Interrogation Room – UA Detention Wing
The room was cold, not just chilly, but the kind that crept under your skin and made your bones ache. Toga sat there, handcuffed, her wrists resting on the table. She looked like she was waiting for a party to start, her lips curled in a playful smile.
Across from her sat Mineta. He was trying to look tough, but his foot tapped under the table, and his hands were clenched tight in his lap. He cleared his throat, but the sound just echoed off the walls.
Behind the glass, Shinso and Sato watched. Shinso had his arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Sato chewed his lip, glancing between the two in the room.
In the next room, Monoma was hunched. "Erasure Point active. Her quirk's off," he said, voice low.
Back in the room, Mineta finally spoke. "Himiko Toga."
Toga's eyes sparkled. "Yes, Mineta-kun~," she sang, dragging out the last syllable like she was tasting it.
"Cut the act," Mineta snapped. His voice was sharp, but his eyes flicked away from hers for a second.
Toga tilted her head, her hair falling over one eye. "Is that any way to talk to a lady?" Her cheeks turned a little pink. "But, y'know, I don't mind it rough~" She winked, her smile turning a little too wide.
Mineta leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Who are you really, Toga? What's your little cult planning?"
Toga pouted, sticking out her lower lip. "So mean, Minoru-san~. You wanna know my secrets? Take me out first. Dinner, movie, maybe a little blood?" She giggled, eyes never leaving his.
Mineta didn't even blink. "Fine. Let's call this our date. You talk, I listen. That's what people do on dates, right? Deep conversation and all that."
Toga laughed, a high, weird sound. She rocked back and forth in her chair, the handcuffs clinking. For a second, her face twitched-like she was trying to use her quirk and it just fizzled out. Her smile slipped, just for a moment, then snapped back on.
Behind the glass, Sato whispered, "She's totally putting on a show."
Shinso nodded. "Yeah. She's good at it, too. Mineta better be careful."
Back at the table, Mineta smirked. "Sorry. Can't have you going wild in here."
Toga leaned forward, eyes half-closed, lips parted like she was about to kiss him right there. "I only go wild in bed~," she whispered.
The handcuffs clanked as she tried to move closer, but they yanked her back. She grinned, teeth showing. "Guess our kiss'll have to wait, huh?"
Mineta rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Trust me, that's a good thing."
"You sure~?" Toga purred, voice dropping low. "I got a real good tongue, y'know. Wanna see?" She bit her lip, pushing her chest out just a little.
Mineta's face remained neutral, he didn't say anything.
Behind the glass, Shinso fiddled with his support gear. He tapped a message to Monoma. "Ready?"
Monoma nodded, pressing a button, sending a message. "Quirk activation: Messenger."
Quirk: Messenger| This quirk allows the user to transport sound waves, something similar to voice throwing, that puppet user use
A second later, Shinso's modified voice replaced Mineta's.
"Are you really Himiko Toga?" the disguised voice asked.
"Yes--" Toga opened her mouth, ready to answer with another joke, but she froze. Her lips moved, but nothing came out. Her eyes widened, just for a second.
Mineta let out a shaky breath. It worked.
The door opened. Monoma, Shinso, and Sato walked in. The tension snapped like a rubber band.
Monoma raised an eyebrow. "Well, that was...awkward."
Shinso clapped Mineta on the back. "Nice job, Minoru. Didn't think you had it in you."
Mineta stood up, rubbing his eyes. He looked tired, like he'd aged a year in ten minutes. For a second, Kota's face flashed in his mind-bloody, scared.
"Get it over quick, Shinso," He muttered, "She and I got unfinished business."
Sato put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we're all in this. We'll get through it together."
Mineta nodded, jaw tight. "Alright. Let's start the real questioning."
UA Medical Room
Kota woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the soft beep of a heart monitor. He blinked at the ceiling, all white and bright.
"Where...where am I?" His voice sounded weird, scratchy.
He sat up, looking around. Hospital bed. Bandages gone. No pain. He flexed his fingers, surprised.
"Wasn't I in the sewer? Did Mineta-senpai bring me here? Is he okay? What happened to Toga?" The questions tumbled out, but nobody answered.
He tried to remember. Sato had crashed through a wall, Toga went flying. But the weirdest part...Mineta's quirk. It didn't work like that before. Did it?
The door banged open. "Izumi?"
Kota turned, eyes wide. Eri stood there, holding a basket of fruit almost as big as her head. She rushed in, tripped on the edge of the bed, and barely caught herself.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" she said, dropping the basket on the table and flopping into the chair beside him.
"Hey, Eri-"
"Shut up!" she said, cheeks puffed out. She shoved an apple into his mouth. "Eat. You look like a zombie."
Kota gagged, spitting the apple onto the blanket. "Hey! Warn me next time!"
Eri crossed her arms, nose in the air. "If you weren't so reckless, you wouldn't be here. Idiot."
Back Alley – UA Entrance Exam Grounds
Tetsuo's back was pressed against the group. The alley was narrow, the remains of the bot piled up on one side. Six older guys stood in a half-circle, blocking the exit. One of them spun a set of clawed knives, grinning like he thought he was in a movie.
The other examinee trembled, eyes wide.
Tetsuo raised his hands. "You guys know this could get you blacklisted from UA, right?"
His brain was racing. "Great job, Tetsuo. Six of them, one of you, and the clock's ticking. Less than thirty minutes left. Real smart."
One of the punks sneered. "Who's gonna believe you? There's six of us, two of you. And we ain't the only ones doing this."
Tetsuo narrowed his eyes. "UA's the top hero school in Japan. You really wanna risk it?"
Another guy snorted. "Heroes are just fancy cops now. Who cares?"
Tetsuo shook his head. "You don't get it. Being a hero's about more than just powers."
The claw guy stepped forward, knives glinting. "Oh, we know enough. Hero business is dying here, but overseas? People pay big for Japanese heroes. We get strong, we get rich. Simple."
They started to close in, boots scraping on the concrete.
Tetsuo's heart hammered. "I gotta find an exam official. Fast. Or I'm toast."
Suddenly, the clawed thug lunged. "Volt Break!"
Tetsuo dodged, spinning low, and kicked the guy right in the jaw. The thug flew back, crashing into a dumpster.
Tetsuo grinned, chest heaving. "Still got it."
The others didn't even flinch. The claw guy wiped blood from his mouth and laughed. "That stung a little! But we want in. Heroes are valuable. We're not leaving empty-handed."
Tetsuo took a shaky breath. He remembered what Kaminari had told him once, back when he was training, "You know Midoriya once said to me the ones who smile are the strongest."
He forced a smile, even though his hands were shaking. "Alright, punks. You wanna see what a real hero looks like?"
"I will show you, cuz I am here,"