Chapter 5
"Pain is weakness leaving the body"
- Unknown
Fort Erskine, CA - June 2042
Nearly half-an-hour had passed since Izuku and his fellow SSR recruits had been debriefed on the program's purpose. If the other recruits were affected by the presentation, they didn't let it show visibly. Of course, Izuku knew they had to have been as shocked as he was by the metaphorical bombs that had been dropped on them.
Artificial meta-abilities were possible?! And this group was selected to receive them to become the first platoon in an eventual super-soldier army!? It was too much to process in one afternoon as Izuku stressed over the idea.
The recruits were guided to one of the base's training grounds (with various training equipment neatly organized across it) by an instructor and ordered to wait for Corporal Yamamoto. During that time, Izuku could practically feel the other recruits' eyes on him from time to time. He didn't sense any malice from them like he used to feel from Zak and other school bullies; they were just confused. He couldn't blame them though as he was just as bewildered by being in the A.M.P as well.
One recruit standing to Izuku's right, Private Barnes, subtly glanced down at the shorter teen. 'He definitely has no training. His stance and march are out of sync, and he's sweating bullets. Who is this kid? Why's he here?'
Izuku himself couldn't understand why Dr. Hatsume had recruited him for this important project knowing his physical limitations. Plus, why was Peggy here instead of the Marines? What connection did she have with the SSR?
He didn't have long to ponder those thoughts as Peggy marched onto the grounds. Her attire had switched to the USMC combat utility uniform (MCCUU) which consisted of a short-sleeved camouflage blouse (with appropriate badges and insignias) and trousers, a green undershirt, and tan suede boots. Her hair was still tied up into a bun with a single large strand hanging down over the right side of her face.
Izuku paused when he noticed the scary determined expression on her face. He can't remember ever seeing that look before. Did she normally look like this while serving her military time?
After relieving the stand-in drill instructor, Corporal Yamamoto stood tall in front of the 13 cadets. "Recruits, attention!"
Izuku and the others instantly complied; unfortunately, without the proper training beforehand, he stood out amongst his peers.
Peggy immediately spotted this and reacted. "Cadet Midoriya!"
"Y-yes ma'am?!" He stammered.
Marching up to him, she looked down at him with a fierce narrowed gaze that made him sweat nervously. "Your stance is all wrong. Stand upright! Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in! Am I clear?"
"Yes ma'am!" He did his best to follow her instructions.
"Heels together and feet spread apart." She further instructed. "I should be able to fit a slice of pizza in-between them!"
Shifting his feet to match the description, he absentmindedly replied, "R-right… thanks Peg-"
"It's 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am' only! Understood!?" She yelled sharply.
"Y-yes ma'am!" Izuku panicked. 'C-Crap! I forgot… I can't be formal with her… Can't make that mistake again.' He berated himself.
"I'll only tell you how to stand 'At Attention' once. DON'T make me repeat myself, cadet." Peggy sternly ordered.
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
Peggy kept her steely gaze focused on Izuku briefly before stepping back to address the rest of the unit. "Recruits, you already received the full debriefing of this project's purpose. For the next 10 weeks, all of you will be subjugated to an intense training regimen to prepare you physically and mentally for the coming procedures. If you thought your respective bootcamps were torture, you'll wish you were back there."
The group didn't respond, but neither of them were particularly excited to hear this.
"You now know what you're getting yourselves into. Honestly, I won't sugarcoat it for you, it's going to be tough. Very tough." Corporal Yamamoto expressed. "This project is the first of its kind. The potential rewards are great, yes… but the risks are even greater and very real. You may very well die." She paused to let the cadets seriously meditate on her words; particularly, a certain stubborn childhood friend. "There is no shame if you feel you're not ready or even willing to continue forward with the A.M.P. If any of you wish to back out, please step forward now."
None of the recruits moved, including Izuku.
'I don't know why I'm here… but Dr. Hatsume believes in me.' Izuku thought determinedly. 'And this is my one and only shot. I can't afford to waste it!'
Peggy's brows furrowed at the fact that Izuku hadn't moved an inch. 'Izu-kun… Fine! If you're determined to be here, then I'll treat you like any other recruit. I don't care if you're physically behind the others. I'll make you see how wide the gap is between everyone else and you.' She felt her chest twinge painfully but suppressed it. For his sake, she HAD to do this in order to keep him safe.
She owned it to Inko, at the very least.
"Very well then. I admire your courage." Peggy acknowledged. "Then, I won't waste any more time. Today we're going to hit the ground running. We'll start with conditioning drills that most of you are familiar with." Izuku knew she was subtly calling him out. "I want 5 sets of 10 power jumps, V-ups, mountain climbers, leg tuck and twists, and single-leg push-ups. After that we'll start with harder exercises."
Izuku sweated nervously. After doing extensive research on each military branch's training camps, he was already familiar with these conditioning exercises and had even tried doing them before. It went without saying though that he struggled mightily to finish the exercises in a timely fashion, and Peggy said they'd just be a warmup!?
'This is gonna hurt…' He dreaded.
"START NOW!"
"Yes ma'am!" The group immediately complied.
Performing a power-jump, Izuku quickly squatted down and jumped as far forward as he could while pumping his arms. He managed to jump 4 feet (~1.2 meters) on his first jump while everyone else exceeded 7 feet (~2.1 meters). The freckled-face teen could already feel his heart begin to pound in his chest.
Hell.
If there was one word that Izuku could use to describe his first day of training so far, it would be that. The first week of basic training wasn't called Hell Week for no reason. He fully understood going in that training would be difficult, especially for him; regardless, he had accepted that fact. Still, none of his past research could've prepared him for today.
Corporal Yamamoto was tough and demanded much from the recruits. Over the course of 4 hours, they performed many sets of exercises that ranged from basic physical conditioning drills (much like what they had started the day with) and training with pugil sticks while balancing on a log. It was very tough; in addition, the Californian summer heat and full-body US Army combat uniforms certainly didn't make things easier.
Needless to say, Izuku was struggling mightily.
There were even several points in time that he'd either collapse and/or stop to dry heave. None of the other cadets nor Peggy thought he'd get back up either time. But much to their surprise, he slowly returned to his feet and continued the exercise. Even though he was a ragged, breathing mess who was clearly out of his element, a few of the recruits had to inwardly acknowledge his tenacity at the very least.
Many people would've given up by now. Izuku Midoriya was not one of those people.
However, Corporal Yamamoto's frustration only seemed to grow against Izuku. At the beginning, all of her exercise drills were being delayed by Izuku lagging behind. It had reached a point where she had ordered Izuku to simply continue whatever exercise he was doing while the other recruits moved onto the next drill to avoid falling behind schedule any further.
Izuku felt embarrassed, inwardly berating himself for not keeping up. Was it mean on Peggy's part? Yes, but this was the military. Nothing was won through kindness.
It was 4 PM (16:00) and only an hour of training remained before dinner was scheduled to be served, and the Marine woman was determined to use all of their allocated training time remaining. After finishing the last set of pugil stick exercises, the SSR recruits stood in formation.
Corporal Yamamoto's sharp eyes scrutinized them. Naturally, they were tired, sweaty, and out of breath; however, she knew they could still continue if asked. They were in acceptable physical shape and had good stamina. Cadet Midoriya, however, was a different story altogether. He looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.
There was only one last exercise she had planned. One that was bound to crush the cadet's stubbornness, she was sure.
Following a short water break, Corporal Yamamoto shouted, "We have one exercise remaining for the day."
Though they were silent, she could tell the cadets were relieved. She turned to point left, directing their attention to a dirt trail leading into the forest. It was outside the fence, but still well within the facility's property.
"We're going to run a simple 5K down the trail that will loop back to the base. Fairly straightforward. I understand you're all tired, but it's time to push those limits!"
Izuku's eyes widened slightly. Running was Izuku's worst exercise by far… and Peggy knew that.
"GO! LET'S MOVE OUT!" the Corporal ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" came the collective reply.
With Peggy in front, the cadets started running toward the trail. Izuku, of course, was at the back of the pack, breathing heavily. Sweat poured down his face and soaked areas on his uniform. Pain was flaring across his body and his muscles felt like jelly. The tightness in his chest from his asthma only compounded his issues.
One of the recruits, a short burly young man a few years older than Izuku, glanced back to see the shorter teen falling behind. He scoffed to himself. "Hopeless… kid doesn't belong here…"
Izuku could feel himself teetering on the edge of passing out. His body was screaming for him to stop! But let the record show that Izuku Midoriya was a stubborn one, even against his own body's wishes.
'Breath through nose, out through mouth! Breath through nose, out through mouth!' He internally instructed himself, working to get his breathing under control. He wished he had his inhaler handy.
In his exhausted state, Izuku didn't notice a camouflage-painted four-seater UTV driving up beside him. Startled, he sheepishly jumped to the side and relaxed a little when he noticed Dr. Hatsume was riding in the back seat while someone else was driving. Probably an assistant?
The UTV slowed down to match his pace. "Need this?" Teruko offered an emergency inhaler.
Without saying a word, Izuku grabbed the inhaler and took a couple puffs, and instantly felt the effects as his bronchial tubes reopened. A wave of relief washed over him as he took in much-needed oxygen.
"T-thanks, doctor…" Izuku handed the inhaler back to her.
"Keep it in your pockets. You might need it again." Teruko winked while shooting him a cheerful smile. "Now, keep up the good work, Izuku!" She gave a thumbs-up before the UTV sped up and drove away.
Izuku placed the inhaler in one of his uniform pockets and continued down the trail. 'Right. Have to… keep pushing…' He told himself. 'No pain… no gain… it won't last forever. All mental…' He continued going even though the other cadets were getting further ahead. No quitting. Soldiers don't quit.
Later, the SSR recruits arrived at an open dirt clearing in the forest with a flagpole in the center. At the top was a green flag with the SSR symbol in the center with bold, white lettering around it that read: U.S Army. Fort Erskine, California. Est. 2017.
Corporal Yamamoto ordered the group to halt in front of the flagpole, and then waited a few minutes for Izuku to finally catch up. The other recruits didn't seem to mind as it gave them a few minutes' reprieve. The UTV was parked off to the side with Dr. Hatsume observing everyone, writing various notes on a clipboard.
The Marine woman was upset about Izuku lagging behind but resisted the urge to chew him out again. Besides, it soon wouldn't be necessary. After the next upcoming drill, she was confident that Izuku would come to terms with reality and then request to be dismissed from the SSR. Good thing Dr. Hatsume would be present to witness the scene herself.
"Recruits," Corporal Yamamoto pointed to the flagpole, "this flag marks the halfway point in the trail. If any of you can bring me that flag, you'll get a ride back to base in the UTV."
Dr. Hatsume waved from the UTV with a cheery smile.
Still catching his breath, this information perked Izuku up. He wasn't sure if he could continue running further without collapsing. The onyx-haired teen looked between the smiling ruby-redhead doctor in the UTV and the flag at the top of the 15-foot-tall (~4.5 meters) pole, silently taunting him.
At that moment, his mind had been set: he had to get that flag!
"MOVE IT!" Corporal Yamamoto shouted. "I SUGGEST YOU START CLIMBING NOW!"
He'd have to wait his turn, though. The dozen other cadets immediately rushed to the flagpole in a frenzy, each of them trying to climb up it.
"Everyone gets one chance! Keep it moving!" She ordered. "By the way, no one has ever gotten that flag. Who wants to be first?"
Many of their attempts failed as they were unable to get a grip on the slick metal.
"Get up there, Barnes!" Corporal Yamamoto encouraged.
'Barnes, huh…?' Izuku recognized the brunet pushing his way through the others to the pole.
He'd been sitting next to him in the debriefing room that afternoon and stood next to him in the formation line too. He didn't look that much older than him, yet the physical differences were night and day. While Barnes looked like the ideal soldier ready to be shipped off to war or participate in professional fighting, Izuku looked like he belonged on the schoolyard or behind a desk.
Barnes crouched low and jumped on the pole, wrapping his arms and legs around it. The vice grip from his appendages gave him enough friction to stay stationary. With grunts of exertion, he carefully worked his way further up the pole until he was nearly halfway up.
Izuku's eyes widened. 'Is he going to get it…!?'
Just a few more feet and the flag would be within his reach, Barnes thought, and then he suddenly felt his grip vanish. He promptly slid back down and fell to the ground on his behind with a pained "OOF!"
The brunet snapped his head in Corporal Yamamoto's direction with a glare. "IT'S GREASED?!"
A cheeky smirk spread on Peggy's face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What? Did you think we'd make it easy?"
"Hardly fair, don't yah think, ma'am?" the short cadet from earlier remarked, sounding annoyed.
Corporal Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. "You're right, Private Howlett. It isn't fair. Just like the world. Just like real-life battles. You gonna cry about it? Or are you gonna be a soldier and overcome it?"
Private Howlett growled softly, furrowing his bushy brows.
'Howlett is his name, huh?' Izuku thought.
At 5'3" (161 cm) tall, he was stunned that there was actually someone shorter than him in the group. It didn't matter though, given how buff and toned Howlett was, he could easily beat Izuku in anything physical-related.
Howlett looked up at the flag and then his hands in a thoughtful manner. 'Nah… ain't worth the pain and blood on my uniform. Besides, busting them out won't help me get up that stupid pole.' He rationalized.
Giving an annoyed growl, Howlett walked to the flagpole, crouched low, and (despite his short stature) jumped up several feet high to grab onto it. Tuning out the other recruits shouting and Corporal Yamamoto's barking, Howlett focused his full attention on the green flag only 9 feet (~2.7 meters) from his reach.
The burly young man carefully scaled the pole, his muscular thighs and arms wrapped tightly around it. A few feet further and he could see the gleam from the grease that Barnes had slipped on. Gauging that he couldn't go past that point, he reached up with an arm to hopefully grab the flag.
It was a meter out of his grasp.
With no other options, Howlett firmly placed the bottom of his boots against the pole and pushed himself up as far as he could. Extending his arm out in a last-ditch effort to grab hold of the flag… but he came up a foot too short.
"Sh*t!" He cursed.
Gravity took immediate effect as he swiftly grabbed onto the pole to break his fall, but still slid down and hit the ground hard. "RRAH! Dammit!"
"Too bad…" Corporal Yamamoto smirked, earning a frustrated gruff from Howlett.
Izuku stood back and observed his peers attempt to scale the flagpole; all failing to do so.
Finally, only one recruit's turn was left.
"Cadet Midoriya!" The ravenette Corporal exclaimed. "You're up!"
"Y-Yes ma'am…!" Izuku yelped.
The other recruits watched the teen with indifferent, neutral expressions. It was clear that they had already written him off. After all, if none of them could get the flag, then the short asthmatic kid had no chance.
Only one person thought differently.
"You can do it, Midoriya!" Teruko cheered. "Show 'em who's boss!"
Corporal Yamamoto sweat-dropped at the doctor's obvious favoritism. 'You're supposed to be non-partial.'
Izuku gave a shaky thumbs up in response. Sweaty, disheveled and mildly out of breath from today's activities, Izuku walked to the flagpole.
Peggy had reached the same conclusion as the recruits. Izuku would fail. 'You wanted a chance to try, and you've had that chance today… but you must've realized it by now, Izu-kun. Not even recruits who are in shape can reach that flag. For you, it's impossible. And this is only an example of what'd you face in real-world combat.'
Deep down, Peggy hated that she had to be the one to do this. Maybe it was better this way? Maybe it was ideal that it would be someone Izuku trusted and who cared enough about him to convince him to find an alternate, more obtainable dream. She would not allow Izuku to needlessly kill himself. He had too much to live for, in her eyes.
'I'm sorry, Izu-kun… but you need to accept this and - wait, what's he doing?' Peggy's eyes then widened.
As Izuku approached the flagpole, everyone had assumed he would fruitlessly attempt to climb up it like they had. Instead, he bent down at the base of the pole and started fiddling with something.
Suddenly, the flagpole fell to the ground with a loud clang.
…
…
The area went silent; the only sounds coming from the wind rustling the treetops and the occasional chirping from birds. Peggy and the SSR recruits were speechless, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
Izuku tossed a locking lynch pin to the ground and calmly proceeded towards the flag, carefully unclipping it from the pole. He had noticed the lynch pin earlier while everyone had been trying to climb the flagpole and had listened to Peggy's instructions carefully. He was mildly surprised no one else had done this earlier, but he wasn't complaining. No more running for him today!
The silence was promptly broken by Teruko's ecstatic laughter as she clapped her hands. "Bravo, Izuku! 良くできました!" She slipped into Japanese. "おめでとう!"
Izuku didn't understand everything Teruko had said but blushed lightly at the praise while carefully folding the flag. He made a conscious effort to avoid the other recruits' dumbfounded gazes as he went by them. Walking up to his childhood friend, Izuku handed the flag to her.
"Thank you, ma'am." He said, with a small smile on his freckled face.
Peggy blinked twice. It took her a few seconds before wordlessly accepting the flag, letting Izuku walk toward the UTV.
"Hold on!" Howlett exclaimed furiously. "Is that even allowed?!"
Dr. Hatsume's laughing settled down. "All the Corporal told you was to get the flag. She never said how to get it."
"But… she said to climb the pole…?" Private Carter, a blonde-haired and blue-eyed young woman, pointed out.
"Wrong." Shaking her head, the Corporal interjected, "I said, I suggest you start climbing."
Private Carter groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated. "Damn… one of those read in-between the line deals. Should've expected that…" She berated herself.
Private Barnes looked between the flagpole on the ground and Izuku climbing into the UTV. 'Huh… not bad, short stuff. Not bad at all…' A small smile appeared on his face.
Private Howlett eyed Izuku stoically and crossed his arms over his chest, huffing lightly. 'Guess he ain't completely hopeless…'
Izuku took a seat by Dr. Hatsume, who looked at him gleefully. "Great work, Izuku!" She held up her hand.
"T-Thank you, doctor…" He stuttered nervously, returning the high-five.
"It's Teruko. Need to work on that stuttering problem of yours." the eccentric scientist commented.
"R-right…" Izuku sheepishly replied.
The UTV's driver started up the machine and drove off down the trail, leaving Peggy and the other recruits in its wake.
'Izu-kun…' Peggy's grip on the flag tightened. '…you brilliant, infuriating… ERG!'
Her plan had failed. Izuku saw through what should have been an impossible situation and found a simple solution. She was conflicted, feeling both frustrated and proud of him at the same time.
Well, it was only the first day. Maybe 9 more days of hellish training would make him reconsider? She frowned at that idea, beginning to feel uncertain.
Over an hour later, Izuku was in the mess hall sitting alone at a long bench as base personnel sat at tables around him - engaging in casual conversations. He was eating his meal at a moderate pace while chugging down water like he had just come out of the Sahara.
He was still wearing his combat uniform but had wiped off the sweat from his face. He'd take a shower after dinner during their 1-hour designated free time before curfew. After that, it was strictly lights-out at 9:00 PM (21:00) sharp.
He sighed loudly. Today had been tough. His body was aching all over, and he was ready to collapse from exhaustion. He knew it wasn't going to feel any better tomorrow.
'To think, there's still 10 more weeks of days like today.' Izuku frowned. 'Can I last that long? Will I give out before then?'
Just as pessimistic thoughts were beginning to set in, the doors opened and the other SSR cadets finally walked into the mess hall. Some of them were still out of breath from today's activities. They immediately headed to the serving station as cafeteria workers prepared plates for them.
Izuku lowered his head, feeling guilty. 'I held all of them back today… They would have completed all of the exercises faster if I hadn't been lagging behind. They must hate me. I mean… I guess I can't blame them.'
Once again, he was the least popular person in the group. Oh well. He was used to this after what he endured in school. Nothing had changed, except for the time and place. Well, he couldn't dwell on that. All he could do now was put his head down and keep on pushing ahead…
"Is this seat taken?" Izuku was snapped out of his musings and looked up.
Private Barnes was standing by him with his tray of food in hand, and a friendly smile on his face.
Izuku blinked to ensure he wasn't seeing things. This was a first, someone aside from Peg-chan requesting to sit by him. "Uh…n-no." He stammered. "Go on ahead. It's a free country, I mean."
"That it is." Barnes took a seat to Izuku's left. "Rough first day. Am I right?"
"Uh, yeah…" Izuku weakly replied.
He sighed exhaustively. "I tell yah, pal, even my first day at Fort Benning's last year wasn't this intense. That Corporal Yamamoto is one tough cookie." Barnes remarked, speaking with a noticeable New York accent. "Barely gave us time to catch our breaths."
"Well, they don't call her the Iron Woman for no reason." A feminine voice said. Izuku looked to see the blonde girl, Private Carter, sitting across from him and Barnes with her food tray in front of her. "Not many people can climb through the ranks as quickly as she has."
"Y-yeah… Peg-chan has always had a scary work ethic." Izuku absentmindedly commented.
Barnes looked at Izuku wryly, cupping his chin with his right hand. "Peg-chan, huh? So, you do know her?"
The onyx-haired teen froze up, realizing his error. "Uh… y-yeah, we do. We grew up together." There was no point in hiding it, he thought.
"Figured as much." Another voice remarked. Private Howlett sat to Izuku's right. The freckled teen couldn't help but feel mildly intimidated by having two muscular guys on either side of him, even if one of them was an inch shorter than him. "The way she froze up when she looked at you in the debriefing room gave it away. What, she didn't know you'd be here, bub?"
"N-no… I don't think so." Izuku hesitantly replied. "And I didn't know she'd be here either…"
"Mind if I sit with your group?" A subdued voice interjected. Across the table was a muscular, light-skinned young man standing at 6'2" (187 cm) and had short black hair, a sharp face, and… pointy ears. His calm voice was a stark contrast to his intimidating presence.
"Sure. Take a seat, McKenzie." Carter patted the seat to her right.
McKenzie gave an appreciative nod and sat down on the bench.
"McKenzie… you're in the Navy SEALs, right?" Barnes asked. "What's your rank?"
"I am." He nodded; his expression was stoic. "E-4. Petty Officer Third Class."
Barnes whistled. "Whoa… didn't take you long to get that rank? You're like what… 18?"
"19." He corrected.
"Huh. Same age as me. Howlett?" Barnes looked over at the burly young man.
"20." He started eating. "21 in October."
"Carter?"
"18."
Barnes looked at Izuku. "And you?"
"I'm… 17." He then perked up. "B-But I'll be 18 in July!"
"Damn. Fresh out of school, huh?" Barnes realized something. "Guess we're all young, aren't we?" He looked down to see the other six recruits sitting down the table from them, casually conversing. They all looked like they were under 20 as well.
Izuku adopted a thoughtful expression. "Could it have something to do with the super-soldier procedure? Are they targeting young recruits on purpose?" He asked himself.
"Right…" Carter spoke up, "... this whole 'super-soldier' project, any of you guys buying that?"
"I mean… what would be the point in them lying about it?" questioned Barnes.
"Test subjects for illegal human experimentation?" Howlett offhandedly suggested.
The group turned to stare at him.
"What? Don't tell me it never crossed your mind." he accused. "We've all seen the movies."
Private Carter directed her gaze to Izuku. "Maybe I'd buy that if it weren't for-"
"Hey, it's flagman!" Izuku looked to see a muscular, dark-skinned young man standing at 5'11" (180 cm) with short black hair and sideburns sitting across the table from him by Private Carter. "Nice work back there on the flagpole. Made us all look like a bunch of chumps back there. Hope you enjoyed that ride back to base."
"I… I…" Izuku was beginning to panic. Did he think he was trying to show them up on purpose? "I didn't mean-"
"Ha-ha-ha!" He laughed boisterously. "Relax, little man! Just messing with yah. Lighten up."
"O-okay…" Izuku was confused. Why were they sitting by him, and chatting so casually with him? Shouldn't they be angry with him, or annoyed at the very least? After all, the training today was much harder because of him. He didn't understand.
"Name's Nicholas. Nicholas Fury." He stood up to extend his hand. "Friends just call me Nick though."
"Oh! Uh… n-nice to meet you, Nick." He timidly shook the larger man's hand. He seemed friendly. That beaming smile of his was charismatic, Izuku inwardly admitted. "I-I'm Izuku. Izuku Midoriya."
"Izuku's your name?" Barnes repeated. "Is that Chinese or Japanese?"
"Japanese."
"That where you from, kid?" Howlett asked.
"Born, yeah. But Fresno's my home." Izuku plainly responded.
"I was just curious. Didn't mean anything by it, bub." Howlett clarified. "I'm from Canada myself."
"Canada?" Barnes cocked a brow. "You don't talk like a Canadian. Where's your accent?"
Howlett smirked. "Hehe… Get me drunk enough and you'll hear it."
"I see. Well, if you think about it, I guess we're all immigrants in a way." Barnes looked around the group. "We got Fresno and Canada here. I'm from New York myself, in case you couldn't tell." He motioned to Izuku and Howlett. "What about you three?" He asked Carter, McKenzie, and Fury.
"Richmond, Virginia." Carter answered. "Born and raised."
"Huntsville, Alabama," Fury grinned. "Home sweet home."
"Please don't start singing that old song." Howlett bemoaned, sweat-dropping.
"Why? It's a southern classic!" Fury argued.
Carter turned to the tall, quiet man of the group. "McKenzie. Where are you from?"
He didn't immediately respond. "Atlanta. Raised there. Before then… I can't say."
"Mysterious, aren't we?" Barnes teasingly remarked. "How about full names? Figured I should at least get to know my future super-soldier comrades." He put mock quotes around "super-soldier".
"James Howlett." the burly man responded while eating.
"Sharon Carter." The blonde smiled. It felt good to casually talk after such a rough day. "Pleased to formally meet you guys."
McKenzie didn't respond immediately. "Namor McKenzie."
"Namor, huh?" Barnes smirked. "Unique name you got there. I like it!"
Namor simply shrugged, continuing with his food. Namor was definitely a quiet and reserved person, Izuku thought. Nothing wrong with that. He was curious about those pointy ears though. Did he possess a meta-ability of some kind, even if it was just a simple mutation type? Maybe he could ask him later?
Barnes turned to Izuku, offering a handshake. "My name's James Barnes. Just call me Bucky though."
Izuku shook his hand, trying not to wince from his grip strength. "Bucky… nice to meet you." A thought occurred to him. "You said you were from New York?"
Bucky smirked. "Born and raised. Brooklyn, to be precise."
"Oof! Brooklyn, huh?" Nick grimaced, looking at Bucky empathetically. "Were you there during the fires last month?"
Bucky frowned. "No. I was stationed in New Jersey at the time."
"I heard about the Brooklyn fire." Izuku stated. "From what I read, a teenager with a pyrokinetic meta-ability lost control and his parents' house caught on fire. The flames spread really fast. Fire departments couldn't put all of the fires out in time." He looked at Barnes sympathetically. "Was you anyone you know-"
"My parents are alive thankfully." Bucky interrupted, already knowing what Izuku was going to ask. "Second-degree burns, lost their house, and all of their belongings… but alive. A few of my old buddies though… not so much."
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Izuku frowned.
"It's okay…" He sighed. "Guess this is just the crazy world we live in now… where babies can glow, and people can just casually light themselves on fire and commit wide-scale arson."
James directed a pointed look at Bucky. "You know it was an accident, right? The kid didn't mean to do it."
"Oh really? All I know is that my parents and a lot of people lost their homes, and dozens of people, some of them being friends of mine, were burned to death." Bucky retorted.
"Maybe we should change the subject." Sharon offered, sensing the rising tension between the two. Izuku was very grateful as he would've been caught in the crossfire had a fight broke out between them. "Like, how'd all of you find out about this place? Take me for example. I was serving in the Virginia National Guard when Dr. Hatsume sought me out and extended the offer to join this new program. Got tired of breaking up meta-human riots in Richmond, so I figured it wouldn't hurt."
"She approached me as well." Namor added. "Was impressed with my progress in the SEALs. Said I could do some real good on this project, so I decided to join."
Nick grinned proudly. "Army Rangers myself. Private First Class. She extended an offer to me after seeing how much a** I was kicking, and said she just had to have me join."
"Army Rangers too." James replied dryly. "Still a Private. Only joined up a few months ago though…" He paused as if he were thinking his next words carefully. "... she was impressed with my progress and convinced me to join up."
"Regular Army, Private First Class. She came to the base I was stationed at and personally sought me out." Bucky said, and then directed his attention to Izuku. "Then there's you. No offense, but you're the odd man out, Izuku."
"You're only 17. You can't have been in the military for very long." Sharon pointed out.
"Y-yeah…" Izuku lowered his head, feeling embarrassed. "… today's actually my first day in the military."
"HUH?!" The group looked at the short, freckled teen in shock; even Namor looked at him in mild disbelief.
"Are you messing with us?" Nick furrowed his brows.
Bucky blinked, remembering how Izuku struggled in stances earlier today. "Actually… that does make some sense."
"H-How did you get roped into all of this?" Sharon stammered, wide-eyed.
"Yeah… how and why did the doctor seek you out?" James demanded.
"I…" Izuku was put on the spot and wasn't sure how to respond since he himself didn't have the answers. "Honestly, I don't know why. I was applying at an army recruiting station in San Francisco. I had just gotten denied enlistment in the Marines earlier that week, but I still wanted to enlist. So, I thought maybe the Army could take me. Then, Dr. Hatsume walked in out of nowhere. She monitored my physical test, and then offered me a chance to enlist by joining the A.M.P."
Izuku momentarily paused. "After what I've heard today… I'm left even more confused." He looked at the group. "All of you are strong and experienced. It makes sense why you're here. As for me, I can't say why Dr. Hatsume brought me onto this project."
"Well, after today," Bucky spoke up, "are you thinking of pulling out?"
Izuku briefly considered that thought but shook his head and adopted a resolute expression. "No. I can't."
"Why not? Listen, bub," James gave him a serious look, "things ain't gonna get any easier for you. We still got 10 more weeks of what happened today in front of us. Not to brag, but we can handle it. What about you?"
"I have to." Izuku simply replied.
"I'm curious… why did you want to join the military so badly despite your… well…" Sharon wasn't sure how to phrase her question without offending Izuku.
James had no issue, though. "Despite being as skinny as a twig." He roughly stated. "Seriously, bub, it's called a burger. Try eating some next time."
"Y-yeah…" Izuku clenched his pants tightly. "I know I'm weak and frail, but I want to help serve my country in any way I can. And… if being a test subject for this super-soldier project is the only way… then I'll do it." He looked at the group with a fire in his eyes they hadn't seen before. "Even if I don't know why she selected me, Dr. Hatsume cared enough about my dream to give me a chance. I can't waste it. Today was rough, yes… but I could never live with myself if I just gave up. I'll push through the pain."
The group wordlessly stared hard at Izuku as everyone in the mess hall continued talking. Izuku winced, believing he somehow offended them. He was about to apologize until Bucky slapped him on the back. "OOF!"
"I like you, dude!" Bucky exclaimed, grinning widely. "You're alright in my book."
"W-what?" Izuku's eyes widened.
"I believe your way in over your head, but…" Sharon smiled, "...seeing you push through the drills today was quite inspirational."
Namor simply nodded, a small smile present on his face.
"Seriously, little man! You were crazy." Nick commented. "Every time you collapsed, you kept getting back up and pushed through. Gotta admire that resiliency."
"Then you had to go make us look like a bunch of tools with the flagpole exercise." James smirked.
"I-I didn't mean to-"
"Relax, bub." James chortled lightly. "If anyone needed that ride back to base, it was definitely you. Still, you worked your a** off today. Maybe there's hope for you yet, Shorty."
"Shorty? But… I'm taller than you…" Izuku pointed out, furrowing his brows.
James held up his left arm and flexed, and even though the uniform covered it, Izuku could make out the shape of huge biceps. "You got these?"
Izuku slumped his shoulders in defeat. "No…"
"Then you're Shorty from now on." He grinned roguishly.
"Lay off, Howlett." Bucky placed his right arm around Izuku's shoulders, smiling. "Tell ya what, my dude, how about you and become Battle Buddies?"
"B-Battle Buddies?" Izuku's eyes widened. "But that's something only people in the Army can… Oh…" Izuku realized that he technically was in the Army since he was part of the SSR.
Bucky smiled. "Yeah, you look like you can use the help. If you want, when we get back to the barracks, I'll show you how to stand 'At Attention', and all the other military stances you need to know." His mouth shifted to form a sly grin. "That way Peg-chan won't bust your balls again like she did this afternoon."
"I… I would greatly appreciate that." Izuku was dumbfounded by his kindness. "But… why?"
"Why what?" Bucky asked, confused.
"Why are you wanting to help me? You… don't know me. And I was the reason the exercises today lasted for so long. I held everyone back." He looked down at his tray in shame. "If anything, you guys should hate me."
"That's a dumb question. 'Cause you're a cool dude!" Bucky earnestly replied.
That declaration definitely threw Izuku for a loop. He had been called many things in his life. Short, weak, hopeless, and useless to name a few. But cool? Bucky was only the second person who had ever called him that, the first being Peg-chan.
"Also," Bucky continued, "just something about seeing your tenacity today pushed me to go the extra mile too."
"Besides, those exercises were gonna be a pain in the a** whether you were there or not." Nick added. "If anything, you stopping to puke your guts out gave us extra time to catch our breaths. So, thanks for that!"
"Uh… you're welcome?" Izuku wasn't sure how else to respond to that, but at least they weren't belittling him, right?
"Honestly, you kind of remind me of a superhero with that unreal drive of yours." Bucky stated offhandedly. "I want to see you get through these 10 weeks and accomplish that dream of yours, so I'll help you in any way I can."
Izuku looked at Bucky with shocked, wide eyes. Was he being serious? He wasn't just trying to lead him on and later humiliate him, right? Studying his expression, he didn't see any sign of deceit; it was simply a good-natured, earnest smile. He meant every word.
"How about it?" Bucky offered his hand. "Battle Buddies?"
Involuntary tears leaked from Izuku's eyes as he struggled to maintain his composure. This took the group off guard. Where'd the waterworks come from?
"Uh… you okay, man?" Bucky asked worriedly.
"Y-yeah! I'm fine." Izuku quickly used his sleeve to wipe away his tears, looking back at Bucky with a smile. "If you're sure, then yeah… I'll do it!" He accepted the handshake.
Bucky smiled widely. "Good! Just know I'm gonna be holding you accountable from now on. Don't you dare at any point try to quit on me, no matter how hard it gets, yah hear? 'Cause I won't be quitting on you! Ever."
Izuku smiled determinedly. "I won't!"
"Good!" Bucky squeezed his shoulder. "We'll start with basic stances as soon as we finish eating. But first," he shot Izuku a mischievous smirk, "you gotta give us the scoop on your relationship with Peg-chan."
"Peg-chan?" Namor lifted a brow, bemused.
"Corporal Yamamoto." Bucky elaborated. "Apparently, she and Izuku have a little relationship going on."
"N-NO!" Izuku frantically waved his hands, blushing madly. "It's not like that!"
"Ha! Your blush says otherwise." Bucky teased. "Now stop holding out on us! What base are you at with her? First? Second? Homerun, maybe!?"
"Homerun?!" Izuku went beet red, causing the guys to laugh at his expense.
Meanwhile, as Bucky continued to pester Izuku over his childhood friend, Corporal Yamamoto walked into the mess hall. Looking around, she was mildly surprised to see Izuku sitting with six of the recruits. They seemed to be having a good time if their animated conversation was any indication.
This was a pleasant surprise. She hadn't expected the cadets to be kind with Izuku after how much he failed in today's drills. Her eyes then widened in realization. The flagpole drill! And the fact that he kept returning to his feet every time she overworked him. Had he earned their respect?
One look at the table answered that question clear as day. Their smiling faces; their looks of approval. It was only the first day, and they had already accepted him despite his physical shortcomings.
The development left Peggy Yamamoto feeling very conflicted. On one hand, she was irritated by Izuku's persistence and refusal to accept the reality that he physically wasn't cut out for military life. On the other hand, his sheer tenacity was truly inspirational. She could understand how he had won the platoon over.
But this wasn't good. At this rate, if Izuku received further encouragement from his fellow recruits, he would never quit the SSR.
Peggy bit her lip nervously and turned to leave the mess hall. She couldn't eat right now. Earlier, she had been fully confident that she would break Izuku and make him quit within 10 days, but after the resilience he had demonstrated today and the shrewdness with the flagpole… she was beginning to feel uncertain.
Maybe just a few more days of intense exercise would get through his thick skull? Or perhaps she could call him out for mistakes in stances again? There were bound to be many. Yes, she hated to embarrass him in such a manner, but if it saved his life, it was worth the price.
'Izu-kun… you may hate me after this… but I'm doing this because I care about you.' Peggy thought determinedly. I will protect you from anyone! Even if the person I have to protect you from is yourself.'