Issues of Quirk Compatibility

Chapter 5: Exam Prelude

"Speaking" "Thinking" [Sound effects] Quirk Names and Special Attacks

In her search for the power to surpass All Might, Endeavor turned to a Quirk research lab. Little did she know that this would usher in the age of the Heroine and dating by statistics. What's a quirkless hero to do in a world like this? Make your Vows Izuku; Massive Gender-bends, Deku/harem, Crack with Plot.

Izuku and his class are aged up by about four years. Need to get those hormones pumping at full and the advertisements to have time to convince nearly the whole country.

Anyway, the gist of this story is that Izuku makes his hero's journey in a world where almost all pro heroes are women, and he's a prime steak slathered in fan-service. Either that, or it's a deep and thoughtful examination of the objectification and empowerment of female super-heroes by the reversal of traditional gender roles. You'll see as it goes. Beware of Crack and other absurdities. But for now, On to the Story!

-Time Skip: Dagobah Cleaned Beach, Day before Entrance Exam-

Izuku did his best to restrain a giggle as Masaru Bakugou finished painting the sweat-glitter on his bare chest. There were only two weeks of blissfully peaceful cleaning before the general public caught wind of what their favorite quirkless idol was doing in his limited free time. From a pragmatic standpoint, that revelation was a good thing since it made his popularity soar even higher, and attracted hordes of rabid fans who quickly took most of the smaller bits of trash as memorabilia. On the other hand, his mom had insisted that they get pictures taken, since it was a public event now. So here he was; dressed in only his necklace and trunks, glimmering in the morning sun, surrounded by crowds of fangirls, and hauling away the last pieces of trash that were set aside just for this purpose.

"I really wish we could have gotten these pictures sooner, the glitter always takes at least three days to fully come off and I don't want to distract anyone at the entrance exam." He glanced around at the crowd of drooling girls. "I hope none of these girls are trying for U.A., or Katsu would probably try to punish them… I just hope that we can finish before Katsu realizes that I told her the wrong time…"

-Half an hour later-

The flashes of the camera shimmered on the glitter, making the girls swoon. "Good Izuku, that's a wrap on the solo shots!" The boy took a deep breath and was about to sneak away when Masaru caught him by the shoulder. "Sorry Izuku, but we have pairing shots and group shots to take."

The boy was (perhaps rightfully) terrified. "I-I thought this was just supposed to be a quick charity shoot?"

The man's face made it look like he was explaining a terminal illness. "That's how it started out, but contracts came rolling in the minute that people heard that you were doing this. They all filled out the proper paperwork, and even submitted the form for a joint shoot. So unless you've decided to change your stance on dropping commissions, you're stuck." The man waved for the parents to come closer. "Not that the sponsors would let you drop. There's half a dozen big hero names that bought full package deals for their daughters before the UA Exam."

Izuku whimpered. This could only end poorly. The thought was only punctuated when Katsu announced her arrival with her customary explosions and shouting.

Masaru was unphased. "Don't worry, I made sure Katsu was okay with it. All I did was tell her that we'd have to cancel the photo shoot if the other girls didn't get their shots with you. I don't think I need to tell you how much she likes your modeling. She's extra desperate since-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by his daughter tackling him to the ground, her face red with an atomic blush. Handful after handful of sand was thrown into his laughing face in between shouts of "DIE!" and "BASTARD!"

Izuku counted to ten before pulling the girl off of her father. There were probably dozens of girls who bought appointments, and he was supposed to meet All Might in three hours. It was time to play dirty. "Masaru said that a couple of heroes paid for their daughters to have pictures…" "That's not very heroic Kacchan. What would a hero think if he saw you attacking a man like that? What hero would want a sidekick who can't control herself, much less an intern? You'd never become a hero."

The girl froze and glanced around. It didn't take long to recognize the outlandish costumes of the pro heroes in the crowd. Even if she didn't give a damn what they thought, it would only take a single complain from a pro hero to have her barred from U. A. forever and she couldn't support both herself and her Deku without a hero level paycheck.

Katsu clutched her boyfriend tighter. She couldn't stop or hurt the other sluts, but she could still stake her claim.

"Mine." She very intentionally made eye contact with the girls in front of the gaggle, before jingling his necklace and slowly running her tongue up Izuku's neck.

It was about halfway up that she realized her mistake as the taste of the glitter paint coated her tongue. A more reserved girl might have been able to keep up that act, but Katsu was the exact opposite of reserved. "Fuck! Paint! Damn it!"

Everyone breathed a silent sigh of relief as the explosive girl ran off to wash out her mouth and seethe in her temporarily impotent rage. They could get on with the photo shoot and their own plans for the idol…

Masaru took charge as he finished brushing sand off of himself. "We'll do this in the order that your requests were submitted. First up is… let's see… Uraraka Construction… full family shot for an advertisement and a few pictures with just the daughter and Izuku. Uraraka-"

"-There was a change of plans." Endeavor strode forward proudly, presenting her blushing daughter clad in a swimsuit that could best be described as an intricate weave of string and ribbons. "I purchased the first slot from their company. Shojo will go first and will have her opportunity."

The girl in question silently ran through her part in the plan as she fiddled with the excessive strings that barely kept her over-designed swimsuit together. After a few minutes to show off the power of her quirk, she would 'accidentally' loose her swimsuit. The sight of her body would entice the young man, and her mother could use the event as an excuse to force a marriage between them for the sake of her purity. While her mother was dead-set on the plan, Shojo was still considering if death by embarrassment would be a viable escape. "Can I really do this? If this works, He'd be controlled by Endeavor too, wouldn't He? He did stand up to her, so maybe not. But will this even work? What if he doesn't like what he sees? Will he be disgusted by what he sees? Maybe he'll 'repay the favor' and let me have a look too…" The two-tone girl's thoughts fed her blush to ever greater heights as she imagined the boy's possible reactions.

The two males noticed nothing. They were too busy exchanging blame.

-Ten Minutes Later-

Shojo had a problem.

To be more precise, she had many problems. Her mother was a megalomaniac obsessed with the Number One Hero. Her father was distant even before scarring her with boiling water, and almost entirely absent since then. Her mother was borderline abusive in her training. Her quirkless sisters were treated like Guiney pigs at the lab and her weaker quirked sisters were forced to be maids for her. Her mother in general…

But now she had a new problem-

"Are you feeling alright? We don't have to do anything if it makes you uncomfortable." "I don't care what Endeavor wants, what do you want?" "You really do have a beautiful smile."

-a boy was showing her genuine kindness and didn't care about her mother and she liked the way he smiled and how he looked without a shirt and his eyes made her feel hot and the sound of his voice made everything feel better but also made her feel weird and she was supposed to get naked for him and she kind of liked the idea but was terrified of it at the same time and she had no idea what to do.

Endeavor's voice broke her mental spiral of confusion. "This will be the final picture. The boy will lift and carry Shojo in his arms. They will touch foreheads backed by a reflective ice wall."

That was the signal. After quickly making the ice wall, she subtly undid the slip-knot holding her clothing together. When Izuku swept her off of her feet the intricate weave of string and ribbon fell away. Shojo was naked, cradled in the arms of her crush, silently offering her whole body to him.

It's a shame, then, that he was staring into her eyes instead of at her exposed body.

For Izuku, intimate eye contact was an invaluable skill that took embarrassingly long to learn. For Shojo, it was both the most romantic and discouraging outcome possible. She still wanted to know her crush found her attractive, even if she had inherited her mother's awe-inspiring curves.

Endeavor, though, was more concerned with her plan than the teenage relationship drama that was playing out in front of her. She strode forward and grabbed Izuku by his necklace of rings. "You've stripped my daughter and seen her naked. Reparations must be made. You will marry her and become my slave."

Izuku glanced down at the girl in his arms. She had shifted in his arms, trying to press herself against him and away from her mother. He wasn't an expert at reading people, especially girls, but he could clearly see that she was unhappy with the situation. Ever the hero, he tried to help. "No. I'm not going to let you force Shojo into this. I refuse."

The Number two hero scowled and yanked the boy closer, unknowingly causing one of the rings to fall off the necklace. She took the opportunity of privacy offered by the ice wall to threaten the boy with one lit finger. "It would be best if you comply, child. Thing will end up far better if you do."

Izuku barely kept himself from shaking before remembering his abilities.

He shifted his head forward and wrapped his lips around the woman's ignited finger. Endeavor gasped as she felt the wetness that Izuku's mouth had caused. The young man gave the digit a slow lick to make sure it would be thoroughly cleaned before pulling off and flashing an nervous smile. "The fire you make could easily burn me to smoldering ash, but it's still just fire and you're still a hero. Fire needs oxygen to burn, and you can't risk your popularity by hurting me."

Endeavor flared in anger before the flash of a camera reminded them all that Masaru was still there. A chunk of the ice wall broke seconds after, ruining the last remains of privacy.

The woman huffed and turned to leave. "Izuku Midoriya. You are just as annoying as All Might. If you attempt to become a hero, I will make sure that Shojo crushes you."

For the naked girl clinging to her crush, that was as good as a promise of engagement.

-Two and a Half Hours Later-

The rest of the photoshoot went relatively well. He could even say the enjoyed it, with the exception of Katsu's silent war with every other girl and nearly every heroine hopeful 'accidentally' flashing him when they finished with their turns. Problems aside, he had the chance to meet lots of potential classmates and a couple of heroes that worked in the surrounding countryside. Shojo watched comfortably from the side in one of his shirts, and Katsu contented herself with murderous stares.

But now the only people left on the beach were Masaru, Izuku, and a family of three. It was the last person, the long delayed Uraraka construction. "I'm going for U.A. too! I really hope you do well! Maybe we'll get to be classmates!" Their daughter Ochako was… nice. It was a refreshing change of pace for the boy. No crazy flirting, no obsession, no schemes to get with him, just normal friendly and polite conversation between two possible future classmates. For the first time he found himself wishing that someone would get to be a hero for their own sake rather than for the sake of those who would be helped. He was honestly just having fun.

That may have been why he never noticed a familiar ring on Ochako's left index finger. A ring that perfectly matched the one that should have been on his necklace.

But then again, perhaps he would have noticed had All Might not have appeared for their appointment. The man leapt down into the recently cleared sand shouting his signature catchphrase. "I AM HERE! …To have a private discussion with Izuku!" Once the rain of sand died down he laid a fatherly hand on the boy's shoulder and led him down the beach a ways while everyone left. "Izuku my boy, you surpassed my wildest expectations! Now, show me what you've learned!"

The Number One Hero flashed forward at a speed just within human perception. Izuku gracefully slipped to the side of the attack. The idol flowed into a vicious kick aimed at the hero's knees as gale force winds tried to pull him back.

All Might jumped over the kick with a laugh. "Good! You aren't relying just on pure strength! But you'll need more than that!" An explosion of sand was all that could be seen as All Might changed directions. The chaotic waves of air sent any curious spectators running, letting the two men fully let loose.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

"EMERALD THROW!"

At the same time that All Might started his smash, Izuku slid forward and began throwing the man. The end result was the Symbol of Peace getting caught up in the wind blast from his own punch.

Not that it phased the Number One Hero any. He was more concerned with his protégé's poor naming conventions. "Did you come up with that on the spot, or was that really the best you could think of? Never feel forced to name a move. The name should be looking for a technique, not the other way around."

Izuku blushed. "I'm sorry, I'm really bad at naming things. Normally the producers are in charge of that."

All Might casually flipped himself upright in midair, before skidding to a stop on the sand. "You could always let the fans come up with the names. The names for my attacks came from a joke on one of my fan forums."

Izuku threw his voice as he entered the obscuring cloud of sand. "I always wanted to fight just like you with the named special attacks and everything. But I don't have a body like yours, so I felt I couldn't copy you. I tried to come up with names for my fighting style based on the agility my dance lessons gave me."

"Your agility is impressive…" The man launched a punch where he though he had heard the boy speaking, "…But you still need the power to back it up!"

As the wind blew the dust away it revealed Izuku already flying toward his mentor with lightning crackling along his skin. He used the wind to power a spin that let him drive his elbow into All Might's solar plexus with crushing force. "Every dojo within a hundred miles contributed to this fighting style. It uses misdirection, throws, and swift strikes to disorient and take down villains without a quirk. But when you add One for All…" He spun around to drive his fist into the large man's wounded side. "I can save everyone!"

Momentum carried both men the length of the beach. A wheezing laugh filled the air after a second. The full picture was revealed as the dust cleared. All Might had caught his fist and used it to trap him. "Very good young Midoriya! But remember, a hero must always be prepared for an opponent greater than himself!" A burst of steam and cough of blood signaled All Might's deflation. "Yeah, I'm really proud of how far you've come. You should have no problem in U.A. If you're free, we can go to the quirk registry office and update your entry."

Izuku shook out his hand. A thought had occurred to him that would solve one of his biggest personal dilemmas. "All M-, eh, Toshinori, I've been thinking, what really is a quirk?"

The skeletal man cocked his head. "I'd say it's a genetic superpower. Why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking about One for All and if it could really be called a quirk anymore. If quirks are genetic, then would something added after still count as a quirk? Did One for All really change my DNA? If I took a test would I still be Izuku Midoriya?"

"Well yes, your DNA would essentially be the same. One for All is bonded to your DNA, but it doesn't change it…"

"So then I can technically still say that I'm quirkless even if someone catches me." Izuku turned to look at his mentor. "I always wanted to be an inspiration to others who were quirkless like me. I wanted to show them that powers earned through hard work can compete and even surpass powers that are gained by luck and inheritance. I'm going to be able to fulfill my dream of being a hero because of what I've done even though I was born quirkless. One for All may have started as a quirk, but now it's something more. Calling it just a quirk is an injustice against every drop of sweat shed by those who weren't handed power because of how they were born."

Izuku held a pose he thought was heroic as Toshinori just stared. "… No one's going to buy that. As far as most of the population is concerned, all super-powers are quirks. Born with it or not, if you have a power, it must be a quirk."

Izuku turned to his mentor with a pleading expression. "And that's exactly the kind of attitude I want to change." His eyes grew big and watery as he tried to bargain with the skeletal man. "You can let the authorities know about One for All, just please not the public. I've published X-rays, DNA tests, even synergy tests to show that I honestly have no quirk. If I say I suddenly got a quirk, . So this really is our only choice."

Toshinori gave a weary sigh and mourned the loss of his junk man-cave. He could have used a cold drink and some shade with the trouble Izuku would bring. And in all the commotion he never got to tell the boy about the recommendation…

Chapter 5 Done! I'm not dead! This chapter was supposed to go all the way through the entrance exam, but that would likely not come out until far later. And honestly this was a pain to write. Work picked up and I'm not as motivated to write fanfiction after spending all day composing speeches.

In other news, combat scenes are hard. They can very easily become a slog to read, and they are extremely hard to pace well. I hope this one flowed well and didn't overstay it's welcome. It is your fist peek into Izuku's fighting style. With how popular he is, I feel it's fairly logical that dojo's would fight to be the one to train him, with multiple dojo's forming coalitions to all get a chance to say that they helped to train him. Plus it would be attract so many more people if they got to train with an idol.

As for the exact workings of getting a quirk after birth, I'm going with the idea that you fundamental DNA is not altered, but the new stuff is almost grafted on top. This is based on the fact that they can still identify the Nomu even after he had been given other quirks. His base DNA was the same, or else they would have gotten a completely random result with the combined quirks.

A first introduction to Ochako, and the second appearance of Shojo Todoroki. The harem is starting, Ochako even got a ring! Yay obvious foreshadowing!

As for shipping, Ochako was very difficult to write. Katsu is a basic Tsun/Yan-dere with the childhood friend angle. Shojo is a beautiful princess with issues that needs a white knight. These have some shading in (certain readings of) cannon. But in cannon, Ochako's relationship with Izuku is pretty basic. It's likely just the lack of dedicated emphasis to romance, but the basis of their relationship for Izuku is basically "pretty girl is nice to me." She's encouraging to him, but the Izuku of this AU doesn't really need that.

But next chapter is the entrance exam, and another vow, more action and more romance (or something like that)! Hope you enjoyed!