Aim to Pass II:

Time started to blur together, Izuku realized. Days turned to weeks, and weeks bled into months.

Training was as exciting as ever despite the repetition. Coach Luke had left a few weeks ago, but not before Izuku built a respectable foundation. His ki had grown, and so had he; now standing at a respectable one hundred seventy centimeters, and with that, grew his overall power. Fortunately - and unfortunately, some days - that meant that the intensity of his training regiment had also grown.

Some days, like today, he was brutally reminded of that.

"Again!"

Izuku growls and wipes sweat from his brow. The training dummy is there, unmoving, taunting him despite the many impact craters on its leather body. Izuku stands and delivers a picture perfect sidekick to the side of the dummy's head, keeping his motions fluid and lithe when the dummy starts to fall. But he doesn't let it hit the ground. He isn't allowed to. The moment his foot hits the floor, he calls forth his ki to his feet and Drive Rushes forward, throwing a low jab to the dummy's torso, followed by an uppercut as he stands upright.

The dummy tilts backwards and up, giving Izuku ample time to prepare himself. His eyes narrow, his heart races and his mind goes blank.

"Perfect!"

A resounding and satisfying thud sends the dummy flying back and against the wall. The extra power provided by landing a perfect Flash Knuckle never fails to surprise the boy, as evident when he nearly collides with the dummy when it rebounds off the concrete. He moves quickly, squaring his feet and pulling power from his legs and hips.

"Perfect!"

This time, an uppercut that tears the leather skin from the dummy's body. It explodes upward towards the high ceiling of the dojo, stopping just shy of the hardwood. When gravity kicks in, Izuku is ready.

He pulls back a fist, not like either Sensei or his coach, but like the one at the pinnacle of his dreams. Izuku can see it in his mind's eye - a fantasy that he indulges in. It's him, bloodied, battered and bruised, but victorious over a villain, if only he could land this final punch. He can feel it all; pride, glory, admiration, acceptance. It's coursing through his veins harder and faster than the ki does.

The dummy does not hit the ground.

"Perfect!"

The final hit is his most practiced strike, a sharp, straight right right down the middle and thrown over the shoulder. Wind kicks up in the dojo when the dummy flies backward and into the floor, loudly screeching across the ground before hitting the wall. Izuku holds the follow-through of his punch, reveling in the power coursing through his whole body. It makes him feel lighter than air, yet full enough to burst.

"Whoo! Good form, kid!" Ken cheers from across the room, giving Izuku a thumbs up and he drops his hands to his knees and desperately pants for air.

Ryu is beside him in several long, measured strides with a bottle of water.

"Three prefects in a row. That's a new record. Keep it at it, Midoriya."

Izuku would feel happy and proud of his work, had it not been for the exhaustion flooding his whole being.

"Don't drop, you know the drill. A cool down lap and stretches. You don't -"

"I don't want to be sore in the morning," Izuku finishes through deep breaths. "I know."

"Good."

It takes a minute, but eventually, Izuku gathers himself well enough to start his cooldown lap. Before he steps on the field though, he looks at his phone. Aside from the usual messages from his mother and Sakura, Uraraka's chat remains at the top, opened, read and replied. Today is a cardio day for her, so she'll be at the beach a bit later than normal and if he hurries, he might be able to catch her before she goes. Just the thought of seeing her again gives him something of a second wind that makes the impending lap and stretches seem like a minor task.

His eyes drift down his screen until it falls to Ryoya's name. Izuku frowns. Their last conversation wasn't particularly long ago, only a week and a few days, but they have been getting more sparse as time went on. He rarely, if ever visited, and whenever he did, he always seemed a bit more flighty than normal. It was as though his head was in the clouds and his mind was miles away, even more than before. It worried him, really, but Ryoya assured him that it was fine.

'Hey, call me when you can.' Izuku hits send and begins on his ending routine.

All Might wasn't the smartest man in the world. It was a known fact among his small circle, and it was something he actively worked on day-to-day despite having no real need to at his age. It kept him sharp and ready, and wasn't something he was soon to give up. However, there were moments like this where his calculations were off.

He stared at the beach under shaded eyes in his smaller form, taking in the progress. There wasn't much time left, maybe a month or two at most, and yet, young Uraraka was nearly fully done with the beach. It was as impressive as it was a bit worrying. Truthfully, he hadn't planned for her to be this ahead of schedule.

"Young Uraraka," He starts slowly, seeing the girl race back and forth through the sand with increasingly heavy objects. "Perhaps you could slow down a bit. You still have plenty of time to spare."

Uraraka barely regards him, "Can't."

"Why not?"

It was only then that she paused. "I, er, am expecting someone."

All Might makes a face, internally ready to chastise. Had she told someone about these meetings? He had expressly told her not to, after all. He opens his mouth to speak, and then closes it when he sees the flush on her cheeks and the awkward strain in her smile. A knowing, sage-like smile appeared on his face.

"Is this someone perhaps someone with green hair?"

The brunette's eyes widened as if All Might had pulled out a gun. "Uh -"

"About this tall, fit? Three freckles on his face?" All Might continues to list, getting immense pleasure in seeing the girl's discomfort. Maybe Gran was right; aging was fun.

"Actually four on each side," The minute the words left her mouth, Ochako physically recoiled. She glances at the ground, hoping and praying for death to claim her. "Wait - I mean - how do you know? He, uh, hasn't been there that many times!"

That was a bit of a lie, All Might knew. The boy comes here almost every day, but he chooses not to call her out on it.

"Because he's right over there."

Ochako's head snapped around so fast, Toshinori was worried that he might've heard something snap. Her eyes scan the beach in record time to see nothing but sandy shores and clear skies. When her panic dies down, she gives All Might a scowl with a pout.

"That's not very heroic, All Might" she says, to the laughing man.

"Maybe," the man says coyly with a gaunt smile, "But it worked, didn't it?"

"Wha -?"

"I got you to take a break."

Ochako should've been a bit more upset at the sheer smug aura the Symbol of Peace gave off, but upon seeing her progress and being overcome with a wave of exhaustion, she merely laughed weakly. "Right, I guess it did."

The hero hums. "Now, mind telling me why you're pushing yourself so hard? The program was molded to your exact specifications, you know, down to the diet. Overtraining is a very real thing, kid."

Ochako can't find it in her to argue with that. She chews her lips and looks around, as if to make sure Midoriya wasn't around, and to buy herself some time. "It's just -" She starts and then sighs. "You - you know my friend, right?"

"Young Midoriya, I assume. Yes, I know him. Fine young man."

Ochako feels heat pool in the base of her neck and tries to rub it away, "Yeah, him. He's honestly amazing. He's so strong and inspirational. You know he runs six kilometers every day to get here? Sometimes, he does it after his own trainin' and from what he's said, it's nuts! And then he offers to help me out - don't make that face, I told him no - and then he runs back!" Ochako flails around, as if that emphasizes the absurdity of her statements. "Seeing that, and uh, what we talked about wanting to be heroes, I couldn't help myself, y'know? If he could push himself that hard, why can't I? Sorry if I took it too far, All Might."

Toshinori regards her for a moment, gathering his thoughts and choosing his words carefully.

"You didn't take it too far, young lady." He starts, looking her in the eyes so she can see his sincerity. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself harder. Young Midoriya is a fine example to follow. It's honestly impressive that you've managed to keep up with him thus far, given his apparent strength quirk." Uraraka snorts, and All Might continues. "Truthfully, that reason right there reminded me of someone else; my master. She had that same attitude and grit, she saw people like that and strived to be stronger. To be better. Your desire to improve and never be complacent just further drives my point that you were the perfect candidate for my quirk."

Ochako, upon hearing the man's words, the conviction with which he spoke, and the calming, compassionate look in his eyes, couldn't help herself when her lip started quivering.

All Might opens his arms just in time for her to crash into him with a hug, "Hehe, why don't you take the rest of the day off? You've earned it."

Ochako lets a few more tears soak the man's shirt before pulling herself away and wiping her face. "You're right. Thank you, All Might."

"And would you look at that," he says, gesturing to the far end of the beach, "he's right on time."

Ochako does her best to wipe her face by the time Izuku walks up to the duo. He seems to notice the puffy eyes, and red nose, and opens his mouth to comment, only to be stopped by Uraraka pointing directly at his bandaged arm and nose.

"Hey! You're hurt again!"

"Wha -"

"No buts!" She says, pushing her index finger on his mouth hard enough to smush his face. "You gotta go a bit easier on the training."

While Uraraka descends into an expertly timed speech about overtraining, All Might can only chuckle to himself. 'Youth is such a blessing these days.'

Instead of a tour of the city, Izuku and Ochako decided on getting a light snack from a bakery across town. It was the weekend, and the place might be full, but Izuku had yet to try their All Might-themed cupcakes, and he refused to let another day go by without getting his hands on one. You're such a dork. Uraraka teased.

"I prefer the term 'committed'."

They fell into a nice bout of conversation after that, mostly just general observations about the city and about their own training. He told her about flash knuckle, she told him about her beach progress. Things were nice, right up until a heavy pressure fell on Izuku's shoulders. He goes stock still in the middle of the sidewalk with widened eyes and sweat dripping down his brow.

"Midoriya? Are you okay?" Ochako asked, concerned. "You're starting to scare me, haha."

Izuku swallows down, but his throat feels like sandpaper. He gives the girl a pained, grave look, with a matching tone, "Uraraka. If I don't survive this, I want you to know that I greatly enjoyed our time together."

Before Ochako could unpack that, Izuku braced himself and raised both hands up in an 'x' to block over his chest. A foot - much too strong and fast for its size - slammed into his guard and immediately knocked him to the floor. Uraraka gasped. Several passersby look shocked, but the attacker in question has no shame.

"Izuku!"

Izuku groaned, but he smiled through the pain.

"Nice - nice to see you too, Sakura..."

"Wha.. Sakura? Midoriya, is this the Sakura you've been telling me about?"

Sakura nods rapidly and takes a step back. "Aww, he's been talkin' about me? Hm, hm" a shy smile finds its way to her face. "Hehe, hopefully he's been saying good things. I'm Sakura Kasugano, second-year at UA and this guy's -" she shoots Izuku a look and he stops squirming - "de-facto big sis! You must be..." Sakura paused and put her index finger on her lip, appearing deep in thought before snapping her finger, "Uraraka! Did I impress you? I hope I did!"

"Kasu-chan! Wait up!"

Izuku, from his spot on the floor - he reasoned that if he stayed still, maybe Sakura wouldn't send him to the infirmary - saw another girl in a matching uniform to Sakura's. She's fair skinned, with some of the widest, most curious eyes Izuku had ever seen, and the way her outrageously long periwinkle hair blew around in the breeze was a sight to behold. "You're too fast, Kasu-chan! Not all of us can run that fast!" The girl scolds with a pout, but there's no real heat behind it.

Sakura has the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Nejire. But this -" in one smooth, frankly almost-too-quick movement, Sakura has Izuku by the hand and back to his feet. "Is Izuku! You know, my little brother I've been telling you about!"

Izuku regards the girl with the expression of a man sent before the firing squad. She was prettier up close, and cut such a figure that Izuku couldn't help but to stare directly upwards.

"Hi - hi."

The girl regards him for a moment before a wide smile appears on her face. "Oh, oh! Yeah. You're the guy who's super-duper strong right? You throw Me-Kens!"

"I... wha -?"

"Her last name is Hado. That's what she calls it." Sakura explains.

"Ah... right. I get it." Truthfully, he didn't but he was never one to challenge Sakura in the streets. He'd like his blood to remain on the inside, thank you.

"And you!" Nejire's attention snapped to Uraraka like a whip, making the girl jump almost a foot in the air. "You're cute! I like your hair. Are your cheeks always that puffy? Are you wearing blush makeup? Are you two on a date? Sorry for disturbing you if you are!"

"Da - date?!"

Izuku groans, hiding his red face in his hands. "No, we aren't," his muffled voice says stiffly.

"Oh, that's good! Guess we have time for a quick fight, right Izuku?"

Izuku's head snapped up, eyes wide. 'It was a trap!' Sweat starts to drip down his brow again. "Er, uh, well, yeah. We're actually on a da - date! Yeah! We have to be going - ACK!" A solid fist landed squarely into Izuku's solar plexus. He wheezed and doubled over almost immediately.

"Come on, Izuku! You know better than to not block!"

Izuku makes some kind of pained sound before narrowly avoiding a stomp to the chest.

"See? That's better!"

What followed next could only really be described as a robbery. Midoriya, bless his heart, tried to put up a decent fight, but Sakura was on another level altogether. It was almost jarring, seeing the usually powerful Midoriya thrown around like a ragdoll in the streets. Uraraka almost wanted to get involved, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I wouldn't, if I were you!" Nejire warned teasingly. "Kasu-chan said the only rule is that there are no rules! So if you throw a punch, you're in!" The girl teases, and Uraraka wisely takes a step back. " You should see her and Mirio spar! She sent him to Recovery Girl five times already! Kasu-chan! Can I call Mirio?!"

Sakura doesn't miss a beat between dodging Izuku's punch to the face and countering with a kick to his stomach. "Crap! We were s'posed to meet Mirio and Tamaki at the mall!" Izuku threw another punch, only to have Sakura bob to the side and toss him over her hip and onto the hard ground. "We have to go now! Sorry for interrupting your date, Izuku!"

"It wasn't... a date..." Izuku said between pained breaths.

"Right, 'course it wasn't. Anyway, goodbye! You better give me a call! Oh, and tell Ryo-kun that when I see him, it's on sight!"

Izuku used whatever remaining power he had left to give a shaky thumbs-up.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a figure sat atop a skyscraper with a small smile on their face and dark, circular glasses covering bright blue, intricate eyes. "They both got so strong." Ryoya says with a fond sigh. He glances down to his phone and counts the messages, an activity he finds himself doing more these days than before. So many missed calls from his friends, so many messages left unanswered. Amidst his thoughts, his phone rings again, but in a special, hazy ringtone. He looks at the number and grimaces. "Agent Loki reporting. How far? Copy. I can have it handled within the hour. Understood." With that, he hung up and glanced back down. Visionary gave him many things, and right now, he couldn't be happier for the extra sight. "Soon, guys."

A/N: Boo. Random Turbo jump scare. I'm not dead. I've just been writing other things. Hope you enjoyed.