Chapter 4!
Still moving straight along through events! It's not a very action packed chapter but I still think there's a lot to get out of this one. I did go a bit of a different direction here, in regards to my own fics, I think.
User/Reviewer EatMyIceCream: Honestly, I'm not super sold on making an Akainu referenced Izumi. Can't think of how I'd do the magma power and I wouldn't really want to write Izumi like that haha. Whenever I do One Piece inspired stories then they'll all highly likely be characters I like as all the ones I've referenced so far, Kizaru, Whitebeard, Aokiji, and Kaido, are all ones I enjoy both power and character wise.
User/Reviewer Cyde: I love having this Izumi do these statements but still in a half-assed manor where she never actually answers the stuff as she decides there isn't more to be said or it's a little more effort than it's worth.
User/Reviewer yomunot: Haha yeah, the other characters will let it go eventually. Hopefully this chapter sheds a bit more light on Izumi as well as sets up the direction she's aiming for. Thanks as always for your reviews!
User/Reviewer reaivyLS: Glad you enjoyed it! Both were really fun scenes to do and imagine out as I was planning and writing.
User/Reviewer Logical-Tadkins: Izumi is definitely an "optimize that" person haha. Unlike Slice of Light in which Izumi never does anything truly seriously, it's a good change of pace to have her fight actively, even if it's making her opponents put themselves in bad positions, and have her be creative with her fine control of her ice. Small steps for Shouko!
User/Reviewer EndlessChains: Thanks as always for the reviews! Yeah, once Izumi has found some kind of reason to give the effort then there's quite the change in her. Being able to write overpowered Izumi is always something because I can focus more on her interactions and effects on the other characters as opposed to really working though her own stuff though that's sometimes relevant too.
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 4: Powder Snow
*Shouko POV*
The two days that the students had off after the Sport's Festival had been a pain but also quite the experience for Shouko.
Of course that bastard had pestered her for her loss and her standing refusal to use her fire while also speaking slightly negatively of Midoriya which made Shouko feel a little worse by the fact that she had been so utterly destroyed by the greenette. On the other hand, Shouko had spent the last couple days wrapped up in her own head. Looking back, Midoriya was easily in a league of her own and the crushing defeat that Shouko had suffered made her realize that she was only a small blip in a huge world. Midoriya wouldn't be the only person who could beat Shouko if she was only using half of her quirk and while it was a tough pill to swallow, the white and red haired girl couldn't move forward like this.
The night after the Sport's Festival, Shouko had sat quietly in her room and experimentally lit a small flame in her left hand. It made her feel a bit nauseous but she let it flicker until it was barely anything more than an ember before trying to sustain it. It was small, but it was also a start and the warmth of it reminded Shouko of the hand warmers that she still had. The dual quirk user couldn't get a hold of Midoriya after the festival, the greenette simply disappearing mysteriously without any of their classmates knowing where she had gone. The tiny flame danced around her palm and Shouko slowly eased as she kept the fire burning longer and longer.
Staring at the burning light, Shouko briefly wondered if her mother would be proud of her. The white and red haired girl hadn't seen her in so long but of course she always wondered if she was well. Shouko wanted to be a hero but why did she want to be one again? Becoming number one with just her ice to rub the fact into her old man's face wasn't the original reason was it? No, that didn't sound right. She never wanted to be like him, she just wanted to be someone who could protect people like her mom from people like her dad. Her mother had told her that she could be a hero, no, the person, that she wanted to be and with that thought Shouko's hand burst into flames. It hadn't surprised her and instead of feeling sickened by it, the girl gave a soft smile at the sight. She'd use the flames, her flames, not for anyone but herself.
So she could be that person that she wanted to.
-break-
*Tensei POV*
As Tensei had woken up once more it seemed that he had another visitor but this time it wasn't someone he knew.
The girl seemed to be around his brother's age and a sleeping mask was resting on her forehead as she patiently waited beside him. With a yawn, she ran a hand through her messy green locks before peering at him from the side of her eye and she gave a wave of her hand as another yawn escaped her lips.
"Sleep more if you want," the greenette offered lazily but the former pro hero forced himself to stay up.
"It seems I've already kept you waiting." he tried a bit weakly, still not recovered enough to speak extensively.
"That's fine," the green haired girl replied evenly, "surprised I haven't been discovered, I'm 'supposedly' visiting someone else." she revealed and Tensei pieced the information together.
His visitors were currently restricted to family but the girl had snuck in saying she was visiting someone else and hazarded waiting around. Clearly she had something that she thought was important enough to say to him that she'd risk such a thing but he didn't quite know what that thing was yet.
"Can I help you then?" the injured man spoke quietly and he received a small smile from her, he was still a hero by nature.
"I'll cut to the chase then," the greenette told him, her demeanor switching to a serious one, "I'm classmates with your brother and it won't mean much to him if it came from me but I hope you can stop him from going after the Hero Killer." Tensei nearly reacted harshly at the sudden information but the girl placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave it a few pats, "Relax, you're still hurt. Just listen to the rest first." she soothed and the former hero's tension eased minutely. "I don't know for sure if he'd actually go after the Hero Killer but making the chance zero would be for the better."
Tensei didn't need to think about her words since his answer was obvious, "thank you for telling me."
"It's fine, it's fine," the greenette waved off once more, "though if you could keep my involvement out of it then I'll take that instead."
The injured man mulled over her request but couldn't find any reason to deny it, strange as it might have seemed. "It's the least I can do."
Standing up and dusting herself off, the girl nodded at him, "appreciate it," she acknowledged as she got ready to leave, "now, I'd rather not be caught," the greenette sighed. "Good luck Ingenium." With her last words, the girl promptly exited and was on her way.
Tensei just realized he'd never gotten her name.
-break-
*Shouko POV*
School had resumed and Shouko eyed over Iida a bit more as he silently delivered his hero name.
He had gone with his own name, not that she had the right to judge since she had done the same due to her current lack of direction, but everyone had heard of what had happened to Ingenium. Although, the look in Iida's eyes seemed more troubled, as if he was mulling things over, rather than set on doing something that could be prove to be drastic. Shouko's attention was eventually drawn to her fellow ice user, Midoriya slowly shuffling her way up to the front to present her hero name.
The green haired ice user held up her board as she rolled her neck and the chorus of sighs circled through the classroom.
"Should have known."
"She didn't even finish writing her name..."
"Midori can we please come up with a name for you!"
Midoriya, the third student to use her own name as a hero name, gave a perk of her eyebrow at the request, "fine, fine...actually that seems like a hassle. Never mind."
"It can potentially still be changed later," Midnight reminded, more for the rest of the class than the lazy greenette.
With the names done, Aizawa-sensei took back over and explained the on the job training as well as passing out forms for everyone to pick where they'd be heading for their respective choices. Shouko already knew that she was expected to pick her father's agency though she decided to so she could make use of his skills to make herself better rather than satisfy him. The white and red haired girl heard the buzzing of her classmates' decisions and as always Midoriya was leaned back in her chair, her paper flipped over, but Shouko found her sleeping to be a little off.
"So Iida," Uraraka struck up with the blue haired boy, "do you know which agency you're picking?"
Iida still seemed a bit troubled but also a touch determined, "at my brother's suggestion I'll be picking his agency, Team Idaten." the glasses wearing boy revealed, "perhaps it can be seen as favoritism considering I am his brother but I want to see, and learn from, the environment that helped shape my brother as a hero."
Shouko could see a barest hint of relief wash over some of the other students but per usual the moment was interrupted by a timely snoring. The dual quirk user swiftly darted her eyes back to Midoriya and an uneasy feeling set into her.
The greenette hadn't fallen asleep until just now.
-break-
*Manual POV*
Manual couldn't discern why Izumi, her given name being her hero name, had gone with his agency.
As the winner, undisputed at that, of the Sport's Festival, the green haired girl had undoubtedly had better offers to go with but had still chosen him. He hadn't thrown in his offer with any thought of actually being picked so it begged the question of why.
Even just from their first patrol, the Normal Hero knew that despite her apparent laziness and lack of motivation that Izumi was sharply observing every little detail and taking in every one of his words. The green haired ice girl was earnest when it came to hero work and he'd do his best to guide her just as well as any other hero could.
-break-
"Sorry, I couldn't switch up the routes much." Manual apologized as the ice girl steadily followed behind him during the next day's patrol.
"No worries, familiarizing yourself with your area never hurts." Izumi assured, unbothered by the potentially lacking variety.
"By the way," the hero spoke up, wanting to hear the girl's thoughts directly, "not that I don't appreciate it but why'd you pick my office?"
Izumi hummed for a moment before replying, "I thought it'd be better to learn some of everything to create a good base."
"Other heroes surely could have provided that too." Manual offered back and the greenette shrugged.
"I looked at every offer which means every hero that was interested," the ice girl replied, "not many were providing what I wanted."
"Maybe it's because there's less of a chance things happen here too," the hero joked a bit as even if there was still the potential threat here of the Hero Killer, Hosu was generally a lower crime area.
"Maybe that too," Izumi played along.
"You're a bit of a realist I think," Manual noted and the girl rubbed at her head a little in thought.
"Who knows, doesn't always make for a good pro hero though," Izumi mentioned and it took the Normal Hero off guard.
"Says who?" he wondered aloud at the idea.
The greenette raised a hand to her mouth and yawned, "me."
Manual didn't know what to say to that but he didn't have more time to think about it as explosions rocked the area and before the man knew it, flames separated him and his charge.
-break-
*Stain POV*
Stain hadn't even found his target yet but the cracking noise creeping around him alerted him of an attack, someone had found him first.
The warning of the attack wasn't enough for the man to escape before thick walls of ice trapped him in the alleyway. He tried to cut through but surprisingly the ice proved to be too resilient to simply slice through. Hearing steps behind him, the hero killer lashed out and found his sword lodged in someone's chest.
"Woah, woah, chill out why don't you." a green haired girl placated unconcerned, both her hands up and waving him down.
The villain's blade was squarely in her chest but ice spun lazily around the sword before it slowly crept along the metal and Stain hopped back, abandoning the weapon. He was still trapped in the little ice hut with no way out but the girl simply settled her self down and sat cross legged across from him.
"What do you want child." the hero killer hissed out, curious but cautious since she managed to trap him.
"I was just on a stroll is all." the girl replied simply with a scratch of the head, "then the whole issue with you and the league just came up."
"So you found me by accident then." Stain prodded, still not sure what to think of this ice girl.
"Well, I had some questions." she revealed and the villain eyed her suspiciously.
"I don't have time, I have a mission to-" he began but was cut off by the green haired girl raising a hand.
"Ah, yeah, I don't agree with you at all so no need to talk at me," she brushed him off lazily before her eyes refocused on him, "I just wanted to see if you could tell me anything I didn't know about the hero commission." the greenette informed and the villain nearly spat at the name.
"That cesspool of corruption," Stain growled, "it'll fall with the change of society."
"So nothing then huh?" the green haired girl's eyes darkened, presumably at his lack of more information before returning to their normal look, "hey," the greenette grabbed the hero killer's attention, "how long do you think All Might has left?"
Once again, Stain's eyes burned into her from her words, "what are you playing at?"
"He's the one you call a true hero," the ice girl reminded, "but he won't be a hero forever and there won't be another All Might."
"Not unless the meaning of hero is reclaimed." Stain tried but the girl cut in once more.
"Your definition, society's definition..." the girl began, her eyes closed in thought and her brow furrowing, "never mind, talking to you about it is too much effort for nothing."
Stain glared at her for taking so much of his time only to complain about it in turn, "then it seems we're done here." the hero killer announced and inched back, ready to try and force his way through the ice since the greenette didn't appear to be aiming to capture him.
"Maybe I should just take you in."
The girl's surprisingly harsh tone was the last thing the villain heard.
-break-
Stain eventually came to, the alley the same as before but now the blocking ice was gone and they were closer to the sidewalk.
The hero killer also noted that all his weapons were removed from his body, even the ones he had hidden, as well as that someone was gagging him. Stain could still hear the attack resounding through the city of Hosu so he knew it hadn't been too long that he was out but the voice of the green haired ice girl reached his ears as the gag was tightened.
"There, can't have you talking now," the greenette huffed, "all it takes is a few words to get idiots that would believe them to act."
All Stain could do was struggle a bit but his body felt sluggish and he growled at the greenette. The girl stopped in front of him with one of his blades and crouched low to the ground aiming the sword so any light would bounce off of it. Stain also noted that the arm that the girl was using to handle the blade was completely transformed into ice as well.
"There, that'll get the flame bastard's attention," the greenette sighed as she stood back up and turned towards the hero killer, "Ah, don't mention me by the way. It would...what is it? Whatever, you probably won't." she decided and trotted off, "I wouldn't live up to your 'true hero' if I got credit. Then again, people in the commission could do something unsavory to figure it out but it would work out for me regardless."
Much like Shigaraki, Stain at least knew that this girl wanted society to change even if they had their own ways about it. They all had that point in common but what set the greenette to stand out was not only her power but that she had substance behind her desire.
He'd keep her secret.
-break-
*Shouko POV*
The white and red haired girl had chased behind the Flame Hero as he took off when something caught his eye and what they'd found was a surprise to everyone.
The Hero Killer was slumped against the wall of an alley, bound and gagged, but there was no one else in sight. Her old man looked frustrated but he instantly barked orders to have the villain moved and delivered to the police.
"Who the hell could have done this?" one of the sidekicks wondered and everyone nodded in acknowledgement at the shared sentiment.
"Check the area," Endeavor ordered, snapping them out of their stupor, "whether it's a vigilante or possibly another villain they need to be found."
"Not another hero?" someone else wondered just in case.
"Even with everything happening in Hosu, the heroes aren't spread so thin that they'd leave a villain like the hero killer alone." the Flame Hero grumbled as he examined the immediate area.
Like the others, Shouko lent her eyes to the search but hadn't come up with anything out of the ordinary. If it was a vigilante then their method and clean up was solid enough that not even the number 2 hero could spot something wrong. Regardless, whoever it was was either strong enough or prepared enough to face and restrain the Hero Killer and the fire and ice user's mind briefly wandered to a certain greenette but the idea in itself was ridiculous.
No one knew where Midoriya was headed for her training and as one of the top offered students she had plenty of choices. In addition, the girl left ice everywhere when she used her quirk and had no reason to go for the Hero Killer and even if she just happened to run into him then her serious attitude towards situations like this wouldn't allow her to leave.
Whoever had done this must have had quite their own agenda.
Notes and Stuff
I was pretty satisfied with what this chapter told about Izumi's character.
She's a lot less direct here and more willing to break the rules and go about things her own way and behind other people's back as opposed to the other One Piece referenced Izumis. Of course she's also got her own agenda too and is more active in making her own moves.
On the other side of things, small steps for Shouko. Sometimes you just need a small push to start moving in a better direction and while she's not fully set to take off she's at least getting there. It was also nice to be able to do a chapter that had a lot of Izumi, though not necessarily through her own POV.
Not sure when I'll be putting this chapter up but I'm hoping it will be in a small batch update though I'm not sure which fics those will be. Of course I randomly work on the yuri anthology in between and the next chapter for The First Steps Upwards is steadily making progress as well as a nice little breakthrough on the writer's block I've had on Tiger's Bite.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more updates from me!