AN: So so so sososososoSOSO sorry that this took so long! But there is a reason for the delay.
Truth is June wasn't a great month for me. First off I've been having this bad pain in my mouth. When I went to the dentist I found out that one of my wisdom teeth cracked. Having it removed was not fun. I also wasn't able to sleep properly before and after it was removed. Or eat solid food because my jaw got locked.
Not only that but I had to go to California for my grandpa's funeral service, which is the day after the anniversary of my dad's death. Yeah, I had a bit of a bad June.
All of that gave me a bad case of writing burnout. It took a while before I got back into writing this. So again, sorry for the delay.
Izuku hadn't said anything as he and the others walked to school. Since yesterday his mind had been plagued with worry, his thoughts about how to help Iida. "You okay, Izuku?" Rias asked.
"…I'm trying to think of what to say to Iida-kun," Izuku admitted.
"Yes," Momo nodded. "It's a bit hard to tell, but he hasn't been the same since his brother was attacked."
While everyone else in the hero course was excited about internships, Iida acted like everything was normal. To Izuku and the others, something felt… off about him. His words and his actions… The way he acted like everything was just fine felt like he was lying or wearing some sort of mask to hide the truth.
Yuuto then spoke up. "I could talk to him if you want," he offered.
"Yuuto?"
"I've seen the look in his eyes before," Yuuto's face and voice took on a solemn tone. "I had the exact same eyes Iida does now. I may be able to get him to listen."
"I may be able to help, as well," Ibara spoke up. "The Principle asked me to accompany him and Recovery Girl to help treat Ingenium."
"Wait, is that what the phone call this morning was about?" Ochako asked, recalling how they received a call from U.A. for Ibara that morning.
Ibara nodded. "At the very least I can make sure Ingenium can walk again."
'That's right,' Izuku thought. 'Ibara's Twilight Healing can heal any injury.' That's when the green-haired devil realized something, something that never occurred to him before. 'Could she heal All Might then? I'll have to ask her later.'
The classroom slowly started getting more and more occupied, with most who entered chatting about various topics, mostly involving internships. Izuku glanced over to Iida, his expression neutral as he quietly sat at his seat.
"Man, I can't figure out who to intern with," Kaminari grumbled.
"Yeah," Mina nodded. "At least there's nothing else we have to worry about-"
Kaminari's eyes suddenly widened in horror. "Wait, OH CRAP!" He wailed.
"What?"
"Don't we have an exam coming up!?"
"We do," Tsuyu answered. "We have midterms next week."
"Damnit! I was so focused on the sports festival that I forgot to study!" Kaminari exclaimed, causing most of his classmates to sweat-drop.
"There's still time," Izuku reassured.
"Midoriya's right. Midterms start on the 11th, and our internships start on the 18th. There's still plenty of time to study and get ready for our internships," Liana pointed out.
Kaminari either didn't hear or doesn't care as he continued to wallow in despair. He didn't stop until Aizawa came in, signaling the start of class.
As the setting sun gave the school an orange glow, so too were the students preparing to leave. Izuku had finished packing his backpack, prepared to leave with his friends when suddenly…
"Hahaha! I am here in a bizarre position!" All Might said, grabbing onto the doorframe to avoid falling to the floor.
"All Might? What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?" Izuku asked.
"I was hoping to find you before you left, Young Midoriya! Come with me for a moment!"
"Uh, sure okay," Izuku turned to his friends. "I'll see you in a bit."
All Might took Izuku to an empty hallway. "I'll just get straight to the point," the Number One Hero had his back towards Izuku, his entire demeanor giving off a grim and dire feeling. "I contacted Gran Torino yesterday. He's… agreed to come to U.A. to help you learn more about One for All."
"Whoa, really!?" Izuku exclaimed.
All Might nodded. "He had intended to send you an internship offer, but after learning the number of offers you received, he decided to just come here instead," All Might's entire body began to shake with deathly fear as he started muttering. "Still, the fact that he went so far as to come all the way here from Yamanashi. Is it because of my inadequate teaching? Scary, too scary… stop trembling, legs!"
Izuku went wide-eyed. 'All Might's trembling in fear just like you, Ddraig.'
[I don't tremble!] The dragon denied.
"A-Anyway, Gran Torino should be here either t-t-t-t-to-t-tomorrow or th-the d-day a-after. At least that's what he told me."
"G-good," Izuku nodded. "I look forward to meeting him."
"Great! Just one thing I gotta warn you about."
"What is it?"
"DON'T MAKE HIM MAD!"
Izuku jumped away from the shock before nodding at his mentor, who gave him a thumbs-up as he finally stopped shaking.
Izuku quickly joined up with the rest of the ORC. Yuuto wasn't present as he had already gone to go talk with Iida. Hyde wasn't present either, saying he needed to head home early today. And Ibara had already gone to see Nezu.
"All Might's old teacher is coming here?" Momo asked as the ORC walked toward their clubroom.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "His name is Gran Torino, and All Might said he'll be training with me for a couple of days before the internships. He should be here by tomorrow. So, is it okay if I-?"
"Skip club activities to train with him?" Rias finished. "Okay, since this is so important to you, I'll allow it-" she trailed off. In front of the group, the door to their clubroom was open. "That's strange," Rias muttered. "I was sure I locked this door yesterday."
Koneko's nose wrinkled. "Someone's here."
"Someone broke in?" Ravel asked.
"Be ready!" Rias said to everyone as she opened the door. Inside, the clubroom seemed the same, nothing out of place.
"Nothing seems out of place," Rias muttered as slowly entered the room, Izuku right behind her. They stopped in their tracks, though, when they and the others saw something in the center of the room, their eyes widening in shock and horror.
On the ground was an old, small-looking man wearing a hero costume, laying on his stomach. But what really caught their eyes, was the small red puddle and some entrails right beneath the man.
Every member of the ORC currently present screamed in horror at the sight.
"HE'S DEAD!" Izuku screamed.
The old man suddenly picked up his head. "I'm alive."
Izuku, Xenovia, Kyoka, and Ravel screamed again. "HE'S ALIVE!" But then sighed in relief.
Everyone else just deadpanned. "He's alive?"
As the old man stood up, they got a better look at him. He was short, even shorter than Koneko, with heavy wrinkles and a scrawny built. He had a light complexion and yellow eyes. His hair was grey and spiky, styled short with some bangs hanging forward and a trimmed beard. His hero costume consists of a full-body monochrome suit along with a yellow cape, a belt with the letter "G" on it, very thick yellow gloves and boots, and a dark domino mask that resembled two diamonds.
"Oh, clumsy ol' me! I was carrying a nice big plate of sausages covered in ketchup when I accidentally tripped and fell down," the old man said laughing as he dusted himself off. He stood on wobbly legs, which is why he had a cane.
"Uh, okay," Rias was unsure what to make of this. "If you don't mind me asking sir, but how did you get in here?"
"I was carrying the sausages when I tripped. Didn't you hear?"
"Wha- That's not what I asked!" Rias retorted.
"Who are you?" Ravel asked.
"I'm Gran Torino," the old man answered.
The air around Izuku went ice cold while everyone else looked between Gran Torino and him.
[THIS is Gran Torino?] Ddraig asked in disbelief.
"This is the hero you want to train with?" Rias asked with clear skepticism.
"He taught All Might when he was a student, so I knew he would be pretty old," Izuku admitted. "But I wasn't expecting this…"
"Wasn't he supposed to arrive tomorrow, though?" Ochako asked.
The elderly man scratched his head as he stared at Izuku with a blank smile. "Who are you?"
"Eh? O-Oh, um… I'm Midoriya Izuku!" Izuku responded as he placed his arms to his sides and stood up straight. "And this is-"
"Who now?" Gran Torino asked as he used his hand to cup his ear.
'He didn't hear me?' "I-I'm Midoriya Izuku!" Izuku responded a little louder.
Gran Torino stood silent for a few seconds. "What's your name, boy?" He asked once more.
"He's starting to get on my nerves," Rias groaned.
"How the hell did this senile old man even get in here?" Ravel asked.
"Shouldn't he be in a retirement home or something?" Xenovia asked.
Gran Torino then abruptly sat on the floor. "I could really use some food."
"Some food- WHAT?!"
Gran Torino looked up and stared dumbly at Izuku with his mouth open for a moment. "Toshinori?" He asked.
"Midoriya!"
Again, the old man stared at him. He then turned to stare at Rias. "Shimura?"
"Who?" Rias asked. "It's Rias Gremory!"
The old man just sat there with a dopey face.
Feeling an eye twitch, Rias firmly put her hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Call All Might. Tell him that Gran Torino is not fit to teach you anything and have him send the old man to a retirement home. Now."
Gulping, Izuku nodded. "Y-Yes, Buchou," as Izuku took out his phone, Koneko glanced over to Gran Torino… only to notice he wasn't there.
"He's gone," she said, causing everyone to look at where Gran Torino was.
"What the heck? We looked away for like a second, where'd he go?" Kyoka asked.
The sound of a drawer opening caught their attention. At Rias' desk, Gran Torino sat, skimming through a notebook.
"Hey! That's my day planner! Put that back!" Rias demanded.
"Once we get to the gym, I want to you fire off a Smash," the old man said, his tone different from before, which everyone present caught on to quickly. "I want to see how well you've adjusted to your Quirk."
"He seems… completely different now," Ochako muttered.
"Yeah," Xenovia nodded.
"This schedule isn't half bad, but the breaks between training are a little too long," Gran Torino commented. "Now where's that attack?"
"Uh, sir…?" Izuku spoke up.
The little old man stared back at them for a moment before tilting his head quizzically. "Hey, what are you kids doing here?"
Rias's patience finally snapped, the Power of Destruction gathering in her hand. "That's it! I'm turning him to dust!"
"Please don't!" Izuku squealed, jumping in front of Rias with his arms waving.
"Don't let him get to you, Buchou," Momo added, she and Xenovia grabbing Rias' arms to stop her.
Rias yanked her arms away before taking a deep breath. "Izuku, stay here. Everyone else, please leave. We need to have a private chat."
Though slightly taken aback, Momo, Kyoka, Ravel, Xenovia, and Ochako obeyed and left the room, closing the door behind them. Once she was sure they were gone, Rias addressed Izuku. "He can't teach you about One for All."
"Huh?"
"He's senile, he keeps forgetting where he is and who we are, and he's very annoying," Rias stated. "That little old man is not fit to- GAH!" Rias suddenly received a swift kick to the back of the head.
"Rias!" Izuku cried, only for something to hit him in his side.
Groaning, the two devils looked up and saw the supposedly senile old man was jumping all over them and the room, speeding and jumping around the walls, floor, and ceiling as fast as a bullet.
It finally ended with Gran Torino landing above them, hanging by the wall above them, looking at them with a challenging look and a devious smile. "Want to call me a senile old man again, spoiled little princess, or are ya newbies ready to start training?"
Izuku and Rias continued to stare at Gran Torino with a look of awe as the elder kept speaking. "I watched the sports festival, and you seem to have gotten a decent grasp on how to use One for All, but you're still so reckless with it! He's called the Symbol of Peace and the Number One Hero, but that justice-obsessed All Might is worse than a novice when it comes to teaching! So much that he had to have someone else teach you how to improve your own abilities!"
[He isn't wrong,] Izuku could see the smirk on Ddraig's face.
"I can't stand to watch you use your Quirk the way you did, so I suppose I'll have to teach you. Properly," Gran Torino grinned. "We have a couple of weeks before your internships start. That gives us plenty of time for you to figure out how to get a better handle on One for All. Now, go get your hero costume and meet me at Gym Gamma in ten minutes. Don't be late, or you'll regret it."
At that, Gran Torino landed on the ground and walked out.
Izuku shakily stood up, rubbing his side as Rias rubbed her head. "I… was not expecting that," she admitted.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "He really is All Might's teacher. Ow…"
Iida Tenya, having retrieved his running shows from his locker, was about ready to leave. He wanted to get home as soon as possible, for he and his family would be visiting his brother today. Before he could leave, though, someone called out his name. "Iida-kun!"
Iida curtly turned, staring as Yuuto walked up to him. "Kiba-kun," he greeted the blond.
"Can we talk for a moment?" The blond asked. "About… your brother?"
Despite himself, Iida felt a tiny scowl form on his face. "Did Midoriya-kun and the others put you up to this?"
"No, I decided this on my own," Yuuto replied.
Iida simply nodded before turning. "As I've said before, there is no need for concern. I'll be-"
"I know what you're going through," Yuuto interrupted. That seemed to catch Iida's attention. "You're compelled to take revenge, believing that what you're planning is 'heroic' or 'just.'"
Iida didn't attempt to deny it.
"I can tell because of your eyes. They have the same look mine did."
Iida gave a small gasp as he turned to look Yuuto in the eye.
"See, I grew up in a Church in Europe. Me and other children were raised to serve God as part of an experiment," if Iida noticed Yuuto winced, he didn't show it. "But then we were deemed 'failures'… and disposed of."
Iida gasped in horror. "The only reason I'm alive was because my brothers and sisters sacrificed themselves so I could escape. Recently, I found the man who was responsible for it. And I didn't hesitate to cut him down," again, Iida gasped. Yuuto paused as he recomposed himself. "Yet when I killed him, it felt… empty. I did feel satisfaction for finally ending that pathetic human's life, yet it wasn't what I had thought it to be. And I realized that the reason why… was because I nearly drove my new friends, my new family, away."
Yuuto put on a reassuring smile. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that vengeance doesn't solve everything. It may help yourself some, but it won't change anything."
Iida stayed silent, the spectacled teen unsure of how he should respond.
"Tosca, Mnason, Irène, Noah, Gracia, and everyone else are never coming back. Even after I killed Valper, I will never be able to see my original family again. But you still have your brother. You can call him and tell him about your day. You can still see him."
Yuuto took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears.
"So, don't push us all away. At the very least, be honest with yourself and us. If you ever need someone to talk to, me and the others will be there."
"…Thank you, Kiba," Iida nodded before he continued on his way.
Yuuto watched Iida leave fr a moment before walking towards the club buildings. 'I hope I was able to reach you, Iida-kun.'
'I understand what everyone is trying to do,' Iida thought as he ran to the station. 'But…' he placed a hand over his chest. 'How am I supposed to deal with this burning hatred of mine if I don't do anything?'
Izuku quickly went to go get change, only to find that his hero costume had been… altered a little. It was still mostly the same, being an emerald green sleeveless bodysuit with dark red accents with padding. Only now the upper part of the costume was backless and skintight, showing off his muscles more, his right hand now had an emerald green, red, and black fingerless glove with padding that went up to his elbow, and a red belt.
'I can't believe Hatsume change my costume without asking. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised,' Izuku thought as he walked into Gym Gamma, Rias close behind, finding Gran Torino waiting.
"About time you got here," Gran Torino said. "I was getting bored. Hey, princess, why're you here? Aside from eating eye candy."
"Huh what- I…" Rias stuttered, blushing at being caught staring at Izuku's back. Izuku felt himself blush, too. "I'm here… to observe. Yes, that's why I came."
"Sure~" the old hero grinned. "Now then, before we start, tell me how much control over One for All you have."
"I already figure out how to limit One for All to a certain percentage, so I won't break my bones. And I can use my Dragon Force power to strengthen my bones for a bit if I have to."
"Yeah, I gathered all that from watching your matches during the Sports Festival," Gran Torino nodded. "But that won't be good enough. Toshinori told me the gist of your Quirk. You can't rely on it to give you enough power to strengthen your bones in a pinch. Understand?"
Izuku nodded.
"Good. Now, get ready brat! You've trained with Toshinori and his useless instruction, now it's time for you to learn from me!" Gran Torino declared. "We'll start with… three minutes. Let's see if you can try to get a hit on me in that time frame using only One for All."
"Eh!? I-Is that really okay?!" Izuku started fidgeting with his fingers. "I-In all honesty, I-I haven't actually used this suit yet… It was modified recently, and if I fire at 100% by accident, I might heavily injure you sir-"
Gran Torino rolled his eyes. "Good grief, you're such a chatterbox…" He suddenly blasted off the ground and all around the gym, "I'm losing patience!" He caught Izuku off guard and kicked him in the back.
"That hurt!" Izuku tried to retaliate, but Gran Torino was already gone. Izuku kept looking around, trying to pinpoint Gran Torino's location.
'He's moving even faster than Iida and Yuuto! I'm going to have to watch out!' He thought, remaining vigilant as Gran Torino kept bouncing around the gym at almost supersonic speeds.
Rias watched from the sidelines, trying to keep up with the old pro.
Izuku felt 10% of One for All flow into his hand. 'He's passed behind me twice! Then-'
Izuku turned at the last second and was able to catch Gran Torino before he landed his strike.
"Analysis and prediction, huh?"
Izuku prepared to deliver his blow, "SMASH…!"
"But…" Gran Torino was able to dodge the super-powered punch. "You're a little stiff!"
"Gah!" Izuku was slammed to the ground with Gran Torino standing on his back, who then slowly clapped his hands.
"Heh, you're not bad, kid."
"Izuku! Are you okay?" Rias asked, running up to the two.
"Yeah," Izuku muttered. "But I thought I had him."
The elder then casually sat in a cross-legged manner on Izuku's back. "You nearly did," Gran Torino replied, wiping a bit of blood on his cheek as he got off the young devil. "Good to see you're not just trying to copy all of All Might's moves. Your own movements are pretty good. But tell me, how much of One For All can you actually use?"
Izuku lifted his head so his face wasn't on the floor. "Um… Ever since the Sports Festival, I-I can use a little above 10% just fine… 20% if I'm desperate."
"Not bad," Gran Torino replied.
"Uh, sir, if you don't mind me asking, you said that my movements were a little stiff. Why?"
"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own," Gran Torino picked up and cane. "Think about that until I get back."
"Where are you going?" Rias asked.
"To pick up some grub. Can't train on an empty stomach," Gran Torino chuckled. "That, and I want to freak out Toshinori since I told him I was gonna be here in a couple of days. I can't wait to see the look on his face," the old Pro cackled as he exited the gym. "Head back to that creepy club room of yours so we can talk," he added before leaving.
"…I'm starting to see why All Might is scared of him," Izuku muttered.
"All Might's afraid? Of him?" Rias blinked. "That annoying, senile old man?"
"I heard that, Princess!"
Both Rias and Izuku flinched at Gran Torino's retort. "Wow. He has good hearing," Rias whispered.
"Yeah, I do!" Gran Torino called again.
"…Really good," Izuku blinked.
All Might let out a tired sigh. His anxiety was building up due to Gran Torino's visit. It was times like these that he wished he could have a beer. 'Maybe some tea will calm my nerves.'
Once he entered the teacher's lounge, however, All Might froze stiff, his blood going cold at who was rummaging through the freezer: Gran Torino.
"Oh, hello Toshinori," the old Pro greeted when he noticed his presence. "Why are you standing at the door like some idiot?"
"…G-Gran To-T-Torino, s-sir!" All Might finally said. "W-Why are you here?"
"Why? Because you asked me to help your successor learn about One for All, something you clearly can't do," Gran Torino replied.
"N-No, I mean, why are you here NOW? Weren't you supposed to be here tomorrow or the day after?"
"I lied," Gran Torino replied, causing All Might to sputter in shock. "And I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw I was here. And it's great, haha!"
As the old Pro laughed, All Might sat down on the couch and sulked. "Ha! Glad I left these here earlier," Gran Torino pulled out a box of frozen taiyaki. "See you in a bit, Toshinori."
All Might simply wanted to die there.
At the clubroom, Izuku sat down as he mulled over what Gran Torino told him. "I'm still having trouble grasping everything he just told me. What does he mean that I'm stiff?"
Rias placed a cup of tea on the table. "I don't get it either. Why would your moves be stiff? You seemed fine to me."
"Hmmm…" Izuku hummed in thought as he took a sip of the tea Rias made.
"I wish I could help you figure this out," Rias sighed, leaning her head into her hand on the table. "If I was given some power like you were given One for All I'd understand, but I've had the Power of Destruction my whole life, so I'm not sure how much I can help."
At that, Izuku's eyes widened. "Rias, you're a genius!"
"Huh?" Rias blinked as Izuku pulled out a notebook. "I'm a genius?" 'And where was he keeping that notebook?'
"Quirks are physical parts of our bodies! And I've been treating One for All like a limb that's been sewed onto my body rather than something more natural, like my Boosted Gear. It's a part of me."
Rias nodded, understanding Izuku's point. "Like how my Power of Destruction is a part of me, even though it's not a physical ability. So that's what the old man meant by stiff."
It was at that moment that Gran Torino entered the clubroom. "Here, boy!" he tossed the box to Izuku, "Why don't you heat those up."
Izuku nodded and walked over to the microwave, piling the taiyaki on one of the paper plates he found in the nearby cabinet, and loaded the desserts into the microwave, setting the time as the instructions on the box detailed.
As the sound of the microwave hummed as the old Pro happily waited for the treats to be finished, Izuku put a hand to his chin and began thinking. 'Using my quirk needs to be as easy as taking a breath. Thinking about it objectively, everyone else has had their entire lives to get into the mindset.'
"Are you sure you can help Izuku figure out One for All?" RIas skeptically asked.
"Oh, a skeptic, eh?" Gran Torino huffed. "I know I can. The kid's determined, and already has a good grasp on the Quirk. The way I see it, I only need to help him figure out how to be more flexible in the Quirk's use."
"Is that how you taught All Might," Rias asked.
"Nope," Gran Torino smirked, smiling at the memory. "Toshinori figured out how to use One for All right off the bat, but he had the body going for him, so I taught that dunderhead in a different manner."
Izuku's eyes widened in excitement, "All Might as a student? What was he like?!"
"He took a lot of hits to the gut pretty well, puking every time. He even got a few concussions but was always able to keep fighting."
Izuku turned pale, 'So that's why All Might's so scared of you!'
Rias stared at Gran Torino in shock. 'He's downright merciless!'
A sole look overtook Gran Torino's face. "The training was difficult, but I couldn't hold back on him. He was entrusted to me by a sworn friend who had just passed away."
"Do you mean All Might's predecessor? What was he like?" Izuku asked.
"Huh?"
The microwave chimed.
"Oh, hang on."
Gran Torino watched as Izuku pulled the plate out of the microwave. 'So you haven't told him about the 7th Holder yet, Toshinori.'
Izuku placed the plate of teriyaki on the table. "Oh yeah! Come to papa!" The old hero took a swift bite of the fish-shaped treat before freezing in pain, "STILL FROZEN!"
Rias giggled at Gran Torino's pain while Izuku gasped. "What!? I'm sure I followed the directions on the box properly!"
"What are you, an idiot!?" Gran Torino stomped over the microwave, pointing to the interior, "You stuck a huge plate in there, didn't you! If you do that there's no room for it to turn so only part of it gets hot! Have you never done this before?!"
"Sorry, but the one at home isn't a turning type," Rias replied.
"Sorry, sir," Izuku apologized. "I'll use a smaller plate so they'll cook… evenly…" Izuku paused, his mind flashed in realization. "I GOT IT!" Izuku screamed out, starling the other two.
"Got what?" Rias asked.
"The taiyaki," Izuku said as he grabbed a taiyaki and held it up. "The taiyaki is me!"
…
…
…
[…What?]
"No, it's not. You okay, kid?" Gran Torino asked.
"That old man didn't hit you too hard in the head, did he?" Rias asked, glaring at Gran Torino.
"Wha- No, that's not what I meant," Izuku put the taiyaki down as he explained. "I've been thinking about One for All like flipping on some kind of switch. But if I do that, my reaction time and control over it get slower and worse every time I try to move a limb. I'm putting too much strain into one arm all at one time!"
Izuku then tensed as many muscles as possible, starting to imagine the flow of One for All moving through his entire body all at once. The red veins of One for All charged up all over Izuku's body. "I need to use One For All by not summoning it in one place, but all over me continuously!" Izuku glowed and sparked green lightning all around him.
'One for All: Dragon Veil!'
As Izuku demonstrated his new technique, Gran Torino smirked. 'Didn't take long for him to figure that out. Good.'
Rias smiled in amazement, proud with how Izuku figured out One for All so quickly.
[A pastry in the microwave is a pretty boring metaphor, kid. You sure you wanna go with that?] Ddraig asked.
'It's fine,' Izuku replied mentally.
"Do you think you can move like that?" Gran Torino asked.
"I'm not sure," Izuku responded honestly.
The smile on Gran Torino's face turned slightly feral, "Wanna give it a try?"
Izuku nodded, his own face splitting into a determined grin. "Yes! Let's do it!"
Ibara would be lying if she said she didn't feel a tad bit nervous. Based on what Principal Nezu told her and Rosalba, who was coming as well, saying Ingenium's injuries were severe was putting it mildly. For one thing, Ingenium's spine had been severed in two places, and many of his bones were broken. And that's ignoring the many lacerations he had.
Sure, she had healed bad injuries before, like Bakugo after the Nomu hit him at the USJ, but his injuries were still fresh, while the injuries of all the people she healed as a Holy Maiden weren't nearly as bad as Ingenium's.
It didn't take long for them to reach the hospital Ingenium was staying at and even less for them to arrive at his room. Outside, either standing nearby or sitting in any available chairs, was Iida Tenya and his parents, speaking with a doctor and a couple of nurses.
"Shiozaki-kun!" Iida said, surprised to find one of his classmates here. "Why are you here?"
"I requested them to come," Nezu answered. "Recovery Girl's intern has the perfect Quirk needed to help heal Ingenium. And Shiozaki's second power can heal one from severe, as she demonstrated with Bakugo during the USJ, as I'm sure you recollect."
Tenya blinked in surprise. While he wasn't there, he had heard how Ibara healed Bakugo after the latter was nearly killed by the Nomu.
"Can you really heal Tensei?" The matriarch of the Iida family asked.
"We can, ma'am," Rosalba answered.
"At the very least, we can make sure Ingenium can walk again," Ibara added.
Tenya raised his hand abruptly, "May I ask Recovery Girl a question?"
"You already did, dear, but go ahead," Recovery Girl replied.
"Why bring Shiozaki-kun and Kouris-kun? Is your Quirk not enough, Recovery Girl-sensei?"
Recovery Girl hummed in thought for a moment. "Well, dear, the reason is rather simple. My Quirk can heal your brother, but because it uses my patient's energy to do so, I'm afraid that, given Ingenium's condition, there's a very real possibility my Quirk could kill him by accident."
The faces of the Iida family all paled considerably.
"And, as much as I hate to admit it, my hands aren't as steady as they used to be," Recovery Girl added. "Kouris-chan's Quirk does the opposite, using her own energy to heal her patients. And Shiozaki-chan's second Quirk works similarly, meaning there's less risk involved with them," the old Youthful Heroine continued. "Now then, are we ready to get started?"
The doctor nodded before turning to the Iida family, "I should warn you, even with their aid, Ingenium may need to go through rehabilitation."
"How long?" Tenya's father asked.
"That will depend on how well the treatment goes," the doctor then turned to the two girls. "Speaking of, don't strain yourselves. And be careful. Overusing your Quirks on such severe injuries could cause cancerous growths to appear," Tenya and his family paled again at that, while Ibara and Rosalba gulped.
Ibara was sure her Twilight Healing had no such risk, but she didn't want to chance it. "Okay…" Ibara breathed out. "Kouris-san, are you ready?" The snake girl nodded.
At that, Ibara walked to one side of Tensei's bed while Rosalba slithered to the other. Tensei was currently asleep, the doctors having put him under as a precaution. Rosalba placed a hand on Tensei's shoulder, her palm glowing yellow as she did so, while Ibara placed her hands above the older Iida's body, the glow of her Twilight Healing taking effect.
Everyone remained quiet as the two girls worked. After a couple of minutes, Rosalba slithered back wobbly, appearing to be on the verge of collapse.
"Kouris-kun!" Tenya exclaimed.
"I'm fine," Rosalba reassured. "Just need to rest for a moment is all."
Not long after, Ibara lowered her arms as the light of Twilight Healing faded. "I think that is all I can do for now."
One of the doctors walked up to Tensei and began to remove some of the bandages. "Many of his wounds seemed to have healed," the doctor noted as he checked over Tensei.
A hopeful smile spread on Tenya's face.
"This is promising, but we'll need to run an examination to be sure," the doctor said.
"I say that this little venture is a success," Nezu smiled. "We'll contuse this at another time. Until then, I believe Shiozaki and Kouris need to return home and rest."
"I'm afraid visiting hours are almost over," a nurse spoke up. "You'll have to leave for the day."
"We understand," Tenya's mother nodded, she and everyone making their leave. Before Tenya could join then, though…
"A word, Iida-kun?" Nezu spoke up.
"Yes, Principal Nezu?" Tenya natural responded.
"Aizawa brought to my attention that you only registered one hero agency to intern with," Nezu began, causing Tenya's eyes to widen. "Your ire for the Hero Killer is understandable, but please try to restrain yourself. It would be most unfortunate if something were to happen to both Ingenium and his promising younger brother."
"I…"
"You humans can get so emotional that it clouds your judgment," Nezu continued. "So please, Iida, try not to seek revenge. For your family's sake." At that, Nezu left, leaving Tenya alone.
"Ugh… I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," Izuku groaned as he, Rias, and, Ochako walked home.
Rias nodded. "Gran Torino doesn't hold any punches, does he?" Even with his Dragon Veil, Izuku still wasn't able to get any solid hits on Gran Torino, who beat the crap out of him easily.
"Did Ibara say when she'll be back?" Ochako asked.
"I actually just got a text from her," Rias said. "She says that everything went well, she saw Iida, and that she's on her way back."
"That's such a relief," Ochako said. "Maybe Iida-kun will be back to his old self soon."
"That reminds me, we never asked Yuuto how his talk with Iida went," Izuku realized.
"We can ask him later," Rias said. "Izuku needs to rest after today. I can give you a massage to help you relax, Izu-kun."
Izuku felt his face heat up as they entered the apartment. Inside, Eri was watching some old American cartoons while Inko happily hummed in the kitchen. "Welcome back!" The older women greeted them.
"You sure seem to be in a good mood, Inko," Rias noted. "Did smelting happen?"
"Yep," Inko nodded. "It's finished~!"
"Finished?" Izuku asked before realized what she meant. "You mean…?"
"Yep!" Inko nodded. "The new house is finished. Want to see it after school tomorrow?"
The next day the six of them went to visit the home… and, with the exception of Rias, all marveled at the house… or, rather, mansion.
"This is the place?!" Izuku exclaimed upon seeing the mansion with six floors and three basements.
"Yep," Rias nodded.
The first floor included the living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and Japanese-styled rooms, also called washitsu. The second floor had Izuku's, Rias', Ibara's, Ochako's, and Eri's rooms, with Izuku's room being in the middle. It had two interconnecting doors on each side: one connecting to Rias' room and one connecting to Ibara's room, with another door leading to Ochako's room. On the third floor were Inko's room, a study, a storeroom, and a play area for Eri. Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth floors had several more bedrooms. The sixth floor was mostly empty, and finally, the rooftop was a communal garden decorated with flower plots and there was a small vegetable farm planted. There was also a table and chairs to drink tea at.
Down below in the first basement floor, there was a movie theater, training rooms, changing rooms, and a large indoor bath. There was a hidden room on this floor, and another, second hidden room that contained an assortment of baths of various sizes, but was noticeably larger than the first and was decorated gorgeously with ornate patterns, tropical plants, Dragon statues pouring water into the bath, and the Gremory's symbol.
And if that wasn't crazy enough, the second basement floor included a heated indoor swimming pool. The third basement floor was a mostly vacant floor that could be used for storage. It also included. a library.
The craziest part, though, was that it was literally just a ten-minute walk from U.A.'s campus, with the main building in view.
"It's huge!" Ochako stammered, on the verge of fainting.
"Rias-chan, while I appreciate your parents for this, don't you think that this… mansion is a little excessive?" Inko asked.
"Believe me, as crazy as this is, what was originally planned was worse. I had to fight my father not to build a castle."
"Castle?!"
"What do you mean by 'castle'?!" Izuku demanded.
"Don't worry about it," Rias waved it off.
"We get to live here now?" Eri asked, a little nervous at the size of the new mansion.
"That's right, Eri-chan," Inko nodded, her shock having worn off. "Now then, how about we explore our new home?"
Izuku let out a yawn. He and the others spent the rest of the day exploring their new home. Both Izuku and Ibara found hidden rooms when they did so. Apparently, the designer of the home was fond of creating hidden rooms in houses. They haven't even started moving out of the old apartment yet and already he was tired from exploring.
"What a long day," Izuku yawned as he walked towards the main bath. He didn't even bother knocking first as he opened the door…
To find both Ibara and Ochako undressing. Both were already topless and were just about to take off their panties when he walked in, stopping in surprise when he had opened the door.
"Oh crap!" Izuku gasped, blushing as he turned his face in embarrassment, "Sorry I didn't know you were both here! I'll just see myself out!"
"Oh hey, you guy's taking a bath?" Izuku looked over his shoulder, seeing Rias walking into the bathroom. Her skirt had been taken off and her shirt was opened to show off her bra. She didn't seem to mind. "I guess there's no sense of anyone waiting. Why don't we all jump in together?"
"Huh…" Izuku was only able to stutter as he realized the position he was in.
And so, that was how he ended up with the miracle wrapped in a dream. Thank goodness the bathroom was so huge. Out of embarrassment, he sat in the large bathtub and had his back turned away from the girls as they washed each other's backs, doing his best not to totally freak out. The conversation they were having was not helping in any way.
"You have such soft skin, Ibara. I'm almost jealous."
"N-not at all, Buchou. Your skin is perfectly white and very smooth. And Ochako-san's skin is really great too."
"Don't sell yourself short, Ibara. If anything I'm the one who should be jealous."
"Oh, you're both too kind."
'I swear they're doing this on purpose,' Izuku thought to himself, submerging himself deeper into the water. He exhaled, bubbles erupting out of his mouth. He'd just have to sit still, keep quiet, and hope that nothing will happen. '…Oh, who am I kidding? Knowing my luck one of them will get into the bathtub any second.'
"Enjoying yourself?" He heard Rias' voice coo into his ear.
"Ah!" Izuku shivered. "Y-Yeah," he stuttered, trying not to look at Rias.
Rias giggled as she climbed into the tub, "That's good to hear. I wanted to bath with you like this for a long time now," She looped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts on his back, the younger boy shuddering at the sensation, "I wish we could do this every day, Izuku. But your body might not last long if we did."
"Eep!" Izuku screeched, blood threatening to blow out of his nose.
"But doing this once a week will be so lonely," she sighed dramatically, resting her face against his hair. Sitting right behind them Ibara was looking very distressed as she rapidly squeezed the soap sponge while Ochako's eye twitched like crazy.
"Especially since you'll be gone for a week. Without you, Ibara and Ochako, it'll be really lonely for Inko, little Eri, and especially for me," a seductive look appeared in Rias' eyes as her face moved closer to his. "Hey, Izuku," she whispered in his ear. "You wanna take me?"
"What-what-what?!" Izuku exclaimed.
"I don't see much of a problem with that," Rias teased, nuzzling her face against his. "I do have the right to spoil my servant after all. I almost wonder what we could do if Ibara and Ochako weren't here," she hummed to herself as her smile widened, "Right, when we're alone then…"
*SPLOOSH!*
"Arg! I hate it when you leave me out!" Ibara shouted after jumping into the tub and clinging onto Izuku's arm. "I want to join in too!"
"Me too! What you're doing isn't fair, Buchou!" Ochako complied as she jumped into the tub too.
"What the heck!?" Izuku gasped in surprise.
All Rias did in response was chuckle darkly, closing her eyes as she stood up to expose all her glory, hands proudly at her hips, "Ibara, Ochako, I know you're both close to him but I want to make something clear." Her eyes opened, glowing in a red demonic stare, "This boy is my Pawn, a servant of the Gremory Household. He is mine to spoil however I wish." Her head jolted down, eyeing the two younger girls at their level. Both squeaked slightly from how quickly she moved, "Got it?"
Rias suddenly pulled Izuku's head into her boobs. "You two already have plenty of chances to spend time and spoil my little Izuku. This is my time with him. There's nothing that soothes me more than his company!"
"I don't have that many chances to be around Izuku either!" Ibara cried, pulling on his arm to tug him toward at near whiplash-inducing speeds, "Just because I'm in a different class doesn't mean I can't be with him!"
"Oh really? Then can you do this?" Rias smirked, smugly pressing his hand against her breast, "Izuku and I, well, we're just this close."
Ochako growled, quickly taking Izuku's other hand and pressing it to her bosom, "You're not the only one who can do that, Rias."
Ibara sniffed and her cheeks puffed. With a strong huff, she grabbed Izuku's head and pulled him into her cleavage. "I might lose to you two in size but not in other ways!"
"But size does matter. Boys just looove big boobs," Rias pushed on, not noticing the growing distress in Izuku's face, "I hear guys say it all the time."
"So then why don't we ask him?" Ochako replied, pulling on to him, "Izuku! Who do you think has the best boobs? Me, Rias, or Ibara?"
"Well, Izuku?"
"Izuku-san!"
"I… I… I…"
"Izuku…?"
Blood suddenly spurted out of Izuku's nose as he collapsed.
"No! IZUKU!"
"IZUKU-SAN!"
"Come back to us, IZUKU!"
It appears that a catastrophic error has occurred with MidoriyaIzuku dot EXE… Again.
'I knew I should've taken those sleeping pills when I had the chance,' Izuku silently lamented, currently in his new bed as the bodies of three nude beauties pinned him against it. After recovering from the bathroom incident, they all decided to go to bed early, since he, Ochako, and Ibara leave tomorrow for the internships.
Unfortunately, Izuku could not sleep and was trying desperately not to scream at the sensation of Rias' soft boobs being pressed into his chest, or how Ibara was holding his arm against her boobs, or how his hand had somehow made its way to Ochako's ass.
[Why are you freaking out so much, brat?] Ddraig asked. [You've seen these three naked and slept with them plenty of times before already. Besides, doesn't a small part of you actually enjoys all this?]
Izuku decided not to give Ddraig a response. Because he knew that, deep down, the dragon was right. He did like the attention a little. He just wished the girls didn't go so far with their affections. 'I need to get some sleep.'
Eventually, Izuku did fall asleep, despite his hormones acting up. With finishing midterms, moving into and exploring their new home, and training One for All, the time remaining until the internships quickly vanished.
"Everyone has their costumes, right?" asked Aizawa. The day came and the students were at the train station. With their costumes inside the school briefcases, they were ready to head to their internship. Aizawa was there to see them off and to give them his final instructions. "Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don't lose them or anything."
"Gotcha!" Mina shouted while lifting her case over her head.
"Speak properly! It's 'Yes, sir,' Ashido."
"Yes, sir…" Mina pouted cutely.
"Make sure you mind your manners with the other heroes during your internships. Now get to it."
"Yes, sir!" The class said in unison before dispersing. Before going on his train, Izuku was looking around for Iida.
Spotting him out of the corner of his eye, going towards his train, Izuku ran over to catch up, accompanied by Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka.
"Iida, wait!" Izuku called out.
Iida stopped but didn't face his classmates.
"We heard that Ingenium is doing better," Momo started.
"We're glad to hear that, but we wanted to know how you're feeling, Iida," Izuku added. "If you want to talk, we're here for you. That's what friends are for, right?" Izuku added, Ochako and Kyoka nodding in agreement.
There was a moment of silence from Iida before he replied. "Thank you… But I'm fine… These internships should be able to help me clear my head…" He turned around to the four, giving them a smile. "Thank you though… I'm glad you guys really do care…" And with that, he just turned and walked away to catch his train.
"Do you think he'll really be okay?" Kyoka asked.
"I'm not sure," Izuku sighed. It was easy to tell that something was still bothering Tenya.
"Midoriiiiii!"
Izuku felt someone slam into his back with the inclusion of two arms wrapping around him. "Gwah!?" He stumbled forward before stopping, then turning his head to see the Mina snuggling on his back.
"Man, it'll be a whole week before we can see each other again Midori! I'm honestly gonna miss that adorable side of yours!"
Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka all had distraught looks on their face as they saw Mina hug Izuku. "Wh-What are y-you doing A-Ashido?" Ochako uttered while shaking.
"Just giving Midori a goodbye hug!" Mina cooed.
"Awwwww! Look how red he got! So adorable!" Toru got in front of Izuku and pinched both of his cheeks.
"H-Hwgwkorw!?" Izuku muffled as the girl pulled his cheeks.
Nearby, Liana felt her eye twitch as she watched the exchange.
"Think about where you are, please!" Momo scolded as she grabbed Mina while Tsubasa walked over and grabbed Hagakure.
"Can you girls at least control yourselves for a little bit?" Tsubasa added as she and Momo pried the girls off of Izuku.
"Izu-chan has gotten quite popular," Tsuyu noted, having watched the exchange nearby.
"[Attention, the train leaving for Kansai will be departing soon.]"
"Oh, that's mine, I need to go!" Momo said, panicking. "I'll see you all in a week!"
"I better get moving, too. See you, guys!" Kyoka waved as she ran off.
"See you!" Ochako replied, hugging Izuku before moving to board her train.
"Goodbye, Izu-chan. I hope you learn many new things, kero." Tsu waved to him.
"I will Tsu! Thank you!" Izuku waved as he saw her getting onto the station platform. Then he realized something. "Wait… Izu-chan?"
"See ya Midori/Izi!" Both Mina and Toru waved at him as they took off running energetically.
"Good luck, Green. See you in a week," Tsubasa waved before she took off.
Izuku gave a small sigh of relief that the girls were gone for now. "I better get to my train, too."
"Midoriya-sensei!" Mineta and Kaminari both suddenly appeared beside him.
"Eh!? S-Sensei!?"
Mineta and Kaminari both bowed.
"When we get back, teach us your ways for charming women!" Both shouted before running off.
"…"
Izuku stared off into space with a blank expression before he made his way to his train. As he did, a thought crossed his mind. "Huh, Kozuki-san didn't say bye. I wonder why?" He wondered as he boarded his train.
Taking a seat, Izuku let out a sigh as he relaxed. "Looks like we're on the same train."
Izuku nearly jumped out of his seat, surprised to find Setsuna sitting next to him. "T-Tokage-san! Wh-where did you come from?"
"We were already here," she grinned cheekily.
"…'We'?"
"Hello, Midoriya-san/kun."
Looking to the seats across the car, Izuku found both Liana and Milia sitting across from him and Setsuna. "Kozuki? Takamaki?" How the hell did he not see them when he got on?
"Looks like we're all heading for Shinjuku," Liana said while reading a book.
"Which agency are you going to, Midoriya?" Milia asked.
"Oh, uh, Ryukyu's agency," Izuku answered. Ddraig let out a looong moan of anguish.
"So am I," Milia said.
"Really?" That was a coincidence. "Are you two also going to Ryukyu's agency?" Izuku asked the other two girls.
"Nah, we're heading for the Black Knight Agency," Setsuna answered. "I got an offer from Zero, and Liana should be self-explanatory."
Liana gave the lizard girl a slight glare.
"So um…Tokage-" Izuku said before Setsuna interrupted.
"Nah none of that, Green Bean," Setsuna said. "You can just call me Setsuna or even a pen name as just our little secret."
"O-Ok, Setsuna," Izuku said, earning both him and Setsuna a glare from Milia. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you pick Zero? I thought you would've gone with someone like Ryukyu."
"I had considered her, but Zero's one the smartest heroes out there," Setsuna began. "I figured that if I intern with him I can build on my strengths. Think more strategically and all that."
"That makes sense. Zero is ahead of Endeavor when it comes to solving cases," Izuku nodded. "What about you, Takamaki? Why did you pick Ryukyu?"
"No real reason," Milia answered. "I was having trouble deciding, and Vlad-sensei suggested her," lilac then dusted Milia's cheeks. "And, uh, if it's not too much trouble since we'll be working together, can I… call you Izuku?"
"Uh, sure," Izuku nodded. "We have known each other for a while, so I don't really mind if I can call you Milia."
Milia blushed. "Okay…"
Setsuna gave Milia a slight glare before shrugging. "Speaking of working together, do you think we'll all work together at some point?" She asked.
"Ryukyu's agency and the Black Knight Agency are both in Shinjuku, so there is a chance," Liana said.
"Why wait? Why not hang out when we have time off?" Setsuna suggested.
"That sounds like fun," Milia nodded.
"Yeah…" Izuku nodded slowly. So much for getting away from the antics of the girls. This was going to be a long week.
Once they arrived in Shinjuku, Setsuna and Liana said goodby as they walked in one direction while Izuku and Milia walked in another. "How much further to Ryukyu's agency, Izuku-kun?" Milia asked.
"Ryukyu's agency should be up ahead," Izuku answered, looking at the address on his phone. As he and Milia continued to walk, they started passing over a bridge spanned across a river.
"Hey, who's that?" Milia spoke up.
Looking up, Izuku saw a girl around the same age as him and Milia standing near the edge of the bridge. She had pale skin, with long pale blue hair. She was wearing black a school uniform, consisting of a red-buttoned black blazer worn over a light purple hoodie with dark blue snowflakes, a black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose, and black-brown ankle boots. Her eyes were hidden by her hair, yet both Izuku and Milia could tell that something was wrong.
"Is she… crying?" Izuku wondered.
Their eyes widened when they saw the girl climb onto the bridge's rails. "Wait, she's not…"
Calmly, the girl began to lean forward.
"Quick, hurry!"
The girl's eyes closed as she felt herself fall. 'This is it. It'll all be over after this.'
She suddenly stopped, the shoulder point of her arm in sudden pain. "Huh?" Her dark red eyes opened and looked up, seeing Izuku and Milia having grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" She demanded, trying to break their hold.
"Not happening!" Milia replied.
"Come on, Milia-san, pull!" Izuku and Milia pulled the girl up, managing to get her safely on the sidewalk. "Whew," Izuku sighed. "That was close."
"Why?" the girl suddenly asked, lying on her back. "Why did you save me? Why?"
"Why were you trying to kill yourself?" Milia asked.
The girl remained silent for a moment. "I just… can't take it anymore. The harassment, the abuse," she admitted. "No one cares for me. No one will miss me."
"That can't be true!" Izuku protested.
"It is," the girl countered. "It's been that way all my life. For a damned child like me, whenever I find some happiness, it gets yanked away."
"Then we'll help!" Milia offered, causing the girl to gasp. "I know for a fact that Izuku-kun can help. He helped me, he can help you too."
"Milia," Izuku muttered with a small smile.
The girl took this moment to sit up, to get a better look at her rescuers. "Wait…" the girl's eyes widened in recognition. "You're… Midoriya Izuku, the first-year winner of the U.A. Sports Festival," she then looked to Milia. "And you're Milia Takamaki. You made it to the third event."
"Y-Yeah, that's us," Izuku admitted.
"What's your name?" Milia asked.
The girl shyly looked away. "Fuyuko. Yukimura Fuyuko," she muttered above a whisper.
"Do you want to come with us?" Izuku asked.
"Come with you? Where?"
"We're heading for Ryukyu's agency," Izuku replied. "We can talk more there, and we can't exactly leave you here."
Milia nodded in agreement before she offered Fuyuko a hand up. "Lend me your hand."
Hesitantly, Fuyuko took hold of Milia's hand, who helped her up. As she did so, Milia noted how cold Fuyuko's hand was.
"We should get going, we don't want to be late," Izuku said.
"Yeah, let's go," Milia said, the two hero course students continuing on their way, now accompanied by Fuyuko.
As they continued on their way, Fuyuko looked to Izuku, a bit of pink appearing on her face.
AN: Again, I want to express how sorry I am at how long the wait for the chapter was. And I'm afraid to say that I can't guarantee it won't happen again. Such is life.
As I mentioned before I suffered severe writers burnout back in June due to several reasons. Another reason was I wasn't entirely sure what to write and how to write it. I'm sure everyone who writes fanfiction knows that it's not always easy to write what you want to write, especially if you don't know how to write it.
Anyway, let's move on. Izuku finally has One for All under control, though now he has to deal with Setsuna/three girls along with a, predictably, excited Nejire. But who's this Yukimura Fuyuko? And how exactly will everyone's internships for the week go?
Find out next time (whenever that'll be). Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and be anti-racist. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!