Chapter 6: Rematch
"I think… You might need to start from the top." Torino said uncertainly over the sound of Toshinori's continued coughing.
Izuku was drenched in sweat. Below him, the scream of the treadmill was broken only by the rapid impact of his footfalls and his labored breathing. In each hand, he held a 10lb dumbbell, which he curled with every step. The strain was familiar now, even if it hadn't been when he started twenty minutes ago. Before that, he'd run a gauntlet of different machines, but none had done what he needed. In the end, it was a good old fashioned dead sprint that managed to take the edge off the energy that thrummed through his veins.
Toshinori and Torino watched him, a mix of slack-jawed awe and concern evident on their faces. Part of it was from Izuku's absurd continued efforts, which had gone on many times longer than would have ordinarily been suicidal for an unenhanced human. Most of it, however, was from the experience the ninth holder had had recounted to them while doing so.
Toshinori had taken each new revelation like a blow, and had been following along in a daze. Once they'd reached the treadmill, he'd fallen into a nearby chair and taken up alternately staring at Izuku or his hands as if he'd never seen them before. Torino had taken the developments marginally better, and had taken up rigidly walking laps down the aisle next to the treadmill. Some steps turned into short hops, as he released some stress through a burst of his Quirk.
"So you mean to tell me that you've basically got All for One now?" Torino spluttered. "All it takes is blood, or hair, or anything with genetic material?"
"Basically." Izuku huffed. His body was gradually growing sore, and he'd likely need to stop in the next few minutes. The thought was almost blissful. "The important part that you missed is that, from what they can figure, it follows the same rules as transferring One for All. It has to be allowed by whoever's giving up the Quirk. It'd be more accurate to say I can be given Quirks, rather than that it can take them."
"This whole time…" Toshinori mumbled. "Nana's been in One for All this whole time, and I couldn't reach her. I was so close, and I fell short."
Izuku shook his head. Torino grumbled as he jetted back a few feet to avoid the spray of sweat from the movement, then continued his pacing. "You didn't fail anyone, Toshinori. Far from it. Yes, Nana's in there. But if you didn't progress One for All as much as you did, it's likely nobody ever would have discovered that fact. The fact that you managed to take the stockpile from what Nana estimated to be around 34% all the way to what it is now… it boggles my mind." Izuku tried to give Toshinori a comforting smile, but given his heaving breath, he probably didn't succeed. "If anything, you went above and beyond what anyone could have expected. You're the reason that meeting could ever have happened."
Within him, One for All pulsed once in concurrence. The first time it had done that, he'd nearly dropped a 50lb weight on his foot while he was frantically setting up one of the machines. Over the course of his explanation, it had happened a few more times, mostly in a 'once for yes, twice for no' capacity to either agree with or help correct his explanation.
"One for All agrees." Izuku added.
Toshinori groaned, but pulled himself together. "I can't help but marvel at how absurd that sentence is. Then again, it's not like anything else about the Quirk really makes conventional sense." He rubbed his hands over his face vigorously, then slapped his cheeks. "You should probably stop now, Young Izuku. Enhanced stamina or not, you likely still need to let your body rest."
"I was about to. I finally feel like I've actually been exercising." Izuku huffed, then started slowing down the treadmill. When he finally stepped off, he had to keep a hand clamped around one of the machine's handles to maintain his balance. The room seemed to keep moving around him, his body now forcibly acclimated to his constant sprint. Toshinori quickly lurched from his seat, then delicately guided his successor to it instead.
Izuku groaned in relief as he took his weight off his feet, though the sensation of his soaked clothes as they squelched against him soured his enjoyment.
Toshinori blanched. "I'll run out and get you a change of clothes in a bit. How are you feeling?"
"Physically? Like I took a short but aggressive morning run. Also, thirsty- Oh, thank you!" Izuku happily took the bottle of water Toshinori plucked from a mini fridge Izuku had missed, and quickly drained it. With a satisfied sigh, Izuku leaned back in the chair to enjoy his moment of rest. Unfortunately, it only took a minute for his relief to fade. "This would be fantastic if it didn't come with the mother of all caffeine highs. Even now, I can feel it creeping back as the soreness fades. I'll probably be back to a jittery mess in a few minutes."
"Didn't you say Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb could hold their Quirks back? Same with the quiet guy?" Torino questioned. "Can't the doctor just… turn it off?"
One for All pulsed twice.
Izuku shook his head. "Apparently not. Maybe it's just because Kinenkō is new, or maybe it's always on by nature. I don't know, and they can't actually tell me right now." Izuku's hands started fidgeting, and he sighed. "I guess I'll start back up again."
"Actually, Young Izuku." Toshinori cut in. "You said Boon could transfer the vitality to others, didn't you? Why don't you just transfer it to one of us so you can take a moment to recover? I'm sure we could handle an extra bit of pep in our step."
Izuku hesitated. "Are you sure? It's not exactly a pleasant experience…"
"If I can wield the raw power of One for All at its peak, I'm sure I can handle this for an hour or two!" Toshinori puffed out his still scrawny chest, a cheesy grin on his face.
"Oh, I should get some popcorn." Torino snarked. "This should be good."
"If you're sure…" Izuku said, then tentatively extended a hand towards his idol.
"Quite sure. Hit me!" Toshinori returned the gesture with far more confidence, and clasped his successor's hand within his own much larger one.
"Ok…" Izuku let a small smile through, then put on his best All Might imitation. "Then take this!"
Toshinori pulled back slightly, startled at the accuracy. Then, he yelped and tugged his hand away, shaking it as though he'd just touched something hot. When he held it to his face, Izuku could see a faint ring of gold light reflected in the man's deep set eyes. Toshinori sent a quick glance at Izuku, then rapidly crossed his arms and tried to lean casually against a wall.
"See? I'm fine." He said, as his fingers began to drum on his arm. "Toooooootally fine."
"You're fidgeting like the time that villain hit you with their itching Quirk, and you had to do an interview right after." Torino smirked up at him.
"Whaaaat? No. Definitely not." Toshinori denied.
"I can take it back, if it's bothering you." Izuku offered. While the return of his prior lethargy was a welcome respite for now, it was just as unpleasant in its own ways.
Toshinori pressed his lips tight, though his eyes had a hesitant cast. He looked like he was about to say something when his phone went off.
"A villain is here! A villain is here!"
Lightning quick, the phone was in All Might's massive hand. He jabbed at it rapidly as he shot off towards the main room.
"I'll be back shortly!" All Might called behind him, and a moment later a vibration ran through the floor.
"Um." Izuku murmured, feeling a bit guilty. "Should I try to pull Boon back? I think I can do that. I don't want him to have to deal with that in the middle of an emergency."
"Give it a second." Torino said under his breath.
The building vibrated once more, and All Might swept back into the room. "I AM BACK!" He boomed, then shrank down into a sheepish Toshinori. "And I give. This energy feels completely different than One for All's. I haven't felt this invigorated in years ." The lanky giant looked down at his jittering hands, one still marked by a glowing ring, and grimaced. "But I see where you're coming from. If I'm not actively using it up, it's a little maddening. I'll still keep a hold of it for a while though, so you don't have to literally run yourself ragged. I don't know how Young Iida could stand to stay in bed like this, let alone how a civilian lived with it."
Izuku took a moment to recover from the hero's sudden return and subsequent verbal barrage. "To my understanding, it was far more mild before One for All started fueling it. As far as Iida goes, he said the doctors tried to sedate him, but that just brought him down to hyper instead of..." Izuku gestured to his sweat soaked self, then the fidgeting hero before him. "This."
Toshinori smiled. "Given his personal brand of kinetic enthusiasm, I'm not sure if the idea of him under the full effects is entertaining or terrifying."
"Probably both." Izuku laughed lightly. Then, he cocked his head to the side as a thought occurred. "Do you mind if I try something, Toshinori?"
"Sure." His mentor responded without a second though. "Do you need me to do anything?"
"Other than holding out both hands, no. I'm going to try taking back Boon for a moment." Izuku shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll give it back afterwards. I'm not going to start wearing a hole in your treadmill again."
Toshinori snorted. "Kid, that thing was designed for me . You're not going to do a damn thing to it until you're past the sound barrier."
Izuku sent an appreciative glance at the unassuming mechanical marvel, then returned his attention to the man in front of him. "Ok. Here goes test one."
Izuku reached out and clasped the hand marked with gold. With some focus, he could feel that distant sense of persistence that he'd noticed during his introspection in the hospital. With a clumsy effort, he… for lack of a better word, grasped at it, and it responded. Slowly, it flowed from the mark into Izuku's hand, a trickle of warmth that reinvigorated him. With another, more confident pull, the trickle became a torrent.
"That is a strange sensation." Toshinori muttered, goosebumps down his arm. "It feels like it should be alarming, but it's not."
Izuku hummed in acknowledgement, but kept his focus on the feeling. After a few seconds longer, he cut off the flow of vitality.
Toshinori blinked in surprise. "You stopped?"
"Yes." Izuku grinned, excited. "I took back a little under half."
Toshinori whistled a sharp, clear note. "Well that certainly opens up a lot of possibilities."
"It does!" Izuku exclaimed. He began to pace, though more from excitement than an excess of energy. While what he held was certainly enough to make him antsy and urge him to move, it was far and away easier to handle than it was at full strength. "It also begs a lot more questions… but let me finish the first tests before we get sidetracked."
Izuku reached out to Toshinori's unmarked hand, then tried again. The return was marginally slower, but still easy enough. Once Izuku was satisfied with that test, he released Toshinori's hand without ending the transfer. The flow of energy slowed to roughly half as fast as the first attempt, but walking to the other side of the exercise room didn't produce any noticeable difference. He'd need to test it further, but it was possible that distance wouldn't matter, given Iida had been half of Tokyo away when Boon returned the first time.
Once all but a smidgen of Boon's vitality had returned to him, Izuku tried the opposite. Unfortunately, he couldn't remotely push vitality back into Toshinori, even though some still coursed through his body. He could, however, reapply boon through contact. A new ring appeared on Toshinori's other hand, and both rings began to glow with increased intensity.
Izuku cut the flow of energy once more, which left him with roughly two thirds remaining. Much like One for All, getting a grip on the exact measurements would probably take time, but he was already a bit better at controlling the flow. Izuku was satisfied by what he'd learned, but there was a final test he wanted to perform.
"Hey, Torino…" Izuku turned towards the short hero, one hand extended. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to…"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be a guinea pig too." Torino grumbled, though he didn't hesitate to pull off a glove and clasp hands with Izuku. A surge of power later, and the old man was left blinking in surprise.
"Ohhh…" Torino grunted with a bemused smile. He flexed his fingers, then did a few crouches. "That soothes some old achs reeeeal nice." With a thump of air, Torino shot over and through the sea of equipment, cackling. "I feel like a damn kid again!"
" ...how much did you give him ?" Toshinori whisper-hissed at Izuku, alarm evident.
"It's more or less evenly split between the three of us right now." Izuku replied, attention mostly dedicated to staying out of Gran's way.
"I am officially glad you tried it on me first." Toshinori mumbled as he ducked, a yellow blur streaking over his head. "He'd probably be hopping all over Tokyo right now with the full package."
"Don't tempt me!" Torino's voice rapidly approached from the far corner. He skidded to a halt by an elevator door a few feet from where Izuku stood. Torino had to go up on his tip toes slightly, but he managed to press a button. A second later, the elevator slid open with a cheerful "An elevator is here!"
Toshinori coughed into his hand and flushed. "...It was a bit of a running joke, back in the-"
"Oy, Zygote!" Torino called from within the elevator. "Let's go spar, unless you're too chicken! You still need practice with that Full Cowling of yours, plus whatever you can figure out with those bonus Quirks! Toshinori, go get those new clothes, he'll probably need them even more soon."
Toshinori glanced at Izuku from the corner of his eye, as if trying to determine if he needed to cover his protege's escape. "I'm not so sure that leaving you with him down there is a good idea. He tends to get… enthusiastic… in open spaces."
Izuku hesitated, then shook his head. "He's not wrong that I need the practice, and I don't want to burn your time with something like sparring." Izuku smiled slightly. "Besides, I have to pay him back for the training in his apartment. Will I succeed? Probably not. But I definitely won't if I don't try."
A grin spread across Toshinori's face, and he gave Izuku a firm pat on the back. "Give em' hell, kid." He said, then headed towards the main room. "And Torino! No breaking my successor! We need him!"
"Spoil Sport!" Torino blew a raspberry from within the elevator.
Izuku, for his part, just shook his head with a grin. He jogged over to the elevator, took what he hoped wouldn't be his last breath, and stepped in. Torino rolled his eyes at him, but nevertheless pressed the button labeled 'Gymnasium'. With a cheerful ding, the elevator doors closed, and it began to descend.
Much like the exercise room far, far above, calling the cavernous area located deep under the tower a gymnasium felt like a disservice. How such a thing had been excavated, much less authorized underneath a major metropolitan area, was beyond Izuku's understanding.
Shortly after Izuku walked into the empty space, the room began to rumble. Horrifying thoughts of an earthquake flashed through Izuku's mind, especially when the walls began visibly shifting, and he spun to dash for the elevator. As his gaze swept the area for Torino, he caught sight of the man hanging from an open panel next to the elevator.
"Relax, brat." Torino grunted as he twisted another dial with his free hand. "I'm just reorganizing the room a bit. Too open concept for my tastes right now."
Warily, Izuku glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, the walls were still moving, as was the floor and ceiling. On a second glance however, it was clear that every surface of the room consisted of square panels, many of which were now extruding into the gymnasium. As he watched, it transitioned from an empty space to an abstract environment of slopes and pillars.
"...This is absurd!" Izuku spluttered.
"Mmhm." Torino grunted. "The amount of money the world has thrown at All Might over the years boggles the mind. I certainly enjoy some of the perks, though."
Izuku shook his head as the room finally fell still. "Well, that definitely makes the environment more interesting. Where should we-"
Izuku's words were cut off as a foot planted itself on the back of his head, and he immediately felt foolish for having let his guard down. A split second later, a surge of air blasted him bodily towards the center of the room. He hastily activated Full Cowling, skipped across the floor twice, twisted himself to avoid a column, then flipped onto his feet. Thankfully, his shoes didn't squeak as he slid across the floor like they did in his middle school gym. At these speeds, it would probably have been deafening.
Rather than waiting to come to a stop, Izuku leapt backwards to plant his feet on an oncoming pillar. As he sunk into a deep crouch, he briefly turned his attention inwards. 'Hikage, I don't suppose…?'
A wave of goosebumps flared to life across his body, then settled. ' I'll take that as a y- '
…danger…
Izuku almost missed the extremely mild prickle of warning. Thankfully, he'd been specifically waiting for it, so was still able to leap away before the blur of Gran Torino shot past. '...what? That was clearly an attack. Why was that so much less intense?'
One for All pulsed three times, which wasn't especially helpful.
"Good dodge!" Torino's voice called from somewhere in the room. "Was that Danger Sense in action?"
"Kind of?" Izuku called. "It wasn't as intense as it was before. I'm not sure-"
DANGER
Izuku yelped, then flung himself to the side. Even so, a smirking Torino was able to poke him on the cheek on his way past.
"Would I be correct in assuming that was 'more intense' than the first try?"
"Uh…" Izuku gulped, suddenly remembering All Might's description of how well Torino's training had gone for him. "Yes?"
"The first one was just testing the waters. I wasn't really intending to hurt ya'." Torino called. His voice dopplered as he rapidly moved around the room, and the effect it caused was unsettling. "That time, I was actually aiming for you."
Izuku hummed absently as he considered the implications, even as he leapt between two columns to reach higher ground. 'Does Danger Sense detect things that can actually cause me harm, or something else?'
Two pulses.
'Ok…' Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by another warning pang, and he had to launch himself away as Torino's foot ripped through the air where a leg had been. A moment later, Izuku twisted in the air as Torino changed direction and plunged after him. Izuku lashed out in an attempt to grab his opponent's arm as he passed, but instead came face-to-sole with a yellow boot.
DANGER
'I may have figured that one out on my own.' Izuku groused as he spun away, face stretched back from the blast of air. He barely managed to orient himself and grasp the edge of a column as he passed. At the same time, another pang of Danger Sense struck. Between the pain in his head and the strain his maneuver was putting on his arm, Izuku could feel his grip slipping. Panicked, he acted on instinct.
Izuku let a little more of One for All flow through him, and with an instant of 7% Full Cowling, he managed to swing his momentum around and shoot off at a different angle. Thankfully, the maneuver fowled Torino's next strike, which hissed through the air where Izuku would have been a fraction of a second later. 'So, it's not just a general threat detection. Does it have something to do with attacks in particular?'
One pulse.
'So I'm going in the right direction…' Izuku struck the ground in a clumsy roll, and a small flare of pain flashed along his right side. Boon's warmth suffused the area, and began to sooth his likely bruised flesh. 'How does it determine what an attack is? Precognition? Something to do with the movement? Does it detect intent?'
Three rapid pulses, and a distant sense of satisfaction.
'Huh. I felt that-' Izuku whipped towards the direction he'd hoped Torino would approach from even as Danger Sense flared, and swung a punch. Gran flipped, and in a rapid sequence of bursts Izuku could barely track, shot himself over the punch, past Izuku's head, and into the back of his knees. Mid fall, Izuku felt another pang as two small feet planted themselves in the middle of his back. "Shiiiiiit."
"Yup!" Torino agreed gleefully. "Enjoy your flight!"
Izuku felt like he'd been hit by a car as he tumbled upwards, pain radiating from his back. In the brief moments where his spinning frame faced the ceiling, he could see that Torino had aimed him at a flat section, without anywhere for him to grip on his way up or down. Even if he managed to absorb the impact on the ceiling, he'd be a soft target on his way back to earth.
Izuku knew a spar with Gran Torino would be more than he could chew, but even then he was shocked by how easily the elderly hero was running circles around him. From their spar in his apartment, Izuku had thought that he might stand some chance of at least touching the man. Evidently, Torino had been holding back to keep from literally bringing the building down on them, because he was going far faster than he had back then.
'He's toying with me.'
The thought wasn't especially surprising, but it was definitely frustrating. Izuku latched onto the emotion, and reached for Blackwhip. It responded quickly, and Izuku directed the tendrils to reach for several passing pillars.
The maneuver worked. Kind of. Multiple tendrils shot out and latched onto pillars around him, though more than he'd intended. However, he'd failed to take into account the fact that he was still spinning, and quickly found himself tangled in the inky strands. On the upside, it brought his disoriented tumble to a stop. Unfortunately, it also left him a sitting duck, which Torino was more than happy to shoot down. Izuku could see the yellow missile approaching at Mach Terrifying, and quickly tried to untangle himself. Then he paused.
'Blackwhip doesn't seem to have a defined physical form. It can branch out from other strands, or blend together…' Izuku thought as he watched his doom approach. 'Maybe I can…'
He pushed the idea towards Blackwhip, and it seemed to do more or less what he wanted. The strands melted together, shifting from threads to a sort of second skin. While it still held him in the air, which wasn't exactly what he'd wanted, at least his arms were free to move.
The sudden shift from restrained victim to potential threat caught Torino by surprise, and Izuku was just barely able to block his opponent's feet before they slammed into his chest. The impact still caused them to stretch backwards as the tendrils strained, but that only served to further diffuse the blow.
Blackwhip quickly crawled up Torino's boots of its own volition, dark tendrils seeking the one who'd attacked its wielder. The one in question, however, wanted nothing to do with them, and suddenly Izuku was left with two yellow boots stuck to his arms as Torino shot backwards.
"Nice try, Zygote! But you're fifty years too young to catch me that easily!"
Izuku groaned, then shook the numbness from his arms. The thin sheet of Blackwhip had actually helped guard against the impact, but Torino was very clearly not screwing around. With some coaxing, Izuku managed to detach Blackwhip from all but one of the pillars, which let him swing towards it. As he approached, he managed to call an inky film to his hand, which he used to adhere himself to the column.
As Izuku clung to the vertical surface, he tried to think.'Torino's clearly got me outclassed, and he's fighting me hard enough to get Danger Sense to engage. He's crafty, and excellent at ambushes using his superior speed and mobility. With all the room he has in here, he can go faster without worrying about running into things before he can flip around… though without his boots, maybe he'll have to be more careful.'
Izuku didn't particularly want to keep ahold of the things, as the stench of old man feet was difficult to ignore, but he didn't want Torino to get them back. With a grimace, Izuku plucked them from his forearms and shoved them under his free arm.
Distantly, Izuku heard the tell tale hiss of air, and tried to detach his hand from the wall. He dropped away, but found himself still attached by a black tether that slowed him as he approached the ground. He'd have been completely fine taking the drop with Full Cowling activated, but he couldn't deny the landing was far easier thanks to Blackwhip's assistance.
"Thank you!" Izuku whispered at it. In response, the tendril frayed and came apart, though the final strands seemed to deliberately wiggle at him before they faded with an odd, external sense of satisfaction.
'Well…' Izuku mused as he took off running. 'I think that pretty much confirms that Blackwhip has some level of sentience now. Daigoro, if you have any suggestions, please have them ready the next time I end up visiting you guys.'
One for All pulsed, though somewhat hesitantly.
Focus once again entirely on the game of cat and mouse at hand, Izuku began plotting. It was clear that the environment greatly favored Gran Torino, but it was equally obvious the hero was letting him feel out his abilities. Could he use that slack to turn the tables? It was possible, if unlikely… but still a better shot than beating his mentor as things stood. He just needed to find the right spot…
Izuku hurled himself into a backflip as Torino swept beneath him, then twisted so a punch that should have taken him in the gut instead grazed his ribs as the menace shot upwards. Gran flipped above him once more, a vicious grin on his face as he aimed downwards. Just as Izuku's left hand brushed the ground, Torino shot towards him.
The small part of Izuku's brain not dedicated to avoiding death noted that, as he'd hoped, Torino was definitely going slower without his boots to help absorb impacts. Small victories.
Izuku jumped Full Cowling to 7%, and managed to coax a bit of Blackwhip to coat his palm and afix it to the ground. With that lone point of leverage, Izuku awkwardly swept a leg through Torino's path of descent far faster than he had previously moved. Torino dodged it, because of course he did, but Izuku could see a flash of wariness on his face as he did so.
'I'll call that progress…' Izuku thought as he brought his percentage back down. A bit of soreness lingered, especially in the shoulder that had supported his ad-hawk attack, but it wasn't anything debilitating.
What was debilitating, on the other hand, was Torino's counter. Evidently Izuku's moment of unexpected speed had taken off whatever kid gloves were still on, because once again Izuku found himself launched away by a blast of pressurized air. Except his arm was still attached to the ground by Blackwhip. The dark substance stretched, almost elastic, and began to slow Izuku's flight… only for Torino to catch up and slam a shoulder into Izuku's gut.
The impact blasted the wind from Izuku's lungs and sent Torino's boots flying from his grip. Blackwhip detached from the ground and tried to grapple Izuku's assailant, but Torino had already twisted around to plant his feet on Izuku's chest. Another, albeit weaker, blast from Jet sent Izuku soaring backwards again, and launched Torino clear of the tendrils. The series of attacks had come so quickly that Danger Sense's warnings blended into a single multilayered throb.
With a choked whimper of pain and effort, Izuku uncurled from around his abused abdomen and took stock. He wasn't convinced he could take much more, but he doubted Torino would stop until he was satisfied or Izuku literally couldn't stand anymore. He needed to try and finish this now, before the last bit of control he had over the spar was beaten out of him.
Izuku swept the environment for anything he could use. 'High ground is asking for a beating given Torino's mobility, and large empty spaces aren't much better. Something cramped with an overhang would be best, so that I'm not easy pickings whenever I'm off the ground. It doesn't look like there's anywhere like that… but maybe…'
With a more attainable target in mind, he scanned the landscape in the direction he was going. Pretty quickly, he spotted what he was looking for. Equally fast, he realized Torino was catching up with him once again.
Panicked, Izuku tried to fling Blackwhip towards his preferred destination, but the Quirk seemed to resist. A sense of aggression prickled at him, and it wasn't hard to interpret what exactly it meant.
'We're still going to fight him!' Izuku mentally shrieked to Blackwhip. 'We just need to get out of his element!'
Somewhat begrudgingly, Blackwhip snapped several strands more or less where Izuku had wanted them. The chords of energy pulled taught, and Izuku was yanked downwards just in time. His already wind-whipped hair was buffeted back from the rush of Torino's passing, just over his head.
As he had several times before, the yellow blur changed direction rapidly to shoot down after Izuku. This time, however, Izuku let Blackwhip act on some of its aggression. He cast several tendrils up from his shoulders to intercept, and a foreign thrill raced through him. Torino's grin visibly widened as he zipped between the dark threads, avoiding each snare as they tried to tighten around him.
"This is what caught Stain?" Gran Torino called, bursts of air breaking up his words. "He must have been off his game!"
"Blackwhip feeds off negative emotions. I'm way the hell less angry now than I was then!" Izuku returned fire. "But go ahead, keep running your mouth. Maybe that'll change!"
"Ha!" Torino sounded delighted. "And here I was, worried there wasn't any heat to ya'!"
With a final surge, Gran Torino shot through a narrow gap, then crashed his crossed forearms into Izuku's hastily raised guard. Both flew downwards like a meteor, and it took all of Izuku's concentration to guide Blackwhip into doing what he needed it to.
Behind Torino, the Blackwhip tendrils that had missed him melded together to form a makeshift parachute. Though it jolted his shoulders roughly, Izuku smiled as the shift in movement caught Torino by surprise. The hero tried to pull away, though this time he had to sacrifice his gloves to the tendrils of Blackwhip that clung to them. However, before he could fully disengage, they landed just about exactly where Izuku wanted, albeit faster than he would have liked. Even with Full Cowling, the impact rattled his brain a bit.
Torino, who enjoyed the benefits of having Izuku to absorb some of the impact, leapt off his student's chest. Cast in dim green light, his aged face looked impassive as he gazed down at Izuku. "Nice try, welp. It was a good first run, but you'll need to do better than… Oh, you sneaky little shit."
Izuku coughed weakly as he staggered to his feet, but managed a weary grin nonetheless. They'd landed in a roughly 15ft by 15ft pit surrounded by pillars that were just tall enough to meet Izuku's needs. There wasn't anything that hung low over them like he'd initially searched for, however he'd managed to fix that.
The Blackwhip parachute, now repurposed as a sort of tarp, clung to the walls above them. It remained attached to Izuku by the tendrils that still hung from his shoulders, which he could only hope wouldn't end up tangling him again. Blackwhip itself didn't seem particularly pleased that its primary job was to stay where it was, however. Izuku got the distinct impression it wanted to grab things. Specifically, Gran Torino shaped things.
'You're doing a good job!' Izuku encouraged it. 'You have him trapped! That's kind of like grabbing, isn't it?'
Something like sullen acceptance rolled over him. Izuku's own relief must have been palpable, because Torino chose to break the silence.
"What do you look so happy about?" The hero grumped. Without his cape, boots, or gloves, the man stood in just a rumpled white unitard, a belt, and a mask, which was an… odd look.
"I was negotiating with Blackwhip." Izuku responded, to which Torino just shook his head in bemusement. "I'm really hoping that Daigoro has some good suggestions, because I don't think this is how it's supposed to go."
"You certainly have your work cut out for ya', kid." Torino grunted. "But you should probably address the more immediate problem."
"The fact that you're going to beat the stuffing out of me now that we're in here?"
"Eeeeyup."
"Yeah…" Izuku sighed, then fell into his usual stance. "Probably better than it would have been out there."
DANGER
A knee propelled by Jet crashed into Izuku's instinctive block as Torino shot forwards. At nearly the same time, the old man's other leg swept around in a round house kick, foot angled in such a way that Jet could power it as well. The blow crushed Izuku's second attempt to block and took him in the ribs, the force of it sending him stumbling. Before Izuku could even think, he ducked under the next kick Danger Sense warned him of, then retaliated with a punch of his own.
Only to find Torino standing on his arm, one foot raised.
The next flare of danger came directly for his face, and Izuku barely managed to bend backwards in time. The kick Torino had chambered lanced just before his nose, then Gran lightly jetted back and away. A tendril of Blackwhip swept down from above, briefly letting a lash of light into the dark confines, but Torino swerved around it.
With a slap of a foot on the wall, it ended. Torino became a constantly moving blur in the dim light, something Izuku couldn't hope to track even with Danger Sense. Though he was slowed by the confines and limited by his inability to use the ceiling, Torino's mobility was too much. Izuku partly or completely avoided the first few strikes, but once the first solid hit landed, he was almost helpless to defend himself.
A glancing blow to the shoulder spun him around. A hit to the side of his shin made him tilt, only for a blow to the ribs to flip him the other way. Even when he lost his grip on Blackwhip and it began lashing out, the strikes only slowed by a fraction. Finally, it ended with a punch to Izuku's stomach that folded him over and made his gorge rise.
Izuku collapsed to his knees, battered and exhausted while the world spun around him. His head thundered both from a glancing blow, and the sheer number of spikes Danger Sense had driven into it. Though Blackwhip fought it, he managed to dismiss the tendrils connected to him, and by extension, the sheet covering their little arena.
"I… I-I giv- hrrrrng…" Izuku nearly lost his lunch, then actually did lose his fight against gravity. In a slow collapse, he let himself sink to his side on the nice, cold floor. "I give."
"Huh. Either you've got a stronger stomach than the oaf did at your age, or I'm getting soft." Torino quipped.
"Don't make me throw up at you." Izuku growled around clenched teeth. "The headache will probably do what you couldn't at this rate."
"Headach?" Torino sounded a touch alarmed. "I was trying not to hit your head too hard. I didn't make ya' pop something, did I?"
"No." Izuku bit out, then had to swallow down bile. "Danger Sense did a number on me in that last barrage. It's like someone used my head as a pincushion for railroad spikes."
"That's a nasty backlash." Torino hissed. "But it made a huge difference. Do you have any idea what you were doing out there?"
Izuku squinted at Torino through one eye. "I didn't think I was doing anything too different, other than trying to get a better grip on Full Cowling and the new Quirks."
"How fast do you think I was going?" Torino asked, eyes intense.
"Way faster than back in the apartment, that's for sure. Maybe three times as fast, while we were out in the open? Probably a little under twice as fast while we were down here."
Torino laughed. "Kid, compared to what I just did, I was taking a casual stroll around the apartment. I'm talking six times as fast up there, not much below my top speeds. Most people wouldn't have been able to see me coming at all, much less even try to do something about it."
"Damn…" Izuku hesitantly tried to push himself upright, succeeded, then determined that the ground was far too comfortable to part with just yet. "I don't feel quite so bad for being on the back foot the whole time then."
"If you thought you'd actually beat me, I'll have to use my full speed next time."
Izuku quickly shook his head in denial. He immediately regretted the movement, and groaned into the floor.
"Good. Rest up, we can do a lighter spar in a little while now that I have your measure. We'll focus on mobility and getting you used to Danger Sense, maybe touch on that Blackwhip thing. It looked like you were having a hard time with it."
Izuku managed to roll onto his back, then reached a hand up towards Torino with a groan. "Let me take your third of Boon back. It'll get me back up faster, and I need to get a read on how quickly it works anyway."
"Heh. That's the spirit!"
Izuku grimaced at his reflection in the foggy mirror. Damn near every inch of his body had a bruise decorating its surface, ranging from sullen purple to mottled green. Interspersed among them were partly healed abrasions and some cuts that hadn't fully healed over. Overall, he looked like shit.
Boon, as it turned out, wasn't some top-of-the-line healing Quirk, even after One for All had enhanced it. The Quirk definitely accelerated the healing process, especially while he had Full Cowling in effect, as evidenced by hours old bruises that looked like he got them days ago. However, despite the thrumming vitality's ability to sooth his achs, the beating he'd received eventually put him down for the count. Given its performance in keeping Kinenkō and Iida alive, Izuku suspected Boon was far more geared towards surviving trauma than recovering from it.
Hopefully that wouldn't be put to the test again any time soon.
When Toshinori returned from his quest for clothes, he'd found Izuku freshly laid out after the fifth round of sparring. By that point, the tattered remnants of Izuku's clothes did little to hide how battered he was. Toshinori's response had been to immediately veto any further sparring for the day, and similarly any unsupervised spars going forward.
While that had seemed like a bit much at the time, given that Izuku had been just as responsible as Torino, he could now recognize that was precisely why Toshinori had made the call. Izuku didn't exactly have the best track record for personal care, in retrospect, though he didn't miss the irony in Toshinori being the one to point it out. It had still been frustrating, even if more understandable.
Once they'd made it back to the penthouse office, Toshinori had pressed a fresh set of clothes into his arms and shuffled him off towards the gigantic bathroom. Any reservations he'd had about the abrupt end to the day's sparring were washed away by the delightful omnidirectional shower. Izuku had promptly added it to the list of things he'd miss about Might Tower once he had to leave, just a rung or two below the utter insanity of the gymnasium.
Izuku shook himself from his reverie, then set about gingerly drying himself. Once finished, he slipped into his new clothes, a black long sleeve shirt and light blue jeans. He found them to be a touch on the tight side for his taste, but they were nonetheless extremely comfortable. After a slightly self conscious once over in the mirror, he made his way to his bedroom to retrieve his phone. The light of dawn shone through the window, which made for a breathtaking sight overtop the sprawling city.
Izuku's phone was on his desk, where he'd accidentally left it as he rushed to the exercise room. Next to it, however, was something he hadn't been expecting.
The book was large, and clearly high quality even before Izuku laid a hand on it. The deep green of the leather cover nearly matched his hair, and simple golden accents only added to its elegance. On top of it, a sleek red pen stood out starkly, ablaze in the morning light.
Gingerly, Izuku sat at the desk to inspect the new additions. The pen had a delightful heft to it, and once he'd unscrewed the cap, he quickly doodled a small shape on the back of his hand. The smoothness of it brought a smile to Izuku's face, and he began to flip the pen between his knuckles as his attention returned to the book. He tried to open it, but found that the cover was held closed by a combination lock built into it. Izuku flipped it over to see six numbers scrawled on a sticky note, which he carefully entered. The lock clicked softly, and Izuku quickly flipped the book open.
Inside the front cover, he found familiar handwriting.
I hope this notebook will aid you on your journey to master your Quirk, in all its forms.
– Toshinori Yagi
Izuku smiled gently at the words, and the relative simplicity of the signature compared to All Might's bombastic, multi-page scrawl. It seemed his favorite notebook, the burned, water damaged, and sludge stained Campos that contained that signature had a new challenger.
His eyes drifted from the writing to the first blank page. It was lined, but they were so faint he could easily sketch over them without them interfering. Izuku gently brushed his fingers over the page, and found it supple but sturdy. It would last him a good, long while, and would likely hold up to punishment far better than his usual fare.
With a wide smile, Izuku picked up his new pen and began to write.
Izuku's Hero Analisis for the Future, Introspection Edition
Quirk Bestowal
Original Owner: Yoichi
One of the two base Quirks of One for All, Quirk Bestowal is the component that allows the power to be passed from one user to the next. The transfer requires both the intent of the user, and the recipient taking a catalyst containing the user's genetic material into their body. To my understanding, this can be achieved by ingesting the catalyst (such as eating a hair) or by blood entering the body through a wound.
At an unknown point in time, Quirk Bestowal's scope expanded to allow others to give the user their Quirks as well. This transfer seems to require the same things as the usual transfer, that being a genetic link and some degree of willingness from the one giving it up.
Additional Notes
Thankfully, the Quirk seems to protect the user from whatever backlash causes the mindlessness of the Nomu.
Yoichi implied I should be able to give others individual Quirks, rather than passing on the entirety of One for All.
Power Stockpile
Original Owner: Unknown
The second of the base Quirks of One for All, Power Stockpile is the physical enhancer Quirk that has grown ridiculously powerful over time. The stockpile of energy that fuels it is vast, and seems to be the force that has amplified the Quirks within One for All, Quirk Bestowal included.
The power output of the Quirk compounds upon itself, leading to an exponentially growing output. While this wasn't immediately obvious to me due to my own limited experience with it, it's now immediately noticeable in the jump from 5% to 7%. My actual speed doesn't grow exponentially, but some quick calculations show that the energy I output does. The implications that this has for true 100% output… are unspeakably terrifying. The fact that All Might in his prime had access to the entirety of this power and still nearly lost to All for One feels impossible.
Additional Notes
Under controlled circumstances, I should try to test exactly how far I can jump my use of Full Cowling.
From 5% to 7% is a strain for a few seconds, and can cause some lingering soreness afterwards, but shorter bursts seem to have less to no lasting impact. Perhaps talk to Recovery Girl, as knowing my current limits will go a long way towards limiting future significant injuries.
Actively using Power Stockpile seems to enhance the power of other Quirks, in addition to the enhancement they evidently received after being incorporated into One for All.
Gearshift
Original Owner: Kudo
Breaks physics, apparently. Given that many Quirks seem to do so, the fact that Kudo seems especially worried about Gearshift means it may do so in a particularly dangerous way. Given the name, probably something speed based.
Fa Jin
Original Owner: Bruce
Bruce said he died due to the Quirk blowing up part, or all, of his body in his confrontation against All for One. Many Quirks from earlier generations lacked the safeguards most naturally have today, so it's possible it's a highly self destructive ability.
Danger Sense
Original Owner: Hikage Shinomori
Danger Sense seems to cover an area with a roughly 400 meter radius around the user, within which it can detect hostile intent. The warning is clearest if the attack is made within 50 meters, which provides some insight into where the attack is targeted. After OFA enhancement, range is unknown, as it covered the entirety of the gymnasium. Further testing is needed.
The warning comes as a pang in the mind, which can be rather painful. The intensity of the pang seems to correlate to the severity of the intent, with an attack not really intended to cause harm barely registering while an attack with definitive intent of harm is far more taxing.
Additional Notes
The attack doesn't have to target me to trigger Danger Sense, which would make it an excellent alert system for hero work. That could, however, make it extremely overwhelming in a large scale combat situation.
I kind of get a sense where an attack is coming from, if I pay close attention. More practice needed with ranged opponents.
Blackwhip
Original Owner: Daigoro Banjo
Blackwhip is an extremely interesting Quirk. From my extremely limited experience with it, I can already tell its versatility and potential are both absolutely phenomenal. It can alter its properties to adhere to surfaces or detach at will, can stretch or remain relatively rigid, can meld with itself and change shape, etc. With sufficient practice and cooperation, the potential applications seem nearly endless.
However, the Quirk seems to be some degree of sentient. This is extremely interesting on a multitude of levels, as companion Quirks were breathtakingly rare prior to the 4th generation of users. As far as I know, there are only two in all of Japan, one of whom is Tokoyami.
As it stands, Blackwhip is willful and somewhat hard to control. Even when I try to directly control it, the results I want are often only partly achieved as Blackwhip chooses to do them differently. Sometimes it outright refuses, or acts entirely on its own, which can interfere with my own intentions.
However, when cooperation is achieved, the results have already been fabulous. Blackwhip nearly caught Torino during the parachute plan, and managed to slow his approach down dramatically in the attempt. At the same time, I was able to direct the tendrils to form the parachute, which was a complex task I probably wouldn't have been able to achieve if I was completely in control of them. The sentience it displays could easily be one of its greatest assets if an understanding can be reached.
Blackwhip will likely take a great deal of time and effort to develop, but I'm looking forward to it. Once I can get back to the Vestiges, I hope Daigoro will have some suggestions, though I'm unsure how much his experience will be applicable. Perhaps I should ask for advice from Tokoyami on control. Sero, Aizawa, and Midnight could also be extremely helpful in learning useful applications for it as well. Maybe even Mineta, given the ability to adhere to surfaces.
Additional Notes
Blackwhip damages clothes, which means I'll need either DNA infused materials (expensive!), self-healing fabric, or vents in my costume that I can direct it through. Vents are the simplest addition, and will likely be necessary for Smokescreen eventually, but Blackwhip may not always want to pass through them. Time will tell.
A layer of Blackwhip over my arms not only proved extremely effective as a trap, but also helped absorb a direct impact from Gran Torino. Defensive properties should be examined.
Smokescreen
Original Owner: En Tayutai
Smokescreen has yet to manifest, though it's evidently the ability to produce smoke from the body. En himself has downplayed the power of smokescreen, but I'm certain it will have a plethora of uses. On its own, I imagine it'll be great for escape or stealth. Depending on the smoke's composition, it could be useful for forcing opponents out of an area if it can't be breathed, though I may have to get improved filters for my respirator if that's the case.
Additional Notes
It also seems like it could be a fantastic combination move with Danger Sense, if I can properly get a grip on it. While I'm not sure how Smokescreen would impact the intent necessary for Danger Sense to trigger, any level of compatibility could be fantastic.
Integration of thermal vision goggles into my suit, along with the potential vents and updated respirator, should be considered if compatible with Smokescreen.
Float
Original Owner: Nana Shimura
Float has yet to manifest, and is the remaining Quirk that I look forward to the most. The ability to fly is a dream come true. The sheer utility of it could help in so many situations, even aside from the mobility advantage. Torino demolished me with high speed limited flight, and I'm already an abnormally mobile hero at 5%.
From Nana's description, the sheer speed she could achieve in her time would put her among the fastest heroes in history, alongside Hawks and Brittain's Sir Sonic. This was when she only had access to roughly 34%, by her estimation. At 100%... definitely best I ease into using it very, very carefully.
Additional Notes
Ask Nana about the specifics of how float works, to see if I can get a head start on practice by having Uraraka remove my gravity.
As with Smokescreen, having goggles and an updated ventilator could help with high speed flight, or even upper atmosphere flight if need be.
Could a wing suit help with flight, or would it be redundant? Could Blackwhip serve as a wingsuit with practice? Things to consider.
Boon
Original Owner: Kouki Kinenkō
Boon enhances the vitality of the user, dramatically increasing their energy and ability to survive serious injury, as well as moderately enhancing their recovery speed (Degree to be determined.) Sufficient physical activity, and presumably injury, can use up this vitality. However, it quickly restores itself during rest.
Boon can be applied to another person through physical contact, transferring some amount of the user's enhanced vitality to that person. This gifted vitality fades slowly over time, but is actively used up faster through injury or physical activity. Even if the gifted vitality is used up, the effect seems to last up to 24 hours unless actively withdrawn.
The degree of these effects is unknown, but was able to stabilize Iida from a nearly lethal injury, and kept Kinenkō alive with half his body crushed prior to its incorporation into OFA. The effect seems to be enhanced when I actively use OFA as well, as I found by studying my injuries between spars as compared to the rest period after.
Additional Notes
Highly compatible with Recovery Girl's Heal, as she found when treating Iida. Heal rapidly consumes the gifted vitality, however.
Boon seems to act as a link for others to somewhat interact with OFA's Vestige Realm, as with what happened to Iida. Further testing necessary.
Having the entirety of Boon at once energizes the individual to an uncomfortable degree, potentially inducing fidgeting and difficulties focusing. Efforts to see if I can acclimate to the entirety should be made, so that I don't have to constantly foist it on others to keep myself sane.
Causes my eyes to glow from rings around the iris, but does not seem to have the same effect on others. Instead, they form a ring around the point of contact the transfer occurs.
Causes golden swirls to appear in both my blood, and the blood of the recipient. This direct interaction with blood may be part of why it better assists with survival, such as when it brought Iida back from nearly bleeding out.
Suit should have a way to easily remove gloves, have DNA pads on the fingers, or otherwise allow me to directly touch things to facilitate Boon's application. I'm extremely lucky that Stain and Blackwhip destroyed my gloves, or I may not have been able to use it on Iida.
Do not give the entirety of Boon to Gran Torino.