Hello, I'm back again with another chapter. Sorry I took a little while, I had a bit of trouble writing it. I hope I can pick up the pace for future chapter. Anyways, enjoy.

Chapter 30: Pandora's Box.

Lunchtime

Kazume wanted to stay away from the others. It wasn't out of fear or sadness or anything, it was just what he wanted to do. He didn't want to hear about internships when he had to figure out how to strike back against his brother without rocking the boat too much. He decided this time to eat lunch from Lunch Rush's menu instead of eating from Melissa's bento box, since his dorm doesn't have a large kitchen unlike back in I-island. Also he'd blow it up by some vagrant of the arcane like burning water or the stove going AWOL. And due to his stunt in the festival, Nezu made some rules that he's not allowed in the kitchen due to all the… weaponry of kitchen knives that are stored there.

Later on, his friends, Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, and even Asui joined him for lunch. They wanted to accompany him after the whole suspension for internship and him left behind after class with Midnight.

Of course that was a warzone and a half. There was no worse hell than that. He had to walk on eggshells around her. One second, Midnight would be perfectly okay, almost normal, then it got weird. Kazume, being the way he is, was trying not to have Pain come out.

Because it got oddly kinky in Kazume's opinion.

Enough said, moving on.

"So… are you okay?" Tsuyu asked.

"I'm not sure if I can breathe right…" Kazume sighed, "I mean, come on, she's… a little extreme… Ugh…"

"Well, she does have the control in that situation…" Tenya reasoned, making Kazume's face turn a shade of pale.

"You gotta be KIDDING. If Melissa gets th-" he clamped his hands over his mouth, cursing himself out for mentioning his girlfriend, "Uh… so anyways, what have you decided for the internships, if you have already decided already."

"Wait wait wait… Hang on," Ochako piped up, "You, Kazume, the ninja, have a girlfriend?"

"Um… I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Kazume's cheeks started to get blood back in there.

He didn't notice a neon-pink gossip seeking missile heading towards him until…

"OH MY GOD! KAZUME!" Mina squealed, grabbing Kazume's shirt collar and shaking him like a mad dog. Kazume immediately shut down in defense, but it didn't work.

"Guh… uhh… ahhh?" he mumbled, still being shaken by the joyful pink girl. Then she stopped.

"Waaaaaiiiiittttttt…. Is it Tsu?" Mina guessed with Kazume slowly shaking his head no. Much to the relief of the frog-girl.

"Ochako?" she guessed again, still no.

"Really?" Mina pouted, pressing her fingers to her temples, "Mmmmm… MMMMMM! C'mon… C'mon… Dang it! I don't have the right quirk!"

Kazume then took a deep breath, "HER NAME IS MELISSA AND PLEASE LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" he yelled, cheeks completely red.

"I never knew you had one, ribbit," Tsuyu commented, blinking.

"The sheer volume of Shield Industries products you have, from your phone to the new Autoforges… it makes sense," Tenya remarked.

"Yeah, she's a really talented inventor. She loves to help heroes out one day with her support items. And since I'm such a gadget enthusiast and collector, I encouraged her to help create some amazing gadgets for me to become a great hero one day. I wanna help her achieve that goal in the future," Kazume said, gaining a fond smile on his face and a twinkle in his red eyes, he was proud of her.

"Fifty yen says they have a baby," Mina stated.

"How about we DON'T do that," Tenya said, chopping the air gently.

"Nobody tell Hatsume," Kazume warned, "There will be NO END to the nicknames, no end to the shop noise, and NO END to the rivalry…"

Mina and Ochako nodded, remembering the bubbly inventor.

"What happened though?" Uraraka wondered.

"That muscly ninja dreamboat happened! Oooh! The babies I can make based on his quirk alone are gonna be AMAZING!" Mei squealed, her smile wide.

"But like… what did he do to you?" asked Mina.

"That's what's so awesome! He cut me and licked the cut! And I went NUMB! How cool is that?!" Mei cheered, smiling like she had just been swept up in the throes of making babies. (From Chapter 21)

"So… any idea on where you'll be interning?" asked Kazume to everyone who's sitting with him.

"Well, I'm interning with Gunhead! I gotta know how to defend myself without my quirk, I gotta… you know, after Bakugo happened…" Uraraka replied.

"I get it. Especially since my quirk's not flashy at all, you need to know how to take people out without your quirk, cover up that weakness and you'll do fine," Kazume stated.

"Well, since I'm good with water, I chose Selkie's internship, he works mostly on the water, so it's my forte, ribbit," Tsuyu answered.

"Working with him to gain experience with rescuing or taking down villains with your advantage in the water. Great choice, Tsuyu. No wonder you were able to rescue me while I was all wet… and bleeding," Kazume replied.

Izuku took a deep breath, "I'm… with one of All Might's old teachers…" he mumbled.

"Mm. Got it," Kazume commented.

"I'll be working somewhere else, somewhere in a more open area to where I can hone my quirk down to a science," Tenya stated.

"Are you sure? That would mean going overseas to a different country that has a desert or a prairie," Kazume commented, but then realized something. 'Something doesn't feel right about his response,' Kazume thought.

After their long conversation, the group finished their lunch and continued on to finish their classes for the day.

After school…

Kazume had to remain in the school instead of heading back to his dorm where Melissa was watching a battling robot show, somewhat pouty about how there were so many better robots she could make. He had a meeting with a classmate to do his therapy session. He waited, calmly fiddling with his tape, keeping his hands busy so he could stay calm.

'Why would Nezu want me to have therapy? It's just a complete waste of time. I can't be fixed. Heck, which student would be dumb enough to do therapy with me? And why is that student fucking late?' Kazume thought.

"Heey! So sorry I'm late! Ooh! You're as cool as they said you'd be! Is that tape or a belt?" a peppy, cheery voice belonging to a periwinkle-haired girl sounded from behind Kazume, who jumped and tried to reach for a blade on instinct, remembering he didn't have any.

The girl was slightly shorter than him, her hair was long, reaching down to her knees in a twist, Kazume was a little flustered by the question.

"It's… It's tape," Kazume mumbled.

"Oooh! So kind of a Kakashi look, huh? So… I'm Nejire Hado! Nice to meetcha!" Nejire introduced herself.

"Kazume Shield," Kazume bluntly said, sitting down and blankly staring at the girl in front of him. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes slightly narrowing. Something didn't seem right about that response. "Is there something wrong, Nejire?" Kazume asked.

"Something doesn't sound right… you hesitated for half a second, in that half-second you spat out the surname you used ever since you left your old life behind, furthermore… I can tell when a guy's in love, you're nervous and excited at the same time because you have someone special," Nejire said.

"How did you…" Kazume breathed.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Nejire asked.

'Holy shit… she figured out that Melissa and I were together by my body language! I mean, she has experience in the field… if I were to fight her, things would probably end up bad for me…' Kazume thought, 'She's got me right where she wants me!'

"Why are you doing this? You're part of the Big Three, UA's strongest students. A potential pro if things go well instead of going to hell, so why are you helping me out?" Kazume wanted answers for the reason why she would waste time helping him.

"Well…" she mumbled, Kazume smirked.

"Heh, you're not the only one who can play mind games, you know?" Kazume teased. She pouted.

"Uggggh! You meanie!" she snapped. Kazume now saw why she was so popular. She was pretty cute.

"So, why would you want to be a hero? Let's start with that," Nejire reasoned.

"Ladies first," Kazume stated.

"Oh, what a gentleman!" Nejire sighed.

"Go on… I'm waiting… and he is too," Kazume demanded.

"Well, I wanna help people! I wanna be a hero 'cause I want to, not because of some reason like money or to look good! What about you?" she asked.

"I… don't know anymore…" Kazume admitted, "My brother's reason was my reason at first… but now? I don't know."

"What was his reason?" she asked.

"To make the world full of self-sacrificing heroes, heroes he deemed worthy. The people that aren't… they're sacrificed to the goal," Kazume answered.

"Oh…" Nejire sighed, seeing Kazume almost look repentant.

"I just wanted to have my brother, what was wrong with that? I just… wanted my brother to… see reason…" he mumbled, "I can't even look myself in the GODDAMN EYES…"

"There's nothing wrong with that, you did nothing wrong, you just… had to protect yourself, you don't need a complicated reason to be a hero!" Nejire exclaimed, "Because you aren't your brother at all!"

"Then why is a part of him still in me? Why did I almost kill Bakugo at the Sports Festival? Why did I betr-" Kazume cut himself off before he could say anything else.

"Betray them?" Nejire guessed, "You probably were threatened to do that, right?"

Kazume went silent, it only took a few minutes to get to the meat of the problem. Of all the people it had to be the cute third-year student that broke down that barrier.

"Kazume, you did what you had to," she stated.

"But it isn't RIGHT. It's never RIGHT! It's always survival!" Kazume snapped, feeling an odd pulse around his arms, squeezing tightly. He looked defeated.

"I get it, it's in the past and you feel frustrated because you never had a choice," Nejire reasoned.

"No you don't get it! There is no escape from this fucking hell! Heroes will fall or die because of me! Do you know who my fucking brother is?! Do you know who I really am?! What I was capable of just at the age of 12?! Face the facts, bitch, I CANNOT BE SAVED!" Kazume yelled, he completely lost it.

Nejire tightened the energy restraints, her eyes set in grim determination, "Anyone can be saved! Anyone can try again! Yes, you made mistakes, yes, you have a bad track record…"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T THOSE FUCKERS SAVE MY PARENTS?!" Kazume screamed with a bit of Pain's tone towards Nejire. *CRACK* Kazume smashed his fists to the ground, denting the floor and breaking the bones on his knuckles in the progress.

"Those…. Bastards… didn't even try… What's the difference if a few die? After years of being in the shadows, now they see the difference?" he asked, seeing her scared face, "You got me! You have one of the Bloodhounds at your mercy! So go ahead and end me!"

He closed his eyes, "Come on, do it," he said. He was waiting for the waves to cut into him. Yet, he felt her arms wrap around him, his shoulder slowly dampening. He slowly realized that she was crying for him.

"No one deserves that… No one at all… if only someone was there to stop your brother from going down the way he did, he wouldn't be able to drag you back down with him," she sighed. Kazume reluctantly hugged her back.

"It's not your fault, my brother brought it on himself. He made his own weakness. He doesn't have anyone either… and now he's lashing out at the 'false heroes'. He used to be my hero you know… when I was a stupid little brat…" Kazume responded, comforting the Big 3 member.

"Still! It's not fair! You're… you were only a kid… That's really messed up!" exclaimed Nejire.

"Anyway, my philosophy is that I'm better off getting the short end of the stick," he said with a roguish smirk.

"I just don't get it, how can you just think about it that way?" Nejire asked.

"Because there's only one way to become a true hero, sacrificing yourself no matter what, putting your life on the line," Kazume replied.

"There's more ways than that," Nejire said.

"Oh? Then what is it?" Kazume asked.

"You can do it for love, you can do it for family, you can do it to get past the place you came from by changing through your strength," Nejire answered.

"So… all three then," Kazume mumbled quietly, not wanting to notify Nejire about Melissa not just being the love of his life, but literally part of his family… as her sister. It would be kinda embarrassing for the cute air-headed Big 3 member to find out about it. Her sis would count for the first two reasons Nejire suggested.

Kazume looked at the time on the clock on top of the chalkboard. It had been a few minutes exceeding the hour limit of the therapy session Nezu had assigned him and Nejire.

"Oh shit, we passed the hour limit. Sorry Nejire, I gotta go before Melissa gets worried about me," Kazume slightly panicked.

"Oh… I see, well! Same time next week!" she exclaimed, pressing a slip of paper into his hand. He looked down at it and looked back up at her.

"What's this?" Kazume asked.

"If you wanna talk, just gimme a call," she said, smiling.

"Thanks Nejire, goodnight and stay safe out there," Kazume said.

Both left the classroom and headed safely back home.

Late Evening...

Reconnaissance is important for any mission. That was one of the lessons Kazume learned fairly early on from his brother. In his efforts to take him down, he'd have to scan and comb every alleyway in the godforsaken dump of Hosu, or what would he and Stain call it, Crime City.

He leaped from rooftop to rooftop, wall jumping left and right, and running at rapid speed to scout where every alleyway is throughout the city.

He was used to doing legwork like this, it felt oddly nostalgic. He turned on his phone, setting markers on his map app to put down every alleyway he searched. The alleyways he searched were dark, quiet, and reeking of garbage. It's an excellent place where Stain would attack, since he can hide the stench of blood with the smell of garbage overtaking the metallic smell of blood. Also, tight spaces work well with not only Stain and Kazume's advantages with the hero vulnerable to avoid throwing knives, but also wall jumping to evade the heroes' attacks and to add maneuverability.

Kazume must do whatever it takes to take down the Hero Killer once and for all, even if it costs his life. He cannot allow his classmates to become Stain's next targets. Kazume sat down on the edge of a rooftop, thinking about what Iida told him.

"I'll be working somewhere else, somewhere in a more open area to where I can hone my quirk down to a science," Tenya stated.

'Is he… trying to hide that he wants to intern here… looking for Stain, wanting revenge for his brother? If that's true… then… I gotta get him out of harm's way. It's gotta be me to stop him.' Kazume thought. He felt his phone go off and saw the caller ID as Melissa. He flinched and rejected it. He had a job to do.

It was time to end this. Time to end the living nightmare. He went to continue scouting for a while longer. His girlfriend can wait. He had a job to do.

After an hour passed, he finally made it back to his dorm. Once he opened the door…

"Helllooo, Kazume," Melissa said, coming up to him with feigned friendliness. She was wearing a nightgown and Kazume downright froze. Melissa's smile DID NOT meet her eyes.

"Uh… hi," Kazume greeted, knowing he's guilty.

"What were you up to, hon? Up and rejecting my call like that…" she sighed, pressing herself against him, rubbing a little.

"My fingers slipped," Kazume lied.

"Ohhhhhh? Really?" she asked, hands rubbing his shoulders.

"Nooooo? Alright, I was out in Crime City, Melissa," Kazume admitted.

"I see," she said, "I guess… I can't stop you," she sighed a little, squeezing him a little bit. Kazume felt a little overwhelmed. Melissa noticed that he was even more nervous. She clung onto him, knowing that he wouldn't fight her.

"Uh, Melissa? You're squeezing me. It's telling me that something is wrong. What would that be?" asked Kazume.

"I just wanna cuddle…" she sighed,

"Don't worry my sweet sis, your little bro will cuddle you until all your doubts and fears go away," Kazume teased. Melissa brightened up and glomped him with a laugh. He just about passed out from sheer cuteness. He somewhat forgot what he was going to do.

Still, he gave in to her warmth. Kazume still had time to plan. But that'll have to wait as he closed his eyes and fell asleep in the arms of his loved one.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thank you all for reading the chapter. What are your thoughts on having Nejire involved early in my story to help Kazume out? Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts. If you enjoyed the story so far, be sure to favorite and follow to stay up to date. I'll see you all next time with the upcoming chapter.