Here were are again guys. I do have something to say before we start. Guys, I'm aware of what's going on in MHA. And to respond to the like 5 people who've messaged me about Mirio. Yes, I know who he is. No, I'm not saying crap about his status in this story. You'll find out when you find out. I will lay this out one more time, and will address it no more after:
Everything I've done in this story was for a reason.
Seriously. Have a little patience guys. If you have a question, send it me in a message. If you think I'm stupid and feel the need to tell me so, great, I guess, just send it in a message. It's happened a few times already lol. But please be mindful of what you post in the reviews, specifically story or anime relevant information.
Don't get me wrong. I love love love love when you guys give me feedback, even something as simple as "like XD" :). It puts a smile on my face. And makes me grin for hours. But remember that some people check review boxes before actually reading, and I would hate for them to get spoilers, because I've been very meticulous in both my story structure, and chapter outlines. We wouldn't want them to have their reading experience impacted would we?
Update: You'll notice I added a crossover tag. For any Marvel peeps, if you have a better followed Marvel section of FFN you'd suggest I switch it to, please send me a message. The current one is small, but fit the best out of the one or two I know of.
And please, someone come clutch with Todoroki's new vigilante name. Ben and I have nothing. We got so wrapped up in plot weaving we neglected to come up with his name. Halp.
Without any further ado, I present the next chapter of No Hero Academia!
Chapter 8: Cloudy With a Chance of Fluff
Izuku was waiting in LeBlanc for the rest of the group to show up. He took a moment to glance around the shop since he had nothing better to do. The shop itself as kind of empty, which was kind of the typical occurrence. Come to think of it, besides a few regulars like Mina and a few others, he couldn't remember ever seeing it super crowded. He idly wondered how Sojiro stayed in business. Speak of Sojiro, he'd run to his house for a second to check on something, so Izuku was the only one in the store at the moment. He turned his thoughts back to the Outsider's first meeting with a prospective member. He wasn't completely sure if Shouto would show up, despite their slight bonding under fire. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that when someone blew in his left ear, he spazzed out and fell under the table. He then heard Mina's familiar cackling as she knelt down to check on him. She tried speak in between rasps of laughter.
"I-" Mina laughed melodiously, "I'm sorry Izuku, I couldn't help it. I waved my hand in front of you four times, and said your name at least eight. So I decided to take drastic measures."
She got you good, kid. I'm kind of jealous she made you spill. Maybe I should make efforts to mess with you too?
'Please don't. She's already sending me towards a heartattack.'
"You're here early, Mina." Her face darkened, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"Izuku...there's something you should know. It's about Bakugo. And something he did." She said, fidgeting.
"Did he touch you?" A pause. Izuku bit his lip nervously, and stammered. "U-Unwillingly, of course." Looking away, not wanting to make eye contact. "Because I'll web him to a wall somewhere if you want..." Mina blinked, clearly not expecting him to be so insecure, but still wanting to protect her. It touched her heart, and made her want to reaffirm their relationship. "A-AH! Don't get me wrong, I know you can take care of yourself! I just-MMPH!" Mina shut him up rather effectively. After all, it's rather difficult to speak when a pretty girl is occupying your lips with hers. Slowly, she pulled away, as he stopped freaking out.
"Izuku, it's nothing like that. Though it's adorable that my boyfriend is so protective of me."
"B-B-Boyfriend?" Izuku was having a heartattack. OR a stroke. Yeah, that's what this is. He'd had a stroke, and this was one big brain bleed induced hallucination-
She flipped him in the nose.
"Bad Izuku. No mutters." She glared playfully at him before continuing. "Yes I said boyfriend. Because we've been dating for weeks, and I consider you such." She shifts into a very haughty and pompous British accent " The Alien Queen graciously bestows upon you the title of Boyfriend Most Righteous, + 8." She made an exaggerated knighting gesture with a butter knife. This made Izuku smile softly at her, which made her blush a bit, lilac staining her cheeks. She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially "Unless you're dating some other cute girl from outer space?"
Izuku laughed softly at this, and shook his head. "No no, I think Mina Ashido is the only Alien Queen for me." He took her hand in his, and they sat down in their booth.
"Now what's this about Bakugo?"
"It's kind of a long story."
"So broad stroke it?"
"I bet you'd like if I stroked something."
BAZING! HEY-O!
"MINA!"
"Ha, you're too easy to mess with. No need to be such a prude, Izu. Anyway, so yeah, Bakugo fought the Hero Killer with another of our classmates. Things didn't go so well for them though."
"What do you mean?"
"Bakugo blew his arm off in the fight. He refused to say how. He's always been quiet at least until someone talks about Venom or talks too loudly, but now he's broody." That hit Izuku like a sack of bricks. He didn't hate Bakugo, but he definitely didn't like who he'd become. He respected Bakugo, at least back then, but Venom had opened him to being more critical of his actions. He'd always held out hope that'd they'd one day be friends again, but that seemed unlikely. He swallowed his other questions, instead trying to get a grasp over the situation.
"What happened to your other classmate?"
"Iida got nerve damage in his arm, and Bakugo burnt his fact, though not intentionally. He has burn marks over his left eye that run to his hairline. He's lucky he didn't lose any vision. We don't know details though. Apparently, the cops got involved and it's super hush hush. Supposedly the Hero Killer died in that fight, but there's no word on who killed him."
Izuku sat there stunned. Obviously, if the situation was kept under wraps, that means either Bakugo or this Iida guy killed the Hero Killer.
"What's Iida's quirk?"
"Huh? That's what you're curious about, out of everything I said?"
"I promise it's a relevant question, Mina." She eyed him skeptically, but told him anyway.
"It's called Engine. He's actually related to Ingenium. Let's him run fast."
"Then that settles it."
"Settles what?"
"Bakugo killed the Hero Killer. They wouldn't try to keep details under wraps that badly unless it would paint UA in a bad light. My guess as to what happened? Iida went looking for revenge, since Ingenium was the Hero Killer's most recent victim. They're brothers, so that makes sense. I don't exactly know why Bakugo was there though. Is he friends with Iida?"
"Not at all. Iida detests Bakugo because he's unruly and crass."
"Maybe he just stumbled across them then. So Bakugo sees what's happening, and then a fight ensues. Flash forward to the end, and Bakugo is desperate. He creates an explosion larger than he can handle, and blows his arm, Stain, and the surround area to bits in the process."
Mina looked at Izuku in awe, having never really seen his analysis in action.
"Wow Izuku, are you related to Detective Conan?"
"Um, no...I don't think I'm that good..."
Before Mina could say anything else, the store's welcome chime dinged, causing them to look up. They saw Hitoshi walking in with Shouto Todoroki in tow. They were both wearing their respective UA uniforms. They slid into the booth across them, and nodded in greeting.
"Ashido. What are you doing here?" Shouto asked curiously, not expecting to see the pink girl, especially sitting so close to a boy he didn't recognize.
"Oh, hey Shouto! I'm glad you could join us!" Mina replied enthusiastically, happy that her classmate had shown up.
"Us?" It clicked with Todoroki. He turned to the unfamiliar boy. "You're Venom?" Shouto eyed him up and down, appearing somewhat skeptical. "I imagined you'd be more intimidating outside the suit."
HA! I keep telling you that I make you look good.
Izuku ignored the mildly arrogant self preening of his partner, and instead chuckled nervously at Shouto.
"Yeah, I can imagine so. I don't look like much, do I?" At this, Mina flicked his ear. "OW! What was that for."
"Now now, Freckles. None of that. I happen to think you look cute and scrumptious cinnamon roll." Izuku placed his face in his hands to hide his blush, which was prompted by her shameless flirting. Hitoshi snorted, and then shook his head.
"Man, let's focus back on the reason we're here, and less on embarrassing Izuku." He said dryly. Izuku beamed at the rescue attempt by his friend. "Besides, Mina, there will be plenty of time for that later." Or not, Izuku sweatdropped. Shouto nodded, taking this chance to voice his concerns.
"Let's say I do agree to your little crusade, Izuku." Shouto spoke candidly "What exactly stops us from doing whatever we want. The media and authorities have a point about you. You don't answer to anyone but yourself." At hearing this, Izuku sighed, knowing he'd have to self-disclose to win over Shouto.
"Let me tell you a story, Shouto. It's about a boy who didn't have a Quirk, yet wanted to be a hero more than anything else in the world." Shouto sat up straighter, looking at Izuku intently.
"Izuku Midoriya and his friend Katsuki Bakugo wanted to be heroes so badly. They wanted to be just like All Might. That was great until they turned six. Katsuki got a really powerful Quirk. Izuku didn't." Izuku paused, clearly struggling with his own bad memories. Mina squeezed his hand reassuringly. He sighed, and continued: " In fact, the longer that Izuku didn't develop a quirk, the angrier and crueler Katsuki became. Eventually, Katsuki stopped treating Izuku like a friend, and instead started using him as a punching bag. Katsuki even used his quirk on Izuku occasionally. But through all that, Izuku never stopped considering Katsuki his friend, truly believing they could one day be friends again if he could just get a quirk." Shouto was quietly processing what he'd been told so far. He assumed that the Bakugo was the same one he knew, and judging from the slight nod Mina gave him, his assumption was correct. "However, as I'm sure you can probably guess, Izuku never manifested a quirk. At least, not on his own." The rest of group's eyes widened at this. Izuku's quirk wasn't his own?
Kid...are you sure telling them about me in full is a good idea?
'We have to do it eventually, and I can't teach them like you could. Eventually, we'll have to run scenarios like they would at UA, on the chance they get kicked out. They're risking a lot for this. We have to do right by them.'
Okay kid. I support your decision. Just...remember Izuku. You're not alone anymore, okay?
'I will.' Izuku wiped some tears that were building up in eyes. 'Thanks, partner.'
Anytime, kid.
Izuku looked back up at his team, and pressed on: "Through a series of events...Izuku obtained power after bonding with a relic from the hero Spider-Man." They all leaned in at this point, enraptured by what they were hearing. Izuku's eyes bled black a bit at this point, before he looked at them all. "We bonded with a creature called a Symbiote."
"What the hell? Izuku! Are you okay?" Mina grabbed him by the shoulders, freaking out at his sudden change.
"Mina, the kid let me commandeer his vocal cords in order to address you. While Venom is Izuku's hero name, it's also the name of this Symbiote. Through our time with the hero Spider-Man, we gained an imprint of his powers, enhancing them, and eventually retaining them within our DNA. Anyone we bonded with could use these powers." Izuku's eyes went back to their usual color. He blinked.
"I'll never get used to that." His friends looked at him like he was crazy. He ignored this, and moved on "So yeah. I have a quirk, but it's not truly mine. At least, it wasn't." Shouto was looking at him intently now, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.
"As I used Venom's power more and more, I noticed a sort of Bleed effect over time. I was faster than before, and I had better reflexes. I'm still much faster in the suit, but who can say if the bleed will continue." He then looked at Todoroki. "Shouto, I noticed you don't use your dad's quirk. I don't know if that's related to your scar...But I can relate to identity issues with your power. After all, I have a 300 year old creature in my head constantly comparing me to America's greatest hero in history, and every time I use my powers, I'm reminded even further that my power isn't quite my own. But at the end of the day, your power is yours now Your father may have given you half of your quirk, but he can't tell you how to use it. You can either ignore it, and limit yourself...or you can make it your own, and become a hero that is damn near unstoppable." At realizing how he sounded, Izuku frantically waved his hands in front of himself
"A-Ah! I'm not trying to telling you how to use your powers! I just wanted you to know I get where you're coming from."
Shouto thought about everything he'd just heard. From Izuku's backstory, to his own struggle with his Quirk. He wasn't sure he could just start using his father's, no...HIS full Quirk so soon, but he would definitely try. And maybe...Maybe it was time to visit his mom.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elsewhere, Katsuki Bakugo sat in his living room alone, working on schoolwork. It was a pain without his dominant arm. He'd refused the teacher's offer to transfer him out. He would be a hero, one way or another. He didn't need both arms to prove that the rest of his stupid class were just deadweight extras. He'd show them he was the best even with missing an arm. As he struggled to write an answer to the problem on the paper, a surge of irritation flowed through him.
Katsuki grit his teeth, unused to having trouble writing the answers to his homework. The feeling of not being able to be in control was something he hated. Damn All Might and his quirk. And Deku. If Deku had never beaten him in the first place, he wouldn't have been desperate enough to take All Might's quirk to begin with. "I don't need his stupid power. I'm the best, damnit. And I'll prove it, no matter what."
They say pride commeth before the fall, and Katsuki had further to fall still.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Izuku, Mina, and Hitoshi were all looking at Shouto expectantly. This was the moment of truth. Where he joined them, or not. They sat with bated breath, each second increasing the intensity of the atmosphere at the table.
"I'll do it." And just like that, the tense air was gone. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, Mina chuckled sheepishly, and Hitoshi just took a sip of his tea. "However, I do think we should discuss your...friend, at a later date, Izuku. That is my condition. It's not that I think it's a threat, I just...would like to have a better grasp over who I'm working with. I know Izuku. But I need to know Venom as well." Izuku nodded at this. These were fair requests.
Well, you know me kid. I'll sing my own praises any day of the year.
Izuku again tried to ignore the narcissistic ramblings of his gooey friend.
"He talks to you in your head, doesn't he?" Mina asked curiously. Izuku looked at her, shocked. "Oh come on, Izuku. I may not be the most book smart girl around, but I'm very people smart. Your eyes occasional glaze over for a few seconds, and then you sort of jolt like you were somewhere else."
"Y-Yeah. He talks to me. He sort of alternates between narcissism and being helpful." The others deadpanned at him. What kind of nonphysical entity talks about how awesome they are enough to be labeled as a narcissist?
Mina suddenly bonked herself in the forehead. The rest looked at her curiously. "Duh! We have to give Shouto a cool nickname!" Hitoshi sighed at this, Shouto just looked confused, and Izuku just scratched his cheek.
"U-Um, I think we should address some more pressing concerns." At this, Hitoshi nodded.
"I agree. The Hosu Incident showed me that while my Quirk is good for handling humans, I can't fight the Nomu. This, more than anything else, affirms that we need two things before we can truly make our appearance to the world: a gearmaker, and funding. I have a friend I can get involved, and I can start on that tomorrow as I'm...sort of meeting her after school tomorrow anyway." Hitoshi finished with a slight blush on his normally blank expression.
"Oooooooooh, Hitoshi's got a girlfriend~." Mina teased in a singsong voice.
"Whatever. Just be ready to make a sales pitch in two days." Hitoshi didn't rise to Mina's antics. She pouted, but said nothing further.
"I actually have a potential source of funding." Shouto's voice got their attention. "It's nothing concrete...but I may know someone who's willing to help. I'll have to talk to them tomorrow." At this, Mina suddenly blinked.
"Are you talking about-" She started but was cut off.
"Yes, but I need to speak with her before I say anything else. I make no promises she'd be interested." They all stretched, and began to move out of the booth. Izuku looked at each of them, with a feeling of pride.
"So we agree? We meet up in two days to try to sell the idea of the Outsiders to a benefactor, and a gear outfitter?" The others nodded, and headed to the exit. As they went outside, Hitoshi and Shouto walked off, waving their goodbyes. Mina then latched onto Izuku's arm, causing him to turn scarlet.
"Come on Izuku! I want to get a burger!"
To be continued..
Not an action chapter by anymeans, but definitely an important one in terms of character growth. I know some of this was stated before, but I promise Izuku won't go over his history again, at least in this much detail. But I felt that he has kindred Spirits with Hitoshi and Shouto, and I approached this from the standpoint of an appeal to those similarities.
For those of you who noticed the minor changes I made yesterday, I wanted to iron out a few things. I assure you that will be the first, and only time this happens. The only editing I'll do at this point will be any issues with structure or spelling that appear due to this janky ass Word knockoff I use. Until next time, Raizen out.