Justice Across Space and Time

Chapter 20

Okay. I've got something special planned for this whole arc. I had been agonizing over it since I basically cut it out thanks to my earlier chapters, but I've reworked my old plan. So, I've got something special for the internships for most of the characters. Now on with the show.

(no POV)

In the week before the first years would go on to their internships, some others took the time to prepare and train while they were still at school. Itsuka had finally gotten around to asking Jotaro and Ochaco to spar and train together. Both of whom were happy to oblige. Ochaco was really interested in what Jotaro could show her.

"So, I mostly focused on grabs since that's where my power is focused. But do you have any other suggestions? I'm actually planning to intern with Gunhead. He's a combat hero. And that fight with Kendo got me fired up to learn more about combat."

Both martial artists nodded with Itsuka noting that Gunhead was a skilled combatant. Jotaro had a different thought but agreed that the man could help her grow some other skills. "I observed how you fought with Itsuka. You fought smarter for the most part. Going for feints and other tricks to throw Itsuka off. But the problem was you were still depending on your power at the end of the fight. It backfired on you because you thought the gravity grab would be all you needed to finish." Jotaro explained.

He went on to mention that she needed to learn to 'feel' the entire battle. Itsuka understood, but Ochaco tilted her head to the side in confusion. So Itsuka picked up the thought with, "he means you need to consider all possibilities and potentials that could happen during a fight or even a rescue. Even if the end goal is saving people, you need to consider more possibilities."

Ochaco's eyes widened and then she thought of a different match from the sports festival. "You mean like that boy Izuku fought? He relied on his power, but he tried to use it in a variety of ways when they fought. And to change up how he fought when he was read. And Izuku too. When you two fought he used a variety of tricks and other attacks to try and throw you off. Like that… whatever that black energy thing was. He used more of the battlefield to fight you."

At both of their nods Ochaco explained she had thought if she had fought the explosion boy, she would have tried to use the debris from his explosions to fight and either crush him or as a distraction to grab him with her quirk. Jotaro mentioned the plan wasn't bad….. but.

"Even if you got him into the air, it probably wouldn't have mattered. He could use the shockwaves to push himself in the air." Ochaco's eyes widen, and she starts to feel a bit downtrodden. Itsuka takes the chance to mention that they can help her with some of that.

Jotaro smiles before explaining what the two have in mind for training her. "For right now. You and I are going to fight. Or rather when I say fight, I mean you're going to be attacking me and I'll just be deflecting and dodging your blows. You have to get a feel for how your body wants to fight. After that you can learn a few other styles, mix together the combat arts of each, and make your own style that fits you."

Ochaco was nervous but could see the purpose to this style of teaching. For the next week, she learned from the two how to fight and to look at a battle or fight from all angles. By the time she headed for her internship, she had managed to actually hit Jotaro and even remove his gravity. But he showed again how that still wouldn't win a fight.

"Good job. But again, you can't think the fight is over with just this." As he said that turned around and unleashed a shockwave punch that sent him flying toward Ochaco. Who tried to run, but got squashed. Itsuka just winced at the sight.

Izuku had also started training with Kirishima, Kaminari and Sato alongside Ojiro. While Saphentite offered to train them at first, Izuku and Ojiro stopped her. Saying that her styles of fighting wouldn't suit most of them. Kaminari wanted to argue, but Izuku surreptitiously muzzled him with blackwhip before getting away. "What the heck man!? We could have had that hottie teaching us!"

"Trust me. He saved you. You do not want to be her student for long periods. I only trained with her for a week and I know how terrifying she can be. What you saw in the sports fest was gentle." This worries a few of them and Izuku agrees. Before explaining, one of the first when learning martial was to show how strong they could be.

Izuku explained "I tried to copy an All Might strike, and she took me down and almost killed me with one attack. You know that backbend thing I did against Bakugo. She did that, then flip kicked me into the ground, used a spinning roundhouse to my stomach and sent me flying into a wall. Then while I was still dazed, she did a spinning heel drop kick to the top of my head. And after that used a backflip kick to send me up into the air again, before jumping up and using a leg lock around my neck to choke me out." At hearing all of that, the other boys paled at the thought of facing off with her.

He then mentions that Jotaro is often just a Spartan with his training. "You shouldn't be looking at this a time to goof around. You want to get stronger; you have to take it seriously. But we don't need her levels of crazy. For now, we should get started." With that said, all 5 head for a gym to train and practice in. Izuku also helps a few of them with some ideas on how to use their powers more efficiently.

For Sato, after finding out that different sugars do affect him differently, advised him to focus more on that element to his power. "But the usual cubes give a major strength boost. Shouldn't I just stick to that?" Sato asks, and Izuku shakes his head before explaining. "There might be times where you need a different form of strength. Normal sugar rushes you use amp your strength, but you run out of energy too fast. You have to either find a balance or shift the ways you use your power."

Sato sees his point and decides to try baking with more than just Japanese sugar. For Kaminari, Izuku suggested that he could have some capacitors that he could get a quick recharge from. "You're not like Jotaro who just recharges from ambient energy. You have to get it from local sources, right?" At Kaminari's nod Izuku continues by mentioning that if he had some small capacitors to plug into, he could at least get a small recharge.

Kirishima and Ojiro mostly spent time sparing. Ojiro likened the training to punching boards or other materials to harden and toughen the skin. Kirishima saw this as a good way to get a feel for when to strike. Others worked with each other to train and improve their quirks before their internships.

Mina had asked to train with both Saphentite and Jotaro to learn capoeira. And she felt firsthand at just how brutal they could be if their student didn't take the lesson seriously. First from getting the crap kicked out of her from Saphentite, then from Jotaro when she thought he would take it easier on her because she was a girl and weaker than him. But nope. He knew what she had in mind and gave her a big lesson. After a few heavy hits, and some ragdolling, he grabbed her head and slammed her into the ground. Not hard enough to knock her out but still hard.

He let up enough to say, "hurts don't it. Well guess what: that's exactly what a villain could do to you. If you think anyone will hold back for something as shallow as gender differences, then you're just asking to get killed. If you don't take this seriously, not only will it get you killed. But it might get someone else killed."

Even without seeing his eyes, Mina could tell how serious he took this matter. And even though she was hurting, she tried to stand up to face off again. But he stopped her before having Saphentite take Mina to Recovery Girl.

"You know he was right. Don't you?" Saphentite asks as she is flying Mina over. "Yeah. I'm so used to thinking that being a hero was a different kind of big deal. I guess we've gotten used to All Might and the peace he's brought. You two have probably seen some messed-up stuff since you're both quirkless. That probably where a lot of that mentality comes from." Mina says.

Saphentite smiles a bit before saying it was something like that. Recovery Girl was mad at Jotaro and Mina for being reckless. But privately she has a different thought. 'That boy truly knows the weight of heroics that we all carry. I guess that is why he is so resolved and strong in his opinions and convictions.' After that and having some time to think, Mina's own resolve hardens, and she takes the lessons with the two more seriously.

For many of the others, they each had different plans for both training and what they would do for internships. Ida had gotten an offer from his brother and was planning to learn from him how to make the most of his family's engine quirk. Tsuyu went to intern with the Oki Mariner crew under the hero Selkie.

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu would both intern under the hero Fourth Kind, though neither would know it until later. Shoto was planning to intern with his father, but said man was still in the hospital.

"I'll probably be fully healed about halfway through your internship Shoto. I still intend to teach you. But for the time being, you might want to work with Burnin to get a better feel for your fire. Also…. Your mother may not have been a hero, but she knows a lot more about the ice power than you or I. She could help you much more than I can." This admission of limitations from his father surprises Shoto, but he agrees.

From class 1-B Shiozaki goes to work with Kamui Woods. Yanagi also takes up an internship with Gunhead. When Ochaco realizes they are going to the same place, she asks her why she chose that one.

"During the match with Anwar, I realized how much I relied on my power. She did too in a sense, but what if there are other villains with powers that can throw me off? Or one's who can disappear. I need to be a better fighter." She says with serious look on her sleepy face. Ochaco smiles and agrees before mentioning that she's been from Jotaro and Itsuka on other ways of fighting.

During the lead up to the internships, each of the quirkless heroes got different offers. Saphentite decides to join Momo and Itsuka on an internship with Uwabami. Izuku gets an offer from Sir Nighteye and feels like this could be a good chance to learn from the best former sidekick of All Might.

Jotaro had a different offer made to him though. All Might came to meet him before he went to train with the others. "There's an interesting offer for you young Svoboda. Apparently, they feel you could help them with understanding some of the vigilantes. This is the address if you want to take a look."

"Really? You're saying that to the blind kid." Jotaro jokes. When All Might tries to backpedal, Jotaro just says he's messing with him. When he grabs the paper, he his transmitter on his wrist gives him an idea of what is going on.

When it's time for Class 1-A to head out for their internships each have different hopes and thoughts about what the next week of working with the pro heroes could do. For Jotaro though, he's curious about what is going to happen next with this place All Might mentioned.

When he gets to the location, he notes that it is a home a fair distance away from the rest of the city. While this would terrify and worry most, Jotaro isn't too worried. Even when the door closes behind him. "I think its fair to say I was somewhat set up." Jotaro says with a smile. From beside the door, All Might walks toward him in his medium Might form. "not exactly. I have something different in mind. Let's sit shall we."

When they sit around the coffee table, Jotaro decides to ask what this quiet house was. "Nighteye set this place up a few years back. He always wanted me to take a break. Just stop for a while and get a good rest. It's been here for a while listed as an off-sight storage and records location." Jotaro nods before thinking it's All Might's own little getaway. So, then he decides to ask the bigger burning question. "So, what did you want to talk about All Might? Does it have something to do with Izuku?"

"That is part of it. But not all. Young Midoriya mentioned that the power he used was in fact a previous user of OFA's quirk. The one they had before receiving OFA." Jotaro's eyes widen, even though they can't be seen. And he asks how that is possible.

"It's just a theory, but their quirks could have been mixed with OFA. I remember that during my early days of using OFA, I'd see visions of the previous users. But as time went on, they stopped. But what you mentioned about the minds of quirked people being dimmed when the powers go active. It could be that when the quirk sacrifices the parts of the brain, it takes part of the personality that will develop over time. And since that and the quirks are passed on, it might answer why young Midoriya said he's never seen me really in OFA. Because I didn't have a quirk to mix with it."

Jotaro whistle's low before saying, "Do you know about the other previous users?" All Might admits he only knows the one before him, but he'll do some research into the others.

"But that isn't the whole reason I had you come here. There is a workout and training area in the backyard. Follow me." Jotaro is still skeptical, but he is also curious. When they get there, All Might asks if they can drop the formalities for a time. "Sure, thing Toshi. So, what is it you wanted my help with?" He says with a smile.

Toshinori just nods before, taking a stance and high-speed dashes in a direction. Though Jotaro can't see it, he could tell Toshinori had basically turned into light. "Now I get it. You want help to better understand your meta power."

"Yes. I found I can only use it in this form. I've tried using it in my All Might state, but it's much more difficult. And since you know more about this type of power, I wanted your help." Jotaro just laughs a bit before saying the whole matter was an inverse of what the internships usually are.

Toshinori chuckles along with him before saying, "So John. Do you have some ideas on where to start? Right now, I've only figured out the dash trick." Said teen hums a bit before asking Toshinori to describe what he feels like when he does it. All Toshinori can say is that it feels like the world slows for a second before he stops. And that it takes all of his concentration to do. "And it feels like I can't breathe when I do it. Like I have to hold my breath."

"That might be one of the hiccups that's tripping you up. You already know how to let power flow through you. You learned that from OFA and how you used it. But this is a bit different. Instead of trying to activate it, turning it on and off like a lot of quirks, you need to let go of the control. Try and just feel the energy flow." This statement surprises the blonde since it is similar to what Gran Torino had told him at one point. His point was that the quirk was not as special as he thought it was.

So, Toshinori closes his eyes before feeling the small tug of his other power. But rather than try to drag it out or manipulate the power, he just let it flow through him. No forcing it throughout his body like he had done with OFA. Unbeknownst to him and unable to be seen by Jotaro, Toshinori has a slight glowing aura around his body. With his hair turning bright white instead of blonde.

When he opens his eyes, he again sees the world in slow motion. But not in the same way as before. Before it was like time stopped, but now it was like he was only moving at 1.25 times the speed of everyone else. But Jotaro could still track him. Toshinori decides to try this out and the two spar for a while, with the pro getting some good hits and actually hurting Jotaro a bit.

After a few minutes, Toshinori is out of breath and Jotaro is impressed at how he handled the power. "Nice job. Didn't think you'd get it right away. But I think we need to take it up a notch. And I know how." Toshinori raises an eyebrow before asking what he meant. Jotaro just smiles before taking a stance and breathing deeply.

He grips his hands into fists and lets some special energy he had been saving flow through him. When he is done, Toshinori is shocked at the new figure before him. As well as the deeper voice that comes from the young man. "Now then. Let's really get down to business." When he says that, Toshinori sees a flash of light behind the sunglasses. 'What did I get myself into.' He thinks as he lets his power flow again to spar with the other hero.

Next chapter I'll get into a few other things with the rest of the classes. But this was to set up more of the change for Toshinori and his shift as a different kind of hero than he is used to.