Izuku: ‘When did Fubuki get so good at this?’
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Another day and another day of internships. Alice was out patrolling with the Blizzard Group, and Karou was saddled onto Tatsumaki again.
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That left Izuku to continue improving his mental abilities. But at this point, it felt like torture.
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Fubuki: “Thinking of a brick wall is not going to work this time. You’re really thinking of… a white and red bikini?”
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It took all his strength to not think about last night with Kiri or his relationship with Momo. God knows he doesn’t need that complication right now. But he couldn’t help if some stuff slipped through the cracks.
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Izuku: “C-C-Can we move on to another exercise? Please?”
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Fubuki: “Hmmmmm…”
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The two of them are on the roof again, sitting down in a meditative state. After asking his question, Fubuki got up and went to the edge and looked down.
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Fubuki: “Okay, this may be more helpful anyway. Come here.”
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Izuku does so and stands next to Fubuki, looking down at the city below. It’s a pretty impressive sight now that he thinks about it.
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Fubuki: “Izuku, give me your professional opinion. What do you think is possible with our quirk when it comes to mental abilities?”
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Izuku: “Aside from mind reading and… mental commands, I don’t know… ”
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Fubuki glances at him and notices the building tension.
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Fubuki: “That’s fine, we can just focus on mind reading and defense. Anything else is unnecessary, alright?”
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Izuku: “Y-Yes.”
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Fubuki: “Good. Now close your eyes and try to read the minds of the people in this building. Start with one and then try to read multiple minds at the same time.”
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Izuku: “… Huh?”
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Fubuki: “That’s not too hard, right?”
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Izuku: “I never did something that large! And multiple minds at the same time? Have you done that?”
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Fubuki: “Occasionally, it’s hard but doable.”
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Izuku: “That’s amazing! You must have talent for this.”
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She scoffs. She’s not the one with talent.
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Fubuki: “Don’t flatter me, Izuku. I know you or Tatsu will do far better than me.”
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Izuku: “You give yourself too little credit. This could be what you’re good at.”
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The middle child turns away and wishes she could believe his words. But Fubuki doesn’t want to be disappointed.
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Fubuki: “Just start already.”
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Izuku: “Right!”
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The boy closes his eyes and attempts to stretch his senses out. Similar to how he stretches out his senses to use telekinesis or teleportation, he feels around for someone to read.
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In his mind’s eye, people feel like small lights within a black sea. In that sea, each object is outlined with a soft white line. It’s like a whole other world when he does this.
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That sense of freedom, of having a quirk as amazing as this, the things he can do. As he stretches further, sensing more, the more his mind flutters through the possibilities once locked off.
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He wants to use his quirk more. He wants to grow stronger, to indulge in this freedom, and to take what was denied to him. To punish those who-
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Izuku: ‘No…’
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The space shrinks as his more ugly desires are repressed once more.
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Izuku: ‘That’s not me.’
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Izuku: ‘But isn’t it? Good and bad, it’s all the same. It can’t be good to repress myself. I’ll become weaker.’
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Izuku: ‘… That’s fine.’
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He can’t give in to that part of himself, not again. He knows the consequences. So, he’ll compensate with something else.
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His martial ability, perhaps?
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Izuku: ‘Should I call Kiri to help teach me? No, maybe Yaoyorozu. I haven’t used my psi-sword in a while, and she’s better with weapons.’
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It’s then that he noticed the slight shaking. The boy opens his eyes and sees Fubuki shaking him.
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Fubuki: “Are you okay?! You’ve been standing there for 30 minutes, barely breathing.”
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Izuku: “I-I was?”
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Fubuki: “Yeah, I didn’t expect you to become so immersed. What happened?”
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Izuku: “I was… just exploring the building. I couldn’t read anyone’s mind, though.”
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Fubuki: “I… see. I didn’t expect that. You were able to read your classmate’s mind just fine though.”
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Izuku: “Maybe I can only do it with people I know or have a connection with.”
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Fubuki: “Maybe… ”
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She hated how that nearly made her smile. The woman swallowed that feeling. She knows she can be jealous, but she won’t let that stop her from helping her brother.
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She knows he can do better.
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Fubuki: “Want to keep at it or try reading my mind again?”
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Izuku: “No, I tried that already. If you don’t want me to know what you’re thinking, I have no chance. Your defenses are too strong.”
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Fubuki: “Flattery won’t get you out of training. Come on, let’s try again.”
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Accepting his fate, he goes back to their mediating spot and tries to read Fubuki’s mind.
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Izuku: “I guess I’ll call her later.”
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Dark Shadow: “Fumikage! I’m dying over here!”
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Tokoyami: “You can handle it.”
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Another day straining to keep Dark Shadow under the harshness of the sun constantly. The boy has never had to keep Shadow active this long before. It’s usually only been a max of 30 minutes, but at this points it has been hours.
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Kiri: “Fight on. You’re getting stronger.”
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Dark Shadow: “I-I am?”
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Kiri: “Nh. Bigger.”
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Dark Shadow: “Really?! And I’m not going out of control! Yosh! Let’s keep it up, partner.”
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Tokoyami: “Right.”
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It does help that Tae is here; Dark Shadow and her have formed a quick connection that’s hard to explain. But at least it helps keep Dark Shadow happy and motivated during the patrol. Speaking of…
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Tokoyami: “Silent.”
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Kiri: “Nh. Boring, but strangely peaceful. Udders lucky.”
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Dark Shadow: “You really should pick a different name.”
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Kiri: “No, I don’t think I will.”
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Tokoyami: “I doubt she’s enjoying being taught pressure points.”
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Dark Shadow: “Yeah, by being disabled herself first. Brutal!”
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Kiri: “I wish I could watch.”
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Tokoyami: “I understand why, but is that enough of a reason to trust us to patrol by ourselves?”
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Kiri: “Can’t always baby us. You did it yesterday.”
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Tokoyami: “I suppose.”
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Still, the boy can’t help but feel this is a waste of time. While Tae learns grappling and Yaoyorozu learns the fundamentals of the ninja arts, he is stuck patrolling. Is he really getting stronger?
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Sensing his frustration, Kiri stops Tokoyami by touching his shoulder.
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Tokoyami: “Hm?”
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Kiri: “Want to spar? That way you can see the effects of the training?”
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Dark Shadow: “Great idea!”
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Tokoyami: “Where shall we do battle?”
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Kiri: “An alley. Less people and more darkness.”
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Tokoyami: “… Very well. Lead the way.”
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Kiri nods and walks ahead while looking for an open alleyway. Finding a suitable one, she turns the corner and enters the darker side of the city. As the shadows envelop Tokoyami, Dark Shadow surges with additional strength. Not enough to go berserk, but it is a notable increase.
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Once they walked far enough in, Kiri turned around and took a battle stance. However, Tokoyami took a look at the surroundings and saw how narrow it was.
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Tokoyami: “You’re at a disadvantage here.”
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Kiri: “Good training conditions. Come.”
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Tokoyami: “Very well. Dark Shadow!”
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Dark Shadow: “Right!”
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The living shadow charged at Kiri with ferocious strength. With little room to dodge, Kiri brought her arms up and took the downward claw swipe.
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Both of them were surprised by the strength of the blow. Kiri was brought to a knee while the ground beneath buckled and cracked.
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Kiri: “S-See? Strong.”
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Dark Shadow: “Ha!”
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Kiri: “But too basic.”
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Surging with her own strength, Kiri pushed Dark Shadow off and delivered a straight punch to his head, knocking him back some ways.
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He tries to retaliate with a side swipe that’s strong enough to scrape off some of the concrete. But Kiri simply jumps up and delivers an axe kick to Dark Shadow.
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Kiri: “Predictable.”
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Using his head as a platform, she jumps again and lands on the shadowy umbilical cord. Using her quirk, she grinds on it until she reaches Tokoyami.
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Situations reversed, Tokoyami is now the one who has to hold his arms up to block a strike from Kiri. But it had little force behind it.
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Kiri: “Fast and mobile opponents can get past Dark Shadow.”
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Tokoyami: “That’s why I wanted to improve my own skills.”
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Kiri: “Understandable. But even with training, you won’t match up with people like me or Bomb Boy.”
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She does a backflip and lands around where she started.
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Kiri: “So, Dark Shadow, you are the key?”
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Dark Shadow: “Huh?”
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Kiri: ‘Unlike me or Kadabra, Dark Shadow seems more malleable. I can only change my size, not my shape or stretch like that. So that means-’
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Kiri: “You are a shadow; fight like one.”
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It didn’t take long for Tokoyami to understand exactly what she’s implying. It’s not like he hasn’t thought about such things before. But as Dark Shadow grew into his current form, he didn’t think it was possible to do those things anymore.
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Quirks didn’t change so heavily like that. They usually have one form and general usage; that’s it. Dark Shadow seemed set. But perhaps its time to test that preconceived notion, and try out some ideas he had as a child.
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Tokoyami: “Dark Shadow!”
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Dark Shadow: “Heh. Right!”
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The shadow shrinks ever so slightly and rushes Kiri. His attacks aren’t as heavy, but they’re faster. Not fast enough to catch the girl off guard, but enough to prevent further dodging.
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The first method of fighting like a shadow is unpredictable movement. He already did this with attacking from different angles, but now, as the fight goes on, it gets crazier.
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Kiri is forced to block attacks from nearly every angle as Dark Shadow bends its body every which way. But more than that, she can feel something else from her fellow mental construct.
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Its body is shaking.
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Tokoyami: “Now!”
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As Kiri stops a suddenly large claw swipe that pushes her a few feet closer to the wall, she feels it. The girl smiles at the loss.
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Kiri: “Nice job, Dark Shadow.”
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The screen zooms out to show Dark Shadow’s other claw. Each pointed tip was stretched and sharpened to a razor’s edge. Five shadow blades were surrounding her, ready to pierce the body clean through.
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In her current form, she would not be able to block them all.
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Tokoyami: “A-Abyssal… Needles.”
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Despite the increased strength thanks to the training, this was still too draining. Tokoyami fell on one knee while Dark Shadow rapidly shrunk.
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Kiri put down her guard and sat down next to Tokoyami, who was catching his breath.
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Kiri: “Okay?”
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Tokoyami: “Yes. Thank you. It seems you have also seen the darkness of the abyss.”
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The girl tilts her head at that.
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Kiri: “Yes?”
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Dark Shadow: “I don’t think she gets it.”
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Tokoyami: “No matter. You have broadened my horizons.”
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Kiri: “You would have thought something eventually. I just have a… way with beings like Dark Shadow.”
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She says, while giving the shadow a loving head pat that he gladly receives.
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Tokoyami: “Yes, I do wonder why.”
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Dark Shadow: “I don’t get it either. She feels like a… I don’t know… a relative? Sort of like that Kadabra guy.”
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Tokoyami: “Hmmmmm… ”
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Kiri looks at the ground and accepts that there will be someone else who knows what she is. Probably will help bring up her pressing question.
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Kiri: “The reason is… well… I’m just like you.”
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Dark Shadow: “Huh? What do you mean?”
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Tokoyami: “I see…”
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Dark Shadow: “You do?!”
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Tokoyami: “You’re Midoriya’s shadow?”
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Kiri nods.
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Dark Shadow: “EEEHH!?”
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Tokoyami: “You always felt different from the rest of us. But why does Midoriya hide this and enroll you at U.A?”
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Kiri: “Because… we’re family. I’m not just a mental projection or construct. Don’t you feel the same about Dark Shadow?”
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The two look at each other, and they don’t know how to answer. Are they family? Or are they just the protector and the protected?
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Dark Shadow: “Well, I can confidently say that I’m Fumikage’s one and only partner. Might as well be family too, I guess.”
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Tokoyami: “Dark Shadow… ”
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Kiri: “Can you confidently say that?”
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Dark Shadow: “Huh? What do you-”
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Kiri: “Do you care for Tokoyami because you genuinely do or because you’re his quirk? Because you’re commanded to.”
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Stunned, they can only stare into those trembling green eyes and listen.
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Kiri: “If you weren’t stuck with him, if he wasn’t your creator, would you still care and protect him?”
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Dark Shadow: “I…”
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She looks into Dark Shadow’s eyes for something, anything that can help answer her own questions. However, she finds only confusion and uncertainty.
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After half a minute of tension, Kiri relents and accepts the facts.
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Kiri: “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you… I’ll leave.”
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She quickly gets up and leaves the alley. Tokoyami wants to stop her; he can tell she’s struggling with similar questions. But what could he say that would ease that inner turmoil? He can hardly answer it himself.
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What if Dark Shadow doesn’t actually want to protect or fight with him?
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What if he does see Dark Shadow as family? What kind of person would he be to use family like a living sword and shield while he sits back doing nothing?
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Tokoyami: ‘Should I even be a hero if it means putting my… friend in danger all the time? Why… did I want to become a hero again?’
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He looks to Dark Shadow, but he looks away. For the first time, Dark Shadow was the one who retreated into Tokoyami’s body.
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Leaving him alone in the darken alley. A familiar scene he has long repressed.
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Momo’s body was throbbing. Edgeshot felt it was important to have all the pressure points tested on her to make sure she got a feel of exactly where they were located.
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She couldn’t deny it was helpful.
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They have been training for a few hours. With only a few breaks where Edgeshot would check on Tae and Tokoyami. During those hours, they had gone over multiple hand-to-hand exercises of Ninjustu. Everything from weapons to stealth. It felt weird not being able to hear her own footsteps.
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Now they were dealing with defense against weapons. At this point, Momo was able to catch Edgeshot’s blade between her palms.
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Edgeshot: “Good! Very good! But what will you do now?”
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She trembled.
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There are so many options. She could break the blade, try pressure points, take the blade, headbutt him or-
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The next things she knew she was on the ground, sword to her throat.
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Edgeshot: “You’ve improved your reaction time a great deal, but you still seem paralyzed when given too many options.”
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As he helps her up, Momo couldn’t help but mentally slap herself.
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Momo: “I’m sorry… ”
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Edgeshot: “Don’t be. Your quirk gives you nearly infinite options, and adding my teachings to it makes it even harder. It’s your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. But once you overcome it, you will be a force to be reckoned with.”
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Momo: “T-Thank you, sensei.”
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Edgeshot: “No need to thank me; I’m happy to help. You’re a smart girl; I know you’ll succeed given time. Now, time to take a break. Go take a shower and use the guest room to rest until I come back with your friends.”
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Momo: “Okay.”
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She walks toward her room, a bit dejected. She has been getting better; there’s no doubt at this point. But the progress is slow.
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Momo: ‘I have to do better. I can’t let them down.’
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After entering the guest room, she peeled off her sweat-soaked clothes and hopped into the shower.
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Momo: ‘But first, I need to relax and clear my mind. And I know the perfect way to do that.’
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He gave up, at least for today.
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He failed to read Fubuki’s mind and failed to read anyone else’s surface thoughts. Something that surprised his sister to no end.
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Again, he fails to meet expectations.
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Feeling that he had suffered enough for one day, he decided to take a break in his room within the Blizzard agency.
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As he sat there lost in the colors of the ceiling, his phone went off. Not even bothering to see who it was, he answered.
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Izuku: “Yes?”
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Momo: “Good evening, Midoriya.”
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Izuku: “Y-Yaoyorozu!? H-How are you?”
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The boy immediately sat up and tried to calm his beating heart. Her giggling only made it beat faster.
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Momo: “I’m fine. I was calling to see how your internship is going.”
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Izuku: “It’s… going. What about yours?”
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Momo: “Well, it’s-oh! Whoops. Hold on a second.”
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On the other end, the boy could hear some muffled sounds.
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Momo: “Sorry, I got some water on my phone since I just left the shower.”
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The poor boy’s brain suddenly assaulted/blessed him with images of the woman in the shower… long black hair matted down by water… hot water running down her nake-
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SLAP!
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Momo: “M-Midorya!? Are you alright!?”
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Izuku: “… Yes. Just an annoying fly I had to slap. You were saying?”
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Momo: “Oh, okay. Well, I’m doing alright. It’s been hard, but I’m making progress.”
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Izuku: “I see… ”
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Momo: “Don’t worry, Midoriya, I won’t let you or All Might down. I’ll keep at it.”
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Izuku: “You don’t have to worry about disappointing us. I know you’ll do great.”
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Izuku: ‘I’m the one having a problem.’
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Momo: “You’re too sweet. Thank you.”
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Izuku: “S-Speaking of training, can you help me with it?”
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Momo: “Huh? How?”
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Izuku: “Well, I’m only really improving my mental abilities here. But I don’t want to neglect my body. So I want to spar with you. I improve my swordsmanship, and you practice what you learned today. That way we both benefit.”
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Momo: “R-Really? O-Okay, that sounds great! Meet me at my place tonight.”
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Izuku: “Okay. Thanks, Yaoyorozu.”
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Momo: “…”
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Izuku: “Yaoyorozu?”
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Momo: “You can… call me Momo if you want.”
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Who would have guessed such a simple request would flip a boy’s stomach or give him sweaty palms?
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Izuku: “O-Okay, y-y-you can call me I-Izuku too.”
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Momo: “A-Alright, see you tonight, I-Izuku.”
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And with that, the call ended. A call with a very attractive girl who has a cute first name. A girl who just came out of the shower and gave him the go-ahead to use said first name.
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Izuku: “I’m going to need a cold shower.”
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Whether it worked or not remains to be seen, but Izuku was ready for some much-needed training. The rest of the day with Fubuki didn’t really profit him much, sadly.
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So it all really hinged on tonight, or this whole day would have been worthless.
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With a flash of green, Izuku was in front of the familiar gate.
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Izuku: “Yao, I mean, M-Momo, I’m here.”
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The next moment, the gates opened and allowed Izuku to walk towards the building. He’s pretty used to the layout, but this is the first time he’s been here at night. It felt… strange. Not the bad, kind though; it was a tingling in the spine and toes.
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Whatever it is, he didn’t need it. So again, he represses it and goes inside. Waiting within was Momo in her hero costume, a costume that’s very revealing mind you.
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Repress it.
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Izuku: “Let’s get started then.”
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The boy was ready with his hero costume and prepared to enter the training room they used before. But Momo held up her hand to stop him.
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Momo: “Hold on, this is a good time for you to try and improve my body.”
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Izuku: “Y-Your body? Oh! O-Okay, I can try. But like I said-”
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Momo: “I trust you.”
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As she says this, she goes over to the couch and lies down on her stomach. The sight earns a slight gulp from the boy.
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Repress it.
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Momo: “Is this position fine?”
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Izuku: “Y-Yeah.”
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She places her arms above her head while keeping her face turned toward the couch. Probably to hide the blush. Izuku swallowed again and got on his knees next to her. He placed his hands on her slender arms and closed his eyes.
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He tried to sense the atomic bonds of her arms, then go from there to the rest of her body. But his focus wasn’t on his task; instead, it was on how soft her skin was. Unconsciously, he starts to caress her.
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Momo: “I-Is it working?”
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Snapping out of it, Izuku opens his eyes and takes in a gallon of air.
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Izuku: “S-Sorry! I-I guess I’m a bit out of it. It’s harder than usual. Maybe we should focus on the training instead.”
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Momo: “Mmmm, okay. Maybe next time. Instead… how about you give me a message after training?”
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Izuku: “A-A message!?”
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Momo: “Yes, I do you, and you do me. It’s a great way to relax and soften the muscles after a good workout. I don’t really have anyone else to do that with, so… ”
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Izuku: “I-It’s fine, I understand. I-I’ll think about it.”
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Fighting down the blush, among other things, Izuku gets up and fast-walks to the training area. Meanwhile, Momo holds in a giggle before following him.
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Momo: ‘I might be being a bit mean. But he can be so cute when teased. Ashido was right; it can be fun.’
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Once inside, Momo creates her classic bo staff. But this one seemed to be made of hardened steel. Izuku matches her by bringing out his psi-sword, created from his tie.
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After getting into their respective stances, they charge at one another. Momo’s training became evident as she effortlessly countered and redirected many of Izuku’s slashes.
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Sure, he was holding back a bit, didn’t want to cut the staff in two, but this was still impressive.
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The dance continued as the two found a comfortable rhythm. But as it went on, Momo’s reach and focus proved greater. In a pure martial battle, without needing to worry about several options, the girl excelled.
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On the other hand…
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Izuku: ‘Haaaa…’
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The boy is slowing down, all due to frustration.
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Izuku: ‘It’s not enough… ’
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Years without a quirk.
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Years of being disabled.
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Years of being worthless.
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And now, he is being forced to return to that state. If he wanted to learn how to fight with just a sword, he would have done so before.
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No, he wanted to be a hero. A real one with a quirk, an identity.
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Izuku: ‘I want to use it… ’
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As the clash of weapons continues, Izuku’s control continues to slip.
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Izuku: ‘I want to use my quirk…’
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More than just lighting up and hardening a tie. More than just moving things, or flight, or reading minds. There’s more to it than just swinging some sword.
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It’s more.
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He’s m-
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Control slips.
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Reads her mind, seeing the thrust coming.
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Strengthens body, dodges it.
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Catches the staff, crushes its atomic structure.
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Feels surprise from her, an opening.
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Pushes the opponent away with a glance.
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Victory.
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Control is regained.
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Izuku: “M-Momo! I-I’m sorry! This was supposed to be just a simple spar. I didn’t mean to-”
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He runs to Momo, who was getting up from the forceful toss.
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Momo: “It’s fine, I-Izuku. I’m more worried about you.”
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Izuku: “M-Me?”
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Momo: “Yes, you looked… distracted. And you wouldn’t have done what you did normally. What’s wrong?”
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Izuku: “… I guess… you should know. So you know who you’re trying to be with.”
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A mirror of what happened before during the tournament, but reversed. They sit on the ground next to each other as Izuku explains his quirk in full detail.
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What Kiri knows, Momo knows. An equal playing field.
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But unlike before, the boy didn’t feel relief from talking about it. Only exhaustion and further frustration.
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Izuku: “That’s why my quirk has been so… strange recently. Why I’ve been acting weird. This damn… ”
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He nearly tears out his hair from the stress of having this blessing and curse of a quirk.
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Izuku: “M-Momo, I’m sorry for unloading all of this on you. You don’t deserve-”
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A soft sensation envelops him as soft arms wrap around his frame.
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Momo: “It’s okay. It’s… a lot. I don’t think I really understand all of it. But what I do know is that you can’t keep doing this to yourself.”
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Izuku: “But-”
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Momo: “No. You’re not a villain or some monster. You’re Izuku Midoriya, the boy I fell in love with. You helped me when I didn’t see much worth in myself. Let me do the same for you. It’s your quirk; no matter what’s in it, you are the master of it.”
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The boy knows; he is their prince, after all. But he doesn’t want to deal with them. Never again.
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The girl senses that her words haven’t reached him fully, so she continues.
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Momo: “This isn’t it good for you; repressing things is not the answer.”
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Izuku: ‘I want to believe that… but what other choice do I have? Accepting everything would only make things worse. Won’t it? I’m… scared of what I’ll become… and tired of thinking about it… ’
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He sinks deeper into her embrace. He can’t accept it, not yet. So instead, Izuku wants to forget about it. To turn away from the shadow and ignore its existence.
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Every flaw and unwanted desire was pushed away into the vault.
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But where does he go from here? What is the answer?
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It remains unclear. But as he rests within the embrace of a woman he has come to love and care for, instincts take over.
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Enough worrying about what comes next.
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Enough worrying about quirk and relationship problems.
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One more, just one more time.
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He lets other desires slip through.
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Because why be ashamed of those?
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Let go.
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Izuku: “Momo, thank you.”
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He lifts up his head and takes her lips into his own. Momo is momentarily surprised, but taking this as a sign, she quickly returns it with force.
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All the desires built up by Kiri and Momo’s teasing were finally let loose. The enthusiastic reciprocation spurred him on, guiding his hands across her body.
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He wasn’t the only one eager and willing. Momo felt across his body, or tried to. He was wearing armor, something too hard to remove despite her efforts.
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But even in a daze, Izuku could sense what she was trying to do. While feeling her bare leg, he mentally removes the locks on his suit. A tad looser, it was easier for the girl to remove it over his head. At last, she could feel his muscular, bare chest.
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He didn’t skip out on sculpting it to near perfection when he was improving his muscular structure, much to her delight. Momo couldn’t enjoy it for long as Izuku guided her to the floor and continued the assault on her waiting mouth.
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As the room got hotter and the situation more risky, Momo began to question the situation. Even as she welcomed his tongue and wrapped her legs around his waist, she questioned.
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Were they going too fast?
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Is he doing this because he chooses her or because he is looking to relieve stress? Consciously or not, it didn’t matter. If this was going to happen, she wanted to do it right. By the book.
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So when the boy moved from her mouth to the neck, she breathed out her question.
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Momo: “I-Izuku?”
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Saying his name seemed to only inflame him more, causing him to grasp her chest.
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Momo: “Ah!”
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While one hand caresses, another frees her hair. It was getting serious, as proven by the third leg poking her thigh.
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Momo: “S-Slow down… I need to know-”
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Her answer was swallowed by another kiss, one more forceful than the last. Something was wrong. She imagined Izuku would be a gentle lover, but this is pure domination. Despite that, goodness, it felt amazing.
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The girl was in a daze, her head floating on top of marshmallow clouds raining honey. She wants to keep going. But they would both regret it if this was nothing more than some flight of passion.
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She doesn’t just want sex; she wants to be loved. And not by an Izuku who seemed completely out of it, but an Izuku in control and fully consenting.
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So, she took a drastic measure. Using what she learned of grappling, Momo reversed the position so she was on top. Next, she grasped the sides of Izuku’s face and stared into his dimmer-than-normal eyes.
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Momo: “Listen… Izuku, can you hear me? I need to know… why are we doing this? Because you choose me over Tae or because-”
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Izuku: “Tae… Kiri?”
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Momo: “Yes. Do you love me more than her? Or are you doing this as a form of escape?”
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Her words break through, reason returns, and shame grows.
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Izuku: ‘Ah, that’s why.’
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Momo: “I hope you have. I …really want to keep going and… I don’t know if Tae is good for you. I don’t know if she can love like a human can, like I can.”
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She comes closer, ever so closer, but never all the way. He needs to make the choice.
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But he can’t, not yet. Not until he faces all of himself. Something he simply can’t do yet.
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Izuku: “I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this.”
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Her heart cracks.
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Momo: “I see… ”
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Izuku: “I-I wasn’t thinking! I was just-”
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Momo: “It’s fine. I suppose I did tease you a lot.”
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Izuku: “H-Hah, you did… ”
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Momo: “And it’s not like you forced me. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this.”
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Izuku: “I’ll try… not to.”
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He will, if only a little.
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But despite the momentary lapse of judgment, Izuku won’t let it end on an awkward note. So he takes her hand and kisses it, a gesture that leaves her heart aflutter.
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Izuku: “I do love you, Momo. Possibly, even more than Kiri.”
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Momo: “R-Really?”
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Izuku: “But it’s not fair to her. You said she can’t love like a human; I think she can. So until she proves one of us right, I think we should put this whole love triangle on hold.”
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Momo: ‘A delaying tactic…’
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Momo: “… Fine. But you don’t get to leave me out in the cold until then. Sleep here.”
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Izuku: “H-Huh!?”
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Momo: “I know you share a bed with Tae. That isn’t fair either.”
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Izuku: “But-”
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She silences his protests with a gentle kiss, one that threatens to slip back into riskier territory. So she ends it there.
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Momo: “No buts. Come to bed. Just this once.”
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Izuku: “… Okay.”
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Gracing him with a winning smile, she dismounts him and already misses the pressure. But there’s no use crying over it. The duo clean themselves and change into some sleepwear. For Izuku, this took the form of some supremely comfy robes. Money sure has many perks.
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When it was time to go to bed, the boy tried his best not to focus on Momo’s nightgown. It was nearly impossible when she insisted on cuddling. But he knew he made it through when she finally fell asleep.
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Izuku: ‘Finally…’
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Despite what happened, Izuku feels… a bit better. More free, some of the weight has lifted from his heart.
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At least for this… maybe it will be fine to let loose. Within reason.
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A/N: I wrote this on 6/4/25. I haven’t finished the chapters after this yet, but I have to get this off my chest now.
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Man, this whole love triangle thing is exhausting. I want to get to the point where he just says, “Fuck it”, and takes them both. This feels forced and melodramatic, but I have to do it.
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I hope you bear with me. At least everything outside of it, in my opinion, is good. I enjoyed the Dark Shadow and Family sections, for the most part.
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But I am afraid that things are getting a bit edgy in some places. A consequence of the themes I’m tackling and Izuku’s quirk. I get it. But sometimes it feels like I’m going too far. I don’t have to change this to M, right?
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Here’s hoping I stick the landing with this arc and can add more lighthearted moments. But considering what’s coming next, I doubt it.
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Prepare for possible tonal whiplash.
ns216.73.217.128da2
and then Add to home screen.