Chapter 12: Interview With an Alien
The sterile environment of the hospital room unnerved Hitoshi. The grim sight in front of him made his stomach churn. Aizawa Shouta, the man who had saved him from a childhood of rejection and abuse, wrapped head to toe in bandages, clinging to life by a hair. "He's gonna be fine, 'Toshi." He felt Hizashi's hand wrap around his shoulders. "Doctor said he'll make a full recovery soon." Hitoshi couldn't bring himself to smile at the news.
"I could have done something." He didn't take his eyes off of Aizawa for a single moment. "I could have brainwashed the villain before he ordered that thing to attack. It would have been so easy." He clenched his fist. "Yet it didn't even occur to me that I could. Thirteen gave us permission, and I still didn't think to use it."
Hizashi looked at the boy sympathetically, and moved to hug him. "'Toshi, you did your best. You helped Midoriya take down the Nomu, and you got Shouta out of the line of fire. He's alive because of you." Hitoshi grumbled, his face buried in the hero's chest. "I'm so proud of you, and I'm sure he is too."
Hitoshi pulled his head back and blinked. "But… I was irrational… I should have ended it earlier."
Hizashi simply shook his head. "Don't get too hung up on Sho's rationality schtick, 'Toshi. You were taught to reject your quirk for so long, it's not gonna be instinctual for quite some time. That's why you're still a student."
"I… I know. Thanks… dad." The boy mumbled, immediately regretting what he said as Hizashi squealed with glee. 'I still need to make this right. Recovery Girl might not be able to heal him with his current stamina, but… there has to be some other way.'
—
"Midoriya? Shouldn't you be resting? There won't be any classes today." Power Loader stated as he saw the green haired girl enter his office.
She nodded. "I know, sensei. I just needed to clear my mind. Might as well do something useful while I'm at it."
Maijima sighed. "Sure… My other headache is in workshop Theta. Try to keep her out of trouble." Izumi smiled slightly, before turning back to him, confused.
"Workshop Theta? Isn't that…" Izumi mumbled.
"Yes, I decided to award her with it for her work. She figured out a great solution to a nearly impossible problem with those boots and gauntlets. Your work was also very impressive, Midoriya. However, I must remind you that any gear you add to another student's outfit must first be approved by me." She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "I won't punish you this time, as it was clear you were worried after Wednesday's invasion, and your gear was seemingly quite useful during the attack. However, if there is another breach of protocol such as this, I'll be forced to restrict your workshop access or even blacklist you from working without my direct supervision. Understood?"
Izumi straightened. "Yes, sir. It won't happen again, I promise."
"Good, you're free to go. Try not to get blown up by her." Maijima chuckled.
Izumi grimaced. "Don't worry, sensei. I'm used to explosions." The man remembered the discussion the teachers had had after the entrance exam, and nodded grimly as she left.
—
"Mei? You in there?" Izumi knocked on the workshop's door.
Mei looked away from her current project for a moment, smiling as she sauntered over to the door. "Muscles! What are you doing here? Not that I mind, but I thought you would take a break."
The girl laughed. "You're one to talk. I noticed you're never at the cafeteria during lunch."
"Well, why would I waste time with that? I can just compensate for it with breakfast and dinner." Izumi shook her head, chuckling at her response.
"I don't think that's how it works, Mei." The girl pouted. "Still, I wanted to get some work done on some side projects. I'll be taking it nice and easy, but building lets me clear my head… I kinda need that."
Mei nodded. "I get it. I had a few ideas that I wanted to show off during the sports festival… but they're secret." She giggled. "Now that I have this workshop, though, I can build pretty much anything I want!"
"Now I'm curious, but I guess I can wait a few more weeks to find out." Izumi smiled. "Too bad I can't bring my own gear, but it would be kind of unfair, since I'm also a heroics student."
Mei rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you're not just gonna crush everything, Miss 'Most powerful device in the known universe'." Izumi flicked her shoulder. "Hey! you gotta admit, it's really overpowered."
"Oh, okay, if that's how you feel about it, I guess I won't help you after all. Have fun working by yourself." Izumi crossed her arms, but the smile never left her face.
"I never said that!" Mei noticed the smile and pouted. "Meanie. Come on, Power Loader's asked me to repair some gauntlets that got cut up on Wednesday." Izumi nodded, still smiling. However, she froze when she saw the gear on Mei's workstation.
"Mei? Why are you working on those?" She pointed to the grenade shaped gauntlets.
"Huh? What about them? They're the ones I'm repairing. Apparently they're supposed to store some guy's sweat." She noticed the odd expression on Izumi's face.
Izumi shook her head. "I… I know." She whispered. "I designed them."
Mei looked at her, shocked. "What? No you didn't? This was sent in by Yaoyorozu Support."
"No, I didn't make this pair specifically. I came up with the concept when I was a kid. I can't believe he actually used it." Izumi felt conflicted for a moment.
"Oh, you know the student who uses this?" Mei raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I do." The edge on Izumi's voice was not unnoticed. "Can I look at the blueprints? Just to check if there were any changes." Mei nodded, and handed her the schematics so she could examine them.
Mei returned to her work, making sure all the cuts were repaired. "Wait, this is wrong." She turned to see Izumi scribbling over the blueprints. "They're supposed to work with a revolver system. If he were to use up a full charge, this could produce enough force to level a building."
Mei bounced over to Izumi, checking the altered schematics. "Wait, how explosive is this guy's sweat?" Izumi winced when she asked, her old scars aching for a moment.
"It's like nitroglycerin, Mei, but about 50% more explosive." The girl's eyes widened. "My original design was supposed to lower the strain on his arms and store up excess sweat so he could release strong explosions if necessary, but only about 250 millilitres at most. This thing stores up to three litres of the stuff, one and a half per arm." Izumi grimaced. "There seems to be a sort of limiter system, but it's really easy to take out. If he were to do that, someone could get killed."
Mei went back to the gauntlets and inspected the limiter, noticing it had indeed been tampered with. "What should we do, then, Izu? We can't just give it back like this."
Izumi grinned. "Don't worry, Mei. We'll just revert it to my original design. I'll tell Power Loader, too. I doubt he'll disagree with us."
"Yeah… but… we can call him in, like… fifteen minutes, right?" Mei's gaze shifted between the gauntlets and Izumi, her grin twisting from her usual mania to something that tingled Izumi's spine. Izumi froze as she noticed the mechanic's eyes seeming to zoom in on her.
"It's still early… we have time." She whispered, feeling her face heating up. 'What have I unleashed upon this world?' She felt a shock as Mei's hand touched her neck.
"Yeah, we have all day." Mei's half lidded eyes closed as she moved in for a kiss. Izumi was glad she had tucked it properly, as she doubted she'd be able to keep it down this time.
—
Mina frowned as she reached the common area. Despite it being full, it was nearly silent, and she could feel her classmates' eyes lingering on her as she walked to the breakfast table. Tooru and Ochako approached her, but even when they did talk, their tone was muted and hushed. It infuriated her.
Her anger reached a boiling point when she saw that even Setsuna, who had been getting closer to her the past few days, seemed to avoid her. Before she could say anything she might regret, however, Nejire barged into the room. "Hey hey, everyone!" She noticed the dour mood in the room, but didn't let it faze her. "Aw, why the long faces? I heard about what happened yesterday, but it's no reason to be so gloomy!"
Mina balled her fist at her senpai's antics. "Hado-senpai… They know." Some students winced at the anger clear in her voice.
Nejire widened her eyes slightly. "What? How?"
Tooru rubbed circles on Mina's back. "Bounty hunters came for the Omnitrix during the attack. Nezu and Mamadoria decided to tell us."
Nejire giggled at the name she used for the Magister. "Oh! Cool! But still, why so serious? Isn't it awesome? I mean, I was so excited when I was scouted!" She cheered. "And when I got to go to space for the first time! It was just so much fun!"
"No! It's terrifying!" Itsuka shouted, making Nejire, Mina and her friends wince. "We were attacked by villains, and it was horrible, but now we have to live knowing that it's not just them we have to worry about, but thousands of other planets, who could decide to attack at any moment."
Nejire puffed her cheeks. "Hey, that's not nice, kouhai! Most aliens I've met are really nice! Some of them are even here, working to be heroes. How would you feel if you came to a planet and people treated you like that just because of who you are?" The class lowered their heads.
"But… I mean, we just found out we've been lied to. These Plumbers, or whatever, they kept all this stuff secret. So what are we supposed to do? Especially since we're now in danger because of this thing Midoriya has on her wrist." Kaminari grumbled, earning a few angry glares.
"Hey, that's not fair, Kaminari." Jirou retorted. "It's not like she has a choice. The damn thing's attached to her DNA! And because of it she's being targeted by an alien that fucking destroys planets on a whim! How do you think she feels?"
"You're right, Jiro-san." Yaoyorozu cut in, trying to curb any arguments before it got out of hand. "Dean Nezu and Midoriya-sensei have decided to trust us with this information for our own safety, not to divide us." She turned to Mina, and bowed slightly. "I am sorry for not speaking up sooner, Ashido-san. I must admit… I am confused, and afraid, but that's no reason to treat you any differently."
Setsuna looked at Mina, a sorrowful look on her face, before she approached the alien and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Mina… I was being such a stupid bitch." She felt Mina's hand rubbing her hair.
"Don't worry, Set-chan." Mina smiled, though she still looked hurt.
Nejire decided to intervene at that moment. "Everyone! I know something that might help! I've never been on a first contact mission, but I know that the main reason people fear contact is because they're not familiar with alien life! So we should do a Q&A thing! The Magister probably didn't explain anything aside from the bare essentials." The agent pulled herself a chair. "So, ask away!"
The students looked at her astounded as her eyes switched between them, eagerly waiting for someone to ask her a question. "Come on! I can't answer if you don't ask! Oh, wait! Let me call the others!" They just stared as she darted out of the common area.
"Man, she's really hyper, isn't she?" Eiko commented, causing the class to laugh. Mina looked at her childhood friend fondly. She always knew how to lift her spirits.
—
Nejire dragged three other people to the common dorms. The thing that caught their attention, however, was that one of them was Izumi, sporting a large smile. Izumi's eyes locked right onto Mina, and she sauntered over to her. "Oh, Mi-na…" 'Izumi' cupped the girl's cheek and drew close as the class just looked on in shock. "I've waited so long to do this." Mina froze, her entire face turning a deep shade of lilac as Ochako felt her jaw drop.
'What?! What?! Is she really?' Mina panicked as 'Izumi' tilted her head, their lips nearly touching. Mina closed her eyes and didn't resist, despite her confusion.
"PSYCH!" 'Izumi' laughed as she pulled back, snorting as her form melted into a purple girl made of sludge. "Gotcha! Oh my God, look at your face!" She wheezed as Mina went from confused to embarrassed to absolutely livid.
"Fucking Sludgepuppy!" Mina was about to lunge at her, though was stopped as Nejire stepped in.
"Hey, quit it you two!" Nejire glared. "Lucy, what did I say about pulling these stunts? Do I need to have a talk with the Magister again?" The girl, now identified as Lucy by the class, seemed to shrivel as she adopted a more human appearance. "And Mina, I know you're angry, but you really shouldn't use that kind of term." Mina lowered her head and nodded.
Nejire turned to the class. "Sorry about that, kouhais. Lucy here's a bit of a troublemaker." She elbowed the girl, who bowed in apology to Mina and the class. "So, everyone, this is my squad! Guys, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
The tall man with medium length black hair went first. "Sup." He waved. "I'm Kevin Levin, Support Engineering class 2-H. Nejire told us you guys found out about aliens, huh? Wasn't that a surprise." he chuckled.
"Heya! I'm Lucy Mann, and I'm a Lenopan! Sorry about the prank, hehe." She certainly didn't look sorry. "I'm in heroics, class 2-A!"
The third member of the squad, a tall humanoid that reminded them of one of Izumi's forms, bowed. "Hello all. It is very nice to meet you. My name is Rook Blonko, and I have come to Earth from Revonnah. I am currently a cadet in training, and have been enrolled as a first-year Anthropology Majour here at UA University." The class looked between Rook and Iida, noticing a few similarities.
Nejire smiled. "And you know me! So, come on, let's get started!" Everyone was seated, watching the four Plumbers and Mina as they waited for their questions.
Ochako decided to break the ice. "Um, so, I was told about all this on Wednesday, but… how many aliens are out there?"
Rook took the question. "Do you mean the number of sentient species or total population?" Ochako shrugged. "Well, there are currently about 1 million identified sentient species, and the population of the known universe reaches about 5 quadrillion, currently." The students boggled at the sheer number, far surpassing any of their initial assumptions.
Tenya then raised his arm sharply. "Excuse me. Midoriya-sensei told us of the villain Vilgax, and mentioned some of his crimes. How has he escaped capture?"
Kevin cleared his throat. "Well, it's complicated. Vilgax started his conquest nearly three centuries ago, but until quite recently, by galactic standards at least, his approach was considered legal by galactic standards." The class looked shocked at his answer. "Also, it wasn't until he destroyed Petropia a hundred years ago that he was finally seen as an actual threat by the universe. After that, he was captured and defeated a few times, but he always managed to come back. Twenty years ago, he destroyed Osmos VI, killing nearly all the Osmosians. The Plumbers managed to strike back, and he was thought dead, until ten years later, when he took over Vestundra, homeworld of the Kraaho." Mina winced, as her friends tried to calm her.
"Are there other threats, other than Vilgax, then?" Itsuka asked.
Nejire nodded. "There are, but none so urgent, or too relevant to Earth's safety. The Incurseans mostly keep to their own corner of the Galaxy, and the Highbreed aren't doing much. So our main worry for now are smaller local conflicts and Vilgax." Itsuka nodded, slightly less on edge.
Setsuna raised her hand. "So, uh, are you guys all aliens?"
Nejire smiled. "Nope! I'm human, though me and my co-captain are the only ones in my squad!"
"Cool. Uh, so… what're your species like?" Setsuna asked.
Lucy smiled. "Oh, Lenopans live on Bourkos, a planet not too far from Earth! Just a few dozen light years." The class choked at her idea of 'not too far'. "Gravity's a bit higher there, and there's a lot of swampland!" Her smile disappeared for a moment. "We had a bit of conflict with the Plumbers for a few centuries, and we weren't generally well liked by the rest of the galaxy, because we would impersonate their leaders in order to give us better trade and such." She looked rather embarrassed. "But we managed a peace treaty after my aunt married a human!"
The class looked rather unnerved by the fact that her species could, and apparently would, impersonate other people. "My homeworld, Revonnah, is a peaceful, isolated place." Rook took over. "We are mostly farmers, but we all know how to fight, because our crops are constantly threatened by huge rodents." The students didn't quite vibe with the idea of giant pests. "Our culture is centred around our crop, Amber Ogia. We use it for food, to make our furniture, houses, weapons, and fuel our ships. It is truly a blessing, so we do all we can to protect it, and make sure it can keep growing." Rook smiled. "Also, the use of any contractions is seen as a social taboo." The class laughed as he added in that last comment.
"I, uh, don't really know too much about my people." Kevin said. "Apparently, we were a mostly peaceful civilization, until our planet was destroyed… I'm an Osmosian." The others were a bit awkward. "I was born on Earth, and my parents also died when I was young. I was taken in by the Plumbers, since my dad was one too. So I consider myself more human than Osmosian." he shrugged.
"And… there's me." Mina raised her hand sheepishly. "I'm a Kraaho, well, half Kraaho. Our planet, before it was conquered, was governed by eight great clans, located in the eight great calderas of Vestundra. We had a few conflicts in our history, but we were mostly peaceful by the time I was born. However, I mostly stayed on Earth, since my mother couldn't survive in the planet's atmosphere. The air there is mostly made of volcanic fumes, and the ash that coated the surface made it look like a snowscape, even though the temperature was above 200 degrees on the surface." Tooru hugged Mina's back to keep the girl from crying as she thought of her father's homeworld.
"So, uh, Mann-san?" Eiko raised her hand, drawing the alien's attention. "Mina called you something earlier, what was that about?"
"Oh, Sludgepuppy." Mina winced. "It's a term to refer to Lenopans created when most species thought of us as invaders. It's pretty offensive, but to be honest, I don't really care."
"Ashido-san! You shouldn't have used a slur against a fellow hero student! Even if she angered you!" Iida shouted.
"I'm sorry!" Mina said. "She just caught me really off guard!"
"Don't worry, Mina-chan!" Lucy said, giggling. "I guess I did go a little too far, hehe."
"So, uh, I have a question, ribbit." Tsuyu asked. "Does any other species have something like human Quirks?"
Nejire shook her head. "Not that we know of, Tsu-chan. Quirks are a sort of radical mutation that only occurs in the human genome. Though as you can see with Mina-chan, half humans can still have Quirk Mutations." She smiled. "Technically, we're all classified as 'human mutants', as only the quirkless would be considered just 'human' by galactic standards." The class was a bit conflicted about that bit of information. "But that's only because of how we categorise species and any notable mutant population it may possess."
"But most aliens possess certain abilities that could be likened to quirks." Kevin continued. "Osmosians, for example, have few seeming differences from regular humans, but our ability to absorb and assimilate matter, energy and DNA can seem like a quirk to someone who doesn't know any better."
"Hado-senpai, you mentioned that you four were part of a squad, yes?" Momo asked, earning a nod from the four Plumbers. "What sort of work do you do for the… Plumbers?" She still thought the name was rather silly.
Nejire smiled at the question. To her, it meant that they might have some new recruits. "Well, we're what's called an auxiliary squad. Since me and my co-captain are still newly deputised agents, and Lucy and Kevin just got deputised, we're usually brought in to do specialised work with other senior agents or the Magister."
"They basically bring us in for whatever we can do that they can't." Kevin chuckled. "I do technical support, piloting and information gathering. Lucy does infiltration, Rook helps me with tech, and is also training to be a negotiator."
"And I do pretty much everything else!" Nejire laughed as her squadmates rolled her eyes, save for Rook. "Just kidding! I'm our main negotiator and strategist." The students couldn't quite see her as a strategist.
"But her real job is traumatising new recruits." Lucy giggled as Rook and Kevin nodded.
"I can still feel the pain from when she dislocated my shoulder." Rook grimaced. "She does not… how do you say? Go easy."
Nejire puffed her cheeks. "Come on, I'm not that bad!"
Kevin pretended to cough. "She totally is."
Lucy smiled at him. "You do realise she's gonna do sparring drills with us tomorrow, right Kev?"
"Shit." He facepalmed as the 1-A students looked at him sympathetically.
"Hello! I wonder. Why you have American names?" Pony asked, looking at Kevin and Lucy.
"Well, I was born in the US." Kevin just shrugged. "My parents registered me there, and I lived with them until they passed, and I came to Japan with the Plumbers."
"And when my aunt married an American Plumber, the part of my family that came to Earth adopted names similar to our own. Back in Bourkos, I was called Iuxy." Lucy smiled at the exchange student.
"You two speak Japanese very well, though. It must have taken quite a while to study." Itsuka commented.
Kevin shrugged. "I guess? The hardest part was learning to read and write, but our Plumber badges come with universal translators, so we don't have to worry too much about pronunciation. The High Protector still has us take tests, though. That rat's a sadist."
"Wait, universal translators?" Kaminari asked, suddenly very interested in the idea of not having to study english.
Nejire nodded. "Well, since we can't expect all species to speak Galactic Common, nor is it really viable to have us learn every single language in the universe, we have the Galvan Universal Translator as part of our standard-issue uniform. Still, there are some languages that even it can't translate properly, like Sotorraggian."
Tooru then raised her hand. "So, how did you become a plumber, Nejire?"
Nejire smiled as she recalled. "Well, back in my first year at UA, I was a total mess, you know? I couldn't use my quirk for more than ten minutes without passing out, since it runs off my stamina. I couldn't even fly!"
"But you're one of the strongest students at UA!" Eiko shouted.
Nejire nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, and back then, I was nearly the weakest. Actually, all of us that are called the 'Big Three' today were terrible when we got here. Hell, Tamaki and I almost got expelled by Aizawa." The students widened their eyes. "So, after my first sports festival, I was scouted by a hero that saw potential in me. When my internship was over, she referred me to Magister Midoriya, who invited me and Tamaki to a special elective. It turned out to be Plumber training. And the rest is history."
"Wait, I know that Mamadoriya's a plumber, but what's a Magister? Is it like a military rank?" Ochako asked.
Nejire once again nodded. "Yup. The plumbers only have a few ranks: Cadet, Agent, Commander, Magister, Proctor, and High Protector, though Proctors are a special case. They're technically the same as a magister, but have more authority in specific instances." Nejire paused for a moment. "But there are some unranked positions as well. Our technicians, the science division, and IR don't usually participate in missions, but they're still very important. It's kinda like a hero agency, if you think about it."
"Wait, what's IR?" Kaminari asked, confused.
"Inhuman Resources. They're the ones who actually hold the power." Kevin smirked. "You really don't wanna cross the guy from payroll." The class laughed.
"Cool… Cool." Kaminari hesitated, looking directly at Kevin. "So, uh… do you meet any cute alien girls?" The girls groaned at his question, while Lucy had a fit of laughter.
"Ugh, of course you'd ask that, dumbass." Jirou grumbled.
Kaminari shrugged. "Hey, you're the one who said no girl on Earth would go out with me." Lucy doubled over in laughter, rolling on the floor as Kevin looked absolutely harrowed.
"Look, I'll be real with you, dude." Kevin sighed. "Think of aliens as foreigners. They have different cultures, different ways of organising their society, and some of them have some really weird courtship rituals. So if I were you, I'd watch myself." Kaminari seemed sobered by the answer.
"Indeed. For example, back at Revonnah, in order to court a mate, we engage in a four-month-long ritual of growing Amber Ogia from a seed together, then the one who initiated courtship must make jewellery from its resin, and present it." Rook explained.
Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose. "And the less said about Tetramand courtship, the better." Lucy snorted.
"What's wrong with it?" Setsuna questioned, her curiosity piqued.
Nejire sighed. "Tetramands have a rather convoluted form of courtship. They're a very traditionalist species, and take marriage very seriously. " She said, glaring at Kevin. "A female Tetramand will only accept a mate who can defeat her in battle."
"Is that uncommon? I would imagine that a male would have an advantage." Momo pondered.
Nejire shook her head. "Well, considering that the average Tetramand female is 50% stronger than their male counterpart, I'd say it's pretty uncommon. Though there are cases where a woman will throw the match if they are particularly attracted to a suitor, in any case it always ends with at least a few broken bones." Momo winced at the thought.
"Afterwards, when they are of age, a ceremony is held, in which the pair and their clans exchange gifts, especially weapons. Before the ceremony can happen, though, the bride must embark on a journey to acquire four items. Something conquered, something bruised, something severed and something blue." The students were rather put off by the nature of the items.
"Also, a female Tetramand may choose to dissolve the engagement if she deems her mate to be unfit, especially if another suitor manages to defeat her as well." Nejire finished, all the while glaring at Kevin.
Mina then raised her hand. "I don't really know much about Kraaho courtship, but I do know that they don't exchange rings when they marry, but instead make matching tattoos representative of the union." She blushed slightly.
"Wait, just to clarify, Tetramands are like Midoriya's transformation, Tetra?" Iida asked, earning a nod from Nejire. "Well, while I can't claim to understand this… courtship… I believe I understand what Levin-san was saying, about cultural differences."
Itsuka raised her hand. "Wait, you said they had to bring something conquered? Like what?" She looked concerned.
Nejire shrugged. "It can be anything, really. An outpost, a ship, a rival clan."
"A planet?" Itsuka asked, earning a look from Nejire.
"There have been only two recorded instances of a Tetramand bride conquering a planet. However, Tetramands do not keep colonies. Once they conquered the planets, they raided some of their technology and left for the wedding." Her tone was cold and serious. "Kendo-san. I understand your hesitancy regarding extraterrestrial life, but I will remind you that, at the end of the day, they're people, just like us." Itsuka lowered her head and nodded.
"I think we should stop around here." Nejire said. "But if you have any questions, you know how to contact me, so feel free to do so, okay?" She smiled. The students nodded, and as the plumbers left, Mina felt like a weight had been lifted.
—
Izumi and Mei eventually managed to get some work done, and by the time they noticed it, it was already late. They heard a knock at the door, and Izumi was surprised to see Hitoshi there. "Hey. Is everything alright?" She asked, noticing he seemed more dour than usual.
He hesitated. "I… Izumi, I don't really like asking for favours… but I need to know. Do you have any aliens that can heal?"
"Is Aizawa-sensei okay?! I thought they said he would make a full recovery!" She shouted.
"He will… But I can't stand seeing him like this… if there's anything I can do for him…" He mumbled, his face downcast.
Izumi nodded, frowning slightly. "I understand, Hitoshi-kun. If you got permission for me, one of the forms I unlocked last week has the ability to heal, so I might be able to help. I haven't really trained with it, though, so I am hesitant to use it."
Hitoshi nodded. "That's okay. As long as you can help… thanks, Izumi."
"Don't mention it." She smiled as he left.
—
The following day, he called her, saying he got permission, so long as she was supervised by Recovery Girl. The old nurse led them to Aizawa's room, and Izumi grimaced at her professor's state, wrapped in bandages. She gave a sympathetic nod at Hizashi, who was waiting in the room by his husband. "Thanks for agreeing to do this, Midoriya." He said, gazing all the time at Aizawa.
"No need to thank me, Yamada-sensei. I've always admired Eraserhead. If there's anything I could do to help him, I would do it in a heartbeat." She responded. Recovery Girl motioned for her to start, and she transformed into her Zora form. She had only discovered that ability on Tuesday, but it was all she had that could actually help him.
She grabbed some water from the sink, purifying it with her power, and began infusing it with a teal coloured energy that seeped from the water into Aizawa. His wounds began to close and his broken bones set, and after she was done, he opened his eyes.
Despite his initial confusion, still thinking he was at the USJ, once he realised what had happened to him, he looked at Midoriya with a surprisingly soft expression. "I guess I must thank you, then, Midoriya. That thing was about to kill me."
"I should be the one thanking you." Izumi said, smiling softly. "If you hadn't stopped Shigaraki, I wouldn't have been able to save Tsu-san. If anything, I should be thanking you, Sensei."
"I did my job, Midoriya." Aizawa stated, sternly. "I've never asked for thanks."
Izumi shook her head. "You didn't ask, but it doesn't mean I can't thank you." The professor sighed.
"I'll keep you here for observation, but it seems like your vitals are stable" Recovery Girl said, before turning to the students. "You two head back to campus. Let him get his rest." Hitoshi nodded, and guided Izumi out.
—
Izumi was making lunch, slightly humming. She had mostly kept herself busy since the incident, though she had been referred to talk to Hound Dog about it. The session hadn't been anything groundbreaking, but it let her get some things off her chest. She stirred the pot, adding some salt after she tasted the pasta sauce she had been preparing. She felt her class deserved some comfort food.
"Hey, Midori, what're you cooking?" Mina approached her from behind. "Smells good."
"Fettuccini Cacio e Pepe." She hummed.
"Yum!" Mina took a deep breath. "You missed the Q&A yesterday." She mumbled.
"I heard from Kevin." Izumi continued to stir the sauce. "Are you okay? Has anyone treated you differently?"
"At first, it was pretty awkward. I really need to thank Hado-senpai for organising the whole thing. That part about Tetramand courship was pretty funny. Shiozaki looked like she divided by zero or something." Izumi laughed.
"Oh, man, I hope Kevin's okay. I think Nejire's gonna kill him in training now." She chuckled.
Mina raised an eyebrow. "What, why?"
Izumi looked away from her cooking. "They didn't mention it?" She giggled. "Get this, last week, they went on a mission to Khoros without Nejire-senpai. While they were there, Kevin tried to get a Khoros V engine, which Tetramands refuse to sell to outsiders, so he went and proposed to the Red Wind princess!"
"What?! And he won?" Mina boggled.
Izumi shrugged. "Pretty sure she threw the match, for whatever reason. Tetramands rarely marry outsiders, but who knows? So, unless he can find a way to annul the engagement, which is pretty much impossible without getting some other chump to beat her, somehow, he's pretty screwed."
Mina laughed. "Now I get why Lucy was losing it the whole time. Man, that's rough. How strong is this chick, anyway?"
"I don't know for sure. But her dad's leader of the Red Winds for a reason, Mina. He's the strongest male Tetramand, apparently. Strong enough to stop Vilgax from invading Koros." Mina blinked. "And she's his daughter. So I'd imagine she'd be pretty damn strong, and very skilled."
"Could Tetra beat her?" Mina asked, more for her own reassurance in case this woman ever came to Earth and proved to be a threat.
Izumi shrugged. "In terms of raw strength, with my quirk? Sure. But she must've trained her entire life. I don't know if I could beat her."
"Well, uh, let's hope we never find out." Mina said. "But the reason I came here was to ask if you wanted to come to a sleepover. Yaomomo offered to host, so we could get to know each other better, after all this craziness."
Izumi blinked, uncertain. "Uh, yeah, I guess? What time?"
"Awesome!" Mina cheered. "We're meeting at eight in her room, okay? We'll watch a movie, eat junk food, do makeovers, all that fun stuff! It's gonna be great!"
—
'This is gonna be terrible.' Izumi thought as she stood outside Momo's dorm. She could hear the chatter coming from inside. She checked herself one last time. She had chosen her most baggy, conservative pyjamas she owned, and made sure she was wearing her special underwear made for tucking, underneath a second layer of spats. 'Come on, Izumi. Nothing's gonna go wrong, you can't bail now… you just have to-'
"Hey, Midori? What are you doing, just standing out there?" Izumi panicked and blushed as she saw Setsuna walk up to her, dressed in a light camisole.
"T-Tokage-san! I, uh, just nerves I guess?" Setsuna laughed at her embarrassed response.
"Don't worry about that, Midori, it's chill. Let's just go in!" She knocked on the door, making Izumi wince as her nervousness returned. "Hey, everyone! Look who I brought!" She said as the door opened, her fanged smile wide.
"Heya, Setsuna-chan!" Mina waved, wrapped in a warm blanket over her already thick pyjamas. "And Midori! What took you so long?"
"I, uh, took a while to get dressed." The girls looked at her, wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt that said 'suit', over a compression shirt that covered her arms.
'And you went with that?' The girls thought. Izumi ran her eyes over the room. All the girls were there, save for Yanagi, Shiozaki, Komori and Kendo.
"Okay, so, since I suggested this sleepover, I am also willing to share with you all my most incredible NetPrime Max Plus account!" Mina declared, earning a few ironic claps. "Yes, I know, I am simply the best. Bow before your alien overlady!" She cackled, as the girls played along.
"I have prepared some tea for us to enjoy while we watch, as well." Momo, sitting on her bed with an obscenely beautiful black camisole, looked to be overjoyed at receiving guests, even though her bed occupied nearly half the room. "I am quite excited for my first sleepover!"
"And we brought snacks!" Tooru and Ochako beamed, showing the wide array of food they had gotten for the party. "Wait, this is your first sleepover, Yaomomo?" Tooru asked, earning a nod.
"Well, we better make it a good one, then." Jirou smiled slightly.
"Ribbit. I've never been to one either." Tsu commented, to which Yui nodded.
"I go to some back home. Very fun!" Pony chimed in.
Setsuna's grin went even wider. "Then let's get this show on the road, right, Midori?" She slapped the girl on the back, earning a surprised yelp in response.
"Ah, yeah, let's." Izumi blushed, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole.
The girls got settled on Momo's bed, selecting a movie after a bit of an argument between Setsuna and Mina over Jurassic Park and Alien. However, what they ended up watching was another old, pre-quirk movie, called Back to the Future.
—
"Man, this is pretty crazy. Doc Brown just made a time machine out of some beat up car." Setsuna commented.
"What's odder is that it runs on plutonium. Where would he have acquired that?" Momo wondered.
"Wait, that's with that van in the background?" Ochako asked, in between bites of her popcorn.
"No! What? He got killed?" Tooru shouted.
—
"So he met his dad and that Biff guy in the past?" Jirou asked.
"Ew, he's a total perv!" Mina shouted as they saw him peeping.
After he fell, Jirou scoffed. "Ugh, serves him right."
"But wait, if Marty's the one who got hit by that car… does that mean…" Izumi mumbled.
"Oh, god, that's gross." Setsuna laughed as they saw Marty's mother coming on to him.
—
"So he's slowly disappearing because of the changes he accidentally made? Poor guy!" Tooru frowned as she heard the explanation.
"So he has to put everything back the way it was? And he's also gotta catch that lightning somehow." Mina also frowned.
"Why would Doctor Brown not accept his help? Wouldn't that save him?" Momo questioned.
"I think he's thinking that it'll prevent the timeline from being too altered." Izumi said.
"Mm." Yui agreed.
"But wouldn't him meeting Marty and learning that he eventually creates a time machine already alter the timeline?" Setsuna wondered, and the other girls shrugged.
—
"Hell yeah, George! Show that bully what's what!" Mina cheered.
"Yeah! This Biff guy's the least manly dude I've ever seen!" Eiko cheered along.
"Man, can't believe they'd actually put an attempted rape in the middle of a movie like that. Isn't it supposed to be PG-13?" Jirou commented, slightly disgusted.
"Well, at least we get to see him getting knocked on his ass." Ochako commented.
—
"Are they trying to claim a white guy wrote Johnny B. Goode in this timeline? What the fuck?" Jirou asked, outraged at the thought.
"America in nineteen eighties just come out of segregation." Pony commented, which made some of the girls reel in disgust. "Three hundred years later, some people back in Texas still want it back." That made them even more appalled.
"Dude, that's not manly at all." Eiko frowned.
"Seriously, what the hell is up with them?" Ochako asked, sincerely.
"Republicans." Pony scoffed.
—
"Wow, he actually made it! Awesome!" Mina cheered.
"And Doc Brown opened his letter after all!" Setsuna cheered along.
"So, all's well that ends well!" Momo smiled.
"But his house is different… So him altering the past still had consequences." Izumi commented.
"Yeah, but for the better! Like, they were a total mess in the beginning, and now they're doing great! And that asshole Biff's a total loser!" Ochako smiled, a slightly vindictive tone in her voice.
"Wait, does the car fly and run on trash now? What the heck?" Jirou asked, surprised.
"So in the next movie they actually go to the future? Wait, why is it called back to the future if they go to the past and back?" Tooru questioned.
"Mm." Yui agreed. The other girls just shared a look and shrugged.
—
Mina stretched as the movie finally ended. "Man, that was actually pretty good."
"Yeah, despite some questionable scenes." Jirou mumbled.
Momo looked at the girls excitedly. "So, what shall we do now? I read that sleepovers often include games!"
Setsuna's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Let's play truth or dare!" Mina immediately latched onto the idea, and most of the girls seemed excited to play, aside from Izumi and Jiro.
"I dunno, it can get pretty personal. Can we set up some ground rules?" Izumi felt a wave of relief as Jirou complained, and nodded along with her suggestions.
Mina shrugged. "I guess? We can keep it PG-13, and everybody gets a skip?" The other girls nodded.
"Ribbit, I have nothing to hide, so that's fine by me." She said, her tone slightly smug.
Setsuna smirked. "Oh, is that so? Hope you're ready to back it up, Tsu-chan."
"Ribbit. You're on." Tsu replied, as Izumi felt the game would soon get out of hand.
"Okay! Oldest one starts!" Tooru cheered, and they proceeded to declare their birthdays. They looked at Pony, shocked to learn that her birthday had actually been that week, on tuesday.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ochako asked, seeing the girls nodding along.
Pony blushed and scratched the back of her neck. "Eheh, was too excited for hero class. Forgot to say." She then looked at Izumi. "Midoriya got me gift, though, very good horseshoes."
"Ah, but they weren't for your birthday… I'll get you something proper." Izumi felt her face heating up at the attention brought to her.
"Not need anything! Just happy be friends with you all!" Pony smiled, making the girls coo at her adorableness.
"Sure thing, Tsunotori-san!" Ochako smiled.
"Call me Pony, not used to surnames." Pony returned the smile.
"Yeah, I guess we're kinda past family names. I mean, we survived a hero attack together, so you guys can call all call me Setsuna." The girls nodded, also allowing the others to use their given names. Izumi struggled slightly with that.
"So, Pony-chan, you're up. Ask any of us whether we want truth or dare. The next people can't ask the people who already went, so it'll make sure the rounds don't go on for too long." Mina said, making sure the girl understood.
"Okay! I know rules. Jiro-chan, truth or dare?" She asked.
Jirou hesitated for a moment. "Uh, truth?"
"Ever kiss boy?" Pony asked, simply.
"Ew, no." Jirou said, reflexively, before blushing. "I don't really like guys that way." The other girls said nothing, though Izumi nodded. "Okay, uh, Setsuna, truth or dare?"
"Well, we're just getting started, so truth." Setsuna grinned.
"Uh, you ever dated anyone?" She asked, continuing on the same tone as before.
"A few times, here or there. Not for long, though. Never found the right one." She stated, shrugging. She then turned her eyes to the previously smug frog. "Tsu-chan, truth or dare?"
"Truth, ribbit. I have nothing to hide." Tsu croaked, her lips curling upwards.
"We'll see. So, what that tongue do?" The other girls nearly choked at the question.
Some nearly protested, before Tsu answered with not an ounce of hesitation. "Ribbit. Pretty much anything I want it to, Setsuna." Setsuna froze at her reply, clearly caught off guard by her bluntness. "So, Izumi-chan, truth or dare, ribbit?"
Izumi straightened her back and yelped. "What, me? Uh, I guess truth?" The frog girl's expression made her slightly uneasy.
"Ever kissed a girl, ribbit?" She asked, watching some girls turn to her in shock.
"You don't even know if she's gay, Tsu!" Ochako protested, earning a nod from Mina, Setsuna and Tooru.
"Ribbit. She nodded when Jirou said she didn't like guys." Izumi froze at that. Had it really been that obvious. "I made an educated guess, ribbit." The girls then turned to Izumi, watching as she turned into a human tomato.
"Y-yes." She yelped, and the room exploded in a mix of surprise, cheering and confusion.
"Oh, my." Momo covered her mouth.
'What the heck? Midori kissed someone? I gotta find out who!' Several girls thought.
"So, uh…" Izumi tried to push down her embarrassment. "Eiko, truth or dare?"
"Hit me with a dare, Izumi-chan!" Eiko grinned.
Izumi thought for a moment. "Can you, uh do a five minute handstand?"
"Psh, that's easy, watch!" She got up and balanced herself upside down as the girls counted down the timer and cheered when she finished, looking slightly winded. "Now, Ochako-kun! Truth or dare?"
Ochako blushed before answering. "Truth!"
"Hmm, what's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?" Eiko asked, and Ochako felt her stomach drop.
"Well, um… when I was graduatin' from middle school, this guy asked me out. I wasn't really into him, and I accidentally used my quirk on myself on accident and puked on him." She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment, accidentally giving them a demonstration, before setting herself down, slightly queasy. She looked around. "T-Tooru-chan, truth or dare?"
"Truth me, Ochako-chan!" Tooru giggled.
Ochako thought for a moment. "Do you… do you know what you look like?"
Tooru frowned, unseen. "No… Not since my quirk activated… I've been working on my light refraction, but I still haven't been able to make myself visible." Mina decided to hug her, as it was clear she was bothered by it.
"I'm sorry, Tooru-chan, that was stupid of me." Ochako lowered her head.
Tooru shook her hands. "It's okay, Ochako-chan. Really." She then turned to Momo. "Yaomomo! Truth or dare?"
Momo blinked for a moment. "Oh my. I think I'll go with truth this round."
"So, I've been meaning to ask, but why did you decide to become a hero?" Tooru asked.
"Oh. I suppose it was a way to give back to society. My family's company provides a lot of gear for heroes and civilians, and we finance many foundations. However, I wished to help people with my own power. To make them feel happy and safe." Izumi nodded, seeing it as a good reason.
"I believe that leaves Mina, Yui and Pony." Momo hummed. "Yui, truth or dare?"
The silent girl nodded. "Truth." She whispered.
"Ah, forgive me if this is too personal, but you talk very little, why is that?" Momo asked, her face showing a bit of concern.
Yui thought for a moment, and whispered her response. "I can't express myself very well. My face always looks serious, even when I'm happy. A lot of people were creeped out. I prefer texting over talking because of it."
The girls looked sympathetically at her. "Ribbit… It was the same for me." Tsu placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We should make a group chat! Then Yui-chan will be able to speak more freely with us!" Tooru suggested, earning a collective nod from the girls.
"Mina, truth or dare?" Yui whispered.
"I'm all for truth, girl!" Mina grinned.
Yui paused for a moment. "What's the strangest thing about your biology?"
Mina blushed for a moment. "Well, uh… I'm really stretchy… all over." Izumi felt her breath catch in her throat as the image popped into her head. She hoped to every god there could be that her tuck would hold. The other girls also blushed, none more than Izumi and Mina.
"Why, yes, I've seen you stretch your limbs and your neck. Is that really the oddest thing?" Momo asked. Apparently, it had gone right over the girl's head.
Setsuna cackled for a moment. "No, Yaomomo. What she means is…" Setsuna whispered into her ear, and Izumi watched as she turned incandescent.
"Oh! Oh my!" She stammered.
Mina took a deep breath. "Oookay. Moving on. Pony! You're the last one. So, what's the strangest thing you've noticed since you came here?"
Pony thought for a moment. "Well, there less mutant discrimination, I think. Much worse in States." The girls grimaced.
"Well, it gets pretty bad outside the larger cities, ribbit." Tsu grumbled. "And the Creature Rejection Clan still has a lot of members, even today."
Mina nodded. "Once had an asshole throw a bottle of sake at me. I really wanted to beat his ass." She grimaced.
"Oh, not know it that bad here too." Pony said, lowering her gaze. "So, who starts? Me again?"
Mina shrugged. "I guess we should change it up, so it doesn't get repetitive. We could start with the youngest, so Tsu-chan!"
"Ribbit, gladly." Tsu croaked. "Set-chan, truth or dare?" Tsu smirked as she looked at Setsuna.
"I'm not afraid of you, Froggy." She postured. "Ask away."
"Ribbit. What's the lewdest thing you've done with your quirk." Once again, the girls protested, but Setsuna was too invested in their rivalry to back down.
"Well, if you must know, Tsu-chan. The same thing you've probably done with your tongue." She smirked.
"I think you should stop." Ochako frowned. "Any more and Izumi will break." They looked to see Izumi in a nearly catatonic state, not knowing that she was trying her best not to get hard, already feeling some pain from the strain in her tuck.
"Alright, MOM ." Setsuna chuckled. "So, Ochako, since you're so eager, truth or dare?"
"Eep!" Ochako yelped. "D-dare?"
Setsuna smirked. "Lose the shirt." The other girls looked apalled, none more than Izumi. "What? We see each other in the baths and in the locker room. Nothing new here." Izumi wanted to protest, but lost her breath when Ochako, despite grumbling, did as she asked, revealing a mint green bra under her shirt.
"Happy, Setsuna?" Ochako huffed, throwing her shirt to the side.
Setsuna smirked, purring. "Very." Ochako's permanent blush marks grew to cover her whole face.
"Is this how most games of truth of there go?" Momo whispered, as enthralled as she was embarrassed.
"Yup. That's why I didn't think it was a good idea." Jirou grumbled.
Ochako continued. "Pony, truth or dare?"
"Truth! Not trust dare." The horse girl giggled.
"So, uh, how bad is it in the US? With the discrimination, I mean?" Ochako asked, curious to see what she would say. In Japan, they had a rather idealised version of the country, and she would like to know what someone who was born there thought.
Pony shrugged. "Depends on where you live. New York, California, big cities in general are good. Countryside have a lot of religion nuts. Hate mutants, gays, everything that not 'normal'. Heard that man next town over was lynched for marrying mutant, and couple run out of town for being gay. Florida worst place by far. Heard do genital inspection on bathroom because hate trans people." Izumi winced, having read about that.
"Holy shit. They killed a guy for marrying a mutant?" Mina baulked. "That's some CRC shit right there."
"Doesn't the government do anything about it?" Jirou asked.
Pony shook her head. "Republicans encourage it. Say keep people safe from evil mutant. Say it against god."
Setsuna sighed. "Man, good thing Shiozaki isn't here, she would flip out."
Pony smile. "She not that bad like them. Seems to actually believe God. And she's Catholic, not Baptist or Protestant. Less mutant hate in catholics."
"Yeah, but they're still not great on gay people. They've been changing their stance back and forth for over two centuries." Izumi grumbled, drawing attention to herself. She blushed and ducked her head.
"Okay, next one! Yaomomo, truth or dare?" Pony asked, looking at the heiress.
"I believe I'll do a dare, Pony." Momo smiled.
The girl thought for a moment, and grinned. "Try to lick elbow!" The other girls snorted at the dare, and Momo grimaced.
She attempted to reach the elbow with her tongue, her face focused on the impossible task. After a moment, she gave up, blushing at how undignified she must have seemed. "Well, that was thoroughly embarrassing." She pouted as the other girls laughed. "Mina, truth or dare?"
"Ooh, do a dare! It should be fun!" Mina cheered as she saw the gears turning inside the girl's head.
"Hmm, well then, I dare you… to dance for us." Momo said, looking at the pink girl with a soft smile.
Mina giggled. "Yaomomo, a dare should be at least a little challenging! But sure." Mina got up, stretching slightly, and pulled out her phone to put on a song. Izumi gulped as Mina began dancing, twirling her hips gracefully. She could swear that she was pointing her ass towards her on purpose, and it took all of her willpower to not stare right at it and drool.
'Damnit, why am I like this! Since Thursday, I haven't been able to control myself. That whole 'Stress breeding reaction' is just pseudoscience, so what the heck is going on?' Izumi was drawn out of her thoughts as the girls hollered. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw what caused it. Her eyes locked on to Mina's butt, as she dropped into a deep squat, nearly touching the floor. 'Oh God, oh fuck, I can see it jiggling. I'm gonna pass out.' Unfortunately for her, she stayed conscious until Mina finished, barely able to think.
"Whoo! That was hot, Mina!" Setsuna hollered, grinning from ear to ear. Jirou and Momo seemed quite out of sorts.
Eiko, however, fell into laughter. "Damn, Mina! You sure go all out when you dance."
Tooru giggled as she took note of how red Izumi was. "She's like a strawberry!" The girls also giggled at the sight, much to her embarrassment.
Mina smirked. "So, Midori, truth or dare?"
Izumi froze, her back completely stiff. 'If I choose truth, she's gonna ask me about who I kissed, probably. I can't choose dare, either. Who knows what she would ask me to do. But if I choose dare, I could try and wimp out.' "D-dare…" She stuttered, weakly.
"Oh my, Midori, how bold." Mina's smirk turned nearly predatory, and Izumi felt she had made the wrong choice. 'No… I shouldn't do that to her… but would she ever say anything otherwise?' "Midori… My feet are kinda tired from all this dancing. Mind giving them a little rub?"
Setsuna cackled. "Damn, Mina, that's pretty forward." Izumi felt the scarlet blush returning to her face as she just nodded.
Izumi went over to Mina, who was sitting on the bed. She knelt in front of her and began working out whatever tension Mina had. 'Holy shit, her hands feel so good.' Mina thought, struggling to keep her own composure as Izumi's fingers pressed into her. 'Oh, fuck.' Eventually, the two of them got too embarrassed and decided to stop.
Izumi, still fighting against her blush, looked around the room. "Uuuh, Yui, truth or dare?"
"Mm, dare seems fun." Yui said, the faintest trace of a smile on her face.
Without much thought to it, Izumi said the first thing on her mind. "Can you shrink your shirt while still wearing it?" She slapped a hand over her mouth as she realised what she had said, and the laughs she had elicited from the other girls. "You don't have to-"
She was interrupted as she saw Yui's shirt begin to shrink over her body, hugging her curves very tightly. "Mm, kinda tight, gonna let go." She pressed her fingers together and the shirt went back to being baggy. Izumi tried not to look, but it had been nearly impossible, with how the girl's flesh seemed to be bursting out of her clothing. "Jiro, truth or dare?"
Kyouka grimaced. "Truth, not really ready for dares this intense."
"How did you find out you were gay?" Yui went straight for the jugular, judging by Kyouka's surprised yelp.
"Eep!" Her jacks flailed around, before touching their tips together as she blushed. "I, um, never really felt differently, I guess. Boys just… never really seemed that interesting. But with girls… I dunno how to explain." She mumbled.
"Good enough." Yui shrugged.
"Uh, alright, I guess. Eiko, truth or dare?" Kyouka asked.
Eiko grinned. "Hit me with a dare, Kyouka-kun!"
"I dare you… to sing? I dunno, can't think of anything good." Kyouka blushed.
"Uh, sure! I love singing! Not to brag, but I think I'm pretty good." Eiko smiled.
"Oh, God, here it comes." Mina mumbled, grimacing.
"What?" Tooru asked.
Mina shook her head. "Kiri loves to sing, but she likes some weird music… and she's completely tone deaf." Mina proved to be right, as Eiko began singing a really strange song about manliness, completely off key.
"Tough guy! Captain of the ship, stand up tall! 'Cause you are - The Manliest!" The girl's didn't really know how to react as she took a breath, smiling as she stood, expecting applause.
"That sure was… something." Setsuna said, with an awkward smile on her face.
"Cool, right?" Eiko smiled. "I can keep going! Let's get down to business - To defeat the Huns!"
"Okay, I think that's enough, Kiri!" Mina interrupted, and the girls breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aww. Whatever, we can do karaoke some other day, right?" The girls felt sweat pooling on their foreheads. "I guess only Tooru and Tsu are left, right? Then Tsu, truth or dare?"
"Wait, didn't Tsu start asking?" Ochako asked.
"You can't be asked twice, but she hasn't been asked yet, so it's fine." Mina responded.
"Ribbit, I'll go with truth." Tsu said, her face not showing her internal smirk.
"Oh, sure. You ever gone out with anyone?" Eiko asked, and once again, no one saw Tsu's internal frown.
"No, ribbit. People thought I was weird because of my mutation." She stated, bluntly, though Izumi could catch the slight sadness in her voice.
"N-no way, you're super cute, Tsu!" Izumi blurted out, before once again being consumed by a blush as Tsu let out a few happy ribbits. 'Goddamnit! Why do I keep doing this to myself!'
"Yeah, Tsu-chan is adorable!" Ochako and Tooru agreed, as did the rest of the girls.
"Especially the ribbits." Mina giggled as even Tsu was forced to blush this time around, though she didn't take her eyes off of Izumi. She had been smelling her pheromones all night, and they were really strong.
"So, then, Tooru, truth or dare?" Tsu asked, flatly.
"Let's go out with a bang! Dare!" Tooru grinned, flashing them peace signs.
"Ribbit. I dare you to get us some more tea from downstairs… without being seen." Tooru laughed at the dare, though Izumi once again went red at the idea.
"Wait, she would be naked though! What if she were caught?" Kyouka protested.
Tooru giggled as she quickly threw off her pyjamas. "Don't worry, Kyouka-chan! Stealth is my specialty!" She exited the room with a kettle in hand, and sneaked silently to the kitchen. Thankfully, the few boys who were in their class seemed to have turned in already, as had the girls, and she was in and out in a flash, boiling the water without any worry.
However, as she left the kitchen, she heard a voice coming from the sofa. "Hmm, didn't take you for a streaker, Tooru." She froze and turned around, spotting Hitoshi with what seemed like a cat themed sleeping mask on his forehead, sipping some warm milk.
"Not a word, Hitoshi." She threatened.
The boy shrugged. "Whatever. Next time, just make sure you're actually alone. You got sloppy after you got into the kitchen." He chuckled, smirking at her.
"Ugh, you take too much after sensei." She grimaced.
"Thanks." He continued to smirk as he took another sip from his cup.
"Cute sleeping mask, by the way." She raced up the stairs, hearing him grumbling behind her.
Upon entering the room, she saw the girls looking at her expectantly. "I got the tea, but Hitoshi noticed me." Everyone froze at that. "Now we both have dirt on each other, so mutually assured destruction is in place." She giggled as the tension disappeared.
"What was he doing there?" Setsuna asked.
Tooru wiggled her finger. "Now, if I told you, I'd lose leverage!"
"Well, I believe it would be best if we ended it here. It's still not midnight, so perhaps we can watch another movie." Momo suggested, to which all the girls agreed.
"Oh, let's watch Back to the Future Two! I was really curious what they would do with it." Tooru said, putting her clothes back on. Most of them seemed okay with it, so they all got settled on Momo's bed, and before the movie was halfway through, they were all deep asleep, even Izumi, who spent most of the movie flustered as she was sandwiched between Ochako and Mina.