She's The Man

Chapter 2: Rival's Reunited

She and her brother would have to submit to testing and experiments with new products, but Izumi thought it was a fair trade for the right to use Mavis' work. The body shaper he'd given her was the perfect tool to use for her disguise, and it was surprisingly light, like an undershirt. She slipped it on under her clothes, and waited until she was far enough away from the house before activating it.

She left bright and early to take the train and made sure to leave a note for her grandfather telling him she was out with friends and would return by dark. She managed to keep her haircut a secret by wearing hats, hoods, and bandanas, but something told her he already knew. Grandpa Torino had always been one step ahead of them no matter the circumstances.

It had been a long time since she'd seen her hometown. She pressed her face to the glass of the train window and sighed sadly. She would have to stop by the cemetery and leave flowers for her mother before leaving the area. Maybe even visit the apartment grounds, just to reminisce, and privately grieve a little.

Pushing depressing images out of her mind she concentrated on the task at hand. After exiting the train she quickly walked the mile to the school, and stood in front of the gates with wide appreciative eyes. The place was like a palace, with its shining windows, bold gold lettering, and ornate gates. Students from various schools filed in one by one, all ready to take their exams.

She and Izuku had been homeschooled so neither of them had a school uniform. Instead she'd chosen to wear a nice black shirt, and slacks, and kept the first few buttons loose the way she knew Izuku liked to wear it. Normally Izuku would wear a backpack but she hadn't felt like lugging his huge sack with her, and settled on a laptop back strapped over her.

Izumi felt the first flutter of nerves when she took the first few steps up to the school, and immediately pulled out a notebook to start jotting down descriptions. She wanted everything she saw recorded for Izuku. The more he knew about today, the better. Her lips moved and murmured as she wrote, and she let out a yelp when she felt a back against her back and an explosion ripple over it.

"Ow! Hey!" She whirled around, green eyes flaring with temper, and then blinked in wide eye surprise. "Kacchan?"

"Well, well, well if it isn't Deku?" Bakugo sneered at him. "Changed your look some, haven't you?"

"Humph, surprised you even noticed." Izumi narrowed her eyes on him. "I'm not quirkless anymore, Kacchan… so watch it!"

Surprise lit Bakugo's eyes, then a smirking challenge.

"Oh? Or What?" He leaned in snagging her face in his hands and squeezing her cheeks. "You gonna cry, Deku?"

She smacked his hand away, once again surprise lighting Bakugo's face.

"I'm not fighting you here, but push me and I won't hesitate to push back!"

"Since when did you grow a pair of balls?" He retorted crossing his arms and eying her suspiciously.

"Yesterday," she smirked at him and whirled around to walk away.

"Tch, all talk I bet." He waited a moment letting her get a head start before calling out. "Hey, Deku!"

"WHAT!?" She whirled back around snarling.

"How's your sister?" He asked casually walking casually up to him. Izumi's eyes narrowed.

"She's fine."

"I haven't seen her since your mother's funeral." He ruffled a hand through her hair and brushed a thumb over the buzz, his eyes narrowing some at the change. "She as ugly as you?"

Izumi grimaced and turned her nose up smacking his hand away again.

"Hideous, definitely not your type."

"Heh," Bakugo snorted out a laugh. "Can't wait to see her again, we'll have loads to talk about. Am I right?" He bumped shoulders with her and walked off. Izumi snarled in response and ruffled her hair back into place.

"You haven't changed a bit, Kacchan. You're still just a jerk."

She'd planned to avoid him the rest of the day, but fate had her grimacing when their numbers turned out to be consecutive and she got stuck sitting next to him. Bakugo lounged back in his seat as other students filed in and he glanced over watching her take notes.

"So does your sister have the same quirk as you, or is she still quirkless?" Bakugo suddenly asked.

"We both got our quirk at the same time when mom died. It's the same… but I guess you could say there are some differences." She glanced over frowning. "Why do you care?"

"I want to know how good you actually are. You obviously think you're good enough to take on this exam."

"I'm more than good enough, I'm getting into U.A!" She boasted and gripped the pen in her hand. "Mark my words, Kacchan."

"We'll see about that." He smirked and righted himself as the ceremony started.

~Practical Exam~

Changing into her sweats had been a challenge. The locker rooms they used were gender specific and since she didn't want to get found out she ended up having to change in the middle of a room of naked boys. Luckily she had the bodysuit on and just slipped the sweats over it, but she got some odd stares that had her instinctively wanting to cover her chest.

She slammed the locker closed and hurried out before anyone could say anything to her. She joined the others in her group in front of Exam area Beta, and had to take long deep breaths to calm her nerves. Her fingers fidgeted and she ran them through the long part of her hair to keep them busy and from shaking.

The written exam had been easy, but the practical exam was where she knew she'd struggle. She wasn't a natural fighter like Izuku was, she didn't have his brute strength, and knowledge of battle strategy. All she had to go on was grace and instinct, and hoped that would be enough. Her eyes met with another girl, a cute brunette who offered her a shy smile before returning to her preparation. Izumi would have to ask her later where she'd gotten the cute track suit.

"You there…" a voice suddenly spoke behind her and had Izumi grunting in annoyance. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a boy that was nearly a foot taller than her, athletically built, and had a proud, dignified stance. During the briefing he'd spoken up boldly asking questions, and had had the nerve to call her out for muttering and being a distraction. Just great.

"Yes?"

"Why did you not wear a school uniform? It is proper protocol to come to these entrance exams representing the school you come from." He asked her, his voice polite, but his eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"I don't have a school, I'm-"

"What makes you think a prestigious school like U.A. will accept a delinquent dropout such as yourself?"

"Say what?" Izumi's temple throbbed in annoyance. She admitted the look she'd chosen did make her look a bit like the son of a yakuza, but that was no excuse for his blatant prejudice view. "I'm not a delinquent you-"

"Okay, start! What are you waiting for? There's no countdown in real life!"

Izumi blinked and looked behind her as the student all started rushing through the gate.

"Crap! I'm already behind!" She started running after them, and even as her legs moved she activated her quirk, remembering her grandfather's lessons.

"Any quirk is an extension of your body. It's a part of who you are, and you simply have to let it emerge from you. Once controlled, activating it can be as easy as breathing."

She felt the power pulsate through her, electrifying against her skin and filling her with a rush of adrenaline. In one quick burst of speed she caught up to the other entrants, and surpassed them by darting into an alley and using the enclosed space to bounce up and onto the roof. She leapt now from building to building, her eyes searching for robots, and found the bulk of them clustered together in the center of the stage. She jumped off and came down with a crash on top of a three pointer.

"Alright, Izumi…" she thought as the robots all turned to face her at once. Her eyes lit with challenge. "You can do this."

~Staff Viewing Room~

Principle Nezu tapped his pawed fingers together as he watched the various screens. While they would all go over the tapes later and review the students individually, he preferred seeing things at first glance, and getting a sense of those who made a point to stand out amongst the pack.

The students would be given villain points, but in addition they were also analyzed for their various other skills such as information gathering, tactician, and overall combat power. A few already stood out to him, but he wanted to get the opinions and suggestions for him staff as well, and looked to his left.

"Well, All Might. You're the newest member here. What do you think of this crop of students?"

"They all have such amazing potential, but you can clearly see the fire more in certain individuals. Take that boy in group Alpha… his combat power is beyond impressive, but it is his drive pushing him to exceed expectations. You can see it in his eyes, and the way he moves so confidently through the stage." All Might rubbed his chin. "A bit frightening, actually."

"Agreed on both accounts…"

"Hmmm?" His eyes focus on the center screen. "That one there in group Beta." He pointed to the center viewing screen where Izumi's face appeared as she zipped out of the way of another robot and sent a shockwave through her fist to tear it apart.

"What about him?" Principle Nezu rubbed his chin narrowing his eyes on the candidate. "He seems to be doing well… and like the other boy he's got immense spirit."

"He… what's his name?"

"Hmmm…" Cementoss flicked through the student roster and found a match in facial recognition. "Izuku Midoriya, age 15."

"Midoriya…" All Might gripped the armrest of his chair and couldn't keep his eyes off the center viewing screen. "Inko…"

~Exam Arena Beta~

How many points had she collected? Twenty? Thirty? Izumi had lost count, but just kept pushing her limits. WHatever robt she could find she plowed through and her limbs started to shake from the exertion. She stopped after plowing through a one pointer, and rubbed sweat from her brow and face panting. She was too flushed, and sweating too much. Her vision was starting to blur and she was feeling pain and fatigue in every muscle of her body.

"I can't stop now… I gotta keep- GAH!" She screamed and brought her forearms up to block her face as massive amounts of debris came crashing around her. Her eyes flew up at the massive robot that suddenly appeared and she cursed. It was the Zero robot mentioned in the packet, the one that would go crazy in tight spaces. Present Mic had advised them all to avoid it, and she could see why.

Turning on her heel she started to make a run for it, but heard a cry of pain to her left. She squinted through the dust and saw the girl from the gate trapped under debris, her face pale and sickly, and her hands trying to push at the rock but unsuccessfully. Without thinking she ran over and shoved the rock up.

"Are you okay?"

"My leg…" She whimpered and tried to stand and Izumi crouched down hefting her up piggy bag style.

"Hold on, I'll… SHIT!" She cursed loudly as the robot got closer and she made a run for it, the robot ate up ground faster than she could distance them, and with a jerk of its mechanical arm sent more debris flying, nearly crushing them.

"Hang on!" Izumi told the girl and powered up one for all leaping on top of the rubble and jumping a great distance. She heard screams and cries of other entrants as they tried to make a run for it. This was futile… if that robot wasn't stopped someone was gonna get hurt. She looked around, and spotted the guy who'd lectured her at the entrance staring at the robot in question, a look of debate on his face whether to stand against it or run.

"Hey!" She shouted at him to get his attention and she carried Ochaco over to him. "Take her."

"What?" Tenya stared at the supposed delinquent. "What are you-"

"Get as much distance from this thing as you possibly can, I'm gonna stop it in its tracks." Izumi turned to face the robot.

"Are you crazy? That thing is massive, and you get no point value out of it!"

"Who gives a damn about points!? This thing is gonna end up killing someone if we don't stop it!" She rushed forward leaping back over the rubble and jumping along the robot's body.

"What's he talking about, this is a test, not a…" His eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked down at the girl he held up. "A… test… of course!" His eyes flew up seeing Izumi fly up and up. "Amazing… how did he know?"

Izumi didn't know anything, except she needed to keep people from getting hurt. She leapt and jumped but couldn't get higher than its knees without it's arms blocking her path. Obviously her safe mode wasn't going to cut it. If she was gonna stop this thing, she couldn't hold back. She landed back on the ground, then immediately pushed the maximum power into her legs and flew sky high, quickly bypassing it's waving arms and up to its head.

"One for All is empowered by emotions. The more you feel, the stronger your will becomes, and the stronger the will, the more power you can unleash."

"This one's for you Izuku... 100% SMASH!" Izumi let her fist fly, felt the bones in her hand and forearm break on impact. The robot's head jerked back, the middle of its sensors pushed in and exploding until its body just crumbled like the debris.

She smiled at first watching it crumble but then she felt the pain and immediately paled. She tried to focus her energy, but her legs and arm were broken. "Shit!" She punched the air with her good arm so her body jerked to the side. She made a grab for the roof of the building and barely caught herself on it. She winced and struggled, trying to pull herself up. Her other limbs were useless and she was just dead weight.

She glanced down at the city below and cursed again trying to find the strength to pull herself up. The concrete crumbled from the damage the robot had inflicted and Izumi let out a gasp as she felt to the ground. She twirled her body in mid air seeing the concrete come up fast and she pulled back her arm in an attempt to unleash air to cushion her fall… then felt the smack against her cheek. A force levitated her a few feet off the ground before letting her fall safely. Wincing she rolled to her side, and saw the girl from before, laying atop a rock she'd levitated to get to her.

"Thanks…" She said with a weak smile, which the girl returned.

"Mnng, you're..mmmph welcome… bLEGH!" The girl returned before losing her cookies. The sight of it had Izumi laughing. The buzzer for the ending of the exam went off and Izumi could only smile, and hope what she'd done was enough.

~Later~

After Recovery Girl had fixed her wounds, Izumi grabbed her gear from the locker and raced out without changing. She wanted to avoid Bakugo completely and thought it best to change outside of campus. She found a bathroom at the train station and slipped off the sweaty body shaper, returning to her girl form. She sighed with immense relief and promised herself she'd never complain about wearing a bra again.

She tugged on fresh jeans, t shirt, and hoodie, and slipped a baseball cap over her hair to complete the look.

"Much better," she decided and made her way to the ticket booth to pay for her ride home. It was then she saw the flower cart just outside the train station. The elderly gentleman in charge was handing a pretty bouquet of red roses to a sharply dressed gentleman who nodded his head in approval before paying and walking off.

Her mother had always loved roses.

Deciding she had enough time to make a stop she paid for a bouquet of white roses, and took a local train to the old neighborhood. Where the old apartment complex had been was nothing but an empty lot. Families and friends of the other victims had littered the front stoop with candles, flowers, signs, and even boxed food in commemoration to their loved ones.

"Maybe I should have gone to the gravesite instead… but I felt I should come here." She knelt down lifting up a picture of an elderly couple she'd known from her childhood. "So many memories haunt this place… I hope you all have found peace." A tear slipped down her cheek. "Mama… I miss you."

"Deku!"

For crying out loud, she thought with a snarl, could sh not get five minutes of quiet with him around? Izumi turned her cold stare to Bakugo who was jogging up the hill to meet her.

"Wrong twin, Kacchan…" She turned sideways to accent her breasts. "Nice try, though."

Bakugo paused in mid stride and narrowed his eyes. "Izumi? Yeesh, you and your brother look scary alike from the back."

"Gee, what a way to make me feel so feminine and attractive." She fluttered her eyelashes in a mock tease then rolled them exaggeratedly. "If you're looking for my brother he's not here."

"Where is he then? I saw him at the U.A. exam and then he just disappeared." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I go where my brother goes most of the time… he's probably at the train station waiting for me." She set her mother's roses down beside the picture of the elderly couple and stood up. "If you'll excuse me-"

"I'll walk you back."

"No thanks," She shoved her arm out for him to keep his distance. "I'm a big girl I can find my own way back."

"You ever stop to think that maybe I just feel like walking with you?" He turned and followed her making her grit her teeth.

"Well did you ever think that maybe I don't want your company?" She snapped back.

"Too damn bad, you're getting it." He retorted with a snarl.

"What do you want, Bakugo?" She turned to face him with an exasperated sigh. "If you're just coming so you can razz my brother, then you can just turn back around and walk home because I won't let you."

"Who says I'm gonna razz him?" Bakugo sneered at her. "Maybe I just want to talk to him."

"Since when? All you've ever done since you've gotten your quirk is make Izuku feel inferior to you, and he's not! You've belittled him, beaten him, and called him quirkless, worthless, Deku for as long as I can remember. So don't talk as if you've suddenly had a change of heart."

"People change, you did!" He snagged her hat off her head making her gasp and snag for it. "You idolize your nerd of a brother so much you're even copying his hairstyle."

"Damn it, get lost, Jerk!" She snagged her hat, but he gripped her by the sweatshirt.

"Make me, tomboy!" He pulled her up to her toes, his head bending down, lips just inches from hers. Izumi stood breathless a moment, and then could only react. Her hair floated and flared as he quirk activated, and her fist came up punching him across the face.

His head jerked back and he toppled sideways to his knees rubbing his red cheek.

"Shit that hurt!" he cursed and shook the daze out of his head

"Yeah, well you deserve you arrogant asshole!" Izumi glared rubbing the back of her palm over her lips feeling a bit revolted at even being the slightest bit tempted to kiss him. "Be thankful I only used five percent of my power."

He glanced up from under his bangs, eying her body that continued to glow from her quirk. "So… this is what it looks like. Deku wouldn't show off his."

"He's not an arrogant boaster like you are. He only uses his power to help people, not to show off." She snarled at him. "If given the opportunity, my brother would kick your ass!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Bakugo laughed flashing his teeth in a sinister grin. "If that's the case I look forward to seeing him in school, if he makes it of course."

"Don't worry, he did, with flying colors!" She shouted and finally stomped off muttering under her breath. "I made sure of it."

~Ask Briry~

Briry: Wow only the first two chapters and I'm already getting great responses! I'm so happy! So a few things, yes the original idea of this fic came from the Amanda Bynes movie "She's the Man" there will be some similarities, but I'm also including elements from other sources such as the Korean Drama "You are Beautiful," and the Japanese Drama "Hana Kimi."

Next Chapter: Surprise Dinner Guest