The Original work was written by Op Taipan.


BOOK ONE:

EARTH

CHAPTER FOUR:

COUPLED BY EARTH


"I know! I think I'll call you … Chima!"

The smile on Izuku's face only became wider with pride after naming the creature before him. "So… what do you think?" The boy asked the animal, seeking his approval.

The animal, or Chima as he was now called, had a confused expression on his face.

'I guess he doesn't know what a name is…' the boy realized.

Seeing the unresponsiveness of the animal before him, Izuku walks up to him and begins to speak "It's the name I picked for you. Everybody has a name!" the boy exclaims in excitement and points at himself "I have one too! I'm Izuku! I-Z-U-K-U!" then he put his hand on the animal's forehead and spoke again "And now you have a name too! You're Chima! C-H-I-M-A! You like it?"

The animal listened to the boy's words while humming in understanding as the child rubbed his hand gently through his fur. Closing his blank eyes, Chima melted into the warm hand petting him and started to purr in affection, excepting his name.

"So Chima it is!" Izuku announced happily, proud of the name he came up for his new friend.

The two would have continued with their moment if a disturbance did not make itself known in an uproarious chorus.

*Growl*

*Growl*

The Growling of the boy's and Badgermole's stomachs echoed in the clearing the two shared, causing the former to lose his smile while the other seemed indifferent.

"I'm hungry, Chima" He whined in a low voice as the animal sniffed the air in search of food, stomach growling in hunger again.

Izuku adorably puffed his cheeks "You already ate my granola bars so you don't have an excuse, Chima." he pouted at the animal which was currently ignoring him.

Chima's stopped mid-sniff as he picked on a scent that was familiar to him. Confirming the existence of his target, the cub started walking towards the edge of the clearing with Izuku looking at him from behind Quizzically.

"Where are you going?" The child asked. All he got in response from the animal was a head-twitch which gestured for him to follow.

And so the two walked away from the clearing, entering the overgrown forest once again.

Walking through the woods alongside Chima, Izuku looked around the place they were traversing, taking in the details of this new environment in the process.

The trees were large and condensed in the thick forest, the orange light of the setting sun barely passing through. The ground beneath him was forsaken by the feet of man, uneven and filled with overgrowth that reached his waist and brushed softly against bare calves and shorts.

The scene around him made Izuku finally realize something that he had neglected to think about up until now. This revelation danced around the boy's head for a while. Causing his heart to plummet and a sense of unease to wash over him.

'I don't know how to go back' he thought sadly while skipping over an exposed root 'It's been a while... we were supposed to be at home by now… 'tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes as a depressing thought crossed his mind 'Mom must be so worried… and what about the others? What have Kacchan and the senseis did after I left? … No one came looking for me. They really don't care… Just because they think I'm quirkless?'

As the word crossed the Greenette's mind he breathed in relief and rubbed his watering eyes 'But I do have a quirk…' A smile slowly formed on Izuku's face as he looked at his companion whose head was submerged underneath the shrubbery 'And Chima cares…'

Soon the trickling of flowing water had joined the sound of walking feet as the two emerged from the shrubbery into a small and shallow stream.

Finally noticing how thirsty he was, Izuku ran down to it and was soon followed by Chima. Having reached the small stream, Izuku knelt before the trickle and cupped water between his hands. Putting his hands in front of his mouth the boy began drinking the cool water with relief evident on his face.

'This feels so good…' the boy thought in satisfaction as his dry throat was filled with the water.

Chima, however, was much cruder in his drinking. The Badgermole, lacking hands, simply dumped his mouth into the steam and cupped water into his mouth with his tongue, an action which enticed a giggle out of the four-year-old.

Having quenched his thirst, Izuku wiped his mouth and turned to look at his still drinking friend 'He sure does drink a lot, and in a funny way too…' he thought in amusement as Chima didn't show any signs of stopping himself.

Deciding to look around to pass the time, Izuku took in the scene of the trickle and its surroundings.

Much like in the clearing that the two occupied about an hour ago, the tree line shadowed the remainder of the forest. Creating the illusion of seclusion from the rest of the world. Small plants dotted the riverside, mostly weeds or the occasional bush, but a few honeysuckles where placed in various locations across the place.

And one such honeysuckle behind Chima had caught the boy's attention.

The 2 meters' tall shrub sported large, oval, greyish-green leaves with a waxy texture, supported by branches that all emerged from the central stem like a fountain.

That, however, didn't matter to the boy. What mattered most were the rectangle-looking blue berries* that grew all across it. From the top to the bottom, the honeysuckle was decorated with many berries right there for the taking. Some were eaten before, be it birds or something else, Izuku didn't know. Nevertheless, a substantial number was still intact, ripe for the taking.

*Growl*

Izuku clutched his rumbling stomach with his hand. Watching the juicy-looking berries on the honeysuckle caused spit to build up in his mouth. He wanted to eat. And he wanted to eat now.

But… something stopped him. Like any parent should do, Inko had warned Izuku about eating wild plants. So, as much as Izuku wanted to forget her words and dig in, he knew he shouldn't.

Chima, on the other hand, didn't have any qualms about walking up to the shrub and picking a low berry between his teeth after he had quenched his thirst. Berry in his mouth, the Badgermole began chewing in delight. Much to the alarm of Izuku.

"Chima!" he yelled as he ran up to the cub in worry, "You shouldn't eat this. It might be pois…- "the boy's face scrunched in concentration "…poisanu- it might make you sick!" The boy warned, failing to pronounce the complicated word.

The animal, however, didn't seem concerned. All it did in response was pick another berry to eat, moaning in delight as its juices filled his mouth. Tempting Izuku to try in the process.

Izuku hesitated 'Mom said not to eat wild plants, but … Chima is doing it and he seems fine… and I'm really hungry…' the boy contemplated as Chima went to eat another berry, enticing another grumble from Izuku's stomach.

'I'm sure Chima knows what he's doing…' Izuku tried to assure himself as he walked forward, having been tempted by the Badgermole's delight. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to try…'

Izuku hesitantly picked a berry from the shrub and held it for a moment. Getting the fruit near his mouth with shaking hands, the boy opened his mouth slightly and timidly bit a bit into the berry.

Once the taste registered on his tongue, Izuku's eye's shot wide open as a bright smile stretched across his face.

'So sweet!' he mentally squealed, quickly biting into the berry again and indulging himself.


Naomasa Tsukachi scrambled through his pockets in search of a flashlight. Due to the receding light that came with nighttime a new light source was needed and luckily for them, they came prepared.

Finding his target, the detective pulls the flashlight out and turn it on instantly. He didn't realize how low the visibility was until he did so, though. As when he did, every surface that wasn't illuminated was plunged into darkness.

They were far away from any place that showed signs of human presence. The lights of the town below the mountain were easily masked by the trees above them and the uneven land caused the less cautious of them to stumble.

The fact that they needed to search vigilantly to find their target in the darkness didn't help either.

"Seriously, how far could this kid go?!" one of his fellow offices whined. They have been searching for hours… no kid could have gone this far…

Tsukachi frowned. This officer visibly took this assignment way too lightly. 'How can he act like this?!' he mentally screamed in frustration 'There is life on the line here…'

"Quiet Dokeshi!" the man in charge, the sleep deprive detective, barked before signing "What are they teaching in the academy these days? In my day, they taught us to understand the importance of the mission!"

While the old detective continued to lecture his subordinates about the 'good old' days', an already routine occurrence, Tsukachi hummed in agreement to his first exclaim.

'He's right…' he sighed 'Ever since All Might came and the support for heroes reached an all-time high, the police has seemingly lost its importance… these days most of the guys coming in are goof-balls hoping to make an easy living while watching heroes from the sidelines…'

While contemplating the state of affairs at the moment, the young officer's eyes landed on the sight of Inko Midoriya. The woman had been walking in the lead ever since they have found that food wrap, and currently a worried expression was etched on her face. One that had gone and worsened as the time passed without finding her son.

Looking at the woman's face, seeing the sadness and agony that washed through her in waves as she absently played with her thumbs, Tsukachi's expression steeled.

'But this doesn't mean we aren't needed…' he thought with a sense of pride '…there are things that we do that heroes can't; we lead investigations; we provide support; we serve the law as much as heroes do;' Tsukachi gazed into the darkened tree line that currently housed their target 'And now… the only ones that can save this child are us! No heroes are here to help search for one missing kid, but we are!'

Filled anew with determination, the officer planted his foot firmly as he walked forward. Now side by side with the child's mother, Tsukashi points his flashlight into the darkened woods, helping her see into the forest before them.

'That child's safety has been entrusted to us. I will not let it go to waste!'

"Let's pick up the pace everyone!" he yelled to encourage his co-workers "We don't know how far he is, the faster we'll go the less of a chance we'll lose him!"

The older detective stopped his speech to eye his subordinate, a dumbfounded expression on his face "Well, I like your enthusiasm officer!" he bellowed with a dry laugh "Though I'm still the one calling the shots" he looked at Tsukachi in the eye, daring him to say otherwise.

"Y-yes, sir!" Tsukachi stuttered "I just got worked-up a bit"

"Doesn't change the fact you're right." his boss responded "let's pick up the pace slackers! We're losing moonlight here!"

With a few groans from an unnamed officer *cough* Dokeshi *cough* the squad had picked up their pace and begun walking forward faster.

Turning back to look forward, Tsukachi was stopped from doing so by looking at Inko. The mother had a small smile on her face as she said "Thank you" in gratitude.

"Oh, no need to thank me" Tsukachi averted his gaze as he tried to humbly dismiss the matter "I'm just doing my job to find him as an officer…" he rubbed the back of his neck before eyeing her again.

"Kind of like how you are doing as his mother; I guess…" he shrugged.

In return, however, the woman beside him slumped her head, a small frown became visible on her face.

"Doing my job as his mother…" she muttered in a whisper. 'Can I really say that?' she asked herself in her mind before announcing the answer out loud.

"N-no" she spoke in a low tone, heard only by Tsukachi.

"No? What do you mean by that?" he asked, having no idea what she meant.

"I-I" *breath* "I failed as his mother…" Inko managed to utter.

"Don't say that!" Tsukachi retorted, alarmed "He may be missing, but it had nothing to do with you and you're even…"

"No!" she yelled getting the other's attention in the process; stopping the entire search party "I have failed him… a mother should always support her son! No matter when or how… but when he needed it most I-I" tears flowed freely from the matriarch's eyes as her past failures flashed through her mind.

Izuku swiveled with his chair to face his mother, by doing so Inko saw his tear-filled-face and broken look. As the Midoriya matriarch tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat, tears already building up, her son uttered one sentence which broke her dam.

"C-can I be a cool hero like him? E-even if I don't have a q-quirk?"

At this Inko broke. Waterworks at full power, she ran into her crying son and hugged him with all the strength her muscles allowed, sobbing herself as well. A burning sensation welled up in her eyes as she cried and cried….

"I'M SORRY IZUKU.I'M SO SORRY"

^ "I think you were imagining it Izuku," she said softly, trying to soften the blow she knew her words would land.

Izuku looked up at Inko with a devastated look "B-but it worked in the forest. I-I don't get it. It should work". Inko, struggling to keep her composure, hugs her son saying softly "Sometimes we see things that didn't happen, maybe it was like it for you now…".

"I failed him, I didn't give him what he needed and he suffered because of it… "Inko's voice became more strained as she spoke, her crying intensifying with time "WHAT KIND OF MOTHER AM I?!" she yelled in grief, hands grasping her shirt tightly and teeth clenched in an attempt to stop her whimpers.

Tsukachi stared at her shocked. What he was supposed to say to that? The woman was clearly distraught but he couldn't think of anything to say to help her…

"You haven't failed, yet "the voice of the detective broke through the silence of the squad, causing all those who were present to look at him.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked through choked sobs "I have failed him, he even ran away and he is lost, how could you say I haven't failed?"

What followed was a moment none of the officers present would ever forget, the old detective actually opened up to someone. "You haven't failed, you made a mistake."

Inko looked confused and so, he elaborated "When a parent fails that means that's the end of the line, that there is no more hope for the child and it's the parents' fault for doing so…" The detective looked at the sky wistfully as he spoke, recalling old memories from the past "When you make a mistake, it is only temporary and it can be fixed. It's something we all do at some point in our lives, we are humans after all."

The detective looked at Inko in the eye daring her to question him "You haven't failed yet, Inko. Your son is still out there and he can be saved, your mistake can still be fixed. *sigh* All I ask is that when you find him, don-… don't do what I did. Don't repeat your mistake."

The officers were dumbfounded. Never and they mean ever have they heard the detective use words of wisdom like these, much less in that tone. In all honesty, the old detective was a mystery to all of them. Heck! Technically they shouldn't even address him as a detective!

Officially speaking the man was a sergeant**. Yet, he refused to be addressed by the title by ANY of his subordinates. Even back when he was a senior police officer*** he refused the be addressed to by the honorary title, always saying that he was unworthy to be called that.

In the end, only his higher-ups addressed him by his title, everyone else called him either 'boss' or 'detective' because of it. A weird dynamic if you asked Tsukachi but it was his boss' choice on what to be called.

It was the first thing that Tsukachi learned on his first day on the force. The moment he entered the building he was pulled away by the old man and was given a lecture.

If that wasn't enough to understand his character somehow than his next interaction with the man certainly was.

He was a rather cold man. He made no small-talk while on break and only got out of the office for lunch before coming right back in. At the end of the day, he was the last to leave and the first to arrive in the morning, leaving no room for anyone to get involved in his private life.

He was strict, harsh, had no qualms about breaking social formalities and if he wasn't his boss, Dokeshi would have certainly called him an asshole by now…

…Something that he actually did once when he thought he wasn't around…

…What transpired next would be forever remembered as their precinct's darkest hour...

So yes. The boss-man's decision to suddenly become a parenting guru was certainly a surprise for the entire squad. As far as any of them knew, he didn't even have a family.

It was on that night they have gained a new sense of respect for their old-geezer-of-a-boss. And a new curiosity to learn about their boss' past. But that's a mystery that is meant to remain unsolved.

"Now let's go, we got a kid to find" the old man concluded his speech and began walking forward again, resuming the search.

Not long after, the determined voices of Inko and the other officer (even Dokeshi who was moved to tears) roared out in a chorus:

"Right!"


Naomasa Tsukachi

Quirk: Human Lie Detector

Description: This Quirk allows Naomasa to determine if a person is telling the truth by being in their vicinity.

Appearance: Naomasa is a tall man with short, black hair and somewhat-rectangular black eyes.

Affiliation: Police Force.

Age: 25.

Birthday: 4/4

Height: 180 cm.

Blood Type: A.

Favorite food: Doughnuts (Sue me).

Favorite thing: Baseball.


"Oh! That was good!" Izuku proclaimed happily after stuffing himself with a handful of berries, face smeared with berry-juice. Besides him, Chima was still munching on the food they found, showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

After cleaning himself with the stream water from, Izuku stretched and sat next to his still-eating friend.

"How much can you eat, Chima? Don't you think it's a bit much?" he asked the cub in amazement as he munched on his twenty-ish berry.

The Badgermole, however, was to engrossed in his food to respond, ignoring the boy's question in the process.

Signing, Izuku laid his back on the ground and watched the night sky above him. 'Wow…' he thought in wonder 'The sky is so pretty…'.

Above him, dozens of stars sparkled in the night sky. While admittedly, it was not a lot compared to other parts of the world; for Izuku - who grew up in a city all of his life with starless skies - it was breathtaking. 'why isn't there anything like this back home?' he asked 'Everyone need to see this…' the boy thought while getting lost in the stars' mesmerizing beauty, stretching his hand out in a futile attempt to touch them.

*Burp*

A strange sound had broken Izuku out of his trance and caused the boy to exclaim a silent "Huh?". Looking at the source of the sound, Izuku found Chima laying on the ground after stuffing himself, berry juice smeared across his face in the same manner it was smeared on Izuku's.

At the sight of the clearly overfed Chima, groaning in discomfort as he sluggishly tried to get up, Izuku could only laugh in humor at being proven right. "Looks like it was a bit much, huh Chiiima?" he sang between giggles, before walking up to the frustrated Badgermole and helping him up. An action that proved very difficult.

*Grunt* "Chima!" he cried "How much did you eat?!" he asked as he tried his best to help him up, to very little success.

Eventually, after a lot of pushes, pulls, and grunts Chima managed to get up with a tiny bit of help from Izuku. A four-year-old can't possibly lift a creature Chima's size after all, but it's the thought that counts.

"So now what?" the boy asked the Badgermole after the ordeal was over. "We got food and water, what do we do now?" the animal only responded with a shallow hum and stretched a bit, leaning on its front legs while stretching his hind legs and back, before looking at him again. The Badgermole equivalent of a shrug.

"You don't know?" Izuku looked at Chima with a contemplating gaze, trying to think of something to do 'We already drank and ate, and I don't feel very tired… and I don't want to walk in the forest while it's dark… at least I can see here with the moon out…' the boy muttered in his head, going over all of his options…' Oh!' …before an idea came to mind.

Going on all four again, Izuku began performing the motion he was taught by Chima a few hours earlier and exclaimed "Since we got nothing to do… why not practice our quirks?!".

Understanding what the boy wanted, Chima raised his front paws before slamming them down on the ground. The motion was soon followed with a *Boom! * sound as a column of earth sprouted from the ground.

Izuku wasted no time and began practicing. Much like before, Izuku went through the motion he was taught by the Badgermole cub:

Stay on three limbs with only the left hand not touching the ground. Move the arm a bit to the right to build a bit more momentum and swiping quickly and in a rigid manner to the left.

Already expecting it, Izuku wasn't deterred when the movement caused noting to happen. Instead, he just pushed against the ground harder and went through the motion again and again.

Sometimes, his movements were flawless. Other times, he slipped with his footing or swiped in the wrong angle. But every time he made a mistake and got corrected by Chima, the frequency at which he made them decreased.

A half-hour later, Izuku was deep in trance. Going through the swiping motion flawlessly every time he tried and even succeeded a few times in moving the column that got replaced by Chima every time he destroyed it.

Every time the boy moves the column, the now almost familiar sensation of his clenching muscles and vibrations that travel from his right hand to his lower back flows through his body.

Enough times that he began to realize that the sensation and his quirk are connected…

'Hm…' he contemplated as he moves yet another earth pillar to the side, muscles relaxing and the now-familiar vibrations fading until the boy no longer feels them.

'Every time I use my quirk it feels weird…' Izuku thinks while looking at his right hand, having left the stance he had been for the past half-hour. 'My hand starts shaking and that shaking goes to my back and I can also feel my body becoming … harder? What do you call it? Like you feel it's a bit harder to move-but-also-you-become-more-sturdy… like-what-happens-when-you-close-your-hand-really-tight-but- I-guess-it-still-feels-like-I -can-move-the-fingers-of-the-hand*inner mutter*-*inner mutter*-*inner mutter*'

Deciding to test the connection, Izuku goes back into the now practiced stance and prepares another swipe with his left hand. As he finishes the motion and the column should be moving, Izuku shifts his attention to both of his arms. Looking over his left for the feeling of stiffness that usually accompanies the use of his quirk and the right one for any vibration that should go through it.

'If those feelings are a part of my quirk than I should feel them when I'm using it…' he contemplated between his attempts at trying to use his power 'If they are, I could find a way to use my quirk every time I try! I won't give up on this!'

Psyching himself up, the greenette continues with his experiment. All while Chima watches from the side, observing the boy's practice and hums to himself quietly in approval every time he gets closer to his goal.

Meanwhile, the still-practicing Izuku starts to notice something. Now that he is actively looking for the vibrations and stiffness his body adopts when he uses his quirk, he manages to notice it. Though, not in the way he thought.

So far - due to having to split his attention – Izuku hadn't been able to move the column Chima made for him. However, every once in a while he notices the slightest vibration going through his right arm or his left arm muscles clenching by a tiny margin.

Sometimes – though the boy failed to notice it – tiny pebbles were launched weakly to the side as a result of his movements, something that Chima's attention did pick on.

Those sensations he felt were nothing major but they were there nonetheless, all he needed now to confirm his theory is to use his quirk properly on the column while feeling the clenching and vibrations at their full force.

And so, the young boy continued on his endeavor for quite some time until it all clicked.

Once again as he began to move his arm to the left, the vibrations he had been looking for traveled across his arm, climbing up to his shoulder before traveling down his spine and finally concentrating at its' base, which from there seemed to pulse with his entire body.

His left arm's muscles tightened in a now-familiar manner, becoming more rigid while moving with a precise motion: a straight line with no curvature to it at all.

These feelings occupied the boy's attention as the column of earth was sent flying into the distance, forgotten.

Izuku sat there, on his knees, looking at his hands in bewilderment as his theory was confirmed. 'I was right…' the boy thought, struggling to process the information 'Those feelings are connected to my quirk! That means… I can figure out how to use it all the time!'

Wasting no time, Izuku immediately placed both of his hands at the ground; trying to find what he was looking for… the vibrations 'The shaking didn't come from me… they came from the ground. If I find them that could help me figure the rest out!' Closing his eyes and grasping the earth with his fingers as tightly as his little hands would allow, the boy begun his self-imposed mission to master his quirk…

...Little that he knew THAT would be a mission that would take YEARS to complete… but that's a story for another time.

Izuku stayed silent as he looked. Focused entirely on his hands, he tried to feel those vibrations again. He looked and searched but to his disappointment, he could find nothing.

"I don't feel anything…" he turned to his companion.

Said companion just looked at the boy before him with a blank expression. As if he saw the problem the child was having and how to fix it but thought that it should have been obvious.

Getting up, the Badgermole walked up to the young boy before treading one of its paws in the dirt.

Izuku looked confused "Touch the ground?" he asked, "I have been doing it for a while but I didn't feel anything…"

Chima shook his head, stating that the boy was mistaken before closing its eyelids and taking on a contemplative expression on his face. As if he was focusing on something.

"You want me to focus?" he asked, figuring out what the animal wanted him to do." I have been focusing, but I didn't feel anything!" Izuku exclaimed. Clearly frustrated about his failure.

Chima just shook his head again while treading his paw through the dirt. The boy watched as the animal walked towards him and nudged him with one of his paws while making the focused expression again.

"I was focusing on myself? Not the ground?" Izuku asked, understanding the animal's miming.

Chima nods his head before returning to where he was before. Watching the boy expectantly as he laid down on the ground.

Izuku put one hand on the ground before closing his eyes again. This time, not focusing on his arm, but on the earth it grasps.

'Focus on the earth…' he mumbles to himself in his head. The boy focuses on the earth he feels. The ground beneath his palm and dirt between his fingers and nails.

The sounds of the stream and insects around him became distant as the scents of the forest faded from his grasp. Soon the feeling of the night wind on his skin disappeared too and he was left alone with the ground beneath his hand.

The boy was in a complete trance. Mind going blank in the void that he found himself in with no stimuli to register.

Suddenly, the boy was startled from his quiet by the tingle on his palm. Yelping, Izuku backed away and found himself in the forest again. Looking around at the scene he was distant from for the last couple of minutes the boy shifted his gaze into his hand before he realizes what had occurred.

"I felt it…" he whispered. "I felt it!" with excitement Izuku slams his right palm into the earth again and closes his eyes. At first, he found it hard to focus due to his excitement, but after he calmed down he found himself alone with the earth once again.

This time, he didn't back away from the tingle of the vibrations. Instead, he focused on it until the barely noticeable vibrations were intensified. The occasional vibration became a continuous one that knew no stop as its intensity was increased greatly. Izuku remained silent for a while as the seemingly mindless and chaotic vibration went through his body- enter through the hand, ride on the arm, and slide on the spine into its base.

The boy smiled as he lifted his right hand from the ground, the vibration fading in the instant he did so.

"Thanks, Chima…" he thanked his teacher, who simply nodded at him; looking like a proud parent who just watched his child ride on a bike for the first time.

Izuku's gaze landed on the ground again "But it took me this long to feel it…" he mumbled under his breath "I can't waste time trying to focus on the earth every time I try to use my quirk…" he signed before steeling his expression "I still need to work hard!".

The greenette soon went on his knees again and placed his right hand on the ground again "And I can start now!"

Closing his eyes, Izuku once again attempted to focus on the ground beneath his palm. Letting the world around him fade again, he reached out to the earth and looked for the vibration that had started to become familiar to him.

After a while, the vibration once again went through the boy's body and allowed the boy to focus on it. In doing so, Izuku found new information about this rumbling 'It feels weaker…' he frowned at the realization.

It was true, not only the vibrations were a lot weaker from when he used his quirk… but they weren't strong at all. The only reason he could sense them was that his mind instinctively blocked out everything else… If it didn't, then he couldn't have ever sensed it as he is now.

This situation was unacceptable. He couldn't let himself be weakened like this every time he used his quirk if he wanted to be a hero. He needed to strengthen his ability to sense these vibrations, but how?

Izuku contemplated this deeply as he stared at the hand that he used to sense these vibrations 'I need to make this ability stronger… I can sense the shaking with my hand… what would happen if I used them both?'

Having a theory, Izuku decided to test it by placing both of his hands on the ground. Focusing once again on the ground before him, Izuku closed his eyes and let the world around him fade once more. Eventually, he managed to focus on the earth once again and the results were amazing.

The vibration was definitely stronger now as they traveled through both of his hands towards his lower back were they united into a single picture.

Izuku immediately backed away in shocked happiness. It had worked! By adding more points of entry for the vibrations their intensity had increased dramatically. They were now on par if not stronger than the vibrations he felt when he used his quirk earlier! And the boy was certainly happy about it.

"It worked- It worked!" he jumped around happily "The shaking was so much stronger now!". Not noticing where he was going, the child suddenly heard a huge splash sound as the water was kicked up into the air around him.

In his excitement, Izuku had jumped into the stream beside the place he practiced. Drenching his clothing- especially his shoes and socks- in water.

"Awwww" he signed looking at his drenched shoes, soggy socks already chilling his feet "S-so c-c-cold" Izuku whined in discomfort as he walked out of the river and sat beside Chima.

Setting aside his shoes and socks, Izuku signed in relief "Ughh… much better".

Having recovered from his 'moonlight swim' Izuku once again returned to thinking about the progress he recently made.

'When I added another hand I felt the shaking much better…' he contemplated while also being prideful that his deduction turned out to be true.

Izuku looked at his bare feet 'What would happen if I add my feet in? can I even do it with them?' Having nothing to lose Izuku went on all four and tried to focus once more.

This time, it didn't take long for Izuku to feel the earth's vibrations.

Izuku was awestruck. the vibrations of the earth were much stronger now. It was amazing! A deep humming vibration that seemed to have no law to whatsoever. It felt wild, raw, resilient, and powerful. By merely having these vibration throb through his body, Izuku felt as if he became a part of the earth itself.

"Wow…" he whispered, overwhelmed by the sheer force he felt run through him. It felt like the lines where he stopped and the earth began became blurred. It was as if he was the earth and the earth was him. That if he moved the earth would move…

'That's it!' he realized 'That's how it works!'.

Wasting no time, the boy immediately ran in front of the earth column provided by Chima. Getting on all four, he let the vibrations run through his body and concentrate on his lower back. Soon enough, the line between Izuku and the earth lost its feasibility and the boy began making his move.

Lifting his left hand from the ground, Izuku felt the intensity of the vibrations weaken by a margin. Paying no mind to it, however, he started the same movement he had practiced so much over the last day.

Remembering the need to pick his target, Izuku leveled his vision on the column he intended to move while his left arm reached its rightmost point of the motion. Not a millisecond after, on the exact moment Izuku began swiping leftwards, the muscles on the boy's left arm stiffened in the exact manner he had hoped they would.

*BOOM! *

And just like that… the column moved.

Though, calling it like that wouldn't do the boy's feat justice.

No. The earth column was launched in incredible force to the air and into the forest, creating a loud crushing sound as it impacted an unseen target with massive force.

Izuku just stared for a moment. This was much stronger than any kind of launch he had managed to pull off before… Deliberate or not.

This stupor, however, was short-lived as the boy quickly registered what had just occurred.

"I-I did it…" he whispered in disbelieve "I did it!"

This was amazing! He finally managed to activate his quirk on command! He wouldn't be a liar anymore and Kacchan would finally be friends with him again!

This was undoubtedly the best day of Izuku's life! He finally mastered the activation of his quirk, he wouldn't be ostracized by the other kids anymore and he had a new friend in the form of Chima.

Saying that Izuku Midoriya was on cloud nine right now would be the understatement of the century.

Jumping around happily near the edge of the stream, the boy was having the time of his life. Laughing in happiness, relief, and anticipation for the future. The boy let it all out, all those negative emotions that plagued him for almost a year were leaving his body and dissipating in the air. He had never felt any better.

"Thank you so much Chima!" he exclaimed as he tackled the surprised Badgermole, hugging his snout tightly and putting his cheek on the Badgermole's forehead.

The Badgermole, though startled at first, soon relaxed and melted too into the hug, purring in affection.

'Chima is so warm…' he thought sluggishly, having been exhausted by his training 'he's fluffy too…' he giggled.

The moment the two shared was unfortunately brought to an abrupt end, though.

*Rustle*

The shrubbery in the direction that Izuku launched the earth column at were suddenly starting to sway violently. As if something was furiously trudging through it.

*Stomp! *

As if to confirm this suspicion the sound of stomping feet soon joined the chorus of rustling leaves.

Both boy and Badgermole tensed at the sounds that were getting closer. Izuku was starting to shake in fear as his companion ceased it's purring and turned its head in the direction of the noise.

"Ch-Chima…" Izuku whispered, clearly terrified by the approaching thing as he still hugged the Badgermole for comfort" What is this?".

This was not like the time earlier today when he met Chima. Back then his head sure was scared… running through every possible scenario and wary of his safety. His body, on the other hand, was calm back then. Like it knew it was Chima and that the Badgermole was a friend and not a threat.

This time though, no such feelings were within Izuku's body. Both mind and body were utterly petrified by the approaching threat.

His knees were weak; his mouth was dry; his teeth were clenched and his entire body shook like it was being electrified.

This was a kind of fear Izuku had never experienced. It was stronger than the fear he felt when he watched villains on his computer; It was greater than the one he felt when Kacchan or his followers were going to beat him up; It was more petrifying that the fear he had when his mother got angry at him…

And it was because, for the first time in Izuku's existence, the boy felt as if his own life was in danger.

*Stomp*

A dark-brown paw emerged from the shrubbery, digging into the earth with sheer force. The paw was big and scarred, obviously belonging to an experienced creature that had already reached maturity. Its black and sharp claws glinted in the moonlight as another of its paws exited the bushes that concealed it.

Then the head came out. The animal's head was light-brown with brown eyes. Its' long muzzle ended with a pitch-black nose and sported a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, all of which were on full display as the animal growled at the two before it. The animal's rounded ears leaned forward right now as if it had listened to them for a while now.

However, the most prominent feature of the behemoth before them was the large bruise between its eyes and on its forehead. Blood dripped from its' muzzle as it eyed the two in clear anger.

Before Izuku and Chima was a full-grown Ussuri brown bear****, and it looked pissed!

Soon enough, the bear's body emerged into view, a sight that did little to elevate Izuku's fear.

The bear was massive, easily larger than Chima himself. It sported a terrifying 2.5 meters in terms of length and could easily squash Izuku with just one foot! The bear's muscular body was riddled with scars of scuffles past but did nothing at making the Bear looking any less imposing.

For a moment, no movements were made around the scene. Both parties were eyeing each other, one with a wary look while the other in a furious one.

The stalemate was ended soon, though. For as soon as the bear landed its gaze on Izuku, the boy shrieked in horror and stumbled back, stepping on a branch in the process.

THAT was the wrong move.

"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The bear roared in fury, charging at the due with intent to kill. Izuku, still clutching to Chima for dear life could only do one thing:

"AHHHHH!"


It's safe to say that the Ussuri bear did not expect to be awoken by a boulder.

So far, the bear's day had been pretty good. It was well fed and it had water for days thanks to that stream nearby. There were no other Ussuri bears in the area either, so its territory was also under no threat.

It had seemed that the bear's day was going to be a one of relaxation and napping. Maybe even the occasional back rub against a tree trunk to get a good scratch there…

The bear was just in the middle of one of those napping sessions when he was violently awoken.

By a boulder.

He was just there, minding his own business and napping peacefully, not disrupting anything at all.

Then. Out of the freaking wood-works, a loud, crashing, *BOOM! * echoed throughout the forest. Startling the wildlife around it and causing the bear the flutter its eyes open, clearly groggy from waking up so suddenly.

Looking around it in tired confusion the bear failed to notice the huge mass hurtling towards it at neck-breaking speeds.

*CRASH! *

And just like that, the bear was struck in the forehead by the boulder, instantly knocking him out.

Coming to, the bear immediately hissed at the pain its face was in. A large bruise formed over his forehead and between its eyes. Blood running down his snout and into the ground…

Needless to say, the bear was pissed!

It would find whoever dared hurl that rock at it and kill him. No one should pose a threat to him in his own territory, and he would make sure of that.

Darting his head around, the bear soon heard a high-pitched voice ring out into the forest…

In the exact same direction, the boulder came from…

Not needing that much brainpower to figure out what happened, the bear trudged heavily forward in the direction of the perpetrator, determined to drive it away or if need be: end it.


"AHHHHH!"

The blood-curdling scream that escaped the four-year-old's mouth was the only thing he could do in the face of the bear charging at them with the intent to kill.

There was nothing else he could do. Compared to the bear Izuku was beaten in every category. He wasn't as strong so he couldn't defend himself; he wasn't as fast so he couldn't run away; he wasn't as intimidating so he couldn't drive the bear away…

The young boy was frozen with fear. Shaking in his oversized red shoes and hugging Chima's neck as if his life depended on it…

…Which it was.

'I-Is t-this it?' he managed to utter in his head through rampant thoughts 'I'm going to die here?'. Izuku clenched his eyes shut, preparing himself to face his fate and not daring to look at the thing that was about to kill him in his final moments. Opting instead to let the images of those he loved to be his final sight 'Mom … Dad … I'm so sorry for not coming home…'

Tightening his grasp on his companion, Izuku bid farewell to his new friend, tears flowing down his cheeks as he resigned himself to his fate 'Chima… I'm sorry that you need to come with me… but we'll still be together… Right?'

Luckily for the boy, the Badgermole besides him had no plans of either of them dying.

Unsure about his ability to fight the bear seeing as it was much bigger than him–not to mention that Izuku could get caught in the middle- Chima decided to choose plan B…

…To get the heck out of there!

Wasting no time, Chima bolted in the bear's opposite direction and ran for dear life, a startled Izuku dangling for his neck.

Getting snapped out of his fear-induced paralysis Izuku stumbled as a new kind of terror settled within his mind.

The boy was now dangling off the side of Chima, clutching at his neck as to not be left behind as his bare heels smacked against the ground, bruising them with every hit.

"Ow!" he yelled as a particularly hard rock was smacked against his left foot. The pain, however, was soon forgotten as the boy looked at the stream-site the two had just left.

Dread formed within the boy at the sight that he saw, the bear was chasing them, and it sure was fast.

"He's after us, Chima!" Izuku warned his current mount, encouraging him to go faster while also commentating on what's happening.

Chima ran as fast as he could, dodging trees and other obstacles with haste as Izuku dangled from his left side, kept attached only by his arms around Chima's neck.

"We need to go fas-Ow!" The greenette began but stopped as his feet hit the ground again, causing the Badgermole to stumble a bit and the bear to catch up to the two faster.

'I'm slowing us down!' he realized. The terror within him surged as the hope of escape diminished, they couldn't escape like this!

With his feet flailing in the air and trying to not touch the ground, Izuku warned his companion of what's about to happen "I'm going to climb on your back, okay, Chima?!".

In response, the Badgermole let out an acknowledging grunt. Telling the boy to proceed while also managing to sound like he was sarcastically saying 'Took ya long enough!'.

Swaying back and force as he dangled from Chima's side, Izuku attempted to place his right foot on the creature's back.

As he struggled, tongue sticking out in concentration, the Badgermole shifted his weight to the side, trying to keep his balance and speed in the face of the ever-approaching threat.

"I got it!" Izuku bellowed in happiness after he managed to hook his right foot on the back of Chima's neck.

"Ughhhhhh!" Pushing with all of the muscles on the right side of his body, Izuku grunted as he attempted the mount himself on Chima's back. Slowly, the boy's body swiveled as he changed his position on the Badgermole.

"Whoa!" Izuku screamed in fright, heart sinking as his sole foot on the Badgermole's back had almost lost its grip. Curtesy of a dangerous tilt from Chima to avoid an incoming tree.

"B-be careful Chima!" Izuku asked his companion, fearing the results of another turn such as this in his state.

Luckily, no such shift was repeated and soon he managed to get his calf on Chima's back as well.

"Phew…" he sighed in relief. The most dangerous part of the operation was done and the boy was relieved and thankful for the new stability he got.

Finally, with tremendous exertion from the four-year-old, Izuku's right thigh settled on Chima's back.

Now Izuku could swivel himself into a sitting position on the Badgermole's back, an action that he had done as soon as he was able to.

"Uh…" Izuku signed in both relief and exhaustion, hugging Chima's neck to stay atop of him. With Izuku on Chima's back, the former would no longer be a hindrance to the latter and there was finally a chance that the two would escape unharmed.

"RAAAAHHHH!"

Of course, that's when the bear decided to remind the two that the chase was still on and they were not out of the woods yet, literally.

Having been brought back to reality, the two forgot all about their little victory and fear soon returned to eat at their minds as only one thought coursed through both human and Badgermole:

"Faster, Chima! Faster!" Having human vocal cords, Izuku was the only one to voice that thought. But that did not stop Chima from doing just that.

Both bear and Badgermole zoomed around the forest in speeds that would not have embarrassed a speed-quirk user, swaying and turning, switching direction every second in an incredible chase. One side coming up with elaborate turns and dodges in an attempt to lose the other who kept on chasing.

All the while, little Izuku was still sitting atop of Chima, hugging his neck to stay balanced as his body rocked up and down from Chima's movements. The poor boy receiving bruises and lacerations from the low branches hitting him from his position atop of Chima, who receive some of them as well.

Glancing behind them, Izuku paled as he saw the sight of the bear fast approaching, having almost caught up to the two and ignoring a low branch that cut through his shirt in the process.

'He's too fast!' Izuku screams in his head, trying to come up with something to help as a new tear is cut on his shorts. "Chima!" He addresses his companion "He's catching up! We need to go even faster! "

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Izuku regrets saying them. Looking at his friend, the greenette notices the state the Badgermole is in; much like himself, Chima is covered in bruises and cuts, all from bumping with stray tree-trunks and branches; he's fur was dirty and messy, definitely as his hair was; And the most important detail of them all was the state of Chima's stamina.

The Badgermole was pushing his limits. Chima was running around in top speed for a very long time, all while carrying Izuku from his neck or on his back, no less! Not to mention all the turns and sudden direction changes in an attempt to lose the bear chasing them…

Chima was on his last legs and Izuku could see it.

Apparently, the bear could see it as well, as he let out a suspiciously victorious sounding "Roar!". Preparing to have its revenge on the two younglings.

And if all of that wasn't enough! It appeared that the universe felt especially cruel towards the two tonight.

The chase was now going for an absurd amount of time. Both bear and Badgermole were exhausted and in clear need of rest "Just a little longer, Chima! …" Izuku tried to encourage the Badgermole cub "Just a bit longer and we'll be safe!" Izuku pats Chima's head and looked forward.

The dark forest around them could no longer be seen at the edge of Izuku's vision.

Instead, he saw something he saw only awhile earlier near that stream, the night sky.

'We're almost out of the forest…' Izuku signed in relief. Sure, that wouldn't solve the bear problem but at least he and Chima wouldn't get hit by branches anymore. At this point, the child was going to take what he could get.

What Izuku wasn't willing to take, however, was to be met with the loss of earth to run on in their way.

As the two finally got out of the forest and were graced by the sight of the night sky, an unwanted sight also greeted them.

Right before the two was a Cliffside. A. Literal. Cliffside.

After all of this, to be stopped by something like this?! Both boy and Badgermole were distressed, an expression of dread creeping up their faces.

Having reached his limit, Chima soon collapsed into the ground near the edge of the cliff. An action that was accompanied by a startled yelp from Izuku who was still on his back.

'Nowhere to go…' Izuku came to this realization as the bear that chased them got out of the forest as well. Exhaustion was written across its face from the strenuous activity it just pulled.

Nevertheless, it continued on its way towards the two, not letting its animosity falter for a second as it huffed and puffed like the Badgermole it was targeting.

'There is nowhere to run…' Izuku analyzed his situation in the hopes of coming up with a solution, heart sinking further and further as each new piece of dreadful information was pointed out by his analytical mind. 'And Chima is too tired to run away again…' Izuku eyed his exhausted partner, worried for his well-being' Is this it…?'

Izuku rubbed his hand through Chima's head in a calming manner. If this was really the end that meant it was his last chance to say this.

"Thank you Chima…" he began, staring right into Chima's eyes despite it being a one-sided gesture "You did so much for me today…" tears were starting to build up in the boy's eyes as he recounted his short adventure with the Badgermole "You taught me what my quirk was and how to use it; You showed me the way to some delicious berries and water; You even saved my life! … But I want to thank you for something else you did…"

Izuku leaned down and hugged Chima's head with as much force as he could muster, pressing his cheek and burying his face in the Badgermole's fur as he thanked him for the most important thing he did to him. Something that nobody else ever did since he was proclaimed quirkless. "T-thank you for being my friend! …" he cried into Chima's ear,

who was dumbfounded by the boy's speech.

Finally, Izuku leaned back and looked at the bear approaching them slowly, as if he was so confident of his victory that he didn't bother to finish it quickly.

Izuku scowled at the bear as he began climbing down from Chima's back "You did so much for me, Chima…" Izuku said, his left leg touching the ground, much to the protest of Chima. "So I want to do something for you too…" he finished, trying to dissuade the Badgermole from its protest.

Izuku stood between Chima and the approaching bear, not lifting his gaze from the upcoming threat as it came closer ever so slowly.

Getting on all four, the boy lifted his head to stare daggers at the bear "If we can't run then we can fight!" the greenette psyched himself up out loud, finally putting a stop to Chima's protests.

"You're too tired to keep going, Chima…" Izuku began. The boy reached out into the ground, tapping into its power as he felt its vibrations course through his body before settling into his lower back. The world around him disappeared once again, leaving him alone with the earth's vibrations once more. Only this time it was accompanied by a rhythmic low beat that drummed through him as well.

It didn't matter to him that he couldn't see the bear anymore, he was still going to do his best.

He was going to do whatever it takes to protect his friend, just like his idol. Just like All Might protected everyone with a smile on his face and was their hero, Izuku would do the same for him. Forcing a shaky smile on his face, Izuku yelled out load the words he hoped to one day say to someone else, never imagining that day would come so soon.

"I'm gonna be your hero, Chima!"

*Smack*

Before the battle between bear and boy could commence, Izuku felt a swat on the back of his head.

Getting thrown back into reality, the boy quickly turned around to see who was the one the smack him like that.

Only to find Chima glaring at him in a scolding manner, his tail swaying left and right as it came to a stop.

"Chima?!" He asked, bewildered. "Why did you do that?!" The boy rubbed the back of his head, tendering to his still sore nape. 'Why did Chima do this?' the boy tried to wrap his mind around what had happened.

The Badgermole only scoffed in response. It eyed Izuku disapprovingly. Like he did something wrong and it should have been obvious what.

Under the gaze of the Badgermole, Izuku soon figures out why he responded the way he did.

Sure, using his quirk he could theoretically throw a rock or two at the bear… but to do that he needed to block all of his other senses.

He can't do that in a fight. He'll just put himself in danger and it will be up to Chima to save him again. Something he couldn't do in his state.

"Sorry…" the boy whispered but was quick to regain his previous demeanor "B-but, you can't fight him by yourself!" the boy tried to reason with his friend "I can't just leave you alone!"

The Badgermole hummed in approval, admitting that indeed he couldn't. Chima began to walk forward before stopping by Izuku's side and facing forward in a steeled expression.

Chima's message was clear. Neither of them could face the bear alone. Chima was too tired and Izuku was too inexperienced.

Together, however… they stood a chance.

Looking forward as well, Izuku steeled his expression as well in the face of the coming threat. Going into his stance again and swallowing the lump in his throat, the four-year-old prepared himself for the fight of his admittedly-short life.

Both boy and Badgermole stood their ground in the face of the bear in front of them. Said creature was now nearly upon them preparing a swipe at Izuku's head that would undoubtedly kill the boy should it land.

Chima growled towards his opponent, signaling to Izuku that he would be the one to attack first.

Izuku nodded and hummed quietly in response, preparing himself for the fight that was about to ensue. Fists clenched on the ground, the boy was waiting for the opening shot.

Not a second later and Chima was already moving. Lifting his frontal paws and his back from the ground, Chima growled in a challenge and as he began to fall. Paws slamming into the ground with tremendous force, a huge column of earth was launched and hit the bear square in the gut, enticing a furious roar from the pain.

"RAAAAHHHH!"

With the bear flinching back, Chima turned to Izuku.

"RAH!"

Roaring in a commanding manner, as if saying 'NOW!', the Badgermole backed away as the boy sidestepped while still on all four to be directly behind the column.

Tapping into the ground once again, the boy lost all feeling of the outside world as he concentrated.

This time though, it mattered not if he could perceive the bear.

Since his target was exactly on the other side of the column, all it took from Izuku was just a powerful punch directly into it.

The earth column was blasted forward. It didn't take long and soon the sound of earth hitting flesh was heard by the duo.

"RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bear's pain-filled roar vibrated throughout the forest, startling a flock of birds out of the woods in their panic.

The column had hit the bear in the face. Directly. In. The. Face.

The Ussuri bear clutched his injured snout with his paws as if trying to ease his pain by doing so. Its nose was bleeding; not to mention he probably had a few broken teeth and a broken nose.

Putting the paws down, the bear gazed in the direction of the duo that he tried to attack. The bear was livid. He was never in such pain before, and he would make sure that he won't be for the rest of his life…

…By killing the two that managed to do it.

"RAAHHH!"

Roaring, the bear charged once again at Izuku and Chima. Not wasting any time, it ran forward at top speed. Preparing to tackle his target and swipe him away.

Izuku and Chima stood frozen. Neither had expected to cause this much damage.

If Izuku was honest with himself, he felt bad about injuring the bear the way he did.

The bear's fury had paralyzed them both in fear. Both felt the deathly aura emanating from the predator and were frozen like a deer in headlights.

The bear wasted no time and capitalized on this, sweeping his paw at Chima and sending him skidding away.

"RAHH!"

"CHIMA!"

Chima was sent flying, roaring in pain and Izuku screamed in worry for his friend. It didn't look like the bear drew blood, but it hurt nonetheless.

Coming to a stop, Chima shook his head to get rid of his dizziness and took a look at the scene he was sent flying from.

Only to have his blood frozen.

The bear was towering above Izuku. Standing on his rear legs, the fully-grown bear looked infinitely larger than the four-year-old boy in front of it. Izuku himself had nowhere to go. He stood petrified at the edge of the cliff, not even half-a-step away from plummeting to his death.

The boy looked up, tear shining in his eyes, at the behemoth before him that would soon become his killer. If things were to continue as they were, Izuku Midoriya would die.

Not wasting a second, Chima ran forward and tackled the bear with the entirety of its weight, forcing it on all four again.

The two animals soon entered a claw-fight. Both trying to slash and bite at their opponent and gain the upper hand as they scrambled about atop on another.

Izuku was left out. Unable to enter the fight himself or throw a rock in fear of hitting Chima. The boy was forced to play commentator, cheering when Chima bit the bear and gasping in worry when the bear slashed at the Badgermole.

*Swiiiipe! *

"RAAHH"

It looked as if Chima had finally gained the upper hand as he managed to land a slash onto the bear's broken nose, enticing a cheer from the boy.

That success, however, was short-lived as the bear soon regained its bearing, now angrier than ever. Wrapping its frontal legs around Chima's body, the bear began swinging the Badgermole to gain momentum.

The bear slammed Chima's body on the ground repeatedly, all to the screams of a terrified Izuku.

Just as the boy had enough and began to charge forward into the fray himself, the bear threw Chima violently at him.

Badgermole hitting Child, they were both sent flying. Both Izuku and Chima hit the ground a few times as they went before finally; They were both hurtled past the Cliffside.

"AHHH! "

Izuku screamed in panic, besides him Chima was flailing wildly in the air, obviously distraught by the sudden disappearance of solid ground.

Izuku's gaze soon turned to the ever-approaching ground. The scared boy closed his eyes as tears escaped their sides, no wanting to look at the frightening sight.

That was the last memory Izuku had from that night.


When the boy opened his eyes once more, an unfamiliar sight would have been revealed to any of those watching.

Izuku's eyes were no longer those innocent shining green orbs filled with child-like wonder.

Instead, those eyes – which were currently in a scowl – were glowing in a heavenly white and lacked any sort of any emotion Izuku should have had. The only thing those eyes showcased was raw. Unadulterated. Power. Power beyond anything seen on the planet for thousands of years.

(Not) Izuku wasted no time and began spinning in midair. As if capturing the wind itself as he moved in the groundless space, the wind began to gather below him and Chima, forming massive a vortex of air.

Having halted their fall, (not) Izuku looked upwards and launched both of them higher into the air, Chima flailing beside him in panic all the while.

In less than a second, (not) Izuku had flown higher than the cliff itself, towering over the entirety of the forest as he glared at the bear that was now below him.

Said bear looked up in astonishment. It wasn't everyday one was seeing a kid riding a freaking tornado after all.

The boy soon began his descent to the ground, putting down the startled Badgermole in the process.

Once his feet were on solid ground again (not) Izuku began moving his arms in circular motions, willing the winds that formed the tornado to expand and spin rapidly around him and Chima.

Both bear and Badgermole were awestruck. The small child in front of them was controlling the wind like it was nothing. Like it was less than nothing.

The boy, however, ignored them both. Opting instead to continue moving his body in intricate patterns as he turned and swiveled around himself with the wind…

…Those were clearly the movements of a master. No one watching and not-watching could ever deny that.

But why were his eyes glowing?

Before either animal could regain their senses, (not)Izuku acted. Building up a sufficient amount of spiraling wind around himself, the boy thrust his right palm forward and sent out the wind he commanded.

In no time at all, the bear was hit with a powerful gale that lifted it off of the ground. The bear was sent flying high into the hair, flailing and spinning uncontrollably, and soon was engulfed by the trees of the forest as it landed in the distance.

Once enough time had passed and it was clear that the bear wouldn't return, (not) Izuku put his right palm on top of his left and pushed both arms downwards. Powering himself down from the incredible feat he had just pulled.

Having finished his task (not) Izuku closed his eyes and unceremoniously fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Badgermole looked at the sleeping form of the boy with a dumbfounded expression.

That boy was something special. Chima had sensed it when they met but he had no idea how true he was. That boy was one of their own, he was family…

And family sticks together.

Walking up to the sleeping form of Izuku, Chima nuzzled his snout into the boy's head, enticing a giggle in the process.

"Hehe… that's tickles…" Izuku groaned in his sleep as he warped both of his hands around Chima's snout in a hug.

The Badgermole purred in delight, clearly contempt with its current situation. Laying down beside the boy that still hugged his snout, Chima rested his head so it was touching the boy's and closed his eyes, letting sleep engulf both of them.