I did my homework. I ate dinner. I finished my homework. And the whole time, All Might's words echoed through my head.
"Think about what you did well, and what you could have done better."
It would be easy to say that we won, and All Might called me the MVP. So I could say that I did it all well. But really, what had I done?
I took out my phone, and hit the third number, after home and Mom.
"Hi, Izuku," Tsu answered after two rings. She smiled at me and I could see her room behind her.
"Hi, Tsu," I responded with my own grin, "How are you?"
"Good," she answered, "And how are you?"
"I'm good, too," I told her, "But, well, I have been doing a lot of thinking about today. And that is why I called. Not that I didn't just want to talk to you. I wanted that, too."
"Hmm," she looked amused, "So what's up?"
"Well, because of what All Might said, I was second guessing what I did. Was it really right to trap you like that? I know the rules allowed it, but would it have worked in the real world? If it had been real handcuffs, maybe you would have been able to slip out or break them..."
"Not if they had been anti-villain handcuffs," she cut me off to remind me, "If Endeavour can't melt them without seriously hurting himself, and All Might needs a few minutes to break them, then someone like me would never have had a chance to get out of them."
"Probably," I hedged, thinking about her abilities, "But if it had been the real world... Or really anyone other than you, I wouldn't have known that that would work. Also, I think I owe you an apology."
"You already apologized," she pointed out, "And I told you you didn't need to."
"Not for trapping and leaving you," I shook my head, "Because if you hadn't been fighting me, you would likely have done better. When you tagged me at the beginning, I got a 'Paralyze Resistance' skill. So if it had been someone else, you might have stopped them right then and there."
"Ribbit," she frowned at me, "That's interesting. I thought Gamer's Body already made you immune to that."
"No," I pivoted my head again, "That's Gamer's Mind and mental type statuses. Gamer's Body doesn't say that it gives me any resistance to paralysis, or poison, or anything like that."
Then I grinned sheepishly, "I was actually thinking of asking you to use your oils on me sometimes, to help me build up resistance skills."
"Like holding your hand?" she prompted, a sparkle in her eyes, "Or maybe giving you a backrub?"
"That might not be too bad," I agreed, Gamer's Mind keeping the blush out of my cheeks.
"Well, since we are talking about class..." she decided to stop teasing me. Or was it flirting?
"... do you have any ideas about what I could have done better?"
I considered her question for a moment.
"Well, I was wondering why you sparred with me," I told her, "I would have expected you to cling to the walls or ceiling outside of my range. Then you could have smacked me around with your tongue."
"I didn't think of that," she admitted, "After the initial attack, I was in melee range, and I got caught up in that."
"Also," I added another light bulb later, "I know your oils don't do anything to your skin. But what if you ingest them?"
"Ingest them?" she prompted, confused.
"I was thinking you could coat your tongue with your oils. Then you could poison or paralyze opponents from further away."
"I don't know," she frowned, "That sounds kind of weird. Licking my hands a bunch would probably make me look like a villain. Besides, I don't know if it would work."
"Yeah, I thought that, too. That it might look funny, and your saliva might disrupt the oils. Again, assuming doing that didn't just end up paralyzing you... What if you collected the oil another way? Like in some of those reusable water balloons?"
"That could work," she assumed her 'thinking pose'.
"And do you have any ideas for me?" I asked.
"Well," she tilted her head a bit further, "I didn't get to see the end, because I was stuck. But you got trapped by the glue right? I'm surprised it could get to you. Your Tactile TK acts like armor right?"
"It was liquid," I explained, "and a lot of it. It just kind of seeped through... So maybe I should work on that?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me," she agreed, "And maybe I will see if my oil knocks me out if I lick it."
"You don't have to," I said, "It was just a silly idea I had."
"But it may be good to know, just in case I ever get exposed some other way."
"That's true," I nodded.
"Nee-chan!" Satsuki's voice came from outside Tsu's phone's camera's range, "Can you help me dry my hair?"
"Just a minute," Tsu answered. Then she looked back at me and said regretfully, "I have to go. See you tomorrow?"
"Definitely," I told her, "Good night, Tsu."
"Good night, Izuku."
"Mom, I'm going to take a bath," I called out as soon as we disconnected.
"Alright," she answered.
I went into the bathroom, and filled the tub up, but only halfway. I turned the heater on for the water, and higher than normal. I hoped that would make it more difficult.
After cleaning myself, I stepped gingerly into the tub. It was long enough that, even if I laid flat across the bottom, I still would have had at least twenty centimeters to spare. The water was painfully hot, but not enough to scald me. I sat down at one end of the tub, and then got to work.
I activated Telekinetic Rampart. It created a wall at the far end of the tub. Then I pulled it closer. Scraping the water towards this end until it was almost up to the rim and spilling over. Next I activated Telekinetic Armor, trying to push the water as far from my skin as I could.
"Re-enable all alerts," I instructed.
[Water leaks, slips, invades. It is hard to hold back. +1 Determination, Telekinetic Rampart skill improved (lvl 5)]
Some of the liquid seeped though, splashing my chest. I clenched my fists and pushed it back away. Then it spread under the wall. I tried to scoop it up with my regular TK. The water rippled slightly, but I couldn't lift it. Or even move it. I dropped the wall, and then recreated it, pulling the water back towards me again.
I tried to ponder the difference. TK Rampart seemed to create a hard barrier, so it made sense that it would not have the same effect on water. But what was the difference between TK Armor, that it could push the water away from me, and Telekinesis, which could not lift or push the liquid? Neither one seemed solid.
Unfortunately, I was already tired, and the heat made it harder to concentrate. But I didn't miss the next alert.
[Heat Resistance Skill unlock, condition 1/3 met.]
"That's a new one," I murmured.
By the end of my bath, TK Armor had gone from level 11 to level 16, and TK Rampart from 4 to 12. Plus two more bumps of Determination, putting me right on the cusp of 50 points and a bonus Talent. And also two each for Endurance and Intuition. Unfortunately, halfway through I realized the heat was sapping my Energy in terms of Stamina, as well as my HP. So I turned off the heater. And I didn't really come up with any answers to the differences in my TK powers, or what else I needed to due to unlock Heat Resistance. Which was too bad, because it might have helped me figure out Cold Resistance for Tsu.
The early part of Tuesday's morning lessons seemed to fly by. Everyone was anticipating the chance to review the matches. Both our own, and our classmates. Some of my classmates were eager, while the rest of us had more of a nervous sort of anticipation.
"Alright," Aizawa-sensei looked at us sharply, "Before all of you get your chance, there are two specific performances I want to go over first. Kirishima."
The red-haired boy straightened in his chair.
"Your plan to rile up Shishida-kun and have him destroy the bomb was inspired, perfectly executed, and earned you the MVP," Aizawa told him, All Might nodding along. Kirishima started to smile...
"Don't ever do it again," Eraserhead added quickly and sharply.
"Sensei?" Kirishima sounded surprised.
"The disqualification by destroying the bomb was to prevent either team from taking the easy way out," our teacher explained, "While using that against the other team in a game is all well and good, but you can't count on something like that working in the real world. If it was a real bomb, and that would have set it off. Yanagi-chan could have set it off moving it like she did."
I glanced around. Yaoyorozu-san and Ami both appeared to know exactly what Aizawa-sensei was talking about. Mikoto was smirking. Iida-san and Koda-san were both taking notes. Everyone else just seemed to be considering the lecture.
"Second," Aizawa-sensei continued, "while getting your opponent to lose control is a tried and true battle strategy, you have to make sure you know your opponent before you use it. Or at least that there won't be collateral damage if you are wrong. You got a quick one minute explanation from someone who has known him for two weeks and only seen him use his Quirk in a game. That does not qualify. What if, instead of snapping him out of it, breaking the bomb had made him more angry? What if he continued to grow larger and stronger? What if he had a hybrid Quirk, and literally exploded in rage?"
"Midoriya," Aizawa-sensei suddenly shifted focus to me. And Gamer's Mind was the only thing keeping me from trembling.
"You caught one of Asui's wrists and taped her to a wall, and then ran off," he glared at me. I braced myself.
"Well done," he concluded gruffly.
"I will do better next..." I started. Then I blinked, and parroted Kirishima, "Sensei?"
"Unlike most anyone else here," he said, "You and Asui-chan do know each other. You had every reason to believe that would hold. And not every Villain you fight will be a mystery. Villains get away. And when they do, they usually come back. There is nothing wrong with exploiting that knowledge, if it is solid and actionable. But more importantly, you did what you needed to escape and return to your mission, while reasonably making sure she couldn't attack you from behind."
"Like Mic-sensei said in the exam," Ami murmured, but the class was quiet enough that her voice carried, "catching a thief when you are trying to save a child is not a win."
"Exactly," Eraserhead looked mildly impressed, "Too many Heroes get too caught up in fighting and capturing the Villain, and forget about their surroundings, civilians, or their original mission. Even though the Heroes could win this lesson by taking out both Villains, it's not a particularly rational solution. Just because they can't interfere anymore, doesn't mean you would be able to find and disable their weapon in time. That is something you all need to keep in mind."
"Okay!" All Might boomed the word in English, though I expected everyone knew what it meant.
"Now that we have got that out of the way," he continued, switching back to Japanese, "Let's see what everyone has come up with. In seat order, I want each of you to identify something you did well, something you did poorly or a mistake you made, and finally, what you intend to do to improve based on either or both of those. After your self-assessment, we will have a few minutes for the rest of your classmates to ask questions or offer brief, constructive comments."
All Might put a lot of emphasis on the word 'constructive'. I didn't really think anyone would do otherwise. I mean, Todoroki-san was a bit cold. Iida-san was strict and somewhat hasty. Ashido-san seemed to sometimes speak without thinking. Mikoto could be a bit harsh.
Okay, maybe the reminder wasn't the worst idea.
"Go ahead, Aoyama-kun," Aizawa-sensei prompted.
"What I did well," Aoyama-san declared regally, "was my teamwork. I lent my partner my Quirk, I followed his plan. I participated, even though I thought he was going overboard. What I do poorly, was ultimately getting caught up in the excitement, and overusing my Quirk. Which, in turn, comes from my desire not to step out from under my sister's shadow."
"Why do you feel you are overshadowed by your sister?" Aizawa-sensei prompted, more gently than I had heard him speak before.
"Her Quirk is similar to mine, but far superior," Aoyama explained, "She shoots the same beam, but from the tips of her pointer fingers. Her beams, even together, are weaker. But she can shoot two targets at once. She can aim more easily. And because the beams are weaker and come from her fingers, she can shoot more, before it starts to hurt her. I even heard she has even learned to make her lasers curver slightly."
"You heard?" I mused.
"Oui," he nodded, "Minako, she went to Hero school in London, living with our granmama. She graduates in two months, and already has a year long sidekick position lined up in the UK, after which she may return to Japan."
"And then, how do you intend to overcome that?" All Might prompted carefully.
"I am not sure," the blonde boy's normal royal aura faded at the admission.
"You may want to talk to Hound Dog-sensei," Aizawa suggested. Then he looked at the rest of us. And some eyes turned my way.
"Well, what's your workout routine?" Kirishima-san immediately ask, half flexing his right arm. Aoyama-san looked at him like he was speaking Fren... err, like he was speaking Hindi.
"Your belt," I asked, "It holds back your, umm, laser, right? And also lets it out? Do you know how it works? Maybe the support staff could find a way to use it to split the beam up..."
It was finally my turn.
"What did I do well?" I repeated the question. Hearing what everyone else had said, had me double and triple guessing myself.
"Well, I suppose I worked well with Tsuburaba-san, buying him a chance to sneak past Tsuyu," I said, "And then also distracting Bondo-san. And I did okay fighting Tsuyu, too. Though like she suggested, part of that was because she didn't think to use some of her powers."
"As for what I did badly," I continued, "I guess if taking Aizawa-sensei's words into consideration, the biggest mistake was that I got caught. Though, thinking back, I probably could have used Tsuyu's trap against her if I hadn't been in such a hurry. As for what I am doing about it, since the liquid glue was able to overwhelm my defenses, I started practicing using them against water yesterday."
"And does anyone have anything for Midoriya-kun," Aizawa-sensei asked blandly, gesturing at Kirishima.
"What is your workout routine? And your diet?" the red-head asked. I was not surprised, since he had asked all of the guys and most of the girls, about how they ate and exercised.
"Well, for breakfast I usually have cereal and fruit on weekdays, and a more traditional Japanese breakfast on the weekends. For dinner, mostly it is just whatever my mom cooks, depending on what we are in the mood for and what is on sale at the market. Though she does make this really good pork cutlet katsudon, with bacon and ham, too."
"I don't really have a workout routine," I continued, "especially since classes started here. Before that, Tsu and I used to go to the park. And we just did whatever we felt like, martial arts or parkour or target practice. Sometimes yoga or swimming. Though I did jog almost every day, and wear exercise weights the whole time."
"How much weight?" Aizawa-sensei asked.
"15 kilograms on each arm and leg," I told him, "and another 25 on my vest."
"And you were talking about martial arts yesterday with Kendo-san," Ojiro-san said, "Perhaps you would be willing to tell us who your master is?"
"Oh, umm, I don't have one," I admitted, "I learned from manuals. And there was those old American film, where the main character worked in a theater and learned kung fu by mimicking movies. I don't have a giant projection screen, but I still tried to do the same thing."
"You learned all of that from books and movies?" he prompted incredulously.
"Mostly. That, and practice."
"Is that even possible?" Ojiro-san didn't seem to believe me. I wasn't that surprised. It wasn't like I could tell him about my Skill points.
"Well, someone had to come up with the moves in the first place, right?" Sero mused, "At least these two had some references to go off."
"Actually," Tsu pointed out, "I didn't read any of the books and only watched some of the movies. Izuku taught me most of what I know. Besides most of the moves tailored to my Quirk."
"So, are you really using your telekinesis to manipulate your muscles?" Hagakure-san demanded. I frowned at her.
"I'm not sure what you mean," I told her, "I mean, I do use it to reinforce and strengthen myself. Is that what you mean?"
"No, like using your power to actually change your muscles," she said, "Muscles get stronger when they get damaged and healed, right? So you could do that directly with your powers."
"Whoa, that sounds really dangerous," my eyes widened as I thought about that, "I wouldn't be able to see what I am doing, and don't have that fine of control, to work on individual cells. It might be possible, but I'm definitely not there yet."
I noticed more than a few of my classmates looked disappointed at that. Specific classmates...
"So, no enhancing massages," Ochako whispered to Ami in relief, after class let out and most of the others left.
"Not yet," the bluette agreed gratefully, "However going around like this feels sneaky and disingenuous."
"What are you thinking?" Ochako asked.
"Something I learned from a story I read. The direct approach."
Tsu, Cassandra, and I went to All Might's office after classes let out. Mom was going into the office today. We decided to save money on the train, and we would just let her be pulled into the dungeon when we entered.
"For today," All Might took charge once we were inside his reflection, "I was hoping we would be able to defeat another fifteen opponents."
"We only beat five last time," Mom reminded him cautiously.
"True, Miss Inko," he agreed, "But we are also stronger than last time. And thanks to leveling up and putting points into my Endurance, I can hold this form longer now. To be honest, since we cleared that pencil, I find myself very curious to see what the bonus will be for defeating twenty enemies in my dungeon."
"We will see how it goes," Mom said one last time.
"Agreed," All Might agreed, "Though if they are all like this, we might be able to go through more than fifteen."
All Might was looking at the villain who had just emerged. He was barely taller than me, and pudgy, with stringy black hair.
"Who is that Izuku?" Tsuyu asked.
"I don't recognize him," I said, disappointed in myself.
"I'm not surprised," All Might comforted me, "Even I don't know his name. He was one of the first criminals I stopped when I returned to Japan. A petty thief, with a minor Kinetic Absorption Quirk."
The mook saw us, growled incoherently, and charged. In the process he drew a knife. My mom gestured at him, and the next second, she was holding said knife.
"Gondor Smash!" I shouted, following it up with, "Analyze."
[Anonymous Crook
No-one remembers him. In bad shape. But his Quirk resists physical damage.
Level: 70
Health: 768/768
Stamina 640/640]
Then the sharpened blade of Ki hit him. The attack cut right through his defense, and he lost almost a fifth of his HP.
The crook stopped and looked at his empty hand. And then at the wound across his belly. He glared at us, and took out a taser. My mom actually rolled her eyes, and then disarmed him again.
"Asgard Smash!" This time I hit him the the blunt attack of Ki Blast. It did about the same damage to him.
"How was that different from your Chicago Smash?" All Might asked, as the mook froze nervously.
"After I named my Ki Slice attack," I said sheepishly, "I decided I should consider renaming the other ones. To be a little more unique."
"Maybe you should finish this guy off," Tsuyu said, as the crook decided to bolt, "Since it will be tough for the rest of us."
"I was going to test my telekinetic attack..."
We had cleared fourteen enemies, and were still in pretty good shape. My Energy was just under half, and we had no major injuries. Tsu, Cassandra, and I each gained three levels, Mom gained two, and All Might gained one. But since we finished the doppelganger of Venom Chainsaw, the campus around us had been very quiet.
"I was thinking," Tsu suddenly said, "When we first entered All Might's dungeon, it said there was already a mid-boss spawned right? So why haven't we run into him or her or it yet?"
"Actually," an unfamiliar and soft voice said, "I've been watching you the whole time."
We all jumped as a figure emerged from All Might's shadow. He was of average height, and skinny. Skinny to the point he almost looked ill. Cassandra appeared to be as jarred as I was, as neither of our respective powers had detected him.
"Analyze."
[First Holder
Mysterious figure with a deep connection to Toshinori Yagi, even though the two have never met.
Level: 81
Health: 1069/1069
Stamina: 1503/903
Psions: 2677/2051]
His Stamina and Psions were above their maximum values. Was that some sort of factor of his Quirk?
First Holder held up his hands, openly and palms forward, the universal gesture for peaceful intent. I remembered the dojo leader from the kung fu book, and relaxed. It seemed like not all enemies are inherently or immediately hostile.
"I don't mean you any harm," he admitted, "In fact, I would say I am here to help you, Yagi-kun."
Mom and Tsu both frowned at the familiar form of address. Especially given the mid-boss looked to be about ten years younger than All Might.
"Who are you?" the Symbol of Peace asked. The mid-boss only inclined his head towards me.
"He's called 'First Holder'," I told All Might. Who looked at me, then at the mid-boss in obvious shock. The specter just smiled kindly and nodded.
"So then, we have to fight you," All Might said doubtfully.
"No," First Holder shook his head, "Frankly, I am no match for Yagi-kun. Rather, I am interested in the potential of those two, and would request a chance to spar with them."
The mysterious man gestured at Cassandra, then at me.
"Potential?" All Might-sensei asked, "As in..."
First Holder bobbed his head again.
"Interesting," All Might suddenly boomed, slipping back into his Hero voice, "Of course, it is up to them."
He didn't look dangerous, yet there was something setting my nerves on edge. Maybe it was how All Might reacted. I glanced over at Cassandra, who seemed hesitant as well. She met my eyes, and then nodded. I returned the gesture.
"We will do it," I told him.
"Then we will watch," All Might agreed, "Though if things get out of hand, I will step in."
His tone made all of us shiver, even though it was directed at our enemy. First Holder only smiled and inclined his head again.
"But then in the meantime," Yagi-sensei's voice softened, and he began to let off steam, literally, "I will take a chance to rest."
He, Mom, and Tsu all moved off to the side, but kept watching us closely. It wasn't a huge surprise. All Might was a veteran Hero, and while he seemed to trust this mid-boss, Mom and Tsu had little reason to do so. Other than trusting the Symbol of Peace, I guess.
Cassandra and I faced off against First Holder. We all dropped into fighting stances.
Cassandra and I had only fought together three times now... More if you count individual battles or the last round of Lions and Gazelles. Either way, I was starting to get an idea of her styles. She was poised to take on a fast opponent. She thought this First Holder would be a quicker and more controlled adversary.
Our opponent's footwork said he was ready to face multiple enemies. But it was also an aggressive stance.
I got ready for a strong foe. I wasn't sure why at first, given his appearance. But maybe that was it? He reminded me of All Might. Not in his face or coloring, or anything like that. No, his slender, emaciated figure was like how Yagi Toshinori looked right now. Was that their connection? Was this First Holder inflicted with the same unusual poisoning as our teacher? Had they both fought the same villain?
First Holder began to glow with a soft white light. Then he pushed off. He shot at Cassandra with a speed that would have impressed Iida-san. She was already preparing to dodge.
"Drive 3!" I bumped my TK Aura up to the next level, and dashed forward to intercept him. His fist was aimed at Cassandra's chin. She twisted her head and shoulders outside his path. She also pushed his arm further away with both of her palms. I arrived an instant later, launching a jumping roundhouse kick at his left shoulder. Or maybe his head, if Cassandra forced him close enough to me.
She didn't. In fact, her whole weight and strength on his extended right arm barely budged it. And didn't move the rest of him at all. He raised his left, catching my leg on his bicep and wrist. I was stronger than Cassandra with Drive 3, and I didn't move him either. I only shaved off a few points from his Health. And it felt harder than kicking one of the redwoods in Endoru.
He flexed lightly, throwing both of us back.
We had technically already lost our sparring match with First Holder six times over. That was how many lethal or incapacitating blows he would have landed on Cassandra. Had he not stopped each one before it hit. Even then, just the force of his punches and kicks was enough to chip away at our HP.
Oh, and me? I would have been taken out eight times.
He wasn't as good as us. In terms of pure martial arts skill, I was a few steps ahead of him, and Cassandra was leaps and bounds ahead of either one of us. But his physical abilities far outstripped ours, and our attacks, while more frequently successful, did a lot less damage. From what I had seen in All Might's Dungeon, having a large level gap seemed to translate into some automatic damage reduction. I hoped that didn't also apply in the real world.
On the plus side, as the spar dragged on, my physical abilities and martial arts skills were improving at a a steady clip.
"You two should stop holding back," First Holder chided us, "I am not a real person. I am a product of Midoriya-san's power and Yagi-kun's soul. And frankly, you won't beat me like this. Keep this up much longer, and I will knock you both out. You need to use all the weapons at your disposal."
I suddenly stopped and stepped back, asking, "May we have a moment?"
First Holder looked almost relieved, and nodded.
"Cassandra, do you know any weapon styles?" I asked.
\Yes,/ she answered, \many, though I don't like to use most of them, and don't have any weapons./
"What about this?" I asked, "Can you use this?"
I opened my inventory, and took out the purple-heart tonfa. I held it out to her.
Cassandra's eyes widened as she took the weapon. She held it, and spun it experimentally. Then went through a series of quick forms, her amazement steadily growing.
\Can I borrow this?/ she asked. I looked over at Tsu and Mom, who signalled their understanding and agreement.
"You can have it," I told her, "In fact, I think I was given that, to give to you."
"Are you ready?" First Holder prompted kindly.
"No, one more thing," I answered, "Drive 4. Ki Reinforcement, Strength and Quickness."
"Izuku," Mom chided me worriedly.
"I have to learn to do this," I told her, "When better than here and now, against an obviously superior opponent, who is not trying to kill me?"
My arms and legs creaked with every move. But I wasn't attacking, or pushing myself. Yet. So I wasn't taking damage. Yet. Using them together, my strength and speed were not quite double what they had been with just Drive 3. I hoped it would be enough.
"Round two," Yagi-sensei boomed in his Hero voice, despite still being in his true form, "Fight!"
I went first this time. Charged straight for him. Rathering than the karate or kung fu I had been focusing on, I switched to boxing. Two quick right jabs to his shoulder, then a hard left cross to his chin.
[-5 Health]
It hurt me, but all three hit, and more importantly, took a fifty-three points off of his Health.
[First Holder
Health: 702/1069
Stamina: 811/903
Psions: 2677/2051]
I dropped and slid to the side. I peppered his left side with jabs and feints, keeping him off balance. Cassandra moved into the gap. His counter was directed at her, but the spinning bludgeon punished him for it, without losing any of its durability in return. Cassandra stabbed the short end of the tonfa into his gut, and then whirled it into the shoulder I had been pounding.
[First Holder
Health: 643/1069
Stamina: 810/903
Psions: 2677/2051]
"Okay," he stopped, holding up his hands like when we had first met him.
[First Holder
Health: 88/1069
Stamina: 412/903
Psions: 2674/2051]
I let out a ragged breath and mumbled, "Drive 2. Deactivate KI Reinforcement." I was down under a quarter Health now, mostly my own fault. And I still didn't feel like I was getting a handle on using Ki and TK together.
"Well done," he said. Then he looked at All Might, and continued, "Either one would be a good choice. Cain-san's agility and control are something that is sorely lacking. And Midoriya-san's power... His self healing would also be a good gain, and I would be very curious to see how The Gamer fits with it."
All Might considered that thoughtfully. The rest of us just looked confused.
"Well, then, I wish you all good luck," First Holder said, vanishing in a cloud of steam. But not without leaving something behind.
There was a pile of five scrolls. And under them, a second tonfa. It was purpleheart and blackened titanium, like the first one. But this one, the metal had a pattern of waves, instead of flames.
"I think we can all agree where this goes, kero," Tsuyu picked up the weapon and handed it to Cassandra. The mute girl ran the paired weapons through a quick set of moves, and then thanked us.
"Are these what you mentioned before?" All Might asked.
"Analyze."
[Scroll of Physical Resistance - Toshinori Yagi
A rare drop usually only found in true skill books from 5:tXaa. But it appears OfA was able to break the rules. Acts as a skill book for the bonded individual.
Durability: 1/1
Quality: 0/7
Cannot be strengthened.]
"Yes, they are skill scrolls," I agreed, "One for each of us."
I wondered what second bit of garbled text, 'OfA' was. Was it something related to All Might, or First Holder? Or maybe something tied to me? I guess it didn't really matter, until The Gamer decided to stop concealing it.
I handed each scroll to its respective owner. Tsu, Mom, and I didn't hesitate to use ours.
[Skill book used. Physical Resistance skill improved (lvl 30).]
Cassandra tucked her new toys into her belt, and then used the scroll. Her face twisted up like she had bitten an especially sour lemon.
When All Might used the item, he was surrounded by a swirl of light. Unlike the rest of us, he didn't seem to experience any discomfort.
"This is different," he said, showing us his alert screen
[Skill book used.
Source Synergy Stipend Spent
Skill Physical Resistance unlocked (lvl 2).]
"The Gamer does seem to like alliteration," I sighed.
"I'm more curious about the fact that All Might didn't already have Physical Resistance," Tsu pointed out.
"Well, when I transform into my Muscle form," Yagi-sensei explained, "I have bonus skill called Global Resistance instead."
"But I would have thought you have been hit enough to unlock Physical Resistance," she pressed.
"Maybe having Global Resistance kept those hits from counting towards Physical Resistance," Mom suggested.
"Well, you didn't have Physical Resistance, either, Tsu," I reminded her, "And you've definitely taken more physical damage than I did to unlock the skill. So maybe I was only able to unlock it without a Talent because of Gamer's Body."
\Or you just haven't taken enough damage while in Izuku's party,/ Cassandra said, \and it doesn't count when we don't have the indirect access to The Gamer./
"Either way, we all have it now," All Might said, "And we may want to leave before any additional Mooks or Bosses find us."
"Exit Dungeon!"
[Toshinori Yagi Dungeon Progress!
Defeated 20 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated mid-boss: Attribute Balancing]
"What does this mean?" All Might asked, as we all stared at the screen.
"Let me see," I mumbled, "System."
I immediately dove into the manual, and sure enough, there were three new entries.
"Okay, Attribute Balancing is simple enough," I explained, "It adds one point each to your three lowest Attributes, randomly picked in the case of a tie. Affinity gives you a bonus to one Attribute or Skill Set. Specifically, a five percent growth bonus, and plus one latent boost to it."
"And a Skill 'Set'?" Mom prompted.
"Just what it sounds like," I answered, "A set of related skills. Like the five math skills, or all the kung fu skills."
\It would seem like an Attribute Affinity is a better choice,/ Cassandra offered.
"Not necessarily," I shook my head, "That latent boost isn't part of your actual stats. So in the case of skills, it is outside the normal limit, allowing you to get the skill higher than the usual maximum of 100, or 140 if it is limit broken. I'd say it is about even, either way."
"What one are you going to pick, sensei?" Tsu mused.
"All thing considered, it seems like Endurance is the way to go," he answered. I closed the Dungeon window, and a second window appeared in front of Yagi-sensei. He hit the third option from the top, and the alert disappeared.
"All Might, your phone," Mom pointed out to him. The office phone on his desk was blinking. He lifted the receiver, and hit a button. He listened, a frown growing ever deeper.
"Young Midoriya," he looked at me, "The principal would like to speak with you. As soon as we are finished here. And he asked that you come alone."
"You asked to see me, sir?" I said after knocking and opening the door.
"Ah, Midoriya-kun," the mouse... dog... bear... principal Nezu smiled and hopped out of his chair. He padded over to me, just over half of my height.
"Thank you for coming," he told me.
"Of course," I agreed anxiously. Thanks mostly to Gamer's Mind I wasn't panicking, but I still was wondering why he wanted to see me.
"I like to meet with my students," he rambled, leading me to chair by his desk, before retaking his own, elevated seat.
"Unfortunately, I don't always have the time," he continued, "Due to my responsibilities, both as the principal of UA, and to the larger community. And of course, you students are also so busy. Trying to eke out some time to be children and have fun and friends, while still completing the curriculum. While I often wish I could be young again, I do not envy you."
I silently thanked All Might for warning me about the principal's tendency to speak at length.
"However, that is not why I asked you here," he suddenly turned serious.
"Why did you want to see me?" I asked evenly.
"About your power, and Toshinori-kun," Nezu answered, "You see, he confirmed for me what I had already suspected. That you are an Irregular. Toshinori-kin also told me that you think you can help him with his injuries. So, naturally, I have been considering your powers, and how you might do that. If you would indulge my speculation? And answer or confirm whatever you are comfortable with?"
I nodded.
"Your Quirk is listed as Tactile Telekinesis," he said, "And you have definitely exhibited that power amply. However, from everything I know know about psionic types, the Telekinetic discipline is not able to heal. It can help natural healing and keep injuries from getting worse by pulling flesh and bone back together. But restoring lost and already healed tissue? That is more in the realm of Psychometabolism. Of the four disciplines..."
"Five," I interjected automatically.
"Five?" he prompted, a gleam in his eye.
"Psychokinesis," I started, "the ability to move matter and energy. Telepathy, the ability to effect the mind. Clairsentience, the ability to know things. Psi-biology, the ability to effect cells and biological processes. And Metapsionics, the ability to use effect psionics and other sorts of metaphysical powers."
"So I was correct," Nezu said, "You are a rare, multi-discipline type psionic. To the point you have a power set even I was not aware of."
"I have started to learn Telepathy and Clairsentience," I offered without directly confirming or denying his theory, "For me at least, Psy-biology seems to be a combination of the first three disciplines, only with its own distinct spin on them."
"Telekinesis to move cells," he mused, "Telepathy to stimulate them. And some form of microscopic clairvoyance to see what you are doing. Close, though not quite enough on its own, is that right?"
"That is how it seems to me," I confirmed.
"Then I am guessing, that like other Psy-biology users, you need a firm scientific grounding if you are going to use that power properly."
"Yes," I told him. He considered it for a moment. Then he addressed me regretfully.
"I don't think you have the requisite knowledge," he said directly, "Or that you would be be able to learn enough about biology, chemistry, and human anatomy in the time frame you gave to Toshinori-kun."
"I have..." I started to protest, but he held up a paw.
"I, on the other hand, am both much smarter than you, and have a stronger foundation of knowledge on which to begin building."
"Principal Nezu?" I wasn't sure what he meant. I mean, he seemed to be offering to study medicine in my place. But what good would that do?
"There is a telepath I am aware of," he said, "He lived almost sixty years ago, in Mexico. He had an ability he called Skill Share. He was able to use the skills of others, and lend them his skills. Basically transfer the knowledge, without the baggage of memories. If you are a universal psion, you should be able to develop a similar power."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"I propose you attempt to develop that power," Nezu explained, "And the basics of Psy-biology, without worrying about the additional overhead of becoming a multiple disciplinary medical doctor as well. Then when we are both ready, we can combine our abilities, to save the Symbol of Peace. What do you say?"
"You would be willing to do that?" I asked him optimistically.
"I could ask the same of you," he countered happily. Then his expression darkened, "All Might cannot be allowed to die. For reasons far greater than what you are aware of."
I didn't argue, suspecting the sort of information he was burdened with. Especially if he already knew about people like me.
"I think it is a better idea, sir," I told him. Then I lifted out of my chair, and offered a hand to him. He shook it. Then he frowned again, but this one looked more silly than dark.
"Now I just have to figure out how to get Recovery Girl on board," he pondered.
"Do you need me any more, sir?"
"No, have a good evening Midoriya-kun. She won't want to reopen already healed wounds. But she is the best nurse for the job, even before one considers her powers..."
I slipped out as quickly as I could. And was overcome with a sense of relief.
The next day, Wednesday. Our third Wednesday at UA. All Might was with 1-B today, so for our Hero Essentials course, Aizawa-sensei had us redo the Quirk Apprehension test. Two and half weeks might not have seemed like a lot, but we all noticeably improved our scores, even if the rankings didn't change much. That said, some of us had improved more than others. Cassandra, Tsu, and I were getting more than a few looks. From Aizawa-sensei as well as our classmates.
After school, the study group met. And after that, as I got ready to leave campus (Tsu having left early because of her sister's Quirk headaches again), I was met by two welcome faces.
"Izuku-kun," Ami bowed slightly.
"Hi, Izuku," Ochako said happily.
"Ami, Ochako," I greeted them, "Are you getting ready to go home?"
"Actually," Mizuno countered, "We were waiting for you."
"Really?" I blinked, "What for?"
"We wanted to ask if we could start training with you," Ochako explained, "All three of you."
"Training with us?" I parroted uncertainly.
"You and Tsuyu have been working out together for months," Ami said, "Almost a year if my memories and observations are correct. And since you started UA, Cain-san appears to have joined your group. We were hoping you would have room for the two of us."
If I removed All Might and Mom from the party, they could certainly join. But that wasn't what they were asking.
"We are all trying to be Heroes," Ochako added, "And while Ami and I have great Quirks, we know that we both need to train our bodies more. And maybe learn some martial arts, too."
She pantomimed throwing a few quick punches, unknowingly illustrating how far she had to go.
"We will try not to slow you down too much," Ami said softly.
I thought about it. Was I willing to trust these two with my secret? I was still getting to know them, but I strongly felt that I could. But what about All Might's secret? Though I suppose they could train with us, without telling them about his injuries. Or, we could just do normal training, without the benefit of The Gamer and Dungeons. Like Tsu and I had at first. But would the others object? And what about helping All Might, by clearing his Dungeon and leveling him up?
They seemed to take my silence as a 'no', Ami looking a bit defeated, and Ochako starting to fidget.
"If not," Uraraka suddenly said, "Maybe we could just all hang out together? Like the arcade, Mikoto said she met you there. We're all friends, right? So we wanted to spend more time together."
I looked at them suspiciously, "Did you not really want to train?"
"No!" they both insisted immediately and in unison. Then Ami continued, "We definitely want to become stronger. And we discussed approaching Aizawa-sensei if you said no..."
Ochako shivered.
"... but to be honest, part of this, a fairly large part, is wanting to get to know you better... and Tsu, and to become freinds with Cain-san," the bluette concluded.
"That part sounds good to me," I reassured them, "And training with beginners isn't always bad. Part of the reason masters teach is to make sure they don't forget the basics and pick up bad habits. I just hesitated, because it's not only my decision to make. But let me think about it, and talk to them. And I'll give you an answer on Friday at the latest. Is that okay?"
They both nodded.
"And in the meantime," I said, a bit of nervousness creeping in, "I need to stop at the bookstore, they have another karate manaul I ordered. Plus I need to get the new Weekly Jump. Would you two... maybe like to come, too? Hang out and look at books for a while?"
"Sure," Ochako agreed immediately. And Ami looked as happy as I would have been if someone had asked me to go to the new Avengers movie.
"So what do you think?" I asked.
Tsu and Cassandra had already given their approval to any kind of training with Ami and Ochako. Even if it meant mundane practice. Tsu thought it would be good to tell them the whole truth, while Cassandra was neutral.
All Might was also okay with cutting back one of the three or four days each week the five of us had been spending in Dungeons. He was also up for bringing those two in and doing more normal workouts. Or even including them in our special workouts, if I agreed. Though he was not willing to tell them his secret until he knew them better.
That just left Mom.
"Hmm," she paused to consider, "You said we should keep the number of people who know about The Gamer small, and I agree. Telling them would bring it up to seven. Is that still small? On the other hand, I met Mizuno-san at the funeral, and I think you can trust her. I also understand you not wanting to keep secrets from your friends. And wanting to be fair if you agree to train them. I know all too well what an advantage access to The Gamer is."
She smiled at me.
"Ultimately, it is your decision, Izuku," she put a comforting hand on my shoulder, "I trust you to make the right one, and will stand by you either way."
"Thanks, Mom," I hugged her, "I think I'll..."
[Quest Alert
A New Fantastic Point of View
Complete Level I of Reflective Dungeon: Izuku Midoriya. Do so with a full party, not including any of the following: Inko Midoriya, Tsuyu Asui, Toshinori Yagi/All Might, Cassandra Cain.
Rewards:
Talent: ? ?
Talent: ? ?
Talent: ? ?
Talent: ? ?
Failure Penalties:
The reward talents are normally not available until higher levels and you must purchase them on your own.
Feelings of guilt and a smaller circle of friends.
Time Limit: 5 days
(Accept) (Decline)]
"I apologize for not asking your opinion, mysterious power behind The Gamer," I said sincerely. Then I hit accept.
[Trust and Friendship are a beautiful thing. Charisma +1]
Status Changes for Midoriya Izuku:
Level: 13 → 16
Max Health: 406 → 542
Max Energy: 602 → 831
Attributes:
(S)trength: 43 → 45
(A)gility: 40 → 43
(E)ndurance: 40 → 47
(Q)uickness: 43 → 47
(W)it: 40 → 40
(I)ntuition: 40 → 42
(C)harisma: 25 → 27
(D)etermination: 46 → 49
(L)uck: 13 → 16
Unspent Points
Attribute: 36 → 54
Skill: 15 → 24
Talent: 1 → 3
Skills:
Analyze (W) – Battle Scan: 38 → 42
Dodge (A): 24 → 26
Basic Karate (A): 33 → 37
Boxing (S): 25 → 29
Parkour (A/Q): 32 → 34
Physical Resistance (E/D): 25 → 30
Acrobatics (A): 16 → 19
Ki Detection (D/I): 20 → 22
Ki Blast (D/W): 14 → 16
Ki Slice (D/W): 15 → 16
Ki Healing (D/E): 18 → 19
Ki Reinforcement (D): 35 → 37
Tactile TK (I/D): 13 → 14
Telekinetic Armor (I/E): 11 → 19
Telekinetic Aura (I) LB: 20 → 26
Kung Fu Fundamentals (Q/E): 15 → 18
Wing Chun Quan (A/Q): 10 → 14
Tai Chi Quan (A/S): 11 → 14
ASL (W/A): 9 → 10
JSL (W/A): 10 → 12
Telekinetic Rampart (I/E): 4 → 12
Empathy (C/I): 3 → 5
Paralysis Resistance (E/D): 2 → 3
Active Quests:
Save the Symbol of Peace - Percent Complete: ? - Time Limit: 108 days
A New Fantastic Point of View - Percent Complete: 0% - Time Limit: 5 days
Author's Note: I was thinking of another Omake, but after how well the last few have faired, plus how unexpectedly popular the subject of the omake has proven, I scrapped it. Also, CherryInTheSun is going to do a sketch of Jirou in her costume from this story, for her September Patre0ns, if anyone is interested.
