A/N: Time to get combat-ready, a mixed bag for this one, Review Time!
To Murtaito: Things are definitely heating up, no? As for Izuku or Yuki being Kota's hero, to quote two guys from a meme format, "Both, both is good".
To Cobbb: I've got a lot in store for this half of Season 3, just you wait ;)
Enjoy.
Chapter 40 - Your Perfect Coach
Everyone was hanging out their asses, some with bedhead, and others barely had their eyes open, all dreading the early wake-up call. Amongst the girls, Kyoka rubbing her right eye, blinking at the absence of one. "Say, anyone seen Yuki?"
This got a general response of confusion, the girl wasn't with them when they woke, nor was she in the bathroom either. That's when Kirishima's eyes became fully awake. "Uh... guys?" All of them hummed, following his finger to the source of the panting
"Hundred-Two... Hundred-Three... Hundred-Four..." It was the crack of dawn, the sun piercing the mountains with its golden glow, basking the students in the sight they currently gawked toward, flabbergasted by the tally a dreary-eyed Kota scored, yawning in the morning rays
Yuki was currently upside-down, performing handstands with sweat dripping from her chin to her head, wearing only a pair of black shorts with two blue lines down the sides of the thighs, blue wristbands, and a black sports bra with the sides light blue too. Her mask somehow managing to stay glued to her temple.
"Yuki woke up early...?" Ochaco blinked, surprised to see her wide away, and with both hands, she bent and flipped herself onto both feet, Kota marking down one-hundred-and-fifteen for her
'Morning everyone!' She waved, stretching while wiping her face with a cloth
"Correction, she's been up since four in the morning," Mr. Aizawa spoke up, Kota having woken at around half-five to find her missing, leaving only a note to say she was training, and now here he was, tallying her progress.
"How is she even awake!?" "What the hell is she!?"
"So this is Yuki's training...?" He saw the serious look before as she was concentrating, it wasn't uncommon for Izuku to see but this was her pushing her limits, something she told him she would aid in helping Izuku accomplish
"Now, before we proceed with a small summary of your training, Azuru, get over here," Mr. Aizawa called, bringing the bluette to his side while tossing her a softball. "Go on, throw it with everything you got."
She raised a brow. 'Everything?' He hardened his stare and she put her hands up. 'Okay-Okay, geez, you are not a morning person...'
Taking to a wide-open space away from the others, Yuki breathed out her nose, slipping her mask on as she felt the air electrify under her nanomachines. Soon, her eyes dipped to red, pouring out her base limit as of today, both original arms became metallic and clawed, two more beneath them appearing while her chest was reinforced with a black breastplate with SIVA's logo and a few odd red wires, last were her legs, from the knee-down warped by machine and code.
"SIVA, Enhance, Sixty-Five Percent!" It was at most what she could perform without breaking bones, that alone sent a wave of hot air into the morning dew. The ball locked between her claws, stomping with her right for a professional pitcher's throw. "Perfected... SMASH!" The air coned as her softball left the naked eye, piercing the clouds above
"As you can see-" Mr. Aizawa displayed a new record, 2156.3, leaving the class in awe. "-Azuru has done what you all are here to learn, through your experiences you've all definitely improved, but those improvements have been limited by technical prowess and skill with a little bit of stamina increase thrown in along the way," He tucked his hands into his pockets. "But unlike Azuru all of you have not improved your Quirks on a fundamental level, that's why we're going to focus on improving them so you can hold your ground out there in the real world and in the Provisional Licensing Exam."
Many faces of realization were dawned, Yuki powering down as she approached Kota, the boy glaring up at her smile. 'So, Kota, think you can help me find a secluded spot for me and Izuku to train? If you do I'll make my super-secret ramen~'
His face twitched at the offer of her food, crossing his arms angrily. "I don't care..." She leaned down, humming, he still never wavered. "..." She was closer now while Mr. Aizawa gave everyone that mocking grin of his. Yuki was now giving her big-blue puppy-dog stare, "...alright fine!" He gave up with a blush at how close her face was to his, seeing her pump her fist proudly. "But I want it first!"
Yuki crossed her heart. 'Your word is my command' She winked, failing to realize that even as Mr. Aizawa grinned at his students like he was sending them to hell, his mind wandered to her power
"Whatever you plan to do, Azuru you better be ready for whatever happens next." "This is going to feel so hard you'll feel like you're dying," Focusing back on the class he put his finger toward them, eyes wide with his declaration of death. "Let's hope you all survive!"
Not long after the death-defying training began for Classes 1-A and B, Yuki picked Izuku up and stole him away to a large, mountain basin, a cliff overlooking the forest from afar. Kota never said where this was, snapping at Izuku when he asked as they were led into the open space devoid of life.
Finally, Yuki revealed her plan to him with a smile on her face, whistle around her neck. "You want me to use twenty percent?"
She pumped her fist high. 'Yep! Go on, Full Cowling!' She declared but paused as she saw the wary look in his eyes fester
"But, the last time I used twenty percent it took a toll on my muscles, I didn't break bones but I still had to get my torn and strain muscles healed," He murmured, not seeing the irked look on Yuki's face. "That's why I was going to focus on strengthening my bod-"
The whistle blared, scaring the life out of him as Yuki tapped her foot while Kota held in a chuckle at the boy's reaction. 'Don't care, didn't ask, power up!' She shoved the note toward him
"A-Alright!" Broadening his stance he brought forth the level of power he felt fighting Kovik, the lightning and wind pressure skyrocketing as Kota kept himself attached to Yuki's leg to brace the wind, but soon scoffed and walked away, leaving her to train Izuku. "One For All, Full Cowling, Twenty Percent!" He ground his teeth as he felt some resistance but his body seemed to manage the force
Watching with diligence, Yuki put another note forward. 'Good, now attack as if an enemy was before you' Heeding her words, Izuku strained his legs and leapt high into the air, bringing his right arm down in a claw-motion toward the ground.
"Hrah!" As the attack struck the air, Izuku's voice caught in his throat, seeing the ground tremble and break from the wind pressure striking the ground from a single swing. When he finally came down, albeit stumbling, he turned to Yuki in surprise. "The wind pressure...!"
Her next note appeared. 'All Might wanted to teach you this once he broke around fifteen percent without stress, but given the recent string of events and tests all our fights forced you into defense, and all those battles strengthen your ability to bring out more of One For All' His eyes widened at her words, tapping her right forearm. 'Remember Melissa's Full Gauntlet, just tapping into your power beyond your limits then gave your body the slight adjustment it needed to reach this level of power'
"Now that you mention it..." He drew himself back to the times he's used five percent - no, he didn't even realize he had tapped into that power until he cranked it up.
'You didn't realize it at first but you have the power to weaponize wind pressure for mid-to-long range attacks' She flicked the note around, grinning challengingly at her boyfriend. 'Ready to go beyond, Deku?'
He went for a reply but was cut off by a strain in his arm, it wasn't as bad as when he fought Kovik but it was still painful. "Ack, b-but wait, it still feels like it's too much to handle...!" Nodding to his worry, Yuki once more drew a board from... somewhere? Slapping her hand to the many bullet points
'Let's break down your evolutions from the start' Izuku tracing her finger at each tap
1) 100% on one body part
2) Control Any% on one body part
3) Control Any% on the whole body
4) Learn to fluctuate Any% on one body part
5) Increase from 5% to 10%
6) Increase to 20% for a brief period of time
It was... coming together. Like a race of recollections and realization, his mind flowed with this abridged information, body tensed and facial features struck with awe as the connections and dots were made, stringing together the missing piece of his power. All of it centered back to when Yuki taught him two things, one was to channel his power across his body and the other to regulate fluctuations of power.
"All Might was never continuously putting out one-hundred percent of his power, just like you," It finally dawned, and Yuki's heart skipped a little at his fanboy-side merging with that genius head of his. "If All Might was always at a hundred percent his every move would create shockwaves and caused disaster everywhere he went, it doesn't make sense to constantly be at full power,"
"Since I still can't hold twenty percent for long I should combine the first, fourth, and sixth lessons I've learned, I'll control the percentage on one body part, then bring it up to twenty percent for a split second while keeping my body at whatever percentage I need to sustain the blowback, a focused blast!" His eyes widened as big as that smile, something Yuki continued to stare at before shaking out of her stupor
'It's tricky, but with that fluctuation technique I taught you it should be possible, with this, we not only increase your variant attacks but help your body adjust completely to twenty percent, which leads me to my next lesson atop this one' Izuku blinked, following Yuki's writing diligently. 'By the end of this camp, I'm going to ensure your power has skyrocketed to fifty percent!' Like a blast of air, his whole mind and heart raced at her determined aura. 'Think you can handle it!?'
"I don't know," He closed his fist, pulling back his index under his thumb, the best way for him to properly execute this attack effectively. "My body might not be able to handle the strain without breaking my body, I don't..." He paused, biting his lip. "I don't want to be a burden anymore..." "I want to protect you." It was stupid for him to think she needed it, but he wanted to, he already failed far too many times to consider risks anymore
Hearing this stopped Yuki from going too far, walking up to place her hands on his shoulders, seeing him watch as she traced her hands down his biceps to his forearms, there, red lights began to seep from her fingers, tickling his arms down to his muscles as he winced. He didn't know what she was doing but kept his mouth shut until she was finished, seeing the black bindings coil and materialize around his hands, neatly tucked around his fingers much like Melissa's Full Gauntlet.
'SIVA. Augment. Shock Absorbers' Was her message, poking his freckled cheek. 'If you break something I'll fix it, I might not be as good as Recovery Girl but a few sprained hands is child's play' "Because I don't want you to think you're weak."
With a beaming smile, Izuku stepped back. "Thank you, Yuki, I promise, I will exceed your expectations!" Then he brought his fingers back into the flick, seeing her smile caused his heart to flutter with a faint blush. "For her, do it for her and go beyond!"
"You always do, Izuku." She hummed, watching him from the right as his body charged with wild energy. This was it, the test to see if both his strength and her augment can hold up against the strain
"One For All Full Cowling at Ten Percent," His fingers started to buckle, the black fibers reacting with a red tint between the seams. "Then, at the moment of the attack, boost to twenty percent!" The second his thoughts materialized the image his fingers snapped out, releasing a small burst of pressure that scored the wall of the highlands
Much to both their relieved sighs the glove took the blow's energy. 'It takes time and those bracers can't be relied upon forever, think you can handle it once they come undone?' Yuki almost asked hauntingly, brow raised with a smirk toward the successor as he clenched his fist, sparks radiating from his knuckle
"I do, thanks Yuki, I know what I need to do now!" He had to control this power, the villains and Kovik weren't going to just wait for them to become stronger, every day they moved closer to the unknown goal, so, with every advantage he can afford and ounce of strength he could muster, Izuku would give his all
An Hour Later...
Warning | SIVA Density is growing critical | Bring your percentage down
Yuki didn't speak, the red glow surrounding her body tempered down as the surface of the earth under her was twisted and pulled, forming small spikes from the small traces of metal in the earth, her body was sweating yet the intensity of the heat evaporated the liquid. Her face was covered by her mask, displaying the static that filled her right eye as it was slowly contained.
~Yuki Azuru, by concentrating her nanomachines into condensed matter surrounding her body she's able to increase her percentage output without converting her body to metal, this will help her mental control over her technological Quirk increase so she doesn't lose control while simultaneously reinforcing her body to handle the intense strength at a higher level!~
Back near the rock wall, Izuku continued to test his new air shots against the earth, the fingers on his right hand bruised as small nanomachines worked to repair the damage and ease the pain. His body, much like Yuki's, kept pumping out intense waves of power and wind, his bones were creaking and he felt he was on the verge of collapse and yet he kept swinging and firing blasts with his left, large drops of sweat staining the ground.
~Izuku Midoriya, by continuously firing air pressure from his fingers he's no only broadening his attack capabilities but while increasing his percentage his body also begins to adjust to the new level of power, thereby minimizing the risk of torn muscle and broken bones!~
Not long after that, Izuku flopped to the ground, seeing that the nanomachines divide up from the torn remains of his left glove and steadily tickled the inside of his hand's muscle fibers, repairing the damage and strain to his fingers. Every breath he took burned while staring up at the sky.
"The Quirk All Might passed on to me was more than I deserved..." He could recall the time he was told from that day that he could be a hero, offered the secret and truth of All Might's power. "Yuki taught me how to use my Quirk without destroying my body." The small skirmish after harnessing Full Cowling was still embedded in his mind, and the pride she displayed on her face, "And then Gran Torino taught me not to be afraid to push beyond what was comfortable, to know when my body was ready to grow."
Kovik wasn't impressed, his own crimson pulse gathering between his fingers like bindings. "Give up, kid. You think you're a hero, you were gifted where others were not, and still suffer, what makes you any different from some prodigy when you never earned your gift through hard work and intellect, using your own strength and not the gift of another? Call it 'heroism' but you're no better than that dead thief."
"I've come a long way in such little time, and his words..." He clenched his fist. "I won't let that become a reality, everything I have done and will ever do is prove I'm worthy of this power."
Just then a note flew in from afar, catching it, Izuku blinked and held up the paper, "'Perfected Impact'?" Izuku pursed his lips, only for them to part with fright, "Huh?" Followed by his facial features lighting up. "HUH!?"
Not a second was wasted as he threw his body back, evading the kick that slammed into the ground, billowing dust and debris to cloud his sight. Izuku reacted to this by throwing his body back again, both feet connecting to a pair of crossed arms, the heat roaring against his skin. Through the dust he saw the figure blast from the plume, body scarlet as it slowly died down, a pair of claws coming dangerously close to his face while the other balled itself into a fist.
"Yuki - no, focus!" He stopped himself as her fist collided with his right arm, feeling his bones buckle but hold while the left twisted back around for a punch that would have been blocked, so at the last second, he snapped his fingers into a flick. "Delaware-" He twisted his right foot, seeing it smack against Yuki's bare arm as she blocked. "-Smash-" The force collided with her chest, blasting her back with a ring of air pressure. "-Air Force!"
The backblast in the air threw Izuku toward the ground, forcing him to roll while seeing that Yuki crashed into the ground with far less grace than himself. Shaking off his fight and flight response he ran to the bluette's side with worry. "Yuki, are you okay - oof!" She leapt from the dust, tackling him to the ground with a bright smile on her face
She was so close that she was pressed up against him, drawing the blood back to his face while attempting to read her note. 'Not bad reflexes and you seem to have your move down, though maybe stick with Delaware Smash as the name'
"I-I-I will, Y-Yuki... u-um." Noticing how she was straddling his waist she threw herself to his side, embarrassed a little as they peered to one another, then broke the silence with a laugh, though again she was silent it was still a pleasant sight for them both. "Thanks... Yuki."
She flicked his nose, poking her tongue out. 'This is only the first day, so after a small break I want to mix up our training, now we're moving on to exercise, followed by combat to keep both our hand-to-hand combat and hand-eye coordination sharp' To his unexpected surprise it was Yuki who muttered, messages stringing from her shoulder like a docket machine. 'Though taking into account breaks, lunch, dinner, and rest we should have ample time to increase your threshold and my control over SIVA, implying we-'
Yuki blinked, her chin resting against Izuku's shoulder as he hugged her, seeing his damaged left hand and the broken finger he used to beat her. Smiling while nuzzling his neck she pulled away, holding up his hand between her own, cupping the fingers with a red glow while he watched her, fascinated, and her chest tightened with butterflies.
She kept doing this, helping him with his problems, always putting in so much effort for him and he just accepted that, never once asking her what she wanted in return, or what he could do for her. It was annoying at times, he wanted to give something to her, to make her understand how amazing she was.
"Yuki, I-" She pressed a finger to his lips
'You can repay me with a date after the camp' Seeing her wink cutely, he went silent as she healed his finger. 'I want to go back to that arcade with you again, I still haven't beaten that top score'
"Pfft, hahahaha!" His laughter caught her by surprise, seeing him pull his fixed hand back to hold his stomach. While he chuckled she pouted, making her far more adorable than intimidating
'Hey, the Dance Mat is a serious declaration of war between those striving for perfection' Her warning just made his laughter worse, causing her left eye to twitch, a shaky smile crossing her lips as she pounced. 'Alright then, chuckles, laugh your way out of this!' She started to prod at his weak points, causing his laughing to rise while his body squirmed under her
"Haha - Y-Yuki-i-i hahaha I-I can't bre-e-eathe~!" He wheezed, getting misty eye while attempting to retaliate but this was a battle he could not win, falling prey to her wicked fingers and matching smile
Later that day...
"YES, MA'AM..." The whole of Class A and B moaned, completely exhausted after their training as they were reminded of their final task, making dinner. To their relief, Pixie Bob grinned, holding out her hands with Ragdoll, all eyes following their jazz hands
"Do not fret, kittens, for you have two willing to put in the effort to help make your culinary skills shine!" Pixie was of course addressing Akio and Yuki. Yuki in particular wore a green shirt with a pair of black chinos and her blue wristbands, a familiar, blue hoodie tied around her waist with an apron on. The duo then grinned with a horizontal high-five, then back with the backs of the palms followed by a fist bump. "Now we'll leave you all to it, be careful~!"
"What the heck was that?" They thought of the duo's strange high-five before Yuki clapped her hands high
"Alright! This should be simple enough, I need one team on veg duty, another on meat, a few who are confident to work the pots, and someone who won't blow half the stoves away..." He was pointing to a certain ash-blonde among the group
"Why the hell are you pointing at me!?" Bakugo growled
'Dumb-Dumb aside-'
"GO TO HELL!"
'-This is really simple once you get the rhythm, so everyone split yourselves up, and let's get to work! If you do I'll happily make some dessert for tomorrow, mine, and my Mom's own creation that's sure to put the punch back in your sweet tooth! Chop-Chop!' Yuki smiled brightly, rekindling some of their spirits
"A chance to not only try a dessert made by Yuki but Valstrax's!" Kaminari drooled, Kirishima grinning with anticipation
"Aw, man, come on, everyone, this is something worth fighting for!" He raised the motivation slightly, Kendo poking Izuku's shoulder
"Hey, so is Azuru really that good of a cook, Akio too?" She asked him
Without having a nervous breakdown for once he replied with a smile, watching the two at work to divide the classes up, waving frantically. "Yuki's cooking skill is impressive, most of us never even knew she could cook until yesterday, she's amazing..." Then he blushed, seeing Kendo giggle behind her hand. "Ah, I-I mean her food's just that great, who wouldn't admire it!?"
"I see, well then ladies, you heard him," Kendo addressed the girls of 1-B with a smile. "Let's ensure to try our best!"
"RIGHT!"
"Yuki, how's this?" Hearing her name Yuki put her hand up then quickly showed Bakugo the knife to continue the work on the veg, and to keep those who were a little slow on the right track. As it turns out, Bakugo is also a really good cook, putting Yuki through a loop that she ultimately gave up on understanding how a delicate process clicked with a literal time bomb
Skipping to Shoto's side he stepped back from the pot alongside Yaomomo, both unsure of their work. "Does it need something... with a kick, I suppose is the right word?" Yaomomo inquired, Yuki procuring a spoon to taste the bubbling curry, sipping it as both glanced to one another then back at the chef as she tapped her chin, pointing the spoon at them with a note between her fingers
'Add some curry powder, just a small amount otherwise you'll overpower the other ingredients, then stir for another fifteen minutes' She instructed the two, grinning at Shoto as she playfully nudged his side. 'And you said you suck at cooking, wait 'till Fuyumi sees your improvement' That little compliment stirred a small smile from the aloof teen
"Sure thing, Yu," Hearing the nickname both Yaomomo and Yuki smiled warmly, the former keeping her inner gushing to herself while the latter hugged him quickly as someone else called to her aid
'Duty calls' She waved and continued to where Kendo and Tetsutetsu looked over their own pot with worry. 'What's up, my guys?' Unfolding her arms at the bubbling mixture within her eyes narrowed
"I told ya something wasn't right!" Tetsutetsu barked in Kendo's ear, making her sigh as she turned to the mute
"Sorry, we've been following what you and Akio said but it looks a little off, see?" That Yuki did, while the food itself looked fine the mixture as she stirred with the ladle told her the problem right away, kneeling down to literally stick her hand in the flaming logs. "Azuru!"
"Hold crap, are you crazy!?" Tetsutetsu gawked as a few watched in horror as Yuki just plucked several of the pieces of timber out without a hint of pain or hesitance, kicking dirt over the smoldering timber until the flames were smothered out entirely
'The fire was too big, so you were cooking the curry too quickly, doing that will speed up the process but you'll burn what's at the bottom and it also doesn't give the ingredients time to simmer and stir' Smiling while dusting off her black fingers onto her white apron she smiled at the two. 'Let it simmer a little longer and it'll be fine'
"Wow..." Tetsutetsu blinked, surprised she just put her hand in a fire without even burning herself. "That was crazy, but in a cool way!"
Kendo slapped her large hand over his face, suffocating him as she smiled worryingly at Yuki. "What he means to say is thanks but warn us next time you do that." With a silent giggle, Yuki nodded and continued on with her inspection
That's when she saw a certain emerald-haired nerd working slowly on the last of the veg, Bakugo's yelling doing little to aid in the anxious boy's progress. "-are you really that useless you can't even cut vegetables faster, Deku!?"
"I'm sorry, I'll try harder!" He was sweating buckets until those that were present at the table saw Yuki approach from behind, causing Izuku to freak out until he felt her smooth hands glide down his arms, feeling her body press to his back as she puppeteered his hands to move far more fluently with the knife, humming soothing in his right ear as it turned as red as his face at her willingness to be so close with a number of eyes watching them. "Y-Y-Yuki...?"
His shaky reply didn't falter her guidance. He was embarrassed beyond measure but let his hands be guided by her own, following her streamline motions as many observed the couple, one with a pleased smile and the other nervously holding onto his focus. "SO CUTE!"
Several of the guys watched on just enviously for the beautiful girl practically hugging him from behind. "YOU LUCKY BASTARD!"
'See-' A note bobbed before him, his hands moving on their own accord without her own, he'd be lying if he said he didn't want her to keep her hands on his own, mortified embarrassment be damned. '-all in the rhythm'
Then she saw the pairs of eyes on the two, and soon the wrath of God was upon them, a ladle was thrown at the students as they dodged, the metal object smacking Akio in the back of the head, causing many to wince and Yuki to pinch her nose. 'That was a warning shot! Get your nosy asses in gear!'
"YES, MA'AM!" "SCARY...!"
"WE DID IT!" To everyone's surprise, the curry came out pretty amazing by their standards, though everyone unanimously agreed it was all down to their top chefs, Akio, Yuki, and even Bakugo, strangely enough.
"Even though my stomach's gonna kill me later I can't stop eating!" Kirishima scarfed down his meal with Sero in gusto
"I know, right, it's great!" He agreed. Over on another table, Akio had already eaten so he sat with his back to Kyoka's, providing everyone with some simple yet calming tunes on a string guitar, Kyoka smiling as she leaned against his back, eating away to the pleasant music
"Never a dull meal with you or Yuyu," She mused softly, Akio chuckling between a toothy grin, embarrassed by the flood of compliments he received before they dug in
"Hehe, it was alot of fun getting to teach." Akio answered earnestly
Despite the dazzling atmosphere, one particular individual was missing, having been spotted by Izuku and Yuki on their leave into the dark woods beyond the lanterns. "Kotaaa! Where are you, it's time for dinner!"
Looking between the other, Yuki smiled and gave a small bow to excuse herself while Izuku grabbed a small plate of the curry and traced not far behind her, both knowing exactly where the troubled boy was going.
Despite the quiet atmosphere up on the ridge near where Izuku and Yuki trained for the day, Kota stared out across the valley, ignoring the fact his stomach continued to growl in protest to the lack of food. Stopping just before the lip of the slope, Yuki put out her hand, offering to go first with the dish. Nodding, Izuku handed her the food, deciding to stay behind her.
With a paper airplane, she flicked it as it bounced off Kota's hat, alerting him to their presence, seeing Yuki smiling back with a meek Izuku behind her. He just glared like Bakugo would at them both. "Get lost, I told you not to come up here, idiots!" Despite his sharp tone, Yuki pointed to the airplane. "Tch." He snatched and unfolded the note within
'Half the forest can hear ya, just eat, may not be my secret ramen but I'm saving that for lunch tomorrow' Reading this, Kota went silent, crumpling the note. Despite the anger in his eyes, Yuki knelt down, placing the dish before her knees.
"I said get lost, this is my secret hideout, I only brought you up here because you wouldn't leave me alone!" Kota thundered, even so, Yuki didn't budge, in fact, she understood far more than she realized. "Hmph, spending your entire life trying to improve your Quirk, it's dumb, all you want to do is show off, get lost!"
'You're alot like me when I was younger, Kota, we're both horrible liars' Hearing this, the two boys looked to Yuki while she put on a hurt smile, looking solemnly at her hands as another note conjured. 'I hated Quirks too, heck, I can't help but feel I am a monster, despite the kind things I'm told'
"Yu-" She put her hand up to stop Izuku, this wasn't about her, she had her own issues but those could wait, right now, they had to help Kota, the boy who lost just as much as she had
That was when Izuku pulled out the note she handed him just before approaching the cliffs. 'Words might not be enough, you have to get him to open up to you first, forcing this will cause him to recluse, I'm counting on you, Izuku' But what did she mean by that? He had been lost in thought for only a minute before it hit him.
"Hey, I was wondering, your parents, were they the Waterhose Heroes, with the water Quirks?" Izuku's words struck Kota, his face scrunching up with rage at the green-eyed teen
"Did Mandalay tell you!?" He demanded though Izuku didn't budge
"No, well it's um - sorry," He scratched his nape. "But, I heard a little about what happened to them, and based on that information I figured... I remember reading about that horrible incident a few years ago." That forced Kota to turn away, kicking the dirt
"Everyone here is crazy, talking about heroes and villains only to kill each other, trying to show off their Quirks!" He growled under his hat. "My..." His voice for an instant cracked. "My parents were heroes and look what happened, they died being idiots just like you, so go away and leave me alone already!"
It was hard for Izuku to understand him completely, in a world of superhuman powers, to utterly reject Quirks at a young age while being often surrounded by them made it harder for Kota. Just like Yuki, Izuku had no real idea how that felt, knowing it was superpowers that took away something precious to them.
Finally, Yuki let them see her new message. Pulling Kota by the arm to have him turn and face her, 'I lost my parents too thanks to a villain, in the end, we're all going to die someday' Her words were cold but that made Kota's eyes widen. 'Even as they were taken right before my eyes, they gave their last breath to do something they believed in. Your parents didn't leave you, they gave it their all to ensure a better, peaceful world for you to live happy'
Surprisingly, a stray tear fell from Yuki's left eye, catching the sight of Kota's own misty eyes, 'Nothing can bring them back, as much as we may curse for it to be so, but I know that if they were offered the choice they'd do again for you in a heartbeat, second-guessing be damned' She smiled, painfully but she did, feeling Izuku's warm hand on her shoulder. 'They still believed you would be proud of them and would fight through tears for them, and knowing you were in good hands with your aunt until...'
One final message appeared. 'Until the day that you could become a hero too if that is what you want. That's the future they fought for, one where your life is your own to make, that is what your parents, your aunt and her team, the other heroes... and me, Aksis, would continue to fight for' Her fingers became taut against the paper
'This is a cruel world, and life can get harder, you can hate all you want but don't let it consume you, you're only human after all' And with that, she brought the silently sobbing boy into her arms, trembling out a shaky breath as she squeezed him tightly, as if she was accepting her old faults head-on, and in a strange way, finally setting her past memories right again
Picking up Kota, who remained silent she turned to Izuku who looked to her, wiping away the stray tear from her eye with his thumb. "Let's go back, I think there's still something left to eat." He smiled, Yuki nodding while tucking Kota into her arms, patting his back along the way
While they strolled back to camp, Kota remembered Aizawa's words yesterday.
"Yuki Azuru isn't like most students here, she's been targetted by a dangerous villain for her Quirk, has suffered injures no normal person at her age should have to endure and has lost just as much in her life." Aizawa elaborated for Kota. "Another problem child, Izuku Midoriya, has been her closest friend through alot of it, himself shunned for his late-bloom with a Quirk, and has kept her from losing her grip with being human, every day those two strive to go beyond the norm, to prove to the world that rejected them there's hope."
"I don't care, she's weird, and training to be a dumb hero, both of them!" He snapped, ignoring his words. "Why would I want to be anywhere near them!?"
Aizawa just chuffed, crossing his arms while he leaned against the wall. "Not a request, Kota, got that? I'm not saying to change your attitude, but, if anyone here understands and may help you see a better way, it'll be her, the girl that the world left for dead, and the boy that rekindled her hope."
"She keeps trying to be a dumb hero despite saying she wasn't, and that idiot Midoriya keeps trying harder than she does, they're all idiots, but," He peeked up as they were outside the forest, approaching the camp once more as he held onto her tightly. "I like her, she doesn't treat me like I'm made of glass, and she's honest like Aizawa, even that Midoriya isn't so bad, I guess."
To Be Continued...
Big chapters back-to-back, and they're only getting heated next time! Kota and Yuki were quite similar in experiences so it made sense for her to aid Izuku in saving Kota's sorrowful soul, plus, as we've seen, it was more like Yuki sees herself in Kota, a strange form of acceptance. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter heroes!
Next Chapter: The Soul of the Perfect Hero
Viral: Midoriya, I will be taking over your 3 o'clock training for Yuki!
Izuku: Why are we here? Akio? Viral?
Akio: Sorry bud, it's time to see you grit those teeth!
Viral: That's right, let me see... the depths of your rage
Izuku: *Gulps* N-next time, The Soul of the Perfect Hero.
Viral: Go Beyond!
All: Plus Ultra!