Kirishima was in a rut. It was 2am at this point and he was still awake. Endlessly smashing the punching bag he'd hung in his room. It was a custom made bag, provided by the support course for him. Instead of sand, it was filled with small crush-proof glass beads. This massively increased the weight and density of the bag, meaning he could punch it with hardened fists and actually feel feedback.
He bent his knees and swayed back and forth, hopping slightly while shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Arms hardened, he unleashed a flurry of blows on the bag, each connecting with a satisfying 'Wumph'. Pivoting on his right foot and rearing his left arm back, he swung his whole body forward for a devastating gut punch to the bag. It swung far back, nearly touching the ceiling it was chained to.
The redhead let out a tired sigh as he looked at his still hardened hands… just as the huge punching bag swung back into him. He let out a surprised "Ooomph" as the bag socked him in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Catching himself at the last moment, he reached out a hand to reign in the swinging bag. As the surprise slowly left him, he unhardened his hands. He experimented briefly with activating and deactivating his Quirk on his arms, frowning as his stopped.
'I do this everyday but I never feel like I'm making any progress with my hardening. Sure my fists feel stronger and… maybe a bit harder. But what can I actually do to keep pace with the others? How can I improve my technique or create moves if all I can do is harden? I feel… inferior.'
Kirishima reached up to rub his face in frustration. He stood up straight, fists resting on his hips as he looked around his room. 'What could I do differently, on my own, to improve my training…' He yawned as his eyes crossed over his bed. It looked so inviting. He rubbed his eyes for a second time, finally conceding to his exhaustion. 'Fine. I'll go to bed. But I'm not happy about it! And tomorrow I'll have the chance to ask Bakugo and Midoriya. Maybe one of them can give me some insight.' He flipped off his room. Feeling satisfied, he disappeared into the bathroom.
15 Minutes Later…
Kirishima lay in bed staring at his ceiling, completely lost in thought. Now that he'd finally calmed down for the day, Midoriya's words echoed in his head. 'What kind of hero does what I do?' He repeated. 'What did she mean by that? She's blaming herself for… being too strong? Why... is she ashamed of her strength? She doesn't seem the least bit feckless. She takes combat exercises very seriously. So what could've happened to her to make her feel this way about her strength? I wonder… should I ask Todoroki? Does he also have a complex like this? He's also a recommended student…'
He finally closed his eyes. 'On second thought… Todoroki seems a little too aloof for him to admit to such feelings. On top of the fact that I barely know him.' He yawned, feeling his exhaustion slowly take over. 'I wonder what tomorrow will be like. Quirk sparring. I'm a bit worried. Bakugo and her both have me heavily outclassed in terms of… well. Everything, if I'm honest. But Midoriya... she's… flipped a switch before. She became like a different person for some amount of time. It also happened during the team battles today… or yesterday. Whatever. She looked so sad earlier. And the blood smell. What the heck was that about?' His eyebrows creased downwards in a frown.
'I promise, Midoriya, I'll help you through this. Bakugo sees it too. That you seem to be ashamed of your potential. UA has no doubt noticed as well, but there are limits to what a School can offer a student in terms of support. But friends can push each others limits. Break barriers. Have fights. Offer support. Be emotional. Find… unorthodox solutions. You need that, I can tell. So the first thing I need to do, is make you see me as a friend.' He grimaced at his last thought.
'No, idiot. Don't phrase it like that. That sounds… like I have bad intentions. Of course I want to be her friend for more than just that. I want to be everyone's friend!' There was a lingering doubt in his mind. 'I'm so caught up on Midoriya. Is… is it because she's the first other student I encountered at UA? Because I feel sorry for her? Pity her? Most people don't like pity. I mean… I want to see what she'll become. I want to see her reach her full potential. But I want that for everyone, right? Whats… drawing me to her? Why is it Izu Midoriya I'm thinking about... like this, specifically? I mean... she is cute.'
He groaned, unable to form a coherent answer to his objectively simple question. 'Maybe Bakugo will have an answer.'
Kirishima and Bakugo stood in the lounge area on the first floor, near the entrance. Other students were scattered around in small groups, chattering away about who knows what. They'd exchanged basic greetings after Kirishima arrived (Bakugo always made sure to arrive first), but now they stood in silence. Kirishima shifted from foot to foot, unsure how to phrase the question on his mind. Bakugo eyed his friend with a slight scowl.
"What's got you all bothered?" Bakugo pointed his head towards the redhead.
"I uh… was thinking yesterday. About Midoriya." He was hesitant to admit something that could be so easily misinterpreted, but Bakugo didn't seem like one to gossip.
The blondes expression shifted to one of complete surprise, both eyebrows raised high. That clearly wasn't what he was expecting Kirishima to say. He let out a low chuckle, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Out of all the girls here..."
"Wait, I think-"
"Well she is strong, so you've good taste in that sense."
"Bakugo I didn't mean it like that…"
"I've seen the way you've looked at her. You're not exactly subtle. Plus-" Kirishima elbowed him, nodding towards the elevator. Due to their positions, Kirishima spotted her first. He nudged Bakugo, hoping to shut him up and change the subject. The redhead shot a hand up and waved at her. Right off the bat she was wringing her hands together. The green girl radiated an aura of nervousness. She showed some reluctance in her steps when walking over, but arrived next to the two males nonetheless. Bakugo unabashedly eyed Midoriya up and down as she walked over, making her squirm.
'She's wearing better clothes this time. Good. And… she's a little too under developed for me. You're weird, Kirishima.' Her clothes were indeed better than last session. Black tank-top, a longer pair of shorts, and her hair was already tied back. Her face was clearly visible, neither male had noticed before but…
'She has freckles? Huh, I didn't notice last time.' Kirishima noted.
She had a small bag with her, Bakugo saw. 'And she's slouching slightly…' As she arrived in front of them, Bakugo spoke. "You're here. Good, let's go." He didn't wait for a reply; He immediately turned towards the front entrance and began walking at a brisk pace. Kirishima lagged behind slightly, giving her a reassuring smile as he motioned to follow Bakugo.
Bakugo would never say it to anyone, but he'd been looking forward to sparring against Midoriya with Quirks for over a week now. 'She is the strongest student in our class, there's no doubt in my mind about that. She easily defeated the dichromatic guy, and HE has demonstrated strength to overwhelm many members of our class instantly.' Bakugo chuffed as the trio walked, not liking where his thoughts were going. 'As much as I hate to admit it, I need to practice against her if I'm ever going to shoot for the top spot. I need to be able to compete with a Quirk like hers. I can't have any counters. Can't be weak. I... can't be the number one hero and surpass All Might if I can't overcome this girl first.'
Still looking forward, the blonde asked the two behind him "So what do you two need to practice? Quirk, fighting style, or some other third thing?"
Kirishima had a sheepish look on his face, sighing as he replied. "Yeah… about that. I was hoping to get your guys' opinions on what I can improve on. I think I'm an alright fighter, and could certainly benefit by improving my fighting skills. But my Quirk is very straight forward, so I'm struggling to see how I can meaningfully improve it. Like… what would a super-move for me even look like?"
Bakugo grunted. "We'll see when we get there." He waited a moment to see if Midoriya would respond. The seconds ticked by, and eventually his impatience got the better of him. "Green. What about you?"
The lump in her throat was preventing her from responding. 'I… mine doesn't sound like a real… issue in that sense. What will they think? Will they think I'm just showing off or…'
Bakugo spoke again, snapping her out of her entrapping thoughts. "Well? Don't think you have anything you need to improve on?"
That elicited a quick retort. "No! No. I… I know I need to improve on… lots of stuff. I think my major issue right now is…" She paused. The surprise of Bakugo's accusation allowed her some temporary clarity. "Uhh. Either hand to hand combat or…" She hesitated on the second part. "This… might sound dumb. But when I… move around at higher power levels. The wind can… have negative effects on those around me, or fragile environments." She lowered her head, not wanting to see their reactions to something so silly sounding.
"Hmm." Was the first thing Bakugo said. "You're right. The wind was no joke during your ball throw on the first day. That's a serious limitation to have, it's definitely one you need to overcome if you're going to use higher extents of your power. Hand to hand combat can be slightly forgiven due to your strength and speed, but the aftereffects of your movement can be a serious downside."
Her eyes lit up with surprise. 'He understood? Agreed?' She was distracted, still reeling over Bakguo's words that she almost missed what Kirishima added.
"Your Quirk seems real similar to All Mights, Midoriya." Kirishima added. Izu tensed up at this suggestion, thankfully both her classmates were facing forwards. "Have you ever asked him how he moves around with such strength and speed without causing aftershocks?"
'That's… a good point. I haven't asked All Might about that.' Kirishima made a… remarkably good suggestion. 'I'll definitely ask All Might about that next time I see him.' She needed to deflect slightly. "I… always just assumed it was a byproduct of his Quirk."
Kirishima shrugged. "Well it's worth an ask, I'd reckon."
"Mmm." Was her simple reply.
"What about you, Bakugo? What do you think you need to improve on?" Kirishima probed.
The blonde was quiet for a moment. Crossing his arms, he answered. "I need to work on regulating the strength of my explosions. I have some strong moves already created, but I could never use them on a person, yet. I'd risk killing or seriously injuring them, unless they have some defence oriented Quirk. I'm also trying to condense explosions and aim them, but I'm far off and away from that. Plus there are more pressing things to focus on at the moment."
Kirishima blinked in surprise. "Damn okay. Wasn't expecting that honest of an answer. Showing some weakness now Bakugo, are we?" He smirked.
"Can it, moron. You've seen what the Dichromatic dude-"
"Todoroki." Kirishima interjected.
"-Yeah whatever. You've seen what he can do. That's not even scratching what Green is capable of." He pointed a thumb backwards at Midoriya. "If I want to compete I can't water down my self criticism. I need to be serious about improving if I want to keep pace with the top of UA."
Kirishima made a noise of agreement. Inside he was… worried. 'Not only do they have superior Quirks… they're both so driven. Midoriya's got a lot going on, but she's still focused on improving herself despite already being so strong. I feel like even on my best days I don't put as much effort into training as she does.' He frowned, tilting his head slightly as he continued to think. 'And well… the only thing ever on Bakugo's mind is 'getting stronger'. I feel like I can't compete in drive or power…' The redhead slumped his shoulders as he searched for some reason to validate himself.
Izu also hadn't been expecting the blonde to answer in such a candid manner. 'I'd pegged him as a hothead who thinks himself the strongest…' She watched the blonde in front of her walk. His shoulders were tensed, head angled slightly down. 'I wasn't expecting him to be so humble about what he needs to improve on. But…' She thought carefully about what she wanted to say. Finally deciding, she asked "Aren't you exaggerating, Bakugo? I… don't think I'm as far ahead as you say I am. I have lots to work on."
"Cut the bullshit, Green." He replied quickly, his tone scathing. He was quite angry. "I don't know what you haven't realized yet, but you're clearly the strongest student in the class by a mile. Everyones got their eyes on you. You're the person to beat, and you set the bar for our class. Start acting like it, if you truly want the rest of us to improve." He shoved his hands in his pockets, the tension slowly leaving his shoulders. His voice was quiet now, laced with many different emotions. "You claim to have lots to improve on. Good. We all do. That's why we're here. For the benefit of us all, you need to stop half-assing stuff. Take yourself seriously."
She kept her mouth shut as she processed everything Bakugo said. 'That… was a compliment. Right?' She repeated it in her head a few more times. 'Take myself seriously…' Izu brought her fists up in front of her, briefly channeling One For All and observing the green electricity dance around her hands. Kirishima stealthily peeked backwards, catching a glimpse of her actions. 'What Kirishima said yesterday… what I learned and experienced… and what Bakugo said just now… I… I agree. But…' She clenched her first tight, the electricity dissapaiting slowly. 'Why does it feel so difficult to believe in their words? Why is it that part of me can acknowledge it as true, but still not... believe it?'
"Actions speak louder than words, Green." Came an unexpected… reassurance(?) from Bakugo. "I'm sure you know this."
'Actions… speak louder than words.' She'd heard this saying before. But… hearing it again now recontextualized what the saying truly meant to her. 'Actions…'
"My name is Midoriya." Was all she could think to say in reply.
"I know." He said smugly. Despite facing away, she could tell he wore a smirk. Kirishima chuckled off to the side, as if to confirm her suspicion.
The trio had finished their own routines of stretches and had gathered in the center of the training room. This room was a good deal smaller than the one their first training exercise had taken place in, but it was more than enough space for three people. The walls were lined with thick padding, and the floor was ever so slightly rubberized. There was also a small section in the corner of the room that had padded floors as well.
Izu discreetly rubbed her stomach, feeling over the bandage she'd applied when getting ready for the day. 'I'll need to avoid any hits to the stomach.' She glanced at Bakugo and Kirishima, watching them ready themselves for the coming matches. 'I don't think… that should be that hard?' She mentally slapped herself, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her head. 'No. Overconfidence is bad. Just… focus on avoiding blows to the stomach. Treat this as real practice. Be serious. Take myself… seriously.' She wore a puzzled look, not quite knowing how to accomplish Bakugo's advice.
Izu shuffled, awkwardly waiting for something to start happening. 'Do… do we just start fighting after deciding matches?' She turned towards Kirishima. He had his eyes shut and was breathing deeply. 'No. No, that can't be right, dummy.' Bakugo was facing away, but seemed to be wrapping up his routine.
The blonde answered her unasked question. "Here's what we're gonna do. I figure some basic one versus ones will help us see what we all need. Then we can go from there with specific practice exercises." Izu and Kirishima nodded in response. Bakugo turned towards Midoriya, pointing a finger at her. "You and me first, Green."
She shrunk backwards under the gaze of his accusatory finger, but quickly regained her composure as the promise of a fight washed over her. She closed her eyes and focused on her beathing. The air surrounding her changed slowly. Kirishima took his leave from the area, but continued to watch Midoriya the entire time, picking up on the subtle changes she showed so clearly. Bakugo's eyes were locked onto her as well.
She stood up a little straighter. Held her head a little higher. The tension left her shoulders, and her breathing became more controlled. She opened her eyes and focused on the blonde in front of her. Bakugo was grinning like a mad man. 'There she is. The one that doesn't fuck around!' Bakugo's hype was building, and it all came to a head as Kirishima yelled out:
"Fight till ya drop!"
Midoriya activated her Full-Cowling at 10% to start with. First and foremost, she wanted to she how Bakugo would fair against her speed and power at this level. He was above and beyond Todoroki in terms of mobility, and had comparable firepower. 'Based on my observations during this week of classes, they seem to have the best combat-sense of all the students. I was able to avoid most of Todoroki's indoor attacks with ten percent.' If she needed to use more, she would. But even in her focused state, she knew neither of them would gain anything if she ended the fight immediately with a higher percentage.
Izu continued to recount her notes in the moment, trying to make sure she didn't miss any important facet of the blondes power. 'He is capable of rudimentary flying. He demonstrated that during our basic rescue exercises this week. He can do both big and small explosions to alter his movement… and… I think that's all. He's just really good at using it. I think. Oh and...' She scanned his form from top to bottom, pausing slightly on his arms. They were wearing nearly identical outfits she noticed. Black tank-top with black shorts. 'He's… certainly very fit. I don't want to underestimate his strength, physically or Quirk-based.'
Bakugo noted the green electric aura surrounding the girl, the telltale mark of her power. Throwing caution to the wind, he whipped both arms out behind himself, his palms exploding outwards to propel himself forwards. Kirishima's eyes widened at the impressive display of speed from the young blonde, nodding in approval. Bakugo closed the distance with frightening speed. He pushed off the ground midway through his flight with his right foot, setting him up to grapple Midoriya's right arm.
This fight was different from her previous UA encounters. Restricting herself to 10% for as long as possible meant she had to be cautious about taking a potential attack. Other students in the class have already demonstrated speed that could catch her off guard even at 15%. Her mind blinked back to Shoji's punch and Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. Both very fast in their own rights. 'Not to say I wasn't taking the last fights seriously… but can I even avoid attacks like that at just 10%? It sure felt like I was trying to dodge...'
Midoriya quickly side stepped to her left to avoid Bakugo's grapple attempt. She turned her head to watch him fly by, when she felt the heat of an explosion near her. He'd let out multiple small blasts from his left hand, curving his trajectory ever so slightly. He grabbed her wrist, using his momentum to swing her backwards. Bakugo skidded to a stop, quickly reentering a prepared stance as he turned to observe his opponents landing.
She'd recovered from the throw quite well, twisting herself mid air to land on the ground flawlessly. She stood up, her eyes meeting her opponents. "Remember, Green, you have to attack to win!" The blonde taunted. He launched himself forward again, angled higher this time so he would soar over her.
As he lurched towards her, Midoriya dashed forward to hopefully catch him from underneath where he couldn't easily launch explosions. Doing so would propel him further into the air, and give her the opportunity to set up an attack where he would land.
Bakugo chuffed as he watched her sprint towards him. 'This isn't her maximum speed… but this is definitely more beneficial to us both at the moment. Her decision to advance on me was smart. Can't let her get under me… good move, Green.' With Midoriya nearly under him, he released a larger explosion to his right, sending him flying a good 15 feet away. As he flew and prepared to land, Izu saw her opportunity. She stretched out her left arm, grabbing her wrist with her other hand to act as a brace, and tensed her hand for a flick.
At 10% the air blasts she could create wouldn't do any damage, but if hit they could certainly throw someone off balance. Especially an airborne target. She took a moment to aim, then her finger exploded forwards. A barely visible projectile sped towards Bakugo. He could tell she'd done something, but with next no visual queue he had no hope of dodging. The blast struck his leg, changing his form ever so slightly. He landed with both feet on the ground, wincing as his weight pressed on his ankle in an odd way. His momentum carried him backwards, causing him to stumble over his own feet, falling onto his rear.
She gave him no time to strategize. Izu full sprinted towards him, covering the distance between them before Bakugo could stand. He was ready, however; From his sitting position, he spun his torso around and kicked off the ground. Izu was forced to stop and lean backwards to avoid a kick to the chin. Bakugo transitioned his move into a handstand, both his palms exploded against the ground, shooting him upwards again.
This time it was Midoriya who grabbed his wrist. Bakugo grimaced in pain. 'Her grip is like iron. The momentum from my explosions just now is still forcing me upwards. This is bad.' Bakugo had no purchase on anything to move around, and his palms were still facing downwards. In a bit of a panic, he cupped his hands to face Midoriya and release two smaller explosions. Instantly the upper half of her body was covered in a small cloud of smoke. She coughed, and he felt her grip loosen.
He yanked his arm free and continued to fly upwards from his earlier momentum. He saw the girl was still sputtering from the cloud of smoke he'd created. He took the brief moment of pause to land a good distance away. He glanced at his wrist. It ached and he could see the imprint of her hand. It would certainly bruise. He scowled at the obvious injury. He refocused on the now dissipating cloud of smoke surrounding Midoriya, debating what his next actions should be.
He had no time to plan as the cloud vanished almost instantly. She'd swiped her arm through it and was now running towards him again. 'She's too quick… I have no time to set up any combo attacks on her…' Bakugo's usual strategy of combo explosions that led into each other had served him well versus nearly all opponents he'd faced thus far. But… even with his lightning fast reactions he could barely keep up with the girl.
She'd arrived in range of him. Caught thinking, Bakugo barely managed to bring his arms up to guard. Sensing her intent, he leaned forward and bent his knees, bracing himself as best he could. Her palm strike hit the flat of his arms full force. Instead of knocking him over like Izu expected, he slid backwards a good three feet. The blonde wore a satisfied expression, happy he was able to counter an otherwise fight-ending attack.
With his palms already in position, he exploded forwards. The short distance between them was closed instantly. He swung an arm out to clothesline her, but the girls short stature allowed her to duck under it. He touched down almost directly behind her. Dropping to the ground, he spun around in a manner similar to breakdancing. He'd expected to kick Midoriya's legs out from under her, and panicked when he felt his strike find nothing.
He looked over his shoulder and was unable to mask the surprise on his face. She'd jumped back and spun to face him. She was rearing back for a punch. His eyes widened. Still on the ground, Bakugo extended a hand to catch her blow. Her fist flew forward, connecting with his waiting hand. The force of the blow reverberated through him, knocking his head against the ground. Pain shot through his arm. He could tell when he was fighting a losing battle.
Due to her making a fist, he was able to grip her hand. He twisted it hard, forcing her to bend her elbow. Surprise flashed across her face. Time seemed to slow as gravity slowly brought her down towards him. Bracing himself against the ground with his free arm, he shot his knee up to hit her in the stomach. He was sure his blow would connect at this distance, even with the speed she'd demonstrated thus far.
A moment passed but… his blow never connected. His eyes shot down for a brief moment. She was holding his knee with her free hand. 'When… when did she!?' Their eyes met briefly, his were wide open in shock, while hers blazed with green electricity that appeared to mimic fire. She pushed off his knee and arm, landing some feet away.
"I give." He said quickly, wanting to avoid further injuries so he could keep sparring. Ropes of pain still shot through his arm occasionally. It ached bad from catching her punch. She bowed in his direction. Her face now looked… frustrated? 'What gives, Green? It was a good fight. Kind of quick, but that's to be expected. Despite the loss, I think I learned something important.' Bakugo smirked as his mind raced in an attempt to apply this new lesson. He remained sitting as Kirishima walked over.
'I ended up having to use 15% to catch his knee strike… That blow would've landed otherwise.' She glanced down at her abdomen. She chastised herself for continuing to get caught off guard, and almost taking a hit to the stomach because of it. 'Am I continually underestimating people? I… it doesn't feel like that. It's not like I didn't imagine he could or would knee me there... I've been observing and taking notes on my classmates this entire week, but I'm still having issues in combat.' She wasn't quite sure what her issue was. And that was more frustrating than anything. She was fast and strong. She had impeccable strategy, and fast reactions. Why was she always getting surprised by things she knew to look out for?
Kirishima arrived next to the duo, wearing a large smile on his face. "That was super impressive, you two!" He shot each classmate a thumbs up.
"Yeah." Was Bakugo's one word answer.
Izu brought her hands up to her chest and began to rub her wrists, not knowing what came next. Thankfully she didn't have to wait long. Kirishima spoke again, "Well who wants to go a round with me first? Then the other can go after so we've all fought twice." He shifted his gaze between them continuously. Bakugo finally stood up and rolled his shoulder that caught Midoriya's punch, flexing it all the while.
"Green should go. I need a moment to rest my arm." He begrudgingly said while looking at her for confirmation.
She nodded at Kirishima. "Y-Yeah I can go again." Bakugo walked over to the far wall where Kirishima sat previously, muttering to himself all the while. Midoriya and Kirishima faced each other. Kirishima wore a confident smirk, but inside he was at a loss.
'No idea how I'm going to fight against her. I can't hold a candle to Bakugo's mobility or speed, and Midoriya overshadowed him in both.' He looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. 'Won't know if I don't try though. This is a good opportunity. Plus… if I fail hard then only these two will know…' He breathed in deeply, eyes closed to calm himself. As he exhaled he locked eyes with his opponent. He nodded at her. she returned the gesture. The redhead turned to to look at the blonde with an expectant look on his face.
"Oh. Start already. Go." Bakugo said with a roll of his eyes.
Kirishima shrugged his shoulders, focusing on the girl in front of him. 'I should let her make the first move. It's pointless for me to chase after her, I'll just tire myself out. If she comes to me, I can try to setup a counter attack.' He nodded to himself as he slowly morphed into a basic fighting stance. Midoriya walked a wide circle around him, watching his form closely for any sign of movement. 'No electricity yet…' Kirishima noted.
He turned to keep facing her as she circled him, trying to mask his plan as best he could, as his mind raced in an attempt to decipher her gameplan. 'Think, Eijiro. What will she do against you. What are your weaknesses? What will she notice? How will you counter it?! Think!'
Deciding now was the time, Izu channeled a 10% Full-Cowling and pushed off the ground, leaping towards Kirishima. Expecting a frontal attack, he threw his arms up in a cross and hardened them both. Her blow connected with his hardened arms, the force of her punch making him to lean back. He kept his face neutral, but inside he was worried. 'That was just her first attack. A simple punch that I blocked with both my hardened arms. I… I felt that punch reverberate throughout my entire body. Fast and powerful.' A small bead of sweat formed on the side of his head.
Leaning down to protect his chest, the redhead threw out a right hook, fully expecting her to retreat back to dodge. She caught the full force of his blow with one hand, gripping his hardened wrist. Not wanting to get thrown, he immediately followed up with and uppercut. This got her to back off, she released his wrist as she jumped a few feet backwards.
In a split second decision, he decided to follow after her. Pushing off the ground with as much force as he could muster, he banked on catching her off guard. Unfortunately for Kirishima, his approach didn't go unnoticed. Midoriya took two quick steps forward and met his approach head on. Her hands gripped his, and they were locked in a brief battle of strength. Her expression displayed the fierce determination coursing through her. She learned forward while increasing her hold on his hands. She leaned forward, pushing Kirishima backwards. 'She's like a brick wall!' They struggled for a moment as the redhead fought back to the best of his ability.
Both students faces contorted with willpower and anger as they tried to make the other submit. Forced to take yet another step back, Kirishima knew he had to be the one to break this mini-battle they'd entered. He wasn't winning. Although not explicitly stated, all three of them had assumed being forced out of the lines marking the gymnasium floor would be considered a loss, and he was nearing the edge.
Kirishima stealthily hardened his foot, raising it and stomping down on Midoriya's. He spared a glance at her, slightly worried she'd be angry with his rather underhanded move. Her expression hadn't changed. In fact, she gave no indication that she'd even felt his stomp. She pressed onwards, and he was no match now that he'd compromised his footing. The back of his heel caught against the floor, and he fell backwards. Midoriya opened her hands wide and gave one final shove to cement his collapse.
The redhead hardened his back for a moment to prevent any possibility of getting winded by the fall. Colliding with the ground, he needed a moment to refocus and gather his bearings to continue the fight. He saw her approaching, and knew he was in a pinch. Not seeing any other option, he quickly hardened his entire body. Midoriya's follow up came only a split second after. He'd hardened just in time.
Off on the sidelines, Bakugo took note how… 'samey' her attacks were. Despite knocking him and Kirishima over differently, her follow up was the same. She reared her arm back, and brought it down on his abdomen. She grimaced slightly as pain shot through her hand. At 10% a punch against a solid object, like Kirishima's hardening, was still risky. The redhead received significantly more damage from the exchange, fortunately.
He leaned forward, his expression nothing but pain as he brought his arms up in a cross to protect himself further. His mind raced. 'That hit felt like a cannon blast. I need to stand up or I'll take more blows! I need to stop hardening my entire body right after I'm out of this and have some breathing room. I can't exhaust my Quirk too quickly if I want to compete in a drawn out fight. I… I… need to-' He cut himself off as he realized no further attacks were coming. He looked up at Midoriya in confusion, slightly relaxing his Quirk as he did so.
She was standing in front of him with a concerned expression, wringing her hands all the while. She spoke, sounding just as concerned as she looked. "A-Are you okay? Can you… continue?" A small hand extended forward to help him up. Kirishima looked at the hand like it was some alien offering. Still trying to register her intentions, his hardening subconsciously dissipated.
"Y-Yeah." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Yes. We should continue." She retracted her hand awkwardly, still unsure of the whole situation. He stood up and dusted himself off, wincing slightly as his stomach complained. 'She really does pack some serious power.' He spared a quick glance at Bakugo. He sat arms crossed, back straight, laser focused on the fight in front of him. His expression was unreadable from this distance. Kirishima sighed, then turned to Midoriya. "Sorry for the pause." He took a few steps backwards, until they were at a similar distance to when they first started. "This distance good to start again?" She still looked worried, but gave a small nod in response.
He returned the nod. In the few seconds before they began again, he tried to formulate a more concrete strategy, based on findings from their fight. 'I was right. Can't compete in strength or speed. So I need to win by submission or by getting her out of bounds. I could try and grapple her? Set up an arm bar or some kind of lock.' Highlights of (no Quirk usage) MMA fights flashed through Kirishima's mind. He'd spent far too much time studying various forms and techniques. 'Time to try and put some into practice. Against an opponent who is faster… and stronger. No! Stop focusing on that. Focus on my advantages. My plan to win. I have a reach advantage, and can resist the blowback from her strikes unlike Bakugo.' He tried to think of other concrete advantages he had, but most felt like he was reaching.
Their eyes met. A quick nonverbal agreement was exchanged between the two. The second round(?) had begun.
Knowing she held first strike advantage, Izu sprinted at the redhead, ready for whatever he could dish out. Kirishima dropped into his stance, ready to accept a head-on strike. He cupped his hands, wanting to absorb the impact from her attack entirely, in order to immediately follow up with a strike of his own. Midoriya planted her feet just in arms reach, using her running start to shoot her arm forward.
Kirishima braced himself, hardening his arms at the last possible moment to catch her fist in his palms. His shoes slid slightly on the rubberized ground, but he remained in place for the most part. Midoriya threw a follow up strike with her other hand, but Kirishima leaned into it, brushing it past his shoulder. Pushing off the ground with his left foot, he lurched at her to attempt a body-check.
As he crashed into her, he was reminded precisely why this girl was considered the top student by many. 'Brick wall' Flashed through his mind. She was completely immovable, an odd sight to behold considering her short frame. Due to their close proximity, Midoriya was easily able to shove the redhead with her shoulder. Unable to resist the massive force, he stumbled backwards. Not letting him recover, Midoriya dashed past him, kicking out at his left leg as she passed.
With surprising speed, Kirishima hardened both his legs, leaning back on his right to anchor himself. The greenettes kick landed, but she wasn't ready for the added resistance. She tripped, falling forward onto her front and the green electricity surrounding her dissipated. In an instant Kirishima was on her. One leg pressed into the back of her knees while the other pressed into the small of her back. He wrenched her arms behind her back in an attempt to fully restrain the small girl. Bakugo watched from the sidelines with bated breath. Would she actually lose? Kirishima fully leaned into her, linking his arms with hers to complete a grapple hold he'd seen on TV.
Midoriya grunted and let out a strained breath as his weight pressed into her. For a brief moment, neither of them moved as they each struggled to wrench and maintain control. Her familiar green aura of electricity returned, with it the strength of her movements was multiplied many times over. The fight devolved into a chorus of growls, grunts, and heavy breathing as the two strained themselves. After a number of seconds, Kirishima could feel his grip on her arms slipping. His hands were sweaty.
His desire to win overtook his natural trepidation over using his power against other people. He hardened his arms in an effort to maintain his hold. The girl below him let out sounds of pain as the hands restraining her transformed to unyielding and rough stone. 'If she wants to wrench herself out with raw strength, she'd have to scrape herself to kingdom come! I've got her!' She continued to pull at her arms, while he struggled to keep his rising guilt down.
He tried to focus on the coming victory. It was so close, all he had to do was maintain his hold. The strength of his grip increased further, his knuckles going white even in their stony form. As he focused on his hold, a disturbing thought overtook him. 'I can feel the bone of her arm…' A few more seconds passed like this, and Kirishima could feel his hold slipping. 'Damned sweaty hands…'
His stomach flipped as the two were launched a moderate distance upwards. 'She launched off the ground? How? Her hands are behind her back.' A swift kick to his shin interrupted his thoughts. His legs were unguarded; he was focused on his grapple. Pain shot through him and his grip faltered for the briefest moment. In an instant she was free, spinning mid air to jut her open hand towards his chest. Still reeling from surprise over the whole ordeal, the blow landed. The redhead flew backwards with surprising force. He landed unceremoniously as a heap on the ground.
He heard her rapidly approaching. He quickly shot a hand up, stopping her advance. He wanted to say something, but his erratic breathing wouldn't allow words to form: He hadn't been able to harden to resist her strike to his chest. The electricity surrounding the small girl vanished, and she visibly relaxed. He could hear Bakugo approaching slowly.
Izu stood a number of feet back, wringing her hands with a nervous look on her face. Worried that she'd maybe gone too far. Although, she did manage to stick to 10% the entire time and emerge victorious. Bakugo knelt down next to the writhing redhead, offering him a hand with a scoff. Kirishima took the hand and was hauled to his feet. One of his hands still rested across his chest.
"You look like you need a minute." Bakugo stated matter-of-factly.
"Y-Yeah. We can have at it in a… minute." Kirishima sighed. Bakugo simply shrugged.
Feeling like she had to speak, Izu began "Ah I… I'm s-sorry for ca-"
Kirishima cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Come on, Midoriya." He wheezed, taking a deep breath. "Don't apologize. If anything I should be-" He paused for a moment. "-thanking you." He turned to Bakugo once again, holding up two fingers and raising an eyebrow. The blonde gave a curt nod in response. Kirishima collapsed back to the ground, despite accepting Bakugo's hand earlier. The blonde rolled his eyes at the redheads actions.
Izu turned towards the wall where they'd sat before, but hesitated. She couldn't peel her eyes off the boy on the ground. She took a half step in his direction, guilt growing every second. Her hands shook slightly, and her breathing sped up. A familiar sensation similar to light headedness creeped into the back of her mind. Panic.
A snap from Bakugo got her attention. He rapidly approached her, looking… angry? Not quite. His expression was hard to place. "You're fine, Green. Save the thinking for once we're finished. Go sit down and watch our fight carefully. We all owe it to each other to share our thoughts and analysis. Remember we only just started our session today." His eyes met hers. 'Don't freak out.' He silently hoped she'd pick up on his meaning.
Izu had a hard time looking away from him. He had such an intense gaze, one which held so much meaning. His words finally registered, and she absentmindedly nodded. Leaving the two males to themselves, she walked over to the far wall with quiet steps. Sliding down the wall, she sat with her head on her knees. She tried to force herself to focus on something. Anything but what just happened. She knew that, when left to her own thoughts, it would always end for the worse. She needed someone else to guide the conversation and her thoughts, then she could be useful to the group.
She stared at the two classmates in the room with her, trying to distract herself - she let her mind wander from tangent to tangent. Thankfully they were facing away from her. She scanned the blonde up and down. 'We're wearing… basically the same thing.' She quickly glanced at her own attire, frowning. 'He… has nice arms. They both do.' She'd noticed the first time they visited the gym, but had been too freaked out by the thought to go anywhere with it. With her mouth hidden, she allowed herself to smirk slightly as she watched the two. 'They're both so…' She cocked an eyebrow, not sure quite how to describe them. '-similar? Thoughtful. Caring? They both… want to help, I think. They express themselves so differently, it's hard to truly say they act the same sometimes.'
Kirishima and Bakugo had begun their match after a few minutes. It was a pretty wild fight, she had to admit. Lots more contact and exchange of blows than either of her matches. She wouldn't say it was even exactly. Bakugo seemed to hold the upper hand, but Kirishima's Quirk was suited well to deal with the blondes explosions. Their fight was the longest of the three by a noticeable margin.
Izu found it fascinating to see how both her classmates approached this fight differently than their match with her. Kirishima was a lot less cautious, going gung-ho constantly and always chasing Bakugo whenever he tried to create distance. This definitely looked a lot more like a fight than she imagined her matches looked. Hers probably looked like glorified chess matches, as both her opponents realized the ball was in their court. They were the one who would have to outsmart or outplay her.
Bakugo had also switched up his strategy. He was attacking in bursts, stringing together multiple hits, then backing off until he could spot another opening. 'He almost looks like a video game character.' Kirishima had adjusted to his friends strategy quite well. He was activating and deactivating his hardening constantly to conserve energy; only using it when he was sure his opponent was committed to an attack.
Bakugo also seemed to use feints much more against the redhead. 'Probably because he realized that trying too many feints against someone with faster reactions and movements than him isnt a good idea. Smart.' She had seen him try a few tricky moves during their fight, but it was nothing compared to what she was witnessing now.
Each had landed their fair share of strikes, and they were starting to slow down. Kirishima eventually conceded as he reached the limits of his Quirk, rendering him unable to defend against Bakugo's attacks.
'Kirishima gave up the match? The entire time he was seemingly fighting on even ground with Bakugo. Maybe taking a few hits he could've avoided here and there… but it was certainly a good match. I wonder what the true limit of his quirk is. Bakugo has demonstrated a variety of differently powered explosions. Can Kirishima change the hardness of his Quirk? I should ask him.' Her thoughts were interrupted as Bakugo and Kirishima arrived in front of her. Embarrassed, she quickly stood up and smoothed out her clothes.
"I'd sit back down if I were you." Kirishima suggested. "Bakugo certainly has a lot he wants to talk about." He smirked and stuck his thumb in the blondes direction.
"Shut it. You know you have a lot you want to discuss. Don't act like you don't." Bakugo plopped down on the ground with a sigh, resting his head on a hand. He gestured towards Kirishima in a lazy manner. Kirishima furled a brow at him, not quite catching his meaning with the gesture. Izu looked between the two with a confused expression. Deciding not to read into it too much, she slid back down the wall, bring her knees up to her chest. Kirishima was the last to sit down, groaning as he did so.
An odd silence descended upon the trio. They'd all just pitted themselves against one another in a contest of strength and wit, and now they waited for someone to break the metaphorical ice. Bakugo was the first to do so, with a question to Izu. "You were holding back, Green. I kind of figured you would, so we could actually fight. Do you think you gained anything from this? I'm genuinely curious." His expression was unexpectedly neutral, apart from his raised eyebrows.
"Y-Yeah. Even if I'm fast and… strong, I still need to know how to fight. Right? Like if… I encountered someone who could match me in both." She finished with a shrug. Inside she knew that was an extremely unlikely event that such a person existed. Apart from All Might, of course.
"You did mention you were interested in training in a martial art. Right now your fighting style seems… almost like street brawling." Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how she would react to such a statement.
Bakugo nodded in agreement. "You're obviously a smart fighter. You clearly think a lot during a fight, but I think that could turn out to be a shackle for you. Sure you might destroy the competition at UA, but too much thinking in the moment can be a serious flaw." He paused, pursing his lips slightly in thought. "You're way faster and stronger than me, but even in spite of that I was able to fight you on relatively even ground for a while. Why do you think that is?" He looked between Kirishima and Midoriya, cleaning wanting answers from both of them.
"Um…" Izu was unable to suppress her natural response. She didn't have an answer ready yet. She turned to Kirishima for help.
He gave a small chuckle before starting, "Planning in the moment can be good, but you'll be overtaken by people who act on instinct alone." He jut a finger towards Bakugo. Bakugo gaze a silent nod in approval. "If you were slightly slower, I think Bakugo could've taken the match between you two. Just based on what I saw." He shrugged. "I realized that soon after my first fight with Bakugo during the first few days of school. He's crazy fast because he only deals with what's in front of him."
Bakugo scowled at Kirishima's words. "WHAT?! Of course I plan for shit! Just not constantly, like Green does." He gestured towards Midoriya, who seemed to shrink further into the wall. He rubbed his face in annoyance. "Whatever. Green-" Her head popped up upon hearing her name… or nickname rather. "-what are your thoughts." He sat up straight, crossing his arms as he waited for her response.
Izu was at an impasse. 'Bakugo said he knew I was holding back. Should I defend my style by saying I can spare the time to think more because of my speed? While it's certainly a bad practice… I'm able to make it work. Especially at higher percentages of Full-Cowling. I mean… I could've beaten them both easily if I really wanted. But that's not why we're here. He acknowledged that, too. He… really does think of everything.' She frowned at her thoughts, shooting a quick glance at the blonde. Her opinion of him was slowly changing. 'He wouldn't like that answer. Shows once again that I'm relying on my Quirk too much, and developing bad habits because of it.'
"Well…" She began. "I agree that… I'm thinking too much. I think it's kind of a byproduct of… not being able to realistically use more of my power… yet. This is how I've learned to fight. I know it's not perfect, but it works well with what I have access to at the moment. Once I can better control my power, I think I'll be able to fight as you suggested. Less thinking, more combat instinct. It's… definitely better. But I'm still too cautious about my movements at higher power levels. I don't want to… harm anyone?" She shrugged, not entirely confident in her own words.
Bakugo and Kirishima shared a glance. This was the most they've heard her talk… ever. Bakugo nodded slowly, still trying to process everything she'd said. 'She still doesn't have full control over her power? What? Just… just what is her limit? How strong can she get? She can already move faster than most people can see, AND use ridiculous strength…' The blonde crossed his arms, a strange glint visible in his eyes. "Green, you mentioned while we were walking that you don't use higher levels of your power because of the wind you create." She gave a small nod in his direction. "So can you use the same power you demonstrated during the Quirk apprehension test in a similar manner to how you used your power against us?"
She looked at the floor with a worried expression, but nodded nonetheless. The two males looked between each other. Kirishima's thoughts escaped his mouth before he could properly vet them, "It makes sense why you're hesitant to use higher levels. The wind from that throw was intense. Plus that time outside the dorm-" He cut himself off, not entirely sure if she knew she was seen during that or not.
Her expression was hard to read, as she was looking down at the floor still. Bakugo had a confused look. "Outside the dorm?" He asked.
"Anyways!" Midoriya suddenly started. "That's enough about me, right? What do you guys think you need to… work on?" She deflected. An overbearing, awkward silence overcame the trio. Bakugo coughed after a moment, before adeptly continuing the conversation. He did have an agenda, it seemed.
"Well as you both saw I can use my explosions to greatly increase my mobility. Plus the smoke that is created serves as a useful tool, despite it only lasting a few seconds, max." As Bakugo continued, Midoriya fiddled with a zipper on the small bag she brought with her. She pulled out a worn notebook, quickly turning to a page and scribbling stuff down. "At the moment I can only use low powered blasts, or one to two uses of a much larger explosion. Being able to better control the power of my blasts would give me a ton more options in all aspects of combat."
He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then addressed his two classmates. "That's something that will come with time, and UA will certainly be able to help with that. In terms of combat improvements…" He glanced between the two of them with a subtly expectant look.
Kirishima wasted no time, jumping at the opportunity to criticize the hot headed blonde. "When you did try and fight me hand to hand, your footwork was pretty sloppy. I noticed this too during our previous sparring session. You're amazing at maneuvering with your Quirk, but part of the reason I was able to last so long against you is because you kept letting me get close. Whenever you did land, I was easily able to make you concede ground, forcing you to use your Quirk to get away rather than attack me."
The blonde brought a hand up to his chin in contemplation. "It's true I had to fight you differently than I did Green. You're more of a tank than she is-" He gestured towards Midoriya. "-so I had to play for the long haul. I had to use my Quirk sparingly, which meant relying more on hand to hand."
Izu saw a good opportunity to jump in with her own thoughts. "I uh… It was pretty clear that you fought Kirishima differently than me. When fighting me I think you almost didn't use your Quirk enough. Yeah you had… really creative and precise usage, but you can't compete with me in close combat. Even… blocking my attacks was bad for you, I noticed." She nodded towards the arm he caught her downward strike with. He rolled his shoulder, amazed that it continued to ache after all this time.
Bakugo nodded, absorbing his classmates words as best he could. He turned to Kirishima, "Well what about you, Weird Hair? Your thoughts, then we can share ours."
Kirishima rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Well… I actually did better than I expected against you guys. My hardening still seems… ill-equipped to fight versus your Quirk types. I'm not good in drawn out fights. That being said, Midoriya still overwhelmed me pretty quickly. Even with seriously amped-up hardness, I could still feel her strikes." He shrugged his shoulders, seemingly finished with his self analysis.
"The grapple... was a good idea? Being tricky like that was almost definitely the right choice… in that situation." She bit the inside of her lip, considering her next words carefully. "Considering you're at a disadvantage in close combat…"
Kirishima crossed his arms. "Yeah, you're right. My usual strategy of… well… brute forcing things doesn't really work if my opponent, you, can beat me at my own game."
Izu quickly added. "I think you did a good job switching which areas you have your Quirk activated on. Using your clothes as cover was a good idea."
"How long can you keep your entire body hardened?" Bakugo questioned the redhead.
"Uh, if I'm not taking any hits I can hold a basic level of hardness for about twenty minutes. That number goes down if I increase the hardiness, or if I'm taking hits. Obviously that timer goes up if it's NOT my entire body."
A similar thought crossed both Bakugo and Izu's minds: 'That's… less time than I expected.'
"You should work on increasing that, Weird Hair. Did you use your maximum hardness against us ever?" Bakugo probed.
"No. I didn't really see an opportunity." Kirishma responded.
"Opportunity? Wouldn't it be advantageous to use it whenever to absorb more damage? Or are you currently at a point where it's more worthwhile to take some damage from a hit rather than exert your Quirk that much?"
"I… I guess you could say that." He said rather lamely. "Feels stupid, but I still have ways to go in terms of stamina and Quirk-fortitude, or whatever you wanna call it. Assuming my Quirk can even reach such a level."
A vein bulged on Bakugo's forehead. "Shut the fuck up with that self deprecation, Kirishima. Why do I think you're stronger than you do? Thats backwards as fuck. The power to be immovable… is truly a cornerstone of being a hero. That's something I can't hope to match. You are a protector who, when given the chance, can dish out some serious physical attacks. I can't speak for green, but when it comes to protecting people, you're much better suited to it than I am. And that's not something I'm proud to say. As awesome as my Quirk is, I recognize its limitations. So you need to shut up and realize the benefits of your power. Once you do that, you'll be able to use it to its fullest potential."
The blonde sighed, seemingly finished with his rant. Kirishima and Izu shared a look of bewilderment. 'Bakugo is… surprisingly kind hearted. I guess that shouldn't really be surprising anymore. He's gone against my expectations again and again. He's very different compared to how he conveys himself in class. I'm sure our classmates have a totally separate image of him.' "I uh… I agree with Bakugo. Confidence is… important, Kirishima." She mentally rolled her eyes. 'I should take my own advice.'
The redhead simply nodded at his two classmates, still unsure how to respond to the… praise? Advice? Either way, it certainly had a big impact on him. Kirishima straightened his back, standing up in one fluid motion. He thrust a fist into the air. "You're both right!" He wore a wide smile. He extended a hand down to his cross legged friends, which they both accepted (Bakugo a bit begrudgingly so, but he didn't want to trample Kirishima's lightened mood). "The sports festival is just over two weeks away. We should keep training against one another, and totally blow our classmates out of the water! We all need to try our best, and really show the Pro's watching what we're made of!"
"Yeah…" Izu agreed, albeit with less enthusiasm.
"That's the spirit, Weird Hair."
3pm rolled around, and the trio began to pack up their things. They'd spent a while practicing personalized Quirk exercises, and were all quite tired. All ready to go, an uncommon beeping came from Izu's bag. 'There are only two people who have my number… Mom and...'
She waved goodbye to Kirishima and Bakugo, explaining that she was going to stick around to take the call. She fished through her bag, finding her phone and pulling it out. Her eyes widened as she read the caller ID. It had been… quite a while since she'd heard from him. He was supposed to be a UA teacher, but in the two weeks she'd attended so far, he hadn't shown up yet.
She swallowed her nervousness, tapping the button to accept the call. "H-Hi, All Might."
Authors Note:
Sorry this chapter took longer! Exams ate a lot of my time. Will have the next one out in a more timely manner!
Still working on pacing. I feel like so far I've spent too much time on mundane stuff that doesn't really further the plot of the story. I'm gonna work on that in these next few chapters.
~Till next time!