KRD: Hey guys, Kamen Rider Duelist and HackerEX for another chapter of My Hero Academia: Way of the Dragon Knuckle!
HEX: Yep, but before we begin… that new MHA chapter… I won't say much out of respect for those who haven't read it yet. But for now I'll just say that I was surprised by the chapter's end, and maybe a bit confused.
KRD: Hey, a win's a win. And speaking of chapters, this one here is gonna be a little on the short side. Remember when we said earlier that scenes we already know will happen will be abbreviated or at least seen from Mamoru's POV? Yeah, this is the first of many.
HEX: Yep, and plus we get to see the rest of 1-A comment on the fight too.
KRD: Also, sorry for not updating this story in a while, RL kinda sucks sometimes.
HEX: Real life and writer's block, my old nemesis.
KRD: But hey, at least we're able to get this chapter out. So without further ado, here it is!
Disclaimer: We do not own My Hero Academia. All creative rights go to Kohei Horikoshi, first and foremost, Kenji Nagasaki, Tomo Ōkubo, Masahiro Mukai, Kazumasa Sanjoba, Hiroshi Kamei, Naoki Amano, Hirokazu Hara, Natsumi Mori, Wakana Okamura, Koji Nagai, Yoshihiro Ōyabu, Hayato Saga, Sokichi Onoda, Mirei Tsumura, Hiroya Nakata, Yosuke Kuroda, and Yuki Hayashi. All creative rights go to them. Also any and all insert songs in this story don't belong to us at all. In other words, we don't own anything except our OCs and all other OCs © original creators.
In the Teachers' Lounge, All Might was finishing up for the day, getting ready to leave. As he did, he took out an old costume he once wore, staring at it out of somewhat nostalgia. It was during the Silver Age of his Hero career that he wore this, it was at the prime of his youth when his Hero career was really taking off in America.
"Reminiscing on the old days?" He heard Principal Nezu ask him.
All Might turned towards the mouse-like Principal. "Something like that." He said, before his focus returned to his old costume. "It's only the first day, but they can't relax just yet."
"It's only natural to feel calm on the first day." The principal noted, "What matters now is helping them on their path towards becoming Heroes."
"Yes, you're right." All Might nodded. "Speaking of…"
"Hmhm, worried about those two?" Nezu chuckled knowingly, to which All Might briefly lost his composure.
"Nothing of the sort, just…" He cleared his throat, "Just getting used to being a teacher is all." He denied.
"No need to worry. They got through their first day just fine." Nezu reassured the Top Hero. "Although, Mamoru-kun got caught in one of the S.I.N's antics…" He sighed.
"…Should I be worried?" All Might asked with a bead of sweat going down his face.
"Probably." Nezu had to agree, "I worry that Midoriya might catch their ire as well. No… I stand corrected, I worry that most of the innocent boys here will be caught by their ire."
"Oh my goodness…" All Might muttered, "Reminds me of my time in U.A as a student."
"But now as a teacher, it's our duty to protect them from such trivial things like your teachers before you." Nezu reaffirmed. "Especially when it comes to matters of the heart."
"Indeed." All Might agreed.
Chapter 4 - Fated Clash
The next day had come too soon.
After what seemed like an eternity, Mamoru walked to school with a grin on his face, eager for what today had in store for him. While U.A. was a school to train the next generation of Heroes, it wasn't a school that would allow their students to forget the rest of their education. So core subjects like English, Math, Science, and History were still essential to their growth as a student. It wasn't like Mamoru hated it, but they were still tedious subjects to handle all at once.
Especially the homework.
'Why can't I escape that… thing!?' He lamented in his thoughts, before deadpanning, 'Oh yeah, the guy who invented homework was a jerk…'
"You doing alright, bro?" Eijiro asked him.
"Huh? Oh, hey." He greeted the redhead who snapped him out of his thoughts. "I'm fine, just thinking about what we're gonna be doing today."
"Well I hope it's cool. Speaking of, you look kind of pale." Eijiro said, "Something happened after school?"
"Uh…" Mamoru trailed off, trying to think of an excuse, but found none. "Huuuuh… I got jumped by the S.I.N…" He lamented with his head hung in shame.
*CRASH!*
"Hold on, you got grabbed by the S.I.N… and lived?!" Eijiro gasped.
"Thanks to Midnight-sensei…" Mamoru sighed. "I'm just glad she saved me before things got worse."
"Dude, you are lucky." Eijiro said before the two looked around, making sure they weren't being followed, "I just hope we don't-"
Mamoru stopped him from completing that sentence by covering the redhead's mouth.
"You don't want to jinx it." He said seriously, speaking from experience. Eijiro nodded rapidly before Mamoru released his hold on him.
"So what exactly happened?"
"Kendo-san and I were just gonna have Katsudon at a restaurant in town, before they got the jump on me." Mamoru explained. "Next thing I knew, I was in a makeshift classroom court and they were ready to castrate me."
"CASTRATE?!" Eijiro gawked, before Mamoru clamped his mouth shut.
"Shhh!" He snarled before letting go. "Baka, say it louder why don't you…" Mamoru hissed vehemently, "Besides, they might be listening."
"Wow, now I'm really glad Midnight-sensei came in when she did." Eijiro said. "Seriously, no man should have to go through that…"
"You and I both, pal…" Mamoru groaned, "I'm just worried that Midoriya and Kaminari-san, hold on, most of us are safe from them…"
Eijiro nodded, recalling his current friendship with Mina. They soon entered the classroom, where most of the class were settling in. Thankfully, the boys in their class were all okay. None of them were taken away by the S.I.N.
"Yo!" Eijiro called out.
"Ah Kirishima-san! Hadōken-san! Ohayou!" Izuku greeted the two.
"Yo." Mamoru waved back. "You got here, okay?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Ah… no reason, really. Just making sure." Mamoru laughed nervously.
"Huh, alright then." Izuku said with a shrug.
*DING DONG DING DONG! DING DONG DING DONG!*
Soon, classes finally began. In the morning, English was taught by Present Mic. Like other schools, everything was perfectly normal, making it seem boring. But then again, once you get through the boring stuff, the exciting stuff comes later.
And so… the day went by. Going through the motions of the school periods and subjects, such as Ectoplasm teaching Mathematics, and Cementoss teaching Modern Literature. After the first four periods, it was lunch time. As stated, the lunch service provided gourmet meals at a reasonable price. If they were to be the best Heroes, they have to eat right.
But then… It was after lunch that things were finally happening.
"I AM HERE…! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"
All Might arrived to the class, wearing his Silver Age costume proudly.
"It's All Might!" Denki gasped excitedly. "I can't believe it!"
"Wow, he really is a teacher here!" Eijiro said with the same enthusiasm. "This year's gonna be so awesome!"
"That's his costume from the Silver Age, isn't it?" Tsuyu pointed out, as All Might walked heroically towards the podium.
"Its style is so different, it's giving me goosebumps!" Mashirao said.
"So, you kids want to be Heroes, huh?" All Might asked the group, "Well buckle up, I got quite the exercise for you all! First off, welcome to the most important class of U.A. High, Hero Basic Training! Think of it as Hero-ing 101! It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a Pro Hero! And what it means to fight in the name of good!" He then reached into his pocket of his outfit and pulled out a small card that read 'BATTLE' in bold red letters. "So let's get right to it! Today's lesson will pull no punches! That's right, it's Combat Training!"
Bakugo smiled almost manically. "Combat?!"
"Training?!" Izuku gasped.
"And one of the key things to being a Hero is looking good! That's where these come in!" All Might gestured to a wall where capsule lockers emerged. "Inside those lockers are your custom-made Costumes based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started!"
"UWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!" The classmates cheered. This was it! They were going to wear their very own costumes that they made themselves!
"Costumes." Izuku smiled.
"Hey wait, there's only 20 slots!" Tsubasa pointed out. "Where's mine and Mamoru-chan's, huh?!" She demanded.
"That was why I was a bit late." All Might said before giving the pair their costumes, which were in duffel bags, which the pair gladly took.
"My own costume…" Mamoru smiled softly.
"Alright! Get suited up and then meet me in Training Ground Beta for today's exercise!"
"Hai!"
Flashback - Three Weeks Ago
Before being enrolled into U.A High School, the students have to submit their Quirk registrations, physical measurements, and desired designs to their local City Hall. A support company under exclusive contract with the school would then prepare state-of-the-art costumes for them. For Mamoru in particular however, there was a bit of a problem. Since he had manifested his Quirk, almost a year ago, prior to it, he was registered as "None". So he asked his adoptive mother about it.
"Quirk registration?" Shino said, as she sat in the living room with him, while looking over Mamoru's design.
"I know that I was registered as having none during elementary and junior high, but… given how I got my Quirk now, is there really no way to update it?" Mamoru winced.
"Oh, you can update it, no problem." Shino recalled. "There are plenty of cases where people discover that their Quirk weren't exactly what they thought they were at first. You should be able to revise and update your forms once or twice once your understand your powers better. They wouldn't accept outrageous changes, but if you were registered as "None" before, then you should be fine."
Mamoru sighed in relief, a hand being placed over his heart, "Yokatta…"
"So, what kind of costume did you want prior to getting your Quirk?" Shino asked him.
"Well… I still want to live up to Tou-chan's legacy. Even now." Mamoru said.
"That's good and all, but… that's not what I'm asking." Shino shook her head with a smile.
"Huh?" Mamoru looked confused, "What do you mean, Kaa-chan?"
"Listen. It's great that you want to honor your father's memory and legacy, but you have to remember that you're your own person." Shino pointed out. "You may follow in your father's footsteps, but at the end of the day, you're still you. Your costume reflects the kind of Hero that you want to be."
"Kaa-chan…" Mamoru murmured, then looked at his papers. "So you're saying… I should continue Tou-chan's legacy in my own way?"
"Exactly." Shino answered, with a confident nod. "You inherited his Quirk after all. What you do with your powers as a Hero, is entirely up to you."
"I see." Mamoru said, flipping a couple of the pages of his costume designs. Taking his adoptive mom's advice into consideration, he smiled and ripped the papers to shreds, much to her surprise. "Alright then, let's start from scratch."
The two then worked together on reworking Mamoru's papers and with it, design his Hero costume.
At Ground Beta, All Might was waiting for Class 1-A to emerge from the entrance leading into the fake city that was once a testing ground of the Entrance Exams. He couldn't wait to see what these kids have created with their innovation, ingenuity, and especially their imaginations. It couldn't come any sooner as he heard several footsteps coming from the entrance. Stepping out into the light, the entirety of Class 1-A reveal themselves in their Hero costumes.
"They say clothes make the Pros, shōnens and shōjos and behold, you are the proof! You kids look quite photogenic!" He complimented the students, as he looked at each and every one of them. Each student's costume was vibrant and displayed the makings of a Hero. "Take this to heart! From now on, you all… are Heroes in-training!" He declared, taking a good look at Class 1-A. So many unique designs and so much creativity that had from creating them, it made them all the more heroic, and All Might was proud that they would display their individuality. "It's getting me all ramped up! You all look so cool!"
There was another set of footsteps that echoed at the entrance, prompting them to look towards it. Stepping out into the light was none other than Mamoru, wearing his costume.
He was clothed in a high-collared black leathered vest with an emblem on the back, consisting of a Yin-Yang symbol, a dragon and tiger sewn into it respectively. It was unzipped, while having a faux white tuft aesthetically lining the sleeves on the back, followed by a white tight shirt that was underneath. He had gray metallic shoulder armor, one shaped like a dragon head on his right side and the other shaped like a tiger head on his left, both maws of both heads seemingly biting both shoulders. He also wore black pants aesthetically tattered and ripped, held up by black suspenders and a belt, while sporting metallic gray knee pads. Finishing off his look are a pair of black combat boots, and a long red headband around his forehead.
"Hm," Mamoru nodded confidently.
"Uwhoa, that looks badass!" Denki grinned, impressed.
"Not bad, bro!" Eijiro agreed. "I thought you'd go with a martial arts kind of costume. But the brawler look is even cooler!"
"Heh, thanks. I figured starting from scratch was the best way to do things." Mamaoru chuckled. "I want to honor and continue my father's legacy in my own way. And besides…" He looked at both his shoulder armors that had the dragon and tiger head respectively, smiling sadly, "I know Tou-chan and Kaa-san will always be at my side…"
"Wow… that's honestly amazing." Eijiro said in awe, "Always keeping your parents close to you. Now that is the mark of a man right there!"
"I think I'm going to cry!" Toru sniffled.
Most of Class 1-A, also felt moved by this sentiment.
"Truly inspiring, Hadōken-shōnen!" All Might said. "Looks like you already got the speech part of being a Hero down pat."
"Just… staying true to myself is all." Mamoru smiled a bit. Just then, they heard another set of footsteps as coming out of the entrance was Izuku in his Hero costume. One… that was so clearly inspired by All Might.
It was a light green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves, along with his signature red boots. He also wears a mask with long ear-like protrusions that resembles All Might's haircut, and a respirator with a makeshift smile on it that also reflects that of said hero.
Mamoru, Bakugo, and even All Might had to fight off an incoming bout of laughter, 'He's such an All Might fanboy!/so obvious!'
"Wow Deku, your costume looks great! So down-to-earth!" Uraraka complimented.
"R-Really? You think so?" Izuku stuttered.
"Yurusenai. Yurusenai. Yurusenai. Yurusenai." Eijiro, Denki, and Mamoru heard faintly, sending fear down their spines.
'Oh my goodness. It starts…' All Might thought, knowing what was about to happen. But! He has a plan!
"Ahem! Now then, it's time for today's lesson! I want you all to be ready, because you'll be performing a bit of a game." He explained to the class, keeping an eye on the shadows as he did so. "But before that, allow me to explain in detail. Most of the Villain fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the more dastardly Villains take place indoors. From backroom deals, home invasions, to underground lairs, truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. So for this exercise, you'll be split into teams of Heroes and Villains and fight two-on-two indoor battles."
"Isn't that a bit advanced?" Tsuyu asked.
"The best experience is what you get on the battlefield. But remember, you're not just punching robots anymore. This time, you're dealing with actual people." All Might continued, "And while a robot has a set A.I pattern, human opponents can and will do their best to trip you up by changing tactics, exploiting weaknesses, and even use psychological warfare." All Might was going to say more, but then seemed to have forgotten something and thus, pulled out a small book to read it.
'A script?!' Izuku gawked.
"Now then! Here's the situation! The Villains have secretly hid a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout! The Heroes are trying to foil their plans! To do this, the Heroes have to either capture the Villains or recover the nuclear weapon! On the other hand, the Villains will win if they protect their payload or capture the Heroes!"
"Kinda like in a video game," Mamoru commented, before grinning, punching his open palm. "I can dig that."
"And so! We will draw lots as to what teams will be made!" All Might said, holding up a box.
"We're deciding this so haphazardly?!" Tenya asked, surprised.
"Hero team ups aren't exactly cut and dry, kids. There will always be a chance where you won't have your normal allies by your side."
"Pro Heroes often have to create makeshift teams with Heroes from other agencies, so that's probably what's being simulated here." Izuku pointed out.
"Sokka…" Tenya nodded in understanding.
"Alright kids, reach in and pick a letter!" The Top Hero encouraged them.
Soon everyone dug their hands into the box and drew up a letter from it. After seeing their letters, they paired up as to who they will be partnered with.
Team A: Izuku & Uraraka
Team B: Shoto & Mezo
Team C: Mineta & Momo
Team D: Bakugo & Iida
Team E: Mina & Yuga
Team F: Koji & Rikido
Team G: Denki & Jiro
Team H: Fumikage & Tsuyu
Team I: Mashirao & Toru
Team J: Sero & Eijiro
Team K: Mamoru & Tsubasa
"Hey wait, there's 11 Teams! Mamoru-chan and I will be left out!" Tsubasa complained.
"Relax, Kazegami-san, I'm sure one of the other teams can fight again even after they already had their turn." Mamoru laughed sheepishly, trying to placate his pouty partner.
"About that, see, I knew this would happen. Because it just so turns out that Class 1-B also has 22 students!"
"Ehhh?!" Most of Class 1-A gasped in shock.
"So, Vlad King and I decided that 1-A and 1-B's leftover students should at least try this exercise in a cross-class assignment." All Might further revealed. He then looked towards the entrance. "Come on out you two, and introduce yourselves!"
*VROOM…!*
"AAAAHHH! LOOK OUT!" A panicked voice shouted before a silver and blue blur came barreling out of the entrance and crashed into a nearby building. Everyone could only look on in bewilderment at the scene. Thankfully, the building didn't collapse from the impact, but it was still gonna be a pain in the butt to repair, judging from the amount of debris.
"Ugh, I shouldn't have pumped that scooter with too much gas." One voice groaned in between coughing up dust.
"I told you to slow down, but would you listen? Nooooo~!" Another voice scolded. "Besides, what if my stomach lining ruptured upon impact, I could have exploded and left this place a walking biohazard!"
"Dude, we were late as is! There was no way I'm gonna be late for the first Hero Class lesson!" The first voice argued.
"Ugh, this is why I wanted to be away from daredevils like you." The second voice lamented, "Why couldn't I have been in the Support class like I wanted?"
"AHEM!" All Might cleared his throat intentionally, his arms crossed while tapping a finger on said arm, "Boys? You okay there?"
"Uh… sorry!" The first voice said, before the two people came out of the debris and walked towards All Might.
The first was a young man with a scrawny build, having black hair that's spiky and slicked back, feeling like silicon. He also has black eyes, and ashen gray skin, etched with circuitry patterns all over his body. His costume consists of a black rubber bodysuit, a blue and silver chestplate, a pair of gauntlets that includes a pair of padded gloves, and two bulky boots to help stabilize him.
The second person was a boy with ashen gray hair styled in a bowl cut and has eyes of the same color. His facial expression may seem like he's always tired, but is otherwise healthy. He wears rectangular glasses, and his physical stature is skinny, indicating that he doesn't exercise that much. His costume was a full suit of armor akin to that of a hazmat suit that was white and gray. The hands are yellow and the gloves are equipped with gray vambraces, and have arm length black sleeve covers. He has a black belt with white stripes, black accents, and a window akin to a computer screen.
"Sorry about that, Teach. Kind of lost track of time there!" The scrawny boy apologized.
"You do realize that this is coming out of the school's budget…" All Might reminded him dryly, despite the smile plastered on his face.
"Told you." The hazmat boy snidely told the scrawny student.
"Ahem, sensei?" Momo raised a hand. "Who are they?"
"Oh! Where are my manners!" The Top Hero realized before clearing his throat. "Everyone meet Tekketsu Nobuhiko and Suiyaku Toshirō! They are the leftovers from Class 1-B and will be joining us for this exercise!"
"Sup everyone? Nice to meetcha." Nobuhiko waved at them.
"Hi… I guess…" Toshiro greeted lamely with a wave of his own, "Look, I still got vertigo from that hellscape he calls a joyride, so apologies if I'm a bit agitated."
"Er… right…" Mamoru sweat dropped.
"Alright, everyone!" All Might began as he set up two boxes. One white that was labeled Heroes and one black that was labeled Villains. "Now that we have an even number of Teams, let's see which ones will get to fight first!"
He dug each hand into a box and pulled out one of each ball that had a letter.
"And It's gonna be these guys!"
The letters revealed were… A & D!
"No way!" Izuku gasped.
"Team A will be the Heroes, and Team D will be the Villains!" All Might declared. "Everyone else, head over to the Control Room to watch!"
As they gathered inside, Mamoru became worried. Izuku was about to face off against a very volatile opponent in Bakugo, both personality-wise and in how he uses his Quirk. He just hoped that he could pull it off. Izuku meanwhile looked at a very perturbed Bakugo. At first, he seemed to cower down, but then clenched his fist and stared back at the explosive boy with a glare of his own. Bakugo was stunned briefly by this new demeanor, growling in response after.
The four of them then followed All Might to a building that was set up for them. "Villain Team, go ahead inside and set yourselves up. In five minutes, the Hero Team will break in, and the battle starts."
"Yes sir." Tenya said.
"Iida-shōnen, Bakugo-shōnen, the key to success in this challenge is to embody Villainy and think from the perspective of a Villain. Don't be afraid to go all-out. If things get out of hand, I'll step in."
"Understood." Tenya said before he got into a… rather Saturday morning-inspired villain act. "I am the personification of villainy!" He cackled in a faux villain voice.
Most of the 1-A boys in the Control Room, quickly devolved into a chuckle fest from the display. They were prepared for the worst, but instead that little act endeared the Engine Quirk user to the group in spite of how corny the act was.
"I'd give that a solid 4 out of 10 for effort." Mamoru sweat dropped after he was done chuckling.
"Not stylish at all, if you ask me." Yuga added.
"But you gotta admit it's kind of funny." Nobuhiko argued with a shrug.
Moments later, All Might stepped into the Control Room and looked at the various screens of different angles of the building. All Might was going to test Izuku fairly and not play favorites. He was to grade him like any other student and will not pander to partialism in any way, shape, or form. "Yosh, we're about to start soon."
He then checked the cameras once more, seeing the familiar vaguely hidden characters lurking in the shadows, waiting… biding their time…
'Looks like Midoriya-shōnen might have to learn an extra lesson. Knowing when to adapt when more enemies than expected appear.' He noted to himself.
"Hey, what's that shadowy thing there?" Mineta pointed to one of the screens.
"Oh gosh, he's enraged them." Mamoru panicked. In spite of calling the S.I.N would-be idol fans, that didn't erase the fear he felt from being knocked out and stealthily transported by the group. "Uh… All Might-sensei?"
"I know… but this does bring up a potential scenario these four must prepare for." All Might noted, 'Besides, Bakugo-shōnen and Midoriya-shōnen's potential clash might put some fear into them. If worse comes to pass, I can have the class hunt them down.'
He then spoke into the microphone. "Now then… let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D! Let the exercise… begin!"
From within a control room, the rest of the class waited with bated breath as Izuku and Ochako successfully infiltrated the building and made their way towards their target. The building they were in had their walls filled with squares and rectangles, as well as unopened doors that led to empty rooms.
["There's a lot of blind spots, so let's be careful."] Izuku warned Ochako, the cameras picking up some of what the combatants were saying.
["Right…"] Ochako nodded as the two made their way in.
'So far, so good…' Mamoru thought as the class watched on.
Just then, the class spotted a large explosion on one of the monitors, namely an irate Bakugo as he came out from a side hallway, thrusting his arm forward as his palms ignited charging right for Izuku. Luckily, Izuku moved Ochako out of the way as Bakugo made a small crater on the wall due to the explosion.
"And looks like the fighting's begun." Kaminari saw.
"Hey, what kind of man pulls some cheap sneak attack?!" Eijiro growled.
"He's definitely playing the part of a true villain, I can tell you that." All Might said in praise of the Explosion Quirk user.
["Uraraka-san, are you okay?!"] Izuku asked.
["Y-Yeah, thanks. But-"]
["It's okay. it's just the mask."] Izuku reassured her, the smoking clearing to reveal a snarling Bakugo.
"Uh-oh, he looks pissed…" Mineta understated.
Soon after, Bakugo ran right for Izuku again, but just as he raised his right arm Izuku caught it and delivered a judo throw onto the Explosion Quirk user.
"Yowza, look at those moves!" Nobuhiko chuckled.
"Nice counter." Ojiro took note.
"I mean, it seems like those two know each other enough to counter their moves." Momo observed.
["Kaachan…"] Izuku panted as he stood his ground. ["You usually start with a big right swing. How much do you think I've been watching you?"] He stated, proving the heiress' theory true. ["I wrote an analysis for all the Heroes I thought were amazing in my notebook… and that included you too!"]
Now that caught everyone's attention.
"Wait, he's got a notebook on that?" Mamoru asked.
"That's dedication… though I can imagine that some teachers might not be happy to hear about that." Toshirō grumbled.
["My "Deku"... isn't always going to mean "useless"! Kacchan, my "Deku" means "you can do it"!"]
"So he means Dekiru then…" Tsuyu noted, "After all, apart from how the word ends, those two have the same first three letters."
["Tsk… YOU ARE REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF, AREN'T YOU?!"] Bakugo roared. ["Even though you're scared… the fact that you try to put on a brave face, wanting to fight even though you're such a coward… That's why… THAT'S WHY I HATE YOOOOOOOOU!"]
Mamoru growled, his fists clenching in anger. He was seeing something in Bakugo that he didn't like.
A dark mirror of himself. A look of what would have happened if he hadn't been saved from his own rage. His own darkness.
Eijiro noticed Mamoru's quivering fist and snarl and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey bro? You doing alright?"
Mamoru quickly realized what was happening and steadied his breathing, "Yeah… I'm fine…" he murmured.
The Hardening Quirk user didn't buy it, neither did Nobuhiko nor Kaminari or Tsubasa as they gave each other worried glances.
{"Hey, Bakugo! Tell me what's going on! Is there something wrong?"} Iiida asked Bakugo via comm links, something that allowed the class to hear.
{"Shut your trap and keep the weapon safe! I don't have time to deal with this!"} Bakugo snarled before hanging up.
"Yeesh, these two aren't exactly the picturesque tag team." Sero winced.
"Which is what could cost them. After all, the second someone has wrapped this around their opponent…" All Might brought out from his belt a roll of special white tape, "Then they're 'captured' and therefore out of the exercise."
"So wait, the heroes got only 15 minutes to find the weapon and they got zero clue as to where it's held, right?" Mina asked after raising her hand, to which All Might gave a definite "Yes" to, "Then the hero side is really left in the dust in this scenario."
All Might merely laughed it off, "Real Heroes have to outwit the Villains on a daily basis. That's life. Even if the odds aren't in our favor, we fight. And besides, didn't Aizawa teach you kids our motto? Say it with me now! GO BEYOND!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" They cheered.
"Monsieur, he's on the move." Yuga quickly observed.
"Hm?"
["Uraraka-san, go!"] Izuku shouted as Bakugo used his Quirk to rush in and unleash a roundhouse to the moss-haired boy, which he blocked and the gravity girl made a run for it.
["Balls-y move! Do you seriously think you can take me on alone?!"] Bakugo snapped, but then realized that Izuku had the capture tape. Thinking quickly, he quickly threw out another big punch, prompting Deku to not complete the capture and dodge as another explosion occurred.
["Get back here, Deku!"] Bakugo shouted as began chasing the moss-haired boy throughout the building. While trying to run for his life, Izuku was also using this chance to use the building's schematics to find a place to catch his breath and come up with a plan of attack for himself and Ochako. ["Grrrrrrr… Dammit! You've been tricking me for years acting all weak and even laughing behind my back huh!? So where's this flashy power of yours now?! I wanna see how it compares to mine!"]
"Wait… what?" Toshirō frowned, before looking at All Might. "Sir, is he implying that Midoriya-kun is…"
"Now now. Let's not jump to conclusions." All Might said sternly, his smile wavering. 'Bakugo-shōnen has heard what Midoriya-shōnen's heart has kept hidden all these years, yet he's still full of arrogance and confidence. I can tell that his head is bloated beyond reason.'
Luckily they saw Midoriya fall back while Bakugo menacingly trudged forward. Even though they were in the control room, several of the students could tell that the animosity the Explosion Quirk user had and continued to display was something else.
Meanwhile on another screen… some of the less mature classmates were left laughing at the sight. That sight being…
["I am the personification of evil…"]
Iida's lackluster attempt at acting like a villain…
"Who even talks like that anymore!" Kaminari said in between laughs.
"That's how kids think villains act," Mamoru agreed.
"At least he's trying… sorta." Mina shrugged helplessly.
Unfortunately for Uraraka, she shared the same sentiment about Iida's saturday morning cartoon villain act and began to laugh, giving away her position to the speedster.
["Aha! So you have finally arrived, Uraraka!"] he laughed menacingly, ["I knew you'd come here as soon as Bakugo bolted off! Your Quirk is meant to be used to cause anything you touch to float, does it not?"]
With a confident smile, he then showcased that the room they were in was completely picked clean of any objects save for a fake nuke-shaped prop.
["So I decided to leave you high and dry by removing every object you could use your powers on! Now there'll be no tricks you can pull to stop us!"] Iida declared before laughing maniacally.
"Geez, who's he supposed to be? Cobra Commander? Skeletor? Megatron?" Mineta pointed out before giggling.
"Maybe he's trying to act like all three of them?" Tsubasa tilted her head cutely.
All of a sudden, most of the boys imagined Iida cosplaying as either cartoon villain, then a mix of all three… to which all of them either cringed at how horrible it looked, or instantly remembered the more competent versions of the three mixed with Iida's dedication was the opposite of a joke.
"I think my brain vomited a little…" Toshirō groaned.
{"Deku!"} Ochako called out to the moss-haired boy on the comm link.
{"Uraraka-san! What's up?"}
{"I got caught by Iida-kun and now he's edging closer! I'm so sorry!"} she reported as the speedster began to walk menacingly towards her, cackling all the way.
{"Where are you?"} Izuku asked.
{"I'm in the middle of the 5th Floor! The weapon's here!"}
'So that means he's right above her…' Mamoru realized, and he could tell that Izuku was coming to the same conclusion.
["Alright, we don't have much time! If we stall now, they could wi-"]
["It's finally ready…"]
Just then, the class saw Bakugo finally locate his old friend, and the look he gave was almost akin to a predator cornering it's prey. Mamoru held his breath as the two former friends once more confronted each other.
["Why won't you use it, Deku? Are you looking down on me?"] Bakugo sneered with a psychotic grin.
["I'm not afraid of you anymore, Kacchan!"] Izuku declared.
["Oh I know, and I'm pretty sure you remember this little detail."] Bakugo said as he outstretched one of his arms, ["I can use my explosions thanks to the nitroglycerine I sweat. So tell me… Why do you think I made my gauntlets the way they are?"]
Everyone was horrified as Mamoru quickly made the connection between the Explosion quirk user's power alongside the strange hole on his gauntlets.
"It's a cannon…" someone in the class muttered.
Eijiro looked towards, of all people, Mineta with fear and confusion.
"I'm sorry, what?" the Hardening Quirk user gasped.
"The large part of those bracers are probably holding all of that sweat for future use, like containers. So by that logic, that hole on the front of the false grip isn't decorative. It's a muzzle!" the Grape quirk user gasped as he put his knowledge of hero costumes to use, "If he pulls that pin on the gauntlet, then he'll be letting out an explosion equivalent to a bundle of dynamite!"
"Is he seriously planning on killing Izuku-kun?!" Tsubasa gasped in horror.
All Might then yelled into the microphone. "Bakugo-shōnen! Don't do it!"
However the Explosion Quirk user didn't listen as he grabbed the pin. ["Oh don't worry! He'll live as long as he can dodge!"]
Then-
*CLICK!*
He pulled it.
"YOU MOROOOOOON!" Mamoru shouted, as a large wave of explosives was sent towards Izuku. The force of the explosion destroyed a huge chunk of the wall and corner of the building, leaving a gargantuan hole and debris in the wake. The only silver lining was that it didn't cause the building to collapse.
"Midoriya-shōnen!"
Miraculously, Izuku was able to survive the blow.
["Are… are you out/of your mind?!" both Izuku and Mamoru gasped.
["Come on Deku… use your Quirk. "] Bakugo once more goaded his old friend, ["It wouldn't be fair if I'm the only one going all out, now would it? I'll force your surrender even if you have your Quirk at full strength. Stop running and face me like a man!"]
Mamoru then suddenly grabbed the mic from All Might, much to the latter's shock. "Bakugo, you idiot! The hell do you think you're doing?!"
["Shove off, dragon pants! This is none of your business!"] he roared.
"It is when you're trying to murder someone in cold blood!" Mamoru argued.
"Hadōken-shōnen, Bakugo-shōnen! Please calm down!" All Might tried his best to defuse the situation before things got even worse.
"And besides, for you to use a large-scale attack inside a building that you're supposed to be protecting, even a Villain isn't that idiotic to pull that kind of stunt! It doesn't benefit anyone or anything!" Mamoru shouted.
["Who are you supposed to be? My mom? This is between me and Deku, so why don't you go shove it!"] Bakugo continued to argue.
"Teme~!"
"Hadōken-shōnen, that's enough…"
The martial artist stopped as he turned towards All Might, who was looking sternly at him. While he was still smiling, Mamoru could tell there was fury in his eyes.
"I understand the worry you have for your fellow classmates. But remember who the teacher is here." All Might reminded him.
"Gh…" Mamoru gritted his teeth, looking away before handing the mic back to the Top Hero.
"Bakugo-shōnen, what Hadōken-shōnen said is true. If you do it again, I'll stop this fight, and your team will automatically be disqualified."
["Tsk, fine…"] Bakugo said before turning towards the terrified Izuku.
As this was happening, Ochako tried to take advantage of Iida's brief loss in balance to leap over him and reach the weapon. The speedster caught onto this and revved up the engines in his legs to dash towards the prop and move it away from the Float Quirk user.
["As long as you can't touch me before the time runs out, then you are no threat to our plans!"] Iida declared.
["Dang it… so close…"] Ochako growled. 'But… I won't give up! Deku-kun is trying his best and so should I!'
"Huh, nice use of that brief distraction." Yuga observed.
"But given Iida-san's Quirk, it's going to be a lot more difficult." Momo commented.
"I just hope they can cinch out the win." Eijiro hoped, "Especially with Bakugo prowling around."
["Well then, interruptions aside, come at me and fight!"] Bakugo taunted his old friend. ["Since I can't let loose anymore, I'll just have to go hand-to-hand!"] He shouted as he charged at Izuku. The latter knew he couldn't dodge, so he had to counterattack. Izuku's punch met Bakugo's, but the explosive Quirk user used his explosion to not only create a distraction, but changed his trajectory to jump over Izuku and set off an explosion from behind, hitting Izuku's back.
'Crap, Bakugo wisened up to Izuku's counters.' Mamoru feared.
"So he pulled a feint on his opponent in order to use his Quirk to redirect him into a better firing position." Todoroki noted, "You wouldn't really think a guy like him would be this clever."
"Not to mention landing a blow to the back while resisting inertia at the same time means he knows how strong his explosions could be to their most minute detail." Momo agreed.
"Dang, that takes talent." Kaminari pointed out.
Bakguo wasn't done with Izuku however as he landed a right swing to the moss-haired boy's side before grabbing him by the arm and slamming him down with all his strength. He even used his free hand to fire off some explosions to increase his attack's speed and power.
["Here it comes, you damn nerd! The right hook you're always complaining about!"] Bakugo said while he delivered that throw, ["Don't you ever forget what you are! You're a weakling and always will be!"]
"This is bullying! He's already been captured so he should stop!" Mamoru argued with All Might, "This is not the behavior of a Hero in the making!"
"I thought Midoriya actually hit above his weight, but there ain't no denying when it comes to raw battle tactics… Bakugo's just a beast." Eijiro had to agree.
Scared out of his mind, Izuku tried to flee from the terrifying Explosion Quirk user's wrath.
["Why won't you use your Quirk already?! You really think I'm not that worthy of seeing it?!"] Bakugo angrily berated Izuki, ["Ever since we were kids, you've always been like this!"]
["That's not it."] Izuku whimpered.
["You seriously think you're hot stuff! HUH!?"] his former friend bellowed. ["You've been hiding your true power from me for years! What's the deal with that Deku!? Did you think that you were better than me this entire time?!"]
"That narrow-minded…!" Mamoru growled.
["No… it's because you're so amazing that I wanna win! Because there was no way I could do so as I am!"] Izuku finally answered. ["I may have been the weaker link between us before, but now? I WANNA WIN AND SURPASS YOU! HOW DO YOU NOT GET THAT, DUMBASS!?"]
["KNOCK THAT EXPRESSION OFF YOU GRASS-HAIRED NERD!"]
As the two began to run at each other, the whole class spotted Izuku's exposed arm begin to glow red.
"They're gonna kill each other!" Eijiro shouted. "Sensei!"
{"Uraraka-san! Hold on to something!"} Izuku called out. Time seemed to slow down as he and Bakugo were about ot clash. The palms of Bakugo's hand getting hotter while Izuku's arm glowed brighter. 'I know I can't beat you on a one-on-one fight… not like this… but I can win!'
[DETROIT…]
"SENSEI! DO SOMETHING!" Mamoru shouted.
Struggling to stop the match, All Might was about to call it when-
[SMAAAAAAAHHHH!]
Upon tanking Bakugo's explosion to the face, Izuku unleashed an uppercut, resulting in a mighty wind that caused the ceiling above them to shatter above them, sending any and all debris upwards. It even shattered all the windows into many glass shards, including a support pillar that Ochako was holding. Following that, many of the cameras in the building apart from two were either damaged or destroyed in the process. Ochako used this as an opportunity to use her Quirk on the support pillar to break it off and carry it.
["Sorry, Iida-kun! Here's my improvised Ultimate Move!"] the Float Quirk user declared as she winded up the now floating pillar like a baseball bat.
[HOME RUN COMET!]
Using all of her strength, she knocked as much debris as she could at Iida.
["YOU CALL THAT A HOME RUN?!"] Iida cried out. The Engine Quirk user had no choice, but to defend himself from the incoming debris. However, it was because of that necessity that it gave Ochako long enough to jump over the large hole made, and released her Quirk to land on the weapon, hugging it tight.
["Retrieved!"] she said, relieved.
Iida was beside himself the moment he realized what had happened, ["NOOOOOO! THE WEAPON! CURSES!"]
Back at the second floor, Bakugo looked stunned at the damage that Izuku had made. How could this have happened? He thought for sure that Izuku was going to use his Quirk on him. That way, he could overpower it and put the moss-haired boy in his place, but no. ["Y-You're telling me… that this was your plan… from the beginning? You were playing me this whole time, you bastard…?"] He growled.
["No, that's not it…"]
That was when the smoke cleared, and not only the class was horrified, but so was Bakugo. Midoriya's arm was terribly mangled, the flesh a deep red while his hand twitched in pain. The other arm that Midoriya used to block the explosion was charred black.
["I wasn't… going to use it… because I can't control it… My body just can't handle the backlash of my power yet. Aizawa-sensei said I'd be useless… If I had tried to use my Quirk when we were kids, then that would have been a suicide attack."] Midoriya said as he fought through the agony his body was feeling, ["Even using it now leaves me with constant pain. But… this was all I could think of… this was… the only chance I had… at winning…"]
Just before the moss-haired boy could say anymore, the combination of adrenaline, anxiety, and pain from using his Quirk all caught up to him and he fell to the floor in an unconscious heap, leaving Bakugo speechless and seemingly scared out of his wit.
The last thing he heard was All Might declaring his team the victor of the exercise.
"MIDORIYA!" Mamoru shouted before he suddenly turned around and ran out the door as fast as his body could take him.
"Hadōken-shōnen!" All Might called out, but to no avail.
"Hey, where are you going, man?!" Eijiro shouted. "Get back here!"
Mamoru kept running, making his way towards the destroyed building the teams were in. As soon as he found his way to the second floor, he saw the devastation with his own eyes. Midoriya was laying on the ground not moving, and Bakugo was standing there with a far-off horrified look on his face. As much as the street brawler wanted to berate the explosion Quirk user, Izuku's well-being was more important.
"MIDORIYA!" Mamoru shouted, rushing over to his fallen form and turned him over. "OI, MIDORIYA! SHIKARI SHIRO! MIDORIYA!" He called out, "COME ON, WAKE UP! PLEASE! DON'T DIE ON ME! MIDORIYA!"
Ochako and Iida quickly rushed over to the scene as they saw Mamoru trying his best to revive the moss-haired boy.
"Is he…" Ochako murmured in fright, despite how nauseous she felt when using her Quirk.
"MIDORIYA, C'MON! DON'T GO! YOU CAN'T DIE HERE!" Mamoru shouted.
As the street brawler tried to shake Midoriya awake, Bakugo was still uncharacteristically silent. How could he have lost? What had just happened to Deku? But more importantly, did he just witness someone die in front of him?
"DAMMIT, MIDORIYA! COME ON! WAKE UP! WAKE UP, PLEASE!" Mamoru shouted, as tears now fell from his eyes. "Don't go, please… you can't… you can't die… not like this! Not when haven't become a Hero yet! MIDORIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
That was when his Aura flared up while trying to shake Izuku awake. However, unlike the previous times, the blue 'flames' were much less ferocious, now slowly enveloping the unconscious boy's body.
"What?" Ochako gasped. "What's happening? Hadōken-kun's Quirk is-!"
"It's Awakening…" Iida spoke.
Soon, the 'flames' slowly began healing much of Izuku's injuries, focusing greatly on the damaged arm he had used to send the debris upwards, then moved on the charred black arm from Bakugo's attack. At the very least, the extension of this strange healing was enough to at least bring Izuku out of immediate danger, but was still out cold. Regardless, the strange version of Mamoru's Aura dissipated as mysteriously as it appeared.
After wiping his tears away, Mamoru quickly noticed that much of Izuku's body had been healed somehow. Only for a strange sense of fatigue to wash over him.
"What- ughhhh…" Mamoru groaned as he was about to keel over, but Ochako caught him in the nick of time.
Regardless, Ochako, Iida, and Bakugo were left in a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Huh… what… happened?" Mamoru asked in a dazed state.
"Your Quirk Awakened." Iida told him, "Your Aura healed some of his injuries. Come on, we should get you and Midoriya out of here."
"No, forget about me… Midoriya's more important." Mamoru said.
"Uraraka-kun already has Midoriya." The speedster said as he looked towards the Float Quirk user holding the downed moss-haired boy, using a bit of her Quirk to mitigate the boy's weight.
"I'll be fine," Mamoru said, slowly standing up and walking after. "I just… need to walk it off, is all. Besides, I've yet to do the exercise. I can't afford to skip it anyways. Kazegami-san and I should go last so I could take advantage to fully rest up."
"I will bring that up to our teacher." Iida confirmed, "You have my word."
"Good…"
KRD: There you have it! Chapter 4 comes to a close. And yeah, I know, those in the Control Room shouldn't be able to hear the things that Bakugo and Izuku were spouting out as well as Ochako and Iida. That was our fault.
HEX: Mostly on mine since I completely forgot that in the manga and anime, only All Might could hear them. The others weren't. Then again, the fact that we did make this change, it allowed the others to comment on all four, and all future practice battles.
KRD: Yup. So next chapter, it's gonna be Mamoru and Tsubasa's turn to go against Nobuyuki and Toshirō! We'll see how they stack up against each other. And, an unexpected twist near the end if you already didn't see the foreshadowing with… a certain group.
HEX: But that's enough about them, time for some trivia. Starting with, what I like to call, the Man of Action duo of Nobuhiko and Toshirō! If you're wondering about why I say that, it's because for the most part they're inspired by Ben 10 and Generator Rex. Well, a specific alien in the case of Toshirō.
KRD: Yup! And you'll get to see them in action in the next chapter. Review and comment on this story. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.
Both: Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!