Midori the Girlfriend
Chapter 13: Cooperation
The teachers gathered around the conference table discussing the terms for the finals. While written exams had no need for change or alteration, it was decided the practical needed an upgrade. Originally robots were used to avoid complaints from the public about people getting hurt, but if the students were gonna be true heroes their control and knowledge against fighting true opponents needed to be tested.
"Still, having the students fight us in pairs…" Cementoss began.
"It seems a little unfair." Thirteen spoke up finishing his thought.
"If we win too easily we won't be able to grade them properly." Present Mic agreed.
"Which is why we're gonna give the students a handicap. Each student needs to be tested on their weaknesses, and see how they cope with a situation where the mind of their opponent isn't so generally focused."
"Principal, what do you think?"
"I agree we need to change the final exam. The main priority is how to make sure the students stay safe… the answer is simple. We must make the students stronger."
Murmurs of agreement were exchanged and Aizawa picked up his notes.
"Alright to determine teams… first off Todoroki. In general he's doing well but he tends to use brute force. I originally had him paired off with Midoriya since the two seemed to have formed good team syncopation, but I went with Yaoyorozu. She's an all-rounder but unlike Midoriya she lacks the ability to make spur of the moment decisions and apply them. I felt it be a better test for them to pair up, and go against me. I will take advantage of their weakness which is the overuse of their strong quirks and erase them."
"No Objections." The teachers all agreed.
"As for Midoriya, I've paired her with Bakugo. Unlike the others where I based them off grades or quirk affiliation I chose these two more basely on their inability to properly communicate and cooperate with each other. Bakugo is a strong well rounded fighter, but doesn't work well in teams. Izumi is finding her stride, and because of their history together she is the only one I can foresee addressing the problem. However this will truly be a test to see if Izumi can take charge of the situation and get Bakugo to listen and work with her. I'm leaving them to you All Might."
All Might snapped to attention at that looking over at Aizawa with a surprise gaze.
"You're fond of Midoriya, aren't you? Please instruct them well."
~Day 3 of written exams~
Izumi felt sick. She wasn't sure what possessed her to down three helpings of breakfast, but she could feel that big breakfast wanting to rise up in her throat. The last several days of prepping for and taking examinations had been stressful, and though she was fairly well prepared for the written exams, she couldn't help stress on each subject. She'd poured over notes, and textbooks, studied way late into the night, and trained her body bright and early. She hadn't slept well so her body felt tired and drowsy, but she'd somehow managed to stay focus until the test was done before slumping onto her desk. "Ugh I'm gonna hurl."
"Did you do that poorly, Midori?" Uraraka asked coming over to her desk.
"No, I'm pretty sure I did fine, but I'm not feeling too hot at the moment." She rubbed her face. "I'm… my body just doesn't like me right now, that's what I get for not sleeping well and overeating at breakfast."
"You do look rather pale…" she put a hand on her forehead. "Maybe you should go see Recovery Girl."
Bakugo glanced back at her frowning.
"You better not be getting sick. We have practical exams tomorrow and you need to be in top shape." He scowled. "I won't tolerate another handicap."
"Thanks for the concern." Izumi's lips twitched in irritation. "I'm sure I'll be fine once I go home and get some rest. I didn't sleep well last night and I WAY overate. I'm gonna go use the restroom." She stood up… the fatigue and nausea hitting her as she stood and she tipped forward. Bakugo was instantly up and caught her before she went face first into floor.
"Izumi! Oi!" He knelt laying her down and turning her over in his arms. She really was pale, and her face was sweating. Shoto was up the moment Izumi had started tipping over and was now next to Bakugo.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, she just passed out. Get out of the way, Icy Hot, I'm taking her to Recovery Girl. Round Face go tell Aizawa what happened!" He picked Izumi up and hauled her over his shoulder.
"Don't carry her like that, damn it Bakugo!" Todoroki chased after him.
"At least this way if she throws up it won't be all over me." Bakugo sneered and carried her down the hallway.
"Throw up…" Todoroki slowed his movement. He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach and wondered why alarm bells were going off in his head.
Recovery wasn't in the office, a sign posted outside the door said she was handling practical for third years and would be back later. Bakugo sniffed at the note and pushed opened the door anyway to get her inside and lay her down on the bed.
"Baka Usagi… getting sick at the most inopportune time."
"It… may not be her fault." Todoroki spoke up his eyes shaken with realization.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Bakugo looked at him from the opposite side of the bed.
"Think about it… fainting… nausea… and she said she overate this morning which isn't like her."
Bakugo stared intensely a moment… then his eyes snapped wild when realization hit him. "You don't seriously think she's pregnant do you? When did you guys…"
"It was right before internships, two months. The timing is right, and she's showing all the major symptoms. Damn it…" Todoroki lowered his head holding it. "It's my fault." If he hadn't been careless, if he hadn't gotten carried away this wouldn't have happened.
"Look don't… don't jump to conclusions. We don't know for certain. She said she didn't sleep well, and she could just be-" Bakugo on the verge of panic trailed off as Recovery Girl walked into the room.
"Oh.. .what's all this now. Midoriya again? What is it this time?"
"She just fainted, Recovery Girl." Todoroki turned to face her. "We're… not sure what's going on."
"Probably just stress of the finals. I get several patients throughout the day for this kind of thing. Don't worry I'll check her over then send her on home. You two head back to class." Both boys hesitated, Recovery Girl sensed the tension between them and sighed shoving them both towards the door. "I said I"ll handle it, now out!"
"Damn it that woman is pushy…" Bakugo shoved his hands in his pockets then looked to Todoroki who looked truly frazzled. "Stop panicking, you're freaking me out." He shoved him down the hall with a swift kick to the back. "Come on."
"Don't tell anyone… not Uraraka, not Iida… I don't want anyone to know until Izumi has had a chance to say it herself."
"Do I look stupid?" Bakugo snarled then shoved a finger at him. "Don't answer that… but let me tell you just one thing, Todoroki." He gripped him by the shirt and shoved him into a wall. "If you did get her pregnant I swear to god I'll beat the ever loving shit out of you!"
~Practical Exam Day~
It was all Bakugo could think about. She'd managed to sneak off home on her own after being looked at by Recovery Girl, but he'd caught her in the morning on the way to the station. She looked better, he thought with some relief. Well rested, well groomed. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail that curled down her back. It was getting pretty long, he noted and couldn't resist reaching out and giving the end a tug.
"Need to vomit?" He teased her and she glanced back at him with a little smile.
"Good Morning to you too, Kacchan."
"So…" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What the hell happened yesterday? You sick?"
"No… Recovery Girl thinks the stress of the finals just got to me. Still she gave me some packets, and sent me down to the clinic to get some tests done before going home. Proper nutrition and all that kind of stuff." She went a bit blue remembering the lecture.
"Tests? What kind of tests?" Bakugo felt panic bubbling. When she stayed silent and fidgeted until the question his own face went blue. "Oi… Usagi. What's that look for?"
"Nothing, it's just… embarrassing. Look let's not talk about it right now. I just want to focus on the test."
"Maybe you shouldn't take the damn exam if you're not feeling well."
"Oh no you don't!" She pointed a finger at him. "You're the one who told me to give it everything I've got! I'm not backing down, Kacchan! No sense in apologizing just because you're scared."
"Who the hell said I was scared?" He shouted at her and stood toe to toe bumping heads with her. "I was showing concern, that's not being scared! If you're ready for this then bring it on, Usagi!"
What the hell… from what he'd heard they were just fighting a bunch of dumb robots anyway, so it should be a piece of cake for Izumi to pass without too much damage from her body. He was overreacting anyway, there was no way she would risk it if she knew she was pregnant. So crisis averted, he'd ignore it and let Todoroki sweat it out. It was his damn kid and problem anyway.
Kid… As he thought he just couldn't get the image of pregnant Izumi out of his head. She'd be sixteen next month, but the thought of her being a mother was just… odd. She'd be good at it, he was sure. She was kind enough, smart enough, and diligent enough to work though any mom problems… She'd enjoy it he was sure, being a parent. She'd be depressed to start with at having to put her dreams of being a hero on hold, but Izumi wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge on a kid. No she'd accept her mistake, and take the responsibility in both hands. It was just the kind of person she was.
Maybe he was resentful that the kid was Todoroki's… that he'd get to experience all that bonding and affection a couple goes through when expecting. His family could certainly afford it, and Endeavor already made noises about wanting them to get married…. Shit! He hadn't thought of that. If she was pregnant would that mean the two of them would get married? Damn it, what the hell kind of cheat was that?
"Kacchan… you okay?" Izumi waved a hand in front of his face.
"I'm fine… listen. Don't rush into anything as far as Icy Hot goes. Just because his old man wants the two of you married doesn't mean that's your only option, okay?"
"Huh?" She blinked and narrowed her eyes. "I already told you I'm not engaged to Shoto, we're not even dating anymore. What makes you think marrying him is my only option?"
"I'm just saying that if things… go wrong with your plans… if you feel cornered and what have you I don't care if it's my problem or not I'll take it on with you!" Bakugo stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. "I'm supporting you, okay?"
"What's gotten into you today, Kacchan? You're acting really strange." She pulled back from him, and jogged towards the school. "Come on, we're gonna be late."
~Practical Exam Arena~
The students were all taken aback by the true content of the practical exam. Ashido and Kaminari in particular were thrown off as they'd fully expected to ace an easy robot exam with no problems.
"Going up against… the teachers?" Uraraka looked shocked and nervous and she glanced around at the various strong and experienced teachers.
"In addition, the teams have already been decided, as well as who they will be going up against. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu you're paired up and will be fighting me." Aizawa gave a sinister grin at the reactions he saw in both his students. Todoroki had a poker face, but Yaoyorozu looked unnerved. He was confident in his pairing. "
Midoriya and Bakugo are teamed up." Izumi and Bakugo tensed up and glanced at each other in surprise, but neither of them could be prepared for who their opponent was. "You're going up against-"
All Might came from the sky his feet booming as he landed and grinned almost sinisterly at his two favored students. "I will do it."
"All Might!?" The two of them shouted and Bakugo visibly pale at the prospect. He glanced over at Izumi and any thought that he had about getting her safely passed without injury quickly went out the window.
~Monitor Room~
"Izumi…" Todoroki stepped into the room. Izumi and Uraraka were watching the other battles unfold. "Can I talk to you a minute?"
"Hmmm? Sure, but shouldn't you be talking strategy with Yao-chan?" She turned and faced him when he stepped right up to her.
"I'm not too worried. Between the two of us we should be able to manage alright. I'm more worried about your pairing. Particularly who you're going up against. Are you sure you're up for this? You were sick yesterday I don't want you to overdo it."
"I'll be fine, Shoto." She smiled. "Kacchan and I will figure something out. He's already off brooding someplace, I'm sure one of us will come up with a plan. We just have to stay open minded… even if we are going against All Might." She lowered her head and rubbed her nervous stomach. The motion had Todoroki tensing up and he quickly hugged her and held her close to him.
"Don't hesitate to tell one of the teachers if you change your mind. Your health and safety comes first."
"I'm made of stronger stuff than that." She pat his back then pulled away to lifted a fist up and gently tap it on his chin. Her grin was wide and challenging. "Don't forget this is still a competition… Kacchan and I are aiming for the top. So don't slouch."
Todoroki nodded and he kissed her forehead before leaving the monitor room. Izumi held her fist that was now shaking and she glanced up at the monitors again, watching her classmates either triumph or fail.
The closer it got to her turn, the more nervous she got. Her mind was already whirling on how she was gonna face All Might in combat. They'd never sparred before during their training, but she had sparred with Endeavor, and knew when you were going up against someone better how to gage their power. The man had never gone full out, but he'd gone enough to leave her bruised and broken. There were days she lost, and days when she knew he'd let her win, but there were a few times she knew he'd taken her seriously, and she'd put him on the floor.
They had a huge handicap with the weighted cuffs, and were given the okay to either capture or escape. They didn't have to fully take him on, but had to outsmart him, or outrun him. Considering it was All Might it wasn't gonna be easy… but fighting villains rarely was.
When it was finally her turn Izumi walked out towards battlefield Beta. This always seemed to be the battleground for her major events. This is where she'd taken the entrance exam, where she'd faced Bakugo for the first time, and now it would be the place of the final exam. She saw Bakugo by the gates and walked up to stand beside him.
"This is it, Kacchan. Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready."
He'd debated long and hard about how to go about this. No matter how much he thought this sucked he knew there was no other way to get Izumi out of the field unharmed. He walked straight… and just kept taking the main road that he knew would lead them straight to the gate.
"Um… Kacchan are you sure you wanna go about it this way? A direct attack like this isn't really smart. This is All Might we're talking about."
"Shut up… you listen to me, I'm gonna take that big bozo on alone, I don't need your help. I'm going to distract him then you run for the gate as fast as you can. That's how we're gonna win this."
"Why do you get to distract him?"
"Because I'm the stronger fighter!"
"Since when? In case you forgot, I won the last time we fought!" She frowned at him.
"That was a team battle, and you only won because you blew a hole in the roof. This is different! Now stop following me, it'd be better if you take a less direct route… go off into an alley somewhere."
"Run and hide in my rabbit hole?" Irritation prickled and Izumi clenched her fists at her side. "Just how low of an opinion do you have of me?"
"I told you, your power isn't needed to pass!"
"Stop yelling and stop underestimating me! This is why we can never-" Both of them were knocked off their feet as a blast suddenly ricocheted through the street breaking windows and concrete.
Bakugo coughed and looked up as Izumi sat up.
"Usagi? You alright?"
"I'm fine… but-"
"Who gives a damn about the destruction of the city?" All Might's voice broke through as he stepped through the dust. "If you two think of this as an exam you'll lose. I am a villain, heroes."
Izumi staggered to her feet, her legs wanting to buckle at the cold intimidation that had her sweating. What the hell was this sense of intimidation? Bakugo looked at All Might his teeth grit as he his his fear behind a challenging grin.
"Stay Back, Izumi."
"You can't take him on alone, Kacchan." She stood up despite the wobble in her knees and she let One for All light up around her.
"Watch me!" Bakugo shoved out his hand and called out. "Stun Grenade!" The area became blinded with light, and he leapt up to attack.
"Kacchan! Damn it!" She watched him get picked out of the air, All Might's hand grabbing him by the face and holding him out like you would a rabid animal.
"Get Lost, Usagi!" He shouted around the hand and lifted his gauntlet to fire off a consecutive series of blasts to All Might's face. The attack only got him tossed to the ground, Izumi hesitated, catching the look inside All Might's eyes and felt that fear trickle up. What had Kacchan been thinking taking him head on… they were gonna lose this collision fight. They needed to find a way to both run and get to safety.
"Why am I reminded of the hero killer right now?" She murmured to herself and launched but she was quickly caught. He had her by the wrist and she slammed her free one into his stomach over and over trying to wriggle free.
"Oof… my goodness you've certainly gained some strength there. Endeavor's training has helped you build some muscle… however-" He whipped her around and sent her flying. "Your fear and hesitation are against you.
"Usagi!" Bakugo leapt up catching her before she collided with a building and he took the brunt of the hit before both of them fell.
"Cough… Kacchan what are you-"
"Shut up, I told you to run!"
"I'm not leaving you behind, you can't fight him on your own! At least let me-"
"No! I'll win this on my own without your help. Fighting against odds and protecting what you love is what it means to be a hero, now GO!"
Izumi's eyes cleared at that. The strength in his stance and the determination there had her feeling nostalgic, remembering Kacchan as a kid, idolizing All Might just like her, growing up with that sense of justice, moral, and bravery. He took everything All Might said and did to heart and applied it to himself.
"Kacchan…"
"Anyway here's a little present for the person supposed to be running away!" All Might suddenly brought down a broken gate and trapped Izumi underneath. Bakugo's eyes went wide with worry and panic and he whirled around lifting his gauntlet ready to blast him, but he got a fist to the gut instead.
Despite the fight in him, despite his best efforts to focus, his worry for Izumi kept his concentration split, and All Might wiped the floor with him.
"I can understand why you're frustrated." All Might told him as Bakugo tried to collect himself from his last hit. "You've seen little Midori's progress, and it unnerves you how well she's doing. However, level 1 and level fifty can't progress at the same speed. There's so much wasted potential in you, do you understand?"
"Shut up, All Might. You don't understand anything." With his mouth dripping with spit and sick he grit his teeth staring up at his opponent. "I won't use her that way, I'd rather lose than have to rely on her!"
Izumi's eyes sharpened and anger had her power pushing out, the gate flying off as the wind around her body kicked up. She leapt and her fist plowed straight into Bakugo's face. Following her forward movement she grabbed him up and over her shoulder darting through an alley and leaving All Might dazed and baffled.
"Baka!" Izumi slammed him against a wall blind fury on her face. "What the hell was that? What the hell do you mean you'd rather lose?"
"Ow! Damn it that hurt! You heard what I said. You power isn't needed-"
"Bull Shit! What the hell is wrong with you today? First you said you'd do whatever you could to support me and now you're saying I'm not worth relying on? What's gotten into you?!"
"It's not about what's gotten into me, it's about what's gotten into you!" Bakugo shoved back and pointed a finger at her. "I won't take the blame if something happens and you have a miscarriage!"
"A mis- what?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Todoroki told me the two of you slept together. It's been two months, and yesterday you were nauseous and having dizzy spells. Recovery Girl is having you tested and gave you pamphlets it's obvious isn't it?
"Is that what this about? You think I'm pregnant?" Izumi smacked a hand to her face. "Baka… I got tested after being admitted into the hospital at Hosu. I'm not pregnant. The tests and pamphlets Recovery Girl had me take were for infections and diseases."
Bakugo's temper chilled some as relief swamped him at this news… but then boiled right up again as he realized he wasted his time worrying about her. "Damn it, why did I even bother?"
"So is this argument over? Will you rely on me a little now?"
"Why the hell should I rely on you? You were stupid enough to sleep with Torodoki and almost got yourself pregnant! You seem to make stupid decisions everytime I turn around!" Bakugo screamed at her and got slapped for it.
"Shut up! God Damn it, Kacchan! Do you want to know WHY I chose to sleep with him? Why I chose to even date Shoto even though I told myself I wasn't gonna go there?" Her fist shook as she stepped closer to him pinning him back on the wall. "It's because unlike you, Shoto LISTENS to me! He respects me, acknowledges me, and even though he worried about me during the fight against Stain he TRUSTED me to do my part because he knows I want to be a hero! You, I can't even get you to listen to me without me SCREAMING at you like I am now! I have to hit you to get you to look at me properly instead of through this haze of memories you have. I thought I'd proven myself to you before, but clearly from the way you've been acting you still don't trust me to do my part!"
"Why should I trust you? Everytime I try you always bring me up then shove me down!"
"Get your head out of your ass, this is not about our relationship Kacchan this is about our dream!" She grabbed his shoulders shaking him. "Since when have you never aimed for the top? Since when have you been a quitter!? I'm your partner in this exercise so you're stuck with me, now THINK! We need to get past All Might, but we can't overpower him, can't outrun him, so what do we do?!"
He shoved her back his eyes darting sideways to avoid her intense stare. "We don't have to overpower him… we just have to distract him long enough for one or both of us to make it out."
"Good… and the best way to do that-" She grabbed his hand lifting his arm so their fists clenched together. Her grin was large and challenging. "Is to take him by surprise."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Yay! We're almost done! Only two chapters to go then I'll be releasing the newest part of the trilogy! Thanks for the continued support everyone!
Next Chapter: Unexpected Twist