Chapter 19: Use Your Head!
"So All Might saved you from a villain."
"Yep."
"And then you saved Bakugou from that same villain."
"Correct."
"And All Might was so inspired by your recklessness-" "courage" "-that he decided then and there that he wanted to take you on as his successor."
"Yes."
"And that involved cleaning a beach and then you got his quirk."
"You've got it so far."
"But his quirk was actually given to him by his master and he was the eighth person to hold this quirk."
"Right."
"And you're the ninth?"
"Yeah."
"You do realize that your life is basically a manga, right Izuku?"
"Are you the love interest who's my reward for defeating the villain then?"
"... you're lucky you're cute."
Izuku stumbled down the stairs in the morning, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He and Ochako had stayed up later than they had meant to, answering all her questions about One for All. He felt lighter now that she was in the know too. He had been backed into a corner when telling Midnight and his mom and even though he was glad they knew, Ochako was the first person that he got to choose to bring into the fold. She was his best friend and the person who knew him best in the world. He couldn't imagine a future where she wasn't standing by his side.
He had texted All Might and Nemuri late last night to let him know that he had told Ochako. He woke up to a gif of All Might giving a thumbs up from the man himself and a long congratulatory message for opening up to people. Nemuri sent him a simple smiley face which made Izuku more than a little concerned that there was an imminent prank coming his way.
The kitchen was fairly crowded, which surprised Izuku a little. He had expected most of his classmates to still be sleeping or getting ready for the day's training. He supposed he shouldn't have been that surprised though; most students at U.A. were Type A go-getters. As he descended the last of the stairs he hit a wall of cardboard, sending a box crashing to the ground.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" He grabbed the box off the floor and offered it to Aoyama. "I didn't see you there."
"It's fine mon ami ," he said. His eyes darted between the floor and ceiling, deliberately looking anywhere but Izuku. "Thank you for the help but I really must get going. Lots to unpack still." Grabbing the box, Aoyama bolted up the stairs, disappearing deeper into the dorms.
Izuku blinked at the odd behavior of his classmate. Aoyama was always quirky, but he had been downright skittish during that exchange. Was he already getting homesick? Izuku made his way toward the dining room table, dodging around Tokoyami and Dark Shadow playing with Koda's pet rabbit. He leaned on the back of Ochako's chair and glomped onto her back.
"G'morning."
"Morning, Deku. You seem awfully chipper this morning." He hummed in acknowledgement of her sarcasm and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. He hadn't grown up with a lot of physical affection, but he knew it meant a lot to Ochako to have these small moments of closeness.
"Anyone else notice that Aoyama was acting a little weird?"
"Not really." Tenya said, cleaning off his glasses. "Do you think something's wrong?"
"I bet he's just a little intimidated." Kaminari lazily waved a piece of fish that Jiro had to duck underneath. "I mean, you're kinda famous now, dude."
"Kaminari!" Jiro hissed under her breath.
"What? He is! We all fought against villains but he got to fight alongside All Might. I mean, that's super cool right?"
"Honestly, I was really scared." The quiet that followed Izuku's statement was heavy. Everyone turned an eye toward him, watching to see if he would fold under the pressure. It was a new feeling, to be the one under the microscope instead of ignored, but it was another thing he would just have to get used to he guessed. If he really wanted to be the new Symbol of Peace the media would be a whole lot less friendly than his classmates in searching for cracks in his confidence. He doubted they did it maliciously, but he still had far too many secrets to risk letting them know exactly what was going through his mind when he was brought before All for One.
"I didn't even know what was happening at first. Compress' quirk wore off as soon as the fighting started so I just went from one fight to another. I didn't have any time to think, I just reacted. But," he shot a smile at Kaminari. "It is pretty cool in hindsight. It was always a dream of mine to fight with All Might, I just never expected it to come true."
"I'm not sure it was entirely worth it, bro." Kirishima slung his arm over Izuku's shoulder. "How about we don't let anyone get kidnapped for at least a year? Does that sound good?"
"How about never letting someone else get kidnapped? I think we've sailed past our quota." Jiro snarked. That managed to banish the last traces of gravitas from the group as Kaminari and Hagakure broke out into snickers.
"Oh, Deku, don't you have an appointment with Recovery Girl?" Ochako asked. "I'll walk you over."
"Uh, sure. Sounds good."
"You know, you two don't have to be so obvious!" Jiro called out to them as they headed for the door. "It's just rude to the rest of us single people! Ba-Kaminari's probably going to need therapy now!"
He and Ochako stepped through the front door to the sounds of Kaminari's affronted whines. He doubted that Ochako was planning on doing whatever Jiro was warning them away from. She had probably just tried to save him from accidentally talking about anything too close to One for All. It was a nice change to have Ochako in on his secret with him. He could afford to be a little less guarded, certainly with Ochako herself, but with her watching his back he could have someone else let him know if he was skirting a topic that he shouldn't be. Was this what All Might felt with Sir Nighteye? Why did they split if it felt this good to not have the weight of the world alone on his shoulders?
"Thank you. For the distraction and for believing me last night, Ochako." She smiled at him, and he felt his stomach do flips.
"Of course, Deku! I'll always believe in you. Besides, we're a team now. I can watch your back." She took two steps forward before she jumped into the air. "Oh, we should make codenames!"
"No," he laughed. "No way. Last time we let you pick all the nicknames we didn't even know who everyone else was!"
"That was one time! And it was so obvious that Todoroki was Horizon Brave from Pacific Rim."
"Ochako I don't even know what that is!"
"Well whose fault is it that you don't know about the best movie franchise of all time?! You know what, that's it. We're watching it later! Now, come on!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the building. "We've got fifteen minutes before your nurse's appointment and I don't want to waste a single one!"
Huh , Izuku thought as he let Ochako drag him along. I guess Jiro was right after all.
Nezu watched the funds transfer on the screen with barely disguised hunger. Manami Aiba had been all she promised and more and with the information she managed to acquire he now had a complete picture of his enemy's forces. It hadn't surprised him that the Hearts and Minds party had been co-opted, or that the tendrils of this corruption leaked into the press. It was the fastest way to push an agenda, but their little revolution would pose an excellent challenge for his young symbol. His tail flickered through the air at the thought of his most important pawn.
Midoriya Izuku had managed to unlock potential even Nezu hadn't known of, becoming the first specimen of Quirk Singularity in the modern age. A hero stronger and faster than All Might with six other quirks to further compound his power would become an unrivaled idol for generations to come and he would be walking the halls of U.A. for three full years. There was a ninety-three percent chance that he would feel overwhelming nostalgia for his alma mater after he graduated and it was a near certainty that enrollment would see a larger spike than when All Might had become number one.
His pawn would soon be promoted into a queen that Nezu would use to crush the obstacles in his path. Midoriya didn't realize it yet, but he would be the one to usher in the future of this society. And the one pulling his strings would determine what future it was.
"Grow, my young symbol. Evolve. Nothing will stand in the way of your progress."
"You've been responding to treatment well. I'd say you might even be a bit ahead of schedule, young man." Recovery Girl put down the scans of his arm and took her glasses off to let them rest against her chest by the chain attached to the arms.
"Does that mean I can train today?" He asked hopefully.
"No." He deflated a bit at that and Recovery Girl shook her head. "Just because you're ahead of schedule now doesn't mean that you can be reckless and rush this, young man. Recovery is rarely linear. Being ahead now doesn't mean you won't experience any setbacks."
"Yes, ma'am." Izuku hung his head. He understood her reasoning; he just wanted to be out there so badly. He had years of quirk training to catch up on and three new quirks he had to figure out how to use. How could he ever be the number one hero if he didn't push himself?
He thought about the way his mom looked while he was in the hospital. The worried and worn faces of his friends when they came to visit him, the way his mentor looked even thinner now that he had officially retired. Maybe Recovery Girl was right. Maybe he should take it slowly, at least this once.
"Oh chin up, sonny. Nothing physical at all for today but tomorrow you can start doing some quirk control with everything except whatever it was that did this to your arm in the first place. Just quirk control, mind you. I don't want you doing any actual sparring until your bones set a little more. Wear your compression sleeve while doing quirk training and I'll see you again on Friday."
With that Izuku hopped off the examination table, snagging a handful of gummies that he idly chewed on while he walked. Ochako had gone ahead to the TDL (he was pretty sure Nezu was just messing with them on the names of things at this point) so he was free to take a little more time meandering toward the gym than he would have otherwise. They were supposed to be working on ultimate moves today, but what could he do without actually training?
Well, he had a start. He used an Oklahoma Smash against the League and he had the San Francisco Smash, but what else could he do? He couldn't keep up with the insane feats that All Might could do at his current percentage and even if he could his arm likely wasn't going to be fully healthy by the time he did the licensing exam.
The sounds of combat grew steadily louder as he walked through the open archway into the TDL. Most of his classmates were spread out throughout the cavernous space, practicing moves or working with clones of Ectoplasm to strategize their moves. He could see Ochako floating a little above the tallest structure. Eraserhead walked back and forth in between the peaks, calling out advice or warnings to his classmates. Off to the side, Shinsou was running through conditioning drills with Cementoss and Midnight. Nemuri waved him over, and Izuku jogged toward her.
"Midnight-sensei! What should I get started with?"
"Nice try kiddo. Recovery Girl already texted us that you aren't cleared yet." Izuku's shoulders slumped. Worth a shot, I guess. "I'm sure you've got a few ideas already, so why don't you take the day to write them down and really iron out what you want to work on over the next few days. Walk around, try and get some inspiration. Once you get the all clear we'll start working on control for those new developments of yours."
Nemuri turned back to correct Shinsou's form and Izuku headed off toward the opposite side with a small sigh. All of his ideas for super moves were just copying All Might and his other quirks were so new he had no idea how to start coming up with moves for them. Blackwhip could help his mobility, but how did he even access the others to start with? Izuku leaned his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Katsuki had made it seem so easy growing up. He had multiple super moves by the time they were accepted, and Izuku didn't even know where to start.
"I have concerns, Bakugou-kun." Katsuki's eye twitched at his name. "Your sleep issues are troubling, and Aizawa tells me that you seem even more on edge than usual."
"I'm fucking fine," he growled. Dogface let out a sigh.
"It's fairly apparent that your recent experiences are having a far more profound effect than you're willing to admit. Recovery takes time, Bakugou-kun. You can't rush these things."
"I said I'm fucking fine."
"Well, as your counselor, I say you're not. I am officially recommending that you do not take the provisional license exam."
"That's bullshit! You can't do this!"
"Frankly, even if you were emotionally and mentally prepared to take the exam, your behavioral issues earlier in the semester would have prevented us from sponsoring this attempt at your license. You'll be able to try again in a few months."
Frustration and anger welled up within Katsuki. Who were these chuckle-fucks to keep trying to put him on a leash. Amid the swirling frustration, something else rose to the surface, drowning out all other thoughts. Hound Dog kept talking, but his voice faded under the ocean of grey that filled Katsuki's mind. Color leached from the world, the cheery fucking blue that had pissed him off when he first walked into blanched into a pale monotone. Katsuki floated separately from the world. He couldn't feel the arms of the chair desperately clutched in his hands. He couldn't hear the white noise machine that played wave sounds in the background.
Katsuki came untethered from reality.
What the hell? Even his thoughts felt sluggish as they struggled to get through the grey. What is this?
Fingers danced along his spine, forcing Katsuki's back ramrod straight. His right bicep twitched, arm jolting in place. An unfamiliar feeling pooled in the center of his stomach. Unbidden, his gaze drifted to the plant in the corner. There amongst the greyscale world was a singular patch of color. A vibrant splash of green.
Overwhelming fear roared in his veins. His heart lurched into overdrive, sweat starting to pour from his skin and flow down to his hands. His quirk strained against his fingers, ready to defend against whatever was causing him to feel this way. What the hell is going on?! As suddenly as it started, the grey faded. Color returned to the world and sound soon followed. Hound Dog raised an eyebrow toward him.
"You alright, Bakugou-kun?"
"... yeah, I'm fine."
Momo twirled a staff in her hands before cracking it against the rock. It reverberated, but didn't shatter. She nodded, satisfied that she could in fact reinforce the tungsten with a carbon fiber support net without compromising the overall strength of the material. The next goal was to find a combination that would also give her an edge against electric quirks but it was progress. She still wasn't entirely sure what she could do for an ultimate move on the level of most of her peers but she could at least strengthen her creations. She leaned the staff against the quirk-created mountain in front of her and grabbed her water off of the ground. Her eyes drifted toward the side of the gym where Midoriya sat, scribbling notes into one of his notebooks absently.
"Careful, Yaomomo." Kyoka rounded the corner of her mountain and joined Momo on her platform. "Better not let Ochako catch you staring at her boy or she'll string you up by your toes."
"Do you think he's okay?" Momo asked, ignoring the accusation. "He seems sad."
"Nah, he's fine. Green's like a German Shepherd. You've got to give him a job otherwise he just becomes a bundle of nerves. Just you watch, once he can start training again he'll be all Plus Ultra in no time."
Momo bit her lip as she watched Izuku taking notes. She didn't doubt there was validity to what Kyoka was saying but she couldn't help but think there was something more going on as well.
The eraser of his pencil tapped against his lips. There was an idea right in front of his face he just couldn't see. His phone buzzed but it was just a notification for a new clip of Kamui Woods in action making the rounds on the hero forums. All Might still hadn't responded to his message. He wanted to pick his mentor's brain about where he came up with ideas but he was still off-campus for some final doctor's visits. Maybe he was going about this wrong though. Maybe…
"Izuku." The pencil slipped from his hand as he started at the nearby voice.
"Oh, hey Momo! What's up?"
"I wanted to check in and see how you were doing. You seem a little dour, and as it is you who usually comes to cheer people up, I thought I would attempt it myself."
"Ah, thanks Yaomomo. Truth is I'm struggling a little bit trying to find inspiration for ultimate moves. It's hard to come up with original ideas, you know?"
"I can relate." Momo slumped on the wall next to him and slid to the ground. It was odd to see the normally proper heiress relax enough to be so casual on school grounds. "My quirk essentially allows me to use creations that others have already invented. All I can do is reproduce the work of others."
"I actually was wondering something about your quirk. Can you only make solids?"
"Liquids tend to be difficult as the liquid will just collect on my skin where I am creating it, but I can produce all three primary states of matter. Why do you ask?"
"Well, if you can create gasses you could probably replicate Midnight's…" Izuku trailed off into thought. Was it really that simple? All Might was his mentor, but Izuku could pull off far more maneuvers with his other quirks than just One for All. There was a whole world full of heroes he had studied for years that he could draw inspiration from.
"Izuku?"
"I'm so sorry, Momo. I just had an amazing idea." He hopped up to his feet. "I've got to go! I've got so much footage to pull up and analyze. I bet I could probably overhaul my entire fighting style!" He grabbed his notebook and took off at a jog toward Midnight leaving a slightly confused Momo in his wake.
Ochako felt her stomach lurch as her gravity returned to her. The new upgrades to her costume were definitely helping to mitigate her nausea which was a blessing. Apparently there were some issues finding the right miniature compressors for the booster system Mei had helped design for her, so it wasn't likely she would be flying by the time the license exam came around but she could wait that long.
For now it was enough to be getting stronger. She still remembered that feeling of powerlessness the night that Izuku had gotten kidnapped. She wouldn't ever let anything like that happen again. All Might may have been content to do it all alone, but she was going to get strong enough to watch Deku's back. She had to become strong enough to save the heroes. Even when they charged recklessly into fights they weren't sure they could win with no backup and not even slowing down enough to let anyone else come with.
"That's some pretty fancy flying there, Uraraka." Ochako turned to see Midnight perched on an outcropping watching her with her whip in hand.
"Not quite flying yet, sensei. It's more like falling with style right now, but hopefully I'll be able to fly properly soon."
"Have you had any ideas for ultimate moves?"
"Well, I have one or two. Once I get enough momentum I can give back my own gravity and do sort of a dive bomb, or I can use some improvised weapons to swing around like a bat."
"I would consider adding a long-range option to your arsenal as well. Your quirk only works in extremely close quarters, so you'll want to give yourself some more options in addition to improving your mobility. With your quirk even a simple slingshot would be devastating."
"Got it!"
"Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about something a little more personal." Nemuri pushed off the a malice filled smile crossing her face.
"Sensei?"
"I hear Izuku told you his big secret." Midnight stalked toward Ochako, whip trailing on the ground behind her. "That's a lot of faith to put into someone he's only been dating for a scant few weeks."
"I would never betray him!" Ochako winced at the volume her declaration came out at. Thankfully, most of the gym was still absorbed by their own ultimate moves and the sounds of combat muffled her statement somewhat.
"Oh I don't doubt that." Midnight prowled in a circle around Ochako. "You're not the kind of person to go spilling secrets or turning on friends. But young love is fickle and fragile." Ochako shivered as Midnight spoke directly behind her ear. "If you break Izuku's heart he'll probably forgive you, but I won't. I will visit such hell upon you that even the people who remember your name will feel it. Am I clear?"
"Crystal ma'am!" She's really taking this big sister thing to heart isn't she.
"Good." Midnight took a few steps back and Ochako breathed out a sigh of relief. "That being said, I know Izuku can be a rather energetic young man so if you ever need any tips on handling him, feel free to let me know."
… EH?! Ochako slapped her hands over her rapidly blushing cheeks and watched the cackling form of Midnight grow smaller as she floated toward the ceiling.
Izuku woke up his laptop and prepped his notebook and pens while he waited. Aizawa had approved of him coming back to the dorms, muttering something about problem children and working himself to death as he did.
Why hadn't he seen it earlier? The answer was so simple. He didn't have to limit himself to All Might, he could take inspiration from everywhere! Most of his classmates had locked in their own fighting styles and moves because they had had years to think about them, but he was still a blank slate. Instead of mourning the work he had to do to catch up, he could adapt different fighting styles and turn them into his own. Full Cowling was derived from Gran Torino and Katsuki, his persona was a mix of All Might and Midnight, why couldn't his ultimate moves be the same?
He pulled up the current hero rankings in one window and his favorite fight clips channel in another. He narrowed the rankings to the top fifty and started crossing out heroes that wouldn't work for him. All Might was out for obvious reasons, but others either had quirks he couldn't replicate, like Endeavor and Ryukyu, or fighting styles that didn't make sense for him, like Fatgum or Wash. When he finished he scrolled back up to the top and started categorizing the ones left.
There were a surprising number of heroes he could look to as examples for Blackwhip. Best Jeanist and Kamui Woods were both capture specialists that relied on tight bindings and if he could control the size of his whips more he might even be able to pull off some of the moves Edgeshot used eventually. Hawks had a different method of flight than Float thanks to his wings, but there were little details in how he took turns and dives that Izuku could replicate. Plus, with Blackwhip and Float he could use a similar long-range aerial barrage as his feathers with even more close combat potential thanks to his quirk. Izuku cracked his fingers and took up a pen. Time to get to work.
Several hours later, an All Might figurine (the thirtieth anniversary edition with misprinted gold belt instead of red) fell off his desk as Izuku let his head slam against the wood.
"I'm so stupid! Use your legs you damn moron!" On the screen, Mirko rolled into a handstand and spun, lashing out with her legs to take out two criminals with ruthless efficiency. It really had been right in front of his face this whole time. Most of his training with All Might had focused on his upper body and back, but one of the first things Vlad King explained to them when they had their first session in the weight room was the importance of lower body strength. His arm had taken a beating when he used Fa Jin, but that wouldn't matter if he could compensate with his legs.
Mirko could pull off some amazing feats of athleticism, but between Izuku's own build and the quirks at his disposal, he could probably make some of them work for him. He looked down at his notes. City names were scribbled in the margins, sketched diagrams of body positions squeezed in between descriptions. Not a bad start, now I just need to put it into practice.
The mouse dragged the video back to the beginning. Green lightning flared and the figures in the video swarmed the source before being flung across the field. A knock at the door made him pause the video before calling.
"Enter." Kaoruko stuck her head in the door.
"You busy, Sir?"
"No. Come in, Bubble Girl." She entered fully, closing the door behind her, and stepped up to the front of the desk handing him a file.
"The latest movement patterns of the Shie Hassaikai. There's been even more activity this month than last. They're definitely prepping for something big." Nighteye accepted the folder, taking care not to let their hands brush.
"Thank you. Exemplary work as always."
"It's my pleasure, Sir. I've also got the results of the first licensing exam if you want to take a look at them?"
"I have my eye on a particular up and comer already, thank you. I trust you and Centipeder to alert me if anyone interesting was in the first crop."
"Oh? Has someone caught your eye, Sir Nighteye?"
"You could say that." Mirai's vision drifted to the ninth holder of One for All on his screen. He would judge Toshinori's pet project for himself and if needed he would force Midoriya Izuku to realize One for All was safest in the hands of another. "Would you send Mirio in on your way out, Kaoruko?"
"Sure thing. Oh by the way, did you hear about the U.A. student who failed math? It was because he could only Plus Ultra!"
Nighteye chuckled as Bubble Girl left. He'd drop a suggestion to Mirio to make him start thinking of adding a kouhai to the agency. He had little doubt that the power of One for All would carry even a vessel as unimpressive as Midoriya Izuku to a provisional license and from there it would be easy to have Mirio convince him to come to the Nighteye Agency for his work study. He watched it all play out as if he had already used his quirk. This was the immutable future he was working toward. One where Mirio held One for All and all Midoriya Izuku would be remembered for was an impressive viral video.
"You're on your way, Izuku Midoriya. You more than any of us will change the world with your actions."
Izuku floated in empty space. The dark expanse that encompassed his vision was broken at random intervals with streaks of color that flashed into vibrant life before fading out again. Gold and purple, blue and pink, green and red, orange and white all burst against the black. Izuku could have been floating in that space for seconds or years. Time felt irrelevant.
It wasn't until he felt something rough against his feet that Izuku realized he had been falling this entire time. Sharp concrete bit into his skin as the world reoriented for him. Two crumbling walls made a corner in front of him, a closed door on one of the walls, and a single occupied chair in the center of the floor.
"I wonder what you will do now, Ninth." The man in the chair was thin, sharp angles highlighting the delicate features of his face. His shirt was ragged, a long white t-shirt a few sizes too large that hung over loose pants leading to bare feet. Long white hair fell around his shoulders, partially obscuring the vibrant green eyes that bore into Izuku.
"Wh…re…ou-" Izuku's voice echoed falteringly. He reached up to grasp at the thick smoke that covered his mouth. More of his body had been revealed than when he spoke with Banjo, but clearly he hadn't fully been accepted into the realm of the vestiges just yet. The man gave him a warm smile.
"I am Yoichi. I was the first to bear this quirk. In my fight against my brother I named it One for All."
Something in his stomach lurched toward this man. His quirk pulsed and writhed in what Izuku could only call joy at seeing its first holder. The sense was far stronger than when he saw Banjo the first time.
"It's nice to see One for All so energetic in you, Midoriya. It seems happy with you."
"Ha… p… py?" His confusion must have shown on his face because the first's smile brightened.
"One for All isn't sentient, but it doesn't quite seem passive, no? It has lived nine lives through each of us and it responds in ways we still don't fully understand. But it often knows what we need and provides for us. A person's quirk is symbiotic with them, and for you and Yagi that symbiosis is far greater with One for All because of your quirkless nature. It grew within your predecessors and now it blooms within you, Midoriya Izuku."
"Ho… w…hat…" The smoke that covered Izuku's body began to be pulled back toward the void as winds whipped up around him.
"Let One for All guide you, Ninth. We'll talk again soon." The winds lifted him off of his feet and Izuku flew back in the air. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him once more was the vague outline of eight more chairs rising from the floor.
Chapter 20: Give It Your All!
"These are the results from Tartarus?"
"Yes sir, detective."
"And Central Hospital verified the information?"
"They ran it twice, sir." The overworked detective let out a sigh.
"Get Nezu on the line. Make sure you tell him to stop whatever scheme he has going on. He'll want to hear this one." He pulled his phone from his pocket as he walked toward the exit.
"Sir? What are you going to do?"
"I need to make a call."
"I'm going to be better, Oboro." Shouta brushed a bit of dirt away from the headstone. His own offering sat on the ground next to a dozen purple daisies that he knew had to have been from Nemuri. She had brought the same flowers once every few months since the headstone had been put in place.
"I've been lying to myself. I thought I could protect them by pushing them. If I could force them to see the realities of heroics then maybe I could prevent them from becoming just another statistic. Maybe I was just protecting myself though. I thought it was kinder to be cruel but was it all just cruelty for cruelty's sake?"
The grave didn't answer. Shouta kneeled in the dirt at its side heedless of the stains gathering on his pants. If Oboro saw him now, what would he think? He'd become exactly like that bitter old man that taught them their first year. He tore down people's dreams because of what he thought it meant to be a hero.
Was he making the right decisions? Most of the kids he had expelled over the years had been for good reasons, at least Shouta thought so at the time. Heroics was a dangerous business. They couldn't very well make it in this world if they didn't treat it as seriously as it demanded. His eyes drifted back towards Oboro's grave. Did any of the three of them take it seriously when they were fifteen? These were kids given dangerous powers and allowed to use them for the first time in their lives. Wasn't it his job as a teacher to make them realize the gravity of the real world?
Wasn't it his job as a hero to protect them from that gritty reality? Protect them so that they could keep that hope and joy for longer than he had?
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Without looking he sent the call to voicemail. He needed to talk to his husband. There were few people he knew that could connect with people on the level Hizashi did. Maybe he would have some ideas. His phone buzzed again and this time he answered with a snarl.
"What?"
"Eraserhead, I need you to come down to the station. It's important."
Izuku bounced on his toes. The compression sleeve he had gotten from Recovery Girl felt odd on his arm. It was light enough that he forgot it most of the time and would startle upon seeing it when he moved his right arm. It caught in the fabric of his shirt every so often, and he resolved to just go shirtless once he was properly training. For now he was in the gym a full fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, jumping in place out of excitement and an effort to warm up his muscles that were a little rustier from his forced break than he would like. He still wasn't allowed to do any live contact with his peers, that wouldn't come for another two days at least, but he could finally begin working with the new quirks he had unlocked. One for All stirred beneath his skin, just as eager as him to get started.
"Yo, Izuku!" Nemuri waved from the entrance. "Come on, kid. We might as well get started if you're here early." Izuku jogged over to meet his mentor and followed as she began to lead him away from the TDL.
"So you're going to be working with me, Nemuri?"
"Yup, I get to steal you for the morning and since there's a chance your quirk goes haywire again we're going to grab a private gym to get out of Eraser's hair. Once we're sure you can handle the new stuff you'll be able to join your classmates for the afternoon session."
"So what are we going to work on?"
"That's kind of up to you, kiddo. Have you gotten a sense of what the triggers are for the other quirks?"
"Not really. I haven't done a ton of experimenting. I'm also a little nervous to activate Fa Jin because of the whole arm thing," he said waving his compression sleeve.
"Well, it's still good to know how to activate it so you don't accidentally do it in the heat of the moment. We'll start with that then, get you used to calling on the new ones, and then progress to the ones I can help with the most."
Izuku sped up to get ahead of Nemuri and open the gym door for Nemuri. She smiled and winked at him.
"My, my, I guess chivalry isn't dead after all."
"My mom taught me to always respect my elders, Sensei." The back of his head heated up and Izuku ducked beneath the hand Nemuri tried to swat him with.
"You cheeky brat! Just for that you're doing interview practice after training is done!" Izuku laughed as he made his way toward the mat in the center of the gym. This was one of the smaller quirk training gyms on campus with reinforced walls and rubber mat flooring that added a bit of bounce to his steps. Izuku dropped into a series of simple stretches in the center as Nemuri fiddled with the controls, putting in the specific safety sequences needed for Izuku's suite of quirks.
When he finished stretching, Izuku sat on the floor, folding his legs up into a meditative position. The First had said to trust One for All but how did he let his quirk guide him? He let out a steadying breath. The first thing all of his mom's yoga books emphasized was control over breathing so Izuku resolved to start with that.
In, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Out, 2, 3, 4. .
On his third repetition of the pattern, Izuku mentally prodded the barrier between him and the ocean of power inside of him. One for All trickled in with his inhale. It moved sluggishly from the center of his chest out to the rest of him, pooling in his limbs. When he held his breath his quirk held steady and on the exhale the percentage dipped. It was a new experience, to let the percentage of One for All in him change and grow without his direct control. It was alive like a pilot light in his apartment. It flickered in and out, like a flame in the wind, but it was also steady and warm. If left unchecked it would grow and rage out of control, but like this it was bright and comforting.
He was starting to see how Yoichi could describe it as being alive. When it surged, it felt almost curious. There was no immediate threat, no fight to be had, so One for All explored. It filled him from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair in an effort to push out as far as it could. When it receded, it flowed toward his spine and his chest like it was trying to protect the most vital parts of himself.
As the tides of One for All washed over him, Izuku could feel other things sliding into place as well. Blackwhip stretched and snaked out from between his shoulder blades to his fingers, spiraling like subcutaneous tattoos over his nerves. The pain from the first time wasn't there but it felt impatient to free itself from his skin and let loose on the world. Something settled in his stomach. It felt like cotton, but it was also shy. It folded in on itself, ready to be used but staying out of the way otherwise. Another presence draped itself over his back like the cape of his costume. It felt cool and filled him with confidence, reminding him to stand up tall. While the other quirks took some time to settle, Float felt familiar and comforting and took no time at all to settle itself on his shoulders.
And there, in between the breaths, energy was starting to build. Fa Jin was storing a little bit of energy even now. Stay down, he told the quirk. I can't handle you yet. I have so much left to learn about you and I will after the exam. But this is what I can do for now. A familiar warmth came from the quirk. A foreign sense of approval sparked in the back of his mind and Izuku took that as a sign to end his impromptu meditation session. The vestiges were on board with his decision and he had gotten a step closer to understanding One for All. Nemuri eyed him curiously from where she stood next to the controls.
"You good?"
"Yeah sensei, I feel good."
"Okay," she said with a shrug. "Spooky quirk shenanigans aside, let's focus on your activation triggers. What sort of emotions did you feel when you first activated Blackwhip for the first time?"
"Anger. I was frustrated and angry with Bakugou and All Might. Banjo confirmed that when I spoke with him."
"And you were able to channel that into protecting the people you care about, right?" At his nod, Nemuri started to pace back and forth. "So what did you feel when you first used Float?"
"Well, at first I just needed to protect Kota. I needed to go faster. And then when I was flying through the forest and in Kamino…" Izuku could almost feel the wind whipping past him again. Rocketing through the air was a rush unlike anything he had felt before, like Full Cowling had been cranked up to eleven. "I felt free."
More memories flooded into him. Rising above the cloud cover into a world full of stars. Racing a young Gran Torino through city streets. Floating above an unfamiliar cityscape, ready and waiting to rush into action. Are these your memories, Nana?
"It looks like you're farther ahead than you think, Izuku!" He blinked at the shout and turned toward his teacher, sending himself spinning through the air. Izuku bumped against the ceiling and pressed a hand against it to reorient himself. Nemuri waved at him from the floor.
"Think you can drop it?" Izuku nodded.
"Okay, let's do this Izuku. Just stop flying and fall." He focused on the ground beneath him that suddenly seemed much much farther away. "Just intentionally fall. Stop flying." He wobbled a bit but when nothing of consequence happened, Izuku sighed. Alright, time to think about this logically. The key to Float is to tap into the sense of freedom, and it feels like a cape. Izuku felt the cool cape at his back, the manifestation of Float inside of One for All, and imagined slipping it off of his shoulders.
"AAHH!" Izuku dropped toward the floor as gravity took hold of him once more. As the rubber matting grew closer, he frantically called out for Float. He closed his eyes and turned to take the impact on his left shoulder instead of his injured right arm, but the crash never came. Izuku opened his eyes to see the mats six inches from his face. Tentatively, he reached out to the ground, and dropped to the floor from a much safer height.
"Well that was exciting." Izuku groaned and rolled onto his back to look into Nemuri's smirking face. "Maybe save that for a better padded gym next time there, Ace."
"I hate you."
"No you don't." Izuku begrudgingly accepted her hand and pulled himself to his feet with her help. "Ready to try another one?" Izuku let out a tired sigh.
"Sure."
"Let's focus on something else then. Can you summon Blackwhip for me?" Izuku bit back a groan and channeled a piece of his frustration into his quirk. A tendril of ink wormed its way out of his palm and writhed like a particularly angry piece of spaghetti. Nemuri watched with interest as it danced in the air before falling limply toward the ground.
"Well, I can show you some moves with my whip but Blackwhip is going to be much more versatile as both a capture tool and for maneuverability." Nemuri unfurled her whip from where it was rolled up on her belt. "The trick to aiming is to square your hips and follow through with your arm. Power is based on leverage and the length of your weapon. A longer whip hits harder but is more unwieldy and harder to aim with. Try hitting a few targets to get used to aiming without the help of your quirk itself. Don't destroy the targets, just snatch them up. Ready?"
"Let's do it."
Nemuri chewed her lip as she watched Izuku walk off toward the cafeteria. He had made some massive strides with Blackwhip since she last worked with him and Smokescreen was similar enough to Somnambulist that she could make him a master with it in no time. She was a lot more worried, however, about his Float quirk.
Flying was incredibly valuable both because of its rarity and the applications for it. Aerial combat specialists like Hawks made conflict resolution much faster and even those who could fly without enhanced speed put themselves at a huge advantage in a fight. Aerial rescue heroes were also in high demand thanks to their ability to reach disasters faster and without risking destabilizing any structures or landslides. With his speed and strength, mastering flight would put him a cut above anyone else.
But she didn't know the first thing about teaching someone how to fly. They were both novices when it came to his new power. She was woman enough to admit she needed some help. If Izuku wanted to use Float during his licensing exam, he needed someone experienced with flying to help him out. But who-
"Midnight-sensei?" Nemuri blinked away her thoughts and turned to Yaoyorozu who was lurking near the door.
"Yaoyorozu-chan, how can I help you?"
"Well," the normally confident girl scuffed her shoe against the floor. She had changed into her gym clothes so Nemuri assumed Shouta had already let them out to lunch. "I was hoping to ask you for some advice as well as a favor."
Nemuri raised an eyebrow at the meek demeanor of her student. Well, this should be interesting.
"You're sure about this Naomasa?"
"Would I have called you if I wasn't?" Shouta let out an unimpressed grunt but didn't take his eyes off of the screen where Kurogiri, and if Naomasa and the doctors from Tartarus were right, where Oboro was strapped to a chair, sedated with more of Nezu's damn shockers ready to blast him back to unconsciousness should his quirk activate.
"I thought you said the Nomu were all braindead. How come he isn't?"
"The first one we found at the USJ was. From what we can tell whoever did this to him went through a lot of trouble to make sure that he wasn't."
"What about his quirk? Oboro's quirk was Cloud, not a warp gate."
"The scientists at Central Hospital are looking into that now, but his quirk factor has changed. They've described it as 'fused' with other DNA and quirk factors. The base of it though, and the physical body underneath it all, that's Oboro."
"Do you think we can get him out? Can we save Oboro from Kurogiri?"
"Honestly? I don't know. The only people that know what happened to turn him into this are All for One and his doctor. The doctor's in the wind and All for One isn't saying anything anytime soon."
"But he came looking for Nemuri, right? So he's remembering something at least."
"That's why the guys over at Central asked me to bring you in. They want you, Mic, and Midnight to come by and see if you can spark something in him."
Shouta nodded. His biggest regret in life was watching Oboro die. And now he had a second chance to save his best friend all these years later. It was almost too good to be true, but if there was any way he could try, he had to take it. He couldn't fail him again.
Because they were running two-a-days until the next semester began, 1-A had just over two hours of uninterrupted time to rest for lunch and decompress before the afternoon training sessions started. Izuku grabbed a quick lunch and spent most of the time studying film, filling his notebook with new ideas to try and replicate and make his own. After an hour though, he already found his legs starting to twitch. He knew Midnight and All Might would want him to take it easy but he itched to get back in the gym. He needed to keep improving. He might have been able to call on the quirks of the past users, but he wasn't close to proficient with them yet.
Because of his restlessness, he found himself back in the gym once more. After a quick warm-up and stretch, he started to pace back and forth, jumping at random intervals just to float in the air for a moment before landing. He could turn Float on and off now, but he wasn't really flying. Not like he had done at the training camp or Kamino. So what was the difference? He couldn't just rely on instinct and dumb luck forever, right?
"You know, if you're so insistent on working even when you should be resting, you should probably get better about sneaking out, Deku." Izuku lost concentration and started to float up to the ceiling. He twisted midair to see Ochako smirking at him from the ground.
"How did you know I was here?" He called down.
"Tenya saw you leave and I managed to convince him that I should be the one to come find you. Do you need help coming down?"
"I think I'd rather you come up here and join me." Ochako gave him a small smile and pressed her fingers onto her own arm, sending her floating toward the ceiling to join him.
"Hi there, handsome."
"Hi. Come here often?"
"Not really, but if you're here I just might make a habit of it." Izuku wobbled a little in the air and Ochako reached out a hand to steady him. "You alright?"
"Let's just say you're making my heart soar and it's messing with my concentration." Ochako let out a little giggle that made Izuku's heart flip in his chest.
"You're still uncomfortable flying?"
"That obvious, huh?"
"A little." She used his arm to spin around and latch onto his back. "How about we do this: I'll keep you up with my quirk. You just focus on getting used to being weightless. Okay?" He nodded and felt Ochako press her fingertips against his back. Gingerly, he let his grasp on Float slip away.
Being weightless was a similar feeling to flying with his quirk but different at the same time. Zero Gravity removed that tether toward terra firma and left him more disoriented. He felt like a buoy being thrashed around by waves outside of his control. Float felt more controlled, almost like he was a torpedo cutting through the air.
"Try and orient yourself with your feet pointing downward." Ochako advised. "It helps your brain take in all the landscapes around you when you're positioned more normally. There you go." Izuku circled his arms to stop his momentum from sending him spiraling into flips.
"How do you do this so often?" He looked over his shoulder at Ochako but quickly turned back to stop himself from rotating more.
"You get used to it eventually. Do you want to try moving like that?"
"Sure." Izuku took a deep breath and let it go. Between Ochako's late night info-dumps about astronauts and brainstorming combination super moves for the two of them he felt like he had a basic understanding of what he had to do. Folding his middle finger against his thumb, he pointed at the near wall and let One for All charge up inside of him before letting loose a five percent flick.
Izuku shot backwards, rotating slightly from the recoil. Reaching back with his left hand, he shot another flick in the opposite direction. A tendril of heat lanced through his brain as he approached the ceiling and Izuku used a soft kick to send him racing back to the ground. Ever so slowly, Izuku started building up momentum, bouncing around in the air like Katsuki did with his explosions.
"Woah! Izuku you're doing amazing!"
"And you two should really be getting to your lessons!" Ochako yelped and accidentally released her quirk, sending the two of them plummeting to the ground. Izuku desperately called on Float and lashed out with Blackwhip to bring Ochako to him. Far slower than their previous free fall, the two of them landed on the padded ground. Standing a few feet away looking much too amused for Izuku's comfort was Nemuri and a vaguely familiar-looking blue haired girl.
"Midnight-sensei!" Ochako squeaked. "We were just, uhhh…" Midnight raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
"I believe you were just heading to your afternoon training session, Uraraka. Or should I let Eraserhead know you were in here instead?" Ochako blanched.
"No, ma'am! Bye Izuku! Good luck!" Izuku blinked and Ochako was gone, tearing off through the halls. Huh, I don't think I've ever seen her move that fast.
"Ooooh you're an interesting one!" A field of blue filled his vision obscuring the retreating back of his girlfriend. "Hey, how were you flying back there? Is that part of your quirk? I thought it was super strength or something? How come it broke your bones at your sports festival? Weren't you the guy that fought with All Might at Kamino? I bet that was totally super scary, huh? But you looked super cool up there and everything! But why didn't you do any interviews or anything? I would have definitely used that to push my brand for after graduation! But I guess you're not too worried about that as a first year, right? Ooh, your hair is so fluffy! Hey, what product do you use? Do you-" Nemuri cleared her throat, interrupting the stream of questions being fired at Izuku.
"Nejire, he can't answer any of your questions if you never stop asking them."
"Huh? But if I stop asking questions I'll forget what I wanted to ask next." The girl backed away and Izuku was able to finally figure out where he recognized her from.
"You're Nejire Hado! You're one of the big three!" Nejire spun around and finished with a magical girl pose, winking through double peace signs.
"Yup yup! You're looking at U.A.'s number one best girl, Nejire-chan!" Nemuri sighed.
"I still can't believe Shouta let you go with that name." Nejire turned and pouted over her shoulder.
"But my name is so cute, sensei! Just like me!" Nejire lost her balance and stumbled, but turned it into a somersault and popped up into another pose. Nemuri shook her head at the display and turned back to Izuku.
"Nejire is the best flyer at UA right now. If there's anyone who can help you figure this out it's her." Izuku looked toward where Nejire was humming and dancing to herself and looked back at Nemuri who shrugged. "There's a reason she's in the big three. You can learn a lot from her."
"So!" Izuku stumbled forward as Nejire jumped onto his back. "I hear you need the master aviatress' help!"
"Any advice you can give me would be invaluable, Hado-senpai."
"Psshh, don't call me that. That makes me sound so old. Just call me Nejire. Now, let's fly, Izuku!" He looked to Nemuri for help but she just made shooing motions with her hands. Izuku sighed and called on One for All again. Nejire may have been surprisingly muscular and heavy for her size, but she was nothing compared to All Might's powered up form.
Alright Izuku, focus. Put on the cape, slowly. Izuku rose into the air, toes dangling a few inches above the ground, and began to slowly make a lap around the gym with Nejire on his back. It was more difficult with his center of gravity changed by Nejire's presence, but after a few laps he felt like he was getting a handle on it.
"Speed up! Try positioning yourself like you're swimming through the air." Izuku dutifully leaned forward at his passenger's command and pushed a little more effort into speeding up. Even a small jump in speed made Izuku feel overwhelmed. Half his attention was spent just making sure he was keeping Float active so they didn't crash into the ground, and the other half of it was torn between determining when to turn, keeping a consistent speed, balancing Nejire, and making sure he kept his body in the right position. It didn't help matters that Nejire kept calling out advice and orders the whole time.
"Lean forward! Keep your eyes up! Keep breathing!" Izuku wobbled through the air like a drunk paper airplane every time he tried to adjust to Nejire's instructions. "Flatten your feet! Round your shoulders to speed up! Cross your fingers and wiggle your toes!" Wait, what? Izuku's concentration dropped and he fell, skipping over the mats like a stone.
"I know I'm the only one here who can't fly," Nemuri called over. "But I don't think that's how you're supposed to do it!" Izuku bit down the urge to throw something at Midnight and pushed himself up off the mat and to his feet.
"Why did you fall?" Izuku turned his attention to his senpai, who was regarding him curiously.
"Because I was trying to focus on keeping my balance and speed and direction, and I kept thinking about all your instructions and I-" "So stop thinking." Izuku blinked once at Nejire. Eh? She sighed and put her hands on either side of Izuku's head.
"You remind me a lot of my really good friend Tamaki. He's always overthinking things and getting in his own way obsessing over every little detail of everything. If thinking is getting in your way then just don't think about it." She let go of his head and took a few steps back.
"What do you mean? I can't just stop thinking."
"Sure you can. Just let your quirk do the thinking for you." Nejire started to pace back and forth waving her arms as she continued. "Haven't you ever noticed that quirks are kind of alive? They sort of have their own personalities! My quirk loves to get out and move, and so do I! My quirk loves to fly, so I can trust it to fly while I think about other stuff." She turned on her heel to face him again. "You just need to trust your quirk to do the thinking for you. Stop back-seat driving and let your natural instincts take the wheel!"
Izuku's first instinct was to object. He was quirkless underneath One for All, he didn't have the instincts and the natural reactions that Nejire was talking about. But the words of the First came back to him. Maybe this is what he meant that One for All was alive? It made some sense. The first time he used Float he never really consciously thought about what he was doing. He just did it.
Izuku took a deep inhale and stepped backwards toward the center of the gym. He did his best to clear his mind and reach out to the ocean of One for All inside of him. Please, guide me. I'm in your care. He called on Float and stepped into the air.
We got you, kiddo, came Nana's familiar voice. You are the culmination of all our experiences and memories. We won't let you fall.
Izuku smiled, eyes still closed, and let his body listen to instructions that weren't quite his. His shoulders straightened, hands open and a little ways away from his side. His toes pointed down, legs spreading slightly. His eyes opened as lightning flared to life around him. Power thrummed in his heart and Izuku loosened his grip on the leash.
Fly.
Izuku rocketed toward the ceiling, a gust of wind left in his wake. As the padded roof of the gym grew closer, a steady heat built in his head until he kicked his legs up, causing him to turn ninety degrees. He flew along the pads, stomach almost skimming the rubber until he reached a wall and let himself drop. Wind rushed past him as his flight stalled out, but Izuku wasn't worried. Moments before crashing into the mats below, he slammed his legs into the wall and pushed off toward the opposite wall.
A laugh tore itself from his lips. Is this what it's like for everyone else? He wondered. Is this what using your quirk at full power feels like?
"Having fun?" Izuku looked to his right to see Nejire flying alongside him, spiraling golden waves trailing into the air behind her.
"This is incredible!" He called to her. "I feel like I could do anything up here!"
"I know right? Sometimes I wish I could stay up here forever." They both banked left as they approached the next wall, Izuku rolling his right shoulder back to send him into a barrel roll. "We should probably head down now though. I think Midnight-sensei almost had a heart attack when you took off like that."
Nejire took the lead with a burst of speed back toward the entrance where Midnight was waiting. Izuku followed and landed in front of her with a thump.
"Not bad, kid." Nemuri said approvingly. "You looked pretty good out there for a first timer."
"I had a great teacher." Izuku shot a wink at Nejire, who cocked her head at him.
"You know you don't really remind me of Tamaki too much right now. You're more like Mirio. Oooh, are you their secret love child?! I knew those two were into each other!"
"And that's enough out of you." Nemuri grabbed Nejire around the shoulders and pointed her at the doors. "How about you hold onto all that restless energy and redirect it towards training your kouhai, hm? I bet the flight course is open right now if you want to run it with him."
"Oooh, can we do it with the glitter missiles? I like the glitter missiles!" Izuku blanched as he followed behind the two women. This is gonna be a long day.
Nemuri's good mood from watching Izuku's progress with his quirks lasted until the moment Shouta had started talking after she let him into her apartment. She fiddled with the charm that hung around her neck. It helped to hide how badly her hands were shaking but she didn't doubt that Shouta had noticed anyway. He was annoyingly perceptive like that.
"Oboro's dead, Shouta." Her voice sounded cold and distant even to her. Ice had replaced her organs. She heard what Shouta was saying but refused to let it take root in her mind.
"But Kurogiri isn't. What if he's still in there, Nem?"
"And what if he's not? I- I can't, Shouta. I won't entertain false hope. I thought you were supposed to be the logical one. Even if- Even if that is Oboro's body it won't be him. The boy we knew died. He's nothing but a memory anymore."
"But we can get him back." She hadn't heard Shouta this hopeful in a long long time. That note of optimism, a brief vision of the boy he had once been, it was all too painful for Nemuri.
"No we can't Shouta. Oboro is dead. Whatever Kurogiri is, it's not him."
"But Tsukauchi thinks-" "Let it go, Shouta." She cut him off. "In the best case scenario you make Kurogiri good but it won't be him. If you want to save someone, focus on the kids in 1-A. Make them great heroes. Put your faith in the future. Let the past go. Oboro died fifteen years ago. Nothing we do will change that." It was quiet in her apartment for a long moment. Finally, Shouta placed a business card on her counter.
"If you change your mind." He walked toward the door, not even stopping to acknowledge Sushi mewling at his feet. She watched him walk out the door with a sigh. If Shouta wanted to torture himself with what-ifs and maybes then that was his prerogative. Nemuri refused to let the past haunt her anymore. Oboro was dead. Any alternative just hurt too much to consider.