Chapter 3: Sparring and Friends and Crime, Oh My!

They don't get to spar for the first two weeks of school. There was plenty of basic training for fights and practicing moves, but Aizawa Sensei had wanted to be sure no one would get hurt because of a huge gap in skill. So they'd practiced with their quirks to show the level of control they had (Izuku had slipped typed up notes with suggestions for improvements for each of his classmates in their teacher's desk) and learned how to combat other quirks during a fight before they were allowed to actually spar.

Today was the big day and Izuku was bouncing excitedly between Katsuki and Shinso while they put on their hero costumes for the first time. The purple haired boy was still wary around the other two, but that was fine! Izuku was determined enough to prove his offer of friendship was sincere no matter how long it took. At least he'd agreed to eating and walking to the train station with them daily since their first conversation. Now he was glancing tiredly at Izuku out of the corner of his eye, "Is your blood actually just Red Bull? Where do you get all that energy?"

(Izuku was so happy the other boy was comfortable enough to ask him questions even after he'd told them how his quirk worked. Izuku noticed every time he didn't flinch when Shinso asked a question there was a bit less tension the next time it happened.)

Katsuki snorted, "Better get used to it eyebags, if Deku had a quirk it'd be endless energy."

Shinso opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Kaminari from behind them. "Man, I've been meaning to ask about that nickname. Like you're obviously good friends but it seems kinda mean? And the one Midoriya uses for you is so cute so what's up with that?"

Katsuki yelled at the electric user to fuck off, but Izuku smiled. Kaminari had been one of the classmates who'd only looked at him with pity instead of malice (not that the pity wasn't also hurtful, but he'd take that over shoving and name calling any day) so he figured the boy was just curious. "Kacchan read my name wrong when we were kids and it just kinda stuck." He shrugged. "His name was hard for me to say when we were really small and I just never stopped calling him Kacchan."

Katsuki scowled at the boy menacingly, "But no one gets to use them but us so if I hear any of you bitches call him Deku they'll be studying what I do to you in villain history classes for years."

Kaminari's eyes went wide and he held up his hands, "Whoa dude, I wasn't going to use them. I know I'm an idiot, but even I'm smart enough to know not to go using other people's nicknames before we're friends."

Kirishima, who also seemed to be warming up to having a quirkless classmate, smiled and threw an arm around Katsuki, "It's super manly for you to stick up for your bro like that, Bakugo! How long have you guys known each other anyway? You're obviously super close."

Katsuki slapped his arm off, which didn't do anything to dull the redhead's smile. Izuku answered before his angry friend could start cussing out one of the few classmates that didn't mind talking to them. "Our moms are best friends so we've known each other since, like birth. We're basically brothers."

Kaminari winked at Izuku before smirking at Katsuki, "So that means you're single right blasty? Good to know."

The resulting slap fight only ended when Iida started yelling about proper behavior for hero students and wasting time. Everyone quickly finished dressing and lined up in the gym after that, Katsuki still grumbling under his breath about "dumb fucking idiots need to keep their mouths shut". But his anger was so common it was basically background noise to Izuku at this point. Soon everyone was present and Aizawa Sensei had put up a list of sparring partners and the line up order.

Izuku watched each match like he'd be quizzed on it later, taking in every weakness and strength he could find in his classmates. He even saw a few moves he'd be trying to learn himself. Katsuki dominated against Sero, who really needed to learn how to utilize his tape better or stop relying on it so heavily.

After Ojiro managed to flip Uraraka out of bounds Izuku stepped in front of the boy before he could take his place on the sidelines before the next match started. "Your moves are great, Ojiro! What dojo did you study at?"

The blonde looked pained when he answered, "Sorry, my Sensei doesn't train anyone without a quirk, it's too risky for insurance or whatever." He didn't look sorry at all and Izuku found himself rolling his eyes at the other boy before making his way onto the sparring mat. He looked around, wondering why Iida hadn't already joined him and was met with the sight of the class representative arguing quietly with their teacher. Not being an idiot, he knew exactly what was happening.

Sure, Aizawa had said he wouldn't tolerate discrimination, but Izuku wasn't holding his breath for a teacher to take his side. Fully prepared to be told he wouldn't be fighting, he was pleasantly surprised when Iida angrily walked onto the mat with a less than pleased Eraserhead glaring at his back. They took up their stances and Izuku was determined to at least hold his own against the boy who clearly thought he didn't belong here. Aizawa yelled for them to begin and Iida ran straight for him.

It was like the boy hadn't been paying attention to anyone else during their training thus far. Yeah, they'd been working on moves against dummies or teachers, but they were all in one open space so breaks should have been spent watching other students in his opinion. Whatever, it worked out well for Izuku who pulled out his bo staff with just enough time to side step his opponent and slam it into his shins, sweeping his legs out from under him and sending Iida face first onto the floor. Jumping onto his back, Izuku tried to pin his hands back to end the match. Iida managed to roll over first and grabbed at the smaller boy's waist to fling him off.

Bouncing to his feet Izuku held his staff at the ready while Iida scrambled up and ran straight at him. Again. Was that the only tactic he was planning on using? Since Iida was expecting him to try to move out of the way again, Izuku stayed rooted in place. When Iida ran full speed into him, clearly attempting to just barrel into him and push him out of bounds, Izuku slammed his shoulder into the boy's stomach and used his staff to push his legs back. The momentum Iida had built up sent him flying over Izuku's back to land on the floor again. Pivoting quickly, he rushed over to the winded boy to press his knife (fake, because who would bring a real knife to a sparring match) to his throat. Iida stared up at him in shock as Aizawa called the match.

Grinning and high off the rush of taking down someone who'd underestimated him, Izuku was more hurt than he'd usually be when Sero called out, "How is it fair that he gets to fight with weapons?"

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the class and Izuku's patience snapped. Before Aizawa could reprimand him or Katsuki could explode on the boy, Izuku put the hand still holding his knife on his hip. "Iida was using his quirk, I know you don't realize this because you've always had one, but a quirk is just a weapon built into your body. Even the most 'useless' quirks can be used as a weapon if you do it right." The disdain dripping from his voice on the word useless had several people flinching but the finger quotes made it clear his issue was with the idea that a quirk could ever be considered useless. "Besides we're here to learn to fight villains, do you think they'll be fighting fair?"

Katsuki snorted and Aizawa stared down Sero, "Midoriya is correct on all counts. Also, you were all free to request support items with your hero costumes, it isn't anyone's fault but your own that Midoriya and Bakugo were the only students to do so."

Uraraka, clearly having not learned her lesson the first day, argued back, "But Bakugo's gauntlets are to make his quirk better for fighting, which is what a support item does. Midoriya," The venom in her voice when she said his name would have made him flinch if he hadn't been used to it, "doesn't have a quirk, so those are just weapons not support items. And he could have hurt Iida with that knife!"

Izuku spoke up before their exasperated teacher could, "Actually, a support item is defined as an item that is part of a hero's equipment to assist them in either offense or defense. Any weapon designed by a support company and registered as part of a hero's suit is considered a support item. Heroes just tend to use items that make their quirk stronger when they should also consider items that would help in situations where their quirk isn't helpful. Take Endeavor for example, fire isn't always the best option for a weapon in populated or highly flammable areas so he should carry weapons to fight in those cases since hand to hand as his only back up is dangerous when a villain has a weapon. But he's one of those heroes that doesn't care about the damage or casualties around him so he uses his quirk when there are better options."

He noticed Todoroki giving him a calculating look, but Izuku would have to dissect that later. "And clearly, UA isn't going to let me just bring a real knife to spar with. This is a training knife." He held it up and ran a finger down the blade to emphasize his point, "It's blunt, I requested a training knife because a knife will be part of my suit when I'm a licensed hero so I need to learn to use it properly now. Just like you should all be thinking about what items you'd like to use in the future and requesting them so you can start training with them." Most of the class looked taken aback, Uraraka just looked pissed. "Now, can we move on to the next match or is it still 'try to get the quirkless kid in trouble' time?"

Having said his piece, he stormed over to Katsuki's side. The blonde looked like he'd just watched the best soap opera ever when he patted Izuku's head. Aizawa stuffed his hands in his pockets and said lazily, "Everyone has a two page paper due first thing tomorrow on the importance of support items and I want at least two examples of heroes that could utilize items in situations where their quirk isn't useful. Now, Shinso and Kaminari, you're up."

The groans of their class were drowned out by Kaminari's excited whoop as he ran onto the mat. The match was over in a second, no one but Izuku and Katsuki knew about his quirk yet so it was easy for Shinso to get Kaminari under his control and have him walk out of bounds. The class seemed to have learned their lesson for now, no one made a fuss about such a "villainous" quirk but there were plenty of stink eyes and hateful murmurs. Shinso was tense as he walked back to Izuku's side. Then Kaminari slapped him on the back lightly and said, "That was so cool dude! You can just order villains to give up! I wish my quirk were that cool."

Shinso ignored the happy blonde, but the slight blush on his pale cheeks was obvious. It didn't go away before the end of class, but Izuku knew they weren't close enough for him to tease the other boy yet. So he just tried to keep the smirk off his own face.

That night Izuku lay on his bed while Shinso examined his hero merch and Katsuki read (totally not) a romance novel at his desk. He'd finally gotten their new friend to come over and had to text his mom to warn her he was skittish so she wouldn't smother him with her excitement that Izuku had made another friend. It was clear she wanted to, but she managed to contain herself while she offered them insane amounts of snacks before he managed to drag the other boys into his room.

Izuku was typing away at his laptop happily explaining some of the lesser known heroes to Shinso when he made an excited noise that had the other boys turning to look at him. Katsuki was the first to ask, "What are you so excited about, nerd?"

Sitting up to cross his legs and bring the laptop closer to himself Izuku answered, "Turns out Uraraka's family business is going under because of multiple discrimination lawsuits against her parents. So I was looking into the stuff that hadn't been reported and found enough evidence of payroll fraud and discriminatory pay practices to put them both away."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, used to this behavior by now, but Shinso looked wary. "Why did you need that information?"

Izuku shrugged, moving all his evidence to a folder and closing the laptop. "I find it's always best to be prepared in case people like her take things too far. She won't be at UA causing me problems if her parents end up in jail and she has to go live with her aunt in France. Which she'd have to since no one in her family has enough money for her to live here on her own after her parent's assets are seized."

Shinso blinked slowly, taking that in. "And how did you find all that information? I doubt they'd just put it on their website."

Izuku's smile was deceptively sweet, "I hacked their business computers remotely of course!"

"Isn't that illegal?" Shinso didn't look disapproving, just worried.

He waved his hand dismissively, "It's only illegal if you get caught."

Shinso pointed a finger at him, "That's not how crime works."

The only answer he got to that was a shrug and a meh from the freckled boy. Then Izuku stood up excitedly, "Who wants to play violent video games until dinner?"

The three boys settled on the couch, shoving each other and trash talking loudly until Inko called them in for dinner. Izuku sat next to his mom, across from his two friends and thought maybe UA wouldn't be like his old school. Maybe he could actually enjoy learning with a small group of friends and at least one teacher who was on his side.