"U-um, hello. Is Izuku-kun home?"
Few things about her son could truly shock Inko Midoriya these days. Found a teacher for hero school prep lessons? A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Coming home all cut up and bruised from training? As much as it hurt her heart, she knew these kinds of things were natural consequences of learning to fight; better now in a safe environment than against some villain down the line. Even Izuku admitting he used his quirk to fight a mugger on his way home to save someone was something she might have expected from her boy, who had a greater sense of heroism than anyone she'd ever known.
But a girl showing up at her door looking for him?
Now that was something Inko Midoriya hadn't planned for.
"I'm sorry, dear, but Izuku is still on his way home from school. Would you like to come in and wait for him?"
"Is it really okay?"
"Absolutely, dear. Come in, come in! I'll get us some tea and you can tell me about yourself. What is your name?" Inko hurried the small girl inside with a gentle smile on her face, already wondering what her connection to Izuku was.
"My name is Manami… Manami Aiba." Manami twirled the end of one of her pigtails around her finger, shyly hiding behind her hair as best she could with a pink dusting covering her cheeks.
"Oh, goodness dear! You're the girl that Izuku saved from a mugging, aren't you?" Inko smiled widely, instinctively bringing the smaller girl into her arms in a gentle hug. "You poor thing; it must have been so scary."
Manami stiffened in Inko's embrace, unsure of what to do. It'd been so long since she'd felt someone else's arms around her. Something welled up in her chest, her throat growing tight. Eventually, she let herself be consumed by the feeling, leaning into the hug with a soft sigh.
"Thank you." She whispered when she was finally released, looking up at Izuku's mother with a gentle smile growing upon her lips. "It was scary, but I'm glad Izuku-kun was there to rescue me."
Inko got the feeling that there was more to that but left it alone, preferring instead to make sure Manami was comfortable while they waited for Izuku. The Midoriya matriarch left her guest on the couch while she drifted off to the kitchen to prepare some tea. Left alone, Manami looked around the small apartment, taking in the cozy atmosphere created by Inko's decorations and the family photos scattered about. She looked at a picture of a young Izuku posing proudly in front of a statue of All Might, striking a heroic pose with a grin that matched the monument's and then some.
It reminded her of that night…
"I hope green tea is okay," Inko placed a tray on the coffee table in front of the couch, snapping Manami out of her thoughts.
"Of course. Thank you!" Feeling somewhat nervous, the young girl took the proffered cup in both hands, gently blowing across the surface of the steaming liquid inside. Izuku's mother took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, taking her own cup and doing the same. The two let silence overtake them for a bit, each thinking about what to say.
"So…" Manami was the first to break the silence, taking a small sip of her tea and sighing blissfully as it warmed and calmed her. "You're Izuku-kun's mom, right?"
"Of course, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Inko, dear, and yes I am Izuku's mom." She could see the resemblance. Inko's face may have been devoid of the freckles that dotted her son's cheeks, but the two shared their hair and eye color, as well as a soft and calming demeanor.
"It's very nice to meet you, Midoriya-san." Manami was the epitome of politeness, bowing lightly to the Midoriya matriarch. Inko waved dismissively, smiling sweetly at the girl.
"No need for those kinds of formalities dear, call me Inko. So tell me, what brings you to see Izuku?"
Inko had a pretty good idea already, but she thought it would be cute to hear from the source herself.
"I… I wasn't just rescued by your son. Izuku-kun said some things to me that night. Nice, encouraging things. Things I feel like I maybe don't deserve… but that I needed to hear. I didn't have the chance to thank him properly, and… I wanted to do it in person. I asked the officer if she could put me in touch with Izuku-kun, and she gave me this address. I hope I'm not imposing."
Goodness, if her blush wasn't just the most adorable thing Inko had ever seen.
'My little Izuku, how grown-up you've become to affect a girl so much.'
"I'm home, mom!" Izuku called as he walked through the door, stopping in his tracks when his eyes fell upon the two women currently occupying the couch. "A-Aiba-san?"
"Don't just stand there with the door open, Izuku." Inko chided gently, waving her son over with a stern look, "Come and greet our guest properly."
"Sorry!" Regaining his train of thought, Izuku closed the door behind him, taking off his shoes and depositing his backpack by the door before approaching the couch and bowing to Manami. "It's nice to see you again, Aiba-san."
"Y-You too." Manami hurried to stand up and reciprocate Izuku's actions, accidentally knocking heads in the process. The two came apart with separate cries of pain, Inko trying her best not to giggle at their antics. She gave Manami a knowing smile before standing, dismissing herself so the two could talk amongst themselves in private.
"I'll just be over in the kitchen doing some dishes. It was nice meeting you, Manami-chan."
The younger girl barely had time to stumble out her reply by the time Inko had walked away, leaving her alone with Izuku.
"Ah, sorry for bumping into you." The hero-in-training apologized, still rubbing the sore spot on his forehead.
"M-Me too." Manami's words were barely a squeak, her face growing redder by the moment. "I… I guess you're wondering why I'm here."
Izuku simply nodded, not necessarily trusting himself to not say something unintentionally hurtful. Truthfully, he hadn't expected to ever see the girl again, knowing that the police wouldn't be involving him any further in order to maintain the cover story that would have been told. He had been more than surprised to see Manami sharing the couch with his mother when he walked through the door.
"I… I just really wanted to thank you. Everything moved so fast after the officers showed up, I didn't have the chance…" she trailed off, seeing Izuku begin to smile gently, sending a tingling feeling throughout her chest and stomach.
"You have nothing to thank me for." He insisted, waving his hands in front of his face, "It was nothing anyone else wouldn't have done."
Manami shook her head.
"Please don't downplay your actions." Without thinking, the young girl took Izuku's hands in her own, causing the boy's face to abruptly begin turning increasingly darker shades of red. "Not just saving me, knowing you could have gotten in trouble for using your quirk. What you said afterward…" She forced herself to look her savior in the eyes. She wanted him to understand—needed him to understand just how much it meant to her. "I'm not… normal."
What a strange word. 'Normal.' Few people were what could be called such in the new world of quirks humanity had seemed to inhabit for the past few centuries. And yet it was a standard that society held onto. Quirklessness was an abnormality. Vampirism quirks—an abnormality. But Manami? Izuku couldn't quite see it.
"My quirk isn't a mutator, but I'm excessively short anyway. My eyes are strange. My quirk isn't all that impressive. I've been seen as someone unnecessary by my peers, but… you made me feel normal for a moment. Just with a few words." She took a deep breath, a smile finding its way to her lips despite the heavy feelings weighing down her heart, "You said that I was important to you. That means more to me than you could ever know."
Gathering up all the courage she possessed, Manami took Izuku gently by the front of his shirt, dragging the boy lower until she was close enough to plant a long and gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Th-Thank you, Izuku Midoriya. For saving me… and for giving me hope. I… I hope that I'll have the opportunity to see you again."
Manami left Izuku where he stood, completely stunned. She called her thanks and goodbye to Inko as she hurried out of the apartment, cheeks burning and a dopey smile overtaking her features. She closed the door gently behind her, nearly skipping down the steps until she landed on the sidewalk below. Her walk home would be long, but she was fine with that. It gave her time to think about what she was going to do next.
For Manami Aiba, reclusive shut-in, it was time to change the way she lived her life.
"You're early."
Izuku, having had months to become used to Stendhal's tendency to skip standard greetings simply smiled at his teacher as he approached the truck the vigilante currently perched on.
"I'm actually kind of excited to begin training with my quirk." The student admitted. He quickly relieved himself of his sweatshirt and gym bag, the latter filled with water, a med-kit, and other supplies necessary for his training. "Something happened the other day, on my way home from the rehabilitation center…"
Stendhal sat up a little straighter at the mention of the Quirk Rehabilitation Center, where he'd instructed Izuku to confront the boy's fear of his quirk. The sun began to rise over the horizon as Izuku told his story to the vigilante, pausing to answer whatever questions his teacher felt necessary to ask about his takedown technique on the criminal. By the time the story was finished, the sun's rays were just starting to peek over the larger of the trash piles still left on the beach and Stendhal had a face-splitting grin coming over his features.
"That right there kid is why I decided to train you." He hopped off the vehicle, planting a large hand on Izuku's shoulder with pride in his eyes. "A real hero helps where they're needed, regardless of the consequences. You did good."
"Thank you, sensei." Izuku couldn't help the relieved smile that grew with Stendhal's praise. Even though he knew in his heart that his teacher would approve, there was still a sense of worry that he held regardless. "I think… having gone to the rehabilitation center beforehand gave me the courage I needed. Closure. Thank you for your advice; I wouldn't have been able to save Aiba-san without it."
"Bah, no need for the mushy stuff, kid." Stendhal waved away his student's gratitude, instead gesturing to the beach around them, roughly two-thirds cleaned up, with only the largest of piles and the heavier junk items remaining. "I gave you a push in the right direction, but you earned that courage with your own hard work. Frankly, using your quirk to so much effectiveness in your first real fight is beyond my expectations. Shows potential."
"I'll work hard to reach that potential, sensei!" Izuku couldn't stop himself from smiling. He hadn't mentioned Manami's visit the day previous, but a large part of his enthusiasm was derived from her words. To be someone's hero, even if only for a moment, was a larger confidence boost than he could ever ask for. He was determined to grow stronger. Not just for himself, but so that he could save others like her; to make sure no one felt that they had nobody in this world they could count on.
"I don't doubt it." His teacher produced a vial of blood from one of his pockets, holding it out to Izuku, "Which is why we start now. You sensed the blood flowing through your enemy's veins in the alley, allowing you to strengthen your natural hold over it when your quirk activated. We'll start with something similar today. I've hidden a container full of my blood somewhere around here. Find it. We'll be using it to maintain your activation throughout the rest of your training."
Izuku didn't ask about Stendhal having an entire container of his blood just laying around somewhere, knowing that his questions would probably go unanswered anyway. With his teacher looking at him expectantly there seemed to be nothing else to do but pop off the cap of the vial, quickly downing its contents and shivering as his senses were assaulted by the familiar intensity of his quirk.
The first recognizable sensation was that of his morning fatigue washing away, his body invigorated by the crimson essence he'd consumed. Next came the pull; the gentle, pulsing flow of the blood coursing through Stendhal's veins. Izuku breathed in deep, closing his eyes and focusing on that feeling. This exercise wasn't just about control, it was about perception. He needed to look past the surface of his senses for the blood that was instantly available, sitting stagnantly somewhere nearby.
It was harder than he'd thought. Actively trying to use Hemokinesis left Izuku feeling bloodthirsty no matter how hard he tried to control it. Trying to pry his mind away from the hypnotic pulse of Stendhal's beating heart and the rush of his blood was like sitting hungry in front of dinner and trying not to eat. Still, the hero-in-training pressed on, not knowing what he was searching for, but knowing it would be different than what he was used to feeling.
And different it was.
Never having needed to keep track, Izuku hadn't noticed how different it felt each time he took blood from someone. He could feel his own practically twenty-four-seven but drinking someone else's suddenly made him aware of every source of blood in the area. It was an indescribable connection. He could obviously feel what flowed through Stendhal's veins at the moment, but there was something else tingling just on the edge of his senses; a mass that wasn't moving but held a pull all its own.
"The broken fridge over there." Izuku pointed out the dented and rusted appliance, Stendhal smirking at how quickly his student had picked up on it.
"Correct. Go fetch it, kid. You'll be doing this every day at the start of training from now on, and it's only going to get harder to find."
The hero-in-training nodded, jogging his way over towards the abandoned cooler and opening it, cringing as its rusted hinges protested their movement with a metallic screech. On the middle shelf rested a plastic tub filled with ice and blood bags, each filled with their namesake.
Stendhal tossed another container at the boy as he returned to position with the blood.
"Open one of those bags and pour it in there. Second phase of training is working on your control outside of a body. I shouldn't have to tell you the potential combat applications."
Izuku nodded as he did as he was told. Time would tell, but there were almost limitless possibilities when one had the ability to bend some form of liquid matter to their will. The only way to explore those possibilities would be trial and error… and a lot of practice.
"How should I start?"
"Let's work on your ability to manipulate it first. Last time the shapes you formed were shaky at best and only using a small amount of blood. We'll work on that in two stages; first volume, then control. Once I deem both acceptable, we can move on to combat application."
Stendhal seemed to have already thought this through, which was for the best. Izuku had so many ideas in his head he would have been hard-pressed to find somewhere concrete to start.
"Okay, let's do this."
He took a slow breath, focusing on the blood he could feel in the open container. He had once asked his mother how it felt to use her quirk, it being somewhat similar in application to his own. It was hard to describe, she said. The closest she could get was forming a picture in her mind of the item she wanted pulling towards her.
Izuku struggled at first, his mind floating with too many thoughts to pin down a single one clearly enough. The surface of the blood rippled, coalescing to a single point in the center that slowly attempted to rise before falling with a small splash.
Gritting his teeth, he tried again, this time holding his hands out as a medium by which to focus. He observed his palms and fingers intently, concentrating on the way they moved and shifted. He wanted the blood to rise, so he formed an image in his head, this time focusing on the crimson liquid rising in tandem with his hand movements.
Feeling a tug on his senses, Izuku opened his eyes, a relieved smile pulling across his lips as he took in the pillar of blood slowly rising from the container. Unfortunately, his joy distracted him, the liquid quickly collapsing in on itself with a splash that threw droplets of red out into the sand.
"Not bad for a first try." Stendhal's voice, who had been silent until now, startled Izuku. He looked to his teacher in confusion, surprised not to find the vigilante so much as a little irritated at his lack of control. Instead, his teacher eyed him intensely, pointing him back towards the tub of blood.
"Again."
"Ah… might have overdone it today." Izuku said to himself, groaning softly as his muscles continued to ache with every movement.
The months since he'd begun training his quirk passed by in a blur, each day blending with the next as he now returned home mentally exhausted as well as physically. Stendhal's teaching methods only grew rougher as the finish line came into sight, his standards rising higher with each hurdle Izuku overcame.
The neon glow of a familiar convenience store's 'Open' sign caught his attention as he walked past.
'Maybe I should grab a box of IcyHot patches.' he thought to himself, considering how he would feel in the morning, 'I'd rather not be so distracted by soreness during tomorrow's history exam.'
The gentle welcome jingle chimed in his ears before he knew it, his legs having decided their destination before his brain. Izuku heard a faint 'Welcome' come from the man behind the counter, who seemed less than enthused with the empty store.
Nodding his head to the cashier, Izuku made his way down the aisles, searching the pharmacy section for pain relief patches. He picked up the smallest box they had, knowing he didn't use them on a regular basis and probably had no need for more than the six labeled on the box. Taking a quick look around, he also decided on a protein bar and sports drink to hold him over until he got home and could eat a real meal.
His purchases decided upon, Izuku shuffled his way back to the counter, taking note not to bump into the short girl with vibrant red pig-tails already searching her purse at the register.
"I should have an extra hundred-yen coin in here somewhere." She grumbled, missing the way the cashier's arms crossed while she dug farther into the bag.
Wait. He knew that voice.
"Here you go, Aiba-san." Izuku's wallet had already been in hand, so it wasn't long before he dug a hundred-yen coin out of its change pocket. He held it out to the girl who looked bewilderedly at the coin until her mind finally processed what he said in conjunction with his voice. Manami tilted her head up to face him, a smile coming to her lips.
"Izuku-kun!"
Izuku felt heat creeping up his face at her familiarity. He barely registered the fact that she'd taken the coin from him and turned back to the impatient cashier to complete her purchase. It wasn't until the register chimed and slammed shut that he was brought back to reality, the man behind the counter now eyeing him impatiently.
"O-Oh, sorry. Just these, please." Izuku laid his purchases gently upon the counter, holding out a few bills and coins to the man when asked. Manami waited patiently beside him, humming softly with a smile on her face.
"Thank you. Please come again." The cashier called to the two as they left with bags in hand. Izuku wondered what he was supposed to say. Their last meeting had been months ago; he'd once again assumed he'd never see the girl again, knowing how large Musutafu was. She addressed him familiarly. Should he do the same? They barely knew each other, but did going through the ordeal that they did mean that he should be more casual with her? Would it be weird? Would-
"You don't need to worry so much, Izuku-kun. If you're uncomfortable you can start with my first name and go from there." Manami reassured him, giggling softly at his soft-spoken rant.
"S-Sorry!" Izuku hadn't even noticed he'd been mumbling. Stendhal tried to break him of that habit, but it seemed to be a character trait that was a bit too sticky for even his sensei's methods. "M-M-Manami… san?" He cringed as her name came out as more of a question than anything.
"You could've used 'chan,' Izuku-kun. But don't push yourself, if you don't want." Manami's smile faltered for a fraction of a second but reformed itself quickly. "You can tell me if you don't want me to be so familiar, too. I don't want you to feel like I'm being too forward or anything."
"N-Not at all!" Izuku waved her off, his face still feeling hot. "I'm just not used to… this."
He gestured vaguely to the space between them, less than what he was used to with everyone he'd ever met besides his mother or Kacchan when they were kids. People in general, much less girls, rarely got near the boy unless strictly necessary for a variety of reasons. His timid nature, his quirk, the bullying bound to follow anyone who'd associate with him at school.
"I understand. It's been a while for me too, honestly." Manami smiled sweetly at him and Izuku found himself matching her. Knowing he wasn't the only one feeling like this eased his mind.
The two continued to walk, Izuku belatedly realizing he'd been letting Manami lead them to wherever without him really paying much attention. He recognized the midtown residential area, vaguely, but it was definitely a deviation from the normal route he'd take home from school or training. The houses were average-sized, each a cookie-cutter copy of the last.
"S-So… you're also in middle school, right?" Izuku thought he remembered her saying something along those lines that night in the alley. Of course, she hadn't been wearing any sort of school uniform at the time, only sweatpants and a matching oversized top, so he hadn't made any assumptions.
"Mhmm." Manami bobbed her head, pigtails bouncing along with it. "Third year at Nabu Middle."
"Oh, we're in the same grade then." What a coincidence. Nabu Middle School was the district directly next to Musutafu; their proximity must have been the reason he and Manami frequented the same convenience store despite being from separate schools.
"I'm not surprised; you don't really look like you could be younger than me." Izuku didn't catch the way Manami discretely eyed the muscles she could see pressing against the tight shirt he was wearing, a bit of red coming to her cheeks. "I guess you're on for the hero track then?"
"Y-Yes. I'll be applying to U.A… it's always been my dream." There was a faraway look in the boy's eyes along with something troubled. Manami knew better than to ask, having her own fair share of demons. Suddenly, Izuku snapped out of it, turning to her with a smile. "What about you, Manami-san?"
"Me?"
'I never thought about it because I was so depressed I didn't even want to leave my house.' Was the first thing that came to mind. Even as she'd worked these past few months to come out of her shell, returning to school and reshaping her image into something she could be proud of, Manami hadn't actually given any thought to high school. Before, it was something out of reach. Izuku had dragged it back, kicking and screaming, until she could grab hold of her life once more to take control.
"I think I'll try for U.A. too." The words came unbidden from her lips before she could think about it. Where had that come from? Sure, it might be nice to be around Izuku if she could, but not only was U.A. ridiculously hard to get into... did she even want to be a hero? Did she think she was capable of such a thing?
"Really? That's great! I'll be rooting for you." Izuku's eyes sparkled with admiration that Manami wondered if she deserved. He said it'd always been his dream. Who was she to say that she would attempt the same on a whim? Some lonely girl who may or may not have been crushing on the boy who'd saved her with no regard for himself. Someone who locked herself away from society instead of facing the struggles of life.
"I believe in you, Manami-san."
Her eyes opened wide.
The two had stopped on a corner, Izuku looking at her with something like understanding in his eyes. Had she been showing her concern on her face? She thought she'd been doing a pretty good job of maintaining her smile.
"I… I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you looked just like you did that day." Izuku's soft-spoken voice had morphed into something determined and powerful, but still with that undertone of kindness that seemed to roll off him in waves.
"You don't seem to think very highly of yourself. When you visited my home, you told me some traits about yourself that you seemed to think were bad things. But honestly, I don't think they were. All of the things about you that make you different from everybody else are what make you unique. It doesn't matter if your classmates think you're unnecessary, or they think your quirk's weak, or anything else. I believe in you because you had the courage to call for help when you needed it. I believe in you because you advocated for me to the police even though it wouldn't make a difference for you. I believe in you because you wanted so much to thank me for something I would do again in a heartbeat. Most of all, I believe in you because I think you're a good person. That's all you need. The heart of a hero is somebody who cares for others, and you've been nothing but kind and caring to me, even though I'm awkward and nervous and honestly really bad at talking to people."
Izuku stumbled over his words somewhat, finally appearing to lose his sense of confidence as he described himself.
"A-As long as you decide it's what you want, it doesn't matter what's happened in the past. All that matters is that in the future, you want to help people. If that's your wish, I know that you'll make an amazing hero."
Manami was speechless. Just like that? Izuku had held three conversations with her and he was ready to put that much faith in her ability? Her face felt hot, unshed tears beginning to burn at her eyes. How was it that a boy who barely knew her believed in her more than anybody else?
"I…" She choked on her words, turning her head away so Izuku couldn't see her start to cry, "I want to be able to help people like you helped me." Taking a breath and getting herself under control, Manami turned to face Izuku once more, her eyes shining brightly and a determined look crossing her face. "Meeting you changed my life. Maybe before I would never have thought myself capable of helping people like that, but you make me believe I can. I'm going to become a hero you can be proud of, Izuku-kun."
Manami's declaration hung heavy on the air for a few moments, the two teenagers not breaking eye contact. Finally, Izuku smiled wide. Without thinking, he took both of the girl's hands in his.
"I guess I'll have to work hard to make you proud too, then. That's a promise, Manami-san."
Manami was the first to break eye contact, her face growing hot. It took Izuku a surprising amount of time to realize what he'd done, allowing himself a brief moment to marvel at the feeling of the girl's small hands in his before he released her and backed up a few steps.
"S-Sorry! I don't know what came over me."
"N-No, it's okay. I don't mind." Manami's words only seemed to increase the embarrassment both felt. Izuku nervously pressed a hand to the back of his neck while Manami pressed a toe into the ground and twirled one of her pigtails around a finger, both not making eye contact. "A-Anyway, my house is close, so I should probably get home."
"M-Me too…"
Still the two didn't move.
"Agh, screw it!" Izuku looked up as Manami growled, moving towards him and grabbing a fistful of his shirt so she could drag him lower.
'Déjà vu.' The boy couldn't help but think, their faces inches apart. He could clearly see the shimmering edges where Manami's irises changed from pink to purple and back.
"I'm going to ask you on a date when I pass the U.A. exams! Be ready, Izuku-kun!"
Her intentions clear, Manami once again planted a kiss on Izuku's cheek, turning and leaving before the boy could see her face rapidly turning the same color as her hair.
'Too forward. Way too forward!'
Five minutes later, Izuku's brain finally rebooted, still standing on the same street corner with a wide-eyed expression of surprise.
'D-Date?'
"You're… early."
Izuku couldn't help the smirk that came to his face. Ten months, and he'd finally surprised his teacher. Stendhal looked from Izuku's form perched atop the wall separating the street from the beach to its empty sands, completely devoid of whatever trash had been left the day before. Suddenly the vigilante began laughing, doubling over and holding his stomach. It was almost more terrifying than seeing him irritated, Izuku couldn't help but think.
"Ha… Kid, you're something else." Stendhal brushed a finger across his eye, his mood immediately switching back to his standard no-nonsense determination. "I was going to make you finish before you left for the exam anyway, but it looks like you beat me to it."
Master and student shared a look that needed no words. Stendhal was proud. Izuku knew it, even if the man wouldn't tell him directly.
"Speaking of," Stendhal raised a hand, reading the watch on his wrist, "this means you've got extra time before you have to leave for U.A. Guess that means it's time for graduation."
Izuku was ready well before his teacher started moving, ducking under the roundhouse thrown at him and jumping farther away from the street onto the beach. Stendhal followed, pressuring his student with a series of punches and kicks that forced the boy to weave and block with no time to counter.
The next time Stendhal used a high kick, Izuku ducked down, this time digging a fist into the sand and coming up with a handful of grains that he tossed between himself and his teacher, using it as a distraction to land a knee into the vigilante's gut.
"Dirty pool, kid. You're learning!"
Stendhal decided his student had more than enough time to warm up, drawing a short blade from one of the many sheathes on his person and charging forward with a vertical slash that Izuku side-stepped, stomping the blunt edge of the short sword into the sand with one of his shoes and stepping in with a right hook flying towards Stendhal's face.
The vigilante abandoned his blade to dodge the hit, drawing an identical one as he spun which forced Izuku to jump backward.
"'The only fair thing in a fight is the desire to win.'" Izuku quoted, ducking another slash and stepping back again. Fighting unarmed against an opponent with a blade was like a dance, he'd come to understand. The most important and obvious step, not getting cut, was also the hardest. A single misstep such as attempting to counter at the wrong time or focusing too much on the blade and not its wielder could lead to a quick end. His teacher viewed this disadvantage as a vehicle for rapid growth. If he didn't want to go home bleeding, Izuku would have to find a way to not get cut. If he didn't want to leave exhausted, he'd have to satisfy Stendhal's arbitrary measure of clean hits. Most importantly, it forced him to adapt against an opponent who would do the same.
With each attack Izuku made, Stendhal would shore up his defenses, ensuring that particular hit wouldn't happen again. Each clash became more difficult. Each hit harder earned.
Their dance went on for some time until Izuku back-stepped a horizontal cut, stepping in the moment the blade had passed him. Instead of going for an instant hit as his teacher was expecting, Izuku instead grabbed the vigilante by his scarf, pulling him off his feet towards a knee to the gut.
Of course, Stendhal wasn't easily put down. Recovering quickly, Izuku's teacher dropped the sword he was holding, working a smaller knife from another part of his outfit. This time, his student was too slow to dodge, the blade catching his cheek before he could pull his head away from Stendhal's slash.
The attack was followed by an unexpected jab that caught Izuku in the sternum, knocking the breath out of him. Not done yet, Stendhal shoulder-checked his stumbling student, knocking him to the ground with a groan. When Izuku's eyes opened, his teacher had the blade to his neck and a smirk on his face.
"Not bad for getting up so early, kid." The vigilante sheathed the knife back into place, holding a hand out to Izuku to drag the boy to his feet.
"Thanks, sensei. I'm still not satisfied, though. I haven't ever been able to knock you to the ground."
"I've told you before, kid, I won't go easy on you just for a confidence booster. You'll have to train harder to put me to the ground." After a quick rummage through his pockets, Stendhal procured two vials of crimson liquid, holding them out to Izuku. "One now, one during the exam. They let you bring in items required to activate your quirk, right?"
"Y-Yeah. I couldn't help but wonder if this is what they meant though." Despite his reservations, Izuku took both vials, dropping one into his pocket while he popped the cap on the other and drank its contents. His body felt lighter immediately, his quirk working with the blood to heal his wounds and give him a boost of energy.
"I'm sure they'd rather you take it from a vial than another examinee, but I suppose you'll make do either way."
Master and student watched the sunset rise together in relative silence, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Stendhal stood. He pulled one of the many knives he had on his person from its sheath, holding it out to Izuku with a serious look on his face.
"You told me that you didn't want to use blades, but I want you to have this anyway."
Izuku looked at the blade in his hands and swallowed. It was a dagger. The same one his teacher had used in their bout to cut him. Its edge was sharp as any Stendhal owned, meticulously maintained just like the rest of the vigilante's equipment.
"If it wasn't already obvious to you, kid, the path of a true hero is a dangerous one." Stendhal's gaze never left the sun as he spoke, his gravelly voice somber. "You look at that and you remember that I'm telling you that sometimes it's kill or be killed, no matter where your morals lie. That's the reality that they don't like to tell you on the news or in the classroom. Consider this your graduation. No more training sessions; it's up to you from here."
Finally, he turned to Izuku, his red eyes boring into the young student with an intensity that he'd never seen before.
"You should forget about me. This is the end of Stendhal. The next time we meet, I'll be nothing but a Stain on your existence."
It was as if he'd blinked and his teacher vanished without a trace; a speed Izuku still couldn't hope to match on his best day. If he didn't know any better, the boy would have questioned if Stendhal had ever been there in the first place. But lying in his hands was proof.
Slowly, Izuku stood, bowing deeply to the spot where Stendhal had sat.
"I won't let you down, sensei. Thank you."
When he stood, Izuku's eyes sparkled with determination.
It was time to show the world what he was made of.
Everybody's sweet words in your reviews give me so much life. Again, these chapters were meant to be spaced 2-3 weeks apart to give me time for work and school, but I've had so much motivation based off of the responses so far that I just can't stop myself. You really are the best!
I swear the original plan was not a 6200-word+ chapter. It just so happens that I had a lot more to talk about than I thought, considering I wanted the next chapter to begin with Izuku approaching U.A. for the first time rather than his final session with Stain. Still working on the flow of combat as well; you guys gave me good feedback on it and so I hope to keep delivering. Main objective is to keep things concise but give you a good idea of what everyone's doing at all times. I swear I'll stop teasing you about Izuku's quirk next chapter too, really. I just wanted Hemokinesis' debut to be the big climax of a chapter. This sort of interlude didn't fit it very well.
Moving on to our MCs, I've been characterizing Manami as this sort-of confident girl who knows what she wants but is struggling to let that out after having been asocial for so long; an analog to her early days with Gentle Criminal. The result is this strange dichotomy of shyness in the first scene and semi-shy/confident in the third that I think poorly translates what I'm ultimately going for. Her inner monologues are going to be more common since the story is focused on her and Izuku, which admittedly was also not the plan but that I think gave her much-needed depth apart from "girl who likes Izuku."
I hate one-dimensional characters, especially love interests, so fleshing out Manami as an entity separate from her feelings will be something I strive for moving forward. Step one is creating an identity for her as a hero apart from powering Izuku up with her love. Also, you can probably guess by the way things went down, but I'm not much for slow burn. Not that I dislike it, but I'm bad at writing it so I don't try. It also really doesn't fit this story if I ever want Manami to use her quirk. That said, things won't progress at a breakneck pace and you can't expect the ride to always be smooth with villains lurking around every corner.
Aside from our romance, we also have our adventure aspects kicking up! With such an ominous message, there's no way that's the end of Stendhal/Stain am I right? Next chapter of course the U.A. exam! We'll be seeing Manami and Izuku attempt to navigate the practical test and meeting new people. I finally get to write Katsuki, which I've been seriously waiting for! One of my favorite BNHA characters, hands down. Anybody that can unironically call other people "Extras" is an absolute G in my books.
One final mention: somebody asked about Toga now that I rewrote the story to exclude her. Simple answer: my original concept never happened, Izuku doesn't meet her until *redacted spoilers*. Complex answer: her personal motivations and meaning to the story are completely different. She's now a perfect character to provide a foil for Izuku not unlike Katsuki in the canon material, whose purpose changes in this story since the "prodigy vs quirkless/hard work" storyline isn't as important.
Till next time, hope you enjoyed it and drop a review if you can; it really makes me happy!
