Hey there! Ya'll know the vibes, I don't own Boku No Hero Academia, Avatar the Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, or any comics associated with them.
***means manga/Vigilantes spoilers.
Work, it's Bitter. Also, why me?
"Excuse me, young lady! Do you have a moment to speak? It's important!"
"No, go away."
"What's All Might like?! Would you say he's adjusting well to teaching?!"
"I said go away."
"Say, are you blind? And you're a student of U.A? We must get in touch! Give me some contact info!"
"OY!" She slammed her foot on the ground, briefly shaking the earth and tripping a few journalists. "I AM A FREAKING STUDENT HERE AND I GOT PLACES TO BE! GET LOST!"
It didn't take long for the "loving" press to catch wind of All might's new career as an educator. Through means unknown, they also identified his main students with the intent to nab as many soundbites as possible. They kept their pursuit as Toph power walked to the front gate.
"We just want one sound bite! That's it! Throw us a bone, little girl!"
"Get a life!" she shouted back.
"Don't you walk away from us, young lady!" A female reporter yelled, microphone in hand.
"Oh, I KNOW you didn't just call me-"
"That's enough." An unnaturally cold voice cut through the pandemonium.
Mr Aizawa glared with such intensity, even the blind girl felt it. "You're harassing my students. Do what she says and get lost before we contact the authorities." He quickly steered Toph onto campus. When the inexperienced reporter tried to cross the U.A. border, Toph felt a giant steel wall erected itself around all of U.A. Outside the gate, the press argued and debated who was going to get the story first. Meanwhile, a man in a hoodie watched with smoldering rage, fixing his red gaze upon the gate.
"Let's be clear on something, Beifong." Aizawa scolded as they walked towards the entrance. He was a bit calmer now, but equally stern. "Never, ever use your quirk to intimidate innocent people, even if they're being scumbags."
"Sorry."
He gave a sigh. "Don't be too sorry. I don't know how All Might deals with them every day, I never bothered with them" he admitted. "Still, using your quirk to get your way is a good way to get your name dragged through the mud. Be more careful when you interact with them." He needed to address the elephant in the room. Toph always showed up early, so it wasn't an issue.
"Listen, All Might mentioned he and you had a chat after practical heroics." Not that he was surprised, he had planned to tell her anyway given she would eventually figure it out on her own.
"I didn't mean to pry; I was just concerned." She answered. "Though I didn't expect muttermouth to burst in and deny everything."
XXx
Yesterday…
"BEIFONG-SAN! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Midoriya sprinted in to deny everything.
"What's not what I think, Midoriya? And why are you running?" Toph and Toshinori were sat down on the school bench, as calm as could be compared to Midoriya.
"I was getting to it, young Beifong." Small Might answered for him. "While you're here young Midoriya, stay for a moment. If you got the time."
Midoriya gulped and sat next to All Might. Satisfied, Toshinori continued his story; picking up from his search for a successor, to how he met Midoriya when he was quirkless and offered him a chance at being a hero. Toph listened seriously. Intellectually, she knew everything All Might was saying was true, and Midoriya's entrance confirmed his story so far, but it was a lot to take in. They weren't lying and they couldn't both be delusional. Not to mention this is the Number One Hero we're talking about.
All Might was not going to explain everything at first; he ready to give young Beifong the same explanation he gave Midoriya nearly a year ago on that rooftop. But now she knew Midoriya was involved, so there wasn't much he could try and hide from the lie detector. 'Reminds me of another guy I know…'
Toph digested the new information. "Let me make sure I've got this down." All Might nodded. "You're telling me that your quirk transfers strength from person to person, that your injury from a villain attack has limited your use of the quirk, and that you have determined muttermouth" she gestured to Midoriya "has the heart of a hero and is worthy of that power. Did I get all that?" All Might nodded again.
She leaned into her seat. After about a minute, she spoke. "All right."
"All..all right?"
"All right. I mean, I'd know if you were lying and it explains why he's so bad at his quirk." Midoriya went red at that. "I imagine you want this on the down low."
"Quite so. If news that I could transfer my powers got out, it would put the wielder in incredible danger."
"Makes sense." She took some more time to process. Something was starting to come together in her head. "Then why are you telling me this?"
"Speaking honestly, we didn't know if you could be trusted with this information. But you would have found out sooner or later and we wanted that to happen on good terms. That's why we decided to combine your after-class training." Midoriya was surprised by this. 'So, she's who Aizawa wanted me to train with.' Toph took a couple minutes to process all this. It was a lot after all. But was she going to do?
"Well, then." She stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, All Might-Sensei." She extended her hand.
With a small smile, he took it. "Likewise." He checked his watch. "You're both late for homeroom. Don't worry, I'll smooth it over. Go on home today, see you both tomorrow." With that, he strode to the teacher's lounge.
'He's so much calmer like that.'
The two stood awkwardly for a few seconds. "Erm, do you need help getting-well, I guess you don't do you? Um, want to head to the bus stop?" Midoriya was hopeless.
"I've got a ride coming in about a half-hour. I'll be fine."
"Oh! Um…alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you."
xXx
Present day…
"And that was that. Haven't said a peep to anyone since." By the time Toph finished, they had made it to homeroom door.
"Good. Well, you're right. We'll be kicking off that special training today with Midoriya included. He needs to control that power that was so recklessly given to him." Aizawa seemed grumpier than usual.
'Maybe he missed his nap.'
"I'll be back later, get to class. Also," he grinned devilishly "if anyone asks, you and Midoriya were absent from final homeroom because you left your diary at Ground Beta and Midoriya left to help. Have fun explaining that. Bye."
xXx
Toph kicked her feet back as Iida reprimanded her and Midoriya for not showing up yesterday.
"I too enjoy writing out my day as much as anyone, perhaps more! But it's not an excuse to miss any part of class time!" He went on for a bit. Midoriya was scratching his head in an attempt at embarrassment while Toph barely tried.
"So, is anyone going to question why Beifong has a diary? And why it matters to her?" Kirishima asked no one in particular.
"You shouldn't question a girl's diary, Kiri." Mina said slyly.
"But, even if she can write, how does she read it?"
As the two went back and forth, Momo frowned. She knew Toph pretty well and also knew she had no use for a diary. She'd ask later.
"Everyone to your seats." The order was completed before Aizawa even looked at them. "I looked over your reviews for yesterday's battle trials. Not bad, but there's room for improvement." He flipped through All Might's notes.
"Aoyoma, stop obsessing over your look during a battle. It's annoying and will definitely get you killed."
"Merci! Straight to the point!"
"Ashido, similar point. You got distracted by the fun of the exercise and got ambushed. Stay focused next time."
"Dang it…"
"Kaminari, good ambush. But if it didn't work for whatever reason, you'd have left yourself open to attack. Only exercise as much force as strictly necessary."
"Got it."
"Shoji, good work on defense and recon. Make sure to give as much info to your teammate as possible. Nothing is too out there."
"Yes, sir."
"Asui, not much you could've done against that ice attack, except preparation. Talk to the Support Department about temperature regulators, they could save your life one day."
"Ribbit."
"Tokoyami, good use of terrain and resources. A little brutal, but I know the details about that. Work on it."
"Understood."
"Todoroki, good initial attack. But underestimating your opponent can be disastrous. Take the time to read your opponent." There was more to it then that, but it wasn't the time or place.
"Yes, sir."
"Jirou, good recon and good job prioritizing rescue. You'll go far with that attitude."
"Thank you, sir."
"Sato, small slip upon entry. Good teamwork, but it's usually better to avoid your opponent's attacks. You better not fall for that decoy again."
"Got it."
"Ojiro, good strategy and technique. But you were too slow to get to the weapon in time. Had you been a minute earlier, you would have won. It's essential to be able to prioritize in the heat of battle.
"Yes, sir."
"Mineta, good use of the terrain and your quirk. But keep it in your pants already, I saw the video feed. This is U.A. Have some self-respect."
"Yes, sir…"
"Yaoyorozu, good planning and on the fly thinking. But you can't prepare for everything. Had Ojiro prioritized and made better time, he would have gotten to you faster than you could set up a second base. Make sure you can handle a plan going wrong."
"Yes sir."
"Sero and Iida, a good effort, but you got distracted by trying to follow the role too hard. Try not to get lost in the part next time."
"Got it, thank you sir."
"YES, SENSEI! I WILL DO MY BEST TO LEARN FROM THIS-"
"That's enough. Uraraka, good plan. But it was risky, your quirk can be more dangerous than you realize. And keep your cool next time; a blown cover is a dead hero."
"Got it!"
"Same for you Kirishima. Next time you try a stunt like that, you might use a rope to guide your ascent. It's good to be creative, but don't take stupid risks."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bakugo, you're talented. So don't sulk like a child because you lost. Don't let your personal feeling get in the way of the mission either."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Midoriya. I see you messed up your finger again. That's not really progress from last time. That being said, good job reading your opponents and planning. Just stop being so self-sacrificing, and you'll go far."
"Right!"
"Hagakure, you got a bad match up. You did your best, but you shouldn't let your opponent catch their breath next time. You should talk to the Support Department as well. I think you know why."
"Yeah, got it."
"Beifong, good communication skills. But be more aware of your surroundings. If that weapon was real, you'd be in several different parts of the city. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good, that's all I have for that. Now then…" He leaned forward, startling them. "today's assignment, will determine your entire future here at U.A."
Everyone held a breath.
"You have to pick a class representative."
'Oh good, just normal school stuff.' Everyone thought.
Nearly everyone clamored to take the position, even some of the more reserved types raised their hand with interest. Toph thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. Class rep belonged to someone who actually wanted the responsibility. Toph, shall we say, did not.
'Sugar Queen would be a good choice, or maybe I'm just bias. What about Stick-in-Mud?'
"EVERYONE!" 'Speak of the devil.' "This an important decision that must be done with everyone's opinions in mind!" Iida commanded "Therefore, I suggest we hold an election for the election! Everyone gets one vote to pick anyone in the class other than themselves!" He whipped to their teacher. "Is that alright with you, Sensei?"
"Do what you want, just finish before my nap's over." 'There's the sleeping bag again.'
As everyone started jotting down their votes, Toph tapped the quiet guy in front of her.
"Excuse me, can you write down my vote? It's Sug-Yaoyorozu."
Todoroki obliged, writing her vote down. "You too, huh."
"Yeah. I guess I'm bias for my best friend, but I'm ok with that."
"I see." He looked at his note for a second. "How do you spell it? Do you know?"
"Seriously?"
"She's your friend, right?"
"You really think I can spell anything?"
"You have a diary, right?"
"I uhh…" He had her there. "I just don't know ok?"
"Whatever." He subtly checked the taller girl's nametape on her desk and wrote two votes.
"Here."
"Thanks."
After Iida collected the votes, he and Asui sorted them and added them up. Then he wrote them on the whiteboard to show. He also read them aloud. 'How considerate.'
The students with only one vote or less weren't counted, with the top scorers underlined.
Katsuki Bakugo: 2
Izuku Midoriya: 5
Tenya Iida: 4
Momo Yaoyorozu: 5
Toph Beifong: 4
"HOW DID I GET VOTES?" Midoriya yelled.
"ALRIGHT, YOU IDIOTS! YOU VOTED FOR HIM?" Bakugo raged.
"What, you thought you'd get more than two votes? Sero asked.
"What the heck…" Toph had no idea how she got votes. She was happy Momo got the tie breaker though.
"Alright! It's we have two clear candidates for Class Rep and Vice Class Rep!" Iida announced, bummed a bit that he didn't get more votes. "We will first vote for only the top candidates for Class Rep, then vote between the lower two to compete against the other Class Rep candidate!"
Toph voted for Yaomomo again. 'Nothing against you, muttermouth. But you've got enough responsibility as it is.'
The results were tallied again. There was no mistake.
Izuku Midoriya: 11
Momo Yaoyorozu: 9
"The people have decided! Midoriya is elected Class Representative! I now leave the rest to you, Midoriya." Iida gracefully returned to his seat.
"Th-th-thank you, I-Iida." Midoriya stuttered. "I suppose we'll, um, elect the vice rep, n-now."
As she was one of the nominees, she had no choice but to vote for Iida. Not that she wanted the job.
The results were shown again.
Tenya Iida: 15
Toph Beifong: 7
'Oh, thank God.'
The votes were gathered again.
Tenya Iida: 10
Momo Yaoyorozu: 10
"Ah! W-well it looks we have a tie." Midoriya stuttered. They needed a tie-breaker. "Any ideas?" Midoriya asked the class.
Kirishima spoke up. "How about an arm-wrestle!"
"That's not really marker of leadership, Kirishima."
"Dance off?" Mina suggested.
"S-same point as before, Ashido."
"FIGHT TO THE DEATH!"
"K-kacchan, that's not-"
"What about a chess competition?"
The class's attention turned to Shoji as he made a mouth on his hand. "The game is about strategy, intelligence, and wisdom. Not to mention decision making abilities."
Midoriya took a moment to think. "It would take time, but it could work. I'd feel better if the top four competed again though."
"You sure, Midoriya? You could lose your spot." Kaminari brought up.
"I'm sure. Besides, it's a competition of actual abilities rather than personal opinions. I'd rather win that way." He didn't want to win in any way, but this was a good out. Besides, if he somehow won, then he'd accept.
"Makes sense to me." Sero admitted.
"That's a humble leader right there." Jirou added.
"I-is that alright with y-you Aizawa-Sensei?"
"I couldn't care less, just get it over with already. You're wasting time."
xXx
And thus, the chess tournament began. Momo made two marble chess boards to expedite the process, made with stone and glass pieces, of course.
Toph and Momo did this a lot actually when they hung out. However, it had been proved over eighteen games in a row that Toph never stood a chance against the brained beauty. If anything, Toph was very much the novice as Momo had taught her to play in the first place. Yaoyorozu loved chess, and would most certainly win.
Toph wasn't really a slouch though; if you play enough games against a math genius, you pick up a few tricks.
The two boards were set up. On one board was Iida and Midoriya and the other was Yaoyorozu and Beifong. Three games in total.
"Checkmate." Midoriya was smart and put up a good fight, but Iida was slightly better. He beat him in 36 moves. Midoriya somehow forgot he didn't want the job in the first place and gave it his all, anyway. "Good game." They shook hands and checked on the other game, which was about 48 moves in.
Iida checked their progress. "I see you favor the Sicilian Defense strategy, Beifong-san! Preferring to wait and see what to do next!" Iida was intense, as usual.
Beifong was leaned forward with determination, her arms crossed and brow furrowed. She was visibly frustrated, just not for the right reasons.
'No matter how many clear openings I give this her, she keeps ignoring them!'
Whoever wins here will have to at least be Vice Rep. But losing to a pro-level player was easy. Winning against a decent player was a bit tougher. But losing to a Pro-level player while they're blatantly trying to lose?
Forget about it.
Momo easily caught on, as she knew Toph's playstyle and the game well. It took nearly 70 moves, but eventually…
"I must say I'm impressed!" The bespeckled boy commented after the match.
Toph was beyond impressed. Momo somehow played the game to make Toph win.
'Now I'm the Vice no matter what. Great.'
Bbbrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnggg
"That's the bell, go to lunch and settle your decision after." Aizawa said from his sleeping bag.
xXx
"Hello, fortress of heroes."
The hooded man pushed through the reporters.
"How safe. How secure."
He pressed a single hand upon the metal.
"How naïve."
xXx
"I must say, Lunch-Rush's cooking is absolutely superb! I expect nothing less from the Cooking Hero!" Iida said as he ate his Beef Stew.
"Yeah," Midoriya agreed. The Katsudon he was eating was excellent (not as good as his mom's, but he's bias anyway). He, Toph, Iida, Momo, and Uraraka sat in the cafeteria, chatting away at their table about today's events. "Congrats on the Class Rep thing, Iida."
"Thank you!" Iida refuted. "Although, if anyone's fit for the job, it would be you Midoriya! That's why I voted for you. Ah, no offense Toph-san."
"None taken." Toph replied. She was just barely listening. Sure, she was annoyed with her best friend for the game, but these Drunken Duck Noodles were divine. Spicy with lots of texture, just how she liked it. Besides, Toph had kinda tried to do the same thing, so could she really talk?
"I did too, Deku!" Uraraka chirped. "Though, Iida would be good for the job. The glasses after all."
"I don't know if that's really good criteria." Midoriya sweat dropped.
"Don't worry, Midoriya. I will be to exceed your expectations." Iida pronounced.
Uraraka needed to get something off her chest. "Hey Iida, I've been meaning to ask, and don't take this the wrong way."
"Certainly, Uraraka-san."
"With the way you talk about school, that you went to a private academy, and you talk so properly, are you a rich kid or something?"
Yaoyorozu and Toph shared a look (sort of).
Iida seemed taken aback. "I-I suppose I didn't to be treated differently because of my family or anything…"
The other four kept listening, Iida gave a sigh.
"You see, I come from a family for Pro Heroes. The Iida family has been Heroes for generations now!"
"What? That's awesome!" Uraraka and Midoriya exclaimed. Toph remembered now; Iida was a name that popped up every now and again with her father, mostly about business. Speed-based support items and such.
"Tell me," he continued "Have you heard of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?"
"I know him!" Midoriya started gushing. "He's a relatively young hero with hundreds of sidekicks! Don't tell me!"
"That's right," Iida straightened with pride. "He's my elder brother! And one day, I want to be just like him! As a Pro Hero, and a good man!"
"That's amazing!"
"Good for you, Iida!"
Toph sat in thought for a moment. 'Muttermouth looks up to All Might, no doubt. And Iida looks up to his brother, Ingenium. So, who do I look up too?'
"Well, don't worry Iida. You're still you no matter what. Doesn't matter if you're rich, right Toph-san?" Uraraka asked.
"Of course. I mean, I'm kinda rich too."
"What?"
BWOOOOO BWOOOOO BWOOOOO
BWOOOOO BWOOOOO BWOOOOO
"What's going on?!" Toph yelled.
"That's the perimeter alarm!" Momo yelled back. "It only goes in that pattern when there's an intruder! We have to move!" They all got up and ran to the hall.
Not that it did much good. The entire hall, as large as it was, was packed with panicking students; all trying to push through to the rendezvous.
The group quickly lost sight of each other in the crowd. Except one.
"Midoriya!" Toph called out, but he couldn't hear her. "Iida! Over here! Behind you!"
"Beifong-san! What's going on! Can you tell what this is about?"
"Give me a sec!" It was hard to focus with the chaos, but she found the source of the breach and who dared to break into U.A. High.
"NOT THEM AGAIN! It's just the press! Everything is fine!"
"We need to calm everyone down!" Iida looked around, finding an archway. "Beifong-san! Can you find Uraraka?"
"Your left!"
"Got it! You see the archway ahead? Get ready to launch me towards it!"
"Ready!" She answered. They were on the ground floor, so this may just work.
"Uraraka-san! Make me float!"
As soon as Toph felt his weight leave him, she rose a stone column; launching him above the crowd and to the archway. He landed roughly, but he had their attention.
"LISTEN! EVERYTHING IS OK! IT'S JUST THE PRESS OUTSIDE! NO ONE IS IN DANGER!" Every student stopped in their tracks to look at the crazed looking boy. "WE'RE U.A. STUDENTS! THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR, CALMLY MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE RENDEZVOUS POINT."
"YOU HEARD THE MAN! GET MOVING! ONE AT A FREAKIN' TIME!" Toph supported as she lowered the stone back into place. 'Sorry about the floor, Nezu.'
xXx
Potential damage to the floor was the last thing on Nezu's mind. The Principal himself stood in front of the large hole in the U.A. barrier, with Midnight and Hound Dog on either side of him. The metal wasn't cut or burned; it was eroded. As if it had been decaying for a few centuries. No reporter could have accomplished this feat.
"The alarm sounded soon after the reporters came through, yes?"
"Yes sir," Midnight answered "but not one of them entered the building."
"The 3-ring pattern of the alarm was the signal for an internal breach." Hound Dog continued "Someone without a U.A. ID entered our halls during the chaos, doing God knows what."
Nezu felt a shiver go through his small body. Not of fear, but of calm rage.
"Whomever thought they could bring harm to our students will be very, very sorry."
xXx
Class 1A watched the final chess match with bated breath (except Bakugo, who hated them both).
Iida moved his knight into her guard. "Check."
Toph touched the edge of the board. A bishop took the offending knight, leaving the queen open. Iida took the queen with his bishop. "Check."
Frowning, she drew a circle on the board, moving her King to the side. She was on the defensive and she knew it. He moved his rook in.
Iida let his breathe out. "Checkmate."
A smile. "Congrats, Class Rep."
After the incident after lunch, Toph had accepted her fate and agreed to play to win. Whoever won, won.
"It's about time you decided. I know I woke up about 6 times waiting for you two." Aizawa said, irritated as the rest of the class clapped politely. "Class dismissed. Remember, our Rescue Training Day is all day tomorrow. Be prepared. Class Reps and Midoriya, stay behind."
Everyone else packed their stuff up and left, leaving the three.
"Listen up. As Class Representatives, it's both of your duties to manage class projects and keep good order. You may delegate certain responsibilities, but they are ultimately on you if things go wrong. Furthermore, it's convenient you are both opposite genders, as Iida may not be able to handle a situation that requires a female rep. Such as a wardrobe malfunction or harassment. Any further responsibilities are detailed in these folders. Any questions?"
"Nope."
"No, sir."
"Good. Iida, you're dismissed. See you tomorrow morning sharp." Iida marched out, ready to be the best class rep there ever was.
"Now, to the next order of business. The extra classes to better handle One for All and to overcome your blindness. This cannot be understated; One for All cannot be revealed to anyone. Midoriya, your quirk will be called 'Superpower' when we need to refer to it in class. Beifong, you must assist Midoriya in keeping One for All under wraps. I know it's a lot to ask."
"It's fine. I know how important this is."
"Good. While you're at it, let me know if you detect anything out of place concerning security."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's out of nowhere, did something happen?"
"The alarm went off didn't it?"
"I sensed the press, but I was pressed up in the hall at the time. I had to help get everyone calm. It was pretty loud too."
"Yeah, I noticed the floor. Well, the press did break in, that wasn't the only thing that happened. Follow me outside. We're taking a detour."
xXx
Toph felt the edges of the hole. When metal gets cut, there's usually a rib or a dip where the cut was made. Not here. There was dust on the ground too, matching the substance of the barrier. "That's why we need you to keep an eye out. Don't feel pressured to search or anything, but if you ever do sense anything, come straight to me or a teacher. Got it?"
"Got it." This was more serious than she thought. Midoriya stared at the disintegrated hole in the barrier. U.A. was untouchable, how did anyone do this?
Aizawa noticed his worry. "Stop that. U.A. can defend itself. C'mon, it's time for extra training."
xXx
"Welcome" called Toshinori "to Gym Delta!"
Every gym at U.A. was enormous, as that was how they did things for the Hero Course. But this place was clearly special. Different hand-to-hand weapons and equipment lined the walls with elevated fighting rings on both concrete and rubber floors. A sand pit was also included in the corner. XXXL punching bags also hung from the rafters. This gym was designed solely for hand-to-hand combat practice.
"All RIGHT!" Toph cheered. This was her zone. She rushed to the concrete ring. "So, where do we start? I'm ready!"
"You even haven't stretched yet. Both of you get some stretches in then report to me when you're done." Aizawa strode over to All Might. "The others are dealing with the incident today. We're fine, this is only the first class."
"Got it. Don't worry, everything will be All Might!" He joked as he buffed up. "I'll get young Midoriya into shape in no time!"
"No. You're working with Beifong first. Midoriya needs to figure out how to use his energy and 'clenching your buttcheeks' doesn't seem to cut it."
"You cut deep, Eraser."
"Besides, Beifong needs to be able to face opponents who she can hit without needing to worry about restraint. She's got plenty. The catch is…"
As All Might and Aizawa planned the lesson, Beifong finished her stretches. "Say Midoriya. They sound busy, wanna do a spar?"
"Didn't Aizawa-Sensei say to get him first?"
"Yeah, but I'm itching for a fight. C'mon! No quirks, ok?" She pulled him up to the concrete ring.
"I-I-I don't know, Beifong-san! What if I hurt you?"
smack
"Ouch! Ok, ok, sorry." They took fighting stances, circling the ring.
Midoriya waited for her to hit, but she kept up her defense. Moving to make the first strike, he punched.
Pow!
Out of nowhere, Toph had struck him before he even swung. Rubbing his side a bit, he took a couple quick jabs.
Smack! Pow!
Countered again, he backed off. She never instigated a move, just counters. Maybe a feint would do it?
He moved in quickly and feinted his right, prepping his left. She moved to counter…
zing
"AAAH!"
POW!
Toph sense went dark suddenly, leaving her open to the attack! The left punch took her off her right off her feet.
"AAAAH! BEIFONG-SAN!"
"That's enough." Aizawa walked over, his quirk active. Midoriya tried to help her up, but she smacked his hand away, still panicking. "I CAN'T SEE!"
"Relax." Aizawa lifted his quirk. She immediately calmed down, sticking to the floor. "That's why you need training. To overcome an opponent without relying on your Seismic Sense."
With a withering glare, she got up. He was right though; that was scary. She could feel the stone beneath her, but she couldn't sense a thing! She temporarily lost a sense she's lived with all her life!
Having made his point, he continued. "And Midoriya. You're far too overextended. Off-balanced. Anyone with an inch of combat experience could have at least blocked those punches. But we'll get to that in a bit. You'll be working with me today. We'll work on regulating your power so you don't destroy yourself with every move. I'll erase your quirk if you lose control. We'll also work on physical combat in time. Beifong, you'll be sparring today."
Toph nodded, backing into the ring.
"Not that one. You'll be sparring there." He pointed to a boxing ring with rubber matting. "You need to be able to fight an opponent you can't sense with your quirk. All Might's going to humor you. Focus on accuracy and picking out your opponent with your other senses."
She blanched. She was fighting All Might? Totally blind?
"NOT TO WORRY, YOUNG BEIFONG! YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS, YOU NEWBIE! LET'S GO!" He bounded into the boxing ring. She took a breath. 'I got this, I got this. I'm here to be hero, right? Plus, I spar with Yaomomo all the time! How hard can this be?'
xXx
And she swung.
And she missed.
And she swung!
And she missed.
She missed both times, nearly passed out. She needed a popsicle.
"COME NOW, YOUNG BEIFONG! LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF MY VOICE!"
"It's hard to ignore!" she yelled to the Number One Hero. "HAH!" She tried for a kick, but hit air; losing her balance.
"YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO DEFEAT ME SITTING DOWN LIKE THAT! UP! GET UP! THAT'S IT!"
"HHHRRRRAAAAAAH!"
They had been going like this for nearly an hour, 20 minutes at a time. Not a lot of time, but they say every two minutes of combat equated to a mile run in terms of exertion. She was at her limit, but continued with a war cry for every fall she took. All Might was impressed at her tenacity, but she wasn't getting anywhere fast. She'd pinpoint his location by sound, move in to attack, but miss because she was too slow. All Might was barely dodging, not even using One for All in the slightest to move.
Meanwhile, Midoriya's training was going a bit differently.
rrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
zing
rrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
zing
rrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
zing
Midoriya was charging One for All into his hand, trying control his power without breaking himself. Every time he got too close, Aizawa erased his quirk.
It seemed that he could charge his power into a limb without hurting himself if he didn't try to move it. So, they simply had Midoriya feel up the power in his hand to get used to it. They power couldn't just sit for very long though, resulting in Erasure and a renewed attempt. But progress was progress. Each time was a bit longer than before. This training wouldn't do for very long though.
"If you only charge up your arm, it will get used to the power faster than the rest of the body can catch up. Anything about the power changing?"
"Y-yeah. It feels…less powerful than before. Not weaker, just limited."
"Right, I'd say you're getting used to it. Try running it through your entire arm now. Keep it low though. You shatter anything, and I'll expel you as soon as you recover."
Midoriya nodded and focused. His arm was taking it for about 15 seconds.
"I-I think I've got it! I-I-IIIIAAAAOOWW"
zing
He staggered; the power gone. The energy hadn't quite settled into the rest of his body yet, but it was a new experience. These things were expected.
Aizawa checked the time. "I'd say we're done for the day." Toph also collapsed behind Aizawa, finally done. She had just barely grazed All Might once in their spar.
"Land, sweet land!" She cried, making a rock-angel under her as she crashed onto the concrete. All Might deflated as well. "You did good for today. Your ability to keep fighting is something to behold. Just be careful not to overdo it, young lady."
Aizawa scoffed. "You're one to talk" he grumbled. "Both of you get some water, stretch it out, and go home. See you tomorrow at class."
xXx
Toph staggered into the Beifong Estate later that day, completely spent of energy. All Might never even thrown a punch and she was exhausted.
"Mom? Dad?"
Yu appeared. "Good evening, young lady. Looks like you had quite the extra lesson tonight."
"Pff, you don't know the half of it. Where's Mom and Dad?"
"Business dinner. They'll be back at 11. They said to await your arrival, do you require anything before I take my leave?"
"No, thanks. Good night, Yu."
"Very well, good night young lady."
After a quick shower and a snack, Beifong fell into bed. 'Finally. Some rest.'
…
bzzz bzzz
"Sigh." She picked up her phone. "Open message."
Ding! "Message from 'Sugar Queen'. Open?"
"Yes."
Ding! "'Hi Toph. I thought you might be upset about the whole Class Rep thing, I just thought you'd be good at it. Plus, people look up to you in a way and I think you'll do great.' Message over. Reply?"
"Yes." Ding! "Hey Yaomomo. Don't sweat it; it turns out telling people what to do is fun. I honestly thought you would want the job, though. End Message. Send."
…
Ding! "'Well, yes, I did. But I've seen how you're inspiring people like Midoriya. He's not the only one either. You two work together well, by the way.' Message over. Reply?"
She blushed. Honestly, she was just doing her own thing, she wasn't paying much attention to what others thought. Maybe she was just expecting the worst.
"Yes." Ding! "I guess. At least I'm just the vice rep. That was still a rotten play, Sugar Queen. End Message. Send."
…
Ding! "'LOL. By the way, do you really have a diary? I've never seen it and you've never mentioned it.' Message over. Reply?"
"Yes." An idea came to her head.
Ding! "No, it was Midoriya's. I had to pee and he left it behind. Didn't want anyone to notice it. End of message. Send."
…
Ding! "'Oh! That makes sense, I saw him writing in a notebook during All Might's class. That must have been it. Anyway, goodnight!' End of Message. Reply?"
"Yes." Ding! "Goodnight. End of Message. Send."
xXx
***Somewhere downtown, a man with spikes growing out of him was walking through the alleyways, counting the money from his latest hold up. It was too easy; the old guy never saw him coming and blubbered cowardly as soon as a spike was on his throat. Had a decent amount of cash too.
Lately, he had been thinking about that job that lizard had mentioned. Some big break in with the purpose to, apparently, kill the Symbol of Peace. He didn't know how that could be possible, but he heard about the employer bragging on and on about his "secret weapon". He's been on the news more often now because of his involvement as a new teacher at U.A.
'There's no way we'll be able to walk right into any hero school, much less U.A.' He scowled at the newspaper stand. It was a picture of All Might, clearly taken in passing, printed on the paper.
He kept walking. His head was down, so he almost didn't notice the swirl of purple mist ahead of him.
"Soga Kugisaki. Have you had enough time to ponder our offer?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Ya'll still ain't telling me what it pays."
***"Considering our goal, the results will be payment enough, don't you agree?"
…
xXx
That's the end of Chapter 6! Things are beginning to stir in the underworld, wouldn't you agree?
Aizawa and All Might were right. No matter what, Toph would have eventually felt All Might lose like 400 pounds out of nowhere and walk like nothing happened. There wasn't much way to hide it, and now they have an ally. Makes things simple.
Hey! Canon Aizawa! Stop only criticizing Midoriya and Bakugo as if they're the main characters or something! You have more than like, two students!
It took way too long to figure out the class reps. Must have rewritten it about three times. I guess it doesn't really matter, but I thought it was weird no one voted for Iida and yet he got it. What can I say? At least he actually earned it.
I'm sure most of you have heard of the hero Daredevil (Whom I don't and never have owned the rights to), but that's more or less how she's training. She may figure out some other tricks with time, but the idea is for her to use her other senses to pick out her surroundings without her quirk. Just like it's hard for seeing people to do that, it'll be tough in a similar way for Toph as she's had her quirk her entire life and has relied on it. But if a blind lawyer can do it, so can she.
And it's review time!
To Okatufreak1799
Thank you! Will keep working hard!
To DodemGM
I thought about that too, but there's a snag. The Republic City Police Uniform is super cool but is made with metalbending in mind. Toph doesn't know how to do it (yet), so I went for a classic look. But hey, costume updates. So maybe another day.
I absolutely agree with your other point. Relationships don't have to be romantic in nature and this story will reflect that. It isn't realistic to have everyone and anyone pining for each other like in some fanfics, I'm just diversifying the side characters' interactions with each other. Although there will be some ships, I'm not going to turn every single friendship into romance. It's mushy (or Mushi?) and not something I'm willing to put a lot of time into. Additionally, the ships I do write will take time to come to fruition and won't just "happen", I want them to make sense and meld with the story. Thanks for the input!
To Sebecca
I agree. I didn't like how we never saw how the other teams did and I didn't want to rehash the matches we knew about. Hence, the reshuffle. Midoriya's Deku moment took a different form I think, but I wish I had incorporated it. The match was a lot quicker than canon though, so there was less time to work with to fit everything in. Don't worry, he'll get his moment in due time.
He might have been able to slide with just his injury if it weren't for Midoriya's "Run In Panicked and Deny Everything" strategy. Oh well. I imagine Tsukauchi knows everything for a similar reason, but it's not confirmed.
The blind earthbender being confused about invisibility. Too easy lol.
Yeah, me too. I love Koda a lot more than Mineta, that's for sure. At least he's happy.
I was originally planning on releasing a new chapter twice a week, but they've been churning out like crazy. I may have to dial them back as COVID-19 calms down and I have less time on my hands. Right now though, I need to keep my hands busy as to not go insane and this is a good outlet for me. I'll be careful about overwork, though.
To D3lph0xL0v3r
Could you imagine Azula and Dabi throwing shade at each other, though? That would be an entire chapter, I'd say.
Bakugo needs to get his head out of his ass and Toph knows it.
Pathological Liars are going to be interesting later on. Also, it's easy to hide something if you don't know you're hiding it. The best liars are the one's telling the truth.
Don't worry, her hero name will be (REDACTED BECAUSE LOL). Hope that clears up any confusion ;P. In all seriousness if anyone has some suggestions for Toph's hero name, do shoot me a message. I actually like Blind Bandit, but ideas are welcome.
Mineta is trash. 'Nuff said.
Maybe, maybe not…
Yeah, Azula's too good a villain to not include. We'll get there.
Ashido is super nice and she and Toph would get along great, I'd say. As long as spas are out of the question, that is.
I love writing Toph and I was worried I wasn't representing her personality quite right, so thank you! She's one of my favorite characters from the series and is amazing to write. I don't know if there's going to be a traitor in their midst, but we'll find out eventually.
To AnimeLuver1492
Green and light yellow do suit her really well. I'm glad you like the costume design!
And references there will be, my friend! As you can see, Aizawa's working her in ways she's never had to do, so lots of growth to accomplish.
Not regrets for the graspist, but I feel slightly bad for Hagakure. More than that, I'm surprised what happened didn't happen sooner. Blasty is a good nickname and one of the ones she's going to use, there may be more, though.
Oooooh, I loved writing that fight. Kirishima falling from the sky like a comet? Priceless.
To Kobk
Toph as a villain so she can be melon lord? Hmmm…interesting…
Thanks for the support! Till next time!