Chapter 6: Bright Minds Build the Future
Bakugou couldn't join him for training this beautiful Sunday morning, but Izuku was enjoying the solitude, as he hefts a set of lockers up onto the lot above the beach. Surprisingly enough, his days training without his quirk were more difficult, but almost relaxing somehow. It's quiet, save for the clanking of whatever junk he's carrying, and the waves are a gentle, comforting background noise. Hours pass with him running almost on autopilot, and he's not snapped out of it until there's a sudden sound of someone digging through the scrap.
He wanders over to the source and finds a girl in a blue tank top with a sweatshirt tied around her waist. Her pink hair- tied into dreadlocks- stands out amidst all the rust, topped off with a pair of red and copper goggles with a mild steampunk vibe to them. She's pulling apart a washing machine engine for specific components and tucking them into an empty pouch in her tool belt. Izuku stares for a moment, but sets the lockers he'd been carrying down beside the pile. "W-Well um, I-I guess those were gonna be recycled anyway, so f-feel free to take any parts you want."
"Hm?" The girl raises her head and looks him over. "Oooooh, so you're the one lifting all this. Strong for such a small guy! But yeah, I've been taking parts from this beach for along time, it's a treasure trove here!" She giggles. "More parts to build my babies from!"
"W-Well, um..." Izuku chuckles nervously. "Who am I to get in the way of a constructive hobby?"
"Oh, it's not just a hobby. I'm going into UA's support course!" She grins and poses with her hand son her hips. "My babies are gonna be the talk of every support company in the world!"
Izuku's jaw drops. "Y-You're going to UA too? That's awesome! I-I was just here training to do just that for the hero course!"
"Ooooh?" She pauses and tilts her head, suddenly pulling her goggles down and flipping down some magnifying lenses as she looks over his shoulder. "I see you've already got some support gea- Wait, this is by Power Loader!" She jumps in and almost pins Izuku against the lockers he'd just been carrying as she inspects it. "An injection system? It' simple, but flexible, and secured pretty tightly without limiting flexibility or circulation! It's a flawless piece!"
"U-Um.." Izuku blushes crimson as he's pinned by this enthusiastic nerd. "Y-Yeah, it's P-Power Loader's work. M-My trainer has some h-hero connections and got ahold of h-him and Vlad King, to try and keep my quirk use clean and s-safe."
"Reeeaaally?" She grins ear to ear. "No outlet system, only injection, so your quirk must need some kind of fuel straight to your circulatory system to use it! That's a rare subset, very hard to work with, but support gear does it beautifully!" She jumps back and takes his hands. "I'm Hatsume Mei, and I just have to work on improving it for you!"
"W-What?" His jaw drops. "But- y-you said it yourself this is P-Power Loader's work! You really think you could i-improve it?"
"Well, I won't have the fabrication tools until I get into UA." She lets go and turns around, crossing her arms and grinning to herself. "But I can make the perfect schematics for it before I get there and make you an entire catalog of potential upgrades! Better armor, a self-cleaning needle system so it doesn't have to replace and store so many!" She turns and points to his belt. "And that's where you keep your samples, right? I can make that SO much cooler!"
That gets his attention, and Izuku slowly crosses his arms and hums as he thinks it over. "… Actually… Yeah, I think I could go for that. I-I actually have a few examples in mind, if you don't looking into them."
"Of course! Just know I can't make them exact, I do need to make it somewhat original."
"R-Right!" He jumps as his phone goes off and he checks his messages. "Oh, i-it seems my trainer's getting back from his trip shortly, I need to go meet with him. B-But um, h-how about we exchange numbers before I go? I'm Midoriya I-Izuku, by the way!"
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"Um… where are we going, Toshinori-san?" Izuku bounces his leg anxiously as he rides a rattling train beside his hero and mentor's deflated form. "It's kind of odd to come back from your time off to just take me this far out of town. I-I know it's a surprise, but…"
"Yes, yes, I know it's unorthodox. But there's two people who would like to meet you, and I didn't want you obsessing over it until we get there. We're not far, now." That said, the train screeches to a stop, and Toshinori leads him off the train and down the road. "Now, place we're meeting them is far from either one's base of operations, to prevent suspicion. I had Naomasa prepare it for us. Often used by the local police to train in sting operations. Wide open warehouse, nobody'll be bothered."
Izuku's eyes widen as the complexity of it all sinks in. "W-Wow, um.. these two much be pretty high-profile!"
"Well, one is, but the other never really built up much of a reputation and went underground decades ago." Toshinori shrugs. "But my old mentor's still got it, I'm sure."
"Your teacher?!" Izuku nearly jumps a mile at the thought. "They're still an acting hero?! That's amazing! I-I've never even heard rumors of you having tutored under anyone- w-wait-" He freezes up. ".. Were they?..."
"No, not at all, young man. My predecessor is…" He sighs deeply and looks away. "… My predecessors are all long gone, and my master trained me in her place."
Izuku pauses as his face softens and droops, the severity of those words slowly sinking in. "I… I'm sorry. She must have meant a lot to you."
Toshinori chuckles somberly and nods as he casts his gaze to the sky. "Indeed, young man. She was wonderful. She may not have been popular or anywhere near the best… but she was my hero." Stillness and silence take hold for a few moments of melancholy before ehe returns to leading Izuku towards the warehouse. It's old, for certain. Refurbished multiple times, yet still rusted. May have been around since before quirks. The Ship of Theseus must have a modern competitor here.
But stepping through, Izuku's eyes are drawn immediately drawn to the sight of a very short, elderly man in white and yellow hanging from the busted-up catwalk above by his cape. Izuku immediately screams-
And the hanging old mane snorts and grumbles as he's apparently startled awake, frantically peeking around for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Toshinori and Izuku. "Ah, I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep up on this catwalk and rolled off while waiting for you two snails to get here."
Izuku's jaw can't get much lower, but then he hears a sudden clapping from nearby and turns to see the flawlessly tailored suit and sleek green hair of none other than Nighteye. "Excellent execution, marvelous following insult, short and sweet. You're improving, Gran Torino."
"Heh!" He grins ear to ear and blasts air from his feet, hovering to untie the end of his cape and lower himself to the ground. "I've had that one in mind for years, just never had the chance!"
Toshinori sighs and shakes his head in exasperation, but can't help but smile at his mentor's antics. "Never change…" He slowly raises his head and looks to his former sidekick, guilt and regret all over his face. "Sasaki-" He pauses. "… Mirai. It's good to see you."
Nighteye stares for a moment, but slowly develops the barest hint of a smile. "I would say the same, All Might, but you look like an anorexic scarecrow. Just what have you been doing to yourself since that injury?"
All Might chokes on air as he almost laughs at the insult, but he's cut off as Izuku throws himself into the deepest bow he's seen in years. "Nighteye-sama, it's an honor to meet you! I know I must look like an absolute fool for thinking I'm worthy to be All Might's student, but I promise, I-I'll do right by him, and by the legacy you left as his sidekick!"
"Hmm?" Gran Torino crosses his arms and looks the boy over. "… You have a long way to go… but I see potential, with drive like that. Your confidence definitely needs work." He looks up to Nighteye. "What do you think?"
Nighteye slowly pushes his glasses up. "Well… I suppose I can't quite tell without a test."
Izuku bolts upright and stares in shock for a moment, but his eyes harden as their words sink in. Soon enough, he sets his case down and pulls his support gear out, strapping it into place. "If it's a test you're giving, then I'll ace it!" He clenches one fist and pulls his sample case open with the other. "I really don't know if I'm worthy yet, but I'll prove it to you and myself!"
Gran Torino slowly develops a sadistic grin, then pulls a vial from his pocket and tosses it at Izuku. He catches it, fumbling for a moment, but quickly realizes it's a new sample. "Prove it with versatility." Izuku looks back up to Gran Torino as the man tosses his cane aside. "A true hero is able to adapt quickly and maintain confidence in the process. You only saw me in action for a moment just now. Let's see what you can do when using a quirk you've barely glimpsed from someone you have no prior knowledge of." He looks over his shoulder to Nighteye. "Do you approve of that test, brat?"
Nighteye hums and rubs his chin as he thinks. "Yes… yes, that seems quite right." He peeks up to Izuku and admires the fire in his eyes. "Using One for All is simple. It's a simpleton's quirk, when put down to it's use. Making it truly great requires skill and a quick wit. Prove you have those, and I suppose I won't quite mind you as a successor. You'll have a long way to go yet, but I won't disapprove." He draws his weighted stamps from his pockets. "So, go ahead, Midoriya. Let's see if you can adapt quickly enough to this quirk to dodge me. You have ten minutes. If you're hit by ten, you lose. Do whatever you feel is necessary." As he raises his head and the glare on his glasses fades, Izuku recognizes the pattern caused by Sir Nighteye's Future Sight quirk in his eyes. "Begin."
"SUIT UP!" Izuku reaches up and slams the sample into his shoulder and twists, the injection running through him and triggering a sudden, violent burst of organic material from his skin. Nighteye throws before he can fully suit up, but Izuku aims his right foot sideways and blasts steam off, resulting in only a glancing blow to his shoulder. The second throw is dodged with a jet-boosted jump towards the ceiling. Once there, he hovers for a moment as his helmet finishes forming. The arms and legs of his new suit are enlarged, containing compressed air taken in as fuel for the adapted Jet quirk. The veins of his suit glow yellow.
Nighteye adjusts his glasses and smirks. "Quite the image. Like you in your prime, isn't he, Gran Torino?"
Gran scoffs. "My prime? This runt can't compare to me in my prime yet, but the look is uncanny."
"Indeed." Nighteye starts throwing again, first forcing Izuku to move by throwing at where he is now, but his future vision leads to throwing where he's about to be shortly after. He takes his first hit and starts to blast his way around the room faster and more sporadically. Lacking control and experience with this quirk, he jets himself into beams and walls repeatedly. His second his is to his left shin after crashing into a wall. Third is to his head after trying to duck behind an overhead beam to guard himself, only to meet one of his stamps on the other side. The fourth follows just after as he's still disoriented from the previous hit.
He pushes himself to move faster for a few moments as he thinks over his options. Too many hits already, ten minute goal, and only two minutes have passed. At this rate, he can't possibly last ten. Worse yet, Nighteye's predictions practically guarantee that if he wants to get those ten hits, he will.
There has to be another answer, but as Izuku takes a fifth strike to his right knee, he knows he doesn't have long to figure it out.
This new Jet can't avoid him for long. Not long enough, anyway. It's a race against time, which means he needs to shorten the clock somehow. Only way to do that is to make him unable to throw. His eyes dart about as he sees Gran Torino rushing across the floor and collecting thrown stamps to return to him. He has limited ammo, but surely enough to get his remaining hits in, even if he starts collecting them. Collecting them will also be an obvious move and make him an easy target, ensuring a hit for each one he grabs.
The only option then is to debilitate him so throwing them at all isn't an option.
He takes a sixth his to his ribs.
Ok, not much time now. He can't get a direct hit on him easily with the power to see all incoming attacks. That means it has to be something impossible to dodge.
It hits him instantly.
Izuku bolts down to collect the nearest abandoned stamp and manages to grab it. Hit seven is to his right ankle. On grabbing a second one, he takes another hit to his right shoulder, but jets up towards the ceiling and hides in the catwalk where he can't be hit so easily. He sees one that was thrown more limply up over the railing to fall onto him, but uses one of the stamps he's holding to knock it away.
He digs into his belt, pulls out a vial, and jabs into his shoulder.
A burst of steam erupts from him as his limbs deflate and his veins glow red. His horns fold back and expand, forming an iconic hat belonging to none other than Snipe.
He stands atop the catwalk brandishing two of Nighteye's stamps. "I'm sure you know whose quirk I'm using now. You can't dodge this. I've got one stamp for each of your arms, and you can't hit me with two more before both of these hit you. I'd rather not have to break a pro hero, so how about we call this here?"
Gran Torino's jaw drops for a moment, but slowly picks up as he develops a wide, toothy grin. "Toshi, where the hell did you find a kid this good?"
All Might beams with pride, clapping for Izuku, while Nighteye slowly huffs and pockets his stamps. "Even seeing it ahead of time, I must admit that was an impressive tactical maneuver. With a mind like that and a solid library of quirks on hand, you could become the ultimate Jack of All Trades type of hero."
All Might nods and buffs up as he gets excited by the mere thought of it. "And using the quirks of allies, relying on their assistance, ensures you also act as a symbol of unity among the ranks of heroes, working for the betterment of all through proper collaboration!"
Gran hums and nods. "And combined with the strength augments of One for All, you'll be able to function just fine without them, and adapt others' quirks as a secondary tactical measure for pure efficiency's sake. Overall, you'd be the most versatile hero I've ever seen."
Izuku hops down and bows to them. "I-I really can't thank you enough for all this praise! I'm not t-that flexible, though. I can't use hetermorphic or transformative quirks that would require me to change my own body. Like if I were to copy that slime villain from a few months ago, I'd only produce a slimy suit that falls right off me."
Nighteye crosses his arms and hums. "A logical weakness to such a power, but still leaves a lot of room for a wide variety of quirks. But you should be careful to try new quirk samples in controlled environments to make sure you can actually use them, instead of causing some sort of accident with rushing a sample's first run in public."
"W-Well, there's training rooms and fields available on UA's campus for that, right?" Izuku hands over the two stamps he still had and tears at his suit a bit, willing his quirk to give in and let it slop to the ground. It starts evaporating immediately. "And that'll be my best source of new quirk samples."
"Indeed." Nighteye smirks as he gets a closer look at Izuku's shirt. A Silver Age All Might print, taken from a photo of one of his more popular outings while the two of them were still a team. It brings back memories of far better days. "Midoriya Izuku… I don't need to look at your future to know you'll do great things. I fully approve for you to take One for All. Just try not to be as stupid with it as All Might has been." He peeks over his shoulder with a smirk, watching All Might sheepishly deflate.
"I-I swear I'll do my best, sir!"
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A.N.: So, it's been a while, this one was a bit difficult, for more reasons than I expected. So my youtube channel has been quite an undertaking, and I kinda spread myself thin and burned out for a bit. Then my nephew was born, and the screaming and crying most nights and much of the day has been testing me, though he's calming down now. Feels weird to be an uncle. Especially being the oldest child and sadly still single.
But, I'm getting back in the swing and solidified a ton of ideas for this. Anyway, I should get back to writing- I now have a 3rd fic I'm trying to get ahead on that's a bit of an emotional support fic for me. Easier to write, genuinely wholesome and a bit dramatic. Won't upload chapter 1 of that until I have 10 chapters done already, probably.
Chapter 7: Hatchlings
"A-Are you sure I should do this, sir?"
"Of course, my boy!" Toshinori chuckles as he accompanies Izuku by train to a neighboring town. "Cleaning the beach for your training has gone quickly and smoothly thanks to the augments your quirk already provides. It's been more efficient than I could have dreamed! But, that means we need to fill the gaps in your training with some more practical skills." He passes Izuku a bottle of water. "Personally, I've never been the most skilled combatant, much more focused on brute strength, up until my injury. Your style on the other hand, as analytical and quick-witted as you are, would be best applied to proper martial arts! The dojo I'm taking you to is owned and run by a retired hero who specialized in it. His quirk, Muscle Memory, helped him adapt to new techniques with excessive ease. There won't be a martial arts master like him again any time soon, but with his dojo training you, you'll be in fine shape for combat in short order."
"Muscle Memory…" Izuku pauses, and as it clicks, he raises his head in shock. "We're going to Hiroshi-sensei's Toso Kune Do classes?! B-but- how am I gonna afford that?!"
Toshinori breaks into laughter, only to be cut off by a quick spurt of blood. As he pulls out a handkerchief to clean it, he pats Izuku's shoulder to calm him and explain. "He was a friend of Gran and my master's, and although he's not in on the secret, a call from Gran and from 'All Might's secretary' got it covered. Remember, Midoriya-shonen. I may not be working much now, but I've still got merchandise sales that make the Treasury jealous."
Izuku blanches for a moment as that kicks in. "… T-These classes are just a drop in the bucket to you, a-aren't they?"
"They most certainly are. Although he also provides discounts for students he sees particular promise in, so it may be less than half a drop soon! All depends on how quickly he comes to like you."
"Well…" Izuku takes a breath to calm himself. "… I won't let you down, sir." He pauses and looks down to his hands. "You know… this... really does seem like a perfect match, when I think on it." He clenches his fist. "The way my quirk looks, and works... it's just like the Henshin hero shows from the era before quirks. And Horoshi's dojo teaches a style invented by an American actor for one of the best, Jason David Frank. His work in the American version of the Super Sentai series is legendary, and he invented that style on the set. And Horoshi Yamada… a descendant of Horoshi Maeda, the greatest stunt doubles for Super Sentai. It all came together perfectly, and now… someone with a quirk just like their shows is going to learn what they passed down."
Toshinori's grin stretches wider. "Those shows are classics, and exemplary of what it means to be a true hero. It's a bold and meaningful legacy to carry, Midoriya-shonen. That said, who would be your favorite among them all? I may not seem like much of a nerd, but…" He hums as he sits back. "Well… my American comic merchandise collection is actually quite massive."
Izuku's jaw drops for a moment, but he starts to laugh it off. "Y-You really have to show me that sometime! Please tell me you managed to get an actor's suit from an old set."
"I got Keaton's Batman suit in an airlocked case." He chuckles and grins like a madman. "But back on topic, who would be your favorite henshin hero of the old age?"
Izuku grins and tilts his head back, knowing the answer all too well already. "Kamen Rider Build. He was a genius with versatility like no other! H-Honestly, I… I see a lot of the best parts of myself in him. I just kinda relate to him..."
Toshinori nods. "He's an excellent example. Some Riders were bumbling fools that stumbled into greatness, but he made it for himself, proving pure skill, determination, and hard work to be the backbone of his identity as a hero. It's a fine choice, young man. And having seen much of the American version of Sentai, the Power Ranger series, myself… I'd say Jason David Frank's character Tommy Oliver is much the same, so your respect for him is just as fitting."
The remainder of the ride, to random people on their commute, is just a boy and an emaciated man nerding out about shows very in the modern age truly know or remember. To the, it's a discussion of ideals people have held for millennia and how they've carried into the reality of modern day.
The dojo's exterior really feels like an homage to Tokusatsu. The logo, dubbing it the "Green Dragon's Den", is backed by lit silhouettes of five posing heroes in helmeted costumes with horns. Behind them is a huge green dragon, coiled and glowing. Izuku shivers as he approaches, getting giddy enough to squeal through his nose.
"Pretty intimidating, huh?" Izuku's attention is drawn to a young man with crew-cut blonde hair, already wearing his gi and sporting a massive, muscular tail. "I know it freaked me out at first, but although Hiroshi-sensei's strict, he's quite kind to those who really put effort in."
"But he'll run you into the ground first." Izuku's whips around to his right to see a red head with a ponytail and slim figure, carrying sparring gloves clearly custom made with an expanding material. Growth quirks are common enough for him to spot that material from a mile away by now. "But hey, if ya don't have the guts for it, don't come, right?"
After a few moments, Izuku nods and steels himself. "Right! I'll master everything he throws at me!" He grins. "I-I'm Midoriya Izuku. I look forward to training with both of you!" He bows a bit too deeply and almost looses his balance.
The girl chuckles and slowly pulls him back up. "No need to be so formal. I'm sure you'll do great, with determination like that. I'm Itsuka Kendo. The stiff here is Mashirao Ojiro."
"Stiff?"
Kendo laughs it off. "So, what brings you here?"
"O-Oh, um.. I've already been training my quirk and strength up with another retired hero, and he thought it best a mind like mine be put towards a more skilled form of combat than their own. Can't really argue with his logic, but he kinda sprung it on me on the way here."
Kendo snorts. "Oh, you have that kind of sensei, huh? Yeah, seen that type. Can be fun, but…"
"An absolute mess when they spring something special on you." Izuku sighs deeply and hangs his head. "I respect the man more than anyone on this earth, but his teaching leaves a lot to be desired."
Ojiro pats his back. "Well, you'll find Hiroshi-sensei much... stricter, but more predictable."
Izuku nods and straightens himself out. "Right. Thanks, Ojiro."
"Before we go in, though…" Kendo points to the device strapped to Deku's shoulder. "Is that quirk support gear?"
"O-Oh, yeah!" Deku looks to his belt case and pops it open to reveal the capsules. "M-My quirk requires DNA samples in my bloodstream, s-so I got this made for safe and quick injections of clean samples donated by a few heroes. I-It was kind of a miracle I got my hands on some of these, e-especially Snipe's!"
Kendo steps back in shock. "Snipe?! Holy- why do you have a sample from him?!"
"Um.." He scratches his head as he closes the case. "My quirk lets me adapt others quirks into mine temporarily, so my mentor decided I needed to work with a wide range of impressive samples."
Kendo stammers, but slowly grins. "Oh, I have to see this! Thankfully, Hiroshi-sensei still has his quirk counseling license, so if we're in his dojo and permits it, we can use our quirks all we want!"
Izuku nods and jabs into his left hand. "Then this is exactly what I need." He huffs and finally starts marching in. The main chamber of the dojo is… massive. A huge series of mats for combat and basic exercises, a rock climbing wall, weight training area, tightropes and balance beams, bars and poles hanging from the ceiling, and much more.
In the middle of it all is a native Japanese man with voluminous black hair and a thick, but shapely beard down to his collarbone. He shifts through his stances, throwing random strikes at moments that seem inopportune at first, but quickly prove to cover many weak points. Unorthodox in method, practical in application. But then he suddenly changes stances entirely, going through quick leaping strikes, swinging his leg clean over his head and down in vicious axe kicks. He stops the fourth kick short and stops in a crane pose before transitioning into mantis and going for some low strikes as she sweeps back and forth. Eventually, he stops in a low seeping kick with his leg fully extended, then slowly rises to his feet. "Ojiro-kun, Kendo-chan, welcome. I see you've met our newest student." He turns and bows. "Welcome, Midoriya-kun."
Izuku bows deeply. "T-Thank you, Hiroshi-sensei! I-I look forward to working with you!"
He grins as he uprights himself. "A bit nervous, are you? I suppose that's alright. Now, Yagi-san mentioned your quirk is something quite unique, but said it's best I witness it myself. Are you prepared for a demonstration?"
Izuku nods and digs into his belt. "Hmm... no, that won't quite work. Too flashy. That one needs more equipment. Maybe?... Oh, that should work! Good thing he let me keep it…" Izuku picks out a yellow and white sample labeled with "GT" and quickly injects himself with it. He places the sample back in his belt and seals it up just as the suit bursts into place and seals around him. The larger shins his steam from his feet for a moment before his cape bursts from his shoulders and he takes to the air with Jet. He rockets around the room for a few moments, dodging through various pieces of exercise equipment and obstacles before stopping with a halting burst back in front of him and dropping to the ground.
Horoshi hums as his grin grows wider, and he almost laughs. "That's a sample from Gran, isn't it?"
Izuku nods, although his face is still hidden in his organic helmet, which actually keeps him calmer and reduces his anxiety. "He gave it to me personally. I suppose I'm not surprised you know each other! You seem like you'd get along swimmingly."
"That we did. He made one hell of a partner, the few times we worked together! Him, and that wonderful woman Nana. Though you'd be damned if you got between them in any way." He chuckles a bit. "And that young upstart they trained. Seeing how far her managed to get now…"
Izuku nods and smiles softly beneath his helmet. "He's still very proud of All Might. A-Although he does tend to beat on All Might a bit still…"
Ojiro stammers. "Wait, you're telling me All Might lets an old man kick him around?"
Horoshi barks out in laughter. "Indeed! He'd never raise a finger to Gran. He owes the man much, and respects him a great deal. And it's good to see you have proper reverence for your predecessors, no matter how old, Midoriya-san." He crosses his arms. "And if Gran is impressed with you, then you're already good in my books. So, let's get you fitted with a gi and we'll get this training properly started!"
"Right!" Izuku throws his fists in the air, but unconsciously activates Jet and blasts himself up into the tightrope, which slingshots him back down into a belly flop into the mats. "… Just… give me a moment."
Training that day does rather smoothly. Horoshi quickly notes how easily Izuku picks up new stances and moves, and his physique so far isn't something to scoff at. He's still far behind the rest, as new as he is, but he catches up at an impressive rate. Ojiro and Kendo meanwhile seemed to stick to him pretty quickly, pointing out flaws and helping him adapt them- and adapt he did. Every correction in his stances and strikes was memorized quickly and applied effectively. He would be sure to rise through the ranks quickly.
By the time it ended, Izuku was barely winded, when compared to the training he's already been through. But he learned a lot. And now, he's on his way out with Ojiro and Kendo in tow, leaving Horoshi with a grin on his face as his class leaves for the day. Once they're gone, he collects his phone from his office and makes a quick call.
"Horoshi." Gran answers. "Quite the surprise. Let me guess… Midoriya impressed you, didn't he?"
"That he did, old friend. He'll be a fantastic student. I had a feeling he would be worthwhile when he used your quirk, but the rest of the day made and even bigger impression. He'll be one of the best of this generation for certain."
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Inko sits on her couch late in the afternoon, waiting for Izuku to return from his training. She worries, but seeing how much stronger and more confident he is, how much happier, has been too good to deny. At this point, she's gotten used to it, even comfortable. No different than waiting for him to return from school.
Having this free time has been quite helpful. She doesn't have to work so much overtime now, coming home earlier and enjoying her home for once, now that All Might is footing some of their bills. She tried to deny it at first, but the man is just far too convincing. That charisma is intoxicating, and yet, even more so when he's being his natural self and setting that boisterous public personality aside.
But as she waits for her son, a set of booming knocks rouses her from her thoughts at the realization that only the very man she'd been thinking of would knock like that. She opens the door and ushers him in. "Good evening, Toshi! Izuku hasn't gotten back yet. Wasn't he training with you today?"
"Oh, he's training with Horoshi-san today, actually. A proper martial arts form would suit him well, and there's nobody better."
Inko reels back. "T-The Green Dragon Dojo?! Toshi, you're spoiling us!"
Toshinori laughs boisterously before he deflates into his natural self. "It's nothing at all to me, Inko. I wanted to speak with you for a bit, actually. And I know Izuku informed you he made a few friends while training today and he'd be returning late. That gives us plenty of time." He chuckles nervously. "Which… if this chance I'm about to take works, we'll need it…"
Inko tilts her head. "U-Um.. what do you mean, Toshi?"
After a few moments of hesitation, Toshinori reaches out to her. "Would you like to accompany me for dinner tonight?"
Inko's eyes slowly widen as his words sink in, accompanying a deep blush. After a few moments, she even tears up a little. "T-Toshi… a... a-are you sure? I-I look terrible, I-I've let myself go for so long, a-and I really don't have much to offer-"
She's silenced by Toshinori's large, bony hand on her cheek and wiping that tear away with his thumb. "Inko, my dear… You have no reason to doubt so much. You are by far one of the most incredible women I've known, and I would be honored if you accepted."
She stammers silently for a moment, but finally smiles and nods eagerly. "O-Of course! I would love to!"
Toshinori grins ear to ear as she accepts. "Then let's get going. I'll make sure this night is wonderful."
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A.N.: So, I have returned, and life is nuts! I started another day job, I have several chapters of a 3rd fic done and I wanna get 10 done before I start uploading it, and I almost half a month of videos for my youtube channel backlogged and ready! Also absolutely loved New Pokemon Snap. So yeah, things are pretty good right now. This is kind of a shorter chapter, but I couldn't extend it without overdoing things and taking forever, honestly. But the next one should be faster. So for now, thanks for reading, and consider hitting up my youtube channel!
Chapter 8: To the Future
"So when are you planning to tell me who the hell's training you?"
Izuku looks up from his notebook, having been jotting down options of retired heroes to contact. He finds Katsuki standing over him looking… peeved, but not quite as pissed as usual. "Oh, um, K-Kacchan, w-why do you ask?"
"Because if a hero were training you, you'd never shut up about who it is. You'd never let a hero you didn't respect for some shady shit train you, so you're not silent out of shame. Whoever it is wants it to stay secret." He hunches and glares into his best friend's eyes. "That shit's not gonna fly with me."
Izuku gulps and cowers beneath him. As solid as their friendship is nowadays, he still knows better than to actively do anything to anger Kacchan if he can avoid it. Annoy him? Sure, that can be fun. Actually angering him is something else entirely. "… I… I-I'll need to ask him if he's alright with it."
Katsuki raises an eyebrow and stares. "… Fine. Call him, text him, whatever. I'll meet you outside." He turns to leave and Izuku sighs shakily and hangs his head.
With a few moments of hesitation, he dials All Might. His idol picks up immediately. "Midoriya-shonen, how are you? Is everything alright?"
"W-Well, mostly, sir. It's just… Kacchan's catching on. He's tired of the secrets, and… I don't think we can deter him. Either we tell him, or he's gonna find out on his own."
"Hmm… I see. I was expecting this. Well, my boy, in the face of such an unrelenting force, there are two options. If there is too much at stake, brunt the damage and pain. If there is nothing to lose, let it slip past and turn it into an advantage."
Izuku's eyes widen, and he nods. "Of course. He's my best friend. He wouldn't use the truth against us. I'll be bringing him with today."
"A wonderful choice, young man. Always remember that this secret is just as much yours as mine now. The power is still mine, but I have not changed my mind about giving it to you. It will be yours, and as such, your input matters greatly regarding our secret."
"O-Of course. Thank you, sir. We'll see you soon, then."
"I'll be sure to bring extra food. How does Bakugou-shonen like his ramen?"
"Whatever the most volcanic thing on the menu is."
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"Alright…" Katsuki marches down the stairs into Dagobah Municipal Beach Park with his hands deep in his pockets. "So where the fu-"
"I AM HERE!" All Might skids to a stop in a leaning Armstrong pose, right in the middle of the path. Katsuki is left gaping and Izuku just sighs. "You're overdoing it again, sensei."
All Might chuckle and uprights himself, brushing some sand off his clothes. "Oh you know I had to. So, Bakugou-shonen, how have you been? I was wondering when you'd get suspicious enough to join us."
He stammers for a few moments, but growls as his jaw clacks shut. "Of fucking course. Let me guess. You saw Izuku use your quirk when he stole a hair or something to activate his own quirk and you decided you saw enough of yourself to train this bastard, right?"
"Oh, more than that, young man." He sighs and crosses his arms. "You see, Izuku was also already privy to one of my biggest secrets at the time he saved you, largely because I saved him that day and happened to be at my limit. Mostly coincidence I suppose, but quite lucky in the long-run."
Katsuki raises an eyebrow. "A secret? The fuck kinda secret have you got that's big enough for this nerd to keep his yappy trap shut?"
"Hey!"
"Can it, nerd."
All Might sighs and hunches. "Well… this." Suddenly, steam bursts from him as he reverts to his true form. He closes his eyes upon seeing Katsuki go slack-jawed again, and a bit twitchy. "Five years ago, I received a grievous injury…" He raises his shirt enough for Katsuki to see the wound, causing him to step back in revulsion for a moment. "That battle was kept from the public, but since then, I've been on a time limit with my quirk. I can only act as a hero for three hours a day without reducing my limit further as a penalty for pushing my limits." He sighs and drops his shirt. "I've been traveling in search of a successor. A successor for my unique quirk, designed to be passed on and improved through consent. One for All was gifted to me by my master, just as I now intend to with Izuku, before my time as the Symbol of Peace comes to a premature end." He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. "I know you must be disappointed to not have been chosen for it yourself-"
"Shut the fuck up, Skeletor." Toshinori's eyes burst open and he almost spits blood when he finds Katsuki glaring at him. "So you quirk can be passed on, whatever. I wanted to be the best, to be better than you, just with my own quirk. And I still plan to!" He punches into his hand and sets off a small blast. "But now…" He turns and grins sadistically as Izuku. "Now, I'll just have to focus on staying ahead of your crazy ass, Deku!"
Izuku gapes for a moment, but slowly steels himself. "You're not… pissed about me getting One for All? It's just a challenge to you?"
Katsuki scoffs. "Not even a challenge. It'll be a blast to leave you in my dust even with All Might's power added to yours." He shrugs and leans against an old chest freezer. "Besides, it makes sense. Give that power to me, I'll become a walking warhead with too much collateral damage for the job. Give it to a skill-focused and flexible prick like you, and it adds the power to make you a threat to most anyone. It's a no-brainer, really."
Toshinori hums. "You're… taking this surprisingly well. And quickly."
"Hey, you gave me the facts, you showed me the proof, it makes sense, why question it?" He sighs and hangs his head. "… But I sure as hell can't say it doesn't fucking suck seeing you like this."
"Well, we're in agreement on that, young man. Although my condition has been getting a tad better…" He looks down to his withered form, though it seems to have regained some weight. Most notable in his face filling in just a bit, and his arms thickening. "Mrs. Midoriya has been insisting on me fixing my diet to have a higher calorie intake even with my stomach gone, and suggested I reach out to an old friend for some potential cybernetic solutions. Never quite liked the idea of artificial organs, but… well, it's sure to be better than my condition as-is."
Katsuki raises an eyebrow. "So auntie Inko knows? Wonderful." He huffs. "So what, you're asking Shield for some help with that injury?"
Izuku perks up as that sinks in. "D-David Shield, of course! H-He's not really into cybernetics, never been his field, but he knows all the best minds in the world! With his contacts, you could have a functioning cybernetic stomach in a matter of a few weeks!"
Toshinori shrugs. "Well, be that as it may, my research suggests we're still quite far from having one that's fully functional with just being implanted. I'd have to get some sort of port installed for me to inject a solvent to assist in digestion, sort of like insulin ports for severe diabetics.
Katsuki snorts. "Wow, that fuckin sucks. But hey, you can enjoy real food again, so that's something."
"Oh certainly." Toshinori grins. "My first task will be returning to Might Tower to order out of my own restaurant and binge one of my old favorite meals for the first time in five years."
"You sure as shit better be takin' us with you for that."
All Might peeks up and slowly grins. "That, young man, sound like a wonderful time. I'll give you both a full tour while I'm at it, and give you a chance to go crazy in Might Tower's own training facilities."
Izuku's head is spinning at the mere thought of it. "A-All Might, s-sir, you really don't need to-"
"Shut the fuck up Deku, we're doing it, and your nerdy ass is gonna love every second!"
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In an office across the world, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, sits a man typing away at absurd speeds, his shaggy blonde hair hanging in his face as he downs half a mug of coffee in one swig. He returns to typing and pulls his headphones up as a call comes in. "Toshi, I have wonderful news! That stomach you're looking for? An associate in San Franciso has a new one that comes with not a port, but solvent pills to take with each meal to do the job! It's safer, less invasive, and less of a risk of damaging it in combat!"
"What?! Dave, that's wonderful! And here I was, just calling to keep my promise to talk more."
"Toshi, please, you know no chat with me is ever so bland. I've always got something to talk your ear off about."
"Don't I know it. Actually, my new student reminds me a lot of you, just with a truckload of anxiety to top the package off."
David pauses and sits upright. "Student? I didn't hear anything about you taking on a younger sidekick. I thought you were solo right now."
"W-Well, um..." Yoshinori chuckles nervously. "He's not a sidekick. He's an actual middle-schooler, just like I was when Nana took me under her wing. He's a boy with remarkable potential, and his quirk is something truly inspiring."
David pauses and peeks aside to the photo of himself and his old partner in front of his car. "So this kid has that much potential? You think he can be the next Symbol of Peace?"
"Dave… I know he'll surpass me by far and become something more than a symbol. A kid like this, the way he'll inspire people, will make that peace a reality."
David's eyes widen with every word. ".. Well. I'll have to come see this kid for myself. What does MIrai think?"
"You know he doesn't look into the far future anymore. But he is impressed with the boy and already gave his stamp of approval. His best friend has been training with us as well, and he's proving to have incredible potential as well! A tad violent and self-assured for my tastes, but talented and willful."
"They're both going to U.A., aren't they?"
"Indeed. I'm sure they'll pass the entrance exam with flying colors. This generation is proving to be greater than my own could fathom, Dave. If my lungs weren't shot, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops."
"Oh, about that!" David runs through a few files. "We've got a few options in that area too! A friend from a lab in Borneo has been working on an oxygen-absorbing gel that can be inhaled and line weak points in the lungs, providing a protective coating and adding to your lungs' oxygen intake, making up for what was lost in your injuries! It should stop the bleeding, and although your breath will be shorter than before still, this combined with the new stomach should put you back up to about eighty-five percent of your former best output with a tripled time limit within a month of rehab from the surgery and about a year of returning to your former diet and training regimen!"
"Now I remember how I learned to handle fast-talk well enough to follow Midoriya's rambling." Toshinori chuckles. "Well, that all sounds wonderful! I'll take both treatments as soon as we can book them."
"Give me two weeks, and I'll be there with both doctors to apply it all! And I'll take some time working with those two kids you're training while you recover."
"I'm sure Midoriya would be delighted. Bakugou on the other hand will probably be as continuously ornery as ever and call you a two-bit extra in my shadow."
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Two weeks pass in short order. Izuku could be found on the beach with David Shield and Bakugou, rambling off questions about the man's creations and his college years with the top hero.
"You know, it's been a while since I upgraded the Hercules." Dave hums. "All Might's car could use a few new additions by now. And probably needs a few parts replaced, the way he drives."
Izuku whines and hangs his head. "I've wanted to ride in it for so long, but with his hero time cut so short, he can't take it anywhere because everyone knows it's his!"
Katsuki hums. "Ya know, I actually wouldn't mind a ride in there myself. That thing looks like Sex on Wheels with a hide tough enough to survive me! For now, anyway."
"Oh, definitely." David grins. "That baby's armored enough to survive your current yield at about five-fold. Much more than that, and it might have some trouble. Come up with a good enough signature move though, and it might get pretty busted up. Nothing I can't fix, though." He hums. "Although, knowing what I do now… One for All being what it is, I suppose he'll eventually run dry. I might need to pull together a suit to enhance him and keep him on the beat for a while." He huffs. "Since we all know there's no way he'll ever stop."
"Definitely."
"He's gonna walk into his own death with a smile while protecting a kitten from some maniac when he's in his eighties."
They would all jolt as their phones go off together, looking to them to find a photo of Toshinori, still in his hospital bed and looking groggy, still delirious from the anesthetics, with the misspelt caption "I lvied, botch". Laughter echoes amongst the garbage for hours.
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"How did you convince me to do this?" Izuku huffs as he backs up and leaps across an alley from roof to roof. Katsuki's on the other side, grinning like a madman.
"Because you were ahead of schedule, and sensei's still recovering. Ya can't tell me this shit won't be great for hero work, anyway." He snorts and runs up a wall to grab the lip of the roof to the building's stairwell and hefts himself up. "Especially since your quirk doesn't let you get around as easily as mine does, and I need it for when I can't be doing collateral."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it…" Izuku sighs and copies Bakugou, pulling himself up easily enough, but with far less grace.
"Dude, you're awkward as hell doing this. I'm gonna run you all over this fucking city, and then we're going to the parkour park."
In the pre-quirk era, parkour was rather popular, but parks specifically for it were incredibly rare. But after the advent of quirks and with more advanced physical ability becoming more common among average citizens, more locations were made around the world to accommodate it. Anyone with quirks that improve their mobility can test themselves in a safe and creative environment in these parks, with the risk of harm being about as great as your average free-running, but with no chance of property damage. Many children training to be heroes frequent these places, and many who never will be, but simply want to bask in feeling as cool as some of their idols for a few moments.
Katsuki would only accompany Izuku at the local parkour park for another two months before he blew up part of the site and was promptly banned.
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It wasn't long before the day had come. Izuku hefts the last piece of trash, a single filing cabinet, onto All Might's truck and stretches as he steps back. "And a month to spare!" He spins around and looks out over the beach. Spotless sand, not even any cigarettes or shards of shells to be found, already raked out and carted away.
Katsuki stands beside him and hums. "Ya know... I kinda get the community service part now. This place looked like total ass before you started, and now I wouldn't mind goin for a swim."
"Of course you'd look at it that way."
"The fuck is that supposed to mean, Deku?!"
"Alright, settle down, boys!" They turn to see All Might stand behind them, still wearing some bandages beneath his shirt, but looking fuller, his eyes less sunken. His gaunt face is plastered with a wide, cheerful grin. "Izuku, my boy, you've done wonderfully. You took to this training even better than I had imagined and although you have a long way to go, I think you're ready. Your quirk will make up for the gaps in your strength, so now, you're ready to receive One for All." His grin widens as he bursts into his hero form, his bandages snapping to reveal a mostly healed surgery scar, laying fresh over the rest. " "The time has come, young man. So I ask you, one last time…"
Izuku turns fully to face his mentor, as the rising sun reflects off the sweat of a hard morning's work and outlines the muscles he's built over the last nine and a half months. Little does he know, he's being watched by Gran Torino and Nighteye nearby, just stepping out of Nighteye's car. He's too deep in the moment to notice them. All he can see now is his mentor standing before him and holding out Izuku's own All Might Sample Vial. "Will you accept One for All and become my successor as the Symbol of Peace? Will you, Midoriya Izuku, become the Ninth Holder and carry the wills of the eight before you into a brighter future?"
Izuku slowly shuts his slacked jaw and steels his misty eyes. He nods and clenches his fists. "I swear. I'll be every bit the hero you want me to be and more! Because that's always what I've wanted to be, and what the world needs!"
Gran chuckles. "Kid's got the spirit, that's for damn sure."
Nighteye nods in approval. "He really is quite something. I look forward to watching him grow."
All Might holds the vial out to Izuku. "Then a toast." He reaches into his pockets with his free hand and starts tossing small cans of soda at Katsuki, Gran, and Mirai. "A toast to the next Symbol of Peace and Justice."
They all crack their drinks open and raise them. Izuku cracks the seal off the vial and raises it with them. In one swift motion, they down their drinks, and Izuku drinks All Might's quirk sample. No longer would it be on his belt. It would be a part of him.
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A.N.: Well, here we are. One for All has finally been passed on, and Izuku is about to begin his adventure into true greatness. When we pick up next time, it'll be time for the exam, and ooohoho boy do I have surprises for you there. Don't expect the same old exam bit! I'm gonna have a lot of fun writing this...
Chapter 9: Go Big or Go Home
These gates have to be some of the most intimidating Izuku's ever known. He's been here once before now, though pain made it difficult to remember the view at the time. Now though, he's wide awake as he approaches UA High itself. The massive steel trap of a front door is wide open for anyone with a guest pass, and students wander in with awe, giddiness, or anxiety etched into their faces.
Katsuki on the other hand, stands beside him with a feral grin. "This exam is gonna be so goddamn easy. We got this in the bag, Deku!"
He snorts. "Yeah, probably. Wish I knew what to expect with the practical, though. You know I'm better when I get to plan."
"Yeah, yeah, suck it up. You're fine on the fly. Not as good as me, but who the hell is, right?" He gently slugs Izuku in the arm and steps ahead, leading the way in. "See anyone familiar?"
Izuku nods and waves over to two three students standing near one of the marble busts lining the path. "Ojiro, Kendo, Tokage!"
Tokage separates her head and floats it above Ojiro to get a clear look at Izuku's approach. "Oh, hey Mido! Was wondering when you'd show up." She reattaches her head and steps aside to open up the circle. "This that Kacchan boy you keep talking up?"
"The name's Bakugou Katsuki, damnit!" He growls. "Good to know this shithead still worships the ground I walk on, though."
"Kacchan, if I actually worshipped you, All Might wouldn't be the one all over my walls. And I wouldn't even say I go that far with him."
"Shut the fuck up, Deku."
Kendo hums. "Wow, you're right, he is quite the asshole."
"WHA-"
"Kacchan, you admitted you're an asshole to my face, you have no room to complain."
"FUCK YOU."
Ojiro mumbles. "Well, I guess it's nice to meet another of Izuku's friends? I'm Ojiro Mashirao, and these two are Kendo Itsuka and Tokage Setsuna."
He huffs. "Yeah, nice to meet a few respectful extras here. So what, you guys are all from the dojo?"
Kendo nods and punches into her left hand. "We're all some of sensei's best students."
"Well, no shit if ya got here." He shrugs. "I get it, but martial arts was never my style. Too strict, too complex. I picked up kickboxing. Works well with my quirk, quick and simple, adaptable, and one well-placed punch can finish just as quick as all those fancy spinkicks you extras do."
Tokage hums. "Well, hard to argue that. I mean, our styles are meant to adapt to working around more complex enemies and working with our bodies' specialties. Kickboxing definitely has it's place. Less moves, kinda predictable, but efficient and powerful for sure."
Katsuki grins as he shoves his hands in his pockets. "Finally, someone who gets it. Maybe you won't be an extra. Starting to look more like a C-lister."
Tokage almost complains, but Izuku cuts her off. "Don't bother, that's the best compliment you'll get out of him." He sighs. "So, you guys nervous about the exam?"
Ojiro hums. "A bit, but not as much as plenty of others here." He peeks over Izuku's shoulder to a girl just entering the place. Her voluminous bright brunette locks frame a bright smile, but the slight twitching in it is evident enough to the observant. Her eyes are just a tad wet, but no full tears in sight.
Following his gaze, Izuku peeks around and waves to get her attention. She freezes for a moment, but as he provides his own spotlight of a smile and waves her over, she can't help but calm down and rush over. "H-Hey! You alright? You seem a… a-a little lost."
Kendo raises an eyebrow. "Is he gonna stutter like this with ever new girl? First me, then Setsuna, now this girl. He's hopeless."
"W-Well, um…" The brunette scratches the side of her face a bit. "I'm kind of new to the area. I-I had to take a few trains to get here, and it was a long trip. Sort of disoriented."
Katsuki shrugs. "Get used to it. You're trying to be a hero, you've gotta adapt."
Izuku sighs. "Not even training yet, Kacchan. Stop being an ass."
"Make me, Deku"
Izuku shakes his head. "S-Still, glad you could make it, coming so far."
"T-Thanks." She huffs out a sigh if relief. "We should probably head in, though. The first exam is in ten minutes, and I don't even know what room I'm going to."
Katsuki shrugs. "They put signs up, big fuckin' arrows. Kind of hard to miss." He turns and wanders in, while Izuku rolls his eyes.
"Sorry about Kacchan. It takes a lot to impress him."
"I-I can tell…" She sighs. "Well, let's go. And uh… thanks for calling me over, Deku. I-I'm Ururaka Ochako, by the way."
Izuku blushes a bit. "O-Oh, um… D-Deku's sort of a joke nickname Kacchan's got for me. It means "wooden puppet", or "useless".
She pulls back and matches his blush twofold. "O-Oh, I'm sorry! It just sounded c-cute and encouraging to me! Like d-dekiru!"
Izuku's jaw drops for a moment. "O-Oh, um… w-wow." His blush outclasses hers in seconds. "W-Well, go right a-ahead, then! C-Call me Deku all you like!"
Her blush is overpowered by a smile and she nods eagerly. "A-Alright! Well, let's go, w-we're gonna be late!" She turns and starts jogging in, while Tokage and Kendo look to one another with a slight smirk.
"So…" Tokage grins. "How bad ya think they've got it already?"
"Oh, they're in so deep they can't see two feet in front of them. I doubt much will happen too soon, Izuku's still nervous when we hug him, the girl that just called him cute doing it would make him comatose."
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Speaking of, Izuku is nearly comatose upon seeing who the instructor for the first exam is. Present Mic's presence is just the shot of adrenaline Izuku needed, and he ends up filling out the test faster than he imagined possible. He tended to listen to Present Mic's podcasts and radio stations while he studied and tried to online mock tests. That bit of correlation brought it all to mind faster, and he was done well before the halfway mark.
For the remaining time, he just looked around the room to try and pick out any notable students. There was a statuesque young man with blue hair that he recalled having mufflers on his calves. It's certainly an interesting trait, and reminds him of one of his favorite heroes, Ingenium. With some deliberation, he considers they may be related. There's one girl who can only be identified by her clothes, as her metamorphic quirk turns her completely invisible. Her abilities as an underground hero would be incredible. Then there's a boy whose skin is entirely black. Not even just black, but abyssal. He's never seen anything so dark in his life, so he stood out quite well, as did the girl whose entire body was bright pink. He couldn't begin to guess either person's quirks.
When the written exam was done, Izuku stumbles out and starts to stretch on the way to the buses for the practical exam. He used to be such a couch potato and constantly at his desk, but his more active lifestyle since meeting All Might has made sitting still almost difficult at times. So again he's a bit annoyed when he piles onto one of the busses to training ground B. He waves to Kacchan as they climb into separate busses and finds himself seated beside the muffler-legged boy. Realizing he's been caught staring at the features of his quirk, Izuku decides to speak up. "S-Sorry for s-staring. I just, uh… w-would you happen to be related to I-Ingenium?"
He nods sternly. "Indeed I am, and quite proud of it! My elder brother is truly a magnificent example of heroism. I could only hope to match his greatness one day." He grins and holds out a hand. "And I am Iida Tenya. I must say, I'm impressed you were able to deduce my lineage with just a look."
Izuku chuckles nervously and shakes his hand. "G-Great to meet you, I-Iida-kun. I'm Midoriya Izuku. I would wish you luck in the exams, but coming from the Iida family, I'm sure you're more than prepared."
"Ah, one would hope so." He turns his gaze skyward- despite really staring at the roof of the bus. "But in the life of a hero, nothing is certain. I could be entirely outclassed if this year's competitors are exceptional enough."
Izuku chuckles nervously. "W-Well, I guess that's true. I fully expect a few people to dominate here today. Glad I'm not in testing ground A with Kacchan, or he'd take all the combat points before I could."
"That vicious of a combatant, is he? Well, I hope to see him in action myself one day."
Izuku nods. "Meanwhile, I'm not sure if I should focus more on combat or rescuing the citizen actors. I have some skills that would help with rescue, but I'm far better with combat. I suppose I could focus on saving ones that're being immediately threatened and do both at once? I'm sure there's opportunities like that in there, but just how many? Can't be incredibly common, otherwise there would be no point in separating the types of points. Would they only provide rescue points for returning citizens to safe zones and actively guarding them from further harm?"
Izuku continues to mumble himself into oblivion while Iida just stares and listens to the rambling with bated breath.
Upon arriving to the testing ground, everyone piles out and Izuku starts looking through his samples to decide how to start. He's only got three to work with now. He can't have any help from active heroes or staff members for this exam, so he's limited to the quirks of three retired heroes who gladly gave their samples.
"Mobility off the bat would be nice, but best to save it for when I'm in a pinch. Melee would be decent, but it won't give me that much of an advantage…" He hums and nods, selecting a sample labeled "AB" in a blue bottle. "This should work fine. Adaptable." He peeks up the massive gate into the faux city as it creaks open. "Time to go."
Present Mic's voice rings out from the speakers. "GAME START!"
Izuku crouches slightly into a combat stance. "Suit Up!" He jams the sample into the injector on his shoulder and breaks into a sprint. As he runs, the dense black suit bursts from his skin and seals into place. The veins of his suit glow green and crackle for a moment, but shift into a vibrant blue. His right arm grows longer and a cannon forms over his hand. He takes a deep breath, and air starts compressing into the base of the cannon at a rapid rate. "A gift from the Run & Gun Hero: Air Blast. Compress Canon!"
He skids around a corner, shocked at his own speed for a moment. Even with the month he's had One for All, he's not used to the general boost it provided his suited forms. It'll take some time to adjust yet, but he's getting there.
The moment he turns the corner, a 2-pointer robot is in sight. He aims and fires, putting a large dent in it's chest and shutting down critical mechanisms. A one-pointer comes up and Izuku takes it's head off with one clean shot.
Around another corner, he sees a petite blonde boy firing a laser from his navel and clean through two of them at once. He ignores this and goes for the 3-pointer climbing the walls and ducking into an alley. There, he finds a citizen actor cowering behind a dumpster. Izuku fires at the ground behind him to blast himself under the 3-pointed before it can land and grab the actor. With a quick three shots, that third robot is down too. "A-Are you alright, miss? Unharmed?" He turns to the actor and she nods shakily. Izuku expects it's an act, but the actor is actually in awe from the appearance of a hero in such a suit during an exam. "Good. I'll escort you to a safe zone nearby. Can you keep with me if I run? I'll be sure to slow down to match you." She nods again. "Alright, let's move."
Izuku rushes out of the alley and shoots one more one-pointer down before escorting her over to the road to a building guarded by a robot painted in bright blue to mimic a hero on duty. "Excellent work. I will protect her from here." Izuku nods and sprints away, while the woman watches him incredulously.
Deciding he needs a better vantage point, Izuku rushes up to a building and fires at the ground. He blasts himself up the wall and grabs a flagpole to swing and vault himself higher. Another shot at the wall fires him across the street and onto the roof of a shorter building across the street. "Damn, maybe I should have used Gran's sample. Whatever…" He peeks around from the rooftop and sees a few more wall-crawling bots and some flying ones. The fliers appear to be approaching a safehouse.
"Of course… testing our ability to protect a location in a crisis event." He huffs and charges his blaster. "Got a dozen or so more shots in me before this sample runs out, but this should do for now." He focuses his vision and starts sniping down flying ones he sees in empty streets or swooping down. Most of them are glancing blows, and a few misses, but hitting a flying unit at all in an urban environment is sure to do some damage when they hit a wall.
A few others have taken note of his targets and started joining him. A boy with tape coming from his elbows reaches up with it and pulls one into another. A girl psychokinetically controlling small objects starts to break up their rotors to bring them down. What stands out to him the most is Uraraka throwing larger pieces of rubble into their rotors, despite the size of the chunks. He notices her fingertips and the objects glowing pink when she touches them. A five-finger quirk of some sort?
He leaps down and scales the wall with ease thanks to his free-running training, before rushing to her side. "U-Uraraka, it's me, M-Midoriya. Your quirk, are you making things weightless?"
Uraraka looks to him in shock. "O-Oh, um.. Yes! Why do you ask?"
He slowly grins. "Can you make me weightless? With our quirks combined, we can probably do a lot more."
She stares for a moment, but slowly grins. "Oh, we are gonna get so many assist points for this." She taps him and Izuku slowly floats- before blasting the ground and shooting himself sky-high. Once he's significantly risen, his eyes dart about and he takes in all the surrounding targets. Firing at the first one airborne drone pushes him backwards, but he spins around and shoots another one to halt his momentum. Six more fall in quick succession, but his sample is starting to run dry. His suit gets thinner, steam pouring out from rips and tears as the glow in it's veins runs low. He prepares one last powerful shot and plows it through a 3-pointer from above, sending himself higher.
Once there, he huffs and shakes his head. "Can't get back down easily now. I'll need my mobility sample." He grins as he pulls a yellow and white vial from his belt, labeled GT. One quick injection, and an all-too-familiar suit with a cape and expanded legs snaps into place. He spins and inverts himself to jet back to the ground and skids to a stop near Uraraka, who's looking a bit winded. "You can put me down now, I can get around fine from here with this sample!"
She huffs and brings her fingers together, halting her power and setting it down. "W-What did you just d-do?"
"O-Oh, right." He chuckles nervously. "The sample I used just ran out, and I had to switch. This one's from a retired hero most people don't know, Gran Torino. " He peeks around. "With this one, I'll focus on rescue. I'll find anyone left nearby and bring them back here!"
"Hold on." He stops in his tracks as a tall young man in a mask with six arms approaches. His tentacle arms have become six extra ears. "I can hear some nearby. Upper floors of nearby buildings, open windows. Not enough testers are looking high or even going inside."
He hums and peeks around. "Probably kept windows open for just that. Point them out to me, and I'll get them!"
He nods and spreads his arms. "Hmm… One o'clock, fifth floor."
"On it!" Izuku jets off and leaves Ochako and the tape-user behind.
Ochako can't help but watch in awe. "Wow… he's amazing." She shakes it off. "But I can't stop. Direct me to another one! Do you hear any that sound like they're hurt? My quirk is great for saving anyone injured or trapped!"
He hums. "Yes, I can. Nine o'clock, five people under a fake collapsed roof. Not getting crushed, but their acting is solid."
The tape boy steps up with a toothy grin. "You float them out the window, I'll pull them down, so we can get them all out quickly!"
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Back in the observation room, underground hero Eraserhead hums as he watches the impromptu teamwork. "And clearly, adding the active rescue elements is already paying dividends. Students with far less combat-applicable quirks are of great use." He pushes a button on his own console to put a tester he was watching up on one of the main screens. There, they see a boy with wild purple hair finding more troublesome actors, taking on roles as difficult and confrontational victims. Such is quite common in disasters. There's always a few who refuse to leave their homes despite the danger, or those who are in the throes of a panic attack, or even just lashing out against anyone who approaches. But this kid gets them to respond and immediately puts them under his command, forcing them to calm down and follow. Dubious, but effective in saving lives. "And those who lack in one field are working with others to fill the gaps." Switching again, he finds Uraraka and Sero getting the last few actors out of another building, then to Iida rushing in circles to distract a heavily-armored bot while Kendo dives and punches it into oblivion.
"Not just that." Midnight grins as she switches screens to show a clip she just found. "It's also revealing major weaknesses in public relations and civilian handling." What comes up is a clip of a sticky purple-haired gremlin clearly acting quite creepy with an actor he's taken a liking to and hitting on her instead of just rescuing her. Izuku then bolts into the room and punts him into the ceiling, sticking him to it by his head. He takes the woman and bolts without a word. "Oh, I like that one."
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Fifteen minutes remain. With all the bolting around Izuku's done, this Gran Torino sample is running thin faster, and he's about to run out. He uses his last thirty seconds to return to the shelter with one more rescued actor, who appears to be a crying child. The moment she's set down at the door, she halts the tears and stretches, becoming a fully-gown woman before their eyes and wandering inside. "H-Huh… thought I recognized her. Isn't she an a-actress whose quirk keeps getting her a t-ton of long-term, aging roles?"
His tentacled compatriot nods. "Indeed. Always liked her work." He pauses as Izuku's second suit sloshes off and disintegrates. "Well, that's interesting. Your quirk must run on some kind of time or resource limit."
He huffs. "A bit of both. One sample left for today." He pulls it off his belt. A red and silver sample labeled "OS". He gives it a quick shake and moves to inject it. "A little something from the retired RPG Hero: Omnislash!"
The suit bursts form his skin and seals into place, his horns becoming more numerous and curving into typical anime protagonist hair. When he first used this form and looked in a mirror, it reminded him of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. A red glow runs through his veins, but no sign of any specific power surfaces.
That is, until he steps up to a kid with yellow and black hair slinging electricity and frying bots with it to defend the street to the east. "Hey! What's your name?"
"H-Huh-" He turns and jumps at the sight of Izuku, panicking slightly at the odd look and sparking a little electricity his way.
Izuku catches it and forms the volts into a small dagger in his right hand. "Ok, that works… buuuut I could use a lot more. I-I'm Midoriya Izuku, by the way."
The boy's jaw remains slacked for a moment. "O-Oh, um… I'm Kaminari Denki- wait a second, isn't that Omnislash's quirk!?"
"Yep! Think you can juice me a bit more?"
Kaminari slowly develops a wide, toothy grin. "Oh yeah… I can do that. Man, I've always wanted to see his Raikiri in person! WOOOO!" He fires off one massive, powerful bolt at close-range.
Izuku braces himself as the lightning flows into his right hand, the blade growing to about three and a half feet long, composed entirely of condensed electricity. "W-Wow… I can f-feel it humming up my arm, but it doesn't h-hurt. But it's almost too much to hold…" He chuckles and turns down the road to more approaching robots. "How's your charge after that, Kaminari?"
"Kinda low, I need to drain some bots, but that means I need downed ones with exposed wires."
"On it." Izuku rushes forth and starts hacking away, cutting them down one by one as they approach. He lacks finesse in his swordsmanship, mostly hacking away at anything to approach and either cutting through with raw electrical conduction melting the metal open or electrocuting them into submission with fried motherboards. Kaminari races up behind him and drains them one by one as they're left behind, rapidly recharging himself to prepare for the last few minutes of the test. Twenty-three minutes have passed, seven remain.
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"What do you think, Nezu?" Toshinori peeks down from the screens to the short, furry principal beside him. "Like what you see this year?"
"All Might, I do believe this is the most promising generation I've ever seen. The new testing acumen Eraserhead proposed is quite effective in proving so. Now, we must see to the final phase. How will they react in the face of a scenario that cannot be won?" He pauses as Toshinori chuckles. "... Your student is about to do something completely absurd, isn't he?"
"Let's find out!" Toshinori eagerly presses the button himself.
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The arena rumbles as a massive building with no entrances and no civilians starts to crumble. The thin facade breaks away to reveal a twenty-five story robot with a rectangular head and enormous tank treads. It's eyes light up with a deep whir and it slowly drive forward. Buildings are crushed under it's path, and as it approaches, countless would-be heroes, in their youth and inexperience, panic and flee. Most ignore the screams of actors caught in it's path. As some actors are caught under the treads, they escape unseen through hatches and via defensive or mobility quirks. Some become slime to restore themselves afterwards, others teleport short distances, and so-on. Every actor put in the path of the machine has a way out, but none of the students know or can see this. To them, it's merely an insurmountable obstacle.
An obstacle now coming directly for the shelter Izuku chose to protect, and already nearby. His eyes widen as the severity of it becomes clear, and he looks to everyone else. "S-Shoji, did you keep track of how many citizens we sheltered here? H-how many are there?!"
"About a hundred and fifty! Too many to get out of here safely, and most of the nearby testers already ran!" His tentacles form fists and he punches a corner off a nearby wall with three of them. "We have to hold it off somehow while we get everyone out slower!"
Izuku nods and reaches out to Uraraka. "Fine then, that's what we'll do. Uraraka, float me one more time. Sero, sling me at them. As fast as you can!"
Sero slowly grins. "Long enough strip while you're weightless, and I can get you up there pretty damn fast. Aim for the head?"
"You got it!"
"Let's go, then!" Uraraka high-fives him just as Sero sticks some tape to Izuku's left shoulder. He spins and swings Izuku as he extends the line, then rips it off and passes it to Shoji. Shoji swings faster, harder, and finally slings Izuku straight for the hulking mech.
"Gonna spend this whole injection on this move, but it'll be worth it!" He raises the Raikiri over his head and it starts to destabilize. "Just like he said. Relinquish control… right at the moment of impact" He swings down and buries the blade into the mch's forehead- then discharges the entire electrical stockpile in a strike of lightning. "Gigaslash!"
Lightning bursts into the sky and spreads through his target, but it doesn't fall. It convulses as motors and hydraulics groan, but the eyes flicker and it suddenly reaches up to punch Izuku with it's titanic fist!
Izuku barely reacts in time. As his suit melts away, another power rushes through his veins. Green lightning sparks across him and rapidly shifts into a full rainbow as his fourth suit for the day bursts from his skin. It grows rapidly, too fast for anyone to see more than a black blur that takes the hit and bursts into an explosion of steam. Izuku flies backwards with no sign of stopping, until Uraraka is suddenly thrown into the air by Shoji with a tape line attached and catches his weightless body. She's pushed backwards and into a wall, landing rather hard, but injuries she can easily ignore for now.
"Agh! D-Deku, are you ok?"
"Y-yeah…" He grumbles and looks down to his arms and shins. They're all a bit beaten, lightly burned by steam and bleeding from carefully organized wounds right where he develops his suit pieces from. "J-Just had to use a last-ditch thing to defend myself there. W-Why the hell did it hit so hard, though?" He grunts from the pain as they're pulled to ground and he finally stands. "T-That could have killed me…"
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"What the hell was that, Power Loader?" Eraserhead has Power Loader in a tight grip with his capture weapon. "Why the hell did your machine do that? He could have died, and now we can't shut it off!"
"I-It's far from intentional! I built that thing with a layer of dense, insulating rubber beneath it's plating to absorb shock and protect from electrical discharges!" He shudders. "I-I hadn't predicted a shock like that coming after someone melting through the face plate and insulation! Now it's been shocked into Campus Defense Mode and considers the one who attacked it to be it's enemy!"
"Hold on, Eraserhead." Everyone pauses as Toshinori keeps his eyes on the screen. "Let the boy finish his work. I saw what he just did, and I know he's about to do something even bigger."
Eraserhead narrows his eyes. "What the hell could a child possibly do about a machine like that?"
He chuckles. "Did you never see the recordings of when I took this test?"
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Izuku huffs as the towering machine continues to grind through buildings on it's way to the shelter, picking up speed. He barely registers Present Mic over the speakers, announcing that only two minutes remain. "Well… now or never, I guess." He shivers and starts marching forward. "Stay back, guys. This last move I'm gonna use has, um… a-a lot of blowback. In general, but mostly on me."
"D-Deku, you.. Y-you can't! That thing's too strong for anyone here, a-and it almost killed you already!"
Izuku shakes his head. "I can't back down when it's coming for this shelter. I came here to be a hero. To save people." He clenches his fists and green lightning sparks once more. "If I ran now, what kind of hero would I be?"
She slowly picks her slacked jaw up and nods. "A-Alright. Is there any way we can help?" Shoji and Denki step up with her, with Sero on a nearby rooftop surveying it all.
"No… I've got this. One more ace up my sleeve. I'm not really ready to use it, but this is the perfect time to do it anyway." He chuckles a bit. "Gonna hurt, but it'll be so worth it." He slowly steps forward, cringing as his burned shins protest, but he picks up speed and breaks into a sprint. "Just like he taught me… clench my cheeks… and scream from the depths of my heart!"
Steam starts to pour from him, and suddenly, as his right foot touches down, his lightning turns prismatic and a new suit bursts from just his leg. It grows faster than the eye can track, propelling him into the air as it grows to fifteen stories tall. "SUIT UP: FULL ROBO!" He rears back his right arm as a suit begins to form there and rapidly layer itself. A titanic new hand grows into place and clenches shut with implosive force. "MUGEN…" He swings up and closes the distance between his new knuckles and the mech's face, ripping through the air as he straightens his enormous leg and thrusts in the greatest punch this school has ever seen. "KNUCKLE!"
The impact is earth-shaking. The robot's face compacts like an accordion and rips off it's neck, falling back and jamming it's own tank treads as it slows to a stop.
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Cheering erupts across the observation room, as All Might bursts into his hero form and calls out a resounding "LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOO!"
Eraserhead's jaw drops as he releases his capture weapon and Power Loader can finally relax. "What the hell is that kid capable of?"
Nezu starts to twitch and laugh as he sips his tea. "Oh, yes! This young man absolutely must be with us! Such tenacity! Such wit! Oh, I may have found a new subject for private lessons!"
That gets a shiver out of Eraserhead.
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Izuku can feel the titanic hand he's made rapidly pulling him down and further damaging his right arm, but he releases One for All and watches as both limbs slosh away in seconds. He falls through a titanic cloud of steam, watching as his right arm and leg come out bruised purple and bleeding heavily from the suit's emergence points, which are now numbed and tingling. He chuckles as the ground approaches. "Ok… maybe I did go overboard. Heh… worth it." He shifts himself in the air just enough to see Uraraka flying at him again. No tape this time, but Sero seems to be running after them. "Oh, right… still falling. Hmmm…" He closes his eyes just before feeling Uraraka's arms around him, but that sensation quickly dulls. "They've got this… oh, did Present Mic just end the test? I guess they saved the hardest part for last. I think I'll just take a quick nap now…"