Chapter 5!
Just in case as a reminder, this was a double chapter update, 4 and 5, and Slice of Light is the same. I've also more than likely updated another story or two with single chapter updates so check for that to!
This was kind of an interesting chapter to write and it has some spoilers for anime only viewers but if you don't know the context then I didn't give much of anything away except 1 character not yet met.
I probably wrote a ton in the end notes, asking for suggestions, questions, etc...so give it a skim if you want to.
To everyone who faved, followed, or reviewed thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA or the referenced power
Enjoy, more notes at the end!
Chapter 5: Aftershocks
*Itsuka POV*
Itsuka exited the infirmary, her minutely fractured arms healed, as she mulled over the match she'd had with the quake girl. At the moment there was a short break to repair the arena stage before moving on to the next rounds but that didn't mean too much to her. Maybe it was wrong to call what happened between the two of them a match, perhaps an encounter was better, but Itsuka was a bit glad for it.
There was no way that Midoriya couldn't understand Itsuka's misgivings when it came to her quirk. The greenette could likely cause earthquakes if she was careless but it didn't stop her from using her quirk's power plus also finding a way around the damage instead of fearing it. Midoriya had managed to reach the position that Itsuka had thought she could before. It was possible and if even a bit it made the new One For All user feel a little less lonely.
Navigating the halls somewhat aimlessly, she didn't quite want to return to her classmates just yet, Itsuka took a slow pace but nearly bumped into someone as she turned a corner that lead to the stairs.
"Ah, my apologies sir," the girl bowed shortly as she took in the man's appearance.
"That's quite alright young lady," He spoke politely, his eyes closing as he gave a small, formal smile.
The man had relatively sharp features, most prominently his nose, widow's peak, and his orange brown hair that went back in three separate spikes. He wore a tidy black suit with small vertical stripes as well as a green undershirt with and a lighter green tie.
"Were you waiting for someone?" Itsuka wondered, the hallway stairs were a pretty common place for most people to end up passing through.
"Yes, just an old acquaintance of mine," the man informed her before reaching into his suit pocket and pulling out a business card, "a late introduction and congratulations since you performed very impressively in the festival."
The man was evidently connected with heroics and Itsuka politely received the card and read it over, Yotsubashi Rikiya, President and CEO, Detnerat Company. The orange haired girl's eyes perked briefly since of course she'd heard of the Detnerat Company that dealt in lifestyle support items. Randomly meeting the president himself of all people was a rare occurrence.
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir," the shocked girl bowed once more, "my name is Kendo Itsuka." she introduced herself curtly.
"The pleasure is mine," the Detnerat President returned, "as I said earlier your performance was quite praise worthy." he reiterated. "Your quirk seemed difficult to use but perhaps the Detnerat Company can help," Yotsubashi offered with a smile, "we actually hold a few sponsored programs to assist with peoples' quirks through support items."
"Really, how interesting," Itsuka politely feigned, not particularly feeling enticed by the offer, "but I wouldn't want to keep you held up when you're going to meet someone."
"You're no bother at all, in fact-" the man tried but surely Itsuka wasn't the only one who felt a heavy presence from out of nowhere.
"Yotsubashi." a recognizably deep voice called distastefully and Itsuka turned her head to find Midoriya appearing from the downstairs.
"Ah, Midoriya it's been quite some time hasn't it?" the CEO put on a business smile as she approached, "the Detnerat Company would love to work with you again."
Midoriya was surely displeased as her lips turned slightly downwards while her eyes hardened, "and I have no intention of helping you."
The business man remained silent for a moment, his face stuck in a perpetually formal smile before he continued on. "Now, now, we've assisted both your older cousin and you with your quirks so of course we'd keep your family in mind."
Itsuka couldn't find the right opening to leave the conversation and silently side eyed the tall greenette from her place beside her.
"Your contributions to Hero Society and public safety aren't a small feat Midoriya." Yotsubashi's eyes opened and settled on the greenette, his practiced smile easing.
Midoriya's deep chuckle rumbled in her chest, an almost threatening feel to it, and Itsuka's throat tightened a little while her head continued to spin with the information.
"I don't have anything else to say than what I already have to either of you," Midoriya glared down on the man while shifting closer to and in front of Itsuka, "we'll be leaving." the taller girl stated and Itsuka followed the greenette's leave and began exiting the scene.
"You know we were all surprised that you chose UA." the man caught Midoriya's attention, an almost barely malicious grin spreading across his lips, as the tall greenette stopped her leave and turned enough to look at him over her shoulder. "If you hadn't you would have already been a hero."
Itsuka didn't know what they were talking about but clearly Midoriya did as her eyes flashed ever so slightly. The man gave a subdued but polite laugh and went to take his leave, his business with both of them evidentially finished.
"After all, the Hero Commission is always going to want you Midoriya." He informed just as he turned away and at the words Midoriya abruptly continued for the upstairs, Itsuka following silently in her confusion.
"You should toss his card and ignore him." the greenette told her and Itsuka nodded.
"I was planning to," the orange haired girl admitted, she didn't have the best feeling about the situation honestly.
The hall filled with Midoriya's laugh as she threw her head back, a smile on her lips, "Good, but you should head off." The deep voiced girl suggested and Itsuka peered down the hall seeing what Midoriya had spotted. "Just another fool to deal with."
"Good luck." Itsuka called quietly as she stopped to let the other girl go ahead.
"Weren't hurt too bad were you?"
"Some small fractures."
"That all?"
"I'm pretty resilient."
"Damn right you are."
One last chuckle of Midoriya's reached Itsuka ears before they went their separate ways for the time being.
-break-
*Endeavor POV*
It wasn't always that someone was physically looking down on or level with him while speaking but the greenette fearlessly made eye contact with him as if he was just another person. She'd be a good challenge for Shouto but the boy's stubborn insistence of only using his ice was a foolish mistake.
"Your quirk is quite something, along with your technique," the Flame Hero gave rare praise but considering how much the greenette was containing her ability she deserved it.
"You're Todoroki's father." Midoriya stated plainly and Endeavor snorted at the words.
"Of course I am." He replied gruffly.
"I couldn't tell, you don't look like it."
The combination of her laugh and that grin reminded him of another overpowered fool and the girl grated on his nerves but there wasn't really anything else to say to her.
"Perhaps you'll break that boy's stubbornness," the redhead huffed and walked away, his business with her finished and he heard her steps getting farther away as well.
Shouto would not beat her. He could tell that from a simple glance as well as their on paper abilities. You didn't become the number 2 hero by doing average work or having average abilities and in truth even if that bullheaded boy used his flames then he wouldn't win. The greenette had drawn out her match with the orange haired girl that took first during the obstacle race because she was interested in her for one reason or another but that wasn't the case for her upcoming match with his son.
All that was left to do was return to the stands and see if this loss would do anything for that boy.
-break-
Endeavor glared down into the field as the outcome he foresaw came true.
Shouto had begun the match with the same glacier attack from his first match and while Midoriya had been completely and clearly encased in the ice it soon broke apart effortlessly. The quake girl couldn't be frozen and such a feat like breaking herself out was a trivial matter to her.
The flame and ice quirk user flung more ice attacks that shattered just from Midoriya walking forward but the girl suddenly reared back a fist and cracked the air with her punch. A small but just powerful enough shock wave tore through Shouto's weakening ice and easily blasted him cleanly off the stage.
Endeavor turned away and made his way out of the stands. He had expected the loss, which was still frustrating nonetheless, but what irked him more was how much the greenette had held back, even in her match against the orange haired girl which was her highest display of power during the festival. Was her quirk that strong that she could handle anyone as if they were nothing?
There was a much closer person that Shouto had to surpass than All Might.
-break-
*Yotsubashi Rikiya POV*
By no surprise, Midoriya had easily won the Sport's Festival and Rikiya took his leave from the school, careful to not run into anyone as he went through the crowd. He had almost forgotten how grating Midoriya was and trying to keep his stress from exploding while interacting with that girl who purposefully pushed his buttons was quite the task. However, it would be foolish to directly make her an enemy since he knew more than others just what she was capable of.
Her older cousin, Shindo Yo, despite having a similar quirk to Midoriya couldn't hold a candle to her in terms of power and it was quite the miracle that worked out in both the Detnerat and Hero Commission's favor. Rikiya's company hadn't always been the big name that it was but thanks to aiming to make lifestyle support items that also meant things like items that assisted in either accommodating or training someone's quirk, such as one that presented a danger to oneself or others.
They had held programs to assist such people and eventual caught the eyes of the Hero Commission who was always on the lookout for talented young people. If Detnerat products could help with the young people that were scouted by the Hero Commission then wouldn't that be good for both of them? Beyond helping people use their quirks, the programs also allowed for the collection of data and that was how Midoriya came into play. Rikiya's company had already helped Shindo Yo in the past but his quirk couldn't quite provide new data for them but when his cousin with a ridiculously more powerful version of it appeared then both the Company and the Commission had someone to look forward to.
Rikiya still remembered that devastated facility that had to be covered up but instead of feeling enraged he could only be pleased by Midoriya's capabilities. While the data collected was from a vast variety of quirks, no one beat out Midoriya when it came to testing how much stress an item could take or how effective it could be because if she couldn't break it then very little people could or they had a quirk unique enough to counter it.
If anything, the quake girl owed her quirk training to the Detnerat. She used to go about her daily life and specialized training wearing what would become the modern day's most effective quirk suppressant cuffs, though even then she managed to still use enough of her quake quirk to destroy things. Either way, the data collected from Midoriya gave way for new techniques for making stronger more durable support items and materials. One way or another the Commission or some other group would get their hands on Midoriya again.
It was only a question of when.
Notes and Stuff
It's actually been really fun and almost a personal challenge for me to build Izumi's character without using her POV. It's certainly something interesting to write but of course some of the POVs I use are only for that and information so they won't be recurring, they're just meant for insight. Another thing I wanted to explore this chapter was some of Izumi's disconnectedness with other characters and even sometimes in the checkpoint events. Pretty sure everyone noticed no flames being fanned in this chapter and even last one Shouto never told her his story. I had always planned for Izumi to one, be removed from certain events since she has no reason or stake to be involved and two, move to other events in the canon story that Izuku wasn't at though when that will be is not yet determined. Hope that didn't feel too out of nowhere.
I brought this up on Slice of Light but I was wondering if people would care if I did a little extra genderbending in a new story. I was debating on a Fem!Izuku (Izumi) x Fem!Shouto (Shouko?) because I wanted to do something with Aokiji/Kuzan's Devil Fruit from One Piece and could in no way keep Todoroki a minor player in such a story while working a pairing for Izumi. Not like a have to do pairings but they're just more fun and interesting.
I know I had said that The First Steps Upwards and Midair Collide were going to be next to be updated, and I have those chapters pretty much written actually, but TFSU chapter feels incomplete right in the middle so I can't just ship it and say yeah I did what I could, not that I'd want to since I felt this way, and the Midair Collide chapter needs more polish and is also missing very small details I'd like it to have. With that said, I did want everyone to have something to read so I decided to just go ahead and upload the chapters of stories that I did have finished. This way you all get something to read and I get your feedback while keeping you all updated on things going forward.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more updates from me!