My Hero Academia: Outlawed

Chapter 10: Equal Rights Means Equal Fights

     "What the hell happened to you?" Kyomi asked Ari as they ate their lunch, breaking the long period of silence she'd been enduring for the better part of twenty minutes.
     You see, Ari was not in the best mood. Tracking down leads and being a part time vigilante was really taking its toll on the poor fella.
     The previous night, he'd had a run in with a man who could create wings from his arms and also produce a sonic scream. He was selling some kind of quirk enhancing drug to some guy Ari had definitely beat up previously.
     So Ari thought it'd be an easy win. He'd click their asses, stop the drug deal, and leave 'em for the cops. Instead, he took a terrifying flight across the city (and by flight I mean he stupidly jumped on bird man's back to stop him) and ended up crashing into a pool.
     The bird guy got arrested Atleast. Ari had decided to call him Penguin, because they're the only birds he knew of that likes swimming.
      Anyway, Ari was still pissed about that. And Kyomi, being the sweet and innocent soul she was, had been very concerned for her best friend.
     But he wasn't in the mood. So when she suddenly asked "what the hell happened to you?" he shrugged and said "nothing" like a moody teenager who doesn't want to talk to their parents.
     Kyomi rolled her eyes and just kept eating, glancing up at him every few seconds. He noticed, but didn't care.
     What did make him look up was a familiar and very irritating voice. Meiwanu's voice carried over to him, and it sounded like she was making fun of someone.
He kept eating, cuz her being a bully wasn't his business nor his concern. Until she said something that really pissed him off. "Why so quiet? Did your voice leave with your dad?"
Ari turned around immediately, to see her pestering this shy kid with glasses and hair hanging in front of his face. How did he even see?
He recognized him though. His name was Kei, and his dad died in a fire. Why was she even picking on him? Oh right. The homework she makes him do for her. Guess he didn't have it to today. And she'd gone full verbal abuse on him. But it was basically Ari's job to stop bad guys, and she wasn't a guy but definitely bad....
So, channeling his inner smart-ass, he turned around to face her and said "did your compassion leave with your brain?".
It seemed like everyone in the cafeteria was looking at him now. Especially her. She walked toward him, scowling.
"Stay out of this Cockroach."
"Thought it was Bug-Boy."
"It's whatever the hell I say it is."
"You don't make the rules. Rules are made because of you though, like the 'bullying free zone' sign on the library door."
That one seemed to set her off. Her eyes started to glow a neon green, and suddenly Ari remembered what her power was.
      Holding up her hand, she aimed at Ari before unleashing a blast of green energy. It hit him directly in the chest and sent him rolling over the table and onto the floor.
      Kyomi immediately went to help him up.
       "Stay down cockroach."
        Instead, he threw a glob of acid at her shoes. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to melt them. Her favorites too.
         "Sorry, I don't take orders from assholes." Ari said, standing back up.
           This is the part in those high school movies where everyone shouts "fight fight fight" and the protagonist stand up to the bully.
         She prepared another energy blast, but Ari jumped into the air and landed on her face. She went flying into another table on the far side of the room, and he just stood there awkwardly as he realized he kicked his bully in the face.
       He turned to Kyomi, who was trying to look disappointed but not entirely able to hide the grin making its way on her face. Kei didn't even try to hide his smile. Of course, Meiwanu's posse immediately went to her side.
       They helped her stand up, but she immediately fell again. As they angrily turned to face the person who incapacitated her, Ari suddenly realized that maybe he should leave school early.