Mind Games - Chapter 23

“This is humiliating,” Todoroki Enji sighed as he leaned back in his chair, the metal groaning under his weight. Despite that, he delicately reached out and nabbed a few potato chips from the open bag on his desk.

“I don't precisely agree, but it is at the very least a damning assessment of our agency's non-quirk combat skills,” Sato Kenji stated bluntly.

“What, precisely, is the difference?” Enji asked, giving the man a side-eye from the screen.

“It's only humiliating if this information gets released publicly,” Kenji nodded at the feed.

A few stray embers followed the gusty snort the Flame Hero released at that. His eyes wandered to me, taking care to keep the monitor in the edge of his vision. “Shinso. You maintain you haven't taught her anything?”

I shook my head, an amused smile playing at my lips while I watched Himiko dismantle seasoned and professional hero staff. I sucked in a hiss between my teeth as she, wearing my body, gave a quick feint only to tap the ankle of the sidekick rushing her with her toe. The result sent the man into an off-balance tumble that left her free to respond to the other man pressuring her.

“Nope,” I replied with a shake of my head, one hand reaching for an already-open energy drink to bring to my lips. “I knew she was talented. I just... didn't know she had this innate level of skill.”

...because what I'm seeing isn't instinct.

Cassandra's eyes could tell the difference. Talent was unrefined and raw in a way that practiced motions couldn't quite mimic. Skills, even deeply-ingrained ones, produced planned responses. A person relying purely on talent, on the other hand, tended to make things up as they went along.

What Toga Himiko was doing?

This is entirely too polished to be unplanned.

My body stepped around a blow, the empty space allowing the opponent to overextend himself and invade another fighter's space, tripping both of them up. The situational awareness needed to pull something like that off intentionally wasn't something 'talent' got you. Judging by the way that she capitalized on it and twisted one man into a hold while on top of the other, pinning them both to the ground in a single fluid motion...

“I'm docking their pay,” Enji grumbled, reaching for a bottle of chilled water.

“My advice on behalf of your legal department is an official reprimand before formal disciplinary action is taken,” Kenji shrugged, reaching up to adjust his loose tie. “Docking their pay is only a valid response after multiple warnings have been given.”

“Two seasoned and experienced sidekicks with three and five years on the job are being destroyed by a completely untrained junior high school student,” Enji reminded the man bluntly.

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, watching Fuyumi's growing frustration and displeasure as she tapped her foot. “Ah... she's upping it to three at a time, that's not going to work.”

“You think so?” Kenji asked, stirring his ramen and slurping some of it up before swallowing. “Why?”

“Quirks,” I replied shortly, eyeing up a piece of chocolate before shrugging and going for it. “They're trained to-”

“-to employ their quirks as a weapon of first resort once deescalation has failed,” Enji nodded, giving a rumbling sigh. “They're conditioned to understand physical combat as an extension of their quirks' use, not as a separate matter in and of itself. The three here are a perfect example of what that means in physical combat.”

Kenji made a humming noise deep in his throat. “Ah, I see what you mean. Flame Snake's transformation is a no-go and they're used to CQC in that form over martial arts. Even if they were able to, though, his allies aren't fireproof. So Hot Shot and Steam Cannon would be injured. In a full-use scenario with quirks in combat, Flame Snake would have rushed the opponent in their alternate form while Steam Cannon stayed back to provide support and Hot Shot ran interference with her speed.”

“Exactly,” Enji stated. “They aren't used to quirkless combat. An oversight the agency will need to correct.”

“They're also getting emotional,” I added, pointing out how Flame Snake in particular was getting sloppy and too aggressive. “Especially against an opponent who knows how to use that against them? Even when they've seen her do it before... it's a bad combination.”

The fiery facial hair on the older hero's face flared for a moment as his eyes narrowed. “A dimension of the fight I hadn't considered. Thank you, Shinso... for more than just that, too. Your little request is highlighting several areas where my agency can improve.”

“Not to speak above my station, but have you considered hiring some kind of nullifier for mock combat?” I asked with a shrug, finally popping the piece of chocolate in my mouth.

Endeavor reached up to rub at his chin despite the flames. “Nullifier quirks are rare; ones that I would be willing and able to subject my staff to, rarer still. Perhaps Eraserhead would be open to a consultation, though.”

“I'll run it through the necessary channels,” Kenji affirmed, wiping his hands briefly with a handkerchief before reaching for his PDA.

“Good,” Enji grunted, then pointed at the screen. “Shinso... you've given me some of this girl's... background, but that doesn't explain how she's doing this.”

We watched as Himiko judo-threw one of the men into the woman, using the kneeling motion to continue her momentum into another trip.

“It's... complicated,” I stated haltingly, flipping through my mental codex to make the final decisions on how much I would disclose. “And I'm not a trained psychologist or anything, so take what I say with a grain of salt.”

“My background is in psych, so I'll at least tell you if you're completely off-base,” Kenji stated.

I raised an eyebrow and Endeavor nodded at me. “It's one of the reasons I asked him to sit in. Sato-san is a trusted employee who went to UA with me, though he was in the business track. I often use him as a sounding board for both his legal advice and his knowledge of the human condition.”

I hummed, turning to the man. “How much have you been briefed about my girlfriend's homelife?”

Kenji grimaced, reaching up to adjust his wire-rim glasses. Even if he looked every inch the salaryman, he'd managed to pull off the 'artfully disheveled' look, landing somewhere between hot older dude and unimportant background character. I didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he looked natural and human in a way that Toga Daiki would never be able to pull off.

“I've been sufficiently read into the situation to be deeply concerned should the representation of circumstances be accurate,” the older man answered with a professional demeanor and a deep frown.

Oh my gods...

Blinking, I turned to look at the gruff and unflappable Enji before looking at the office-nerd equivalent. There was a pause as I turned to look between them again, my attention slipping from the screen as Himiko took a tumble from a lucky hit that failed to do any damage.

Kenji blinked, looking at me fully as well. “Is something the matter?”

I snorted and shook my head... then decided to hell with it. My careful depiction of a young up-and-coming hero needed to act his age to some degree. “Nothing... it's just, I never thought of Endeavor having a friend before. Maybe I'm just guilty of thinking of him as a hero rather than a person, but... I guess it just hit me at once that he'd have to have someone to hang out with in his personal life.”

Kenji blinked at me for a moment as Enji cleared his throat and turned away, reaching for his water and draining it while trying to hide the flush on his face. I had to admit, the flame-goatee did wonders for concealing embarrassment.

Finally, the salaryman chuckled. “I like this one, Enji. Even if he's pants at the job, he'd be fun to keep around to rub a little shine off that pedestal people put you on.”

“I'll-uh, I'll take that under advisement,” Enji muttered, dropping the empty bottle into a bin and reaching for another one with the same desperation another man would go for a bottle of whiskey. “If you'd answer his question, though, Shinso?”

I sighed and leaned back, returning my mind to the topic at hand as I drained my energy drink. “Are you familiar with the concept of zen archery?”

Kenji hummed and nodded slightly. “Not overly, but I trust you're going somewhere with this?”

“A proper kyudo-ka – a practitioner of archery – completes a series of meditative steps prior to releasing the bow. It's... well, I'm butchering it, but it's a type of self-reflection that uses the technique of shooting the arrow as a tool to clear the mind and heart, shed worldly concerns, and create a perfect moment where the practitioner becomes one with the world around them.” I sighed and gestured towards Himiko wearing my form. “What you're seeing is someone who lives in that state.”

Good is not nice, evil is not mean, and enlightenment can be cruel and vicious.

“While fascinating from a philosophical perspective...” Kenji stated, frowning thoughtfully.

I acknowledged the invitation to elaborate with a single nod. “When you're put under the kind of stress that Toga was at home, you start... losing pieces of yourself. Not-”

Making a vague motion with my hands, I shook my head.

“Not walling them off, suppressing, or repressing them. Just... losing them. Forgetting them. Excising parts of yourself to conform to the expectations around you,” I explained tiredly.

“That's... honestly a terrifying thought, but it's something that is at least partially supported by theory,” Kenji muttered.

“I imagine it's easier if you're a child,” I replied softly, shaking my head to clear it. “But... if you do it enough, if you cut enough out of yourself... you eventually get to a point where-”

“There's nothing left,” Enji stated, his voice momentarily raw with emotion that cut through the room like a searing wave of heat to my senses. His eyes were locked on the screen, but not seeing it. The unfocused distant stare spoke of something deeply painful.

Hiding my grimace at the sudden flare of sensation, I nodded.

“Toga Himiko isn't really a person, not like we would recognize other people to be,” I explained bluntly. “She's lost too much. But... with as the Buddha teaches, with emptiness comes clarity. Clarity of thought, of emotion, of movement... and especially of her quirk.”

“A vampire-themed shapeshifting quirk,” Kenji grimaced. “That's... not an ideal basis to form a personality around.”

“It's more foundational than that,” I stated. “Her parents unintentionally made her own existence align with her quirk on a conceptual level. She may be empty, but she yearns to be filled. Her quirk focuses on blood, but Himiko herself... like an empty mirror, she reflects the things which stand before her.”

“In line with the idea that her quirk is focused on mimicry and predation, not just transformation,” Kenji stated, looking more displeased as the information added up. “Enji... I don't like this. If what the boy here is saying is true... this girl is literally capable of anything to satisfy a kind of need that you or I can't really understand.”

Endeavor was quiet for a long moment, staring at the screen. “Shinso. Do you believe this girl is dangerous?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe I am dangerous?”

Enji snorted, then nodded. “Point made, but I still have significant concerns. The information you've given me points towards a severely disturbed child with a natural talent and skill at deception, infiltration, and an unflinching willingness to meet violence with violence.”

“Nothing you've said is incorrect, sir,” I replied, then weighted my words more significantly. “Would you rather she become a hero or a villain?”

“Personally, I'd rather she have intensive psychological counseling in a secure facility,” Kenji muttered. “But given her spotlessly-clean record, her parents' good standing in the community and their own connections... it would take action that I couldn't term as anything short of a severe abuse of power to see that happen. Even if it could, though, given her experience with quirk counseling, I don't think it would be all that productive.”

“Do you think she'll make it as a hero?” Enji pressed, looking over my head towards the office worker.

“Frankly, if young Shino's assessment is correct – and I'm legitimately afraid it is – she could make it as anything she wants to,” Kenji replied. “The question is whether or not she wants to. Not whether or not she can.”

Endeavor turned to me. “You think she wants to? You're sure of that.”

“She doesn't want to be a hero,” I denied. “She needs to be close to me and she'll become a hero if it allows her to accomplish that goal.”

Enji blinked, frowning. “You sound sure of that. Relationships... at your age...”

I shook my head. “When she met me, the mirror in her heart reflected someone who wasn't afraid of her for the first time. Who accepted and understood her. She can no more walk away from me than a mirror can stop reflecting the image of what's before it.”

There was a long moment of silence.

“I'm hitting the bars tonight and getting drunk enough I might forget all of this,” Kenji muttered lowly, reaching up to remove his glasses and massage his eyes.

“You have a gift for poetry and philosophy, young Bootstrap,” Endeavor rumbled, “but that still doesn't fully explain Himiko's skills. She moves with a precision and grace that I expect from seasoned heroes and soldiers, not junior high school students.”

“Part of it is, admittedly, her quirk,” I repeated. “But... due to how she was raised, she takes people in as they really are. She understands people at a glance. She truly sees how they move, which muscles they use, where their eyes go. From what I understand, it was a survival strategy adapted to avoid her parents noticing her in a negative way. She's hypersensitive and hyperfocused on the people around her, and her quirk enhances those qualities.”

“So when she's in combat with someone...” Enji speculated quietly.

“You might as well be fighting yourself,” I confirmed. “She is a mirror. She knows what you're going to do before you do it. If you're able to defeat her, she'll just avoid contact. If you're in contact with her, you've already lost.”

“That's objectively horrifying from a psychological standpoint,” Kenji noted absently. “Regardless of her functionality, she needs counseling, Enji. So does Shinso, for that matter.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes.

Now's the part where you force me to do something I'm not actually against so I can treat it like a concession, giving you a win and letting you control the narrative. C'mon...

“You're already under contract, so we can't make it a condition of your employment,” Enji stated, sucking down more water. “But I can tell my daughter and she is every centimeter as stubborn as I am.”

Kenji snorted, smothering a grin as he turned to me. “I'd advise just taking the counseling sessions. If nothing else, it'll give Himiko another reason to go along with it.”

I grunted, my lips twisting downwards. “Fine.”

Enji hummed, obviously trying not to visibly enjoy his victory over a teenager.

“That means you'll support her though, right?” I asked, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes suspiciously at the pro-hero like a child unsure of what was being said.

Enji snorted. “The way you've set things up, there really is only one choice I can make as a professional hero unwilling to make a mockery of the law and imprison an innocent girl victimized by her own parents. Kenji, if you'll begin looking into alternative housing solutions for the next school year?”

The salaryman grinned, adjusting his glasses to catch the light of the monitor in a move that simply had to be practiced. “We'll attach a rider saying that we want her close to the Agency given that we'll be subsidizing her UA tuition fees. I'll have to look at where exactly she lives to see how much I have to work to make it believable, but unless her parents are willing to really fight us on it... I think we'll be able to work something out.”

“Emphasize the normalcy of the option you're presenting,” I advised him. “And Endeavor's position as a representative of the social order. Presenting the contract as a function of those, rather than an exception to them, will strengthen your case in their eyes.”

Kenji's glee flickered, but he nodded seriously.

Then Endeavor stood, slapping his hands together as he knocked them free of crumbs. “Bootstrap, you're with me. I've seen enough and Himiko has accomplished her objective. It's time we shut this farce down.”

I hummed as I stood up as well, emptying the last of my drink and dropping it in the recycling bin next to the man's desk. “I was wondering if you were keeping count.”

Enji's severe blue gaze pierced me. “The girl may be good, make no mistake, but she's still a few years too early to get the drop on one of Japan's Top Ten.”

“She and I both need a good bit of formal training,” I admitted.

“Ah... if the boy could go ahead and start down? I have something I'd like to briefly discuss with Endeavor.”

“I'll see myself out, then,” I bowed slightly to the two older men and did just that.

…

“Enji.”

The Flame Hero's shoulder slumped and he nodded. “I know.”

“I still need to say it, if only for my peace of mind,” Kenji replied. “Those kids are not okay. Neither of them.”

Despite how much water he'd been drinking, Todoroki Enji still swallowed dryly as his throat constricted. “I know. Hitoshi... he reminds me of Touya, a bit. Towards the divorce, when Rei stopped letting me train him... how quiet and serious he became.”

Kenji grimaced, remembering the painfully-quiet melancholy of that long-past year nearly a decade ago. “I was thinking of Natsuo.”

Enji sighed, nodding. “He always was better at hiding things from me than Touya. At least I can get Natsuo to come home for the holidays...”

“Just... I don't want to see you blame yourself if something happens again, Enji,” the salaryman warned him, his tone grave.

“I'll... I'll get Fuyumi to help me keep a watch on them,” Enji promised, rubbing at his chin ruefully. “Maybe even get Shoko in on it. She could use a friend or two that won't treat her like the child of the Number Two Hero.”

Kenji paused at the door. “For what it's worth... I think it's the mark of a real hero that you're not just dumping both of them into the system and calling it a day.”

Enji scoffed. “To have survived all they did, as intact as they have? They deserve nothing less than a Plus Ultra effort on their behalf.”

Kenji snorted and shook his head. “I don't care what the PR department says, I think people should hear you talk like that more.”

The bulkier man blushed and turned away. “Let me know when you have something on Shinso Hinako's case.”

“Will do, Boss,” Kenji replied.

…

Fuyumi saw me as I entered the expansive private gym, her eyes glancing over me.

Then she stopped abruptly and her head snapped over to me again before shooting towards the mat.

Himiko's eyes widened and she pointed. “The intruder! Get him!”

I crossed my arms and gave her a deadpan stare. “Hah. Hah.”

“Uhh... which one is which?” One of the side-kicks asked, looking between us as everyone began to move about tensely into striking positions.

Then the door opened behind me and Endeavor stepped through in his full costume, looking none-too-happy. “It doesn't matter at this point. The infiltrator has succeeded in their mission and the Endeavor Agency has failed its penetration test.”

The assembled heroes, sidekicks, and staff all collectively groaned. Fuyumi in particular palmed her face and muttered something under her breath that wasn't too polite. After a moment's consideration, she brought her head up and pointed at Himiko. “This one's the fake, aren’t they?”

The shapeshifter stiffened, turning a frown towards Fuyumi, but never breaking my traditional monotone. “What? But I've been here the whole time. How would I have accomplished the objective?”

Fuyumi shook her head. “You oversold when Bootstrap came in. He wouldn't have tried to take control of the situation like that. Plus, now that I'm thinking about it... some of the things you've said have been off. Cadence, word choice... nothing I would notice specifically, but taken altogether...”

“A little late, but good catch,” Endeavor rumbled, making his daughter duck her head.

Himiko grinned widely, her canines hidden behind her disguise still as she threw both hands up in a big stretch and then curled them back behind her head to leave her elbows pointing skyward. “Hehe... I'll have to watch out for that! Hitoshi! Hitoshi, I did it! I tricked everybody and my disguise didn't even get damaged! Hehehe!”

The various heroes and sidekicks around the room twitched at the overt shift in personality as my duplicate skipped over to me and clung to my arm.

Brazier got it first, pointing at the impostor. “Wait, hold up! That's your girlfriend?!”

“What?” Flame Snake asked, whipping his head around.

“The hell?” Onibi echoed.

“The kid said his girl might be auditioning for a recommendation for UA's exams,” Brazier explained. “I heard him talking about it yesterday!”

“Toga Himiko, everybody,” I shrugged with a tiny smirk, holding out my free arm to gesture towards the limpet at my side.

“Hi-Hi!” Himiko waved giddily, still wearing a gleeful grin on my face, then abruptly stilled and wiped the expression clean as she released me, stepped forward, and bowed. “I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused. Please forgive the disruption to your normal work schedule and any imposition I may have forced upon you.”

The sudden deployment of tactical politeness jarred everyone out of their surprise and frustration, forcing their minds onto a predefined cultural track as small polite bows were handed out and reassuring lies were voiced.

Fuyumi, being of stronger will than most and capable of withstanding the taboo, noticeably did not. “Alright, fine. We failed the penetration test. Great. But Da-er, Endeavor... Bootstrap still needs his CQC certification for the Agency evaluation. None of this counts if it wasn't actually him going through it.”

A few surprised and gleeful expressions erupted as various people exchanged smirks about that, realizing that they would be able to get one over on me, at least.

“Which is why Bootstrap will be facing off against Toga Himiko,” Endeavor rumbled, and I blinked in actual surprise as Himiko stiffened next to me.

We weren't the only ones, eyebrows rising throughout the room.

“Given your performance against the infiltrator,” he continued, “I don't think anyone will have an objection if Bootstrap is able to win... say, three out of five bouts? Should he accomplish that, will anyone here contest a CQC certification?”

“What if he loses?” Fuyumi asked, looking directly at her father.

“Just like anyone else, Bootstrap will be forced to undergo remedial CQC training and an evaluation under myself and a senior instructor,” Endeavor stated.

Faces that had been resentful and nearly mutinous when the traitor had been revealed were now outright gleeful. Even without knowing the details, I could guess that 'remedial training' was the stuff of nightmares to these people. Given that I was now faced with the task of either triumphing over their previous tormentor and redeeming the honor of the Agency or losing and suffering righteous retribution for my role in the entire affair...

Clever Boy.

With one stone, Endeavor was going to kill a half-dozen birds. First, with the tacit approval of the rest of the staff in attendance, he'd make them complicit in the approval of my CQC cert. Second, whichever party won the bouts, his employees would experience catharsis by way of seeing the loser taste defeat. Third, he'd get to test my own skill against an opponent he knew had substantial skills of their own.

Fourth, he no-doubt wanted to see if I'd go easy on Himiko or be willing to fight her all out knowing exactly how dangerous she could be. Even beyond that, though, I'd be able to test her skills to their utmost, something he hadn't seen in the interim yet. Fifth, how would Himiko act in the fight? Was she truly as self-controlled as I'd argued she was? Or was she a loose cannon waiting for something to happen to snap? How strong was the relationship I purported to have with her? Pitting her against me was by no means an exhaustive test, but it was a good step in the right direction for greater understanding.

Sixth... he was punishing me.

Not overtly. 'Punishment' might even be the wrong word for it. Whatever one wanted to call it, he was demonstrating that my actions had consequences. I'd wanted something from him and explicitly used his own code of conduct as a professional hero against him to force him into making the decision I wanted. Regardless of whether he would have cooperated or not without that, such conduct necessitated a response. A warning, more like, that the next time I pulled this shit he wouldn't be as nice as making me fight my own girlfriend for the cathartic validation of his employees.

...and that's before the other minor things this accomplishes.

The Sidereal in me approved a bit too much for my liking.

I really can believe this man has over a decade of leadership experience. Very nice.

I met Endeavor's gaze and gave him a single nod.

Himiko, likewise, gave another nod... and I think I caught a glimmer in her eye that said exactly how impressed she was with Endeavor just now. Which was good.

“And, of course, Bootstrap and our infiltrator will be joining us for the security briefings given that they will be our newest employee and intern respectively,” Endeavor went on, driving the point home that neither Himiko nor I were getting any sort of favoritism or special treatment.

Truly, ours is a kind and just kami, handing out blessings and punishments in equal measure.

Both Himiko and I looked appropriately disappointed by the announcement, even if I was actually interested in the content and she...

Actually, Himiko would probably be interested in it, too, if only as a how-to guide to sneak around secure places better.

“You're dropping the transformation before we fight,” I informed Himiko, who slumped slightly and gave me an exaggerated pout... that look strange and alien on my face. “C'mon, perfectly symmetrical violence never solved anything.”

Himiko blinked my purple eyes, then giggled as she bounced over to the bag she'd brought with her and pulled out a small tarp, unfurling it much to the interest of the rest of the crowd. There was a flicker of self-consciousness before I gave Himiko a firm nod of support. That was all she needed to go through with it as skin turned to mud and began sloughing off her true body.

A few of the agency's staff looked away in brief disgust, though I was pleased to note that the majority merely watched with interest as a petite blond girl with a pixie cut emerged from the muck wearing a one-piece swimsuit. Really, I'd call it an abbreviated wetsuit with quarter-length sleeves and legs of the same material as the body of the suit.

It was a little – a lot – conservative to wear on a public beach these days, but for the purposes of wearing to a gym full of professionals, it worked perfectly.

“Whoa... you done good, Kid!” Charcoal rumbled at me, offering me an oversized thumbs-up even as a woman next to him smacked him.

Himiko giggled and bounced, doing interesting things to her chest. “Thanks! I think he did pretty well, too!”

More than one of the sidekicks and heroes snorted at that, while I just shook my head and kicked off my shoes while I headed towards the practice mat. Himiko shook off the last of the mud from her transformation and bounced over to meet me...

Then stopped cold as she caught sight of me.

Her eyes dilated, her throat clenched...

...and she took a step back.

“What's wrong?” Fuyumi asked, her eyes narrowed as she watched the two of us closely.

“Uhh... he wins,” Himiko stated, pointing at me weakly. “I... um, it's not really fair?”

I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head. “Was it fair for you to pick on all the heroes and sidekicks? At least you know what's coming.”

Muttering broke out in the small crowd as Himiko pouted at me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, then turned to Endeavor. “Sir, do you have a pair of handcuffs and ankle cuffs? Apparently my girlfriend needs a handicap.”

If anything, Himiko's pout got worse.

Endeavor's eyebrows rose, but he nodded slowly, “I'm willing to allow it if you're that confident in yourself, Bootstrap.”

“Endeav-” Fuyumi began, opening her mouth to protest.

“Hot Ice,” he interrupted, removing the restraints from his belt. “This will either be an informative lesson on the subject of pride for young Bootstrap or a lesson on how dangerous even a restrained villain can be for the rest of the agency. Either way, I am curious.”

His daughter frowned, but nodded slowly as he lobbed the cuffs underhand to her and she approached me. Without prompting, I placed both of my hands behind my back, and she paused again, staring at me.

“Only way to make it fair,” I stated in an undertone.

“I really hope you know what you're doing,” she muttered, kneeling down to cuff my ankles.

I tested both sets as she moved away, nodding as I firmly planted the length of the chain in my head. Turning to Himiko, I nodded. “Ready.”

Himiko watched me warily, her instincts too good to allow her guard to drop as she stepped back on the mat. “Ready.”

“Rules are knockout or capitulation,” Fuyumi stated, looking between us. “No serious injury or I'll throw you in the holding cells to cool off.”

Both Himiko and I nodded, not taking our eyes off each other.

“Begin!”

Himiko shot forward, all pretense of play gone as she leaped to make a straight punch towards my midsection and put me out of the fight as quickly as possible. Even with all of the instincts, talent, and skill she possessed... even with how it had grown as she'd learned from the various heroes and sidekicks during the last two hours...

She was still inexperienced.

I dropped back, my fingers spread as I caught my weight, dispersed on ten different points before my palms took the lessened impact. It was a move that, on concrete or asphalt would have resulted in bruised or broken fingers, but the padding of the mat helped.

Now effectively on my back, my feet swung up in a vertical line.

Himiko's eyes widened and she shifted to the side-

-but I wasn't aiming for her directly.

My feet spread as much as they were able, the chain between them caught her extended wrist, my feet crossing as I flowed with the motion of my kick and her strike. My ankle cuffs pulled her along as my legs completed their upward arc and kept going, only releasing their grip on her arm when I had moved past the point where they were directly over my head.

Himiko went flying to the far end of the mat, landing in a messy and surprised jumble.

I continued the motion and rolled into a flip, curling my body in a brief moment at the apex of my jump to let my hands slide under my ass, past my legs, and over my shackled feet.

Landing with my hands in front of me now, I popped my neck and worked my limbs.

David Cain... I hope you're burning in hell, but your lessons will be well-used.

“Well?” I prompted Himiko. “You were frustrated I didn't take you seriously the other day. This is your chance.”

Yellow cat's eyes stared at me as I bounced lightly on the balls of my feet.

Himiko whimpered.

…

Todoroki Enji sighed as he threw back a cup of sake and relaxed for a brief moment of peace and quiet in his lounger at home. In the kitchen, he could hear Shoko beginning to set up the kitchen for dinner and he knew that if he didn't get up and confront her soon, she would make the entire meal by herself.

He just... needed a moment.

“At least I don't have to worry about the problematic elements hazing Hitoshi now,” he muttered, shaking his head.

~~~

Here we are! I had to go down a rabbit hole looking some stuff up for a future chapter and, well... it turned into a hell of a wiki-walk. But I think I've got the info I need for both this and another project now.

This chapter features a confirmation of what many people already guessed regarding Hitoshi's appearance at the training session with Fuyumi. I think it turned out well, and is a return to form to a slightly longer chapter as you've been getting.

Next up for the weekend... will probably be more Mind Games. Probably. I'm putting together something else that I might get done before then and the winner of the Awesome Tier poll this month will be Entrepreneurial Spirit. So we'll get to look in on what Nova is doing as well.

Hope everyone enjoys the chapter and is having a great week! Thank you again for all of your support!