A/N: Another week another piece that I am happy with. Review Time!
To Murtaito: I was unsure to add this reveal of her face, but it was more a mix of anxiety, and the fear that she'll die due to C.E.R. It's as she said, it's a second chance and she doesn't want to waste it on 'what ifs', though not every aspect of her is as easy to part with, *wink*. As for Midoriya's control over his Quirk... we'll see, hehe ;)
To Babybird196: Good to see you caught up, your reactions are funny. It's always a good feeling when my writing is good, I never believe it so it's nice to see here-and-there to keep darker thoughts at bay. And much like me, you hate waiting for a new update, wait no longer, my friend!
Enjoy.
Chapter 27 - Perfect Surprise for Class 1-A
You're overreacting | And no, I refuse to contact him again for you
"He's hiding something and is doing a piss-poor job at it." This was definitive in Yuki's mind, a new day had begun but there was no sign of Izuku past break, when she tried calling or texting he again wouldn't answer, he knew she could easily pick apart any lie he fed her so he actively kept from answering her. "I'm not mad, I'm just annoyed at how abrupt it is."
"You okay, Yuki, you've been glaring at your food all lunch." Kirishima snapped her out of her stupor to see that he, Kaminari, Yaomomo, and Mina were watching her with concern for their mute friend and her death stare against her food. She huffed and took a bite of her rice, eyes zoning to Jiro who shared the same expression. "Now that I think of it, both of you have been acting weird."
Mina giggled childishly. "Are our two besties worried for their partners?" Her teasing brought both back from the brink of their thoughts. Yuki withdrew a dormant cluster and pinged the spark-plug in the forehead while two earjacks poised dangerously close to Mina's eyes, Jiro struggling to hold back a pink blush
"Shut. It." Slowly they retracted from the pink girl with Yaomomo speaking up
"We're just worried since you both have been clearly distracted today," Her concern was sweet but neither wanted to prove Mina right. Yuki, in particular, felt one memory appear yesterday
"Alright, so I'm... t-together-together with that dork, a-alright!" Jiro blurted out to the smug look on Yuki's face, she called it. Jiro, on the other hand, flopped back onto her bed, arm raised to hide the shame in her eyes. "Ugh, I-I feel so... grah, annoyed!"
'Because of my taunting, that fact I called it, or that you're inexperienced?' Was the note Jiro spotted between her fingers, one earjack raised for her finger to twirl around
"Yes," That answer was also expected. Hopping onto the edge of her friend's bed Yuki crossed her legs, watching the rocker suffer her mental and emotional breakdown. Yuki had no excuse, she felt the same way about Izuku. "I-I don't dislike it - I think he's great - I-it's just... I..."
'You don't know what you're doing is right or not' One nod and Yuki understood a little more. '...Me and Izuku are a thing now, just after the Hosu incident' That brought Jiro upright, blinking and unable to really respond
"W-wow, I knew you guys might have been into each other but... damn." To answer Yuki nodded slowly, putting a hand on her heart and it was clear to the rocker that she atleast understood how that felt. "Unnerving, ain't it?" Another bashful nod. "Yeah, I guess we're both clueless to this, huh?"
The teens nodded, then they were silent. It was hard to tell whatever uncertain move they made was the right one if they moved to fast or did things incorrectly. In a way, there wasn't really a 'right way' about a relationship, both were trying to figure that out.
Jiro sighed, rubbing her neck. "Let's... keep this between us, I don't need Mina's gloating right now," This was the same for Yuki, so with a nod and a fist-bump between the girls they picked up their instruments. "Wanna deafen ourselves out of this funk?" Yuki thought she'd never ask, boy-talk wasn't their style anyhow
Kirishima spoke next after a sip from is drink. "You guys having an off-day? I mean, yeah, I get that, nothing wrong with that," They silently thanked the proud redhead for dialing back on the suspicion
Mina wasn't convened, puffing out her cheeks and waving her hands frantically. "Oh come on! I wanna see some high-school romance already. You and Midoriya are always stuck to each other like glue - you can't tell me you don't feel something!?" She was determined, Yuki would give her that
"Oh I feel something, but sadly my foot can't kick you from this angle." 'I'm just confused as to why he just left class abruptly, he hasn't been seen since our break' This drew a collective hum of thoughts and ideas but no one had any concrete answer
Yuki felt the buzz of her phone a second later, peeking at it by her side she saw it was from Jiro.
Kyoka: Same with Akio, guy up and bailed early this morning, and my folks know something about it
Yuki: And people say relationships are all easy and sweet :/
Kyoka: Ain't that the hard truth, I'm going to kick his ass when I see him
In the end, it was time for hero basic training and there was still no sign from the emerald-haired fanboy.
The class arrived in a viewing room just outside Ground Beta all in their gym clothes instead of their hero equipment. As they stepped inside they spotted Mr. Aizawa and Recovery Girl watching the monitors and inspecting the conditions of the grounds.
"Mr. Aizawa, sir, what exactly is today's hero training?" Asui raised her hand, the gothic man turned to address the class, all wearing confused or readied faces
"This will be an observation of a special exam that the school as elected to present to Class 1-A, as for the purpose of this it's for you to understand the dangers posed by those with powerful Quirks, ones that could, and with little effort, leave entire streets on the verge of collapse if left unchecked," The words 'Special Exam' already got the class talking
Iida raised his hand with his own swinging up and down robotically. "Sir, has this anything to do with Midoriya's absence?" That prompt a brow from Yuki, her eyes flashing to the monitor than to Mr. Aizawa
To the class' surprise, he confirmed Iida's inquiry. "It was Midoriya that was requested by the examinee for this assignment, to gauge not just a fight against a powerful Quirk but cooperation between two heroes at a disadvantage," Eraserhead approached the mic stand, picking up a headset. "Alright, the Practical Exam will now begin, you got thirty minutes to either incapacitate or capture the villain if I see fit you are unable to continue or time runs out you can consider this exam over."
"Why do you think Midoriya chose to accept this?" Sero question out loud
"Well, the person in the exam requested him personally, perhaps another student?" Yaomomo took a guess. Yuki, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, one finger tapping against her cheek thoughtfully with Jiro beside her
"Tch, they picked that worthless Deku then they're bound to fail." Dumb-Dumb sneered, earning a small cluster to the forehead while Yuki remained with her back to him. "You damn Mute! I'll kill you!" She doubted that as the match began at a siren's blare
The footsteps echoed from the speakers and soon the two students came into view in the streets, and all eyes were surprised, but all were overshadowed by Yuki's and Jiro's, their worlds shattering for a brief second of dumbfoundedness. "No way..."
Izuku stood there in his hero costume as standard, a hardened expression plastered to his face, beside him, however, was not a student of UA and to some, no one knew who they were at all. Dressed in all blacks and greys, the person stood just an inch or two taller than Izuku, with green eyes, short, slightly wavy, faux-brown hair. A strange, magenta symbol surrounding their left eye.
They wore leather boots with rivets along the neck reaching halfway up their shins, the cargo pants tucked inside with bandages wrapped around the knees. A brown belt with two loops either side of their waist. Sporting a dark grey jacket, a belt around the chest undone, revealing a black shirt underneath with metal barding. The forearms wrapped with cloth too, a belt strapped to just below each shoulder.
Last were a pair of fingerless gloves with leather padding. Overall, this person and their appearance contrasted Izuku completely, while Izuku was styled like a classic hero, the new teen represented a renegade or vigilante. To a few eyes, however, their appearance was all too familiar.
"A-Akio!?" Jiro blurted out with a few nodding their heads, particularly Mina, Kaminari, and Yaomomo
"Hey, that's the same guy from the U - Ack!" An earjack shut Kaminari up before he could blurt out the rest, his mouth covered by his hand. "R-right, nevermind!"
"Kyoka, he was your friend from your old school, right?" Yaomomo drew a few eyes to the rocker but she wasn't listening, eyes fixed to the screen with confusion, murmuring as Izuku would
"But what are you doing here...?" Was all they could make out, Yuki just shrugged to them, shaking her head as Mr. Aizawa drew their attention back with a sharp glare
[In The Examination...]
"Okay, so can I say that for the record, had I known who we were up against beforehand I may not be here," Akio raised his hand plainly, a red dot growing increasingly larger as it hurdles toward them from the sun. "Midoriya hit the deck!" He yanked the green-haired boy down before the red bullet could make contact with them, grazing their heads by hairs
A painful scream of metal scored the tarmac, inverting the attacker to face down the two teens with a metallic chuckle, two piercing red eyes peered through the dust. "Here I come, heroes." Two large wings gave a powerful thrash, discarding the debris to reveal their silvery form in the sunlight
Standing with a slender body of gleaming silver scales, a few clothing aesthetics molded to the hide, that of a humanoid dragon. Its most notable feature is its wings, which have fused into a trident-like structure, each segment ending in an opening designed to expel red energy. Their back was lined with fin-like projections. Its head has a small crest and its eyes are red. Its chest has three horizontal gaps that are used to take in and pressurize air like a jet engine.
Izuku at that moment felt awe and terror wash over his face in an instant. "The Sky Comet Hero, Valstrax." Though in their case, she was the villain they had to defeat, even with weights attached to her wrists and ankles.
"Akame Azuru"
"Quirk: Sky Dragon"
Not only can she transform her whole body into that of a silver dragon but the 'vents' in her chest and wings build up wind pressure, combining with red 'Dragon' energy produced from an organ in her body. With this, she can fly at supersonic speeds and even fire off blasts of red air like a cannon from the tips of her wings.
A second later, the wings twisted like a pair of claws, firing a burst of red draconic power that ripped through the earth, tossing the two boys across the street in a heartbeat. With a powerful flap, she pulled herself high into the air to track their retreat, making a tisking sound with her tongue as her eyes slanted.
"H-hey, Yuki, what're the chances of them actually beating your Mom?" Kirishima asked, unsure whether or not they could win
All the class received from the girl now sat on the floor with her hands on her chin was a small, white flag. Clearly, today was not on their sides.
"We need to get off the street!" To emphasize his point, Akio dolphin dived through a window with Izuku close behind him, then all the ground floor windows shattered under the roar and propulsion of a jet engine as Valstrax slid into the empty lot, bringing her right wind down like a dagger as Akio bent backward in a handstand, kicking the sharp appendage back only for the second to swipe his arms, her actual fist connecting to his stomach. "Duck!"
Izuku did, then hopped into the air with his feet to the ceiling, evading her low-bearing swipe before bringing his left hook across, but he missed, a shin connecting to his side as he felt his body buckle under the pressure, like a bullet his body was sent hurdling through drywall, Akio rushing past him to blanket the area in a dark smoke before the two made their exit from a red explosion within the mist.
"We can't fight her at close range if we take out her wings - Evade!" Izuku yelled, both diving to their respective sides from the funnel of energy that tore through the corner of the building. Izuku bounced back from the wall, energy gathering around his right arm. "Detriot Smash!"
The fist made contact, but his own eyes widened as her hand snagged his wrist, the other pushing his body away while her wing swung up to keep it from being damaged. "Tch, nice attack but too predictable!" "His moves are still too much like yours, All Might..."
Valstrax brought her knee up, the force slamming Izuku into the ceiling as she dived upside down, a roundhouse of dark mist from Akio shaving her head while her talons came down in a snap-kick, tossing Izuku out the building, a wing backhanding Akio along with him.
By the time Akio pushed for the advance he found a foot locked to his stomach, dragging him up and against the wall of the building, pushing his back against the glass pane. "You are very hands-on, aren't you?" He coughed between her talons while a green bolt of lightning traveled to intercept
"So the quips aren't just Viral it seems?" She mused, twisting her hips to flap her wings down sharply, causing a powerful downdraft that to her surprise, Izuku avoided, dashing across the vertical wall, bringing down a cross-chop like All Might's Carolina Smash to her shin, thereby freeing Akio for him to precisely fire a powerful stream of black mist into her eyes, blinding her for a second. "Ack, stupid mist - Tch, every time!" Her wings thrashed wildly, claws rubbing her eyes
The smog was banished by her wings but by then they had fled the area, leaving her alone and rather ticked. With a huff she flew above the buildings and then immediately spotted them hunkered behind the stairway into a building, both discussing something out of her hearing range, but with another blanket of mist to completely cover the rooftop they forced her to come in close but not close enough to risk being attacked.
Inside the smog, the two moved to the furthest corner. "We need to move, the second she realizes we just played her, again, she'll come at us harder," Akio knew first-hand the extent the hero would go to win, she had an odd sense of valor to her role. "I'm... open to suggestions?"
Izuku leapt across to the next building with Akio, no sign of Valstrax though. "Our best bet is to try and take out her wings, but she can counter almost all our moves, I don't-" His words fell short like the ground behind them, the hero playing villain shot through the rooftop, drawing her slim frame down for a powerful U-turn, firing a massive arc of energy from her wings that nearly stripped the roof entirely as the two teens leapt to the next rooftop to avoid the damage, rolling onto their feet.
The duo continued to retreat across the roofs as they were torn apart by swipes of the metallic wings, shaving the edges and cleaving the air as it gathered inside the vents of Valstrax, which prompt an idea in Akio as they stumbled before the end of the roof. "Oh crap, we have to jump!"
"Hold on, give me a boost!" Akio left no time for Izuku to question why, not with the roar of a jet soaring toward them like a speeding bullet. He nodded, locking his hands the moment Akio stepped atop the boy's palms. With a heave he came flying to eye-level with the silver dragon, drawing his hands in front of him, focusing his dark mist to a fine point between his fingers. "Focused Shadow Shot!"
The thin beam of dark gas spat toward the speeding projectile, a downside to Valstrax's movements is when she's already tucked her wings in she can't stop herself from moving without opening up her body to slide to glide to a halt or finish the attack. The blast smog struck her chest, filling her body with the foreign airflow that cut her trajectory short, her wings fanned out as her wing sliced Akio's right forearm, blood spewing from the gash as she crashed into the pavement below.
"Arck, yep-yep that hurts!" He winced, giving Izuku an 'OK' motion while clutching his arm. "That's her chink, if you can disrupt the airflow in her chest it's the equivalent to suffocation for her, it's a temporary thing though and I doubt she'd fall for it twice."
"That was really risky, you got hurt because of it." Izuku frowned as the two descended the fire escape
"Eh, tis but a scratch." With his head turned away from Izuku he silently screamed at the searing pain before moving to the alleyway
Izuku stopped in front of him with a serious expression. "It may be fine but that doesn't mean I won't worry for my teammate," His words caught Akio in a state of silence for a moment, and his seriousness fell apart with a nervous shake of his hands. "N-Not that I'm saying that you're a-always reckless, j-just that you could think of a plan that doesn't immediately involve bodily harm!"
Akio chuckled lightly at that, bowing his head. "I thank you for your concern, Midoriya," In return, the fanboy smiled. "Now then... any ideas I'm all out."
He lost his smile to a furrow of his brow, tapping his mouth with a finger as he tried to take in what he knew of Valstrax. "She can't stay in flight without a constant source of air, blocking up her vents either on her chest or wings can cause them to stall like a standard machine-" Akio again saw the muttering visibly appear in circles around the boy. "Once her wings are tucked in she can only keep flying and pivoting her directions before either having to expose herself to attack when she comes in for a landing or directly impacting the... that's it!"
"Hmm?" Akio sat up from the boxes, noting Izuku's brightened expression
"I know how we can beat her, but it's risky - Now I'm just going back on what I said," He slumped shamefully but Akio chuffed, rubbing his nose. He's met Midoriya a few times, and has heard from Kyoka and Yuki about the kind of person and hero he wants to be, he can come off as anti-social, a total nerd, and an overthinker, but he was considerate of those around him and of the risks involved with planning, that was a rare trait Akio has only seen a few times
With his mind made up he approached the UA student and put his hand on his chest, "I'm no stranger to life-threatening situations, whadda need, Midoriya?"
Izuku nodded, face roaring with confidence, "Time for plan B."
"There was a plan A?" Akio broke the serious tension as Izuku tripped himself up, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous sweat
"Yeah, well... it was really just to hit her really hard." That answer alone brought a stern look upon the optimistic Akio
"When this is over we will become great friends."
Back in the observation room, the class had broken into a deep discussion about the whirlwind of a battle. From how even with weights limiting Valstrax's movements she remained a force to be reckoned with, and from the quick thinking on Akio's part in turn to escape her sights, it was all heating up as the hero paced in the street, trying to formulate her own plan of attack.
Mr. Aizawa kept his eyes to her. "She's actually taking the time to consider her next move, not often she does that, especially with students." It wasn't out of the ordinary, it just told Aizawa that Akame was starting to take this exam seriously
"So Jiro, what's up with this guy's Quirk, all that black mist kinda reminds me of your shadow Tokoyami?" Hagakure knelt down to ask the earjack girl who was anxiously biting her nail, questions running rampant through her like a heavy metal album
She considered it a moment, "...Akio's Quirk lets him produce anything gas related, from smoke and mist to chemical gases," Was her reply, tapping her chin. "He did say that the more complex the chemical the longer it takes to copy, plus switching takes time so he tends to stick with one for the duration of a fight."
"Wow, you sure know alot about him." Mina hummed but the expression she wore gave Jiro the hint, turning her gaze back to the monitors, hoping the gloomy room would hide her cheeks, the last thing she needed today was more teasing. "Come on, tell us more about him."
"Shut up." Was her reply, then a camera focused on the street, and to the one student facing Valstrax in her deep-level of thinking, eyes widening at the appearance of the smog Quirk user
"He just ran out into the open?" Sato blinked
"What is he thinking, she'll crush him!" Kaminari couldn't understand why anyone without a strength Quirk would just outright attack head-on. "Atleast Midoriya could stand a chance!"
Shoji sat forward. "But where is Midoriya, is this their plan?" No one actually heard what they were planning since they talked within a blind spot the cameras and mics couldn't pick up
Bakugo snorted. "That idiot's Quirk is useless against someone that can fly that fast, not even that worthless nerd could keep up."
"Would you shut up!" Jiro snapped angrily at the insults while keeping the class down, her and Yuki watching the screens diligently for what was to come of this exam
"Hey, Val!" Akio waved to the hero, herself unable to understand this direct confrontation
"Hey... so, how's Midoriya for a teammate?" She decided to play along, watching her blindspots with the reflection of her scales, wings twisting and stretching
He kicked the road casually. "He's fun, I like the way he thinks, always has a plan once his mind's set," It was true, him and Viral never came up with anything good on the fly like Midoriya could. "Still, I gotta win this, and sadly I have to beat you to do it." He wasn't looking forward to this part of the plan
Valstrax flexed her wings with a large thresh. "You haven't asked Viral for help?" She did find it odd how his physical traits haven't improved during the fight
Akio shook his head honestly. "He said I had to know that I could stand on my own two feet without him there to save me," As proof, he displayed his bleeding arm. "This is a good reminder."
Understanding his motive now, Valstrax brought her wings round, the red energy overflowing across the tips, the same, misty light emanating from her eyes, the might of a comet given form stomped toward him with a heavy, metal breath. "I'm sorry, but holding back isn't how I roll, even if I did really want you to get this far - Don't blame me for what happens next," Her tail slapped off the ground sharply but Akio didn't flinch
Instead, he kept his head low, he figured it out during their fight that they were being observed, he wondered how many heroes were watching, criticizing him and his actions alongside Viral's? It was why he agreed to do this without him, to show that he can be strong with or without his closest companion to dig him out of a grave.
"I won't lose to you," He declared, causing Valstrax to stop, allowing him a moment to speak his mind, she was waiting all day to hear this, and in a way, it needed to be said for his sake and Viral's. "I can't lose, even if I was up against All Might, I refuse to give up when I'm finally doing something right."
He brought his eyes to hers, bearing his fists to her, no mist, no shadow wrapping around his body like a protective shield, no, he was bearing all his own strength for her and the Class to see. "I'm here because of you because I put my trust in the only hero that gave us a chance!"
Taking his own step forward he braced himself, his heart beating in his throat. "There are two people in this world that have done so much for us, if I fail here all their hard work will go to waste like so many others! So I will beat you!" He roared, charging headfirst toward the indomitable hero, eyes sharper than the tips of her wings. "I WON'T FAIL KYOKA AGAIN!"
Valstrax brought her right-wing down like a slap to the ground, missing the teen as he vanished into her own shadow, his fist coming into contact with her angular snout, followed by another disappearance into the shadow of her wing as it rose, allowing his right shin to crash against her side. Warping into shadows wasn't just Viral's ability, it was also Akio's.
She winced, swiping back as his body fell from the ground without a shadow to hide in, her wings shot a powerful wave of energized buckshot to rip apart the asphalt before her right wing sliced diagonal with the left soon after, both missing their vastly nimbler target, his toothy grin stretching.
"What's wrong, birdy, can't touch what you can't see?" He said this while dropping into her wing's shadow, following it back to bring a cross chop down on her hip, a one-two punch to her gut while morphing back into her shadow. "Aw, is the little metal birdy stuck?"
Her eyes slit with a low growl, poising her wing vents down to obliterate the ground, but that only provided Akio the shadows he needed to hop away from her line of sight, slipping back into the middle of the road with his tongue out and one eyelid pulled down mockingly, the visible anger radiating like her wings and contrails.
Yuki facepalmed, pinching the bridge of her nose while Jiro remained silent beside her. Shoto stood next to her, brow raised. "He's deliberately antagonizing her?"
"Isn't that, you know, making her stronger?" Ochaco murmured next to Bakugo, the blond disinterested in the topic as his eyes focused on the fight
"No, I think I understand-" Iida began but Mr. Aizawa verbally sighed while using his eye-drop
"Akame's biggest weakness." He didn't finish as Yuki held up a note, slumping her cheek against her palm
'My Mom has a short temper if you push the right buttons'
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
Akio, now somewhat bruised and cut remained triumphant, blowing a raspberry. "You look more like a chicken than a dragon, cluck-cluck, hehehe," That was the straw, she saw red and a black cord snap in her vision
"Oh yeah!? Can a farm animal do this!?" She immediately took flight with a powerful sonic blast, parting the clouds as a silver and red blur of fire, becoming a living comet that roared in the sky. Akio lowered his hand, dusting off his palms
"I don't recall farm animals flying a Mach speeds before, hmph, she finally snapped, about time, I was running out of one-liners." Now he had a pressing issue, any second now a comet would be hurdling down on his head at Mach speeds toward him. The crimson star in the blue sky flared brightly, his legs bent, muscles relaxed as he prepared for the final stage of the plan, his palms secreting a faint ripple in the air
"The plan is this, you create a diversion for roughly five minutes, keep Valstrax in the street for as long as you can-"
He saw the murderous intent raged from above, and at the last second his feet broke the tarmac, his soles on fire from the impact that narrowly missed his spot, purposely off-target and somewhat slower due to the disadvantage the hero was strapped with.
"-We need her to launch herself at the ground with enough force to shatter the road, when that happens the rest is up to you."
Akio smirked. "Not a bad plan, Midoriya." Slipping away into the shadow of a building the whole street came crashing down around Valstrax, her body tumbling through the street and into the large sewer pipe below, the concrete supports gone, leaving a large section of the road completely unstable.
"Argh, Eraserhead's gonna kill meeee," Valstrax whined, rubbing her head while shaking the run-off water from her wings, craning her neck to the sides of the crater where Izuku and Akio stood, both ready for a fight, but she blinked, seeing Akio poke his thumb down
"Stay." With a humorous tone, Akame stepped forward but found her muscles contract and spasm within the water, her joints locking up with a strange, tingly sensation across her metallic body, causing her to grunt
"W-What?" Left unable to move, Akio filled in the gap for her
"I've been told I can be quite the talker, and Midoriya's a genius," Akio remarked, dusting off his hands. "All I did was create a new kind of chemical thanks to his guidance on chemical compounds, one that's odorless, invisible to the naked eye, and has paralyzing properties, and let me tell ya, what a pain that is." To emphasize his fingers were red, the skin having peeled back from the chemical make-up
Izuku stepped forward with confidence. "Its effects are weak unless you breathe in alot of the chemical, and since your Quirk requires a constant airflow to your vents it means you're taking in twice as much air as us! Call it, Medusa's Gaze!" It became abundantly clear how royalty screwed she was
"Hehehe, oh crap." She murmured as both boys lunged for the helpless hero whose wings were starting to build with energy again, she may be frozen but she could still trigger her Quirk as easily as breathing
"Now, Midoriya!" At Akio's word he folded his right arm back, Akio twisting himself into a roundhouse smothered in an invisible haze. "Medusa's..."
"Detroit..." His fist crackled to life
"Strike!" "Smash!"
Both their strikes bent the vents on Valstrax's chest, tossing the hero down into the water, leaving her immobilized for them both to apply the cuffs to her wrists before she could recover
A siren blared, and Mr. Aziawa spoke clearly.
~Valstrax has been captured, the winners are Midoriya and Akio, well done...~
Akio rubbed his chin. "Medusa's Gaze... hmm, I like it, catchy." He wasn't all that big on move names but he had to admit, it sounded just right. With that, he held out his fist. "Thanks a bunch, buddy."
Hesitating slightly, Izuku smiled and returned the bump quickly and coolly. "I'm happy to help! Your Quirk is something else, able to create simple or complex chemical attacks, the possibilities are limitless."
"Lovely as it is to see another blossoming friendship," A wing wagged before them, the Sky Comet Hero half-submerged in water. "I'm kinda drowning here..."
"O-o-oh crap, sorry!" Izuku paled with terror while Akio did the same, helping her out of the water, all while Izuku apologized profusely
Later that day...
Akio was standing by the train station, pondering over his latest results from UA, far as Eraserhead would tell him he had completed the exam and that his final result from the first practical exam, the written exam, and other paperwork would be sent to him within a few days. This 'Program' unnerved him, there were too many conflicting thoughts rummaging in his brain to properly sort through.
"In the end, whether this program flies or not our goals haven't changed, and they never will," Viral grumbled to his Host's head, himself giving a hum and shrug. "You seem... lost?"
"I'm just worried if I made the right call," He sighed, putting his phone away. "If I do this then things will get better, no more running and hiding, no more heroes after our necks, but... Kyoka, Midoriya, Yuki... all of them might get caught in the crossfire." Was he scared? Yes, of a future he had no discernable answer for
*Thwack-Buzz*
"Ahhh - I deserved that!" The sound rattled his bones to their fibers, and an earjack retracted to point dangerously close to his eye, sweat trickling down his face. "H-h-hey, Kyoka."
The sharp look in her once aloof expression was far scarier now that she was filled with rage. "Don't you start you asshole, what the hell were you doing at UA!? An Exam!? My parents are in on this, aren't they!?" She ranted in his face, pushing her earjack down on his chest, forcing him to bend backward gradually with his hands up to his chest
"I-It was to surprise you!" He winced, closing his eyes. Doing so made it impossible for him to see her retract her jack, staring at him dumbly. He cracked an eye open. "I... didn't want to say 'cause I thought it would be a surprise, or that's how I thought it would go without the threatening of my life..."
And now she felt like the asshole in this situation, sighing through her nose, she brought back a calm demeanor again. "Look, I'm not mad I was just caught off guard, too much to digest but, s-sorry," Now that she thought about it, seeing him at UA, and... what he said started to bring a red hue to her cheeks, eyes slowly dilating with her head to her shoes, her heart beating faster as it did when he cried out defiantly to Valstrax. "I-I can't believe you said t-that..."
"Huh?" Akio was oblivious to a lot of things, so finding her lips gently against his was one of the newest things he still had to get used to, the glow, the sensation and taste of grape on his lips, his face glowing when she pulled away with a mirrored reaction. "...oh, hehe, g-glad you liked it!" He kept that stupid smile she liked
Twirling an earjack she felt her own lips twitch into a smile. "Yeah, thanks-" In return, her hand locked with his, she knew no one from her class was around right now so it didn't matter if she acted on her stupid feelings for a while. "-you idiot."
His deadpan look made her snort a laugh, "Right back to the insults..." In return, she poked her tongue out with a wink, unable to retain her aloof attitude
"You love it," Much as he hated it, she was right. So yeah, who cares right now?
To Be Continued...
So a bit more focused on the proper integration of Akio into Perfected, with a stretch on the timeline to accommodate. If you're curious, yes, he will also be participating in the exam finals as well, no rest for the wicked. The action ain't over yet though, some crazy stuff is to come before the final exams. P.S. The last scene was so cute to write! I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support, seeya in the next chapter, Plus Ultra!
Next Chapter: Perfected Pandemonium
All Might: Be prepared Young Midoriya, a new trail awaits your classmates!
Izuku: *Sweatdrop* W-wow this seems a little excessive?
Yuki: I don't think the word, 'excessive' crosses UA's mindset, Zuzu
All Might: Get ready to face the labyrinth of horrors, young heroes!
Yuki: Next on the list, Perfected Pandemonium! Go Beyond-!
All Three: Plus Ultra!