Mission Midoriya || A RuthTheNerd MHA fanfiction||

Chapter 21: Busted?

Ryo gulped. 

Okay, she murmured in her head. You've got this under control. It's a simple task, all you have to do is lie.

But the real question was, would Mina believe her? She'd seen them before they had donned their disguise, and even though she hadn't shown any sign of recognizing them, now would be her moment to realize the truth. Ryo could practically see her piecing it together, her golden eyes darting back and forth as she analyzed the information.

All of this was happening in the span of a few seconds - Ryo had to break that thought cycle before she came to her conclusion that she and Toshi were more than they said they were. But what could she say that wouldn't draw suspicion? If she did happen to chirp a single thing, that would imply that she knew something and-

Stop, she scolded herself, though it wasn't her voice. It was Toshi's voice, nonchalant yet stern as he chastised her, like he always did when she got began to overthink. Don't over-complicate it. Wing it, that's what I always do. 

She rolled her eyes at the memory. She wasn't going to wing it, but she could be cool. She could be calm. She could be composed, just like him.

And she could tell a lie for the heck of it.

"Really?" she asked, trying to keep an air of innocence as everyone glanced at her. She couldn't tell what they thought, but it didn't matter. She just had to make sure Mina didn't get the wrong idea.

"Yeah," Mina drawled, waving the bottle in the air. "You know, you guys look really familiar."

Ryo bit the inside of her cheek, ignoring the sting of pain that came with it. "Maybe you've seen us somewhere?"

She could here Reiko curse under her breath. That was the wrong thing to say, but the other options weren't any better.

"Yeah," Mina put a hand to her chin and scrutinized them. "I swear, I've seen you somewhere, but your hair wasn't..."

"You've seen us?" Ryo asked, making sure her tone sounded skeptical. "I've never seen you before last week."

"Yeah, neither have I," Toshi added, trying to make their argument sound valid. 

"I'm glad I've never met you," Reiko spat, "Or I'd probably have to bleach out my fucking eyes."

Mina gaped at her. "What!?"

Ryo normally would have never approved of Reiko's awful attitude, but her insult was just the distraction they needed. Now Mina was more disturbed with her own reputation and self-esteem than where her dye had gone off to. It took all of Ryo's willpower to smother her relieved grin.

But in the midst of the argument, Ryo felt a searing feeling pierce into her. She looked up, past her brown bangs and into the cold, calculating eyes of Yaoyorozu, who obviously didn't buy a single thing she'd said. Her onyx eyes glimmered with distrust, and Ryo shimmied away from her view. 

"Ugh, so rude!" Ochako muttered, giving Mina a pat on the back. The feud was over just as soon as it had started, and the aftermath consisted of the other students reassuring Mina that her pink skin wasn't nearly as neon as Reiko had described. Rieko snorted next to Toshi, rolling her eyes and muttering something that sounded like, "too fucking sensitive to bare the truth."

Ryo giggled, her reaction completely uncalled for. What was she laughing about? Was she becoming delusional?

Toshi nudged her. "Hey, I think we should go. Reiko looks like she's going to give Ochako a piece of her mind."

"What'd Ochako do?"

"Nothing, she just stuck her tongue out."

"Sounds like enough to get Reiko riled up."

Ryo laughed, but it was tinged with unease. She could still feel those dark eyes burning into her head. She tugged at Toshi's arm, and he pulled her into a corridor.

"What is it?" he asked, looking a little irked that she'd yanked him away from Reiko's circus. 

"I don't think Momo believes us," Ryo murmured, looking back into the crowd of students. Sure enough, the girl was still staring intently at her. 

"So?"

"So?" Ryo spat. "So, she might figure out that we-"

"Everyone," Momo spoke up, startling the others. Ryo felt her heart lurch. "I have an announcement to make."

"Formal much?" Toshi muttered, but Ryo barely heard him. Momo was making her way towards Mina, everyone's eyes on her every move. Each stride only served to worsen Ryo's calamity, especially when Momo gently took the plastic tube of dye from Mina's hands and inspected it. Even though she wasn't looking at her, Ryo felt like she was being scrutinized - again.

A frown crept onto her face. Ryo sucked in a breath. She had to do something, anything. Cause a distraction, perhaps?

My quirk, she thought, but Momo had already launched into a full-on explanation.

"Mina, the reason you don't recognize them is clear."

If I can use black whip to, maybe...

"What if their hair isn't naturally black?"

Ryo sent out the smallest, thinnest strip of black whip. It slithered across the floor, and inky, dark snake amongst the array of feet.

"Their roots, might I add, are brown."

Her accomplice paused. Hesitated. Ryo bit her lip. Who to hit for the distraction? Ochako?

"And they showed up very suspiciously. Is it possible that even Aizawa is not aware of their presence?"

 I don't want to hit my mother...how about Tsuyu? No, too far away.

"They've even been stealing our food and living in an abandoned room..."

Mina? No, she's too close to Momo.

Momo held up the bottle like a beacon, the light from the windows shining on its smooth curves. "Those two stole your dye, Mina..."

Ryo smiled with success. He'd make the perfect distraction.

"...and dyed their hair black..."

Toshi shook Ryo's arm, probably signaling her to tell a lie or run, but she was too busy guiding her snake. 

"But who would go to all the trouble to dye their hair unless..."

Her snake had reached its destination.

"Unless they didn't want us to know who they-"

"ARGH!!"

Everyone's heads swiveled away, just as Ryo drew back her black whip. At the edge of the room, Bakugo had fallen and was writhing around, cursing and screaming.

Perfect.