Perhaps a Better Place [A Dadzawa Story]

Signal: Chapter 53

Mineta joins our group at some point, though I'm not sure when, or how. Shouji doesn't seem bothered, so I don't ask.

     I climb onto Shouji's back and he accommodates me by bending over. I cross my legs and grab onto his shoulders.

     "Is this comfortable?" I ask, peaking down at him.

     "It'll work," he says. "Duck as far as you can comfortably."

     I lower my chest to my knees and Shouji brings his arms up, enclosing me in a dome of arms. A couple seconds pass of Mezo shifting his arms around before Mineta peeks in, eyebrow raised.

     "So you're just gonna hide in there? How the heck is that fair!"

     "Shut up," I hush him, pushing his face away. "I'm hiding."

     "That's what I just said!"

     "Mineta, no one is supposed to know she's in there. The strategy won't work if you keep yelling about her."

     I glare at Mineta and he turns red, climbing on top of the arm dome and leaving me alone.

     I breathe deeply and relax in my position, thankful for Ojirou's yoga sessions.

     "Ready?" Shouji asks, and I realize that buzzers are going off. Midnight must have already given her speech while I was getting ready.

     "Yeah. Just open your arms when you see easy targets."

     "Got it."

     "And Mezo?"

     "Yes?"

     "Whatever you do, do not drop me."

     "Have I ever let you down before, (Y/N)?"

     I blink, then pat his back affectionately. "Let's do this, big guy."

A significantly louder buzzer sounds and everything bursts into action, very little light peeking through the opening in Shouji's arms as he runs around.

He slows and I feel his arms untense, so I position myself into a kneel, my toes and ankles supporting all of my weight. I grip Shouji's shoulders as he opens his arms and mumbles, "One o'clock."

I shoot off straight ahead and slightly right, whizzing past a group with mostly small points but a couple headbands with bigger numbers. Looks like support course or general studies, so most likely no extraordinary quirk, but I can't be too sure.

I hit the wall of the stadium and push off, heading back, approaching from behind. I reach out my hand, snagging half of their headbands and going right back to Shouji. He catches me and quickly puts me on his back, handing a few of the smaller point headbands to Mineta as decoys.

"What the Hell!" someone yells and I stifle a giggle with my hand.

Shouji hushes me jokingly, continuing his quick movements around the area.

We start small. We aim for low-risk groups with unremarkable quirks, though we do get in a couple tricky situations with Class 1-B.

About seven minutes pass and I catch a glimpse of Bakugou, along with his team.

All friends of mine. Cool.

I take a deep breath.

"Wanna make a risky move, Mezo?"

"... How risky?"

"Let's... get some from Bakugou's team."

"You said risky, not dangerous."