"I don't need this shit, certainly not coming from your kind. Hero."
Hero. The word was spat with such hatred that Izuku froze, unsure of what to do or say. He turned his head toward Takuma, his expression far from his usual blank, emotionless face. He was angry, and as much as he knew his friend—if friends they were, he wasn't sure—had nothing against him specifically, he couldn't stop a spike of fear from shooting up his spine. Takuma was intense, laid-back most of the time, but Izuku had learned it was just a front. He was always ready for anything; violence was easy for him in a way that it wasn't for Izuku.
Ms. Midnight had flustered him earlier. He'd never even thought there was something else going on, too busy trying not to stare in fear of being called a creep. It made sense; using her looks to distract her opponent was a tried and true technique, which he had even written in his notebook in her entry.
"I should have known," he seethed internally as he watched Takuma walk away.
The infirmary was silent until Hound Dog let out a disappointed growl. "This couldn't have gone worse."
"He read you like an open book," Recovery Girl remarked as she moved Izuku's injured wrist around. "Barely a bruise. It's not worth healing, but make sure to rest, and it should be healed by tomorrow."
He nodded. "T-Thank you."
"I knew he was perceptive, but this is something else," Ms. Midnight commented as she leaned against the wall. "He doesn't let his guard down, not even around us."
"His last sentence is telling. A Hero has either broken his trust or hurt him in the past," Inui presumed as he raked a hand through his mane. "He sees us as a threat. That's why he was so quick to take control of the conversation. It was a flight or fight response."
"Is he always so on edge?" Ms. Midnight asked as Izuku jumped off the bed.
Since he had started studying under Nedzu, Izuku had more than enough time to get acquainted with the staff. He had nearly died of embarrassment when he had blurted out in the middle of a meeting if he could have their autographs.
"Yes. There's only one person that Takuma really relaxes around, and it's Mei," he revealed, not quite a secret since the Takuma he knew around Mei—or not—was like night and day. "They are always together. The only time I ever saw him smile was with her. When it's only us, he isn't so different outwardly, but he has a shorter fuse. He gets more annoyed, more violent," he revealed. "But not with me!" he added quickly, not wanting to misspeak about his friend's actions. "He has a protective streak, and he doesn't hesitate to hurt someone to make them back off. Sometimes more than necessary."
"I think he was genuine earlier. He was talking, making jokes," Ms. Midnight remarked. "He hides his struggles well, but it costs him a lot to maintain."
"An Empathy Quirk of such range is unheard of. He might rely on her to deal with the emotions he feels from everyone around him," Inui wondered.
"Mei is the only person he really listens to. I-I think if you were to brush the subject of therapy when she's around, he might be more inclined to listen. And if she pushes for it, then there's even more chance for him to accept," Izuku offered, knowing full well Mei might be on board with getting him help.
He felt dirty going behind Takuma and Mei's backs, but he couldn't say it wasn't for the right reason. There were too many things with Takuma that made Izuku's instincts scream. Takuma needed help, and he doubted he could offer any. The villainess from this morning, who was after him, was the most recent reason why he felt the need to push and find a way to help him.
"After today, pushing with her help might be counterproductive," Hound Dog said as he paced around the room. "If he thinks we're trying to use her to get to him, it will build resentment—more than what already exists, given our status as Heroes. We might need to call on someone without a Heroic License."
"Any idea as to why he hates us?" Ms. Midnight asked him with a wink that made his cheeks burn.
"N-No, nothing concrete. He dislikes All Might and tends to make a distinction between what he thinks are real heroes and others who are just... posers," Izuku recalled from their talk on the beach one day. "He told me once he preferred villains to heroes because, and I quote, 'They wouldn't piss on his leg and tell him it's raining.'"
"If we assume Takuma was indeed the boy named in the orphanage that was attacked by villains, then we could suppose he may have been raised by one," Recovery Girl offered. "That would explain why Nedzu found no trace of his existence for most of his life."
"I doubt it," Izuku countered without missing a beat. "Takuma... even if he's more than rough around the edges, doesn't have a normal home life... He didn't know what ice cream tasted like until recently."
"Wait, he's never had ice cream before?" Ms. Midnight asked in disbelief.
"I learned it after Aldera, when we went to see Mei. She took us to get ice cream, and well... it was kind of sad," Izuku remembered.
"So, he needed to grow up fast for whatever reason," Inui said thoughtfully.
"He's used to taking charge. He made the plan for the assault on the hostel and moved us around to make full use of our quirks and capabilities," Kayama recalled. "Snipe's going to be frothing at the mouth when he reads the report."
"There's also something he said that might help," Izuku offered, deeply unsure if he wasn't crossing a line. "'There isn't a therapist who can take me without needing therapy.'"
"Trust issues, possible PTSD, and he's ingrained the belief that what he's gone through isn't something others can understand or handle," the U.A. therapist listed with an ever-growing frown. "It will take time to build trust and make sure he feels confident enough in our ability to handle his past. Pushing now would do more harm than good, even if he ends up taking us up on our offer."
"So, we hope he makes it in and then deal with an unstable student who might or might not have been raised by a villain, and whose allegiance is unknown," Eraserhead stated as he entered the room, making Izuku jump. "He's going to end up in my class, isn't he?"
"A rhetorical question, as always," Recovery Girl drawled. "You also need to add vigilantism since Yagi had his charges dropped."
The older woman's words made Eraserhead's eye twitch.
"S-Sir, you might want to be careful wi-with Erasure... Takuma's quirk doesn't turn off," Izuku felt the need to say, not willing to see what would happen to his short-tempered friend if he was hit by the teacher's quirk.
"It would be better to test the effect of Erasure on him in a controlled environment," Shuzenji offered as she walked closer to the gathering. "Quirks like his that don't turn off can alter their user's senses. He might have a panic attack or go into shock if he's struck by your quirk without warning."
"Takuma is blind," Izuku let out before he could stop himself. If he hadn't crossed a line before, he certainly had now.
"What do you mean? I saw him fight, and he seemed perfectly fine," Ms. Midnight said.
"It's... complicated. Quirks that add more sensory input than the body can handle tend to reduce the amount of information received from another sense," Izuku revealed, sick to his stomach at the breach of trust. Still, he carried on. "Takuma's sight has deteriorated significantly. He failed to read the third line of an eye test I made for him when I realized he was squinting while trying to read. Corrective lenses don't help."
"Just a reminder why Nedzu likes you so much," Midnight huffed as she crossed her arms under her chest. "One day, I'll learn where you get all this information."
"Mo-Mostly the internet," Izuku squeaked with a burning blush as he looked away from the R-Rated Hero. Even with Mei being as touchy as she was, he wasn't used to interacting with women.
"If he makes it in, we'll take this into account when doing the seat arrangement," Hound Dog stated as he grabbed a sheet and noted it down.
Izuku knew how much Takuma hated having anything about him written down. Another reason why Izuku was, without a doubt, the worst friend ever.
'Take a swan dive off the roof.'
Kaachan's words replayed in his mind. He couldn't do anything about it. Every time he was down or anxious, he heard it again. So much so that even Takuma had heard it. He hated being reminded of what his childhood friend had said.
"Besides that, good job fighting and winning against your first Villain, Midoriya," Ms. Midnight told him with a bright grin. "I knew you had a lot of potential with that Quirk of yours, and I'm glad you have started to... show some of that potential." She finished her sentence by licking her lips, and Izuku simply looked away with a burning blush that seemed scorched onto his face when around the Heroine.
'Why can't I handle her like Takuma? He never has trouble around her,' he bemoaned with a frustrated sigh.
"Nemuri, stop teasing him," Eraserhead sighed as he looked at both of them in succession. "And Quirk Conscription Act or not, he shouldn't have to fight a Villain before his first day at U.A."
A chill went up his spine as he looked at the ground—the best thing to do when a teacher was on his case. "S-Sorry."
"As I said before, you need to stop being sorry for what is out of your control, Midoriya," Inui corrected as he looked at Eraserhead disapprovingly. "Gran Torino elected to request the help of both boys. If you have something to say about his choice, you can go see him directly."
"As if that old fart would listen," the Erasure Hero groused. "You are all being too reckless with this."
"Chill, Sho," Present Mic drawled as he entered the room and wrapped an arm around the shoulder of an already annoyed Eraserhead. "Hey, little listener! Heard you got your first big fight. Hope it went well!"
"I-It has. I-I was mostly playing support while Takuma was keeping her a-attention. I just ended up throwing rocks and running around for something to tie her up with," he explained. The victory left a sour taste in his mouth. "I hit her twice, and I don't think it did anything."
Every time he found himself in a situation like this morning, it only left him feeling like he should have been doing more.
"He was holding his own pretty well when I arrived. He had nothing that could really hurt her, but he still managed to render her tail inoperative," Midnight recalled as she brushed her own cheek with her thumb. "We can definitely add his confidence when facing Villains to the list of things to brush on in therapy."
"I'll add it to the list," Inui stated simply as he wrote it down on his sheet of paper, which was slowly being filled.
"Don't worry, little listener. Everyone messes up in some way when facing their first Villain," Mic reassured him as Eraserhead took his arm off his shoulder. "I remember the first time I used my Quirk on the field. I went too high, and my voice broke every window in the city block and left the Villain unharmed. That was wild."
"I can still recall the mountain of paperwork we had to go through," Ms. Midnight remembered with a shiver. "Never again."
"Oh, come on, guys, it wasn't that bad. Tensei even brought us coffee," Mic recalled. "It wasn't ideal, but everything went well in the end."
Izuku smiled as he remembered the video of the incident. Most of that district had turned into die-hard fans of Present Mic over the years. When the insurance assessors came to evaluate the damage, they discovered so many building violations that most people were evacuated until the buildings could be rebuilt. They were handsomely compensated for the risk to their lives that even a small earthquake could have caused.
"Alright, all of you. Midoriya is as healthy as can be given the circumstances, and I have other patients to see, so shoo! Go away," Recovery Girl, who had reached the end of her patience, pushed everyone out the door and then closed it.
"Aww, she loves us," Mic said as he wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"If you're done, then I'm going to take a nap," Aizawa said as he started to walk away, only for Midnight to grab him by the collar.
"Nope, you're coming with us. Hikigari is losing his mind with that pink-haired devil, and I don't have popcorn on me, so you'll have to do."
"Your sentence doesn't make any sense," Eraser remarked as he huffed and lamely tried to walk away before the Heroine shifted the direction he was walking in.
"Too bad!" Ms. Midnight called as she brought everyone along to the Support Lab.
Midoriya hid his laughter as best he could, but it was hard. The U.A. staff were all Heroes, and as starstruck as he was, he had been hit many times over the head with the reminder of how human each of them was. When thinking about Heroes, he realized he never quite took the time to think about what they were doing when not Hero-ing.
Mic had his radio, Midnight liked to knit, Hound Dog was a movie buff (though Izuku wasn't quite sure what he was talking about most of the time when he tried to link some aspect of his life to one of his favorite movies). Now he knew how others felt when he talked about Heroes no one had ever heard of. Power Loader was a drinker who liked to sample every cocktail under the sun and somehow wasn't an alcoholic. Snipe was, but everyone acted like he had it under control—especially since Takuma had felt the cancer in his lungs and encouraged him to start treatment. Nedzu was a tea aficionado and liked to quiz him about the taste of different blends between classes.
Speaking of class, he was supposed to have his final exam tomorrow. He dearly hoped everything would go well. He'd never sweated as much in his life as when he started studying under the furred terror that was Nedzu.
They arrived soon enough, and Midnight stopped everyone as she peeked into the room. "Look, aren't they so hecking cute!"
Everyone peeked into the room except Eraserhead, who stayed back. Inside, Takuma and Mei were simply looking into each other's eyes with happy smiles. "Oh, they're always like that," Izuku commented.
"Isn't she the one that made the capture gun?" Mic asked as he glanced in before quickly looking away to give them privacy. "Is she going to be the next gremlin he says he hates but secretly loves teaching?"
"She is," Ms. Midnight answered as she peeked her head around the corner like... a schoolgirl.
Izuku was glad he hadn't voiced his thoughts aloud.
"Nemuri, you know her boyfriend can tell we're here, right?" Eraserhead reminded her, and Ms. Midnight's expression dropped.
"Damn it, it's going to take time to get used to that," the heroine pouted.
"Let's leave the younger generation to their feelings. I'll be in my office if you need me," Hound Dog said as he continued walking past the door. "And Midoriya, my door is always open," the pro reminded him for the hundredth time.
"I won't forget, sir. Thank you," Izuku replied with a bow as the pro left.
"They must have so much sex," Ms. Midnight blurted, causing Present Mic and Izuku to choke on air at the random comment.
"Nemuri, please stop speculating about our maybe-students' sex lives," Aizawa groused, hiding his face in his capture weapon. "Do I really have to be here?"
"Yes. Now let's pretend we're here to see how Hikigari is doing and crash their little party," the heroine decided as she looked back at them.
Izuku didn't understand why she felt the need to shake her hips like that, but he didn't complain, no matter how hard he tried not to look. Too much.
"You can just say you want to check up on him, Nemuri," Eraserhead said, cutting through Midnight's antics like a hot knife through butter.
"You're no fun," the heroine pouted.
"And that's enough, Nem," Present Mic interjected, cutting into his friend's teasing. "I never got to meet Power Loader's future headache."
Everyone followed as the blond hero headed straight for his friend. Takuma had already noticed their presence and angled Mei so she was behind him as they all approached. Izuku remembered that when Takuma first met the group, he had done the same thing for him. It stung a bit at the time since it meant Takuma had seen him as a threat back then.
"Hello, little listeners! I heard you've been making Hikigari sweat today. How's it going?" Mic greeted Mei and Takuma in one breath.
"Perfect! Power Loader is busy disarming a bomb the third years made," Mei informed them, her manic grin and glint of excitement making it clear she found the situation thrilling. "He doesn't want me to help for some reason."
Izuku snorted a laugh. "I guess you have plenty of experience making and unmaking them."
"I do," she confirmed with a sharp nod. "How's the hand?"
"Good. It's only cosmetic damage," he replied, feeling thankful to have at least one person worried about him.
Besides his mom, of course.
"Perfect. That means you're available for a spar," Takuma said tonelessly, as he usually did. "Is there a place we can use for a quick fight?" he asked Present Mic.
Izuku's heart dropped as his mind scrambled for a reason why Takuma would want to fight him. Did he know about the information he'd shared with the heroes? Was this payback for something else? His heart slammed against his ribcage as he desperately searched for an answer.
"Why do you want to spar with him?" Eraserhead asked, irritation lingering from Midnight's behavior.
"I noticed a few problems with Izuku's fighting style earlier during our fight with the villainess," Takuma stated with a shrug. "I already informed Gran Torino, and he gave me the green light."
"I think our Quirk gym is empty at this hour," Mic offered.
"That would—" Takuma cut himself off as he did a double-take, glancing at Present Mic before continuing with a confused expression. "That would do. We won't go overboard, and since Midoriya isn't going to go above five percent, we won't break too much stuff."
Eraserhead and Midnight exchanged glances before looking at the blond hero. No one had missed Takuma's strange reaction.
"Then let's go, I need to get home soon if I want to make something good for dinner, and Mei needs to get a refresher course before tomorrow," his friend said.
"You cook?" Midnight asked as Present Mic led the way again.
"Only the basics," Takuma replied as Mei went to say goodbye to Lockluster, who had switched to civilian clothing.
"I got the goodies. Fair warning: I'm burning them as soon as I have her size," Mei told everyone as she came back with the heroine costume inside a bag. "I wish I could talk to whoever made this thing so I could ask them what the hell they were thinking."
Midnight giggled with a small grin. "You can always tell what fetish a costume designer has by what protection a design lacks. By the way her jacket opens and the lack of cover over her belly, I can tell the designer had a thing for tummy."
Mei made a face. "Your costume isn't much better."
"Yes, in that way, I would agree," Midnight confirmed as she let a hand trail along her curve. "But you have to understand, I designed my own costume. It wasn't forced on me by some pervert hiding behind his desk."
The pink-haired girl hummed then shrugged. "As long as it does its job. Is it a self-repairing fabric?"
"It is, perfect to let out my Quirk in a pinch."
Both women kept talking as they all walked to the gym. Aizawa tried to leave again, being stopped by Present Mic this time. Izuku trailed behind as he noticed Takuma was simply doing his usual check around every window and opening as they walked.
"U.A. is one of the most secure places in Japan. You don't have to be on the lookout," he told his friend, who nodded with a blank face.
"Just because U.A. is one of the most secure places in Japan, it doesn't mean it will stay that way," he replied without any emotion. "I'd rather be overly worried than let something pass me by and have to live with the consequence."
Another sentence that could be added to the long list of things that made Izuku more worried for his friend. The ease with which he resorted to violence and the way he... expected it to come, even from nowhere. He could understand not feeling safe—every day at Aldera was like that. But inside U.A., it was different.
It had to be.
"I'm sure Nedzu thought of everything," he said to his friend, who again barely did anything but shrug.
"I doubt even the smartest being in the world can prepare for every possibility this Quirked world of ours can bring," he countered tonelessly. "Everyone has a blind spot."
He knew he was right. Nedzu had him take a look at the school's defenses, among other things. The defenses were something to behold, but not every edge case could be covered. The school was built around keeping thugs and spies away. Anyone with a dedicated force could make it in a reasonable time, only to be greeted by a small army of heroes waiting for them.
And given Takuma's lack of trust in heroes, it made sense he didn't feel safe. And there was nothing Izuku could do about it. Not in the short term, and maybe even not in the long term. Besides being the best hero he could be, there was nothing in his reach that could change his friend's outlook that sometimes heroes weren't much better than villains.
"Ah, I forgot!" Midnight said as she stopped talking costumes with Mei. "I needed to talk with Lockluster. All of you go ahead."
Mic took the lead as everyone entered the Quirk gym. The place was filled with machines, terrain, and instruments made to absorb and help their users develop their Quirks. He had his notebook in his hand and was furiously writing down how the different machines worked before he had made it two steps in. This was a treasure trove of information, and even with his study under Nedzu, he never quite had the time to come and explore around. No, he had the time. He just never dared ask for a tour of the facilities.
"Alright, depending on how much destruction you two expect, you can use the training mat or one of the rooms made to withstand more powerful Quirks," Mic asked as Takuma nodded and went to the training mat in the center of the room.
"Midoriya has good enough control of his Quirk. I don't expect much damage; we can use this one," he said as he sent a look to him.
Izuku froze and then put his notebook down as he went to join him in the fighting area.
"Alright, little listener, I'll be the referee and Sho the commentator."
"Leave me out of this," Eraserhead deadpanned.
"In that case, I'll be both," Mic said again while sending finger guns their way. "No breaking bones, either yours or your opponent's, submission after three taps, and I will stop you both at the first injury."
Izuku nodded as he prepared himself, lowering his stance and bringing up his Quirk to the forefront as green electricity crackled around him.
"Fair warning, Midoriya," Takuma let out as he stayed still, not even bothering to take a stance. "I'm not going easy on you this time. This is going to hurt."
Izuku swallowed thickly as he prepared himself.
"Go for the throat!" Mei shouted from the sideline. "Kick him in the balls!"
"Who are you saying that for?" Takuma asked with the shadow of a grin on his face.
"Both!" Mei stated with a sharp nod as she seemingly chose not to take a side.
"Ah, I love this girl," Takuma simply said as Mic raised his hand.
"Begin!"
One For All: Full Cowling 5%
Izuku jumped forward, hoping to catch Takuma off-guard. The lesson about maintaining a strong stance had been seared into his brain, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to strike when his friend had seemingly forgotten his own advice. He was right next to him in a blink, aiming a punch at Takuma's face. His opponent had yet to react, and for a second, Izuku worried the full power of the small portion of his Quirk he could tap into would land directly on his friend's face.
That thought was ripped away as Takuma turned, grabbed his wrist, and used his shoulder as leverage to slam Izuku into the ground. The sudden impact knocked the air out of his lungs. It didn't hurt as much as it normally would—One For All provided a well of power that reinforced his limbs—but he still felt the sole of his friend's shoe stomp on his face once before he managed to roll away and jump back to his feet. The sight that welcomed him was Takuma's bored expression, still not in a fighting stance, waiting for him to strike again.
"And with that, the fight is on! A strong start for Midoriya, who tries to strike hard and fast, but a majestic counter from his opponent sends him to the ground with a boot-print for his trouble!" Present Mic commented excitedly as Izuku turned his head toward him.
Mei bounced behind Mic, cheering loudly. "Break his nose!"
Izuku chuckled at her unaligned encouragement before focusing back on Takuma, who hadn't moved from his position.
"So, you've got more durability while using your Quirk. Makes sense," Takuma commented in a detached tone, as if he hadn't just stomped on Izuku's face a second ago.
Izuku rubbed his face, finding dirt on his hand but no blood. His Quirk had dropped to four percent, so he brought it back up to five. He had grown adept at lowering the output in case of emergencies during his training, balancing on the razor's edge between on and off.
This time, he lowered his stance and rushed in again. He aimed for Takuma's legs—his lack of a proper stance wasn't something Izuku could ignore, as it could be the key to a quick win. When he was in reach, he went low, trying to grab a leg, but Takuma jumped back. Izuku caught a quick flash of motion as Takuma's fist turned, and then a lightning-fast heel kick struck him on the cheek, sending him tumbling to the ground. The force of the blow didn't hurt as much as it could have, thanks to One For All cushioning the impact, but it was still enough to knock him off balance.
Izuku scrambled to his feet and tried a flurry of punches to keep Takuma distracted as he closed the distance between them. His goal was to grapple Takuma—holding him down with his Quirk and forcing a submission was his best chance at victory. Takuma, however, kept his distance, dodging effortlessly and deflecting Izuku's punches with open-handed slaps that redirected them and made them even less effective. Izuku felt like he was trying to catch smoke.
Frustrated, he jumped forward in an attempt to surprise Takuma, but the result was the same—he was slammed into the ground. This time, Takuma didn't stomp his face, but Izuku managed to make a desperate grab for his heel, too late, as Takuma had already jumped away. Standing up again, Izuku's frustration grew. His lack of fighting experience had never been more apparent.
"And another slam to the ground! The crowd is going wild!" Present Mic shouted.
"Wild!" Mei echoed enthusiastically, causing Takuma and Izuku to snort in unison.
Eraserhead observed the fight critically while Mei happily followed along.
"You used to put up more of a fight before you had your Quirk," Takuma commented, walking in a slow circle around him, not even bothering to look directly at him. "If you keep doing the same thing over and over, it might work. Or not."
Izuku bristled. He knew Takuma was watching him through his Quirk, but the disinterest still stung. As for Takuma's words—Izuku didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't bounce around the room like he had with Gran Torino that morning due to the room's size and the presence of others. Beyond rushing and grappling, his options were limited. Using One For All at five percent was still a challenge; he could do it in controlled settings, but keeping up in a fight was another matter entirely.
Izuku facepalmed. "I'm a moron," he muttered.
Takuma tilted his head slightly. "Sometimes," his friend replied simply.
Izuku adjusted his output to 1%. He wasn't as fast, as strong, or as durable, but he had more control. This time, when he reached Takuma, he threw a feint, shifting to an uppercut at the last moment. Using his shorter height to his advantage, he aimed for a knockout blow. For the first time, Takuma's expression shifted from blank to alarmed, and that flash of recognition bolstered Izuku's bruised ego—until a smile appeared on Takuma's lips.
The first punch landed on Izuku's cheek, pain blossoming far more intensely than any kick had before. He pushed forward, trying to get inside Takuma's guard but failing as his opponent maintained the gap between them. Another push followed as Izuku blocked punches to his face, neck, and chest, advancing with everything he had. Each hit took its toll, but his focus remained on keeping Takuma on the defensive. Izuku couldn't afford to let him create the space needed to land another kick.
This couldn't go on. He needed a new strategy. Faking a stumble, Izuku created just enough of an opening for Takuma to go for a spinning hook kick. Izuku recognized the stance—the subtle tell of a tensing shoulder—eerily similar to Mirko, whose moves he had studied extensively for his notebooks.
5%
The burst of speed was enough to close the distance between them and crash into Takuma. His arm wrapped around him as they fell to the ground. He was about to try and climb on him when a hand went to his face, and a thumb started to push against his eyes. He moved back just enough to release the pressure right before a knee hit him in the gut, followed by a kick that pushed him off his opponent. He jumped back to his feet, a second after Takuma.
"Progress," was all Takuma said as he took a stance for the first time. "Again."
"Please do not gouge each other's eyes, please and thank you," Present Mic stated, his tone lacking his usual excitement as he reminded them both not to take it too far.
"He's right, and no balls shots either!" Mei called with a more restrained tone. "Don't actually hurt each other!"
1%
Before he could take a step, Takuma was on him, a spinning kick on the way that caught him on the shoulder. Izuku had raised his Quirk to five just in time to not feel the full power of the strike, lowering the output to two right after before moving in and sending a straight punch to the gut of his friend, who slapped the punch away before slapping him in the face and kneeing him in the gut. Izuku took a step back as he finally locked his fingers around his friend's wrist and went back to five again. "Got yo—"
Takuma's forehead struck him in the face as Izuku took a step back, not from the pain but from the shock as his friend built distance again.
"Keep the talking for when you know what you're doing," Eraserhead deadpanned.
"Ri—Right," Izuku let out in a breath as he felt his frustration grow.
He had thrown away a perfect occasion to win by running his mouth.
"For what it's worth, everyone makes that mistake once in their life," Takuma added in support of the pro as he looked over his hand and winced while rubbing his forehead. "Ready?"
Izuku nodded and walked slowly toward his opponent. Rushing in hadn't worked well so far, so it was time for a change of tactics. Distance was key in a fight, and Izuku was shorter than Takuma, so he was at a disadvantage. Even more so when Takuma threw one of those freakishly strong kicks his way. He started walking to the side, stalking his friend, who watched him patiently with a shadow of a grin on his features. There was little he could see, little he could use to push him down. Takuma was a technical fighter; he lacked in strength and stamina, which was where Izuku had the advantage. With his Quirk, he could force him to submit, while on the other hand, Takuma could see everything he could throw at him coming from a kilometer away.
'Quantity over quality then.'
He pushed forward again, this time with a plan in mind. As soon as he was in range of Takuma's guard, he started throwing a flurry of strikes: backslaps, punches, slaps, chops—everything he could think of. The strikes were ineffective; it was closer to what a child would do than an actual fighter. The only difference was his Quirk. One, two, three percent allowed him to be fast; four and five percent made him strong. Takuma was overwhelmed by the strikes, and he lacked a way to effectively identify which one was made with which level of power. Izuku was winning with a thousand cuts, forcing his opponent to backpedal as he kept up the pressure in hopes of tiring him out. Not a single blow went through his defense as Takuma deviated, parried, and bled the strength out of each and every one of them. But his breath grew quicker, and his limbs began to tire, while Izuku never felt stronger and more in tune with his Quirk. Modulating the strength of his power from one to five was a hard task, but he had learned a lot from it. Which percentage was better for which strike, how to better use the sudden burst of speed a single percent gave him, how to better handle the lumbering feeling as his energy set into his limbs. Strike after strike, he was feeling himself grow stronger and faster. And for a single second, he stopped focusing on the fighting to take in the moment.
Pain exploded in his side as a kick went past his defense and rocked him in the chest. He was thrown back; not even five percent would have saved him from the rush of pain and the need to throw up that he could barely clamp down on in time. He lay on the ground, on his side, as he tried his best not to empty his stomach and breathe. He didn't know if his rib was broken, but it certainly felt like it.
"And match!" Present Mic declared from out of his vision. "Takuma wins with a perfect body shot. How are you doing, buddy? Please tell me he hasn't broken anything."
Izuku could breathe painfully as he rubbed a hand over the place where the sole of Takuma's boot had made contact. "I-I don't think so," he managed to let out as he succeeded in getting up to his knees.
Mei was on him with a worried look as Takuma joined them with Mic and Eraserhead.
"Nothing broken, just a bruise," Takuma confirmed with the use of his Quirk. "Good job."
The praise would have been nice if he weren't dealing with enough pain that made him wonder if he hadn't just been shot.
"It's decided. You two are not allowed to fight anymore. Don't like it," Mei stated with a worried frown as she looked at Takuma and then at him.
"Don't worry, Mei. This one was a one-off to teach Midoriya how to best use his Quirk," his tall, dark-haired friend stated before looking at him. "So, what did you learn?"
Izuku felt safe, conscious of being alone on the ground, so he stood up as best he could, hoping not to push his newfound bruise too much. Getting to his feet was painful, but not as much as he feared.
'Not broken,' he confirmed again.
"I only started using my Quirk at my actual limit this morning. When running after Gran Torino and during the fight against the villain, I kept it at the same power level," he started to say as he tried not to let the stares of everyone around distract him. "But given that I haven't practiced anything other than a single percent, it actually wasn't helping me much. I was faster, stronger, tougher, but at the cost of being... unused to moving at such speed. It actually slowed me more than being at a lower output of power, now that I think about it."
"It's a mistake a lot of kids make when they first get their Quirk," Eraserhead remarked as he looked over both of them. "You only awakened your Quirk recently, meaning you haven't yet gone through the trial and error process outside of your Quirk training and sessions with Nedzu," he added, then looked at Takuma. "Good catch."
"When we were fighting the Villainess, Midoriya had every card in hand to do more than just throw a single punch and some rocks," Takuma commented as Izuku winced, still feeling the burn of disappointment from this morning's fight. "I realized he was stuck on high settings, and given how little he had time to practice, a reminder that every single percent has its use seemed like a good idea."
"The little listener needs all the help he can get to catch up," Mic said with a bright grin. "With friends like that, you can bet your favorite radio station you're going to be at the top of your class."
"Damn right!" Mei half-shouted as she walked between her boyfriend and him and wrapped her arm around their shoulders before bringing them to her level. "Those two are sponsored by Hatsume Industries, write that down."
Izuku tried his best not to get his head slammed into his best friend's chest. It was a common occurrence he had to get used to and know how to dodge. He liked Mei, but sometimes she could be more touchy than he could handle. As he inched away enough, he didn't feel like a creep for touching her inappropriately.
"First, we have to pass the entrance exam," Takuma deadpanned, in much the same position as him. The difference was that he was perfectly comfortable where he was.
'Girlfriend privilege, I imagine,' he thought, wondering if he could ever have something like that. 'Not that anyone would ever love me that way.'
"It's going to be a piece of cake, for all of us. We've been studying for months," Mei said as she lightly bit her boyfriend's hair.
"Yeah, but you two are geniuses. Even if I brought my score higher since we started, I don't think it's going to be enough to get in without a stellar performance during the practical," Takuma said as he grabbed Mei's hand and bit into her thumb with the same strength, making her giggle.
The little interaction was another thing Izuku had gotten used to seeing from his friend. He envied their closeness and trust. But what he envied most was this little display of affection. This was something he wanted, and he never knew how much until he met them and realized what he was missing.
"I doubt it. Not a lot of first years come here with a strong backing in martial arts," Present Mic said, hoping to reassure his friend. "Unless you have an unknown weakness we don't know about, you should be good."
Takuma nodded. "As long as we aren't fighting robots, I should be good."
"Why robots specifically?" Eraserhead asked for clarification, as Izuku was reminded that the pros weren't supposed to know about Takuma's sight issues.
So he realized the pro was playing a part.
"My Quirk doesn't turn off, and with time, it kind of changed the way I see the people around me," he revealed to Izuku's surprise, as he hadn't expected his usually private friend to explain his issue in any length. "Recently we learned my eyes have been degenerating. I can still mostly interact with the world around me, but I am unable to remember someone's physical features since I see with my Quirk rather than my eyes. So if I end up fighting against robots, I would be blind and unable to fight them the way I do against a normal person, because it also impacts the way I fight, by reading my opponent's emotion and body language."
"That would definitely be a problem," Mic said with some stillness in his voice. "But I'm sure everything will go well. You will do great, all three of you."
"Is it one of the byproducts of your Empathy, the ability to read your opponent?" Aizawa asked, intrigued.
"Yes, mental patterns and every little other thing I can scrounge from someone's emotion. Intent is the word I would use for it. Intent to harm would be a common denominator, but the more you break it down, the more it takes shape in the form of sensation, shifts of weight, tensing of certain muscles, and so on. Until, with enough focus, you can feel how your opponent moves before he even knows what he's about to do."
"That would explain how you dodge so well, and parry too," the blonde hero said.
"I parried during our fight because it wouldn't help Izuku much to punch air, but in any other circumstance, I wouldn't have bothered. Dodging is safer and doesn't leave me feeling like a punching bag," Takuma corrected.
"Yeah, I guess if you're good enough to feel Snipe's lung cancer, you're good enough to do that," Mic said before he opened his mouth and then closed it as if he just had a realization. "Wait, you said earlier that you cannot remember someone's physicality. What does that mean exactly?"
Takuma sighed, the first sign he didn't exactly enjoy the prying. "I don't see people the way you do. I interact with objects with my eyes, but when it's someone that can feel emotion, like a person, a pet, or anything else, I see them with my Quirk. Every single person has a unique pattern that is unique to them. I am unable to remember how someone looks, the color of their hair, eyes, or anything in-between."
"So that means..." the blonde pro started to say before trailing off.
"That I cannot remember what this little bundle of joy looks like the second I have her out of the range of my Quirk," Takuma confirmed the pro's thought. "But I am also blessed with rediscovering how absolutely adorable she is the second she comes back," he shamelessly added, right as Mei blushed.
"You don't have to say it like that," she pouted before she kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "Meanie."
"Guilty as charged," Takuma drawled.
"Nem is going to hate herself for missing this," Mic chuckled as Eraserhead rolled his eyes.
"This is an unheard use of an Empathy Quirk. Perfecting it would make you a threat to most criminals and villains lacking a strong Quirk. There are not many gutter punks that bother training anything but what is easiest or the fastest."
"I already perfected it," Takuma shot back with some annoyance. "The only reason I can't show how well I can fight is because Midoriya is a stumbling drunk, and most everyone else I cross paths with is either a mutant or an emitter. The way I fight only gets better depending on how much training my opponent has. It's easier to read a trained practitioner than an amateur, but I make do."
He felt like the 'stumbling drunk' comment was a bit much but didn't say anything. Takuma was right, even if Izuku didn't like that he was.
"It would make sense that the practice and muscle memory built over time would help you read someone's movement then," Izuku couldn't help but ponder.
"It's funny how you two are alike," Mic commented as he looked over Takuma, then Eraserhead. "Both tall, dark, and grumpy. Sho uses his scarf as a capture tool. Since you don't have a way to attack with your Quirk, how about you learn how to use it from him?"
"Don't offer my time without consulting me first, Mic," Aizawa deadpanned. "But if you keep going against villains that are above your pay grade in the strength and toughness aspect, you will need to find a way to equalize the forces."
"He already has, my shock-mall baby is ready for duty," Mei declared as she finally freed both of them and walked closer to the heroes. "I made the best weapon for him. When he finally gets to use it, he won't ever be outgunned, you can be sure of that!"
"I do already have a weapon, as Mei just stated," Takuma said as he went to hug his girlfriend from behind. "Your capture scarf isn't something I've ever seen... anywhere, and I have no clue how I would even start to wield that thing."
"It took me years to master; this isn't something you can take up in a day," Eraserhead confirmed as Takuma thought on the subject.
"But it is," Takuma let out as everyone turned to look at him. "I-I mean, if Takuma can follow someone's intent well enough to predict their movement, then can't he do the same with... you know... training?"
Takuma stared at him blandly before a shadow of a grin passed on his face. "Well, he is right. It's very easy for me to learn from a demonstration. Given how weird the scarf is, it would take me more time, but if you were to show me how it works and use it while I'm around so I can get an idea how to fight with it, then I could probably master it in a week."
"You hear that, Sho? He can learn it in a week," Mic said to his friend with a shit-eating grin.
"I've heard," Aizawa deadpanned, as Izuku didn't know him well enough to know if he would take the news the wrong way. "If you can learn it in a week, then why not learn a more conventional weapon?"
"I can already wield most weapons you can find in the street well enough. There wasn't much reason for me to learn anything else. If you can wield a knife like I do, most weapons become irrelevant or more cumbersome than they are worth," Takuma revealed as Izuku frowned.
"I never saw you fight with a knife before," he stated more as a question.
"That's because I don't like using blades in general. Even if you're an expert, there are so many ways it can turn a fight into a corpsefest without even meaning to, so I don't use them. Most of the time, I just end up stealing my opponent's weapon anyway," his friend explained with his always-present shrug. "Besides, I've seen Midnight's whip at work, and I have to say it was quite something."
"Nem is a pro with it. I'm sure she would let you take a look if you ask," Mic said toward Mei, who nodded with a glint of excitement in her eyes. "She can even break concrete with it, but the backlash if she messes up is pretty harsh."
"We'll just have to see about what I can learn after I make it in, if I end up making it in," Takuma said, cutting the conversation short. "Now that Midoriya got his lesson about not being a moron with his Quirk, I would very much like to go home now. Today was rough."
"I imagine. We'll have to escort you home for your safety, little listeners. I hope you don't mind," Mic informed them, throwing finger guns at the couple.
"Anything to get all those chucklefucks out of my head," Takuma shrugged.
"Language," Mei let out.
"Fuck shit balls co-" Takuma's next words were cut off by a quick kiss on the lips from his girlfriend.
"Behave."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Before we go, feel free not to answer, but you made a weird expression earlier when you saw me. What was that about?" Present Mic asked as Eraserhead leaned in.
"Oh, that. Some people feel in a way that doesn't hurt me as much as everyone else. Mei is one such person," he revealed as he kissed her on the cheek from behind. "And you are too. I didn't realize before when we met since I was at the top of my game, but given the day I had, I'm struggling more than usual. I feel the second-hand sensation and pain from everyone around me a bit more, and it hurts about as much. I noticed you specifically didn't hurt me as much, so that made you one of the rare people it's not painful to be around."
"Oh, well, then I'm happy to hear that," Mic let out with a bright grin, which made Takuma chuckle. "Are you two ready to go?"
"Yep, let's go home, see you soon, Izu!" Mei said as she went for a hug, which he was more than happy to return.
"See y'a." Takuma simply said before he stilled in front of him. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for hitting you that hard. I should have known better."
The thought was... pleasant. Takuma was a wall of uncertainty most of the time, so the fact that he wasn't just happy to crack him in the side was better than what his anxiety would have come up with at some point.
"It's okay, I was wailing on you pretty hard," he replied with a timid smile.
"Yeah, but I should have known better. Guess I still have some things to work out on my end. Try not to end up in any more fights today, and put some cream on that bruise." Takuma let out rapid-fire as Mei led him away, with Present Mic leading the way.
"Yes, mom," Izuku blankly replied, trying not to laugh.
"Don't take that tone with me, young man." Takuma deadpanned. With one last wave, he was gone.
This left Izuku alone with Eraserhead, one of the few heroes, beside Ectoplasm, he hadn't had much conversation with, given the way Mic and Midnight always somehow took the spotlight.
"If he makes it in, he's going to be a headache to teach," Eraserhead said as he rubbed his face before turning toward him. "And that's not taking into account the many worrying facts about him: his knowledge of weapons commonly found on the street, how much he has perfected the use of his Quirk, and his ability to garner information from the smallest details."
Izuku felt a surge of protectiveness. "He isn't that bad. He cares a lot, and he means well, even if sometimes he has a hard time showing it."
Aizawa's blank stare was unnerving, but Izuku didn't step back, matching the pro's stare with everything he had. "That isn't what I'm trying to say. Takuma uses his Quirk in ways that aren't possible for anyone with a normal life. This level of proficiency is unheard of, even in the Heroic community. Veterans with decades of experience can't even match that level of use in their careers." The hero explained. "If we assume he hasn't been lying about his Quirk, using an Empathy Quirk to fight is a first. Even more important is the fact that every tool in his arsenal is geared toward fighting. Even the way he fights is telling."
This time, Izuku was confused. "How so?"
"You don't fight someone with an enhancement Quirk like yours without needing to adapt your style to make sure you don't end up in a grappling match you cannot win. He was ready for the difference in strength, and his entire style is based around dodging and using his opponent's strength against himself. Which tells me that Takuma is used to fighting opponents who are stronger and tougher than he is, so much so that he incorporated it into his fighting style from the start."
Izuku nodded. "I-I see."
He knew the pro was right. From the little he'd seen, Takuma was used to fighting like he was used to breaking down Quirks. It was second nature, and Izuku was scared to learn what had made his friend that way. Most of his fear came from the way he was afraid not to be able to help him when the truth came to light. Another thing he was bound to fail at.
"Si-Sir, do you have... pointers for me? I-I-I never learned how to fight before, and... I need more than a Quirk to succeed," he let out, looking at the ground, not willing to meet the pro's eyes.
"The simple fact that you can say that out loud puts you way ahead of your future peers," Eraserhead stated as he walked onto the tatami and limbered up. "You have a strong stance. It's a good thing, since falling down is the best way to get stabbed in the neck. But there are other things you can improve. Let me show you."
Izuku blinked, then followed the teacher to the center of the room. He had a lot to learn.
And here it is, the first chapter from Midoriya's POV. I always thought Takuma was the protagonist of his own story, but I can't develop his story without developing it also from Izuku's perspective. Both of them have something the other wants, and they can and will learn from each other. Mei is the third protagonist of the story, since I have no intention of relegating her to just #LoveInterest32. Takuma is such a perfect character to push other pre-established characters in the series that I can't wait to reach U.A. This is going to be a shitshow of epic proportions. Can't wait.