MHA: Dark Matter

"Mei, are you sure about this? The academy can just provide us with resources for studying and personal projects."

"But not outside of U.A.! And I already want to upgrade a couple of my babies."

"There are less than four days left of vacation."

In response, I got a pair of glowing yellow crosshair eyes staring me down.

I barely suppressed a sigh and adjusted my heavily loaded backpack, which was stuffed with various components, circuit boards, and wiring. A big backpack. A week had passed since the battle in Kamino, where I got speared and then nicely roasted by the "grill master" Endeavor.

Thankfully, I didn't turn into charcoal or a nicely seared piece of meat, but my long absence had made Hatsume worry. My "hot" apology softened her indignation, but that didn't stop her from demanding my full attention for a few days. I'd decided to lie low as a villain for a while anyway. I only let my key people, the ones running my business and information gathering, know that I was still alive and strong. As for the League of Villains...

As a certain African smuggler acquaintance used to say, I decided to "pull the chestnuts out of the fire with someone else's hands." Shigaraki himself would benefit from it, too.

The information I'd provided had enough hints on how to subdue "Dragon's Breath." Unlike the "Seven Deaths Pledges," they weren't as close as comrades. The only real problem for the League was their leader. I'd support them if needed, since I had an agreement with All For One. And breaking agreements with that old monster, even if he was locked up in the most secure prison in the world, could have serious consequences.

"Ken, you're spacing out again."

Hatsume said cheerfully, her face suddenly inches from mine. Her golden-yellow eyes were full of curiosity.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who, when an idea hits her, runs to the workshop straight from the shower wearing nothing... mmm."

A girl's hand clamped over my mouth. Her previously open smile became slightly threatening, despite her flushed cheeks.

"You. Didn't. See. Anything."

Her crosshair eyes darted nervously at the people around us. Because, heaven forbid, someone might hear me. The shame, the shame. I leaned toward her ear.

"You know I saw everything. And touched it, too."

"You... you..."

Mei blushed. Mei panicked. When you knock her out of "crazy inventor" mode, she's just a shy, inexperienced girl with very few acquaintances. If you're a genius at something, it doesn't mean you're good at socializing. But it's exactly that kind of girl I fell in love with.

"So, I saw the battery I need over there."

She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward some store, trying not to look me in the eye. I suppressed a laugh.

"By the way, do you know why Ayame's been acting strange lately? And why did she dye her hair?"

"I don't really know myself."

I answered truthfully. Because I didn't know for sure. My guesses... I left in the back of my mind. But the long glances the older Yoshioka sometimes gave me during meetings, and that kiss on the outskirts of Musutafu, stirred me. Our newfound connection only intensified the effect.

Too bad Hana wouldn't say anything about what happened, just looking at me with her big gray eyes, which, in my opinion, were starting to turn silver. The "Cute Eyes" move performed by a little girl was devastatingly effective. My will was crushed, and my "important" questions were tossed aside.

She didn't want to talk, so be it. The new connection didn't cause any harm. Except for the desire to get closer to Ayame when I already had a girlfriend. Those kinds of thoughts occur even to married men.

If you go by the terabytes of hentai on that subject on the internet, which I'd looked at out of curiosity. God help me, I'm a villain, so I don't care about my moral image. I'm not acting like that shorty from Class 1-A whose perversion is visible a mile away, which is good for the people around me!

The connection itself had a serious effect not only on me. And the change in the older Yoshioka's hair color wasn't the most important thing. With my Gaze, I saw how her formerly pink silhouette was starting to change color to red. And also becoming brighter.

And since brightness in my perception indicates either vitality or the power of a Quirk... it's quite possible that Ayame's Quirk had awakened or soon would. That was good. It should help with her complex about not having a Quirk. And if the Quirk itself turned out to be useful, that would be just perfect.

While I was lost in thought, admiring Mei's attempts to hide her embarrassment, a strange trio walked by. A boy with bags under his eyes and messy indigo hair, whom I'd seen at the sports festival, was wandering near store windows selling various parts. Next to him was a girl in a hoodie and jeans, chattering away with narrowed eyes. And directly behind them, keeping a half-meter distance, was a figure completely wrapped in a black hooded cloak, showing nothing underneath.

I could only tell it was a girl because of my Gaze, seeing her silhouette. But what caught my attention was the other girl. She had a fairly bright silhouette, giving me a strange feeling. Something airy and perceptive. Unfortunately, many of the things I perceive with my Gaze are hard to put into words.

"Keeeen."

"Coming, coming."

I threw one last glance at the stranger. She looked back at me and smiled. I put a smile on my face. For some reason, her gaze seemed familiar.

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[POV Hitoshi Shinsou]

"...and what kind of voice do you want to imitate? Gruff? Trembling? All Might's voice? Or... a woman's? Maybe even mine? For better disguise and immersion, would you wear women's clothes? Or spandex? If you ask nicely, I could lend you mine."

"Any. No, I won't wear women's clothes. Or spandex. I don't need yours either."

This wasn't how Shinsou imagined his daily life after getting into the hero course. He'd thought his chance to transfer to the hero course would only come after the school year ended.

But these past holidays had been truly insane. First, the incident at the world-famous I-Expo exhibition, which killed several U.A. students. Then, an invitation to the summer training camp from the academy's administration, where they might give him a chance to transfer to the hero course. Training at the camp. And then the villain attack.

"So, why are you quiet? Aren't you curious about what Shinsou-kun wants to buy? Or are you curious about me? Don't be shy, I'll accept any of your feelings. I'm ready to become your very close friend."

The figure in the black hooded cloak stepped back a few paces.

Leo Kaneko made a sour face. Hitoshi sighed. The two girls who'd been admitted to Class 1-B on a trial basis with him had somehow decided his company was the most suitable for them.

The always-cloaked Kuroiro Hoshi, who'd never before given any hint of wanting to be a hero, and the hyperactive, clingy foreign exchange student. The latter's advances during the summer camp now made the entire female part of the first-year hero course afraid to be alone with her.

Today, while looking for the right fiber for the capture tape he'd chosen as his weapon and thinking about an idea for a voice-changing device (he wanted to thoroughly think through the concept before submitting a request to the support department; his homeroom teacher, Class 1-A's Aizawa-sensei, had recommended the fiber for home training), he'd run into two problem individuals who'd somehow tagged along.

"So, did you find what you wanted? Still looking? Do you know exactly what gadget will help you change your voice?"

"No. Yes. No."

"Oh, a lightning-round interview?"

"No."

"Why?"

"A lightning-round interview is when you get answers to one or more questions from several people."

"You want to talk about that?"

"No."

"What about the truth?"

"NO!" / "NO!"

Hitoshi looked in surprise at the figure under the cloak, who'd shouted along with him. The girl in the hoodie's face beamed with pride, as if she'd just cured a man of congenital muteness. At that moment, Shinsho wanted more than anything to feed her something sour. But despite all the irritation and fuss, he couldn't deny feeling a warmth inside. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to talk calmly with peers who weren't afraid of his Quirk.

"Do you realize that by talking like that, you come across as a total pervert?"

"If you think that, then you're a pervert who doesn't understand true beauty. But don't worry, while being a pervert is a long-term commitment, it's not forever!"

"..."

"..."

Shinsou and Kuroiro stared at the frozen Kaneko, her index finger raised.

The boy with the messy indigo hair turned his head away, trying to hide an unwanted smile on his face. He and Hoshi didn't see Leo open her narrowed eyelids, revealing two neon blue eyes with "mechanical" lines on their irises. She glanced sideways at them for a moment, then narrowed her eyelids again.

[End POV Hitoshi Shinsou]

***A/N***

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