Welcome everyone to Change. I am not sure if I plan on making this story long or shot. I guess it depends on reviews and inspiration. Leave a review about how you feel about this story. I uh hope you enjoy. I hope the editing isn't shit lol.
Anxious.
That was what Momo Yaoyorozu was feeling.
She was getting ready for her upcoming match against Tsuyu Asui. She knew her opponent was not to be taken lightly.
It was sparring between Class 1-A today. More specifically close quarters combat. Aizawa figured that everyone needs to improve on their CQC in case hero support wasn't quick enough. You had to hold your own.
Not to mention Final Exams were approaching.
It was afternoon, All Might had business to take care of, so Aizawa ran the Heroics class for the day.
There was a big orange circle painted in the Gym. 2 competitors were selected to go inside the circle. The rules were to either knock them out of the circle or to make them admit defeat. Quirks were allowed but not to an extreme degree. They wanted to keep damage to a minimum but also keep the fact that if you fight a villain they will most likely use their quirk.
Matches were put together by Aizawa.
"Alright. Have to be quick. You've got this." Momo tells herself between stretches. She had to hype herself up.
She knew that knocking her out the ring, or incapacitating her was her best chance. Her leg strength and flexibility made her a deadly opponent close quarters.
The only problem as what to create? How could she knock her out the ring? What could she use to take Asui out quickly? Quirks were allowed and she planned on using that to her advantage.
'I have an idea.' Momo thinks of what to create. She didn't want to use it, but she had to think outside the box.
The match that was about to happen was Shoji vs Ojiro.
Both mutant boys step into the ring and face each other, waiting for the signal to start.
Momo had heard her other classmates betting on who would win. They had done this for every match. Except of course Iida, Todoroki, Bakugo, Uraraka, Koda, and herself.
The underdog was Ojiro. Almost everyone believed that Shoji in close quarters would quickly take out the tailed boy.
Quite frankly Momo could see why. Shoji's size was to be feared. He towered over Ojiro and had him outranked in raw strength. Momo would admit if she took place in the betting, she would also place her bet on Shoji.
Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, Hagakure, Mineta, Tokoyami, Asui, and Aoyama all put their money on Shoji. Behind Aizawa's back of course.
Momo had a feeling that Aizawa knew what was happening but didn't care enough to stop it. Or maybe he had another agenda in mind…
The only ones who bet on Ojiro were Sato, Kirishima, Jiro, and surprisingly Midoriya.
Midoriya said that although Shoji had size, he didn't have any combat experience. Granted that was true, from what Momo saw of him, Shoji does grappling and some submission holds but was nowhere near Ojiro's skill level in fighting.
Ojiro knew multiple forms of martial arts and honed his tail to be a 5th limb. He could also use his limb to grab onto objects and swing around like a monkey. So his movement was top tier as well as his form.
Momo was thinking that Shoji would win. She considered this a mismatch. She thinks that Shoji should have been put up against someone with a more versatile quirk.
'I think that he made a mistake with this match. No way Ojiro can counter Shoji's offense. If Shoji rushes then Ojiro will get pushed out.' Momo concludes.
Momo questioned why Midoriya would bet on Ojiro. Granted Ojiro was no slouch but this was a clear mismatch. She had such an high opinion on him, she figured he would be smart enough to realize that this was not a fair fight.
"Begin." Aizawa's tired voice cut her off from her thoughts. She focuses in the ring. She sees Ojiro and Shoji both circle each other.
Shoji's limbs became extra hands. His plan was clear, he was going to get close and grab Ojiro.
Ojiro narrowed his eyes looking for any kind of opening. Anything he can exploit. He knew his opponent was tough and had the advantage in strength and size.
Shoji wastes no more time. He jumps forward, sticking out his arms, he was going to use his size and block any way for Ojiro to escape.
Ojiro propels himself with his tail and gets out of the way in a nick of time before Shoji could corner him. Once Shoji lands he quickly tries to turn around, but is met with a hard tail strike to his head.
Shoji didn't make any extra eyes or ears so this attacking caught him off guard. He grips his head with his regular arms, feeling a pounding sensation.
Ojiro then lunges forward going for a punch towards Shoji's face. Shoji catches the punch and prepares to launch him out the ring but Ojiro quickly kicks him in the nose before he could use his power.
Shoji lets out a grunt of pain and grips his nose, releasing his grip on Ojiro. He could feel blood trickle down his mask.
Ojiro sees that his guard was let down.
'An opening!'
Ojiro swings his tail and lands a tail strike on Shoji's unprotected ribs.
"THHHHG!" Shoji feels the air leave his body. His stance falters and finds it hard to remain standing.
Shoji swings his Dupli-Fists wildly, hoping to get a hit. His wish came true as a fist lands on Ojiro's stomach.
Ojiro coughs up spit and backs up. Shoji tries to brush off the pain and closes the distance. He uses a Dupli-Arm and slams a fist to Ojiro's face.
"AHGG!" Ojiro screams out as he feels his vision begin to blur. That strike did massive damage, it felt as if his skull was vibrating from it.
Although his vision was hazy he managed to dodge a fist aimed for the other side of his head. Ojiro launches out his tail and Shoji saw this coming. He goes to grab the tail but Ojiro quickly parries, he twists his body and lands a well-placed kick right to the Dupli-Arms user's throat.
"CAAAAA!" Shoji backs away and falls to one knee, holding his throat. He coughs uses his arms to soothe his throat.
Ojiro backs away panting, that strike to his gut knocked the wind out of him. They both catch their breath.
"Oh man! Ojiro is so manly!" Kirishima says amazed, his fists clenched.
"No way he is dealing that much damage! Shoji is a gargantuan!" Mineta says shocked. His mouth was wide open.
"I told you. Ojiro's skill will keep him in this." Midoriya says to the Grape Headed boy with a smile.
"No way. Shoji is gonna make a comeback, he has to!" Kaminari says shocked. He grips his hair. His money was on the line and it was not looking good because Shoji is taking more damage.
"Tch. Pretty obvious Tail has won this Pikachu." Bakugo grumbles out. His arms were folded across his chest as he looks on in the ring.
"How come you didn't bet Kacchan?" Kaminari points an accusatory finger at him.
Bakugo turns to Kaminari with an evil smirk on his face. A smirk that causes many to back away from him.
"Because I don't want your damn money. I knew from the start who was gonna win." Bakugo says self-satisfied.
That's the face he made when he won. No way was he lying about predicting Ojiro.
Momo watched on amazed. Ojiro's performance was admirable. He was really dealing damage and keeping Shoji back. Despite his disadvantage, he was holding his own.
"Man he sure is holding his own, right Yaomomo?" Momo hears the familiar voice of Kyoka Jiro. Her best friend.
Kyoka whistles and walks next to her, looking at the match.
"How? Shoji should have won already." Momo says shocked. This wasn't a possibility she imagined.
Kyoka chuckles and pats Momo on the back.
"Sometimes ya gotta go with the underdog Yaomomo. His skill isn't to be looked down upon. I have faith the guy pulls through." Kyoka says with resolve. She rarely ever gets to pull one on the smart girl.
Both girls focus back on the match. Momo sees the determination and fire in Ojiro's eyes. He was going to win this match. To prove to everyone that he could do it. To prove it to himself as well. Momo knew this from his display at the Sports Festival. His drive was to improve and win on his own.
"You sure pack a punch Ojiro." One of Shoji's Dupli-Arms turns into a mouth. The mouth smiling.
Ojiro chuckles slightly.
"Same can be said for you. May the best man win Shoji."
"Loser buys lunch." Shoji's Dupli-Arm forms back into a fist.
Ojiro smirks and he gets into his stance.
"You're on!"
Shoji and Ojiro both rush, ready to finish it. Both were done warming up, they
Momo watched on the match transfixed. The movement was quick, no motion wasted. The atmosphere was intense. There was silence, no off-hand commentary from anyone. Everyone was transfixed on the fight in front of them. Even Katsuki was impressed, remaining silent and watching.
Ojiro mostly dodged but kept landing strikes here and there. Shoji didn't dodge that many attacks. His size was a double edged sword as Ojiro lands more and more strikes on unexpected places.
The fight was becoming one sided.
To Momo's shock. Ojiro was playing offense and Shoji was the one getting pushed back. His tenacious attacks and determination had Shoji on the defensive. Shoji was getting pushed back more and more.
Ojiro barely broke a sweat, he was used to this kind of thing. He trains all the time in intense conditions to raise his stamina and to keep himself sharp.
Shoji's inexperience in combat began to show. Even with Dupli-Arms he couldn't defend against the harsh attacks. Ojiro was using expert moves and hitting Shoji in places that would weaken him. Not to mention with his size and quirk constantly activated he was beginning to tire quick.
Shoji felt his stamina depleting fast.
Shoji tries one last counter attack. He expands his Dupli Arms to the absolute limit. He raises his arms above his head and makes dozens of fists. This was his only chance to win and he knew it.
Ojiro's eyes widen. He knew if this attack hit it was over. He had to be faster! Shoji left his stomach open. He knew one area he could hit to incapacitate the guy.
'Sorry man. Looks like I have to do it.' Ojiro apologizes in his head as he begins to rush closer to Shoji, closing the distance.
"HAAA!" Ojiro twists around twice, building momentum. He then slams his tail into Shoji's liver with the force of a freight train.
Ojiro's attack lands mere milliseconds before Shoji's. The dozens of fists above Ojiro freeze up as Shoji's eyes widen.
"HNNNNNG!" Shoji clutches his side. He lets out a loud grunt of pain as he grips his side. Immense pain flairs through his system.
His Dupli-Arms fall and return to normal.
Shoji's knees buckle as he falls down to the floor. His eyes look pained and he tried to rise, but couldn't.
Shoji struggles to breath, his breathing becoming ragged.
"Do you submit?" Aizawa asks, looking at Shoji.
Ojiro watches, staying sharp in case Shoji were to rise and try to attack him. He wasn't going to let his guard down until the match was over. Despite his warrior instincts, he could still get ambushed. He knew his instincts weren't perfect, hence why he trained so often.
Shoji considered his options. He could get back up. He could keep trying to fight. Or he could admit defeat now.
Shoji turns his head to Aizawa and nods silently.
"Ojiro wins. Yaoyorozu, Asui, both of you prepare for your match." Aizawa says looking at the two girls. He then walks off.
Momo's jaw drops at this.
'Ojiro really layed on the offense. He turned the match around with well placed attacks.' Momo looks over at him. She studies his form for a moment.
Ojiro had his hands on his knees and was panting hard. No doubt that barrage of attacks tired him out.
"Man. Ojiro really layed the ass whooping on huh?" Jiro questions looking at the downed Shoji. He was still clutching his side and looked to be in pain.
"Language Kyoka. Looks as if I was wrong. Ojiro has definitely gotten better." Momo admits lowly. She didn't like being proved wrong.
"Yep. I've walked past the gym. He stays training and keeping himself sharp. He for sure has one of the hardest work ethics in the class. He is right up there with Midoriya." Kyoka admits. The guy was always practicing, always learning new moves. That was something she could respect.
'Interesting. He always tries to improve despite having such a simple quirk.' Momo keeps her eyes on him. He was beginning to intrigue her.
"Ughhhh. I'm down 3500 yen." Ashido pouts. She kicks the ground annoyed.
"I'm down 4000 yen." Sero says with a sigh.
"Sameeeee." Hagakure says in a huff. Her arms folded across her chest.
"Ha. Told you Ojiro had it. Me and the guy spar all the damn time and I get whooped everytime." Kirishima laughs. He was now up money and had bragging rights.
"Whatever, it was an entertaining match." Hagakure says.
"You okay Shoji?" Tokoyami asks in concern looking at his friend. Shoji nods and gives a thumbs up.
"Here let me help you up." Sato reaches down his buff arm to Shoji.
Shoji nods in appreciation and takes it. Sato lifts him up and pats him on the back.
"You did good out there. Ojiro is one tough cookie." Sato reassures him. Sato also trained with Ojiro on occasion, hence why he bet on him. Ojiro always got better the more they sparred. His improvement was astronomical compared to when they first got into U.A.
Koda walks over and helps up Ojiro.
"Great job." Koda compliments him.
Ojiro smiles.
"Thanks." Ojiro gives Koda a nod and walks over to Shoji.
He sticks out his hand and gives Shoji a firm look.
"That was a good match. Sorry to hit you so hard but there was no other choice. We should spar sometime." Ojiro offers.
Shoji eyes his hand and shakes it.
"You have improved Ojiro. No doubt that was a fair loss. We should definitely spar. I could use the improvement."
"Same here Shoji. That hit to my face really had me weak." Ojiro laughs.
"Call me Mezo."
"Only if you call me Mashirao." Ojiro counters with a smirk.
Momo watched the display with a smile. Good sportsmanship always made her happy. There was nothing more she liked than seeing the class get along. Momo saw the class as a massive family.
Momo enters the ring. She sees Asui already there in the frog position. She was ready to pounce.
"Lets have a good match Yaoyorozu, kero." Asui says.
Momo nods.
"Of course. Win or lose, lets both do our best." She smiles.
'I will have to try and make a stun gun to end this quickly. Sorry Asui.' Momo apologizes in her head. She knew fighting head on in combat was a bad idea, despite it being the whole point of the exercise. Even if she made a staff or shield, Asui would be able to dodge her strikes.
She expected this to be quick. Asui thinks she would use her staff and would be caught off guard with the taser. This could end instantly.
"Begin."
Right away Momo's stomach sparkled as she began to make a stun gun. She quickly takes it and looks up but to her shock, Asui wasn't in the position anymore. She was gone.
Momo looked around and began to panic.
'It only took a few seconds! Where could-' Momo's thoughts are interrupted as she feels a weight land on her shoulders.
Momo begins to spin and panic but Asui quickly wrapped her legs around Momo's neck. Asui then took her arm and made Momo fall to the ground.
'No! No! NOOOO!' she didn't realize that the frog girl leaped immediately on match start. She should have taken that into account. Asui's powerful leg strength propelled her high above her head.
Asui wastes no time. She pulls back on Momo's arm with enough pressure to hurt but not cause too much pain. She also squeezes her thighs, locking Momo in a tight head scissors.
Momo quickly felt pressure on her head. She tried to move but couldn't. Asui had locked her down. She felt more pressure as Asui squeezes her thighs even more. Asui had thick and muscular thighs due to her quirk and how she trained.
"Please submit, kero." Asui says. She wanted this to be over. No way would Yaoyorozu escape this hold. She didn't want to hurt her anymore than what was necessary. Even though she had to take on Yaoyorozu, she didn't want to hurt her too badly. Asui cared.
This was the exact outcome she wanted to avoid. She knew Asui's thighs were dangerous. It was a dangerous idea to take her eyes off the frog girl but she overestimated herself. She thought she could make the stun gun before she could pounce. She also underestimated her opponent.
"Come on Yaomomo get up!" She heard Jiro shout. Momo flicks her eyes to the students and sees Jiro cheering her on.
"You can do it!"
Kyoka was cheering her on. She believed in her. She couldn't disappoint her! She had to fight back! She had to escape.
Momo begins to try and pry Asui's thighs apart. They weren't budging in the slightest.
She begins to create a staff from her remaining hand but Asui pulls on her arm further. Asui saw the familiar glow and decided to stop her by adding pressure.
"AHHHH!" Momo chokes out as Asui adds pressure to her arm, she felt as if her arm would snap off any second. She instantly stops creating what was her failsafe plan.
"Don't try anything, kero." Asui warns lightly. She didn't know what Yaoyorozu was thinking but she knew she had to stop it before it started. After all she could create almost anything.
Momo's face turns red as lack of oxygen begin to takes effect. Asui's thighs felt like tree trunks as they held her in place. No matter how much she tried to free herself, she stayed in the hold. Asui had a vice grip on her, and if she tried anything, she would either pull on her arm more or tighten her thighs.
Momo tries to rise but can't. She feels her strength leaving her, along with oxygen. She did not want to quit. She was tired of losing.
After struggling for a few more seconds, Momo taps Asui's legs, admitting defeat. There was no other choice, she was going to pass out any second.
Aizawa sees this and nods. He internally sighs.
'Yaoyorozu still needs to improve. Hopefully she learns from this and doesn't take this loss to heart.' Aizawa saw how she looked once she lost to Tokoyami at the Sports Festival.
Aizawa knew this was what was going to happen. He put Yaoyorozu against Asui so that she can learn from her mistakes and grow. He hopes that this was a wake up call for her. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel discouraged even more.
Asui lets her go and gets up. Her eyes look kind of sad. She didn't expect Yaoyorozu to keep fighting like that, she was hoping she would submit sooner. She wishes she used less pressure on her or had forced her out the ring.
Momo begins gasping for air and coughing. She rubs her throat, her porcelain skin beginning to bruise.
The rest of the class look on worried. They didn't expect this to be the outcome.
She hears them whispering.
"She lost pretty quick." "That was brutal." "Asui should've went easy on her." "This match wasn't fair." Those were some things that she heard.
Hearing those comments hurt even more than losing. Not only did she lose, she lost in less than 30 seconds. Now her classmates were saying Asui shouldn't have even went that hard, none of them believed in her. Momo knew that Asui held back the fight.
She holds back the urge to cry. Once again she was humiliated and nothing could be done. First the Sports Festival and now this. Only this time the class pitied her. Even her best friend pitied her.
'Of course they pity me. I am a failure.' She thinks darkly, looking down at her hands. She couldn't even last a full minute. How could she expect to be a hero?
She couldn't.
Sure she was smart, but that only gets you so far. Her internship was based around her looks, not her actual skill. It didn't matter that she made it to finals. It didn't matter that she worked hard to get to that point. She was only seen as a pretty face. Nothing but a one trick pony.
The class looks down on her. She has always been told how she would make it far but now that she is being challenged, she fails at every turn. Failure after failure.
She feels a flash of anger fill her system, but it quickly dissipates.
She gains her composure. The last thing she wanted was to worry anyone. She had to put on a façade. A temporary one.
"I'm so sorry Yaoyorozu. I shouldn't have used that much force, kero." Asui reaches out one of her hands to try and help her up.
Momo looks at her face.
'More pity.'
Momo gets up on her own, ignoring her hand.
"Its fine." She says simply.
Before Asui or anyone could respond, she walks away, away from the class. She takes a spot away from anyone. Kyoka tries to follow her but she is stopped by some from the class.
Some knew that she needed space.
She notices a set of eyes on her. It was Todoroki. He looked at her with his heterochronic eyes. Todoroki eyes her with an inscrutable look. He begins to walk over to her. Momo felt ice run through her body. Why was he coming to her? What did he want? So many questions ran through her mind as Todoroki came closer. He looked ready to say something but he is called over by Aizawa.
"Todoroki, Bakugo. Both of you get into the ring."
Bakugo gets a feral grin on his face as he called out Todoroki. Todoroki flicks his eyes to Bakugo's, he sighs and walks back. They both get into the ring.
"Begin."
Momo watches the match. Her steel gray eyes filled with slight anger. Not anger at anyone, anger at herself. No matter what she does she always seems to fail.
'I wish I was as great as the others.' Self-loathing encompassed her. She hated how weak she felt. How everyone else got better while she got worse.
Just look at the top 3. Todoroki could make an iceberg in an instant but control it to where it doesn't hurt anyone. Bakugo could use explosions to fly and maneuver himself in the air. Midoriya had went from throwing one punch and breaking his bones, to limiting only his fingers to be broken.
Those are the main 3 of Class 1A. Everyone always talks about how great they are. Everyone looks up to them because of how strong they are.
Momo had arguably the best all-around quirk because of how versatile it is, and yet she fell behind everyone else.
'How am I supposed to be Creati when I am not creative.' She chuckles lowly. It was funny really, how that worked.
Todoroki and Bakugo became intense. So intense that Momo didn't notice a figure approach her from the side.
"Hey Yaoyorozu." Momo turns to the side and sees…Ojiro?
Ojiro was one of the last people she expected to see. She couldn't fathom a single reason why he was over there.
'Probably here to pity me.'
"Hello Ojiro." Despite how she felt, she kept her tone even. She wasn't in the mood for anyone's pity but had to keep up the image.
What Momo failed to notice was a green haired boy standing not too far behind Ojiro.
The boy smiled and walked back over towards the class to watch the fight. His plan was to encourage her but it seems like someone else beat him to it. He trusted Ojiro to bring her back up.
"So I noticed how once you got into that hold, that you didn't know how to get out." Ojiro got right to the point.
Momo raises an eyebrow.
"Yes. She had me in a tight head scissors. I wasn't physically strong enough to break out of it. Nothing could be done." Momo felt a chill pass through her. She didn't like talking about it. Being reminded of the loss only made her feel worse inside.
"Well. I know how to counter that. I also noticed that you didn't use the staff like at the Sports Festival." Ojiro questions.
Momo nods.
"I figured Asui would think that I would go for it. I wanted to catch her off guard with something new." Momo explains.
Ojiro nods.
"That's a good line of thinking, but the point of the exercise is Close Quarters Combat. I think you should have used the staff." Ojiro adds.
"You're right. I know the staff creation by heart. I wouldn't have had to look away from her when the fight started."
"Quick question, do you always use weapons when you fight Yaoyorozu?" Ojiro inquires. He had always wondered this. She had always used weapons from what he seen. He wondered if she had any experience in hand to hand.
Momo puts a finger to her chin and looks up. She begins thinking.
'Hm. I think I always do have one. Since I can make one from thin air.'
"I do. Its easy to create and it gives me an advantage."
Ojiro sighs internally. He figured this. She had no hand to hand combat expertise.
"If you want, I can show you the counter to the submission hold Asui used. I can also teach you some basic hand to hand combat after school." Ojiro offers. He wanted her to fight without relying on a weapon. After seeing Asui take her out that quickly, its clear she needed help. She relied on weapons and her quirk too much. Granted her quirk gives her a reason for it but still, its best to have hand to hand experience as well as weapon experience.
Momo raises an eyebrow. He wasn't here to pity her? He was here to offer her help?
'This is new. I didn't expect this.' This had truly caught her off guard. She never expected him to offer genuine help. Offer her a way to increase her arsenal and help her improve.
"You said after school?"
Ojiro nods and smiles. Seems she accepted the offer. He felt glad he could teach someone inexperienced some lessons. Not only because it would help her grow, but because it could help him work with others and teach people. Ojiro dreamed of opening his own dojo and educating people on self-defense. He had always been into martial arts.
Two people in one day. He felt like today was an absolute win.
"Alright. Thank you for offering this opportunity Ojiro." Momo actually smiles. An actual learning opportunity. If there was one thing about Momo that was good, its that she was a quick learner. For books and things of the like, she didn't know about combat, but she could find out.
"No problem."
Ojiro walks back over to join Shoji, Tokoyami, Koda, and Sato.
Momo turned to the class. She had the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She scans the class quickly.
Everyone was focused on the match. Not a single person was looking at her direction, at least nobody she could see.
'Strange.' She thought.
The match ended in a draw. Both were knocked out the ring. Bakugo was pissed but Aizawa called over the next competitors. Kaminari and Aoyama.
Matches continued until it was time for class to end.
Momo couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her the whole time.
It was weird but she pushed the feeling away.
'Probably a side effect of self-loathing.'
Momo had to admit she felt giddy inside. Her negative emotions from earlier were gone as eagerness swelled her system. She can learn how to counter that deadly head scissors. She can learn some moves from a martial arts master. Maybe she can grow to Uraraka's level in unarmed combat one day.
Sorry IzuMomo and TodoMomo. This is Ojiro's time to shine. I had to tease the ships lol. Sorry for fans of those ships but this is the underdog's story. Anyways I know I might get flak about how Momo lost quickly, but keep in mind this is before finals and her win over Aizawa. Todoroki didn't raise her confidence. She still struggles with quick thinking in the midst of combat. Once Asui had her locked down, she panics and tries to make a staff. Once Plan A fails, she overthinks and ends up losing. That's my take of the fight.
You are welcome to disagree but no shittalk. At least be constructive if its criticism. Anyways hope you all enjoy. I am not sure when an update will come.