"Salutations my fellow Team Leaders! I hereby call this second meeting of the Beacon Academy Leadership Council on Tactics, Training, Leading and Team Cohesion to order! I'll start with a simple role call! Izuku Midoriya, Leader of Team MNVW?"
"Here... Tenya, the exact same people are here as last time, you really don't-"
"Very good! Ruby Rose, Leader of Team RSBR?"
"Present and accounted for!"
"Excellent! And obviously I, Tenya Iida, Leader of Team TABY, am present... and accounted for. This meeting may therefore come to order." Tenya fumbled a bit when he realized his own call to order had been preemptively used by Ruby, the fifteen year old girl just grinning slightly as she munched into some cookies while Izuku absentmindedly picked up a chip and ate it. "Ahem..." Tenya readjusted his glasses as he seemed to put himself back on track, the young man looking at his two fellow leaders. "So as a week has passed since our last team meeting, it is my responsibility as Head Chairman of the Beacon Academy Leadership Council on Tactics, Training-"
"I MOTION THAT WE MAKE THE NAME SHORTER!" Ruby called out, interrupting Tenya, as the young man fumbled again.
"Ah, Miss Rose, while you did make a motion quite correctly, congratulations on picking this up so quickly, it is impolite and in bad manners to interrupt another member while they're speaking." With that gesturing out of the way, Tenya readjusted his glasses. "Now, is there a second to Miss Rose's motion?"
"Uh... seconded?" Izuku carefully put his hand up before Tenya nodded.
"The motion moves to the floor! Now, I myself find that there is nothing wrong with the current name of the Beacon Academy Leadership Council on-"
"Get on with it!"
"... Quite, Miss Rose. At any rate, I vote that the name shall remain the same." Tenya readjusted his glasses again as Ruby just nodded.
"I vote that we just shorten it to the Beacon Leadership Council." With that, two pairs of eyes immediately snapped over to Izuku, watching his every move and imploring our hero to side with them.
"... Uuuuh..."
"W-Well..." Jeez, Izuku hated being put on the spot like that. "I think that Beacon Leadership Council is punchier and gets the general purpose of the group across. So I think that would be a good way to name the group." Ruby gave a small 'woop woop' as she raised her hands in the air like she just didn't care in celebration while Tenya sighed in defeat, his head dropping for just a moment before he, in his usual Tenya manner, shot back up and gestured.
"While I disagree with both of your taste in naming conventions, you both have outnumbered my own vote and thus the motion passes. From here on out this Committee shall be known as The Beacon Leadership Council." There was a pause as if Tenya was waiting for some kind of hurrah or applause and, to her credit, Ruby did give a small round of applause which caused Izuku to awkwardly clap a few seconds later.
As the initial energy of the first vote died down they all started to get on to discussing what they all wanted to use that day's meeting on. Everyone chatted a bit and it was found that, while Katsuki hadn't 'greatly' improved his behavior, he had at least started to fall in on Ruby's orders ever since the previous week's fight. For which Ruby Rose was quite grateful to Izuku for his advice about the situation.
Normal people might have expressed it with a simple 'thanks' or 'that was good advice'.
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! OOOH I THOUGHT MY PARTNER WAS GOING TO BE A COMPLETE JERK FOREVER! NOW HE'S ONLY KIND OF A JERK, WHICH IS WAY MORE MANAGEABLE!"
That, of course, was Ruby Rose and the above was, of course, just what Izuku was vaguely able to piece together from her near light speed expression of gratitude.
Her Semblance didn't just apply to how fast she could move.
"I am surprised though. I have to admit that when Midoriya said that a show of strength would get Bakugo to come around that I was skeptical. Bakugo didn't come off as the sort who would show even the slightest difference to anyone... even someone who could best him in a spar." Ruby puffed out her chest slightly in pride, rubbing at her nose a bit.
"Well he did!"
"Yeah, I'm not that surprised. That's just kind of how Kacchan ticks." Izuku said with a slight sigh, though there was a smile on his face.
"Any idea why? It seems such an odd thing for a Huntsman to be focused on. Strength in the face of the Grimm, sure, I can understand that but when it comes to your relations with other students?" Tenya asked, quizzically, to which Ruby's own silver eyes suddenly shined curiously as well.
"... I really don't know why. I just know that it's been that way ever since we were kids... course with me it was always a little worse. Kacchan would usually order around and insult the other kids at our school who were weaker than him... which was everybody, but with me... well, you've seen it." It really wasn't an understatement that Bakugo had been the best at their school. Only the most stubbornly proud students back at Mountain Glenn couldn't admit it. Still, the fact that it had lead into his treatment of Izuku was... still a mystery. He still had so little of an idea as to why Bakugo seemed so angry with Izuku in particular. Sure in The Emerald Forest he thought Izuku was looking down on him, laughing behind his back when he thought the newest owner of One For All had always secretly had an Aura, but that was The Emerald Forest, just a few weeks before that moment. Izuku really didn't understand why Bakugo acted the way he had beforehand.
"Well... maybe I can figure it out?" Ruby shrugged slightly. "I mean, Kac... urgh, Katsuki's a jerk but he isn't... well okay in a fight he's insane and screams 'DIE DIE DIE DIE!'-" Izuku almost snorted as Ruby's face and voice contorted into the closest resemblance of Kacchan she could manage. "-a lot but otherwise he isn't senseless."
"Hmmm... well that would be your decision as Leader of your team whether to take up such a task Miss Rose. I know for a fact that I have also taken to trying to get to know my teammates as best as I can. My partner in particular: Yang is quite the open book as it concerns what she's thinking and feeling and Tsuyu, while occasionally monotone in voice, is also quite open to questions. Blake is the only one who is a little withdrawn... so it is my duty as not only her partner but also her Leader to try and facilitate a better understanding between all members of my team."
"What about you Izuku? I know you've been hanging out with most of your team a bit, but Ren said you were planning to hang out with Nora soon. How do you think that'll go?" Ruby asked, head tilted in interest, as Izuku just started sweating.
"Uuuuhhhh..."
"MOMMA'S GONNA BREAK YOUR LEGS!"
"PLEASE DON'T BREAK MY LEGS NORA!"
As soon as the fight started, Nora was running at him swinging her hammer around like there was no tomorrow. Izuku'd thought that, given Nora was a lot stronger than him, that the two could do some hanging out today while also getting in a bit of training. The strength and ferocity Nora wielded her hammer was impressive and it was something that, on top of Bakugo's own aggressive plays in his fighting style, Izuku had thought he could add into his fighting style to be a bit more effective. Mitsu had shown that he was better getting into people's faces and fighting them there, so getting more experience with that, and visualizing opponents like that, was what drove him to seek out sparring partners like Yang and Nora. Pyrrha was a bit more versatile and varied than Izuku and Weiss, well, they'd both be open to sparring to improve her combat basics soon enough.
However, just for himself, folks like Nora and Yang seemed like the better bet for Izuku's personal improvement... Bakugo too but Izuku didn't think he'd take him up on a 'friendly' sparring match.
However, despite that logic, Izuku soon found himself wishing he hadn't been so stupid as Nora came in, Magnhild swinging and grinning wildly at him. He was now pretty friggin' scared.
Nora brought her hammer down, swinging for his shoulder as she sought to get in first blood. Feeling around for his Aura he felt it behind his movements, even if not actively, as he reached up and slammed his fist into Magnhild's side, the head of the hammer being sent swerving off course and impacting into the ground. Nora gasped a bit, surprised that Izuku had parried her first maneuver, as he took a deep breath and drew his fists back. With a flourish he rapidly unleashed them at Nora, two blows looking to leave dents in her as he gave a short yell. Nora dodged the first one easily enough but, between her missed swing and the difficulty of the first dodge, it seemed like he had her right where he wanted her for his second hit...
That was until Nora's body glowed a light pink color. Izuku's eyes widened as he practically felt Nora's Aura pour off of her and, with a slight giggle, the girl flipped up and over the handle of her hammer, using Magnhild's head as a base as she gracefully flipped out of the way of his punch. When Nora landed back on her feet she just kept giving Izuku that darn near maniacal grin as she took a deep breath and...
'HOLY WOAH MAGNHILD WAS MOVING SO FAST!'
Izuku quickly moved his hand up to parry the first incoming hit, bashing the head of the hammer aside. When Nora just went with that movement and tried to swing at him again he dodged the second hit, beads of sweat forming on his forehead from the exertion.
CRUNCH!
The wind, however, was driven from Izuku's body as he gasped for breath, the third swing of Nora's hammer having found its mark as it drove itself right into his gut. His Aura absorbed the blow, of course, but the hit was so powerful that it lifted Izuku off his feet and 'still' made him feel like he broke a rib. Nora really was crazy strong and Magnhild was just such a crazy powerful weapon. Izuku took back control of his body however as he ground his teeth, working through the pain as he threw another couple punches at Nora. Once again the girl deftly dodged them, though that time not having to even draw upon her Aura to do so. With that same grin she went for those rapid swings again. Izuku grabbed Magnhild by the hammer and tried to throw it off completely but Nora just planted it into the ground, used the momentum to position herself and then swung it right back at Izuku. He dodged back but, while he was in the air, Nora hopped forward and brought Magnhild into his shoulder, a 'pop' heard just beside his ear before his Aura put his shoulder back into its socket.
'If nothing else, I'll be better prepared to tank heavy hits after this.'
Though that thought was far from his mind in comparison to the TREMENDOUS PAIN HE WAS IN!
It didn't pierce his Aura but it was so close he could practically feel his bones crunching under the pressure. He'd known that that'd be the last opportunity he'd have to land a clean hit on Nora so, again, he reared his fists back and threw them out. He saw the telltale sign of Nora's Aura as she dodged the second one but the first was still easily moved away from as Nora just danced away. The bell rung, his Aura having been dropped low enough to trigger it, as the bubbly bruiser just smiled.
"Wow Izuku, you got really close there a couple times. I had to burn my Aura just to avoid those hits! You really are something there fearless leader!" Izuku could tell that Nora wasn't just trying to soothe his ego. She meant it; she sounded and looked impressed. Honestly, Izuku really did doubt that Nora could pull off sarcasm even if she wanted. Izuku smiled back but, after a moment, he just collapsed on his butt. His Aura had to take some powerful hits there and his stomach and shoulder were horribly sore from where Nora had managed to slam Magnhild into him. Upon seeing that and taking a good look over him, Nora frowned as she seemed to realize just what kind of state she left Izuku in. "O-Oh... hey, fearless leader, I didn't hurt you bad or anything right? Sorry, I get a little... excited in spars like this."
Izuku could tell.
"I'm okay Nora... just... just give me a moment and let my Aura do its work. I'm just really sore right now..." Izuku took a few gasping breaths as he leaned his head back. As Nora really didn't actually 'physically' hurt him, his prediction proved true; soon enough he felt his Aura running through his body, soothing the slight soreness around the areas where Magnhild slammed into him. Even the light bruising that may have formed was going down; the stuff really was incredible, in his opinion.
Still, Nora sighed as she scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm still sorry Izuku. It was probably a lucky thing at the end there that I didn't go straight through your Aura if you're that sore. I... really should be a bit more careful."
"Well I mean, I asked for it. I don't see why you should feel bad." Izuku said as he patted his bruised bits. Nora grinned a bit as she watched him force himself back up on his feet, though the bubbly bomber's smile slipped again.
"Well... mostly because I kind of already know that I get this way in a spar." Izuku tilted his head to the side curiously as she said that. Nora chuckled nervously. "... Ren and I don't really spar anymore. Haven't for a while now. Back when we were a little younger and our strengths were a little more even, yeah, we'd spar to help get better and make sure we could do stuff like survive Grimm or get around safely but... well, after a certain point I kind of, sorta, accidentally, without meaning too... kept breaking some bones."
"I think Ren may have taken my enthusiasm the slightly wrong way too... plus it was probably a little weird to get beaten up by your childhood friend, who you've been together, but not together-together, with, I guess." Izuku blinked as Nora laid that out.
Honestly, it didn't surprise him. Heck, if Nora started every spar the same way she started theirs, he could definitely see that become a worrying trend for someone who was just looking for a friendly spar. Plus... well, Ren didn't come off like the kind of guy who much liked to work or do much of anything except sleep 'at all' and probably wasn't a big fan of taking the sort of beatings Izuku'd come to realize Nora could dish out.
Still, Izuku just did his best to grin and bear it as he shrugged.
"Well, maybe so, but... well, you've heard it by now. I need this kind of work in order to get better and achieve my dream. I've... taken worse hits to be honest." Izuku scratched the tip of his nose as he said that, Nora looking at him with a slightly disbelieving expression. "Hey I'm serious. Back in Mountain Glenn when I thought I was Aura-less I still trained to be a Huntsman at the local Combat Academy. It was... pretty rough. Even if they were actively trying to take it easy on me, it was still a school for Huntsmen and I still had no Aura. I ended up taking some pretty hard bruises and injuries because of that... and they took a lot longer to heal than a few seconds or a minute or two."
"... I still don't get why you flinch whenever I call you fearless leader in that case! That's so friggin' awesome!" Nora's enthusiasm sparked again, her skepticism short-lived as Izuku explained his story.
"B-Because I'm still really not all that fearless. I still get scared and forget to smile." Izuku admitted nervously but shook his head. "Anyway, like I said, this is the kind of training I need to improve, to get better. So I really don't want you to take it easy on me. I want you to go all out so that I can go all out!" Izuku gave Nora a bright smile, his emerald eyes shining slightly.
Though that smile and shine dipped a bit when he saw the downright sadistic gleam that made its way past Nora's turquoise eyes. "That a fact? Well then, how about we go another round Izuku"
"M-Maybe in an hour when I actually have some Aura in me to tank another hit or... two..." They both laughed a bit at the suggestion he'd be in any position to tank two hits from Nora but they both also agreed to have a seat and chat for the next hour while they both waited for Izuku to recover some Aura.
Eventually they stood up and got their weapons at the ready again. To be 'sporting' Nora decided that it wouldn't be much of a spar if she took Izuku right back down so she declared she'd let him get in the first move. Not the first hit, she'd still be dodging, but he could at least get a shot.
Again, if Izuku didn't know Nora better, he'd say she was making fun of him.
Well, even if she was, Izuku wasn't going to let that stop him. He nodded as he put up his fists and she prepared Magnhild, standing across from each other. Izuku started off a lot closer, wanting a chance to get as many swings in as possible, while Nora just smiled at his confidence... or lack of confidence, given that he wasn't taking many chances with missing. He took a deep breath and, with a shout, went in for a trade. Nora seemed surprised by the burst of speed he put on, watching as he rushed right at her. His first swing was on point but, with a burst of Aura, Nora managed to force herself out of the way... however as that Aura burst died down, Nora's eyes went wide as she saw his other fist swing in.
It was a hard hit, even he could tell that. Nora actually doubled over a bit as he'd driven his fist into her stomach and, seconds later, was nearly blown off her feet by the blast of gust's shotgun going off on her torso. For a moment he was actually spooked about the possibility that he had managed to hurt a member of his team.
However, as Nora brought her head up to look at him with those excited eyes, he felt a mix of relief and accomplishment wash over him
Well..., Relief, accomplishment and fear for his life as it seemed he had managed to 'excite' Nora quite a bit.
Magnhild came swinging again as Nora gave a loud battle cry. The first swing was way off mark, Nora's excitement having caused her to lose some focus, but the next two seem to be coming right at him. He kept his cool however and, with deft hands and quick feet, managed to bounce Magnhild off of Emerald Gust just enough to drive it off course and then duck under the follow up swing. With a grunt he forced himself forward, fists flying, but none made a mark on Nora as she just easily avoided one and then dodged the other. Izuku ground his teeth together as Nora once again came swinging, his eyes going a bit wide.
He brought his gauntlets up to block Nora's first hit, trying to bounce it away. He could feel himself start to give though so he pulled upon his Aura in order to forcibly bounce Magnhild away. The force was enough to send Nora's second swing flying in a poor direction, making it easy enough to just step out of the way for the following swing.
Then, however, the last swing came and he felt it impact his side.
CRACK!
Pain shot through his body, both his eyes and Nora's going wide as they both realize that wasn't just the sound of an Aura enhanced body groaning under the stress of an enemy's attack. That was the sound of his ribs breaking. He was bounced away from Magnhild as the swing followed through, his body skidding across the floor as the force of Nora's swing propelled him.
'Holy woah, this hurts a lot.'
Even as he felt his soul moving in to try to patch him back up and put his ribs back into their proper position, he knew that that was going to hurt like Hell for a while.
Even so, his emerald eyes looked up and he could already see Nora running up, apologies about ready to spill out of her mouth as she tried to ensure he was alright.
Izuku raised a hand before Nora could even properly start to apologize, forcing himself to his feet as he gave her the best smile he could.
"Don't worry about it Nora... I'm fine. Nothing a little time and Aura won't fix." Izuku saw that she was just looking at him as he stood, almost as if in disbelief that he had actually managed it.
"... You know fearless leader, you've got guts." She finally said, a wide grin on her face as she slapped him on the back.
Izuku laughed a little bit as Nora did so, keeping himself from crying out in pain as the force of Nora's slap shocked throughout his torso, jostling his broken ribs a bit. "Still, maybe we should get you looked over with what's left in the IDSSK. Just to be safe, right?" She asked with a wide smile. "And then afterward we can celebrate with pancakes!"
"... You know what, that sounds good to me Nora." Izuku agreed with a nod as the two of them left the training arena, Izuku gently holding his ribs while his Aura got to work putting them back together.
He really hoped his bones mended soon. He had another training session soon with Weiss.
"We'll be going over some slight forms today. I will be guiding you up close so I don't want you to fidget or otherwise get nervous... and if I see your hands wander anywhere I haven't said for you to move them, I will make good on my threat to have you eat them. Is that clear?"
"Crystal!" Weiss nodded as she motioned for Izuku to go through his paces. While last week had been all about getting his footwork up to snuff, which Weiss had said he still needed 'a lot' of work on, as that was the weekend and everyone was winding down, even Weiss, she decided to go a little less hard on the day's lesson and focus more on Izuku's form over all rather than drilling his footwork until his calluses had calluses.
"One and two and three and one and two and three and four and one and two and keep your feet right here and one and raise your arms and two and keep your back straight and four and-"
Weiss clapped in time with an almost silent rhythm, every now and then reaching forward and grabbing Izuku to force his body into a better position and keeping it there as she helped guide him through some basic rhythm. Izuku had to admit that it was a little bit stressful; on top of having the rhythm he constantly had to keep up with, Weiss' voice continually ringing in his head in time with that rhythm, stopping only to correct some mistake he was making, often times accompanied by her reaching forward, grabbing onto him and moving him, keeping his nerves frayed and his face red.
Thankfully he did his best to not let the bundle of nerves that were going wild in his head, or the butterflies in his stomach, get in the way of going through the motions. Weiss kept her prodding up though, poking him here and there but, as time went on and his muscles slightly adjusted to each of her little pokes, they became fewer and fewer.
"Now stop." Izuku did so, practically freezing in place. "Relax." he continued to follow her order allowing a tension to leave him that he hadn't been aware of. He must've built it up in order to keep with her motions with, now, he seemed to have- "Now get back into your motions."
...
He did so and he realized that, having allowed himself to relax, he almost completely fell out of the more 'managed' stances and movements that Weiss had prodded and poked him into.
"Dance isn't just about rhythm or good footwork either. Muscle memory plays a strong part in managing to keep to a known rhythm and style of dance. The more you exercise your body so that it can immediately jump back into an established series of motions and rhythms, the better you'll be. Some people will just allow themselves to flail about and call that dancing. True dance is managed, it is rhythmic and there is a beauty to it as each step moves into the next, carefully played into a series of steps and motions that make up your waltz." Izuku nodded slightly as he went along with it, Weiss again poking, prodding and moving him a lot as he had lost the tension from before. Honestly, it seemed to work with the same logic as his karate; katas weren't just there to strengthen his muscle groups or to help him hit harder. There was a 'way' to punch and a 'way' to kick that would make them stronger. Proper form and proper positioning was just as much a part of making a solid attack or defense in a fighting style as was being strong or fast.
He supposed that it was the same with dance; he could be naturally coordinated and quick on his feet but if he just flailed around to a rhythm he was only ever going to be able to go so far.
It made a lot of sense to him.
"Wow Weiss, you know a lot about dancing." Weiss nodded as she continued to poke and prod his movements.
"Of course. I am a Schnee after all and Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. It's expected that I be a master of not only the arts political and economic as befits my position but also the cultural arts so that I may be seen as a person of refinement and high class among the elite of Atlas. These lessons you have are... similar to the ones I took. It's why I'm so confident that, given your own tenacity, you'll be accomplished in dance under my tutelage." Izuku blinked slightly as Weiss said that, the girl poking Izuku in the ribs as his momentary distraction kept him from moving in rhythm. There was a lot Weiss just said there, but...
"Wow, that's some dedication there Weiss. It must've been something you really wanted to do to keep up with it like that." Izuku saw Weiss start off nodding along with what he was saying but, as he reached the end of the sentence, he saw her pause. There was a slight blink given as she turned to look at him.
"Pardon?" Izuku blinked somewhat as he scratched his head.
"Well, I just mean that if you took to the lessons so much dance must've ended up being something you were interested in right? Otherwise you wouldn't have kept up with them." He saw Weiss blink again but then, in a flush of red, just put her hands on her hips.
"O-Of course! Yes! I mean, why would I stick to lessons that I might not have liked! That's... crazy?" She seemed to be reading his expression for a moment before she suddenly nodded. "Yes, crazy, lunacy, no one would do such a thing!" Weiss just smiled proudly as she nodded.
...
"Weiss... did you want to dance or... I dunno... did you have to?" He saw Weiss freeze up a bit as he said that, the ordinarily prim and polished Heiress just staring off slightly in the distance, the image of the well maintained and proud Schnee faltering slightly as he asked the question. After a moment however Weiss ended up combing out her hair in a slightly nervous gesture as she recomposed herself.
"I don't see why it couldn't be both." Weiss commented slightly as he tilted his head to the side. The young woman sighed as she let go of her hair. "Initially I was quite young when I started my lessons. Like a lot of things your parents arrange for you to do when you're young, they can be a bit frustrating. To be forced to do something for any amount of time, especially something as demanding as learning how to properly dance, it's a harsh thing. You're a young man Izuku and you came to me for these lessons so I don't suppose you would understand that... but think about it like your Hunter Training. You want to be a Good Huntsman, and a Good Huntsman has to learn to do things they might not find fun or enjoyable at first."
"I wanted to be a good and proper Schnee Heiress and member of society in Atlas. To do so I had to learn to dance. But after a while I came to enjoy dancing for its own sake." Weiss gave a small spin herself, her graceful steps so far beyond anything Izuku could manage at that point. "It's an enjoyable activity, certainly more so than sitting around reading a lot of very dusty tomes on economics and Atlesian politics."
"I suppose I can understand that." Izuku nodded as he said that and Weiss, for her part, seemed quite relieved that he had grasped it. "Still, I can understand why learning economics and politics would be important for your job but... dancing? That's what I don't quite get." Weiss smiled slightly as she shook her head.
"It's part of being a member of High Society in Atlas, Izuku. Being cultured is as much a symbol of status in Atlas as being rich, running a company or joining the Military. Dancing, singing, fine arts, literature, these are the things that separate the upper-echelons from the people on the street. Not that it necessarily makes us better, mind!" Weiss seemed really concerned for a moment but he just nodded and she seemed relieved that she hadn't stumbled into a faux pas. "But it's different expectations. You're to be cultured in the Old Mantle ways, not taking up some base acts like... pop music..."
There was a blush on Weiss's face, and...there was a slight grumble of melancholy to the back of her voice. 'Why would she bring that up,' he at first thought, but then concluded that discretion was the better part of valor, however, and allowed her to continue in her explanation.
"If your family is wealthy they're expected to use that wealth to further advance their position and industry. If you're a member of a wealthy family and you don't want to be part of that industry, the Military is the only proper station for you, not..." He saw Weiss close her mouth before she could finish that statement.
"Not...?" Izuku tilted her head to the side as Weiss coughed into her fist.
"... Not some common profession like being a chef or something equally base." She nodded slowly as Weiss corrected herself. "At any rate... if I want to be the Schnee Dust Company's Heiress, if I want to fit in and be accepted in Atlesian Society, then things like being cultured and being ready to run the business are just things I'll have to contend with." Weiss stated firmly as she dusted off her dress...
"I mean... 'is' that what you want?"
There was a slight scoff that came from Weiss as she just looked over at him, her eyes a bit narrow as he felt the chill off of her blue eyes.
"What kind of question is that? 'Of course' that's what I want. It's what I've worked pretty much my entire life to get Izuku. Heck, asking that is pretty much as ridiculous as asking whether or not being a Huntsman is 'really' what you want." Izuku shrunk back at bit as Weiss chastised him, his hands raised defensively as he shook his head.
"I'm sorry! It's just, I mean, the way you were talking, I was thinking, I mean, I thought you meant-"
"Well I didn't mean anything of the sort, thank you Izuku." Izuku nodded as Weiss ended that topic before she, with the same expression, sighed. "Perhaps we need to get your mind focused on something less ridiculous. Alright, back on your feet Izuku, we've done enough with form and we're putting you back through your paces on footwork to make sure you haven't slipped up."
Izuku thought he might've stepped on her toes pretty badly... well, now she was probably going to get him back for that by making 'Izuku' step on his own.
He hoped that Yang's session wouldn't be too intense that night. He'd just gone through two sessions of hell, and he wasn't sure exactly if he could keep up with another one.
"Come on Slugger! It's just some weight! You've taken bees to the face and managed to keep on moving! Just push that bar back up and finish your rep! You've still got to spot for me when this is all said and done so don't let a little weight keep you down!"
A little weight.
Right.
Maybe a little weight for Yang Xiao Long but for one Izuku Midoriya? Three hundred pounds was still a lot of weight, especially when he was actively pushing Aura into his arms in order to help bench said weight. It wasn't just the weight either; that was his thirtieth rep he was trying to finish.
When Yang said that weight lifting with her would be a little less extreme than sparring with her, he hadn't imagined that it would only really be 'a little' less extreme. Say what you would about Yang but when it came to physical activity she didn't joke around... and it seemed like she wouldn't Izuku joke around either. If Izuku was going to be her sparring/lifting buddy, he was going to put in at least a similar level of work as her.
Which left him in the spot he was in then, face red not from embarrassment at his sweat drenched clothes... or Yang's, but from the exertion he was putting himself through in order to push that bar with huge sets of weights on either side back up into their resting position. His arms quivered slightly, one moment slightly jarring to one side and in the next almost swinging to the other, as he breathed in through his nose and his eyes dang near bulged from his skull. He had to know that some veins were popping out from his temples from all the effort he was putting into it, his muscles screaming at him throughout his chest and arms.
Later he would think It was a good thing he was already used to being kind of plain looking, because he imagined that didn't look attractive 'at all'.
Izuku shuddered to imagine what would happen if Yang and Toshinori would get together to make a workout plan.
Finally though after much effort and much held in grunts of effort, he pushed the bar up and let it fall back into the little metal holders, a deep, gasping sigh released from his chest as his arms fell limply to his side, his chest heaving as he stared up at the ceiling.
"My dad says that the reason why you see a lot of scrawny looking Hunters around is that their Auras are actually helping them do most of their lifting. They can be strong as an ox but if they don't actively push their physical limitations they'll stay thin as a beanpole. He says that's why him and Uncle Qrow don't look like guys like Cardin or some other muscle-bound guys." Yang prodded him in the forehead, a wide grin on her face. "Course that also means that if you want to get stronger, you have to push your limits with weight that even stretches what your Aura allows for... which, when that starts to get exhausted, means your relying on good old natural muscle... which isn't used to the kind of weight you and your Aura are accustomed to lifting."
"Any reason why you're saying this while I've got spots in my vision?" Izuku asked tiredly as Yang just laughed.
"Eh, I dunno. I figured you'd find that interesting. You're the big information, data and study guy after all."
...
'You know, she's right.'
"I'm just really tired." Izuku wheezed as he let his head stay on the bench rest, Yang grinning as she looked down at him.
"I can tell. Really pushed it with that. Muscles were bulging out and everything." He swore he heard a slight 'nice' under Yang's breath but he either choose to ignore it or he just didn't care. The screaming of his muscles was taking precedence over being embarrassed right then. "Alright slugger, I get that you're tired. Just spot me to make sure I don't end up slamming this here bar on my neck and we'll be square." Izuku nodded as he forced himself off the bench, Yang walking over to some nearby equipment as she picked up some weights.
"... Speaking of. For as much as you lift Yang, you don't seem overly muscle-bound yourself." Yang grinned a bit.
"Ah, so you've been taking a few peeks there, have ya Izuku?"
"AAAH! WHAT I MEAN IS-"
"Don't worry, don't worry. I know what you meant... besides, I suppose it would only be fair." Yang shrugged as she said that. "As for that... well, I actually didn't start hard strength training for a while. My dad was the guy who was majorly teaching when I was growing up and he's not a very 'big' guy either. He's a lot more concerned with form and technique. You'd be surprised what the right combination of stance and how you throw your punch can do for you." Yang turned to him with a wide grin. "Don't get me wrong, Aura-less I'm still probably stronger than you Slugger." Izuku nodded in agreement, that much was readily apparent. "But a lot of the time I spent training at Signal and with my dad was spent on making sure my form was up to snuff. Trust me, I've got some tricks up my sleeve that you wouldn't believe."
Izuku certainly didn't doubt that. If his spars with Yang had taught him anything it was that she was pretty far ahead of his own skill level when it came to fighting stuff like this.
"Yeah, I've kinda noticed." Izuku said slightly as he rubbed his jaw, Yang just laughing a bit as she sat down on the bench.
"You're a good sport about it at least, so you've got that going for you." As Yang started benching her, somewhat considerably heavier, weights she still looked up at him. There was a slight focus to her gaze as she seemed to pour some of her thought into her sets, but it was clear she's well before the point of having to focus entirely on them. "Also, gotta say, for a guy who's fighting style is all about getting in and punching things, I'm kinda surprised." Izuku blinked as Yang continued. "I'd figure you'd have focused more on just getting stronger and stronger. Not on balancing that out... but honestly, you're pretty hardy." Izuku scratched the back of his head as she continued. "Why the focus on that end of the scale, anyway?"
"Being strong is good but... I dunno, I figure it doesn't do much good if you can't take a hit either. Or heck, not taking a hit at all is probably even the best, all things considered, so I've been working on getting faster too." Yang nodded, the logic sounding pretty, well, sound to her, but she still gave him a bit of a quizzical look.
"I guess but, I mean, if you punch a Grimm hard enough that it's head pops off from the blow, then does it really matter if you can't take a hit or if you're not so fast on your feet?" Izuku watched as she benched, Resisting the urge to move his hands to his chin as he did so..
"Well... I mean, it's not just about taking a hit for my sake. To me, being a Hunter isn't just about being strong when fighting the Grimm, but protecting people from them as well. If I can't get to a place in time in order to give out that swing... I'd at least want to be able to take a hit for someone who couldn't." Izuku Once more fought with his instinct to move his hands. "You all are a lot stronger than I am so maybe you're all in that position where you can just rush in, take out a Grimm quick and then move on. Heck, you've had your third awakening and I know Nora and Pyrrha have had their fourth... I'm still barely beyond my second. If I want to be able to protect people while not destroying myself or getting hurt badly, by a Grimm or my own Semblance, I need to improve at everything. So I've got to do everything and do it as best as I can, or else I'll never be good enough to protect people."
"... You know Izuku, no one would fault you for just wanting to protect what was in your arm's reach. Heck, with all the work you're putting into it and everything you're already ready to do, most people would say you're doing more than enough." Izuku looked down at Yang and saw that her lilac eyes were meeting his. He nodded in agreement but then offered her a grin.
"I know, and I understand that. I guess... I just kind of want everyone to be in my arm's reach?" Izuku said with a slight tilt of his head. Yang just blinked for a moment.
"... Pffft... Hahahahaha! You're a real dork Slugger, you know that?" Izuku felt a small hint of embarrassment, but the smile on her face told him she meant no malice by it. "Let's get some water after I'm done with this here, feeling thirsty."
"I can certainly get behind that." Izuku nodded in agreement as he continued to spot Yang.
"Ooooohhh…"
Izuku just laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he felt joints from every inch of his body pop and his muscles scream. The previous day had made him so sore, and he was paying for it. It was five in the morning, and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. But he began to feel his eyes close, and he felt an inner calm. It was Sunday morning, and he still probably had the chance to sleep in a bi-
He then felt a hand gently lay on his shoulder. Horror rose from his very core, as his eyes opened, and he saw Pyrrha staring at him, her jogging outfit on, and a look of concern on her face.
"Um, Izuku, it's time for ou-"
"WHY DID I SCHEDULE THREE SESSIONS IN ONE DAY!"
"AHHH! SORRY!"
E/N: While I'm not certain, We think this is the first place where we really removed some of the core story. It was just a bit of fluff about the council playing a board game, and it interrupted the flow of the chapter an ounce.
-Shovern
To make up for it, we also added that last scene to connect these parts more. They were mildly disconnected to start off with, coming from a more slow time in the story, and we thought it was probably a good idea to have something to make this seem a bit more cohesive.
-Wind-Waker
He says we as if I actually wrote any of it.
-Shovern
He doesn't realize it's good to have someone to bounce off ideas and check if this actually happened over the weekend.
-Wind-Waker