Chapter 10: Evasion
Izuku moaned as he stirred. Trying to rise to his feet, he felt himself get held back down into the linoleum floor. He tried to raise his hand, but it was stuck on something. Looking around him, he saw that he was underneath what looked like ceiling tile.
What happened? Where am I?
His mind felt sluggish. Slowly coming back to his senses, he remembered his disastrous confrontation with Shocker and his final act of defiance.
I must still be at the Max Shipping building. Or what's left of it anyway.
He held his breath and listened. From somewhere above him he could hear the faint sound of sirens. No doubt the police were on their way to investigate.
Gritting his teeth, he started to push himself to his feet. The weight against him was almost more than he could bear. His body practically screamed at him to stop as his countless injuries suddenly flared in pain, but he persisted. Gritting his teeth, he slowly started to pull himself up through the pile. As he inched his way up, he felt the pressure against him lessen and the effort of standing became easier.
Raising his arms, he tried to swipe away some of the debris when he felt his arm punch through the suffocating mound and he hoisted himself through the rubble which collapsed back with a crash as soon as he was free. No doubt he was a sitting duck, but he didn't care. Lifting up his mask, he started to take in some choking breaths of air. The heat wave may have made the city smell like a pile of steaming trash, but at that moment the air had never tasted sweeter.
After a few haggard breaths he let himself fall to his back where he lay gasping. Without the strength to move, he rolled his eyes and looked around the former lobby of the Max Shipping Building. The ceiling had completely collapsed and not a wall was standing. Thankfully it seemed as though he was alone, but he knew it wouldn't last. Doubtless someone had called the police and already he could hear the thumping blades of a helicopter drawing closer.
'Get…up…' Izuku croaked, but his body refused to obey.
I can't just lay here. If the police catch me, I'll be done for. I have to move! But, how can I stand?
Checking around him, he spotted a thin copper pipe jutting out from the wreckage that was just in arm's reach. Grabbing it, he braced it against the rubble and started pushing himself up. As he put weight on his feet, he cried out in pain. His legs were almost certainly broken.
Leaning against the pipe, he steeled himself. Every second he waited the police got closer, but he needed to think. In his current condition he couldn't outrun anyone, much less a helicopter.
Looking over the rubble mound, he set his eyes on a distant alleyway across the street. It wouldn't hide him from any police on foot, but at least he'd be shielded from the helicopter.
Using the alleys is my only choice. C'mon move it, Deku!
Using the pipe like a crutch, he took a step forward. He nearly reeled as his leg spasmed in agony, but he forced himself to take another step. And then another. If he were to stop he knew he wouldn't have the strength to keep going so he pushed on.
After what felt like an hour of excruciating limping which in reality lasted only a minute, he at last managed to cross the street and enter the alley just as the helicopter arrived. As the helicopter flew over the ruins, its searchlight blazing, Izuku heard the wailing police sirens draw closer. No doubt they would search the area for any witnesses or suspects.
I wonder if Shocker and Speed Demon got trapped underneath all that rubble too? Thought Izuku as he leaned up against a dumpster.
Izuku cleared his head. Now was not the time to speculate. He needed to put some distance between him and the wreckage before the police arrived. Hobbling forward as fast as he could, he only managed a dozen meters before the pain in his legs became unbearable again. Gasping, he fell against a dumpster.
This is pathetic. I need to go faster!
After resting for a short while, he resumed his uneven gait forward. Stumbling through the alley, he arrived at the neighbouring street. Thankfully the street was mostly deserted. Besides a pair of retreating homeless people, and the odd person peering out the window, everyone was long gone. No doubt they had heard the explosion and wisely hid themselves. It was funny how differently people in the slums behaved during a villain attack as compared to the nicer areas of the city. They were used to violence here and had much better survival instincts as a result. If his battle had occurred elsewhere, no doubt a crowd of curious onlookers would have come to try and get a look at the action - which would have doomed his attempts to escape. Under the present circumstances though, there was a chance he could sneak away.
Looking around, he spotted another dark alley just across the street. It was his only choice.
Forcing himself to move again, he limped forward along the sidewalk, swearing with every step he took. Upon reaching the alley he doubled over panting. Spitting, he straightened himself and looked ahead. The gloom of the alleyway beckoned.
Just take it one block at a time, Deku.
After one of the most harrowing journeys of his life, the end was finally in sight. It had taken hours leading well past the crack of dawn and there had been several close calls along the way, but just ahead were the doors to his apartment building- promising safety. Wiping his face, he couldn't help but smile in relief. He was so close.
Almost instantly he felt his upswell of relief fade as he thought about what his mother was going to say when she saw him. He hadn't had the opportunity to see himself in a mirror, but near as he could tell his entire body was bruised and if his hands were anything to go by, swollen as well. Based on his current condition, he knew that there was no way he would be able to make it through his classes. He needed to rest and let his body heal.
Coming up on the doors to his apartment, he cast aside his copper pipe staff which fell clattering to the gutter before attempting his best to adopt a normal stride. His pain wasn't as bad as it was initially, but his body still felt like it was on the verge of collapsing. As it was, he could barely manage to move unassisted. Pushing open the doors, he walked through into the lobby where several people who had been milling about stopped to stare at him, their mouths falling open in shock.
'D-Don't mind me. Allergies.' he rasped.
They said nothing. Instead they merely watched in disbelief, unblinking and unmoving as he hobbled over to the elevator. Pressing the button for his floor, Izuku leaned up against the wall and sighed. The worst was yet to come.
This is going to be rough. He thought, grimacing.
Arriving at his floor, he managed his way down the hallway and towards his door. Rather than fumble for his keys with his near useless fingers, he pressed the doorbell and waited. A few seconds later the door flung open revealing the worried face of his mother.
'Izuku! Where were you? It's so late! You're-'
She froze. Her eyes went wide and a small gasp escaped her lips. Then she screamed, her hands flying to her face.
'What happened?! Were you attacked? Can you move? Oh, God! Here, come here!' she rushed to his side and put her arm around his shoulder and guided him to the couch.
'Mom!' Izuku gasped as he was half carried forward, she was inadvertently pressing into his ribs, 'It's not that bad, honest! I just had a little accident, that's all.'
'A little accident?' she whispered as he laid back on the couch, trying his best to look uninjured.
'Y-Yeah! There I was walking along when suddenly…'
She listened in mute horror as he launched into his tale. During his morning jog he was running along the sidewalk when he, distracted by his upcoming exams, tripped and fell into a construction site. Rolling down into the pit he had suffered a few scrapes and bruises, but otherwise felt fine.
'So really maybe I should just stay home from school today and rest up. I'm sure I'll be right as rain tomorrow.' he said cheerfully. However, despite his best efforts, his mother still looked grave. Taking a deep breath, she nodded, her worried expression suddenly becoming firm.
Uh oh. Thought Izuku nervously. He knew that look.
'Okay. You rest up on the couch for now. I'm going to call the doctor. As soon as you can move, I'll take you in. I want you to get x-rayed as soon as possible. '
Ignoring his pain, Izuku sat up in a last-ditch attempt to convince her otherwise.
'But Mom I-'
She turned from the phone and looked at him, her eyes shining fervently. Izuku quickly snapped his mouth shut. Meekly, he settled back down onto the couch cushions and looked at his reflection on the black TV.
I've already cheated death once today. I'd better not push it!
It was evening by the time Izuku and his mother walked back into the apartment, totally exhausted. They had been in and out of doctor's offices all day. First, they had went to the local clinic where the doctor had been quite puzzled as to the nature of his injuries. During their initial examination, they discovered that he had extensive and even bruising across his entire body coupled with soft tissue injury on all of his muscles.
After telling his tale again to the doctor (albeit with some extra embellishments for flavour), the doctor suggested he perform more tests. Izuku had tried to refuse, but his mom had overruled his lame protests and insisted that he get some x-rays.
The x-rays were equally puzzling. According to the doctor, from the limited x-rays he had taken of Izuku's chest, legs, and arms, every single one of his bones were covered in microfractures. When questioned as to what this could mean, the doctor offered two explanations. Either the machine was broken or Izuku had advanced osteoporosis coupled with osteogenesis imperfecta. Needless to say, his mother had not taken the news well.
While the x-ray machine was being examined by the technician, Izuku was sent over to the hospital for an MRI. Beneath the whirring of the high-tech device surrounded by experts Izuku thought his luck had finally run out, but low and behold the MRI revealed that his bones were fine. Thankfully his body must have been able to regenerate sufficiently to fool the doctor. When questioned about the microfractures the staff merely shrugged and suggested that the machine must not have been calibrated correctly. In any case Izuku was ordered to rest for the next few days to give his muscles time to recover.
And so he enjoyed a well deserved four-day weekend.
That Monday Izuku walked into his homeroom class and looked around. Everyone was busily texting and talking to one another while Bakugo doodled in his notebook waiting for class to begin. Naturally nobody noticed or cared that he was back.
'Everything is just how I left it.' Izuku said to himself contentedly before he went to his desk and sat down.
Just before the tardy bell rang Mr. Tamanegi entered, looking only slightly hungover this time.
'Alright, alright, everyone shut up.'
Mr. Tamanegi swung his briefcase on his desk and immediately loosened his tie. Walking across the front of the room he grabbed the class's beloved rotating fan and hauled it towards his desk. Everyone groaned.
'Mr. Tamanegi, sir, if you move the fan-' began one brave student but he was quickly silenced.
'It's my fan and I can do with it as I please. Or are you giving me attitude? Hmmm?'
The class looked on miserably as Mr. Tamanegi repositioned the fan to blow on him first, then to the rest of the class. This wouldn't have been so bad if their teacher didn't have such a pronounced body odour problem. Evidently, he refused to wear deodorant and when he was sweating, which he almost always was these days, his cologne mixed with his body's natural musk to create a uniquely unpleasant aroma.
Some students had petitioned him to allow them to bring mini desk mounted fans for their own personal use but he had refused, stating that they had enough distractions as it was. Once he had everything set up to his liking, he looked over the class and spotted Izuku.
'Midoriya.' drawled Mr. Tamanegi putting his hands on his belt, 'So you return to us. Very suspicious timing getting injured just before our math test last week. I trust you have a doctor's note?'
Izuku opened his mouth to mouth to respond but quickly gagged. At that exact moment the fan had blown through Mr. Tamanegi's raised arms and past his armpits. Coughing, Izuku nodded and held up a small piece of paper.
'Very well. You may turn it in at lunch. Oh, and that reminds me, the principal wants to speak with you after class today.'
As per school tradition, the class let out an obligatory "OoooOOOOOoo…" and Izuku frowned slightly.
Now what?
That afternoon, Izuku entered Principal Sasaina office. She was seated at her desk, suit jacket tossed aside as she fanned her face with some loose paperwork.
'Principal Sasaina, you wanted to see me?'
'Ah, yes. Please have a seat.'
Izuku sat down and looked at her expectantly.
'So. I just received word that you have qualified to write the UA test for the Support Hero program, congratulations.'
'Ha!' Izuku shouted, raising his fist in triumph. Principal Sasaina winced.
'Please use your inside voice. And yes, it is very exciting. Now I should remind you that this does not mean that you have been accepted into the support program yet. You will still need to pass their written exam as well as their practical test.'
Izuku grinned, 'I think I can handle both of those no problem!'
As long as I cheat a little with my secret powers that is.
'Good, confidence!' Principal Sasaina said, smiling condescendingly, 'Everyone like's a little confidence. However, I should warn you that these two tests will be far more difficult then what you're accustomed to. Even the written test. You see, the Hero Support Program requires its first-year students to have at least a working level understanding of engineering, fabrication, and, uh, other sciency things.'
Izuku suddenly felt his enthusiasm dampen.
'Well, I mean…I always won the science fair.'
Principal Sasaina burst out into a high-pitched cackling laughter. Izuku recoiled slightly as she laughed and brought her fist banging down on her desk.
'Oh! Oh, my sides! You are a riot!'
She paused to wipe a tear from her eye before she continued.
'Sorry. I suppose it's not really funny. You see, Hero Support Program applicants typically attend either a secondary school or have special classes in their existing school's curriculum to give them the knowledge they need to pass the exam.'
Izuku blanched, 'I wasn't aware of this! Wh-why don't we have any of those programs here?!'
Principal Sasaina pursed her lips and shrugged.
'The student council decided it would be better investment to have a swimming pool.'
'But nobody is even allowed to use the pool!' Izuku cried in frustration.
'Well, have you ever considered the maintenance costs of a pool? I mean really, the filter replacements alone…'
Izuku stopped paying attention. The UA exam was in less than four months and from the sounds of things he was completely unprepared.
'Okay.' Izuku said shakily, swallowing back his fears. 'What can I do to prepare for the written exam? There has to be something.'
'As it turns out there is. I contacted the administration over at UA and they were kind enough to provide me with a study packet for you. Consider it as primer material for the exam.' she gestured over at an enormous brown envelope beside her.
Izuku stood and grabbed the heavy envelope. Opening it, he saw it was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of pages. From what he could see each page was a mess of scientific jargon and engineering diagrams. This wasn't going to be easy.
'Oh, and Midoriya?'
Izuku turned and faced Principal Sasaina, she had a malevolent gleam in her eye.
'Don't make me look bad.'
Izuku gulped. For the first time in his life he felt anxious about schoolwork.
That afternoon as soon as he got home he rushed for his desk in his room. Upon entering he practically dove into his desk chair. The clock was ticking. Tearing open the envelope he poured its contents on his desk. There was so much information that it was difficult to know where to begin. Cracking his knuckles, he got to work.
Izuku spent the next few days just reading through the material. The concepts were familiar to him and he understood the underlying theory, but there was so much information to cover. Even with his intuitive grasp of the subject matter the chapters upon chapters of information could only be absorbed so quickly.
As the weeks rolled by, each day he would go to his desk and work. Work himself to exhaustion and beyond - until his brain could hold no more information and even his dreams were consumed with his studies. It was exhausting. Yet in the midst of this struggle he found himself enjoying the challenge. Not just because he found the subject matter engaging and not just because he was working to achieve his dream, but because he knew it was something he could do. In a society dominated by individuals with powerful quirks and abilities, he could still compete on even footing in one aspect. With his intellect. And so, he found himself renewed every day, ready to work and prove that there were some areas where he was king.
The next three months passed in a blur. Before he knew it, he had worked through the packet. He found there wasn't even a point in reviewing the material as he knew each diagram and formula like the back of his own hand. Sweeping the pages back into the envelope, he went to bed early.
The next day, Izuku strode into Principal Sasaina office, a cocky smile on his face.
'Um, excuse me, Principal Sasaina? I finished working through that packet you got me from UA.' Izuku said proudly.
'Really?' she said studying him for a moment, 'Well that's good to hear. I've had chapters two and three sitting in my office for the last three months now.'
'What!?' Izuku gasped, his jaw dropping.
Two more chapters? I'm doomed!
Principal Sasaina looked at him sternly for a moment before bursting out laughing. He looked at her in bewilderment for a moment before he finally caught on. Slowly her mighty guffaws subsided.
'Very funny.' Izuku muttered once she had calmed herself down some.
'Midoriya, I'm so sorry. It's very impressive that you managed to complete that packet. No, beyond that even. I think its downright amazing.' her mouth started to crack into a smile, 'But really though, the look on your face!'
Her giggles turned into cackles as Izuku let out a resigned sigh.
'So, that was it right? The packet was all the information you had?' he asked wearily.
'Yes. That was everything. Your test is on Friday, correct? Do you think you're ready?'
He nodded, 'Yeah, I think so.'
'Good. You should take some time to relax then. The less stressed you are, the better you'll do.'
'Maybe I'd be less stressed if you didn't pull pranks on me.' Izuku mumbled under his breath.
'Oh, come on. Lighten up! Laughter is good.'
Izuku left her office, muttering to himself. The whole ordeal had set him on edge. Now that he was as prepared as he could be, he just had to run out the clock.
Later that evening, Izuku sat down to supper with his mom. Despite his earlier confidence, he couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of unease.
'So, do you want me to ask you review questions or anything?' his mom asked while they ate over. Izuku shook his head.
'No. I think I'll be okay.' he replied, absently stirring around the noodles in his bowl. He didn't have much of an appetite.
His mother smiled at him. 'You know back when I was at university, I remember I was so stressed out about my physics finals that I didn't sleep for two days.' Izuku looked up at her in interest.
'Really? Why were you taking physics?'
'I was trying to understand my quirk better. Back in my day, telekinesis was very rare. Hm, I guess it still is. Anyway, there are a lot of industries that benefit from employees being able to precisely manipulate objects without having to touch them or be near them and back then in order to get a job using your quirk, you needed to be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of what you were doing.' she said matter of factly.
Izuku nodded. That made sense. As far as he knew, telekinesis was one of the most in demand quirks there was in the job market.
'Anyway. I'm sure you'll do well. Have you…have you learned anything about the practical exam yet?'
He shook his head.
'They never reveal what the exam is going to be until after its happened. I know they usually have the Hero Program applicants fight robots, but other than that I don't have a clue.' he said.
'Well. I'm sure you'll do great regardless.'
Closing the door to his room, Izuku wandered over to his desk and sat down.
What should I do now?
He didn't feel like watching anything or playing any computer games. He wanted to go out and do something. Suddenly he felt a pang of guilt. Frowning he looked over at his closet. Spider-Man hadn't been on patrol once his battle with Shocker.
Izuku thought about that fight often. He had been completely outclassed. Studying quirks had been his hobby for his whole life and he knew that on paper he should have been able to win. He was faster, stronger, and had superior awareness not to mention his spider sense. Shocker on the other hand fought in much the same manner as Bakugo, projecting blasts of force outward from their hands. True Shocker had increased his power with his suit, but he was still familiar with the fighting style. He shouldn't have lost.
Izuku retrieved his costume and looked it over. It was damaged beyond repair. The gloves and mask were fine but everything else had been torn to shreds.
Shocker said that training and equipment were the deciding factor in our battle. There is something I'm missing about how I fight. Something I need to add to my arsenal. If only I knew somebody I could ask for advice…
Suddenly Izuku had an idea. Grabbing his mask and a change of clothes, he prepared to head out. Turns out there was someone he could ask. He just had to buy some blue spray paint first.
The following night Izuku was standing by the red graffiti in the concrete parkade structure where he had met Knuckleduster. He felt a little self conscious as apart from his mask he was dressed casually. But he figured it would be best to talk with Knuckleduster sooner rather than later and he didn't know when he would get the chance to make a new costume.
Eventually, he heard heavy footfalls climbing up the car ramp. Rounding the corner, Knuckleduster saw him and grunted. Stopping in front of him he lit a cigarette.
'I heard the police didn't find your body, but I figured you'd been captured and tortured to death.' Knuckleduster said.
'Aw, that's sweet of you. You heard about my fight at Max Shipping? I didn't realize that was public knowledge.' Izuku said in surprise.
'It took some detective work.' he answered simply.
'R-Right. Well look, I called you over here because I wanted to ask your advice about something.'
'Oh?'
'Yeah. Back when we first met, you said I couldn't beat Shocker in a fight. Well I-I couldn't.' Izuku shuffled his feet, 'I should have been able to beat him - my quirk is really strong - but I don't think I even landed a scratch on him.'
'And?'
'And I was wondering if you had some advice on how I should fight him.'
Knuckleduster chuckled.
'I've never seen you fight before so I don't know how useful my perspective will be. But I'm curious, how long have you been a vigilante?'
'Almost a year.'
'And I'm guessing because you've got such a strong quirk you've mostly just brute forced your way through your enemies, haven't you?'
Izuku scratched his arm.
'Yeah.'
'Typical. A lot of vigilantes fight that way. Quite a few pro's do too. Everyone sees how All Might or Endeavour fights and they think that with brute strength they can just overwhelm their enemies. But the thing is there is a lot of skill that goes into how they fight too. They're not just letting loose with everything they've got.'
Knuckleduster exhaled a cloud of smoke.
'How do you fight; at range or up close and personal?'
'Close quarters.'
'You one of those guys with an enhancement type quirk then? Super strength?' Izuku nodded and Knuckleduster continued, 'Okay, then my advice to you is find a way to fight at range. Guys with enhancement type quirks are always the most predictable. Trust me, if you're fighting someone who's experienced who doesn't have super speed or whatever, they've learned how to counter your physical advantage. They'll fight smart and so should you.'
'So…should I like, throw a rock or something?'
'A rock. Grenades if you can get em'. Course blowing people up might not make you too popular. The more creative you can get with how you fight the better.'
'Hm. Alright. How do you fight?'
'Me? I fight up close and personal, but I don't have super strength or anything. You see most quirk users don't know how to throw a punch. They wind up their arms and put everything they have into their blows, it's hilarious.' Knuckleduster said laughing harshly.
Izuku frowned.
I never learned how to throw a punch properly.
'So your trick is martial arts?'
Knuckleduster nodded, 'Yeah. But I also carry this.' reaching into his overcoat he pulled out what looked like a pistol, 'This is my grappling gun. Anything you can use to enhance your mobility is crucial when fighting someone with a highly destructive quirk. Verticality is especially important in the slums. You want to be as unpredictable as possible.'
So Shocker's weakness is being taken off guard by unconventional tactics and attacks. How ironic. But what about Speed Demon?
'When I fought Shocker, Speed Demon showed up. I think he has an enhancement type quirk too. Super speed?'
'A real creative genius that one.' Knuckleduster said, rolling his cigarette.
'Not that I'm defending him or anything but you wear a duster and wear brass knuckles so…'
'Yeah, whatever Spider-Man. Speed Demon is fast, what's your question?'
'How do I fight someone like him?' he asked.
'When it comes to a fight between two enhanced guys, an idiot will say that whoever is more powerful wins every time. But the real victor will be someone who goes into battle with some sort of edge. Fight dirty to take away their strength while leaving your own. Martial arts can work, but sometimes that's not enough if the difference in power is too great. Speedsters are the most annoying kind of enhanced guys to fight because they can always retreat or do hit and run attacks. But, if they think they're untouchable then they might also get cocky. Trap 'em I say. Find a way to lock them into a confined space and go to town. Anything you can do to restrict their movement is a plus.'
'Hmmm.' Izuku said, rubbing his chin. It was an interesting problem.
Speed Demon did seem pretty arrogant. But how can I neutralize his speed? If I'm decreasing his ability to react and move, I am in effect increasing my own mobility relative to his own. Increased mobility is also how I defeat guys like Shocker too. What I need is someway to lock down my enemies from afar. Keep them restrained and vulnerable so I can finish them off.
Izuku's musings were interrupted by Knuckledusters deep voice.
'Anything else? C'mon I don't have all night.' he said gruffly.
Izuku focused back at the man. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn that Knuckleduster was enjoying this. In spite of his gruff demeanor, he was willing to bet that Knuckleduster was a lot nicer than he let on. Izuku caught himself. Now was not the time to start making friends.
'I think that about does it actually. Based on what you said. I need to increase my mobility, decrease the mobility of my enemies, have a ranged attack of some sort, and be unconventional to surprise my foes.'
'And train up your body AND develop yourself as a fighter. Not so easy is it? But that's what it takes if you want to survive.'
Izuku's mind raced as he considered what Knuckleduster had told him.
'Alright. You've given me a lot to think about. Thanks. I'll see you later.'
Izuku turned to leave.
'Hey! You're just taking off?' Knuckleduster said in surprise.
'Yeah, I've got to work tomorrow. I'll see you around.'
With a wave, Izuku took off back the way he had came. Jumping down to the street, he covertly started navigating his way through the alley. He had to be up bright and early tomorrow for his exam at UA.