Chapter Text
The rest of the week went smoothly, and Aizawa let Himiko spend the rest of her internship under Ryukyu, partially to let her recover, but also partially because he knew Himiko would wither and die if she was away from Kenji for too long.
Eventually, the internship week was over, and as Monday rolled around once more, it was almost bittersweet to leave Terrus after they’d had so much fun there.
“Don’t think just because internships are over that means you’re off the hook, Kenji. You’re still a contracted employee of S.C.A.L.E., and I’ll expect your presence this evening for R&D on that “amusement park” idea you had. In the meantime, I have a movie franchise to catch up on.” Ryukyu said as she waved. Kenji and Himiko waved back.
“Alright! Bye!” Kenji said.
“Bye, Miss Ryukyu! Thanks for letting me hang around!” Himiko said.
The two walked down the sidewalk as the sun began to rise. Himiko’s hand magnetized to Kenji’s, her fingers finding their place in between his.
“That was fun.” She said. “You lucked out winning the spot as Ryukyu’s protege.”
“Ha! You bet I did. She’s so amazing. Not only is she an awesome pro hero, she’s a skilled geneticist and biologist. It’s like she’s the perfect mentor for me.” Kenji said.
Himiko looked up at her boyfriend.
“I really enjoyed spending time with you, too. You seemed so invested, so in your element, it was amazing. It was like watching someone who has repressed a side of them to please everyone else, finally get to let that part loose and have fun.” She said.
“Someone like you?” Kenji asked.
“I… well… yeah. Someone like me.” Himiko said, scratching her head. “I feel freer with you than I do with anyone else. You’re so amazing, you’ve got an amazing brain, an awesome family, a crazy quirk…”
“You’ve got a good family too.” Kenji said.
“Yeah, and I love them with all my heart and soul. But back to what I was saying. You have all those things, and… you still chose me. Out of all our more beautiful classmates, out of anyone else in the world, you chose me, a small, skinny, blonde girl with teeth sharper than needles, who needs to perform cannibalism just to survive. You willingly chose me, just because…” She trailed off, tears pricking at her eyes.
Kenji grabbed her other hand and hugged her.
“Himiko, don’t sell yourself short. You’re beautiful, just in different ways than our classmates. Your beauty, it’s also inside, rather than only outside. You light up every room, breathe life into anything I find boring. You are amazing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I love you. That’s all you need to know about what others think of you. Who cares if a stingy old geezer thinks you’re unfit to be a hero. He probably also thought Pearl Harbor was justified back when he was a kid.” Kenji said.
The tears in Himiko’s eyes spilled over and she pressed her face into Kenji’s shoulder.
“Oh, Kenji! I love you too!” She said through tears. “Thank you… thank you for helping me… through everything. You are one of, if not the most supportive and loving boyfriends I’ve ever seen, both in real life and in fiction.”
Kenji smiled gently and leaned his head on hers.
“Good to know. Now I have a record to break.”
Himiko’s cries turned into laughter as she released her boyfriend from her death grip.
“Kenji!”
“What?”
Himiko sighed, then smacked his chest. “You’re such a sappy dork.” She said, before getting closer again, and gently kissing him on the cheek.
“But at least you’re my sappy dork.” She said.
They got back to UA approximately five minutes before the bell rang, and sat down. The classroom was buzzing with conversation, everyone talking about their internships. Aizawa was sitting in his chair, drinking coffee.
“Good morning, class. Against my better judgment I have decided to allow you all to discuss the events of your internships until lunch.” He said, before going back to his coffee.
Katsuki, Kenji, Himiko, Izuku, Kirishima, Mina, and Ochako all gathered around.
“Hey guys, how were your internships!” Kirishima asked.
“Yeah, we heard you guys faced some scary monsters in Hosu!” Mina said.
Izuku nodded. “Yeah! We did! A bunch of Nomu were released into the city to cause havoc, and we stopped them all!”
Ochako grinned with stars in her eyes.
“That sounds so amazing, Izuku! What about the rest of your internship?
Izuku tapped his chin as he thought back.
“Well, mine wasn’t as eventful after the Hosu attack. I was just training with All Might and my internship mentor, Gran Torino, to learn how to control my powers. What about you, Ochako?”
Ochako grinned as she remembered. “Well…”
“Feel the weight shifting?” The Firearm Hero, Gunhead asked.
Ochako nodded as she threw the training dummy to the ground.
“I do!”
“Good. You’ve got the basics down. Now let’s try incorporating your quirk, this time with a real person” Gunhead said.
Ochako nodded once more, then turned and faced one of the employees of Gunhead Agency, armored in thick padding all over his torso, head, and legs.
“Alright, here I go!” She said. She ran up to the man, planting one hand on his upper arm while her other hand grabbed his neck and pinched, causing him to recoil and drop his weapon, a fake plastic knife. Then, she activated her quirk, causing the man to float weightlessly, as she pinned him to the ground with no issue.
“Haha! You nailed it, Ochako! Good work!” Gunhead said, clapping his metal-gloved hands.
Ochako smiled and stood up, dusting her pink and black hero costume off.
“Thanks! I’m really pleased with the progress I’ve made.”
“…So yeah, mostly I just learned how to fight more effectively with Zero Gravity.” She said, finishing her story.
“That’s amazing, Ochako! Weaponizing your quirk in close combat to make it easier to safely subdue your enemy, why didn’t I think of that?” Izuku said, whipping out his notebook and scribbling a new entry.
“Heh, well, my internship was a lot more eventful.” Katsuki said, puffing out his chest with pride.
“Come on! Get up! I’m not done yet!” Mirko yelled as she punted a criminal like a football, sending him flying right into a police van.
“Nice shot!” Katsuki called. “Now watch this!”
He placed his hands against the wall of the criminal base, then blasted a large hole in the concrete. Inside, dozens of crooks who were caught unaware.
“Neat party trick, Pop-it!” Mirko said, leaping through the hole.
“Hey! It’s not a party trick, it’s a powerful explosive attack! If you did this at a party, you’d kill someone!” Katsuki yelled.
“What’re ya standing around out there for?! Get to fighting!” Mirko yelled back.
Katsuki sighed and raised his palms.
“Concussion Blast!” He called out, and Mirko lept out of the way as Katsuki released a massive blast with not much heat, but enough force to blow all the criminals into the wall, knocking most, if not all of them out.
Mirko dusted off her hands, before resting one on her hip.
“Not bad. You gotta work on your temper, though.”
“HEY!” Katsuki yelled, and Mirko laughed.
“See? Attitude.”
“So you spent the whole week busting criminal operations? Awesome, dude.” Kirishima said.
Katsuki grinned. “Yep, I had a load of fun. What about you, Kirishima? You were with a hero I’d never heard of before.”
Kirishima nodded. “Yeah, Fourth Kind, he’s a local hero in my town. He’s really great just… a bit strict.”
Mina tilted her head quizzically. “Strict? How strict?”
“YOU IDIOT! THIS BUSH IS SUPPOSED TO BE 150 INCHES HIGH! YOU TRIMMED IT 151! FIX IT!” The massive four armed hero roared as Kirishima nodded hurriedly and grabbed his trimming tool, a pair of kid scissors.
“Yes, Fourth Kind Sir!”
“WHAT’S THAT? I CAN’T HEAR LITTLE WUSSES!”
“YES, FOURTH KIND SIR!” Kirishima yelled.
“Yo, Kirishima? That you?” A familiar steely voice said. Kirishima whirled around, then grinned when he saw Tetsutetsu walking up.
“Yo, Tetsutetsu! What’s up, my bro?” Kirishima said, dapping the other boy up.
“I’m here to intern for Fourth Kind! You too?”
“Yep, I am.” Kirishima said, sighing tiredly. “Could’ve picked any hero, though. I got a lot of offers, even one from big names like Fatgum and Best Jeanist. I was just blinded by the prospect of meeting a local hero.”
“Yeah, I feel ya. That was my thought process too, though to be honest, Fourth Kind isn’t exactly what I pictured. He’s more..”
“DO I HEAR MY MAGGOTS FRATERNIZING?!” Fourth Kind’s voice boomed through the garden. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu immediately got to snipping the bushes.
“NO FOURTH KIND SIR!” They both yelled.
“So, yeah, he pretty much had me doing yard work all week.”
Mina winced. “Yikes, you were going through the wringer while I was having the time of my life.”
Kirishima perked up. “Oh? You were? What did you do?”
Mina smiled. “It was so fun!”
Mina and Momo stepped out of the limousine as they arrived at the Uwabami agency, the place even smelled rich and pretty.
“So, do you think we’ll stand out here for a while, or…” Mina said, when all of a sudden, a shriek came from the front door.
“EEEE! Oh, you two gems are even prettier up close! Ooh, you two are just what I need!” Uwabami said as she ran down the stairs in a dress and high heels, which was quite impressive to Mina.
“Miss Uwabami, I presume?” Momo asked politely.
“Yes yes, that’s me!” Uwabami said as she walked up to them and examined their faces.
“Oh, you two are so cute! Such pretty faces, such pristine skin! Come, come! We must get started.”
“Started? Started with what?” Mina asked.
She soon found out, when five minutes later, she was in a bathtub, bubbles floating around everywhere, being scrubbed down from head to toe by an army of snakes. In no time at all, she was dried off and flung into a comfortable midnight blue dress with no shoulders, and long silk sleeves that reached all the way down to her hands, with a hole for her thumbs. She was then sat down in a makeup chair, and more snakes began to do her makeup, applying lipstick, eyeliner, and all other manner of girly things.
“Hold still, dear, my boas are quite gentle, they won’t hurt you.” Uwabami said, standing behind her.
“So, do you do commercials or something?” Mina asked.
“Commercials? Oh, please, no! We here at Uwabami agency do beauty magazines!” Uwabami said, as the snakes finished her makeup. Uwabami took her hand and walked her down to a photo shooting area.
“Go ahead, sit down.” She said, and Mina sat down on a stool in the chair.
“Now, reach up, as if you’re grasping a star.” She said. Mina did so, and the camera clicked once.
“Good, now, look at the camera and give us a pleasant face.
“Mina looked into the lens and tilted her head, giving the photographer a pleasant smile. The camera clicked once more.
“Excellent! These will sell out in no time once we get them on a cover! Now, please, help me with a difficult decision.” Uwabami said as she led Mina to a table with three different perfumes.
“I’ve been contacted by these three companies to sponsor their products, and I can’t decide which one to choose. Pick one for me.” She said, nudging Mina forward. The pink skinned girl stepped up to the table and sprayed one of the perfumes, labeled “Ocean Summer’s Breeze.” It smelled quite good, with hints of coconut and lemon scents mixed in. Next, “Festive Fresh.” It smelled incredible, invoking the feelings associated with many Christmases Mina had treasured over the years. Finally, one simply labeled “Woman”. She sprayed it, then immediately recoiled. It was rancid, assaulting her nose with all sorts of undesirable scents.
“Ok, I think I’ve made a decision. Festive Fresh is the best.” She said.
“Really? Very well, I’ll take that one then. Thank you, Mina, you’re quite a gem. Go take a well deserved rest, and send Momo in.” Uwabami said, smiling pleasantly.
“Really? You spent the whole week living the dream in the lap of luxury?” Himiko asked.
“Yeah, it was a bit hard to understand sometimes, but I was treated like a queen by those snakes.”
Himiko sighed wistfully. “That sounds fun.”
Kenji looked offended. “Hey! Our week was fun!”
Himiko growled. “I nearly got eaten!”
“Oh, this is a story I have to hear!” Mina said, scooting closer. “Do tell.”
“I hate this.” Himiko said as she climbed up onto the back of a Pteranodon, sitting on a custom saddle right behind Kenji. “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this.”
“Relax, Himiko! It’s just gonna be a leisurely flight. We’ll have some fun, and test out the new Aviary.” Kenji said, gesturing around to the huge dome-shaped enclosure, which had been built in just three days by a team of construction-quirk employees Ryukyu hired specifically for this purpose.
“And why are we testing it, exactly?” Himiko asked, her arms locking tightly around Kenji’s torso as her feet found footrests on the saddle.
“To make sure it’s safe for civilians.” Kenji replied matter-of-factly.
“Ah yes, of course. Let’s make the valuable interns be the guinea pigs instead of the people paid to do this!” Himiko said.
“Sounds to me like you need a quick flight to clear your head.” Kenji said, as he gently urged the large Pterosaur to take off.
“Wait, no no No No NO!” Himiko shrieked as the Pteranodon leapt off of the perch and dove downwards, before leveling off and soaring through the trees.
“Relax! This Aviary was designed with comfort in mind, both for guests and dinosaurs.” Kenji said, as he steered the Pteranodon towards the artificial sea. Large waves crested over the beach as various species enjoyed the tide pools it created. One, a black Baryonyx, snapped up a fish as Kenji and Himiko passed by. An Elasmosaurus peeked its head above the water like a periscope, before yawning, and going back underwater.
Himiko began to calm down, looking around at the lush foliage and peaceful fauna. A tall-necked Mamenchisaurus peeked its head above the trees as it chewed on leaves, and the Pteranodon lazily weaved around it.
“Alright, fine, this is enjoyable.” Himiko admitted.
”See? Everything’s fine! Everyone’s happy! There’s nothing that can threaten us in this enclosure.” Kenji said.
Suddenly, a loud screech echoed through the treetops, as a huge pterosaur zoomed descended down towards them.
“Except for that.” Kenji said, pulling the reins tight, and commanding the Pteranodon to dive.
Himiko screamed as the two of them plummeted downward. “WHAT IS THAT?!”
“Thanatosdrakon, which means “Dragon of Death”. It’s not after the Pteranodon, no, it’s hungry for the little snacks on top of it. Us. I haven’t imprinted on it yet, so for now, it’s a wild animal.” Kenji said as the ducked and weaves through the canopy, before zipping into a small hole in the mountainside that the Thanatosdrakon couldn’t follow them into. They landed, and Himiko’s breathing finally calmed down.
“That was… insane.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to handle that later this afternoon.” Kenji said. Just then, they noticed where they were. Inside the cave were several pools of clear water, with bright bioluminescent algae that reflected off the Pteranodon’s scaled beautifully.
”Ok, now that’s pretty.” Himiko said, leaning into Kenji’s back.
“Yep, and there’s more of that to come.” Kenji said, as the Pteranodon took off once more and flew out of the cave, into a wide open meadow. A herd of Parasaurolophus noticed them, and trumpeted in greeting as they flew by. The Pteranodon soared high into the sky as the sun set, landing on the roosting area they’d started on. Himiko rested her chin on Kenji’s shoulder as they watched the dinosaurs in the enclosure, living life as they would in real life, as the sun set beautifully in the background.
“Alright, I’m sold. I’d love to do this again, if you can get that Thanos Dragon or whatever under control.” Himiko said.
Kenji laughed. “Alright, I’ll be sure to do that.” He said. They got off of the Pteranodon and walked inside.
Mina’s mouth was agape. “Seriously?! You got to ride a Pterodactyl?!” She asked incredulously.
“No, we didn’t. Pterodactyls are not real dinosaurs. We rode a Pteranodon.” Kenji corrected.
“But yes, we did, and it was awesome.” Himiko said.
Kirishima grinned. “Alright, as soon as that thing opens to the public, you’ve gotta let me buy a ticket.” He said.
“Me too!” Mina chimed. “That sounds like so much fun!”
Kenji nodded. “I’ll make sure you all get a discount, if you want.”
“Yes please!” Everyone said, as the bell rang for lunch.