Chapter 4: Back Up!
Izuku vs Katsuki: Back Up! [Remastered] by Gameboy Jones
Review Replies
daang21: Why was izuku in 3rd place when his points in total were higher? it makes it seem like rescue points don't matter at all and are simply for show.
Dragon Emperor0: You'll have to forgive us, we couldn't remember if the placements were simply based on just hero points and rescue points were just a secondary way to pass if you didn't get as many or not. So we went with what we had from memory.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah. Sorry about that.
Knightmare Lord: Izuku is gonna wreck the competition, that's for sure.
Dragon Emperor0: True.
ThermalsniperN7: Ain't that the truth.
Fanguy59: Oh, dear. So I have...thoughts on Harem Stories. 90% of all of them are wish-fulfillment power fantasies that, if taken seriously, make the boy a complete sociopath and would far more likely end up with multiple people heartbroken or dead. Plus there's the whole ick factor if older/younger folk are involved. A quick word of advice: if you're going for the Harem Route for your Main Character, be sure to have a Hard Limit of Haremettes, and ESPECIALLY don't make EVERY major girl into the boy. That's just unrealistic or the beginning to School Days. And we all know how that visual novel ends if you try to have more than one girl… Also, be sure to expound on why the girls are willing to put up with rivals to the boy they're after. It can't just be because they like the boy so much- that's extremely shallow and something's going to break sooner rather than later. Could be a cool Tragic Yandere Villian origin story though…
Dragon Emperor0: It won't be every girl, we have a pretty concrete list in mind. And you have to keep in mind that Japan has very different laws and culture around relationships than us in the west, so our leases will always be out of sync.
ThermalsniperN7: The world just loves to function that way.
Crofty666: I think you forgot to include Kirishima and Hagakure on the class ranking, there's only 18 names.
Dragon Emperor0: Noticed and rectified. Thank you.
Whatif-inator: Ok with how easily startled Midoriya is and how he reacts to it with lethal force, I'm beginning to think that he may have accidentally killed someone and revived them afterwards with the Rinne Tensei jutsu. The Rinne Tensei Jutsu doesn't necessarily take the user's life if used. The only reason Nagato died was because of chakra exhaustion, the jutsu itself costs a lot of chakra to even use. Obito was still alive after using the jutsu to revive Madara. Is there a possibility of Shigaraki being a Jinchūriki of Shukaku? Shigaraki's decay quirk would go hand in hand with Shukaku's sand abilities. The dusty remains from his victims being used as sand for combat or defense. Not only would it fit with his MO but would certainly add a bit of challenge for Midoriya. Shukaku is chaotic and not necessarily on the side of good so it wouldn't be out of character for him, it's not the first time he's craved for death too.
Dragon Emperor0: We're still on the fence about adding Jinchūriki in general to the story, though we are seriously considering it.
ThermalsniperN7: We already have one story like that. We're debating whether or not to add a second one to that count.
DragrexTheBrit: Personally, I would say I like the idea of adding Camie into the Harem if you're having himiko be a gyaru.
ThermalsniperN7: … We'll write that down.
Dragon Emperor0: Though that probably won't happen, simply because we'd already toyed with the idea of pairing Camie with Katsuki.
WeirdGuyOne: I already was struggling to read this because of the description's MANY red flags...
but Izuku holding decay, All for One gaining the rinnegan (and not implanting it within himself?) and then putting it into a small child, with historical significance of Shinobi (chakra would have utterly replaced quirks if MHA naruto crossed over) added on top?
Oh dear lord.
Then we get to Izuku's eyes. The Rinnegan, when not in its original owner, cannot be hidden without tampering via genjutsu, illusion quirk, or contacts. We have never seen Nagato's eyes once change from the Rinnegan.
And aside from the fact Izuku would necessitate an *extremely large* chakra pool to even wield a single Rinnegan, he somehow passes out from an ability he could only ever use if he mastered all chakra natures.
There's a reason Madara did not use Shinra Tensei (or many other Rinnegan abilities for that matters) - he just flat out did not know how or have the capability to do so. He is not a Master of all 5 elements, despite all his power.
Now, another thing: Katsuki.
Yes, fear is a powerful motivator and all that, but Katsuki should not fear Izuku. Izuku "gaining a quirk" while young would not make Katsuki dislike him or anything. I don't know why Katsuki cares about Izuku when the only thing notable about Izuku before is quirklessness. If anything, Katsuki will have either drifted away or stayed his friend.
And Izuku barely grows a backbone, only slightly more confident, despite holding the Rinnegan... for how many years?
Yeah...
Then you completely changed Himiko's personality. Is this even Himiko Toga anymore? Nope. An OC with her name and appearance slapped over it. Are you trying to write characters or caricatures?
Also, you literally only introduce chakra last minute when he's absorbing the Slime Guy. Except, why now? If Izuku knew of chakra, why has he never mentioned it once? Why does Slime Guy have chakra? Life Force I can understand, it's different, even if Preta has never been shown to absorb it, but chakra?
Of course, your story, but there's just a lot of stuff I just can't help but dislike
ThermalsniperN7: It's called setting a world up, one that happens to be an AU, on top of that. Izuku passed out because it was a fresh activation, and he had no chakra to speak of at the time. An abrupt unlocking of chakra like that on top of the world's strongest eyes can and will make a child fall unconscious.
Dragon Emperor0: Additionally, Madara's eyes had reverted back to their natural brown/black color upon his third and final death, so the Rinnegan wouldn't have been available to Izuku after transplant. The only reason Ujiko knew they were the right ones was because of the museum records he snagged.
ThermalsniperN7: As for Katsuki, the reason he's scared of Izuku's power is due to some offscreen incidents involving him nearly getting hit by Rinnegan abilities while Izuku was training them. When he did some homework on the Rinnegan, he was shaken deeply. Ergo, the way he acts in this story.
Dragon Emperor0: And it's this incident and other similar incidents that will be revealed later that leads to his guarded, and almost Nagato-like attitude here in the beginning of the story. It isn't that he hasn't "grown a backbone" it's that he's trying to be as non combative as possible to keep history from repeating itself.
ThermalsniperN7: And as for Himiko… Boi, have you not heard of the AUs where she actually had a competent family that supports her? THAT'S the type of AU we're using here, one we happen to LIKE.
Dragon Emperor0: Our version of Himiko Toga is not meant to be the one from cannon. This is an AU exploring how her character would have turned out if her urges and quirk were not suppressed and ridiculed (which caused her psychotic break in the first place) but was instead healthily managed and her quirk's positive aspects were praised. This is not us doing "caricatures" as you put it, but is us considering how an alternate version of Himiko would realistically act in a better life situation. Ya know elseworld stories of Superman like Red Son and Gods and Monsters? It's the same goddamn principle.
Guest: Nice job adapting the Quirk Assessment Test. It was nice seeing Izuku use the powers of the Rinnegan to get through most of the challenges! Keep up the great work!
ThermalsniperN7: Thanks.
Dragon Emperor0: What he said.
Yellowpikmin88: I'm afraid you got the exam results mixed up based on those figures. Izuku should be first, Himiko second and Bakugo third since Izuku has 120 points total from both villain and rescue points.
Dragon Emperor0: We weren't sure how the point values were balanced so we went with the setting that seemed the most logical at the time.
MonkeyKing12: I don't know if you noticed but I only counted 18 people in the class rankings granted you've probably seen a similar review already so I'll just say this the chapter was fantastic and I love how the people are interacting and also have you thought of doing a harry potter story cause you could do one where its a crossover with The Legend of Vox Machina where he gets Percy's guns or a book on how he made them and he could even have the Evans(Harrys moms family name) be the descendants of him and harry has his hair go white as a child.
Dragon Emperor0: Handled. Thanks.
ThermalsniperN7: As for that crossover… Well, i don't watch The Legend of Vox Machina, so I don't know about it.
ProjectIceman: Oh wow Rosario Vampire. That's nostalgic… damn I feel old lol
Dragon Emperor0: Surely RV isn't that old… is it?
ThermalsniperN7: Don't look at me for an answer to that. I never showed any interest in the canon version.
sreepadhkrishnan: Izuku blasting Aizawa had me laughing hard and the realization later inside his head is a very izuku like reaction XD
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah. That was great.
Dragon Emperor0: And people say our version of Izuku makes no sense. Ha! Who's the dumass now?
Dragonaut: For harem you should add Melissa, Mei hatsume, Nejire Hado.
Dragon Emperor0: The Harem's roster has already been decided, but Melissa is in it.
ThermalsniperN7: Thanks, anyway.
-Midoriya Household-
"So, how was your first day of school, Izuku?" Inko Midoriya questioned as she sat with her son at dinner.
"In a word? Exhausting." The boy sighed, fiddling a bit with the okonomiyaki that his mother had fixed for dinner.
"That type of bad?" The green haired woman asked, noting how her son sounded.
"Quite… Though I have made a couple of friends." The boy admitted.
"Oh? Like who?" His mother questioned.
"It's… two girls named Ochako Uraraka and Himiko Toga." The Rinnegan user admitted, causing his mother to light up.
"You finally started talking to girls!" She exclaimed happily.
"Aw jeez mom!" The boy groaned, laying his head down. "Yes, they're friends. Yes they're girls. But they aren't my girlfriends!" He told her. "We're just friends, and they aren't my only friends. I also have another friend, Tenya Iida." He added.
"Why does that last name sound familiar…?" Inko wondered before shrugging it off. "It's probably nothing. Is there anyone else?" She questioned.
"Not yet." The boy told her.
"Well that's still great to hear." Inko smiled with a sigh of relief. "With you and Katsuki growing apart after middle school and with how guarded you'd become after your Rinnegan awakened, I was afraid that you weren't going to make any friends." She admitted. "But it turns out I was worried over nothing!" She added.
"You do have a habit of worrying about a lot." Izuku mused. "Don't think I forgot about how you were reluctant to help me train my Rinnegan because you thought I'd Universal Pull myself into space." He added with a deadpan look on his face.
"It was an honest concern! Don't mock your mother for being… Careful." Inko retorted before trailing off as she slowly noticed something on her son's neck.
That being a fairly visible hickey.
"Izuku… Is that a hickey on your neck?" She questioned with narrowed eyes, causing him to go rigid.
"Uhhh, kind of?" He offered nervously. "But it's not what you're thinking." He told her.
"Then what is it?" Inko demanded as she contemplated employing a flip flop.
"Himiko drinking my blood because of her quirk." The Rinnegan user replied, causing his mother to pause.
"... Pardon?" She uttered in confusion.
"Her quirk allows her to transform into whoever she drinks the blood of. In some cases she can even copy their quirks. But this has the downside of making her fascinated with blood and having blood cravings." Izuku explained. "I… figured it was probably better for her to feed on me rather than bottle it up inside and then snap one day on some innocent bystander out of desperation." He added.
"Desperate feeding is something that should be avoided with blood quirks, that is true." Inko mused. "And helping with her cravings is something you'd do without a second thought." She added.
"It's in my bones to feed the hungry." The boy nodded.
"That's my son." The woman smiled. "That aside, why don't you bring your friends by sometime? From the way you talk about them they sound adorable." She teased.
"Mom!" Izuku groaned in exasperation.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Himiko was having dinner with her mother–her father Kazumasa was still at work–and she was also telling her mother about her friends.
"So Ochako is living on her own now?" Akiko questioned.
"Yeah. Her parents are sending her what they can to support her, which isn't a whole lot. Just enough to pay the bills and make me worry about her food selection." Himiko replied, voicing her concerns about her bestie's living conditions.
"Well, you can always tell her she can come here to have dinner." The woman suggested. "And I can even help you pack meals for her to keep at home if that helps." She added.
"I'm sure she'd try to say no, but I'll give those to her anyway." The young blonde remarked, knowing Ochako well.
"I'm sure." Akiko chuckled. "Unfortunately with tuition, lending any extra yen is off the table." She sighed. "Sorry, dear." She apologized.
"I figured that helping with Ochako's tuition wasn't something we could do." The girl sighed. "But it would've been nice to give her some extra cash to at least get some real groceries." She sighed.
"That aside." Akiko said, moving her bowl of rice and bowl of udon aside. "I noticed that you had a slight trickle of blood on your mouth." The woman noted sternly. "Himiko, did you try to cut someone?" She questioned seriously.
"No, mom. I made a new friend that willingly gave me his blood." Himiko retorted defensively.
"This new friend a boy?" She questioned.
"Uh, yeah, I just said that." The girl nodded. "His name is Izuku Midoriya, and oh my god mom, he is so cute! He's probably the most handsome guy I've met yet!" She added with a smile.
"He can't be that handsome." Akiko dismissed, only for her daughter to show a picture of the boy in question.
Said picture was of Himiko hugging Izuku from behind and smiling while peace signing the camera while Izuku awkwardly smiled with a blush and a barely discernible eye roll.
"... I stand corrected." She amended with a blink. "Those eyes of his are rather peculiar, though." The woman noted.
"I happen to like them. The way they ripple makes it easy to get lost in them, like an alluring hypnosis…" The girl sighed happily as she looked at the picture.
"I just hope you realize that you'll have to bring him home so that your father can get a look at him." Akiko smiled, causing her daughter to blush.
"Mom! I haven't even asked him out yet!" The blonde whined.
(Later)
It was the next day and now the students of class A were getting into the groove of the UA Hero Course curriculum.
Most notably their classes were broken up into core classes (Grammar, Literature, History, Math, and Science) they all met in the mornings.
Then at around noon, they broke for lunch, which was held in the main cafeteria and was headed by Lunch Rush, one of the most popular food based heroes.
Needless to say, it was honestly pretty typical if the kids were being honest. If only a bit crowded in the mornings.
It wasn't until the afternoon where things really got interesting. This was when hero classes took place, and it was taught by…
"I AM HERE! Walking through the door like a hero!" All Might exclaimed as he entered the room, causing everyone to get excited.
"Whoa, hey it's All Might!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"So he is going to be teaching here! This is gonna be totally awesome!" Kirishima grinned.
"Hey, isn't that his Silver Age costume?" Tsu noted.
"So retro. I'm getting chills." Ojiro commented.
"Alright, everyone, welcome to hero basic training! Think of it as Heroing 101. Here's where you'll learn the basics of being a pro. And what it means to fight in the name of good!" The man started. "Let's get into it!–Today's lesson will pull no punches!" He added, holding up a card with "BATTLE" on it.
"Fight training?!" Katuski grinned.
"Oh no…" Izuku groaned.
"Not a fan of combat?" Himiko questioned from her seat behind the boy.
"It's not that, I've just had… Let's say some bad luck with using my powers in a combative capacity." He told her. "Namely involving almost maiming a few people." He shivered.
"Well maybe this training can help you." The girl offered.
"That's my hope, too, honestly." Izuku sighed.
"Now, one of the big parts about being a hero is– looking good!" The No. 1 hero grinned as he pressed a button, causing some racks with suitcases to appear out of the walls. "These hero outfits were created based on the forms you submitted to the Support Department before school started. Suit up and meet me at training ground beta!" He instructed before heading out, allowing the students to grab the cases holding their outfits.
"Yes sir." The kids exclaimed.
(Later)
After everyone got dressed into their costumes, they all headed towards the training area where All Might was waiting for them, allowing him to see what they looked like.
"They say clothes make the pros ladies and gentlemen, and behold you are the proof!" He began. "From now on you are all now: heroes in training!" He continued. "Oh this is getting me revved up! You look so cool! Now, shall we get started? Ya bunch of newbies?!" The Symbol of Peace questioned.
Izuku himself certainly stood out. He had a version of Nagato's Akatsuki outfit that was adjusted to fit him, right down to the ring. The kanji on it was replaced with "midori" (green) however.
Additionally his cloak was green with white bordered clouds instead of black, so it wasn't a one to one rendition.
"Oh hey, Deku/Izuku!" Ochako and Himiko exclaimed as they ran over to the boy, causing him to go rigid as he saw their costumes.
Ochako was wearing a skintight black and pink astronaut suit, right down to the custom helmet she had on. She seemed somewhat bashful about it.
Himiko, meanwhile, was wearing a version of Vlad King's costume. It was a red skin tight leotard that had a storage reservoir on her back that was connected to tubes that went to tiny syringe bracelets on her wrists for discreetly getting blood. The gloves these were attached to were red while they were white, and she also wore white knee high boots, as well as an orange mask.
Additionally she had several knives strapped on her hips (throwing knives included), medical pockets on her legs, a tri-tip mini cleaver in both boots, and lastly–a Tanto strapped horizontally on the back of her waist.
"Oh, hi. Um, n-nice costumes." The boy commented with a blush at how revealing they were.
"I honestly should've been more specific. This is too skintight for me." The brunette admitted bashfully.
"Well I'm certainly not complaining." The blonde purred as she hugged her friend from behind, cropping a feel of the brunette's chest.
Izuku didn't know how he was supposed to react to that… Oh, wait, yeah he did. He was blushing profusely at the display.
"Himiko! Cut it out!" Ochako yelped, jumping away.
As they all started gathering around, All Might was quick to start everything so they wouldn't waste time.
"Now that you're ready, it's time for us to begin." The man told them.
"Sir." Iida chimed in, raising his hand. "These are the fake cities from our entrance Exams." He continued. "Does that mean we'll be doing Urban Battles again?" He asked.
"Not quite, I'm moving you two steps ahead. Today's lesson will take place indoors." The man replied. "Most of the battles you hear about on TV take place outside. The truly intelligent villains skulk in the shadows, behind the scenes. Home invasions, backroom dealings, and more. We will be simulating one such occasion." He continued.
"Isn't this a little advanced?" Tsu asked.
"The best experience is what you get on the battlefield!" The No. 1 hero replied. "But you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people." He continued. "So today you'll be splitting up into teams of good guys and bad guys, and fight two on two indoor battles!" He added.
It was then that he was bombarded with various questions from his pupils all at once.
"Sir, will you be deciding who wins?" Momo questioned.
"How much can we hurt the other team?" Katsuki continued.
"Are weapons allowed? The school never did say." Himiko chimed in.
"Are we going to have to worry about the lovers getting expelled like earlier?" Ochako gulped.
"Will you be splitting us up by chance or comparative skill?" Iida added.
"Isn't this cape tre' chic?" Aoyama asked.
"I'm not done talking!" He growled, shutting them up before he pulled out a script of all things. "The situation is this: The villains have a weapon somewhere in the building, and it's the hero's job to find them. If the villains can hold the line until time runs out, then they win. Additionally, if one side subdues the other, that's another way to achieve victory." He continued.
"Oh, so your classic action movie setup." Izuku noted.
"One of the best genres of movie to watch on a first date, just saying." Himiko whispered, causing the Rinnegan user and brunette next to her to blush with an eye roll.
"Time is limited so we'll choose teams by drawing lots!" The Symbol of Peace told them.
"Isn't there a better way?" Iida protested.
"Think about it, Iida." Izuku countered. "Pros often have to work with heroes from other agencies on the spot." He continued.
"So this is likely a training method based on that." Himiko nodded.
"Huh, ya know, when you put it like that–it makes a lot more sense." Ochako nodded, showing she caught on quickly.
"Precisely!" All Might exclaimed, pointing at them. "It's actually a common sight in the field, so simulating it will help ease you into it and make you more adaptable." He added. "Without further ado, let's draw!"
The teams were then selected soon after, with Ochako getting paired with Izuku and Himiko being paired with Momo, while poor Iida was stuck with Katsuki.
"Now, I declare that the first to fight will be… These guys!" The blonde man exclaimed, holding up two orbs that said Izuku and Ochako would fight Iida and Katsuki, much to the Rinnegan user's exasperation.
"Of course…" Izuku groaned as he facepalmed.
(Later)
"So, this is the weapon we must protect. Fake of course." Iida mused, wrapping the fake rocket with his fist. "Even though this is training, it pains me to align myself with criminal behavior." He sighed.
"Whatever." Katsuki scoffed. "... You've seen what Deku can do, right?" He asked after a beat passed.
"It's hard not to." The blue haired teen replied.
"Then this battle won't be easy. But to hell if I'm gonna let that stop me from roasting that damn nerd today." The blonde growled, clenching his fists.
"Why do you seem particularly angry when it comes to Midoriya?" The speedster questioned.
"Those eyes of his, they aren't just some random quirk. They're more than that." The bomber told him in reply. "The power they hold, it's enough for any villain to covet if they go public. That same power… also scares me." He added, sounding very hesitant on the last part.
"That's… Quite the statement." Iida uttered.
"Trust me. It's real." He added.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, outside the building, Ochako and Izuku were currently trying to work on getting the floor plan memorized. Something that was at least easy for Izuku to do.
"... Hey, you seem like you've known Bakugo a long time. Right?" Ochako spoke up.
"Since we were kids, yeah." The Rinnegan user nodded. "He's always been better than me at basically everything. It wasn't until the day my eyes changed that I started leveling the playing field." He continued. "I'm only just starting to really catch up to his level of confidence." He added.
"Really? You seemed confident enough back in the practical exams." The brunette blinked.
"That's because I had something to focus on." Izuku told her. "But here? I'll have to face him head on, and learn to use my power safely." He added. "This time, without seriously damaging something–or someone." He added.
"What do you…?" Ochako questioned as he got up.
"It doesn't matter. Let's go." He told her as they went inside the building, wit with him walking in front.
As they went, Izuku kept his ears open. If he knew the explosive pomeranian that is Katsuki well, he'd come after them. He needed to be ready when he heard the telltale noise of explosions closing in on him and his partner.
But the strange thing was, as they continued to make their ways around several corners, he didn't hear anything, at all–in fact.
'I'm still getting used to One for All, so it'd be best not to use it. I'll just have to rely on whatever I can do with my Six Paths that won't damage the building, plus Uraraka's Zero Gravity.' The boy thought as they continued sneaking up floors. 'Yeah. That's probably our best bet.' He nodded.
As he finished up his thoughts, he was able to pick up the telltale explosions of Katsuki heading his and Ochako's way, causing his eyes to widen.
"GET DOWN!" He yelled, grabbing his partner just in time for the red eyed teen to come from around the corner and blast them. "Uraraka, are you OK?" He questioned, getting up, showing that the attack didn't leave a scratch on him.
"Yeah, you?" The brunette groaned.
"I'm fine." The boy told her as Katsuki came out of the smoke.
"What're you waiting for, Deku? Afraid to stand up and fight me?" He questioned.
"Keep dreaming." The Rinnegan user retorted as he activated the Asura Path and created some sword blades from them.
However, when he tried to attack with them, the blonde was quick to blast his arms with explosions that were much stronger than they would be typically, causing the blades to shatter.
"Now you're open." The bomber grinned as he charged forward. "I won't hurt you so bad they'll stop the fight, just close!" He yelled as he went for a big right hook.
"Almighty Push!" Izuku intoned as he held out a hand to meet his rival's right hook–causing the Deva Path's repulsion power to send him flying backwards.
"GACK!" Katsuki grunted as he collided with a wall. "Should've known better than to rush him like that…" He muttered to himself as he got to his feet.
"Like I said, Kacchan." Izuku said as the dust cleared around him and Uraraka, showing that he was looking at the boy with very little apprehension. "No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to touch me." He added.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, up in the observation room, the rest of the class was watching and giving various commentaries as the match unfolded before them.
"What did Midoriya just do? All I saw was him holding his hand out before Bakugo went flying." Kaminari wondered.
"The Deva Path, so that's what it looks like in action." Shoto mused. "The ability to control the attractive and repulsive forces of gravity at will, it's quite the devastating power." He added.
"Indeed, and Young Midoriya must be very mindful of how much power he puts into it every time he uses it. A close quarters environment like that corridor emphasizes that." All Might nodded.
"*Ribbit.* It is a way to learn some self control." Tsu noted.
"Wait, so if Midoriya has what I think he has… what else can he do with it?" Kirishima questioned.
"You'll have to wait and see." The man told him.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, back with Izuku and Bakugo, the green haired teen had told his partner to book it to the weapon while he dealt with Katsuki.
And now he was blocking a flying kick from Bakugo with his arm, leaving him wide open to the adjacent wall.
"Almighty Push." He uttered, causing the boy to go flying and crashing through several layers of wall.
"You can't win if you keep spamming that, Deku!" The pomeranian blonde barked as he got back up, but saw that the viridian haired teen had suddenly vanished. "Oh, now you're running, huh?! I'll fucking find you!" He yelled as he went in a direction that he hoped his rival went.
"You put the dick in predictable, you know that, Kacchan?" A voice questioned from the hall across from him, causing him to turn and see Izuku standing there, hand out. "Get over here!" He growled in a Scorpion impression as a dark orb appeared in his hand. 'Universal Pull.' He thought.
"CRAAAP!" Katsuki yelled as he was pulled toward his rival, who reared transformed his right arm into the Gorilla Arms from Cyberpunk 2077, reared it back and slammed his fist into the red eyed boy's gut, the force coming dangerously close to making the bomber puke up his last meal.
As the fist was removed, Katsuki collapsed to his knees holding his stomach in pain since it hurt like hell.
"You give up?" The boy questioned as his arm then shifted to reveal a Cyberpunk arm cannon as he held it at the blonde's head.
"Go… fuck… yourself…" Katsuki groaned, his pride refusing to let him surrender as he shakily got back to his feet.
"Wrong answer." Izuku deadpanned before he fired a tranquilizer at the red eyed teen's neck. However, it unfortunately didn't take immediate effect like he'd hoped.
Taking advantage of his opponent's assuredness of his victory, Katsuki forced his body to not fall down and fought through the haze caused by the dart to start wildly attacking Izuku before the boy had the time to react.
"Oof!" Izuku grunted as he received a sloppy haymaker to the face, forcing him to stagger back.
"Nice try, Deku." Katsuki growled as he limply forced himself upright, a grin on his face. "But you should have shot me with something lethal when you had the chance." He continued, slamming his fist into his face, causing an explosion and further weakening the tranq. "Cuz tranqs don't work when you're full of adrenaline!" He added.
"Of course you'd work around that…" Izuku muttered as he rubbed his face. "And you should know me enough to realize that I don't use lethal force, much less in training exercises." He added, sounding a tad insulted.
"Okay, fine, I'll give you that one." The bomber conceded since it sounded like a valid point. "But you aren't beating me that easy!" He yelled as he started launching himself at Izuku–only to get grabbed by the face, and for blue energy to start coming out of him. 'Preda Path!' He thought as he then performed a backflip kick in Izuku's chin to send him flying, both tumbling down adjacent flights of stairs into different areas.
'Damn… Kacchan is fighting off the tranq I shot at him and he even weakened it. If I can hold out long enough for the adrenaline to wear off, he'll fall asleep and I'll have my opening.' Izuku thought, coming up with a plan while hoping he'd have enough time to outlast his rival. 'Barring that, I'll have to do something drastic.' He added.
(Elsewhere)
As this was going on, Ochako was busy trying to sneak up on Iida to try and catch him by surprise.
As she did this, she quickly reached behind her belt and pulled something out from her costume's utility pouch.
At first it looked like an average disc, until she pressed a button on it that caused it to open into what looked like a pink Captain America-like shield with a black circle in the center.
This was her "Uravity Flying Saucer". A support item she specifically requested after Himiko helped her come up with the design.
'If I play this just right, the lack of gravity on this should let it bounce off several surfaces and hit Iida.' She thought as she glanced around the room, trying to find the ideal angle to throw her support item.
"Sorry Iida!" She exclaimed as she twirled and sailed her shield through the air at an angle that wouldn't make it hit the weapon–but still managed to hit Iida square in the back of the head.
The impact caused the speedster to fall to the ground, allowing the brunette to casually waltz up to the fake weapon and attempt to touch it as she caught her shield, only for Iida to get back up after shaking the birds from his head and attempting to tackle her.
"No you don't!" He exclaimed as he ran at her, only for the gravity girl to block him with her shield and push him back, staggering him.
"Come get me!" She challenged, shield ready.
(Elsewhere)
"Whoa! Did you see that trick shot?! She totally nailed him!" Kaminari exclaimed in surprise.
"Doing something like that requires an excellent knowledge of physics and one's own quirk." Momo nodded. "Clearly Uraraka has both." She added.
"Yeah, and that shield she has? I helped her design it." Himiko chirped.
"Well, you certainly did a good job on that." Ojiro commented.
"Uh, guys?" Sero gulped as he pointed at a monitor. "I think something's happening with Midoriya and Bakugo." He told them.
(Elsewhere)
As the two boys finally found each other on the fourth floor, Bakugo slowly lumbered over to Izuku's direction, his gauntlets lighting up red as Izuku just stood there.
"I'm all loaded up." He stated, holding up his arm while also trying not to fall backwards.
"Oh, I get it; those gauntlets of yours are storing up your sweat for a giant blast." Izuku deduced, his body tensing.
"I see you remembered. Yeah, that's exactly what's gonna happen." The blonde confirmed as he pulled a handle back, revealing a pin.
"Young Bakugo! Don't do it! With your poor footing due to the tranquilizer Young Midoriya used–you'll kill him or yourself!" All Might yelled over the speakers.
"Oh he'll be fine as long as he dodges!" The blonde yelled as he pulled the pin, releasing a monster blast that tore through the entire hall on its way to Izuku.
"Almighty Push!" The boy yelled, palm outstretched.
(Meanwhile)
Back with Iida and Ochako, the two were still fighting in the bomb room when the building was suddenly rocked by a massive explosion, causing both of them to stagger.
"Deku, are you okay?! What was that blast?!" The brunette questioned through her earpiece.
"Ngh… I'm fine, though I am a bit dazed." Izuku groaned in reply.
"Bakugo, status report!" Iida exclaimed, but got no response. "Bakugo, are you there?!" He questioned, still getting no response. "Uraraka, I can't raise Bakugo! Can you get Midoriya to assess his condition?!" He requested urgently.
"Oh, sure!" The girl nodded. "Deku, Iida can't raise Bakugo! What's his condition?!" She asked.
"Standby." The boy groaned. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "He's fine. Just out cold due to a tranquilizer I used on him mixed with the explosion he caused." He reported.
"Okay, good." Ochako sighed in relief before looking at the speedster. "Bakugo just knocked himself out. Literally." She told him.
"Phew." The speedster sighed before the two turned towards each other. "Now, where were we?" He questioned as the two got into combat stances again.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, back with Izuku, he was now making his way to the fifth floor where Uraraka and Iida currently were. His Akatsuki cloak had lost a sleeve, and the left side of his torso was exposed, but other than that, he was fine.
When he reached the fifth floor, he only needed to follow the sounds of combat before he found his partner engaged in combat.
As soon as he got there, he arrived on the scene of something that didn't really shock him, but still pleasantly surprised him.
Ochako had managed to subdue Iida, and got some capture tape around his arm.
"And that's the game." She declared with a smile.
"Wow, how'd you take him down so fast?" The Rinnegan user questioned.
Ochako smiled cutely as she stepped on her shield, causing it to flip into her hand and allowing her to put it away.
"Himiko taught me some takedown maneuvers while we were training for the entrance exam." She told him. "Plus, it pays to be flexible." She added.
"It also pays to be durable, or I'd be a lot more banged up from that explosion." Izuku nodded in agreement. It was at this moment that Ochako noticed the exposed part of his torso.
"... Damn, you could grind meat on those muscles." She commented without thinking, causing Izuku to blush profusely.
"And women call men perverts…" He grumbled, which made Ochako blush after realizing what she just said.
"And with Young Iida and Bakugo captured, the hero team wins!" All Might exclaimed.
(Later)
"Now, despite the results, the MVP of this match is Young Uraraka." All Might told the group, surprising most of the class given Iida's forethought into not giving anything to Ochako to use as weapons, and Midoriya's near constant control to not cause much collateral damage.
"Why, though? I thought Midoriya would be the MVP given how he tried his best to not cause collateral damage." Kirishima wondered.
"A valid question, young Kirishima. Why didn't I choose them? Who has a guess?" The Symbol of Peace asked the class.
"Sir, if I may?" One Momo Yaoyorozu spoke up.
"Young Yaoyorozu, lay it on us!" The man prompted.
"As you stated before, Bakugo's judgment was clouded due to his desire to defeat Midoriya one on one. It caused him to push through a tranquilizer dart shot through sheer force of will by keeping his adrenaline high." She began. "This, while admirable, was a poor move, as it left him nearly catatonic afterwards and made him make the decision to blow up the building–a foolish move, not smart." She continued, causing the now-awake Katsuki to twitch a bit.
"And don't forget it also made his performance sloppy." Shoto supplied.
"That as well." Momo nodded in agreement. "Moving on, while Midoriya's self control in a confined space in spite of his power was admirable, he didn't have much in the way of variety when it came to actual combat with his constant reliance on the Deva Path." She continued. "Then again, gravity is a dangerous thing. So this reliance allowed Bakugo to exploit its recoil with his own attack to knock Midoriya off balance." She mused. "Had he not fallen unconscious, it's likely that Bakugo could have exploited the four second cool down between Midoriya's attacks to blindside him." She added.
'I still have a lot to learn...' Izuku thought, acknowledging his flaws.
"Lastly. Iida showed nearly perfect forethought in preparing for Uraraka's arrival. But her having the element of surprise and the use of her more than unpredictable support item proved to be too much to account for." Momo continued.
"Um… Yes, that about sums it up." All Might nodded dumbly. 'This girl is a smart one for sure…' He thought.
"Though I'm still getting used to my shield, if I'm being honest." Ochako chuckled nervously.
"Are you kidding?! Girl, you totally killed it out there!" Himiko cheered, hugging her bestie tightly.
"Yeah! That trickshot was awesome!" Kaminari added with a grin.
"Come on, guys. I still have a lot to learn with this thing." The brunette said modestly as she held up her shield.
"Now with that out of the way, let's move on to the next match!" All Might called as he drew the next two teams.
(Later)
Izuku was now watching the next match with the others, and was now really curious about the quirks of his other classmates–having only seen glimpses of them at this point.
"I'm curious about Todoroki's quirk. He didn't really use it much during the quirk assessment test." He mused. "And Shoji got the best grip strength score out of us all, so I'm curious how that translates into combat." He added with a thoughtful hum, pulling his notebook from his cloak.
"You take notes on quirks?" Himiko asked upon hearing his words and seeing his notebook.
"Yeah, he's a total stalker about it." Katsuki scoffed.
"Ignore him." Izuku said, making a quick sketch of Shoji and Shoto.
As the match unfolded, the Rinnegan user learned that Shoji could use his extra arms to create any part of the human body for spy purposes while Shoto could freeze entire buildings. The temperature drop was actually felt all the way in the control room.
"He incapacitated his opponents without compromising the weapon or his teammate! Take close note of his technique, students!" All Might chattered as everyone shivered.
Himiko, Ochako and even Tsu in particular were quick to cling to each other with Izuku smack in the middle to try and keep warm. This left Izuku blushing since he had three very female bodies holding onto him.
The next match was Tokoyami and Tsu vs Sato and Kirishima. This match ended in Tsu getting whacked around by Sato swinging her around, and Kirishima holding out against Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. But ended with both working together to trip the other two with the capture tape and recover the weapon soon after.
The match after that was between Kaminari and Jiro, versus Momo and Himiko.
Jiro was able to pinpoint where Momo and Himiko were with her quirk and lead Kaminari there. Momo, however, created a barricade around the door with her own quirk to make entry impossible while Himiko was on lookout duty.
Hanging upside down from the fire escape ladder, the cat-like girl watched as the two heroes were headed to their floor and gave a Cheshire-like grin as she giggled to herself.
"Purrrrfect." She purred as she flipped over and jumped into the fourth floor window so she could ambush the two.
When the two were in position, she jumped down on Kaminari as he lagged behind a bit and knocked him out with some incapacitation techniques she learned. Jiro noticed the lack of footsteps behind her and turned to see what was up.
But instead of seeing Himiko, she instead saw Kaminari.
"Uh, you okay, dude?" She asked.
"Yeah, sorry, I thought I saw something outside the window and almost tripped." The boy chuckled, scratching his neck nervously.
"Well come on, we're almost there." The punk girl told him as she kept leading him toward the objective… failing to notice the cat-like smirk that grew on his face.
Along with the unconscious form that had his hands tied up with capture tape.
(Elsewhere)
"Oh man, Toga pulled some straight up Black Widow moves." Kirishima gasped.
"Yeah, Kaminari didn't stand a chance." Sero nodded.
Bakugo, meanwhile, was just staring at it all. Unable to take all these blows to his ego.
"She'd be really terrifying as a villain, I'm not gonna lie…" Mina gulped.
"The power of a fiend turned to work for the light, truly a wonder to see." Tokoyami mused.
"And it sure sucks for actual villains since she's on our side, though." Ochako pointed out with a smile.
(Meanwhile)
Back in the test building, Jiro and 'Kaminari' finally reached the door to where Momo was, but couldn't get the door open.
"Damn, they barricaded it!" The punk rocker cursed.
"Yeah, I guess I should have told you that earlier." 'Kaminari' sighed as he looked apologetic… all while a purple viscous liquid started following off of him as he melted, and his voice became more like… Himiko's? "Sorry about that." The figure apologized as Himiko suddenly burst out of the substance–completely naked.
"What the–AAAAHHHH!" Jiro started to say before she screamed upon seeing Himiko naked–right before she found herself being kicked in the face clear across the room and into the next wall with a crash.
Before she could react, Himiko had her hands wrapped in capture tape. The shapeshifter was certainly fleet footed.
"Hmmm hmmm hmmm." The blonde chuckled as she stood proud, puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips, causing her BB-cup rack to jiggle. "And that's how you take down a two man team one manned!" She grinned before she started laughing.
"Will you stop laughing and put some clothes on?!" Jiro snapped, blushing like mad.
(Meanwhile)
"... Who's gonna tell her that this whole thing was recorded?" Ochako asked as all of the men in the room looked away from the monitor.
"You are." Izuku replied, glancing at the brunette… Though since he was the last to look away, he got a good look at Himiko's body.
As much as he wanted to say otherwise due to awkwardness… She was very attractive, and this wasn't just because she was naked, the blonde was genuinely attractive.
"Dang, Toga is seriously hard core, I don't think I could handle doing something like that while naked." Hagakure said.
"... Hagakure, you are naked." Ojiro commented after a beat past, still blushing and averting his eyes from the monitors.
"Oh. Right." The invisible girl chuckled sheepishly.
(Later)
The class was now reviewing the last match and needless to say, All Might had a few things to make note of with Himiko's performance.
"Okay, state of dress notwithstanding, her stealth and acting were both impressive." He noted. "Both of these talents are a must as an infiltrator, and she paid close attention to how she behaved when she disguised herself as Young Kaminari." He continued.
Himiko, meanwhile, was still smug as hell. She was even holding her chin high while she quite literally sparkled with self assured pride.
"Now. That being said, who can tell me the mistake she made?" The No. 1 Hero asked the class, getting a raised hand from Todoroki.
"She risked being spotted before she could make her move due to the sun casting her shadow on the wall." He began. "Additionally, Jiro could've used her quirk to listen and learn that only Yaoyorozu was present had Toga waited a second longer. In hindsight, she should've acted sooner." He continued.
This made Himiko's veneer of pride shatter like a stain glass window as she deflated upon hearing that.
"Yeah, in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have waited until we reached the barricade." The bakeneko girl sighed.
(Timeskip).
After hero studies were over, class A went on to their afternoon classes, and then to homeroom again where they all were able to formally introduce themselves to each other and get to know each other.
As this was going on, Iida was barking at Tokoyami to get off the desks while Ojiro and Himiko said that he needed to chill. Izuku was being swarmed by Sero, Kirishima, Tsu, Mina, and Sato about his powers as well as taking notes on theirs, Ochako was getting to know the other girls, and Kaminari was entering the classroom with Jiro, books in hand.
"So yeah, sorry about the match today." The blonde sighed as they put the books away.
"I honestly didn't expect Toga to get the drop on us like that, so I think both of us are at fault for not being aware of our surroundings." Jiro told him.
"Well even so, I feel like I should make it up to you somehow." Kaminari said matter of factly, causing Himiko to perk up. A certain gleam sparking in her eyes.
"Uh oh…" Ochako gulped.
"What's up?" Hagakure questioned.
"Himiko's gone into match-maker mode." The brunette sighed.
"Make it up to her, you say?" The cat eyed girl grinned as she approached the blonde and the rock girl. "I think I know how to help make things easier…" She trailed off.
"What're you getting at?" Jiro questioned, still uneasy due to what happened in the match.
"I'm suggesting that Kaminari here make it up to you by taking you out for dinner!" The blonde suggested with a smile.
"Hey! That's a great idea!" Kaminari exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that? I know this really good burger joint we can go to." He laughed.
"Well… Since you're offering, I won't say no." Jiro said after a moment of thought.
"And with that, my work here is done!" Himiko chuckled as she walked away.
Izuku and Ochako couldn't help but shake their heads at the girl's antics, before the boy's attention was pulled towards Katsuki, who was leaving early.
"Wait, where's Kacchan going?" He asked.
"I don't know but you better stop him before he gets us all in trouble." Sero told him.
"I'll go talk to him. I know him well." Izuku told them before he went after his rival. He was able to catch up with him in front of the main gate. "Kacchan, wait up!" He called after him.
"What?" The blonde growled as he turned back to face the Rinnegan user, pure malice in his gaze and voice.
"Hey, what's with that face?" Izuku questioned as he got closer to him. "I thought we were friends. What's gotten into you?" He asked, clearly confused and concerned.
"You fucking beat me in class today! You here to rub it in with those damned eyes of yours?!" The explosive boy barked.
"No." The boy retorted, arms folded. "Seriously, Kacchan, after all these years that we've known each other–you really think I'm that shallow?" He questioned.
Katsuki had no answer for that. He was too frustrated to think of one.
"Kacchan, you know I'm aware of how much you're hurting. Don't let it get to you." The green haired boy told him.
"What the hell told you it was getting to me?!" Katsuki snapped.
"Again, we've known each other since we were kids, Kacchan. I know when something's eating at you." The Rinnegan user told him. "So why don't you tell me? Get it off your chest." He offered. "And in exchange… I'll tell you something that's been bothering me lately, something I haven't even told my mom yet." He added.
As much as Katsuki wanted to turn him down, he needed to vent. He didn't even care about whatever secret Izuku was harboring.
"You wanna know so fucking badly…?!" The boy growled. "It's everything I saw today! First you show that the Rinnegan is something I can't fucking match, then you and pink cheeks made a fool outta me in front of everyone–and then I see everyone else with quirks that outclass mine! I thought I could be number 1 with no challenges, and now I have all this shit to worry about!" He ranted.
"Then get stronger." The green haired teen told him simply.
"Huh?" Katsuki uttered, not expecting the simple advice.
"Kacchan, there's no shame in being weak." Izuku told him. "The shame is in staying weak." He continued. "I mean, look at me, I have by far the most powerful ability here–and I was completely unable to use it because of how weak minded and scared I was of it." He added. "It wasn't until I actively started changing myself and working tirelessly that I was able to get to some level of proficiency." He finished. "You can do the same, you just gotta try."
Katsuki took in his words and mulled them over. He may not exactly be fond of his old friend, per se, but what he said made sense. If he didn't get stronger, then what kind of hero would he be? He supposed a simple solution was best for something like this.
"... Alright, nerd. You want me to get stronger? Fine. I will." He said after a moment of thought. "Now… What was that secret of yours, anyway?" He questioned.
"It's two, actually." The green haired teen told him, holding up two fingers. "One, the reason why I'm so much better with my Rinnegan is partly because All Might had been training me since the sludge villain attack." He explained, retracting his finger.
"... Oh go fuck yourself." Was the only available response the bomber could give. He couldn't even feel envious right now.
"You wish." Izuku retorted. "Second, I have reason to believe that my Rinnegan… weren't originally mine." He continued.
"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Katsuki questioned with a confused frown.
"It means that they were implanted." Izuku explained. "Think about it, I have surgical scars around my eyes, my eyes were black instead of green before they manifested, and since then–I haven't been able to deactivate my Rinnegan, no matter how hard I try." He elaborated. "Doesn't that sound the least bit sus to you?" He questioned.
"Now that you mention it, it actually does." The pomeranian blonde admitted. "I always wondered why you always seemed to have the Rinnegan active 24-7, and your eye color pre-activation didn't make any sense either when I realized what was up." He mused with a frown. "But who implanted them into you?" He wondered.
"That's something I have no answers to, unfortunately." Izuku sighed in reply.
"Well, borrowed eyes or not. This doesn't change a goddamn thing." The blonde told him, jabbing a finger at the boy's chest. "You're still my rival, so don't think I'll let you beat me again." He growled, before turning away.
"Kacchan…" The Rinnegan user sighed, seeing that their talk hadn't changed anything.
"But even so, that also doesn't change my promise to you, either." Katsuki added as he walked away, getting Izuku's surprised attention. "I'll still always be there to protect you, count on that." He added as he exited the campus, leaving behind a surprised Izuku.
'Well… I guess that's one thing I can accept as remaining unchanged.' He thought, remembering the promise the boy made when they were kids.
-Flashback-
"So your power's some kind of demigod stuff?" An eight year old Katsuki questioned as he and Izuku read a book on the dojutsu of the past, including the Rinnegan.
"Uh… yeah. I guess so." Izuku nodded nervously.
"Sounds like a crazy dream, but whatever." The young bomber scoffed. "But crazy powers or not, you still need someone to protect you, and I'm it." He added, causing Izuku to look at him.
"Huh?" He uttered, not understanding what he meant.
"If what we are reading is right, someone could steal your eyes and use them for evil." The blonde explained, causing Izuku to yelp as he covered his eyes. Sighing, Katsuki then hugged the shivering boy close. "And that's why, no matter where we are, no matter how strong we both get–if you're in danger and someone's about to steal your Rinnegan–I'll be there to protect you." He added.
"*sniff* Promise?" The green haired tyke sniffed, holding out a pinky.
"Promise." Katsuki nodded, locking his own pinky with Izuku's.
-Flashback end-
'Guess some things never change.' Izuku smiled as he went back to get his stuff so he could go home, when he heard rustling from behind a bush.
Looking at it, he went over and peered inside… And came close to faceplanting when he saw a sheepish Himiko in it.
"Uh… Hehe." She giggled awkwardly, right before an irritated All Might made himself known by lifting the girl up by her collar.
"... Alright, how much of that did you two hear?" The boy questioned.
"... All of it?" Himiko admitted from her dangling position.
"I was afraid something would have caused you and Young Bakugo to come to blows when the others told me that you went after him, so I rushed over." The Symbol of Peace explained. "Apparently Young Toga had the same impulse, though it would seem that we worried over nothing." He mused, still holding the girl up like a hangar of dry cleaner clothes.
"Yeah… And put me down already!" The blonde snapped indignantly, prompting the hero to set her down.
"... Guess the cat's out of the bag." The boy sighed, sweat dropping. "Come on, Himiko. I'll explain everything on the way back to class." He told her.
"Okay, I guess…" The gyaru sighed with a shrug as they went back to class.
All Might, meanwhile, couldn't help but look back at Katsuki as he left eyesight range
'So, young Bakugo, even with all your fierce posturing. You still care about your friend.' The man thought with a warm smile.
He was glad that his student was a hero at heart. Even if it was deep down.
Dragon Emperor0: Well, it may have taken two days, but I'd say we did a pretty good job at taking down the Battle Trials in this chapter.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah, and showcasing what Izuku can do at present… You're welcome, Cyberpunk fans. And Himiko apparently went streaking in her match… I dunno whether to applaud her or smack her on the back of the head for it.
Dragon Emperor0: Her shape shifting doesn't affect her clothes, so she typically has to get naked for it to work. Though I'm a little surprised that she didn't get her costume made out of her hair so it would transform too… Hmm, maybe she did and this was just a case of force to habit?
ThermalsniperN7: Force of habit or not, she did basically flash Izuku on the monitors, so… Yeah. But it did set the ship up to happen, so there's that.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah… Plus she's apparently a self appointed matchmaker? Well, she is a very romantic person, so that tracks I guess.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, see you guys next time.
