Izuku introduces Eri to more friends! Izuku, Himiko, and Ochako have a frank conversation with the girls about the future. Himiko has a 'problem' (It's not a problem, she can quit anytime she likes!) More training with more trainers! The class reps discuss possible exams with Class 1-B's reps. And the final exam format is revealed!
Sunday. The first day they had off, and the final escape from both Chizome and Rumi (as she had commanded the class to call her after the first day). Not that they truly escaped them…Chizome was still on campus for extra lessons and Rumi had said she'd be swinging back around for something similar after some patrolling. But this finally did leave Izuku time to…do way too much.
He still hadn't sat down with all the girls to talk about everything. The class still needed to study for the written portion of the finals, and while he was confident, he knew a lot of the others weren't. He wanted to do some Quirk training with everyone, especially those not in his little squad (he hated calling that, but as was per usual with large groups of people, people did tend to split off a little bit). He needed to check in on Mei, which he wanted to do after the Quirk training because he had some ideas for support equipment but wasn't sure yet if they would be viable for his classmates.
And, finally…Eri was bored. And she wanted to do something with him, Ochako, and Himiko. But he didn't think now was a good time to leave campus, not with everything involving finals coming up. However, Izuku figured maybe he could slowly start introducing Eri to other people outside the class, and maybe she'd become more comfortable on campus…so he called up Mirio.
"Well hey there Izuku! Been a minute! This Eri?" the blonde boy said with a massive grin, looking down at the child standing nervously next to Izuku, her hand clasped tightly in his own.
"Yep. Eri, this is Mirio Togata! He's one of the best hero students here, and is Sir Nighteye's personal student. He's also a very good friend of mine, you can trust him," Izuku said with a soft smile down at her.
She looked up at him for confirmation, and at his nod she looked back at Mirio and gave a tentative smile in return, shuffling a little bit closer to Izuku. "I-If Daddy says you're his friend, then I-I wanna be your friend too!"
Mirio's expression fell into shock for a moment, mouthing 'Daddy' silently to himself. Izuku gave a sheepish grin, shrugging his shoulders and trying to communicate with his eyes to just roll with it, which Mirio seemed to get if the wink he gave Izuku said anything.
"I'd be happy to be your friend, Eri! I was gonna introduce you and Izuku to my very best friends in the world, would you like that?"
Eri nodded, her smile falling into a more comfortable one as she seemed to relax in the blonde boy's presence more. With a little bit of a skip in her step, she followed along with Izuku and Mirio, the upperclassman going off on a story about a recent patrol he'd gone on where he'd somehow almost gotten hit by a falling crate of cabbages as Izuku chuckled at the tale.
It took them little time to find their way to the Third Year Dorms, Mirio half dragging Izuku in behind him. He waved at a few various students in the common room, Izuku and Eri both a little bit nervous at seeing the third years but none of them interrupted beyond a quick wave or two. He strode to the elevator, hitting the button for the fourth floor and continuing to chatter. He asked a few questions about Izuku and Class 1-A's training for finals, seeming to be a bit surprised by how over the top it was.
It wasn't until he opened the door to his room that Izuku got his first surprise, which was…a massive pile of blue hair suddenly in his face. "Oh hi you must be Izuku Midoriya! Mirio talks about you all the time! Is that Eri? Oh my gosh she's so cute? What's the horn do? Oh that dress is so cute too! Oh do you want me to paint your nails? Oh wait, Izuku, how does your Quirk work? Can it absorb my Surge do you think? Do you-"
"Nejire, please!" Mirio cut in, laughing loudly as he gently pushed the floating bluenette away from the door. "Give them some time to get settled before you go off!"
"She's going to drive them away," a voice muttered from the corner. Izuku glanced up, seeing what he assumed was the third member of the Big Three curled up under a blanket in the corner, resolutely facing the wall.
"Ah don't you worry about that Tamaki! Izuku here can handle pretty much anything we throw at him!" Mirio clapped Izuku on the back, the greenette feeling himself shoved forward by the force.
"I'm happy to meet both of you!" Izuku said with a bow, internally fanboying. He knew a lot about the Big Three, and was really excited to meet the other two after finding out how well he got along with Mirio. Kind of sucked he rarely got to talk to his upperclassman, but he understood how busy the blonde boy was.
"Oh you don't have to bow to these two! Tamaki will just get embarrassed if you do, and Nejire has no concept of personal space anyways!" Mirio said with an even wider grin (how was he doing that?).
"He's bowing? Oh no I've totally made him misunderstand me, why am I like this?" the voice Izuku identified as Tamaki Amajiki muttered once more from under the blanket. Nejire didn't bother disagreeing with Mirio, just floating over Izuku's head and then over Eri, the silver-haired girl clutching Izuku's hand in concern but also a little bit of fascination at the floating blue-haired woman.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm just here to get a better look at you! You don't have to bow! This is fun though, I've been waiting to meet you since Mirio talked about you!" she said with a big smile on her face.
"You said that," Izuku reminded her, trying to keep an eye on both her and Mirio at the same time and finding it very difficult with how Nejire kept flitting about.
"Did I? Sorry, I sometimes forget what I'm saying and repeat myself," she said.
He waved her off. "It's fine, just a little bit overwhelmed here. Eri, what do you think?" he asked her softly, looking down at her.
She glanced up at him and pressed a finger up to her lip in a gesture that reminded him a lot of Tsuyu. After a moment, she nodded. "She seems funny! But who's under the blanket?"
"That's Tamaki! He's my boyfriend, and my oldest friend too! Tamaki, come on out, it's safe!" Mirio said, moving over to sit on the bed and patting the lump beneath the blanket.
"I don't think that's a good idea, they'll never want to speak to me," the voice muttered.
"Aww, don't be like that Tamaki! C'mon, come see the cute kid and Mirio's new buddy!" Nejire said, now floating over the crumpled form on the bed.
"Fine, but they really won't like me I'm sure," he replied, the blanket dropping as he turned to look at Izuku and Eri…for five seconds, then he turned to face the wall. "Okay, saw them, now I'll go back over here."
Mirio gently ushered Izuku inside the room, closing the door behind him. "Don't worry about Tamaki, he'll warm up to you in no time. Why don't we see what Eri likes to do, hmm?"
"Sure. Eri, wanna play with our new friends?" Izuku asked her.
"Yeah!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air in excitement. He couldn't help but grin wider as he felt her excitement grow, ready to have some fun with new friends.
Returning to the dorms before lunch was his goal and he barely managed it, considering how much fun Eri had with Nejire and Mirio. But he really did need to talk to both the girls and his classmates…so first, the girls. He quietly spoke to Toru and Tsu, while Himiko grabbed Kyoka and Ochako dragged Momo and Mina behind her to Ochako's room, where they were going to have this talk. Idly Izuku found it amusing that somehow, Ochako's room became the go-to room for the trio…probably because his girlfriend's decorations were the least obnoxious (yes he was very aware of his own decorating foibles and no, he did not care).
"Okay. So I don't want to take up everyone's time here…so I'll make this quick," Izuku started…and then paused because he realized he had absolutely no idea what he was going to say.
"What my boyfriend is trying to say is…he's now everyone's boyfriend? Well, everyone here," Himiko said with a nervous grin.
Ochako facepalmed, muttering to herself "Why did I fall in love with these two disasters?" She shook her head to clear it and scanned over the girls standing in front of them. "We decided that the date was fun and we like spending time with you, so we're all for…you know, trying more things together. That's what these two knuckleheads were trying to say."
"...you're sure?" Mina asked, uncharacteristically shy.
"Of course we are. Trust us, we talked this over. We agreed to this as a group…and we're still up for it if you are. Of course, none of you should feel obliged either, if you're unsure or not into it, that's fine," Izuku said reassuringly.
"I…I would most definitely like to continue this," Momo said. She was clearly nervous, but stood tall to make it clear she was trying to hide that nervousness. She cleared her throat. "I…I am very much appreciative of both Izuku and Ochako, and I would like to get to know you better Himiko."
"I'd love to get to know you better, Momo," Himiko said with a saucy wink, only to let out a yelp as Izuku grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back slightly with a bored expression.
"Down, Himi. Bad girl," he scolded.
She winked up at her boyfriend. "Oh yeah, punish me baby!"
Izuku and Ochako let out mirrored, long-suffering sighs at their unrepentant girlfriend. Toru started giggling as Kyoka tried to hide her snort of laughter behind her hand, mostly failing at it.
Izuku gestured to Himiko with his free hand. "You sure you want to deal with this? She's a handful, that's for sure."
"Excuse you mister, I am far more than a handful, I am the entire goddamned bag of chips!"
Ochako blinked at her. "...that made absolutely no sense, Himi."
"It did to me and that's all that matters!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.
"Aaand that's enough comments from the peanut gallery…c'mon Himi, we're trying to do something here," Izuku said, his tone becoming more serious.
Himiko rolled her eyes. "I know. I'm trying to keep this from being too serious, else everyone will be all nervous. Need to lighten it up, you know? Dating should be fun. Dating you two is fun, and I think they will just make it more fun!"
Izuku opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut as soon as he did. "...Okay. You have a point."
The soft smile that crossed Ochako's face was both loving and dreamy as she stared at Himiko. "Sometimes I forget how good you are at this." Himiko just smiled back, pecking her girlfriend on the cheek as she turned back to the girls watching them.
"So yeah. If you're up for this, then let's do this. It's not a big deal. We're still part of the class, still have our friends and play games and train together. The only difference now is sometimes we go out on dates, we can cuddle, and make out. A lot of making out. Like, a metric fuckton of-"
"Oookay they get the picture, Himi," Izuku interjected, placing one hand over her mouth, only to snatch it back and glare at her as he rubbed at the now bloody scratch on his palm where she'd bit him. She licked her lips and winked at her boyfriend. He rolled his eyes. "So, yeah. We'll just…go on dates I guess? See how things work? So feel free to ask I guess? Probably after finals though, we're going to be busy till then.
"...you three talk a lot, ribbit," Tsuyu remarked, reminding them that the other five girls had been standing there waiting for a moment to speak while they kept going back and forth.
"Oh, oh right, I'm so sorry, we should have let you-" Izuku began but was stopped by Ochako's hand covering his mouth, as well as Himiko's a second later.
The brunette sighed and nodded to the other girls in the room. "Go ahead, I'll keep our idiots quiet for the moment."
Toru wiggled in place, her sleeves moving up and down like she was flapping her arms a small amount. "This is gonna be so much fun! I'm all for this! I um, only really like Izuku right now, but I wanna see if we have chemistry too! Well, okay, that's wrong. I should be honest, huh?" her voice became more contemplative as she spoke, one sleeve moving up to her face indicating she was cupping her chin or stroking it in some fashion. After a moment, she nodded (not that any noticed). "Okay, full truth? Mina, I also like you. So uh…can we go out too, if that's okay?"
Mina stared at the invisible girl for a few seconds, her jaw dropped before she recovered and nearly dive tackled the invisible girl with a sudden hug. "Oh my gosh, hell yeah! This is like the best day ever, you're so cute and pretty and fun I'd love to go out with you!"
"...well I suppose if we're doing that," Momo mused, before turning to look at Kyoka. "Are you still interested in me? Romantically, that is." Kyoka's answering blank stare was accompanied a moment later by flushed cheeks and a gaze torn away…but she nodded shyly nonetheless. Momo smiled softly at her. "Very well, then we shall date as well, if that is acceptable to everyone?"
"You don't have to run it by us, Momo, this is all new for all of us," Ochako said with her own soft smile. At a gentle tug on her sleeve, she released her two partners, Izuku glaring at her while Himiko pouted. She glanced to her side to see Tsuyu standing there with a blank expression. Ochako tilted her head to the side. "Need something, Tsu?"
"Yes. I didn't get to kiss you yet," Tsuyu replied, reaching up and placing her large hands on Ochako's cheeks. With a gentle tug, she pulled the suddenly flustered brunette closer, going slow enough that Ochako could stop her if she wanted to…which she didn't.
Tsu kissed Ochako for a few seconds, a soft, gentle kiss, before releasing her and stepping back with a small smile on her face. The slight pink on her cheeks got brighter as Mina, Toru, and Himiko cheered her on at the display.
Izuku just shook his head fondly at the sight, but he did pause as a thought struck him. "So…we all good then?"
"I think we are settled. But to be clear…not everyone is dating each other right now, but we may as we go, correct?" Momo asked, glancing around the room to see the nods of agreement.
"Well if that's the case, I need another favor from you Momo!" Himiko asked with a serious expression. Momo blinked at her in confusion for a moment, before Himiko made an odd…squeezing gesture. Ochako and Izuku blinked rapidly at their girlfriend, sharing a confused glance.
"Oh, of course!" Momo said with a smile. Her arm lit up and…a plush doll of Kyoka popped out, followed a moment later by a plushie for Mina, Toru, Tsu, and Momo as well. She handed them all to Himiko, the blonde snatching them up and squeezing them tightly with a big grin.
"...Himi?" Ochako asked in sheer confusion.
"Hmm?"
"...what's with the plushies?" Izuku asked the question on most of the people in that room's mind.
"It's for my collection!" She announced, confusing everyone further. She glanced back and forth around the people in the room, only Momo seeming to know what she was speaking of. With a confused expression of her own, she asked "...you don't know about my collection? It's in my room!"
"We never go in your room, we basically moved into 'Chako's," Izuku points out. Himiko rolled her eyes, stomping to the door and dragging everyone behind her like a trail of ducklings. Kicking open the door to her room, she revealed a bed covered in plushies, dozens arranged with meticulous care. Across the desk, on shelves on the wall, on her dresser, plushies everywhere. She skipped over to her bed and gently began to move some around, placing the various new plushies she got from Momo next to…a trio of plushies that were clearly Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko.
She gestured to the bed when she was done. "My collection!"
"...I thought Izu was a dork, but gosh, you're just as bad," Ochako murmured, the smile on her face taking any sting from it.
"Hmph! Don't say that or I'll move the 'Chako plushie all the way to the end!" Himiko threatened, shaking her fist at her girlfriend.
"Well hey now, let's not be hasty," Izuku said with a grin.
Kyoka turned to Momo as they started bickering. "...why did we fall for these nerds?"
"I believe I qualify as a nerd as well, Kyoka. Is that an issue?" Momo replied with a smirk.
Kyoka just rolled her eyes. "You're right. Why did I fall for any of you nerds?"
"Cause that's what you find hot," Mina said with a giggle as she shoved up next to Kyoka.
The punk girl shoved Mina away playfully, her jacks poised to jab into the pinkette. Mina leapt away in mock terror, still giggling as she went. Kyoka sighed. "Anyways…yeah, okay. I'm fine with all this."
"Good. Now that that's all settled…we'll have to find some time to do stuff after finals. But for now, let's get the class together…I have some ideas for training," Izuku said, his grin morphing to a more sinister smile that sent shivers down the spines of those around him.
"...now I know why Sensei said he regrets letting Nezu teach Izu," Himiko muttered.
Their Sunday stolen by Izuku's 'ideas', the class was exhausted going into class on Monday…only to be more terrified by the sight of a snickering Aizawa, a shaking All Might, and an old, short man in a yellow hero costume standing there.
"Is…that our next trainer?" Denki asked hesitantly, only to find himself suddenly staring at the old man sitting on his desk, moving so fast that none of the class watched him move.
"Yeah sonny, got a problem with that?" the old man growled, eyes narrowed.
"No sir, no problem!" Denki said, holding his hands up placatingly with a nervous smile.
"Hmph," was the only response he got back, before the older man jet backwards to the front of the room. Izuku watched carefully, noticing the jets of air shooting out of his feet at that.
'Huh. Sora got old,' Nana mused in the back of Izuku's mind, the greenette blinking at the comment.
'You know him?' he asked her.
'My oldest and best friend. He took over mentoring Toshi when I died. He was there for me when…when I had to give something up. He's a bit of a hardass, but he knows what he's talking about. You can learn a lot from him.'
Izuku's internal conversation was interrupted by All Might trying to introduce the older hero, the one Nana had called Sora. "This is m-my old homeroom teacher, Gran Torino! He's an excellent teacher who will be able to help you all become that much better at your heroics!"
"Shut up Toshinori, let me talk to the zygotes," Gran Torino replied, smacking All Might on the knee with his cane. The class goggled at this tiny old man beating on the massive, muscular form of the Symbol of Peace without a care in the world. "I've got no time to waste on introductions. Get your costumes and get to the training grounds. It's time you all learned how to think quick on your feet." Gran Torino casually began to walk out of the room, ignoring any shouted questions.
All Might held up his hands to get the class's attention. "Now now, Gran Torino is a bit odd, but he truly knows how to train a hero. Come now, this is a wonderful opportunity for you all. So let's get suited up and begin training!"
The class was very much not sure if this was a good idea…but they listened to their teacher and got suited up. Izuku ignored the muttered groans and annoyed comments as everyone worked their sore muscles from the day before…they needed the push and they knew it. Although he really wanted to check on Denki and Eijiro, both of them were yawning a lot more than normal these past few days. Were they sleeping okay? He shook his head to clear it, it was probably training the day before. Besides, at least half of them figured out new tricks with their Quirks they hadn't before, and that was a win in his book.
And that win went away very quickly when Gran Torino decided that Izuku should be his 'example'...and proceeded to beat the ever loving shit out of him. Now he wasn't sure who he hated sparring more…Miruko or Gran. It didn't help that Nana was commentating in his mind and…was she eating popcorn?! How the hell did she even have it?!
'Well it's obviously not real popcorn. It's just a figment of your imagination and me stealing the memory of popcorn from you…but it's funny!' She replied with a grin he could feel.
'I hate you,' he groused.
'You love us!' she sang out, chuckles from Daigoro and Yoichi audible behind her.
'You should pay more attention, Izuku. He's given you an opening multiple times and you keep missing it,' Hikage said, making Izuku wince internally.
He flipped back to his feet and tried to get some distance, but the sudden kick into his back sent him sprawling once more.
'This is what the bunny was telling you, kid. You think too much! You don't need distance to think, you just need to move!' Third said.
'How the hell am I supposed to know what to do or how to move if I don't think?! That makes no sense!' Izuku snapped back, launching himself into the air and using Blackwhip to pull himself further along the gym, sending two discs spinning back towards the following Gran Torino. The hero dodged both and rammed his boots into his back, sending him sprawling across the concrete once more.
'Stop yelling at us and start using that damned brain of yours!' Second snapped back. 'She already told you what the hell to do! Instincts! Use those!'
'You guys are a pain in my ass and my head, but fine! Whatever that even means!' Izuku grumbled. He had no idea how to do what they were saying but they weren't exactly wrong that he wasn't getting anywhere like this. So okay…what hadn't he tried to do to get these 'oh so important' instincts going?
'Relaxing, Izuku. That's what. If you relax and let go of some of that tension that you constantly carry with you, you'll be able to react quicker. You're always so focused on your future you never live in the present. You need to try to live in the here and now. Relax, Izuku. You can handle this if you just give yourself a small breather,' Yoichi whispered calmly. Izuku could feel the sense of calm and peace washing over him from Yoichi's perspective, the First's words filtering through his mind and making him revisit what he was saying.
Relaxing, huh? Well…it wasn't like he'd tried that. But how to relax in the middle of a fight? How was he supposed to just…let go of that fear he always felt when in a fight, to let go of that anxiety and worry? Unbidden, faces came to mind…Ochako's warm smile she reserved just for him, Himiko's soft grin as she snuggled into his side. Eri's wide-eyed wonder at the newest things in the world. Katsuki's booming laugh.
It filtered through his mind, the faces of those he cared for, those he loved…the rest of his class, his adoptive parents, the teachers who encouraged him. His mentor, the vestiges within, all the people who had encouraged him…and he thought about the fun he had with them. How much they had become his real reason to be a hero.
Danger Sense pinged in his mind but for once, it didn't hurt. And with the pain missing, he found he could move a fraction of a second faster. One hand on the ground, a Repulsion field active launching him up and over the jet hero passing beneath. Blackwhip shot out and wrapped around a pillar on the far wall, but instead of pulling him toward it, he just used it to redirect his movement.
He spun in midair and launched a kick at the highest percentage he could, the wind pressure rocketing out and almost clipping the older pro. Gran cackled at him. "Finally, a good swing! Come on kid, don't disappoint me anymore!" The jet hero launched at him with another kick, Izuku still upside down in midair…but being tired of being kicked around had his eyes narrowing as decided to just let go.
When Gran Torino came back in to strike, Izuku didn't bother with any of his Quirks other than holding Full Cowling active. He just let Danger Sense guide him, and found that as long as he leaned into it, he was able to barely dodge the strikes. A foot skimming his nose, a fist barely missing his leg, an attempt at a lock slipped away from. He felt…looser. More agile. Honestly…this was kind of fun?
"Good kid, good! Having fun, huh? Well, time to wipe that smile off your face!" Gran said as he hovered a few meters away from Izuku. He rocketed towards Izuku, the greenette at the last second letting go of Float and dropping beneath the older hero. As he hit the ground, he formed a Repulsive field at an angle, using it to launch himself rapidly the other direction. He spun about in midair, his foot already in motion for a sweep across, sending another wave of air pressure towards the hero coming towards him.
Gran quickly darted beside it and around, coming back in for a kick aimed at Izuku's face. Izuku internally snarled but wasn't ready to just quit yet. He formed four barriers at once, from his feet and hands simultaneously, rapidly spinning in the air to launch them one by one at slightly different angles at the older hero…but to no avail. Gran Torino managed to dart past them all and close in, Izuku seeing the boot right before his eyes…letting it hit, only to flood energy into his limbs from Full Cowling, going to the highest percent yet, and finally managed to grab the older hero's foot.
He spun in midair, gripping the hero tightly and applying Gear Shift, only to launch him down, directly into the concrete below and focusing all of his energy on Gear Shift to keep him from changing his own trajectory. Gran actually hit the ground, making Izuku smile for the first time the entire spar…only for All Might to call time just as Gran got back up with a wide grin on his face. Izuku dropped down after a moment, once his brain caught up to what the bell meant.
Gran Torino nodded at Izuku. "Not bad kid, not bad, once you got out of your own head I actually had to give it some oomph. Still, you got all those fancy powers and aren't using them in tandem right." He walked over and picked up his cane, gently poking Izuku in the chest with it. "You should be mixing them up faster. It's all one Quirk for you, so act like it. And you need to advance with them too. Feels to me like you plateaued on most of them. Toshinori says you haven't even tried Gear Shift on yourself."
"Second told me it'd be a last resort sort of thing-" Izuku began, only to be cut off by an annoyed whack on the top of his head by the cane, making him wince.
"So you don't even practice it for when that last resort comes up? That's stupid. Unless it's gonna kill you, you need to figure out what it does to you first. I trust he knows when's a good time to use it, but doesn't mean you don't train it. Anyways, enough about you. Let's try someone else. You, pink whippersnapper, get in the ring!" he called, stomping past Izuku and gesturing to Mina, the pinkette already looking very unenthused.
Three days with All Might's old teacher was just as rough as the prior two extra trainers, and Izuku really wanted to know how Nezu convinced all three of these very different people to do training for a bunch of first year hero students. When asked, Chizome said he wanted to help his daughter, Miruko thought that the first years were hilarious at the sports festival and wanted to kick the shit out of both Ochako and Izuku, and Gran just needed to make sure Toshinori wasn't utterly failing as a teacher.
But finally it was time for their last 'special' trainer, and no one had a clue who it was. Even the subject had Izuku stumped…long range fighting? But Snipe already taught at the school, and if it was him it wouldn't be a 'special' trainer. Of course, the moment he saw the bicolored purple/pink hair step into the room is the moment he had a revelation that had him both confused and a little bit terrified.
"Lady Nagant?!" he hissed, the entire class staring at him in confusion as the woman arched an eyebrow at him.
"I see my reputation precedes me. But call me Tsutsumi, " she replied with a half-smile on her face.
"But…how?" he asked, flabbergasted. "You were in-"
"Tartarus, yeah. Nezu negotiated my release, under certain criteria. Partly thanks to you kids. So here I am to teach you how to deal with people at range, and how to aim, because I've seen some of your kids moves and it's pitiful. You're asking for collateral damage."
"But, not all of us have ranged attacks?" Shoji pointed out.
The stern woman turned to glance at him. "And that'll matter how to the civilian who gets shot from a kilometer away? Right. It won't. You'll figure something out. Either how to intercept the attack quickly enough you can keep people safe, reaching the enemy in time, or firing back. There are solutions, and you're going to learn them."
"Um…you were in Tartarus?" Denki asked, belatedly raising his hand after asking.
"Yes. If you want to know why I was and how I got out, ask Nezu. I'm not at liberty to disclose that information right now."
"Uh…you know what, I'll leave that to Izuku to do," Denki murmured nervously.
"What? Why me?" Izuku asked, flabbergasted.
"Uh, cause you're the Headmaster's student? If he's gonna tell anyone, it's you," Denki replied as if that explained everything…and to Izuku's consternation, the entire class seemed to agree.
Tsutsumi turned to Izuku and looked him up and down. "Nezu's personal student? So this is the kid who's gonna conquer the world?" She directed that question at the silent Aizawa leaning against the wall to the left of the students.
Aizawa shrugged. "Probably. That's why he's Problem Child Number One."
"Why does everyone keep accusing me of plotting to take over the world?!" Izuku growled, most assuredly not pouting.
"No Midoriya, we're not accusing you of plotting to take over the world. We're just accepting the inevitability once Nezu has corrupted you enough," Aizawa explained, his face carefully blank.
Izuku's only response was throwing his hands in the air angrily. After a moment, he dropped them and crossed them over his chest, still resolutely not pouting no matter how much his girlfriends were giggling at his 'pouty face'. "Fine, I'll ask the Headmaster next lesson we have, ugh," he growled.
"Deal with it later. For now, you deal with me. You, Creati!" Tsutsumi called, pointing at Momo.
"U-uh, yes?" Momo replied nervously.
"You can make guns, right? I saw the Sports Festival, you made cannons."
"Um, yes? I can make any non-living thing I know the atomic composition of."
Tsutsumi nodded. "Good. You should practice making guns for ranged combat. Cannons cause collateral damage. Riot shotguns are excellent for dealing with close to mid range combat. However, there are laws around that you're going to need to work with. I assume your teacher would eventually bring it up, but to utilize guns, and in fact those cannons you have, you need to get certifications added to your Hero License when you get one. Since you're in school, you're given more leeway, but the moment you have a license you have to get the stamps."
She cocked her head to the side as she studied Momo. "That's neither here nor there though, for today's lesson. You just need to learn to use them. I'm going to split you into three groups…those with long ranged projectile capability, those with ranged capability that isn't projectile based, and those who need to learn to defend against ranged opponents. Let's see…"
On the third day, at lunch before their final lesson with Lady Nagant, Izuku found himself accosted by Class 1-B's representative, Itsuka Kendo. The redhead asked him calmly if she could speak to him and Momo, which the two were happy to agree to, getting up and following her to a smaller table in the corner where 1-B's vice representative Nirengeki Shoda was already seated. He nodded at the two of them as they took a seat.
"So what's this about Kendo?" Izuku asked, confused.
She shared a glance with Shoda, him giving her a nod in return. "So, we heard a rumor about the final exam from our upperclassmen. We were told it's going to be robots."
Momo looked at her, noticing the nervous nature of her gaze and spoke slowly. "We appreciate you telling us, but…why the secrecy?"
Shoda spoke up, laying his hands flat as if to show he was being as honest as possible. "It doesn't add up to us, and we didn't want to spread false rumors. All these extra lessons with these powerhouses? The sort of training we've been getting is something third years get. We were hoping you might have more information, because to be honest, we doubt it's robots."
Izuku stroked at his chin for a moment. "Honestly, I've not heard anything myself, but I agree. No way it's robots, that's far too easy for all of this extra work they have us doing."
"Damn," Kendo swore. "I hoped you might have a clue, with you being Nezu's personal adjutant to world domination."
"I am not plotting to take over the world!" Izuku hissed, one eye twitching. Momo snorted, barely managing to cover her mouth in time to try to be less obvious about it…which didn't work, considering the glare Izuku sent her.
Shoda shrugged. "Sensei said anyone trained by Nezu was a danger to the world and likely to either conquer it or destroy it. We'd rather you conquer. I think the Midoriya empire would be fine, you seem cool."
Izuku's jaw dropped as Momo and Kendo both nodded in agreement. He let out a loud, frustrated groan and slammed his head into the table, refusing to look up.
"I for one welcome our fluffy, greed-haired overlord," Momo said with a barely restrained giggle audible in her voice.
"I hate all of you," Izuku groaned into the table, still refusing to look up as Momo continued to snicker at his suffering. Shoda and Kendo were both chuckling as well at the powerhouse class president of Class 1-A pouting and whining into the table surface like a much younger him than his current age.
"Now now, we're just teasing Izuku. Come now, let us try to figure out what the finals could be," Momo said softly, daring to reach out and brush his hair away from his face.
He let out a deep sigh as he sat upright, ignoring the very confused glance both he and Momo received from Kendo and Shodo at Momo's casual affection. He shook his head to clear it. "Well, if it's not robots, it's people. So the question becomes who, and how the class gets split up."
"Against people? We're all pretty good first years, but we're not pros, so it can't be against a pro hero," Shoda replied.
"Unless it's multiple versus one, perhaps? Or they are handicapped in some way?" Kendo mused.
Izuku nodded. "Exactly. It has to be some sort of fight or at least competition versus pros. The teachers, or maybe even our trainers? Although I think the trainers are unlikely since we just practiced how to fight them. Also could be an outside pro of some kind."
"We shouldn't assume too much. While I suspect fighting is part of it, I can't believe that's all for our final. After all, rescue work is just as important, as is reassuring civilians," Momo pointed out.
"What if it's a mix? The provisional licensing exams do something similar…rescue work combined with dealing with a 'villain'. Could our finals be based on those?" Izuku said.
As the other three considered, they couldn't really see fault in the theory and made various noises of assent. Kendo spoke up. "It's the best theory we have to go off of. But let's not assume either. If we prep wrong we're screwed. So…operate under the idea it's most likely some sort of competition with a pro and go from there?"
"Yeah, seems like our best bet. General preparation is the best we can get. We'll just confuse ourselves if we focus too hard on a specific scenario," Izuku noted.
"Good. Well…best we tell our classmates then. Thanks guys, we appreciate the consult!" Kendo said with a smile. Shoda offered a salute, as Izuku and Momo both waved back as the quartet stood up and began heading to their respective corner of the cafeteria.
"What was that about?" Ochako asked, arching an eyebrow as Izuku and Momo took their seats next to the brunette.
"They wanted to brainstorm about what the finals might be. We have a tentative idea, but there is no guarantee it's right," Izuku cautioned, making sure to meet the eyes of the entire class as they leaned in to listen. After noticing he had everyone's attention, he proceeded to expound on what he, Momo, Kendo, and Shoda had theorized.
"Fighting a pro? Or more than one? Ugh, that'll suck," Mina groaned, throwing her head back.
"We've spent the past two weeks getting our asses kicked by pros and ex-vigilantes, we don't need more of that!" Denki whined.
"Settle down, my fellow classmates. As Izuku and Momo have both proclaimed, there is no guarantee this is accurate. But even if it is, we will be prepared. That's the premise of all this extra training and studying. Next week is the written finals, so if we properly split our time between studying and training, we should be able to pass with no issues!" Tenya said, chopping his left arm rapidly as he spoke.
Izuku just smiled at his friend. "Either way, Momo and I will work on an updated studying/training schedule. I have some more ideas for working on your abilities, it will be great!" The grin Izuku gave had the entire time internally wondering if he realized how diabolical he looked when he smiled like that…and realizing he had no idea.
Himiko rolled her eyes, leaning over to Tsu, knowing Kyoka could hear her too. "I hate how attractive he gets when he's being all mastermind-ey."
Kyoka flushed slightly, but let out a small giggle disguised as a cough even as she rolled her eyes. Tsuyu just gave a small half smile, nudging Himiko in the side with her hip, speaking softly but with conviction. "We'll be fine either way. I trust Izuku and Momo to get us through this, ribbit."
"Yeah. Yeah, we will," Himiko replied just as softly, happy to watch the table as they began plotting for the finals.
Written finals were…painful. The nearby grocery store was basically ransacked by Classes 1-A and 1-B, between all the various energy drinks, coffee, tea, and headache pills they purchased. Every day was a struggle to get through what felt like a punishment, rather than a final exam, followed by studying in the evening for the next day's tests. Even for Momo, Tenya, Izuku, and Katsuki, (the top performers in the class), the tests were difficult…and for those with more difficulty when it came to academics, it was nightmarish.
But they finally finished, and the students were nearly unconscious in their chairs. Exhausted mentally, they felt the exhaustion percolating through their bodies to the point they all needed a nap…but Aizawa kept them after for one final announcement.
"I am certain you've been wondering what your practical exams will consist of. Well, I'll explain now. First, you do have extra credit because part of the exam was figuring out what it included, and your class reps did figure some of it out. Yes Midoriya, yes Yaoyorozu, of course Nezu was listening, the rat is always listening." Aizawa paused to see the sudden consternation on the duo's face, but the rest of the class was just happy they were getting some reward for figuring it out.
"Anyways…you will all be sedated and transported to a training ground. No you will not know which one. You will be left with your costume and a communicator dialed into the correct frequency. Once you awaken, you are to get suited up and begin your mission. The scenario is as follows: A massive villain attack has decimated the nearby city. You are one of twenty heroes within the city. You must coordinate with your fellow heroes." He glanced about the room to be sure they were paying attention, internally grinning at the wide-eyed shocked look half of them had.
"There will be 'civilian bots' you must rescue. Some with injuries, some that simply need guidance. Villains will be roaming the streets…us. Your teachers. You'll be graded as a class and individually on a series of criteria. Some of them are efficiency, efficacy, collateral damage, rescue operations, villain subdual, and teamwork and communication. The comms will be recorded for us to review after the fact, but we will not be on them during the exam, save Recovery Girl who will be monitoring the exam. Any questions?"
"How will we be sedated?" Izuku asked.
"Midnight's Quirk. Unless you have an issue with it. If you are not comfortable with it, we'll simply put a helmet on you that prevents you from seeing or hearing where you're going. It is unfortunate, but part of the test is not knowing where in the city you are at the start of the event."
"So which teachers are playing the villains? Are we allowed to know?" Momo asked.
"Myself, Nezu, Thirteen, Snipe, Present Mic, Midnight, Power Loader, Ectoplasm, Cementoss, and All Might will be the 'villains' in this scenario."
"All Might?!" half the class screeched, making Aizawa flare his Quirk to get them back under control.
"Yes, All Might. Stop panicking. He's not going to just destroy the entire city at once. He will be playing a more defensive role, and you can deal with him in any number of ways. Part of the exam is for you to think your way out when you are overpowered, which you will be. You are exceptional students, but are still students. The goal isn't for you to somehow beat all of us through force, but to try and work around the disadvantages. Heroes are always fighting a losing battle, so you must do your best to turn it to your advantage as much as possible," Aizawa lectured, staring each student down one by one.
"Are our new trainers involved at all?" Izuku asked quietly, his gaze calculating.
Aizawa's lips quirked up slightly before he managed to school his expression. "Smart, Midoriya. Very smart. You can consider them extra credit, of a sort. None of them will interfere unless you go for them first. If you do however, it is open season, and they can and will attack you or anyone else in the city. And Miruko is allowed to go all out if she wants. So take the risk or not, that's up to you."
"What's the time frame we're looking at?" Katsuki drawled.
"You'll be taken to the grounds shortly after lunch. We'll be running the test for five hours, although it is possible to end it early if enough teachers are captured or enough of you are unable to continue, and Recovery Girl makes that decision. You may consider a teacher captured if you get a pair of cuffs on them or somehow disable them in a way they cannot continue. Once Recovery Girl calls it, for time or whatever reason, that is it. She has final say and do not ignore her. She will be patched into your comms as well, though she will not speak up unless necessary. We're not having any of you go off breaking your limbs today, got it?" Aizawa stared directly at Izuku, the greenette grumbling under his breath about it having been one time.
"So if we're fine being sedated, how do we go about this?" Ochako asked.
"Monday after lunch you'll report to Training Ground Delta with your costumes on, but leave your support equipment in the cases. We don't want to risk any damage to them after all, you will have a twenty minute prep time from the time you wake till the time we release you into the fake city for you to get fully geared up and discuss your plan. We assume you'll discuss it over the weekend as well and that is fine."
"Any support equipment is permitted, correct?" Izuku asked, his eyes narrowed.
Aizawa was suspicious, but replied evenly. "If it fits into your hero case, yes."
Aizawa waited a moment for any further questions, looking around the room to see the faces of his students looking contemplative, tired, or excited, but no more questions were forthcoming. He nodded. "Very well, you're dismissed for the weekend."
The class got up and began to gather their various classroom accouterments, but Ochako noticed Izuku still sitting down, thinking. "Izu? What's up?"
He started, blinking rapidly in surprise. "O-oh, 'Chako. Sorry, I was lost in thought."
"Thought about what?" she asked.
Izuku glanced up, scanning the room for anyone else listening. Noting that almost everyone was gone save Ochako and Himiko, the blonde hovering by the door and waiting for the two of them, a slow smile began to creep across Izuku's face. With teeth barely visible glinting between his lips and a soft green glow appearing in his eyes, he spoke softly. "Are you two up for a visit to the Support Department?"