(A/N) Hello everyone! Not gonna lie, this chapter was difficult to write. There were several things I needed to have in it, but making it flow was no easy feat. But I hope the chapter will exceed everyone's expectations! Also, I've been intending to do it for awhile now, but I wanted to give images for the genderbent classmates. Unfortunately I can't post images on this site, but I do have them on my other accounts if you want to see them. I will also be posing a question to my readers for those who want to put in their opinion. Aside from all of that, thank you again Silenthorse, Zurkboy2, and Gamer_kid1609.
'What? Where am I?' Thought Izuku groggily. He felt…. Odd. Like he was adrift in a sea of black. Yet he didn't feel anything at all, almost like he had no body to feel with. He tried looking around, but he wasn't even sure if his eyes were open.
The oddest part though is he could swear there were voices. He couldn't even make out what they were saying, yet somehow he could tell they were there. And they all sounded upset. One of them though sounded outraged.
Without warning all the voices stopped, and it was as if he felt several pairs of eyes stare at him. One voice returned, and this time it seemed gentle. Soothing. Suddenly he started feeling warm, similar to when his mom gives him hugs.
Before Izuku knew it his eyes shot open wide, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. Quickly looking around, he didn't recognize his surroundings. As he felt a panic attack start creeping up on him he felt movement on top of him. Looking to the source he saw Mei cuddling deeper into his chest, while Komori seemed to still be out cold while drooling on his chest a bit.
Seeing the two relaxed Izuku considerably, allowing his memories from the day before to return. Lazily, he looked over at his alarm clock, seeing it was just past 5 A.M. Despite that he felt wide awake, so he knew there was no chance of getting back to sleep. Looking back down at his girlfriends he smiled softly, deciding there was no hurry getting up. Even without the feeling of gaining attar, he enjoyed holding them close.
Risking waking them up, Izuku kissed their foreheads, and squeezed them gently before staring up at the ceiling, the memory of his dream running through his mind. It didn't feel like an ordinary dream, like there was something deeper about it. He just wasn't sure what.
"You know you don't have to just lie there on our accounts, right?" Izuku heard Mei mumble. Quickly looking down at the girl, he saw her lift her head up and give him a small tired smile.
"I know, but I want to. I enjoy just holding you two." Said Izuku with a smile of his own.
Without a word, Mei leaned in closer, giving her boyfriend a loving kiss. "That's sweet of you, but we might want to start our day. We have that thing with your mom, and we don't know what the morning rush will be like." She said, before snuggling closer.
"She's right. We now live with twenty other people. We don't want to have to cook breakfast all at the same time." Said Kinoko groggily as she raised her head up, not noticing the drool on her cheek.
Izuku chuckled at the sight of some of Kinoko's hair sticking to her wet cheek, while Mei looked ready to fall back asleep. "You two have a point. How about this, you two get ready for the day, and I'll get started on cooking us some food."
As if in response, Kinoko yawned as she stretched, unknowingly making Izuku's eyes dip. But when she stopped she noticed Izuku's gaze move back to her face. With a smirk she laid on top of him, giving him a half-lidded gaze. "Glad you like what you see. Soon we'll have to work on breaking in our beds." She said alluringly, ending with a kiss. She drew away slowly with Izuku following after. The small rush helped wake her up, so she got out of bed, doing her best to give Izuku a show. "Now come on, let's get moving." She said as she started helping Mei up.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'll just grab some clothes real quick and get started." Said Izuku, having a hard time pulling his eyes away from his girlfriends. He was completely unaware of how hard he was until he blindly started putting on some boxers. In the second it took him to look down and look back at the girls, Kinoko was looking back at him, and teasingly licked her lips.
With a crimson face, Izuku quickly threw on a pair of shorts and a shirt. As much as he wanted to stay, he wasn't sure how much willpower he'd have, and he really didn't want to do whatever his mom had planned while completely exhausted. Or worse, explain why they were absent. Taking some time to will his boner down, Izuku stuck around the hallway, praying no one came out of their room.
Unfortunately Izuku is not that lucky. Hearing the door on the other end of the hallway opening, Izuku quickly shoved his hands in his pockets, using one to hold down his member. Looking down the hallway, he saw Uraraka walk out of the room at the end of the hallway. He didn't know if he should be relieved or nervous at seeing the familiar face. Especially since she was currently wearing booty shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top, obviously not wearing a bra. It didn't take long for her to notice him, and she quickly made her way over, oblivious to how much her chest jiggled. He hated that he looked considering he already had 2 official girlfriends, and another that was close to official.
"Hey Ai-Izuku, how are you feeling?" Asked Uraraka with clear concern.
The look she was giving Izuku was enough to clear the lingering lust that was slowly building. She is a friend, a good friend, and looking at her the way he did felt disrespectful to her. With a gentle smile Izuku kept his gaze on her face. "I'm doing better. I wouldn't say I'm 100% but I'm well enough to get through today if nothing bad happens." He responded honestly.
Giving Izuku a reassuring smile, Uraraka proceeded to wrap him in a hug. "Well I'm here for you if you need me, so don't be afraid to ask." She said, happy when he hugged her in return, but was quick to notice he kept one arm in his pocket. She wasn't a fool and knew her biology, but kept quiet so as to not embarrass him. She might tease him if it happens again, but today wasn't the day for that.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Said Izuku gratefully, before releasing the hug. With a quick check that he thought was more subtle than it was, he noticed his hard-on had gone down. So he took his hand out of his pocket, scratching the back of his head nervously. "So what are you doing up so early?" He asked, mostly trying to distract himself from what Uraraka was wearing.
"I'm always up early. My parents work a ton, and would often skip meals. So for the past 5 years, I at least made sure they had breakfast. That required me to be up with them before they left." Explained Uraraka with a bit of a fond yet sad smile.
"I hate to pry, but is your family not well off?" Asked Izuku gently. With how Uraraka had explained things, he was worried about what her living environment was like growing up. She was obviously fond of her parents, but he knew from firsthand experience how damaging a lack of food is. He was about to start apologizing when she started rubbing her arm, thinking he messed up, only for Uraraka to talk first.
"No, we're not. If it wasn't for the hero student scholarship, college would have just been a distant dream. My parents own a construction company, but it's not doing well. My parents won't tell me the details, but they're kinda stuck where they're at. A big company screwed them over on a contract, and there is no way for my parents to afford to fight it. But despite how tired they always were, they supported me in any way they could. They sacrificed so much for me. So I want to make a lot of money as a hero to help them out and give them an easy life." Said Uraraka sadly, but the conviction in her voice struck a chord in Izuku.
"I think that's really admirable, your parents are lucky to have you as a daughter." Complimented Izuku, making Uraraka blush with a small smile.
"Thanks, that means a lot. I've had a lot of people call me greedy in the past, so I'm happy you don't think so." Replied Uraraka, unable to look Izuku in the eyes.
"Most people don't understand what it's like to live in poverty. They don't know the struggle of just trying to survive." Said Izuku, his tone of voice making Uraraka forget her embarrassment. When she looked at him she could see the far off look in his eyes.
"I take it your foster home didn't have a lot of money either?" Asked Uraraka, the small flinch she caught from Izuku worrying her deeply.
"Let's just say I've had my share of troubles in the foster system." He said, his voice sounding hollow.
Despite her worry, Uraraka picked up on the hint that he didn't want to talk about it, so she dropped the subject. Wanting to cheer Izuku back up, Uraraka decided it was best to change topics. "So what do you plan to do before going to meet your mom for whatever she has in store for us?" She asked, trying to sound more bubbly.
Izuku gave Uraraka an appreciative smile, happy for the change of topic. "Well I'm going to make Mei, Kinoko, and myself some breakfast first. You want me to make you some while I'm at it?"
"Nononono, you don't have to do that. I don't want to impose." Frantically said Uraraka, her blush returning full force.
"It's no big deal, really. I like cooking for people I care about." Said Izuku, not knowing the connotation of his words.
Uraraka suddenly stopped moving as she processed what she just heard. Warmth spread through her like fire as she replayed his words on repeat. She liked the sound of that, and the idea of Izuku cooking for her. But an idea came to her that sounded so much better. "How about the two of us cook together? It'll be more fun that way." She asked nervously.
"Sure, sounds good. Let's decide what we're going to have." Replied Izuku, enjoying the sight of the broad smile Uraraka gave him.
As the two entered the kitchen, they were both smiling, feeling content as they discussed what to cook. It took some convincing from Izuku to have more than just a tiny portion. In the end it took him telling her how heroes burn more calories, and need more fuel. It wasn't until the food was almost ready for Mei and Kinoko to enter the kitchen. They smiled as they saw the two laughing together, and shared a look when they noticed how close together the two were and how Uraraka was dressed. So the two walked up to them, and while Kinoko wrapped Izuku in a hug from behind, Mei hugged Uraraka, surprising her. "You trying to seduce our boyfriend Uraraka?" Teasingly asked Mei, needing to suppress a laugh when she felt Uraraka go completely stiff.
With a quick side glance, Uraraka was relieved to see Izuku didn't appear to have heard Mei. But was horrified when she saw Kinoko giving her a teasing smile. "No, I swear. I wasn't doing anything like that." Said Uraraka, barely able to keep her voice under control in her panic. Only for her panic to turn into confusion when Mei started laughing.
"Don't worry, we're just messing with you. But I do think you should join Kinoko, Nejire, and I for a chat soon. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, just gotta iron everything out." Said Mei cryptically, amused by the confused glance Uraraka gave her. But without another word, Mei went over to Izuku, giving him a kiss on the cheek and they started discussing what was for breakfast.
By the time breakfast was served Camie had shown up, and quickly checked in on Izuku. After thanking her once again, he revealed to her that he made her breakfast as well, earning himself a hug from her. The five chatted as they ate, talking about what they'd do before they had to meet Izuku's mom. In the time while they ate Iida entered the kitchen looking like she was about to go on a run. When she spotted how close Mei and Kinoko were to Izuku, she looked ready to go on a tirade, but when she saw Izuku, she looked like she lost the wind in her sails. Staring at him for a couple seconds with an unidentifiable expression.
None of the five wanted to really interact with Iida after their previous encounters. It didn't take Iida long to down a large glass of orange juice before she quickly left. Izuku felt bad for not trying to be friendly with her as she is now a classmate, he just couldn't muster up the courage. What Izuku found strange though was Iida wasn't the first to react weird to Izuku. Most of the early risers gave him a look that screamed pity, something he really didn't want. It wasn't until Tsuyu came down and joined them for breakfast did he not receive that look.
"Good morning everyone. Did you all sleep well?" She asked nonchalantly.
Mei in her usual fashion blurted out her answer without thinking. "Yup! It helps when you have the best body pillow in the world." She exclaimed with a huge smile, vaguely gesturing towards Izuku. Suddenly everyone was looking at him again, though this time with surprise and blushes on their faces. Izuku's face turned crimson as he hid his face in his hands, thankful Iida and Ibarra weren't present.
"Oh ho ho? You're at that stage already? Do we have to worry about you guys going at it like rabbits?" Teased Ashido as she entered the kitchen, laughing as she could practically see the steam coming from Izuku.
Before Kinoko could say anything to try and ease Izuku's embarrassment, Mei spoke up again. "Hmmmm, the rooms are soundproofed, so you shouldn't have to worry too much." She answered, oblivious to the effect of her words.
The room went silent enough to hear a pin drop before a slam was heard as Izuku's face hit the table, quickly followed by Ashido busting a gut laughing. What was worse is he heard more laughter behind him from several sources.
"Wow girl, kudos to you for not being ashamed, but you might kill your man if you admit it so freely." Said Ashido as she tried getting her laughter under control.
Without even a change of expression despite her blush, Tsuyu tilted her head with a finger to her lip. "I know we haven't known each other long, but it's hard to see Aizawa acting in such a way."
As soon as Mei opened her mouth again, Kinoko quickly jumped out of her seat, her own face crimson, and slammed a hand over Mei's mouth harder than she intended. "Please, some things don't need to be openly talked about." She said desperately.
"No no, please continue. I'd love to hear all the juicy details." Said Setsuna with a glint in her eye as her head floated over while her body started cooking her own breakfast. If Izuku wasn't so embarrassed right now, he'd be nerding out over her quirk.
With a quick look at her boyfriend and girlfriend, Mei removed Kinoko's hand a little embarrassed. "Sorry, if they don't want to talk about it, my lips are sealed."
"Oh boo, just as we were getting to the good stuff." Pouted Setsuna before her head floated back over to her body.
Despite his embarrassment, Izuku managed to continue eating, trying to finish as soon as possible. His attention was drawn from his plate when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was about to reach up and hold it, thinking it was Kinoko, but stopped when he didn't see a hand that he knew he felt. It took him a second to remember one of his classmates was invisible. "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed. It's a natural thing for partners to do." Said Hagakure cheerily, hoping to bring the lone male in her class out of his shell a bit.
Except she underestimated his shyness, as he quickly shot up from his seat. "I'mgoingtogogetready." He quickly blurted out before speed walking out of the room, every set of eyes on him as he went.
"Sorry, I was trying to make him feel better." Said Hagakure regretfully.
"It's ok, we don't blame you. He's actually pretty outgoing when he gets comfortable around you. It's just going to take a while." Answered Mei, feeling bad for starting all this.
"Let me guess, because of his quirk?" Asked Shinso as she walked up with her own breakfast, sitting across from Mei.
"There's more to it than that, but his quirk is at the base of it all. So he's really slow to trust and open up. There are times he struggles trusting anyone, including us and his family, so please be gentle with him on his bad days." Answered Kinoko as she rubbed Mei's back comfortingly.
The others didn't really seem to understand exactly what was going on, but Shinso nodded her head in understanding. "I get it. People can be cruel to those with quirks others deem villainous." She said nonchalantly, but with an air of familiarity in her voice.
"You too huh?" Asked Tsuyu bluntly.
Shinso quietly nodded her head. "Everyday, people acted like I would brainwash them. Many wouldn't even look at me after learning about my quirk. Some even ran away when I was nearby. Thankfully I had a couple of decent teachers to prevent any outright bullying." Answered Shinso nonchalantly, but based on how hard she was gripping her chopsticks, it still ate at her.
"That's still pretty messed up. People really bully others just because of their quirk?" Asked Uraraka as she glanced at the staircase with a worried look.
"Quirk discrimination is the second highest reason for bullying, just behind quirkless discrimination." Answered Shinso on autopilot like it's something she's said a million times.
The atmosphere grew tense at the fact, a few a bit downtrodden as they've experienced the issue firsthand. No one said a word until they heard some loud popping coming from the microwave, and Yaoyarozu quickly backed away. Thankfully Kendo was nearby and acted quickly before a fire started, but the microwave was toast. Turns out Yaoyorozu put in metal, not knowing you weren't supposed to. The mood was kinda lifted as many were amused by the admittedly kind heiresses blunder. Thankfully Kendo volunteered to assist Yaoyorozu, and was inwardly horrified by how much she had to hold the girl's hand.
Time passed as everyone went back to chatting with each other. Several of them were a little saddened that they didn't get the chance to talk with Izuku for their own reasons. When Bakugo eventually came downstairs, already dressed in the UA tracksuit, the whole room went quiet. The scene she made the previous night is still running through their minds. Even before the dinner, no one really talked to her, anyone who tried was met with a lot of yelling and insults. At this point, most of them were hoping it was just the stress of the move, and not her everyday personality. Bakugo never even acknowledged anyone or mentioned the silence, she just went through the motions of making her own breakfast. Her constant glare was enough to keep people away, but some noticed the thoughtful look in her eye.
Mei and Kinoko had to resist glaring at Bakugo, after what happened they really didn't like the girl, but they understood it would only cause more problems if they tried anything. Well, Kinoko did. She actually had to stop Mei from decking the girl. Thankfully a quick reminder that she could do it during hero training without getting into trouble seemed to stop her. Shooting a quick text to Izuku, Kinoko suggested he stay upstairs for now. He doesn't need the added stress right now.
After a few minutes, the four girls announced they were gonna get ready as they headed to the rooms, stopping at Izuku's first. When they saw him, they found him writing in a notebook, one that Mei and Kinoko quickly recognized. They had to explain to Uraraka and Camie it was a hero analysis notebook, except this one he was dedicating to his classmates, all four of them included. While Mei and Kinoko started cuddling with Izuku, Uraraka and Camie looked at their own entries, stunned by what was written. Izuku was able to come up with tons of theories about their quirks. Some they already knew, some they hadn't even thought about, and even a couple that they thought seemed far-fetched, yet still intrigued them. There were even suggestions for support gear, probably something he did for/with Mei.
They got so lost talking about Izuku's entries of them, and how they wanted to experiment with his theories, they failed to notice the time until they were already starting to run late. Like a bolt of lightning they all quickly changed into their tracksuits and started running to the field.
By the time they got there, everyone else had already arrived. Shoka looked at her watch at their arrival seeing they barely made it on time. "Cutting it close aren't you?" She asked in her teaching voice.
"Sorry." Puffed out Izuku as he tried catching his breath. "We were talking about quirk ideas and lost track of time." He explained regretfully.
Shoka maintained a stern look, showing she wasn't going to go easy on them. "While I appreciate your drive, don't let it happen again. When you're a hero, you can't afford to be late." She lectured, a bit worried about how Izuku would react to her acting like this.
But Izuku and the girls knew not to expect special treatment as a student, so they all bowed down respectfully. "Yes sensei." They said simultaneously.
"Good." Said Shoka with a nod before surveying her students, happy to see all of them were ready to begin. "Now all of you must be wondering why you're here. To put it simply, we're here for a quirk assessment test. Bakugo, step forward." She announced, watching said girl carefully, ready to activate her quirk at a moment's notice. "What was your longest softball throw in high school?"
"83 meters." Answered Bakugou simply as she strutted up with her hands in her pockets.
"Here, step into the circle and throw this as far as you can but this time you're free to use your quirk." Said Shoka as she tossed a unique looking softball to Bakugou. The grin Bakugo had when she heard this honestly worried Shoka a bit. She was glad the others couldn't see it.
Stepping into the circle Bakugou gave the ball a couple experimental tosses before assuming a throwing stance. "I'm going to add a little heat to this." She said, readying a massive explosion.
"WAIT!" Yelled Izuku, causing Bakugo to stumble a bit.
"God damn it Deku! What the fuck is it!?" Yelled Bakugou angrily, immediately regretting it seeing how he recoiled. Her moms words kept floating in her head, and she was still unsure of how to handle them.
"S-sorry." Said Izuku, barely loud enough for them all to hear before he nervously went to Yaoyarozu. "Y-Yaoyorozu? Would it be too much to ask for earplugs for everyone? And maybe something to cover Jirou's jacks? I'm not sure if they make her ears more sensitive."
Momo looked at Izuku confused for a moment. "I can do that. That's almost nothing for me." She said as she held out her hand as Izuku cupped his underneath. Using her quirk she dropped dozens of earplugs into his hands, and a couple microphone covers for Jirou. "Why do we need earplugs?" Asked Yaoyorozu.
Before Izuku had a chance to say anything, Bakugo's patience neared its end. "Just hurry up and put them in damnit! I'm tired of waiting!" She screamed, earning her a warning glare from Shoka. With a eep, Izuku quickly started handing out earplugs to his very confused classmates, even running over to his mom to give her a pair.
But what shocked Bakugo was when he offered her a pair. "I'm not sure if your quirk fortified your hearing." He mumbled out quietly.
Bakugo glared down at the earplugs like they had insulted her. 'Does he really think I'm that weak!?' She internally yelled, ready to scream at him for the perceived insult. But when she looked at him she stalled. So she simply turned away from him. "I don't need those damn things. I ain't no weakling." She growled out.
"Sorry." Said Izuku quietly before running back to the group, putting in his own earplugs.
For some reason his response made Bakugo's chest feel heavy, but refused to let it delay her. "Finally, now let's do this." She said, taking her pitchers stance once again. "Now die!!!" She screamed as she threw the ball, using a massive explosion to propel it. The blast was big enough, those not ready for the shockwave almost got knocked over.
As everyone regained their bearings, they were all silently thanking Izuku and Yaoyorozu for the earplugs, for even with them it was still really loud. While many of the students stared in stunned silence, Shoka calmly watched the number rise on her phone. When it finally stopped she turned it around to show the class. "1,266 meters!?" Screamed most of the class.
"Dang dude, that's insane." Said Jirou.
"The government is still trying to act like we are all born equal, which is highly illogical. So today, we are going to go through eight tests to see the extent of your abilities using everything at your disposal." Explained Shoka.
"Heck yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Cheered Setsuna.
"Oh man, this is going to be so much fun!" Happily exclaimed Mina.
As soon as the words left the pinkettes lips, everyone felt the atmosphere grow tense. "So this looks fun huh?" Said Shoka, sending a chill down people's spines. "You have four years here to become a hero, you think it's going to all be games and playtime? Idiots. You will be competing in these eight tests to gauge your potential, and whoever comes in last will have none and will be expelled immediately." Said Shoka with a slightly sadistic smile, causing nearly everyone to panic.
"You can't do that! We haven't even had our first class yet!" Yelled Tsunitori.
"That's right! Even if we had, that still isn't fair, we just got here!" Said Uraraka, the panic clear in her voice.
Shoka opened her mouth to speak, but someone beat her to it. "The world isn't fair." Said Izuku flatly, gaining everyone's attention. "Natural disasters, villain attacks, catastrophic incidents, I don't think anyone would consider those fair. The job of a hero is to combat that unfairness. This is our first step to prove we can." Said Izuku, his voice becoming resolute, easing the panic of the others. While some were feeling trepidatious, they all felt driven to prove their worth.
Feeling proud of her son, Shoka decided to help further motivate her students. "If you want to become a pro, you have to push yourself to the brink. For the next four years, UA will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond, plus ultra style. Prove to me that it's no mistake that you're here." Said Shoka challengingly, loving the look of determination she saw on her students' faces. "Now then, we're just wasting time talking, let the games begin."
From there they started doing the ball throw one by one, Izuku and Mei both watched with stars in their eyes seeing how everyone would use their quirk for the test. The most impressive was Uraraka who used her quirk to float the ball into space, earning her an infinity. But when Yaoyorozu went up and made a cannon, Mei practically started drooling at the possibilities for future babies.
Eventually it was time for Izuku's turn, he already knew what to expect since he'd done this test a few times already. With the way his quirk worked it was necessary so they could get a better understanding of his output. "So how much attar should I use?" He asked plainly as his mom tossed him the ball.
"You told me a couple days ago you had over seventy thousand, so let's push it today with one thousand." Replied Shoka, mostly wanting to see what kind of power her son could wield.
"You sure? That's a lot." Asked Izuku nonchalantly, as he stretched out his arm.
Not being able to hear what the two were saying, Bakugo scoffed at the sight of how relaxed Izuku seemed to be. "What does that quirkless loser think he's going to accomplish? He'll end up dead last and be out of here." She sneered.
Everyone was confused by her words, remembering Izuku mentioned having a quirk to her. "Wow, you really don't listen to anything others say, do you?" Rhetorically asked Mei, watching her boyfriend with a smile, eager to see what he could do.
"And what the fuck does that mean bitch!?" She yelled at Mei. Only for her attention to immediately be drawn to Izuku as green sparks started to appear all over his body.
"Everyone might want to put their earplugs back in." Yelled out Shoka monotone as she put her own earplugs in. Hearing the warning everyone rushed to put theirs in.
Glancing to the class real quick, he smiled at his girlfriends and friends, seeing their excited faces. He was even amused by the gobsmacked look on Bakugo's face. As he readied his pitch, he pumped the attar to just his arm. He wasn't a professional pitcher by any means, but that didn't matter with how much power he had put behind the throw. As soon as the ball left his hand a massive sonic boom rang out, as a shockwave kicked up a huge dust cloud, even knocking over a few classmates despite the fact they embraced themselves for the possibility.
Nearly everyone stared at Izuku, their jaws practically on the floor and their eyes the size of dinner plates. They had all tried to see the ball fly, but the only thing they saw was what looked to be a giant hole punched through the clouds. They were absolutely floored when Shoka turned her phone around to show a glitchy infinity sign.
"Hell yeah! That's my Izu!" Yelled Mei excitedly.
"At that output, he might destroy any baby you make." Commented Kinoko with a large smile.
"Damn fam, did you know he could do that?" Asked Camie as she stared at Izuku who was currently rolling his shoulder, seemingly oblivious that his entire right sleeve and most of the torso of his tracksuit was now gone. Much to the delight of several girls.
"More or less. Never seen him use that much before, but since we haven't found a cap yet, we figured he'd be able to accomplish such power eventually." Responded Mei.
"WHAT!?" Screamed Most of the class towards Mei, startling her.
"What do you mean you haven't found a cap!? You're saying he can do more!?" Frantically asked Jirou.
Hearing the chatter going on, Shoka realized Izuku never explained his quirk to them. Her frustration grew with Bakugou when she noticed the girl using her quirk to propel herself towards Izuku. "Deku!! Tell me how you fucking did that!!" She screamed in rage.
Izuku raised his arms over his head to protect it, bracing for the pain he believed to come. But when he heard the explosions stop, and felt no heat he tentatively opened his eyes, seeing his mom had wrapped up Bakugou in her capture weapon with her quirk active. "Bakugo! I will not tolerate you needlessly attacking your classmates! One more stunt like that and I will expel you on the spot!" Shoka scolded as she flung Bakugo back to the class, knocking her on her ass. "Izuku, since you didn't get the chance last night, it might be best to explain your quirk now." Suggested Shoka still glaring at Bakugo.
"Yeah, I gotta admit I've been curious about it myself. After that showing I assumed it was super strength, but the way you're all talking, it sounds like it's more complicated than that." Added Kendo, sounding almost desperate for answers.
Taking the time to take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, Izuku braced himself for the potential fallout. "You're right, it's far more complicated. I actually have several abilities due to my quirk, Incubus." He started, his nerves getting more frazzled by the second. It didn't help when he saw Ibarra gasp and look ready to attack him herself. Thankfully a quirk enhanced glare from his mom prevented her from trying anything.
"Wait. Isn't an Incubus a sex demon?" Calmly asked Hagakure.
"Y-yeah. There's a… complicated story behind the name. But it does fit really well." He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously, as he stared at his feet. Everyone picked up on the unspoken message that he didn't want to talk about it. "My quirk is actually a resource quirk, aside from two abilities everything requires what I have named attar for simplicity. In actuality it's….. female pheromones." He explained rushing a bit. He felt so embarrassed he never looked up to notice most of his classmates were blushing, even Bakugou.
"H-how uncouth! A quirk like that is…." Started up Iida. Shoka was about to say something to stop her, but yet again, someone beat her to it.
"Not your place to judge." Calmly said Shinso, giving Iida a side glare. "We don't choose our quirks, and it's not up to you what quirk is suited where."
Hearing this Izuku managed to gain the courage to look up at his classmates. He was happy to see only a couple disgusted looks, from the two he fully expected it from. Despite that, he knew the worst revelation had yet to be revealed.
"So your saying you gain power through fucking?" Asked Tsuyu bluntly, making everyone's blush, including her own, intensify.
"N-not entirely. I just need skin contact of any kind with female's. Though from what I've been able to gather, mutual romantic desire needs to be had between us. So I can't gain attar from people like my mom, or from any of you since we don't desire each other." Answered Izuku, his mind all over the place as he tries to finish this quickly.
'For now.' Mentally said Mei and Kinoko as they gave Uraraka side glances that said girl missed.
"From what you've been able to gather? Sounds like you don't know much about your quirk." Said Reiko confused.
"Well that does make sense. With a requirement like that, I imagine he's only been able to experiment with his quirk in recent years." Responded Yaoyorozu as she tried to calm her own embarrassment. After thinking about what she said, the others realized it made sense.
"It's true, I don't know everything about my quirk. I've only been able to use that part of my quirk for about a year and a half now. Though I do have two abilities that don't require any attar." Started Izuku, his nervousness becoming more and more obvious to everyone else. "The first is called flawless complexion. When active it essentially makes my skin look perfect. It hides things like pimples, hives, even bruises and small cuts, as well as my scars." He said, hoping nobody would ask him if he currently had it active.
"Man! That's no fair! I have to work really hard to keep my skin smooth and clear." Playfully whined Mina, getting a few agreements from the class.
"The other one is….is…." Said Izuku as his nerves started getting the better of him, worrying most of the classmates. Shoka desperately wanted to comfort her son, but she knew he needed this.
"Hey, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Said Shinso trying to give him an out. Her heart went out to him, remembering a time she didn't even want to talk about her quirk.
"N-no. You all d-deserve an explanation." He said, unknowingly worrying everyone about what they were about to hear. "Th-the other ability is c-called gaze of lust. When a-activated while maintaining direct eye c-contact with anyone, it makes the t-target have overwhelming d-desire for me." He said, his eyes shut tight, not wanting to see the disgust or fear on anyone's face.
Those that already knew about Izuku's quirk watched the others for their reactions, and what they saw brought them a lot of relief. Most seemed confused for a bit, looking thoughtful before it seemed to don on them. Some looked at him with pity in their eyes. But one looked at Izuku with horror, which deeply worried them. When that one person started walking forward, Shoka readied having to drag her off him if need be. She held herself back from acting prematurely when they stopped right in front of him. Only to be relieved when she hugged him.
Izuku stiffend from the contact, having not expected it. "I can't imagine how terrifying your quirk manifestation was." He heard Shinso speak. When the words left her mouth, most of the students looked confused, not understanding what she was talking about. But one by one they put the pieces together, several gasped from the realization, while tears started to prick many of their eyes.
Hearing Shinso's words brought Izuku a strange sense of comfort. He's grown so used to everyone hating him for his quirk, that even now, even with all the support he's received, having someone new accepting him moved him deeply. Even if part of that acceptance comes from understanding the trauma he went through. Hugging Shinso back as tears fell from his eyes, he barely held himself together. "Thank you." He whispered quietly. They maintained the hug for a few seconds before Izuku decided to separate, not wanting to dwell on his past much longer. He'd already done that enough these past couple days. "I really appreciate the comfort, but I think we should get back to the tests." He said as he used the palm of his hands to wipe his tears, with a sad, tired smile.
Understanding his position Shinso nodded her head, giving a small friendly smile. "Of course. But if anyone tries to give you hell, let me know, I'll deal with them. Those of us with villainous quirks should stick together." She said, trying to be a bit funny, pleased when she got a small chuckle.
"Your quirk isn't villainous. I'd say it's a perfect quirk for a hero." Responded Izuku, happy, yet sad he found someone who could really understand some of what he's been through. He just hoped her life was much better than his.
Those words made Shinso feel so light, they were words she desired to hear for so many years. And now, here she was standing in front of the person who helped her get into the hero course, something she thought she'd have to desperately claw and fight for. She was elated to find she ended up in the same class as him, expecting to find he didn't have a combat oriented quirk, but found he faced the same ridicule. For years she had been friendless, and believed UA would be no different, she was ready to be cold and icy like she had been in high school. But now things might be different, since she found someone who might be her friend. And based on the people he hangs with, maybe a group of friends. "Thanks, and if you ask me, your quirk is pretty heroic too. And with that kind of power, you could become a force to be reckoned with." She said as the two walked back to the group.
When the two rejoined, Izuku was immediately bombarded with many words of encouragement from his classmates. So Mei and Kinoko took the opportunity to give Shinso their own hug. "Thank you, we really appreciate what you just did." Whispered Kinoko.
"And the same goes for you. If anyone tries messing with you, call us. We got your back." Added Mei.
The smile on Shinso's face grew as tears pricked her eyes that she barely kept from falling. "Thank you." Was all she managed to get out.
Shoka watched the scene with a smile she kept hidden behind her scarf. Her logical side was telling her to move this along, but her heart knew that a hero does more than just save people physically. Her son was a testament to that. It wasn't until she noticed things calmed down did she decide to get things moving again. "Ok everyone, while I understand things have gotten emotional, we need to get back to the tests." She spoke, sounding sympathetic but stern. "Oh and Izuku, there are spare track uniforms over there, please go change." She said pointing to a bin near the building wall.
Izuku was momentarily confused as he looked down at himself. Now that he wasn't freaking out internally, he finally processed his state of dress. "S-SORRY!" he yelled embarrassed, his face burning red as he ran to the bin, getting giggles from the class.
As the tests progressed many of the students who haven't had the chance to talk to Izuku did what they could to socialize with him. The number one question that everyone wanted to know was why he spoke up during the entrance exam when his quirk suited the test. He earned a lot of good grace when he told them that he was thinking about his mom and Mei, and how they were/would be amazing heroes. So he didn't think the exam was fair for those with quirks like theirs. He discovered that several of his classmates had gotten in thanks to that.
Izuku had also gone on to explain that he'd taken these tests before to determine his output at certain attar amounts. But the highest he had done before was 100, so he wasn't sure how well he'd perform using ten times as much. The word manly was thrown around a lot by Kirishima in regards to Izuku's results, the most enthusiastic one being when he accidentally cracked the grip tester. They were designed with strength quirks in mind, but everything has a breaking point, and Izuku's quirk reached it. When it was his turn for the long jump he was excused, and was instead made to fly as far as he could on the same attar limitation. He could have made it off school property before reaching the limit if it wasn't for the fact he can't use his quirk off school property.
Izuku had to get creative for the 50m dash as there was no way he'd be able to stop in time if used his limit all in one burst. Instead he used his quirk to slow down his perception of time and used his wings to stop himself. Problem was he still overshot it by almost 100m, passing the finish line in half a second. His mom told him that he needed to put in some training to learn better control at such speeds.
When it was time for the side to side jumps, Izuku spent the entire time keeping his eyes closed and covered. It didn't take a genius to understand why after the first group got started. Some of the girls teased him lightheartedly after their revelations.
When the seated toe touch came around, Izuku had expected to be the worst seeing that all the women in his life were much more flexible than him. So when he saw Shinso struggle, he started worrying for her as he knew his mom wouldn't hesitate to drop her. It was made worse when he saw she even had difficulty during the sit-up test.
The final test was the distance run. Since this one was the hardest to restrict attar wise, Izuku was told to do it quirkless. Not that it bothered him any, he's ran nearly everyday for the last several months. While he didn't have the most endurance, he placed respectively in the middle. What worried him though was Shinso was the first to drop out.
When the tests were finally over, Shinso was practically sweating bullets, looking frustrated. Unconsciously she stood near Izuku, finding a small amount of comfort. Knowing what was about to happen next, she steeled her resolve, ready to fight for her way back into the hero course.
"Alright everyone, gather around, it's time to show how you were placed." Said Shoka casually as she pulled out a projector revealing their performance. And to no one's surprise, Shinso ended up at the bottom. The purple haired girl felt crushed, despite already knowing the outcome. "Oh and I lied, no one is getting expelled." She said nonchalantly. "That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all during the test." She continued with a big toothy smile.
"WHAT!?" Screamed most of the class. Shinso stared at their teacher in disbelief, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"I'm surprised you guys didn't figure that out. I'm sorry, I guess I should have said something." Said Yaoyarozu, not knowing how egotistical she was sounding.
'Ya think?' Thought most of the class exasperated.
Izuku stared at his mother, feeling like something wasn't right. It was strange, that sort of ruse didn't make sense for his mom. He's been told countless times how ruthless of a teacher she could be, so this felt too simple. "Why are you lying sensei? You fully planned to expel someone, so where is the logic in hiding that fact?" Asked Izuku challengingly.
"Izuku? What do you mean?" Asked Ochako curiously.
Izuku didn't say a word, just continued to stare down his mom, demanding answers. After a few seconds Shoka let out a single chuckle. "I guess you're right." She said before turning a stern gaze to Shinso. "Do you know why you placed last?"
Under the gaze of her sensei, Shinso's rage boiled. "Because none of these tests were suited to my quirk! It's just the entrance exam all over again!" She yelled, her tears of frustration pouring out.
"And that attitude is the exact reason why you failed!" Yelled back Shoka, stunning Shinso. "Tell me, do you think Mei's, Utsushimi's, or Hagakure's quirks helped them? How about Intelli's? Even Kinoko and Kodai couldn't do much. While I can see where they need to improve, it's obvious you did nothing but sit around and believe your quirk was all you needed. It's heroes with that mentality that don't even last a year in the hero world. Quirks are powerful tools, but it shouldn't be your only tool."
Fury and confusion raged inside of Shinso, understanding the value of her teacher's word, yet one question still remained. "If you think I'm so pathetic, then why did you accept me into the hero course?"
"Because I see your potential." Shoka answered firmly, seeing the fire shift in Shinso's eyes. "Teachers are allowed to pick their own students, the tests are merely to show off how capable you all are. Even the top scorers can be rejected. So I believe with the right amount of elbow grease, you can all be outstanding heroes, but it's up to you to reach your full potential." Declared Shoka, addressing the whole class towards the end, seeing resolve in many of her students' eyes. "Now you're all free to go. Your first hero class is in three days, I recommend you all reflect on your performances today, and figure out how to do better." She said starting to walk away.
"Yes sensei!" Said many of the class, while Todoroki and Bakugo simply left, surprising no one. After a couple seconds the tension fell from their bodies, several of them dropping on their butts in exhaustion. Just not from the test themselves.
"Damn dude. She trained you like this?" Said Setsuna vaguely in Izuku's direction.
"Kinda. She was stern, but never pulled stuff like that. Though she was training me for hero school, not the hero world. Aside from that, if what she did with me was any indication, this will be the easiest thing she'll put us through." Answered Izuku casually as he started stretching to cool down, his relief that Shinso was staying overshadowed his anxiety.
"No kidding!" Mei laughed. "Four hour long sparring sessions were pretty common for my training."
Hearing that most of the students nearly did spit takes. "Four hours!? Even at the dojo they were never longer than twenty minutes at a time! Four hours is just insane, how could you keep fighting after so long?" Said Itsuka horrified.
"Yeah, it was rough, but like she's told me many times. Villains don't care if you're tired. If you don't learn to fight through your exhaustion, even a petty criminal could take you out." Said Mei with a nonchalant shrug. "And I wouldn't recommend complaining. According to Nejire, a current third year, even that is easy compared to what she went through her second year. I can only imagine how tough our third and fourth years will be."
Several girls audibly gulped hearing that, questioning what kind of hell they got themselves into. Though one person's mind was still reeling from what had just occurred. "Classes haven't even started yet, and I've already come close to being expelled." Mumbled Shinso dejected, replaying Shoka's words over and over again.
Seeing the girl look so glum, Izuku wanted to return the favor. "Shinso, tell me, how much do you want to be a hero?" Asked Izuku, his voice calm despite his growing anxiety.
"It's all I've ever wanted to be! But I've already screwed up so badly! I'm so far behind, how will I ever catch up?" Asked Shinso, pleadingly. Despite her fear of getting expelled soon, the fire in her eyes told Izuku she was willing to fight for her dream.
Izuku gave Shinso a smile that soothed her worried mind. "Then let's go hit the gym, I'll teach you what my mom taught me. We can't use any of the advanced gyms, but the basic ones are free to use since we're officially students here." He kindly offered.
"Training right after a test? That's so manly!! Do you mind if I come with?" Enthusiastically asked Kirishima, her choice of phrasing confusing all but Ashido.
"That sounds like an awesome idea! We can all train together and help each other out!" Added Hagakure with just as much energy.
"Sensei did suggest we reflect on where we could improve, so I think I'll go train as well." Said Intelli in a posh tone, before she simply started walking.
Quickly, the rest of the class voiced their desire to go as well, surprising Izuku, unused to seeing so many driven individuals before. While he wasn't used to being around so many people while training, a part of him was excited. "Y-yeah okay, that sounds great." He said nervously.
As the plan was solidified, a mischievous idea came to Mei. Quickly whispering in Kinoko's ear her plan, the two shared devious smirks. "Since we're not in danger of ruining our clothes, we're gonna go and change into something more comfortable." Declared Mei as her and Kinoko casually grabbed Uraraka by the arms and started dragging her with them.
"Wait! What's going on?" Protested Uraraka, but not fighting to break their hold.
"Oh don't worry, we just wanted your help with something real quick." Said Kinoko, loud enough for everyone to hear before lowering her voice so only Mei and Uraraka heard her. "Besides, these tracksuits won't draw a certain someone's attention."
That statement confused Uraraka, unsure of what she was referring to. When she looked back at the group and her eyes landed on Izuku who was watching them perplexed, it dawned on her. Rapidly turning back around as her face went scarlet, she internally freaked out.
"Y-yeah, that's true. But I still don't see why you would need me." She whispered. Her anxiety spiking when Mei and Kinoko both have her shit-eating grins.
"Girl, you know you're not very good at hiding your feelings right?" Rhetorically asked Kinoko.
"Wh-wh-what!? I don't know what y-you're talking about." Said Uraraka frantically.
"Sure you don't. Just know we aren't opposed to more girls joining the relationship, as long as they don't try monopolizing Izu." Replied Mei in a more friendly tone.
Uraraka's brain stalled hearing that, only rebooting enough for her imagination to run wild. Imagines of her and Izuku kissing, holding hands, and going on dates raced through her mind.
Mei and Kinoko watched amused as Uraraka's blush kept darkening. They quietly waited for Uraraka to regain her faculties, curious about how she would respond.
"S-so you both knew?" Asked Uraraka Pensively.
"Oh yeah, you're not exactly subtle about it, and this morning confirmed it." Teased Mei.
"W-wait! So does th-that m-m-mean Izuku knows?" Asked Uraraka hysterically.
"That's… honestly a hard question to answer." replied Kinoko hesitantly, earning her a confused yet still scared look from Uraraka. "From what we've seen, we don't think he's dense or fails to notice the signs. We guess that due to his trauma revolving around his quirk that he doesn't believe anyone's interested in him unless they outright tell him. Even after we confessed to him, he had a hard time believing it. It took us a couple weeks to reassure him our feelings were true."
Uraraka was saddened when she heard that. To think anyone could feel like they were unlovable was already heart rending. The fact that she knew and cared for said person made it so much worse. Even so, there was still a problem. "I'm just not sure these feelings are true. While I admit I feel something, I just don't know exactly what it is myself." She said dejectedly.
The two looked at Uraraka with sympathy, remembering when they felt the same. "Yeah, I can understand that." Replied Mei as she interlocked her hands behind her head. " I first developed feelings for Izuku barely after we met. He stepped in to protect me from three guys trying to rape me. I was thankfully saved, but there is a long story involved. Even if he wasn't the one to defeat them, he bought enough time for a hero to save us, so I still saw him as a hero. My mom gave me advice to wait and make sure it wasn't just hero worship. Her advice ran through my head time and again for months, and every interaction I had with him I questioned my feelings."
"So how did you discover your feelings were real?" Asked Uraraka, almost desperately. While she was horrified to hear what Mei went through, the way Mei talked about it so casually told her talking about it was unnecessary.
Mei shook her head at the question. "It actually was hero worship at the start. I idolized Izuku, awed by his courage, smarts, and kind heart. Then one day I called to see if I could come over to his place, and he wasn't answering. His mom called me after a few minutes and told me he was having one of his really bad days. I even heard him crying over the phone. I knew Izuku didn't have a good life before we met, but I don't think I truly understood until that moment. I took that day to think, to fully realize just how much pain and suffering he'd gone through, and the damage it caused. That realization made me admire him even more. To go through so much, but still hold his desire to help people was inspiring. From what I could piece together about his past, there's no doubt almost anyone else would have turned their backs on the world if they went through the same thing. And I barely know a sliver of what he's been through. But it also showed me that he needed a hero as well, that he needed far more than I could give. Only I wasn't going to give up. I supported him, helped him however I could, even asking his family for advice many times. Over time I stopped idolizing him and saw him as more than the person who risked their life to protect me. But as the caring supportive man he is, who needed someone to care about him and support him as more than just a hero, but as a person. I loved him from day one, that has always been true, but that change in perspective changed that love. Early on it felt exciting, like when I start a new baby, but it wasn't the love you have for a romantic interest. As it changed it also started feeling warm and comforting, like no matter how bad things get, it will be alright in the end." Reminisced Mei, her feelings shining through with a loving smile, before turning and giving Uraraka a serious look. "I obviously can't tell you if your feelings are true or not, your feelings are your own. Just don't be afraid to explore them."
Uraraka listened intently to every word, drawn in by her obvious affection for Izuku. And if she was being honest, Mei's words resonated with her. Something in her story felt familiar, she just couldn't put her finger on which part. There was just one question that ran through her mind. "How would I even go about exploring my feelings? I've never even had a boyfriend before, so I don't even know how I should feel." She asked, a little dejected.
"No idea." Responded Mei casually.
"We can't figure any of this stuff out for you, partially because Izuku is our first boyfriend as well. So the only experience we have is with Izuku, and even then, we both fell for him in different ways. I'd recommend just doing what feels right. In the end, whether you decide to pursue a romantic relationship, or just stay friends, that's for you to decide and figure out. Best we can do is give advice based on our own experiences." Continued Kinoko, hoping to help. She remembered when she had to figure her own feelings out, and how difficult it was.
The conversation took a dip as Uraraka thought through their conversation, already hating just how complicated her feelings were. But they were right, she just had to take the time to figure it out. In the meantime she won't change a thing.
Well maybe one thing, and if her suspicions were correct about what Mei and Kinoko were dragging her to do, that change will happen soon. Hopefully she could find the appropriate clothes.
(A/N) For a time between recent chapters I was having issues with writers block. One of my methods to help with that is to write in a different story to get my gears going. Problem was, I'm still suffering a bit from writers block for Regression. So instead I started another story I've had in mind for a long while. So the question I ask is should I start posting it at the risk of slowing down updates for this story and Regression? Or should I just keep it on the back burner for now, and keep whatever attention I can on the stories already out?