Chapter 15 (Rewrite)
As they did before the festival, they again had today and tomorrow off. When they returned to school, they'd have scouting reports and internship offers from the heroes. Those who performed well were guaranteed to have offers, but not everyone would get one. Misaka knew how she'd use the time she got.
If she was lucky, the magicians would be situated in Musutafu. She'd use the off day to track them down and introduce herself to them. There was a chance that her bug would be discovered, but that was easier said than done. Her technological expertise allowed her to craft machinery that far surpassed what was commonly available.
Still, she had won the festival, and she intended to celebrate that. Mostly because Mr. Haru had betted to treat her to a delicious dinner if she won the tournament. She was a sucker for good food, and she'd make the best of that offer.
"Hey, Misaka-san want to come with us to watch the next matches?"
"Hmm, of course Yaoyorozu-san. It's not like I have something better to do."
That was true. The magicians still hadn't left the arena. They were still in the edge of the 1 km radius she could sense. The second-year matches promised to be entertaining as well. The students of the 2-A class were said to be as strong as some of the active Heroes. It was a good chance to actually see some of her future opposition if she continued being a Vigilante.
Only some of the students from the 2nd year stood out, either due to the power of their quirks, or their resourcefulness. The strongest quirks were undoubtedly those of the two finalists, Mawata Fuwa and Noboru Kamiya who had unbelievable abilities. Fuwa had the ability to manipulate paradoxes, though from what she had discovered it was much too limited to be hailed as the almighty power it could be and Kamiya had the ability to make any battlefield a game board, where any advantages were nullified. It had the weakness that Kamiya was not the game master but seemingly only a pawn on the board, so all he could do was beat his opponent in the battlefield, where the field was evened out. These abilities reinforced the fact that quirks were not based on science and were not grounded in reality.
"Misaka-san, those matches were amazing right!? I bet the next will be even better. The big three will be participating!"
"Who are they Uraraka-san?"
"Ehhh! You don't know U.A's Big Three!? They are the strongest students of U.A. The top Hero Candidates the school has at the moment! They're basically the idols of U.A! My favourite one is Nejire Hado! She's cute and strong as well! I want to be like her."
"Good for you Uraraka-san. I'll see and tell you my favorite of them."
In the end, the one who won was Tamaki Amajiki. He had managed to edge out a win against Mirio Togata after a twenty-minute-long battle. The Big Three who were said to be stronger than most Pro Heroes had showed themselves worthy of that name. The two from 2-A and the Big Three would be hard to fight against. Their quirks and their abilities were very strong. She was not sure of her ability to win against them in a 1v1 battle. At least against some of them.
"So, who was your favorite?"
"I'd say… Mirio Togata. The way he used his quirk was very interesting. He made such a seemingly weak quirk very strong. It's admirable! Also, where is Yaoyorozu-san?"
"Yeah, I know right? Last year they were just <
"Weird… I didn't hear her. Whatever."
"Ah, look at the hour! I have to go Misaka-san! Want to come with?"
Indeed, the time had gone by fast, and it was already afternoon. Her meeting with Mr. Haru was in 2 hours. She had time to go with Uraraka.
"Of course!"
The magicians had also left the arena a few minutes after the last matches ended, so she had time to waste.
The train was packed, full of people like them, returning from the festival.
"Anyway, where do you live Uraraka-san?"
"In the centre of Musutafu. Otherwise, I couldn't take the train daily to come to school."
"What a coincidence! I live in the centre of the city as well! How about we go to school together?"
"Eh! Really, Misaka-san? Of course, we can!"
"Now arriving at XXX station. I repeat, now arriving at XXX station."
"This is my station Misaka-san! Goodbye! See you next week!"
"Goodbye! Have a good weekend!"
"Next station XXX. I repeat, next station XXX."
'Ah, that's my station. We really do live close to each other.'
She got off and after a brief walk, she was already at her apartment. While she didn't know where they'd go, she would still make herself presentable. She took a bath and put on some makeup -with what little skill she had. It wasn't something she'd normally do, but clothes made the woman, and if they went to a high-end place dishevelled as she was, it just wouldn't do. She had Tokiwadai to thank for that habit of always being presentable. The doorbell rang, and she hurried to answer.
"Mr. Haru! How are you doing?"
"I'm fine Mikoto. How about you? Those matches must have been difficult."
"I'll tell you more as we eat. Where are we going?"
"Well, I've invited some friends from way back, so we're to a relatively cheap place. I can guarantee though that it has the best food!"
"I'll take your word for it!"
Some half an hour later they had arrived. It was relatively close to the station Uraraka lived, but the traffic had made getting there dreadful. So much so, it'd have been faster to just walk.
She followed Mr. Haru through some alleys, before they reached a narrow, well-lit street.
"We're here! Are you ready for the best Tonkatsu of your life?"
The big banners outside of the shop had Tonkatsu-ya written on them. The place looked cosy, but there was a significant lack of people, or at least that was what she observed.
The truth could not be farther than that. They went inside and the shop that from the outside looked small enough to only fit three or four table had become gigantic, multiple tables being full of patrons.
"Hello. We have a reservation in the name of Kenzo Haru for 5 people. Can you show us to our table?"
"Of course. Please follow me."
Their table was in the depths of the illogical restaurant. It was a table big enough to fit more than 8 people, but it wasn't lie Misaka would complain.
They sat down on opposing ends and Misaka began browsing the catalogue. She began drooling looking at the food offered. From what she saw from the plates that were moving around, the portions were generous as well. Her apprehension regarding the space of the shop had vanished, having been simply attributed to a quirk's power. She got ready to order, but Mr. Haru stopped her.
"Let's wait for our guests. They should be coming any moment now. Ah, speak of the devil! How have you been Junpei, Mitsuko?"
Misaka turned to face the guests and was surprised to see a familiar face. They were a family of three, a middle-aged couple, and a girl around her age.
"Uraraka-san!? I didn't think I'd see you so soon."
"Eh, Misaka-san!? How come you're here?"
"See Junpei, I told you. They know each other. Come, come take a seat, let's not leave you standing."
The family of three sat down, the adults on one side and Ochako and Misaka on the other.
"Have you ordered?" Junpei asked.
"No, we were getting ready to do so when you arrived. Don't hold back, today's meal is on me." Mr. Haru answered.
"No, no, we couldn't possibly impose ourselves on you."
"Bah, what are you talking about Mitsuki? We're celebrating Mikoto's and your daughters results in the festival. It's only natural for me to treat you, seeing as I invited you."
"Well, okay then. We owe you one."
"Hah, don't worry we're friends here! No talking about owing anything to me."
They ordered more than enough food, and in the wait, the small talk picked up.
"Anyway, Misaka-san are you excited about the internships? I'm sure you'll have the most offers out of all of us. Perhaps even from All Might himself. I don't think I'll get many, if any, considering where and how I lost."
"You bet I am! I'm sure you'll get many offers. You might not have realized it, but your fight was really incredible. You managed to almost win against Bakugo!"
"Well, I certainly hope so! But there's no need to flatter me Misaka-san. Compared to you, my fight was tame."
"It's the truth! You need to be more confident."
"But… I'm not strong like you or Izuku."
"Well, you're plenty strong, or you wouldn't be in 1-A!"
"What are you girls talking about?"
"Oh, not anything interesting Dad. Just about the internship offers we'll get."
"I'm sure you'll do well Ochako! However, I think I smell some food coming. It's time to eat."
Right as Junpei said that, the first plates started rolling in. All kinds of Tonkatsu arrived, and they began to eat.
"This really is delicious." Misaka was blown away to say the least. She hadn't expected to find such delicious feed in a back-street shop, but her expectations had been smashed. Mr. Haru had been correct about its deliciousness. She could see why it was packed with people.
"It really is! Uncle Haru, how did you find this shop?"
"I know the owner, back from the old days. Still, I didn't he'd become so successful." Misaka sensed a hint of sadness in his voice. Perhaps it was a sore matter for him. She knew that his life had been hard.
"Anyways, I heard you talking about the internships. I'll see if I can contact some of my old colleagues. I trust them more to teach you than those new Heroes."
"There's no need to go that far Haru. I'm sure they will get good offers. You've done more than enough." Mitsuki, the wife of Junpei was flustered, overwhelmed by Mr. Haru's offer. Misaka would take him up on that offer, were she to not get any good or interesting internship offers. Mr. Haru had connections in the Hero society, owing to his career as a Pro Hero, even if he had retired early.
They had mostly finished their food when the room started shrinking. Most of the patrons had left, only some tables still full. It was an eerie experience, the ground moving and shuffling beneath them.
"Hey, Mr. Haru, why did the shop suddenly shrink?"
"Ah, it's my friends quirk. Basically, and from what I understand, this shop exists in a small, separate space. He mostly used it for rescue missions, but after he retired, he found a way to make it into a huge shop. It is however very energy inefficient, and he can't keep up its huge size all day. I think this is a sign the shop is about to close. Hey, can you please prepare the bill?"
"Certainly, Mr. Kenzo. Are you paying cash?"
"Yes. Also, can you call Ryuji? I want to talk with him."
"Please come to the counter then. Unfortunately, Mr. Ryuji is indisposed at the moment."
"Ah well, it was worth a try."
Meanwhile, the Urarakas had left, the program of the next day not allowing them to stay up late. Misaka hadn't expected Mr. Haru to know of Ochako's family and was surprised to have met them. Furthermore, she had had fun, and had relaxed. Tomorrow would be stressful.
'Wait, how am I gonna travel to where they are? I forgot the A.A.A. How did I manage that? I guess I'll go pick it up tonight.'
"Misaka, did the others leave?"
"Yes. They apparently had a pressing schedule tomorrow."
"Ah, okay. I wanted to see them off. Did you have fun today?"
"Of course! Anyway, what rank were you back then? You sound like you have quite the connections!"
"Well, I'll let you know, that this old man was one of the top 10 Heroes in Japan before my… uh… retirement. As a matter of fact, All Might was under my apprenticeship for a while. As you can understand, I was quite the hot shot."
"Really now? What was your Hero Name?"
"That's a story for another day. My pocket feels so light! How much did you eat you little glutton?"
"I'll have you know that I ate the portion that is expected from a girl my age."
"Remember, if you want any advice you can talk to me."
"I know. I've lost count of how many times you've asked me this."
The trip back home was silent, only the noise from the radio and the city disturbing the silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but rather one that came about due to a lack of anything meaningful to talk. The cigarette smoke accompanied Misaka's thoughts, which were pre-occupied with two things. Dealing with the Magicians and the Hero Killer. The former was going to be a pain to do, as the Hero Killer was like a shadow, and it wasn't like he was actively disturbing her work. The latter though… At the mention of magic, morbid curiosity welled up. What was the thing that had cost her this much? How powerful were the magicians of this world? Would they know of a way for her to return to her own world? Did she want to return? These were all questions that plagued Misaka's mind at the mention of Magic. She wanted to settle this matter first, and everything else came after it.
"We're here. Goodnight, Misaka."
"Goodnight to you too Mr. Haru."
She went up the stairs to her apartment, and when she entered it, she immediately went to her room. The room, previously only a modest bedroom, had been refurbished, the big bed replaced with a small one in order to free up space. In that space, she had installed a PC. It was infinitely superior to the ones commercially available. Its main use was to keep track of everything regarding Heroes and Villains and generate reports on that. This was how she was so well informed on everything regarding the Hero society, both domestically and abroad. By using this computer, she would be able to find the magicians, through the bug she had placed on them. However, it would take some time to locate them, so she ran the program and went to sleep.
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A pair of a boy and a girl were sitting in front of an apartment door. The boy was clearly mad that they were there, while the girl pressed the doorbell.
"Yuna, what are we doing here? It's still like, 8 in the morning. What's so urgent?"
"It's the Directors task. Apparently, the girl that won the tournament lives here. He thinks that she has potential. And you know we can't ignore his orders." Yuna calmly explained. "Gah, why isn't she opening!" She pressed it again and waited.
"But still, don't we have more pressing matters? You know, like that one that went rogue?" It seemed that the boy was worried for good reason. However, the girl responded with a level head
"For the time being, we don't know where he is. We are still waiting for a call from the scryer. And not to mention, that if she does have the potential, then we can recruit her. It's not like there's many of us. Everyone helps." That seemed to quiet the boy down, and just in time for their discussion to die down, the door opened.
"What do you want? It's 8 o'clock!" Misaka finally opened the door, clearly angry at having been woken up at such an early hour.
"Are you Misaka Mikoto?" The girl asked with a sureness in her voice.
"Yes. What do you want?" Though Misaka was annoyed at having been woken up at such an early hour, she still tried to be polite to the unexpected guests.
"We are here to make you an offer, an invitation if you will, to a special branch of the Hero Commission. The director saw potential in your power and wanted to ask whether you'd be interested in joining us after your graduation." The girl wasted no time on explaining what she wanted. Misaka was sure that said branch was the branch of the magicians. It was extremely suspicious that the two magicians she had been tracking had come to her, but this made sense.
"Isn't that kinda illegal?" Misaka clearly remembered having read that making offer to a Hero student before graduation was illegal.
"Normally yes, however our branch has some special rights. As such, we have been allowed to invite you before you join or make your own agency. After all, your strength was something to behold. Of course, we've also notified the principal, and he's given us the go ahead. So, what do you think?" Misaka didn't doubt that. It made sense that the ones with the most influence would be in cahoots with other similarly powerful people.
"That is a hard question you ask miss. Please, come inside while I think your offer over. Also, can you tell me your names? It's a bit weird not knowing how to address you." The offer was really tempting. She would be able to join the magicians and gather info from the inside. However, there was considerable risk of being exposed as <
"Ah, how could we forget! My name is Yuki Yuna, and the boy's name is Sho Tatsuya." Yuna was flustered, embarrassed at having forgotten to introduce themselves.
"No worries, no worries! Do you want something to drink or eat? I was about to make some tea for myself. If you want, I can make some for you." Misaka had come to enjoy tea. The rich and strong taste allowed her to clear her mind, and the process of making it was calming. She was doing it the traditional way, with leaves directly imported from mainland Asia.
"I don't want anything, I'm fine. Thank you for the offer though." Yuna didn't want tea and rejected her offer.
"I'll have some." Sho though took her up on her offer and she would oblige.
"Do you want anything with it? It's black tea." Misaka had plain tea but didn't know if Sho would want anything mixed with it.
"No, I'll take it plain as well."
Some five minutes later Misaka returned to the living room area, a couch and a TV really, carrying two mugs filled to the brim with tea.
"Here you go!"
"Thank you, Misaka-san."
"Misaka-san did you have time to think about our offer?" Not even a moment after Misaka had sat down and started drinking her tea, Yuna asked her about the offer.
"Well, I did. Your offer sounds interesting, and having a career guaranteed is great. However, I don't know what I'd be doing. I don't want to rush head on with something that will define my future, probably."
"It's only natural. Well for starters we can ensure your growth. It's clear you have the potential, and though U.A is known for producing the strongest Heroes we can help you grow after you graduate. We also offer a salary far more competitive than what most Heroes get. In other words, you'll be set for life. To top it all off, you won't be exclusive to us. In other words, you can be a normal Hero." Yuna was prepared. Misaka was known for her intelligence, and she was sure that she would not accept her offer immediately, not without hearing some objections.
"Your offer is a bit too good to be true. What will I be doing? There has to be something fishy in your offer."
Yuna had expected her to be perceptive enough to notice something amiss but had hoped that the lucrative offer would sway her teenage mind from the small print. She had no such luck, but she was prepared.
"You are correct Misaka-san. However, I cannot disclose the contents of the work of our department before you join. All you have to know is that it won't be something you are not used to. But first, before you join us, we will have to test you." As she said that, she produced an object from one of the pockets of her jeans and set it down on the table.
Misaka didn't like how that sounded. Too much information was being omitted, and the object on the table was certainly magical, as evidenced by the slight tremble she was starting to feel.
"What is this object?" She was curious on what the object was. It was magical in nature and would probably be what they would use to <
"That is something you'll have to find out yourself. Activating it will be a sign of your resolve and willingness to join us. If that is all, we will take our leave." Yuna's tone indicated that the discussion was over. She would not respond to any more probing done by Misaka, and perhaps it was for the best.
"You've given me a lot to think about. I guess I'll see you soon?"
"Yes. If you don't activate the object within a week, we are coming here to reclaim it, got it?"
"Crystal clear Yuna-san. Goodbye, and goodbye to you as well Sho."
"Thanks for the tea, Misaka-san, and goodbye."
With that Misaka was left alone with the strange object. She picked it up, inspecting it. It was heavy and intricate shapes adorned it. In it's middle there was a single blue orb, shining a small light in the room. It was a puzzle she surmised. What she had to do was somehow unlock the blue orb.
'I guess I'll see what I can do about this tonight. No point in doing something risky when I have a meeting in a bit.'
She set it down on the table and went to get dressed. Yesterday she had been invited to a shopping trip with her classmates. She had accepted it, and at 3'o clock they would meet up. It was still early in the morning, but she had no desire to find out what would happen if she unlocked the blue orb. It was after all magic, and magic was the one thing she knew that could scare and hurt her like no other.