There was a knock at the door.
Izuku ignored it, as he did the previous day too.
"Allright, that is enough." The door flew open, slamming into the wall with enough force to leave a dent from where the handle impacted the stone. Endeavour fumed from the doorway, throwing Izuku's borrowed costume on the floor in front of him. "Get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes."
"Todoroki-sensei-"
"Get. Dressed." Endeavour growled, leaving without waiting for a reply.
Izuku sighed in frustration, falling back in his bed. After a moment of self-indulgent sulking, Izuku got up and showered. Ten minutes later, showered and dressed, found him sulking in the reception area.
"Hey, look!" A man called, rushing over to Izuku along with a camera man. "Hiyari Yoshi, RNN news, are you Izkuku Midoriya?"
"Yes?" Izuku sighed. "Listen I'm not really up to-"
"Roll it." He straightened his outfit and rolled his neck. "Indeed, Miko, I am here with Izuku Midoriya, one of the UA students who aided the Pro heroes in the Hosu incident. He has agreed to a brief interview. Mr Midoriya, you've mentioned that the events of the Hosu incident have deeply affected you emotionally, and that you feel overwhelmed by the fallout after the event. Tell me, son, how relieved are you that you will not be facing legal repercussions for using your quirk without a hero license?"
"What?" Izuku blanched. "I- We just- There were people in danger I couldn't just-"
"It should be clear to our reviewers just how relieved Mr Midoriya is." Yoshi nodded solemnly. "Clearly he acted in a way that he thought was best for the greater good, ignoring the possible repercussions to his heroic actions and doing what he thought was right. Mr Midoriya, how do you feel about a certain party using the death of your classmate Tenya Iida to push for harsher quirk regulation?"
"Huh?" Izuku frowned. "That's- why would they do that?'
"You saw it here first, folks." Yoshi shook his head in disgust. "Izuku Midoriya is appalled, confused and insulted at having his right to defend himself being controlled in this way."
"What the hell is going on here?" Endeavour barked, flaming as he strode towards the bespectacled reporter.
"Endeavour!" Hiyari's eyes took on a feral glint. "Are the opinions on the proposed quirk regulation bill expressed by Mr Midoriya in line with yours? Do you-"
The camera exploded in a shower of plastic and metal.
"Get out." Endeavour growled dangerously as the reporter stumbled back to his feet.
"You can't do this!" Yoshi screeched, his face deep red. He shoved his lanyard forward, dangling his badge in Endeavour's face. "I am a member of the associated press! You are repressing my right to report the truth, and Mr Midoriya's freedom of speech! I'll have you cancelled, you hear me, Todoroki?!"
The lanyard caught fire, blazing as the plastic of the badge dripped onto the floor.
Endeavour advanced on the reporter until he was right in the man's face.
"Go ahead." Endeavour's eyes almost seemed to burn brighter than the fire on his body. "I look forward to never hearing about this exchange again, don't you, Hiyari?"
The reporter gulped, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Now, as I said before." Endeavour growled, lifting the reporter by his shirt and throwing him into his cameraman. "Get out."
The two scrambled backwards, dashing from the building as fast as their legs could carry them.
"Now then," Endeavour flared the fire on his body. "Let's get going."
"Where is Shoto?" Izuku wondered as he followed the flame hero into the city. "Isn't he coming?"
"Shoto," Endeavour bit out. "Has been training non-stop since he learned of your classmate's death."
"Oh." Izuku felt tears prick his eyes as he followed after the hero.
"I was glad to see you were unaffected by the Iida boy's death." Endeavour said, causing Izuku to freeze in place. "A hero cannot afford to dwell on something so trivial."
Izuku opened and closed his mouth several times trying to form an answer.
"Get moving, Midoriya!" Endeavour snapped. "At this pace we'll be lucky to catch an elderly paraplegic criminal in the act!"
"How dare you?!" Izuku shouted, his face going red.
"Excuse me?" Endeavour snapped, spinning around to face his intern.
"How dare you say I don't care that Iida is d-" His voice broke before he could say the word, angry tears streaking down his cheeks.
"So you do care that your classmate died?" Endeavour folded his arms, advancing on the boy.
"Of course!" Izuku shouted in frustration. "How couldn't I!?"
Endeavour regarded the boy for a moment before smirking.
"I don't believe you." He sneered.
"What?" Izuku paled, confusion and guilt twisting his insides.
"If you cared, you would have been training." Endeavour insisted, waving him off. "All you have been doing is relaxing in your room."
"Relaxing?!" Izuku's eyes widened.
"Yes." Endeavour snapped.
"I- I wasn't- That's not true!" Izuku struggled, trying to compose his thoughts.
"Then prove me wrong." Endeavour insisted, his tone hard as steel. "If you truly care about that boy's death, and if you realise you could have prevented it if you had been faster, if you had been a better hero, then prove it."
Isuku flushed, hanging his head in shame. Staring at his feet, he missed Endeavour's smirk.
"Midoriya," The hero demanded. "Look at me."
Izuku slowly raised his head, holding Endeavour's hard gaze.
"A hero cannot save everyone." The flame hero admitted, though his tone remained hard. "And nothing we do can bring back the people we fail to save. The only thing that is in our power to do is to become stronger. To push ourselves to the breaking point, and then beyond that. For every life you fail to save, save a thousand more in recompense."
"I- I don't know if I can." Izuku said, his voice shaking, barely above a whisper.
"How sad." Endeavour snapped. "Man up and do something about it. I don't care for your whining, and neither do the villains. You have power, Midoriya, but you must decide what to do with it. Will you let it waste? Will you stand by and allow more innocent lives to be snuffed out by villains like the hero killer? Or will you deny them their heinous intentions and take a stand? You have a choice. Will the Iida boy's be the last one you did not save, or will he be one of many to come?"
Izuku's eyes widened, his mouth went dry, but inside his stomach, a righteous anger burned. Instead of snapping and complaining Izuku set his mouth in a firm line.
"Lead the way." He said, eyes narrowed in focus. "I won't let anyone else die. Not while I can do something about it."
"Good." Endeavour grinned fiercely. "Now, we've wasted enough time with this nonsense."
"Hai sensei!" Izuku nodded, falling into step next to his mentor.
"Perimeter is-clear!" Fasttrack declared, skidding to a halt next to Endeavour, watching the police attempt to take down a porcupine-quirk villain causing a scene on the freeway. "Why are-we just-standing here."
"The spines on his back cause tranquillisation." Endeavour declared, his eyes never leaving the villain. "He is only borderline dangerous. Hardly a villain."
"So?" Fasttrack watched another police officer collapse, clutching his leg where a large quill protruded. "Shouldn't-we help?"
"Indeed." Endeavour gestured towards the villain, who now stood on top of a smoking car, shirtless and banging his chest. "Take him down. Hard."
"Got it." Fasttrack crouched, waiting for the chemical that increased his reaction time to flood his brain. The concrete under his feet scuffed as he sprinted forward, watching the world almost in slow motion.
He watched the villain turn to him, as if moving through molasses, and fling forward a spread of immobilising quills. Fasttrack casually jumped, twisting in the air to avoid the quills without losing momentum or direction. He landed on the side of a car, careful to avoid the windows, and stepped lightly to avoid deforming the metal with his paws.
He turned, spinning on one leg to avoid the next wave of projectiles, taking a moment to ensure they wouldn't hit anyone, then sprinted towards the villain. He leapt, pouncing on the villain's face, causing the man to tumble backwards off the car. The force of the speeding Alien sent the villain skipping over the asphalt like a stone. Fasttrack flipped, easily catching up to the villain, and slammed him to the asphalt with a stomp.
Three police officers rushed over while the Omnitrix started timing out. Two of them clamped handcuffs on the unconscious villain while the third strode up to Fasttrack. He looked the cat-like alien up and down, the patchy facial hair on his face pulled around an almost predatory grin.
"Haven't seen you around." The police officer said evenly, one hand on his gun. "You a hero?"
"I try-to be." Fasttrack admitted. "I still-have a lot-to-learn."
"Yeah…" The man said suspiciously. "You got a hero name?"
"Alien Force." Fasttrack smiled. "My-quirk gives me-the ability to-transform into different-aliens."
A flash of red light made the officer jump, pulling out his gun and shakily levelling it at Izuku.
"What the hell?!" He shouted, eyes narrowed.
"This is what I look like when not transformed." Izuku explained.
"Wait!" The man exclaimed. "I know you! You're one of the kids from the Hosu incident!"
"Yeah…" Izuku felt his gut twist. "That's me…"
"Saw you on the news." The officer smirked. "You know it's illegal to use your quirk to cause harm without a licence, right?"
"To a human being, yeah." Izuku frowned. "We were just fighting Noumu in Hosu."
"And what do you call that guy?" The policeman nodded his head towards the knocked out villain. "On site paramedic said something like maxillary fracture. I wasn't paying attention."
The officer stowed his gun, while wordlessly unclipping his handcuffs with his other hand.
"Tell me, kid…" He sneered. "You got your licence on you? Because I know harm when I see it…"
"Impressive isn't he?" Izuku felt Endeavour's hands rest on his shoulders.
"Endeavour!" The officer paled significantly. "He's with you?"
"Indeed." Endeavour grinned. "I chose a fine protege, don't you think?"
"Y-yeah." The man rapidly backpedalled.
"He sure did you a favour," Endeavour continued, voice low. "First evacuating the civilians in the area… and then helping you take down a villain that was, quite frankly, embarrassing, the force."
"I-I'm still gonna need to see his licence!" The officer swallowed, standing his ground with shaking knees.
"Midoriya," Endeavour continued coolly. "Did my eyes deceive me? I could have sworn I saw the villain attack you…"
"He shot quills at me." Izuku nodded, his tone puzzled. "I dodged though. Caught a few out of the air to make sure they didn't hit anyone."
"Ah!" Endeavour smirked. "How noble! Not only did my protege act in self defence, he also put his own life at risk to protect others from harm. And in front of all these witnesses too! I taught him well, wouldn't you say, officer?"
The man gulped, head swivelling between all the pedestrians taking pictures or cheering. He nodded, face reddening. He solemnly clipped his handcuffs back on his belt.
"Now then, we really must be off." Endeavour cooed. "But I do believe there is time for you to thank Mr Midoriya for aiding you with the villain's arrest."
The man snapped his head up so fast, Izuku could have sworn he heard a popping sound.
"Thank him?!" He sputtered.
"That is why you came to speak with him, is it not?" Endeavour boomed, drawing the eyes of the nearby crowd. "To thank him for aiding the city's noble police force against a threat they were clearly outmatched by? Or did you want his autograph?"
Cameras flashed from behind the police barrier.
"Right." The man bit out. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr Midoriya."
If the man got any redder, Izuku was sure his head would pop.
"I-It was my pleasure." Izuku grinned sheepishly. "I just did what I thought was right."
"Yeah." The man ground his teeth. "I'll be watching your career very carefully."
"Uh… Okay…" Izuku frowned. "That's… nice of you…"
"Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get going." Endeavour rumbled, leading Izuku away from the scene as the cop watched, boiling with anger.
The man plucked a discreet, grey cell phone from his pocket and stamped the keys hard as he dialled a number.
"Yeah, this is Miyashi." He snapped. "Patch me through to Tanaka. I don't give a fuck. I wanna make a deposit."
He glared at Izuku's departing back, grinning indulgently to himself.
Izuku collapsed into bed, freshly showered and aching. He and Endeavour had patrolled the city for six hours straight, then returned to the agency for lunch, and returned to patrol again for another seven hours. By the end of the day, he couldn't hold a transformation for longer than three minutes, and he ate enough for four people at the dinner buffet.
Apart from his whole body aching, Izuku felt better than he ever had. Patrolling with Endeavour, helping to evacuate civilians or take down the less dangerous villains was the most rewarding experience he ever had.
His experience interning at the Endeavour Agency sure was an interesting one. He felt like he truly became exponentially more capable as a hero.
He rolled over, looking at Shoto's empty bed.
His opinion on Endeavour had also changed drastically. From eager anticipation to disappointment and anger, to a growing sense of admiration, only expanded by the events of that day.
Unable to sleep, despite his aching muscles, Izuku got up and dressed in his exercise clothes and headed up to the gym. He found Shoto, cheeks flushed and sweating at the bench. Izuku helped him get the weight back on the bench then waited for Shoto to catch his breath.
"Mind if I join you?" Izuku asked, throwing a towel over one of the hooks by the mirror.
Shoto nodded silently.
Izuku followed his normal exercise routine, following instructions from Shoto on occasion. Eventually, both exhausted and sweating, Izuku and Shoto entered the sparring area and started doing Kata to warm down.
"Have you tried your new form yet?" Shoto asked, the fabric on his clothes making snapping sounds as he kicked.
"Crane form?" Izuku groaned, feeling his muscles strain as he tried to extend his split.
"No, not that!" Shoto smiled, snapping his arm forward to block an imagined strike. "Your new alien form."
"Oh!" Izuku's eyes widened. "No… I… well… I've been… distracted… since… you know…"
"Since Iida died." Shoto nodded. "I am glad to see you got over yourself."
"Yeah," Izuku rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I needed some… incitement from your dad though."
"Tough is the only love he gives." Shoto said bitterly before sighing. He stretched as he completed the final move in his kata. "Let's see it then."
"What?" Izuku asked, surprised. "Here? Now?"
"Why not?" Shoto challenged.
"Well… What if he's gigantic, like Way Big?" Izuku offered.
"Good point." Shoto allowed, grabbing his towel. "Come with me."
Izuku followed Shoto to the elevator and then up one flight of stairs. He exited the hallway out into the open air of the agency's rooftop.
"There." Shoto said in a tone as close to smug as his voice got. "Should be more than enough room."
"Okay, fine." Izuku rolled his eyes. "But I won't be able to hold the form for long. I'm exhausted. Now, you should stand back just to be safe."
Shoto nodded as Izuku thumbed the nub that caused the Omnitrix dial to squelch upward. He twisted the dial until the inky liquid on the faceplate squirmed into the right shape. After a moment's hesitation, he slapped the dial down.
The first time was always the worst. He could feel the change the first few times, but the first was always the most uncomfortable. He felt his ribs round out, stretching to accommodate his new, expanded chest. His arms lengthened, his fingers merging into three bulky claws. Finally, he felt a shift in his back, like growing wings, and thick fur sprouting from under his skin.
"Big… Chill!" He hissed, extending his arms outward and flaring his wings.
"He certainly looks alien." Shoto noted with round eyes. "Why did you call out like that?"
"First transformation effect strange." Big Chill explained, flexing his new arms to get rid of the lingering muscle stiffness. "Where think you I get names from?"
"I never really thought about it." Shoto shrugged.
"I have." Big Chill stated, draping his wings over himself like a cloak. "When transform for first time… mind is flooded with information. Imprints, alien instinct, memories of places have never been."
"That sounds… uncomfortable." Shoto said, investigating the form called Big Chill. "So what does he do?"
Big Chill opened his wings and flapped, hovering in the air and causing Shoto to stumble a little.
"Will take getting that used to." He landed, stumbling from the change of his centre of gravity. "Walking uncomfortable… but flying strange. Like not Stinkfly. Name suggests Ice or cold related abilities."
"Wait." Shoto frowned. "I thought you said you receive an alien's memories and instincts upon first transformation."
"Memories, yes. Instincts." Big Chill cocked his head to one side, his massive insectoid eyes glowing slightly in the low light. "New synapses… different brain tissue. Sensory input entirely new. Eyes not eyes, see in sound… smell light… hear tastes…"
"What do I look like?" Shoto asks, confused and uncomfortable, yet inexorably curious.
"You look… cold…" Big Chill tilted his head, leaning forward to get a better look. "Very cold, yes… nice… soothing…"
The Omnitrix started pulsating with red light.
"Ah… yes… suppose is due time…" Big Chill nodded, letting himself get engulfed with red light and emerging as Izuku once again. "Sensations uncomfortable… air is... Uh… air bites?"
He rubbed his arms, shaking his head to clear the cobwebbed feeling.
"It's not even cold." Shoto observed.
"Cold!" Izuku's eyes glinted with recognition. "Yes, cold. Knew it was a thing."
"Are you feeling all right?" Shoto asked, his voice bordering precariously close to sounding concerned.
"Yes, just getting used to having an endoskeleton again." Izuku rolled his neck, rubbing his arms. He yawned loudly.
"You look like you're about to pass out." Shoto observed.
"I really pushed it today." Izuku muttered.
"Good." Shoto nodded firmly. "You won't get better unless you do."
"Yeah yeah." Izuku yawned again, waving him off. "Would you mind if I got better at sleeping for a little while?"
"I suppose I can allow that." Shoto replied dryly.
On the balcony of a highrise, Officer Miyashi took the cigarette offered by the elderly man. He held it between his lips as the older man lit it with a sleek, silver lighter.
"-and if it wasn't for Endeavour, I would've nailed him too." Officer Miyashi pulled deeply on his cigarette. "Witnesses too, otherwise… you know."
"So many excuses." A deep voice reverberated through the highrise, causing Miyashi to drop his cigarette in surprise.
"Mr Tanaka says you have been down on your quota, Officer Miyashi." Footsteps boomed as the man drew near.
"Yeah, well, it's been hard." Miyashi swallowed. "Heroes don't slip up as much as they used to. And they nearly always walk. What do you want from me, huh?"
"I want you to do what you are paid to." The man's shark features drew into a fierce glower.
"What Mr Eguchi means," The elderly man cut in. "..is that your proposal made it seem like you were in a position to do more for us than you currently are. A quota of two heroes or policemen per month is not a high ask, is it?"
"You don't get it." Miyashi said, regaining some of his usual confidence. "I've been nailing heroes and cops for two years now. There's heat starting to catch that I would be better without."
"You knew the risks of getting into this profession." The hulking, shark-headed man insisted. "I have many other officers on my payroll. You are the only slacker."
"What do you mean you got other cops!?" Miyashi rounded on the man. "That's idiotic. You're just trying to scare me. I would know."
"I feel you might be overestimating your usefulness, Mr Miyashi." Eguchi rumbled, his yellow eyes narrowed.
"Hah!" Miyashi sneered. "Yeah right. I know things. I've seen how your operation works. I got you by the balls. One word from me and..."
He made a gesture with his hands.
"All this goes under." He smirked. "In fact, things don't start looking greener for me, I might just do that. I could always sign up with the Yakuza. I hear they pay their valuable employees what they're due."
Silence followed the policeman's proclamation, ramping up tension between him and the muscular form of Hayate Eguchi.
"I suppose we agree on that." The shark man smiled, baring his teeth. He rolled up his sleeves as he approached Miyashi. "I too believe in giving people what they are owed."
"Hey!" He snapped his gun out. "You think I won't? You wouldn't be my first!"
A massive tan-yellow hand crushed over Miyashi's fingers, roughly pulling the gun between his yellow eyes.
"Do it then." He grinned, holding the gun in place. "Pull the trigger."
The gunshot reverberated through the silence of the night, followed by the sound of metal clinking on stone.
Tigershark grinned. Before Miyashi could scream, the massive shark head crunched down over his head, pulling it clean off his shoulders.
Tigershark wiped the blood from his mouth on his jacket sleeve, before tossing the jacket over to Tanaka.
"Car accident?" Tanaka suggested, folding the jacket neatly over his arm. He wiped a stray droplet of blood from his cheek with a handkerchief.
"He was a cop." Tigershark scoffed. "Let's be honest for once. Say this was a gang killing. Make it clear to the rest of our… associates on the force."
"As you wish, sir." Tanaka nodded, flipping out his phone. "Will you need anything else? I can have dinner brought up?"
"No thank you, Katashi." He said, undoing the top buttons on his shirt. He turned, regarding his oldest friend with slit-pupilled yellow eyes. "I've already eaten."
An:
Four updates in one week? Am I on a sugar High? Maybe. Don't you judge me.
Review Review
"...I love you 3…"
My SO has access to my google docs lmao
timijaf
I was getting uneasy about Killing Iida… yeah…
XxGargantuaxX
Yeh
Symbiomnitrix also has genderbend function, but it is currently damaged, and its Sentience is currently reserved for very basic functions. You could say it's asleep.
Mando-23
I adore the Andromeda aliens. In fact, they are some of my favourites in the entire series. Definitely gonna feature.
DarkSpeed
I realised. It was pretty funny. xD
Like the black suit and Spider-Man? Yeah. That was one of my inspirations. :3
Eyyyy! English is my second language too! :D
Laitou
Very Big Brain. ;)
It's a double-sided sword though, if he gets tired or distracted he can detransform involuntarily.
Yeah, getting Izuku there to save him would have been more far fetched and convoluted than in canon. :C
I actually have developed some ideas of who I want as the "main" love interest. Might work out might not. :)
DarkSpeed
Thank you. :)
Thxndergod
It is my absolute pleasure. :)
Really glad I can entertain you!
Guest
Yeah, It was a hard decision to make, but I try to be logical and honest to the universe when writing.
SixthShot
That was what I was going for, I'm really glad it came out that way. :D
Funny-Little-Cute White Fox
Imma review both of your reviews here, cuz they're right behind each other. :3
I'm happy you like it, and I did update soon! Just for you! :D
Jk xD
VowsUnspoken
I tried really hard with that one, especially trying to make the action more comprehensible. :P