Quirkless Rejects

For the past month, the Quirkless Rejects have been setting up the bakery which they called Soft Blossom Bakery. It was a name that sounded normal but soft enough to ward off those who thought there was an ulterior motive behind it.

Most of Izuku's work money went towards kitchen appliances. Everyone else pitched in for the dining area where the customers would be.
The dining area had wooden floors with light green walls. Pink cherry blossoms on branches were painted on for aesthetic as well. It had a few round tables with chairs. At the back of the dining area was the counter with a coffee maker, coffee condiments, and cash register. Next to it were display cases for the pastries.

The group also had uniforms which consisted of black slacks, black baseball hats, a white button-up shirt, and a green apron on top. Bubblegum had been so generous as to teach them all the basic baking and kitchen skills.

The gang still had the rule of no looking at each other's faces so they had a code when there were multiple of them either serving or running the cash register.

Two taps of the foot meant "Can I turn and leave?" One meant "Yes." And a scratch on the floor meant "No."
They had a sit-in bakery which was basically the same as a restaurant beside you ordered pastries and saw the displays. You could also go up to the front and order some to go like a regular bakery.

February 4th, opening day. The group woke up early to bake the pastries fresh and open up shop. After wiping down tables and filling the display cases, the Soft Blossom Bakery opened for the first time at 7 am.
Izuku put in blue eye contacts, used makeup to cover his freckles, took out his earring, and put on his cap. He smiled and greeted the first customers.

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Izuku could get used to this, yes siree he could. Every day for the past week he was a 16-year-old named Mikumo, not a 14-year-old named Izuku. He was the barista at the coffee machine and made small talk with all of his customers. His smile was genuine and the happiness in his voice was real.

Izuku was content.

Today was different, however. Now that they had their business set up, the Quirkless Rejects needed to get moving.
The group made a schedule where every other night one of them would go out and patrol. They'd stick to leaving petty criminals on the doorsteps of the police station until they were good enough to take on heroes.

Today was the first round and Izuku, as Deku, got chosen first. He was ecstatic!
Izuku could barely contain his excitement in front of the customers. It was 5 o'clock in the evening and they closed at 6. They agreed that Mikumo would get off an hour early to change back into Deku and prepare.

Izuku tapped his foot twice. He got a tap from Grimlin, as Hisou, from the cash register and a tap from Anima, as Himiki, from the far table seeing as she was serving the table.

Izuku left his station which was taken over by Jester, as Triston. Doom, as Yul, and Bubblegum, as Fransy, was in the kitchen in the back.

Izuku exited the building out back to a shack that they had built for sleeping quarters. There was a sheet in between the girls and the boy's side.

He crawled into his sleeping bag and pulled out his digital sunglasses, earring, and a medical mask. After dawning all of them, Izuku pulled out the item he bought a little after for the sheer irony and symbolism of them, black handcuffs but without the chain.

He put one on each wrist. He explained to the gang that it was to show how they were trapped by society. They liked it and got some too but in different colors.

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"They can be our trademark!" exclaimed Anima.

-----

He put one on each wrist. Izuku undressed into his t-shirt, purple and blue hoodie, and black jeans, neatly folding his uniform off to the side.

"Maybe we could get outfits like hero or villain costumes when we get the funding sometime..." he wondered aloud. As time ticked by Izuku got more and more nervous so he pulled out his guitar and played to calm himself down.

At 6 they closed down, at 7 they finished cleaning shop, at 7:10 a knock came to the side of the shed. "Come in," said Izuku. He turned away as each person, one by one, climbed in and dawned their cover-ups before they all turned to face
each other with faces concealed.

"How are you feeling, kid?" asked Grimlin.
"H-honestly, I'm a little nervous." Jester gave his a nudge. "You're gonna be fine dude!"
Anima nodded frantically. "Stay strong Chief!" She called him that periodically to keep morale up in her own sort of way. Bubblegum gave Deku a thumbs up and Doom gave a curt nod.

Anima pipes up suddenly. "Sing us a song! We got some time till it gets dark!"
They did this often when they were bored and dusk had fallen. Izuku smiled and picked up his guitar. He began to strum and sing.

"Lost in the world of fallen dreams...
Lost in the world of broken hearts..."

It was a song Izuku had written a long time ago.

"We bare our fangs and fight with swords, falling in and out of war..."

The members of the Quirkless Rejects liked it a lot. It resonated with them.

"One coal, one spark, one flame... Can change the world."

The darkness of night had fallen as Izuku finished his final cords. They all clapped quietly and smiled back at him, or at least, from what of their faces he could see he thought they did.

Doom looked at the black sky and looked back at Izuku. "Go get em' cowboy."

"You got this Deku!"

"Come on Chief!"

"Be safe."

"Good Luck Deku!"

Izuku smiled, for the first time in his life, the name "Deku" didn't hurt so bad anymore. He set down his guitar and stood up, brushing himself off. Izuku pocketed a black sharpie and walked towards the door. He turned back to face his comrades.
With his digital glasses showing the happy eyes, DEKU gave the group a big thumbs up to them all.

"See you soon!"

He closed the shack door and climbed up the water pipes of a nearby building. Hoping a few buildings away, he looked out across the quiet city.

Let's do this.