The Man Out of Time
Chapter 15
"Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase."
— Joseph Pilates
Coronado, CA - July 2042
The moon and stars hung over the ocean as the washes crashed on the sandy beach. The city lights of San Diego were visible in the near distance. Set up on the beach were green tents with several dozen Navy SEAL recruits sleeping in bunk beds.
One of the recruits, Izuku Midoriya, laid on one of the bottom bunks and, much like the other men, had fallen asleep in his uniform. It consisted of a camouflage cap, shirt, and pants with brown combat boots. He did not allow himself to fully fall asleep as he knew what would eventually come.
Bam! Bam! BOOM!
Without warning, the recruits were forcefully awakened by the sounds of gunfire outside their camp. Izuku's emerald eyes shot open and immediately rolled off his bunk onto the ground, knowing what was going on. He had done plenty of research over the years covering the US military's training camps.
"GET OUT!" An instructor suddenly burst into the tent, yelling, "CRAWL! CRAWL, YOU DIRTBAGS!"
Navy SEAL Hell Week had officially begun…with a bang. Pun intended.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF BED, YOU BASTARD!" The instructor flipped a recruit, who had somehow slept through the gunfire, out of his bed–giving him and others like him a rude awakening.
Izuku began to army-crawled towards the tent's exit with several others following behind him. Instructors were prowling the tents and barking orders, ripping other recruits from the beds.
BAM! BOOM! KA-BOOM!
Other instructors outside were moving through the camp firing rifles and machine guns filled with blanks while others threw concussion grenades. Izuku visibly winced from a sharp ringing in his ears, going temporarily deaf from the cacophony of explosions.
Izuku stopped to glance over his shoulder, making sure his designated swimming buddy was nearby. Seeing him crawl out of the tent, Izuku nodded to himself and continued crawling across the sandy beach through the chaos of explosions and smoke erupting around him.
(X)
Later, all of the SEAL students were lying on their backs with their arms locked with one another in the Pacific surf. Since it was still summer, the water temperature wasn't too cold. However, as the waves continually pounded and washed over them, their body temperatures slowly began to drop.
Within half-an-hour, the effects of hypothermia could already be felt by some.
"IT'S TOO COLD!" An instructor shouted through a bullhorn. "IF YOU STAY IN THE WATER TOO LONG, YOU MIGHT DIE!"
With the Pacific Ocean leeching their body heat, a few recruits became fearful and stood up to head for shore, officially tapping out. Their dreams of becoming Navy SEALs were finished.
"WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO BE IN A WARM BED LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?!"
It would be nice, everyone thought.
"THERE'S COFFEE AND DONUTS!" The instructor exclaimed, motioning to a large table with donuts and coffee pots spread across it with a silver bell hanging on the end. "JUST COME RING THE BELL AND YOU CAN HAVE SOME!"
That was enough to convince several more students to exit the surf zone. Their shared hopes and dreams of becoming SEALs were forever over.
"S-sorry…" A student next to Izuku shivered madly, his face on the verge of turning blue. "I-I'm out!"
He slowly unhooked his arm from Izuku's and pulled himself out of the water, walking stiffly to the shore. Izuku watched as a crowd of over a dozen former classmates headed for the table, where warm towels were handed out to them by assistants. Izuku could even see the steam from the piping hot coffee from his vantage point in the surf zone. Heck, he could even smell the sugar from the warm donuts with his enhanced sense of smell.
'Never thought I'd crave donuts like I am now…'
"IF ANY OF YOU ARE FEELING TOO COLD, JUST GO AHEAD AND QUIT NOW!" The drill sergeant yelled.
Izuku shook his head to shut out the noise, closing his eyes as another cold wave slammed into him.
The US Navy SEALs have a ninety-two percent washout rate for a good reason. Their training is described as having the toughest physical and mental strain out of any special forces' unit in the world. Those who don't quit have a better than even chance of suffering serious injury or even death.
'I know what they're doing… Giving voice to everyone's inner thoughts… Encouraging everyone to quit…' Izuku thought as he shivered. 'The SEALs want the physically AND mentally toughest recruits. Anything less isn't worth their time…"
For the next hour, waves relentlessly pounded the students in the surf zone, leeching their internal body heat away. Izuku kept his eyes and mouth shut as the cold water washed over him, drowning him only momentarily.
'Don't give in… Go Further… さらに先へ。' Izuku encouraged himself.
"YOU DIRTBAGS ARE LOOKING COLD!" The drill instructor shouted. "TIME TO WARM YOU UP! PULL YOUR ASSES OUT OF THE WATER NOW!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they stiffly pulled themselves out of the water. However, their training had only just begun.
(X)
After being soaked with sand washed into every crevice of their bodies, it was time to get the remaining students' body temperatures back up. What did that entail?
"Hope you enjoy pushups and flutter-kicks, ladies! You're gonna be doing hundreds of them!" A drill instructor exclaimed, and then blew into a whistle.
Yes. Good old-fashioned P.T. The US Navy isn't heartless though as they've given students the option of alternating their hundreds of pushups with flutter-kicks. Something Izuku was willing to take full advantage of.
'98… 99…' Izuku mentally counted out his pushups. '...100!' He then flipped on his back and began to rapidly do flutter-kicks. '1! 2! 3!'
Internally, Izuku could hardly believe that not only was he able to keep up with the workouts…he was able to surpass everyone else! Before the procedure, he'd have already long passed out by now. But now, despite being soaked in the cold surf, he still felt so much energy flowing through him. His strength, his stamina, his endurance… It was like Teruko had said, it had all been enhanced beyond human limits. Izuku would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the feeling.
The drill instructors were already made aware of Izuku's enhanced physiology though… and they were more than happy to compensate.
"MR. SUPER-SOLDIER!" Izuku glanced up at a drill instructor standing over him, smirking smugly. "If the others can do hundreds of pushups and flutter-kicks, that means you can do over a thousand. Can you?"
"Yes sir!" Izuku immediately responded.
"THEN GET TO IT!" He exclaimed. "I want 'em done before the next phase!"
"Yes sir!" With that, the verdette increased the speed of his exercises, feeling the burn slowly creep in.
(X)
Later, after completing their pushups and flutter-kicks, the SEAL students were now standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the edge of a sandy parking lot close to the campsite.
"Time for the next step, maggots!" The lead drill instructor exclaimed. "You're gonna crawl two-hundred meters across this lot! Your asses better not rise more than an inch off the ground! In combat, that'll get you killed! Out here, it'll send ya right back to the starting line! NOW, GET GOING!" He blew into a whistle.
With that, the recruits hit the ground and started crawling. Izuku's face contorted in pain as the hard pavement dug into his skin, particularly his forearms and knees. Whistles went off as several recruits were already being sent back to the start line.
By now, coarse sand was covering every inch of Izuku's body, and the low crawling was only digging that sand deeper into his flesh.
"How ya feeling Mr. Super-Soldier?" An instructor stepped in front of Izuku, walking backwards to stay a few paces ahead. The verdette didn't dare look up, keeping his focus on staying low to the ground.
"Wonderful, sir!" Izuku responded. "Road burn feels peachy!"
"That's not road burn, Mr. Super-Soldier! That's the American homeland giving you a loving kiss!" The drill sergeant proclaimed. "Hope you enjoy it because unlike the others, you will be doing eight-hundred meters of low-crawling! Understood!?"
Eight hundred meters?!
"Y-Yes sir!" Izuku kept his head down and resumed crawling forward; the sandy pavement filling his vision.
"Has a girl ever given you a hickey before?"
Uh, where did that come from?
"N-no sir…" Izuku stammered, thoughts of the kiss Peggy placed on his cheek briefly came to mind.
"Don't worry, Mr. Super-Soldier! The American homeland has you covered. You will drag your worthless hide across this lot until you are covered with its loving hickies! Understood?"
Oh brother. If he wasn't covered in coarse sand and breathing heavily, he'd have to resist the urge to snicker.
"Yes sir!"
(X)
Over an hour had passed since the start of Hell Week and by that time over a tenth of the class had already quit the course.
Izuku had finally finished his eight-hundred meters of low-crawls; never once being ordered to start over. He was now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his classmates, panting heavily. He, like everyone else, was covered in sweat with dirt, sand, and buts of gravel. It was an uncomfortable experience to say the least.
"You bastards are filthy! Time to wash up. Thankfully, we have the largest shower in the world right behind us. I want all of you to run—not jog—to the surf together!" He blew the whistle and the Navy SEAL-hopefuls sprinted toward the surf zone and locked arms as the waves slammed over them once more.
If the students were hot and sweaty from all the PT earlier, the cold water washing over them immediately resolved that issue.
"We're getting bored watching you maggots wash up! We wanna hear you sing. Mr. Super-Soldier!" An instructor called out.
"Y-Yes sir!" Izuku spluttered out as another wave washed over him.
"Start us off with My Country 'Tis of Thee! Loud and proud!"
Izuku paused to recall the words before he belted them out. "~My country, 'tis of thee…sweet land of liberty…Of thee I sing~"
He paused as another wave slammed into them.
The other students then joined in.
"~Land where my fathers died… Land of the pilgrim's pride…From every mountainside…Let freedom ring~"
The SEAL students continued to sing various songs for the instructors' amusement as the cold Pacific waves repeatedly washed over them.
(X)
Several hours later, dawn had finally come as the sun arose in the east, painting warm colors across the San Diego skyline with the inky night sky in retreat.
Izuku and the SEAL students were back at the campsite still wearing their cold, wet uniforms. Many grimaced every time they moved due to the chafing and coarse sand covering their bodies. Unfortunately, this was a feeling they'd have to endure for the next four days.
The students stood in single-file lines in front of tables under a large canopy where plates of piping hot food were being served. While other special force units in the world starve their trainees to test their mental toughness, the US Navy takes the opposite approach. They eat not only often, but a large amount mostly served hot.
Don't get the wrong idea though. This was done not out of kindness, but rather necessity as the Navy SEAL training will absolutely kill a person if they don't eat hot food often. The heat will help prevent their internal body temperatures from dipping too low to suffer hypothermia.
While the food itself looked like slop and gruel, after hours of hardcore PT and singing tunes in the cold surf, it currently looked like a five-star meal to Izuku and the others.
"Eat up, ladies! You're gonna need it." The drill sergeant shouted.
When Izuku's turn came, his plate had three times the food as his peers. Due to his enhanced physiology, his body burned far more calories than a normal human; meaning he needed to consume far more calories to compensate.
The moment he sat down, he immediately started shoveling food into his mouth. It may not have tasted all that great, but he didn't care. It was hot and edible, and that's all that matters.
(X)
At mid-morning, the students were now performing the dreaded log PT. This training involved multiple teams of students carrying, pulling, pushing, and jogging with their logs back and forth across the sandy beach doing various tasks.
Izuku, however, was being ordered to carry his own assigned log all by himself.
"Mr. Super-Soldier!" The drill sergeant yelled. "Are you fully acquainted with your log yet?"
Izuku panted heavily while holding the 10-foot long, 300-pound log (~3 meters, 136 kg) on his shoulders as he jogged down the beach. "Y-Yes sir…"
"Are you!? Have you given it a name?"
Uh… That was a weird question. "Sir…?"
"You heard me! Have you given it a name? Learned its likes and dislikes? It's hopes and dreams for the future?!"
Okay, now the drill sergeant was just f**king with him.
"I…have not, sir." He replied dumbly.
"Then get to it!" He barked. "Because unlike the others, you'll be doing three times the number of exercises with your log than the others. Am I understood?!"
"Yes sir!" When the drill sergeant stepped away, Izuku glanced up at the log over his head. 'Great… Guess I'll call it Zak. Since it's gonna be such a pain in the ass…'
(X)
Though SEAL students would be spending a fair amount of the day doing log PTs in-and-out of the ocean, they would also be spending an equal amount of time with their inflatable boats.
"Keep it up, ladies! Double time!" The drill sergeant ordered.
Six-man teams were carrying large black-and-yellow rubber inflatable boats (IBS) on top of their heads down the shoreline with only a few straps to hold onto for support. Each boat weighed between 200 to 300 pounds (90 kg - 136kg), so every member needed to carry their weight; otherwise, the hull would smack against their teammates' heads—potentially giving them a concussion.
Izuku, meanwhile, was leading the pack carrying his IBS over his head on his own.
"Mr. Super-Soldier!" The drill sergeant jogged backwards, keeping several paces in front of Izuku. "We don't want you to feel like you're not getting a workout here, so you'll be going up and down this beach an extra five times! And I want you done by the time the others finish too. Am I understood!?"
"Loud and clear, sir!" Izuku yelled back.
Izuku heaved heavily as he trudged through the wet stand, feeling the strain in his arms to keep the boat balanced over his head. 'Just gotta push through! It's all mental… I can do it… Keep going further!' He continued to pull away from the pack.
(X)
The sun began its descent, casting a pastel of warm colors across the ocean horizon. The SEAL students were lined up in front of their instructors, divided into six-man teams with their boats resting by them. They had just finished being served another hot meal earlier, and now they were getting ready for the next phase of their torture–um, training.
"Hope you ladies enjoyed that meal! Now we're getting to the fun stuff… ROCK PORTAGE!" The drill sergeant pointed to a wall of jagged rocks over one-hundred meters away. "The goal is simple: land safely on those rocks!"
Izuku looked closely at the mass of jagged rocks and the viscous waves pounding against it. 'Simple? Not quite…' He mused sardonically.
"Two teams at a time will approach the rocks. You will carry up your paddles and your IBS to the top, otherwise, it will not count as a true landing. NOW GET TO IT!" He blew into his whistle. "Double time!"
With no time to think, the groups picked up their IBSs and ran toward the water. As soon as they were knee-deep, they all jumped into their boats, grabbed the paddles inside, and immediately started rowing.
The 6-foot high (~2 meters) waves made it very difficult. Not even a minute into the drill, several IBSs had already been capsized from the waves, including Izuku's team.
After being submerged and flipped over by the waves, Izuku steadied himself and took hold of the capsized boat. "C'MON! We can do this, guys!" He shouted as he flipped the boat back over on his own. "Don't give up!"
Regaining their bearings and picking up their floating paddles, the other five students pulled themselves back into the boat with Izuku and immediately started padding forward. The waves rocked the IBS hard, making it difficult to stay stable. Despite their best efforts, Izuku's group and the others would wound up capsizing several more times.
Nevertheless, they flipped the boat over and hopped back in it. Defeat just wasn't an option. It took many more tries, but the groups had finally managed to get past the ruthless breakers and were now paddling their way toward the rocks.
That was only the first step though.
The boats needed to make a slow and steady approach to the rocks, but the rough waves crashing into them was making that task very difficult. Regardless, the job still needed to be done.
As they encroached the boulders, Izuku positioned himself at the front of the boat. "You guys keep paddling! I'll grab onto the rocks and anchor us long enough for you guys to get out."
"Hey… Superman…" A recruit said tiredly as he rowed. "I know you're strong and all…but you sure?"
"Those rocks gotta be slick!" Another added.
"Trust me, I got it! I won't let my teammates down!" Izuku declared confidently.
Izuku braced himself as the rocks got closer. Suddenly, a wave rolled up behind them and carried their boat forward. They would've violently slam into the rocks if Izuku hadn't grabbed hold of a ledge and used his superhuman strength to stabilize the boat. The stone cracked from the pressure exerted by his fingertips.
Digging his feet into the crease between the boat's rubber hull and bottom, Izuku kept the IBS anchored to the side of the rocks. "GO!" Izuku shouted. "I'll hold it still!"
"Way to go Superman!" With that, his teammates carefully disembark on the rocks handing their paddles to one another. The slickness and constant pounding of waves forced them to move slowly. Izuku clenched his eyes shut, straining his body to keep the raft anchored to the boulders. On the plus side, the sea spray raining down on him washed away the dirt and grime of the day's PT.
"Superman!" Izuku glanced to the right to see one of his teammates reaching out to him, his other arm linked with the others to keep him anchored. "Reach out, we'll pull you in!"
Izuku nodded and, with one hand clutching the rock, outstretched his other hand to grab hold of his teammate's. With a mighty heave, Izuku's teammates pulled him onto the rocks along with the others. Then, using a rope tied at the boat's bow, Izuku pulled the IBS up out of the water single handedly.
With one carrying the paddles, Izuku and four others took a hold of the IBS and lifted it over their heads as they carefully treaded up the rocky outcroppings.
Their goal was in sight. They'd be the first team to accomplish the exercise. Then…
SNAP!
"ARRRGHHH!" An agonizing yell was heard over the roar of the waves.
Izuku snapped his head in the direction of the yell to see the second IBS group had been slammed into the rocks by the waves. Five were in the water and looked okay at first glance while the sixth man had his left foot jammed in-between two rocks…and was dangling in the water.
"HELP M–BLAH!" The student was cut off as a wave bashed him against the rocks. His jammed foot was knocked loose from the rocks, and he disappeared under the water.
"MACE?!" One of his teammates shouted, who was clutching onto their capsized IBS.
Izuku wasn't thinking anymore by this point. Tossing his team's IBS to the side, he jumped far from the rocks and dived headfirst into the waves. He didn't come back up immediately. The five-man group who capsized grabbed on their IBS and pulled themselves up, looking in anticipation at the spot Izuku had dived.
Moments later, Izuku resurfaced with his right arm wrapped around the student named Mace. The poor guy had bloody bruises and gashes on his face from slamming into the jagged rocks. Though it could've been much worse.
"It's okay! I've got you!" Izuku exclaimed. He swam toward the other team's capsized boat while carefully holding Mace close to him.
Mace coughed up water as frantically moved his arms to stay afloat. He then felt a searing hot pain from his ankle and clenched his eyes shut. "AAGHH! My ankle!"
"Don't worry!" Izuku assured him. "It's gonna be alright!"
Later, with the help of Izuku and Mace's boat crews, they successfully managed to return to the beach. A medic was already on the scene and immediately tended to Mace as he laid on his back.
Izuku and several other classmates stayed close to hear the update on their injured classmate.
"H-Hey…Superman." Mace directed his attention to Izuku. "Thanks for saving me…"
Izuku smiled a little. "You're welcome. That's what superheroes do, after all." He said jokingly.
"Superhero, huh?" Mace chuckled weakly, and then grimaced from the hot pain in his leg.
The medic nodded after completing his diagnosis. "Sorry, Mr. Mace. It's broken badly. We're gonna need to perform surgery ASAP!"
Mace nodded weakly, his expression portraying his distraught. "Crap…" He sighed heavily as he was loaded onto a stretcher. "This sucks."
Izuku frowned, empathizing with his injured classmate. At that moment, he felt he should say something to help cheer him…if only a little. "You can try again after you're healed up."
"Maybe…" He said despondently.
"Don't lose hope in your dream, Mace." Izuku smiled a little. "The future's built on dreams."
Mace turned his head to Izuku with a thoughtful look. A small smile then crossed his face, despite the intense pain he was feeling. "Yeah…? Won't lie, that's pretty idealistic. What's your name, Superman?"
"Izuku. Izuku Midoriya."
Four medical personnel picked up Mace's stretcher and proceeded to carry him off toward an ambulance nearby.
"I'll remember that. You have my thanks!" Jeffrey Mace called out.
Izuku smiled and waved at his now ex-classmate. He felt bad for Mace, but inwardly acknowledged that this was the ugly reality of Navy SEAL training. Recruits would often get hurt and, in some cases, may even die. It came with the territory.
"I'll give you ladies ten minutes of rest!" The drill sergeant suddenly declared. "Better enjoy it! After that, you're gonna re-try that rock portage drill. Am I understood!?"
"Yes sir!" The two boat crews shouted.
Nodding in satisfaction, the drill sergeant turned around and focused his attention on the other crews trying to land on the offshore rock mass.
Izuku received several pats on the back from his present classmates, congratulating him and/or thanking him for his help–which the verdette teen bashfully responded to. He then walked over to a particular spot on the beach and took a seat in the sand.
Looking around and making sure none of the instructors were looking at him, Izuku discreetly dug into the sand with his right hand and pulled out a sealed king-sized Kit-Kat bar.
Before Hell Week had begun, Izuku, along with many other recruits, had stashed a few candy bars in hidden locations across the campsite to consume later.
After all, surviving Hell Week meant more than obeying orders and following rules…it was about breaking them and cheating when you can without getting caught. In real-world combat, there were no rules: only mission success.
Izuku peeled off the wrapping and scarfed down the candy before anyone noticed, relishing the sweet chocolate taste on his taste buds. This would be one of the rare moments of pleasure he'd have for the next few days…and the many days to follow after.
Finishing the sweet, Izuku glanced in the west and watched the sun set over the ocean. 'Four more days of this…on four hours of total sleep… This is gonna be tough… But I have to do this.' He furrowed his brows, his thoughts drifting to Peggy and the new friends he had made in the SSR. 'Guys… I promise…I'll join you all as soon as I can…'
Musutafu, Japan - April 2197
On Saturday morning, five days following the USJ Incident, Midoriya and his group of friends had agreed to meet up for training together. Yaoyorozu was kind enough to invite everyone to her family's estate again as she had a training compound that was big enough to accommodate everyone's needs…because of course she did.
Midoriya and his friends were now standing inside of a large indoor gymnasium that rivaled Gym Gamma in size and even had a glass ceiling, allowing sunlight inside. There was a paved track circling the perimeter with a large grassy field in the center and various items scattered around.
Everyone's eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets when they had first laid eyes on the facility. However, it was Yaoyorozu's innocent comment on hoping the gym wasn't too small that made them fall over on the ground; much to her confusion.
After settling down from their surprise and changing into personal workout clothes, the group consisting of Uraraka, Tokage, Jiro, Tsunotori, Iida, Asui, Sero, Kirishima, Ashido, and Kaminari were on the grass field lined up single-filed in front of Midoriya and Yaoyorozu.
"I'm glad all of you could make it." Yaoyorozu beamed, nearly blinding everyone present. "Izuku-kun and I put our heads together yesterday after class and have come up with ideas for everyone in class to improve their respective Quirks." She presented a small stack of papers, much to everyone's surprise.
"Well done, you both! You're already living up to your presidential roles." Iida praised them while using exaggerated chopping motions.
Midoriya nodded in acknowledgment. "Of course in a competition like the All-Star Games, it's not all about Quirks. Following our Quirk training, all of us will be doing PT exercises as well. We only have two weeks to prepare, less if you count rest days. So, let's make every minute of our training sessions count."
"Yes sir!" The group said simultaneously, akin to military cadets.
Midoriya smiled and rolled his eyes while Yaoyorozu giggled. The verdette could tell by the playful grin on Uraraka's face that she had something to do with this.
"To save on time," Yaoyorozu picked up, "Izuku-kun and I will discuss our suggestions with half of you."
"I can take care of this half, Yaomomo." Midoriya motioned to Uraraka, Iida, Kirishima, Ashido, and Sero. "While you handle the other half. Sound good?" The remaining five were Tsunotori, Jiro, Kaminari, Asui, and Tokage.
"Yes. That shouldn't be a problem." Yaoyorozu nodded.
"Alright, let's get to it! We're burning daylight!'"
"Yes sir!"
(X)
"Let's start off with you, Setsuna-chan." Yaoyorozu took a glance at the Quirk profile for Tokage. "To improve Lizard Tail Splitter, Izuku-kun and I propose you continuously split your body into as many pieces as you can. Keep pushing your limit even when you're tired."
"Yeah, makes sense." She nodded in understanding.
"Just try not to push yourself too far though." Yaoyorozu cautioned. "We don't want anyone getting injured."
Tokage nodded, grinning toothily. "Right, right. Train hard, not reckless. Welp…" The greenette sauntered away and cracked her fingers. "I'll go ahead and get started. Although…"
"Yes?" Yaoyorozu questioned.
"...I just hope all this training doesn't make me…fall apart." Tokage split off her appendages and head from her body, levitating in the air. "Eh? Get it?"
Tsunotori and Kaminari both giggled while Jiro rolled her eyes, unamused. If Asui thought Tokage's joke was funny, she didn't let it outwardly show.
Yaoyorozu sagged her shoulders, sighing. "Setsuna…"
"What? I thought it was clever."
(X)
"Sero…" Midoriya pulled out a paper containing all of the information he had recorded about the Tape user's Quirk and suggestions for improving it. "... You're gonna be training over there next to the water station." He pointed to a corner that had a huge black tarp spread across the ground. "You'll be producing a continuous strand of tape from both elbows onto that tarp. Doing this exercise should increase your tape capacity and strength while improving your dispensing speed."
"I gotcha." Sero then sweat-dropped when something occurred to him. "Oh man… Making that much tape, I might dehydrate myself…"
"That's why Yaomomo and I have you set up near the water station. Keep pushing yourself until you go past your limits. Take a water break, and then get right back to it."
"Yes sir." Sero gave a mock salute before rushing off toward his station.
(X)
"Tsu." Yaoyorozu glanced at the notes she had on Asui's Quirk, which were based on Midoriya's notes. "You'll be climbing up-and-down the rock wall while using your tongue as a safety rope." She pointed to a large rock wall setup on the other end of the facility. "This should work all of your muscles while also strengthening your tongue."
Asui nodded. "Kero. I can do that."
"Also," the ravenette paused to produce four dark green bands from her abdomen. "Izuku-kun suggested you wear these to provide more resistance. I made these based on the ones he normally wears."
Recalling how heavy the weights Midoriya wore, Asui croaked nervously. "Uh… I don't know if I can move with that much weight on…"
"Not to worry." Yaoyorozu smiled reassuringly. "The weight's only a fraction of what he carries around. It should be more than manageable for you."
Asui sighed in relief. "Thank you, Yaomomo-chan." She took the bands and proceeded toward the rock wall area.
(X)
"Ashido-chan, you see that plastic tub over there?" Midoriya pointed to a large, black polyethylene tank on the other end of the field. "You'll be intermittently creating acid into that. Make sure the acid's corrosiveness is as close to the limit you can currently handle. Your goal will be to increase your skin's durability."
Ashido nodded, grinning. "Sounds like a plan!"
"If you get thirsty from all the acid production, please go to the water station." He motioned to a large table with several water dispensers set up on it. "Don't need anyone passing out today from dehydration."
"Can do, Prez!" The pinkette gave a thumbs-up.
(X)
"Kaminari-san." Yaoyorozu directed their attention to a large capacity battery sitting on a one-inch-thick rubber platform. "You'll be running your electrical current through that battery. The goal will be to train your body to handle more electricity, reducing the risk of short-circuiting yourself."
"But I don't need to worry about that anymore." Kaminari mentioned. "I have the circuit breaker on my Costume."
"You can't wear your Costume during the Games, dummy." Jiro remarked coolly.
"Oh…right." The electric blonde deflated.
"Plus," Tsunotori jumped in, "you don't want to get too reliant on Support Gear. The smart Villains may catch on and aim to break it. You'd be in quite the pickle then."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Kaminari admitted.
"As Izuku-kun has already told you, Kaminari, control rather than power will be your best friend." Yaoyorozu stated. "Learn to safely manage your electricity before working to increase your wattage limit."
"Alright, I can do that!" Kaminari adopted a determined demeanor. "Time to go Plus Ultra!" He then rushed off toward the battery.
"Do your best, Denki!" Tsunotori cheered.
"Don't fry yourself, Yammingway." Jiro commented wryly.
(X)
"Kirishima-kun, your training spot will be over there." Midoriya pointed to a spot on the field where his shield was attached to a wooden post.
"Is that your shield? How'd you get that from the Costume shelf?" Kirishima asked curiously.
"The shield belongs to me, so I can take it whenever I like." He replied. "Which is good for our case. You'll be hitting the shield as hard and for as long as you can without seriously injuring yourself."
"Wait… Really?" Kirishima sounded surprised. "That seems pretty straightforward, Prez."
Midoriya nodded. "It is. But simple solutions are sometimes the best ones. See, my shield's indestructible so you won't have to worry about breaking it, and constantly hitting it should strengthen your Hardening Quirk; similar to building up callouses by doing rough work."
"Oh, I get it!" Kirishima activated his Quirk on his arms and slammed his fists together, grinning roguishly. "My Hardening should get much stronger by punching that thing over and over!"
"Be sure you're not just punching it though." Midoriya recommended. "Use some kicks and try to ram yourself into it too. I'll swing by later and we can have a sparring match with it if ya want?"
"Sure thing, man!" Kirishima gave a thumbs-up. "That's my kind of training!"
(X)
"Kyoka-chan, your area will be by those boulders." Yaoyorozu pointed toward a few boulders by the rock-climbing zone where Asui was currently climbing. "You'll be thrusting your earphone jacks into the stone."
Jiro tilted her head, bemused. "Why that?"
"Izuku-kun and I agree that strengthening your jacks should also increase the quality of your sound." Yaoyorozu explained.
The purplette rocker nodded in understanding. "Bangin'. Well, let's get rockin'."
(X)
"Your training drill is pretty straightforward, Iida." Midoriya said. "You'll be doing long runs around the track to build up leg strength and stamina."
Iida nodded. "Yes, I suspected that would be the case."
"However, Yaomomo and I added an extra caveat to make the exercise more difficult." Midoriya pulled off four navy-blue exercise bands off his forearms. "Slip these on your wrists and ankles. Each one weighs roughly 9 kilos (~20 lbs)."
"That's almost 40 kilos (~80 lbs) I'll be carrying around." Iida noted.
"If it's too heavy or too light, let us know and Yaomomo can make a new set." Midoriya advised. "We want this training to push you…but not too much where it injures you or you don't get anything out of it."
"Yes, I understand." The bespeckled teen leaned down to place the bands on his wrists and ankles. He stood up and lifted up each leg to test the resistance. "Hmm, yes. I believe these will do splendidly, Midoriya-kun!"
"Great." Midoriya smiled. "I'll let you get to it then."
(X)
"Pony, how's your head feeling?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"It's all better!" Tsunotori chirped. "I can use my Quirk fully with no issue."
Yaoyorozu nodded in acknowledgement, smiling. "The limit of horns you can control at a time is four, yes?" When the blonde equine-girl nodded, the ravenette continued, "Then use those horns to carry the heavy weights over there for as long as you can." She motioned toward a line of various sized black kettlebells at the end of the field. "If they're too heavy or light, let me know and I'll make adjustments."
"I will. But how does that help me increase my horn limit?"
"Izuku-kun and I theorize the best way to improve Horn Cannon's telekinetic control is by increasing how much weight your individual horns can carry around." Yaoyorozu answered. "Of course, if we're wrong, increasing how much weight you can carry is still a plus for you."
Tsunotori nodded eagerly, her tail swishing behind her. "Okay! I'll give it a shot!"
(X)
"Last but certainly not least…" Midoriya directed his attention to a smiling Uraraka. "The Evil Doctor of Anti-Physics herself…Anti-Gravity."
"Pft!" Uraraka giggled to herself. "Really? Anti-Gravity?"
She was wearing black mid-thigh length shorts, a pink tank top, and white shoes with her chestnut hair tied up into a bun. Her attire really showed off her curvy body and he made sure that he wasn't staring.
Midoriya shrugged, chuckling. "Heh-heh, yeah. Names were never my strong suit. But before we get off track, you see that bubble over there?" He directed her attention to a human-sized plastic bubble close by.
"Yeah. What is it?" Uraraka inquired.
"That is for your training. You'll be using your Quirk on yourself inside the bubble. The point is to train your semicircular canals in your ears to decrease nausea while increasing the time you can use your Quirk on yourself and other objects."
Her brown eyes widened slightly. "Oh, I see. That's pretty smart! Though…" She became sheepish. "I can't promise I won't throw up while I'm in there."
"Don't worry." Midoriya laid a hand on her shoulder, grinning. "If you do, we'll just hose you and the bubble off. No big deal."
Uraraka pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "Not funny."
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." He chuckled.
'Huh… She's really cute when she pouts like that.' He thought offhandedly.
(X)
With their friends starting on their respective training drills, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu joined back up close to the gym's main entrance. Along the way, Midoriya had to will himself not to stare at his ravenette friend, given her attire that consisted of a pair of tight black athletic shorts that showcased her thighs and a red sleeveless midriff shirt that hugged her ample chest.
'Just keep your composure, soldier. DON'T stare!' He commanded himself.
The pair finally stopped by a large foldout table with various sugary, fatty foods spread across it.
"I suppose we should get started on our own training now, Izuku-kun." Yaoyorozu said dutifully.
Midoriya recalled what Yaoyorozu had recorded for her own training drill. Essentially, she planned on eating everything on the table while making a large assortment of Matryoshka dolls–hoping to decrease her Creation time. He could see the reasoning behind her exercise, but…
"Actually, is it okay if I make a recommendation for your training, Momo-chan?"
"Of course. What did you have in mind?" She asked curiously.
"I know you have a thing for Matryoshka dolls, but why not try creating Bo staffs instead?" He suggested.
"Bo staffs? I suppose I could but they're not as intricate as my dolls." She mentioned. "Shouldn't my training involve creating many objects to decrease my creation time?"
"Yes but making the dolls shouldn't be what you focus on." Midoriya countered. "In a battle you normally use a Bo staff, or a capture net, or an airsoft gun. You should practice making those items and others like them to the point it becomes second nature."
"Yes, that makes sense." Yaoyorozu admitted.
"Speaking of which, how long does it take you to make a staff?"
"Roughly two seconds." She answered immediately.
Midoriya shook his head. "Not good enough. Try making over sixty within a minute."
"Sixty?" Her grey eyes widened, surprised. To achieve that goal, she'd have to make each Bo staff within a second or less!
"It's tough, but it is an achievable goal." Midoriya assured her. "Besides, something like a metal rod needs to be an instantaneous creation for you. In the heat of battle, you won't always have time to make overly complicated items. You need to build a repertoire of useful items you can make instantly…" He then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Or come up with a way to shorten the time to make complex stuff."
"Hmm…" Yaoyorozu hummed, considering Midoriya's advice. "I see."
'A repertoire of things I can make instantly? Yes, I can see where he's coming from.' She thought. 'What items could I put on that list?'
"Those are my thoughts at least." Midoriya shrugged. "But I know you're capable of figuring things out on your own. I mean, you're a genius after all."
"You…give me too much credit." Yaoyorozu blushed slightly.
"Hardly. In fact, I think we take for granted how intelligent you are." Midoriya stated. "Especially during our group study sessions. I know I appreciate it; particularly in history."
"Well…" Her gaze fell to the floor. "I do need to be smart to use my Quirk properly, otherwise I wouldn't be useful at all..."
"I disagree."
Yaoyorozu stopped and stared at the verdette with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Sure you need to understand molecular structure to create something, but I still believe you'd be a great Hero even if you didn't." Midoriya declared, smiling confidently. "You're more than just intelligent, Momo-chan. You're kind, resourceful, and strong. I mean, not just anyone would go the extra mile in putting together training tips for their classmates like you did."
Yaoyorozu's face became flushed.
He went on. "So, I guess with all that said, you're not incredible because you're smart. You're smart because you're incredible."
Yaoyorozu was speechless for several seconds before she could finally respond. "Th-th-thank you, Izuku…" She uttered with a small voice.
Realizing what he had said and how it could be taken, Midoriya waved his hands frantically, "I-I mean… S-sorry, I didn't mean for that to come off as a lecture or anything!"
Yaoyorozu shook her head. "No… I greatly appreciate it, Izuku. Thank you." Her soft, beautiful smile caused Midoriya's face to flush.
"Oh…um, you're welcome." He lamely replied.
Several seconds of silence passed before Yaoyorozu cleared her throat. "I believe we should get started with our training."
"R-right." Midoriya nodded. "Then…meet back up for lunch?"
"Mhmm." She nodded in agreement.
As Midoriya turned away, Yaoyorozu stopped him. "Um…Izuku-kun…"
He glanced back, curious. "What's up?"
She briefly hesitated. "I think you're more incredible."
Before Midoriya could give a response, she had already turned around and started walking toward the sweets table. "We better get started!"
"Yeah…" He shifted his focus to Kirishima, who was in the middle of hitting his shield, and began walking towards the spiky redhead… with a healthy blush still plastered on his freckled face.
Two weeks had passed, and Class 101-A had been hard at work with classes and training and attending their mandatory therapy sessions. Thankfully, it didn't appear that anyone from their class would be barred from the All-Star Games. Something Midoriya was especially grateful for, especially after how he had walked out on his session with Midnight.
It was a Wednesday night with the Games schedules for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Thursday and Friday would feature the freshmen and sophomores respectively while Saturday would showcase the juniors and seniors battling it out together.
The Concord Dawn USA Diner was relatively busy with more than eighty percent of the tables full of hungry customers and the staff working hard to serve them. Midoriya and Coulson sat in a booth close to the main entrance in casual wear.
Midoriya was wearing a plaid green shirt, blue jeans, and his signature red-laced boots while Coulson wore a yellow collared shirt, brown slacks, and brown loafers.
As a World War III veteran and highly trained SHIELD agent, the pair left several escape routes open in the event of an attack. Paranoid? Maybe. But, given their backgrounds, it was justified.
They had just submitted their orders to the kind waitress earlier. As they waited for their food, Coulson's eyes wandered to the various Americana items displayed all around the restaurant. "Not that I don't appreciate the retro atmosphere, but I was expecting you to suggest we go to a hole-in-the-wall ramen stand." He commented, speaking in English.
"I know a few. Occhan, Yaomomo, and I go to them together when we can." He replied in English. "We can go to one of those next time."
Coulson smirked slyly. "Occhan and Yaomomo? Making headway, are we?"
Midoriya's face flushed slightly. "It's not like that."
"Whatever you say." His smirk never left. "So, how was training with your classmates the last couple weeks?"
The verdette exhaled deeply. "It's been tough for all of us, but my friends have made steady progress."
"I'd be surprised if they didn't." Coulson remarked. "I mean they had you as a drill sergeant." He then grinned a little. "Did it feel good to coordinate others PT after all the training you went through years ago?"
The corner of Midoriya's lip curled upward. "A little, I won't lie…" He then shrugged. "Still, I had to reign it in quite a bit. Didn't want to accidentally injure anyone before the Games…or scare them off." Another thought then crossed the verdette's mind. "Oh! By the way, I wanted to thank you for getting me copies of those movies."
Coulson nodded. "My pleasure. What'd you and your friends end up watching?"
"Jurassic Park."
"Oh, the original one, huh? Did they enjoy it?"
Midoriya nodded. "Sounded like they did. Tokage-san, especially. She wants a copy for herself." Another thought occurred to him. "Out of curiosity, where'd you find those movies anyway? They're not available online anywhere."
"National Film Registry." Coulson answered. "One of the few places that survived the Dark Times."
"Really?" Midoriya raised an eyebrow. "Then…how come there aren't more Pre-Quirk Era movies available to the public?"
Coulson shrugged. "No one cares to watch them… Well, if you're not a film historian, that is."
"That's…kind of a shame. Wonder why…"
Coulson frowned and tensed up ever so slightly. However, it was enough that the super-soldier's keen eyesight noticed it.
"Coulson?" He gently pressed.
The agent paused to take a sip of his water from his straw. "...It's likely because most people aren't interested in seeing films that predominantly feature Quirkless people." He tersely responded.
"Oh… I didn't even consider that." He said morosely. 'The others didn't seem to have a problem with that.'
"It's not everyone… but there is a fair amount of Quirkists out there. I should know." He took another sip from his straw.
Midoriya looked at him sympathetically. "Were you…discriminated against?" He asked carefully.
"Plenty." Coulson chuckled ruefully. "Heck… When I was a kid, there was this one time when a shoe store refused to service me. It was like the idea of serving a Quirkless person was appalling to them."
"A shoe store?" Midoriya's eyes then widened in realization. "Right… The extra toe joint." He recalled the reading of Hatsume Teruko noting that the majority of meta-users had one less joint in their pinky toes. It appeared that was still true to the present day.
Coulson nodded in confirmation. "Yep. Most shoes pinched my feet, so I had to order custom pairs. Took my parents a while to find a company that was actually willing to do it." He then pointed below the table. "Hence why SHIELD makes all of your footwear too."
Midoriya momentarily glanced down at his red-laced boots. 'Seriously?'
Coulson then sighed heavily. "The world isn't exactly kind to those with Quirks seen as villainous or niche…and especially not to those without one."
The verdette angrily clenched his fists under the table. The idea of a person's worth being determined by whatever Quirk they were born appalled him. Shouldn't a person's character determine who they are, and not some superpower they may or may not have been born with?
He paused and slumped his shoulders. 'Guess nothing's changed. The roles have only been reserved…' He thought forlornly.
Midoriya looked back at his liaison empathetically. "I'm…sorry. It shouldn't be that way."
Coulson smiled a little, shrugging. "I agree… But no sense in worrying about the things outside of our control."
Despite Coulson's dismissal, Midoriya was still troubled by the reality of Quirk discrimination. 'It was only briefly covered in the history books. But…it sounds like it may be more widespread than I was led to believe…' He looked back at him with a smile. "Well… You haven't let the fact you're Quirkless keep you down. Achieving Level 7 and all."
"Well… Thankfully SHIELD puts more emphasis on ability rather than power." Coulson gave a small smile. "That's thanks to you, by the way. You certainly set a good example for people like me."
Midoriya paused to consider that thought. 'An example, huh?'
"Anyways, you said you wanted to discuss a couple things, right?" Coulson brought up. "Well, I'm all ears."
"Oh, right." Midoriya reached into his yellow satchel and pulled out a notebook. Open to an earmarked page, he passed it across to the SHIELD agent. "I wanted to make some improvements to the suit."
Coulson sat his drink down and looked over the page. "Quicker suit up time… Integrated helmet…Shield retrieval system?" He looked back at the super-soldier. "This should all be simple enough for R and D." He ripped the page out, neatly folding it, and placing it in his pants pocket. "We'll have it ready by your internship."
'Right… Internship.'
"On that note, are you sure I can't be assigned to the you-know-who case during that week?" Midoriya asked.
Coulson shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Fury believes your skills are better suited for other missions. Besides, A-F-O has led everyone to believe he's been dead for six years now; including us! So, it's unlikely we'll be able to locate him in a week, even with our resources."
Midoriya found it a bit peculiar that an intelligence agency like SHIELD with the vast network they had could struggle to find just one person. Then again… given who this individual was, it made sense.
"I know… He's good at hiding in the shadows. It's his whole shtick." Midoriya remarked. "But maybe I can help somehow?"
Coulson placed his elbows on the table, clasping his fingers together. "Let's say you join the case, one week passes, and we still haven't found him… Would you really be able to go back to UA?"
Midoriya wanted to say 'yes'... but as he pondered the scenario further, he realized that Coulson brought up a fair point. He'd likely be so invested in the case that he'd be unable to return to his "school/social life". He'd lose his spot in the Hero Course, if not expelled for not coming to classes. His friends would likely be devastated as well; Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, especially.
Coulson nodded, getting a good read of Midoriya's current thought process. "Rest assured, we already have our best minds on the case. We'll find him. If not him, then at least we'll find where Shigaraki and Kurogiri are hiding. For now, just focus on school."
Midoriya sighed in resignation. "Fine…"
The agent paused to take a sip from his cup. "Speaking of school, the All-Star Games start tomorrow. Excited for that?"
The super-soldier nodded. "I am. Though…I have my concerns."
"Such as?"
"Well, I found out that if a Hero Student doesn't perform well, they could potentially lose their spot in the course."
The agent nodded in understanding. "Several notable Heroes from UA who didn't make the cut in the entrance exams made their debut in the All-Star Games. Your instructors Eraserhead and Midnight are perfect examples." He then quirked a brow. "You're not nervous, are you?"
"Well…" His gaze dropped to the table. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit concerned over the competition, especially my classmates. Their abilities are nothing to scoff at."
"You'll be fine." Coulson said confidently. "I mean…you're you."
Midoriya shook his head, the corner of his mouth curving upward. "You and Toshi are both fanboys, ya know that."
"Guilty as charged." The super-agent conceded. "But are you really worried?"
"I plan to give it my all, so I'm confident in my own abilities. But my opponents have more to compete for than me. Since they actually are trying to get scouted by Pros."
Coulson quickly averted his gaze.
"Phil," He used the agent's first name, staring at him flatly, "are you sure Fury won't budge on my request? If I can't be a part of the A-F-O case, at least let me join up with a Pro who potentially scouts me."
"My apologies." He sighed. "But Fury's convinced spending a week with a Pro would not only be an unnecessary risk to your cover…but a waste of time."
"Waste of time?" The verdette knitted his brows together.
"You're The Legend." He kept his voice down. "In his defense, what good is a week with a regular Hero going to do you?"
"I could stand to learn a fair amount of crucial information on the profession." Midoriya retorted.
"Information that you can learn rather quickly without risking your cover. Sorry, Izuku," he shrugged, "but this is out of my hands."
Midoriya exhaled in frustration. "Right…"
The balding agent looked at the verdette closely. "That's…not the only thing on your mind. Is it?"
"Heh. What gave it away?" He smiled wryly.
"I'm a Level 7 SHIELD Agent." Coulson deadpanned. "I was trained to read body language; regardless of how good a person's guard is."
Midoriya did not respond to that, his gaze dropping to the table. The chatter of the diners' patrons and the clinging and clanging of plates and cookware in the kitchen filled their hearing.
"So…what's bothering you?" Coulon asked, sounding concerned.
"It's just…" Midoriya paused. "Is it really wise for UA to be televising the Games? Especially when the League is on the loose?"
The balding agent nodded understandingly. "Well, Pro Heroes are constantly featured in the news, at least the popular ones. People who keep up with them already know their Quirks and move sets. Take you, for example."
The super-soldier was about to retort, but then paused to contemplate further. 'Wait… Is that it? Another way to prepare students for the profession? Makes sense…but…'
"Fair enough. I still don't think it's smart to freely broadcast our Quirks and skillset to the whole world; especially when you-know-who could be watching…" His tone sounded grave.
"Even if he is, your shtick hasn't changed. Use shield, throw shield. Punch and kick. American flag waving in the background." He joked.
Midoriya sweat-dropped. "I'm being serious here."
"I know, and I get your concerns. But think about it… UA is already under fire following the USJ. They're not going to continue with this event unless they have a solid plan in place." Coulson asserted. "Especially given who's in charge..."
"In charge?" Midoriya cocked a brow. "You mean Dean Nezu?"
Coulson nodded, his expression going stone-faced. "That man…bear…mouse being. His intellect is scary."
Midoriya paused and internally recalled Nezu's profile information. 'Analysis of Today's Heroes Volume 4, Page 13. Nedzu, though often referred to as Nezu. A mutated and experimented animal who developed a Meta-Ability called High Spec. It grants him an insane intellect that surpasses most if not all humans. He's an Investigative Hero, much like Toshinori's former Sidekick, Sir Nighteye. His track record for solving impossible cases is astounding…'
Midoriya's eyes widened as an unsettling possibility crossed his mind. "Uh…Coulson, you don't think Nezu knows… Do you?"
The fact that Coulson didn't respond immediately didn't alleviate his concerns. The super-soldier also didn't miss the subtle twitch in Coulson's visage.
He finally exhaled. "I'll be frank…I wouldn't be surprised if he knows everything by this point. SHIELD's never been able to get around that man. But unless Nezu brings up the matter, just remain undercover. It's possible he may be playing along, knowing how society would react to your return."
"Right…" Midoriya frowned at the possibility someone other than All Might in UA's faculty may know his true identity.
The waitress then returned carrying two trays of food. Coulson had ordered a simple burger and fries while Midoriya had ordered…several house specials.
As the waitress stepped away, Midoriya looked between his three plates of food and Coulson's single plate. "Uh…I can pay for my own." He said sheepishly.
"Relax." He waved off nonchalantly. "It'd be my honor to pay for the Legend's dinner."
Midoriya was instantly reminded of one time during his Takoba Beach training of Yagi bringing him lunch from his favorite ramen joint. "HA-HA-HA!" He gave his signature laugh. "To buy a meal for the Legend himself is my genuine pleasure and honor!"
The verdette sweat-dropped in exasperation. 'I'm grateful… But it can be overwhelming at times.'
"By the way," Coulson said, looking at him seriously, "have you given Toshinori's offer any serious thought?"
Midoriya didn't immediately respond. "I have."
He then took a bit from his cheeseburger. With all the training he had been doing and the Games tomorrow, he needed a ton of calories.
"Well…?"
"Huh…" Midoriya swallowed his bite. "Oh! Yeah, it's good. The burger's seasoned well. The pepperjack is good too. Right amount of condiments–"
"That's not what I meant." Coulson deadpanned.
"Oh, I know." The corner of Midoriya's lip curled upward.
The super-agent arched a brow. 'Was that sass?'
"...Aren't you going to tell me what your answer was?"
Midoriya stopped and adopted a thoughtful expression.
…
…
"No. No, I don't think I will."
He then resumed eating his meal.
…
…
Coulson blinked and just stared at him with an unamused frown. "You're really going to keep me in the dark like this?"
The super-soldier shrugged. "What was said between me and Toshinori stays between the two of us."
"But this is a serious matter." Coulson argued.
"I know… Don't get the wrong idea. I trust you, Phil." Midoriya said sincerely. "But for now, it stays between me and him. Alright?"
Coulson sighed out, frustrated. "…Fine."
A moment passed as the pair continued to eat their meals.
"The All-Star Games." Midoriya finally spoke up. "Out of the students who participate, who usually places in the top three?"
Coulson was a bit confused by the sudden question, but responded, "Hero students. Typically the ones with flashy, powerful Quirks. Why?"
"Well, I've been thinking…" Midoriya finished his first plate and pushed it aside, bringing up his second plate. "What would people think if someone, with just a plain argumentation ability, did very well in the Games?"
Coulson was momentarily confused before his eyes widened in understanding. "It would certainly challenge the notion that only people with flashy 'Heroic' Quirks can be Heroes."
"And people from all over Japan will be watching too..." Midoriya mentioned.
"Not just Japan. UA's All-Star Games are watched all over the world." Coulson added. "Not live, but tons of people watch the replays."
Both the super-soldier and super-agent gave each other knowing looks, coming to a silent agreement. Midoriya may not have the opportunity to be scouted by a top Pro Hero like his classmates…but there was something even more important he could compete for.
"I understand… Well, if anyone can do it, it's you." Coulson stated confidently.
"That's not the point." Midoriya shook his head. "I want to prove that anyone is capable of being a Hero—flashy Quirk or not." He declared determinedly.
Coulson smiled at that. "Well, there's only one thing you can do." He leaned forward with a smirk. "Win the whole f**king thing."
Midoriya took a deep breath as he walked into Class 101-A's designated waiting room after changing into the standard UA gym uniforms. As he walked in, he saw some of his peers talking amongst themselves. Some were visibly anxious, some were excited, and a few were quietly focused and determined. The tension could be cut with a knife.
He couldn't blame them as the All-Star Games would be starting soon, and even he'd admit that he was beginning to feel a tad anxious. The muffled sounds of a very large crowd in an equally huge stadium could be felt from the ceiling.
'Feels like I'm about to play in the Super Bowl or something…' Midoriya internally noted.
"Ready for the show, Midori-bro?" Kirishima approached him with Ashido by his side.
Midoriya chuckled at the nickname the redhead had given him during their training sessions. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Hey, where's your shield, Midori?" Ashido inquired. "You didn't forget it, did you?"
The verdette shook his head. "No. It wasn't approved, so I had to leave it."
The All-Star Games Evaluation Committee had denied Midoriya the use of his shield, citing that it was not necessary given the nature of his augmentation Quirk. Truthfully, Midoriya didn't mind the decision at all. Even if the shield had been approved, he would've likely participated without it to protect his cover. It'd be best not to showcase an indestructible shield on live television.
"Ah, that stinks! I get how you feel though." She glanced down at her gym uniform. "I really wanted to wear my Costume."
"It's meant to keep things fair, Mina-chan." Yaoyorozu reminded the pinkette. "Students from the other courses do not have Costumes. Gym uniforms level the playing field… Well, not counting an individual's advantage from their Quirk."
"Wonder what the first round will be like." Uraraka pondered, sitting on a bench nearby with Asui and Tsunotori.
"Yeah… It sucks not to know." Tsunotori murmured, shifting nervously in her seat.
"Well… we know it has to be an individual event of some sort. Kero." Asui pointed out. "I remember last year's first event was a crazy Dodgeball game."
"Eh, I wouldn't stress about it." Tokage said nonchalantly, leaning against her locker with her arms crossed. "It won't help you perform any better."
"Indeed." Tokoyami inserted, keeping his eyes closed and arms crossed. "Regardless of what comes our way, we must face down whatever challenges are set before us."
"Right." Shoji agreed, sitting close to the raven-headed man. "We have to prove we can handle whatever is thrown in our way."
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself, guys." He then took a seat on a chair by his assigned locker.
Out of the corner of his eye, the super-soldier noticed Iida fidgeting in his chair, rapidly tapping his foot while repeatedly glancing at the clock on the wall. The super-soldier didn't need enhanced senses to tell he was very on edge.
"Are you okay, Iida-kun?" He asked, concerned.
Iida raised his head to look at Midoriya, frowning. "It's almost ten-o-clock (10 AM). We should be preparing to enter the stadium grounds, Midoriya-kun!"
Midoriya nodded understandingly. "I'm all for punctuality myself, but the event organizers said they'd send someone to come for us when they're ready." He explained. "No need to fret over it."
Iida shook his head, not satisfied with the response. "It would not look good for our class if we were not punctual."
Midoriya sighed, admitting that the bespeckled teen raised a fair point…sort of. "Tell you what, I can go check for us?" He offered.
"Really?" Iida was surprised. "Well, if it's not too much trouble…"
The tall, muscled verdette shrugged, smiling lopsidedly. "It's fine. I am the Class President, after all. I'll go see what I can find–"
"Midoriya."
Midoriya turned from Iida and met the cold, indifferent eyes of Todoroki. All conversation died off as everyone's attention was drawn to the verdette and monochrome students.
"What is it, Todoroki-san?" This was unexpected. Why was Todoroki wanting to talk all of a sudden after weeks of mostly ignoring everyone.
"Your combat skills are formidable, that much is obvious." Todoroki's gaze sharpened to a razor's edge. "Still, objectively speaking, I'm far stronger than you or anyone else in this room."
Most of the class tensed at the monochrome man's blunt statement. Bakugo bristled at the perceived slight and looked ready to tear Todoroki a new one.
Midoriya cocked a brow, bemused. 'Todoroki has kept mostly to himself since day one. Where's all this coming from?'
"What's this about?" Midoriya voiced his and everyone else's thoughts.
"I don't care if you're some highly trained soldier or not. Or that you seemingly have All Might in your corner. None of that will matter in the end." Todoroki's eyes narrowed slightly in a sneer. "Because I will beat you."
The room went silent as everyone else was shocked by the bold statement, especially when it came from one of the most reserved members of their class.
"A pity you couldn't use your shield for this competition." Todoroki turned around. "Not that it would've made much of a difference. I will crush you either way." He then began to walk away.
Midoriya remained impassive while most of the class stared at Todoroki in varying degrees of disbelief.
"Damn." Tokage broke the silence first. "Sh*t just got tense."
"Seriously…" Kaminari went agape. "He threw down the gauntlet, just like that?!"
"Hey, Todoroki-san, what's the big idea?" Kirishima walked over, placing a hand on the dual-haired student's shoulder. "The Games are about to start. What are you doing picking fights all of a sudden?"
Todoroki shrugged him off, glaring coldly at the redheaded brawler. "I'm not here to make friends." His words were as cold as his Quirk. "I'm here to prove that I'm the best."
CLANG!
Caught off guard by the sudden sound, the class turned to see Midoriya had dropped an emerald exercise band at his feet. He unclipped another from his left wrist and dropped it to the floor with a loud thud. The combined 440 kilograms (~970 lbs) of the bands had cracked the concrete floor from the fall.
Most of the class were stunned by how heavy the weights were, particularly by how casual Midoriya was about carrying them.
"I welcome the challenge, Todoroki-san." He said while nonchalantly readjusting his uniform's sleeves. "But I'm not your only competition here. Everyone else in this room is aiming to win too. I wouldn't overlook them if I were you. Also…shield or no shield, I'm going to give these games everything I have. I won't hold back." He sharpened his verdant gaze. "Can you say the same?"
Todoroki narrowed his eyes, catching onto Midoriya's hidden meaning. "I will win my way." He snarled. "Just try to last long enough for me to prove that to you."
With that, the dual-haired teen turned around and walked back across the room. The tension only lasted for a few moments before several knocks came from the door.
"101-A!" A muffled voice yelled from outside the door. "It's showtime! Report to the field at once!"
Midoriya immediately reacted by turning to face the others. "Alright, time to go! Let's make our way to the field in an orderly fashion." He said authoritatively.
"Yes, sir!" A few classmates responded with a salute.
"HEY, HEY THERE LISTENERS!" Present Mic popped onto several giant monitors hanging above the stands. "It's that time of year again! Let me hear ya make some noise!" The crowd cheered loudly, bringing a smile to the Pro Hero's face.
Stepping into a private high box suite, Yagi took a seat. "Good. Made it just in time."
"Yes, I'm pleasantly surprised." Yagi glanced over his shoulder to see Nezu walk into the suite, closing the door behind him. "You really have been making an effort to be on-time for the last two weeks. Color me impressed."
"Ah, good morning, Dean Nezu." Yagi greeted. "I'm surprised you're here. You normally only attend the Day 3 Games, right?"
The white-furred creature hopped onto a seat by the haggard blonde. "Yes… Well, I couldn't possibly miss today, especially given who's participating."
"Oh? Do you mean Young Todoroki?" Yagi questioned.
Nezu chuckled to himself, closing his eyes. "Oh, he's one intriguing prospect. But," he looked back at him with a knowing smile, "he's not who I had in mind."
Yagi cocked a brow. 'Who could he be referring to?' His eyes widened slightly. 'Could he mean Izuku?'
The pair wordlessly turned their attention to the field as the muffled sounds of the crowd filled the room.
"It's a gorgeous sunny day here in Musutafu," Present Mic announced, "and for the first time in our university's long and treasured history, Morino Hiroshi Stadium is completely sold out for the Day 1 Games! You guys and gals in the stands are awesome!" This earned even more cheers from the audience.
"Wow…" Yagi was surprised by the announcement. "That's amazing. I never knew there could be this much interest for the Day 1 Games."
"It's only natural for people to be intrigued, given 101-A's recent notoriety." Nezu shook his head, smiling. "Humans…always so captivated by new and shiny things." A hint of smugness was present in his voice.
"Get your cameras ready, media hordes! The time for our school's best and brightest to battle it out to become one of UA's All-Stars has finally come! I've only got one question for you… Are you ready?!"
The crowd roared in response to the question.
Yagi chuckled to himself. "Mic is as rowdy as ever."
"Of course he is." Nezu somehow pulled out a cup of piping hot tea, confusing the Number One Pro. When and where did he get that? "Commentating on the All-Star Games is admittedly his favorite part of the job, even if it is only once a year."
"I suppose I can't blame him." Yagi grinned. "The crowd's energy does rub off on you."
"RADICAL!" Present Mic exclaimed excitedly. "Without further ado, it's time to kick off the 2197 UA Freshmen All-Star Games! Our freshmen students are about to take the stage! Lemme hear ya make some noise!" The stadium became even more frantic.
"First up, we have the group that you've all come to see! The young warriors who fended off a Villain attack with nerves of steel just a week into their education. If there was anyone to watch for, it would be this group of rising stars! Give it up for the Hero Course's Class 101-A!"
The crowd went ballistic, roaring with applause.
Yagi clapped as Midoriya and Yaoyorozu together led their class out of the tunnel and onto the field.
"So…" Nezu spoke up. "...have you reached out to young Midoriya about you-know-what yet?"
Without turning his gaze away from the field, Yagi replied, "I have."
"Ah, wonderful!" Nezu smiled brightly. "Tell me, what was his answer?"
"Hmph." Yagi smiled wryly. "Apologies, Dean, but that stays between me and Izuku for now."
"Izuku?"
Yagi jolted up, realizing his blunder. "I-I mean, young Midoriya! That's what I meant! Heh-heh…" He chuckled awkwardly.
"You must be quite friendly to be using his given name so casually." Nezu pointed out.
"Ah…well…" He trailed off, sagging his shoulders in defeat. Dammit.
"Well," Nezu paused to take a sip from his tea, looking back to the field, "whatever the reason for the sudden secrecy, I'll let it be for now. But do expect me to bring it up again, All Might."
"Y-yes sir…"
Meanwhile, as Midoriya walked side by side with Yaoyorozu, he took a quick glance around the stadium that was full of thousands of spectators applauding and cheering. There wasn't one open seat! Additionally, there were millions more watching on the other side of the cameras posted across the stadium.
At one time in his life, the 21st Century super-soldier would've been feeling very nervous in this situation. However, experience helped him keep his composure quite well. 'It's like the Olympics and all the pro sport championship games wrapped up into one.' He inwardly mused.
"Wow…" Uraraka was awestruck. "I knew there'd be a lot of people, but actually being here makes it all so real…huh?"
"Seriously… This place is freakin' packed!" Sero mentioned, dumbfounded by the massive crowd and flashing cameras all around them.
"Yes." Iida commented from behind her. "It makes me wonder how one can expect to perform at their best with this level of pressure?" His eyes then widened in realization. "Unless this is intentional…"
"Wouldn't put it past them if it was." Jiro noted dully.
"This all does seem kind of extreme though." Tsunotori chuckled shakily.
"Better get used to it." Tokage grinned. "This is just part of the job."
Bakugo smirked roguishly at the attention. "I freaking love this."
"Let's give it up one more time to Class 101-A!" Present Mic pressed the crowd while the students made their way to the raised stage in the center. "Now let's welcome 101-A's counterparts, 101-B!"
The stadium cheered once more as the second Hero Course class walked out from the tunnel, but the difference in excitement was noticeable.
More students from the Support and non-Heroic courses were called out, though some seemed put off that their intros were not as flashy as 101-A's. Glancing behind his shoulder, Midoriya counted over a hundred students, and even spotted Shinso–whose eyes were sharp and calculating.
'Most of the students who signed up are hoping for a second shot at getting into the Hero Course. But I wonder why students from the Support Department are here. Are they trying to become Heroes too? Or is it something else?' Midoriya pondered.
Soon, all of the competitors were grouped up in the middle of the stage, ready to begin the Games.
"With the competitors on stage, it's time for some introductions!" Present Mic's voice blared across the stadium. "This is Present Mic coming to live from Morino Hiroshi Stadium and I'll be your main commentator today! And my co-host beside me is…?"
"How did I get roped into this?" Aizawa's muffled, exasperated voice rang through the speakers. "Can you keep it down? You're giving me a migraine."
"That's right! The infamous Underground Hero: Eraserhead!"
"Ugh…"
Many snorted in amusement from the exchange.
"And introducing today's referee for the Day 1 Games, it's the R-Rated Heroine: Midnight!"
The stadium erupted into another loud cheer as Midnight walked towards the stage. Many catcalls echoed from around the stadium, not that it mattered to her. In fact, she looked thrilled by the attention, waving and gesturing towards the audience with a beaming smile, and even blew a kiss and adopted suggestive poses for the cameras.
"Oh dear…" Yaoyorozu sighed.
Midoriya internally groaned. 'This is too much…'
Midnight walked up to the stage and looked over the assembled group of students, excited for the show they were about to put on. Raising her hand up, she brought it and her flogger-style whip down with a loud crack, quieting the crowd and gathered students.
"I expect all of you young men and women to behave today." Midnight instructed; her voice hooked up to the microphone. She then struck a pose as a sultry smirk crossed her lips. "Or you will be punished."
While the audience erupted into fanatic cheers, the students–including Mineta–looked nervous as her hungry gaze swept across the crowd of students. Some wondered if she was even qualified to referee this event but were too nervous to publicly voice their concerns.
"Before we select the first round, we will have a few opening words from the Freshmen Representative. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 99! Midoriya Izuku of Class 101-A!"
Midoriya blinked twice. 'Uh, what?'
"I was not aware you'd be giving a speech, Izuku-kun." Yaoyorozu said excitedly.
"Heh… Neither did I." Midoriya commented quietly.
"Eh?" As Midoriya started walking toward the stage, her eyes widened in realization. 'Wait… Did no one tell him?!' She covered her mouth in horror, feeling sympathy for her friend. 'Oh Izuku… Just… do your best.'
Up above in the box suites, Nezu's interest peaked. "Ooh, I am curious to see what speech he has prepared. Hmm?" He then looked over to see Yagi was on the verge of a panic attack.
'Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! SH*T! I forgot to tell him about the speech!' He internally panicked. 'I was supposed to tell him when we had lunch together a couple weeks ago! HOW THE HELL DID I FORGET!?'
"There's no need to get worked up, All Might." Nezu assured him, turning his attention back to the stage. "Midoriya will do just fine."
Yagi turned to Nezu, curious. "You think so…? I…uh, forgot to tell him about the speech, sir." He shamefully admitted.
"Even so," he paused to take another sip, "something like this should be right up his alley. He'll be fine."
Yagi blinked, befuddled. 'What? What does he mean by…' His blue eyes slowly widened in horror as an unsettling realization occurred to him. '...No… He couldn't.'
"Um, Dean Nezu… do you…" Yagi trailed off, unsure of how to phrase his question. "Do you know something about young Midoriya?"
Nezu chuckled subduedly, which unnerved Yagi even further. "Oh All Might…" He turned to him with a maniacal gleam in his beady eyes. "I know just about everything about my students. Ha-ha-ha!"
Yagi's face turned pale, and he could've sworn he felt his heart stop. 'Oh sh*t…'
A/N: What a place to end a chapter, huh?
Not much action here but I hope it was entertaining at least. We got to see a taste of Izuku's training with the Navy SEALs (more scenes to come!), the CapSquad's training drills, and the pre-game scenes before kickoff. Not much different from canon in that last regard.
Big thanks to The Infographics Show on YouTube for their videos on the Navy SEALs Hell Week. It helped me keep those scenes as close to accurate to the real thing.
Now we've arrived at the start of the All-Star Games arc! I intend for this arc to last roughly three chapters with the potential for a fourth one covering the aftermath. It was a tough decision leaving out the Adamantium-Vibranium shield, but I found it hard to rationalize Izuku being allowed to use it in this sort of competition. Not that he'd use it anyway given the Games are being broadcast worldwide and he doesn't want to risk giving away his identity.
Thank you for the feedback on the poll for the second match. However, despite the results, I received a great suggestion from a reader in my DMs that I will be using. More details on that will be revealed later. Still, I appreciate the feedback, nonetheless. One thing is for certain, the Cavalry Battle has been axed.
With all the extra training, how differently will things turn out for the CapSquad members? How will Izuku handle the opening speech? We shall see in the next chapter.
Please leave any comments, critique, or suggestions in the review box below. Thank you for the support as always!