Izuku arrived at the meeting point he had arranged with Uraraka that Wednesday afternoon. He expected her to have arrived by now, but she was nowhere in sight.
Since he had begun training her, Uraraka had proven herself to be a prodigy in the art of airbending. In two months she managed to have the training of a "junior" airbender, training that took up to one to two years for children younger than them, however, Uraraka needed to be able to control herself without destroying things or sending others flying out of a sneeze...
Uraraka had potential and was EXTREMELY powerful, which was weird since airbenders normally were powerful due their spirituality, and with Izuku's help she became more powerful: They set up a meditation training as well so she could help herself (and maybe help himself a little bit too). The problem was her lack of practice... Ah, how he remembered her first few sessions. The first time she used her ability in front of him she showed mastery in preventing him from falling off the bench, when he started training her... Eeeeeeh wonder what it feels like to have tree leaves under all your clothes, including your underwear? Izuku never wondered, but unfortunately, he already knew what it felt like. And when he started teaching her how to play Pro-Bending, it got worse. Don't you wonder what it feels like to fly forty metres above the ground? And don't get him started on the antelope-fox incident, he remembered it like it was yesterday... and it was yesterday! Ugh, Uraraka was proving to be very skilled but for some reason when they were together, she became a lot more chaotic when using her ability, as if something were giving her back the air she controlled.
Izuku wondered ever since he met her, where did she get the genes of the air nation? The girl was from the Earth Federation, her parents were both non-masters, and she says her parents have no knowledge of where the girl could have come from that she was an airbender.
And he would have followed his train of thought if it hadn't been for...
"BOO!" Someone with a feigned deep voice covered his eyes "GUESS WHO I AM!"
"AAAAH!" Izuku jerked a little. "U-URARAKA-CHAN, STOP DOING THIS TO ME!"
"What a screamer you are! "The girl let go and spun him around. "This isn't like the antelope-fox incident... Take it easy!
Izuku snorted a little.
"Yeah, don't remind me of the antelope-fox incident...
"Oh come on, that was fun!
Izuku shook his head with a frown, but then seemed to regret it, he grimaced and started nodding.
"Well yes, yes it was" Izuku nodded, starting to laugh. "So are we going to the park now?"
"Do you think they'll let us in after all?"
"... I think? Besides, we ended up saving all the people, didn't we?"
"That's right!
They started walking through the streets until they reached a nice park that had a fence surrounding the place. They had to enter through a gate where there was a guard who only made sure that the visitors didn't carry weapons, as the place was free to enter. In the park there was a large artificial length in the middle, where the ducks and turtle ducks gathered to live together, a training area for normal masters, an area where they tried to imitate a Pro-Bending platform, but it was half abandoned so it was mostly used for skating, and a small farm near the Pro-Bending platform where there were animals like pig-deer, dog-goats, chicken-possums, and antelope-foxes... Uh, now that I think about it, maybe it was because of the farm that it was abandoned. It smelled like animal poo in there all the time.
As they entered, the guard didn't even flinch at their presence, so they passed quietly. And they arrived at the old, neglected and abandoned pro-bending "gym".
"Tomorrow is the big day! "Izuku said, rubbing his hands together, smiling at the girl. "Excited?
"Super excited! "She raised her arms. "I'll do my best! You're gonna come with me, right?
"Of course I am!
"You better~" Uraraka narrowed her eyes...
"Do you want to go over the rules?
"Yes, please. "She nodded her head. "I still get confused sometimes
"Very well. "They both sat on the ground, and Izuku started talking about the rules of the game "No water, fire or airbender can generate a constant burst of their element, and these bursts cannot last more than one second except for airbenders who can generate bursts of maximum 2 seconds; airbenders cannot generate whirlpools, spheres, bombs, bullets, blades, vortexes, tornadoes or air funnels; airbenders can generate punches, shields, blows, blows, wheels, simple bursts and can use their mouth to make their attacks; and all attacks must be to the chest or face but never to the legs, and all attacks must be directed and cannot cover more than two people per attack.
"So I can't do a flurry attack that takes out all three at once.
"Exactly. Each attack is supposed to be one on one. "The girl nodded, and he continued. "The advantages that airbenders have in the ring is that they can use their agility, and since airbending is more of an evasive skill they tend to protect their partners who oversee throwing the opponents.
"Basically, I must use only basic techniques, right? "Uraraka asked, fiddling with a blade in her fingers. "And I would be the one who defends while my teammates throw the others?
"Yes and no... "He pouted "The best defense is always a good offence, so don't just concentrate on defending but also on attacking. I've seen players use their defenses as attacks. "He said smiling and getting up from his place. "Are you ready to practice?
She nodded as he began to throw small stones down the left side of the small "gymnasium".
"I'm still amazed that you can withstand and dodge almost every hit I throw at you with my air control. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I-I guess... I have good stamina. "He smiled sideways.
"Well, you do! "She said, getting into a fighting pose, "You have good reflexes, even if you are very clumsy!
"Hey! More respect for your teacher! "Izuku said, who on his side started hopping around on his feet. She just smiled sideways.
"Of course I respect you, teacher~! But it's not my fault you have two left feet!
"You'll see that it's two left feet... "He puffed out his cheeks.
Uraraka instantly started throwing punches that generated gusts of air, trying to throw the boy. Izuku jumped, ducked and moved from side to side, managing to dodge the air currents that the girl threw at him left and right; when she managed to hit him, he managed to prevent the blow from reaching his face or chest by crossing his arms over the parts that were sure to be affected, deflecting and preventing the gusts of wind with difficulty, as if his arms were a shield; and when he felt secure enough he would pick up the stones that were scattered about his area and hurl them at the girl as fast as he could.
Uraraka, for her part, also moved from side to side and dodged and deflected the stones with ease and air bending; in her movements she showed how much she had grown in these months: the flexibility and agility gained from what she had learned in her school and what Izuku had taught her was paying off.
They both kept at it until a blast hit the boy full in the chest and knocked him backwards. But, thanks to this training he was giving Uraraka-chan, he too had begun to learn little by little, among this HOW to fall: The moment he felt himself falling he moved his hands to his head, specifically to the back of his neck, fell into a sitting position, and when he did this, he rolled over on the ground and landed on his bent legs.
"... All right, Uraraka! You threw me after...! "He checked his mobile phone, where he had a stopwatch. "... Twenty minutes.
"I think the one who's getting better here is you, Izu-kun~ "She said, coming closer and smiling sideways. "You're not so clumsy anymore~
-... Well, I-I guess so, training with you has helped me too, I think. "He smiled a little. "Shall we continue?
She nodded.
And they continued like that, ignoring how the ground cracked a little bit every time he hit the ground or how the blasts the girl threw sometimes deflected for no reason...
And the next day was Thursday. It was a bit of a strange day, but it was also good... Very good indeed! Except for the unaccustomedness of being around such energetic and outgoing people.
It all started with their science teacher telling them they had to do a team project. Why... He didn't know but it occurred to him to ask Kacchan if he wanted them to do it together and... Kacchan said yes!
When he was leaving, he was able to talk normally with him, they didn't agree on any idea, but they already had an organization: they would go to Kacchan's house the next day to plan what to do and start looking for the materials and that. Kacchan wanted to make a volcano, but Izuku was sure that everyone in the class would make volcanoes, so he suggested different ideas, among that things with fire control to make Kacchan do the physical part while he put together the report and the materials for it. Or well... He really thought about it but didn't say it out loud because Kacchan's friends arrived and made him a bit uncomfortable... They were overbearing. They were envious. A lot!
And he felt so uncomfortable that when he could get away from them, he ended up running to the train station. Running and running, trying to get down the discomfort that being with these guys had caused him, and... Also maybe a little bit from talking to Kacchan? Don't take this the wrong way! He was trying hard not to be uncomfortable around him, and he also appreciated Kacchan being patient and taking care to call him names that were NOT Deku (though it went away when he told them he was leaving. He said: "You fools, Deku's got to go now"... It was really hard for him to get used to the nickname, wow). But... it did take up time. A lot of time, to be true. He couldn't help but think that maybe it was all a joke or something. Or that he was dreaming. Besides, he was too scared to be alone again...
Izuku arrived at the train station and sat down on a bench, watching the trains pass by... He was supposed to wait for Uraraka this time, right there.
And he waited, ten minutes... Fifteen... Twenty minutes...
"... I think I'd better ask her where she is..." He said taking out his mobile phone.
Me [03:00 PM]:
Uraraka-chan Where are you? (°^°)
Ochako Uraraka ? [03:02 PM]:
I'm at home!
I'm on my way!
I was looking for my knee and elbow pads.
but I can't find them ?
Me [03:02 PM]:
...
Okay ?
But are you sure they won't give you anything?
I mean
They're supposed to be professional people, right? (° ~ °)
Ochako Uraraka ? [03:04 PM]:
nonononono
they're an amateur team~
I'm sure they train in a field like the one you trained me in.
Me [03:05 PM]:
... Uraraka-chan
I already told you
Pro-Bending is VERY expensive to practice.
As amateur as they are, they probably have at least their own equipment or something.
Helmet and pads at the very least
Ochako Uraraka ? [03:06 PM]:
... ?
I'm going to take them with me anyway just in case ?
I don't lose anything
Me [03:07 PM]:
Actually when you told me they were going to pay whoever entered, it sounded more like they're just going to give them money to buy equipment and for the trips they make for competitions and stuff.
But I guess you'll figure it out ? ﾟﾏﾻ ️
But hurry up, you're going to be late.
If Iida-kun were here, I'm sure he'd be scolding you again.
Ochako Uraraka ? [03:07]:
I'm coming I'm coming ?
don't rush me ?
the announcement says it's at 5 o'clock and the address is... not near your school but from the train station to your school it's five minutes and walking it's like twenty or maybe half an hour~
I don't know about you, but I want to walk to get the ramen that we're going to eat ?
Me: [03:06 PM]:
Well...
Still, hurry up because I'm hungry and I want to eat! \(ᗒᗩᗕ)/
And he had to wait for her for another half an hour, and at three thirty PM she arrived. He saw her just before she could scare him. Ha! You're not going to catch Izuku Midoriya with the same trick twice!
"Uraraka-chan! "He raised his hand in salute. She came jumping in front of him.
"I'm here! "She said, carrying a light backpack. "Let's go eat, I'm starving!
"Yes," he nodded, getting up from his seat.
They quickly went to the ramen stall outside the station, the one that Uraraka liked (and to judge the place, maybe he liked it because of the prices? Although it smelled pretty good too). While they were eating, they started talking.
"So you were left with a group project, and it was you and your friend who was bothering you? "she asked with her cheeks full of food.
"Mhm. "He nodded and swallowed. "But it's not that we got to do it together-together, it's just that the teacher told us to choose teams and... Well... I-I thought of it, and I asked him... "He sighed.
"You really didn't have anyone else to ask? "She blinked in confusion, and Izuku said no... oh... I mean, I know that guy's your friend but... he sounds like one of those Dorama bullies where they don't do anything and let the poor brainy girl do all the work. "He made a move and then swallowed some of the ramen broth.
"Kacchan is a good student, top of the class, in fact. "He ate another bite. "Actually, the way he is, it's even likely that I ended up doing nothing because he's kind of bossy? "He shrugged his shoulders.
-... Ah, that's good for you then!
"But if I want to work... "Izuku narrowed his eyes, looking at her questioningly. "Are you one of those who don't work in teams~?
"Of course I'm not! I DO WORK!" she interrupted, looking at him in disbelief but amused. "Only if I get to do less work in a project, I take advantage of it. "She smiled sideways in embarrassment, scratching the back of her neck.
Izuku saw her the way his mother saw him every time he tried to skip chores because he was lazy (which he ended up doing), with a pout, closing his eyes inquisitively but amused, folding his arms, and shaking his head.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! "She started laughing. "I mean, I'm not lazy, but... Sometimes you just want to relax~ "She shrugged her shoulders. "But I do know how to work as a team...
Izuku couldn't help but laugh more.
"I believe you, I believe you... "He smiled looking at his backpack. "I mean, since the four of us started getting together, my notebooks are now even more complete, and it's all a product of teamwork! "She smiled with sparkling eyes, finally going back to eating her ramen.
She couldn't help but smile sideways and continued eating.
They stayed like that for a while, until it was time to leave.
They walked through the streets of the city as the sun illuminated them with faint rays that would soon turn to orange. They were walking side by side, talking and joking, when Izuku noticed the area, they were in: It was near the city beach, where most of the gyms for trainers of any martial and elemental art (mainly rich people) were located.
"U-Uraraka-chan, are you sure it's this way? "He looked at her in bewilderment.
"Uh, yes? "She smiled a little nervously. "A-According to my mobile phone, it is. "She showed him the screen of her flip phone, which had the address written on it. He just nodded but kept grimacing.
They walked a little further until they arrived in front of a small two-storey building with a grilled door. It was open and revealed a lobby with lots of pictures of pro-bending players, exercise machines, and a group of about ten people at the entrance. Also, the building didn't look like the arena they used, it looked... More professional.
"Oh this looks expensive... "she said.
"Didn't you say it's a free call? "Izuku asked, turning to look at her somewhat... Concerned.
"I-I know it's supposed to be, but...! "she hugged her backpack.
"G-Go ask, if it's not free, it's no problem and we can go, I don't think they'll force you to pay? Although maybe if they've already seen us, we could look bad. L-Let's just go before we get...
"Hey! Isn't that Midori?!
"Huh? "He turned sideways looking for the voice... He knew that voice...
Uraraka stared at him for a few seconds.
"Midori? Are you sure they're talking to you-Oooh for Midoriya, okay I get it. "She snapped her fingers and started searching for the voice they both heard as well.
Moments later a boy yelled at"Oh no, it's one of Kacchan's friends"WAIT
"Mido! What brings you to my Gym?
"...Your Gym?
"Yes! This is where the boys and I practice Pro-Bending. "He pointed to himself, smiling sideways.
"You and the boys? "He took a step back. Oh no, is Kacchan here?
"Are you here for the summons?
"N-No, I just came to accompany my friend...
She waved, smiling a little.
"Oh! Then wait here for me to give you the equipment~ "Denki said turning around and leaving from there.
"Uraraka-chan I have to go "He said suddenly, taking steps back.
"You're going to abandon me?! "She looked at him in disbelief.
"I-I think Kacchan is here and-and I don't know what he's going to say that he's here with you and-and maybe it's not a good idea for him to know, maybe he'll get mad again even though he promised he won't get mad at me for stupid things again. But still, I think I should go to avoid trouble. "He said all that quickly in a whisper, including that stammer.
"Oh, that's reasonable... Goodbye, I guess? "She grimaced.
"B-Bye... "He said taking another step back but felt something bump into him.
"What the fuck are you doing here, nerd?
"WAH-CCHAN?! "He turned around with a start. -... It's getting late. "He said. Somehow, he felt himself turn pale.
But as soon as the panic subsided, Izuku just stared at him. ... He was dressed in an old but well-kept Pro-Bending uniform. His helmet was on his arm.
"What, you like what you see? "He raised both eyebrows. The green-haired man pouted.
"I didn't know you played Pro-Bending...
"... Wait! Izu-kun! He's the famous Kacchan who made your life miserable for three years and apologized out of the blue?! "Uraraka ran up behind the back of the water tribe's clothes... Agh, too close...
"U-Uraraka-chan, don't say it out loud... "He whispered, but he was already expecting Kacchan's scream at the girl's comment.
"And who the fuck are you?! And what are you doing meddling in the nerd's life and mine?!
"Ah, I didn't meddle, he told me. "She smiled slyly "And I'm Ochako Uraraka, a great friend of freckles~ "She squeezed the green-haired man's cheeks playfully, as she continued to invade his personal space. "As well as his student, confessional, and partner in crime. "She said finally stepping up beside Izuku and wrapping one arm around him, flexing the other to show a little muscle.
"Please don't mention either the library incident or the antelope-fox incident... "whispered the freckled one, grimacing.
"Nah, those are inside jokes, Izu-kun~ "Now his nose itched, and he broke away.
"Then why are you bringing up 'partner in crime'?!
-... What the fuck? "Kacchan looked more confused now.
"N-Nothing, Kacchan!
"... Okay, whatever. "The blond rolled his eyes. "If you're just coming to look over there are the bleachers. "He pointed to a door, next to it was the pink-haired girl. "Let the alien witch guide you or something. "He rolled his eyes and quickly went somewhere else.
-... I guess I must stay now? "He smiled a bit nervously, and Ochako just started laughing out loud.
"You're worrying about nothing! "she said when he calmed down. "Go to where "Kacchan" told you to go, I'll see you later~.
He nodded and started walking to the door he mentioned.
About ten minutes passed and he was sitting on a high concrete step, and in front of him the Pro-Bending arena was perfectly visible. He wondered where guys got this place from. It looked too professional to be for an amateur team, as Uraraka-chan said.
Also, he wondered now, was this why Kacchan was hanging out with these guys? He knew the blond wanted to be a pro-bending player growing up, he kept talking about it, and that he was going to win absolutely every match and become a great representative of the fire element in the sport, if not the best.
Izuku didn't doubt that it would happen, but still this place was too much... Boy, was Kacchan lucky.
He was deep in thought, jotting and sketching a bit of the place, when the yellow-haired boy and the pink-haired girl came and sat on either side of him.
"Excited? "The yellow-haired one asked, raising both eyebrows.
"H-Huh? "Izuku shrunk in place. "W-Why?
"To see the boys in action! "Denki smiled pointing to the arena. Izuku smiled a little, scratching the back of his neck.
"Uh... "He straightened up a bit. "Maybe, it sounds exciting. But... "He lowered both hands and started playing with his fingers. "The truth is, I've never heard of your team before so I'm just waiting in anticipation... Uraraka-chan said that they didn't even have a name so...
"Yet! "Mina said, raising a hand and smiling. "We don't have a name yet. We haven't chosen yet because Kats doesn't like any of the names we give him. "She puffed out her cheeks, and Izuku burst out laughing helplessly.
"Typical Kacchan... He's bossy and a perfectionist, I guess he wants the 'perfect name'. "He shrugged. Uh, talking to these guys wasn't so... Awkward now. That's weird.
"We've given him several. From "polar dogs" to "possum-chickens" and for all of them he's said no... Help us with a name! "Mina shook him a little but let him go immediately.
-... Uh. Maybe they could try something more aggressive. Kacchan likes to show that it's intimidating...
"Oh, is that that thing where every time he makes an attack he yells "die"? "Denki raised his eyebrows, to which Izuku nodded, closing his notebook, and put it in his yellow backpack.
"They must find something that's somewhere between imposing and calm, so that it doesn't just represent Kacchan. "He put a hand to his chin, going over in his head all the animals he knew about. "It could be, um... tiger-armadillos, polar-leopards, lion-dogs... Suggest Lions-Dogs next time. I think he'll like that one. "He shrugged his shoulders.
"Dog-lions? "Denki closed his eyes. "What do they look like?
Izuku blinked and just pulled out his mobile phone, looking through his pictures and finding one where a smaller him, about ten or eleven years old, was sitting in the middle of three animals that looked like dogs combined with other animals: A big white one that seemed to have the body of a bear, which Mina recognized as a polar bear-dog; another one that was straw-colored and very woolly, with a small face that looked like a sheepdog as well as a dog; and finally a not very big one that was sitting on the boy's legs that had a big lion's mane but the face of a Golden retriever dog and seemed to be the youngest of them all as it looked like it was still a puppy.
"You have all those dogs? "Mina asked in surprise.
"N-No! They're not mine! "Izuku said, smiling a little. "I... Uh... "Uh, should I have told them I was going to therapy? Well, Inui-san is a clinical psychologist as well as an educational psychologist, and if he gives medicine to other people... "They're from my doctor. "He said. Does that count as a doctor? He doesn't know, he just knows he used that to avoid saying he goes to therapy.
"Do you have them in your office? "Denki zoomed in on the image, getting a closer look at the dog Izuku told them about.
"Uh, yeah... "He said scratching the back of his neck. "He's at home, so... There you go. "He shrugged nervously.
"She's got three dogs, wow...
And this is you? "Mina took the mobile phone from him to see little Izuku in the picture. "Aww, you look so tiny among all those dogs! "She handed the phone back to him in rapt attention.
"Th-They're big dogs. I'm not that small. "He said, taking the phone in his hands again. Uh... The girl's energy (Nina? Nana? Mina? He thought it was Mina... Mina, Mina, Mina, Mina, Mina...) reminded him a bit of Uraraka. The yellow-haired one (I beg your pardon? Den? Den...? Oh no. Maybe he should ask him what his name was again...) was a bit more energetic than the pink-haired one, but maybe the fact that they weren't throwing themselves at him like earlier when he met them on the way out helped him feel less awkward. Besides, he didn't know why but when they asked him questions, he felt good, as if people were looking for something from him and... Oh yeah, he likes to talk, ok?
"They seem to be quiet~ "Denki
"And what are their names? "Mina asked, leaning her elbows on her knees, and holding her head in her hands, smiling happily.
"Uh. "She pointed at the woolly dog "He's Banbao... "He pointed to the white dog "She is Shan... "And finally he pointed to the one on his lap in the picture. "And this is Rougui.
"Are they food names? "Denki smiled sideways with amusement, to which Izuku just nodded.
Denki and Mina continued to ask him questions, and he also asked questions suddenly, though he liked answering them more.
In the process, they got to talking about their Pro-Bending team.
"And you guys aren't going to participate in this airbender inclusion thing? "the boy cocked his head sheepishly.
"Oh, no. "Denki said, shrugging his shoulders. "Mina lost to Sero so she was left as Sero's replacement just in case.
"Not that it would affect me. "Mina smiled with a shrug. "I'd rather dance or do more spiritual things with my waterbending "She made air with her hand.
"Spiritual things? "Deku blinked... Uh, come to think of it, wasn't this the girl he saw in the TikToks that he helped Uraraka train with? From a video of a pink-haired girl they got the idea of the swirl her friend can now do, with break dance steps... Wait, if it isn't her! He kept this revelation to himself.
"Like purification and magic~ "She wiggled her fingers.
"She's a witch! "Denki blurted out, to which Izuku just frowned.
"Witch-witch? The kind who does fortune-telling and tells you that buying shiny stones will cure mental illnesses? "He frowned.
"Witch-witch, yes. "She nodded. "But I don't think an amethyst, or an opal will cure your mental illnesses, they just... They help you a little, I think. "She shrugged.
"... Ah... "He turned away. Uh, he'd seen "witch" stuff in tiktok too but it always felt like it was... Kind of silly? At least the stone thing was.
Denki turned to look at Mina, when they saw the freckle-faced boy stop paying attention to them and turn away as if immersed in thought. She shrugged.
-... I can't do firebending even if my life depended on it. "He blurted out to get Izuku's attention again, who snapped out of his little head and that train of thought he was having and turned to look at him.
-... Are you also a non-bender or what do you mean? "He cocked his head to the side.
"Uh, what... If I try to make fire control, I burn things and myself. "He said, grimacing. "But strangely, I can make lightning easier than firebending! "Instantly, he raised the index and middle fingers of both hands, made a small movement with both, and small lightning bolts began to manifest.
"DENKI, NO! "Mina shouted, pulling Izuku, but Izuku just stared at the lightning bolts.
In an instant, Denki stretched a hand forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out of his fingers towards the ceiling of the place.
Denki turned while smiling to look at them both, but his smile was wiped away when he saw that Mina was frowning and Izuku was very serious...
"Denki, we told you-
"THAT WAS GREAT!
Both friends fell silent at the sound of the freckled one's voice. He let go of Mina and approached the yellow-haired one.
"Oh spirits, you're like Kyoshi then! Kyoshi was a master from many many centuries ago! She could move tectonic plates and do lava bending and other extremely advanced techniques but was unable to move a tiny stone because it was badly channeled! It was at a time when it wasn't known that earthbenders could do lava bending unless you were one of those beings who could control various elements and Kyoshi was one of them but-but it also applies to single-element masters! Extremely strong masters who can do very advanced forms of control but not the basics! Exactly like you, Kaminari-kun! It means you're a very powerful master but then that means your energy is misdirected and you need a little help to get to do basic things without hurting yourself or others! But that can be trained! You need a teacher who doesn't use traditional methods to learn how to control it properly! But I think what you did was amazing-what do I mean amazing, it was wonderful! You made a lightning bolt, and you didn't hurt me or Mina even though we were less than a meter away from you and the way you directed it towards the ceiling without hurting any electric current that could have left us without light and-
And the boy continued speaking, admiring the yellow-haired man's lightning control. Denki turned to look at Mina somewhat confused, but for some reason he couldn't help but smile at the... Compliments? The boy in front of him was giving him.
"Nerd, stop your fanboy mode, we're about to start! "The green-haired boy's constant chatter (which was apparently heard all the way to the platform) was interrupted by the shout of Katsuki, who was on the platform.
"Eep! "Izuku covered his mouth. "I'm sorry!
He couldn't see him well in the distance, but he guessed he rolled his eyes.
"Well, you bunch of idiots! "Kacchan began to speak. Along with him came those who, Izuku guessed, were Sero and... Kirishima? Something like that he said. Sero was an easy surname to learn.
"This call is to find someone who wants to join our Pro-Bending team, an airbender~" The red-haired one said, waving his fingers.
"Don't interrupt me, shitty hair! "Kacchan said, rolling his eyes, "But yeah, what that asshole said. Anyway, we're not going to take just anyone, it's got to be someone who's at least as powerful as those two assholes over there. "He pointed to the bleachers, where the three of them were. "The pink-haired bitch and the yellow-haired fool.
"Come on Kats, don't scare them! "The black-haired one complained, putting on his helmet. "Although if we want someone good, so give it your best shot! We want to see what you're capable of and who can look good for our team!
"And if you want to quit, do it now, we're not going to stop if someone says "ouch" while we're kicking your asses.
"BAKUGO!
Izuku felt his mobile phone vibrate.
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:15 PM]:
your friend is super aggressive ?
Me [05:15 PM]:
Yeah, but all in all he's great!
Just don't be intimidated by him or his snappish attitude ? [05:15 PM].
And believe it or not, he's very kind (despite his initial aggressiveness), but he doesn't underestimate anyone, so don't be confident and do your best!
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:16 PM]:
you know me izu-kun! i don't quit ?
Me [05:16 PM]:
Do you need any advice?
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:16 PM]:
nah!
just your cheers saying "Ochako-chan you can do it!"
aside I've got everything well planned ?
I'm going to kick his ass mWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Me [05:17 PM]:
(๑-﹏-)
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:17 PM]:
ARE U MOCKING ME?!
Me [05:17 PM]:
No! Of course not! ಠಿ_ಠಿಿ
Hahahaha xD
Only your face from here is scary ｡:ﾟ(;'∩`;)ﾟ:｡
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:18 PM]:
I'm scary! ?
but I'm adorable!
i'm a teddy bear! Iida-kun said it! YOU SAID IT!? ﾟﾧﾸ? ﾟﾧﾸ? ﾟﾧﾸ?
Me [05:18 PM]:
HAHAHAHAHAHA YEAH SURE MISS I GAVE A GERMAN SUPLEX TO AN ANTELOPE-FOX!
PLUS, I think you could easily take those two down, I haven't seen them fight but you're pretty good, so I trust you.
But I'm not sure about Kacchan...
He's...
Eh...
He's dangerous.
Just be careful.
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:19 PM]:
nah I'll mop the floor with your ex-bully ? ﾟﾒﾀ? ﾟﾒﾀ
And get a little revenge on you in the process ? ﾟﾘﾈ? ﾟﾘﾈ
Me [05:19 PM]:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA URA-CHAN DON'T PLAY GAMES I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DON'T HOLD GRUDGES AGAINST HIM HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Although... ಠ_ಠ I'll think about it.
It could be fun... ಠ‿ಠ
Ochako Uraraka ?[05:19 PM]:
LOL revenge reVENGE! ? ﾟﾑﾹ? ﾟﾑﾹ? ﾟﾑﾹ
Me [05:20 PM]:
AY
YA PAY ATTENTION TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, OCHAKO-CHAN!
(╯ರ ~ ರ)╯︵ ┻━┻
Uraraka sent him one last message but didn't see him anymore, as he concentrated on looking ahead (besides, he noticed that Mina and Denki were watching him messaging his friend suspiciously...).
From what he managed to hear while messaging with Uraraka, the competition was going to be 15 minutes in the arena per participant, where every 5 minutes there was going to be switching between the masters following the order of Water, Earth, and Fire (Izuku smiled sideways thinking of his mum's stories as he heard the order of how each team member would go about participating: The cycle of the master controlling the 4 elements was Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, and according to his calculations the place in the cycle that should be right now was Water because Toshinori Yagi was an airbender and according to this he was the last one so far... Uh, now he has been wondering, since Yagi-san AKA All Might, how many avatars were there? Many? Few? Uh, and he also remembered the dream where he saw a girl who looked like his mum... UGH! Izuku! Focus on the competition and cheer for your friend!)
Continuing with the dynamic: the Air masters had to survive the three opposing masters by either making it through 5 minutes without being knocked out of the arena or by knocking their opponent down. If any of the three masters knocked them down, they lost, no matter at what point it was, whether it was the first, second or third.
And it makes sense. Each master must concentrate on the four opponents, on his partners, and on himself. If he can't predict the opponents and plan instantly with the partners, he's not going to be able to do anything and he's going to cause them to lose. It's as simple as that.
But the truth is, it wasn't enough time.
"Is it really going to be possible to do this in 5 minutes per participant? "Izuku turned to look at Denki and Mina. The girl had her mobile phone in her hand and seemed to be doing something with the Bluetooth.
"Maybe even less. "Mina said absentmindedly, only to notice that music started coming out of the speakers (Smooth by Santana).
Well... Come to think of it, they did something similar while practicing with Ochako-chan... when they brought Iida and Tsuyu to train Uraraka, they did all three of them against Uraraka, at the same time, and while Izuku wasn't a master and always threw her before Tsuyu or Iida, this had prepared the girl enough. He trusted her! The girl trained very hard; it would feel very bad if she didn't make it...
Ah, come to think of it, how many matches would it be? There were about... Ten people. Though perhaps Kacchan had already intimidated several with his words so it would be less time. Still, if no one cracked, and there were ten people... Fifteen minutes, for ten people...
"We're going to be here for like two and a half hours, right? "Izuku turned to look at the two boys.
"... I estimate less like half an hour or even much less... Ha! "Denki laughed.
"Are they that good? "Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"Obvious~ "Mina said with a shrug. "I literally lost to Sero because of a stupid thing, and I'm really~ good at it, I've almost knocked Kats down and sent him to take a bath several times already!
"And so have I! "Denki said. "Although when I do firebending I burn myself.
"... "Izuku pouted between closing his eyes. "Wow... Then they really are very good... "He put his fingers to his lips, calculating Ochako's chances in his head... Don't get carried away! Maybe they're just showing off.
They stood for a while observing the team and the participants, Izuku haltingly with the notebook and a pen out, while Denki hummed the little music coming out of the speakers. Sero directed them all to sit on the bleachers on the other side, ones with a small bridge leading to the arena, and Kacchan went to stand by the ring bell. He assumed he'd be the referee while he was at it.
"You're coming with her, aren't you? "Mina pointed at the brown-haired girl.
"Huh? "She turned to look at the girl "Oh! Mhm! "Izuku nodded and smiled watching the girl who seemed to be doing a breathing exercise.
The first confrontation was with a boy with dark brown hair, who had his fingers painted black. He introduced himself as he stood in the arena:
"My name is Sen Kaibara.
"Well, Kaibara-kun, are you ready? "The black-haired one stood in a fighting pose. And the brown-haired man nodded, striking a pose that, while being an airbender, was not correct...
The fight didn't even last a minute, as soon as the campaign sounded, Sero made a movement with his arm and the water on his side of the arena rose quickly, it shot out at an impressive speed and hit the brown-haired man full in the chest. Due to the bad pose he was in, Kaibara-kun couldn't resist the blow and went backwards after two, three, four, five more blows that quickly sent Kaibara-kun flying backwards in less than a minute (Izuku estimates it was exactly 45 seconds).
"You're useless! Are you sure you're a master?! You're not even a non-master! "Kacchan shouted as the bell rang. "Get out, we don't want you here!
"Bakubro, don't be rude!
Izuku trembled at this outcome... Although the boy didn't really show a good position or attack first, did he? It could have been that...
Izuku was thinking about the advantages Uraraka had: She can attack, she can defend herself, she's super flexible as well as strong, she has light feet, but her stances are firm... Okay, maybe she doesn't have the advantage he thought she had, but... If he can, she sure can.
-a song? "Mina saw him, interrupting the green-haired man's thoughts.
"Oh? What? "Although he didn't really understand what she was asking, he was distractedly calculating.
"If you want to play a song. "She said handing him the mobile phone.
"Uh... Like what should I play?
"Well, something you like! "She wiggled her feet happily.
"... "He started looking through the girl's music list. First, he had to find something that could motivate everyone, right? To make things more enjoyable. Maybe the boy who passed first was nervous... He thought, what kind of music could motivate people? Something upbeat, of course.
He put on the first song he recognized by name, plus he remembered it was upbeat (Fire by BTS).
"Oh no... DEKU, TAKE THAT SONG OFF BEFORE THEY START SUCKING! "He heard Kacchan yelling at him from where he was.
Deku was about to shout something back (You called me by the nickname. I don't like that!) but Mina shouted almost in his ear.
"OOOOOOOH IT'S THE KATS SONG! "And the girl got up and started dancing there next to him.
"Good song, Mido! "Denki said pulling him to the side and standing next to Mina and starting to dance.
Kacchan, from his place, was literally on fire from his mouth.
Kirishima, for his part, removed Kacchan from the bell and it was now his turn to be the referee, as the next "match" was in progress.
He felt another vibration in his trousers.
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:21 PM]:
? okay okay I'll pay attention!
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:25 PM]:
your friend is funny HAHAHA ?
watch him pull fire out of his mouth like Godzilla HAHAHAHAHAHA
Me [05:25 PM]:
Lsbglsbclsbd I told you he's great and cool ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:26 PM]:
I said funny not cool ? ﾸﾏ
Me [05:26 PM]:
RETRACT! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ
Ochako Uraraka ? [05:26 PM]:
NO.
?
The next participant was a girl of short stature, with long red hair clutched in two pigtails, Who also had her arrows! She must have been a master who was born among the nomads but defected. Although those tattoos look strange... Are they tattoos or-
Sero swung his leg at the girl, but she didn't fall instantly... and the tattoos on her arms slipped off. Oh, and just as she was about to deliver an attack that was NOT an airbender (it was too stoic of a move to be one), another wave of water came at her again, which Sero sent with a spin and a hand motion, which ended up knocking the girl into the water.
"I think that girl was pretending to be an airbender? "He said to himself, grimacing.
He managed to hear the cries of the girl swimming to the ladder to climb up and leave. As soon as he reached the top, Izuku managed to see that the tattoos on her arms were just paint, as they were smeared.
... Wait, wasn't that disrespectful to the airbender culture?
"Go take a bath, we don't want you here! "Kacchan shouted again as the girl walked out the door.
Next up was a... A lord?! With long beards and a strange trench coat.
"HEY, SINCE WE CAME IN, WE TOLD YOU NO! "Sero shouted, grimacing.
"The summons didn't say age! "said the man, putting his hands on his hips.
"But it's an underage contest, man! "Sero began to gather water in his arms, as if they were tentacles. "Denki, why didn't you get the mister out?! "he shouted at the yellow-haired man.
"I didn't let the master in! "Denki shouted, striking a strange pose. "He must have snuck in when no one was watching!
"No shit, Denki! Why are you always screwing up?! "Kacchan jumped in, preparing flames in his hands. So did Kirishima, who prepared himself by picking up one of the rock discs on the floor of the place. "We told you to leave, and unless you want me to burn your beard and your face off, fuck off!
-... "The man sighed and turned around and headed for the door. "I get it, they don't want me here.
"ONE FUCKING HOUR LATER YOU'LL FIND OUT, NAMAME! "Sero shouted. Kacchan was about to attack him, if it wasn't for Sero grabbing him with the water whips.
"Calm down, he's going without a fight. That's better. "He sighed, calmer now.
Okay, Izuku thought this was strange. So much so, that Mina and Denki had stopped dancing when all the drama with the lord started. At least it didn't escalate to anything more serious...
Mina took her mobile phone and switched to another song (don't stop now "Michelle Gonzalez).
"Oh, let's keep going! "Said Sero grimacing and carrying Kacchan with the water tentacle, and strangely enough the blond let himself be carried. He left him by the bell and went to his place.
The next person was a white-haired girl with a blank stare.
"Hey girl, what's your name? "Sero asked, stretching his arms and legs.
"Reiko Yanagi... "She said calmly. The pose she had reminded him a bit of Tsuyu-chan... "And I'm ready. "She said to get into a pose that showed a bit more mastery.
The bell rang, and Sero attacked first again. It seemed to be his style. But the girl dodged with skill, feet light on the ground taking consecutive turns and dodging each of the flurries of water the boy threw at her.
She punched the air and a blast shot forward. Sero narrowly dodged it, but it distracted him a little. Yanagi-san threw another blast and hit Sero in the stomach.
She took advantage and fired another blast, knocking the boy into the water after 4 minutes of combat (yes, Izuku had the timer outside checking the time, in case you were wondering).
"Oh, that was good! "Kirishima shouted, stepping into his place, and replacing Sero. He climbed up using water control and arrived next to Kacchan shaking and dunking the blond in the process. He seemed to start yelling at him, but Kirishima quickly interrupted.
"Very good, Yanagi-san! But are you ready for your next challenge? "The styled haired one planted his feet firmly on the ground, but it was a very different pose from what he's seen with Iida-kun. Very different, indeed! Iida kept his feet lighter, but firm and his strength was in his hands stretched out like knives, while Kirishima seemed to put all the weight of his body on his legs and kept his arms extremely light and his hands in fists.
The girl for her part also stood in a starting pose, the same as earlier.
At the sound of the bell, Kirishima threw a kick and the kick spun him around, swinging his arm and throwing one disc followed by another. The girl dodged the first one but did not dodge the second, knocking her backwards and this caused Kirishima to advance into the hexagon. He automatically threw another stone disc, knocking the white-haired girl away instantly.
"You're good, Yanagi-san, but you need practice! "The dyed-haired one said watching the girl climb up the ladder and wipe herself with a controlled air.
"Don't lie to her, she sucks! "Kacchan shouted mockingly.
"Bakubro, don't be rude!
The background music was already on pure shuffle, so Mina started skipping through the songs until she came to one she liked and left it.
And so it went on for a while: The participants passed by and Sero or Kirishima quickly knocked them down (Sero almost knocked them all down, as Kirishima passed by only twice after Yanagi-san).
When it was Uraraka's turn, his mobile phone vibrated.
Izu-kun ? [06:00 PM]:
Ready?
Me [06:01 PM]:
of course~! ?
I tell you
I'm going to kick their asses MWAHAHAHAHA
Izu-kun ? [06:01 PM]:
You can do it!
Me [06:02 PM]:
tell the pink-haired girl to let you play me cool songs for my battle!
Izu-kun [06:02 PM]:
Ok ?
Ochako smiled sideways and watched the last battle.
The boy who was participating was named Kosei Tsurababa, and he seemed to be doing well. He was spinning constantly, dodging the jets of water that Sero threw at him but none of them hit him. The bad news was that the boy wasn't attacking. At the last instant, just seconds before the end of his time, he landed a decisive blow that sent Sero flying backwards. He won his match at the last second (literally. His stopwatch marked 5 minutes one second after Sero fell into the water).
He then played against Kirishima. The battle went similarly: Tsurababa-kun easily avoiding the pieces of rock that the red-haired one was throwing at him and not attacking until at precise moments. But Kirishima had his feet firmly planted on the ground and didn't even flinch from the blows. At that, he managed to push Tsurababa-kun back, but the brown-haired man managed to push Kirishima-kun back as well. And with both in the last part of the arena, they ended the match as they ran out of time.
"WU, I'M THE FIRST TO REACH THE END! "the boy celebrated, stepping forward.
"Hahahaha... Good luck with Bakubro, friend... "Kirishima said holding a VERY nervous smile, and a change was automatically felt in everyone present.
Something that said danger.
Kacchan stood in his place, the sly grin he had been wearing the whole time he wasn't fighting was off, and he just watched the boy with his eyes half closed.
And the bell rang, but none of them did anything at all...
"... "Tsurababa-kun took a step back, and Kacchan remained static in a prepared pose, watching the boy. Tsurababa automatically decided to attack: He launched a hard and dangerous blast of air, but automatically the blond dodged the attack by sliding on the ground.
"DIE! "Kacchan shouted, and from a kick that he did by spinning on the ground after dodging, he shot out a flame so powerful that it threw Tsurababa-kun into the air with absolutely nothing he could do.
Tsurababa had lost in less than 20 seconds, about 10 of which were spent looking at each other. In other words, Kacchan beat the boy between 5 and 10 seconds.
Izuku's mobile phone vibrated.
Ochako Uraraka ? [06:15 PM]:
...
?
Me [06:16 PM]:
Don't be nervous, you can do it!୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨
Ochako Uraraka ? [06:16 PM]:
izu-kun.
i'm not nervous.
but... your friend...
? ﾟﾘﾱ? ﾟﾘﾱ
Me [06:17 PM]:
... Yeah... ("▽ -;)
Do you need any help, any advice, shall I tell you Kacchan's weak points?
Ochako Uraraka ? [06:17 PM]:
nono no I can I can
I can do it alone
just... uh...
maybe some moral support?
Uraraka was writing something else when-
"Girl! "Sero yelled out suddenly, clapping his hands right in front of her.
"EEEEEH! "Ochako shouted.
"Your turn! "Sero pouted, starting to walk to his place again.
"YEAH, EXCUSE ME! "Ochako said, dropping her mobile phone into her backpack and running to her place. "I'M OCHAKO URARAKA! "She said nervously but taking a deep breath she just thought 'calm down Ochako, you can do it you can do it'.
Izuku, from his place took Mina's mobile phone and played the first song he could think of that could cheer Uraraka up, one from a game he gave her a few months ago for her mobile phone (although they had to install it on HIS mobile phone because the girl can't play games on hers) (Moon Theme).
The bell rang and the first thing the girl did was dive forward and to the side, dodging the obvious blast of water that Sero had thrown at her (he had started every game in the same way). At that instant, with an open palm, she threw a blast of air that Sero dodged, but Uraraka was much quicker and threw another one that knocked Sero backwards. Uraraka advanced into the sand. Sero threw another blast of water, and then another with a kick and another as he spun, and she dodged them all, running quickly forward but zigzagging with her hands behind her. She stopped five feet from Sero, slapping the air with both hands. This movement generated a vortex that sent Sero flying out of the air, flying backwards like a bullet right into the high-pitched rhythm of the song.
"WUUUUH OCHAKO-CHAN! "Izuku stood up instead raising his arms in celebration. Uraraka at that moment realized that the whole match Izuku had been cheering her on instead, shouting and cheering. The pink-haired one and the blonde-haired one were cheering for the other boy, but Izuku's cheers were louder even though it was just him.
"Wow, that was awesome! "Sero said, rising with water control to his place. "You had me on the ropes even though you were distracted in the beginning! And in the end, you won!
"... Thank you! "she said, scratching the back of her neck. "I promise not to be distracted in this next one! "She smiled, stretching out her arms.
"Oh wow, it's been a long time since I felt excited to play alone against someone other than Bakubro!" Kirishima said, putting herself in her place. Ochako did the same.
The bell rang, still with the moon song in the background. Kirishima this time tried to attack first by throwing a rock and then another, but Uraraka dodged and threw air blasts left and right as he spun around. Kirishima did a spinning kick, taking out two of the rocks in which one hit Uraraka in the stomach, but she kicked it away and threw another blast that hit Kirishima in the chest. Uraraka ran forward making the same motion she did earlier with her hands backwards, Kirishima automatically threw a rock forward, hoping to hit the girl. But she launched a blast towards the ground, soaring upwards. She used the rock as a stepping stone and in one leap she was two meters above the ground. Kirishima could do nothing against the air blast she threw at him, knocking him to the ground and spinning him out of the arena like a tire at full speed.
The song of the Moon at that moment was over.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA, I FEEL POWERFUL! "said the happy girl, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
"That's my student! "Izuku said sitting in her place, celebrating with her even though they were far away.
"Your friend is good-wait, you trained her?! "Denki's eyes widened as he reasoned out what the green-haired boy had just said.
"Uh, yeah something like that. "He smiled with a shrug.
"What do you mean, something like that? You called her a student! "Mina said, cocking her head to the side.
"Uh... I helped her... But-but I call her a student while playing around. She calls me teacher sometimes "Izuku shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, you were talking to her like you were checking on her. "Mina tilted her head.
"Yeah! You said something about giving her advice or something!
"Were you reading my conversations?! "Izuku put his mobile phone away and stood up, taking steps backwards.
"Denki, you don't say that! "Mina scolded the yellow-haired man, giving him a slap. "It's not like we actively read, it's just that you mumble what you write. "she said.
Izuku automatically turned red.
"Ah...
Izuku sat back down, still very red.
The next match was here, right in front. Kacchan held a cautious pose even though he wasn't fighting yet, while narrowing his eyes. Uraraka, who during her fight with Kirishima was smiling, was not smiling this time, but was frowning and remained static in place, taking deep breaths.
The bell had not yet rung, there was a strong tension in the place behind the gazes of the two combatants.
"... So you are the famous Kacchan, are you?
"It's Katsuki Bakugo. "growled the blond.
"Yes, yes. Bakugo-san, whatever. Shall we start? "She took one last breath before turning sideways without taking her eyes off him and raising a hand with her palm facing him.
"Let's see what you've got, round face. "And from that instant, Kacchan made a grin-like grimace and moved into position.
The music was still on shuffle, but when the bell rang, he switched to a song that would be just as explosive as this encounter. (Shut up and Explode "Boom Boom Satellites).
Uraraka was the first to attack, coming dangerously close and spinning around on her light feet. Katsuki for his part was dodging the attacks quickly and carefully, staying cautious and watching the girl. Seeing an opening in her movements she attacked fast and hard with a leg swing, delivering a strong and firm kick that brought out a powerful flare that hit squarely against the girl's bent leg. This sent her reeling back, but she made another move and unleashed another blast, which almost hit the blonde had it not been for a quick arm movement that stopped the blast, but this action went up in smoke.
The brunette automatically moved to the side, trying to attack the red-eyed man by surprise. But he quickly spun on his feet with his arms outstretched, launching two more blasts forward, which she had to dodge and block with her own air control, generating even more smoke.
He moved into her space, taking another swing towards where he detected she would be, and attacked her from there, knocking her back a bit. Thus, Katsuki advanced some ground.
But Ochako seized the moment and threw a burst of air with her arms, clapping her hands. This made Katsuki move back a few steps. She took advantage of this and threw another burst of air, but he dodged it and threw two flames in a row with both arms. She blocked them and with a spin she fell to the side,launching another open palm blast as she slapped the air, which generated a vortex that hit the blond fully in the chest. She moved forward a bit, returning to where they were at the start.
Katsuki quickly threw more flares at her, now scowling even more. She dodged some but the others hit her breastplate and arms. She spun around on the ground and threw a blast at him that she hoped would send him flying upwards, but he quickly dodged it to the side, throwing another flame that she deflected with her feet while still on the ground and spinning on her back.
She jumped back up and threw more flames trying to push him back; one, two, three, four flames with arms and legs that the red-eyed boy avoided, except for the last one, but he didn't go back far enough as his feet were planted firmly on the ground,preventing him from flying backwards. He raised both hands in an open-handed flare, and Uraraka failed to dodge it, flying backwards. Clinging to the ground with her fingernails, she managed to avoid falling into the water, but she was in the last space on the platform. She leapt to her feet, flinging blasts of air left and right, slightly more desperate than before and wiping her sweat off with her hands between each move.
Katsuki dodged one, two, three vortexes of air, the fourth one knocked him back a little, but with a leap forward he launched one last flare that almost knocked him off the platform. He was about to launch another but at that moment the bell rang.
"DRAW! TIME'S UP! "Sero shouted, and everyone in the place was shouting and celebrating. Izuku got up from his place and ran downstairs.
Katsuki's eyes widened in that instant, taking a few steps back... It's... It's the first time he didn't win... But why isn't he angry...?
Uraraka fell to her knees in exhaustion, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her hands and taking a deep breath, trying to calm her heart...
Sero, Kirishima, Mina and Denki from their places were shouting. Mina and Denki were coming down the stairs and from the railing they jumped down to the hexagon, arriving with the other two, who were totally surprised by the match. They stayed in their corner.
"OCHAKO-CHAAAAAAN! "The green-haired one jumped up to the top of the bleachers and stood there on the railing that prevented him from falling into the water. She looked up "YOU DID IT!
"... I DID IT! "She just stood there.
"¡YOU DID IT! "She waved both arms excitedly.
"AAAAH! "He raised his own arms and waved them.
"AAAAH!
"SHUT UP, YOU NOISY BASTARDS! "Katsuki shouted but sighed and turned to look at the girl. "Good game. "He stretched out a hand to help her up.
She saw the hand and squeezed her eyes shut, grimacing in amusement. She took his hand and stood up.
"I almost kicked your ass. "She smiled.
A vein swelled up on Katsuki's forehead.
"Ha!? Who do you think you are!? I had you on the ropes, round face! I'm better!
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! "She clenched her belly a little. "I don't know but for barely learning how to play this game a month ago I really got you in trouble!
"... A MONTH?! "Bakugo shouted.
And they didn't even notice when the other guys from the team arrived with them.
"What do you mean you pulled off those moves in a month?! "Sero asked loudly.
"Well... Hard work. "He smiled sideways, scratching the back of his neck. "We didn't rest for a long, long time.
"Rest-OOOOOOH! So Midori did train you! "Denki said pointing to the boy still on the railing of the bleachers.
"By Midori you mean Izu-kun, right? "She put a hand to her head but smiled. "Yes! Izu-kun helped me train! From the very basics of the element to joining this thing! "She stretched out her hands excitedly.
"... Deku helped you? "Katsuki turned to look at the curly-haired boy raising an eyebrow.
On her side, Izuku was calculating how to get to the platform from her place since there were no bridges or stairs or anything. You could see how his head was smoking from thinking so much. Ha! Fucking nerd...
Wait, wait, wait. If he's not a teacher, how did he train her? Did he just watch her and tell her or what...? Uh... Would it be a good idea to tell her to help the assholes get better?...
"Bakubro! So yeah? "Kirishima ran a hand over the boy's shoulders.
"Oh?
"Oh! Just say yes!
"Don't tell me what to do!
"Oish! "Sero rolled his eyes. He hadn't even realized at what point he'd been pulled to where the bell was. The group of fools were harassing him while the round-cheeked one went to help the nerd onto the platform. "Kats, don't get distracted! "she snapped her fingers in front of his face again.
"Get off me, you assholes!
"Kats, don't fuck around, we're picking the fourth member. "He looked ugly.
"... I thought it was obvious that squirrel cheeks were the one. "He automatically raised an eyebrow.
"Then you agree! "Kirishima said, letting go of his shoulders. "Let's let her know then!
When they turned to look at each other, Izuku was already standing next to her and they seemed to be talking while he had his notebook out and was writing things down, and he seemed to be checking her face and arms for any injuries...
Ha. Typical son of a nurse.
"Are you sure you're not in any pain? Kacchan almost burned you, but he didn't! Isn't he great?
"I'm fine! I'm fine! None of the rocks that the one with the styled hair threw at me or the angry flames from your angry friend hit me as bad as when we had to chase those fox-antelopes. "She laughed.
"Ochako-chan, I think that NOTHING compares to the fox-antelopes...
"We have the fourth member decided! "Kirishima shouted in her ear.
"DON'T YELL IN MY EAR, FIRE HAIRS!
"Uraraka-chan! "Sero stretched out his hand towards her. "Will you join... Our team that doesn't have a name yet? "He raised both eyebrows.
"OH SPIRITS! "The big-cheeked one brought her chubby hands to her cheeks in a high-pitched squeal, then clapped her hands in excitement. Deku at her side just clapped and pushed her forward a little. "YESYESYESYESYESYESYES! Of course! I loved playing this! Yes! "And the black-haired boy pulled her away. Katsuki went to start organizing things and so on, but the blond couldn't help but stare at Deku who went back to concentrating on his notebook.
"We need to do a little better on the falls... Her feet were going well, and she predicted the movements well, but we need to train her to attack more easily... She had the advantage of watching the black-haired one and the red-haired one before, but she got a bit scared with Kacchan, so we need to work on that... "Katsuki tilted her head to the side listening to the boy, he was going to talk to him but... He turned to look at the round-cheeked one and the horse-toothed one. He approached them.
"What days do you have off, Uraraka-chan?
"Well... "She put a hand to her cheek. "I'm off every day in the afternoons from one to seven, but some of those days I go to the library to do homework and help Izu-kun with some stuff along with our friends, that or we train... And when we train if it takes too long... and then I come home and I must take care of the chores because I live alone... Uh! I could reduce my time with my friends. They say they train Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, don't they? "He cocked his head to one side.
"Oops, you're busy. Are you sure you can handle this?
"Well... Yes! I must get organized but I can do it, I can do it! "She threw up her hands. "... Hey, um... By the way... Your... Your summons said something about a payment? "She said quietly, grimacing.
"Oh! Uh... Ask Denki about that. "Sero pointed at the yellow-haired one. "He said to put him on, and he'd sort that out.
"... It's alright. "Ochako nodded and approached the yellow-haired one.
"Hey, little friend! You're good~! "He brought a hand to his chin raising both eyebrows in a "seductive" manner, though it made Uraraka chuckle and roll her eyes. "What brings you to the great Denki Kaminari? "He struck a funny pose.
"What a tease~ "She said with a wave of her hand.
Katsuki didn't see them anymore and went to sit on the bleachers, thinking...
Yes, the girl put him on the ropes. That didn't displease him, in fact maybe it even made him think of it as a challenge. But... Deku was training her. Deku knows how to fight but... It's been years since then, and it seemed like the bastard didn't even know this was HIS Pro-Bending team. So... genuinely the nerd could've found a way to almost beat him? Or... Or what?
Ugh.
They tied. She didn't beat him. And he almost beat her. He's the best. Yeah! Heck yeah!...
...
Agh.
Katsuki stood thinking like that for a while longer until Kirishima came to him.
"Hey, Bro. You ok?
"Nothin'.
"Are you sure? "Katsuki just nodded. "Uh... Well. "He shrugged his shoulders. "By the way, you should talk to Uraraka-chan before she leaves.
"HA?! Why me?!
"You're the team leader! You can't leave everything to Sero and Denki!
"... Ugh. Okay. "Katsuki stood up rolling his eyes.
The girl was in the stands where she had been all afternoon watching the matches. She seemed to be getting her backpack ready to leave.
"Hey, round cheeks. "He said simply, sitting down next to her. "So you're really going to join us, huh?
"Oh! Hey, kiddo! "She waved her hand. "Yeah. I must get organized, but I will totally join ya! "She smiled.
"... Good.
She took off her helmet and shook her head.
"... Give me that" He stretched out his arm for her to give him the borrowed equipment.
"Oh! Okay, thanks~ "The girl handed him the helmet and bib overalls. "… You do wash these things, right? "She grimaced.
"Of course we do, we're not a bunch of shitty pigs or something stinky, ew. "Katsuki shook his head at the thought.
"That helmet smells weird!
"It's old equipment, no shit they smell funny! "Katsuki stood up rolling his eyes.
"Hahaha! It's okay mister~ "She sighed putting her backpack on her back. And stared at him~ ... Hey, you're Izu-kun's friend, aren't you?
"Deku's? A-Something like that. "He shrugged his shoulders.
"Hmmm... "She closed her eyes. Katsuki started walking towards the lockers where they had the equipment they had used that day, and she followed him as if she had something to do with it. "I noticed that you call Izu-kun "Deku". Is that like him calling you "Kacchan"?
"... Shit, did I call him Deku again?"
"Uh, yeah. That's what I just said."
"Fuck"
"What? Is it something bad?"
"Uh... It's, uh... A nickname. I try to not call him that way but…"
"Is that a really bad nickname or what?"
"... Why do you ask?"
"Ah, I just didn't think it was a bad nickname. It sounds... Cute."
"... Cute?"
"Yes! It sounds like "Dekiru"! And Izuku is really smart and tries hard at a lot of things, and he always ends up doing what he sets out to do! So I thought that's what it was about if you've known each other for that long…"
"Dekiru? Like... Power? Power to do something?"
"Yes! Though now I'm curious as to what it originally means."
"... Nothing. It means nothing. But now it might mean that."
"Oh?"
"Nothing, now. Just go. We must close."
"Oh! Hey, Okay. See you soon, Bakugo-kun! I'll wait for Deku-kun at the door! "She said a quick goodbye and walked out the door.
Katsuki frowned. Okay... This talk was weird but good. Now... I had to go and report to the nerd...
"DEKU! "He shouted suddenly and ran out to get in front of the nerd in one leap.
"AAAAH!... KACCHAN DON'T DO THAT! "Ha! I scared the nerd!
"How's did you trained squirrel cheeks?!"
"Eh... "He turned sideways with a pout. "I didn't train her. I taught her the basics and that's where we learned together...
"You're not a bender… how?"
"Ah? Well... I taught her the basics and we trained together, we found ways… And I have friends who are benders, besides her and you, so we got help"
"Hmmm..." He narrowed his eyes again. "There. I've made a decision" He said automatically, taking two steps back and shaking his hands.
"... What?"
"Tomorrow. Here. You will come."
"Kacchan, we must do the project tomorrow."
"And you don't want to do it here?"
"But we don't even have an idea and-Wait, what if we do the project on Pro-Bending? On techniques and so on? "And Deku brought the pencil to his mouth and started biting it. Ew.
"Earth to Nerd. "He clapped his hands in front of him. "I'm not going to repeat it. Tomorrow. Here.
"Why?!
"You're going to help us with this shit! Every team has a coach and we're alone in this.
"OOOOH... Oh... Oh, well, I like to help. "The green-haired one took a few steps back.
"By the way. Deku.
"Izuku... "he grimaced. "What happened?
"Deku also sounds like 'Dekiru', don't ya think?"
"... Power?"
Katsuki simply nodded.
"Looks like Kacchan isn't as much of a jerk as he claims to be" Deku smiled shyly "I like it".
"Thank round cheeks for that"
Deku laughed a little, turned away, smiling even wider. He walked out the door quickly.
And Katsuki sighed in relief.
"Let's go home everyone!" Sero shouted. And they quickly left the gym.
Author's note
Good morning, I finally finished this chapter, I hope you like it a lot!
We already see part of the dekusquad and the bakusquad joining! We're almost there! And now we see other things like Izuku and Katsuki talking normally! Are you guys excited about this? Because I am! Also... don't you wonder what the heck is the antelope-fox incident? LOL
QUESTION!
If you were a bender, would you get into pro-bending? I'd try but I feel like I wouldn't be that good, although I think I'd like to go watch matches!