Chapter 2: Mirio's Challenge

Hey peeps. I appreciate everyone who left reviews on the last chapter. Honestly, I didn't think I would get any type of feedback since this is an extremely niche story. Even though the following is still kind of small as of right now, I don't see this as a concept I want to abandon. With that being out of the way, I'll respond to some of the reviews.

Dragon Dive: I'm a big Ippo fan as well. It just shocks me how underrated it is! Hopefully, you enjoy some of the things I have planned!

X: Thanks, happy to hear it looks good!

Guest: Right? I thought there would have been at least one, even if it is a relatively niche concept.

El Sentir Del Grillo: So am I, haha! Right now, I have the overall plot planned out however it's just the relationship building and character introductions that may be a hassle.

Since there's no more reviews to answer let's jump into the story!

The first thing Izuku heard as he woke up was the sound of pounding gloves and sneakers squeaking. Both sounds were foreign to him, so he began to naturally wonder where he was. As he stirred awake, he realized that a cold, damp towel was placed upon his forehead. He sat up, however his eyes widened upon seeing an array of different individuals; none of which he knew. Some were hitting speed bags, others jump roping, and what really caught Izuku's attention were two guys that were sparring.

One person noticed that Izuku was now up and said, "Hey look, the kid is awake now!" He along with a group of other gym members slowly started to approach Izuku to try and talk to him. Izuku slowly backed up on the bed; as he was overwhelmed with all the attention that was suddenly on him.

They huddled closer and closer until a voice said, "C'mon guys, give him some room! He just woke up you know!" Disappointed, the gym members returned to doing what they were doing, and the man with the blonde cowlick approached Izuku. "Sorry about that, I'm sure you're confused about where you are." Izuku slowly nodded. "I figured. Well my friend, you're at a boxing gym!"

"A boxing gym?", Izuku asked.

"Yep! I take it you've never been inside one before?", the blonde haired man asked.

"Can't say that I have."

"Well hopefully this gym left a good first impression! Say, what's your name by the way?"

"My name is Izuku Midoriya."

"Midoriya, eh? Nice to meet you! My name is Mirio Togata, but you can just call me Mirio."

"A pleasure to meet you Togata-san! Thanks for saving me from Bakugou!", Izuku said.

"Hey, if you're going to refer to me by last name at least drop the honorifics! And you don't need to thank me! If there's one thing I hate, its bullies. But if you don't mind me asking, do know why he picks on you?", Mirio asked.

Izuku's eyes lowered to the ground and he gave a deep sigh before responding, "I wish I knew. When we were kids we used to be friends until one day everything suddenly changed. Since we were four, he has bullied me nonstop."

"Have you tried to do anything about it?"

"I have but the most that has happened is that he got suspended for a couple of days. After he came back he gave me one of the worst beatings I've ever received from him. Ever since then, I haven't bothered to tell anyone."

"Then how come you don't fight back? I saw how it went down and you were just letting him beat you up!"

"Fight Bakugou, are you crazy? He's always been faster and stronger than me! Trying to fight him would be suicide!", Izuku exclaimed.

"Always been, you say? I think you might be selling yourself short, Midoriya!", Mirio responded.

"What do you mean?"

"Well when you were unconscious, I felt your body-"

"You did what?!", Izuku yelled, color draining from his face.

MIrio realized that even in context what he said was extremely questionable, so he hurried to correct himself. "Not like that, believe me! When I carried you back here, I noticed you had a pretty solid build!", Mirio said as he frantically shook his arms.

Izuku released a deep sigh of relief. Having regained his peace of mind he asked, "You said that I had a solid build?"

"Yeah man, do you lift weights or anything like that?", Mirio asked.

"I don't really lift weights, but I do constantly lift bags of flour when I help my mom out at the bakery. I'm not sure if that counts though…"

"While it isn't a traditional way to build muscle, it obviously worked out for you! If you used some of that, those guys would think twice before picking a fight with you!", Mirio said as he shot Izuku a thumbs-up.

"Well...I don't really know how to...fight.", Izuku said softly.

"Never learned how to fight? You never had someone to teach you, like your dad or something?" Izuku's eyes fell to the floor, once he heard his dad being brought up in the conversation. Mirio noticed the sudden change in mood and tried to redirect the conversation somewhere else.

"Actually forget about it! I'll just teach you, starting with the basics! Follow me!" Izuku trailed behind Mirio until they both approached a heavy bag. "Okay Midoriya, do you know how to throw a punch?" The green haired teen gave him an embarrassed look. "Hey, don't sweat it man! No has taught you so there's nothing to be ashamed of!"

Mirio now stood in front of the bag, with Izuku standing on the side. "Okay watch me. What you want to do is step forward, and twist your waist. Once you do that, tighten your gaps, twist your shoulder and...HIT!" Izuku's eyes went wide as saucers as he saw the heavy bag fly up into the air. The sound of the impact made everyone in the gym turn their heads to try and find the source. The heavy bag kept flailed around until it came to a stop after a minute had passed. "Alright, now it's your turn! Remember what I told you! And to serve as extra motivation..." Mirio took a piece of paper and scribbled a face on it. After that he taped it to the heavy bag. "I drew a portrait of that Bakugou guy!"

'Doesn't really look like him…', Izuku thought to himself.

One of the gym members saw that Izuku was about to hit the heavy bag and nudged another that was shadow boxing nearby. "Hey look, the pipsqueak is about to hit the bag!", he told his buddy.

"Five thousand yen says that he'll injure himself punching it!", the other replied with an amused smirk on his face.

"C'mon man, I'm not trying to lose money!" Those two weren't the only ones that were interested in what was going on. The rest of the gym as well, eagerly waited for Izuku to hit the heavy bag. Many saw it as something that they would be able to laugh at, while others were genuinely curious on how much punching power the boy possessed. Dozens of eyes were on the green haired teen, but surprisingly he paid them no mind. He focused intensely on the advice Mirio had given him. 'Alright first step forward, then twist your hips, tighten your gaps, twist your shoulder and...HIT!' What came next was a shock to everyone in the gym with the exception of one person. With a giant thud, the bag flew upwards at an incredible velocity. The chains creaked, as the bag threatened to launch itself free.

However, after some time the bag finally came to a stop. Everyone in the gym, even Izuku, had their mouths opened regarding what they had just witnessed. Mirio's smile on the other hand couldn't have been any bigger. "Yeah, that's the stuff! I knew you had something like that in you! And to land a punch like that on your first try is incredible! But your hand is a mess though, so let's go ahead and get that cleaned up!" Izuku looked down at his knuckles, which were peeled and bloodied. Mirio motioned for Izuku to follow him, which Izuku did.

As they both left, one voice said, "I was technically right! He did injure himself hitting the bag!"

Izuku winced as he felt the burning sensation of alcohol being applied to his peeled knuckles. Even though he had messed up his hand, he couldn't get rid of the smile that was on his face. "It felt incredible, right?" Izuku looked up to find that Mirio was looking directly at him. "You don't have to answer, because I understand that feeling. Really, in my opinion there's nothing more satisfying than hitting a heavy bag!"

"It was incredible! I never thought I would be able to do something like that, but I actually did!", Izuku said with much enthusiasm.

Mirio reciprocated it saying, "I knew you would! You just need to have some more confidence in yourself!"

Izuku's joy waned a little a bit. Confidence in himself was something he always desired but because of people like Bakugou and others he knew it made it hard for him to have some. He slumped his shoulders and said, "I wish I could, I just don't know how to."

Mirio gave Izuku a consoling look before answering. "Unfortunately, I don't have much time left since I have to do some road work soon. But understand that whatever people have said about you in the past and what people say about you now does not define who you'll be in the future. I heard that Bakugou guy call you 'Deku'. He believes that you're bound to end up useless. When I think of 'Deku', I think of the word 'dekiru', which means 'you can do it'. It's up to you Midoriya, to decide what you choose to let that name mean."

As Izuku pondered the words spoken to him, Mirio continued to speak. "You know, there was a boxer I look up to who was just like you. His name was Toshinori Yagi, earning the nickname 'All Might' because of his incredible knockout power."

Even though Izuku didn't know much about boxing he knew who All Might was. He found it hard to believe that a man so eccentric and who seemed bigger than life at one point, shared similarities with him. However, Izuku didn't interrupt and allowed for Mirio to continue speaking. "I know you might find it hard to believe that you and him were alike at one point, but it's true! Before becoming All Might, Yagi didn't have much going for him in general and because of that he lacked confidence. However, he made up for it with raw determination and hard work. The heavyweight champion you know of wasn't born a champion, he put in the work to become one. I truly believe that you can do the same Midoriya!"

With that Mirio got up and prepared to walk out the door, but before he did, he turned around and said, "Oh Midoriya, I almost forgot! In that box over there, there's some DVD's of All Might K'O's, none of which you'll find online. If you want you can take them home to watch, and return it whenever!"

Izuku thought it to be interesting enough and took advantage of Mirio's offer. As he rummaged through the box he saw the DVD's, however he became hesitant to take it once he saw what was written on the case. "Hey Togata, on the case, it says 'Property of Mirai Sasaki: Don't Touch!'. Are you sure it'll be okay if I take this?"

"Don't worry about it! It'll be fine!", Mirio said as he waved a hand to dismiss Izuku's worries.

'There sure are a lot of exclamation points on here.', Izuku thought to himself.

"Well Midoriya, it was nice meeting you but I have to get going! Don't forget what I said to you!"

"I won't!", Izuku replied.

With a smile and nod of the head, Mirio ran off. Izuku sat there feeling the most content he had been in a while until he checked his phone. He saw that he had a couple of notifications from his mother and he wondered what they were about until he realized what time it was. 'Oh shoot! My mom is by herself at the bakery! I need to hurry!' Izuku quickly snatched both the DVD's and his bag and hurried out of the building.

About twenty minutes later, Izuku stepped through the front door of the bakery, wheezing as he made his way behind the counter. His mother was currently ringing up a customer for a loaf of bread, however she saw her son through the corner of her eye. "Once again, thank you Inko!", the customer said as she held her loaf of bread.

"Anything for a regular of mine! Enjoy the rest of your day!", Inko replied.

"You too."

After the customer had left, Inko approached her son to inquire as to why he had been late. Before she could ask, her son delivered an apology to her and explained what had happened to him. She felt herself get angry as her son recalled how Bakugou had beaten him up. She had tried multiple times to get the boy to face the disciplinary action he deserved but because of gross incompetence from the staff, slaps on the wrist were given to him instead. Her mood did lighten though, once he brought up how Mirio had saved him and taught him how to throw a punch. The excitement in his voice as he talked about Mirio was contagious, to say the least. It had been a while since she'd seen her son so content, so this was definitely a nice change of pace for her. After he finished summarizing what had happened to him that day, Inko said, "Well it seems like you had an eventful day, today! And don't beat yourself up for being late, it was slow for the most part anyways, which from how it looks will be for the rest of day."

"Well what do you need me to do?", Izuku asked.

"I got some dough for you that needs kneading, so just get started on that once you get the chance.", Inko said, pointing to the back of the store.

"Got it!", Izuku replied.

After a hard day of work both Izuku and his mom returned to their apartment. As soon as they stepped through the door, Izuku rushed to his room with the DVD's he had received earlier in his grasp. He closed his door, and slid the disc in his DVD player. The machine whirled to life and not long after, Izuku saw All Might standing in the ring in his full glory. As the compilation continued Izuku cringed seeing some of the brutal knockouts All Might had delivered but nevertheless he was intrigued. He knew that All Might was considered a legend in boxing, but he had no idea just how dominant the man was.

From the first round K.O's to the insane counter punches, there was no shortage of feats from the man many people considered a legend. Not only had the compilation opened Izuku's eyes on just how good All Might was, it made him a fan as well. However, to Izuku what stood amongst the insane feats of athleticism from the blonde haired man, was the fact that in every fight Izuku saw him in, he was smiling. To go from someone who had virtually no confidence to a man who carried a fearless smile into every fight he went into; it was quite the transformation. Izuku reflected on what Mirio had told him earlier. "The heavyweight champion you know of wasn't born a champion, he put in the work to become one. I truly believe that you can do the same Midoriya!"

'Can I really do the same?', Izuku wondered. For the majority of his life he really did consider himself a Deku and it wasn't just because of Bakugou. When he was four, his father had left the family in the midst of a financial crisis. As he got older, he grew to resent his father dismissing the man as a coward and as someone who ran away from his problems. However, in the back of his mind he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe his father had left because he wasn't good enough.

Despite the reason for leaving, Izuku's biggest fear was that he would end up like his dad; someone who ran away from his problems instead of confronting them. Reflecting on his encounters with Bakugou he saw that he was already heading in that direction. Izuku looked at the screen once more, and saw a smiling All Might with his fist pumped in the air. 'If boxing helped him, then maybe it can help me! From now on, I won't be useless Deku. I'll be the Deku able to handle anything that comes my way!'

The next day, Mirio practiced his jabs while he did his daily roadwork. He stopped once he saw a familiar face approach him. "Ah Midoriya, nice seeing you again! How are you!"

"I'm doing well Togata, thanks for asking! How about you?", Izuku asked.

"Not too bad. Just getting in some road work at the moment. I need the conditioning so I can be ready for my next match!"

"Your next match?"

"That's right, I'm a pro boxer!" Izuku's eyes nearly popped out of his head after Mirio had told him that.

"You're a pro boxer?! That's so awesome! What weight class are you? What type of fighting style do you utilize? Which stance do you use? Do you use a conventional guard or cross guard? Now that I think about it, the answer to what guard you use depends on what type of fighter you are. However, that may not always be the case because-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Slow down there man! One question at a time if you don't mind."

Izuku's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Sorry, I just got excited!"

Mirio chuckled upon seeing the boy's crimson colored face. "It's okay! I guess that tape yesterday would be responsible for your sudden excitement?" Izuku nodded in response.

"Figures, seeing those knockouts, would have gotten anyone fired up! But to answer some of your questions. First, I'm a middleweight. Second, I'm what they call a swarmer. Through constant pressure, I'm able to overwhelm the opposing fighter. I could be classified as a slugger as well because of my punching power but I would like to think I have a bit more finesse than your typical brawler. As far as stances go, it's just an othodox stance except I crouch as well. Finally, regarding which guard I use, I use a Peek-A-Boo style guard, because it helps with head movement which is critical for me as a swarmer. Any more questions, before I finish up my road work for the day?"

Izuku just had one, however he was reluctant to ask it. Closing his eyes he gathered his courage, and asked, "Togata...do you think I have what it takes to do what you do?"

"I think you can learn basic boxing! You already showed that you had a solid punch! Learning the other fundamentals should be no sweat!", Mirio replied.

"No, I don't mean just learning basic boxing. I mean going...pro."

Izuku looked at Mirio, and felt his blood run cold once he did. The warm and goofy smile the blonde haired man had was now replaced by a stern and serious expression. "Midoriya, you need to understand that as beautiful as boxing can be it's as equally dangerous. Going pro, is not something that should be a spur of the moment decision!"

"It wasn't a spur of the moment decision!", Izuku said as he felt his voice starting to break. "For the longest time I've considered myself useless; as someone who would run away from his problems. I understand the challenges that'll come along with becoming a pro but it'll give me a chance to prove to myself that I...I...can do it!"

The serious expression on Mirio's face slowly shifted into a gentle smile. The determination the boy had was something he couldn't do anything but marvel at. "Well, it seems like you at least have a legitimate reason for wanting to go pro! I'll train you but on one condition; you have to clean up the entirety of the Takoba Municipal Beach Park in one week!"

"ONE WEEK! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!", Izuku exclaimed.

"If you truly want to become a pro boxer you'll figure out a way how.", Mirio replied.

'As crazy as it is, he's right! If this is something I really want, I'll figure out a way to clean the beach!', Izuku thought.

"Deal.", Izuku said as he extended his hand toward Mirio. Mirio grabbed it and shook it confirming that the waiver had been solidified. The very next day, Izuku got up at six o'clock in the morning and went to work. He dragged broken refrigerators, sinks, washers, and other household appliances to form a heap of sorts. Once it was time for him to go to school he went and afterwards he was right back at the beach. He didn't stop cleaning until close to midnight. Exhausted, he slowly trotted back home and immediately went to sleep once his head hit the pillow. About six hours later, he woke up again to repeat the previous day.

The seventh day had rolled around and despite how much work Izuku had put in to cleaning the beach it seemed like he hardly made a dent in it. The sun was starting to set and it was painfully obvious to Izuku that he would not be able to clean the beach within a week. However, he kept working his hardest hoping for a miracle. His heart dropped when he heard a familiar voice say, "Well, it doesn't look like the beach will be cleaned by the end of the day!" Izuku looked up and saw that it was Mirio with a smile on his face. For someone who had to deliver bad news, he seemed awfully cheerful about it, Izuku noted.

"You know what this means right?", Mirio asked.

"You won't train me, because I didn't clean the beach fast enough…", Izuku said as he blinked away tears.

"That would have been right...if this wasn't just a test!", Mirio exclaimed.

"This was just a test?!"

"Yup, I was watching your progress this entire time. I knew you wouldn't have been able to clean the beach in a week. You're not a superhero, you're only human. I had you clean the beach, because I wanted to gauge your work ethic. If you want to become a pro boxer, a strong work ethic is important and you proved to me that you have one of the strongest ones I have ever seen. Plus, I knew you were going to pass so I had the cleaning function as conditioning for you as well."

"Wow...I don't know what to say.", Izuku said in a choked up voice.

"You don't have to say much. For the past week you have let your actions do the talking for you, so I guess it's time for mine to do so. Midoriya, you have shown me you have what it takes to be a pro boxer so tomorrow I'll show you some techniques to aid you on your path."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Izuku sunk to his knees and cried tears of joy. Today would be his starting point on his journey to rebirth. He would prove to himself and to the world that he was capable of facing any obstacle that came his way. "Hey man, enough of the waterworks! You think you'll be ready for tomorrow?", Mirio asked. Izuku didn't respond, rather he gave Mirio a determined look. "Good, I didn't expect any less."

And that's that. Hopefully y'all enjoyed this chapter. I'm curious, from how I described Mirio as a boxer who did you think his real life comparison is? Let me know via PM or review. What type of boxer do you anticipate Izuku to be? Should Bakugou be worried? Okay, let me stop with the questions. But on a serious note, if y'all have any questions or concerns please let me know. Until next time stay healthy and be safe.