Chapter 10: Rigorous training
He finally returned home. His mother, his psychologist (Kinuyo Kisen), Pro Hero Midnight and Principal Nezu were talking in the kitchen.
"Izuku, I saw you on the news." Inko was sobbing. "You ran head first into danger! How could you?"
"Kacchan was going to die, mom." Boy tried to sound calm. "No one else could help him, certainly not heroes who just stood there. Besides, I've planned everything from the beginning."
"Your plan was too presumptuous, young Midoriya." Nezu sipped some tea.
"What? What do you mean?"
"You assumed that Sludge villain would not only believe you, but also not take any risks against Killer Queen. But what if he did? What if he believed your quirk was weaker than it really is? Would have you killed him if he didn't comply? That would have made your case a lot worse. You are not a licensed hero right now, and that clearly wasn't self defense, so the HPSC could have easily deemed you a villain. You are lucky you didn't have to go past verbal threats. That gives you room for plausible deniability."
Green head's heart skipped a beat. He was one step away from becoming a villain! And that's after receiving all the help from the rat and encouragement with his dreams.
"Sir, I wasn't going to kill him! It was just a bluff. If he refused, I would have scared him a bit more by blowing up a tiny chunk."
"That wouldn't have made much difference. You'd still be a villain for harming another person with your quirk without a license."
Teen frowned. He was getting angry.
"What was I supposed to do then? Let my friend die, huh?!"
"You could have at least called me first. I have numbers of every Hero in Japan. I am sure at least one appropriate specialist was close enough."
Izuku did not know how to counter that. He simply stared at the principal.
"Sorry, sir. I must have disappointed you."
"Try not to do that again, please. I have so many plans for you. Well, that's in the past. Let's talk about the future. Starting tomorrow, you will train for the entrance exam at the UA. Pro Hero Midnight and Doctor Kisen will look after you while this is happening."
"Can my friends join me? Specifically Mina and Katsuki. I promised them we will all go to UA together."
"Fine, but there is an issue with your classified abilities. You would need to train at least some of them, specifically mind control, time stop and time erasure. You either need to dedicate days to training alone or make them sign non-disclosure agreements."
"I trust them wholeheartedly, sir. I am sure they trust me just as much, so second option is a no brainer. But should I really train time erasure? You told me to only use it in emergencies."
"I have been running some risk assessment tests. My conclusion is that of you dedicate a specific time interval to training this ability, the world population will be able to adapt. Interval from 15:00 to 15:30 is our best bet. It's when most people in the world are asleep. Obviously, you also need to be predictable with days of week, unless my other theory holds true."
"What theory?"
"We know that your imaginary friends can be swapped when you are asleep, but perhaps we don't need for you to naturally tire out. My theory is that Midnight's Somnambulist can enable you to change quirks more frequently."
"SIR!" Inko tried to protest. "Are you seriously going to do that to my son? It has to be dangerous."
"It's not dangerous at all, honey." Nemuri patted the nervous mother on the back. "Boys at my agency were affected by my quirk dozens of times, and they are healthy like bulls."
"Still, as his mother, I want to ensure his safety. I will be observing the training process too!"
"Aren't you busy with work?" Izuku was surprised.
"To hell with work! I'll probably lose my mind without knowing how they are training you."
"Mrs. Midoriya, your worries are misguided. Mrs. Kayama has been a professional hero for more than a decade now, and she's already got credentials to teach at any hero school. She's one of the most qualified heroes for this task, I assure you."
Inko Midoriya was sad. For years it felt like she outsourced Izuku's upbringing to Nezu and Dr. Kisen. Her son never liked to bother her with his demons. She felt as if she failed him as a mother.
"Sir, I believe we shouldn't completely disregard her concerns. The boy's case is unique, so his mother would understandably want to be aware of his situation at all times. There has to be a middle ground." Kinuyo intervened.
"Very well." Nezu sighed. "I will provide Midnight with recording equipment, so she can capture the process and show it to you, ma-am."
Inko could only nod in silence. She was going to need professional help too.
Izuku went to his room to message his friends:
Green Devil: Mina. There is something awesome I want to do with you, but you and your parents will have to sign a non disclosure agreement.
Alien Queen: Are you finally inviting me to that love hotel? That's so unnecessary. You can come and play with my hands any time you want, my cute weirdo.
The boy cringed. This girl always knew how to press his buttons. He could hear voices laughing at his expense.
Green Devil: No, not that! Starting from tomorrow I'm going to receive training from a Pro Hero, and I want to do it with you.
Alien Queen: What's so secretive about it?
Green Devil: That's what NDA is for.
Alien Queen: Ok, Midori. I'll let my mom and dad know. See you tomorrow!
Green Devil: Kacchan, how are you?
Tsar Bomba: I'm fine, Deku. And you? I heard you were arrested for fighting that scumbag.
Green Devil: Don't worry about it, I've got it covered. Listen, I'm going to receive training from a Pro Hero tomorrow. If you want to join, you will have to sign an NDA.
Tsar Bomba: Let me guess, you impressed that hero with your kitty cat?
Green Devil: Something like that.
Tsar Bomba: Fine, Deku. I'll tell Hag and Geezer. Cya.
Izuku had to wake up at 6 AM, much earlier that he was used to. After eating breakfast and taking care of his hair, he hurried to Midnight's agency. His friends arrived shortly after him.
"I must say, you almost scared me, Midori. I didn't expect one of the most powerful people in Japan to knock at my door shortly after your message." Mind giggled.
"Yeah, what's your deal with that rat, Deku? Are you blackmailing him?"
"No, guys. He just saw great potential in me."
"There you are, kids." Midnight came from her agency's entrance. "Don't be shy, come in!"
One of the floors in Midnight's agency was a dedicated gym, with various complex looking devices.
"You three will receive general body training, as well training specifically designed for your quirks. I'll whip you up into future heroes in these two years. Now, I imagine you have questions."
"Yeah, why the hell did our parents sign NDAs? Are we going to do something illegal?"
"No, Katsuki." Izuku sighed. "It has to do with my quirk. It's time I'll tell you more about it."
"Oh, cool! Let me guess, you finally unlocked a fourth form, right?"
"No, Mina. Let me explain." He gulped.
Izuku decided to omit the head villains for now. He only mentioned previously classified abilities that he was going to train.
"Wow, Midori, you can control time!" She pointed at the clock on the wall. "Can you do that erasure thing now?"
"No. I'm only allowed to do it at very specific times, or during emergencies."
"Bummer."
Teens began their training. The general body course consisted of running, climbing walls, lifting weights and many other exercises. Mina had to adjust the pH of her acid for various materials, as well her precision when aiming her fluids. Killer Queen and Katsuki had to control the magnitude of the explosions they produced, as well as increase their maximum potency. When using King Crimson and The World, Izuku lifted weighs designed for super strength quirks and tried to catch bullets shot near him. Training time based abilities was as simple as using them frequently, although it was quite draining. For vampire mind control, boy had to increase how many targets he can handle.
Turns out, Nezu's theory was true. Forced sleep via Somnambulist or otherwise allowed Izuku to change his ability even in the middle of the day. This made the boy excited and his mother distraught. She knew the boy would weaponize his sleep if it meant being a better hero.
This was the big day. Izuku knew he would pass the entrance exam with flying colors. His intellect was admirable and his quirk controlled time itself. Surely, nothing could go wrong?