Chapter 24
"So, kero," Tsuyu said as the girls settled down for the evening, "You and Midoriya were gone for a while earlier. Anything to tell us?"
"No," Ochako blushed, "I mean…not really."
"Not really?" Mina grinned, "The two of you were holding hands when you came back, and you were both grinning like idiots! So, something must have happened!"
"Wait, what's this about?" Kendo asked, "Are Uraraka and Midoriya dating or something?"
"N-no!" the brunette gasped, "I mean…not yet, I think? We…we both kind of confessed and…"
"Yes!" Tooru shouted, "Pay up, girls! I win!"
"Win?" Ochako blinked as the rest of the girls groaned, pulling out money as they handed it to the giggling invisible girl, "Wait…you were betting on when I would confess?"
"Yes, they were," Tsuyu sighed, "I didn't, but then again, I already knew you liked Midoriya. Now the question is if he's willing to share, kero."
"Share?" the other girls in the room blinked, "What do you mean by that?"
"I like Ochako-chan as well," Tsuyu shrugged, "I already told her, but it's up to her at the end of the day, kero."
"Wait…so you also want to date Ochako-chan?" Mina gasped, "Can you do that?"
"Sure, why not?" Tsuyu croaked out a laugh.
"I'm surprised you haven't said anything about this, Ibara," Kendo chuckled as the rest of the girls crowded around Ochako, asking her all sorts of questions.
"I do not see why not," Ibara hummed, "Polygamy is perfectly legal, nor is it frowned upon by the lord."
"I see," Kendo nodded, "Well, good to know. Anyway, we should all quiet down and get to sleep, we have a lot of training to do tomorrow."
"Right," Ochako nodded, "We don't want Pixie Bob to come shout at us again, either."
------
"Lucky bastard!" Mineta growled at Izuku as the boys chatted before lights out, "I saw you and Uraraka come back from the woods! You were holding hands and grinning like fools! What did you do?!"
"What? Nothing!" Izuku gasped as the rest of the boys turned to look at them, "She just confessed and…well, yeah."
"Yes!" Sero cheered, "I win! Hand over your money, lads!"
"Hold it," Kaminari said quickly, "The bet was for when they'd start dating, but Uraraka only confessed, right? So, you're not officially dating yet?"
"Uhm…I guess not?" Izuku blushed, "I mean, I'm not against it, I do like her as well, it's just…it's probably not the best time to do it? We might only start actually dating after we graduate, just to be sure."
"Dammit, man! You're costing me here!" Sero huffed, "So, you really didn't do anything in the woods? You were gone a while."
"N-no!" Izuku spluttered, "We just held hands after we talked to Kota a bit!"
"Holding hands, right," Mineta growled, "I bet it felt real nice when you were just holding hands."
"Her hands were really soft," Izuku nodded slowly.
"I bet other parts of her were soft as well, weren't th-?" the short boy was cut off as Izuku glared at him, making him squeak in fear, covering his neck with his hands.
"We only held hands," Izuku muttered, "Anyway, I'm going to sleep now. You all should too."
"Midoriya is right," Iida nodded, "Let us bed down for the evening, everyone!"
"Midoriya," Shoto hummed as the others settled down, "Congratulations."
"Oh, uhm…thanks?" the green-haired teen replied, slightly confused as the other boy pulled his blanket over himself.
------
"Tonight is curry!" Ragdoll shouted as the exhausted teens made their way to the outdoor cooking area, "Better cook quickly and eat lots, cause we're doing a special event afterwards!"
"A special event?" the students said excitedly, looking at each other, "I wonder what it is?"
Izuku chuckled as Ochako helped him peel and chop the vegetables, the pair talking happily as the other students grinned at them. The cooking was done quickly, the two classes sitting to eat as they talked, Izuku blinking as he felt someone push their way between him and Ochako, looking down to see Kota sitting between them, a plate of food in hand.
"Hey Kota," Izuku grinned, "You're joining us tonight?"
"Shut up," the boy muttered, "I'm just making sure you two don't do anything stupid."
"Right," the pair chuckled, also eating their food.
"Aw, you three look like a family!" Tooru giggled from across the table as the three blushed, looking away as they ate, "It's really cute!"
"I said shut up," Kota huffed, "I'm just here cause the food is okay."
"Thanks," Izuku chuckled, "Ochako and I made it together."
"With love, right?" Mina laughed as the pair blushed again, "You two make a great couple!"
"Enough chatter," Aizawa growled, "Hurry up and finish eating, then wash your plates, we need to get this event over with so you can all go to bed."
"Yes, Sensei!" the two classes called as they ate faster.
------
"Everyone is here," Dabi hummed, looking back at the group, his eyes lingering on the large creature in the back, "Now we just have to wait a little longer, and we'll be set."
"Dammit, I want to taste some blood now!" Muscular growled, fiddling with his cloak and mask, "I'm getting bored just waiting!"
"Have some patience," the other masked man said eloquently, "We know who we are after, so make sure you don't harm him."
"Yeah, yeah," the large man grunted, "I'll just rip a limb or two off him if I have to. The rest are fair game though, right?"
"Sure, if you're okay killing kids," Dabi muttered, looking up at the night sky, "Let's do this."
------
"A test of courage!" Pixie Bob shouted as Mandalay explained the rules, "Try not to wet yourselves out there!"
"Everyone draw your lots," the woman said calmly, "That will decide your pairs. The other class will have thirty minutes to prepare to scare you as you make your way through the forest."
"I am with you, mon ami!" Yuga said excitedly as he walked up to Izuku, "Let us show them no fear!"
"Right," Izuku chuckled, looking over to see Kota heading into the woods, probably to his secret base, "When do we go?"
"We are last on the list, a true shame!" Yuga sighed, "But still, it shall give us time to prepare!"
"Cool, do you mind if I just go check on Kota quickly? I promise to be back in time," Izuku nodded, already walking after the boy.
"Of course, attend to the rambunctious child," Yuga nodded, "I shall send you a message via your quirk once we are to depart."
"Thanks," Izuku called as he hurried after the boy.
Izuku quickly made his way along the path he'd taken the night before, following after the boy until he caught up just at the base of the cliff.
"Hey Kota, sorry to bother you," he said as the child glared at him, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine," Kota huffed as he made his way up the thin path towards the ledge, Izuku following close behind, "You don't have to follow me."
"I just wanted to talk some more," Izuku shrugged, "I mean, if you want to?"
"Whatever. Your girlfriend isn't with you tonight?"
"No, well…Uraraka isn't really my girlfriend," Izuku blushed, "At least, not yet or anything. We haven't really talked about that."
"Whatever," the boy sighed as they reached the ledge, heading around a corner and pointing his hands at a worn-out section of the rock, water suddenly spraying from his palms as it slammed into the rock.
"Oh! You're practicing with your quirk?" Izuku asked, Kota just grunting as he focussed, "That's cool! How does it work? Do you produce the water yourself, or do you form it from the atmosphere?"
"Don't know," Kota muttered, "The quirk doctors haven't figured it out yet."
"Oh, well, either is really cool," Izuku chuckled, looking out over the forest as he heard the first screams, "Ah, the test of courage has started. Wait…what's that?"
"What's what?" Kota huffed, looking out over the woods as well, quickly spotting the blue flames rising in the distance, "A fire?"
"Oh no!" Izuku gasped, "I have to tell everyone!"
"How?" Kota huffed, "We're too far away to-."
"Done," Izuku said, blinking as the stream of messages came back, dismissing them all except the one from Aizawa, reading over it quickly, "Okay, Aizawa-sensei is having Mandalay call everyone back. We should head back too."
"Whatever," the boy muttered, walking back towards the path, "Aunty Mandalay just called me as well. Let's go."
"Huh, lucky me," the unfamiliar voice said as the large, cloaked figure slammed down onto the ledge in front of them, "Green hair and freckles? You're one of the kids we're after, right?"
"What?" Izuku blinked as he immediately used his quirk on the man, gasping at what he saw.
Name: Goto "Muscular" Imasuji
Level: 68
Stats:
Strength: 84
Dexterity: 32
Endurance: 45
Intelligence: 21
Wisdom: 19
Charisma: 24
Skills:
[Muscle Augmentation]
"Kota, we have to run!" Izuku shouted as he scooped up the small boy, running to the edge of the cliff.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, brat?" Muscular shouted as he shot forward, throwing his cloak and mask aside and his pants bulged, "You ain't going anywhere!"
Izuku skidded to a stop as the man darted in front of them, jumping back as the muscle fibres grew over the Villain's arm, the punch shattering the rock where he'd just been standing. Izuku's eyes flicked over the screen that had appeared in front of him again, quickly dismissing it as he growled in annoyance.
"So, I have to defeat you, do I?" Izuku muttered, "Dammit, I just wanted to run!"
"As if a scrawny brat like you has a chance!" Muscular laughed, "I'll even be nice and let you have a free hit! How's that sound?"
Izuku grimaced, the older man obviously confident in his abilities, before he set Kota down behind him.
"Kota, go hide," he ordered the boy, who staggered back and fell, tears pouring from his eyes.
"You…" he sobbed, "You're the one who…who killed my parents, aren't you?"
"Huh? Who?" Muscular hummed, "Sorry kid, you'll have to be a little more specific, I've killed a load of people."
"The Water Hose Duo!" Kota shouted, "You're the guy that killed them!"
"Oh, those two?" the man laughed, reaching up to touch the thick scar over his eye, "Yeah, I guess I did. They gave me this scar though. Guess it's fate we met up! I'll send you to see them in a minute once I've dealt with this other brat!"
"You said you would give me a free hit, right?" Izuku growled, glaring at the man, "Are you really going to honour that?"
"Sure, why not?" Muscular laughed, "Give me your best shot, brat!"
"Fine!" Izuku shouted as he shot forwards suddenly, travelling far faster than he should have been able to, winding back his arm, "Take this! [Override]!"
The man blinked as the teen suddenly appeared in front of him, barely giving him enough time to form the first layers of padding muscle fibres over his torso, before the fist slammed into his gut. Goto blinked as he felt his internal organs rupture from the force, before he was sent flying backwards off the cliff at speed, sailing through the air as he stared at the teen in shock, the boy's arm hanging limply at his side.
"What the fuck?" he managed to gasp, blood spewing from his mouth as he crashed into the forest below, bouncing off trees and smashing through branches, covering himself in muscle to protect himself from the battering before he hit the ground.
Back on the cliff, Izuku quickly turned to Kota, scooping him up in his good arm before leaping over the edge of the cliff, the pair sailing through the air as the younger boy shrieked in surprise and fear.
"It's fine," Izuku panted slightly, gritting his teeth against the pain of his shattered arm, "This is part of my quirk, I can float us both to safety!"
"Your arm is broken!" Kota shouted, "What did you do? Did you beat him?"
Izuku quickly checked the quest, before shaking his head as he heard worrying sounds coming from the ground beneath them.
"No, but I think we're about to fall!"
"We are?" Kota managed to say before he screamed again, the pair dropping out of the sky as a massive tree hurtled through the air towards them.
Izuku caught himself with Float again just before they hit the tops of the trees, using them to jump forwards again, staying low to try and avoid detection. He glanced down as he felt Kota clinging to him in terror, grimacing at the look of fear on the young boy's face.
"It's going to be fine," Izuku said, smiling as brightly as he could at the child, "I'll get us to safety, I promise!"
"You bastard!" the shout made Izuku look back as he stared in surprise, the muscular man coated in exposed muscle fibres as he leapt from tree to tree after them, shattering branches and trunks as he chased them, "I'm gonna rip you limb from limb!"
Chapter 25
Izuku growled under his breath as he shot through the air, the campgrounds in sight as he leapt forwards off another tree, flying into the clearing in time to see his teacher dispatch a Villain, the scarred man turning to mud.
"Midoriya!" the man shouted, "Almost everyone is back, get inside the main building, the pros will handle this!"
"We have a Villain chasing us!" Izuku shouted back, "I have a quest to defeat him, Sensei! Take Kota to safety!"
"What?" the man blinked as Izuku tossed the boy at the man, Aizawa quickly catching the child as he watched the massive Villain erupt from the woods, smashing trees out of his way as he laughed.
"You're going to regret that, brat!" Muscular shouted as he charged straight for Izuku, blood spraying from his lips as he spoke, "We might be trying to capture you, but they never said you had to be in one piece!"
"Capture?" Aizawa muttered, before he activated his quirk, the man suddenly shrinking as his muscle fibres shot back into his body.
"What the hell?" the Villain blinked his single eye as he looked around in confusion, spotting the older man as his eyes glowed red, "Dammit, guess I'm taking you out first!"
"Like I'd let you!" Izuku shouted as he appeared beside the blonde man, slamming a kick into the side of his head, throwing him aside.
"Midoriya, wait!" Aizawa shouted, "You're in the area of effect of my quirk if you fight him like that!"
"It's fine, Sensei!" the teen shouted back, "My Stats still apply, I just can't use my Skills!"
"Little shit!" Muscular growled, throwing himself back at Izuku, "I'm gonna crush you!"
"You're weaker than me like this," Izuku said as he danced out of the way of the flurry of punches, "So I'm going to take you out!"
"Like hell you are!" Muscular roared, swinging a punch at Izuku again, blinking when the teen caught it easily in his uninjured hand, squeezing the man's fist tightly, the sound of breaking bones filling the air as blood sprayed out from between the teen's fingers, "AAARGH!"
"How much longer can you keep it up, Aizawa-sensei?" Izuku called as the larger man stumbled back, his hand a bloody mess.
"Twenty…no, thirty more seconds!" the teacher replied, gritting his teeth as he watched the bloody brawl.
"More than enough time, then!" Izuku shouted as he swung a kick up at the staggering Villain, slamming his foot into the man's crotch, a sickening crack resounding through the air, "Take this!"
The Villain collapsed to his knees as he grabbed his crotch, a look of pained surprise on his face as the teen spun through the air, his heel slamming into the man's temple at speed, snapping his head to the side. The three of them watched as the Villain remained still for a moment, before collapsing backwards, unconscious.
"Midoriya!" Aizawa shouted as soon as he was sure the man wasn't about to get back up, finally letting himself blink, and spotting the purple arm hanging at the teen's side, "You're injured! Get inside, now!"
"No!" Izuku shouted back, his eyes flicking to something in front of him, "Some people are still in the woods! I have to go save them!"
"You have to do nothing!" Shota screamed, about to activate his quirk again when the blast of blue flame separated them, "Dammit, not again!"
"Sorry, Eraserhead," the scarred man chuckled, "But your fight is with me right now."
Izuku glanced at the man as he walked out of the forest, blue flames in his hand.
Name: Touya "Dabi" Todoroki (Clone)
Level: 39
Stats:
Strength: 32
Dexterity: 21
Endurance: 89
Intelligence: 22
Wisdom: 24
Charisma: 26
Skills:
[Cremation]
"Wait," Izuku blinked, "Your family name is Todoroki? You're related to Endeavor?"
"What?" the scarred man said, "How the hell did you know that?"
"Midoriya, give me a breakdown, now!" Aizawa shouted.
"It says he's a clone, whatever that means, and his highest stat is Endurance somehow," Izuku replied, looking between the two men, "Also, his real name is Touya Todoroki!"
"Shit!" the man growled, "I can't have that info getting out just yet, guess I'm going to have to kill all of you!"
"Got it," Aizawa barked, "Now get inside!"
"Sorry Sensei," Izuku muttered as he activated Float, leaping over the trees, "But I have to go save them!"
------
Ochako gasped as the thick needle stabbed into her thigh, the blonde beneath her making kissy noises as she felt the blood being sucked out.
"Tsu! Are you okay?" she shouted as her friend managed to pull the knife pinning her to the tree by her hair out.
"I'm fine, kero," the other girl replied, "She only cut my tongue a bit."
"Oh, this is so fun!" the girl laughed, "Hi! I'm Himiko Toga! Can we be friends?"
"No!" Ochako shouted as she started to feel slightly lightheaded, the needle in her leg sucking blood out way too fast, "Just stay down!"
"Aw," the girl pouted, "Pity."
"Ochako! Asui!" the shout drew their attention as the boy dropped down through the branches, landing lightly on the ground as he looked at the three of them, "You caught one? Good. Almost everyone else is back at the lodge!"
The three girls stared at the boy, his right arm hanging limply at his side, already heavily bruised, while his clothes were stained in blood.
"Izuku!" Ochako gasped, "Are you okay?"
"It's not my blood," the teen replied quickly, darting forwards, kicking the blonde in the side of the head as she stared at him in awe, knocking her out, "You two get back to the lodge, I still have three people to find!"
"How do you know that, kero?" Tsuyu asked.
"My quirk, I have a quest to save the last five people in the woods," Izuku explained quickly, "You two are the first ones I found."
"Hold on," Ochako said as she got to her feet, rushing over to Izuku as she pulled her shirt off, grabbing a nearby branch that was mostly straight, "Let me at least bandage your arm!"
"No time," Izuku grunted as she started to shred her shirt, "I have to-."
"Stay here for a minute," Ochako cut him off, looking at him sternly, "Let me help you a bit before you go, alright?"
"I…alright," Izuku muttered as he let her roughly splint his broken arm.
"My, how romantic," the voice said from above them, the three teens looking up as the man dropped down, touching the unconscious blonde girl, making her vanish, "But I do believe you are our main target, young man."
"What did you just do?" Izuku gasped, about to use his quirk before the hand closed over his face, and he found himself suspended in a glowing blue expanse, "What happened?"
He looked around, trying to break out of the space, panic starting to set in as he found he couldn't move. Minutes felt like hours as he struggled against the seemingly unbreakable space, before he was suddenly released, looking around the clearing in surprise as a hand closed around his neck, pulling him backwards into a familiar dark portal. Looking to the side, he stared as Katsuki was dragged in beside him, the pair looking at each other in fear as the world went dark.
"We got who we were after," the raspy voice hummed, "Make sure they don't fight back."
------
Ochako sat stunned, wrapped in a shock blanket as the paramedics and Heroes rushed around them, the rest of her class talking quietly.
"Are you okay, kero?" Tsuyu whispered to her, making Ochako jump slightly.
"I…I'm fine," she muttered.
"That's a lie," Tsuyu hummed, "You're not okay at all, are you, kero?"
"I said I'm fine!" Ochako snapped, glaring at the placid expression of the other girl for a moment before letting out a sigh, "Sorry. I promise I'm okay."
"But you're not, kero," Tsuyu pushed, "We both saw that man…do something to Midoriya. Make him disappear like that. You can't be alright after that."
"I…I…" Ochako tried to say, her voice cracking as she felt the tears spill down her cheeks, turning to bury her face in Tsuyu's shoulder, "They took him! They took Izuku! And I couldn't do anything to stop them!"
"I know, I couldn't either, kero," Tsuyu hummed, slipping her arms around the sobbing girl, "I'm sorry. If I had just been a little faster, I could have caught that man, but it all happened too quickly."
"Uraraka, Asui," the voice of their teacher said as the green-haired girl looked up, Ochako still crying into her shoulder, "The police need your statements about Midoriya's abduction. You two were the only ones to see it."
"We'll be there soon, Sensei, kero," Tsuyu hummed, still trying to comfort the crying brunette, "Just give us another minute."
"Right," the man nodded, looking guiltily at Ochako as the girl sobbed harder, "I…I should have stopped him. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Sensei," Tsuyu shook her head, "None of us managed to stop this, kero."
"I'm your teacher, though," Aizawa grunted as he turned away, "I should never have even let this happen in the first place."
------
"Fuck you!" Katsuki spat as he struggled against his restraints, the thick chains pinning him to the heavy chair, his hands locked in a sturdy steel casing, "Let me out so I can kill you all!"
"Not happening," Dabi hummed as he leaned against the bar, sipping at a drink, "You're staying locked up until the leader gets here."
"Why'd we have to have this one?" Toga huffed as she held the icepack to the side of her head, "I wanted the other one! He was cuter, all covered in blood and broken!"
"The other one?" Katsuki spat, "You mean Deku? Why the fuck does everyone care more about that bastard than me, huh? What's so special about him?"
"Nothing you need to know…yet," the raspy voice said as the back door of the bar opened, the pale-haired man walking in, "Now, let's get down to business. I want you to join us."
"Fuck off! I'll never be a Villain, you crusty faced fuckwad!" Katsuki snarled, struggling against his restraints again, "Let me out and I'll prove it to you!"
"You say that now," the man hummed, "But you haven't even heard our offer yet."
"Like I fucking need to!" Katsuki growled, "The answer is no, whatever you fucking say!"
"So, if I asked if you wanted to be a Hero anymore, you'd say no?" the man chuckled, the sound grating.
"Fuck you!" Katsuki spat, "You ain't going to fool me, crusty! I know what you lot are after!"
"And that is?" the man asked, smiling slightly as the blonde fell silent, "I thought so. Well, right now, what we want is you. Specifically, for you to join us. To fix this broken world so that everyone can be truly free to express themselves as they wish."
"Some pretty high and mighty bullshit you're spouting," Katsuki growled, "Why the fuck would I bother to help you with that? You're fucking Villains!"
"And who decides who is a Villain or a Hero? You? The HPSC? All Might?" the man asked, Katsuki snapping his mouth closed as he looked away, "Exactly, to us the ones' called Heroes are the real Villains, stopping us from doing what we want, what we need. We're forced day in and day out to hide ourselves away, to pretend that we don't feel the desires inside us, slowly building up until we can't keep them down anymore."
"The fuck are you trying to say, handjob?" Katsuki snarled, "That the system is broken? No shit, but that doesn't mean it's wrong!"
"True," the pale-haired man sighed, "But that doesn't mean it's right either. We'll let you think on that for a bit. Maybe you'll come around to our way of thinking in a few days."
"As fucking if!" Katsuki growled again, glaring at each of the Villains in turn, before leaning back and scowling at the ceiling.
------
Izuku gasped as he was dropped onto the hard concrete floor, his arm aching painfully from the jolt, quickly getting to his feet as he looked around the strange room. Tubes and pipes lined the walls, all leading to a large chair, in which sat an imposing figure, Izuku instinctively using his quirk on them, blinking at the response.
[Error]
"What?" he said, "But…that's…what?"
"My trying to use your quirk on me already?" the voice chuckled from the man, sending a shiver up Izuku's spine, "That's not very polite, young man."
"Who…?" Izuku gasped as the man stood, stepping forward into the light, "What are you?"
Chapter 26
"My, that's a rather rude thing to say," the man chuckled, "What, you ask? Last I checked, I was human, just like you."
"Then…then why don't you have a status screen? Or stats? Or…anything?" Izuku asked, his mouth moving before he could think.
"A status screen, you say?" the man chuckled again, rising slowly from his seat, "Perhaps it is because I simply surpass what your quirk can read? That makes me rather proud, actually. It's quite the impressive quirk, I might add, especially the part that returns you to full health once you, what was it? Level up? I wouldn't mind trying that out myself."
"What?" Izuku blinked as the hand closed over his face, only catching a glimpse of the hole in the palm before he gasped, feeling like something was being dragged out of him.
The world faded away, Izuku suddenly finding himself in the familiar white void, except this time the strange man was with him, still gripping his head. Screens flickered into being in front of him too fast for Izuku to read, before the man gave a disappointed grunt and released him, staggering back.
"My, how…interesting," he said as they both stood in the void, "I had expected…more. But never mind that. It would seem that One for All has already fully bonded to your own quirk, so I can take neither. A true pity, but easily remedied with time."
"What are you saying?" Izuku gasped, forcing himself to his feet as he stared at the scarred face of the man, "One For All is bonded to my quirk? Taking them? What are you talking about?"
"Ah yes, introductions are in order, are they not?" the man laughed, "I am the one known as All for One, as is the name of my quirk. It allows me to take and give quirks as I see fit."
"Take…and give?" Izuku blinked, "But…but that's impossible! You can't just steal people's quirks like that!"
"Oh, but I can," All for One laughed, holding his hands behind him as he looked around the void again, "And I must say, this place…inside your quirk, it is rather bland, don't you think? A sea of nothingness."
"I don't know what you're talking about, it always been like this," Izuku replied, "This is…it's where I go when I unlock a new Skill."
"Unlock a new Skill, you say?" the man hummed, "My, that must be quite useful, gaining new abilities like that. I understand you have already unlocked two of the previous users' quirks, correct? The second and seventh?"
"He has," the familiar voice said as Izuku spun around, staring at the two people now standing behind him, several more shadowy shapes looming in the distance, "But we're all here. Waiting."
"My, how nostalgic," All for One chuckled as he looked at the man and woman, "To think I would get the chance to see you two again after I so brutally slaughtered you all those years ago. It would bring a tear to my eye if I still had one."
"Quiet, All for One," Nana barked, "You have no power here. You can do nothing in this space except observe."
"Are you sure?" the man grinned, lifting an arm.
WARNING!
Hostile action detected in System Zone!
Isolating…
Hostile Entity detected.
Isolating…
Hostile Entity Isolated.
"What?" the man blinked as nothing happened, the space around him seeming to shift as he froze, "What is this?"
"The Ninth's quirk," the Second said, "It's far more powerful than even you, Shigaraki. Like the Seventh said, you have no power here."
"I see," All for One hummed, "Then I suppose I shall just take my leave."
"You can't do that either," Nana shook her head as the man paused, the two adults looking at Izuku, "Not without the permission of the Administrator."
"Administrator?" Izuku asked, looking back at them, "Who? Me?"
"It is your quirk, brat," the Second grunted, "You're the one in control here. We were only able to access this space after you let us in."
"But I didn't?" Izuku blinked, "You appeared when All for One said your names? Or…your titles, I guess?"
"Because you wanted someone to help you," Nana nodded, "So we were allowed access, Izuku. This space, whatever it is, is your world, you control everything in here."
"I do?" Izuku said slowly, looking back at All for One, "Then…then could I…could I lock him in here forever?"
"I don't see why not," the Second shrugged, "Though that may not be a good idea. It may be like keeping a computer virus in your hard drive, there's always the risk it could break out and ruin everything."
"Oh, right," Izuku nodded, "So then I should just, what? Eject him?"
Eject Foreign Entity?
[Y/N]?
"Huh? It's that easy?" Izuku blinked as the screen appeared in front of him, "Then…Yes?"
Foreign Entity being Ejected…
Foreign Entity Ejected.
"What?" All for One gasped, before he suddenly blinked out of existence, Izuku staring at the empty space where the imposing man had just been standing.
"What just happened?" Izuku asked, looking around as the white void began to dim, the two adults starting to fade away, a look of shock on the Second's face as Nana just laughed.
"I think that's the first time his plans have gone as wrong as that," the woman chuckled, "I don't think he was expecting that at all!"
"But…but what now?" Izuku asked as the void continued to vanish, the two Vestiges along with it.
"No idea," the Second muttered, "You're obviously protected from his quirk, so you should be safe for the immediate future, but that's only if you survive whatever he does next."
"Wait…survive?"
"Don't worry, Izuku," Nana called as the void vanished around him, "I'm sure you can manage!"
And Izuku was back in the dimly lit room, All for One staggering back from him in surprise.
"My, that…that has never happened before," the man gasped, apparently out of breath as he stumbled back, falling into his strange chair, "Doctor, come here."
"Of course, Sensei," the familiar portly man said, hurrying out of the shadows to All for One's side, adjusting the goggle-like spectacles over his thick and bushy moustache, "Are you alright?"
"Just a little tired," the man hummed, turning his head towards Izuku, "Attempting to steal the boy's quirk did not go as expected."
"I see," the Doctor nodded, looking at Izuku as well.
Even in the darkness, Izuku didn't even need his quirk to recognize the man, a shiver running up his spine.
"Doctor Garaki?" he asked slowly, "What are you doing here? Why are you helping this…man?"
"Doctor," All for One said slightly breathlessly, "This boy is more dangerous than I expected. Kill him. Then get us out of here."
"Of course, Sensei," the doctor hummed, turning to face Izuku as he called out, "Nomu! End him!"
Izuku just stood in shock as the wall behind him shattered.
------
"Where is Sensei?" Shigaraki muttered as he stared at the blank television, "He should have called by now."
"I do not know," Kurogiri said as he also looked at the blank screen, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Maybe he fucking died?" Katsuki spat, grinning as the pale-haired man spun on the couch to glare at him, "What? Scared that I'm right?"
"Sensei would never die like that," Tomura snarled, glaring at the teen, "I know Sensei, he's too strong to lose to anyone, even death!"
"Yeah right," Katsuki chuckled, "I bet he shit himself when he died as well!"
"You brat!" Tomura shouted as he leapt over the couch, stalking towards Katsuki as he flexed his hands, "Maybe I shouldn't bother trying to convert you? Maybe I should just kill you!"
"Bring it, hand job!" the blonde growled back, "Just let me out of these chains and I'll show you real pain!"
The knock at the door made them all pause, looking at it as the voice called out.
"Kamino Pizzeria!"
"What the fuck?" Tomura snarled, "Who ordered pizza?"
"Not me, I COULD GO FOR A SLICE!" Twice shouted, before the wall of the bar exploded inwards.
------
Izuku was running.
More accurately, he was leaping around the hallways using Float as he tried to outrun the certain death that was the hoard of Nomu following him. He hissed as one of them fired a spear of bone at him, forcing him to twist out of the way and crash into a wall, jostling his already broken arm. He scrambled up, reorientating himself as he kicked off the wall, throwing himself down the corridor just before the hoard slammed into the space he'd just been. Nervously, he glanced at the screen that had appeared just before the Nomu had started chasing him, when the doctor had ordered them to kill him.
[Quest: Escape!!! Escape the secret base without dying! Reward: Variable]
How, exactly, the reward could be variable when if he failed he would most probably die, Izuku did not know, but he didn't really care at the moment, focussing fully on just out running the monsters behind him. He still didn't understand what had happened in his inner space, what his quirk had apparently done to All for One, only that it had somehow weakened the man. That had to be a good thing, right? Izuku just didn't know.
He dropped out of the air as he came to a split in the corridor, sliding along the floor, narrowly avoiding another lance of bone and several blasts of energy, before hurling himself back into the air to the left. The Nomu behind him screamed and snarled as they chased after him, scrambling over each other to be the first one to take a bite out of him, some probably quite literally, as they looked more like wild animals than people.
The roof above him rumbled, knocking down dust as Izuku glanced upwards, wondering if that meant he was close to the surface, or if it was just one of the Nomu behind him causing the shaking. Should he risk an Override? Maybe break his way out to the surface? But if that failed it would leave him without either of his arms, putting him at even more of a disadvantage. He was starting to get tired, having pushed both Float and Gear Shift to their maximum just to keep ahead of the Nomu, he was almost out of steam.
Then, something beautiful came into view. A set of stairs heading up, light streaming in from torches as several people walked carefully down them.
"MOVE!" he screamed, "GET OUT! THERE ARE NOMU AFTER ME!"
"What?" the shout carried down the long hallway, the beams of the torches focussing on him as he shot forwards, before they noticed the dark shapes behind him, "Everyone! Retreat!"
Izuku flipped himself in the air, landing on the stairs as he looked up at the night sky, the moon full as he took a deep breath of fresh air, ignoring all the people staring at him from the top of the staircase. And he jumped.
He shot up like a rocket, Float and Gear Shift working in tandem to send him soaring up into the sky, the teen looking down at the startled faces of the Heroes as they stared at him, before the literal fountain of Nomu shot out after him, firing off bone spears and other energy quirks as they spread out in an attempt to get him. Izuku watched as the Heroes reacted almost instantly, spotting Endeavor immediately incinerating several of the Nomu as he waded into the thick of the crowd, felling the creatures one after the other.
"I did it," Izuku sighed, glancing at the quest screen again, expecting to see it completed, when a spine of bone slammed into his shoulder, making him scream in agony as he began to fall from the sky, his concentration broken.
"Catch him!" someone shouted, Izuku barely able to make out who as something slammed into his back, burning his spine with cold as he let out another agonizing howl, "Shit, they're all focussing on him!"
"Prominence Burn!" the shout shook the air as the heat exploded outwards, the sounds of the Nomu screaming as they were all caught in the blast, those closest to Endeavor being vaporized instantly, while the ones on the outside of the blast weren't much luckier. They fell over as their bodies were badly burned, making them easy pickings for the other Heroes, the wave of heat buffeting Izuku through the air as he whimpered and moaned.
"I have you!" Endeavor yelled as he snatched the teen from the air, blasting flames from his legs as he slowed their descent, "Shit, he's badly injured! Spinal injury and losing blood fast!"
"Level up…" Izuku moaned as they landed heavily, making the Pro look at him strangely, "Have to…level up…"
"What? Now is not the time to be spouting nonsense, boy!" the Pro snarled as he charged through the crowd, reaching the edge of the blast zone quickly as the remaining Nomu all surged towards him, "We need to get you to a hospital immediately!"
"No!" Izuku screamed as he flailed in the man's arms, somehow knocking himself out of Endeavor's grasp as the man kicked a dog-like Nomu away, the teen collapsing on top of it, "Have to level up!"
The Pro tried to grab the teen again, blinking as the boy threw himself forwards with only his one arm, his legs hanging uselessly behind him as he slammed into the dog-like creature, closing his hand around its throat.
"I…I'm sorry," the boy gasped as he tightened his grip, the creature flailing ineffectually against him, "But I have to level up!"
The sound of crushing bone and ripping flesh echoed through the air as blood sprayed out from between Izuku's fingers, the Nomu in his grasp twitching, before falling still, a screen appearing in the teen's vision as he let out an exhausted sigh of relief. The moment didn't last long, the remaining Nomu all charging towards him, before Endeavor loomed over him, blasting them all back with waves of fire.
"What are you doing, brat?!" the man shouted, "You should just let yourself be saved!"
"Sorry," Izuku muttered as he collapsed against the Nomu's corpse, "I just…had to…level up…"
And darkness took him as he passed out.
Chapter 27
Izuku groaned as he cracked his eyes open, blinking slowly as his mother suddenly came into view above him, blocking out the painful light that was shining down from the ceiling.
"Izuku? You're awake!" she gasped, happy tears already pouring from her eyes as she looked over at someone, "He's awake!"
"Izuku!" the familiar voice made him start as Ochako appeared in his vision as well, the girl staring down at him in a mixture of shock and relief as she suddenly fell onto his chest, "You're okay!"
"I am?" he asked, his throat feeling like sandpaper as he croaked out the words, "Sorry, thirsty."
"Of course!" Inko said quickly as Ochako got off him, helping her lift him upright and holding out a glass of water with a straw for him, which he gladly took, sipping at the refreshing drink, "Are you really okay, Izuku?"
"I think so?" Izuku replied, looking around the hospital room in confusion, "What happened?"
"You were saved by Endeavor," Ochako said, looking away, "I…some of us were there, but we couldn't do anything but watch. There were too many Nomu and…"
"Wait…you were there?" Izuku blinked, "Where? Why? It was dangerous! You could have been hurt!"
"We weren't," Ochako said quickly, "We left as soon as all the Nomu started coming out from underground. We knew we'd just get in the way."
"I…oh," Izuku nodded, "That's good. Wait, "we"? Who else went?"
"Kirishima, Iida, Todoroki, Yaomomo, Tsuyu and me," Ochako replied, "We…Yaomomo had attached a tracker to one of the Nomu in the forest, and…and I couldn't just not do anything!"
"That was dangerous, though," Izuku said, staring at her in disbelief, "I almost died just running away from those things! If you'd been caught, even by a Hero, you'd have been in tonnes of trouble!"
"I know!" the girl shouted, tears pouring from her eyes, "But…I couldn't…I watched you get taken right in front of me! I couldn't just do nothing while you were in danger!"
"But why?!" Izuku shouted back.
"Because I love you, you idiot!" the girl sobbed, "Because I love you, okay?!"
"I…oh," Izuku said as he stared at Ochako in shock, before his mother smacked him on the back of the head, "Ow, mom?"
"You just made your own girlfriend cry, young man," Inko said sternly, "I think that's a decent enough reason for some corporal punishment."
"I…wait, g-girlfriend?" Izuku stammered, looking over at the sniffling Ochako, who was looking away as her cheeks flushed, "But I thought we…weren't we going to wait?"
"Not anymore," Ochako muttered, wiping her eyes as she turned to look at Izuku again, "Not after this. I love you, and I want to date you, okay?"
"I…" Izuku stuttered, his brain shorting out as Inko just sighed beside him.
"This is where you say yes, sweety," his mother chuckled, shaking her head, "And I'll be honest, I don't think you could have chosen a better young woman."
"Oh, thanks, Midoriya-san," Ochako blushed heavily as she looked away again.
"Please, call me Inko," Inko laughed, "If you're going to be dating my Izuku, well, that practically makes you my daughter-in-law already."
"D-daughter-in-law?" the two teens shouted as Inko just grinned at them, both their faces crimson.
------
"What happened to Katsuki?" Izuku asked as the two females bustled around his room, tidying up and just generally keeping themselves busy.
"Oh, Bakugo was also saved," Ochako said happily, the smile not having left her face since the two of them had agreed to date, "By All Might. The Villains managed to get away though."
"Really? How?" Izuku gasped, Ochako just shaking her head.
"Don't know, they didn't say on the news, only that they managed to rescue you and Bakugo, and that neither of you were badly injured," the brunette explained, pausing to take his hand and squeeze it gently, "He's in a room a few doors down."
"Oh," Izuku nodded, squeezing back as the girl blushed, her smile turning giddy as Inko sighed at the pair of them.
"Well, I suppose I had better head home," she said, "Izuku will be getting discharged tomorrow, but I wonder if it's safe to leave him on his own tonight?"
"M-mom? What are you saying?" Izuku stammered.
"That I don't want grandkids just yet, but I think someone responsible should be here to watch over you and make sure you don't do anything foolish," the woman hummed, winking at Ochako as the brunette blushed again.
"Okay," Ochako nodded, smiling at the older woman as Inko left the room, leaving the two of them alone, "Your mom is nice."
"Yeah," Izuku nodded, "Though maybe we should get someone else responsible."
"What? Why?" Ochako gasped, staring at him in shock.
"You snuck out to try and rescue me," Izuku chuckled, "I don't think that borderline Vigilantism is very responsible."
"Oh, shut up!" Ochako laughed along, "How are you able to make that kind of joke, anyway?"
"Twenty-four Charisma," Izuku shrugged as the pair laughed some more, before Ochako smiled at him.
"Hey, can I get on the bed?" she asked softly.
"Huh? Oh, sure," Izuku nodded, expecting her to just sit down, freezing when she climbed on top of the mattress, lying down beside him, "What are you doing?"
"Well, I could sleep in one of the chairs," she said, "But this seems much more comfortable. Plus, I have to make sure you don't go anywhere in the night, don't I?"
"I suppose," Izuku blushed as he lay down beside her, the brunette snuggling up beside him as he slipped an arm around her, the girl humming happily as she closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Izuku," she murmured, a happy smile on her face.
"Goodnight, Ochako," he muttered back, suddenly feeling extremely tired as they fell asleep beside each other.
------
Izuku woke up to the sound of a camera shutter going off, quiet whispering reaching his ears as he came out of his peaceful sleep.
"Quit it, you'll wake them up!" someone hissed as he cracked his eyes open, glancing at the group of students standing beside his bed and staring at him.
"What?" he muttered, trying to sit up, finding himself pinned down by a comfortable warmth, the other students all freezing as he looked at them.
"Oh, hey Midoriya," Kaminari sniggered, hiding his phone behind his back, "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay," he yawned, looking down to try and figure out why he couldn't sit up, staring at the head of auburn hair resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly around the owner's waist, practically pulling her on top of him, "Ah, that explains it."
"Explains what, exactly?" Sero laughed, his usual grin wider than normal.
"Why I couldn't sit up," Izuku mumbled tiredly, "Hey Ochako, everyone is here to visit, wake up."
"Huh?" the girl muttered as she stirred against him, looking up at the crowd of students for a moment, before she settled back down against Izuku, "Mine."
The group suddenly burst into an uproar, laughing and cheering in equal measure as the pair were startled fully awake, staring at their classmates in shock.
"Congratulations!" Tooru and Mina cheered, "When's the wedding?"
"W-wedding?" the two said in unison, looking at each other in surprise, before they both burst out into blushes.
"Not for a while, I hope," the older voice called out from behind the students, everyone turning to see the green-haired woman smiling at them, "While I fully support your relationship, I think it's a little early for marriage, don't you Izuku?"
"M-mom? Why're you here?" Izuku gasped, the other students all respectfully greeting the woman as they moved out of her way.
"To fetch you, of course," Inko chuckled, "You're getting discharged today, so I came to take you home. Of course, Ochako-chan is welcome to come with us."
"I am?" Ochako blinked, finally fully awake, yet seemingly hesitant to get off Izuku, "Thank you, Mido- I mean Inko-san."
"Of course, it's also so nice to see that all your classmates came to visit you," Inko hummed happily, wiping a tear from her eye, "It makes me so happy to see you have so many good friends, Izuku."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Iida nodded, "Knowing your son is an honour!"
"That's good to hear," Inko laughed, "Now, how about we all give Izuku some space to change, then we can get something from the cafeteria so you can all catch up before we go home?"
"Yeah!" the class cheered as they filed out of the room, Inko looking expectantly at Ochako, who was still lying beside Izuku.
"That means you too, Ochako-chan," the woman said, a slightly mischievous grin on her face, "Unless you want to watch Izuku change, or something?"
"Considering I've already seen her naked, that might actually be fair," Izuku laughed, both women suddenly staring at him in surprise, "What?"
"You would actually let me?" Ochako blushed.
"What's this about seeing her naked, Izuku?" Inko hummed, a glint in her eye, "You didn't peek on her, did you?"
"Not on purpose!" Izuku said hurriedly, "I swear, it was a complete accident!"
"It really was, Inko-san!" Ochako added, "He was saving a boy from falling in the baths at the camp and he floated up over the wall by accident!"
"Well then, if you both say so, I suppose I'll have to believe you," Inko sighed after staring them down for a moment, "But still, come on, Ochako-chan. It's not that I don't trust the two of you, but I would feel better if Izuku could change on his own."
"Okay," Ochako blushed as she got off the bed, waving to Izuku as the pair left, leaving him staring at the door in amazement.
"Wow," he said to himself as he got up, "I have a girlfriend."
------
"And this is Izuku when he was four," Inko said as she showed off the photo album, Izuku sitting on one side of her blushing as Ochako sat on the other cooing, "This was just after they identified his quirk, he was so excited!"
"He's so cute!" Ochako laughed, looking over at the blushing boy, "Though I guess that never really went away, did it?"
"I don't know," Inko hummed, tapping her chin with a finger as she smiled, "I would say he's just become quite handsome now."
"I agree," the brunette nodded as she blushed as well, "Though that isn't entirely why I fell for him."
"Oh? Do tell?" Inko asked excitedly, "When did my little boy first capture your heart?"
"I think it was in the entrance exams, he beat up the big Zero-Pointer robot to save me," Ochako hummed, "It was so heroic, I couldn't help but feel something for him. I guess it all started there."
"You also saved me, Ochako," Izuku chuckled, "If you hadn't taken my gravity when I was falling, I probably would have been badly injured."
"But that was months ago!" Inko gasped, "You couldn't have been keeping those feelings down that long, could you?"
"I was," Ochako sighed, "But I realised that it's not healthy to do that. Plus, letting them out helped me meet an amazing woman!"
"Oh, who?" Inko asked, an inquisitive look on her face.
"You, of course!" Ochako laughed, hugging Inko tightly, "You're so kind and loving! And your food is amazing!"
"Oh, why thank you dear," Inko said happily as she flipped to the next page, showing a photo of Izuku in an All Might onesie, "Oh yes! This photo is one of my favourites! I still have that outfit, and a couple of spares, just for when Izuku has children of his own! Which may be sooner than I expected."
"Mom!" Izuku shouted as the woman laughed, both teens blushing hard as they looked at each other.
------
"Where is Sensei?"
"Safe," the Doctor said through the small television screen, the rest of the League sitting around the tiny apartment watching as Tomura growled at the television set, "For now. Things did not go…as expected in his meeting with the Midoriya boy."
"I'm going to kill him," Tomura snarled, "He managed to hurt Sensei somehow, so I'm going to hurt him back even worse!"
"Of course, Tomura Shigaraki," the Doctor nodded, "In the meantime, I will do all I can to help Sensei recover his strength. You have my word on that."
Chapter 28
Izuku stared at the ceiling as he lay on the couch, a blanket pulled over him as he tried to sleep.
Unfortunately, that was a little difficult, thanks to the thought of Ochako being in his room only a few meters away, sleeping in his bed for the night. With a tired sigh, he opened his Status Screen, looking over it.
Name: Izuku "Deku" Midoriya
Level: 15
Stats:
Strength: 136 (999)
Dexterity: 43
Endurance: 68
Intelligence: 40
Wisdom: 32
Charisma: 24
Free Points: 5
Hero Points: 1
System Skills:
[Analytical Eye]
[Inventory]
[Friend List]
[Override]
[Party]
[Map]
Extra Skills:
[One for All]
[Basic First Aid]
[Basic Electrical Engineering]
[Basic Structural Engineering]
[Basic Mixed Martial Arts]
[Basic Game Theory]
He had managed to go up a level by killing that one Nomu, earning himself a number of notifications which he'd just read through. Of course, there was the one telling him he'd levelled up, but it had been accompanied by another, this one telling him he'd gained a new System Skill. It was simply called [Map], and the explanation of what it did was simple but clear.
[Map]: Allows the User to view a map of the local area, marking entities as Ally, Neutral, or Hostile.
It was just as easy as ever to activate the Skill, the small circle appearing in the top right corner of his vision, showing two green dots close by to him, and a number of yellow dots in the apartments around them. Nodding his head, Izuku dismissed the map, watching as it shrank to a tiny dot in the corner of his vision, the symbol fading out until it was just barely visible.
"It's a powerful Skill," he muttered, thinking of the myriad applications it could have, "It's sort of like Ragdoll's quirk, now that I think about it, except shorter range."
"Izuku?" the sleepy voice said, the boy sitting up on the couch to see Ochako standing in the doorway to the lounge, "You're still awake?"
"Oh, yeah," Izuku blushed as he saw her standing there, wearing a set of his All Might themed pyjamas, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just…couldn't sleep," she yawned, "Your room is nice, but…well, seeing all those All Might's staring down at me is a little weird."
"Oh, sorry," Izuku blushed, watching as she walked over to him, sitting on the couch beside him and leaning her head tiredly against his shoulder.
"It's okay, I think it's cute," she giggled, "But also a little weird. In a good way though. It shows you really have passion."
"Thanks," Izuku chuckled, swallowing as he glanced over at the girl, his eyes darting to her chest for a moment, the loose shirt showing off some of her cleavage, "Uhm…is there anything I can do to help?"
"Maybe," the girl said softly as she blushed, snuggling closer to him, "Can I sleep here with you?"
"Are you sure?" Izuku asked, "I mean, the couch isn't that comfy, wouldn't you prefer the bed?"
"Are you inviting me to sleep in your bed with you?" Ochako chuckled, pressing her head against his neck, "How bold."
"N-not like that!" Izuku gasped, "I was just saying that the bed would be comfier and…okay, yeah, that does sound a little suspect, now that I think about it."
"Anywhere is comfy for me with you," Ochako hummed, her eyes closed as she was already starting to doze against him, "Cause you're there."
"Hmmm," Izuku hummed as he also started to feel tired, slipping and arm around the brunette's waist, pulling her down to lie on top of him on the couch.
"Love you, 'Zuku," the girl mumbled, gripping his shirt as she lay on top of him, her head on his chest.
"I love you too, Ochako," Izuku chuckled as he instinctively kissed the top of her head, the pair quickly falling asleep in each other's arms.
------
"Thanks for taking me home," Ochako blushed as the two of them stood outside her apartment.
"Not a problem," Izuku blushed back, "I mean, you are my girlfriend, it would be weird if I didn't make sure you got home safe."
"I like that," Ochako chuckled, laughing at Izuku's confused look, "Being called your girlfriend. It makes me happy."
"Really?" Izuku blushed a little harder, "That's good to know."
"Do you want to come inside for a bit?" the Brunette asked, fidgeting a little, "The next train doesn't leave for a while, and I can make some tea or coffee for you to drink."
"Oh, sure," Izuku nodded as the pair stepped through the door, looking up to see two pairs of eyes staring at them from the darkness on the apartment, Izuku immediately stepping in front of Ochako as he slid into a protective stance, "Ochako! Look out!"
"OCHAKO!" the voices shouted as the two figures scrambled across the floor towards them out of the shadows, the girl just sighing as she flicked on the light.
"It's okay, Izuku," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "It's just my parents."
"Your…parents?" Izuku blinked, looking at the two middle-aged adults in front of him, the woman looking like she was on the verge of tears while the man was glaring daggers at the boy, "Oh, uhm…nice to meet you?"
"You brat!" the man shouted, going to grab Izuku, who easily dodged out of the way, "How dare you try and steal my sweet Ochako away from me!"
"Calm down, dad," the brunette sighed, "Izuku isn't stealing anyone. Also, I don't belong to you."
"You're my little girl, Ochako!" the man huffed, "It's my duty to protect you from any and all men forever!"
"Oh, my baby girl is growing up," the woman suddenly sobbed, shoving past the man to pull both teens into a tight hug, "And you've found yourself a fine young man! I am so proud of you!"
"Thanks, mom," Ochako chuckled.
"Honey, you're ruining the moment!" Ochako's father muttered, "I was just trying to be intimidating!"
"Nonsense, dear," the woman said as she released the teens, "I'm sure that this young man can protect our daughter just fine. You saw his performance in the Sports Festival, didn't you?"
"But I'm her father!" the man huffed, the pair quickly falling into a slight argument.
"Your parents seem…nice," Izuku said as the two of them watched the bickering couple, "Uhm…should I go?"
"Nonsense!" Ochako's mother suddenly said, "Come in, come in! We have so much to talk about, Izuku-kun!"
"Are you sure?" Izuku asked, looking at Ochako as she sighed, before smiling at him and nodding, "Okay."
"First, some tea!" Ochako's mother said happily, "Can you handle that, dear? I want to talk to Izuku-kun a bit before you start glowering at him again."
"But…" the man started to say, falling silent as the woman glared at him, "Yes, honey."
------
"So, what now?" Dabi sighed, "The big boss is currently down for the count, and we don't exactly know what to do next."
"Shut up," Shigaraki growled, "I'm trying to think."
"Don't hurt yourself, then," Magne chuckled, just grinning when the pale-haired man glared at her.
"We need to level up," Shigaraki muttered, "Get better stats and gear to take on the Heroes."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Toga hummed from the corner, playing with her knives and syringes, "I mean, we'd need money at least. And we aren't going to get any more from your Sensei."
"Says who?" Tomura grinned, "Sensei may be injured, but the Heroes don't know that. They also don't know about the Doctor or that much about us."
"Are you sure about that?" Twice asked, "THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS!"
------
"His name is Touya Todoroki," Izuku said as he sat in the interview room with the three men, All Might scowling as Endeavor stared blankly, Tsukauchi nodding along to everything the teen said, "I'm not sure, but I think he's related to you, Endeavor."
"Did you just say…Touya?" the large man blinked, his flames flickering low as he stared at the teen, "But that's…how can you be so sure?"
"My quirk," Izuku explained, "It lets me see information about people, such as their stats and names."
"So, he's really alive?" Enji breathed, sitting back in his seat, "But…how? That man…he can't be my son…Touya is dead."
"The investigation never actually found a body, though," Tsukauchi cut in, "So it's entirely possible that he somehow survived."
"And the man you met with?" All Might asked, "You're positive he called himself All for One?"
"Yes, All Might," Izuku nodded, "In the…System Zone, even the other two recognized him."
"Other two?" Endeavor blinked, "What other two?"
"Part of my quirk," Izuku said hurriedly, "I have, uhm…like AI in it that help me use it? They know a lot of stuff."
"AI in a quirk?" Endeavor narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy, "Interesting. Perhaps you should come to me for your next internship. I would like to know more about this."
"W-wait, really?" Izuku gasped, "I, uhm…I'll think about it, Endeavor."
"But back to the Villain called All for One," All Might said again, "You say he tried to take your quirk? But he couldn't?"
"Yes, it seems like there are safety features in my quirk as well," Izuku nodded, "Kind of like an Anti-Virus for a computer. It also…did something to him. I'm not sure what, but he looked exhausted after he was expelled from my quirk."
"Interesting," All Might nodded, letting out a sigh as he also sat down, touching his left side, "So that man really was still alive as well. Though it seems you've helped weaken him, Young Midoriya. That is a good thing, thank you."
"You're welcome?" Izuku said slowly, "Uhm…that's all I know about them, Touya and doctor Garaki, so is there anything else?"
"No," Tsukauchi said as he looked down at his notes, "Thank you, Midoriya-kun, you've been a great help. You can leave now."
"Come, Young Midoriya," All Might nodded as he got up, "Aizawa is waiting to take us both back to UA. You have something important to do there, do you not?"
"Oh, yeah," Izuku nodded back, "We're moving into the dorms today, aren't we?"
------
"Welcome to Heights Alliance," Aizawa grumbled as the students all stood outside the massive building, "This will be your new home until you graduate."
"So big!" "Manly!" "Manifique!" the class shouted as they hurried into the building, looking around in awe.
"Before you all go to unpack, I need to set a few ground rules," Aizawa huffed as he followed them in, "First, no fighting; you want to spar, book a dojo on campus. Second, keep the place clean; you're all sharing this space from now on, so keep each other in mid. And third, no sharing rooms; at lights out, you're all in your own rooms, no exceptions."
"I bet that last one is just for Midoriya and Ochako-chan," Tooru laughed, the entire class turning to look at the blushing teens, their hands clasped together.
"No, it applies to everyone," Aizawa grunted, "No sharing rooms at all."
"Wait, so we can't have sleep overs?" Mina pouted.
"You can if you do them in the common room," Aizawa sighed, "And with proper supervision. In other words, me."
"I guess that's better than nothing," the pink-skinned girl sighed, "Anyway! Can we go unpack now? I want to see my room!"
"Go ahead," Aizawa nodded, watching as the kids dispersed to their sides of the dorms, grabbing Izuku and Ochako by the shoulders as they started to part ways, "Also, you two…"
"Yes, Sensei?" the two said, looking up at the man.
"No funny business," the man sighed as the pair nodded, "I mean it. And even if you do, be careful and use protection."
"P-protection?" Izuku stammered, blushing harder as Ochako giggled at him.
"Don't worry, Sensei," the brunette said, "We're taking it slow, that probably won't happen for a while."
"Good to hear," the older man sighed, "Now get going and unpack."
"Yes, Sensei!" the teens called as they hurried up the stairs to their new rooms.
Chapter 29
"I'm beat," Kirishima sighed as he sat on the large couch, "Who knew unpacking would make you so tired?"
"Mood," Sero chuckled, looking up as the girls approached the group of boys, "Hey ladies, you done unpacking too?"
"Yep!" the girls said, Tooru and Mina jumping forwards, "Which means it's time for a room tour!"
"A what?" the boys all said, the girls nodding, "A room tour?"
"Yep," Tooru said excitedly, "And we can vote on who has the best room afterwards as well!"
"Sounds like fun," Kaminari laughed.
"Be prepared to be dazzled by my sparkle!" Aoyama called as they all headed towards the boys' side of the dorms first.
The room tours went quickly, each of the students showing off their new spaces happily, though they skipped Mineta's room, and Bakugo had already gone to sleep. The students now sat in the common room again, discussing who had won.
"Sato, definitely Sato," the girls all said, "For his fluffy and sweet angel cake!"
"That's totally unfair," Kaminari huffed, "Just cause he bribed you all!"
"Aw, thanks guys," the large muscular teen chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "I appreciate it."
"But everyone's rooms are so different," Jiro hummed, "I honestly wasn't expecting Todoroki to have tatami mats."
"But it was obvious that Midoriya would have a fanboy's room," Tooru giggled, "So much All Might, it was a little surprising!"
"Oh, that's nothing," Ochako laughed, "You should see his room at home, there's even more All Might stuff!"
"His room at home?" the rest of the class asked, looking between the two teens as they suddenly blushed, Mina grinning manically.
"So, you've been to his place, Ochako-chan? And in his room? When? And why?" the pink-skinned girl asked rapidly, hooking an arm around the brunette's shoulders, "Come on! Spill it!"
"It was nothing," Izuku said hurriedly, "She just stayed over one night, and I let her sleep in my bed."
"With you?" Mina's grin grew wider as she asked the question, "Like at the hospital?"
"N-no!" Ochako gasped, "We didn't share his bed, we just fell asleep together on the couch!"
"Wow, you two are moving really fast, aren't you, kero?" Tsuyu hummed, "Makes me a little jealous."
"N-not at all!" the two teens said together, blushing hard as the rest of the class laughed.
"Hey, if you're looking for a partner, I'm avai-," Kaminari started to say.
"Not interested," Tsuyu replied flatly, making the boy sag, "I only like girls, kero."
"Damn, fair enough though," the blonde sighed, "Girls are pretty great."
"That aside, it is about time for bed," Momo said as several of the others yawned, "We have something important tomorrow, according to Aizawa-sensei, so it would probably be best that we go to sleep now."
"Yeah, I am really tired," Ojiro nodded, "Good night, everyone."
The rest of the students quickly said their good nights as well, splitting off to go to their rooms, leaving Izuku and Ochako walking slowly towards the stairs. The pair waited until everyone else had gone, before glancing at each other.
"Good night, Ochako," Izuku said softly as he squeezed her hand, "I love you."
"I love you too, Izuku," the brunette blushed, squeezing back, "Good night."
Izuku took a step away, blinking when the girl didn't let go of his hand, pulling him back gently. He turned as she stepped up to him, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, making the boy freeze as Ochako giggled, waving as she darted off. After a moment, Izuku lifted his hand to his lips, a goofy grin on his face as he slowly walked back to his room.
------
"Super Move training," Aizawa said as the students gathered in the gymnasium, looking around at the large concrete floor as Cementos and Ectoplasm waited off to the side, "That's what we'll be doing for the rest of your holidays."
"Wait, so we don't even get to relax?" Mina moaned, "That's unfair!"
"It would be illogical to let you all sit around doing nothing while we have you here," Aizawa growled back, silencing the protests, "So that is what we're going to do. Cementos and Ectoplasm are here to help as well, so don't waste this time."
"Yes, Sensei," the class called as they each went off with their own Ectoplasm clone, quickly settling into working hard.
"Midoriya," Shota sighed as he approached the boy, the closer students glancing over as he spoke, "You'll only be here half the day, the rest will be spent with Nedzu, understood?"
"Oh! Yes, Sensei!" Izuku nodded, "Thank you for telling me."
"Whatever, that just means you're going to have to work twice as hard as everyone else to make up the time, so get to it."
------
"So good to see you again, Midoriya-kun!" Nedzu squeaked as the teen entered the office, "I so missed our little games and puzzles while you were away and recovering. Oh, and congratulations on the relationship, though I hope you won't let it get in the way of your studies or training to be a Hero."
"Of course not, Principal," Izuku said, "It…it is nice though."
"I am sure," Nedzu hummed happily, "Now, I do believe you recently gained another level, correct? That should make you level fifteen by now."
"Yes," Izuku nodded, "Though my Stats haven't gone up at all, probably because I didn't have enough time on the Training Camp."
"Perfectly understandable," Nedzu nodded, "But still, we should get to working on raising them as much as possible!"
"Right, so what's on the agenda for today?" Izuku asked, the principal giving a wide grin as he spoke.
"War."
------
"This is not what I expected," Izuku said as he sat behind the computer, staring at the loss screen, "I mean, when you said "War", I thought you meant like combat tactics, not…real-time strategy games."
"Ah, but these games employ and require quick and reactive thinking, as well as a good grasp of combat tactics," Nedzu hummed happily, "Not to mention I have been finding them quite an enjoyable hobby on the side."
"You've been playing these games on your own?" Izuku asked, looking at the principal in surprise, "I didn't take you for a gamer."
"I would not have called myself one, either," Nedzu chuckled, shaking his head, "But I must say, these games have a great deal of potential as teaching aids, especially for Heroics."
"So…is this it?" Izuku asked, looking back at the screen as Nedzu sent him another PVP challenge, "We're just playing games today?"
"Of course not!" Nedzu laughed, "We'll just do one more match of this one, then move onto something more physical to get your blood pumping!"
"More physical?" Izuku blinked, "What do you mean?"
"I believe it is called a DDR36 machine," Nedzu chuckled, "It is quite the enjoyable and exerting activity!"
------
"Hey Izuku," Ochako called as the teen walked into the dorm common room, Aizawa following behind him, immediately smiling as he headed over to her, "You're back late, did Nedzu keep you longer for some reason?"
"Yeah," Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "I mean, sort of? He wouldn't let me leave until I finished the hardest dance song on max difficulty with more than eighty percent accuracy."
"Dance song?" the brunette blinked, "Eighty percent accuracy? What do you mean?"
"It would seem that Midoriya has unfortunately introduced the Principal to the world of videogames," Aizawa sighed as he looked at the confused students, "He even bought a DDR machine."
"Wait, what?!" the class shouted, staring at Izuku in jealousy, "You were playing games all afternoon?"
"I guess?" Izuku flinched back as they glared, "I mean, it was sort of like training in the end, because I wasn't given a choice in what I was doing, and it helped me raise some of my Stats."
"Still, that's totally unfair!" Mina huffed, "You got to play around with the principal while we were all being worked to the bone by Aizawa-sensei!"
"I'm sorry?" Izuku squeaked as he dodged the pillow the girl threw at him, making her pout even more, "Anyway, I'm going to go have a bath quickly."
"Your boyfriend is so lucky, Ochako-chan," Tooru laughed as the green-haired teen hurried away, "Not only does he have a great girlfriend, but he gets to play videogames for half the day! That's still unfair though!"
"Oh, thanks," Ochako blushed at the weird compliment, "But yeah, it does feel a little odd that he gets to play games for so long."
"Nedzu's training is tougher than you think," their teacher sighed as he walked away, "Don't be too hard on Midoriya just because what he's doing sounds like fun. Use that energy to improve yourselves."
"Speaking of improving ourselves," Kirishima said, "Where's Bakugo? He left after the Super Move training and hasn't been back since?"
"He's in a meeting," Aizawa said flatly, "I'm not at liberty to tell you any more than that, but you're welcome to ask him later, if you want."
"In a meeting?" the students asked, "With who?"
------
"It must have been scary, being kidnapped like that," Ryo Inui said to the scowling blonde, "I understand if it's difficult to talk about."
"I wasn't fucking scared!" Katsuki shouted, his eye twitching as the councillor picked up a marble from a bowl and dropped it into a large jar, making a loud clinking sound as it joined the others, the jar already over half full, "I wasn't scared."
"Perhaps you didn't feel scared, but maybe worried? Confused?" Ryo continued.
"Not at all!" Katsuki spat, "I could have wiped the floor with those fuckers-" *clink* "-those Villains if they'd let me out of that shitty-" *clink* "-stupid chair."
"I see," Hound Dog nodded, checking his notes, "Well, you certainly seem to be fine for the most part, both mentally and physically, but we'll be having these sessions three times a week for the next few months just to be sure."
"Whatever," the blonde scowled, "Can I fu-ahem, can I go now?"
"I think so," Hound Dog nodded, "Just make sure to be here again the day after tomorrow, same time. This is also part of your remedial course training as well, after all."
"Yeah, whatever," Katsuki grumbled as he left the room, slamming the door shut behind him as he went, Ryo just shaking his head as he chuckled to himself, pouring the marbles from the jar back into the bowl.
"Well, I believe we've made some progress," he sighed, "At least, I think we did."
------
Katsuki scowled as he stomped down the empty halls of the school building, making his way back to the dorms at a steady pace.
"Why the fuck do I even need this shit?" he spat under his breath, "Manners practice? My manners are fucking perfect! And therapy just because some shitty Villains didn't know what was good for them? So fucking stupid!"
The blonde scowled as he continued out of the building, turning towards the dorm area, stomping his way down the sidewalk. It would take him fifteen minutes to walk there, only five if he ran, but at this point he didn't feel like getting any sweatier.
Katsuki paused at that thought, looking down at his hands as he felt the damp sweat cooling in the evening air. When had he even started sweating? It had been hours since the Super Move training, not that that had been all that hard, and Hound Dog's office had been air conditioned. So why was he so damp?
Shaking his head, he thought back to what the councillor had been talking to him about for so long, never pushing too hard, but probing at various things, frustrating Katsuki as he would have preferred the man just ask him outright.
"What's your relationship with your classmates like? What about Midoriya? He came from the same school as you, correct?"
The questions echoed in the back of his mind as he froze, a cold sweat dripping down his spine as he stared ahead. He'd answered that question plainly, that he didn't care about that stupid Deku, that he was nothing but a pebble in the road that had proven to be more annoying than he'd thought it would be.
But was that true? Especially now?
Katsuki started walking forwards again as he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, trying to ignore them as he hurried back to the dorms.