MHA: Time Manipulator

Arriving home faster than her mom woke up, Kimika immediately began rummaging through her wardrobe, which was filled with various clothes due to her love for changing looks. Sifting through her outfits one by one, she tried to find something suitable for her criminal tasks — something simple and inconspicuous.

After spending about an hour going through her numerous clothes, she managed to find the perfect outfit: an old dark hoodie, gray sweatpants, blue sneakers, and a simple black mask. With incredible determination and her criminal attire already on, she was ready for her first mission with Toga!

But Toga was taking forever to write. So at first, she changed into simple home clothes, keeping her criminal outfit nearby, ready to change in a second, still just as determined. And the messages just kept not coming; she even managed to have breakfast and attend all her online classes, almost wanting to create an alibi for herself.

Where she always answered all the questions and diligently completed assignments so that the teachers wouldn't suspect anything and wouldn't write to her mother.

Although they probably wouldn't have done that anyway, because Yukiko had already informed them about what happened in their family, which they received with understanding. However, in class, they were shocked because even despite what had happened, Kimika acted as if nothing was wrong, but in the end, they took it as a desire to distract herself from her worries.

With each passing minute, it grew darker and darker until night fell, but the message from Toga still hadn't come. Kimika began to worry: Why? Maybe Toga decided not to take her on the first mission? Or perhaps something had happened? Maybe Toga got into trouble, or worse — she was caught by the heroes? But just at that moment, when she was about to write to Toga herself, a message finally arrived: "Get dressed and quietly go outside."

Kimika felt a rush of joy, though it quickly turned serious due to the importance of what was about to happen, so she immediately followed the instructions. 

Once outside, she saw Toga in her usual school uniform, which she wore almost every time they met. But this time, Kimika pondered: perhaps it wasn't just a style or favorite outfit, but a result of a lack of money from living on the streets? Though this seemed unlikely, the thought lingered in her mind.

"Hmm, Kimi, you picked a great inconspicuous outfit," Toga started with a light smile. "But there's one downside: your hair and horns. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the horns. But your hair... that could become a problem. Imagine someone grabbing you by it, or it suddenly blocking your view. Plus, it's so beautiful and silky that your acquaintances would instantly recognize you."

"And what do you suggest? Cut it off?" Kimika asked, beginning to step back from Toga, as if trying to protect her hair, which she had taken care of for so long and so diligently.

Noticing how her friend began to retreat, guarding her hair, Toga couldn't help but smile. It was so reminiscent of a little kitten trying to defend itself from a threat — so cute and endearing, even without realizing it was futile. This scene only fueled Toga's desire to play with her and her silky locks even more. She slowly stepped closer, and a playful mischief sparkled in her eyes. 

"Oh, no, no... Why cut off your beautiful hair? That would be a real crime!" Toga said, keeping her playful gaze on Kimika.

Step by step, she drew closer, following her retreating friend who pressed her hair against herself. Toga's smile only widened, and her voice sounded soft yet inevitable, as if she were playing a game where she already knew she would win. With each of Toga's steps, the feeling of inevitable victory only intensified, as if Kimika had no chance of escaping this cozy captivity and saving her hair from her.

Kimika continued to step back, hoping to escape from her friend until she bumped into the wall of her house. She was about to turn right to continue her flight, but Toga's hands closed off the passage on both sides, leaving only one exit — forward, toward her.

"Don't be afraid," Toga said, leaning closer to her friend's head. Her voice began to sound soft and sweet, but there was an unmistakable sense of inevitability in it. "I'm just going to give you a hairstyle! I've always dreamed of this because friends always play with each other, braiding their hair into different styles. It's just a game, and I promise you'll look amazing!"

And finally, very quietly, as if wishing for her friend not to hear but also hoping she would, she said, "I'm glad that the first one who gets to do this will be me... and the last one too." After a small pause, she spoke louder: "After all, who else but me could do your hair so well?"

But in her thoughts, it was entirely different: 'Because you are only mine... and anyone who tries to change that will die by my hands!' She wasn't ready to voice her thoughts yet, knowing that Kimika wasn't prepared for that.

"Um... what kind of hairstyle?" Kimika asked, interrupting Toga's heavy thoughts. 

Not having the chance to escape and hearing that Toga wasn't going to cut her hair, she relaxed despite the strange situation in which her friend was blocking her escape with her hands. 'If this is really what friends do, then why not?' 

The words about her being the last didn't leave any impression on her — Kimika had long since gotten used to Toga's similar remarks. 

Toga, smiling, watched the complete innocence of Kimika in this situation. 'Anyone else in her place would have already blushed with embarrassment,' she thought, realizing that Kimika was absurdly naive about matters of intimacy and romance, never showing interest in them, only in heroes. She probably thought this was something all friends did, so she saw nothing wrong with it.

This only intensified Toga's desire to someday see the expression on Kimika's face when she discovers the truth about their "friendship." "Let's... hmm... do a low bun. Yes! Perfect! It will be practical and stylish."

Grabbing Kimika by the hand, Toga pulled her to a quiet spot away from her house. She quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching and then focused on her task. With effortless ease, Toga began styling Kimika's hair while humming a light tune, her face glowing with happiness that she was finally doing this.

In contrast, Kimika began to feel nervous. Anxious thoughts swirled in her mind: 'Is this going to be something scary, like a robbery, or maybe just moving some things? What did I hear on the news?' She unconsciously squeezed her fingers, feeling her heart racing in her chest.

While Toga was doing Kimika's hairstyle, night had fully enveloped the city in a comfortable silence. However, even at this time, occasional passersby broke the stillness, and heroes patrolling the city approached the girls, asking what they were doing out so late. The girls had different reactions: Kimika's heart raced with fear, as if it might burst from her chest due to anxious thoughts that they could be caught, even though they hadn't done anything yet. Toga, on the other hand, remained calm, smiling as she replied:

"She's just a fan, collecting autographs from all the heroes. Night is the perfect time for this since there are no competitors!" To Kimika's surprise, the heroes, upon hearing this, happily offered to take photos and gave their autographs as if they were just regular fans rather than those about to commit a crime. However, they insisted that the girls head home afterward.

When Toga finally finished the hairstyle, her face beamed with satisfaction at the sight of her work. After that, they continued on their way, and Kimika silently followed behind like a little tail, trying to keep quiet. Toga walked calmly ahead, almost skipping, until they reached a dark alley.

"We're almost there, so put on your mask," Toga cheerfully said, moving forward with her arm outstretched like a child leading a group. Kimika quickly put on her mask and ran to catch up with her.

Kimika could no longer hold back her mounting anxiety, especially after Toga's words that they were almost there, so she couldn't resist asking: "Um... where are we going? And what are we going to do?"

"Huh? Did I not say?" Toga asked in surprise, stopping for a moment. "That's my oversight, so it's good you asked! We're going to a place where drugs are hidden, and we just need to move them to another location. That's all. It's a pretty simple task, just right for you! Oh, and do you want a fun fact?"

"Um... yes?"

"I also started with a task like this! Oh, what memories… Although getting it was harder for me than it will be for you, because I didn't have such an amazing friend to lead me by the hand. Though your task is much tougher since we'll have to go through some pretty dangerous areas where Lokrok, Leaf, Fluffykins, and the most dangerous of all Eraser Head. But don't worry, we're just inconspicuous pretty girls; no one would mistake us for smugglers or criminals!"

"Got it… And what are their quirks?" Kimika asked, still curious and no longer as anxious. From her friend's words, it didn't sound too scary, and she was also relieved that she didn't know any of these heroes, so she thought they couldn't be incredibly dangerous.

"Hmm, Lokrok is a hero of restraint. He can stop an object from moving, even if it defies the laws of physics, which is nothing unusual in our world of quirks. But if you have enough strength, he won't be much of a threat to you. Leaf is a heroine with control over plants; she can communicate with them, accelerate their growth, and so on. And Fluffykins creates minor illusions for deception."

Meanwhile, Eraser Head was patrolling the area with displeasure. He hadn't been able to track down any trigger dealers for a long time and was only catching couriers, which did little to stop the supply of trigger on the market.

While patrolling, he noticed two girls: one was blonde, in a standard schoolgirl uniform, and the other wore a hoodie and sweatpants with horns. This was nothing new for him—walking around at that time wasn't prohibited, though their appearance was quite memorable, especially the girl with horns. He watched them for a bit, but seeing that the girls were just walking and discussing something, he decided to ignore them and continued his patrol.

Finally, Kimika and Toga found a box at the very bottom of the last garbage bin. After pulling it out, they placed it in the bag and, sighing with relief, moved on, planning to reach point B as quickly as possible, where their contact was already waiting.

"By the way, you never told me about Eraser Head," Kimika asked, pondering all the dangers they might face on their way.

"Oh, right! As I mentioned, he's the most dangerous. His quirk allows him to erase the quirk of anyone he looks at. Plus, he has excellent close combat skills and a special tape for capturing people, which he controls as if it were his own hands. And by the way, he was watching us recently, but stopped as soon as we turned into the alley."

When Kimika heard about his quirk and close combat skills, a chill ran down her spine at the realization of his danger. The ability to erase any quirk with a glance made him incredibly threatening. And when she heard that he had been watching them, and Toga spoke about it as if it were a simple matter, she couldn't contain her astonishment. "WHAT? He was watching us? Why didn't you tell me??"

"If I had told you, you would have given us away with your scared expression…" Toga smiled, trying to lighten the mood as she shifted the conversation to another topic. "By the way, what criminal name did you come up with?"

"Well, I didn't think about it for long, so it might not be that cool, but my criminal name is Tokima! The Time Demon!" Kimika exclaimed, feeling her excitement gradually turning into pride. "It's the complete opposite of my hero name—Toki no Tenshi, which means Angel of Time."

"Oooo, cool! And you know, if we're going to be partners now, I need to come up with a name that's similar to yours. For example... hmm... oh, I've got it! Tsukima, which means Blood Demon! Now we're a team of demons! Demon Twin Team, since I can take on your appearance!" Toga said excitedly, relieved to have shifted the topic to something more enjoyable. "And we've made it; it's lucky we only caught a glimpse of Eraser Head, although it would have been better if he hadn't noticed us at all."

Kimika glanced at the place Toga was pointing to. It was an old, seemingly abandoned building that emanated a sense of danger, and Kimika's knees started to tremble a bit. Because of this, she fell slightly behind, and Toga, noticing this, felt a doubt rising inside her: maybe she had foolishly involved her innocent friend in such a matter, and it would have been better to act alone than to show her this horror, though there was no turning back now.

Approaching the door, Toga glanced at the note and knocked three times hard, once lightly, and then three times hard again. The door opened, revealing a man with a mutant appearance: his head resembled that of a crocodile, his arms had claws, and his body was covered in scales.

"Couriers? Hand over the goods," he said, looking down at them as if they were insects.

Toga handed him the bag. He pulled out the box, inspected it, and, nodding in satisfaction, said, "The goods are in order."

Then he shouted something unintelligible to someone inside the building. Looking back at the girls, he continued, "What brought you kids to take on this kind of work? I've seen much younger ones than you, but they were homeless or something like that. You seem well-dressed…"

Toga quickly replied, "Not your business."

"Hohhoho, right…" he said, then handed them an envelope and quickly shut the door.

"Well, that's it! Your first assignment is complete, and your 'virginity' is gone! Let's get out of here!" Toga exclaimed, stepping forward with a smile. Kimika didn't respond and simply followed her, tagging along like a little shadow.

To her surprise, the first task turned out to be incredibly simple, and if it continued like this, accumulating money for her father's treatment would be easy. 

As they walked back, they were almost at Kimika's house when Toga suddenly spoke: "You know, we were lucky today! It was an easy task, and the person who picked up the goods turned out to be quite normal. It's like winning the lottery! He could have just taken the goods and closed the door, or done something much worse, and you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. But you were lucky to have me with you. If he had done that, I would have had a little chat with him alone!" 

"I'll take the envelope with the money for now, if you don't mind," Toga said, giving a light wink. "But, as we promised, it's all yours, and I'll just hold onto it so your mom doesn't accidentally find it. And now for the most pleasant part..."

Without waiting for a response, she suddenly clung to Kimika's neck, greedily sucking her blood while tightly embracing her, not giving her a chance to move. 

Kimika was surprised since Toga had never taken blood more than once a day, and now… twice! But in the end, she didn't mind. Toga was helping her incredibly, and this was the least she could give her in return. 

When Toga had her fill, she slightly released her "not-so-innocent" friend, licking her lips in satisfaction. 

"You know, Kimi, we need to start training together because I can't let you keep doing tasks with your current level. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin new training! You need combat experience, since we won't always get such easy tasks as today. And if you thought we'd continue doing the same thing as today, you're mistaken. They pay very little for that. You don't want to do this every day for a few years, do you?" she asked, watching a nervous smile appear on Kimika's face.

She had dreamed of calm smuggling, but now she understood that she needed training to be able to take on harder tasks than these. "I understand, and I'm ready for the training!"

"Kimi, oh, my Kimi! Words like that make me want your blood again," Toga said, once again clinging to Kimika's neck in a different spot. From this, Kimika felt her body grow heavy, and her head started to spin. 

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help myself because of the taste of your blood and those words of yours! But well, tomorrow morning I'll be waiting for you for our morning training, and at night we'll do some task, or maybe a few, depending on how it goes. And now go to sleep and don't forget to eat well so your blood stays just as sweet!" 

After that, Toga turned and skipped away happily, leaving Kimika blushing lightly from those words. She was ready to do anything for her parents! 

And when she got home, not even having time to take a shower, she simply collapsed into bed, feeling exhausted, which might have been due to the stressful day or the significant blood deficit she had.

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The first task is completed! Hooray! And it was quite easy, although it will get tougher from here... But hooray! Now they will train together! Plus, Toga drank blood three times... and called her hers... and took her innocence.

What an amazing combo in this chapter!

I would like to hear your thoughts on my writing of dialogues and text. I'm not sure if I'm doing it well... I'm trying to narrate in the third person and describe what is happening in real time, but it doesn't always come out the way I would like, and I keep using words like 'but,' 'after,' and so on. What do you think about the dialogues where I often use: 'said,' 'spoke,' 'thought,' 'exclaimed'? Does it annoy you? If so, please leave a comment with your ideas for improvement while I haven't gotten used to writing this way.

I also want to inform you that two chapters come out every day on my Patreon! Here, only one is released, but on my Patreon — there are two a day, hee-hee-hee. Come by so you don't miss new chapters and can read them faster than anyone else! patreon.com/Zoi4erom

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