48

The rising sun peeked through the windows of Stormclaw's agency as Izuku awoke the next morning. His arms moved instinctively for his girlfriends, as he didn't feel them for some reason. When he found nothing, his mind lurched awake, confusing him for a moment until he remembered where he was.

Izuku also felt that familiar grumble of his quirk in the back of his mind and the tightness in his chest that accompanied the tightness in his pants when he woke up. Despite Mina taking very good care of him the previous morning before they left for their internships, he still felt ansty and pent up.

With a small sigh, he grabbed his phone and opened the group chat between him and his girlfriends. He scrolled back through their conversation the night before, smiling softly as he reread their conversations about the first day. Mina and Ochako were both bruised and sore, while Momo was slightly better off, at least physically. From what she told them, Nighteye had put her through her paces mentally, leaving her drained and exhausted.

Ochako had seemed almost a touch scared of Miruko but was still determined and had thanked him profusely for the notes he had prepared. Mina could hardly stop gushing about how cool Nejire and Ryuko were, and Momo was thankful that Izuku had recommended Nighteye to her. He had fallen asleep with a smile on his face, even after Mina asked him teasingly about how Tsuyu was.

He knew that they were up to something.

Izuku sat up in bed, realizing that he needed to take care of himself before he was supposed to report for training. He flexed his quirk so as to let him walk easier and began to walk toward the door.

He glanced over at Tsuyu, who was still sleeping soundly. His eyes lingered over the peaceful expression on her face and his over-sensitive nose picked up her scent.

She smelled nice.

Izuku shook his head and opened the door as quietly as he could, closing it behind him on his way to the showers. He glanced at his phone again and spotted some messages he hadn't noticed before.

With a raised eyebrow, he noticed that they were private messages from Mina. 

'Hey babe, I know it's not gonna be easy to be away from your wonderful girlfriends for a week, so I thought this might make it a little easier. Love you~'

Izuku scrolled down to the next message and nearly dropped his phone. 

Mina had sent him over a dozen pictures of her… less than fully clothed. 

Nude. She was nude.

She had sent him an array of different poses and angles, emphasizing her luscious lips, large chest, ample behind, and thick, toned thighs. There were even a couple where she was posing with a sign that read 'Queen & Defiant' in a big red heart.

Izuku felt his chest tighten more.

He hurried off to the showers.

Yeah, these would help.

At 8:00 sharp, Izuku and Tsuyu were standing on the beach behind the agency after a hearty breakfast provided by none other than Inko, who had come by the agency for the day with his father. As per normal, Hisashi wasted no time getting to work.

"I got good data yesterday," he began, "and it's clear that you both have some serious work to do. Don't fret, that's exactly why we're here. Riptide, take Miss Asui out and work on her turning; she needs to be better when there isn't something to kick off from. Izuku, you're with me again. Tomorrow we'll switch it up, but today that's how it's gonna be. We'll meet back here at noon for lunch, then this afternoon…" He smiled widely, looking at Izuku and Tsuyu. "We're going on patrol."

Izuku's face broke out into a wide smile. He had dreamed for years about going on patrol with his father. Honestly, one of his first memories was him asking to go out and 'beat up bad guys' with him. 

It was a dream come true.

Tsuyu and Riptide both nodded and headed back for the open waters while Izuku and his father watched them leave. 

"You did well yesterday," Hisashi commented. "Let's see how much you retained. Show me your drake transformation; remember to keep your quirk pushing forward, away from your back."

After the rigorous drilling Hisashi put Izuku through yesterday, he hoped it would be a lot simpler. Izuku had accidentally used the drake transformation twice during the sports festival—once during the cavalry battle and again against Shinsou—so it was a little easier to pick up.

Izuku glanced toward Tsuyu and Riptide, checking how far away they were. With just him and his father here, he could more easily melt into his quirk.

Slowly, the flowing, dripping power poured through his mind until Izuku ceased to exist. With his body better in-tune with itself, Defiant pushed his quirk forward, scales flowing up his body as his limbs bulged and lengthened. He lowered himself onto all fours as his head became draconic, the green ridge on the back of his neck growing up and down his spine as his tail grew behind him.

The transformation was slower than the times he did it at UA, but it was more controlled, and soon Defiant was standing in front of his father as a full drake.

"Very good!" Hisashi praised. "Obviously we need to work on your speed, but that's what practice is for. Now, what is the purpose of the drake form?"

A quiz. How droll.

"This form works best in tighter spaces where there's no room for a full transformation," Defiant explained. "The enhanced speed and strength also allow for faster ground travel when flight is impractical or impossible."

Hisashi nodded. "Very true. However, it is also important because its what I like to call a 'proper' transformation. Do you know our greatest weakness?"

"Stamina," Defiant answered directly.

"Exactly right again." Hisashi's hand flashed to a bronze, black-tipped claw as he spoke. "Our quirks are incredibly powerful. We're fast, strong, durable, and have both ranged and melee potential. It seems like the total package at first, but our downfall comes in the form of how much energy it takes to sustain our quirk." 

Defiant huffed. "I know all of this. You've explained all of this before."

"I know I have," Hisashi continued. "I'm not going senile yet, Son. I'm repeating myself because hearing or seeing something you already 'know' again after you've had more experience can open up whole new understandings. Think about yesterday. I've been telling you your whole life that you need to work with your quirk, but it wasn't until you had the… experiences that you had at UA that you came to understand what that meant."

Defiant eyed his father for a moment. "I… see. My apologies."

Hisashi smiled a little. "Even with all my training and experience, I can still only hold a transformation for so long. That's why it's important for us to be as efficient as possible. Back to what I was saying about 'proper' forms, there is a reason why my dragon form is more or less the same size every time. Why wouldn't I use a smaller form if stamina is such a concern, you may wonder."

Defiant paused. "I… had wondered that, yes. I always just assumed it was to get maximum effectiveness. It is better to use too much power than too little."

"That's wise, but it's not the entire reason," Hisashi continued. "A full transformation is actually easier to maintain than a major partial transformation. It takes a lot to push it up that far, but once it's there, something 'sets' and it takes less energy to hold it. I'm sure you've felt a transformation snap away when you stop focusing on it, right?"

Defiant nodded.

"But once you get up to that full transformation, once you get over that mountain… something holds it in place. It's like how it's hard to lift something up onto your shoulder, but easier to carry once it's there." Hisashi threw his arms wide. "The full realization of our quirk. Us and our instincts have to spend less energy on holding a half-flex and can focus on the task ahead." 

"So it's like a muscle?" Defiant asked.

Hisashi rubbed his chin. "Yes in some ways, no in others. However, I am glad you mentioned that because that brings me to my next point." 

Hisashi's body bulged as he slammed down on all fours—well, threes—and scales flashed across his body. Stormclaw in drake form gazed across at Defiant, his body bulkier and less lanky comparatively.

"This transformation… isn't as simple," Stormclaw explained. "My father discovered it, so to speak, or perhaps invented might be more accurate. Either way, he spent years searching and practicing until he perfected it. He taught me and Hatsuo, but I never taught you." He laughed once. "You really were watching me closely all those years if you were able to do it without instruction."

"I only did it when my instincts took over," Defiant admitted. "I didn't do it myself." 

"They see through your eyes," Stormclaw added as he stood back up and transformed back. 

Hisashi rolled his neck. "I don't use that transformation very much anymore. Not much use when you only have one arm, eh?" He gestured at Defiant. "You can let that transformation go. It's time for the next technique." 

Defiant stood up and let his quirk drain away, releasing a sigh as the glow in his eyes subsided.

"Back to the original point," Hisashi continued. "Efficiency." 

Izuku listened patiently.

Hisashi's arm bulged slightly larger. "I'm sure you've seen me do this before, yes?" 

Izuku nodded, rubbing his chin. "Sure. You use it when you don't need your scal-" Izuku paused, looking down, then back up at his father. "Efficiency. You're doing a half transformation that gives you the strength and size of shifting your arm but not using the scales to save energy."

"Exactly!" Hisashi beamed down proudly at his son. "Why waste stamina when you don't need to use your scales? If you're not worried about defense, such as lifting some rubble off a trapped civilian, conserving your energy is paramount. Go ahead, try it."

Izuku nodded, looking down at his arm and focusing. This should be easy, right?

He focused on letting his quirk flow down his arm, letting the power seep into his bones and muscles. His arm bulged, scales growin-

Izuku furrowed his brow and let the scales drop, but his arm shrunk as well. 

"They're intertwined," he mumbled, trying again and failing again. "Trying to do one without the other is… difficult."

Hisashi smiled and chuckled a little. "After so much practice doing it normally, it's not easy. Remember, quirks are physical abilities and, much like a muscle, doing something you haven't done before is hard. The first time you do an exercise, you struggle to do it even a little, but after weeks of practice, it's second nature to you. That's what you gotta do here." 

Izuku nodded, looking back down at his arm and focusing. He clenched his teeth as his power flowed again, slowly growing his arm as he pushed along at a snail's pace, watching it carefully. Scales began to form and he let a small bit of his quirk fade, but then had to pour a little more on as his arm shrunk.

Like trying to balance on a tightrope, Izuku kept swinging from too much to too little, but somewhere in the middle was his target. He could hold it for a second or two before he fell to one side or the other again.

"That's good!" Hisashi said, a note of surprise in his voice. "Now, it won't be more efficient until you can do it as second nature, so you need to keep practicing."

"It's only… a little bigger," Izuku hissed through his teeth as he felt the burn of his quirk in his arm and in his head.

Hisashi nodded, holding up his arm as it bulged almost twice its size without growing scales. "Sure, it's not much larger now, but with practice, you'll be able to sustain bigger transformations. There is a limit to how much you can do before you have to grow your scales—about double, as it were—but you have a long way to go before then."

Izuku's quirk snapped away as he began to pant slightly. "You wouldn't think this would be that hard."

"But it is," Hisashi added. "It's worth it, though. Practice until you can do it in your sleep, that's how to become a hero, Izuku."

"Yes, sir!" Izuku responded, focusing on his arm again.

Hisashi grew a sly grin. "You can do this on all parts of your body with enough repetitions. Legs, arms… other parts. I tell you what, it's a great trick for the ladies. That one takes a little more practice, however."

Izuku sputtered and his quirk snapped away as his face turned bright green. "Dad!" he yelled as Hisashi began to laugh uproariously.

Hisashi looked incredibly pleased with himself. "Son, it's not only my right, but my obligation as your father to embarass you as much as possible."

Izuku groaned.

"Now, no slacking!" he ordered, his face still beaming. "Again! Try to hold it longer this time!" 

Try as she might, Ochako couldn't break out of Miruko's hold. Her face was twisted in pain as she strained and twisted in a vain attempt to escape from the pro's leg lock. Finally, she slapped the mat, gasping in relief as Miruko released her.

Ochako lay there on the mat for a few seconds as Miruko hopped up. "Damn, you're strong," Ochako muttered as she rolled over and pushed herself up.

Miruko laughed once. "Nah, I was barely using anything. These babies can and have crushed concrete before." She slapped one of her powerful thighs proudly. "I was intentionally only using so much because I wanted you to break out."

Ochako stood up to her full height and looked down at the pro who was almost a full foot shorter than her. "You wanted me to learn how to get out."

"Exactly," Miruko agreed. "Don't worry, I just wanted to test you first. I'll show you how to break it." She stretched herself out a little, rolling and popping her neck. "That's your biggest weakness."

"What is?" Ochako asked, taking a drink of water.

"Technique!" Miruko answered directly. "You've got the body, the strength, the raw talent, but you have almost no technique. Have you ever been formally trained?"

Ochako averted her gaze nervously. Her parents couldn't exactly afford much in the way of trainers. "O-only a little." 

"It shows," Miruko huffed.

There was a silence for several seconds.

"Miruko," Ochako began quietly, "why did you pick me?"

The pro looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, then took a big drink from her water bottle. "I just told you."

Ochako must have looked uncertain, because Miruko smirked and then continued.

"You caught my eye during that speech of yours," she began. "I liked it, telling everyone they better come at you with everything or get out of your way." She smirked. "In so many words."

"I watched you in that race; coming in third place against that competition was all well and good, but not anything truly impressive. You began to lose my interest in the second event; Endeavor's kid and Stormclaw's kid stole the show on that one, but you tried that ballsy move to go after them in mid-air. I respected that."

Ochako felt a twinge of protectiveness; she knew Deku didn't like being referred to as 'Stormclaw's kid'. 

Miruko chuckled a little. "Then the final round started. Now that was the good stuff. You got beat to hell in that first match, but you ended standing over her with your foot on her back, just like I do. Next match you took that gut shot like a champ and tossed that redhead out." Miruko's red eyes flashed up to Ochako's. "Then that match against the explosive kid."

Miruko laughed a little harder. "Oh ho ho. That got me out of my seat! Damn, that was intense. People thought you were on the ropes, then BOOM !" Miruko punched the air and laughed. "I saw those tears on your face, kid. You never let up, didn't give him a chance to recover. You took that blast that sent him out of the arena and when you pushed yourself back up… that's when I knew." 

Ochako's eyes were wide.

"And then you won!" Miruko stomped the ground, shaking the building a little. "That was the icing on the cake. You both were beat to hell but you both gave it your all. No quit. No regrets. Just you and your drive to win."

"I didn't really deserve it," Ochako muttered. "If Deku could have used his quirk, I wouldn't have stood a chance."

Miruko laughed. "I know that! Everyone watching knew that. Do you think that matters?"

"I… what?"

"The only people who give a damn about who won are the civilians and shitty heroes. Besides, you won fair and square; anyone who gets on you about not 'deserving' the victory can go to hell." Miruko was staring at her very seriously. "The real pros care about your drive, your skills, your talent. You could have lost to that boy in a second and I still would've sent you the offer."

Ochako was in disbelief. "Winning doesn't matter?"

Miruko smirked up at her. "At that festival? Not really. It so happens that those with the most drive are often the winners, so it normally works out. Regardless, you showed me that you have what it takes to be a top hero, but you didn't have the training. That's why I chose you. That's why you're here."

Miruko stomped again. "You're here so I can kick your ass into shape."

Ochako smiled confidently. "I'll do my best to make it hard on you."

"That's the spirit!" Miruko smirked widely. "But hey, I'm curious, what's up between you and the Midoriya kid? I saw you two talking a bunch during your match. Were you taunting him?"

Ochako blushed a little. "Not exactly."

Miruko raised an eyebrow and cocked her hip. "Ah, you have the hots for him, huh?"

Ochako blushed a little harder. "We're dating, actually."

Miruko looked surprised. "Were you dating then?"

"Y-yeah."

"You two were dating and you still beat the hell out of each other like that?" 

Ochako nodded firmly. "If either of us held back, that would seriously upset the other. We're at UA to become heroes, and nothing's gonna hold us back from that, including each other. He pushes me, I push him."

Miruko smirked wider than ever, to the point where she almost looked insane. "I knew I made the right choice. Now come on, I'll show you how to break that hold; try not to get pinned as quickly this time."

"Oh," Miruko began as she hopped up and down a little, "and tomorrow we're gonna go on patrol. But I tell you what, I saw that costume of yours and I gotta say, it does not fit you." 

Ochako deflated a little. "What do you mean?"

Miruko raised her eyebrows knowingly. "I think you need something a little more… stylish. I had my people whip something up. It'll be ready tomorrow."

Ochako's eyes went wide. Miruko made her a new costume? 

"I'll earn that gift," Ochako declared confidently.

Miruko laughed loudly as she cracked her knuckles. "I'll make sure you do."

Patrolling with his father was the greatest thing Izuku could ask for. The entire afternoon they had flown together, with Tsuyu and Riptide dashing through the waves beneath. Sometimes the dragons had flown off to take care of one call, or the women would dash off on their own for another call, but all in all, the afternoon was rather quiet. No villain attacks, just routine patrols, a few minor incidents, and calm waves.

After getting back to the agency, Inko invited the four of them to the Midoriya house for dinner. Tsuyu seemed quite excited about it, surprising Izuku with the amount of emotion that she showed. She had a wide smile and was rocking back and forth slightly the entire car ride to Izuku's home, making him smile as well.

Once there, Inko formally invited Tsuyu into their home, which she graciously accepted and was nothing but polite and courteous, as she normally was. 

Inko told them that dinner would be ready in a bit less than an hour and implied that Izuku should find some way to entertain their guest.

Luckily, Izuku had just the idea.

Izuku walked up to his father who was standing in the sunroom overlooking the beach and spoke in a hushed tone. "Can I show Tsuyu your collection in the bay?" 

Hisashi thought for a moment, glancing over at Tsuyu as his eyes flashed an almost-imperceptible amount. 

"Sure," he said finally, "but don't be late for dinner."

Izuku nodded. "Will do. Thanks!"

He walked back over to Tsuyu in the living room, who was looking up at him curiously. "Can I show you something?" he asked. 

She nodded immediately, hopping up from the couch and following him as he walked toward the back door. "What is it, Izuchan?"

Izuku held the door open for her as they stepped out onto the walkway leading down to the beach. "My dad has a… collection out here in the bay. I thought you might like to see it."

Tsuyu stared at him with her big, black eyes and nodded slowly.

They walked down the path together and stepped onto the sands. Izuku always liked coming home here, as it gave him a sense of nostalgia that always made him smile. This was where it had all begun; his very first transformation had happened right here on this beach.

To think that he would be here now.

"Izuchan?" Tsuyu asked, looking over the calm bay as the setting sun shone down. "I don't see anything."

Izuku looked down at the short woman with a smile.

She looked up at him and then back at the water. "Oh, it's underwater. That's really cool. Good thing we're still in our costumes."

He smiled wider as he began to jog toward the water with Tsuyu right behind him. His quirk flowed through him as scales grew along his body and his gills formed along his neck, but he maintained control. 

He still didn't trust Defiant enough to be around Tsuyu alone.

Izuku jumped into the air and dove into the water, Tsuyu splashing down next to him. Izuku turned to glance at his friend, making sure he caught her eye through her nearly-invisible goggles on her face before turning sharply and swimming quickly for deeper waters.

Tsuyu caught on immediately and dashed after him, closing the distance in only a few seconds. 

"Try to keep up!" he called back through the water as his webbed hands and feet pulled him around a boulder, following the path he and his father used to race all the time. 

Izuku had learned during Hell Week that Tsuyu was no slouch in the water, but he was surprised with how much she had improved. Two days with Riptide had really done her good. He was planning on taking it a little slow to give her a chance, but he quickly found that he didn't need to give her too much of a handicap.

Deeper and deeper they swam, twisting around boulders and dashing through rocky archways. Izuku knew the course by heart, but Tsuyu was doing her best to keep up with him. Fortunately for her, the many years of Izuku's practice had left telltale signs of the path. There were gouges in rocks where Izuku's claws had planted themselves time and time again, and gaps in foliage where he had passed through, although some of that had begun to grow back from his absence.

The race was a lot closer than he expected, even if he was sandbagging a little to keep it competitive, but as they rounded the final bend into the home stretch, he was confident that he had her beat. 

Izuku swam forward as fast as he could in the final straightaway, the finish line looming ever closer.

Then he heard a noise. 

Sound travels over four times faster in the water than in air, which took some getting used to as he trained in the ocean, but now that he had, Izuku could tell what was happening.

Tsuyu had swung up onto a rock and planted her feet. 

He didn't dare gaze back for risk of losing speed, but the rush of water told him all he needed to know. 

Tsuyu was gaining on him, and fast. Just how powerful were her legs?

Izuku regretted underestimating his friend.

He reached out a hand toward the large, flat rock that marked the end, but then a green flash shot past him. Tsuyu's hand slapped the rock less than a second before his did, but the speeds they were going meant that neither had time to properly catch themselves.

Tsuyu and Izuku crashed into each other and Izuku panicked.

In an instant, his quirk rushed forward and drowned him out.

Defiant reached his arms out and grabbed onto Tsuyu, pulling her close as his body bulged larger. His wings sprouted from his back, acting as massive brakes to kill their momentum as he flipped over and dug his claws into the rock, quickly bringing them to a halt.

The only sound piercing the waters for several seconds were the residual eddies and Defiant's heavy breaths as he forced water through his gills.

Defiant looked down at the woman pressed to his chest, his eyes flashing over her to make sure she was unharmed. Thankfully, she seemed uninjured.

Tsuyu's face was pressed into his chest as he held her close, her one eye staring up at his face as she sat there silently. 

"You will be safe as long as I am here," Defiant declared down at her, squeezing his arms in what amounted to a large hug to emphasize his point.

Slowly, one of Tsuyu's hands reached up to his face. He watched it curiously as her finger drew closer, then pressed gently into one of the sharp fangs lining his draconic maw.

His quirk drained away, settling to the back of his mind as Izuku reasserted full control over himself. He hadn't even realized his head had transformed. 

"Tsuyu, are you alright?" he asked softly as he released his arms finally, letting her right herself in the water and plant herself on the rock. 

Tsuyu blinked at him a few times, the faintest of blushes appearing on her cheeks. "Thank you for saving me."

"You are welc-"

"It was pretty hot."

Izuku froze, looking down at the green-haired woman. "Uh…"

"You're very strong," she continued. "It was nice when you held me. I felt safe." 

"So, you can breathe in salt water?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. 

Tsuyu didn't miss a beat. "No, just freshwater. My suit has scrubbers that filter it so I can breath," she explained, tugging on her sleeve. "It's not perfect, so I can't stay down here forever. I'll eventually run out of breath."

An excuse to move things along? Perfect.

Izuku reached out and took Tsuyu by the shoulder and turned her around, holding his other hand wide.

The look on her face was priceless.

In front of them, down below the cliff where they were standing, was Stormclaw's collection. 

Dozens of shipwrecks, from modern ships to archaic wooden hulls, lined the underwater valley, surrounded by the rainbow of coral that Stormclaw had spent decades maintaining. The multicolored plants and rocks created a beautiful array of colors in the oceanic garden as the evening sun pierced the clear, calm water perfectly, framing the display in glistening, brilliant light.

Izuku watched Tsuyu's face as her jaw dropped. Her hand shook slightly as she raised it to her mouth and he saw a beautiful sparkle in her eye.

He smiled proudly to himself. Because Tsuyu was so calm and subdued, any show of emotion from her was that much sweeter and more powerful. 

"Izuchan… this is amazing," she finally said, her voice full of awe.

He kicked off gently, floating up into the water as he gave her a small tug, urging her to join him. 

Tsuyu nodded, following him as they swam down toward the well-curated gallery. She barely spoke as he took her from ship to ship, showing off the pearls, gems and other treasures that Stormclaw stored within. Izuku told her the history of some of the shipwrecks and of some of the sunken artifacts, reciting from the countless times his father had told him the same things.

After nearly half an hour of swimming around, Izuku knew it was time to go, lest they be late for dinner and he incur his mother's wrath.

There were some things even dragons feared.

Izuku brought Tsuyu to the middle of the valley, where the great swathes of colorful coral came together like a huge, underwater flower. They both looked up at the beauty from all sides, appreciating the perfect framing and aesthetics of the collection.

His father was meticulous with his hoard. Not a pearl out of place.

Tsuyu sighed softly as she leaned over, resting her head on Izuku's arm for a moment.

"You know, Izuchan," she began slowly, "this is pretty romantic."

Izuku froze up. 

Was it? He was just trying to show his friend something he thought was beautiful. He hadn't meant for it to be romantic.

...Did he?

"L-let's go, Tsuyu," Izuku muttered weakly. "We don't want to be late for dinner."

Mina trudged back into Ryukyu's hero agency with her shoulders slumped and her head down. 

She wasn't sad—far from it, actually—she was exhausted.

Hadou skipped up to her, letting Mina put some weight on her and helping her move inside. Mina's face was beaming as she looked down at the shorter woman. "Thanks, Hadou."

"No problem!" she bubbled back. "You did real good out there for your first time on patrol! I made way more mistakes on my first go!"

"Really?" Mina asked weakly. 

Hadou nodded furiously. How did she still have so much energy? "Uh huh!"

Mina sighed with a hint of satisfaction, feeling the itchiness in her hands and feet from using her quirk too much. "You really kicked butt out there. That one big villain didn't stand a chance."

Hadou giggled lightly. "Aw, shucks, you're gonna make me blush. I really liked that wall run move you did to get at that flying guy. You're really athletic."

Mina hissed in pain as Hadou sat her down on a couch. "I sure don't feel athletic right now. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow. And the next day. And probably the next day."

"Well too bad!" Hadou declared. "We're going back on patrol tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day."

Mina groaned, but smiled weakly. 

The door opened again as Ryukyu stepped in, her own face showing some signs of exhaustion. "Good work out there today, girls. Ashido, you exceeded my expectations."

Mina's heart soared with pride. "Thank you very much."

"That means my expectations will rise tomorrow."

Mina's heart plummeted back down.

"Yes, ma'am." She sunk deeper into the couch, letting the comfy cushions devour her sore body.

The copper-haired woman smiled down at her. "I do have something that might make it easier for you."

Mina looked up curiously.

"Izuku told me all about you," she began with a teasing grin. Mina still wasn't sure she liked being on the other end of that smile. 

"O-oh yeah?"

"Uh huh. He told me aaaaaaaaall about your favorite hero."

Mina blushed a little. "W-well, it's true."

"Don't get me wrong," Ryukyu continued, "I'm flattered! In fact, I have a little… present for you."

Mina perked up a little. "A present?"

Ryukyu hefted up a case, not unlike the case Mina kept her costume in. 

"I had my team design a new suit for you."

Mina's eyes went wide. "You… what ?!"

The pro began to laugh as she opened the case. "Oh, your face makes this all worth it. Look, it's both fashionable and functional!"

Ryukyu lifted it up out of the case and held it up to Mina.

She squealed.

"Oh, Ryukyu, I love it!" 

Wednesday morning went much the same way that Tuesday had for Izuku and Tsuyu, except that Izuku spent the morning getting drilled by Riptide while Tsuyu got time training under Hisashi. 

Izuku was always impressed with how well Riptide moved through the water, even without her quirk. He learned several things from her, but he still wasn't happy with his progress; he made a mental note to ask Tsuyu if she'd be willing to train him back at UA.

They had lunch on the beach together before getting ready to patrol in the afternoon again, but then suddenly, Riptide tensed up.

The white-haired woman held her finger to her ear as she listened intensely to something.

"Sir," she said firmly, looking at Hisashi as she acted with pure professionalism. "Reports of piracy nearby; several cargo ships have been robbed by what they described as 'octopus and squid people'. 

Hisashi looked at the three of them before locking eyes with Izuku. He saw the glow in his father's eyes brighten as Hisashi melted away.

His energy was completely different; even though he still looked the same, Izuku could tell that it was now Stormclaw, with all his experience and all his power, that was standing in front of him.

"Let's go."