Chapter 12: GG
{Go!}
Strings sprouted from the tips of Penny's fingers and headed towards Izuku.
"One for All 3% in my legs!" Izuku thought as he charged his legs and leapt to the left to dodge. The strings struck the ground instead. Penny pulled back and dragged the strings across the arena, leaving behind large gashes. Izuku and everyone in the stands stared at the damage in awe.
{Looks can be deceiving! Polendina may seem sweet, but she means business!}
Penny unleashed her strings again to attack wildly all across the arena, shredding the concrete. Izuku again charges his legs to dodge any strings heading his way. When the onslaught ends, Izuku sees how unstable the field has gotten because of Penny's attack. Then, Penny uses her strings to grab and pick up large rocks and starts throwing them at Izuku. He did best to dodge and duck each rock, but the rugged terrain made it difficult to move around. He even nearly tripped at one point.
"She's trying to catch me when I'm vulnerable, like she did to Mineta," Izuku deduced as he continued to run. He ducks again from another flying boulder. "She's not giving me any room to get in close." Izuku narrowly avoided stray strings that aimed at his leg. "I can't keep running around like this…I need a plan of attack!"
Ironwood remained in the faculty box as the battle went, watching the match with stern eyes. He only averted his gaze when the door to the room opened as Toshinori entered.
"Toshinori," Ironwood said. "What are you doing here? Are you not feeling well?"
Toshinori closes the door behind him, keeping his eyes on Ironwood. "James…What's this about Young Polendina being chosen as my successor?" Toshinori inquired. He decided to forgo beating around the bush. Izuku had told him what Penny told him and Toshinori wanted to speak with Ironwood about it.
Ironwood seems taken aback by the question, not expecting Toshinori to ask that. He was quick to regain his composure. "…Toshinori, you said it yourself. Your time as a hero is dwindling quicker than anticipated," Ironwood said, his tone stern, but caring. "You know that I was not the only one who has appointed an ideal successor for you. Sir Nighteye had chosen Mirio Togata and Ozpin chose Pyrrha Nikos. So, I thought about adding another to the roster."
"And you chose Penny Polendina," Toshinori stated.
"You have seen what she was capable of, yes?" Ironwood asked. Toshinori turned his gaze out the window, back to the arena, where the Izuku v Penny match is still going on. The entire arena was shredded by Penny's strings as Izuku continued to evade them.
"...I have seen her capabilities during the entrance exam," Toshinori said, recounting that day. Placed in Block D, same as Ruby, Penny was shown to be taking down one faux robot villain after another, all the while rescuing fellow candidates from potential harm. Not to mention her skills shown during the Sports Festival. "Young Polendina has incredible control over her Quirk and was very quick on her feet. As a result, she was placed in the top 3 in the entrance exam, just short behind Young Bakugou and Young Schnee." He remembered how Penny saved Ruby from the Zero Pointer and saw, first hand, her friendly disposition towards people around her at school and during hero class. "She has a kind spirit that she gladly shared with her peers and she'll do anything to prevent discourse." Toshinori, as All Might, remembered 1-B's own battle trial. Penny's team were one of the two last to participate, them being the heroes in that scenario…Penny single handedly won that battle, where the 'villains' consisted of Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Jurota Shishida, and Ibara Shiozaki. "If I was asked who was the strongest in Class 1-B, I'd say it was Young Polendina. She has what it takes to be a top hero."
"And how do you compare her to Midoriya?" Ironwood asked.
How would he compare…? Izuku is currently unable to have access to all of One for All. It will take a while for him to get to that point…
If he can…
A little voice said.
"...I…"
"...Whatever your reason to choose this young man as your successor, Toshinori, it's not doing you any favors…" Ironwood said.
When Izuku's foot made contact with a piece of rubble, it crumbled under his weight, causing him to lose his balance.
'...You can't have some young man, who has such poor control over his Quirk, take your place. That is not an ideal successor.'
Izuku finds himself entangled by Penny's strings, wrapping his arms to his midsection.
{And Izuku Midoriya has been ensnared!}
He struggled to break free of the strings, but they were too strong. Penny then took hold of the strings from her end and pulled back, pulling Izuku towards her, surprising the young man of her strength. When Izuku drew close, Penny struck him just below his ribs with a knifehand strike. The hit knocked the wind out of Izuku, causing him to choke up a cough.
"So much force behind that strike…" Izuku marveled. Penny released him from her strings and he stumbled back, trying to get some air back.
"Take your time, Midoriya!" Penny declared, striking a stance. "I want to see what you can take and do!"
"Polendina isn't messing around," Kirishima said.
"She had made quick work with Mineta and me," Tsuyu said, tilting her head curiously. "Polendina could've easily flung Midoriya out of the arena. I wonder why she didn't this time–ribbit."
"Polendina may have figured that Midoriya had learned from your fight. She is perhaps being cautious," Tenya said.
"Is Polendina…testing Midoriya?" Ruby wondered. If so, why? Did it have something to do with the conversation they had before the match?
"If you're worried for Midoriya, you should be." Ruby and the others look up to see Monoma peering down at them from 1-B's side of the stands. "Polendina is perhaps one of our strongest classmates! You know how our first hero class was the Battle Trial, yes? In 1-B's class, Polendina was paired with Marigold as heroes, while their faux villains consisted of Testutetsu, Shishida, and Shiozaki. Two heroes against three villains. What do you 1-A refrobates think happened?"
"I mean, when it happened to us, the teams with three people came out the victors," Kaminari said, remembering his and Jirou's defeat against the team of Nora, Momo, and Mineta.
"Something tells me that the opposite happened in 1-B's class," Weiss stated, eyeing Monoma. "Polendina's team won."
"Ding-ding-ding, we've got a winner!" Monoma smirked with a gleam in his eye. "And it doesn't stop there, because Polendina was able to defeat them without Marigold's help. You have all seen what Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki were capable of. So, what does that tell you about Polendina and her being able to beat them solo?"
"Really? Solo?" Kirishima said. "That kind of sounds like what happened with Todoroki." Ruby dared to look back to where Todoroki sat, a faraway corner. He took notice of her and Ruby quickly turned back around, her face turning red from shame.
"Endeavor's son, huh? Sure, he is powerful, but he's nothing compared to Polendina," Monoma bragged. "Polendina is the last of the 1-B students to make it this far, but I have nothing to worry about. She'll make quick of you 1-A bas–!" He gets yanked back down.
"Sorry guys!" Kendo's voice was heard.
"...Seriously. What is that guy's deal?" Nora asked.
Izuku shakes his head to clear it from the shock of Penny's hit, his hand over where he was hit. "There was so much strength behind that …Polendina…is a force to be reckoned with!"
"Are you ready to continue, Midoriya?" Penny asked, looking serious. Izuku nodded. Penny smiled. "Good." She attacks with her strings again and Izuku goes back to running and evading.
"She's testing me…not only that, but she's showing All Might what she can do in battle," Izuku thought. "That's what she's been doing in the previous battles and competitions, she's been showing All Might all of her capabilities, to prove to him why his successor should be her without saying it." Izuku stops to move back from getting caught again, but this makes him vulnerable from behind and gets wrapped by Penny's strings again. "I won't win like this…I need to strike back! I…I need to prove my worth!"
Izuku screwed his eyes shut as he willed 3% of One for All up in his arms and went to struggle to break free of Penny's hold as she started to pull him in again.
"This wouldn't be the first time that I had a conversation like this. I have told Sir Nighteye about this and I will say what I said to him to you," Toshinori said sternly. He looks at the other man with a defiant look in his eyes. "I've made my decision, James. Izuku Midoriya…is set to be my successor. He may be a late bloomer, but he has the convictions of a hero that I have been looking for."
"A late bloomer, you say," Ironwood said. "How late are we talking? Five years ago? Three years ago? Last year? …Or…back in February? I've seen the entrance exam video, Toshinori. I've seen what his Quirk has done to his body. Yes, I have noticed that he has made some improvements with his Quirk, but the power output is insufficient compared to what he is actually capable of. Even if he has the heart of a hero, at his current level, he will never reach your heights, Toshinori. Not at this rate."
"James–"
"Your reckless decision to make this boy your successor will ruin him, Toshinori."
It felt as though Toshinori's heart had momentarily lost all function.
Ruin him…?
How…so?
"You may be a teacher now, Toshinori, but you make a poor mentor. Sir and Oz may be willing to let you do as you please, but I, like Oz and Glynda, have known you since our high school days. I know how you get when you put your mind on something. Sometimes…you don't think about the consequences."
Ironwood's eyes take on a little more gentler look, like he was trying to be sympathetic.
"Please, Toshinori…Allow me to raise you your proper successor, Penny Polendina."
"James…I'm afraid you got it all wrong…"
'Is it possible to become a hero even though I don't have a Quirk?'
'And that's what you'll stand by, even though you are Quirkless?'
'I did it…All Might…'
'Congrats, Toshi!'
'From now on, Deku is the name of a hero!'
'Now…it's your turn, Toshinori…'
"There is so much more going on…something you won't understand…"
"3% isn't working!" Izuku realized as he drew closer to Penny. "This isn't enough…This isn't enough power! I need…to increase it! One for All…5%!" Izuku could feel the power increase a bit in his arms and he tries to move them, to break the strong strings. There was some strain, but the strings held on. And he was getting closer to Penny. "I need more, but…5% is my current safe point! Anymore and I could risk hurting myself! But, if I don't…" Thick, green sparks began to surge along his arms as the percentage steadily increased and his arms gained a light reddish hue from the pressure. "...All Might has chosen me as his successor! I will win this!" WIth a roar, Izuku successfully manages to make the strings snap apart by the force of One for All just he was close enough for Penny to be ready for another knifehand strike. Said force was able to make Penny stumble back. "One for All…10%!"
Izuku sees that Penny was caught off guard by the sudden increase of power and decides now to act. Ignoring the dull ache, Izuku transfers the power to his legs, the green sparks and reddish skin now apparent there, to run to her and grab her by her shoulders to carry her out of bounds. Penny quickly regained her senses and wrenches her arms back to grab onto Izuku's arms and pulls herself out of his hold and flips over him, giving him a kick as she did.
"Grazie, Midoriya, for finally showing what you can do!" Penny declared, smiling. Izuku grinned back. Penny leaps back, making distance between herself and Izuku. "Let's do this!" Using her strings, pulls out a giant crumbling piece of concrete and throws it at Izuku. He again transfers One for All from his legs to his right arm to punch the rock. It crumbled apart from the impact. Seeing that Penny has thrown another rock at him, he transfers the power to his left leg and gives it a kick, breaking the rock.
{Holy cow! Izuku Midoriya had bounced back hard!}
"Whoa! Did Midoriya just get stronger right in front of us?" Kirishima asked, grinning.
Bakugo gritted his teeth. "Tch."
"Whoo-hoo! Go, Midoriya!" Ruby cheered. "But, be careful." She noticed how Izuku's skin seems to take on a reddish color depending where he's using One for All. "This is different from before. Is Midoriya using a higher percentage?"
"It looks like you are taking a risk, Midoriya," Penny observed. "I can tell. Any higher than you are using now and you could risk hurting yourself."
"You're…not wrong," Izuku admitted. He was still feeling an ache, light pain really, in his limbs from using 10% of One for All. He wasn't sure how long could do this.
"Then, let's not waste anymore time!" Penny declared. She sends out her strings towards Izuku. He evades the strings narrowly and they hit the ground. An idea sparks in Izuku's mind and he grabs for the strings, surprising Penny.
{Midoriya has a hold of Polendina's strings. Just what is he planning?}
With One for All charging his legs, Izuku starts dashing around Penny in a circle quickly, wrapping her up in her own strings before she understands what has happened. When he was done, Penny was entangled by her own Quirk, her arms and legs immobilized. She blinked a few times confusingly before she lost her balance and fell down.
"Can you get yourself out, Polendina?" Midnight asked.
Penny wiggled in her restraints. "...No. I don't think I can."
"Penny Polendina has been immobilized!" Midnight announced. "Izuku Midoriya wins!"
"Color me surprised." Toshinori wordlessly turned to Ironwood. "It would seem that Midoriya does have what it takes. For now. He still needs room to improve, though it's best that he finds a more suitable mentor if you wish for him to succeed you."
Ironwood leaves Toshinori alone in the faculty box to mull over his words.
Is he…really that bad of a mentor?
Now that he thought about it, he has been very…hands off with Izuku. Sure, he'd say some words to help inspire Izuku, but that could only take him so far. In fact, Izuku's current progression was really thanks to Ruby for giving him a few points. If anything, Ruby was a better mentor than Toshinori in comparison.
Not only that…there is so much that Toshinori is keeping from the boy. Izuku idealized the man so much, even after seeing what was left of him after his fight with All for One. Toshinori…didn't want to lose that…
But…
Izuku…deserved better. A better mentor to help him have a better understanding with One for All than someone who got the hang of it in very little time.
And there was one person in mind…even though he didn't like it…
Toshinori fished out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he reached the one he was looking for.
The caller ID said 'Gran Torino.'
"Do you need any help, Polendina?" Izuku asked.
"Oh, yes, if you don't mind. I'd really appreciate it," Penny said. Izuku knelt down and with the help of 10% One for All in his hands, he was able to tear the strings and free Penny. He helps her to her feet.
{And here we have Izuku Midoriya showing us some good sportsmanship by helping out his downed opponent! Now that this is over, it's time for these freckled-faced teens to vacate the arena so we can make repairs for the next match!}
"Let's go, Polendina," Izuku said. Penny nodded and they left the arena.
"It looks like that I still have a lot to learn," Penny said as they headed to the corridor and not paying any heed to Monoma's anger above them. "Thank you, Midoriya, for giving me this experience."
"And I you, Polendina," Izuku said. "Maybe…we can help each other in the future?"
"Oh! That would be wonderful!" Penny beamed. "That's very considerate of you, Midoriya." Izuku blushed at the praise.
"I mean…that's what friends are for, right?" he flustered, not thinking what he was saying.
Bright green eyes blink once. "...Friends?"
"Hey, Deku!" Ochako called, she, Tenya, Weiss, and Ruby appeared in the corridor, walking towards them. "You did great!"
"Both of you did," Tenya said.
"It was so cool," Ruby said, hopping on her feet.
"You did well," Weiss smiled.
"Thanks," Izuku said. He noticed something. "Wait…aren't Uraraka and Schnee next?"
Weiss shook her head. "No. It's after Kirishima and Bakugo."
Ochako suddenly looks a little nervous. "But, we wanted to see you before we got ready." Weiss nodded.
"If that's the case, I won't keep you two waiting," Izuku said. He faces Polendina. "I'll be going on ahead, Polendina."
"Take care, friend," Ruby said before the group left, leaving a silent Penny behind.
"Sooo, what did you and Polendina talk about?" Ruby asked, hoping to get some answers, regardless of discretion.
Izuku understood what she was getting at. "It wasn't anything, but she wanted us to help each other to train for the future."
Weiss looked skeptical. "Isn't 1-B supposedly our rivals?" Monoma sure made it clear, though in a more exaggerated manner.
"I'm not surprised. Just like any kid our age, she too was inspired to be a hero like All Might," Tenya said. "She's the kind of person to help everyone around her. She was the same back at Somei."
"Polendina strikes me as a bit odd, but I think it's very endearing," Ochako smiled. She gasped when Penny suddenly appeared in front of the group.
"What did you call me?" Penny asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any harm by what I said!" Ochako insisted, apologetic. All the while, Weiss and Izuku look back and forth in shock at Penny, pointing at where she is now and pointing at where she was, wondering how she got past them, unnoticed. They even gave each other confused glances.
"No, not you," Penny said. She moves past Tenya, Ochako, and Weiss to get closer to Izuku and Ruby. "You two."
"Us? I-I don't know. I-what I-um-uh…" Ruby stuttered.
"I don't–I–uh…" Izuku stammered.
"You both called me friend. Am I really your friend?" Penny asked, looking hopeful. Ruby and Izuku traded glances.
"Um…yeah, sure!" Ruby said, mustering up a smile.
"Why not?" Izuku smiled.
Penny's eyes gave a pleased glow and she giggled happily. "Sen-sational! Rose, we can paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about support gear! Oh! Maybe we can go to the next I-Expo!" Penny said as she hopped up and down with excitement.
Ruby blinked. "...Really?"
"Oh! And can I call you 'Ruby'?"
"Uh…S-Sure?"
Penny stops hopping and faces Izuku. "And Midoriya! We can exchange training advice, talk about hero politics, and review many of All Might's greatest feats!"
"...We can?" Izuku asked, owlishly.
"So, can I call you 'Izuku' then?"
"...um.."
Penny pulls Izuku and Ruby into a tight, very tight, hug. "You two have no idea how happy I am to finally call you guys friends!"
"...Good to hear…" Izuku wheezed. Ruby let out a choked breath.
"Polendina is surprisingly strong," Ochako sweatdropped.
"Was she always like this?" Weiss asked Tenya.
"Indeed."
Toshinori sighed as he left the teacher's lounge with his phone in hand. He had just ended the call with Gran Torino and the result was…expected.
When Toshinori told the older man of his new job, Gran Torino had…things to say.
'Teaching? I feel sorry for those kids who are stuck with you as a teacher.'
'Despite your intelligence, you're the kind of guy who runs into things head on!'
'I'm surprised that you didn't accept the offer immediately.'
'You're better off teaching a brain dead monkey!'
Now, he had called the old hero about his proposal. The man was surprisingly…thoughtful about it.
'You want to dump your kid onto me, huh?'
'Well…maybe it's for the best, seeing that you got the hang of One for All immediately.'
'Let me think about it and I'll tell ya later.'
'Something tells me the boy is gonna be different compared to Togata and Nikos.'
Toshinori thinks back to when all of this started. On that April afternoon, with the golden hour sun behind him, telling Izuku that he could become a hero and appointed him as the man's successor. At this point, Toshinori was close to choosing a successor, be that Mirio Togata or Pyrrha Nikos, and he had planned to make the choice official at the end of the current school year, after them graduating. Then…Pyrrha was given early graduation by the HPSC, which complicated a few things…
"There you are, Toshinori," Ozpin said, finding the blonde man. "You disappeared before the match began and haven't seen you since. Did something come up?"
"...Am I…Am I a good teacher?" Toshinori asked. Ozpin was quiet and after about five seconds of silence, Toshinori said, "...The silence isn't exactly reassuring."
"Forgive me. I just needed a moment," Ozpin said. "In terms of teaching a class of the fundamentals of heroism, you've done well for a rookie teacher. You're still rather green, but it's progress. As for raising up your successor, however…"
"I know that you and Nighteye had wanted to assist me in finding a successor for me after my injury and I am grateful for that," Toshinori said. "Sometimes…I feel horrible for turning down your hard work without giving you a heads up. I guess…I really do jump the gun too quickly." He feels a hand clasp on his thin shoulder and looks to see Ozpin giving him an assuring smile.
"At the end of the day, it was your decision to make," Ozpin said. "I had only provided you an option to choose. And you've made your choice. That is all that matters."
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Penny Polendina
Quirk: Strings
"Allows her to shoot out steel strings from the tips of her fingers."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-B Student
— Birthday: 02/18 (Aquarius)
— Height: 165 cm
— Blood Type: O
— Likes: Friends
— Color: Pigment Green (009633)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Ochako Uraraka
Quirk: Zero Gravity
"Gives her the power to nullify the effects of gravity on solid targets (living and nonliving) by touching them with the pads on her fingertips, causing them to become weightless and float."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student
— Birthday: 12/27 (Capricorn)
— Height: 156 cm
— Blood Type: B
— Likes: Japanese Food, Starry Skies
— Color: Dark Pink (FF69B4)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
As the match between Bakugo and Kirishima went underway, Weiss and Ochako prepared themselves for their own match later. In one room, Weiss sat alone at a table with Myrtenaster sitting on top. The revolver was opened as Weiss was meticulously fiddling with the vials again. This time, some of the vials were a pale blue color to go with the white vials.
While Weiss was calm during her preparation, Ochako…was not.
In another room, she shook with anticipation in her seat, her nervous face worrying the people around her and nearly mirroring Ruby's own reaction before her match.
"Uraraka?" Tenya voiced, concerned.
"Ochako?" Ruby asked, equally concerned.
"I-I'll be fine, guys. I'm just a little nervous about going up against Schnee," Ochako assured everyone, though she was still shaking.
"She has a very versatile Quirk," Tenya said.
"Do you have a plan to face her?" Ruby asked.
Izuku walks up with a notebook in hand. "I think that I may have figured something out." He reveals a page in his notebook, one page contained a sketch of Uraraka in her hero costume and the neighboring page had details describing her Quirk and what she could do. "You still have time to peruse over what I—"
"Actually, Deku, I think I got it," Ochako said gently.
"Huh?"
"So, you do have a plan, Ochako?" asked Ruby.
Ochako nodded. "Yeah. First, I noticed how Schnee seems to be only able to do five Glyphs at a time. Then, I did some research on the Schnee's Glyph. It started with Ludwig Schnee, Schnee's great-great grandfather. During his time, all he could do with his Glyph was to increase speed and agility. His kids, however, gained a new Glyph: The Shield Glyph, from their mom's Defensive Force. Basically, a new Glyph gets added with each generation from the Quirk of the lover."
"Really?" Izuku wondered. "A quirk that gains power with each generation…it kinda sounds similar to One for All." It had also made Izuku think about Quirk Marriages. Having a Quirk that could take on new properties in each generation sounds like a beneficial Quirk for those who wish to increase their power…Is it…is it possible…that Weiss may have experienced what Todoroki had experienced?
The reminder of Todoroki's situation brought back the heaviness in his chest…
"Thank you for trying to help me, Deku," Ochako acknowledged, bringing Izuku out of his thoughts. "But…I want to try this on my own."
"Oh! No, that's okay!" Izuku said, putting his notebook away. "If that's what you want to do, then by all means!"
"If I may ask, what is your plan?" Tenya asked.
"Well, I had to consider Schnee's other Glyphs: Her normal ones, Shield Glyph, Projectile Glyph, and her Summoning Glyphs," Ochako listed.
"Summoning?" Ruby wondered.
"If I remember right, Regina Ice was able to summon familiars to assist her," Izuku recalled, remembering an article about the heroine summoning a ninja-like entity to help her with a villain.
"Schnee can do that?" Ruby asked in awe.
"I don't think so. According to Regina Ice, the Summoning Glyph is really advanced, and it takes time to master," Izuku explained. "I can't imagine Schnee using all that time training for the Sports Festival to try summoning."
"Hold on, aren't we missing one?" Tenya wondered.
"Huh?" It then dawned on Izuku. "That's right. Since the Schnee family Glyph started with Ludwig, that's five generations of Quirk users. Uraraka, you've only listed four Glyphs. Shouldn't there be five?"
"I think there is, but…I couldn't find anything about it," Ochako frowned. "Not even from anything Regina Ice related."
"Do we know the Quirk of Jacques Schnee?" Tenya wondered. "Does he…even have one?"
Ruby thought hard on that, trying to recall anything about the man. Newsfeed, articles, anything…Then, she remembered something.
"Her ice…"
"What?" asked Izuku.
"How did Schnee make ice?" Ruby wondered.
"That's a good question," Tenya said, cupping his chin. "Perhaps the fifth Glyph is an elemental type? And there are those vials she puts in her sword…what could they be…?"
"That might be our best guess," Izuku said. "What do you think, Uraraka?"
{Eijiro Kirishima has been knocked out of bounds! Katsuki Bakugou is the winner!}
The group looked up at the screen in the waiting room to see Bakugo standing victorious.
"Looks like I don't have much of a choice, really," Ochako said. "But…I won't back down."
Ruby smiles at her. "Sounds like a plan."
{And now for the last match of this round! We have Class 1-A's Ochako Uraraka going up against Weiss Schnee!}
Instead of a round of cheers, this match was met with jeers of contempt. All aimed at Weiss.
"How the hell did Schnee make it this far?"
"She probably cheated!"
"She shouldn't be here!"
"This is a festival for heroes! Not frauds!"
Class 1-A could hear all of the taunts and ridicules from the crowd, some even from their own schoolmates.
"I knew that the Schnee family had an ill-famed reputation for the past couple of decades, but this…" Tenya said.
"This doesn't seem right," Mina said.
"Yeah. Sure, Schnee was bitchy in the first couple of days of school, but…she's not all bad!" Hagakure declared. "She's a good person!"
Jiro grimaced at the jeering crowd. "Try telling them that."
Izuku and Ruby look at each other, worried for Weiss.
Yang looked around. "This level of animosity…"
"Poor Schnee," Nejirie frowned.
"This could get nasty," Qrow commented.
"How so?" Ozpin asked, his tone serious.
"Worst case scenario, people might start getting antsy and hurt somebody."
"If that happens, the androids nearby will alert the nearest hero to escort them out," Ironwood informed.
"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that," Ozpin said.
Toshinori sat silently, hearing every disrespectful word these people were throwing to Weiss Schnee. A child. If ol' Nicholas was still alive today, he would've been devastated by the treatment his youngest granddaughter was facing.
With no words, Toshinori rises from his seat and exits the stands, leaving his colleagues confused.
{Hey, hey, hey! Come on, people! There's no reason to be up in arms!}
As Present Mic tries to quell the discourse, Ochako glances over at Weiss to see how she was faring. The heiress didn't appear to be bothered by all the hateful comments. She stood firmly, her sword ready.
"Be sure to prepare yourself, Uraraka," Weiss said to her.
A part of Ochako wanted to say something to Weiss, perhaps something to assure her that she shouldn't worry about what the crowd says. This… this was so wrong. Weiss hadn't done anything bad to deserve this.
"Uraraka." Ochako gasped at Weiss saying her name again. "Don't you have a family to support?" Weiss let a smile form on her face. "Then don't hold back because I won't!" Ochako remembered how exhausted and drained her parents would be and it reminded her why she was here and took a stance.
"Right!"
{Has everyone simmered down? Look, people, if there were any signs of dishonesty, we would have done something by now. So, let's be civil about this, 'kay?}
Reluctantly, the displeased people backed down, though they didn't stop giving Weiss a hateful glare.
{All right! You ladies, ready? Because, we're about to staaaaart…Now! Go!}
The first to act was Ochako, who sprinted into a run head on towards Weiss and Weiss responded by summoning three Projectile Glyphs, shooting out ice shards at Ochako. The blush-cheeked girl rolled out of the way and continued to her dash. Weiss turns the revolver and holds her sword with the tip pointed upwards. A yellow Glyph with a clock face appeared below her. She glowed a bright yellow and just as Ochako reached her, Weiss zipped to the side.
"What?" Ochako said in shock. Then, three Projectile Glyphs appeared around her. She barely dodged the ice shards. When she did, she saw Weiss standing before her. With a flick of her wrist, Weiss changed the Projectile Glyphs into basic ones and transferred them around the two girls.
Weiss then uses the Glyphs to attack Ochako swiftly, using the dull blade of Myrtenaster. The barrage of attacks left Ochako somewhat dazed. Through the spinning world, Ochako could hear the crowd starting up again, sneering at Weiss.
"What the hell, Schnee?!"
"You're just toying with the girl at this point!"
"That's such an evil thing to do!"
Ochako looks at Weiss again. Unlike earlier, Weiss was starting to show how hurtful the comments are. Her eyes looked pained, as though she was trying to keep her composer.
"Schnee…" Ochako muttered.
{Hey! What the heck, people?! This is uncalled for! Quiet down!}
But the crowd refused to quiet down and they continued to shout profanities and curses at Weiss…No…at the Schnee name…
"It would appear that Edelweiss' descendant is not well liked," Kurogiri observed as he gave Cinder a cocktail glass. "The Schnee Support Company… A once respected organization descended into notoriety."
Shigaraki huffed. "These fools seem to forget that the Sigil Hero: Regina Ice is a Schnee. And yet, they don't hesitate to sing her praises. They have their priorities skewed."
"They only praise Regina Ice simply because she disassociates herself from her family," Cinder said, rimming her cocktail glass. "She abandoned her family and is yet viewed as a hero because she didn't want to be part of that family anymore and washed her hands of it. Weiss Schnee has only recently started to live with her so she can attend UA. She has yet to have the same immunity because she isn't a popular hero yet."
"...Family…huh…" Shigaraki muttered. He scratched his neck harder at the strangely familiar word.
Weiss tried to block out the hateful comments, something she had grown used to over time. Despite that, their words still struck Weiss hard. Her grip on her sword tightened.
All she wanted to be was a hero…
{You've got to be kidding me. You people are willing to judge somebody solely by the actions of one person?}
"Is that…Mr. Aizawa?" Ochako wondered.
{Weiss Schnee is here to become a hero. Instead of waiting for her to fall, watch for her to rise.}
"Mr…Aizawa…" Weiss muttered. She remembered back on the first day of school, during the Quirk Apprehension Test. Her first impression of him was that he looked like a hobo and when it was brought to light that he was an underground hero, Weiss imagined what kind of underhanded tactics the man used in his career.
Then, she witnessed how far the man was willing to go to protect her and the rest of her classmates.
She had judged him without knowing the full picture. Just as these people are doing to her. And yet…
"He's right, Schnee!" Ochako exclaimed from her end. "Show them what you can do!" She charges at Weiss. Weiss felt a smile returning to her face and readied herself. Ochako held her hands out with her fingers spread out, preparing to touch Weiss to make her weightless and take her out of bounds. Weiss swipes her sword at her and Ochako ducks.
"I can only get one chance!"
She threw her hand out, aiming at Weiss' torso. Before it made contact, her little finger pads connected with another Glyph. This one was different compared to her basic, Shield, and Projectile Glyphs. It contained a lot of miniature versions of the Schnee symbol plus some diamond shapes. Ochako's finger pads glowed, indicating the activation of Zero Gravity and the Glyph appeared to have absorbed it.
"What just–" A basic Glyph appears below Ochako and it flings her back. She jumps back up and dashes at Weiss again. Weiss shoots out more ice shards at Ochako and she was able to dodge them after making herself weight less to make it easy to evade. "One more time!" Ochako threw out her hands again and this time, she was able to grab Weiss by her waist, and a pink glow flashing from her fingers. "Yes!"
Then, Ochako gasped in shock.
Weiss…wasn't floating.
Why?
Ochako noticed something below Weiss. It was a black, basic Glyph, glowing purple. Weiss' right hand was pointed down at the Glyph and in that hand was a dark purple…crystal?
"Was that…your fifth…?"
Weiss nodded. "If there was one thing that I am grateful for receiving from my father, it would be the Glyph variation of his Crystallization Quirk. I'm thinking of calling it my Dust Glyph."
"Dust…Glyph?" Ochako muttered. Another black Glyph appears below Ochako and she starts floating.
{What's this? Is Schnee using gravity against Uraraka?}
With a flick of Weiss' right wrist, Ochako gets launched in the air. As she fell, more black Glyphs appeared and steadily cushioned her fall while simultaneously moving her away. Once back on the ground, Ochako gets up to charge again.
"Ochako Uraraka is out of bounds!" Midnight announced. Ochako gasped and looked down. She has one leg outside of the line. "Weiss Schnee is the winner of this match!"
{And that's the end of the 3rd round! We'll soon be heading toward the semi-finals after a small…Hey! Seriously?! Are you guys booing right now?!}
And that is what is happening.
Instead of applause and cheers for the victor, the crowd instead opted to continue to jeer at the victor, Weiss.
She sighed, feeling defeated.
"Hold on now, ladies and gents!" a booming voice bellowed from above. A large figure lands on the arena as the sun shone on the golden, long, antenna-like bangs of All Might. "Didn't Eraser Head just say that you should be watching Young Schnee rise on her path to become a hero? This is only the beginning! After all, heroism comes from all walks of life!"
Up at the stands, Emerald glared at him. Her eyes glowed faintly before returning to normal.
"They may have started out small and unassuming! However, it is their courage and charisma that helps them achieve their goal!"
Izuku and Ruby exchanged knowing grins.
"I have the sudden urge to vomit," Shigaraki growled.
"I have to agree," Cinder glowered, her sharp smile taking a dark edge.
{Or perhaps they've stood out from existing legacies, making a name for themselves among brighter stars!}
Blake gripped the fabric of her hoodie tightly.
{Regardless of one's past, so as long as they look to the future, they're on the right path!}
A dark haired young man dressed in black with many burns huffed a laugh at the jumbo screen located in the city square before striding down the street.
"So, I ask you all to be patient and watch as Weiss Schnee exceeds your expectations!" All Might declared, his pearl white smile radiating brightly. "I have no doubt that she'll become a great hero one day! Perhaps one greater than Edelweiss! I can't wait to see that happen!"
The crowd quieted down as they listened to All Might's speech. Then, a few people started to clap before it steadily raised to the entire stadium.
Ochako walks up to Weiss, who has her eyes on the cheering crowd. "Looks like they understand now," Ochako observed. Weiss shook her head.
"They're not cheering for me. They're cheering for a speech made by All Might," Weiss said. "It'll take a while before they can truly understand the meaning behind it. Or never at all." Weiss faces Ochako. "I'll take what I can get. I'll just have to work harder."
A smile spread on Ochako's cheeks. "That's the spirit, Schnee."
Schnee…such a name that now provokes adversarial responses…
Weiss noticed the less cheery tone in Ochako's voice. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked thoughtfully.
Ochako nodded slowly. "Yeah…Yeah. I'll be okay."
/You were amazing out there, sweetie./
A kind man's voice said through Ochako's flip phone.
"But…I lost…" Ochako whimpered, tears forming along her eyes. Now in the corridor and speaking to her parents, Ochako allowed her emotions to show.
/Honey, your mother and I are still proud of you. You've done your best and we're happy for that./
Ochako sniffled. "Really?"
/Of course. We love you, Ocha./
Through thick tears, Ochako manages to muster up a smile in reaction to her parents' affirmation of love and support.
And a relieved Weiss leaves before she is noticed.
In the locked faculty box, Toshinori breathed out a long sigh as he deflated from his muscle form, steam emitting from his emaciated body and his Gold Age costume sagged pathetically around his lithe frame.
"I wasn't supposed to make a public appearance as All Might until the end of the tournament. But…to watch a child be ridiculed for the consequences of her family…I couldn't stand idly by. She didn't deserve it. I may have only worked with the SSC once, back when Nicholas was alive, but during that short time, I have learned that the Schnee's had also come from a rocky past. I can only hope and pray that maybe, just maybe…that the once adored Schnee Support Company will regain its original splendor…"
{Time to show off the semifinal bracket as a refresher!}
[Todoroki vs Midoriya]
[Bakugo vs Schnee]
"Hm…" Todoroki hummed, his eyes fixated on his name next to Izuku's.
"Schnee…up against Bakugo?"
"Something about that doesn't sound right," Kaminari said, visibly uneasy.
"You do realize that this isn't the first time a male and female faced each other in this tournament, right?" quipped Tokoyami.
"Well, yeah, but…look at Schnee! She's so…delicate looking," Kaminari said.
"Yeah, and remember the Battle Trial when Bakugo and Rose fought? Bakugo's gonna wipe the floor with Schnee," Kirishima said.
Weiss cleared her throat. "I'm sitting right here, guys."
"Ah!" Kaminari shouted.
"Sorry! That was so disrespectful and unmanly of me!" Kirishima exclaimed frantically. "Please, forgive me!"
"We're just worried that Bakugo might blow up your pretty face!" Kaminari insisted desperately. Weiss looked unimpressed.
"That's right. Keep digging yourself deeper," Jiro deadpanned sarcastically.
"Hey, where's Deku and Ruby?" Ochako asked, noticing their absence.
{It won't be long and the semi finals will begin!}
"...I know I might be asking much from you, Midoriya, but…can you…?" asked Ruby in another corridor with Izuku. Her expression was that of great worry.
Izuku's expression turns to soft concern. "...I'll see what I can do." That appeared to be enough to Ruby, as a thankful smile formed on her face. Izuku mirrored it with his own.
A large shadow looms over the pair.
"There you are. I was looking for you, Midoriya."
Endeavor.
Next Chapter: Saving Todoroki
Guess who's brainstorming another crossover story.
A definite disadvantage of having both ADHD and autism. For anyone curious, it's an MHA crossover somewhat similar to OHA, meaning the MHA characters exist in the other universe. And which is that you may ask?
Teyvat.
Yep. Genshin Impact.
It's an awesome game ^^.
Unfortunately, I'm having issues with the placing of elements for the characters. Some I've already got down (Izuku-Anemo, Toshinori-Geo, Bakugo-Pyro, Tsuyu-Hydro, etc.) but there are many where I'm stumped, plus who's gonna be human, adeptus, or another race (again I've got ideas, but I still need assistance)
Maybe I should make a Discord…