Chapter 57 - A State of Imperfection
"WHAT!?" That was the reaction the trio expected to hear
"You guys threw down!?" Mina blared
"And now you're under house arrest!?" Hagakure dampened their moods further; The class was completely baffled by the bold move not only on Katsuki's part but on Izuku's, both hoovering away before a smug Yuki while her sister ate the last of her breakfast
Kyoka glanced over to Yuki, herself watching as she sipped on a cup of tea. "So what's your story?"
"Mr Aizawa's put me in charge of keeping them on track, no worries, given the fact I basically have a supercomputer plugged into my head I'll catch up," She said nonchalantly, grinning at the two backs hunched over. "Hear that dummies, I want this place freakin' spotless by the end of the day!"
"Go to hell, Mute!" Katsuki roared, cleaning faster in his rage
"Love you too, Dumb-Dumb!" She laughed like a mad-woman, unnerving many
"She's like a dictator when she's in charge..."
"That is... way more intense than I was expecting." Akio gulped
"Yeah, you heard my sis, chop-chop!" Nana was also enjoying taunting the one Yuki called 'Dumb-Dumb', it was fun. Though her eyes did brighten with a fanged smile that made many of the class gush. "Ah, can you walk to school with me!?"
Yuki raised a brow. "Sure, I don't see why not." It didn't bother Yuki, and it would be like old times so that was a bonus. Nana grinned ear-to-ear, hugging Yuki tightly as her hand ruffled the little bluette's hair. "Now go grab your stuff, we're leaving in five."
"K~!" In a heartbeat, she was gone from their sights
"How can one person be so damn cute!?" Hagakure fumed, most looking to Yuki for an answer. Like a deer in headlights, she stopped drinking to purse her lips, not realizing one of her house arrested slaves were listening in curiously
"...We're similar both in appearances and certain attitudes, I'll admit it, but it comes down to the fact I act more like my Dad, who was an extrovert, seriously, that man had no shame," She didn't know if that was a good thing or not but she digressed. "Nana's more like our Mom, atleast the spunky, chipper side of her, does make me wonder if Nana has her 'Look' like mine when we're pissed?"
Not a soul could ask what this 'Look' was as Yuki's body drained of colour, shivering every few seconds with a frightful look in her eyes. "I-I just got chills thinking about it...!" Her eyes dilated. "Like staring into the twelfth layer of hell surrounded by eyes of pure jaded animosity that could snuff out even the brightest flame," She was starting to pale the world around her. "Death itself would be a mercy compared to the 'Look', even mine pales to that... being's eyes, scary..."
"SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS THE 'LOOK'!?" Many internally screamed but dared not to ask given Yuki's sudden devolution into madness and despair
While Yuki was gone, Izuku managed to leave temporarily to visit someone. He was so terribly shaken by that dream he had that nothing could rid the vivid and... intimate dream of him and Yuki. His logic stated it was just a part of their relationship but never once had he encountered such a mortifying, confusing and passionate dream. Not even back at camp. So, he went to the only person he knew he could feel some semblance of comfort talking to, All Might.
He was in the teacher's lounge as usual, surprised to see Izuku outside given his house arrest. "Young Midoriya?" He quickly poked his head out, snapping his eyes everywhere to ensure Eraserhead wasn't nearby. Then he whispered in a scolding tone. "You know you can't be outside given your circumstances."
"I-I know, sir, I... can I ask you something, it's very personal." He saw how timid he was, confused, he nodded and let him inside, quickly shutting the door
"Well then, lay it on me," He sat down, facing the boy with worry at his slight, uncomfortable movements and the fact he kept his hands balled up together in an attempt to stay calm, even while his face rose in temperature. Growing with concern, All Might sat forward. "Young Midoriya, what's troubling you?"
"All Might..." Here goes nothing. Gulping down that lump in his throat he tried to keep his freckled face from turning redder. "I-Is it... um, n-normal to um... uh have... s-sensual dreams... of someone...?"
All Might's brows shot up with surprise, ensuring he heard this correctly as the freight train smashed into his body, even though the rest of his expression remained stoic. "Sweet merciful God he's maturing!" Normally such a conversation was reserved for parental company, so the fact he considered him under that title was, in all honesty, grateful, though now he had to tackle this carefully, given who it was that was asking. "Okay, Toshinori, take this slow." Of course, what actually came out was not the several things he wanted to say, but rather a gasp as he spat blood
"Aaah, I KNEW THIS WAS BAD!" While Izuku freaked out, All Might slapped his forehead
"Dammit, you're losing him! Pull him back!" Waving his hands frantically he took this bit-by-bit in an effort to calm the teen down. "It's fine, this is completely normal for a boy your age! Your mind is simply adapting to how your body's changing!" Why did that sound like more of a vague notion than a direct answer to him?
Fear morphed to sheer terror. "Th... this is bad, I-i'm starting to see her in this way... in a violating, inappropriate way! How can I stop this... do I just limit the interactions around her? W-would that lessen the thoughts or just make me crave them more? Ahh, I don't know what to do!?" He had to stop thinking like this, about Yuki in this way and fast.
All Might screamed at himself internally. "He's slipping, stop him already!" Reaching out he slapped Izuku on the temples, snapping him from his mumbling panic to view All Might, not realizing how nervous the ex-hero was. "Young Midoriya, this is fine, there is nothing wrong about feeling this way!" He already knew 'who' this 'she' was. Sighing, he took this slow while sitting back down. "These new thoughts are directed toward Young Yuki, am I correct?"
Izuku's blush brightened as his head fell. "Ye... yes." He didn't see the few blinks followed by the bright smile on his face
"You kids..." Hearing this chuckle drew back his eyes to the blonde. "Relax, Young Midoriya, I had a feeling one of you two would come to this crossroads eventually, I may be green when it comes to teaching but I've seen my fair share of romance amongst my peers, granted, I have never been in your shoes." It was hard for one objectively out of such a loop to critique a romantic relationship but his own student came to him for help, so by God, he was going to try.
The next words out of All Might's mouth left him completely shellshocked. "I am surprised it was you who has been thinking of Young Yuki in a sexual way..." That drew the line. Izuku's face bloomed red, hiding behind his hands as he curled up before his mentor, utterly incapable of looking at the world. All Might just stared, completely bewildered by his reaction. "This boy's so naive..."
"W-W-wha-a-at am I-I-I-I supposed t-to d-do Al-l-l m-Might-t-t?" He became a shaky, stutter mess. He didn't want this, he didn't want to confront the idea his mind would start to lull him toward such desires he never had before.
All Might spoke plainly. "Sit down and talk to her about it..."
Like a deer, Izuku shot up in fright. "AND RUIN EVERYTHING I HAVE WITH HER!?" He blared, then saw the neutral look on the blond's face, so he slumped back down. "I-I'm sorry..." All Might smiled briefly, seeing the lost and conflicted look in Izuku's eyes. "It just... I don't get it..."
Memories of when he and Yuki would walk home from UA together, no, even before then when she would surprise him by appearing outside his Middle-School, waving from the wall casually. People would always talk high enough that he could hear them.
"He's more like a grade-schooler around that chick in the mask, just look at how childish he looks compared to her?"
"I know right? With those big eyes of his or bland-looking curls, he barely stands out." The comments stung him when they passed but he didn't understand why, nor why they only ever seemed to view him as this outcast compared to the girl behind a mask.
"I'm not that attractive... or even remotely noticeable." He murmured, thoughts running rampant to when she had moved her mask off to one side, back when they walked home from UA, her smile out to the world as she scribbled down a few notes beside him.
Now it was a few snapping voices from some girls in passing. "He's just so plain and odd-looking, I don't get why she glues herself to him?" The sneer stung too, and the laughing from the other only made that pain worse
"He's like some lost puppy, must be such a turn-off." Her sneer and scoff only made his hands grip his bag tighter, Yuki never heard any of this, and in a way he glad she didn't, encase it all was true
"I just... don't understand what she sees in me at all," His voice was low, unable to stop from thinking of negatives. "I... I'm not attractive or good-looking, and... even now I just don't see why she cares about me so much."
"Young Midoriya..." All Might's eyes softened, seeing him begin to mentally beat himself up for something that wasn't his doing. "Now he's starting to berate himself for not measuring up to others' expectations, this is bad." Reaching over, he patted the anxious teen's head. "Young Midoirya, I have no reason to believe she thinks that way of you."
"B-but I-" His abrasive tone was cut off by a hand held out, All Might digesting what he heard clearly
"You put too much pressure on yourself now that these new, intimate feelings have emerged, but remember what I told you of Young Yuki, how you became the first person she could openly befriend that was her age?" Izuku did recall that moment, nodding slowly with a few tears wiped away. "She would go on for hours with Akame or myself about you, heck, when you two finally got together she was over the moon!" He laughed, coughing slightly as Izuku blushed deeper. "My point is, viewing yourself under those around you is a bad way of screwing this up, it's harsh but that's the reality of things."
That brought his mood down, or until what All Might said next. "...Yuki is a strange girl, with many strange secrets, but one of her finer qualities is that I know she'll never abandon you based on your looks," His emerald eyes met All Might's blue orbs and reassuring smile. "Take this slow," He punctuated 'slow' for the boy. "You've both experimented with your boundaries already and this is no different, try to be more intimate with her, flirt with her, just prod with some of her moves to show that you're interested in the idea of furthering your relationship someday,"
The idea of 'flirting' was an unknown concept, and most of what Yuki does was very tactile so maybe if he did attempt those things it might surprise her. Now his mind was slowly cropping with new, more fun ways to bond with Yuki, not at the same level of intimacy as his dream but enough he might feel comfortable with. "All Might... a-are you sure s-she'll be okay w-with that?"
"He's so naive, I vow to keep their blooming love afloat!" All he got was a supportive thumbs up and a winning smile. "I'll support you whenever you need it, Young Midoriya!" Taken into a loop by his mentor's words, Izuku was flattered but confused, one question plaguing his mind as he felt his embarrassment simmer
"All Might, why do you want to help me so much - n-not that I mind, I'm grateful-!" He blinked, the hero chuckling at the boy's meek actions and words throughout their chat, it was nice, not needing to always talk of One For All and just help the boy be a maturing teen, and seeing the affection he had for her was always a pleasant sight
"Young Midoriya, when I saw you two interact during your training over those ten months, I have never seen such bliss shine from her eyes, even behind that mask I could tell she was elated, and you, a nervous, scrawny little middle-schooler who had never had anyone to turn to other than me or your own mother smiled as though she had been your best friend for years," It was something he treasured watching. "You worry for her, you became distraught for days on end after she was comatose and never left her side, you strive not just to become my successor but now to see her smile, that alone is worth protecting."
His words left Izuku stunned in silence, mulling over his words as he thought to how he and Yuki agreed to go at their own pace, and that was fine with him, what worried him was if she felt this same desire to move forward, so, for now, he'd follow All Might's advice. He blinked, finding the retired hero ruffling his hair. "Now head back to the dorm, you still have three days to clean through," Nodding he followed his order and left, but not before All Might gave him one last piece of advice. "And Young Midoriya?" He glanced back, seeing the assertive expression. "Try to be assertive."
Timid and unable to say much, he offered his teacher a nervous smile. "I-I'll do my best, sir!"
Three Days Later...
"Hey, Mute?" Turning from her lazy slouch on the sofa, Yuki cracked an eye open to find the familiar ash-blonde looming over her with a mixed expression. "Let's talk, privately."
Silently she nodded and followed, curious to what he wanted, she decided not to question the fact he still had his workload to finish for the fourth day, Izuku having returned to classes. Though after tormenting them for the last three days Yuki felt she'd let it slide, she already berated Izuku for leaving without her permission to chat with someone, to which he apologized profusely as Katsuki laughed, though that earned him a pillow to the face.
Once outside the dorm, he crossed his arms and put his back to the wall, Yuki skipping to sit on the step. "So, what's up?" She didn't receive an answer for a moment, but she knew he was thinking deeply about whatever he questioned mentally
"About your Quirk, SIVA, just what exactly is the connection between him and that Kovik guy?" His question was unsurprising to her, she expected this since SIVA did hijack her body before. Propping her elbows on her knees she cupped her chin
"Kovik's one of SIVA's, or Aksis's, underlings," She began, eyes uninterested at the flashes of an arctic world caged with metal and chitin that crawled over walls and through missile silos. "He was a biologist that experimented on other forms of creatures, using them for new bioweapons, from what I can recall in SIVA's memory, he ripped the eye out of a monstrous abomination and used its gaze to forge a weapon that would fire destructive payloads of energy at an alarming rate."
"What the hell...?" Katsuki's eyes snapped wide at that, an odd chill creeping up his arms at how dully Yuki answered that as if the thoughts never phased her
"The things that SIVA has seen and done cannot be erased, and Kovik won't rest until he eradicates us both," She accepted this long ago. "Vosik was the second-in-command, though less of a torturous scumbag, he was loyal to Aksis, to being perfected as he was."
"Why the hell do you trust it?" His scornful eyes narrowed at the back of her head. "If it's got a mind of its own, won't it just-" Her laugh cut him off, causing his eye to twitch at her interruption, seeing her gaze back at him, propping herself up with her hands back
"Katsuki, if you were robbed of everything in your life, wouldn't you make a deal with a monster to survive, to try and make things right?" No reply, just an angry stare that wavered at her soft, melancholy eyes. "SIVA has hurt so many people, his own kind too, but... he willingly gave his power to a stupid child who blamed the world for being so cruel, he gave her the choice to see a new day on her own two feet, to set things right and keep his mistakes from consuming any more lives,"
Yuki made her choice, and she was okay with that. "Even if I die..." She lifted her gaze to smile back at him. "I'd do it all again to meet you, Izuku, and everyone else again!" That caused his anger to simmer, mouth ajar at her kindhearted words that even he struggled to snap back at, so instead, he slapped the back of her head, seeing her recoil. "Ow, what was that for!?"
"Don't you fucking die, Mute," She blinked through the pain, peeking up at his gaze, seeing the seriousness behind his scarlet gaze. "I don't care what you have to do, but I'll never forgive you, no one will if you die a stupid fucking death."
For the first time since that horrid time, Yuki saw just how much had changed between them. Before she'd taunt him simply because it was fun to easily annoy the man that bullied Izuku for so long, that was the norm between them. Now... she did it because it was their thing, a part that she couldn't let fall apart due to changing events, or maybe it was the try and forget what happened, to try and ease his mind of that time. He cared, in his own way he cared for those who put up with him.
Standing up, Yuki kept her smile and put her fist against his heart, tapping lightly with a warm smile. "I won't die, not when 'Ground Zero' has my back," His eyes perked up to hers. "I won't die, because who else will be here to annoy you for me?"
"Tch," His own fist balled up, jabbing her own heart with a soft frown. "Damn right... Yuki." She beamed a little at her name, himself turning away in a huff. "Go back to doing nothing you damn Mute, and don't track dirt on the floors!"
She chuckled at his frantic need to keep things clean for the sake of pride. "Sure thing, Mom."
*Bzzt-Bzzt*
While Katsuki returned to the dorm, Yuki plucked out her phone to see she received a text from... her brow rose. "Shota?" Odd, she read the text as she felt a nervous ball twist in her stomach
Shota: Come to Training Gym Gamma, you'll want to see this T_T
He never texts you unless it's important | Or if you've been gone too long | Or... he's planning something
"SIVA..." She swept the sweat off her brow. "I think you're right, he used a text-emoticon, Shota 'NEVER' uses those!" Something was wrong and she could feel it
Inside the Gym, chaos and discord ran rampant as more of Class 1-A were wiped out in seconds. A force of pure skill and training unlike any other swept through them like a tidal wave, wiping out their confidence and leaving them on the ropes, those that remained standing here unable to conjure any form of plan, and how could they against such unstoppable force?
"Okay, now you're just ripping off my skill!" Akio pouted, then warily looked among the downed teens, specifically the rocker who was left reeling in pain. "Also, now I'm annoyed so thanks," His eyes turned violet, and his arms slicked themselves in black skin, smoke gathered around his hands. "Can't use magic but Viral's power is still on the table!"
"Wait, Akio!" Izuku couldn't stop him from charging toward their enemy, the man smiled at Akio's bold approach, seeing the two beams of smoke pass through his body
"I know you, you're the guy that worked as a Vigilante! Viral right?" He grinned, seeing the right leg sweep through before two more bursts of smoke passed through his stomach. "You're good but your skills don't quite match up to things you can't touch, sorry 'bout that." He vanished into the ground, Akio's fist missing before the man shot through the earth, digging his fist into Akio's stomach a second later, knocking the wind out of him
"Aw, crap, he got Akio of all people!?" Kirishima grimaced
"This is bad, at this rate our numbers will be cut down in seconds." Iida panicked too, unable to figure a way around such an intense Quirk. Izuku didn't feel the same way, if anything, he only remembered what he was taught long ago about his own power
'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'
It wasn't his Quirk that made him rise to the level he's at now, it was training and skill, all the moves and advice he's absorbed, from All Might, to Yuki and Katsuki, all of this has accumulated into his skillset. This guy was no different, his ability to phase through matter wasn't what made him special, it was all the work he did to make it that strong.
"There's more to his Quirk than we're seeing!" Izuku spoke up, drawing their eyes as he stepped forward, clocking his power into thirty percent, the gust of wind billowing those that were standing as his curls bristled in the wind. "Whether his ability is slipping through matter or warping through space either way he has to land his attacks directly, we can counter the second before he makes that contact!" Mirio smiled while his friend resting his head on the wall peered out to hear Izuku's claim. "Even if we can't tell what he's doing we should theorize with what we do know, and use that to beat him!"
Kirishima pumped his hardened fists. "Yeah! That house arrest didn't put a dent in your fighting spirit!" With their minds aligned, they may just have a plan to attack, and Izuku definitely had one, twisting his feet outward
"Let's see if you can figure out how to beat me!" Mid-sprint, Mirio's body fell through the floor, leaving behind his trousers a second before he'd reach the one at the front
"I bet he'll probably come up from behind!" "Everyone scatter!" Izuku cried out, leaping high above the lot in the second Mirio warped. "Manchester...!" The area cleared, seeing Izuku raise his right leg high, barreling down with a flick of his fingers. "SMASH!"
The second his heel cracked against the earthly floor, the ground split apart, revealing the surprising look on Mirio who was mid-warp, now visible between the many varying sizes of debris, staring up at the blazing flame in Izuku's eyes. "He knew I'd come up here and even broke the floor to make me less unpredictable, pretty smart!"
"Get him!" Kirishima ran forward, Iida tearing through the rubble with a powerful roundhouse that again phased through Mirio his fist coming through a boulder to knock Iida out mid-flight, then Kirishima sipped through, finding a fist embedded against his stomach within seconds. "Grah!"
"Iida, Kirishima!" Ocha gaped, Izuku flipping back from one of Mirio's punches while spinning on his palms, seeing both feet slip through while he used the force to fling over an extended punch, evading the deadly blows from the blonde
"Here's one, an Ultimate Move!" He warped his hand through Izuku's kick, fingers coming through his body like serpents toward his eyes. "Blinder Touch Eyeball Thrust!" Of course, Izuku closed his eyes, missing the point of the counterattack as it left his side open to a solid blow, causing him to spit while flopping to the ground before he could let off a Delaware Smash in time. "I've learned most try to form a counterattack just like you did, so I've made a counter to that counter! Still, not bad!"
In no time at all, he tore down those that remained standing in seconds, what little planning they had was stripped away to a painful blow to their guts. Mirio slipped on his trousers, posing one last time. "POWEEEEER!"
"Fuck, I hate when he says that!" Akio coughed, faceplanting the earth again
Even though all of Class 1-A bar Shoto and Katsuki were down, one person came bursting through the doors, drawing a few groans of curiosity, a hum and tilt of the head from the blue-haired girl, Nejire. Amajiki's eyes widened from the wall, familiar with the girl in question. And Mirio cocked a brow of surprise at the late guest.
"It's her again, the one with the mask?" Amajiki was surprised to see a familiar face
The battle was far from over, round two was about to begin.
To Be Continued...
Two small moments for Izuku and Katsuki this time; Things are prepped for the season three finale and it seems one of the Big Three knows Yuki, but how will our ex-mute fare in a battle against someone you can't touch? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter heroes!
Next Chapter: Perfect Plan Against Permeation
Yuki: The whole class was wiped out!
Mirio: Oh, are you here to fight too? I'm up for a second round.
Amajiki: This girl again... just who is she?
Nejire: Oooh~ Is this your girlfriend, Amajiki?
Amajiki/Yuki: NO!
Mirio: Haha, next up, Perfect Plan Against Permeation.
Nejire/Yuki: Go Beyond!
Amajiki: P-Plus Ultra...