I'm loving the response guys. I hope this story can one day reach 1K faves and follows on FFN. Always wanted a fic to hit that number lol.
A shirt with blue, red and yellow to show the world he loved All Might? Check.
A nice pair of jeans his mother bought him for this sort of situation? Check.
A rather expensive jacket his mother bought him for this sort of situation? Check.
UA package? Check.
Izuku now had everything he would need for the dinner he was having with Kendou's family. It was meant to be a casual thing, but knowing his mother she would want photo after photo after photo so it was best he at least looked good in them.
There were enough embarrassing photos of him as it was. He had no idea where his mother kept them, but he had a feeling he would never find them until she decided to humiliate him in front of some friends...
She wouldn't do that to him, right? Not tonight at least, but it was almost a lock that she'd show Kendou photos of when Izuku was young and dumb. The dread that image conjured was enough to make his skin crawl.
He could not let that happen under any circumstances.
"Izuku," his mother said as she stepped into his room, "Itsuka's father said he just arrived downstairs. Itsuka and her mother are already at the restaurant and got us our table. We need to leave."
His mother was dressed up too. Nothing crazy, but definitely not the stuff she would wear while at home. She also held a handbag and despite himself, Izuku wondered what was in the bag. He wouldn't put it past his mom to put his baby pictures in there.
He had to keep an eye on her.
"Alright, let's go!" Izuku said as he scooped up the package from UA, "Uh, mom. Have you seen my escrima sticks anywhere? The school said they would mail it with my letter."
"Do you mean the metal sticks that have this tape that looks like what used to be on my tennis racquet on it?" she asked him with a wide smile, "They're on the table. We'll have a talk about them later."
"S-Sounds great," Izuku said with a shaky smile, "Well w-we shouldn't let Kendou's father wait! You should head down to greet him! He could have parked on the wrong side or something plus it would be rude! I just need to use the bathroom quickly."
"We'll talk about this later," his mother promised with a half-serious glare that softened immediately, "I'll be down in the car. It's a black sedan. Don't forget to lock up!"
"I won't," Izuku promised and his mother smiled before leaving.
He waited for the door to close shut before moving into action. He got his school bag out and opened it up. He had emptied it earlier after devouring the doughnuts Sumire had gotten him.
The stuff he would be putting inside the bag wasn't nearly as fun.
He skipped into the living room to get his chakra rods and put those in as well. After some hesitation, he put in two kunai as well. He has no intention of using them on somebody, but they could come in handy.
Plus, the whole villains meeting was about Konoha artefacts. It would only make sense that he showed Sumire some of what he had gotten from Konoha. They could compare it with the rest of what had been taken from Konoha.
The meeting loomed over Izuku like a spectre. If he were on his own than he would not be so worried. However, with Sumire there, he would have to be extra cautious about everything. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt especially under his watch.
In all honesty, other than Dabi or Muscular showing up, Izuku did not have too many worries about the strength of everyone else. They had been recruiting everyday thugs to act as sentry guards after all and Kage had beaten plenty of everyday thugs over the past few months.
Izuku finished by putting his mask in the bag and he left it by his window. He would have to sneak out to get to Sumire tonight and if his mother heard him leave then it would be game over.
Izuku put on some cologne before taking his phone and the package. He turned off all the lights and locked up before running for the stairs. He reached the ground floor a few seconds later and he looked around before spotting his mother talking to a somewhat familiar man with brown hair.
That was definitely Kendou's father. Izuku still remembered the video of Kendou flooring her father with an uppercut. He could appreciate what that meant now looking at Kendou's father. He was in very good shape, better than some Pro Heroes in all honesty.
What was his Quirk? Was it like Kendou's or something different? He must know quite a few fighting styles too since he taught Kendou. Perhaps he had taught a few Pros as well? Maybe—
"Focus," Izuku chastised himself as he refocused on the task at hand, "Those are questions for later."
Thankfully, neither his mother nor Kendou's father had noticed him just yet. He crossed the street and heard the last bits of an upbeat conversation before they stopped talking as they noticed him. His mother took the UA package from him as she moved to introduce him.
"Umai, this is my son Izuku," his mother said with a bright smile. Her natural cheery demeanour was something Izuku wished he had inherited from her. Umai turned towards him and a mass of anxiety just dropped on him.
"Uh, it is very nice to meet you, Kendou-san," Izuku punctuated the awkward greeting with a bow, "You have a very beautiful car."
Umai looked at him with a blank expression before a broad smile spread across his face, "I thought I recognised you! You're the kid who's been outperforming all of my customers in the gym! You're a legend at my gym, you know that?"
He was?
"I-I am?" Izuku asked and Umai nodded vigorously.
"Absolutely!" Umai said with a bright smile and booming voice, "Everyone kept telling me about this kid with a crazy schedule, but I was usually up in the dojo or at our other business. Did no one ever ask you about your schedule? People thought you were gonna tear something!"
Umai's positivity was like a balm for Izuku's nerves. It was impossible to be nervous around someone so upbeat. Instead, he just felt extremely embarrassed that Umai was showering him with praise. His schedule wasn't that bad, was it?
"I just used a programme that Olympic athletes followed back in the days," Izuku said rubbing the back of his neck, "It's not a big deal, really...I'm sure most people could handle it."
"If you say so," Umai said but it was clear from his tone that he didn't believe, "Well, now that we're all here, we can head out! You guys have got everything you need."
They did have everything they needed and soon they were off. Umai and his mother were engaged in a casual conversation and so Izuku allowed his mind to wander. Today had been such a crazy day between meeting Sumire, the random encounter with Bakugou and there was still more that laid ahead.
There was also the haunting vision he had gotten of Sakura and that old lady— Chiyo. A vision he had gotten while awake. It was one of Chiyo betraying Sakura for reasons that were not entirely clear. At least to him. There was a lot of stuff said that Izuku just did not fully understand.
The worst part of the vision, though, had been Chiyo's death. Sakura had just killed her. He had killed Chiyo. He had felt the rage and surprise and betrayal that spurred Sakura into killing Chiyo. He was now aware that he was seeing visions of someone's life, but it still felt like more than that.
He had heard Sakura's thoughts, he had known the very moment Sakura had decided to kill Chiyo and how she planned to do that too. It was...haunting. He had known that Konoha citizens were fighters and that obviously implied a certain level of violence, but it was another thing entirely to watch someone die.
The ban on killing had been implemented quite a bit before Izuku had been alive. There had been a time where heroes were allowed to kill, but some protests from citizens had made the government push back on the powers afforded to heroes.
Killings did happen, but they were extremely rare and fully investigated. Heroes were meant to capture their targets no matter how evil they may be. They were then thrown inside prisons— the worst of which was Tartarus. For obvious reasons, no one knew the way Tartarus operated, but apparently, death was preferable to going there.
Only the worst of the worst ever made it inside Tartarus and no one ever left it.
That was probably why Chiyo's death had stunned him. It was obviously in self-defence, but he had felt Sakura's nonchalance at what she had done. It was understandable, of course. Chiyo was about to kill Sakura, but if a healer had zero issues with killing then what were the actual fighters like?
The contents of Hiruzen's scroll was mostly academic and anecdotal in nature. That part of the man's life was never really expanded on, but perhaps it was just because Hiruzen himself was so used to it. If Konoha was a part of society numb to killing then it all but cemented the fact that their downfall had to be grisly.
Izuku put those thoughts aside as he focused on what probably the only positive from Sakura's vision. The chakra strings Chiyo had used piqued Izuku's interest. It reminded him a lot of what Best Jeanist could do.
In fact, Izuku was certain that him thinking about one of Best Jeanist's past fights had triggered the vision in the first place. It was a bit concerning that random stimuli could trigger memories, but there really was not anything he could do about it right now.
Everything had a weakness, right? This was just one downside that was steeply outweighed by the upsides of chakra. In any case, it was not like he could uneat that fruit or something so he just had to build a bridge and get over it.
Still, though, the vision did leave with a few new goals. First, he wanted to reverse engineer Chiyo's chakra strings. If she could use it to move Sakura around then it could probably be used on other objects as well. It was pure chakra manipulation and not something truly outlandish like elemental ninjutsu or genjutsu so he could probably get away with using it at UA.
Much like how Endeavor had different ways of manipulating his fire. Would that explanation work? He sure hoped so.
It was imperative that he began to differentiate what Kage could do from what "Izuku" had already shown. UA saw him use energy that was a strength and speed enhancer as well as a healing accelerant.
Meanwhile, Kage could swap with objects, make clones, cut through Eraserhead's scarf and of course use the Body Flicker. If he kept the ridiculous stuff for Kage but kept the more "possible" stuff for him then great.
It was the only solution until such a time, Izuku could safely reveal more of what he could do.
There was still a lot to be done with what he could do now though. For example, the way he used Surface Sticking to always be on balance when sparring against Kendou was a good example of a hidden skill that would help him.
His elemental manipulation was coming along nicely, but he wasn't comfortable with throwing jutsu around just yet. However, perhaps there were ways he could use them "invisibly".
An idea for one such thing came into his mind almost immediately, but he was forced to shelve it as the car rolled to a stop. Izuku unlocked his phone to check the time and he saw he had a message from someone. Sumire.
[Sumire: Meeting is confirmed for 11 PM tonight at Agatarri Mall. We need to be there before they're there. I'll be parked outside your flat around 10:00. Be ready.]
That confirmed that. Izuku messaged Sumire a confirmation before putting his phone away. It was around half past six now. He had enough time to have fun before getting down to business. He banished all thoughts of the meeting though for now. He picked up the UA package and smiled as he read his name written across the front.
He had a Kendou to shellshock.
The restaurant Kendou's family had picked out was rather nice. It was a steak ranch that seemed geared to families especially. There was a children's playground in the far corner with trampolines and a large ball pit.
Opposite the entrance to the restaurant proper, was a sprawling arcade that grabbed Izuku's attention with all the lights and noises coming from it. He followed his mom and Kendou's father as they walked around the restaurant before they finally reached a table with five seats.
Kendou was in a seat facing away from them, so a woman, who was obviously her mother, was the first to spot and greet them. It was her who Kendou got her orange hair from, but her eyes were blue, unlike Umai and Kendou's green.
She tapped Kendou on the shoulder before greeting his mother. After some pleasantries were exchanged, Izuku had a somewhat awkward greeting with Kendou's mother who was called Kishu. At the same time, Kendou introduced herself to his mom and they then greeted each other. Soon they were all seated around the table.
Kendou was to Izuku's left and his mother to his right with Kendou's parents taking the last remaining seats. They were seen to by a waiter and after their drinks and food were ordered, some actual conversation began. Kishu was the one who got the ball rolling.
"It really is nice to meet you, Izuku," Kishu smiled at him causing a bit of a flutter in his stomach, "Itsuka has spoken quite a bit about you. We usually never get to hear about her friends and now she goes on and on—"
"Mom," Kendou whined her face buried in her hands, "You said you'd be normal..."
"Did I say something wrong?" Kishu's tone was thick with fake innocence, "I just thought it would be nice to let your friend know how much you think of him! There's nothing wrong that is there, Umai?"
"I am not here," Umai evaded as he kept his gaze pinned on a mounted TV, "I know better than to get in between you and Itsuka. Remember the pig costume?"
As if through magic, Kendou seemed to bury her face deeper into her hands. She let out a groan of embarrassment that made Izuku smile. Izuku could not relish Kendou's embarrassment as his mother seemed keen to outdo Kishu.
"The same goes for Izuku. He's talked my ear off about how lovely your daughter is," his mother said and Izuku's ears were lit aflame, "You should have seen how nervous he was before calling her! It was so cute!"
His mother and Kendou's mother got immersed in a conversation about their children as if they weren't right there. They began to trade stories and with that Izuku knew he just had to shut his brain off. He'd combust if his mother mentioned anything about the outfits he'd worn.
Thankfully ignoring that was made easier by Umai speaking to him, "So, Izuku? How do you think your exam went? Itsuka did very well for herself and I'm sure you must have as well judging by how she looks after your spars..."
"I did have to go the dentist by the way," Kendou said as she turned towards him, "You knocked a few of my teeth loose."
"And that would have never happened if you just guarded your face," Umai added smoothly causing Kendou to roll her eyes, "Kendou is a talented martial artist, but sometimes she can get a bit..."
"Reckless?" Izuku offered and Umai nodded his head.
"I mean that's not exactly how I'd put it, but—" Umai began before flinching and putting a hand under the table, "Ow! Where was I? Right. The UA exams?"
Izuku glanced at Kendou who now had a rather broad smile on her face. It was a sharp contrast to the pain-stricken one on her father's. Their mothers were now enveloped in a conversation about something Izuku couldn't quite catch, but judging by their smiles it must have been something good.
A warm feeling bloomed in his chest as he spoke, "I think we both did well enough to get in. I owe a lot of that to you and your daughter, Kendou-san. If I hadn't found your gym or trained with Kendou then I'd have had a lot harder time getting in."
It really was true. Izuku was just a culmination of different people's effort. Himself, his mother, Kendou, Umai, Sumire the countless heroes he saw every day and even Bakugou. They had all had a hand in moulding him as he continued to grow and develop.
He could probably add Sakura to that list now.
"So how was training with Kendou?" Kishu asked as she and his mom caught wind of their conversation, "Have you had any major injuries from Itsuka? The others in the gym seemed to always end up banged after facing her just once and you trained with her for months."
He was once again the centre of attention for everyone at the table.
"Well, I think we both gave as good as we got," Izuku began still a bit unnerved by Kishu who looked just like an older Kendou now that he thought about it, "She didn't just beat me up, though. She really is a very good teacher."
"That is some high praise," Kishu said smiling at him, "If you're even half as good a student as Itsuka says you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you topped the charts."
"He is that good of a student, " Kendou said with certainty, "I worked him to the bone! I taught him everything I knew. Some of the stuff I had to look up. Strikes, grapples, submissions. He's a quick study. It really impressed me!"
The waiter arrived at the table and began laying out drinks. Izuku took his drink as Kendou continued to speak about their training. Umai had lost interest in the TV and was now also paying Kendou his full attention.
"That does sound like Izuku," his mother said as she and the others sipped from their drinks, "He isn't one to do things halfway."
"Definitely not," Kendou said after taking a sip of her soda, "It was difficult for me too after a while. There were days where he pounded me so hard, I'd feel sore for days after."
Oddly, the three adults choked or made other noises startling Izuku. The waiter, who had not yet left, stared between Kendou and Izuku quizzically before he gave Izuku a thumbs up.
What was that about?
"Excuse me, I think that went down the wrong pipe," his mother said her face red from choking on her drink Izuku assumed, "Y-You were s-saying?"
Kishu and Umai were in a similar state to his mother. Perhaps the alcohol they had ordered was off? Izuku had only ever had one sip courtesy of Aunt Mitsuki and it had been awful. Bakugou had, a little unsurprisingly, enjoyed the burning liquid.
"Oh right," Kendou didn't seem to notice anything was amiss, "He just worked me over really hard. He made me feel things in places I didn't know existed...He bent my body in ways I didn't know it could. It was amazing."
Umai cleared his throat.
"Izuku really has got a gift for martial arts. Striking, grappling, submissions and everything in-between," Kendou finished and Izuku swore he saw the adults relax into their seats, "He's a lot more of a challenge of those meatheads at the gym and that includes you, Dad."
"Normally, I'd be hurt by that, but honestly I'm just relieved right now," Umai said as he wiped some sweat off his brow, "Oh, look here comes the food. Why don't you kids go to the arcade after eating and then we can open those packages up before some dessert? What do you say?"
Izuku met Kendou's gaze and they nodded at once.
"Cool."
"That sounds great!"
The food arrived not long after that and at Kendou's behest, Izuku ate as quickly as he could. He was already starving so her urging had been unnecessary. They both already had money so they bade their parents a temporary farewell before making their way to the arcade.
"So, you've met my parents..." Kendou said without looking at him, "Sorry, if they were weird back there. I told them to cool it, but—"
"I think they're awesome," Izuku cut Kendou off as they joined the line to buy some tokens, "I mean, yeah, they like teasing you, but that's what parents do, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Kendou said rubbing the back of her neck, "At least they seem to like you. My mother especially."
"O-Oh, really?" Izuku's voice was very high-pitched, "I didn't see things like t-that. Your parents are just really sweet. What does your mother do?"
"I think it's better if I showed you," Kendou said piquing his interest.
There had been some talk of there being another business, but what that business was exactly was still unclear. They were now at the front of the line and after buying a copious amount of tokens for the both of them, they were off.
Kendou seemed to know her way through the arcade rather well and eventually, they came to a stop at an empty game. It was a two-player game and Kendou, being Kendou, popped in tokens on both sides.
"What's with the face," Kendou asked as she climbed onto something that only partially resembled a motorcycle, "You aren't scared, are you?"
"Me? Scared?" Izuku tried and failed to say with nonchalance, "I'm just cautious. There are crash pads all around us. These things seem a lot more hardcore than the other stuff in here too! I just don't want to get an injury is all."
Plus, the game was called Death Race 3000. He knew an omen when he saw one.
"I've punched you with a giant fist and you were fine afterwards."
"I was bleeding from my mouth and lost a tooth."
"That's why I said fine and not unharmed," Kendou quipped as she revved her motorcycle, "Tell you what, let's make a bet."
As soon as Kendou said the magic words, Izuku was interested. Maybe it was her competitive spirit firing his own up or something, but Izuku had begun to get a bit of taste for betting. Friendly bets only. Nothing too risky.
"I'm listening."
"We play as many arcade games as possible until we have an overall winner," Kendou began before dropping the hammer, "Loser has to open their UA letter first."
Izuku climbed onto the motorcycle, "Let's do this thing. How hard could it be?"
The game booted up with loud rock music. The motorcycle vibrated underneath Izuku as he moved around to find a comfortable riding position. The first warning sign was seeing how Kendou seemed all too comfortable on the futuristic motorcycle.
The second warning sign was how quickly Kendou selected a level. The third warning sign was one of the arcade workers popping down on a nearby chair with a briefcase in his hand. It had a large cross on the front synonymous with hospitals.
"W-What's that for?" Izuku asked the worker who seemed exhausted but was still happy to answer.
"First aid kit," he answered as he slapped the briefcase, "We usually need them after people get on this ride. Government regulations or something...you should be okay, though...Probably. "
The final warning sign was the dazzling and wild smile on Kendou's face as the game booted up.
"...I've made a terrible mistake..."
A river of sweat was going down the back of his neck. Izuku's arms and legs burnt with exertion and anticipation. Izuku slowed his breathing as he tried to sound out his target. He strained and struggles until he heard it. Running. He peeked around a corner and was forced to move back as his target began to turn towards him.
He crept the other way around the wall and to his fortune, his target's back was turned towards. Izuku lifted his weapon and dashed forward. His target turned towards him with a weapon of their own and they both fired at the same time.
*PING*
*PING*
"A double knockout?" Izuku said as he lowered his laser gun, "That means—"
Izuku looked at the number on his chest: 29. He looked at his opponent and he sighed as he read the number 30 on her chest. Why had he chosen this event as the decider?
"I win!" shouted Kendou as the lights came on in the laser tag arena, "You can't hide your stupid score from me now!"
"That's fifteen wins for the wonderful and lovely Itsuka Kendou," she struck a pose in front of him, "Tell me, Izuku. How does it feel to be completely and utterly destroyed by me?"
"I beat you fourteen times."
That reminder, obviously, didn't work.
"And you still lost," Kendou said airily, "You put up a decent fight, junior, but there was nothing you could do. I am inevitable."
Izuku was about to reply when an arcade worker called out to them.
"Hey buddy!" he said with a few kids in tow, "Could you and your girlfriend vacate the arena? All of the kids you two eliminated paid for a second go. Without you."
Kendou still high on her victory turned towards him, "Well, maybe if those kids weren't so crappy then—"
"We'll get out of your hair, thanks!" Izuku drowned out the rest of Kendou's retort as he ushered her out, "We really need to head back. I'm sure our parents are going crazy looking at those letters.
"Alright, alright," Kendou said dropping the issue, "I kinda got a bit too invested in that, didn't I?"
"Maybe a little," Izuku said as they took off the laser tag equipment before he turned to Kendou with a straight face, "I mean those kids were crappy."
Kendou stared at him blankly before they both erupted into peals of laughter. It really wasn't that funny of a joke, but whenever one of them stopped the other would make eye-contact and set them both off into laughter again.
By the time, they made it back to the table inside the steak ranch, Izuku's face and chest hurt from smiling and laughing ad nauseam.
Kishi seemed to notice their good mood immediately, "I was convinced you guys had eloped. What's got you two so riled up?"
"I-it's nothing, m-mom," Kendou said a giggle or two escaping her lips.
Izuku didn't trust himself to speak so he just remained quiet. It was a task made harder when he made eye contact with anyone and especially Kendou, but finally, they were able to get themselves under control.
"Alright, I'm just gonna be blunt," Umai said as he rubbed his hands together, "I've been waiting for this so a speech and then onto the main event? You guys have your cameras ready?"
This last part said to Kishu and Izuku's mother who both had video cameras out. Izuku and Kendou didn't even have time to object before Umai began speaking.
"Itsuka," Umai began and the warmth in his tone made Kendou glow a bright red, "You are our pride and joy. All the achievements and accolades I've achieved in my life mean nothing when I look at the young woman you've become. You keep blowing away and all expectations we have of you. We know that you'll grow up to be a phenomenal hero."
Kishu didn't say anything, but she and Umai reached across the table to grab onto Kendou's hand. Speaking of which, Kendou had a smile on her face as well as tears as she at her parents. She didn't say anything for a bit and when she did speak her voice was warbled and choked with emotion.
"T-Thank you, mom and dad," Kendou smiles through her tears, "I owe who I am to you both and I'll do my best to make you proud of me."
"We always have been proud of you, Itsuka," Kishu said as she steadied the camera, "Nothing could ever change that."
Izuku's mother handed Kendou a handkerchief from her purse which she used to good effect. Izuku was also feeling pretty choked up and happy for Kendou and he had the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes. It only got worse when his mother spoke to him as she handed the camera to Umai.
"Izuku, I'm not sure I could fit everything I want to say in this speech or we'd be here all night," his mother began with some tears in her eyes, "What I will say is that you've made me prouder and happier than I thought possible. You are such a sweet, selfless and helpful boy. I remember when you were four years old and you used to ask me to replay All Might's debut for you...over and over again..."
A wet laugh escaped Izuku as tears leaked from his eyes. His mother was in much the same state and he was sure they were quite the sight, but he couldn't find it within himself to care about crying in public.
"I know that you will inspire a lot of other children just like All Might did for you," his mother said wiping her eyes, "I know without a shadow of a doubt that you'll become the greatest hero the world has ever known."
Izuku rose out of his seat and wrapped his mother in a tight hug. The sincerity and emotion in her speech spurring him into action. He only pulled away from the hug as he realises they had company. He needn't have worried though as he saw all three of the Kendou beaming at them.
Kishu gave him a handkerchief that he used to mop up his tears before finally the moment of truth came. A glance around the restaurant told him quite a few people were interested in what was going on at their table, but he couldn't care less.
Izuku got his package out first. A quick word from Kendou about his lost bet was all that was needed and soon Izuku carefully opened the package. The first thing he pulled out was a disk of some sort that he realised was a hologram projector.
He placed it on the surface of the table and not long after that did the hologram switch on. A majestic tune began to play throughout the restaurant that now had its lights dimmed and was now a fair bit quieter.
A booming laugh erupted from the hologram. Izuku's jaw dropped as he recognised the powerful voice for who it was immediately.
"A-All Might?"
Immediately after saying that, the man himself popped into view on the camera. His video was garnering major attention now that All Might had appeared on-screen. Everyone around the table was paying rapt attention except for Kendou who looked at him with an expression of overjoyed shock.
"I am here! ...in holographic form!" the hologram's speakers only slightly distorted his voice, "You must be wondering what I'm doing in this— your letter from UA! The reason is simple. I am going to be joining the UA staff as a teacher for the Hero Course!"
Kendou's hand had been tapping his leg faster and faster, but after that last sentence, she just grabbed onto like it was a stress ball. Izuku was no daring much better. His mouth hung open as he focused on each and every word All Might said.
"Izuku Midoriya!"
"He's talking to me," Izuku breathed out as the video kept playing.
"You were one of the many who took the Hero Course entrance exam," All Might said a bit more subdued, "You passed the theory exam and you managed to accumulate...117 points!"
"What?!" Kendou whirled around to face him her face the picture of shock, "117! You blew me out the water!"
There was now a bit of crowd around the table as the patrons realised they were getting an inside scoop on not just the number one hero but also the number one hero school in Japan. Izuku didn't have time to respond to Kendou as the video rolled on.
It showed highlights of him destroying bot after bot until the zero-pointer emerged from the ground. All Might's voice then continued to speak as video of him organising the evacuation plan played.
"That would be enough to ensure your entry into UA, but went beyond dealing with the second stage!" All Might said with a painfully wide smile, "You spearheaded and organised a very efficient retreat with your comrades and this has to be rewarded!"
"A special panel of seven judges gave you a score out of 10 for your contributions to this portion of the exam! These 'rescue points' are added to your overall score!"
A video of Uraraka floating students as they lined up.
"Ochaco Uraraka! 65 rescue points!"
Another video of Aoyama flying through the air his navel laser firing at full blast. His face turned to the camera and winked nonchalantly as if he weren't flying through the air.
"Yuga Aoyama! 50 rescue points!"
A video of Iida.
"Tenya Iida! 53 rescue points!"
Yaoyorozu was next. Her video showed her creating the anti-puking pills for Uraraka as well as the ropes and harnesses they used
"Momo Yaoyorozu! 60 rescue points!"
Instead of going into his next, though. A list began to form starting at number 10 and climbing up. It also showed, once again, a personal highlight reel for who Izuku could only assume was the mentioned name.
He began to read the names as he watched them come up.
10. Fumikage Tokoyami 108 [82+26]
9. Yui Kodai 115 [68+47]
A boy who controlled some sort of sentient shadow to great effect, as well as a girl who could shrink things, was next. Both Quirks were very interesting and despite the occasion, Izuku itched to write down everything he could see.
He knew the next two.
8. Ochaco Uraraka 115 [50+65]
7. Itsuka Kendou 117 [77+40]
The unexpected spoiler made their table erupt into cheers. Kendou's parents all but sprinted around the table and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Izuku himself was then swept into a hug by Kendou which he returned after a moment's pause.
"We got in!" Kendou chorused as she spun him around, "We're going to UA. We're going to be taught by All Might! This is crazy!"
By the time, the table had settled down somewhat, they caught the last of Yaoyorozu using her improvised gun to fire bullets, chains and whatever else she could create. It seemed to be a souped-up version of a blunderbuss that worked to great effect as it helped Momo nail the third spot.
Finally, it was Izuku's turn, his personal highlights were shown again, but this time they showed his rescue efforts. His mother gave him a rather proud smile when he went back to rescue Yaoyorozu, but that dropped as the table, and by proxy some of the restaurant's nosier patrons, watched him take down the robot.
The only silver lining was that they had skipped past his spontaneous healing.
"As you just saw, the competition was steep and your performance still stood tall," All Might's voice returned out of nowhere, "In fact, after all, you did in that part of the exam, the judges couldn't give you anything less than you deserved."
"Izuku Midoriya. 70 rescue points."
2. Izuku Midoriya 187 [117+70]
1. Katsuku Bakugou 188 [119+69]
The praise from All Might made Izuku feel as light as a balloon. Even the quick highlight video of Bakugou destroying a zero-pointer washed off of him like water off a duck's back. When in great company like his mom, Kendou and her family, he couldn't quite find it within himself to care all too much that he had lost to Bakugou.
All Might's parting words still rang in Izuku's mind
"Izuku Midoriya..."
"This is your Hero Academia!"
The rest of the night was a blur. They watched Kendou's own video which was similar to Izuku's but focused on what Kendou had done right. She had literally carried people across the line and in other cases rescued them from sticky situations by beating down robots.
From there, dessert was had and many, many pictures were taken. Eventually, they had to leave and Umai dropped Izuku and his mother off at home. Kendou was there this time and Izuku was able to speak to her while their parents were occupied.
"So I checked the rest of the package in the car," Kendou began before gesturing to the paper in her hand, "I'm in class 1-B."
"I'm in 1-A," Izuku replied disappointed, "I was really hoping we'd be in the same class."
It was also unlikely that they would ever share a class since most schools kept the same class throughout. He hoped that some of the examinees from his exam were with him. Well, most of them. He did not need even more opportunities to make things between him and Yaoyorozu even more awkward.
"Same here," Kendou said folding the paper a bit too harshly, "This blows, but at least we can see each other at lunch and after school. Plus, I'm pretty sure our dorms will be right by each other so it'll be easier than ever to train together."
Maybe it wasn't all bad.
"That sounds great," Izuku said with a small but very genuine smile.
Izuku's phone beeped. He read the message and frowned. It was from Sumire just re-confirming everything that was going to go down. Kendou must have sensed something was wrong as she moved towards him. He put his phone away immediately which caused her to freeze in her tracks.
"Are you okay, Izuku?" Kendou asked her smile nowhere to be seen, "What was that message about?"
He definitely couldn't tell her that.
"Nothing important," Izuku said a bit too quickly, "Not right now at least."
"Alright," Kendou said after a scary moment of silence, "You know I've got your back, right?"
"I do," Izuku agreed immediately, "And I have yours."
Which was why he couldn't implicate her in this.
"As long as we're clear," Kendou said and Kishu called out to Kendou ("I'm gonna miss the race!") obviously wanting to head out now, "I need to leave before my mother bursts a vein. We need to go shopping for our UA stuff together. It'll be fun!"
"Okay!" Izuku agreed hastily.
He expected Kendou to go inside the car, but instead, she pulled him into a hug just like at the restaurant. His face burnt from the close contact, but he was able to reciprocate the hug before things got awkward.
Well, awkward for the both of them.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Kendou's voice was calmer and more tranquil than usual. The softness of her voice made the hair on his neck stand up and his heart thrummed away in his chest.
"I did too," Izuku replied and a few seconds later they were standing apart once again.
"I'll text you tomorrow," Kendou said as she turned to go inside the car, "We need to go shopping for UA supplies still."
"I'll be there."
Izuku bade farewell to Umai and Kishu and soon only he and his mother were left in the street. It was with a bit of a heavy heart that Izuku began the arduous journey up the stairs. His mother was rather tired and so once they got in the apartment she went to bed very quickly.
Izuku kept looking out his window for hours until he saw a blue sedan park across the street. He locked his door, something he never did, and used Surface Sticking to sneak out the window and slide down. Thankfully, at this time the streets were empty and no one saw his rather suspicious actions.
He sidled into the passenger side seat of Sumire's car and he blinked as she stared at him with wide eyes. Her unblinking black eyes tore a hole straight through him and put him on edge.
"Uh, hello?" Izuku tried but Sumire was still staring at him weirdly, "Are you okay?"
"What is your Quirk?" Sumire asked reaching into her bag and putting on her storage crystal, "You're like a box of chocolates. I have no idea what I'm going to get."
He was a box of what? Was that something people said? He'd never heard that before.
"My grandma used to say it to me, okay?" Sumire grumbled as she started her car up, "I hope you won't be so mumbly while we're on the job. That would be embarrassing. And probably cost us our lives too."
Sumire pulled away from Izuku's street as they headed off. Musutafu, being as big as it was, still had an active nightlife, but there wasn't much of a delay compared to how it would've been during the day.
"How are you feeling?" Sumire asked breaking the silence, "Nervous?"
"A little bit," Izuku admitted as he stared out the window, "This can go wrong in so many ways, but I can't think like that. I just want to see this through to the end...what about you?"
"I'm petrified," Sumire said as they left the bright nightlife behind for a residential area, "Those guys are the real deal and you can obviously take care of yourself. I'm just a journalist with fancy eyes."
"I think you're selling yourself a little short," Izuku said as they pulled into an apartment building's parking lot, "You're being very brave by going ahead with this. Not many people would."
"Thanks, I needed that," Sumire said softly as she parked her car, "Okay, let's do this."
Izuku followed Sumire up to her apartment which was near the very top. They made sure to be seen by as many cameras as possible and even greeted the half-asleep clerk at the front desk. Once, they were inside the apartment, though, the airs and graces were dropped.
"Your place is a bit farther than I expected from the mall, but you should be fine," Izuku said after Sumire had changed into darker clothes, "Did you get those pills I told you?"
"Yup," Sumire said as she held up a small pillbox, "A full dosage of over-the-counter antiemetic pills. Side effects include...you know what? I'm just not gonna read that right now. That is horrifying."
"Yeah, we don't have much of a choice," Izuku said as they took one pill each, "My Body Flicker is really disorienting and we'll be using it a lot. Did you get a neck brace and helmet too?"
Sumire held the aforementioned items up, "These are only precautions, right? In case you slip or something. You never have fallen while doing this before, right?"
At that moment, Sumire's wall clock became very interesting.
"I better take a gum guard too if that's your reaction," Sumire said as she went into another room, "You're lucky I have one. Or else we'd just have to charter a ride there."
Sumire returned with her neck brace and helmet on. It would have been a comical sight if it weren't for the situation at hand. Izuku took his mask and rods out of his bag before handing it to Sumire.
He put the mask on and with a few handseals, he Transformed into Kage. The smoke cleared quickly and Sumire lifted her visor to show her amazed and befuddled expression as she now looked up at him.
"You made yourself taller?" Sumire asked with a sort of impressed amusement, "Really?"
"All it means is that people will be looking for someone who's half a foot taller than I am," Kage's familiar distorted voice answered for him, "It's smart."
"That voice distortion thing," Sumire said with interest, "How do you do that? Hell, how does that mask stick to you? I don't see any strings..."
"I'll explain that all later," Izuku said as he looked at the clock, "The meeting is in less than thirty minutes. We have to go."
"I'll hold you to that," Sumire said as she dropped her visor, "How are we gonna do this? Fireman carry? On your back? Bridal? That would be rather bold of someone so young."
"On my back," Izuku said ignoring Sumire's teasing, "Unless you want to risk falling while I'm—"
"Back it is."
Sumire turned all the lights off before she clambered onto his back and wrapped her arms and legs around him. He used Surface Sticking to keep her adhered to her back something she noticed almost immediately.
"This feels weird...but pretty stable too," she said her voice muffled by her helmet, "Now I really want to know what's the deal with you."
"Brace yourself," Izuku said as he stepped onto her darkened balcony and began to weave handseals, "The first time is always the worst."
"I've heard that one—"
Sumire's answer was lost to the wind as they took off with a powerful Body Flicker. The first step was pretty much just a super-powered jump and they soared through the night air, cars and streets lights blinking below them. The wind whipped and tore at him as the cold air seeped into his very bones.
All the while, Sumire was screaming her head off right in his ear.
Finally, gravity began to pull them back down to Earth, but Izuku remained calm as he figured out a safe landing route. He directed his fall towards the back of a large residential building. He underpowered the Surface Sticking and slid down the back of an apartment building like it was made of glass.
They touched down into a back alley and Sumire's screaming finally stopped. They were a couple of blocks away from her apartment and Izuku was pretty sure no one had noticed them. Sumire took the brief respite to lift her visor.
"What the fuck was that?" Sumire sounded jittery as if she'd eaten a bag of sugar, "I feel like my stomach went nine rounds with All Might!"
There was not a single part of Izuku that was pleased by Sumire being shellshocked. There was not even a single iota of him that felt any annoyance for the terror she had struck in him with her message.
"All Might is a teacher at UA now," Izuku said as he prepared an even stronger Body Flicker.
Sumire had already put her visor down, but her voice was still very clear to him.
"What did you say? Oh, fu—"
As another powerful Body Flicker launched them through the air, Izuku could not help, but feel just downright awful for the screaming Sumire.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Sumire had taken her protective gear off and was sprawled on the floor of the mall's rooftop garden. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the annoyance in her voice was clear. Izuku, for his part, chose to stare straight ahead at the street leading to the mall.
"Never mind that," Izuku said as he tried to recentre their conversation, "Depending on who shows up, we need to weigh up what we do. The only sure thing is that if both Dabi and Muscular are here, I can't risk going down there."
The problem wasn't Dabi, not really. It was all Muscular. Izuku hadn't had much time to practice Tsunade-shishou's super strength technique so he knew he was outgunned when it came to facing Muscular.
If Muscular were here then this thing was pretty much a bust. Izuku would prefer if neither Dabi nor Muscular were present, but all he could, for now, was wait and see.
He didn't have to wait long.
A banged-up van turned onto the mall's streets. Its headlights were bright and on reflex, both Izuku and Sumire ducked down a bit. A quick glance towards his partner confirmed that she had begun to film. The van, after a bit of weaving, parked a bit to their left and dropped the brightness of its headlamps.
"Look at the number plate," Sumire whispered and he obeyed only to frown when he saw it was blank, "This van is probably going to be torched the second this thing is over."
There was only worse news waiting for them. The passenger side door opened and out came Dabi. His scarred visage easy to make out thanks to the headlights of his van. The sliding door opened and Izuku expected to see the hulking figure of Muscular appear.
Instead, it looked to be three criminal types judging by their tattoos and the very visible weapons at their side. Dabi turned towards the three of them slowly as if unconcerned by taking up their time.
"Two of you stand front and centre. The other should get the cargo ready," Dabi's order bounced off the surrounding walls, "Our clients won't like having to wait."
The three grunts gave an affirmation of some sort as they began to do as Dabi had demanded. One man and one woman took up positions in front of the car brandishing their weapons. The other went into the van before pulling out two crates.
The one was rather large and came up to the courier/grunt's waist. He used a vertical trolley to wheel them out, but he was stopped from going anywhere by Dabi who held out his hand.
"Stay right there," Dabi said lowering his arm, "These guys might just try to pull a fast one on us."
Izuku found Dabi's calmness to be at odds with the situation. They had gone through the effort of storming a private facility, angering multiple prominent hero agencies all for two crates and their clients might just renege on their deal anyways.
"You just keep the engine hot and ready," Dabi said to no one in particular and it took Izuku a moment to realise he was speaking to the driver, "I am in charge. You're only here because Muscular is still licking his wounds after that rabbit beat him up. So just focus on your job and I'll focus on mine...If Giran didn't vouch for you, I would've burnt you to ashes by now."
Giran? That must have been one of Dabi's connections. Perhaps Sumire would be able to find out more about the guy. If Dabi and Muscular trusted or listened to this Giran guy then he'd be a good lead to follow.
Izuku filed that away for later though as a car turned into the street on the opposite end of Dabi and his people. The car was a black sedan which also had no plates. It parked about fifteen metres away from Dabi's van and their headlights merged to illuminate even more of the street.
From what Izuku could see, the front of the car was full, but a person from the back came out. He looked nondescript in every way and his face was covered by a mask leaving only the top part of his face visible. The mask was actually more a scarf and it's blood-red colour shone under the lights of both vehicles.
"If it isn't —"
"Don't say my name!" the masked man said cutting Dabi off, "Let's just get this over with I have things I need to do."
The courier-villain made to wheel the cargo, but he was stopped by a cold look from Dabi. That bitter glare melted away as a smile snaked its way onto Dabi's face.
"Come on, Hosu isn't even that far away," Dabi quipped but when the masked man only crossed his arms he smiled, "Don't be like that. I am a huge fan. Your message is really empowering."
The masked man wasn't having it.
"Show me the cargo," he said rather tersely, "Then you'll get your payment."
"Is impatience...hmmm what's the word...endemic in you people," Dabi drawled and he snorted when the masked man didn't react, "Of course you don't know what that means. Hako! Bring out the big one first!"
Hako rolled out the large crate until it was halfway between Dabi and his client. Dabi walked over to Hako who had pried the crate open with a crowbar that was probably doubling as his weapon. The lid was lifted off and Izuku heard Sumire's breath hitch.
The crate was opened to reveal...kunai... Lots and lots of kunai and shuriken. The black metal shone under the bright lamps and despite himself, Izuku felt some confusion seep into him. This was what Dabi and Muscular were after? Kunai? Izuku had hundreds of these in his room.
"How do I know it's the real deal?" said the man which caused Dabi to let out a loud groan.
Dabi held his hand out and after a moment's pause, Hako gave Dabi his crowbar. Izuku tensed up as he expected a fight to break out, but instead of clubbing the masked man with the crowbar, Dabi dropped it to the ground.
He then took a kunai out of the crate and placed it next to crowbar on the ground. He pointed his hands at the two tools and fired a blast of blue fire. The dark of night graves the flames an ethereal quality as Dabi continued to fire away at the weapons.
After about ten seconds, Dabi stopped firing the blast. He crossed his arms and turned to the masked man who, along with Hako, had taken quite a few steps back. He used his head to point to the tools.
"That good enough for you?"
The part of the road that Dabi had burnt was glowing a bright orange. It looked to be almost entirely liquid and there were still some parts that were bubbling as smoke streamed off of the floor. Was asphalt toxic?
He did not ponder that long ago though as he heard the masked man let out a whistle. Izuku looked back at the molten road and as one would expect the crowbar was melted and misshapen. However, the kunai was glowing a bright orange, but ultimately intact.
"That's not all that stuff can do. Not even close," Dabi said with a devious smirk as if he were the holder of some big secret, "I know you wanted more than just the one crate, but we just had to take some off the top for us. Miraculum is in very high demand after all."
"Wait? Is this all?" the masked man's amazement fell away for indignation, "We told you there were over twenty crates in there and I know you got them all. Why do we only have one?"
The masked man's indignation didn't seem to ruffle Dabi's feathers at all.
"As I said, this stuff is in high demand," Dabi said with a shrug, "Normally, I'd just kill you and your friends so be happy. Plus, I'm not that heartless. We got you guys something just as good. Hako."
Hako seemed to understand what Dabi meant as he retrieved the medium-sized crate. It was opened and this time Izuku realised he had to jump in. Jammed inside the crate was scroll after scroll and that was great enough, but perhaps the most interesting thing inside was an odd black item.
"You see that black thing over there?" Dabi said to his client drawing a nod, "My fire couldn't do anything to it. At all. It's not quite Miraculum, but it is special in its own right. I'm sure you can find a way to use it. Those scrolls would have good resale value too, I'm sure. Everyone wants a piece of the Konoha pie as I'm sure you'll know."
"That's it?! A hunk of metal?" the man said loudly and Izuku felt his heart race as the client's car door opened. He feared things would escalate especially as Dabi made to raise his hand, but surprisingly cooler heads prevailed.
"Stay in there, Taka," the man said and the door was closed a moment later, "Fine, we'll take it. Let me get the money."
Sumire turned towards him her eyes filled with urgency, but Izuku was already preparing to move. The client went to his car and got a briefcase from his partners. Izuku got into position as the handover happened and the client began to wheel away the two crates.
He appeared in the midst of Dabi's crew with a Body Flicker. The two grunts from before were the first to notice him. He activated the Fatebreaker at full power and it was no moment too soon as the male grunt swung at him with a bat.
He slapped it aside with a chakra rod before using both his rods like a scissor to wrench it free from the man's grasp. A rapid kick to the face floored the grunt. The female grunt screamed as she moved behind him and Izuku was forced to substitute with the vertical trolley.
His coils tingled from the sealless Substitution and he lashed out at the stunned client with a swipe of his rod. Unfortunately, he seemed to have superb reactions and all Izuku could manage to hit was the scarf. The man's scarf was wrenched from his face to reveal—
"Native?" Izuku was sure his face matched the horror and surprise on Native's face.
Before either of them could say anything else, there was a bright flash of blue. Izuku grabbed onto the small crate and threw it up and away dropping his rods in the process. He picked them up and just managed to dive out of the way of Dabi's attack. A searing wave of flames swept past Izuku, the heat sapping away at his energy.
He was able to see that Native had also managed to get out of the way. This was only because the brightness of Dabi's attack seemed to have been reduced by his mask so he did not suffer a vision whiteout. Izuku waited for the flames to disperse, but that did not happen. As it turned out, Dabi's attack had been less a blast of fire and more an actual wall of flames.
And it was this wall of flames separated Izuku from getting to a Pro Hero who had dealings with heinous villains like Dabi and Muscular.
Thankfully, he could still peer through it and he watched as someone else(not Native) doused the red hot weapons with water. Izuku didn't recognise the man at first, but he was using some sort of water Quirk to cool the kunai and shuriken.
Native he could see was in the backseat of the car shouting rapid instructions to his partners which reminded him there was still someone else he could ID. The driver was still in their seat. The one who had almost confronted Dabi just a few moments ago.
Ignoring the biting heat, Izuku tried to identify the driver through the flames and to his surprise he recognised him immediately. He wasn't wearing his outfit or anything like that, but with his shocking white hair and muscular physique, it was easy to recognise Death Arms.
"What the hell is this?" Izuku muttered as he tried to rise to his feet.
The penny dropped for Izuku as the man he didn't recognise began to use his Quirk. The kunai were lifted in what looked to be a sphere of water and just like that Izuku knew who it was. The man was never seen outside his outfit but his water shaping Quirk was unique and he tended to work with Death Arms quite a lot as well.
"Hanran!" Native screamed at Backdraft his voice hoarse from the noxious gas, "We've got incoming! Takamaru, get ready!"
Another deluge of flames was launched by Dabi. This was more of an angled strike that seemed to be aimed at taking him out. Izuku used the Body Flicker to get out of dodge and when he looked back he saw Backdraft had summoned a wall of water to block the brunt of the flames.
Izuku was closer to Dabi now and he charged the man. Dabi hadn't seen him evade his attack and he was caught entirely unaware. Or so he thought. A scream from Hako made Dabi whirl around and he stopped Izuku's chakra rod cold.
"I remember you," Dabi said and in a flash, his other hand was right in front of Izuku's face, "Maybe this will make you stay away."
Izuku knew what was coming. Before Dabi could fire, he slammed a swift and panic-stricken uppercut to the man's face. A loud crack punched through the air as the Fatebreaker enhanced strike broke Dabi's jaw. A follow-up kick sent Dabi flying towards the windscreen of his van.
However, he was saved by the female grunt whose hair wrapped him, clearly loopy from the uppercut, up in a net-like cocoon. Hako, foolishly, charged Izuku and he weaved and bobbed through his attacks. His mobility was rather limited by the spreading flames that Dabi had created.
Hako was flagging quickly, though. The fumes getting to him very quickly. Izuku dodged one last sluggish strike before unleashing a flurry of attacks with his chakra rods. Knee, arm, knee, chest, ankle and then jaw. Hako was stumbling around on his feet barely conscious.
Izuku was about to finish him off and take him away when he heard another scream. The woman with the hair Quirk had put Dabi and her other partner inside the van and had launched an attack at him. The hair strands were numerous, but not very fast and so Izuku was able to dodge.
The woman took Hako and made for the van, but Izuku wouldn't have it. He put his rods away and launched forward in a sprint. Hako was put inside the van as the woman's back was slammed into the van's front. She let out a groan as he held her against it.
"What the hell do you guys want with this stuff?" Izuku's all but growled the question, "Why would some Pro Heroes want them?"
The woman crumbled immediately lacking any of Dabi's mettle, "I don't really know! All I know is that everyone is after them, villains and heroes—"
She trailed off as she looked behind him and at the same time, Izuku looked in the windscreen and saw a figure moving towards him. He dodged to the side and it was no moment too soon as a silver arc flashed through the air.
"Fuck!" his former captive screamed as she clutched her stomach before coughing out a question, "W-were you trying to kill me?!"
The question was directed at a blonde girl around Izuku' age. She was dressed as a school girl which was weird enough, but she held a knife in her hand too which was dripping with some blood. So, that explained the silver arc. Now for the bigger question. Where the hell had she come from?
"Oh! You've got some quick reflexes, mister!" The girl giggled and it was intimidating in a way completely different from Dabi's demeanour, "I bet your blood will be so delicious!"
She charged him Izuku was able to get out one of his rods to block her attack. This only seemed to excite her as a garish grin spread across the flame. She seemed completely unfazed by the flames and the fumes in the air. Slash after slash and stab after stab rained down on him and it was only thanks to hours of practice with Kendou that they were all repelled.
By increasingly smaller margins, though, as the girl seemed to figure his tempo out as time went on.
However, after one particularly overzealous stab, Izuku struck. He slapped the knife aside with one rod before striking her across the face with the other. The girl's face was whipped to the side from the attack a loud crack punctuating the strike. When she turned back Izuku bit back a flinch. Her nose was streaming blood and she had an oblong bruise forming on her face.
"I don't want to hurt you," Izuku warned the girl rooting her to the spot, "You can't beat me. Just give up. Pros will be here soon because of what Dabi did."
Izuku had expected or rather hoped that she would give up. Another ghoulish smile spread across her face. She licked the blood streaming from her nose revealing some rather sharp canines. She let out a very inappropriate groan as she tasted the blood.
"Oh, you know bacon's name? Impressive...You're so chivalrous and heroic! Much better than the rest of those losers!" The girl tittered as she lowered her weapon, "What's your name?! I'm Himiko Toga! Your newest and biggest fan!"
"...Kage."
"Well, Kage," Toga said with a bright smile, "I really hope we meet again! I can't wait to suck you dry!"
The distant sounds of sirens drew his attention and Izuku chose not to respond to Toga's comment. He Body Flickered to the roof and he found Sumire who seemed to be fine thankfully. She also held the crate he had thrown up to the roof.
Her eyes faded from red to black as she moved towards him, "That was crazy! Are you okay? Who were those people in the car? They peeled off after that second wave of flames. I couldn't see much of anything through the flames."
"Here," Izuku said as he handed her his mask, "It has a filter. The air up here isn't bad, but I don't know how long you've been exposed. I'll pack everything into my bag."
Izuku did just that. His bag was crammed full of the medium-sized crate's contents. It was only scrolls and more scrolls as well as that odd metallic object. They just managed to fit in his bag and he gave it to Sumire who put it on.
Sumire put on her neck brace and helmet and gave him his mask back. He put it on and soon they were leaving the mall behind thanks to rather liberal use of the Body Flicker. They left the growing conflagration of blue flames and noxious smoke behind.
They arrived, without incident, at Sumire's apartment and they closed all the curtains and windows before he finally dropped his Transformation. His skin still felt a bit weird after very nearly getting cooked alive by Dabi on multiple occasions.
"That was a bit of a mess," Sumire said and he could only nod to agree, "I got a lot of footage of you and the robbers, but what about the buyers? I got nothing on them thanks to stupid Scarface and his stupid flames and smoke. Anything interesting?"
Things were way past interesting.
"I know who the buyers are," Izuku said as he forced a yawn down, "You do too. Hell, most of Japan does. The guy in the scarf was Native. I saw it when I took his scarf off."
"Native?" Sumire's head was tilted to the side, "The guy from Hosu? You can't be serious..."
"I wish I was joking," Izuku said as he ran his hands through his hair, "It was definitely him. Same tattoos and he looked like he saw a ghost when I said his name."
"Now, I really wish my vision hadn't whited out," Sumire muttered and she was about to say more when she saw the look on his face. She frowned.
"There's more, isn't there?" Sumire asked drawing a slow nod from Izuku, "Just tell me."
Izuku took a deep breath, "Native was working with Backdraft and Death Arms."
"...come again."
Izuku re-explained everything he saw and how certain he was of what he had seen. He even made her wear the mask to show that it reduced whiteout. Once that was done, Sumire looked about as drained as he felt.
"All this for some hunks of metal," she let her head rest in her hands, "Miraculum is such a cheesy name too. Who thought of that? Probably someone really lazy...what's even so special about those things?"
I can show you," Izuku said remembering one of his objectives for the night, "I have some of those Miraculum kunai. Well, actually I just call them chakra metal."
"Chakra metal?" Sumire said to herself before shrugging, "That's a lot better than Miraculum...How did you get them?"
"Do you have any drinks? Like coffee or alcohol?" Izuku asked making Sumire tilt her head, "It's not for me. It's for you."
"Is the story that crazy?" Sumire asked with a smile that melted away as she took in his expression.
"There should be some beer in the fridge."
"That's why I spaced out at the diner," Izuku said as he drank from a cup of tea, "I was having another vision, except that time I was awake."
"I see."
Sumire's answer was short. Curt.
"You get all that?" Izuku asked and Sumire nodded, "Okay, great. Any questions?"
"Just a few," Sumire said calmly before putting her bottle down, "Did you drink paint as a child?"
"What?! No."
"Dropped on your head?"
"No?"
"Are we in a simulation? Like that one movie?"
"Would that be more believable than what I just told you?" Izuku asked and Sumire's confusion amused and frustrated a small part of him.
Although, given the circumstances, she wasn't reacting that badly.
"So your bully—"
—childhood friend, actually," Izuku supplied helpfully.
"Oh, my bad. So your childhood bully sent you down a river while on holiday. This is where you found Konoha after finding some secret tunnel inside a wolf's den. So, after that. You got out the tunnel, found Konoha and then...you ate a 'fruit' and this 'fruit' has given you access to an ancient energy that allows you do to pretty much anything and gives you visions of the lives of long-dead super warriors. Did I miss anything?"
"Uh, yes, quite a bit actually," Izuku supplied helpfully once more, "After I ate the fruit, there were these giant white symbols of light in the sky. Then the tree shrivelled into dust and I passed out and woke up in the hospital after Hawks saved me."
"The number three hero Hawks?" Sumire asked and he nodded, "Are you absolutely sure that you aren't just in a coma from eating a weird fruit? And I mean 100% sure. Because, honestly, even after seeing all of what you can do, I still don't believe you."
"What other explanation could there be?"
"I don't know. Multiple Quirks or maybe you have a really good illusory Quirk or something," Sumire said all in one breath, "This story is just crazy to hear about."
Imagine living it.
"You're mumbling again," Sumire said and his cheeks burnt up, "You're right, though. How has this affected you? All of it? I mean you were Quirkless, and now there's a very real chance you surpass everyone that came before you. Is or was it hard to adjust?"
Izuku scratched his cheek, "I don't really see it like that. It is a little overwhelming to know what I can be capable of one day and the visions are a bit of a double-edged sword, but I don't think I can complain too much."
Izuku stared at his reflection in Sumire's TV, "I'm not one to believe in the supernatural or anything like that, but it does feel like I was fated to do more than just be a Quirkless loser. All Might inspired me so much, I wanted to be the next number one."
Izuku turned to Sumire and she was watching him closely, "I want to keep helping you, Sumire. Don't look at me like that...I know I'm just a kid, but the power coursing through my veins should be used for good. I'll still go to UA, but after seeing some actual heroes working with villains, I think we need each other more than ever."
"I don't know about this," Sumire's unease was painted on her face, "How are you even going to get in and out of UA? They'll have really good security for the dorms."
"I can transform into a bird."
"Okay—wait, really?"
"I can transform into anything really," Izuku said to Sumire's amazement, "Going bigger doesn't make me stronger or anything and becoming an inanimate object is awful, but I think I can handle becoming a bird."
Sumire stared at him silently for the longest of times before she scoffed, "Recording eyes are so shit compared to that. It's a good thing you're so likeable. If you were like my ex... Okay! That's not important. Why don't you open one of these scrolls?"
Sumire reached into his bag and handed one to him, "I wouldn't recommend the blood thing, but if you have to, I have a pocket knife in my br—boot. It's in my boot."
Izuku stared at the scroll before he unfurled it. The scroll opened up to reveal oddly familiar ink markings. It only took a few moments to remember where he had seen it. Sakura sealing away Chiyo's body into a scroll. These symbols were seals.
Izuku spread the scroll on the floor and instinctively he channelled chakra into the central symbol. The paper seemed to suck in his chakra before there was a soft pop. Smoke, not unlike his Transformation filled the room, but it faded away quickly.
"I should be freaking out, but I think I'm numb to it all right now," Sumire said and for once Izuku agreed with her.
"If the other scrolls have anything just as cool, I'd overhaul whatever costume design you sent to UA."
As Izuku looked at the pristine red armour, he couldn't help but agree with Sumire's assessment.
"That might be a good idea."
"You know you really didn't have to help me with all of my stuff," Izuku said as he put a box into the trailer, "These stairs are awful."
Kendou placed a box in the trailer and just scowled at him, "Are you saying I'm weak? Because I have knocked you out plenty of times before?"
It was move-in day at UA and Izuku was giddy. After the crazy night with Sumire, he had been able to enjoy a very relaxed week with his mom and Kendou. They'd bought supplies, watched movies and even finalised their hero costumes.
Kendou had not been a fan of his All Might tribute.
"You need to build your own brand. A hero costume should be uniquely you...plus, you'll look like a total teacher's pet."
Her argument was sound, but the tipping point was definitely the treasure trove he had found in those scrolls Dabi had stolen. The second version of his costume would take a while to make, though, so he had to stick with the original for now.
"T-That's not what I'm saying at all," Izuku said raising his hands to placate Kendou, "I just kinda felt bad making you walk up and down all these stairs."
"Well, don't. First of all, you helped me with my stuff," Kendou said smiling even as she chastised him, "Secondly, that's what friends are for."
She then leaned in as her smile dropped, "We are gonna have a chat about how you have so many cool weapons and never told me about it. I heard Auntie Inko say something about a documentary?"
"Did I hear my name?" Izuku's mother said as she and Kishu came down the stairs, "Aw, you guys look so cute in your UA uniforms! Come on let's take another picture!"
"That sounds like a great idea!" Kishu said just as enthusiastically as his mother, "Come now, squish up and big smiles."
"Do we have to?" Kendou whined but she caved under the pleading look from her mother, "Fine. You guys already have tons of photos, though..."
Honestly, Izuku didn't mind taking more photos. It made his mom happy and he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the look of the UA formal wear on him. He and Kendou huddled together and took a few more pictures before it was finally time for them to go.
Umai was inside the car, Kendou and Kishu soon joined him. Izuku hugged his mother goodbye and he was about to leave when his mother pulled out a box from her bag.
"I know you really wanted to design your own outfit so I left it to you but I just thought you'd like this!"
Izuku opened the box up and he smiled as he saw the headband that Japan News Network had sent him. The metal of the plate was clean and almost like a mirror. The metal was attached to a rich, dark green cloth that looked to be very robust.
"I think it goes with your eyes and would make your smile even brighter!" his mother said with a wide smile before tears began to form in her eyes, "Oh my baby! You're going to do so well!"
Izuku and his mother hugged each other for a while longer before forcing themselves apart. She waved him goodbye and Izuku was left with a bittersweet feeling that didn't quite fade as they drove towards UA.
He was left wiping his eyes for quite some time. He appreciated that no one in the car made a big deal about it or anything. In fact, it was Kendou drawing him into a conversation about his mother's gift that lifted his spirits. He handed it over to her as soon as she asked.
"That headband is really cool," Kendou said as she looked at it, "Are you going to get it inscribed?"
"I will," Izuku said as he looked down at the headband, "No idea what to get, though. I don't want it to be lame."
He knew that the headbands always had an inscription on it, but he wanted to pick something he wouldn't regret or want to change. This was a gift from his mother, after all. He had to put as much thought into it as she had.
"I'm sure you'll think of something," Kendou said as she handed it back to him, "Are you nervous? I am. Why couldn't we be in the same class? It would've been so much easier! Now, we're both gonna be in class with complete strangers! You know I—"
"Itsuka, my love," Kishu said airily from the front seat, "You're rambling."
Kendou's mouth clicked shut at her mother's words.
Kishu turned to face them, "You guys really have nothing to worry about. You're both great kids! I'm sure the other kids will be queuing up to be your friends. If I can handle being a racer for as long as I did then you guys can handle something as scary as this."
Kishu's words did help to calm the storm. The funny part was that Kishu wasn't being patronising at the end. Kendou had shown her the stunts her mother had done when she had been a racer. They were scary, but apparently, she had been a big recluse until she had met Umai.
So she definitely understood what they were feeling.
The rest of the conversation on the way to UA was light and breezy. Izuku and Kendou spoke about everything and nothing and before they knew it, the UA gates loomed before them.
Their student IDs were scanned and Umai was allowed to drive his car in. Today was move-in day, but also orientation. Unfortunately, the orientation was only open to the students and so Kishu and Umai wouldn't be able to stay.
There were large direction signs that guided them to the dorms and the very first that they came up to was the 1-A boarding house. It was a multilevel building with a modern design and a manicured lawn lined with beautiful plants. About one hundred metres away, Izuki saw what he could only assume was the 1-B house.
They were trolleys for him to put his stuff on and was Izuku was unpacked he turned back to Kendou and her family. Umai gave him a strong handshake, Kishu a tight hug as well as a kiss on his cheek which made his face burn up.
Kendou was the last to say goodbye, but in reality, they'd be seeing each other pretty soon.
"Make sure you get a nice room," Kendou said as she leaned out the window, "And pick a good bed too! I'm probably gonna sleep in it more than my own so I'm really gonna test it out—Ow! Dad! Why are you closing the window—"
The rest of what Kendou had to say was lost forever as the window closed on her. Izuku watched the car drive away before he began to pull the trolley towards the dorm. There was a table outside with what looked like the sleeping arrangements.
Izuku was the first of anyone to arrive from what he could tell and he was eager to unpack and meet up with Kendou. Before he could pick the paper up, though, a dry and drawling voice spoke from...somewhere...
"Stop right there."
Izuku looked down to see a man with black hair and a caterpillar body lying underneath the table. Izuku blinked. The man blinked. Immediately, Izuku rushed away from the table blubbering apologies as he went along. Who knew what this caterpillar-man would do to him?
"Please don't kill me Bugman, sir!"
"I'm not a bug," the caterpillar said as he wiggled out from under the table, "I'm a teacher."
"Please don't expel me Bugman-sensei, sir!"
The caterpillar-man somehow rose to his feet with a certain grace and poise. It was then that Izuku realised he wasn't looking at the oddest Mutant Quirk the world had ever known. No, instead it was a man in a yellow sleeping bag.
Izuku heard the distinct sound of a zip and while he should have been relieved, his heart dropped. He now wished more than anything that the man was a caterpillar and human hybrid rather than who he was.
Because right now, Izuku was staring right at his worst nightmare.
"As I said I'm not a bug," the man said his eyes bleary and yet laser-like in their intensity, "Hmm. You're Izuku Midoriya, correct?"
Izuku nodded. It was a small thing barely visible and yet acceptable.
"I thought so," the man muttered before taking out eye drops. He put a few drops in each eye before putting it away.
"My name is Shouta Aizawa," Eraserhead said before his next words dropped like a tonne of bricks on Izuku's head.
"I can't let you move in."
Author Notes:
UA. Finally.
So, yeah. Things are heating up.
I wanted to put the week break in here, but eh I wanted to get to UA more.
I love hearing from you guys and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
QoTC: No homework this week, kiddos.
Discord server: discord. gg/ Ty68TdCDu6 (remove spaces)
Short Omake:
"I can transform into a bird."
"Okay—wait, really? Isn't that confusing? I mean you're a guy."
"I can transform into anything really," Izuku said to Sumire's amazement, "Going bigger doesn't make me stronger or anything and becoming an inanimate object is awful, but I think I can handle becoming a bird."
"So any bird? Hmmm, do you know Uwabami?"
"The Pro?" Izuku asked puzzled by the swerve in conversation, "What about her?"
"Can you transform into her? Oh! What about Ryukyu? Or Miruko? Me? A sexier version of me? Wait! A sexier version of you? OHHHH! A sexier, girl version of you?"
Izuku zoned out at the last of Sumire's suggestions.
"Naruto!" Hiruzen shouted as he walked into his scroll room, "You cannot be in here."
"Sorry, but I have to do this if I want to become Hokage!" Naruto said before going through some handseals, "The future is now, old man! Sexy Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke enveloped Naruto before it cleared away to reveal a naked, blonde woman with curvy hips and luscious breasts that—was his nose bleeding? Why was his nose bleeding? Why was the ground getting closer? Wait, oh, fu—
"Yo! Izuku! You did it again!" Sumire snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Your nose is bleeding. How many fingers am I holding up?
"...Yes?"
Sumire frowned, "Oh, no. You're dying, aren't you?"
"I was talking about the last one of your...Transformation suggestions..."
Sumire blinked.
"Oh. Oh."
"Yeah."
"Really? A sexy—"
"Yeah."
"You'd think an ancient civilisation would be more prudish, you know?"
.
.
.
"So like can I see it or~"