So what I thought would be a shorter chapter may have grown legs and ran off on me. But i hope you enjoy
-Countdown-
He wasn't as foolish today; he woke up extra early again, but instead of going to school hours before, he decided to get in a workout instead, using his desire to improve his control as a distraction. He could call up One for All to his 8% before he started running. He let the light show dissipate to not draw attention to himself; he had theorized that One for All ran along channels through his body hence the red veins, and by opening it to those channels. However, those veins, his blood, and the pressure caused pain and discomfort.
Why, then, would the energy carried by his blood go to his muscles that weren't used to the stimuli, and that would cause their pain, besides the obvious of forcing them to explode if too much was pushed on them because they weren't ready to handle it? It was like working out; the muscle fibers had to be torn and replaced with his new physiology to adapt better.
One for All was a part of him now, but it was an adaptation and mutation process. His muscles had to be slowly replaced with the new construction data of One for All. Working out and having it flood his body was the best way to do that; it was the only way. He had even started turning it on sometimes during studying to see if it affected his mental capacity and during some of his paintings to practice fine motor control.
He just let his mind go as he ran towards the beach; as soon as he hit it, it was time to push it up a notch. Pushing to 10%, he felt the sting, but it was lessened than last time; he started running up and down the beach, forcing his body to adapt and grow. Not wanting to exhaust himself, he lowered it for the run home.
If I could have Recovery Girl there to accelerate my body's natural healing, I could speed up my recovery and almost cheat. I wonder if she would be willing to help me once a week. I should discuss this with All-Might first, but I don't think I will; it is cheating.
He still raced to get to school early, just not hours before. That café is excellent; maybe he would stop by today just in case.
-Tsu-
She never went for a morning run before school, yet here she was, running around the park; breaking off the trail, she started leaping through the trees, a course she had developed since she was a kid, ingrained in her mind, especially since the day by the river.
As she came flying out from the tree line, gracefully twisting her body through the air, she landed gracefully on the bank of that very river; gymnastics classes had been a significant investment. A quick glance to her left and her mind displayed the same image that came to her every time she landed at this spot, the boy by the river. The day she met Izuku Midoriya.
Does he remember? Does that day hold any significance to him? I never forgot that day; what if I am the only one that remembers? Would that matter? I would hurt if he didn't, but it was so long ago. But if he did remember, I hope it is a good memory and…
She stood there looking around for a moment; she felt the new ache of the distance away from him. Ever since she saw him again when they were apart, it would start as an unsettling feeling in her stomach, but by night it was an ache, a longing to see him. Dreams would help, but today, they had only seemed to exasperate the situation.
Tsu leaped over the river and backed off into the forest. Upon returning home, she couldn't resist the urge to leave and head to school early, not hours before but just a little early.
-The Train-
Tsu sat in the train car on her journey towards school but also towards her mate. She sat in the same train car she had before, almost like her constant return to the river. Like before, she felt him step into the train car, her head shot up, and she saw him through the crowd.
Izuku made his way onto his usual train car, and something inside screamed at him to look to his left, and there she was in the same spot looking right at him just like before. He couldn't help but smile, making his way over; Tsu's heart was pounding as he did so; she didn't realize that she was smiling back at him as an excited ribbit escaped her lips as he got closer. To her surprise, the person sitting next to her got up and vacated the seat. She watched as he sat next to her.
He could hear her ribbit, and accompanied by the broad smile; he was melting inside; as he sat next to her, he began to think about how maybe this could be an everyday thing, he may have to figure out a way to earn some money for daily café visits but in pursuit of this, he would.
"G. G. Good Morning, Tsu. You are on the train early today."
"As are you, Izuku. Is this going to be your normal train from now on?"
"Y. Yes, I think it would be nice to avoid some rushes, and I enjoy stopping by that café in the morning. Are you going to take this train too?"
Suppose you will be on it, then yes, tell me what train to be on! She screamed internally. "Yes, I also want to avoid the rush, especially after yesterday's reporters at the gate. Did they bother you?"
"N. No, I woke up crazy early again and just came to school, so I got in before they gathered; Ochaco and Ida told me how much of a mess it was."
"I am pleased that you were not bothered. Were you going to stop by the café again today?"
"I was planning to…" before he could say anything else.
"May I join you? I promised to pay the next time we went."
"I would love for you to join me," he said. His beaming smile and glowing eyes started to do a thing to her body that made her look away, her hands fidgeting.
"If you are going to be on this train every day, maybe we can make it our normal stop, like together," she asked; luckily for her, her hair was covering the sides of her face so he couldn't see how red she was, and she couldn't see him exploding.
Holy Shit, Holy Shit, an everyday thing, meeting on the same train and going to the café together every morning. As a couples do, maybe I can hold her hand and… wait, slow down, just breathe, take a deep breath, and DO NOT FUCK THIS UP BRAIN.
"I would like that a lot Tsu; maybe I can have your phone number in case I run late. I wouldn't want you to have to wait for me." Perfect reply, brain, but asking for her phone number?
Look, it is a perfectly valid question; it doesn't come off as creepy that we are asking to let her know if our standing plans change so we do not inconvenience her.
That is pretty smart; good job, brain.
That is what we do when you let us talk and not let your nerves interfere with us; stick with us, kid, and you will go far.
Wait? Why am I having a two-party conversation with myself? That can't be good.
Do you know what, that is right, we shouldn't do this again.
Agreed, but thanks, Brain.
You're welcome, Izuku; now focus; she is about to talk.
"That sounds logical. I agree I should have your number just in case my plans change as well," she said, pulling out her phone, calmly exchanging phone numbers, noticing the other's straps, and silently wondering where they could get the same one. Tsu did not imagine climbing into his lap out of glee; she was not using all her restraint to avoid bursting into a happy dance. She was calm, a duck on the pond for all to see.
They arrived at their stop avoiding further conversation until they went down the street and stepped into "their" spot.
The same hostess greeted them; she appeared to not be much older than them, with auburn hair and beautiful purple eyes; she smiled when they entered. She took their order and left them to talk while she assembled it. It wasn't until they left that Tsu and Izuku that a cake was tucked into the bottom; it appeared to be a simple strawberry shortcake. They noticed two forks and a little note written on the top. "For Sharing" 😉.
They both froze; fortunately, Tsu said, "Maybe we can share it later?"
"That sounds great; maybe after Rescue Training?"
"I would like that."
"Are you excited about training today?"
"I am. I want to be a rescue hero when I graduate."
"You would be an amazing hero no matter what field you enter."
"Thanks, Izuku; I think you will be too."
-The Journey-
As soon as the bell rang, Aizawa entered and called out. "Class, get your costumes and get changed. Meet outside the bus; Midoriya and Yaoyorozu ensure everyone is on the bus and ready in 15 minutes."
Momo stood taking attendance while Izuku politely told Ida that a seating chart was unnecessary for their trip.
"Everyone is accounted for," Momo said, handing him the clipboard.
"All right, everyone on the bus, sit where you like," he called out as everyone filed in.
Aizawa came up, and after he was told everyone else was on board, he nodded as the reps boarded, taking their seats. As he boarded, he saw an empty seat next to Tsu and Ochaco; both girls seemed to want him to sit with them, but luckily, depending on whom you asked, Momo decided to sit next to Ochaco, making Izuku's decision simple.
The conversation was lively all around him; it was nice to hear people laughing and having a good time.
"Izuku, I have noticed that your quirk is like All-Might's?" Tsu said.
"Oh, uh, I can see that because of the strength part." He responded, trying not to freak out a little bit.
"Yea, but All-Might doesn't get all that green lightning, though," Kirishima said, "That is pretty hardcore and flashy, man. I wish my quirk were more like that."
"I think you have a great quirk Kirishima," Izuku countered, silently thanking the boy for pointing out the lightning part. "It may not be as showy, but you can be a great hero."
"Thanks, Midoriya," he said with a smile. "But you, Todoroki, and Bakugo all have some real flash."
"Yea, but Bakugo is too angry ever to be a popular hero," Tsu chimed.
"WHAT THE FUCK YOU SAW FROG FACE?" He shouted.
"Dude, you are just proving her point," Denki said, rolling his eyes.
"EAT A DICK SHITTY LIGHTNING!"
Izuku felt silent. It was a new experience to see people teasing Bakugo and not him; he instead got a laugh as more people joined in till the bus came to a stop.
"Settle down and get off the bus," Aizawa called out.
Class 1-A marveled as they stepped out of the bus at the awe-inspiring facility before them; Izuku was about to say something when he heard a squeal of excitement next to him as Ochaco grabbed his arm and shook him back and forth.
"OMG, Izuku, that's Thirteen." She said. "She is my favorite hero; she is the reason I am so fascinated with space; I wanted my costume to be more like hers, but well, you know."
"That's awesome, Ochaco; maybe after class, you can get her autograph or something."
"Izuku, you are the best." She said, still shaking him back and forth.
Holding herself back from dropkicking Ochaco, Tsu placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "If you keep shaking him like that, you will make him sick."
Ochaco then seemed to realize what she was doing, blushed, and stepped back.
Izuku smiled at Tsu and mouthed a thank you as the pro heroine approached, with Aizawa stepping forward to greet her.
"Where is that big idiot? I thought he was supposed to meet us here?" he said to the space-themed hero as she got closer in her suit.
"Got a call. He was running late, but he will be joining us later." She replied. "All right, welcome Class 1-A to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint or the USJ. Today we are going to practice Rescue Training. Whatever field of heroics you go into will be called upon at some point in your career to participate in a rescue operation. I know some of you may be thinking of how your quirk is unsuitable for rescue, but does anyone know what my quirk is?"
Ochaco's hand shot up, and the girl was practically jumping; Izuku smiled and wondered if that was how he acted when he got to talk about quirks. Of course, Thirteen called on her.
"Your quirk is called Black Hole; you can replicate the pull of a black hole from your hands; it is potent, and not even light can escape it," Ochaco said proudly.
"You are correct, and much like a black hole, anything sucked in will disintegrate. It takes excellent care and training to use quirks like mine to aid in rescue, let alone specialize in it. So, I want all of you to pay attention and give your all; what you learn today may save someone's life. Now if you would all follow me."
-The USJ-
The class did as they were told and entered the gigantic facility. They stood marveling at all the zones spread out before them.
"Um, Sensei, is that part of the training" Kirishima called out; Aizawa turned to his student and saw him pointing over the railing to the plaza below. A swirling dark portal made of mist had opened, and a group of villains was pouring out. He saw a bit farther back another portal open and outstep the person he assumed was responsible for the portal. The man's entire body is made out of a dark purple mist, save for his eyes, which are glowing yellow. He wore an exquisite suit with a tie and had a metal brace from around his collarbone to just below his eyes.
Standing in front of the mist villain was whom Aizawa assumed was the leader, a slim man with pale skin, tinged. He was wearing plain red sneakers, black pants that exposed his ankles, and a matching long-sleeved V-neck shirt; covering his arms and shoulders were what appeared to be hands. There was one hiding his face as well.
"Where is All-Might, Kurogiri?" he rasped out, "He is supposed to be here; how can we start the raid if the boss hasn't even shown up yet? Oh, I get it. We must clear the trash first; let's kill some mobs and see if we can get the boss to spawn." He paused before turning to the students, "Greetings, you NPCs. I am Shigaraki, and we are the League of Villains; we have come to kill All-Might, but until he arrives, you cannon fodder must do."
Outstepped something; it was a giant, black humanoid monster with a very muscular body with many scars. His brain is exposed on the top of his head while his large eyes surround it. He has a beak-like mouth with an array of sharp teeth. It only wore beige pants and metal knee pads designed to emulate skulls. His feet and torso are left bare.
"Thirteen get the kids out of here," he shouted.
"Sensei, there are too many of them," Kirishima called after him.
"No hero is a one-trick pony. Now move, or you are expelled." He replied as he jumped over the rail.
"With me, students," Thirteen called as they moved towards the exit, only for the black mist to erupt around them.
Kurogiri emerged, "I do apologize, but we cannot have you running off yet after the young master has gone through all the trouble of arranging a proper welcome for you all." He put his hand forward, and mist began to spill forth.
"No, you don't," Thirteen countered, the caps over her fingers flying open as her quirk activated, ripping the mist in, and pulling at the villain; she didn't see another portal open behind her. Her quirk violently tore her suit open, causing the heroine to scream and fall to the floor.
"Now disperse into the darkness," he said with a quiet calm that chilled the students.
"I DON'T THINK SO FUCKER" Katsuki yelled as he leaped forward and fired off an explosion along with Kirishima following with an attack of his own. To everyone's surprise, the villain seemed utterly unharmed, and instead, a portal emerged, swallowing the two attackers.
Before Izuku could react, he saw a portal appear under Tsu. He reached out only to be swallowed by a portal himself.
-Flood Zone-
Suddenly Izuku was in the air and falling; he saw he was above the USJ, heading towards the flood zone. As he plummeted towards the water, he could see a monstrous shark villain moving to intercept, activating One for All. He quickly dispersed the lightning a split second before impact. He frantically tried to move towards the surface, only to see a gaping maw closing in.
Suddenly Tsu came crashing in with a powerful kick knocking the villain off course and pushing off out of the water, her tongue lashing out to wrap Izuku around the waist. She wiped him overhead towards the ship's deck used for training; as she landed on the hull, her tongue fired out again, snatching Mineta from the grasp of a group of villains that seemed to have a piranha mutation.
Izuku rolled towards the deck, minimizing the impact, and coming to his feet.
Tsu and Mineta landed near the railing; Mineta, snot running down his face, leaped and clung to Tsu, burying his face in her chest. "Oh god, I thought I was going to die without ever getting to touch boobs; THANK YOU, TSU."
Izuku started to see red, but Tsu ripped him off with her tongue and sent him crashing into the deck.
She turned and saw Izuku. Both immediately said, "Are you all, right?"
Izuku took a deep breath, "I am Tsu thanks for the save."
"Anytime, Izuku," she said, still feeling scared but feeling better that her mate was nearby.
Izuku moved to the railing to see what the villains were doing. To his surprise, they were staying back. As his mind raced, he heard Tsu ask again if he was uninjured.
"Of course, you were there to save me, first a river, now a lake, what is next, the ocean?"
Tsu froze, and so did Izuku as he realized what he had said. Turning to look over his shoulder, his heart sank as the shock on Tsu's face made him begin to freak out that he had messed up.
He then saw a tear in the corner of her eye, "You remembered?"
Izuku's eyes widened, "Did you?"
"Yes," they both said.
"I recognized you as soon as I walked into class; I was so happy." He said. "I never forgot you; I wanted to see you again."
"It was the same for me; I knew it was you. I was afraid to say anything in case you forgot me."
"I could never forget you, Tsu; I have thought of you almost every day since then," he slapped his hands over his mouth, trying to stop the word vomit. She stepped closer and gently pulled his hands away.
"Why were you thinking about me every day?" She said, her voice trembling.
"You saved me that day and made me believe I could be a hero. You were the first one to ever believe in me. And I never could get you out of my head; I…"
Before he could say anymore, they heard the villains from below call out for them to send the girl, and they would let the boys live.
Izuku felt a rage like never before, Tsu could feel his anger, and then she felt this warm feeling like he would protect her.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY ASSHOLES" he shouted.
Quickly he dived backward, wrapping his arms around Tsu, and rolling from view as a hail of thorns came flying from the water, tearing through the deck where they had been standing. She was lying on top of him, their eyes locked. A groan from the side snapped them back as Mineta regained his sense.
"WE ARE GOING TO DIE; WE NEED TO RUN. MAYBE TSU COULD DISTRACT THEM SO WE CAN GET AWAY." Mineta yelled, panic overtaking him. Tsu's tongue slapped him across his face.
"You first, Mineta," she said, anger in her voice.
"Mineta, you would just sacrifice someone to save your ass."
"I don't want to die; they will kill us."
Izuku resisting the urge to punch the boy, walked over and placed his hands on Mineta's shoulders. "Mineta, I need you to calm down; we will escape here. I need you, hero, up right now; if you don't, we are all dead, do you understand."
He saw Mineta visibly stop and take several deep breaths.
"Izuku, do you think we can get out of here safely," Tsu asked.
"We will, and we are," he said, giving Mineta and her a reassuring smile. "Besides, there is some cake I want to eat."
"What?" Mineta said in confusion, while Tsu smiled and blushed some.
Izuku pondered precisely how they would make their escape. "Tsu, I know your quirk, but Mineta, tell me about yours."
"I can tear these orbs off my head, and they stick to anything but me; how healthy I am dictates how sticky they are. I took a big shit before we got on the bus, so I am in good shape."
"Why would you say that?"
"They are tied to my overall health, any toxins in the body, and they don't work either."
"Ok, that makes sense, but honestly, man," Izuku said, thinking, "Hey can you throw one into the water. I want to see what the villains do."
Mineta crept forward and tossed on, causing the villains to observe it till one reached out and touched it. He reported it to Izuku, who smiled. "They don't know our quirks; they would have never sent Tsu here if they did."
"If we can break the surface with enough force," he said as a light bulb clicked in his head. It would probably hurt as he would have to use 100%, but how to concentrate? His mind clicked into place with a slight wince; he knew what had to be done. "Tsu, how far could you get with Mineta if you were to jump from the ship?"
"I am not leaving you behind, Izuku." She said sternly.
"I am not asking you to; I want that cake now."
"Dude, what is with you and cake?" Mineta questioned.
"Well, Tsu,"
"I could get us probably to shore."
"And if you had to reach back and grab me with your tongue?"
"Very close to shore but not on dry land. What are you planning?"
"You and Mineta are going to run and jump off the side," he stopped Mineta as he could see the panic. "Now, the most important part is you, Mineta."
"Me?"
"Yes, when you get over the edge, I need you to start throwing your sticky balls as many as you can as fast as you can. Can you do that?"
"Yes?" he replied. "What will that do?"
"I will follow you guys off and use an attack to break the water's surface, causing a vortex."
"How can you do that? You aren't that strong." Mineta countered, trying to fight off the panic.
"Remember the Zero-Pointer? Trust me, I got this." He said his confidence soothing Mineta and doing other things to Tsu.
"So, I jump with him, you fire off your attack, and then I grab you, and we get to shore?" Tsu said.
"Yes, I need you to save me again."
"I can do that," she said with a smile.
Tsu walked to Mineta, "If you grab me in any inappropriate way, I will throw you in the water."
Mineta gulped, "Yes, ma'am."
Izuku activated One for All, doing a quick test of pulling it from all over his body to a finger; he looked at the Tsu and Mineta. "Ready?" They nodded; with a burst, he pushed off and leaped into the air, hearing the shouts below, Tsu followed as soon they were airborne, and Mineta went to work fueled by fear of death and for the first time of letting people down. His arms almost blurred with the speed and fury he ripped the orbs from his head.
Izuku felt One for All leave his body and go into a single finger; he grimaced and pushed to 100%. "AIR CANNON!" he yelled as the force ripped from his finger. He muffled his yell as his finger broke from the point of the attack.
It worked perfectly; the villains were trying to avoid Mineta's orbs, then when Air Cannon hit penetrated the bottom of the lake, creating a vortex pulling the villains and balls together into one jumbled tangled mess. He felt Tsu's tongue wrap around him and yank him away; he crashed into the water near the shore.
-The Courtyard-
As the trio made their way out of the water, part of them almost wished they hadn't. Aizawa was in what could be seen as a desperate battle. Over 20 villains lay unconscious or unable to continue around him. The pro hero had some cuts and bruises, but he was still standing; not only standing, but he was also still fighting.
Shigaraki and his monster stood watching; they could hear the villain counting, "30,28,25, 24...You're slowing down, Eraser Head."
Eraser Head didn't respond, shutting down one of his attackers' quirks and using him as a projectile weapon Shigaraki, to everyone's horror, saw the beast at Shigaraki's side catch the projectile by his head and hold him dangling out at arm's length.
"Pathetic," Shigaraki sneered. They saw the self-proclaimed leader reach out and touch the suspended villain's bear chest; the man's muffled scream would haunt the three students for the rest of their lives, and they saw the man's body begin to decay. The skin turned grey and began to fall away into dust; this continued the screams and thrashing increasing till it hit the man's heart. The monster, never flinching blinking, just dropped the dead man as the ashes that were its' body blew across the battlefield.
Mineta turned to the side and wretched; Tsu covered her mouth to hold in the scream of terror; Izuku fought back both reactions before he was true villainy. Not somebody trying to gain money. They were a killer; no remorse or words would reach this monster. Shigaraki was the true monster, not the beast that stood there motionlessly; no, that was just some golem obeying the orders of its master. And its master was a killer.
Shigaraki rushed in at Aizawa. The pro seeing the horrifying display, knew he couldn't be touched; quirk activating, he threw out his capture scarf, hoping to pin the man's hands to his body, but the killer was a step quicker, moving slightly to the right, his hand reaching out brushing against the captured weapon as it like the man before it began to turn to dust.
Eraser Head ducked under the left hook, retaliating with an uppercut that Shigaraki leaned his head back just enough to avoid contact. The killer's hand contacted the ground as he bicycled kick upwards, forcing the hero to dodge; Eraser Head had already recovered by the time Shigaraki had spun up to his feet. A murderous hand shot out to strike the hero dead in the chest, only for the hero's quirk a activate and for a vicious right to meet the killer's face sending him crashing away as the hand that covered the villain's face fell off onto the ground.
"Father," with the first sense of panic or emotion, others looked frantically for the lost hand. "NOMU, KILL HIM."
Eraser Head had already moved to attempt to capitalize on the moment he didn't even see the golem move. The impact never connected as Eraser Head was about to drive what he hoped would be a knockout blow to the man's temple. His arm was caught at the wrist, and sickening crunch and painful scream as the man's bones broke. The Golem lifted the man off the ground and threw him with such force into the wall that it spider-webbed, blood flying out his mouth; the Golem blurred and drove a vicious blow into the Hero's chest.
Izuku, ignoring Mineta and Tsu's cries, burst from cover, calling up 100% of One for All. "DETROIT SMASH" he yelled as his fist drove into the Nomu. Nothing happened; Izuku noticed as he made contact that all the force was absorbed. Shock Absorption!
The Nomu then swung a dismissive backhand with blinding speed; if it weren't for his training with All-Might, the damage would have been possibly fatal, but he was able to get his guard up, so instead, he was knocked back thankfully, Nomu was no longer focused on his sensei. Izuku leaped back from a thunderous overhand punch pulling the Nomu farther still.
"IZUKU!" Tsu cried out as she was aware of her mate's danger.
"GET SENSEI OUT OF HERE!" he yelled back, ducking under another blow.
Fighting against her primal instinct to protect him, she knew she couldn't keep up with that speed. She turned to Mineta, "Make sure those villains can't join in the fight; I am going to go help sensei."
"Are you nuts?" he cried back.
"Mineta, I don't have time for this; either be a hero or a coward," she snapped as she leaped off towards their downed teacher.
Shigaraki located the hand securing back to his face; with a growl, he rose to his feet. Before he could say anything, Kurogiri appeared next to the killer.
"Young Master, one of the students has managed to escape. He is undoubtedly on his way to gather reinforcements."
"Kurogiri, you bastard, if weren't our ticket out of here, I would kill you right now; the final boss hasn't even shown up. We are leaving. But not before we ensure All-Might's gets to vacuum up some of his students."
The words sank into Izuku as he saw it start in slow motion; Tsu had landed next to Aizawa and was hoisting the unconscious man up, a black portal began to form in front of her, and Izuku could see the Shigaraki's hand disappearing into an outlet before him. Instinctively he knew what was about to happen; Tsu was about to meet her end; she was about to die.
His body suddenly surged with great energy, more potent than anything he had experienced. He stepped to the side of the Nomu, and with a left hand, he pushed against the creature. It flew to the side, and his right arm was about to explode; I must save and keep her.
You will ninth, now use my power, save your mate.
Black Jagged tendrils exploded from Izuku's arm; he saw the blood fly in this state of slow-motion that everything seemed to be moving in. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" he roared; Shigaraki couldn't react as the black jagged tendrils edged in teal exploded towards him, wrapping around him, and violently yanking him towards a boy in a dark green costume, his arms pinned he couldn't even defend himself as a glowing left crashed into his face shattering his orbital socket sending all four hands on his upper body flying off into the USJ.
Kurogiri went to spring into action only for an explosion targeted at his neck brace to send him face-first into the dirt.
"I KNEW THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING THERE UNDER THAT BRACE. WHY ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE IT," Bakugo snarled as his hand pinned the teleporter to the floor, "MOVE, AND I WILL BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF."
The pealing itself from the wall it had been half embedded in went to move forward, only for its extremities to be encased in ice. "You will not be going anywhere, foul beast," Todoroki called out. The thing appeared stopped then they watched as it ripped itself free, leaving its trapped limbs behind; they saw it begin to regenerate rapidly.
Izuku had pulled Shigaraki back to him like a paddle with a ball and, this time, punched the man in the gut, then again. A warning from Todoroki barely allowed him to get his arm up to protect his head as the Nomu punch collided with his arm breaking it and sending him flying. The energy restraints broke, freeing Shigaraki.
"Nomu free Kurogiri," he commanded.
The beast rushed towards Bakugo, Izuku feeling the pressure again in his right arm and felt the tendrils explode again; they barely managed to grab Bakugo, pulling him back to avoid being turned into a smear. He struggled to his feet, his right arm broken, his left arm a bloody mess, both hanging limply at his sides.
Kurogiri was suddenly free and dropped into a portal appearing next to Shigaraki. "We need to kill that brat. He is too dangerous to be left alive; Nomu ends him." Shigaraki commanded.
As the Nomu tore off again, his advance suddenly faltered as purple orbs clung to its legs, tying them together, "Stay away from my friend." Mineta screamed, throwing more balls at the best, his head bloody from exhaustion.
The Nomu once again tore its legs from its body, like a movie monster that would not be stopped from obtaining its prey.
As it moved, Izuku didn't notice a portal opening behind his head. A hand emerged, ready to end the threat.
Tsu had launched herself into the air, her tongue flying out toward her mate in a desperate attempt to save him; she could feel that she was too late in her heart. Desperately she screamed a warning.
Suddenly before the hand could make contact, a gunshot rang out, piecing the hand and causing Shigaraki to scream; pulling it back to him, appearing from an air vent was Snipe. The doors to the USJ exploded as All-Might came exploding in, landing directly in front of Izuku.
"Rest now, young Midoriya, for I am here. The rest of you fall back."
"Be careful All-Might he has some sort of shock absorption and regeneration," Izuku said. The hero just nodded.
"We can help!" Bakugo and Todoroki protested.
"I have no doubts about that, but I cannot fight at full capacity with you here, now damn your egos and FALL BACK!"
Tsu's tongue found its mark as Izuku was ripped back to safety; she pulled him into her arms; he was a mess, and his arms hung loosely. She could see blood soaking through all parts of his costume. He weakly smiled at her, "It's ok, Tsu, It's ok."
She clung to him tightly as she landed with him, doing her best to absorb any impact. As they landed, Ochaco and Ida rushed forward with first aid supplies as the faculty came in right behind Nezu barking orders.
Shigaraki saw it all had slipped away; his hand was useless, his face broken, multiple ribs broken, lungs were probably punctured as blood was starting to choke him. "Nomu kill All-Might; Kurogiri gets us to the Doctor." As a portal swallowed them, he made sure to burn the image of Izuku Midoriya into his mind.
"So, they ran, leaving their monster behind hum." All-Might said, loosening up, "Young Midoriya said shock absorption, but that is not shock negation."
"LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT A TRUE PRO CAN DO," The two behemoths collided. First, they could be followed, but soon they became too fast for the naked eye to track; hundreds of blows were traded, and the wind generated threatened to blow everything away, including the students; Tsu sheltered Izuku with her body. Soon the monster was lifting off the ground; with a final shout, "MANCHESTER SMASH!" the beast flew back, crashing through the wall. His body was smoking as his limit had broken before the battle started. Izuku saw his mentor realizing he tried to reach his feet, only for the hero to shake his head as cement barriers emerged, blocking him from view.
Tsu still cradled Izuku, tears held at the corner of her eyes; he smiled, wishing he could hug her. He could see the corners of his vision getting darker as everything caught up with him. Tsu was looking down at him, noticing blood pouring faster from his wounds; she cried out. Ida and Ochaco yelled for assistance as all the bandages they had managed started soaking through.
"Can we still share the cake?" he asked; his vision was getting darker, and he coughed and tasted blood.
"Of course, Izuku, just stay with me, please!"
"Ok…." Was all he managed as darkness consumed him.
-Tsu-
She watched in horror as Izuku's eyes rolled back into his head and blood fell from his mouth; the class all gathered at the entrance stepped back as the paramedics came rushing in; Ochaco and Ida had to pull Tsu away; she was sobbing and clawing at him, almost rambling about him having to stay with her, that he couldn't leave her after they just found each other again.
Ochaco and Ida had a hard time till Kyoka ran over and told Tsu that Izuku's heart was still beating. Tsu turned to her friend, wondering if Kyoka was lying. Kyoka put one of her jacks near Tsu's ears so she could hear what Kyoka did; instinctively, she knew that heartbeat helped her settle down. To others' surprise, Mineta walked up heavy bandage around his head and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"He is going to make it, Asui; he is too strong not to, besides he wants that cake or whatever he was talking about."
Tsu turned to the boy, "Tsu, Mineta, my friends call me Tsu.
The boy smiled and helped her stand as Izuku was loaded onto a gurney and rushed out. "Come on, Tsu, let's get outside to make sure they load him up properly."
Between Mineta and Kyoka, they helped her outside; she was still terrified as the ambulance sped away but promised that when he made it through this, she wasn't about to risk letting him slip through her fingers.
-Inko-
Inko Midoriya, by nature, was nervous when it came to her son; she worried and fretted more than average, and she knew that. It just wasn't something that she could turn off or ignore. It may be troublesome, but that was just the way she was.
Their relationship troubles had started the day they went to the doctor and found received the diagnosis that Izuku was quirkless; like all children of that age, he dreamed of getting a quirk and becoming a hero. When the doctor cruelly told him to give it up, the boy was destroyed; when Izuku sat in the office chair watching the debut of All-Might over and over crying, his world crumbling, he needed a lifeline. He turned to the person that should have been the one to give it to her. And she failed, too wrapped up in feeling that his lack of quirk was her fault. All she could tell him was how sorry she was instead of telling him that he could still chase his dream.
She couldn't find a way to correct that mistake for many years. She didn't step in to do it; it was "the frog princess." A girl with a frog mutation that he had met after being knocked off a log over a river. Izuku relayed how the girl had told him he could still be a hero even without a quirk and how excited it made him feel. Inko smiled when at the end, he added how pretty she was. For the rest of the year, he would go back to that place trying to see her again and never did; it was an obsession with him always looking this way and that whenever they were in public for a while.
The girl took on a mythic quality in that whenever he was down; she could hear him say how SHE believed so that he couldn't stop. He started drawing, never to forget her; it was desperate, Inko felt that. No one else was giving him a chance, so he clung to one person that did. Then the sludge villain incident happened, the meeting with All-Might and the offer to train to become a hero. Inko wanted to say no, the instinctive desire to protect her baby calling out, but she saw the crying little boy in that office chair and knew this was her chance, so she said yes.
When Izuku finally shared the truth with her, she was upset that he had hidden it from her, but in a way, she understood. There was still a gulf between them; this was his way of finally closing that, and it did just that. Inko began working out some with him, she couldn't keep his pace, but the plump woman found her own with some help from Toshi. Seeing Izuku change inspired change in her, long-held dreams sprung forth, and new desires for life surged. Quietly she filed for divorce from Hisashi, Izuku's father and her husband, she hadn't seen him in over a decade, and he hadn't called in about as long. There was no reason for her to lie to herself or Izuku.
Izuku was surprised he was still alive; he had assumed that he had died long ago, and Inko had never told him. He hugged her and said that while things may have been easier if he was around, he simply wasn't. She was all he needed. There may have been some water damage.
But she knew something was wrong when her phone rang while on shift at the hospital. Toshi and Izuku knew her schedule, and her only real "friend," Mitsuki, wouldn't be calling anyway. Then she saw the caller ID of U.A., and her heart almost burst from her chest.
"This is Inko." She answered.
"Mrs. Midoriya, this is Principal Nezu of U.A. I will make this direct and to the point; there was an incident today during a training exercise. Your son has been seriously injured and is being treated as we speak. We believe it would be best for you to get here as soon as possible."
"How serious is it?"
"I am not the medical director nor a doctor, but a car should be arriving for you within the next 5 minutes."
"I will be waiting." She said as calmly as possible before rushing off to find her supervisor. Her supervisor, well, the whole floor where Inko worked, knew her son had made it into U.A., but as soon as she saw Inko's face and heard the words training accident she immediately gave the mother permission to leave.
Inko sat in the back of the car in silence after the driver told her he had no further information. As the vehicle arrived at the gates, she saw the pro hero Midnight waiting.
"Mrs. Midoriya, please follow me. I will take you to the medical wing."
"How is my son?"
"He is in surgery as we speak, ma'am. I am afraid that is all I know; Principal Nezu is waiting for you and will be able to give you a full update."
"How did this happen?"
"I am sorry, Mrs. Midoriya, we are still sorting all that out; the Principal will be the one to give you all the details."
Something significant must have happened as they were moving through the campus. She could tell that it was on lockdown, and she caught a glimpse of Mitsuki and Masaru; with clearly worried looks on her face, her heart sank. Midnight led her into the medical area before leading her into an observation room where she saw a strange mouse/bear/dog creature sitting next to another pro whom Inko was unfamiliar with.
"That is all for now, Snipe; continue your investigation."
The man, dressed in what appeared to be a tribute to American cowboys for yesteryear, stood and tipped his hat to Inko before he exited the room, leaving them alone. Inko turned to look through the window and saw Izuku on an operating table. There was bloodied gauze everywhere and fury of activity. Inko's hand went to her mouth in shock and fear.
"I apologize for having to meet you not only under these circumstances but also while he is still in surgery; I am the Principal of U.A. Nezu."
Not taking her eyes from the scene before her, "Is he going to make it?"
"As of right now, all I can say is that Recovery Girl is optimistic,"
"Why isn't he in a real hospital?"
"I can assure you that our medical staff is on par if not superior to any hospital in the country, but I hate to say it, but we did not believe he would survive the trip without immediate medical attention."
"How did this happen?"
"I know this is hard, Mrs. Midoriya, but I need you to sit down and pay attention to what I am about to say."
Inko turned and sat facing the principal, trying immensely not to pull the man to her and shake him violently. "Speak," she demanded.
Nezu, keeping his voice as calm as he could, "During a rescue training today at an on-site facility, the facility itself was infiltrated and attacked by a group of villains. From the preliminary information, we gathered that the students were not the target of the attack but instead, a faculty member who was supposed to be at the facility but was running late."
"Continue."
"During the course of the attack, the students were separated, but they were able to defend themselves and make their way back to the exit; it was then that your son and his group witnessed their homeroom teacher who had attempted to engage a large group of villains to allow his class to escape suffer a devastating attack and your son attempted to engage the villains and save his teacher."
"Did he do so?"
"Yes, he was able to delay what most assuredly be the death of his teacher until help had arrived."
"And this is how his injuries happened?"
"From what we know, yes, the investigation is ongoing as we speak."
"Were any of the other students injured?"
"Yes, there were numerous injuries amongst them though none to the extent of your son."
"Forgive me, Principal, but how did this happen? This is U.A. Is it, not your job to ensure the safety of my son? This is the first week. Is that what I can expect?"
"Mrs. Midoriya, I understand that you are upset…"
"Do you? Is your son undergoing emergency surgery because the institution you trusted with his safety failed miserably during the first week?"
"There was no…"
"That is your job, Principal, to be prepared for the unforeseen, the unknown, to protect the children within your walls from VILLAINS attacking them while on campus. Please don't give me platitudes about how you couldn't have known. While building a huge shining beacon for heroes, you never considered that some villain group wouldn't dare take the chance. Please leave if you have nothing to say; I want to focus on my son."
Nezu knew there was nothing he could say right now. Instead, he bowed and left as requested. He was angry in part because of how right she was, and he knew that her anger was going to be shared with all the other parents he was about to speak with, that the press and the outside would question his and the faculty's ability to protect the students under their care. Someone had come and taken a swing at the mighty U.A. and left them bloodied. A long day was going to get longer.
Inko sat and watched as her son battled; she watched the monitor, and due to her training, she could tell that he was stable; the amount of blood and the transfusions were concerning. She sat silently until she saw the older woman in charge step out; it was only a few minutes until the woman entered the observation room.
"Mrs. Midoriya?"
"Yes, Doctor."
"Your son is going to be ok. Unfortunately, there is going to be scarring. His right arm was broken, his left arm suffered severe and multiple lacerations, fractured ribs, numerous torn ligaments and tendons in his legs, and some muscle completely torn from the bone, along with more lacerations. The biggest problem was stopping all the bleeding. But he is going to be fine. We will need to hold him overnight to ensure there are no complications with transfusions or sutures; in the morning, I will be able to use my quirk to heal the arm and ribs completely. I would do so now, but he is too exhausted."
"Thank you for your efforts and saving him," Inko said with a bow. "When can I see him?"
"He is being cleaned and will be transported to his room in about 30 minutes. I don't expect him to regain consciousness for at least another hour or two. Also, a few of his friends have come hoping to check on him. They are in the waiting room."
"I understand."
Inko took some deep breaths and thanked her ancestors before heading out to the waiting area; when she walked in, she saw a few students with their parents sitting in the little room. From the descriptions Izuku had given her, she could guess who most of them were. When she entered, the students immediately stood.
"You all must be Izuku's friends; he has told me about all of you. He will be fine and be held overnight, but Recovery Girl is confident he will be released tomorrow. He is still asleep and will be for several more hours, I am not sure of the ordeal you all have gone through, but it makes me happy to know he has such friends. But please go home; your parents are worried."
She saw the students nod and their parents give her a silent thank you as they began to make their way out till the last one remaining was her; Inko knew it. Tsu, the frog princess. She could see the girl's mother trying to coax the girl to leave, but she wasn't moving, instead staring at a small box with the words "For Sharing" on the top.
"Tsu, we should go now, he is going to be ok, but right now, he needs his sleep."
"But I promised him," the girl said, holding back tears, "that we would share the cake after training."
Inko could feel the heartache emanating from the girl, "You must be Tsu?" Inko said, catching the girls' attention.
"Yes, ma'am," Tsu responded.
"I understand that the cake is significant to you, and I am positive it is for Izuku as well, but he is going to be asleep for a while, sweety; but how about this? If your mom is ok with it, how about I call you tomorrow when he gets out, and we get home? Then you can come over, and you can share that cake. Would that be, ok?"
Tsu nodded, "That would be nice, thank you. Um. Ms. Midoriya, please have him message me when he wakes up. It would help me fill better."
"I promise he will," Inko smiled. It made Tsu feel better as she reminded her so much of Izuku. Inko looked at her mother, "I would very much enjoy it if you accompanied her as well; I would like to get to know you better."
"That sounds nice; we will look forward to your call." The woman said, leading her daughter out.
Inko sat waiting until a nurse came and led her back to Izuku's room; she saw Toshi sitting outside with bandaging on his arm.
"Inko…" he said softly, "I am so sorry; this is my fault. The villains were after me."
"I assumed as much, no offense to the rest of the faculty," Inko responded. "Where were you?"
"I used up most of my time on my way towards school this morning and would not have been able to hold my form for rescue training."
"Toshi, when Izuku came to me and told me the truth about everything we discussed, I told you about my fears and your dedication to teaching him AND the future generation of heroes. I know how important being a hero is to you, but you no longer have the luxury or the ability to do both. It would be best to choose either your All-Might the hero or All-Might the teacher. Some of his is your fault, but more lies with those who attacked these kids. But if you cannot commit to instructing these kids, you should step aside and let them find someone who will. Now excuse me. I need to check on Izuku."
The words stung, but Inko was right; he had not only made a commitment to Izuku but to the other students, and his absence today had caused them to be hurt. Toshi waited until the door was closed before he walked away. He had to make a change, and though he was sure of what needed to be done, he had to think of how best to execute it.
Inko walked into the darkened room and sat next to her son, his breathing was steady, and all his readings were within proper ranges; she looked at all the bandages covering him and sighed. She knew this scene would be possible in the future but not within the first week of school. She let all her sobs out quietly, purging them from her system so that she could smile for him when he awoke. She would support him with everything she could and could give, that was her job, and she wasn't about to fail it again.
*Authors Note*
I am still trying to figure out what happened with this chapter. It kept running away with me like I wanted to write it.
Now the USJ part, this is only my second USJ attempt, and I know it is short. But as this story's primary focus is Tsu and Izuku, I didn't feel the need to go into the others and their experience. Everything else happened, as in Cannon, in case you are wondering.
Inko's part was another something that ran away with me, but I wanted it to be the bridge between the aftermath of the USJ and the next chapter. My intention for the next chapter is to be fluff and light as our two main characters realize that their recent life and death struggles are apparent to them.
Thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited the story. It means a lot to me, and special thanks to :
Ryuujin96 – Thanks again for the review, and there are defiantly more interactions coming up.
narusakufan1985- I always enjoy the stories where these two are shipped, and I hope you continue to enjoy them.