Chapter 5: Fated Rivals, Budding Lovers
Review Replies
Devil Dragon Stand Knight: I wonder if we'll get a story with Izuku as Escanor
ThermalsniperN7: Someday, when we actually get to planning that.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah…
Cyde: I like the concept and the execution for the most part. The confrontation with Aizawa feels sort of like it was shoehorned in awkwardly when it doesn't really fit. It was one thing (albeit a stupid thing) for Aizawa to put Izuku down in canon. He literally shattered his limbs because he didn't know how to use his quirk safely.
Your Izumi, on the other hand, barely hurt herself, making it seem like Aizawa expects his students to be able to use their quirks flawlessly on the very first day of their first year of school. If it was to establish Izumi as sort of the violent tomboy trope when it comes to her personal space in front of the class, there would have been better places to fit that in and a handy foil in Minoru Mineta for her to punch through a wall.
ThermalsniperN7: It does seem shoehorned, doesn't it? But even so, it was done based on Izumi's performance in the practical exams, where she still injured herself taking out a zero pointer that was in KNEED of being scrapped… You are also right about there being other ways to implement her tomboy attitude, and about Mineta being a foil for that. And no, I'm not apologizing for the pun.
Dragon Emperor0: Though perhaps consider thinking of it as Aizawa being suspicious as to why Izumi has an ability that seems unrelated to her typical powerset. Plus, Izumi isn't a tomboy per say, she's actually rather ladylike.
Cyde: Ok, I REALLY like your characterizations and the way your characters interact with one another. The interactions between Izumi and Katsuki particularly usually deliver. Very amusing. Some good, lighthearted, funny stuff.
Dragon Emperor0: Just wait until these two actually start dating. Then things will really get crazy.
ThermalsnieprN7: We are not kidding.
kat1017: Wait if Izumi(fem. Izuku) is the descendant of Diane the Serpent's Sin of Envy then isn't she also the descendant of Harlequin/King(the king of the Fairies) the Grizzlies' sin of Sloth since the two of them got married and neither had any children with anyone else. So shouldn't she be a hybrid of both Giant and Fairy due to atvatism( the resurgence of dormant ancestral genetic traits)?
ThermalsniperN7: … Fuck, that's right. Taking that into account, Izumi is liable to grow fairy wings in the future, I think. Am I wrong there?
Dragon Emperor0: Nah you're right. But for the sake of stable power progression, she won't gain access to it… yet.
SuperShadic2002: I mean, the dude did explicitly say he was going to clap them cheeks, so I can't say I'm too surprised
Dragon Emperor0: He's just following through.
ThermalsniperN7: Exactly.
Joanne Frances Tiano Cajilig: That was hilarious and hot, if this keeps up they'll be the class with a lot of sexual accidents except mineta, he'll do it on purpose and get expelled…
ThermalsniperN7: You are not wrong… Though we may keep Mineta around for comic purposes.
Dragon Emperor0: And because his quirk is genuinely useful in many different circumstances. It'd be a waste not to keep him around.
-UA high, Training Ground Beta-
SMACK!
The sound of flesh slapping flesh could be heard as Izumi smacked Katsuki across the face right in front of the rest of the class–the act leaving a red hand mark on the boy's cheek.
"Agh!" The bomber grunted as he staggered back a step.
"I cannot believe you spanked me in front of the whole class!" Izumi hissed indignantly.
"Hey, I told you I'd make you pay for teasing me, so don't go getting snippy with me." The Pomeranian hissed back, both getting close to each other, Izumi pressing her chest against his as the two glared at each other–a pair of green and orange lightning bolts flashing between their faces as they growled.
"Ahem." All Might coughed, trying to move things along before a lover's quarrel broke out. "Bizzare events notwithstanding, the MVP of the match is young Todoroki! Can anyone guess why?" He questioned, looking around the class.
"Sir, if I may?" Momo spoke up, getting a nod in return to prompt her to speak. "Todoroki was the only one that focused on his role, while Midoriya and Bakugo focused on their… I believe the correct term is 'lover's quarrel'?" She continued while trying to find the correct words for their fight.
"HEY!" The two in question barked indignantly, only to be otherwise ignored.
"First off–get your head checked, we didn't have a lover's quarrel because we aren't lovers!" Katsuki snapped.
"At least not yet…" Izumi stated idly, eyes rolling.
"... Anyway…" Momo coughed. "They were focused on trying to show each other how strong they'd gotten and neglected the need to respect the exercise. Ochako, while being creative, struggled when Todoroki froze everything and resorted to some moves that I will not describe." She continued, refusing to speak of the moment the round faced girl sat on the two toned boy's face. "Todoroki was the only one that respected the spirit of the exercise and carried out his objective, which made him the MVP of the match." She concluded.
"Keeping my cool in that situation wasn't that hard." Shoto shrugged, having not really felt all that phased by what happened.
"Erm… Right." The No. 1 hero nodded, slightly dumbfounded. 'She's got a good head on her shoulders.' The man thought, a little impressed by Momo's deductions. "Now, let's move on to the next match!" He called.
(Later)
After a bit of shuffling, Iida was now with Shoji as the Hero team, while Ojiro and Hagakure were upstairs in the building as the villain team. The multi-limbed teen used his extra appendages to create highly sensitive ears and listened for where the villain team was for a moment before speaking.
"They're on the top floor." He reported.
"Understood." Iida nodded before the two of them made their way to the top floor.
(Elsewhere)
"Ojiro, I'm gonna get serious and take all my clothes off, totally disappear." Hagakure started, getting naked, thus not being seen.
"Yeah, sure." Ojiro nodded. 'Hagakure can be invisible, but it feels weird knowing there's a naked girl next to me.' The tailed boy thought.
Suddenly, without warning, a blur zoomed right passed them, blasting the two back due to the blowback, and touched the bomb.
"Mission accomplished!" Iida declared, causing Ojiro and Hagakure to blink as they struggled back to their feet (the latter being unseen).
"Wait, what?" The tailed teen uttered in confusion.
"The hero team wins!" All Might exclaimed over the comms.
(Elsewhere)
"Holy crap! Iida's so fast!" Kirishima exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah! I could barely see him!" Mina added.
"I wish I was that fast." Izumi pouted as she folded her arms.
"Pft, I bet I could beat that." Katsuki scoffed, only to grunt as Izumi elbowed him in the ribs.
(Later)
A good while later, Katsuki was absolutely floored by the amount of strong quirks in the class. He'd seen inklings of them during the tests, but this was on a completely different level. And on top of that, Izumi also seemed to be leaving him in the wind, especially with that super strength thing she pulled.
It made him feel… Threatened.
He hated feeling like this. He needed to reassert his dominance.
He was so focused on it that, when classes were over, he left earlier than the rest so he could pull himself together. Izumi spotted him leaving and followed after him, knowing what was going through his head.
"Kacchan, wait!" She called as she caught up to him on the walkway in front of the school, causing him to stop.
"What do you want?" The explosion user snarled at her, not really noticing how harsh he sounded–causing the giantess to flinch.
"I-I just… I wanted to get you spirits high again." The girl told her crush as she walked up to him.
"What, are you taking pity on me?" Katsuki snapped, but any hear he had died when he felt Izumi wrap her arms around his neck from behind. "... Izumi?" He uttered, feeling a blush grow on his cheeks.
"Katsuki… I've been meaning to say this to you for a while, but… I couldn't bring myself to tell you." The girl whispered, laying her head on his back.
"W-What? What are you–?" The blonde started to ask before the giantess turned him around and looked him in the eyes.
"Katsuki… I know you well. I saw how you looked today." Izumi began. "You looked and felt threatened at the powers everyone possessed, even mine. Don't feel like that." She told him. "I know you'll work hard and close the gap, because that's the side or you I know so well and admire." She continued. "So work, and be the strong man I know you are." She finished, giving him a peck on the cheek as she did.
The red eyed bomber blushed as he subconsciously held his cheek. He had to admit… He actually felt a lot better now after what his childhood sweetheart said to him.
Though he was also a little disappointed since he was partly expecting a confession.
"Yeah… I will close the gap. You got that right." Katsuki nodded before he gave the greenette a kiss on her cheek in return. "Things would be boring between us otherwise." He added, chuckling when he spotted the pink on Izumi's face. Then he turned and continued his trek home.
Back with Izumi, the giantess held her cheek and stared at her crush as he walked off even as All Might walked up to her.
"And here I was, ready to give him some inspirational advice. Looks like you had that covered." He remarked.
"Knowing what to say to him comes with knowing him for most of my life." The girl shrugged in reply.
"I can tell." The man nodded before a smirk overtook his features. "Now, what were those kisses about, I wonder?" He mused in a teasing manner, successfully flustering his protege.
"All Might!" The girl yelled in embarrassment, much to the blonde hero's amusement.
Meanwhile, the girls watched the scene below them baited.
"Did those two just…?" Mina gasped.
"The Fated promise between Rivals." Ochako nodded.
"Are you sure? That looked more like a blossoming love that's going to come into fruition in the near future." The pink skinned girl noted.
"*Ribbit* Kinda hard to tell if it's one or both." Tsu commented idly.
"Childhood friends turned lovers!" The brunette nodded, pressing her head against the window.
(Timeskip)
"Damn it!" Izumi groaned as she walked to school with Ochako the next day. "I was so close, so close to finally telling Katsuki everything–and I chickened out."
"Don't worry. Your time will come." The brunette told her friend comfortingly.
"Not soon enough, it feels like." The giantess lamented.
As they arrived at the school, the two girls were greeted by the sight of a mob of media reporters all over the place. They were trying to get in so they could get an interview with All Might.
"Oh jeez…" Izumi groaned in exasperation before turning to her friend. "Come on. We're gonna have to go through them." She sighed.
Ochako looked like she didn't want to, but knew there was really only one way into school and went with her friend. The two started making their way through the group… and were immediately bombarded by questions that they honestly didn't want to answer.
Thankfully, they still got through the vultures and made their way to class quickly.
"I was reviewing the video footage of your matches, and have some things to note." Aizawa said as he looked at Katsuki. "Bakugo, you're talented, so don't sulk like a child because of your loss." He told the pomeranian. "And please don't repeat what you did to Midoriya. I don't care what the reason is, there's a time and place for things like that." He added with an exasperated groan.
"Okay, I get it." Katsuki deadpanned.
"Midoriya, I'm actually impressed that you managed to redirect Bakugo's attack like you did. Though do keep in mind that you may not have that available in a public setting in the future." The underground hero continued.
"You got it!" The girl smiled, saluting him.
"Besides that, you all need to be prepared, there's something very important that needs to be done today." The Erasure hero stated, causing everyone to tense up. "You need to pick a class representative." He elaborated.
"Phew…" The class sighed in relief, letting out a breath they didn't know they were holding.
Then everyone except Izumi erupted into absolute chaos, all wanting to be class rep.
'Yeesh, why do people always make a fuss about these things?' The giantess thought, not seeing the big deal.
Then again, she didn't view herself as leader material, so that probably helped.
"Everyone please!" Iida yelled, getting their attention. "This isn't something that can be decided frivolously, to have the best results, we need to settle this democratically." He added.
'You obviously want us to vote for you.' The rest of the class thought in unison, noticing that the bespectacled boy had his hand raised.
"I don't care how you do it, just decide before my nap is over." Aizawa told them before he got into his sleeping bag and started napping.
"But we've only known each other for a few days, how will we know who to trust?" Tsu questioned.
"Yeah, plus people will probably just vote for themselves." Sero added.
"Only one way to find out what happens." Kaminari shrugged.
(A few minutes later)
The voting soon wrapped up and thus far, Momo had two votes, whilst Izumi had two and Iida had three. This meant that there was a tie for deputy class rep.
"Uh… Momo?" Izumi chuckled nervously, scratching her neck. "Why don't you take the position?" She suggested.
"Why? Are you not up to the task?" The creation girl asked.
"No. I've always been a front line fighter, not a leader. Things like this aren't my strong suit." The giantess admitted.
"I wouldn't sell myself short if I were you." Momo told her. "How about this: I take the deputy class rep role while you take up the role of class enforcer." She proposed. Izumi mulled it over for a few moments before she nodded.
"Alright, I can handle an enforcer role." She told her in agreement.
"I will gladly accept your appointment." Iida nodded, Izumi, Ochako and Shoji giving him a thumbs up.
(Later)
Later, at lunch, Izumi sighed as she fiddled with her food. She still felt worried about not telling Katsuki about how she felt, which was made worse when she considered that he didn't vote for her because he was still mad at her.
'Man, this sucks…' She groaned in her head.
"Izumi? You okay?" Ochako asked, spotting her friend's glum look.
"No…" The viridian haired girl replied with a groan.
"Still upset about not telling Bakugo that secret you wanted him to know?" The brunette questioned. Izumi groaned as she laid her head down.
"Yes… I had the perfect chance, and I got cold feet…" The giantess lamented.
"I'm sure you'll get your chance sooner or later, Midoriya." Iida told her, trying to ease her nerves. "But on a different topic, I'm surprised you didn't get the class rep position. You seemed like a good person for it, which is why I voted for you." He stated, much to the greenette's surprise.
"Wait, you were one of the two that voted for me? I voted for you." She told him.
"I kinda figured you'd vote for yourself to be the Rep. I mean, you wanted to do it." Ochako noted.
"Yeah, you seemed like a good pick." Izumi nodded as she kept eating.
"Your planning's definitely part of the reason why I voted for you." Shoji added, having pulled his mask down to eat, showing that his face was rather scarred. However, the others hardly paid it any mind.
"While I am grateful for your trust in me, wanting a position and deserving it are two different things. My family's agency has taught me that much." The bespectacled teen stated, getting the attention of the others.
"Hold up, agency? Is there something we should know?" The Serpent Sin asked with a raised eyebrow. Iida knew then that he'd said too much.
"So I take it your family's like Yaoyorozus?" Shoji asked, eating his spicy tofu and octopus dish. "That being a wealthy hero family?" He added.
"Yes, that is correct." The blue haired runner sighed in reply. "I trust that all of you are familiar with the Turbo Hero, Ingenium?" He asked as he looked at them.
"Yeah! He's got at least 107 sidekicks at his Tokyo agency!" Izumi nodded with a smile before it dawned on her. "Wait, are you saying..?!" She trailed off, eyes wide.
"He's my older brother!" Iida confirmed proudly, much to the amazement of his friends.
"No way!" Izumi gasped.
"Your family's famous!" Ochako exclaimed.
"Ingenium is an unmatched commander who honors the hero code. As the second oldest Iida son, I strive to be just like him." The bespectacled boy nodded with a smile.
"Sounds like you've got quite a lot to live up to." Shoji remarked.
"Yeah. Shoji's right." Izumi nodded in agreement. "But it seems like that you'll have no problem with that." She added.
"Thank you both." Iida smiled.
"I think that's the first time I've seen you smile, Tenya." Ochako smiled as well.
"Hey, I smile all the time!" The speedster shot back indignantly. The rest of the group chuckled before…
"Warning! Level 3 security breach in progress! Proceed to the exit in an orderly fashion! This is not a drill!" An automated voice blared, causing everyone in the cafeteria to panic and scramble for the doors.
"What the hell is going on?!" Izumi shouted over all the noise.
"That means that someone got past the UA Barrier! This hasn't happened in my three years here!" A third year stated as everyone started running towards the exit.
And as this mass evacuation occurred in the relatively small hallway–all hell broke loose. Everyone basically turned into a mob, resulting in a literal human tsunami to sweep through the small, enclosed space.
"Gah! Stop pushing!" Izumi grunted as she was swept along in the mass of panicking bodies. "WHOA! OKAY–Who the fuck groped my ass?!" She barked upon feeling a hand on her backside.
As she turned around and saw that the resident shortstack, Minoru Mineta, was busy grabbing her ass and holding on for dear life to keep from getting swept up in the crowd.
"Hitting two birds with one stone! I am a genius!" He exclaimed.
"Get the fuck off of me, you damn goblin!" Izumi snapped as she tried to remove him from her person, only he refused to budge.
In another part of the crowd, Iida found himself pressed against the window and spotted the press, who had somehow gotten through the barrier. Getting an idea, he started looking for Ochako and spotted her in the sea of panic.
"Uraraka!" The bespectacled boy yelled to his friend as he reached his hand out. "Touch my hand!" He called. "Make me float!" He added.
"O-Okay!" The brunette replied as she reached out for his hand, and came close to getting swept away but managed to touch his hand and make him float anyway.
Iida struggled as he floated in the air, but he managed to use his quirk to send him forward to the pipes above the exit… Though he was spinning the whole way there. The second he reached them, he grabbed them and took a breath before addressing the crowd.
"Everyone quiet!" The speedster yelled, grabbing onto the exit sign and stood on the doorframe. "It's just the media outside! Everything's fine! We're UA students, we should show we're the best of the best!" He added.
The crowd looked at him before looking out the windows and saw that he was right. They were literally panicking over the press getting in.
Meanwhile, Izumi managed to finally pry Mineta's hands from her ass before dropping him with a huff.
(Later)
Later that day, Aizawa had everyone sit down to explain the lesson plan for the day, causing everyone to sit up, eager to hear the man's words.
"Now that today's madness is over with, your next lesson will be on rescue training." The man told them. "And for this, we'll be heading to another location in UA's boundaries." He continued.
"What kind of facility is this?" Ochako questioned.
"It'll be a specialized simulation area, but more on that later." Aizawa replied. "For now, all of you get changed into your hero outfits and meet by the bus lane so we can head there." He added.
Everyone immediately left to get changed into their hero costumes for their upcoming lesson.
(Later)
"So Ochako…" Izumi grinned as she walked with her friend to the bus, her bust and her ass bouncing in her costume.
"Yeah?" The brunette questioned.
"You sat on Todoroki's face to try pinning him down, huh?" The giantess asked with a grin, leaning in close to her friend.
"Sh-Shut up! I didn't do that on purpose!" Ochako stuttered, looking away from her with a blush that wasn't her natural one.
"Are you sure about that?" The giantess teased.
"Yes! I'm not like that at all!" Ochako snapped, her cheeks puffed out.
Shoto, meanwhile, listened to this conversation and seemed a bit confused as to why Izumi was teasing Ochako.
Yeah, the boy wasn't exactly the most socially savvy peep on the UA block. .
"Alright everyone! Board the bus in an orderly fashion!" Iida called, chopping his arm robotically.
"Iida sure is getting into being the class rep…" Izumi noted.
"Yep." Ochako nodded.
(Later)
"The Bus's open layout totally ruined my boarding strategy!" Iida grumbled as the class traveled to their training ground.
"Iida, you really need to chill." Mina stated.
"Yeah. Don't get worked up over the smallest detail." Tsu nodded in agreement.
"Ya know, I'm actually a little jealous of Midoriya's and Bakugo's quirks." Kirishima remarked. "Mine's not all that flashy. It just let's me harden my body." He added, hardening his hand.
"Hey, mine's not that big of a deal either, you know." Izumi told him.
"You think your quirk isn't a big deal?!" Kirishima asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. I do. Besides, you can turn yourself into an impenetrable shield or an unstoppable juggernaut. My Heavy Metal special move requires that I don't move a muscle when I use it." The giantess continued. "Not to mention it requires me to keep my mineral and iron levels up for both powers, and I have a limit to how much I can use without something like Gideon. You, on the other hand, have versatility on your side and don't have a durability limit." She added.
"That is a drawback, not gonna lie." Kirishima admitted.
"Speaking of quirks…" Tsu trailed off before looking at Izumi. "I noticed that the super strength you have looks similar to All Might's." She noted, causing the girl to freak out internally.
"Whoa, hold up there." Kirishima interjected. "It might look like All Might's, but she hurt herself when she used it. That's a notable difference." He stated, much to Izumi's relief. "Besides, if anyone has potential here, it's Bakugo and Todoroki. They're the real future pros here." He sighed.
"Yeah, but Bakugo won't be as popular because of his attitude." Tsu remarked
"Do you want me to kick your ass?!" Katsuki snapped.
"I rest my case." The frog girl commented, her point proven.
"Ya know, we basically just met you–so it's pretty telling that we can see that your personality is basically flaming crap mixed with garbage." Kaminari stated.
"You're gonna regret the day you applied to this school you loser! I'll kill you!" Katsuki yelled back.
'Kacchan's reaction to getting teased is funny.' Izumi thought with a grin on her face.
"This is such a disgusting conversation." Momo coughed.
"Yeah, but it's pretty funny." Ochako smiled.
(Later)
After the class arrived at a domed facility, they stood in front of the gate inside where the manager of the facility awaited them.
"Hello everyone. I'm so glad to meet you all." A woman dressed in an astronaut suit.
"It's the Space Hero: Thirteen!" Izumi grinned.
"My favorite hero of all time!" Ochako gushed happily. "It's said that you rescued a dozen people with the help of your quirk!" She commented.
"That's right! Now come on, I can't wait to show you what's inside." The hero stated as she led them into the building behind her.
As they entered, the entire class of twenty students were absolutely floored by what they saw inside the domed structure they just stepped inside. There was a slew of environments that simulated various disasters, even raging fires.
"Now, before we begin, I'd like to say two things to you… Maybe three, or four…" She rambled.
'We get it…' The class deadpanned mentally.
"As you all know, I have a powerful quirk. It's called Black Hole, I can suck things up and turn them to dust." The Space hero explained.
"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save tons of people." Izumi nodded, Ochako nodding giddily.
"Yes, but you must realize that if I'm not careful, I could accidentally kill someone." Thirteen stated, causing the students to gulp. "Quirks today are closely monitored and regulated by the government, but that doesn't change the fact that certain quirks can be potentially dangerous." She explained.
"I know what you're saying." Izumi nodded in understanding. "My quirk lets me control the earth beneath our feet. I found out how destructive it could be early on when I accidentally destroyed an elementary school playset when I was alone as a child, raising several pillars from under it and destroying it with those." She continued. "If I'm not careful, I could demolish a skyscraper." She finished.
"I can confirm that. I saw what happened when her quirk first manifested." Katsuki chimed in.
"It's good that you understand. Quirks like that can indeed be devastating without training." Thirteen nodded. "So you will spend time here learning how to use your powers to save lives." She added.
"Cool!" Ochako grinned.
"Speaking of here, let me welcome you to the Unforseen Simulation Joint. But you can call it USJ!" The astronaut woman explained, striking a slight pose.
"Just like Universal Studios Japan…" The kids noted aloud.
"No, not like that place." The space hero corrected, sounding slightly annoyed. She must've heard that one a lot.
Right as the underground hero was about to say something, the lights suddenly went out and the fountain at the center of the courtyard fluctuated before a portal suddenly opened up… and a dozen people came out, none of them friendly.
"I get the feeling those guys aren't part of the lesson." Izumi noted warily, tightening her grip on Gideon.
"That's because they're not! Those are real villains!" Aizawa exclaimed as he put his goggles on his eyes.
"Oh crap!" Kaminari exclaimed in alarm, the feeling being shared among the rest of the class.
Definitely not a good day to have class…
Dragon Emperor0: Before any of you say anything: Yes, the Shoto x Ochako shipping is intentional.
ThermalsniperN7: Yep, and Momo will join later on, too. Maybe both of them can undo the damage Endeavor caused… If only a little.
Dragon Emperor0: The poor boy takes flirting phrases like "if you flashed those pearly white then the ladies would drop dead" literally. This is not a joke–I wish it were–but it isn't. This actually happened in the Manga and anime. I tell ya, the kid's as dense as a neutron star.
ThermalsniperN7: Congrats, Enji Todoroki. You fucked up at being a father so bad that your own son doesn't know shit about romance. *Exasperated groan* Anyway, we also had Izumi coming close to confessing only to chicken out at the last second. She will get her chance soon, though. That's a promise.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah, and when it happens, it'll be a moment that reveals that Izumi isn't the only one with dual mythical lineage around here. Anyway, see you guys next time.