MHA: A Cat's Way

Ch 18 Time Passes

Time continues to pass, and my daily life takes on a kind of uniformity. Go to school,  hang out with Himiko and/or Meruem, who's grown into a friend instead of just a convenient social stopper. The rest of the class are still pretty annoying though.

Go out and hunt down criminals, avoid the heroes who try to catch us. Twice has been really helpful with that. He'll make a clone of Himiko and I, then when a hero chases us we'll switch places with them out of sight. Then when they're a ways away they'll self-destruct.

It's honestly a bit irritating to see how often heroes fall for that. It does not inspire confidence in their abilities to keep the general public safe. But I have more important things to worry about at the moment.

I stretch in my waiting room as the announcer riles up the crowd. "The challenger, a man who's quirk turns him to rubber, the bounciest guy you'll ever meet: Give it up for... BALLER!"

The crowd cheers, and I hear the sound of rapid impacts on the cage and floor of the arena. Now I know why they offered me more to make this a cage match, though I can't help but snort at my opponent's quirk.

Normally they'd be able to cushion, or even completely negate any attack that uses blunt force. But my attacks all utilize my claws, which will cut him apart like anyone who doesn't have reinforced skin.

I check my new mask to make sure it's working properly. It's still a half mask,  but now it uses some kind of suction technology to keep it attached to my face in addition to the strap. So even if it gets damaged or the strap gets cut, it will stay on.

I gather half of my catergy as I use my usual technique when I fight here. Judging by the announcer's excitement, it will be time to make my entrance soon.

"The challenged? You know her, you love her! She clawed out a place in all our hearts with her rapid rise through the ranks! The direct disciple of the most famous person to ever step foot in this ring! Nya it up for the feline goddess, CAT-ACLYSM!"

As I rush out of the room and leap into the arena, watched by the widening eyes of my opponent and the chants of 'Nya' from the crowd, I can't help but wonder what Midoriya has been up to. After all, the UA entrance exam is just a month away.

𝌡𝌡𝌡

(Midoriya POV)

"I can't believe that someone would throw out a perfectly good taser! It's even waterproof! But did they throw it out here, or did the tides bring it in? Though I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to throw something with a working electrical current into a body of water..."

I shrug before wrapping it up and carefully putting it in the large bag nearby. It's filled with other bits and pieces that I can use in making my gear. I know Catia offered to have her friend make something for me, but this isn't just about having gear to help me pass the exam.

It's about proving to myself that her faith in me isn't misplaced. It's about me proving to myself and others that I have what it takes to be a hero. Even without a quirk. That she was right to believe in me. My mind goes back to the words she said to me when we first met.

"Being a hero is about helping people. So as long as your heart is in the right place, you don't need a quirk to be a hero."

Whenever I feel like things are getting difficult, whenever I feel like I can slack off due to the progress I've made, I remind myself of her words. I can't take it easy. I'm working at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the world, so I need to work twice as hard to make sure I can even match other heroes.

But looking at the mostly clean beach, I can't help the feeling of pride that fills me. A few people have laughed at me, telling me that trying to clean the beach by myself is ridiculous. When they find out that I'm trying to do it without a quirk, the laughter would turn to ridicule.