Here it is, the 129th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released on time as always. This is a slightly different chapter to most as there's no real fixed point in the time skip arc that it fits into because it occurs at two different times with a few weeks between the first and second half and is primarily done to show a specific bit of training that the manga and anime showed with the added addition of Marinette and how she can help as well as her own training and experiences are ones that Izuku can learn from in some way so her joining in in this training made a lot of sense. As such it's point in the time skip arc is up to interpretation but necessary for what is to come as it gives some good insight and is near the end of this arc because it's going to be relevant in what is to come. Anyway, that is all the administrative stuff that I have for you, however, and there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer so I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. That is all I have for this pre chapter note so that means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 129th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 129: Training Deku I
"You want us to help with your training?" Sero asked confused at what had just been asked of him, Uraraka, Asui and Dupain-Cheng as they all stood in Gym Gamma in their winter PE kits having been summoned here by Midoriya and All Might assistance in some of the training Midoriya was doing. "I'm down but what do you need help with?"
"That's awesome Deku, you know I'll help where I can." Ochaco said with a smile though the whole poofy and blackened hair Deku had really confused her.
"Sure, I'm always ready to help a friend so what do you need from us?" Tsu added.
Marinette just stayed quiet as she knew why she was here thanks to a special chat with Mage and All Might the other day that confirmed what training she would be of assistance with but she just played dumb to avoid letting on that she knew more than she should know. This was important training for Midoriya and she was going to do her best to make sure that he really improved because she was sure that when things came to a head he'd be in the thick of it so he needed to be prepared for whatever might come for him.
She'd also known that this day was coming for a while, Mage had hinted at it back during the Christmas break, but between other training sessions, school, work studies, and Midoriya himself needing to improve to a certain level of control before he could get their help it had been put off. Now, though, the time had come and she was more than ready to lend her aid though her specific role in Midoriya's training wouldn't start just yet.
"First off, I know that all of you are busy this semester so thank you for assisting in this limited down time that you have." All Might said and he meant it as night was falling so for the most part the day was over and the kids should be resting after another busy day at U.A. but they were here helping young Midoriya perfect Blackwhip though only Dupain-Cheng and Bakugo, who was present having already been training with Midoriya, knew the full reason. "You aid will be greatly appreciated."
"I'm here to help so just let me know specifics." Marinette said. "What's the precise problem that you're dealing with Midoriya?"
"Well what I could really use is advice and assistance in how to control the new power that manifested back in the joint training exercise." Izuku said. "I'm finally at a point where I can reliably control it but I need to improve it so I could use your help with it."
"That thing you call Blackwhip?" Sero asked. "If you can control it then doesn't that mean that you've gotten the hang of it by now? I heard you'd used it a few times in your work study to save people. Also, as no one seems to want to ask, what's with the hair?"
"Oh that." Izuku said patting his strange hairstyle. "Well as a form of training Kacchan has been kindly helping me out by letting me chase after him with Blackwhip as a way to help master it but it's not gone well for me as I have to catch him with it before he hits me with an explosion and as of yet I've failed hence the hair. There's only so much more that I can learn from others with similar Quirks or fighting styles to improve my own control, so I thought that between your tape, Sero, As…I mean Tsu's tongue, and how Dupain-Cheng uses her yo-yo you'd might have some pointers for me to get better with Blackwhip."
"What's your goal with Blackwhip?" Marinette asked simply. "What do you seek to use it for as a pro? I can help with mobility and how to use it in a real world setting to travel around fast as that's the main use of my yo-yo but anything else I may not be the best of help."
"That will be useful for sure as there are times when Blackwhip will be needed for that purpose or to at least grab something as I fall so being able to move with it will be essential." Izuku said. "Though I'll admit that my ultimate goal with it is to use it to capture super-fast enemies or targets as capture is the core use of Blackwhip."
"I see, in a sense mobility will be important and it will give you a better understanding of how it works." Marinette said understanding what she had to do. "That's where I can help but you're going to need more control before I step in for that and Gym Gamma is not the best place for me to teach you how to move with it."
"I understand and appreciate it." Izuku said not really sure what Dupain-Cheng was going on about but knowing she'd be of assistance soon. "For now then just give me any advice that you can."
"Certainly." Marinette said with a nod.
"This is all good but what I don't get is why Bakugo had to explode you, Deku." Ochaco said look to Bakugo who was now drinking some energy drink as he walked past them intent on sitting on a bench along the gym's wall to watch the new training and discuss something with All Might if he could. "Couldn't you have been nice for once, Bakugo."
"Hey, don't blame me round cheeks, Deku's the one who wanted it to be like a real battle." Bakugo said annoyed that the brunette, who was here to help with preparing Deku for Float as that was the next Quirk that they were trying to manifest for Deku, was making assumptions and all because of her not so subtly crush on Deku. "I was just…"
"That doesn't mean that you can be so extreme about it." Tsu said turning to Bakugo to get into it with him as Sero tried to intervene and Bakugo just growled and defended himself.
"That actually makes a lot of sense if fast moving is your goal." Marinette said ignoring the comical scene behind her as she thought on the training idea. "Bakugo is probably second or third fastest in the class behind Ida and maybe myself when I use Lucky Charm to get a speed boosting item."
"Hey, I'm still faster than you Dupain-Cheng and we still need to fight so I can show you I'm the best." Bakugo roared as Tsu continued to hit him. "You owe me that, don't forget."
"Not now, you don't get to be a brute Bakugo." Tsu said.
"But the difference between Bakugo and Ida is that Bakugo has a significant mobility advantage due to being able to move freely in the air while Ida is limited to the ground thus making it more of a challenge for Midoriya." Marinette continued ignoring Bakugo as she would give him that battle she just didn't know when it would take place. "So if you're trying to catch a fast moving target he's the best and the explosions do help keep you on your toes because pain is a good teacher of what not to do."
"Precisely that was why I asked him to treat it like a real battle." Izuku said with a nod. "It really helps me focus on trying to catch Kacchan though I still lack the movement mobility he has so learning fine control with Blackwhip will help a lot."
"Ok I guess that makes sense and don't worry, you can count on me Deku." Ochaco said. "Though I'll admit that I'm still getting used to using my wires and they were actually inspired by your Blackwhip ability so I'm not sure how much help I'll be in this regard."
"Also isn't Mr. Aizawa the master when it comes to capturing a villain with something similar to Blackwhip given how he uses those cloths of his." Sero pointed out giving up on trying to stop Tsu from getting into it with Bakugo and turning back to the conversation at hand. "He'd be really helpful there and is already helping Shinso master it if I recall, especially now that Shinso is going to be transferred into the Hero Course next year."
"Mr. Aizawa is busy with Eri and has other responsibilities as well." Izuku said. "So I don't want to bother him too much with this."
"And young Uraraka, I think it would be better for you to teach young Midoriya how to control his body better so that he has more control over it when he makes sudden stops in the air." All Might said as he tried his best to explain why they needed Uraraka's aid without letting on the real reason. "That's why I asked you to join us as well."
"Ok but the problem is that Deku doesn't really do that." Ochaco said looking at the former number 1. "He's always jumping around from place to place so he doesn't stop unless he's pushing off something or attacking a villain."
"Yeah, he's a hopper like me." Tsu added getting back to the conversation having given Bakugo a piece of her mind and left it at that.
"True, Midoriya doesn't really make sharp midair changes." Marinette said. "He just uses the environment to his advantage."
"All that is true but the stronger young Midoriya gets the longer he'll be able to stay in the air, at least in theory." All Might said surprising them as Izuku pulled out one of his many notebooks from wherever he hid those things. "So to maximize and capitalize on the time he spends in the air he needs to be able to move around more freely and sharply than he currently is. It will be of great benefit to him if he can accomplish that when his feet are off the ground. As for Aizawa, young Midoriya is correct, he's busy and right now he's actually got something going on that is of the utmost importance so he can't help us out at the moment."
"I have studied the moves Mr. Aizawa uses as well as the ones all of you use in battle or to move across a terrain though some time in Ground Beta will help as well." Izuku said looking at his book as they all approached him while Bakugo went over to a bench to sit and watch this training and to talk to All Might about something he'd noticed in All Might's notes on the former holders. "I've got most, if not all, of them memorized but learning from watching, writing, and analyzing them but there's only so much that can gain me in terms of training and improvement."
"That is true." Marinette said. "All the studying in the world is nothing compared to actual experience."
"Precisely which is why I need your help." Izuku said. "So what I really need to know and what will be a big help to me is if you can tell me exactly how your moves make your body feel when you use them as well as the ins and outs of how you pull off what I've seen."
"Young Uraraka, why don't you start out by making young Midoriya float." All Might suggested. "That should be a good start and will give him more space to work with while training in here."
"Oh ok then here's what I do." Ochaco said as she placed all 5 fingers on Izuku's chest, her control of her feelings strong enough that the physical contact with the boy she was in love with was not an issue to her, and activated her Quirk to make him float up into the air before doing the same to herself so that she could demonstrate how she moved while weightless. "The way I got the hang of this was to imagine that I was swimming but only in the air and not water. As such, use your arms and legs to balance yourself and then just replicate swimming. Does that help?"
"Like swimming, yeah I can see how that would work." Izuku said as he stabilized himself so that he was floating but not flailing in the air. "It's a little different as I'm not treading water and can breath but the core idea helps give me something to work off. Now lets add some Air Force for propulsion and…"
At that Izuku used 20% of One for All through his fingers to give a little flick and be moved forward and then brought his arms around to change direction as quickly as possible and kept it up for a few moments as Ochaco commented on how good it looked. The next stage was Blackwhip and All Might suggested just that as Marinette watched and noted how Midoriya moved in the air using his Air Force move while under Ochaco's Quirk. He'd not always have Zero Gravity active on his body but she was aware that Float acted in a similar fashion so this was to prepare for that being added to the mix.
The reason for this part of the training was to make sure that he was ready in advance for when he got access to Float so that he'd not have the same issue when it manifested as he did with Blackwhip and thankfully Float wouldn't be something that could be seen the way Blackwhip could. They were going to have to be careful about that, something Bakugo pointed out as the others began to help train Izuku more with Blackwhip and giving their advice on how to use it to capture villains, described the moves he asked about and how their moves felt on their bodies.
As this was going on Bakugo and All Might had a serious talk about the 4th user as All Might had scratched out something about the 4th user to hide it from Izuku and Bakugo didn't think that was a good idea. All Might understood but said it wasn't the time to deal with it and shifted the chat to address Bakugo's personal growth lately, mainly revolving around his own acceptance of how he treated Izuku in the past due to not understanding Izuku's mentality.
There was still a lot more on that front for Bakugo to deal with and get through before he could say what he had to say to Izuku but it would come as he had foresight now unlike Endeavor who had hindsight in his attempts to change for his family and in other areas the current number 1 had to grow in. However, All Might knew in time Bakugo would get to that point and he was already showing it will all the training he was helping Midoriya with.
Naturally, no one else noticed this as they helped Izuku with his training and gave him tips and suggestions for how to better use Blackwhip based on their own experiences with their own Quirks. Marinette didn't really give advice as she was mainly watching Midoriya's progress and assessing it, something she'd continue to do in these sessions until Izuku was ready for her specific training plan for him. When he was ready it would be her turn to take charge and oh boy did she have some fun training planned for the current holder of One for All.
"Right, time for you to put all that training to good use with that Blackwhip thing that you do." Marinette said as they stood on the top of one of the highest silos in the heart of Ground Gamma in their hero costumes as this was now practical field training so Marinette had made it clear that it had to be done in their hero costumes not their PE kits. "And where better than this place to get the hang of it."
It was a few weeks after the initial training to master Blackwhip, along with the preemptive Float training though only All Might and Bakugo were aware of that part as far as Izuku knew. Now it was time to put it all together and learn to use it in a practical, real world, situation.
Over that time Izuku had been working hard to get Blackwhip up to a good standard of control as well as improving his control of One for All which he could now use at around 30% power normally and up to 45% for a limited period of time. He did this anyway he could be it advice from All Might and Endeavor, the training he'd had with Asui and Sero while Uraraka helped him work on moving in the air for when Float manifested, or now this new training in the field with Dupain-Cheng taking charge of the training.
This had been why Dupain-Cheng was at the initial training session and any subsequent ones she could make, she'd been pretty busy with her work study as of late, as she'd be taking over the Izuku's training when it came to actually moving through a proper environment with Blackwhip. Sero too was going to be helping and was present to lend his aid and show the differences between his movement style and Dupain-Cheng's but even he acknowledged that with her yo-yo Dupain-Cheng could move better through an environment than he could.
As such she'd been present to lend advice and monitor Izuku's progress in mastering Blackwhip so that when she deemed him ready he could start working on the real world application of using Blackwhip for more than just capture purposes. Izuku wanted to use Blackwhip to capture villains and protect people but it could also be used to boost mobility and now it was time for training that aspect of the Quirk.
It had taken a few weeks in part because Izuku needed to get up to the level that he needed to be at to reliably control and use Blackwhip at a baseline usage that the 5th user felt was necessary when he explained Blackwhip to Izuku while he was under Shinso's brainwashing in the joint training exercise. Well that and they were all busy with their work studies, training, classes, and Izuku had to prepare for when Float manifested as well.
He'd now reached that level and been approved by Dupain-Cheng for this training but she'd insisted on coming to Ground Gamma and not Ground Beta for it. Along with her and Sero, Bakugo was present because he was in the know about things so could help, and Agreste had tagged along just because though Izuku was sure that the French boy had some advice he wanted to impart as well as he knew Dupain-Cheng's movement style best. All that was good but there was still one question on Izuku's mind.
"I get that I need to be able to move with Blackwhip as it does increase my mobility and how far I can travel at times, providing that I can use it to reach what I've sent it at." Izuku said. "But I am curious as to why we're doing this in Ground Gamma and not Ground Beta. I'm more likely to use this in an urban setting, Ground Gamma is good for training but we don't usually end up in places like this."
"All true but the reason for this is twofold." Marinette said as she explained her reasoning for choosing this location for Midoriya's training. "The first being that you already have experience using it in urban settings to some extent from your work study so you know how to use this aspect of your Quirk to assist there though you still don't really know how to use it to move around."
"True I've been able to use it while working for the Endeavor Agency though it's mainly been in terms of rescue and saving civilians so I still lack mobility in an urban setting." Izuku said. "I could use help there."
"You aren't wrong there." Marinette acknowledged. "And that plays into my other reason for going with Ground Gamma."
"And that is?" Izuku asked.
"If you can master, or at least reach a passable level, of movement with Blackwhip in a setting like this then an urban setting should be a piece of cake, though I will run you through Ground Beta as well just to make sure you can adapt to it." Marinette said as she held out her hand and the pink sparkles that Izuku knew indicated her Quirk being activated appeared and created a pair of binoculars in a ladybug print that she handed to Izuku. "Here, use these to watch me as Sero and I give you a demonstration on what you'll be doing."
"Come again?" Sero asked. "Demonstration?"
"Yup, we're the best at moving in this environment using something similar to Blackwhip so Midoriya will watch us from here with Adrien who can give you commentary and tips as he knows how I move in this environment while Bakugo does his own thing." Marinette said as Bakugo roared at her not to tell him what to do and that he was going to do just that anyway. "So to show Midoriya how it's done we'll leap off and swing around for a while as he watches us with the binoculars so that he can see and assess us as we move to add to any analysis he's no doubt already done of us in Ground Gamma from other training exercises before he gives it a go himself."
"Alright, that does make sense." Sero said looking to Midoriya. "Pay close attention and remember what we taught you in the gym. This is where it all comes together though do remember that this is not an open gym but a full environment."
"Right." Izuku said with a nod. "I understand, this will help me a lot as I can really visualize your moves from up here."
"Adrien, help explain where you can." Marinette said as she stepped up to the edge. "Sero, let's go."
With that Marinette leapt off the silo without any hesitation and fell to the ground, Sero following suit a moment later with a little more hesitation. Marinette didn't really care about that; her role right now was to show off her years of experience when it came to moving though an environment with a string based item so that Midoriya could understand how it worked and begin to form his own style with Blackwhip.
Marinette knew that Midoriya had the theory of how it worked along with their explanations regarding how it felt and how they moved their bodies while traversing a terrain in such a manner so now it was time for him to see one final go around before he put it all together. On that note Marinette spun her yo-yo and tossed it to wrap around a pipe that she used to pull herself towards it before swinging below it beginning her display.
"Woah she's really moving already." Izuku said as he followed Dupain-Cheng with the binoculars and watched her swing upwards and then yank the yo-yo back to herself as she twisted in the air and landed on a pipe that she ran along to the end. "I saw how she used this in the joint training exercise but still it's interesting to see it from this kind of vantage point, you really see how she moves around when observing her from above."
"That is why we started here." Adrien said as Bakugo just tisked and blasted off the silo with his explosions to watch from directly above Dupain-Cheng rather than from this far out as he'd learn more that way because he did analyze things like how someone fought or moved he just wasn't as annoying as Deku was about them. "Though there are somethings you can't do that she can so focus more on the way she uses her yo-yo to latch onto things, assist her mobility, and swings with it. Same with Sero and his tape for that matter though he can't reel in his tape the way that Marinette can with her yo-yo, I think."
"Yes her mobility in the air is something I can't match though running on pipes and what not is something I think I can replicate to some extent as that's just balance training really." Izuku said as he watched Dupain-Cheng leap off a building and wrap her yo-yo around a vertical pipe to swing around as she began to move to another part of the training area with Sero following her as best he could but it was clear he was more on the standard swinging compared to how Dupain-Cheng added in her mobility but Izuku learned as much as he could from Sero as well as his own physique was more in line with Sero's. "I learned the hard way in that rescue training with All Might that I need to have better balance."
"That is true and Marinette has strong balance, well she does when she's in her costume at least, though mine is better thanks to the feline based Quirks that run along my mother's line enhancing something like that through the generations for those who don't inherit a feline Quirk." Adrien said as Marinette ran along a wall using the yo-yo string for support in the move before leaping off and reeling herself in to get close to her target and then yanking the yo-yo back and landing on top of the warehouse thing and running over the roof. "Focus on what you can do, not what you can't, and go from there."
"Of course." Izuku said as he watched Dupain-Cheng make a surprising cut halfway along the roof to leap off the side and then looped around making Izuku realize that Dupain-Cheng had gone straight out and was now looping back around the silo as a mid-point to get back to it over time as if she was a ball on a string slowly coming back to the pole it was attached to. "Huh, it looks like she's slowly traveling around the silo and getting progressively closer to it in the process, is there a reason for that?"
"No clue, she didn't share her plan for today with me at all, she just told me to be here for it, and honestly I think she's just winging this part." Adrien admitted as he watched. "A set course can make you complacent as you get used to it after all so she's probably got this idea to show off as much as possible as possibly by recreating a more natural experience that you'd have in the field while making her way back in the process. Just pay close attention to what she does and watch her swinging and how she uses the yo-yo to aid her progress through such an environment without once touching the ground. It's different to Blackwhip of course but it will give you inspiration."
"Oh it has already and the more I watch the more I understand." Izuku said still tracking Dupain-Cheng with the binoculars. Both her and Sero really know how to move this way, I'm learning so much from just watching them."
Adrien smiled at that and didn't say anything more as they continued to watch Marinette slowly and steadily make her way back to the starting point, moving around the top of the silo to always keep her in view as she did so that Izuku could see all that she was doing and boy did he. He'd seen Dupain-Cheng move through Ground Gamma before, mainly during the 4th match but this was different because he got longer to watch her than the 5 minutes that that particular match lasted and because she was focused on showing off how she used her yo-yo to its full potential for the first time since she'd started at U.A.
He'd known she could use it and seen her proficiency with it from time to time but seeing her fully use it really drove home to Izuku just how skilled Dupain-Cheng was with her item. She was already one of the best in the class at combat, if not the best depending on who you asked as she wasn't entirely reliant on her powerful Quirk, but seeing how good she was with her tool showed Izuku that he'd not seen the full picture of just how good she truly was. This was a classmate and future pro who truly could be a national number 1 and he was going to learn all he could as Dupain-Cheng steadily made it back to the silo.
Finally she reached it with a sharp cut on a wall to change direction and leap towards the silo as she pulled back her yo-yo from her latest swing with Sero a fair distance behind her at this point. Izuku watched as she swung her yo-yo as she sored upwards from her leap and then threw it all the way up to the edge of the silo's top, there was no railing but there was a protruding edge that had a gap, and wrapped the end of the yo-yo around it as she reached the apex of her leap.
It was an impressive throw to say the least and made Izuku wonder just how much string was in the yo-yo but he ignored that as it began to recede into it and pull Dupain-Cheng up before she could start to fall back to the ground. As it did Adrien moved back and Izuku did the same watching the yo-yo before Dupain-Cheng pulled it back to her and off the edge just before she reached it.
Clearly she was close enough and that was shown a moment later when she used the momentum generated by being reeling in to fly over the edge and get above the silo while angling herself to ensure that she was above the top of it. She then flipped in the air before falling landing on the top in a crouch.
"Right now that you've seen what I can do it's time to start your training in earnest." Marinette said as she rose walked up to Izuku on the silo and dismissing her charm she'd given him in the process. "And what better way to learn that by just diving right into it and having to get it right from the start."
"Come again?" Izuku asked as Marinette gave him a grin that he really didn't like and walked past him to look out over Ground Gamma as it stretched out below them and force Izuku to do the same so that he was now just standing next to her. "What do you mean get it right from the start?"
"Your task is to use Blackwhip and what we taught you to try and catch me with it while chasing me through Ground Gamma." Marinette said as Sero finally made it back to the top of the silo having taken a shortcut once he realized that Marinette was going to get there long before he would. "Treat me like a villain and I'm going to be going all out in this jungle of pipes and warehouses so you'd better be ready to really go plus ultra to catch me. Also, to ensure that you get as much practice you can't touch the ground once, only pipes, walls, and rooftops, or else we come back here and start this all over again."
"Alright I get that, sounds like a lot of good training for me." Izuku said as he thought hard on the scenario and saw the logic behind it even if it was going to be hard to try and catch someone as skilled at this kind of movement as Dupain-Cheng was. "So when do we start?"
"Now." Marinette said with a grin before she slapped Izuku on the back hard enough to push him off the edge where he held for a moment, blinking in shock before he suddenly plunged to the earth and calling out after him. "No better way to learn than firsthand experience with your life on the line, am I right? Now catch me Midoriya, because if you can catch me in this kind of scenario then you can catch pretty much anyone."
With that Marinette laughed as she leapt off the edge to get in front of Izuku as he frantically called upon Blackwhip to send it at a pipe and swing with it and One for All and regain control of what was going on. Dupain-Cheng was right, this was the best way to train and he set his sights on her as she began to swing with the same easy grace she'd just shown, putting a lot of distance between them right at the start.
Izuku knew that he had to hurry to catch and got right to it as the game of cat and mouse began and Izuku's training for the battle to come kicked up a notch. It was just one of many ways he was training this semester as the inevitable class of All for One and One for All drew ever closer.
I think I'll leave this off here on a nice spot to with Izuku trying to catch Marinette and a tease of more training to come. As the ending and title implies that is certainly to come with next week being another training session for Izuku only this one is different for a few reasons but has been hinted at before but it is one he desperately needs and will show all the training he's gone through for what is to come for as much as he'd like to avoid it fate is not on his side. That is all that I have for y'all however so I will leave this chapter off here. As always, if you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
