroki makes the first move, walking from the side of his bed to you. You hear the approaching steps, balling your fists at your sides. Your hair falls around your face, hiding your nervous expression. You don't want to see the disgust on his face from you having betrayed his friendship. You know he isn't quick to trust others but he put his faith in you.
But, instead of the response you expect, Todoroki places his large hand on top of your head and ruffles your hair. His voice comes out softly, almost like he's scared of the effect it will have if he speaks any louder, "We understand why you kept this from us. We won't tell anyone. That's a promise."
Your head whips up in surprise, forcing Todoroki's hand to retract from your head. "You aren't going to tell?" You ask in confusion, scanning the room to see the serious looks on the boys' faces.
"Of course not! This is a big deal, the No. 3 hero is a teenager! And my classmate... do you mind if I ask a few questions?" Midoriya says, bouncing in excitement in his seat.
A grateful smile appears on your face as you go to take a seat next to the broccoli-haired boy. Todoroki sits on his bed parallel to you and Midoriya and Ida joins him. They listen in as Midoriya asks you questions about your quirk, reasoning behind parts of your costume, and the possibility of some power moves he thinks you can pull off with your quirk.
One question the boy asks you is how high or far away you can teleport. You're stumped on this one, you've never tested it out before. "I've never thought about that, I'll have to test it out," You tell him, placing a finger on your lips as you think over the question.
"But how would you test that? Start at a certain point and just teleport as far as you can in one direction and measure it? Would that work?" Ida inquires, also thinking over Midoriya's question.
"No, because I have to either see where I want to teleport or visualize it in my mind. So unless you find a huge open field there would be no way to properly measure the distance."
"You could stand on top of a building and look up, then see how far you can go," Todoroki suggests.
"Yeah! Oh, wait, what if she can travel infinitely? Then she would end up in space and suffocate to death!" Midoriya says, then starts freaking out over all of the possibilities of your quirk.
"Yes, that would not be a good idea," Ida interjects.
"I say we try it," You say nonchalantly.
"NO," Midoriya and Ida say at the same time.
"Why not?" You and Todoroki ask.
"You are supposed to be a pro hero! You should be more responsible!" Ida scolds, chopping his arms at you.
"Neither is attacking the Hero Killer on your own but you did that anyway," You jump in. The room quiets down as the three boys think over their actions. "I'm not saying you didn't do something good last night. Without you idiots, I wouldn't have caught him and more people would be dead, but you seriously need to think about what you did and what might have happened if I hadn't shown up in time."
They stay silent for a moment, staring at their laps. Ida's fists clench as he gazes down at his scarred hand, a reminder of his mistakes but also a promise to become better.
Suddenly, a knock at the door breaks the awkward atmosphere. You quickly throw on your hood and stand up.
"Come in!" Midoriya calls out, and two figures walk.
Toshinori in his muscular form and Neoform stand in the doorway. All Might has to duck to walk in, while Neoform strolls in nervously. His gold eyes quickly scan the room and fear fills them when he doesn't find what he's looking for.
"You are the UA kids, right? Was there a h/c haired girl here, I think her last name is (L/n)? She's interning with me and I lost track of her after a Nomu attacked us. I can't find her anywhere," Neoform says as he scans the room once more to take in the boy's expressions.
Toshinori sends a pointed look at you with a small glare. You nod in response, letting him know you're okay and that he can scold you later.
"U-Uh no, sorry," Midoriya sputters out. Neoform's shoulders drop as he walks out, saying he's going to check the next hospital.
Once the door closes and it's only you, All Might, and the three boys, you throw your hood back off and plop back on the bed. Toshinori makes his way over to you and places his large hand on your head and ruffles your hair.
"Had me worried. I heard about what happened, I see your identity was revealed as well. I'm sorry (Y/n)," All Might says as he removes his hand from your scalp.
"Don't worry about it All Might, you know just as well as I do that these boys are trustworthy. But, I should leave now. I don't want to worry Neoform and the police more than I have to," You tell him.
"Alright, I will see you soon for dinner young (Y/n)," All Might tells you, sending you a small smile.
You look over the boys, locking eyes with Todoroki and he sends you a silent nod. A reassurance that you two will talk again soon. With a small smile, you flip your hood up and teleport away, leaving All Might to take care of the rowdy bunch.
- • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • - • -
Weekly Meme:
Wish me luck on my finals... 😑