Author's Notes: This story continues Inigo's story from Dragon's Claw and takes place one day before Dragon's Visit

Dragon's Visit: The Other Side

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I. Byakko-Ikkai Syndicate Compound, Osaka

Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGc23Acr3Ms

It's been exactly two days since Luccione's capture. The festival wasn't the only place Luccione and his allies had attacked that night; at least a dozen high-ranking syndicate members were dead. The other yakuza families were the main targets. Inigo had testified in front of the clan's elders and they had given Kaz a swift sentence. Yet something felt off about it. Like a VN with only two choices which both lead to a good route. It was too easy. Luccione's allies were still there. Gathering in Kyoto. Waiting. Inigo couldn't let them hurt any more people.

Dry tears stained the folded letter tucked away in his blazer's pocket. Hiro's formula had done the trick and revealed the whole message. Pulling the paper out, he read through it again for the 20th time.

His eyes fogged up before he could read the second part. He yawned fighting off sleep that would come if he gave in for a few delicious seconds.

BUMK BMMK!

The black armored car jostled through the unfamiliar compound's gates and a series of speed bumps. Men wielding semi-machine guns watched from their sentries.

Sitting on the driver's seat was a petite man, with gentle features in formal wear. Though a salt and peppered hair suggested he was 70-something, he stood with the ramrod stiffness of a much younger man. "We're here," the driver said.

The blonde teenager, wearing a neatly-pressed black suit and a red tie, took a deep breath and moved to exit the unmarked vehicle. A miniature green dragon landed on his right shoulder.

"We should wait for backup, sir," the old driver suggested.

"I got this. Please stay safe, Shoji-san."

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Minutes later, flames rose around him as the young man walked back to the car. Behind him, the building's roof caved in and collapsed. The men that were inside fled.

The car's door opened and the weary teenager slipped in. He slumped over with his head low. He held his chest and hissed through gritted teeth.

“You’ve been shot.” the driver said with concern.

“I’m fine. Bullets didn’t make it through my armor.” He reached for the first-aid kit under the seat.

"I take it, negotiations went well, young master?" Shoji-san said.

"Byakko Ikkai will stay out of Kyoto."

"Ah, good." The car started. "A phone call came for you while you were busy."

"Who was it?"

"Shie Hassaikai sends their regards about Luccione and your father's retirement."

"Ah. Tell them thanks.” He groaned as he bandaged up his chest. “And that I hope to see Eri soon."

"Very well."

The driver paused.

"They'll open the gates. Don't worry."

Shoji-san nodded, "Where to next, sir?"

"Can you take me back home, Shoji-san? I need to visit my friends in the hospital." He closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe easier.

The gate opened. The men on the walls kept their weapons drawn, holding their fire with bated breaths.

As the compound disappeared from view, Inigo recalled Gigan back to his side. Blood coated the miniature dragon's fangs.

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He watched the flames from the Byakko compound get smaller in the distance. He'd been away from Kyoto. Right now, he should be there celebrating the aftermath of the Summer Festival with Hoge, instead he was here putting out Luccione's fires. And starting new ones of his own.

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II. Central Kyoto

Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GR-mN9Qafk

In the bustling city of Kyoto, the sun shone brightly, reflecting off the vibrant colors of autumn. Inigo jolted awake as the car hit a pothole. He yawned and rubbed his eye. Gigan mewed at him as it uncurled on his lap. "You fell asleep too? I told you to wake me up early, buddy." He took out his phone.

"Did you sleep okay?" Gigan mewed and hopped unto his shoulder. It opened its mouth wide.

Inigo chuckled and patted his dragon. "Okay, buddy. We'll get some food soon. I still don't think you actually need to eat."

He grinned and looked out at the familiar buildings outside the car. He could almost see Shiketsu Academy from here. Today was the first day of September. Classes would start again soon.

He checked his phone and saw he had 1 message.

It was another message from Fight Man. He grinned and quickly typed out a response. He wondered how his class had been doing. He pulled up the class' groupchat on his phone.

He should say hello. He started typing away.

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He smirked and closed his phone. He couldn't wait for the next semester. He felt better already.

"Shoji-san, we there yet?" he asked while he straightened his tie.

"Apologies, young master," the driver said, "I'm afraid we're behind schedule. Traffic hasn't moved for ten minutes."

Inigo busily combed his hair using Gigan as a mirror. He was still really really ridiculously good-looking. He shot finger guns and winked at himself.

"What's the hold-up?"

"It seems to be some sort of villain attack, sir."

Inigo squinted his eyes and looked through the windshield. In the distance, he could see a thin plume of smoke rising into the clouds.

"Alright then." He opened the car's door and started to stretch. Gigan transformed back and ran up Inigo's arm. The chill of the morning air ramped up his excitement. "Thanks for the ride! I can make my own way from here, Shoji-san!" he replied.

"My orders were to see you home safe, young master."

"I am home!" Inigo shouted as emerald wings unfurled from his back. With a running start, he took to the skies and saw the city in its entirety. He caught an updraft and allowed it to send him soaring past the clouds. Cold wind whipped through his hair as he shot towards the distant danger. As all heroes should.

As he flew, his thoughts drifted back to the last few days. The news of the epic clash between the local heroes and the infamous Five had spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of criminals far and wide. Many of those pro-heroes were now in the hospital, including the esteemed #6, Majestic, and #10, Rosethorn, all nursing undisclosed injuries from the fierce battle. On top of that, his uncle's trial was still underway and the Sahugin gang was all gone, leaving a void of criminal authority in Kyoto. It was a volatile situation. He knew the city's vulnerability wouldn't go unnoticed by the villains lurking in the shadows, especially those from the prior prison break in Osaka.

Inigo followed a trail of broken property and damaged buildings. There it is!

A thirty-foot tall vine-covered villain, resembling a giant lima bean pod, rampaged through office buildings. Shattered glass and pulverized concrete rained down as it battered buildings with limbs thick as oak trees.

Far below, Inigo spied the hero Floor battling solo. The local heroes must be spread thin if he's alone. Inigo glanced at distant plumes of smoke, realizing that this was just one of multiple villain attacks happening simultaneously.

Floor was slowing down the villain but clearly lacked the firepower to defeat it. Worst of all, Inigo could see civilians encased in its massive tendrils, holding them hostage as it stomped about. Office workers screamed, begging to be freed from its crushing grip.

"Ten-Meter Standing Room!"

Floor yelled. His binding quirk trapped the gigantified villain's green foot as it tried to take a massive step. The villain tripped and crashed. Floor quickly moved to help a captured woman get free. Inigo watched as the villain aimed a tree-sized vine at Floor. The vine struck true, sending Floor flying. The pro-hero did his best to shield the woman in his grasp as they struck a wall hard.

Inigo tucked his wings and dove, rocketing down like a missile. To his surprise, two familiar faces were heading there as well, his classmates - Yui and Noah! They nodded to each other as they sprung into action. In an instant, Inigo's barrier went up in front of Floor, Yui's threads ensnared the vines, and Noah's light beams blinded the villain. They stood in front of the pro-hero.

Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM3WYL8JVZ0

"W-who're you three?" Floor said suspiciously, staggering to his feet.

"Floor-sama. Be not afraid," Noah said, with a reassuring smile as his wings spread wide. Bright light shimmered around him. "We are hero students here to help!"

"Yeah! We're a Rescue team! We're trained for this," Inigo yelled through his green knight armor, giving the pro-hero a thumbs up.

"That's right! You can count on us!" Yui called out, her bindings wrapping around her limbs as she took a defensive stance in her crimson hero costume.

The monstrous villain slowly rose to its full height.

"Let's go! Remember what Localoca taught us. Saving civilians comes first!" Inigo called out. He flew up and charged. His emerald shield enlarged to block the creature's lashing limbs. He shot between the monstrous vines, slashing with an oversized claw gauntlet to free the entangled civilians.

Yui's threads shot out like lightning, weaving a web around the creature's flailing limbs. She heaved and yanked the threads forward causing the monster to tilt dangerously. Civilians fell from its grasp.

Noah with remarkable agility darted through the villain’s attacks, he caught the freed civilians in mid-air. "Hostages secured!" Noah called out as he moved a woman a good distance away from the fight.

Floor, battered and worn out, walked forward slowly. He cracked his knuckles."Appreciate the help, but I started this fight, young heroes - and I won't back down!" With the civilians safe, Floor leaped into the monster and struck unfettered at its lima bean core. He rained down punches and kicks. Hundreds of hours at the gym and sparring with Impakt had allowed him to master his strikes.

5, 10, 20 strikes!

Inigo couldn’t keep count as Floor attacked with blinding speed. The monster groaned, lashing out wildly at nearby buildings and vehicles. Giant lima beans shot out of its pod, crushing walls and vehicles, and nearly hitting Yui as she swung away on a thread.

Inigo flew to reinforce a struck store full of shoppers with his quirk long enough for them to flee. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Yui's bindings snapping as she worked to replace them.

Noah yelled in pain as twisting vines crunched at his white wings. Floor severed the vines with a kick, freeing the angel boy. They continued their assault.

Their coordinated effort was working, but the creature was fighting back. Each step it took sent shockwaves through the ground, and the buildings around them trembled dangerously. They were in a race against time, knowing that the longer the battle dragged on, the more innocent lives hung in the balance. Inigo's mind raced. What could he do? He watched the final civilian flee from the building he was holding up.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Yui cried, her voice strained. Floor's voice boomed from the midst of the chaos, "I've got an idea, kids! Keep it distracted!" Inigo nodded and ran next to Noah, "Leave it to us!" They both yelled in unison.

"CRASH KICK!" "EMPYREAN BURST!”

An explosion of light and an enormous soccer ball slammed into the villain from the side. It was dazed.

Without hesitation, Floor gathered his quirk for a gambit. He drew his full energy.

"Twenty-Meter Breaking Room!"

A sharp vibrating noise shot up into the air. The monster started to slowly slump and then one by one its limbs crashed into the ground as if pulled by an unseen magnet. It was held down and pinned. "I can't keep this up for long. Where is he?" He said, yelling into his communicator.

"Look over there!" Yui yelled, pointing up at the sky.

Right on cue, something shimmered high above them. A figure plummeted from the sky.

"KNIEVEL..."

Impakt fell rapidly. The pro-hero's signature drop kick crashed down on the beast with the force of a meteor strike.

"... ABSSPRUNG!"

The vine monster groaned loudly and toppled like a felled oak, office windows shattering around it. The bean pod had snapped and broken, smashed into a hundred pieces. Floor released his quirk and wavered from his lack of energy. He smiled, "About time you got here." In a flash, Impakt was by his sidekick's side, holding him, "You did great fighting him for this long. Leave it to us."

“Impakt-sempai..”

They gazed into each others’ eyes for a moment.

Turning towards the monster, Impakt charged. Inigo, Yui, and Noah rallied around him with their own attacks.

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With the villain subdued, Impakt turned to the students, bloody but beaming.

"YA-HA-HA-HA! Excellent work, young heroes! But no time for praise - there's another villain in Quadrant 4! You're not in trouble. But leave things to the Kraftwerk Hero Agency from here on!" He moved to collect the weary Floor and pressed on his earpiece. "Copy that support! I'm on my way!"

With that, they blasted off in a blur.

The police quickly moved in to collect the villain. Inigo and his friends made their escape up one of the rooftops overlooking the battlefield. Inigo smiled ear to ear, he had only seen his classmates briefly during the summer festival and they hadn't talked since the summer break. As soon as others were out of earshot. He hugged his friends from behind, adrenaline still pumping. "Guys! Haven't seen you two in rescue gear for a while. That was crazy! It's so good to see you two!"

"Hey! Watch where you're touching!" Yui yelled in jest, "Seriously, it's been way too long. I missed kicking ass with you losers."

Noah smiled, "Noah as well. It gladdens Noah's heart to be united with friends once more."

Inigo kept his arms around their shoulders. "We definitely have a lot of catching up to do! How were your summers?"

"I trained a bunch and got way stronger. Also punched a lot of dudes," Yui replied.

"Noah went on a short mission trip and helped many in need."

"That's awesome! I had to deal with some messy family stuff, but I'm just glad to be back hanging with my buds," Inigo grinned. "Man, I can't believe we ran into each other during that madness!"

"It's been non-stop random villain attacks over the past week. They seriously popped up out of nowhere," Yui said with annoyance.

"Yes, Noah had come out to help. Unfortunate events have befallen our fair city of late.. Just last week, the church food bank was robbed by ruffians. Noah was most distressed by the crime."

The three of them watched the lima bean villain get dragged into a big police truck.

"That's crazy. Any idea where all these new villains came from all of a sudden?" said Inigo. He had a few ideas, but he wondered what they knew.

"No clue. The police are stumped too. It's like someone kicked over a trash can and released all the vermin. Me and Noah have been running ourselves ragged responding to all the incidents," Yui answered, kicking a rusty can off the roof.

Inigo fluttered his wings and ascended, "Well, at least we'll get our whole class back together soon. Let's clean up these streets once we get our licenses!"

Noah cheered, "Quite right. Justice shall reign again soon enough! We'll correct their misdeeds and show them a better path."

"Hell yeah! I'm ready to crack some skulls. You wanna come with us to Thanks A Latte?" Yui asked.

Inigo shook his head, "I'll take a rain check! I got something to do! I'll catch ya guys later!" Waving good bye to his friends, he flew off into the sky.

One thing was clear - they were going to have an interesting start to the new term!

III. Safehouse

IniGOAT: yo
NothingPersonnel: whats up
IniGOAT: something came up n i heard u were free
IniGOAT: you mind checking up on chris today?
NothingPersonnel: just me?
IniGOAT: yeah every1 else is busy
NothingPersonnel: yeah idk
IniGOAT: why not bro?
NothingPersonnel: I think Chris has a problem with me
NothingPersonnel: we dont really talk
IniGOAT: now's your chance! i swear he's a rlly cool guy
IniGOAT: bobbys always going on about a 5th member so we can form a basketball team
NothingPersonnel: Yeah alright bro
IniGOAT: thx man! ill get ya back
NothingPersonnel: I'll stop by and chat him up. He can't walk away to leave right?
IniGOAT: LOL he's in a wheelchair, just don't let him roll away

Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC_tfsmdDYo

Light rain drizzled around him as he flew down the lonely road. His thoughts were a turbulent storm as he gazed out at the scenery near the city limits. Inigo looked at a nondescript building across the street. It was a safehouse for the Five, and it had taken him some time to find them. He had doubts about meeting the notorious group again, but he needed to see Junichi. After a moment’s hesitation, he crossed the street and entered the two-story structure.

A disheveled man in an arm cast allowed Inigo into the building. The safehouse interior was dim and sparse. He made his way into a small infirmary inside. There were a dozen beds arranged in a row inside the gray-tiled room. Four of the beds were occupied. Inigo froze in the doorway at the sight of his friend. Junichi was pale and drenched in sweat, muttering deliriously in his sleep. He was surrounded by rundown medical equipment. He wore a thin white hospital gown, and they had removed all his piercings. Inigo couldn't stand to see his friend looking so injured and un-edgy.

“It’s not looking good,” Maddox said from her place at Junichi’s bedside.

"Still sleeping huh?"

Inigo moved inside. His throat tightened. Junichi looked so much worse than when he had visited Christopher in the hospital with the others. Christopher was already sitting up, talking and laughing with visitors. If they knew what he did, the media would praise him as a brave young hero. But Junichi was hidden away here, suffering. And he would be condemned. It didn't seem fair. They had both been trying to protect someone. Why would one get praise and glory while the other got...this? Inigo swallowed hard. The world wasn’t black and white and sometimes there's no bad guy, but who gets to decide that?

Inigo sat quietly by his friend's side. He placed a lunch box and a small "Get Bearter" bear on the bedside table. He had taken some time to place an earring on the bear and glue paper-mache bone spears on it. Gigan floated above Junichi with a worried expression.

Maddox sponged Junichi's forehead with a damp cloth. “He’s got a bad fever, kid. And there could be permanent complications if he doesn’t wake up soon. I'm worried her might take a turn for the worst.”

Inigo leaned in inches away from his unconscious friend, "I'm here, bro. Sorry, it took awhile." He smiled weakly. "Your hair's lookin' shabby by the way. You gotta wake up, okay? I need you to wake up and tell me if you scored with Max during the Festival. Or y'know... tell me to shut up and yell at me. C'mon... Please...."

He placed a hand on Junichi's arm. He was deathly cold. Junichi's breathing was harsh. He muttered soundless words in his delirium.

"Fine, be a grump and don't answer..."

Inigo sighed and turned to Maddox.

"Hey, about that girl you fought. Kaylee."

Maddox furrowed her brows, "How is she doing?" There was a hint of concern in her deep voice.

"She's in a coma right now. She's not doing too well. I thought you guys didn't kill kids?"

Maddox frowned exhaustedly, "She picked her battle, kid. It looked like she could take my hits until I hit her with my Bull's Eyes. Then she started freaking the hell out? Like I gave her brain damage or something.."

"That doesn't sound like her. She doesn't freak out in battle, even in the tournament-"

"She didn't even move. She started muttering nonsense. Something about a baby and the void," Maddox shrugged. "But my team needed me, I couldn't take the risk of her rejoining the fight so I took care of her."

"You could've held back.. or restrained her."

Maddox chuckled quietly. "I did hold back. Stupid girl reminded me of my kid sister. Running off into every fight thinking she could take on anyone."

"You have a sister?"

"I did." Her voice was cold and she shot him a serious look. She didn't want him to press on. He turned his attention back to Junichi.

"Thanks for being by his side. Did they bring a doctor around?"

Maddox nodded slowly, "He's done all he could with what they got." There was a note of grim hopelessness in her voice. How can someone so powerful, seemed so shut down. The Mad Bull was a big softie and he felt glad that she was around.

Rain leaked into the room from holes on the ceiling. Inigo glanced at the other three injured in the room. He didn't know who they were, but they were likely men who were wanted by the law. The room was cold and damp, not at all like the legendary Koseikai Takeda Hospital. This is where people went when they had nowhere else to go.

“Leave it to the government to hide advanced medicine from the rest of us. Saving it for their privileged heroes.” Junichi's previous words echoed inside Inigo's head.

“Hey Maddie, can we get my family’s healers to see him?” Inigo suggested, "There's these two women."

Maddox shook her head, “Too risky with all the heat on us. We can't even get out of here.”

"We have to do something. Anything," Inigo muttered in frustration. "Where's Sam?"

Maddox shrugged. Inigo felt anger building inside him. Desolator wasn't even here. Was he gonna leave Junichi to die?

Inigo bit his lip and rose to his feet, fist clenched. “I’ll see what I can do. I might be able to get us help. Please make sure he eats the curry if he wakes up. And I hope he likes the stuffed bear.”

Maddox smiled softly, “We’re here for him. He’s not alone.” She patted Inigo’s back.

“Thanks Maddie. Call me if something happens, okay?” Inigo said. With one last worried look at Junichi, he departed the house and ran into the pouring rain outside.

IV. Upscale Apartment

Inigo approached the upscale apartment building, rehearsing his pitch. The doorman eyed him suspiciously until Inigo flashed his Shiketsu ID card. "Top floor, penthouse suite," the man said, letting him inside. Inigo rode the elevator up, checking his reflection in the mirrored walls. Stepping out, he was startled by the two bulky security guards stationed by the elevator door. She really was guarded 24/7.

Taking a breath, Inigo knocked on the suite's door. After a long wait, the door creaked open, to reveal Aura Curie in a silk robe, hair wrapped in a towel. Behind her, the apartment was dim but tidy. Inigo had met the 2nd-year support student early on in the school year when his attempts to woo support girls had failed explosively. She had healed him with her quirk and he had done his best to make it up to her. She had always seemed odd to him, like she was constantly worn out. Even for a 2nd year, she was seen as a small celebrity in Shiketsu, though she never seemed to have any friends.

"Oh, it's you..." she drawled, leaning against the doorframe.

Inigo waved. "Hey Curie-chan! Still under maximum security huh? You're looking... great."

"Ugh, cut the crap. I look like shit." Curie hiccuped, taking a big swig of a nearly empty bottle of wine. "Got tired of ignoring me? What d'ya want?"

"So, funny story, I was hoping you could help my friend with your quirk? He's pretty banged up, and—"

"I knew it," She groaned, "Save it. I've heard all the sob stories before." Curie staggered back into her apartment.

Inigo followed gingerly. He had only been inside a few times. The once immaculate apartment was trashed, curtains drawn, piles of takeout boxes in the corners. Curie collapsed dramatically onto the couch and let out a weak belch. "I'm sooo sick of everyone begging me to fix their problems. You know it's a stockpile quirk, right? For every one I save, there's another I'm not able to help."

Inigo perched nearby. "I know, you must get asked a lot being so talented." He tossed an empty beer can off the couch.

Curie groaned into the cushions. "It's the worst. I wish I could just live in peace..."

Inigo nodded sympathetically. He was very worried. This was not the charming yet quiet senpai he remembered from his first semester at Shiketsu. Her depression had gotten worse. Gigan started tidying up the place as Inigo patted Curie on the back. "I'm sure you're doing your best. Believe it or not, I've seen worse. You should see my place after a gaming marathon.” He looked around. “How about I make you some coffee? Then we can talk."

Curie bolted upright, swaying. "Actually y'know what, screw that! Let's party instead. Wooo!" She cranked up some loud music and started drunkenly dancing. The loudspeakers made the room shake.

"Oh, uh, maybe we shouldn't—" Inigo tried to protest. "C'mon, dance with me!" Curie grabbed Inigo's hands, spinning herself around wildly. "Isn't this fun?"

"Yeah, fun," Inigo said quietly, getting dizzier by the second as he swung with her. Eventually, Curie tipped and began to collapse. He grabbed her to steady her and helped her onto the couch, his heart sinking. He couldn't ask a favor when she was like this. He glanced at his phone. If he split now, he could hit up the Doctor or that fresh faced nurse, Emilia. Hey there, Shiketsu medical crew, mind hopping over to the Five's secret spot? My pal could use a patch-up. He'd cooked up crazier schemes before.

Curie began to rouse, gazing at him quietly. Her eyes, a mix of silver and blue, looked like they'd been through a war – bloodshot and baggy.

"It must be hard dealing with people's sickness and injuries all the time," Inigo said wistfully as he stood up.

Her haughty manner slipped. "It is. I wish I could help more people. But I get used up so quickly. And I'm left alone to deal with my decisions."

“You do save people though, that must be nice, right?”

"Uhuh." She gave him a blank look. "I've also had to let a lot of people die because my power was spent. You just see them all pleading in their last moments for help… and I can't always help them." Curie's face showed the weight of this knowledge, and her eyes were red with tears that wouldn't fall.

“Yeah that'd get me too. Is no one else around? It’s shitty that you’re alone like this.”

She shrugged, “I used to have a lot of company. One by one, I drove them all away.” She looked out the window and stared off into the distance.

“Hey. I got kinda busy with other things.” He rubbed the back of his head. “That’s why I never visited again. I'm sorry,” Inigo frowned at his lame excuse.

“Whatever,” she muttered as she flung herself to the other side of the couch and produced another bottle of wine. She took a long swig. “You’re here now. For your friend. Not for me, but for your friend.” She laughed loudly.

Inigo sat down next to her in silence. It’s not like she was wrong. It's not like they were in the same class. He just figured she had other people. He felt like a huge jerk. "Hey, I put you on the spot showing up like this. I'll get out of your hair. You have my number if you want to talk."

He started to rise but Curie shot up and pushed him back down. She leaned in close, studying his face. A small smile crept onto her lips.

"On second thought, how tall are you now?" She spread the fingers of one hand over his chest.

"Huh? 184 cm, last time I checked for a suit." He stared up at the ceiling.

"You'll do nicely," She said with a purr.

Inigo raised a brow. "Uh, do nicely for what?"

"I have a gala to attend tonight and my date ran out on me. It’s a big charity for medical research. Come as my date, keep away the crusty old lechers, and I'll heal your friend after. Deal?"

Inigo blinked rapidly, "Right! Y'know I'm not exactly singl-"

"Purely professional, of course," Curie added, slightly annoyed. "So what's your answer?"

Inigo smiled optimistically, "Yeah, works for me." They shook on it. Inigo wasn't sure what he was getting into, but for Junichi, it’d be worth it.

Curie laughed, "Excellent. Pick me up at seven sharp then," She winked.

She adjusted his tie. "And wear something nice."

V. Annual Koseikai Takeda Charity Gala

recommended music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZdsWT-wrEY

Inigo stepped out of the limo and gazed up at the dazzling sight before him. Spotlights waved through the night sky over the massive art museum hosting the gala. Men in tuxedos and women in glittering gowns strolled up the red carpet toward the glamorous event. Turning, Inigo extended a hand to help Curie out of the limo.

"You look great," Inigo said with a wink.

"Why thank you, kind sir," Curie replied with amusement. "Remember, you're my date tonight. So look handsome and pretend to adore me."

"Of course, my lady," Inigo gave an exaggerated bow, making her laugh. He offered his arm which she took with a smile.

As they walked inside, Inigo marveled at the lavish decor. Priceless paintings adorned the walls while ice sculptures dripped down an ornate dessert table. A full orchestra played on a grand stage, accompanied by a soulful jazz singer. Inigo tugged at the collar of his dark gray suit jacket and placed a hand in his pocket. Gigan, sitting inside his pocket, nipped at his fingers.

Wish me luck, buddy. Hope this is a short party. Beside him, Curie shone like a gem in an elegant white evening gown, already scanning the wine table. She looked like one of the frost ice sculptures in her all-white outfit. He was surprised at how well she cleaned up.

Inigo noticed many familiar faces - his friend Noah sat with his family and Sally at a table, the Korean clique sat on a private table of their own, and various other schoolmates and pro-heroes were scattered about. Hiro and Orochi waved them over from a table near the back. He and Curie moved towards them.

"Fancy meeting you two here!" Inigo said to Hiro and Orochi, "Who knew we looked so good outside of our uniforms?"

"Hey Inigo," Orochi grinned, wearing a silver gown that matched her hair, "Pull up a seat, we're at the kid's table since we're still in high school."

Inigo pulled a seat up for Curie before taking his own, "Hey you guys know, Curie, from the support course."

Hiro nodded in his dark blue tuxedo. "They sent you an invite too? I figured they sent one to all Shiketsu students with potential in medicine. The new recruiters have gotten worst this year."

Curie motioned for one of the waiters to bring them a bottle of wine, "Don't remind me, Endless Horizons' staff has been a real pain since the Shiketsu tournament. They won't stop calling me."

Hiro shrugged. "I don't mind the free food."

A group of waiters served them the first of a five-course meal. "Otoro sashimi and caviar with freshly grated wasabi, yuzu zest, and gold leaf," the head waiter said to their table before the waiters all bowed and left.

The four teenagers busied themselves chatting as they ate, keeping an eye on the extravagant party around them.

"Didn't expect to see you two together," Inigo looked up from his food at Hiro and Orochi.

Orochi took a sip of her drink, "I'm here with my cousin." She gestured towards the tables at the head of the party.

Various pro-heroes mingled there. Inigo recognized the pro-heroes: Seiryu, Honoken, Slipstream, Magnum Shrimp, Flamingal, Rescue Ray, Localoca, Impakt, and Floor amongst a throng of lesser-known heroes. The first two wore signs of their injuries from their battle with the Five. "It's a photo-op to reassure the public that everything's okay. That pro-heroes are on top of everything," she explained.

"I don't blame them with all the villain attacks lately," Hiro said pensively.

"Yeah. It's been a pretty wild summer. You'd think villains never rested," Inigo watched the table full of pro-heroes.

He took note of all the cameras and photographers on them. This was the other side of the gloomy dark halls that the syndicate and the Five were used to. To him, the heroes were surrounded by light. Seiryu was flanked by two young actresses as he spoke to an interviewer. Impakt gave a thumbs-up to a photographer as his agent passed out business cards. Even Localoca posed for a group of admiring young men, some of whom were quickly escorted out by security. Inigo caught the attention of his favorite rescue teacher and they waved at each other.

"Even outside the battle, they're still doing their job for the public. That's going to be us one day, exciting stuff right?" Inigo said.

"Yeah, I can't wait," Orochi said, rolling her eyes as she chewed on her food. "I'd rather be at the arcade, where people leave me alone," she said half-joking.

"Don't forget, one of us is support," Curie absentmindedly moved pieces of her food on her 5th-course plate. "Those in the support team are lucky to get recognized behind the pro-heroes they help out. All the work and no glory really."

"Exactly why I'm in the Hero course. They did try to move me into support when I got held back. The Principal revoked the punishment once she heard Rescue Ray offered me a transfer," Hiro replied.

"Did you try out for the hero course too, Curie-chan?" Inigo asked curiously, as he swallowed a bite of his wagyu beef with a truffle glaze.

Curie took a swig of her wine glass and brought the empty glass down on the table with a thud. "Yep! Not heroic enough. I don't have it in me. I panic too easily.."

Inigo flashed a grin and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're more heroic than you think, you save and help people every day."

"Thanks- I uh-" She looked up, flushing, likely from all the wine she's had. She saw the Doctor and Emilia from Shiketsu's nurse staff waving at her. "We have to go meet with someone. It's a medical thing. Excuse me." She stood up abruptly and left.

"Right? I'll be here!" Inigo said, standing up as she did. He watched her leave and disappear into the crowd. He sat back down to amused looks from Hiro and Orochi.

"Sooo.. you two huh?" Orochi said, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

Inigo narrowed his eyes, "I'm only here as a favor to her, purely professional."

"Suuuure," she teased.

"Please don't make me beg not to tell Hoge-chan. I don't want to distract her before the exams. Cause I will beg, openly, and I can get very loud," Inigo threatened.

"I got your back, man," Hiro offered a fist-bump.

"Thanks bro," Inigo returned the gesture.

"I won't say anything if you don't. Not like I want rumors spreading about Hiro and me," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'm right here.." Hiro said.

"Ouch." Inigo winced. Even Gigan mewed in protest from his pocket.

"You knooow I didn't mean it like that! Why're you getting defensive for?" Orochi accused, raising a finger. "Cause ..uh.. I dunno." Hiro looked away, feeling lost. Inigo burst out laughing.

"Good evening students"

Inigo and Hiro looked up and saw the tall blue-haired dragon hero: Seiryu, sporting a black tuxedo with a blue rose, as he approached their table. He rested his hands on Orochi's shoulders. Cameras flashed behind him.

"Good evening!" Inigo said with a grin.

"Hello sir," Hiro said cooly.

"What is it?" Orochi said looking up.

"I'm here to introduce myself to your friends. We have an opening at my agency if any of you would like to join Orochi for your internships." Seiryu said in a smooth rehearsed fashion.

"Thank you Seiryu-san for the offer. I'll definitely consider it," Hiro said with a polite nod and bow. "Yeah, that goes double for me. I'm a big fan!" Inigo replied, beaming. Orochi seemed bored.

"That's great. Now if you excuse me, I'd like to borrow my cousin for a bit. Come on." He offered a hand to Orochi, who took it impatiently. The two walked away to meet with a group at a different table.

Inigo turned to one of the tables at the front of the party. A tall dark-haired woman with W-shaped golden earrings caught his attention, she was between two men with expensive-looking tuxedos. "Hey Hiro, you go to these places a lot, do you know who those people are?" He nodded towards the table. The large table was flanked by bodyguards and servants.

Hiro looked up from his food, "Hmm? Yeah, I've seen them before, a couple of big shots. That's Baberu Kōgō, she's the CEO of Endless Horizons, the guys she's with is Eugene Kurtz and Kazuma Oomori, both very wealthy businessmen. Why do you ask?"

Inigo smirked. "No reason. They look spiffy." All three of those names. They were in Jenkins' documents, although he had forgotten their significance.

"Well, looks like both our dates ran out on us." Inigo said, grinning. "Think I'm gonna mingle a bit. Catch ya later, man."

"Yeah, see you. I better check in with some people too." Hiro answered promptly.

Inigo left the table and walked into the crowd, wondering what awaits him at this fancy gala.

VI. Art Gallery

---

Inigo wandered away from the glittering gala, feeling downcast. He couldn't stop thinking about his injured friends. The lively music and dancing felt a little hollow. Seeking some solitude, Inigo slipped into a quiet part of the museum filled with contemporary art exhibits. As he walked past minimalist paintings and abstract sculptures, he heard the flick of a lighter. Peering around a marble statue, he spotted Maxine standing alone in front of a painting, her dark hair was swept back elegantly and she wore an embroidered black gown.

She pursed her lips around her slim vaporizer, blowing out a cloud of smoke. Her phone lit up her face as she scrolled through a news article, marring her perfect makeup with a furrowed brow. She tucked a styled curl behind her diamond earring, dabbing delicately under her eyes to avoid smudging her expertly applied mascara. Thinking back, Inigo did see Junichi and Max running together during the fight. Was she worried about him? Inigo paused, patent leather shoes squeaking on the marble floor. He glanced over his tailored tuxedo shoulder down the empty hall, then turned and shuffled back the way he came. With a deep breath, he pushed through the ornate doors, pretending that he had just arrived as his footsteps echoed.

He whistled. “Oh, man! Gigan, did we go the wrong way? Where are all the paintings of naked chicks? You lied to me, buddy,” he said loudly. Gigan stuck its head out of Inigo’s pocket and facepalmed. He walked slower giving her time to compose herself as he walked behind the statue. “Yo Max! Fancy meeting you here,” He said while walking towards her.

“Ugh, they really just let anyone in here. I thought this event had standards,” Max said, scowling.

“I have you know, they have a red carpet in the backdoor for us street rats too.” He smirked and paused to stare at the painting that she was looking at, a sumi-e style painting of two seabirds by the shore.

“Didn’t know you were into paintings, or is it the birds? This painting feels kinda lonely right?”

“Can you like, not talk if you’re gonna be here?”

“Eh, I could try.” She seemed oddly non-combative. “Hey, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” She took a long inhale of her vape pen. “Go bother someone else.” She shot him an annoyed haughty look.

“You hear about the pro heroes battle against the Five? Pretty brutal huh? Lots of reported injuries.”

Maxine scoffed, “Heroes fight and get injured all the time. How many times have Endeavor “fallen” only to come back fine? It’s cliche at this point.”

“Still it makes you wonder, if the heroes were so messed up - imagine what happened to the villains? There reports that it wasn't just the Five, there was a kid, our age, fighting with them too. With a bone quirk like yours.”

She was quiet. Her voice was intentionally cold when she finally spoke. “So? Who cares, if someone like that is stupid enough to get himself killed? What a complete idiot.”

“Yeah, well. He’s going to be fine,” Inigo said assuringly. “I can promise you that, and I’m sure you’ll run into him again.”

She shot him a weird look. “W-what are you talking about?”

“We’re talking about Junichi, right?” Inigo grinned. “He’ll be up and running, trying to get another convenient store job before you know it.”

“And.. how would you know?” She furrowed her brows.

“Well, he’s kinda my-”

Behind them, the rest of the Korean clique had appeared, giggling and talking as they walked into the gallery. Hailey was leading them, Faith and Edith held up champagne glasses next to her, and Minnie followed a few steps behind, she was typing away on her phone.

(What the fuck. There’s so many doctors at this party.)
(The last one was totally hitting on you.)
(Ew, that was my dentist.)

“I better run,” Inigo winked and walked away. “I’ll go bother someone else.” He waved as he disappeared around the corner.

“There she is!” Inigo heard Edith yell as he made his way back to the main room of the gala, going the long way around so he wouldn't run into the clique.

---

Inigo wandered into the gala once more. The party was even more lively. So this was another part of the hero world that he hadn't seen before. Most of his experience before Shiketsu came from news clips and his Popsy disc-sets. He's been in countless parties much like this one with his family, but this was- different. He didn't belong here. It seemed like his first day at Shiketsu all over again. It felt lonely.

To his surprise, he spied his classmate, Sally at one of the banquet tables by herself. She stood with her back facing a wall. Slightly hunched like she was trying to avoid notice. If anybody knew what it felt like to be a stranger here, it would be the brown-haired tsun from Mountaina. Or was it Monotona? He couldn't remember. He furrowed his brows. She was breaking protocol by not being with Noah right now. She wore a conservative black dress that was only two modifications away from her normal nun outfit, but he could see she went through a lot of effort to modify it to be rich and fancy. She was getting looks from other people. He'd have to give her his tailor's card later. Still, she must've come here to impress a certain someone and he was a firm believer that the heart can overcome any obstacle.

"Well if it isn't my favorite gunslinger!" Inigo shot her finger guns as he joined her, "Noah's a lucky man. That's a nice dress. You don't have to go all out to captivate him, know?" He said winking.

"Inigo? Fuck off! You creep!" He heard clicking coming from her quirk. Surely she wouldn't attack him here, "And thanks- I just, that's nice of you to say but-" Sally said, startled and flustered. There's the Sally he knew.

"You're here with Noah, right?" Inigo cut her off and grinned widely. "I saw their table when I came in."

"We're with his parents. The Abrams donate a lot to charity and they were kind enough to invite me." She said, gesturing to the table where the Abrams was busy chatting with local religious leaders.

"Eh? What's with the face though? You don't like schmoozing with elites? You don't look very happy," Inigo said, grabbing a champagne flute from a nearby waiter and holding it in front of him. He flashed his best smile. "You wanna ditch and run away with me?" he teased.

"Shut up! Of course, I'm waiting for Noah but he's too nice to excuse himself from all those people," She folded her arms together as they stood, backs facing the wall, staring at the party.

"I guess, you're right," Inigo said looking towards the crowd of smiling faces.

"So hey, I've been meaning to talk to you," Inigo said, his voice a touch serious.

Sally narrowed her eyes at him. "Huh?"

"Have you seen Desolator since Christopher's accident?"

"What?" she looked at him distrustfully, stepping back.

"I know he's been talking to you. You're not gonna take his offer, right?"

"How do you know him?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, he's been talking to me too," Inigo fibbed. "So I did some digging, and I thought I'd check up on you."

"I want nothing to do with that bastard and his plans," she said firmly. "You?"

"Same for me," Inigo winked, grinning and giving her a thumbs up. "You're more than your gun quirk, Sally."

"I know that already. Jeez."

"You're a good person, and you're way too pretty to be standing in the corner like this. You wanna go mingle with me? We can make fun of all the rich snobs," he suggested.

Sally sighed. "Not really. I came here for Noah and I thought this would be fun, but I'm dying here. This thing is sooo dull. Nothing at all like the parties back home."

"What kind of parties are you used to?" Inigo asked, tilting his head.

"I'm not telling you! You jerk! You'll just laugh at me," she glared.

"As a fellow wallflower at this giant party, I promise I won't. I swear." He raised a palm.

"Well.. back in Conrad. We had BBQ pits, barn dancing, potlucks, parades, and then we'd have a large bonfire and watch the stars."

"Ah. The closest thing we had to this in Ishikawa was the shrine ceremonies and dragon dances. We had large fires for those too when the volcanos acted up," Inigo grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. " But yours sound very nice. Really. We should all go one day. "

"Y-you idiot.. I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Don't you dare write this stuff on that stupid notebook of yours," she said, glancing away, her eyes landing on the Abrams' table where Noah was busy talking to three missionaries at once.

"It's natural for best friends to share stuff with one another, Sally-chan. You know what, I thought there'd at least be a dance here. A fancy party without dancing is absurd!"

Sally gave him a look, "It's a charity event, not a ball. No dancing. It's mostly rich jerks trying to one-up each other."

"We'll see about that," Inigo said with a wink as he left Sally.

"What are you doing?" Sally turned to watch him. He sauntered over to the musicians and slipped the conductor a folded bill along with a note.

Moments later, the host announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, a slight change to our evening - we will have some dance music!"

With a lively waltz now playing, Inigo went back to Sally with a smug grin. She narrowed her eyes, "What did you tell them?"

"Doesn't matter. Now quit moping and go ask Noah to dance!" Inigo said, giving her a playful nudge towards the angelic boy.

Sally cursed and glared at him as he walked away. Chuckling to himself, he stopped to watch her once he was sure there were enough civilians in the way in case she shot him. She was blushing but eventually worked up the nerve to head back to Noah's table. The two lovebirds made their way to the waltz.

Inigo watched other pairs emerge from the crowd. Seeing all the smiling couples, he suddenly wished he was here with someone else. She would easily be the most beautiful girl in this gala. No contest. He sighed and finished his drink, reminding himself that he wasn't here to have fun. He had a job to do.

He scanned the crowd for Curie.

---

---

VII. Waltz

Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hTvc3f83Ws

The lively music of the orchestra filled the grand ballroom as couples twirled gracefully across the dance floor. Inigo stood off to the side, surveying the dancers with a smile. He watched as Hiro struggled to keep up with Orochi’s wild movement as they went through the steps of the waltz. It was pretty funny. Even the clique was getting into it, although Faith seemed preoccupied. Nearby, Noah held Sally close as they gently swayed to the music. Inigo had to admit, his two friends made quite a dashing pair.

His gaze drifted over to the center of the dancefloor, where Seiryu effortlessly spun his latest partner, a tall woman in a shimmering green gown. As the song ended, Seiryu politely kissed her hand before seamlessly transitioning to a new dance partner. Inigo noted the dragon hero already had at least five different women on his arm that evening. Localoca with Floor and Magnum Shrimp with Flamingal swayed together along the center of the waltz.

Inigo's eyes continued wandering the room until they landed on Curie. His smile faded as he took in her hunched shoulders, half-empty wine glass, and the group of people crowded eagerly around her. Though he couldn't hear what they were saying over the orchestra, their forceful gestures made it clear they were peppering her with invasive questions. Inigo quickly made his way over.

"There you are darling! I've been looking everywhere for you," Inigo proclaimed loudly, swooping in to wrap a friendly arm around Curie's shoulders. He flashed his most charming grin at the group surrounding her. "I'm so sorry, but I simply must steal my lovely date back for a dance."

Before the group could protest, Inigo whisked Curie away back to their table.

"Thank you for rescuing me," Curie said with evident relief. She sat down on their table and refilled her glass.

"Who were those guys?" Inigo said, frowning, as he looked behind them.

"Those'rr.. some agency scouts," she slurred slightly, "Werr' not like the hero course, it's up to students in the support course to win over clients and investors for our bigger projects... Everyone in my class has these big dreams, but here I am dreading the next time I have to go to a hospital.." She slouched on the chair and almost spilled her wine, "But they still want me for their agency because of my quirk. It's all anyone here cares about. It's like they don't even see me as a person."

Inigo frowned.

“Yeah.. I know what that’s like.” Sometimes it seemed like it was Gigan who was in the hero course and not him. Like he didn't really matter. He was in a class of geniuses, and he was just a tag-along to the shapeshifting dragon. He felt Gigan look up at him from his pocket. I know it's not your fault, buddy. Inigo leaned and patted her on the head.

"Hey. What about all that dancing you did in your apartment? You're clearly very talented." He flashed a smile.

She looked up at him like he had two-heads. "I was drunk..."

"Yeah, but that didn't stop you. I think Curie the world-famous dancer, could outdo Curie the healer."

"I'm not comfortable in fancy situations like this, and I'm a mess," she frowned.

Inigo stood up. "So what if you feel a lil bit uncomfortable? Let's have some fun.” He held out his hand. “Just take my hand, weirdo." She complied and Inigo smoothly guided Curie through the steps of the waltz.

"People are staring at us."

"Forget about them and look at me," he said sincerely, giving her an encouraging wink. "Let's show off those dancing skills!"

As the music swelled, Inigo led Curie through a series of quick, complicated movements, spinning and dipping with precision. Curie initially stiffened in alarm but soon got into the rhythm. She became more confident with each step, effortlessly matching Inigo's footwork. Her eyes shone as Inigo lifted her and spun her through the air.

The room seemed to fall away as they danced faster.

"See? You're an incredible dancer," Inigo said sincerely as they gently revolved across the floor. "Have you ever considered going professional?"

Curie looked taken aback, glancing down self-consciously. "Oh, not at all," she replied. "I'm nowhere near good enough for that."

Inigo gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "Nonsense! You're a natural."

She beamed brightly as the waltz slowed them, "Thank you." She was finally enjoying herself.

They danced a few more minutes before a flash of blue suddenly caught Inigo's eye. "Hey follow me," He quickly ducked behind a nearby table, pulling Curie down with him. "What are you doing?" Curie asked, bewildered by his odd behavior.

Inigo subtly pointed across the room to where a wealthy-looking man, was talking with none other than the villain Cryo Jin. "I'm almost certain that's Cryo Jin, a villain I've fought before," Inigo whispered. "That's Mr. Oomori, right?"

Curie leaned out from behind the table to get a better look. "Yeah. He owns a lot of companies in Japan and invests a lot of money in support students. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" she asked uncertainly. They watched the two start to leave through a side entrance and walk into the gardens outside.

"I'd recognize that ice guy anywhere," Inigo insisted. "C'mon, let's follow them."

Inigo peered around the corner into the hallway, there was no sign of them. The pair quickly searched the gardens outside as well, but found nothing amiss. Finally, Inigo sighed in defeat, "I guess they got away. Sorry. We should probably head back inside."

"It's fine," Curie lingered, running her fingers over the petals of a nearby rose bush. "Let's stay out here a little longer. I needed some fresh air."

Inigo sat on an ornate stone bench surrounded by roses. "It is nice here." He looked up at the moon, barely visible behind the dense clouds above.

Curie turned around to face Inigo. "You know, I still have that bracelet you gave me back in April," she said a bit shyly. She held out her wrist, showing him a delicate silver chain bracelet with two chibi dragon designs hanging off it.

Inigo winced internally. Crap. How many of those things did he end up giving out? 10? Maybe 20? 30? "Wow, uh, that's...really nice that you kept it," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He felt Gigan's claw poke his leg. Ow!

Curie smiled softly, gazing down at the bracelet, "You told me you couldn't get me out of your head when you gave it to me. You told me to wait a day to answer, but I never gave you my answer."

"Damn," Inigo muttered under his breath. How many times did he use that stupid line?

He took a deep breath, "Listen Curie, I need to apologize... I didn't really mean any of that stuff I told you. And that bracelet, I know a guy who makes them for like 200 yen each. I used a lot of dumb lines before and was kind of a jerk."

He gently took her hands in his own. "But I'm really trying to be a better person. The guy I was before is very different from who I am now. I'm sorry."

Curie's eyes glistened with tears as she leaned towards him. Anger and bitterness flashed in her eyes. Inigo braced himself. Then suddenly, she lurched away and began violently vomiting into the bushes.

"Whoa, easy there!" Inigo said in surprise, gathering up her long hair and holding it back from her face.

Curie slumped with a miserable groan. "Uggh I'm so stupid..." she mumbled, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Hey, don't say that."

"Fuck you, you asshole!" she lurched again.

"Yeah, I deserve that."

"I hate you!" she heaved.

"Yeah I know, but I'll be here until you feel better," Inigo said, continuing to hold her hair in one hand while rubbing her back reassuringly with the other as she continued to throw up. He sighed. He's just gonna have to repeat his apology later when she's less wasted.

"You're still healing Junichi, right?"

---

---

---

Inigo and Curie returned inside the gala hall. The lights were dimmed except for the front of the hall where the grand stage stood, currently occupied by the gala's host and a group of esteemed guests. Inigo recognized leading pro heroes like Seiryu and Impakt gathered alongside various celebrities and CEOs from prominent companies.

They rejoined Hiro and Orochi at their table. Curie was ignoring him.

"We miss anything, good?" Inigo asked.

"They're counting the money they made tonight," Hiro answered. "1 billion, 545 million and 250 thousand yen from my estimation. It's a big success for modern medicine and scientific research."

"Don't get your hopes up," Orochi answered. "I was here last year and they just built another hospital wing."

Inigo raised a brow. "Hey, maybe next time, Christopher wouldn't need a roommate."

They watched the stage. "Thank you again to our generous donors this evening," the host proclaimed into a microphone at the front of the stage. "You have helped make this our most successful gala yet in support of medical research!"

Enthusiastic applause rippled through the seated guests.

"In particular, I'd like to thank Mr. Oomori, CEO of LC Corporation, for his tremendous donation of 500 million yen!" The host gestured to an elegant, brown-haired man standing near the front, who gave a polite nod in acknowledgment. More loud applause followed.

Inigo frowned. How did he get back before them, was he here the entire time? He looked around. No sign of Cryo Jin. His eyes met Curie's and she looked suspicious too. They shared a look. Yeah, we definitely followed him out before. Which means.. that's not the real Mr. Oomori.

"Additionally, we are grateful to Ms. Himura of Himura Tech for her 200 million yen contribution, and Mr. Hayashi of Hayashi Pharmaceuticals for his generous 100 million!" More nods and applause.

"Thanks to you all, we have raised over 1.5 billion yen tonight for this worthy cause."

"And now!" the host announced enthusiastically. "For the final auction item of the evening, from Mr. Derobi's Midsummer Collection, we have the Precious Meteor Spring Jewel. Shall we start the bidding at 100 million?" A dazzling light flashed as the jewel was unveiled on stage. Murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd. Inigo leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at the famed jewel. Even from a distance, he could see an intricate web of glowing green veins running through the egg-sized black opal gemstone.

Suddenly, the lights cut out, plunging the hall into darkness. Confused noises erupted from the guests. Flashlights turned on and glasses crashed to the floor. Inigo immediately stood up, ready to act. Nearby, he saw his friend Noah begin glowing gently, providing additional light.

"Gigan, form mirrors on Noah." Inigo ordered. The dragon morphed into angled prisms and mirrors that reflected and spread Noah's light around the room. Everyone gasped as they looked on stage. The jewel was gone and all the windows were wide open. A woman's laughter echoed from one of the windows and Inigo caught a glimpse of a long curled lizard tail before it disappeared. Seiryu mid-transformation jumped from the crowd of heroes and rushed out the window in a blur.

Suddenly, a deep booming laughter filled the hall, seeming to emanate from everywhere at once. All eyes turned upward in shock and alarm as an enormous disembodied head materialized, floating above the stage. The head had deathly pale purple skin and sinister eyes hidden behind a pair of purple-lensed spectacles. Rows of razor sharp teeth filled his grinning mouth and rows of small golden plates and assorted pieces of paper adorned a gaudy violet hat on his head. It was the golden terror, Midas.

"Good evening, esteemed guests. I apologize for intruding, but we simply had to take the jewel," the giant head rumbled in amusement. "Thank you for the generous donation. Rest assured, your funds will go to a worthy cause under the Night Parade."

More laughter echoed through the room. Inigo and the heroes tensed, ready to act. But just as suddenly as it appeared, the monstrous head vanished once more.

"Farewell for now," its voice taunted as it faded away entirely. "We'll be seeing you again soon..."

The room erupted into frightened chatter. Inigo frowned, filing away this mysterious new threat for later investigation. The Pro-heroes leaped were abuzz with action, scouring the room for anything suspicious. But it was too late - when the lights returned a minute later, there was no sign of the perpetrators. The crowd was growing loud and restless. "Everyone remain calm!" The hero Slipstream announced, raising his hands. "We will conduct a thorough search. For your safety, we ask that you proceed to the exits in an orderly fashion."

Security and event staff began ushering people toward the doors. Inigo wanted to stay and help with the search but found himself herded outside with the other guests. He took one last look back at the stage as he was ushered out. Mr. Oomori was gone too. He had to tell someone. It could be useful to the heroes. He saw Impakt rushing through the crowd.

"Impakt-sama! I have something to-" Inigo hailed the hero as he manuevered through the jostling crowd.

"Not now, young hero. Evil's afoot!" Impakt said nodding to him as he ran past.

"Thank you all for coming, the gala is now over," the host proclaimed apologetically once they were all gathered outside the building. "Rest assured we are working closely with the heroes to resolve this incident. Please have a safe trip home."

With a frustrated sigh, Inigo turned to leave with Curie, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to assist. He looked around at the other hero students outside, they had the same expressions. He was about to convince the others into an impromptu search when his phone rang. Inigo made his way to a side exit and stepped away from everyone.

“Hello?”

Maddie’s voice was harsh and cold.

“Inigo. It’s Junichi, he’s not doing too well. You should visit. We’ll have to take him somewhere else at this rate.”

“I’ll come by. I’m bringing someone along that could help.”

“Better do it fast then, kid.”

Inigo hung up and hurried over to Curie. "Hey. That was about my friend, the one who needs healing. We have to go now."

Curie nodded, a surprisingly determined face replacing her look of annoyance. She hiked up her dress and they rushed out of the ballroom. Inigo led her to the balcony and activated his quirk. His dragon wings unfurled and he pulled Curie close.

"Hold on tight!"

Curie wrapped her arms around his neck. With a running leap, Inigo soared off the balcony into the night sky. Curie shrieked and clung to him as the gala shrank below them.

---

X. Kyoto Industrial District

---

The rain pelted Inigo's face as he flew through the dark sky. Curie was clutching his back, shivering against the cold night air. "Just a little longer, we're almost there," Inigo said, trying to reassure her. Curie didn't respond, and merely clung to him tighter. Inigo scanned the skyline ahead. It was hard to see much through the pouring rain. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the cityscape.

A prickling feeling on the back of Inigo's neck made him glance behind. Through the downpour, he could just make out a dark figure leaping between rooftops, matching their speed."We've got company," Inigo said grimly. "Hold on!" He dove into a construction yard, away from the rooftops the pursuer was using. Inigo craned his neck, trying to spot if their pursuer was still giving chase. The heavy rain obscured his vision.

"I think we lost him," Inigo said. He angled them lower, thinking it safer to get out of sight.

Suddenly, a massive icy spike sliced through the air. Inigo swerved sharply, but the edge caught his right wing. He fell to the ground, Gigan transformed into a large mattress to cushion their fall. Looking behind them, he spotted a blue-haired man wearing a shinobi bodysuit, the ice villain Cryo Jin, on the street below.

"You're not getting away that easy, dragon boy! Hand over the girl!" Jin shouted. A torrent of ice spikes fell in front of him, cutting off his escape..

Inigo sprung to his feet. “I’ve been waiting for a rematch with this guy. Stay back for a minute.” Curie fell behind him. He created a glowing hexagonal shield to block several ice spikes. Inigo flew up and dove, building speed as he aimed his shield forward like a battering ram toward Jin. It morphed into a dragon’s claw. At the last moment, Jin rolled out of the way. Inigo's shield smashed into the pavement, sending chunks of ice flying.

The ground underneath Jin was transforming into ice around him. He was sliding on it. He was fast - already he'd put distance between them, conjuring up a wall of solid ice. Inigo's eyes blazed. He charged forward and slammed a large emerald drill into the ice. It shattered before him and the tip caught Cryo Jin, sending him crashing into a wall.

"What are you planning, Jin? You traded the Five Families for Mr. Oomori? " Inigo declared, standing tall amidst the crumbling ice.

“Heh, this is purely business. He just happens to have the money I need.” Jin staggered to his feet. “We’re taking you both in,” Jin growled, forming an ice wall between Inigo and Curie. Before Inigo could realize what happened, masked figures emerged from the shadows. It was a distraction! The masked men grabbed Curie. She screamed as they dragged her towards a waiting car.

"No!" Inigo cried out, starting towards her. But Jin struck again - an icy spear pierced straight through Inigo's leg. White hot pain lanced through him and he fell, watching helplessly as Curie disappeared into a black car.

"You're not going anywhere," Jin said menacingly as he approached. "Your little friend will be long gone. But you won't be far behind!"

Jin sent a flurry of icy spikes raining down on Inigo, who barely managed to dodge. He staggered to his feet and limped away. Sharp pain shot through his injured leg with every step.

"What's wrong, dragon boy? Running away?" Jin taunted.

Inigo gritted his teeth, an idea forming. His wings and armor disappeared. “Hey! I need to ask you a question. Why aren’t you with the elephant guy? Why’d you split up with your bro?” He dashed behind an unfinished wall of concrete. He glanced to the side and saw the car peel away into the darkness.

“I don’t want to hear anything about that coward!” Jin blasted the concrete wall and created an ice barrier around Inigo, cutting off his escape.

“You know he told me a lot about you.” Inigo turned around to face Jin.

“Like what?” Jin glared menacingly. “Make it quick, before I take you in.”

An ice spike coalesced above Inigo.

“Something about how he really missed you. You two had a real partnership, but you betrayed him right?”

"What?! Lies!" Jin's voice echoed from within. The ice spike homed in on Inigo as he twisted to the right. The spike exploded as it struck the ground sending small razor-sharp shards into him. He hissed in pain and fell to the ground.

“You should- really get back with him,” Inigo said from the ground, wincing. “Friendship like that doesn't come around often. Plus you two made a great team. It must suck going solo. I noticed you needed someone to dance with at the gala.”

“You really don’t shut up, do you?”

“Nope.” He smirked as he gave a thumbs-up to Jin weakly.

"Hmm. Where's that construct of yours?" Jin said suspiciously as he stood over Inigo. “No shield? No barrier?”

Inigo sat up, wiping the dust from his face. "Sorry, I’m gonna have to cut our chat short."

“Huh?” Suddenly Jin yelled as his arms were yanked back by an invisible force. Gigan had been stealthily maneuvering behind him! Bands of green energy wrapped around Jin, trapping his limbs to his sides.

"W-what is this?!" Jin shouted, struggling futilely.

Inigo walked up casually, Gigan floating at his side. "Just a little straight jacket I had Gigan whip up. Takes awhile to get all the loops in but you haven’t been moving much. Can’t use your quirk without hands right?"

Jin thrashed angrily but couldn't break the construct's hold as Gigan wrapped around his body in layers of cloth. Inigo leaned in close.

"I’m gonna make sure you get a cell with your pal, alright?"

Jin glared hatefully but stayed silent. Inigo shrugged.

"Catch ya later." He punched Jin twice in the face, knocking him out cold. The ice villain slumped to the ground. He quickly tagged Jin for his uncle’s men and took flight, urgency fueling him. He had to find that car! Gigan's senses guided him, picking up Curie's trail through the chaotic city.

But he needed more speed. His wings were too slow in the rain.

Let’s try that new form. Gigan.

GIGAN CONSTRUCT: DAEDALUS WINGS!

Inigo’s wings suddenly became heavy as each scale on the wings pointed upwards like arrowheads. He flared his quirk and sent two of the scales flying forward. They transformed into twin grappling hooks. With a sudden pull from Gigan, Inigo snapped forward rapidly propelled through the urban terrain. He gritted his teeth as pain shot through his body from his wounds. It wasn’t a gentle ride, but he had to move quickly. He shot from one rooftop to another.

Up ahead, he spotted the vehicle, weaving recklessly through traffic. At his appearance, the car turned right into a private road. Bullets whizzed past him as the masked men inside fired their guns.

Inigo yelped and fell back. Suddenly, the street below the car exploded as a tall blue figure burst forth. Inigo recognized the horned mutant from the soup kitchen, Drekus!

Drekus suddenly landed on the vehicle, crushing the front between his massive hands.

“No more running, Oomori!" he shouted. "Today Drekus get revenge!"

He ripped open the car's armored frame, revealing a horrified Mr. Oomori inside. With a single strike from his steel feather hand, he decapitated the business tycoon. Sparks flew from damaged circuitry, electricity coursed through the metal replica of Mr.Oomori. A robot decoy!?

"GRAAAAH! Imposter?!" Drekus roared in rage. He tore the robot Oomori apart, smashing it to pieces.

Inigo dove into the car and smashed through the front door. He grabbed Curie from the surprised men inside, leapt clear just as Drekus obliterated the vehicle entirely. To his relief, he found Curie unharmed, though shaken. They watched helplessly as Drekus took out his anger on the masked men inside the car.

"I gotcha!" Inigo set Curie down a safe distance away.

"What the hell’s going on?!"she stammered.

“I dunno,” Inigo approached Drekus slowly. This was the same mutant that Impakt had fought before. The villain burnt the forest near Chihiro’s dojo, but he also delivered Jenkin’s note. Inigo needed to talk to him.

"Revenge will come!" Drekus declared to the air. "Drekus will SMASH! Where is he?" He choked one of the masked men with one hand.

"Drekus, wait!" Inigo called out. Inigo held up his hands in a calming gesture as he approached the enraged Drekus. "Hey big guy, let's talk about this!"

Drekus turned his glowing eyes towards Inigo, snarling. "Puny boy not stop Drekus!"

Inigo nodded. "You're right, I can’t stop you. I just want to understand what's going on here. Remember this? You gave it to me." Inigo pulled out the letter from his pocket. “You said it was from Jenkins.”

“RAAAH!” Drekus stopped smashing the masked men and leaped towards Inigo. He glared and looked down at the letter. “You are soup boy. Drekus almost crushed you.”

“Why did you have his letter?” Inigo said, his knight armor glowing around him.

“Jenkins helped Drekus find Oomori. He good information man. Now he is gone, Drekus find him no more.”

Inigo gestured to the remnants of Mr. Oomori laying on the ground. "Why were you so angry with him?"

Drekus stomped his foot, cracking the pavement. "Evil man! Take from Drekus. Revenge will be had on Charlatan! Drekus gets revenge!"

"He wronged you," Inigo said. "Revenge is understandable. But these other men here," he pointed to the bloody and beaten masked figures, "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Drekus scratched his head, brow furrowing. "No...they not hurt. But Drekus still smash!"

Inigo stepped between Drekus and the men, "How about we make a deal? I'll help you get justice against Oomori, just like Jenkins did, but you have to let these men go unharmed. They were only following orders."

Drekus thought for a moment, "Puny soup-boy help Drekus get revenge?"

Inigo nodded. "You have my word. He’s been after my Family too. Together we'll make Oomori pay." He extended his hand.

After a pause, Drekus clasped Inigo's hand in his massive grip. "Deal! Drekus let men go. Then find Oomori! You are new Jenkins."

Inigo let out a relieved breath as Drekus released his hand. With Drekus temporarily placated, Inigo hurried over to check on Curie. She stood alone, arms wrapped around herself, still looking shaken from the ordeal.

Inigo approached gently. "Hey, you okay?" Curie jumped. "Y-yes, I'm fine. You think this is the first time I’ve been kidnapped?," she said shakily, taking a nervous swig from a flask.

"It's alright, it’s over," he soothed. Curie nodded, but still shuddered, hugging herself tighter. “You’re safe now, okay?” He quickly hugged her. She seemed to calm down as she leaned into him.

Inigo surveyed the injured masked men. "Think you could patch those guys up? They're in bad shape."

Curie scowled, "Why should I help the shitheads who kidnapped me? Is that a joke?”

"I know it's hard, but they'll die without healing," Inigo urged.

"That's not my concern," Curie said coldly.

Inigo was taken aback by her callousness. She wasn’t thinking right.

"Curie, please, show some mercy," he pleaded. "No one deserves to suffer like that."

"Give me one good reason why I should lift a finger for them," Curie challenged.

Inigo thought for a moment before responding gently, "Because cruelty breeds more cruelty. Someone has to break the cycle. But it's your quirk, your choice. If you really think you shouldn’t heal them, then I’ll do what I can."

Inigo walked towards the injured men, glancing over to Drekus who was busy shouting and smashing the Oomori double. Inigo crouched down and began applying first aid to their wounds, using Gigan to apply pressure.

“Get out of the way,” he heard Curie said behind him. She knelt by the men, her hands lighting up once more. Inigo stood by as she poured her energy into their injuries. After another minute, Curie leaned back, the men stabilized.

She turned to Inigo, her hands glowing again as she reached for him. Inigo leaned away. "Whoa, what? Careful with the hand."

Curie huffed. "Stop moving, weirdo. You're clearly injured. You can barely walk. Now hold still." Her hands made contact with his chest under his shirt and slid up to his neck. Immediately Inigo felt warmth spread through him, bruises and strained muscles soothed away. The injury on his leg closed. Her quirk was amazing. Finally Curie slumped back, exhausted but satisfied. Inigo helped her to her feet.

“Wow. Thanks,” he said gratefully.

“Yeah. Whatever,” she said, flushing slightly as she turned to inspect her work on the injured men. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”

“Yeah, give me a second.” Inigo moved towards Drekus. He looked to the mutant apprehensively and heard sirens from afar.

"We’re gonna be leaving, Drekus. Do you have a way I could reach you?"

The mutant stared at him and started to walk away down an alleyway. "Drekus will find you, puny soup-boy!" the mutant called out.

“Sounds good to me,” Inigo said, not entirely sure what Drekus meant. Unsure whether making a deal with Drekus was a good idea. He scooped up Curie and flew off once more.

---

XI. The Five’s Safehouse

Recommended listening: https://youtu.be/D4Vd1350-a8

The Five’s dreary hideout was in chaos when Inigo arrived with Curie. The doors to the infirmary burst open. Inigo watched Maddie and Tether move to a backroom as Curie came. Two of the facility’s doctors futilely tried to stabilize a violently convulsing Junichi.

"What are you giving him?" Curie demanded, her voice sharp as she rushed over. Her eyes quickly scanned the medical equipment and medications being used.

"S-sedatives for the pain and antibiotics," one of the doctors stammered nervously under her intense gaze.

"Ugh. What the hell? His breathing is dangerously low!" Curie's brows furrowed in frustration as she shoved the doctor aside none too gently. Her hands began to glow with the activation of her quirk as she worked to pull Junichi back.

Inigo stood frozen in place near the door, helplessly watching the scene unfold. His heart pounded wildly in his chest at the sight of his friend teetering so precariously. Memories of all the times they had laughed and bonded together over games and arguments flashed through Inigo's mind. After everything they had been through, he couldn't bear the thought of losing Junichi now.

"C'mon bro," Inigo whispered, his voice strained with emotion. Junichi's face was ghostly pale, his chest barely rising with each shallow breath. Curie gritted her teeth, rivulets of sweat dripping down her face from the intense exertion. After agonizing minutes that felt like hours, Junichi finally settled, his vital signs stabilizing under Curie's healing. With a gasp of relief, she slumped back, utterly spent.

Inigo let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "You did it," he said sincerely, giving Curie a grateful look. She gave a small nod in return, still catching her breath.

Junichi's eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his features as he saw Inigo's somber face hovering over him. "Inigo...why do you look...so mopey?" Junichi rasped weakly.

Inigo forced a grin, quickly wiping the moisture from his eyes. "Nah, I'm just really glad to hear your voice, bro," he replied, his voice shaky

Junichi blinked slowly, still disoriented. His gaze drifted around the room before settling back on Inigo. "Your hair's a mess," he mumbled.

“We can’t all rock the hospital gown like you do.” He transformed Gigan into a mirror so he could inspect his unkempt blonde locks.

“How long have I been out?” Junichi asked after a moment, fighting through the fog still clouding his mind.

“Couple of days. Maddie’s been around to keep you company. I think she likes you.”

Junichi groaned as he tried to sit up, pain from his injuries shooting through him at the movement. "That's all I need, more stupid people who want me around," he grumbled.

“There’s that ole grump,” Inigo grinned, “So your first job with the Five without me, how’d it go?”

“Not so bad. Almost died.. But at least I didn’t have to hear you yapping. 8 out of 10.”

“Would’ve been a 9 if I was around. You really should stick with low-level mook stuff, bro. This is the last time I give you permission to take a mission without me,” He joked, but there was a subtle edge to Inigo's typically carefree tone.

“I’m not your fucking puppy..”

“The hell, you’re not! But compared to the pro heroes, we might as well be. We have a long way to go, to train and master our quirks,” Inigo shot him a look of frustration. “It was nuts, you jumping in against someone stronger than you like that. You fucking took on my teacher, bro. She's in the top 10!”

“It was crazy huh?” Junichi’s purple eyes gleamed and the edge of his lips almost curled into a rare smile, “I finally put a dent on this cursed hero society. With my own two hands.. And this quirk.”

Inigo felt conflicted. He cared for both Junichi and Rosethorn, and the thought of them hurting each other made him sick to his stomach. Why did they need to fight? In a better world, she would be teaching Junichi alongside the rest of 1-D.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You got lucky this time. You were also with the Five,” Inigo said coldly. “You know most people would rethink their career choice after something like this.” His hand shook.

“No way… I’ll train and get better.. So next time..” Junichi shot Inigo with a look of intensity.

Inigo felt a surge of frustration. He grabbed Junichi's medical gown roughly by the collar. "Next time what?! You'll take out a top hero and then die?! How does that change society?!" Inigo yelled, no longer able to contain his thoughts and emotions. “Everything…would just be worse…if you’re not around.”

Curie and Maddox enter the room to see what was happening. The room fell silent, the others looking on in surprise at Inigo's outburst.

Junichi blinked rapidly, taken aback. Before he could respond, Inigo continued, “I can’t lose you bro… You’re both so fucking stubborn, you and Chris…” Inigo’s eyes fogged up. “There are so many things we could still do before that. We can all just hang out.. Play more games.. Watch movies.. We don’t have to rush anything.. We can just be kids…”

Inigo's shoulders slumped under the weight of it all. He knew he was a hypocrite, continuing the family business that had been ingrained in him since birth. But Christopher and Junichi had a choice...didn't they? They could choose a different path, if only they weren't so strong-willed and determined. Inigo drew so much strength from their defiant spirits, yet at the same time, they terrified him. His friends had no idea how fragile he truly was beneath the cocky exterior - how the proverbial sword of Damocles hung over his head at all times.

Maddox moved to intervene, giving the two boys a stern look to break up the confrontation. Junichi fell back and looked away silently. A few minutes of tense quiet passed between the two teenagers. Meeting each other's gaze, they both sighed and fist-bumped.

"I'm sorry," Inigo mumbled as he took his seat next to Junichi's bedside once more.

“Me too,” Junichi said. “And who the hell is Chris?”

“He’s the guy from my class you were fighting.” Inigo smiled slightly. “I’ll introduce you later, I already have plans for the get-together. How are you at amusement parks? I hear they’re a great place for bonding.”

“That guy.. I thought you didn’t want me to die..”

“Nah, I’m sure you’ll be great friends. Trust me,” Inigo smirked, "By the way, I spoke to Max. I think she's worried about you." Inigo pulled out his phone to show Junichi the photo he had taken of Maxine all dressed up at the gala. "Doesn't she look nice?" he asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Ugh...You're still on that?" Junichi sighed in exasperation, but Inigo noticed his eyes linger on the image longer than they should have. "Tell her I'm dead so I don't have to see her stuck-up pig face again," he grumbled unconvincingly.

“You tell her yourself, man.” Inigo scooped up the Get Bearter bear from the bedside table, “Check out what I got you.”

Junichi eyed it critically. "What the hell is that thing..."

“Bro, it’s you. Look he has bone thingies glued on. Boners. Hehe.”

“That’s so fucking stupid...”

“Yeah well.. If you don’t want it,” Inigo turned to put it away.

“No!” Junichi’s hand shot forward and grabbed the bear. He ached from the sudden movement. “Y-you can leave it here if you want. Obviously, you put a lot of useless effort into it. I could burn it for warmth later,” he mumbled, not quite meeting Inigo's amused gaze.

"You got it, bro," Inigo smirked knowingly. "You wanna eat? I got you that tonkatsu stuff you like. Curry's probably cold though, but I can run out and get more."

Junichi shook his head, weariness settling over him. "I feel tired all of a sudden." He closed his eyes.

“That’s the effect of my quirk. You should sleep,” Curie stepped forward to talk. “It’ll drain you for a couple of hours, but all your injuries should be fine.”

Junichi cracked open his eyes to peer up at the girl curiously. "Who are you?"

"Junichi, meet Curie. Curie, Junichi," Inigo introduced with a grin. "She's from Shiketsu Academy."

"Great..." Junichi said flatly, before glancing at Curie briefly without quite meeting her eyes. "Thanks for the help," he mumbled begrudgingly.

"You can thank me by resting and not undoing my work," Curie replied matter-of-factly as she surveyed the other patients in the room. "I think all that adrenaline gave my stockpile a boost. Since I’m here. I'll go see the others before we go." With that, she strode off purposefully.

Junichi gave a short huff and closed his eyes again. Gigan settled itself on the bed beside him, emitting a soft, reassuring purr.

Gigan mewed and nuzzled Junichi’s hand. Inigo took his seat by his bed. "Hey. I'll be here when you wake up," Inigo said quietly, leaning back in his seat.

One side of Junichi's mouth quivered ever so slightly. "I know," he whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

XII. Curie’s Place

Inigo flew through the evening sky, carrying Curie in his arms. As he approached her apartment building, he angled downward and landed gracefully on the sidewalk outside the entrance. Immediately, a group of stern-looking bodyguards wearing dark suits surrounded them.

"Miss Curie, are you alright?!" one of them yelled, eyeing Inigo suspiciously.

Curie waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine, I'm fine. You all can go now."

The bodyguards didn't move, continuing to glare at Inigo. Curie sighed in annoyance.

"I said, you can GO!" she yelled, her words slightly slurred. "Shoo! Shoo!"

Finally, the bodyguards dispersed, though several lingered nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the pair.

Inigo set Curie down carefully. "Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Ugh, more like prison guards," Curie grumbled. "C'mon, let's get upstairs before they change their minds."

Inigo followed Curie into the building and they stepped into an elevator. As the doors slid closed and they began ascending, an awkward silence fell between them.

"So..." Inigo began, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some night, huh?"

Curie leaned against the elevator wall, studying him through half-lidded eyes. "You know, I just realized something," she said.

Inigo tilted his head curiously. "What's that?"

"With the way, you're always chasing after girls, and that pretty face, and all the products you use..." Curie smirked knowingly. "No wonder you’re not into me.. You're totally gay for that Junichi guy, aren't you?"

"What?" Inigo chuckled. "Junichi and I are just best bros."

"Mmhmm, suuure," Curie said, clearly unconvinced. "I've seen enough yaoi to know one when I see one. Are you the seme or uke in the relationship?""

Inigo frowned, "Seme definitely. You'd think that'd be Junichi, but really he's a massive bottom. He does generate a lot of pow- wait! I'm not gay!"

“I don’t know…”

"See, I have a girlfriend! We're very serious." He holds out his phone, showing off a blurry picture.

Curie looked at the blur in Inigo's phone. "That's just a smudge.. and I don't buy it. Are you sure you're not just in denial?"

"It's her quirk, okay?" Inigo insisted. "And Junichi has this thing going with a girl, kinda like a will-they-won't-they-kill-each-other thing. Very enemies-to-lovers. They’ve only met up a few times but it's kinda cute. I call em’ the bonezone."

Curie still looked skeptical. "If you say so… With the way you two talked back there. "

"I'm 100% positive that I like girls," Inigo stated firmly. “If I was into guys. Yes. Junichi and I might have chemistry but we would never last as a couple. I’d give it three months tops. Now with Christopher, it'd be another story.

At that, Curie's eyes narrowed sharply. "Uh huh. I saw Christopher at the hospital. I can see it. So you like him then?"

Inigo shook his head adamantly. "I'm into girls. Like, a lot. My girlfriend's name is Hoge and she's amazing," he affirmed. "But thanks for cheering me up though. Seeing Junichi like that wasn’t easy.”

Curie studied him a moment longer before shrugging. "Okay, fine, I believe you," she relented. She seemed to perk up a bit.

As the elevator slowed to a stop with a ding, she turned to him with a sly smile. "You know you still owe me, right?"

Inigo blinked. "What? No I don't, I already took you to that gala thing."

"That was for one healing session," Curie corrected, holding up a finger. "I did six today. So you owe me for those."

She stepped out of the elevator into her apartment's entryway. Inigo followed behind, scratching his head.

"I don't remember agreeing to that..."

Curie waved a hand airily as she unlocked her apartment. "Doesn't matter. You're going to give me dance lessons for healing. I had fun at the party and I think I'll take a shot at it. I don't really have any hobbies. I lost all my passion for my work during my first year. Maybe some of your spark could rub off on me if I stick around.” Curie smiled at him before stumbling over to her couch and flopping down dramatically.

Inigo considered this and then broke into a grin. "Alright, you got yourself a deal.” He smiled back. “And thanks for your help tonight," he said sincerely. "Get some rest. I'll check in with you tomorrow?"

Curie mumbled incoherently into the couch cushion. Inigo took that as his cue to slip out quietly.

As he flew off into the night sky, he had to smile thinking about Curie's silly assumption. But also, he made a mental note - he really needed to get a better photo of Hoge one of these days.

XIII. Inigo’s Apartment

Recommended music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_xHISYL9AQ

Bright morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Inigo's apartment. Humming to himself, Inigo rifled through the clutter in his closet, tossing old clothes and boxes aside. Gigan fluttered over his shoulders dodging the thrown objects in a panic.

"Aha, there it is!" Inigo finally extracted a battered manila folder tucked into the corner. He blew dust off the top and carefully opened it, revealing a rumpled sheet of notebook paper covered in his messy handwriting. Behind him, he heard a loud crunch and turned to see Junichi sprawled on his couch playing Mecho Corez on the TV. An open bag of chips rested on his lap.

"What's that?" Junichi asked boredly from the couch, not looking up from the mech battle video game he was fully engrossed in, his thumbs working the controller at lightning speed.

"It's my old list of girls I tried to date when I first started at Shiketsu," Inigo explained, scanning the paper with a nostalgic smile. "Man, I went through so many rejections that first semester. But I was determined to score a girlfriend no matter what!"

Junichi grumbled, "Why do you need to dig that ancient thing up now?"

"I wanted to find it so I can track down all those girls and properly apologize for how I acted back then," Inigo said seriously, carefully folding the paper and tucking it into his pocket. "I was kind of a jerk with my cheesy pick-up lines and not taking no for an answer. If I really want to change and be better, I should own up to my past mistakes, you know? Call it a Reverse All-Out Multi-Target Attack!”

"Uh huh," Junichi muttered, clearly barely listening as he focused on the game. "Well, leave me out of it."

Inigo rolled his eyes. "I would, except you're always here hanging around my apartment! Speaking of which, why are you still crashing on my couch? Don't you have your own place to recover at?"

"Nah, your couch is more comfortable. Oh nice, you unlocked the Terra-mech!" Junichi explained in a monotone, eyes glued to the screen even as he spoke. "Plus your place is closer to the hospital. Now shut up, I'm trying to concentrate."

"Alright, well you can stay as long as you want bro, but what are you doing here?" Inigo asked, turning his head. He looked to Curie on her lying on her stomach casually on the other end of the couch next to Junichi, leafing through a dance magazine.

Curie glanced up with a breezy smile. "I'm here for my dance lessons, silly. Did you forget you promised to teach me? I got bored cooped up in my dreary apartment all alone, so I figured I'd just come hang out here with you for a while. Hope that's cool." She brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear and winked. "By the way, I'm loving what you did with your hair today."

Inigo ran a hand self-consciously through his blond locks. "Oh, thanks. But shouldn't you be at your hospital shift or something?"

"Nope, I'm done for the day," Curie said matter-of-factly. "I'm free as a bird now, so I can stick around here. It’s not like I’m an inventor or crafter like the other supports, and I can pretty much go wherever I please. "

"Right, okay… what about you?" He pointed at Maddie who lazily raised a hand from where she was sitting across a chair near the window, scrolling on her phone. "Just staying here waiting on some intel to come through. This place has a better signal than the safe house. Don't mind me."

“Fine.” Inigo trailed off as he heard loud crashes emanating from the kitchen. Whipping around, he saw the hulking form of Drekus rummaging through the fridge, piling food haphazardly on the counter.

"Drekus! What are you doing?" Inigo demanded, marching over.

"Drekus waiting for crushing of Oomori. And Drekus is hungry. Make sandwich. Ham sandwich. Yes," the large mutant grunted by way of explanation, already slapping together slices of lunchmeat between two pieces of bread. Crumbs and bits of lettuce are scattered across the counter.

Inigo shook his head. He turned to Junichi, Maddie, and Curie. "None of you have a problem with this?"
<He's kinda cute.> <Nope <No.>

Inigo dragged a hand down his face in exasperation. "Okay fine, but I'm gonna need you guys to lay low because-"

Before Inigo could continue, the doorbell rang. "Damn, that must be her!" he realized after checking the clock. "She's early!"

Inigo rushed over to the front door and peered through the peephole. Sure enough, Hoge stood outside in the hall, rocking back and forth on her heels. Inigo's pulse quickened. It had only been four days since their magical first kiss at the summer festival, but to Inigo it felt like an eternity.

"It's Hoge! She’ll definitely ask questions if she sees any of you. Everyone hide now!" he yelled.

Junichi and Curie immediately dove behind opposite ends of the couch. Maddie flattened herself behind the curtains. Drekus attempted to cram his massive frame into a kitchen cabinet, causing dishes to crash loudly to the floor.

Inigo cringed at the noise. "One second!" he called through the door. He sprinted over to shove Drekus fully into the cabinet and yank it shut.

“Drekus want sandwich!” Drekus stuck his hand out of the closet.

“Fine!” Inigo grabbed the sandwich off the counter and handed it to the mutant, then darted back to the entrance.

He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before opening the door. The moment he saw her, Inigo broke into a huge smile.

“Hoge!” Acting on impulse, he threw his arms around her in an enthusiastic hug. Hoge staggered back a step, letting out a surprised giggle as she hugged him back. They held each other tightly, swaying a little. Inigo breathed in the familiar scentlessness of Hoge's hair, realizing how much he had missed her presence.

After a long minute, Hoge pulled back, her outline wavering and her cheeks endearingly pink. "S-so where’d you been?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

"Oh, I had some issues I had to deal with." Inigo shrugged. "Some messy family stuff came up, I’ll tell you all about it later. It was rough but I'm better now that I get to see you."

Inigo heard a plate crash inside his apartment, followed by several hushed whispering from his unwanted houseguests.

"Ready to go to the hospital?" he said, a little too loudly.

Hoge gave him a strange look. "Yes, but what was that noise just now?"

"Uh, noisy pipes," Inigo explained, he took her hands and spun around with her so she was facing away from the door, just in time as Curie stepped out of her hiding spot to meet Hoge, only to be stopped by Maddie.

"This building is pretty old." He gave her his most charming grin. “How’d you been?”

"I've just been studying for the exams," she said, “You know we need to take the qualifying tests before we could go to the license exams, right?” Ugh. I completely forgot. Gigan floated apologetically from his shoulder.

“How could I forget? I bet it’s been dull without me around to distract you.”

“It has been dull and a little lonely,” Hoge admitted, looking a little down “We should go. He’s going to need a lot of help packing and I need to go back to studying.”

“Alright, but just one moment.” Inigo brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering to caress her cheek.

Hoge bit her lip. Inigo smiled. “You know I've just been moping around waiting for the chance to see you again and do this.”

Unable to resist, Inigo gently tilted her chin up and kissed her quickly. Hoge let out a tiny squeak of surprise before melting into the kiss, her hands coming to rest against his chest. Inigo's mind went blissfully blank as they shared the tender moment.

When they parted, both teens were shyly avoiding eye contact, pink tingeing their cheeks. Inigo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I-is that okay, now?” he muttered awkwardly.

“Since we’re alone. Yes, but not in front of people.” Hoge mumbled, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

Their eyes finally met and his heart skipped a beat. Inigo felt his chest swell with emotion. "Works for me. I missed you," he said, grinning.

"I missed you too, Ini," Hoge said softly.

He had to ask her. "So, now that we're at first base, maybe we could...make things official?"

Hoge's eyes went wide. "Make what official?"

Inigo grinned, trying to hide his nerves. "You and me! I really like you Hoge. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Romance would be irresponsible given our studies..." Hoge frowned in thought.

Inigo pressed his case. "Come on, one boyfriend isn't going to stop you from being an amazing hero! We can make it work."

Hoge seemed to consider it. "Well...I do enjoy spending time together..."

Inigo could barely contain his excitement. "So is that a yes?"

Hoge fidgeted shyly. "I suppose we could try a formal courtship..."

"Woo!" Inigo cheered. "You won't regret it, I promise. I'll be the best boyfriend ever!"

"I do have high expectations now that you have set this precedent," Hoge said seriously.

"And I'll meet them all! We're gonna have so much fun together." Inigo beamed, imagining all the dates ahead. "Chris, could wait for a bit. C'mon girlfriend, let's go celebrate with some ice cream!" Inigo winked, taking her hand.

Hoge smiled shyly. "That sounds acceptable...boyfriend."

He laced his fingers through Hoge's. He was never letting her go again. They started down the hall hand-in-hand, a familiar warmth filled him. Inigo knew he would do whatever it took to be with Hoge even if it was just for a short time to help Christopher leave the hospital.

---

As soon as Inigo and Hoge left, the odd assortment of houseguests came out of hiding.

"Finally!" Junichi muttered, flopping back onto the couch and resuming his video game. "I thought those two were never gonna stop making googly eyes at each other."

Curie watched the door sullenly, a stormy look in her eyes. "So they weren't dating?? He was single!"

Maddie shook her head. "Don't even think about it, girl. Inigo's found his soulmate, clear as day."

"I wasn't going to do anything!" Curie protested, though her expression said otherwise.

"Mmhmm, sure," Maddie said knowingly. "Leave the lovebirds be. They deserve each other."

"Who made you the romance expert?" Curie grumbled, dropping onto the couch next to Junichi.

"Years of experience, honey, and a little thing called shipping. I’ve been learning it since I arrived in Japan," Maddie replied. "That kind of love doesn't come along every day. We can't stand in the way of fate."

"Ugh.. kill me," Junichi muttered without looking up.

Curie crossed her arms. "Well, I think it's dumb. Inigo could do way better than that mousy bookworm."

Maddie gasped dramatically. "How dare you! Hoge is a gem. Don't be bitter just because Inigo chose her over you."

"I'm not bitter! Do you even know her? Or are you just some creepy fan!" Curie accused shrilly.

"They are good sandwiches, like good bread and ham," Drekus rumbled through a mouthful of sandwich as he lumbered into the room.

"Stay out of this!" Curie and Maddie yelled in unison.

"Drekus just saying, they good match. That is poison girl who defeated and killed Drekus," Drekus said placatingly. "Drekus approves."

"Thank you!" Maddie exclaimed. "See Curie, even Drekus agrees. Don't mess with fate."

Curie threw her hands up. "Ugh, you both suck!" She glared sullenly at the door. Inigo was cute, but he clearly had no taste.

Junichi sighed loudly. "Will you guys shut up already? I can't hear the game over your yapping."

The others fell silent. Drekus finished his sandwich and went to raid the fridge again. Curie kept glowering into space. Maddie settled in by the window, looking smug as she watched Inigo and Hoge walk out of the apartment building on their way to the train station.