Another Friday, another chapter!
This one took some doing and some rewriting, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Hopefully you agree!
Anyway, see you in the Author's Notes!
Edit:
I messed up a brief comment Izuku makes in his first scene, and it implied that Uraraka hadn't seen Izuku's Baiken transformation rather than my intended message. A reviewer pointed it out, so I fixed it.
On with the show!
—
Uraraka Ochaco was not afraid of hard work.
As the daughter of people who ran a construction company, often assisting their workers personally, that was to be expected. She often helped out in little ways around the site, sticking to the safe areas at her parent's demands, but working all the same. Because of this, despite the stereotype of her gender, Uraraka probably knew how to use power tools more effectively than most men, and definitely better than most boys her age.
Now, she had a new avenue to apply that capacity for working hard towards.
Her frightening experience at the power station was something of a wake-up call for Uraraka. Being a hero had, before, been some nebulous goal that served the dual-purpose of getting her parents off her back about 'following her dreams' while simultaneously having incredible potential for her to make a lot of money… But that was before she'd seen what it was like for heroes to do their jobs...
After things had settled down, Uraraka had managed to get some of the public information on the villain she'd helped Izuku take down. The man, Tesla… he was just an E-rank villain. The only thing less dangerous than him was an F-rank, and everyone knew that F-rank villains were only called that by technicality. In terms of threat, they were barely any worse than a common criminal.
It was well known that the gap between villains and criminals was wide, that people who truly qualified as villains were incredibly dangerous and far too much for the police or civilians… but Tesla truly put that in perspective for Uraraka.
It only got worse when you consider that, to pro-heroes, Tesla barely registered as a problem. Most pros were taking out D-rank villains effortlessly on the regular, with the particularly good heroes taking out C-ranks, and teaming up for B-ranks. If an A-rank was around, then the top ten heroes were called upon to deal with the problem before they caused untold damage and devastation to society.
The last A-rank to pop up leveled a city before he was even reported. All Might, famously, took down Toxic Chainsaw before the devastation could spread beyond that, but the damage had already been done.
There were rumors that there was an 'S' rank, but no one had ever produced proof of it, so it was considered a horrifying 'what if' concept to most people. The kind of thing people gossipped about on hero enthusiast forums.
All that is to say, Uraraka had been gifted with a reality check. She had first-hand experience with villainy, and that was an advantage that she was determined to utilize. She was going to put in the work so that she could be as prepared as possible. If not for herself, then for her family. Her parents were incredibly hesitant to support her 'dream' now that they saw how dangerous it truly was. Uraraka had convinced them, however, with the sound logic that they couldn't change their minds about supporting her 'dreams' after demanding she pursue them for so long. They weren't fully convinced, even with that, but if she could get much stronger…? Well, they'd have nothing to worry about, would they?
Which is why she was here, at an abandoned construction site near the edge of Musutafu. It was the remnants of a factory complex that her parents had been contracted to build years prior, when the business was still going well, but the project had been abandoned partway through after the client kept demanding changes and ran out of money. As it was, the place was full of random detritus, exposed rebar, and partially built warehouses.
In short, it was the perfect place for her to train.
The issue, however, was that… Well, she had no one to train with.
While she could just run around the place, training her quirk by lifting heavy things and tossing them, or floating around herself, Uraraka was strongly aware of how that could only help so much. What she really needed was a training partner. Someone that could help her devise drills and equipment, challenge her, and even spar with her.
Unfortunately, she didn't know anyone that could… Wait, maybe…?
Maybe Izuku would be willing to help? He's already better at me with this hero stuff anyway… But would I be wasting his time? I can't do that!
Izuku was… an interesting subject for Uraraka. Obviously, he'd become something of an inspiration when it came to being a hero. The boy had more talent than she'd seen in any of her other peers. In fact, it was enough to make her wonder what Hero school the boy was applying to, since there was no way he could be doing anything else.
Maybe they would go to U.A. together…? Well, assuming she got in anyway. Izuku was a shoe-in.
At the same time, the boy was so awkward and timid when he didn't need to be strong. He was a walking, talking, transforming, contradiction. But, above all else, the boy was kind. Kind enough that he was sure to help her. He'd done it before, after all, and in much riskier conditions.
So, for that reason, she texted the boy.
'Hey, can you come to this address if you're free?' she asked, linking the address. 'I'm trying to put together a training routine to prepare for U.A., and having you here would be really helpful!'
'Sure.' Izuku replied tersely.
That's odd…
Normally the boy wasn't so short. He was definitely the type to worry about being rude in even the littlest ways. It was just another way Izuku was sweet about the oddest things.
It was even odder when the boy arrived, some time later, with a ridiculously suspicious expression. There were bags under his eyes, which were vaguely bloodshot, with hair that was messier than normal somehow. He twitched suspiciously at any noise, eyes darting to the source, and he had…
"Why do you have duct tape around your wrist?" Uraraka inquired, confusion furrowing her brows.
"Huh?" the boy asked, blinking slowly. Shaking his head a bit and blinking even more—like he was forcing himself to stay awake—he continued speaking, holding his well-wrapped left wrist up. "Oh… This…?"
There were layers upon layers of tape encircling his limb, keeping the long sleeve he had forcefully shut. The wrapping was hastily applied, without any semblance of order to it's placement.
"It's… nothing…" He said evasively, suddenly glancing behind him at the entrance to the factory building they were in. "D-did you see Bakugo anywhere?"
"Who?" Uraraka asked. "Oh! The bully?"
Izuku nodded without turning around.
"No, I didn't even see him when I dropped off those clothes for you…" Uraraka trailed off, her expression turned a bit serious. "What's going on? Did he threaten you?"
"T-threaten…?" Izuku stuttered, turning back to face Uraraka. His dry lips pulled apart as he began to chuckle madly. "Threaten?! Haha… No, no he—he didn't… A threat! Hah!"
"Izuku…" Uraraka began warningly. The boy was starting to creep her out a bit. It was like he'd walked off a horror movie set and stayed in character! "What happened?"
"H-he confessed! To me!" Izuku declared.
Uraraka blinked.
"...What…?"
"Well, it was actually to Baiken, but you couldn't know that name because…" Izuku muttered, trailing off. "But it's fine… he can't find me… can't find her, because I have it sealed. Haha! It's foolproof!"
What is he talking about…?
"Have you gotten any sleep recently?" Uraraka queried.
"Well, um…" Izuku trailed off. "Not since Thursday… Well, there was that thirty minute nap yesterday when I nodded off during lunch… I haven't let myself since then though! If I'm awake, then he can't find me!"
He hadn't slept since Thursday?! It was Sunday morning right now!
"Izuku. You need to sleep. Even if it's just for a little bit, okay?" Uraraka stated. "Here, use this as a pillow."
She tossed him the backpack that she'd loaded with water bottles and a few towels to wipe herself with after training.
"But—"
"Just for a bit!" Uraraka interjected. "I'll keep watch for you!"
It was better to play along with him until he'd gotten enough rest to be properly conscious, at least.
"I…" Izuku muttered. "Are you sure…?"
Uraraka nodded emphatically, adding a cheery 'Uhn!' to the motion.
"Well… Okay…" Izuku trailed off as he sat down on the cement. His eyes drifted closed even as he spoke. The boy hadn't even managed to place the backpack on the ground first. Instead, he wound up hugging the thing like a plushie after he'd slumped against the concrete wall.
His poor neck…
She sat down next to the boy, leaning sideways to try and quietly slip a towel out of her backpack. If she could get at one, then she could wrap it around his neck a bit to keep his head upright somewhat.
Of course, the motion led to Uraraka accidentally bumping him with her shoulder, causing Izuku to tilt to the side and lean against her.
"Eep!" the girl squeeked, her face burning red as her back went ramrod straight.
Slowly, she tried to pull back so that she could get away, but with her hand partway into her backpack, it took a moment of awkward leveraging to begin freeing it… a moment that Izuku's unconscious body took advantage of to slide up the bag he was holding and latch onto her arm.
At this point, Uraraka was getting dizzy with embarrassment, but there wasn't any way to get away without waking the boy. It wasn't his fault this had happened, and he really needed to sleep, so… she latched on to the first distraction she could so as to avoid thinking about the current situation. The most readily available thing was the soft hair brushing against her cheek.
Wow, his hair really is scruffy!
Already distracted, she combed the boy's green-covered head with her fingers, marvelling at how chaotic it was. It seemed to part in several different places, with the fibers getting twisted almost at the root a lot of the time. How the boy managed to get it as relatively orderly as he did normally was a profound mystery if this is what happened after just a couple days without care. It may look like a bird's nest most of the time, but right now it was an active crime against hair styling.
Is it shampoo or something?
Uraraka let out a yawn, suddenly, blinking away the drowsiness that was gradually pulling on her eyelids.
"You're making me sleepy," the girl muttered at Izuku, yawning again and unintentionally punctuating the point.
"N-no!" Izuku suddenly mumbled in his sleep, though it was partially muffled by his cheek being pressed against her shoulder. "Dun' understand… Nah'a girl, Bakugo… Why're we in a hot spring?!"
The brunette stifled a giggle at that, yawning for a third time.
"I wonder what happened?" she muttered to herself, her lips still quirked in an amused grin even as her eyes fluttered closed.
—
It was quite a while later when Izuku woke up.
The first thing he noticed was how comfortable he was despite being upright… the next thing he noticed was that he wasn't leaning against a pillow, but a person. A familiar person. More importantly, a familiar person that was a girl.
Letting out a squeak of panic he shot to his feet, waking Uraraka up as a consequence of his jerky action.
"Feeling better?" Uraraka asked cheerily as she stretched.
"Yes," Izuku nodded. A moment later he seemed to realize something. "What are you doing in my—I'm not in my room? Where are we…?"
"Oh, wow, you were really tired, huh?" Uraraka commented. "I asked you out here to—"
The boy's face instantly shifted into terror at the phrase 'asked you out.'
"—to get some ideas for a training regiment." the brunette continued. "You were really out of it when you got here, though, so I told you to take a nap."
"Oh," Izuku muttered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."
"It's fine!" Uraraka denied cheerily.
Izuku opened his mouth to disagree, but the girl carried on before he could actually vocalize anything.
"But, I want to know what's spooked you!" she declared. "You were saying some really weird stuff in your sleep, so now I'm even more curious!"
"I…" Izuku trailed off hesitantly. "I guess I can tell you."
Uraraka smiled brightly at that.
"It all started when Bakugo demanded a rematch…"
—FLASHBACK—
Today was the day.
Izuku had been dreading it since he'd made that foolish decision in the heat of the moment… At noon, he would be having another fight with Bakugo. This time, the blonde was almost certain to take Izuku seriously, or rather, take Baiken seriously.
He… probably should have done some preparations for the upcoming duel… but he'd been busy working on concepting his costume idea along with all the homework he had now that school was back in session.
Oh, who am I kidding? I just didn't want to think about it…
'Sounds like something you'd do, boya,' Baiken snorted. 'Wasting time making crap when you could be training.'
Training for what?
'Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war,' she replied sagely.
We aren't at war though… We're literally in the most peaceful era since the advent of quirks!
'All things end eventually,' Baiken countered. '...And the more peaceful they are, the faster they fall to the wolves at the door.'
"Tch." Izuku grunted, her annoyance filtered through her current body's mannerisms.
The mental conversation faded to silence and Izuku returned to her pessimistic thoughts. Well, they weren't all pessimistic. She had managed to procure a bokken, at least, since Baiken seemed to be a swordswoman. Unfortunately, it only added to the delinquent image she had, walking around with her wild pink hair and in an unbuttoned school uniform—nothing but her skin tight T-shirt underneath, since her uniform's dress shirt was… uncomfortably tight in present circumstances.
It wasn't a good look. It was only diminished by the bright red of her freckled cheeks, making it seem more like she was a girl who had lost a bet rather than actually being a delinquent. That didn't mean people weren't going to avoid her, though; parting around her like the red sea as she walked through the crowd of pedestrians.
Eventually, she came to a stop. Her destination, Tattooin park, was just around the corner… It was odd that Bakugo had chosen this place. It was public, with plenty of people milling around, and it was nearby Tattooin Mall, where the blonde had reportedly been attacked by a villain. Izuku had found out about it a while later by happenstance; not that it raised her opinion of the boy at all, but it was another point against him choosing this location. What kind of crazy person would go near a traumatic place out of choice?
...Bakugo. Bakugo was exactly the kind of person to do that. He probably saw it as some way of proving his mettle, or something.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped out towards the park. It didn't take long for her to find the boy, since he was leaning against a statue of All Might with his typical scowl plastered on his face. He snarled at anyone that came nearby, shooing them away with his usual lack of manners.
Once she entered the clearing with the statue podium, Bakugo immediately noticed her, his head twisting to face her as soon as she was visible. The scowl dimmed a bit and he leaned backward, looking over the ledge surrounding the public fixture like he was checking for something. What was he doing…?
"Are we doing this, or what?" Izuku asked gruffly.
...I'm never going to escape talking like you, am I?
'Who knows?' Baiken said mockingly.
Bakugo paused, gears almost visibly churning in his head.
"Got yourself a toy, I see," the boy replied, dodging the question as he inclined his head toward Izuku's bokken. "Not like it'd make a difference."
"A branch did last time," Izuku countered.
The boy's brow began twitching at that, his hand clenching and unclenching in habitual anger.
"That was a lucky shot and you know it, bi—!" the boy shouted, cutting himself off mid sentence and visibly forcing his anger down.
That was… worrying. Izuku had never seen the boy do such a thing. What was she missing?
"What're you hiding?" she demanded, bluntly.
The blonde stared back for a moment, then let out an angry groan.
"Ah, fuck it. No point in avoidin' it," he stated. "I'll just tear the band aid off."
His arm blurred as he whipped whatever was hidden behind the ledge at Izuku, who awkwardly caught it out of her own reflex. Baiken still wasn't being helpful, so the freckled girl didn't end up chopping the bundle in half with the bokken like the spirit would have.
What the…?
Resting in Izuku's hands was a bouquet of purple and pink flowers. Why were there flowers in her hands?! What was going on?!
"I like you," Bakugo stated bluntly.
And with that… Izuku's brain processes came to an abrupt halt.
"My number's in there, so you'd better call me," Bakugo continued, glancing away with a scowl. Was he blushing? His cheeks were slightly red! WHAT THE HELL?!
"I could use a trainin' partner, if nothing else."
is not responding… Would you like to close the program?
The blonde glanced back at Izuku, staring at 'Baiken's' face in search of an expression. There was none to be found, since the boy-turned-girl wasn't really capable of them right now.
"No response…?" Bakugo trailed off. "Tch."
The blonde closed the distance between them, hands in his pockets. Stopping in front of her, the taller boy leaned forward with a raised hand, flicking her firmly in the forehead.
"Anyone home?" he snarked.
Wincing, Izuku stepped back reflexively, her foot catching awkwardly on the ground beneath them. She felt the moment that her balance left her, but was still too shell shocked to do anything about it.
Before she could hit the ground, Bakugo latched onto her wrist, halting her momentum by pulling her into him.
Blink...
Blink, blink.
D-d-d-did that j-j-just… W-w-what…?
Izuku's shorter form was pressed against the boy's chest in a position far too reminiscent of a young girls' daydreams about white knights and romantic declarations.
'Hehe… Hah! Ahahahahaha!' Baiken laughed. 'Holy shit, I did not expect that! The brat's got balls at least!'
"Seriously, did your brain just fall out or something? Fuck's sake, I know you're not that useless," Bakugo declared.
Oh my god. This isn't happening. Baiken, please tell me this isn't happening.
The woman just kept cackling in the back of Izuku's mind.
"I-I-I…" Izuku stuttered aloud, her composure well and truly lost.
Fighting Tesla had been easier than trying to even comprehend her current situation.
As her face heated up to a level she had previously thought impossible without some kind of temperature quirk, Izuku finally regained the ability to move. Pushing the blonde away from her, she bolted—not even noticing that she dropped her bokken in her flight.
Within moments she was gone from the clearing, mental screams of confusion competing with Baiken's laughter as she kept running.
Left behind, wooden sword at his feet, was a thoroughly bewildered blonde.
"Did I do somethin' wrong...?"
—FLASHBACK END—
"Pft!" Uraraka said, breaking into guffaws a moment later.
She was rolling back and forth on the floor, tears in her eyes.
"It's not funny!" Izuku denied seriously.
"I-I-I'm sorry," Uraraka said, straining to speak past her uncontrollable laughter. "I-It must have been a traumatic experience…"
The two teens stared at each other for a brief moment…
"Pft!" Uraraka devolved back into giggles, her shoulders heaving from the motion.
Izuku crossed his arms and looked away in a pout, determined to wait out the laughter. A few seconds later, he realized he was acting like Ryoko and instantly dropped the posture.
"S-s-so… That's why you were so stressed you couldn't sleep?" Uraraka queried as her giggles diminished.
"W-whenever I tried to sleep, I just kept seeing… him," Izuku shuddered. "Trying to… k-kiss me and c-calling me 'Baiken.'"
"Oh yeah!" Uraraka exclaimed, recalling something. "In a hot spring, right?"
Izuku's eyes widened in complete and utter horror.
"W-what…? H-how did you…?"
Uraraka giggled again.
"You were muttering in your sleep," the girl explained while carefully avoiding looking him in the eye.
Mortified, Izuku hid his face in his hands and groaned.
"So where did you get the name 'Baiken' from anyway?" Uraraka continued without missing a beat.
"Huh?" Izuku began. "Oh, um… I guess I never really explained my quirk to you, did I?"
Or anyone else for that matter… Honestly, I'd love an explanation of this friggin' watch.
"Nope!" Uraraka replied. "All I know is you turn into pretty girls when you use it!"
Izuku's face turned a bit red at that and he looked away.
I should not be happy about being called pretty… It's not even my body… and I'm a guy, dang it!
"Well, um… think of it kinda like multiple personality disorder," Izuku explained, falling back on the familiar analogy. "Except instead of my personality changing, my body does and I get a matching voice in my head."
"Really…?" Uraraka gasped in wonder. "That's so cool!"
"I guess…" Izuku trailed off noncommittally.
He'd never really thought of it that way. He'd been a little too caught up in… well, everything else to consider that. If you ignored the many issues he had with it… the watch was kind of cool, wasn't it?
"But how come your eyes turned weird back at… at the power plant…" Uraraka asked hesitantly, no doubt remembering the terror of the incident.
"When my body changes, I get a quirk to match it," Izuku explained, eager to move past the mention of that particular event. "I have a limited amount of 'personalities,' I think, but I'm not sure if I've met them all or not since I'm still really new to this."
"That's awesome!" Uraraka declared, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's like Pokemon! Gotta get 'em all, right? How many do you have?!"
"Um… Four. Right now at least," Izuku answered.
Even if he could now acknowledge that the watch was kind of cool, Uraraka's enthusiasm still threw him off quite a bit.
"Four?!" she cried in wonder. "Can I meet one? You said you have their voice in your head, right?!"
"Well, yes, but I'd need to transform for that…" the boy explained.
The girl's hyper-excited demeanor rapidly shifted to one of disappointment as soon as he made that comment.
"Aw…" Uraraka grumbled. "Dang… I know it makes you uncomfortable, so I won't ask, but I was really hoping…"
Izuku knew the girl wasn't doing it intentionally, but the look on Uraraka's face made him feel like he'd kicked a puppy. His very instincts as a man demanded he do something to make her smile!
"I… I can do it if you want…!" Izuku exclaimed, flustered from his attempts to replace the girl's disappointed frown.
I'm doing it again…! Why am I doing this again? Just because she's cute doesn't mean I should—Oh god, I'm alone with a cute girl in a factory at the edge of the city! Is this creepy? Am I Creepy?! What am I doing —
"Really?!" Uraraka exclaimed, cutting off Izuku's thoughts before they could spiral even further out of control.
Izuku nodded firmly in reply.
...I'm such a sucker…
"Thank you!" the girl cheered, doing a little happy dance in place.
Izuku couldn't help but grin at the sight himself—despite his internal grimace—while he stripped the tape from his forearm. Thankfully, it was actually attached to his sleeve, so it wouldn't be tearing off the minimal amount of hair he had on the limb. The duct tape hadn't been a good idea from the start; it wouldn't really prevent him from accessing the watch since he could just remove the wrapping, but it had felt like a logical plan at the time…
Sleep deprivation was a hell of a thing.
"Oh yeah, what was that for, anyway?" Uraraka asked, pointing at the silvery wad that Izuku had nearly finished removing.
Urk!
"Um… I'm… not sure…?" he tried.
There's no way she's going to fall for that!
"Hmm…" the girl mumbled. "Well, you were acting pretty crazy when you got here, so that makes sense."
Or maybe she will…
"R-right…" Izuku chuckled nervously. It was a miracle that the girl hadn't noticed his lie.
"So, who're you going to introduce me to?" Uraraka queried.
"Uh…"
He glanced down at his now tape-less sleeve, sliding it back and activating the watch face without thinking. A moment after he'd popped the top of the watch upward, he finally made the connection that doing this in front of an audience was not a good idea if he wanted to maintain the facade that he actually had a quirk.
Crap! What do I—
Green eyes slid up to assess the reaction of the bubbly girl across from him.
...Does she not notice?
"Izuku?" the girl began. "Hello? Did you hear my question?"
"Oh! Sorry!" Izuku exclaimed. "Give me a second to think…"
He turned the dial of the watch, holding it in front of him casually. There was no response from Uraraka. In fact, her gaze never strayed to the watch at all, now that he was using it anyway. It was almost… eerie.
I guess that's something else for the list of questions I have about this thing…
Scrolling through the options, Izuku contemplated who exactly to pick. The girl probably wouldn't want to be reminded of the… incident… with Hinata's presence, and he was inclined to avoid Baiken simply so he didn't accidentally insult his friend… Rias was out for obvious reasons, so that just left—
Izuku blinked, staring at the unfamiliar symbol on the watch-face.
It was a complex thing, difficult to describe in words, made up of two half-circles—one resting slightly above the other. The upper half-circle had three spikes sticking up directly from its top, equidistant from each other, while the lower half-circle had five slightly smaller spikes fanning out from the bottom of the half-circle—also equidistant from each other.
The green-haired boy had never seen anything like it.
"Actually…" Izuku trailed off. "I think I may have… found? That doesn't sound right… Well, I have a new one that I've never tried."
"How can you tell?" Uraraka asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Uh…"
I did not think that through…
"I... I'm not sure I can explain it," Izuku said truthfully. Given that the girl couldn't notice the watch when it was active… He would likely have another coughing fit if he tried to explain it to her. "I just have a gut feeling."
"Okay!" the girl accepted. "Try it then! I can't wait to meet your quirk!"
The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at that. It felt… wrong… to lie to the girl, but what choice did he have?
Sighing too quietly for his friend to notice, Izuku pressed down on the watch's surface, and with a familiar flash of green light… everything changed.
The world around Izuku became… slightly desaturated? Everything was just a tiny bit less vibrant, like there was a storm coming.
A brief examination revealed that Izuku now had snow-white hair, which was finally short enough to manage. Sure, the bangs partially obscured the normally-green-haired-boy's vision, but none of it fell below the shoulder.
Speaking of below the shoulders…
Finally…! Someone with a more reasonable chest!
Though Izuku was, unfortunately, definitely a girl in this form, her chest was far more modest than the other spirits. While it was by no means small, it wasn't the ridiculously eye-catching feature that the—
'Why does it matter that my sexually dimorphic features are reasonably sized?' a voice asked mentally. 'Such things serve no function besides aesthetics.'
Blinking, Izuku struggled to find a way to respond to that without sounding perverted.
...Um. Not to be rude… but everything I learned in biology class disagrees with that.
'What is a "biology class?" I've never been informed of such a thing,' the voice asked dispassionately.
"Why does every one of them have to be so pretty…" Uraraka mumbled.
"Huh?" Izuku asked, focus shifting back to reality.
Per usual, Izuku's voice matched the one in her head. Unlike her other forms, however, this one sounded identical, rather than being slightly younger.
"Nothing!" Uraraka denied hurriedly, shaking her arms back and forth in front of her.
"Oh, alright," Izuku agreed. "So, do you have a mirror or something? I can… introduce… you in a moment, but it's kind of unsettling not knowing what I look like."
Though that feeling was a lot more familiar than it should be, by now.
'Are you ignoring my question, 2B?' the voice asked.
2B? What does that mean?
'It is your designation,' she replied, as if that answered everything. 'Seeing as you have gained my body, it's only logical that you receive my name as well.'
What?! No! That's your name! I can't take that away from you!
'...Affirmative,' 2B replied.
After a moment, Izuku heard a quiet 'thank you…' follow.
"—zuku…? Hello?" Uraraka asked.
The brunette was inches from Izuku's face, staring into her eyes with curiosity as the brunette tilted her own head side to side.
"Gah!" Izuku exclaimed, dodging backwards reflexively.
The motion was incredibly smooth, a spinning flip, and it barely felt like she'd moved at all despite being almost two meters away suddenly.
"Woah!" Uraraka exclaimed. "That was cool!"
She quickly closed the distance.
"Here, you can use my phone camera to look at yourself!" the girl offered, handing over a pink flip-phone with a simple charm hanging off of it.
"Oh, thanks," Izuku replied.
Wait, couldn't I have used my phone for this?
'What is a "phone?"' 2B asked. 'Obviously, I can see the object you're holding, but what purpose does it serve? I assume it allows the use of some kind of visual program, given the girl's words…'
As Izuku pressed the buttons required to activate the camera, she explained.
It lets you call people you know, take photos, and send text messages. The newer models have a lot of different apps too, but Uraraka just has a flip phone apparently. Do you not have phones where you come from?
'Affirmative,' the woman confirmed tonelessly. 'The closest we have are Pods, but those are far more combat-focused than this item, despite having a few similar features.'
Izuku angled the camera at herself, taking a photo and turning the device back around to get a better look.
There wasn't much else to cover that she hadn't already noticed, but some things still stood out to her. First, there were the silvery-blue eyes she now had. Something about them was just… off. Like the feature sent the entire look ever so slightly into the uncanny valley. The effect was worsened by the utterly blank expression on her face. It was the kind of poker face that could give a professional poker player trouble in deciphering.
Despite this, the visage was beautiful, almost inhumanly so—worsening the uncanny valley effect even more—and seemed tailor made to stare down at peasants from an ivory tower. Thankfully, Izuku's freckles were still present as a reminder of her true self.
"So, what's her name?" Uraraka interjected, bouncing from foot to foot.
"'2B,' she said," Izuku responded as she handed the phone back to Uraraka.
"Really? That's weird…"
What kind of name is that, anyway?
'It's an abbreviation for the purpose of communication,' 2B explained. 'My proper designation is YorHa Model Number 2 Type B.'
Huh… I like 2B much better. The other one makes you sound like a robot or something… Are you a robot?
'I've not heard of "robots" before…' 2B questioned in lieu of an answer.
Um… a robot is kind of like a thinking machine, I guess—
'I am not a machine...' the woman growled, cold anger seeping through and overwhelming the placid calm she'd maintained up until now.
Izuku went to reply, but was interrupted by a vision.
Indistinct and full of far more information than any of the others she'd had, images flashed before her eyes rapidly. They were full of too much detail, like they'd been recorded by a movie-quality camera, and were all the more overwhelming for it. It was all Izuku could do to notice the main details in each image with how much content was forced into her mind's eye.
A white-haired boy dressed in black, a stained bronze blade hovering behind him… Thin men, brothers, with warm smiles that exuded a depraved curiosity... Monstrous machines/enemies/vermin that towered over Izuku's perspective, their manufactured bodies lumbering toward her with heavy thumps…
S-stop! It's too much!
A king, a child, a linchpin… dead by the hands of an enemy/ally/truth-giver… An ancient god, risen from the deep to unleash its wrath on the world itself… Swarms and hails of energy-bullets, blotting out the grey sky with their number…
P-please!
A tortured soul, desperate for beauty—love!—such that she would slay her own—
"—IZUKU!" Uraraka shouted directly into the girl's ear.
Torn from the images, Izuku finally realized what was going on around her.
She was huddled on the ground, knees pulled to her chest as she shivered incessantly. A single tear trailed down the cheek of her still otherwise emotionless face.
"U-Uraraka…?" Izuku muttered.
"What happened?!" the girl exclaimed, her face reflecting her worry. "Was it too much to do this with so little sleep? I'm so sorry! I would never have—"
"I-It's fine!" Izuku interrupted as she forced herself to her feet.
Wiping the tear away with the hem of her sleeve, she tried in vain to forget what she'd seen.
W-what was that…? None of the other visions were so… so… forceful! I… I couldn't move, I couldn't think, nothing!
'...My apologies,' 2B replied, back in her normal subdued tone. 'I can only assume that my breach of protocol is what forced my severely fragmented data logs upon you. I will need to review them and attempt repair at some point.'
Breach of protocol…?
'Androids do not experience emotions.'
"A-are you sure you're alright?" Uraraka asked hesitantly.
"Yes!" Izuku exclaimed, perhaps a bit too forcefully.
Clearly, the other girl didn't believe it.
"...Maybe you should go home. I don't want you to hurt yourself just because I was curious," she stated.
"I'm fine, really!" Izuku denied.
"Are you sure…?"
The currently white-haired girl nodded enthusiastically. It created quite an odd image, given how dispassionate the face was despite the emotive nature of her gesture. The contrast was quite ridiculous.
"Okay then!" Uraraka began, "Her name is '2B.' What's she like?"
"So far, anyway, she's pretty calm. Emotionless, almost like a machine—An android…" Izuku answered, correcting herself with a shudder mid-sentence.
"Hmm… A no-nonsense type, huh?" Uraraka asked rhetorically. "Does she have any hobbies?"
"You… You do realize that she's a voice in my head, right?" Izuku confirmed with a touch of exasperation.
"Well yeah, but she's got to at least like something, right?"
'Such things are unnecessary. I care only for my mission,' 2B denied.
What's your 'mission' then?
'Whatever YorHa commands,' the woman stated.
...Huh.
"She doesn't have any hobbies," Izuku stated out loud.
"Aw, that's a shame," Uraraka said sympathetically.
Before they could continue, Uraraka's phone lit up with a notification. Letting out a 'hm?' of surprise, she checked the screen.
"Ah!" she exclaimed in shock. "It's already eight?!"
She rapidly began grabbing her stuff, tossing it into the backpack she had on the ground.
"Wait, it's after dark now?!" Izuku yelped. "How long was I asleep?!"
"Mhmm!" Uraraka stated, a towel in her teeth as she forced the contents of her bag down to make room. A moment later, she spat it out, sliding it into the space she'd made. "My parents are going to kill me! I was supposed to be home an hour ago!"
The brunette took off running, speeding towards the factory exit.
"Bye Izuku! Bye 2B!" she shouted. "Good luck with your boy-problems!"
...And with that, she was gone.
Gah! I'd forgotten about that! Why did she have to remind me?!
'...She's an odd one,' 2B commented. 'I've never met an android with an attitude like hers.'
What do you mean an 'android' like her?
'Are your faculties operating properly, 3B?' the woman asked.
I like to think so… and what's with calling me '3B?'
'You need a designation. If you are not going to take mine despite having my body, then it's only appropriate to give you a new one. I am not personally aware of any combat unit with that designation, so it is enough for now,' she explained.
Right… Well, ignoring that, why are you calling Uraraka an android?
'Because she is clearly not a machine life-form,' 2B replied. 'I'm obliged to ask again: Are your faculties operating properly, 3B?'
Uraraka isn't a machine or an Android, 2B. She's human, like me. Frankly, I've never met an android before you.
'...What did you just say…?'
...That I've never met an android before you…?
'No…' the woman trailed off, ignoring Izuku's response entirely. 'This… This isn't possible.'
2B? Is everything okay?
'My deepest apologies, Master!' the android said, her tone actually portraying a slight tinge of an emotion: self-recrimination. The kind that results from accidentally being casual with the CEO of the company you work at without realizing who you were talking with. 'I had no idea you were a human. I live to serve.'
...What?
…
So you're telling me, that where you're from humanity retreated to the moon after a robot uprising caused by aliens? Then they made androids to fight their battles for them?! What?!'
Izuku was walking home now, chatting with the voice in her head.
That… sounded bad, in retrospect.
Having sent a text so that her mother wouldn't worry any more than she probably already had, Izuku wasn't in so much of a hurry that she avoided speaking with 2B. As she made her way to the train station she'd been getting a basic summary of the place the android had come from. It was odd to hear about a world so different, and it prompted thought on whether or not these were actual places—somewhere off in the stars or in a multiverse—or if there was something else going on with the spirits.
'Machines, not robots, but you are still roughly correct, Master,' 2B affirmed.
Please, please stop calling me that.
'It would be incredibly inappropriate for me to not refer to you with the respect due my makers, Master,' the woman answered.
Well, given that I'm using your body right now, doesn't that mean I'm an android like you…? Whatever that actually means exactly. Are androids automatons? Is it just a name for a genetically modified sub-race of humanity meant to be a working class?
'Androids are mechanical beings made in the image of our makers, meant to be an accurate recreation so as to best represent them. As for you…' 2B trailed off, thankfully not quite getting to Izuku's 'title.' 'I'm not actually sure. From what I am able to detect from my current position in your code, you are an android, yes… but the vast majority of your programming is inaccessible to me, so I cannot confirm this with 100% certainty.
...That's worrying. Wait, in my code? I don't have code!
A pause.
...Do I?
'It's… something akin to it, master. I've entered cyber-space before, and it looked nothing like this, but I'm not a Scanning Unit… so I'm not fully sure,' 2B explained. 'I am certain that you're compatible with my code and YorHa standard programs, so you'll be able to utilize my body to your benefit.'
Hmm…
This could mean… quite a bit actually. If being in this form granted Izuku some kind of pseudo-mechanical connection to technology… Well, there was a lot of potential there if she managed to get better at coding and robotics, assuming modern tech was compatible.
'Master…?' 2B began.
Okay, I understand that you're determined to call me some kind of title, but can you please pick something else?
'Very well…' the woman stated. 'Great Father, perhaps? Your race did create mine, after all.'
No! I don't know which is worse between those two!
'Lord-Creator, then?'
Please no!
'Sir, perhaps? I apologize if that's too informal, but its—'
What about 3B? You called me that before!
'Are you sure…? It would be far below your station for me to use android naming convention to refer to you.'
Please?
The woman let out a quiet sigh.
'...Very well. Your designation has been updated to—'
A scream echoed throughout the empty street, halting all thought as the currently white-haired girl froze in place. Thoughts racing, she rapidly analyzed the situation.
It came from nearby, terrified and terrifying in equal measure because of what it meant. With the sheer emotion exuded from the high-pitched cry, it could only mean that there was a villain nearby. Someone that the police couldn't fight, much less a normal person.
Only a hero would be enough to stop them.
Izuku didn't even notice that she'd begun running toward the sound, her red sneakers slapping against the cold pavement as she ran, until the voice in her head spoke up.
'What are you doing, 3B?' 2B queried.
I don't know!
'You don't know? Why are you taking action, then?' the woman continued, a bit of puzzlement leaking into her tone.
What was she doing?
Izuku wasn't a hero! She'd given up on that path! Even now, despite how unsure she'd become of late, there was no way to pursue that career. If she leapt in now, it was almost certain that she'd face legal ramifications for it—her recent experience with Tesla all but assured that because of the precedent it set for her actions.
There was nothing to gain and everything to lose. The Midoriya's were not a wealthy family, they couldn't afford to pay an extravagant fine! Worse still, jail time wasn't even out of the question when it came to Vigilante charges—even as a minor.
Yet still she ran.
'This course of action is illogical, 3B,' the voice in her head stated. 'You are not equipped appropriately for such a venture.'
I know! I know it's illogical!
A second scream rang out, this time closer.
Izuku turned on her heel with a skid, 2B's grace assisting the motion as she readjusted to more accurately pursue the sound.
Why was she doing this?! What was the reason?! Did she just have a hero complex, like Aizawa said? Did Izuku need people to look at her like some kind of savior? Was it truly something so psychologically petty?
Urgh!
Izuku skidded to a stop, panting not from physical exertion, but from the mental turmoil she was undergoing.
Why?! What's the reason?! The logic?!
Clutching her head, her hands fisted in her hair, she tugged upon the white strands as tears pooled in her currently silver eyes. Falling to her knees, she began to shake as repressed emotion finally, after months, broke free—forcing her stone-like face into an expression of pained frustration.
WHY CAN'T I LET THIS GO!?
The only sound on the empty street was her breathing. The shaky gasps pounded in her ears as she struggled to achieve an answer.
A third scream echoed, just around the corner.
Immediately, Izuku was on her feet again, charging without thought. Several long steps carried her around the block and into the alleyway.
Standing menacingly within was a thin woman in a mostly black bodysuit, excluding the multi-hued purple stripes wrapping around her sleeves. Her hair was thick and cord-like, the color of matte steel. Izuku didn't recognize her, which meant she was either new, or she was an F-rank villain...
Across from her was a young man, perhaps a year or so older than Izuku, with webbed fingers and gills. He was shaking in place, and though he looked incredibly frightened, there was no way he could have made the high-pitched scream that had attracted Izuku's attention.
That was when the freckled teen saw it.
Hiding behind the young man was a little girl, somewhere around five or six, that was clutching onto his pant leg. Tears and snot dripped from her face as she quivered in terror. She had similar features to the boy, probably his little sister.
The woman, who appeared to be the aggressor, laughed.
"I can't believe how good it feels to be doing this!" she exclaimed. "That guy was totally right!"
Her corded hair flicked forward, quick as a whip, and sliced a divot into the concrete just before the two siblings. The little girl yelped and buried her face in her brother's knee. The boy put an arm in front of her as he shakily tried to inch backward.
Then, the boy noticed Izuku.
His eyes were wide with terror, not for himself, but for his little sibling. More than that though, his expression radiated a sense of horrible pleading. Crying out for help wordlessly in an act of utter desperation.
...Oh.
Izuku finally, finally, understood.
At the end of the day, it wasn't about 'being a hero.' It wasn't about fame, or money, or power… It wasn't about chasing after the coattails of the one man she'd turned to when her father was gone on his never-ending business trips. It wasn't about any kind of logic.
It was never about logic.
What did it matter if she was Midoriya Izuku or a hero with hordes of fans? There was someone there, fear on their face and in their heart… A person that was desperate, pleading for someone, anyone to help them.
There was someone there that needed saving…
...And Izuku was there to save them.
Izuku rushed forward for the third time that night, but this time… This time it wasn't out of reflex, it wasn't out of some repressed instinct… It was because she chose to run. In that moment, all that mattered to her was saving the innocent people in front of her.
Izuku wasn't a hero doing what was expected of them, there was no obligation to act, but she did so anyway. Someone needed saving, and she was going to save them.
An emotional cry slipped from Izuku's throat, carrying with it all the repressed anger, sadness, and disappointment she'd felt ever since That Man had crushed her dream.
The villain turned around, confusion evident on her face for the briefest of moments before it was replaced with a sadistic grin.
"What're you, a good samaritan—" she began.
Izuku's slender fist connected with her jaw before she could finish speaking.
The woman staggered back a good bit, her hands clutching her face as her hair whipped around angrily—much like an animal's tail.
"How dare you!" the villain screamed.
A dozen cords of grey hair arced through the air, aiming at various points across Izuku's body.
'Now!' 2B's voice echoed.
Trusting the borrowed instincts, Izuku flooded her body with energy, allowing it to flow along the circuit-like network she knew was within her current form. As the energy flowed, she slipped into a dodge, twirling up into the air and narrowly avoiding losing her head by just a few centimeters.
Time seemed to slow down for a brief moment, the world dyed in the faded hues of gold and bronze, granting her several long moments to think even as she fell back toward the earth in slow motion.
'You'll land in a crouch with your back to the enemy. Spin around, take out a knee and go for the back of their neck as they fall. That should short circuit the connection between their central processing unit and their motor functions,' 2B stated.
Perhaps because of their connection, Izuku had—for lack of a better term—felt that she should do something along those lines. It was good to have confirmation from someone with vastly more experience, however.
Time returned to normal, along with the colors of the world.
Izuku landed, her knees bending to absorb the impact. Spinning around as the villain began to react, she kicked the side of the woman's knee with her own. The joint was forced to bend, claiming the woman's connection to the ground. As she collapsed, Izuku swung her hand—fingers out like she was chopping a piece of wood in a dojo—and caught the back of the villain's neck.
The force of the blow knocked her out and carried her forward, resulting in a graceless faceplant and a broken nose.
Panting from the sudden exhaustion induced by using so much energy so inefficiently, Izuku bent forward slightly at the waist. Before she could even begin to catch her breath, a child-shaped missile smashed into her body, knocking her to the ground in a rocky sitting position.
"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, hero-lady!" the little girl with her arms wrapped around Izuku exclaimed.
Izuku froze at that label and the sheer amount of childish enthusiasm, overwhelmed quite quickly by the combination.
The gilled boy quickly approached, yanking his sister off of Izuku with the expertise of an older sibling used to their younger sibling's antics. The girl pouted at him, though she held on to him tightly. Clearly, the fear of the moment had only been temporarily pushed to the side.
"Thank you so much!" the boy said with a deep bow.
Shifting his hold on his sister, he held her close to his chest—allowing the girl to wrap her hands around his neck and hang there. Exhausted by an ordeal beyond her ability to process, she quickly fell asleep in his arms.
With the slight tremors that result from pushing oneself too far, Izuku stood up and brushed off her clothing.
"I know my sis called you a hero…" the boy said. "But you don't look like anyone I've ever seen… and you're not in costume."
Crap!
"W-well…" Izuku trailed off nervously.
"Don't worry, I won't report you," the teen declared. "If it wasn't for you… My sister and I… We…"
He shook his head roughly, blinking away tears—a brittle smile on his face.
"Just… Thank you… Really."
This was it. This is what Izuku had been missing.
Seeing the expression of utter relief replace the complete terror that had been there before, on both of the siblings… It made her realize why she'd wanted to be a hero in the first place; why A-All M-M—Why That Man had been such an inspiration.
In the end, that's what being a hero was about… A smile.
A smile that replaced terror, sadness, grief, and any negative emotion you could think of. The smile that could only come from the knowledge that everything would be alright, that the suffering was over… That they had been saved.
...And with that realization, Izuku finally realized what she needed to do; what her place was in the world.
It was simple, really.
Izuku was going to make people smile.
—
[END OF ARC 1: Can I Become A Hero…?]
—
AN:
Hoooo boy. What a milestone!
Things are finally going to start picking up a bit in the next chapter, and I can't wait to share it. But for now, I have to ask. What did you think? Of this chapter in particular, but also of the arc as a whole. Has it built up effectively to Izuku's realization? Has the varying level of tension felt good, or did it bounce around too much? Perhaps something else I didn't even think to ask!
Let me know! I'm always happy to hear helpful criticism, and I'm particularly excited to see what you all think now that the first arc is over.
/AN 2:/ Actually, this is just the Waifu Corner:
So, to begin. Thanks for all the suggestions!
As a result of your recommendations, I ended up binging the content related to one of the waifus (who shall remain nameless), and have added them to the roster! Separately, another one of your recent suggestions is on the 'highly probable list' along with Tifa; I just need to find a reasonable place to fit them into the narrative cohesively.
For this week, I don't actually have a prospective waifu, so feel free to keep sending in more suggestions! I am starting to get to the point now, however, where I can't feasibly include too many more. As such, further recommendations, even if they're good, will probably be tentatively added to the 'confirmed roster' that Tifa and my mystery addition are currently on.
But regardless, thank you for all the recommendations!
All told, four guaranteed roster additions came from you all, with two more being tentative!
But for now… The show will continue…!
...Next week.