...
[November Third, X038. Musutafu High School ]
…
It had been roughly a week since Izuku had been declared a National Treasure, the 'Modern Day Momotaro', or any other number of heroic sounding titles following the reveal of his quirk to the general public. While this had the minor side effect of Izuku occasionally being approached by random citizens who wanted to say hello or offer thanks, the majority of them were content to leave him alone and respect his privacy.
It almost made him thankful for the bodyguards the Japanese Government assigned to follow him everywhere.
Too bad the same couldn't be said of his classmates. The school's hierarchy had been shattered the moment the story broke, and now everybody was clamoring to have the power to claim friendship with Izuku. Upon returning to school, Izuku had been immediately greeted by everyone who saw him. Female students were gifting him with various boxes of sweets, while male students were offering to buy him lunch, or to train with him after school. And everyone was doing their best to move out of his way and allow him fast passage through the halls. Even the teachers were acting different, several of his own offering instant extensions on his homework or bonus points to account for 'lost time' due to his being out for quirk testing.
"Where was all this when I was supposed to be quirkless?" He wondered, remembering a teacher who knocked twenty points off one of his assignments for it being handed in a day late after he was out for an excused absence. He shook his head as the resident muscle-heads held open a door for him, remembering the time those same students had held the door shut on him, only letting everyone else pass. He sighed as a girl offered to carry his books, recalling the time she had slapped them out of his hands.
"Thanks, but my locker is just over there..." He quickened his pace and stopped before the door, seeing something sticking out of the 'vent' of it. "Got another one...bunch of suck-ups." Izuku sighed as he opened his locker, finding yet another greeting card had been shoved inside. He looked to the guard currently accompanying him, the man offering him a pair of disposable gloves. Despite his powers of regeneration, all agencies involved had agreed that Izuku, and his mother, had needed protection. As such, neither of the Midoriyas ever found themselves out in public alone. There was always one guard with each of them, and several more scattered around the area incognito.
"What's this? The tenth one today?" The guard laughed as he watched Izuku put on the gloves and remove the card. While Izuku felt the gloves were an unnecessary precaution, he did appreciate the agencies efforts in thinking up and planning for any possible scenario that could potentially hurt him.
"Twelfth." He had to give the mysterious gifter some credit, the card was a handmade creation as opposed to a store bought one. However, the fact they had also shoved in a gift card to their parent's restaurant took most of the credit away. "And another for the charity auction."
The guard nodded and held out a small bag that had been marked for decontamination. Within, one could see several gift cards and certificates for various shops and restaurants. While Izuku could have used them himself, he didn't want to give anyone the idea that he approved of their gifts, and instead had agreed to donate all that he could to various charity events. The paper card meanwhile was discarded into the recycling bin that had been placed next to his locker, an advantage to having one on the end of the row. It joined several others that had been discarded earlier in the day.
"Izuku!? Why did you throw out my card?" A female student whined, having seen his most recent display of disregarding affections. "I spent all night making it."
"Because even when gotten from friends, I think greeting cards are a waste of resources." He took of the gloves and threw them in the trash bin, before motioning to the guard that they were moving. The guard moved to his side, the pair ignoring the insincere whimpering coming from the jilted gifter. "You think they'd get the message by now..."
"Women are complicated, and teenagers even more so." The guard answered after a moment, steps even with Izuku as they made their way towards the cafeteria for lunch. The usual chorus of cries met his ears as he pushed open the doors and entered the room.
"Midoriya-san! Please sit with us!" The student council all stood up as he passed their table, each one bowing in respect as they made their request.
"Izuku, over here! We're about to discuss the latest Pro Hero rankings!" The fanboys table waved at him. "Bet one day we'll be discussing you on that list!"
"There he is!" The popular girls all quit their table in favor of swarming around him.
"Hey 'zuzu! I made too many cupcakes. Please, have one!" One of the girls shoved a small box of cakes towards him.
"I have an extra soda, it's cherry. Your favorite, right?" Another one offered him the can.
"I've got an extra ticket to the Girugamesh concert this weekend. It's yours if you want it."
"Mikan, you said I could have that ticket!?" Another girl glared at the one offering the ticket.
"Come off it Asuna, this could be my only chance!" Mikan returned the glare, practically shoving herself into Izuku's chest.
"Alright ladies, back off." The guard stepped in then, expertly pushing the growing crowd away to allow them to pass. "Midoriya-san is not interested in any of these things at the moment."
"But Izuku-"
"Attention Students," The crackle of the intercom silenced the cafeteria, one of the few things capable of doing so. "Would Midoriya Izuku please report to the principal's office?"
All eyes looked to the golden child, the whispers starting as Izuku and his guard made their way back out through the crowd, which had been quick to part this time to allow them to pass.
"Wonder what the man wants now..." Izuku couldn't keep the annoyance from his voice. He had been called to the principal's office more times in the last week than he had in his entire academic career prior. "Any guesses?"
"Probably another news crew." The guard shrugged as they came even with the door to the principal's office, another guard waiting outside.
"Not this time." The other guard answered as Izuku moved towards the door, "it's just the principal this time."
"Not sure if I should be relieved or not..." Izuku let out another sigh as he knocked on the door.
"Enter." The principal's voice called, the man standing in greeting as Izuku entered with the guard on his heels. "Midoriya-san, please have a seat. I know I've interrupted your lunch, so would you like something to eat? My wife always packs more in my bento than I can eat." He held up a picnic-sized bento box, and Izuku had no doubt that the principal had it made special just for the purpose of dining with Musutafu's newest hero.
"No, thank you though." Whatever appetite Izuku had before lunch had vanished as he sat down. Deciding that he just wanted to get this encounter over with, he cut straight to the point. "What did you want to see me about?"
"No need to rush, Midoriya-san. I already told your teacher you might be a little late coming back from lunch an..." The man's words died, seeing the growing annoyance in Izuku's eyes. "Never mind, I understand your desire to be a model student."
"Do you? Because you never seemed to care before." It took all of Izuku's focus to not roll his eyes, instead choosing to nod at the man's words.
"And it is thanks to your actions as a model student, as well as your excellent scores on your tests and assignments, that you'll be receiving an academic award at next week's assembly an-"
"Would I be getting this award if I was still quirkless?" Izuku couldn't bite his tongue any longer without risk of biting it in half.
"E-excuse me?" The principal blinked, though whether it was at the question or being interrupted was hard to say.
"Would I be receiving this award if I was still quirkless?" He put extra emphasis on the last word. While he was never a top student in his early academic years, his grades were always well above the passing mark. And following his original reassessment, he had quickly rose to being in the top ranks for many of his classes. However, these accomplishments seemed to go unnoticed by all but those who cared about their own standing within the school's academic ratings.
The principal's lack of an immediate reply told Izuku all he needed to know.
"Thought so." He stood up then, all patience gone for the day. "While I thank you and the others for the recognition, I don't want it if you're only finally acknowledging it because of my quirk. Because if you're only doing so as a way to tout the school's amazing academic programs by having the golden boy at the forefront...I want no part of it."
"Mi-Midoriya-san, please...Don't misunderstand my intentions..." The principal stammered, realizing he'd be caught. "We...We have awards prepared for other students as well an-" A poor attempt to make it seem like a general assembly and not a publicity stunt.
"Well, only present those ones then." Though he hated himself for it, he decided to use some of the newfound power behind his status. "I'm needed for more testing on that day and will be absent. Thank you for your time, sir." Izuku didn't bother to bow, moving instead towards the door. Giving a nod to his guard, the man opened the door and followed Izuku out. Only once he heard the door close behind him did Izuku let out a groan of frustration. "Hypocrites...all of them."
The ever watchful guard said nothing, a fact Izuku was grateful for.
…
[November Fourth, X038. Musutafu High School]
…
For all his intelligence, Katsuki couldn't understand why someone who he had deemed to be worthless was suddenly being touted as the greatest thing since All Might. Almost overnight, Midoriya Izuku had become a name everyone in the school knew regardless of if they had ever met the guy or not. Classmates who once laughed at and scorned Midoriya alongside him were now singing his praises. It seemed no matter where he went in school, he'd find someone making some comment about Deku. Most of these conversations he could tune out or ignore as he could just walk away. It was much harder when they were happening right beside his locker.
"Did you hear Midoriya was seen playing with some children at the hospital?" A girl whose locker was three down from Katsuki's commented.
"What a nice thing to do an-" The girl next to her didn't get to finish her thought before Katsuki slammed the door to his locker shut, startling her and many other students nearby.
"There's nothing heroic about playing with children!" He spat, eyes narrowed in rage. "Deku is still the most useless piece of shi-"
"Language, Bakugo-san." One of his teachers had heard his outburst, and had come out of her classroom to see what was going on. The final bell may have just rung, but most of the teachers were still on the lookout for issues. "We don't talk about other students like that."
"But Miss Toshiba, you agreed with me tha-"
"Not another word." Ms. Toshiba sent a disapproving glare his way as she disappeared back into the classroom, leaving Katsuki even more annoyed than before. That was probably what annoyed him the most. The fact that the adults who were supposed to be teaching them. The ones who had supported and praised his prior actions against Deku. They were now treating him with the same dismissal they had with Deku in the first place.
"What the fuck?!" Katsuki mastered to internalize the impending outburst he could feel building. As much as he hated it, he knew he could argue Q.I.P.D. for any further incidents and have a small safety net in place but to actually do something like that?
He'd rather take the suspension or expulsion than drop low enough to admit his quirk, the very thing that made him awesome, might actually be a problem.
"Hey. did you see there's an article on Izuku's latest act of heroics?" A boy had run up to the two girls that had originally triggered his outburst, a magazine in hand. It took every remaining ounce of control he had to not blast those students, and this particular part of the school into oblivion as they once again discussed Deku's latest act of heroism. Playing with children, even sick children, was not a heroic act in his eyes. Everything that Deku was doing and being called a hero for was anything but.
"Let me see that!" Katsuki didn't wait for an answer, instead he grabbed the magazine out of the boy's hand. Sure enough, there was a whole page article dedicated to Deku. His eyes skimmed over it, seeing a message from Recovery Girl stating just how powerful his quirk was. Seeing the note that a new classification had to be made just to accommodate his quirk. Saw messages of thanks from those who had been lucky enough to receive Deku's blood. The biggest kick however, was a note from a nurse praising him, as well as blood donors in general.
"What the fuck?!" The restraint on the internalized outrage broke. He would have lit the magazine on fire if it wasn't for the fact that one of the other teachers nearby was watching him with the eyes of an eagle ready to strike. Taking advantage of Katsuki's tantrum, the student grabbed the magazine and ran off, the girls doing the same. "He donated blood that just so happened to have healing properties. Big deal, almost anyone can give blood...Thus proving that, even though they're saying his quirk is powerful, that Izuku is still a Deku."
"Deku? Is that a nickname for Midoriya-san?" Though he had been venting to the air, Katsuki suddenly found an audience for his rant. He turned to find a woman with a small note pad and microphone beside him. Behind her, he could see a cameraman and another woman dressed similar to the first. Somehow, a group of reporters had mastered to sneak into the school amidst the students leaving for the day. "Are you perhaps a friend of his?"
"Midoriya Izuku?" Katsuki crossed his arms, annoyed, "Yeah. I've known the kid since we were in diapers."
"Great," the reporter seemed not to notice the attitude Katsuki was giving her, "we've been looking for friends of Izuku to interview. Would you be willing to answer a few questions for us? And do you consent to having this interview be shown on the nightly news?"
"Sure, why the hell not." He gave a nod as the third member of the team gave him a paper to sign that confirmed his agreement to be interviewed. "So what would you like to know about Deku?"
"Well, for one – why do you call him Deku?"
"Because a Deku is someone who is useless, and that's exactly what Midoriya is. People are calling him a hero, saying he's so talented, but he really isn't. Hundreds of people donate blood, but are they recognized for it? Hell no. At most they get something to eat and maybe a little souvenir hand towel or some other useless trinket. No news report, no medals, no nothing." He grinned, "Thus, not heroes and just a regular person."
"I see," the reporter blinked, her years in the field telling her exactly what to say next to get the best report. "So tell me Katsuki, what is a hero to you?"
"Heroes are those who have amazing, powerful quirks. They're the ones out there kicking ass against various villains who break the laws." The grin grew as he thought of all his favorite heroes and the various acts he'd seen them do. "They're out there fighting for everyone, not just those closest to them."
"But what of smaller, local heroes who only handle certain areas? Such as Ms. Joke or Present Mic?"
"They're still out there, kicking ass and taking names." Katsuki seemed to ignore the bulk of the question and continued his rant. "They're out there being heroes."
"A fair point," The reporter knew she had pressed a button, and wasn't about to lift her finger from it. "But what of people like the police, doctors, teachers, and even sanitation workers. Surely their actions can be seen as a type of heroics, yes?"
"Police yes because they're out there hunting and handling villains as much as the Pro Heroes themselves, but the rest?" He laughed, a mocking sort of laugh. "I'll give doctors and other medical personnel credit because they save lives. Still not real heroes, but can be called heroes. But everyone else? No. There's nothing heroic about teaching and playing with children. Nothing heroic in cleaning up literal trash from the streets. Those are things civil servants do, not heroes."
"Most insightful." Years of professionalism allowed the reporter to keep a straight face as she gave a nod. "Thank you for your time, Bakugo Katsuki-san." She motioned for the camera to cut recording. "You'll be able to watch the story tonight on the six o'clock news on channel thirteen."
The third member of the team came over to him as the reporter and camera man began to pack up their stuff. The woman handing him a copy of the pages he had signed, as well as her business card. "Thank you again, if you have any questions. Feel free to contact me personally."
"You're welcome." Katsuki accepted the pages as the woman joined her colleagues. Stuffing them in his backpack, Katsuki gave a final snort at the school and those still around before heading for home.
…
[November Fourth, X038. Musutafu]
…
If there was one thing that traveled faster than all the bullet trains, it was gossip. Following the story shown on the evening news, people of all walks of life began looking up information of Musutafu High and its students. Shortly after six pm, it was difficult not to hear someone talking about the story. And by seven, it was impossible to not hear someone talking about other recent discoveries of Musutafu's problem student population:
"Oh my, look at this one. Bragging that he pushed Midoriya down the stairs."
"This post isn't any better: 'I pantsed the quirkless kid'...That's just sad."
The HPSC and other organizations were suddenly caught unprepared as all means of communication were flooded with emails, postcards, and phone calls from random people, all demanding an investigation into how one student could have faced so much abuse at the hands of his fellows.
"Oh that's just not right..." One of the women reviewing emails at the HPSC shook her head, summoning a coworker over as she looked through the photos of the MyFace Place account she had been sent.
"Report it." Her coworker shook his head, "I've already sent in reports for three others of a similar nature. One of them even had a ViewTube account that I reported."
Thanks to the surprise coordination of the general population, many of the students who had posted photos or messages about Midoriya Izuku, and some about the quirkless population in general, were suddenly being spammed with hate mail. More than one student changed their accounts to private, but the damage was done with the proof saved across multiple devices.
The same happened to those who posted videos showing further proof of Musutafu High's bias towards the quirkless. All of these were targeted with hateful comments directed at the poster, as well as hit with dislikes to such an extent that the platforms hosting them had no choice but to go offline for 'maintenance' and pull all the videos, as well as ban the creators in an attempt to save face. The most damning one being a one-sided fight that happened just outside the school.
"Punching the quirkless kid? That's deplorable. Though what I want to know is why that teacher didn't stop them?"
"Stop them? Looks like the man wanted to join in..."
"It's a wonder those kids weren't expelled."
"Forget that, it's a wonder Midoriya didn't try and off himself because of the abuse."
Following the reveal that some of the adults assigned to protect students had been seen not only encouraging but enjoying the show, a petition was started demanding that Midoriya Izuku be moved to another school as soon as possible. While an impressive amount of signatures and support was gathered from the public, the gesture was more symbolic than practical. All of the parties watching him had reached the same conclusion when the first 'Izuku Abuse' post was found.
The Hero Public Safety Commission was flooded with offers from private schools, and several public ones in surrounding districts not affiliated with Musutafu's school system.
"I'm saying no to the public school offers." The head supervisor of the group involved in Izuku's case shook his head. "But some of the private schools have potential."
"Boosted security due to 'high value' students or personnel. Acclaimed academic courses. Booster and scholarship programs for the various Hero Academies or programs available once they graduate." Another counted the benefits on her fingers as she rattled them off. "Although, while its easy enough for us to discuss this...I hate to say it but I think the final choice is going to rest with Midoriya-san's Mother."
"Right, the kid has been through enough." Another woman nodded, "it wouldn't be fair for us to just grab him on the grounds of 'it's for your own good' or 'for your safety'."
"But we could use that argument."
"Then why did we give him guards if we could have just moved him at any time?"
All heads in the room looked down then, a valid point had been made that none of them could argue.
"Alright," The head supervisor gave a nod, "here's my thoughts. We'll look through the offers and see which have the most promise. We'll then take those to the Midoriya residence and let them review them and decide from there."
"And if Izuku doesn't want to transfer?"
The supervisor pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that was a possibility, but as it was the most unlikely outcome of the situation..."We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
…
[November seventh, X038. Midoriya Residence]
…
"Mom? I'm home." Inko couldn't help but sigh as she heard her son announce his arrival. It was an old habit of his that he had since he became old enough to go to and from school on his own. The only thing that had changed was the tone it was said in. In recent days, there was an odd level of tired relief on the words, as opposed to the original joyful tone the words had held for years.
"Welcome home," she greeted her son as he entered the kitchen, knowing his routine of grabbing something to drink before starting his homework. "How was school?"
"The usual." He sighed, "though I've set a new record on number of admirer notes received in a single day. Up to fifteen now." In addition to a can of juice, Izuku grabbed a fruit cup. "Also, the math teacher didn't give me any homework again tonight...Had to bribe a classmate with an autograph to let me copy the problem sheet."
Inko suppressed a sigh. Most students would be thankful to not have homework for any reason, but she knew her son was annoyed that these 'exemptions' were only being given because of his newfound status. "Again? Maybe we should have a talk with the principal or superintendent about this?"
"Won't do any good." Izuku filled her in on his recent encounter with the man. "Sometimes, I wonder if we'd have been better off moving out of Musutafu. Let me start fresh in another district." He took a seat at the table, attention focused on opening his snack.
Inko was going to say something, but her son's words stopped her. Instead, she moved to one of the drawers in the kitchen and removed a set of papers from within. Just a few days prior, she had been visited by a member of the HPSC and an administrator from Soumei Private High school. They had brought along the generous offer of allowing Izuku to transfer to them on an all expenses paid scholarship of sorts, as well as the potential for a fast track to UA's hero course. At the time, Izuku was in school, so she was able to review the document in peace. She had reservations about it, knowing that Izuku would probably see it as another organization trying to ride the success of quirk and had kept it secret, until now.
"That is an option..." She offered the packet to her son. "It seems others are just as concerned for your safety. Soumei has offered a very generous scholarship to take you through the rest of this year, as well as your final year." She noticed his eyes narrow, "Now I know what you're thinking, but they were actually recommended by the HPSC due to their already heightened security thanks to some of the other high value students that attend."
"Really?" Izuku blinked, eyes drifting to the actual brochure that had been included with the scholarship offer. He had to agree with the HPSC that Soumei did have better security, and that a lot of the programs were on par or even better than his current school's. "I can't argue with them there. But I still can't help but wonder why no other schools stepped forward?"
Inko blinked, plenty of the other schools had stepped forward with offers within days of the news, but it was clear they only did it to try and get the Golden Child as part of their as a pseudo-manager for Izuku, Inko had been quick to discard those offers, and didn't say anything to him about it. She had only kept Soumei's offer because, to her eyes, they were the only one that seemed to genuinely care about Izuku's academic future and not his quirk.
"Oh they did," The manager mother couldn't seem to meet her son's eyes, gaze drifting instead to the paper bin, "but I didn't want to waste your time with them."
"Okay," Izuku understood his mother's actions, "so why did you save the Soumei offer then?"
"They're the only ones that, to me, sound sincere. Look here." She pointed at one of the pages, "They made note of your current studies, as well as gave a list of classes that would match to where you currently are. None of the others took the time to review that information."
By her son's eyes, Inko could tell Izuku was thinking about and analyzing the words. She could also see the faintest spark of interest, but could tell he still had reservations.
"Maybe so, but...There could still be issues." Izuku sighed, "how long before the students there just want to be friends because of my quirk? Or until the teachers grade me on a curve, just to keep me happy?" He pointed to another part of the brochure. "And the uniform? You have to buy them, and they require a clean one everyday, including gym clothes. I know we've got the money to afford multiple, but I don't want you or me to constantly be using the washing machine and driving up the water bill."
"Oh Izuku," Inko couldn't help but ruffle her son's hair, trying to fathom where his thoughts and logic came from. "You don't have to worry. Soumei has already agreed to cover the expenses." She flipped to the last page, where everything had been laid out in an easy to understand list. "A 'free' bus pass, all uniforms provided, they're even willing to cover your lunch expense." She gave her son a gentle slap on his arm, "and I don't know where you got the idea I do laundry every day. But if you have six or seven uniforms, it will be easy enough to wear them on rotation and I can wash most of them the day you're on the last one."
"Okay, but what if you have to come to the school for some reason? It's a much further drive, and I don't want to inconvenience you."
Inko noticed Izuku was no longer truly arguing against the transfer, and decided to play her trump card. "Izuku, it's a lot harder on me to continue to watch you leave everyday for a school you're obviously miserable in now. Also, you try to hide it, but I can tell when the day has been particularly hard on you when you come home. I no longer see my smiling little boy excited with what he's learned, I see a bitter adult whose boss yelled at them at work."
"I'm Sixteen Mom! I'm not a child anymore..." Izuku's cheeks took on a reddish hue, but Inko could see that her words had reached him.
"Maybe not, but I'm still your mother. And I worry about you." She looked back at the pages, "all I'm asking is for you to seriously consider the offer."
Though her son didn't immediately reply, Inko suspected she won the argument. A thought that was reinforced when Izuku took up the brochure and offer packet for Soumei.
"How soon did they want an answer?" He asked, eyes now noticing the original date of the papers. "Because I want to sleep on this."
Inko knew her son rarely slept, the word more of a code meaning 'I'm going to analyze this all night even though I've probably made up my mind'. Though she hid most of her smile, there was still the faintest grin of maternal happiness on her face. "Soumei understands a move like this, especially so late into your academic career, can be a tough choice to make. While I'm sure they would appreciate an answer sooner rather than later, they've agreed to hold the offer until the end of the year."
Izuku's eyes drifted to the calendar, noticing that he had a little less than two months left to decide. By the way his head tilted to the side, Inko could see the gears turning in Izuku's head.
"I'll let you know tomorrow." He tucked the pages in one of his notebooks and moved towards his room.
"No rush dear." Inko gave a nod as her son took his leave.
…
[November eighth, X038. Musutafu High School]
…
It had been another day of annoyances for Katsuki. The usual slow moving students, annoying assignments, and Deku-Praise all cutting his already short fuse even further. That fuse was lit when shortly before second period, the intercom had crackled and summoned him to the Principal's office. Far as he knew, he hadn't done anything beyond 'gently' shoving a student out of the way of his locker. As he made his way down the hall, he heard the Principal's voice coming through the thin walls of the school.
"...I want an official apology! That interview has effectively screwed our reputation!" He heard the principal screaming at someone. "Now get out of my office! And don't come back unless its with the network executive!"
Katsuki blinked as the production assistant from two days ago scuttled from the office, a pile of hastily gathered pages in her hands. She barely gave Katsuki a passing glance as she ran for the door.
"Bakugo, get in here!" Somehow, the principal knew he was standing there. While he would never have admitted it, the man's tone had sent a chill down his back. He entered the office with his usual swagger, seeing the principal seated at his desk, face red. Beside him was the superintendent for the Musutafu School District, a member of the Hero Public Safety Commission, and another dark-haired man who looked like he had just crawled out of bed.
"Do I really need to be here?" He heard the other man whisper, just a little too loud.
"Just until this is over, Aizawa-san. We don't know how he'll react, and would like to have some insurance." The HSPC representative replied, giving the man an apologetic nod as the principal addressed his student.
"Bakugo Katsuki," the man sighed, voice still rough from his previous outburst. "Do you know why I called you in here?"
"To congratulate me on my TV appearance?" He decided to hide his nervousness the only way he knew how, acting superior.
"More like condemn." The principal cleared his throat, seeming to have calmed down slightly. "Following your interview, myself and Mister Akebono here spent the better part of the evening looking over your permanent record." He pulled out the file folder in question and tapped it. "In reviewing it, we've found countless cases of you abusing not just Midoriya-san, but other students you deemed...unworthy?"
Katsuki opened his mouth, but the glare he was getting from both principal and superintendent stopped him.
"I'm going to be honest with you here, Bakugo." He flipped through a couple pages, "Our School has been far too tolerant with you. Many of these cases are for things you should have been suspended, even expelled for. However, and I know you're going to hate what I'm about to say but, the majority of us let this behavior go, or sent you off with a slap on the wrist, because of your Q.I.P.D."
Katsuki gritted his teeth, the man wasn't wrong. He hated everything about it. Hated that someone, somewhere, had proposed the idea of it in the first place. He could feel his palms starting to sweat, and opted to curl his hands into fists in an attempt to squeeze his anger away.
"As such since judgment was already given, and as much as I would wish otherwise... you can not be punished for any past aggression, actions or incidents against Midoriya-san, or any student in general." The principal looked to the HSPC representative, who nodded in confirmation.
Katsuki could only keep a tight hold on his anger, and curse repeatedly in his head as the adults talked over him.
"For children, Quirk Induced Personality Disorder has always been used as safeguard of sorts for young quirk possessors still learning to use, adjust to, and handle their quirks. One that that shields them from punishment in all but the most serious cases." The representative diligently explained. "For adults however, that protection is lessened in that it does not fully excuse their actions. For example; an adult with a static quirk shorting out all unprotected computers in his office because he sneezed will probably have to pay for the damages, but won't lose his job. Basically for adults, Q.I.P.D. softens the blow one might receive from the offended party."
"Then why don't villains use that as a defense for their actions?" He glared at the representative. Behind the HPSC rep, the man name Aizawa glared back twice as hard.
"There's quite a few reasons, but the biggest is that there's an obvious line between accidentally blowing up a research facility and 'accidentally' blowing up a research facility." The representative adjusted his glasses. "Some villains have tried to argue it, but there's only one case I can think of in which it was accepted as a valid defense of her actions."
"That aside," the superintendent spoke, his eyes hard as he studied the student before him, "going forward, the school district will no longer accept Q.I.P.D. as a valid excuse for any actions involving your quirk unless it can be definitively proven you had no control over the situation."
"But...Wha-" Katsuki tried, and failed to formulate his thoughts. His nails now digging so far into his palms it was a wonder he wasn't bleeding.
"No buts, Bakugo-san." The principal spoke again, "in addition. If you are found to be breaking any rule, no matter how minor, you will be expelled." He watched as Katsuki's hand unfurled and fell to his side, noticed the boy's shoulders now sagging. "This might seem harsh, but it is our hope that this might be able to teach you a better level of self-control."
"Do you have any questions?"
"Does my Q.I.P.D. protection still exist outside of school?" He asked the safest question he could think of, normal anger replaced with defeated frustration as he beat himself up.
"Yes," the representative answered, "it would not be fair if you were expelled because, let's say you were almost hit by a car and caused an explosion out of a fight or flight response to remove a threat. Do you have anymore questions?"
Katsuki couldn't believe it. Even if only at school and temporarily, he had finally gotten his wish of having his Q.I.P.D. ignored. However, he felt that had come at the cost of everything else he had built his reputation on. He let out another sigh and nodded his understanding. "None at this time."
"Very well, though if you do have anymore questions, you can always come back and see me." The Principal added, trying and failing to sound like he actually cared as he looked at the clock. "You're free to return to your next class. Here, let me write you a pass."
"If we're done here..." Aizawa didn't wait for any reply, just walked out of the room after sending a final glare at Katsuki. Taking the pass, Katsuki's posture was much the same as he moved to his next class. The teacher took the pass with a nod, before continuing on with the lesson like nothing had happened. Those seated nearest to Katsuki could tell something was off, but none dared to comment. His one relief was that he had not actually seen Deku that day. His desk had been empty during homeroom, there was no gathering of groupies at lunch, and even now in last period, Deku was missing.
"He had to have known about the meeting. Damn it Deku, you might be smarter than I gave you credit for...Staying out of school today..." He glanced at the empty desk, before looking to the clock. All the anger he had suppressed earlier was starting to return as each minute of last period ticked by. When the final bell rang, the anger stayed suppressed just long enough for Katsuki to get beyond the boundary of the school. With an annoyed grunt, the doused fuse was re-lit, and he took off running for Deku's apartment.
"Can't do anything in school – but I'm outside of school now!" He grinned, hands smoking in anticipation as he imagined using Deku like a punching bag. Sure, they claimed he had regenerative properties, but he felt this would only allow him to enjoy the experience longer. His smile grew and he quickened his pace as the old building came into sight. He was grinning like a madman and running like one too as he mounted the stairs two at a time. Stopping before the door he knew to be the Midoriya residence, he debated blowing it up – but instead put all his anger into knocking.
"Deku! Get! The! Fuck! Out! Here!" Every word was punctuated with a booming knock, the words themselves loud enough to be heard both on the floor above and below. He paused briefly when he heard the click of the door opening, not wanting to risk punching Mrs. Midoriya despite Q.I.P.D. protection. Instead, he was greeted with a very large, very muscular man whose entire body left maybe a fingernail's thickness between him and the door frame.
"Can I help you?" Though his voice was harsh and grating, the man seemed to be keeping an even composure as he glared down at Katsuki.
"Where's Deku? I need to talk to him!" Katsuki screamed, "Deku! I know you're in there!"
"I'm sorry, but there's no one by that name at this residence." The man grunted, some of the calm now gone from his voice as he reached out an arm to push Katsuki away from the door.
"Got something in your ears?" Katsuki snapped, hands smoking as he readied an explosion to shove the only thing standing between him and Deku out of the way. "Midoriya Izuku! Better known as De-"
Katsuki got no further, the man now holding him so far up the opposite wall by his hands that his head was touching the ceiling. He fired off a small explosion, hoping to startle the man into releasing his grip, but all it did was result in the man holding him even harder.
"Diamond-skin quirk kid. Your little firecrackers aren't going to do squat against me." He snorted, gaze burning into Katsuki's own. "Now first, I'm going to ask you to shut up. I just got my daughter down for a nap. And second, I don't know where you've been, but the Midoriyas moved out months ago." He felt Katsuki's hands tense up, ready to fire off another explosion. "With that in mind, you can either walk away right now, and I will forget this little meeting happened OR you can continue to bitch and I will put you down like the angry Pomeranian you are."
For once, Katsuki had a moment of clarity and realized there was no winning in his current situation. "Apologies Sir." He bowed his head, speaking through gritted teeth as the man's grip lessened. "By chance, do you know where the Midoriyas moved to?"
"I do not, but even if I did – I wouldn't tell you out of respect for their privacy." He dropped Katsuki to the ground then, one hand giving him a gentle shove back towards the stairwell as he returned to his apartment. As the door clicked shut, Katsuki let out an annoyed grunt and started walking back the way he came, unable to believe his luck.
"Fucking Deku. I will get you back for all this..." He kicked a can as he walked, occasionally popping it up into the air where he blasted it away with an explosion. "Just need to find someone who knows where the fuck you went."
…
[November ninth, X038. Soumei Private High School.]
…
Izuku stepped off the bus and stared at the building that was Soumei Private High School. The building gave off an impression of being cleaner, more sophisticated that of Musutafu High. Even the students milling about the area gave off the same aura, though Izuku noticed there was another difference between Soumei students and Musutafu students.
There was no air of hostility.
He recalled a new student at Musutafu who had been overlooked by all but the student council member assigned to show them around. Most didn't even bother to introduce themselves, or ignored the kid when he spoke to them.
Here however? More than one student took a moment to say hello, to welcome him, or give a polite nod as he passed. Those who recognized him from the news did the same, though there was definitely a little more enthusiasm in their actions.
"Midoriya-san?" Izuku was instantly greeted by a senior student sporting a Student Council badge on his uniform's jacket. "Forgive me if I startled you, I'm Iwatani Shigeru, a member of the student council. I've been asked to show you around Soumei and answer any questions you may have."
"Thank you Iwatani-san." Izuku gave a bow, before noticing the time. "Though can we save the tour for another time? I don't want to be late to class on my first day."
"They warned me you were a serious one when it came to your studies." Shigeru let out a hearty laugh, "though depending on whose your homeroom teacher, I might be able to do a little of both."
Izuku looked at the page in his hand, "Nakahara Natsume? Room two-zero-four."
"Oh that works out well. I can show you the computer and science labs on the way." He motioned for Izuku to follow, "you can also ask any of your fellow students if you need help."
Izuku had thanked the man as he followed him down the halls. Similar to when he was outside, most of the students were content to greet him and let him pass without interruption. By now at Musutafu, he'd have been accosted by at least three groupies that his guard would need to force off. Here, the government granted guard following him and Shigeru seemed more a formality.
"And just up these stairs and to the right is the classroom." Shigeru gestured to the door in question as the bell rang, signaling the start of the day. "If you have time, stop by the student council room after school, it's just down the hall, room two-zero-seven, and I can show you around more. Or again, just ask a classmate."
He had thanked Shigeru as the elder student took his leave, taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped into his new homeroom. Most of the desks were already occupied, and he wondered if the class had assigned seating.
"Midoriya-san? Over here!" An overly excited female student waved to him. "Sorry, but you are Midoriya Izuku, yes? Your desk is over here, next to mine."
"Apologies Midoriya-san, Chizuko loves helping new students." Another one commented as he made his way to the indicated desk. "Welcome, by the way."
"I just want to make sure he's welcomed to the Soumei family right!" Chizuko sat up straight, and Izuku noticed she also sported a student council badge.
"Uh, thanks." He took a seat and removed a blank notebook from his bag. Unsure of what to say, he decided to ask the safest question he could think of. "So, what's our teacher like?"
"Mrs. Nakahara is a strict teacher, but she'll give you the shirt off her back if you need it." The girl seated next to him smiled, "and sorry I didn't introduce myself properly, I'm Miyamoto Chizuko. Pleasure to meet you."
"Midoriya Izuku. And the pleasure is mine." He smiled as the door opened to admit their teacher and the remaining straggler students. The rest of the morning passed in a similar fashion, with everyone offering to help him as he made his way between classes. Those he sat closest to took the time to ask him questions about himself, and not about his quirk. It wasn't until the third period that two students had asked about his quirk once they realized who he was. And even then, they had only asked about it because they possessed healing quirks as well.
"Mine works like a salve, but only helps up to third degree burns or similar injuries." The boy who had approached him was saying, showing off the gel-like substance his hand could produce. "Comes in handy in chemistry when a student forgets the iron ring is hot."
"Yeah, meanwhile mine is more akin to acupressure or acupuncture." A girl with incredibly slender fingers stretched out her hand, "I've been studying the various pressure points of the human body. Forget being a hero, there's money to be made as a masseuse."
"Quirks aside, what do you like to do for fun outside of school?"
The whole experience of finally being treated like a person again, after years of being shunned, was overwhelming. While he didn't dislike the attention, Izuku couldn't deny that he had spent so much time being an introvert that he had come to prefer the company of himself. Somehow, despite his expectations, his reprieve from the new student spotlight came at lunch. More than one group offered him a spot at their table out of genuine desire to get to know the new kid, but he instead set his sights on a nearly deserted table in the corner of the cafeteria. There was only one other student at it, a tall and muscular boy with dark blue hair and glasses. He was currently occupied with a book, and Izuku figured he might be able to enjoy a quiet lunch with the man.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"
"Go ahead. There's no rule against it." He barely glanced up from the book, which Izuku now saw was a magazine.
"Thank you for letting me sit here. I'm Midoriya Izuku, pleased to meet you."
"Ida Tenya," the other boy looked up briefly, before returning to the article he was reading.
"Ida? You wouldn't happen to be related to the Turbo Hero: Ingenium, Ida Tensei...would you?"
A smile passed across Tenya's face, "That's my older brother actually."
"Oh wow. He's such a cool hero." Izuku removed a magazine from his own bag as Tenya let out a chuckle. "I know we just met but do you think I could meet him sometime?" He couldn't keep the fanboy side of himself from showing.
"To meet a national hero like yourself Midoriya-san?" Tenya flipped a couple pages into his magazine, and showed Izuku a short article that had been published about himself. "I'm sure my brother would be delighted."
"Thank you." The beaming smile on Izuku's face was at odds with the serious smile that graced Tenya's own as the conversation switched from heroes to more mundane topics. By the time the lunch bell rang, most people would have had a hard time believing that Izuku and Tenya had only just met in the last hour.
…
[November twenty-first, X038. Location]
…
For all the spectacle of the gala event going on around her, Yaoyorozu Momo was bored out of her mind. She had spent the better part of the morning training her quirk, opting to practice by producing various toys, blankets, and similar goods that could be donated to the local homeless shelter. Her intention had been to deliver the goods after lunch, and spend the rest of the day relaxing and recovering, but her parents had other ideas. As such, they had dressed her up and dragged her along to a charity event honoring several older heroes who had retired from that lifestyle due to various injuries or other ailments. Looking around at the various tables, she sighed as she realized she was probably the only 'kid' present at the event.
"They always do this to me..." She sighed as she sipped the glass of sparkling cider she had taken from a passing server. Her parents meanwhile were schmoozing it up with the others at their table, ignoring their daughter as they waited for the next guest speaker.
"Our next speaker is a young man who, despite not even being old enough to apply for a provisional license, is making waves in the world of Healing Heroes. I am of course, speaking of the modern day Momotaro; Midoriya Izuku." The M.C. stepped aside as light applause came from all sides as the green-haired boy in question stepped onto the stage.
The faintest smile crossed Momo's face, though she recognized the name from the news, she also knew his name as one of her schoolmates from Soumei. Though she hadn't actually talked to him, she had seen him around school. And while it had been a few weeks since he transferred, she could still see an awkwardness in his movements around the halls. That awkwardness was now on full display as he made his way across the stage.
"Th-Thank you." Izuku stammered as the M.C. motioned for him to take the podium. Momo could only watch in intrigue as the boy removed a set of index cards from a pocket in the suit jacket he was clearly unaccustomed to wearing. She watched his eyes dip down to the cards as he began to address the crowd. "And thank you all for coming tonight as we honor these heroes." He turned and gave a nod to the heroes on the stage as the crowd broke into polite applause. "These fine men and women are a testament to our society, and how even the most minor act can have a huge effect on society as a whole. Wh-whether it be through using their speed to keep pace with a hijacked bus, using their enhanced control of wind to keep smoke from obscuring the eyesight of fellow rescue workers, or even making frightened citizens smile again. Everyone has an effect on each other."
He looked through the cards, and it took all of Momo's etiquette training to not laugh as several of them went flying to the floor thanks to his nerves.
"Oh geeze," Izuku frowned, small beads of sweat forming on his brow as he looked at someone just off stage. "And even, uh even those whose jobs it is to supply heroes and civil servants with equipment figure into, into the equation." He motioned to someone off stage, and Momo watched as a representative of the HPSC joined him on the stage, wheeling a small cart before him. "Tonight, I'm proud to show off one of the latest Hero Tools that has been prepared." He picked up one of the objects – which Momo was quick to identify as a modified epi-pen. "The...Izu-Pen."
By the brief show of exasperation on his face, Momo could tell that Izuku had no part in naming the creation. To his credit, he recovered rather quickly after holding up the object for all to see.
"The Izu-Pen is a custom device that was created as a tool to assist me in healing anyone on the go if needed. It's a remarkably simple device that works as both an extraction and injection device. Ah-Apologies to the squeamish but..." He lifted up his suit jacket and the shirt underneath, exposing part of his hip. Taking the pen, he stabbed it into his side briefly before removing it, and adjusting his shirt. The once clear tube that rested in the body of the pen was now a deep red. He moved over to one of the retired heroes, asking him to roll up his sleeve. The man complied as Izuku struck the device against his arm, watching as the tube returned to its empty state. "How do you feel, sir?"
Momo was moved by the sight, while the scar on the man's face didn't lessen, she watched him stand up with much more ease than he had when he gave a speech earlier.
"Much better Midoriya-san. Thank you." He gave Izuku a thumb's up as the boy repeated the process for the other retirees, a deafening applause occurring the whole time. It only stopped when the M.C. motioned for Izuku to join him back at the podium.
"Thank you for that display, Midoriya-san." The M.C. looked back to the crowd, finishing out the speech Izuku had started with a general comment about how 'children were the future' and how 'science and technology improve lives' and all matter of stereotypical buzz words that people use when trying to make something sound more important or sincere than it actually was. With the speech over, the crowd returned to a more informal nature, and Momo excused herself from the table.
"And where are you going?" Her mother stopped her, one hand holding her arm.
"I want to see if I can meet Midoriya-san." While she knew her mother probably wanted her close to show her off, she hoped giving the honest answer might appease the woman.
"Capital idea. He'd probably respond better to someone closer to his age." Her father gave a nod as her mother released her arm, "if you do find him. Bring him over for a visit, won't you?"
Momo nodded and moved away then, searching for a spot of green amidst the crowd. It didn't take her long to spot him, standing apart from the crowd near an unattended dessert cart. By the way he was looking around, Momo could tell he was still uncomfortable with where he found himself. Remembering her father's words, she approached him
"Midoriya-san?"
"Ah!" Izuku jumped slightly, apparently he didn't expect anyone to talk to him. Either that, or he wasn't used to talking with girls. "Ye-yes, that's me. Midoriya Izuku...can I help you?"
"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, I'm a third-year at Soumei like yourself." She held out a hand in greeting, which Izuku was quick to shake. "And I just want to say that was a nice thing you did for those old heroes."
"Well, most of the credit goes to the HPSC...They're the ones who made the Izu-Pen." He held out the object in question, "I'm just the...I suppose refill station might be a good word?"
Momo couldn't help but laugh at Izuku's words. She knew he wasn't wrong, but to actually refer to himself as such? It was just so ridiculous that she couldn't help it. She looked at Izuku, hoping he wasn't offended, only to find he was also laughing about it. The two spent the next few minutes just talking about life, Izuku's time at Soumei, before the subject switched to being about quirks.
"Well, you know my quirk, but what is yours?" Izuku asked, genuinely curious as he accepted a drink from a passing server. The two had effectively raided the unguarded dessert cart and had taken over an unoccupied table.
"It's called 'Creation'." Momo answered after a moment, an eclair halfway to her mouth."I can create virtually any non-living material or object from my skin by converting the molecular structure of my fat cells. Only problem is, I need to understand the structure of what the object I want to create is made of."
"So you could, for example, create a table cloth and a fork?" Izuku blinked, mouth saying the first two random objects he saw.
"I could create a whole dining room and flatware set for six." She smiled, "but it would take a lot out of me...Literally. I'd probably have to eat the entire buffet here to gain enough fat, and then eat all the desserts to recover. Though if I'm not careful, I run the risk of making myself anemic and weak if I don't balance how much I eat versus create. It's a rather negative side effect for a quirk that's not all that great to begin with.
"Not that great?" Izuku shook his head, "Your quirk is far more useful than mine. I'd even argue more useful than some of the quirks of the current Pros."
"Excuse me?" It was Momo's turn to blink, mind trying to comprehend Izuku's words. "But your quirk does something. It heals people...Mine only creates things."
"Exactly." He started wiggling in his seat, and Momo couldn't tell if it was genuine excitement or a sudden sugar rush. "But consider this. My quirk can help mend a broken bone, but yours could create a splint or cast to help hold it in place while awaiting a transfusion. Likewise, while my quirk, sort of, gives me amazing defense...You could create shields not only for yourself, but others around you." He smiled, "think of it like this. I'm a first-aid kit, useful only under certain circumstances. You? You're like a Swiss Army Knife and can adapt. Need a knife to open a package? Done. Need a screwdriver? Flathead or Phillips?"
"Oh my gosh, he's such a dork..." Momo's inner voice commented as a faint flush came to her face. "I...I never thought of it like that. I mean, I've made all sorts of practical things, but to make and adapt them to a situation?" She smiled, "I never even considered things like that when thinking about becoming a hero."
"So...you want to be a hero too?" The goofy smile was back on Izuku's face as the subject switched from quirks to their plans when they got out of Soumei. Their conversation was only interrupted once by Momo's parents making an appearance, before they went off to mingle with others. By the time the event ended, Momo's earlier resentment at being dragged along was gone. She had a smile on her face when Izuku promised to continue their conversation at lunch tomorrow in school as she left with her parents and he left with his mom. Retreating to her room, she was quick to grab her cellphone, which her parents made her leave behind, and check it for a new message. She frowned as she noticed the lack of any notifications, distracting herself by getting ready for bed. She had just finished putting on her pajamas and fixing her hair when the device beeped.
While she would argue her jump was out of surprise and not out of desire to hear from Izuku, anyone who saw it would have had a hard time believing the claim. Clicking the message icon, she smiled at the words to meet her eyes.
"Hey Momo, it's Izuku. Just want to confirm that this is your number. If it's not, apologies to whomever I just randomly texted."
"Yeah, it's me." She replied, saving the number to her phone.
"Oh good, then apologies for texting so late. My phone died and I only just got it back on the charger."
"No worries, see you at school tomorrow." She set the phone down and had just gotten settled under the covers when it beeped again. Reaching to her bedside, she chuckled at the message to meet her eyes.
"Apologies again, but I just realized I never wished you good night. Good night Momo."
"Izuku, you're such an adorable nerd..." She kept the thought to herself, sending back a simple good night instead before setting her phone to 'Do Not Disturb' mode. Content, Momo fell asleep, her mind filled with thoughts of her and Izuku.
…
[November twenty-ninth, X038. Kyoto Imperial Medical Center]
…
While his quirk had a few side effects, it wasn't going to mean he ever gained the supernatural powers of other quirks. There were plenty of combat capable quirks dedicated to speed, strength, or some other gimmick. Izuku's training mantras were as simple as they weren't catchy. They were a series of sayings he repeated to reflect his goal.
He didn't need to be the strongest, he only needed to lift the rubble from the victim.
He didn't need to be the fastest, just quick enough to reach them.
He didn't need rubbery limbs, just be limber enough to hold them.
Someone else could fight the villain, it was his goal to save the victim.
Though these mantras were usually internalized, more than once he found himself saying them aloud as a cadence as he ran, or as motivation as he stood before a mirror. Currently, he was debating having one of them tattooed on his arm when he turned eighteen, but doubted his mother would approve. This was an idle thought in between the text message conversation he was having between himself, Tenya, and Momo. Though it had been over a week ago, he cringed as he remembered how awkward he felt when bringing Momo over to Tenya, only for the two to greet each other by name and reveal they already knew each other.
"Super healing of the body does not mean super healing of the mind..." He muttered to himself.
"What's that, Izuku?" The nurse at his side asked, checking on the various IV bags that were currently being filled with his blood.
"Nothing, just commenting on something a friend said." He wiggled his phone, his current source of entertainment as he made his weekly blood donation. Before moving to Soumei, he would spend his time reading, or watching some TV show or another. Now, he spent the time talking with his friends in between answering various questions from the attending nurses and doctors. "All set?" He asked, seeing the nurse beginning to clamp off and remove the tubes from his arm.
"Yes." She began to pack the bags into the waiting cooler as a doctor came to Izuku's side. "He's all yours doctor."
"Thank you. Sorry Izuku but I need you to put the phone down a moment." The doctor smiled as he affixed a sphygmomanometer to Izuku's arm and began inflating the cuff. It was a standard part of testing that they would take his blood pressure before, during, and after the donation process was complete. "One-seventeen over seventy-seven. Just a point decrease from last time but still well within the healthy range of someone your age. Ready to continue testing?"
"Always." Izuku nodded as he got up from the chair. Every two weeks, his blood donation was taken at Kyoto Imperial before he would undergo additional tests and training that was fully backed by both the Hero Public Safety Commission and the Ministry of Health. "What are we looking at this week?"
"We're going to test and check the development of your muscles and bones." The doctor answered as he ushered Izuku into one of the exam rooms. "So I hope you had a hearty breakfast and drank your milk. Move against the wal- Why am I even asking? You know the drill by now." The doctor chuckled as Izuku moved to stand on the scale so the doctor could check his weight and height.
"Not sure I should apologize." Izuku smiled as the doctor made his notes.
"Alright, hundred and sixty-six centimeters...No change there, though you did gain a pound since last time." The doctor made his notes as Izuku took a seat on the exam table. "Still enjoying being at Soumei?"
"Yeah. It's way better than Musutafu. The students are nicer, the desks are cleaner." He stuck out his tongue as the doctor shined a light down his throat. "And there's no one trying to brown-nose their way to friend status. Only problem is I'm no longer top in some of athletics, but that's okay – gives me something to work towards."
"That's always good. And I'm sure you'll be able to 'catch up' with Soumei's crew because you're fit as can be. Follow me, I'm going to pass you off to Doctor Shijima for the next test." Izuku nodded as he followed the doctor down the hall and into a room where he could see what appeared to be several hydraulic press-like machines set up. "He's all yours."
"Thank you Doctor Shibaku," Dr. Shijima took the clipboard, before looking at Izuku. "Alright, today we're going to really check the density of your muscles. If you would stand under here?" The man pointed to an area just under the plate of the vertical press. "Raise your arms fully above your head, palms flat. Touki, bring it down a few inches. Izuku, let me know when you can feel it fully flat against your palms."
Izuku complied, watching as the plate came down. While he knew there was no danger of being crushed, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he was. "Alright, that's good."
"Perfect, bring your arms down and we'll attach the monitors." Dr. Shijima and his assistant began attaching various sensors and wires to Izuku. "Alright, just let me check everything is hooked up. Vitals normal, clear reading...Alright Izuku, put your arms back up and push against the plate as hard as you can. Touki here is going to keep increasing the pressure it will push back on you. Keep pushing for as long as possible, and don't worry, you're in no danger of being crushed."
Izuku nodded and complied, following the instructions. The test started out easy enough, and Izuku was able to fight the weight for a good hour before his arms began to falter.
"I don't need to be the strongest, I only need to lift the rubble from the victim..." He recited his mantra, body feeling revitalized at the words.
At the three hour mark, and just over 400 pounds of pressure, Izuku had to throw in the towel. Not because his arms were hurting, but because his neck had become cramped due to being pushed down into his shoulders as he fought against the press.
"Well, your arm and leg muscles are well beyond the development for a boy of your age, and the same can be said for your chest. Seems only your neck muscles need some work." Dr. Shijima chuckled as Izuku rolled his neck, massaging what little discomfort he felt away. "Now this next test is to check your bones. Which would you prefer, arm or leg and left or right?"
"Let's give my arms a break." He looked at his arms, though they showed no damage, he felt it was time to change things up. "So left leg."
"Very well, Izuku...have a seat on the table here...Left leg here please?" Dr. Shijima coached as he brought over a larger version of the sphygmomanometer from earlier. "Now for this one, you don't need to move or do anything. As before, we're going to continuously increase the pressure. We want you to let us know when you start to feel anything from the bones in your leg. A pop, a break, whatever."
Izuku nodded as the doctor placed his exposed leg in the machine. After a moment, Izuku became aware of the machine tightening around his leg.
"Alright, as this test can rarely cause issues with blood flow to the brain, I want you to keep talking with me." Dr. Shijima took a seat across from Izuku. "Now last time we met, I believe you mentioned wanting to go to U.A.? Is that still true?"
"Yeah, I've had my sights on U.A. since I was old enough to want to be a hero." He smiled, his left leg in a state of restrained comfort. "Of course, I'd already be at U.A. now if it wasn't for the policy changes years back."
"Ah yes, the whole child soldiers argument." The doctor nodded, while he had barely been Izuku's age himself, he still recalled the international incident that lead to both quirked and quirkless portions of the population demanding the age for 'hero training' be raised to eighteen. "Can't really blame them for it though. While I feel children shouldn't be fully shielded from the nature of the world around them, some of the things the heroes have dealt with shouldn't be handled by children. Heck, I don't think most adults could handle some of them. Explains why, though there are many remarkable individuals that some still choose ordinary jobs instead of hero work."
Izuku couldn't argue with that line of thought. There was more than one Hero video online that had age restrictions or warning on it given the nature of some of the cases they showed. However, he knew he would never be happy sitting behind a desk, or working behind a counter. "Of course. Believe me, I'm not mad about it. Rather, I like the fact it gives me more time to train because, far as I know, their admissions exam is still the most difficult one. Maybe even harder than these tests." He looked at his left leg, the sensation of pins and needles strong as the pressure from the cuff continued to increase.
"Oh yes, I've treated more than one student who failed from it. Though most of the test isn't as bad as-"
"Ah, I felt something pop. My knee maybe..." Izuku's eye twitched, "sorry for interrupting."
The doctor nodded and noted down the current pressure level, the sensation of being crushed only stopping briefly before continuing.
"That's what I wanted you do do. But anyhow, like I was saying, the test is hard and they tend to change it up every year." He looked at the monitor, seeing all Izuku's vitals within normal limits despite the recent complaint of the boy. "Sometimes it's been pure Rescue or Combat operations. Other years its been both, and still other years-"
"Ah yeah, I felt something snap..." Izuku hissed, a muffled yet clearly audible crack being heard a moment later. "And it broke."
The deadpan response made both doctor and assistant share a look of disbelief, as they made their final notes. Izuku could only let out a sigh of relief that matched the escaping gas pressure of the cuff as he regained the circulation in his leg. A quick x-ray was taken that showed that the bones had indeed broken, but were already rapidly mending.
"So, how'd I do?" He rubbed his leg, willing the lost feeling to return faster.
"Phenomenal results as always." The Doctor made a few more notes, "though your bones are actually only a tiny bit denser than average, I suspect your quirk is slowing some of the damage, explaining why it takes longer for the bone to actually break – even when exposed to conditions that would have fractured any bone with ease. The only other cases I can compare it to are people with some of the body-altering quirks that increase the forces they can endure."
"Such as?" Izuku smiled as he felt the feeling return fully to his leg, a slight hiss escaping him as the lost numbness allowed him to feel a brief hint of pain as his bones continued to mend.
"Take someone with a iron-skin or similar quirk. While you or I are easily cut with a basic steak knife as our skin has no defense against it. Their skin however would harden or tense up at first contact, resulting in it leaving a scratch, if it leaves any sort of mark at all." He took another x-ray, comparing the two. "Damn, all but your patella have fully healed...and that one will probably be finished within the next five minutes." He excused himself, returning to the original subject. "As I was saying your bones, and your muscles too it seems, work on a similar system. They sense the damage that repeated force causes them, and thus your cells respond accordingly. While it might not render you indestructible, you're definitely a lot more durable than the majority of other kids your age."
"Great." He grimaced, the faintest pop being heard as his knee knitted itself back together fully. Stretching and flexing his leg, he confirmed everything was in working order.
"Any other questions before we stop for the day?"
"Just one," Izuku smiled as he hopped down from the exam table. "Think I've a shot at beating U.A.'s entrance exam?"
"Midoriya-san, I would be more surprised if you failed." Doctor Shijima chuckled as he made a few final notes. "If that's all, see Nurse Hibiya for a final check of your vitals and to retrieve your belongings." He tossed his head to where an older woman was waiting, a clipboard in her hands.
"That's all. Thank you sir." Izuku gave a bow and moved towards the nurse. His posture straight, steps confident despite the borderline torture he had just endured. Seeing his reflection in one of the windows as he passed, a variant of his final mantra cheered him on in his desire to improve and understand his limits better.
"I only have to be strong enough to save the victim."
…
[November Thirtieth, X038. I-Island.]
…
Serendipity, coincidence and bad luck are all metaphysical bitches. Each are capable of ruining lives, destroying dynasties, or causing someone to get the runs by being careless. Toshinori Yagi has irked all three many a time, and it would surprise no-one to find out all three had chosen him to be a target of their ire.
The Symbol of Peace was currently occupied with a smaller version of the annual I-Expo, to which only the most respected and top ranked heroes had been invited to. He had spent the better part of the morning checking out the latest advancements, and connecting with old friends and making new ones. Fortunately years of being in the spotlight meant the man could easily switch between one conversation to another. At least, that would be true if he wasn't currently switching between languages while standing in line at a buffet table.
"Think they'll have the king crab legs again if they do another Seafood buffet?" David Shield asked his long time friend as they waited in line. In addition to some of the greatest scientific minds, I-Island also held a number of top-tier chefs. Currently it was the Italians turn with the buffet, and all manner of pasta and other dishes had been prepared. While his condition meant he couldn't over-indulged as he could long ago, he still made a show of at least trying a couple of the dishes.
"Doubt it. Not after the last 'riot' that broke out over them." Toshinori replied, his English clear but accented. "Though I still think that was a ruse to show off the 'People Pusher' modification for rescue trucks.
"You mean that glorified bulldozer-dump truck thing tha-" David went silent, hearing something. "Hey Toshi, I think your phone's ringing."
"A phone call is here! A phone call is here!" Sure enough, Toshinori's voice was ringing out from his pants pocket.
"Still can't believe that's your ringtone."
"You're one to talk 'Danger Zone'...Though I can't believe I get a decent signal out here." He pulled the phone from his pocket and sighed as he recognized the number. "It's a friend of mine from the Hero Commission. Sorry, I got to take this." He raised the phone to his ear, pressed answer and switched languages. "Moshi Moshi? Yes, this is Toshinori. Though apologies in advance if this call is dropped. I-Island is very fickle with my service provider."
"Ciao Signore. May I take your order?" The caterer asked, in Italian as Toshinori and David came even with him.
"Understood, but Toshinori we have...news." The man on the other end briefly faded. "...treatment for your ailment."
"Uh...You speak English?" David asked the caterer as Toshinori motioned for him to go ahead of him. "What's that?"
"What is it this time?" Toshinori covered his free ear, trying to ignore the broken English and butchered Italian conversation. Already having trouble hearing the man on the other end, he excused himself and called upon what little Italian he knew to help quiet the situation. "He wants the Shrimp Scampi, extra shrimp."
"Yes, thank you Toshi..."
"Gomen-nasai. What were you saying about a new treatment?" He turned his attention back to the man on the phone.
"There's a...'miracle blood'...shows promise for heal..." The voice replied, fading in and out. "Simple procedure...blood transfusion with a healing quirk and..."
"Per te Signore?" The caterer asked, seeming thankful that someone understood him. "Might I recommend the Sausage Al Forno?"
Both conversations met Toshinori's ears at the same time and went right to the part of his brain that handled translations. Unfortunately, the lines got crossed along the way and in a brief moment of confusion, caused conflicting answers.
"Scusate, I tried that but it wasn't very good." Toshinori shook his head as he replied to the man on the phone, in Italian. "Gomen-nasai, could be worth a try." He looked back at the caterer, seeing the man move to give him a serving of the sausage. "Ah no, I mean-"
"But Yagi-san...This transfusion is-" A dial tone met his ears as the connection to the mainland was lost.
"Someone remind me to call them back later." He looked at his phone, seeing 'no signal' displayed along the top. Looking back to the caterer, he apologized again. "Scusate, can I just have a couple meatballs instead?"
"Everything okay?" David asked, adding one of the many dessert options to the tray he was carrying as he returned to Toshinori's side.
"Sounds like it. Grazie." He thanked the caterer as he accepted the small plate of meatballs, before selecting a dish of Budino di riso from the dessert cart. "From what I could hear, sounds like they've got another treatment they want to try out on me."
"Are you going to take it?" David moved to an open table and took a seat.
"I don't know." Toshinori joined him after grabbing a bottle of water. "I'll look into it more when I'm back in Japan, and have a better signal." It was an idle comment, a passing concern for him. If it was important or serious, he was sure someone would remind him later on.
Hundreds of miles away, a member of the HPSC was shaking his head as he stood before several of his fellows, reporting on his conversation with All Might.
"He stated that treatment 'wasn't any good'. Someone at I-Island must have already made the suggestion."
"So Midoriya's blood didn't fix him?" One of the others sighed. "Figures we can't restore the Symbol of Peace with a shortcut."
"Back to the drawing board."