Smile for Me

Chapter 3: Attack on Shinjuku

Joke POV

It was a normal Monday at Ketsubutsu Academy in Ms.Joke's class. Teaching her lesson on morale and strength as presented to civilians was one of her favorites. As she was asking each person in the room to pretend she was an injured civilian and get her spirits up, another teacher burst into the room.

"Joke!"

"Ravager! What's wrong? I'm in the middle of a lesson."

The tall male teacher with lion-like features looked startled.

"There's an attack on Shinjuku happening right now. They need backup; the casualties keep growing and there's a lot of damage."

"Do we know who did it?" Joke huffs as she quickly puts on her gear as she walks out the door with the Warrior Hero.

"The League of Villains." He quite literally growls. "To think they would instigate such a large scale attack on that smaller region of poorer families..."

"Don't worry, Ravager. We'll get there in time! Who else in in the area?"

"Right now it's mostly just heroes that were already in the area when the attack began. The teachers from UA are also on their way, but we are far closer."

"And All Might?"

"Won't be there for a while, but he's coming as fast as he can."

That may not be fast enough.

The Smile Hero looked out upon the wasteland of the neighborhood from the helicopter that Ravager led her onto along with other teachers. The students were instructed to stay in the gym while a few teachers stayed behind to guard them in case the attack was a diversion to get to them.

"Ravager? Sorry, but why am I here on the mission? I mean, don't get me wrong, up grateful I can help, but shouldn't you have more of the attack and rescue heroes on the mission?"

"Oh. Sorry, I forgot. You're here to help keep up both the Hero's and civilians spirits up and provide positivity until backup, including All Might, arrive."

Makes sense. Joke thought.

Over the speaker of the helicopter, the Heroes hear a voice briefing them quickly on the situation, and finally saying that they've arrived.

Joke looks out the window as the helicopter begins it's decent. Will I be able to provide enough positivity until All Might gets here? I know it's my quirk to make people smile and laugh, but I'm no Symbol of Peace...

"Joke!"

She snaps back to reality. "Huh?"

"We're here." Ravager growls.

The Heroes split off into their designated teams and head off. Squad A is for search and rescue, and Squad B is for offensive help against the League. The Smile Hero is put into Squad A, so that when they find civilians, she can provide the morale they need to be strong and not loose hope.

Squad A runs off to the wreckage of the buildings. "I hear 2 under that slab on concrete." Says a blind Hero with heightened hearing. "Thanks!" Yelled Ravager. I'm glad I was put on this squad to help with the heavy lifting and protection. Thought the Lion Hero.

Joke reaches down the the mother with her son once they're pulled out. "Hey guys! You've been through a lot, huh. Here." She reaches over into her belt and pulls out a bandage with a smiley face on it, and puts it on the scraped elbow of the boy. "There! It'll be better in no time now!" She grins. The boy smiles up at her in awe as the mother clutches her son and smiles gratefully.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ms.Joke asks the child. He nods, still in awe. "Can you smile for your mom and I? It helps us fight bad guys when we see the smiles we need to protect!"
He grins ear to ear, doing his best All Might impression. "Haha! That's pretty good little dude! Now, I need you to go with Ravager here and protect your mom. Keep smiling, and stay strong for her, okay?" The boy salutes her, still smiling, and goes over to The fluffy Lion Hero, drawing his mom behind him protectively.

"I'm going to get these two to the station. I'll be back soon!" Ravager shouts. He secures the mother in his back and holds the boy in his arms as the child pets his mane. He then sprints off to the civilian first aid outpost.

BOOM

Suddenly, a building near the group explodes and glass shatters around them.

"Quick, spilt up!" The leader of the squad shouts over the rubble.

Gotta dodge all this debris...

"JOKE, WATCH OUT!!"

She looks up and sees a huge slab of concrete slide off the building and down towards her.

"JOKE!!"