22 Underground Masquerade 3

Rushing into the fray, Rumi jumped on top of people and used them as platforms to move forward, Rapper bulldozed straight through them while Yuuichi weaved his way through the crowd only taking down anyone who tried to fight him.

As he moved forward, he noticed that the black gas had appeared behind Rumi but her movement was enough to stop the black gas.

'Looks like the black gas user is not in the venue. If they were, Rumi's movements wouldn't be enough to shake them off which means their field of vision is fixed.' thought Yuuichi.

Looking around the venue, Yuuichi noticed that there were cameras everywhere and figured the black gas user must be using them. Constructing Buddhist Prayer Beads, Yuuichi shot them out at all the cameras around the venue, effectively blinding whoever was watching.

Not seeing the black gas anymore meant Yuuichi's assumptions were correct so he continued to make his way toward the exit where he saw a hooded man with wrapped hands come out, blocking Rapper's way.

"Looking for some action? You some sorta martial artist? My kinda guy! You and me! To the death!" said Rapper starting his punches.

Seeing Rapper's punches, the hooded man started to dodge everything with the grace of a fighter before throwing a right hook. Except his right arm stretched, outmaneuvering Rapper's fist and hitting him right in the face with enough force to knock his gas mask off and knock him down onto the ground.

The hooded man's arm turned back to normal but as it shrunk, Yuuichi noticed that there was a lot of blood left behind.

'Looks like it's not a normal type of stretching. He might be breaking down his arm to stretch it before healing it back to normal.' thought Yuuichi.

"What the hell're you?!" said Rumi who jumped into the air, spun, and had her leg out for an axe kick on the hooded man.

In response, the hooded man kicked his leg upward, stretching it out and grazing Rumi's chin, knocking her gas mask off and stopping her axe kick.

Before she could crash into a crowd, Yuuichi caught her and set her down. But before she could say her thanks, the hooded man pulled his arm back and launched forward his outstretched arm which was stopped by O'Clock who used his knife to slash at it, making the hooded man retract it.

"Y-y-you... y-you...are...O'Clock!" said the hooded man pointing his finger at O'Clock allowing the group to see his sliced-up hand stop bleeding and heal, confirming Yuuichi's theory.

"Rumi, go. That hooded guy is focused on O'Clock. Rapper and I will help him out." whispered Yuuichi to Rumi, seeing that the hooded man had started to fight with O'Clock.

"Tch. I wanted to fight him." she said before sprinting off and jumping over the hooded man's head which caught his attention.

Seeing her about to reach the exit, the hooded man stretched out a giant, clawed hand to catch Rumi but was blocked by Yuuichi who constructed a Solar Wall, allowing Rumi to safely exit the parking garage.

"Seems like our bunny made her escape. Which means All Might is bound to show up and our job here is done. When he gives us an opening, you should retreat, find somewhere to hide, and..."

"Naw. I ain't here on the job." said Rapper, interrupting O'Clock, "That piece o' work over there is coming for my head so who would I be if I didn't indulge?"

"Y-you p-people... fun-fun!" said the hooded man.

"Let's rumble!" said Rapper as he started to fight with the hooded man.

Meanwhile, Yuuichi just sat back to let the two fight each other when he noticed that the black gas had reappeared over the unconscious people. A hand came out of it, touched the people and then they started to change like they had been super dosed with Quirk Boosters.

"O'Clock, we might have a problem here." said Yuuichi as he noticed the sheer number of people that were about to go on a rampage.

"Take care of as many as you can." he said before helping out Rapper.

Yuuichi constructed a pair of giant hands to scoop up as many people and trapped them by changing the hands into a solid sphere. The ones he couldn't scoop up, he chained down, allowing him to take care of a majority of the people but unfortunately, some still slipped out into the streets.

"Did someone order a good kicking?!" said Rumi, kicking the hooded man who was about to slam a gate into O'Clock.

"Why'd you come back?!" asked Rapper.

"Cuz I finished your little favor. Out there, in here-it's totally nuts. And I wasn't gonna be the only gal on the sidelines. So I'm back to give this nasty customer a taste of my foot!" she said.

"GRAH! Y-you th-three k-killing you would m-make me strongest." said the hooded man who had gotten taller and bigger.

"I Aaaaaam....." shouted All Might as he made his way to the scene, but before he could arrive a black portal appeared behind the hooded man and took him away.

"Here! Huh?" said All Might, mid-pose and confused at the scene.

"The villain got away." said Rumi to him.

"Oh, I see. Good job here, heroes! I'll take these people off your hands!" he said, talking about the people Yuuichi had in the sphere and chains which he undid, allowing All Might to knock them all out and take them away.

"He's not the number one hero for nothing." said Yuuichi seeing how fast he took care of all of them.

"Come on, we'll go out the side so the cops won't see you. Don't want them asking questions." said O'Clock as the four of them made their way out a side exit and into an alley.

"I'd best get a move on. We smashed up my playground real good but there're plenty of other clubs out there." said Rapper as he took off his mask, revealing an unruly-looking blonde man.

"Good luck out there." said Yuuichi.

"Mm, if we cross paths again, next time, I'm playing for keeps." he said with a smile.

"I look forward to it." responded Yuuichi as he walked away.

"What about you, bunny?" asked O'Clock.

"Ah, I don't want to get into trouble with the school again so I better move on. What about you?" she asked Yuuichi.

"I'm doing my Work Study. I'm here in an official capacity. Like a real Hero." said Yuuichi, emphasizing the word Hero to tease her which worked as could be seen by her ears twitching like they did when she was annoyed.

"What are you implying?" she said.

"Nothing. Just that I'm a Hero. No big deal. What about you?"

"I'm a hero too! I've been doing my Work Study! You want to go?!" she said, getting all riled up.

"No. But that does mean we can talk to each other again. Since we're both heroes now." he said, sticking out his pinky.

"Technically." she said.

"Meh, technically or not, I think we've kept our promise long enough."

"Good, I think so too." she said sticking her pinky out and wrapping it around his.

"You look good. Still short though." said Yuuichi, who was 1.96 M, 6'4", while Rumi was 1.59 M, 5'2".

"Tch, you're just too tall." she said.

"How long are you in Osaka for?"

"The school trip ends tomorrow in the afternoon."

"I'll see you later then. I have to make a report."

"You better come or I'll track you down and kick your ass!"

"Hahaha!"

~

After Rumi left, O'Clock and Yuuichi made their way to where Crust and the police were.

"Young Buddha, are you okay?!" asked Crust, grabbing Yuuichi's shoulders and shaking him.

"Haha, fine, Crust, thanks." said Yuuichi.

"Thank god! I wouldn't have known what to do if you were hurt!" he said, wiping his tears.

"He's fine, he's strong." said O'Clock.

"Appreciate it. Here, all the info on the drug trading." said Yuuichi handing him the camera.

"You didn't find what you were looking for?" asked O'Clock as he took the camera.

"No. But I think that hooded man and the black gas might be a clue as to what I'm dealing with."

"Just be careful going down that road. If it is what I think it is, you'll have your work cut out for you."

"I will. You be careful too."

"What are you two talking about?! What black gas?!" asked Crust, who felt left out.

"Not important. Let's go eat. I'm starving. I'll do the paperwork later."

~

After a nice meal courtesy of Crust and a long day of extensive paperwork, Yuuichi was making his way to the rooftop of the hotel where Rumi was staying. But since the sun had set and the moon was out, he was using his Lunar Constructs as using his Solar Constructs at night was inefficient, not to mention they lit up the night sky.

Dispelling his Lunar Phoenix he constructed to fly to the hotel, he landed safely on the rooftop where Rumi was already waiting for him.

"Finally."

"Sorry, had a lot of paperwork to do."

"Oh, Mr. Bigshot Hero has paperwork now." she said, teasing him.

"Haha!"

"Oi, why are you laughing?! You laughing at me?! I'll kick your ass!" she said.

"No, not laughing at you. I just missed you is all." said Yuuichi.

"Tch, when'd you get all sappy?"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." he said.

"Ew, don't say that to me."

"Still the same as ever."

"You haven't changed much either. Except you got taller."

"Can't change what's already perfect."

"Right." she said, rolling her eyes.

"So, what's new?" asked Yuuichi.

~

"And then I jumped in, kicked him in the nuts and he was out! And that's how I got my Provisional Hero License." she said, smiling with glee at her story of almost castrating a boy.

"Sounds like you had fun."

"Meh, it was okay. Wish you had been there. Not everyone understands me, you do." she said sounding slightly melancholy.

"Well, you are a tough pill to swallow so I can't blame anyone for not getting you. Not everyone is as zen as I am." joked Yuuichi before suddenly dodging a kick.

"Whoa there. Just as feisty as I remember." said Yuuichi only for her to not say anything before starting to throw a rush of kicks at Yuuichi which he only dodged.

But after dodging for a few seconds, Yuuichi realized that something was off about Rumi. Her kicks didn't have the usual explosive and deadly precision, but they felt more like someone who was randomly kicking out of desperation.

"Rumi." said Yuuichi to no response.

THUD

"Rumi. Are you okay?" asked Yuuichi who stopped her attacks by grabbing her leg.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see her face because she was looking down at the ground which caused her hair to cover her face up, but he did see something fall and glisten in the moonlight.

Realizing what he saw catch the moonlight, he released her leg and walked up to hug her before she promptly began to cry into his shirt.

After a few minutes of comforting her in silence, she stopped crying.

"You okay?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"You're not going to ask me why I was crying?"

"If you want to tell me, you will. If not, I'll wait until you're ready to tell me." he said causing her to fall silent for a few moments.

"No one gets me. Even the friends I made don't get me. They just think I'm weird." she said.

"They should meet me." he said, causing her to chuckle.

"It doesn't matter if they don't get you because I do. And I'll always be here for you." he said.

Getting her face off his chest, she looked up at him and the way she looked in the moonlight made Yuuichi's mind go blank for a second.

"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" he said, looking right into her eyes.

"Shut up." she said as she tip-toed to kiss him.

~

In a room, in a place, in a city, in a prefecture, in Japan, a man in a suit sat on an expensive chair while a man with a head made of black smoke stood next to him.

"Shame. Getting my hands on that one quirk would have furthered the cause." said the suited man.

"Indeed. The acceleration of mental activity provided by Overclock is a rare and wondrous ability." said the smoke man.

"Yes. And that Solar Construct Quirk isn't too shabby either. Such a shame. Oh well, they'll both be mine, eventually. I've even decided how I'll put them to use." said the suited man, a sinister smile marring his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN

In case anyone says that it's out of character for Rumi to be acting the way she is, you have to remember she's a high school girl. She may be confident and unfearing but at the end of the day, she is a teenager. And if you've ever met a teenager and/or if you've ever been one, they're balls of repressed emotions. Not to mention these hero kids who have quite literally the weight of the world on their shoulders.

And if you still think it's odd, then I really don't know what to say except too bad.

Also, still not the best at romance but I think I did okay.

And for those who don't know, "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" is an allusion that means "I love you" in Japanese.