This is a reversal. For once it's Itsu-chan who is afraid to touch Izu-chan. Tsuyu thought as she watched her two friends square off against one another.
Izuku, having copied her Frog-quirk, leapt at Itsuka kicking out with his feet but his opponent quickly sidestepped the attack, using the momentum to try and circle to Izuku's side where she could have potentially pinned him down with her arms on his clothed torso. However, Izuku was quicker and leapt away before Itsuka could bring her attack down and immobilize him. The two backed off one another, Itsuka a bit quicker.
It had been a few weeks since their return from their training trip under Torino-sensei, and with the last semester before the U.A. Entrance Exam starting this was the first time they had been able to meet together.
Her fellow greenette may not have recognized it but Tsuyu could tell that Itsuka was avoiding getting touched, skin-to-skin by Izuku. Itsuka was, for lack of a better word, a powerhouse when it came to sparring. Her quirk, her size, and her strength often meant she adopted a very aggressive strategy when it came to sparring on Dagobah leaving Tsuyu and Izuku on the defensive. Now though their orange haired friend was clearly acting on the defensive, every time Izuku moved toward her she went out of her way to avoid his attacks and several times ignored openings that would have brought Izuku down if he didn't avoid them.
She must still blame herself for what happened. Tsuyu ribbited in frustration. After Izuku's first night in the hospital and he had not woken up from his quirk exhaustion Itsuka had become depressed and had been anything but enthusiastic about Torino-sensei's training. When Tsuyu had bluntly asked her what was wrong she had cracked almost immediately, a far cry from the normally confident and level-headed young woman's behavior, and confessed her fear that she had hurt Izuku when he had copied her quirk. Tsuyu had done her best to comfort her amazon friend but even after Izuku had awakened and they had returned to Tokyo it wasn't hard for her to see that Itsuka had become jumpy (no pun intended) around Izuku. If Izuku could just knock her down maybe he can show her how silly she was being.
After he had leapt away from Itsuka, Tsuyu noticed something strange about Izuku's posture. He had put his hands behind his back and under his shirt, away from where Tsuyu and Itsuka could see them.
"I don't remember teaching you a stance like that." Itsuka frowned, she seemed as equally unsure as Tsuyu as what to make of the young man's reasoning to hide his hands behind his back.
"You didn't. It's something new I came up with." Izuku piped back and flashed one of his almost patented brilliant smiles at Itsuka. It made Tsuyu's stomach churn, but in a good way? Sort of? She sighed under her breath. Izu-chan is always so cute when he smiles.
It was true. She had said so on multiple occasions and it always made her strangely happy to see him blush. She wished he would smile at HER more often.
Itsuka advanced on Izuku again, looking for some way she could grab him quickly and cleanly, but as she advanced the sand under her feet shifted and erupted! Surprised, Itsuka stumbled and gasped out, "GAH!"
"Gotcha!" Izuku said triumphantly before he brought out his arms...which were missing his hands and half of his forearm.
"Kero!" Tsuyu said, shocked and confused. She looked closer at his arm stumps and she could see there was red, healthy muscle and bone where each of his arms ended, but he wasn't bleeding at all.
"What-? What the hell!?" Itsuka screamed and it made Tsuyu turn her eyes back to the other young woman. Clamped around Itsuka's bare ankles were her fellow greenette's missing hands which they seemed to be able to do while floating on their own volition.
Wait! If those are Izu-chan's hands on her bare skin doesn't that mean-? Tsuyu's thoughts were cut off as each of Izuku's disembodied hands suddenly swelled larger - yes, just as she had thought they would, they had copied Itsuka's quirk. Before her large friend could break free Izuku's fists were already large enough to completely immobilize her legs - which culminated in Itsuka falling face down into the sand.
"I think that means I win?" Izuku beamed as he strode over to their fallen friend, Itsuka looked up at him, her face shifting from shock to horror and back again several times.
"H-how did you…?" she asked, sounding dumbstruck.
"Heh...you can thank Tokage for that." Izuku blushed and made to rub the back of his head with his hand, but stopped when he realized his arm stump couldn't quite reach. He seemed to focus for a moment and almost immediately his body shifted back to normal - losing his handsome froggy features from Tsuyu's quirk. His hands zipped back to their rightful place attached to his body, shrinking as they went. "She has a body splitter quirk! It's actually pretty amazing! Though what I had to do to get a sample of her hair…" he shuddered.
Shaking his head he smiled at Itsuka and offered her his hand to help her up. Her eyes widened and for several seconds she just stared at his hand...but eventually her dumbstruck look faded as a beautiful, in Tsuyu's opinion, smile slowly bloomed on her lips. She laughed and smacked herself in the head before accepting Izuku's hand - the young man was still nowhere as large and strong as Itsuka was but it was enough. When she climbed back on her own two feet she placed her hands on both of his shoulders and continued to smile with him in silence. The two of them looked like they were sharing an intimate moment...Tsuyu's stomach churned again, but this time in a not-so-good way.
"Izu-chan," she interrupted their moment, hopping over to them and landing close enough to Izuku that he had to divert his attention to her. "What do you mean by...having to do something to get Tokage's hair?"
There was a blush on her face as she spoke the words, and quickly enough one on Itsuka's face before she too looked to their male friend for answers. He took a step back, as if the gaze of both women was too much for him to handle all at once - or he was just embarrassed.
"Uh, well...I…" he rubbed his head with his hand, "I had to invite her to come to Dagobah and train too…"
"Oh? What's this? No lifeguard on duty?" Setsuna cried out as she hopped down onto the sand. Immediately her words had the desired effect of making all three surprised individuals doing some sort of exercise post snapping their heads in her direction.
Let's see. Moptop is still a cutie, and dare I say starting to look pretty fine with those muscles? Froggy has legs for days, I like that. Also the Amazon! I'd LOVE to climb those peaks~ It's a shame I can only come down here every other weekend since I live so far away.
"Guess, I'll have to volunteer! Don't worry, I'll keep a very close eye on each of you!" Setsuna cackled, reaching into her beach bag she pulled out a large container of sun lotion, "Now who here can help me lather up? Or better yet, does anyone need my help?"
Just as she planned, all three stunned onlookers immediately began to blush and look at one another in panic.
Only six more months until the Entrance Exams! They don't know I'm already set to take the Recommendation Exam but I'll have plenty of fun teasing them until then!
*Mean Green Dream Team*
New Member Added: Sword
Sword: Who is this? What is this?
T-Rex: Better question: Why is this?
DNA Helix: Sorry, Togaru. This is Izuku Midoriya. Tokage (T-Rex) found out about your number and our meet up and added you.
T-Rex: I had to! Especially after I found out he is another Green like the rest of us (except Kendou. Come on grl! Let me dye your hair!)
Fist: NO.
Frog: You would look cute with green hair. Kero.
Sword: WHATEVER. MIDORIYA STILL OWES ME A FIGHT!
T-Rex: Oh really? What kind of fight?
Sword: The kind where we test our blades against one another!
T-Rex: Two hot guys wacking at each other all day...I could into that.
Fist: Tokage, no!
T-Rex: Tokage, yes!
DNA Helix: Sigh.
Frog: Sigh. Four more months.
"This place...is amazing!" Izuku gaped along with Itsuka gaped at the sight of the gym they had entered.
It had a heated pool (once Tsuyu got here she would love that), a boxing ring, and a weight lifting area. All in the same room. Everything was clean and state of the art. It looked just like the sort of gym you would have to pay hundreds for just for a month of membership.
Best of all. It was covered in All Might logos and posters! It could have been his room if it wasn't three times as large as his apartment.
"Are you sure you're just not saying that because of the All Might stuff?" Itsuka teased, which earned a coughing, bloody laugh from Yagi-san who had entered ahead of them.
"All Might...yes...you see...the reason because it has All Might…" Yagi-san coughed again, the skeleton man trembling as he spoke, his blue eyes not looking at them as she did so, "This is All Might's personal gym."
"WHAT!" Izuku cried, suddenly on top of Yagi-san, his eyes as wide as saucers. "T-t-t-this is A-all Might's-?"
"Yes, Young Midoriya!" Yagi-san leaned back so that he had some personal space, "I am a secretary in All Might's agency-"
"YOU ARE?" Izuku cried again, practically leaning on top of now as he gripped the man's oversized suit. He felt like he would explode. He was in his idol's personal gym. Not only that but the man who had been helping him and his friends train for months now was one of All Might's secretaries. He had just though Mr. Yagi was an independent trainer. That his offer to let them train at a much warmer place than the snow covered Dagobah Beach would never connect to Japan's #1 Hero. I'll be using the same gym as All Might! Sparring in the same ring that he sparred in! Lifting the same weights he lifted! Swimming in the same water he swam in!
"Easy, easy there. Calm down Midoriya." Itsuka placed her hands on his shoulders and dragged him back from Mr. Yagi who sighed in relief. Izuku's mind was a whirlwind. I have so many questions! How did he meet All Might? How long has he been working for him? What was it like working for him? Has he introduced All Might to Itsuka? Wait. Did Itsuka already know…?
"Did you know Mr. Yagi worked for All Might?" Izuku whirled on his taller friend, looking up into her eyes. The question seemed to catch her off guard as her expression shifted several times before it settled on a sheepish look.
"Yea...I, uh. Met him too." Itsuka replied, she was trying not to look him in the eyes. Behind him Mr. Yagi made a sputtering noise. "I-he was the one to introduce me to Mr. Yagi. Got me started working at Dagobah…"
Something uncomfortable twisted in him. All Might had encouraged him to train his quirk and be a hero, but why hadn't he introduced him to Mr. Yagi the same as Itsuka? Did he not see the same potential in him? Well, Itsuka was absolutely amazing, wasn't she? She was strong, smart, and a great leader. He was happy that All Might had recognized her abilities and was helping her become a hero.
Then why had she kept it a secret? They were friends? Right? No, of course they were friends...just not big secret friends...
"Oh...that's...cool." Izuku replied, forcing a smile on his face but Itsuka seemed to read his mind as she frowned down at him.
"Izuku-"
"All Might and I asked that she not tell anyone of our association." Mr. Yagi interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder, "He has many enemies of course given his line of work and fame. After se-, I mean, hearing about how you have helped Kendou he gave us permission to reveal our...little secret."
"I've been asking him for a while...he just finally came around." Itsuku quickly added, eyeballing Mr. Yagi for a moment before her eyes settled back on him, "I hope you, Tsuyu and Tokage aren't mad at me."
"Mad?" Izuku sputtered, face blushing as he waved off her words, "O-of course not! I-I could never be mad at you...I'm just surprised."
"Right. Y-you are a big All Might fanboy after all…" Itsuka sighed, it looked like a great weight had truly come off her shoulders. Had she really been worried that he and her other friends would be mad at her? He couldn't even imagine ever being mad at her about anything. She was more than he deserved after all.
"Yea...a fanboy."
"Release them from your foul grasp, Beholder!" Itsuka of the Order of the Mighty Fist shouted, ducking aside a kick from one of her party members. The stoic faced monk Tsuyu groaned rather than form any words, her eyes blank as she leapt forward again, her robes twirling as she sent another kick at Itsuka.
"Never! They are my puppets as will you be, Paladin!" the floating monstrosity chuckled darkly at her, its many eyes glowing with evil intent. The beholder was twice her size and more or less resembled a shriveled face with a large maw, an even larger cyclopean eye, and instead of hair it had a dozen stalks sticking out from its scalp each one with a pulsating eyeball. It had been luring travelers into its lair, a large, dank cave from the main road for months. Itsuka and her adventuring party had been commissioned to rid its evil influence from the Yuuei region once and for all.
They had not expected the thing's Domination spell to be so strong, only by the might of her paladin training had she been able to resist the creature's enslavement. Her party members had not been so lucky.
A flash of blue light was the only warning she had but it was enough for her to dodge the spell cast by their Sorcerer, Tokage. A series of small blue hands careened through the spot she had been standing in, it looked like she had chained Mage Hand several times over. Mind-addled Tsuyu was not so lucky, as she stumbled right into the spells' path and was knocked aside. Immediately taking advantage of this reversal she turned and rushed at the Sorcerer, her plate mail clanking heavily as she ran but by the power of her sworn oaths she arrived in front of the sorcerer fast enough to knock her out with one blow of her gauntleted fists.
"How dare you! Worm!" the Beholder bellowed in rage, its eyestalks twitching like dozens of wriggling centipedes. "Defeat her slave or I will feast on your bones!"
Her last party member stepped out from behind the Beholder and advanced on her, her heart clenched in fear as she looked into Izuku's dull eyes, void of the overwhelming caring soul that she knew the Druid for.
"Izuku! Snap out of his fell influence!" she shouted at him, but her words to her dismay fell on seemingly deaf ears. Instead of replying his form twisted and changed before her eyes. To her ever growing horror he did not shape change into a bear or a wolf or even a phase spider! No, instead his body seemed to mutate, growing larger, growing too many limbs, his skin shifting color, his head disappearing into a gaping maw that roared thunderously at her. To add onto all she had witnessed as he moved toward her she could tell he was in deep pain, his twisted body was bleeding the more it moved. The thing she knew was Izuku bull rushed toward her, he hit her hard but she was able to deflect the worst of his blow on her armor.
"Muwahaha! I have broken his inhibitions! He has become an aberration! Now what will you do, Paladin? Let his body tear itself apart or give yourself up so that he may live?" the Beholder's laugh boomed across the cave. Its words only incensed her more! How could it do such a thing to a kind soul such as Izuku's? She swore the Beholder would answer for this travesty, but first she had to deal with her...friend.
"Forgive me, Izuku." Itsuka gritted her teeth as her friend's clawed, gangling limbs that had sprouted from his back raked at her, again mostly catching on her armor but she felt a stab of pain as one found an opening between the plate. She concentrated and began to chant, "I am one, and one for all. Do not fear, innocence, for I am here…"
Her gauntleted fists began to glow with a bright orange light, becoming several times brighter after only a few minutes. The light emitted struck Izuku, burning his aberrant flesh in several places and forcing him to collapse backward in blood and pain, but for a smaller condolence the effect was even worse on the Beholder.
"Nnnnngh! No! Not the One For All! GAAARRAGH!" the Beholder's flesh began to burn in several places, its eyestalks shriveling under the purifying light. His large eye blinked death magic at her but it came out faint and stuttering as it too was burned by her light. Reluctantly leaving Izuku she charged toward the Beholder, her body picking up greater speed as the light from her fists spread down her arms. She slowly wound up her arm, cocking it backward.
"SMASH!" Itsuka roared the words as she thrust her fist directly into the Beholder's eye, it screamed in agony for a moment before the force of her punch ripped through it, blowing out its insides in a gory mess against the wall behind it before the rest of its body followed suit. The cave wall cracked and for good measure several stones from the ceiling smashed into the Beholder but by then it was well and truly dead. As her fists slowly stopped glowing she heard a voice call out to her.
"I-Itsuka?" Izuku coughed out her name. Dreading in her heart she turned and saw that Izuku's body had returned to normal, she rushed back over to him, skidding to her knees as she dropped to his side. His emerald eyes stared into her own, a smile on his face as he croaked out, "You...you saved us…you saved...me"
He was truly back to normal now...except for some reason his shirt had come off. Strange, it normally didn't do that when his shape changed back to his human form. Not...not that she was complaining.
It was perhaps a bit impious of her, but her eyes strayed down across his torso taking in his naked chest, arms, and abdomen. Just as she had expected, his months of training had done WONDERS on his physique. Months of swimming, lifting and sparring had really toned and defined his body - her eyes moved across his skin and she felt as if she was gazing at a marble statue such was his 'development' since she had first met him. She became aware of a heat in her core that seemed to pulsate harder with every inch of his muscles she took in. Softly, she reached out with one gauntlet hand and stroked his arm closest to her. It made her shiver.
"Itsuka. You saved me." his words brought her head back to his face, strange again. He no longer looked haggard and bloodied, he looked clean and as handsome as ever. Those emerald orbs of his stared into her and only seemed to turn the warmth inside of her into a growing fire. "How can I ever repay you? Ask any reward and it is yours!"
"N-no need. I-it is m-my duty as a paladin." she huffed, taken back by how confident his voice sounded, no, not just confident. There was something else...something needy…
"I must!" he pouted for a moment before a knowing smile split his face. His voice cooed out, "I know just the right reward for you, my savior. My knight. My goddess."
Slowly he brought his arms up to wrap around her neck which he then used to pull himself up from the ground against her. His chiseled body felt oh so warm as it pressed against her own, she could feel his bare skin against her- she looked down, strangely yet again her armor was suddenly were naked together. Before she could think on that though, Izuku's face was suddenly closer to her's. Just feeling his solid body press into her own made that fire in her become a inferno! Now his lips were just inches from her own, he was going to kiss her.
Izuku was going to kiss-
*BEEEP**BEEP*BEEP*
"FUCK!" Itsuka snapped awake in her bed, panting hotly she felt sweat soaking into her pajamas. Clearing the sleep from her eyes she looked around, she was in her room - she could tell from the coffee cans and the motorcycle posters. The alarm continued to blare until she reached over and shut it off, leaving her in a strange silence. "What-?"
She shook her head and blinked and thought sluggishly. Was I dreaming? Yes, I was. What was it? Izuku was in it, right? He was there...and my eye doctor or something like that? Gah! I hate it when I wake up and immediately forget my dream.
She yawned, and scratched her chest, her eyes falling onto the calendar she kept hanging by her nightstand. She looked at the latest date and her eyes snapped all the way open.
"The U.A. Entrance Exam is today!"
