Chapter 6: Gratitude and a Promise
Heeellllloooo, I'm the Man of Cartoons guy, and I remember it so you don't have to!
So here we are in 2018! I hope you guys had a wonderful New Year's day! Also, I apologize for the grammar errors in the previous chapter. I've had most of them fixed, thanks to the concern of some readiness and also try to avoid constant repeat of certain words. Lastly, I'll take my time to go through the other previous chapters to correct them so that new readers won't have to go through them.
Now on to the chapter!
Chapter 6: Gratitude and a Promise
Izuku Midoriya had done it. He had gone forward against the large no-points robot and destroyed it with a single punch. He felt very good about it, as the current situation allowed him to reflect on that day he had attempted to save Kacchan, the day that later changed his life.
'It's the same situation as back then.' He thought, reflecting on the past. 'But this time it's different.'
Indeed, it was different. However there was a problem. It took Izuku a few seconds, but he finally realized it. He was falling.
"I…I'M FALLING! AAAAHHHH!" He screamed. 'But hold on! I have All Might's power, right!?' He thought urgently. 'I clobbered that thing to nothing! SO LANDING SHOULD BE A PIECE CAAAKKKKEEE!?'
True, he did have All Might's power, so he should be fine. However, when the teen looked to his right arm and both legs, he noticed them flapping against the wind uselessly - and that's where the pain came. As a result, he held his right arm with his left arm and screamed in pain as he continued falling.
Ironically, this is the moment he realized what All Might had told him back then.
'Don't forget, kid –You may be a 'vessel' now, but just barely a hurried construction, you could say! Be prepared for a shock to your system!'
'So that's what he meant…! I'm an idiot!' Izuku thought in realization. 'Of course, this is All Might's power! It was only ten months! I've only scratched the surface of controlling it! All I can do right now is house a burrowed power! I can't believe I got such a big head, if only for a moment!'
Izuku suddenly snapped himself out of that negative moment. He was smart to realize that pitying himself was bad. So he began to think things differently.
'Get a grip, Man!' He thought. 'All I've got so far is the right to stand on the starting line! Nothing! Now think! What do I do!? What do I…? Eh?'
Izuku suddenly stopped falling. He noticed it there, as he then became aware of his position in the air. He wasn't falling or making any movement in the air; he was just suspended in the air with no physical contact to anything. But before he could say anything, he felt a presence coming to towards him, and turned to it just in time to see Tatsumaki.
"Hmph! And here I was impressed!" Tatsumaki said, somewhat disappointed. "Seriously, who goes ahead and breaks almost all their limbs! Idiot!"
"Tatsumaki…" Izuku could only mutter.
"But still…" Tatsumaki continued. "I guess you did a good job…Nice work, Midoriya."
"Uh…Thanks." Midoriya brightly smiled.
And so the 'journey' to the ground went well. Tatsumaki levitated herself and the teen to the ground, before releasing her hold at him. Now Izuku lay on the ground on his stomach while the girl stood next to him.
"That had to have hurt!" Tatsumaki commented. She then looked down on Izuku. "Are you ready to go? I should probably take you to get some help."
Izuku opened his mouth to answer. However, the only response that came out of him was a groan of pain, followed by him grabbing his arm. As a result, Tatsumaki sighed and immediately activated her power, which in turn made her and the teen to levitate in the air again.
"Huh…? We're leaving?" Izuku questioned, confused. "But what about the…?"
"You got enough points, right?" Tatsumaki asked. She then waited for Izuku to nod, before continuing. "Then we're leaving. The test will be over anyway."
"THE TEST IS OVER!" Music Mix announced.
"See. What did I tell ya?" Tatsumaki remarked. "Now let's go. This Academy should have some medical personnel for a dangerous practical exam like this."
"Sure." Izuku replied. "Thank you, Tatsumaki."
Tatsumaki said nothing, other than snub at him and then fly them away. But unknown to them though, the two of them had been the focused of the other examinees. So it just so happened then that the reactions at the moment were mostly that of confusion, awe and astonishment.
This was specifically with Ochako, who was exhausted. She was on the ground, but free from the debris that had held her down. Now she was watching Tatsumaki flying away with Izuku.
'That's a relief…She saved him.' She thought and smiled. But it wasn't long after that she slump her head on the ground due to fatigue. 'That was so exhausting. I want a bath soon…'
And then there was Itsuki aka Kacchan. He could see Tatsumaki and Izuku flying off, but not in a good response towards them. So it wasn't surprising then that he was glaring angrily at their figures as he continued to watch them fly away.
Fortunately, the same wasn't with the other examinees. They were gathering, as each looked at the scene of the destroyed robot and Tatsumaki flying away with the teenage boy like nothing happened. But to them, the sight was truly spectacular.
"That kid…He sent that 'gimmick' thing flying with one punch…" said one examinee.
"It's probably just a strength enhancing quirk, but…that was something else." said another examinee.
"But how did a guy with that insane power of a quirk get such a timid little ball of nerves all the time?" asked one different examinee. "It doesn't make sense."
"Maybe it was just an act to outwit us?" questioned another examinee.
"Can't see it." replied one examinee. "There's no way that would benefit him in any way."
"Yeah, well no matter how you slice it, that kid is incredible." said one other examinee. "And he already got the favor of someone as popular as Tatsumaki."
"Wow! I guess the girl really had a reason to argue for him."
Iida thought otherwise. He was still standing, but not with the others to discuss about the duo. Also, unlike like those examinees, he saw things differently.
'Are you all blind?' He thought. 'That's not it at all! He leapt into action to save that girl! He had no time left…and he was out of harm's way…But upon that, I've watched him and the way he took out those other robots were remarkable, so he should have had enough points to leave the large robot alone like us…Did he do it to take attention? No…that's certainly not it. Even when I ran pass him, I saw the terror in his face…And there was no guarantee Tatsumaki would save him because even she flew from the scene…That means, despite the danger, he jumped in without hesitation. If it hadn't been for the big exam, I, of course, would have done the same! But wait…maybe…that was part of the test!?'
Right now, Iida wasn't certain. He had his hand to his chin, trying to make sense of Izuku. But then, all attention was diverted when a short elderly woman walked in. The elderly woman had grey hair styled into a bun that has a syringe looped through it. She was also wearing a labcoat and a dress with yellow and red vest-like designs on either side, as well as pink boots, a pink belt, a helmet on her head and a cane.
"Go home, lads, I'll take it from here." She announced.
No one had any objection to her. But then again no one left because their attention was still on her. She was very well known in UA, especially as she assured some of the examinees and began giving them some candies.
"She's a mainstay here at UA, always supporting the Academy." One examinee stated.
"Yeah. I heard her quirk is the ability to amplify and speed up a patient's healing processes." Another examinee added. "Her presence allows UA to go through their over-the-top entrance exams. Without her, they'd be hard-pressed to justify them."
Iida's eyes then widened slightly from realization. He also felt dumbfounded by that fact, as he then remembered what Tatsumaki had said a moment ago before taking Izuku away.
'Now let's go. This Academy should have some medical personnel for a dangerous practical exam like this.'
'I see…' Iida thought then. 'So that's the true nature of the best after all! Even Tatsumaki knew it! So that means he…'
Iida didn't finished, nor did he think through it. He had a feeling that he already knew. And so he gritted his teeth out of mild frustration and self-impact as he let himself dwell on what had happened.
Meanwhile, back to the elderly woman, she was told that Tatsumaki had taken the heavily injured Izuku away. Of course, this surprised her, but not to the point to deter her. So she ended up asking if anyone was injured, before then making her way to help Izuku.
_(LINE BREAK)_
"All done…" The elderly woman said.
Izuku pulled his arm and flexed it. "Wow! Amazing!" He said in astonishment.
The elderly woman smiled warmly. Presently, the elderly woman, Izuku and Tatsumaki were in her clinic in the UA building. As for the woman's name, she was famously known as her hero name, The Youthful Heroine Recovery Girl. She was also shortly known as Recovery Girl.
"Finally!" Tatsumaki said with mild impatience. For some time now, the girl had been standing there and waiting for Izuku to be checked out. So seeing that was done, she turned to Recovery Girl. "So you sure he's alright? This idiot almost got himself killed before, you know."
Izuku was shaken and taken aback. But of course, he shouldn't be surprised by Tatsumaki since she never ceased to land a verbal blow on him whenever given the chance.
"He's fine. I assure you." Recovery Girl assured. "Just be careful with how you use your quirk, okay?"
"Of course." Izuku nodded. "Thank you, Recovery Girl."
"Yeah…" Tatsumaki said, though reluctantly. "For an old hag, you did pretty well."
"Tatsumaki!" Izuku yelled.
"What?!" Tatsumaki turned to face Izuku. "She's old. I don't care if she's a heroine. She should've changed that name to suit her age like a long time ago!"
Recovery Girl laughed a little in response. But of course, her action surprised Izuku and Tatsumaki, as both immediately turned to her confused. Fortunately, the 'young' heroine was happy to speak.
"It must be so nice to be young and caring to one another." Recovery Girl said happily. "I wouldn't be surprise if both of you have been seeing each other more often."
"Wh-What!?" Both Izuku and Tatsumaki said simultaneously.
Unknown to them, though, their cheeks heated up very fast. Recovery Girl's remark had gotten them of guard. But since they weren't aware of their reaction then, Recovery Girl could only giggle before walking away to attend to other things.
"The both of you are free to leave anytime. I have other things to attend to." She said.
That was easier said than done, though. Izuku and Tatsumaki were still staring at Recovery Girl, who they could only wonder on what she meant. But then again, maybe they did, but didn't want to admit it to themselves on the inside. But eventually the two of them did leave the clinic, but in awkward silence that lasted till they got to the front gate of the Academy. By then the sun was setting and most people were already gone from the area.
"Well…I guess I'll be going." Izuku said nervously.
"Yeah...I guess I'll see you, Midoriya." Tatsumaki replied.
And so they departed –at least that was what they should've done. However, Izuku still stood still and quiet as he watched Tatsumaki turn from him and begin walking away without a single word after. It was weird. The teen wanted to say something to her. But at the same time he was worried and scared as he tightened his hand on his bag's strap while stretching out his other arm at her.
'Should I just let it be like this…?' He thought skeptically. 'No…I have to ask her. But…'
"Tatsumaki…" He muttered. But his voice didn't reach her. He was still scared at the outcome because he knew the kind of person Tatsumaki could be something.
However, something suddenly sparked in him. It was the same courage that he had back in the practical exam that repeated itself. So instead of feeling scared, he let out a louder voice. "TATSUMAKI!"
Tatsumaki immediately stopped. She was mildly taken aback by Izuku's yell since she didn't expect it. But now that she heard it, she turned to the teen with an upset look on her face and her hands on her hips.
"What is it, Midoriya?" She asked.
Izuku became quiet. He may have had the courage, but seeing Tatsumaki's stern face was always something to be scared of. Fortunately, his courage wasn't all broken.
"Please hear me out first." Izuku said quickly. He was trying his best to stay still before Tatsumaki because he had some things to say to her. But his body already began to fidget. "For a long time now, you've been helping me out…You stopped Kacchan from burning my book…, saved him and I from the mud-villain and even got into a fight with All Might because you thought I was being abused by him…"
'Where is this going…?' Tatsumaki questioned. She was thinking of Izuku's intention as she watched him. But then a new thought came to mind that made her drop her stern face in shock. 'Wait…don't tell me he's confessing to me? No! No! I know the old hag was messing with us but…'
"…Can we go out tomorrow?!" Izuku asked.
'HE'S ACTUALLY ASKING ME OUT!?" Tatsumaki screamed in her head.
The esper blushed furiously. Her eyes also widened as she cupped her cheeks and mistakenly activated her quirk. Fortunately, the latter didn't cause any damage to anything or anyone. But her reaction there caught Izuku by surprise as he took a frightful step back.
"Tatsumaki, are you okay?" Izuku asked.
"Okay!? I'm not okay!" Tatsumaki yelled furiously. "Seriously, who goes and asks a girl out on a date and expect it to be okay!"
"A-A date?" Izuku questioned. He too then became surprise as his cheeks became red. "I-I wasn't asking you on a date. I-I was just saying that you've been so good to me that I wanted to thank you by taking you somewhere tomorrow. I then asked if we can go tomorrow…and well…"
"Oh…" Tatsumaki said. From there her quirk deactivated and she became stoic. "So…you weren't asking to go on a date…?"
"Yes…." Midoriya answered.
"And so…this wasn't some confession…right?"
"P-Pretty much."
"Oh…" Tatsumaki said. "One second."
Izuku said nothing back. But then, even if he wanted to, the esper turned her back at him before pinching her nostrils lightly with a frustrated look on her face.
'I'm such an idiot!' Tatsumaki yelled angrily. 'I let that old hag get to me! She probably did that teasing earlier because I called her that! GRRR! If it weren't for the fact that she's so old, I would so make her pay for this shit!'
"Uh…Tatsumaki?" Izuku called. He was still standing, but with a confused face as he stared at the esper. "Are you okay?" He asked.
Tatsumaki immediately turned to him and 'cleared' her throat.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Tatsumaki asked, though rhetorically.
Izuku didn't understand what Tatsumaki meant, however. He also didn't know that the girl didn't want a direct answer, so he went ahead and did it awkwardly.
"Well…it was almost like you wanted me to ask you out on a –"
"As if!" Tatsumaki interjected. But unknown to her, she was feeling flustered while her cheeks her slightly red. But then all that changed when she turned her back at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph! Seriously, Izuku, you can be such an idiot! Read the mood better!"
"Sorry." Izuku apologized. He wasn't surprised by Tatsumaki's rudeness nor was he letdown at the slightest. "So about what I suggested…Are you up for it?"
Tatsumaki sighed. She didn't want her temper to get the better of her, and it wasn't like she didn't have a good reason to suppress it. But then she turned back to face the teenage boy, though clearly mildly upset.
"Midoriya, it won't work out." Tatsumaki said. "First, we're not friends and second, you don't owe me a thing. I didn't help you because of you; I did it because I wanted to. As for the invitation…you saw what happened earlier this morning. So even if I wanted to (which I don't), we'll just end up having those damn paparazzi up our asses. Okay?"
"Uh…sure." Izuku replied with a disappointed tone. "I'm sorry, Tatsumaki. I guess I didn't think things through. I guess I do make stupid decisions…just like today."
"Hmph! You said it, not me." Tatsumaki said rudely.
Izuku became quiet. He then looked at the ground with that disappointed look on his face, which then left to him reflecting negatively on that moment he had destroyed that no-point robot. As a result, it made him feel stupid for his action, especially as nothing came from the esper.
"I guess…I'll see you around." Izuku said sadly. "Sorry for what just happened, Tatsumaki."
Izuku then turned away and began to walk away. However, before he could go any further, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. It caught him by surprise. But then, before he knew it, that same hand forced him to face the one responsible, which then led to a finger hitting his forehead.
"Ow!" Izuku yelped.
The teenage boy had clearly not been ready for that. As such, he reflexively placed his hand on the forehead and looked forward to the one response. And of course, this ended up with him making eye contact with the close angry eyes of Tatsumaki.
"Idiot, don't make conclusions like that!" Tatsumaki yelled angrily
Surprisingly, the teenage girl didn't seem to notice the fact that her face was close to the teen boy. But maybe it made some sense, because the girl was visibly angry at Izuku as she continued.
"Are you regretting saving that girl now?! I thought you did it because it was the right thing to do! Don't you want to be a hero anymore?!"
"I…uh…" Izuku uttered. He was completely surprised at Tatsumaki's attitude, especially since it was coming from her. Other times, Tatsumaki was just being rude, but this time she was actually mad at him.
"Shut it! I'm not done it!" Tatsumaki yelled again. She then paused and pulled back from the teen's face, before crossing her arms over her chest. "You know, today you really surprised me. To be honest, I had some doubts about you passing the practical test. And then you go ahead and save that girl even when I and everyone else were leaving…That actually reminded me of that day in the alley."
Izuku was quiet. He was like that because of Tatsumaki, who appeared to be astonishing to him. But if that wasn't enough, she continued, but this time turning her back at him.
"Listen well, Midoriya, because I'm not going to repeat myself." Tatsumaki said sternly. "You were an idiot, but not as much of an idiot like the people I've seen today. You're an idiot for standing your ground to be a hero when you were quirkless. You were more an idiot for trying to save Katsuki despite how badly he treated you. And biggest of all, you were an idiot for trying to thank me just recently."
"Oh…" Izuku muttered. He was no longer surprise. But he was feeling depressed. 'Come on…you don't need to rub it in.'
"But despite all that…" Tatsumaki continued. This time she surprisingly became softer. "You turned out to be a very good person."
Her comment surprised Izuku. The teenage boy had only known Tatsumaki for ten months to see all sides of her. However, while he stood there, something different was coming from the teenage girl. It wasn't her usual malice, annoyance, rudeness, uptightness or any of the negative things she was about. No, it was the fact that she was actually smiling at him with an outlook that felt breath taking. Behind her was the sun setting and the wind blowing lightly at her hair.
"Maybe…being an idiot isn't so bad." Tatsumaki remarked.
Izuku was completely astonished. The view Tatsumaki was giving him was breath taking as he stared at her with his eyes wide and mouth widely opened. He didn't know what to say, nor could he form such words. But he did know one thing, and it was the fact that Tatsumaki had given him a new view of things.
_(LINE BREAK)_
A WEEK LATER
Izuku was smiling warmly at a fish he was about to eat. Presently, he was back in his home, sitting at the dining table with his mother, but clearly spacing out. But of course this caught his mother's attention, who immediately became worried.
"Izuku!?" His mother called him. "Are you all right!? What are you doing smiling vacantly at the fish like that!?"
Izuku immediately snapped out of his moment.
"Ah, sorry…I'm okay….!" Izuku said.
However, his reply was only half the truth. He was finer as any healthy boy could be, but he was somewhat in a mind-world of his own, spaced out. So when dinner was over, he sat at the couch and began using a hand grip with a spaced out expression on his face again.
'If I were to grade myself, I'd say I made it past the passing line of the written test and the practical test. But…' He thought. 'that is strangely not on my mind…Weird, during this past week, I haven't even thought much about the fact that All Might hasn't contacted me. I would've figured he would want to congratulate me on the practical test or something…'
Just then, his mother spoke. She was doing some cleaning shores behind the teen and had no idea of his inner thoughts in any way.
"Oh yeah, are the results due back today or tomorrow?" She asked.
"Uh huh." Izuku replied, partly absentmindedly.
"You know, honey." She continued happily. "Even if you didn't make it, I still think what you accomplished was amazing."
"Uh huh…" Izuku replied. He then picked up a dumbbell and began using it. 'I haven't even told anyone about All Might, not even mum. She doesn't even know about Tatsumaki. All Might has to be kept a secret if he's to continue being the 'symbol of peace'. As for Tatsumaki…I think it's best for now that my family don't know about her yet. She never really seems to be the one that cared if people knew about her anyway…Also, she was right about that day…That day that she seemed to shine more than usual. I did make the right choice. Maybe I am an idiot, but if it means doing the right thing and those that matter to me then I'll have no regret.'
"IZ…IZUKU! IZUKU!" shouted Izuku's mum.
Izuku immediately stopped what he was doing. He then turned to his mother, only to find her on her knees with a nervous expression on her face as she held an envelope before him.
"It came!" She exclaimed nervously. "It's here! It's here, honey!"
Izuku smiled a bit. He knew right away on what his mother meant, because what she held was the result of the U.A scores. As such, he reacted by taking it inside his room while his mother stayed outside, pacing left and right due to nervousness and anxiousness.
Now in his room, Izuku sat on his chair by a table in his room. At this point, he had all the lights in the room off, except for the lamp on his table, before eyeing the envelope in his hands. However, he too began to feel anxious. He didn't like it, but even he could feel doubt when he should feel confident. But then, rather than let that deter him, he swiftly ripped the envelope with one pull of both his hands, allowing a small round mechanical thing to fall on his table.
So before Izuku knew it, the device on his table shot out a bright light. There, he watched with a taken back expression as it then formed a square hologram screen before him, letting out a familiar voice.
"Testing, 1, 2…"
And then the face of the voice revealed itself. It was All Might himself, with his face directly at the screen, showing his huge famous grin.
"Am I on screen!?"
"ALL MIGHT!?" Izuku shouted in shock.
For all the time All Might had silent, Izuku definitely didn't exact that he would see the Pro Hero again in his U.A results. But then, it was likely a recording, so it wasn't like he was talking to the Pro Hero directly. But still, this didn't stop the teenage boy from looking back at the ripped envelope and then at the hologram, trying to make sense of All Might's appearance in him the hologram. All Might wasn't a staff in the school, so why was he in something that involved them.
"Huh!? Isn't this from UA!?" He asked. "EEHHH!?"
The hologram screen then seemed to pull back from All Might's face. Now it was showing the Pro Hero at a colorful stage and dressed in a business suit that only entertainers could wear. But if that wasn't enough, he bowed at the supposed camera (Izuku) facing him.
"It took some time to jump through some hoops and get this done, so for not being able to contact you sooner, that's my bad!" All Might said. Then he stood straight up. "I guess we'll be seeing lot more of each other since it's been decided that I'll be working at UA, now, that is."
'All Might will be at U.A!?' Izuku asked, surprised. He wasn't so frantic like he was before, though, so that was good.
"What's that, citizen?" All Might asked. It wasn't at Izuku, though, but at the cameraman who was now pointing to his camera, as seen by the cameraman's hand. "Turn to camera 2?" He asked. "I was in the middle of telling the boy something important…We'll fix it in post? Ah, all right, that works…"
Izuku was slightly confused. Also, the fact he saw All Might talk to the cameraman clearly showed that they didn't fix the recording in post. But still, he still paid attention, especially as the Pro Hero spoke again.
"Well, you did fine on the written test." All Might said. "As for the practical test…you…"
All Might suddenly paused. It was unknown why he did that, though, as even Izuku was beginning to feel nervous. But then the mood changed when All Might raised his arms apart, motioning confetti to simultaneously go off all around him.
"YOU DID WONDERFUL, MY BOY!" All Might proclaimed proudly.
Izuku let out a big sigh of relief. He didn't want to admit it, but he was very worried that he hadn't passed the practical exam. Sure, it was true that he had busted enough robots, but that didn't excuse the fact that hearing one's results was one of the most nerving moments of a teen's life.
However, the video didn't stop there. It instead continued, even as the confetti stopped and the camera zoomed in on All Might's face again.
"You've not only impressed me, but also Saitama as well!" All Might stated. "That's a good thing! Saitama isn't one to impress easily, believe me! He sends his congrats on your passing, by the way! But that's not all, my boy! There's more!"
"More?" Izuku questioned. He was confused, as well as intrigued more to hear as he continued watching.
"Yes! More!" All Might said. And so he continued. "You made a great debut to the judges! They weren't just looking for the kids with enough points, but those who could do more! And it just so happens that you, my boy, did just that! Do you think there'd be a department of heroics that would ignore such a feat you did! After all, despite having enough points, you risked your own safety to beat down a robot that would reward you with no point! The department cannot reject such an entrant, so perish the thought!"
Izuku was surprised by this information. It was one thing to hear his test results were great by a Pro Hero and another to hear that he impressed the judges. In fact, this was so surprising and agitating that Izuku stood right off from his chair in the feeling of the moment.
And so, All Might proudly continued.
"SO TAKE YOUR RESCUE POINTS! THE JUDGES ALL AGREE!" All Might exclaimed. "THEY SAW ANOTHER FOUNDATIONAL SKILL OF HEROICS IN YOU!"
Izuku became emotionally moved by that. He didn't know exactly why at the time, nor did he think much on it. But he was certainly thrilled and astonished as All Might then revealed.
"IN TOTAL OF WHAT YOU MADE ON THE PRACTICAL TEST! AND WHAT YOU DID IN THE RESCUE, THE JUDGES HAVE DECIDED! MIDORIYA IZUKU: 120 POINTS! AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT, TATSUMAKI AT 84 POINTS! THIS MEANS YOU PASSED OUTSTANDLY, KID!"
"This…This is crazy…" Izuku muttered. He was completely surprised, as well as taken aback by the scores. 120 points just for him alone? That indeed sounded crazy. But still, All Might was very impressed and proud as he stretched his hand to him.
"COME ON DOWN, MIDORIYA, MY BOY! UA'S NOW YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!"
Izuku finally couldn't hold his tears. To him, hearing those words, confirmed his achievements It. And so he was happy, relieved and even more determined than before. This result clearly proved his worth, and now he was going to use it to achieve his dream of becoming a hero.
'My whole life just got a jump charge!' Izuku thought. He wiped the tears with his cloth as he continued. 'But it was only through all the help I received! Saitma…Tatsumaki…and All Might…I won't let you guys down! Because with this, my life at the high school of my dreams begins!'
"YES SIR!" Izuku shouted.
_(LINE BREAK)_
THE NEXT DAY: 10AM
The weather was quite fine, with the day going on regularly. People could be seen either driving or walking to various places as peace went on in the city. This was even the case for Izuku, who was walking on the sidewalk, dressed in an unzipped green sweater, blue pants and a red and white shirt underneath that sweater.
'Aw men…I really don't know what to do for her.' Izuku thought. He was by himself, as people passed by him while he continued walking, rambling in his head. 'It's pretty good that I've finally been accepted into U.A, and now so is Tatsumaki. But I still think I owe it to her to show her my thanks. I don't think I would've been able to pass that physical test without her encouragement and her helping me out once in a while. So what can I do? I certainly can't take her somewhere. She clearly doesn't like that. Besides, that felt super embarrassing when I got home and thought about it that day. Maybe a gift then? Yes, that should work. Friends gives gifts to each other, right? I mean it's not like I –"
Izuku suddenly bumped into someone. Of course, this surprised him, as he had clearly been spacing out again. As such, he backed away from the person and looked up to him to apologize.
"I-I'm so sorry." Izuku muttered. The teenage boy would've then continued, but then he caught a familiar sight of the person, which immediately surprised him. "S-Saitama!?"
"SAITAMA!? WHERE!?" shouted a girl nearby.
That scream immediately caught the attention of everyone else. In fact, it seemed all those who were walking about were instantly excited and looking around them, waiting to see if the famous Pro Hero was around. But then, the man whom Izuku pumped into nervously pulled down the cap he wore and eyed the teen.
"Quick. Say I'm someone else." He said.
Izuku did as he was told. "Uh, sorry! It's just someone else!"
"Aw men!" shouted one guy disappointedly.
"That sucks! I really thought he was around here!" said another person.
"Yeah, me too." said a woman.
The man whom Izuku pumped into sighed in relief. It wasn't long after that the disappointed passersby continued to go their way. Now it was just Izuku and that man standing on their own, especially as the man looked down at Izuku.
"Thanks, kid. You almost blew my cover, though." The man said.
"Uh…right. My bad." Izuku apologized.
Fortunately, the man didn't mind. He was indeed Saitama, but in a different dressing that mostly hid his face. He was wearing a hoodie with the word 'Oppai' on it, as well as blue pants as his hands dug in the side pockets of said hoodie. The hood of the hoodie was also on his head, with a cap underneath it to cover most of his face.
"It's cool." Saitama said calmly. "That wasn't intentional, right? So don't worry about it then. By the way, congratulations on passing the entrance tests. I saw everything you did. It kind of reminded me of myself back when I was your age."
"Huh?" Izuku was surprised. But then he came to a conclusion, which made him nervous. "Then that means you…" He immediately bow at Saitama. "I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to take your special move and…"
"Kid, it's cool." Saitama interjected. He didn't show any sign of offense towards Izuku, especially with the usual stoic look on his face. "Stand back up. I honestly don't mind if you use any of my move. Anyway, I let King take credit for some of the things I've done, so it's all right."
"Huh…?" Izuku said, surprised. 'Is he talking about Strong Man King?' He wondered as he then stood back up.
"So what about you?" Saitama questioned. "You bumped into me. You have anything on your mind?"
Izuku immediately remembered. He indeed had something on his mind, prior to bumping into Saitama. In fact, the more he thought about it now, the more embarrassed he felt because it was in that moment of thought he had not been paying attention.
"Uh…yeah." Izuku managed to say. "But can we…talk about this somewhere else?"
"Okay. Sure." Saitama agreed. "I know just the place."
Minutes later, both Saitama and Izuku were in a restaurant booth. However, this was no big class or special restaurant. No, they were in an ordinary restaurant that mainly served Udon to its customers. It was also less populated at the moment, so this gave Izuku the easiness to speak what he had in mind to Saitama.
"So…you want to get something for Tatsumaki." He said with that same stoic expression. "That's nice. But you don't have anything in mind, right?"
"Um…yes, I don't." Izuku admitted. He was a bit embarrassed as he held his hands together under the table. "But well…I was thinking about…and well…you stay with Tatsumaki. The both of you are neighbors. So isn't it possible that you know something I can get for her?"
"No. I got nothing." Saitama admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Oh." Izuku muttered and sighed disappointedly.
"But you could ask her directly." Saitama suggested.
"What!? No!" Izuku embarrassedly said. "Th-That would be too embarrassing! Please don't tell her about this! I want this to be a surprise!"
"A surprise huh?" Saitama asked. "Then I guess you could ask Fubuki. That's her little sister. She's a very good and open kid."
"I know her." Izuku said, somewhat relaxed. "But she lives with Tatsumaki. There's no way I can talk to Fubuki without Tatsumaki knowing."
"Yeah, don't be too sure of that." Saitama said.
Izuku was confused by the response. It didn't seem like Saitama was joking or being sarcastic. But then, before Izuku could think more on him, the Pro Hero brought out his phone and pressed a button on the device, which he then put at his ears. Then, in the next few seconds, he was speaking to someone on the line.
"Hey, Fubuki. It's Saitama." Saitama said. "….That's right, my name is saved on your phone. My bad. Anyway, do you know Midoriya…? Oh you do…? Okay, you can stop squealing now, that would hurt anybody's ear by now…Okay, so the kid wants to talk to you about your sister, so is it possible you can get Tatsumaki out of the house for at least half the hour…? Alright thanks. We'll be right there."
Saitama then dropped the line. Izuku was partially amazed. He didn't know why, but he felt like a hurdle that just been thrown out of the way for him. But he said nothing, especially as Saitama put his phone back into his pocket and looked back at him.
"Well we should get going." Saitama said. "Fubuki has us covered."
"Really?" Izuku asked. "But how?"
"I don't know." Saitama said. He was now getting up, ready to leave. "But one thing I've learned in the few years I've been her neighbor. Never underestimate that girl."
"Oh…" Izuku said. He then became confident. 'That's right! I should believe in Saitama! If even he says not to underestimate Fubuki, then I shouldn't underestimate her either!'
_(LINE BREAK)_
Sometime passed, but Saitama and Izuku were able to get into the famous 'ghost town', which was where Saitama and the esper sisters were living. It also took a bit more time before Saitama and Izuku could see the apartment building that was where the Pro Hero lived in. But before any of them could get close, the both of them heard a loud furious girly scream, followed by a fast green blur flying right out of a door, flying away.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT, FUBUKI!" shouted the blur angrily.
Izuku was surprised. He knew that very voice well to not pass it off as anyone else. It was Tatsumaki, and from the sounds of it she had flown away in a fit of anger.
"That was Tatsumaki." Izuku stated with wide eyed. "She sounds mad."
"That doesn't sound good." Saitama plainly said. "Well…Tatsumaki is out of the house. And from the looks of it, Fubuki is by herself. Now's your chance."
"Right." Izuku nodded confidently.
The moment from then on shifted to Saitama and Izuku heading to the apartment door. But while Izuku aim was clear, Saitama didn't follow him. Instead he just wished him luck and got inside his own apartment. Now it was just Izuku standing by himself before the esper sisters' door.
He sighed. "Well…I can't turn back now." He muttered. And then he knocked.
There was no answer, though. But then, before Izuku could knock again, he heard the door being unlocked until it was finally opened, revealing Fubuki, dressed in a grey skirt and a red and white tank top underneath black long-sleeve shirt.
"You're here! Welcome, Midoriya-kun!" Fubuki greeted.
"Hi, Fubuki." Izuku greeted back.
Fubuki was really someone to depend on. That was something Izuku felt at that moment when he looked on the smiling face of the little girl in front of him. So it wasn't long after that the both of them were inside in the apartment and sitting at both ends of a short table, facing each other.
"Um…sorry I can't offer you anything." Fubuki apologized. "You should understand, my sister is quite strict when it comes to a lot of things. She can also tell if someone is around, so I'm going to have to erase any essence of your presence when you leave."
"Wow! You can do that!" Izuku was astonished.
"Yup!" Fubuki chirpily smiled. She then used that chance to raise her finger upwards and cause small items in the living room to levitate things a few meter in the air. "See! My quirk is just like my sister. I can't blame you for not knowing."
"Cool." Izuku uttered. "But wait…how can you remove an essence of someone? Isn't you and Tatsumaki's quirk telekinesis...?"
"Well…yes. But it more of a common trait than you think." Fubuki replied. "The thing is…according to what my sister said, we're another branch of people with quirks called espers. We're kind of like the second generation people with quirks or something like that."
"Espers?" Izuku was awed. "There's been rumor on the internet about people like that, but…I never thought they're real."
"Oh, we exist." Fubuki admitted. "But for some reason, no one knows about us. I don't know why really. Sister guessed that it's for the best, because it could cause fear amongst society."
"Fear?" Izuku asked, confused. "How can people be afraid of espers?"
"Well according to sister, it's easy to understand." Fubuki said. "Today, there are about eighty percent of people with quirk around world, with each of them having one power, right? But in the case of an esper, they have one or two unique powers that come along with telekinesis. That means us espers have more than one ability. So if you think about it, people would be scared if they find out that people with more than one power begin to show up."
"Hmm. I think I get it." Izuku said. He then became quiet as he began to dive his mind on the subject. 'Being an esper sounds really cool, but in the wrong hands it could be troublesome. Today, there are people with regular quirks who use their power for the wrong things. So if they are people esper-like quirks, there might be bad guys too. But still…does this make One for All an esper ability? No…according to what Fubuki just fold me, espers have telekinesis as a common power. And I haven't been able to do anything like that, with the same for All Might…So it's best to say One For All is not like being an esper.'
"Wait!" Izuku's eyes widened. A new thought then dawned on him. "Does this mean that Tatsumaki can do other things, other than telekinesis?"
"Yes." Fubuki answered. "But she said she hasn't done any of that in a long time. I don't know why, though."
"I see…" Izuku said.
"So…was that all you wanted to know about my sister?" Fubuki asked.
"Huh!? No!" Izuku immediately snapped out of his moment. "I mean, it was great to know about espers since Tatsumaki is one, but that isn't what I came here for."
"Oh. So what is it?" Fubuki asked. She was now becoming curious as she stared the teen.
However, Izuku was hesitant. He wanted to say it, but the fact that he was going to say it to the little sister of the girl he want to give a gift to was making him hesitant. As a result, he began to fidget a bit while holding his fingers to calm his mind.
"Well…" He muttered. But he looked away from Fubuki and continued. "Your sister has been really good to me…Sure, she can be mean, but I think she means well…So I was thinking…is there something I can give to her as a bit thanks?"
Fubuki slyly smiled. She wasn't doing it to mock Izuku, though; in fact it was the opposite of that. She was impressed by the teen's aim and found no fault in it. So she replied to him with that look on her face.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. It's actually cute." Fubuki said.
"C-Cute?" Izuku said, surprised. Next thing he knew, he felt his cheeks heating up, which immediately made him shake his head frantically.
In response, Fubuki laughed. It was obviously clear that she enjoyed the teen's reaction. So while he then looked down to his legs, embarrassed, Fubuki stopped laughing and began to think on the matter.
'Wow! I didn't know Midoriya-kun could be teased like that! I guess Tatsumaki finally found someone that matters! That's good. Who knows, he might become something more to her if I help him like this. So it's decided! For the sake of sister getting a boyfriend, I'll help Midoriya-kun.'
"Sorry about that, Midoriya-kun." Fubuki apologized, smiling. "I was just playing about. But I still think what you're doing is good. So I'll tell you."
"You will?" Izuku asked. He then looked back at Fubuki with hopeful eyes.
"Yeah, but…there's a bit of a problem…" Fubuki muttered. The smile she had on her face then dropped as she continued. "Sister isn't one to ask for anything in return, not even here. She also has no friends, so it's hard for her to express the good side of hers to others…You've noticed, right? She's always on her own, refusing to interact long with others. It's like she's made it her goal to seclude herself."
"Huh…I think I get it." Izuku said. His composure had now become calm as he took Fubuki's words into heart. "Before that day Tatsumaki saved my book from Kacchan, I barely even noticed her. In fact, everyone in my class thought she was someone with a very weak quirk since she barely used it. But then that villain showed up and things about her seemed different…And despite how close we've been getting, I still get the feeling Tatsumaki is hiding some part of her from me. I came to realize that on the day we left U.A's entrance exam."
A flash image of Tatsumaki came to mind. It wasn't the usual looks the girl had given him, but one that was different than any other. It was the image of that evening the girl had smiled with an expression unlike any she had shown.
"I see…So it's not only me." Fubuki said. She was unaware of exactly what Izuku had seen that evening. Anyway, she continued. "There is one thing you can get her, but I don't think it would be easy." She said. "My sister needs a friend. She needs someone that she can be certain will be there for her. The reason I say this is because I think she's too secure of herself and me and so that has made her become isolated of others. But…if someone like you can show her that she shouldn't be so secured of herself, that she can actually rely on someone other than her own, then I believe she'll be more open to herself and others."
"I think I get it." Izuku said. He then smiled confidently and got up. "I don't know how, but I have a feeling that I'm one step closer. Thank you, Fubuki."
"You're welcome." Fubuki smiled back.
"By the way…" Izuku asked. "How did you get Tatsumaki to leave?"
"I told her I forget a bag at school." Fubuki chirpily smiled.
Izuku paused and looked to the side of the room. He didn't know why, but he felt something was off. So without much effort, he found a small schoolbag lying by the wall and looked back at Fubuki.
"But…you're backpack is here." He said.
"I never said it was mine." Fubuki giggled.
_(LINE BREAK)_
NIGHTTIME: 8:30PM
Time had its presence grasping in the lives of mankind once again as night had taken the day's place. There were still people moving about, but they weren't as much as they were in the daytime. But despite that, Tatsumaki was walking by the sidewalk with an annoyed look on her face and her schoolbag in her hand.
"Fubuki is so going to get it now!" Tatsumaki yelled. She didn't care about the passersby that were looking at her and walking away; she just continued. "Just you wait, Fubuki. First, I'll strip you of your manga collection and then I'll –"
"TA-TATSUMAKI!"
Tatsumaki came to a stop. She knew who exactly that voice belonged to. However, even as she turned, she wasn't in the best mood to talk, especially when she saw Izuku running towards her.
"What do you want, Midoriya?!" Tatsumaki asked. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not in a good –"
"Here!" Izuku shouted.
Tatsumaki was confused. Izuku was now standing before her, but his posture was different. He also had his upper body bowing at her and his two hands forward and together to each other. But if that wasn't enough, there was something in his hand which caught Tatsumaki's attention and made her pick it up from the teen's hands.
"What's this stupid thing for?" She asked. The thing in her hand was clearly a key chain, but with a green inanimate butterfly with black dots at its wings. It failed to impress Tatsumaki, though. "I swear, Midoriya, you keep coming up with dumb things sometimes that it can really piss me –"
Izuku interrupted her. He didn't do it by words, though; instead the teenage boy pulled out a lookalike of that key chain and dangled it at her face. However, his butterfly was slightly different, as it had white dots on its wings, instead of black.
"This is a key chain, but it's more than just that." Izuku said straightforwardly. "Now I know we're not friends. You have things you want to keep to yourself, and that's okay. But I just want you to know that if you need anything, you can rely on me to help you out. I don't care if it's big or too small; I just want you to know that I'm very grateful to you. So…as a show of it, these key chains…let them be a reminder of my promise to you!"
Tatsumaki was taken aback and astonished. She had known Izuku for months now and always thought of him as being somewhat to a nervous wreck. But here the teen was, being so straightforward with her with no fear of her response.
So it was then at that moment that the girl felt her anger letting go. However, before she could say a thing, Izuku turned from her and ran, but not without waving back at her smiling.
"Goodnight, Tatsumaki! See you soon!" He shouted.
Tatsumaki said nothing back. She felt frozen in time as she watched Izuku run off until she couldn't see him again. But even then, when she moved her hand, she felt the key chain in her hand, which she then unconsciously raised to her face.
'This is just a dumb thing...' She thought. 'but yet…it's the first time I've ever received something from someone.'
A tear suddenly rolled down the esper's cheek. It caught her by surprise before she then used her other hand to wipe the tear's trail.
"What the hell was that…?" She wondered.
The esper wasn't known to such feelings of gratitude. This was due to her past which had made her the person she was already to be. But even she felt something positive, especially when eyeing the thing and turning back to walk away.
"Anyway...I should probably throw this away." She said. It was a stubborn thought though, as she continued eyeing the item and walking. "But won't that be a waste? I mean…it's not like I care about what Midoriya said. But when I look at it, it does look very nice."
Finally, Tatsumaki came to a decision. She put the item into the side pocket of her coat and dug of her hands in her side pockets with a dreamy look on her face.
"Weird…I don't feel mad anymore." Tatsumaki muttered, smiling.
And so, the girl continued her walking. She didn't know it yet, though, but the feeling she had then was gratitude, which one day she would be able to commonly understand.
_(LINE BREAK)_
"That…That surprisingly went well." Izuku said to himself. He was still running while saying his thought. "I was almost nervous there, so I ran off before I could fidget in front of her. Hopefully, she actually accepted it. This really feels go –"
Izuku suddenly bumped into someone. He was taken aback about it, though, partly because he was knocked to the ground on his butt.
"Ow…that was sudden." Izuku painfully muttered.
"You okay, kid?"
"Huh?" Izuku looked up. He noticed then that a hand was extended to him, which he then accepted. Now he was back to his feet thanks to the person. "Um…thank you, mister. I'm really sorry."
"Don't think too much on it, kid. Mistakes happen." The man said. "But don't call me mister. That reminds me of an old geezer I know. So call me by my birth name."
"Oh…what's that?" Izuku asked. He was mildly confused by the man, but not to the point to suspect him of anything."
The man grinned. "Call me…GAROU!"
Izuku had nothing to say. It's not like he couldn't. It's just that, upon hearing that name, he felt his heart skip a bit. In fact, now that he heard that name and gave the man another look, the young man seemed different than he had presented himself to be just a few seconds ago.
Izuku could tell the man was in his twenties. However, despite that, the man was frightening muscular, as he wore a skin tight black shirt that visibly showed his arm muscles and abs, as well as loose fitting white pants. As for his other features, he had red eyes that looked thirsty at Izuku and two long spiky blonde that could give him the scene of the devil himself.
Izuku couldn't ignore this bad feeling he had. But he was able to move around Garou, while nervously smiling at him and then walking back.
"Well…sorry for disturbing you. Bye!" He said.
"Bye!" Garou menacingly grinned.
Of course, Izuku didn't stand around to see that grin. Instead he had run off before the man, Garou, had responded back to him. Hence, there was just the young man himself, who just continued looking at Izuku's running figure with a face of interest.
"For a kid, he sure has gotten my interest." Garou said.
Just then, Garou's phone rang. It annoyed the Hero-Hunter, though, because he had to turn away from the kid just to answer the call. As such, he had the device at his ear, just in time to hear a familiar woman voice.
"So…I assume you've done it?" said the woman.
"Oh, it's you." Garou said with mild disappointment. He then turned and began to walk away. "Yeah, I was able to sneak into the kid's home without his mum knowing, so I got to see his U.A test result."
"And…?"
"And…" Garou instantly smirked. "You were right. All Might and that boy are connected. That boy has One For All, just as you predicted. I could feel the immense energy from that quirk just from holding his hand. It made me feel excited."
The woman at the other end giggled.
"I knew you would find him interesting." She said. "After all, you were one of Oxform Labs' finest."
"Don't bring that shit up." Garou said with malice. "I still haven't forgiven you assholes for back then. But you're just lucky I've found a new prey. So…are you going to tell All For One about this?"
"No." The woman replied. "This information remains between you and I. But who knows, if the time comes, I can use this information to bargain for something…useful from him."
"Fine. Whatever." Garou said. "Just remember this. That kid. Izuku Midoriya is my new prey. And I would like him to be ripe for hunting when he graduates."
Garou then ended the line. He obviously didn't care on what the receiver would think. Instead he then grinned madly as he stared at the half covered moon with his eyes then glowing red.
"Izuku Midoriya…I'll keep that name in mind." Garou said menacingly. "He's just a kid now, but I can tell he'll become a great hero…So when that time comes, he'll be the perfect prey. After all, a prey must be allowed to stretch its wings for some time before being hunted down."
_(LINE BREAK)_
"He cut the line on me. Huh…I can't say I'm not surprised."
A sigh then followed. The location of the woman seemed to be an expensive apartment. So when she was in view, sitting at a table, she appeared to be an ordinary human being. For one, she was a slender woman with aqua-blue wavy hair that went passed her shoulders and had emerald green eyes. She also wore a tank top that showed her cleavage under an open lap coat, while also wearing a reddish-brown skirt.
So after dropping her phone, she took a paper from a pile of other papers and began looking through them.
"Being a teacher can be so frustrating." She said. "But…this will all be worth it eventually. Everything is going according to plan, and best of all I get to keep close observation of my former experiment's sister."
Just then, she looked at the name of the paper in her hand. It was a test script, but one that hadn't been marked. But it did have the name of a certain nine year old girl.
"You're doing just fine…class representative Fubuki." She smirked.
NAME: DR. PSYKOS
RACE: HUMAN (ESPER)
OCCUPATION: TEACHER IN ROSEARY MIXED-GENDER SCHOOL
ALIAS: UNKNOWN.
AFFILIATION: OXFORM LABS, MONSTER ASSOCIATION