My Hero Academia: Adaptation

The dealers freeze and one reaches for his pocket – probably a weapon. I'm faster.

"Ah-ah-ah," I tsk, wagging my finger. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with guns? It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye... or worse."

I keep my eyes locked on the dealer with the briefcase. The other four are scattered around him, looking increasingly nervous as they realize who I am.

"Hey, ain't that the kid who won the Sports Festival?" one of them mutters.

"Midoriya, right?" another chimes in.

I flash them a grin. "Glad to see my fame precedes me. Though I have to say, this isn't exactly the meet-and-greet I had in mind."

The guy with the briefcase takes a step back. Smart move on his part, but it won't help him. 

"Look, kid," he says. "You don't want to get mixed up in this. Why don't you just turn around and pretend you didn't see anything?"

I laugh. "Now where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm pretty sure my mentors would be disappointed if I let you all walk away with... whatever's in that case."

From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Miruko's white hair as she silently moves into position. Eraserhead is harder to spot, but I know he's there, ready to nullify any quirks these guys might try to use.

The dealer's getting antsy. His hand twitches towards his jacket pocket. Gun? Knife? Either way, I'm not about to let him reach it.

"So," I say, taking a casual step forward. "Who wants to be the first to surrender? I promise I'll put in a good word with the police if you cooperate."

One of the younger guys looks like he's considering it, but a glare from the leader shuts him down.

"You think you can take all of us, kid?" the leader snarls. "There's five of us and one of you."

I shrug, keeping my tone nonchalant even as I prepare to move. "True. But I like those odds. How about you?"

That's when all hell breaks loose.

The leader lunges for his pocket, but I'm already moving. I dart forward, using One For All to boost my speed. My fist connects with his solar plexus before he can even touch whatever weapon he was reaching for. He doubles over, wheezing, and the briefcase clatters to the ground.

Two of his buddies rush me from either side. I drop low, sweeping one's legs out from under him. As he falls, I grab his arm and use his momentum to fling him into his friend. They go down in a tangle of limbs.

"Miruko! Eraserhead! Now!" I shout, knowing they're waiting for my signal.

Miruko bursts onto the scene, her powerful legs propelling her into the fray. She takes down one of the remaining dealers with a well-placed kick, sending him flying into a stack of crates.

Eraserhead's capture weapon snakes out, wrapping around the last standing dealer before he can even think about using his quirk. The man struggles against the bindings, but it's useless.

I turn back to the leader, who's still gasping for air on the ground. I crouch down next to him, my voice low and serious. "Now, about that briefcase. Want to tell me what's inside?"

"Go to hell, kid."

I sigh, standing up. "Have it your way. I'm sure the police will be very interested in its contents."

Miruko walks over, a grin on her face. "Nice work, rookie. You handled that like a pro."

Eraserhead joins us, his expression as stoic as ever. "Don't get cocky, Midoriya. This was a relatively simple operation. There will be tougher challenges ahead."

It was almost impossible to impress Aizawa. "Understood, sir."

As we wait for the police to arrive, I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. My first real villain takedown as an intern. It's a small step, but an important one on my path to becoming a top hero.

The police arrive quickly, efficiently processing the scene and taking statements. I watch as they carefully bag the briefcase as evidence, my curiosity piqued. What exactly was in there? Some kind of quirk-enhancing drug, according to the intel.

Detective Tsukauchi approaches me, notepad in hand. "Midoriya, I need your statement about what happened here."

I recount the events, keeping my explanation clear and concise. Tsukauchi nods along, jotting down notes.

"You did well today," he says when I finish. "But I have to ask – did you recognize any of these men? Or overhear anything that might give us leads on their suppliers?"

I shake my head. "Sorry, Detective. They didn't say much beyond trying to intimidate me. And I've never seen them before."

Tsukauchi sighs. "Well, it was worth asking. We'll see what we can get out of them during interrogation."

As Tsukauchi walks away, my mind drifts to the contents of that briefcase. Quirk-enhancing drugs... What I wouldn't give to get my hands on a sample. The potential for analysis, for understanding how they work – it's tantalizing. Not to use them, of course, but to study. To learn.

I shake my head, pushing the thought away. That's a dangerous road to go down, even if it's just for research. Still, the scientist in me can't help but wonder...

Miruko's voice snaps me out of my reverie. "Oi, rookie! We're done here. Time to head back."

I nod, following her to the car. As we drive, I finally pull out my phone and–

"Shit," I mutter, staring at the screen.

Miruko glances over. "What's up?"

"I, uh, may have forgotten about an interview I did earlier."

She laughs. "Forgot an interview? How the hell do you manage that?"

I scroll through the barrage of notifications. Missed calls from Mom, Auntie Mitsuki, Ai... Texts from what seems like half of U.A. My social media's exploding.

"It was right before the operation," I explain, wincing as I read some of the messages. "I guess I got so focused on the mission, it slipped my mind."

Miruko shakes her head, but there's a hint of approval in her voice. "Well, at least your priorities are in the right place. But you better deal with that mess before we get back to the agency. I don't want your phone blowing up during debrief."

I nod, taking a deep breath before dialing Mom's number. She picks up on the first ring.

"Izuku! Oh, thank goodness. I was so worried when you weren't answering!"

"Sorry, Mom. I was... tied up with internship stuff."

"I saw your interview! Oh, honey, you were so articulate and poised. I'm so proud of you!"

I can't help but smile at the warmth in her voice. "Thanks, Mom. I'm glad it went well."

We chat for a few more minutes before I make my excuses to call Ai. My publicist picks up immediately, her voice a mix of relief and exasperation.

"There you are! Do you have any idea how many calls I've been fielding?"

"Sorry, Ai. Things got hectic with the internship."

She sighs. "Well, at least the interview was a hit. Social media's buzzing, and I've already got three more requests for appearances."

We discuss the fallout briefly before I hang up, promising to meet tomorrow to go over everything in detail.

Next up is damage control with my classmates. I open the group chat, wincing at the flood of messages.

Kaminari: Dude! You're on TV!

Kirishima: So manly, bro! You killed it!

Uraraka: Deku, you were amazing!

Iida: A most impressive showing, Midoriya. You represented U.A. admirably.

Bakugo: Tch. Don't let it go to your head, nerd.

I type out a quick response:

Sorry for the late reply, everyone. Got caught up in internship stuff. Thanks for the support!

Immediately, my phone starts buzzing with new messages. I silence it, promising myself I'll deal with individual responses later.

As we pull up to the agency, Miruko gives me a sidelong glance. "All sorted?"

I nod, pocketing my phone. "As much as it can be for now."

She grins. "Good. Because now comes the fun part – paperwork!"

I groan, following her inside. The adrenaline from the operation is wearing off, and exhaustion is setting in. But there's still work to be done.

As we settle in to write our reports, my mind wanders back to the quirk-enhancing drugs. Who's manufacturing them? What's their endgame? And how long before they become a serious threat to hero society?

I shake my head, refocusing on the task at hand. One step at a time, Izuku. Deal with what's in front of you now. The bigger picture will come into focus eventually.

Finally, hours later, we finish the last form. I lean back in my chair, stretching.

"Good work today," Miruko says. "Both in the field and here. Now let's get out of here. I'm sure you've got plans for the evening."

I glanced at my phone, wincing at the time. Shit. Momo was probably asleep by now. I'd have to make it up to her tomorrow. Maybe breakfast in bed? Or a surprise lunch date?

Miruko's voice cut through my thoughts. "Alright, rookie. I'm gonna drop you off at the penthouse. I'm heading out to hang with Ryuko and Hawks tonight."

I nodded, grabbing my bag. As we walked to her car, she shot me a sly grin.

"Just so you know, I better not hear any weird noises when I stumble in later. Who knows what a drunk Miruko might do, eh?"

I felt my face heat up. "Miruko!"

She cackled, unlocking the car. "What? I'm just saying. You kids have fun, but keep it down."

The drive back was mercifully short. As we pulled up to the building, Miruko's phone buzzed.

"Ah, looks like Ryuko and Hawks are already at the bar," she said, checking the message. "You good to head up on your own?"

I nodded, climbing out of the car. "Yeah, thanks for the ride. Have fun tonight."

"Oh, I will," she grinned, revving the engine. "Don't wait up!"

I watched her speed off, shaking my head. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was a pro hero. Then again, maybe that was part of her charm.

The elevator ride up to the penthouse felt longer than usual. I leaned against the wall, exhaustion finally catching up with me. Between the operation, the paperwork, and the media frenzy, it had been one hell of a day.

As the doors slid open, I was hit by the smell of something delicious. My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since that quick ramen with Miruko.

"Momo?" I call out. "I'm so sorry I'm late. The paperwork took forever and-"

I stop short as I take in the scene before me. The lights are dimmed, candles flickering on every surface. The dining table is set for two, a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket.

And there's Momo, leaning against the kitchen counter in a dress that makes my mouth go dry.

"Welcome home, Izuku," she says. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

I swallow hard. "Never," I manage to say. "You look... wow."

She smiles. "I'm glad you approve. Now, why don't you go get cleaned up? Dinner's almost ready."

I nod dumbly, heading for the shower. As the hot water washes over me, I try to calm my racing heart. Momo's clearly put a lot of effort into this evening. And after this morning's promise... I shiver, and not from the water.

Clean and dressed in fresh clothes, I rejoin Momo in the dining room. She's just setting out two plates of what looks like homemade pasta.

"This looks amazing," I say, taking my seat. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Momo sits across from me, pouring us each a glass of wine. "Oh, but I did," she says. "After all, I have a promise to keep."

I take a sip. "How could I forget?"

We eat, the conversation flowing easily between us. Momo tells me about her day at Ryukyu's agency, and I fill her in on the drug bust. As we finish our meal, Momo stands, holding out her hand to me.

"Dance with me?" she asks.

I take her hand, letting her lead me to an open space in the living room. Soft music starts playing from hidden speakers as Momo pulls me close.

We sway together, my hands on her waist, hers around my neck. The candlelight casts a warm glow on her skin, making her eyes sparkle.

"You know," Momo says softly, "I've been thinking about our conversation this morning. About reciprocating tenfold."

"Oh?"

She leans in, her lips brushing my ear. "I think it's time I made good on that promise."

Before I can respond, she's kissing me, deep and passionate. I return the kiss with equal fervor, my hands tightening on her waist.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing heavily. Momo takes my hand, leading me towards the bedroom.

"Come on, hero," she says. "Let me show you just how grateful I am."