"Now then." Aizawa didn't waste any time and began his explanation to everyone, including Izuku. "As I was preparing to say before Mirko here interrupted, you are all familiar with the usual physical tests done through high school. At the same time, you all know you were not allowed to use your Quirks during those tests, correct?"
"That is correct, Sir!" Tenya replied.
"I find that to be highly restrictive and illogical. Quirks are a natural part of our biology, and being unable to use them in such tests prevents individuals from learning restraint and control. Things the teaching system expects normal civilians to learn on their own. But those like you, who had the ambition and are now on the road to becoming heroes? Such restrictions present an issue." Aizawa continued, then he grabbed a ball. "The most common test: Throwing the ball. I want you all to throw this ball, which has been outfitted with a tracker, as far as you can using your Quirk. Katsuki Bakugou! Seeing how you scored the highest in the entrance exam, I want you to throw the first ball."
"Ha!" Bakugou caught the ball as it was thrown at him. "You'd better watch! This is how a real Quirk looks!" Bakugou took his position, then he threw the ball. "DIE!" A giant explosion shook the air, sending the ball flying.
"Whoa! That ball vanished!" One of the boys, the redhead, commented.
"What a powerful Quirk…"
"Remember, he likely used this Quirk on innocents back at his school." One of the girls remarked, making Bakugou flinch at the comment.
"Who said that?!"
"Bakugou, control yourself!" Aizawa warned, trying to keep him in check. The result of his throw came in on the device he was holding. He nodded his head. "832.7 meters."
The class was shocked to hear the ball thrown that far, but Mirko was not about to let Bakugou bask in his glory. "Hey, Aizawa. A bit of a scummy move there, wouldn't you think? After all, my protégé broke the UA record at the entrance exam! What was his score again? Right! 102 Villain Points from taking down robots, and 99 Hero points for saving his fellow students! Total? 201."
"DEKU!" Bakugou raged after hearing that. "What is she saying?! There is no way you got that many points!"
"My application was suspended, so my score doesn't matter!" Izuku argued.
"As far as the official UA archive goes, it has been noted. Despite your spot being suspended, your score was still documented." Aizawa explained. "And Mirko, I'd rather you not interrupt my lesson like that."
"Alright. Thought I'd throw it out there for those brats to know that this bomb-head is nowhere near my protege in terms of power."
"Bullshit!" Bakugou shouted.
"Katsuki Bakugou, behave yourself! And you, Mirko, stop provoking him." Aizawa warned, his eyes growing red as he slowly activated his Quirk.
"Alright, I got the warning," Mirko said, but then Izuku felt the gaze of everyone around him. The fact that she revealed that meant he was now the center of attention.
Aizawa sighed. "We will be moving on with the other tests, and then we will return to throwing the ball. Everyone will get a turn. Now move it!"
For the 50-meter Dash, Izuku knew exactly what form to use, but he was set to go last after everyone else. That didn't bother him. He got to see how everyone used their Quirks to clear the distance, and as expected, Tenya was holding the top score among them all with a good time of 3.04 seconds. His Quirk allowed him to accelerate and clear such a distance easily, but when it was Izuku's turn, he turned into Accel and cleared the distance in 0.07 seconds, a new record.
But then again, Accel was so fast, it seemed time slowed to a crawl. Everyone was especially shocked to see him transform, but Bakugou was not. While Tenya praised Izuku for even beating his time, Bakugou was angry to see Izuku like that. Confident and liked.
This was not how he imagined UA would be. But he made himself a promise, and he intends to keep it. He still had many tests to ace to prove himself superior.
The next test was the grip-strength test, where the students had to squeeze a specialized device to test their grip strength. At first, Izuku wanted to use Quake, but then he recalled a certain detail. Quake is not able to grip the device. His fingers were not properly articulated to allow for that, so he had to rely on the next best thing: Diamond Soldier.
But after he turned, a sharp scream made him flinch.
"You can turn into an actual diamond?!" One of the girls went to him, inspecting the hard surface of his body. She somehow produced one of those lenses used by jewelers to inspect gems as well! "I cannot believe it! The structure of your body resembles that of an actual diamond, but I can tell it is much denser than normal!"
"Umm. Thanks? If you wouldn't mind, we need to take a test." Izuku reminded her, which made the girl blush.
"I…Forgive me for the way I acted!" She then retreated to take her test. The top scorer among 1-A was Mezo Shoji, the large guy with strange arms and a mask over his mouth. He was able to squeeze with a force of over 500 KG! As for Izuku, Diamond Soldier was better for defense, but still capable of squeezing well. He reached a grip strength of around 200 KG. This effectively placed him in second place for this test.
Next up? Standing Long Jump. Izuku had a bit of trouble choosing a form suited for this, but eventually made his choice. Cable.
"Oh yeah! I don't get to use this guy too often!" Sure enough, the personality shift was quite visible. "Is it my turn yet?"
"Yes. Jump." Aizawa said, keeping it neat and simple. Izuku did as instructed and jumped, but he used his tail, releasing an electric boost that saw him jump over the box of sand with ease…And easily clear twice the distance required.
"Oops. Guess I overdid it." He said with a cocky grin, then he slammed the dial, turning back to normal. "I deeply apologize for that!" He immediately bowed down to apologize. "Some of my forms affect my personality, and that was one of them!"
"It's alright." Aizawa sighed. "Many Quirks have eccentricities like that. Proceed to the next test."
"Yes, Sir!"
The next test was the repeated side steps. For this one, Izuku didn't bother to change forms, since he was already in a decent physical form. He cleared it easily. After that came the distance run, which Accel easily cleared, then the seated toe-touch, for which he used his most flexible form.
"There we go," Hack said, as its non-solid body was easily capable of reaching its toes—if it had toes, that is. Still, it counted.
"What does this form do?" Ochako asked, curious about Hack.
"Oh!" Izuku got up, standing before her. "Hack can combine with technology. From what I saw when I trained with it, I can combine with and enhance any device."
"Any device?" Ochako asked. "What have you tried?"
"Well, a toaster that I fixed using this form. Then, I mostly used random junk, like a broken washing machine. The results were quite amazing! I hope I do get to show you sometime. But…" He slammed the dial, turning back. "I think we should focus on the tests at hand."
"Right!" Ochako agreed.
The next test was sit-ups, and once again, Izuku didn't bother changing forms. But then came the ball throw again, and he watched as everyone tried to use their Quirks for this test. Some, however, couldn't use them in any way. Their Quirks were mismatched for this test in particular. That is when he realized.
Some did better on other tests because their Quirks matched the respective activity. Tenya was fast, so he easily took the highest position in his class in both speed-based exercises. Shoji was strong, which explained the grip strength test. And the girl with frog features easily jumped over the sandbox. This exam seemed less like the teacher examining their Quirks and more like a hidden quiz. Was there something to learn from the very first day?
And then he realized.
There was.
"Midoriya," Aizawa called out to Izuku, throwing him the ball. "Show us what you can."
"Sir, if it is ok, may I use two forms instead of one?" Izuku asked, already scrolling through his transformations.
"So long as you complete the given task, you can use as many forms as you want," Aizawa replied.
With that confirmed, Izuku chose his form. With a slam of the dial, he turned, shrinking in size before their eyes. "What the fuck?!" Katsuki gasped, seeing the small alien. "Are you fucking kidding me?! A fucking frog?!"
"Hey, aren't you taking this seriously?!" Mirko shouted as well. "What's with this small guy?!"
"If you are done with the shouting, I want to get this formula right." He kneeled to the ground and started to draw in the dirt with his finger. He turned into Thinker. He was using his enhanced intellect to figure out the best course of action. "Let's see, taking the weight of the ball into account, the current atmospheric conditions, as well as the results so far…Hmmm…Yes! If I make sure to throw at this exact angle and with enough velocity, it should fly well. Great!"
Thinker was a Galvan wearing a black bodysuit with one green line going down the middle of his body. And on his back was the Omnitrix dial. It was a bit of a hassle to reach, but he tapped it, and a green light enveloped him, turning him into Accel. "Now…"
He picked up the ball.
"Hey, isn't that the fast one?" The red-haired boy asked. "How does he plan to throw the ball? Ida didn't throw it that far."
"Who cares? No one is beating Uraraka's infinity score." The blonde boy with a lightning shape in his hair replied.
"Let's see…" Izuku looked down at the formula he drew on the ground. "Yes!" Then he threw the ball, catching it with his tail.
"What is he doing?" One of the girls asked. "Is he planning to throw the ball with his tail?"
"Hmm." Aizawa narrowed his eyes at Izuku and slowly activated his Quirk on him. He has been watching him closely and noted how much he relied on his Quirk. He wanted to provide a humbling experience for the boy and teach him a valuable lesson about over-reliance on one's Quirk, but something was off. "What? Why isn't he turning back?" Aizawa was using his Quirk on Izuku, but was not turning back. "This is impossible! No Quirk has ever resisted Erasure before. No, scratch that, no Quirk should be able to resist it. Period. Something is not right here."
Then Izuku began his move. He began to spin using Accel, building momentum. However, due to the speed at which he was spinning, he ended up creating a strong wind that pushed the others back slightly. "Dude, what the heck is this?!" The red-haired boy asked.
"He is so fast, he is making the wind blow us away!" Tenya said as well. "Amazing."
"Deku…" Katsuki growled as he watched, then Izuku threw the ball with his tail. The ball flew far at great speed, and once the dust settled, Aizawa checked the measuring tool.
His eyes widened briefly as he saw the result. "988.74 Meters."
"BULLSHIT!" Katsuki raged. "I did not just lose to Deku of all Extras!"
"Oh, heck!" Izuku said, wobbling a bit. "Ok, note to self. Careful when spinning at such high speed." He turned back to normal. "I think I am going to hurl." He muttered, covering his mouth.
"DEKU!" Katsuki shouted and charged at him. "You will pay for humiliating me, you fucking loser!"
"Danger detected! Initiating emergency transformation!"
"Wait!" Izuku shouted, trying to prevent the Omnitrix from triggering, but it was useless. Katsuki threw his explosion before even Aizawa had time to stop him, but what happened next was not something Katsuki saw coming. "You idiot." An eerie, hoarse voice called out from the cloud of smoke, followed by a hand stretching out and grabbing Katsuki's throat. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Izuku in his Poltergeist form. "You don't learn, do you? Even at Aldera, you couldn't suffer so much as the thought of me gaining one hair ahead of you."
"S-shut up!" Katsuki raged, trying to launch another explosion. However, nothing came out of his hand. "What?!"
"Katsuki Bakugou!" Aizawa shouted, erasing Katsuki's Quirk. "That is unacceptable behavior for a future hero. Apologize to Midoriya right this instant. And you! Midoriya! Let go of him."
Izuku's eye traveled to his shoulder, staring at Aizawa. The man stared back, and the others in class flinched at Izuku's ghost-like appearance. "Fine," Izuku said, and let go of Katsuki, who fell to the ground. "You are lucky, Kacchan!" He continued, using the nickname he once called Katsuki by. "Lucky that this is not Aldera anymore. Otherwise, no one would bat an eye over the weaker one getting what he deserves."
"Deku…" Katsuki growled.
"Alright, enough of you!" Mirko said, going to Izuku. "Turn back. Now!"
"As you wish." He tapped the dial, and in a flash of green, Izuku was back to normal. Immediately, almost like waking up from a haze, he bowed to Aizawa. "I am so sorry about that! Poltergeist is my most personality-altering form, and I try not to use it as much! I deeply apologize for everything said and done!"
"It's fine. Bakugou!"
"I am not apologizing…" Katsuki replied, slowly getting up. "Not to him! Or anyone! Why should I be the one to apologize?! He is the loser! He was Quirkless until just a year ago, for fuck's sake! How can you all act so friendly with the freak!"
"Quirkless?" One of the boys in 1-A echoed. "But he has a Quirk!"
"To be honest, I am a very late bloomer. My Quirk didn't manifest until last year." Izuku confessed.
"Are you serious?!" The pink-skinned girl gasped. "And you mastered it in just one year?! All of your forms?! Wait, how many do you even have?"
"Ten, currently," Izuku replied. "There is a possibility I might unlock more as my Quirk grows."
"Talk about an overpowered Quirk with almost no drawbacks." The boy with big lips said.
"Regardless, this incident will be reported to the Dean, Bakugou," Aizawa told Katsuki, who simply clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Get it through your head that this is no longer Aldera High School. That cesspool of a school, if you could call it such, was shut down, and arrests were made for a reason! You need to learn that everything you knew about how the world works, which was taught there, is NOT how a hero sees things. And I have four years to drive that through your skull."
"Whatever." Katsuki snarked.
"Now, as said, I promised to expel the lowest scoring out of all of you." Aizawa turned to the class, seeing the nervousness on everyone's face rising. "However, I will not do that." The class was confused by his words.
"Sir? If I may. Was this less of a test to judge our Quirks, and more of a way to teach us about the strong suits of our Quirks?" Izuku asked, getting Aizawa's attention.
"Explain, Midoriya," Aizawa demanded.
"Well, for example, Tenya Ida is fast, so the tests requiring speed were easily passed by him! Out of everyone in his class, he is top of the board on those!" Izuku exemplified, giving the students some hindsight.
"It's true!" Tenya said.
"That is a good guess, Midoriya. And you are partly right." Aizawa replied. "Quirks are not omni-situational. There will be areas where you all fall short regarding what you can do using your Quirk. But if you wish to make it as heroes, you must learn how to push past those limitations! You need to learn to use your Quirks in ways that allow you to trump those weaknesses! The motto of our institution is to go Plus Ultra! And if you don't think you can go as far as you are required, then the exit is always available! Am I clear?"
"Yes, Sir!" The class replied as one.
"Good. You can all consider today's lessons concluded. You are free to do whatever you wish for the rest of the day." Aizawa told everyone.
"This means you are coming with me, broccoli-head!" Mirko went right to Izuku. "I want to hear more about that ghost form of yours."
"Yes, Mirko."
"Izuku!" Ochako ran up to them before they could leave. "Sorry, Miss Usagiyama, for interrupting. I know you must be busy teaching Izuku, but I wanted to speak with him."
"First-name basis, huh?" Mirko smirked. "You move quick, kid."
"What?" Izuku turned ot his mentor, but she simply shrugged.
"Know what? You're on your own for the rest of the day! I will go shower and grab a snack." Mirko said, leaving Izuku behind. "You can tell me all about that ghost tomorrow!"
"What was that?" Ochako asked.
"I wish I knew…" Izuku replied with a sigh. "Wait, don't you have other classes, Uraraka?"
"I don't. Also! Sorry for calling you by your given name. I forget my manners sometimes." She apologized.
"It's alright," Izuku replied. "So, what did you want to talk with me about?"
"Well, I heard how Bakugou called you. Doesn't Deku mean useless?" She asked, making him flinch. She noticed this and got worried she might have overstepped. "I'm sorry if I touched a sensitive subject."
"No, it's alright. I guess I owe you an explanation. You see, Bakugou and I used to go to Aldera together. We go way back, actually, before high school. We used to be friends, but I guess because my Quirk didn't manifest until last year, he began to change. He started to call me Deku to remind me how useless I was without a Quirk." Izuku explained, giving her a short version.
"I see. That sounds so cruel." She looked down. "You know, when I first heard it, I thought it sounded different. As in, Dekiru, meaning 'I can do it'"
"Really?" Izuku asked, surprised by the different meaning. Even if she misheard it, it was nice to hear someone say something like that about his nickname. An idea sparked in Izuku's mind. "Hey, if you are free, would you like to see what other forms I have?"
"You are going to show me your Quirk?" She asked, surprised by the proposal.
"Well, Mirko mostly leaves me to train by myself. I already know all my studying will need to be done by myself as well, but I think I have some time before I need to hit the books." Izuku replied.
"I'd have loved to see your other forms, but I'm afraid I can't. Mina, a girl from my class, invited me out with some of the other people from my class." She said. "But maybe you could join us!"
"I don't know…" Izuku replied, feeling nervous. "I don't deal well with crowds."
"Oh, I see. Well, I'm not going to insist if you don't want to come or don't feel comfortable joining us. But just know the invitation is open, alright?" She said, then turned around.
"Uraraka, come on!" Mina, Izuku assumed, shouted for her. "Stop flirting and move it!"
Uraraka blushed at her words. "We are not flirting! Jeez, why is everyone thinking that we are?"
"Well, I guess that is a question for them," Izuku said awkwardly. "But yeah, thanks for inviting me and everything. I will consider your invitation and maybe join you guys later if I change my mind. Accel should be able to find you easily."
"Alright. See you around, Midoriya!" Ochako left, returning to her small group of friends. Once she was out of hearing distance, Izuku turned to the Omnitrix.
"Omnitrix, how much time do I have left?"
"After the last transformation, the Omnitrix has already fixed all potential damage. The full 30-minute limit is available."
"Thanks." Tapping the dial and bringing up the selection window, Izuku scrolled through his forms until he landed on Accel. Then, in a flash of green, he turned. "Time to go practice!" And dashed off, leaving nothing behind. However, he was unaware of the people watching.
"NEZU!" All Might barged into Nezu's office, looking furious. "What is the meaning of this?! I just saw Izuku Midoriya in the yard!"
"And?" Nezu asked back.
"And? What do you mean?! He is not supposed to be here! His application was suspended by Cementoss, Vlad King, and me! So, explain to me how he is a student at UA!"
"Firstly, to correct you, Toshi, Izuku Midoriya is not a UA student. He is a HAP protege under Mirko." Nezu replied.
"The HAP program? Bullshit! I won't stand for it. I will personally tell him to pack his bag and leave the UA campus, at once!"
"You have no such authority, Toshi," Nezu warned with a dangerous edge. "Since Izuku is part of the HAP program, he is not part of UA, thus outside your authority. The only ones who can remove him from the campus are either Mirko or me. And neither of us has any desire to do so."
"Nezu, you don't understand. Please, try to see things the way I do! Something is just not right with Izuku Midoriya! Gaining a Quirk after almost 18 years of not having one? Surely, you see the issue here!"
"Toshi, again, that doesn't mean he is connected to him!" Nezu argued. "Now drop this obsession and teach your class properly! I cannot have a biased teacher, poised against an innocent young man due to suspicion. You even dragged Cementoss and Vlad King into this, and told them about your Quirk and everything without consulting me!"
"My secrets are mine to share." All Might argued.
"And the ones you shared them with were my staff." Nezu countered. "Look, Toshi, I will try to be understanding. I know you hold a general paranoia, and with your trauma, it'd be a wonder if you didn't. Since that day, you have always been jumpy around people with seemingly multiple Quirks. And I do admit, Izuku Midoriya does seem to fit that category: His Quirk allows him to switch between a myriad of forms, each with its own set of abilities."
"And how do you explain him suddenly gaining a Quirk?" All Might pressed on. "Nezu, you are smart. Smart enough not to believe he is truly an extremely late bloomer. There is just something wrong about his sudden gain of abilities!"
Nezu sighed. "Toshi, I do not wish to argue with you more about this. Look, how about this? I will get Recovery Girl to run a Quirk test to see if Izuku Midoriya truly holds only one Quirk. This test will be done secretly, without his knowledge, and I will present you with the results. From prior tests, we both know extra Quirks show on tests."
All Might considered the proposal, then nodded his head. "Fine, I will accept it." Then turned to leave, just in time for Aizawa to come walking in. "Oh, forgive me, Aizawa, I was just leaving."
"Then be on your way," Aizawa told the man, then entered the office. "Nezu, we need to talk."
"Is it about Izuku Midoriya?" Nezu asked with a sigh.
"And Katsuki Bakugou."
"Well, at least the subject doesn't repeat itself," Nezu said, leaning back in his chair. "As I just told Toshi, if you are worried about the authenticity of Izuku's Quirk, I will-"
"He doesn't have one," Aizawa said coldly, cutting Nezu off. "I attempted to erase his Quirk with mine. Nothing. Transformation Quirks usually turn off, and the user reverts to normal under my gaze, yet nothing happened."
"Oh…" Nezu said, looking more relieved than worried. "Well, the explanation is a bit more complicated, and I believe I jumped the gun there."
"Nezu, what are you on about?" Aizawa asked.
"He did say you are among the ones who deserve to know," Nezu said, confusing Aizawa further.
"Who said what?"
"Someone ancient and influential. It's quite the story, and don't worry. I am talking about someone older than him." Nezu replied, gesturing to a chair. "Sit down. This will take me a bit to explain."
"Alright, I'll listen," Aizawa replied. "Hit me. What are we dealing with?"
"Why, an alien device that alters Izuku Midoriya's DNA and outright turns him into alien creatures, what else?"
Aizawa stood there in silence.
"What?"
"Alright, one more time!" Izuku said as he was turned into Cable. He plugged his two extensions into a nearby power box, charging up. In front of him, several training robots were coming right at him. "Man, Training Grounds Alpha does have everything! Plenty of juice for me to use as well!" He clapped his hands, arcs of electricity between his fingers. "And Cable rocks!"
Then he threw his hands forth, releasing a huge wave of electric energy that struck the robots, sending them soaring into the street, putting them out of commission.
"Ten points outta ten!" He cheered, disconnecting himself. "Man, playing with cables is more entertaining than I imagined! Ha! Get it? Because my name is Cable?" He looked around. "Right. No audience. I might as well get on with the next one on my list. Omnitrix, how much safe time do I have left?"
"13 minutes!"
"Estimated repair time?"
"8 minutes."
"Acceptable cooldown." Izuku tapped the dial, reverting to normal and starting the waiting period for when the Omnitrix would be ready again for safe use. He ran into one of the buildings, avoiding the rest of the robots seeking him out. One of the things he realized before coming to UA was the Omnitrix's main weakness: Unless he wanted to suffer from DNA damage, he had a time limit and cooldown.
During the cooldown, the best plan was to hide and wait for it to expire. This is what he was doing right now.
"Ok, 2 minutes left on the clock," Izuku whispered, trying not to make a noise. The robots could shoot with integrated stun guns. He didn't want to sleep yet. "Come on, come on."
"I'm telling you, dude!" Suddenly, a different voice echoed in the Training Grounds, catching Izuku's attention. "This place is awesome! UA knows how to train its heroes!"
"Should we be here?" A woman's voice followed. "The sign outside said it was in use, meaning someone is training here."
"So?" The guy from before replied. "Come on! If they are training, surely they wouldn't mind some company!"
"Where are they?" Another voice asked, another man. "If the place is supposed to be in use, where are the other heroes in training?"
"Huh? Good question. It's almost like - WATCH OUT!" The boy shouted, pushing the girl who was with them out of the way as one of the robots shot them. "What the heck?! A robot?!"
"I heard UA uses them for training!" The girl stated. "Damn it, I don't have my speakers on me."
"No need." The other boy said, taking one step toward the robot. In the next moment, Izuku heard a strange yet familiar sound. The sound of freezing.
"Whoa, Todoroki, that is insane! You just froze it solid!" The boy said, giving Izuku a name. Todoroki? That sounded familiar as well, but he couldn't figure out why.
"You need to be on your guard more," Todoroki replied. "There might be more."
"Of course, there are more…" Izuku said from hiding.
"Look out!" The unknown boy shouted as more and more robots appeared from the alleys around them, all of them training their weapons at them.
"This is insane! Who deployed so many robots at once?!"
"Omnitrix ready!"
"Finally!" Not wasting time, Izuku selected his next alien and transformed.
"What was that sound?" The girl asked, but then, as they were ready to fight the robots, a rain of fireballs struck their paths. The robots, seeing the fire, adjusted their aim to a new being standing atop the nearby building.
"Look!" The boy shouted, pointing at the being. "Who is that? And is he made of fire?!"
"Fire Hazard…" Izuku said, looking at himself. "I guess I rushed and didn't look at what I selected. Oh well." Jumping off the building, Izuku unleashed fire from his hands to propel himself downward faster, then angled himself to fly horizontally. He flew right past the ground and crashed in the middle of the robots.
"I know that badge," Todoroki said, remembering where he had seen it before. "That is Midoriya!"
"Midoriya?!" The boy gasped. "The HAP guy?"
Izuku unleashed a torrent of fire on the robots, melting them. They began to shoot him, but Fire Hazard's body was made entirely of fire and rock. "Hehehe. What is it? Can't knock out fire?!" He flared his body, then leapt upward, landing on a robot and grabbing its head. Using the heat of his palm, he melted it, causing the robot to malfunction. It began shooting at the other robots at random. "Whoa there!" He melted the outer shell, further damaging it until it collapsed. Then, he turned to the other robots, launching balls of fire at them and destroying them.
"Look at him go…" The boy said, amazed at Izuku's powers. "That fire is something."
"Fire…" Todoroki narrowed his eyes in Izuku's direction. "Ice is better." He lifted his leg.
"Wait, Todoroki, what are you doing!" The girl shouted.
"Getting rid of the other robots," Todoroki replied coldly, launching a torrent of ice in Izuku's direction. Izuku saw it too late and ended up encased as well. For a moment, he seemed to have been put out.
"Todoroki, what the fuck?!" The boy shouted, pushing Todoroki. "You killed him!"
"No, wait!" The girl shouted. "Look!"
Looking in his direction, they saw the ice melting rapidly. Then, from within the ice, they saw Izuku's body flare again, melting the ice and evaporating the water. "WHO DID THAT?!" He shouted, clearly upset about the ice. He turned to look at the group of three and marched toward them. "You three! What do you think you're doing, freezing a guy like that?! If I weren't Fire Hazard, I could have been seriously harmed by that!"
"We're sorry! It was Todoroki's doing; he is the one with the ice Quirk!" The boy said, instantly snitching on his friend.
"Who are you lot?" Izuku asked.
"I am Kyoka Jiro!" The girl introduced herself first. "And this oaf is Denki Kaminari! And this is Shoto Todorki. We are all students from 1-A."
"1-A? I see." Izuku reverted to normal. "But what are you doing here?"
"We just wanted to check out the training facilities!" Denki replied. "We saw this place was in use, though, and curiosity got the better of us."
"You mean it got the better of you!" Jiro protested. "You just dragged us along!"
"Right, sorry about that." Denki apologized.
"You don't seem like much outside your transformation," Todoroki remarked to Izuku. "Up close, I mean."
"Well, I do admit, I am not much in general," Izuku admitted. "Still, you three did invade my training session."
"Yeah, sorry about that. If you want, we can go and leave you to it." Denki said.
"Actually…" Izuku trailed off, looking at the frozen and molten robots. "I think those were all the robots available for Training Ground Alpha."
"So, you're done training?" Jiro guessed.
"More like I don't have what to train with anymore." He corrected. "Still, at least I got to use Fire Hazard for a bit."
"Speaking about it, that was insane! You turned into a creature made of fire or something! Man, I wish I could turn into lightning!" Denki shouted. "I'd be invincible!"
"Indoor voice, idiot!" Jiro jabbed Denki with her earlobe. "Also, it is an interesting name for that form. But I guess it fits. You do seem like you are a walking fire hazard."
"I know, right?" Izuku replied.
"What about the one you used on Bakugou earlier today?" Todoroki asked. "The ghost-like one."
"Poltergeist," Izuku said softly. "I'd rather not use that one around others."
"Did you use it here?" Denki asked.
"Yes, I wanted to practice with all my forms," Izuku replied. "Naturally, I cannot leave one out."
"That one gave me the creeps," Jiro admitted. "You looked like an actual ghost! And the way you spoke with the teachers made it seem like they were inconveniences or something."
"Poltergeist can be…Condescending toward others." Izuku replied.
"Why talk about it like that?" Todoroki pointed out. "You are talking about that form as if it's a separate entity."
"Sometimes, my forms might as well be," Izuku replied. "When I turn, some of my forms change my personality quite a bit. When I first started to turn, I was shocked to hear myself say certain things and even think differently. It was still me, but at the same time, it feels like it is not me."
"Interesting. What about now?" Todoroki asked. "Did you form just now cause any changes?"
"No," Izuku replied, plain and simple. "Well, minor. Fire Hazard makes me more…I guess the correct term would be irritable? I just get ticked by things easier."
"So, a temper." Jiro summarized.
"Yeah, something like that! Otherwise, I am perfectly in control, and that form is among the ones I feel like myself in the most." Izuku explained. "As you guessed, Poltergeist is the one I feel the least like myself in. He's cold, cruel, and condescending toward others. When I'm him, I can't help but judge those around me, and treat those I deem inferior with cold indifference."
"Damn man," Denki said, taken aback by Izuku's words. "You know, most of the people in class just think you got lucky with your Quirk and all, but hearing you say this makes me think your Quirk is not as perfect as we believed it to be."
"Do you have a favourite?" Todoroki suddenly asked.
"I do. I guess you could call him my favorite." He brought the Omnitrix up, selecting the form. "Here!" Then tapped the dial, turning before their eyes.
"Holy shit!" Jiro shouted as the light faded, seeing Diamond Soldier there. "It's the diamond dude!"
"Wait!" Denki tapped Izuku's stomach, hearing the strange sound it made. "This is not flesh! Holy shit, dude, you turned into an actual diamond!"
"It's not a diamond!" Izuku argued. "It is something else entirely! Just easily mistaken for a diamond. I call this one Diamond Soldier."
"Yeah, right, you say you are not made of diamond, yet name your form Diamond Soldier," Denki muttered, only to be jabbed by Jiro. "Hey! Stop that!"
"What can this one do?" Todoroki asked, looking quite curious about it.
"Many things," Izuku replied, but then his dial beeped.
"Huh? Hey, dude, did your Quirk just flash?" Denki asked.
"I didn't see anything," Izuku replied, lying, of course. He was getting a call from Mirko. "Wait, what time is it?"
"It's almost 7 PM. Why?" Jiro said, and Izuku had his excuse.
"Shit! I am late!" He tapped the dial, turning into Accel.
"You can switch forms just like that?!" Denki asked, shocked. "Why didn't you switch like that earlier?!"
"The strain is bigger when I do!" Izuku replied, giving another excuse. "Now I need to go! I need to study, otherwise Mirko will skin me alive!" And without entertaining any more chatter, he ran off.
"Damn, he's fast," Denki said, watching Izuku vanish.
"And versatile," Jiro commented. "Fire, diamond-hard defense, and faster-than-the-eye speed? I call bullshit genetic lottery."
"I don't think he is anything special." Todoroki's words caught the other two by surprise. "Without his Quirk, he seemed helpless."
"Whatever, man!" Denki said, throwing his hands up. "I say we leave before someone shows up and sees the mess here. It'd suck if we got into trouble on our first week."
"Right behind you. Hey, Todoroki, are you coming as well?" Jiro asked.
"Coming."
"What took you so long?!" Mirko shouted at him as he entered the house, still in his Accel form.
"You just put down the phone!" Accel argued. "I'd say I arrived in due time."
"Well, knowing how fast you can go, you were a slowpoke!" Mirko argued. "Now turn back!"
"Right." Izuku reverted. "So, why did you call me? You said I had the rest of the day for myself, right?"
"That is true, until I came up with an idea for your training!" Mirko told him with a grin. "Say, how'd you like to put those additional forms of yours to good use?"
"How?" Izuku questioned.
"Simple. You will join me on a patrol!"
"What?! But- But - Mirko! I just started the HAP program, and I don't have a Provisional License yet, and I- I-"
"Easy there!" Mirko intervened, silencing him. "That'd be a problem if you were to get seen."
"Huh?" Izuku was confused now.
"Listen here, I want you to use that Poltergeist form of yours to follow me around the entire day," Mirko told Izuku. "And I mean the entire day."
"No way!" Izuku objected. "I cannot stay transformed for more than 30 minutes!"
"Why? Does something happen?" Mirko asked, irritated by his protest.
"My body mutates!" Izuku replied, trying to come up with a good explanation. "If I were to stay as Poltergeist for that long, I am guaranteed to turn back and have something like Poltergeist's eye on my chest or something!"
"But it does go away," Mirko stated. Not a guess, a statement. "Considering you couldn't have known that without experiencing it, it means the mutations go away, don't they?"
"Y-yes, they do," Izuku replied slowly. "But it takes time. And I'd rather no one see me like that while my body fixes itself."
"Well then, I guess that decides that!" Mirko added. "Tomorrow, you are joining me!"
"What?! But I just-"
"And I don't care!" Mirko cut him off. "As Heroes, we are not allowed to succumb to our shortcomings! You want to be a hero? Then suck it up and take becoming a freak for a while!"
"Y-yes, Ma'am!"
"Heh." Mirko chuckled. "You still have a lot to learn."
Chapter 6: Fright Show
Izuku knew the risks of using Poltergeist well. Heck, how couldn't he?! That was arguably his most troublesome form, simply because of how much his personality changed. Yet, Mirko was clear. He was to use him and follow her around all day. He was nervous, especially since it meant he'd stay transformed all day. He was so getting an eye on his chest after this, he just knew it!
"Alright!" Mirko shouted to get his attention. "Are you ready?" She was already wearing her hero suit, and they were at UA's gate at four in the morning. Izuku gulped and dialed the selection screen, landing on Poltergeist.
"Ready when you are." He replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Then keep up!" Then she leapt away.
"Wait!" Izuku slammed the dial quickly, changing forms into Poltergeist. "Damn that woman!" Immediately, it was clear his personality shifted, but he didn't linger. Poltergeist could fly, so he used that with the ability to go through walls to follow Mirko without encountering obstacles.
Still, even though he could fly and go through walls, Mirko was fast. She skillfully leapt from roof to roof and even off walls. Her athletic capabilities impressed him. But he had to remember her words. He was to remain invisible and merely observe her work. Most people would think this was a boring task, but Izuku saw potential in it.
It was not every day he got to witness a fight from a VIP position.
Unfortunately, things proved a bit…Anticlimactic.
"Mirko…" Izuku spoke, peaking his head from the wall she leaned against, drinking a soda she just purchased. "I have been following you for 3 hours already! Six times my safety limit! Yet, all I've seen you do is jump from roof to roof without a care!"
"Calm down, you phantom brat!" Mirko scolded him. "This is as much of a hero lesson as anything else. Slow mornings."
"What?" He leaned out further.
"You heard me. Heroes don't fight crime constantly. Part of our time is spent walking around town, looking for trouble, but we don't always find it." She explained.
"Hmm. I guess that is more realistic than what I had in mind." Izuku replied. "I always imagined heroes fighting villains constantly. But if that were true, the city would be a war zone."
"At least you didn't lose your brains with your manners when you turned into this guy," Mirko commented, earning a hiss from Poltergeist. "Christ, kid. Calm down! We are not even halfway through the day."
"Fine…I will keep watching from the shadows, then." With that said, Izuku retreated inside the wall.
Mirko shivered. "That's a creepy form." She admitted, then threw away the soda can. "Well, time to get back to work." Then she jumped away, knowing full well Izuku was following her. He was literally on the walls and everything!
Yet, she won't say it, but she was impressed by how fast that form was. It was capable of keeping up with her well. But she wanted to see more. She wanted to see it in action! From the little she saw, she understood that Izuku feared that form. That was not good. If he wants to become a hero, he cannot fear his power.
It was close to eight in the morning, when most people were already up and about, and schools started. Men and women alike went to work, and younger children to school. Looking from above, Mirko was pleased to see such sights, as it meant the heroes were doing a good job of protecting everyone. The simple fact that those people felt safe out of their homes was due to them: The heroes.
They patrolled the streets, keeping villains scared. And fear was a weapon.
She admits that most heroes reject that philosophy, but not her. And she had a feeling her ghostly protege didn't, either. This specific form might agree with her that a scared villain cannot do anything bad. But that worked to keep people from committing crimes again, and first-time offenders usually don't know what or who to fear. It was their job to teach them!
And teach them they will. Not long after she set out, she spotted a guy running from a shop. The owner shouted 'Thief', and Mirko knew she had a target. She finished quickly, cutting the guy off and tripping him. He fell hard, and she could see the money in their hands. "Payday?" She asked with a grin.
"M-Mirko?! Shit, just my luck…" The man deflated. Unknown to him, however, Izuku watched it all.
"She is efficient. Her personality made me think she was more impulsive and in for the thrill or the blank card to beat people up. But she didn't even lay a single punch on him! And it seems her reputation works in her favor. He has given up." Izuku thought and watched as the police arrived and took the man away.
"Thanks for the help, Mirko. But what are you doing around here?" The officer asked. "This is not your usual patrol route."
"So?" Mirko replied. "I go where I want. If this is someone else's turf, tell them I expect some thanks for doing their job."
"I-..." The officer seemed surprised by her words. Izuku merely chuckled. That was more like Mirko, alright. "I will make sure they know who stopped this robbery."
"You do you! Now, excuse me, the day is still fresh!" With those words said, Mirko jumped away.
"Wait, you still need to fill out the report!" The officer shouted in protest, making Izuku stay to spy on the cops. They sighed, then turned to their partner. "Looks like we are calling her agency again to deal with the follow-up report."
"She does have a reputation for not caring much for protocol." The other officer said. "Come on. Let's process this guy and be on our way."
"How someone like that got to be number 6 in the rankings is beyond me."
"Interesting…" Izuku said in a whisper as he began tracking Mirko down. It seemed that Mirko was not big on paperwork. Not hard to guess. Still, seems like her actions do cause some trouble among the police officers. Did he think she regretted leaving like that? No. Despite proving herself a capable and efficient hero, Mirko lacks responsibility regarding bureaucratic elements. But that is judging a book by its cover.
Perhaps more observation would reveal more than meets the eye.
"Phew!" Mirko said as she sat on the edge of a roof. The sun was setting over the horizon, casting long shadows on the scenery. "What a day."
"You stopped at least 5 robberies, 2 street fights, and even helped a kid recover his balloon from a tree," Poltergeist said, recounting their day.
"Yeah, it's been a boring day." She replied.
"Boring?" But Izuku seemed to have an issue with that. "So, I judged you correctly. Tell me, Mirko, what drives you to be a hero?"
"Huh?" Mirko turned to him, looking annoyed with the question. "What kind of question is that?"
"I admit, you have strong morals. You don't ignore, you help, no matter how small. But you are irresponsible. Not once did you follow through with the protocol on arrest! Heroes are meant to fill out a report with the local police whenever they take down a villain! But you skipped that step entirely!" Poltergeist scolded her. Or at least, it tried to. His critique seemed to fall on deaf ears at first, but then Mirko stood up.
"Hey, kid?"
"What?" What followed was a strong kick to his face, knocking him down. He didn't even have the time to turn intangible! "Gah! What is wrong with you?!"
"Don't you patronize me," Mirko warned him. She stood before him with eyes sharp and narrowed. "I finally think I have a pattern for this form's personality. A big asshole, that is what you are, Poltergeist! You look down on others, and you are cruel and cold. You don't think before you judge others. Let me ask you this: How did someone with a Quirk who only makes them a rabbit get the sixth spot in the rankings?"
"You-" He stopped, as if realization finally came to him. "How?"
"By busting my ass, that's how," Mirko replied. "When I was younger, I always got into fights because of my Quirk. Stupid boys pulling on my ears, bitches saying I got the same sex drive as a rabbit, and how I am likely an easy slut - And it didn't get easier as I grew up, either! But I wanted to be a hero to prove those assholes wrong."
"You became a hero out of spite?" Poltergeist asked.
"At first." She confessed. "But then, I guess I slowly started to understand what being a hero really means. All that paperwork you bitch about? What do you think happens while I am stuck doing it? Another man is getting robbed, a bunch of drunks get rowdy and start a fight that can end with someone losing their life, or a kid is left crying on the street. All that paperwork is meaningless! What matters are the people, not the protocol!"
"Mirko, you-" Poltergeist's eye widened. "Your Quirk makes your legs strong." Mirko looked at him strangely. "Your ears, too. I assume they provide better hearing than normal."
"True." She confirmed.
"Not much, especially when compared to other top 10 Heroes. All Might's mysterious Quirk makes him a powerhouse, and to date, no villain has physically matched him. Endeavor's Hellflame Quirk is among the most advanced fire-type Quirks out there. Hawks is the strongest flying hero, and I can keep going…But strong legs and better hearing, compared to them, do sound less. But you made them more."
"I can't tell if this is your original personality speaking." She said.
"It all makes sense now, that's all. You worked hard. The people love you not because you are a by-the-book hero. They love you because you are a true hero. You care more for them than anything else." Poltergeist said. "Perhaps, I, Poltergeist, can learn something from that attitude of yours."
Mirko smirked. "At least you admit you can learn a thing or two." Her ear twitched, and her smirk faded, turning to the side. "Something is wrong."
"You hear something?" Poltergeist guessed.
"I do. Come on!" She jumped away with Poltergeist following closely behind her, hidden from sight.
Upon stopping, Mirko came upon a robbery in progress. They were quite far away, and by the time they arrived, several other heroes were already there, along with the police. "Mirko!" An officer called out to her. "Glad you are here."
"Hey, what is going on here?" She asked, looking at the scene. Izuku was hidden, but he could tell what this was. A bank robbery. Classic, but no less serious.
"Robbery gone awry." The officer replied. Mirko cursed under her breath. "The villains are at least five in number, all of them armed with assault rifles."
"Firearms?" Mirko sounded surprised by that.
"Relics of the Pre-Quirk era, but still effective." The officer replied. "I am afraid they took hostages, but this is clearly not what they intended to do. Our negotiator tells us as much. They have no real demands, and they seem unsure about what they want. Still, they asked for the equivalent of one million American dollars and guarantees they won't be chased down."
"Fools…" Poltergeist couldn't help but sigh. Mirko heard him, but decided not to say anything.
"What is your plan?" She asked the officer.
"If we go in, we risk harming the hostages. Those boys clearly lack any form of firearm discipline. If we go in, they will start shooting, and the possibility of casualties is just too high to risk it." The officer replied. "Even you cannot go in without putting everyone at risk."
Mirko gritted her teeth in frustration. "I didn't ask for what we cannot do. Tell me what we can do!" She replied.
"For now? We are waiting on a hero with a specialized stealth-type Quirk to arrive and help us by taking everyone inside out or disarming them." The officer replied, but Mirko was not happy with his answer.
"How long?"
"What?" The officer was confused by her question.
"For how long was this going on?" She asked again, clearer this time.
"Two hours…"
"I heard a gunshot earlier," Mirko told the officer.
"It's…It came from inside. We don't know what happened, but we assume they shot a hostage." Suddenly, Mirko grabbed the officer.
"And you are standing here with your hands up your ass?!" She shouted in his face. "You already have casualties! Forget pleasantries, and go in already!"
"M-Mirko, please, calm yourself!" The officer begged. Heroes couldn't be charged with assaulting a police officer in the same way a civilian might be. Simply grabbing and shouting at an officer couldn't be punished; only if the hero actually hits them can the officer file an assault charge.
"Mirko…" Poltergeist whispered in her ear. "Sent me in."
She let the officer go, going to the side where she knew no one could hear them talk. "No. You are not a Pro. You don't even have a provisional license." She was direct with her answer.
"Poltergeist is perfect for this!" Poltergeist argued. "They won't see me. And I can take possession of one of them to take the others out! No one will realize it was me, no matter what!"
"For fuck's sake, Midoriya!" Mirko raised her voice slightly, clearly frustrated. "If Nezu finds out, it's my ass on the line here!"
"You said not long ago that things like bureaucracy do not matter!" Poltergeist argued further. "What changed?"
"This is more than just me getting into trouble; it's also about you!" Mirko replied, putting it into perspective for Izuku. "If Nezu finds out, he can expel you from the HAP program."
Poltergeist was silent for a few seconds, but then undid his invisibility in front of Mirko, his eye staring right at her. "Watch me."
"Wait!" Poltergeist vanished into the ground, then Mirko rushed to the front of the bank.
"Damn it, kid…" Her eyes were narrowed. "It's official…I hate that form."
"Hey!" One of the five villains inside shouted over to his colleague. "How much longer are we supposed to watch over those fools?" They were guarding a room full of hostages. Men and women alike, of all ages. There was at least one kid among them, clutching their mother's chest and refusing to lift their gaze out of fear.
"The boss said we need to wait for the plan to go through. They are digging below, so just wait." The other said.
"Some plan this turned out to be."
"How were we supposed to know they tripped the silent alarm? At least the boss took care of that little hero." The villain said, letting out a chilling laugh. However, he noticed that his partner was not laughing with him. "Hey, you good? I know, a grim joke, but hey, it's true-"
Before he had the chance to finish, his partner hit him in the head with the butt of the rifle he was holding. The villain collapsed to the ground, unconscious, and then the other guy seemed to recover. Like waking up from a haze, he looked around to see his partner on the ground, knocked out cold. "What the fuck?! Did any of you do this?! WHO DID IT?!" He pointed his weapon at them, demanding answers.
"Me." But the chilling voice of Poltergeist was all he heard. He turned around sharply. "Boo."
"GAHHH!" And squeezed the trigger, unleashing a torrent of bullets, but to no use. He was intangible. His bullets were useless against him.
"Enough!" Poltergeist grabbed the weapon from his hands, ripping it in half. He then grabbed the man by the face. "Where are your friends?"
"W-who are you?" The villain asked, feeling a cold hand on his face, but saw no one. "Where are you?"
"Me? I am no one. But you might be useful." Poltergeist said in a chilling tone of voice. "Very useful."
Before long, one of the villains went to the doors, opening them wide in front of the police and heroes who were there. "Go!" He pointed forward, and one by one, the hostages began coming out of the building. The villain then got on his knees, putting his hands behind his head. "I surrender. There are more inside, down at the vault. They are trying to escape by digging a tunnel using a Quirk."
"Arrest him!" The officers moved in, cuffing the man as the heroes went inside the bank.
"Huh? Woah?! What the fuck?!" The man woke up, seeing himself being hauled away.
"Move it!"
"Wait! I didn't do it!" He shouted. "Someone took control of me! I was possessed by a ghost!"
"Save it!" The officer threw him in the back of a van, then the police dragged the unconscious body of the other villain out, putting him with his friend.
The hostages were being handled by the arriving medical staff, but Mirko and a few others were inside the bank, going after the other villains there. However, Mirko felt a chill running down her spine.
"See? Easy work." Poltergeist whispered into her ear.
"Don't expect any praise," Mirko muttered under her breath.
"Come on!" The voices of the villains echoed from down the hall, and sure enough, as soon as Mirko touched the ground, the villains spotted them. "Heroes!" Two of them turned around and opened fire, forcing Mirko and the others to take shelter behind the wall. "Dig faster!"
"My Quirk cannot go any faster!" The other villain argued. They were holding their hands forth, doing something.
"Stand back!" One of the heroes shouted, then crossed his arms, creating an energy-based shield that blocked the bullets. He then charged toward the villains, smashing into one of them. "Now!"
The heroes poured into the hallway, rushing the villains. Thanks to the guy with a shield Quirk, they were able to evade the hail of bullets. Then it happened. Their gun clicked empty. "Fuck!" The villain swore, throwing the weapon away and doing something else. "I am not going down here!"
He clapped his hands together, and before everyone's eyes, he vanished elsewhere. "You coward!" The digger shouted as a hero reached them, making them raise their hands in surrender.
"Where is he?" The hero asked.
"His Quirk lets him teleport upward! Only up! He must be upstairs or something!" The guy replied.
"I got this!" Mirko declared, rushing upstairs to catch the villain. She moved fast, and before long, she reached the roof. Sure enough, the villain was there. "End of the road, scumbag!" She shouted, but then she was forced to dodge as the guy pulled out another gun. A smaller one, a handgun. The bullet bit hard into the concrete, yet Mirko didn't give up easily.
She leapt from one side to another, slowly approaching the man. When she finally got close enough, she spun around and delivered a strong kick into the man's stomach, sending them flying into the air before landing roughly on the ground. "Gah!" They shouted, pain shooting through them. "You fucking bitch!"
"Game over," Mirko said, going to the villain and standing over him.
"How the fuck…" He said, trying to crawl away. He flipped over, clutching his stomach. "We had hostages!"
"And they walked out," Mirko replied. "They are all safe and sound."
The man chuckled. "Not all of them."
"What?" Mirko asked, then her eyes widened. "The gunshot! What did you do, you fuck!"
"One of them triggered the alarm! I made an example of him to show the others what happens when you play hero!" The villain declared. "He is dead in his fancy office."
"You motherfucker!" Mirko said, clutching her fists. The man was defeated, and according to Hero laws, Mirko couldn't take it further. It was frustrating for her.
"And now…I get to bury two heroes!" The man turned around sharply, revealing another handgun. Mirko barely had time to register the weapon as the man pressed the trigger, shooting a bullet aimed right for her head. But something happened. Mirko was pushed to the side, making the bullet miss. "What?! Is there some other hero here?!"
"Thanks…" Mirko said, then looked at the man. "Drop it!"
"No!" The man aimed the gun at her again.
"She gave you an order." The man froze, hearing the hoarse, cold voice. It was right behind him, and slowly, he turned around, seeing what he could only describe as a ghost standing there.
"Whoa! Fuck!" He fired his weapon two more times, but the bullets passed right through him. "Who the fuck are you, you freak?!"
"Hehehe. Just someone with a thing to do." He floated before the man, then, to Mirko's confusion as to why he was showing her his back, he grabbed his skin at the front. "Something…Spooky." Then, to her horror, he parted his skin.
"AHHHHHH!" The man screamed to high heaven, and Mirko saw multiple tendrils wiggling wildly around Poltergeist. "No! NO! P-please…." The villain's eyes filled with tears as Poltergeist covered himself again. He dropped the gun and just stared at Poltergeist. "Someone…Help me…"
"Keep it in mind…" He got up into the villain's face. "There are always things worse than the heroes." He then went invisible, letting Mirko deal with the man. However, given how shaken he was, it was easy for her to grab him and deliver him to the officers below. After she handed him over, she left, jumping away into the distance.
On their way, Mirko stopped atop a rooftop and slumped down. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. Poltergeist revealed himself to her. "I did what I believed was right." He replied.
"I know," Mirko replied. "And you did right. Those hostages? Their rescue is on you, kid."
"Then what is bothering you? Is it…The one that got shot?" Poltergeist asked, which seemed to tick her off. She lunged at him, trying to grab him, but this time, he turned intangible, making her go right through him and fall to the ground. "I was right."
"How can you say it so easily?" Mirko asked.
"I don't know." He turned to face her, looking at his hands. "This form…He doesn't care about the lives of others. Izuku Midoriya does. He cares. But Poltergeist does not. The fact that a person died before we arrived is of no concern to us."
"The fuck it is!"
"We were not there to save them!" Poltergeist shouted at her back. "The sound that got you there…A gunshot, was it? Likely the sound of that poor guy's last moment. But it got us there! So why? Why are you blaming yourself so much, Mirko?! It was not your fault! We were not there."
"Not our fault? Of course, it is our fault! Every time an innocent person dies, it is the fault of heroes for not doing their job right!" Mirko shouted at him, keeping the argument alive. "Waiting for a guy with a stealth-type Quirk…What a bunch of bullshit."
"Others made it," Poltergeist mentioned. "I read the mind of the villain while I was possessing them. The guy who got shot is the one who tripped the alarm. He risked everything to let the authorities know about the robbery! And now, thanks to him, those five will face justice."
"Your point?" Mirko asked.
"He died a hero," Poltergeist stated.
"It doesn't change that he is dead…" Mirko added further.
"You surprise me, Mirko," Poltergeist said, getting her attention. "I didn't believe one man's demise is enough to bring you down. One failure and you are down?"
"I am not made of stone, brat," Mirko growled. "Even I have a limit."
"And one casualty is enough to reach that limit?" Poltergeist asked further. "Or is there something I am missing?"
"It's hard…" Mirko began. "Wait a second…" She got up, staring at him. "Why the fuck am I pouring my guts out to you, anyway?! You might look like a Pro in this form, but you are still a nosy brat under all of that! So take this form off and-" She grabbed his skin layer.
"Wait!"
But despite his protest, Mirko accidentally ripped the skin away. "What?" She looked down at the skin in her hand. "Gross!"
"I told you to wait." Looking at Poltergeist again, Mirko was shocked to see something different. She expected a mass of tentacles, given what she saw earlier, but what she saw was different. Way different.
"What the fuck?" She asked, eyes wide.
"Poltergeist exists as a being with two skin layers. My true form, so to speak, can only be used when there is no sunlight." Poltergeist explained. "You are lucky it is already night. Otherwise, this exposed patch would hurt a lot."
"Fuck…" Mirko said, realizing she had messed up a little. "Know what? End of the day! I shouldn't have done this to begin with, but I was curious to see if I could teach you something. Big waste of time this was."
"No!" Poltergeist protested. "You did show me something to learn from."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"How to be a real hero," Poltergeist said, surprising Mirko. "You follow your heart."
"Y-yeah, well, let's be clear! No word to Nezu about today! We leave out the part about you going to the bank and everything, clear?"
"Crystal."
"Let's head back to UA. Tomorrow, consider yourself free to do what you want. I need some time to think about how to train you. Learning by observation might have been too hasty." Mirko said, then walked to the edge of the roof, toward UA. "Can you get there before me?"
"Maybe," Poltergeist said as he vanished again.
"Heh…" Mirko chuckled. "Brat. I hate that form…Creepy and iky. But he is at least honest when he speaks." She suddenly realized something. "Kid? Still around?" Nothing. "Fuck, he pulled a fast one on me!"
Returning to UA and flying into his room, going through the walls, Izuku looked around, his one eye sliding through his body all over to check if the coast was clear. Then, he slowly reached for the Omnitrix. "Omnitrix, undo the transformation and begin DNA repairs." He commanded, and sure enough, the device began to beep and flash red. "I hope the damage is not too severe…"
Red light enveloped the room as Izuku fell to the ground. He gasped for breath, then brought a hand forth. A very pale hand, with claw-like fingers. Worst yet, his legs were gone, replaced by the same lower body as Poltergeist, and one of his eyes was purple. The Omnitrix on his wrist was red. "DNA repairs have begun. The Transformation function has been made unavailable until repairs are complete. Estimated time: 12 hours."
Izuku sighed. He could have at least gotten on his bed before turning back. However, something else started to creep into his mind. His hands began to shake as the images of today flashed into his mind again. Crawling as he could, he rushed to the bathroom and put his head into the toilet, hurling everything he had eaten today. The sight of a corpse - of a fucking corpse! That was the first time he ever saw a corpse! Someone had died…
Someone has died…
He was shaking like mad, tears welling in his eyes. The cold-blooded nature of the man he possessed also came to his mind. That man wouldn't have cared if he had to kill everyone! How can Poltergeist not react to such things?
Right…That alien was the one who altered his personality the most. How twisted that form ought to be to stay cold, calculated, and calm throughout all of that. But Izuku could not deny his power. The ability to sneak past the enemy and even take them over. To read their minds, learning all their plans, and even be impervious to damage…When he remembered to turn intangible on time. Poltergeist was a very versatile and effective form.
Still, it looks like he was going to be sleeping in the bathroom tonight. Goodie.
In the meantime, Mirko was in the teacher's lounge, grabbing herself a late-night cup of coffee to help her with her nerves. "A bit late for coffee, isn't it, Miss Usagiyama?" Her head snapped to the side, seeing Dean Nezu there, walking into the lounge. "Don't mind me, I came for some pudding I stashed away in the fridge earlier."
"Suit yourself," Mirko replied, pouring the coffee into a mug.
"Say, Mirko, I heard you took your protégé out in the field."
"Just to observe." Mirko pointed out quickly. "He didn't intervene in anything."
"Well, even if he did, I doubt it'd matter much," Nezu said, confusing Mirko. "So long as no one is the wiser to look for a ghost, that is."
"What-" Mirko turned to him sharply.
"UA has cameras all over, Mirko. I saw him turn into the form called Poltergeist. Which is why I find it hard to believe he'd stay on the sidelines and just watch." Nezu said, putting Mirko on the spot. "But, I wasn't there. If he acted out of line, I trust you to dispense proper discipline to ensure he learns the value of respecting the law. Got it?"
"Got it," Mirko replied, then took a sip of her coffee.
"Marvelous! I cannot wait to hear what other plans you have for him, Mirko! I just know he will become a great Hero under your tutelage!" Nezu left the lounge, leaving Mirko there to think about his words.
He knew.
Fucking damn it, he knew! Yet, he chooses to be silent on the matter. Why? Mirko couldn't tell. Nezu was a strange one, always doing what he pleased while maintaining both a professional facade and the best interests of the Academy and its staff and students in mind. Still, that isn't to say he was not above being petty. After she finished her coffee, Mirko decided to head to her apartment nearby. It was not a long distance away, so she could reach it fairly quickly.
The following day, Izuku woke up slowly, finding himself on the bathroom floor. "Right…I fell asleep here." He said, slowly getting up. His legs were back, which was good, and he checked the Omnitrix. Green yet again, indicating that he slept through all 12 hours needed to fix his DNA. That being said, it was around 1 PM. He slept in quite a bit. Luckily, Mirko gave him the day off.
He would want to catch up on some studying, but decided to do that later tonight. For now, after freshening up, he went out onto the campus. Students were either in class or between classes right now, meaning there was a fair number of people out and about. Izuku simply took in the sight of UA Academy in full swing, admitting how normal it felt.
He knows UA is not solely an Academy for heroes, as it has normal classes, too. This means everyone there was from different sectors, learning different aspects of life to help them on their way forward. As for him, though? He chose his road already.
"Detecting flagged danger." The Omnitrix suddenly announced him.
"Flaged danger?" Izuku muttered, then turned around to see Katsuki walking to him. "Katsuki?"
"Are you happy now, you nerd?!" Katsuki shouted at him, drawing the attention of other nearby students. "Erasurehead said I need to take anger management classes because of the stunt you pulled during the examination!"
"My stunt?!" Izuku gasped, finding his accusation absurd. "You were the one who tried to attack me!"
"And you should have taken it!" Katsuki argued back fiercely. "Just like in Aldera! The fuck happened to you, Deku?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Izuku. But then his eyes fell on the Omnitrix. "That's your Quirk?"
"A manifestation of it," Izuku replied quickly, covering the Omnitrix.
"Looks lame," Katsuki remarked. "If you cannot touch that to change in time, you might not be able to defend yourself in battle." Izuku was slightly surprised that Katsuki figured that detail out already, but then again, he shouldn't be. Katsuki was more than a hothead. He was smart. He had more than just brawn; he had brains, too. But all of that was shadowed by his bad personality.
"I think you failed to notice that every time you attacked me, back at Aldera, and before, during the examination, I didn't touch it." Izuku pointed out. "It's just harder to do it without first selecting the form."
"What a cheat," Katsuki added. "Your Quirk essentially lets you adapt to any situation. Well…It doesn't matter now, does it?"
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
"I figured you out…And I am calling you out!" Katsuki added fiercely. "I challenge you to an official fight! In Gym Omega!"
"What?!" Izuku gasped. "Wait a minute, what do you mean?!" The crowd was muttering among themselves, shocked to see a fight so early in the year. The Omnitrix, however, had the answer.
"Answer found: UA Academy allows fights between students, provided they are made official. This means they will take place in one of the Gyms, will be supervised by a teacher, and if either party goes too far in the fight, they will be penalized. HAP students are eligible to be challenged as well."
"Can I refuse?" He asked the Omnitrix mentally.
"Affirmative. You are well within your rights to refuse the challenge, but know this can have social consequences."
So, it was either accept Katsuki's challenge and fight him, or be labeled a coward among the UA student body. Izuku didn't like the situation, but then again, if he looked around, it made sense that Katsuki would challenge him here. It was public, where everyone heard his challenge.
"Hey!" Tenya showed up, stepping between them. "What is the meaning of this? Katsuki! Professor Aizawa was clear that you are to stay clear of Midoriya!"
"Fuck off, Four-Eyes!" Katsuki barked. "I issued an official battle challenge to Deku, and he had better accept it! Otherwise, he will only prove me right! He is nothing more than a coward who gained a lucky Quirk, nothing else! He is not like you or me!"
"I don't see what is different between Midoriya and me!" Tenya said loudly.
"Then you are wearing those glasses for nothing, because you are still fucking blind," Katsuki added venomously. "Still, I've yet to hear and answer, Deku…"
"Fine…" Izuku said, shocking Tenya. "I accept."
"Grand," Katsuki said with a smirk. "Gym Omega, 6 PM today. You'd better be there."
"I will," Izuku replied, watching Katsuki leave the courtyard.
"Midoriya, why are you accepting his challenge?! He is unstable, even Professor Aizawa said so!" Tenya said, arguing with Izuku. "His position in Class 1-A is not stable, especially after the stunt he pulled during the examination. Professor Aizawa was clear: One more incident and he can be transferred to General Studies."
"It explains why he issued an official challenge." Izuku figured it out. "He doesn't want to break the rules again. He knows he is on thin ice, so now he is covering his bases. But this has been a long time coming."
"Your past at Aldera…" Tenya muttered. "Midoriya, are you certain you can win? Don't get me wrong, I've seen what you are capable of. Physically, you hold the advantage in every category. But mentally…"
"You think I might snap?" Izuku asked Tenya. "I understand why you are worried, Ida. Honestly, this will be the first time I properly stand up to him. But it has to be done. He needs to understand he cannot bully others into fitting with his world image anymore, and to do that, he needs to be shown by the one he used to see as the most useless: Me."
"An extreme…" Tenya muttered again. "But I can see your logic. Katsuki is a problem, but if what you say is true, then facing him might break his delusions of greatness."
"Hopefully," Izuku said, looking down at the Omnitrix. "And hopefully, I can move onward as well after this."