Chapter 13: Twelve Percent of a Plan
As Aizawa led his class into the train station that would take all of them to their various internships, he couldn't help but notice the added security, both in police officers and sidekicks from local agencies. It was a surprisingly rational move, given that Eclipse and the QLF were still at large. He signaled for a halt and turned back to look at them. "I'll keep this brief. While the Sports Festival was your first opportunity to show the world who you are, your internships are even more important." He looked at each member of his class in turn before continuing, "Some of you are seeking out experience in what you believe to be your favored style of heroics. Some of you have chosen to study under heroes that can help you with either your Quirks or your fighting styles. Others still are trying to overcome their inner demons so they can become the best hero they can be."
Aizawa's mouth quirked up in a barely there smile. He noticed the nod from Bakugo and the wince from Mineta. "While you are only first years, you must keep in mind that while you are working with the Pro Heroes you have chosen, you will be seen as heroes yourself by those who see you. Behave as true heroes should at all times. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Sensei!" They all repeated in unison.
"Good." Aizawa said, "Now get going."
Midoriya looked over at Iida and for a split second his eyes were filled with hatred. He wiped it away before turning to the rest of the class. "Alright, everyone! Get to your trains and do not dawdle! The Pro Heroes that we are interning with are taking the time to fit us in to their workload, and we shouldn't be more of a burden than necessary!"
Amid the assent from the rest of his classmates, Midoriya could still see the undercurrents that were forcing him to act to stop his friend. It was convoluted. He knew that. But it was the only way to make sure that Iida would be safe and still able to learn from his mistakes and apply them to a future as a Hero.
"Midoriya, what's wrong with Iida?"
He turned to find Todoroki. Since the Sports Festival, the scowl he had perpetually worn had softened to a constant neutral expression. Kaminari swore that he had heard him make a pun, but no one believed him.
Yaoyorozu tilted her head, "What are you talking about, Todoroki?"
"Midoriya was looking at him the same way he was looking at me before our fight in the Sports Festival. And when Iida thinks no one is looking, the look on his face..." Todoroki held his left hand up and then made a fist, "It reminds me of how I was drowning in hatred of my father, hatred of the thought I could end up like him... and how I was heading down the same path as him without realizing it."
Todoroki looked Midoriya in the eyes and a spark of understanding passed between them. You see it, don't you? And you're going to do something about it? Yes, Midoriya. You wouldn't be you if you didn't try to save him. I'll join you in this. If I'm ever going to become a Hero like All Might... how can I say that I save everyone I can if I turn away from Iida now?
"I-I'm sure that Manual will keep him too busy to worry about the Hero Killer." Midoriya offered. He hated lying to her, but he had to keep Yaoyorozu in the dark. If she found out what he was planning to do, then she would take steps to stop him.
"Hey, Yaomomo!" Mina called out, "I wanna get a picture of all us girls before we head out!"
"I'll be right there, Mina!" She turned back to Midoriya, "I should probably get going."
Midoriya started pointing awkwardly towards the platform he needed to be at for his train. "Right! I should... do that too. Probably." Wait, if I'm going to fight the Hero Killer there's a very real chance that I could die. If that happens then... Yaoyorozu was starting to walk away from him. He needed to do it now. "Wait!"
She looked at him bemusedly, "What is it?"
He walked up to her, getting as close as he dared. "There's something that I need- well, you see I should ask- there's this thing..." Midoriya was about to lose his nerve. So he just acted. "Oh, to hell with it."
Yaoyorozu was taken aback by the curse. She didn't think that Midoriya used that kind of language. "Midoriya, wh-" She was even more surprised by him kissing her.
The first thing Midoriya realized was how soft her lips were. The second thing was that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. That didn't seem to matter to Yaoyorozu though because she had a hand on the back of his neck and she was pulling him in- Holy crap, she was pulling him in and kissing him back!
Most of Yaoyorozu's mental faculties were somewhere south of catatonic after taking a left turn at bluescreening. However, with her brain in autopilot she did what would happen in one of her romance mangas, because why wouldn't she? Oh my god, it's just like Kaguya and Shirogane except there's no awkward use of tongue!
She was also vaguely aware of Mina squealing in the background.
After what seemed like an eternity they broke apart. Yaoyorozu smiled demurely at Midoriya, who was gazing at her with pure adoration in his eyes. "Midori, what happened to taking things slowly?"
Midoriya nearly choked on his own spit. "Um... you're pretty and I wanted to kiss you?"
Yaoyorozu made a show of thinking things over. "I suppose that is an acceptable reason." She said with mock formality, "Just remember, you've stolen my first kiss. I expect you to honor that."
Midoriya nodded frantically, "Yes, ma'am! Uh... I should go. For real this time. Train to catch. Bye?"
He scampered off and Yaoyorozu prepared to run the gauntlet. Uraraka was beaming. It only made sense, she was friends with Midoriya. Jiro had a giant grin on her face. And Mina... yep. There was the shipping notebook.
After they had taken the group selfie -courtesy of a selfie stick produced by Hagakure- and they were headed to their trains. Yaoyorozu finally voiced a sneaking suspicion she had. "Why do I feel like Midoriya is going to do something dangerous?"
Mina gave her the side-eye. "Eh, you need to chill out, Yaomomo. What's he gonna do? Fight the Hero Killer?"
Since Mirko was a one-woman wrecking crew when it came to heroics, her agency was similarly sized. To be perfectly honest, Midoriya hadn't even remembered if Mirko had an agency or not. The two-story office building looked fairly new, did this have something to do with her hiatus? Questions for later.
He opened the door and walked in. It was like any other office in the world, except this one had Mirko barking orders at a remarkably unflappable secretary.
"And don't forget to get a hold of Inspector Satonaka in Narcotics to let her know I busted another Trigger pusher. That's the fifth one this week!" Mirko said.
"Ma'am, I've been trying to tell you for the past week that Satonaka said to forward all of those reports to Sir Nighteye for his investigation into-"
Mirko rolled her eyes, "I know that, Anzu! But you know as well as I do how paranoid Nighteye is about information security! If we just send him the reports, then Satonaka and the rest of the police won't know what's happening in their own damn city!"
"Yes, ma'am." Anzu said, "Also, your intern's here. May God have mercy on him."
Mirko grinned, "Awesome. Never gonna let Sho hear the end of this." She gestured to a conference table, "Pop a squat, kid. Gotta figure out how to make best use of our time and all."
Midoriya set down the suitcase containing his hero costume and took his backpack off. Before sitting down at the table, he retrieved a journal titled Mister Miracle Fighting Style.
"Alright, let's hear it. Why'd you decide to come to me?" Mirko asked after putting her feet up on the table.
Midoriya took a deep breath and started. Regardless of the current problems he was facing, there was analysis to be done. "My fighting style needs a complete overhaul. Until now, I've basically been fighting like a mini-All Might."
"Hold up, what's your Quirk again?" Mirko asked.
Midoriya blinked. She hadn't... checked that before requesting him? Huh. "Superpower. It allows me to see increase the strength of part or all of my body. I mainly do all of my body, because that comes with added benefits."
"Like what?"
"Increased speed to match the strength increase, plus improved reaction time and visual acuity." Midoriya explained, "The main issue is that if I use too much power, I start to injure myself. For example, at twenty percent I dislocated my shoulder after a throw. At full power, my attacks are literally bone breaking,"
"I gotcha. Basically you need to figure out how you fight, as opposed to play-acting as a shitty All Might." Mirko said bluntly. "Alright, no time like the present. Get your costume on, then meet me in the dojo."
"Errr... where?" Midoriya asked.
"She means the basement!" Anzu said.
"Anzu, I swear to God, I will fire your ass."
"Please, things would fall apart here without me."
Mirko pinched her nose, "Shit, she's right."
Now or never. "Wait, there's another reason I came to you for my internship." Midoriya said.
Mirko turned to him but said nothing. Her secretary was paying attention too.
He ripped the bandaid off. "One of my classmates is hellbent on taking revenge for the injuries his older brother received at the hands of the Hero Killer. With how clouded by hate his mind is, he doesn't stand a chance. I want to protect him by-"
"-by taking down the Hero Killer before they can meet." Mirko finished. She took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out as a whistle. Then she shook her head. "Kid... if you fought him now, he would kill you."
"I know." Midoriya admitted, "That's why I'm here. To get to a point where that won't happen, and to ask for your help." Please don't say no... if you do then Iida is dead.
"It ain't just that, kid!" Mirko snapped, "That bastard has never left any of the heroes that he attacked able to continue working! You aren't just risking your life! By choosing this fight, you are risking your entire future as a hero!"
Midoriya gulped. "If I do nothing, then my friend is dead."
Mirko chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Your buddy. He Tensei's younger brother?"
Midoriya nodded.
Mirko nodded, "Alright. Ingenium was the Hero Killer's first kill -more or less- in Hosu. He typically waits about two weeks before attacking again, until he hits his limit of three before moving on. That means we've got about a week to whip you into shape."
"I'm ready." Midoriya said.
Mirko's face split into a giant grin. "Get ready for hell, kid."
Best Jeanist could see Bakugo's reflection in the window the hero was staring out of, but chose to wait to engage with him. He wanted to see how long the boy's patience would hold.
The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile, hidden by the collar of his hero costume. For whatever reason he was feeling nostalgic for when he had been in Bakugo's position and Crimson Riot had been in his. That had been... well, it had been the shock that he had needed at the time. From the file Eraser Head had sent him, Bakugo had already started down the path of self-improvement and atonement. He only needed someone to give him the tools to walk it.
He turned to face Bakugo. "You have been sent to me because-"
"Save me the spiel." Bakugo interjected, "I know why I'm here."
Best Jeanist folded his arms. Abrasive and confrontational, check. "Oh? And why is that?"
Bakugo's eye twitched. Really? You're gonna make me play twenty questions? How's that supposed to make me a better person and Hero? "So I can learn how not to be a raging asshole?"
Best Jeanist raised a finger, "Partial credit. Not only are you here to learn how to act as a Hero should, you are also here to begin the path of self-forgiveness for the indignities you have rained down on Midoriya." He studied the boy's face. The scowl on his face remained unchanged, although his shoulders sagged for a moment before he straightened back up.
"No offense, but what do you know about that?" Bakugo asked, "You've got a rep for always being so proper and shit, what would you know about having to forgive yourself for... anything?"
Best Jeanist leaned against the edge of his desk. "Let me know if this sounds familiar. You were told from the moment your Quirk awakened that you were destined to be an amazing Hero, maybe even Number One. And that went right to your head, of course. Your home life certainly didn't make things any easier, in fact it made the pressure on you unbearable. So, you lashed out. Again and again. No one stopped you because they wanted to protect your future. Eventually you went too far, and people that would've been your friends if you hadn't been so... distressed took you to task."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "What's reciting my situation back at me supposed to prove?"
Best Jeanist closed his eyes and sighed. "I didn't do that. I just told you my history."
Bakugo couldn't find his voice, his mouth opening and closing silently. Best Jeanist filled the void. "This is why Eraser Head sent you to me. Because I have been where you are now. I have walked the path that you must. You have been sent to me because I understand,"
Tears began to fall from Bakugo's eyes. "What... why the hell am I crying?"
"There is nothing to be ashamed-"
"NO!" Bakugo screamed, "I can't cry! Crying means I'm weak! It means I'm not being strong for dad! It means- IT MEANS I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
"Being weak is not some unpardonable sin, Bakugo." Best Jeanist said, "Neither are feelings of inadequacy." He placed a hand on Bakugo's shoulder, "You do not have to pretend to... project some superficial ideal of strength to help your father any more. You're safe."
He handed Bakugo a box of tissues. Once he was finished, the real work would begin.
When Yaoyorozu had chosen Crust for her internship, she had no idea what training the veteran hero would have in store for her.
It was somehow absurd and practical. At the same time. To put it simply, movie night.
She was currently watching an episode from a pre-Quirk era television show about a team of agents from an agency named SHIELD. They had already watched a couple of different pre-Quirk spy movies. Her assignment -if she chose to accept it, Crust had said- was to find inspiration for new creations. She already had a few things written down. Gloves that would allow her to climb walls, throwable devices that would shock enemies they were thrown at. She was even entertaining some of the more fantastical ideas like jet packs.
Now, she was trying to figure out if the idea the show was giving her could work. The characters used non-lethal firearms called Night-Night guns or ICERs -she wasn't even going to bother trying to remember what the convoluted acronym stood for- which used some sort of dendrotoxin payload to knock out targets while leaving them relatively unharmed.
"Crust, can you pause it? I need to make a call." She said while pulling out her phone.
"Sure thing." Crust said, "What's up?"
"I want to call Sapato Corp Research and Decvelopment to see if the ICER guns in this show are possible to make with today's technology." Yaoyorozu explained.
Just as Yaoyorozu was about to make the call, she got a phone call herself, from someone that caused her to break out in a smile.
"Hello, Midoriya," She said a little too cheerfully, "I'm surprised you were able to wait more than a day before calling me."
She could've sworn that she heard Midoriya do a spit take. "You try thinking about anything but survival while training with Mirko!" He spluttered, "Sixteen hour days! We start at six in the morning and end at ten at night! I'm either going to die, or at some point in the future I'm going to be named Best Martial Arts Hero at the Hero Billboard Awards!"
Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow at Midoriya's hyperbolic explanation. Surely he must be joking, right? "So I take it that you're improving what you had planned to?"
"Yeah! By leaps and bounds!" Midoriya said, "What about you?"
Yaoyorozu thought about it for a minute. While it was true that she had gotten ideas for several new items to create, her self-confidence was still a problem. "Yes and no. In what combat training we did yesterday, I kept freezing up and overthinking things."
"So... just don't do that?" Midoriya ventured.
"Ah, why didn't I think of that?" Yaoyorozu deadpanned, "Truly, you are a tactical genius, Izuku Midoriya."
"I'm being serious!" Midoriya protested, "Yaoyorozu, when you're on your A-game, you're basically unstoppable unless you're faced with someone who's overwhelmingly powerful!"
"Midoriya..."
He powered on, not letting her get a word in. "And if your belief in yourself isn't enough, then lean on my belief in you. Because I believe in you, Yaoyorozu. I believe that you can do anything that you set your mind to, and I can't wait to see you shine."
A single tear ran down Yaoyorozu's cheek, not from sadness, but from sheer happiness. What did I ever do to deserve you, Izuku Midoriya? "As much as I appreciate you building me up, was here an actual reason for this?"
"Yes, actually!" Midoriya said, "Just... uh... promise me you won't freak out."
Yaoyorozu canted her head to the side. That was certainly strange. "I promise."
"So... Mineta messaged me a couple hours ago, and told me that he had actually designed new costumes for both of us. Meaning me and you."
Yaoyorozu thought for a moment. "I am both sickened and curious."
"So, the support company UA uses basically implemented most of his suggestions for my costume on their own. Mirko says that kind of thing is normal, apparently. As for yours... it's actually less revealing while leaving the areas you need to create items from exposed. The bookshelf is gone, replaced with a wrist mounted computer where you can store blueprints and the like. Also your high heels are swapped out for more sensible boots. I also added a utility belt so you can create some small items before a battle and have them ready to go."
"Send me the design so I can send it in to Sapato Corp." Yaoyorozu said. She laughed to herself, "I can't believe I'm considering a costume designed by Mineta."
"He's coming up with ideas for everyone apparently." Midoriya said, "Guess it's his way for trying to make up for his behavior."
Yaoyorozu responded with a noncommittal hum. "Okay, I need to call Sapato Corp and get them started on this and my other ideas. Talk later?"
"If I haven't keeled over from exhaustion, yeah." Midoriya snarked, "Bye!"
Yaoyorozu could feel Crust's eyes on her. "No, that wasn't Sapato R and D."
"It sounds like you've got a damned good guy in your corner, Creati." Crust said.
Yaoyorozu smiled, "The best."
Midoriya put his phone back on the table and resumed chugging his water. Hopefully he wouldn't spew the rest of it on the floor.
"Yo, was that your girlfriend, kid?" Mirko asked.
Through a supreme act of will, Midoriya was able to prevent a second spit take, but was unable to stop the blush that spread across his face as he considered the question. They hadn't officially said that was what they were, but he had kissed her and she had been more than okay with it... so...
"Y-yes, actually." Midoriya said. Then he cocked his head as he saw Mirko drain a konnyaku jelly drink. Wait, isn't that the same brand that Aizawa-sensei drinks in class all the time?
Back at UA, Shota Aizawa shuddered as a wave of overwhelming dread washed over him.
Mirko cracked her knuckles, "Well, if you had enough time to call your girlfriend, then you've had enough of a break." She smirked, "Besides, we're doing the fun stuff now. Figuring out new ultimate moves for you."
Midoriya grabbed the journal that had been on the table he had been sitting at, "I've got some ideas on that, but I'm not sure how viable they'll be."
"Let me put it this way," Mirko explained, "My first ultimate moves were a result of me trying to fight like Cammy. You know, from Street Fighter? Pretty much anything will be better than that."
Midoriya winced. "Well, I was also taking inspiration from some Street Fighter characters. Namely, Adon and Dudley."
Mirko took her stance and crooked a finger towards Midoriya. "Show me. At five percent, that way you don't actually hurt me."
Midoriya blinked. The past couple days of training had been focused around getting his body acclimated to Full Cowling at ten percent. "Alright, then."
He took his stance and moved in with a ducking step. He hit Mirko with a succession of body blows and hooks, punctuated by an uppercut. "OREGON SMASH!"
Mirko regained her balance and shook her head. "Kid, the whole US states thing is All Might's shtick, You really want to copy that?"
Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, he had been training me this whole time until now..."
"Uh huh." Mirko said, "And what's that left you with? A half-baked imitation style that doesn't play to your strengths. Now, the move is fine. Just rename it. You can keep the whole smash thing, but nix the states."
Midoriya thought about it for a moment. Well, in the game the move is called Rolling Thunder so... "Thunder Smash?"
Mirko shrugged, "It works. Hit me with the next one."
Midoriya launched into a flying knee followed by an axe kick. He then used a Delaware Smash to send himself towards the ground to deliver a stomp to Mirko's midsection. "AVALANCHE SMASH!"
Mirko rolled out of the way of the stomp and scrambled back to her feet. "Good shit, kid. One more finisher, then we'll work on some more basic moves."
"So... this next one is technically three moves in one." Midoriya explained, "It's based on Adon's Variable Jaguar Assault."
"Choose one variation and stick with it." Mirko said.
Midoriya moved in and attacked with a series of elbow strikes before ending with a barrage of punches. "BLITZ SMASH!"
"Perfect!" Mirko said, "Now, more basic crap. You need some sort of opener when you've got the drop on a villain. Something that has the potential to end the fight before it starts, and can also intimidate other villains in the area."
Midoriya tapped his chin. Some sort of flying kick, obviously. But what? One of Iida's moves is a flying roundhouse kick, but that only works due to his Quirk. Maybe a drop kick? That would work, especially if I jump off a wall or ceiling before attacking.
This was Mirko's first time witnessing a genuine Izuku Midoriya mutterstorm. "Kid. You know I can hear all that, right?"
"Oh, sorry!" Midoriya said, "So, my opener ultimate will be a dropkick. Bullet Train Smash."
"Kinda wordy, but it works." Mirko said, "Next you need something for groups. You would not believe how many times villains just line up in neat formations for you to knock out all at once."
"Probably a 540 kick where I kick with both legs before landing." Midoriya said, recalling what research he had done on kick techniques beforehand, "At higher power levels, that would probably result in some sort of air pressure wave, not unlike my Delaware Smash."
"What did I say about state names, kid?" Mirko groused.
"All Might doesn't use that move. It's a Mister Miracle original." Midoriya explained, "But if I have to rename it, I guess Flicker Smash would work. As for the 540 kick... Cyclone Smash?"
Mirko gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, now that you've got the moves, it's time to use them." She pointed at a punching bag in the corner, "Do each of your new moves fifty times. I want you to be able to do every ultimate move in your arsenal in your sleep, you hear me?"
"Yes, ma'am!" As Midoriya followed Mirko's order, his mind drifted back to his hellish training with All Might. He could understand where the intensity of Mirko's training came from, but where did All Might get it from?
Gran Torino was not amused. "Toshinori, you had one job."
Sitting across from him in his agency was a regretful All Might -regretful that he had brought his Sensei's wrath down upon him- and a woman that had been introduced to Gran Torino as Inko Midoriya, the mother of his successor and his girlfriend.
Despite her amusement at how frightened All Might was of this short elderly man, Inko made an attempt to save him. "Well, given how Izuku did in the Sports Festival, I'd say your estimation is off by a few kilometers."
Gran Torino sat back in his armchair. Inko had just thrown herself on a proverbial grenade for All Might. That earned her points in his book. But still... "That's all well and good, but the kid is still leagues behind where All Might was at that age. On top of that, you were supposed to give One For All to an established Hero or promising third year at UA! What happened to Mirio Togata?"
All Might swallowed. "I met young Midoriya. That's what happened."
"What could that boy have possibly done to convince you that giving a Quirkless teenager the most powerful Quirk in existence was a good idea?" Gran Torino demanded.
He could feel the anger coming off of Inko like rain evaporating off of a road after a downpour. "Everything I did to convince Shimura of the same."
For the first time in his life, All Might had put Gran Torino on the back foot. "Huh. And you made sure to tell him about the rule that you were supposed to follow?"
Inko's eyes narrowed. "What rule?"
"No relationships." Gran Torino said. "It's too much of a risk."
All Might and Inko looked at each other and came to a silent agreement on several points. She nodded, thereby indicating that they would stand as a united front when they confronted this issue. "I never told him." All Might said.
Gran Torino groaned, "Well, it's not too late to enforce it. It's not like he's blundered into a relationship already, right?"
The silence spoke volumes.
"Damn it, Toshinori!" Gran Torino pinched the bridge of his nose, "Damn it! First you give One For All to some random kid, then you don't tell him not to get involved with anyone, and you don't get him to come here for his internship? At least tell me he went to someone levelheaded."
Silence reigned again, and Gran Torino cursed All Might and his entire ancestral line.
The elderly hero held his head in his hands. "Who did he go to, Toshinori?"
"Mirko."
Gran Torino was about to rip into All Might some more when he realized that arrangement wasn't the worst possible scenario. "I... suppose that's fine."
Inko had decided that enough was enough. If there was anything she couldn't stand, it was others trying to control the way people lived. "Gran Torino, let me make something perfectly clear. If I ever find out that you have said or done anything to my son that insinuates that you don't believe him to be worthy of his chance to be a Hero OR have tried to sabotage his relationship with Yaoyorozu, I will make your life a living hell."
Gran Torino was amazed. He hadn't felt fear since All Might's last battle with All For One, and now this woman -who had a Quirk that objectively was not suited for combat- had made him feel that emotion again. "Erm... noted." He stopped in his tracks when he realized that Inko had namedropped Midoriya's girlfriend, "Wait. He's dating the heiress of the Sapato Corporation?"
Silence.
"Damn it, Toshinori."
All Might had the audacity to look surprised.
Yaoyorozu loved it when a plan came together.
Not only had Sapato Corp produced her new costume in record time -well, record time for normal production. She could make it in ten seconds flat, but costume changes had to be on the books- but they had also sent over the other items she had requested.
She was thrilled to find that her idea to replicate the ICER guns worked perfectly. In effect, they were glorified paintball guns. Paintball guns that fired projectiles with a dendrotoxin payload that would knock out most targets within a couple of shots. The only catch was that she couldn't create the ammunition directly, as the brief moment that the dendrotoxin was in contact with her skin was enough to give her a wicked headache.
However, Yaoyorozu was nothing if not ingenious. She discovered that she could avoid the headache if she created the magazine with the bullets already inside. It took much too long to be a viable way to reload during combat, but during prep time, it was no issue. And thanks to the utility belt that Midoriya had added to the design of her new costume she could carry enough ammunition to single-handedly raid a Yakuza stronghold. Not that she would ever have a chance to do that, with them being more or less extinct.
With that solved, there was the more pressing problem. The fact that she was actually humoring the idea of the jetpack. She pressed a button on her new wrist computer and the blueprint of the latest jet pack model from Sapato Corps -the SC-200 Aerial Mobility Pack- was projected in front of her.
She set her phone to record, and spoke to it. "Jetpack creation trial, first attempt." She then started a timer on a stopwatch.
Yaoyorozu took a deep breath and began to focus. To create such a complex object would take all of her mastery of her Quirk, and every bit of knowledge of chemistry, metallurgy, and manufacturing techniques that she possessed.
An insidious voice in the back of her mind told her that the task she was undertaking was impossible. That she was foolish for even daring to attempt it. That she would fumble like she had her reload for her flamethrower during her battle with Todoroki, that if she was stupid enough to make the decision to engage Bakugo in melee she had no chance at success.
She told the voice to go to hell. She was Momo Yaoyorozu, heiress to the Sapato Corporation. There was nothing she couldn't accomplish if she put her mind to it!
She chose to believe in Midoriya's belief in her.
Ever so slowly, the jetpack emerged from her back. All she saw was the blueprint in front of her. She had everything she needed to succeed.
So she did.
As soon as the straps materialized around her shoulders and the weight of the jetpack settled in, she pitched forward. She took a moment to catch her breath, then checked the stopwatch. "Time... thirty seconds." She said, "I need to be faster."
She reached back with her left hand and activated the jetpack's diagnostic mode. She didn't ever dare breathe. "Beginning diagnostic! Please stand by!" A cheerful computerized voice said. Yaoyorozu grabbed an energy bar from a carton she had left on the workbench she was using. If she was going to make multiple attempts then she would need more food.
She froze mid-bite as the voice announced the results. "Diagnostic complete, SC-200 Aerial Mobility Pack working at peak efficiency."
Yaoyorozu grinned, "Yes! I did it!"
She wolfed down several energy bars, took off the jetpack and turned to the camera. "Jetpack creation trial, second attempt. Now that I know it is possible for me to produce a working jetpack, I need to work on the amount of time needed to create it."
She took a breath and began again.
Shigiraki groaned. He had played enough RPGs to know that finding more party members wasn't supposed to be this much of a pain in the ass.
It was supposed to be simple, according to Sensei. Have Kurogiri bring the Hero Killer to the bar, convince him to join the League, then bam! New party member to tear down society with!
Things had not worked out that way. Kurogiri was paralyzed, and Shigiraki had the Hero Killer on top of him with one blade already in his shoulder and another at his throat. "No fair making me fail my dexterity save." He grumbled, "And can you knock it off with the aggro? Don't have a healer, y'know."
Stain snarled at him. "Then don't insult me by asking me to join your pathetic League of Villains."
"Pathetic?" Shigiraki said, "Are you kidding me? We attacked UA and got away with it! We landed the first blow that will lead to-"
"Let me rephrase. Keep your childish simpering to a minimum if you know what's good for you." Stain said. He paused for a moment to see if Shigiraki had more sense than video game references. After he was satisfied, he continued. "While you did strike at UA, what exactly do you have to show for it? All of your so-called comrades were arrested and your trump card was captured by the police. In the end, you accomplished nothing except to galvanize a entire class of hero trainees. This is because you acted without conviction and desire. Without these, you will accomplish nothing."
"Do I really have to listen to you monologue?" Shigiraki asked, "Kurogiri, get him out of here."
"I cannot." Kurogiri dutifully reported, "I'm paralyzed."
"The definition of Hero has lost all meaning in our society. Gloryhounds prance about paying lip service to the ideas of heroism but never put their lives on the line when it truly matters." Stain said, "Worse yet, upjumped thugs that bestow cruelty on those they claim to protect that are of some undesirable other group." He spat on the ground, "Then there are those like you. The villains who claim they want to change society, but care more for lining their own pockets before following through on their ideals. I will purge you all for a more just society!"
"Ugh. You just keep going on and on, Hero Killer." Shigiraki said as he rolled his eyes, "You're almost like a Metal Gear cutscene." He reached up and grabbed the knife at his throat, causing it to begin to crumble, "I wouldn't say that I have anything so lofty as conviction, not yet anyways. Desire though... yeah. I've got desire alright. You see, I think your more just society is a load of shit. There's never been justice for people like me that were born with the wrong Quirk, the wrong genes. I'm going to tear out the rotted tree of superhuman society out by the roots, and I'm going to start by obliterating their ever-vaunted Symbol of Peace! I am going to kill All Might, and then I'm going do destroy this corrupt society!"
Stain jumped back and took a defensive posture as his knife rusted away to nothing. "I was wrong about you, Tomura Shigiraki. You may not know it yet, but you have conviction. However, I must decline your offer. You see, our ideals are opposed. I believe that All Might is the only one worthy of the name Heeo, and you clearly don't. I believe that the time has come for me to take my leave."
"Very well," Kurogiri said, his motor skills and abilities restored, "Where would you like to go?"
"Where you took me from." Stain said, "Hosu City. There are still corrupted heroes there that need to be culled."
After Kurogiri's mist had enveloped the Hero Killer and sent him away, Shigiraki turned to him. "Hey, isn't one of the cops' server hubs in Hosu?"
"It is, Tomura Shigiraki."
A wicked grin spread across Shigraki's face. "Get in touch with Sensei. I have an idea..." He went behind the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey, "An idea that should let us find some new party members and allow us to cripple the cops and Heroes at a moment of our choosing." He drank the whiskey and decayed the glass as he slammed it down on the bar top, "And it'll let me pay the Hero Killer back for this injury..."
"You should let me tend to that injury." Kurogiri said.
"Yeah, yeah." Shigiraki said. "Do what you do. I'll plan our next move."
A/N: First things first.
If anyone decides to clown in the comments with "so are Izuku and Momo together now" expect me to be snarky.
I'm only showing the bits of training that would be potentially contentious. I think it goes without saying that Mirko works on the fundamentals with Midoriya as well. In boxing terms, Midoriya goes from a slugger to an outboxer.
Now, you may be asking "WHY THE HELL IS MIRKO ALLOWING MIDORIYA TO GO THROUGH WITH HIS CRAZY HALF A PLAN?" Well, she has her reasons. Reasons that I won't be dumping all at once. If it weren't for these reasons, she would not be letting this happen. Full stop.
Yaoyorozu's journey to super spy begins. I knew wanted to take her in a different direction than the stagnation of canon. I've seen her be a ninja before, but thought... you know, super spy? And using her Quirk to make all kinds of things from spy and other super hero fiction work? Yes.
Bakugo is there. He's learning that it's okay to feel weak. That's a real big step for him.
Now, Midoriya's new attacks. I was always going to have him drop the states. It's just... too much like All Might when he needs to break away from his shadow and be his own hero.
And yeah, direct Street Fighter references. Sorry, not sorry.
Stain is in place, and he sure is Stain. And Hands McFace has a plan instead of just sowing chaos for the hell of it? Oh no!
Next time will be the Stain fight and the aftermath thereof. Until then.
