A/N: Time for some battle upgrades! Review Time!
To Walkmanappenticewordsmith: Yuki's a strange creature, glad you enjoyed.
To Emerald light 555: That's great to hear, sorry if my replies are all over the place, I always respond on the newest chapters. As for if a Guardian will appear of someone becomes one... can't say, it could happen or not, it all depends ;)
To ukairoenyinnaya: Yeah, he's quite the asshole, ain't he?
Enjoy.
Chapter 51 - Moving Past Imperfection
"YOU MONGREL!" The foot slammed into her stomach, causing her to empty out the contents of her stomach onto the floor with blood. From there she was grabbed by the back of her hair, wincing as she gasped, face shoved straight into the wall. "PEST!" Again. "RAT!" And again. "HUMAN FILTH!" One final slam and her face was buried into the boards and thrown back to land at Bakugo's feet, himself screaming bloody murder through his muzzled gums
Yuki twitched, coughing hoarsely while attempting to stand, only for a boot to push her head down, twisting the pressure as she let out a silent scream of pain, grounding her teeth to brace the force anyway she could. Without SIVA she could barely retaliate, and not knowing where she was there was no chance of escape for her or Bakugo, all her aces were ripped from her hand.
"Azuru, what is it you are hoping to learn?" Cracking her eyes open at the voice of Ectoplasm she cracked a small smile
"To learn from my past," She spoke softly, her boisterous voice no longer constrained by pain and recovery, this didn't mean she talked all the time, her vocal range was still limited though not for long, there were times she let her muteness persist.
It had been a few days and now they were all working on Ultimate Moves to give them that fighting edge in the upcoming Provisional License Exam held near the end of Summer. For the next ten days, they were to learn two Ultimate Moves, a trademark for any Pro such as All Might's United States of Smash or Woods' Lacker Chain Prison.
It was only day one but Yuki was already busy doing nothing, or that's how it appeared to be, she was silent, eyes closed while searching her memories of Camp and her imprisonment alongside Katsuki. She had many moves and augments but the closest to an 'Ultimate' was her Valorgod Augment, custom to look and act similarly to her Mom's Quirk, but it wasn't perfect, which is what she wanted, a perfect move that would change the battle sharply. There was also Rain's Fall and her 'Final Move' Legend of Chelchis, so that left room open on her roster, for now atleast.
Kovik was growing stronger, and with data copied from SIVA he had the ability to plot against her known abilities, she needed to evolve beyond her limits, she had mastery over her nanomachines but that was one mountain out of a range.
Ectoplasm watched the young girl vigorously search her mind, never moving, never twitching to the chaos surrounding her state of serenity. It was baffling to be sure, but the girl assured him this was a necessity toward her improvement, not every member of staff knew of SIVA's true identity, all of Class 1-A did but assured Yuki they would keep her secret, not that it mattered, she had complete control, there wasn't a person on earth that could take SIVA from her now.
"LEGEND OOOOF...!" Yuki's thoughts merged with SIVA's, the image of a large Fallen who glowed with pride, standing strong behind the human girl and the Devil Fallen as their fists became one. "-CHEEEEEEELCHIS!"
Vosik felt the force of flames and power imbed themselves into his face, hurdling his body high off his feet by a golden arc of flames and wind.
Yuki opened her eyes, observing her friends as they worked in their own little ways, then the bobbing mass of blonde hair fell into view with a wave. "Hey there, Young Azuru, I got some advice for ya."
"Hey, All Might," Yuki smiled, and All Might was pleased to hear her voice filled with life. Now he couldn't imagine a day without it given how lively it was, her tone was sweet but with a subtle sense of maturity when she was serious, he could only fathom what her parents were like. She gave him a nod and hand to continue.
All Might nodded, throwing a fist out for his example. "You and Young Midoriya focus solely on punches, though now the two of you share mid-to-long range attacks with his new Delaware Smash, thanks again for your assistance," He bowed his head, earning a bashful smile from the girl who waved her hands
"He did the work, I was just his medic," "Hmm... a nurse outfit... hehehe, that'll be funny someday," Blinking her thoughts of tormenting Izuku aside, she motioned to the rest. "I dunno what to do, most of my moves can cover my bases but..." It was a troublesome moment, to her, an Ultimate Move never struck her given her vast array of abilities. Then she blinked. "I do have two, Rain's Fall and Legend of Ch-el-chis but that's..." She scratched her cheek, then made an explosion effect with her hands to emphasize what exactly the example would entail
"Let's... avoid that topic," All Might grimaced with Ecoplasam, tapping his chin. "Ultimates aren't all about attacking, perhaps you can try to focus on defense, for more than just yourself." His suggestion saw her body perk up. "Try to see outside of your limitations and work to improve the strengths of others, though saying that you already have achieved such a goal on your own."
And with that he left her to ponder on the idea, opening and closing her fist in thought. "A way to improve the strengths of others..." On instinct she found her eyes drawn to the emerald gleam that swung at another copy of Ectoplasm in the distance, his shimmering body swiping with his fists or launching small concussive pellets of air. She smiled. "Always striving to improve, Zuzu." "Can I be ex-cu-sed? I need to check in with some-one in the De-vel-op-ment Studio?"
"Go on ahead, we still have plenty of days to fine-tune your power," Ectoplasm gave the bubbly girl the go-ahead, watching her skip away with a smile down the mountainous terrain. "To think her personality was hidden under all that power and metal, what a strange girl..."
"-Smash!" Izuku shot another burst of wind, this time kicking the shot into thirty percent, wincing as his finger strained against the ten percent increase from normal. It was a pain but if he couldn't think of an Ultimate then this was a good time to broaden his mastery of One For All. "So far I can unleash forty percent without much strain, fifty seems to be when my body struggles, I guess that training with Akio at One Hundred Percent helped my development exponentially - and this ability, 'Danger Sense' what... is it?" "I'll have to thank him..."
A strike to his head caused him to stumble, snapping to Ecoplasm's attention. "No slacking, if you cannot come up with a move then continue to practice."
"Sorry, sir, I will!" He nodded, going back to aiming at the far wall with his fingers, switching to his middle finger for now. The charge crackled to life, hissing under his glove with a bright mint glow. "Delaware..." Now he shot his power up to forty with a sharp gust of wind
"Yo-!" He panicked, his fingers discharging the shot in a panic, his eyes wide as the gust of wind grazed by Yuki's face, cutting just across her left cheek's blemish, startling the bluette while she stumbled up into view. Izuku's heart sank immediately in fright.
"Y-Yuki! I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I didn't-" He blinked, hearing her soft giggle, a sound that pleasantly flooded his cheeks with heat while the cage his heart resided in was battered by its captive. Somehow, that soft laugh just soothed his fright while he ran to her, cupping her right cheek. "I should have seen you coming, I'm-"
"It's fine," She rolled her eyes, patting his cheek while wiping the gash clean, a red line buzzing across the cut. "First time you've land-ed a hit on me since Camp," She pursed her lips, leaning dangerously close to his face as it tinged a deep shade. "I'm happy."
Despite his furious blush, he felt a small smile cross his lips at pleasing her, especially if it brought out that toothy grin of hers whenever he could. He noticed, however, she was still struggling with big or certain words, though that was a small bump in her road to speaking again. Suddenly, his daydream was pulled away as he stammered, her arm wrapped around his to hold him close.
"Steal-ing him, bye~!" She waved to the copy of the Pro, tapping Izuku's blood-red freckles. "You wa-nt-ed im-prov-ments too?" At the inquiry he looked away, nodding shyly
"Ye-yes, I was going to see if anyone in the Development Studio could help to improve my gauntlets so I don't strain my arms when I fight," He held up his left, closing the fist, seeing through the barding at the scars and burn that marked his arm. He grimaced, hardening his stare, "I have to... I can't risk damaging them further."
"Mus-cu-lar?" Yuki sighed, remembering the fight and how both her and Izuku were beaten and broken, his arms were both mangled, and before she was taken she saw the burns on his right, leaving a large burn patch on his bicep that her own rubbed against. "I could have helped more if I had clusters at the time, but I was too worried for Kota to go and grab some."
"Yuki?" Having noticed how silent she had become, he began to worry as her face creased in deep thought. Yuki never talked unless she wanted to, which perplexed many since they really believed the girl who had been mute for so long wouldn't forsake a chance to talk again, but it just became her norm
"I can fix you," She murmured, clearly not expecting Izuku to hear her while she tapped her right hand to her chin. "SIVA and I can fix you..." His eyes dialled at the idea, almost pulling away from her arm. Feeling the sudden weight shift she blinked and looked up, "Huh?"
"I-It's fine, Yuki," He smiled warily. "You don't need to risk yourself for my sake," He patted his arm intertwined with hers. "It was my fault my arms got messed up, so I-I-I-I..." He froze as he found himself pressed against the outside wall of Training Hall Gamma, Yuki's face so close he could feel her breath against his lips. Unable to move he simply blushed brightly under her gaze
"Stupid," She flicked his forehead, pulling away with a pout. "I can fix you, Zuzu," She grumbled, rubbing her blemish. "Scars can stay, but hurt I can heal," She spun around, clutching his hands in hers while he stared at her face radiated by the sun in the backdrop. "You can still grow, but if you lose your arms... then... then I'll hate my-self." Even if her image was amazing, he couldn't help but stare back at her hurt, frustrated eyes
"I wanted to let them be a reminder to never go beyond what I can control, there's only so many more times I can damage my arms," He clenched her palms softly, anger seething into his head. "Blowing off her worries when she only ever helps me..." "Okay..." He brought up a smile. "If you think you can help me, then I'll do whatever I can to help you!" Taking the initiative, Izuku leaned forward to peck her cheek, blushing a little though smiling in victory at her own small tinge of pink
"Miss-ed." Her words rolled with an alluring gaze between them. Izuku blinked, then slowly dipped back into a shade of crimson as to what she meant. "Try again," She waited, and thankfully not too long as his lips connected to her own, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation for only a moment before wrapping her arm around his again, tugging him along and out of the sweet kiss. "Come, aug-ment awa-its."
"S-Sure..." He was like putty in her fingers, and he was alright with that. Even as doubts and worries crawled around in his mind, just this intimacy between them was enough to suppress those darker feelings for a while longer
"I'd ask if you could make me new upgrades but I don't think your augments last long, right?" Izuku asked while they ventured down the hall toward the Development Studio. Yuki nodded while walking in tandem with his steps
'I can utilize a number of augments from strength, to speed, to semi-perfect copies of some mutation quirks like my Mom's, but again, they're temporarily and even with complete control over SIVA, using and manipulating alot of metal comes at the risk of losing control' It had been a while since she wrote a note but given the details required it worked out better while she pursed her lips. 'If I'm honest if I reactivated 'Consume, Enhance, Replicate' I could consume any type of matter, but again, risks of damage and... the other stuff'
"I see, sorry for asking." Izuku didn't want her to remember the times she suffered from spasms and was slowly eaten alive by her own power. However, a flick of a finger snapped him out of that dark reality, seeing the wink and cheeky grin
"You worry alot, it's sweet, thank you." Why did her voice always make his heart skip? It was like she had a Quirk that made it impossible to ignore. Thankfully, that thought was cut short once they appeared before the two massive, metal doors. "Over-kill."
"Yeah... but if they're always working on support items I guess a layer of security is required." Nodding to his words, she waited for him to open the door. "Hopefully they have something that can reinforce my arms until you heal them, whatever that entails." He'd be honest with her, when her nanomachines were inside his body it felt like ants were crawling along his skin, and if she was going to repair worn bone it couldn't be a simple process, but... for her sake and his toward mastering One For All, it was worth it
"-Hey, Deku, Yuki!" The two snapped their heads toward Iida and Ochaco that seemed to have the same ideas as them. "You're both here for costume improvements too!?" She called, Iida yelling at her not to run in the hall before something very hot and painful slammed into their faces
A massive explosion from within engulfed the pair, leaving Yuki whining on the floor while another voice cackled above Izuku's groan. "You know, you shouldn't try and mix everything you find together in the lab like that!" Powerloader coughed from the doorway, then whatever was atop Yuki and Izuku giggled
"Failure is the mother of invention. Mister Powerloader, Thomas Eddison said something like that once." Her voice was brimming with glee. Izuku tried to move but was unable to thanks to the pressure on his back, and the one his chest pressed to, smelling smoke and... summer fruits? "Even if something I invent doesn't work as I intended it doesn't mean it's a waste of time!"
"You almost blew up the entire design studio, would you please open your ears and listen to me for once?!" Powerloader berated, not really caring much for the students on the ground. "Hatsumei!" She wasn't listening, tilting her head at the pair
"That name...!" Izuku realized who it was, but his eyes didn't meet the familiar pinkette, rather, his face scorched with red as he found Yuki under his body, his face dangerously close to her chest while the mask-wearing girl's aforementioned item was covering her right eye at an angle from the blast, her eye blinking wildly from the attack. "Y-Y-YUKI!"
Ochaco and Iida both gawked in shock as they found Izuku sandwiched between Yuki and the inventor Hatsumei who was grinning atop the two, waving her hand like nothing happened, her own chest flush against Izuku's back. "Hey, I know you two!"
Yuki blinked, smiling sheepishly at the pair of eyes, Izuku looked ready to burst and Hatsumei grinned at the familiar sight of the mute. Ocha just covered her face, peeking through her fingers. "B-Boobs!"
To say all of them were expecting to be blown away then passed off like it was nothing was... bewildering. Iida tried to proclaim she was the person he turned into a walking advert but she just spun around and said with a blank face 'Never heard of ya!', actually, the only reason she knew Yuki is because of her Quirk relating to mechanics. Despite Hatsumei's odd personality she was really enthusiastic about her work, and of Yuki's mechanical know-how that helped work out a few... minor bugs.
"Wait, you two are good friends!? Since when!?" Ocha gawked at Yuki who rubbed her head bashfully
"I came for suit mods, she and I talk, and now we are fri-ends." Yuki put it in a short, simple burst. Hatsumei nodding vigorously while scanning their requests for support augments for their suits
Powerloader looked away from his computer. "Yeah, the girl showed up one day and once Hatsumei got word of her Quirk the two practically turn this place into a metal haunted house," He seemed to pale at that. "Whatever you kids to, DO NOT, under any circumstances discuss Azuru's Quirk when Hatsumei's in the area, got that?"
"U-Understood, sir!" The trio bowed, Hatsumei continuing her scan with her optical-like eyes
Izuku finally spoke up. "Sir, I was wondering if there was a way to upgrade my gauntlets to reduce the strain on my ligaments if that's possible?" His meek reply made Powerloader ponder, shrugging after only a short second
"Hrm, Midoriya, yeah you usually fight with fists and recently your fingers for air-pressure attacks..." He tapped his desk, overlooking his files. "If that's all I can make something pretty fast actually."
The group beamed at this revelation. "Haha, Deku that's awesome!" Ocha beamed, not seeing the blank stare coming from Yuki's face as she locked her eyes onto Izuku, the boy himself frozen firm with horror
Hatsumei was patting him down, pressing her fingers to his muscles without a shred of dignity. "Yes-yes, I see the problem." He was freaking out, body shaking under her firm grip while Yuki pinched her nose, shaking her head
"Sorry." Was all she could say, looking away from Izuku in shame for not warning him. "Whoops." She didn't need to hear it, SIVA was groaning at her lack of focus for that slither of information. Hatsumei was a hands-on kinda girl when it came to working out augments
"Yuki's abandoned me!" Izuku wailed inside, his biggest mistake was taking his attention from the pinkette as she shoved him inside a white suit of armor that was bulkier than Iida's. "Wait, what just-!"
"Here you go, my very special baby! The Powersuit!" She declared proudly, Yuki snapping out of her trance in fright, shakily holding out a note toward them
'Wait-wait-wait, did you work out the bug yet!?' Her query caused them all to pale, but it was too late, Hatsumei was off on her own little world. "Holy crap, I think I just killed my boyfriend!" She clamped the sides of her head, frightened
"This little baby can detect muscle contractions and support your movements!" She stated while holding out a remote. "Meet my baby number forty-nine, hahaha." She grinned ear-to-ear, yet Izuku's worry came under death's ears as she turned it on
Slowly the waist began to turn. "Oh wow, this thing is amazing..." Yuki threw herself at the machine, freaking out as Izuku finally caught on to Yuki's panic, he didn't stop turning. "Wait-wait... my spine! IT'S TWISTING ME IN HALF!"
Ochaco paled in fright as Yuki started punching at the power pack frantically with a wrench. "ARE YOU OKAY!?"
Hatsumei turned it off without batting an eye, eventually, they freed him as she chuckled. "Looks like I forgot to tinker out that bug, Yui, sorry~!" She sang, Yuki and Ocha aiding the fallen Izuku who clutched his lower back
"I came here looking for some kind of arm brace yet my body was nearly put in a whole brace..." He lay there close to his death, practically gasping. "I think my life flashed before my eyes!"
'Been there, done that, are you okay?' Yuki offered a worried frown, not seeing the looming figure behind her. Izuku smiled up at hers and Ocha's offered hands but turned beetroot red as Yuki yelped sharply, drawing their eyes up as both blushed tremendously
"H-Hat-su-mei..." Yuki locked up, feeling the girl's hands slither over her toned muscles with a grin, golden eyes wide with wonder
"Oh, yes-yes, you're body's definitely made improvements, perfect for those little babies you asked me for!" She continued to prattle on as Izuku felt his mind stain with the sight of Yuki's squirming under the girl's hands, himself yelling with horror as Hatsumei grabbed Yuki by... her... He felt heat like no other burn his face directly to his ears. "Hm-hm-hm, soft and firm too..."
Yuki snapped, and her fist missed Hatsumei as she chuckled, clapping her hands as she walked away from the red flames consuming Yuki, leaving her blushing madly while throwing out curses onto pieces of paper.
Izuku couldn't move, arm propped on the table while his eyes spun. "...soft and f-firm..." The idea of that sensation crawled like an infection in his mind, leaving him bowing his head in mortified shame for ever thinking of Yuki like that, seeing her like that was... he couldn't begin to describe!
Over by Powerloader, Iida paled, whispering down at the man anxious of the girl with the crazed, sight-like stare while she laughed off Yuki's attempts to hit her with tools and other items. Izuku was lost in a blush and Ocha tried to pat his shoulder to assure him back to sanity.
"Psst, sir, I was wondering if you could improve the cooling devices in my legs." Death picked up the phone. His body froze and his eyes contracted at the chill along his back
"If that's what you're in the market for..." He couldn't run, finding two big, red gauntlets with silver exhaust ports on the sides. "Try this baby on!"
"We need to run, now." Yuki murmured into their ears, Ocha and Izuku wrapped in her tender hold as the trio shuffled for the door, anxious sweating while leaving their fellow Class Rep to suffer the crazed mechanic's wrath
"Hatsumei there is nothing wrong with my boosters I-!" Iida attempted to reason with her but her thumb was already on the trigger
"Boosters go," She pressed it! Everyone freaked when Iida's augments sent him flying vertically, crashing headfirst into the ceiling, but the thrusters wouldn't stop, and neither will the available space between the augments and Iida widen as he was vacuum packed against the ceiling tiles
"IIDA!" The trio screamed for their friend's health
"My Quirk is in my legs you mad woman," Iida was hunched over, the trio carefully aiding the fallen Class Rep in his recovery, sweating bullets at whatever the mad pinkette had in store
"Hehehe, I know, but you don't understand," She waved her hand matter-of-factly, unphased by their panic. "Come oooon, it's so brilliant! If you want to cool down your legs then run with your arms instead, easy!"
That was it... Izuku stopped freaking out as his emerald gaze widened, that realization shone in his orbs like a firework. The answer drew his mind back months prior, to something so small but to him, it was stupid not to think of it in the first place!
'You changed your tactics, you've always been forward-thinking, but that won't help if you keep using One For All in the same way you are now. In the end, you're copying All Might, instead of copying yourself'
That didn't make much sense to him before, only now with Full Cowling, and with his Delaware Smash did it become obvious. He had been copying All Might for so long without realizing it, even after Yuki's teachings he started to use her movements also. "Hold on... that's it..." He actually chuffed like Yuki would, smiling slightly. "I'm an idiot.."
"Huh?" Yuki blinked, then her pupils connected to his in passing, that same look of determination burning in his irises like so many times before. A small smile graced her lips, admiring that look she always found exciting 'cause it meant he had an idea, "Hmm... you figured it out, nice work, Zuzu."
"Sorry you guys, I'm trying to get her to look past her own devices," Powerloader apologized, seeing the dark swirls that surfaced around Ocha and Iida
"I'm not sure that'll ever happen..." "Same..."
"But you know," Much as Powerloader could agree with them there, one thing was indisputable about the crazed inventor as she worked diligently at a counter. "If you're all aspiring to be heroes, then you should treasure your relationship with her, you'll need her once you're pros," He slanted his eyes toward the back of the lab. "See all that junk, that's the support items Hatsumei has made since starting school here, and with a little tinkering from Azuru, she's made dozens more ahead of time, I've seen many support students over the years but this one is something special."
He hated the girl's antics at times, she can cause more harm than good, which is why it pleased him when Azuru showed up to assist, either just to tinker with her own augments or to help finalize many of Hatsumei's projects, those two were inseparable once they set their minds to it, and Hatsumei's amazing even before her tech's bugs were fixed. "Common-sense is a collection of prejudices collected by age eighteen, that's something Einstien said, that girl is unafraid of failure, constantly trying out new ideas, innovators are those not tied down by existing concepts."
That nailed it in a final time, the connection Izuku had missed. His strength and Air-Pressure attacks copied All Might, his speed, and movements of Gran Torino and Yuki. Another few images was of his battle with Viral, the intense fear of death he stared into, but that will to use his emotions as a weapon too. It all came from those he's met and learned from, that was what built up his strength, and now, he needed to pass his own mirror if he wanted to succeed.
Yuki just smiled back and watched her adorable broccoli-head dawn a mighty grin, she already taught him how to grow with his power, the rest was all up to him. But sitting here she realized something, her body was augmented to suit the situation at hand and never an overall change to her own combat style. That might be what she was missing, her own style for varying degrees of battle. Now she too had a wide smile, and the memories that accompanied that image began to form.
But the act she was considering... scared her. Biting her lip she ensured none of them saw her back away, eyes filled with a sight she prayed they never see in her blue gaze. Terror... toward herself.
We can conjure a new way | You need not focus on this course of action | I know you aided me in facing my fears, but I am a Fallen Archon, and you're still just a child
"I... I forget that sometimes," Yuki was honest with a fearful smile, feeling a nervous, cold sweat crawl across her skin. "But with our memories intertwined I... don't know if that's such a wide gap anymore..."
I see | Your mind is made? | Shall I... begin the process?
She didn't make a sound, as if to tempt her fate again. "...y-yes..." There was no turning back now, she only prayed the coming days will assure her mind
A few days later...
Yuki never spoke to a soul, even with Nana constantly calling from the hospital that was all the class heard from their resident non-mute. She never once spoke to Izuku, even staying in her room when he tried boldly to ask her to atleast talk with him, all she did was smile and shake her head. But he saw it, fear and resentment toward someone in her eyes, she was hurting and it bothered him that he couldn't figure it out. He wanted to help her but... something just told him to wait for her move, and so he did.
While the students trained, All Might showed himself again, waving to Aizawa's dull glare at the retired hero's emergence, even if he was patched up he shouldn't be here and instead working like a teacher would. Both peered up at Tokoyami, now enveloped in Dark Shadow to enhance his strength considerably. "Some have already solidified their fighting styles," Mr. Aizawa continued, looking toward Katsuki. "And there are already those putting together multiple special moves."
All Might took a closer look, a large wall was before Katsuki, his left hand curled up against his right palm, compressing his explosive energy into a fine point. "AP Shot!" He screamed, firing a pinpoint beam of thermal energy that as the name suggested, pierced the thick concrete like butter compared to if he merely caused a wave of destruction with one blast. He threw his fists back. "HAHA, yes, I did it!"
All Might was impressed by his evolution. "No surprise Young Bakugo has improved." He commented, not realizing the massive chunk from the wall beginning to grow unstable
"Uh-huh." If Mr. Aizawa hadn't been looking the other way he may have seen the wall break off, hurdling toward the ex Symbol of Peace unsuspectingly. Katsuki's heart dropped as he caught sight of the falling debris toward the teacher
"Hey, watch out!" He bellowed, Mr. Aizawa spotted it but he wouldn't arrive in time even if he tried to pull All Might aside. The debris was going to strike. Frozen in place, All Might almost blinked and missed it, seeing two wisps of light sail through the sky above, a piercing emerald and sharp ruby
Izuku and Yuki flew onto the scene in an instant they heard the yell from the ash-blonde, never once hesitating. All Might stared up at the two, one bathed in mint green stokes of lightning, angling his body into a horizontal twist. The other traced in scarlet, body dressed in an all-too-familiar suit of armor. But for an instant, he saw a tearful young girl bowing her head, and a timid middle-schooler, stiff and with a nervous blush toward the hero. All Might smiled, assured in his safety.
"Smmmaaaaash - Hyah!" Izuku brought his whole left foot through the massive slab of concrete, splitting it into smaller chunks with a single, horizontal kick. "All Might's signature attacks always involve his fists; Since I inherited One For All from him I tried to do the same thing, copying in every technique-"
Yuki was draped in black armor over white barding. angular plating for both legs. The waist displayed the SIVA marking on red cloth, torso reinforced with a mesh of black plating and red wires humming with SIVA. The wires were splayed and snaking from holes in the armor to her biceps and over her shoulder to a small, backpack-sized pyramid.
She only had two arms, the left was the only limb that looked less abnormal, as for the right, it was completely augmented. A large, reinforced gauntlet stretched from the hand to the shoulder mounting a cannon for a hand. A scorch cannon. Last was her helmet, wired into the pyramid it was white and domed compared to the angular helmet Yuki would wear, a single, large red eye. Holding out her cannon, Yuki targetted the many pieces before even one could descend further. "Scorched Blast!" Two high-density spheres thumped from the cannon, disintegrating the matter with a red cloud of smoke.
"I've been so afraid to attempt this that I hadn't realized the lengths of my control, locking away my potential in fear of repeating my mistakes-"
"That armor!" Kyoka gaped, ceasing her training alongside Akio who smirked solemnly at the sight
"That's the same as...!" Katsuki's hands twitched at the sudden image burned in his head, almost, atleast for an instant, he felt fear rush through his body at the smaller frame that once towered over all
All Might was grinning proudly at the duo as they landed beside one another, their energies bouncing off the other in total synergy, shocking any and all that saw the one-two combo the pair pulled off. Both stood tall, their new moves established before their teachers.
"-that's where I went wrong, it's so obvious that I didn't even realize it. If I'm worried about my arms I'll use my legs!" True to his words, his legs were reinforced with black iron soles and shin guards.
"I can control my power, I inherited this power from an Archon, so I have to uphold that title!" Yuki stood tall in her new Ultimate as it radiated with power.
"One For All. Full Cowling. Shoot Style!"
"SIVA. Full-Body Augment. The Archpriest!"
The Archpriest | Hmph, not bad | You carry the title of 'Archon' well
All Might's facial features beamed with promise. "You did it, kids!" He couldn't be prouder at his two students' evolution and strength to move beyond their pasts. If only it were that simple.
When the dust settled around the duo, Yuki remained completely stoic, her eyes unblinking behind her spider-like helmet while she processed all the information flooding her eyes. "By memorizing the very structure of Vosik's chemical make-up I'm able to completely copy his armor and latent abilities to a degree, enhancing my strength, efficiency to warp, and the additional arm-cannon for range while sacrificing speed and agility."
"You okay, All Might!?" Izuku snapped Yuki from her lost sense of space. Concerned for his mentor while she continued to stare at her left hand, unmoving. "That was close."
All Might smiled proudly at the pair. "Yeah," His eyes wandered to Yuki, spotting her almost statue-like form like she was frozen in time
"Yo, Midoriya, Yuki, what was that? You both up and wasted that boulder?" Kaminari grinned at the display, sporting a new gauntlet while Kirishima looked to be kitted out in a far more intimidating outfit, adding a metal brace across his cheekbones and chin
"I always thought you guys were more the punchers?" Kirishima blinked, head curved to Yuki's frozen head lowered to her hand, he didn't know why, but he felt really on edge. "Hey, Yuki, you awake in there?" He waved his hand toward her, catching everyone's attention, including the ticked ash-blonde above
"Yeah... you're kinda creeping us out." Even Kaminari's blunt reply didn't register. No one else could hear it, the dark laughter and sound of static in the air surrounding the girl who continued to lose herself in memories
Izuku reacted quickly, bridging the gap to grab Yuki's metallic glove in both his hands, worryingly staring up at the mute girl with pleading eyes. "Yuki..." She suddenly snapped, armor slowly peeling away as the metal fell apart, returning to scrap and clusters beneath her feet, revealing the wide eyes of her mask gradually dipping to blue, widening and shrinking for a second
"Sorry, I'm okay." Her words eased the crowd, the teachers' fears lessening while her right hand moved to pat Izuku's affectionately. "Th-ank you."
Sensing the wary tension had passed, Kirishima nudged Izuku's shoulder. "So, what's with the new styles, guys?"
Yuki clicked her fingers. "Vosik was a pest, so I took his stuff, new wea-pon, new pow-er, less mo-bil-ity," She seesawed her hand, glancing up at Katsuki who continued to glare down at her, but she could sense the air of cation around him. With a thumb high she winked. "All good, Dumb-Dumb!"
"Tch, like I care what you're up to, damn Mute!" That caused many to sweatdrop, he still hadn't let that nickname go, though Yuki didn't mind, flicking her mask to her right temple to widen her smug grin at the growing flustered rage on Katsuki's face. "What are you looking at!?"
"Geez, anger much?" She whistled, then poked playfully at Izuku's side, seeing him become equally as flustered. "New suit, nice moves."
"Y-yeah, and while I do want to stick to punches I can't wear my arms down anymore," He lifted his right leg, patting the reinforced sole. "These new iron soles will really help me widen my skills, Hatsumei did an amazing job!" He felt a rush of excitement at the possibilities presenting themselves to him, combining, Katsuki's, Iida's, and Yuki's fighting styles into his ideas. "Thanks to Iida's guidance I've managed to change my fighting style, though there's alot I have to improve, not much of an Ultimate Move yet."
"I dunno," They turned to address All Might. "From that kick you might be further along than you think, combined with your air-pressure shots and this new 'Danger Sense' you've told me about your arsenal is now a vast ocean compared to when you stuck to punches," He explained, then pointed to Yuki. "Young Azuru here's the same, she may have had a vast array of attacks but never anything that completely changed her playstyle, with that new armor variant she'll stand better grounds against opponents that may keep her at a distance."
Both students glanced at one another, then back at All Might in surprise. The mood dropped once Mr. Aizawa warned All Might to be careful since he was now the one in danger. Despite how lax All Might seemed, the duo knew he felt it, a strange sense of needing to be protected now compared to his once indomitable strength, it wasn't his fault that was just how this road led, and both had to ensure his trust in their skills will uphold the legacy he left to them, specifically Izuku.
Of course, even after All Might apologized to Katsuki, Yuki saw it, his spark of rage at the ordeal, and at hers and Izuku's sudden improvement. It was complicated from Yuki's perspective, Katsuki was a prideful person but with a kind heart under his unwavering ferocity to win, which led to the toxic bond between him and Izuku that she had tried to aid in mending with little pushes on either side. This wasn't the same as Shoto and Iida, Katsuki's past with Izuku was alot more for the girl to unravel behind the scenes, so for now, she let him yell at All Might to watch himself before he wandered off to continue his training.
"Yo, you in there, Yuyu?" Blinking again from her lack of awareness, she smiled at Kyoka while she adjusted the soundwave gauntlets on her wrists, upgraded since she received them from Akio and Yaomomo on I-Island. She was like a weaponized rock star.
"Lost again, sorry," She sighed, tapping at the place where a pair of headphones rested around the purplette's neck. "New gear?"
She rubbed the blue headphones with a smile. "Yeah, helps increase the range of my hearing and I can specifically tune the volumes I pick up, pretty cool," Then she slit her gaze with a grin, poking at Yuki's chestplate. "That was some seriously hardcore moves, but isn't that the same look that creep that attacked you had?" Even Kyoka couldn't resist a shudder at the horrifying memory of her best friend's body being skewered like that, no one could
Yuki merely nodded, understanding her fears. "I'm fine, Kyo," She patted the rocker's shoulder confidently. "He's gone, I'm here, so who cares?" Kyoka would never understand how Yuki could brush off such a horrifying moment in her life, a part of her envied that spirit, but again, this was Yuki she was referring to, if she lost her cool fighting Vosik she wouldn't be here given all the events that have transpired
"You are really crazy, you know that?" Kyoka chuckled, then raised her hand toward the mountains. "Check it, I've gotten more practice with these glyphs," To show her stuff, Kyoka focused on her hand, feeling the ambiance around her pour into her bones, channeling a light-grey ring around her forearm, the same markings, and symbols that Akio would conjure appearing on the musician's wrist. "Sonic Leap!" She called out its name, her hand releasing a sharp spear of sound that shattered the wall, creating a jagged indent into the rocky face, herself grinning very similarly to Izuku. "Haha, man I thought this geeky stuff wasn't for me, but this magic is alot of fun!"
"It can be dangerous too!" Both teens snapped their heads toward one of the peaks, seeing Akio frontally waving his arms. "That's what the Old Man said!" That eventually turned into a sharper tone of voice. "I am not Old - How many times do I have to tell you ungrateful brats this!?" And now the Host and Nightmare were fighting
Kyoka hid her face behind her hand, hearing Yuki giggle as her red cheeks worsened. "...God, why did I fall for that dork...?"
"I ask-ed my-self that about Izu-ku all the time," Yuki smiled gently, far as the best friends knew, they had truly no idea how but neither regretted it for a moment
"That's enough Class A!" To their surprise, Class B's homeroom teacher, Vlad King had arrived. Kendo and... much to everyone's chagrin, Monoma, were by his sides. "Class B is scheduled to use this training room every afternoon."
Spotting Kendo, Yuki and Kyoka strolled to meet her halfway, the ginger girl smiling at the familiar faces. "Hey, guys, sorry to cut in like this, sir was... insistent," She sweatdropped as the small dispute rose between Vlad and Eraserhead, the trio sighing at the pettiness of their class' rivalry. "Still, you two doing well, haven't talked to you since... the hospital." Kendo frowned a little, causing Yuki to lightly karate-chop her head
"Stop, ev-ery-one keeps worry-ing, I'm fine," Yuki loved that they were here to support her but there was a line in her mind between care and overprotective, she knew the risks and isn't fragile. Yuki brushed off that gloom with a toothy grin. "Nice to see you too, Kendo."
"Yeah, same here," Kyoka gave a small wave of her hand, then they heard the cackling laughing and swirling insanity surrounding Monoma, he was clearly beginning to mock them for the fact they'd be pitted against one another in the upcoming exam. Kyoka's eyes remained in their bored-like state, paling a little. "Has he always got a screw loose?"
"A few more than that." Yuki grimaced at the laughter, Kendo sighing as she stood between Yuki and Kyoka. "Why is he... only wear-ing a tux?"
Kendo bluntly pointed it out. "Well since his Quirk's Copy he said he didn't need anything too eccentric," She informed, Kaminari to their far-left raising his brow skeptically
"This is him toned down?" No one believed it, not even the optimistic Kirishima and Yuki could fathom the man's crazed obsession with one-upping Class A
"This is why we won't be in the same location," Mr. Aizawa explained, Yuki nodding along
"We're sep-er-ate," That struck Monoma from his stark laughter
Mr. Aizawa nodded, surprised she knew of this regulation though didn't question it while Vlad added. "She's right, there are two exam days, in June and in September, and the tests are held at three different places, we don't want students from the same place fighting so we split you up."
There was a visible 'whew' from Monoma, clearly while having bark his bite lacked merit. Yet he held his smug posture, continuing his rant while Yuki leaned her right elbow on Kendo's shoulder, the trio of girls and trio of boys all just deadpanning at Monoma. "How sad we won't be able to face each other directly!"
"Man, this guy's nuts." Kirishima sighed
Kaminari nodded. "I think he's officially gone off the deep end."
"Can't really say he hasn't," Kendo couldn't dispute that, Monoma was just... perplexing to her
"All those other schools," Sero joined them, looking nervous at the idea. "Huh, interesting, I didn't know what was the case, so we'll be facing kids from other places."
Izuku agreed, tense at the idea of facing down those with greater experience than their own, with Quirks unknown to them all. "Yeah, and on top of that we're taking the test earlier than other students."
Yuki held out a large note. 'Compared to most the probability of first years obtaining a license is slim and rarely ever occurs, but given our past experiences with villains it was appropriate' She flipped it, nailing home the gravity of their disadvantage. 'New Quirks with higher levels of experience, to put it simply we're low-level players jumping into the deep waters the high ranks roam'
Mr. Aizawa glowered. "She's correct, you're going up against tougher opponents, the specifics of the exam never being the same, but most cases include you having a rough time against the others, try not to dwell on this and you'll do fine." He was purposefully vague, knowing well his students aren't ones to be so narrow-minded to the gravity of the world's cruelness
In the living room invading the sofas, the girls all sat to discuss their improvements, with the exception of Yuki who was sitting upside down, mask over her face while staring up at the ceiling. She was lost in her thoughts again, primarily about her new Full-Body Augment.
"I did it... I actually controlled an entire augment," She should be pleased, but all she felt was disgusted like someone had felt up her whole body without her consent, and that laugh... why did it bother her? "I'm fine... Vosik's gone so there's no reason to care."
Yuki, your mentality is safe | No psychological trauma sustained | Or atleast, none relating to Vosik
She blinked, tilting her head. She didn't understand what he meant by that, she was okay but it wasn't Vosik that bothered her, then she was his laugh the thing that grated her ears while using that form? Like a ghost of himself tethered to her armor, refusing to part from the girl's mind and body.
"-hey, Yuki?" A hand tapped her arm, causing the girl to yelp and flop to the floor in a heap, her mask ajar to reveal her startled stare at Mina's hand. "Whoops, sorry, didn't expect you to be all jumpy." The golden eyes stared with concern, a glimpse of fright plastered on Yuki's face before she sprung up with a smile
"All good, just think-ing," She replied though why did she feel that was a lie? Shaking her head out of frustration she glanced over all the girls with a timid smile. "I think I'm just sle-epy,"
Yaomomo smiled, giving the girl a nod. "You have worked restlessly today, all of us, so be sure to get a good night's rest." Gracious nodding to her classmate, Yuki gave a wave of goodnight to the group, not seeing the perplexed gaze of Kyoka turn away, herself pondering on what she felt rise within the girl as she spoke.
With Yuki gone, Kyoka stood up. "Say, you guys know where Izuku is, I need to talk with the guy?" The rest all blinked widely at her referral to the emerald-haired teen, specifically at his first name. Kyoka frowned. "You seriously are still haggling me about that?"
"No, just..." Hagakure's body shifted to one side. "You looked worried about something, is it to do with Yuki?" Hagakure noticed it too, Yuki seemed lost in thought for a few days, more than usual, and how she spoke felt forced. "I think she's hiding something..."
Ocha perked up. "I think he said he's training outside," A small smile appeared. "Knowing Deku that's always on his mind." Many of the girls hummed a nod
"Thanks, Uraraka," Giving a small wave the rocker grabbed her jacket from the side of the sofa, quickly making her way out into the cold night air to find the ever-so-obvious teen herself. "If Yuyu's stressed then that dork's her best chance of opening up." The fact Kyoka had to actually go out and say it was a pain but she understood the sense of obviousness, she was dating her own thick-headed dolt
Once free from the warmth of the dorm, Kyoka steadily hopped down the steps, hearing the grunts and panting to her left. Following the noise she found the certain fanboy practicing his kicks, looking through his notes diligently. She had to admit, he was pretty impressive given his ability to train constantly. Tucking her hands into her pockets she slowly approached to the side, seeing his electrified body toss and turn through the night air.
"Yo, Izuku," He screamed in fright at her surprisingly visit, wincing as he slammed into the dirt face-first. "Pfft, graceful landing, string-bean."
"K-Kyoka?" He blinked, pushing up to sit on his haunches, surprised to see her standing there with a smile. "What are you doing out here?"
"Could ask you the same." She fired back evenly but pushed past normal banter. "Rhetorical, dude, level with me, have you talked to Yuki lately?"
Blinking from his stupor, it brought his focus back and away from training. It wasn't that they haven't been talking, rather, every time he asked her about her new Ultimate Move she would immediately dodge the question, poorly might he add, and now that he saw it in action... his worries began to fester.
"I... I think she's subconsciously hiding the fact she's been affected by Vosik," Izuku admitted, scratching his cheek. "I tried to talk to her but she always side-stepped the question, and I didn't want her to think I was being pushy - Yah!" A jack flicked his forehead, eyes dilating at the irked expression on Kyoka's face
"You're an idiot sometimes..." Breathing through her nose she spelled it out for him. "You confessed to her, right?" It was a sudden shift in topic, but his face slowly steamed up while avoiding her glare. "Yes or no, Midoriya."
"Y-yes..." It still made his chest squeeze at the moment, how... heated it was. "I-I-I did..."
Kyoka sighed out a small but worried smile. "Then go to her, idiot," She knelt down to eye him directly. "Take it from me, she wants you to push, Yuki's no different from any other girl who's gotten head-over-heels for someone, but she's probably doubting herself and thinking you won't understand," Kyoka chuffed, heat rising to her face. "T-the fact I'm saying this is just... yeah, I'm not good at this."
"Y-you're wrong!" His sudden outburst caught her by surprise. "Thank you... Kyoka, I... I honestly don't think I'd have noticed that if you didn't." He slapped his forehead. "I'm an idiot."
"Words out of my mouth, string-bean," She chuckled, seeing his face redden further. "Go and beat the sense into her," Then her jacks curled with her nose scrunched up. "Maybe take a shower first, you reek dude." His face was fuming now, and her smug grin grew. "You and Akio have one thing in common."
"Oh?" He squeaked out, not realizing she was messing with him while standing tall, hands behind her head
"You're both fun to fluster, hehehe," She'd take pride in that atleast, she knew how to poke at Akio, and it seems it worked just as effectively on Izuku, what fun for her.
He deadpanned up at her. "So much for being supportive."
Kyoka chuckled loudly at that. "Really? Didn't notice, broccoli-head." He wasn't winning this
Yuki sat on her bed in the dark, with Nana back in the hospital for atleast a few more days she had herself and SIVA, though he was silent, allowing her to accept the silence as her one companion. She was shivering, trying to get the words out of her head when she obliterated the rubble from striking those below.
It was a mere flash of light the instant the sky crashed with scarlet from the muzzle of her augmented arm, the power, and sheer destructive energy was far greater than her average energy blasts, say for her Devil's Ruin. Yet, as the rubble and dust scattered past her vision, she felt her eyes dilate at the large, shadowy figure that loomed over her presence, hung in the air like a damp smog.
YoU tHiNk ThIs Is OvEr LiTtLe MoNgReL?
Her body locked under the cool face of a blade brushing against her skin, running taut against her stomach and between her chest, teasingly prodding her peachy skin under her armor. The cool blade suddenly sparked with heat, hissing along her collarbone and under her throat, making it harder to breathe. Then it flicked her chin, running until the edge was poised to her right eye, daringly close to the dialed pupil.
I wIlL aLwAyS bE hErE iNsIdE yOuR hEaD, yOu MoNsTeR
AbOmInAiTiOn
KiLlEr
MuRdErEr!
*Knock-Knock-Knock*
Yuki gasped, sharply wacking her head off her wall as she was snapped from her mind, shivering visibly from the shock that racked her heart. No, Vosik is gone, so why... why did that blade... why was it...?
"Yuki? Are you in?" It was Izuku, her heart dreaded his voice, out of fear for what she might do to him, she... she wasn't...
"Go away!" She snapped, trying to bury away her frustration and fear without anyone noticing, she was slipping. Flopping back she pressed her face into her pillow, attempting to block out the voice that cackled in her ears, mocked and ridiculed her like an animal. It never bothered her, but it made her skin crawl, it made her hate her own body. "L-le-ave me al-one..."
Izuku, having heard her slight hiccup threw aside his worries and followed through with Kyoka's insistence. Twisting the doorknob he carefully entered the darkroom, hearing something strike the door, slamming it shut behind him when he found a hand pressed firmly to the wood, a pair of heated eyes glaring daggers at him. He had never seen such a furious look in her otherwise cheery gaze.
"I said go away! Leave!" She shouted, wincing as she grasped her throat, causing Izuku to rest his hands on her biceps
"Yuki, calm dow-" She shoved him back, practically pinning him to the door with bitter rage
"No! I... I don't..." She was losing her edge, body trembling as Izuku's eyes broadened at her shaky form stumbling back, hands tugging at her own arms as if she felt itchy. "Please... I-I don't want... I..." It finally broke him, tears stripping down her cheeks with fright
An AbOmInAiTiOn
She grabbed her temples, mask discarded by her bed, revealing her shaken, petrified eyes filling with tears. "No..."
HeArTlEsS kIlLeR
That's not true, she wasn't... she'd never. "Stop it..." Yuki murmured, hunching over from the pain wracking her head, and how her scars seemed to crawl with a sickly numbness, like pins and needles. "I'm not... I'm not..."
WrEtChEd MoNsTeR!
"STOP IT!" She screamed, falling to her knees in pain, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to block out the pain. Her scars were unbearable, her body felt so wrong in that armor that it irritated her skin, like goosebumps she couldn't rid herself of. Her right eye was filled with small messages that infected her vision during that time, the words imprinted into her optical nerve like a virus. "I'm not... I'm not... I'm not...!" She wept, unable to stop herself from thinking
"It's okay..." Two words broke the silence, soft and forgiving as the hands that gently pulled her close to a strange tempo, like... a heartbeat. Her eyes pulled themselves open, opting to tilt and find the strong smile on Izuku's face, his glistening green orbs piercing the darkness to gently soothe her bloodshot eyes with a comforting gaze between curly locks. "I'm here for you, Yuki, whatever you need me for I'll wait right here until you're ready."
His heart was rapidly beating against her right ear, it felt so nice to listen to. And his arms held her securely, the left rubbing her bicep in small circles with his thumb. Izuku was even rocking her back and forth, pressing her body flush against his while her tears suddenly broke free, staining his white shirt with fresh tears.
"I-I-Iz-zuku...!" She hiccuped, crying into his chest as her fears were smothered in his hold, protectively shielding her from a nightmare he'd never see. No, it wasn't Vosik that terrified her, not the hot hiss of his knife drawn across her skin. It was of what she locked away, her Ultimate was a reminder of her cursed mistake when she truly felt utter Hell the likes of which no amount of torture could ever hope to replicate. "...I-I don't *hic*... I don't want to b-be a m-m-mon-ster again...!"
It finally sunk into his ears, the thing that Yuki said back at Camp, of him liking a monster like her. He had thought it was merely a doubt of her control, that she may one day slip up. Guilt wracked his brain, realizing that... she had always thought that since a day he never knew of Yuki had been blaming and suppressing any notion of that past, both from him and herself, that Vosik armor must have been what triggered it to resurface.
"I never realized..." His hold around her only grew, as if to protect her from that darkness that threatened to consume her. He knew SIVA was by her side but there was only so much one could do, Izuku understood that agonizing feeling all too well. "The girl I love isn't some monster," He felt her jolt while his face broke out in a blush, smiling all the same while stroking her soft, silky hair. "She's beautiful, amazing, kind..." The next words rolled without conscious thought. "...you're my Flower."
His voice whispered into her ear, and while she felt he was ready to throw himself away and stammer out an apology, Yuki only rested her head closer to his heart, her own beating in tandem as a pink hue tinted her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose, smiling through her tears. "...don't go..." His hands pulled away, so her own snaked to wrap around his waist, pressing herself closer, catching a faint smell of crisp coconut and black pepper, and odd but fresh scent that kept her calm. "...please..."
Despite his maddening blush at how he cursively spat out the pet name, he didn't leave her, not while she was teetering on the edge of something he couldn't fathom. Cupping his left arm around her nape, he felt her close to his chest, feeling her soft breathing tickle him through his shirt while the right wrapped protectively around the middle of her back.
Izuku hadn't a clue how long they laid there, allowing Yuki to sob into his chest while he protected her from the world, keeping his arms around her even when she asked him to stay. It had been a long time since he and Yuki even shared the same bed, and even that back then left him completely flustered and a studdering mess, yet he refused to say no, simply for the fact he had never seen her so defenseless before, and she jumped at nearly every shadow, it was heartbreaking to watch.
After some time, he now faced away from Yuki in her bed, blushing crazily at the feeling of her legs brushing up against his own, hearing her slow breathing behind him. "Izuku..." He flinched at his name, refusing to turn around lest he makes the situation more awkward due to his timid resolve when it came to physical contact, though that worsened since Camp after that moment alone in the hall, just that feeling of her bare, smooth skin on his hands, separated by just a towel it... it was alot for him, even when he finally felt her bare skin for a brief moment in the hot spring, he always lost his composure just thinking about it, forgetting she called his name.
"Y-Yes...?"
"Turn," A hand tugged his shoulder, that along reminded him of her shivering form. Bottling up his bashfulness he steadily turned, finding the soft pair of eyes resting on his, he always freaked when his nose brushed against hers, feeling her breath expelled against his lips
"S-S-sorry, I'm very c-close...!" He went rigid, but Yuki didn't stop leaning forward, pressing her lips to his nose gently, pulling away with kind, blue eyes that sparkled in the moonlight
"Thank you..." She leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his back, her next words out of her control, and ones that were stained into Izuku's mind for the remainder of his life. "...my Hero."
Pressing her to his collarbone, he felt Yuki's head nuzzle against the underside of his chin, his arms crawled around her back, keeping her close with a flustered smile at her words, his heart skipping a mile a minute. The last thing he expected to hear were those words, and... it made him tear up a little, having continued to blame himself for never reaching her, to save her from the torment she and Katsuki had to endure, yet she never pushed him away, and he was selfishly thankful she never did, he couldn't bear that idea at all.
As Yuki's heavy eyes fell, she felt no dark presence loom, or rather, the warmth radiating from her green hero warded those demons away, protecting her for the night with a smile on his freckled face. That drew her own, thankful it wasn't Nana that was here to see this, thankful that Izuku didn't leave her, selfishly she hoped he'd continue to do that.
To Be Continued...
Yuki may be tough, but that doesn't make her strong, and the mistake of her past is surfacing, something her ghostly reminder of Vosik is taking advantage of, how will she fare come to the License Exam? And will she tell Izuku of her past faults? Wait and see.
I did much of this from Yuki's perspective since I didn't want to just write the episode, though I did sneak in the standard anime trope with Hatsumei simply because it was funny as hell. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter heroes!
Next Chapter: Starting the Test of Perfection
Izuku: Now with my new Shoot Style and costume Gamma I'm ready for the exam!
Yuki: This ought to be interesting, some... faces that I wish I didn't have to see...
Izuku: Don't worry, either way, we're going to get our licenses!
Yuki: Damn straight! Next, Starting the Test of Perfection.
Izuku: Go Beyond-!
Both: Plus Ultra!
To Be Continued...