Flying.

The closest I’d ever got to doing anything like that was rollercoasters and other rides at carnivals or festivals, something that was true for even the other set of memories I had. Getting on an airplane, jet, or anything of the sort never sat well, road trips and train rides the go to way to get anywhere distant.

Cool winds slipped beneath my helm, a grin spreading across my face as I leaned forward, gazing down at the clouds below.

Nue, much of its sizable body covered in rough resilient orange-red feathers, soared forward at a controlled pace. With all the practice and experimenting I’d done with HK, summoning the giant avian didn’t take more than a moment, a bit less energy than what Hk-47 used taken.

In or out of combat, Nue would be a top tier summon for flight alone.

I was a bit tempted to dip beneath the clouds so I could see the city from high up but decided against it. Even with the measures I took, Dread Helm in place and shrouding by face in unnatural shadows, plus the plain black clothing created using Clothes Beam, there was every chance this reckless stunt caught someone’s attention and ended with me in trouble.

Leaning back and shifting my hold on Nue, I gazed out in the direction of the rising sun and its orange glow.

I wonder what kind of face Himiko would be making if she was up here. She’d definitely use the flight as an excuse to hold on as tight as possible to me but I’m pretty sure she’d never seen anything like this either.

But, of course, that meant, in some shape or form, sharing what I could do.

I could defend myself. That much I was confident in saying. Not from the most dangerous villains but I could defend myself. Going out of the way to hide all this would just make it harder to protect Himiko or keep things from going sideways.

That said, I could use the element of surprise to deal a massive blow to the League of Villains and possibly All for One before I told anyone else anything.

Shigaraki and Kurogiri, if everything went as expected, would step onto U.A.’s campus in search of All Might. If I played my cards right, while no one was aware of what would be labeled multiple quirks at my disposal, I could turn the entire USJ incident on its head, getting those two captured at the very least by using everything I had.

Assuming all that was enough.

I’d already changed things through Himiko and I for damn sure was going to make sure it was all for the better rather than just letting things play out.

Gazing out towards the rising sun for a few more moments, I directed Nue back before the day truly got started and there would be too many eyes to get away with something like this. For now, it was time to meet up with Himiko and Tsu.

XOXO

“Tsu!” Himiko rushed ahead of me, weaving her way around passing people on her way to one of the benches throughout the city center.

With our joined workouts a sporadic thing at best and most of our conversations, if they could even be called that, happening over text and usually little more than exchanging recommended music, I hadn’t actually seen Tsu in person in a long time. In a plain shirt, black pants, sneakers she didn’t look very different besides a very small gain in height.

“Yo.” I called out once I was close enough to join the conversation, throwing up a two finger salute. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, ribbit. You got taller.” Tsu said, she and Himiko putting their conversation on hold to both face me. She poked a finger to the corner of her mouth as she looked me over. “And bigger.”

Normally I’d be wearing my jacket, but Himiko, never missing a chance to, had swiped it to throw over her own outfit, no doubt soon to be another addition to her collection. Back when we first started working out together, I would’ve had to force myself to flex to see any kind of muscle gain. Now the plain black shirt I wore didn’t hide much of the lean but athletic build that’d been built up through all my training.

“Pfft.” Himiko held back a laugh.

“You really got to work on your phrasing. Especially around this one.” I said with a shake of my head. I could’ve said the same about Tsu, along with that small gain in height coming growth in other areas but I chose to keep that comment to myself. Himiko was already one too many minds in the gutter. “I think you got a little taller too.”

“Really?” Tsu got rid of her little hunch, straightening up. Despite definitely being a bit taller than I remembered she was just a little shorter than Himiko. Which was saying something considering Himiko was nearly a whole head shorter than me, barely reaching my shoulders.

Huh, how tall was I?

“Forget that, we’ve got to make sure we do everything we can today.” Himiko stepped back, motioning for us to follow her. “Come on.”

Tsu and I followed after her, the pep in Himiko’s steps keeping her leading the way.

She wasn’t exaggerating when she said everything, was she?

XOXO

“Really?”

“Yes, and there’s no getting out of it this time.” Himiko said, pushing me along. “You’ll be taking a turn too, right Tsu?”

“Why not, ribbit.” Tsu said, walking just behind us through the neon lit hall. “I’ve never done anything like karaoke though.”

“Even more reason for us to do it.”

I’d dipped and dodged around it, not seeing any appeal in the whole singing shtick but it looked like all that avoidance was finally coming to an end. I guess celebrating all three of us being accepted into the top hero school was a good enough reason to go through with it especially with how rare it was for Tsu to have free time.

We found our room, a modest little space with a table and U shaped cushioned booth of seats around it, the TV and karaoke set across from it, all lit up by the same multicolored lights outside.

Himiko, obviously used to this whole thing, didn’t waste a moment, snacks bought and everything set up. Soon she was in front of the screen, a wireless mic in hand, a wide smile in place, and a song beginning.

I might’ve avoided going to any karaoke place before this, but I’d heard her hum or idly sing enough to know she had a good voice, so it was no surprise that she shot straight past sounding alright and to great when the song actually got started. And she really got into it, to the point that I couldn’t help but smile myself as she strutted across the room, occasionally pointing at the two of us, all sorts of other gestures thrown out between that.

I would need to put on a generational performance to match her.

Easy enough.

XOXO

“You were-pfft!” Himiko couldn’t even bother to get out whatever she was about to say before another bout of laughter took over.

“Okay, now you’re dragging it.” I said, shaking my head as I dropped myself back on the seats beside her. That only made her laugh harder, Himiko soon dubbing over to clench her sides as her rising laughter turned to uncontrollable wheezes.

“You’re English was really good? Ribbit.” Tsu tried to hand me an actual compliment about my unparalleled performance up there, peeking past Himiko.

“Tha-That was the only thing that was good.” Himiko managed to force out after taking a breath, a hand dropping on my shoulder. “It was like-like-pfft, HAHA-“ She couldn’t even finish the insult, another round of laughter leaving her while she smacked my shoulder.

“Shut up.” I said rolling my eyes.

Karaoke, as I suspected, was not at all my strong suit and might’ve ranked among the most embarrassing stuff I’ve taken part in. Between me fucking up the lyrics and not having much of a singing voice I could only listening to whatever I was trying to pass off as singing was like being forced to hear some kind of live train wreck.

I wasn’t going to be doing this again.

Himiko, still dragging this whole embarrassment out with her laughter, had actual tears forming in the corners of her eyes now, completely breathless, and the wide carefree smile of hers not bogged down by all the usual when we were out and about in public or around others.

I guess I wouldn’t actually mind doing it again. At least she was getting something out of this.

Time to have someone else join my suffering though.

“You’re turn.” I said, tossing the wireless mic I’d been holding over Himiko who was using me to stay sitting upright between her breathless laughs. Tsu caught it. “Have fun.” For once she actually looked unsure of herself but, nonetheless, stood up and headed towards the other side of the room, swiping through available songs.

And minutes later-

“That was-pfft-“ Again, with the song over and Tsu dropping back into her spot, Himiko couldn’t hold herself together long enough to say much of anything, laughing her ass off at the both of us.

“You sounded better than me.” I said.

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” Tsu said giving me a pointed stare that was blanker than usual.

“It wasn’t supposed to.” I retorted giving her a slight smirk. “I need someone to suffer this embarrassment with me. Everything’s better with friends and all that.”

“That’s petty. Ribbit.” Despite saying that she did smile a bit, before focusing on Himiko. “She isn’t going to stop anything time soon, is she?”

“Guess we were just that bad.” I said, standing up and stretching. “At least its over now. We can grab our stuff and-“

“Nothing’s over.” Himiko abruptly shot up, laughing fit brought under control. Practically skipping, she headed towards all the karoke equipment, producing two more mics and smiling at the both of us. “We’ve still duets and group songs to try out.”

Ugh, we weren’t leaving this room any time soon we’re we?

XOXO

 “I’m still surprised you ate all of that. I couldn’t make it past the meat.”

“It took a lot of practice.”

“Pfft, yeah, Katsu loves practicing how to take a bunch of mea-“

“Alright, that’s enough out of you.” I cut Himiko off, a hand placed over her mouth while shooting a smile Tsu’s way, the train she was waiting on braking to a spot behind her. “Get home safe, Tsu. We’ll see you at U.A.”

Forcing my hand aside, Himiko shot forward, catching Tsu in a tight hug. “Yeah! Hopefully all three of us are classmates.”

“Hopefully.” Tsu said, a ribbit leaving her as she returned Himiko’s hug with one hand, the other giving me a wave. “And hopefully we can do this again too.”

Our goodbyes said, after watching Tsu get on the train and take off, Himiko and I left the station behind, soon turning into the quieter residential areas.

A pep to her step. Quiet humming. And a smile fixed to her face.

“Himiko.” I said, her attention jumping over to me.  She wouldn’t go telling anyone about something I trusted her with. Still, assuming I could take full advantage of the USJ incident the way I hoped, there might not be much of a point in dropping a secret like that on her lap. I could tell with how she was being around Tsu and what they told me about their exam.

Himiko wasn’t going to be hiding behind some built up image or adhering to what was expected of her at U.A. She wasn’t going to bother with lies.

“Never mind.”

“You can’t just say never mind.” Himiko stepped in closer than she already was, poking my side. “Come on, what is it?”

“Nothing.”

Himiko hummed, her narrowed eyes anything but convinced. “Fine.” Slowing a little, she jumped up onto my back. “But if you’re not going to tell me then you’ve got to carry me the rest of the way.” I went along with it, hands settling around her thighs as we continued down the street.

Himiko would be the first I told anything to do but it could wait for now.

XOXO

Book closed and studying done for the day, I dropped on my bed, stretching out. I’d got in a bit of training too, going at it harder to make up for the shortened session after hanging out with Himiko and Tsu.

Turning over, I grabbed the line of small photos from today off my dresser, looking through them. I still didn’t see the appeal in karaoke to be honest, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t start enjoying it once the initial embarrassment passed. I guess no matter the form it took, be it games or stuff like that, doing stupid stuff with friends was always fun.

It was nice to see Tsu too. Shame I didn’t have the chance to ask for and store some of her blood though. Now that I was far stronger, just how far would her blood push me?

[Feat Accomplished!

Have Asui Tsuyu masturbate to you.

+1 Bronze Familiar Ticket]

Well….that was thing. I guess I wasn’t the only one in the middle of thinking about the day. Interesting that something like that popped up though. Then again, I’m pretty sure I didn’t see anything that said she liked me. A comment about my changes and a few looks at my arms hardly-

[Feat Accomplished!

Become Asui Tsuyu’s crush.

+1 Bronze Familiar Ticket]

I guess Tsu did things in her own order.

Blinking, the windows vanished unlike the budding heat of embarrassment as I looked the photos over. This gacha really didn’t hesitate to tell me things I shouldn’t know.

Tsu did have pretty big boobs though. Thighs too. Gym or not, whatever working out she managed to fit into her day was doing her favors in more ways than one.

XOXO

(A/N: Just teens being teens before the big stuff. Well, there's actually going to be a lot of teens being teens since he has to meet all of class 1-A but meeting all of them is a big thing. Two birds one stone?)