Angel: We just hit another milestone of 300 favorites, so another early upload! Also we're getting to 100 chapters and we're not even halfway there…halfway there…and I know this is going to be a weird transition but—
*hits head comically against wall* There is just…so much to impact from desireepurnellsandi's latest review, and I don't mean it in a bad way. But also, I've just…already talked about some of the things said in it that I feel like it's on deaf ears and that I'd just uh…check out chapters 81, 77, or 74 for what I've said on most of the topics. Or even just PM me. Because I don't want to repeat myself for like what, the fourth time about Dark Callista? I'm not mad or anything, I'm just getting a little tired of having to explain it again. And I'm not gonna reiterate it here. I will address the ship name, I'm fine with Bazuka just for the bazooka cannon alone. Please understand that I am just getting exhausted of having to mention Dark Callista again, or my thoughts about the other topics you mentioned, and that I appreciate the review. But I am just putting off Dark Callista for now, I know I promised I'd think on it, but still. It's not top of my list to worry about currently.
But also, I don't think anyone would wanna date Bakugo, which is funny since he likes romance novels. But then again, I'm pretty sure the epilogue gave him a fan club…? I'm 90 percent sure that was a thing, even if brief.
"Morning. Now that the Midoriyas are back, we'll go into more about what the work studies entail. Go ahead and come in," He looked towards the doorway. All of them were confused as the door opened. "I'll have people who've experienced them firsthand explain."
Izuku gasped as three particular students walked in one by one. "I suggest you listen carefully as they point out how work studies differ from internships." The green-haired boy's mouth went wide at the three entering...because one of them was the guy in the wall! Izuka opened her mouth in disbelief, all eyes on the three students. "These three are third years at UA. They rank at the very top of our student body." The other two were the girl with the periwinkle hair and a very anxious looking boy. "You may know them as...the Big Three."
The blond and the girl all smiled towards the class. The second boy looked towards the ground, hands in his pockets. "The Big Three. And it's him..." Izuku's eyes shook towards the trio.
'No way...' Izuka thought to herself staring at them.
"The best of the hero course," Hanta murmured in a little bit of awe.
"The Big Three," Eijiro said with a slight breath escaping him.
"Oh, wow!" Mina gushed towards the trio.
"Of all the talented students here, they're the ones at the top," Tenya stared at them in shock, as did Ochaco.
"They're on a different level," Momo stated while analyzing all three of them. "Still in school, but practically pro heroes."
"If they're as good as I hear, then they're the students we should be chasing after," Kyoka commented in thought.
"They don't look all that special to me," Denki pointed out next to her. "Except the girl—she's pretty hot."
As soon as he said that, Minoru narrowed his eyes. Target acquired. Zoom and enhance. He looked at the girl's eyes, breasts, skirt, and legs...he then drooled onto his desk, blushing as he couldn't stop looking at her.
"The guy from outside," Izuku whispered to his sister. "I can't believe it...we could only see his face then, so we didn't recognize him. But I know who he is. He was in the Sports Festival the two of us watched from home last year."
Izuku gasped sharply and Izuka yelped, waving her arms rapidly and hiding her face. The blond boy was seen putting on his pants...because his clothes were off for some reason.
"Oh god..." Izuka muttered in embarrassment as she recalled uh...WHY she remembered him. She turned away, a hand near her eye as she groaned a little to herself. That was...not something she thought she'd be bringing back up...
"He didn't do very well, but he, uh...definitely left a strong impression..." Izuku then turned to the other two students. "If I remember correctly, the other two didn't take any medals home, either. And yet...They're UA's Big Three." Izuku then gulped as he felt a lot of pressure all of a sudden. This was the strongest group of UA, after all. So this was a big deal for not just him, but for everyone else in the class as well.
I wonder how they got that title.
The indigo-haired boy glanced up at Izuka and flinched. Izuka glanced back towards him and his heart stopped. He shook nervously upon getting into eye contact with her and then turned away, his face red. Izuka then gave a sheepish expression upon his reaction.
Is that how I was when I started UA? I never thought I'd meet someone who used to be like me...
Mr. Aizawa gestured to the Big Three. "Get to it. Introduce yourselves briefly. Let's start with Amajiki."
As soon as his name was called, he gave an intense stare towards the class. Which immediately put them on edge as they gasped. Everyone except for Izuka oddly.
What's with that look? Eijiro winced nervously towards him as Amajiki kept staring, but didn't say anything.
So much intensity in a single glance! Tenya looked at him anxiously while Ochaco whimpered a little behind him. The third year boy kept staring as he imagined them...as potatoes? All except Izuka, she was the one exception as to him, she was her normal self.
"It's no good," He murmured, getting the attention of his friends as he was shaking. "You two go. I just can't...even if I try to imagine them as potatoes...I can see their human bodies. I know that they're still people...no words are coming out. My mind's blank...and my mouth is dry."
"Uh..." Tenya, Tsuyu, and Ochaco all blinked at him in confusion. They definitely weren't expecting this from him... "Isn't he just like Mido was?" Tsuyu pointed out and the girl flinched in alarm, her hair standing on end as all of her classmates looked at her. She then closed her eyes with a small groan for the comparison.
"You know, I can't even argue with you on that one..." The girl admitted with a defeated sigh. Izuku gave a small laugh towards his sister.
Asu—I mean, Tsu does have a point though.
"I can't say anything. I wanna..." Amajiki whipped around to face the wall. "Go home."
Some of them gasped in shock to see him like this. He went from very intimidating to...being very shy and timid. "Okay. So, um...are you really one of UA's top heroes?" Mashirao couldn't help but ask him, wondering how he got to this point in being in the Big Three with his personality.
"Ojiro-San, come on..." Izuka shook her head slowly.
The girl laughed towards her friend as he had his forehead pressed to the wall, still shaking like a leaf. "Come on, Amajiki! You need to have the heart of a lion, not a kitten. You know, even though you're human. Get what I mean?"
I'm not sure if I can watch this. I should help him out. After all, he's practically like I was, so I'm probably the only one who knows how he feels. She cleared her throat, looking towards her teacher. "Mr. Aizawa, is it okay if I come over?"
"Hm?" Most of the whole class turned to her curiously.
"As long as you don't take up their time," Mr. Aizawa remarked and she got onto her feet.
"Thank you," She then walked over past the class like it was nothing, standing next to Amajiki. She placed her hands behind her back, staring at him. "Hey...Amajiki-San, right?" She asked and he yelped upon hearing her voice, whipping around to her. Literally all he could see were her sparkling eyes as he felt like he was in a dream looking at the girl. "Class 1-A's really nice when you get to know us, we're not gonna bite," She gave a small giggle. "I'm Izuka Midoriya, but call me Mido. Think you can handle talking to them if I help you out?" She offered while reaching out her hand with a smile. He yelped as his whole face turned red, looking back to the wall. His heart was pounding from her kindness since no one had ever tried to do this for him anytime he had to face the front. She was like no one he had ever met before, being so brave unlike him.
"I-I...appreciate that, but...no...I just wanna go home..." He muttered back to her and she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
Not as easy as I thought...
The periwinkle-haired girl then gestured to the boy. "The one your classmate's talking to is our kitten, Tamaki Amajiki," She then smiled, gesturing to herself. "And hi, my name is Nejire Hado. I'm supposed to talk about work studies. You first-years have a really exciting time ahead of you. Hey, wait, hold on," She blinked rapidly at Mezo, getting in closer to him. "Why are you wearing a mask? Is it cuz you're feeling sick? Or just...trying to look cool?" As she leaned in, he moved back with wide eyes as he felt like a science project all of a sudden.
"Uh. Well..."
"Oh, whoa!" She blinked rapidly towards the back, no longer focusing on him. "And you must be Todoroki, am I right? Yeah!" She smiled towards the boy. "How'd you get that big burn on your face?"
"Uhhh..." Izuka looked at her in bewilderment from her spot, since no one had known it was even a burn. Or if they did, they never directly asked about it. She likes asking a lot of questions others usually don't, huh...?
"That's none of your-"
"And Ashido!" Nejire pointed to the pink-skinned girl next. "If your horns break off, you think you'll grow new ones? Ooh, and can you wiggle them?" Once she asked, Mina reached out to her horns a bit uncomfortably. "Mineta, are those balls your hair, or what? I don't get it." As she was talking, Mr. Aizawa was getting very annoyed. Izuka gave him an anxious look, knowing that if they weren't third years or guest speakers, he'd be using his scarf right about now...
My... Minoru blushed, obviously taking it the wrong way. Balls...?
"Oh, oh, Asui, you're a tree frog," She turned towards Tsuyu in excitement. "Not a gross toad, right?" She simply blinked as she didn't even know how to answer. "Aah, and the stars of the class, the Midoriya twins!" Nejire turned around to Izuka, who backed away a little. She then yelped as the girl went straight towards her. "How far can you throw your Comet Burst, like a mile or what? And you look so much like your brother," She whipped around to Izuku. "Here, let me see you two side by side!"
"Huh?!" Izuka looked a little embarrassed as the girl gently dragged her over to Izuku. She placed Izuka into her seat and gushed once she got a good look at them. Izuku flinched, blushing a little from how close she was.
"Ooh, you guys are so cute! I wish I had a younger twin sister!"
So close...! Izuku turned away, hiding his blushing face.
"AAH!" Izuka opened her mouth in disbelief at the assumption, tears flying down her face. "I'm...actually-" She muttered in horror, but Nejire went back towards the front.
"Oh my goodness!" She swayed around happily while looking at them. "There's so much I want to know about every one of you! Let's have a Q and A!"
"Aww!" Denki blushed with a happy smile. "She's a total airhead. Even cuter!"
"All those questions make her sound so young," Mina commented sheepishly towards the girl.
She's certainly...lively, isn't she? Izuka stared at the Big Three in dismay, still trying to get over Nejire assuming she was younger.
"She wants to know everything about my balls!" Minoru gushed, though this made Momo behind him sick to her stomach. "I'll spill my secrets! Come get up close and personal!"
"Umm..." Izuka looked at him in a bit of fear, mostly for Nejire. Especially since she didn't seem to have any reaction to him...
"Calm down," Hanta deadpanned towards the shortest boy, and Fumikage wasn't so amused either.
"Hey, Ojiro," Nejire went up to Mashirao next. "Can you support your entire body weight with that tail of yours?"
"Um..." He looked up at her nervously at how eager she was. "Well, ya see..."
"Come on, tell me," She got in closer and he froze on the spot. "I really wanna know!"
Mr. Aizawa's eyes glowed red, which wasn't a good sign. "This is completely irrational..." He muttered in annoyance, and the blond boy noticed, flinching. His name was Mirio Togata.
"Oh, there's no need for you to worry, Eraser Head!" He waved a hand, sweating towards the angry teacher. "I'm up next, and I'll get the audience refocused!" Izuka blinked at him calling Mr. Aizawa by his hero name so casually. And he wasn't even getting any repercussions for it either. The boy's eyes shined a little as he held a hand to his ear. "The future's gonna be...?"
All of them were dead silent staring at him, making this very awkward. At least it got Nejire to calm down since she was focused on him. "...Gonna be what?" Denki wondered after a few seconds.
"Awful! That's your part, guys!" He chuckled a little and Izuka looked at him wide-eyed, a drop of sweat falling from her head.
It doesn't work if we don't know what to say...
Mirio just laughed it off, though. One would think he'd be embarrassed. "Oh, crap. My call and response was a total fail!"
"Is it just me, or does it seem like each one of them is a complete weirdo?" Rikido whispered to Koji and Fumikage. "What's the deal?" Meanwhile, the third-year boy just kept laughing at what happened, which was just as off-putting as the other two students.
"Their strangeness is palpable," Fumikage commented while looking up ahead.
"Okay, you guys look like you have no idea what's going on," Mirio pointed out with a straight face. "I guess we are third years who just showed up in your classroom to explain a program that's completely voluntary. I can see how you'd be confused by that. Hm..." He rubbed his chin with a small smile. "You guys got your provisional licenses as first years, right? Huh!" They all stared in shock that he knew this information. "This batch of new students has proven to be pretty darn energetic. So the problem is...you must not have a sense of humor. That's why my joke didn't land."
Nejire gasped a little as Tamaki turned to look at him. "Don't do it..." He warned his friend, but it went ignored.
"Heads up!" Mirio pumped his fists with a big smile. "The rad new plan is all you first-years fight me at once!"
"Huh? Huh?!" All of them yelped in alarm from his suggestion. Not only was it out of the blue, but a guest coming in asking to fight them was pretty crazy.
"You wanna fight us?!" Eijiro yelped while Izuku looked a bit nervous. Out of all of them, he and Izuka knew the most about the boy's Quirk.
"What, like, now?" Hanta questioned in disbelief, Nejire staring up at her friend in surprise.
"Well, if you want them to experience our experience, this is a pretty rational way of doing it then," The blond boy rubbed at his nose, smiling towards Mr. Aizawa. Izuka raised a confused brow, wondering what he'd get out of fighting them... "Right, Eraser Head? Rational."
"...Do whatever you want."
Izuka gasped towards her teacher for easily agreeing to it.
Soon, they were at the Training Dining Land, all of the students in gym uniforms. Some were still very skeptical, and others were silently strategizing of how to fight the boy. "Is he...for real?" Hanta couldn't help but ask. They watched the third-year boy stretching out his legs.
"Oh, yeah, totes real," He responded without hesitation.
"Mirio," Tamaki, like in the classroom, was hiding his face into a wall. "You're impossible."
"Uh..." Minoru stared at him awkwardly.
"It would have been simple enough for us to just tell them," He remarked while not even looking at anyone. "This is what it's like, here's what we learned from it. Not everyone has your level of drive. Plus, think about how bad it'll look if some of them can't recover after fighting you. No one wants to spend the next few years in a hospital bed."
Despite facing the wall, he still spoke loud enough for them to hear. Izuka blinked towards him, wondering if he just couldn't face people while talking. She then gasped in horror from that last part, whipping towards her class in alarm.
"Huh?" Minoru looked at him in confusion, Rikido a little frightened. "Seriously, he acts so similar to Mido, it's uncanny."
"I be he's just trying to psych us out," Eijiro dismissed while cracking his knuckles. "And dude, not all shy people act the same. Mido was at least willing to face us while talking..."
"Hey, listen up," Nejire stood in front of Mina. "It's story time," She was touching Mina's horn, making the pink-skinned girl very uncomfortable. Especially since when one moved, the other did as well. "Long ago, a student got frustrated in class and quit being a hero, and it was terrible for everyone. Did you know that? So, Togata, I know our job is tough. But you better make sure you know what you're doing. Be careful, okay?"
"Please stop touching those..." Mina pleaded with the older girl.
Fumikage looked back up ahead at Mirio. The only ones who wouldn't be fighting him were Shoto and Izuka. Because they didn't have their provisional licenses, they were sitting this one out. "Let's think about this. You're obviously much further ahead than us. But we've fought pros before."
"Not to mention," Eijiro stepped up confidently. "We took down some legitimate villains. I don't think you need to worry about hurting us," He smirked as he, Rikido, and Denki tried to look intimidating towards Mirio. "We're not a buncha wannabes."
"Mm!" Mirio nodded sharply with a confident smile of his own. "Heard, but you're gonna have to show me that's the truth. Now, who's gonna start this party?"
Eijiro held out an arm, ready to take him on. "I've got this."
"No," Izuku interjected nearby, his eyes focused on their opponent as well. "I'm first."
"You stole my thunder!" Eijiro cried out towards him.
Ochaco and Izuka both gasped at Izuku offering to go first. "I'll catch up with everything I fell behind on these past three days!"
Ochaco gave him an encouraging smile, pumping her fists as she realized his reasoning. You can do it! And if Mido could fight him, I'm sure she could too!
Mr. Aizawa put his hands to his mouth. "View this as a learning experience," He instructed his class. "It's a good opportunity for you!"
Mirio then looked up towards Izuku as he recognized him, though not from that day. "Oh, the problem child! Yes, this is perfect, I've heard you got plenty-a fire in ya! And your sister's the one who's being punished into taking the provisional licensing exam again, right?"
That's already going around to the point where he knows?! Izuka's eyes shook at him in dismay, her breath escaping her. Shoto turned to the girl and patted her back a little. He knew that this was not the impression she wanted to leave on the Big Three... I'm not saying I don't deserve that, but still, could've been nicer to ease into it...
Izuku gave him a deep frown, eyeing the boy closely. The top student at UA. He then stretched back his arms behind his head. If I'm gonna spar with someone, he's the best opponent I could ask for. He then slid his foot forward, bending down to prepare himself. How will I fair against him at my level? How much distance is between us? He then activated One for All with a grin.
"The close combat team should surround him first thing!" Rikido advised as the others readied themselves as well.
"Let's do it," Eijiro grinned while activating his Hardening. "We've got ourselves a new mentor!" Dark Shadow appeared over Fumikage's back while Mina created acid into her hand. Hanta held out a hand towards his elbow while Kyoka pointed her ears forward. "Thanks for the opportunity, man!" Minoru held out his hands towards his hair as Yuga put his arms behind his head. "The opportunity to kick your butt!" Momo moved up her sleeve while Tsuyu showed off her tongue.
Izuku lunged forward first, and Mirio didn't move at all. Izuku gasped, freezing in place...as Mirio's clothes fell off of his body. And yes, all of them just casually fell off like it was nothing. Kyoka screamed in horror, attempting to cover her red face with her hands. Izuka immediately covered her eyes as well, letting out an embarrassed yell.
Way too much!
"Why did your clothes just fall off?!" Hanta looked at him with wide eyes.
"Oopsy!" He then reached down to pull up his pants. "My Quirk's kinda tricky..."
Izuku, still up in the air, at least tried to regain focus. Bad move! You're open! He swung his leg, about to use his Shoot Style...when his leg went right through Mirio's own head! Izuka peeked from her hands, blinking in confusion to see that her brother's attack had no effect. He slid to a stop, staring at his opponent in shock. So that's it! His Quirk lets things pass through him. It's an amazing power. What should I do?
"Went for the face, huh?" Mirio questioned knowingly with a smile. Shoto was whispering to Izuka what happened since she missed it. Once she learned it, she let out a small gasp. Suddenly Yuga's laser hit him and she saw it for herself going right through him. It hit a rock near Izuku instead and he had to jump out of the way. Mina and Hanta attacked as well.
"What's this?" Tenya gave a nervous look as none of them had seen a Quirk like this before, and therefore, didn't know how to properly deal with it. Once the smoke was clearing, Mirio had disappeared without a trace. "Where'd he go?"
Mirio then jumped, with no clothes on once again, and appeared right behind Kyoka. "I think I'll start by taking out the long-distance fighters!"
She turned around and the poor girl saw him up close, screaming her head off.
"He warped?" Mezo turned around to him wide-eyed.
"His power isn't just slipping through things," Rikido ran up to the third-year boy with Eijiro.
"How'd he luck out with such a good Quirk?!" He called out, getting the attention of Tamaki, even though he didn't look back.
"You're wrong." Fumikage held out his hands, Dark Shadow's arms extending to try and catch Mirio. "Mirio's Quirk isn't what you should be jealous of." Mirio then moved down completely so that Dark Shadow missed. This left him open for a punch in the stomach, and it was a painful one too. "You should be envying his skills." Hanta was about to attack when Mirio came up from behind. "That's what sets him apart, first-years." He quickly punched Minoru and Hanta out of commission. Tamaki then glanced back as Yuga, Mina, and Tsuyu attacked next. "Mirio did a work study with a hero, but didn't stop there. He kept building himself up." Mirio then took out the three with a single punch. Denki, Momo, Kyoka, and Mezo were keeping an eye out for him. He was too fast, however, and once again, punched them in the stomach. They all groaned as they were lifted into the air. Mirio flung his pants back on, leaving behind 10 students already out.
"POWER!" He cried out as a battle cry. Eijiro, Tenya, and Izuku could only stare in bewilderment as he took down half the class in mere minutes!
Izuka and Shoto couldn't close their mouths looking at the sight in front of them. "Mirio Togata," Mr. Aizawa eyed the student closely, getting the attention of his students. "In my opinion, he's the person who's closest to taking the spot of number-one hero." Mirio looked back up with a smile. "That's including the pros."
Izuka gasped as she looked back towards the student. That's crazy...I wonder what Mr. All Might thinks of him...?
The students that were out were unable to move at all. "He got more than half of them in an instant," Shoto murmured in disbelief. "A student...but closer to being number one than most heroes."
"No wonder why he's one of the Big Three," Izuka stared at the display in front of them.
Mr. Aizawa turned to the two curiously. "You two are not gonna fight? You must be interested in taking the top spot yourselves."
"We didn't even get our provisional licenses, though," Shoto pointed out to him.
"It wouldn't be fair to fight him when we didn't earn them..." Izuka sighed a little.
Well, they've certainly calmed down.
Mirio looked back at his former opponents. "Think that's it for the long-distance fighters," He then smirked towards the rest. "All that's left are the ones who specialize in close-quarters combat!"
"I have no idea how he just did that," Eijiro commented while his eyes were shaking in shock.
"It's one thing to be able to phase through stuff," Ochaco spoke up next to him. "But warping too?"
"He's unrivaled," Mashirao looked up ahead anxiously. "Do we stand a chance?"
Mirio struck a pose, smirking. "Hold the flattery."
Izuka then looked towards Tamaki on the other side. She summoned a flying star to go over the battlefield. Mirio already knew she wasn't fighting, so he wasn't going to attack her. Not that she would last long anyway.
Unrivaled? Tamaki thought the word was way off. Just that one word, and I can tell what level you're all at. Like how an ordinary person might think a pro's impressive, but lack the ability to figure out why. If you can't tell how much hard work Mirio has put in, then you'll never be able to match him.
"Hi, Amajiki-San." He yelped from hearing her voice again, turning to look at her. She was staring at him curiously and he was frozen on the spot.
I shouldn't even be thinking about a first-year like this, but...she's so pretty!
"I know that talking to others can be scary," She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I used to be just like you." He gasped a little to hear this from her. "I couldn't talk to people either for a while. I thought that I just couldn't become friends with them because I didn't have any growing up other than my brother," She gave a sheepish smile towards half of her defeated class. "We may be first-years, but my class doesn't give up when it comes to villains. Togata-San is like that too, of course, and I don't know what my brother will come up with. But having a lot of respect for people is something we both share, right?"
"Y-Yeah..." He murmured in a bit of awe that she understood. "You really think so?"
"That kind of power isn't like that because it's amazing from the start," She glanced up with a small smile. "It's because Togata-San worked really hard to get it the way he wants. I've never seen anyone fight like he does, it's insane. He must be really happy about that."
She knows that they're not on the same level of power as him...but she still can see what they're missing?
"There's more to his Quirk than we're seeing," Izuku spoke up, getting the attention of Koji and Tenya. "Whether his true power is slipping through matter, or whether he's somehow warping himself through space...either way, he's still landing his attacks directly. We should be able to counter him, in the moment he's about to make contact." Tamaki eyed him closely, his eyebrows raised. "Even if we can't tell what he's doing, we should theorize with what we do know and use that knowledge to find a way to beat him."
Tamaki glanced at Izuka, who smiled proudly at her brother, her hands behind her hips.
"Yeah!" Eijiro glanced back with a grin. "You said it! House arrest didn't put a dent in your fightin' spirit."
"Then see if you can figure out how to win," Mirio ran up to them with a smirk. None of them made a move just yet, staring at him. He eyed Izuku as he kept running, the green-haired boy waiting for the right moment. Mirio then phased through the ground to completely disappear, his pants flying into the air.
"He went under!" Rikido warned the group.
Izuku darted his eyes behind him. I bet he'll probably come up... Mirio jumped up right behind Izuku. There! He gritted his teeth as he activated his Quirk, shocking Mirio since the tactic worked on Kyoka.
He wasn't surprised? Izuku then swung his leg to kick, his foot heading right for Mirio's face. He predicted this is where I'd be! Pretty smart. He reached out his hand and Izuku's leg went right through Mirio's arm. "Watch this. An ultimate move! Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush!" He held out his other hand to Izuku's face, and it phased right through it. While Izuku was distracted, he swung up his free arm to punch Izuku in the stomach. "I've discovered that most people try to launch a counterattack just like you did," He smirked up at the boy." He then disappeared into the floor again. "So naturally, I've trained to work around such moves. Nice try, though!"
Izuku fell to the ground, also unable to move. "Midoriya!" Tenya cried out, and before he could even move, Mirio appeared right behind him. He turned around, only to get punched as well.
"Damn!" Eijiro shouted, Mirio appearing right above him. The red-haired boy groaned as he was hit as well. Ochaco and Toru gasped as he slipped past everyone else to hit Koji next. Soon enough, the rest of them were targeted as well, and in seconds, Mirio was the victor. "POWER!" He shouted while striking a pose.
Nejire laughed as she approached Izuka and Tamaki. "Hey, check out Togata, huh—he's gotten super powerful lately. Are you even watching?"
"Mirio's been strong ever since we were little kids," Tamaki pointed out to her. "Problem is...he needs to learn how to hold back."
Izuka looked up ahead to see why, giving a nervous smile at everyone else not being able to stand up...
"A-Are you sure...you wanna talk to someone like me?" He asked a bit timidly as she leaned against the wall.
"I'm sure you have your friends for that. I could probably never fill that void for you. But I know what you're going through, so if you feel like you need someone, you can talk to me," She smiled up at him. "I could probably help you feel less intimidated by my class."
"N-No!" He stammered nervously, earning a wide-eyed look. "Uh, I mean...no, I wouldn't want to bother you. I'm sure you have a lot going on with your own studies..."
"It's not a bother to me at all!" She gave him another smile. "Take your time, but when you're ready, I usually paint after classes end. You can find me outside Heights Alliance or under the big cherry blossom tree!"
"Aww, that'd be so great, Mido! Can I call you that?" Nejire got to her face close and she yelped. "Everyone does, right?"
"Uhhh, sure, it'll probably help anyway...?" Izuka laughed a bit uncomfortably.
"Hado," Tamaki warned the girl while glancing at the short girl from the corner of his eye. She's so nice to me for being a first-year...but that doesn't even bother me that much anymore. Just look at her. Her Quirk is Galaxy, and she shines just like the stars in the sky... "Is...is it okay if...I call you Mido, then? Since you're Midoriya's older sister and that would...make it confusing to call you both Midoriya!"
She blinked in surprise at him guessing correctly that she was older and smiled happily at him. "Aw, of course you can, Amajiki-San."
He flinched and his whole face turned red from her smile. "A-Alright then!" She has such an adorable smile that I almost can't take it...!
"I tried to make it so you wouldn't see my willy," Mirio explained to the class, though practically everyone saw it unfortunately. "Sorry if you got a peek!" He was thankfully fully dressed now as he and Nejire smiled towards the students. Tamaki was still turned away from them, though. "But, anyway. That's a taste of what it's like to fight me."
Izuka felt so bad for her class as they were standing up, shaking as they held their stomachs. "We all just got punched in the stomach without ever knowing what was going on..." Izuku groaned out to him, and it kinda made his sister wish that she did get her license so that she and Shoto weren't the odd ones out...
"Right, so, whaddaya think?" Mirio smiled towards the group. "Isn't my Quirk strong?"
"Yeah, it's too strong!" Hanta cried out, waving a protesting hand.
"That's not fair!" Toru protested as well, waving her arms. "Mine's nothing in comparison."
"How can you slip through things and warp?" Mina complained, shaking her fists. "Do you have two powers like Todoroki does or multiple abilities like Mido?!"
"Nope. Just the one," He revealed with a smile.
"Mm. Just one," Izuku repeated back in shock at how in control Mirio was of it. And he didn't even take on Izuka, Shoto, or Katsuki, but he probably would've beaten them too just on speed alone.
"Ooh, I know!" Nejire raised her hand like an eager child. "I'll tell you what his Quirk is! Hey, hey, can I say it?" She looked back eagerly at her friend. "Permeation! Cool, right?" She gave the class a bright smile.
"Hado," Tamaki warned again like he did not too long ago, looking a bit embarrassed. "Let Mirio explain his own power..."
"Yup!" Mirio jerked a thumb to himself. "I've got a sweet Quirk that's called Permeation. What you guys thought of as a warp was, you guessed it, simply an alternative application of that power." He then turned to the pouting Nejire gripping at his shirt. "Oh, sorry, Hado."
"So, how exactly do you warp, huh?" Izuku wondered, though mostly for his notes.
"I activate my Quirk in my entire body," Mirio explained to the boy. "Then, I can pass through anything I want, no sweat! Everything! That includes solid ground!" He tapped the floor with his foot and Ochaco gasped as she realized something.
"So, that was you falling through the floor of the gym?"
"That's right, I went deep underground," He replied with a proud smile. "And then, whenever I release my Quirk while I'm falling, something super strange happens. Apparently, things with mass can't overlap. That's called physics! So, I get repelled upward! Think of it this way. The ground spits me out, and I fly up into the air. That's how my warp works." They stared at him in confusion, especially Denki. Momo was thinking it over. "By adjusting the direction I'm facing or the pose I'm holding, I can change the angle I come out at, so I can aim at different spots."
"That sounds like a buggy video game," Mina whined with a small pout.
"Ashido-Chan!" Izuka whispered to her. "That's his Quirk you're talking about."
"Ha ha!" Mirio laughed at this, though, baffling both the shortest girl and Kyoka. "Hey, that's pretty funny!"
"You're able to avoid any attacks," Tsuyu pointed out in a bit of awe. "And you can move where you want in an instant. Awe! You were born with a really strong Quirk."
"Not true," He gave a small smile. "My power's only strong because I made it that way." Izuku and Ochaco blinked in surprise at this reveal. "While my Quirk is activated, my lungs can't take in oxygen. Even if I breathe in, the air'll just pass through." Both of them opened their mouths in shock, as that meant he was cutting it close every single time he used his Quirk. "In the same way, my eardrums don't work. And light can't go through my retinas. I can pass through everything. But that means I can't feel anything when I'm in that state. Even though I have a body, I can't stop falling. I could probably keep going down forever. Does that make sense? That's why, if I wanna go through something like, say, a wall. I have to concentrate really hard. I'll activate everything except one leg. Then I release the other leg and land on it. And then the first leg is the last one to go through. Even for a simple action like that, there are a bunch of little steps involved."
"Oh, man," Denki glanced back to Minoru nervously, grateful he didn't have the Quirk now. "If I were in a hurry, I would mess that up every single time..."
"Seriously, if you can't feel anything, how are you supposed to move?" Minoru wondered with sweat dripping down his face.
"Growing up, I was always behind, as you might expect," Mirio spoke up again. "In no time, I'd dropped to dead last. I dropped my pants a lot too. In order to get to the top with this Quirk, I couldn't just hope that things would get better," He then tapped his forehead repeatedly. "I had to think! I learned to make combat decisions! And picked up a few new tricks. But above all, I learned to predict what would happen next. And what made those predictions possible in the first place was experience. I based my predictions on what I'd learned. This was kind of a roundabout way to get the point across, but that's why I wanted to fight. To show you through experience rather than words. In our work studies, we're not treated as guests like in our internships. We're regarded as one of the sidekicks, or even as a pro! That can be super scary. Pros can get hurt. And sometimes, they end up watching people die. But every scary and painful thing you go through is an important experience that you can't get inside a classroom, even at UA." He then clenched a fist with a smile, the students listening attentively. "I transformed the experience I got in my work study into power! That's how I got to the top spot! And...it's why I think they're worth it, even if you're scared. Y'with me, first years?"
Izuku's eyes shined a little from the advice he was giving all of them. Turn experience...into power.
After hearing him, the class started to clap. "He even gives pep talks like a pro," Mashirao commented in a bit of awe, as the awkward first impressions of the Big Three were pretty much forgotten now.
"I can't believe he went through all this for us, even though he could've just explained it," Momo smiled at Mirio nearby.
"So, these really are different," Denki commented, and felt that it made more sense to him now. "I did kinda feel like I missed out on stuff in my internship."
"Yeah," Kyoka agreed, rubbing her neck. "They tried not to let us do anything too dangerous."
"Guess it won't be that way during work studies," Hanta rubbed his chin, though did feel a little bit more pressure.
"Now that we've got our licenses," Tenya clenched a fist. "We'll be treated like pros once we're on the scene."
Ochaco gave a sharp nod.
"We gotta prepare ourselves for that," Rikido spoke up, feeling a little anxious at the thought.
"It's just what I wanted!" Eijiro hit his fist against his palm with a grin.
"Yeah, this is great!" Toru gushed happily at the concept. "All of us came to UA because we wanna be pro heroes, right?"
"That's true," Mezo agreed with the invisible girl.
"C'est la vie!" Yuga cheered, waving an arm.
"We have to keep climbing," Fumikage acknowledged while Shoto and Izuka watched nearby.
"And be Plus Ultra!" Koji exclaimed in determination for once.
We need to get our provisional licenses soon Shoto thought, as he wanted to be treated like a hero too. Unfortunately, that couldn't happen for him... Or we'll be left behind.
I feel so alienated... Izuka bit her lip looking at her class. First it was the new lessons I missed out on, and now it's the work study...but that just means I have to work hard if I wanna get to that point with the rest of them.
"Let's get back to class now," Mr. Aizawa announced to his class. "Say thank you."
"Thank you very much!" All of them recited to the Big Three. As Tamaki walked away, he glanced back towards Izuka specifically. She blinked and then smiled, giving him a small friendly wave. The third-year boy yelped and turned around, shaking as his cheeks were red. Izuka wasn't too bothered by it, though.
Her smile is...so cute.
"Mido, do you actually like that guy?" Mina blinked at her in bewilderment, getting her attention. "I guess him being like you did is pretty eye-catching, huh~?" She teased and Izuka coughed awkwardly. Izuku looked at her wide-eyed for the question, as did Ochaco.
Please don't tell me she's stopped liking Kacchan all of a sudden!
"No," Izuka waved it off. "It's not like that. I just think the guy could use some help, you know? I just...can relate to how he feels around people, because I am still terrible around crowds," She gave a sheepish look.
"Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate it someday," Ochaco smiled a little towards her, and Izuku sighed in relief to hear this.
"AWWW!" Mina whined out loud towards the girl. "You just don't like any guys, do you?!"
"I just have a different type..." Izuka sweated largely at the back of her head. She needed someone who could push her, who could inspire her to work hard. Someone she could tell anything to without having to worry if she could trust them or not. And Tamaki just...couldn't do that. Katsuki could, but if she admitted that to Mina, she would never hear the end of it. And Mina wasn't exactly the best at keeping secrets either.
"Hey, so do you think we got the point across?" Nejire wondered as the Big Three walked away from the TDL. "Maybe not?"
"I'm just glad I didn't have to do anything," Tamaki admitted to the both of them. "Let's be grateful to Mirio."
"Oh, but that Mido girl is really cute, huh?" Nejire smiled up at him and he flinched, blushing.
"S-She's alright..." He muttered in embarrassment, looking away.
"Ohhh hey, do you like her?" Nejire asked and then gasped sharply upon seeing his face. "You do! Aw, that's so adorable! Our Amajiki has got a little crush!"
"It's not like that, Hado!" Tamaki hid his face from her with his hand.
"They just met, Hado," Mirio smiled while looking over his shoulder. "And besides, I'm sure that they'll be good friends! She seems to understand him."
I shouldn't like her. She's a first-year, she's younger than me...but when I see her smile, I just got so nervous around her. I need to go home... Tamaki thought to himself, shaking.
Izuku looked at his scarred hand. At first, his Quirk was something that held him back. But still. He made the most of his power. He then made his hand into a fist, because One for All was just like that for him. So it gave him hope he'd be the same way when he became a pro. He got as much experience as he could, and learned how to predict people's actions. He then looked up towards Mirio. He's not standing at the top of UA because he was born strong. He worked incredibly hard to get to that point. Mirio Togata, third year.
Mirio gleefully walked out the doors with his friends. "Hey, so. We thought you hurt some of them on accident, you know?" Nejire spoke up, hands behind her back as they walked down the halls. "But no one was injured, so I think you did a good job! Way to go, Mirio. A-plus!"
"It was pretty close though, a few times. And they saw me naked," Mirio pointed out to her. "I just wished I could've fought...Mido was her name, right? I heard she's got a great Quirk even though Eraser Head tells me that she's his worst student!"
Tamaki glanced up at him in interest. Right...she was the one on TV with not just one, but two villains. She's got an amazing sense of how her power works...I wish I could've seen her fight him too. She might've had a chance.
"Yeah, but did anyone surprise you? I wanna know! Come on, spill," Nejire wondered in excitement to Mirio.
He turned away with a small smile. "Well, I mostly defeat people using the element of surprise. It's my basic strategy in a nutshell. But that problem child analyzed my first round of moves, and then predicted what I'd do." He gave a big grin remembering Izuku figuring out how he fought in minutes. "I bet Sir would love to meet him!"
"HEY!" Katsuki called out in the common room of Heights Alliance. He was all patched up and healed now. "If you've got trash, then bring it over here, right now!" He held up a trash bag.
"Bakugo!" Eijiro ran up to him with his own garbage. "Thanks!"
"Sure!" He simply replied, holding out his hand.
"I have some as well," Fumikage walked over, waving a hand.
"Hand it over!" Katsuki screamed towards his classmate.
"Mine too!" Denki walked over with his trash bag.
"And mine!" Hanta also had some trash.
"This is heavy," Minoru dragged his over—and no one wanted to know what he had in there.
"Thanks, man," Rikido came over as well.
"Merci!" Yuga thanked the seething boy, because he was not expecting almost everyone to give him something.
"Yeah, thank you," Mashirao told the blond.
"You bastards, it's like you've been hoarding this for weeks!" Katsuki shouted in frustration, getting Izuka's attention. She was sitting between Tsuyu and Ochaco. She blinked towards him and giggled to herself.
Mina smiled a little, turning to the girls. "Togata's story of how he went from last place to the top was so killer, wasn't it?"
"Yeah!" Toru gushed as Momo reached out to her hair.
"I'm really looking forward to getting into a work study now," Tsuyu spoke up to the others.
"I hope we get the chance," Ochaco looked up in thought. "I think they're still figuring out what to do with us first years."
"I suppose there's nothing we can do until Mr. Aizawa gives us the go ahead," Momo combed through her hair.
As they were talking, Izuka gripped her skirt, staying silent. Once again, she felt left out since she couldn't do one... I should be used to them talking about stuff like this...but I'm not. How am I supposed to feel when it's constantly a reminder for me?
Katsuki looked in her direction, noticing her shift in mood.
"Ah! We shouldn't be talking about this in front of you," Ochaco frowned towards Izuka and the other girls gasped in realization.
"We're sorry, that wasn't cool of us," Kyoka gave her a panicked look.
"Yeah, we all wish you weren't getting punished by Mr. Aizawa..." Mina's eyes saddened towards the girl. "It's so unfair!"
"Really, it's fine," She gave a small chuckle as she looked up, wiping at her eyes with her wrist. "I know it can't be helped...I'm really happy for you guys. I'd rather you have the experience than to worry about my feelings."
"Are you gonna be okay?" Ochaco rubbed her back gently. Tsuyu placed a hand on her shoulder as someone approached behind the couch.
"I appreciate your concern, but-"
"Izuka!" She flinched as she turned around to see Katsuki standing behind the couch. And he looked scary as hell standing over her, causing the girl to yelp in fear. Her hair stood on end as he had the aura of wanting to murder someone. "You have trash I need to get."
"Huh? But I left mine before I went to class this morning-"
"We're checking again!" He grabbed her wrist, pulling her over the couch. The girl yelped while flailing her legs and he put her down. The boy then grabbed her hand and walked away from everyone.
"Katsuki!" She yelled out as he went towards the elevator, shocking all the girls. "I'm being kidnapped...!"
"Shut up! It's not kidnapping, I just need you for a minute!" He screamed, the rest of their class looking up ahead awkwardly. They wanted to help, but at the same time, they didn't want to piss off Katsuki...plus some were more trustworthy of him than others.
"Is it really okay to leave them alone...?" Denki murmured a little nervously. Izuku just smiled as he knew Katsuki had good intentions by dragging her away. Granted, the way he did it wasn't the best...
He dragged her all the way to the elevator and pressed the button. "I gave you my trash, why-"
"Just be quiet, okay?" He tried not to snap at her and she clamped her mouth shut. She could tell something was bothering him, so she wasn't going to push it this time. Once they were inside, he pressed the 2nd floor button, which confused her since they were both on the 4th floor. They both stood there in silence as the ding sounded, opening up the doors. Katsuki then dragged her over to the girls' side since no one had a room there and then held her cheeks, examining her face. She blushed at how close he was, his piercing eyes looking into hers. She was about to ask what he was doing when he spoke up. "You're not gonna cry, are you?"
"Huh?" She blinked in utter confusion.
"Crying! You're clearly upset over the fact that you have to retake that damn license exam again, and you can't avoid them talking about it! So...if you want to, you can let it out," He glanced away, his face flushed. "Or do whatever you want. I don't care...as long as you're okay."
She stared at him offering to help her once again, though she wasn't sure she should be that surprised anymore. After his fight with Izuku in Ground Beta, she didn't think he'd be showing his soft side like this so soon.
The girl shed a small tear, sniffing as she gave a happy smile. "I won't shed that many tears, because there's no use crying over it." He looked down at her in surprise as he had a small feeling it would've been like when he helped her before the Sports Festival. But her reaction was...the complete opposite as that time now. She wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist to recollect herself. "It still hurts, but...I have our class, you know? So...maybe in time, I'll be okay? That's probably why...I don't feel like crying over it. Just having friends care about me is enough."
He flinched as his face turned red. "Don't get it mixed up! It's not because I care about your feelings!" He scoffed as she hummed, knowing that he didn't entirely mean that. The short girl then stepped forward to hug him, closing her eyes. She rested her cheek onto his warm chest.
"Okay, Katsuki. And...thank you."
"...Yeah," He rested his chin on her head, wrapping an arm around her. "You're...welcome." She's so much stronger with her emotions than she was at the start. At least she's getting better at that. Then he remembered almost kissing her and blushed again, gently pushing her off. "T-that's enough hugs right now! You can get more another time."
She blinked in confusion and then remembered why he reacted like that. "Aah! I'm so sorry, I should've asked first if you'd be comfortable with it!"
"Don't start with that shit, I said you can hug me later! Use your god damn ears," He muttered as he stormed off, hands in his pockets. She rubbed her neck, but smiled, glad that she had his permission to do so if she needed it. The girl then followed after him with a small skip in her step.
"But next time if you wanna talk, just tell me. Don't drag me like a rag doll," She pointed out with a small pout.
"That's because you'll keep being one if you start slacking off," He smirked and she huffed, smacking his arm once they reached the elevator.
"Idiot."
"Shorty," He remarked casually as they stepped inside to go back downstairs.
Izuku looked up at the ceiling in his room. "You've learned about what a work study is from the Big Three. But it hasn't been decided yet whether or not you'll be allowed to do one. That won't be talked about until the faculty meeting. And if we're going to approve this, we'll have to think of how we'll handle the media. That's all I can tell you for now."
He narrowed his eyes a little, picking up his phone. I need to take some initiative. I can't just sit and wait. He then called someone, putting his phone to his ear.
"Yes? What can I help you with?" Gran Torino answered once he picked up. "Huh? Work study? Wait, who is this again?"
"I was wondering," Izuku started off, not even commenting on the last question. He was fairly used to it by now. "Will you be taking anyone for the program, Gran Torino?"
"Oh-ho-ho! Finally remembered who I am, huh, big shot?" Izuku gave a look of anticipation, hoping that Gran Torino could help...but the hero was actually at the police station right now. "Sorry, kid. I'm working on something else right now, so I can't help you out. Oh, wait, I know who you are. You're that useless successor who failed at the Sports Festival!"
Izuku let out a yelp of surprise, shaking.
Katsuki held him down at Ground Beta after their fight, ensuring that his opponent couldn't move. "You have All Might's power. But even using his strength, even after making it your own—somehow, you still managed to lose to me."
Izuku's eyes then saddened a little, as he wanted to beat Katsuki the next time they fought. "It's because I've been so useless that I want to make sure I'm doing whatever I can to get closer to being number one!"
"Way to make something obvious sound cool there, sport," Gran Torino complimented with a small smile. "But why don't you go ask your master about it instead of calling me? He is supposed to be devoting himself to teaching now that he's retired, right?"
"But...Mr. Aizawa said we should use the connections we got from our internships," Izuku pointed out while looking towards all of his All Might posters and figurines.
"You can, sure, but that doesn't mean you have to go that route. Don't you think that All Might can introduce you to a bunch of new people? First one who comes to mind is his former sidekick."
Izuku gasped at the suggestion, his eyes shaking.
A girl with blue hair opened up the door to a room in darkness. "Sir! I have news!" She announced and then gasped up ahead. "You're low key today, aren't you?"
Sir turned to her while looking at a screen, his glasses reflecting off of it. "Let's hear the report, and make it quick."
"Yes, sir," She stood up straight. "One of the persons we're investigating is on the move. Overhaul. The head of the Shie Hassaikai."
He then narrowed his eyes knowingly, as that name was one that had been going around a lot in his building...
"This is your base?" Overhaul coughed as he looked at an abandoned warehouse Twice had led him to. "Looks pretty unsanitary."
"Huh?" Twice glanced over his shoulder. "Like we'd show you where our main base is. This one's just a meeting place."
"Ridiculous," Overhaul muttered as he found the spot less than favorable already, and he wasn't even inside. "The air's practically made of dust here. It's gonna make me sick."
"Join the club," Twice remarked back like it was no big deal. "The guys inside have been sick for a while," He then opened up the doors.
"And what do you think he's doing?" Sir wondered to the girl.
"It appears he's made contact," She reported back gravely. "With the League of Villains..."
Sir immediately stood up after hearing this.
"Hey, guys! I'm back!" Twice announced as most of the other members of the League were inside. They looked towards their guest. "And I brought that dude! He said he wanted to talk to you, so here we are. He's quiet, but pretty cool. He seems like a real creep."
Overhaul came to a stop in front of Himiko, Mr. Compress, Magne, and Shigaraki. Dabi was still finding recruits, and Spinner was laying low for now. Overhaul let out a few coughs from how musty it was inside.
"...Well, now," Shigaraki narrowed his eyes towards their guest. "You brought us a pretty big catch, huh Twice?" The two stared at each other, the air very intense at what this meeting would entail...
Izuku looked out his balcony. Izuka was painting something when the door knocked. She went over, opening it to see all of the girls gathered outside her door. They were all holding snacks while dressed in their pajamas. She smiled as she let them in. Momo and Ochaco especially pulled her into a group hug, and she smiled, knowing that they were here to comfort her about the special classes.
Just like we were one step closer to becoming real heroes...so too were the villains moving even deeper into the darkness.
Which was something we couldn't ignore...so that's why all of us had to keep moving forward to stop them.
Toshinori looked towards UA at night, turning to the side.
The entrusted successor. And the successor released into the wild.
A fledgling symbol molding into her own...and the mentor bent on destroying it.
All for One grinned inside of his cell as he had a feeling things would be changing big time for Shigaraki.
Soon...they would meet.