Angel: I know some people are waiting for Izuka to snap back against Katsuki and she will. But it's not time for that yet. It'll happen though in due time, promise.
I had never heard of McGruff the Crime Dog until I saw the comment, but it seems like just a coincidence to me. I also got a Spanish review saying that I should give Momo an OC love interest. I might get some hate for this because this particular fandom has a lot of ships that many people have differing opinions on. Personally, I ship Momo with Shoto, so I'm not sold on giving her an OC love interest. And it's not the first time someone has suggested this to me, I think this is also the same person who said the same for Pony, Ibara, and Itsuka from Class 1-B, but that would clog the narrative because they don't have as much screentime. And some of them I ship with other people anyway, so I still wouldn't do it. Also, romance is not even the biggest focus of this anime anyway-is it really the first genre that comes to mind when you're talking about My Hero Academia? And the story would not be better off-TO ME PERSONALLY-if I give Momo a love interest other than Shoto. Because that's just not what I want to do. So please don't come at me saying that Momo needs an OC love interest because I don't feel that way. If you disagree with me, that's perfectly fine, but you guys can write that if that's how you feel. As for me, I'm gonna stick to writing what I want. Take that as you will.
Pretty soon, I'll be updating 4 chapters instead of 2 regularly, at least for a while. Because I'm almost done with proofreading season 3. And season 4 I've completed but haven't edited. However, I'm still working on season 5, and I'm getting close to the 2nd movie.
Izuku stood in front of Gran Torino's stairwell, as internships were ending for the week. He had mostly recovered from the Hosu incident as well. "I know I wasn't here long, but thanks for everything."
Gran Torino looked away with a yawn. "I don't think there's any reason for you to thank me," He replied in a tired tone, his eyes nonchalant. "I wasn't around when the really big stuff happened."
"Sure," Izuku gave him a grateful smile regardless, hugging his case. "But the only reason I was able to stand up against Stain at all was because of our sparring and your wise instructions. Plus...your advice helped me understand my sister more than I thought I did." Gran Torino then smacked his cane against his foot. "Ow! Ow, ow," He hopped up and down in pain.
"You survived, yes, but only because the Hero Killer let you," Gran Torino acknowledged, putting his cane back down, earning a gasp from the boy. "Well, at least you learned to channel your power instead of relying on one monster smash. Even though you did still manage to get a stress fracture in your arm," He then pointed at the bandages peeking out from Izuku's sleeves. "I know what happened! You went well over your limit. I thought we agreed you were only supposed to use five percent! You're too impatient, and when you lose focus, you lose control too!"
Izuku sweated awkwardly; now he knew what some of his classmates felt when he started muttering to himself.
"You must always be calm and alert," Gran Torino instructed as Izuku looked at his arm. "I'm sure you know this, but...if you're really aiming to become the greatest hero like All Might, then you've still got a heck of a lot to learn, boy, so keep at it."
Izuku flinched and then bowed his head a little. "Yes, sir!"
Gran Torino nodded with a pleased smile and then turned around. "See you around."
"Wait!" Izuku called out before the retired hero could head inside. "I've...got a question. Please, just one more," He then looked away awkwardly. "I've been wondering for a while, but never found a good time to ask. I mean, now's not the best time either, but here I am-"
"Out with it now!" Gran Torino urged in a bit of annoyance. "I've got pastries to eat!"
"...Even though you're really strong and you trained the number one hero in the world yourself...no one knows you," Izuku got straight down to it, looking up. "You should be super famous. But you're...not. Is there a specific reason for that, or what?"
"Oh, that's an easy one," Gran Torino glanced away. "I was just never that interested in working as a pro hero."
"What?!" Izuku yelped in alarm to hear this.
"There was a point in my past when I needed to be able to use my Quirk freely, without limits. That's the only reason I got my license," He then fully turned to Izuku. "It might be better to hear this from Toshi. All Might, I mean. He can explain everything better than me. Your sister oughta hear it too, I can tell she knows everything about One for All as well."
He gave a confused gasp, but accepted that answer. "Yeah, okay..."
"That's it, kid. Keep workin' hard."
"Yes, sir!" Izuku bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you very much again. Bye for now."
Gran Torino gave a small hum and watched the boy leave for the train station in silence. So he's the future, huh? He may not look or act like him...but he's still just like Toshinori. The man chosen by my friend. The man who inherited One for All. As Izuku walked, he could see All Might in him, even if just barely. Who became the very best. "Hey boy!" Izuku turned around to the man, who smiled. "Who are you?"
"Seriously?" Izuku asked in disbelief that they were back to this again. He thought that at least after everything that happened, Gran Torino would at least remember his name... "Oh, well, I'm, uh, Izuku Midoriya."
"That's not right," The man denied, earning a baffled look from the boy. He then realized what his mentor was getting at, turning around with a slightly nervous expression.
"I'm Deku!"
This pleased Gran Torino and he waved as he turned around to head inside. Izuku gave him a small smile. Let's you and me watch over him together with his sister, Toshinori. Until the day you pass on into history. Until the day that the hero Deku is celebrated around the world as the new Symbol of Peace, and Callista the Symbol of Light.
Once Class 1-A had returned, classes hadn't started yet. However, Eijiro and Hanta busted out laughing from the sight that awaited them. "Holy crap! What the heck, Bakugo?!" They exclaimed in their laughter, because Katsuki's hair...was still combed like how it was when he was with Best Jeanist. Izuka was standing next to him, her hair also still the same way as she gave a sheepish expression.
"Stop laughing!" He seethed in anger, his whole body shaking. "My hair's gotten used to this and I can't get it back the right way. Did you not hear me? I'll kill you both!"
"Please don't do that..." Izuka gave him a small frown, but was ignored.
"I'd like to see you ya try, pretty boy!" Hanta taunted, and Katsuki's hair popped back to normal right after.
"What did you call me?!" He shouted at the two laughing classmates. Izuka flinched as her own hair went back to being its nature from his yelling.
"Hey, there it goes!" They snickered at him. Eijiro stopped laughing for a second to notice that Katsuki and Izuka had walked in together.
"Did you walk her to class...?" He blinked and Izuka bit her lip nervously.
"So what?! You got a problem with that? You should be worried about yourself!" Katsuki pointed an angry finger at him.
"Mido!" A voice called out to her and she glanced to see Ochaco waving her over. The girl smiled and ran over to the brunette. "It's great to see you again!"
"Hi, Uraraka-Chan," She greeted with a small smile.
"Did you really walk here with Bakugo?" Ochaco leaned in a bit and Izuka let out a small whine.
"Don't tell me it's weird..." She sagged her shoulders in disbelief. "He already walks me home every day after school..."
Ochaco blinked rapidly at her and then smiled a little. "I guess he must be really used to you now, huh? I remember when you guys couldn't stand each other. Maybe you two are closer to becoming really good friends?"
"I-I wouldn't call us that," Izuka pressed her fingers together awkwardly at the thought. The two sometimes couldn't even have a proper talk, let alone be that friendly. She right now just couldn't see it—and he had been acting a bit strange about the Hosu incident too. It wasn't too obvious, but she could tell something was bothering him about it.
"Awesome!" Mina gushed at Kyoka as some classmates were exchanging internship stories. "You got to face actual villains? I'm super jealous!"
"Well, I didn't actually fight," Kyoka played around with her ear. "All I did was help people evacuate and provide logistical support."
"But it still sounds like so much fun!" She exclaimed and Tsuyu glanced away in thought.
"I spent basically the whole time training and cleaning the ship deck. Though there was this one day we caught a bunch of drug smugglers."
"Okay, that's cool!" Mina and Kyoka both exclaimed in shock after hearing this.
"What about you, Ochaco, Mido?" Tsuyu turned to them both. "How was your week?"
Izuka turned to her friend, flinching in alarm to see her in an intense position. "I'd say that it was very enlightening," Ochaco then punched the air.
"I think she found her fighting spirit," Tsuyu commented a bit quietly.
"Yeah, that battle hero must've been something else," Kyoka remarked towards the girl.
"I think it's great that she went there," Izuka looked at them with a small smile. "Now she'll have more skills as a pro hero in the future."
"Yeah, I see your point, but I think we're all forgetting someone!" Mina pointed at the girl, who blinked in confusion.
Both Denki and Minoru were staring at the brunette in shock. "After one week, she's like a totally different person..." The former commented; sometimes Ochaco managed to surprise people.
"Different?" Minoru raised a brow at him. "Don't be fooled, Kaminari," He then looked away in terror. "All women are demons at heart...they just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces...!"
"What the heck did Mt. Lady do to you?" He couldn't help but wonder, grabbing the smaller boy by the wrist. "Everyone at my internship loved me—it was actually kinda great. Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed, it was those four," He was looking towards Tenya, Shoto, and Izuku all gathered together, and then pointed at Izuka too.
"Oh, yeah!" Hanta pointed in realization as Izuka went over to the three. "The Hero Killer!"
"Glad you guys made it back alive," Eijiro gave a relieved look, though both he and Hanta were being held by Katsuki. "Seriously."
"I worried about you too," Momo confessed to the four nearby with a small frown.
"Thank you, everyone, but we're back and that's...all that really matters," Izuka gave a small grateful smile, a hand on Shoto's desk. Katsuki looked at the two and growled in annoyance.
Why the hell does she need to be so close to him?
"You were lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys," Rikido commented as Toru, Mezo, and Mashirao approached them.
"So cool!" Toru gushed at the four. "Just what I'd expect from the number 2 hero!"
Shoto then remembered the Chief of Police's praise and looked at his desk. "Yeah, that's right. He saved us."
The twins looked a bit nervous from his statement, knowing how he reacted to the Chief early on...Katsuki looked away with a scoff, dropping Eijiro and Hanta to their confusion. "Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" Mashirao wondered to his classmates. "Everyone's been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains. Can you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?"
Izuka shivered a bit to herself; since she was a secondary target for them, it would've been a lot worse if Stain had been there from the start. Izuku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder knowingly and she took a deep breath.
"He's scary, yeah," Denki spoke up, getting their attention. "But did you see him in that weird video? It's all over the internet!"
"I didn't even know there was a video of him," Mashirao's eyebrows furrowed a little.
"Yeah. Stain's a pretty evil villain, but like, super tenacious," Denki explained to his classmates. "He's almost kinda cool, dontcha guys think?"
"Kaminari!" Izuku explained in protest.
"My brother and classmates could've died that night, and Ida-San's brother was a victim of him too!" Izuka pouted towards him, her fists clenched. "How can you say something that would be sensitive to others?"
"Uh! Oh, dude!" Denki covered his mouth, realizing that she had a point, he had almost forgotten about the whole issue.
"No, it's okay. You're fine," Tenya looked at his bandaged left arm. "It is true that he's quite a tenacious villain. I understand why people might think he was cool." Izuka stared at him with a frown, Shoto looking up as well. "But instead of helping the world...his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned." Denki then frowned as he felt really bad now. "To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well...I promise: I will strive to be the perfect hero!"
"Yeah, let's do it!" Izuku exclaimed in encouragement from behind.
"It's time for class to begin!" Tenya ordered while waving his hand. "Everyone, please take your seats!"
"He's back..." Fumikage murmured a bit awkwardly.
"This is your fault for talking about weird stuff," Kyoka looked towards Denki accusingly.
"Sorry..." He murmured in embarrassment. "I'm gonna keep my mouth shut."
Izuku smiled towards his friend, glad that he was seemingly back to normal now. "Until I'm able to call myself a real hero...I'll leave my left hand as it is."
Way to go, Ida.
Izuka smiled and then took her seat, only to be surrounded by Ochaco, Mina, Kyoka, and Momo. "I thought you weren't in Hosu for your internship, though," Mina blinked in confusion and the girl flinched while looking up. "How'd you get there so fast?"
"Yeah, you said you went to Best Jeanist," Ochaco tilted her head and Izuka waved her hands rapidly.
"C-Class is about to start soon, so I'll tell you later, okay?" She laughed nervously at the girls; it wasn't the right time to tell them about her new power.
"I am here!" All Might announced to the class in their hero costumes somewhere outside the school. "Hope you're ready to return to our lessons. Today it's Hero Basic Training. Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back! Now then, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you've learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training."
Izuku gave a beaming smile towards All Might teaching them again. Izuka chuckled a little at his enthusiasm. Tenya raised his hand; he was in his gym uniform. "If it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?"
"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters," All Might explained to the class. "As I said earlier, this is a race. So, prepare! You're about to step into Field Gamma! Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around! You'll be competing in groups of five, though one will be six. Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I'll send a distress signal, and you do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins! But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please," He pointed specifically at Katsuki.
"Why are you pointing at me?" He looked away while gritting his teeth.
Maybe because the last class you had with him, you exploded part of a building... Izuka closed her eyes sheepishly. She then smiled as she realized she could show her new power to everyone.
"Alright! First group, get to your places," All Might instructed, and the first group had the twins. Izuku stood on a pipe, as the other members were Mashirao, Tenya, Hanta, and Mina.
"Ida hasn't completely recovered yet, right?" Denki couldn't help but point out. "He should sit this out."
"Man, everyone in this group has really good mobility," Eijiro commented as the class were watching a screen.
"Huh," Momo murmured in thought. "I'd say both Midoriya and Mido are at a heavy disadvantage against those four. She's my friend, but I also know her struggles."
"That's what I think," Kyoka agreed with her. "Moving around quickly isn't really one of his strong suits, that's for sure. Mido doesn't really have a proper way to get around, either, even with her fast reflexes. It might slow her down trying to navigate."
Izuku stretched his limbs before preparing. "And whenever he uses his powers, he always gets badly injured," Momo explained as Izuka brought her hands together to stretch her arms above her head. "While Mido always has the risk of getting weaker faster."
"Who's your pick?" Eijiro turned to Denki. "I'm bettin' on Sero."
"Oh, yeah? I got odds on Ojiro," Denki gave a small smile.
"I choose Ashido!" Minoru pointed forward, clenching a fist. "Cause she's got a super athletic body."
"I know Deku will be last," Katsuki deadpanned from behind.
"Even if he's still recovering, I think Ida's got this one, but so could Mido," Ochaco commented while sitting next to Tsuyu. The green-haired girl nodded in agreement.
Katsuki glanced at everyone, narrowing his eyes.
"You want a fight from me...then you'll get one," Once she grabbed his wrist, she then threw Katsuki off of her towards the out of bounds area.
They're all idiots He then closed his eyes. Izuka might not be strong, but...he did see her take off with her new power. No doubt she'd use it here. He clenched a shaking fist at the thought. Damn it...am I actually rooting for her now? What the hell is going on with me?
"Is everyone ready?" All Might raised a fist in the air. "Begin!" He pressed a button that gave off a sound. Hanta wrapped his tape immediately around some pipes, jumping over them. Mina skated across one using the acid underneath her feet. Mashirao tapped his tail against the ground, jumping up. Tenya took off at a fast speed.
"Look at 'im go!" Eijiro cheered on Hanta as he was currently in 1st place. "In a maze like this, it makes sense to be above everything else!"
"So that means Sero's at an advantage because he can take to the sky," One of Mezo's limbs stated for him.
"It's like this course was built with me in mind!" Hanta lunged forward with his tape before two people zipped past him. He gave a sound of shock as it was Izuku jumping. Izuka was taking to the sky on her flying star, her knees on the platform as she looked up. Izuku briefly touched another pipe before leaping over other structures.
"With my new training, I can win!" He smiled proudly at his mastery.
"Wanna bet?"
He glanced back as his sister flew right past him, taking to the sky above everyone. His eyes widened in awe as he looked up ahead. "Izuka can create flying stars?! That's so amazing, with something like that, she can find her way around so easily!" The girl glanced down, but didn't see All Might yet. She then gave a small smirk as she started to fall and then accelerated around a corner. All Might, Eijiro, Minoru, and Ochaco gave looks of shock.
"Whoa, Mido can fly?!" Ochaco exclaimed in awe.
"Whoa, Midoriya and Mido?!" The two boys exclaimed in unison to see him jumping around like it was nothing.
"Since when can he do that? And when did Mido start flying?!" Denki screeched as they got past the alarmed Hanta.
"What, no way!"
Shoto then realized something about the way Izuku was moving as well as Izuka's expression, and he was surprised he didn't notice it before. The way he's propelling himself through the air...that look on Mido's face...
"Crazy," Ochaco murmured as the girls stared in disbelief. "Those jumps...Mido's confident face...they look just like..."
Katsuki sweated a little as he recognized them immediately. Those are my moves! And that's my smirk! He didn't even notice that Izuka had even been practicing with her new ability, let alone change that instantly. While I spent my time getting groomed at that useless internship, they...look at them! Katsuki gritted his teeth angrily, as he was now really angry. Izuka was moving further away from her previous self in small doses, and he was too focused worrying over her like it mattered. Dammit!
The twins raced past Mina climbing a wall. "Midoriya and Mido? Are you kidding me?" She wondered while her acid left fingerprint burns on the pipes.
Mashirao wrapped his tail around a pipe. "Shouldn't he be breaking a bunch of bones? And since when did she get the ability to fly?"
Izuku leaped over a railing while Izuka was flying up to him. Her hands started to glow to give her flying star more power. Focus. I can do this Both of them thought in unison.
Don't go above five percent!
Don't overuse your power. Dial it back a little Izuka thought as once she sped up, her hands stopped glowing.
Izuku jumped into the air just as his sister flew above his head. I've just gotta stay calm and alert. His foot then slipped from a pipe, Izuka glancing down at him. Once she caught sight of him, she gasped in alarm as she swooped down to catch him from behind.
"Thanks, sis! We can still make it!" Izuku urged her, pointing up ahead. "Let's-"
"And it's over!" All Might announced as the twins were actually already there, but they didn't win. He held out a sash to the actual winner. "Thanks, hero! And congratulations!"
"Alright!" Hanta gave a victorious grin while Izuka dropped her star in alarm at this. Both the twins then fell face first into the ground. Katsuki stared at the girl and chuckled to himself, looking away as it reminded him of when he got second in the cavalry battle. He then blushed as he put a hand in front of his face. Shoto heard his laughter and glanced at the blond curiously. He then looked back to Izuka, wondering if this had to do with her.
Damn it. I need to settle this once and for all. That we're nothing but rivals Katsuki's eyes shook a little. Even if she was being stupid in Hosu and I couldn't stop thinking about it...
Mina stomped her foot in frustration. "Darn it!"
"Midoriya, Mido," Tenya held out a concerned hand to the twins. "Uh, you're both okay, right?"
"More like embarrassed," Izuka murmured as she lifted up her head slowly.
I see... Izuku groaned a little to himself. When jumping or flying in an area with unstable footing...I need to be careful where it is I'm landing. I'll have to remember that He lifted up his head in pain and then slowly got up. Izuka sat on her knees, rubbing the top of her head while All Might faced the rest of the group.
"Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed some incredible improvements. Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!" He informed the six.
"Sir!" Everyone but the twins said in unison.
"Group One, leave the field. You're up, Group Two!" He then walked over to the twins, standing in front of them. "You surprised me, both of you." The two gasped at him speaking and then remembered that this was the first time he had seen them after internships. "Those were incredible. Find me after class," He then turned away, giving a thumbs up. "We need to talk."
"Um...yes, sir," Izuku looked up at him in a bit of shock.
"Is this about One for All?" Izuka tilted her head a little.
"Yes, but I can't say more than that here. The time has come for me to tell you the whole truth. About me...and One for All..."
Both of them gave shocked noises at this sudden declaration.
The entire class was getting changed in locker rooms adjacent to each other. "Ah, that was some tough training today, huh?" Rikido wondered as Yuga was wiping his face.
"It's the first class in a while that had me glistening," He confessed while Eijiro took off his shoulder gear.
"Man, I really gotta work on my mobility," He muttered since he ended up not doing great.
"You could also compensate by improving other skills," Fumikage suggested while putting on his tie.
"Still wish I could use my Quirk for speed," Denki commented from behind. "I'm jealous of guys like you and Sero," He turned around to the smiling Hanta.
Izuku then took off his shirt, thinking of what All Might had said earlier. He didn't know if this was because of the internship or because of what happened with Shinso in the Sports Festival. But clearly, it was important. I wonder what he wants. He sounded so intense.
"Hey, Midoriya!" Minoru's voice snapped him out of it. "You won't believe what I just found," He was waving in front of a poster. Behind that poster on the wall was a small hole. "The jackpot! Someone shawshanked a hole in this wall!" He then started to feel flushed, smoke coming from his nose. "A previous generation has given us a gift." Hanta, Denki, and Rikido all flinched in realization. "You know what's next door, right? This looks into the girls' locker room!"
"Mineta, my sister's in that room!" Izuku screeched at him in disbelief.
"Don't even think about it!" Tenya scolded as of course he overheard. "Peeping on them like that would be criminal!"
"Then you'll have to throw me in solitary confinement, cuz you can't stop me!" Minoru retorted back as he ripped off the poster. "I wanna see Yaoyorozu's curves," He drooled as he took in the moment, about to peek. "Ashido's slender waist. Hagakure's floating underwear. Uraraka's super-fine body. Asui's unexpectedly soft boobies! Mido's plump booty!" Before he could even look, something jammed into his eye. He let out a scream of pain and Izuku recognized what it was. Minoru was then sent flying by an explosion.
"That's Jiro's Earphone Jack! What a brutal and precise surprise attack from next door! And then followed up by Kacchan's Explosion!" Izuku shouted in alarm.
"Ugh!" Toru groaned in annoyance as the girls were already getting changed. "Thanks, Kyoka."
"Despicable," Momo frowned in disapproval. "We'll close up this hole immediately."
Meanwhile, Kyoka looked disappointed, hugging herself. Why am I the only one that he didn't say anything about?
Izuka glanced at her from the corner and gave a sheepish look. "I'm not really sure if that's a good or a bad thing he didn't mention you, Jiro-Chan...I would just ignore him and move on..."
"Weird that Bakugo exploded him after what he said about you," Mina blinked at the girl, who tilted her head in confusion. "In fact, that's not the first time he's done something to that pervert, even though he deserves it."
"I don't really know what you're talking about...?" Izuka said in confusion as she stepped up to the hole, planting her hand over the hole to start making part of it close up with her heat. "What do you mean?" She just thought that Katsuki didn't seem to like Minoru since she had never seen the little guy look at her behind her back.
"What I mean is-"
"Uh, maybe Mido should be having this conversation with Bakugo himself, huh?" Ochaco waved a hand nervously. "I'm sure that there's a reasonable explanation."
"I guess..." Mina tapped her chin and then shrugged it off. Ochaco nodded at Izuka knowingly, and the girl smiled gratefully. She didn't need anything to be a huge deal right now since she and Katsuki were...odd, to say the least when they were alone.
"My eye! My eye!" Minoru cried out in pain, his hands over his face.
"Mineta, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to peep in on my sister again," Izuku gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"And that was a dangerous thing to do indoors, Bakugo!" Tenya yelped and then started to scold him, waving a hand. Katsuki looked away with a scoff, ignoring the lecture.
So what if she looked...kinda good using that new power of hers? That shyness is almost gone and she's still annoying...though things with her felt so... He faltered and then shook his head rapidly. What she made him feel sometimes didn't matter. Focus on beating her. I feel nothing for that shorty.
The bell rang later as classes ended. People were heading home as Izuku knocked on the door to the teachers' lounge. "It's us, All Might," He opened the door, flinching in alarm. Izuka glanced over his shoulder, yelping to see him as Toshinori, who looked very serious. He didn't even look up as Izuka closed the door behind her.
"Come have a seat," He instructed and Izuku stayed silent.
He seems...different.
He must have a lot on his mind... Izuka blinked as they both took their seats.
"You both went through a lot recently. I'm sorry I wasn't around to help you out," He started, referring to the Hosu incident since he couldn't contact either of them.
"Oh no. You don't need to apologize for that," Izuku told him and Izuka gestured to her brother.
"Besides, the best thing to come out of it was that we survived both Stain and our internships," She spoke since both of them were almost fully healed. Izuka herself still had the bandage wrapped around the hand that got stabbed by Stain.
"More importantly...um, you mentioned One for All earlier."
Toshinori then finally looked up at them. "I heard...that the Hero Killer swallowed your blood in the attack," He gestured to his mouth.
"Oh! Yeah," Izuku blinked, remembering it so distinctively. "His Quirk made him able to paralyze someone after tasting their blood."
"Because of our blood type, it lasted the shortest on us, and it helped us gain a small advantage," Izuka glanced at Izuku. "Native had gotten the worst out of it, though..."
"Is that what this is about?" Izuku raised a curious eyebrow.
"Do you remember how I gave my power to you?" He pinched his fingers together to mimic holding the hair. "What I said that day?"
"Eat this," Izuku said in All Might's exact voice and expression from that day. Izuka giggled a little, covering her mouth and looking away. Izuku had studied and watched All Might for so long that doing an impression of him wasn't hard.
"No! Not that part," Toshinori corrected himself to the boy. "I said the key was in my DNA. That's why you had to swallow the hair."
The twins looked at him in realization, standing up in unison. "Oh, holy crap! Don't tell me the Hero Killer has One for All now!" He shouted as Izuka held her head.
"If that's true, he could escape and kill even more heroes, we need to do something!"
"No, he doesn't," Toshinori confirmed to the two. "I just thought you might be worried about that, but..." He then sagged his shoulders, looking a bit apologetic for causing them panic. "I see it didn't cross your mind. One for All can only be given to another person if you, the bearer, intend to pass it along. It's not something that can just be taken by force. Although it can be transferred by force. Kinda like this."
A school girl shoved chocolate towards All Might in embarrassment. "Here! You have to take it!"
"What kind of example is that?!" Izuku yelped at the odd scenario.
"Thank goodness that the Hero Killer doesn't have it though..." Izuka sighed in relief, slowly sitting back down.
"The Quirk you now have is unique...and...you should know its origin," Toshinori started off slowly, looking up at the two. "One for All was derived from another odd Quirk, a power that's very old."
"It used to be something different?" Izuku asked curiously, earning a nod in return.
"The name of that Quirk is...All for One. It allowed its user to take Quirks from others. Then the user could keep the Quirks for himself or give them to someone else."
"What? You mean...he could steal powers?" Izuku gave a worried look.
"And his body wouldn't overwhelm at all?" Izuka had a small frown on her face; that was what happened with Izuku at the start, so having that amount of power...it almost seemed unheard of. Plus her power was almost very similar to All for One in terms of limitless storage, though as far as she knew, she didn't have the ability to give them away. If she had, she would've given Izuku one of hers a long time ago.
"This was back when Quirks were just starting to show up. Before society had figured out how to deal with the newly powered among them. When Quirks first appeared, suddenly it was impossible to say what it meant to be a normal person. Laws and human rights were hotly debated. Civilization's progress stalled. Society...decayed."
Back then...people didn't want superhumans in the city. Almost as if they were an entirely different race despite the one difference between both superhumans and 'normal' people. "If superpowers had never appeared...then humans would be taking interstellar holidays by this point," Izuku looked out the window, turning back to his mentor. "I remember hearing that from someone famous."
"We found that quote sometime after...well, Izuku learned he wouldn't get one," Izuka closed her eyes.
"Right. During that chaotic period of change...there was one person who managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his power, All for One. He stole Quirks from others. And then, with his overwhelming abilities, he spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purposes, and committed evil acts with little resistance. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan."
Izuku gripped his knee as Izuka's hands shook a little. "I've seen plenty of rumors about this online, sure, but...isn't that all just made up? It's not mentioned in our textbooks."
"Rumors never really go away, even when things are dead silent. I would know," Izuka opened her eyes. "And that kind of thing doesn't seem like it's that well-known."
"Yeah," Toshinori nodded at the girl. "Because it's the kind of shameful history people would rather ignore. Anyway, when a person gains true power, they enjoy showing it off to others." Izuku gasped at him, but was still confused.
"How does this all tie together, though? And what about One for All?"
"I said that All for One could give Quirks to others, remember? He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities. But apparently, there were many poor souls who couldn't bear the burden of the Quirks they were given. They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking." Izuka gasped in horror at this part. "Just like the Nomus are."
Izuku gasped as well; it was almost like a prototype of Nomu...the thought of creatures like that in the past was terrifying in an environment that didn't have the Quirk regulations.
"Meanwhile, some Quirks actually evolved as they were passed on. Some even combined with other power sets. This evil man had a Quirkless younger brother. He was small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice. They couldn't have been more different. It pained the brother to see All for One's deeds, so he kept resisting him. And then...All for One transferred a Quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. We don't know if it was a gift he was giving his brother, or if he just wanted to force him to submit."
"Don't tell me..." Izuku faltered a little as Izuka's eyes shook.
"Yes. Even though everyone thought he was Quirkless, turns out the brother did have a Quirk."
"Ah!" Izuka flinched as that was exactly how she grew up.
"Though even he hadn't realized this to be the case. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on Quirks," Toshinori held out his arms. "And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power...and that is how One for All came to be."
The girl slowly stood up in alarm after hearing this, her eyes shaking. "So...that means Izuku..."
He put down his arms while Izuku himself was left in shock. "I've always found it ironic...that justice so often spawns from evil."
"Wait, hold on!" Izuku stammered nervously, trying to take this all in. "I understand how One for All came about now, but this bad guy must be long dead by this point. So why are you bringing him up?"
"One who steals Quirks has no limits," Toshinori explained to them both. "Anything's possible. There are Quirks that halt aging. He probably has something like that. The Symbol of Evil seemed pretty much immortal. With the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities...the younger brother decided to entrust this new Quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All for One, he hoped One for All would continue to grow in power, until it was strong enough to stop his older brother. Eventually, it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All for One! At least, that's what I thought. But he survived and is now back in action as the brain behind the League of Villains," He then stood up and looked out the window. "So now you know. The entire purpose of One for All is to defeat All for One. As its holder, you may one day have to fight against this great evil yourself. Because I failed."
The twins looked away with shaking eyes, Izuka gripping her skirt. She could be upset over not knowing the truth from the start. But also...she didn't know if Toshinori knew the entire time that All for One had survived. She had a feeling that he just recently learned, and telling them while they were doing internships was probably not the time. So...she wouldn't blame him necessarily, and she knew that with enough training and time...that All for One would be defeated someday.
"I know you didn't expect this, but-"
"I'll do my best!" Izuku interrupted the man, surprising him. "I'll do whatever you ask," He got onto his feet, Izuka looking up at him. "No matter what it might take. As long as you're both with me...I can do anything! I know you'll have my back!"
"And I know that you didn't intend to put this on his shoulders," Izuka smiled a bit as she stood up, gesturing to herself. "So I'll work hard to be my own hero, and be my own symbol—as terrifying as that is to think about," She looked away sheepishly.
Toshinori's eyes saddened a little as there were still some things he was holding back from the both of them. Come on. Tell them. They need to know. Especially since it's possible that Izuka's DNA is in the hands of... He covered his own mouth, though. That's not how it will happen. Our futures are... He opened his mouth to speak...but nothing came out as he stopped himself at the last minute. He didn't need to freak them out or cause doubt in Izuka when the facts could be wrong. Plus, considering Izuku's admiration, he wouldn't take it well... Neither of them would understand. He then put his hand down.
"...Thank you," He finally spoke up to the duo. The man then watched the twins walk down the hall so they could get their stuff and leave for the train station.
"Are you going with Kacchan again?" Izuku turned to his sister, who flinched.
"Shoot, I was so caught up with Mr. All Might that I forgot to tell him to head home..." She pulled out her phone and he flinched in alarm.
"Wait, Kacchan gave you his phone number?!"
"He insisted on it during our internship, I didn't have the chance to tell you," She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Okay, tonight, we're exchanging internship stories!" He told his sister, who giggled in response.
I'm sorry, Young Midoriya and Mido. But...by the time you face him, I won't be by your side anymore. And I won't cause any panic in Mido until I get some more information...and if they really can harness her power. I have a feeling Young Midoriya hasn't told her for similar reasons...
Izuku frowned as he definitely felt bad for keeping it a secret...but the girl was going through some changes in her life, he didn't want to ruin that for her. But he also didn't want to keep anything from her... It's weird that I can't say anything about it to her...I just hope that the fact that they only got her hair color stays that way.
Izuka slowly stepped down the stairs in silence, the story of what All Might told her and Izuku replaying in her head. She couldn't believe what she had heard...and yes, she was worried for her brother. But if his internship taught him anything, it was that she should have faith in him—even if he did make hasty decisions sometimes. She gave a small chuckle to herself at how he always meddled with other people just to help them.
She then looked up and immediately stopped walking, giving a sound of shock as Katsuki was waiting for her nearby. He looked up into her eyes and it was a small silence between the both of them. I thought he would've gotten impatient and gone home. He didn't even text me or anything asking where I was. Maybe he had a lot of things on his mind after Mr. All Might's class...? Her face then faltered as she walked past him. "Thought you headed home already. On account of what happened during class with my brother."
"Don't bring up things you don't know about," He grunted towards her and then walked in silence to catch up with the girl. "What were you doing?" He asked nonchalantly while walking to her left. She paused and then let out a small sigh.
"It's not important," She dismissed and he glanced at her.
Liar. Obviously it was something to take up that much time than she usually does doing her art. He had counted the amount of time she spent to paint—for irrelevant reasons—in case something had held her up. And she had taken up an extra 15 minutes than the usual 45, so something was definitely going on. But despite that, as she said, he could've gone home. He could've called or texted excessively like he did during the internship from Best Jeanist's phone. And for some reason...he didn't do any of those things. He stayed behind because...part of him wanted to, which he couldn't understand.
Similarly, Izuka couldn't help but debate why he even stayed if he thought she wasn't gonna be on time. Sometimes he would wait with her on the PE fields, and other days he waited outside if he needed time alone, which he clearly did today. The Bakugo-San I know would've stormed off and texted me he left, or my phone would've buzzed nonstop during my talk with Mr. All Might and Izuku. So why was he still here if he knew I was occupied...?
"I should've left you a text or even had someone tell you to go home without me..." She started off while looking up ahead. "Instead of making you wait this late. I'm sorry, Bakugo-San, and I didn't mean to-"
"Don't give me that crap," He scoffed while looking away. "I would've stayed even if you had. Let's get some things straight once again." She looked up in confusion at him, wondering what that even meant. "Never forget that we aren't friends, short stack." I can't forget that she's still the damn annoying short stack, and she's been a distraction. And she's...starting to show progress with her Quirk. I need to prove that she's not getting better than me. All this impulse with her is starting to come out of me and I hate it. "So don't patronize me," He elbowed her a bit, leaving her utterly confused as she stared at him. He hadn't talked to her much after rescue class, and now he was acting like this...
"What the heck was that all about...?" Izuka muttered in disbelief. "Is he...scared of being around me all of a sudden now?"
The sun shined the next morning at UA. "Well, it's almost time for summer vacation. Don't get too excited," Mr. Aizawa warned Class 1-A. "You can't just relax an entire month."
"Does that mean...?" Denki glanced back in fear at Eijiro.
"You'll be training while you're camping in the woods," Mr. Aizawa informed his class, most of them getting excited.
"I knew it! All right!" Denki and Eijiro exclaimed in unison.
"A big sleepover!" Mina pumped a fist happily.
"Baths!" Minoru jumped up behind her.
"Fireworks!" Tsuyu looked up while tapping her chin.
"Springs!" Minoru slid in next to her, obviously with lewd thoughts in mind.
"And s'mores!" Tenya raised a hand.
"Skinny dipping!" Minoru gritted his teeth from behind.
Momo looked down in thought. "We've been training in cities, so this will be very different conditions for most of us."
"No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant," Fumikage commented from his seat. "Yes. Very wise."
Toru waved her arms excitedly. "Hanging out with everyone all summer? I'm so excited!"
"However," Mr. Aizawa's hair lifted as his eyes glowed. As soon as they saw this look, everyone was dead silent. "Those of you who don't pass the final exam before the semester is over...will have summer school."
"Everyone, do your best!" Eijiro encouraged everyone in the room.
"This is so stupid," Katsuki muttered in annoyance. Izuka gave an awkward look next to him.
I know he'll pass, grades are nothing for Bakugo-San. And if I pass, that means we might run into each other a few times...I really hope things won't be so tense as they have been lately She looked away with a small groan. At the very least, she could focus on having new environments to paint, so camp would be a good inspiration for sketch ideas. Hopefully it would remain that way, but she had a feeling that things would get complicated with Bakugo—again. I really wish I could just talk to him sometimes as a normal person...like how we did somewhat on our walks home before.
Then again, the tension was probably the new normal now unfortunately.
Minoru grasped Izuku's shoulder, slightly pushing him. "All you girls better pass this thing!"
Even though what All Might had to tell Izuka and I was mind-blowing...our daily life is continuing as usual. And despite everything, my goals haven't changed. The green-haired boy then flinched as he remembered something. Now that I think about it...All Might didn't really say anything specific about himself or Izuka.
"The Hero Killer Stain. I didn't think he'd get caught, but everything else went pretty much as expected," The Master spoke up, looking at a screen that was displaying Shigaraki. "Now that he's viral, those who want to wreck havoc or who simply sympathize with him will seek out the League of Villains as a way to satisfy their urges. Tomura Shigaraki will be put in a position where he must unify many new recruits."
"I believe things would move faster if you were to talk to them yourself, though, master," Another one of his subordinates spoke up, looking at various pieces of data.
The Master simply let out a chuckle. "Then you had better hurry and fix my body, Doctor."
"If only we'd gotten our hands on the super regeneration Quirk five years earlier. Now that your wounds are all healed, it can't really do anything to help you," The subordinate walked up, looking at Shigaraki. "So he's to unite the League of Villains. I wonder if the child can pull it off. How much has he really grown?"
"He'll do well," The Master stated, though was hooked up to various machines. "Even if I have to work him to the bone. It's the only way he'll be able to take my place. He was born with the twisted mind needed to become the next me..." He gently touched the screen. "I hope you're celebrating while you can, All Might. Because very soon, this temporary peace will come to a violent end."
Mr. Aizawa sat across Izuka in the teacher's lounge, staring at the girl. She was looking very nervous as he called her here to have a brief talk about something. Knowing him, this could be how I'm doing with my Quirk. Although did he really need to bring me here just to explain that?
"These rumors that were going around before the Sports Festival…they haven't resurfaced, have they?"
She flinched and then shook her head. "Not as much as I got before the event. I ignored them…because I believed that I could prove them wrong."
"Just because they mostly stopped doesn't mean it'll go away," He pointed out and she bit her lip awkwardly. "Eventually, whether we like it or not, they'll come back with more hearsay evidence. And then the media will get their dirty hands on them and turn it something we can't control. All Might is handing this for the time being. The principal is also aware and is keeping an eye out. As for me, I don't care to hear statements from people who don't know what they're talking about. So just ignore them and work on improving your Quirk."
She blinked as she looked up in silence to see him standing up and leaving. He then came to a stop, hands in his pockets. "Whether or not you deserve to be here is irrelevant. This is a school where things like this shouldn't even be a concern of ours. Keep working for how you'll be as a hero and they'll back off."
"Y-Yes, sir," She answered him quietly. "It's honestly not something I hesitate about." He glanced back at her curiously as she looked up in determination. "Because… I have to go Plus Ultra, right?"
He stared at her in silence before opening the door. "And work on your speech. That's starting to get old."
Izuka let out a shocked yelp as he left her alone there and then she sighed. He didn't even acknowledge what I said…
Izuku smiled while talking with Ochaco and Tenya as they passed by the entrance. Ochaco glanced over to Izuka arriving and waved her over. The girl smiled and ran over to the three to join them.
"Oi!"
All of them flinched, Izuka glancing back in shock to see Katsuki walking up, hands in his pockets. "Oh...hey, Kacchan. I thought you left-"
"Shut up! Short stack stays with me. I'll make sure she gets home," He came to a stop right next to the girl. Izuka faltered a bit in confusion that he was still insisting on taking her home himself despite their tension not being resolved.
"Um...alright then," Ochaco rubbed her neck awkwardly. "Mido, are you sure you'll be alright?"
"I'm sure," She nodded, though grateful for her friend's concern. "I'll see you two in class tomorrow."
"Stay safe, you two," Tenya gave a small bow, the girl waving to the three walking off. Once they were gone, Katsuki started to walk in front of her and she stared at him. She just didn't really understand the boy at all...first he was rude and standoffish one day, the next he was being...very quiet. And she didn't really know why.
"Hurry up before I kill you!" He shouted while looking over his shoulder. She snapped out of it and ran after him. He then moved his arm to grab her bags as they walked down the street. "So damn annoying to look after."
"No one asked you to," She mumbled while looking away and he stopped moving. Izuka gave a terrified sound, her hair standing up on end. Crap, he wasn't meant to hear that! "I-I mean, I really...appreciate it and all that you're doing this, but-"
"And you think I give a damn if you do?" He retorted back and she slowly closed her mouth. "The only reason why I'm even doing this is because you're not strong enough against any weak-ass villains. Now keep your damn mouth shut unless it's something important to say."
She gave a small whine as she followed after him in silence. He's really not letting up lately, huh? I'll just have to keep my distance for now...I wonder if this is more so an Izuku thing or a me thing...maybe both?