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stillness-in-green · 1 year ago

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Chapter Thoughts — Chapter 387: Congealing

Howdy, everyone, guess who had an unusually high amount of research to do for this post? Next chapter's should be up faster, between being extra short and largely Todo-centric.

Content Note: I will be talking quite a lot about the Himura inter-family marriages below. An enormous chunk of this post is going to be dedicated to dispelling some of the most frequent misconceptions in the fandom response to the Himura situation, which I don't think is anywhere near as drastic as a lot of people are making it out to be. That's not the same as saying there's nothing wrong with it at all! However, I want to be very clear on what I believe Geten is describing before I talk about what we can gather from it.

(Spoilers: A lot of people don't have the first clue what the phrase "branch family" indicates and good lord, does it ever show.)

Hit the jump.

On Geten and the Himura

O Wow, you guys. Wow. Okay, so, obviously, lots to cover here, and I know I’ve said before that I try to make these posts with minimal reference to Bad Takes I’m seeing out there in the wilds of the fandom, but holy shit, people, the takes are SO INCREDIBLY BAD. I should have known better, I guess, than to expect the fandom to be remotely reasonable about a reveal that intersects with both the MLA and the Todoroki. So, first things first:

Please, please, please, knock it off with the inbreeding jokes and the screeching panic about Rei’s only choices being an abusive arranged marriage or a cousin-marriage. Geten specifies in nearly every translation we have that the intermarriages within the Himura clan were between distant relatives. And I strongly, strongly suspect that the majority of people who are making banjo jokes or fretting about the deleterious effects of inbreeding on their faves have not the faintest idea what Geten is talking about when he says “branch families” and “main family.”

As an illustrative example, let’s talk in brief about the Fujiwara clan.

The most dominant clan throughout virtually all of Japan's Heian Era (794 – 1195) was the Fujiwara clan, whose whole shtick was marrying their daughters to Emperors and then relying on the practice of raising the future Emperor in his mother’s household to take advantage of filial piety traditions—which applied even to in-laws!—to secure the loyalty of the Emperor/future Emperor to his Fujiwara father/grandfather. Even after they fell from the heights of their influence, they still monopolized powerful positions as imperial advisors and regents all the way up to the Meiji Restoration in 1868!

That’s over a thousand years of first marrying into the imperial line and then being the only family who were even eligible to be chosen as regents for child Emperors or Empresses Regnant. They certainly didn’t achieve that by being a single family for a thousand years! Rather, there were branch families under the clan umbrella, four of note—

—Well, actually, it was four during the Heian Era. Once the Kamakura period rolled around the most powerful of those four further subdivided into five. So eight families total—

—Well, wait, those were really just the most important and chief of the families. Actually there were five more cadet branches, too. So thirteen families total—

—But actually, those five cadet branches were subdivided even further as well. According to Wikipedia, the total number of subfamilies in the Fujiwara clan, families that were specifically aristocrats in the Imperial court (the kuge class) or higher—is…

Uh. Ninety-seven.

Now, I don’t know how many of those families existed concurrently, but with numbers like that, I hardly think it matters. All those families—and they are families, not individuals—fell under the broad umbrella of the Fujiwara clan. So, you know, if some of them intermarry, it’s not exactly on the same level as you marrying your first cousin! Or your second. Or your third or fourth or fifth.

Obviously I don’t think the Himura were anywhere near that big or influential, but I hope it illustrates my point: Japanese clans that have had a few hundred years to develop can be fucking enormous. Please banish from your mind the idea that the Himura have been marrying their direct cousins this whole time. When Geten says they created multiple branch families, and started marrying distant relatives, the plural on "branch families" and the adjective "distant" are giving us crucial, meaningful information, not just superfluous clutter.

Truthfully, I think a lot of this panic is due to the fact that most people aren’t very into genealogy and thus have no idea how quickly you can become very distant indeed from people with whom you share a common ancestor. I mean, how many of your third cousins can you name? For me, that answer is zero. Heck, I can’t even name any second cousins. The best I could do would be to tell you of their existence in broad strokes—the son of one of my mother’s cousins, whose name I don’t remember but who I know exists; the hypothetical children one of my father’s cousins might have had at some point after the last time I heard anything about him, well over twenty years ago, at which time he was still single.

Now, it’s a little easier to look down the family tree rather than across, in this case. To wit, you almost certainly know your cousins much better than your parents’ cousins—your children and your cousins’ children will be second cousins. That’s probably much closer feeling, right? But put yourself in the shoes of those kids—unless you live in the same town as your cousins, and see each other pretty frequently, your children and theirs will probably meet only a handful of times before they grow up and head off to live their own lives. After all, look back up—how well do you remember your parents’ cousins’ children?

And, again—that’s second cousins, the outer periphery of what people who study this stuff class as “close relatives.” [1] Geten specifying distant relatives means we’re talking farther removed even than that. Your second cousins once removed, for example, would be either your second cousins’ children (that is, your parents’ cousins’ grandchildren) or your grandparents’ cousins’ children. Your third cousins, meanwhile, would be your grandparents’ cousins’ grandchildren.

Have you ever met family that far removed? Have you seen pictures? Do you even know if they exist? How many members of your extended family do you know of, generally, perhaps because your parents brought you along on visits a few times as a child, but you’ve long since forgotten their names or their specific relation to you?

Now, in a situation like Geten is talking about, you probably would be able to positively answer some of my questions above, because you’d be mid-level ruling class; your parents would be talking about marriage to someone (hopefully) your age in a branch family. But that doesn’t mean you would have met them. They’d probably live in a different part of the country entirely, your common ancestor married to some outside group before the Advent of the Exceptional. The branch families of, for example, the Tokugawa shogunate lived in four strongholds, each a hundred or more miles distant from the next.[2] You can track descendants of Queen Victoria through royals from England, Spain, and all three of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

What all this boils down to is that, no, it really is not that strange for a widely spread clan to do a bit of intermarriage now and then to consolidate power. People in power want power to stay in the family. Duh.

However.

That all said, I am not saying the situation Geten describes is 100% fine and cool. Obviously if it were totally normal and unremarkable, there’d be no point to even bringing it up, much less having Mr. Compress disparagingly comment on it! But look at the timetable here. The Himura began as village leaders a long, long time ago, and even after the land reforms, they still went on creating branch families, enabling them to maintain their wealth and pride.

It’s after the Advent that the marrying between the families starts. And even this, done a handful of times and then abandoned, would not be a damning thing—as I said, those big families in power do have marriages across branches sometimes. The real trouble is carrying out such marriages repeatedly, across many generations, within a small group. Some research on the Habsburgs, for example, surely the most famous inbred royals in the Western hemisphere, turned this up:

From 1516 to 1700, it has been estimated that over 80% of marriages within the Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty were consanguineous. In other words, they were marriages between close blood relatives. Most often, these unions took the form of marriages between first cousins, double-first cousins, and uncles/nieces.

Nowhere does Geten suggest that things with the Himura got this bad. In fact, I would argue that the text is quite clear that the family slowly stopped intermarrying, and this is what led to their demise! Consider the following points:

The Advent happened in modern times. The glowing baby is delivered in what is very clearly a modern hospital; the very next panel shows a geeky dude levitating a volume of manga, which didn’t even exist in the form we know today until after WWII. Technology stalled in the wake of the Advent, but the characters now still have cellphones and laptop computers—the Advent was modern. My rough estimate for how long it’s been since then is a bit over 150 years.

Because the Advent happened in modern times, the Himura family would have known about the dangers of excessive intermarriage. This isn’t something they’ve been doing since the Stone Age and refused to change their minds about until the last twenty-five years!

Because the Himura family would have known about the dangers of inbreeding, look at what happens: they do inter-branch marriages to “distant relatives” for about 125 years and then they stop. Over the course of that time, the clan shrinks and wanes, for one reason that is immediately self-apparent and a few others that we can guess were probable. The self-apparent reason is that, even though the families started out as distant relatives, the divide would get shorter with every wedding that produced children. Thus, the pool of marriageable candidates for those children gets smaller and smaller as the families become more closely entwined. Avenues close off, marriages become unavailable that would be illegal under Japanese law (which allows marriage between first cousins, but not between uncle and niece/aunt and nephew), or which would have too high a concern of congenital defects—which, remember, a modern family would be aware of. We can hypothesize plenty of other reasons for the clan’s diminishment. Once it became clear that quirks were there to stay, entire families might have broken away rather than go along with an inherently doomed endeavor. Some marriageable candidates likely ran away or otherwise abandoned the family rather than continuing along the path the family had laid out for them. There would probably have been otherwise acceptable candidates who became unacceptable due to developing quirks that were undesirable to the bloodline.[3] And so on and so forth.

Eventually, Geten says, the head family—presumably the one Rei’s from—started selling off their children to outsiders, and that was the end. If the head family threw in the towel on preserving the bloodline, the branch families certainly weren’t going to be bound to do it anymore! And so the remnants of the clan shattered.

So, no. Rei’s choices were not, “Marry Enji or marry a cousin.” Rei’s parents were looking for someone who could bring money to the family; by that point in time, I don’t think they would have let her marry within the family even if she’d wanted to!

By the same token, Dabi and Geten are not cousins—not in the way people have been using the word, at least, to mean “someone I am imagining to be as close to me as, like, my first cousin, ew.” While the repeated intermarriage would indeed have reduced the distance quickly as the generations passed, if the common ancestor (that is, the family founder) was from, say, eight generations ago, two and a half centuries prior to the point at which the intermarriage began, and there were at least five or six branches of family at the start,[4] it would have taken more than just one or two generations before the only options available to wed were close relatives!

And, to reiterate, that’s exactly what we saw happen—the Himura kept it up for a few generations, shrinking all the while, but fragmenting for good four or five generations after the Advent. I would guess that, while Geten would have been more closely related to any children Rei had borne via intermarriage, Dabi and Geten are third or fourth cousins at best. The Himura were in denial about the new state of the world; they weren’t idiots that managed to forget everything history has ever demonstrated about what happens when you keep marrying off first cousins in a closed environment.

That all said, what else have we got this chapter?? Because make no mistake, the fact that I’m pushing back against reductive cousin-marriage takes in no way means that I wish to shy away from examining the darker implications here!

O I love how ambivalent about all this Geten is. Given that Rei was married to an outsider over twenty years ago, if the branch families scattered around that time, Geten must have been very young, so he’d have been profoundly impacted by it. This is especially apparent given the harshness of the language he uses to describe the event: the families don’t merely admit defeat and grudgingly set to integrating; they “scatter.” The main line doesn’t just start marrying outsiders; they start “selling their children.”

This suggests incredibly bitter feelings in the family, and no wonder! I imagine there were a lot of people, especially in the branch families or among younger members, who’d hated the clan’s insularity, and they would have left the moment they had an excuse to! Conversely, though, there would also have been people who’d been indoctrinated into the clan’s worldview all their lives, people who’d quashed their doubts or discomfort down long ago, who would be clinging to sunk cost fallacies with all their strength because change would be terrifying to them. Those people, I think, would be particularly likely to have complete breakdowns (or meltdowns) when the main family surrendered.

Whatever happened, it must have been quite dramatic, given the way Geten talks about Re-Destro having found him. Counter to a couple of, just, woefully awful takes I’ve seen around, Re-Destro did not buy Geten; it doesn’t even sound like he found him via any official channel. It was the main family members who were being “sold off,” remember; the branch families, which Geten explicitly associates himself with, were “scattered.” It sounds, then, like Geten was basically an orphan, and not one living in any kind of facility or home. He clearly had family, but whether he bolted on his own, was abandoned,[5] or whatever, that family’s no longer in the picture. This despite the fact that, again, he would have been a very, very young child at the time.

On a similar note, because of that youth, it’s also probable that his view on the family tragedy is colored at least in part by whatever Re-Destro’s reaction to it was when he got Geten’s story upon taking him in.

Re-Destro, of course, is all for radical quirk acceptance, but he’s deeply entangled with issues of bloodline himself. Although he uses some pretty flowery language to talk about his inherited blood from Destro, he also views that duty as a huge burdensome responsibility from which he is deliriously happy to be freed by Shigaraki. So we might suppose that he himself is pretty cold on chaining children to bloodline purity politics, especially in absence of a Worthy Cause. And rejecting the glorious future of everyone using their quirks to become who they were meant to be is the very opposite of a worthy cause!

O Gee, I wonder what Spinner would have thought about this. What a shame we didn’t have a three-month period where the League and the MLA were living together to explore oh wait.

O Congratulations to everyone who ever ventured to suggest that the Todoroki microaggressions against heteromorphs might stem from Rei, with her old money, traditionalist family, rather than New Money Endeavor, who went whole scenes being mad at Hawks and never called him anything dehumanizing even in his own mind. Guess there was something to Natsuo not bringing up his mouse-eared girlfriend in the hospital scene after all!

I’m mostly being facetious about this, but you can check here if you want my thoughts on who in the Todofam uses animal insults, who doesn’t, and some analysis as to why. I'd add two observations in light of new information:

First, Natsuo's girlfriend isn't at the shelter with him and the others, despite having a far better justification for being with him than the Masegaki kids have to be hanging around Fuyumi. It's a small absence, but noticeable in the context of the Himura being specifically described as heteromorphobic by Compress.

Second, while a lot of people say that heteromorph discrimination is a recent retcon, it's got a lot of early evidence. In that same vein, it's notable that Rei brings up bloodlines and obligation to them all the way back in Chapter 39—Shouto's Sports Festival flashback—where she reassures baby Shouto that he isn't a slave to his blood as the two of them watch All Might on TV talking about quirks being passed on from parent to child.

It's a little obscured by both Shouto's fears of coming to resemble his father and All Might's (frankly pretty contradictory) claims about what his, "I am here!" catchphrase is meant to indicate, but even back then, Rei's comfort is phrased in terms of being free from obligation to one's blood. If Horikoshi already knew what the Himuras' deal was even back then, one can easily imagine that he already knew the sorts of people the Himura were rejecting.

On the Todofam Reunion:

I love all the information packed into Geten and Compress scene, but I do wish it felt less arbitrary. Indeed, it’s the second scene we’ve gotten of the incredibly specific “captured villains sit in their cells and randomly, with no apparent prompting, talk about something relevant to the Todoroki situation” scenario. But then, this whole confrontation in the Todofam is wildly arbitrary. Which is frustrating! The family had that great scene in the hospital where they all talked about stopping Touya together and then did absolutely nothing to actually make that happen, and it really does not reflect well on either them or this whole scene.

Consider:

Dabi is only in this location, confronting Endeavor, because of spill-over effect from other villain actions (Spinner, Kurogiri). This was not planned in advance because the villains didn’t plan for being split up. Likewise, Endeavor confirms this chapter that he was trying to lure Touya away from the fighting at the Villa, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have intentionally led Touya towards one of the evacuation routes if he’d known there was a stalled box in the danger zone. (Why exactly didn't one of the people at police HQ tip him off about that?)

There are many, many other transports Rei and the kids could have gotten onto; they’re on this specific one rather than any others by total freak coincidence, not active choice.

The transport only stops where it does because of outside villain interference (Skeptic, and, as of next chapter, AFO’s spies). This interference was obviously not intended to stop the transport in the specific location it did because Skeptic was already interfering with them long before Dabi was warped in, and the AFO spies ought to value their own lives too much to willingly try to get themselves killed in a blue flame inferno. (More on them next week, because my god, does their scene in 388 annoy the hell out of me.)

So, taken all together, the Todofam’s vow in the hospital has amounted to absolutely nothing, and the fact that they’re being reunited now is a result of villain actions at best, random chance at worst. At no point have any of them been seen to make an effort at facilitating a full family action. While, yes, it is the case that the rest of the family are civilians, why even talk about “dealing with Touya as a family” if they’re going to do nothing of the sort? When did “deal with Touya as a family” become “allow the planners of this combat to move us all to different locations, leaving only Shouto—who knows the least about Touya of anyone in the family!—to try and talk down the brother who resents him more than anyone?”

It's just another point where Team Hero talks big but takes no action to back that talk up.

On Enji and Touya:

O The, “Watch me!”/”I don’t want to watch you die!” exchange is good stuff—all that telling people to watch him, and now Enji’s on the other side of that. Even better is that ludicrously delightful panel of the two of them with hands and flame-hands entwined, Enji’s arms wide open as Touya comes in[6] for a landing. As ever, Dabi’s dancing imagery is on-fucking-point. Good work getting your dad to dance with you in hell, Dabs.

O As to Enji’s actions here, I’m torn. On the one hand, it’s extremely telling that Endeavor leaps straight to, “Guess we’ll die together, then,” when he fails to talk Dabi down, and that’s emblematic of the flaws of the hero mentality, which is so drastically bad at dealing with nuanced situations in which they or their society have failed.

On the other hand, Enji does try to talk to Touya here and gets nowhere, not necessarily because he’s saying the wrong things (though you could argue that he is) but because Dabi’s frying his own brain. This is uncomfortably reminiscent of Spinner’s mental decay, and, as others have said, I’m Very Not Here for the villains being so damaged mentally that they can’t even articulate their own grievances, allowing heroes to get the last word by default even though their “solutions” are wildly insufficient and ultimately in support of the demonstrably failing status quo.

Anyway, Enji is obviously taking the wrong tack here, but I can’t help but feel like the writing has put him in a no-win situation by stripping Touya’s ability to reason from him, rendering him unable to even attempt to respond to Enji’s attempts at engagement. Enji’s still ultimately to blame for this, of course, thanks to all his many, many failures to engage with Touya at literally any point prior to this, but it’s just an ongoing disappointment to me that we continue to be deprived of a proper intellectual back-and-forth about this society’s ultimate worth because, at all times, either the heroes are unwilling to engage or the villains have been rendered unable to.

O Travel times in this series continue to be unbelievably whack. Endeavor has gotten 800 meters from the Villa ruins? 800 meters? That's less than half a mile! AFO is most of the way to U.A. by now! All Might has driven even farther, going all the way from the police HQ, which is probably in Tokyo near Central Hospital, past Kamino and every other active battlefront, to far enough out from U.A. to intercept AFO's flight path. That's well over a hundred miles, traveled in a matter of minutes![7] But Endeavor, even on injured legs, couldn't make it one single mile?? And Dabi couldn't have caught up to him if he was moving that slow?

God save me from these arbitrary fucking travel times!

Stray Notes:

O The “land reforms,” not “the agricultural revolution,” jfc C.Cook. There's a pretty huge difference between a family sustaining their power through an agricultural upheaval in 1947 vs. 10,000 BC!

O Why is it so cold in there?? Get Mr. Compress a jacket!!! Also, like, Geten doesn’t seem terribly bothered, as one might expect from an ice quirk user, but it’s a bit inconsistent with his wearing a full-length parka during his fights, seeing as the parka would suggest he is, in fact, not totally immune to sustained chills!

That being the case, why is it so cold in there? I wouldn’t think it’s actually just that cold in the prison, since there’s obviously a cold mist drifting into Mr. C’s cell, rather than being ambient in both of them. Does Geten just generate it? His whole thing up to now has been that he controls ice but can’t create it from nothing, so if it is coming from him, that would be—well, not quite a retcon, but certainly a swerve.

Does he naturally generate it but do so very slowly, not in sufficient amounts to use for his preferred Ballistic Iceberg fighting style? If it’s coming from him automatically, can he turn it off? Presumably not, since if he could and isn’t, that would suggest he’s doing this with a goal in mind, something you have to think his jailers would have Opinions about.

So if he can’t turn it off, and this just happens in anyplace he sits long enough, is the parka to protect other people from his chill, rather than to protect him from the cold of the ice he uses? Recall that there wasn’t ice caked on his chair during e.g. the MLA dinner scene. What a fascinating idea, and one that speaks to the need for support items like Detnerat makes!

Well, whatever the case, I certainly hope he’s about to use his ice to decisively break them out of there! Because haha, why wouldn’t he be able to do that if he ambiently creates cold just by sitting there and the prison can’t even be arsed to crank the temperature up?? Surely no one thinks that those restraints on his hands are sufficient to stop him from using his ice? I haven’t forgotten that he definitively does not need to touch ice in order to control it, and it can’t be that hard to find a fire suppression sprinkler system line or the plumbing connected to whatever the toilet situation is for prisoners or something!!

(Sigh.)

O Unexpectedly good of the heroes to let Mr. Compress keep his prosthetic. And a bed, no less! I wonder where Geten’s bed is. (My god, these jail conditions are so inhuman. Get them a damn futon, at least.)

O That hint that Mr. C has been talking to the cops and heroes—Geten asking about the conversation—I wonder if anything will come of that? Because it would be incredibly lame for Horikoshi to promise us we’d see Mr. C again only for this to be his final appearance, doing nothing but weighing in with disgruntled expressions on Geten’s out-of-nowhere backstory drop. It’s a pretty shit final scene for Geten, too, dropping backstory exposition for no reason save to layer in some justification for the ice powers Dabi is about to exhibit.

--------------------- FOOTNOTES ---------------------

[1] The cut-off between close and distant relatives is made here because, once you get further out than second cousins, there’s little to no difference in the impact of shared blood on the child of two such distant relatives and that experienced by any random person in the general population.

[2] I eyeballed this on a map, so it’s not exact, but it’ll do as a ballpark. Two of them looked a little closer together than a hundred miles, but that’s also a straight overland route from Point A to Point B, which the roads probably wouldn’t have been. Incidentally, traveling a hundred miles in a time before cars would have taken at least five days if you weren’t a military messenger in a hurry and trading out horses at multiple stops.

[3] Given that the characters in-universe still don’t know the origin of quirks, there’s no way to completely guarantee desirable quirks, or even to perfectly guard against the dreaded heteromorphic quirks. Eventually, the Himura would get a kid whose ice quirk is tied to the fact that they were born looking like a snowman, or they'd crop up a polar bear heteromorph or something. And whoops, there goes another viable bloodline.

[4] A very reasonable and indeed conservative estimate. Remember that Geten says “the few remaining families” scattered after the main family gave up; the plural indicates that there were still at least two branch family holdouts even after all the waning and shrinking. In turn, those being the remainder means there must have been more previously. Losing only two over the course of over a century of mandated intermarriage throughout the chaos of the Advent is possibly undershooting quite a bit! I talked about the Fujiwara earlier, but for an anime example of how ridiculous the branch family situation can get, look at Kakegurui: we’re at ten and counting branch families under the control of the main line, and if we read the kanji of that main line's name literally, there could be ninety more in the wings.

[5] I lean towards some form of abandonment because it makes the Dabi foiling tastier if Touya left his family by choice when he became Dabi, whereas Geten was left alone through no choice of his own. Abandonment also provides more meaningful context on Geten’s attachment to RD and his determination to be useful and strong for him.

[6] Crotch-first.

[7] Maybe he gave Lady Nagant a ride and that’s how she got in range to start taking potshots at Shigaraki at U.A.? It'd be nice to have any kind of explanation for that particular feat, though it would mean All Might didn't leave Tokyo until after Kurogiri was freed, cutting into his travel time even more. But heck, what's a few minutes matter when your car can drive eight hundred miles an hour, right? Christ.

#bnha #bnha 387 #chapter thoughts #geten #himura family circumstances #todotalk #bnha culture gap #bnha fandom critical

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satancopilotsmytardis · 9 months ago

Note

Love your shigadabi! (I thank you for starting my addiction🤣)

💜🏹🫦?

💜 How do they silently show love or affection towards each other?

Physical touch is a big thing for both of them. They lean on each other, sit in laps, give silent kisses, etc. But if they're not dating yet or trying to not be as overt about it, Dabi will bring Shig coffee and Tomura has mastered giving Dabi heart eyes.

🏹 Which one is more likely to think Valentine's Day is lame?

Dabi. Toga asks what he and Shig are doing for it and he says that it's a stupid commercial holiday and total bullshit. And Tomura, being more of a shit stirrer and WAY more petty than people give him credit for, goes fucking ALL OUT. If Dabi does not already have Snowball, Snowball appears in their room. While Dabi is out training with Geten, twelve grunts bring down twelve dozen roses. When he goes in for lunch, his fave food is waiting, and there's a box of homemade chocolates Tomura spent 3 week learning how to make. Every time he tries to find his bastard boyfriend, he is mysteriously missing. When he goes upstairs to their room, the sheets and comforter have been changed to red silk and black, there are rose petals on the bed and leading to the tub which is full and steaming, he has brand new date night clothes laid out for him and some ~extra accessories~ to wear underneath, and is instructed to go up to the roof when he's ready. Upstairs Tomura had a whole candlelit dinner ready to go, and absolutely wines and dines Dabi until he has to admit that he is thoroughly enjoying being doted on. It's only the next morning he realizes that if Shig went this hard for Valentine's Day, he's got to absolutely bring it for White Day

🫦 answered here!

#tanco speaks #ask #asks #valentines ask

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moriihana · 2 years ago

Text

we can’t fix each other but we sure as hell can enable each other instead || seventeen: dabi's dance

pairing: dabi x disabled!gn!reader

overview: you meet dabi pre-canon because your cat, nugget, literally won’t leave the guy alone. friendship, fluff and (eventual) angst ensue.

chapter summary: machia makes a beeline for shigaraki, dabi reveals who he is, you pass out from pain

content: angst with fluff ig

word count: 2973

a/n: sorry this is so late i'm cripplingly depressed and my mental health has tanked lmao

taglist: @iincandescenttt

AO3 link

← previous ; next →

“Mister. Where’re the others?” Dabi slid down to Compress using Geten’s ice, helping you and Boo after he regained his balance. You compartmentalised your emotions, locking away your grief for a later date.

Find Himiko and Spinner. Get to safety. Deal with your emotions later. In the four months you’d spent at the PLF, you had gotten even closer to Toga—you’d even started to call her by her first name, per her request.

“You’re like an older sibling to me! Call me Himiko, pretty please! Siblings call each other by their first names!”

You smiled a little bit at the memory, the ache in your heart easing slightly. You let some of the tension out of the leash as Boo pulled at it, letting her run over to where Compress was crouched and licking at his mask.

��Dabi!! Y/N!!” Compress said as he gently pushed Boo’s head away. “Where’d you two run off to? You’re meant to be lieutenants!”

“Uh, so are you,” Dabi deadpanned. “The whole regiment system doesn’t really work when they catch us off guard. Anyway, wanna blow this joint?”

“I believe Twice was… killed,” Compress said quietly. “Alas, I tried but failed to stop her. Even though jumping into the fray was tantamount to suicide. I’ve never seen little Toga lose her cool like this.”

“You mean Himiko just ran out there?” You hissed and shook your head.

“She did,” Compress confirmed with a nod. “She took some hero’s blood and ran off.”

“...Mister, please tell me you have an extra set of clothes for her.” Dabi narrowed his eyes.

Compress huffed, “Of course I do. Last time I forgot to pack extra clothes, someone nearly bit my head off.” He looked at you. You had a feeling he was squinting at you from behind his mask.

“I don’t want to see Himiko running around naked.” You shrugged, tugging lightly at Boo’s leash to get her to come back over. You turned to Dabi. “What now?”

“Hang on—is that a backpack for Nugget?” Compress sounded delighted. You snorted, shooting him a smile.

Before you could respond, the ground began to shake violently and Machia’s hand burst through the concrete. You yelped, stepping back. Boo ran behind you, peeking out from behind your legs. As Machia reached for you, Dabi jumped out of the way. You quickly hoisted Boo up underneath your arm before Machia picked you and Compress up. He was surprisingly careful, making note not to crush the backpack or Boo, as well as avoiding aggravating your arthritis.

“Whoa, wait! What? Stop! What do you think you’re doing?” Compress said frantically, wiggling around in Machia’s grasp.

“Calm down, Mister! He’s just giving us a ride,” you laughed, putting Boo down when Machia set you onto the ridged part of his back. Nugget meowed loudly and Boo whined, shaking her fur out unhappily. You looked down, watching as Dabi jumped out of the way again when Machia tried to pick him up.

“Wait a minute, Machia. There’s someone I want to use,” he said, walking over to where Skeptic was sitting in the rubble. “I liked him from the moment I laid eyes on him.”

Skeptic yelped, “What are you talking about?!”

Dabi ignored him. “Okay, Machia.”

“I said—wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait—!” Skeptic’s panicked yelling went unheard, Machia lifting him and Dabi and placing them onto his back as well.

“What the hell’s going on?” Compress asked as Machia took off out of the villa.

Spinner looked over his shoulder at him. “I was underground, and then suddenly I was grabbed and put here.”

“The boss must be awake.” Dabi grinned a little when Skeptic groaned. “Nothing else would get this big lump to budge.”

“This is sooner than expected,” Toga said as she adjusted her shirt. You wiggled over to her and settled beside her.

“Here, Himiko.” You smiled at her softly, placing your hand on her cheek and healing the cut that was there. “No need for your sweet face to be all cut up.”

“Thank you, Y/N-kun.” Toga smiled slightly. “Can I hold Nugget?”

“Of course,” you hummed, shrugging off the backpack and lifting Nugget out. “Remember to keep a hold of his harness, okay? We don’t want him falling off of Machia.”

Toga nodded, holding Nugget in her arms carefully with one hand wrapped tightly around the handle of his harness. “I won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Let me off, Dabi! Why take me and not the others?! I must protect Re-Destro!” Skeptic yelled, his eyes wide.

“Keep it down,” Dabi snapped. “They haven’t noticed us yet.”

You leaned back against one of Machia’s ridges, closing your eyes. You kept an ear out for any sign of danger, keeping a secure grip on Boo’s harness while you pet her with your free hand in an attempt to calm her down—Machia’s overjoyed voice was hurting her ears.

“I have been waiting, Master! I am on my way!”

You couldn’t help but compare the giant to an overgrown puppy, somehow simultaneously surprised and unsurprised at the sheer determination he had to get to Shigaraki.

“Shortest route to master.” Machia grabbed Mt. Lady—who had been trying to hinder his movements—by her back leg, pulling her away and throwing her to the side. Kamui Woods was at their right with Midnight. He yelled out in concern, but maintained his focus and tried to throw the other hero closer to Machia.

Dabi set off a large blast of flames at them, burning Kamui Woods and sending him falling. “See?” He grinned.

When Midnight didn’t fall, Compress flicked out three marbles that contained large pieces of debris, decompressing them so they would hit the hero. “It is unwise to underestimate heroes,” he scolded Dabi, who pouted.

You laughed at his pout. “Awh, pretty boy, are you pouting?” You teased. He glared at you halfheartedly.

Machia laughed excitedly as he kept running, but suddenly lunged to a stop, sinking into the ground—everyone made varying sounds of surprise as you were launched into the air. You pulled Boo into your lap, holding her close to your chest to protect her. You grunted in pain as you landed again, pain shooting up your spine. Toga looked to see what was happening, her expression unreadable.

“It’s U.A.! Why are so many of them here?” Compress leaned over the side.

One of the kids—the one with the lightning Quirk, you remembered—attached several metal discs to Machia. Compress shot off marbles from his prosthetic, decompressing them to hit the kid with debris. “He nearly had us—that’s the child who sucked up the electric attack at the villa! Unfortunately, now I’ve depleted my stock of seeds.”

As the rest of the U.A. kids lunged for Machia, he blew out air with the force of gale winds. At the same time, Dabi unleashed a wave of fire, using Machia’s breath to spread the flames. Smoke billowed off of his arm, much to your dismay.

“Is your arm okay?” Toga asked quietly, cradling Nugget close to her chest.

Dabi looked at it, unconcerned and smiling slightly. “A Quirk that turns morale into physical energy. Another that renders him to pain. And a whole bunch more… all of these Quirks help him last on the battlefield. It’s just like Ujiko told us… this guy really is our guardian.”

Your brow furrowed and you placed your hand on his arm, healing whatever damage had been inflicted on his body by his Quirk. “Careful, pretty boy,” you murmured. “Don’t go acting all reckless now.”

“Consider us even after what you did at the villa,” Dabi shot back, albeit not meanly. You laughed nervously.

Machia struggled to get up, falling back down as something under the ground exploded. Spinner snickered, “This guy’s a pro at digging underground! Might even be faster that way…”

Compress shook his head. “That would surely kill us.”

“Ah.”

“He was likely ordered to bring us along, and since he’s being held back because of us, he might actually be at a disadvantage right now.”

You frowned at that. You clenched your jaw as Mt. Lady tried to pry Machia’s mouth open while one of the U.A. students tried to throw something into his mouth. The student seemed to panic and failed to throw the object—her lapse in concentration giving Machia the chance to rip Mt. Lady off. He gently caught everybody on his back as he stood up, setting you in the ridges on his back. “The gnats… are down. Hold on tight, comrades.”

“I am… Red Riot! And no one behind me… is gonna bleed!” One of the U.A. students—the one with the hardening Quirk—was climbing up Machia’s arm.

“Gnat.” Machia turned his head, glaring at the boy. The student tried to throw an object identical to what the last student had, but Toga threw a knife at it, shattering the glass. The boy pulled out a second jar and threw it into Machia’s mouth, who crushed it by accident. As more heroes began to swarm, Machia snarled. “So many gnats…”

Your eyes widened as Machia’s fingers transformed into mole-like claws and began to rip into the heroes, throwing them out of his path as he continued his path out of the mountain and into the city below. “Jeez. That’s some serious destruction.”

Skeptic’s fingers tapped away on his laptop keyboard. “I got a visual on Shigaraki Tomura with a camera. He’s fighting Endeavor!”

“Shigaraki’s fighting Endeavor?” Dabi leaned against one of the ridges and looked at him. “That’s good! Get ready.”

“To do what?” Skeptic’s eyebrows furrowed.

Dabi beamed. “To destroy this fake hero society, of course.”

“Are you fine with this, Toga?” Compress turned to Toga. She hummed. “I know you’ve been scanning for them. Those U.A. scamps you love so much! They’re heroes too.”

“...” Toga’s expression darkened. “Where do they draw the line? If heroes are supposed to save people… then was Jin-kun not considered a person…? Will they kill me too?” She turned and walked to you, gently placing Nugget back into the backpack and zipping it up again. “That’s what I want to ask Izuku-chan and Ochaco-chan. Depending on their answer… I’ll be fine.”

Your heart ached. Poor girl.

“Heroes incoming,” Skeptic warned.

You watched silently as Compress noticed the U.A. kids and Toga harassed him for her gear, which he handed over. Concern was blatantly obvious on your face as Toga started to run off. Please be careful, Himiko. I know we can’t stop you, but please… be careful.

“—ay something, Y/N!” You snapped back to attention when Compress said your name. “You too, Dabi! Don’t just stand there grinning!”

“Uhhh… who cares?” Dabi drawled, then glared at Skeptic. “Hey. Stop spying on random crap and hurry up! Unless you wanna get burned?”

“Toga,” Spinner spoke up. “I know we’re just a gang of strays who happened to find each other, but you’re not the only one feeling messed up over Twice. The League was the only place he felt he could belong. And the boss probably wants us to stick together. I know that doing as we please is the villain way… but you’d better come back to us.”

You nodded, looking Toga in the eyes. “Come back safe, Himiko, you hear me?” You gave her a smile. “Nugget would miss you terribly if you didn’t—and so would the rest of us. So you be safe, got it?”

Toga smiled brightly in return before running off, disappearing into the crowd. You looked at Dabi as you all closed in on Shigaraki’s location. “You got everything in order, pretty boy?”

“Sure as hell do.” Dabi grinned at you.

“Then let’s have fun, shall we?”

“Master! I’ve come! Your will is my command, so give me an order!” Machia looked at Shigaraki, whose body was smoking as he laid in his palm.

“Shigaraki! You’re not looking so good!” Spinner shouted, alarmed.

“He’s got a regenerative Quirk now. He’ll be okay.” You pat your friend on the shoulder, then walked over to Dabi. “Time to start the show, pretty boy.”

Dabi was practically beaming, a malicious gleam in his eyes. He pulled out his water bottle, shaking it from side to side as he stepped into view of the heroes, with you standing close by. “Ooh, there you are! You all look like ants from way up here.” He waved. “Oh?! Do I spy Shoto too? That’s perfect!”

“Dabi!” Endeavor shouted, his face screwing up in anger. You had to bite back a giggle at how beat up he was.

“Ouch… is that any way to address me…?” Dabi twisted open the bottle, dumping the water onto his head, then tossed it down. “I have a great name. Call me Touya.” At Endeavor and Shoto’s shocked expressions, Dabi laughed, “You’re that dumbstruck? Really…? I know my face ain’t exactly what it was, but I was sure my own kin would’ve figured it out. And guess what? Right now, my prerecorded life story is broadcasting nationwide and on the net! Man, I’m having a blast!!” He clapped, his grin growing ever-wider. “Sorry, where was I?

“How could I make you hurt?! How to best stomp all over your life?! I’ve been pondering all this ever since that day!” Dabi danced in excitement, mania and insanity in his voice. “I couldn’t figure out why I even existed, and every day, I’d crawl to Natsu, crying my eyes out. Not that you ever knew, right?!

“When you finally achieved success with your little puppet Shoto, I thought killing him might do the trick! But then—who would’ve guessed… you got bumped up to number one! Suddenly, I was rooting for your happiness. My blood ran cold when I thought you might bite the big one in Kyushu! Then, I led Starservant and Ending Straight to you, one after the other! You were finally number one! It’s all you ever wanted!

“But it must’ve weighed on you, right?! Or was all the praise and admiration like chicken soup for your soul?! When, at long last, you could stare your kids in the eye… didja finally start to feel the warm and fuzzy bonds of family?! You must’ve thought, ‘as long as I can face the future, I can be better!’ I can tell you’re at a loss for words, so here’s the answer!” Dabi pressed his hands to his chest, his expression wild. “The past never dies! Get it yet?! Y’reap what you sow! So let’s tango, you and me, Todoroki Enji!! Dance with your son, here in hell!!”

“No, Touya is dead. Take back that despicable lie.” Endeavor was staring, wide-eyed.

“Nope, I’m clearly alive! And that’s the despicable truth, dad!” Dabi quipped. “Because you put a whole agency together of fire and heat type Quirks, you didn’t even suspect me!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Endeavor. “Someone’s in deniiiiallll!” You taunted in a sing-song voice, bracing your forearms on one of Machia’s ridges as you leaned over, grinning down at Dabi’s brother and father. You turned your head to the side as you heard Spinner and Compress talking.

“Dabi never spoke a word of this…” Compress took his mask off.

Spinner glowered as he held Shigaraki. “He kept it hidden from us… but you knew, Y/N? What’s up with that?” At that, you gave him a sheepish smile. He shook his head, looking down at Shigaraki. You turned your attention back to Dabi as he started speaking again.

“Don’t believe me? I’m happy to donate some blood or a hunk of skin. Go ahead—get a DNA test. Not that it matters, since the test I ran has already gone public.”

Skeptic looked up, smug. “Perfectly spliced and edited, even on the fly. Bow down to my skills.”

Dabi glanced at him. “Thanks to you and your camera for that prime footage. No reason not to use what we got, right?” He looked back at Endeavor, smirking. “This is my present to you, Endeavor. See, I did some digging into Hawks—that filthy spy.” With an unhinged grin, he leaped off of Machia, his body igniting. “Thanks for going strong up until now, Endeavor!!”

You scowled. “Be careful, Touya!” You shouted, holding Boo close to your chest and sliding down Machia after him.

“Flashfire Fist: Prominence—” Dabi was cut off as thick threads shot out, wrapping around everybody.

“Apologies for the delay! As of today, Beast Jeanist is back on duty!!” Best Jeanist had jumped down from a dropship, landing on one of the threads.

Dabi glared, surprise on his face. “You! You’re supposed to be dead! That corpse was real!”

“You’ve overreached, and now you’re coming apart at the seams… like cheap, inferior denim!”

“Don’t you dare imply he’s inferior!” You immediately snarled, staring at the hero with hatred in your eyes. You were curled around Boo in order to protect her from getting hurt, using your body to shield her from the threads.

“So what if you’re alive…?” Dabi scoffed, rolling his eyes. He started to burn away the threads. “That doesn’t change the hard truths about my family’s past! Right, Shoto?!”

You thrashed around as Jeanist tightened the threads, letting out a shriek of pain as your arthritis flared up. You faintly heard Compress yelling your name, but you were too overwhelmed by the agony thrumming through your body. Boo started to lick at your face, whining. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Dabi’s flames raging and struggled to retain enough focus to pay attention to him. Black spots swam in your vision and you swam in and out of consciousness. At some point, you vaguely registered Dabi burning away the threads from around you and then signalling something to Compress, who activated his Quirk, compressing you both into a marble.

#dabi x reader #dabi x you #todoroki touya x reader #todoroki touya x you #touya todoroki x reader #touya todoroki x you #todoroki toya x reader #todoroki toya x you #toya todoroki x reader #toya todoroki x you #my writing #bnha fanfiction #navi: we cant fix each other #writing.txt

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doodlegirl1998 · 2 years ago

Note

I saw your ask about how you would change MHA and want to add...AFO should be utterly pathetic.

Yes. I love evil mastermind as much the next guy. But AFO is a loser, look he has a powerful quirk and could have taken down the world but he instead figgle his tumbs and pines over Yoichi.

(The final villains should have been Redestro and HC)

Like the man is such loser...if I see any fic where he is a competent villain...I will think is an oc.

But let me ask you this: aside fron how loser AFO is, have you noticed how the world in mha seems to be a dystopia?

Hi @mikeellee 👋,

My issue with AFO is essentially this, he was built up by Hori at the beginning as someone who was meant to be the big bad, intimidating, powerful and a real threat to the heroes.

Yet later in the series he makes some of the most dumbass and infuriating decisions and reactions. I'll give some examples:

Screwing Shiggy's potential as a threatening villain in his own right? - AFO's fault.

AFO getting scared by a first year (Tokoyami and Dark Shadow) and getting strange PTSD off Bakugou? What the fuck was that Hori?!

Staying in Tartarus and waiting for Shig to get him out even though he could bust out at anytime himself? Lazy motherfucker.

Getting tricked by first year's including the UA traitor, who he didn't think to secure the loyalty of somehow? Like I don't know by making Yuuga explode like we just saw him do to Nagant? Yeah AFO didn't think to do that apparently...

I can find pathetic AFO funny and can laugh about it at times however an reflective issue of that on the story is this : If AFO becomes a pathetic villain by extension all the OFA holders 1 - 8 (including All Might become pathetic too.) Because if he is pathetic it shouldn't take 8/9 generations of OFA holders to end him.

As for your next point -

The main villains should be ReDestro and the HPSC. I can see where you're coming from and I think it would be a more interesting story if they were bigger villians. Many themes and ideas would tie organically here

1) ReDestro could have a quirk marriage of his own to carry on and strengthen his / his families legacy. (A good idea you gave to me in our private messages. This would fit his character.)

2) Geten being a Himura would tie in organically here as well as having him parallel Endeavor's lust for power/ attitude.

It would tie more into the world building of MHA and "heroic corruption" that Hori tells us off but never shows (bar Endeavor whose pathetic redemption undermines that anyway.)

And the final point - is MHA as a dystopia?

So a Dystopia is defined as this on Google

'An imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.'

Hmmm. Yes I can see where you are coming from. I would definitely say that Hori wanted to set it up as the heroic industry / society being corrupt and flawed initially and Deku / his peers to be the one to change that before he pivoted hard away from this angle and the systemic issues go ignored.

Quirkless Discrimination? Unexplored / unresolved.

Mutant Discrimination? Barely given the focus it deserved.

HPSC corruption? Destroyed by a ReDestro clone so they're now a non issue except when Hori wants us to feel sympathy for Hawks or Nagant.

Quirk marriages/ corrupt heroes like Endeavor? Well a 'hero' like that could easily happen again because he received no consequence for being an abusive POS or engaging in a quirk marriage. Also the ranking system remains in place so someone else abusive, powerful and equally driven could occur again.

Do you feel how infuriated I am with all this? Why waste this set up like this, Hori?!

#mha critical #bnha critical #AFO critical #Koala dont look

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nerdypotatoe5 · 2 years ago

Text

BNHA Ch 387 spoilers

I'm really conflicted on this chapter. Like I'm happy that Rei is coming in to save them but at the same time - she's probably going to die.

Ok so Geten is related to Rei?!?!?! So cool! Also this opens up the question of just how many quirk marriages there were and just how common they were? And their effects on the families...

Also I have a lot of complicated feelings about Endeavour. I mean, he has definitely done some pretty fucked up things but at the same time, he's a pretty great hero. Although, seeing the consequences of his actions come back to bite him in the ass is satisfying, I'm worried over the effect his possible death will have on the rest of the Todorokis. Like I said - complicated.

Dabi developing Rei's quirk just as he's about to burn out is an interesting development. Kind of curious to see where this will go. He seems to have almost regressed to a younger age with everything that is going on. Or maybe that is just Endeavour's perspective and seeing Touya as he really was back then.

This chapter left me thinking there may actually be a chance at a Todoroki reunion. However, Natsuo and Fuyumi showing up on the battlefield may be a bit too dangerous and risky. But since Rei's there already (after making a dramatic appearance, Dabi really did get his performance skills from someone xD), they might also dain to appear.

Can't wait for next week's chapter.

#enji todoroki #rei todoroki #touya todoroki #bnha dabi #natsuo todoroki #fuyumi todoroki #shouto todoroki #bnha #bnha manga spoilers #mha geten #geten himura #rei himura #some thoughts

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haleigh-sloth · 2 years ago

Note

What do you think Compress talked to the heroes about? I have tried to think of something but I can't think of anything that could possible be relevant to the final battle (I refuse to believe that this is going to be his only appearance for the final act, I really want for him to be part of 'everyone became a hero')

Mmmm I haven’t thought much about it actually, mostly leaving my mind open to options

And no I agree I don’t think this is it for him, I think he’ll join in and contribute in a good way for sure, probably Geten too at this point tbh

Honestly my only idea is…maybe something he found out about AFO, or Tomura

That’s ALL I can think of, but something tells me it’ll be unexpected and be the pathway into whatever the next thing is Hori has planned for this arc so I’m really leaning toward it not being AFO/Tomura related mayhaps and something that may have been cooking up in the background that we just haven’t been paying attention to, and once it happens it’ll all make sense lol

Or if it is AFO related then I am guessing it’ll be something that ties into some big picture scheme that we as readers haven’t considered or noticed in the background of the story

But that’s the best I got lol

#anonymous #bnha asks

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thesakuragarnet · 1 year ago

Text

PHOENIX: A Pro Hero Toya Todoroki AU (Chapter One)

THIS FIC IS 18+ ONLY!!!!!

Summary: For most of his life, Toya Todoroki was a loner. He was a scrawny, broody kid only known for getting in an explosive fight that led to him being held back. That is...until he met Keigo Takami. Navigating love, his own demons, and the road to becoming a Pro Hero, will Toya Todoroki be able to prove his father wrong?

TL;DR: What if Rei Todoroki saved her eldest child from his accident at Sekoto Peak and he got the Hero Arc he deserved?

Tags for the full fic (which is heavily tagged in the author's notes per chapter on AO3): DabiHawks, Pro Hero Dabi, alternate universe, child ab*se, implied sexual content (including implied consensual sexual content between teenagers), underage drinking, implied/referenced r word, explicit sexual content (between of-age consenting parties), graphic depictions of violence, anxiety disorder and panic attacks, s*ic!dal thoughts, eventual happy ending, fluff, smut, angst, implied/referenced s3lf harm, hurt/comfort, Vigilante League of Villains, Geten is not a Himura, POV TOYA TODOROKI

Word Count: Chapter One, which is posted below, is 3,245 words. The full fic (which will be completed on 11/21/2023) is roughly 270,000 words.

AO3 link to the full fic

Chapter One: MONTAGE (Year: Early 2117)

It’s the first day of my repeated year, and not a single person even looks in my direction. The reputation I built for myself isn’t exactly helping; I’d nearly incinerated another student who was talking shit about my sister last semester. He deserved it; it’s a shame he wasn’t in the ICU after what he said. Nevertheless, every single person in the Private Hero Training Academy avoided me like the plague. I skipped orientation this year, thinking it wasn’t worth it. I’d just be paired with yet another loser who would always find an excuse to not be my roommate and switch out; I didn’t care to make friends anymore.

I sit quietly at the smallest table in the corner of the cafeteria, my hair falling over my eyes as I stare emptily into the bowl of noodles. I shove it to the side; I’m not in the mood to eat anything right now. Tears prick my eyes as I think about what happened when I was home last week.

“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! IF YOU WEREN’T SO DAMN WEAK HE WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT!” My father bellowed at our mother as Natsuo, Fuyumi, and I struggled to keep Shoto sheltered from the noise of the violent slaps that echoed through the house.

“HE KNOWS NO DISCIPLINE!”

SMACK!

“HE KNOWS NO MANNERS!”

SMACK!

“HE IS A FAILED EXPERIMENT!”

SMACK!

I suddenly break down and put my head on the table, resting my forehead on my arms so no one will see my tears. ‘I wish I didn’t exist anymore.’ I think to myself...

…

...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A rapping noise echoes on the wooden table.

“Hey, you’re Toya, right?” A sprightly voice calls. I keep my head down, staring at the darkness that I formed in the shelter of my arms. I try to keep my body still so they can’t notice I’m crying, and I struggle to stop.

“Who wants to know?” I gripe, keeping my voice steady.

“Oh, I’m Keigo Takami! I’m your roomie this year! Hey, are you okay? Or just tired? Hope I didn’t wake you up,” Keigo laughs.

“Are you new or something?” I snap, not in the mood to talk.

“How’d you guess?! Yeah! I’m a first-year! Ready to become a hero! Anyway, is it okay if I sit here? I don’t really know anyone yet.” Before I can say anything, I feel him sit down next to me.

“Are you gonna eat your food?”

“Not hungry,” I say flatly. I briefly activate my Quirk on my face so all the tears evaporate, but no one can see it the way I have my head down.

“Then why’d you get it?”

“You ask a lot of damn questions don’t you,” I growl before raising my head to look at him. Keigo Takami’s Quirk is obvious at first glance. The fifteen-year-old sports an elegant pair of feathered, red wings on his back. He returns my glare with a bright smile, and an emotion I’ve never felt before rips through my entire body.

“Are you not scared of me?” I ask, indignantly, but, once again, Takami just returns my venom with warm, caring eyes.

“Why would I be scared of you? Hey, did you know your hair is turning white?” Keigo points to the white streaks that pepper my crimson hair.

“Stress. And my mom’s Quirk.” I mumble, suddenly wishing I had a hood that I could pull up to hide it.

“Oh. That’s cool. I guess. Hey, you sure you don’t wanna eat anything? You can have half of my sandwich!” He extends half of his PB&J to me, but I put my head back down. Keigo shrugs, and, then, his eyes light up.

“OH MY GOD! I ALMOST FORGOT TO ASK! Your last name is Todoroki, right? As in Endeavor’s son? What’s it like having such an awesome Pro Hero as a dad?” He excitedly asks, and my brain fills with screams.

“I WON’T LET YOU SLEEP UNTIL YOU’VE PERFECTED THIS MOVE! GET UP!”

A phantom pain in my stomach forms where I got kicked last week; I’d forced myself to stand and finish the exercise, burning my shoulder in the process. I feel my emotions setting my Quirk into overdrive; I’ve gotta get out of here. Without saying a word, I immediately stand up and walk out of the cafeteria, leaving Keigo alone, worried, and confused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Few Months Later

(Almost the end of the First Semester)

“DAD I DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT SHOTO!” I scream as I wake up from a horrible nightmare...well...a memory. I’m covered in cold sweat, and I’m shaking uncontrollably. A faint blue glow permeates the darkness of the room, and I panic as I realize I’ve set my pillow on fire.

“SHIT SHIT SHIT!” I whisper heatedly as I get up on my knees and struggle to put it out with my trembling hands, burning myself. I bite my lip as I endure the pain to snuff out the flames, leaving a tender red mark in the middle of my palm. When I successfully put it out, my mind flashes with my father’s terrifying, furious gaze; all I hear is my mother and my siblings screaming at me. I continue to shake uncontrollably and begin hyperventilating. I stare at my open, shivering palms...The weapons that I used on my little brother. It was an accident. But that didn’t change the fact that it happened. If Mom hadn’t acted quickly, who knows what could have happened. And it would’ve been all my fault. Tears start streaming down my face, as I start rocking back and forth, desperately trying to calm myself down.

“Toya?” A sleepy voice echoes through the darkness, and a feather whizzes by my head before pulling open the curtains on the window, letting moonlight flood our room.

“Are you okay?” Keigo asks as he rubs his eyes and starts to sit up. I say nothing. Words can’t come out of my mouth; my chest is unbearably tight, and my stomach is in a knot. I feel all the color instantly leave my face.

“Trash can,” I manage to croak out as my dry mouth suddenly fills with saliva. Thankfully, as soon as I heave, a flurry of feathers brings a trash can to sit in front of me on the bed. I grab it quickly and thrust my head into it as I get sick.

“You’re definitely not okay.” Keigo’s worried voice is at my bedside next to me; he must have gotten up. I breathe heavily as I lurch again, and Keigo sits beside me before patting me on the back; I flinch at his touch and retch until there’s nothing left in me.

“I hate everything,” I cough as I try to catch my breath, water leaking out of my eyes. I spit into the bucket to get the horrible taste out of my mouth.

“Even me?” Keigo says in a sing-song voice, and I look up briefly to give him an annoyed glance. He hands me a rag, and I snatch it from him, wiping my mouth before setting the trash can and the rag on the other side of my bed. Just in case.

“Did you have nightmares about your dad again?” Keigo asks, concern in his voice. I shudder and nod, squeezing my eyes shut.

“You should probably be on something for those night terrors and panic attacks. That’s not healthy. You can’t just keep throwing up dinner every other night,” Keigo touches my shoulder, and I shrink away from him.

“My folks wouldn’t care even if they knew,” I mutter as I feel the waves of anxiety and dread flood my body. I start to move to go back to sleep, grappling with the covers, forcing Keigo to get off the bed.

“Do they not know?” He asks.

“There’s a lot they don’t know,” I growl, turning my body away as the tears start flowing down my face again. I pass out from pure exhaustion.

…

...

Two hours later, I wake up screaming again, except this time I can’t move. I’m paralyzed with the fear of my dad’s gaze burning into my very soul; I whimper and shake, hating how pathetic Keigo must think I am.

‘Dad’s right, all I ever do is show weakness.’ I keep my eyes shut, trying to calm my dark thoughts and not jump out the window to end all the pain once and for all. ‘It would be so easy just to hit the ground from how high up we are… the seventh floor….I doubt I’d even feel anything. And then, my family wouldn’t have to bear the burden of me anymore.’ With eerie timing, I feel the paralysis fade away. ‘This is my sign.’ I think to myself as I take a deep breath and prepare to roll out of bed and end my life. Suddenly, I feel a warmth surrounding me, and my body freezes.

“It’s okay, Toya. He’s not here,” I hear the familiar voice whisper as I open my eyes and see a pair of red wings enclosing me in an embrace. I instantly think to push him away so I can finish what I started when a wave of calm washes over me as the feathers brush my face. They’re very soft and comforting...something I don’t feel very often, if ever. My nightmarish thoughts seemingly melt away as I lean into the wing, allowing my senses to fill with something other than physical pain and emotional numbness. Keigo gingerly drapes his arm over my shoulder, limply pulling me toward him.

“If you want me to go away I will. I know you don’t really like hugs. But...You looked like you needed one badly,” Keigo’s voice echoes through the silent room. I roughly shake my head as I bite my lip and let my tears flow. This time, it’s a mixture of emotions that sparks them; the normal ones: fear and anguish, but also: peace. I squeeze my eyes shut and focus on the silky feathers and the sound of Keigo’s breathing, my shaking breath slowly calming down to a smooth even pattern. My chest fills with a warm glow that I’m not used to; whatever it is, I know it isn’t my Quirk because it’s the complete opposite of pain.

“Thank you,” I choke out through my tears as I sleep peacefully for the first time in my entire life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Beginning Of The Third Semester

(First Week of September)

I was planning on going home for the weekend, but my heart told me otherwise. My dad could go to Hell for all I cared. This was gonna be the night I confessed. I’d practiced this for weeks by myself in the bathroom mirror, but my nerves were all over the place. This should be easy considering this was the person that made me realize I swung both ways. But, it’s also the first time I’ve ever felt strong enough to do something about my feelings. I don’t think I could handle rejection though. In fact, Keigo was pretty much all I had to live for lately. I don’t think I’d be able to keep on living in this Hell without him.

‘Keigo. I like you. Let’s go out. Simple enough.’ I think to myself as I splash water on my face. On Friday evenings after class, Keigo and I typically played poker by ourselves. Instead of poker chips, we just used chicken nuggets. I’d put on the only nice outfit that I owned; a black, long-sleeved button-up with black slacks. I kept the top two buttons undone so I didn’t look too serious, and I combed my hair so it didn’t look so spazzy. It had almost turned completely white at this point, and the only trace of red remained at my crown. I take a deep breath and head back to our dorm.

...

I grab the handle and take another deep breath, trying to hype myself up.

‘Alright. You got this, Toya. Be smooth. Be cool. You can be charming… Right? Just don’t make a fool of yourself.’

However, when I open the door, the lights are off, and Keigo sits on his knees on his bed with the chicken nuggets in a fancy-looking tray instead of lying on the bed like they usually are. He has a candle lit on his nightstand, and, when he realizes I’m inside the room, he seems to freeze up and get nervous. I raise my eyebrow and close the door behind me.

“Where’re the cards?” I ask as I walk over to sit across from him cross-legged on the twin bed. That’s when I noticed that I’m not the only one that cleaned up. Keigo’s normally unkempt hair is neatly brushed, and his feathers even look shinier and more orderly than normal. He’s still wearing his normal black and yellow T-shirt, but it looks brighter, almost like it’s brand new.

“Um, I thought we could...just eat the nuggs tonight instead. And. Uh. Talk?” Keigo stammers, and I see his face flush. I blink.

‘There’s no way we had the same idea. There’s no way he actually likes me back.’

“Okay?” I say as I move to grab a chicken nugget, only for him to slap my hand away.

“I need to talk to you first.” He blurts out, his voice wavering. He’s trying to maintain eye contact with me, and his feathers start to ruffle. I can see the sweat on his forehead, and a small smile forms on my face.

‘Oh my God, he DOES like me back!’

“Listen, you’re my best friend. And... And, I hope this doesn’t ruin what we have, but, I-” He stumbles over his words as I slide the tray to the side so nothing stands between us.

‘Fuck it, I’m just gonna go for it.’ I start to close the space between us, but Keigo is oblivious as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to confess.

“What I’m trying to say is: I L-”

I stop his words short as I kiss him, and he makes a surprised noise before completely relaxing. He kisses me back, making my heart flutter, and, for the first time in my life, reciprocated love washes over me. He starts to lean back onto the pillow, and I move with him, positioning myself so I’m looming over top of him. His wings start flapping, and I laugh as I break the kiss, propping myself up on my elbow and looking down at him with a smirk. He stares up at me with huge eyes, and I laugh again.

“Warn me next time you’re gonna do that,” He whispers, his face beet red. I’ve never seen him so flustered before, and it makes me grin even more to realize the kind of power I have over him.

“Okay, here’s your warning,” I say as I lean down and kiss him again. He reaches up and limply puts his hand at the back of my neck, pulling me closer. My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest. I’ve never ever felt like this before, but I love it. For once in my entire life, someone cares about me just as much as I care about them. I run my hands through his hair as I breathe him in. He reaches up with his other arm and starts undoing the buttons of my shirt. Before he gets to the last one, I grab his hand tightly and pull away from the kiss.

“We’re not fucking. I want to make that clear,” I say, bluntly. He can’t afford to get too attached to me...just in case. Keigo rolls his eyes and jerks his hands away from my grip before undoing the last button.

“There are other things besides that, hothead,” He whispers as he slides my shirt off. I smirk and lean back down, slipping my tongue in his mouth, making him make another surprised noise; his wings stiffen for a moment. I reach over with my other hand and snuff out the candle, surrounding us in complete darkness. My heart thuds as my tongue dances with his, and I start grinding up against him. The sensation is intoxicating, and I grind rougher as his hands slide up my abs and my chest. My body seems concerned at the random influx of dopamine that is never present, and my entire being is tingly with a warm, positive feeling. I break away from the kiss as we both start breathing heavily; I move to kiss his neck.

“I love you,” I let the new words drift past my lips without even meaning to say them aloud; I don’t even care if it’s too soon to say them. I can’t help how I feel. My heart swells as I hear him echo my words; I leave dark marks on the side of his neck and start to move further down when he pushes himself up with his wings, knocking me backward on the bed. I blink in surprise and start to push myself up.

“Whoa whoa, wait a second, birdbrain. I’m the one on to-” Keigo kisses me before I can finish my sentence and starts taking my pants off. In a panic, I hold my hand up and let a small ember burn as a warning, causing him to break the kiss.

“I said no fucking!” I snap, feeling betrayed.

“Relax, Toya. I said there are other things,” His words hang in the air, and he starts trailing kisses from my neck farther and farther down my body. I fall silent as the night air consumes us...

...

The next morning, I wake up in my boxers with Keigo fast asleep on my chest. I smile down at him before abruptly realizing that last night was the first night in years that I didn’t have a nightmare or a panic attack. I trace his feathered wing lightly with the tip of my finger, causing him to stir awake.

“Good morning,” He yawns, stretching and sitting up. A smile creeps across my face before I can hide it, and I tousle his hair.

“You know we can’t tell anyone about this, right?” I say quietly, and Keigo frowns.

“Well, why not?” He snorts, climbing off of me and getting out of bed to get dressed.

“We just can’t,” I say as I put my finger on the candlewick and ignite it, giving the room a blue hue.

“Too bad. I’m still gonna try to hold your hand, and you can’t stop me.” Keigo laughs. I rub the sleep from my eyes.

“Fine,” I grumble as I climb out of bed. Before I can get my bearings, Keigo hugs me tightly.

“I knew there was something beneath that tough guy act,” He smiles, and my expression softens.

“Come on, we gotta get ready for practice. I reserved the training room for this morning,” Keigo says in his sing-song voice as he flaps his wings, lifting himself off the ground. I smile and get dressed before he opens the window. I raise my eyebrow, and he just grins before holding his hand out to me. I tentatively take it, and I cling to him as he sails out the window into the open orange sky, heading toward the training field.

#dabi x hawks #fanfic #my hero academia fanfiction #ao3 writer #dabi #dabihawks #toukei #pro hero dabi #hotwings #ao3 #hero dabi #smut #fluff #angst #pov dabi #mha mirko #mha hawks #todoroki family #touya todoroki

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natedogx15 · 8 months ago

Text

Kamen Rider Deku Mission 15: The Next Phase

Previous Chapter / AO3 / Master List

In one of the office buildings of Deika City's central tower, the Meta Liberation Army executives are meeting about the Kamen Riders. The room is dark, with the only light playing being a projector showing various data they've collected on the Kamen Riders over time.

They're reviewing Deku's performance against Overdrive Nomu and how fast he and the Plus Striker are

"It's impressive that they can have such speed and control to keep up with that Nomu. They're quicker than any of our warriors, I would say." Trumpet says with an intrigued smile as they watch the chase happen.

"Yes. That motorcycle is faster than any support item my company has created. Not only that, it uses the same system as its rider." Re-Destro nods in agreement as the tall man, who recorded him and Giran, pulls up footage of Plus Striker using the Barrier Power Coin.

"It's amazing. I wonder what the capabilities of the system are. It's too bad we can't just take the one wielded by the one Slidin' Go and Shinonome without drawing suspicion. I'd love to see what the inside of such a revolutionary device looks like." Curious says with her usual smile as she watches the different videos.

"I wouldn't mind having our scientists look into them as well. Amazing job as always in collecting data, Skeptic." Re-Destro says while he smiles at the tall man.

"It was a simple task with the resources of Feel Good Industries, Grand Commander." Skeptic nods.

"So, what will our next move be?" Trumpet asks calmly, much to Skeptic's annoyance.

"Obviously, we'll try to find a weakness from the data gathered." He tells Trumpet in a somewhat condescending manner.

Trumpet rolls his eyes at his fellow executive's antics as Re-Destro speaks up.

"That's one of the reasons for this meeting. Another is that I'm having Geten look for a warrior who can wield the proto-type duplicate of the Driver the Kamen Riders use. I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions as well." Re-Destro tells them.

"Unfortunately, I don't know any warriors around me that can wield it." Trumpet tells Re-Destro.

"It's the same for me. I can't think of anyone." Skeptic nods.

The only one not denying it is Curious, who has a finger to her chin as she thinks about those around her.

"I might have someone in mind to test the device and make sure it's safe. He's a rather brave man who works as a security guard at my company. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to test the Driver for our cause. Do you plan to give it to Geten when you know it's safe?" She asks her leader with a smile, causing him to nod.

"Yes. Geten's Meta Ability has already gone through its awakening. Should we give him another way to enhance it, he may even be capable of fighting All Might, and our revolution can happen sooner than initially intended." Re-Destro says with a confident smirk that excites the others.

"Having the next All Might be on the side of our cause would greatly increase our influence. People would believe this was meant to happen and that your ancestor was right from the beginning, Grand Commander." Trumpet says with a pleased smile.

"Imagine how many hearts I could claim for the army by doing a story on Geten's life and his constant training for the Meta Liberation Army's belief. Everyone loves the story of a hard-working underdog whose efforts let them rise to greatness." Curious says happily while imagining publishing the article after Geten's debut and getting the M.L.A. more recruits.

Skeptic doesn't say anything but smiles at the prospect of their revolution taking off quicker with far more firepower than expected.

"Yes, yes. That's all perfect. However, we mustn't get carried away. We don't know how strong that device is or if it will help Geten's Meta Ability." Re-Destro chastizes the revolution leaders.

The leaders calm themselves from their excitement, and Re-Destro continues.

"Now, we have a good amount of information on each of the powers the Kamen Riders have used. Deku seems to be the most well-rounded of the group, with abilities that work to enhance his already incredible abilities along with long-range attacks, such as this Petrification Power Finish." Re-Destro states while the scene of Deku using the Solidification Power Coin against Overdrive Nomu is shown.

"On the other hand, Chamber is a mainly long-range Kamen Rider but does seem to have a mid-range form that relies on invisibility or camouflage," Re-Destro states while images of both Chamber's forms appear for the executives to see.

"Finally, the Kamen Rider we're trying to get on our side. King Explosion Murder." Re-Destro says as Katsuki's image appears onscreen along with his Kamen Rider form.

"From what Slidin' Go has told me, trying to get him on our side has been difficult. He has his mind set on only becoming the number one hero and isn't interested in anything else. All he cares about is the chance to be seen as the strongest." Skeptic states.

"Yes. He's a wild card but is also one of our more promising candidates for new warriors if his history at Aldera is anything to go by. He's apparently smart and has a lot of natural talent. With his Meta Ability, he'd make him the perfect warrior and possibly give him a chance to usurp Geten's position as the strongest warrior to our cause. Especially if we can get him to join us while he's wielding the Driver." Re-Destro states while holding up a file of Katsuki given to him by the Aldera Middle and Aldera High School principals.

"The problem is how we can get him to side with us. And how to do it without drawing suspicion to us." Trumpet nods.

"Exactly. Slidin' Go has told me his teachings haven't been going well. Luckily, from what I've been told, he likely won't hesitate to attack the other Kamen Riders when given the chance again." Re-Destro tells them with a smile.

"That's comforting to know. Even if he's not a part of our cause yet, he's still willing to help us by weakening the other two." Trumpet says with a content smile of his own.

"Yes. That's why I believe the key to our victory is to separate the Kamen Riders so two will be in one place. We'll give our wildcard the chance to take his anger out on the other Kamen Riders while forcing another to fight alone." Re-Destro explains.

"So, we're going to have our wildcard battle one of the Kamen Riders and soften them up for us?" The only female executive asks with a cheerful smile, much to Skeptic's annoyance.

"Obviously. The real question is, who do we make fight the Nomu, and who will fight our Kamen Rider?" He tells her.

This question causes the executives to fall silent as they think about the best course of action.

"Wouldn't it be best to have Deku face off against K.E.M. since his history with Deku made Shinonome choose him?" Trumpet asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Plus, since Chamber is a long-range specialist, it may be easier to handle him with a Nomu than Deku. We can just find someone with a speed Quirk who will easily close the distance against him." Curious states in agreement.

However, Skeptic has other plans.

"I say the one we should make fight King Explosion Murder is Chamber. Lately, they've been at each other's throats more than King Explosion Murder and Deku. Also, Chamber has displayed more experience and tactical thinking, constantly putting himself in a position where his range gives him the advantage. Let's not forget about his new form." Skeptic states calmly.

Re-Destro doesn't say anything as his executives discuss what to do. He can see their points and isn't sure what to do. Finally, after a few minutes of debate, he makes his decision.

-------------------

In Hisashi and David's lab, the two put the final touches on the fourth Hero Driver to ensure it's running right.

"Looks like everything's running right. Get some of the test Power Coins ready so we can test the power output of the nanotech." David tells Hisashi as he sets the Hero Driver on a table with multiple scanners.

Hisashi nods and goes toward a cabinet. He opens it to reveal different sets of Power Coins. He quickly takes a few and heads toward the Hero Driver. He quickly inserts one, and David checks the real-time data it's displaying from the scanners.

"Everything looks good for emitters," David tells him.

Hisashi nods and inserts another.

"Transformation looks good too." David nods.

Moving onto the last one, Hisashi inserts it, and David frowns when he sees that data.

"Something seems off with the mutant-type Quirks. The output is a little sporadic." David warns Hisashi, who frowns in response.

"Let me see," Hisashi says while walking toward David to see the problem.

Just as David says, the power output being shown is moving at a sporadic rate.

"Huh. Well, it's not like we didn't expect this. Mutant Quirks are the most difficult to copy since they have a more permanent effect over the other two types." Hisashi mutters as he tries to figure out where the problem may lie.

"True. We may have to re-check the analyzer again. It may just be a small glitch like last time." David nods as he types a few things on the computer.

Hisashi groans in annoyance when he hears that.

"I can't believe people will want to mass-produce these eventually. It takes so much time to finish one of them. Plus, it takes laser surgeon-like precision to guarantee that it works." Hisashi grunts as he prepares to open the Hero Driver.

"Well, you know people. They always want more." David laughs as he walks over to help Hisashi.

"Don't I know it? Plenty of the heroes I've made equipment for always wanted me to improve the design of something I made for them so they have a better chance to get up in the rankings." Hisashi says, annoyance clear in his tone.

"We can probably develop a mass-production model by cutting back on some things," David tells him.

"Probably. We'll work on the design later after we finish working on the Hero Drivers." Hisashi tells him.

-------------------

While plots are being formed, Izuku and Shiki are with Toshinori for their usual beach training. Compared to the beginning, Izuku is showing clear improvements in physical ability by continuing to lift various medium-sized pieces of trash like Shiki. Shiki isn't far behind in growth, either.

"So, how have things been with you?" Shiki asks as he carries a refrigerator door off the beach next to Izuku, who's holding a beaten-up trashcan.

"They've been going good. I'm starting to get used to everything, I think." He tells Shiki.

"That's good. I'm glad you're getting used to everything. It'll make things easier when we try out for U.A." Shiki nods before setting the door in Toshinori's truck.

Izuku's eyes widen at the reminder of U.A.

"That's right. I've been so busy that I forgot the entrance exam will be in a few months. It's a good thing I already sent in my application." Izuku thinks in relief as he follows Shiki's lead and sets the trashcan in the truck.

After doing this, he looks toward the horizon.

"It feels weird. After everything I've been through these last couple of months, the idea of the entrance exams doesn't feel as scary. In fact, I'm looking forward to it." Izuku thinks with a smile.

"You realize we can't use our Kamen Rider forms for it, right?" Shiki randomly asks Izuku, causing his brain to pause.

"What?" Izuku asks in confusion.

Shiki continues, thinking Izuku wasn't listening to him.

"We can't use our Kamen Rider forms. We don't want people spreading rumors that the Kamen Riders weren't even in a hero school when they started saving people. We can use other things like our weapons, but not the armor." Shiki states to Izuku.

Suddenly, Izuku's bravado disappears as he realizes it'll be up to his physical abilities without being transformed. He crouches and begins to mumble to himself about the possibilities. Shiki sweatdrops at this reaction.

"Did I say something wrong? I thought he already knew. Did he really think we could use the form for an exam where people can see us and tell everyone?" Shiki questions in his mind as he stares at Izuku.

"Are you okay?" Shiki awkwardly asks as he stares at the panicking Izuku.

"What am I going to do? Will I be able to handle the exam without my body being enhanced? I'll be the only one between us to fail, and All Might will hate me because I took up the precious time he could have used to save people." Izuku continues to mutter as he thinks about multiple bad scenarios.

Shiki's sweatdrop grows when he sees his partner's reaction to his question.

"I kind of feel bad now." Shiki thinks before trying to shake Izuku out of his stupor.

"Hey. Calm down. You still have a good chance of getting in without the armor." Shiki tells his friend as he finally wakes Izuku up.

"R-really?" Izuku asks hopefully as he looks at Shiki as if he's on the verge of crying.

"Yes. We can still use weapons like the Power Blade, and we have another advantage most people don't." Shiki tells him to try and cheer the teen up.

"What?" Izuku asks curiously, and Shiki motions toward Toshinori. Who is currently going over something on his phone and not paying attention to them.

"We're being trained by All Might himself. That's something most people, especially our age, can say. Not only that, we're also getting real experience. That's something only vigilantes have over other applicants." Shiki tells him.

Izuku thinks about Shiki's words before realizing he's right. Most applicants for a hero school have little to no experience unless they break the law by becoming vigilantes or have a hero in their family since those family members can often help them train. He and Shiki would have a clear advantage in the U.A. exam due to their experience as Kamen Riders.

"You're right. But we don't have Quirks either. That could be a problem still." Izuku tells him.

"We're not going up against Nomu during the exam. Our weapons and training should be more than enough." Shiki tells him with a calm shrug.

Izuku still looks unsure, and Shiki sighs.

"We'll be fine, Midoriya," Shiki reassures him.

"Quite right. You two can handle anything that comes your way with proper training and by sticking together." Toshinori tells them as he walks toward them, having heard only the end of their conversation.

The two turn toward their teacher as he smiles at them.

"I want you two to remember. Heroes often work together to accomplish a common goal, even if they have to compete for attention. Teamwork is important for heroes so the people will feel safe with them around." Toshinori tells the two.

Izuku and Shiki nod at his words, causing Toshinori's smile to widen.

"Good. Now, back to your training. Time waits for no one." Toshinori orders while pointing toward the beach.

With a sigh, the two quickly get back to work. As they do, they're both thinking about their futures.

"I can't believe the entrance exam is only a few months away. Am I really ready for it?" Despite Shiki's best efforts, Izuku is still nervous about his chances, given the acceptance percentage of U.A.

On the other hand, Shiki has a determined glare and seems to be pushing himself a little more than before.

"I'm going to get into U.A. I have to. The best way to become a strong hero is to go there." Shiki thinks while lifting another large piece of garbage and power-walking toward Toshinori's truck.

Toshinori watches the two work and can't help but smile at their progress.

"Both of them are showing real signs of change. One of them might be worthy to inherit my title." Toshinori thinks as he keeps a close eye on the two.

He then looks at his palm before clenching it into a fist.

"I'm running out of time. I can barely keep my strength up for a few hours now. I may need to choose a successor soon." Toshinori thinks with an angry scowl.

"Hopefully, I can finish him off before I run out of time. I'm sure he's still alive. The Nomu prove that." Thinking along those lines causes the scar on his torso to start acting up with phantom pains, and he winches.

"I shouldn't have let him get to me. The suffering and Nomu are my fault. I can't leave it to the next generation." Toshinori thinks with a tone of finality before returning to observing his students.

He watches as Shiki determinedly puts more pieces of trash in his truck while Izuku seems to be moving somewhat sluggishly like he's thinking about something.

"They don't deserve to suffer for my mistake." Toshinori thinks.

-------------------

Days after that, Slidin' Go is on his phone with Skeptic.

"That is our current plan for the Kamen Riders," Skeptic informs him about the executive's plans.

"Alright. I'll try to make sure Bakugou works with one of the other Kamen Riders." Slidin' Go nods, knowing his boss doesn't like it when he asks questions.

"Good," Skeptic says before hanging up.

Slidin' Go sighs as he looks at his phone while rubbing the back of his head.

"How am I supposed to do that when neither wants to be near him and are usually together? It's more likely that they'll already be near each other." Slidin' Go mutters as he tries to figure out how to separate Deku and Chamber.

"This is going to be tough." Slidin' Go complains before sighing and getting to work.

-------------------

Somewhere else, Izuku and Shiki are heading to school on Izuku's Plus Striker.

"So, are you feeling better about the entrance exams?" Shiki asks while holding onto Izuku.

"I-I think so. I think you're right. We do have a good chance of getting into U.A.," Izuku tells him with a nod.

"It's not like we can aim for anything lower. Most schools with a hero course have a ban on people without Quirks even trying out. Besides, we'll likely get into the General Studies Course. So, we'll have the chance to get into the Hero Course later on." Shiki explains to him.

"Wow, you know a lot about this." Izuku can't help but praise his friend.

Sure, he's a hero nerd. But his hobby usually involved studying different heroes and their Quirks. Of course, he's kept up with other hero subjects, such as schools. But U.A. was more secretive and protective with their curriculum since it's the best school in Japan for heroics.

"It comes with being the grandson of the Hero Public Safety Commission chairman. I learned a lot that others don't about heroics. And I do mean a lot." Shiki states calmly while checking to make sure his helmet is secure.

"Really?" Izuku asks excitedly.

"Yeah. I might know more than you. Hard to say, though. I've heard you are a heavy hero nerd." Shiki tells him with a shrug.

Hearing this makes Izuku more excited about talking to Shiki. However, something comes to his mind when he keeps hearing Shiki discuss his grandfather instead of his parents.

"Hey, Hikage. What are your parents like? I've only seen you're grandfather, and they weren't at your apartment when I visited." Izuku asks curiously.

Unknown to Izuku, Shiki winches when he hears that but answers anyway.

"They're not around that much. They're both heroes that travel often." Shiki tells Izuku calmly.

"That's cool. What are their names? Maybe I've heard of them." Izuku says excitedly.

"I'll tell you later. We're almost to school now. So, we don't have time if you want to fanboy over them." Shiki quickly states as he sees the school in the distance.

"Alright." Izuku nods.

-------------------

Unknown to the two, the Meta Liberation Army is about to begin their latest plan.

"I'm in position." A male warrior with a shaved head, slightly tanned skin, and brown eyes says into an earpiece.

The man is wearing a black shirt with a skull, blue jeans, and black boots that go a bit above the ankles.

"Good. You sure you're Meta Ability will be able to separate the Kamen Riders when you see them?" A feminine voice asks into his earpiece.

"Yeah. It should work without a problem. I've practiced with it before we got here and have a pretty good idea of how it works." The man states.

"Good. I'll be ready to pounce on them as soon as we see them." The female voice nods.

The man doesn't say anything and looks toward a roof where a woman with long black hair, pale skin, green reptile-like eyes, and skin-colored scales around her cheeks. She's dressed in a long-sleeve black shirt with diagonal dark green stripes, turquoise green jeans, and beige flats.

Seeing she's up there. The man takes a deep breath and starts morphing into his Nomu form.

The man's Nomu form gives him pitch-black skin with a grey belly and legs. His face elongates into a reptile-like one as his skull separates to reveal his brain, and his eyes turn golden. Purple pants replace his clothes as his body bulks until he can dwarf Death Arms, and he seems to grow a tail. Finally, purple scales that wouldn't look out of place on a stegosaurus grow from his back to the end of his tail.

With his transformation done, the man growls like a predator in the wild before charging out of his hiding place and slamming into an oncoming car. The driver screams in a panic and quickly gets out as Stego Nomu picks the vehicle up and throws it at another one.

"Bring me the Kamen Riders!" Stego Nomu screams at the top of his lungs before getting on all fours, and the scales on his back and tail fire in different directions. The scales pierce through anything in their path like a spear through paper, and Stego Nomu regrows his scales instantly to perform a rapid fire of this.

When the two un-transformed Kamen Riders see this, Izuku immediately skids them to a halt while Shiki has to duck to avoid getting his head cut off.

"Get us somewhere to hide! Now!" Shiki shouts in alarm as he sees Stego Nomu's scales regrow, and he's about to fire another volley.

Izuku quickly turns on the gas and drives them toward a corner they passed before to get out of Stego Nomu's line of sight. After turning that corner, Izuku lets up, and the two park. It takes a little bit for them to get their bearings from the sudden Nomu, though.

"Okay. Do these guys have nothing better to do? That was way too close for comfort." Shiki says as he puts a hand to his heart to try and calm it down.

Izuku isn't in better shape. He's shaking a bit from the shock as he tries to relax. After a few moments, the two calm their nerves. When they do, they see most people are busy doing their own thing or heading toward where the screaming is to see the heroes fight.

"Looks like we have room to transform," Shiki tells Izuku before the two duck behind a truck and pull out their Hero Drivers.

They insert their respective Power Coins simultaneously and cause their Hero Drivers to sync with the other as they announce.

"Rabbit + Quirkless, blank match/Rifle + Quirkless, blank match."

Following the synchronization of their Hero Drivers, the two turn the keys simultaneously without realizing it. Causing smoke to envelop them both.

"JUMP, JUMP, REACH FOR THE MOON, JUMPING RABBIT/READY, AIM; I'VE GOT YOU IN MY SIGHTS, SNIPER RIFLE!"

When the smoke clears, both Kamen Riders are ready.

"Kamen Rider Deku/Chamber!"

That announcement draws a few eyes in their direction.

"It's the Kamen Riders!" Someone says excitedly.

"Go take that villain down!" Another person says.

"Go, heroes!" A young boy says happily as the Kamen Riders run past them.

As soon as Stego Nomu sees the two, he grins.

"Perfect. They're here." He says into his earpiece.

"I see that. Make sure to separate them." The woman orders.

"You're finally here, Kamen Riders. You're about to be destroyed by the dino might of Stegogai." The newly named Stegogai announces before charging toward the Kamen Riders, slamming any vehicle in his path to the side as he does so.

The Kamen Riders see him coming, and Chamber fires upon Stegogai with his wrist-mounted guns while Deku equips the Mighty Knuckle. However, the bullets don't seem to slow Stegogai down. He continues to charge toward them while raising his fists above his head. Seeing that the attacks aren't working, Deku runs toward Stegogai with the Mighty Knuckle ready to deliver a punch.

"I need to dive in close to hit him." Deku thinks as he and Stegogai are about to meet.

But before he can meet Stegogai, the dinosaur-themed Nomu slams his fists into the ground and causes the earth around him to move like waves in the ocean. This attack sends Deku flying and pushes him and Chamber to opposite sides of the street as Stegogai stands before them.

Chamber shakes his head and moves to stand up. Before he can, though, he feels talons latch onto his shoulders before picking him up and quickly bringing him into the air. After taking a second to get over the shock of his current situation, Chamber looks behind him to see a feminine Nomu who looks like a pterodactyl is the one carrying him off the ground.

"Sorry. But we can't have you two work together. But don't worry. I'll let you have a partner for our playtime. You can call me Terra Swoop, by the way. As you might have guessed, we're here to take you down." The Nomu says in a mischievous and slightly sadistic tone as she increases their speed to get him further away from Deku before either Kamen Rider can try anything to stop her.

Deku sees Chamber being taken away as he recovers and screams.

"Chamber!"

He gets up and is about to equip his Power Blade to fire upon Terra Swoop before getting slammed into a building by Stegogai.

"No, you don't. You and I will be fighting mano a mano while my friend deals with him." Stegogai says confidently before grabbing Deku's leg and throwing him into a car across the street.

Stegogai follows this up by getting on all fours and charging toward Deku. As he does, he fires the top spines on his back at the prone Kamen Rider. Deku barely looks up in time to see them and pull himself out of the way. He then has to jump back to avoid Stegogai's charge but gets hit with a tail swing before he can do anything else.

Deku groans as he crashes to the ground again.

"Wow. This guy is fast for his size. He's strong, too. He's using his Quirks amazingly. I can't even tell which is his real Quirk." Deku thinks before finding his leg getting grabbed again.

Not wanting history to repeat itself, Deku quickly uses the Mighty Knuckle to punch the arm holding his leg before Stegogai can lift him too far off the ground. The force from the punch causes Stegogai to let him go and take a couple of steps back while rubbing his hand.

"Man. You do pack a punch. No wonder the other guys couldn't get the job done if only one of you packed that much power." Stegogai says in slight irritation as the pain starts to subside.

Deku quickly takes advantage of Stegogai's shock to distance himself from Stegogai and regain his bearings.

"Good. I managed to get away from him, and the Mighty Knuckle can hurt him on its own. If it's like this, I can probably beat him if I keep moving. Should I run toward the Plus Striker, just in case?" He wonders in his mind as he raises his fists in a fighting stance.

"I was hoping this job wouldn't be too easy. It wouldn't do us any good if the Kamen Riders were weak. Besides, it's more fun to beat the crap out of someone to get what you want." Stegogai says as he cracks his knuckles before charging toward Deku.

-------------------

With Chamber and Terra Swoop. The Kamen Rider is struggling to get away from the pterodactyl-like Nomu. However, every time he tries something like shooting her or reaching for his Power Coins, she maneuvers herself to stop him by suddenly diving, corkscrewing, looping, or letting her hold go to grab another part of his body.

After some time, she releases him and throws him into the window of a school building. When Chamber collects himself, he sees that he's in a classroom. More specifically, Katsuki's classroom.

"Woah!"

"What's happening?"

"It's a Kamen Rider!" Someone shouts excitedly.

"Awesome!"

"Wait. He was thrown through a window. Is a Nomu here?"

As his classmates start panicking, Katsuki growls at how Chamber is thrown into his classroom before running out of the room. Luckily, Slidin' Go gave him some lee-way today and let him keep the Hero Driver on him. But while having the chance to turn into a Kamen Rider is nice, it annoys him that he has to hide to transform and can't show that he's the best to the extras around him.

Back with Chamber, he's standing up but doesn't have a chance to do anything else as Terra Swoop flies through the hole she made with him and slams beak first into him, causing the windows and wall behind him to break as they leave the classroom and he lands in the school's track field.

"What's the matter, Kamen Rider? Can't get your feet off the ground? I thought you could fly. I guess I was wrong. I'll bet I was wrong about your aim too." Terra Swoop mocks him as she flies in place by flapping her wings.

Chamber glares when he hears this and equips the Ultra Magnum. He tries to hit her, but Terra Swoop quickly soars out of the bullets' paths, and Chamber has trouble keeping up with her speed. He soon hits the ground again when Terra Swoop divebombs him again and crashes into his chest.

"Looks like I was right about your aim being terrible." She mocks again before needing to dodge an explosion courtesy of the school's resident secret hero.

"Die!" He shouts as he uses his explosions to propel after the Nomu.

Despite his best efforts, he can't keep up with Terra Swoop. That doesn't stop him, though. All it does is anger him more, which he uses to fuel himself and continue chasing her while trying to figure out how to catch her.

As K.E.M. tries to catch Terra Swoop, Chamber gets up and looks through his Power Coins for something to help him shoot her down. After a second, he chooses his new go-to Power Coin, the Dragonfly Power Coin, and inserts it into the Ultra Magnum.

"Dragonfly Power Finish!" The Hero Driver announces as Chamber fires bullets with sporadic flight patterns at K.E.M. and Terra Swoop.

Terra Swoop sees these incoming bullets and secretly smirks.

"Time to put the plan into action. Let's see how you like this." Terra Swoop thinks as she concentrates on the bullets while K.E.M. is charging behind her.

As the bullets are about to surround and pierce Terra Swoop, they suddenly change flight paths and fly toward K.E.M.

K.E.M. is shocked at the sudden shift and is hit by the bullets in full force, causing him to crash to the ground while Terra Swoop charges toward a shocked Chamber. She slams into him and drags him across the ground before she picks him up and soars straight up. She then dives back down and sends Chamber flying into K.E.M.

"Get off me, you useless shit!" K.E.M. shouts as he kicks Chamber off him.

Chamber grunts as he gets up while glaring at K.E.M. and trying to figure out what happened. However, he doesn't have long, as K.E.M. grabs and lifts him off the ground.

"What was that, you worthless fuck? You shot me instead of the Nomu!" He shouts into Chamber's face with a tone full of venom.

"I don't know. It must be one of her Quirks. I was aiming to take her out." Chamber tells him as he pushes K.E.M. off him.

Their fight amuses Terra Swoop before choosing to end it by diving toward them again. The two Kamen Riders don't notice her until she's close to them and don't have time to avoid the hit.

From the ground, Chamber growls and fires at Terra Swoop with her wrist-mounted guns. Luckily, one of the bullets managed to hit her, causing her to falter slightly.

"Why, you little." She grunts in slight pain and surprise as Chamber continues to fire at her.

-------------------

Back with Deku, he's currently ducking under a punch from Stegogai before delivering an uppercut to Stegogai's chin. However, the Nomu sees this coming and quickly intercepts the punch by grabbing Deku's arm before throwing him to the side.

Not wanting to stay on the ground long, Deku quickly springs back to his feet by running forward to keep out of Stegogai's grip. He turns around just in time to see Stegogai, with his back turned to him, about to fire his spines at the Kamen Rider.

Seeing this, Deku instinctively reaches for his Power Coins and manages to pull out the Barrier Power Coin and insert it into the Mighty Knuckle.

"Barrier Slam Finish!" The Hero Driver shouts as Deku slams the Mighty Knuckle into the ground to create a green barrier around him that blocks the incoming spines while they crack the barrier upon impact.

Stegogai turns around in time to see the barrier dissipate and glares at the Kamen Rider.

"Alright. You're as annoyingly tough as they said you were. But you won't be able to beat my combination of Meta Abilities." The stegosaurus Nomu tells him as he prepares to charge again, not knowing that his words cause Deku's eyes to widen in surprise.

"He's referring to his Quirks as Meta Abilities, too, like with the Paper Nomu." Deku thinks as he jumps over Stegogai, causing the Nomu to crash into the wall behind him.

He then follows this up by charging at him and delivering a strike to Stegogai's butt, with the Mighty Knuckle, pushing him deeper into the wall.

"Why, you little," Stegogai growls as he gets up and turns toward the Kamen Rider.

Only to be met with a boot to the face courtesy of a dropkick from Deku before the Kamen Rider uses his face to jump back again. The full-body kick causes Stegogai to stagger back while holding his face in pain.

"Good. It looks like I'm doing some damage to him without the Power Coins." Seeing this makes Deku happy, knowing he's not as weak as he first thought due to the damage done already, even if it's only minor.

However, his happiness is short-lived when Stegogai throws a table near him at Deku and sends him crashing into the concrete. Stegogai then follows it up by charging at Deku and jumping to try and land on him with the entirety of his weight. Deku sees this and panics before rolling to the side. The force behind Stegogai's landing leaves cracks in the concrete.

Deku quickly gets off the ground while equipping the Power Blade in his other hand. He then turns the blade and grip around so the gun muzzle is pointing behind the blade.

He charges at Stegogai and slashes at Stegogai. The blade doesn't cut into Stegogai's tough skin, but Deku doesn't give up. He quickly pulls the trigger on the Power Blade and uses the extra force from the gunshot to force the Power Blade into Stegogai's skin.

Stegogai grunts and quickly slams the arm Deku is cutting into him, sending the Kamen Rider skidding a few feet back. He tries to follow this up with a straight, using his other arm, but Deku ducks under this attack and launches his own punch with the Mighty Knuckle. The force from the weapon sends Stegogai skidding back before he falls forward and gets on all fours. He then launches the top spines at Deku to stop him from getting too close.

Deku instinctively jumps in the air to avoid the shots, but that opens him up for the other spines on Stegogai's back and tail. Deku tries to use his arms to block the attacks, but it doesn't help much, and he falls on his side in pain.

Stegogai takes this chance to charge at him. Luckily, Deku is one step ahead of him this time. While in the air, he reached into his Power Coin holder and pulled out a Power Coin before hitting the ground.

He inserts that Power Coin into the Power Blade, causing the Hero Driver to shout.

"Swamp Power Finish!"

Deku quickly slams the blade of his sword into the ground and the ground before it starts turning into sludgy water, heading toward Stegogai in a wide arc. The Nomu doesn't have time to dodge it and finds his feet stuck.

"Really, A makeshift tar pit since I'm a dinosaur? Too bad for you. This dinosaur has a way to fight against it." Stegogai says as he slams his hands into the muddy water.

This causes ripples within it before it explodes and goes everywhere, freeing him. Deku stares in shock as that move has hardly failed him besides when Overdrive Nomu jumped over it.

"Surprised? We've studied your moves and worked out good ways to counter them. All for the glory of our revolution. You won't be able to beat me with your usual tactics. I can easily break out of any trap you set. Even if it's that weird ability where you petrify someone." Stegogai says while pointing toward Deku with a confident tone.

Hearing this causes Deku to tense up.

"Wait. If they've studied my moves, does that mean they studied Hikage's too?" He thinks, suddenly even more worried about his friend after he was taken away.

"You don't have time to be thinking about other things. Especially since I'm done playing around." Stegogai says before slamming his hand on the ground again and sending a wave of earth at Deku.

Seeing this causes Deku to jump to the side, but Stegogai already predicted that. He got on all fours and fired the top spikes on his back at the hero, hitting him in the arm and causing him to drop the Power Blade in pain. Stegogai follows this up by charging while still on all fours and slamming into Deku, sending him flying into another lamp post.

Deku groans as he gets up and reaches for another Power Coin to try something else. In desperation, he pulls out the Draco-Breath Power Coin and inserts it without realizing what it is.

"Dragonic Breath Power Finish!" The Hero Driver announces as the Mighty Knuckle is covered in flames while glowing orange as Deku charges at Stegogai.

He throws his fist forward, and Stegogai is sent staggering back from the impact while there are slight burns in a knuckle outline where he was punched. However, it doesn't look like he took any substantial damage.

"Now that had some sting to it. But it's not enough to get through my skin." Stegogai grunts before charging and trying to punch Deku.

Deku moves to the side, but Stegogai follows it up by spinning and slamming into Deku with his tail.

Deku manages to stay on his feet and reach into his holder for another Power Coin.

"Division Power Finish!" The Hero Driver shouts as Deku inserts the Division Power Coin.

"I haven't used this one yet." Deku thinks as he charges forward and throws another punch.

As the Mighty Knuckle soars toward Stegogai, energy fists suddenly appear around Deku's arm to launch multiple punches simultaneously, each with equal force to the last. The strength of these punches sends Stegogai flying into the ground and causes his scales to get stuck in the concrete.

"Damn it," Stegogai grunts as he tries to get up.

But he's positioned in a way that he can't reach the ground with his arms and legs that well. He can't put enough power into his attempts. Deku sees this and decides to try and finish things.

He pulls out the Rabbit Power Coin and inserts it into the Hero Driver instead of his weapon.

"RABBIT POWER FINISH!" The Hero Driver shouts as energy builds around Deku, and he charges forward.

He jumps into the air and tries to deliver a flying kick to the trapped Nomu. However, Stegogai suddenly rolls backward while his scales remain stuck in the ground. When Deku crashes into the ground, a small explosion and the earth around him is destroyed.

Unfortunately, it doesn't do much to Stegogai, and he takes advantage of Deku's opening to send another wave of earth at him and send him flying.

"I can't believe you fell for that. I told you, we studied all your moves." Stegogai laughs as he looks at the downed Kamen Rider.

Deku groans as Stegogai charges and tries to jump on him.

-------------------

With K.E.M. and Chamber, the two are having trouble dealing with Terra Swoop and each other. Chamber is being targeted after one of his bullets managed to hit her and her orders.

Currently, Chamber is trying to hit Terra Swoop with his wrist-mounted guns, but she is nimbly avoiding them with the ease of a hummingbird changing directions. Luckily, Chamber has started to adapt to her speed and is avoiding more of her strikes than before.

On the other hand, K.E.M. is trying to chase after her in the air but is getting hit by a few of Chamber's stray bullets for some reason. Needless to say, the two are starting to clash from their situation.

"Will you fucking quit shooting with the pea shooters! You're doing nothing helpful and getting in my way!" K.E.M. shouts at Chamber.

"Maybe if you would stop getting close to her, my bullets wouldn't be at risk of hitting you. I'm trying to figure out what she's doing!" Chamber shouts back with a bit of sharpness in his tone.

"It's obvious this bitch is manipulating your bullets! Quit making my job harder, Pompadour!" K.E.M. screams back as he tries to swipe at Terra Swoop, only for her to move out of the way.

Chamber grits his teeth but realizes that K.E.M. is right and decides to switch things around. He quickly grabs the Chameleon Power Coin and inserts it into his Hero Driver.

"You can't see me? Where am I? I'm on the wall! I've got you in my sights!" The Hero Driver shouts as smoke covers Chamber while he transforms.

"Kamen Rider Chamber!" It says with a tone of finality as Chamber switches forms.

Terra Swoop dives toward Chamber, but he vanishes before she hits him. As she's trying to gain altitude again, a whip suddenly wraps around her wing, and she's pulled toward the ground, causing her to skid across it from her previous momentum.

"You bastard!" Terra Swoop shouts as she gets up and instinctively looks around for the Kamen Rider that sent her crashing to the ground, only not to see him.

While she's doing that, the other Kamen Rider comes diving in and slams into her with a double palm-generated explosion that shakes the ground slightly. Seeing this causes Chamber to drop the camouflage a fair distance from the two as he waits for the smoke to clear.

However, Terra Swoop flies back into the air as if nothing happened, shocking the Kamen Riders.

Before she can see him from above, Chamber quickly camouflages himself again while K.E.M. chases after her. However, Chamber's action wasn't enough for him to completely escape her view. Having the features of a flying predator, her eyesight is enhanced exponentially. So she can distinguish the shifts in coloring and movement from Chamber's camouflage.

She charges at the area where she notices the shifting, and Chamber barely has time to jump over her attack. However, that doesn't stop him from getting hit by K.E.M., who chased after her. The impact causes Chamber to lose his camouflage while the two crash.

"Get off me," Chamber tells him as he kicks K.E.M. off him before needing to duck under another attack from Terra Swoop.

"Quit getting in the way!" K.E.M. shouts at Chamber, getting sick of the other Kamen Rider constantly messing him up.

"That was your fault. You're the one that keeps charging after someone you obviously can't catch!" Chamber shouts back at him.

"Like your fucking bullets are helping Pompadour. You've been hitting me more than you've been hitting Prehistoric Bitch!" K.E.M. screeches.

Terra Swoop sees their argument and secretly grins when she realizes the plan is working.

"Now for a quick disappearing act." Terra Swoop says before flying off at top speed before the Kamen Riders realize she's gone.

It takes longer than you should have for them to realize this. And when they do, K.E.M. pushes Chamber away while growling.

"This is your fucking fault, Pompadour! I could have handled that bastard without you! You and your worthless aim!" K.E.M. screams.

"My aim was fine. Whatever Quirks that Nomu had was the problem. And what about you? You uselessly chased after her when you couldn't catch her." Chamber tells him.

K.E.M. growls, but Chamber isn't done.

"Then again, that's all you can do, seeing as you don't bother collecting Power Coins like you're supposed to. Instead of keeping them on you just in case, you go out of your way to destroy them. So, you're nothing but a one-trick pony." Chamber tells him with an edge in his tone.

Hearing this causes K.E.M. to growl.

"At least I can make better fucking use of this stupid thing than you. You're nothing but a Quirkless reject who got lucky! If your grandfather weren't in such a high fucking position, no one would give a shit about you like Deku!" K.E.M. snaps at Chamber, causing the Kamen Rider to tighten his fist.

"I'm using the Hero Driver better than you. If I remember right, I almost beat you at the docks." Chamber snaps back, causing K.E.M. to growl.

"I didn't fucking lose to you!" K.E.M. snarls back before going for an explosive palm and sending Chamber flying to the ground.

Chamber has enough of K.E.M.'s attitude and launches his whip at the other Kamen Rider, sending him skidding back.

-------------------

Back with Deku. He's running from Stegogai and trying to reach the Plus Striker for extra help since Chamber hasn't returned and K.E.M. is nowhere to be seen.

"I need help to beat him." Deku thinks as he pulls the Unicorn Power Coin off the Plus Striker's Power Coin holder and inserts it.

The Plus Striker quickly turns into its mechanical animal form and throws Deku atop it before running from the charging Stegogai.

"Get back here!" Stegogai snaps at the Kamen Rider and steed before firing his scales at them.

However, the Plus Striker turns around and fires lightning bolts at the attacks, stopping them and causing them to fall harmlessly. It then takes it a step further by charging at Stegogai. As it does, Deku pulls out another Power Coin and inserts it into the Plus Striker.

"Overdrive Power Charge!" The Hero Driver announces as light blue energy surrounds the Plus Striker and its power and speed increase.

With the increased momentum, the Plus Striker tries to slam into Stegogai. However, the Nomu quickly uses his other ability to make a wave of earth rise between them to reduce the damage. The Plus Striker runs through it and slams into the Nomu, sending him flying but not turning him back to normal.

"Alright." Deku thinks happily, but before he can do anything else, he suddenly feels something slam into him and knock him off the Plus Striker.

He looks up to see what hit him and sees Terra Swoop staring down at him while holding a struggling Plus Striker.

"It's your turn to see what it's like to be hunted." Terra Swoop says excitedly as Stegogai stands up.

Deku looks between the two Nomu and backs away nervously while they close in on him. As he's getting cornered, he worries about what happened to Chamber while wondering what he'll do.

Power Coins Deku Rabbit, Draco-Breath, Charge, Marsh, Solidification, Unicorn, Overdrive, Wheels, Division, Bull, Barrier, Creation, Razor Edge, Mantis

Chamber Rifle, Fierce Wings, Shadow Stalk, Gatling, Chameleon, Dragonfly, Sonar, Burrowing Drill, Sprouting

King Explosion Murder Explosion

Next Chapter

#mha #my hero academia #kamen rider #kamen rider deku #original kamen rider #izuku midoriya #katsuki bakugou #meta liberation army #mha trumpet #mha skeptic #re destro #mha curious #david shield #hisashi midoriya #slidin' go

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kharmii · 6 months ago

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how far are you into BNHA?

just curious when I saw your reblog earlier!

I've been out of the loop for quite a while but I'm still follow from the sidelines a little.

Last I saw, Crunchyroll had a few episodes of the BNHA Season 7 sub but none in English yet. That was a few weeks ago. Since then, I've been watching Jujutsu Kaisen (am on S.1 E.19) and won't watch anything else until I'm done with it. I'm also looking forward to the next season of Demon Slayer coming out this month.

I've watched everything BNHA out including the movies and one shots (loved the Mr. Smiley one and got a chill from what happened in the one where Shoto gets triggered by a treadmill in an abandoned building, and what the viewer thinks happens after). With the manga, I've only skimmed sections of characters I'm interested in. IE: Saw what happened to Dabi and Skeptic but didn't read most of the endless Shigaraki battle.

As always, I'm fixating on specific characters and will post them to death. I thought I'd be over Dabiten by now, but then I had to go and find that Japanese artist who did a hundred or so beautiful comic panels about the ship, and now I'll end up laboriously trying to translate it all based on emotions and awkward Google lens translations. The two complement each other in a sweetly sad way, like Geten could have eased the agony of Dabi's existence which would eventually make him forget out his grudge. Instead, Geten ends up rotting in prison while Dabi.....well.

I'm assuming Dabi is dead based on how he was last seen in the manga, but maybe there's hope for him because he has always been dubiously alive. He's a guy whose villain name means 'cremation' because he was burned so badly by his own quirk he ended up in a coma for three years, then wasn't expected to live longer than a month after he woke up. Supposedly, his hatred and longing for revenge gave him life.

In that way, Dabi reminds me of a human version of the pokemon Ceruledge, a fire/ghost type called the blue flame arm-blade pokemon who 'wears the malicious armor of a grudge bearing soul'. Pokemon has a way of making adorable chibified versions of beings out of a horror movie. Ceruledge is a similar horror to the 108 tormented souls of spiritomb, or all the child-snatching soul eating 'mons, such as drifloon, litwick, palossand, etc. Dabi is a good parallel representation of the idea of ceruledge.

Another fun ceruledge fact is it's one of the pokemon that 'un-alives' itself at its peak evolution. Other examples of this would be alolan marowak, decidueye, froslass, shedninja, hisuian typhlosion, basculegion, skeledirge, and annihilape. Many ghost pokemon are ghosts or possessed objects, but all the 'un-alived' 'mons are undead creatures resembling ghouls, zombies or vampires.

Art credit: Dabi, Apocrypha, refined taste / 謹賀新年VIOLET - pixiv

#infodumping #non sequitur #dabi #geten #ceruledge #ghost pokemon #head canon #fire and ice #dabiten

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problemswithbooks · 2 years ago

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Endeavor is wracked with horror at seeing Dabi's ice, thinks it's all his fault, his hands moves in a clawing fashion away from it, Hori puts in millions of Endeavor panels in a bad graphic collage which make no logical or visual sense, and then has him think back to how he said his family can be happy (in a world) where only he doesn't exist(it's written similar to title of the manga Erased so this should be the more literal meaning) and decides the only thing he can do to atone to Dabi is take him high into the sky for them both to die together because he failed to look at Dabi. Rei showing up like in the hospital should not actually change his mind if this were following like it has been because he has reached past a breaking point. The whole chapter is about how abuser man bad and can't do anything because plot needs you to see abuse is bad and how the real heroes are victims who rise up with their true good karma. Also its more irony to rub salt on his wounds of why he didn't take an ice sidekick. Rei seemingly helping him is more like a hook Hori dangles for fans to take the wrong interpretation which will be hammered home in the next chapter that it's only about her stopping her husband's madness and wrong actions to save her children this time as she swore to Shoto in the letter to never repeat her mistakes (actions follow the words through unlike someone). The victims as Rei said really do feel genuine guilt enough to take action unlike him and step up unlike his "escapist ass". Shoto had cemented this concept in meta when he said sentiments don't count without action and Endeavor alone shows no action, only inaction and selfflagellation.

Foils and parallels are made and other injured characters doing more(Iida running 500km on land breaking Deku's record) makes his complaints about not being able to move sound like petty excuses and that he never really tried to go plus ultra most likely. Rei is awakening her quirk because of her beloved son ad even having ice vapors rise from her eyes(and Endeavor was panned for having asspulled laser eyes as a Boys reference?). As Geten paraphrases a Redestro ideology, which is the gist of Vigilantes, that regular people when allowed to are powerful as top heroes because of untapped potential. But Endeavor didn't awaken anything as if he doesn't love his son enough unlike the mother to even spark something nor had he previously made any effort to think of how to save Dabi by taking help of suitable quirked allies or even interviewing Ujiko in jail, he just has inaction and sentiments on his side and now he could only think of himself, his hero duty and suicide.

And Dabi actually awakened his Ice because of Shoto's phosphor not as Endeavor puts it near death which will be clarified as usual to be Endeavor's flawed perspective. This powerful and can do anything Himura genes and ice are keeping him alive is all because of Shoto who made the Phosphor move which has come back to keep Toya alive because of his Himura side family's genuine and unconditional love and in plot it is all to spite the abuser Endeavor by proving him wretched. Shoto is who the chapter title is a reference to(Dabi called him that in the chapter Phosphor). Rei was an all Might parallel visually in both the (probably will be shown to have been one of the kids rescued by all Might in his debut so it's ultimate ly All Might's credit once agan for saving the would be "Himura" family). The Masegaki kids are probably the ones who are repaying Shoto's niceness to them by helping his mom. In short it's back to the virtuous mom's genes were all what was right and the bad dad's genes are everything that is wrong. Even though some make jokes that the consanginuos marriage genes must have led to disabilities it's the opposite and Endeavor's bad flame is baaaad.

In fact everything is only to cement how Endeavor was bad ad wrong and unfortunately Hori has not given him much else character wise(even his backstory seems to be him having being fueled by contempt of his father's weakness). His so called atonement is too poorly written, the plot is too judgemental to be smooth, and because the goalpost just keeps being moved further from him and excused for his "fans" with small words that can be easily refuted it's not solid.

Endeavor's mess was first being cleared by Shoto in the initial Dabi fight and now it is being done so by All Might and Mom the two perfect avatars of the endgoals he had set for himself as achievable in hubris- hero and parent. His ending being attempted suicide averted like his last nemesis Ending is about all he'll get it seems.

This is a lot...and to be totally honest I don't fully understand what you're trying to say. That the story is being anti-abuse, so my opinion about how giving Touya ice is bad are wrong? That's why Enji is written the way he is? Or are you just bashing Enji's character? I'm really not sure. So, I'll just go through this point by point and give my opinion.

The whole chapter is about how abuser man bad and can't do anything because plot needs you to see abuse is bad and how the real heroes are victims who rise up with their true good karma.

I mean, I guess, maybe that could be the point but this was a stupid way of writing this entire side plot if that was the theme. It would have taken far less time and wasted pages if Hori had just left Enji an abusive asshole. That's a way better and faster way of showing abuser man as bad.

Also its more irony to rub salt on his wounds of why he didn't take an ice sidekick. Rei seemingly helping him is more like a hook Hori dangles for fans to take the wrong interpretation which will be hammered home in the next chapter that it's only about her stopping her husband's madness and wrong actions to save her children this time as she swore to Shoto in the letter to never repeat her mistakes (actions follow the words through unlike someone).

Enji not bringing an ice sidekick as a strike against him doesn't work. We haven't seen anyone but Himura's with ice Quirks. It's not like anyone has called him out on not using them either. I mean Shoto could have said something about it earlier to throw shade. We don't know if this was an option he had and refused, so he can't be facing karmic repercussions for it now.

As for Rei, I really hope Hori doesn't use her in this way. In a different post I outline why doing so would be stupid given how Hori has written Enji. Enji isn't a mad man doing wrong actions--he literally is in a position where he is incapable of doing anything else. Which is probably why you had to invent an ice sidekick he left behind, because otherwise he really is only doing what he can.

The victims as Rei said really do feel genuine guilt enough to take action unlike him and step up unlike his "escapist ass". Shoto had cemented this concept in meta when he said sentiments don't count without action and Endeavor alone shows no action, only inaction and selfflagellation.

But we see that Enji does care and feel genuine guilt. He is only barred from doing more because the plot can't have him act. We can see this easily when we think of all the times he didn't 'act'.

When he left Shoto to follow Izuku--this doesn't make sense. He can't be avoiding Dabi here. The Heroes are looking for any leads to find AfO or any of the LoV. Enji may not be with Shoto, but that doesn't mean he's not searching for Touya. It frankly wouldn't make sense if he wasn't. All the Heroes want leads and Touya would be a big one. They aren't going to just ignore Touya out in the open just because Enji doesn't want to confront him at the moment.

Fighting AfO instead of Touya--Shoto told him to do this. Sure, he might have been pissed because Enji 'ran down the clock' but as I've pointed out above the way Hori wrote it, that doesn't make sense. Either way Enji was willing to change teams and go after Touya together with Shoto, but Shoto told him to leave Touya to him. And given how the AfO fight has gone, that was the right choice. AfO has trounced all the Heroes and only Enji managed to kill him so as to put him in a situation where the Heroes can win by simply stalling.

The present Touya fight--Enji broke off from the AfO fight to deal with Touya immediately. He didn't leave it for someone else to deal with. He retreated and didn't attack Touya at all from what I could tell, and tried to talk to him. It wasn't until he was told Touya was going about to explode and take civilians and Heroes with him that he resorted to taking Touya into the sky to die together. He has zero other options and it is really the only way he can atone for what he did to Touya in that moment.

Look, I love Tenya but what he's doing pales in comparison to what Enji is/has. Tenya barely did anything during the first Touya fight. He is completely uninjured. On top of that Shoto himself is having a hard time standing or moving after his fight with Touya, where again his injuries were minor. He's just tired from using his Quirk.

Meanwhile Enji got stabled in the side, falling hundreds of feet to the ground, bled out, then got back up, lost an arm and used his biggest attack possible to kill AfO. Then when AfO revived he continued to fight him, constantly using his fire to stay in the air, until Touya showed up. From there he has been attacked by Touya which only makes his overheating body worse.

The manga clearly shows Enji's actions, particularly against AfO as plus ultra.

Rei is awakening her quirk because of her beloved son ad even having ice vapors rise from her eyes(and Endeavor was panned for having asspulled laser eyes as a Boys reference?). As Geten paraphrases a Redestro ideology, which is the gist of Vigilantes, that regular people when allowed to are powerful as top heroes because of untapped potential.

None of this is even true. Rei isn't awakening her Quirk. That's just her Quirk from what we know, she's just using it now. As for the Redestro ideology, it's based on Quirk superiority. Sure some regular people could possibly be as strong as Heroes if they used their Quirks all the time, but others wouldn't, and according to Redestro, those weaker people are lesser.

But Endeavor didn't awaken anything as if he doesn't love his son enough unlike the mother to even spark something nor had he previously made any effort to think of how to save Dabi by taking help of suitable quirked allies or even interviewing Ujiko in jail, he just has inaction and sentiments on his side and now he could only think of himself, his hero duty and suicide.

What would Enji even awaken that would help in this situation? He has a fire based Quirk and Hori has never shown us any different. If he suddenly had water powers or something that would a huge ass pull on Hori's part and even he doesn't generally do something that out of left field. It's not that Enji doesn't love Touya, and Rei does, it's just that Rei has a Quirk that counteracts Touya's while Enji's only makes it worse.

Again we are never shown anyone outside the family with ice powers except Geten. We don't see Enji refuse allies like, maybe Geten because he thinks he's great on his own. In fact Enji usually does use sidekicks but had them fight with Shoto to keep him safe and up the chances Shoto could stop Touya safely. If there were ice sidekicks available past characterization would suggest Enji would use them.

As for Ujiko no one knew he was involved with Dabi's survival and there was already way more pressing things the Heroes would want from him, like say AfO's location, or Quirks. What he did to Shigaraki. Honestly, Ujiko randomly telling a guard about Touya makes zero sense as it is and was clearly only put in to help flesh out Touya's backstory. Heck, even if Enji had known to ask Ujiko, the scientist didn't have any solutions anyway.

The Heroes duty stuff has always been shaky because of how dire Hori made the situation. I'm sorry but it's stupid to say Enji is choosing being a Hero over a father because he doesn't want his son's inevitable death to end up killing hundreds if not thousands of innocent people. The fact he refuses to kill Touya (something that given Touya's condition wouldn't be hard) and instead die with him so he's not alone, proves he does love him as a son.

And Dabi actually awakened his Ice because of Shoto's phosphor not as Endeavor puts it near death which will be clarified as usual to be Endeavor's flawed perspective.

This is nothing but a prediction. Nothing about Enji's perspective is flawed here, if that is even his thoughts and not a narrator. Touya is seconds from dying via explosion and his body is charred to almost just bones. Sure, Shoto's new skill might be what helped unlock Touya's ice, but from what we've been told about this world that's not something that happens, so why would Enji come to that conclusion?

This powerful and can do anything Himura genes and ice are keeping him alive is all because of Shoto who made the Phosphor move which has come back to keep Toya alive because of his Himura side family's genuine and unconditional love and in plot it is all to spite the abuser Endeavor by proving him wretched.

Maybe don't praise the horrible racist, eugenics family so much. Touya having ice that keeps him alive shouldn't be attributed to them or act like they're somehow better then Enji. They are just as bad as him, if not worse because they did this over hundreds of generations. Attribute it only to Shoto's unconditional love and Rei.

Also how does this spite Enji whose entire reason for having kids with Rei was to have this outcome. If anything it shows he was right. Enji wanted Rei's ice genes to cool of his fire genes and that's exactly what's happening. In this way it's a win for Enji.

Rei was an all Might parallel visually in both the (probably will be shown to have been one of the kids rescued by all Might in his debut so it's ultimate ly All Might's credit once agan for saving the would be "Himura" family).

I don't see these All Might parallels at all honestly. Also, what would be the point of Rei having been saved by All Might at one time. I'm sorry but why wouldn't she have told Shoto this, if this was true--would have made him like Heroes way more then just seeing an interview with All Might on TV.

In short it's back to the virtuous mom's genes were all what was right and the bad dad's genes are everything that is wrong. Even though some make jokes that the consanginuos marriage genes must have led to disabilities it's the opposite and Endeavor's bad flame is baaaad.

I'm sorry but this is just a horrible thing to say in general. People can't help what they get from their parents. This sort of thinking is harmful. Are you saying that if someone gets their abusive parents hair or eye color they got the 'bad, evil abuser' genes.

Plus, Shoto's entire thing has been learning to accept his flames regardless of how much he hated inheriting them from his father. They are a part of him and he uses them to do good. In fact his new attack you keep praising is a combo of both--it wouldn't work without fire as well as the ice.

And...so what? Yeah, Enji was a bad person and was wrong. The point is that he wants to change and how he goes about it. I don't care that his backstory didn't give him some sob story.

His so called atonement is too poorly written, the plot is too judgemental to be smooth, and because the goalpost just keeps being moved further from him and excused for his "fans" with small words that can be easily refuted it's not solid.

I'm a little confused what you're getting at here. Are you saying it's badly written because it's to judgmental of him and Hori keeps moving the goal posts? Yet, you also disagree with fans of his character because everything they say in defense of him is untrue/dumb?

If you've read this far you know I don't think Hori wrote this side plot well. It has many mistakes, but I wouldn't say one is moving the goalposts. I'd say the worse is not letting him do anything, or putting him in situations where he can't make a good choice but punishing him like he had one.

I mean, Shoto didn't clean up Enji's mess, otherwise Touya would be fixed already. And AfO wasn't Enji's mess. He would have killed AfO pretty damn fast if the guy hadn't had a secret trump card. If AfO's anyone's mess he's All Might's, who has been fighting him for decades. That's why he decides to fight him regardless of being Quirkless, because he feels it's his responsibility.

Personally, I don't think Enji saw either Rei or All Might as end goals for himself at this point in the story. Dude's not confident enough at this point to think he could ever be like them. He already knows he can't make his family happy like Rei can, which is why he got them a separate house. He's barely given All Might a second thought this entire War--he's just doing his best at this point.

I wouldn't call Ending his nemesis--he appears for a chapter and Enji didn't even seem to remember him. Nor is his so called suicide attempt any where similar to Ending's. He's not asking to be killed, and I don't even think he wants to die, but Touya is going to die and he wants to be there for him like he never was before. Given Touya's state he probably could kill Touya himself rather easy and survive, but he's not going to do that, instead he's getting Touya to a safe place to explode and won't leave his side no matter what.

#ask #bnha spoliers #bnha 387 #enjji todoroki #endeavor #this isn't me saying Dabi's going to die btw #just that from everything Enji knows #and what he can do #Touya is going to die #so all he can do is die with him while reducing the lives he takes with him

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