Momo groaned as consciousness returned. She was way too hungry and tired right now, having spent the entirety of last night creating gear for everyone … and so much glitter. That wasn't even to mention the band shirts she made. Definitely one of the most casual pieces of clothing she's ever worn, but it could've been worse. She could be dancing in the suits everyone else had to wear under all the spotlights.
A small smile came to her face, even under all the exhaustion, as she met up with Denki and Tokoyami. "I take it the band is ready to play?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend.
"Yep, just need to tune and we're going to rock harder than Kirishima can make himself." He grinned, pecking her cheek as a warm fluttery feeling entered her chest.
"You know, I recently became self aware, we've really gotta word that or something." Kirishima cringed. "Why didn't anyone stop me? I'm not trying to be Midnight." Everyone shuddered. Although their teacher's choices for lingerie were surprisingly tasteful. Maybe something she could save for her boyfriend's birthday.
"So many bright lights." Tokoyami groaned, committing himself to perfecting the f-chord. "If Ronove knew what I was doing, I'd never hear the end of it."
"Who?"
"This freak that showed up in the camp." Bakugo put his two cents in. "None of you better slow down, this is a Plus Ultra performance."
"I keep forgetting you can occasionally say something smart." Jiro sent her jib at their growling drummer. "Alright, let's go through a practice run, and I think we'll be all set."
"You've done an amazing job, Kyoka." Momo congratulated their band leader. "Knowing so many instruments, writing your own music, you're very talented.
"Yeah … thanks … Hey Momo." Jiro looked away for some reason. "Can we talk … once the festival is over?"
Not an unusual request, but a little out of nowhere. Jiro usually never felt the need to hide what she said. "I don't see why not."
The girl nodded. "Alright, places people, we've got a couple of tries, then it's one shot!"
"Remember Iruma-kun, don't use all your power to throw Aoyama, you need to half bake the cake." Toru spoke simply to her vice President, who nodded eagerly in understanding.
"I totally get it now!" The boy lifted the dummy in the air, and finally for the first time in a week didn't smash it through the ceiling.
"... Why did we nominate him as vice president? I do all of the work anyway at this point." She asked Iida. The 'meetings' she had with Iruma were either tutoring sessions or First Love Memories discussions.
"You were teamed up together during the battle trials and won despite the circumstances." That was fair, and it wasn't like she minded doing all the work too much. She enjoyed contributing everything she had to help her class. "Though when the next school year comes around, I'll gladly take Suzuki on his offer." Iida would be a pretty good vice, his paperwork skills would finally give her more alone time with Denki.
Speaking of. "Good luck and do your best." She kissed him. "I know you'll do great out there, like you always do."
"We both will." He kissed her back. Moments like this made all the headaches worth it.
==
"Now then." Miriko was being sat down and lectured by All Might. In any other situation, she'd call it stupid, however, literally everyone involved in the current operation agreed on it. "We start with something simple. A female worker tells you no. What is the rational solution?"
"Kick her until she says yes." The obvious answer. It's how she was able to get through grade school. This apparently wasn't the answer the retired number one was looking for if the groaning with any indication. "What? Should I punch them while shouting smash instead?" She sarcastically asked.
"Don't tell me this is what I inspired the next generation to be like."
"To be as badass as possible? Nah, I did that all on my own."
"Okay, Rumi, let me break it down for you." He displayed an annoying looking person in a suit. "If someone hasn't committed a crime … you can't attack them."
"I don't follow." He wasn't making any sense here.
"What gives you the right to hit someone?"
"They're being annoying or being an asshole."
"So if a kid was crying right into your ears, would you hit them just for being annoying?"
"Hell no, don't be stupid!" She was starting to think All Might didn't have much faith in her people skills. "I'd yell at the stupid parents for not shutting their brat up near somone with sensitive ears and threaten to knock them upside the head if they don't start being better."
"No, you do not hit or threaten the parents, at all, in any way or form!" He shouted. "Unless they are abusive. In which case, you are in the right." He sighed. "You can only hit someone when they're breaking the law." That was stupid. Plenty of people did things that required violence but were legal.
"So what? We're just going to ignore the fact that UA and every hero school on the planet can put the beat down on kids for the sake of training?"
"We don't put the beat down on kids unless they specifically have orders to attack and retaliate ba-right, you beat up Young Suzuki for your training didn't you?" Yagi sighed and face palmed. "There could have been so many other things I could have been doing today."
"Oh yeah, because your scrawny ass has so much to do nowadays." Rumi rolled her eyes. "Trust me, Bunny-man, I'd rather you be anywhere else now too, but apparently, I need help talking to someone that I can't get mad, or annoyed, or angry with if I want to do right by my Kit."
"Right … which brings me to another point. Social services will require you to have a stable income-"
"I'm a pro hero."
"Yes … but you need to use that income for the child's safety … such a fridge not just filled with bare necessities … or a house instead of a rented apartment at a motel."
"Wait…I actually have to buy a freakin house?"
"Well you could rent it but in my experience owning it is more beneficial in the long run cost wise, once I didn't realize I spent ten years of my life renting a complex I didn't even use anymore." The man laughed.
"Why does adulthood have to suck so much?" She groaned, pulling on her ears in frustration, before letting out a weak laugh. "I haven't even hit my thirties, and here I am, trying to be a parent for a fifteen year old." To be fair, Kettei was basically a four year old mentality wise in a literal sense. "Did you ever feel like this when you were training him?"
"From the moment I saw he never goes inside his house to sleep, yes." Yagi nodded. "It reminded me of my time with my own mentor. I had no real family to speak of at the time, so she in turn became a mother figure to me." He looked up, eyes drifting. "I can never be more happy than when I was with her … or more grateful to anyone I know."
"She was that special to you, huh?" Rumi guessed. For all the glamor the former number one held, this was the first time she learned about anything in his personal life.
"I think my favorite moment was my first criminal." He reminisced. "I powered up my quirk, looked the robber in the eye, and punched him into a window. After that the lady screamed in terror and ran off because a crazy man punched a guy really far." Jerk. "So she heard my story, and took me for ramen as she told me about her early days, working on cases and flying into street lamps. The day ended with me on her couch but … I never felt warmer on any other bed."
"I get that, I really do." She remeninsed on that first internship she had. "Sure, I thought that the kid was crazy enough to handle my training, but…seeing that determination, seeing him so happy despite all the shit he's been through…I wanted nothing more than to keep him smiling. When he was with me, I…I never felt more at home anywhere." She never thought she'd become such a sap. "You know, I'm surprised you're not putting your hat in the ring, mr symbol of peace."
"I thought about it, but for some reason everyone kept screaming no at me." He shrugged. "I like to think I'm responsible around children."
"UA being attacked twice probably puts it into question."
He raised his hand, pausing, before relenting. "Now onto more pressing concerns … tax forms." END HER NOW!
==
Iida shuffled through the papers, taking a double check on inventory. "Lets see … Lights seem to be in working order, cables are properly secured and outleted, instruments are pre tuned, everyone is awake and well fed."
"Yeah, because we woke up before Iruma could raid the fridge." Kaminari tuned his guitar. Very true. A downside to having a friend with super strength was that locks didn't do much to keep them out.
"The instruments are of top quality, so they won't be breaking in the middle of practice, despite Bakugo's best efforts." Yaoyorozu commented.
"Screw you, Ponytail, the drums you gave me before were just shitty." Bakugo proceeded to explode his drumsticks.
"How we managed to get through practice without killing each other is a miracle." Jiro sighed. "Mina, we're good on all the costumes?"
"Absotively!" Ashido threw a fist in the air. "We managed to balance out the sparkle ratio between Aoyama and Toru, so no one's going to go blind staring at them for ten seconds.
"A shame, my dazzling brilliance can not be contained with mortal eyes. Truly I have taken the sparkling essence of myself … Plus Ultra." So now Aoyama has become Tokoyami, but sparkly. That was going to be something to look forward to.
"I'm amazed I can actually stand out at all." Hagakure cheered. "I'm so excited! It's going to be great, Iruma-kun! Just you and me on stage together, alone.." A huff from the other performers interrupted her. "...with the rest of the class of course."
"Yeah, it's going to be great." Suzuki's attitude notably lightened a little during practice since the work study. "We're all going to have fun and Eri will see it and learn to be happy again."
"A very noble goal to have, Suzuki." He praised his friend. "If there's nothing else to cover, I believe we'll be ready to engage in the performance without issue!"
"Um, we have a problem." Uraraka walked over to them, holding a flayed rope. "All the training attempts must have strained it, this thing will snap if we use it." Right, that was going to be a problem.
"Yaoyorozu, could you make us another rope please?" The girl nodded, before slightly tumbling to a nearby chair.
"Momo! Are you alright!?" Kaminari ran up to her, holding her upright on her seat.
"It's fine, it's fine…I guess I haven't stored up alot of lipids ever since we came back from the Work Study." Their president shook their head. "It's fine. I just need to eat a little more and I'll be fine.."
"I can get more rope." Suzuki volunteered himself. "I have money from the work study, and there's something else I need to get anyways."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Todoroki asked him.
"What? I know where to get it from."
"Yes, but any time you walk out alone you somehow encounter villains."
"Not every time. Just because people try to hurt me, it doesn't mean they're villains."
"Doesn't the League literally call themselves villains?" Jiro pointed out.
"They're good people. Anyway I better hurry or I'll be late for the event. See you guys there!" The boy rushed out before anyone else could protest.
"I'm surprised you're not following him." Uraraka aske Hagakure, who for once didn't cling to Suzuki's side with every step he made.
"I can't run in this dress. The last time I tried something cracked." The invisible girl sighed. "Besides, I put a tracker on his phone, so I'll know if he's going to run late." It was sad that it was necessary, but it was more dignifying than a collar and bell.
==
It was sad how empty this old shop was. The irony of it all, all the mom and pop shops near him had been replaced and he was off scot free, but that big market drove all the customers there instead of here. Meaning they were running out of business until the cafe would have to close. And so much money was spent on imperial gold tips too.
"I never thought the day would come where we'd get to use this brand." Gentle admitted. He was okay with the 'smaller' jobs, as long as the message was loud and clear, but the world was getting louder and crazier. And even then the voices of the small could still be stepped on by the masses that ignored the message entirely.
This was a necessary step they needed to take, or they risked being forgotten by the world entirely. "It's a shame Gentle, you'd think with all that we do people would learn to take notice of the smaller and more homey places, instead of those big mega marts." La Brava, his lovely assistant, agreed as they walked in incognito.
"The bigger, the better, as the common man says." He quoted with a scoff. "It's how society works in every corner and crevice." Markets, celebrities, heroism, everything needed to be loud and flashy. Anything below that apparently wasn't worth attention.
They walked in, a small bell chimed as they saw a man with an apron and mop. "Oh, the bathroom is to the hall, to the right." A shame, a man broken so far he couldn't even recognize customers. Time to fix this right up!
"I'm actually here for Golden Imperial Tips. It's one of my favorite teas, other than the fabled Hellsgray, a concoction which no one has even discovered since the dark ages." When he found it, it would be drunk.
The store owner lit up, a chuckle as he put his mop away. "Well then, how much can I get for the lovely couple?"
"As much as you have, pretty please!" La Brava responded enthusiastically, not bothering to correct the man's common mistake. He adored his assistant more than anything on the earth, but he couldn't afford her to be too attached if anything ever went wrong. She couldn't be dragged down by him, he wouldn't allow it.
==
Alright, mission success! He got the rope, and he got enough apples for Eri's candy. Just enough for there to be enough when he finally returned to the school! She was going to love today, he just hoped the other events were even better then their own, so they could be a good opening act to the fun day. Wait a second, they had caramel apples at the festival … damn it, this might have been wasted money.
"Don't focus on that now. Make the girl happy first." He repeated to himself. It wasn't like buying too much food was a bad thing. Life definitely seemed a lot more simple when he didn't focus on being a hero.
That was another thing. He didn't want to disappoint Bunny-sensei, and he still needed to help Tomura, but after that…did he even have a reason to be a hero, to have One For All? For money? Not really, he didn't live with his parents anymore, so there wasn't a point there.
For helping people? Heroes just sat around and let others suffer. When he helped Melissa and Kota it felt nice, but Eri he had to wait around while she was tortured. But then he kept going back to heroes like Bunny-sensei and Rabbit-sama, the latter who mostly just did what she wanted no matter what people said, and the former who was strong enough to do almost anything.
Was that just it? Be strong and do what you want? Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of people at the compound, could he have beaten them all up and saved Eri alone … he got really torn up near the end, so he thought he could before but … damn it!
He bumped into someone without paying attention. "Sorry sir." He really needed to focus.
"It's quite alright, no harm done." Oh, looks like he bumped into someone nice! "Nothing in my own bags was damaged." He pointed to his own groceries.
"Oh sorry, let me get those for you." Iruma picked it up, and noticed a familiar scent. "Huh, it smells like the tea Momo made for the class. Gold Royal Points?"
"Golden Imperial Tips." The man corrected. "I never commit a crime without perfect tea." The three of them stood there in awkward, frozen silence, Iruma holding a bag of tea and blinking in confusion. Did he say commit a crime?
"Gentle, you lovable goof." The girl sighed.
"Wait, Gentle, as in Gentle Criminal?" Iruma smiled. "I'm a fan!"
"Wait..what?" The man asked, confused. "You..you watched my videos?"
"A few of them, yeah. You say a lot of important stuff that can really help people. I got tricked into buying expensive groceries for so many years! I wish I found your channel sooner, but I didn't have the internet back then."
"You…watched Gentle's videos?" The red headed lady asked with a curious look. "Wait, I think I know who you are. Suzuki right? The kid from the festival that broke all his bones."
"Yeah, I overcooked the chicken a little too much back then, but now I'm better!" That made the two of them laugh for some reason. "But that was just a bunch of fighting, you actually say something smart!" He scurried around for a piece of paper in his pocket. "Can I have your autograph?"
"Of course, anything for a fan." The man smiled, signing it. "I'm glad to see such youth burn bright with hope. In fact, I'm sure you'll love our next kapor." Oh, was it somewhere fun? "The UA Cultural Festival!" … What?
"Wait, you're going to ruin the festival?" They were going to ruin Eri's fun?
"It's perfect!" The red head exclaimed. "Supposedly one of the most fortified facilities on the planet, yet they practically gift wrap the perfect opportunity for anyone to sneak in! How can the public trust in heroes to protect them if they can't even protect themselves?"
"Huh…that is a good point." It kind of confused him how UA still ran even after two invasions. "But today's suppose to be a fun day where people don't focus on all the terrible things that happened this year. Can't you do it another time?"
"Don't worry. We've got a way to go unnoticed the entire festival. Once it's over I'll show it to the world." The girl explained. "Worst case scenario UA shuts down." UA shutting down, that meant no more hero classes, no more friends, no more dorms, and living with his parents again…NO!
"I'm really sorry, but I can't let you do that. If you don't back down I'll have to beat you up, and I really don't want to do that, so this is your last chance." The boy leaned down, body sparking.
"I suppose this was inevitable, given that you are a hero student. It's just in your nature." Gentle Criminal sighed, taking off the coat and mask he was wearing. "Just know I am truly delighted to have met a fan."
"I'm happy to meet a good person like yourself, even if we have to fight!" Iruma leapt forward, a small punch for testing ready … only to hit the air? "What the-" His squished up face spoke against the air.
"My quirk makes things elastic, or bendy and bouncy, even the air!" Oh, so that's why he couldn't dodge. It was like a bounce house, it wasn't dangerous … unless you jumped at it with enough speed to become a blur and bounced back with the same amount of force. This was gonna hurt.