Story of a shifter
Scales, Shells, and the City of Neon
The Fat Gum Agency was never a quiet place, but today it felt like a pressurized canister of pure adrenaline. Between Kirishima’s vocal warm-ups and Fat Gum’s constant snacking, the air was thick with the scent of fried dough and "manly" determination. However, the energy shifted when Class 1-B’s resident powerhouse, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, marched through the front door, his eyes burning with a silver intensity.
"I’m here to report for duty! Let’s get hardened!" Tetsutetsu roared, slamming his metallic fists together with a deafening *clang*.
Camie, who was currently draped over a spinning office chair while scrolling through her feed, didn't even flinch at the noise. "Tetsu-kun, you’re being, like, a total volume ten right now. My ears are literally vibrating. It’s a choice, but maybe dial it back to a six? We’re going for 'professional hero' vibes, not 'heavy metal concert' vibes."
Tetsutetsu turned to her, his expression a mix of confusion and respect. "Utsushimi! I didn't know you were here too! This is great! With my steel and Kirishima’s hardening, we’ll be an impenetrable wall!"
"And with my illusions, we’ll be an impenetrable wall that looks like a field of sunflowers," Camie added, winking. "It’s called strategy, sweetie. Look it up."
Fat Gum waddled into the main lobby, his massive frame nearly blocking out the light from the hallway. "Alright, listen up, kids! We’ve got a big one today. This isn't just a neighborhood patrol. We’re coordinating a joint sting operation with the Ryukyu Agency. There’s a smuggling ring moving Quirk-enhancing chemicals through the old port district, and they’ve got some heavy hitters on their payroll."
"The Dragoon Hero?" Kirishima’s eyes sparkled. "That’s so cool! She’s top-tier!"
"She is," Fat Gum nodded, his expression turning serious. "And she’s bringing her interns. Nejire Hado, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui. We meet them at the docks in thirty minutes. Move out!"
***
The docks were a labyrinth of rusted shipping containers and salty sea spray. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long, jagged shadows across the asphalt. Standing by a crane was Ryukyu, looking every bit the regal hero in her dragon-themed attire. Beside her stood the three U.A. girls, their costumes a stark contrast to the gritty environment.
"Hey! Over here!" Nejire called out, literally floating a few inches off the ground. She spiraled toward them, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Oh wow! More people! You’re the girl who can turn into anyone, right? Camie? Does it hurt when you change? Do you have to think about your internal organs? And you! Silver boy! Are you related to the red one? You look so similar! Is it a twin thing? A secret clone thing?"
Tetsutetsu blinked, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. "Uh, no, we just share a soul-level of manliness!"
"Nejire, focus," Ryukyu said gently, her voice commanding respect. She turned to Fat Gum. "The shipment is expected at Pier 14. Our scouts report that the dealers are using a Quirk that creates localized gravity wells to move the heavy crates silently. We need to hit them fast and hard before they can disperse into the city."
"Gravity wells?" Uraraka murmured, touching her fingertips together. "That’s basically my Quirk but in reverse. If they’re pulling things in, I can make them float away to disrupt their formation."
"And I can provide support from the water," Asui added, her finger pressed to her chin. "Ribbit."
Camie stepped forward, adjusting her hat. "If they’re focused on gravity, they aren't focused on what they’re seeing. I can create a total 'glitch in the matrix' vibe. While they’re fighting ghosts, Tetsu-kun and Kirishima can go in for the literal crunch."
"I like it," Fat Gum grinned. "Let’s show them why they shouldn't mess with the pros."
***
The operation began under the cover of a thick, shimmering fog that Camie had conjured. To the smugglers, it looked like a natural sea mist, but it was laced with faint, prismatic flashes that made it impossible to judge distances.
"I can’t see the crates!" one of the smugglers shouted, his voice echoing through the mist. He was a hulking man with stony protrusions growing from his shoulders. "Activate the wells! Clear this junk out!"
A low, thrumming sound filled the air as a swirling vortex of purple energy appeared in the center of the pier. The mist began to be sucked into the vortex, but as it cleared, the smugglers didn't see the heroes. They saw a terrifying sight: a dozen Ryukyus, all in full dragon form, circling them from the sky.
"Dragons?! We were told she was only one woman!" the leader screamed, panicking.
"It’s an illusion, you idiots!" another shouted, but he was interrupted when the ground beneath him literally exploded.
Tetsutetsu and Kirishima burst through a stack of wooden pallets, their bodies shining like polished chrome and jagged rock.
"RED RIOT!"
"REAL STEEL!"
They hit the frontline of smugglers like a pair of runaway freight trains. The smugglers tried to retaliate, but their punches simply sparked off the boys' hardened skins.
"It’s like hitting a mountain!" the stone-shouldered man grunted, swinging a massive fist at Tetsutetsu.
Tetsutetsu didn't dodge. He leaned into the blow, his silver skin turning a shade darker as he exerted his maximum tension. The smuggler’s hand cracked against his jaw, but it was the smuggler who cried out in pain.
"Is that all you got? My grandma hits harder when she’s knitting!" Tetsutetsu roared, delivering a punishing uppercut that lifted the man off his feet.
Above them, the real Ryukyu swooped down, her massive claws grabbing a shipping container that was being used as cover. She tossed it aside like a toy, revealing the core of the operation.
"Nejire, now!" Ryukyu commanded.
"Gring Pi-Vibe!" Nejire chirped, unleashing a spiral of golden energy that knocked back a group of armed guards.
Uraraka and Asui moved in perfect tandem. Asui used her tongue to fling Uraraka into the air.
"Release!" Uraraka shouted, touching a cluster of crates that the smugglers were trying to hide behind. The heavy metal boxes drifted into the air, stripping the villains of their cover.
"Hey, look at me! I’m a total snack!"
A voice rang out from behind the lead smuggler. He spun around to see Camie—but she wasn't Camie. She had transformed into a perfect replica of the smuggler himself, right down to the greasy hair and the scar over his eye.
"What the—? Who are you?" the smuggler gasped.
"I’m your conscience, and I’m telling you that this outfit is a total disaster," Camie-as-Smuggler said, before blowing a bubble of her Illusion Quirk directly into his face.
The bubble popped, and suddenly the smuggler was convinced he was standing on the edge of a bottomless abyss. He shrieked, falling to his knees and clawing at the concrete. Camie shifted back to her normal form, stepping over him with a bored sigh.
"Seriously, the mental fortitude of these villains is, like, zero stars. Very tragic."
The battle was going well until the "gravity well" Quirk user—a thin, wiry man with glowing purple veins—screamed in frustration. He slammed both hands onto the ground, and the localized vortexes merged into one massive, unstable singularity.
The pull was immense. Loose gravel, pieces of metal, and even the smaller smugglers were being dragged toward the center.
"Everyone, get back!" Fat Gum yelled, digging his heels into the asphalt. "He’s losing control! The whole pier is going to collapse!"
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were the closest to the center. They grabbed onto a bolted-down bollard, their fingers digging into the iron.
"We can’t... let him... keep this up!" Kirishima gritted his teeth, his hardening starting to crack under the sheer pressure of the gravitational shear.
"I’ve got an idea!" Tetsutetsu yelled over the howling wind. "Utsushimi! Can you make me look like something heavy? Like, really heavy?"
Camie was clinging to a crane, her hair whipping wildly around her face. "Tetsu-kun, you’re already made of metal! How much heavier can you get?"
"Just do it! Make me look like a solid gold safe! Give me that 'unmovable object' aesthetic!"
Camie didn't argue. She focused, her eyes glowing. She didn't just cast an illusion *on* him; she used her shapeshifting to mimic the physical density of the objects around her, then projected that feeling onto the space Tetsutetsu occupied.
In the eyes of the gravity-user, Tetsutetsu didn't just look like a safe; he looked like the center of the universe. The visual distortion messed with the villain's focus.
"Froppy! Uravity!" Ryukyu called out.
Asui wrapped her tongue around Uraraka’s waist, while Uraraka touched Fat Gum. With his weight neutralized, Asui was able to sling the massive hero toward the singularity.
"Fat Gum, go!"
Fat Gum became a giant, bouncing ball of kinetic energy. He flew through the air, sucked in by the gravity, but instead of being crushed, he used the momentum to slam directly into the wiry man.
*BOOM!*
The collision broke the villain's concentration. The purple light flickered and died, and the crushing weight of the gravity well vanished instantly.
Silence fell over the pier, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing and the distant sirens of the police.
Fat Gum sat on top of the unconscious villain, patting his stomach. "Whoo! That was a close one! I think I burned off at least three takoyaki’s worth of calories."
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu slumped against each other, their Quirks deactivating as they gasped for air.
"That... was... manly," Tetsutetsu panted, his skin returning to normal flesh.
"Totally," Kirishima agreed, giving him a weak thumbs-up.
Ryukyu landed nearby, shifting back into her human form. She looked over the group, her eyes landing on Camie, who was currently checking her reflection in a puddle to make sure her hat was still straight.
"Your support was invaluable, Utsushimi," Ryukyu said, her voice warm. "The way you disrupted their perception allowed us to move without being targeted. You have a very unique way of handling combat."
Camie beamed, giving the Pro Hero a two-fingered salute. "Thanks, Ryukyu-san! I try to keep the battlefield looking cute. It’s all about that 'peaceful victory' vibe, you know?"
Nejire floated over, poking Camie’s cheek. "You didn't turn into a dragon! Why didn't you turn into a dragon? I wanted to see a pink sparkly dragon! Can you do it now? Please?"
"Maybe next time, Nejire-chan," Camie laughed. "Shifting into a dragon is, like, a major calorie drain. I need a crepe before I even think about growing wings."
***
As the police began loading the smugglers into vans, the two agencies gathered for a quick debrief.
"You guys did great," Fat Gum said, handing out snacks from a hidden pocket in his hoodie. "Tetsutetsu, your endurance is top-notch. Kirishima, your spirit kept everyone going. And Camie... well, you kept us all from getting shot, so that’s a win in my book."
"We should do this again!" Uraraka said, smiling at Asui. "It was really interesting seeing how our Quirks could work together."
"Ribbit. I agree," Asui said. "The Fat Gum Agency has a very... energetic atmosphere."
Tetsutetsu turned to Camie, his metallic bravado replaced by a genuine smile. "Hey, Utsushimi. I gotta admit, I thought your Quirk was just for show back at school. But seeing you out here... you’re a real hero."
Camie paused, her thumb hovering over the 'post' button on her phone. She looked at Tetsutetsu, then at the rest of the group—the hardened boys, the flying girls, and the towering pros.
"Thanks, Tetsu-kun," she said softly, her usual slang-heavy mask slipping for just a second. "It’s not just about the aesthetic, right? It’s about the heart."
She then immediately snapped a selfie with the entire group, the flashing blue and red police lights providing a dramatic background.
"Okay, everyone! Smile! This is going to be, like, the most legendary post of the year. The hashtags are going to be insane. #FatRyukyuGlowUp #HeroVibes #DocksAndGlocks."
Hanta Sero, sitting in the Class 1-A dorms miles away, saw the notification pop up on his phone. He scrolled through the photos, seeing Camie covered in dust but grinning ear-to-ear next to a very exhausted-looking Tetsutetsu.
He typed out a quick comment: *Looks like a mess. Glad you’re okay, Camie. Save me a crepe.*
He saw the 'read' receipt almost instantly.
Camie’s reply was a string of emojis: a strawberry, a sparkle, and a flexed bicep.
*Always, Hanta-kun. The vibes are immaculate.*