My Brothers Keeper: Chapter 2 Roaring Muscles
The number one hero, All Might! Age: unknown. Quirk: Also unknown. Ever since he appeared on the hero scene, his strength has won him undisputed popularity. Every year that he's been active has marked a decrease in the appearance rate of villains. His existence alone is a deterrent to villains. He's a man who lives up to his name, "The Symbol of Peace." And this pillar of justice said, "You can be a hero," to my quirkless brother.
I tried to control my breathing. The man standing before my brother was All Might, and he was telling Izuku the only thing he had ever wanted to hear—that he could become a hero! I could hear Izuku on the other side of the wall gasping through his tears. I took a deep breath and got up on my feet. I peeked over the side of the wall, straining to look at Izuku.
"I deem you're worthy of inheriting my power!" I looked over at All Might, his hair blowing in the wind. He stood with his arms outstretched before my brother. I leaned closer, not sure that I had heard him correctly. Did he just say that Izuku could inherit his power?
"Huh?" I heard Izuku say. I could tell his tears had stopped, at least for the moment.
All Might let out a laugh. Why was he laughing at a time like this? He didn't know how much this was going to kill Izuku. He could not recover from his all-time favorite hero playing a joke like this on him. All Might's laughter was cut short by a cough.
"You should see your face right now! Don't worry; I won't force this on you! The real work begins here!" His voice suddenly became very serious. I thought that I also saw blood spewing from his mouth as he pointed at Izuku. "I'm asking you if you want to try accepting my awesome power or not!"
His power? What was he talking about? I tried to think of all the quirks in Izuku's notebook and could not recall a quirk that could give or take power. I continued to look at All Might as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. I noticed a red stain on his skin. It wasn't my imagination; he had been bleeding. Maybe this man wasn't All Might after all. Was this a cruel joke?
"This concerns my quirk, kid. The tabloids and journalists like to guess that it's "super strength" or "invincibility." In interviews, I avoid the question by making jokes. This is because All Might, the "Symbol of Peace," has to come off as a natural-born hero, but I'm not. There is nothing natural about my abilities. My quirk, it was passed down to me, kind of like the Olympic torch."
"Passed…. Down to…. You? Really?!" I heard the awe and confusion in Izuku's voice as he tried to wrap his mind around this. I could almost hear his thoughts racing.
"Yes. And now it's your turn. I can give you my abilities." The wind blew, and part of the man's T-shirt lifted, revealing a scar on his abdomen. It looked purple and blue and appeared to be sucked into his skin. I felt myself recoil internally at the sight. If this is All Might, who could have done this to him? I heard Izuku muttering as he processed this information. I could see the man's back as he tilted his head, staring at Izuku as he muttered.
"Umm. It sounds like you're overthinking this whole inheriting thing. Do you doubt me that much?! I have many secrets, but I never lie!" I had to hold myself back from snorting. I wasn't 100 % convinced that this man was All Might, and here he was saying he didn't lie. I could hear Izuku stammering as he tried to take back his mutterings.
"I can transfer power to someone else. This quirk that I inherited is called One For All!"
One For All? The man stood before Izuku, speaking as if he was showing Izuku the power instead of talking about it. "The first person cultivates the power and then passes it on to another. The next refines it and passes it on again. In this way, those crying out to be saved and those with brave and true hearts link to form a crystalline network of power!."
I could feel my head swimming as I tried to understand what he was saying. A power that could be passed down from one person to another and increased in power each time it was passed down? This made no sense to me. I lowered myself down and sat with my back against the wall. One thing was eating at me more than anything else: if this power increased each time it was passed down, why would he want to pass it on to someone without a quirk?
"But all this... why... why me? What if I can't live up to it?" I heard Izuku say the words that I had been thinking. This man, at least to my knowledge, didn't even know Izuku.
"I've been searching for a successor, and I believe you are worthy!" I knew Izuku was worthy, but even if this was All Might, he had never met Izuku. "You may be quirkless, a mere hero admirer, but back there, you were more heroic than anyone else! But you got to stop crying so much, kid!" I could hear Izuku sniffling. I wanted to run to him and tell him that this man was correct and he was worthy of fantastic power, even if he was quirkless!
I felt my breath hitch with the realization. How did this man know that Izuku was quirkless? It wasn't like we had ever hidden Izuku's lack of quirk, but we also didn't advertise it. Something was missing, but I couldn't figure out what. Did Izuku know this man?
"But of course, it depends on you! Like I said, this isn't something I will force on you. What do you say?" There was silence as he waited for Izuku to answer. I knew his answer before he said a word, but I waited for his response.
"Yes... I accept. " I let out a sigh, knowing this would be his answer. This was his dream, and he would risk everything to become a hero. As much as I worried about Izuku, I knew that even the chance that this was a prank would not deter him from trying.
"A quick answer! I expected nothing less! But I must warn you, receiving this power won't be easy. Meet me at the beach, and we will review your training regimen. " I stood up as All Might and Izuku discussed details. As they continued to talk, I started to walk briskly across the yards. In no time, I was back out on the street, a block away.
My head was swimming with questions. How is it possible that a quirk can be inherited? Is this a prank? Two questions seemed more prevalent than all the others. Who was that man, and how did he know Izuku?
My feet seemed to carry me home on their own. Before I knew it, I was walking past the park I had run past this morning. I noticed a kid hanging on the monkey bars by his knees. The sun was gleaming on his spikey blonde hair as he did a situp before hanging again. I stopped for a minute, wondering what Bakugo was doing. I stopped and watched him for a minute, perplexed. Didn't a villain just attack him this afternoon?
The sun was quickly setting, and the street lights were coming on. I started to walk again to head home, still looking at Bakugo. He grabbed the bar and flipped himself off in an almost elegant way. He turned around, stretching out his arms, when his eyes locked onto mine.
"What are you looking at, Sparkler?" He barked at me.
"Um… I um…" I couldn't think of what I should say. I couldn't tell him what I had just seen with Izuku and that man. Bakugo glared at me, waiting for a response.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave before I blast you into next week." He growled as he let small explosions fly off his fingertips. Why was he in such a bad mood? I did just help to save his life.
"Don't flatter yourself, Bakugo." I snapped back, " I wasn't even looking at you. Besides, I would just send your fire back at you." I smirked at Bakugo. His fists clenched as he swallowed, holding back his anger.
"Get out of here, Sparkler." He growled, his tone more serious than normal. I flipped my hair over my shoulder and continued walking down the street. I could feel Bakugo staring at me until I rounded the corner to my block. I continued the short walk to my house and bounded up the stairs. I opened the front door and could smell food cooking in the kitchen.
I sat down on the bench to take off my shoes. I wondered if my mom already knew what had happened. She must have seen it on the news, but did she know that Izuku and myself were involved? I thought back to what the doctor had said at the scene that he would call later to follow up.
I shoved my shoes under the bench and entered the house. My mom was in the kitchen and appeared to be fretting over something on the stove. As the door shut, my mom spun around to face me. I could tell that her eyes were red from crying. She ran over and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her back.
It felt like several minutes later when my mom loosened her grip and held me out at arm's length, looking me over. She peered behind me and realized that Izuku was not with me.
"Natsuki, what were you thinking?! Where is your brother? I got a call saying my babies were involved in a villain attack! Then you guys don't come home for close to an hour?!" My mom was fuming as she lectured me.
"I know, Mom. I'm sorry that I didn't get home sooner. There were reporters and everyone at the scene, and then I ran into Bakugo on the way home…" I trailed off as the door behind me opened and closed. My mom let go of my shoulders and ran toward Izuku, throwing her arms around his waist. He threw his hands up in surprise before wrapping his arms around her.
"I guess that you heard what happened…" Izuku said, running his hand through his messy green hair. My mom let go and held him at arm's length, looking Izuku over. I could see the tears welling in her eyes.
"Of course, I heard! Izuku Midorya, you were all over the news!" my mom yelled at Izuku, slightly shaking him. She turned to look at me. "And you, Natsuki! You didn't stop him and got yourself hurt in the process!"
"Mom, it wasn't Nat's fault. She didn't even know that I was there." My mom looked over at me with Izuku's words.
"I didn't, Mom. I was yelling at Bakugo for telling Izzy to jump off the roof, and the thing came up behind me…" I could tell by the look on my mom's face that this was the wrong thing to bring up.
"That boy said what to you!" She turned back to Izuku.
"It's fine, Mom! He didn't mean it," Izuku defended. I never understood the relationship between those two. Bakugo constantly belittled Izuku, and Izuku would just forgive him. However, Bakugo had saved my life. That sludge villain would have killed me if he had not been there.
"He saved my life.." My mom turned back to look at me, surprise in her eyes. "It's true. If he hadn't been there, the sludge villain would have taken over my body."
Over the next hour or so, we explained the day's events, starting with what happened right after school. My mom served dinner while we talked and listened, hanging onto every word. I could tell she didn't like the idea that her children were involved in a villain attack. Still, she listened to our excited voices telling her about the attack.
It came to the time that Izuku and I had split up. I waited to see what Izuku would tell her, and I waited to see what he said. Izuku explained how he had forgotten his backpack, and All Might had stopped him to give it back. He showed us the signed page in his notebook. I looked at him without giving away the fact that I knew that he was lying. As Izuku finished up his story, my mom let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, I am glad that you both are home and safe. Never scare me like that again." She stood up, stretching her back. "I am going to go to bed. You two should also go to bed."
"Yes, mom." Izuku and I said at the same time. My mom walked down the hallway toward her bedroom. I listened and waited for her door to shut before turning my attention back to Izuku.
"I think that we should also head to bed, Nat. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted." He stood up, stretching out his arms.
"Not so fast. What did All Might say to you, and why did you lie to Mom?" I looked up at Izuku and saw his always-present smile start to falter. He took a deep breath and sat down. This was it—he was going to tell me the secret that I wasn't supposed to know about.
"I didn't lie to mom. He did bring me my notebook and had signed it, but this was before you had fought the sludge villain." What did Izuku mean? He had seen All Might before? "Before the sludge villain attacked you and Bakugo, it attacked me. Right after we parted ways, it came up behind me and tried to hijack my body. I thought that I was going to die. I couldn't breathe, and no matter how hard I tried to scream for you, I couldn't get a sound out. Luckily, All Might had been chasing the villain and was able to stop him before he killed me."
I listened to Izuku's story of the sludge villain's first attack. I didn't understand how, if All Might had captured the villain, it would have ended up in the alley with Bakugo and me. I didn't have to wait long to get the answer. He explained how he had grabbed All Might's leg as he jumped into the air and flew to a nearby rooftop. He told me how All Might had told him that he would never be a hero and had left him on the rooftop after he had figured out the bottle that was holding the sludge had fallen out of his pocket. He finished his story with how someone had opened the door, so he was able to get off the roof and heard the commotion, and this is when he saw the sludge villain attacking Bakugo.
"Now you're all caught up," Izuku said, running his hand through his hair again, making it messier if possible. I looked at Izuku and, before I could stop myself, felt the question coming out of my mouth.
"What did you and All Might talk about on the way home?" Izuku's eyes widened briefly at my question before returning to normal.
"Like I told Mom, he found my notebook at the scene and returned it to me. He also wanted to apologize for leaving me on the rooftop." I knew he was lying, but now was not the time to press him for more details. I could feel my eyelids getting heavy as the events from today started to take their toll. Getting Izuku to tell me about his real conversation with All Might would have to wait. I stood up at the same time as Izuku. "Good night, Nat. I'll see you in the morning."
Izuku and I headed toward our perspective rooms. I looked over towards Izuku's door as he shut it. I entered my room and quickly changed into a tank top and shorts. I crawled into bed and felt my eyes close before my head hit the pillow.
—-
The fire was engulfing everything around me. I tried to move the fire but found that my hands were tied behind my back. I struggled against the rope as the fire moved closer to me. I backed away from it, still trying to loosen the knot, but it seemed to get tighter every time I tried. No matter what I tried, I could not move the fire or free my hands.
I could feel the panic starting to build as I watched the fire creeping ever closer to me. I took another step back, only to feel the heat behind me. I spun around and gasped as the fire spread, circling me. I took a deep breath and looked at everything around me, trying to find anything that could untie me. There was nothing sharp that I could see that would cut the ropes. I heard screaming coming from behind me.
I turned again and saw Izuku also standing in a circle of fire. The fire was getting closer to him as he tried to back up. I tried to find a way to get to him through the inferno. There were no openings, and Izuku was too far away to jump to. I struggled with the rope, frantically desperate to untie myself. I saw the fire starting to climb up Izuku's legs. I could hear him asking for help, but I couldn't do anything to help him.
I took another deep breath, trying to steady myself. I knew what I needed to do to get to him. If I could just get there, he could help untie me, and then I could get the fire off him. I focused on my body and imagined the fire surrounding me without burning. I took one final breath and stepped into the flames.
I watched as the fire licked at my legs but did not burn. I took a cautious step toward Izuku. The fire continued to lap around me as I continued slowly. I heard Izuku scream again and looked up at him. The fire was spreading up his body, now engulfing his entire lower body. I took a deep breath And started to sprint toward him.
As I ran toward Izuku, he only seemed to get further away. I opened my mouth to yell for him, but nothing but flames emerged. I stopped dead in my tracks, snapping my mouth shut. I felt the warmth of the fire crawl up my legs, realizing I had lost my concentration. I looked down and noticed that even though the fire wrapped its flames around my legs, it did not burn.
As I stared at the fire, I heard the sound of Izuku shouting in pain. As I looked back at the fire, an idea came to me. I got on my knees and ensured my hands were near the flame. The flame lapped around my hands but did not burn. I kept my hands in the warmth of the flame until I felt the rope snap, freeing my hands.
I stood up, ready to run towards Izuku, but he was nowhere to be seen. I spun around, looking for him anywhere. I could feel the panic rising as I frantically spun, looking for any sign of Izuku. I started running where I remembered last seeing him. With my hands-free, I could run normally. I went to yell for him, only to feel the fire rising in my mouth.
I looked down as the fire worked its way out of my mouth, sending me flying into the air. As I was flying through the air, I spotted Izuku to my left, surrounded by shadows protecting him from the flames. I felt my heart leap as I had found him. I fell back down, landing hard on my stomach and knocking the wind out of my lungs. I pushed myself up through the pain and ran toward the shadowy figures surrounding my brother. Each shadow had distinctive eyes that, as I neared, seemed to focus on me. Before I could do anything, the slight shadow with yellow eyes in front of me lunged, knocking me off my feet.
I woke up with a start. I took a deep breath and rolled over to look at my phone. It was 4:30 am. I groaned, knowing that I couldn't go back to sleep. As I got out of bed, I hoped this wouldn't be the new norm.
Two Days Later
I heard my alarm going off and quickly rolled over to turn it off. Today was the day that Izuku was going to meet "All Might." I quietly got up and quickly dressed, waiting to hear the sound of the front door shutting. I didn't have to wait long. As the door closed, I quickly made my way out into the entryway, pulling my shoes on and going out the door, making sure to shut it silently behind me.
It was a little after 5:30 in the morning, and the sun was starting to crest over the horizon. I waited for Izuku to exit the stairwell before descending quickly and quietly. He jogged slowly, heading toward the beach. His pace was much slower than my usual jog, but I slowed to stay far behind Izuku. As we neared the beach, I saw piles of trash lining the shore.
Izuku headed down the steps onto the sand. I could hear his faint voice as I came upon the beach. Instead of heading down the stairs, I turned to my left and headed down the pathway to find a place to watch from behind the trash. I found an armoire with several holes in the back, allowing me to glimpse through and watch Izuku. I saw an old wooden chair sitting a small distance away. I ducked down and made my way over to it, returning it to keep an eye on Izuku.
As I watched from my spot, I saw All Might sitting on a refrigerator. Izuku had put ropes around his chest and was pulling, trying desperately to move it. As he strained to move the fridge, I could see the veins in his neck bulging. Several times, he fell forward as he lost his footing. This did not stop him, as he got back up and continued to try to move the fridge and All Might, sweating forming on his forehead.
"This fridge makes quite the comfy perch. A little movement would make it even nicer, though. People move these every day, you know. Most of them don't even have super strength," All Might said, taunting Izuku.
"Come on, All Might. You're 604 pounds alone!" the breathless Izuku said back as he continued to try to pull the refrigerator.
"Nah, I've lost some weight. I'm down to 560... In this form, at least." I watched as, with a firm tug, Izusku's feet slipped out from under him, and he landed on his face. I covered my mouth as I stifled a laugh at the ridiculousness of the scene I was watching. I saw All Might glance in my direction, ducking down to ensure he didn't see me.
After a second, I glanced back toward the duo. Neither was looking in my direction. I let out a quiet sigh, relaxing back in the chair. Izuku had sat up on the sand and was breathing heavily.
"Hey, why am I dragging this garbage across the beach anyway?" Izuku asked.
"Take a look at yourself!" All Might exclaimed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "You're not ready for my power."
All Might laughed, and I could hear the camera snapping on his phone. I knew that this was a prank! Why would All Might be involved in hurting my brother like this? Izuku had never done anything to hurt anyone! He wanted to help people, save people! I could feel the anger burning inside me like a stoked flame.
"Whaaattt! But you said I was worthy!" Izuku cried out, tears starting to stream down his face. All Might jumped off the refrigerator and walked toward Izuku, continuing to take pictures.
"Your body! I mean, your weak body isn't ready!" All Might exclaimed quickly. Izuku looked up at All Might with confusion in his eyes. "My quirk, one for all, binds the physical strength of many people into one! Your limp noodle body isn't ready for it. Your limps would pop right off!"
"My limbs?!" I heard Izuku exclaim. I shared his sentiments but held my breath. How did he expect to give him his power if it would make his limbs pop off? Izuku took a deep breath, thinking it over. The look of worry was erased off his face by one of understanding. "Okay… so I'm here to train my body… by hauling trash…? It's like a hardcore workout, and you're my trainer."
"Yes!" All Might gave Izuku a huge thumbs-up. But that's not all! I did some research yesterday, and this beach, well, this one section used to be beautiful but has been like this for years." He slammed his fist down on his previous perch, crunching in the corner of the refrigerator.
"Yeah... something about the currents. Lots of stuff drifts ashore. And people also dump their garbage here, even though they shouldn't. No one who lives around ever comes." I thought about Izuku's words and thought back several years earlier. I had memories of the beach being filled with people enjoying their day. Now, there were no beachgoers, only trash as far as the eye could see.
"Today's young heroes only want fame and glory. Back in my day, being a hero was about helping the community. Being a hero is all about volunteer work. No matter how unglamorous, never forget that!" All Might pushed down on the refrigerator to reveal a beautiful sunrise on the ocean's horizon. "Let's bring back that beautiful ocean view. This is the first step on your path to becoming a hero!"
I could see Izuku's eyes widen as if shocked by this statement. "My first step is cleaning up all this?! That's impossible!" He gestured around him at the mountains of trash that surrounded him. I had to admit he had a point. There was a ton of trash, and some pieces were huge! How could All Might possibly expect Izuku to be able to clean all this up by himself?
"You, Midoriya, want to get into U.A., right?" All Might questioned.
"Yeah?" Izuku sounded unsure in his response, but almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he followed them up with a more confident response: "Yeah! Because you went to U.A., All Might, so it must be the best! If I can… I definitely want to go to U.A.!"
"You blind fanboy! Like I said before, It's difficult for someone who's quirkless to get into UA. It's sad but true. That's reality." My heart stopped as I heard the words I had feared for several days. This was some sick joke that they were playing. All Might had turned away from Izuku almost as if he was disappointed in him. Izuku stood up with determination in his eyes, but All Might continued speaking. "Not to mention, U.A.'s hero course is the toughest there is! So…"
I knew that the words I dreaded to hear were coming. Was this some elaborate way to show Izuku that he could never be a hero just because he couldn't move around trash?! Why did it have to be All Might who broke the news? Any other hero would have less of a lasting effect, but being All Might, this would kill Izuku. I closed my eyes, listening for the final blow to come from All Might, but it wasn't his voice that I heard.
"I've got ten months before the entrance exam… I've gotta prepare my body for your quirk by then…!" My eyes snapped open, listening to the resolve in Izuku's voice. He didn't care if this was just for a laugh at his expense. I looked toward him and saw him standing in front of All Might, looking like he would take on the world. All Might's smile on his face widened. He pulled a stack of papers out of thin air, turning back to face Izuku.
"Not to worry, kid! That's what this is for! My self-designed "Aim-to-pass, American Dream" plan! It's a training regimen to help you clean up the garbage and then some! I also detailed every other aspect of your life while I was at it!" Izuku took the papers from All Might and looked them over.
"You even planned how much sleep I get…" Izuku said, continuing to read the plan. All Might bent over, put his arm around Izuku, and said something to him. I strained to hear what All Might was saying but was unable to. A smile started to spread across Izuku's face before he answered. "Well, yeah…! I must work way harder than anyone else to make it! What other choice do I have?"
I didn't know it then, but this was the start of a hellish ten months. Not only did I want to keep an eye on Izuku, but I also had to work myself if I had any hopes of getting into U.A. The first night home, I snuck into Izuku's room early in the morning and took pictures of his schedule to be sure to keep an eye on him. I planned that on Izuku's rest days, I would practice using my quirk.
Early in the mornings, I would follow Izuku to the beach. It started with me watching as Izuku struggled to move the trash from the beach into All Might's truck. After a while, I began to help Izuku where I could without being seen. I would move the trash closer to where I had repeatedly watched them park the truck. On the weekends, Izuku would leave in the evening to go for a run. I would follow a ways behind them.
On Izuku's rest days, I would go to an old warehouse abandoned long ago. Izuku, Kachaan, and I had found it one day while playing. When we first found it, I remember holding Izuku's hand as we came in, ready to steal the sparks Kaachan held in his hand if needed. We had used it as a hideout, pretending it was the "Agency Bakugo." He was always the hero, and we were his sidekicks or villains. I think that the only reason he wanted me there was to control the fires he set.
I ducked under a fallen beam and walked into the vast open area. I went over to a sack I had placed here, filled with smaller pieces of trash from the beach and cans I had collected. I pulled a lighter from my new backpack and threw some paper into a metal can, lighting it on fire.
Once the fire burned, I placed a can on a shelf about 20 feet away. I walked back to the fire and took a deep breath. I concentrated as I pulled some of the fire out of the barrel, holding it above my palm. I stared at the can and shot the fireball toward it. It whizzed by the can, making it wobble, but it did not knock it over or light it on fire. I concentrated on the fire, willing it to return to my palm.
The fire flew back to me and hovered above my palm. I took a deep breath, visualizing myself hitting the can. I opened my eyes and sent the flames hurtling toward the can. This time, the fire hit with a satisfying crunch of the can. I heard clapping from the entrance and quickly called back the fire, ready to ignite the intruder.
Bakugo came walking out of the shadow of the entrance. A smug smirk spread across his lips as he walked toward me. I relaxed my posture and threw the fire back into the barrel.
"You know, Sparkler, if I had only seen that last shot, I would think that maybe you had half a shot at getting into U.A." I stared at him as he walked closer to me.
"What are you doing here, Kaachan?" I bent over, grabbing more cans out of the sack. I walked over to the shelf and set the cans down.
"I came here to practice, but I see that you're busy trying to burn this place down." He chuckled at his insult, "With your quirk, you will never get into U.A. The best you can hope for is to be a firefighter, but who would want a fire quirk that can burn themselves."
Before I knew what I was doing, I had pulled some of the flames out of the fire and shot it at Bakugos's head. He dodged it with a look of surprise. I watched as the surprise wore off his face, replaced by a sadistic grin.
"You think you can fight me? Well, bring it on, Sparkler." He ignited an explosion, tosing the flames in my direction. I brought my hand up out of instinct, causing the fire to shoot back toward him, hitting the ground at his feet. His smile remained on his face, but if looks could kill, I would have died.
He started to jog around, sending explosions at me. I stood my ground, following his movements with my eyes. I knocked the flames back toward him but couldn't hit him. As I watched Bakugo's movements and repelled his explosions back toward him, I didn't notice that the fire and movements were starting to kick up dust around us. I saw Bakugo's smile widen as he kicked a can at me causing me to shut my eyes out of instinct as the can flew toward my face.
When I opened my eyes, Bakugo was nowhere to be seen. I spun around and saw Bakugo leaping into the air before I felt the heat on my back. I stumbled forward from the force of the blast but managed to maintain my footing. I looked back at Bakugo with anger. He didn't give me much time to rest as he started the bombardment of explosions again.
I watched Bakugo as he circled me like a lion stalking his prey. The explosions had slowed but not stopped. We stared at each other, trying to predict the other's next move. I saw Bakugo move his leg as he kicked up dirt and reached to grab a piece of trash simultaneously. He threw the garbage at me again. I expected the explosion this time and without hesitation. I turned, expecting to see Bakugo flying over me, but he never came. I felt the sting of another explosion on my back, this time knocking me off my feet.
I threw my hands out, breaking my fall. How did he know that I would fall for his feint? I jumped back up, ready to fight, but I didn't see Bakugo. I looked around and spotted him near the entrance to the room. I grabbed some of the fire and sent it flying at Bakugo. It hit his shoulder with a satisfying sizzle. He looked back at me, rolling his eyes.
"Face it, Sparkler, you are nothing compared to me. I will always beat you because I always win." Bakugo turned around and ducked under the beam, leaving me fuming. Out of anger, I grabbed the rest of the fire and flung it toward the hole where he had just disappeared. I dropped to my knees, panting. I watched the fire try and find something to burn and sizzle out on the concrete. Once I caught my breath, I returned to the shelf and set up new targets. Bakugo was right about one thing: if I wanted a shot at getting into U.A. I needed to practice.
This routine continued for several months. Before I knew it, we were only three months away from the U.A. entrance exam. I would watch Izuku's training, help him where I could, and continue to practice my quirk in the warehouse. I watched Izuku become stronger as he moved some of the more oversized items with some effort. I also noticed my strength improving from helping him. It wasn't all working out and quirk practice, however. We also had to study to ensure our grades didn't suffer.
Since the impromptu fight with Kaachan, I hadn't seen him again in the warehouse. My guess is he was practicing somewhere else, not that he needed to. I saw him around school, but he didn't seem as cold toward me or Izuku. It was refreshing not to feel that I had to micromanage Izuku and Kaachan's strange relationship to make sure that Kaachan didn't kill my brother.
The first weeks were the hardest as I learned to juggle workouts, studies, watching Izuku, and quirk training. As the weeks turned into months, I noticed this schedule became more effortless. I was able to run further and faster. I had more control over my quirk. I thought the same for Izuku until one evening when I was following him on his nightly run.
It started like every other evening run. All Might was riding around on his segway with Izuku running behind him. I was 100 yards or so behind both of them. Seven months earlier, I remember running at a snail's pace. Izuku was much faster, and his stamina had improved, so his jogs were longer. Today, the pace seemed slower than usual. I looked toward Izuku and noticed that his breath seemed more difficult today than usual. I looked back toward Izuku, and before I could register what was truly happening, I saw Izuku falling toward the ground.
I stopped dead in my tracks, torn between running to him, blowing my cover, and staying where I was. All Might glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Izuku falling.
He brought his hand up to his mouth and shouted at Izuku.
"Hey, kid, look alive now! Only three more months! What, are you going to give up after all this work? Do you want to flush it all down the toilet and take it easy?" I watched as Izuku continued trying to move forward, pulling himself with his arms. All Might got off the segway and stepped towards Izuku, looking confused. Izuku continued to gasp from the ground.
I am unsure if it was the sound of Izuku wheezing or All Might's disapproving tone, but before I could think, my feet were moving toward Izuku. The thought of blowing my cover didn't even cross my mind as I ran to his side. I dropped to my knees next to Izuku, ensuring he was okay. Sweat was dripping down his face, matting his hair to his forehead.
"STOP!" I yelled at All Might. Izuku looked up at me with a surprised look on his face. I gave him a small smile. I looked up at All Might, who had a smirk on his face. "He has done everything that you have asked! Can't you see that you are pushing him too far!"
"My "Aim-to-pass American dream" plan was designed with his body in mind. I specifically based it on his body to ensure swift but manageable progress. But you haven't stuck to the plan, have you!" All Might said, walking toward us. I looked at Izuku as he put his head down in shame. It was obvious that All Might had hit the nail on the head. Izuku had been doing more than what All Might had planned for him each day. "Overdoing it is no good either. Don't you want to pass the test?!"
I opened my mouth to tell All Might off, feeling the anger bubbling inside of me, but a noise beside me stopped me. I looked toward Izuku again, and he saw that he had balled his fist, slamming one on the ground. He took a deep breath, the wheeze audibly heard.
"I do! I have to work harder than anyone else to make it! But I don't want just to pass. I want to excel! I'll never catch up otherwise," Izuku said. I watched as he started to pull himself forward out of pure determination. " I wanna be like you. The greatest hero in the world!"
Tears formed in his eyes as he continued to try and crawl forward. His hands gripping the leaves in front of him. The anger I felt moments ago was gone as I acknowledged that Izuku would never give up the hope of becoming a hero. I looked up at All Might, but the skeleton there just a second ago was gone, confirming that the skeleton was All Might. In his place was the hero that my brother admired more than anyone. He picked Izuku and myself up and pulled us into a hug.
"You blind fanboy, you! Such dumb zeal! That fighting spirit is exactly what I want to hear!" I looked over at Izuku with pride. He looked exhausted as he struggled to keep his eyes open. All Might started to walk back toward the segway still holding onto us. "I get where you are coming from, but this is no time to panic. This old man will adjust your plan, and I will make one for you, Natsuki!"
"You're not an old man, All Might," Izuku said tiredly.
"Wait, you're not mad at me?" I questioned. As far as All Might knew, I had never seen his skeletal form and only knew what I had seen on T.V.
"Mad? About what?" All Might let out a deep laugh. I relaxed slightly, knowing that he wasn't mad. "I knew since the first day at the beach that you had been watching us. Don't worry, I also know that young Midorya didn't tell you. This little fanboy would have never been able to hide that from me. As far as training, I happen to have worked with other fire quirks before.
After this conversation, All Might had me take Izuku home, but only after letting us know he would expect us bright and early on the beach to review our new training regime. The following day, after some much-needed rest, we started the routine of our next three months. We started the morning at 6 am with Izuku and myself jogging to the beach. We would then work together to get the trash moved off the beach. After several weeks, the portions of the beach that All Might had wanted clean were done, and we moved on to new areas. After arriving at the beach, All Might would have me work with him to control my quirk.
Throughout my life, I had never had someone who had helped me with my quirk. My father wasn't around to help me navigate using fire safely, and my mother was too scared to try and help. I also didn't want to remind Izuku that he didn't have a quirk, and instead, I got both our parents' quirks. Of course, I had used it at times when Bakugo threatened Izuku. Still, before encountering the sludge monster, I never thought about practicing. It became apparent that I would have to improve quickly to get into the U.A.
While I could call the fire to myself with little effort, I still struggled to get it to go where I wanted it to. This became apparent the first day when I accidentally set All Might's coat on fire. He was not mad, however, and was very patient with me as I struggled to control the fire once it left my hand. We tried to see the reach of which I could control the fire and the amount I could control and maintain simultaneously.
As the weeks went on, I found that I had more control over fire, and although I was still not as accurate as I would like to be, I had improved. Although I could not move fires larger than your average campfire, I could hold them in a spherical shape. After the first day, we tried to work on extinguishing flames but found that this was a struggle.
To extinguish the flame, I would need to find a way to remove it from the oxygen. We tried to form it into a ball, and I would make it smaller and smaller. This would lead to a small explosion as the ball became too condensed. After several attempts, we decided it was best to focus on controlling the flame more.
Near the end of the three months, Izuku and I had gained an impressive amount of muscle from moving trash off the beach. We noticed more people were coming to the beach to swim and hang out. I was able to control fires up to 50 feet away, more than double what I was able to do before. I could also hold fire without constantly thinking about it not hurting me. It became more of a second nature.
Before we knew it, the day of the test had arrived. Izuku and I started the day off like any other. We jogged to the beach and started with our daily clean-up. We worked on moving the last of the objects onto the pile of junk that had been collected. Before long, both of us were tired and sweating. Izuku had picked up the last tire off of the beach.
He climbed to the top of the heap and threw the tire into the back of a truck bed we had put there earlier. I watched as he yelled from the top of the pile. We had done it. The beach was spotless. I looked back at Izuku as he wobbled on top of the pile. I started running toward him as he fell off the truck but stopped as I noticed that All Might was here in his muscular form. He caught Izuku in his arms, setting him gently on his feet.
"Well done, you two!" All Might praised.
"All Might …! I did it! We did it! Do you think I'm ready now?" Izuku said tiredly. I smiled, knowing all the hard work we had done to get to this point.
"Astounding, you did good kids! I must say I'm impressed. I knew you two had it in you, but this is beyond." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, "Here, take a look!"
He turned the phone toward Izuku and me so we could look at it. I couldn't help but notice how small the phone looked in his hands. We both looked at the phone and saw a picture of Izuku, tears streaming out of his eyes.
"What's this…?" Izuku asked. I remember that day very well. It was the first day he had come to the beach, where All Might had him trying to move a fridge while he sat on top. In the last ten months, so much has changed. I went from being skeptical of All Might and his promise to Izuku to trusting and letting him help with my quirk training.
"It's you, Izuku, from ten months ago!" I exclaimed. Looking at him, you would never guess that the kid in the picture and my brother standing next to me were the same person. Izuku's scrawny frame had now been replaced with muscles.
"She's right! Excellent work, both of you! Truly! Look how far you both have come! There's still a long road ahead before you can inherit my full power set, but it's starting to look like you can do it!" All Might's smile widened, showing us how proud he was. I saw Izuku sigh and put his head down.
"It feels like I cheated, though…" What did he mean by cheating? He had worked so hard to get to where he was standing now. How could he not see this? Looking at him, I could see the tears forming in his eyes. "I got all this help from you, All Might. I also couldn't have done this without your support, Nat."
"Izuku, you are here not because of me or All Might but because you refuse to give up. You push yourself to always be the best. You are going to make a great superhero because of this!" I meant this with everything within me. Even if he couldn't be the best, he would always give his all. Izuku wiped the tears from his eyes with a smile.
"But.." All Might lightly slapped Izuku on the back. "You gotta quit acting like a crybaby!" We both laughed at All Might's jest at Izuku.
"Okay!" Izuku replied.
"Anyways, it's time for your reward. Izuku Midorya and Natsuki Midorya, you know they say there's a big difference between being born with the silver spoon and working your butt off to earn it! One is an accident, and the other is a reward. Never forget that! Both of you take this to heart! Natsuki, you can do amazing things; just learn to control your fears and not let them control you! Young Midoryia, never forget that you have earned this power fair and square." All Might said, plucking his long blonde hair from his head. I could feel the tears coming up in my eyes at his words. All that work has been leading to this day. We were going to show everyone that the Midorya twins belong at U.A.
"Eat this!" All Might said, holding out his strand of hair for Izuku to take.
—-
Sorry for the long wait on this story. I have had some recent family/house/work/everything issues. It started with my kids having multiple sports/school events almost every night. Next was getting COVID-19, the stomach flu, and getting hit in the eye with a walnut that was flung out of a mower. I am perfectly fine, but there were several days that I couldn't stare at my computer without feeling like I would like to rip my head open. Next, my husband has started college again, so most kids and household concerns have landed on my shoulders. We have also had to do some major house renovations due to flooding and poorly put-together pipes. Lastly, work has been kicking my butt recently.
Enough about me making excuses for why I couldn't write and talk about this chapter. I will start by saying that this was my least favorite chapter to write, and I think that is why it was so hard. Honestly, this chapter and the next two chapters I have planned are ones that I am not looking forward to. I have ideas for most of the chapters in the manga and have written notes in my copies on what I think would happen if Izuku had a sister.
I also wanted to give a little insight into Nat's power. Right now, it may seem that I am writing her power as vague, and it is because, like Nat, I am also just learning her power. I have an overall general idea of what I want her power to become and when I want these changes to occur, but I am working on figuring it out now, just like she is.
From the start of this story, I knew I didn't want Izuku to come out and tell her All Might's secret, as I felt he would think this would violate All Might's trust. He didn't even tell his mother where he got the power. I don't feel that Natsuki follows the same rules as Izuku. In other words, he is Lawful Good, and she is Chaotic Good. She does the right thing but may not always go about it the right way.
Please let me know your thoughts, as this will encourage me to continue writing. Thank you all for being so patient with me, as well. Until next time!
Chapter 3: Entrance Exam